Latest news with #Deborah
Daily Mirror
32 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
BBC's Destination X leaves viewers speechless with 'nerve-racking' challenge
BBC viewers tuned in to watch the second instalment of Rob Brydon's new reality game show Destination X on Thursday night. Viewers of Destination X were left utterly gobsmacked by the latest instalment of the BBC series, which premiered earlier this week. The show's debut on Wednesday initially failed to wow audiences, but it seems opinions have swiftly changed following Thursday's episode. As the competition heated up, the remaining contestants pressed on to an undisclosed location after Deborah became the first casualty of the game, her incorrect guess landing her miles away from the actual destination: Paris. With the competitors still clueless about their whereabouts, they embarked on a fresh leg of their European adventure. Drama escalated when the participants were split into groups and tasked with securing a clue for their team while precariously perched in a gondola 2,000 metres up in the air, reports Wales Online. Amidst the mountainous backdrop, the host revealed a plot twist, one brave soul from each team had to abseil down to retrieve a clue from the bottom of their cart. X was ablaze as viewers expressed their astonishment at seeing two daring contestants abseil from their sky-high gondola. One viewer exclaimed: "This is INSANE he's hanging 2,000ft above air like it's nothing #DestinationX" While someone else tweeted: "Is this for real? #DestinationX". One viewer couldn't help but express their concern, saying: "All I can think about is insurance and risk assessments." Another shared their personal dread, sharing: "I'd be in the corner rocking back and forth this is a nightmare to me." A different person pointed out the behind-the-scenes safety measures, commenting: "As well as a camera crew, there must be safety people checking the harnesses." Pilot Josh, reflecting on the daunting experience of being suspended mid-air, admitted: "There was a massive drop down , that was pretty nerve-racking!" Ultimately, both teams managed to secure the clue from beneath the cart, but it was Team A who triumphed in the overall challenge by piecing together their clues more effectively. In a strategic move, the victorious team chose to withhold some information about the clue they uncovered, hoping to gain an edge in the competition. Despite the tactical play and the advantage it provided, it was Dawn who faced elimination, becoming the most recent contestant to exit the show.
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I was on BBC's new gameshow Destination X and this is what really happens'
The first player to be eliminated from the BBC adventure gameshow, Destination X, has now revealed what it was really like being on the programme. A contestant on Destination X has spilled the beans on what the BBC One gameshow is really like behind the scenes. Deborah became the first player booted out of the competition in last night's premiere, missing out on her shot at bagging £100,000. The crime writer, 62, was amongst 13 strangers taking part in Rob Brydon's adventure series, which sees the players set off on the journey of a lifetime across Europe. With the continent turned into a massive board game, the participants must try to work out where they are in the world after being deprived of their senses on a coach and given a mix of clues and red herrings, reports Wales Online. Combining elements of The Traitors and Race Across The World, the contestants must navigate through the lies and deception they face, with each episode seeing whoever guesses furthest from the actual location getting sent packing. Last night, Deborah became the first Destination X star to get the chop, after three had already been abandoned at the airport and one had thrown in the towel. She's now spilled the beans in an exclusive interview about what the experience was truly like, and what viewers didn't witness. "I had the best time," she reflected. "There's such a great bunch of guys on the bus, and a massive team that looks after you. "It is all a bit surreal, but I would do it again in a heartbeat." Discussing her tight-knit relationship with her fellow contestants, she continued: "The BBC has only got an hour, but we were on that bus for hours and hours, they showed clips of me looking discombobulated all the time. "But in between those points, there were times I had to get off the bus and walk away because I was laughing so much." Following host Rob's revelation of one backstage secret - that a convoy of portable toilets trailed behind the bus - Deborah then laid bare the harsh realities of coach life for days on end. "You saw the loo on the bus, it's not even Harry Potter's cupboard under the stairs. And you're so close to people all the time." She chuckled: "You come out of there and people ask, 'how did you get on?'" In addition to sensory deprivation onboard the bus, in the first episode, the contestants were asked to wear goggles while flying in an aeroplane, where Deborah revealed she even had a little nap. But being unable to see their surroundings while travelling did risk taking its toll when it came to travel sickness. Deborah explained: "The medic came along and said, 'Does anybody get sea sickness, I've got some tablets,' so at that stage in the proceedings we said, 'Yeah, I'll have it,' but we didn't know [about the helicopter], we thought it was just because the bus was going to go around some wiggly, windy things. "So I had a tablet, yeah, and we were on the helicopter for a long time, and you can't see anything, so I'm not going to lie, I had a bit of a sleep." Despite feeling "gutted" about being the first to be eliminated from the competition, Deborah described it as a "once in a lifetime" opportunity. She revealed that she chose to participate in Destination X after realising "there's more sand at the bottom of the egg timer than there is at the top". "You need to start having some adventures and living your life, because to not do that is disrespectful to those people who didn't get to have a bit more life," she expressed, sharing tales of her other escapades, including near-death experiences while skiing and scuba diving. Now, she's gearing up for an entirely different challenge, preparing for an Arctic expedition next year in collaboration with the Sue Ryder charity. "I'm checking on my fitness because I've had both hips replaced and a stomach implant thing... but the guy in the Arctic thinks I'll be alright to do it," she shared. "I did Tough Mudder over the weekend, last Saturday, and that was the hardest thing I'd done in my life, but I think the Arctic will be harder." Reflecting her adventurous spirit, when asked about her plans for the prize money, she added: "We'd all like a bit more, but I did it for the adventure, money can't buy that adventure and those experiences." Destination X continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
'I felt numb' - how therapy helps in motherhood's darkest days
One word keeps coming up when these mothers describe their experience of new motherhood: numb. Deborah, Emma and Izzy - successful women and doting mums - had struggled with their mental wellbeing after giving birth. At a time so often portrayed as joyous, celebratory and brimming with love - they felt can sometimes be our body's natural defence to shut down - a way of coping with the overwhelming rollercoaster of hormones, sleep deprivation and societal research suggests one in two mothers found it hard to cope postpartum and 43% considered having therapy - but didn't. These women are telling their stories to encourage others to seek help. Strolling through Wimbledon Park in south-west London, five-year-old Zion is chatting about his first year at school, Pheonix, two, is telling funny fibs, and Trinity, who is six months old, grins and giggles. Their dad stays behind the camera, offering attentive support to his wife, a vision of family serenity. But a few months ago, it was anything but that. Deborah Williams recalls a moment, days after the birth of her third child - her mother holding the newborn, the family laughing and dancing. And she felt remembers thinking, "I physically cannot do anything other than sit here with a blank stare on my face even though my kids are happy and I'm looking at them and I want to get involved. I need to do something to break this wall down."What this could become is me not being emotionally available to my kids and I don't want that reality at all." Emma Ferguson-Gould experienced a similar sort of joyless paralysis after the birth of her second child."I was unable to get out of my armchair, wasn't enjoying anything, felt very numb. Everything felt very bleak and heavy," she told me."I wasn't well enough, I suppose, or strong enough - or in-the-know enough - to advocate more strongly for myself at that point," Emma says. "And it really took getting to a crisis point to be prescribed the anti-depressants and be put in touch with the talking therapist team - and it really made a big difference."She's curled on a blanket in the shade - her third child, six-month-old Flynn, sleeping peacefully in her birth was traumatic. Because of Emma's history of maternal mental health problems, the health visitors and community midwives had a plan in place. She is working through a course of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)."It's difficult, we're a work in progress," she says. "But I do feel very 'held' this time round - and more stable from that perspective." Both women are telling their stories as part of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)'s Positive Steps campaign. For its launch, quotes from women who have had therapy have been spray-painted on to a path in Wimbledon Park, one well-trodden by exhausted new research has revealed that half of women have found postnatal pressures to have had an impact on their mental health. And two-thirds of new mothers find the bombardment of advice - from social media, family, friends, health professionals or even well-meaning strangers - does nothing to alleviate the stress, adding to what it calls the "motherload".One in 10 women experience post-natal depression (PND), according the the NHS. Symptoms include persistent sadness, trouble sleeping and feeling unable to cope. Some women can develop postpartum psychosis, a rare but serious mental health Positive Steps campaign is supported by Izzy Judd - she and her husband, Harry, from the band McFly, have spoken about their experiences."You go out for a walk, you're pushing your buggy but you feel so lonely," she there is a distinct pressure to succeed. "There's a very glossy image of what new motherhood looks like online and I think that adds the extra pressure." 'Someone alongside with you' Georgina Sturmer, a BACP registered counsellor, says women often feel there are barriers to seeking help."As a new mum we don't have much time or much energy or the resources to dedicate to maybe finding the support that we need and carving out that time - particularly if we need to get childcare."There's also a more in-depth emotional barrier a lot of the time because so much has changed in our life and we're struggling with so many new things that it can be really hard to feel like we deserve to find the support," she she says therapy can be "transformative" because it involves "someone alongside with you - they're in your journey".She recommends searching for a qualified therapist through the BACP for whom therapy has been very beneficial, advises mums and dads to make a plan before the baby is born and compile a list of numbers or places to access help. She says to "be honest" at the six or eight-week health visitor check-up. Parents can also contact their GP to arrange therapy through the adds: "When you've got so much to deal with and you've got so many expectations that you're managing, the idea of sitting in a space talking, feels like: 'I could do something in that hour. I could be productive, I could work on my business.'""I just want to encourage as many mums as possible - if you need the help, ask for it. I can honestly say I was one of those people that said, therapy's not for me - but it's helped me." If you have been affected by the issues in this story, help and information is available on the BBC Advice Line page.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Whether it's canine massages or ‘pawdicures,' Los Angeles pups get five-star treatment
It's no secret. Los Angeles loves dogs. Everywhere you go is crawling with dogs, and they are living their best lives. I even wrote about it in a previous edition of this newsletter. I've certainly seen dogs seated inside restaurants and being pushed around in strollers. But I've never seen one at a spa. I've also never heard of a dog having more frequent-flier miles than some humans. Canines enjoy these things and more in The Times' newest series, Dog Days of Summer, in which my colleagues dig into the city's obsession with dogs and the most extravagant things L.A. humans do for their furry best friends. Wellness for dogs mirrors the spectrum of wellness treatments for humans — be they relaxing and rejuvenating or dubious — my colleague Deborah Vankin writes. Deborah followed Dug the dog around for a week as he experienced L.A.'s dog wellness scene, including sound baths for hounds, canine massage, 'pawdicures' and reiki meditation for mutts. Dug, an 8-year-old golden retriever, was chauffeured to his spa treatment in a presidential Cadillac stretch limo. While at Collar & Comb in West Hollywood, he received a blueberry facial and exfoliating mud mask from the same professionals who groom the dogs of Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Wahlberg and Dakota Johnson. And that's just on the pampering end of the spectrum. There are also vet-affiliated treatments including acupuncture, hydrotherapy and chiropractic care. As self-care for humans becomes more popular, there are more wellness products and services being developed for dogs. Plus, an increasing number of pet owners now view their dogs as children, 'Pet Buzz' radio show co-host Charlotte Reed told Deborah. 'People are worried about the world. So a lot of people are not having children — and they're treating their dogs like kids,' Reed said. 'Dogs — like kids — are a reflection of your lifestyle. If you're into health and wellness, that's what you want your dog to be into.' Be careful not to project your human desires onto animals that don't share the same tastes, warns American Kennel Club chief veterinarian Dr. Jerry Klein. 'A lot of this stuff, it's geared to the humans. But what we derive pleasure and relaxation from might create the opposite for a dog that might not want to be touched or handled. People should get their vet's opinion, always, before doing anything that might affect the dog's health.' But who are we kidding? That's not going to stop Angeleno pet owners from taking their dogs for deep-tissue massages and inflammation-fighting red light therapy. Here's more from our series on extreme dog pampering, in case your furry besties aren't already participating: Email us at essentialcalifornia@ and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. Today's great photo is from Times photographer Gina Ferazzi at the home of Nauzhae' Drake who has four children all born on the same date, July 7. Jim Rainey, staff writerDiamy Wang, homepage internIzzy Nunes, audience internKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorAndrew Campa, weekend writerKarim Doumar, head of newsletters How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
We sold our home and now my wife wants to build an emergency fund instead of paying off debt — which is right?
Imagine a situation where a couple, whose house was paid off, decided to downsize and — after paying for a new, smaller house — has about $50,000 left over. Deborah's husband, Pete, wants to pay off their $50,000 credit card debt, but Deborah wants to put the money in a high-interest savings account (HISA). Both are working, have benefits and have 401(k)s with employer matching. However, because they put their extra money into paying down their first house, they don't have other savings. Other than their credit card debt, they don't have other high-interest debt, don't have kids and don't anticipate making any major purchases in the next few years. Don't miss Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) You don't have to be a millionaire to gain access to this $1B private real estate fund. In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here's how The pros and cons of each approach Many financial planners would advise paying off the debt. 'If you have credit card debt that is increasing and you're paying high interest, you definitely want to pay that off first,' Stuart Boxenbaum, president of Statewide Financial Group, told CBS News. Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey would agree — for the most part. He recommends what he calls the 7 Baby Steps, which starts by saving $1,000 in a 'starter' emergency fund and then paying off non-housing debt. From there, he recommends building a more substantial emergency fund (saving three to six months of expenses) and then investing 15% of your income for retirement. In the case of Deborah and Pete, the advantage of paying off their credit card debt could mean saving thousands of dollars in interest. Consider that the average credit card interest rate in the U.S. is 24.33%, according to LendingTree. On a debt of $50,000, interest starts adding up fast if you're only making minimum payments. The downside? They'd temporarily reduce liquidity. If they put the money in an interest-bearing account, they'd have full access to that cash if they need it. However, the rate on a high-interest savings account is currently around 4%, so even doing some simple math shows that the annual percentage yield on a HISA won't outpace credit card interest. Rod Griffin, senior director of public education and advocacy at Experian, told CNET that 'paying off debt and saving money doesn't have to be all or nothing,' and that consumers 'can and should do both.' That may mean building an emergency fund and paying down debt (or following Ramsey's approach with a 'starter' emergency fund, paying off high-interest debt and then building a larger emergency fund). A HISA can make that emergency fund work for you. 'For example, instead of having your emergency fund sitting idle and earning next to nothing, a high-yield savings account can help you earn a real return on your money while still keeping it readily available for unexpected expenses,' Kristen Beckstead, vice-president and financial planner at First Horizon Advisors, told CBS News. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it Couples need to work together on their finances Deborah and Pete may decide to pay off the full $50,000 balance to stop the high-interest bleeding. Or they could reach a middle ground. Since they don't have an emergency fund, they may want to put a portion of that money aside — enough to cover three to six months of expenses — and then pay down as much of the debt as possible with the remaining money. More importantly, they may want to examine their financial plan and how they're managing their finances as a couple. It can help to do this with a financial planner, who can provide them with various options and be an impartial third-party to help them navigate what can sometimes be difficult conversations. 'Money is the number one issue married couples fight about, and it's the second-leading cause of divorce, behind infidelity,' says finance expert Rachel Cruze in a blog for Ramsey Solutions. After all, people come into a marriage with different money mindsets — the attitudes and beliefs we each hold about money and how that influences the way we manage our finances. But, once you're married, you need to manage financial matters as a team. To do this, Cruze recommends keeping a joint bank account, since 'separating the money and splitting the bills is a bad idea that only leads to more money and relationship problems down the road.' She says couples should also discuss lifestyle choices together, recognize differences in personality and keep purchases out in the open. Working together and communicating isn't easy, especially when each partner has different money mindsets, but it can help couples like Deborah and Pete find a solution that works for both partners. What to read next Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Accredited investors can now buy into this $22 trillion asset class once reserved for elites – and become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger without lifting a finger. Here's how Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
