Latest news with #EastLondon
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
‘Don't accept this': Show boss rejects Call the Midwife star's mistreatment claim
Call the Midwife 's producers have refuted claims made by former cast member Olly Rix, who alleged he was not "treated with much integrity or respect" during his time on the show. Olly Rix, who played Matthew Aylward from series 10 to 13, expressed his dissatisfaction with how his character's storyline concluded and his overall treatment by the show. In response to Rix's allegations, a spokesperson for Call the Midwife stated that the show prides itself on a supportive and inclusive filming environment with a family atmosphere. Call the Midwife, a popular BBC period drama about midwives in East London, has been running since 2012 and is currently filming its 15th series. The Call the Midwife franchise is set to expand with a prequel series, a two-part Christmas special, and a film set in 1972 featuring iconic characters, scheduled for release in 2027.
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
REN skincare is closing down – stock up on my tested favourites before it's too late
More than two decades before the 'clean girl aesthetic' started trending on TikTok, REN was founded in East London with a pared-back, clean approach to skincare. A pioneer in the sustainable beauty space, the brand brought natural ingredients and sensitive skin-friendly formulas to the forefront. Getting its brand name from the Swedish word for 'clean', Ren was created in 2000 when its founder's pregnant wife began experiencing sensitivity from her everyday beauty products. From its bestselling evercalm balm to the barrier support elixir, its roster of products favour bioactives that are kind to both the planet and your skin. It was among the first to eliminate parabens, synthetic fragrances, sulfates and petrochemicals from its formulas, inspiring all the green brands that followed suit. REN's efficacious formulas are not only great for sensitive skin and eczema, but also young skin. I was first introduced to REN as a teenager just getting into skincare, when my parents wrapped up one of the brand's gift sets for Christmas. Its formulas are still a staple of my beauty routine, from the glow-getting tonic to the brightening eye cream. The beauty industry is full of buzzwords and green washing, but REN is one of the few sustainable brands you can trust, with its formulation standards enduring for a quarter of a century. So, when REN announced its imminent closure last month, I was one of its many fans preparing to mourn its loss in the space. Unilever – which bought the brand in 2015 – said it took the 'difficult decision' after a consultation period, blaming 'a combination of internal factors, compounded by market challenges in recent years', Unilever said REN is 'unable to sustain success in the long term'. 'We are proud of the REN team for all they have accomplished during 25 years of business, putting 'clean' skin care on the agenda and creating positive change for both people and planet and thank them as they continue to support us through this closure,' Unilever said in the statement. No date has been set yet for its official closure, but the brand said it will cease trading in the last quarter of 2025. As it winds down, I'm supporting the brand one final time by stocking up on cult classics and new favourites (see its sensitive skin daily SPF), and suggest you do too. Here are the best products to buy from REN while you still can. This has been a staple in my skincare routine for as long as I can remember. The non-invasive facial exfoliator is formulated with smoothing AHA's (lactic avid) and pore refining BHA's (salicin) to brighten and even out your skin tone. It leaves a dewy, glowy finish, gliding effortlessly on with a cotton pad. I've never found a product that both exfoliates and tackles hyperpigmentation while also boosting radiance. I use it every morning to give my skin the best start to the day. It's a great choice for those who usually find exfoliators or BHA toners too harsh on their skin - just make sure to build up to daily use. Delivering radiant skin by morning, Ren's recovery balm has a thick, gel-like consistency, with the product transforming into a lightweight consistency after warming it up in your hands. It's ultra-nourishing (thank you lipids like olive, almond, linseed and jojoba), locking in moisture and strengthening the skin's barrier. My skin feels soft and super hydrated come morning, with redness soothed and the appearance of pores minimised. REN's brightening eye cream is a perfectly weighted formula that instantly nourishes the under-eye area thanks to hyaluronic acid and a skin-balancing duo of elderberry flower and glycogen. Though absorbing quickly, it leaves a subtle sheen that immediately brightens up the area, making it perfect for daily morning use. It also works as a stellar primer, so you can apply concealer straight away. I also just love the fuss-free pump applicator, which is far less messy than the tubs that most eye creams come in. This is a new launch from the brand, but already a firm favourite in my SPF rotation. It's non-greasy and absorbs into skin fast (my two non-negotiables when it comes to sunscreen), with a satin finish and no risk of a white cast residue. Suitable for sensitive and eczema-prone skin, the formula isn't fragranced and is non-comedogenic. Not only does it protect against UV rays, but it's formulated with an anti-pollution complex to tackle environmental aggressors and has niacinamide to protect against blue light damage from electronic devices. REN's gentle cleanser is suitable for sensitive, oily or combination skin. I double cleanse with it in the morning and find that it doesn't dry out skin like other gel-based cleansers, nor leave that feeling of tightness. The formula works to strip the skin of impurities and dirt without losing any moisture, thanks to a strengthening duo of beta-glucan and prebiotic extracts. The cleanser leaves your face feeling soft, supple and ready for the day. REN's barrier support elixir is a product deserving of its cult status. If you've got oily skin already, or don't like the greasy sheen facial oils can leave, then REN's formula is a must-try. It's super lightweight and packed with seven nourishing oils - including camellia and rosehip - to strengthen and soothe skin. It absorbs quickly, so don't fret about using it in the morning before SPF, though I prefer to apply it as the final step of my routine in the evening. It works to tackle redness, hydrate dry patches and restore radiance to skin.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Moment Robert Jenrick asks fare dodger if he is carrying a KNIFE as he confronts brazen passengers who jump Tube barriers
This is the moment Robert Jenrick confronted fare dodgers on the London Underground, asking if one of them was carrying a knife. The shadow justice secretary shared footage of himself approaching three men at Stratford station in an attempt to show the extent of lawbreaking in the capital. He can be heard asking one of them if they have a knife on them - as he questions why they think it is alright not to pay. Mr Jenrick, who previously ran for leader of the Conservative Party, said: 'Do you want to go back and pay like everybody else?' He then said: 'But everyone else has to pay.' One of the alleged fare dodgers, who was wearing a black coat and baseball cap, told him to 'f*** off'. The shadow cabinet member then replies: 'You can say f*** off as much as you want.' Towards the end of the clip, Mr Jenrick can be heard asking one of the men: 'You what, you're carrying a knife, did you say?' As well as fare dodging, the Tory politician also vowed to go after 'weird Turkish barber shops', as well as bike theft, shoplifting and drug use in town centres. In a piece to camera outside the east London station, he said these things were 'chipping away at society' - as he called on the authorities to go after lawbreakers. Mr Jenrick, whose role as shadow justice secretary does not include tackling crime, claimed London mayor Sadiq Khan is 'driving a proud city into the ground'. He captioned the video on X:' Lawbreaking is out of control. He's [Mr Khan] not acting. So, I did.' Speaking to Times Radio after he posted the clip, Mr Jenrick rejected the suggestion his vigilante fare dodger campaign was irresponsible. He said: 'We do all have a role in society to call people out. 'Everyone has to make their own decisions... I do think that we all have a role in society to call people out. 'If you see somebody chucking litter on the floor, it's not somebody else's problem. 'Frankly, it's not just the police who should step up.' Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also welcomed Mr Jenrick's actions. She said: 'Rob is right. Sadiq Khan's been asleep at the wheel for 10 years and London is paying the price. Families don't feel safe. Investors are leaving. 'It's time to take back control of our city.' It comes as shocking footage showed the moment a fare dodger was told he owed more than £3,500 in unpaid ticket costs on Transport for London. The man had been using a bank card with no money on it for over a year - when he was caught by TfL investigators at Surrey Quays station in London's docklands. While the card had been accepted by the ticket reader each time, it had later resulted in a payment failure. This meant he was able to force the exit gates to open at a station without having to pay the TfL travel charge, racking up thousands of unpaid fees. The unsuspecting man was snared on his way to work, with investigators able to trace his usual journey and identify him on CCTV. After being taken in for an interview, the man claims he 'found' the card, before changing his mind and saying it was given to him by a friend. But this does little to convince the officers, as they reveal he owes TfL an eye-watering £3,573 from more than 500 journeys taken in over a year. The elaborate sting was captured in the latest episode of Channel 5 documentary 'Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law'. TfL investigator Lisa and her colleague spotted the man just as he was exiting the barriers at Surrey Quays train station. She asks the man to show her the card he used to tap out before asking where he got it. The man replies: 'No it's not mine, I found it.' 'Oh that's a whole different ball game now,' Lisa adds. She then checks the card on her own scanner, which confirms her suspicions that the card is faulty. 'You see there it's failed? So me and you need to have a conversation. So I am going to ask you in for an interview.' The fare dodger then asks: 'Is it going to take a long time? I'm working,' to which Lisa replies: 'It's going to take as long as it takes.' As she begins interviewing the man, Lisa tells him an investigation into the card shows that he had been using it illegally.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘I was on one of the biggest TV shows in the 90s, but I ditched fame ten years ago for a very different job'
IN the 90s, TV show This Life launched the careers of some of the UK's biggest stars. While Andrew Lincoln went on to star in the Walking Dead, and Jack Davenport appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean – their co-star chose a completely different career path. 8 8 8 Now Daniela Nardini, who became a fan favourite on the show as straight-talking lawyer Anna Forbes on the show, is now a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT), living life away from the spotlight in Glasgow. Daniela, now 57, was beloved as Anna on the smash-hit series, which launched in 1996 and followed a group of five friends as they navigated their twenties after graduating law school. The series saw the gang living together in East London as they try to get their foot on the career ladder, with Anna having a love-hate relationship with Miles (Jack Davenport), whom she had a fling with while studying. Daniela appeared in 32 episodes of the series, before reuniting with the cast in for TV movie This Life +10, marking the show's 10th anniversary in 2006. The role won her a BAFTA for Best Actress in 1998. While she continued to act – starring in multiple episodes of Waterloo Road, plus episodes of Vera and Lewis on her credit list – her performance career later took a backseat to events in her personal life. In 2020, Daniela told the Daily Mail she had endured 'the worst five years of her life', revealing her father died in 2015, she got divorced shortly after, before being diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 2018, getting a mastectomy. She told the site: 'I went through a very dark period. Sometimes I wonder if it was all the emotional stuff I was going through that caused my cancer. 'A couple of years down the road, I now feel as if I've emerged stronger and a better person really. Anna would be proud.' However, she noted that her time on This Life feels like 'another life now', and doesn't miss the fame that came with it. Trailer for 90s Brit drama series This Life During her recovery, Daniela turned to art therapy to help her process her cancer diagnosis, admitting she 'lost interest in performing'. 'Not because I felt physically I was not right, but I just felt mentally and emotionally not ready,' she explained. 'Acting is a very personal thing for me, as I suppose it is for other actors. But you've only got yourself to use and if there's not much 'self' there to use, it's futile even trying. At its worst, I would have struggled to even remember a line.' Proud of where she is in her life, Daniela said she came forward with her diagnosis in order to encourage others to get their breasts checked. 8 8 'It took a lot of pain and heartache to get here. But I'm a survivor and I feel strong,' she said. 'I feel like I'm finally the woman I wanted to be.' After launching her CBT practice from her home in Glasgow, Daniela explained that she felt being an actress helped her understand people on a more fundamental level. 'I have worked as an actress for over 35 years. This has been an invaluable education for me to study what it is to be human and how we can all suffer at times and feel misunderstood and lonely,' she wrote on her psychologist bio. 'I myself have struggled at times. My practice involves helping you gain insight, clarity and believe it or not humour at times. I don't shock easily so I won't judge.' 8 8 8
Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
One Club Row review — ‘Nowhere on earth could possibly be more fun'
The other day I received a message: 'I beg you not to review One Club Row.' Already, barely a week into service, my friend — who follows restaurant trends the way most men follow their football club —could tell this was going to be the most fashionable place in town. 'I know I'll get sick of hearing about it,' he explained. So I immediately booked a table. What a place. Enjoy this review now because in, ooh, about two weeks' time you really will be sick of hearing about it. What a joy to walk into a little restaurant above a pub, at 6pm on a Wednesday, and instantly feel there's nowhere on earth that could possibly be more fun at this precise moment. Oh, and they have a taxi light outside to show if there are tables available for walk-ins. I love it. I shouldn't have been surprised. James Dye, one of the proprietors, also co-owns the Camberwell Arms — among the best restaurants in south London and the social hub of all those young parents who move to that postcode for a bigger house and a better life, because once you're in Camberwell it's impossible to get out again. The other owner, Benji Liebowitz, used to be the maître d' at NoMad, one of New York's most glamorous cocktail bars. It's the type of pedigree that would have you betting the house on a racehorse. Inside One Club Row We're in east London, of course. But there's something here that feels a little New York. Perhaps it's the seats at the bar kept for walk-ins, or the martinis. There's something of the Jeremy King grand café too: white tablecloths, schnitzel on the menu. But then there's also something new, captured by the stonewashed walls, original fireplaces and ceiling roses back from when this was just a boozer, and the bright, blocky modern art on the walls. It's a glorious mix of classic and modern. I feel a bit giddy — although maybe that's the martinis too. Because obviously we have a martini each. Our waitress makes it clear this is kind of the point. Josh has one with olive oil; I have the house: gin, with the tiniest, delightful hint of sweetness from a dash of Italicus liqueur and a sultry maraschino cherry lounging at the bottom of the glass. We snack on a lobster and ham croquette — perfectly decent. But then come pickled jalapeño cheesy gougères. I gasp as I bite into one. There's mustard in there, lemon too. A sharp sweetness to the chillies. Next, the starters: fat, flavoursome tomatoes on a thin film of stracciatella. Barbecued asparagus on labneh with hazelnut and lemon, the best thing we eat. Oh go on, let's get the tuna crudo. It looks so good on the next table and there's something about this place that urges you to empty your bank account. For mains, pork schnitzel with mustard sauce and — this is inspired — blobs of tangy, salty gorgonzola. Then roasted cod on a thick, decadent buckwheat polenta. Less to write home about but still functional. Again, we start staring lasciviously at the next table. The two women there have a bowl of mussels, accompanied by a plate of something quite majestic-looking. 'Please can we have just one of whatever that is?' we ask. Lobster and ham croquettes JUSTIN DE SOUZA The longed-for item arrives. The industrial term would be 'reconstructed potato', but don't think of it like that. Think of it instead as an incredibly delicate hash brown, formed into a long, thin, crispy chip. Josh takes a bite and his eyes light up. 'I didn't think there was anything new to experience from the potato, but here I am.' Finally, though we definitely don't need it, a Dutch baby pancake — basically a sweet Yorkshire pudding with blueberries, Chantilly cream and smoked maple bacon. American indulgence, European chic. A Dutch baby pancake JUSTIN DE SOUZA It's not cheap. That said, you could pay a lot less than we did, if you don't order a nice bottle of wine in a fit of excitement-induced profligacy, and don't try to eat the whole menu. The problem is, I suspect you will. There's something ineffable about this place that just lends itself to abandon. It makes you want to flirt with strangers, stay for five hours, throw your life up in the air and move to New York. As I head home, I consider each of these options. Instead I book another table for next week, before everyone else does. ★★★★★ 1 Club Row, London E1 6JX;
