Latest news with #EnglandLioness
CNBC
08-08-2025
- Sport
- CNBC
England Lionesses' Jess Carter says social media platforms ‘need to do better' after facing racial abuse online
England Lioness and Gotham FC defender Jess Carter said social media companies can do more to police hate comments online after she faced racial abuse during the Euro 2025 tournament. Carter, a defender for the American soccer team Gotham FC, is part of the England women's national team, nicknamed the "Lionesses," that just secured a historic win in the Euro 2025 championships after defeating Spain on penalties in the final in Switzerland in July. Carter had to take a step back from social media after facing intense racial abuse during the tournament and in an interview with CNBC's Tania Bryer, she shared how she's dealing with the online attacks. "I'm not someone who normally takes myself off social media, because I'm used to the critics and used to getting some of the abuse that we get as athletes and people in the public eye, as it happens a lot," Carter told Bryer. "So this time around, I think the way that I dealt with it was just to completely take myself off social media so that I wasn't able to see anything that was said and I could just focus on what was being said within my camp," she added. The England women's team came out in support of Carter after the abuse and decided not to take the knee — an anti-racism gesture — before the Euro 2025 matches, saying it is "clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism." Carter said that online abuse can be overlooked, whereas if it were happening on the street, it would be treated as a hate crime. "I think social media companies need to do better at protecting people in the public eye. I think that the amount of abuse that we get, not even just me, but that everyone in the public eye gets, is extraordinary, and it's not okay," she said. "The social media platforms can do better to recognize those people that are sharing the abuse and prosecute them the way that they should be if this was in the street." She lauded tech giant Meta for monitoring her social media and blocking hate messages sooner, but said it needs to be addressed more efficiently. "More needs to be done in the beginning to prevent that from happening." Carter advised those who are dealing with abuse on social media to lean on family and friends and to speak up. "Part of me wishes I spoke up about it earlier. It started right from the beginning of the France game, because after I had spoken up about it, I maybe didn't realize that I did need the support. I thought 'I'll just handle this by myself. It'll be fine.' "Then actually after speaking up about it, having the support from my team and my family, and friends really helped get me through it," Carter told Bryer. "I didn't realize I needed support at the time, and speaking up about it helped get me through and not make me feel so isolated." Carter said the support and positivity from fans was instrumental in getting her through the rest of the tournament. On inclusivity in sports, Carter pointed out that she is a believer in equal access to opportunities and didn't know much about women's football growing up. "In fact, I didn't know anything about women's football. I didn't know I could be a professional footballer until I joined for Birmingham at 16, and so I think about making it more accessible for everybody, regardless of where you're from," she added.
Wales Online
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Alison Hammond admits 'it makes me emotional' in This Morning confession
Alison Hammond admits 'it makes me emotional' in This Morning confession On Friday's instalment of This Morning, Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary were detailing the latest headlines to ITV viewers. This Morning's Alison Hammond made an emotional confession during Friday's show. During the programme, the ITV star was speaking to Kate Lawler, who was live at a football ground ahead of the Women's European Championship, which kicks off next week. As the segment wrapped up, Kate showed off some of her skills as she admitted to wanting to be a footballer when she was a little kid. Alison commented: "You know what is so lovely? It actually makes me a little bit emotional because of how far women's football has come. "It's actually beautiful to see. It makes me so happy, it really does. It's unbelievable, I just want them to be paid the same. I wish." Alison Hammond made a confession during Friday's episode of This Morning (Image: ITV ) Article continues below During the segment, Kate admitted she was "star-struck" as she spoke to two England Lioness stars. One of them was Janet Bagguley from the 1972 squad, who now works as a postwoman. Holding up 12 caps from her time playing the sport, Janet commented: "I'm very, very proud." Kate highlighted how proud she must be seeing how far the sport has come now for women. Janet replied: "Oh, it's absolutely fantastic! "When you look at these kids behind us today, and after we won the Euro's last time, it went boom." Kate was live from a football training ground in Wales (Image: ITV ) Janet told This Morning viewers that she's now collecting letters of support in her 'postie' role for the England team around the country. Speaking about the Lioness Letter initiative, Janet commented: "We've been around all the schools, we're in Manchester later today, we're in London over the weekend. "Anybody can come and write their own letter, and we promise they'll be delivered to the Lionesses. " Holding one of the letters in her hand, Janet told Kate it had been written by her five-year-old granddaughter, who was wishing the team good luck. Article continues below Kate replied: "That's class, that is! I just want to say, I can't believe I'm stood with an OG Lioness." UEFA Women's EURO 2025 will run from 2 to 27 July in Switzerland, with eight venues hosting matches. Coverage will be available to watch on both ITV and the BBC. This Morning is available to watch on ITVX.
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Mary Earps' life off the pitch from major setback to mysterious love life
Away from the football pitch, England Lioness goalkeeper Mary Earps spends time with her nearest and dearest at home and has lavish holidays abroad to Dubai, Madrid and Greece England goalkeeper Mary Earps has been making waves in her sporting field, but when she's not on the pitch, she leads a jet-setting lifestyle filled with luxury breaks. Despite her glamorous life and impressive football achievements, the 32-year-old has also faced her fair share of tough times. If you watched the women's World Cup back in 2023, you'll remember Earps' incredible penalty save when the Lionesses were up against Spain in the final. The moment went down in history, despite England's defeat, but Earps was recognised for her standout performance. She was awarded the Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper at the tournament and, in the same year, took home the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Fast-forward two years, and Earps is still close with her fellow Lionesses and was spotted supporting some of her teammates for the Women's FA Cup match against Chelsea and Manchester United. But what has the star been up to in the last few years? The England goalie swapped Man U for a new life in the French capital when she joined Paris St-Germain last summer. Speaking of her new adventure, she told BBC Sport: "I've kind of gone away from the craziness of England. I get to go away and work hard in silence and just kind of get on with my job quietly". Here, the Mirror takes a closer look at her life away from the pitch... Supportive family The Nottingham-born ace is close with her family and has said they all keep her grounded with her newfound success. Speaking to GQ Magazine, she recounted how playing football in the garden with her dad and brother sparked her ambition to turn professional. With the unwavering support of her parents, who ferried her to matches and training sessions, she joined a local club. "I was playing a local Saturday match and saved a penalty," she reminisced, pinpointing the moment she realised her future was in goalkeeping. When it came to her FIFA Best Award nomination, her parents were the first to hear the news. Overwhelmed by the honour, she expressed to BBC Sport: "I was blown away [to be nominated]. There aren't loads of awards around for goalkeepers," showcasing her humble nature despite her accolades. "I texted my mum and dad straight away. They humbly replied with just 'well done'. It was a standard Earps family reply, super chilled. It's really nice and the real icing on the cake. It doesn't happen often and it never really happens to me so I forget [these awards] exist in a way. To be named on the shortlist, it came out of the blue, and it was really cool." As well as achieving numerous awards, Earps has been supported by her local community and even has a bus named after her in her hometown, West Bridgford, near Nottingham. She is often stopped for photographs and spotted in the street by fans, though it's taken some getting used to. She told Vogue:"A lot has changed since our Euros win, including the profile of the game. I'm trying to adjust to and enjoy the attention that comes with success. Not that I would have it any other way." Setback But it wasn't always smooth sailing for the top-notch goalie; she once believed her professional aspirations were dashed. Back in September 2020, after tirelessly working for Manchester United, she was hoping for a comeback on the English team – yet, she missed the cut. She found herself behind goalkeepers Carly Telford, Ellie Roebuck, Hannah Hampton, and Sandy MacIver in the pecking order. The crushing blow drove Mary to the floor of her kitchen, where she crumbled emotionally. She recalled: "I got to a point where I felt I had sort of reached my limits. I had given football a good go, but wasn't quite good enough. I had responsibilities, I had a mortgage and it wasn't adding up." However, Earps didn't give up the sport and worked relentlessly for another two years, earning her spot back on the national team and shining at the 2023 Women's World Cup. "We don't fear anyone", she boldly stated ahead of one game against Nigeria at Brisbane Stadium, becoming a beacon of inspiration for many. Part-time jobs and degree Before Earps became a star in English football, she was working part-time jobs just to scrape together enough money for petrol to make it to training with Doncaster Belles. She juggled jobs at a cinema and toy shop, gave football coaching, and even pitched in at her dad's firm. Recounting her journey on Jill Scott's podcast, she said: "That summer I was just moving on to my A-Levels, I had a job in the cinema, a job at a kids' toy shop, two coaching jobs and I worked with my dad's business, where I was doing some telesales work for him. I had quite a few jobs to pay for my boots and petrol basically." She went on to describe how there wasn't much cash in footie during her early days: "I used to get expenses with Doncaster but there was no real money in the game back then. At first I had not passed my driving test so I was relying on my local team-mates for help. There was a girl who even drove from Southampton up to Doncaster and used to pick me up on the way. It is mad how the game has changed since then." Despite the hectic schedule, Earps managed to earn a degree in Information Management and Business Studies from Loughborough University, taking an additional year at school to achieve her entrance requirements. Celebrating on Instagram, she wrote: "Today I graduated from one of the top universities in the country, the university that I've always dreamed of attending, with a 2:1 degree in Business... and it's safe to say that the stress, sweat, tears and sleep deprivation were all worth it. Thank you for a challenging and unforgettable four years." Jet-setter and love life Away from football, the pro player lives her best life, travelling the world and spending time with her loved ones at home. A glance at her Instagram account (@1maryearps) reveals her adventures in Paris, Madrid, Dubai, Australia, and Berlin. Mary often shares carefree, sun-kissed photos from her getaways, showcasing her lighter side. Her sense of humour is also evident, as seen in a Greek holiday snap captioned: "I can finally say that I've been to Greece, better late than feta." Another photo of her rowing in Spain is accompanied by the witty remark: "When you're trying to do a cute pout but forget you don't have a top lip." Despite being the Lionesses' TikTok sensation with 1.2 million followers, where she frequently participates in trending challenges and shares behind-the-scenes match footage, Earps keeps her love life out of the spotlight. it is unknown whether she is in a relationship.
