Latest news with #GSCEs
Edinburgh Live
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Tess Daly's husband Vernon red-faced after seeing 'different side' to Claudia Winkleman
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Vernon Kay was left bemused after uncovering an old interview with Claudia Winkleman, who fronts Strictly Come Dancing with his wife Tess Daly . The 51-year-old presenter unearthed the throwback clip during his BBC Radio 2 show, which featured a young Claudia discussing the art of flirting. Listeners were in for a treat as Vernon announced: "It's time to dive into the BBC Archive for our midweek trip into the vault. We're taking our second visit to the '90s in recent days." He continued, revealing Claudia's lesser-known past: "Back in 1996, Claudia Winkleman wasn't known as 'Claudia from Strictly', or 'Claudia from the Traitors', or 'National Treasure Claudia Winkleman'. No, no, no, no! For one of her first TV appearances, we saw a whole different side to our Claud. "Long before Morning Live was around, we had Good Morning with Anne and Nick on BBC One with Claudia introduced as a 'Chat up expert'. This is genius." After airing the segment where Claudia gave her take on flirtatious interactions, including a woman asking a man for a light and other cheeky chat-up lines, Vernon couldn't help but feign disgust. Reflecting on how times have changed, he remarked: "It's always difficult isn't it? These days it's all done on an app, which is kind of sad, takes the human element out of it, do you know what I mean? Just swiping. "There was an art to it, chatting to someone that you fancied. It was difficult, it was getting over that threshold of 'What can I say? What can I do?'." In recent chats, Vernon has taken a nostalgic trip recalling times gone by. Sharing with his audience, he spoke about his youngest daughter's GCSE revisions, sparking memories of his own school days. Vernon spoke about his and Tess' daughters Phoebe and Amber, revealing that the study period for 15-year-old Amber brought back sharp recollections. He jokingly admitted: "Got GCSEs on the they're here. We've started ours, we're up and running. Of course, it's stressful. I remember my I don't...I'm lying, it was so long ago - 1990 I did mine. I remember sitting there thinking, 'Gosh, I wish I'd revised'. I'm not remembering anymore, it's making me depressed." Vernon also shared his views on the pressures of academic assessments, commenting: "It's not the way education should be for me, more practical, playing out, hide and seek, I'd have got A+ in that. It's torturous for some kids, isn't it? If you've got who are going through GSCEs, just put your arm around them. "There's nothing else they can do. There's no point cramming. You can cram all you want in your revision, which we all did, let's be honest, but you've just got to hold their hand haven't you? Guide them along, make sure they're alright between their ears, in their noggin."
Edinburgh Live
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Vernon Kay admits 'stressful' time at home with Tess Daly and says 'there's nothing we can do'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Vernon Kay has candidly spoken about the "stressful" period he and his wife Tess Daly are experiencing at home, as their daughter Amber gears up for her GCSE exams. The Radio 2 host, aged 51, who shares two daughters with Strictly's Tess Daly, opened up on air about the family's current challenge. The couple are doting parents to Phoebe, 20, and 15 year old Amber. During his Wednesday morning show (May 7), Vernon responded to a listener's concern about getting their son to study for GCSEs by sharing that Amber is also in the midst of exam preparation. Vernon sympathised with students and parents alike, saying: "Got GCSEs on the they're here. We've started ours, we're up and running." He reflected on his own school days, jokingly admitting: "Of course, it's stressful. I remember my I don't...I'm lying, it was so long ago - 1990 I did mine. (Image: VernonKay Instagram) "I remember sitting there thinking, 'Gosh, I wish I'd revised'. I'm not remembering anymore, it's making me depressed." Vernon expressed his dislike for exams, confessing he was "rubbish" at them, reports the Manchester Evening News. He added: "It's not the way education should be for me, more practical, playing out, hide and seek, I'd have got A+ in that. "It's torturous for some kids, isn't it? If you've got who are going through GSCEs, just put your arm around them. "There's nothing else they can do. There's no point cramming. You can cram all you want in your revision, which we all did, let's be honest, but you've just got to hold their hand haven't you?". "Guide them along, make sure they're alright between their ears, in their noggin." (Image: tessdaly / Instagram) Tess Daly and Vernon Kay, both rising stars in the TV presenting world, found love despite working for rival networks. Vernon was a face on Channel 4's T4, while Tess graced ITV with her presence on SMTV. Despite their professional rivalry, it wasn't long before they were head over heels for each other. Tess, now 56, has often reminisced about how their spark was "immediate" and that life with Vernon was always fun-filled. The festive season of 2002 brought more than just Christmas cheer for Tess as Vernon proposed on Christmas Day at her parents' home. The couple then exchanged vows at St Mary's Church in Horwich, Vernon's birthplace, followed by a reception at Rivington Hall Barn. The newlyweds didn't wait long to start a family, with Tess giving birth to their first daughter, Phoebe, on October 17, 2004, in London. Their family joy doubled nearly five years later when their second daughter, Amber, arrived on May 30, 2009. A delighted Vernon shared with the Sunday Mirror: "She is absolutely beautiful and I am thrilled." In her book The Baby Diaries,Tess revealed her unique approach to childbirth preparations, which included not just breathing techniques but also a full makeover. She admitted: "Before Amber's I tried to remember my breathing techniques. But I did something else too. "I had my roots done and, wait for it, a pedicure! It might sound like madness, but I thought that while I might come out of it looking like I'd been dragged through a hedge backwards, I certainly wasn't going in there looking that way."
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'I was 35 and didn't even know what MS was'
A woman who was told she had multiple sclerosis (MS) at 35 says she had never heard of the disease, even though it is most commonly diagnosed in young adults. Kate Dawson, from Ponteland, Northumberland, is now 49 and wants more people to be aware of the symptoms so they can get help earlier. The condition affects the brain and spinal code and can cause pain, mobility issues and fatigue. More than 150,000 people live with it in the UK, yet a new survey from the MS Society shows only one in five UK adults know it is most likely to be diagnosed in people in their 30s and 40s. The charity spoke to 2,000 people and also found only a third knew women were more likely to be diagnosed with MS than men, and that smoking and obesity increased a person's risk of developing it. Ms Dawson, a fitness instructor at the time, said she became aware something was wrong when running became more difficult. "I kept tripping over tree roots, my right leg would start dragging and I had to be aware of lifting it," she said She later discovered an earlier medical episode may have been an early symptom. "During my GSCEs, I lost the sight in one eye for a bit and I just thought it was stress, but they told my dad they couldn't diagnose it at that stage because you had to have multiple episodes. "It was horrible when I finally found out, I was in denial, I didn't want to tell people, I didn't even tell my mum, I didn't want to burden anyone else." Ms Dawson said her main symptoms now were fatigue, loss of balance and strength in her legs. "But I do a lot of cold water swimming and that seems to really help," Ms Dawson added. MS is the most common neurological condition among young adults and Sarah Rawlings from the MS said it could be "debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable". She added: "However greater understanding can make a huge difference and make conversations with family, friends and employers that little bit easier." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Scientists crack mystery of how MS gene spread 'My son's had more than 200 carers in five years' Hopes for multiple sclerosis drugs trial MS Society
BBC News
10-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Northumberland woman says MS diagnosis was 'complete shock'
A woman who was told she had multiple sclerosis (MS) at 35 says she had never heard of the disease, even though it is most commonly diagnosed in young adults. Kate Dawson, from Ponteland, Northumberland, is now 49 and wants more people to be aware of the symptoms so they can get help earlier. The condition affects the brain and spinal code and can cause pain, mobility issues and than 150,000 people live with it in the UK, yet a new survey from the MS Society shows only one in five UK adults know it is most likely to be diagnosed in people in their 30s and 40s. The charity spoke to 2,000 people and also found only a third knew women were more likely to be diagnosed with MS than men, and that smoking and obesity increased a person's risk of developing it. Ms Dawson, a fitness instructor at the time, said she became aware something was wrong when running became more difficult."I kept tripping over tree roots, my right leg would start dragging and I had to be aware of lifting it," she saidShe later discovered an earlier medical episode may have been an early symptom. "During my GSCEs, I lost the sight in one eye for a bit and I just thought it was stress, but they told my dad they couldn't diagnose it at that stage because you had to have multiple episodes."It was horrible when I finally found out, I was in denial, I didn't want to tell people, I didn't even tell my mum, I didn't want to burden anyone else." 'Greater understanding' Ms Dawson said her main symptoms now were fatigue, loss of balance and strength in her legs."But I do a lot of cold water swimming and that seems to really help," Ms Dawson is the most common neurological condition among young adults and Sarah Rawlings from the MS said it could be "debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable".She added: "However greater understanding can make a huge difference and make conversations with family, friends and employers that little bit easier." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Protests and boycotts are killing off the arts
This country must always resist the temptation to see the arts as a luxury. The visual arts, music, film, theatre, opera, spoken word, poetry, literature and dance are the building blocks of our cultural life. We export music, film and literature all over the world. We attract investment to every part of the UK from every part of the globe. George Bernard Shaw once wrote: 'Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.' That belief that arts matter in and of themselves – central to the chance to live richer, larger lives – has animated every Labour government in history and animates us still. As the prime minister said in September last year: 'Everyone deserves the chance to be touched by art. Everyone deserves access to moments that light up their lives.' But who now in Britain can claim that this is the case? Whether it is the running down of arts subjects, the narrowing of the curriculum and the labelling of arts subjects as 'Mickey Mouse', enrichment funding in schools eroded at the stroke of the pen or the closure of much-needed community spaces as council funding has been slashed. Culture and creativity has been erased, from our classrooms and our communities. Is it any wonder that the number of students taking arts GSCEs has dropped by almost half since 2010? This is madness. At a time when the creative industries offer such potential for growth, good jobs and self expression in every part of our country - and a lack of skills acts as the single biggest brake on them, we have had politicians who use them as a tool in their ongoing, exhausting culture wars. The 'Arts Everywhere' fund I have announced – over £270 million investment – will begin to fix the foundations of our arts venues, museums, libraries and our heritage sector in communities across the country. We believe in them. And we will back them. In many ways I grew up in the theatre. My dad was on the board of the National Theatre, and as a child my sister and I would travel to London on the weekends we had with our dad to see some of the greatest actors and directors on earth – Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Tom Baker, Trevor Nunn and Sam Mendes. We saw Chekhov, Arthur Miller and Brecht reimagined by the National, the Donmar and the Royal Court. It was never, in our house, a zero-sum game. Every person in this country matters. But while talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. This cannot continue. That is why our vision is not access or excellence but access to excellence. We will accept nothing less. In the last few days I have seen British politicians who offer cheap solutions to our communities' many problems, talk of imposing culture on our nation. Would this include the rich cultural heritage from the American South that the Beatles drew inspiration from, in a city that has been shaped by its role in welcoming visitors from across the world? Would it accommodate Northern Soul, which my town in Wigan led the world in? We believe the proper role of government is not to impose culture, but to enable artists to hold a mirror up to society and to us. To help us understand the world we're in and shape and define the nation. If the first arts minister, Jennie Lee, who served in Harold Wilson's Labour government were alive today, the farce that is the moral puritanism which is killing off our arts and culture – for the regions and the artistic talent all over the country where the reach of funding and donors is not long enough – the protests against any or every sponsor of the arts, I believe, would have both angered and ashamed her. In every social protest – and I have taken part in plenty – you have to ask: who is your target? The idea that boycotting the sponsor of the Hay Festival harms the sponsor, not the festival, is for the birds. And I have spent enough time at Hay, Glastonbury and elsewhere to know that these are the spaces – the only spaces – where precisely the moral voice and protest comes from. Boycotting sponsors, and killing them off, is the equivalent of gagging society. This self-defeating virtue signalling is though, a feature of our times. Because I think we are the only political force, right now, that believes that it is not for the government to dictate what should be heard. But there is one area where we will never be neutral and that is on who should be heard. Too much of our rich inheritance, heritage and culture is not seen. And when it is not, not only is the whole nation poorer because talent is everywhere but opportunity is not, but the country suffers. It is our firm belief that at the heart of Britain's current malaise is the fact that too many people have been written off and written out of our national story. We are determined that this entire nation must see themselves at the centre of their own and our national story. That's a challenge for our broadcasters and film-makers. Show us the full panoply of the world we live in, including the many communities far distant from the commissioning room which is still far too often based in London. But it's also a challenge for every branch of the arts, including the theatre, dance, music, painting and sculpture. Let's show working-class communities too – and not just featuring in murder and gangland crime series. Part of how we discover that new national story is by breathing fresh life into local heritage and reviving culture in places where it is disappearing. Which is why we're freeing up almost £5 million of funding for community organisations – groups who know what their area needs far better than government and groups determined to bring derelict and neglected old buildings back into good use. We will make sure that arts are for everyone, wherever they live and whatever their background. With excellence and access. Every child and adult should also have more opportunity to access live theatre, dance and music and we need you to throw open your doors. The community spaces needed whether centres, theatres, libraries are too often closed to those who need them most. This is not a moment for despair. This is our moment to ensure the arts remain central to the life of this nation for decades to come and in turn that this nation flourishes. This government has made it our mission to support a growing economy, so that we have a healthy, safe nation where people have opportunities not currently on offer – the recovery of our nation cannot be all bread and no roses. Our shared future depends critically on every one of us in this room rising to this moment. To give voice to the nation we are, and can be. So let no one say it falls to others. It falls to us.
