Latest news with #Manchester-based
Wales Online
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Gethin Jones says ‘best ever' as he enjoys huge Welsh event after hospital gown pic
Gethin Jones says 'best ever' as he enjoys huge Welsh event after hospital gown pic Originally from Cardiff, the presenter once came close to a professional rugby career, having previously trialled with Manchester-based team Sale Sharks Television presenter Gethin Jones (Image: 2025 Comic Relief - Getty ) Gethin Jones has hailed a major Welsh sporting event as the 'best ever' after joining the crowds at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, despite not being able to take part himself. Sharing his excitement on Instagram, the presenter posted a photo from the HYROX fitness competition, joking about his friend's post-race celebration: '58.39 for @dimmickpt and @tommybizzburnell . I think Sam has found a new @hyroxuk partner… he kissed Tommy at the end. 'He's never kissed me. What an epic event, in one of the best stadiums in the world.' For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter Content cannot be displayed without consent The friends then It came just after he shared a hospital gown selfie on his Instagram story giving a thumbs down but saying his voice was 'fully fit.' The BBC Morning Live host shared on Friday that he sadly could not take part in the event, which saw thousands come to Cardiff to try out the latest fitness trend, Hyrox. See more on the regime, here and more pictures from the Principalty Stadium event. The image showed the presenter in a hospital gown, a thumb down and appearing to look disappointed. The BBC Morning Live shared on his Instagram story that he sadly could not take part in the epic sport event, Hyrox, which is taking place in Cardiff's Principality Stadium this weekend (Image: Gethin Jones / Instagram ) He noted: 'No Hyrox for me this weekend. But voice is fully fit to cheer on [Sam Dimmick] and [Tommy Burnell]". 'This will be the first time ever Hyrox is hosted in Wales.' Originally from Cardiff, the presenter once came close to a professional rugby career, having previously trialled with Manchester-based team Sale Sharks. Earlier this year, he teamed up with his friend and former Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy for a muddy trail adventure at One Planet Adventure in Denbighshire. He also took on the intense Wheely Big Challenge in March - rollerblading for 24 hours alongside his Morning Live co-host Helen Skelton to raise money for Red Nose Day. The 'fitness racing' event Hyrox has seen thousands of people take part and over a three-day event, which takes place from May 30 to June 1. Article continues below You can read more about the Hyrox event here.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Emmerdale fans only just realising where they've seen Billy star Jay Kontzle
Many people only know Jay Kontzie from his role in Emmerdale, but fans may not be aware that has been on our screens for many years now, and his career didn't start with the soap Jay Kontzle is currently best known for playing Billy Fletcher in Emmerdale, where he is now a fan favourite. However, long before he was tangled up in dramatic soap storylines from dodging punches in the illegal boxing rings or his young son's leukaemia diagnosis, he was belting out tunes on national TV, which found him with Simon Cowell's stamp of approval. Many fans haven't been able to connect the dots, but he was a member of The Mend, a Manchester-based group formed in 2008 by the former Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith. They first appeared on TV on The X Factor in 2011. However, their stint quickly came to an end when, at boot camp, producers discovered they had a management deal, which is against the rules. But they decided to give it another try the following year, this time auditioning for Britain's Got Talent. During their performance, a young Jay said, 'We've all got problems at home, but we'll keep doing music until we can sort them out.' They performed a part-rapped, part-sung cover of Otis Redding's Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay, blowing the audience away—and Cowell, too. 'I'm very happy you auditioned. I like you a lot,' he told them. The Mend made it all the way to the final, eventually finishing in seventh place. The group later supported Little Mix on their 2013 DNA tour, which helped them gain a solid teenage fanbase. In 2015, the group decided to call it quits. While reflecting on that chapter of his life, he told Cheshire Live, "Being part of The Mend was a huge life experience for me and some of the best times of my life.' "Obviously, being on tour and performing live on TV gave me so much experience, but as we grew older, we realised that as a boy band that catered for teenagers, we couldn't keep re-inventing ourselves." Although he rubbed shoulders with music royalty over the years, he admits the music industry wasn't for him. While he did enjoy the performing side, there was a side he didn't enjoy. "The best thing about being in a band was the insight I got into the industry,' he told Inside Soap. "We worked with people at the top of their game, like Simon Cowell. But in the end, the business side of music put me off. It was an experience! I don't really talk about it now because I've kind of moved on." And he decided to take a different route, after he was tipped off by a casting session by his friend Hollyoaks star Jamie Lomas in 2018, where he landed the part of Billy Fletcher - a reformed bad boy who turned into a doting Husband to Dawn. Viewers love the couple, but recent episodes have seen Billy hiding some major secrets - including the fact that he's risking his life in illegal fights to support his family. But this isn't his first explosive - including a wedding ambushed by serial killer Meena Jutla, and the heartbreak of their son Evan's illness. However his career started outside the Dingle Family, his acting credits include Fresh Meat with Jack Whitehall, a role in Diana and I, a cheeky Moonpig advert, and behind-the-scenes work on the films Underwater and Bring Back My Bonnie. Despite the different career avenues he has gone, this career seems to be exactly where he's meant to be. "It wasn't until I went that everything fell into place and the role really suited me. It's been a very busy and exciting time since then, and I am very happy," he said
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Nurse ‘forever' haunted by image of toddler killed in Gaza
Mel Graham, from Elderslie in Renfrewshire, has spoken about her two-month deployment to a UK Government-funded hospital in Al Mawasi between February and April this year. Ms Graham, 50, says she has never been more frightened in her life, but wants to return to Gaza regardless in order to further help the those caught in the crossfire. Two emergency field hospitals funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and run by Manchester-based frontline health charity UK-Med have treated more than 400,000 patients in Gaza so far. Ms Graham said: 'I was in Gaza last year and didn't think it could possibly get any worse, but it has. That first night the ceasefire shattered was easily the worst thing I have ever experienced. Even though we knew it was coming, it was still such a shock. 'The sound of explosions and fighting were so close to the hospital, so we knew we were going to be busy. At maybe two or three in the morning the first casualties started coming in. It was a conveyor belt of carnage. 'My role involved triaging patients. Amongst that first load of patients brought in, there were was a two-year-old girl dead on arrival. Two surgeons operating on a Palestinian injured in Gaza (UK-Med/PA) 'There wasn't a mark on her and I just remember standing there thinking 'How can this happen?'. She looked completely perfect and was just covered in a thick layer of dust. 'It's different when you are dealing with people with visible injuries. With some blast injuries there are no obvious signs externally, but the shockwave had fatally affected her tiny wee lungs. 'The porters went to get a body bag for her, but the shortage of aid getting in meant there were only adult body bags available. She just disappeared into it. 'We took her to the temporary mortuary at the back of the hospital. We put two chairs out for the family to come in… but no-one ever came. I fear her parents had obviously been killed too.' Traumatised by what she saw, Ms Graham continued: 'The sight of that little girl will haunt me forever. It is the thing that I think about most. 'It's at the forefront of my brain. It is not natural for a child to die like that. 'I didn't want to leave her there alone, but I had to get back to help the many other casualties who had been rushed in.' More than 50,000 people have now been killed in the conflict and more than 90% of the Gaza population displaced from their homes, often on more than one occasion. The UK announced £129 million in the last financial year (2024-25) for Occupied Palestinian Territories, including £11.5 million to support UK-Med's life-saving work in Gaza. A mother and her newborn, pictured at a hospital in Gaza (UK-Med/PA) Ms Graham – who has also been deployed twice to conflict-hit Ukraine – said: 'When I was in Gaza last year, we heard explosions close to us, but this time my heart was in my mouth much of the time. 'Some bomb blasts were so close you'd feel your feet move first and then you heard the explosion. I don't know what the science is behind that. 'It was just one incident after another. Two of the 14 Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulance workers killed had left from our field hospital. They were our colleagues. The news shook me to the core. 'Last year, our accommodation shook a few times, but this year it was practically every day. Sometimes you got woken up thinking 'I can't believe I've not got a whole house on top of me'. 'Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure I was going to make it out. That's how scary it was. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that because the people in Gaza are experiencing that 24/7, 365 days a year. 'The emotions are strange because it was brilliant to have done it and I do not regret it for a second. Once I've detangled my brain, I want to get back out. I feel like I still have one foot in Gaza and once I give myself some rest I'll want to get back. 'I find I struggle with the guilt of leaving. I struggled with the guilt of wanting to leave because the local people do not have that option. They are trapped. There's no respite for them. 'I also feel guilty putting my family through the worry. I know they are proud of the work I am doing but it's only natural they have concerns.'
South Wales Guardian
4 days ago
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Nurse ‘forever' haunted by image of toddler killed in Gaza
Mel Graham, from Elderslie in Renfrewshire, has spoken about her two-month deployment to a UK Government-funded hospital in Al Mawasi between February and April this year. Ms Graham, 50, says she has never been more frightened in her life, but wants to return to Gaza regardless in order to further help the those caught in the crossfire. Two emergency field hospitals funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and run by Manchester-based frontline health charity UK-Med have treated more than 400,000 patients in Gaza so far. Ms Graham said: 'I was in Gaza last year and didn't think it could possibly get any worse, but it has. That first night the ceasefire shattered was easily the worst thing I have ever experienced. Even though we knew it was coming, it was still such a shock. 'The sound of explosions and fighting were so close to the hospital, so we knew we were going to be busy. At maybe two or three in the morning the first casualties started coming in. It was a conveyor belt of carnage. 'My role involved triaging patients. Amongst that first load of patients brought in, there were was a two-year-old girl dead on arrival. 'There wasn't a mark on her and I just remember standing there thinking 'How can this happen?'. She looked completely perfect and was just covered in a thick layer of dust. 'It's different when you are dealing with people with visible injuries. With some blast injuries there are no obvious signs externally, but the shockwave had fatally affected her tiny wee lungs. 'The porters went to get a body bag for her, but the shortage of aid getting in meant there were only adult body bags available. She just disappeared into it. 'We took her to the temporary mortuary at the back of the hospital. We put two chairs out for the family to come in… but no-one ever came. I fear her parents had obviously been killed too.' Traumatised by what she saw, Ms Graham continued: 'The sight of that little girl will haunt me forever. It is the thing that I think about most. 'It's at the forefront of my brain. It is not natural for a child to die like that. 'I didn't want to leave her there alone, but I had to get back to help the many other casualties who had been rushed in.' More than 50,000 people have now been killed in the conflict and more than 90% of the Gaza population displaced from their homes, often on more than one occasion. The UK announced £129 million in the last financial year (2024-25) for Occupied Palestinian Territories, including £11.5 million to support UK-Med's life-saving work in Gaza. Ms Graham – who has also been deployed twice to conflict-hit Ukraine – said: 'When I was in Gaza last year, we heard explosions close to us, but this time my heart was in my mouth much of the time. 'Some bomb blasts were so close you'd feel your feet move first and then you heard the explosion. I don't know what the science is behind that. 'It was just one incident after another. Two of the 14 Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulance workers killed had left from our field hospital. They were our colleagues. The news shook me to the core. 'Last year, our accommodation shook a few times, but this year it was practically every day. Sometimes you got woken up thinking 'I can't believe I've not got a whole house on top of me'. 'Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure I was going to make it out. That's how scary it was. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that because the people in Gaza are experiencing that 24/7, 365 days a year. 'The emotions are strange because it was brilliant to have done it and I do not regret it for a second. Once I've detangled my brain, I want to get back out. I feel like I still have one foot in Gaza and once I give myself some rest I'll want to get back. 'I find I struggle with the guilt of leaving. I struggled with the guilt of wanting to leave because the local people do not have that option. They are trapped. There's no respite for them. 'I also feel guilty putting my family through the worry. I know they are proud of the work I am doing but it's only natural they have concerns.'
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Health
- Leader Live
Nurse ‘forever' haunted by image of toddler killed in Gaza
Mel Graham, from Elderslie in Renfrewshire, has spoken about her two-month deployment to a UK Government-funded hospital in Al Mawasi between February and April this year. Ms Graham, 50, says she has never been more frightened in her life, but wants to return to Gaza regardless in order to further help the those caught in the crossfire. Two emergency field hospitals funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and run by Manchester-based frontline health charity UK-Med have treated more than 400,000 patients in Gaza so far. Ms Graham said: 'I was in Gaza last year and didn't think it could possibly get any worse, but it has. That first night the ceasefire shattered was easily the worst thing I have ever experienced. Even though we knew it was coming, it was still such a shock. 'The sound of explosions and fighting were so close to the hospital, so we knew we were going to be busy. At maybe two or three in the morning the first casualties started coming in. It was a conveyor belt of carnage. 'My role involved triaging patients. Amongst that first load of patients brought in, there were was a two-year-old girl dead on arrival. 'There wasn't a mark on her and I just remember standing there thinking 'How can this happen?'. She looked completely perfect and was just covered in a thick layer of dust. 'It's different when you are dealing with people with visible injuries. With some blast injuries there are no obvious signs externally, but the shockwave had fatally affected her tiny wee lungs. 'The porters went to get a body bag for her, but the shortage of aid getting in meant there were only adult body bags available. She just disappeared into it. 'We took her to the temporary mortuary at the back of the hospital. We put two chairs out for the family to come in… but no-one ever came. I fear her parents had obviously been killed too.' Traumatised by what she saw, Ms Graham continued: 'The sight of that little girl will haunt me forever. It is the thing that I think about most. 'It's at the forefront of my brain. It is not natural for a child to die like that. 'I didn't want to leave her there alone, but I had to get back to help the many other casualties who had been rushed in.' More than 50,000 people have now been killed in the conflict and more than 90% of the Gaza population displaced from their homes, often on more than one occasion. The UK announced £129 million in the last financial year (2024-25) for Occupied Palestinian Territories, including £11.5 million to support UK-Med's life-saving work in Gaza. Ms Graham – who has also been deployed twice to conflict-hit Ukraine – said: 'When I was in Gaza last year, we heard explosions close to us, but this time my heart was in my mouth much of the time. 'Some bomb blasts were so close you'd feel your feet move first and then you heard the explosion. I don't know what the science is behind that. 'It was just one incident after another. Two of the 14 Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulance workers killed had left from our field hospital. They were our colleagues. The news shook me to the core. 'Last year, our accommodation shook a few times, but this year it was practically every day. Sometimes you got woken up thinking 'I can't believe I've not got a whole house on top of me'. 'Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure I was going to make it out. That's how scary it was. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that because the people in Gaza are experiencing that 24/7, 365 days a year. 'The emotions are strange because it was brilliant to have done it and I do not regret it for a second. Once I've detangled my brain, I want to get back out. I feel like I still have one foot in Gaza and once I give myself some rest I'll want to get back. 'I find I struggle with the guilt of leaving. I struggled with the guilt of wanting to leave because the local people do not have that option. They are trapped. There's no respite for them. 'I also feel guilty putting my family through the worry. I know they are proud of the work I am doing but it's only natural they have concerns.'
