Latest news with #MikeStratton
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Britain's oldest stripper is heading to Llanelli
Britain's oldest stripper is heading to Wales next month. The Ultimate Ladies Night Show has confirmed that 56-year-old Mike Stratton, said to be the oldest working male stripper, will be performing in Llanelli in April. The 56-year-old has been showcasing his striptease routine in front of crowds since he was a teenager. But according to Manchester Evening News, Mike said he has "never been so busy" as he has been in recent years. The performer will hope to wow the audience at Morfa Social Club at 7pm on Saturday evening, April 5. Early bird general admission tickets are sold out, however, people can get their hands on Early bird VIP tickets and General Admission tickets, which are £15 each with an additional £1.26 booking fee. Stay informed on Carms news by signing up to our newsletter here. READ MORE: Oasis, Tom Jones, Kendrick Lamar, Stevie Wonder and more: The full list of huge global stars in Cardiff this summer and if you can still get tickets READ MORE: Cheapest Oasis tour date for Cardiff Principality Stadium for fans after tickets sell out Fans can also get VIP Seating tickets for £20, with an additional £1.68 booking fee and a Mother's Day Special bundle, where you can get three tickets for two for £30 with an additional booking fee of £2.52. Group of six can go for £50 with an additional booking fee of £4.20. You can find out more about tickets here. Mike Stratton will be joining "for one night only" according to its organisers, and will be joined by a whole cast of entertainers. On The Ultimate Ladies Night Show's website, their event description reads: "Spend an evening with The Ultimate Ladies Night Show and you will be caught up in a spectacle of desire, passion and excitement and feel the adrenaline course through your body. "Feel the heat from the world-renowned Male Entertainers, Drag Queens, Circus performers, Death Defying Acts flying through the roof of the venue leaving you begging for more. "Abandon your inhibitions at the door; this high-octane show is packed full of excitement, surprise and even a few uniforms thrown in for good measure. The Ultimate Ladies Night Show will really get your pulse racing because these talented boys have not only mastered the art of strip tease, but do it in a way that has never been done before."
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
60% of TxTag customer accounts inactive, millions owed after system switch
This story is part of KXAN's 'TxTag Troubles' investigative project launched May 7, 2023. Following related reports in recent years, our team rededicated its resources to this major consumer issue, after hundreds of viewers complained to us about resurfaced billing and customer service problems with the state's tollway operator and its contracted vendors. During our reporting, the Texas Department of Transportation began reaching out to viewers who had contacted KXAN to resolve their issues, and state lawmakers renewed their approach to fixing future TxTag problems. BRIGGS, Texas (KXAN) – It's tough for Mike Stratton to avoid Texas toll roads. Typically, he's driving hundreds of miles a day across Central Texas for his work as a home builder. The toll roads have sped up the 77-year-old's travels, but he hasn't found a way around billing problems with a regional toll authority and issues with his TxTag account. On one hand, Stratton got into a boondoggle over Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority tolls that are free for disabled veterans like him – a status he proved with specialty plates on his Ford pickup along with military records from his 30-year Navy career. Still, Stratton was saddled with over $1,000 in tolls and fees. Labeled a 'habitual violator' and blocked from renewing his vehicle registration, the Vietnam veteran refused to pay 'on principle' for a benefit he's earned. 'I don't owe it,' he said. 'I'm not going to pay something that I'm not supposed to be paying.' Separately, Stratton has also struggled for years to get his TxTag account in order. He's spent hours on the phone and driven more than once from his home in Burnet County to TxTag's Austin office to ensure his disabled veteran plates were properly registered, he said. All that work won't help him anymore, Stratton told KXAN. Last year, The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), which has operated TxTag, announced it would be transferring all accounts in good standing to the Harris County Toll Road Authority, or HCTRA. The Houston-based toll authority would take over all 'toll transaction processing, billing and account management' on TxDOT toll roads in the region. In November, Stratton got a letter from TxTag saying his account wasn't in good standing. That means his transponder was deactivated. Moving forward, TxDOT encouraged him to register with HCTRA and get an EZ TAG to pay lower rates. Exactly what caused Stratton's account to not be in good standing isn't clear, he said. TxDOT referenced his credit card being declined in 2023, but Stratton said he had cleared that issue up quickly. TxTag Troubles: A viewer driven investigation 'It's not right,' said Stratton, regarding his TxTag account not being transferred. Stratton is far from alone. A KXAN investigation found a total of 1.4 million accounts – or 60% of TxTag account holders – weren't transferred over to HCTRA because they were inactive for a year prior or had a negative balance, according to TxDOT. In addition, the transition left behind millions of dollars in positive balances in customer accounts that TxDOT will be trying to return soon, according to records obtained by KXAN. Within the 1.4 million TxTag accounts left behind, there remains $57 million in unpaid balances that TxDOT will continue trying to collect. TxTag's account login page no longer functions, but former customers can check if they owe something by searching for a license plate here. KXAN also found many TxTag accounts that weren't transferred still contain money. There is a total of $6.8 million in positive balances the agency will be trying to return to customers, TxDOT said. The agency said it will issue a refund to the primary card on file for the account if one exists. For accounts without a card, the agency will be mailing checks in the coming months. If the checks aren't deposited within 180 days, the money will be transferred to the Texas Comptroller's unclaimed property fund, according to TxDOT. Once in unclaimed property, it will be up to those individuals to find and claim their own money. Unclaimed property can be searched and claimed here. The TxTag transition to HCTRA follows years of effort by TxDOT and hundreds of millions of dollars spent on a system and vendors that fell short of both agency and customer expectations multiple times. KXAN has investigated TxTag issues for a decade, chronicling several contractors' work and penalties levied against them for failing to meet contractual obligations. All the while, TxDOT's leadership has said they were working to hold vendors accountable and correct problems like doubling billing, overcharges and autopayment miscues. Now, it appears TxDOT has tossed in the towel on TxTag. The latest move to HCTRA is substantially different from past vendor changes. TxDOT said the TxTag brand 'is not going away,' but it doesn't appear there will be much left of it going forward. Moving to HCTRA 'will bring significant savings and efficiency gain for the state of Texas. Customers could see less fees and it'll help keep tolls low going forward,' TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said in a news release. About 945,000 TxTag accounts – or 40% – were transitioned to HCTRA, according to TxDOT. Those customers' TxTag transponder stickers will continue working, with no expiration date or timeframe for phasing them out, according to HCTRA. The Texas Transportation Commission approved the agreement with HCTRA at an October meeting. Williams openly acknowledged the difficulties TxDOT has faced trying to fix TxTag mishaps. 'You all are very familiar with some of the struggles that we've had in the back-office operations of our toll system,' Williams said at the meeting. 'This has been an area that has been a major point of focus for our team over the past several years, and as we looked at different options to upgrade and improve that operation.' Williams said TxDOT put out a request for information, and HCTRA's response was the 'best overall proposal' for a partnership. KXAN asked for responses to TxDOT's initial request for information to HCTRA and other vendors, but TxDOT asked the Attorney General's Office if those records could be withheld. The request remains pending. Under the agreement, TxDOT will reimburse 100% of HCTRA's cost to handle each toll transaction, and TxDOT will retain the rest of the toll revenue, according to HCTRA. The new system will effectively cut the cost to process a toll transaction in half from about 30 cents to 15 or 16 cents, Williams said. TxDOT will still own and maintain the toll roads and the Texas Transportation Commission will still set the toll rates. The agreement is similar to TxDOT's deal with the North Texas Toll Authority for work on TxDOT toll roads in that area. TxTag road signage will remain up, and the TxTag transponders switched to HCTRA's system will remain active with no expiration date, according to HCTRA. But, after a limited number of TxTag transponders that remain in stock are distributed, there will be no more issued, TxDOT said. TxTag will remain in operation in a 'limited capacity,' primarily related to transactions from before the switch to HCTRA. HCTRA Executive Director Robert Trevino spoke with KXAN in mid-December. The most difficult part of the transition was completed at that time, he said. TxTag account data had been migrated, and they were past a two-week period when customers couldn't access their accounts. After the transition began, HCTRA call volumes increased five times normal capacity, Trevino said. 'We had excess capacity in that same system,' Trevino said. 'We felt pretty confident that our system could accommodate the increased accounts.' Going forward, HCTRA will bill drivers on TxDOT toll roads. Transferred TxTag accounts will be accessed through HCTRA. The choice to only transfer accounts in 'good standing' over to HCTRA, instead of all of them, 'was more of a TxTag decision,' Trevino said. 'Through the negotiations what was determined was to just transfer over the accounts that were in good standing,' he added. 'And that's exactly what we did.' Trevino said HCTRA was interested in handling TxTag billing, in part, to streamline the process for Houston-area customers where TxDOT also has toll roads. TxDOT officials hope HCTRA's operation and 40-year track record will be an improvement after years of issues with the TxTag system. KXAN requested HCTRA's log of complaints from January 2023 through last November. It shows 76 escalated complaints — a fraction of the system customer base — mostly regarding concerns about violations and EZ TAG issues. KXAN requested a similar timeframe of complaints from TxTag, which remains pending. 'Can you reassure TxTag customers that their experience will be different under HCTRA?' KXAN asked. 'HCTRA's billing accuracy, when you have a tag or transponder, we strive for 99% accuracy,' Trevino said. While he avoided answering questions about TxTag's performance, Trevino did say HCTRA was 'unique.' 'HCTRA has a different way of doing business,' Trevino said. 'It's unique in the fact that we really focus on accuracy and on good customer service.' Issues with TxTag vendors date back to at least 2013 when TxDOT engaged Xerox in a $97 million contract to handle the toll system. In 2017, Xerox said its spinoff company Conduent was handling the contract after the companies split apart, KXAN reported that year. TxDOT hit those companies with more than $2.4 million in penalties between 2014 and 2018 for not meeting the terms of the agreement. In 2019, TxDOT awarded a four-year contract to IBM to build a new back-office system. The contract was valued at nearly $86 million, according to Comptroller records. Billing issues again cropped up, and TxDOT refunded over $11.7 million in customer overcharges in 2021. That year TxDOT announced it terminated IBM's contract and fined the company over $6 million for not meeting contractual obligations. IBM strongly defended its work on the TxTag project, saying it built a system exceeding contractual specifications, performed work beyond the contract's scope without compensation and TxDOT did not meet its contractual obligations in the arrangement, according to state contract records. Also in 2019, TxDOT contracted with Faneuil to operate the customer service center. Faneuil later became TTEC after an acquisition. TxDOT assessed more than $3 million in penalties against TTEC for not meeting contract standards, according to TxDOT. The contract with TTEC was originally worth $145 million but it grew. TxDOT said it had paid the company over $230 million by late October. Last September, a TTEC spokesperson said the company was 'proud to serve TxDOT and the people of Texas.' The program launch faced 'unique challenges,' but TTEC 'implemented differentiated solutions that have significantly improved performance,' the spokesperson added. Missing TxDOT reports about TxTag vendors highlight accountability shortfall When KXAN investigated TxTag issues, Williams stood by TTEC and other vendors' work, saying they had done an 'exceptional job' working through issues caused by previous vendors. Despite that confidence, TxDOT opted to move on. Customers like Stratton now have to move on, too. Regarding Stratton's CTRMA issue of being charged despite having a disabled veteran license plate, when KXAN made an inquiry the toll authority apologized, said it would add 'new requirements' to prevent future mix-ups and quickly addressed the billing issue by zeroing Stratton's balance. In a video sent to KXAN, he showed himself shredding his CTRMA bill, which had ballooned with late fees to $1,054.17. 'It's gone,' he said. 'If it wasn't for y'all … it'd never got done,' Stratton said. 'I do appreciate everything y'all have done.' Now, he just needs to sign up with HCTRA and peel the old TxTag off his windshield. Investigative Photojournalist Richie Bowes, photojournalist Chris Nelson, Graphic Designer Wendy Gonzalez, Director of Investigations & Innovation Josh Hinkle, Digital Special Projects Developer Robert Sims and Digital Director Kate Winkle contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UK's oldest stripper rubbishes claims hen dos don't want men doing Full Monty
Britain's oldest male stripper says claims hen dos don't want men doing the Full Monty are nonsense, insisting "there's no way it's going to die out". Mike Stratton, 56, has been wowing crowds with his striptease routine since he was a teenager and says he's 'never been so busy' as he has in recent years. His comments come after it was reported that brides-to-be have turned away from raunchy hen dos in favour of more more wholesome activities, such as escape rooms and axe throwing. READ MORE: Met Office issues more warnings as Storm Herminia set to batter UK with 75mph winds READ MORE: 'No human being should have to go through what we've been through' But Mike, of Wigan, says even though options are widening, there will always be a place for the male stripper. He said: "Things are just developing - people who run agencies are coming up with more ideas to make money with life drawing models and things like that, but stripping is still popular. It's just people trying to think of the next thing. "I'm quieting down a little bit – I'm getting too old for it to be honest - but there's no way it's going to die out. People have been saying it will since the 90s - it's just not true. "Back in the day before the Full Monty came out, we never used to strip fully naked, but once that came out, if you didn't you would get booed." Mike began taking his kit off for money as a jobless teenager in 1986. Over the years, he's performed a Full Monty dance routine at a woman's funeral, had to have a tetanus jab after being bitten on the bum and was even once booked by the Russian Mafia. Mike, who now runs his own stripper agency, added: 'You can't beat going on stage. The adrenaline buzz you get is incredible. I think that's kept me young. 'I call adrenaline a 'youth drug'. If you met and talked to me, you wouldn't think I was a 55-year-old man. In my head, I'm still 25 and I'll do my best to act it. 'These days, when my agent phones me up and says 'Do you want to do this birthday gram?' I'll ask 'How old is she?' "If they're under 25, I'll say 'Listen, that's a bit young for me.' But I'm all over the pensioners. They love me. To anybody over 50, I'm like catnip.' Mike said he'd got into stripping while searching for work just after leaving school after coming across an advert asking for male 'kiss-o-gram' models. And he bagged the role after impressing his 'seedy looking' first boss when he was just 18. He then spent nine months as an Ibiza party rep in the late 1980s before returning to the UK and going on to join the legendary Dreamboys troupe in London. During the late 1990s, he founded his own group called The X-men, with frenzied women going wild for the lads as they toured the UK and Europe. Besides his career in stripping, Mike has also incredibly managed to make £70,000 by going on dozens of TV game shows – from The Weakest Link to Bullseye.
