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Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Amy Childs' agony over postponing wedding after mum's terrifying health scare
EXCLUSIVE: Reality star Amy Childs has made the heartbreaking decision to postpone her wedding to fiancé Billy Delbosq, after her mum Julie suffered a terrifying heart attack With a wedding on the horizon, her house renovations nearly complete, and a new series of TOWIE in the pipeline, 2025 was shaping up to be a special year for Amy Childs. However, she exclusively reveals that her family's world has been thrown into disarray following her mum Julie's terrifying heart attack – and as a result,t she and fiancé Billy Delbosq have decided to postpone their big day. 'It has been intensely stressful,' Amy, 34, confides. 'None of us was expecting Mum to have a heart attack – it turned our world upside down.' Amy, Billy, their two-year-old twins Billy and Milly, and Amy's children from previous relationships – Polly, nine, and Ritchie, eight – were enjoying a family holiday in Tenerife when Amy received the bombshell news. 'We got the awful phone call from my dad that Mum had a heart attack when we were out there, and we decided to fly home that same night. I was in shock. Mum was at home when it happened and suddenly got this excruciating pain in her chest. She was rushed to hospital in an ambulance and they said she'd had a severe heart attack. "It was so frightening. She had a stent put in and was in hospital for six days. She's now home but she's being monitored daily and is on a lot of medication. It's so tough for her – she sometimes struggles to walk upstairs." Amy went on to tell OK! that the hardest part for her is that it's difficult for her to spend as much time with her grandchildren because she needs to rest. It's heartbreaking. She was only 59 – it happened just before her 60th birthday. We cancelled all her birthday celebrations, but we're hoping to do something later in the year.' Although it's too early for doctors to give a full prognosis, Amy says, sadly, her mum is not 'out of the woods just yet' and is 'taking it day by day'. "We've all been worried sick. It's been horrendous and just shows you never know what's around the corner in life. My mum and I are inseparable, best friends. We call each other five times a day. She always jokes that she never cut the umbilical cord when it came to me, so it was just devastating.' Understandably, Amy and Billy have made the heartbreaking decision to postpone their big day, which was booked for September at the stunning Cliveden House Hotel in Berkshire. 'I'd already booked the florist, the entertainment, and I'd started looking at some gorgeous wedding dresses. But it all got too much, to be honest – so we decided to move it to next year,' Amy sighs. 'It's upsetting, but I know we've made the right decision. Right now, we're focused on looking after Mum. When we come back from filming TOWIE, we'll start thinking about getting another date booked in. We want to have the most beautiful day so it's worth waiting for.' Now, the couple, who are also in the middle of extensive house renovations, inside and out, are hoping to tie the knot next summer. As for where the wedding might be, Amy says they're now considering having the ceremony abroad. 'We'd love all the family to fly out somewhere, and have a white party the day after. The kids would all have a special role to play. Polly will love it, and Milly and Bill will be three by then. The kids will be that little bit older, which is lovely. It will be so special. We just want it to be amazing, not rushed. Yes, I'm upset that we've had to postpone it, but we've made the right decision.' So will the cast of TOWIE be out in force for their big day? Straight-talking Amy says yes – with two exceptions. 'But I'm not going to name names! Everyone else will be invited. We love our TOWIE family and we'll obviously have lots of friends and family there too.' Meanwhile, Amy is keen to address the recent speculation about her weight loss, and the vicious trolling she's suffered as a result of it. As Billy puts a supportive arm around his fiancée, she tells us her change in appearance is down to stress and worry. 'People don't know what is going on behind closed doors. I'm going through so much at the minute that the weight has fallen off me. I worry about my mum constantly. She's very emotional – she thinks she's going to have another heart attack. People think I'm not eating, but I do eat. "To be honest I do feel better when I'm a bit heavier than I am at the moment. There's so much going on at the minute – it's the result of pure stress. We're also having renovations done in the midst of parenting four kids. But I'm strong, I've been in this industry for 15 years. I've had lots of people concerned about me, which I completely understand, but yes, people can be so quick to judge. 'It's so unfair – it shouldn't matter what size people are. Imagine if I was really happy and healthy this way? I've been open about losing too much, but I'm working towards putting some back on now.' Amy is also keen to address rumours that she has been using weight-loss injections. 'I just want to be clear that, as I've said before, I'm not using weight-loss injections. I did try the jab, but just once about 18 months ago. It made me so, so ill. I injected myself and literally a few hours later I threw up three, four times. I've never had sickness like it. The nausea stayed with me for three days. And it scared me so I stopped immediately. It doesn't agree with everybody and it obviously didn't agree with me at all.' Amy explains that she had gone to a private doctor with the hope of losing some weight. She had her weight and blood pressure checked during a 30-minute consultation before being prescribed the injections, which started at the lowest dose. 'Bill was like, 'I don't know if you really need to do it,' but he'd proposed to me and I felt like I wanted to look amazing for my wedding day and wanted to lose some baby weight after having the twins – although I do think it's important that women shouldn't feel under pressure to lose weight after having a baby. But after feeling ill I stopped straight away, so it's not the reason for my weight loss.' Amy then began a training and healthy eating routine in order to shape up naturally. She started working with Freya from Potentia, an online weight-loss coach based in Dubai. 'I decided, 'Right, I've got to do it the proper way now.' Freya gave me amazing recipe plans and workouts to follow, which I stuck to religiously. She got me in the gym four times a week, eating really clean. I had to be very boring for a good six months, but I felt amazing. It's only more recently that I've been losing weight due to stress, that it doesn't feel healthy.' Businessman Billy, who proposed to Amy in 2023 by dressing their twins in 'Mummy will you marry my Daddy?' sleepsuits, admits it's been heartbreaking watching her suffer. 'To see Amy sick with worry about her mum is hard. Added to that, family life's been really hectic, and it's all definitely affected Amy. But she's very thick-skinned; she does pick herself up quite quickly.' The couple are honest about how challenging it can be with four young children at home, with Billy admitting, 'We have our ups and downs, but we get over them quickly.' Amy says the twins are in the middle of the 'terrible twos ' and constantly fighting. 'It's tough,' she says. 'Bill and I bicker about the babies. But the bottom line is, we've got a great relationship and we make the time with the kids and also with each other.' But Amy – who tells us, laughing, that she normally does at least 8,000 steps a day fitting in her brand work and looking after her little ones, alongside park trips, playing padel and dance lessons – adds, 'It's all about keeping the spark alive, though, and Billy and I make sure we have a lovely date night a week. We cook together and dance in the kitchen together. He's the love of my life.' Billy says he's enjoying life in a blended family, even if it wasn't what he had envisaged. 'You want to find the perfect person who probably hasn't got children, and you create your own little family together. But meeting Amy and the kids… I love kids. I come from a big family and I found it so easy to get on with Polly and Rich. It always felt natural.' Would they consider having more children together? 'Definitely not!' laughs Billy. 'We have four beautiful kids. One more in the mix and we'd have to buy a minibus to ferry them about in.' Amy admits that she did consider having 'one more', but that's changed. 'We're looking forward to them getting older, having more relaxing holidays. It's not a proper holiday when you've got kids, especially twins – beautiful as they are.' She's even encouraging Billy to have a vasectomy. 'I've had the C-section, the natural births, it's Bill's turn now,' she tells us. Although he's not so sure. "As a man, it's one thing you never want taken away from you,' he says, adding, 'I also don't want the pain.' Meanwhile, they're optimistic about life getting a little calmer – even if they are about to launch themselves into a new series of TOWIE, the reality show that propelled Amy to fame back in 2010. But insisting she's not involved in any of the cat fights and scandal, Amy says, 'Bill and I are older, we're not involved in any drama. Filming with Harry especially, we have such a laugh. We just have fun filming with the babies. We're the solid family unit on the show really and I love that.'
The Spinoff
a day ago
- Politics
- The Spinoff
The migrant dream? My mum's pay equity claim was cancelled and I got a tax cut
Lisa Meto Fox's mum has worked for 20 years as a school administrator. Her most viable retirement plan is her daughter. I am a product of the migrant dream. The day of my graduation from law school, my mother wept tears of joy. We had made it. Her sacrifice, determination and courage had been worthwhile. I now find myself in the bizarre situation where I've received a tax cut thanks to this government's policies, while my mother's pay equity claim has been extinguished. I don't think this is the way the migrant dream is realised. Equal pay for jobs of equal value is the concept pay equity is built on. Something I think most people in New Zealand are on board with. Growing up, the example I often heard to illustrate this point was nursing (female dominated) and policing (male dominated). Nurses were traditionally paid less than police officers. Despite, in many people's minds, both being critical roles in society and of equal value. Why? Traditionally nursing was seen as 'women's work', while policing was seen as 'men's work'. The undervaluing of work predominately performed by women comes from a time when men earned enough to support a family and if women worked outside the home, their options were generally limited to being a nurse or a teacher. If they got married when they were training to be a nurse, they had to leave their training. Being a nurse or a teacher was a good thing because it could make you a better mother. Or so the logic went and now this legacy is baked into our value of work. Pay equity claims are a way of unpicking this structural undervaluing of women's work. Similarly to gender, successive government policies and a cultural attitude (what some would call 'structural racism') about the 'place' of non-white migrants and Māori has meant the embedded undervaluing of work which Pacific and other non-white migrants tend to do. In other words, ethnicity has a compounding effect with gender. With Pacific women, on average, being paid the least in the country. Research shows that the majority of the Pacific pay gap cannot be explained. Pacific people migrated here in numbers starting in the 1960s. The New Zealand government encouraged migration from the Pacific Islands, as they needed workers to bolster the manufacturing industry and to do the jobs Pākehā wouldn't. Not to say there weren't Pākehā in these jobs, because there were, my father included – just not enough. My maternal grandmother, one of my namesakes, came to New Zealand on two occasions, in the mid 1970s, and worked in factories to save up and build our family home which still stands strong and proud in our village in Samoa. In 1984, at age 22, my mother (Tului Fox) and some of her siblings migrated to Aotearoa for a better life both for the family they left in Samoa and the families they would create. At first, Mum and her siblings worked in manufacturing. In 1987, Mum undertook an 18-month secretarial course,, which enabled her to start her career in administration, and her first admin job was in the typing pool at what was then Housing New Zealand. Since 1992, Mum has worked in school administration at Mount Roskill Grammar, at first in the photocopy room. Since then she's worked her way up through various administrative roles and for the past 20 years has been the principal's PA. For a number of years, working full time in school administration didn't provide enough income to make ends meet. Mum had to take on a second job, teaching night classes. Like any good Samoan, Mum helped three of her sisters get roles at the same school. Myself and a number of my cousins attended the school too. One of the 33 pay equity claims that was extinguished by the coalition government was for school administrators. Last year, someone commented on a piece I wrote that my mum is the 'Pacific matriarch' of Mount Roskill Grammar. As is well recorded, particularly in education, many Pacific staff take on duties in addition to their core role, to serve their community – tautua (service) is a core value of Samoan culture. Mum lives the value of tautua by taking on additional responsibilities, such as helping to establish the school's first ever Pasefika Advisory Group (which advises the senior leadership team and board on how to increase Pasefika students' academic achievement), increasing Pasefika representation on the board by encouraging Pasefika parents to join, being a member of the lead team which tracks Pasefika student achievement and connects teachers with students learning needs. Also she is the secretary to the School Board and has a constant stream of students (many Pacific) and parents who seek her out for guidance, advice, a listening ear or to be an advocate. She helps to manage the Samoan group and gives a lot of cultural advice to colleagues. I'm surely not the only person receiving a tax cut who finds it ethically reprehensible that it came from contingencies for low waged workers' pay equity claims. I can hear some people saying well give the tax cut back which I'd gladly do. But that's not the point. To state the obvious – the power of the state is far greater than individual acts. On average, Pacific women earn 25% less than Pākehā men – often referred to as the 'Pacific pay gap'. Successful pay equity claims often result in a 30% wage uplift. If the school administrators pay equity claim was successful it would have gone a long way to reducing the Pacific Pay Gap for mum and her Pacific colleagues. Over a working life, $488,310 is how much less the average Pacific woman makes compared to the average Pākehā man. Mum is nearing retirement, I can't help but think what $488,310 more would have meant for her later years and for us as a family. Mum said she was 'very disappointed' that her pay equity claim was extinguished. 'I know what it was like not having enough money to look after your family and not knowing if there's going to be enough to get by for a whole week. While I'm very close to the end of my career, now our pay equity claim has been extinguished, I worry about the effect that will have on young women and the generations to come. Will they feel the desperation that I felt? Having to decide whether to feed my kids? Pay the rent? Or heat the house?' The unions have shared that none of the 33 claims that were active are likely to succeed under the new legislation. Meaning my mum and hundreds of thousands of people's mothers and daughters won't get the financial recognition to match the contribution their roles make to society. Despite this, Mum will continue to be the 'Pacific matriarch' of Mount Roskill Grammar. When she retires, she will leave behind a legacy of hundreds of students who were comforted by her presence, knowing that someone who looked like their mothers and aunties was in their corner. As for the migrant dream, many of my aiga, like so many others, have moved to Australia because, as one of my cousins put it, everything is cheaper, and we get paid more. Apparently, it's a no-brainer. And my mum's retirement? As is the case for many migrant parents, one of Mum's primary retirement plans is me.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Polish woman drops truth bombs about life in India after 2 years: ‘No sugarcoating, just real talk.'
It's been two years since a Polish woman moved to India, and she's not holding back. In a candid post filled with humour and honesty, she shares what it's really like adjusting to life here. She spoke about various things, from missing her native cuisine to navigating "Indian time". 'Two years deep in India, and here's the honest truth. No sugarcoating, just real talk. From my ongoing Hindi struggles to missing my Polish kitchen, navigating the chaos of Indian time, and those oh-so-frequent power cuts,' Agnes Mann wrote. 'Sharing my unfiltered experience because authenticity is everything! What are your 'unashamed' truths?' she continued. A video she shared opens with a text insert that reads, 'I've been living in India for 2 years & I'm not ashamed to admit THIS.' The video then shows her playing Holi, eating with her kids, cooking, and vacationing. In her video, she also lists the things she dislikes while living in India—the noise, the unavailability of Polish food, people being late, and her inability to speak Hindi. She also talked about "constant power cuts", which several social media users agreed with. A post shared by Agnes Mann | Mum Can Do It (@agnesmannyt) The post received a wave of mixed reactions. While some agreed with the Polish woman, others told her she could return to her own country. 'I travelled to a lot of countries, and India is the best place to live, " one individual posted. Another commented, 'You can always go back, in case you don't know.' A third said, 'Please return to Poland, where you can do everything. Make sure your child doesn't go out in public without you. I heard in Poland they are not that friendly with brown skin.' A fourth wrote, 'You left Poland for India?', adding a facepalm emoji. Agnes Mann manages a YouTube channel where her bio reads, 'I'm Agnes- a Polish national married to an Indian Mann (from Punjab). We live(d) in the UK with our 3 kids but from March 2023 we are 'trying it' in India. The plan is to travel through as much of India as possible for the next one or two years, and then we see.'
7NEWS
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
The Amazon Echo Show 8 is under $130 and Aussies are calling it their ‘favourite family assistant ever'
It's time to turn your house into a smart home. Amazon's Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) is currently 44 per cent off, down from $229 to just $129, and honestly, it might just be the hardest-working (and most entertaining) device you'll ever own. This clever 8-inch smart display is like having your own personal assistant, newsreader, DJ, chef, home security guard and children's entertainer in one sleek touchscreen device. And yes, you can even ask it to play fart noises with new command that is sure to send the kids into fits of laughter. Here's what makes it such a winner: One-tap access to everything: Check your calendar, to-do list, traffic updates, weather, or news headlines all in one glance. Works like a dream with Alexa: Control smart light bulbs, security cameras and more using just your voice. Built-in camera for video calls: With auto-framing that keeps you centred, you'll always look your best (even on those Sunday catch-ups with Mum). Entertainment hub: Stream movies, shows and music from Netflix, Prime Video, Spotify and Apple Music. Photo frame feature: Display your favourite snaps in style with adaptive colour and Amazon Photos integration. But where the Echo Show 8 really shines is in its family-friendly extras. New research from Amazon Alexa found nearly half of Aussie parents, 47 per cent, feel like they've forgotten how to be silly under the weight of adulting. Which is exactly why Alexa's Let's Get Silly mode was created, you only need to say one thing – ' Alexa, Let's Get Silly '. From dance parties and sound quizzes to silly impressions and a new Silly Farts feature, this smart screen brings genuine laughs and bonding moments for the whole family. Parental controls mean it's totally safe for kids, too, with filtered content and no sneaky purchases allowed. So whether you're catching up on the news, calling Gran, , Echo Show 8 has the whole family covered.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Oh, Mother
Sir, – I always enjoy Brianna Parkins' musings but her article about her Mother in today's edition st ruck a chord. She could win a Pulitzer Prize and be met with 'and is that the dress you're wearing?' My own dear old Mum, on finding me wearing shorts and a T-shirt sniffed, 'I wouldn't mind but when you do dress up, you look like someone!'. I've never figured out who that 'someone' is. –Yours, etc, BRÍD MILLER, READ MORE Athlone Road, Roscommon.
