Latest news with #Paralympian
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Jack Osbourne returns to TV this weekend after sad death of rock legend dad Ozzy
JACK Osbourne will be returning to screens this weekend for the first time since the passing of his famous father, Ozzy Osbourne. The TV personality, 39, is a contestant on the fifth series of ITV's celebrity cooking competition, Cooking with the Stars, hosted by Emma Willis. Advertisement 5 Cooking With The Stars is back for its fifth season Credit: ITV 5 Ozzy's youngest son, Jack Osbourne, features on the show Credit: Discovery+ Over the weekend, Jack will be seen competing against seven other celebs in a bid to impress the judges and win the 'golden frying pan'. Some of the other eager chefs in the show's latest lineup include Love Island's Ekin-Su, EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy, and former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips. At the end of every episode, two celebrity chefs have to compete head on and fight for their spot before one is eliminated. Jack's father, heavy metal and rock icon Ozzy, 76, passed away last week after spending years battling Parkinson's disease. Advertisement Read more about the Osbournes The news came just weeks after the Black Sabbath star performed his farewell gig, 'Back To The Beginning', in Birmingham , alongside the original members of his band. Song sets were also performed by industry friends and admirers of 'The Prince of Darkness'. Ozzy had discovered a number of years prior with his wife, Sharon Osbourne, 72, that he was affected by a rare mutation in the PARK 2 gene, which indicated he would become diagnosed with Parkinson's later on in life. Though no official cause of death has been released, Ozzy's condition showed signs of decline over the years, impacting his speech and ability to walk. Advertisement Most read in Celebrity Because of this, Ozzy made the tough decision to perform his final concert sitting a black bat throne, so he wouldn't run the risk of falling over on stage. Meanwhile, Cooking with the Stars first aired in 2021, with McFly drummer Inside Ozzy Osbourne's final days after historic last show 'took huge toll' on his health The second series aired a year later and saw Series three was won by Coronation Street's Samia Longchambon, while last year's outing saw Paralympian Ellie Simmonds triumph. Advertisement Cooking with the Stars starts on Sunday, August 3 at 8pm on ITV1. 5 Kelly, Ozzy, Sharon and Jack Osbourne. Credit: Getty 5 Ozzy Osbourne's farewell concert. Credit: Reuters 5 Jack Osbourne with his wife, Lisa, Credit: Instagram Advertisement
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Jack Osbourne returns to TV this weekend after sad death of rock legend dad Ozzy
He is currently grieving, but the show had already been recorded before Ozzy's death. OSBOURNE APPEARANCE Jack Osbourne returns to TV this weekend after sad death of rock legend dad Ozzy JACK Osbourne will be returning to screens this weekend for the first time since the passing of his famous father, Ozzy Osbourne. The TV personality, 39, is a contestant on the fifth series of ITV's celebrity cooking competition, Cooking with the Stars, hosted by Emma Willis. Advertisement 5 Cooking With The Stars is back for its fifth season Credit: ITV 5 Ozzy's youngest son, Jack Osbourne, features on the show Credit: Discovery+ Over the weekend, Jack will be seen competing against seven other celebs in a bid to impress the judges and win the 'golden frying pan'. Some of the other eager chefs in the show's latest lineup include Love Island's Ekin-Su, EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy, and former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips. At the end of every episode, two celebrity chefs have to compete head on and fight for their spot before one is eliminated. Jack's father, heavy metal and rock icon Ozzy, 76, passed away last week after spending years battling Parkinson's disease. Advertisement Read more about the Osbournes CRACKERJACK Who is Jack Osbourne's wife Aree Gearhart & do they have any children together? The news came just weeks after the Black Sabbath star performed his farewell gig, 'Back To The Beginning', in Birmingham, alongside the original members of his band. Song sets were also performed by industry friends and admirers of 'The Prince of Darkness'. Ozzy had discovered a number of years prior with his wife, Sharon Osbourne, 72, that he was affected by a rare mutation in the PARK 2 gene, which indicated he would become diagnosed with Parkinson's later on in life. Though no official cause of death has been released, Ozzy's condition showed signs of decline over the years, impacting his speech and ability to walk. Advertisement Because of this, Ozzy made the tough decision to perform his final concert sitting a black bat throne, so he wouldn't run the risk of falling over on stage. Meanwhile, Cooking with the Stars first aired in 2021, with McFly drummer Harry Judd being crowned the winner. Inside Ozzy Osbourne's final days after historic last show 'took huge toll' on his health The second series aired a year later and saw Dr Ranj Singh beat Josie Gibson to the title. Series three was won by Coronation Street's Samia Longchambon, while last year's outing saw Paralympian Ellie Simmonds triumph. Advertisement Cooking with the Stars starts on Sunday, August 3 at 8pm on ITV1. 5 Kelly, Ozzy, Sharon and Jack Osbourne. Credit: Getty 5 Ozzy Osbourne's farewell concert. Credit: Reuters 5 Jack Osbourne with his wife, Lisa, Credit: Instagram
CBC
4 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
Zak Madell talks to Anastasia Bucsis about his wheelchair rugby success and road to retirement
In 2011, at the age of 17, Zak Madell made his debut on the Canadian national team. Madell then went on to compete in the 2012 Paralympic Games, helping the team to secure a silver medal. The four-time Paralympian has been a valuable asset to Wheelchair Rugby for 13 years, raising the profile of the sport in Canada and worldwide.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Paralympian's plea to roll out 999 initiative nationwide
A paralympian who set up a 999 initiative after a call handler thought he was a prank caller is aiming to have his scheme adopted by police Channon MBE, 68, who uses a wheelchair and has difficulties communicating due to cerebral palsy, worked with Nottinghamshire Police to develop Pegasus in 2008, after a call handler from the force hung up on is a method of disabled people sharing their information with emergency call handlers to help communication in what can be life-or-death of people now use the service across Nottinghamshire alone, and Mr Channon, of Arnold, now hopes Pegasus will be adopted by all police forces. Mr Channon, who competed in the 1980 Paralympic Games in the Netherlands and won a silver medal in the 10m air rifle at the 1984 Stoke Mandeville and New York Games, said his experience of using 999 had been "frustrating and scary".He said: "The call handler put the phone down on me. Thankfully the call wasn't a life or death situation - but I kept thinking, what if it had?" It led to him creating Pegasus, which allows registered users to contact 999 with a special PIN which shares their information with emergency services - whether on a mobile, a landline, by text, or in person, which is "vital for those who aren't tech savvy", said Mr Channon."I was initially told that it couldn't be done," said Mr Channon, "but fortunately I met an officer who saw the promise."A year-long pilot led to the scheme being adopted by Nottinghamshire, then several other forces joined, including Surrey and the city of forces can also share information with ambulance services and fire brigades. 'Very beneficial' Emma Ball, first contact manager for Nottinghamshire Police, said Pegasus had proved to be "a really amazing scheme".She said: "It saves lots of time and we can make sure that we send people to those that need us the most."Mr Channon said he has used the scheme several times himself, and hopes it will become standard for emergency services Nottinghamshire police officer Anthony Davies, who helped to develop the scheme, said: "Both Chris and myself firmly believe that Pegasus would work really well if all police services agreed to implement it."I also think that other large organisations such as the NHS and local authorities would find using Pegasus very beneficial." Mr Channon said: "A national scheme would initially be a massive undertaking. Pegasus has been the hardest thing I've done and there have been times when I seriously thought about giving up."But I know that there are many people, including the elderly and those for whom English is not their first language, as well as those with physical and learning disabilities, who would struggle making an emergency call."A National Police Chiefs' Council spokesperson said while it backs Pegasus it was up to individual forces to decide to adopt the said the council "continue to try and improve policing and make it as inclusive and accessible as possible for everyone".Additional reporting by Jude Winter
The Independent
24-07-2025
- The Independent
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson unveils plan to improve air travel accessibility
Outdated language and inconsistent training for aviation staff are negatively affecting the experience of flying for disabled people, a new review of air travel accessibility in the UK has revealed. The Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group (AATFG) group, established in November 2024 by the Department for Transport (DfT), aims to improve accessibility for disabled people on board aircraft and in airport terminals. Former Paralympian and accessibility campaigner Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson led the AATFG in curating 19 key accessibility recommendations for airlines, airports and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The Welsh crossbench peer told The Independent that she is familiar with 'really bad' travel experiences – something that can be 'catastrophic' for a disabled person if things go wrong. According to the 16 July report, improved training for airline and airport staff, clearer passenger information and robust complaint procedures are needed to make flying more inclusive. One 'poor experience' can stop someone from flying altogether, found the AATFG. The review featured issues including missed flights, the use of non-inclusive language, broken or lost mobility equipment and an extended wait time to disembark. The taskforce said that clearer passenger information is key for travellers to book assistance, access airport support services and transport mobility aids independently. 'Some of it is disabled people knowing their rights,' said Lady Grey-Thompson. She also called for aviation workers to do more to help passengers with complaints when things do go wrong. As chair of the AATFG, Lady Grey-Thompson said the 'biggest part 'of creating the report was industry representatives 'coming together, sitting in the same room and talking about it'. 'It's actually just trying to join up the system', she added. The report highlighted an obvious inconsistency in accessibility training across different airports and airlines. A lack of inclusive language was revealed, with 'outdated' terminology often used in the aviation sector. It added that disability awareness training – developed alongside people with lived experience – should be rolled out for all aviation staff, including ground services and those in hospitality roles. Lady Grey-Thompson said: 'Everyone in the airport needs to have an understanding of both visible and invisible impairments.' Although in other sectors the 'excuse' of more training would earn an 'eye roll' from the Paralympic medallist, in aviation, the standardisation of training could be used to create a positive experience for disabled travellers. She said: 'For everyone to have the same type of training sounds so basic, but it would make a lot of sense. 'It's about treating everyone with respect from security to the gate.' The group chair added that experiencing discrimination while travelling, even in an airport café, can 'affect the whole journey' for disabled flyers. She previously told BBC Breakfast of her 'humiliation' at being blamed for the late departure of a flight after the captain announced the delay was "because of the wheelchair." According to CAA data, 5.5 million passengers requested assistance at a UK airport in 2024 – 1.9 per cent of total travellers. Lady Grey-Thompson says that key sectors of the aviation industry have 'recognised that they need to do better' following repeated media scrutiny of airlines for leaving passengers on a plane or damaging mobility equipment. BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, who uses a wheelchair, has repeatedly criticised accessibility services at London Heathrow. Just last month, Mr Gardner was kept waiting for 90 minutes after other passengers had disembarked following a British Airways flight from Singapore. Improving airport accessibility frameworks – used to assess how airports perform against their legal obligations – was also recommended to the CAA. As of the latest airport accessibility report, most airports were ranked in the 'good' or 'very good' categories. The group recognised it would be 'quite expensive' to fully rebuild older airports but added that the aviation industry should 'learn from its mistakes quickly and rectify them.' Airport accessibility guides, and 'enhanced access to assistance throughout the airport journey', are among the 19 recommendations. Lady Grey-Thompson said: 'This report is the next critical step in making air travel more inclusive for disabled people. 'I'm grateful for the commitment the industry has shown to making change and breaking down barriers in aviation for everyone, bringing freedom to travel, whether for leisure or work, and to connect with friends and family.' Currently, there are no legislative plans or budget from the government to enforce the changes. However, future airport eGate plans include wider accessible gates. The group will now start to deliver the recommendations for disabled passengers, with progress reports to the DfT to ensure proposals are adopted by the industry. In response to the report's release, transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'Everyone should be able to travel with dignity and be respected at every stage of their journeys, including disabled passengers. That's why we established this group in November last year, and I welcome this report's findings, which will clear the runway for greater accessibility in aviation. 'I know the industry is working hard to make services more inclusive for all, and I look forward to seeing these proposals becoming a reality with the support of the group. Now is the time for action and to make a real difference so that people can travel with confidence.'
