Latest news with #Rene
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I was almost 50 when I had my first baby, people call me selfish and I've lost friends over it but older mums are better
Rene has had cruel comments from strangers and friends alike OH BABY I was almost 50 when I had my first baby, people call me selfish and I've lost friends over it but older mums are better WHEN Rene Byrd first held her baby boy, Crue, in her arms, she felt like life was finally complete. The Londoner had spent years battling infertility before deciding to undergo IVF – a journey that cost her over £20,000. Advertisement 4 Rene Byrd was 48 when she welcomed her first baby Credit: Jam Press/Rene Bryd 4 She says she has received plenty of criticism but believes older women make better mums Credit: Jam Press/Rene Bryd But Rene's struggle didn't stop other parents from judging her for becoming a mum later in life. The singer-songwriter was met with cruel 'jokes' after telling people she'd given birth at 48. She's also lost friends since having a baby. Although the comments stung, Rene says she is determined to ignore the negativity and finally embrace motherhood. Advertisement 'I had people making [say things like], 'You'll be old when your child grows up',' she said 'People have told me it's selfish. 'They say it jokingly, but you know they're not joking. 'It can make you feel guilty, but I just want to be the best mum I can be. Advertisement 'You do question yourself – am I too old? 'Some people in my life dropped off after I had [my son] Reality TV star reveals she's pregnant with second baby just months after admitting marriage was 'lowest it's ever been' 'I have a friend I don't even see anymore. 'Some relationships dissolved.' Advertisement Rene had always dreamed of becoming a mum, but life didn't exactly go to plan. Rene met her now-husband, 42-year-old American attorney Demetrious, by chance in a London bar. Aware of her biological clock, the pair started trying for a baby in 2017 when Rene was 40. She even spent about £2,000 on Chinese herbal remedies and fertility tonics to help her get pregnant. Advertisement But after a year of trying, Rene realised that starting a family wouldn't be as easy as she'd hoped. She said: 'We tried to conceive naturally, but my age was always a factor. 'The panic starts to set in – you realise time is slipping away. 'I spent a couple of grand on different tonics overseas – anything that looked like it could help. Advertisement 'It was getting me down. 'I knew my window was closing. 'Eventually, I accepted that it probably wasn't going to happen without some assistance.' Rene and Demetrious eventually decided to explore IVF in a bid to start their dream family. Advertisement The couple spent a few years researching treatments and clinics before taking the leap. Following a rough IVF journey – Rene described the procedure as 'invasive' – she found out she was pregnant in April 2024, just a few months after the couple got married. She said: 'I didn't realise just how emotional it would be. 'There's so much uncertainty. Advertisement 'So many tests – you're constantly putting your body through it. 'I had an underlying condition that was a big factor. 'They check all your hormones, and, as women, there are so many to track. 'You have to do regular blood tests, and they expire after a certain time, so you're constantly redoing them. Advertisement 'Emotionally, it was draining, and I wasn't sure if it would even work. 'Financially, it was a huge strain – in total, it cost over £20,000.' Rene can recall the moment she learned she was pregnant. She said: They told me I needed to do a beta test – it looks at hormone levels in your blood to confirm pregnancy. Advertisement 'I went in that morning, and the lady from the clinic started crying. The struggle of choosing a baby name CHLOE Morgan, a Senior Writer at Fabulous, has revealed her dilemma on choosing a baby name... At 35 weeks pregnant, by far the trickiest part of pregnancy for me in the past few months (minus the insomnia and countless night-time wee breaks!) has been trying to decide on a baby name. The dilemmas are endless... My partner and I went for a private scan to find out the gender as early as we could - partly due to the fact we thought it would make baby naming so much easier because we'd only have to come up with a list of names for one gender rather than two. How wrong we were... I was absolutely thrilled to be told I was expecting the baby girl I'd already dreamed of, but being one of the last of my friends to fall pregnant, I've had countless conversations over the years with excited pals discussing their top baby which I wish I could go back in time and un-hear. With each friend mentioning at least 10 possible monikers, I can't help but feel like several are now a no-go even though I know it's something that none of them would mind in the slightest - it's a total me problem! The debate comes up time and time again on social media forums - can you choose the same name that was a "potential" for a friend's baby? It's a very divisive topic and opinions are always I don't want to be THAT person. While some will argue there's thousands of other names out there to choose from, others will say you need to choose YOUR all, there's no guarantee that person will even have another baby. Then there's also the issue of finding a name you to research it online and read one negative comment amongst hundreds of positives that you just can't shake off. I made that very mistake when I fell in love with a certain name (I won't reveal it because I don't want to ruin it for others!) ...only to see someone point out that it constantly gets autocorrected on a phone to something rather rude instead. So, back to the drawing board we went.. Just five weeks to go and it looks like our little one is going to be known as 'baby gal' for a little while longer! 'I thought it was bad news – but they were happy tears. 'She told me, 'You're pregnant.' 'I cried my eyes out. Advertisement 'That was just the beginning of the journey. 'I've always wanted children – the real challenge was finding the right person to have them with. 'All around me, my friends were having babies. 'I was always at baby showers and christenings. I've been a godmother to so many kids. Advertisement 'I had a vision board with a little boy on it. 'In my heart, I always longed to hold a baby that was mine.' Following a pregnancy marked by intense nausea and fluctuating hormones, Crue was born via C-section on 28 November last year. Rene said: 'They placed him on my chest for skin-to-skin contact. Advertisement 'That's when it hit me – this is real, he's here.' Despite the criticism that's come since Rene says she wouldn't change a thing. She said, 'There are so many positives to having a child later in life. 'I'm more financially stable, more patient, and I've lived a full life. Advertisement 'I feel more in control, more confident. 'I've spent years around friends' kids, reading, learning. 'I'm in a completely different headspace. 'You do get that twinge of guilt when you think about being older, but it's nobody's business. Advertisement 'You have to live your own life in your own time.' 4 Rene spent £20,000 on fertility treatment over the years Credit: Jam Press/Rene Bryd
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I was almost 50 when I had my first baby, people call me selfish and I've lost friends over it but older mums are better
WHEN Rene Byrd first held her baby boy, Crue, in her arms, she felt like life was finally complete. The Londoner had spent years battling infertility before deciding to undergo IVF – a journey that cost her over £20,000. 4 Rene Byrd was 48 when she welcomed her first baby Credit: Jam Press/Rene Bryd 4 She says she has received plenty of criticism but believes older women make better mums Credit: Jam Press/Rene Bryd But Rene's struggle didn't stop other parents from judging her for becoming a mum later in life. The singer-songwriter was met with cruel 'jokes' after telling people she'd given birth at 48. She's also lost friends since having a baby. Although the comments stung, Rene says she is determined to ignore the negativity and finally embrace motherhood. Read More on Real Lives 'I had people making [say things like], 'You'll be old when your child grows up',' she said 'People have told me it's selfish. 'They say it jokingly, but you know they're not joking. 'It can make you feel guilty, but I just want to be the best mum I can be. Most read in Fabulous 'You do question yourself – am I too old? 'Some people in my life dropped off after I had [my son] Reality TV star reveals she's pregnant with second baby just months after admitting marriage was 'lowest it's ever been' 'I have a friend I don't even see anymore. 'Some relationships dissolved.' Rene had always dreamed of becoming a mum, but life didn't exactly go to plan. Rene met her now-husband, 42-year-old American attorney Demetrious, by chance in a London bar. Aware of her biological clock, the pair started trying for a baby in 2017 when Rene was 40. She even spent about £2,000 on Chinese herbal remedies and fertility tonics to help her get pregnant. But after a year of trying, Rene realised that starting a family wouldn't be as easy as she'd hoped. She said: 'We tried to conceive naturally, but my age was always a factor. 'The panic starts to set in – you realise time is slipping away. 'I spent a couple of grand on different tonics overseas – anything that looked like it could help. 'It was getting me down. 'I knew my window was closing. 'Eventually, I accepted that it probably wasn't going to happen without some assistance.' Rene and Demetrious eventually decided to explore IVF in a bid to start their dream family. The couple spent a few years researching treatments and clinics before taking the leap. Following a rough IVF journey – Rene described the procedure as 'invasive' – she found out she was pregnant in April 2024, just a few months after the couple got married. She said: 'I didn't realise just how emotional it would be. 'There's so much uncertainty. 'So many tests – you're constantly putting your body through it. 'I had an underlying condition that was a big factor. 'They check all your hormones, and, as women, there are so many to track. 'You have to do regular blood tests, and they expire after a certain time, so you're constantly redoing them. 'Emotionally, it was draining, and I wasn't sure if it would even work. 'Financially, it was a huge strain – in total, it cost over £20,000.' Rene can recall the moment she learned she was pregnant. She said: They told me I needed to do a beta test – it looks at hormone levels in your blood to confirm pregnancy. 'I went in that morning, and the lady from the clinic started crying. The struggle of choosing a baby name CHLOE Morgan, a Senior Writer at Fabulous, has revealed her dilemma on choosing a baby name... At 35 weeks pregnant, by far the trickiest part of pregnancy for me in the past few months (minus the insomnia and countless night-time wee breaks!) has been trying to decide on a baby name. The dilemmas are endless... My partner and I went for a private scan to find out the gender as early as we could - partly due to the fact we thought it would make baby naming so much easier because we'd only have to come up with a list of names for one gender rather than two. How wrong we were... I was absolutely thrilled to be told I was expecting the baby girl I'd already dreamed of, but being one of the last of my friends to fall pregnant, I've had countless conversations over the years with excited pals discussing their top With each friend mentioning at least 10 possible monikers, I can't help but feel like several are now a no-go even though I know it's something that none of them would mind in the slightest - it's a total me problem! The debate comes up time and time again on social media forums - can you choose the same name that was a "potential" for a friend's baby? It's a very divisive topic and opinions are always I don't want to be THAT person. While some will argue there's thousands of other names out there to choose from, others will say you need to choose YOUR all, there's no guarantee that person will even have another baby. Then there's also the issue of finding a name you to research it online and read one negative comment amongst hundreds of positives that you just can't shake off. I made that very mistake when I fell in love with a certain name (I won't reveal it because I don't want to ruin it for others!) ...only to see someone point out that it constantly gets autocorrected on a phone to something rather rude instead. So, back to the drawing board we went.. Just five weeks to go and it looks like our little one is going to be known as 'baby gal' for a little while longer! 'I thought it was bad news – but they were happy tears. 'She told me, 'You're pregnant.' 'I cried my eyes out. 'That was just the beginning of the journey. 'I've always wanted children – the real challenge was finding the right person to have them with. 'All around me, my friends were having babies. 'I was always at baby showers and christenings. I've been a godmother to so many kids. 'I had a vision board with a little boy on it. 'In my heart, I always longed to hold a baby that was mine.' Following a pregnancy marked by intense nausea and fluctuating hormones, Crue was born via C-section on 28 November last year. Rene said: 'They placed him on my chest for skin-to-skin contact. 'That's when it hit me – this is real, he's here.' Despite the criticism that's come since Rene says she wouldn't change a thing. She said, 'There are so many positives to having a child later in life. 'I'm more financially stable, more patient, and I've lived a full life. 'I feel more in control, more confident. 'I've spent years around friends' kids, reading, learning. 'I'm in a completely different headspace. 'You do get that twinge of guilt when you think about being older, but it's nobody's business. 'You have to live your own life in your own time.' 4 Rene spent £20,000 on fertility treatment over the years Credit: Jam Press/Rene Bryd 4 Rene says that as an older mother she is more financially stable to support her baby Credit: Jam Press/Rene Bryd
The Mainichi
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: Cute mascots from around the world popular at Osaka Expo 2025
OSAKA -- Many visitors at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, love taking photos with cute and interesting mascot characters from different countries. These mascots are becoming very popular with visitors. In Japan, mascots called "yuru-chara" are well-loved. People like them because they feel friendly and relaxed. In front of Germany's pavilion, visitors met a mascot called Circular. Circular is round, soft and cute. The theme at this Pavilion is "circular economy," and the mascot is based on Japan's "kawaii" (cute) style. One woman from Osaka said, "I am happy they know about Japanese culture." At Czechia's pavilion, there is a mascot called Rene, who has many eyes. Rene looks a little strange. Rene is a friend of Myaku-Myaku, the Expo 2025mascot. People were seen taking photos far away from Rene because he looks unusual. Singapore has a mascot named Merli at their pavilion. Merli comes from the Merlion, a famous symbol of Singapore. Many people in Japan love Merlion. Merli meets visitors three times every day. Canada's mascot is called Parka. But Parka appears only on special days. People say this makes Parka even more popular. At Expo 2025, visitors usually must check carefully about what time mascots will appear. Many mascots only meet visitors at certain times. (Japanese original by Takehiko Onishi, Osaka Photo and Video Department) Vocabulary mascot: a friendly character, often a cute animal, person or thing, used to cheer up or interest people. pavilion: a special building at a large event where each country can show its culture or ideas. culture: the ideas, ways of acting, and things special to a group or country. friendly: nice and easy to talk to, makes you feel comfortable. circular economy: a system where things are used again instead of thrown away.
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Fred Sirieix in floods of tears as he makes huge family discovery
First Dates star Fred Sirieix has an emotional time on BBC 1 hit series as the Who Do You Think You Are? team explain his family history and make some heartbreaking discoveries First dates star Fred Sirieix finds a romantic story in his own family during his appearance on the BBC 's Who Do You Think You Are? Series. The 53-year-old admitted he doesn't know much about his family roots as his mum says they never spoke much about the past. But he discovers that his grandfather Rene Bordas – whom he affectionately called Pepe – fought in World War Two but ended up being captured by the Germans. However, it was during his time as a prisoner of war, where he was made to work on a farm, that he fell in love with one of the local girls called Genevieve (whom Fred calls Meme). With her help, he managed to escape – risking his life through such a brave act. She later followed him back to his hometown of Limoges, which was not under German occupation, and the pair ended up getting married. Rene, who was from Limoges in France, became a soldier in 1939 and joined the 32 nd artillery regiment near Ardennes. The following year, the Germans launched an aggressive attack and most of his regiment was destroyed. However, although he survived, he was captured and taken as a prisoner of war. He and thousands of others were marched from Ardennes to Saint -Florentin. And it was there they were put to work on farms to harvest the food. Rene worked in a medieval town-on-the-river called Coulanges. Fred said: 'I am lost for words. My grandfather was a prisoner of war in his own country.' But while he was there, he met and fell in love with a local woman called Genevieve. It is believed she would have been working on the farm serving lunches and dinners to the POWs. Fred said: 'I would imagine they met over food. Maybe it would have been a flirtatious look, a smile at lunch, giving a little bit of wine. But something happened. The chemistry is there, the spark.' However, the blossoming romance was to be put to the test when – after several months as a prisoner - Rene was told he was being deported to Germany to work there. He did not want this and hatched a plan to get away. Fred is shown records made by the Germans in 1940 which list him as 'Escaped'. It is thought Genevieve would have helped him. Figures show that less than five percent of prisoners who tried to escape succeeded, but Rene was one of them. Emotional Fred says: 'I am proud of him. He would have needed help and my gran lived there and she could have been one of those people. If they met while working on the farm it would make sense she'd want to help him get out. But he took a big risk. If he had been caught he'd have been shot on sight. 'Only a very small percentage succeeded. It was very dangerous but it makes me so proud of my grandmother and grandfather thinking about the risk they have taken. I am so proud they made such a stand at such a dangerous time in their life. It is extraordinary they have done that. 'It brings it back to life. He's done it. He is one of the less than five per cent. They couldn't bear to be prisoners of war. Everyone in the family knows how hard my grandfather was but to come here and to know he escaped knowing what the penalty was.. effectively it was death. How brave was that at a time when you risk everything? You actually risk your life.' Fred even locates the original farm where Rene would have worked as a prisoner. He adds: 'This is the farm where he worked during war-time. This is where the love story started. It is really really special. This is when you'd like the walls to talk. But it is from this town that they make their way to Limoges. It is really really beautiful.' Elsewhere in the programme the Channel 4 TV presenter and maitre'd, who was born in Limoges in France, discovers he has three generations of family who made his favourite Burgundy wine - but they stopped when their grapes all got destroyed by the famous phylloxera bug that swept through France. He finds out from a census in 1872 that his three times great grandfather Etienne Charrie was a winemaker. He and his wife Marie were living in Saint-Georges-sur-Baulche in the Burgundy region of France where they had a small vineyard. And delighted Fred comments: 'Yes he was making wine! In this region it's normal. It is such a famous wine region in France. All of my family lived in this area and were all winemakers. I cannot tell you how excited I am. You know Burgundy is my favourite wine. I love Burgundy wines whether they are white or red. They are some of the best wines in the world and to know that my family has been making wine here since 1768 and probably before… Wow!' His ancestors had been making wine for three generations but then they stopped. And Fred discovers that like thousands of others, they were hit by the French Wine Blight. This was caused by a North America insect called the phylloxera which was brought over to France on imported plants. There was no defence against it. And between the years 1863-1890, the bug destroyed six million acres of vineyards (around three quarters of wine production in the country) and it meant families could no longer produce grapes and live off the land. Devastated Fred admits: 'I did not think about that. I never imagined my family could have been impacted by phylloxera because of course it was 'the plague of the wine'. It would have been devastating for them. A total shock and a surprise. I had no idea that one side of my grandmother's family were wine makers but to be fair I am not surprised, I love wine.' * Who Do You Think You Are? Is on BBC1 on Tuesday nights with Fred's episode on May 27. Previous episodes are also on BBC iPlayer.
Western Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Beloved sitcom 'Allo, Allo' at Torch Theatre, Milford Haven
New Xenon presents this uproarious comedy, featuring the misadventures of cafe owner Rene in occupied France. Audiences can expect to see all their favourite characters, including Rene's tone-deaf wife Edith, Officer Crabtree, and the Gestapo officer Herr Flick, among others. The production promises to deliver slapstick humour and over-the-top situations that fans of the television series will adore. Rene and Edith find themselves in a comical predicament, having hidden a priceless portrait stolen by the Nazis in a sausage in their cellar, where two British airmen are also hiding. The chaos escalates as they use a wireless disguised as a cockatoo to communicate with London, while tricksters disguised as Hitler frequent the cafe in anticipation of the Führer's visit. Rene must summon all his wit to save his café and his life. Allison Butler, the Director and also playing Michelle of the Resistance, expressed her excitement: "We're thrilled to bring this hilarious show to the Torch as our maiden production for New Xenon Theatre Company. "The cast members really are doing a wonderful job of bringing all the characters to life and we're looking forward to welcoming you to Café Rene!" Jordan Dickin, who plays Officer Crabtree, added: "Rehearsals have been an absolute blast, and it's a joy to embody such an iconic character. "Listen very carefully, I will say this only once…make it a Good Moaning and buy your tickets before they disappear like phantoms into the night!" Tickets for 'Allo, Allo' are priced at £18, with £16 concessions available for the Thursday performance only. The shows will take place on Thursday, June 19 at 7.30pm, Friday, June 20 at 7.30pm, and Saturday, June 21 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets are available for purchase through the Torch Theatre Box Office by calling 01646 695267.
