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Telegraph
an hour ago
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
Ask Rachel: My husband has lost his lust for life (and sex) now that he's on a weight-loss drug
Have a sex or relationship question? Ask Rachel about it using the form below or email askrachel@ Dear Rachel, My husband has never been a slim man. Even when we got married 26 years ago, he despised the pictures because he said he looked fat. He tried those Cambridge diet sachets years ago and did manage to shrink his gut, but his residual grumpiness made our family life (we had three young children at the time) so unbearable that we all decided it wasn't worth the aggro. Yes he's a little chubby – but he's always been such a cheerful man. When he mentioned one of his friends was on one of those weight-loss drugs I didn't discourage him from looking into it because I know how much his belly has bothered him all our married life. I had no idea how much it would change him. It's not just food that has become irrelevant – all the fun seems to have been squeezed out. Dinner parties are a bore because he doesn't even fancy the odd glass of Gavi, and by the time we get into bed he is too exhausted to even consider sex. If I'm honest, although his trousers are dropping off him and he looks 10 years younger, he's so lethargic he's become boring to be around. The only thing that perks him up is when someone tells him how sprightly he looks. I don't want to discourage him, but watching a man push his pasta round his plate just isn't sexy. What on earth do I say to him to get him off this bloody drug and back to the man I married all those years ago? Any advice is most welcome. - Melanie from Tiverton Dear Melanie from Tiverton, or 'Tivvy' as we West Countryfolk call it, This is possibly the most on-trend question I've had. The first thing to say is his body is his, not yours, but I hear where you're coming from. I went to a big fat English lunch earlier in the month. There were lashings of Léoube, a smorgasbord of River Café-level scran, and exquisite wisps floating about in broderie anglaise maxi dresses. I'm not going to mention the women again as they were the same. No carbs have passed their lips for decades and they weigh less than they did on their wedding days. No, it was the men that jumped out (not literally, from the bushes, but you know what I mean). Around half of them looked different…and somewhat diminished. In this day and age, we know of course that when men suddenly become thin and listless and silent it's not because they're 'battling' some horrid disease. It's because they've become hooked on weight-loss jabs. At the lunch, when asked why they were half the men they used to be, the slimmed-down boasted proudly they were on Mounjaro or Ozempic or whatever. I have to say it. Most of them were shadows of their former strapping selves. Instead of the raucous carousing they were known and loved for in their past lives, they sat uneasily at the feast, nursing their sparkling waters and pushing their micro-portions of grilled sea bass with salsa verde around their plates as I went up for seconds and thirds. As the host joked afterwards, 'next year I'll just lay on some crisps and save myself a fortune!' as many of the blokes were so birdlike in their appetites. And this is the point isn't it. Mounjaro (and the other jabs) are designed to decrease appetite. Of all sorts. Appetite and lust for life. It creates feelings of satiety and fullness even when you've barely touched a morsel. It also seems to lower the mood. I know a few men on Mounjaro and, like your husband, they seem tired, both of London and of life. Your old man has been turned off the pleasures of the flesh apparently by a drug that is making its manufacturers bigger and bigger as its millions of users become smaller and smaller. According to anecdotal reports, some reported side effects do include lower libido, erectile changes and flat mood or 'emotional blunting' as the weight drops off – but so does general mojo. And as we all realise as we get older, people are appealing not so much for their outward appearance, but their inner energy. Big Pharma, its prescribers, makers and users will cite the manifold benefits of losing a lot of timber: improved confidence, self-esteem, cardiovascular health (and that can improve sexual stamina too) and higher testosterone, ie it could indeed prove to be a miracle wonder drug and who are you and I to knock it? Well, in your husband's case, the weight-loss drug has served as a fun- as well as fat-suck. And for others too. Like you, I've also noticed something… grey about men on the pen. But if you beg men to stop it and say, 'But I preferred you like you were before, all…normal and jolly,' I've noticed they brush you off because they quite understandably love their new svelte physiques more than they loved being the life and soul of the party. After being the chubby one all their lives, or carrying too much middle-aged spread, it's too late for them to stop the weight jabs now. After a lifetime's bad body image, they have achieved their BMI nirvana and that's all that matters, never mind that they no longer care about sex very much, they can't be arsed and what matters now is not the notches on the bedpost but the belt. The pen is mightier, it turns out, than the penis. In terms of advice: until he achieves his target weight, I'd suggest your chap take some supplements such as zinc, magnesium, Omega 3, calcium and Vitamin D, and see whether that increases his sexual appetite. Oh yes, when my husband gave up booze for a year – he switched to an alcohol-free beer called Kaliber – I was quite relieved when he started drinking again as it chirped him up (it still does). I missed the Rabelaisian man and good-timer I'd married, so you have my sympathies. And also tell your chap this. Men don't love skeletal self-denying women who live on a rocket leaf a day even if it makes them as ripped as Demi Moore, and – newsflash! - nor do women. We like a dad bod (think Jon Hamm in Friends and Neighbours …mmmm….). Unlike men – annoying generalisation alert – we don't find the opposite sex attractive only on the basis of looks alone. I'd tell him you love him as he is and always will, but fancied him more before, then quickly quote Shakespeare's Julius Caesar before he takes his diet too far. 'Let me have men about me that are fat, sleek-headed men and such as sleep a-nights. Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look' etc. And then tell him he's gorgeous and seduce him.
Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
What is the greatest guitar riff of all time? We asked readers
Wow. It turns out Telegraph readers really like guitar music – and have very strong opinions about it. I'm not going to say that's a complete surprise – in writing a piece about the 30 greatest guitar riffs of all time, I knew I was stepping onto hallowed ground and expecting to get a fair bit of blasting in the comments. But having spent so long working out the list, I found it an absolute joy to read through everyone's thoughts on the subject: people have a very strong sense of what makes a great guitar riff. Some were categorical: Tim Dowting's 'I sat bolt upright in bed this morning... This list has nothing on it by KNOPFLER !!!!!' echoed a lot of people's feelings. And Jill Garner's 'I'm absolutely not having any list that does not include She Sells Sanctuary, The Cult' made her thoughts clear. I liked the pizzazz of Jenni Williams's instant rewrite: 'Actually it's Edge of Seventeen by Steve Nicks.' So that's decided. Some were adamant that some of my choices were not strictly riffs at all. Tar Paulin – who I confess I thought at first glance might be a cousin of the poet Tom Paulin – spent some time not only correcting my assumptions but those of the many readers who wanted The Eagles' Hotel California and The Carpenters' Goodbye to Love on the list. And Tar was by no means alone. There was a lot of discussion about Bohemian Rhapsody being so high on the list when, as many pointed out, it's more solo than riff; 'Back to rock school you go', admonished riina fraser. (Although riina did suggest We Will Rock You as an alternative, and that's definitely a solo, so it looks like we're going to rock school together.) I hold my hand up on that one. I wanted an example of a riff that takes ages to arrive in a classic song – and I so nearly chose The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again at that point. Lots of readers would have been happy with that. In fact, I made a playlist that runs to 350-plus songs from the suggestions in the comments (quite a few of which I had never heard before), which I will be blasting out on my next journey up the A1. But there were definitely some that were mentioned over and over again, so I've compiled an alternative readers' top 30 (plus a corresponding playlist with a bonus five) – which I think everyone should agree is much better than my list. Muse fans will be happier. And the many, many readers who championed Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler and demanded Gimme Shelter instead of Satisfaction can rest easy. There were also lots and lots of alternatives to my AC/DC and Zeppelin choices, so I've put one of each in. Oh, and there's a Beatles riff, too. PS. If we put The Chain in here, what are we going to do when one of us does the 50 greatest guitar solos? Happy listening! Roxette – Doctor Feelgood (1975) Lots of people demanded recognition for the late Wilko Johnson (real name John Wilkinson) of the 1970s Canvey Island rockers. Frank Chambers would have had the riff for Back in the Night but Don Genaro, Naomi West and John Lewis all wanted this one – with its distinctive choppy rhythm and drive that makes it 'Mr Wilkinson's finest', according to the latter. Aqualung – Jethro Tull (1971) There was plenty of acclaim for the folk rock guitarist Martin Barre, and a slight difference of opinion about whether we should recognise Locomotive Breath or the title track from the band's classic 1971 album. 'Brilliant and creepy', said Solomon Jeffries, of the latter. It just had to be this one, for its lasting influence. Mark Knopfler called Barre's guitar playing 'magical'; even Pistol John Lydon loved Aqualung, although its lyrics, as reader Gerald Bostock hinted, might cause a stir today. Sweet Child O' Mine – Guns N' Roses (1988) 'Where is Slash's opening and ending blasting riff on Guns N' Roses' Sweet Child O' Mine?' choked one reader, who styled himself or herself 'The truth will set you free', and the truth is, they weren't alone. Richard Elliott thought it 'must deserve a place in the Top 30'; Jamie Watts wanted it, too, while others, such as Amanda Hunt, were simply insistent that the band's lead guitarist Slash should be there, if not for this sustained arpeggio then something else. So here it is. Breadfan – Budgie (1973) Plenty of support for this meisterwerk from the Cardiff hard-rock outfit, recorded in short order live in the studio for their 1973 album Never Turn Your Back on a Friend. It's not as well-known as some of the riffs here, but the striking thing about this aggressive, galloping riff is how clearly it points the way to where metal was headed, as confirmed by Metallica's cover of it in 1988. Many readers tipped a hat to guitarist Tony Bourge, and some were unequivocal about this riff. 'Breadfan should definitely be in there', wrote Paul Dover. All Right Now – Free (1970) 'Where is Alright Now, by Free?' said Oscar Foxtrot. 'Agreed … has to be there', added Doug Black, although Mark Rebeiro added a counterpoint: 'Wishing Well better for me.' I'm with Doug, but the consensus was that this essential rock riff, with its bludgeoning stop-start force, deserved a place. As Luke Warm put it, of the guitarist who died from a pulmonary embolism at just 25, in 1976, 'You forgot the late great Paul Kossoff of Free, Alright now, bangs forever.' Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley (1955) The amazing thing about this tremolo-inflected strummer, recorded in 1955 and dubbed 'the Bo Diddley' beat, is how little it has dated, especially when you compare it to some iconic rock 'n' roll riffs, such as Johnny B Goode. It's certainly no museum piece, and the route by which it influenced Johnny Marr's How Soon Is Now (via Bohannon's Disco Stomp) proves it. Quite a few readers noted its absence from the original list. 'Where is Bo Diddley?' was a common refrain. The Trooper – Iron Maiden (1983) This duelling gallop, driven by the twin guitars of Maiden's Dave Murray and Adrian Smith (and Steve Harris's bass), was a must-have for some readers, including Paul Aston, Jake Brooks and Vasilis Kapsalis, who introduced its lack with the incredulous 'Iron Maiden?' It landed here as the second single from the band's fourth album, Piece of Mind from 1983. Walk This Way – Aerosmith (1975) A notable omission for many, including Ian Cowie, who offered it up, along with several others, based on 'nearly 50 years of playing guitar in rock bands', and the criterion: 'If audience reaction is any reliable measurement…' Known across the musical spectrum after its use on Run-DMC's 1986 chart hit, a full decade after it was originally released. Joe Perry is the man making his guitar walk in a funk-rock riff for the ages. Hocus Pocus – Focus (1970) Jill Bryant put it like this: 'Hocus Pocus, simple but as soon you hear it you know it!' And even Tar Paulin wanted this one, as did David Adams. It's Dutch prog rock, but it's fantastic – well, until you get to the yodelling (sorry, but rules is rules). Guitarist Jan Akkerman gives the guitar sound an amazing sheet-metal sheen. Weird and wonderful. Smokestack Lightning – Howlin' Wolf (1956) Jan Knight and Jon McC were in total agreement about this one. 'The DNA riff. All others are derivations or variations on this one', wrote Jan. 'Hubert Sumlin. Top 5,' replied Jon, name-checking the guitarist. Atmosphere; tension; that repeated note sequence that sets a menacing sound stage for the blues great to bellow 'I am Smokestack Lightnin'.' It's a classic for a reason. Alternative Ulster – Stiff Little Fingers (1979) There's a Classic Rock FM feel to this list, and the reader who directed me to listen to the American band Montrose's 1973 banger Space Station #5 – which achieves blast off with Ronnie Montrose's dynamite riff – may feel a little aggrieved by its similarities to the riff from this 1979 punk belter. But more than one reader wanted it, and it still delivers a blazing energy to this brilliant song that reared up out of Troubles-era Belfast. Jake Burns provides the riff and the raw emotion with 'the Army on the street / And the RUC dog of repression/ Is barking at your feet'. Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones (1969) Not everyone was happy with the riff to Satisfaction being number one on the original list – some were – but it seemed foundational to me. Stones fans like Desperate Dog kept coming back to this one, barking 'The Stones, 'Gimme Shelter'!!!!', or 'best opening riff of any song' (Steve Freestone), or 'Keith Richards' finest piece' (Milicent Bystander) or 'The best ever' (John Dennison). I could go on, and there were plenty other Stones riffs put forward, but John Godrich 'Gimme Shelter instead of Satisfaction…' summed up a lot of people's thoughts on the matter. So here it is. It's one of the most expressive in rock – urgent, haunting, filled with fear and violence – and it was written by Richards during a storm. That storm continues to rage to this day. Marquee Moon – Television (1977) So … I had been intending to follow a trend elsewhere in this list of providing an alternative riff from a guitarist already in the original Top 30 – and heaven knows, there were Clapton and Hendrix fans who demanded a lot more than one entry. This was going to be Clapton's immortal rendition of the riff that bassist Jack Bruce wrote for Sunshine of Your Love by Cream. But one of the most noticeable things about Telegraph readers' comments taken as a whole was that not everyone likes the same things – and that the majority view can become incredibly dominant. The responses were similar: Adam Rowland's 'Guitar riffs? No Television?', for instance, but there were people advocating for Bloc Party's Helicopter or Banquet, like Alex Wood, as much as there were those who wanted Wishbone Ash, Santana or Joe Walsh. We haven't got room for everything, but I've put this one in, as requested by at least one reader. Pretty Vacant – Sex Pistols (1976) Bassist Glen Matlock wrote the distorting dystopian riff of this classic early Pistols' song. In his memoir, guitarist Steve Jones was happy to credit Matlock for many of the songs but said that the music became more 'brutally direct' after he 'drove a bulldozer' through Matlock's complex chord structures. Whichever, this is an iconic riff, as demanded by Brendan Kelleher, Susan McAndrew and lots of other readers. Peter Zelenyj noted the debt that it owes to the bassline that Matlock loved in Abba's SOS, which the former punk wrote about in his own memoir, Triggers. It probably should have been on the original list… Kashmir – Led Zeppelin (1975) Zep guitarist Jimmy Page was getting a whole lotta love from Telegraph readers. 'Pagey should be number one', said Jim Steele authoritatively, but Stan Hunt wasn't having the choice in the list, however high it was already. 'Probably 10 Zeppelin riffs better than no 2' he essayed, and there were plenty making claims for their personal favourites. Jim Bergerac listed several then decided. 'Bang. There's your 30 greatest riffs, all from the same flippin guitar!! I mean, folks, just forget it. Page is the only one true God.' Christine Asher, though, settled on Kashmir, as did Poppy Dee, David Sherrington, Thomas Rankin and more. She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult (1985) Jill Garner wasn't the only reader demanding recognition for Bradford's finest, and there was an interesting leaning here, that you may notice. Jenni Williams wanted The Cult's Rain in there, Tracy Gooding wanted 'The Cult: She Sells Sanctuary' and Victoria Andrews even bucked the trend for throwing brickbats at the list's author. 'Great choices. I would want to add the riff from She Sells Sanctuary.' Billy Duffy's soaring riff has lost none of its charge in the 40 years since it was recorded. Thunderstruck – AC/DC (1990) 'No mention of AC/DC Thunderstruck, and yet the audacity to include the dross that are the Bee Gees and Sister Sledge', railed reader Mark Norrie. Yep, at times in the comments, it felt like being back in Lincoln as a post-punk teen growing up in a city where heavy rock was the religion and 'grebo' pubs were legion. The main gripe here seemed to be that choosing Back in Black did not do true justice to the riff-making magnificence of guitarist Angus Young, and plainly indicated a lack of deep knowledge about the band. Other candidates were put forward, but this one, with its delirious adrenalised opening, had many advocates. Limelight – Rush (1981) This has to stand for the many guitarists that people wanted to see honoured – 'Nothing from Michael Schenker during his golden era with UFO?', for instance. But there were too many calls for Rush to be on this list for the band to be ignored. 'No Alex Lifeson of Rush?' was a question posed by David Rodney with the hearty approval of Joe The-Pom. As for many gifted guitarists, different riffs were proposed, but this one, with its melodic power and elegance, had enough momentum to swing it. Money For Nothing – Dire Straits (1985) If there was one name that came up more than any other it was Dire Straits' lead guitarist. Michael Smith's 'Nothing from Knopfler … Please!' and M Joyce's 'No Mark Knopfler…can't therefore take this seriously' were pretty typical. For one godawful riff and a shedload of noodling – what is wrong with you people!? I'm joking. I've always had a major soft spot for Sultans of Swing, but you know, I left out Thurston Moore, John McGeoch and Maurice Deebank, too. Anyway, normal service is resumed; Knopfler is restored to his rightful place with this iconic power-chord blast. 'Money for nothing has one of the best guitar riffs of all time. So where is it?' demanded Jonathan Collis. It's here. Money – Pink Floyd (1973) Baggie Baggins called it a 'glaring omission'. Winter Knight thought so too. But generally there was just a huge clamour for Floyd and David Gilmour to be on the list. 'What no Pink Floyd???' tripled Jim Jackson. 'A lot of the very best are missing, where are Pink Floyd, The Shadows, Mark Knopfler and a lot more that I can't remember?' wrote Allan Pape, excoriatingly. This understated Gilmour riff, with its unusual time signature, has found a place for itself, even though some will feel other Floyd riffs with competing claims should have been here. Jailbreak – Thin Lizzy (1976) Phil Lynott and co are busting out of prison and into this list by popular demand. More than a few wanted Whiskey in the Jar. Julian Healy wanted Cowboy Song as representative of 'a band at the height of their powers'. But this thundering dual lead riff, by Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, still sounds coiled, edgy and dangerous. You wouldn't want to meet this riff on a dark night. Rebel Rebel – David Bowie (1974) There was clamour for a different Bowie riff to the one I'd chosen. Harry Bloke wanted Andy Warhol, Richard Mathams thought 'Suffragette City should be there' but Rebel Rebel got almost as many shouts as Mark Knopfler. Ian McKenna was scathing: 'Incredibly flawed list how can Ziggy Stardust be put above Jean Genie or Rebel Rebel?' (He had a point about Mott the Hoople's Mick Ralph writing the riff for All the Young Dudes, though. All errors in the original copy my own.) Confess I wanted a riff played by Mick Ronson, but this brilliant mix of picked-out notes and power chords is Bowie himself with session guitarist Alan Parker. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974) Lots of people wanted this Southern-fried classic, including Mary Robinson, Ray Price, Barry Richards, Jan Hoskings, Joe Moran and Brendan Harris. Jack Blakemore thought its absence made the writer 'a total noob'. It's a rarity in both lists by having three guitars combining to give it its chugging bluesy feel. Ed King plays that lovely clean Stratocaster hook, Gary Rossington gives it shuffle and rhythm, Allen Collins adds the special sauce. Won't Get Fooled Again – The Who (1971) Pete Townshend was another absence that made readers furious. 'Not a single one from the Who or Dire Straits? Broaden your horizons,' fulminated Mark Graham. 'Erm The Who!?!?' coughed Jimmy BB. 'Pete Townshed surely the greatest rhythm guitarist in rock,' thought Stephen Phillips. But which Who riff? Alan James wanted Won't Get Fooled Again, Joshua Tamworth Baba O'Riley, Peter Guy liked Can't Explain. We had to narrow it down one, though. (The Seeker was very nearly on the original list, by the way.) Plug in Baby – Muse (2001) I knew there was going to be an issue with Muse fans even before the list was published when I casually mentioned to a fellow journalist what I'd been writing. 'Hope lots of Muse' he replied. 'Pound for pound the best riffers.' And soon, he wasn't the only one lamenting the lack of anything Matt Bellamy in the Top 30. 'Muse is a major omission', denounced Andrew Page. Roger Inkpen was more specific. 'Of course Map of the Problematique by Muse. Danny Boyle used it for the opening of the London Olympics. Fantastic!' But rather like the journalist I spoke to, Muse fans couldn't actually agree on what riff should be in the list, although they did keep firing off song titles. This one just edged the popular vote. Caroline – Status Quo (1973) This was perhaps the most unexpected current among the readers. Status Quo may have lost rhythm guitarist Rick Parfitt and bassist Alan Lancaster (plus classic era drummer John Coghlan, who stepped away in 1981) but they are far from forgotten by Telegraph readers. John Watson wanted something from their early stuff; Richard Andrews and Robert Parker were mystified at the lack of Quo full stop. 'How can they miss out the mighty Quo…' was Philip Tidmarsh's stirring wail. Mystery Song, Down the Dustpipe, Paper Plane, Backwater, Over and Done, Down Down, Roll Over Lay Down and Blue Eyed Lady were all considered to knock 'the rest of the list into a cocked hat'. Donald Troosers said it best about Francis Rossi's riff on this classic 1973 single: 'Caroline… three chords is all they need.' Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love – Van Halen (1978) The exclamation mark said it all in Stephen Walker's comment: 'No Van Halen? Ain't Talking About Love!' And he wasn't alone. 'Jeez – no Van Halen. Whaaat?' said Neil Findley. Melanie Tolchard agreed, as did Jason Bourne with a head-shaking, 'Yep can't believe no Van Halen'. He wanted Running with the Devil, as did Jeremiah Jasper-Porkington III. Rolango Sportster wanted Unchained. Dave Butter considered Eddie's absence evidence of 'dreadful choices' overall. The hard rock crowd were out in force. This burnt offering from the guitar virtuoso is dripping with razor-sharp attitude and aggression. Taxman – The Beatles (1966) The absence of a Beatles riff went down predictably well – Jeff Haycock was incensed – but readers were hustling for a variety of candidates to be on the list to make up for it. Robert Dodds would've included Day Tripper, as would Maurice Gale. Lenny Thelion would have been happy with 'Paperback Writer? Taxman? Ticket To Ride?' – 'I guess The Beatles aren't cool enough for the DT,' he decided. Rex Stormont and David Aird seconded (and thirded) McCartney's riff for Paperback Writer. But there were just as many for George Harrison's stark, fuzz-toned riff on Taxman, alongside McCartney's fabulous bassline, so we've gone for that. Reelin' in the Years – Steely Dan (1972) Steely Dan cropped up again and again, spoken of with a reverence that acknowledged the sophistication and virtuosity of the band's oeuvre. 'How could you even think of excluding Reelin' in the Years (Steely Dan, solo Elliott Randall) or Kid Charlemagne (Steely Dan, solo Larry Carlton)?' asked Man Jacovus. Randall played the opening riff, too, on the former, even though the tape engineer failed to press record on his flawless first take. Jimmy Page rates the solo at 12 out of 10, but we're not here to talk about solos! What a lovely thing this is. Enter Sandman – Metallica (1991) Metallica fans were not best pleased that there wasn't a single entry from the American heavy-metal monsters on the list and Andrew Moyes went further: 'Enter Sandman' by Mettalica has to be No:1 !!!'. Pearce Coles called the riff 'unforgettable'. It was written by lead guitarist Kirk Hammett; the distinctive arpeggio in the intro was played by James Hetfield, who also provided the frightening wall of sound that follows (composed of three overdubbed rhythm tracks). Dark, threatening and very, very heavy. Plus: Five bonus tracks
Buzz Feed
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Celebrities Revealed Plastic Surgery Cost
If you've poked around in any online beauty spaces in recent years, you've probably come across the phrase, "you're not ugly, you're just broke." It's a flippant reminder that the level of beauty in Hollywood is often thanks to the money, time, and privilege that celebs have at their disposal. Here are 11 celebs who revealed how much money they spent on cosmetic procedures: In December 2024, Love Is Blind star Jimmy Presnell had a hair transplant. On TikTok, he said, "I didn't want to try to have a hairline of a 17 or 18-year-old. It's not realistic. I wanted to look my age and have thicker, healthier-looking hair. That's the goal here." He continued to update his followers on his recovery, including revealing how much it cost. In another video, he said, "I have mentioned I decided to stay in the states for my procedure, which, typically is a little bit more expensive to do, but there's a lot of things that come with that, and I'll explain that as well. But I went to Solve Clinics in River North, Chicago. They charge roughly $5 a graft. I had a little over 2,000 grafts, I think 21 or 2,200. So roughly 10, 11 grand for the procedure. As far as follow-up costs and ongoing costs, those are all optional. I have been doing PRP [injections], which I've made some videos on that and what that kind of entails, and those typically run anywhere from $400 to $600. Every clinic does have different prices." In 2023, Sharon Osbourne told the Telegraph, "I've had a string of cosmetic procedures beginning with a browlift and facelift. I had liposuction on my neck and had it lifted, too. I had my breasts lifted, my arms lipo-ed, and my tummy tucked. I had my bum lifted and implants inserted. Then I had a facelift three and a half years ago. I was left with one eye higher than the other. It took a year to put it all right. Last December, I resorted to injecting myself once a week with Ozempic... I've had enough. I've given up on all interventions. Anyway, I couldn't have much more facial surgery because there's not that much skin left to stretch, pull, cut. And I won't have any more fillers or Botox... Well, I haven't kept a running total, but it must top more than a million." Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham has reportedly gotten three breast augmentations, a rhinoplasty, a chin implant (which she later removed), butt injections, and a vaginal rejuvenation procedure. In 2025, she reportedly told the Daily Mail, "I mean, my mouth is $50,000... This whole thing, I mean, gosh, my boyfriends really get a deal hanging out with me because it's, like, a million-dollar body straight up... I would say, yeah, like hundreds of thousands of dollars and not just on my looks, but on my mental health, my wellness, my happiness, my confidence. So, investing in yourself internally really pays off and getting sleep and rest." She also said, "I don't ever feel like I need anything, but it is preventative. I would rather do things younger so I can bounce back and heal and recover than later when it's all stretched out, it's more money, it's more recovery time." At the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards, JoJo Siwa told BuzzFeed that the most expensive thing she was wearing was her teeth. She said, "These motherfuckers cost me 50 grand." On a 2025 episode of the podcast We Might Be Drunk, Joel McHale revealed that he spent $10,000 on four hair transplants. His LA-based surgeon used the "strip" method, where a strip of hair-bearing scalp is harvested from your head, dissected into smaller grafts, and transplanted where you want hair to grow. Joel said, "Painful. Don't do a strip... Do plucking. Now they pluck it from the whole back section, and it's a miracle." Former college basketball players-turned-influencers Hanna and Haley Cavinder got breast implants together in 2025. In a follow-up TikTok, they said they got Motiva implants under the muscle. Hanna said, "Pricing, we paid roughly between $8,000 to $9,000, so I feel like that's, like, pretty common for, like, this surgery." When reality star and TV presenter Olivia Attwood was 20, she spent £4,000 of her own savings on breast implants, despite her mom's insistence that she didn't need them. In 2024, Olivia told the Times, "Mum and Dad weren't going to give me a penny towards that... Mum would say you can't have everything. That's not how life works. But I was fixated, and it was cheap and quick." Life with her new boobs wasn't what she'd imagined. She continued, "What actually happened was I never didn't wear a bra because these bloody boobs were so heavy. I was happy for a year, then I realized they didn't look right for my frame. The weight of the implants started to stretch my skin, and they got lower and lower. I started to think, 'This isn't what I signed up for at all.'" So, six years after her initial surgery, she went to a new surgeon who gave her a 50 percent reduction. She advised other women considering a breast augmentation, "Don't do the most to get your money's worth." On a 2025 episode of her podcast Skye and Callum, Big Brother Australia star Skye Wheatley said that, after her first stint on reality TV, she went through an Australian company to get a boob job in Thailand, where the procedure is "cheaper." She said, "That was a massive disaster. I had ended up getting double bubble, so I had, like, a massive lump... I literally had three boobs, actually.... Then I had my nose, and then I fell pregnant with Forest and Bear, had the babies, got my boobs done again — so, a boob revision... [with a] new surgeon here in Australia. And I've had, like, heaps of filler, botox, skin treatments, like skin boosters, profhilo..." She also had a treatment from "a machine that helps with ab separation" that helped "tighten up" where her abs had "come apart" when she had her babies. She continued, "And then there's also, like, laser treatments, but the main ones have been the rhinoplasty, the breast revision, the fox eye. I also got where they, like, cut the skin and sew it together, like, the saggy eyelid skin... Honestly, I would say all up [it cost] maybe $200,000... If we're going off my life, I'm going to say $500,000." TLC reality stars Darcey and Stacey Silva (who've appeared on multiple shows in the 90 Day Fiancé franchise) "have a good doctor in Turkey," where they travel for cosmetic surgery. In 2022, on The Sarah Fraser Show, Darcey said, "We get good deals. We made friends. We made friends with them. The doctor loves us." Stacey added, "It's, like, a whole, like, five-star service package. Like, there, you go; they pick you up from the airport. The nurses take care of you 24 hours a day. You're staying in a villa with, like, five-star amenities. They feed you... It was, like, all-inclusive." They felt "very safe" because they "researched" and talked with the people at the clinic beforehand. Darcey even said she had a better experience getting cosmetic surgery in Turkey than in Miami. Going back to how much they'd spent on cosmetic work combined, she said, "I mean, if you had to add it all up, it would probably be at least half a mil... but it doesn't mean we had to pay full price, you know." In 2025, author/influencer Sandra Lena Silverman told People that she's spent around $300,000 on more than 25 cosmetic procedures. She said she regretted her Y lift (face sculpting using filler) and liposuctioning her knees. However, she was especially happy with her mini facelift, permanent makeup, and mini tummy tuck. And finally, in a 2023 post on her blog House of Holly, Geordie Shore star Holly Hagan-Blyth said that, inspired by Katie Price, she started getting cosmetic work done at 18. She spent an estimated £30,000 on a boob job, a breast reduction, three BBLs, lip filler, and Botox. However, she regretted getting work done and decided to stop after her breast reduction in 2019. She wrote, "I would sit at night and be like, 'Well, I'm thousands of pounds down. I look ten times worse than I did to begin with because that, to me, is not an ass you would pay for.'" The online bullying and body-shaming she faced took a serious toll on her. In a previous Instagram post, she said, "I have always just said surgery generically because I never wanted anyone to go and copy what I did and be left unhappy, especially after learning how dangerous the procedure actually is. As much as I tried to hide it, it was pretty noticeable, and instead, the comments just went from 'fat slag' to 'too much surgery she looked better before' overnight."
News18
a day ago
- Sport
- News18
'I Watch The Drives, The Pulls...': Graham Thorpe's Father Reminisces Over Son's Abilities With Willow
Geoff Thorpe, Graham's father, opened up on coping with the untimely loss of his son and reminisced about his impeccable ability to pick the gaps on the cricket field. English cricketing great Graham Thorpe stunned the world when he decided to step in front of a train and end his life in a culmination of his struggles with mental health. The 55-year-old former English batter, who has amassed over 6000 runs and averages over 44 in Test cricket, serves as a cautionary tale for future generations to keep a check on their mental well-being. Graham's father, Geoff Thorpe, opened up on coping with the untimely loss of his son and reminisced about Graham's impeccable ability to pick the gaps on the cricket field irrespective of the geographical location of the venue. 'I watch the shots: the cover drives, the pulls – it's a nice feeling," Geoff told the Telegraph. 'I've got one video where he got a hundred in the Benson & Hedges Cup. David Lloyd was commentating and he said, 'Watch his eyes – he's looking at the gaps'. You watch and think, 'Yes, that's where the ball went'," he revealed. 'I have a lot of pride in what he did. You can't take it away. It's just a shame that he couldn't cope with his mental health," Thorpe senior said. Geoff opened up on the support he received following the demise of the celebrated batter and opined that the more one tries to suppress the struggle, the more flagrant it becomes. 'When he died, I received a lot of letters. This suicide, this mental health, it's a big, big problem. It smothers you if you don't talk." Geoff also touched up on the trait of 'masculinity' retraining men from processing emotions and feeling as they are meant to be inferred. 'I go to his grave occasionally. You have your moments of grief. But you try to find something to do very quickly. We all grieve differently. Sometimes us chaps are a little bit macho. We think we can cope. In fact we can't," Geoff said. Graham's world came crashing down when he lost his job as the assistant coach of the English side following the 2021-22 Ashes tour, which marked the beginning of an unfortunate close to the life of the classy batter. England begin their fifth and final Test of the series against India on Thursday at The Oval, where Thorpe spent nearly two decades plying his trade for Surrey and the national side, and headbands commemorating the fabled batter will be sold with the proceeds going towards charity. Get latest Cricket news, live score and match results on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Holidaymakers face travel chaos after air traffic control radar failure
The system failure came at the peak of the summer holiday season and before the busiest day of the year for commercial flights, which falls on Friday. Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, said 'continued disruption is expected' and urged passengers to 'check with individual airports for advice'. Aviation expert John Strickland warned that holidaymakers could face days of chaos because airlines were already stretched thin during the summer getaway period. 'In the absolute worst case, this could knock on for the next few days because pretty much all airline fleets are being used at full tilt right now,' he said. However, affected travellers are unlikely to be eligible for compensation because the incident was out of the control of airlines, that would otherwise pay. The outage came just four months after a fire at a single electricity substation closed Heathrow for nearly 24 hours. A view inside T5 at Heathrow airport at 18.15hrs following an air traffic control (ATC) fault caused that major disruption on Wednesday afternoon. Photo / Getty Images Passengers were left on the tarmac at airports across the UK, including Heathrow, Birmingham, Gatwick, Stansted and Cardiff, while arriving planes were sent to destinations in Europe such as Amsterdam, Paris and Brussels. In Edinburgh, a group of 40 French holidaymakers were left stranded after two flights to Paris were cancelled, while tourists in Faro told the Telegraph that flight attendants were handing out water to cope with delays in the Portuguese heat. Virgin Atlantic apologised to affected passengers while British Airways said the problem was 'affecting the vast majority of our flights', with at least half a dozen flights diverted. A BA source said: 'We don't know what caused this yet but it appears to have been a radar issue and Nats are responsible for the radar, so you have to say the buck stops with them.' The Telegraph understands that the air traffic control system shut down when radar systems at Nats' Swanwick area control centre in Hampshire stopped displaying flights at around 2.30pm, forcing controllers to stop accepting new arrivals into UK airspace. All flights on the ground bound for UK airports were immediately stopped from taking off, while those which were airborne but outside British skies were ordered to divert elsewhere. Flights which were preparing to land in the UK when the failure happened were able to do so safely because it only affected Nats' upper airspace unit, which does not handle individual airports' operations. Domestic flights were able to continue operating during the outage provided they stayed below 24,500 feet, the Telegraph understands. That is because the outage was limited to the Swanwick centre, which only controls flights above that height. People board a plane after an air-traffic control 'technical issue' disrupted flights at Stansted Airport on July 30, 2025 in Stansted, Essex. Photo / Getty Images Nats came under fire for the failure, which came two years after an engineer who was working from home struggled to fix a four-hour outage. The failure forced the cancellation of thousands of flights around the world, disrupted 700,000 passengers' journeys and cost airlines, travellers and others an estimated £100 million ($224.3m) in total. On Wednesday, Ryanair called on Martin Rolfe, Nats' chief executive, to resign after claiming 'no lessons had been learnt' from the 2023 meltdown. Neal McMahon, Ryanair's chief operating officer, said: 'It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption due to Martin Rolfe's continued mismanagement of Nats. 'Yet another ATC system failure has resulted in the closure of UK airspace, meaning thousands of passengers' travel plans have been disrupted. 'It is clear that no lessons have been learnt since the August 2023 Nats system outage and passengers continue to suffer as a result.' He called on the Transport Secretary to 'act without delay to remove Martin Rolfe and deliver urgent reform of Nats's shambolic ATC service, so that airlines and passengers are no longer forced to endure these preventable delays caused by persistent Nats failures'. Air traffic control bosses confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that service had been restored but refused to answer any queries about the root cause or Rolfe's future with the company. In a statement, Nats said: 'Our engineers have now restored the system that was affected this afternoon. We are in the process of resuming normal operations in the London area. 'We continue to work closely with airline and airport customers to minimise disruption. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.' Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, called for a Government inquiry into whether Nats fell victim to a foreign hack. He said on Wednesday: 'It is utterly unacceptable that after a major disruption just two years ago, air traffic control has once again been hit by a technical fault. 'The Government should launch an urgent investigation to ensure the system is fit for purpose, including ruling out hostile action as a cause.' A Department for Transport spokesman said: 'While passengers should continue to check with individual airports for advice, Nats have confirmed their systems are now fully operational and flights are returning to normal. 'We are working closely with Nats to understand the cause of the technical issue and the implications for the resilience systems in place.'
