Latest news with #WellChild
Sunday World
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Irish TV presenter pays emotional tribute to his mum live on air
Craig Doyle who is filling in for Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on This Morning paused the live broadcast to offer his mum his best wishes This Morning star Craig Doyle took a moment live on air to send a heartwarming message to his mum Eithne, who is currently in hospital. The Irish presenter who is filling in for Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on the ITV breakfast show, paused the live broadcast to offer his mum his best wishes. Craig and The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes, who is also seen regularly on the programme, were joined by Louise Redknapp, opera singer Lesley Garrett and author Nancy Birtwhistle. Craig and The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes News in 90 Seconds - May 28th In one part of the episode Craig and Rochelle were joined by Deirdre Sanders for a phone-in segment on in-law issues. 'Don't know what she's talking about. My in-laws are perfect, morning Dorothy,' Craig joked. He then decided to give a quick shout-out to his mum. 'Can I say hello to my mum who's in hospital. Hello mum, how are you? Have you got the sound up? Good girl," he said. Rochelle added: "Hello mum! Hope you're good. Love her." Rochelle had earlier praised Craig for 'taking on a very big challenge' last month when he ran the London marathon. Craig said: 'I don't want to talk about it much, but maybe in 45 minutes I'll talk about the main points. 'It was a sweaty day. I haven't done one in about 20 years and I thought I was the same as I was 20 years ago. 'I'm definitely not. Congratulations to all of you who finished the marathon, forget about times. Joel [Dommett], who is a friend of the show, had a terrible time. 'He collapsed when he finished. I was slow, I enjoyed the crowds, you were unbelievable. I did 800 high fives.' He continued: 'I didn't win, I was looking for the win which is a little disappointing... My last toe nail fell off three days ago. We raised lots of money for WellChild." TV stalwart Craig, who first charmed audiences in the mid-90s on Disney Club, has built a successful career in television. The Irish presenter recently became a household name when daytime TV favourite This Morning underwent a shake-up of its presenting team, with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby stepping down from their roles.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Helpers transform Swindon boy's garden in 48 hours
A boy with cerebral palsy can finally enjoy his own garden after organisations pulled together to transform the site within 48 Oscar lives in Swindon and his family said a slope in the garden made it unsuitable for a wheelchair which would roll down. "Poor Oscar has only been up on the deck the last three or four years," his dad Scott said. Charity WellChild and employees from financial advisers Openwork pulled together to create a new flat area that includes play equipment for Oscar. Matt James, chief executive of the charity, said they are looking at doing 30 similar projects across the country this year."We take for granted what it's like to have an outside space but to be able to bring the family together outside has real benefits," he said. "We really hope this is going to be a new space they can enjoy for years to come." Oscar's mum Helen said to see the number of people working on the project had been "overwhelming"."It's just amazing, they've worked so hard," she said, adding Oscar will benefit from the revamped garden. "At the moment, he's still getting used to new surroundings, because he likes things that are very familiar but I think the more we come out here he's going to love it," she said. "He absolutely adores the swings so at least we can get him onto that relatively easily now." Openwork said it had a different team for each of the two Davis from the company said it was exciting for people to come away from their usual jobs to help out."Being able to go outdoors, to interact with the world around you, to feel the rain, feel the sun, it will really add to that child's life," he added.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The costume develops its own microclimate': what it's like to run a marathon in a novelty outfit
Richard Stoate: 'I was pretty hot and tired – the last couple of miles were quite tough.' Richard Stoate: 'I was pretty hot and tired – the last couple of miles were quite tough.' Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA A few minutes before the 2023 London Marathon began, Richard Stoate was getting into costume on the side of the road. It was a two-person job: the 43-year-old wasn't just wearing trainers and sportswear for the 26.2-mile run. He was raising money for the young people's charity WellChild, so – with his partner's help – he climbed into a 10ft (3-metre) purple nurse costume. Advertisement As the race started, his pace was a little too fast. He said: 'If you overtake someone, they're like: 'Oh God, I've been overtaken by the guy in the massive nurse uniform.'' Towards the end, with all the extra weight, Stoate was running out of puff. Five hours and 47 minutes later he crossed the finish line. 'It was a relief to get the thing off,' he said. 'I was pretty hot and tired by that stage.' Towering nurses, magic fairies, stocky rhinos, mighty oak trees, colossal chocolate bars, well-known monuments – marathons attract their share of wacky characters each year. But what's it really like to drag these weird costumes over 26 miles? Whether it's outfits that chafe and scratch, amusing comments from spectators, costumes falling apart mid-race, or the sheer heat and sweat inside heavy foam suits – completing a marathon in a novelty costume brings a somewhat unique running experience. Scores of people got in touch with the Guardian to tell their tales. Advertisement Rhinoceros costumes from Save the Rhino International have been a feature of the London Marathon since 1992. But the temperature inside can be punishing. Former chief executive Cathy Dean last donned the suit in 2022. She said: 'The costume develops its own microclimate – it's incredibly hot and sweaty inside. You need to wear a sweatband around your forehead to stop your eyes from stinging. 'And after a while you begin to smell the sweat of all the previous runners that has soaked into the plastazote over the years.' The rhino suits get sprayed after each run with furniture polish, but it doesn't actually clean them. Then there's the weight. About 10kg, the rhino suit is attached to a frame worn like a rucksack – with straps at the shoulder and waist – but the head bobs annoyingly. 'So you start holding on to the sides to stabilise it,' Dean said, which causes stiff arms 'as if you're holding a tea tray out in front of you'. Advertisement This year, 14 people will run the London Marathon in Save the Rhino suits. 'They'll be pounding the streets of London, that's a proper crash of rhinos,' Dean said. Ann Beardsley, 73, and her sister have completed the 'Disney Dopey Challenge' more than 10 times. It's a fancy dress event of four races: a 5k, 10k, half- and full-marathon across four days in Disneyland Florida. The sisters ran as matching pink flamingos one year. But, Beardsley said, the headwear kept blowing away – so she 'became a decapitated flamingo'. Another time they were rainbow fairies. The wigs itched, the tutus scratched, the hats kept falling off, but 'it was all part of the fun', she said. The annual races gave the sisters – one living in North Carolina, the other in Oregon – a happy excuse to get together. When Kellie Clark decided to run the London Marathon as a large Marathon (the old name for Snickers), in an effort to win a Guinness World Record, she deployed cardboard, fabric and her sister's help to build the outfit. They had to follow guidelines – on the chocolate bar's length and rigidity – which made it heavy and awkward to run in. Advertisement 'It was a very short stride,' she said. But even so, on her third attempt in 2022, Clark's Marathon bar won the women's world record for 'fastest marathon dressed as a candy confectionery item', clocking 4hrs 26mins. The record was stolen the next year by a pack of Haribo. Clark, 42, who lives in Morecambe, has also completed York Marathon (as a Yorkie bar), a pandemic marathon in a beer garden (as a pint of ale) and the London Marathon (as a pea-shaped superhero). She does it to inspire her children – aged 11, 10, eight and four – that they can achieve anything, and to follow their dreams, while raising money for charity. 'They love the silly things I do,' she said. But running in a novelty outfit isn't without risk. George Bingham, a 64-year-old in West Yorkshire, ran the London Marathon raising money for Sue Ryder in 2010 as the Angel of the North, the 20-metre sculpture by Antony Gormley. Advertisement His running outfit, 3.5 metres tall and 4.5 metres wide, was constructed from glass fibre rods, stuck together with marine glue and covered in a rust-coloured skin. It was light, but 'the slightest breeze threw you,' he said. 'You've got to just try scurrying along.' When Bingham was running over Tower Bridge, he said a gust sent him perilously towards the edge. 'I had to be rugby-tackled by two stewards to stop me from being blown over,' he said. 'They really were life-savers.' But above all, running a race in a novelty outfit can be emotional: people are raising money for charities close to their hearts, and the encouragement from fans can be overwhelming. Robert Duncombe, 57, ran 2022's London Marathon as a tree, raising money for the Oak Cancer Centre at Royal Marsden hospital, where he is chief pharmacist. He said the 8ft bespoke suit, made by a company that constructs football mascots, was 'bouncing up and down on my shoulders'. The foam insulation meant Duncombe was 'sweating buckets' – but the 'electric' crowd atmosphere powered him through. Advertisement He said: 'Coming over Tower Bridge, you take a right, it's eight or 10 people deep, and that wall of noise hits you – even slightly muffled through the costume – you could hear these chants of: 'Tree! Tree! Tree!' It was just so special.' Dean said running in a costume was 'like being on a red carpet. The crowds go absolutely bonkers.' After her marathon, she said, the most overworked muscles weren't her legs. 'I remember my cheek muscles aching because I was smiling so much.'
The Guardian
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘The costume develops its own microclimate': what it's like to run a marathon in a novelty outfit
A few minutes before the 2023 London Marathon began, Richard Stoate was getting into costume on the side of the road. It was a two-person job: the 43-year-old wasn't just wearing trainers and sportswear for the 26.2-mile run. He was raising money for the young people's charity WellChild, so – with his partner's help – he climbed into a 10ft (3-metre) purple nurse costume. As the race started, his pace was a little too fast. He said: 'If you overtake someone, they're like: 'Oh God, I've been overtaken by the guy in the massive nurse uniform.'' Towards the end, with all the extra weight, Stoate was running out of puff. Five hours and 47 minutes later he crossed the finish line. 'It was a relief to get the thing off,' he said. 'I was pretty hot and tired by that stage.' Towering nurses, magic fairies, stocky rhinos, mighty oak trees, colossal chocolate bars, well-known monuments – marathons attract their share of wacky characters each year. But what's it really like to drag these weird costumes over 26 miles? Whether it's outfits that chafe and scratch, amusing comments from spectators, costumes falling apart mid-race, or the sheer heat and sweat inside heavy foam suits – completing a marathon in a novelty costume brings a somewhat unique running experience. Scores of people got in touch with the Guardian to tell their tales. Rhinoceros costumes from Save the Rhino International have been a feature of the London Marathon since 1992. But the temperature inside can be punishing. Former chief executive Cathy Dean last donned the suit in 2022. She said: 'The costume develops its own microclimate – it's incredibly hot and sweaty inside. You need to wear a sweatband around your forehead to stop your eyes from stinging. 'And after a while you begin to smell the sweat of all the previous runners that has soaked into the plastazote over the years.' The rhino suits get sprayed after each run with furniture polish, but it doesn't actually clean them. Then there's the weight. About 10kg, the rhino suit is attached to a frame worn like a rucksack – with straps at the shoulder and waist – but the head bobs annoyingly. 'So you start holding on to the sides to stabilise it,' Dean said, which causes stiff arms 'as if you're holding a tea tray out in front of you'. This year, 14 people will run the London Marathon in Save the Rhino suits. 'They'll be pounding the streets of London, that's a proper crash of rhinos,' Dean said. Ann Beardsley, 73, and her sister have completed the 'Disney Dopey Challenge' more than 10 times. It's a fancy dress event of four races: a 5k, 10k, half- and full-marathon across four days in Disneyland Florida. The sisters ran as matching pink flamingos one year. But, Beardsley said, the headwear kept blowing away – so she 'became a decapitated flamingo'. Another time they were rainbow fairies. The wigs itched, the tutus scratched, the hats kept falling off, but 'it was all part of the fun', she said. The annual races gave the sisters – one living in North Carolina, the other in Oregon – a happy excuse to get together. When Kellie Clark decided to run the London Marathon as a large Marathon (the old name for Snickers), in an effort to win a Guinness World Record, she deployed cardboard, fabric and her sister's help to build the outfit. They had to follow guidelines – on the chocolate bar's length and rigidity – which made it heavy and awkward to run in. 'It was a very short stride,' she said. But even so, on her third attempt in 2022, Clark's Marathon bar won the women's world record for 'fastest marathon dressed as a candy confectionery item', clocking 4hrs 26mins. The record was stolen the next year by a pack of Haribo. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Clark, 42, who lives in Morecambe, has also completed York Marathon (as a Yorkie bar), a pandemic marathon in a beer garden (as a pint of ale) and the London Marathon (as a pea-shaped superhero). She does it to inspire her children – aged 11, 10, eight and four – that they can achieve anything, and to follow their dreams, while raising money for charity. 'They love the silly things I do,' she said. But running in a novelty outfit isn't without risk. George Bingham, a 64-year-old in West Yorkshire, ran the London Marathon raising money for Sue Ryder in 2010 as the Angel of the North, the 20-metre sculpture by Antony Gormley. His running outfit, 3.5 metres tall and 4.5 metres wide, was constructed from glass fibre rods, stuck together with marine glue and covered in a rust-coloured skin. It was light, but 'the slightest breeze threw you,' he said. 'You've got to just try scurrying along.' When Bingham was running over Tower Bridge, he said a gust sent him perilously towards the edge. 'I had to be rugby-tackled by two stewards to stop me from being blown over,' he said. 'They really were life-savers.' But above all, running a race in a novelty outfit can be emotional: people are raising money for charities close to their hearts, and the encouragement from fans can be overwhelming. Robert Duncombe, 57, ran 2022's London Marathon as a tree, raising money for the Oak Cancer Centre at Royal Marsden hospital, where he is chief pharmacist. He said the 8ft bespoke suit, made by a company that constructs football mascots, was 'bouncing up and down on my shoulders'. The foam insulation meant Duncombe was 'sweating buckets' – but the 'electric' crowd atmosphere powered him through. He said: 'Coming over Tower Bridge, you take a right, it's eight or 10 people deep, and that wall of noise hits you – even slightly muffled through the costume – you could hear these chants of: 'Tree! Tree! Tree!' It was just so special.' Dean said running in a costume was 'like being on a red carpet. The crowds go absolutely bonkers.' After her marathon, she said, the most overworked muscles weren't her legs. 'I remember my cheek muscles aching because I was smiling so much.'
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why did Harry and Meghan leave the Royal Family, and where do they get their money?
US officials have released a redacted version of Prince Harry's immigration application as part of an ongoing row over his previous drug use. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the UK after stepping back from official royal duties in 2020. The couple have since launched various commercial ventures, including several television series for Netflix and a new lifestyle brand headed by the duchess, Meghan Markle. Harry and Meghan met in 2016 and married in 2018. They stepped down as senior royals in January 2020. Angry about media intrusion, they were frustrated that Buckingham Palace prevented them developing their "SussexRoyal" brand. Harry remains a prince and is fifth in line to the throne. The couple kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, but are no longer addressed as His or Her Royal Highness (HRH). Harry also gave up his military titles. When Harry's father, Charles, became King, the couple's two children became Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex. Harry and Meghan discuss 'protecting' their children Press battle 'central' to Royal Family rift - Harry Harry and Meghan moved to California in June 2020, saying they wanted space to raise Archie. Lilibet was born there in 2021. In April 2024, documents filed to Companies House listed the US as the country where Harry is usually resident. The couple no longer have an official UK residence. In early 2023, they were asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, a Grade-II listed property on the Windsor estate. Conservative US think tank The Heritage Foundation has repeatedly raised questions about Harry's US immigration status because of his previous comments about taking cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms. It wants to know whether he disclosed his drug use in his US visa application. Drug use can lead to applications being turned down, although officials have discretion to consider any such disclosure alongside other factors. In September 2024, US judge Carl Nichols ruled Prince Harry's visa application should remain private, but the Heritage Foundation contested that finding, and the judge subsequently ordered the Department of Homeland Security to publish the files by 18 March. However, they have been heavily redacted, and no details of what Harry put on his immigration form have been released. I met Harry as he turned 30 - here's how he's changed in the past decade Prince Harry has returned to the UK several times during his various court cases against newspaper publishers. He made a rare public appearance in London in September 2024 for the WellChild awards, celebrating the bravery of children and young people with serious illness or disability. But before that, he had not been in the UK since attending a memorial service for his uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, in Norfolk in August 2024. The Prince of Wales was also there, although the brothers reportedly did not speak to each other. In May 2024, Harry attended a service at St Paul's Cathedral in London to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, the sporting competition for injured servicemen and women which he helped found. He did not see his father Charles or his brother during the visit. In February 2024, he flew back for a 45-minute meeting with Charles after Buckingham Palace announced that the King was being treated for cancer. The duke and duchess both returned to the UK for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, and her funeral in September of that year. Harry attended his father's coronation in May 2023, without Meghan. As working royals, they received 95% of their annual income from Harry's father, then Prince of Wales. The taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant made up the other 5%. When they stepped down as senior royals, King Charles gave them "a substantial sum" to help establish their new life. Harry and Meghan set up the Archewell charitable foundation, and entered into a number of commercial arrangements with private companies. In February 2024 the couple launched their website, which said they were "shaping the future through business and philanthropy". Rebranding the new brand In March 2024, Meghan launched what appeared to be a new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, named after a term used to describe the Santa Barbara area where she and her family live. Initial details were limited, but in April 2024, pictures of branded jam jars circulated on social media, suggesting it might sell food products. In February 2025, the Duchess announced the brand had been renamed "As Ever", with jam, tea, "cookie mixes", and flower sprinkles listed for sale on its website. Television The Sussexes' media company, Archewell Productions, makes programmes for the Netflix streaming service under a deal thought to be worth millions of dollars. In April 2024, Archewell said two new series were in production, one celebrating "the joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining, and friendship", and another exploring the world of professional polo. Polo was broadcast in December 2024. With Love, Meghan - which Netflix described as a lifestyle show, blending "practical how-tos and candid conversation" - began on 4 March. A second series will be broadcast in autumn 2025. All smiles in Meghan's upbeat Netflix series Five things we learned from Meghan's interview ahead of Netflix series Meghan Markle: The wellness guru she could have been The couple previously featured in the Harry and Meghan documentary series, where they talked about life in the Royal Family, and in The Heart of Invictus series, which discussed the duke's emotional "unravelling" after military service in Afghanistan. Podcasts Archewell also made podcasts for Spotify under a contract thought to be worth $25m (£19.7m). This included a series called Archetypes, which featured the duchess in conversation with other well-known women. The arrangement ended in June 2023. In February 2024, Meghan announced a new podcast deal with Lemonada Media. The first programme is expected later in 2025. Books Harry's memoir, Spare, was published in January 2023. It discussed his relationship with his brother and father, as well as his grief over the death of his mother, Princess Diana. The book's publishers promised $1.5m (£1.18m) and £300,000 respectively would be given to the Sentebale and WellChild charities. Meghan wrote a children's book, called The Bench, in 2021. Inheritance William and Harry received the bulk of Princess Diana's £13m fortune when she died in 1997. In a 2021 interview, Harry told Oprah Winfrey his share of the money funded his family's move to the US. He is also thought to have inherited millions from his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother. It is not known whether Queen Elizabeth left him any money. Acting During her acting career, the Duchess of Sussex was reportedly paid $50,000 (£40,000) for each episode of the legal drama Suits. She appeared in more than 100 episodes. After stepping back from official duties, the duke and duchess were no longer afforded the security arrangements provided for senior royals. When Harry first left the UK, he said it would be too dangerous to bring his family back without adequate police protection, and took the government to court. Home Office lawyers said the duke would still have publicly funded police security in the UK, under "bespoke arrangements" - an approach which the High Court ruled in February 2024 "was, and is, legally sound". In June, Harry's legal team said he had been given permission to challenge the High Court decision in the Court of Appeal. An earlier separate court ruling rejected the prince's request to be allowed to pay privately for more substantial protection. In January 2025, Prince Harry settled a case with News Group Newspapers (NGN), after it offered a "full and unequivocal apology" for "serious intrusion" into his private life between 1996 and 2011, and "incidents of unlawful activity" by private investigators. It agreed to pay him an undisclosed amount of damages. NGN, which owns the Sun, the Times and the Sunday Times and published the News of the World before its 2011 closure, also apologised for serious intrusion into the private life of Prince Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Prince Harry versus newspapers: This is the one that matters Has Prince Harry really won his tabloid battle? Harry also settled a phone-hacking claim against Mirror Group Newspapers in February 2024. His lawyer said the duke had been awarded "substantial" damages. He was also granted £140,600 in damages in another part of the case. A separate court case over claims from the duke and others that the Daily Mail's publisher, Associated Newspapers, unlawfully obtained information about him continues.
