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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
X Factor star reveals surprise career change and it's got nothing to do with music
X Factor star Sam Callahan has taken a surprising career turn away from music. The Essex singer appeared on the reality TV show in 2013 at the age of 19 but he has since tried his hand at a whole host of different careers. Now, a post shared to his Instagram page revealed how he is working as a marksman in a huge move away from his music background. He runs his own company, called Essex Country Marksman, which offers pest control and wildlife management across the county. According to his business' social media, Sam specialises in wild game management, with a range of photographs showing him posing with rifles. The description reads: 'Professional, ethical pest control & UK wild game management with rifles. 'Fully insured, discreet & accurate. Ideal for rural properties in Essex.' A recent post, shared to the platform last week, showed Sam modelling his hunting gear while holding an air rifle. He captioned the images: 'Putting the @jack_pyke gear to the test, with some great shooting out on the farm today. Good quality 'get up' breeds good performance if you ask me!' Sam also works with a local butcher to process small game - including rabbits or pigeons - that he captures through his work. That is not his only business as he is also the owner of On The Limit, where he works as a car tuning specialist. Car tuning refers to modifying vehicles to improve their performance, usually for racing or to enhance the driving experience. However, Sam has not completely left his love of music behind and took to the stage to perform at Bournemouth Pride, which took place on July 11 and 12. Sam rose to fame on The X Factor back in 2013, where he impressed the judges with his rendition of James Blunt's You're Beautiful in the audition rounds. The then 19-year-old soared into the live shows but ultimately came in 7th place, being beaten by Sam Bailey, who won the 10th series of the talent show The then 19-year-old was part of the 'Boys' category and was mentored by Louis Walsh during his stint on the competition. He soared into the live shows but ultimately came in 7th place, being beaten by Sam Bailey, who won the 10th series of the talent show. When Louis quit The X Factor back in 2018, Sam branded him as 'useless' and claimed he 'didn't know what he was talking about'. Sam said at the time: 'I'd rather have someone young and hungry and a bit more with the times, [rather] than someone who can tell me about their credentials, but probably can't keep up in this day and age.' The X Factor first launched in 2004 and its final episode aired on screens in December 2018, though it wasn't officially cancelled until 2021.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
X Factor star Sam Callahan reveals shocking new job and it's worlds away from music
SAM Callahan 's new career is a huge pivot from his rise to fame as a pop star on X Factor. Essex singer Sam appeared on the reality singing series in 2013 and since then has moved into a number of different careers, including a racing car driver. 5 But a recent post on his Instagram revealed that the 31-year-old now works as a marksman for his own company which offers pest control and wildlife management in Essex. Sam modeled some of the gear he wears and uses, including a 12ft/lbs air rifle sub. "Putting the @jack_pyke gear to the test, with some great shooting out on the farm today. Good quality 'get up' breeds good performance if you ask me," Sam captioned the post where he posed in camouflage gear while holding the large rifle. The business is described as "professional and ethical pest control and UK wild game management, carried out using precision rifle methods and "ideal for rural properties across Essex." Along with modelling some of his favourite hunting clothes, Sam also revealed he'd recently partnered with a local butcher to process small game, such as rabbit, pigeon or partridge among others, that he captures through his work. "Proud to be turning pest control into a real food resource and reducing waste whilst helping landowners manage their properties," Sam wrote on the business' Facebook page. Sam also runs another business where he offers mobile car retuning around Essex. But the X Factor alum has not given up on singing entirely and last week performed a set at Bournemouth Pride, where he sang a number of cover songs, including Prince's Purple Rain and Robbie Williams' Rock DJ. Sam has also worked as a personal trainer and a racing car driver, including behind the wheel of a sporty Porsche, on the GT4 Supercup series. As if that all wasn't enough, Sam regularly stars in Christmas pantomimes. Sam Callahan sings You're Beautiful by James Blunt in his X Factor audtion The singer still has a legion of fans thanks to his X Factor fame, as proven by the fact he's able to knock out calendars of himself topless year after year. Sam was mentored by Louis Walsh on X Factor, but he didn't quite make it to the final on X Factor with a performance of Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls seeing him bow out of the contest. Last year, Sam popped the question to girlfriend, Charlie, a veterinary nurse and the pair will soon tie the knot. 5 5
The Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Spraying a 69p Aldi buy around patios & doors will repel wasps for good – as ‘monster' nests spotted across UK
A 69P Aldi buy is the key to banishing wasps from your home, as experts spot "monster nests" in the UK. Experts have warned that the scorching temperature s we have seen in the UK so far this year have sparked the "year of the insects" with wasps nests as big as space hoppers. 3 3 Andrew Dellbridge of Ace Pest Control revealed that the UK is seeing a "population explosion" of the irritating critters, with wasps becoming aggressive towards humans, and even chewing through plasterboard to make nests. Thankfully, Josh Novell, garden expert at Polhill Garden Centre has revealed a simple hack to get rid of wasps, and you probably already have in it in your kitchen cupboard. 'Garlic is a surprisingly effective wasp repellent,' said Josh. 'Its strong smell overwhelms a wasp's senses and naturally drives them away. It's safe, cheap, and easy to use.' Garlic granules can be picked up from Aldi for just 69p, making this an extremely budget friendly hack. There are a variety of ways you can use the seasoning to banish wasps, including simply placing granules in a bowl and near outdoor seating and food. Alternatively, fill a spray bottle with water and one to two teaspoons of garlic powder. Shake the concoction to mix it, and then spray it around patios, door and bins. Or, you could even grow your own garlic plants in the garden, to repel wasps all year long. Josh also warned against the common trap of setting out a jar or jam or sugar to lure wasps. Killer Asian hornet filmed decapitating and devouring wasp in Kent amid fears of UK-wide invasion 'Sweet traps can attract wasps from neighbouring areas, increasing activity rather than reducing it,' he said. 'You're unintentionally drawing them in.' Pest control expert Andrew revealed that the unprecedented sun the UK enjoyed in spring brought wasps out of hibernation early, giving them more time to grow. This means that their nests are already surpassing last year's size, with months still left to go until they die off. Keep pests out all summer IF you want to ensure that your home is pest free this summer, here's what you need to know. Hornets and wasps - hate the smell of peppermint oil so spraying this liberally around your patio or balcony can help to keep them at bay. Moths - acidic household white vinegar is effective for deterring moths. Soak some kitchen roll in vinegar and leave it in your wardrobe as a deterrent. Flying ants - herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, mint, chilli pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, or garlic act as deterrents. Mosquitoes - plants, herbs and essential oil fragrances can help deter mozzies inside and out. Try eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass. He said: "By September-October, the right back end of the season before they all die off, we should be in massive nest territory." "I worry about the big ones", he continued. "I always try to use a comparison - and the space hopper is as big as it can get. "And that hums and it's quite a foe." The expert added that wasps usually become increasingly aggressive in the autumn, but this will also be happening earlier this year, with wasps destroying people's homes to make way for their nests. "I had one yesterday," he said. "Hundreds of wasps piling into someone's house because they literally chewed through already." He added that the number of wasps in nests has grown dramatically this year. "This year, whereas you'd possibly have hundreds, or a thousand or so in there, I'm predicting that we'll have thousands in each nest", he warned. "So you're not going to miss them. We are up for a bit of a challenge I think."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Eliminate Ticks For Good With The Help Of One Medicine Cabinet Staple
Diseases contracted via ticks have been reported in all 50 states, and about 15 states consider ticks an endemic problem, namely northeastern regions like New York and Connecticut. At least 15 species of ticks appear just in the state of Illinois, hiding on the tips of grasses and shrubs before crawling upward several feet toward any host animal or person that brushes past. The bloodsuckers may fall off before checking for them, and people might not even recognize a small tick bite. This can be dangerous since they carry at least a dozen diseases, including Lyme disease. As climate change increases the range ticks can travel, know that you can take care of these pests with a household staple -- rubbing alcohol. Ticks should not simply be removed from the premises after being taken off. They can be a public health risk. For this same reason, you should never crush a tick with your fingers because it could still pierce the skin or spread disease through its bodily fluid. You should dispose of a tick by flushing it down the toilet or submerging it in alcohol. In fact, 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, 95% ethanol (found in beverages and fuel), as well as acetone (often used in nail polish remover) are all shown to kill ticks within minutes. Keep rubbing alcohol on-hand as one way of being prepared to deal with ticks in your yard and home. Read more: How To Repel Bugs Naturally How To Remove A Tick Rubbing alcohol can help you deal with many different pests. However, drowning ticks in rubbing alcohol is the last step; first you need to know how to remove a tick. As mentioned, there are various ticks. The blacklegged deer tick is a common source of Lyme disease, whereas the lone star tick transmits diseases like alpha-gel syndrome (which gives sufferers a red meat allergy). You are more likely to encounter "hard" ticks with a shield behind their mouthpiece, as "soft" ticks prefer birds and flying prey. This is where you may have heard about a tick's mouthpart breaking off. Even with this possibility, pulling out a tick with tweezers and dropping it into rubbing alcohol is the most effective method. Use fine-tipped tweezers and grab the tick close to your skin. Take a deep breath and pull upward with steady, even pressure. It may help to pull with one side of the tweezers against your skin to reduce pinching, but you do not want to jerk the tick around and risk breaking off its head. After that, thoroughly clean the bitten area with rubbing alcohol, soap, and water. If you find part of its body has broken off in your skin, don't worry; leftover parts will be naturally expelled like a splinter. Never attempt to burn the tick off with something like a match, nor should you try to suffocate it in nail polish or petroleum jelly. This could cause the tick to become slippery, or in the worst case, it may regurgitate into the bite wound and cause an infection. How To Avoid Ticks Before It's Time To Break Out The Rubbing Alcohol Of course, the best-case scenario is that you never encounter a tick and risk contracting diseases like Lyme in the first place, thus avoiding the use of rubbing alcohol. That is easier said than done given ticks are most active during springtime, when you are more likely to be outside. There are a number of plants you can grow to keep ticks out of your yard, including lemongrass and rosemary, but this can only go so far if you want to enjoy hikes in wooded or grassy areas with lots of vegetation for them to hide in. One tip for dealing with ticks is to wear long-sleeved, light-colored, and tight-woven clothing so they are visible and have less space to latch onto your skin. Tuck your pant legs into your socks and wear a hat if possible. Insect repellents with concentrations of 20% or more DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus are shown to be most effective with ticks. Once you are indoors, check yourself and your pets thoroughly for signs of ticks. Showering within two hours of coming home is shown to reduce the risk of Lyme disease. If you find and kill ticks with rubbing alcohol, make sure to dispose of them in a sealed container. Consult a doctor soon after contracting a bite, as there are currently no vaccines for tickborne illnesses. Enjoyed this article? Get expert home tips, DIY guides, and design inspiration by signing up to the House Digest newsletter! Read the original article on House Digest. Solve the daily Crossword
Times
4 days ago
- General
- Times
How to get rid of wasp nests and unwelcome bees
In summer, wasps always make an appearance when we're eating in our garden. I've tried various gimmicks but they don't seem to work. What could we put on the table or nearby to minimise their impact?Kerry Piears, Godalming Wasp nests are remarkably common, but because the wasps are so busy in their earnest social activities — collecting wood pulp to build their nest, hunting insect prey for their grubs and tending their multitudinous brood — they barely interact with humans, so we hardly notice them. At the end of summer, though, the nest function changes and rather than more workers, a new generation of queens and males is produced. Once these hatch the workers have nothing to do other than forage aimlessly for sweet things like those on offer at your table. The bad news is that wasps are numerous and persistent. They can smell your food and will come looking. The good news is that this phase soon passes and all workers die off during autumn. Although you haven't seen it, a nest may be close, so you might try moving the table where you eat. Don't bother with wasp traps, these simply drown a few of the wasps — but there will be many hundreds more. And I'm sceptical of marketing claims that nest-shaped bags dangling from trees trick them into thinking another colony of ruthless competitors is nearby. Generally foraging wasps are not aggressive, they save that for attacks on the nest. However, do not be complacent. Cover your food and do not allow wasps to traipse over it — wasps also visit carrion and animal dung, and will transfer bacteria to your welcoming Jones is the author of House Guests, House Pests: A Natural History of Animals in the Home (Bloomsbury £18.99), • Read more expert advice on property, interiors and home improvement How can we prevent bees from entering the eaves of our conservatory lantern, where they become trapped and die?Jane Smyth You've highlighted an important aspect of insect behaviour here. When trapped against some sort of impermeable barrier, insects have a tendency to walk or fly upwards, thinking they will eventually reach the top of the obstacle and be able to fly off. However, insect evolution has not had time to reckon with the very modern human behaviour of making enclosed, sheltered spaces to live in. Bees, wasps, flies and other insects taking a wrong turn at your conservatory will start to bump their way upwards against the glass and eventually reach the lantern. Then, that most dangerous of insect vulnerabilities will hit them — water loss, a deadly peril for a small organism. It's all to do with relatively high surface area compared with low volume. Flying is metabolically expensive and although insects don't sweat like us, they cool by water evaporation from inside their bodies. Unfortunately, their hardwired instinctive behaviour is unwavering, and they are incapable of learning that they have made a mistake. You might try fitting gauze or net screens across all points of ingress. Otherwise you will have to fit an escape vent for them, or go in each day with a net and capture them for release away from the Jones • Pest-proofing a Victorian terrace: how to keep rats and mice away Any tips on how to get encrusted limescale off a bathroom tap as it has now affected the full flow of water?Margaret Simpson I found that dampening a two-pence piece and gradually scraping at the limescale causes it to just drop Furniss, Chesham Attach half a lemon using rubber bands to the tap spout, and leave for an hour or so. Remove the softened limescale and Grace Soak a J Cloth (or similar) in white vinegar and place directly on the affected area. Pop a plastic bag over the tap and secure with an elastic band. Leave for a few hours. Heavy deposits may require multiple rounds but this method shouldn't damage any metal finishes on your Leicester I buy food-grade citric acid (available on Amazon, etc). Run tap briefly, sprinkle dry citric acid onto a paper towel, then place directly on the encrusted (now wet) spout using an elastic band or old hair tie to attach. Let this sit for at least an hour. Works wonders for Kirk Viakal spray is great at destroying limescale. Be careful because it is strong stuff and can damage certain surfaces (which I discovered the hard way). Veronica, Leyton I've had dark grey limestone paving laid on my new terrace. I left a tree in the middle of the terrace for the birds to enjoy. However, the birds are seriously disrespecting my new paving — even a low-pressure hose used daily doesn't remove their mess completely. I've tried hanging reflective deterrent rods in the tree, and also photos of birds of prey, but they haven't worked. Short of removing the tree, do readers have any tips for cleaning the bird mess effectively without damaging the paving?SB A chair fell onto our wood-patterned vinyl flooring and left a one-inch crescent-shaped dent. The chair broke the vinyl's surface, and the dent is white. Is there anything I can do to improve its appearance?Hannah Send tips and questions to homehelp@ Advice given without responsibility
