Mental Health and illness

Subterms

    More stories

    • 225 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      Katie Price sparks concern as she shares post about ‘mental breakdowns’ and ‘week of isolation’ amid double bankruptcy

      by

      KATIE Price sparked concern as she shared a post about ‘mental breakdowns’ and a ‘week of isolation’ amid her double bankruptcy.The former glamour model, 45, has been declared bankrupt twice due to sky high debts that have even brought collectors to the door.Double-bankrupt Katie Price has sparked concern with her latest postCredit: PAShe’s also been open about her mental health struggles, claiming her string of famous exes put her in therapy.But in a new Instagram post from her podcast’s account, Katie appeared to poke fun at her struggles with a photo of a Bratz doll looking dishevelled.The meme said, “Me coming out of my room for food after a week of isolation and subsequent mental breakdowns.”It emerged last month the former glamour model had been made bankrupt for a second time over a £750k tax debt.read more on Katie PriceThe London Insolvency and Companies Court was told that Katie owes £761,994.05 to HMRC.This was after she was previously declared bankrupt in 2019 with debts of £3.2million.But this time around, the former I’m A Celebrity campmate admitted she was “dealing with serious stuff.”When The Pricey was questioned by the Daily Mail podcast and was told there was breaking news about her, she remarked: “Has it? Oh get lost… Are you actually serious, while I’m sat here? What have I done now?”Most read in ShowbizWhy is Katie Price bankrupt?

      Reality star Katie Price was declared bankrupt in November 2019 and blew her £45million fortune.
      What is bankruptcy?
      Bankruptcy is a legal status whereby debts cannot be repaid.
      In the UK being bankrupt is limited to applying to individuals but in the US and some other countries, it can be applied to companies as well.
      The word itself is derived from the Italian phrase banca rotta meaning “broken bank”.
      In the modern world, it normally involves a restructuring of debts in an attempt to rehabilitate those who owe the money and sometimes continue with their business.
      In most jurisdictions, people or companies are declared bankrupt by a court order.
      Is it the same as insolvency?
      Bankruptcy is just one type of insolvency in the UK.
      There are two legal definitions of insolvency in the UK with one being where a business or individual’s liabilities (what you owe) exceed your assets (what you own), or, where you are unable to pay your debts as they fall due.
      Additionally, there are several different types of insolvency, only one of which is bankruptcy, these include:

      liquidation (applies to a limited company or partnership)
      administration (applies to a limited company or partnership)
      company voluntary arrangement (applies to limited companies)
      partnership voluntary arrangement (partnerships)
      individual voluntary arrangement (individuals who can also be made bankrupt)
      debt relief order (where an individual owes less than £15,000)

      She explained to the pre-recorded podcast: “I know I had court, I think it was last week or the week before.”Because of what’s going on in my life, I’ve actually been signed off because… I’m dealing with serious stuff.”There’s all different kinds of bankruptcy, I think they just use the word ‘bankruptcy’. No-one actually knows the ins and outs of everything.”And trust me, I don’t get away with stuff either. Like, you can’t, like tax, you can’t ever run away from, you have to pay. Don’t think I sit and don’t pay stuff, because I do.”The former Loose Women star reportedly did not even send a lawyer to the latest hearing, which is part of a long string of financial woes.She now faces losing her £2million Sussex pad or she could see bailiffs come around to repossess anything that could help pay back the debt owed to the government department.Court Judge Sebastian Prentis said she had not responded to HMRC over the debt and declared her bankrupt.Everything you need to know about Katie Price Step inside the life of former glamour model Katie Price
      He commented: “There has been no response from the debtor. The papers are in order.”There is substantial debt due from Ms Price to HMRC and therefore I will make a bankruptcy order.”READ MORE SUN STORIESKatie’s ex-fiance Carl Woods, 35, claimed earlier this year that he had been tasked with hiding her signature pink Range Rover from debt-collectors.She’s now in a relationship with Married At First Sight star, JJ Slater, 31.She shared a meme about ‘mental breakdowns’ and a ‘week of isolation’Credit: instagram/@thekatiepriceshowLast month, she was made bankrupt for a second time over a £750k tax debtCredit: PAKatie is currently dating Married At First Sight star, JJ SlaterCredit: Splash More

    • 313 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      This is rawest thing I’ve done… the message is we only have one life — so we better live it, says St Vincent on album

      by

      “I WOULDN’T really call this a pop record,” says St Vincent describing her new album All Born Screaming.“I did call it ‘post plague pop’ at the start but I then retracted that idea as I wouldn’t call this ‘pop’ in a straightforward sense,” claims the singer, AKA Annie Clark of her seventh album.This is a more serious-looking Annie Clark from the look of her last album, 2021s Daddy’s Home, where she playfully donned a blonde wig and Seventies-style green suitCredit: Alex Da CorteClark says her new album is divided into two moods and two distinct partsCredit: Alex Da CorteThe album cover for All Born Screaming shows Clark on fireCredit: Alex Da Corte “It’s the rawest thing I’ve ever done. Artists are the psychic mirror to the culture they live in.“I don’t mean to sound too highfalutin, but we’re like little weathervanes. We catch wind of the feeling of where something’s going. It’s a violent world and you have to make sense of that in some form and keep going.“Songs have a premonitory power in my experience.”We meet at the three-time Grammy winner’s central London hotel. Dressed in a red polo neck jumper, black leather jacket and with her dark hair scraped back, this is a more serious-looking Clark from the look of her last album, 2021s Daddy’s Home, where she playfully donned a blonde wig and Seventies-style green suit.READ MORE BIG INTERVIEWSThe prodigious US musician and singer, 41, who has been compared to Prince and David Bowie, says her new album is divided into two moods and two distinct parts.‘Dave is my buddy, so I just called him up’ “Without tying the record up in too much of a bow, it’s a more brutal first half and then there’s hope.“It’s a season of hell to get to the people we love — which is all we have. The message is we only have one life — so we better live it.”The superb All Born Screaming is a collaborative album and features Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and the band’s new drummer Josh Freese, Cate Le Bon, Beck/Nine Inch Nails producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen and War-paint drummer Stella Mozgawa.Most read in Music“Dave is my buddy, so I just called him up,” says Clark of the Foo Fighters singer who plays drums on first single Broken Man. Clark played with Grohl when she fronted the remaining members of Nirvana at their 2014 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.The electricity is actually coming through your fingers. It’s Dave Grohl’s touch in the room and the way he playsShe says: “I sent him Broken Man and called him up. I was like, ‘Hey, are you around anytime? Can you come over to the studio?’“And yeah, he’s Dave Grohl so he rolls up in his truck. Smokes some Parliaments has some coffee tells more stories, we laugh and then he’s like, ‘Great, I’m ready to go’. And then he plays the song, and it sounds like Dave f***ing Grohl. And it’s so exciting.“It was the first song that people heard from the record and I wanted to be shaken around like a rag doll by music and Broken Man does that.“The electricity is actually coming through your fingers. It’s Dave Grohl’s touch in the room and the way he plays.“And the guitar! The noise took me back to my first band when I played guitar in a band called Skull F***ers. That was my first foray into how the guitar is a violent noisemaker. There wasn’t any jazz fingerstyl! I just made a cacophonous hellscape unto the Lord.”Grohl and Meldal-Johnsen also appear on St Vincent’s new single, Flea, playing drums and bass. Clark says: “When I was listening and heard Dave coming through, I immediately stood up, just because there’s so much energy. It’s so exciting.‘A greatest hits of people I love’“That track is a homage to every one of my musical heroes. There’s a nod to Joni Mitchell’s Free Man In Paris, there’s PJ Harvey’s Rid Of Me; there’s a Tori Amos nod in there; there’s Blood Roses, there’s a bit of Sleater-Kinney and Steely Dan’s Aja in there and Dave Grohl is playing on it!“From the music nerd perspective Flea is a greatest hits of people I love.”All Born Screaming is St Vincent’s first self-produced record. She produced Sleater-Kinney’s 2019 album, The Center Won’t Hold, and co-produced her previous two albums Daddy’s Home and 2017s Mass- eduction with Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey producer Jack Antonoff.“I definitely think collaboration is so exciting, and I love doing it but I just needed to make this one on my own,” says Clark.“I’ve co-produced all my records and I’ve been recording myself since I was 14 in my bedroom, first on a four-track Tascam cassette recorder and then on early versions of digital audio.“Spending a lot of time alone in the studio and honing my chops playing with my esoteric drum machines and modulars. That’s how I learned to write and find out what I was thinking.“You feel like you’re a god harnessing electricity. I definitely put the hours in. It’s nerdy s**t for sure.“That’s how I learned to arrange, so producing is a very natural process for me because I started young. But kids can do it now because they have access to the software and tools and, of course, more women should. And when other women say I’ve opened doors for them it’s so cool and makes me want to cry.”You feel like you’re a god harnessing electricity. I definitely put the hours in. It’s nerdy s**t for sureClark credits friend Cate Le Bon as influential on the record. Not only does she appear on the seven-minute title track, she also lifted Clark when she was going through a period of self-doubt.“Yeah, I was petulant with the music,” admits Clark. It just wasn’t right and I got very adolescent and petulant with it. Cate came in and was like, ‘Calm it down. This is exciting. Calm it down’.“With the song, All Born Screaming, I had a programmed beat and a guitar line. And I told Cate I’d tried seven different feels, but I couldn’t quite crack the code.“Cate was like, ‘You go take a nap. Give me a beer, a bass, and two hours’. And in two hours, the good Welsh girl that she is came back and had written that bassline. I was like, ‘Uh huh?’ She helped get me back on track. And she helped me with the album title.“I was tossing out various titles and one was All Born Screaming. Cate was like, ‘All Born Screaming is it!’. We are all born screaming — it’s the most primal sound of life ever. And it can mean protest. It’s a title which can be as profound or as flippant as you want it to be.”The album cover for All Born Screaming shows Clark on fire.‘I’m not really interested in playing a persona’“Oh that’s me on fire all right,” she says. “Fire means so many things. Historically, whether you’re Icarus or you’re a Phoenix, or it’s like cleansing, you have to walk through it to get to something, you know, to the other side. And life is a fire dance which is both destructive and constructive.“I tried to build a world instead of just building the music part. I’ve worked with my friend, artist Alex Da Corte, on the creative direction of this record. He’s major in the art world and I can’t believe he’s slumming it with me in music, to be honest.“For a number of records, I was very into metaconcept and iconography. I’d think that was what it was to be a modern pop star and play with idolatry.“For this album I’m way less interested in playing with that construct. This is just me. At this point, I’m not really interested in playing a persona.“If the work is good, and the songs speak to people, you don’t need much of a narrative.”There’s a tremendous amount of anxiety in music and I’ve had an anxiety disorder since I was eight. It never stopped me from doing anything, it just robbed me of the joy of doing itNext month, Clark plays two dates in the UK, including a night at London’s Royal Albert Hall. She says: “It’s going to be hard-hitting. The show will have an element of ‘Just don’t stop the groove!’, which is something I learned from DJing.“You get a whole new level of respect for the groove when you DJ, because a groove is so exciting, but also so comforting.St. Vincent performs onstage in LA earlier this monthCredit: GettyNext month, Clark plays two dates in the UK, including a night at London’s Royal Albert HallCredit: Getty“If there’s a groove and people feel good and feel safe they can relax, and enjoy themselves. And as an artist, feeling the energy of the crowd is exciting and drives you too.“There’s a tremendous amount of anxiety in music and I’ve had an anxiety disorder since I was eight. It never stopped me from doing anything, it just robbed me of the joy of doing it. And with music you’re metabolising the chaos of the world anyway so with a show you leave all your blood, sweat and tears on stage and get it all out.READ MORE SUN STORIES“So when people get to see this show, I hope they enjoy it.”ST VINCENTAll Born ScreamingSt Vincent’s new album All Born Screaming is out on April 26Credit: Supplied★★★★★ More

    • 213 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      Inside Hollywood superstar Zendaya’s quiet life in Britain after THAT threesome trailer sent film fans into meltdown

      by

      SHE has reached such a stratospheric level of fame that Zendaya is exclusively referred to by her first name only.But the Hollywood beauty is not at risk of falling into the trappings of superstardom — as she has swapped sunny California for good old Blighty.Zendaya has become one of Hollywood’s most famous women in recent yearsCredit: GettyZendaya is dating actor Tom Holland who she met on the set of 2016’s Spider-Man: HomecomingCredit: GettySince shacking up with Tom Holland in West London, Zendaya is more likely to be spotted shopping at Waitrose than at an A-list partyCredit: MJ-Pictures.comSince shacking up with British Spider-Man actor Tom Holland in South-West London, the 27-year-old is more likely to be spotted shopping at ­Waitrose than at an A-list party.Despite her scene-stealing role in Dune: Part Two — the highest-grossing film of 2024 at the worldwide box office — the actress is now said to spend her free time on guided tours of Hampton Court Palace and popping to trendy London bakery Gail’s.As if to hammer home her soft spot for England, Zendaya stepped out in a Wimbledon-themed dress at the UK premiere of her new movie, Challengers, last week.Released on April 26, she plays Tashi Donaldson, a former tennis player turned coach, who finds herself in a love triangle with The Crown’s Josh O’Connor and Tony Award-nominee Mike Faist.read more on zendayaThe trailer sent the internet into meltdown with a steamy scene of the trio getting intimate in a hotel room.A source who has worked with Zendaya says the star picks her roles carefully to avoid being typecast.Now worth an estimated £17million, the former Disney Channel star was 19 when she played MJ in the first of three Spider-Man movies alongside Tom as the superhero.The source told The Sun: “Once she signs on to a job, she gives it her all.Most read in Celebrity“On Challengers that means graphic sex scenes and some heavy and ­emotionally complex dialogue as well.“She’s earning a reputation for never ‘phoning it in’ and always giving 110 per cent, and that’s going to make her a lot richer if she keeps picking hits at the rate she has.”Zendaya stuns in futuristic fashion, Dune Part Two premiereAt the premiere, Zendaya revealed it was a “challenge” to play Tashi.She said: “She is so complex, complicated and messy, and I appreciate that about a character.“I don’t think you always love her. I don’t think you always hate her either, and that was my challenge — to make sure that she has the fragility and sensitivity as well as harshness and directness.”Zendaya added: “I don’t necessarily always play the good guy.“I like to believe I have characters that are multi-faceted and multi- dimensional in some kind of way, and I think she is the most unapologetically cruel and direct character I’ve ever played.”The starlet, whose full name is Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman, grew up in Oakland, California, with her parents Kazembe Ajamu Coleman and Claire Stoermer, both teachers.Asked why she chose to drop her last name, she said in 2016: “I just thought it was cool, like Cher or Prince.”Zendaya was 14 when she shot to fame in the Disney Channel’s Shake It Up, playing Rocky Blue.Yet she has escaped the so-called “Disney Curse,” which has seen many former stars, including Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, battle mental health issues, meltdowns and addictions.Zendaya credits her parents for instilling “core values” that helped her to avoid a “wild” phase so often associated with young stars.I have complicated feelings about kids and fame and being in the ­public eye, or being a child actorZendayaOn growing up in the public eye and becoming the family’s main breadwinner, she told Vogue: “I don’t know how much of a choice I had.“I have complicated feelings about kids and fame and being in the ­public eye, or being a child actor.“We’ve seen a lot of cases of it being detrimental. “I felt like I was thrust into a very adult position: I was becoming the breadwinner of my family very early. “There was a lot of role-reversal happening, and just kind of becoming grown, really.”It gave the teenager the courage to stand up for herself on set, bravely telling producers she would not have her first kiss on screen.Zendaya recalled: “I remember being on Shake It Up and being like, ‘I’m not gonna do this. “I’m going to kiss him on the cheek because I haven’t been kissed yet, so I don’t want that kiss to be on camera’.”And during talks for Disney’s 2015 spy series, KC Undercover, the actress — whose dad is African-American — fought for more representation on the channel, insisting producers cast black actors to play her on-screen family.She has said: “That was my first time realising that I could have a little bit of power and request things that I wanted.“It was hugely important to me that it was a black family being showcased.”Already a successful TV star in the US when she signed up to Marvel reboot Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, Zendaya watched boyfriend Tom catapulted to superstardom.ROMANCE UNDER WRAPSShe has said: “We were both very, very young, but my career was already kind of going, and his changed overnight.“One day you’re a kid and you’re at the pub with your friends, and then the next day you’re Spider-Man.“I definitely watched his life kind of change in front of him.”Greatest Showman star Zendaya is said to have been a positive influence on Tom over the years as he played the superhero in two more stand- alone films and Marvel’s Avengers.On the couple — who kept their romance under wraps for four years until a fan caught them kissing in Tom’s sports car in Los Angeles — our source says: “Tom’s head got a little swollen after he started having all these huge superhero hits and, ultimately, it’s been Zendaya who has brought him back down to Earth and really transformed him into a humble, grateful and mature person in the process.“They’re together all the time and extremely supportive of one another, but you can tell that it’s Zendaya who’s steering the relationship in this steady, stable direction.“She just hasn’t let childhood success turn her into a damaged monster in early adulthood and is very good tempered and agreeable. “People love working with her for the calmness, professionalism and integrity she brings to every project she signs up for.”It is this professionalism that led to Zendaya making history in 2020.At 24, she became the youngest recipient of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series for her role in HBO’s Euphoria.The teen drama saw Zendaya play drug addict Rue Bennett, who hits rock bottom as she goes through the painful physical and mental effects of withdrawal.The trailer for Challengers sent the internet into meltdown with a steamy scene of Zendaya and two men getting intimate in a hotel roomCredit: Warner BrothersZendaya had a scene-stealing role in box office smash Dune: Part TwoCredit: GettyTwo years later, after the release of the second series, Zendaya won another Emmy, making her the youngest two-time winner and the first black woman to win the award for lead actress in a drama series twice. In her acceptance speech, she said: “My greatest wish for Euphoria is that it could help heal people.”She has since starred as Chani in the hugely popular film versions of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi Dune novels, alongside Timothee Chalamet, Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa.The second movie, Dune: Part Two, has taken £480million at the box office since its release in March, breaking several box office records.Following its success, director Denis Villeneuve has signed up to shoot a third movie.The films have helped Zendaya’s Instagram following jump to a whopping 184million.Despite her megastar status, she remains humble — and that means doing her own grocery shop. Locals have spotted Zendaya with wet hair and wearing a casual jumper and jeans at Waitrose, in New Malden, South-West London.She lives with Tom in a £2.5million house in nearby Richmond, a few miles from Kingston-Upon-Thames, where Tom grew up.I don’t necessarily want my kids to have to deal with this fameZendayaAnd the actress has even been trying to get to grips with Cockney rhyming slang.She told us: “I love the ­British accent, but as much as Tom tries to explain it to me, I will never understand rhyming slang.“Like I understand the concept — but what do apples and pears have to do with stairs?“It’s cute when he tells me all the different phrases — but I really don’t get it.”Having remained coy about their relationship over the years, in a recent joint interview with the US and British versions of Vogue magazine, Zendaya did discuss the prospect of starting a family.She said: “I don’t necessarily want my kids to have to deal with this fame. READ MORE SUN STORIES”And what does my future look like? Am I going to be a public- facing person forever?”No doubt whatever she does next, it will be game, set and match win for the talented star.Zendaya with her mum Claire Stoermer and dad Kazembe ColemanCredit: GettyZendaya at the Greatest Showman premiere in 2019Credit: GettyZendaya in a green, sparkling dress for the Challengers premiere in Sydney, AustraliaCredit: SplashZendaya in a white gown for the Challengers’ London premiereCredit: RexZendaya attends the photocall for Challengers in Milan, ItalyCredit: Getty More

    • 175 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      Million-selling Brit dance music stars devastated as health battle forces them to cancel tour

      by

      A POPULAR British dance music duo have been forced to cancel their plans to tour and release new music owing to a secret health battle.The performers made the announcement in a lengthy statement to their fans on X – formerly Twitter – as they addressed their “radio silence”.Maribou State have been rocked by some horror health newsCredit: AlamyChris (left) underwent brain surgery last year and is currently in recoveryCredit: YouTubeMaribou State are a duo consisting of Chris Davids and Liam Ivory who have been creating electronic music since 2011.As well as working on their own tracks, they have worked with A-list music superstars including Fatboy Slim and Lana Del Rey.However, a horror health diagnosis for Chris has forced the band to postpone all their future plans in order to allow him to recover.In a heartbreaking post, Chris revealed that he had been diagnosed with a rare brain condition called Chiari Malformation.Read More on Music UpdatesHe addressed the duo’s absence from the music industry by admitting to “hiding away” to work on their third album after having received his diagnosis in 2022.Chris went on to say: “It had been the cause of a mix of symptoms including: debilitating headaches, insomnia and bad mental health, which have been hugely impacting my life and productivity in the studio.”After trying a variety of conservative treatments I made the difficult decision to undergo brain surgery in November last year.”The surgery, for the most part, was successful and the symptoms have now either been resolved or are in remission, however there were multiple complications that have since slowed down my recovery and presented me with new challenges, that five months on, are still ongoing.”Most read in MusicChris then made the heartbreaking announcement that these complications had been the cause of deciding to cancel the duo’s upcoming tour.He continued: “We are therefore very sad to say we are cancelling all our live shows this year and postponing the release of any new music.”Love Island’s Wes Nelson forced to postpone music tour as he apologises to fansOn a positive note, Chris insisted he was getting better and that Liam was able to continue DJing in the meantime.He said: “On a more positive note, I AM making progress, Liam IS in good health and able to continue DJ’ing, we DO have a finished third album; one we’re both incredibly proud of and excited to share with you all, and the live band WILL be getting back together as soon as the albums released.”The duo have performed at iconic London hotspot Boiler Room in the past and have built up a sizeable reputation in the dance music world.Chris was met with overwhelming support after opening up on his health woes as fans raced to share their messages of encouragement.One fan said to the star: “Sending sooooo much love. Your music is always a pick me up, always my go to when I’m feeling down, I absolutely love it.”The duo have worked with some major music artistsCredit: YouTubeAnother added: “Get well soon. No rush to release music that will ultimately prove to be timeless.”READ MORE SUN STORIESBefore a third wrote: “Wow. A journey that will no doubt lead to even more creative genius. Your music is timeless and excellent, everything can wait for good health…”As a fourth went on to add: “Health first always. We will dance again.” More

    • 263 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      Megastar duo who flog cars to teen heartthrob who works on a building site…the Noughties pop stars who took normal jobs

      by

      Paloma Faith might be changing her tune when it comes to her career.The 42-year-old singer admitted her latest album could be her last before she pivots to teaching in order to spend more time with her kids.Paloma might put her Faith in the teaching professionCredit: GettyThe Cheeky girls both work in the car trade and Monica is pictured on the forecourt in LincolnshireShe told Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast her Mum is always pushing her to ditch the microphone and pick up the books instead.”She’s like, ‘You’ve had kids, you’ve done the pop star thing. Go and do PGCE [teacher training] because then you can have the same holidays as your kids’. I’m considering it. I just might put one more record out.”Paloma wouldn’t be the only superstar to trade her life of luxury for something a little more run of the mill.From running gourmet food trucks to setting up construction companies, we look at the noughties stars who have swapped pop stardom for yearly salaries.Read more in featuresCheeky car dealersAfter skyrocketing to fame with a bizarre appearance on the reality TV show Popstars: The Rivals, the Cheeky Girls were topping the charts with tunes such as “Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)’. But for the Romanian twins Monica Taylor and Gabriela Irimia, a need for stability drove the pair to the car yards. Both twins are now working as car saleswomen with Monica in Lincolnshire and Gabriela in York.Monica told the Sun in 2021 that cars were a stable career path after Covid destroyed the music industry.“Me and Gaby need a solid business for our future and cars will always be good business.Most read in Celebrity‘She never ages!’ say noughties pop fans as hit singer as she dances with reality star husband and daughter for TikTok“Being an entertainer is fantastic, but like it was with Covid, if you don’t have a solid job or business how do you survive?”They do occasionally slip back into the limelight – and last week teamed up with Irn Bru to surprise shoppers in Glasgow. Kitten turned to cateringJenny (right) with bandmates Liz McClarnon and Natasha Hamilton and outside her eateryJenny Frost, the former star of iconic noughties girl band Atomic Kitten, made the switch from fame to food when she opened a restaurant in Ibiza.The stunning 46-year-old joined the band in 2001 and stayed through until they split in 2008. She now owns the affordable luxury restaurant Sundara on Ibiza’s San Antonio Bay which opened last year.Atomic changesNatasha is now a mum of five and a therapistAnother Atomic Kitten star, Natasha Hamilton, has tried her hand at a couple of different careers – most recently, therapy.The 41-year-old mum-of-five announced in 2021 she was retraining as an “unconscious mind therapist” to try and help people through their trauma.A source told the Sun “Natasha has been completely blown away by this different way of working with the mind and now wants to help others thrive, helping them break free of their self-limiting beliefs.”It’s not the first time the former Kitten has tried her hand at a new career path. The flame haired beauty also retrained as a beauty therapist in 2019 and opened The Beauty Studio in Farndon, Chester the same year.Boy band departure to Kent-loving farmerJB (right) is now rearing lambs and pigs in KentJB Gill is best known for his chart-topping boy band JLS which shot to fame in 2006 – but when the band split in 2013 he gave up the microphone and picked up the keys for the tractor.The 37-year-old put his hand to farming after buying a Kent property with 13 acres of land in 2012. He now lives on the farm with his wife Chloe, 34, and their two children, Ace, 8, and Chiara, 5.He said he loves all parts of the farming life – even the gross parts.”I love some of the more mundane tasks – mucking out is like mindfulness meditation to me. Most people turn their nose up at it, but it gives me time to think,” he told OK.While he will continue to revel in his rural life the band recently announced a reunion tour.Stepping up to teachLisa is teaching in DubaiAfter a glitzy career in showbiz which included 14 top-five singles, Steps star Lisa Scott-Lee has stepped away from the stage and into school.The 48-year-old now runs her own performing arts academy in Dubai where upwards of 600 students come to learn the ropes of the art world.She set up the school in 2014 with her husband Johnny Shentall and regularly posts snaps of the children performing on her Instagram.The family moved to Dubai with their children in 2011 and haven’t looked back.Lisa said in 2021 that Steps was ‘her life” but the academy was her day job.”I can never switch off. Even when I’m with Steps, rehearsing or shooting a video, I’ll be working on my laptop. It’s become a bit of a running joke. I have to flip between my Steps hat and principal hat, which can be really hard and stressful at times.”Jonas Brother turned builderKevin Jonas (left) now runs a building companyOnce upon a time Kevin Jonas spent his days touring with his brothers, playing top ten hits to stadiums packed with thousands of screaming fans. Now, the 36-year-old has left the Jonas Brothers behind and focuses more on building a life for his family.In 2013 he launched Jonas Werner Homes – a luxury construction company for “discerning clients” according to its website. Alongside running the construction firm the eldest Jonas Brother is also the chief executive of The Blu Market – a communications firm which has launched several apps including a food search app called Yood.In between all these jobs, Kevin still finds time to tour with his brothers – most recently last year when the brothers announced they intend to do another tour in 2025 to celebrate 25 years of the Jonas Brothers.X-Factor to contractor Ray Quinn is a carpet fitterCredit: ITV/InstagramX Factor runner up Ray Quinn now lives a life completely different to the fame he experienced in the early 2000s.The singer finished up second in the 2006 series, coming in behind Leona Lewis and made history as the youngest ever male ­artist to enter the UK album chart at number 1 without having released a single.After a dizzying rise to fame he appeared on Dancing on Ice, which he won twice – once in 2009 and then again in the allstars competition in 2014. He also was cast in the iconic soap Hollyoakes where he played right wing nutter Jonny Baxter, and starred in a play at Liverpool’s Royal court. But after a “nightmare year” in 2020, the entertainment work dried up entirely and the 35-year-old went back to manual labour to keep food on the table.When he lost his beloved father to cancer in 2020, he decided to go back to the family business of carpet laying. Up until this he had been delivering mail for Hermes.“It’s good to have another trade under your belt, especially ­during these times. It’s good to have a back-up plan.“You shouldn’t pigeon-hole yourself – I’ve never done that.Boy band star to coffee connoisseur Mark (top right) with his bandmate and serving coffee at a festivalWestlife was at the top of the entertainment world in the noughties. The group had dozens of top ten hits, and were raking in millions in album sales – but now one member has given up the music to serve coffee and crepes.Mark Feehily launched his catering van in 2015, while still balancing a solo music career on the side.He said at the time the business was going “really well” and had been booked for several events. “We’ve got loads of interest and we’ve booked it in with a lot of the music festivals and we’re talking about doing some Irish ones as well.”READ MORE SUN STORIESHe said it worked well for him, because he loved festivals so “why not?” More

    • 238 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      Top Brit DJ and Celebs Go Dating star reveals horrific secret six year sleeping pill addiction and warns fans

      by

      TOP Brit DJ Tom Zanetti has revealed his horrific six year sleeping pill addiction, warning fans against getting hooked.The Celebs Go Dating star, 34, took to Instagram yesterday with an emotional post which saw him speak about his secret battle for the first time.Tom Zanetti has revealed his horrific six year sleeping pill addictionCredit: Getty – ContributorHaving overcome his dependency, Tom reflected on how he began taking zopiclone and diazepam at 23 amidst grief and a hectic lifestyle.While he didn’t name her in the post, the TV personality has previously spoken about his girlfriend’s death from a car crash, a young mother at the time.Despite the relief the pills initially provided, the side effects and dependency led him to quit, facing withdrawal and anxiety attacks, he explained.Tom wrote in full, “I was addicted to sleeping tablets for like 6 years. Yeah this personal, but now and again I thought about posting this for last year or two was just nervous as obvs very real.read more on Tom Zanetti”I like to get real on insta now and again and drop an essay haha – come to the conclusion think it’s very important to share for anyone who is on them now as it’s a very slippery slope, and for the younger generation who follow me to stay away and never use an an option as there is literally an epidemic with ‘benzos’ right now.”Every single night I would take zopiclone and diazepam, 1 literally couldn’t sleep without it. The people closest to me know this, but how it affected me personally and mentally they would never know.”It started when I was like 23, I was working a very insane schedule and going though a phase of partying to escape being sober, feeling so bad after my girlfriend at the time passed away suddenly and I also having my son pretty much full time.”I was adamant I never wanted any medication or antidepressants etc after I had been asked to try them over and over again I just wanted to persevere and keep busy – working constantly and / or binge partying (partying in grief is the worst thing you can ever do).Most read in Showbiz”It got to the point I was doing shows almost every night in the week, but also taking my son to school every morning. I would get back at 5/6am then sit on the sofa downstairs until my boy woke up so l could make him breakfast and take him to school.”I thought I would just sit it out all day and sleep at the night time so i could in a crazy way sort my sleeping pattern.”At this point I’d still never touched ‘sleepers’ and began to get in a cycle where I was sleeping one night miss a night for months on end.”With everything else going on after losing my girl and constant exhaustion I gave in, and with the doctors advice I was given a two week course of zopiclone.Tom Zanetti raps about feeling suicidal in emotional new song about struggles after tragic death of his girlfriend”It put me straight to sleep, I couldn’t believe it and I finally I was up and about at a ‘normal’ time so I could have a day feeling productive and not completely finished all the time from actual sleep for so long it was so horrid.”Anyway, as time passed and I came quite tolerant – the zopi still put me to sleep very quickly, but didn’t keep me asleep and began waking after a few hours then couldn’t drift back off to sleep then ended up feeling even worse as I was completely shattered but all also had an awful added hangover type grogginess all day from the tablet, to which i then introduced diazepam.”They are slow release and keep u asleep all night. Zopi to spark me, diaze to keep me zonked. This was honestly an awful, and dangerous way to live but I had become dependant.”There is a gland in your brain and when ur tired and relaxed naturally it switches off and u fall asleep. I had manipulated it that much that the gland pretty much didn’t work and I literally could NOT sleep without my tablets.”Such a crazy lifestyle made it so much harder the more i needed the sleep the more I couldn’t haha. The anxiety, depression, exhaustion and more that this gave me was almost unbearable.”I remember reading somewhere, take zopiclone for 14 nights MAX or u can start to feel ‘out of reality mental experiences’ haha, not even funny I was on them every night for 6 years and nobody knows how bad it made me feel.”I got off them and that was equally as hard, and took a while of no sleep so was vicious circle, iv not taken a tablet for so long now but i had to do it and i will never take again.”Behind closed doors I was suffering bad panick attacks and more, almost every day would be driving my car and when nothing to distract me like l’d start feeling such sudden anxiety and almost have to pull over and just breathe / calm myself down.”I’m sharing this because so many people take sleepers and think it’s a cure for numerous things. I am now completely rid and haven’t touched one in a few years.”I’m so much happier in myself, I can sleep and im lucky enough it didn’t damage my health or worse.”Work on your sleep routine – there is so many things u can do to help so get on that and do not get on sleepers, also best thing is to try cut out any bad energy from people or situations, make decisions for yourself so u can go to sleep clear minded.”You can do this in any addiction, just accept and work to overcome. Lots of love.”Below is helpline for anyone with any type of addiction 0300 123 6600 and a number for also anyone who is suffering and needs to just talk to someone 116 123 you can also get free therapy sessions in the NHS and they really help.What are zopiclone and diazepam?The NHS bill for sleeping pills is £10million a year, and doctors are even described as ‘pushers’.
      But they will only prescribe the ‘Z drugs’ for up to four weeks because of the risk of addiction.
      Zopiclone
      Zopiclone is a type of medication used to treat severe insomnia over the short term.
      It aids in falling asleep faster and prevents nighttime awakenings by affecting the brain’s calming neurotransmitter, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
      Zopiclone is available in tablet form, and for those who have difficulty swallowing tablets, a liquid form is available but must be specially ordered by a doctor.
      It is important to note that Zopiclone is only obtainable with a doctor’s prescription.
      Diazepam
      Diazepam is categorized within the benzodiazepine group of medications.
      Its applications span the treatment of anxiety, muscle spasms, seizures, and alcohol withdrawal symptoms like sweating or insomnia, particularly in a hospital setting.
      Additionally, it is utilized as a pre-medication to induce relaxation before surgical or other medical procedures.
      Its mechanism of action involves elevating the levels of the calming neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain.
      Diazepam is strictly available via prescription and is offered in various forms including tablets, liquid for oral ingestion, rectal tubes for insertion, and injectable formulations typically administered in a hospital setting.

      “It’s known that the most successful and / wealthy people in the world all use therapy, so do not embarrassed to seek help outside your normal circle.”If you got mental weight on your shoulders, then talk and work to get it off. Have a good day!”It’s not the first time Tom’s spoken candidly about life’s challenges.In 2018, he opened up for the first time about his girlfriend’s death in a car crash.Lizzie Pickavance was killed in 2010, aged just 20.She had been returning from work in Manchester when she lost control of her car on the M62 near Gildersome and the vehicle smashed into a tree. She died later in hospital.The DJ had been living in Belle Isle, near Leeds, with Lizzie at the time of the horror crash in 2010, along with their son Deaconn, who was born in 2006.Tom revealed he eventually got through it and urged anyone going through a bereavement to ask for help.He opened up about his late girlfriend on Celebs Go Dating, who was just 21 when Lizzie passed away.”She passed away. She didn’t come home one morning,” he told agents Paul Brunson and Anna Williamson.”She fell asleep at the wheel, she used to work nights, I used to wait for her every single night. So the only night I went to sleep, I woke up and she wasn’t there.”READ MORE SUN STORIESAn emotional Tom added: “F***king hell, I tell this story a lot when people ask, I don’t usually get emotional. I think because of the pressure in the house and I’m opening up to you guys.”In more recent years, he’s been romantically linked to Katie Price, Hayley Hughes and Sophie Hermann.Tom opened up for the first time about his girlfriend’s death on Celebs Go DatingCredit: Channel 4Lizzie Pickavance was killed in 2010, aged just 20Credit: Instagram More

    • 138 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      Olly Murs revealed as headliner for annual festival honouring Caroline Flack

      by

      OLLY Murs will headline an annual festival honouring his late friend Caroline Flack.Flackstock returns in 2024 to celebrate the former Love Island star’s life with comedy, dance and music – and raise critical funds for mental health charities.Olly Murs with close pal Caroline Flack who died in February 2020Credit: GettySinger Olly will headline the festival dedicated to CarolineCredit: GettyCaroline’s family and friends have today announced the performers and special guests for the festival’s third year.In addition to Olly, All Saints legend Shaznay Lewis, Rebecca Ferguson, Tom Walker, Chesney Hawkes and New Dad are the first main acts to be announced for the event.It will take place in the grounds of Englefield, the Elizabethan House and estate near Pangbourne in Berkshire. Olly, who has appeared for the finale twice in the past, says: “It’s going to be amazing to be back at Flackstock this year. READ MORE ON OLLY MURS”For the past two years I’ve been there for the closing of the night and performed Sweet Caroline. “But this year we are doing a full set for the crowd, and I can’t wait to perform at this day festival in Caroline’s memory. “This isn’t just a gig – it’s something that’s raised nearly half a million pounds for four brilliant charities and it’s a pleasure to be there to help raise even more for them on behalf of Caz.” Caroline, who was the former host of Love Island, tragically died by suicide in 2020.Most read in CelebrityBoth Olly and Caroline were close friends, and even presented a series of The X Factor together.He broke down in tears on stage last year as he sang Sweet Caroline in her honour, telling fans: “I lost a very good friend of mine, someone that I love very, very much.Devastated Olly Murs breaks down in tears on The Voice as he recalls close friend’s suicide”Her name is Caroline Flack and it is one of the toughest things that has happened in my life and it is really sad to see someone so amazing leave us but she has never left and she is always in my heart.”As well as Flackstock’s big performers, stage appearances on the day will include everybody’s favourite fitness and health inspiration Joe Wicks who will lead the crowd for a special moment.There are many more acts performing and appearing to be announced in due course from Flackstock. The event has now raised close to £500,000 across the first two years for four amazing charities. Money raised from Flackstock 2024 will once again be split equally between Choose Love, Mind, Samaritans and Charlie Waller Trust – four worthy outlets that held a special place in Caroline’s heart.Caroline’s mother Christine said: “I can’t believe we are in our third year and have Olly performing a full set this time round. “Last year was bigger and more successful than we could have ever imagined so we are thrilled the festival is coming back for a third time. “Raising so much money for these brilliant charities was exactly what we’d hoped for – providing a legacy for my Caroline. “As I’ve said before, Carrie was never more herself or happier than at a music festival with her sister and her friends. “It’s just incredible to have the support of these excellent acts for a third time and it will be a day not to be missed.“A big thank you to everyone involved for all their hard work – Giles Cooper Entertainment and Englefield House and to all the brilliant sponsors.READ MORE SUN STORIES“My family are so proud that so many people who knew Carrie loved her so very much. And celebrating her life and raising money for the charities once again will be a fantastic event for us all. We hope you can join us.” Stay tuned to Flackstock’s social media accounts, for more acts, special guests and announcements ahead of the festival on July 22.  More

    • 213 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      Sheridan Smith reveals new problem at under-fire play Opening Night as security ‘ban her from leaving’ –

      by

      IT’s fair to say that Sheridan Smith has been through a torrid time of late, with her West End show blasted by the critics and members of the audience leaving in the interval. Now the drama surrounding The Gielgud Theatre’s show Opening Night, has ramped up a notch, as Sheridan has revealed that she almost found herself embroiled in a crime scene, mid-performance. Despite audience members walking out, plenty remained to cheer Sheridan onCredit: GettySheridan plays the role of American actress Myrtle who is battle alcohol addictionCredit: GettyHer character Myrtle, a struggling alcoholic, is slumped outside the stage door, which is filmed live and projected via a screen into the theatre. But the actress said that security had to interfere, as police were restraining someone nearby. She told The Chris Evans Breakfast show on Virgin Radio: ” Security wouldn’t let me go out too far the other night because someone was being arrested and restrained on the floor and I was like, “It’s fine, it doesn’t matter and they were like, “No, no you can’t go too far over that way. So I had to start the scene a bit closer to the stage door.”The 42 -year -old also told how the theatres location means that drunk revelers often try to interfere with her performance.She said:  “It’s right between two pubs, so people are all outside hammered and they want to come and try and help me.’read more about SheridanArriving at the Virgin Studios for the interview earlier this week, the actress put on a brave, face, smiling for the cameras, amid ticket prices slashed to just £25 and mounting speculation that the show may close early. Based on the 1977 film of the same name, Opening Night tells the story of alcoholic actress Myrtle Gordon, played by Smith who finds herself on the verge of a breakdown, prompted by the death of a teenage fan.But the show, which features music and lyrics by singer songwriter, Rufus Wainwright, has failed to inspire audiences, who have been leaving the theatre in their droves during the interval. Concerns raised by various theatre dwellers has been that the plot left them confused. Most read in ShowbizIndeed other sources have claimed that die-hard fans of Sheridan are accustomed to seeing her in upbeat roles, like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and most recently Shirley Valentine at the Duke of York Theatre last year.A Source told The Sun: ‘The role of Myrtle is perhaps more complex than the bubbly characters we are used to seeing Sheridan play on stage, like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde for example. So fans coming for a happy clappy night out at the theatre may end up feeling short changed.’Critic Stefan Kyriazis, the Arts Editor for the Express was also unimpressed and noticed that some audience members even fell alseep. “As the curtain fell, the poor ladies in front of me muttering, ‘I don’t understand – what just happened?’ echoed the bewildered slump of an audience who sat (some smartly snoozed) through Rufus Wainwright’s tuneless tunes, endless pointless and intrusive camerawork (enough, already), some atrocious acting and frustratingly bad staging.”The Gavin and Stacey star, who’s been acting since she was a child, admitted recently that she feels tremendous pressure to sell tickets. Speaking on the Scott Mills Radio Show, she said:  “ I get terrified, it’s worse as I get older. I was fearless when I moved to London. Now there’s so much pressure.’ And the Lancashire-born star even pleaded with fans to buy a ticket. She added: “Opening Night is absolutely fascinating and fun- please come.”But despite the less than complimentary reviews, few could deny Sheridan’s magnetic performance as a woman struggling with mental health problems and addiction.Indeed the storyline perhaps resonated with the star who in 2017 confessed to battling anxiety, depression and addiction in her 30s, sparked by the death of her father Colin in 2016.But recently the award winning actress has said that taking on the role in Opening Night, was like coming “full circle” as she has acquired the necessary life experience to fully inhabit the character.READ MORE SUN STORIESSpeaking about the parallels between herself and Myrtle she said: “I am playing an actress, but at least I can add a bit of my emotion to it, some true emotion. It’s very freeing. I has actually been really cathartic, just getting it all out.”Opening Night at the Gielgud Theatre is due to run until 27th July.The music for the show has been composed by singer, songwriter extrordinaire, Rufus WainwrightCredit: GettySheridan at the press night and afterparty for the show at The Ham Yard hotelCredit: GettyHaving battled her own demons, Sheridan has said that playing the role has felt like coming full circleCredit: Getty More