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Halle Bailey has earned praise for the “perfect” Ariel-inspired dress she wore to the premiere of The Little Mermaid. On 8 May, Bailey, who plays Ariel in the upcoming live-action Disney remake, arrived on the red carpet in Los Angeles in a metallic blue Valdrin Sahiti gown with a shell-shaped structured neckline that resembled the mermaid’s iconic seashell top. Bailey paired the shimmering blue gown with teal eyeshadow, glittery blue nails and diamond earrings, with the result an outfit worthy of the film’s titular character. On social media, the “Do It” singer’s look has been met with joy from fans, with many declaring the gown a perfect interpretation of Ariel. “Halle Bailey looked absolutely amazing at the premiere of #TheLittleMermaid. The dress was perfect for this event because it looked so mermaid-like,” one person tweeted, while another said: “I am so obsessed with Halle Bailey’s dress for The Little Mermaid premiere!! She looks so beautiful omg.” Someone else described the outfit choice as an “aquatic serve,” while another person admitted that the gown left them “speechless”. “Still not over Halle Bailey’s dress,” one person tweeted. Others were appreciative of the fact that the dress did not prevent Bailey from interacting with young fans, with a video showing the star bending down to greet and embrace Offset and Cardi B’s daughter Kulture, five, during the premiere. The Migos rapper, who dressed in a Prince Eric-inspired outfit for the occasion, attended the premiere alongside Kulture and his daughter Kalea, eight, who were both dressed in miniature ball gowns. “It’s that fact that she can get down that low in this dress that looks like it is PAINTED on [her] body is amazing to me lol I love it,” one fan tweeted along with a video of the sweet moment between Bailey and Kulture. Although the official release of the live-action version of the 1989 Disney film is still weeks away, the remake has already earned praise from critics. Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel in the animated version of the film, shared her delight with Bailey’s interpretation of the role at the premiere, with Benson telling Entertainment Tonightthat the actress doesn’t need any advice from her because she’s “brilliant”. “[Halle Bailey] doesn’t need any advice from me, she’s brilliant!” she said with a grin. After praising Bailey’s “purity of heart, vulnerability and bravery” in the role, Benson added: “I’m so thrilled for her, and I’m so proud of her.” Bailey’s sister Chloe also applauded her sister, telling ET that “there could not be a more perfect Ariel”. “To know that all of those beautiful girls will be able to see proper representation, whether you’re black or white or anything like that, you’ll be able to look at my sister and say ‘I can be anything I want to be no matter what the world tells me is acceptable,’” she said. “There could not be a more perfect Ariel.” The Little Mermaid will be released on 26 May 2023. Read More The Little Mermaid first reactions praise Halle Bailey as a ‘perfect’ Ariel Little Mermaid dolls based on Halle Bailey unveiled Little Mermaid fan refuses to let go of actor Halle Bailey after they meet at Disney World

By Hannah Confino REHOVOT, Israel - Every year, egg farmers kill 7 billion day-old male chicks because they cannot grow

Festival season is in full swing, and thousands of music lovers will soon be flocking to Glastonbury, ready to revel and soak up the sounds. But can all those loud songs and thumping sound effects be detrimental to our hearing? “Attending a concert may give you more than you bargained for,” says Dr Deborah Lee, from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy. “A recent 2022 BMJ study showed one billion people around the world aged 12-34 are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss. With 24% of young people found to have unsafe listening practices with personal music devices.” She adds that 48% were attending noisy venues, such as nightclubs and concerts, at least once a month without noise protection. Dr Adam Hill, associate professor of electroacoustics, University of Derby, says: “While festivals are, for many, one of the most enjoyable features of the summer, care must be taken to avoid over-exposing yourself to high sound levels, as this could result in long-term negative social and health impacts. You need to ‘enjoy responsibly’,” Hill adds. How does noise exposure damage hearing? Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Our hearing depends on the function of tiny hairs inside the cochlea – a snail-shaped organ in your middle ear, explains Dr Lee: “Sound waves cause the fluid in the cochlea to reverberate, resulting in the movement of these very fine hairs. This generates electrical impulses, which lead to the perception of sound in the brain.” She says there are around 15,000 of these specialised hair cells in each cochlea. Once they have been damaged, they cannot regenerate. “We are all exposed to noise every day, but it’s loud noises above 85 dB that are likely to cause hearing loss,” notes Lee. “This could be a sudden explosion, or continuous exposure to loud noise, such as attending a concert, working in a noisy factory or listening to a personal music device at high volumes.” What are the signs you’ve been exposed to too much noise? There are a few tell-tale signs you’ve been exposed to too much noise at a festival. One of them is tinnitus. “If you have ringing in your ears after attending a festival. This could persist for one or two days after the event – and may become permanent after repeated exposures over many years,” says Dr Hill. Decreased sensitivity to sound is another thing you might notice. “Things sound quieter/muffled,” says Hill. “This usually takes one to two days to return to normal, but may become permanent after repeated exposure over many years.” He says you may also have difficulty understanding what someone is saying to you, especially in a noisy environment, and difficulty telling different sounds apart, like identifying multiple instruments when a band is playing. What can you do to protect your hearing at festivals? “Use earplugs. Ideally custom-made earplugs, which is what musicians use,” says Lee. “Cotton wool or foam rubber earplugs are ineffective. High-fidelity earplugs are a good option. These filter the sound without reducing the quality and provide ear protection.” This is especially important for babies and children at festivals – ear defenders are available to help protect their sensitive ears. Lee adds: “Take regular breaks away from the noise. For every 3 dB above 80 dB, the time you can spend exposed to the noise without it damaging your hearing is halved. “It’s safe to listen to noise at 80 dB for up to eight hours, so at 83 dB this time frame is reduced to four hours. If you do the maths, at the average concert, hearing damage could set in after just five minutes!” She suggests taking breaks such as going to the loo, getting a drink, or taking a walk away from the main body of the noise at regular intervals. And lastly: “Don’t stand within three metres of a loudspeaker.” What can you do if you’re already concerned? Regular festival goers may already have hearing concerns on their radar. “The best thing you can do is to go get your hearing tested,” advises Dr Hill. “This will give you an indication of whether you have any issues already.” If you enjoy going to festivals and other live music events on a regular basis, he says it would be wise to invest in some suitable reusable earplugs: “High quality earplugs will reduce the effect of the musical content equally, so it sounds the same but at a lower level.” If you are involved in the music industry in any way (even if you are a student), Hill suggests making use of the Musicians’ Hearing Health Scheme. He adds: “You can get a hearing test and high-quality bespoke earplugs for a significant discounted rate.”

This week’s new entertainment releases include Olivia Rodrigo's much-anticipated sophomore album, LaKeith Stanfield starring in the eight-part horror fantasy series “The Changeling” and Disney's live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” starring Halle Bailey

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