Boon or blight? E-scooters around the world
The for-hire electric scooters that have become ubiquitous in Paris and other cities worldwide will be banned in the French...
2023-08-28 21:19
Gen Z thrifting icon Emma Rogue on 'childhood nostalgia-core' and the future of fashion
We're hanging out at Emma Rogue's thrifting dreamland in downtown Manhattan, the physical embodiment of
2023-10-28 01:45
Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte is back, and it's celebrating its 20th anniversary
The Pumpkin Spice Latte is coming back, again.
2023-08-23 21:29
This robot vacuum is nearly half-off — and pretty close to its Prime Day price
SAVE $190: As of Oct. 20, you can get an iRobot Roomba i4 EVO robot
2023-10-20 23:48
Rugby star Ugo Monye: Boarding school shaped my career and my personality
The Rugby World Cup and new series of Strictly Come Dancing are both set to kick off soon – and one man who knows just how hard both of them are is Ugo Monye. “Strictly is gruelling,” says the former rugby pro-turned-pundit, who played with Harlequins and England before taking part in Strictly in 2021. “At times you’re training for 12 hours a day. So, you could go for a period of three or four days where all you do is wake up, go to the studio, go to sleep, wake up, go to the studio, go to bed.” He recalls recently telling his friend, comedian Eddie Kadi, all about this, the night before he was announced as a contestant for this year’s show. And because of the demanding schedule, taking care of yourself becomes a top priority. “You try and eat right, try and get as much sleep as possible. The biggest initial challenge everyone will find is their feet, because they wouldn’t have been used to dancing for 11 hours a day,” adds Monye, 40, who was partnered with Oti Mabuse on the show. Trading his rugby boots for ballroom shoes came with some challenges, but he still completed five weeks on the show (Monye and Mabuse finished in 11th place that year). “I remember when I did the quickstep, I had my Apple Watch on, which showed that I danced over 45km in five days,” he recalls. “I remember the first week or two, just the nervousness of rolling out of bed and putting my feet on the carpet because you didn’t know how they would feel.” Having played such a physically demanding sport for 13 years at pro level, Monye was not in bad shape. But Strictly was another “type of pressure”. “When I retired in 2015, I never thought that I’d be dancing, dressed in a low cut, electric pink, short sleeve shirt doing the samba. It’s something I’m actually really proud of,” he adds happily. Like lots of people, Monye, who has two daughters – Phoenix Lilly, six, and Ruby, three, with his ex-wife Lucy – recalls how his approach to self-care has evolved over the years. “Going back to the early 2000s, I was living the dream, right? I was 18 and I got a professional contract playing for my boyhood club, and within a year I travelled the world playing for England,” he says. “I was all, what mental health? I’m flying, right?” Things shifted with time, however, and he began to see the importance of having a proactive approach to maintaining his mental wellbeing. “I remember speaking to a friend, who is really interested in mental health, [about how] people often seek [mental health support] after something bad or traumatic has happened to a point where they actually need it. But it’s more like how you have to go and get an MOT on your car and service it,” he explains. “I think towards the end of my career, I became more aware of it. I have now definitely paid more attention to it and I absolutely love psychology, so I love understanding how the mind works.” Since his retirement, Monye – who has teamed up with Samsung ahead of the World Cup, which starts on September 8 – he has been busy being a dad, alongside jumping into a vibrant broadcast career. Having daughters made him reflect on his own upbringing too – going from being raised by a single mother on a London council estate, to a rural boarding school in Hampshire where he had his education funded (Monye secured a sports scholarship when he was 13). He attributes a lot of his success to his schooling. “I think the person I am now was born at age 13. Everything I was surrounded by was slightly different in that world. It was where I first was introduced to rugby, which then has quite clearly gone on to shape my career, the pathway that I have now, but also my personality. “I think I rely upon myself, I back myself. I had to depend on myself and try and get things done,” he reflects. “I think my personality traits, good and bad, were all developed at boarding school.” Having spent large chunks of his childhood away from family, how does he manage his own work-life balance as a parent now? “How do you manage your work-life balance? Well, you stand in the middle of the park taking a phone call,” he jokes (Monye is in the playground with his girls while we talk). “The time I have with them is absolute quality. For the World Cup, I’m going out for like three or four stints. I’d love them to be able to come out, but with school, it is a bit more difficult. “But I have said to Phoenix already that next year is the Olympics, and she loves gymnastics, so she’s going to be getting on the Eurostar with me. She is watching a lot of clips of Simone Biles at the moment on YouTube and she’s obsessed.” He wants to see his daughters inspired by brilliant women. “I love to watch sports with my daughters,” says Monye. “And we loved watching the Women’s World Cup. I had to get them to come and watch incredible women just do it.” Ugo Monye has teamed up with Samsung ahead of the world’s biggest rugby tournament (samsung.com/uk/big-screen-tv) Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Why do we crave brand new clothes and how can we resist the urge to buy them? How can I improve my teenager’s low mood? Drinking alcohol does not make people look more attractive, study suggests
2023-08-30 18:27
6 times Kate has worn London Fashion Week designers
The Princess of Wales will likely keep a close eye on the catwalks this season, as she’s been known to champion clothes from London Fashion Week (LFW) designers. The upcoming season kicks off on September 15 and will see major labels – including Burberry, Richard Quinn and Erdem – debuting their spring/summer 2024 collections. These are just some of the times Kate has worn LFW designers for royal engagements… 1. Erdem For the Commonwealth Day service in Westminster Abbey earlier this year, Kate stepped out in one of her go-to labels: Erdem. Helmed by designer Erdem Moralioglu, the brand is known for its romantic and floral aesthetic. For the service, Kate chose a navy ensemble featuring an all-over white flower print, made up of a peplum blazer with delicate chain detailing on the bodice, and a midi-length skirt. It was a well-chosen look, drawing upon a Commonwealth designer for the event – Moralioglu is originally from Canada. 2. Roksanda As a patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Kate is a familiar face at Wimbledon – and in 2022 she attended the iconic event in a sunny yellow dress. The outfit, which had capped sleeves and bow detailing at the shoulder, was from Roksanda – a label known for its vibrant use of colour, helmed by Serbian designer Roksanda Ilincic. 3. Burberry Heritage brand Burberry is one of the most highly-anticipated shows on the London Fashion Week schedule, and Kate is obviously partial to its designs – she has even been spotted in one of the label’s iconic beige trench coats. She brought a bit of Britain to Canada on a 2011 trip, dressing down in an olive Burberry shirt during a visit to Blachford Lake near Yellowknife. 4. Stephen Jones Stephen Jones is often seen as the go-to milliner for the royals – his hats have been worn by the Duchess of Sussex, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as Kate herself. One of Kate’s more experimental fashion moments in a Stephen Jones creation came at the 2011 Epsom Derby, when she wore a beret-style brown straw hat with a bow detailing. 5. Temperley London Many of Kate’s royal engagements require her to wear an evening gown, and she’ll often choose LFW stalwart Temperley London for the occasion. At the National Portrait Gala in 2017, she wore one of creative director Alice Temperley’s designs – a floor-length forest green lace gown with long sleeves and a high neck. 6. Emilia Wickstead Emilia Wickstead is another LFW designer who often features in the Princess of Wales’ wardrobe. Wickstead’s designs are very much in Kate’s wheelhouse: classic and demure cuts, usually in interesting colours or with a quirky twist. Kate wore a lemon midi dress with long sleeves to the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, with the elegant dress given an added bit of interest thanks to twisted detailing at the waist. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Pro-gamer Jukeyz ‘died for two minutes’ after cardiac arrest which left him ‘scared to sleep’ Young people not snowflakes or wasters, says curator of rebellious fashion exhibition Meet the man who grows the biggest vegetables in the world
2023-09-13 14:57
Nebraska expected to pass 12-week abortion ban, restrictions on gender-affirming care
Conservative Nebraska lawmakers are expected to have just enough votes to pass a bill Friday that combines restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors with a 12-week abortion ban
2023-05-20 04:48
HBO's 'Insecure' is streaming on Netflix. You heard me.
Issa Rae's eternally superb drama comedy, Insecure, is now streaming on Netflix. That's correct, HBO
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'Cassandro' trailer introduces the 'Liberace of Lucha Libre'
The world of Lucha Libre comes to dazzling life in the trailer for Prime Video's
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Federal Watchdog: Move Cash Out of CashApp, PayPal, Venmo or Risk Losing It
A federal consumer watchdog this week warned consumers that money held on mobile payment apps
2023-06-04 02:24
How did John Castic die? Goldman Sachs analyst's father reveals son's death was due to drowning
John Castic's father, Jeffrey Castic, initially suggested that a peanut butter allergy might have been a contributing factor to his death
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Paris airport pandemonium as bag handler breaks
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