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Nicki Minaj has opened up about her feelings of anxiety after becoming a new mother. The rapper, 40, is the latest Vogue cover star for the magazine’s December 2023 issue. Speaking to the publication, Minaj shared many details about her ongoing motherhood journey, after she and husband Kenneth Petty welcomed their son in 2020. Minaj and Petty, who were married in 2019, were formerly high school sweethearts and grew up together in the same neighbourhood in Queens, New York. The “Superbass” singer explained how Petty was unfazed by her level of fame, and noted that he even calls her by her real name - Onika Tanya Maraj. “Because I’ve known my husband for so long, there’s an ease we have with each other,” she told Vogue. “We make each other laugh. We’re silly. And we’re always reminiscing about some old story. If it was a guy that I met as Nicki Minaj, I think I’d feel like they liked me because I’m Nicki Minaj, and what if I don’t look like Nicki Minaj every day? And that, combined with pregnancy, would probably have made me crazy.” The pair welcomed their son, who Minaj has nicknamed “Papa Bear” on social media in order to keep his privacy, on 30 September 2020. The “Barbie World” rapper admitted that she and Petty struggled with their relationship after becoming a family of three, much like many couples do when they become new parents. “I’m not going to lie, things got testy between us. Because of our history, I think we knew we’d get past it. But there’s no such thing as confidence in parenthood,” she explained, before recalling the amount of anxiety she felt after becoming a mother. “I kind of wish that someone had told me - although I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to understand it - that there’s a level of anxiety, and you think it’s going to go away, but in fact it gets scarier,” Minaj added. “So often you think: I don’t know how to do this!” Minaj’s highly-anticipated fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, is due for release on 8 December. The “Starships” singer previously told her millions of fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she had “decided to retire and have my family” just one month before she and Petty were married. However, the Grammy nominee soon realised that the studio was still calling her name - even if that meant needing to balance her family life with her professional career. “I think that deep down inside, I believed that once I had a family, I would just lose the desire to make music,” Minaj told Vogue. “I would always tell people: ‘Watch, when I have a child I’m going to cook every meal for him and bake cookies every day.’ Maybe subconsciously I hoped my focus would just be on being a mother, and I looked forward to that idea. It felt like a relief. But what happens is that you find out you have to work.” This isn’t the first time Minaj has opened up about feeling anxiety as a new mother. In an interview with E! News published in October 2022, the rapper revealed that she often feels like her “heart is being ripped out” when she is away from her now-three-year-old son. “I hate that I have more anxiety now because you’re like: ‘What if the one time I leave my child, I get that phone call?’” she said at the time. “I think moms feel like they have to be perfect.” Minaj then recalled when she was in the United Kingdom and started “bawling” over being away from her son. “And when I try to FaceTime him, I get more sad,” she said. “So, I try to hold out on FaceTiming him because to then put the phone down is so difficult.” The “Super Freaky Girl” rapper shared that she and Petty have never hired a nanny to take care of their baby. “I’m a Trinidadian woman,” she said. “Culturally, we’re not really used to nannies and strangers taking care of the babies. “It’s not a bad thing when moms do it. It’s just that I have to get conditioned. I have to get it out of my mind that it’s a weird thing, because there are tons of celebrities that are doing it and they’re raising amazing children.” Back in September 2020, Minaj announced the birth of her son by posting several photographs of handwritten notes from her celebrity friends congratulating her on the baby news. One of the pictures in the post featured a note from Beyoncé, which read: “Onika, welcome to motherhood. God bless you and your family. B.” “Thank you to Queen B, Kim & Ye, Riccardo Tisci, Winnie, Karol and everyone who sent well wishes during this time. It meant the world to me,” Minaj captioned her post. “I am so grateful and in love with my son. Madly in love. My favorite liddo boy in the whole wide world.” Read More How much water should we be drinking in a day? Irina Shayk reveals how she and Bradley Cooper make co-parenting daughter Lea ‘work’ What is silent reflux? How much water should we be drinking in a day? Irina Shayk reveals how she and Bradley Cooper make co-parenting daughter Lea ‘work’ What is silent reflux?

“I love the sticky sound this steamy pasta makes as you stir through pumpkin, walnuts and blue cheese until it forms a creamy sauce,” says chef Donal Skehan. “It’s proper autumnal food – seek out smaller, sweeter pumpkins with interesting textures and skin colours; they are far more flavourful than the regular large orange ones.” Autumn pasta with blue cheese and nuts Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 pumpkin or autumn squash (about 1kg), peeled, deseeded and sliced 3-4 sprigs of thyme 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp salted butter 2 onions, thinly sliced 350g pasta shapes, such as conchiglie or rigatoni 100g blue cheese 75g walnuts, toasted and roughly crushed Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Best-quality extra virgin olive oil, to serve Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/gas 6. 2. Place the pumpkin on a large baking sheet with the thyme sprigs and toss in the olive oil until all the pieces are coated. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until tender and caramelised at the edges. Once cooked, keep warm. 3. While the pumpkin cooks, place a large heavy-based frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the onions and season generously, tossing to coat completely in the melted butter. Reduce the heat and cook gently until the onions are sweet and caramelised, about 10-15 minutes. 4. Towards the end of the pumpkin cooking time, bring a large pan of water to the boil and generously season with salt. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water for use in the sauce. 5. Increase the heat back up under the pan with the onions, then add the reserved pasta water and bring to a steady simmer. Meanwhile, mash half the cooked pumpkin and add this to the onions. Crumble in almost all of the blue cheese (keep a little back to serve) and stir until you have a smooth, creamy sauce. Working quickly, add the pasta to the pan and stir through until completely coated. 6. Serve the pasta hot in warmed plates topped with the remaining pumpkin slices and blue cheese. Sprinkle with toasted crushed walnuts and top with a generous drizzle of the best-quality extra virgin olive oil you have to hand and a last seasoning of sea salt and black pepper. One-pot Moroccan-style meatballs “There are some recipes that are ideal for making ahead of time and seem to improve in flavour once you plonk them in the fridge for an overnight stay. This is particularly true of a tomato-based meatball stew like this one,” says Skehan. “The spices have an opportunity to mingle with the lamb, the harissa paste has time to develop the deep hum of heat in the sauce, and you are left with a pot of something truly special. “Make these meatballs while you have time on a Sunday night, and all you have to do to make a meal of them is serve them at the table with rice or couscous, and maybe some flatbreads.” If you don’t have a slow cooker, make this in a casserole dish and cook, uncovered, in an oven preheated to 160C/140C fan/320F/gas 3 for one hour. Serves: 4 Ingredients: 450g minced lamb ½ red onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 medium free-range egg 2 tsp ras el hanout 30g fresh white breadcrumbs 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tbsp olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper For the sauce: 1 tbsp olive oil ½ red onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 heaped tbsp harissa paste Grated zest of 1 lemon 400g tin chopped tomatoes 100ml chicken stock 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed To serve: Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped Couscous, steamed Greek yoghurt Flatbreads, charred and torn Method: 1. In a large bowl, mix the lamb with the red onion, garlic, egg, ras el hanout, breadcrumbs and parsley. Season well and with wet hands, shape into 20 walnut-sized balls. 2. Heat the two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan or using the sauté function on the slow cooker and brown the meatballs all over. Transfer to a plate. 3. Now for the sauce. Add the one tablespoon of oil to the pan or slow cooker and gently fry the onion for five minutes, then add the garlic, harissa and lemon zest, and cook for one minute more. 4. Transfer to the slow cooker (if you’re not already using it), then add the meatballs. Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stock. 5. Season well and cook on high for four hours, then add the chickpeas and cook for a further 30 minutes. If the sauce is too juicy at the end, remove the meatballs and reduce to your liking in a pan or using the sauté function on your slow cooker. 6. Serve the meatballs and sauce scattered with parsley, with steamed couscous, a dollop of yoghurt and flatbreads. Irish coffee, hazelnut and chocolate tiramisu Tiramisu is one of Skehan’s “go-to desserts to feed a crowd”. He says: “This version is the latest twist and an homage to that favourite after-dinner treat: Irish coffee topped with whipped cream.” Serves: 6 Ingredients: 400ml double cream 250g mascarpone 4 tbsp caster sugar 75ml Baileys 300ml strong coffee 75ml whiskey 200g Savoiardi sponge fingers 100g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar 75g dark chocolate, grated Method: 1. Put the cream, mascarpone and sugar into a bowl and whisk by hand with a balloon whisk until it is thick and luscious. Whisk in the Baileys and set aside. 2. Mix the coffee and whiskey together in a shallow dish. Dip the sponge fingers into this mixture and put a layer of them into a glass serving dish. Spread over a third of the mascarpone mixture and scatter with a third of the nuts and chocolate. 3. Repeat to make two more layers, finishing with a layer of cream scattered with nuts and chocolate. Chill for at least two hours before serving. This will keep well covered in the fridge for two to three days. ‘Home Kitchen: Everyday Cooking Made Simple And Delicious’ by Donal Skehan (Yellow Kite, £25). Read More Three authentic Thai recipes to try at home Move over Nando’s – how chicken restaurants became cool Long live British scran: Three classic dishes for autumn Four delicious ways to use up leftover pumpkin this Halloween The best foods to forage in November and how to cook them Why ‘chain’ restaurant shouldn’t be a dirty word

'Britain's Got Talent' judge Amanda Holden is "so excited" to have been appointed Christmas Ambassador for bath and body product firm Baylis + Harding.

In northern Thailand’s mountainous Khao Kho region, Saiphin Moore, the vivacious founder of London’s ubiquitous restaurant chain Rosa’s Thai, grew up cooking and eating some of her country’s most famous dishes. From the seriously spicy som tam to the famously fiery pad kra prow, these recipes pack a punch – which also makes them the perfect winter warmer. Som tam (green papaya salad) Ingredients: 2 tbsp roasted peanuts 1-10 red bird’s eye chillies (depending on how brave you are) 5 small (or 2-3 large) garlic cloves 1½ tbsp palm sugar 2 yard-long beans (or green beans), cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) pieces 4 cherry tomatoes, sliced 2 tbsp fresh lime juice 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce (or 2 tsp salt) ½ medium green papaya, peeled and shredded 1 carrot, shredded 2 tbsp dried shrimp (leave out for a vegetarian alternative) Method: 1. In a small, dry frying pan, toast the peanuts over a medium heat until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. (There’s also a ready-toasted alternative you can find in the supermarkets). 2. Coarsely pound the chillies and garlic together using a pestle and mortar. Add the palm sugar, beans and tomatoes. Lightly pound to combine, then squeeze in the lime juice and fish sauce. 3. Lightly pound again, then add the green papaya and carrot. Pound again and toss to combine. The taste should be sweet and salty in perfect balance, with a sharp, sour and spicy tang. 4. Spoon the salad into a serving bowl and sprinkle over the dried shrimp and toasted peanuts. Pad kra prow taohu (tofu holy basil stir-fry) Pad kra prow is another national dish found on many a Thai street corner, and that includes the vegetarian version. In Thailand we use holy basil, the very pungent sister of Italian basil, which is a key ingredient in Thai cooking. You’ll notice the sudden bursts of aroma from the wok as soon as you start tossing the ingredients together over a high heat – it’s a smell that wakes up my senses every time. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 3 red bird’s eye chillies 3 garlic cloves 2 tbsp vegetable oil 150g (5½oz) firm tofu, cut into chunks 1 tbsp light soy sauce ½ tbsp dark soy sauce ½ tbsp sugar Pinch of white pepper ½ onion, chopped ¼ red pepper, sliced ¼ yellow pepper, sliced 30g (1oz) yard-long beans or green beans, cut into 2cm (¾ inch) pieces Handful of holy basil leaves 2 kaffir lime leaves, chopped Steamed jasmine rice, to serve Method: 1. Using either a pestle and mortar, grind the chillies and garlic to a paste. 2. Heat the oil in a wok set over a high heat. Add the chilli and garlic mixture and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until nice and golden brown. 3. Now add the tofu chunks, both soy sauces, the palm sugar and white pepper and cook, tossing everything around in the pan, for about 1 minute, until the tofu is well coated and has taken on a little colour from the sauces. 4. Once everything is mixed well, add the onion, peppers and long beans and cook for a further 30 seconds, all the while tossing the mixture together. Throw in the basil and lime leaves and stir-fry for a further 30 seconds. Serve immediately with jasmine rice. Grilled whole sea bass At home in Petchabun, in the north of Thailand, we would cook this dish with whatever freshwater fish we caught that day. It’s always been one of my favourite go-to barbecue recipes because it’s super quick and easy to put together! This dish has always been on our menu from day one but I’ve tweaked it slightly from what we serve at Lao Café to make sure everyone can easily make this at home. It’s great just by itself with the spicy dipping sauce, or add sticky rice or rice noodles, and leafy green salads on the side to make it a complete meal. Serves: 2-3 Ingredients: 1 whole sea bass, scaled and gutted (or other sustainably caught medium-size white fish like sea bream or tilapia) 1 stalk of lemongrass, sliced 4-5 stalks of coriander (save the leaves for dipping sauce) 1 galangal, sliced (available from Asian supermarkets, leave out if you can’t find it) 2 cloves of garlic, whole A handful of Thai or Italian basil leaves For the marinade: 2 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp black pepper, crushed For the dipping sauce: 2-3 bird eyes chillies, finely chopped 1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped 1 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp lime juice 1 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar) A handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped Method: Rub the marinade mixture liberally on both sides of the fish skin. Stuff the lemongrass, coriander stalks, galangal, garlic, and basil inside the fish. Wrap the fish in foil and place on the barbeque for 15-20 minutes depending on the size, until the flesh flakes easily. While the fish is cooking, make the dipping sauce by combining the ingredients together. Make sure that the sugar is dissolved completely. Serve the fish from the foil, set a bowl of sticky rice or rice noodles and salads on the side, and dig in! Read More Move over Nando’s – how chicken restaurants became cool Long live British scran: Three classic dishes for autumn Four delicious ways to use up leftover pumpkin this Halloween The best foods to forage in November and how to cook them Why ‘chain’ restaurant shouldn’t be a dirty word Starbucks customer reveals comical result of her request for half sandwich

A majority of the human body is made up of water, which is why staying hydrated so important. It can be confusing to determine how much the average person should drink in a day, especially in situations like when it’s hot outside or when you’re exercising. There are even consequences to not drinking the right amount of water, such as dehydration or overhydration. The National Health Service (NHS) typically recommends drinking between six to eight glasses of fluid, including water, every day. But the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is 15.5 cups (3.7 litres) per day for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 litres) per day for women. However, this fluid intake accounts for drinking plain water as well as other beverages and food that contain water, like fruits and vegetables. The amount of water one should be drinking each day can also vary depending on the situation. According to the Mayo Clinic, those who are working out should be drinking extra water before, during, and after a period of exercise. This especially goes for any activity that makes you sweat, because drinking water helps replenish the fluid your body lost. People in hot or humid weather should be drinking more water than usual because of how much they’re sweating, which contributes to fluid loss. Meanwhile, in areas with higher altitudes like the mountains, dehydration can become more common. The Mayo Clinic suggests that people lose bodily fluids when they have a fever, are vomiting, or have diarrhoea. As such, it’s important that people are consuming extra water when they’re sick. Other conditions that might require increased fluid intake include bladder infections and urinary tract stones. Feeling thirsty and passing dark-coloured, strong-smelling urine are some of the initial signs that you could be dehydrated. Other symptoms include feeling sluggish, feeling light headed, or having a dry mouth. Drinking milk, water, and fruit juice is also a good way to maintain hydration. However, people should bear in mind the amount of sugar that can be contained in sweetened drinks. Tea and coffee may also help with hydration, though people should try to keep track of how much caffeine they’re consuming. While it’s important to know whether you’re drinking enough water, the Mayo Clinic suggests it’s likely that nothing is wrong with someone’s water intake if they rarely feel thirsty and their urine is clear, or a light yellow colour. It is possible to drink too much, however, it’s rarely a problem for someone with healthy kidneys. Still, overhydration can occur when the body retains or collects too much water. Some athletes who participate in endurance events, especially marathon runners, can be prone to taking on too much fluid. This can lead to water intoxication and dangerously low sodium levels, which is referred to as hyponatraemia. In order to help the body to relieve itself of excess water, as well as relieve pressure on the heart and other organs, doctors may prescribe diuretics or water tablets that promote the production of urine. Read More Irina Shayk reveals how she and Bradley Cooper make co-parenting daughter Lea ‘work’ What is silent reflux? Salon owner with incurable cancer who lost hair in treatment makes customisable wigs

Irina Shayk has shared details about her co-parenting relationship with ex Bradley Cooper. The supermodel, 37, opened up about sharing custody of her six-year-old daughter, Lea, with the Silver Linings Playbook star in an interview with Elle published on 8 November. In the interview, Shayk revealed that she and Cooper always put their daughter first, despite their busy schedules. “We both take Lea everywhere with us. She’s super easy,” she told the outlet. Shayk went on to recall how her daughter sat and drew in a colouring book for an hour while she was working out. When the mother-daughter duo then went to a Michael Kors fitting, Lea drew the designer a “kitty cat” and he “gave her a bag” in return. The Russian-born model admitted that she and Cooper, who grew up outside of Philadelphia, both come from “normal backgrounds” far different from Lea’s childhood in New York City. However, Shayk revealed that neither of them have hired a nanny for their daughter, so as to give her as regular an upbringing as possible. “Looking at my daughter now, she’s growing up in a completely different environment,” Shayk said. “She lives in the West Village. She went to all these countries in two months. But we want her to know the value of stuff. We want to show our daughter: ‘You have to work hard to get something.’” Even when Cooper is away shooting a film, Shayk admitted that they “always find a way” to make their co-parenting schedule work for both of them. “He’s the best father Lea and I could dream of. It always works, but it always works because we make it work,” she said. The supermodel previously admitted in March 2021 that she “never understood” the term co-parenting. “When I’m with my daughter, I’m 100 per cent a mother, and when she’s with her dad, he’s 100 per cent her dad. Co-parenting is parenting,” she told Elle at the time. Although the former couple split in 2019 after four years together, they’ve remained close for the sake of their daughter. In August, Shayk and Cooper took their daughter on vacation together to Italy. In a post shared to her Instagram Story during their getaway, the model shared a black and white snap of The Hangover star lying in a kayak on the water. The pair also posed for a photo together on another family vacation in August 2022. In the smiling image, Shayk and Cooper could be seen smiling for the camera and feeding a group of pigs, as she rested her head on the actor’s shoulder. While Shayk has been open about her co-parenting relationship with Cooper, she was not as quick to address rumours she’s dating retired NFL star Tom Brady. “No comment,” Shayk told Elle, when asked about her rumoured love interest. The model maintained that she chooses to keep certain aspects of her life private, including who she’s dating. “I share my work stuff because I decided to keep my personal life personal,” Shayk said. “That’s why it’s called personal, because it’s something that belongs to me. If one day I feel like I want to share it, I will.” Back in July, Shayk and Brady sparked romance rumours when they were spotted together in Los Angeles. In photos obtained byPage Six, the pair were photographed in a car, with the former quarterback sitting in the driver’s seat and smiling at Shayk in the passenger’s seat. One photo also appeared to show Brady’s hand placed on Shayk’s face while they were at a stoplight. A source claimed to People that the rumoured couple “have been in touch for a few weeks” and that “there is a spark” between them. “There is an attraction, the source claimed, adding that Shayk and Brady “have never been involved romantically before”. Just last month, however, insiders told the outlet that Brady and Shayk’s rumoured relationship has “fizzled out” since the summer. “Irina was very attracted to Tom. She liked dating him. It excited her,” one source said. "They had fun travelling to see each other. In the end, it kind of just fizzled.” “They both keep having obligations, and it was getting more difficult to be in the same city at the same time,” they continued. “Irina has nothing but great things to say about Tom.” A second source added that “there’s no drama” between Brady and Shayk following the split. Meanwhile, Cooper is currently romantically linked to fellow model Gigi Hadid. The two first sparked romance rumours in early October, when they were spotted having dinner together in New York City. Cooper and Hadid, 27, were later photographed taking a stroll in the Big Apple - where the actor could be seen sporting a pair of Ellen Degeneres-branded boxers peeking above his pants waistband. Read More What is silent reflux? Salon owner with incurable cancer who lost hair in treatment makes customisable wigs Should we end daylight saving time? Doctors think it’s bad for our health What is silent reflux? Salon owner with incurable cancer who lost hair in treatment makes customisable wigs Should we end daylight saving time? Doctors think it’s bad for our health

The tendency to stuff your face with food is often met with the urgent need to settle your stomach by laying on the couch for hours, especially during the holiday season. However, what some people fail to realise is that sprawling out after a big meal may not soothe your body like you think. Silent reflux, often referred to as laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), can potentially be caused by “overeating and lying down just after eating”, according to the UT Southwestern Medical Centre. With Thanksgiving fast approaching, it’s important to be aware of the symptoms and signs of LPR, ensuring you aren’t inadvertently subjecting your body to the condition. UT Southwestern Medical Centre defines LPR as “a condition in which stomach acid flows back up the esophagus [swallowing tube] into the larynx [voice box] and throat.” The name is derived from the inherent form of the condition, which doesn’t cause any symptoms in the chest. When you swallow food, the contents travel down the esophagus past two sphincters, a ring-shaped muscle on the lower and upper portions of the esophagus connected to the stomach. Before the gastrointestinal system digests the food, the sphincters close so the contents aren’t able to come back up the esophagus. “If the sphincter does not close properly, acidic stomach contents can flow back into the esophagus, up to the throat and larynx,” the medical centre states. Potential causes of LPR include alcohol use, tobacco use, “certain food choices” like spicy or fried foods, obesity, overeating habits, clothing that fits tightly around the abdomen, and lying down immediately after food consumption. While the condition doesn’t evoke chest-burning symptoms like other forms of acid reflux, there are a number of other symptoms associated with LPR. Asthma, hoarseness, postnasal drip, lump sensation in the throat, bitter taste in the throat, difficulty swallowing, sore throat sensation, and burning throat sensation are all symptoms of silent reflux. “LPR can be the underlying cause of hoarseness, laryngitis, chronic throat clearing and related symptoms. You might not have typical acid reflux symptoms, like heartburn or indigestion,” the Cleveland Clinic explains. “Symptoms of acid reflux usually affect your lower esophagus, within your chest. But if you have LPR, the reflux has a habit of creeping higher up, into your larynx (voice box) and pharynx [throat].” Certain foods and beverages can cause a breach in the lower esophageal sphincter; coffee, chocolate, mint, garlic, and onions all have the potential to cause LPR. Since there is no single cause of LPR, treatments include lifestyle and diet adjustments. “Some people can solve their LPR with lifestyle adjustments alone,” Cleaveland Clinic suggests. “It takes time for LPR to heal, though, so it may be several months before you can tell if your adjustments are working.” Medications called proton pump inhibitors are also offered to help move the healing process along. Surgery is only necessary in severe cases such as “an obvious defect affecting your esophageal sphincter muscles, like a hiatal hernia,” the Cleveland Clinic states. Read More Shingles symptoms, what causes it and how to treat the virus 13 possible cancer symptoms you should get checked out Salon owner with incurable cancer who lost hair in treatment makes customisable wigs

An amused Starbucks customer has exposed the uniquely cut sandwich they got at the coffee chain. Thinking she could split the lunch item with her husband, one Redditor asked to have her turkey pesto cut in half – but didn’t expect the outcome she received. On 6 November, Vivian Hargis (u/natasbby) took to the online network to reveal the unforeseen lengthy, half-cut Starbucks sandwich. In the image shared on the platform, Vivian’s sandwich was settled on top of the Starbucks branded bag. The turkey, provolone, and pesto offering was served on a long ciabatta roll. However, rather than being split in two horizontally, the Starbucks attendant had cut the bread vertically, resulting in two ultra thin halves. “Hubby and I wanted to split a sandwich. I asked if it was possible if they could cut it in half. The barista said ‘of course no problem!’... guess I should’ve been more specific,” Vivian’s caption read. Flocks of humoured Reddit users headed straight to Vivian’s comment section, admitting they’d been guilty of cutting sandwiches the uncommon way too. One user said: “One time someone asked for a spinach feta wrap cut in half and my coworker cut it like this and then forgot to give her the other half.” “I love this because it was so much harder for them to cut it like this,” another Redditor wrote. “It’s giving malicious compliance lmfaooooo,” someone else quipped. A curious viewer questioned whether Vivian had asked for her food to be “cut in half” or “cut in two,” noticing the direction printed on the Starbucks ticket which read: “Cut in two.” “We actually got two sandwiches, both cut in half. (He couldn’t decide which he wanted so we split both) and I asked for them to be cut in half. The other one was cut in half like I expected,” Vivian said. “I expect whoever was on food was irritated the barista on (drive thru) told me they would cut them.” “Not going to lie I’ve done this before,” a fellow service worker admitted to which Vivian replied: “We got a good chuckle out of it. Watching him shove half of it down it one bite was quite the picture.” Speaking to Today, Vivian further expressed her amusement, noting how her parents convinced her to post the picture on Reddit. “It was hilarious, we both had a good laugh about it, and my parents thought it was hilarious, too,” Vivian told the outlet. “They were like: ‘Put that on Reddit!’ That’s when I put it on,” she added, referring to her parents’ pleas. The Independent has contacted Vivian and Starbucks for comment. The popular coffee chain recently launched their lauded holiday drinks, reviving fan favourites from years past and re-introducing one drink that hasn’t been around for a while. The Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, and Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte all returned to the Starbucks seasonal menu on 2 November, as well as an Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai – adding a bit of spice to their 2000 original Gingerbread Latte. Read More Fans shocked as resurfaced photo shows Ben Affleck ditching Dunkin’ for Starbucks Starbucks adds new menu item to Holiday drink lineup Martha Stewart reveals how she truly feels about pumpkin spice flavouring Martha Stewart reveals how she truly feels about pumpkin spice flavouring The best foods to forage in November and how to cook them Rachael Ray shares expert cooking advice for Thanksgiving dinner

Amazon Prime is getting into healthcare, but it’s no replacement for your health insurance. The

Pamela Anderson has explained she wanted to "challenge beauty" by going make-up free in public.

A salon owner with incurable cervical cancer who lost her hair while having chemotherapy has said wearing wigs has given her “reassurance in a world where nothing is certain”, and she now sells handmade, customisable bespoke wigs to help others feel “confident” in their own skin. Amanda Humphrey, 43, who owns Saramanda1 hair salon in Great Denham, Bedfordshire, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in October 2017 after delaying her smear test by seven years. She underwent a radical hysterectomy in December that year – a surgical procedure to remove the womb and surrounding tissues – and was in remission weeks later. The cancer returned and Humphrey received her second cervical cancer diagnosis just two days before Christmas in 2021, and she then started chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She described this as “hell on Earth”, and within two weeks of starting chemotherapy the second time, she noticed her hair was being “blown out of [her] head” by the wind. Humphrey shaved her head and embraced her baldness but soon realised she missed having “that comfort blanket” – and she then searched “high and low” for a realistic, non-synthetic wig. Through her own searches, which were often fruitless, she realised that the number of people selling customisable wigs made of human hair in her area were few and far between. This led to Humphrey making and selling her own – and now, despite her uncertain prognosis, she said her mission is helping people struggling with hair loss feel like themselves again. “My message is I get it, and that’s why I love the wigs that we produce,” Humphrey told PA Real Life. “I’m proud of the wigs that we produce, and I’m so grateful that people choose us to be a part of their journey. “Every wig is made with love and strength, they are made from the heart, and me and my entire team, we all want them to be just perfect.” Cervical cancer is a cancer that is found anywhere in the cervix – the opening between the vagina and the womb. Symptoms include unusual vaginal bleeding, changes to vaginal discharge, pain during sex or pain in your lower back, the NHS says. Humphrey, who was working as a detective in London at the time and had only just opened her salon, said she had no symptoms prior to her diagnosis and “always found an excuse to cancel [her] smear test”. It was only when a colleague strongly encouraged her to book her smear test, seven years after she was first invited to have one, that she received her diagnosis in October 2017. She said she holds herself responsible for this and has since campaigned for other women to book their smear tests without delay by sharing the message “Don’t be me”. Speaking about her first diagnosis, she said: “I walked into the room and I looked at the consultant and, before I’d even sat down, I said ‘Have I got cancer?’ And he said ‘Yes’. “Then I said ‘Am I going to die?’ And he said, ‘I need to examine you and then I can tell you.’” Humphrey explained that telling her son, who she wishes to keep anonymous, was the hardest part, and she later underwent a radical hysterectomy, which was performed via keyhole surgery. A biopsy revealed she was in remission just weeks later, and while this was positive news she felt “lost” afterwards. She did not process the “trauma” of the cancer and the fact she could no longer get pregnant due to the radical hysterectomy until much later. “Emotionally I struggled because although I didn’t necessarily want more children, I wasn’t ready to to lose that option,” Humphrey explained. “I grieved not having more children, I grieved something I didn’t have, and I never sought help on that, ever. “Given it’s a gynaecological cancer as well, when I visit my local hospital for any appointment, I sit in a room with pregnant people waiting for their appointments. “They come out of their appointments happy, with their files and scan photos, and you’re sitting there, thinking ‘I can’t have that any more’.” In the years that followed, after Humphrey was medically retired from the police, she continued with cervical cancer awareness campaigns and focused on her salon. However, she started to experience agonising pain in her left leg in 2021 and could not pinpoint the exact source of it. After undergoing scans and tests, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer recurrence just two days before Christmas that year. She then underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which caused her to experience sickness, muscle aches, nose bleeds and ulcers in her mouth. During her second round of chemotherapy she lost her hair within two weeks. “I remember saying to one of the nurses ‘The next time I see you in three weeks, will I have hair?’ And she just said ‘No’, and it was true,” Humphrey said. “I was stood outside my salon on week two and it was really windy and I was trying to make a phone call outside. “I said to my colleague ‘My hair is being blown out of my head’ – it was literally just floating past us – so we shaved it off.” Humphrey said she embraced being “bald and proud” initially, but she missed the “comfort” that having hair gave her – and so her journey to creating her own human hair wigs began. Each wig starts from approximately £450, depending on the length and thickness, and can take up to three weeks to make as Humphrey and her team at the salon custom-colour each one. Humphrey said she will often “work into the night” to finish an order, if required, and some customers have even cried when seeing the finished product. She has since partnered with Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust as well, and for every wig sold through the charity she will donate 10 per cent of the proceeds to the organisation. She explained: “Wearing wigs has given me so much reassurance in a world where nothing is certain. “Just having a wig on gives me that comfort and ability to just be normal, and I want to help others achieve that feeling.” In October 2022, Humphrey was informed her cancer is incurable and she will most likely not reach remission again – however she is determined to keep fighting. She is now having pembrolizumab – a type of immunotherapy – and has regular check-ups, and although she was told that statistically she may only have 18 months to live, she said she wants to “prove everyone wrong, even if (she dies) trying”, and she will not stop her “passion” of making wigs for others. “The results we get are amazing, they’re happy, and being able to support someone with part of their journey is so rewarding – it’s always something I’ve wanted to do,” she said. “It helps them feel confident, and the comfort comes in, but it’s just the fact they can walk out their front door feeling normal.” She added: “If my journey can help someone in the future, then I’m all in.” To find out more about Humphrey and the wigs she and her team make, search @saramanda1_wigs on Instagram. For more information and support about cervical cancer, visit Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust’s website here. 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