Reymy Amelinckx swallowed the spoon after her dog jumped on her (Picture: Jam Press/Reymy Amelinckx)
A woman accidentally swallowed a 17cm-long spoon when her dog jumped on her lap while she was eating yoghurt.
Reymy Amelinckx said she had to decide between ‘choking or swallowing the spoon’ but felt the implement ‘sliding down into my stomach smoothly’.
The 28-year-old said she was sitting on the couch with the yoghurt when her energetic Hungarian Vizsla named Marley suddenly jumped on her.
Reymy, from Rumst, Belgium, said: ‘I put the spoon in my mouth so I had my hands free to reply to a message.
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‘Just then, Marley decided to jump on me. I was so startled I jerked my head back, and before I knew it, the spoon was lodged in my throat.
‘I stood up and started to panic.’
Reymy, who works as a medical representative, tried to remove the spoon with her hand.
Reymy Amelinckx said she had to decide between ‘choking or swallowing the spoon’ (Picture: Jam Press/Reymy Amelinckx)
Reymy, who works as a medical representative, tried to remove the spoon with her hand (Picture: Jam Press/Reymy Amelinckx)
‘But everything happened so fast, it was either swallow or choke,’ she said.
When her boyfriend came home from work, she said she felt too embarrassed to tell him so she ‘pretended nothing was wrong’.
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‘I didn’t feel bad at all – so I didn’t say anything about it right away.It wasn’t until after dinner that I realised it was actually quite serious,’ she said.
Doctors told her the spoon was too large to pass naturally, so she had to return home and wait until a gastroscopy could be scheduled.
Reymy said: ‘That night was difficult, I felt the spoon moving, sometimes even between my ribs.
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‘It was truly terrifying. I felt bloated and nauseous, and I couldn’t eat without feeling strange.
The spoon was removed with surgery, and is being kept as a keepsake (Picture: Jam Press/Reymy Amelinckx)
Reymy could feel the spoon when she ate and slept (Picture: Jam Press/Reymy Amelinckx)
‘Sleeping was difficult because every position reminded me of the spoon in my stomach.’
The utensil was removed two days later under local anaesthetic. Doctors had to rotate it in my stomach, which caused a small gastric haemorrhage.
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She said: ‘It wasn’t pleasant, but I felt pure relief when it came out.’
‘I had a sore throat due to damage to my oesophagus, a few minor gastric bleeding episodes, and a sensitive stomach for a while, but no permanent damage.
‘I did, however, gain a lifelong reputation as “that girl with the spoon”.’
Despite the nasty experience, Reymy decided to keep hold of the spoon in question as a keepsake.
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‘My boyfriend wants to turn it into a work of art,’ she said. ‘He doesn’t know exactly what yet, but it will definitely be a unique piece.’
Reymy shared some advice for fellow dog and yoghurt lovers – or those thinking of going hands-free with a utensil in order to text.
The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was remanded in custody following alleged incident in classroom.
A teenager accused of attacking a teacher with a kitchen knife has been remanded in custody. The 15-year-old appeared at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Saturday charged with attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article on education premises.
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The court heard the school pupil, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly attacked the female teacher while she was going through his work with him in a classroom shortly after 3pm on Thursday. The incident is alleged to have taken place at Milford Haven Comprehensive School in west Wales.
Magistrates heard the woman was left with injuries to her head, finger and back for which she received treatment in hospital. The boy’s family were in court to watch proceedings.
The teen spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth. He was remanded into youth detention over the weekend and will appear at Swansea Crown Court on February 9.
A teacher was approached at their home by right-wing activist Tommy Robinson after parents complained about them allegedly requesting to use the gender-neutral title Mx (Picture: Facebook)
The far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson followed home a teacher and filmed them after they had asked to be addressed using a gender neutral title ‘Mx’.
Anti-immigration activist Robinson released a 12 minute video outside a school in South Staffordshire before classes started.
He later travelled to the teacher’s home to challenge them directly. The teacher has not been identified.
In the video, Robinson said that he had employed a private investigator to monitor the teacher’s movements so he would know when they were leaving for work and could confront them.
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He alleged that pupils were being punished for misgendering the teacher and taken out of class to be schooled on the use of pronouns.
‘Mx’ – pronounced ‘mix’ – is a title rather than a set of pronouns and used instead of the gendered Ms or Ms for trans or non-binary people.
Tommy Robinson (Picture: Facebook)
The school has rejected these claims, stating that allegations that pupils were removed from classes are ‘wholly inaccurate’ and that the ‘scenarios described online do not reflect actual events at our school’.
Footage shows Robinson repeatedly questioning the teacher outside their home about whether it is ‘right’ for students to address them as Mx.
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The teacher consistently declined to engage, repeatedly responding ‘no comment’ and attempting to leave for work.
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Robinson continued to follow them along the road, filming throughout, until the teacher eventually returned to their house and closed the door.
In the aftermath of the video’s release, the local MP and former Conservative education secretary Gavin Williamson shared a letter on social media that he had sent to the school’s headteacher, in which he said he ‘express [his] concern’ over the situation.
Williamson repeated the claim that the school had ‘taken steps to remove children from educational classes in order to ‘teach pronouns’.
He said: ‘A vast number of constituents have been in touch to share their anger at this decision.
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‘Whilst I understand that it is important to be aware of sensitivities such as this, I strongly believe a school’s main priority should be academic rather than “diversity box ticking” exercises.’
Beneath his Facebook post sharing the letter, Williamson later published what was said to be a statement from the school’s headteacher that had been emailed to parents.
The statement said that following the publication of the video, the headteacher ‘would like to reassure you that we are working closely with the police and the relevant authorities to manage this situation and to ensure the privacy and safety of our staff and students’.
It continued: ‘Thank you for your overwhelmingly positive support to date. I kindly ask that you continue to support us by not viewing, sharing or commenting on these posts.
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‘I would also like to be clear that claims made in these posts about disciplinary measures for students are wholly inaccurate.
‘While we cannot comment on individual children or circumstances, we can assure you that any behaviour measures taken are always proportionate, appropriate and in line with our behaviour policy.
‘The scenarios described online do not reflect actual events at our school.
‘The school will continue to operate as normal. Should we receive any information that requires a change in our approach, we will of course notify you immediately.
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‘Our school is a community built on mutual respect. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, and we have established support in place for any member of our school community who has been affected.
‘If you or your children have been affected or require support, as always, our safeguarding team is here to help. Details of how to contact the team are on our school website.’
PinkNews has contacted Windsor Academy Trust, the organisation that oversees the school, to request comment.
One thing Bridgerton has unquestionably mastered is the depiction of sex. This season, women’s pleasure once again takes centre stage with several conversations about orgasms, or “pinnacles” and several references to past steamy scenes, including last season’s infamous carriage exchange.
Sex is everywhere. It spills out of every image, from every surface. The glistening chandeliers, colourful flower arrangements, lights and decoration all contribute to the horny mise-en-scene. The combination of framing, lighting, colour, performance and production design combine to create a sexy vibe.
Within such excess, small gestures take on a new erotic significance – a gentle kiss on the wrist, a touch of fingertips, a glance across the room. All of this contributes to a feminine model of desire that is multi-orgasmic, expanding pleasure across the screen rather than containing it to an individual sex scene. The fourth season of Bridgerton does not disappoint on this front.
This season’s central romance is inspired by the Cinderella trope, where class and social division are the main obstacles for the lovers. It raises a timely discussion of power, particularly pertinent to depictions of sex in a post #MeToo era.
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A Cinderella story
This season focuses on the second eldest son, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), and is so far adapted quite closely from Julia Quinn’s third Bridgerton novel An Offer from a Gentleman. Benedict is a self-proclaimed “lover of pleasure, a free spirit, untrammelled by mere convention”.
Pursuing a career as an artist, Benedict has come to be known as a bohemian of sorts. His queerness and ventures into non-monogamy are outside understandings of permissible relationships within Regency society. And, although it’s time for this rake to settle down, Benedict stays true to his rebellious nature.
Meeting at a masked ball, Benedict instantly falls for a charming and mysterious woman in silver. But when the clock strikes 12, she flees without revealing her identity, leaving behind only a satin glove and the traces of a passionate kiss that leaves them both in a state of perpetual yearning. And so, the “prince’s” quest for his mysterious maiden begins.
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While Benedict is left love struck and confused, the mystery woman rushes home to assume her true identity as a maid. Despite the familiar setup, Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) is wonderfully defiant and outspoken, aligning with a more modern tradition of Cinderellas that reject the original character’s subservience and passivity.
A glimpse below stairs
For the first time Bridgerton shows us the well-oiled machine of the servants’ quarters to which Sophie belongs. This season attempts a social critique of the class structures that, until this point, has remained peripheral.
From baking and cleaning to arranging secret sexual rendezvous for their employers, servants are seen as crucial to the opulent world we have experienced so far. So crucial, in fact, that when one house poaches a handful of vital servants, they set off what gossipmonger Lady Whistledown calls “the maid wars”. These poaching leave the ton (fashionable high society of Regency-era England) aflutter, with some houses poaching in turn and others becoming more appreciative of their labour.
This upstairs-downstairs glimpse contextualises the obstacles that this season’s couple face and the power dynamics that are at play.
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When they meet again, unmasked, Benedict doesn’t recognise Sophie. Despite his loyalty to his mystery lady and the fact of Sophie being a maid, he falls in love anew – leaving him in a predicament.
“We must marry according to class, but we do not always love that way,” Benedict’s friend Will Mondrich tells him. Previously, his siblings Anthony and Eloise found themselves unsuccessful in their pursuit of relationships outside of their class. This is not a hopeful precedent for Benedict.
However, desire is hard to ignore and as their feelings grow hotter, the threat of scandal looms large. With the family reputation at stake and sisters still to wed, reality leaves him with no other option at the end of part one than to pop the critical question: “Will you be my mistress?”
The Bridgerton servants sharing a meal below stairs. Liam Daniels/Netflic
Mistresses were women who had arrangements with wealthy and upper-class men, offering their sexual and social services in exchange for financial benefits and comfort. Despite potential privileges, these women were excluded from polite society and could never hope to legitimise their relationship through marriage, leaving them at the mercy of their “protector”.
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A very indecent proposal indeed.
It also, sadly, brings things full circle. When Benedict re-meets Sophie, she is defending another maid from unwanted advances from their master. Her act of denial and defiance ends with both of their dismissals. Although Benedict saves her, securing her a job in his family home, and his advances are (somewhat) wanted, he ultimately puts her in a similar position.
The sexual encounter between the pair takes place on the staircase that separates the upstairs from downstairs, reminding us of the class conflict that is an obstacle to the longevity and legitimacy of their relationship.
Although Sophie is undeniably into Benedict, the wise housekeeper Mrs Crabtree warns Benedict that their difference in social station means that Sophie doesn’t really have the freedom to say no to him.
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Benedict does not heed this warning and pushes on with his proposal, despite Sophie’s explicit statements about not wanting to risk the best job she’s ever had. With this proposal, his class power means he has everything to gain, and Sophie everything to lose. At the end of part one, Sophie is back where she started: the desires of a rich man threatening her stable employment and safety.
Although we see her reject Benedict’s offer, with part two still to come, Sophie is faced with the harsh reality of the limited options available to a woman of her stature when it comes to love. The question remains as to how the show will resolve this tension, and whether Sophie’s identity as an illegitimate heiress may be the secret ingredient to this Cinderella’s happy ending.
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US skiing star Lindsey Vonn has clarified the severity of her knee injury ahead of the Winter Olympics in Italy
American Winter Olympics sensation Lindsey Vonn has hit back at a medical doctor’s assessment of her knee injury. Vonn was taken to hospital by air ambulance on January 30 after sustaining a ruptured ACL during a crash at a World Cup event in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, mere days before the Olympics begin in Italy.
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Undeterred by the setback, the skiing legend has remained resolute in her determination to compete this month, confirming earlier this week her intention to represent the United States at the Winter Olympics.
The 41-year-old ramped up her preparations for the games by participating in Friday’s practice session ahead of this weekend’s downhill competition.
Her participation in practice prompted Brian Sutterer, MD, an American sports medicine physician, to weigh in on Vonn’s injury.
“There’s a very important aspect of this that we do not know,” wrote Sutterer on X, formerly known as Twitter. “What was the state of her ACL before the crash last week?
“What she is doing now would not be nearly as surprising in an elite athlete whose knee was already functioning like the ACL was torn at baseline.
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“When you hear stories about ‘so-and-so played for years on a torn ACL’, that’s chronic, meaning the body has time to adapt and retrain muscles to support the knee.
“Also, someone who had a prior tear/surgery may not be as swollen and painful with a repeat injury.
“Bottom line, I don’t think this was a bread and butter, fresh ACL tear like everyone is thinking.”
In less than two hours, Vonn hit back at the claim, asserting that her ACL is ‘100% gone’.
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“Lol thanks doc. My ACL was fully functioning until last Friday,” Vonn wrote.
“Just because it seems impossible to you doesn’t mean it’s not possible. And yes, my ACL is 100% ruptured. Not 80% or 50%. It’s 100% gone.”
Sutterer then wrapped up the conversation by wishing Vonn well, while explaining why he questioned the severity of the skiing star’s injury.
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“Any prior ACL injuries in that knee? If so, the knee can absolutely learn to compensate in a very functional way,” Sutterer wrote.
“I’m not trying to minimise your accomplishment, it’s insanely impressive.
“As a sports medicine doctor who takes care of high level athletes and everyday folks, there is some nuance in how quickly people can function after an ACL tear and that’s what I’m curious about as we communicate stories like this to the public.
Swiss skiers had held all three podium positions before the Italians entered the start gate, with Franzoni and Paris knocking off Alexis Monney and then Odermatt with impressive performances in sunny Bormio.
Paris is seen as a king of this course, having won seven World Cup titles across both downhill and the Super-G, and he won a first Olympic medal at his fifth Games.
“Getting the first medal in front of the home crowd, that’s really special,” he said.
Franzoso suffered a head injury in a collision with a fence in La Parva, Chile, in September.
Last month, after winning World Cup gold at prestigious Kitzbuhel, Franzoni said he had raced with Franzoso “in his mind” after the two had shared a room at the course a year previously.
“To share the podium with Franjo, after [doing so at] the junior world championships [in 2022], he’s such a great guy,” said Franzoni.
“Also with Domi, I really wanted to share a podium with him. I don’t know if he’ll continue racing next year but this is the biggest stage to share.”
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As a junior, Franzoni used to race against Jannik Sinner, who was a standout skier before pursuing tennis.
In fact, Sinner, now a four-time Grand Slam champion, once beat Franzoni in 2009, something he was made aware of after the latter’s super-G victory in Wengen earlier this year.
Sinner followed Franzoni on social media and the pair have since struck up a friendship.
“Receiving a message from a champion like him gave me a lot of motivation,” said Franzoni after his Kitzbuhel win.
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“I thought, ‘If he wrote to me, it means I’m doing something right’. It’s been something really, really nice for me.”
— National Highways: North-West (@HighwaysNWEST) February 6, 2026
National Highways said: “Two lanes are closed on the M62 Eastbound between J11 Birchwood and J12 M60 due to flooding in the carriageway following heavy rain.
The children chosen will be invited to go and visit the trucks with their new name
A Cambridgeshire council is asking local school children to name their new food waste trucks. The Huntingdonshire District Council has invited schools across the district to take part in a Food Waste Collection Truck Naming Competition.
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With the introduction of the new weekly food waste collection service, starting from the week commencing March 30 2026, the council is seeking the help of local children to suggest names for the new food waste collection vehicles.
Pupils should write their chosen name in their best handwriting, and names may be imaginative or light-hearted. Winning entries will be reproduced as stickers for display on the collection vehicles.
Schools may submit up to one name per child. To enter, schools must submit an image or scanned copy of the final handwritten name(s) in addition to the names of the children and school who suggested each entry.
Where possible, submissions should be combined into a single entry per class or school for the council’s convenience. You can find out how to enter here.
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Huntingdon District Council shared: “Selected entries will become official names for Huntingdonshire District Council food waste collection vehicles. The children whose art is chosen will be invited to see the truck with their new name.
“All entries must be received by Friday February 27 2026.We look forward to receiving your entries, and thank you for supporting Huntingdonshire District Council’s efforts to promote sustainable waste management!”
A thorough assessment of the UK’s four main mobile networks has seen EE emerge as the clear winner
Henry Burrell and Georgia Burns Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer
13:35, 07 Feb 2026
In the UK, four main mobile networks compete to provide the best signal and service for calls and data. Even if you opt for a smaller, challenger brand, they typically lease network access from one of the big four – EE, O2, Three or Vodafone – so your options for quality coverage are ultimately limited.
The latest RootMetrics report, from the network analytics firm owned by connectivity giant Ookla, shows one UK mobile network won or tied in all eight categories of its nationwide test. The results are based on data collected over six months, from July to December 2025.
According to RootMetrics’ State of the Mobile Union Report, EE is the UK’s leading mobile network, winning in overall performance, reliability, responsiveness, speed, data, call and video categories, while sharing the top spot for texts with Three and O2.
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“EE remained the leader in 2H 2025, winning or sharing every UK-wide RootScore during testing,” said Luke Kehoe, analyst at Ookla.
“In fact, EE has won our UK Overall RootScore Award outright in every test period since 2H 2013, earning recognition as the UK’s best network for over 12 years and counting. EE also posted the fastest UK-wide aggregate median download speed at 114.1 Mbps, more than double the next-fastest result (Three’s 53.8 Mbps).”
Technically speaking, Ookla attributes EE’s dominance to “an aggressive focus on spectrum maximisation”. Spectrum refers to the frequencies mobile networks use to deliver cellular signals to phones and smartphones. EE is said to strike the best balance between capacity – how many devices can connect to a single mobile mast at once – and consistent performance.
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“Despite not holding the largest contiguous 5G spectrum blocks, EE achieves the highest median 5G download speed and overall reliability in the market,” Ookla said, highlighting the BT-owned network has leveraged its existing 4G infrastructure most effectively to deliver a strong 5G service.
RootMetrics reported during the six-month testing period, it conducted over 600,000 mobile connection tests across the UK, covering all four major networks.
The tests measured performance at peak and off-peak times, both while stationary and driving on motorways in areas of strong and weak coverage and across indoor and outdoor locations throughout Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Express reports.
While EE claimed the top spot, Three delivered a strong second place performance in all categories expect video. RootMetrics reported Three’s average UK-wide download speeds reached 53.8 Mbps, which was faster than both O2 and Vodafone, but still well below EE’s 114.1 Mbps.
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Meanwhile, the report noted O2 has boosted its speeds in major cities and improved its nationwide reliability, climbing to second place behind EE after finishing fourth and last in the first-half 2025 results.
Vodafone saw a drop in its total awards, but Ookla said the network “remains competitive in key regions”.
Even though EE leads this particular ranking of UK mobile networks, it may not be the right choice for everyone. If you’re considering switching providers, it is a good idea to use the online coverage checkers offered by each network to see how strong the signal is in your area.
It’s also worth shopping around for the best deal, including checking out mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) like Giffgaff or Tesco Mobile, which lease coverage from the big four. This can be a great option if you already own your phone, allowing you to get a monthly rolling contract at a much lower cost than signing up for a new phone contract.
Looking elsewhere, this edition marks the first time since Sochi 2014 that ice hockey players from the National Hockey League (NHL) will compete on the Olympic stage. Among the favourites are Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland as their teams benefit from the return of the NHL’s talent pool.
Another star to keep an eye on is American snowboarder Chloe Kim who is going in search of a three-peat in the snowboard halfpipe. She rose to stardom in PyeongChang in 2018 when she became the youngest woman to win gold in her discipline, at just 17. She came out on top again four years later in Beijing, becoming the first woman to win two Olympic halfpipe golds. Having struggled with her mental health in the aftermath of the Games, she contemplated retiring. But rather than stepping back, she has rediscovered her motivation and passion and has set her sights on a third straight gold, something no woman has ever achieved in the event.
How to watch
The BBC does not have wall-to-wall coverage of the Games as it has done in previous years. There is TV coverage on BBC One and BBC Two of “all major events from 9am to 10pm each day”, as well as a second stream, Olympics Extra, which is available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sports website and app to show “additional” events from 8am to 11pm.
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Highlights go out across BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport social media channels as well, with BBC Sport also covering events with live text, day-by-day guides and the medal table.
TV coverage is being led by Claire Balding, Hazel Ervine and Jeannette Kwakye, while Katie Smith and Maz Farookhi deliver daily coverage and interviews on BBC Radio 5 Live.
The full Games is being broadcast on TNT Sport and Discovery+ in the UK for subscribers.
Are Russia and Belarus competing?
Neither Russia nor Belarus are competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics, after being banned as a result of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Athletes from both countries competed at the 2022 Games in Beijing, China, with Russian athletes competing under the Russian Olympic Committee after a state-sponsored doping scandal resulted in athletes being unable to compete under the Russian name, flag or anthem.
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Athletes from both countries will compete under the Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) banner, after a ruling by the International Skating Union in December 2024 which allowed them to participate in the Games under this condition. The delegation will not march in the parade of nations at the opening ceremony, and will not receive an official ranking in the medal tables, as occurred in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
What happened at the last Winter Olympics?
Norway came out on top overall in 2022, with the most gold medals (16) and the highest medal total (37). Thirty-four of their athletes finished on the podium and two of their biathlon athletes, Marte Olsbu Roeiseland and Johannes Thignes Boe, set a joint-record for winning five medals each at a single Games.
His work helped shape modern hairdressing as both an art form and a profession, and tributes have been pouring in for the celebrity hairdresser who hosted A-list stars at his Manchester salons
13:34, 07 Feb 2026Updated 13:37, 07 Feb 2026
Tributes have flooded in for celebrity hairdresser Pierre Alexandre, renowned for his salons in Manchester and teasing the tresses of everyone from Take That to Rod Stewart, who has died aged 86. Pierre is credited with inventing the concept of the unisex hair salon, and a pioneer of the hairdressing world, renowned for his iconic haircuts.
Born Peter Johann Franz Wasler in Basel, Switzerland into a family of hairdressers in 1939, he first moved to the UK in the 1960s, where – as was the custom at the time – changed his name to Pierre to open his first branded salon in Manchester in 1965.
Based on St Ann’s Square, above the Jewsbury & Wilson fashion store, Pierre Alexandre International fast became a hotspot for celebrities with early clients including Dusty Springfield, Lulu, Hylda Baker, Les Dawson, Coronation Street stars and agents from the entertainment industry.
The Regency-style salon was accessed by climing two flights of stairs – something celebrity clients were happy to do for the superstar treatment they had once inside. Throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s, and Pierre would go on to become a globally-recognised hairdresser, artist and visionary with further salons in Manchester, London and Europe.
A statement from Pierre’s family confirmed the sad news of his passing this week. In a lengthy tribute they said: “It is with deep love and quiet gratitude that we share the passing of Pierre Alexandre Walser. Pierre lived an extraordinary life, shaped by creativity, generosity, and an unwavering passion for helping others grow.”
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It continued: “Pierre was a pioneer in his field. He coined the concept of the “unisex” salon, invented the iconic “Halo” haircut, and was among the first stylists to bring futuristic thinking, performance, and storytelling onto the stage.
“His work helped shape modern hairdressing as both an art form and a profession. Over the course of his career, he appeared at more than 1,800 shows worldwide and taught tens of thousands of hairdressers across Europe, Japan, Asia, North and South America.
“His influence reached far beyond salons. Pierre was one of the first acknowledged stylists to the rock and pop stars, working with artists such as Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Lulu, Eartha Kitt, Peter Noone, and many others. He created Rod Stewart’s signature spiky haircut, trimmed the Beatles’ hair ahead of one of their first major media appearances, and became known for his charisma, originality, and fearless creativity.”
After the success of his first salon on St Ann’s Square in Manchester, Pierre opened his second salon, Romeo and Juliet, on King Street West in Manchester. The opening attracted huge public attention, with queues down the street and Lulu the salon’s “public face” and star client.
It was there that Pierre seated men and women together, serving Coca-Cola and playing contemporary music, in what is believed to be the first “unisex” concept salon. That same year David and Angie Bowie became clients, further cementing Pierre’s reputation. He would expand his ventures into fashion in Paris, and early forms of hair extensions.
In the 1980s, Pierre founded Studio 17 in London’s Mayfair, a groundbreaking film and photography studio that became a cultural hub. He hosted his own lifestyle television show, appeared on countless international TV and radio programs, and worked as an image consultant for 20th Century Fox, while his work was featured in hundreds of publications.
His family said that his true calling was teaching – and that he loved sharing knowledge and guiding others. In 1973 he opened the Pierre Alexandre School of Hairdressing on King Street West in Manchester, inviting thousands of hairdressers to the city. He would go on to create numerous influential new hair styles that would inspire and influence countless others, with the academy remaining there to this day.
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In later years, Pierre moved to Spain, were he devoted himself to mentoring, writing his biography, developing new ideas, and reimagining the future of the Pierre Alexandre brand with “great excitement and pride” his family said. They said they have been touched by the “countless messages from around the world” since his passing.
Hundreds of tributes have been made on his Facebook page, many from hairdressers he trained and inspired over the years.
Neets Wilbraham said: “I have fond memories getting the best training at your Manchester salons. I’m thankful for the knowledge, self discipline and creativity that stood me in good stead in life. Our friendship in later years is something I’ll always treasure.”
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Lynette McCloud said: “We all have, fabulous, professional , fun memories of Pierre most definitely one of life’s exuberant, vibrant, passionate characters.” Dee Wilson added: “Pierre Alexandre St Ann’s sq was an interesting indelible period of our lives a passage of time building life experiences and skills for so many of us. Larger than life with exuberance and a colourful nature Pierre Alexandre truly International.”
The family statement said: “We are deeply touched by how many people loved Pierre, and even more by how many lives he helped change. Again and again, we hear the same truth: Pierre had a rare golden touch. He genuinely wanted others to succeed, and nothing made him happier than seeing people grow because of his guidance. In that sense, every one of you is part of his legacy – a legacy he would be profoundly proud of.”
They added: “Pierre was often misunderstood, and throughout his life he faced unfairness, frequently born of jealousy. Yet in his final days, he expressed something beautiful and rare: he felt fulfilled. He felt that he had lived well, loved deeply, and spent his final years exactly as he had dreamed. His life was full, meaningful, and true to himself. He inspired many, and we are immensely proud of the man he was.”
They say that Pierre disliked funerals, and so had asked for “something different, something more like him,” for his final farewell. The family said: “Instead of formal mourning, he wished that those who knew him would gather with friends, share a glass of wine, be happy, talk, and remember.
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“He asked that you speak of your experiences with him, recall your memories, think of him fondly, and listen together to the music he created in his final years – songs filled with meaning and reflection.”
