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Spot and acne sufferers ‘can’t live without’ doctor’s gel dubbed ‘Holy Grail’

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Wales Online

‘Life saver. When you get that irritating break out just as something important is on your calendar, use this,’ one shopper insisted

With temperatures set to trend downwards in the coming weeks as autumn arrives, those who suffer from skin issues may be dreading the months ahead. Switching repeatedly from the cold air outside to the cosy central heating indoors can wreak havoc on complexions, resulting in the reappearance of dryness, irritation and breakouts.

Skincare shoppers have turned to one product that has been hailed as a “life saver” when it comes to treating blemishes, redness and inflammation. Dr Sam’s Flawless Neutralising Gel is designed to tackle all manner of skin problems while leaving skin brighter and more hydrated, helping to prevent future breakouts with regular use, according to the award-winning brand.

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Priced at £30, the gel is made with 5% azelaic acid which “visibly tackles pigmentation and redness, clears clogged pores, and reduces the appearance of blemishes”, cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting claims, as well as 2% salicylic acid to help calm inflammation and exfoliate dead skin cells. It also includes 0.% bakuchiol, a seed extract that “helps defuse blemish-prone skin and reduce the visible signs of premature ageing”.

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To apply the Flawless Neutralising Gel, the brand advises protecting delicate areas after cleansing by applying moisturiser around the eyes and balm to the lips, before starting with half a fingertip of the gel across problem areas. It’s recommended to build up gradually to a fingertip amount daily over the course of two to four weeks, massaging until fully absorbed and then applying moisturiser and sunscreen on top as needed.

The gel can be used directly to blemishes to target breakouts or as an all-over serum to help prevent them, making it a handy addition to skincare routines in the upcoming autumn and winter months. And with more than 1,200 reviews on Dr Sam’s website, the gel has earned an average rating of 4.6 out of five stars.

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Dr Sam’s Flawless Neutralising Gel is designed to tackle all manner of skin problems while leaving skin brighter and more hydrated, helping to prevent future breakouts with regular use.

Elsewhere, the bestselling product designed to treat spots over at Boots is Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clarifying Lotion. Priced at £26.50, this mattifying exfoliation lotion is formulated to reduce excess oil that can lead to breakouts while unclogging pores and controlling excess shine, says Clinique.

At Sephora, meanwhile, the number one favourite being snapped up by shoppers is Tower 28 SOS Daily Hypochlorous Acid Spray for Sensitive Skin. Priced at £28, this daily facial spray is described as “purifying” stressed-out skin, helping to calm visible irritation and redness.

Back with the Flawless Neutralising Gel, Dr Sam vows: “This is the product that solves your biggest concern – unstable, unhappy, breakout-prone skin. It’s a bright, clear complexion – bottled!” And the gel has impressed hundreds of shoppers.

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One wrote in a five-star review: “The most gentle spot treatment I have found. As a long term sufferer of adult spots thanks to PCOS I have tried so many different brands to help with the spots. This does the trick gently and does not dry out skin.”

Another said: “I can’t live without this – it reduces redness, texture and generally makes my very sensitive skin smoother and more comfortable. I cannot recommend it more.”

A third person praised: “Holy grail, 10/10. Didn’t have massive hopes but this gel is absolutely amazing and did exactly as described.”

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And someone else agreed: “Life saver. When you get that irritating break out just as something important is on your calendar, use this. Brilliant.”

However, one reviewer commented: “Would have preferred a faster-acting product with more obvious results. It took a good three days to see any reduction in spots.”

The brand responded: “We’d like to reassure you that improvement will take time and patience and won’t happen overnight.”

Others reported that the Flawless Neutralising Gel left their skin looking “clear and radiant”, with one saying it was “the only product I’ve found that seems to actually make a difference”.

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Chelsea vs Luton LIVE: Carabao Cup result, latest updates and reaction

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Chelsea vs Luton LIVE: Carabao Cup result, latest updates and reaction

The Carabao Cup second round concludes tonight as Chelsea host Luton at Stamford Bridge, with the winners set to face Leeds. The Blues meet League One opposition as they look to build some quick momentum under Xabi Alonso, whose reign began with a 3-2 west London derby win over Fulham on Monday. The attacking trio of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro were electric in that opener, though Chelsea were haunted by familiar problems in defence and in goal as they kicked off another new era.

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Police raid home of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s son as guns and ammunition are seized

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Abdulrahman Abdi, 22, was arrested 'without incident', police said in a statement to the Daily Mail

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Police in Minneapolis reportedly raided the apartment of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar‘s son and seized firearms before arresting his roommate.

Law enforcement sources told Alpha News that a search warrant was carried out at the home of Omar’s son Adnan on Tuesday night. 

According to the outlet, they recovered guns and ammunition from the home and arrested his roommate Abdulrahman Abdi, 22.

Earlier that day, the city’s police department said in a statement to the Daily Mail that they conducted a traffic stop and cited Abdi for no proof of insurance and no license. 

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The department said that Abdi was released at the scene and the vehicle was in the process of being impounded when a firearm was found inside. 

Officers later tracked Abdi to an address on Marquette Ave where they said they arrested him ‘without incident.’

Abdi was later booked into Hennepin County Jail on a weapons charge before being released on Wednesday night, records show.

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Abdulrahman Abdi, 22, was arrested ‘without incident’, police said in a statement to the Daily Mail

Ilhan Omar, left, is seen here with her son Adnan. His apartment was raided by police officers on Tuesday night, sources told Alpha News

Ilhan Omar, left, is seen here with her son Adnan. His apartment was raided by police officers on Tuesday night, sources told Alpha News 

According to court records seen by the Daily Mail, Abdi has been convicted ten times in the past, most of the incidents have been misdemeanors. 

Last year he was found to have been speeding and driving despite having his license revoked for a previous offense. 

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In 2024 he was convicted of a felony after officers reported him traveling at 108 miles per hour in St. Paul.

A statement of probable cause said he was behind the wheel of a Jeep Grand Cherokee and was speeding alongside a Dodge Durango. 

He pleaded guilty to fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle and was sentenced to one day inside Dakota County Jail. 

According to a sentencing order, he was also placed on supervised probation for two years. 

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Other convictions date back to 2022 and involve incidents of him using a cell phone while driving, excessive speeding and failing to show proof of insurance. 

Omar speaks during a campaign event for Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, in Minneapolis earlier this month

Omar speaks during a campaign event for Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, in Minneapolis earlier this month

The father and son are seen again earlier in June 2025

Ahmed Hirsi, left, the ex-husband of Ilhan Omar is pictured with his son Adnan in 2023

It comes after Omar revealed last year that her son was stopped by federal immigration agents who questioned his citizenship. 

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Omar said that her son was pulled over after stopping at a Target store, he was only released after he showed them his US passport. 

She told WCCO: ‘Yesterday, after he made a stop at Target, he did get pulled over by [ICE] agents, and once he was able to produce his passport ID, they did let him go.’ 

She also claimed ICE agents previously entered a mosque where her son and others were praying before leaving without making arrests. 

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Scientists say satellite images show the cause and devastation of Nepal floods

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Scientists say satellite images show the cause and devastation of Nepal floods

As rescue teams searched Thursday for missing people following catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-China border, Earth scientists reviewed satellite imagery for clues to the cause and assessed the devastation.

The flooding killed hundreds of people in Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday. Many more are still missing, including scores of foreigners and pilgrims.

Geomorphologists Kristen Cook and Dan Shugar said initial images from Nepal on Wednesday were obscured by clouds and dust from the debris, so they could only see that part of a glacier had broken off from the Langtang Lirung peak, near the border with Tibet. In clearer images from Thursday, they said they could see that the bedrock underneath the glacier had collapsed, taking the massive chunk of ice down with it and sending boulders and ice into the valley.

“It shows the whole area without anything hidden, and we could see that, yes, it looked like there was not only this glacier that had failed, but a much larger chunk of the bedrock of the mountainside itself that had given way,” said Shugar, associate professor at the University of Calgary. “You have this big bedrock failure that took part of the glacier with it.”

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Shugar said it’s heart-wrenching to look downstream from there on the images, to where people were living, and see how the debris has buried villages.

After slamming to the valley floor, the debris maintained its momentum through the steep, narrow valley as ice melted, said Cook, at the Université Grenoble Alpes in France. Water and mud several stories high swept through communities.

The Trishuli River surged during the flooding. Before and after satellite images of the Kolpurtar, Betrawati and Syapru Besi areas of Nepal show that the river is now much wider, and brown and black, because it overtopped its banks in some areas and filled with debris in others. The change in the color of the water shows how much sediment the flow was carrying, turning from greenish to very brown because it’s full of mud, Cook said.

Towns and villages that were devastated along the river banks are submerged in debris and mud. They appear as areas of brown. Some houses are still poking through in an image of the Betrawati area.

The flooding toppled and swept away buildings in Syapru Besi, a popular tourist spot where a famous trek to Langtang begins. In before and after images, a side river is now wider too, because the flow was so powerful it pushed upstream.

The flooding “left a wasteland in its wake” that will take many years to recover from, said Alton Byers, a mountain geographer at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Byers lived in Nepal and now travels there yearly to study glacial hazards and work with communities to prepare. This is the largest glacier flood he has seen, by far.

Byers, faculty research scientist at the university’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, said he thinks Wednesday’s flooding is related to climate change. The Earth’s warming is melting glaciers and permafrost, causing instability and the breakage of massive amounts of snow and ice at high altitudes. That can be a catalyst for a series of cascading events, he said.

“All the indicators, to me, point to the impacts of warming trends,” he said. “In this case, the permafrost that for millennia has helped to hold together high-altitude rock and ice and soil and glaciers is now weakening and becoming unstable.”

Cook and Shugar said that at this point, they can’t say for sure there’s a direct link to climate change. Slopes fail and landslides happen, Cook said, though permafrost is melting and that is destabilizing mountainsides.

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“While we cannot at this point directly link this collapse to climate change, it is not unexpected to see more events of this type with a warming climate,” Cook said. “Not this big, hopefully not this big.”

___

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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Ludwig star David Mitchell names ‘the best pub in Cambridge with very comforting food’

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Cambridgeshire Live

David Mitchell once revealed the Cambridge pub he always returned to for a drink before the Footlights pantomime, despite admitting it had one rather unglamorous feature

Ludwig star David Mitchell has revealed the Cambridge pub that holds a special place in his heart, despite admitting it may not boast the smartest surroundings.

The comedian and actor looked back on his university days in Cambridge in a 2005 piece for The Guardian, recalling the drinking, comedy and acting that eventually helped shape his career.

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The 52-year-old described his time at university as a happy one, although returning to the city brought mixed emotions as he was reminded of his younger self.

He explained that he and several former Footlights performers would regularly head to the same pub before watching the Cambridge comedy club’s annual pantomime at the ADC Theatre.

“It always seems to happen when a group of us goes back,” Mitchell wrote. “Maybe we’re all trying to drown our nostalgia sadness, or maybe we’ve managed to convince ourselves that getting drunk was genuinely all we did when we were students, rather than just being all we talked about.”

And there was one particular watering hole that repeatedly drew the group back.

“The Maypole is the best pub in Cambridge,” Mitchell declared. He admitted it was “not the smartest” and that it did not serve the city’s finest food, although he praised its “good and very comforting” dishes.

The pub, on Portugal Place, has long been a family-run establishment. It was taken over by Vincent Castiglione’s father in 1982 and is now run by Vincent and his son Mario.

Vincent said his family had been in Cambridge for more than three decades and described the pub as having a strong community atmosphere.

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“My family’s been in Cambridge for 32 years; my dad’s Sicilian, my mum’s English and I’m Cambridge born and bred,” he said. “I love running the pub, it’s a lovely place and our customers are fantastic. It’s a safe, friendly pub; it’s got that ‘local’ feel, despite being right in the centre.”

The Maypole has also built a reputation for its drinks selection, with 16 real ales, including beers from local and micro breweries, alongside Belgian bottled beers and cocktails.

Food is another major draw, with Vincent describing it as “good, home-made pub food”. The menu includes Italian and English dishes, as well as pizzas made at the pub.

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Its proximity to the ADC Theatre has also helped make it a popular haunt for performers and comedy fans over the years.

Vincent revealed: “David Mitchell used to drink here, and we got a mention in his autobiography. When he played a gig at the Corn Exchange not long ago, he popped back for a drink here afterwards.”

He added that Mitchell was far from the only famous face to have frequented the pub, naming Richard Ayoade and Rachel Weisz among other actors and comedians who had been regulars during their student days.

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For Mitchell, however, the appeal appeared to be less about celebrity connections and more about the familiarity of returning to a place where he felt remembered.

“It’s comfortable, friendly, lively and, crucially, they remember me there,” he wrote.

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Echo comment: Middlesbrough needs unity to rebuild

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Echo comment: Middlesbrough needs unity to rebuild

On the one hand, there are those who wish to portray Middlesbrough as being on the brink of “carnage”, a place where the permissive society and weak policing has allowed lawlessness to take over.

On the other hand, there are those who wish to blame this all on police cuts and austerity.

There will be time to have all of these relevant debates, but it is not now.

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Now is not the time to publicly castigate one group of people as that will only increase the dangerous social undercurrents of division.

Now is the time to give the police full support so they can prevent anymore “senseless” deaths.

Cleveland is a small force and its officers are working on perhaps the most major investigation of their lives while at the same time grieving two of their colleagues who were killed in the line duty.

And then they have to cope with the death of a seven-year-old girl somehow caught up in someone else’s battle.

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It does indeed make no sense.

Middlesbrough as a town is going to need enormous strength and support to pull through this.

It needs unity, not politicking on the sidelines.

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Father and son, 72 and 42, die after falling into industrial silage tank on farm

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Alan Ford (pictured), 72, and son Rick, 42, passed away following the incident on Wednesday, the Cheshire Agricultural Society confirmed

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A father and son have died after falling into an industrial silage tank at a farm in Aston by Budworth, near Northwich in Cheshire yesterday lunchtime.

Alan Ford, 72, and son Rick, 42, passed away following the incident on Wednesday, the Cheshire Agricultural Society confirmed. 

Firefighters, paramedics, including an air ambulance, and police all rushed to the scene at a farm in Aston by Budworth, near Northwich after being alerted to reports of an ‘industrial accident’ at around 12.20pm.

Both men were working at the site when they fell into an ‘industrial size’ silage container. 

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Mr Ford and his son were rescued from the tank on Wednesday but were declared dead at the scene. 

Their next of kin have been informed and an investigation is underway, police said. 

Nearby Cann Lane was closed to assist with the emergency response.

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Alan Ford (pictured), 72, and son Rick, 42, passed away following the incident on Wednesday, the Cheshire Agricultural Society confirmed

Emergency services were called to the scene of an  incident at a farm in Aston by Budworth, near Northwich in Cheshire, yesterday lunchtime

Emergency services were called to the scene of an  incident at a farm in Aston by Budworth, near Northwich in Cheshire, yesterday lunchtime

Two men were rescued from the silage tank but could not be saved by emergency services

Two men were rescued from the silage tank but could not be saved by emergency services 

The death Alan Ford, who retired after seven years as chairman of the CAS earlier this year, was confirmed in a statement released this afternoon.

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‘As Chairman of the Cheshire Agricultural Society it is with profound sadness that I have to announce the untimely death of our past Chairman Alan Ford and his son Rick following a tragic farming accident yesterday,’ the statement read.

‘Alan retired as Chairman and Director of the Society in April this year and Rick has been a Director of the Society for several years. 

‘The Ford family have worked tirelessly for the Society for many years and both Alan and Rick will be very sadly missed by everyone who knew them.

‘We wish to extend our thoughts, sympathy and prayers to the families at this very difficult time.’

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The men’s relatives have requested privacy following the tragedy.

A Cheshire Police spokesman said on Wednesday: ‘Police were called to reports of an industrial incident at around 12.20pm today.

‘The caller had reported two men had fallen into an industrial size tank.

‘Police, fire and paramedics are in attendance at the scene and rescue work is ongoing.’ 

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In an update published today, a statement confirmed both men had died. 

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Pat McFadden: Fall In Number Of NEETs Is Good News, But There’s Much More To Do

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Pat McFadden: Fall In Number Of NEETs Is Good News, But There's Much More To Do

Few things are more important than the chance of work and opportunity for the country’s young people. Yet too many have missed out on that chance for too long.

Between the end of the pandemic in 2021 until the general election of 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) rose by quarter of a million.

But now, after years of neglect, there is the prospect of hope.

The Labour government is investing £2.5 billion over the next few years in youth employment support, including our Youth Guarantee, aimed at bringing more hope to young people and reducing the enormous waste of talent and energy that comes with having so many young people out of work.

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Part of the Youth Guarantee is a Jobs Guarantee for long-term unemployed young people.

If someone has been claiming Universal Credit for 18 months or more, the government will step in, partner with an employer and offer six months paid work.

It is a targeted scheme aiming at those who have been out of work for the longest time. And that makes sense because the longer someone is out of work, the harder it is for them to get back in. Confidence drops. Self belief disappears. Mental health suffers.

But the good news is that once people are in work, this picture can change very quickly.

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This is not just about earning a wage, important as that is. It’s also about the sense of pride and purpose that comes with having a job.

This week at Boots HQ in Nottingham, I met some of the first beneficiaries of the Jobs Guarantee. Young people who’d been on the dole for years but were now fired up with belief and ambition. They didn’t just have jobs. They had hope. And that is what we want for more for the country’s young people.

The Jobs Guarantee is aimed at helping 90,000 young people into work over the next few years. In addition, we will provide 300,000 more work experience and training opportunities, helping young people get out of the bind of no experience and no job.

We have also put in place hiring incentives of £3000 for employers to take on young people who have been out of work for six months or more. It’s all part of the same message of hope and opportunity for young people.

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I don’t believe the welfare state should limit its ambition to simply guaranteeing people a minimum income. I think it should offer them a future too and that is what the Youth Guarantee is all about.

This morning’s NEET numbers showed a fall of 30,000 over the last three months, reducing the total to just under a million. That is still too high and this drop is only one quarter’s figures, but if it is sustained it will be welcome news.

With the Youth Guarantee coming into force, I want more young people to have the chance for the future that is being enjoyed by the young people I met at Boots.

And when the government receives the final report from the Milburn Review this autumn, that’s exactly what we will be trying to ensure.

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Pat McFadden is the work and pensions secretary.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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‘I’m making history on Dragons’ Den and this is what it was really like’

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Dragons’ Den saw two teenage sisters win over the investors with their groundbreaking business.

A contestant on Dragons’ Den who is making history as one of the youngest-ever successful entrepreneurs on the show has revealed what the experience was really like. Cat Black and her sister Honor Black were just 16 and 17 years old when they stepped into the Den, with their episode airing on Thursday, August 24.

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The pair were asking for £15,000 for a 10% stake in their business Maiden, a brand dedicated to empowering girls and women. Their company, which designs cricket clothing, teamwear and equipment specifically for women and girls, had been launched after their own experiences.

“We started Maiden because we were tired of being at the sidelines,” Honor explained to Steven Bartlett, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Peter Jones and guest Dragon Gary Neville.

“We felt when playing at every level that we were forced to make kit with boys’ kit or unisex gear that wasn’t designed for us. And so we decided that we would make something that worked for us and others like us.”

The sisters won over all five Dragons, with Peter praising: “I think this is a movement, I don’t think this is an individual investment for a Dragon.” In an exclusive interview, Cat, who was sitting her Spanish GCSE just the day after filming Dragons’ Den, revealed what the experience was really like.

Maiden had been approached by Dragons’ Den when the company first started in 2024, but Cat and Honor declined the opportunity, before deciding they were ready the following year. Before Dragons’ Den, Cat, who had prepared by watching dozens of grillings from the BBC show and its US counterpart Shark Tank.

After watching those, the experience became “even more scary”, she admitted. She went on: “I was properly scared, and I had my Spanish GCSE the day after Dragons’ Den so I really hadn’t clocked it in my mind until the train up when I was doing Spanish flash cards, and I was like, ‘Wait I need to be learning my pitch,’ and then it finally hit me.

“Honor and I were up until 2am reading each other the script, and we fell asleep listening to it on our phone, and that was when it was like, ‘oh my god it’s actually happening, it’s so real’.”

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She added: “In the Den, everything goes quiet. You’re focused on not messing up, so when I got out, I was like, ‘Oh I’ve just done it’. It goes so quickly… but it was amazing, I can’t express how proud I am now, because back then I didn’t realise how much of an achievement it was.”

She went on: “When we ended up getting all five Dragons, we were like, oh my god, no way. We’d never even thought about what would happen if we had got Dragons!”

After filming in the Den, Cat was given the opportunity to meet the other Dragons. “It was hugs all around, I met all of them, definitely a bucket list moment ticked off,” she said.

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She added: “I remember hugging them so many times, I was so overwhelmed. Peter Jones really understood the situation more than the others, just because he started a business at 16, so he was like, ‘This is an amazing achievement, and I hope it all goes well for you’.”

Dragons’ Den is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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AP Top Stories for August 27

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AP Top Stories for August 27

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The Japanese Community Approach Linked To Healthier Ageing

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The Japanese Community Approach Linked To Healthier Ageing

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about “ikigai”, a phenomenon the Japanese government’s site describes as “that which brings value and joy to life: from people, such as one’s children or friends, to activities including work and hobbies”.

Ikigai could help us to lead happier, healthier lives as we age.

And think tank and charity The King’s Trust has suggested that the UK could stand to learn from another of the country’s policies – community gathering places, or CGPs.

In a project run with the International Longevity Centre UK, they wrote, “In our roundtable, CGPs were pointed to as a key example of the kind of preventive, community-based initiatives that Japanese policymakers view as key to both tackling the health effects of ageing and preventing loneliness and social isolation.

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“Evidence suggests that CGPs have been reasonably successful in these aims.”

Japan was chosen as an example because almost a third of its population is aged 65 or above.

What are CGPs?

CGPs “arrange community activities ranging from exercise classes to hobby groups, with the aim of improving health and cognition, preventing frailty and fostering social connection,” The King’s Fund’s site reads.

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Residents usually lead these events, which are “free or extremely cheap”.

They’re described as being a key part of Japan’s healthy ageing policy.

Social isolation has been linked to a shorter lifespan, increased dementia risk, and worse mental health.

Research has shown GCPs might lead to better mental and physical health, though they benefit some more than others

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A 2026 paper found that among older adults who didn’t exercise regularly, participating in CGPs seemed to lower the risk of developing cognitive disabilities.

This effect wasn’t seen among those who already worked out, though.

Women, those over 75, people who live alone, those on low incomes, and rural residents appeared to get more out of the scheme.

Another study showed that monthly CGP participants tended to have lower disability prediction scores and greater levels of happiness. “Higher frequency of participation was associated with lower disability scores and greater happiness,” it reads.

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Associate Professor Uemura, who conducted research into GCPs, said: “These findings support a growing direction in long-term care prevention policy, which creates opportunities for participation that are accessible to older adults who may find regular exercise difficult.

“We hope this evidence will help inform community-based initiatives that support a wide range of older adults and contribute to policies aimed at reducing health inequalities.”

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