Presley Gerber said he was ‘absolutely terrified’ as he attempted to overcome his addictions with a controversial treatment six months before his death.

It was confirmed on Monday that Presley, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber, had died at age 27 following a years-long struggle with drugs, panic attacks and his mental health.

In March, Presley posted about his experience at a Mexico treatment clinic, where he underwent a ‘Pre Ibogaine Flood Dose’ – a single, high-dose administration of the naturally occurring psychoactive substance ibogaine.

Ibogaine is derived from an African shrub and is reported to help withdrawal symptoms and reset brain pathways. The high-dose is designed to induce a profound psychoactive and physiological ‘reset’. 

Admitting he was ‘absolutely terrified’ to go through the controversial treatment, which is illegal in the US, Presley was supported by his parents and sister Kaia Gerber for his ‘courage’.

Cindy commented on the post: ‘You are a warrior! Walked thru the fire to find yourself! So proud!’ 

Kaia added: ‘that’s my brother I am so damn proud’ whilst Rande wrote: ‘I’m so proud of you and your courage.’

‘Facing what’s hard takes real strength and watching you find your way back to yourself is everything. I love you so much.’ 

Ibogaine is illegal in the US, where it is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance but it is legal or permitted by prescription in countries like Canada and Brazil whilst it is used in specialised clinics in Mexico.

The model tagged Beond Ibogaine in Cancun, praising the clinic’s ‘incredible, caring, kind and on-their-sh*t team’. Treatment at the clinic starts at $12,500 for a 10-day programme.

Presley captioned his video: ‘Pre Ibogaine Flood Dose – quiet moment before everything changed.’

‘i was absolutely terrified, and I knew I would be again if I ever had to face something like this (helps to not go into the situations you do that get ya there but that’s life sometimes.)’

‘(my mantras were love yourself and lis gotta be the last time for this reason. letting go of control didn’t come easy, but I trusted there was something bigger than me guiding it’.

‘I knew why i was there. I faced what I had been running from, and somewhere in all of it, i started finding my way back to myself…. We shall see…. Praying it’s the last time I have to come back.’

It was confirmed on Monday that Presley, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber, has died at age 27 following a years-long struggle with drugs, panic attacks and his mental health (Presley, sister Kaia, Cindy and Rande pictured in May 2026)

In March, Presley posted about his experience at a Mexico treatment clinic, where he underwent a ‘Pre Ibogaine Flood Dose’

‘Next time I’d like to choose And absolutely can’t forget the incredible caring kind and on their sh*t team. Helps a lot haha. And I made some dope ass friends there  #iboga #ibogaine #rewireyourbrain #loveyourself #mentalhealth.’

Beond Ibogaine commented on the post at the time, writing: ‘Thank you for sharing this so openly. We know how much courage that moment takes, and we’re really proud of you for facing it with so much honesty and heart.’

‘It was an honor to support you, and it means a lot to know you felt the care of the team and the connection around you. Wishing you so much strength and clarity for everything ahead.’

Beond Ibogaine’s website states that ‘Ingesting a large enough dose induces a temporary psychedelic experience that can last several hours, normally with no significant side effects.’

‘For hundreds of years, indigenous African peoples, such as those practicing the Bwiti tradition, have ingested large doses of Ibogaine in its raw root bark form for its spiritual and healing properties.’

‘Over the past thirty years, Ibogaine has been administered in various clinics around the world for medical treatment purposes, most often to treat drug dependence, including the use of ibogaine for alcoholism and ibogaine for opiate addiction.’

‘Beond Ibogaine treatment exists to end suffering from trauma, depression & addiction. Faster. Safer & Forever,’ the website adds. 

‘Beond’s ibogaine clinic in Mexico combines the power of ibogaine, our proprietary safety protocols, and best-in-class behavioral therapies delivered by licensed credentialed Medical Doctors, Registered Nurses, and experienced Preparation & Integration Coaches.’

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said that Presley died on Sunday at a rehab facility in a devastating end to a battle he had increasingly laid bare in brutally candid social media posts. His cause of death was not revealed.

Admitting he was ‘absolutely terrified’ to go through the controversial treatment, which is illegal in the US, Presley was supported by his parents and sister Kaia Gerber for his ‘courage’

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Last month, Presley’s sister Kaia revealed how his drug use and mental health struggles had affected their family.

‘When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,’ she told Vogue.

Last November, Presley revealed he had taken a step back from social media to ‘take care of my own mental health for a bit’.

One month later, he opened up about his personal life in a candid social media video.

Sister, Kaia, said her brother’s troubles made her want to be the ‘easy’ child.

She explained: ‘I think that’s also why I started to self-​identify as the easy one and never wanted to ask for help. Because it felt like too much to have two children who were needing.’

He listed medication he takes for ‘night terrors’ and ‘panic attacks’.

‘I feel like honesty is the best policy,’ he began before sharing that he was on 1mg of Buprenorphine, used to treat both pain and opioid use disorders, twice a day.

Presley also shared that the ‘benzos have been fluctuating up and down depending on what’s been going on in my life’.

Benzodiazepines help ‘slow down activity in your brain and nervous system’ to treat ‘anxiety and related mental health conditions’, per Cleveland Clinic.

‘Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of loss in many different forms recently, so that is not an excuse, but it’s the reason why I am where I’m at now,’ he shared.

He did not go into detail about the ‘loss’ he referenced, but went on to explain that he also takes a dose of Xanax at night or when his ‘panic attacks are really, really bad’.

Presely pictured in his last Instagram post, shared on August 5

The model then listed Valium, admitting that he didn’t know exactly how much he’d been taking as he said, ‘Who f***ing knows anymore.’

He noted in the Instagram reel that ‘doctors say a lot of different things so it’s kind of scary. But hopefully between my research and their research and the world and God, we can finally figure this out.’

Presley also talked about the lack of ‘direction’ he has from doctors when it comes to his medication.

‘I’d like doctors to be like, “Take this three times a day.” But every psychiatrist I’ve had – and I’ve had 15 – are like, “Here’s 20 medications and take this if you feel like this, take this as needed.”

‘And I’m like, “No, don’t give me that much leeway.” I need some direction,’ he continued.

Kaia told Vogue that witnessing her brother’s honesty was ‘refreshing’.

‘My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything – and now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, “I’m gonna be very human for everyone.” There’s only so much you can hide from the world,’ she said.

‘And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them.’ 

A £121m state-of-the-art health hub designed to cut NHS Wales waiting times could deliver around 3,000 operations every year, with a new facility in Llantrisant. The Llantrisant Health Park will feature six new operating theatres and 54 beds, initially focusing on hip and knee replacement surgery, alongside purpose-built diagnostic and recovery facilities.

The Regional Orthopaedic Arthroplasty Hub is being backed by Welsh Government funding and is designed to help patients access treatment sooner and recover more quickly following surgery.

Once fully operational, the hub is expected to carry out an average of 3,000 operations each year. Full story here.

Data obtained from a Freedom of Information request has shown that during the 2021/22 period funding from City of York Council and central Government amounted to £159,728 with large amounts of Government money being used through Covid support schemes such as the Assisted Restrictions Grant (ARG).

In 2025/26, the only disclosed revenue grants were £4,200 to the National Centre for Early Music and £6,537 to YPO Productions for Guildhall Orchestra concerts staged at the Barbican.

READ MORE: Investigation after marsh harrier shot in North Yorkshire

The FOI shows disclosed grant funding falling sharply after the pandemic, while the level of business-rates relief available to qualifying venues has also reduced in recent years.

A nationwide Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) Relief Scheme was lowered from 75 per cent in 2024/25 to 40 per cent in 2025/26 before finally ending on March 31, 2026.

The Government says the retail, hospitality and leisure relief scheme ended on March 31 and was replaced by permanently lower business-rates multipliers for eligible occupied properties.

During the pandemic, the scheme had been expanded to provide 100 per cent relief for qualifying retail, leisure and hospitality premises.

Support for venues in York is on the decline financially, according to a Freedom of Information request. (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Since the start of the pandemic and subsequent national lockdowns, the UK late-night economy has shrunk by a reported 29 per cent according to the latest Night Time Economy Market Monitor.

Despite being fairly resilient, York has seen a number of key venues disappear in recent years including the well-known venue Victoria Vaults in Nunnery Lane.

A spokesperson for the City of York Council said: “Historically, between the financial years 2020/21 and 2025/26, the Government did not operate a specific standalone relief scheme for live music venues.

“Instead, these properties were supported via broader national initiatives, namely the Expanded Retail Discount and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) Relief Scheme.

“For the 2026/27 financial year, the government introduced a single, combined Pubs and Live Music Venue Relief scheme.

“The council currently records a total of 177 receiving this unified relief.

“Because this is a single, combined scheme, our systems do not separate premises operating solely as live music venues from those operating as pubs.”

Victoria Vaults closed its doors in December 2024 and plans were made for the building to be redeveloped into a cafe.

In the 2021/22 period Victoria Vaults received £16,000 under the ARG Grant, under the same grant York venues The Crescent and Fulford Arms received £30,800 and £21,000 respectively.

Earlier this year a campaign was launched for Victoria Vaults to be listed as a community asset.

Morgan Gibbs-White is in line for an England recall to replace Cole Palmer, who is set to withdraw from the squad because of a minor injury.

Nottingham Forest midfielder Gibbs-White missed out on selection in the initial squad for the upcoming Nations League matches, but is set to be called up.

Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel admitted on Friday that Gibbs-White was close to making the cut and the 26-year-old is now expected to replace Chelsea‘s Palmer.

Palmer, 24, had been recalled by Tuchel after being controversially left out of England’s World Cup squad.

Tuchel previously said Palmer had a “point to prove” and needed “to step up” to “keep his shirt and justify the nomination”.

However, the Blues forward will now miss the extended international break in which England play four games.

The Three Lions face World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on Saturday, 26 September, then travel to the Czech Republic (29 September) and Croatia (3 October) before hosting the Czechs on 6 October.

No, you’re not having déjà vu. No, de-ageing technology hasn’t advanced at a concerning rate. The face you’re seeing here isn’t Cillian, but Aran Murphy, the Oscar-winning actor’s 19-year-old son. Owing to the limitations of the written word, you’ll have to believe me when I tell you that they also share the same modest, considered manner and the same gentle Irish accent.

Michael Burke, now 66, abused all three girls while they were school-aged.

He abused two of the victims in the 1990s, with his most recent offences committed within the past decade.

Northumbria Police launched an investigation after all three victims reported sexual assaults and rapes.

The woman said Burke overpowered them and sometimes assaulted his victims while they were asleep.

When arrested and questioned, he either denied the offences or repeatedly answered “no comment”.

Paedophile Michael Peter Burke given prison sentences totalling 24 years for the sexual abuse of three girls

After a complex investigation by Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding Department, Burke, of Framlington Place, Newcastle, was charged with various counts of abuse.

He continued to deny the offences and absconded while on bail, forcing police to hunt him down and re-arrest him.

After a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in June, he was convicted of offences against all three women.

The convictions included five sexual assaults, two rapes and three indecent assaults. The latter offences took place before the Sexual Offences Act of 2003 came into force.

He was remanded in custody after the guilty verdicts and returned to court on Friday, September 18, where he was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Judge Carolyn Scott also ordered him to remain on the sex offenders’ register for life and imposed lifelong restraining orders protecting all three women.

They each provided Victim Personal Statements, detailing the lasting impact of Burke’s abuse on their lives.

One said the abuse devastated her mental health, led her to attempt suicide and resulted in a PTSD diagnosis.

She said: “One of the worst and most long-lasting effects of what happened to me was the way it affected my understanding of consent, control and my ability to protect myself.

 “The abuse did not simply remain in my childhood, but it followed me into my teenage years and adulthood, influencing the way I behaved, the decisions I made and the way I viewed myself.

“For many years, I thought I had learned how to live with everything that happened.

“The trial changed that.

 “Having to revisit that period of my life has brought back memories and emotions that I had spent years learning how to manage.

“I have experienced sleepless nights and a significant deterioration in my wellbeing.”

Another woman said she saw Burke as “a very evil man” after the abuse.

She said the abuse left her struggling to sleep and lying awake for much of the night.

When she eventually fell asleep, she soon woke after dreaming about Burke.

“I could never then sleep as I thought he would get to me.”

She said: “The way I tried to deal with this was to just try and put it in the back of my head.

“I became so angry towards everyone.

“I was upset all the time and did not know who I could trust anymore.

“When we had the trial, I was scared, feeling we would not be believed and he would get away with it.

“Since the trial, I have had a lot of nightmares, in which I see his face and then wake up thinking he is on top of me. 

“In some of my nightmares I am back in court, but I am alone and he is the only other person there.

“I am struggling to sleep and should go to the doctors to see if they can help me.”

She added: “I hate Michael Burke for what he has done to me.

“I cannot put into words how much damage he has done.

“I have so much anger and hate towards him.

“He has caused that much damage we will never be the same again, because of what he has done to us all.”

Detective Constable Colin Lether led the Northumbria Police investigation.

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, he said: “Despite how much time has passed between the initial offending and the most recent, it has become clear that Michael Burke is a paedophile with a sustained interest in young girls.

“It’s evident from the testimonies of the victim-survivors just how much Burke’s offending has, and continues to, affect them.”

Det Con Lether added: “I am pleased that Burke’s horrific offending has finally come to light because these three women bravely came forward and allowed police to investigate.

 “All three have finally had the chance to put their abuser before the courts and to seek justice.

“I hope they can now move forward in whatever way they may be able.”

Anyone who has experienced sexual abuse, recently or in the past, should contact Northumbria Police through its website’s “Report” pages or by direct message on social media.

Read next … more court stories from The Northern Echo, by clicking here

Anyone unable to report abuse online should call 101.

Call 999 in an emergency or if a crime is ongoing.

Crimes can also be reported anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting its website.

Nigella Lawson’s potato and pepper bake is a simple one-pan traybake recipe that serves up to 10 people

Nigella Lawson has created countless recipes during her career, spanning both sweet and savoury dishes. Her Guinness cake is widely regarded as her most iconic creation.

However, when it comes to speedy weeknight meals, her traybake recipes prove particularly popular.

Among these is her potato and pepper bake, which boasts more than 24 four-star reviews on BBC Food. The recipe notes explain: “I never feel the need to apologise for using jars of chargrilled peppers, for while I don’t eat them just as they are, I find them the most useful ingredient. Just make sure you are using peppers preserved in oil rather than in brine. The potatoes don’t roast in this oil, so much as braise: they will crisp up in parts, but mostly just become softened and rich in the sweet peppery juices.”

This recipe yields eight to 10 portions, making it ideal for meal prep and packed lunches. Simply allow any leftovers to cool before covering them and promptly transferring them to the fridge.

According to the instructions, leftovers will remain fresh in the fridge for up to five days. To reheat, simply place them on a baking tray and warm through in a 200°C/180°C fan oven for approximately 20 minutes.

The potatoes can also be prepared a day ahead by peeling and slicing them, then storing them submerged in a bowl of cold water.

Nigella Lawson’s potato and pepper bake recipe

Ingredients:

• 2kg maincrop waxy potatoes, such as Cyprus
• Two 290g jars of chargrilled peppers in oil
• Two tablespoons of coriander seeds

Method:

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan before peeling the potatoes and slicing them into 2.5cm pieces. Then, cut each slice into quarters and transfer them to a large shallow roasting tin.

Pour the jars of peppers and oil generously over the potatoes. The peppers tend to come in fairly small strips, but use scissors to cut them down further if needed.

Scatter the coriander seeds and toss all the ingredients together before placing in the oven for one hour.

Once cooked, the potatoes should be tender in the centre and golden on the outside, though not crispy except at the edges.

Using a slotted spatula or spoon, carefully transfer the potatoes into a large, warmed serving bowl, allowing any excess oil to drain back into the roasting tin.

Serve straight away, or leave to rest for around 15 minutes — or up to 45 minutes if you have the time — as Nigella suggests, they are equally delicious when served warm rather than piping hot.

Enjoy on their own as a fuss-free supper, or alongside a protein such as salmon or chicken.

By MARK DUELL, DEPUTY CHIEF REPORTER (DIGITAL)

Published: 09:53 BST, 21 September 2026 | Updated: 10:09 BST, 21 September 2026

Harvest mites live in vegetation and woodland across the UK and land on humans and animals, including dogs.

They’re also known as chiggers or berry bugs and September and October are among the peak months for their activity.

Hanna Yusuf, prescribing pharmacist at Chemist4U, warns: “Harvest mites, also known as chiggers or berry bugs, tend to thrive in late summer and autumn because this is when their larval state is most active.

“The tiny larvae live in long grass, woodland edges and overgrown vegetation, waiting to latch onto passing humans and animals.

“September and October are peak months for bites, making outdoor activities particularly risky at this time of the year.”

How to know if you’ve been bitten by a harvest mite

Harvest mites can be missed as they’re “extremely small and difficult to spot”, Yusuf explains.

You can expect them to “cause intensely itchy red bumps or clusters of raised welts on your skin.”

Sometimes, blisters or irritation can occur, especially where clothing is tight, like the ankles, waistline and behind the knees.

What to do if a harvest mite bites you

Yusuf says you should not scratch where you’ve been bitten because the risk of infection increases.

Instead, she advises: “Washing the area with soap and water, applying a cold compress, and using antihistamines or hydrocortisone cream can help relieve itching and swelling.

“If symptoms worsen, the area becomes painful, hot or swollen, or signs of infection develop, it’s important to seek advice from a pharmacist or healthcare professional.”

When it comes to preventing bites from the small bugs, you should wear long trousers and footwear that covers your feet if you’re walking in long grass.

The pharmacist recommends showering and changing your clothes when you have spent time in “high-risk” areas outside.

How do harvest mites affect dogs?

The PDSA says harvest mites are small and orange and cause problems for dogs during late summer and autumn.

It adds: “Harvest mite infestations are most common on the feet, legs, and sometimes in the ears.”

They live in the soil and are “most active” between July and November.

The PDSA explains: “If your dog picks up a harvest mite infestation, they will become itchy and uncomfortable.

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“Some dogs are extremely sensitive to harvest mite saliva and develop intensely itchy, red, inflamed skin where they’ve been bitten.

“Infestations are most common in between toes, on the feet, legs, armpits, genitals, tummy, and can occasionally affect the ears.”

Pet owners should contact their vet if they think their dog or cat has harvest mites as they could need treatment.

Have you ever seen harvest mites? Let us know in the comments below.