Jade Lloyd has shared her story of how her postpartum psychosis led her to believe she had done the unthinkable in order to raise awareness surrounding the rare mental illness

A mother has bravely opened up about her battle with postpartum psychosis that left her utterly convinced that she had killed her newborn daughter for weeks.

Jade Lloyd, from Sherbourne in Dorset, was sectioned for four months after giving birth to her daughter, Penelope, in 2020. The 32-year-old suffered with extreme anxiety and intrusive thoughts, culminating in a terrifying episode in which she hallucinated that she had killed her own newborn daughter.

The mother-of-one said: “I became terrified that I’d killed Penelope, and that my husband was keeping me in the spare room to protect me from what I’d done.”

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Postpartum psychosis is a rare and rapid-onset mental health illness that affects around 1 in 1,000 mothers after giving birth. Unlike the milder mood changes of the more common “baby blues”, postpartum psychosis is a severe condition with symptoms including hallucinations, delusions, mania and mood fluctuations.

Due to the risk posed to the safety of the mother and the baby, postpartum psychosis should be treated as a medical emergency, with treatment often requiring hospitalisation of the affected mother. The birth of Jade’s daughter, Penelope, now five, had been a traumatic three-day affair.

While Jade and her husband had initially planned a home birth, Jade ultimately had to receive intensive medical intervention, with her daughter finally arriving via a Vontuse and Forceps delivery. “It was a far cry from what I had planned,” Jade said.

Soon after giving birth, what Jade had initially dismissed as normal mother’s jitters surrounding the safety of her child spiralled into a debilitating paralysis. She said: “I became too anxious to drive, or even go into a supermarket. One day I just started walking towards a train line and had my first suicidal thought.”

After her health visitor suggested that she was likely suffering with post-natal depression, Jade started taking antidepressants. “But they didn’t work,” she said, adding: “I started having intrusive thoughts about Penelope being harmed by myself or other people, I was so worried about her dying.

“I couldn’t sleep and then I began to feel like I didn’t need to sleep, I felt wired all of the time. I was so scared about what was happening in my head, and was worried my daughter would get taken off me.”

Jade’s symptoms continued to escalate and the onset of hallucinations brought her condition to a fever pitch. She recalled: “One night I flung myself backwards off the bed, and leant on Penelope.

“I got up and started hallucinating that I was John Legend, singing on stage. My husband called my mum and she came and spent the night with me in the spare room.”

It was this physical separation from her daughter which caused Jade to believe that she had killed Penelope. The next day, a doctor came to assess the delirious mother and referred her to a Mother and Baby unit (MBU) in Bournemouth.

Here, Jade was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis and sectioned under the Mental Health Act. She spent the first two weeks on the ward convinced that she was in prison for killing her daughter.

When doctors performed an ECG (electrocardiogram) test, to record the electrical activity of her heart, she grew terrified that it was the electric chair, and she was going to be killed. “I would go from being really distressed to be being really happy and singing a lot”, she said.

She spent one month in the mother and baby unit, alongside Penelope, where she was given anti-psychotics, and a sedative, to help her sleep. After being discharged, Jade fell into a “deep depression” which lasted for two years.

“I really struggled with knowing what had actually happened, and what was a hallucination,” she said. With a 50 % chance of postpartum psychosis recurring to those who have had it following another birth, Jade and her husband have since decided not to have any more children.

Since recovering, Jade has been raising awareness for the mental illness on TikTok in a bid to help others where she felt helpless. “After I came out of the mother and baby unit, I looked online, and there was no one talking about postpartum psychosis in a way I could connect to,” she said. “I felt like I needed to be that person, to help show mums that it does get better.”

Gold (Lize Van der Walt) is originally from South Africa where she won a gold medal in the 400 metres at the age of 21.

She moved to the UK, where she started as a fitness trainer, before joining Gladiators in 1997.

Former Gladiator star Gold dies aged 60

Gold (Van der Walt) died at the age of 60 on Sunday (April 19) after a “long and brave” battle with cancer.

A post on the official Gladiators Facebook page said: “We’re deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Gladiators’ golden girl, Gold (Lize Van der Walt)

“Lize joined the UK Gladiators in 1997, bringing strength, spirit and determination to the Arena.

“Chosen from thousands of applicants to become one of the show’s new Gladiators, she quickly made her mark.

“Although injury limited her appearances, she showed incredible resilience and when she did compete, she proved that all that glistens truly was Gold.

“Originally from South Africa, Lize was a talented athlete long before Gladiators, excelling in the 400m and relay.

“Her adventurous spirit brought her to the UK, where she became part of Gladiators history.

“She returned to the Arena in 2000 to represent the UK against her home nation. A proud full-circle moment that reflected her strength and character.

“Following her time on Gladiators, Lize returned home to Hermanus in South Africa, a beautiful coastal town known for its breathtaking views and sunsets.

“There, she built a new life as a successful artist, creating seascapes and semi-abstract work inspired by her surroundings.

“After a long and brave battle with cancer, Lize passed away on 19th April in South Africa, aged 60.

“Our thoughts are with her son Michael, her family, friends and all who knew and loved her.

“Thank you for the memories, Lize. You will always be part of Gladiators history.”

Who were the original Gladiators from the 90s?

Gladiators made a successful return to TV in 2024 after being rebooted by the BBC.

The show, hosted by Bradley and Barney Walsh, has just completed its third season and features the likes of Giant, Bionic, Cyclone, and Athena.

The original series aired on ITV between 1992 and 2000, and starred:

• Gold (Lize Van der Walt)
• Wolf (Michael Van Wijk)
• Jet (Diane Youdale)
• Lightning (Kim Betts)
• Rhino (Mark Smith)
• Falcon (Bernadette Hunt)
• Saracen (Mike Lewis)
• Cobra (Michael Willson)
• Shadow (Jefferson King)
• Ace (Warren Furman)
• Nightshade (Judy Simpson)
• Hunter (James Crossley)

Do you remember Gold (Lize Van der Walt) from the 90s series of Gladiators on ITV? Let us know in the comments below.

Scotland are back at the World Cup, after a 28-year hiatus. Steve Clarke’s men will be hoping to make it past the group stages for the first time in the nation’s history, but face a tough task in Group C, which they share with five-time winners Brazil and Africa Cup of Nations champions Morocco, as well as Haiti.

Their away kit comes in a bold coral colour, reminiscent of the Tartan Army’s 1999 away strip.

Two of North Yorkshire’s long-running over-35s football sides, York Dukes FC and Malton Old Boys FC (The MOB) will play at The Young Guns Arena, home of Tadcaster Albion FC on Saturday, April 25.

The match is being played in memory of Steven Bilton, a family member of a York Dukes player. The winning team will lift the inaugural Steven Bilton Trophy, to be presented after the match by David Skaife, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

Dave Brown, organiser at York Dukes FC, said: “Steve was a much loved son, brother, uncle and friend to so many and a cornerstone of our team in York. Sadly he lost his battle with mental health last year.

“We’re proud to support Andy’s Man Club and the incredible work they do. This match is about more than football — it’s about raising awareness, encouraging conversations, and showing that no one has to struggle alone.”

Steve Mason of The MOB said: “For more than 13 years we’ve given over-35s the chance to play football against similar teams across the area, and I urge people to support this cause. Our community is impacted hugely; in the UK, suicide is one of the leading causes of death among men under 50. When you’ve been personally touched by tragedy, you realise how prevalent it is — even within your own peer group. One loss is simply too much.”

He added: “Veterans football provides a safe space for this age group to take part in sport for the benefit of both physical and mental health. Being in a team means you are not alone.”

In November 2025, the Mayor Skaife set out plans to build a more supportive and mentally healthy region as part of his £7 million Moving Forward programme, which includes a Men’s Mental Health Programme and the ‘Shift Your Focus’ behaviour-change campaign.

He said: “If we want things to change, we need to put support in the places men already feel comfortable — sports clubs, community groups and workplaces — rather than expecting people to step into a room and open up on day one. Helping men feel connected, even in small ways, is where change starts.”

All proceeds from the day will go to Andy’s Man Club, supporting its free, peer-to-peer groups across the UK where men can speak openly in a safe, non-judgemental space.

The day will include a half-time raffle, food and drink from the clubhouse, music before kick-off and a post-match trophy presentation by the Mayor. Kick-off: 11:00am Tickets are £3, with reduced entry for children under 10 and are available at: www.trybooking.com/uk/fiun

A meeting is set to take place where the petition will be handed over.

More than 1,300 people have now signed the petition for a new walk-in medical centre, with features such as GPs, dentistry, and an ambulance bay suggested.

Paul Whitelegg (right) with Walkden residents (Image: Paul Whitelegg)

Paul Whitelegg, who spearheaded the campaign, said: “This is probably the largest signed petition Walkden has done and the screaming out for this service from residents is clear to see.

“We have now received a case number from the NHS ICB, and they are currently arranging a meeting with politicians, their team, and our steering group to take this even further.

“This is real progress – this is hope.

“We have now gathered over 1,000 signatures from local residents in support of this much-needed service.

“This campaign comes from a genuine place of concern for the health, wellbeing, and security of our community.

“Over the past few weeks, we have held three community meetings, with more than 500 residents attending to express how important accessible, round-the-clock medical care is to them and their families.”

Paul is co-founder of Walkden in Bloom, a community project dedicated to planting, improving, and maintaining green spaces in Walkden and Little Hulton.

Rubbish collected as part of a Walkden in Bloom litter pick (Image: Dan Dougherty)

The walk-in centre project grew directly out of Walkden in Bloom, as group members discussed what changes they would like to see made in the local area.

Walkden used to have a similar service ‘about 20 years ago’, according to Mr Whitelegg, which offered prescriptions, emergency health services, and health consultations.

Dentistry is a particular concern, as many of the local dentists are full, according to Mr Whitelegg.

This forces people out into Swinton, causing extra strain on services in those locations.

Writing in a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said: “Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.

When Charlotte Regan’s debut feature film, Scrapper, won the grand jury prize at the prestigious Sundance film festival in 2023, it announced a filmmaker of rare instinctive warmth.

Scrapper showed Regan to be capable of rendering working-class life with tenderness, wit and a magical lightness that felt entirely her own. With her new eight-part BBC series Mint, the filmmaker turns her hand to crime drama, bringing that same sensibility to television.

Mint sits squarely within what film scholar David Forrest, in his 2020 book New Realism: Contemporary British Cinema, identified as a poetic turn in British screen culture. Where the social realist tradition (think the films of Ken Loach and Mike Leigh) favours direct, politically explicit storytelling, this newer mode prefers something more impressionistic and ambiguous. Forrest traces this tendency through filmmakers such as Andrea Arnold, Clio Barnard and Shane Meadows. Regan is its natural inheritor.

That she should apply this sensibility to a BBC crime drama was, at first, enough to raise an eyebrow. The genre’s conventions (cold proceduralism, gritty realism, familiar signifiers of deprivation) seem antithetical to everything that made Scrapper so alive – a film in which a 12-year-old girl squatting alone in a council house is the unlikely centre of a story that is both sweet and charming.

Set in Grangemouth, Scotland, amid the eerily beautiful landscape of cooling towers and housing estates, Mint is, in its first episode, unapologetically Romeo and Juliet. Shannon (Emma Laird) is the daughter of crime boss Dylan (Sam Riley); Arran (Benjamin Coyle-Larner, the rapper better known as Loyle Carner, making his acting debut) is the prodigal son of a rival family, newly arrived from London. The two are star-crossed before even exchanging a word.

They meet at a train station, lock eyes across the tracks and the air around Arran seems to catch light. This is not a metaphor. Sparks erupt around Arran’s silhouette and the camera lingers on Shannon’s face with piercing intensity. It is a visual language of magic realism shaped by Regan’s background in music videos, which she has directed since she was 15. Super 8 footage punctuates the narrative throughout the series, offering slivers of a family history that feel, texturally, as immediate as the present.

But Mint runs into difficulties when it must dramatise rather than observe. Regan’s camera is an attentive instrument, alive to the unspoken interior lives of its subjects – but lyricism alone cannot carry a story.

A shallow love story

Shannon and Arran’s romance, for all its visual electricity, is paper thin. Their relationship escalates from a quick encounter at a train station to declarations of deep emotional significance within the space of 30 minutes. This is not Laird’s fault – she is magnetic throughout, giving Shannon a volatile, searching quality that makes the character compelling even when the writing does not. It is a problem of the script’s pacing and, perhaps, its misplaced faith that poetic vision can do the emotional work character development has not yet earned.

The crime world that surrounds the central romance is similarly under-explored. Sam Riley is reliably imposing as Dylan. But the gang dynamics feel sketched rather than inhabited, gesturing toward the genre’s conventions (slow-motion confrontations, coded loyalties, fathers trying to keep daughters in gilded cages) without interrogating or subverting them with any particular rigour.

There is a richer series lurking in Mint, one that more seriously pursues the feminist undercurrent running through it. At its heart are three generations of women – Shannon, her mother Cat (Laura Fraser) and grandmother Ollie (Lindsay Duncan) – watching the men in their lives perform masculinity and violence, navigating complicity and quiet resistance in equal measure.

Too often, though, visual boldness is allowed to stand in for dramatic depth, and the result, for all its beauty, is a series that dazzles more than it moves.

The Other Bennet Sister fans have fallen in love with the BBC period drama and are now looking for their next Jane Austen fix – this could be it

The Other Bennet Sister has resonated deeply with period drama fans, but as they complete the first and only season, they’re desperately seeking another Jane Austen tale.

Within the same universe Austen crafted, viewers can discover Death Comes to Pemberley, a narrative that continues directly from where Pride and Prejudice ended.

Much like the 2026 production, The Other Bennet Sister, this 2013 standalone series also extends Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, penned by a different author. It draws from P.D. James’s 2011 novel, which employs the same characters and literary style as the original 1813 work.

Spanning three episodes, it pursues a murder mystery storyline, featuring the beloved characters Austen devotees recognise but placed in a somewhat altered setting.

The Guardian described its execution was “respectful” towards Austen’s iconic masterpiece while still managing to “stand out” as its own “very different” creation.

It also shares similarities with the Pride and Prejudice adaptation, as Chatsworth House in Derbyshire served as Pemberley’s exterior backdrop. This identical location featured as the estate in the 2005 film.

One viewer posted their thoughts on IMDB, saying: “If you are like me and enjoy your Pride and Prejudice and a good murder plot, then you would love this series!”

They added: “Elisabeth in particular is just like I would have imagined; she is the same spirited, outspoken person we know and love, while Darcy is more brooding, quiet and responsible (while I may have chosen other actors in terms of appearance, I think they portray the characters very well as reactions).”

A PopMatters reviewer wrote: “Death Comes to Pemberley, a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice by P.D. James, is a worthy addition to Austen’s original, and the BBC adaptation makes that case wonderfully.”

Taking place in 1803, the programme opens six years following the union of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, when a disappearance occurs which rocks the whole community. Following a dispute, Wickham and Denny leave in a horse-drawn carriage, and moments later, two gunshots ring out.

Upon learning of the incident and the men’s disappearance, Darcy dispatches a search team. They find Wickham in a state of hysteria, clutching Denny’s lifeless body, and the narrative unfolds revealing how this devastating death came to pass.

Naturally, venturing into Austen’s universe carries significant risk, as the cherished writer’s work holds almost sacred status amongst devoted readers.

Consequently, the adaptation has attracted its share of detractors regarding its depiction of certain Austen characters that have been reimagined by subsequent authors.

One viewer says on IMDB: “When you use well-known and loved characters from something as famous as Pride and Prejudice, they should at least stay faithful to their original characters. Which it does, mostly, but the portrayal of Elizabeth Bennett was just really off.”

Elizabeth is portrayed by Anna Maxwell Martin, alongside Matthew Rhys as Fitzwilliam Darcy, Jenna Coleman as Lydia Wickham and Matthew Goode as George Wickham.

For those seeking their next Austen-inspired drama, this makes an excellent starting point with its easily bingeable three-episode run; Death Comes to Pemberley can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.

Ian McAllister, from Choppington, is raising money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service through a series of running events to mark his 50th birthday— including the 100-mile Pilgrims Ultra taking place in September.

Mr McAllister is running in memory of his nephew, Guy Comber, who died in 2013.

Guy Comber (Image: Supplied)

He said: “Living in a rural area, I see time and time again how important the requirement for an air ambulance service is.

“When my nephew, Guy, needed to get to hospital urgently it was actually the Sea King from nearby RAF Boulmer that transported him, but since this service has been disbanded the requirement for an air ambulance service is more important than ever.”

Guy, just eight years old when he died, is remembered as “a cheeky, smiley character” who adored his older brothers, rugby, and life on the farm.

Ian McAllister with his dog (Image: Supplied)

Mr McAllister said: “He lived, breathed, ate, slept, and dreamt of farming.

“Even at a tiny age, he’d be wandering around the stack yard in his John Deere boiler suit checking on the cattle.”

This is not Mr McAllister’s first tribute in Guy’s memory.

Ian McAllister with his running number (Image: Supplied)

In 2016, he marked his 40th birthday by running 400 competitive miles, raising £1,773 for the Newcastle Healthcare Charity.

That challenge included two ultra-distance events of 65 and 30 miles, five marathons, two duathlons, 11 half-marathons, a 10km race, and six park runs.

A decade later, and after three ankle reconstructions, Mr McAllister is pushing himself further than ever.

(Image: Supplied)

The Pilgrims’ Ultra follows the full length of St Oswald’s Way, finishing at Chollerford, with a 30-hour cut-off time.

When asked why he chose such a demanding goal, Mr McAllister replied: “To see if I can.”

He is also taking part in a range of other events, including the Bamburgh Half Marathon, Kingdom of Northumbria Ultra, Allendale Challenge, and the Priory Ultra.

Mr McAllister said: “Once the donations and good luck messages come in, it motivates me to want to continue.”

He has set a fundraising target of £500 for GNAAS.

EastEnders’ Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) is finally diagnosed next week amid his ongoing mental health storyline. 

The popular character’s well-being has been spiralling in recent months following his involvement in the cuckooing plot involving Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho) and Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway). 

Fans of the BBC soap have seen him start self-harming as well as holding up a hostage situation at the local pharmacy. 

This week’s episodes have also seen him drop the bombshell on his son Nugget Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) that he was the person responsible for his horrific attack in the street earlier this year. 

The revelation left their family in tatters as Ravi’s deeply concerned partner Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan-Levy) has been at a loss of how to help him. 

In forthcoming scenes, Priya tricks him into going to hospital by suggesting they all leave Walford together, but the family end up in a car accident involving Max Branning (Jake Wood) and Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins). 

In the aftermath of the crash, Ravi is at a crisis point and goes missing, but it’s not long before Priya finds him feeling suicidal on a bridge. 

Fortunately, she’s able to get him down to safety and make him see that he needs help and is taken to a mental health unit. 

Next week, Ravi receives a diagnosis of complex PTSD and begins his therapy sessions. 

EastEnders has been working with Samaritans on this part of Ravi’s mental health storyline, with the show’s executive producer Ben Wadey explaining: ‘EastEnders always takes great care when researching storylines such as Ravi’s and we’re grateful to Samaritans for the advice they have given us, helping us ensure Ravi’s story is told with the care and sensitivity it deserves.’ 

Lorna Fraser, Head of Media Advisory Service at Samaritans, added: ‘Storylines responsibly reflecting experiences of mental health and suicide can help tackle stigma and encourage viewers who might be struggling to talk about how they are feeling. 

‘We’re proud to have supported EastEnders with covering Ravi’s self-harm and mental health crisis sensitively and grateful for their efforts in making this as safe as possible. We hope it helps anyone watching to seek support if they need it.’

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EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 27th April at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer. 

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