The Irish actress, 39, is known for playing panicky student Clare Devlin on the Channel 4 comedy

Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has said she has “no interest in body positivity” and that she finds it “boring” when people talk about her size.

The Irish actress, 39, known for playing panicky student Clare Devlin on Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls, stars in the Netflix regency series Bridgerton as Penelope Bridgerton.

Despite the success of the show, she has described how disappointing it is that so many people praise her body size and talk about her weight.

Fronting the cover of Elle UK’s April issue, Coughlan told the magazine: “The thing I say sometimes that pisses people off is I have no interest in body positivity.

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“When I was a kid growing up, I never thought about that. I didn’t look at actors and think about their bodies. So, I actually don’t care.

“There’s a lot of things I’m passionate about, it’s not one of them… That’s someone else’s thing. It’s not mine.”

The actress added that despite being a size 10, she will still be praised as someone who appears on screen as a plus-size actress, comments which she finds “boring”.

Speaking about the reaction to her nude scenes on the show, she said: “What was really bizarre was when I was shooting that series, I was exercising a lot because I knew I had to, so I had lost a bunch of weight – I was probably a size 10 and one of the corsets was a size 8.

“Then people talked about how I was plus size and I was like, ‘How f***** are we that I am the biggest woman you want to see on screen?’

“I remember this really drunk girl once talking to me in a bathroom being like, ‘I loved (Bridgerton) because of your body’ and started talking about my body, and I was like, ‘I want to die. I hate this so much’.

“It’s really hard when you work on something for months and months of your life, you don’t see your family, you really dedicate yourself and then it comes down to what you look like – it’s so f****** boring.”

Coughlan also told the magazine that she gives herself more “grace” since receiving her ADHD diagnosis.

She said: “It feels like I got the handbook to my brain that I wasn’t given when I was born.

“I understand things a bit better now, and I give myself a little more grace.”

Coughlan is also known for starring in the hit movie Barbie as well as Channel 4’s Big Mood, a role which secured her a Bafta nomination.

She also appeared in a National Theatre production of The Playboy Of The Western World alongside her Derry Girls co-star Siobhan McSweeney.

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Adam Quirk said his son Freddie “had such a short life but he touched so many people”.

A couple have paid tribute to their 18-month-old son who died unexpectedly. Freddie Quirk, from Netherton in Merseyside, was described by his dad Adam Quirk as a boy who “loved life” despite everything that was thrown at him.

Freddie died on Monday, February 23, after his mum Abbie Quirk found him unresponsive. Paying tribute, Adam, 28, told the Liverpool ECHO: ”He was just the definition of a cheeky little chappy. He loved life. He lit up the room with his smile and loved everyone.”

Freddie was born without an anus, a condition officially called imperforate anus. This is where some babies are born without any opening for excrement to leave the body. In people with the condition the rectum (the last part of the bowel) is closed off.

Freddie had to have surgery when he was one day old and later had a stoma bag fitted, but Adam says his son brushed off any difficulties he faced.

He said: “He was such a strong little boy, nothing fazed him. He was climbing everywhere, running everywhere. He was just a smart, happy baby.”

Adam said: “Abbie found him on her own. I was on my way to work at the time on the train. I’d only gone one stop and I ran back. I was told Freddie had passed away on my way back.

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“It’s been a shock for everybody because we weren’t expecting it. He was a bit unwell on the Sunday before he passed, but nothing out of the ordinary.

“He was vomiting a little bit, but he was still drinking. We didn’t try giving him too much food because we didn’t want him vomiting it straight back up. He was still playing with his toys and wanted to be around us, so it was nothing unusual.”

The family don’t know Freddie’s exact cause of death. Adam said: “We don’t know how he died yet. His body was only released from the coroner’s office yesterday (Tuesday, March 3). They’ve given us a timeframe of six to nine months for a bit of testing to be done.”

Throughout this time, Adam and Abbie have been supported by Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. Now Lydia Pennington, one of Abbie’s close friends, is running the Mersey Tunnel 10K later this year to raise money for the hospital’s charity.

A JustGiving page has raised over £1,600 so far. Adam said: “Lydia is one of Abbie’s friends from university. They actually live in Blackpool.

“They already said they want to do the Mersey Tunnel run and asked us if they could do some fundraising. The original target was £150 and I think that was surpassed like the first half an hour.

Abbie, 29, added: “It got raised to £500 and I think that only took another hour maybe. It’s just really heartwarming.”

Adam said: “Alder Hey, we could never, ever sing their praises enough. We got transferred from the Women’s to Alder Hey on Freddie’s first day of life when he went in for surgery.

“The nurses and doctors are absolute godsends. They made sure to sit with us when we needed it, leave us alone when we needed it. We can’t even think about how hard it would’ve been anywhere else.

“Freddie had such a short life, but he touched so many people and he loved everybody he met so intensely. Everyone who met him loved him.

“He had his tantrums but he loved life and loved us, loved everyone, and we loved him. We’re so incredibly lucky that we live so close to Alder Hey and we’ve had that support.

“My brother’s fiancée had an amazing idea – on Freddie’s birthday every year, July 1, we’re going to be buying presents for him as normal, but we are donating them all to Alder Hey.

“They’ve done so much for us, it’s only right that we do something for them. We just can’t put into words how important Alder Hey has been to us.”

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The front window of one house was broken and a handbag containing a purse stolen from inside.

Police are appealing for information following reports of burglaries at two houses in Co Armagh.

Shortly after 5am on Friday, March 6 it was reported that a person had gained entry through the front door of a house at Ballyoran Park in Portadown but was disturbed by the occupant and left empty handed.

A short time later a report was received that the front window of a nearby house had been broken and a handbag containing a purse stolen from inside.

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An attempt was then made to withdraw money using a bank card belonging to the occupant at a shop on the Garvaghy Road at 5.40am.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Detectives are appealing to anyone who may have information about these burglaries, who was in the area at the time, or who may have video footage – ring doorbell or other that could be relevant to the investigation, to get in contact with them in Lurgan on 101, quoting reference 130 06/03/26.”

Alternatively, you can submit a report online at http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.

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Passengers were taken into tunnels and flights were briefly suspended at Dubai airport after a drone strike appeared to hit nearby.

Several blasts were heard in the city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday morning as the country’s government said it had activated air defences, as Iranian strikes targeted the Gulf states in response to a joint Israel-US bombing campaign.

Passengers waiting for flights at Dubai international airport, the world’s busiest international travel hub, were ushered down into train tunnels at the sprawling airfield after the alert sounded.

Video footage shows an explosion and smoke appearing to emanate near the terminal. A whirring sound is heard just before the explosion in the footage.

The impact of the drone appeared to be near a concourse of the airport.

Later that morning, long-haul carrier Emirates resumed operations after briefly suspending all flights to and from Dubai.

A Dubai Airports spokesperson said: “Dubai Airports confirms partial resumption of operations from today, 7 March, with some flights operating out of Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC).

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“Travellers are urged to not travel to the DXB or DWC unless they have been contacted by their airline that their flight is confirmed, as schedules continue to change.”

The spokesperson added that Dubai Airports would continue to monitor the situation.

Just before 9am UK time, Emirates wrote on X: “Our post from 11:08am Dubai time regarding operational status is no longer current, and has been deleted to avoid causing unnecessary confusion.”

“Emirates has resumed operations. Passengers who have confirmed bookings for this afternoon’s flights may proceed to the airport.

“This includes customers transiting in Dubai, if their connecting flight is also operating.”

Authorities have not explained if there was an interception or damage at the airport.

It came as Iran’s president on Saturday apologised for the country’s attacks on regional states, insisting that Tehran would halt them and suggesting they were caused by miscommunication in the ranks.

President Masoud Pezeshkian made the statement in a pre-recorded address aired by Iranian state television and added that the demand by the US for an unconditional surrender is a “dream that they should take to their grave”.

There were repeated attacks on Saturday morning in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

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There is no foreseeable end to the fighting. Donald Trump’s administration has approved a new £112m arms sale to Israel after the US president said he would not negotiate with Iran without its “unconditional surrender”.

The president then said on Truth Social on Saturday that Iran will be “hit very hard” today.

He wrote: “Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behaviour, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.”

US officials had also warned of a forthcoming bombing campaign they said would be the most intense yet in the week-long conflict.

Footage showed explosions and smoke rising over western Tehran as Israel said it had begun a broad wave of strikes.

Also early on Saturday, loud booms sounded in Jerusalem and incoming missiles from Iran had people heading to bomb shelters across Israel.

There were no immediate reports of casualties by Israel’s emergency services.

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes have also targeted Beirut and Tehran.

Death tolls continued to rise on Saturday with at least 1,230 people killed in Iran, more than 200 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials. Six US troops were reported killed.

Lebanon was pulled into the widening U.S.-Israel war with Iran on Monday after Hezbollah, an Iranian-aligned group, fired rockets and drrones into Israel. Israel responded with heavy strikes across Lebanon’s south, east and near the capital.

Overnight flash floods in Kenya’s capital have killed at least 23 people and caused diversions at the country’s main airport – the biggest in East Africa.

The military has been deployed to assist after dozens of cars were washed away in Nairobi, with some motorists in the capital being stranded for hours.

George Seda, the chief of police in Nairobi, warned that the number of people killed may rise.

Mr Seda also said more than 100 vehicles were damaged, with some overturning on the roadside and in parking bays.

While Nairobi’s airport is still operating, Kenya Airways stated that flights were disrupted, with some diverted to the coastal city of Mombasa, and difficulties would persist for hours.

Heavy rain began on Friday and continued overnight, submerging vehicles and forcing motorists in some areas to wade through hip-high water to reach higher ground.

Kenya Red Cross secretary-general Ahmed Idris said search and rescue teams were working tirelessly to assist those stranded.

“We are severely limited by the traffic and the situation on what used to be roads. We are doing our best to reach those in need,” he wrote on X.

Some residents blamed the flooding on clogged drainage systems, stating that city authorities ought to have prepared by ensuring there was functional drainage infrastructure ahead of the rainy season.

Shocked resident Cedric Mwanza described seeing the Nairobi River, which burst its banks, as being full of “so many cars, so much stuff”.

“Everything was just (washed away),” she said.

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The country has been hit by heavy rain since late February, which marks the start of the long rainy season.

Previous rain seasons have seen flooding, landslides and mudslides that have left hundreds of people dead and seen thousands of others displaced.

Further rain is expected for the next two weeks, with thunderstorms predicted for Saturday and Monday.

A predatory driver who pretended to be a cabbie attacked and raped a woman in her home after forcing his way in.

Shabir Sultani, 27, has been jailed for 13 years after the sickening attack in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, last year.

The woman had been out enjoying a night with friends in Sheffield in spring last year, when she decided to go home.

Outside a nightclub, she got into a car driven by Sultani, which she thought was a taxi.

Sultani then lied to her that he was a cab driver and he would take her home.

He offered the woman vodka during the journey, but she refused.

Once they reached her home in Chesterfield, Sultani crept behind the woman to her front door and forced his way in.

He continued to kiss her despite her telling him to stop repeatedly, and raped her.

The woman managed to kick him off her.

Sultani fled the scene, but he was later tracked down and arrested thanks to CCTV footage, and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology which spotted his car.

Sultani, of Sturton Road, Sheffield, denied the charges, but he was found guilty following a trial at Derby Crown Court in November.

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The 27-year-old sentence included an extension of seven years due to dangerousness, and he was handed a Sexual Prevention Order designed to prevent him from contacting the woman, and he was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.

The Detective Staff Investigator Beth Waite, who led the probe, commended the victim for her bravery and coming forward to report it.

She said: ‘Sultani clearly preyed on this woman on this occasion, pretending to be a taxi driver and offering to take her home.

‘Despite her repeatedly saying she wasn’t interested and asking him to leave her alone, he continued to force himself upon her, ultimately raping her.

‘I’d like to commend her bravery in coming forward and reporting this incident, and her support for the police investigation and subsequent prosecution.

‘This incident will undoubtedly have a long-lasting impact on her but her courage has ensured that we were able to bring the perpetrator to justice.

‘I hope that knowing he is now behind bars will allow her some form of peace.

‘I’d encourage anyone who has been a victim of rape or a sexual assault of any kind to please come forward and report it to us. We will listen without judgement and support you throughout.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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Emergency services were called to the A181 at Wheatley Hill at about 10.50am this morning (March 7) after reports of a crash.

Two ambulance crews and a paramedic were called to the incident, and two people were taken to North Tees Hospital for treatment.

A spokesperson for North East Ambulance Service said: “We were called to a road traffic incident on the A181 at Wheatley Hill at 10.52am on March 7.

“We dispatched a double-crewed ambulance, a rapid response paramedic and a clinical team leader.

“Two patients were treated and discharged at the scene and two patients were transported to North Tees Hospital.”

The road remains closed following the crash, and police have warned drivers to avoid the area.

A spokesperson from Durham Police said: “The road is closed between Wheatley Hill Service Station and the Salters Lane junction at Wingate (both directions) due to a collision whilst emergency services deal with the incident.

“Please avoid the route – an update will ensue once the scene is cleared and road is reopened.”

The Northern Echo has contacted Durham Police for more information.

Officers attended a planned gathering at a block of flats where an alleged knife incident took place in Edinburgh.

Police have issued an update after anti-immigration protesters gathered at a block of flats in Edinburgh where a man was arrested after two people were injured this week.

The protesters, who said they were demonstrating against illegal immigration, decried Police Scotland and both the Scottish and UK governments outside Cobbinshaw House in the Calder area on Friday evening.

Footage from the scene showed a large crowd of people swarming the area amid a heavy police presence. Officers were seen forming a human wall while several blue-lit riot vans are parked up at the scene.

Some of the protestors were waving Scottish saltires and Union Flags. One man shouted “cowards” while beeps and sirens sounds in the street.

Other clips being circulated online also showed music being blasted through speakers and some attendees addressing those who have turned up through a megaphone. Edinburgh Napier University took the decision to close its Sighthill campus and the ENGAGE sports centre ahead of the protest.

Police Scotland confirmed on Saturday that there were no reported arrests or reported injuries after officers attended the planned gathering.

Chief Superintendent David Robertson said: “On Friday, March 6, officers attended a planned gathering in the Calder area of Edinburgh. There were no reported injuries and no arrests. The groups later dispersed.”

It comes after firearms officers were called to the Calder Gardens area following reports of a man with a bladed weapon at around 8.25am on Monday, March 2.

An armed police stand-off unfolded with residents warned to stay indoors. Two people were injured during the alleged disturbance.

A man was allegedly stabbed and suffered “non-life-threatening injuries” and a woman allegedly had a laceration to her head that is “not believed to be caused by a bladed weapon”.

Mustafa Kokoneh, 23, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday, March 4. He was charged on eight counts, two involving attempted murder and four involving danger to life.

Police Scotland confirmed Monday’s alleged incident is not being treated as terror related. Kokoneh was also charged with assault to severe injury and permanent impairment, breach of the peace, possession of a blade, carrying an offensive weapon, and vandalism.

He entered no plea and was committed for further examination. He was remanded in custody and will appear again in the next eight days.

Police officers in full riot gear swarmed the Cobbinshaw House tower block during the alleged disturbance. Police dog handlers were also spotted on the scene, while professionals used drone cameras to monitor events.

A cordon was erected around the impacted area, and Scottish Ambulance Service sent three ambulances to the site. The nearby Sighthill Primary School at Calder Park was closed while the situation went on.

On Tuesday, Police Scotland warned the public about sharing misinformation following the “frightening” incident and clarified some speculation that had been circulating online.

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The woman recently shared a clip of herself trying a cream tea. But followers were flabbergasted by one thing – and it wasn’t the age-old debate around the order of cream and jam

An American woman in the UK has attempted to lay the age-old debate around which order to put jam and cream on a cream tea – but people were left flabbergasted by one thing she did. The woman, who regularly posts videos of herself trying UK food on TikTok, where she is known as carfoodreview_uk and has 27,000 followers, recently shared a clip of herself trying the quintessentially British treat.

But followers were left baffled by one thing in the video. Opening the clip, she presents a plate with two scones cut in half, each with a different combination of toppings. One just had jam and another just had clotted cream, while another had cream on top of jam, and the fourth had the reverse.

“Today I’m going to see which way tastes the best,” she says. “I have jam, clotted cream, and scones. First I’m gonna try the clotted cream on its own just to see how good it is.”

After taking a bite she says: “I don’t even know what to compare that to in America, but it’s good.” Continuing, she says: “Now let’s try just the jam. I was told it isn’t a specific type of jam. Usually it’s strawberry, but it can be blueberry, boysenberry. This is apricot because this is what we had in the fridge. So let’s give this a try.”

After taking a bite she says: “Love it. Amazing. I love scones.”

Moving to the two pieces with both toppings on, she says: “Ok, let’s try clotted cream first and then jam on top.” After tasting it she says: “I’m not gonna say anything yet, I’m gonna wait until I try the other one. So here’s jam first and clotted cream on top.”

After trying the final piece she says: “Ok, I’m noticing you’re getting more of the jam flavour when it’s on top.” Indicating to the piece with the cream on top, she says: “This, it’s ok. I think I’m gonna go for clotted cream on the bottom and jam on top.”

Many people in the comments section had the same reaction. One wrote: “Apricot jam on scones!!! What are you doing?” Another said: “What the heck kind of jam? No! It’s strawberry only.”

But someone else wrote: “Apricot is actually my favourite. Is this the M&S basic one? That’s the best apricot! Cream on the bottom is also the best choice.”

A different user wrote: “Blackcurrant and raspberry is the best! It’s also nice with jam and cheese in my opinion!” And another said: “Raspberry or strawberry jam is more usual, but nothing is out of bounds. If you want to start a war – try it with Nutella!”

Which is the right order to put jam and cream on a cream tea?

The woman dodged the ancient debate around whether cream or jam goes on the scone first by trying both. But which is the correct way? The answer differs depending on who you ask.

According to tourism website Active England, in Cornwall the jam goes on first with the cream on top. “The cream and the jam then don’t mix and allows for the jam to be easily spread, with a thinner consistency first,” the site says.

But over the border in Devon, they do things the other way round. “The Devonshire way follows the logic of the cream acting like butter,” the site says. “Therefore, you would spread butter on toast before jam and thus spreading cream on a scone first and then jam is the more logical order.”

In reality, there isn’t a correct way to do it – just do it the way that tastes best to you. In fact, if you’re already cutting your scone in half, why not try both and decide which one you like best?