A seven-year-old boy fatally stabbed his aunt in the neck to ‘defend’ his mother after the pair had an argument about hair straighteners.
The tragedy occurred in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France, at around 4.30am on Friday, when emergency services were alerted to a situation involving a woman with a knife wound.
Initial findings revealed that her young nephew had inflicted the deadly injury.
According to local reports, police arrived to find a woman lying on the floor as two people attempted to apply pressure to her neck.
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Firefighters arrived and provided initial first aid, before being relieved by a medical team.
Despite several resuscitation attempts, the woman was sadly pronounced dead at 5.17am due to severe blood loss.
Police arrived to find a woman lying on the floor as two people attempted to apply pressure to her neck (File pic)
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At first, authorities went after a man who was seen in the vicinity brandishing a baseball bat, only to discover he had nothing to do with the crime.
He had exited his house armed, after hearing the woman’s cries for help in the street.
The police were then approached by the seven-year-old and his mother, who explained what had happened.
The 34-year-old woman recounted that they had been in the kitchen of the apartment when an argument broke out between the two sisters over hair straighteners.
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As the argument escalated, the child allegedly grabbed a knife to defend his mother and stabbed the victim in the throat.
According to the mother’s testimony, the aunt exclaimed, ‘Your son stabbed me,’ before rushing out of the apartment.
‘Once in the street, she called for help before collapsing,’ a source close to the case explained, according to Le Parisien.
‘According to statements gathered from the mother, no one else was present in the apartment at the time of the tragedy,’ the source added.
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The boy reportedly confessed to the crime, with Le Parisien reporting that he said: ‘Yes, it’s me. I don’t want to go to prison. I don’t want you to put my mother in prison, I defended my mum.’
The mother was taken into custody, and the boy was taken to hospital.
The public prosecutor and the Departmental Service of the Judicial Police are now conducting the necessary investigations into the circumstances of the crime.
The child is scheduled to be questioned, local media reports.
Grand Tour fans will be able to bid to own three of Jeremy Clarkson’s personal cars from the hit TV show.
Nostalgic motorheads will be particularly keen to own the Lancia Montecarlo Spider driven by the TV star in the final ever episode of Amazon’s motoring show.
His Alfa Romeo GTV6 and Lincoln Continental Mark V are also going under the hammer, making up the trio of wheels Clarkson is selling from his personal collection.
Eager viewers of Clarkson’s Farm – the reality series that follows his attempts to run a farm in the Cotswolds – will find out the reason for the cars’ sale in the forthcoming series.
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The three vehicles will go on sale on Saturday, November 14 at the NEC Classic Motor Show and will be sold by Iconic Auctioneers.
Jeremy Clarkson said: ‘I rarely get a chance these days to drive or enjoy these very special and quite famous cars so it’s probably for the best if they end up with someone who can.’
Grand Tour fans can bid to own three of Jeremy Clarkson’s personal cars from the hit TV show – and the reason for the sale will be revealed in the forthcoming series of Clarkson’s Farm
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Within Clarkson’s personal car collection, the 1982 Lancia Montecarlo Spider – an Italian mid-engined alternative to the Ferrari 308 – has a particularly significant place as it was the very last car he drove on The Grand Tour, marking a special moment of the TV presenter’s career on screen.
Finished in Lotus Blue, it was his choice for The Grand Tour: One for the Road, the final episode featuring Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May together as lead presenters.
The famous trio drove across Zimbabwe and into Botswana, where Clarkson was unexpectedly reunited with the Lancia Beta Coupé he had driven in the 2007 Top Gear Botswana Special.
For One for the Road, the Montecarlo was modified with Ferrari 308 rear lights and quad tailpipes, Lancia Delta Integrale wheels, headlights and grille, cloth seats and a simple Alcantara-covered race-style steering wheel.
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After filming, Clarkson bought the car himself and added it to his collection. It has since been tidied by Max500 Ltd and today starts, runs and drives well.
The next owner will have a one-of-one Montecarlo with about as much car royalty history as a buyer could want.
The stat lot is Clarkson’s 1982 Lancia Montecarlo Spider which is particularly significant as it was the very last car he drove on The Grand Tour
Finished in Lotus Blue, it was Clarkson’s choice for The Grand Tour: One for the Road, the final episode featuring Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May together as lead presenters
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It was modified with Ferrari 308 rear lights and quad tailpipes, Lancia Delta Integrale wheels, headlights and grille, cloth seats and a Alcantara-covered race-style steering wheel
The 1982 Lancia Montecarlo Spider is a Italian mid-engined alternative to the Ferrari 308
Clarkson is also offering up his 1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6 which he used in Well Aged Scotch, first broadcast in 2019.
Clarkson drove the Rosso Alfa GTV6 – an Italian coupé with a V6 engine – around Scotland’s North Coast 500 alongside Hammond’s Fiat X1/9 and May’s Lancia Gamma Coupé, with the Alfa’s gear change and eventual propshaft failure providing some of the episode’s most memorable moments.
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After its jaunt around Scotland, it then joined Clarkson’s collection.
The Alfa has covered just 28,315 miles, with maintenance being carried out ‘in-house’.
Clarkson is also offering up his 1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6 which he used in Well Aged Scotch, first broadcast in 2019
Clarkson drove the Rosso Alfa GTV6 – an Italian coupé with a V6 engine – around Scotland’s North Coast 500 alongside Hammond’s Fiat X1/9 and May’s Lancia Gamma Coupé
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The Alfa’s gear change and eventual propshaft failure provided some of the episode’s most memorable moments
Completing the Clarkson car trio is his 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V from The Grand Tour Presents: Lochdown.
Chosen for the Covid-era special filmed in Scotland, the vast 6.6-litre Lincoln was modified during the programme with nitrous injection.
Motorheads will love that it still retains the NOS equipment today, as well as a set of bagpipes in the boot – a nod to Scotland – and a Cartier clock that particularly caught Clarkson’s attention on screen.
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After saying on-screen that he wanted the car in his life, Clarkson added it to his own collection.
Completing the Clarkson car trio is his 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V from The Grand Tour Presents: Lochdown
The Covid-era special was filmed in Scotland, and the vast 6.6-litre Lincoln was modified during the programme with nitrous injection
Motorheads will love that it still retains the NOS equipment today, as well as a set of bagpipes in the boot – a nod to Scotland – and a Cartier clock
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Harry Whale, car specialist at Iconic Auctioneers, said: ‘These cars have a connection with Jeremy Clarkson that goes well beyond simply appearing on television.
‘He chose each of them for The Grand Tour, then liked them enough to keep them afterwards.
‘The Lancia is particularly significant as the last car he drove in the programme, but all three will be immediately familiar to fans.
‘They are genuine pieces of modern motoring television history, complete with the details and modifications viewers will remember.’
It was the CBBC classic which had children shouting ‘Bog off’, but now, actress Montanna Thompson has revealed that Tracy Beaker was almost very different
Tracy Beaker almost had a different actress playing the iconic character. With her constant shouting matches, tears from hayfever and yelling “Bog off” at the top of her lungs, Tracy was perhaps the most well-known children childrens TV character of her generation.
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Played by Dani Harmer, the character saw its fair share of heartbreak, with Tracy’s mum Carly leaving her for a “career in Hollywood”, and several foster families before she found happiness with author Cam Lawson, who adopted Tracy.
And it’s fair to say that Justine Littlewood was perhaps Tracy’s biggest archnemesis in The Dumping Ground (Elmtree House). However, things could have been very different, as Dani almost never landed the role of Tracy.
Actress Montanna Thompson, who played Justine, has now revealed that she initially landed the role of Tracy before Dame Jacqueline Wilson stepped in. “I didn’t actually audition for Justine,” Montanna said.
Speaking on the Embarrassing For No Reason podcast, the actress, 37, went on to add: “I auditioned for Tracy and I got the phone call and they said, ‘Oh, you’ve got the part as Tracy.’ So me and my mum was jumping around…
“We was all jumping around and celebrating and then an hour later, I get a call from the BBC. Jacqueline Wilson said she wanted to keep the illustration of Tracy original. So I was like ‘Ok’, and they was like ‘Would you like to be Justine?’ so I was like ‘Yeah, ok, great’.”
Montanna went on to tell hosts Sam Darlaston and Tatum McGreal that her mother was asked if she would “cut her hair off” as Dame Jacqueline wanted Justine to have a bob. “My mum said, ‘Well, no, not really,’” she explained.
“I think that’s why Justine has got the plaits, and they made that character like that,” she added. However, Montanna admits that she “loved” playing Justine and, looking back, couldn’t imagine herself playing any other character on the show.
She said: “Dani fits Tracy perfectly, too, and it’s all meant to happen, as you said. Alignment is everything happens for a reason.” But Dani is said to be aware that Montanna was initially cast as the role.
Montanna was around 11 or 12 when she was first cast for the CBBC programme, adding that she can’t watch herself in real time on TV, but she’s now able to look back and watch the first series of the show, which aired on January 8, 2002.
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Elsewhere on the podcast, Montanna revealed that there were several “childhood sweetheart” romances on the show. Unbeknownst to fans, she enjoyed a “romance” with Crash, played by Darragh Mortell. Dani enjoyed a childhood-sweetheart romance with Lol, played by Ciaran Joyce.
While The Story of Tracy Beaker may have ended in 2006, Montanna has since reprised her role in a series of spin-offs of the classic programme. In 2012, the actress returned as Justine in Tracy Beaker Returns, before later returning for the series My Mum Tracy Beaker.
And still to this day, the actress is often flooded with supportive messages from fans, and most recently participated in a Comic Con event with her former co-stars.
If Republicans feared they would lose the House and Senate, this week showed a tidal wave of polls that makes them think no lifeboat could save them.
In Texas, an Emerson College poll showed Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico beating Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton — strongly endorsed and stumped-for by President Donald Trump — by one point after the same poll in August showed a slight lead for Paxton. Last week, polls showed that Josh Turek, the Paralympian Democratic nominee for Senate in Iowa, is beating Trump-endorsed Rep. Ashley Hinson.
On Friday, Republicans got hit with a nuclear bomb when another Emerson College poll showed Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton beating Sen. Roger Marshall by two points in ruby-red Kansas of all places. Even Republican-leaning Trafalgar Group showed in a survey that former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown has a slight lead in Ohio against incumbent Sen. Jon Husted.
The generic ballot, which asks if a voter will pick a non-descript Democrat or Republican for Congress, shows a Democratic advantage anywhere from 7 points in the latest Fox News survey to 12 points in an Economist/YouGov poll.
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Make no mistake. These are extinction-level numbers for Republicans — and they seem to know.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has every reason to be excited about Democrats taking back the Senate. So why aren’t Democrats popping bottles? (AP)
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Cuban-American Republican from Miami, cut an ad warning “some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far” — after staunchly supporting Trump up till now. Trump made history in 2024 when he became the first Republican president to win Miami-Dade County since George H.W. Bush in 1988, largely thanks to the county’s heavy Cuban-American population, which leans conservative.
That’s why Cuban-Americans breaking from Trump is a five-alarm fire for Republicans.
Vice President JD Vance, the presumptive heir to the Republican nomination for president in 2028, has offered the hollow ask of, “Give us another chance, or give us another couple of years.”
And polling shows that Trump’s pledge to give every American a $5,000 check — but only if Republicans maintain their control of the House and Senate, which many have called a “bribe” — has not helped. Bribe concerns aside, an Economist/YouGov poll showed that 61 percent of voters don’t think Trump will deliver on the pledge.
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When Americans either say no or brush off free money, things are shaping up in a bad way.
But Democrats are not popping bottles just yet. And rightly so. They have too much trauma from past elections, where polls showed them in cruise control — or at least ahead — coming into Election Day.
Democratic candidate for US Senate James Talarico has a real chance to flip Texas’ Senate seat. But Republicans are pouring in millions into Texas. (AFP/Getty)
In 2018, during Trump’s first term, it looked like they would be bound for a blue wave, but it barely materialized and Republicans actually gained Senate seats. Polling has also had major misses in recent years. In 2020, Joe Biden looked like he would win by a landslide, but he only narrowly won, Democrats lost seats in the House and only got a 50-seat majority.
Democrats also have a significant cash disadvantage. While individual candidates like Talarico, Brown and Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff have raised massive amounts of money, Republican committees out-raise Democratic ones. The Republican National Committee raised $19 million in July, the most recent numbers available show. The Democratic National Committee by contrast raised $9.2 million that same month.
Trump has also finally opened his MAGA Inc. super PAC to prop up Republican incumbents. Elon Musk’s America PAC has also done the same.
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Republicans are also deploying the same attack that they used in 2024: saying Democrats support transgender athletes in women’s sports and allowing minors to receive health care to transition.
But there are some significant differences this time. On transgender policy, Brown is running ads saying gender-affirming care for minors is already outlawed and Husted should answer for raising costs. In Iowa, Lindsay James, who is running in the second district, is running an ad saying “parents know what’s best for our kids. Washington needs to stay out of it.”
In the same token turnout in Democratic primaries has been significantly higher than Republican turnout. And since Trump has largely remade the Republican Party into the party of non-college-educated voters, they do not turn out in midterms the way they do in presidential elections, which has worried Trump.
Lastly, there seems to be no sign that the war in Iran will come to an end any time soon. And even if it does, it’s unlikely voters will feel relief at the gas pump or at the grocery store in enough time.
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Still, Democrats understand more than ever that even when they look like they have all the cards, they can still fold. So they are proceeding caution, trying to contain their glee, but also knowing election night could upend their plans.
The arrest stems from a collaborative UK law enforcement response to dismantle EncroChat
An East Belfast man has been jailed for drugs charges linked to an encrypted phone network used by criminals.
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The 41-year-old appeared before Craigavon Crown Court on Friday, September 18, in relation to offences linked to EncroChat.
He was sentenced to 22 months, half to be served in custody and half on licence, for the offences of intentionally encouraging or assisting the supply of Class B controlled drugs and three counts of transferring criminal property.
The investigation and subsequent sentencing stems from Operation Venetic, a collaborative UK law enforcement response to dismantle EncroChat, led by the National Crime Agency.
The arrest followed the search of a property six years ago, where items were seized including three mobile phones.
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Detective Inspector McCamley from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Organised Crime Branch said: “EncroChat was an encrypted communication channel used by organised crime groups to plan illegal activity, such as drug importation and the movement of cash.
“Wayne Jones’ arrest followed searches of a property in East Belfast in July 2020. Here, various items were seized, including three mobile phones and a quantity of cash.
“As with other similar cases, our detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Cyber Crime Centre were able to recover digital forensic evidence. This, alongside collaboration with our partners, including prosecutors from the Public Prosecution Service and the NCA, ultimately brought the defendant before the court.
“This is a further example of our ongoing commitment to bring those who use EncroChat for criminal activity and their own financial gain to justice.
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“Working alongside our partner agencies, we will continue to disrupt the movements and activities of organised crime groups, who bring nothing but harm to the most vulnerable within our communities.
“As part of this investigation to date, we have made 52 arrests and obtained Confiscation Orders in the sum of almost £200,000.
“A total of 20 defendants have now pleaded guilty, with 15 of these sentenced for offences linked to EncroChat, from drug supply and money laundering offences to conspiracy to murder and possession of firearms.
“It’s thanks to such collective efforts, backed by our own Cyber Crime Centre and Economic Crime Unit, that we’re able to continue bringing defendants before the courts.”
Jacob Waddington from Accrington bought his first two-bed house at 23 for £98,000
Phoebe Jobling Property Writer and SWNSOliviaStringer (Olivia Stringer)
18:36, 18 Sep 2026
A man has bought his second property at just 24 years old, having put aside at least £1,000 a month from his earnings since turning 18.
Jacob Waddington, 24, has consistently saved at least half of his income since finishing college, enabling him to buy a £98,000 two-bedroom house at age 23.
Together with his girlfriend Holly, 23, Jacob from Accrington, Lancashire dedicated a year to renovating the property, before having it valued at £160,000 and subsequently letting it out.
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The couple remortgaged the house and utilised the equity to snap up a second £140,000 cottage at auction, with intentions to convert this into an Airbnb.
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“The plan is to maybe buy one more house to do up and sell, and then maybe buy a doer-upper to live in,” said Jacob,
“All my friends and family say it’s amazing, and it does feel really rewarding. I’ve found a real passion for doing it and I just feel really motivated to keep going.”
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After leaving college aged 18, Jacob began working for a telecoms firm, earning £24,000 annually.
This represented a significant increase from the £6 per hour position he’d held at JD Sports while still studying, making it relatively straightforward to save a substantial portion of his monthly income.
Since Jacob was still living at home and contributing just £200 monthly to his parents, he managed to deposit £1,000 a month into a savings account.
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His salary then rose to £33,000, allowing him to set aside approximately £1,500 from his £2,200 monthly pay packet. To set aside such a substantial portion of his earnings, Jacob didn’t feel the need to adhere to a rigid budget.
“I’d only really spend money on going out at the weekend, but you don’t need to spend loads on that”, he said.
“Me and my girlfriend would go for the odd meal out, but we love going on walks and things like that”.
During May 2025, Jacob and Holly deliberated over how they should utilise their savings.
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“We thought about buying a house together, but neither of us were desperate to move out, so we decided to buy a house to do up and then sell”, Jacob said.
Between them they placed a 25 per cent deposit on a £98,000 two-bedroom terraced property and invested £20,000 in refurbishments.
Jacob left his position to take up bar work two days weekly, bringing in £800 monthly, and dedicated the remainder of his time to the renovation venture.
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They fitted a new kitchen, a new bathroom, re-plastered the walls, and installed a new boiler.
Come January 2026, nine months following their purchase of the property, the renovation was finished.
They then had the property revalued at £160,000 and extracted the growth in value to their bank accounts through remortgaging the house.
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Following discussions with estate agents, they opted to let out the property, rather than selling it, as demand was strong for rental properties in their locality.
During March 2026, tenants took occupancy of the property, paying £875 in rent, more than double Jacob and Holly’s £430 monthly mortgage.
The couple then began their search for a second property, eventually discovering a 200-year-old one-bedroom cottage nestled at the foot of Pendle Hill, famous for the Pendle witch trials.
“We’re thinking we might Airbnb this one out because it’s in a rural location”, Jacob said.
“It’s really picturesque and it’s in a historic area. It will be like a couple’s getaway.”
The pair used funds raised from remortgaging their first home towards the £140,000 cottage, securing a 75 per cent bridging loan over 12 months to cover the remainder.
A bridging loan is a short-term financial arrangement whereby, rather than making monthly repayments, interest accumulates over an agreed period.
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Jacob and Holly intend to spend a year renovating the property, with an estimated budget of £30,000 for the refurbishment.
Following completion, they plan to remortgage the cottage, using the released funds to clear the bridging loan before transitioning to a standard mortgage.
“The house next door has just sold for £320,000 for a two bed, so I’m hoping to get this one remortgaged at around £250,000”, he said.
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“If we can do that, we’d be able to pull out more money than we put in, because it will have increased in value by so much”.
Jacob has worked out that letting the Airbnb at £120 per night with 60 per cent occupancy would generate £2,000 monthly.
Once council tax, utility bills and the £650 mortgage are settled, approximately £1,000 would remain as profit.
“It could be more profitable than the standard rental”, he said.
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Jacob intends to purchase another property to either sell or rent out following this project, before eventually buying a home to share with Holly.
He advised: “If someone wants to buy a house, whether to live in or to sell, don’t be afraid to by something that needs a little work doing to it.
“If you buy something a bit more run-down, you can get much bigger returns on it, as it will have increased in value.”
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He documents his renovation journey on @buildingwithjacob.
“I’m gonna be honest, I think youse are all focusing on the wrong person here,” Rowe said in his video on Instagram. “All I keep hearing is Ed Sheeran this, Ed Sheeran that, when youse really should be focusing on the likes of Robert Kraft.”
He continued, “ You should really be focusing on the Zionist lobbies that are trying to silence the voices of people who are shouting about genocide.”
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The Irish singer then went on to stick up for Sheeran, who said in an initial statement that he was “not complicit” in Macklemore being silenced and that he was not the one to make the decision to oust the rapper.
“I know Ed’s statement could have been a lot better, and I do think that Macklemore shouldn’t have been pulled off the tour,” Rowe said. “I fully believe it was panic stations over there and they rushed the decision because they didn’t know what to f***ing do because they were getting it from all angles.”
Rowe said that he has not been able to speak much with Sheeran, but that “I fully believe he knows that was a mistake.” He added that Sheeran would not have chosen pro-Palestine acts Macklemore, Beoga, BIIRD and others if he had been against their political stances.
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Ed Sheeran dropped Macklemore from his tour after Robert Kraft said the rapper wasn’t welcome at his venue (Getty Images)
“All he has inside of him is kindness,” he said. “That is who Ed Sheeran is. And yes, like every other human being he makes f***ing mistakes.”
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He said that protesters should be “using this opportunity to plaster Robert Kraft’s face everywhere. Someone who tried to shut down free speech, someone who tried to silence the voices of people who are shouting about genocide.”
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Rowe was one of the four supporting acts who dropped out of Sheeran’s U.S. leg of his Loop tour after the decision to remove Macklemore following his comments in support of the Palestinian people. Other acts who backed out were fellow Irish artist Beoga, Danish band Lukas Graham and Finneas.
MobLand season 2 has finally arrived on Paramount+ and stars Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan spoke exclusively about what fans can expect.
Katie Palmer Senior TV Reporter for Screen Time
18:00, 18 Sep 2026
MobLand series two has finally landed on Paramount Plus, and following 18 months, audiences were keen to witness Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan reunite as the formidable Maeve and Conrad Harrigan. The chaotic and volatile gangland drama sees the leaders of the Harrigan dynasty pursue extraordinary measures to preserve their status at the pinnacle of the criminal underworld.
Prior to series two broadcasting, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren spoke exclusively to Belfast Live regarding what viewers can anticipate, and what the experience was like returning together to film such an ambitious production. Brosnan revealed: “It’s so unhinged, actually, it’s hard to remember how unhinged [season 1] was.
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“I was very happy with the work, I was very happy to be in the company of all these great actors and to be with this beautiful, beautiful lady in my life here,” he continued, referring to his co-star Mirren.
Continuing to praise the Calendar Girls and Thursday Murder Club performer, he stated: “It is just bewitching to watch her work and to play Conrad opposite her, Helen’s Maeve makes me real as Conrad, and the writing by Jez [Butterworth] is just so rich and nuanced. It’s a joy to play.”
The programme has already secured renewal for a third series ahead of the second instalment’s premiere, and Mirren suggested it was recognition of all the performances. She emphasised particularly the quantity of powerful, female characters, noting: “The great thing about MobLand is number one, for me personally, the female roles are fabulous.
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“All of the female roles are very proactive; they are in the story, they are essential to the story, they are not just there to support the male characters. I love to see that, and there are a lot of them, which is brilliant. Then we have such extraordinary actors all the way through. It feels like a very deeply talented theatre company.”
She noted that the series, celebrated for its heightened language, being “absurdist and gothic and just really extreme”, made it “incredible fun to play [a role in]”. Brosnan concurred, remarking: “It’s exhilarating to watch the work, to read the pages, to read the scenes.”
When asked about the future direction of the characters, he offered: “We don’t know what’s going to happen. I have no idea where it’s going, maybe some sense in your intuition about it, but reality will be seen hopefully in the next month or so.”
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Both stars revealed that the opening scene of series two at the greyhound racing track ranked amongst their most memorable to film, with Mirren disclosing: “The dog racing was a great scene and it was our first scene of the whole thing.
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“Guy [Ritchie] was directing it and we always love it when Guy is back on set. It was the first scene of the whole thing and we were all back together again, so yeah, that was great, it was a great day.”
In the upcoming series, the Harrigans find themselves battling to present a united facade as emerging competitors pose a threat to their crumbling criminal operation – with Harry Da Souza (Tom Hardy), their powerful ‘fixer’, forced to navigate a precarious path as family tensions escalate.
Paramount+ went on to hint: “As violence spills into every corner of their lives, loyalties snap, safety proves temporary, and the battle for power leaves no room for mercy.”
This was him near orgasm, and I simply had to wait for him to finish before he would release his grasp.
Eventually, suctioned in my neck, he let out a whimper like an abandoned puppy. I felt utterly disgusted.
But he was still clamped on me like a child asking for milk.
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How silly of me to assume it was over.
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I had met Gareth that night at a social media meet up for comedians in central London, on a cold winter night. I’m far from a comedian, but I gatecrashed with my comedy friends hoping to meet new people and laugh.
After telling him I was simply a writer, his smile disappeared (Picture: Getty Images)
No one minded – it was a welcoming environment and people were just happy to have someone new to try out their material on.
My two friends disappeared into the crowd once I was accosted by an over-zealous comedian on the circuit, who wanted to find out if I was an agent, or a booker, or something important he could hustle a job out of.
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After telling him I was simply a writer, his smile disappeared and he began to go through the motions of small talk, before Gareth butted in.
Like the knight in shining armour, he asked if he’s met me before and that he remembered me – in fact, he owed me a drink from last time and guided me to the bar.
We walked up to the bar laughing, the new comedian but a distant memory as he began to introduce himself to me. We got chatting and before I knew it, we began flirting with each other. My friends appeared thinking they needed to save me, but I shooed them away.
Soon, we were out the door and on our way to his house for what we both agreed was a one-night stand. But I wish I never went.
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I noticed his kisses were, what I then called, passionate. He pressed his face on mine as if he wanted to leave an impression of his lips permanently on mine. It was not a good kiss. For me anyway, he loved it and kept it going.
Something in me just wanted to please him – I think a lot of women have set themselves up to be disappointed, just to potentially reach a moment of pleasure. As it’s so rare and in between. Maybe these kisses wouldn’t be so bad in comparison to the sex, I thought.
I was wrong.
Back at his, he began taking his and my clothes off, while attacking my face with kisses, and before I knew it, we were having sex.
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At first, he has soft and moved around my body, touching and kissing me. But it didn’t take long for him reach climax, and for him to clamp his body around mine like a vice.
He reminded me of the man who would only have sex with me while listening to Tenacious D (Picture: Getty Images)
After the sex was finally over – a minute later I managed to dislodge Gareth from my frame and move away.
‘That was not fun’, I said to him grimacing and wiping his sweat off me.
Turning to look at me, he said simply: ‘it’s the only way I can orgasm’ – his expression unmoving, as if we were talking about the weather.
They all had one thing in common – only their needs mattered. It was an eye-opening moment that unfortunately didn’t last long, since I found myself in the situation a few more times.
I told him he was like a man-child and needed to get a grip (Picture: Getty Images)
It was a year later that I would be in bed with a man who negged me the entire time, and wouldn’t let me leave until I was close to tears. Negging, for those who don’t know, is a form of emotional manipulation where someone uses backhanded compliments to undermine another’s confidence. It’s used to make them seek the manipulator’s approval.
I slowly started to understand my worth a lot more after that, but it took a period of healing.
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But Gareth didn’t care, laying lazily in bed, covered in sweat and satisfied.
I told him he was like a man-child and needed to get a grip. Not literally.
Part of me was surprised he didn’t care, because he definitely didn’t give that impression earlier in the night.
I quickly grabbed my belongings and left, annoyed but determined not to let him ruin my next few days.
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Texting my friends the update, they told me they didn’t actually know who he was, so they were surprised to see me talking to him.
Luckily I never saw him again.
Which is good because even thinking of him gives me the ick.
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, Train to Busan follows workaholic dad Seok-Woo (Gong Yoo) as he boards a train to Busan with his estranged daughter Su-An (Kim Su-an) on her birthday to see her mother.
While travelling, the duo and a group of other passengers become trapped on the train during a viral outbreak that transforms people into rabid zombies.
Train to Busan was an instant hit at the time of its release, spawning an animated prequel, Seoul Station, released in the same year, and a sequel, Penninsula, that followed in 2020.
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Now, 20 years after its release, Train to Busan will be screened at select Cineworld cinemas on October 6 as part of Cineworld’s Horror Film Season.
What’s more, eager horror fans can scoop a ticket for just £5.99 when booked online, or £6.99 when brought from the cinema itself.
The film, directed by Yeon Sang-ho, follows a father and his estranged daughter who become trapped on a train with vicious zombies (Picture: Everett/Shutterstock)
Entertainment reporter Joel Harley shares his thoughts on Train to Busan
Much of what makes the film work is its powerful emotional core.
Yes, there are zombies, and they are terrifying (like Snyder and Danny Boyle, he opts for the controversial running variety), but at its heart, Train to Busan is a film about a father and his daughter.
Recent divorcee Seok-woo (Gong Yoo, now best known for playing Squid Game’s slimy recruiter) is travelling with young daughter Soo-an (Kim Su-an) to visit her mother in Busan.
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In typical Spielberg style, he’s a workaholic and frequently absent from her life, leaving Soo-an feeling neglected and isolated.
But Seok-woo is forced to reconsider his priorities when a virus begins to transform the people of Seoul into bloodthirsty zombies.
Train to Busan is as much a Korean soap opera as it is an action-packed zombie horror film, never losing sight of the father/daughter relationship at its heart – even as the situation on the train goes from bad to much worse.
Train to Busan premiered in the Midnight Screenings section of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and was released by Next Entertainment World in South Korea, quickly becoming the first Korean film of the year to break the audience record of over 10 million theatregoers.
It has been widely acknowledged as one of the greatest zombie films ever released, widely praised for its relatable characters, genuinely terrifying monster sequences, and its gut-punch ending.
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The film holds a near-perfect 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics consensus reading: ‘Train to Busan delivers a thrillingly unique — and purely entertaining — take on the zombie genre, with fully realized characters and plenty of social commentary to underscore the bursts of skillfully staged action.’
In their review, film critic and Shelby Oaks director Chris Stuckmann said: ‘It could not be done better. They pulled no punches with this movie.’
Daily Telegraph gushed: ‘Characters you can’t help but care about? Check. A spot of amped-up social commentary? Double check. Lashings of bloody, bite-y mayhem? Triple check.’
Little White Lies said Train to Busan is ‘Funny, scary and with its heart in the right place,’ while Entertainment Weekly thought it was ‘first-class throughout.’
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The tense zombie film is widely considered one of the greatest ever made (Picture: Everett/Shutterstock)
RogerEbert.com wrote: ‘The most purely entertaining zombie film in some time, finding echoes of George Romero’s and Danny Boyle’s work, but delivering something unique for an era in which kindness to others seems more essential than ever.’
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter praised: ‘Yeon Sang-ho has instantly transformed himself into Korea’s go-to-guy for zombie movies.’
It comes after Sang-ho released his latest zombie flick, Colony, earlier this year – and it’s not set in the Train to Busan universe.
The standalone film begins with Professor Han Gyu-seong (Go Su) bringing his cantankerous ex-wife Kwon Se-jeong (Jun Ji-hyun), herself a brilliant biochemist, with him to the Chains Bio tech conference in an attempt to help her land a prestigious job.
The convention descends into chaos when scientist Seo Young-cheol (Koo Kyo-hwan) injects the Chains Bio CEO with a mysterious serum that change him into a vicious zombie – and Young-cheol’s blood contains the only antidote for the disease.
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As you might expect, the virus spreads like wildfire across the conference centre, forcing a group of survivors is trapped in the conference centre to work together to survive.
Sang-ho released his latest film, Colony, earlier this year (Picture: Everett/Shutterstock)
Cineworld’s 2026 Horror Film Season in full
Manhunter: The Final Cut (40th Anniversary) – Friday, October 2
Train to Busan (10th Anniversary) – Tuesday, October 6
The Others (25th Anniversary) – Tuesday, October 20
From Dusk Till Dawn (30th Anniversary) – Saturday, October 24
Donnie Darko (25th Anniversary 4K Restoration) – Friday, October 30
2026 Classic Secret Screaming – Saturday, October 31
It’s a tall order to follow Train to Busan with another zombie film, but its a challenge Sang-ho told Filmhounds Magazine he relishes.
‘It is true that Train to Busan was a hugely successful film, and I feel that the pressure to achieve even greater success when making a movie has almost disappeared these days,’ he said.
‘I have become more interested in making more unique films. Of course, since a project like Colony involved a considerable budget, a certain level of box office success is very important, but rather than the pressure, the desire to create more unique films has grown.
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‘I think that is what led me to start a project like The Ugly last year, which allows me to create a unique story on a much smaller budget.’
Train to Busan will be screened at Cineworld cinemas as part of its Horror Film Season on October 6. Tickets can be booked online.
In his new autobiography – exclusively serialised in the Daily Mail – the Earl claims Charles told him ‘we’ll forget her [Diana] soon enough’ during an argument over William and Harry’s involvement in her funeral.
Royal aides have acidly suggested that grief had clouded Earl Spencer’s ‘reason, judgment and memory’ in response to the book, while friends insisted Charles would never have spoken that way and was consumed by grief when she died.
But the Earl has insisted of his account, detailed in his tell-all account Swan Song: Diana, My Sister: ‘I can tell you here and now, those are exactly the words he said.’
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Speaking to the BBC‘s Laura Kuenssberg from his Althorp estate in Northamptonshire, Earl Spencer said he had told friends and family of Charles’ alleged words at the time, labelling them ‘monstrous’.
‘I’ve only ever had two calls on the line with Prince Charles at any stage of my life,’ he said.
‘I was hyper alert to what he was saying and those are precisely the words that he said and I promise that to you now.’
Alluding to the Palace’s statement, he added: ‘Genuinely, that is what he said. I don’t hear him saying he didn’t say that.’
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Earl Spencer has insisted he is ‘telling the truth’ about remarks made by the then-Prince Charles in the wake of Princess Diana’s death
His explosive memoir – Swan Song: Diana, My Sister – is one of the most anticipated books of the year and is due to be released next week
The earl claims Charles ‘went ballistic’ and ‘ranted for a while’ after he tried to tell the future King that Diana would not have wanted William and Harry to walk in her procession.
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‘And then he stopped and I thought, oh now, now he’s gonna pull himself together and say something more appropriate,’ he said.
‘And then, he said, “we’ll forget her soon enough”.’
Earl Spencer added that the remark ‘stunned’ him, and that he hung up.
The book’s first astonishing extract made headlines around the world and is splitting society, with rival camps backing either side.
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In the first extract, published online yesterday and in today’s Daily Mail, the earl claims:
The late Queen dramatically offered to restore Princess Diana’s royal title on the day of her funeral;
Diana told her father she could not go through with the marriage to Prince Charles a month before the wedding – but he told her it was ‘impossible to pull out’;
The day before the wedding Charles told Diana that while he was happy to marry her, he was not in love with her;
Diana was so unhappy that she considered suicide and drove herself ‘more than once’ to Beachy Head cliffs in East Sussex;
Charles sounded ‘giddily elated – like a lottery winner’ shortly after Diana’s death.
Announcing the book last month, Earl Spencer said that, ahead of the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death next year, he wanted to write down his own thoughts and memories ‘rather than having the discomfort of again reading the opinions of others’.
Prince Harry and Prince William, aged 12 and 15, ultimately did walk behind Diana’s coffin in her funeral procession in September 1997 alongside Charles, Prince Philip and Earl Spencer.
Prince Harry stands between Earl Spencer and Prince Charles outside Westminster Abbey during the funeral procession for Princess Diana on September 6, 1997
Harry would later tell Newsweek magazine of the decision: ‘My mother had just died and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television.
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‘I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don’t think it would happen today.’
The Duke of Sussex, newly returned to the UK with his wife Meghan and their two children, is ‘aware’ of the book but has not read it, sources have told the Mail.
Swan Song: Diana, My Sister is due to be published next week.
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However, several copies of the book were stolen from a lorry parked in a lay-by in the Netherlands earlier this week.
The tomes had been wrapped in black plastic to hide their contents, but publishing insiders believe they may have been deliberately targeted in an audacious bid to steal them before the official release.
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