It’s become the most vilified food of modern times: red meat, particularly the type you buy in a packet. 

According to the World Health Organisation, processed red meat like bacon, ham and sausages definitely causes cancer due to toxic additives in the products.

British shoppers have got the memo. We’re eating 6,000 fewer tons of processed pig products this summer than we were at the beginning of the year. 

The concerns surround preservatives called nitrites, which give cured meat its characteristic pink colour and are commonly found in ham, sausages and bacon, along with other deli meats.  

Nitrites are known to react with compounds in meat to form chemicals called nitrosamines in the stomach, which have been linked to digestive cancers. 

A major 2019 study found that the risk of deadly bowel cancer rises by 20 per cent with every rasher of bacon – or slice of ham – eaten daily.

But I will put my reputation as a diet expert on the line to say, with confidence, that not all processed red meat is bad for you.

In fact, I believe one of the biggest nutritional travesties of the last decade is the vilification of what was once a much-loved British lunchbox staple: the ham sandwich.

Is a ham sandwich really healthy?

First, the surprising benefits. Most packaged ham is in fact a great source of protein-heavy energy that’s low in calories.    

Two average-sized slices deliver around 8g of protein for less than 50 calories, and less than 0.5g of saturated fat – drastically lower than an equivalent serving of cheddar cheese at 8.5g. There’s twice as much protein as you’ll find in cheese, in fact, and slightly more than in one egg.

It also provides a boost of vitamin B12 and thiamin – both of which are essential for helping convert food into energy. 

If you add a couple of slices of wholemeal bread into the mix, you’re looking at an extra 7g of vital fibre – a quarter of your recommended daily intake of the nutrient proven to prevent bowel cancer.

Crucially, the nitrites in ham don’t carry the same risk as they do in bacon.

The preservatives – which are almost exclusively added to processed meats and a handful of continental cheeses – can be harmful because they trigger a chain reaction that leads to cancer-causing chemicals.

The heat involved in frying, as well as the acidity in the gut, provokes a chemical reaction between nitrites and compounds in meat protein called amines. The result is carcinogenic nitrosamines.

Interestingly nitrites – and similar compounds called nitrates – also naturally occur in green, leafy vegetables like watercress and rocket, where they’ve been found to lower blood pressure.

Importantly, the amount of harmful nitrosamines produced depends enormously on how the meat you’re eating is prepared and cooked.

High heat is where much of the danger lies. Pan-frying bacon until it turns crisp can in fact encourage nitrosamines to form right there in the pan. 

At the same time, the browning and charring produced by frying, grilling or barbecuing any meat creates other potentially cancer-causing chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), adding another layer of risk.

By comparison, boiled or steam-cooked ham is prepared at relatively gentle temperatures of around 70-80°C before being eaten cold. Because it never experiences the intense heat of a frying pan or barbecue, it contains far fewer pre-formed nitrosamines than crispy bacon.

The raw ingredient matters, too. Pork naturally contains less haem iron – the red pigment that gives meat its colour – than beef. 

In 2019 experts suggested that eating more than 200g of meat a day raises the risk of an early death. This equates to around 6 rashers of bacon, 3 sausages, a steak or ten slices of ham

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Haem can fuel the chemical reactions that create nitrosamines during curing and cooking, which means ham may have a lower nitrosamine‑forming potential than cured beef products like pastrami or salt beef.

The cancer-causing reaction is also hampered by the recent addition of ascorbate – a form of vitamin C – to brines used to flavour both ham and bacon. 

Vitamin C helps intercept nitrites before they can react with compounds in meat and stomach acid to form nitrosamines.

This is all thanks to modern food safety regulations, which have also enforced much lower nitrite limits since the 1970s and 80s.

So a ham sandwich eaten with a glass of orange juice, some crunchy red pepper or a crisp side salad may produce fewer nitrosamines in the stomach than the very same sandwich eaten on its own.

What’s the healthiest ham to eat? 

There are two small drawbacks to a ham sandwich, the first being the salt content. A two-slice serving will set you back around 10 per cent of your daily limit. 

However, this is still roughly half as much as you’ll get in two rashers of bacon and no different to the amount in supermarket to-go sandwiches that don’t contain any red meat (like M&S’ chicken salad option). 

The other detail to note is the addition of phosphates in some products, which are used to retain moisture. 

Additive versions of the mineral – as opposed to the type that naturally occurs in food –  are absorbed rapidly by the body. For people with kidney disease – and potentially for healthy individuals over many years – consistently high intakes have been linked to poorer bone and cardiovascular health.

However, phosphate-free varieties are widely available and don’t necessarily cost any more. And if you’re a regular Diet Coke drinker, it’s likely you’re consuming far higher quantities of phosphate as the drink is teeming with phosphoric acid. 

If you’re still concerned about nitrites, opt for a parma ham or Serrano variety, which are made without the compounds. Supermarkets now stock nitrite-free versions of most deli hams. 

I wouldn’t eat a ham sandwich every day, but that is true for all foods; studies show the healthiest diets are the most varied. 

But would I happily eat ham a couple of times a week – even one containing standard nitrites and phosphates. 

On wholemeal bread with a generous handful of salad, it’s a lunch choice I’d make without a second thought.

NEW YORK (AP) — George Lombard Jr. homered in a memorable big league debut and the New York Yankees beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Tuesday night.

In the fifth inning, Lombard homered in his second at-bat by hitting an 0-2 sweeper over the middle of the plate from St. Louis starter Hunter Dobbins (2-2) into the left-field seats. As he completed his first home run trot in the majors, Lombard’s parents hugged in the stands.

Lombard’s 392-foot drive gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead. It was the first homer by a Yankees player in his major league debut since Jasson Domínguez went deep in the first inning against Justin Verlander in Houston on Sept. 1, 2023.

At 21 years, 63 days old, Lombard became the sixth-youngest Yankees player since 1985 to make his debut and the second-youngest shortstop in that span. Derek Jeter debuted May 29, 1995, in Seattle at 20 years, 337 days.

Lombard also helped Ryan Weathers (5-7) pitch six strong innings by starting inning-ending double plays in the third and fifth.

In the third, Lombard ranged to his right, fielded Blaze Jordan’s grounder and made an off-balance throw to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. for the first out. In the fifth, Lombard ranged to his left, fielded Nathan Church’s grounder behind second base, stepped on the bag and made a clean throw to first baseman Ben Rice.

Chisholm also homered in the second as the Yankees won for the 10th time in 16 games.

Weathers allowed four hits in his second straight scoreless start. The lefty struck out six, walked none and stranded two in the sixth when Yankees newcomer Heliot Ramos charged in to catch Jose Fermin’s flyball to left field.

David Bednar got four outs for his 25th save in 27 chances to complete New York’s AL-best 12th shutout.

Dobbins allowed two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings.

The Cardinals were blanked for the sixth time. They scratched All-Star outfielder Jordan Walker shortly before first pitch due to right knee inflammation.

Up next

St. Louis RHP Andre Pallante (11-6, 3.72 ERA) opposes New York RHP Will Warren (11-6, 4.14) in Wednesday night’s series finale.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Jamie opens up about starting therapy, moving to Barcelona, her new film ‘Girl Group’ and more in the latest episode

Derry Girls star Jamie-Lee O’Donnell has spoken candidly about going no contact with her family as she underwent an ‘intense’ period of therapy.

The TV star opened up to Dish from Waitrose hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett OBE, about her sudden move to Barcelona, eating disorders and her ownership of a corner shop.

Jamie-Lee joins the list of countless famous faces to feature on the award-winning podcast, where she also referenced her Boost energy drink addiction and relationship with food.

She also revealed her therapy journey and how that led her to a new life in Spain just over a year ago.

Speaking on the podcast, she said: “So, um, I did therapy, which was pretty intense and really tough, to be honest. And then I got like to the end of it. I completed it. Cured, guys.

“All the healing’s done. But and then it was like, right, now time to sort of have a good big start for myself. So, I just sold my house and just went, mm, Barcelona. I know, it’s mental.”

She continued: “Well, I sort of, I’ve always been the sort of hyper independent. And if I wanted to do something, I’d done my research and then just did it- you know what I mean?

“And there’s a lot of good and bad with that. You sort of learn by mistakes- and as you keep going and stuff, and I’ve had plenty. Um, but this time, thankfully, uh, it’s worked out really well.”

Jamie-Lee then revealed that she does not speak to her family and how therapy led to that decision.

“Well, that’s part of the therapy. I had to go no contact with my entire family. I know, exclusive,” she said.

“But, um, but aye, it’s just one of those things, you know. And the more I’ve sort of talked about it and been honest about it, I’m seeing it’s, unfortunately, it’s not the most, um, unusual thing for adults.

“It’s just the way it is, you know.”

Jamie-Lee is the third Derry Girl star to feature on the podcast – following in the footsteps of Nicola Coughlan, Siobhán McSweeney and Saoirse- Monica Jackson.

She also opened up about her pride at the show and how it has become universal.

“I think it’s one of those jobs that whenever I do anything, you’ll get the odd person to be like, “I know this is not allowed, but can I get a photograph?” And I don’t mind it because I agree, I’m really proud of it. I think it’s such a universal show- and the type of, the, the type of people who ask and come up and want a photo is like so varied, which I think is just such a great reflection

of it. And there’s so many like older men that will be like, “Listen, my daughter or my granddaughter- she’ll love this, she’ll think I’m class, can I please get one?” I’m like, “Of course!”And it’s really nice.”

Dish from Waitrose is available on all podcast providers and Jamie-Lee’s episode is now available for listening

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter here

The former home of the Cobbles star, who played landlady Bet Lynch for decades, was at the centre of a planning furore earlier this year.

Unfounded rumours that there were plans for the £1.5m mansion at Primrose Hill Farm to be turned into a house of multiple occupation (HMO) for immigrants led to protests outside the Rochdale Road East site.

No valid planning application had actually been submitted to Rochdale Council at the time.

It led to concerns about disinformation being spread about the potential use of the property.

Protesters outside the property on Rochdale Road East in Heywood (Image: Danny Crompton)

Now, new proposals would see three en-suite bedrooms on the ground floor, alongside a kitchen, dining room, reception area, cinema room, and a family bathroom, according to council planning documents.

The site has been subjected to several changing applications in recent months.

Back in October 2025, a building control application for a 15-bed HMO was submitted to the council.

That application was amended on November 10, 2025, to allow for a 15-bedroom bed-and-breakfast.

Building control plans were amended again on February 11 to create 10 two-bedroom apartments and convert the stable conversion into a three-bedroom house.

Primrose Hill Farm, Rochdale Road East, Heywood. Uploaded by George Lythgoe. Credit: Manchester Evening News/Sean Hansford

The scheme was amended again on March 12 to convert the barn into a luxury residential house for one family, including an annex building.

The latest change is much like the planning application that was submitted a month earlier and is now being considered by the council’s planning officers.

Planning papers read: “Our plan aims to address the shortage of luxury housing in the area, which will bring numerous benefits.

“By increasing the supply of high-end properties, we’ll attract affluent residents and businesses, boosting local economic growth and creating jobs.

“This, in turn, will enhance the area’s reputation, improve infrastructure, and increase tax revenue for local services.

“The development will also include amenities like parks, shops, and restaurants, benefiting existing residents and making the area more vibrant.

“A key part of this plan involves restoring the historic barn, currently in a state of despair.

“Urgent work is needed to stabilise the structure, preserve its heritage, and bring it back into use.

“This will not only save a local landmark but also add character to the development, creating a unique selling point for luxury residents.

“Ultimately, our plan will revitalize the area, making it a desirable destination for luxury living and commerce.”

Rochdale Council planners will debate the application at a meeting on Wednesday, August 5.

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER

Published: 00:11 BST, 5 August 2026 | Updated: 03:03 BST, 5 August 2026

A ‘heavily armed’ man was arrested after he was seen wandering around Donald Trump‘s California golf course just days before the President was set to host a fundraiser there.

Trump is scheduled to headline a Republican National Committee fundraising dinner at a golf club his family owns in the Los Angeles suburb of Rancho Palos Verdes on Tuesday. 

Around 3:30pm on Sunday, however, a man was seen taking pictures and observing security activities around the course.

Jeanine John Taele, 38, was detained by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shortly after, the LA Times reported.

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Cops then found a loaded magazine in Taele’s pants pocket before searching his car in the parking lot and discovering a loaded pistol and further ammunition. 

On Monday, his residence in Downey, California was searched and they found even more weapons and ammunition, including an illegally-modified AR-style rifle, .45 caliber pistol, body armor and high-capacity magazines.

They also claimed to have found several notebooks that featured ‘concerning statements,’ as well as two radio devices.  

Taele was arrested under suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm and possession of illegal ammunition, including hollow point bullets. 

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A ‘heavily armed’ man was arrested after he was seen wandering around Donald Trump’s California golf course just days before the President was set to host a fundraiser there

Trump is scheduled to headline a Republican National Committee fundraising dinner at a golf club his family owns in the Los Angeles suburb of Rancho Palos Verdes (pictured) on Tuesday

Police said that while the investigation is ongoing, there is ‘no credible threat to our communities.’  

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Taele is also under investigation in connection with a robbery in nearby El Segundo. 

Trump is making a rare visit to California and Nevada this week to try to draw contrasts with Democrats on the economy, border security and crime, seeking to shore up support for Republicans in November elections that will determine whether his party keeps control of Congress.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment. 

Trump has faced multiple assassination attempts in recent years, most notably when he was shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania on the campaign trail in 2024.

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A jury in 2025 found a man guilty of trying to assassinate Trump at the president´s Florida country club. 

Most recently, an armed man tried to break into the White House Correspondents’ Dinner while Trump was inside. 

As Trump flies to California, he´ll likely throw barbs at the governor, eyed as a likely candidate for the next Democratic presidential nomination.

 The entrance to Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles, in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., is seen in this photo

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Police said that while the investigation is ongoing, there is ‘no credible threat to our communities’ 

White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said the president plans to ‘draw a sharp contrast between his commonsense agenda and the radical policies of Democrats like Gavin Newsom.’

Trump routinely mocks Newsom using a derogatory nickname. Newsom taunts the president in turn.

The Democrat wrote on social media on Monday that California is raising its minimum wage next year to $17.40 an hour, more than double the federal minimum. 

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‘Donald Trump and the GOP are still defending a $7.25 minimum wage while workers scrape by. Pitiful,’ Newsom wrote.

The Wednesday letters page fears that VR gaming may be dead for another generation, as one reader wishes 8-bit classic Elite would get a big budget reboot.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Out of fashion
Depressing, but not surprising news, about how single-player games aren’t selling right now. I know it was July they were talking about but why wasn’t Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced in the top 20? We were told that did well and yet it was nowhere to be seen on PlayStation 5, beaten by a bunch of multiplayer games I didn’t even realise were still going.

The only thing I hold to is that these things seem to go in and out of fashion, with a big hit suddenly reminding publishers that people do like this sort of game. EA seem to have gone back and forth on the concept a bunch of times over the years.

I can only think of Capcom though, who just truck on making whatever they want, most of which is single-player only, and everyone seems quite happy to buy it. But I’m going to guess their budgets are a lot more sensible than a lot of these big US games. $400 million for Gears Of War: E-Day seems like insanity to me.
Casper

Warm-up act
I enjoyed the Fire Emblem games on 3DS, but I really think that was the best format for the series. Unless Nintendo is going to give the Switch games a proper budget they just look so cheap and basic. I could easily see the games running on an Xbox 360 or Wii and we’re at a point now where a lot of indie games look better than that.

Its real problem though, is it’s just another Nintendo game that you’ve got to get out of the way until you get to the good stuff. I think that’s why they’re not talking about Zelda or The Duskbloods yet, because they know that as soon as people are properly look forward to those they’ll just ignore Fire Emblem and the other minor games completely.
Clembor

Customer retention
I can see what Microsoft is trying to do with all this Xbox 360 games on PC and creating a disc-to-digital system, but it’s not going to work. They’ve realised that one of the main reasons for people sticking with one family of consoles now is so they don’t lose their collection of games from previous generations.

But I really don’t think people are going to spend £1,000+ on Project Helix, just so they can play Blinx: The Time Sweeper on it. You’d prefer to keep all your games, but I don’t think it’s going to keep many people from abandoning what is clearly a sinking ship. Not that I think anyone’s going to be in a hurry to spend the same on PlayStation 6, but at least they won’t rule it out completely.
Bonce

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Nothing new
RE: Valve and consoles. As well as the Half-Life and Portal games they released the two Left 4 Dead games, with EA handling the physical Xbox 360 releases, which were very popular and Counter-Strike on console.

Most of their catalogue has shown up on console, they’re not a prolific publisher on any format. The reason why they’re all old is because Valve pulled back somewhat from making games a long time ago, mores the pity.

Many of us hoped Half-Life 3 would stop being a meme with the Steam Machine release but alas not. The 18 year wait since Half-Life 2: Episode Two continues.

But while games were more of a priority many made their way to console and I think that would probably be the case today if they were more active in game development.

Even though the walled garden and exclusives of consoles runs counter to their philosophy of an open ecosystem.
Simundo

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Cost of gaming crisis
As if the recent announcements about Sony going digital-only was not bad enough, and Microsoft increasing the price of the Xbox, now both Nvidia and AMD have announced GPU price increases for PCs.

I guess my old Radeon RX 6650 XT GPU is going to have to last longer. Hopefully the rest of my PC will be as reliable as the wireless Xbox 360 controller I still use to this day for it.
Commodore Fan
Currently playing: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle via Amazon Luna. So far so good…

Reality’s end
I was reading rumours about how the price of Valve’s new VR headset has also gone through the roof, to the point where it’s going to be thousands of dollars, like Apple’s attempt at one. I’m not sure if it’s definitely still coming out but it seems obvious that it will be one of the last attempts to make VR games a thing. Not even that, it’s probably just a pet project by Valve that they don’t expect to sell to ordinary people.

For a minute there it seemed like VR was really going to break through. The PlayStation ones were both really good, inside and out, and the Meta ones were nice and cheap. They also put a ton of money into making games, which was really important as they realised that you’ve got to have the software to support the hardware.

It didn’t work out though, as we all know, which is a shame as I think some of it was bad timing, with the cost of living crisis and now the component crisis… basically too many crises, where the last thing most people were thinking about was spending hundreds on gaming hardware that might flop.

VR has been hovering around on the edge of being mainstream for decades now and I do worry that this last chance was the final one. Hardware is only getting more expensive nowadays, so if they tried it again I think things would only get worse. It’s a shame but it seems the future just isn’t happening.
Gorf

Rumour control
So I read an article saying Xbox are now thinking of not having third party sites, like Steam and Epic Games Store, selling games on Project Helix and just another Xbox.

The reason is they don’t make any money off people buying their games off those sites, instead of buying the Xbox games off them. So one of the main attractions of being a hybrid PC console may be removed…what a mess.
TWO MACKS

GC: That rumour has been downgraded to merely the possibility that Microsoft were thinking about it. And they definitely do make money from sales of their own games on other websites, just not as much as if they controlled everything.

Elitist suggestion
I also enjoyed the interview with the ZX Spectrum recreation guy and it got me thinking, as it always does when this topic comes up, of how they could reboot some of these games for the modern day. I don’t really see how things like Jet Set Willy or Monty On The Run could ever work but there are some games that do seem to have much more obvious potential.

The one that stands out to me is Elite, which isn’t even a Spectrum game. It’s even older than that and was originally made for the BBC Micro! And yet it’s what we would call today an open world game, with complete freedom to go wherever you want in the galaxy and be a pirate, a smuggler, or an honest trader.

For some reason it’s a concept that only really seems to have been popular in Europe, but I think that’s because the US and Japan don’t really know it exists. There’s only been a few American clones, like Privateer and Freelancer, which I think were quite successful, but that was a long time ago. There’s also Star Citizen, but I wouldn’t touch that with a bargepole.

Unfortunately. Starfield has probably killed off any interest in making something similar, which is a shame as it barely scratched the surface of what Elite was and didn’t have any trading aspect at all.

I would love a big budget reboot and would be perfectly happy if they attached a licence to it. like Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy. Anything to just get the game made, but alas all we’ve got is Elite Dangerous, which seems to be on its last legs and was never much fun in the first place.
Campbell

Inbox also-rans
It is very hard for me to imagine any scenario where a God Of War TV show ends up being good. It’s just too fantastical and weird for that and everyone’s going to end up looking silly. Poor Dave Bautista.
Josh

So basically all Sony said about the PlayStation 6 is that it’ll probably be less than £3,000. Well I’m sure my wallet is happy to hear that good news. I’ll pre-order it now.
Cybob

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New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Will the Xbox reset work for Microsoft?

MORE: Games Inbox: When will Spider-Man 3 be released on PS5?

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The couple’s third child, a daughter, was born on Monday at a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, weighing 6lb 9oz, and mother and baby are said to be doing well

Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank have welcomed their third child – a baby girl.

The couple’s newest family member arrived on Monday at a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, weighing 6lb 9oz, with both mother and daughter reported to be in good health.

The birth marks an uncommon instance of a royal family member being born abroad, as Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank maintain a residence and various ties in Portugal.

Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming: “Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are delighted to announce the safe arrival of their daughter, born on Monday, 3rd August 2026, at 6.20pm, at a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal.

“The baby was born weighing 6 pounds 9 ounces.

“Their Majesties The King and Queen and other members of the royal family were delighted to be informed of the news.”

The newborn becomes the fifth grandchild for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, the former Duke and Duchess of York, following the arrival of Princess Beatrice’s daughter Athena Mapelli Mozzi in January last year.

Earlier this year, the former duke vacated his Windsor residence amid public criticism over his “peppercorn rent” arrangement, relocating to the Sandringham estate, and faced arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office before subsequently being released. Eugenie and Beatrice, granddaughters of the late Queen Elizabeth II, have themselves come under the spotlight following their inclusion in the Epstein files, a collection of documents released by the US Department of Justice concerning the late convicted sex offender.

One email exchange suggested their mother Sarah took her daughters to see Epstein in the US days after he was released from prison for child sex crimes.

At the time, Eugenie and Beatrice were aged 19 and 20 respectively.

The pair absented themselves from the customary royal Easter Sunday service, with Charles’s blessing, as controversy surrounding their father intensified.

The hospital where the birth took place has not been disclosed, though the couple have expressed profound appreciation to medical personnel for their support.

Eugenie and Jack are taking their time selecting a name for their newborn daughter while cherishing precious moments together as a family.

The infant will not hold an HRH title and occupies 15th position in the line of succession, bumping her great uncle the Duke of Edinburgh down to 16th.

She becomes the 15th great-grandchild of the late Queen, and only the third born following Her Majesty’s passing in 2022.

The pregnancy announcement came in May, when Eugenie posted on Instagram a photograph showing her young son Ernest in a Chelsea football strip, alongside her other child August in a long-sleeved grey T-shirt, holding a picture of a baby scan.

Samantha Armytage cracked up live on air on Wednesday morning when she interviewed the distinctive-looking Muay Thai fighter Ryan McDonald. 

McDonald, 19, has been hailed a hero after he stepped in to protect two young women during a road rage confrontation on Queensland‘s Sunshine Coast recently.

But when he appeared on Today to chat about the incident, fill-in host Armytage, 49, appeared to be taken aback by his very tanned complexion and bleached blond hair. 

When McDonald first appeared on the screen, Armytage appeared shocked by his ‘unique’ look, laughing as she said: ‘Wow.’ 

Though she quickly recovered and continued with the interview, saying he was a ‘legend’ for de-escalating a violent situation on the Bruce Highway. 

However, the subject of McDonald’s appearance came up again later in the segment when he joked he was ‘pretty hard to miss’. 

Armytage and her fill-in co-host Tom Steinfort then started to laugh as she said: ‘You said it, Ryan. You’re quite something to look at.’

‘Unique,’ Steinfort, 42, said. 

‘Is that part of the whole thing, you know? The Muay Thai,’ Armytage added. 

‘Yeah, I guess it’s kind of my brand now. I’ve looked like this my whole life, but since I started fighting, that’s just how people know me. The blond tan guy,’ McDonald said.

McDonald went on to joke he looked like Dolph Lundgren, the Swedish-American actor and martial artist who rocks a similar distinctive look. 

‘You’re much more handsome than Dolph Lundgren,’ Armytage said. 

McDonald went viral on Tuesday when he jumped out of his car on the Bruce Highway to protect two young women caught up in a road rage incident.

Dashcam footage of the moment showed a van trying to merge into another lane of traffic on the Sunshine Coast motorway.

When McDonald first appeared on the screen, Armytage appeared shocked by his ‘unique’ look, laughing as she said: ‘Wow.’

The van driver then stopped, left his vehicle and approached a car carrying two young women.

He allegedly tried to open the driver’s door – before Muay Thai champion McDonald intervened, confronting the man as other motorists gathered nearby.

‘It was just two girls on their own in the car,’ he told Channel Seven on Monday.

‘And I was thinking this would be a good opportunity to help and use what I know to protect these two girls, or de-escalate the situation.’

McDonald and the van driver exchanged words before both men removed their shirts in the middle of the road.

However, the confrontation ended without a punch being thrown when the motorist learned that McDonald was, in fact, a professional fighter.

McDonald has recorded eight victories during his fighting career, including four by knockout.

‘He came back up to me and was like ‘Are you sure you want this?’ I was like, ‘Yeah’,’ McDonald said.

A motorist reportedly backed down after realising McDonald was an experienced professional Muay Thai fighter and competitor 

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The van driver returned to his vehicle and drove away.

McDonald said that preventing the confrontation from becoming violent was the ideal result.

‘It was the best possible outcome, to de-escalate the [situation]… everybody got home safe that day,’ he said.

Footage of the incident has since attracted more than three million views across social media, where McDonald was widely praised for helping the women.

‘What a legend to put himself in that position and defend those girls he didn’t even know,’ one social media user said.

Another person said: ‘Glad he stepped in. I’ve got daughters and granddaughters and that man trying to open the car door isn’t on.’

A third added: ‘I cannot quite believe this man stepped in to help two vulnerable women, and most of you only want to make comments on his appearance!

‘Good on you mate, I’d be glad to have you there if this happened to me or my daughter.’

Some social media users said the incident would have been a ‘scary experience’ for the women.

‘Only a complete loser of a man would try to intimidate or threaten young women. Thankfully there are still decent men around prepared to step in,’ a commenter said.

Turning Point claims “aggressive” rent rises have driven them out, despite Scotland’s drug deaths emergency

Council bosses have been blamed for the termination of a drugs crisis facility in the midst of Scotland’s drug deaths emergency.

The closure of Turning Point’s crisis centre in Glasgow now looks certain after a row over big rent increases.

The charity says the 16 bed residential stabilisation service in Commerce Street will shut down and a nearby drug crisis centre, on West Street, will move to the site instead.

Turning Point had also been running this service but management now passes to the city’s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP).

Neil Richardson, chief executive of Turning Point Scotland, said: “Replacing the residential stabilisation service with a community-based model will remove 16 beds from Glasgow’s alcohol and drug support system.

“That raises important questions about how people who need intensive residential support will continue to access it.”

The crisis service is expected to switch in early October, while the stabilisation service contract is due to end on 24 October.

Richardson added: “Changes of this scale would ordinarily require significantly longer to plan and implement safely.

“Only days before this decision, we were told bringing the services in-house wasn’t considered a viable option because of the cost, disruption and lack of specialist expertise.

“We have yet to receive a clear explanation of what changed.”

Turning Point Scotland slammed “commercially aggressive” tactics and last week and said its rent had doubled from £65,000 to £131,000 a year.

The crisis was exacerbated by an £806,000 bill after Turning Point Scotland left another site after the closure of its service for women in the justice system.

The closure comes after a 14-month dispute over rent increases and repair bills with City Property – an arms-length firm that manages the Glasgow City Council’s commercial properties.

Both Turning Point Scotland and Glasgow City HSCP have blamed each other for the decision to close the service.

Staff were informed last Friday, with 87 people affected.

The 16-bed residential facility, offered six-week stays to stabilise drug use and detox from non-prescribed substances.

The crisis centre, in West Street, offers urgent care for up to 20 people at risk of serious harm or death.

Glasgow HSCP said Turning Point Scotland had “indicated that they are not able to continue with contract on the basis of financial risk”.

A spokesperson said the crisis centre “remains a priority” and would “transition with no intended gap in service”.

The spokesperson added: “This decision is based on the intentions of Turning Point Scotland and the commitment the HSCP has to its most vulnerable service users.

“The HSCP cannot comment on the relationship between Turning Point Scotland and City Property.”

City Property – which has Glasgow City Council as one of its directors – said the primary factors in the dispute were the terms of lease.

It declined to discuss details due to commercial sensitivity, and said it had been in regular communication with Turning Point to find “viable solutions”.

Scotland’s Alcohol and Drugs Minister Maree Todd said she was “very concerned” but the Scottish government could not intervene in a contractual dispute.

She added: “We have been clear that we value the work done by these services and that every reasonable opportunity to explore resolution should have been taken.”

It is the latest rent and repairs row between City Property and charity tenants in the past year.

Other tenants in dispute have included an elderly group, a family charity and a number of arts groups.

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