Cher Lloyd has hinted at the reason she split from her husband Craig Monk, after it emerged their marriage was over.

The X Factor star, 32, reposted a TikTok video days before the split was announced, with the caption: ‘I heard someone say ”the disrespect at the end was louder than any good memory we ever had, and that’s when I knew I was done.’

On Tuesday, Cher shared a candid picture which included Drake‘s song Yebba’s heartache which is about grief and heartbreak

The day before, Cher had publicly  revealed she has split from her husband after 13 years of marriage, just three months after her father’s death.

She first sparked speculation over her marriage when she shared a snap of her ring-free hand on Instagram, and later responded to a user by saying she’d thrown her wedding ring ‘in the bin.’

After news of the split, a friend of Craig has told Daily Mail that Cher should ‘stop airing her dirty laundry in public’, and instead focus on ‘talking’ to her estranged spouse. 

On Monday, The X Factor star revealed she has split from her husband after 13 years of marriage, just three months after her father’s death

Days before it emerged that she and Craig had split, Cher had also reposted a TikTok video about ‘disrespect’

It comes after a source close to Craig urged the singer to ‘have an adult conversation with her husband’ instead of posting about the state of their marriage online. 

They said Craig found Cher’s comments ‘disrespectful’ adding: ‘She’s obviously spent the last few days photographing her hand. It seems to be for attention. 

‘To say that she’s thrown her wedding ring in the bin is extremely disrespectful. Once something like that goes online, it’s always online.

‘I think it’s quite obvious that she’s not acting in a very mature manner. Maybe have an adult conversation instead of going straight onto Instagram.’

Cher married Craig in November 2013 and the couple share two daughters, Delilah-Rae, who was born in May 2018, and Eliza Violet, born in September 2023. 

The source added: ‘Craig’s okay. He’s getting on with life and prioritising his two girls and that is literally all that is at the forefront of his mind. They are the only ones who matter in all of this.’

The Daily Mail has contacted Cher’s representative for comment. 

On Tuesday, Cher alluded to moving ‘onto greater things’ amid the surprise split. 

Moreover, she ‘liked’ a number of posts referencing her gut and intuition, crying for hours and lost love. 

She then liked a funny video showing somebody dancing in a video to Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie, with the caption: ‘Me after crying for two hours’.

Another shot showed words layered over an image of Jessica Alba reading: ‘Source? My gut feeling. My intuition. Super symbolic dream. The vibe I got’. 

One of the more poignant videos shared by Cher, was a video with a voiceover saying: ‘I’ll buy you whatever you want’, with the response: ‘No you can’t’. 

An accompanying caption read: ‘What happened to old-school love? When trust came naturally, loyalty meant something, and people weren’t afraid to genuinely care for each other.’

Cher and Craig got engaged less than a year after meeting, following her rise to stardom on The X Factor, where Cheryl Tweedy was her mentor.

During a guest appearance on ITV chat show Loose Women in October 2018, Cher said: ‘You know when you grow up and dream of that fairy tale of course we’ve had our ups and downs, but honestly it is like a fairy tale with me and him.’

The speculation of a marriage split comes just three months after Cher announced the devastating news that her father had died.

In an emotional statement posted onto her social media, she wrote: ‘Life will never be the same again. I’ve never felt pain like this. My Dad, I love you. Goodnight. 10.03.73 – 11.04.26.’

Cher also shared an image of a text message conversation with her dad Darren, in which she had said ‘I love you dad. More than you’ll ever know’, to which he replied: ‘I know you do. And I love you more and more each day see you tomorrow.’

Cher’s father struggled throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and was rushed to hospital three times in 2020 as he battled against the deadly bug.

At the time – due to the strict restrictions – Cher was unable to visit her dad

‘It was two weeks before my 30th birthday when I went to brush my teeth one morning and noticed that something didn’t feel right. My mouthwash was dribbling out of the side of my mouth,’ says Denise, now 59, a business change management contractor from Milton Keynes.

‘When I looked in the mirror and tried to apply lipstick, I could see that my face was lopsided. I went into work as usual that morning and mentioned it to my colleagues. My team insisted I go to A&E that day.

‘It was scary at first, because I wasn’t sure if I had had a stroke, but as soon as I walked in and mentioned my face, the doctor told me immediately I had Bell’s palsy. For reassurance, he sent me straight away for a brain scan the same day to ensure it wasn’t a stroke.

‘Bell’s palsy is a condition that causes temporary weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles, resulting in a drooping appearance on one side of the face.

‘When I was told I had it, I was horrified, because I’d only come across one person who had suffered with that and their face completely dropped on one side. At first, I had no idea if it was temporary or permanent. I was especially upset because I had a big birthday event coming up!

‘The doctor told me that the external symptoms would last around three to four months and internally it may take a little longer (for example, regaining the ability to move food from one side of the mouth to the other, or back to the centre). In fact, it took about two-and-a-half years to feel like myself again.

‘I was sent for one session of physiotherapy, where I was told to softly stroke my face with a make-up brush, lightly prick myself with a pin and slap my face with the back of my hand; and say the letters B and P repeatedly, which is VERY difficult with Bell’s palsy – as your face completely twists when you do. I had to do facial exercises in the mirror which I hated, because it just accentuated the issue.

‘As for coping with it in everyday life, I just hid behind my hand for months. The left side of my face was frozen. I couldn’t close my eyelid, I couldn’t grip the edge of a cup with my lips, food got stuck on the left-hand side of my mouth and had to be pulled to the centre with my fingers.

Denise noticed that her ‘face was lopsided’ and was then diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, which causes weakness of the facial muscles (pictured before treatment, left, and after, right)

Denise looked at ‘whether Botox could help soften the lines and improve facial balance’, then saying that the treatment ‘exceeded my expectations’

‘My mouth was pulled to the other side of my face. I cried once and one side of my face didn’t move at all whilst the other was an ugly crying face. I had no idea how long it would last, and that was the scariest thing.

‘Not long afterwards, at my 30th birthday celebration, I discovered just how much the condition affected everyday life when I tried to blow out the candles on my caterpillar birthday cake and couldn’t.

‘My friends were really supportive. Once I started telling people I realised just how common it was. Almost everyone knew someone who had had it. My team at work were fabulous too. My boss had told them and my suppliers in advance, so they didn’t ask lots of questions. They were just super supportive, and we laughed about the silly things like dribbling my tea, and my inability to eat certain foods in the way I used to – cakes and sandwiches were cut up super small!

‘I had two younger sisters and I warned my mum to talk to them before they saw me because I didn’t want to scare them. I don’t have children, but was in a long term relationship. My partner just kept saying I don’t look any different, but of course I did.

‘After around four months, the paralysis began to improve, at least on the outside. Internally, simple things such as eating remained difficult because the muscles were still weak and uncoordinated.

‘A couple of years later, most people would probably have assumed that I had fully recovered. However, Bell’s palsy had left lasting changes. The creases on both sides of my face were very different. There was a pronounced difference in the crow’s feet on either side of my face. The marionette lines were very different too. Smiling caused synkinesis (involuntary eye narrowing when moving the mouth) on the left hand side. I have always been very aware of this, especially in photographs.

‘The asymmetry always bothered me, particularly when it showed up in photos and videos. I always tried to wear sunglasses in pictures. We had to edit many of my sister’s family wedding photos because my eyes were wonky thanks to me being super smiley that day! It knocked my confidence considerably and I hated it.

‘In 2025, aged 58, I underwent surgery privately to address the synkinesis. I had never sought further support from the NHS. Given how long ago it was, I didn’t consider it an option, and so sought private treatment after a close friend encouraged me to go and find out what would be possible. The surgery helped, but I remained conscious of the pronounced difference in the crow’s feet and the facial asymmetry that had persisted for decades.

‘In March 2026, at the age of 59, I visited Dr Sabika Karim at Skin Medical to explore whether Botox could help soften the lines and improve facial balance. The same friend who encouraged me to speak to a surgeon, encouraged me to see her. A few of my friends have Botox, and I guess with another milestone birthday coming up, it was a now or never type of decision. This year is my year of saying “yes” to everything. I figured I had nothing to lose by asking the question. I am so glad I did. I only started seeing Dr Sabika Karim this year and have had two treatments, with each lasting three to four months.

‘Dr Karim injected Botox into selected areas on both sides of my face to relax the overactive muscles and reduce the appearance of the lines. The results exceeded my expectations.

‘After living with facial asymmetry for nearly thirty years, I felt that my features looked much more balanced and harmonious. The improvement gave me a real boost in confidence. After six years of being single (following the end of a 28-year relationship), I even decided to join a dating site. I’d always been put off before, because it’s all based on photographs. Now, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet a man who has become one of my best friends, and I couldn’t be happier.

‘The combination of the surgery and the botox has revolutionised my life. I feel like a different person, and no longer feel the need to hide my face behind sunglasses in photos! My friends can’t believe the difference in my self confidence. For anyone else suffering with a similar condition, I’m proof that it’s never too late to find a solution.’

Dr Sabika Karim says that when ‘someone has more pronounced facial asymmetry, achieving a natural result becomes even more dependent on the injector’s expertise’

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Aesthetic doctor and founder of Skin Medical, Dr Sabika Karim, explains: ‘Every face is unique, and the muscles are rarely perfectly symmetrical, so there should never be a “one-size-fits-all” approach to treatment. The dose and injection points should always be tailored to each individual’s anatomy rather than following a standard pattern.

‘When someone has more pronounced facial asymmetry, achieving a natural result becomes even more dependent on the injector’s expertise. The artistry lies in combining an in-depth knowledge of facial anatomy with decades of experience using different types of botulinum toxin, allowing the practitioner to accurately predict how each patient is likely to respond.

‘This enables precise adjustments to both dose and placement, sometimes deliberately under-treating one side initially, before reviewing the patient and fine-tuning the treatment to achieve the best possible final result.’

‘Stories like Denise’s demonstrate that the impact of aesthetic medicine can extend far beyond physical appearance. After living with facial asymmetry for almost 30 years, helping Denise achieve greater balance allowed her to feel more comfortable in herself and gave her the confidence to embrace a new chapter in her life. Her 30-year struggle was over with just a 30-minute treatment.

‘For me, this is what aesthetic medicine should be about. It isn’t about creating perfection or changing someone into a different person; it’s about recognising what matters to that individual and using our medical expertise to help them feel the best version of themselves. Sometimes the most powerful treatment outcomes aren’t measured in millimetres or photographs, but in the confidence to do something you may not have felt able to do before.’

Hong Kong‘s Cathay Pacific Airways has projected its first-half profit could surge by as much as 76 per cent year-on-year, driven by robust passenger and cargo demand, improved performance from its low-cost carrier HK Express, and higher contributions from associates.

The airline group forecast a profit of about HK$6 billion to ​HK$6.5 billion ($765.39 million to $829.12 million) for the six months ended June 30, up from HK$3.7 billion in the same ​period a year earlier.

These figures incorporate a one−time gain of about HK$1.4 billion from the partial dilution of its Air China stake. Even stripping out this one-off item, the airline noted solid underlying demand across both passenger and cargo operations.

Cathay Pacific’s optimistic outlook emerges as the broader aviation industry contends with a severe fuel cost shock.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecast in June that global airline fuel bills would climb to about $350 billion this year from $252 billion in 2025, with jet fuel prices averaging $152 per barrel – almost 70 per cent above 2025 levels.

Despite acknowledging these significant headwinds, Cathay Pacific has managed to report stronger earnings.

Shares of ​the Hong Kong-listed carrier jumped more than 3 per cent in the afternoon session after being slightly lower in the morning, as ​the stronger profit outlook beat some analysts’ forecasts. HSBC had forecast Cathay Pacific would report HK$5.1 billion in first-half profit, according to a ‌recent note.

Cathay ⁠Cargo carried 9 per cent more cargo in June compared with a year earlier, with total tonnage in the first half of the year also up 9 per cent.

Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said semiconductor and pharmaceutical shipments were the main growth drivers, supporting its specialist Cathay Expert and Cathay Pharma product lines. Looking ahead, Lau said the group would monitor the potential impact ​on e-commerce flows from new ​customs duties on low-value imports ⁠into Europe.

On the passenger side, Cathay Pacific carried 12 per cent more passengers in June year-on-year, with available seat kilometres rising 6 per cent. For the first half of the year, passenger numbers were ​up 17 per cent.

Load factors held up despite June historically being a softer month, partially helped by ​rerouted traffic through ⁠Hong Kong amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Demand in premium cabins also remained robust, driven by strong corporate and premium leisure travel.

“The outlook for the summer peak remains encouraging, particularly across our long-haul network,” Lau said.

Budget unit HK Express was a softer ⁠spot, with ​the number of passengers down 4 per cent in June after the carrier trimmed ​capacity to offset higher fuel costs. Bookings for July are running ahead of last year, Lau said.

The group’s full interim results are expected to be published ​in August.

Rumours are spreading at Manchester council over who could be its next leader.

Labour’s Bev Craig, the current council leader, is running to be the next mayor of Greater Manchester in a crucial election on July 30. Polls suggest Craig’s ahead of the pack in what appears to be a three-horse race between Labour, Reform UK’s Sian Astley and Geraldine Coggins for the Greens.

If Bev Craig were to be elected as mayor of Greater Manchester, the Labour group at Manchester council would need to choose a new leader. It’s thought that the process to choose a new leader of the Labour group could take several weeks, and not be decided until at least September.

Click here for the latest on Greater Manchester’s politics in our newsletter

As the largest political group in Manchester with a majority control in the council chamber, the Labour group leader serves as leader of Manchester council.

One source said that Manchester Labour could face a selection headache for its next leader, due to the threat of Reform UK and the Greens winning seats in next May’s local elections.

The leader of the council has direct say over the future direction of the town hall, with its £1bn budget and responsibility of managing public services from bin collections to adult social care.

The Manchester Evening News understands there are three names who could be in the running to succeed Craig as leader of Manchester council if she is elected mayor later this month.

Councillor Garry Bridges

Garry Bridges is the statutory deputy leader at the council and considered to be a favourite to replace Bev Craig if she’s elected mayor. Councillor Bridges already fills in for Bev Craig when she’s away, and he’s been keeping things running at the town hall since Craig announced her plans to run for mayor.

Garry Bridges is a Councillor representing the Old Moat ward in south Manchester, which covers part of Withington.

According to his register of interests, he works in the office of Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell.

Councillor Thomas Frederick Robinson

Thomas Frederick Robinson is another favourite to become Manchester’s next council leader, it’s understood.

He represents the Clayton and Openshaw ward as a Councillor, and is in the council’s cabinet team as executive member for health and adult social care.

On his X account, he says he serves as chair of the Labour Party’s Rusholme branch, covering the areas of Ardwick, Fallowfield, Hulme, Moss Side, Rusholme, and Whalley Range.

Councillor Tracey Rawlins

Tracey Rawlins was suggested by some Labour group sources as a potential candidate to be the next council leader.

She’s a Councillor in Baguley in Wythenshawe, and is the second deputy leader at the council.

Councillor Rawlins leads on matters such as homelessness and tackling inequalities. She has previously held the council cabinet role of executive member for environment and transport.

By NATALIA PENZA and SABRINA PENTY, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

Published: 10:10 BST, 22 July 2026 | Updated: 11:58 BST, 22 July 2026

The next witness to be called by the prosecution is Professor Jason James-Payne, doctor and forensic physician. He is now in the witness box and will answer questions from prosecutor James Wilson.

Professor James-Payne is being asked about images relating to the case. The first one is the right hand of Miss Sidaway with an oxygen and blood pressure measuring device attached to her.

Another image shows Miss Sidaway’s left arm covered in blood. A third image shows her left hand with blood on her hand, arm and bed sheets. Her left hand is shown to have clear wounds on her thumb and index finger.

Professor James-Payne says the images show “incise wounds that have been formed by some form of cutting object”. He adds that they are “typical of knife wounds”.

Another image shows a wound to Miss Sidaway’s left upper arm. “This has been caused by a sharp instrument,” the professor tells the court.

Another image shows Miss Sidaway’s chest with three “obvious wounds” – one is near the mid-line of her chest, one is slightly above the left breast, and one is slightly below the left breast.

Professor James-Payne says there are four injuries to the chest area, according to the images. He adds that the injuries were caused by “a sharp knife with a sharp point”.

New Justice Secretary Alex Norris has been urged to reconsider the early release scheme after being appointed by Andy Burnham on Monday.

Asked about reports that the prime minister could be working on exempting rapists and child groomers from the scheme, his spokesman said: “The government’s fully focused on keeping the public safe.

“We’ve got no option but to take decisive action to fix the crisis in our prisons. I’m not going to get into speculation over possible policy changes.

“Of course, the prime minister will take decisions on all manner of policy areas in the future, including how we get justice for victims.”

Aileen O’Connor, chair of Thames Valley Police Federation, said: “The killers of PC Andrew Harper should be kept where they belong… behind bars.

“Police across Thames Valley, and indeed the country, will be disgusted at the prospect of these smirking lowlifes being free to roam the streets.

“These killers have never shown any remorse for their horrific and deadly actions that night.

“Andrew’s wife Lissie and his whole family are serving a life sentence. The least we can expect is that his killers serve their whole sentence, however poor it already is.”

She added that the organisation would be communicating with the police minister, the home secretary and the prime minister.

“We will not stop. Andrew deserves nothing less,” O’Connor said.

“What message does this send about the worth of a life of a police officer? The government and the parole board must reconsider any plans to release Andrew’s killers early. And they must do it now. No ifs. No buts.”

Cabinet minister Heidi Alexander said the early release scheme was necessary because the justice system had been on the brink of collapse when Labour came to power.

She told BBC Breakfast: “If we ran out of prison spaces, courts couldn’t sentence and the police wouldn’t have been able to arrest.

“No responsible government would have allowed us to get into that situation.”

Meanwhile, new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has insisted there was “no ill intent” behind apparent comments about the early release scheme, which were caught on camera.

He can be heard saying to Norris that “he wants to let them all out” – appearing to reference the government’s plans for the early release of prisoners.

The Prime Minister was asked if it was acceptable for members of his Cabinet to joke about early release.

Burnham said: “No, it’s not, and certainly that’s been acknowledged, and apologies have been made.”

EXCLUSIVE: A YouTuber who has made a speciality of hunting for charity shop finds says the rise of Vinted – which saw sales of some £9.4bn in 2025 alone – has changed the game forever

Many charity shop customers have noted how it’s increasingly rare to find anything of real value in the stores these days. One YouTuber who has made a speciality of charity shop bargain-hunting says the rise of one particular smartphone app has ruined any hope of making a remarkable find on the hight street.

Charlotte, who tells the story of her charity shop adventures on her Pink Peach Finds channel, tells Wales Online: “I was a regular charity shop shopper long before Covid. What’s interesting is that I didn’t notice an immediate change once the lockdowns ended. Looking back, I’d say the biggest shift has really been over the last three or four years.

“I still visit charity shops most weeks but I definitely go with different expectations than I did even three or four years ago. Back then I’d expect to come across something really special most weeks. These days, that’s much rarer.”

In a new video, Charlotte explains: “For many, the rise of one platform has reshaped secondhand fashion. And according to thousands of comments under my videos, it’s reshaping charity shops, too.

“The good stuff never gets donated anymore. Everyone just sells online until one name kept appearing again and again. Vinted.”

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Charlotte explains how the twin pressures of the Covid pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis made Vinted into a culture-changing monster: “In 2022, around 4.8 million people visited Vinted each month in the UK. By 2024, that number had jumped to 11.4 million. Almost 1 in four adults online on Vinted every single month.

“And across Europe, Vinted became a giant. By 2026, the company was valued around 8 billion. And although Vinted doesn’t publish the number of active listings, analysts estimate the platform hosts well over 200 million items at any given time.

“In fact, in 2025 alone, people bought and sold £9.4bn worth of second-hand goods on the platform, more than £25m every day, over £1m every hour, and nearly £18,000 every single minute.”

A decade ago, many of those unwanted items would have found their way into charity shops, but the sheer convenience built into the Vinted app means that now, earning money from clothing, shoes, and accessories that you no longer need is just a couple of clicks away.

“Suddenly, that bag of clothing in the spare room wasn’t clutter anymore,” Charlotte says. “It was money. And money you could very easily unlock from your sofa in just a few minutes.

“That changed something much deeper for people. How people value their belongings. People began to mentally price their stuff. They know what it’s worth – because Vinted shows them.”

Over the past few years, Charlotte has visited hundreds of charity shops across the UK and has detected a significant change: “Somewhere along the way, something has started to feel very different,” she says. “The shops aren’t empty. Far from it. Most are packed with items and stuff, but the quality of those products seems to be changing.

“Increasingly, rails are dominated by ultra-fast fashion and plastic tat. Meanwhile, the brands that you dream of finding about in a charity shop, Ralph Lauren, Barbour, quality vintage pieces, are much harder to find.”

The pandemic was one of the main triggers for Vinted’s dramatic rise, Charlotte says, because many people were stuck indoors with little to do. But another factor was the cost of living crisis.

She told us: “I was a regular charity shop shopper long before Covid. What’s interesting is that I didn’t notice an immediate change once the lockdowns ended. Looking back, I’d say the biggest shift has really been over the last three or four years. For me, that’s because Vinted really came into its own at around the same time the cost of living crisis started to bite. I think the combination of those two things has had the biggest impact.”

Weight loss drugs such like Wegovy and Mounjaro could be linked to a drop in the amount of people who are dependent on alcohol being admitted to hospital.

GLP-1s are primarily used to treat diabetes and obesity by mimicking hormones to regulate blood sugar and reduce appetite.

Studies suggest the medication could also help curb alcohol consumption.

However, researchers in the US said the evidence “remains limited and mixed”.

Experts analysed alcohol-related hospital admissions for 40,703 people who had started either semaglutide, which includes the brand Wegovy, or tirzepatide, also known as Mounjaro, between January 2018 and December 2024.

All were involved in four different studies: an anti-diabetic medication trial; a weight loss drug trial; a study looking at medication for people with type 2 diabetes with alcohol issues; and a trial looking at drugs for obese people with alcohol issues.

The analysis found GLP-1 drugs slashed the risk of alcohol-related hospital admission by 26% compared with other diabetes medicines.

Among those using the drugs for weight loss, the risk was 32% lower compared with other obesity medications.

Elsewhere, weight loss jabs lowered the risk of alcohol-related hospital admission by 63% and 65% respectively among type 2 diabetics with alcohol problems and obese people with alcohol problems.

The latest available figures show there were more than one million hospital admissions related to alcohol in England in 2023/24.

Researchers said the findings, published in the journal BMJ Open, “may suggest a potential role” for GLP-1 medications “in the context” of alcohol use disorder, although further research is needed.

Reacting to the findings, Colin Angus, professor of alcohol policy at Sheffield University Addictions Research Group, said: “This looks like a reasonable study that adds to a growing body of evidence that GLP-1s may reduce alcohol-related harm.

“However, this is a US-based observational study, and newer GLP-1s are expensive treatments, meaning there may well be some important differences between the people taking GLP-1s and those not taking them that may not be fully controlled for.

“For example, it is more likely that people from more affluent groups, with better health insurance, can afford them. The authors of the study acknowledge this.

“I’d view this as adding a little more weight to the emerging evidence, rather than the definitive word on the matter.”

Best plug-in solar panels at a glance:

Best plug-in solar panels to shop now

If it’s speed you’re after, this power station can charge in as little as 52 minutes. But that doesn’t mean it skimps on power, as the panel can charge all of your household and outdoor appliances at once. Nor does it mean excess weight, as the power station is as light as a suitcase.

Specs:
In the box: Explorer 2000v2, Solar Saga 200W AC charge cable, 3m solar panel connection lead
Wattage: 2200W
Waterproof: Yes
Weight: Power bank is 17.5kg; panel is 6.3kg
Warranty: 5 years

Thinking about living off grid? This set will sort you out, not least because it can help you jump start a diesel car, should you need to. With 12 plugs, you can charge multiple things at the same time and those maximum 4400W are enough to last you several days at the very least.

One happy reviewer claimed they: “Used it on one five-day caravan trip to run a microwave, hair straighteners and 2 TVs and anything else in the caravan I couldn’t run on 12V or gas. It performed admirably and still had 83% charge remaining.”

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Specs:
In the box: Jump 2200 power station, USB-A to Type-C cable, Type-C, to Type-C cable, AC adaptor, AC charger and charging cable, car charging cable, user guide
Wattage: 2200W
Waterproof: Yes
Weight: Power bank is 17.5kg
Warranty: 2 years

Looking to travel light? Good news, you can get a solar panel that folds up as small as a laptop. It’s easy to set up, so ideal for beginners, and you can slide it into a van or car and barely know it’s there – except for when you need it.

Specs:
In the box: Solar panel, 12 metre DC5521 to XT60 cable, 2 x carabiners, user manual and warranty card
Wattage: 60W
Waterproof: No, splashproof but can’t be left in the rain.
Weight: 1.4kg
Warranty: 1 year

No matter where you are, this foldable solar panel can be adjusted to maximise the amount of sunlight it absorbs. That’s thanks to its four adjustable angles, which increases its efficiency and means you get 1.5x the amount of power from the same amount of sunlight. Translation: your appliances will charge quicker.

Specs:
In the box: Anker PS200 Solar Panel (200W), 2x 9.8 ft (3 m) MC4 solar charging cable, 1.6 ft (0.5 m) MC4 to XT-60 to DC7909 connector cable and safety manual.
Wattage: 200W
Waterproof: Weatherproof (IP67)
Weight: 9.23kg
Warranty: 5 years

If you live somewhere windy, this is the panel for you. It’s bulky and heavy, which can make it difficult to pack away – especially as the panels face outward when it’s packed up – but this makes it ideal for camping in slightly more torrential climes.

Specs:
In the box: 1*Dokio 200W solar panel, 1*Dokio 20A controller, 1*9.8FT XT60 cable, 1*XT60 to Alligator clip cable, 1*JY60 to DC cable, 5*DC conversion adapters.
Wattage: 200W
Waterproof: Yes
Weight: 11.8kg
Warranty: Not stated

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For an everyday solar panel that can help you lower those pesky energy bills, this a durable, reliable duo is your best bet. The power station charges in just over two hours, and is basically silent, so you don’t have to worry about unwelcome noise in your house. Plus, the power lasts a long time, meaning frequent recharges become a thing of the past. Phew!

Specs:
In the box: DELTA Max 2, portable solar panel, AC charging cable, user manual and warranty
Wattage: 400W
Waterproof: Yes
Weight: 22.7kg
Warranty: 5 years

Everything has to be smart nowadays, and that includes your solar panel. But we’re not mad about it, these panels can be synced with the EcoFlow app so you can track how much energy you’re generating – and your ROI (ie. how much you save on energy). It even means you can control the appliances you’re powering while away on holiday, and

Specs:
In the box: 2 x 450W solar panels, 800 W micro inverter, STREAM BKW-AC cable, STREAM solar panel extension cable, clamp
Wattage: 900W
Waterproof: IP67
Weight: 3.2kg
Warranty: 10 years

Here’s another panel that folds up to a briefcase size, but unfortunately due to being extremely heavy it’s not suitable for travel. But the upside of that is it’s durable and you won’t have to worry about it blowing around in the wind, and once you’re done with it you can easily fold it away.

Specs:
In the box: Foldable panel, MC4 connector, XT60 cable, power bank.
Wattage: 400W
Waterproof: Yes
Weight: 18.5kg
Warranty: 3 years

Can’t be bothered with all that dragging around? Good news, this model is just 3kg, making it easy to travel with. At just £199, it’s a steal as well, mostly because it lasts up to 10 years, and can capture sunlight from both the front and back for maximum efficiency.

Specs:
In the box: PS100 Bifacial Portable Solar Panel, 2× 8.2 ft (2.5 m) solar charging cable, 1.6 ft (0.5 m) XT60i solar charging cable, quick start guide, and safety card.
Wattage: 100W
Waterproof: Yes
Weight: 3kg
Warranty: 5 years

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