I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but despite your phone being able to play music, it doesn’t sound very good. For all of its multi-tasking talents, making music sound as entertaining as it can be isn’t one of them.

That’s where a portable MP3 player comes in. Apple may have consigned its iPod to the technology graveyard, but the iconic Sony Walkman lives on, as do other music players from audio specialists such as FiiO and Astell & Kern. These deliver superior sound, extra storage for songs and wider high-resolution audio file support than your trusty mobile.

I’ve tested a surprising amount of MP3 players over the past 12 years, and I’ve watched them catch up with the times, now supporting wireless headphones, Wi-Fi and streaming services such as Spotify. This makes them a relevant modern music machine for quality-conscious listeners on the move. Below are the best MP3 players I’ve tested for budgets between £179 and £999.

The best MP3 players at a glance

How to choose the best MP3 Player

Your reason for buying a portable music player will most likely be to get superior sound over what your phone delivers. It would be wise to buy the best model you can afford and consider what headphones or other equipment you’re using it with. A cheap player won’t take advantage of a high-end pair of wired headphones and vice versa.

If you have a decent library of high-resolution files (FLAC, DSD and MQA are most common), you should check the file compatibility, as well as its storage capacity and how much that can be expanded with a MicroSD card for further songs. If you want to stream from a music service, make sure that the app can be downloaded onto the player, too.

Bluetooth support is also convenient, allowing you to play music wirelessly to Bluetooth headphones or speakers, though audio quality will suffer compared to the cabled method.

Most players nowadays also double up as a USB or Bluetooth DAC (digital-to-analogue converter), meaning they can connect to, say, a laptop, via a USB cable and/or wirelessly, to improve its audio quality.

Read our FAQs if you’re considering buying a second-hand iPod.

How I tested MP3 Players

The Irish low-cost airline posted a tongue-in-cheek video showing what they really think of passengers who miss flights, and people have agreed with them

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Missing your flight can be an enormously frustrating experience, particularly if the delay is completely beyond your control. You can be held up if there’s a problem at security, if the boarding gate changes at short notice and you have to traverse the entire airport to reach it, and even if your taxi journey to the airport is delayed.

However, sometimes the responsibility lies entirely with the passenger. It’s widely understood that you should arrive at the airport with sufficient time to account for these potential hold-ups, and opting to turn up as late as possible or spending so long in duty-free that you completely miss boarding is not the airline’s responsibility.

And in a tongue-in-cheek clip, Ryanair have been brutally candid about what they genuinely think of passengers like this. The Irish budget carrier shared a clip on Facebook in which they jokingly demonstrated what passengers who miss their flights expect the aircraft to do in order to accommodate them.

The footage showed a man turning up at the airport just as his aircraft departed from the runway. He screamed in frustration and ran out onto the tarmac, at which point the aircraft circled back and used some sort of sci-fi film beam to transport the man onto the plane whilst it was still airborne.

Ryanair commented: “What passengers that miss their flight expect us to do.”

Ryanair’s candid video elicited a wave of amusement from commenters, with many responding with laughing emojis. Some expressed bewilderment at how frequently people lose track of time in airports, especially when they ignore boarding announcements and then become frustrated when the plane departs without them.

One individual commented: “Accurate!” Another chimed in: “I would work for free in this marketing team.”

A third shared: “I watched four people chatting for like two hours in front of me whilst their gate was open and they waited until everyone boarded the flight, and then went to the gate after it was closed and started shouting at the employees. The whole time they were sitting and chatting, 10 steps, literally, from the gate!”

What to do if you miss your flight

If you happen to miss your flight, the first course of action is to contact your airline via telephone as soon as you realise you’re going to be late. This could be due to traffic en-route to the airport, other travel disruptions, or lengthy queues at security once you’re inside the airport.

According to Which?, doing so can increase your chances of being rebooked onto another flight at no extra cost, or if a fee is required, it may be less than the price of purchasing a new flight. Some airlines offer a “rescue fare” or a “rescue fee” for missed flights, but the conditions for this will vary depending on the airline you’re flying with.

You can also face a “no-show fee” from certain airlines if you fail to turn up at the airport at all, so if you’re running behind schedule, you should still attempt to reach the airport, even if you don’t board the plane.

Certain travel insurance policies may also provide cover if you miss your flight, but this will depend on your policy, and many of them don’t provide cover if it’s caused by long queues at the airport.

The most effective way to minimise the risk of missing your flight is to allow plenty of time to travel to the airport and get through security, accounting for any potential delays.

Consumer group Which? warned that there’s a “double whammy” to be aware of with prices rising and products reducing in size.

Which? tracks around 25,000 products across major UK supermarkets to look at how grocery prices are changing, and it said that shoppers could find themselves paying more for less.

Its supermarket food inflation tracker found that while overall food and drink inflation at the supermarket has slowed to 3.9% in the year to February, the cost of chocolate, which it said is driven by ongoing global supply issues, has surged by 9.7% annually.

Simple ways to shop sustainably and save money

Shrinkflation affecting Easter chocolate prices

Which? also found that the experience of products reducing in size but prices being maintained or increased “has become a prevalent trend in the seasonal aisle”.

The inflation tracker also showed that when looking at overall inflation across ranges of groceries, supermarket own-label premium products had the highest rates of inflation at 6.7% – a higher rate than budget own-brand items (4%) or branded items (2.8%).

Which? urges shoppers to look at the unit price to find the most cost-effective deals – for example, the price per 100g or 100ml.

If you’re looking to save money on groceries, Which? regularly finds that discounters Aldi and Lidl can be good options.

Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor, said: “It’s disappointing to see Easter treats aren’t safe from shrinkflation, with some products going up in price significantly, even though they’re smaller than last year.

“Manufacturers are quietly giving shoppers less for more, so it’s no wonder people feel cheated when they get less bang for their buck.

“To ensure you’re getting a fair deal, always check the ‘price per 100g’ on the shelf edge label rather than just the headline price.

“This is the only way to accurately compare different brands and sizes to ensure you are bagging a genuine bargain.”

Why is chocolate more expensive now?

The price of chocolate has been rising sharply due to a severe global cocoa shortage caused by factors such as poor harvests, Which? said.

It said this, combined with high demand, increased energy and transportation costs, and climate-related challenges, has caused retail prices to surge.

Discontinued UK sweets/chocolates

Which? said it had approached supermarkets and manufacturers.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We know Easter is a time many come together which is why we are focused on giving customers brilliant value with trusted quality.”

Recommended reading:

A spokesperson for Mars Wrigley, which owns the Galaxy, M&Ms and Maltesers brands, also told Which?: “We always aim to absorb rising costs wherever possible, however, ongoing pressures, including the well-documented rises in the cost of cocoa, mean we have had to make carefully considered changes to ensure shoppers can continue to enjoy their favourite Easter treats without any compromise on the quality or taste they expect from Mars.

“As with all our products, final pricing remains at the discretion of individual retailers.”

Have you noticed shrinkflation when buying chocolate in your local supermarket? Let us know in our poll above or in the comments below.

At-home cooling tech is increasingly becoming a must-have. The best portable air conditioners can help keep your home cool and your sanity intact. But how do they work? While the best fans simply move air around and air coolers chill it using evaporation, an air conditioner actively lowers the temperature of a room by running air through a refrigerating unit and fanning it back out, expelling unwanted heat through a window.

They’re fairly pricey, costing between £135 and £800 (and have higher running costs than fans and coolers), but a portable AC unit is more convenient than installing a built-in air conditioner.

The running costs of around 25 to 35p per hour will prove good value for money when the temperatures rise, and most have a Class A energy rating. Below you’ll find reviews of the portable units we recommended, but if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at our top five:

The best portable air conditioners: At a glance

How to choose the best portable air conditioner

Portable air conditioners come in a range of different sizes, designed for spaces from bedrooms to large offices. Their cooling power is rated in British Thermal Units (BTUs). A higher number means it’s suitable for a larger space, but can also equate to a bigger, pricier and in some cases less eco-friendly device. Equally, too low a BTU rating for the room size, won’t cool efficiently.

To work out which BTU rate is right for you, find the floor area of your space in square feet or square metres and consult the chart below, provided by Appliances Direct. The height of the room, its insulation and any heat-emitting electrical devices can all make a difference, but this should be a good guide:

Andrew Barlow, variously known as Andrew Longmire and Andrew Davies, lived in Bolton and Oldham at various times in the 1980s when he carried out a string of horrific sex attacks.

Barlow was dubbed “the Coronation Street Rapist” after attacking several of his victims in their own homes, which were often brick built terraced houses reminiscent of the soap opera setting.

The Prison and Probation Service Ombudsman confirmed that Barlow, by then known as Davies, died while a serving prisoner at the age of 69.

A PPO spokesperson said: “Adrian Usher, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, is conducting an independent investigation into the death of Andrew Davies on February 28, 2026.

“He was a prisoner at HMP Moorland”.

Andrew Barlow, pictured here in 2017 (Image: Newsquest)

Barlow’s string of sickening crimes, which ultimately saw him briefly become the most wanted man in the country, were carried out between 1981 and 1988.

He was finally caught after trying to shoot his way out of a confrontation with police officers with a shotgun and in 1988 was handed 12 life sentences.

The serial rapist was given yet another life sentence in 2017 when he pleaded guilty to raping a 15-year-old girl at knifepoint in Great Lever in January 1982.

Andrew Barlow was sentenced again at Bolton Crown Court in 2017 (Image: Phil Taylor)

But despite a total of 13 life sentences Barlow was at the centre of a highly controversial decision to release him under the supervision of the probation services in March 2023.

The move sparked widespread condemnation, including from Blackley and Broughton MP Graham Stringer.

The Ministry of Justice confirmed at the time that Barlow had been ordered to keep to strict conditions as part of his release.

These included being banned from the whole of Greater Manchester and ordered to stay at a specific address.

Barlow was kept under advanced supervision and monitoring and to keep out of an inclusion zone to avoid contact with his victims, while his use of electronic equipment was restricted.

But Barlow’s freedom in 2023 lasted only a matter of weeks after he was recalled to prison after breaching his conditions.

Barlow later tried to appeal against his recall but by the time of his death on February 28 this year was a serving prisoner HMP Moorland in Yorkshire.

A full report on Barlow’s death at HMP Moorland is expected to be published once Mr Usher has finished his investigation.

The murder of Agnes Wanjiru hangs over the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK).

The long-time training post is headquartered in the hometown of the 21-year-old single mother who was dumped in a hotel septic tank after being brutally murdered in 2012.

The man accused of killing her, Robert Purkiss, was stationed in Nanyuki for a training stint with BATUK.

It took two months for the Kenyan authorities to find Agnes’s body and 13 years for an arrest warrant to be issued for the former British soldier charged with her murder.

Her death has had such resounding impact, all these years on, that a Kenyan parliamentary defence committee launched a two-year inquiry into the conduct of the BATUK.

Last October, Agnes’s niece Esther told me that the spirit of her aunt cries out and that it will not rest until justice is served. The picture she described of Agnes’s suspended soul seeking resolution feels more real than imaginary.

A visit from a celebrated Kenyan-born British army chief to his training troops meant I was able to put questions to him on the grievances of Agnes’s family and others, who claim grievous harm at the hands of his troops.

General Sir Roland Walker responded to my request to share a message with Agnes’s family. He was firm and emphatic when he delivered a response.

He said: “This has got to follow all the way through to the full investigation and the legal proceedings, and this has got to be seen in the light of a court and judged in accordance with the laws of this land.

“That’s what has to happen – justice has to be done, and justice has to be seen to be done.

“That is a business for the courts, and the lawyers, and the police, and the investigation.”

Read more:
Niece of Kenyan woman ‘murdered by British soldier’ comes to UK
Agnes Wanjiru’s family welcome extradition proceedings

Rose, Agnes’s older sister who raised her late sibling’s daughter, is hopeful.

After years of Agnes’s murder being buried, Rose’s daughter Esther has managed to break through the stagnation and take meetings with UK Defence Secretary John Healey in Nairobi and London.

Purkiss is in custody in the UK while court hearings over his extradition continue. He vehemently denies murder, according to his lawyers.

Scrutiny on British troops in Kenya

The visit from the army’s operational chief is a huge moment for the British troops training there. The UK-Kenya defence agreement is being scrutinised by Kenya’s parliament and the public.

The two countries entered into a series of defence partnerships only months after Kenya gained independence from Britain.

For people in Nanyuki, the British never left. The market town was first set up as a white frontier settlement in the 1920s after the mass expulsion of Maasai from the Laikipia plateau by British colonial forces.

Kenyan MP Caleb Amisi believes that local communities in areas of British military activity still see them as colonial overlords.

He is on the parliamentary defence committee that investigated claims of BATUK violations and is calling for the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) to become more balanced.

Mr Amisi said: “[Kenyans] believe that UK takes advantage, being the superpower, against the third world countries like Kenya. UK is advanced, militarily, economically, and therefore they’ll be an interdependence of a country like Kenya towards the UK.”

Complaints against British unit

There have been thousands of complaints of violations of conduct by the BATUK from local communities, ranging from murder and rape to environmental damage.

The Lolldaiga Hills were damaged by a fire during a BATUK training exercise in 2021 that destroyed at least 7,000 acres of conservational land. The UK Ministry of Defence accepted responsibility for the fire and reportedly paid out £2.9m to thousands of complainants in compensation.

What does the British Army’s chief of general staff – born in Kenya and raised here until he was eight years old – make of the sentiment that the British military presence is an occupying force and extension of colonialism?

“I don’t recognise it,” Sir Roland told me.

“We are here at the invitation of the Kenyan MOD. We have no right to be here at all. We recognise this is an extraordinary privilege to be able to do what we do in somebody else’s country.”

Some families have faced irreparable loss. In one herding family in Samburu, a son was killed during a BATUK live firing exercise. Another young woman is now severely disabled after she was hit by a BATUK truck that drove off, according to her mother.

General Walker said: “We absolutely recognise that if they have suffered harm as a consequence of anything that we might be responsible for, it is very important, that they have a voice and that voice is heard.”

He added that “we want to facilitate them speaking to the correct authorities, so the right investigations take place, so the right remedies and redresses can follow. So due process is needed”.

For Agnes’s family, the loss is irreversible. Any justice achieved can lay the ground for closure and peace for them, but it will never bring her back.

K-pop supergroup BTS returns Saturday after a four-year break with a massive, free comeback concert in Seoul, where thousands of police are locking down a central boulevard for the Netflix-exclusive spectacle expected to draw tens of thousands of fans.

The performance at Gwanghwamun Square launches a months-long global tour spanning dozens of shows across the US, Europe and Asia.

All seven members of the band – RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook – recently completed South Korea’s mandatory military service, and hope to reclaim their status as one of the world’s biggest pop acts.

The hour-long concert comes a day after the group released its fifth album, “ARIRANG”, which had already logged several million preorder sales since January.

The band’s management company, Hybe, said RM injured his ankle during a rehearsal Thursday but was expected to perform with some limitations.

Officials expect the BTS concert to draw more than 200,000 people to the Gwanghwamun area, including 22,000 fans who secured free seats in the designated viewing zone and others planning to watch on screens nearby. It will be streamed live on Netflix.

BTS debuted in 2013 and has a legion of global supporters who call themselves the “Army”. It became the first K-pop act to top Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 2020 with their first all-English song “Dynamite”.

Jung Dukhyun, a pop culture commentator, said that the impact of the BTS returning as a full-group after years of pause would be tremendous at a time when global fandom for K-pop has grown much stronger, as shown by the success of Netflix’s animated sensation, “KPop Demon Hunters”.

Police and city officials are imposing stringent crowd-control measures, closing nearby streets, roads and museums, halting the area’s subway and bus services, and sealing off dozens of surrounding buildings, in what amounts to a full-day shutdown of the district.

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Cars will be barred from the main road between Gwanghwamun and Seoul City Hall for more than 30 hours through Sunday morning. The government has stepped up anti-terror monitoring, citing global tensions and large crowds of international fans, while police deployed surveillance vehicles and jamming equipment to block unauthorised drones. The restrictions have forced nearby shops to close and deliveries to pause.

“The City of Seoul will do its best to make it ​flexible – to make (the performance) both safe and enjoyable,” said Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon on Thursday as he checked safety measures put in place.

While South Korean officials have taken crowd safety more seriously since a deadly 2022 Halloween surge that killed nearly 160 people, critics say the controls are excessive and undercut the symbolism of performing in Gwanghwamun, seen as Seoul’s spiritual heart and most prominent gathering space.

Hundreds of thousands have gathered in Gwanghwamun in recent years to mourn, protest and celebrate as the country weathered tragedy and political upheaval. The BTS concert comes about a year after waves of demonstrators filled the area, calling for the ouster of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. Those months-long rallies were marked by a festive atmosphere and a striking blend of politics and pop culture, with protesters singing and waving colorful K-pop light sticks, and ended without major safety accidents.

The new BTS album, “ARIRANG”, draws on a centuries-old folk song regarded as an unofficial anthem in both North and South Korea while Gwanghwamun and nearby Gyeongbok Palace form a sweeping historic backdrop to Saturday’s show.

South Korean officials are counting on the event to promote the country’s culture and growing soft power. In a statement Wednesday, President Lee Jae Myung said the BTS performance would provide “a special moment that people around the world will remember for long.”

“While one pillar of the album is defined by BTS’ identity, the other is shaped by the emotions they feel in the present, specifically universal sentiments such as joy, pleasure, and profound love,” Hybe said in response to questions from The Associated Press.

The 14-track record, with lead single “SWIM,” was recorded in Los Angeles as the group reconvened after years apart.

The group’s comeback follows a nearly four-year hiatus driven by South Korea’s mandatory military service, which requires most able-bodied men to serve 18 to 21 months under a conscription system aimed at deterring aggression from North Korea. BTS members began serving in 2022, with Suga the last to complete his service in June 2025.

Despite their years-long break, experts say BTS’s outlook remains strong, backed by its massive fandom and the continuous global rise of K-pop. South Korea’s SK Securities said Wednesday the group’s “ARIRANG” world tour is likely to become the biggest K-pop tour ever by scale and revenue, with 82 shows planned globally in stadiums of around 50,000 seats.

“They had a fairly long hiatus but still have a historically powerful fandom. As they come back, they’ll likely immediately enjoy a warm welcome and intense fever around the world,” said Ha Jae-keun, a cultural critic. “I think they’ll likely have a second heyday.”

Organisers of the concert, which will start at 8pm local time (1100GMT), gave away 22,000 free tickets, but the area is open to non-ticket holders who will be ​able to watch the performance on Netflix via giant screens.It will also be streamed live on the platform to 190 countries.

The junction of Longsight Lane and Hough Fold Way, was flooded with cars driving through several inches of flooding.

Residents across nearby streets, including those in and around Bradshaw Brow and Longsight Lane, reported waking up to no water or extremely low pressure as a result of a burst water pipe.

Residents wake to no water after burst main floods streets in Harwood (Image: NQ)

One resident said: “We had no water when we got up this morning at 6.30am and it was quite a shock. There were quite a few streets nearby without water.”

Another added: “We’ve been without water all morning, it’s just one of them things – there’s nothing you can do about it.”

A Longsight Lane resident described the situation as “a bit of a shambles”, saying ongoing works in the area had already caused disruption.

He said: “They’ve been doing works here for a couple of weeks and now this has happened – it’s going to delay them even longer.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to have a shower at some point today.”

United Utilities confirmed the disruption was caused by a burst pipe and apologised to customers affected.

A spokesman said: “A burst has been reported to us on the junction of Longsight Lane and Hough Fold Way and we can confirm this is the cause of the disruption.”

“If your water looks discoloured, don’t worry – this can happen when natural sediments in the pipes are disturbed. We’ll continue to monitor the situation to make sure your supply returns to normal as quickly as possible.”

Engineers at the scene said the issue appears to be linked to an ageing pipe believed to be around 60 years old.

Workers said they have to dig up this area of concrete to identify the issue (Image: NQ)

One worker said: “We’ve been working on this road for the last two weeks but something underneath further along has caused this.

“It’s an old burst pipe so we’ll need to dig up the concrete to investigate.”

Water tankers were deployed across the area to help restore supply, bringing water in from other parts of the network.

Water on Wheels tank (Image: NQ)

Several “Water on Wheels” units were stationed around Harwood.

The disruption also forced the closure of Canon Slade School due to health and safety concerns.

In a statement, the school said: “We have liaised with United Utilities who have advised there is no estimated timeline for resolving the issue.

“We therefore had to make the difficult decision to close the school for health and safety reasons.”

Parents were asked to confirm arrangements for their children to leave site safely, while pupils eligible for free school meals were offered a grab bag before dismissal.

Surface water remained for several hours (Image: NQ)

Longsight Lane had already been closed due to separate works, adding to disruption in the area.

Flood conditions eased later in the day, after water became under control leaving behind large puddles on the roads.

Repairs are ongoing as engineers work on the scene.

It added: “The trial judge’s decision to raise this issue resulted, for the first time, in a real risk that the claimants, vulnerable victims of terrorism, could face devastating personal liability for legal costs as (a) finding of abuse of process would remove the claimants’ costs protection and require them to pay Mr Adams his full legal costs, a risk that Mr Adams inevitably exploited.

Chuck Norris, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy — sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents — has died at 86.

Norris died Thursday, in what his family described as a “sudden passing.”

“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the family said in a statement posted to social media.

Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts. He was a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate champion. He also founded his own Korean-based American hard style of karate, known sometimes as Chun Kuk Do, and the United Fighting Arts Federation, which has awarded more than 3,300 Chuck Norris System black belts worldwide. Black Belt magazine ultimately credited Norris in its hall of fame with holding a 10th degree black belt, the highest possible honor.

Born Carlos Ray Norris in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940, he grew up poor. At age 12, he moved with his family to Torrance, California, and joined the U.S. Air Force after high school, in 1958. It was during a deployment to Korea that he started training in martial arts, including judo and Tang Soo Do.

After he was honorably discharged in 1962, he worked as a file clerk for Northrop Aircraft and applied to be a police officer, but was put on a waitlist. Meanwhile, he opened a martial arts studio, which expanded to a chain, with students including such stars as Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donny and Marie Osmond, and Steve McQueen, whom he later credited with encouraging him to get into acting.

From one studio to another

Norris made his film debut as an uncredited bodyguard in the 1968 movie “The Wrecking Crew,” which included a fight with Dean Martin. He had also crossed paths with Bruce Lee in martial arts circles. Their friendship — sometimes, as sparring partners — led to an iconic faceoff in the 1972 movie “Return of the Dragon,” in which Lee fights and kills Norris’ character in Rome’s Colosseum.

He went on to act in more than 20 movies, such as “Missing in Action,” “The Delta Force” and “Sidekicks.”

“I wanted to project a certain image on the screen of a hero. I had seen a lot of anti-hero movies in which the lead was neither good nor bad. There was no one to root for,” Norris said in 1982.

In 1993, he took on his most famed role, as a crime-fighting lawman in TV’s “Walker, Texas Ranger.” The show ran for nine seasons, and in 2010, then-Gov. Rick Perry awarded him the title of honorary Texas Ranger. The Texas Senate later named him an honorary Texan.

“It’s not violence for violence’s sake, with no moral structure,” Norris told the AP in 1996, speaking about the show. “You try to portray the proper meaning of what it’s about — fighting injustice with justice, good vs. bad. … It’s entertaining for the whole family.”

Norris also made a surprise comedic appearance as a decisive judge in the final match of the 2004 movie “Dodgeball.” He only on occasion had taken acting roles in recent years, including 2012’s “The Expendables 2” and the 2024 sci-fi action movie “Agent Recon.” He’s due to appear in “Zombie Plane,” an upcoming film starring Vanilla Ice.

President Donald Trump’s supporters later promoted “Trump Facts” in the same vein, and political pundits tried it as well, describing the commander-in-chief’s decision to seize Venezuela’s sitting president, Nicolas Maduro, as a “Chuck Norris Moment,” and its initial effect on oil prices a “Chuck Norris Premium.”

Norris was outspoken about his Christian beliefs and his support for gun rights, and backed political candidates for years — he even went skydiving with Bush for the former president’s 80th birthday. As for Trump, Norris endorsed him in the 2016 general election and wrote guest columns praising him without explicitly endorsing him in the days before the 2020 and 2024 elections.

Norris is survived by five children: stunt performers Mike and Eric with his late ex-wife Dianne Holechek, twins Dakota and Danilee with his wife Gena Norris, and Dina, the result of an early 1960s “one-night stand” revealed in his autobiography.

Norris celebrated his birthday just over a week before his death, posting a sparring video on Instagram.

“I don’t age. I level up,” he wrote.