Whitby Steampunk Weekend XX is set to take over Whitby Pavilion in West Cliff from July 24–26, promising a “splendid affair” filled with retro-futuristic fashion, Victorian-inspired curiosities, and creative storytelling.

Begun in 2017, the free, family-friendly event is considered by many to be one of the largest free Steampunk gatherings in the UK, regularly attracting thousands of visitors in February and July.

Members of The Press Camera Club often attend Whitby Steampunk Weekend and capture the atmosphere (Image: Garry Hornby)

Whitby Steampunk Weekend’s photographic allure lies in its costumed crowds of brass and brocade set against Whitby’s gothic architecture and dramatic North Sea light, turning the town into a living Victorian‑futurist film set.

Members of The Press Camera Club are often seen at the event, along with national press agencies, to capture the atmosphere and colour.

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Event organiser WSW said guests are encouraged to don their “fabulous attire” and immerse themselves in a weekend of talks, entertainment, and shopping.

Host Andy Dolan said: “Don’t wait for all the gorgeous pictures to appear on your Facebook social media newsfeed and then wish you’d attended…make the effort and a day to remember, we look forward to welcoming you.”

WSW Events said grace, style and panache is the order of the day at Whitby Steampunk Weekend XX (Image: Dave Dennis)

Organisers promise a packed programme, including presentations, workshops, live entertainment, and a bustling retail emporium featuring around 70 traders.

The emporium will be open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, July 25, and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday, July 26, with all daytime activities free to enter.

Talks include Whitby Ghosts and Legends, Vikings and Vampires, and a look at how Victorian society shaped modern funeral customs.

Other sessions will explore Viking mythology and its influence on Bram Stoker, as well as a presentation by Whitby Museum curators on their “curious, weird and wonderful” artefacts.

Members of The Press Camera Club often attend Whitby Steampunk Weekend and capture the atmosphere – like this from February’s XIX event (Image: Garry Hornby)

Elizabeth Cheyne, an expert on Lewis Carroll, will also make an appearance, promising a “rather special” announcement for Whitby in 2027.

Author Toby Virgo will present two new talks––one exploring a fateful night in 1895 between Oscar Wilde and Sir Henry Irving, and another examining the dramatic fallout between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini.

Musical performances across the weekend will include beat poetry act The Antipoet and outdoor entertainment from East Yorkshire’s Ravens Morris, who perform steampunk morris dancing.

Whitby Tillermen Friends, a traditional sea shanty group, will also perform.

Evening events kick off on Saturday, July 25, with a general knowledge quiz at Rusty Shears.

Entry to the quiz is free, with teams of four invited to compete for £10 per team.

All proceeds will go to Whitby and Scarborough Dog Rescue.

Later that evening, Whitby Pavilion Theatre will host The Duran Duran Experience and Ant Trouble, a tribute to Adam and The Ants.

Organisers said: “Grace, style and panache is the order of the day at the wonderful, whimsical world of Whitby Steampunk Weekend, where the past is always in the future.

“Family friendly, free entry and an absolute feast for the senses.”

More information can be found at the WSW events Facebook page.

Local homeowners are still paying over three times more than the rest of the UK despite falling prices

New figures have revealed that homeowners in Northern Ireland are paying over three times more for insurance than the rest of the UK on average, according to new data.

While average premiums have fallen year-on-year across the UK, NI households still face dramatically higher costs than any other region, with residents in one council area now forking out an average of over £800 annually. Even the cheapest NI district has significantly higher premiums than every region in Great Britain.

Northern Ireland recorded the smallest drop in the UK, down 5% year-on-year from £504 to £479, according to research from CompareNI.com. In comparison, premiums across Great Britain fell by an average of 9%, with Londoners enjoying the biggest decrease at 11%.

Despite the overall decline, there are still major disparities in home insurance costs at a local level, with the gulf between the cheapest and most expensive NI districts widening to over £400.

Newry, Mourne and Down remains by far the most expensive area, with average prices rising by 6.5% from £769 to £819. Antrim and Newtownabbey was the only other district to see a rise, up by 3.5% to £456.

At the other end of the scale, Ards and North Down continues to have the lowest average premiums, with costs falling 5.3% to £411.

The biggest year-on-year reductions were seen in Fermanagh and Omagh (-11%), Mid and East Antrim (-8.5%) and Causeway Coast and Glens (-7.4%).

Average home insurance premiums across NI districts in Q2 2025 vs Q2 2026

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Northern Ireland’s higher home insurance prices compared to GB are mainly due to a combination of risk and market issues. Building repairs in the region tend to be more expensive due to inflation, labour shortages and material costs, and there are fewer providers here, making costs less competitive than in England, Scotland and Wales.

The region has also been hit by several extreme weather events in recent years, most notably the severe flooding that hit the South East in autumn 2023, inundating hundreds of properties and causing damage worth upwards of £40 million.

Homeowners in Newry, Mourne and Down continue to be severely impacted by this event, with premiums in the district rocketing by 235% over the past three years.

The scale of the incident prompted a government review, which found the flooding was due to “unprecedented” rainfall and warned that “with climate change, the frequency of such events will double”.

As insurers factor long-term risk into their pricing, this partly explains why premiums in Newry, Mourne and Down remain high and continue to climb, almost three years after the flood waters have subsided.

Ian Wilson, home insurance expert and Managing Director at CompareNI.com, said: “While it is positive to see home insurance prices dropping across the UK, Northern Ireland is unfortunately not keeping pace with other regions and homeowners here are missing out on big savings.

“While Londoners saw premiums fall by 11%, prices in Northern Ireland dropped by just 5% on average, the smallest reduction anywhere in the UK. Average premiums here are now more than three times higher than across the water, adding extra strain to household budgets that are already being stretched by rising living costs.

“The latest figures also highlight just how much postcodes can influence insurance costs – with the gap between the highest and lowest-priced areas in Northern Ireland continuing to grow over the past year.

“The steady rise in costs in Newry, Mourne and Down shows the lasting impact that extreme weather events can have on insurance prices, with providers factoring increased flood risk into their calculations for years afterwards.

“While location isn’t something that homeowners can easily change, there are still some simple steps they can take to help bring insurance costs down, such as paying annually if possible, reviewing their level of cover and always shopping around.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

A British humanitarian worker is being monitored in isolation at a London hospital after being exposed to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo

A suspected Ebola case is being monitored at a London hospital after a person was “exposed” to the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo, raising concerns the deadly virus could have reached British shores.

The UK Health Security Agency confirmed that a British humanitarian worker came into contact with Ebola while carrying out aid work in the African nation on behalf of a humanitarian organisation.

As a precautionary measure, the male patient was airlifted from the country aboard a specially chartered flight. He is currently being “monitored and assessed” by specialist medical staff at a London hospital, and is not displaying any symptoms at this stage.

The agency stated: “The individual is not currently displaying any symptoms and remains well, but as a precautionary measure they have been evacuated on a flight chartered solely for the evacuation.

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“They are now being assessed and monitored in isolation by infectious disease specialists at a London hospital. The incubation period of Ebola ranges from two to 21 days and the individual will be closely monitored and required to isolate throughout this period.”, reports the Daily Star.

Authorities have stressed there are no confirmed cases of Ebola on British soil and that the risk to the wider public remains low. Richard Pebody, director of epidemic and emerging infections at the UKHSA, said: “This individual has been transferred out of an abundance of caution, and we’re pleased they remain well.”

Britain’s most recent Ebola case occurred in 2015 when three healthcare workers contracted the virus after returning from Africa.

Those infected must self-isolate for between two and 21 days, which covers the disease’s incubation window.

The current Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has persisted for several weeks, with authorities warning it’s advancing “substantially faster” than previous epidemics. According to the nation’s health ministry, 930 fatalities have been recorded following 2,344 reported cases as of last Saturday.

Beyond DR Congo’s borders, 20 confirmed cases have resulted in two deaths – one occurring in Uganda and another in France. On Monday, the Democratic Republic’s Ministry of Health reported progress: “Patient care and support capacities are consolidating, with 22 new recoveries recorded in 24 hours.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has cautioned that dangers from this uncommon Ebola variant remain “very high”, with transmission linked to multiple contributing factors.

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While Uganda appears to have contained the deadly Bundibugyo strain, the fatal virus continues spreading throughout neighbouring DR Congo, where widespread turmoil persists due to clashes between government forces and insurgent factions.

WHO states: “The risk in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains assessed as very high due to ongoing transmission and the continued expansion of the outbreak into new health zones, increasing the potential for further national and regional spread.”

Numerous factors are fuelling the ongoing transmission of the Bundibugyo strain, but WHO officials have identified the regional conflict as the primary driver behind the crisis.

The health organisation reports that populations are being compelled to repeatedly relocate to escape violence, while disruptions to food and clean water availability have all played a role in accelerating transmission.

A WHO report stated: “The outbreak continues in a complex humanitarian and conflict-affected environment, characterized by highly mobile and often displaced populations, many of whom have limited access to basic services, including food, clean water, shelter, health care and protection.”

“Our message is simple, seek a second opinion, keep the glass out, and do not go backwards, because it will be a costly mistake.”

A Northern Ireland recycling campaigner has blasted a “bungled” council bin decision, saying it’ll “cost ratepayers’ millions”.

Keep Recycling Local (KRL) is now calling on Lisburn and Castlereagh City to rethink its “backwards” decision to include glass with paper.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service can now reveal, through a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, that the council has no timeframe to roll out its new bins and a Stormont department confirms the local authority has not applied for funding on new kerbside collection models.

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KRL’s Nicola Carruthers spoke to the LDRS, saying: “There are serious financial as well as environmental implications when glass is collected with other materials.

“For over 25 years, Lisburn and Castlereagh have been collecting glass the right way, separate to other materials, so this announcement is a major step backwards for the council.

“Daera is soon to announce its waste and recycling policies, and its widely believed they will be advocating a ‘glass out’ model which Lisburn and Castlereagh currently has.

“It is a fact, recognised across the world and throughout the waste sector by industry experts and governments, that when glass is collected with paper and card it breaks leaving shards of glass lodged with other materials.

“For Northern Ireland, this means the glass cannot be used or recycled locally and must be shipped overseas for processing all at the ratepayers’ expense.”

In May, the council made a U-turn decision on its new kerbside collections.

The long-awaited new bin policy will also see ‘kerbie’ boxes come to an end in Castlereagh and be replaced by wheelie bins to harmonise the whole district. However, the local authority will keep the public shut out of its decision-making, with council minutes stating the “full business case will never become available” and only “redacted reports” will be provided.

Ms Carruthers added: “When collected properly, glass has a perfect closed-loop recycling life-cycle as it can be recycled infinitely.

“Up until now, keeping glass separate across the council area has enabled 2,200 tonnes a year of high-quality glass to be reprocessed directly back into glass bottles in Northern Ireland. Any report that advocates the mixing of materials needs to be properly assessed, and councillors should get a second opinion from industry experts before committing millions of pounds of ratepayers’ money so foolishly.

“Moreover, Daera is offering to cover up to 50% of council’s costs for keeping the glass out so council ratepayers will have to foot the entire bill for moving to glass in only to then have to pay for the glass to be removed again in the near future, only without support from Daera at this stage.

“This bungled decision could well cost local ratepayers millions unnecessarily.

“We would encourage the council to rethink its approach and consider keeping the glass separate, as is happening across the UK and like the various systems already operating successfully in other council areas elsewhere in Northern Ireland, including Ards and North Down, Belfast, and Antrim and Newtownabbey.

“Our message is simple: seek a second opinion, keep the glass out, and do not go backwards, because it will be a costly mistake.”

Recent local authority waste statistics show recycling rates have plateaued at around 50%, highlighting the need for change to meet statutory targets of 70% recycling by 2030.

A Daera report on a 2024 consultation ‘Rethinking Our Resources’ on new recycling guidance for all 11 councils has been on the desk of the Executive for many months, awaiting sign-off.

It is understood that Daera will advocate for greater separation at the household collection stage.

A Daera spokesperson said: “Since the 2013 an amendment removed a previous provision which treated commingled collection as an acceptable form of separation,

“Whilst Daera has responsibility for the development of waste management legislation and policy, local councils have statutory responsibility for the collection and disposal of municipal waste and a duty to comply with relevant legislation.

“Daera has made up to £23 million available to councils through the Household Waste Recycling Collaborative Change Programme (HWRCCP) to support the transformation of kerbside recycling systems and Household Recycling Centre infrastructure and services.

“Under the programme, councils may be eligible for capital grant funding of up to 50% of total project costs.

“Applications can be submitted in line with programme calls, and all proposals are assessed against established criteria, including the expected quality of recyclate streams.

“Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council has not applied to the HWRCCP for funding to implement a kerbside co-mingled collection system.”

In a FoI to the LDRS, the council has refused to provide any costs associated with the recycling decision-making or the roll-out of the new bins, citing “commercial sensitivities”.

However, it has alluded to the potential for its new kerbside collection to adapt to future demands, but has no date in place to deliver bins to local homes.

The council FoI reads: “The council believes there will be both positive environmental and financial impacts as a result of the new waste collection model.

“The new model has been developed to improve recycling rates, provide a harmonised and resilient kerbside waste collection service, and ensure the council is prepared to adapt in future. The council has considered a range of collection systems and has selected the model that meets the needs of its residents and is flexible to meet future demands if required.

“There are no current delivery dates for bins and vehicles associated with this project.”

It adds: “The council engaged an independent consultancy company to carry out modelling on a variety of kerbside waste collection models for its consideration. The new kerbside waste collection model will be delivered in-house, ensuring a consistent, resilient and adaptive service to all households.

“The council also completed appropriate consultation and assessment processes, including equality screening and a rural needs impact assessment, to help inform decision-making.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Andrew Tate, 39, was charged with seven further counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and 19 additional charges for offences relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.

Lara Trump, 43, recently set the internet ablaze after she showed off her jacked arms and ripped abs – and now, she’s revealed the secret behind her toned figure.

Lara divulged her diet and exercise routine during a July 21 appearance on The Riley Gaines show.

Host Gaines revealed that one of the most-asked questions she got ahead of her interview with the mom-of-two was about how she has achieved her enviable physique.

‘I do a little bit of everything,’ Lara professed, as she shared that she was ‘so happy’ that more and more people were becoming interested in health and fitness.

She praised the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement for inspiring the new attentiveness towards wellness, and the push away from using pharmaceuticals to feel good.

‘My entire life, I’ve always worked out, I’ve always prioritized that for myself, even if it’s 45 minutes or 30 minutes,’ Lara explained.

‘Sometimes [that] is all I get, sometimes very early in the morning, I try to take it.’

She shared that not only has working out been physically good for her, but also mentally. 

‘My entire life, I’ve always worked out, I’ve always prioritized that for myself, even if it’s 45 minutes or 30 minutes,’ Lara explained 

‘I’m also into Pilates whenever my schedule allows, but I try to do a little bit of everything, and I think that keeping your body guessing is always the key,’ she said.

‘I do a little bit of everything. I train for triathlons, I try to stay kind of ready in case something comes along, so I do a lot of biking,’ Lara revealed to former University of Kentucky swimmer Gaines.

‘I do less running than I used to, but I love to go for a run if I can. I try to get weightlifting in, I love CrossFit.’

Lara urged viewers to switch up their workout routines so that they don’t get too used to one particular kind of exercise.

Most days, she said she wakes up at 5am to workout, but she admitted that there have been times where she’s had to squeeze in a gym session at 3:45am, before getting on a flight.

‘My goal is to get it in first thing in the morning, and then I don’t have to think about it the rest of the day,’ Lara said.

The Fox News talk show host also divulged more about her daily diet, telling Gaines that sometimes it can be hard to stick to eating healthy due to all the travel that she does for work.

‘You have a very hard time when you’re traveling and on the road to maintain some quality of eating, but I really try to prioritize protein,’ Lara said.

Her interview with Gaines comes just weeks after fans were left so stunned by her bulging biceps after she shared a snap showing them off on Instagram 

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During the interview, she even touched on some of her favorite wellness habits, sharing that she and her husband, Eric Trump, are big fans of going in the sauna and cold plunging. They’re seen in January 2025 

‘I’m not traditionally a breakfast person, but I kind of force myself in the morning to eat egg whites, eggs, something like that, with high protein.’

‘Sometimes it’s a protein shake, because I feel like that, at least, starts me off right,’ she added.

The wellness fanatic stressed how much protein can fill you up.

‘It’s great for your body, the more protein you have and the more muscle you build, the more calories you burn just existing,’ she said.

‘I want to urge everybody out there, get the protein in, lift some weights, because that’s what’s really going to change your body.’ 

During the interview, she even touched on some of her favorite wellness habits, sharing that she and her husband, Eric Trump, are big fans of going in the sauna and cold plunging.

She said that she enjoys the mental aspect of the cold plunge the most.

‘If I can force myself to stay in cold water despite my body screaming at me to get out, I could probably force myself to do a lot of uncomfortable things,’ Lara said.

‘People don’t realize that the benefit of these things goes far beyond the physical.’

Most days, she said she wakes up at 5am to workout, but she admitted that there have been times where she’s had to squeeze it in a gym session at 3:45am, before getting on a flight 

The Fox News talk show host (seen in March) also divulged more about her daily diet, telling Gaines that sometimes it can be hard to stick to eat healthy due to all the travel that she does for work 

Her interview with Gaines comes just weeks after fans were left so stunned by her bulging biceps after she shared a snap showing them off on Instagram.

Back in June, she posted a photo on Instagram modeling her clothing line, Lara Trump Collection, which left her toned arms and ripped abdominals in full view.

Her followers were so impressed by her arms that some even wondered if it was AI-generated.

‘Are those guns legal in America?’ one user joked, while another simply wrote: ‘Insane muscles.’

Someone else typed: ‘Is your body real or AI generated?’

Lara launched her fitness apparel brand, Lara Trump Collection, in November 2024.

Inspiration for the brand, she said, came from a desire to show that women ‘could do anything the guys could do.’ 

MOSCOW (AP) — Boris Nadezhdin, who criticized Moscow’s military action in Ukraine and tried to challenge President Vladimir Putin in the 2024 election, was convicted Friday of displaying “extremist symbols” — an action that will keep him out of this year’s parliamentary race.

The verdict underlined the determination by authorities to stamp out any remaining sign of dissent ahead of September’s vote as the fuel crisis caused by Ukrainian strikes on oil facilities across Russia threatened to erode public support for the Kremlin.

The charges against Nadezhdin, 63, were based on a 2023 online video in which he briefly showed a picture of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who at that time was serving a 19-year prison sentence on charges of extremism that were widely seen as politically motivated. Navalny later died in an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16, 2024.

Nadezhdin rejected the case against him as absurd and argued authorities were trying to keep him from campaigning in September’s parliamentary vote. The court in Dolgoprudny, a town on Moscow’s northern outskirts where he lives, convicted him and ordered him to pay a fine of 1,000 rubles (about $13).

The Kremlin’s main United Russia party is seeking to preserve its dominance in the lower house of parliament in a race against so-called “systemic” opposition, including the Communist Party and a couple of other parties that vote in sync with the Kremlin on key issues. The campaign comes amid signs of growing public fatigue as fuel shortages and economic pain from the Ukraine conflict increase, an environment that reduces the tolerance by the authorities for even token opposition.

Nadezhdin’s run for parliament triggers a quick response

In January 2024, Nadezhdin collected thousands of signatures in his run for president as he openly called for a halt to the fighting in Ukraine. But he was kept off the March 2024 ballot after Russia’s Supreme Court ruled that more than 9,000 signatures submitted by his campaign were invalid — enough to disqualify him. Putin faced only token opposition in the election and easily won a fifth term.

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A veteran politician, Nadezhdin worked in the government in the 1990s when he was an adviser to Sergei Kiriyenko, now a top Putin aide. He also served as a lawmaker and more recently became a member of a municipal council, one of the few remaining liberal voices on Russia’s political scene.

Last month, Nadezhdin declared his bid to run for the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, but the Justice Ministry quickly branded him a “foreign agent” — a designation that carries strong pejorative connotations and brings additional government scrutiny. It also bars him from holding public office, but he was still able to wage his symbolic campaign for a parliament seat until Friday’s verdict.

Another blow came Monday, when police detained Nadezhdin for a few hours before making the charges that were punishable by a fine or a 15-day jail term. He said he was considering going abroad but was barred from leaving Russia.

He told the court that he was too sick to serve any prison time, saying he “will just die” behind bars. “The real goal of what’s going on here is to shut my mouth and prevent me from running for the State Duma,” he said.

After the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, authorities ramped up their crackdown on dissent and free speech, relentlessly targeting rights organizations, independent media, members of civil society organizations, LGBTQ+ activists and some religious groups. Hundreds of people have been jailed and thousands of others have fled the country.

Another Putin critic is arrested

Also on Friday, Ilya Remeslo, a pro-Kremlin activist and blogger who has become a Putin critic, was arrested in St. Petersburg on charges of spreading false information about the Russian military — an accusation widely used against those who oppose the government’s policies.

Remeslo was escorted to Moscow, where a court ordered him to remain in jail for two months pending an official investigation, according to his lawyer, Sergei Badamshin.

The charges against Remeslo were based on his criticism of the military action in Ukraine and calls for Putin’s resignation that he made in March. Soon after, he was placed in a psychiatric clinic and spent a month there in what he cast as a punishment for his remarks.

A racing heart can be frightening at any age. Palpitations are common during perimenopause and may occur alongside hot flushes, anxiety and disturbed sleep. In many cases, they do not indicate a serious heart problem, but they should not automatically be attributed to hormonal changes.

Palpitations can occur for many reasons, including stress, anaemia, thyroid disorders, abnormal heart rhythms and long COVID. A racing or irregular heartbeat can also accompany a heart attack or another serious condition, including Takotsubo syndrome, also known as “broken heart syndrome”.

New, persistent or worsening palpitations should be assessed by a healthcare professional. Palpitations that do not go away or occur with chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling faint or fainting require urgent medical help.

Perimenopause and cardiovascular health

Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause, when ovarian hormone levels fluctuate and periods become less predictable. Menopause is reached after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period.

Oestrogen influences several aspects of cardiovascular health, including blood-vessel function, cholesterol and the body’s response to stress hormones. During the menopause transition, some women develop higher blood pressure, less favourable cholesterol levels and more fat around the abdomen. Insulin resistance may also increase, making the body less effective at controlling blood sugar. These metabolic changes may contribute to longer-term cardiovascular risk.

Age, genetics, existing health conditions and lifestyle also influence heart health, so these changes cannot all be attributed to hormones. Even so, research suggests that some cardiovascular risk factors can begin to worsen during perimenopause. The American Heart Association identifies the menopause transition as an important opportunity to check blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar and address risks early.

Broken heart syndrome

Takotsubo syndrome causes a sudden, usually temporary change in the way part of the heart muscle contracts. It most often affects the left ventricle, the heart’s main pumping chamber.

The condition was first described in Japan in 1990. It was named after a traditional Japanese octopus trap because, during an episode, the left ventricle can temporarily balloon into a shape resembling the trap.

Takotsubo syndrome may be triggered by intense emotional stress, such as bereavement or shocking news. It can also follow physical stress, including severe illness, surgery or injury, although some people develop the condition without an obvious trigger.

Its precise cause remains uncertain. A sudden surge of stress hormones, including adrenaline, appears to play a central role. These hormones may temporarily affect heart-muscle cells, small blood vessels and the nervous signals controlling the heart. Researchers have examined several possible biological mechanisms, while experimental studies have shown how very high adrenaline levels can produce the characteristic pattern of heart dysfunction.

Takotsubo is rare and predominantly affects postmenopausal women, but it can also occur before menopause. Around 90% of diagnosed patients are women, and studies report an average age at diagnosis of between 67 and 70.

Palpitations can be one of its symptoms, particularly when they occur alongside chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness or fainting. Because these symptoms can also indicate a heart attack, they should not be dismissed as an expected part of perimenopause.

The predominance of Takotsubo among older women has led researchers to investigate whether lower oestrogen levels make the heart more vulnerable to stress hormones. Oestrogen may influence blood-vessel function and the cardiovascular response to stress, but a direct causal link between falling oestrogen and Takotsubo has not been established.

Takotsubo is estimated to account for around 1–3% of people presenting with suspected acute coronary syndrome, a group of emergencies that includes heart attacks. The proportion rises to approximately 5–6% among female patients presenting with suspected acute coronary syndrome. These figures apply to patients already being assessed for a possible cardiac emergency, rather than to perimenopausal or postmenopausal women generally.

Why it can look like a heart attack

One of the greatest challenges in diagnosing broken heart syndrome is that its symptoms closely resemble those of a heart attack. Both can cause sudden chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, dizziness, palpitations and extreme fatigue. The symptoms can be severe and life-threatening, making immediate medical evaluation essential.

A heart attack usually occurs when blood flow through a coronary artery is interrupted, often because the artery has become blocked. This can permanently damage the heart muscle if treatment is delayed.

In Takotsubo syndrome, the pattern of heart-muscle dysfunction is usually not explained by a blockage in a single coronary artery. However, coronary artery disease can occur alongside Takotsubo, so doctors cannot diagnose the condition simply by finding that the arteries are unobstructed.

Doctors may use an ECG, blood tests and an echocardiogram, an ultrasound scan showing how the heart is pumping. A coronary angiogram can identify narrowed or blocked arteries. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, provides detailed images of the heart muscle and can help distinguish Takotsubo from other conditions, including inflammation of the heart muscle.

Because Takotsubo and a heart attack can look almost identical at first, suspected cases are initially managed as a possible heart attack.

Heart function often improves within days or weeks, and many patients recover well. However, the acute episode can cause heart failure, blood clots, stroke, shock or cardiac arrest. Research suggests that some patients experience persistent symptoms or less complete long-term recovery than was previously recognised.

When to seek medical help

In the UK, call 999 for sudden chest pain or discomfort that does not go away, feels tight or squeezing, spreads to the arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or occurs with sweating, nausea, light-headedness or breathlessness.

Call 999 for severe difficulty breathing or if someone collapses and does not respond normally. Do not drive yourself to hospital.

Palpitations are common during perimenopause and often have causes other than a serious heart problem. However, new, persistent or worsening episodes should be assessed by a healthcare professional.

Call 999 if palpitations do not go away or occur with chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling faint or fainting. A heart attack and Takotsubo syndrome cannot be distinguished from symptoms alone.

A contestant on The Finish Line shared a health and safety rule after their experience on the show.

A competitor on BBC quiz programme The Finish Line has revealed the behind-the-scenes reality of appearing on the show, including a health and safety rule.

The game show made its debut in 2023, with Roman Kemp and Sarah Greene serving as co-hosts.

A contestant from an episode filmed in March 2025 took to Reddit to reveal rules and behind-the-scenes show secrets.

The Finish Life features five participants battling through four rounds, with one final player remaining at the end to compete for a £5,000 prize.

Competitors cross the finish line to stay in contention while tackling rapid-fire questions and facing off in categories such as Pictures and Missing Letters, all while standing on moving podiums that travel along racetrack lanes, reports the Mirror.

Opening up about their experience on the show, a former contestant shared: “All presenters/crew on TFL were absolutely amazing and so lovely.”

When one person remarked that standing on the podium “looks so goofy and fun”, he responded: “It does feel very goofy – you can gesture and a lot do in celebration as they reach the Finish Line and progress to the next round. I was too ‘locked in’ and focused on the questions to think about gesturing.

“I recall a guy from the series I was on who was pretty far behind from the others and was flapping his arms about like an idiot whilst riding, as if to say ‘ref, what’s going on?’ Thankfully, he was eliminated fairly early on.”

Opening up about his experience, he went on: “I was up against a seasoned quiz viewer, a trainee solicitor, a pub quiz host and writer and a Chase champion… I was never gonna win. Lovely bunch, though and a load of fun!”

He added in another answer: “I unfortunately did not win – out in the first round, the pressure just got to me! I forgot the name of a right angle.”

Revealing what the studio was like and a health and safety rule, he also shared: “All coloured lights, glassy surfaces etc. There are fairly wide gaps in between each podium that you can’t see on this reason – for health and safety reasons, all contestants had to wear flats, no heels!”

The programme, which is presently broadcasting on weekdays with repeat episodes, was initially announced in 2023, with production taking place in Belfast.

The Finish Line is now set to return, with applications currently open for the new series.

The BBC teased: “Ready to win big? Can you quiz fast and not come last? Prove it!

“Beat the track and take home £5000! Join Roman Kemp and Sarah Greene on the exciting new series of The Finish Line!

“Think you could win the ultimate Quiz Race? Don’t miss your chance!”

The Finish Line is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.