Portia Shallcross reflects on the importance of seeking help for carers, how social security has helped her family and the barriers she has encountered.

New research has revealed that stigma around social security can be holding people back from receiving the support they are entitled to – with four in ten saying applying would make them feel less positive about themselves.

North Lanarkshire-based mum Portia Shallcross reflects on the importance of seeking help for carers, how social security has helped her family and the barriers she has encountered.

When Wishaw-based Portia gave up her job as an NHS nurse to care for her son Ethan, she wasn’t prepared for how much life would change – or the stigma she would face.

“Early on, I had concerns about Ethan’s development,” Portia said. “It was one of the hardest things ever to try to explain to the professionals that I needed help.”

After months of appointments and assessments, Ethan was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Now 15, he is non-verbal and communicates with his own version of sign language. He attends school during the week with Portia caring for him full-time.

Portia said: “He’s an amazing child, he’s so clever. He knows his stuff.

“The caring role never actually stops. The only time it stops is when Ethan is sleeping – and even when he’s sleeping, that’s where you start to worry in the middle of the night and start to think what the future is going to look like for him.

“I think any parent who has a child who’s disabled anticipates problems before they happen and just gets on with things. We make it look so easy, but it’s exhausting.”

Social security support has been vital for the family. Ethan receives Child Disability Payment while Portia receives Carer Support Payment.

READ MORE: Police find two suitcases stuffed with cannabis during raid of Wishaw mum’s home

Receiving social security support, however, wasn’t something Portia initially felt comfortable with due to the stigma attached.

As an immigrant too – Portia moved to the UK from Zimbabwe more than 28 years ago – she says she faces dual stigma from her own cultural background and the wider public.

“There is a shame that comes with claiming benefits,” Portia said.

“From my culture, where I grew up, you don’t ask for help – you just get on with things. Culturally, as an immigrant in this country, asking for benefits felt to me like I was asking for a handout. I would rather go to work than ask for money.

“For me, there was the loss of identity that comes with it, feeling like I’ve become the person who’s on ‘benefit street,’ like some people say. Work was my escape but now I wake up, clean the house and I’m just waiting for a phone call from Ethan’s school to say, ‘Come and pick him up.’ You lose a lot of friends as well because people don’t understand Ethan and the support he needs.”

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The extra money received through social security support makes a difference for the mother and son, providing peace of mind and helping to pay for the things that Ethan enjoys.

Portia also receives support in her local community from Lanarkshire Carers, a charity supporting unpaid carers across North and South Lanarkshire.

Stigma can stop people finding out about the social security support available to them, and from applying. Latest research also found that three quarters (75%) of people believed those who receive social security support are portrayed negatively by politicians and/or the media.

Meanwhile, almost four in ten (39%) agree people who receive social security are judged negatively by their family and friends.

Portia says that seeking help is vital – for carers and the people they care for – and encourages carers to find out more about the support available.

READ MORE: NHS Lanarkshire will light up its hospitals yellow for World Kidney Day

She added: “I always support other carers and ask them to go early and speak to people for help.

“Some people are going to judge you, whether that’s for getting social security support or something else – but asking for help early on is better than asking for help when it’s too late.”

To find out more about social security support visit socialsecurity.gov.scot or call 0800 182 2222.

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Dear Dicky,

My husband took up running last year, which I fully supported at first. Fresh air, fitness, a healthy hobby – what could go wrong? Quite a lot, it turns out.

It has gone from something he does to something he is. Every conversation leads back to kilometres, trainers, or his latest personal best.

Meals are planned around runs, weekends are ruled by races, and holidays are judged by their “good routes”.

He sets alarms at dawn, leaves sweaty kit everywhere, and seems personally offended if I am not impressed by a screenshot of his route (he also shares it to Facebook, which I find MORTIFYING).

I am pleased he feels healthier, but I miss my husband – the one who could sit still, have a lie-in, and talk about something other than his knees.

I do not want to crush his enthusiasm, but I am finding the obsession tiring and, if I am honest, irritating.

How do I support his hobby without letting it take over our lives?

Yours, Alexis.

Dicky says:

Congratulations! Your husband has joined a very old club; people who discover running and briefly forget there is a world beyond their trainers.

The good news is that this phase usually settles. The less good news is that it rarely settles on its own.

You are allowed to say, kindly and clearly, that while you support his hobby, you do not want to live inside it. That is not being unsupportive; it is being married.

Pick a calm moment and explain what you miss: spending time together, relaxing mornings, chats that do not involve nipple chaffing.

Be specific. Ask for boundaries. Perhaps run-free meals, one weekend morning protected for the two of you, and a strict rule about sweaty kit (that’s just really selfish on this part).

At the same time, let him have his thing. Enthusiasm is not a flaw, even when it is noisy.

You can try a bit of gentle teasing to point out when he’s really taken it too far. Perhaps an “Oh yes, I’m sure your university friends are thrilled to see you ran 10km this morning”.

The main thing is, don’t end up creating a bad atmosphere and killing what he loves. At the end of the day, there are worse obsessions to have.

Marriage, like running, works best with pacing. At the moment, he is sprinting, and you are stuck on the sidelines. Time for a gentle jog back together.

A facial reconstruction of a man whose body was found in a reservoir has been released by police more than a year after he was discovered.

The unidentified man, who was wearing a wetsuit, is believed to have been in the water for up to 12 weeks before he was found at Claerwen Reservoir, Powys, in October 2024.

Dyfed-Powys Police have released the facial reconstruction, created by Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University, in the hopes someone will recognise him.

Detective Inspector Anthea Ponting said: ‘In the absence of any personal belongings other than the wetsuit he was wearing, no identification documents or vehicles nearby, we began by working with neighbouring police forces to conduct checks for missing or wanted people who had not been traced.

‘When this was unsuccessful, we extended our inquiries to contact all UK forces, ran searches through the Police National Database, and issued bulletins to police overseas through Interpol.’

Police have also searched DNA, fingerprint and dental records, in addition to massive media appeals, to no avail.

DI Ponting added: ‘Each time we have reached out to the public, we’ve been provided with some lines of inquiry to follow up on, but unfortunately, none have proven to be the key to finding out who this person is.’

There were no other items of clothing, jewellery or modes of transport in the area when the man was found, and he had no distinguishing marks such as scars or tattoos.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the man was aged between 30 and 60, around 6ft tall, weighing 202-220lb, and of white European descent.

DI Ponting added: ‘I urge anyone who thinks they might recognise him to come forward.

‘This is someone’s family member – someone’s loved one – and I would like nothing more than to return him to his loved ones who might be missing him.’

Anyone who visited Claerwen Reservoir between July and October 18 2024, and saw anything that might help inquiries, or is aware of someone who has not been seen for some time and matches the description, should contact the police.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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The cancer centre has been accused of over-spending on senior managers at the expense of frontline workers

Staff at a Welsh cancer hospital have accused bosses of overseeing a toxic culture. The Velindre cancer centre, in northern Cardiff, recently commissioned an independent report into allegations of bullying and harassment but has come under fire for not showing staff the full findings.

Whistleblowers also claim the centre made a costly and unpopular decision to prioritise senior managers over frontline staff in a recent restructure. They allege a manager in Band 9 (the highest-paid category, with an annual salary of at least £112,782) and seven managers in Band 8 were hired to replace the previous structure of two Band 8 managers. Meanwhile, the hospital allegedly failed to replace some nurses and frontline workers who had left.

Velindre University NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, says the year-long restructure process “enhanced” services ahead of the transition to its new £885m cancer centre, which is due to open in 2027 in Whitchurch.

The change in personnel was “achieved at a net cost of £345,000”, according to the trust, which forecasts it will meet its statutory duty to break even in 2025/2026.

After an anonymous group of staff made a serious complaint about the hospital’s culture, the trust commissioned an independent report but chose not to provide employees with a copy after its completion.

Instead they held a meeting in which staff were taken through a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation detailing vague themes of “learnings” taken from the report. We understand these included bullying, harassment, and staff feeling scared to speak up.

One employee told us: “‘Lessons learnt’ were discussed. However, as staff we have no confidence in this feedback or that any action to improve the toxic culture will be implemented. The report remains a secret and will not be shared.”

The trust acknowledged some staff had felt “let down” by the restructure process and had made complaints about “bullying, harassment, and communications”. It accepted there were “a range of lessons learned” but added that the report did not find “formal action” was needed.

Whistleblowers recently wrote to Welsh NHS bosses – as well as health secretary Jeremy Miles and the leaders of Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives – about “incidents of bullying and the pervasive atmosphere of fear that many of our colleagues across all departments are experiencing” at Velindre.

The letter claims staff have been instructed not to “comment on matters outside their direct responsibility” , leading some to feel “speaking up safely is not possible”.

“The atmosphere of fear that has permeated the workplace is deeply troubling,” it goes on. “Many employees have expressed a reluctance to speak up about their concerns, fearing retaliation or negative repercussions.

“Staff wish to communicate a vote of no confidence in the executive but are being actively silenced. We are unable to identify ourselves but given the opportunity through an independent person we will speak out and identify ourselves with the evidence if it is safe to do so.”

Plaid Cymru health spokesman Mabon ap Gwynfor MS told WalesOnline the party is “incredibly concerned by these allegations of serious governance failings” and has raised the matter with the Welsh Government.

He added that the health system must have more “transparency and accountability” to reassure staff and patients that allegations of “corporate abuse” in the NHS are being dealt with.

The trust said its cancer service has “a track record of delivering safe, high-quality care” and that there was no evidence of patient safety being compromised by cultural issues.

“We have robust systems in place for patients, clinicians, nurses, allied health professionals, scientists, and any staff groups to raise any safety issues,” it added. “We actively encourage everyone to raise any concerns.

“There has been no frontline recruitment freeze, and both nursing and medical staffing levels have increased steadily since 2020. In the past 12 months up to January 31, 2026, the turnover rate for Band 5, 6 and 7 [nurses] at Velindre cancer service is 2.75%, which compares very favourably with NHS averages.

“We wish to make it clear that any bullying or harassment is unacceptable. We encourage staff to speak up safely and are committed to addressing all formal concerns seriously.

“We will continue to strengthen our speaking‑up culture, and our staff survey results continue to see us perform well against NHS Wales benchmarks… But we recognise and want to do much more to support our staff.

“Finally, we have no evidence of any collective vote of no confidence in the executive team or operational directors.”

The Welsh Government said it had “discussed the matters raised” with the chair of the trust’s board and that it expects all NHS staff to be “treated with dignity and respect at work, and able to speak up safely”.

The Welsh Conservatives did not respond to our approach for comment despite their leader Darren Millar being among the recipients of the whistleblowers’ letter.

If you would like to let us know about a story we should be investigating, email us at conor.gogarty@walesonline.co.uk

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of its late supreme leader, the Islamic Republic’s next ruler on Monday, putting a hard-line cleric in charge as the war spreading across the Middle East sent oil prices skyrocketing with Iran launching new attacks on regional energy infrastructure.

With Iran’s theocracy under assault by the United States and Israel for more than a week, the country’s Assembly of Experts chose the secretive, 56-year-old cleric with close ties to the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as the new supreme leader. The Guard has been firing missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf Arab states since the younger Khamenei’s father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed Feb. 28 during the war’s opening salvo.

Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz has also all but stopped tankers from using the shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman through which a fifth of the world’s oil is carried. Brent crude oil, the international standard, surged to more than $114 a barrel on Monday, some 60% higher than when Israel and the United States first attacked Iran.

As global concerns grew over economic effect, U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed the spike in prices as temporary.

“Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace,” Trump wrote on social media.

Iran has been firing on Israel and American bases in the region since the start of the war, but has also been launching missiles and drones at energy and water infrastructure.

On Monday, a fire broke out at an oil facility that was attacked in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted several drones attacking the Shaybah oil field.

Israel, meantime, said it was launching new airstrikes on central Iran.

New Iranian leader seen as even more hard-line than his father

The younger Khamenei, who had not been seen or heard from publicly since the war started, had long been considered a potential successor. That was even before the Israeli strike killed his father, and despite never being elected or appointed to a government position.

There appeared to be some dissension over his selection. Political figures within Iran criticized the idea of handing over the supreme leader’s title based on heredity and thereby creating a clerical version of the rule of the shah, who was toppled during the 1979 Islamic Revolution. But top clerics in the Assembly of Experts likely wanted Khamenei to prosecute the war.

Khamenei, who is believed to hold views that are even more hard-line than his late father, now will be in charge of Iran’s armed forces and any decision regarding Tehran’s nuclear program.

While the country’s key nuclear sites are in tatters after the United States bombed them during the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June, there’s still highly enriched uranium in Iran that’s a technical step away from weapons-grade levels. Khamenei could choose to do what his father never did — build a nuclear bomb.

Israel has already described him as a potential target, while Trump had called him “unacceptable.”

“We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump had said.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard issued a statement expressing support, as did the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Top Iranian security official Ali Larijani, speaking to Iranian state television, praised the Assembly of Experts for “courageously” convening even as airstrikes continued in Tehran. He said the younger Khamenei had been trained by his father and “can handle this situation.”

Regional anger grows as attacks continue on energy infrastructure and oil prices spike

Saudi Arabia lashed out at Iran following a thwarted drone attack on its massive Shaybah oil field, saying Tehran would be the “biggest loser” if it continues to attack Arab states.

The Foreign Ministry said Iranian attacks mean “further escalation which will have grave impact on the relations, currently and in the future.”

In addition to targeting energy facilities also in the UAE, Iran on Monday also attacked Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, where it hit a residential area wounding 32 people, including several children, according to authorities.

Bahrain has also accused Iran of damaging one of its desalination plants, though its electricity and water authority said supplies remained online. Desalination plants supply water to millions of residents in the region and thousands of stranded travelers, raising new fears of catastrophic risks in parched desert nations.

On Monday, Bahrain’s state oil company declared force majeure for its oil shipments, state-run Bahrain News Agency reported, a legal maneuver that releases a company of its contractual obligations because of extraordinary circumstances. It insisted that local demand could still be met.

In Iraq, air defenses show down a drone as it attacked a U.S. military compound inside the Baghdad International Airport, a security source told the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

There were no reported injuries or damage and it was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, but Pro-Iranian Iraqi militias have previously targeted the base.

Elsewhere, the U.S. military had said a service member died of injuries from an Iranian attack on troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1. Seven U.S. soldiers have now been killed.

The U.S. State Department early Monday ordered nonessential personnel and families of all staff to leave Saudi Arabia following the escalation in attacks.

Eight other U.S. diplomatic missions have ordered all but key staff to leave: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the consulate in Karachi, Pakistan.

The war has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, at least 397 in Lebanon and at least 11 in Israel, according to officials. Israel reported its first soldier deaths Sunday, saying two were killed in southern Lebanon, where its military is fighting Hezbollah.

___

Rising reported from Bangkok and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press journalists Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut, Lebanon, Aamer Madhani in Doral, Florida, and Qassem Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed reporting.

REGARDING the reports of vandalism with the slashing of car tyres overnight in Clarence Street, York, between the hours of 8pm and 9am on February 23.

I walk past the mud verge (it used to be grass ‘but that’s another story’) every morning as I collect my papers, around 7am, and damage to cars are a regular thing, on this particular piece of land.

At least once or twice a week I’ve noticed similar problems.

A month or so ago I noticed a small silver car with all four tyres “deflated”.

Obviously there is a “Jack or Jackie the tyre ripper” on the loose in Clarence Street and perhaps Sherlock Holmes should get involved to chase down the perpetrators.

D M Deamer,

Penleys Grove Street,

Monkgate,

York

Read more:

York – multiple car tyres slashed in Clarence Street

Here is a better idea for our Home Secretary…

THE Home Secretary has announced a new gimmick to throw to us during an otherwise busy time for news; pay failed asylum seekers £10,000 to go home.

I’ve got an even better idea – fine them £10,000 plus all costs for their stay while they were here and then instantly deport them to whichever country they came from.

They can find cash to pay the smuggling gangs in France so they can afford the exit fee as well.

Dr Scott Marmion,

Woodthorpe,

York

—

UK defence gaps exposed by war in Middle East

ONE thing of great importance has been exposed by the war in the Middle East.

Our defences are patently lacking in any substance, we are bare to the bone, a navy moored in harbour awaiting repair, an army ill-prepared, an air force the same.

We are further embarrassed on the international stage by having a leader who is content to sit on the fence instead of making any sensible, positive decisions.

Peter Rickaby,

Moat Way,

Brayton

What do you think?

Feel strongly about an issue? Write us a letter. Please write no more than 250 words and you must provide your full name, address and mobile number. Send your views by email to: letters@thepress.co.uk

Ditch cash and go card-only? How would we manage?

THE mind boggles, Mr Deamer, as to how we can possibly manage without cash as everything stops as it is when we have an odd power cut.

Mary Morton,

Hob Moor Drive,

Holgate,

York

—

Here is every road closure you need to know about in and around the town this week (March 9-13):

BLACKWELL

Blackwell will see a major road closure due to ongoing utility repair and maintenance works.

The restrictions are expected to remain in place from January 5 until April 15. This closure affects the road from the junction with Bridge Road to the junction with Carmel Road South.

The work involves the replacement of existing pipes and connections.

CLIFTON ROAD

Clifton Road will undergo highway repair and maintenance, leading to a road closure starting March 11 until March 18.

The restrictions will affect the major carriageway, specifically where a double road hump will be removed and renewed. 

SKINNERGATE

Skinnergate is currently experiencing a road closure due to emergency highway repair works.

This closure began on March 3 and is scheduled to remain in place until March 23.

The work is critical due to an unsafe building, and both the footway and carriageway will be affected.

ABBEY ROAD

Abbey Road is also facing a significant road closure as highway improvement works continue.

The closure started on February 23 and is set to last until April 17.

This work spans from the junction of Carmel Road North to just past Neville Road, focusing on the installation of speed tables and improvements to the footway.

SHEARWATER AVENUE

Shearwater Avenue will see a temporary road closure from March 9 to March 11 for miscellaneous works.

The nature of these works has not been detailed, but the carriageway will be closed for the duration.

YARM ROAD (A66 ROUNDABOUT TO SADBERGE ROAD ROUNDABOUT)

A section of Yarm Road, between the A66 roundabout and the Sadberge Road roundabout, will undergo road closure beginning March 2 and concluding on March 15.

This closure is part of scheduled works accommodating necessary improvements to the carriageway.

DODDS STREET AND BRANKSOME TERRACE BACK STREET

Dodds Street and Branksome Terrace will be closed due to urgent utility repair works.

This closure started on March 3 and is expected to continue until March 9.

The repairs involve locating and fixing a leak in the main water line, ensuring safety and service reliability for residents.

SALISBURY TERRACE AND BARNINGHAM STREET BACK STREET

Roadworks will also affect Salisbury Terrace and Barningham Street from March 10 to March 13.

This expected closure is due to utility repairs requested by a customer.

The work aims to excavate and renew existing service connections, leading to temporary disruptions on the carriageway.

ARCHDEACON CRESCENT

Archdeacon Crescent will face a major road closure as utility asset works are anticipated to continue from February 10 until March 19.

The work involves digging in the footway and carriageway to install new underground electric cables.

THOMPSON STREET WEST

Thompson Street West is also closed as utility asset works are in progress. The restrictions began on January 21 and are set to last until March 26.

This prominent closure affects work related to underground electric cable installations.

KILLIN ROAD

Killin Road will close temporarily on March 9 for unspecified works but will revert to normal on the same day.

MYRTLE GARDENS

Myrtle Gardens is currently closed due to utility repair works that commenced on January 27 and will continue until March 13.

The work includes the replacement of pipes, affecting both the footway and carriageway, causing significant disruptions near the junction with Mayfair Road.

HARROWGATE VILLAGE

Harrowgate Village remains closed due to ongoing highway improvement works stretching from March 31, 2025, to March 27.

The closure includes major adjustments to the carriageway, footway, and verge from Dewberry Lane to Village Hall.

BEAUMONT HILL

Beaumont Hill is undergoing similar works with a road closure in effect from March 31, 2025, until March 27.

Improvements will affect the road from Dewberry Lane to number 25 Beaumont Hill, as part of development projects.

BURTREE LANE

Burtree Lane is undergoing road closure from March 2 to March 9 for various maintenance works. Drivers are urged to avoid the area if possible.

LIME LANE

Finally, Lime Lane is experiencing a road closure starting March 2 and is expected to be closed until March 13.

This closure aims to facilitate carriageway patching.

Residents and drivers are encouraged to plan their journeys accordingly and use alternate routes where possible during these essential maintenance works.

She chats on the newest episode of the Postcards from Northern Ireland podcast

Comedian and actress Diona Doherty has spoken about her ‘proud Derry roots’ in the newest episodes of Discover Northern Ireland’s new podcast.

Postcards from Northern Ireland, presented by broadcaster Ralph McLean, hears local famous faces reminisce on how our giant spirit, people and place have shaped their happiest travel memories and instilled a passion for local adventure.

Diona relives her nostalgic holiday memories and reveals the local experiences she can’t wait to rediscover with her young family.

READ MORE: Local famous faces send their ‘Postcards from Northern Ireland’ in new podcastREAD MORE: Shane Todd one of first guests on new BBC quiz show ‘Do You Know Your Place?’

During the podcast, she looks back on her childhood holidays across Northern Ireland and reveals the places she cherishes visiting now.

Diona reflects on her first trips out of her hometown, exploring the beauty of the Causeway Coast.

She said: “I was on the train out of Derry two or three times as a child. It was like getting the Polar Express. That train along the north coast… it’s stunning.

“I remember looking and thinking is this where we live? It’s such a magical train journey. You pass Mussenden Temple and it’s so gorgeous.”

Diona also paints a colourful picture of “the most magical time” spent picking apples in an orchard in Co Armagh, wandering among the trees with her husband, fellow comedian Sean Hegarty, and her step-sons.

She added: “We had a beautiful afternoon picking apples and watching how they make the cider. There was a woman making pancakes with apple spread and they were making apple crumble. It was like something out of a Hallmark movie. It was just the most wholesome day.”

Newcastle, Co Down is also revealed as the couple’s happy place, with Diona choosing the comfort of a hotel over Sean’s love of camping in the Mourne Mountains.

Diona continued: “We always imagine ourselves retiring down there. I love looking onto water, staying in the Slieve Donard… even going to the amusements. That will transport you back to your childhood.”

Proud of her roots, Diona loves going home and insists that she needs to take her children to explore the historic Walled City.

She said: “When I go back, I feel like I’m on a wee holiday, I can reclaim my teenage years. I have never actually taken my kids to the Derry Walls. It’s on my bucket list of where I need to take them.”

Derry Halloween has become a standout attraction for more than 100,000 people every year and Diona admits she has grown to value the spectacle more with adulthood.

She said: “As a professional working there, I was so proud of what this city has created for Halloween. There are hundreds of thousands of people who come from all over the world to this wee place.

“I didn’t realise that as a child, when I was hanging around the Derry Walls dressed as ET! If you go to Derry over that week to celebrate Halloween, you will not get bored.”

Returning time and time again, Diona also reveals how she is a big fan of the Ulster American Folk Park in Co Tyrone.

She said: “I absolutely love the Ulster American Folk Park. We went there as kids, and I have taken my kids about three or four times. You are just transported to a different world.”

The podcast invites audiences to “fall in love all over again with our favourite local destinations” but also explore new places that may be off the beaten track.

Episode three of ‘Postcards from Northern Ireland’ it out now on Discover Northern Ireland’s YouTube and Spotify, where you can also catch episodes featuring Colin Davidson and Nathan Anthony.

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

Louis Theroux has spoken to key male influencers on social media in the Manosphere for new Netflix project

As a concerned father-of-three, Louis Theroux has admitted he doesn’t know what his own kids are looking at online half the time. So this might explain why he has got involved with male content creators online, with millions of followers, who are part of what is dubbed “The Manosphere” for his new documentary.

Louis says: “These aren’t figures on the margins – anyone who’s got kids, and especially boys, will know that they are making inroads into the culture. Their influence is being felt in schools, in the workplace and all across the internet.

“Going back to the earliest days of my programmes I’ve always been interested in the taboo and people who believe things which run against the grain of values I’ve grown up with. Those in the manosphere embody a swaggering machismo that is by turns misogynistic, homophobic, antisemitic and racist. So there’s a whole bunch of red flags there which I find interesting.”

TV host Louis, 55, starts the Netflix documentary by saying he noticed a few years ago “parts of the internet were being taken over” by a collection of male influencers who claim to give young men “cheat codes to win at life”.

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Asked about his own sons and what they are watching, Louis replies honestly: “I think as a parent you hope that your influence will outweigh whatever they’re being fed online, but truthfully they probably spend more hours looking at their phones than they do talking to us and we don’t always know what they’re looking at.”

In his 90-minute film, Louis explores how key figures, including Harrison Sullivan (known online as HSTikkyTokky), Myron Gaines, Nicolas Kenn De Balinthazy (AKA Sneako), Justin Waller and Ed Matthews, are helping to reshape young men’s ideas about masculinity and fuelling a resurgent global men’s rights movement.

Louis immerses himself in their world, encountering prominent figures within the movement, each presenting their own interpretations of traditional gender roles and values.

Sullivan, 24, was handed a one-year suspended prison sentence at Staines Magistrates’ Court in November last year after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance.

He has also been disqualified from driving for two years. Asked what his message is, he tells Louis: “I coach boys how to be f**king boys, how to make money, how to be outside the system, how to not have a boss telling you want to do.

“I teach guys to be proper boys and not gimps that walk around in the modern world.”

These men online have similar ideas to those of influencer Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist.

A 2025 YouGov poll suggested one in eight Gen Z men (aged 14-29) had a “favourable view” of Andrew Tate, one of the leading figures of the manosphere, while more than one in three believed misandry – hatred or discrimination against men – was widespread in the UK.

Sounding worried about their impact, Louis said: “It was my kids who first made me aware of Andrew Tate – it would have been around 2022 and they kept referencing him and what he was saying – I had no idea who he was. Four years later, he’s still got cultural influence because he has millions of hours of content sitting out there for people to discover.

“As a parent I’m obviously concerned about the impact that that has, and it would be easy to say; ‘oh well, they don’t take it too seriously’, which a lot of the time I think they don’t, but at a certain point, a joke is no longer a joke – especially when it’s unchallenged and repeated. So we try to stay on top of what they’re watching and try to have conversations with them about it, but it’s hard.”

Louis encounters difficulties in the film which see the male influencers film him for their own social media and subject him to abuse and questions they receive from their followers whilst streaming footage live. It leads to Louis being abused about his previous documentary with the late Jimmy Savile.

He also witnesses homophobic behaviour by HSTikkyTokky whilst Myron Gaines speaks in front of his girlfriend about wanting multiple wives in the future.

Sullivan says he would “disown” his own daughter if he had one and she joined Only Fans, despite claiming to own an agency that represents girls on there. He also says he could not have a son who was gay.

There is also much discussion in the documentary on the notion of ‘red-pilling’ which Louis explains can mean “that men and women are fundamentally different and that women don’t want what they say they want – all they actually care about is big, rich guys with big dicks.”

Asked why he thinks the manosphere is attractive to many teenagers, Louis said: “I think there’s a lot of lonely men out there, and there’s now a whole industry dedicated to them. There are millions of hours of podcasts that talk about the masculinity crisis – how we’ve seen a decline in manufacturing jobs in the west and how there’s been efforts to correct the patriarchal skew in society that has in turn triggered a backlash.”

Louis also defended his decision to make the documentary in the first place, which could be seen as amplifying potentially harmful ideologies and helping the men to get even more followers thanks to them being shown on Netflix.

For him it is a case of trying to understand and challenge the ideas which are being pushed to youngsters.

He said: “My view is always I’m not trying to embarrass them or trick them in any way. I am trying to tell the truth and I will confront them appropriately. I’m not trying to pick a fight. I’m just trying to understand them, get my questions answered and then challenge and push back on the parts that don’t make sense to me or strike me as dangerous. At the end of the day I’m trying to make TV that engages people – so a few fireworks don’t go amiss and some raised voices or a sense of menace is actually quite helpful.”

In the concluding moment of the documentary, after spending weeks with these male influencers, Louis concludes: “In a world that’s changing at dizzying speed with narrowing opportunities, where the old entitlements of manhood have been challenged. It is perhaps not surprising that some have sought the comfort of a simplified world of game hacks and conspiracy theories. It struck me that the matrix they rail against more accurately describes the algorithmic prison they’ve created for their followers, an illusion of endless wealth and power that actually only enriches a few at the top.

“We are in a world where the fringe is no longer fringe. Where we are all increasingly, inside the manosphere, and it’s up to us how we get out.”

* Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere is available on Netflix from March 11.

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