Khloe Kardashian, Amelia Dimoldenberg and Rochelle Humes are just three celebrities who have their hair styled by Jay Birmingham.

But his first client was 11.5 inches tall and made entirely from plastic. “As a child, I would steal my cousin’s Barbie dolls all the time. I’d take them home and I’d be plaiting the hair and brushing and combing it,” he says.

His passion for hair continued through his teenage years in Sutton Coldfield near Birmingham, where he undertook a Saturday job in a hair salon: “I wasn’t earning any money and I wasn’t even doing anyone’s hair, just washing it. But I loved the hustle and bustle and that’s kind of where it started.”

Although Barbie dolls and salon basins have been traded in for Los Angeles and red carpets, Birmingham remains humble and friendly. When we meet, he embraces me like an old friend and asks how I’ve been.

Hair tools to make your life easier

Although Birmingham grew up using “old school heated rollers, a loud, robust, heavy hairdryer [and a] really small plastic brush”, he is now a brand ambassador for Shark Beauty, and was previously the same for Beauty Works.

So it’s unsurprising that when I ask about his favourite hair tools, he lists the Shark Glam, a multi-styler that dries, straightens, curls and styles and the Shark SilkiPro Straight, an air straightener that can be used on wet and dry hair.

He recommends using hot brushes with “really good bristles on them” for optimum tension and hold, along with some flat clips. “Even if you’re doing a lifted fringe or a flat, sleek look, the flat clips are really good to help hold the style in place.”

Joining an international team of scientists, the university has uncovered the earliest genetic evidence of domestic dogs to date, with new research revealing that our furry friends were trotting alongside us at least 14,000 years ago – at the end of the last Ice Age.

The study analysed ancient DNA from animal remains found at archaeological sites in Gough’s Cave, Somerset and Pınarbaşı in Turkey.

It confirmed that bones recovered from the sites belonged to early domesticated dogs, pushing backing previous evidence by 5,000 years.

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Speaking about this, Lizzie Hodgson, PhD student from the University of York’s Department of Archaeology, said: “A key finding came from Pınarbaşı, where the data showed that domestic dogs consumed a diet rich in fish, closely matching that of local humans.

“It is unlikely dogs were catching significant amounts of fish themselves, suggesting they were being actively fed by people.”

Previous studies had relied on small DNA fragments and skeletal measurements, making it difficult to differentiate between dogs and wolves.

In this latest study, researchers were able to reconstruct entire genomes from remains more than 10,000 years old, comparing them with over 1,000 modern and ancient canids.

The results show that dogs were already widespread across Europe and western Asia at least 14,000 years ago.

Further studies by the University of York conducted an analysis of the diets of humans, wolves and dogs by measuring chemical signatures in bone collagen. Their findings suggest a strong bond between humans and dogs during the Ice Age.

Additional samples from sites in Germany, Italy, and Switzerland show that early dogs were already widespread across Europe, and genetic analysis suggests they were more closely related to modern European and Middle Eastern breeds than to Arctic dogs.

This indicates major dog lineages may have already begun to form around 15,000 years ago.

Researchers also examined how humans may have interacted with early dogs. Evidence of burial sites points to potential emotional or cultural significance, but the exact roles of these dogs remains unclear.

One particularly important discovery – dated around 15,000 years ago – was a dog jawbone, now considered to be from the earliest known domesticated dog in the UK.

Dr Sophy Charlton, from the University of York’s Department of Archaeology, said: “This study reveals the beginnings of a human and canine bond that continues to this day.

“It’s a narrative that began towards the end of the Ice Age but was foundational to many of the modern breeds we see today.”

The brighter weather and longer days have inspired a slew of nail looks to bookmark for your next salon appointment, according to Cosmetify. The beauty expert analysed Pinterest data over the last three months and has tipped certain looks as the ones to watch for spring 2026. Strawberry matcha nails, cat eyes, pastel florals and fruit-inspired nails topped the list, with striped patterns, polka dots, and milky pink almond-shaped nails all making the top ten too.

National Highways says restrictions will be in place on the northbound carriageway close to Exelby Services, near Ingleby Arncliffe, from Monday 13 April for up to four days.

The work, which is due to start at 9.30am each day, is aimed at allowing cabling to be installed safely on a stretch of the trunk road.

Between 9.30am and 3.30pm, a 50mph limit will apply on the A19 northbound from a point around 1.3km south of Exelby Services to a point 100 metres south of the site, a distance of about 1.2km.

A lower 40mph limit will then operate from 100 metres south of the services to 250 metres north, covering a further 450 metres of carriageway.

Signs will be in place to show where the reduced limits begin and end, and the measures will not apply to emergency services, military vehicles, winter maintenance vehicles, or traffic officers on duty.

• For more notices affecting YOUR area, visit our Public Notice Portal – Public Notices from The Northern Echo ( publicnoticeportal.uk ).

The legal order comes into force on April 12 and can remain in place for up to 18 months, although the work itself is only expected to last for the four scheduled days.

Anyone wanting more information is advised to contact National Highways, quoting the scheme near Exelby Services on the A19.

Enquiries can be made through the company’s customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000 or by emailing info@nationalhighways.co.uk .

Sheridan Smith will star in ITV’s new six-episode thriller Two Birds, which is set in Australia

Viewers have expressed their excitement after ITV unveiled an “exhilarating mystery thriller” featuring Sheridan Smith.

Filmed on location in Australia, the six-part series Two Birds follows British Police Constable Izzie Cornwell (Sheridan), who relocates to the small fictional town of Dugdale following her recent bereavement, seeking a fresh beginning, reports the Mirror.

Her aim is to reconnect with her sister and restore her relationship with her 20-year-old daughter, who has been troubled by her mother’s recent destructive behaviour. However, she finds herself “tangled in murder, secrets, and a dangerous family”.

Gavin and Stacey star Sheridan said she was “thrilled to be playing the irresistibly complex Izzie Cornwell”. She described it as “a dream role for me, as Izzie, through no fault of her own, becomes embroiled in a web of secrets and lies”.

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Viewers were also delighted by ITV’s announcement, flooding social media with messages declaring they were “so excited”. “Sounds amazing,” remarked one person, while another praised the “legendary” cast.

“Best news ever!” one Instagram user wrote, with another forecasting: “This should be great.”

“Fab news,” a further fan commented. “Look forward to watching Sheridan,” another person said.

“I am so excited for this,” one viewer shared, while another observed: “This looks like this will be good. Sheridan Smith is a fantastic actress, whatever she does is amazing. Stephen Peacocke is a great actor too so I can’t wait to watch.”

ITV has released a summary for the series, which reveals that upon relocating to the isolated mining town, Izzie is tasked with probing a murder case alongside her new superior Matt (Stephen Peacocke).

Things ramp up when it’s discovered that the victim is connected to a notorious local crime family headed by the formidable Mrs Baxter (Judy Davis).

“Determined to protect her family and uncover the truth, Mrs Baxter exerts fierce pressure on the case,” it goes on.

“But the night before Izzie joins the case, one reckless last hurrah goes disastrously wrong and a split-second decision results in consequences Izzie can’t undo, forcing her into a secret she must do everything to contain.”

Two Birds will air on ITV and STV and will stream on ITVX and STV Player.

Seattle could regain an NBA team after the league’s board of governors voted to explore adding two expansion franchises, with Las Vegas the other potential location.

The Seattle Supersonics competed in the NBA from 1967 to 2008 before being relocated to Oklahoma City and renamed the Thunder after the franchise was bought by an Oklahoma-based group in 2006.

If the expansion is approved, it would increase the number of NBA teams from 30 to 32.

Las Vegas has not previously had an NBA team, but has two teams in the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

NHL side the Vegas Golden Knights were founded in the Nevada city as an expansion franchise in 2017, while the NFL’s Raiders moved there from Oakland in 2020.

MLB team the Athletics, previously based in Oakland and currently playing in Sacramento, will move to Las Vegas from the 2028 season.

Seattle hosts teams in three of the four major leagues – reigning NFL Super Bowl champions the Seahawks, MLB’s the Mariners and the NHL’s Kraken.

Six other Derry men are on trial on charges including rioting and throwing petrol bombs

Three men accused of the murder of Lyra McKee have been linked to the scene by clothing and physical features, a court has heard.

The 29-year-old died after being hit by a bullet as she stood close to police vehicles while observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry on April 18 2019. The New IRA claimed responsibility for the death.

Three men from Derry – Peter Cavanagh, 37, of Mary Street, Jordan Gareth Devine, 25, of Bishop Street, and Paul McIntyre, 58, of Kells Walk – have been charged with her murder.

They are also facing other charges connected to the shooting and the rioting.

Six other Derry men are on trial on charges including rioting and throwing petrol bombs.

They are: Joseph Patrick Barr, 37, of Sandringham Drive, Jude Forest Coffey, 28, of Gartan Square, Joseph Anthony Campbell, 25, of Gosheden Cottages, Patrick Anthony Gallagher, 33, of John Field Place, Christopher Joseph Gillen, 45, of Balbane Pass, and Kieran George McCool, 57, of Ballymagowan Gardens.

Another man accused of rioting and throwing petrol bombs on the night of the murder died during trial proceedings last year.

The trial opened in May 2024. In February, Judge Patricia Smyth rejected a defence application that there was no case to answer.

Proceedings resumed at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday morning when defendants filled the dock as the prosecution summed up their case against them.

Ms McKee’s sister Nichola was among those in the public gallery watching on.

Prosecuting barrister David McDowell KC said forensic image analyst Andrew Wooller identified 19 individuals by height, build, clothing and trainers who appeared to be involved in the disorder.

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He said Cavanagh, Devine and McIntyre, as well as Campbell and Gillen, can be linked to the scene on April 18 by an analysis of imagery gathered, which includes footage filmed by an MTV crew on the day of the shooting.

Mr McDowell also contended that those involved in rioting in the area on April 16 and 18 “displayed forensic awareness” by burning clothing.

He noted a number of missing items of clothing associated with defendants that were not discovered during searches, nor have been produced since, suggesting, he added, that they had been “deliberately disposed of”.

He described this as an “important strand in this case”.

The trial continues.

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

Ahmed Ali Alid, 47, is accused of the attempted murder of Roderic Vassie in an incident at HMP Full Sutton on August 8 last year.

Westminster Magistrates Court heard Alid, a Moroccan national, is accused of having a knife and using it to “slice” the top of Mr Vassie’s head before attempting to stab him five times.

Alid is also accused of inflicting actual bodily harm on prison guard Sarah Mitchell on October 21 last year, after he had been moved to HMP Wakefield.

Alid, who was charged following a Counter Terrorism Policing North East investigation, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to face the charges for the first time.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram sent the case to the Old Bailey for a hearing on April 17.

Alid, from Hartlepool, did not indicate any pleas to the charges of attempted murder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon in a prison.

“The defendant was a serving prisoner at HMP Full Sutton,” set out prosecutor Sally-Anne Russell.

“The first incident is that, on August 8, he attacked the imam in the prison using a sharp weapon.”

She said it is alleged Alid “sliced the top of his head with the weapon and then attempted to stab him a further five times to the head and neck area”.

Ms Russell said the alleged attack on Ms Mitchell happened when she opened his cell door at HMP Wakefield.

Alid appeared for the court hearing on a videolink from HMP Wakefield and he remains in custody.

If you could pick anyone to take on Race Across The World with, who would it be?

Bearing in mind you’ll barely leave each other’s side for two months, share a bed, share trauma, be filmed almost 24/7 and be pushed to breaking point almost every single day.

Your in-law is probably at the very bottom of that list, but for Margo and Mark, there was no one else – even though they were, by their own admission, ‘effectively strangers’.

But they’d made a promise to Mark’s late wife and Margo’s sister Julia: after she died, they would somehow find a way to close the distance between them and even become friends.

What better way to fulfil that promise than racing 12,000 miles with no phone or credit card, from Palermo, Sicily, to Hatgal, a remote village in northern Mongolia?

‘We tolerated each other’

‘It was my idea to apply,’ Margo tells Metro. ‘I want to run away from domesticity and go on an adventure. I saw Race Across The World, and it just came into my mind, “Ask Mark.”

‘It’s the maddest thing because we’re just not someone you choose to go on a holiday with, let alone this kind of thing, but I just had this feeling it was the right thing to do. I asked him, and he said yes because Julia wanted us to be friends.’

Mark says: ‘It was her last dying wish… but also I wanted to experience the excitement of Race Across The World.’

Before Julia fell ill, Mark and Margo endured 37 years without understanding each other. Julia was the glue that brought them together, and without her, they would come undone.

‘We tolerated each other,’ Margo concedes. ‘I thought he was boring and judging me.’

Mark agrees: ‘I thought you were loud.’

‘I am loud, but also I’m a bit like water off a duck’s back – you can judge me, it’s not my concern. There was very much that dynamic between us. Then we did come together [when Julia got sick], and we were both doing our jobs very well, like me bringing all the good times to Julia, and Mark the medicines, making sure she kept to the appointments. We were a great tag team, but we both had very defined roles, and on the race, it’s different.’

The discomfort they have in each other’s company very quickly becomes apparent. On the first night, Margo tucks into bed and looks over to see Mark mummified in what he calls his ‘modesty cocoon’ – an unnecessarily protective sleeping bag to ensure the distance is well maintained all through the night.

Laughing, Margo explains: ‘We didn’t really know each other, we had preconceived ideas, the first few days there was a modesty cocoon and then it just became really comfortable.’

There are few – if any – shows where you’ll get more excitement than Race Across The World, and this course looks like the most ambitious one to date. The first episode opens with a shot of the final lap: a treacherous desert of snow for the remaining teams to wade through, with the £20,000 cash prize in sight.

Not giving too much away about the adventure that will unfold over the course of eight episodes this spring, Margo insists: ‘We’re older but not old, but wait until you see – no spoilers – but there is plenty of action with the older guys.’

The perfect alibi

But for Margo, getting to the starting line was an almighty task in itself, let alone even thinking about the finish.

‘I’m a carer for my mum, she’s 95, I’ve got a family, and I’ve got my job – to actually put things in place, that was my preparation. I couldn’t really think too much about the race, we were even having things done to our house so that people could stay with her while I was away, because I’m there every day.

‘When you’re a carer, you want to have a break, and carers deserve a break, but it’s emotional and practical, so it was a massive challenge in itself to get me to the start line, but a lot of people, family and friends, came and supported me. It literally took a whole village to get me to the start line.’

But Margo’s mother proved useful when it came to her cover story. Every player has to somehow slip away from their day-to-day life, have zero contact with family or friends for the entire time, and provide a plausible explanation.

‘I told my mum I was working away, and because she’s very creative, she made up this story that I was teaching hypnotherapy in Bournemouth! If I told her the truth, she would have forgotten she couldn’t tell anybody. She’s got some cognitive decline, so she made it the story, and she was very convincing.’

Mark was fortunate his son had unknowingly provided the perfect alibi. ‘He was going to Japan to study for a year, and it just coincided with three days before we left, so it was very convenient.’

Margo and Mark are one of five teams pushing themselves to limits they didn’t know existed, competing against best friends Jo and Kush, siblings Katie and Harrison, cousins Puja and Roshni, and father and daughter Molly and Andrew.

Race Across The World returns Thursday, April 2 at 9pm on BBC One.

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If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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To decide on the best protein powder for you, it helps to ask: what are protein powders for? Protein is a nutrient needed all over the body to help build, repair and maintain tissue. It is made up of chains of amino acids, nine of which are termed “essential” since your body can’t make them itself.

For a healthy body, the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) is 0.75g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day. If you don’t typically eat many animal-based sources, protein powders can help you hit that target.

We tested 20 of the top protein powders on the market, including whey and vegan protein powders. You can read our full reviews below, as well as answers to frequently asked questions such as which is the healthiest, the best for weight loss and the best for building muscle. If you’re looking for something to take before exercise, read our guide to the best pre-workout supplements.

The best protein powders: At a glance

How to choose the best protein powder

Whey concentrate is the most common form and often the cheapest, according to Rachel Butcher, head of nutrition at Third Space. “It typically has low fat and cholesterol content but the protein levels can vary from 40 to 90 per cent depending on the brand,” she says. “If your goal is to build muscle, a whey concentrate with a higher protein content is probably the best to go for.”

Whey isolate is more refined and therefore more expensive. “Whey isolate is refined in a process that will remove the fat and the lactose from the compound,” says Butcher. “That makes it one of the leanest options, meaning it usually comprises of upwards of 90 per cent protein content.”

Whey hydrolysate is whey protein that’s been put through hydrolysis. “That is, the addition of water to allow for the protein to be broken down into its smaller building blocks,” Butcher explains. “This means it can be absorbed by the body much faster and at higher rates.” Needless to say, it’s on the costlier end of the scale.

Vegan protein powders are the fourth option. Pea, hemp, tofu and soy are popular sources of plant protein but there are plenty of other types like rice protein. “What’s key here isn’t just looking at the protein content, but the quality,” says Butcher. “You can tell that by looking at its essential amino acids – it’s ‘complete’ if it contains all nine. To achieve this, you’ll want a blend of at least two protein sources.”

How we test protein powders