Wales have stuck their head above the parapet and become the first nation to explicitly stand against Gianni Infantino’s re-election as FIFA president.

Infantino’s future is under intense scrutiny after his plans to sell a £3.1billion stake in the World Cup to private investors were revealed by The Times. 

Those plans have since been opposed by UEFA, the North, Central America and Caribbean confederation (CONCACAF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), leading Infantino to abandon them.

But as of July, Infantino had reportedly been endorsed by almost all of FIFA’s 211 member associations for re-election. Candidates must be put forward by November 18 and the vote will take place at FIFA’s congress in March. 

‘The Football Association of Wales hereby confirms its withdrawal of support for the candidature of Mr. Gianni Infantino, for re-election as FIFA President for the 2027–2031 term,’ a statement reads. 

‘The recent failures in good governance, processes, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communications and sound judgement have led us to a position where Mr. Infantino has lost the confidence of the FAW to remain at the helm of world football. Failing to put the best interests of football first is a failure we cannot accept.’

Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016 after replacing Sepp Blatter and will be standing for the chance to have a fourth term in charge. 

But the events of recent days – and the controversies that blighted him before and during the World Cup – have rocked his authority. 

His plans have been widely lambasted, including by prime minister Andy Burnham, and two of his closest allies have resigned. Firstly his senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro stepped down, and then chief operating officer Kevin Lamour. 

UEFA and CONCACAF have called on Infantino to quit but their ploy to depose the Swiss football administrator has hit a roadblock after Kuwait, Qatar, Sri Lanka and Lebanon reiterated their confidence in his leadership.

UEFA and CONCACAF make up 90 of FIFA’s 211 member associations. Although that is above the 20 per cent threshold to trigger a vote of no confidence, it falls short of the majority needed to topple Infantino.

With Infantino retaining support from Africa while South America are expected to take the same position, AFC members would be required to oust the FIFA president.

New Zealand could join Europe and CONCACAF’s resistance, but it is doubtful that the remaining 10 members of the Oceania Football Confederation would follow suit.

Infantino wrote to all FIFA nations claiming they would receive £30million if they back his plan to sell off stakes in FIFA’s major competitions. 

The specific proposal was to sell stakes in the tournament to a group led by Josh Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared. In that light, Infantino’s sycophantic behaviour towards Trump – including handing him the inaugural FIFA Peace Price – looks even more suspect. 

After his schemes were exposed to the public – very few individuals had known about them – Infantino initially blamed the media for misconstruing them. He has since reneged on his machinations – for now at least. 

UEFA welcomed Infantino’s abandonment of his plans, writing: ‘UEFA welcomes FIFA’s decision to withdraw its plan to sell a stake in its competitions – including the World Cup – into private hands.

‘The proposal was unanimously rejected by UEFA’s national associations and by many other federations and confederations of all sizes around the world, whose job it is to protect football.

‘We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account.

‘It is right that, in the coming days and weeks, UEFA will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again.

‘That review should be thorough and fundamental. No option should be off the table. The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.

‘The shabby, back-room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through was anything but transparent. This is a victory for the whole game. But it must not be the end of the story. The proposal has gone. The task of rebuilding trust in FIFA has only just begun.’

Countless European nations, including England, Wales, the Netherlands and Norway, endorsed the statement.

A spokeswoman for the English FA added: ‘We fully support UEFA’s position. It is time for a full and robust review of FIFA’s leadership and governance to ensure that the global game is run transparently, for the benefit of all 211 member nations and with the long-term stewardship of football at its heart.’

CONCACAF, as they have all week, followed suit: ‘CONCACAF and its 41 Member Associations welcome the withdrawal of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).

‘The Confederation also commends its 41 Member Associations and the wider football family for the courage and unity they have shown this week.

‘At a moment that demanded principled leadership, our members stood together in defence of football’s long-term interests and the principles of good governance. That unity has prevailed.

‘A proposal of this magnitude does not reach that stage by accident. It is a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first.

‘This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership follows a pattern of missteps and similar behaviour. A full review of this leadership must now take place.

‘This concern is not CONCACAF’s alone. It is shared across many confederations, Member Associations and those who serve and love the game.

‘When people entrusted with protecting the game conclude they can no longer do so from within, the football family is entitled to ask how such a proposal was allowed to proceed, and who bears responsibility for it.’

Infantino has since said: ‘The FIFA Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our FIFA Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed.

‘And more so, as we said from the outset, to do this only if a majority of the FIFA Member Associations were in support and always subject to a consultation process with them, the FIFA Council, the Confederations and wider stakeholders.

‘Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.

‘Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.

‘Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, and particularly in those countries that mostly need our support.’

It remains to be seen what happens to the FIFA president, with Infantino having previously been expected to run unopposed in the governing body’s elections next March. 

That may change now, while FIFA member nations could trigger a vote of no confidence to oust Infantino. The threshold to initiate the process is 46 FIFA member associations. For context, UEFA have 55 members. 

Wales have made the first step.  

More to follow. 

Louis Saha believes it could be time for Harry Maguire to leave Old Trafford.Maguire signed a one-year contract extension with the Red Devils in April, with the deal including the option of a further season.The centre-back struggled under Ruben Amorim, putting his future into doubt, but he became integral to Michael Carrick as United secured a return to the Champions League.And even though the 33-year-old has been an ever-present under Carrick, Saha believes: “It’s time to consider if Harry Maguire should move on.“I always come back to those moments where his career was under a lot of pressure, critics were coming from left, right, and center internationally.“He has done really well to still be in that conversation. He’s still a leader and a real asset, able to help us get back into the Champions League as an experienced player. I can still see him having a massive role.“But in a personal way, looking for another challenge at the end of his career is something I can imagine as well. I do think United is still looking for a centre-back.“We have difficulty having center-backs that aren’t injured. We need that.“Look at Arsenal, William Saliba is extremely important, and when he missed a few games, they missed out on winning the title because he wasn’t there. This year he’s been a rock.“United needs a rock-solid defence. We need someone who can play three-quarters of the games and help youngsters like (Ayden) Heaven and (Leny) Yoro get better at leadership.”

By CONNIE RUSK, ASSOCIATE SHOWBUSINESS EDITOR

Published: 08:17 BST, 3 August 2026 | Updated: 08:31 BST, 3 August 2026

David Beckham showed off his ripped physique while on board his luxury £16million superyacht in St Tropez this weekend.  

The footballer, 51, is enjoying a cruise with wife Victoria and their son Romeo and decided to cool off from the Mediterranean sunshine with a swim. 

Beckham’s rippling abs and numerous tattoos were on display as he dried himself off after a brief shower to wash off the sea water. 

While David swam, Victoria, 52, shared a video on Instagram of herself dancing to Madonna with her long-time friend Jo Manoukian.

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She wrote: ‘Happy summer. Still dancing to Madonna after 25 years’. 

Victoria sported a black bikini top and a black beach dress. 

David Beckham showed off his ripped physique while on board his luxury £16million superyacht in St Tropez this weekend

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Romeo also took to Instagram where he shared some shirtless snaps as he sunbathed in a pair of blue board shorts. 

The middle Beckham son sported a striking resemblance to his father as he too sported a heavily tattooed physique. 

Meanwhile, David and Victoria’s estranged son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz holidayed with his godfather Elton John, just 75 miles away in Nice. 

It marks the closest Brooklyn, 27, has been to his estranged family in months as they holiday just along the coast of the French Riviera. 

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The Beckhams and Elton have been pals for more than 30 years, with David affectionately calling the musician ‘Uncle Elton’ after the pair became friends in his football heyday.

Victoria and David recently followed the World Cup around the US with Romeo, Kim, Harper, 15, Cruz, 21, and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 30.

Despite living across the pond, their eldest son Brooklyn has avoided all family outings amid their ongoing estrangement. 

In January, Brooklyn released a scathing six-page statement denouncing his parents and declared he was no longer part of ‘Brand Beckham’.

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The footballer, 51, is enjoying a cruise with wife Victoria and their son Romeo and decided to cool off from the Mediterranean sunshine with a swim

While David swam, Victoria, 52, shared a video on Instagram of herself dancing to Madonna with her long-time friend Jo Manoukian 

Romeo also took to Instagram where he shared some shirtless snaps as he sunbathed in a pair of blue board shorts

The middle Beckham son sported a striking resemblance to his father as he too sported a heavily tattooed physique

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Meanwhile, David and Victoria’s estranged son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz holidayed with his godfather Elton John, just 75 miles away in Nice

Brooklyn also claimed David and Victoria had controlled him for much of his life, attempted to drive a wedge between him and Nicola and left him embarrassed when his mother danced ‘inappropriately’ with him during the first dance at his wedding.

He has not acknowledged any of his parents’ birthdays or milestones publicly since their rift began, around the time of David’s 50th celebrations, and failed to share a post for Father’s Day this year.

It was previously reported that Brooklyn was ‘furious’ that his parents had included him in a Father’s Day post and wants them to ‘leave him alone’.

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Shortly before Christmas last year, Brooklyn blocked his parents on Instagram, while his lawyers later wrote to the Beckhams’ team requesting all communication be conducted through legal representatives. 

The Daily Mail contacted Brooklyn’s representatives for comment at the time.

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People are frantically trying to get in shape for their summer holidays – but it could be a lot more effective

It’s the time of year when people are looking at their waistbands and thinking they’d like to make one last push to get it all a bit flatter. Many will be crashing out sit-ups like mad – however one expert has suggested that this exercise might not be the best way.

Dr Lee Brown, senior lecturer in strength and conditioning at the University of East London, has said they people might be making a mistake. He told the Guardian “It’s embedded in the archaic practices of boxing coaches and therefore everyone seems to follow it. But they’re far from the best exercise for training your core.”

Sit-ups are a classic bodyweight core exercise designed to strengthen the abdominal muscles, hip flexors, and chest. They involve lifting the upper body from a flat, lying position up toward the knees.

However Dr Brown said that the abdominal muscles are used a lot less than people imagine. Also if you’re doing too many sit-ups, it can cause problem.

“If you’re doing too many sit-ups, it can cause problems with the lower back. Overworking the hip flexors can make them hypertonic [stiff and tight]. Your torso leans forward because you have overly toned and tight hip flexors, creating an imbalance and a dumping ground for shearing forces in your lower back.”

Brown recommends moves such as planks, side planks, farmer’s carries (walking while holding a heavy weight in each hand), suitcase carries (walking with a weight in one hand to challenge stability) and bird dogs (lifting the opposite arm and leg from all fours). Pilates and yoga can also help build core strength.

“I worked with a sprinter who’d had a back injury and had been doing sit-ups for ever,” Brown says. “I asked him how long he could hold a plank for. He said less than 30 seconds. Six weeks later, he could hold one for seven minutes and his back pain had gone.”

A study published last year in the Journal of Clinical Medicine looked at 117 people with and without back pain to find out whether core strength was implicated. Participants were asked to perform the plank, one of the most popular trunk muscle stabilisation exercises prescribed to enhance neuromuscular control and spinal support. Researchers from Daemen University in New York were surprised to find that back pain sufferers were able to hold a plank for “significantly longer” than those without, suggesting they had better levels of abdominal strength.

Abby Carpenter – who has raked in over 400,000 online likes thanks to her baking videos – has turned her lifelong passion into a thriving community business.

After coming home from her demanding full-time job, Abby spends her evenings baking hundreds of treats for her bright pink honesty box filled with chocolate and gooey delights.

What started as a New Year’s resolution for the local baker has quickly grown into a popular cake shed venture in West Park.

Customers are travelling across Darlington to pick up her sweet treats from Bake Me Home.

Bake Me Home’s cake shed opened in April. (Image: Bake Me Home)

The founder, from Hurworth, said she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received since launching the business earlier this year.

On her TikTok page, she said: “I had a dream of opening a cake shed, now it’s become a reality!”

Having grown up baking with her mum from a young age, Abby always dreamed of turning her hobby into something more.

While she pursued a demanding full-time career, she frequently wowed friends and family with her baking creations and eventually decided it was time to take a chance on herself.

“I thought if it doesn’t work out, at least I’ve tried it,” Abby told the Northern Echo.

“Now we’re here in the summer and it’s taken off very successfully,” she added.

Bake Me Home specialises in brownies, cookies, cupcakes and other homemade treats, sold from a pink cake shed outside Abby’s home, with her edible cookie dough already a firm favourite with locals.

Bake Me Home’s edible cookie dough is one of the most popular items on the roster. (Image: Bake Me Home)

For Abby, the biggest success has been the sense of community the business has helped create.

Families, dog walkers, runners and regular customers now stop by each week, with many leaving messages through the shed’s Ring Doorbell camera or sharing photos of their purchases online.

“It’s such a lovely community aspect,” Abby said.

“I love seeing the same faces come back week in and week out, but also meeting new people who have found us through social media.”

Bake Me Home’s cookies are also a popular choice at the cake shed. (Image: Bake Me Home)

Balancing Bake Me Home with a demanding full-time career has presented plenty of challenges for Abby, but seeing customers return week after week and witnessing the positive impact she has reminds Abby why she started in the first place.

She said: “You get kids smiling, people sending pictures of what they’ve bought, and messages saying they can’t wait to come down at the weekend.

“Those are the moments that make all the hard work worthwhile.”

The honesty-box system has also shown the best side of Darlington’s local communities.

Customers pick up the treat they would like and post their money through a letterbox with a ‘cash’ printed on it.

Abby said: “There was always that worry that people might take advantage, but luckily I’ve not had any issues at all.

“Everyone has been honest and supportive.”

Bake Me Home also offers custom requests from time-to-time, with celebration cakes ranging from classically decorated tiered cakes, to brownie cakes and cheesecakes. (Image: Bake Me Home)

The business has grown rapidly since its first opening in April. Abby initially started baking around 150 items when she opened, but now she prepares more than 400.

As demand continues to grow, she is already looking at expanding, including adding a second shed for chilled products such as cheesecakes and milkshakes.

In the long term, she dreams of operating a converted horsebox selling coffee and cakes at events across the region.

For now, though, she remains focused on growing Bake Me Home step-by-step, and embracing the community around it.

Abby said: “It’s something that brightens other people’s days, but it brightens mine too.”

“I love doing it, I love the community around it and I have so many ideas for the future.”

Liverpool were beaten 4-2 by Premier League rivals Leeds in the final game of their US tour, underlining the work that needs to be done in the transfer market to add to Andoni Iraola’s squad

The proper stuff is now less than three weeks away and Liverpool still have work to do in the transfer market.

Andoni Iraola has been getting to know the squad he inherited on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, concluding with a 4-2 defeat to Leeds on Sunday. Goals from Luke Chambers and Florian Wirtz had the Reds 2-0 up at half-time but Leeds ran riot in the second half, scoring four goals in 25 minutes to win the game.

Liverpool’s new manager has yet to work with some key figures following the World Cup, with Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister both absent for the tour.

However, Iraola will want Liverpool to be active in the transfer window before they travel to Newcastle for their Premier League curtain-raiser on August 23. Here are four signings Liverpool could make before the transfer deadline.

1. A centre-back

Liverpool have been rocked by bad luck in the central defensive areas. Giovanni Leoni signed last year before sustaining an ACL injury on his debut, while Jeremy Jacquet, another new buy, has yet to feature in pre-season and missed out here.

With Van Dijk also absent, a very youthful backline wilted under a barrage of Leeds pressure in the second half. And while Van Dijk would have made a huge difference, it still feels as though Liverpool need at least one more centre-back – especially with Joe Gomez also set to miss the start of the season.

2. A left-back

Milos Kerkez was part of last summer’s spending splurge that failed to yield consecutive Premier League titles for Liverpool. But the Hungary international did find his feet after a challenging start to the season and finished the campaign looking like the player who flourished at Bournemouth to earn a big-money move.

Kerkez will undoubtedly start the season as first-choice, but quality depth and competition in that area is a must following Andy Robertson‘s exit. Kostas Tsimikas spent last season out on loan and could provide that. Or the Greece international could be moved on for good.

And while Chambers, impressive at centre-back in the win over Wrexham and on the scoresheet here, has impressed Iraola in pre-season, it would probably be a big ask for the rookie full-back to be Kerkez’s deputy.

3. A right winger

While the Leeds game highlighted the deficiencies in Liverpool’s makeshift defence, they are still operating with a Mohamed Salah-sized hope in attack.

Finding the right successor to Liverpool’s Egyptian King is an absolute must if they are to enjoy a better season this time around. Bradley Barcola has seemingly emerged as their preferred target, although any deal is unlikely to be cheap and could result in Liverpool spending in excess of £100million on a player for the THIRD time in 12 months.

Whether it’s Barcola or somebody else, adding a right winger is a non-negotiatiable for Liverpool. And given whoever does come in will be following Anfield royalty in the role, they could do with ample time bedding in. So getting a deal down is a priority.

4. A central midfielder

With Curtis Jones looking likely to move on this summer, Liverpool could do with another central midfielder to make sure Iraola isn’t left short.

Intriguingly, could the answer come from within? Harvey Elliott’s time at Anfield looked up to be up when he joined Aston Villa on a loan move with an obligation last summer, only to be frozen out. Or how about the impressive Trey Nyoni, who has a big impression in pre-season.

Maybe it’s too early for Nyoni. And maybe Elliott will join Jones in moving on permanently this summer. Either way, a new face in midfield would be welcomed.

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Angela Coote said she was left “traumatised” after finding what she described as a thick, rubbery lump in a freshly opened bottle of Tesco semi-skimmed milk.

The incident prompted Angela to share photographs of the substance on a local Facebook group, where her post quickly attracted hundreds of reactions and comments from concerned residents.

In the post, Angela wrote: “Sincere apologies for the gross pics but I’m traumatised!

“Made a coffee and noticed a few bits floating on top and thought, it’ll just be a bit of milk skin, it’s a freshly opened bottle and I proceeded to drink it.

“Halfway down to my horror there was a thick solid blob of the gunk in the pic.

“(Some’s still in the bin, I fished some back out).

“I know the bottle is dated today but I’ve just made another brew and the same gunk is starting to form!

“What the hell is it?

“Even if it’s on the turn I’ve never seen anything like it.

“It’s almost rubbery in texture.

“Can anyone shed any light on this please as I try not to throw up?!”

The photographs showed several brown, solid-looking pieces removed from the drink alongside the bottle of milk used to make the coffee.

Angela told The Bury Times she initially began trying to contact Trading Standards for advice and preserved samples of both the milk and the mystery substance in the hope that they could be tested.

She explained that the milk had been ordered through Tesco’s rapid delivery service, Whoosh, and, because she lives in Ramsbottom, she was unsure which branch the order had originated from.

The resident said she was particularly frustrated by what she felt was a lack of urgency from Tesco after reporting the issue.

She said: “I’m pretty disgusted to be honest that not one Tesco representative has tried to ring to ask whether I’ve had any ill effects from it or whether anyone besides myself has consumed any and if so how they are.

“Customer Care at it’s best.”

Angela also questioned why arrangements had not been made to collect the milk and substance sooner for investigation, given her concerns about whether it could potentially be harmful.

After making further enquiries, Angela took the milk to Tesco, with staff at the Ramsbottom branch agreeing to accept the product and send it to the relevant department for investigation.

She said the store refunded the cost of the milk and informed her that somebody would contact her in due course regarding the findings.

Responding to Angela’s complaint, a Tesco customer service manager replied to her post on Facebook and said: “Hello Angela, thanks for getting in touch with us today.

“I’m terribly sorry to see this strange substance which was in your milk, to be completely honest I really can’t say what this is as it doesn’t look like typical milk curdling.

“Of course I can understand how shocking this must have been.

“I can certainly advise the best way to have this looked into further would be if it’s possible to return the milk to either the store it was purchased from or to the customer service desk of any of our larger stores (Tesco Extra or Tesco Superstore).

“This way we can send everything back to the supplier so they can look into how it got in there in the first place, and of course this will help with making sure nobody else runs into the same issue.

“The store certainly also has the ability to make sure you’re reimbursed for this and they can give a gesture of goodwill at their discretion too.”

At the time of speaking to The Bury Times, Angela said she was awaiting the outcome of Tesco’s investigation and remained keen to discover exactly what had caused the unusual contamination.

Tesco was approached for comment but did not provide a statement by the time of publication.

An American tourist was left in awe after visiting the ‘cutest village’ in Northern Ireland, that boasts a historic castle and colourful houses – and it’s only 40 minutes from Belfast

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With summer months having brought sunny weather and warm days, it can be tempting to head out and go explore somewhere new, whether it’s a walking trail, a beach, or a new village you haven’t been to before. And luckily, Northern Ireland has plenty of places to pick from.

So as she was visiting Northern Ireland, travel enthusiast Taryn Donohue from Minnesota in the USA went on to share the various places she visited, offering helpful advice and recommendations for other hopeful travellers. This included sharing an insight into what she branded the ‘cutest village’ in all of Ireland. “Would you believe me if I told you this isn’t Rainbow Row in Charleston, but it’s actually Killyleagh, a village in Ireland home to the oldest inhabited castle in Ireland,” Taryn said in her video, as she went on to show off the colourful houses and historic castle.

Killyleagh is a large village and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland, located between Belfast and Downpatrick. The village features charming, brightly painted multi-coloured houses and cottages that line the streets leading down to the scenic harbour of Strangford Lough.

But the most famous part of the village is the historic Killyleagh Castle, a 12th-century structure dating back to 1180. The French Loire Valley-style château is also known as the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Ireland and home to the Hamilton family.

“And sometimes the family will open the gate so you can see it,” she added.

The Hamilton family bought Killyleagh Castle in the 17th century from the Savage family – a powerful Anglo-Norman family that played a significant role in Northern Ireland’s history and had owned the castle for over 300 years.

Now, the Hamilton family has also owned the castle for 300 years, and have since made significant changes to the castle, including the addition of a grand staircase and a new wing. They also built a new gatehouse, which still stands today.

The Hamilton family has also had a significant role in Northern Ireland’s history. They were involved in the Plantation of Ulster, a period of colonization by English and Scottish settlers, and were also influential in the region’s political and social landscape.

Since the castle is private residence, it’s normally not open to the public for tours. However, the castle is open to the public for special events and weddings, making it a popular destination for couples seeking a unique and romantic venue.

Other things to do in the village includes, walking through Delamont Country Park, or walk by the colourful houses and cottages before enjoying a meal or a drink at the well-rated pubs.

Taryn wrote in the caption of her post: “”Stumbled upon the cutest village in Ireland!! Killyleagh is located in Northern Ireland, about 40 minutes outside of Belfast! I loved the colourful houses! There were not a lot of tourist either!”

“Be sure to check out this quaint village next time you’re in Ireland,” she added at the end of her video.

The kitchen worktop is piled with dirty pans as we finally sit down to eat. My food mixer is encrusted with shredded carrot, there’s an empty chickpea tin that needs rinsing and the baking tray is still covered in hot sauce from the chicken wings.

Meanwhile, the sous-vide machine in the utility room is cooling down.

You might assume we’ve been laboriously crafting a celebratory dinner party for 12, but no – it’s an ordinary week night, and it’s just the two of us eating a quick meal before we slump in front of Netflix, like every other mid-life couple.

My husband Andy and I, both 55, live in a small cottage in the West Highlands of Scotland and share a kitchen that boasts a gas stove with three working burners, a single worktop, and a kitchen table usually covered in work detritus, bills and a sleeping cat.

In some ways, we’re very well suited when it comes to food – we both love cooking, and both enjoy buying ingredients, consulting recipes and experimenting with new tastes.

The only problem is, we have completely different diets. I am a veggie – with occasional reluctant forays into fish – and a former vegan, who once edited a plant-based food magazine.

He loves nothing more than to craft his supper from a haunch of venison or a whole oxtail. 

I eat salad, beans, peas; he eats meat every day. The nearest I come to a burger is in large cap mushroom form; he is severely allergic to fungi. I cook like the Swedish Chef from The Muppets, flinging bits of parsley to the floor and discarding vegetable peelings as I go.

He assembles all his ingredients beforehand, dices everything into perfect cubes and immediately clears away any debris. You could easily perform an emergency tracheotomy on any surface where he’s recently prepared food.

No, when it comes to kitchen and dietary habits, we are totally and utterly incompatible – Jack Sprat and his wife – to the extent that in four years of marriage and a decade of living together, we have almost never eaten the same dinner.

I often find myself musing about how on earth we’ve made it work without nightly shouting matches.

Plenty of people can’t. Earlier this year a study found that 20 per cent of Britons consider it a relationship deal-breaker if their partner’s diet doesn’t fit with their own, rising to 47 per cent – almost half! – if one’s a vegan and the other isn’t.

We all know that dishwasher stacking habits can fuel relationship problems, and that the dirty cup by the sink can even prompt divorce.

But as unusual diets increase in popularity – from ‘mindful’ to fibremaxxing to carnivore to anti-UPF – the kitchen wars have surely moved into the fridge, oven and larder, where completely different food philosophies compete for precious shelf space.

When Andy and I met via a mutual friend 12 years ago, I was a long-term vegetarian. I was used to eating vegetable pasta, plant-based curries and occasionally supplementing dishes with veggie mince.

I wasn’t a total purist: I didn’t mind roasting a turkey at Christmas as long as I didn’t have to eat it.

My main concern was for animal welfare, but I also loved the healthy tastes and textures of vegetarian food, and felt I was doing my bit for the planet.

Andy, meanwhile, grew up in the depths of rural Scotland, where managing deer populations, cattle auctions and even shooting parties are entirely normal.

The first time I went to stay with him at the remote cottage where we still live, we had a heated debate about vegetarianism. For me, an animal-loving liberal from urban Manchester, his brisk, practical attitude towards consuming the flesh of other creatures was an outrage.

I didn’t understand how, like most country folk, he could adore his dogs yet happily eat pigs, which are generally considered to have equivalent intelligence.

Luckily, Andy is both thoughtful and calm, so rather than allowing our debate to descend into a full-on row, he carefully explained his views (we evolved to eat meat, we need protein and iron, and without animal husbandry there’d be no bovine or ovine animals at all) and added that he respected mine. Our positions haven’t changed much since.

Andy also has a well-managed auto-immune condition that means he can’t digest much fibre and eats meat daily, whereas my rigorously wholesome diet contains more fibre than a straw hut.

Between 2016 and 2019 I even went entirely vegan while I edited that vegan food magazine – until a belatedly diagnosed severe nickel allergy (nickel is found in significant quantities in vegan staples like pulses, soy and nuts) meant I had to dial down the roughage, return to dairy and reluctantly add some fish to my diet.

What all this means is that shopping, cooking and eating in our household has become a rather complex dance.

Buying food is a process that generally takes at least two hours. We live 15 miles from the nearest shops, and visit twice a week. At the excellent deli, Marmalade, Andy will treat himself to good coffee, blue cheese and fancy crisps while I might invest in giant olives and re-stock my dried grain supplies.

He’ll then head to the butcher for salami, steak, venison mince and chicken while I might buy a salmon fillet. We generally buy seasonally and prefer the quality of the deli over the supermarket.

At the Co-op he’ll get broccoli and cabbage and I’ll buy peppers and mushrooms. If we shop separately, as we often do, we’ll message one another what we need, and as we’re both self-employed – I’m a writer and he runs a holiday house – whoever has more money in the bank that week will pay.

Of course, the grocery bill would be a great deal cheaper if we ate the same things. But while we inevitably overspend, we don’t take many holidays, we haven’t redecorated in more than a decade and good food brings us both joy.

I don’t object to visiting the butcher for him as long as the meat is tightly wrapped and I don’t have to touch it – fortunately, it’s not the kind of shop where carcasses dangle from the ceiling or violent dismembering is carried out in plain sight.

In truth, the real problems start not at the shops but when it comes to the planning, prep and post-meal cleaning up.

‘It’s just… your timing,’ Andy says wearily. ‘You never know what you’re going to cook, so we hardly ever eat at the same time.’

Flic says she didn’t understand how Andy could adore dogs, yet happily eat pigs. But he calmly explained that without animal husbandry there’d be no bovine or ovine animals at all

Vegetarian and pescatarian meals often require lots of different components, as well as using several pans, so Flic tends to make a mess in the kitchen 

I can’t argue. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD, which might explain why most days I don’t decide what I want to eat until around seven, usually by staring into the fridge and summoning inspiration.

Andy, by contrast, plans his meals several days ahead. Always interested in kitchen gadgets, he acquired a sous-vide a few years ago – a water-bath machine, used in restaurants to keep food at a consistent temperature. He uses it to safely slow-cook meat for hours, which suits his digestion and palate.

It also means he’ll invest in huge cuts of meat and live off the resulting stew or ragu for days, and can warm up a meal in ten minutes. Sometimes, he’ll keep his food hot and wait to sit down with me. At others, it results in me standing at the stove, my back to him, while he eats his dinner half a foot away (it really is a small kitchen).

Then there’s the mess. My mess. Vegetarian and pescatarian meals often require lots of different components and, as well as using several pans, I end up doing a lot of travelling to and fro between the cupboard, fridge and spice-rack as I cook, inevitably getting in Andy’s way as he neatly stirs his pan.

Generally, before we begin, he’ll ask, ‘Which hob do you need? Are you using the oven?’, and I will attempt to guess my answer and then we’ll dance around each other negotiating kitchen appliances. We often run into trouble when I’m planning to cook something at 170C and he needs the heat blasting at 220. Usually, he’s already told me and I’ve forgotten, so he wins and I change my plan at the last minute.

It’s perhaps little wonder that we don’t always manage to finish cooking at the same time.

At least twice a week, though, we do somehow synchronise and sit down to eat together. I’ve often been asked if I mind Andy cooking and eating meat opposite me, but the truth is I don’t. The only meal of his that genuinely traumatises me is the one he requested for his birthday last month: steak and kidney pie. Kidneys remind me of inedible school dinners, I can’t bear the smell and their bloody appearance horrifies me.

In the end, I made him deal with the kidney part and I handled the pastry, shuddering at the proximity of offal. In our food Venn diagram there’s a tiny handful of dishes in the centre that we will both eat, including a Portuguese fish stew that Andy makes and a paella – though mine is, of course, meat-free.

We also share the excellent sourdough loaves that Andy trained himself to make in lockdown – and we’re not above going halves on a large bag of chilli crisps, though usually not at the same time, which leads to extreme disappointment when it becomes clear the other one finished it earlier.

As for entertaining, we’ve found ways around the issue. When we have friends over for dinner – which living in a small rural community, we often do – we either take turns to cook, or Andy does the main course and I make the starter and pudding. Naturally, being rural people, many of our friends are meat-eaters, but they generally don’t object to my lavish Lebanese mezze or spreads of vegetarian curries.

Andy tends to serve restaurant-standard meat and veg, however, so for me, he’ll often craft a vegetarian version of the lamb, beef or chicken everyone else is having, with porcini mushrooms and seitan flour. I’ve never been disappointed.

When we mention this, people stare at us as though we’re certifiable, but we are also the couple who catered for 50 guests at our own wedding, so it’s fair to say we enjoy complicated cookery – albeit not together.

It’s not all a vision of marital harmony and acceptance.

‘Oh God, the sink,’ Andy groans when I mention this. The washing-up is where it all falls apart.

Andy may leave pots and pans on the worktop, but generally, they’re stacked in an orderly fashion, ready for him to wash up later via his usual military regime of cutlery, glasses, china and pans.

Unlike him, I grew up with a perfectly good dishwasher and loathe washing up with every atom of my being.

I hate the sound of scraping plates, I despise the little bits of vegetable matter that congregate in the plughole, and the dish rack is too high for me to reach easily, so I generally end up smashing crockery while water drips down my sleeve.

As a result of this aversion, I tend to abandon used mugs wherever I finish my tea, leave my encrusted pans on the stove and heap everything else into a tottering Jenga pile. Yes, I am the woman who leaves the cup/plate/glass by the sink. When I do get round to it, I have occasionally committed the mortal sin of leaving a cloth in the sink, too, rather than rinsing it and hanging it up to dry (of course, after Andy’s washed up, there’s a series of pristine white squares neatly clipped over the sink).

This led to one of our most passionate rows, which began when he emitted a groan worthy of Scotland crashing out of the World Cup.

‘What?’ I asked, with some panic.

‘The cloth,’ he said, teeth gritted, voice barely controlled. ‘It’s in the sink again. How many times do I have to –’

At that point, my feminist rage ballooned. ‘Don’t speak to me as if I’m your chattel!’ I shrieked, and it continued from there:

‘Bacteria!’

‘Patronising!’

‘Slovenly!’

‘Captain von Trapp!’

We didn’t speak for several hours, during which time I Googled ‘cloth, sink, bacteria’ and realised he was right.

I now do not leave cloths in the sink and we still don’t have a dishwasher because, where we live, the water runs straight into a stream and destroys the fish.

We even use special eco washing up liquid. I’ve got used to it.

Over the years, friends have occasionally asked if we’ve ever considered simply giving in and giving the other’s diet a whirl?

That way, we could eat the same things, cook together, save money, create less washing up… and yet despite all the positives, I can safely say no, we never have, for many reasons.

Firstly, Andy’s inability to digest much fibre, secondly, my love of animals and hatred of modern farming practices (and yes I worry about dairy and fish too) and thirdly – perhaps most importantly – we simply like different things.

Andy doesn’t eat breakfast, mindlessly absorbs a cheese and ham sandwich for lunch and drinks coffee. I do eat breakfast, usually a bowl of yoghurt and fruit.

I’ll have a salad or a baked sweet potato for lunch, and I drink decaf tea. I used to drink alcohol but I barely bother now, while he hugely enjoys a bottle of good red to accompany his red meat.

He generally hates puddings unless they involve poached pears, while I’ve never met a dessert I didn’t like.

We’re lucky we didn’t get together until our early forties, when my child-rearing, family-meal era was over, so we’re able to indulge our own tastes.

In fact, we’re so used to running entirely different personal restaurants from the same tiny kitchen, it never strikes us as odd.

And thankfully, when we head for the living room and flick the TV on after dinner, we almost always agree on what to watch.