Strictly It Takes Two fans were not impressed as the ‘Friday panel’ returned to the BBC Two show, with one branding all three guests ‘abysmal’ in a savage swipe
THEY are the companies you trust the most with your precious holidays.
The 2024 Sun Travel Awards saw you voting in your tens of thousands for the travel providers you love to head away with, both home and abroad.
And last week, The Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot presented the very special accolades to the winners at an awards lunch at our London HQ hosted by the TV and radio presenter Alexis Conran.
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Here’s who won your vote.
BEST AIRLINE – EMIRATES
PICKING up the award for the second year running, Emirates is obviously a hit with Sun readers for its extensive network that carries you across the globe.
The airline’s generous seat sizes and baggage allowances in economy are probably why — as well as comprehensive in-flight entertainment and warm hospitality.
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Second place went to the original flag carrier, British Airways, with airline and tour op giant Jet2 in third.
BEST SHORT-HAUL OPERATOR – JET2 HOLIDAYS
THE northern airline that has transformed itself into the UK’s largest tour operator has won the award for the second year in a row.
Its huge network of regional holidays and commitment to customer service is obviously a hit with Sun readers.
Second came its arch-rival, Tui, closely followed by new kid on the block easyJet Holidays — popular with you for its generous luggage allowances and huge network of city and beach destinations.
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BEST LONG-HAUL OPERATOR – VIRGIN HOLIDAYS
THIS year celebrating 40 years flying, Virgin Holidays continues to be the go-to tour operator for us when we’re heading across the pond to places including Orlando, Miami, New York and Las Vegas.
And its new Maldives flights are proving as popular — along with packages to the Far East, Mauritius and the Caribbean.
Second was Tui with its reasonably priced offerings to Florida and Thailand. British Airways Holidays took third place.
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BEST IN CRUISE – ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL
IT took delivery of the world’s largest ever cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, this year and Royal Caribbean remains hugely popular with Sun readers for its incredible family-friendly offering.
Coming in second was the British cruise experts P&O Cruises and third was all-inclusive favourite Marella Cruises.
BEST OF BRITISH – NATIONAL TRUST
THIS new award for 2024 sought to celebrate the people, places and British institutions at the very heart of your staycations.
The charitable organisation is dedicated to preserving and protecting the historic places and natural spaces we enjoy on every day out, weekend away or summer holiday. Established in 1895, it manages more than 500 heritage properties, playing a crucial role in conservation and ensuring they are accessible for future generations.
In second place came our go-to for a bargain pint and decent fry-up, pub giant Wetherspoons. And in third, Premier Inn, popular for its reliable, value rooms and oh-so-comfy beds.
BEST SHORT-HAUL DESTINATION – SPAIN
WITH its stunning coastlines and guaranteed sunshine, it’s no surprise that Spain took the top spot in this category.
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We love our traditional favourite and are exploring beyond the norm more than ever before.
But closely snapping at its heels was Greece, with Italy in third place.
BEST LONG-HAUL DESTINATION – CARIBBEAN
IT’S clear Sun readers love a totally tropical escape and when it comes to heading further for our holidays, the Caribbean’s intoxicating mix of culture and relaxation has helped it take the top slot.
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Second is the USA, with tempting Thailand coming third.
MOST TRUSTED TRAVEL COMPANY – TUI
THIS award is important for Sun Travel readers — they want to know they are spending their precious holiday pounds with a company that will look after them, provide support when things go wrong and strive to treat their customers fairly.
It’s always a closely fought race and there was very little between our top three. Tui triumphed, with last year’s winner Jet2 second and British Airways Holidays third.
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BEST UK HOLIDAY PROVIDER – HAVEN
WITH their good-value breaks and fabulous facilities, Haven grabbed the top slot — the self-catering giant even welcomed the first-ever Wetherspoons at a holiday park this year.
In second place came Hoseasons, and in third, Park Resorts.
BEST UK ATTRACTION – ALTON TOWERS
WE couldn’t get enough of the revamped classic, Nemesis Reborn at this year’s winner, Alton Towers. The natural wonders of Cornish gem The Eden Project won you over to bag second place, with Legoland Windsor third.
BEST GLOBAL ATTRACTION – WALT DISNEY WORLD, FLORIDA
WALT Disney World Resort in Orlando claimed victory — and this year announced even more plans to expand its Florida empire with new lands coming in the next few years.
In second place it’s Universal Orlando Resort, which is looking forward to the opening of a new park, Epic Universe, in 2025.
TODAY, across the UK, in some very special places you will hear screams of delight and gasps of wonder.
Young and old will be learning about our nation’s history, amazing wildlife and nature, and scaring themselves silly on adrenaline-charged rides.
They will be escaping the everyday and indulging in some unadulterated fun.
My Editor’s Choice award this year went to Merlin Entertainment. Its roster of theme parks and attractions create unforgettable memories for millions every year.
Through our SuperDays promotions we know just how popular a visit to our greatest attractions are – from the thrills of Alton Towers and Thorpe Park to the wonders of SeaLife and Legoland.
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Merlin continues to innovate across its stable. This year has seen the much-anticipated launch of Nemesis Reborn at Alton Towers and the terrifying Hyperia at Thorpe Park.
Turning a day out into a minibreak has become easier with Woodland Village at Legoland Windsor and Warwick Castle hotel.
They deserve recognition for never resting on their laurels and finding ever more wonderful ways to entertain.
A young capybara’s escape from a zoo a fortnight ago gripped animal lovers across the globe.
Cinnamon’s Friday 13th flit from Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World in Shropshire has inspired memes, merchandise, and a song, which staff have on repeat.
Her keepers tell the BBC about the stress and celebrations of the week she went Awol and the impact on the small, family-run site.
‘Living her best life’
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Cinnamon fled her enclosure via a gate left accidentally open on 13 September, after being startled by a tractor mower.
Keepers realised within minutes the springer spaniel-sized rodent had slunk off to an adjacent area of long grass and woodland, and began to stake it out.
But, by the following night she had escaped beyond the zoo’s perimeter and owners Will and Becky Dorrell issued an appeal for help.
She was quickly located by a thermal drone in a zoo-owned conservation area, just 200m from its perimeter.
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As rescuers slowly zoomed in, reluctant to scare her away, people around the world began to delight in the coverage of her escapades.
“Every single story I’d see pop up on Facebook or everything else had that quote in it,” Will said. “There’s so much bad news about I think people wanted a bit of light relief.”
Meanwhile, zoo staff who had volunteered to work around the clock to find her were running on adrenalin.
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Will said: “For my wife and I it was a terrible week. We were both living on about two hours sleep a night.”
He described her eventual capture on 20 September as “a bit of a hairy situation”, with rescuers wading into a pond to coax her into a cage.
“None of us wanted to celebrate or anything else until she was back in the paddock.”
Only then did the tired staff breathe a huge, collective sigh of relief. “We’re all exceptionally happy over it,” he added. “There was a big celebration for the staff.”
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The team has been shocked by the interest in Cinnamon’s story.
“It was really nice… that everyone wanted an update – everyone seemed invested in the story,” Will said.
But global coverage also ramped up the pressure. “We obviously got the best possible outcome… We got her back, she was fit, healthy,” he said.
“But things can go wrong, and things can go catastrophically wrong, and that was always our concern.”
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Other than a minor graze on her nose, the capybara was remarkably unharmed by her exploits and even “had a bit of a belly” after a week of fending for herself.
“She’s got a little bit cheekier because she’s looking round her paddock now and sticking her head up to look over the other side,” Will said.
“She’s clever, which is probably why she managed to escape and why she took so long to catch.”
One comment on the zoo’s Facebook page following her recapture summed up the public mood: “Awww so glad she’s back safe! Never been so worried about an animal I’ve never met.”
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While Cinnamon retreated from the limelight for a week for some R and R, other followers suggested what the zoo might do next.
“They should write a children’s book now to sell! Cinnamon, the great Escape or Cinnamon’s – living her best life! 😂 think of the merch they can make now!” said one.
‘Rumours of a movie’
The zoo confirmed its new star attraction would get a belated first birthday party on 12 October, featuring a hunt for her pictures around the site.
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Now the danger has passed, “we’d probably be stupid not to capitalise a little bit”, Will said.
Cinnamon teddies, magnets and clothing are now available, with 100 orders in the first day alone.
“Now that we know that she’s fit and healthy and she’s safe, we can have a bit of fun with it,” he added.
A children’s book is in the works, and even rumours about a film.
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But, Will confirmed Hollywood had not called yet. “I keep hearing rumours of a movie, but we haven’t yet been approached by anyone.”
Cinnamon is back on public display on Saturday, and is expected to pull in the crowds.
“Last Saturday was very, very busy – busier than we would expect it to be for a Saturday in September,” Will said. “I’d say the proof will be in the next couple of weeks.”
What an inspirational view you have given us in your City Living Special (House & Home, September 21). Oh that it were possible to regenerate our city environment and create a greener, softer and healthier landscape which is so good for the mind, body and soul. We can make that difference — from the ground up. Thank you for showing us a way.
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The stories that matter on money and politics in the race for the White House
Kamala Harris promised a fresh clampdown on illegal immigration at the US’s southern frontier as she sought to present a tougher stance on border security with the presidential race entering its final stretch.
On her first campaign trip to the US-Mexico border the vice-president pledged to move beyond measures imposed by the Biden administration, promising “further action” to prevent illegal crossings, tighter asylum measures and “more severe criminal charges” for illegal entrants.
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“While we understand that many people are desperate to migrate to the United States our system must be orderly and secure,” she told a crowd in the Arizona city of Douglas.
The tougher rhetoric comes as the vice-president seeks to shake perceptions of a lax approach to migration and narrow the polling gap with Donald Trump on a crucial electoral issue.
While polls put Harris neck and neck with Trump overall, the former president consistently leads her on the question of border security. A recent NBC News poll gave Trump a 21-point advantage among voters on the topic.
The number of people crossing the country’s southern frontier surged to record levels under Joe Biden, peaking last December. But apprehensions have since fallen sharply after the president introduced an executive order including emergency measures to shutter the frontier.
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Trump has made immigration a focal point of his campaign, accusing new arrivals of “poisoning the blood of our country” and proposing a crackdown involving militarised mass deportations.
Harris on Friday sought to push back, repeatedly pointing to the former president’s efforts to scuttle a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year, accusing him of an “abdication of leadership” and of prioritising politics over real solutions.
“Donald Trump tanked it,” she said of the bill. “He picked up the phone and called some friends in Congress and said stop the bill. He prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.”
Harris said that if elected she would work with Congress to pass the border security bill, as well as unspecified actions to keep the border closed between legal crossing points and barring some illegal entrants from being able to claim asylum.
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Trump has sought to tie Harris to the surge in illegal border crossings during Biden’s term in office, dubbing her the president’s “border tsar”, a label her campaign has rejected.
A Trump campaign spokesperson on Friday dismissed Harris’s border visit as a “desperate attempt to fool Americans into forgetting the chaos and devastation she has unleashed over her four years as border tsar”.
ONLINE trolls’ obsession with the disappearance of drowning victim Nicola Bulley was a “monster” that got out of control, her partner has said.
Paul Ansell said the family initially welcomed the public interest after the mum of two vanished.
But it soon attracted a wave of amateur social media “sleuths” posting hurtful and wildly misleading claims about the case.
The family also received online hate.
Mr Ansell said: “I think anything like that is a double-edged sword.
“That is the problem — you’re poking a monster.”
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Nicola, 45, vanished on January 27 last year while walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancs.
Her body was found in the River Wyre on February 19.
An inquest found she had accidentally drowned.
BBC One documentary The Search For Nicola Bulley at 9pm next Thursday explores the media coverage of the case and the impact of amateur internet sleuths.
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It also hears from Lancashire Police and Ms Bulley’s family.
Nicola Bulley’s family ‘trying their best’ in ‘impossible circumstances’ one year on from her death, says Dan Walker
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