James Freedman: I stole a £300k bracelet (and the chancellor's wallet)
His show James Freedman: Man of Steal in London's West End was a sell-out success and his many TV appearances include presenting a regular slot on the Channel 5 series Police 5, demonstrating how to avoid scams. A consultant on many films, he has taught the secrets of deception to Helena Bonham-Carter, Sir Ben Kingsley, Ian McKellen, Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz, and was a scam consultant on the BBC drama Hustle.
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Telegraph
3 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Nobody cares about women's football? Try telling the Boxpark crowd
Molly Clarke from Hemel Hempstead simply could not watch. As England and Spain's women exchanged penalty kicks at the conclusion of a European Championship final shot through with nerve-shredding tension, she had her back to the giant screen at Wembley's Boxpark, relying on the noise around her to signal what had happened. 'I just can't look,' she explained. 'They put you through it don't they?' She was right there. These Lionesses simply do not know how to do things the easy way. Mainlining jeopardy, they seem to require their backs pinned to the wall to respond. But my how they responded in Basel to retain their European crown. For the third game on the bounce they needed extra time to prevail, for the second time in this tournament they won a penalty shoot-out. And when Chloe Kelly – who else – stroked home the winning penalty, Molly was up and dancing with her friends in Wembley, as fireworks shot skywards from the stage. Moments later, as Leah Williamson lifted the trophy, she was in tears, overwhelmed by the collective delight. Because this was delight all right. More than 1,500 people had packed into a barn of a place alongside Wembley Stadium, dancing themselves into a sweating frenzy. From mid-afternoon, there were groups of young women, festooned in the cross of St George, taking pouting selfies in front of the main steps of Wembley Stadium. Alongside them the official merchandise sales area for the Oasis residency had been built, less a stall more a hypermarket. And there was a merger of the two events inside the Box Park, where many were wearing bucket hats, bought for the occasion. When an England team played in the first women's World Cup in Mexico in 1971, nobody back home knew they were in action. After all, if there was a man as well as a dog on the touchline for their matches in those days, they had a bumper crowd. How things have changed 45 years on. England's women are now at the centre of national pride. It was packed in the Box Park, and the crowd was overwhelmingly female. Not to suggest there was no male presence: there were a few boyfriends accompanying their other halves, dads of all ages with their daughters, a chap in an England women's shirt with his name on the back and number: Grandad 70. Taeja Hoskins had come down from Birmingham, she said, 'for the atmosphere'. Her friend May Barnett had come from Shepherd's Bush, with her father Ben in tow. 'I wouldn't say I was dragged here, not at all,' he insisted. 'I'd be watching at home on my own otherwise.' Round the edges of barn, the food outlets were providing constant refreshment. There was Cheesy Naan Melts, for instance, Ipanema Barbecue and the exotically named Yorkshire Burritos. And the bars were churning out the drinks. Before kick-off, even as the atmosphere gradually built from school disco to full on roar, the excitement was tempered with realism. This was the World Cup winners against the European champions, a rerun of the Arsenal-Barcelona Champions League final: the world's best once again in contention. Nobody was expecting an easy ride. Besides, as the game began it soon became evident the world champions would be no pushover. The surge of excitement that greeted Alessia Russo's and Lauren Hemp's early chances, were rare. There was a gathering fear as the Spanish women, their skill and composure as evident as their male counterparts, took control. 'No, no, no' boomed out one woman as another Spanish careful, considered advance was built. And when an Arsenal forward opened the scoring, nobody was surprised. Unfortunately Mariona Caldentey was wearing the red shirt of Spain. A thick pall of gloom descended as her smart finish hit the back of the England net. Silence hung. Heads were in hands everywhere. Except in the bar in the centre of the building, where morale reinforcing cocktails continued to be mixed. 'The wrong Arsenal player scored,' said Taeja at half time. 'But we'll be all right, you watch.' With this England team, optimism is always a valid response. And when the Lionesses equalised, my, how they enjoyed that goal at the Boxpark. Everyone was on their feet bouncing the moment Kelly strolled down the wing and set up a perfect cross for Russo's expertly guided header. There were no plumes of beer as became the trademark during the men's World Cup in 2018. Everyone was too busy jumping up and down to chuck their drink around. For sure, as the game progressed, as Spain's players kept hold of the ball, things grew tense. Tackles were cheered like goals, the goalkeeper Hannah Hampton punching away a cross was roared on, a hefty clearance greeted with a squeal of relief that must have worried dogs as far away as Harrow. Someone with a hooter started choreographing the chanting. 'Parp parp parp parp parp England' was the soundtrack to extra time, as if the players could hear the encouragement. And then came the penalties. Well what else do we expect? It's always a marathon for the Lionesses and their supporters. But these wonderful women prevailed. And as the young devotees danced in triumph, they were probably already planning to name their first daughter Chloe, after the penalty queen, or Hannah, after the goalkeeper who saved two Spanish spot kicks. Or maybe Sarina, after Wiegman, the astonishing manager of this team, who has now won three Euros in succession. Any of them would be the best of role models. Because these are proper national heroes.
BBC News
3 minutes ago
- BBC News
England fans jubilant as their heroes win Euros again
"We'll remember this forever."So says Jo from Sevenoaks as she and her friends emerge from St Jakob-Park in Basel moments after England won the women's Euros. is certainly dedicated. Jo was at a festival in the UK a mere 24 hours ago. I ask them how this moment ranks out of 10 in the greatest moments of their lives so far."11," replies Charlie, who is from Brighton."You know how men still go on about [England's] World Cup win in 1966? I'm going to be like that," Vicky from Stockport tells me. "Brilliant," is one word that nearly every single England fan I speak to utters as I call out to them outside the stadium. Many look who is Swiss, is clearly having a moment when I approach her."It [the game] was exceptional," she says, putting her hands in front of her face."I'm freaking out."Lina tells me she is a new England fan - she first saw edits of the team's captain Leah Williamson on social media and got into women's football that way."It's the first women's match I've been to and it was really, really spectacular."We were right next to the pitch."As has become the norm in this tournament for the Lionesses, they left it until the very last moment to send their supporters into a frenzy of took the lead in the first half, but an Alessia Russo goal in the 57th minute levelled things, and took the game into extra time. With no change to the scoreline coming, it was on to those greatest of nail-biters - penalties. I can feel the energy around Anna from Essex as I approach her to ask for her thoughts about the makes a sound that appears to indicate her head is exploding and then asks me "can you put that into words?"Her friend, Sarah, is calmer."I felt like something was going to happen," she says."I didn't lose faith, which I would have done in previous tournaments. I did at the World Cup final [in 2023] - I started crying at 80 minutes."Clearly being a long-time Lioness fan brings with it wisdom. Like Jo, Sarah's also a dedicated fan - Monday night will see her clocking on for a night shift, so there will only be a few celebratory drinks for her tonight. Not everyone, of course, was happy with the result. Rosa is Spanish but lives in the Swiss city of Bern, about 92km (57 miles) from Basel."I'm very, very sad because I think Spain played well," she tells me when I ask how she's told me she knew it was over for her team when it went to penalties, but is still proud of them."We have a lot of good talent...I'm waiting for the next championship so we will see, I have a good feeling about that."
Daily Mail
3 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Louise Thompson proudly displays her stoma bag in a yellow bikini as she admits she notices people staring at it and urges others to 'be kind'
Louise Thompson proudly displayed her stoma bag in a yellow bikini as she admitted she feels people staring at her and urged people to 'be kind'. The former Made in Chelsea star, 30, who nearly died when giving birth to her son in 2021, revealed last April that she had been fitted with a stoma after years of battling with ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic bowel condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed and small ulcers develop on the colon's lining, which can bleed. A stoma is a surgically-created opening made on the abdomen, which is made to divert the flow of body waste into a medical device, which the person can then empty. But taking to Instagram on Sunday, Louise admitted in a candid post that she us wearing less bikinis and switching to swimsuits, in part because she notices people looking at her stoma. Louise went on to say that she feels confident having her stoma on show now, but gave advice to those unfamiliar with them to 'be kind', not judge and let people with them wear what they want in peace. Sharing a snap and clip of herself in the yellow two-piece, Louise wrote: 'I'm not a big bikini girl these days. I don't think it's a confidence issue, I just really enjoy the comfort of a swimsuit. It's very practical and dare I say it - when you reach your mid 30s I think practicality equates to sophistication. 'There's another thing. I don't LOVE people looking at me that much. Stoma or no stoma. It doesn't happen to me often now I'm a bit older and a mother (gone are the days of men checking me out on the tube or the beach), but regardless of circumstances - you definitely get more attention with a random black or grey bag glued to your abs. Unsurprising really. 'I have no doubt that if I saw someone in a similar situation as me I'd look on in fascination/with curiosity/appreciation for what they might have gone through. It's natural. We are intrigued by uniqueness. We intrigued by medicine and health.' She continued: 'On the note of appreciation I've actually been serving myself lots of self-appreciation recently. Yesterday I got out of the shower and went straight to my phone to write down the words "remember you can get through TOUGH shit, ur tough as nails'" on a WhatsApp thread I have with myself (where I dump all my creative [thoughts]) because I really believed it. I wanted you to too. 'Regardless of the above I feel no shame when I look at my body. I don't attach much emotion to it at all. It just exists. That's the main thing. It's a privilege to exist. Literally. Metaphorically. 'But I fancied giving my tummy a bit of tan time/vit d on holiday… so here she is. The old bod. Me and Winnie hanging out. Wearing her with pride. I think I've still got it. I feel good. I roamed freely in the villa. I didn't feel the need to display my tummy in the beach clubs because tbh I'm not really a big lie down and tan kind of girl anymore. I think I dress really well and v freeely and vvvv ME regardless of my stomach situ.' Louise added: 'I don't feel held back at all, but I know some do and I want to remind anyone out there that doesn't really understand what this is that lots of normal and nice people in the uk have them (100k) and to be kind. 'Don't judge. Let people wear what they want. Ask nice questions if you really can't help it. You might learn something cool. #stoma.' In holiday snaps from earlier this month, Louise showed off her incredible figure in the two-piece, before slipping into a black swimsuit. Louise and fiancé Ryan Libbey have been enjoying a short trip 'just the two of them' at the luxurious Maslina Resort on Hvar island. Louise recently opened up about suffering a 'horrendously debilitating' stoma leak while out in central London. Since her diagnosis, Louise has continued to spread awareness and proudly show off her stoma, which she's nicknamed Winnie, in a hilarious reference to Winnie The Pooh. However, taking to her Instagram on Wednesday, she revealed she'd had a leak the day before, which left her in tears and needing some time out by herself. She explained she had headed to Marylebone with her fiancé Ryan on his motorbike for an appointment and a coffee, before going to record a podcast. However, Louise explained that despite their 'great start', she suddenly realised her stoma bag had unfortunately leaked, forcing her to rush to the nearest hospital for supplies. Sharing several selfies of her and Ryan on their bike journey before everything went wrong, she wrote: 'Yesterday I found myself in a really depressing situation. 'l had a great start to the day. I had a medical appointment at @ in the morning with Ryan... we biked there to get ahead of the traffic and managed to shave off 20 minutes from the journey. 'Then was off to record a podcast with 2x good friends which has been in the diary for ages. Had a lot of excited energy in my belly following a c**p week of of c**p health. 'We got off the bike in Marylebone blissfully happy and headed to @watchhouse for some delicious coffee and cookies pre-recording because we were a smidge early, but then I felt something a bit wet in my pocket. I looked down and had had the most horrendously debilitating stoma leak.' She recounted how she was left 'too overwhelmed' to explain the situation, but Ryan had stepped in, while she was left in a bathroom for an hour waiting for staff to try and source any new stoma bags, while 'covered in mess'. Louise said: ' I had to hobble to the nearest hospital which was a private one so a bit awkward. I was actually too overwhelmed to speak when we got to reception so thankfully Ryan who I was with handled it for me. 'I then literally waited locked in a bathroom for an hour sat on the loo covered in mess whilst they dug around to see if they had any stoma bags for any of their [sic] inpatients.'
