Peru Two's Michaella McCullum soaks in the Benidorm sun after telling of prison ‘horrors' awaiting Brit ‘smugglers'
The 31-year-old convicted drug mule was seen in a pink Louis Vuitton bikini enjoying the beach in Spain.
10
10
10
The mum-of-two, who had a boob job at the end of last year, was pictured cooling off in the sea and playing with a ball on the sand.
McCollum served three years in a hellish jail near Lima after she and pal Melissa Reid were busted smuggling £1.5million of cocaine into Peru in 2013.
Now, after carving out a new life as a public speaker and influencer, she has opened up about her time behind bars — and issued a chilling warning to 18-year-old Culley and 21-year-old Lee.
'I could not do 20 years in a prison like that. I just couldn't. And that's what those girls are facing,' she said.
Culley was caught earlier this month with a 31lb stash of cannabis and hashish at Tbilisi airport in Georgia — and told a court she's pregnant.
She's being held in a Soviet-style clink ringed by watchtowers.
Lee, from south London, is locked up in Sri Lanka after two suitcases packed with 46kg of super-strength kush were allegedly found in her hotel room.
The potent synthetic drug is 25 times stronger than fentanyl.
Friends say she's been denied medicine and is forced to 'have a glass of water poured over her head' to clean herself.
Brit 'drug mule' Charlotte May Lee, 21, tears up as cops wheel £1.2m kush haul into court she 'didn't know was in case'
10
10
McCollum compared their ordeals to her own — and said she 'couldn't imagine' how pregnancy would complicate Culley's ordeal.
'As a mum, I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to give birth in that sort of place, and to potentially have the child taken from you and put into care,' she said.
'That adds a whole new, terrifying, dimension. It's just incredibly sad.'
Reflecting on her arrest at 19, McCollum said: 'The situation was almost exactly the same.
'Her mum had reported her missing, then it emerged that she'd been arrested.
'There were such parallels with my case – except it was just in a different country.'
She added: 'They are 19 and 21. Whatever they have done, it's so young to be caught up in something like this, and I know what they are going to go through.
'And their families. It's the worst thing anybody can have to face.'
10
Lee claimed she was duped by a mysterious Brit called 'Dan' who bought her a flight to Sri Lanka from Thailand — and then vanished.
McCollum said she was also coerced — offered £5,000 to carry the drugs and manipulated by older men.
'At the time I was so high (on cocaine) that I could barely walk. Yet the men around me were all sober,' she said.
'I thought they were my friends, but actually they didn't give a s**t about me.'
She added: 'It's easy to look at girls like this and think 'how could you be so stupid?' but I look back at myself and think exactly that.
'The vast majority were the victims of some sort of coercion, usually by men.
'Prisons all over the world are full of women who have been caught up in something like this.'
The once notorious mule has now written a book, starred in a Netflix doc, and works with police to warn teens off drugs.
With an estimated net worth close to £1million, she says: 'Even £50,000 isn't enough. No amount of money is worth your freedom.'
10
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Lila Moss, 22, channels her supermodel mum Kate's iconic boho looks in a bikini top and sequinned waistcoat as she heads out in Ibiza
Lila Moss channeled her famous mum Kate as she headed out in Ibiza on Wednesday. The model, 22, who previously admitted to constantly copying her outfits, wore a brown triangle bikini top with a sheer sequin waistcoat. Adding to her bohemian inspired look, she wrapped a fine knit gold sarong around her waist and wore black ballet flats. Lila topped off her outfit with a pair of sunglasses, carried a large woven beach bag and styled her hair straight. Earlier this month, she enjoyed a fun girls' trip in the town with her mum, with the duo speaking about their close relationship in the past. Lila's father is Dazed Media chief executive Jefferson Hack, with whom Kate was in a relationship in the early Noughties. Lila Moss channeled her famous mum Kate's famous boho-inspired looks as she headed out for a stroll in the Ibiza sunshine on Wednesday The model has never been shy of stealing from her mum's wardrobe. From ballet pumps and waistcoats to biker jackets and transparent slip dresses, she has recreated almost every iconic Kate Moss look there is. 'I copy her outfits consistently,' Lila admitted in a magazine interview in 2023. '[Although] I steal mostly her bags. I can't steal her shoes, which is devastating. She's a size six. I'm a size five.' Kate and Lila have spoken candidly in the past about their unconventional relationship, with Kate telling Vogue in 2023: 'There were still rules in our house – always say please and thank you; never go out with wet hair or you'll catch a cold – even if I wasn't that strict. Now that she's 21, Lila's the one setting rules for me. 'Wear SPF50; quit smoking… Although she did give me this cigarette case as a gift recently that I just love... She's flown the nest now, and got her own place in downtown New York, but she's still so young in my mind... 'I feel like I'd already lived quite a few lives by Lila's age. I'd gone abroad. I'd had one serious boyfriend – and moved on to the next. In a lot of ways, though, Lila is so much more grown-up than I was in my 20s... 'Watching her establishing her career as a model takes me right back to the '90s when I was just starting out, but I know that things will be different for her.' 'She understands she can say no, for one thing, which I never did, and she has the right people around her – I've made sure of that. And let's face it, she's a lot more sensible than I was back then. I mean… thank God. Ha!' For last year's British Fashion Awards, she commissioned designer Nensi Dojaka to create a dress that was eerily reminiscent of her mother's infamous bias-cut Liza Bruce slip dress from 1993. While at New York Fashion Week, she stepped out in a near-identical Saint Laurent blazer and low-cut silk top Kate had worn two years before. Lila has been making moves in the fashion world and walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week for for Vivienne Westwood last year. It was a successful year for Lila after she fronted campaigns for the likes of Pepe Jeans - an international denim brand based on Portobello Road in Notting Hill - which happens to be the model's favourite hangout spot. She also starred in a campaign for the French brand Maje last year and is currently gracing the front rows of exclusive shows such as Yves Saint Laurent for Paris Fashion Week alongside her mother. After being signed to her mother's Kate Moss Agency when she was just 15, Lila became the face of Marc Jacobs Beauty in 2018. She went on to make her runway debut for the Italian fashion house Miu Miu in 2020, became an ambassador for YSL and made headlines when she walked the pink carpet for Victoria's Secret World Tour . The stunner has been hit with her fair share of nepotism accusations - the most recent being when she appeared in Edward Enninful's edition of Vogue called Legendary alongside the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Victoria Beckham. In 2021, when Lila was 19, she became the director of Grace Grove Ltd - the name of the company is a nod to The Grove, her family home in North London, which Kate sold in 2021.
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
I nearly died after eating omelette at hotel buffet in Gran Canaria – but it was my daughter who was scarred for life
WHEN Michelle Dell booked a summer holiday to Gran Canaria, she expected two weeks of fun in the sun. But just days after arriving, the Sheffield mum fell gravely ill - and before long, she knew she was dying. 17 17 The terrifying ordeal left an even deeper scar on her daughter Lizzie, then 11, who developed a devastating phobia that ruled her life for the next 12 years. Michelle tells The Sun: 'I feel lucky every day of my life to still be here but, also, I have felt terrible guilt for what happened to Lizzie - wondering if we could have done anything differently. 'It took me four years to recover and I now have lots of long-term health problems. 'None of that matters though, because I'm still here.' The family's nightmare began in the summer of 2012 after jetting to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands with friends. The group upgraded to a new four-star hotel in the popular seaside resort Playa del Ingles after two nights, because the first one they had booked was disappointing. Michelle, along with husband Wayne, 52, and daughters Lizzie and Rosie, then 10, were in an apartment, with six other pals on the trip located next door. On the third night of the holiday, the group went for a buffet dinner in the hotel's restaurant. Michelle says: 'As all-inclusives go, this one felt good quality and the choice of food was good. 'I'm a bit of a clean freak and it seemed very clean. What is salmonella, what are the symptoms and treatment? 'I and five others in the group went for the Spanish omelette, which tasted perfectly good.' The group headed out for a few rosés, gin and tonics and Spanish lagers at a nearby bar. But the next day, things took a dramatic turn. Michelle says: 'In the morning, I went onto my balcony and our friends next door said one of the group had been up all night sick with a bug. 'We had a bit of a giggle and made light of it because we thought it was very minor but as I was talking, I thought, 'Oh goodness, I need the toilet.'' Michelle suffered sudden diarrhoea, but assumed it was a minor travel bug. Within hours, four others were sick. Michelle was getting worse with every passing minute. It was like the worst horror film I'd ever seen. There was blood all over the floor, sick everywhere and she was screaming in agony LizzieDaughter She says: 'I was doubled over in agony. I'm not really one to make a fuss but it was absolutely the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. 'It was as though somebody's hands were inside my tummy twisting it and the pain wouldn't stop.' The hotel doctor was called and tried multiple times to put a cannula in her arm to get fluids in, but Michelle was too poorly and couldn't be rehydrated. Michelle says: 'By this time I felt like I'd been drugged and was drifting in and out of consciousness.' Wayne and Michelle had tried to shield the girls from the events unfolding by asking them to stay in their beds - which were separated from their bed by a small partition wall. But for Lizzie, hearing her mum's screams was distressing. Lizzie says: 'When I did see her it was like the worst horror film I'd ever seen. 'There was blood all over the floor from the cannula being taken in and out. 'There was sick everywhere because mum was vomiting so much. She was screaming in agony.' 17 17 17 17 Taken to a local hospital in Maspalomas, she was given fluids and sent back to the hotel hours later - still with no diagnosis. The next day, on day five of the holiday, she collapsed again and was rushed to a larger hospital. Doctors soon discovered she had contracted an extreme case of salmonella - a bacterial infection linked to food poisoning. Michelle says: 'My body was swollen and huge with the fluids. My eyelids couldn't even open properly. 'I remember phoning my mum in England from my bed and saying, 'I think I'm going to die.' 'There was something telling my brain: 'It doesn't matter what you do now, your body's taken over.' I thought my internal organs were shutting down.' As the rest of the group began to recover, Wayne stayed with the kids, trying to keep things as normal as possible. In despair, Michelle called him. She says: 'I told him, 'You need to come back to the hospital because something's happening. I'm falling really ill again'. 'He was having pizza with the girls, but I insisted, 'You need to come now. This is really serious'. 'The staff kept saying, 'You are fine'. I'm not a melodramatic person but when he came in, I sobbed. 'I told him, 'I am not fine. I'm going to die. You need to tell them to get me a doctor now to do more tests. Please make them understand I'm just not a hysterical woman. I am ill'.' The worrying rise in salmonella cases By Isabel Shaw, Health Reporter SALMONELLA cases are at a record high in Britain - and there are some key signs you can look out for. In the most recent outbreak, over 100 people were sickened and 14 rushed to hospital after eating tomatoes. Health officials urged Brits to be on high alert for the symptoms of salmonella infection, which can last anywhere from four to seven days. Cases hit a record decade high in 2024, soaring by almost a fifth in a single year to over 10,000 cases, UKHSA data shows. Separate statistics reveal cases in the first quarter of 2025 were even higher than 2024, with some 1,588 cases logged between January and March 2025, up on the 1,541 reported over the same period in 2024. By comparison, there were 1,328 reports between January and March 2023. Children under 10 were particularly affected, accounting for 21.5 per cent of cases. Salmonella, which lives in the guts of animals and humans and spreads through contaminated poo, can cause a sudden bout of fever, vomiting, explosive diarrhoea, stomach pains and headaches, often striking within hours of eating tainted food. The bacteria, which often taints food if grown in dirty water or handled with grubby hands, attacks the gut lining, damaging cells and stopping the body from soaking up water. This is what leads to the painful cramps and non-stop diarrhoea as the body flushes out the water it couldn't absorb. Most people recover without treatment, but in rare cases it can turn deadly. Around one in 50 sufferers go on to develop a serious blood infection, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk of complications. Thankfully, deaths remain rare in the UK, with fatal cases making up just 0.2 per cent of reports. Wayne fought Michelle's corner and doctors agreed to retest her. They found she had sepsis, a deadly immune reaction to an infection that needs to be treated rapidly. One of the key symptoms of sepsis is someone saying they feel like they are dying, according to the UK Sepsis Trust, as well as a high temperature, chills, a rapid heart rate, a rash that doesn't fade when pressed and breathlessness. The body overreacts to the infection and starts attacking itself, damaging its own tissues and organs. 17 17 17 Michelle began to stabilise after her treatment was changed, with a new antibiotic. Later, doctors told her they believed it was the hotel's Spanish omelette that caused her illness, due to the timings of events. Friends also told Michelle that other guests, like the five in her party, had eaten the omelettes and got sick too. Michelle's daughters flew home with the rest of the group after the fortnight holiday ended and went to stay with their grandparents, while Wayne stayed at Michelle's bedside. She gradually started to feel better, and flew home a week later, but has been left with after-effects, as 40 per cent of survivors are. She lives with chronic fatigue (also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME), non-epileptic seizures, chronic migraines and functional neurological disorder - a problem with how the brain receives and sends information to the rest of the body. 'I'd give myself black eyes' It wasn't just her life that was changed though. Daughter Lizzie, who was traumatised by her mum's brush with death, was also deeply affected. Lizzie says: 'I'd seen my mum so ill in the hotel, and then we'd seen her in hospital looking grey and almost dead. 'The second I got home, the first thing that I got in my head was, 'OK, so I'm not going to eat.' In my head, it was a case of, 'If you eat, you could die'.' From a healthy 11-year-old, Lizzie grew anxious and gaunt, surviving only on bread sticks, cereal and packaged snacks. In 2017, five years after the holiday, 16-year-old Lizzie suffered a full-blown panic attack on a train after seeing someone being sick. She says: 'I'd never had one properly like that so when I got home I Googled my symptoms and that's the first time I read about emetophobia – a fear of vomiting. That was me.' It spiralled into constant anxiety and self-harm, as Lizzie tried to focus on anything but the fear. 17 17 17 17 'There were days when I had seven or eight panic attacks and wherever I was – on a plane or on a train – I'd start screaming,' she says. 'Looking back, the panic attacks were just this need to create another feeling other than sickness, so I'd create pain. 'I'd even give myself black eyes from hitting myself.' Though talented Lizzie had won a place at drama school in Manchester, she lived alone and didn't socialise. She says: 'I didn't do anything for 12 years. I went to drama school in Manchester but lived on my own because I didn't want to be around others. 'I didn't go to parties. I didn't drink.' In 2023, Lizzie took a dream job as a Christmas elf in Lapland - but was sent home months later after her weight plummeted from nine stone to just five stone two pounds. She says: 'Being abroad, I was just unable to eat anything cooked by others, so I'd be eating breakfast bars from the local shop and not a lot else. 'It got even worse when my flatmate out there got sick. 'I didn't tell anyone about my worries with food but I was sent home from the job. 'Not long after that I lost my acting agent because I just wasn't well enough to get parts. 'It's really sad because I wanted to live, but I'd completely lost all joy in life. 'I was sick of looking at myself in the mirror covered in bruises.' Michelle, who works as a college lecturer with inclusion students, was desperate to help her daughter. They saw private and NHS specialists, as well as multiple therapists. What is emetophobia and how can you overcome it? By Nik and Eva Speakman Emetophobia is an intense fear of vomiting. It is a debilitating and often misunderstood phobia. It can manifest in a range of obsessive-compulsive behaviours, such as excessive sanitisation, extreme food restrictions, eating disorders, health anxiety, and avoidance of travel, medical environments, and even children. Social withdrawal is common, with many sufferers limiting contact with others for fear of illness, vomit and vomit-causing bugs. While it is especially prevalent among women, emetophobia remains under-recognised within the medical community, despite being the most common phobia seen in our clinic. It's estimated that up to 5.5million people in the UK may be affected, yet provision of effective treatment is still limited. Emetophobia is not innate. It typically stems from a distressing childhood experience, such as a traumatic incident at school or mirroring an anxious parent's behaviour. The key to recovery lies in positively reframing these formative experiences with an experienced therapist. Using a simple self-help exercise can really help. Create two columns - Fears vs Facts - to challenge distorted beliefs with logic and evidence. She says: 'We were in despair because my husband and I felt like we had exhausted every option. 'Then I saw there was an emetophobia class with The Speakmans in February 2025 in Manchester and I just booked it instantly. 'I held out no hope but I was just happy Lizzie was willing to go.' Life change experts Nik and Eva Speakman are known for helping thousands overcome phobias. Lizzie says: 'I went into their workshop and by the time I left they'd literally changed my life. 'I shared my story, very nervously on stage. They completely changed the way I had thought about things. 'They told me: 'Being sick didn't nearly kill your mum, it was the egg. Being sick had actually helped save her.' 'Twenty-five minutes into speaking to them, I felt completely different. 'Two weeks later, I couldn't believe it. I got norovirus. 'I'd spent 12 years trying to avoid being sick and now I had it, full on. 'But I was absolutely fine. I was sick all night, non-stop, no issue, no panic attacks.' Today, Lizzie is thriving - eating normally, running a performing arts school and planning a holiday to Greece. She says: 'I still have some of the thoughts but they don't stop me from eating three meals a day, piling the food on. I just don't worry about being sick anymore. 'I used to think I wouldn't be here for much longer. Now, it's like I am living properly because I haven't for so long'.' Michelle remains full of gratitude having nearly lost her life and watching her daughter turn her life around. 'I cherish every day,' she says. 'I've gone from seeing my daughter's life slipping away to seeing her embracing it. I will forever be grateful to The Speakmans.' 17 17 17 For more real-life examples, practical tips, and expert support, tune in to The Speakmans' Hope Clinic podcast, where emetophobia - and other common issues - are treated live. To learn more about The Speakmans' Emetophobia Masterclasses, email: Events@
Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Telegraph
Thomas Partey on verge of joining Villarreal despite rape charges
Thomas Partey, who is due in court this week to face rape charges, is close to signing for Villarreal. The Spanish club hope to announce a deal, believed to be for one year with the option of a further 12 months, in the next few days. Villarreal will face Partey 's former club Arsenal in a friendly at the Emirates this week. Partey has already passed a medical at the La Liga side with terms being agreed. The 32-year-old is due in court on Tuesday, the day before Arsenal host Villarreal, after being charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. Partey was charged on July 4, four days after his contract with Arsenal expired, although the alleged offences took place while he was playing for them. The Ghana international had been the subject of an investigation that started in February 2022 after police first received a report of rape. He will make an initial appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court and denies the charges against him, which relate to three women who reported incidents between 2021 and 2022. Arsenal were in talks to extend the midfielder's career at the club, having joined in 2020 from Atletico Madrid for €50m (£45.4m). Partey went on to make 167 appearances for Arsenal with manager Mikel Arteta suggesting they offered him a new contract because he is a 'really important player for us'. However, no agreement could be reached and Partey left as a free agent, allowing him to join another club without a fee being paid. During Arsenal's recent tour to the Far East and following Partey being charged, Arteta said he was '100 per cent' comfortable with the way that the club handled the case. On the day the charges were announced, they released a statement which noted Partey's contract with them had ended and that, because of 'ongoing legal proceedings', they were 'unable to comment on the case'. Speaking publicly about the matter for the first time, Arteta said on Monday: 'I think the club was very clear in its statement. There are a lot of legal matters that are very complicated so I cannot comment on any of that.' It was then put to him: 'A lot of fans have questions over the way in which the matter was handled by the club. Do you feel confident and comfortable that the club followed all the right processes in that?' Arteta answered: '100 per cent, yes.' Villarreal, who played Leeds United last Saturday as they prepare for the new season with a tour of England, have qualified for the Champions League which has clearly been a factor in Partey agreeing to join them who also wanted to return to Spanish football.
