Latest news with #Cookie
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Mel B's new husband Rory McPhee returns to work at his salon in Leeds after the couple's star-studded wedding - as they prepare to jet off for a second celebration in Morocco
Mel B 's new husband Rory McPhee returned to work at his hair salon on Wednesday, after the couple tied the knot in a star-studded wedding over the weekend. The Spice Girl, 50, exchanged vows with the hairdresser, 37, at St Paul's Cathedral in London on Saturday, before celebrating with a reception at The Shard. With Mel and Rory set to fly to Morocco for a second celebration later this month, it appears that the couple have held off on any immediate honeymoon plans. Rory was seen closing up his Leeds salon several hours early after heading back to work, no doubt ready to spend more time with his new wife. The day kicked off with a ceremony held at the iconic St Paul's cathedral, with many guests making their way there on the London Underground 's boiling hot Central line. Among the celebs on the guest list for the star-studded wedding were Mel B's fellow Spice Girl Emma Bunton and comedians Alan Carr, Katherine Ryan and Tom Allen. The Spice Girl exchanged vows with the hairdresser at St Paul's Cathedral in London on Saturday, before celebrating with a reception at The Shard And her beloved Yorkshire Terrier pup Cookie served a very important role at the nuptials as the ring bearer. After the ceremony, guests jumped onto a boozy party bus to take them to the lavish Shangri-La hotel at The Shard. The wedding party arrived at the reception at 4.30pm, however most of Mel's guests had headed for home by 7pm, with many having already changed into casual clothing following just over two hours of socialising. As one guest put it: 'I'd sort of thought for Scary Spice it would be a massive late night party with all the usual showbiz excess but it was the total opposite – it was actually rather low key. 'Perhaps she's grown up a lot in the last few years and settled down. It was all a long way from how she used to be.' Mel's children, Phoenix, 26, and Angel, 18, spent much of the festivities stood outside the hotel entrance smoking rolled up cigarettes – with security even moving them away from the well-heeled venue to avoid upsetting other residents and visitors. The news of Mel's subdued celebrations comes after it was previously reported that she and her new husband were expected to throw a huge 'party in the sky' amid their £28,000 lavish celebrations at The Shard. At the Shangri-La venue inside the building, friends and family were expected to dance into the small hours as the 'party of the century' had been promised by the bride and groom. The couple first began dating back in 2018, and got engaged in 2022 However, there's more celebrating to come for the happy couple as they're set to host a second wedding in Morocco, which has been described as 'informal and sexy'. The second nuptials will be offer her Spice Girls bandmates a second chance to attend her wedding celebrations after only Emma Bunton attended the big day at St Paul's Cathedral on Saturday. Mel C, 51, and Victoria Beckham, 51, both paid tribute to the bride and groom after they were forced to miss the wedding. However Geri Halliwell has so far failed to acknowledge the star-studded day. Geri will be given the chance to extend an olive branch to Mel if she attends the North African ceremony - which holds a significance for the girl band. In 2015, the Spice Girls had a mini reunion in Morocco when they jetted there to celebrate David Beckham 's 40th birthday. Sporty, Posh, Baby and Ginger looked in great spirits as they posed for snaps at the event - but ironically - this time Mel B was the only Spice Girl not in attendance. Instead, Eva Longoria filled in for Scary - joking 'I'm the new Spice Girl! #LatinaSpice'. Now, there will be chance to get a snap of the full lineup in Morocco if they attend Mel's second wedding in the summer - which she has described as 'more informal, sexy and beautiful '. Mel B told The Sun of her plans for a second wedding to Rory later this summer and said she'd already splashed out on a gown to wear. 'In one incredible afternoon I found two perfect dresses. One beautiful classic dress by Josephine Scott, a British designer, and one stunning dramatic dress by a US designer, Justin Alexander'. The pair have a tempestuous relationship and at times have struggled to be in the same room without there being animosity. Geri continued to snub Mel B on Sunday after her lavish wedding weekend - while the likes of Heidi Klum, Paloma Faith and Kerry Katona led the stars sending the Spice Girl congratulatory messages following the ceremony. However other Spice Girl Victoria was quick to comment under Mel's post saying: 'Congratulations!!!!! We hope you had an amazing day!!!! X kisses xxxxxxxxc.'
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Cat's Reaction to Brother's Haircut Has Internet in Stitches
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A feline's dramatic reaction to his sibling's new haircut has delighted social-media users after going viral on TikTok. In the hilarious clip shared earlier in June under the username @_kita00, a gray tabby cat can be seen walking slowly into his owner's living room before abruptly freezing at the sight of his brother, after getting a new lion cut. While his sibling is just hanging around unbothered, the tabby cat appears confused and startled, arching his back in fear, as if he has seen a stranger. "When your brother comes back with the whackest haircut you've ever seen," reads layover text in the clip. Experts at Beverly Hills Veterinary Associates say that shaving your cat, in most cases, is not really necessary. Their fur helps them regulate their temperature, and shaving it may cause them to feel too hot or too cold. On a few occasions, some felines may benefit from having their fur shaved, but you should consult your veterinarian if you think that is the case, and have them groomed by a professional instead of trying to do it at home. Common reasons veterinarians might recommend shaving your cat include mats that can't be combed out; flea infestations; applying medications; and frequent hairballs or excessive shedding, which are usually tamed with a lion cut or other partially shaved style. Felines with physical challenges, such as senior or obese cats, who may have trouble grooming themselves properly, may also need shaving. Stock image: A tabby cat looks surprised with its mouth open. Stock image: A tabby cat looks surprised with its mouth open. getty images The video quickly went viral on social media and has so far received over 1.2 million views and almost 200,000 likes on the platform. One user, Cookie, commented: "Excuse me! That's an adorable style. My extra spicy long fur cat gets that exact cut, under sedation, of course! It has surprised me that the other cats never react strangely when he comes home." EmmaNorman535 posted: "My kitten was like that when my other fluffy black cat got that exact hair cut. but fun fact that hair cut made my fluffy cat more sociable now he talks to humans and let's them see him and pat him." KHFairy added: "We had to give one our cats a cut like that once. my other cat hissed and swiped at him for over a week! he was so sad she wouldn't go near him lol [laugh out loud]." Newsweek reached out to @_kita00 for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Scoop
23-06-2025
- Scoop
'Nowhere To Go' For More Than 100,000 Kiwis: The Worsening Reality Of Homelessness
An advocate for people sleeping rough says homelessness is reaching 'crisis levels' and he's seeing children as young as nine turn up for emergency accommodation. What's gone wrong in Aotearoa? At 10.30am on a cold day in central Auckland, 61-year-old Cookie sits on a small blue bottle crate on the pavement, strumming his guitar and singing. The impromptu performance is taking place in Cookie's 'lounge'. On the ground next to him is his small mattress with a light duvet - that is his bedroom. All of it is surrounded by road cones to protect his patch. Cookie has lived on and off the streets for most of his life after stints in state homes, a boys home, and jail. He says he has seen a sharp rise in the number of people living rough on the streets in recent months, which puts a strain on available food and resources. Statistics back that up - according to Auckland Council, the number of people sleeping rough or in their cars in the city has risen from 426 last September to 653 this January. Cookie blames family breakdowns and a rise in mental health issues for the increase in street living, and says the latter plays a role in behavioural fallout. Experts point to several other factors as well, including unaffordable housing, a housing shortage, the cost-of-living crisis, and social and systemic factors. "If we're really honest, there's been a crisis around homelessness for a very long time in Aotearoa," says Aaron Hendry, who set up an organisation, Kick Back, to offer wraparound support for young people sleeping rough, including 24/7 accommodation, health services, and legal advice. "I think what we're seeing though is an escalating crisis." At the time of the 2023 Census, 112,496 people were estimated to be severely housing deprived. But the number of people actually living rough on the streets has jumped since then, according to those working with the homeless. "The truth is that no one, no government, has really done enough, fast enough, to respond to homelessness and to respond to youth homelessness specifically. Yet, over the last couple of years, we've seen some very intentional decisions which are exacerbating the crisis and making the experience of homelessness far more dangerous and far more likely to occur." He says one of the obvious examples is the move to introduce stricter entry criteria for emergency housing, and the requirements that make it more difficult to stay. "The reality that we have seen ... is young people going into Work and Income and asking for support for shelter and being denied that support and as a result having to sleep on the streets and not being able to get access to housing. He's seen children as young as nine turn up looking for help. "Experiencing homelessness is really, really dangerous... The consequences are significant trauma, it's often really significant mental health deterioration, physical health deterioration. In the worst-case scenario, people die in really dangerous and complex situations." He suggested New Zealand follow the lead of Wales, which trialled the "Duty to Assist" legislation, which is a homelessness prevention strategy that's been successfully implemented to enforce the human right to housing. It holds local authorities accountable for their role in preventing homelessness. "In practicality in New Zealand this would mean that if you went to Work and Income and you were sleeping on the street or maybe you were at risk of experiencing homelessness because something was going on, Work and Income would have an obligation - a legal obligation - to provide you with support to prevent that experience of homelessness or get you shelter tonight so they could start supporting you to get into stable accommodation." He has some other "simple advice" for the government. "They could roll back their emergency housing reforms, they could roll back the reforms around the welfare system, which has made it more punitive on people, they could start committing to a strong public housing build programme ... they could invest in a strategy to end and prevent homelessness. "Right now the government could make some really clear decisions to start working toward a future where homelessness doesn't exist. "If my child was sleeping on the street, on Queen Street tonight, it would be a crisis for me and I would do everything I could to make sure that that child was looked after, right? "I think our government needs to understand that they have the same level of responsibility for children in this country and for all of us as a society and we need to understand that homelessness is a crisis, and respond to it with the energy that a crisis would demand." Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.
RNZ News
22-06-2025
- RNZ News
'Nowhere to go' for more than 100,000 Kiwis: The worsening reality of homelessness
Cookie has lived on and off the streets for most of his life after stints in state homes, a boys home, and jail. Photo: Davina Zimmer At 10.30am on a cold day in central Auckland, 61-year-old Cookie sits on a small blue bottle crate on the pavement, strumming his guitar and singing. The impromptu performance is taking place in Cookie's 'lounge'. On the ground next to him is his small mattress with a light duvet - that is his bedroom. All of it is surrounded by road cones to protect his patch. Cookie has lived on and off the streets for most of his life after stints in state homes, a boys home, and jail. He says he has seen a sharp rise in the number of people living rough on the streets in recent months, which puts a strain on available food and resources. Statistics back that up - according to Auckland Council, the number of people sleeping rough or in their cars in the city has risen from 426 last September to 653 this January. Cookie blames family breakdowns and a rise in mental health issues for the increase in street living, and says the latter plays a role in behavioural fallout. Experts point to several other factors as well, including unaffordable housing, a housing shortage, the cost-of-living crisis, and social and systemic factors. "If we're really honest, there's been a crisis around homelessness for a very long time in Aotearoa," says Aaron Hendry, who set up an organisation, Kick Back, to offer wraparound support for young people sleeping rough, including 24/7 accommodation, health services, and legal advice. "I think what we're seeing though is an escalating crisis." At the time of the 2023 Census, 112,496 people were estimated to be severely housing deprived. But the number of people actually living rough on the streets has jumped since then, according to those working with the homeless. "The truth is that no one, no government, has really done enough, fast enough, to respond to homelessness and to respond to youth homelessness specifically. Yet, over the last couple of years, we've seen some very intentional decisions which are exacerbating the crisis and making the experience of homelessness far more dangerous and far more likely to occur." He says one of the obvious examples is the move to introduce stricter entry criteria for emergency housing, and the requirements that make it more difficult to stay. "The reality that we have seen ... is young people going into Work and Income and asking for support for shelter and being denied that support and as a result having to sleep on the streets and not being able to get access to housing. He's seen children as young as nine turn up looking for help. "Experiencing homelessness is really, really dangerous... The consequences are significant trauma, it's often really significant mental health deterioration, physical health deterioration. In the worst-case scenario, people die in really dangerous and complex situations." He suggested New Zealand follow the lead of Wales, which trialled the "Duty to Assist" legislation, which is a homelessness prevention strategy that's been successfully implemented to enforce the human right to housing. It holds local authorities accountable for their role in preventing homelessness. "In practicality in New Zealand this would mean that if you went to Work and Income and you were sleeping on the street or maybe you were at risk of experiencing homelessness because something was going on, Work and Income would have an obligation - a legal obligation - to provide you with support to prevent that experience of homelessness or get you shelter tonight so they could start supporting you to get into stable accommodation." He has some other "simple advice" for the government. "They could roll back their emergency housing reforms, they could roll back the reforms around the welfare system, which has made it more punitive on people, they could start committing to a strong public housing build programme ... they could invest in a strategy to end and prevent homelessness. "Right now the government could make some really clear decisions to start working toward a future where homelessness doesn't exist. "If my child was sleeping on the street, on Queen Street tonight, it would be a crisis for me and I would do everything I could to make sure that that child was looked after, right? "I think our government needs to understand that they have the same level of responsibility for children in this country and for all of us as a society and we need to understand that homelessness is a crisis, and respond to it with the energy that a crisis would demand." Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here . You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter .
Newsroom
22-06-2025
- Newsroom
‘Nowhere to go' for more than 100,000 Kiwis
At 10.30am on a cold day in central Auckland, 61-year-old Cookie sits on a small blue bottle crate on the pavement, strumming his guitar and singing. The impromptu performance is taking place in Cookie's 'lounge'. On the ground next to him is his small mattress with a light duvet – that's his bedroom. All of it is surrounded by road cones to protect his patch. Cookie has lived on and off the streets for most of his life after stints in state homes, a boys' home, and jail. He has seen a sharp rise in the number of people living rough on the streets in recent months, which puts a strain on available food and resources. Statistics back that up – according to Auckland Council, the number of people sleeping rough or in their cars in the city has risen from 426 last September to 653 this January. Cookie blames family breakdowns and a rise in mental health issues for the increase in street living, and says the latter plays a role in behavioural fallout. Experts point to several other factors as well, including unaffordable housing, a housing shortage, the cost-of-living crisis, and social and systemic factors. 'If we're really honest, there's been a crisis around homelessness for a very long time in Aotearoa,' says Aaron Hendry, who set up an organisation, Kick Back, to offer wraparound support for young people sleeping rough, including 24/7 accommodation, health services, and legal advice. 'I think what we're seeing though is an escalating crisis.' At the time of the 2023 Census, 112,496 people were estimated to be severely housing-deprived. But the number of people actually living rough on the streets has jumped since then, according to those working with the homeless. 'The truth is that no one, no government, has really done enough, fast enough, to respond to homelessness and to respond to youth homelessness specifically. Yet, over the last couple of years, we've seen some very intentional decisions which are exacerbating the crisis and making the experience of homelessness far more dangerous and far more likely to occur.' He says one of the obvious examples is the move to introduce stricter entry criteria for emergency housing, and the requirements that make it more difficult to stay. 'The reality that we have seen … is young people going into Work and Income and asking for support for shelter and being denied that support and as a result having to sleep on the streets and not being able to get access to housing. He's seen children as young as nine turn up looking for help. 'Experiencing homelessness is really, really dangerous … The consequences are significant trauma, it's often really significant mental health deterioration, physical health deterioration. In the worst-case scenario, people die in really dangerous and complex situations.' He suggested New Zealand follow the lead of Wales, which trialled the 'Duty to Assist' legislation, which is a homelessness prevention strategy that's been successfully implemented to enforce the human right to housing. It holds local authorities accountable for their role in preventing homelessness. '[It] shift[s] the mentality from homelessness being an individual problem caused by individuals to actually an understanding that homelessness is a collective responsibility,' Hendry says. 'In practicality in New Zealand this would mean that if you went to Work and Income and you were sleeping on the street or maybe you were at risk of experiencing homelessness because something was going on, Work and Income would have an obligation – a legal obligation – to provide you with support to prevent that experience of homelessness or get you shelter tonight so they could start supporting you to get into stable accommodation.' He has some other 'simple advice' for the government. 'They could roll back their emergency housing reforms, they could roll back the reforms around the welfare system, which has made it more punitive on people, they could start committing to a strong public housing build programme … they could invest in a strategy to end and prevent homelessness. 'Right now the government could make some really clear decisions to start working toward a future where homelessness doesn't exist. 'If my child was sleeping on the street, on Queen Street tonight, it would be a crisis for me and I would do everything I could to make sure that that child was looked after, right? 'I think our government needs to understand that they have the same level of responsibility for children in this country and for all of us as a society and we need to understand that homelessness is a crisis, and respond to it with the energy that a crisis would demand.' Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
