Latest news with #HowToFail
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AJ Odudu confirms surprise engagement as she unveils mystery fiancé
AJ Odudu has announced that she's engaged, revealing the news with a series of intimate black-and-white photos shared on Instagram. The Big Brother presenter posted a carousel of affectionate snaps with her now-fiancé, debuting their relationship online. In the images, Odudu flashed a striking diamond ring, confirming the engagement with a simple caption: 'Hiya love' followed by a ring and heart emoji. The announcement marks the first time the 37-year-old has shown her fiancé's face publicly, though she has chosen not to disclose his identity. Friends and followers quickly flooded the comments with messages of support and congratulations, many expressing their delight at the announcement. Loose Women's Judi Love wrote in the comments: 'Babessssss this is absolutely beautiful congratulations sweeties xxx.' 'Wonderful news!!' wrote Ben Shephard while Olly Murs commented: 'Awww buzzing for ya AJ!! Huge congratulations. Love these pics.' Celebrity Big Brother's David Potts added: 'IMAGINE THE DRESS!!!!!!' Strictly Come Dancing professional Johannes Radebe wrote: "Awww congrats.' Fans also described the announcement as the 'hardest of hard launches' and 'couple of the bloody decade'. Although this is Odudu's first confirmation of her relationship, she hinted at having a partner in March last year. While on holiday in New York, the presenter shared a photo of her foot next to another person's trainer-clad foot, captioning the image: 'It's very this…' with a heart emoji. Odudu has previously spoken candidly about challenges in her love life. Appearing on the How To Fail podcast, she recalled discovering a former boyfriend had been unfaithful. She shared at the time: 'To walk in on that, I was stunned. I asked her to put her clothes back on and follow me outside and answer all of my questions.' The TV star described experiencing 'years of trauma' following the incident. Previously, Odudu shared that she preferred meeting people organically rather than through dating applications. She told MailOnline: 'I've used Raya in the past and apps like Hinge, but no I just don't meet anyone. 'I'm still hoping that I'll meet my man through a friend and he'll of been there all along, you know what I mean?'
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Simon Cowell flashes a huge smile despite getting 'lost' during sun-soaked outing on his £8K e-bike - five years after breaking his back in horror cycle crash
Simon Cowell flashed a huge smile despite getting lost amid a sun-soaked outing on his £8K e-bike in Central London on Sunday. The music mogul, 65, was spotted by a surprised fan as he cycled through the busy streets, before stopping to chat with them outside a pub. Simon, who broke his back after falling from a similar model in 2020, wore a black puffer jacket and shorts while shielding his eyes behind shades. In a clip shared to TikTok fans in a passing car were stunned to see the Britain's Got Talent judge and pulled over to ask if he was 'scared' cycling amongst the traffic. Cool as a cucumber Simon quipped: 'I got lost, but it's quicker' before promising them he would be safe as he carried on his journey. Earlier this month, the TV star revealed fearing he would never walk again following the near-fatal crash five years ago. Simon was thrown off an electric bike when he was testing the vehicle at his home in Malibu, California. He underwent extensive surgery after the shock accident including having a metal rod put in his back to stabilise it and he has overhauled his lifestyle in the years since. Now, Simon has spoken more about the devastating impact of the crash, revealing his surgeon didn't know if he'd be able to ' fix' his back due to the severity of the injury. Speaking to Elizabeth Day on the How To Fail podcast, Simon revealed he 'could have died' in the accident and his surgeon warned him he might never walk again. He shared: 'He showed me the X-ray and he said ''look, I'm not going to lie Simon, I don't know if I can fix this, which means you probably won't walk and secondly, the operation could take 11 hours''. 'They said the obvious - it could go wrong - and all I could think about was my family and everything. In that moment you kind of realise the most important thing is your health and don't do stupid things.' The former X Factor judge said the horror accident was a major 'wake-up call' about his 'crazy' lifestyle and taught him to stop taking risks in life. 'It was a wake-up moment, which is I'm crazy,' he explained. 'It kind of happened for a reason because I thought I was fit but then when I had to do all the physio after, just walking, they make you walk very quickly, I pretty much couldn't move and then I started to walk a lot and thought ''oh God, I was in a really bad place''.' Reflecting on the accident itself, Simon revealed he was thrown from his e-bike after it did a massive 'wheelie' due to the power of the throttle, and said he immediately knew he had broken his back. 'I shipped it in from England, couldn't wait to drive it. I was in the driveway and my son was there and I pulled the throttle, it did the biggest wheelie and it threw me like 7-8ft in the air,' he said. 'I landed on my back and the second I landed I thought ''s**t, I know I've broken my back'' because I could feel it. 'The first thing I did was ''can I move my hands?'', yes, ''can I move my feet?'', yes, OK, that's not too bad.' Though his surgeon initially feared he would be paralysed from the accident, Simon has made a full recovery and says he is now fitter than he was before the crash. He has since shed three stone and has gradually ditched smoking, which saw him have 80 cigarettes a day at the height of his habit. In 2023, he told The Sun: 'I was so close to living the rest of my life in a wheelchair, it gives you a completely different outlook on life. In a positive way. 'It hurt - trust me - when it happened, but good things happened off the back of it.' Simon said it led him to realise his health was 'more important' than anything else and he completely overhauled his lifestyle to find a better work-life balance. The accident also made him focus on his family life with his partner Lauren Silverman and their son Eric, 11, and he also cut down on his work amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Simon previously smoked up to 80 cigarettes per day before reducing his use to just two each day in 2017 after falling down the stairs of his London home. He used to work through the entire night, but he now refuses to work past 6pm or on his days off.
Metro
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Claudia Winkleman 'eternally grateful' after undergoing surgery
Claudia Winkleman has undergone eye surgery, she has revealed. The Traitors host, 53, has taken to social media to thank her eye surgeon for operating on her today. 'This amazing human makes me see. He's operated on my eyes before and he did it again today,' she said on Instagram, alongside a picture of her next to Dr Julian Stevens. 'No eyeliner for weeks and I sleep in googles (no words) but I'm eternally grateful,' she added. 'Do NOT zoom in on my left eye – it's wonky. Thank you Julian. I paid for the treatment, this isn't an ad. I just love him. It's very possible I'm still a bit sedated. Night night.' The Strictly presenter's comments section was flooded with support from well-wishers, as follower Suzanne Robinson said: 'Get well soon.' 'Love you !! Hope you feel better. Amazing man,' said ava_xoox while gurcharan_davany added: 'Speedy recovery eyeliner queen.' While it's not clear why Claudia underwent the surgery this time, she's previously been open about suffering with severe short-sightedness, which means she can't see objects far away. Speaking on the How To Fail podcast in 2023 about how she doesn't take too much notice of her appearance, Claudia explained: 'I was born, I think with minus 15 [eyes], so I've never really been able to see my face. It's all guesswork.' Claudia – who is known for her iconic long fringe – went on to say she's had operations because she was 'banging into walls' and she now wears lenses and glasses. However, despite laser eye surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital, Claudia found her vision was still blurry. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video She added: 'I've always had terrible eyesight, which is going back to the blurriness of the paintings I like, and the blurriness of how I'd really like life to be, which is no overhead lights – 17th century is where I would have absolutely smashed it.' Finding lightness in her eye issues – and acknowledging her trademark black eyeliner – Claudia said: 'Often when the kids have been playing with my phone with the camera switched round and I have to call somebody or I'm making a call, I'm like 'I don't understand why Ozzy Osbourne..I didn't even invite him round', and then I'm like, 'Ah, it's me.' More Trending Earlier this year, Claudia also touched on her condition on Gabby Logan's The Mid Point podcast. 'I've had so many operations on my eyes. I had a lens replacement in my left eye because my astigmatism was so bad I was minus 16, but that was 14 years ago,' she said. Claudia explained how she then became long-sighted: 'Then I had a little fiddle with but because I was so short sighted by then fixing it I'm now long sighted so I can't really read any more. 'I can with glasses, I've got plus 2.5 but I can't read The Bee Sting with those glasses and that light.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Stephen Fry reveals why he put himself through 'agony' of Celebrity Traitors MORE: BBC drops brand new season of The Traitors and you can binge all 12 episodes MORE: Strictly legend 'almost missed deadline' to accept honour in King's birthday list
Toronto Star
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Gillian Anderson had an epiphany that changed how she saw aging: ‘Why waste time?'
Gillian Anderson does not mince words. Speaking about wellness culture and the pressure to self-optimize on the podcast 'How To Fail' in 2023, she said in a calm, matter of fact and confident tone: 'I realized that anytime somebody tells me to do something, I'm going to say f—k off.' In a culture where women still feel obliged to be people pleasers, the 56-year-old actress makes being forthright look easy. When we spoke over video call from the Cannes Film Festival, where Anderson was attending L'Oréal Paris' Lights on Women's Worth Award, I asked if she's always been able to set boundaries. 'I was quite a rebellious teenager,' she said. Yet it wasn't until her 40s that she felt able to speak her mind without fear, without worrying about what other people thought. 'It was almost like something that pre-existed but I didn't realize how valuable it was, and that it was something that I could actually vocalize and delight in,' she said. 'There was something that felt really good about having that.'
Hamilton Spectator
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Gillian Anderson had an epiphany that changed how she saw aging: ‘Why waste time?'
Gillian Anderson does not mince words. Speaking about wellness culture and the pressure to self-optimize on the podcast 'How To Fail' in 2023, she said in a calm, matter of fact and confident tone: 'I realized that anytime somebody tells me to do something, I'm going to say f—k off.' In a culture where women still feel obliged to be people pleasers, the 56-year-old actress makes being forthright look easy. When we spoke over video call from the Cannes Film Festival, where Anderson was attending L'Oréal Paris' Lights on Women's Worth Award, I asked if she's always been able to set boundaries. 'I was quite a rebellious teenager,' she said. Yet it wasn't until her 40s that she felt able to speak her mind without fear, without worrying about what other people thought. 'It was almost like something that pre-existed but I didn't realize how valuable it was, and that it was something that I could actually vocalize and delight in,' she said. 'There was something that felt really good about having that.' Gillian Anderson at the L'Oréal Lights on Women Award at the Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2025. Anderson has also become more vocal about women's sexual pleasure. A far remove from how most of us came to know her — as brainy, buttoned-up agent Dana Scully from the '90s TV show 'The X-Files' — this sex-positive persona seemed to be a spillover from her role as a sex therapist on Netflix's 'Sex Education.' When Anderson was nominated for a Golden Globe for her work on the show in 2024, she wore a strapless Gabriela Hearst gown subtly decorated with white embroidered vulvas. Gillian Anderson at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards in a white gown embroidered with vulvas. Last year, she published 'Want: Sexual Fantasies by Anonymous,' a collection of women's sexual fantasies which were submitted from all over the world; she also has a functional soft drinks brand, G Spot, which includes the flavour, 'Arouse.' In this, and in everything she does, Anderson proves that life after 50 is full of possibility. 'I certainly feel that and have been embracing that and really properly leaning into it and taking advantage of it,' she said. 'What's interesting is when I've been asked about it, there's part of my brain that just thinks, 'Well, of course. I mean, why wouldn't it be?'' Still, Anderson said leaving behind her youth wasn't a seamless transition. She experienced two periods of 'deep grief, real sadness and feeling of loss,' one in her late 30s, another in her early 40s, sparked by the realization that she was on the other side of something. In her 40s, she had a mind-altering epiphany: she was the youngest she was ever going to be for the rest of her life. 'It was like, my brain exploded,' she said. 'It's such an obvious thing to say, but at the same time, this is right now. Appreciate where you are right now. Why waste time?' But she understands why many of us feel apprehensive about what life has in store once we hit the midpoint, and why we delight in witnessing women over 50 in popular culture thrive. 'To see women our age showing that not only is there a next, but it's a really fantastic next is really important,' said Anderson, who recently landed her first beauty contract earlier this year, as a face of L'Oréal Paris's Age Perfect line. 'I encourage women to look forward to this time and not be afraid of this time, but to know that it can be incredibly positive and empowering — actually more empowering than some of the other decades that we've lived.' Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs at a London screening of 'The Salt Path.' As Anderson has progressed further into her career, she's begun working with more women directors — including on 'The Salt Path,' out later this month. The film, based on writer Raynor Winn's memoir, is a drama about a married couple who walk across the south west coast of England after becoming homeless. It was directed by Marianne Elliott, and the crew was populated with many women, including a producer and the director of photography. 'Anytime I see a woman director, I celebrate it. It's just a very different vibe,' Anderson said, comparing the atmosphere to the 'very male-centred, very macho' sets that she's become accustomed to. From here, Anderson is feeling ready for whatever is next. 'I'm not afraid of my age or the changes that are happening. I feel proud to be the age that I am,' she said. 'I'm continuing to build and to grow and do what I set my mind to.'
