Latest news with #TheDumpingGround
Western Telegraph
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Hollyoaks star helping to rehome dog from Many Tears Rescue
Malique Thompson-Dwyer, best known for his role as Prince McQueen on Channel 4's Hollyoaks, has joined the search to find a special home for Promise, a long-term resident at Many Tears Animal Rescue in Llanelli. Promise, described by the rescue as a "forever pup," has complex needs and has not received a single rehoming enquiry despite months in care. Mr Thompson-Dwyer said: "I fell for the little guy immediately and was so tempted to apply to adopt him myself, but he needs a home where someone can devote more of their time to him than I can. "Even my mum was trying to work out a way so we could as a family adopt him. "If I can help Sylvia find him the special home he deserves though, I will be really pleased." Promise has been described as a 'forever pup' (Image: Many Tears Animal Rescue) The actor, who has rescue dogs himself, became aware of Promise's situation through a mutual friend and met Many Tears founder Sylvia Vanatta earlier this year. Many Tears Animal Rescue primarily takes in ex-breeding dogs that have never experienced life in a home or known human kindness. Since its founding, the rescue has rehomed nearly 40,000 dogs. Ms Vanatta said: "I called him Promise as I made a promise to him that I would never give up on him. "On arrival he showed obvious signs of complex needs. "He had no spatial awareness, had very little control of his body, and was walking into everything. "He didn't respond to human attention at all. "He also didn't sniff, which is unheard of; it was as if his brain did not work like any other dog we had known." Despite his challenges, Promise has made remarkable progress with the help of the rescue's dedicated staff. Ms Vanatta said: "Through the sheer dedication of the staff here at the rescue, he now responds to his name, runs around without falling down, plays with a ball, and is learning 'how to be a dog'. "He's adorable. "It's very likely that he will always be pup-like, which means he needs a very special person to watch out for him on his behalf. "For example, he doesn't recognise dangers. "It will be like dealing with a toddler." Hollyoaks star Malique Thompson-Dwyer is hoping to help Promise find his forever home (Image: Many Tears Animal Rescue) Mr Thompson-Dwyer hopes his involvement will help find Promise the right home. He said: "The search for the perfect owner starts here." He has recorded a video about Promise that has been shared on social media by both himself and the charity. Mr Thompson-Dwyer said: "Sylvia has invited me down to the charity again. "She is a remarkable woman and the work the charity does is equally as remarkable." The actor first gained recognition on CBBC's The Dumping Ground and has since appeared in Guy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! He was the youngest contestant in the history of the latter show at the time, taking part at just 20 years old. Anyone who believes they could offer Promise, or another dog at the rescue, a loving home is encouraged to visit for more information.
South Wales Guardian
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Hollyoaks star helping to rehome dog from Many Tears Rescue
Malique Thompson-Dwyer, best known for his role as Prince McQueen on Channel 4's Hollyoaks, has joined the search to find a special home for Promise, a long-term resident at Many Tears Animal Rescue in Llanelli. Promise, described by the rescue as a "forever pup," has complex needs and has not received a single rehoming enquiry despite months in care. Mr Thompson-Dwyer said: "I fell for the little guy immediately and was so tempted to apply to adopt him myself, but he needs a home where someone can devote more of their time to him than I can. "Even my mum was trying to work out a way so we could as a family adopt him. "If I can help Sylvia find him the special home he deserves though, I will be really pleased." Promise has been described as a 'forever pup' (Image: Many Tears Animal Rescue) The actor, who has rescue dogs himself, became aware of Promise's situation through a mutual friend and met Many Tears founder Sylvia Vanatta earlier this year. Many Tears Animal Rescue primarily takes in ex-breeding dogs that have never experienced life in a home or known human kindness. Since its founding, the rescue has rehomed nearly 40,000 dogs. Read more Ms Vanatta said: "I called him Promise as I made a promise to him that I would never give up on him. "On arrival he showed obvious signs of complex needs. "He had no spatial awareness, had very little control of his body, and was walking into everything. "He didn't respond to human attention at all. "He also didn't sniff, which is unheard of; it was as if his brain did not work like any other dog we had known." Despite his challenges, Promise has made remarkable progress with the help of the rescue's dedicated staff. Ms Vanatta said: "Through the sheer dedication of the staff here at the rescue, he now responds to his name, runs around without falling down, plays with a ball, and is learning 'how to be a dog'. "He's adorable. "It's very likely that he will always be pup-like, which means he needs a very special person to watch out for him on his behalf. "For example, he doesn't recognise dangers. "It will be like dealing with a toddler." Hollyoaks star Malique Thompson-Dwyer is hoping to help Promise find his forever home (Image: Many Tears Animal Rescue) Mr Thompson-Dwyer hopes his involvement will help find Promise the right home. He said: "The search for the perfect owner starts here." He has recorded a video about Promise that has been shared on social media by both himself and the charity. Mr Thompson-Dwyer said: "Sylvia has invited me down to the charity again. "She is a remarkable woman and the work the charity does is equally as remarkable." The actor first gained recognition on CBBC's The Dumping Ground and has since appeared in Guy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! He was the youngest contestant in the history of the latter show at the time, taking part at just 20 years old. Anyone who believes they could offer Promise, or another dog at the rescue, a loving home is encouraged to visit for more information.
Daily Record
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Outlander star Sophie Skelton's stunning London apartment that comes complete with adorable pooch
Sophie Skelton plays Brianna MacKenzie in the hit Starz show Outlander fans are still patiently waiting for the eighth and final series to hit our screens even though the filming for it has concluded. Cast members of the show are enjoying time at home after filming for its eighth series wrapped. One cast member who is enjoying some downtime is Sophie Skelton, who plays Brianna MacKenzie - the daughter of Jamie and Claire Fraser in the show. Even though she plays an American/Scottish character, Sophie, was born in Woodford, England. She was a child actress, first appearing in a couple of episodes of ITV drama DCI Banks in 2012 when she was about 18. It was then the following year that she played a character called Esme in the Tracy Beaker spin-off series The Dumping Ground and then Waterloo Road as Eve Boston. Some of her other roles included Doctors, Foyle's War, So Awkward, Casualty and Ren, before joining the cast of Outlander in 2016 as Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser's (Caitriona Balfe) daughter Brianna Fraser. While the end is now in sight for Outlander, the actress already has another project lined up in the shape of a psychological thriller. Entitled Row is a film about a 'failed trans-Atlantic WR attempt', when a woman washes ashore on a rowing boat and all of her crew mates are missing and presumed dead. It is then up to her to try and piece together her 'fractured memories of the ordeal to prove her innocence'. Outlander has taken Sophie all over the world but London is where she calls home. Let's take a look inside Sophie's cosy apartment... High ceilings Living room Dressing room
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tracy Beaker star Dani Harmer reveals she's been diagnosed with perimenopause: ‘I felt like I was being possessed'
Tracy Beaker star Dani Harmer has revealed that she has been diagnosed with perimenopause after noticing symptoms related to her mental health. The 36-year-old actor, who rose to fame for her starring role in the CBBC TV adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's novel The Story of Tracy Beaker, explained in a new TikTok video that she went to the doctors after experiencing brain fog, night sweats and difficulties with her mental health. In the video, Harmer pulled back some of her hair to reveal that her curly hair, which had become known as Tracy Beaker's signature locks, was thinning out as a result of the condition. 'I am losing it – it is thinning so badly you can see, like, the bald patches coming in, but just, like, the texture. It's thinning – it's bad, right?' she said. She added that the hair loss was 'getting me down' and that she was considering going to a salon to have curly hair extensions installed. Speaking about obtaining her diagnosis, Harmer revealed that it was her husband, Simon Brough, who encouraged her to get a diagnosis after her 'whole personality had pretty much changed'. 'There was just too much to ignore,' she said. 'I felt like I was being possessed by someone else; it was horrible – I was just getting deeper and deeper into a dark depression.' The actor is now managing her symptoms with the menopause treatment Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), which was prescribed after her doctor had run tests for different conditions, including cancer and coeliac disease. She said that the treatment has made her feel like herself again and that she had lost the weight that she had gained during lockdown, but her periods were 'all over the place'. Perimenopause is when a person has the symptoms of menopause but the periods have not stopped. The condition becomes menopause when a person fails to have a period for 12 months. Menopause is when periods stop due to lower hormone levels, which typically affects women between the ages of 45 and 55, but it can happen earlier. Menopause and perimenopause can cause symptoms like anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, hot flushes and irregular periods. These symptoms can start years before your periods stop and carry on afterwards. Harmer encouraged her fans who have had similar symptoms to seek medical advice and 'do not suffer', adding: 'Some of the symptoms are horrendous and you can spiral so quickly. I was really glad I went and got help.' The actor and her partner welcomed their first child, Avarie-Belle, in 2016. They had a second baby, Rowan, in 2022. Harmer appeared in The Story of Tracy Beaker from 2002 to 2005, before appearing in spin-offsTracy Beaker Returns (2009) and TheDumping Ground (2013).
Scottish Sun
26-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Former child star, 36, bravely opens up about perimenopause diagnosis
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FORMER child star has left people stunned after revealing she's been diagnosed with perimenopause. Dani Harmer is most famous for playing Tracy Beaker - Jacqueline Wilson's curly-haired schoolgirl - in the TV show from 2002 to 2005. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Dani Harmer took to TikTok to open up about her struggle with perimenopause Credit: tiktok/@ 3 She said that she's been really suffering with hair loss Credit: tiktok/@ 3 Dani is most famous for playing curly-haired schoolgirl Tracy Beaker in the TV adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's books Credit: CBBC She also reprised the role in the spinoffs Tracy Beaker Returns in 2010, The Dumping Ground in 2013, and My Mum Tracy Beaker and The Beaker Girls in 2021. Dani is now 36, and opened up about her health struggle in a video on her TikTok page, as she admitted it's taken a massive toll on her famous ringlets. "I have been diagnosed with perimenopause," she said. "And what I need your help with is my hair. "I am losing it like it is thinning so badly like you can see like the bald patches coming in but just like the texture. "It's thinning - it's bad right." She went on to ask whether she should get hair extensions, but added she was worried that they would make her tresses even worse. "It could be a terrible idea. it might make my hair even worse to be honest but it's really getting me down now!" she admitted, adding that she's also taking collagen supplements after being gifted them. As for how she was diagnosed with perimenopause, Dani admitted it was her husband Simon who first noticed that her " whole personality had pretty much changed". In addition to an increase in her depression and anxiety, she had bad "brain fog", night sweats and sleep interruptions. I've always had very thin hair but perimenopause made it worse -my little secret from Amazon fills in my bald spots "There was just too much to ignore," Dani admitted. So she went to the GP, saw a female doctor, and got a "diagnosis pretty swiftly". They also did blood tests to rule anything else out. "I felt like I was being possessed by someone else, it was horrible - I was just getting deeper and deeper into a dark depression," she sighed. "So I'm really glad that I went and I got help. "My doctor was more than happy to put me on HRT." What is the menopause and how does it affect women? The menopause is a transitional period all women go through in mid-life. Hormones related to the reproductive system deplete namely oestrogen, over a period of time. This doesn't just cause periods to stop. Sex hormones act all over the body, from the brain, skin, vagina and more. Therefore, dozens of symptoms affect all areas of the body, to varying degrees. Women's experiences of menopause vary greatly. While some breeze through it, others' lives are significantly impacted. It can feel as though it lasts a couple of years, or for decades. It cannot be predicted how each woman will fare. When is menopause? Perimenopause is when symptoms start but periods have not yet stopped, although they will be irregular. This can start in the early 40s. Menopause is when periods have completely stopped for a year. The average age this happens is 51, but it can be any time from 45 to 55, according to the NHS. The term 'menopause' is used to describe the experience overall. Menopause before the age of 45 is called early menopause, affecting five per cent of women. Menopause before the age of 40 is called premature menopause, affecting one per cent of women before 40 and 0.1 per cent of women under 30. This may happen for no clear reason, but also as a result of surgery, genetics or medications. A year after that the final period, a woman is considered to be entering the post-menopausal stage. How does it impact a woman's life? The menopause can be an extremely testing time in a woman's life and for those around her. The body is going through a significant change, and the symptoms that come with it can feel alien, with women sometimes describing a loss of sense of self. Physical symptoms include hot flushes (a sudden feeling of heat in the face, neck and chest), difficulty sleeping, night sweats, heart palpitations, headaches, muscle and joint aches, weight skin, skin changes, reduced libido, vaginal dryness and more. Symptoms affecting mental health or cognition include brain fog, memory loss, low mood, anxiety, low self-esteem and irritation. There are ways to manage symptoms and cope with menopause - and women need to know that they are not alone in facing it. Medication, such as HRT or oestrogen gel, can help attack the symptoms. However, experts often say it needs a rounded approach incorporating good lifestyle habits, such as a balanced diet and less alcohol. Many women report that their life began after menopause after it drew them to a healthier way of living. However, the huge burden it can have - on work, family life and more - is important for society to recognise, as adapting policies at work, for example, can make it easier for women to stick with their job. Read more about menopause on The Sun's Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign. Dani said she's been on HRT for around 18 months, and "feels like myself again". She's also lost the weight she gained during lockdown. And while she still has the "odd hot flush and stuff", the only lasting side effect is the hair loss. Dani concluded her video by offering to try and answer any questions anyone wanted to ask her about perimenopause. "I'm definitely no expert at all! But if anyone has any questions I'll try and answer using my experiences," she added in the caption. In the comments section, people shared their hair regrowth tips for Dani, with one writing: "Kerastase Genesis serum, once a day". "Oil once a week on hair wash day and your hair will be thicker in a month." "Try weleda hair tonic! It's so good," another added. "Rosemary oil on TikTok shop," a third commented. While others praised Dani for speaking about her perimenopause struggle. "I think I'm suffering with perimenopause too!" one wrote. "Kinda scary as I'm 34, but this video makes me feel so much better about it." "So proud of you talking about this babe," another added. As a third said: "Thanks so much for talking about it. I've felt so alone and confused at times with it!!" One person admitted they'd been left stunned by the fact Dani was old enough to have perimenopause - considering they still think of her as a teenager in Tracy Beaker. "Whaaaaat? You're about 17yrs old!" they exclaimed.
