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Monthly Archives: January 2017

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We know he can spit a rap in Drop The Mic and multitask in Carpool Karoke, but how would James Corden fare when faced with a real-life Tony Award-winner in a Broadway Riff-Off?

The answer to that is pretty damn well if his recent musical exchange with Neil Patrick Harris is anything to go by.

Going head to head with the much-loved How I Met Your Mother star, James reminded us that when it comes to musical theatre, he really knows his stuff.

Clocking up more than 1.3 million views in just over a day, James and Neil had YouTubers falling all over themselves as they tackled classic Broadway hits.

And we'll let the lads take it from here…

 

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Following persistent rumours in recent months that Russia had fixed the Republican campaign, and were bribing Donald Trump, the President Elect has hit back.

Yesterday CNN dropped the news that Russia had compromising information on the new President.

However, Trump has dismissed the allegations as “utter nonsense” and branded it a "witch hunt".

According to CNN, the information was delivered to Trump, along with former President Barack Obama last week.

The pair were shown documents gathered by a former MI6 agent which outlined that Russian agents had obtained X-rated content of the soon-to-be White House resident.

In addition, it was alleged that the Russian operatives had been communicating with the Trump campaign during the election.

Buzzfeed published the unverified documents on their website, stating they wanted Americans to “make up their own minds”.

"The dossier, which is a collection of memos written over a period of months, includes specific, unverified, and potentially unverifiable allegations of contact between Trump aides and Russian operatives, and graphic claims of sexual acts documented by the Russians.”

"BuzzFeed News is publishing the full document so that Americans can make up their own minds about allegations about the president-elect that have circulated at the highest levels of the US government.”

Senior Trump adviser, Kellyanne Conway, has dismissed the memos, as unverified and untrue on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

 

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Discussion surrounding the blatant pay gap in Hollywood has been intensifying over the last 12 months, and the latest female star to come forward with her own story is Natalie Portman.

Speaking to Marie Claire, the Oscar-winner revealed that she has first-hand experience of the issue, and is struggling to understand her reaction to it at the time.

Referring to a film she starred in alongside Ashton Kutcher, the 35-year-old actress admitted that her male co-star earned a staggering three time more than she did.

"Ashton Kutcher was paid three times as much as me on No Strings Attached. I knew and I went along with it because there's this thing with ‘quotes’ in Hollywood," Natalie told the publication in the candid interview.

Elaborating on the justification given at the time, she continued: "His quote was three times higher than mine so they said he should get three times more."

Regrettably, Natalie did not speak up at the time of negotiation and admits that she wasn't as incensed as she should have been given the blatant gender discrimination at play.

"I wasn't as p*ssed as I should have been. I mean, we get paid a lot, so it's hard to complain, but the disparity is crazy." she reasoned.

Crazy is one word.

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Stephanie Davis has gone into labour after being admitted to hospital in her home town of Liverpool yesterday.

Rumours that she was about to give birth were sparked yesterday after the godfather of Stephanie's soon-to-arrive son tweeted that he had "never been so excited."

The 23-year-old is about to give birth to her first child with 26-year-old Irish model Jeremy McConnell. 

 

A photo posted by (@stephaniedavis88) on

The two met on last years Celebrity Big Brother, and began a whirlwind romance despite Stephanie already having a boyfriend.

“Steph is so excited that the day has finally come that she will meet her son," a friend told the Sun Online.

“At the moment she is focusing on welcoming her little boy – her priority is his safe delivery and spending some quality time with him."

 

A photo posted by (@stephaniedavis88) on

“She is grateful for fans’ support and well wishes but right now her attention is on getting to grips with being a mum.”

Jeremy is currently in Thailand enjoying a short holiday. It is not known whether he will fly home to be by Stephanie's side for the birth. 

The pair broke after Stephanie discovered he was cheating on her.

Jeremy has denied that the child is his and has said he will seek a paternity test after the birth. 

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We'll be honest – when we think 'fast food', we generally think grease, fat and more salt and vinegar than you can shake a stick at.

But food which can be prepped, cooked and consumed in record time does not have to be unhealthy.

And considering our New Year resolution had something to do with, you know, creating the body we've always wanted, it's high-time we schooled ourselves on the dishes which will fill us up and do our body good…without having to sacrifice our entire evening.

And here are just five of our absolute favourites so far.

1. Salmon with Boy Choy and Apple Slaw 

Packed full of protein and vitamins, this super-easy dish is exactly what you need when you're stuck for time, but keen to stick to resolutions.

While the salmon cooks through, you are free to prepare the slaw. And voila! A healthy dish in mere minutes.

2. Carrot & ginger immune-boosting soup

Soup is the ultimate comfort food, and there's nothing better than a comfort food which packs a nutritional punch and can be prepared in next to no time, right?

Blitz your ingredients (including your veg stock) in a blender, and then heat until piping hot. Done and done.

3. Spicy Asian Chicken Salad

Gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and low carb, this quick and easy dish seems almost too good to be true, but it can be all yours with just a few minutes in the kitchen.

This particular recipe serves four, so why not divide the remaining batch and use them for the next few day's lunches?

4. Quick Pork Chow Mein

In just 15 minutes you'll have a healthy version of one of our favourite take-away dishes – what more could you want?!

With five minutes of prep and ten minutes of cooking, this dish will stop you reaching for the takeaway menu, and tick all the boxes on the nutritional checklist.

5. Spicy sundried tomato and feta omelette

When it comes to protein-rich dishes, you can't go wrong with eggs. (And it helps that we adore feta.)

Easy to cook and oh-so versatile, this omelette is the perfect dish to prepare when the last thing you want to do is spend unnecessary time in the kitchen. 

 

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Cara Delevigne has been enjoying a slightly quieter life since she hung up her model it-girl boots to focus on her acting career. 

With nine movies and countless modelling gigs under her belt, no one could ever accuse the star of being afraid of hard work.

Unless you're a troll on Twitter, that is.

Now celebrities don't usually respond to online haters, but Cara decided that one troll in particular had gone too far. 

On a tweet where Cara expressed her excitement at her volunteering position in Uganda, a hater commented that the model "can't cash in on her eyebrows forever," and advised her to seek a "real job."

Cara clapped back, telling the troll that her volunteer work had absolutely nothing to do with her looks. 

"You are just a another thirsty man who puts people down for attention on twitter and who thinks that looks are all that's important," retorted the model.

"I have no time no another man trying to tear down a woman for being successful."

*mic drop*

Cara also responded to him personally in a series of reply tweets, in which the hater asked Cara: "Do you not know who I am? I've had a very successful career I think I know what I'm talking about."

Errrrr, okay, if you say so. Cara explained that she didn't know who he was and that his unsolicited advice was less than appreciated. 

"Well I am very famous so maybe you should update yourself on celeb culture. Anyway, I tried to help. Whatever," said the troll, who has 11,000 followers compared to Cara's 7.47 million.

The hater, named Brad "the Lad" Long, who claims to be a "media personality and showbiz journalist "who is "most famous for telling it like it is," did not relent his criticisms. 

Cara then proceeded to ignore him while tweeting images of her volunteering experiences in Uganda.

You go girl. 

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The 46A needs no introduction, it is quite simply the best bus route in the entire Dublin area – well, South Dublin anyway. 

Coming around every 10/15 minutes, neither the 145, 63 nor the 4 have any hope in stealing the coveted title.

That doesn't mean it comes without fault. Hell, we've endured enough 'Oh my gawd – I got so loike drunk last night' phone conversations to last us a life-time. 

And as it takes us from Dun Laoghaire to the Phoenix Park, anyone who has lived or lives on the 46A route will DEFINITELY relate to the following…

1. Standing on Nassau Street praying to God that you haven't missed the last bus home 'cause you REALLY can't face the Nitelink 

Please, please, please. 

2. The sheer relief when you approach UCD… and the students depart 

It'll be roomy from here on out. 

3. But if you're getting off in Stillorgan… the actual stress of squeezing down the aisle thanks to the eejits who can't hear your 'excuse me' pleas

'GET OUT OF MY WAY.'

4. The immense pride you feel as your bus driver overtakes another 46A… until yours ends up pulling in at the next stop to let another hundred passengers on

Every. Single. Time.

5. The tense moment as you approach Donnybrook garage…

'Please God, don't do the changeover. PLEASE!'

6. Walking to the next stop because you KNOW there are too many people for the driver to want to stop at this one 

'WHY must everyone get the same bus as you?!'

7. Jumping up as you approach St. Stephen's Green even though you KNOW the Dawson Street stop is ages

Just in case… 

8. The look of confusion when someone tells you the 46A doesn't go there…

'Eh, WTF is going on?' 

 

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Holly Carpenter is a woman of many talents, not only is she former Miss Ireland and a killer model, but she also has food, beauty, fashion and yes, Snapchatting down to a fine art.

With Irish Celebrity Masterchef kicking off next Monday, January 16, Holly is ready to show her skills, although even she admits that her skills aren't that of a top chef.

"I'm a little bit competitive on the show, my skills were quite basic to start off with, but then again, it's not my job. If I owned a restaurant in Ireland, it would be totally different because that's a day-to-day job.

"But I really chose to do Masterchef to have a bit of fun, learn a bit more about cooking and really challenge myself."

 

A photo posted by Holly Carpenter (@hollycarpenter) on

If you follow Holly on social media, then you'll know all about her drool-inducing foodie snaps, and she insists that making food is pretty enjoyable to her – with the Instagram snaps being an added bonus.

"I really enjoy cooking and take my time with it. But, I'm not saying I'm the best. The stuff I make is pretty basic, like avocado on toast or oat pancakes. But add a few chilly flakes to your avocado and you have a cute picture to post on Instagram. So it all works out!

"It just shows that you don't need to be extremely skilled to have a healthy, tasty meal."

We couldn't agree more. How many of us totally forget those cooking skills we learned in Home Ec?!

 

A photo posted by Holly Carpenter (@hollycarpenter) on

And as for where she gets her love for cooking? Of course, it was her mam.

"My mum was always cooking and baking. That's where I get my love for desserts from. She was always making desserts and I would get to decorate them with her."

Holly admits that it's either "go hard or go home" when it comes to indulging in sweet treats like her mother's desserts.

"I can't just have a piece of chocolate and then stop eating it. If I'm going to have something unhealthy, I might as well just eat it all. It's go hard or go home with food for me."

 

A photo posted by Holly Carpenter (@hollycarpenter) on

But the model still keeps her great shape and puts that down to not being too strict on herself and having cheat days.

"I have intended cheat meals, whether it's pizza or cake, like, I won't say no to it. But I have those specific days when I know I'll be able to indulge in something.

"Especially over Christmas, it's so hard to avoid over-eating. There's so many dinners, and drinks and nights out. It's just about putting back in some control now."

 

A photo posted by Holly Carpenter (@hollycarpenter) on

And as for what we can expect from her Masterchef debut? 

"You'll see that I can get a little bit flustered at times, but I was still kind of competitive. It's totally different from when I was on Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model. Like, modelling is what I do for a living, so if I messed up on that competition, I would have felt really bad about it.

"But I really just wanted to challenge myself with this one, and you'll see what happens."

Sure, isn't it normal to get a bit flustered? We can't wait to see what Holly cooks up on Monday, and even more so, we can't wait to see the little bit of mischief she'll bring to the show.

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Ed Sheeran has been slaying in 2017, after dropping two singles from his album to huge success.

Fans have been desperate to hear more from the red-headed singer, and he has just taken to Twitter to reveal ALL of the song names on the new album.

One song in particular caught people's eye, as it pays homage to one of the west's finest counties.

 

A photo posted by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) on

The track, entitled Galway Girl, is sure to be a complete winner in the Irish charts.

Ed also previously revealed that he will be shooting a music video for the new song in Ireland. 

“I’m definitely shooting a video for the song in Ireland,” he told Eoghan McDermott on his 2FM show. 

 

A photo posted by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) on

“I’ve got a trad band called Beoga. They’re actually from Belfast, but they’ve – it’s a fiddle, a pipe, a bodhrán and piano. And we really jam,” he explained.

“It’s going to be good. I do think I’ll never be able to play another song in Ireland again because this will be the song."

Thats not all – Ed also admitted that there will be a song about another Irish county on the website and bonus album.

“There’s a song on the bonus album that’s about Co. Wexford so there’s two Irish jams on there both with full trad.”

The also suggested that he will bo hosting auditions for the video in Ireland as he needs "proper ceili dancers." 

While we all love the original version of Galway Girl, we bet Ed's rendition will be beyond excellent. 

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Scandinavian women have a unique style we can’t help but crush over. They manage to look groomed and expensive, but at the same time, cool and undone. How do our Scandi sisters do it?

You need only look to the street style at Stockholm Fashion Week to know what we’re on about; we’re talking minimal makeup, clean lines and neutral colours, all worn with an air of insouciance.

So because we want in on the Scandi action, we’ve gone and busted the secrets to their style:

1. Shop neutrals

 

A photo posted by Wild Mind Life (@wildmindlife) on

The classic Scandinavian style is a palette of neutrals, like camel, tan, crisp white and black. Choose pieces with different textures, like tulles, crisp cottons and leathers, and layer to add more interest.

2. A great jacket is your hero piece

 

A photo posted by Leila Emine Lundsten (@l3minel) on

If you’re going to invest in any piece, it’s going to be a kick ass jacket. Key pieces are leather jackets, slick blazers and modern utility styles – just make sure you don’t compromise on quality.

3. Opt for black on black on black

 

A photo posted by Emil Jarengrim (@streetstylebyemil) on

Scandinavian women know an all-black look is the ultimate in cool. To keep it from looking too goth, they opt for modern pieces with unexpected cuts.

4. Dress for the weather

 

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You won’t see out Nordic sisters shivering for the sake of fashion. They’ve made dressing for the colder weather an art form. Think thick, soft knits, statement coats and classic accessories.  

5. Invest in some quality woollies

 

A photo posted by Leila Emine Lundsten (@l3minel) on

Which leads us to this. Woollies. It’s all about the woollies. Anything goes here: from a classic Aran sweater, to a quirky pink angora jumper, to a thick, oversized jumper dress.

6. Keep it clean and modern

The hallmark of Scandinavian style is modernity. Cuts are clean, unfussy, and at times, even utilitarian.

And Scandinavian women don’t ever let up on the style, even when it comes toting their babas around. These stylish mamas rock the Stokke Xplory range of strollers, which come in a range of neutral colours to complement their outfits, natch. And the Stroller Winter Kit even comes with uber-chic fur mittens for Mam. Queens!

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It's been almost two months since a critically-injured Kym Owens was discovered in a housing estate in Maynooth, and her family have not given up hope that those responsible for her injuries will be brought to justice.

Speaking to Sean O'Rourke on RTÉ, Kym's uncle, Thomas McNee, urged the public to come forward with any information they may have pertaining to the 18-year-old's assault last November.

Opening up about the impact the incident has had on Kym's family, Thomas said: "It's been very tough and trying on the family. They've been at her bedside every day."

"The family's lives have been turned upside down in a heartbeat. They're a good, ordinary family and their lives have just come to a complete standstill."

Kym, who is still in a medically-induced coma, sustained two broken eye sockets, a fractured jaw, and a broken nose in the attack which was carried out on November 20 last year.

Paying tribute to the first-year Arts student, Thomas told listeners: "She's a fun and bubbly person who loved her sport. She played football here and she went to school here in Castleblayney."

While Gardaí have been conducting an extensive investigation into the case, Thomas reminded the public that their assistance is of the utmost importance.

"Examine your conscious. It could be your daughter or sister in that hospital," Thomas said.

"So if you know anything please take a leap of faith and go to the Gardai and tell them what you know. Even the smallest piece of information can make a breakthrough."

Fundraising events have been held in both Maynooth and Kym's native Castleblayney over the course of the last seven weeks.

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Pretty Little Liars is about to embark on its final season (*sob*) but the adventures of Aria, Emily, Spencer, Hanna and Alison might not be over just yet. 

The final ten episodes of the Rosewood show are set to air in April, but filming on the TV show has officially ceased.

However, creator I. Marlene King managed to get all of our hopes up after she revealed that there might be a PLL reboot in the far off future.

Image result for pretty little liars

"I feel like we'll find a way to bring these characters and this world back together at some point in time," she told TV Line.

"We will bring back this cast and girls together at some point in time. Maybe not in two years but soon."

The shows creator also shared a few sneaky insights into the upcoming season. 

She shared that he last season is about a board game created by A, which the girls are forced to play.

"The stakes are incredibly high,” King teased.

There will be a one-year time jump before the show ends, and there will be a musical episode included in the final 10. 

Haleb fan? Well you're in luck: “The couples who are meant to be together will find their way back together,” said King. 

We're more excited than ever for the final season!

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