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Yearly Archives: 2018

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Rumours have been buzzing about Robert Pattinson’s new love interest, Suki Waterhouse.

The model was recently seen kissing the Twilight star while enjoying a night out together in London.

Is it possible the two are officially a couple?

Photo Credit: E! News

A source told E! News, that Robert and Suki are dating casually, and “they are definitely into each other.”

It seems as if the romance rumours are true but the two have yet to publicly confirm their relationship status.

Suki was also recently spotted out on the town with director Darren Aronofsky, but the actress’ rep quickly dispelled any speculations about her and the director.

Suki was so adamant in her denial of the relationship between her and Darren, and maybe now we know why.

 

A post shared by Suki Waterhouse (@sukiwaterhouse) on

“They are not dating nor are they together,” her rep verified. Photos also confirmed the platonic nature of their relationship.

It seems the model had her eye on Rob the whole time and who can blame her?

Robert has not been seen displaying PDA since his relationship with FKA Twigs.

 

A post shared by FKA twigs (@fkatwigs) on

Him and the singer were dating for three years and then got engaged before their devastating breakup in October.

Has the actor officially moved on? Photos from E! News seem to prove so but only time will tell. The couple could just be having a good time and enjoying being single.

Nevertheless, keep an eye on social media, we have a feeling that they may go ‘Facebook official’ soon.

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Once a month us women have to endure the utter joy that is the period. Cramps, bleeding, headaches, tender boobs, backache and acne are just some of the things we have to cope with during our ‘time of the month’.

Many women will spot little signs that warns them their period is on the way, whether that’s feeling extremely emotional or suffering a massive breakout on your chin.

We gorge on as much chocolate as we want, dose ourselves up with Feminax and rush to the local Boots to make sure our sanitary product supply is well stocked up.

I’m sure we’ve all had that moment of dread when you’re out in public and your period decides to surprise you by making an unexpected appearance.

You have no tampons or pads in your bag, but luckily there’s a pharmacy on practically every street in Ireland so all you have to do is pop in and pick up some supplies.

To many, it isn’t a major purchase, but to 50 percent of Irish women sanitary products are a mass expense.

In a study conducted by Plan International, nearly 10 percent of participants admitted they have had no choice but to use a “less than suitable sanitary product” because of the cost.

There are girls as young as 12-years-old struggling to buy pads once a month, something that shouldn’t be happening in 2018.

In recent years, the women of Ireland have proved that together we can make a difference. We no longer underestimate our power, our strength and determination to make this country a better place for women.

There are so many things you can do to help tackle period poverty in Ireland.

1: Normalise periods:

For years, women have been too ashamed to talk about their period, even though it’s a completely natural thing that nearly every woman will experience at some point in her life. We mutter phrases like, “I have my thing,” or “It’s just a girly problem,” as we avoid eye-contact and blush with embarrassment. It’s time for us to realise that simply saying: “I have my period,” is perfectly acceptable.

2: Make a donation to Homeless Period Ireland

The wonderful people at Homeless Period Ireland are trying their best to supply homeless women with sanitary products, however, they can’t do it without the public’s generosity. A packet of pads cost less than the iced white chocolate mocha you buy, so why not cut back on your daily jaunts to Starbucks and purchase some sanitary products with that money instead. There are numerous donation drop off points all around Ireland, including Cork, Limerick and Dublin. See below for the full list of drop off points and donate sanitary supplies to your fellow sisters today.

3: Sign this petition to end period poverty in Ireland:

Too many women have to suffer through their time of the month without any sanitary products or a place to shower. Susan Colgan has launched a petition to introduce free sanitary products in Ireland.

She explained why we need free sanitary products: “Toilet paper is given out for free in almost every establishment nationwide. You wouldn't be expected to keep your own roll of toilet paper in your handbag when you go out to a nightclub, a restaurant or the cinema. It's always provided for you.”

She continued: “This is because it is considered a necessity, it would be morally wrong and unhygienic not to provide it, free of charge. This is the exact same thing when it comes to menstruation. It is not a choice.”

To sign the Free Sanitary Products in Ireland petition click here.

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85,000 customers overcharged by AIB following a 'process error' are to be refunded.

The issue effects customers who successfully applied to top-up their loans via phone or online.

Releasing a statement, the bank said that the average refund will be €25.

"For customers who had successfully applied to top-up their loan, we made additional funds available, where we credited accrued interest owed from the previous loan to the customer’s loan account.

"While the customer did receive this amount as new money, it was an error. As this was a mistake, any interest charged in relation to this will be repaid. The average interest to be repaid in relation to each top-up is €25."

They will also be "reducing customer loan balances relating to interest amounts for previous loan top-ups as a result of this matter".

According to the statement, "the average loan balance reduction per top-up is €75".

The bank will contact all impacted customers, stating that customers "don't have to take any action", and all refunds will be complete by early August. 

If you wish to discuss the matter with the bank, you can contact them on their dedicated number: 0818 300 072 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday).

You can read the full statement here

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Get ready to cringe!

The excitement is doubled when your friend ties the knot and asks you to be part of their special day as a bridesmaid.

Courtney Duffy had booked flights and bought the jumpsuit that bride-to-be and friend Alexandra had chosen for her bridal party.

Courtney made every effort to be a part of her friend's big day as she would be flying across America from her college to the venue and back again in the same evening of the nuptials to make her evening university classes – if that isn't dedication, we don't know what is.

However, Alexandra wasn't so convinced and via email she informed the college student that her role as bridesmaid would be given to another friend.

The awkward email opens with Alexandra saying: “I’m so glad to hear you booked your flights.” 

“I have a massive favour to ask you though – and this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to ask anyone – but I need to ask you to relinquish your duties as bridesmaid.”

The email then goes from bad to worst as the reasoning behind her axing was her lack of participation in the day-to-day planning of the wedding. 

“The whirlwind nature of what your travel has become just won’t work with the duties as a party member,” wrote the bride-to-be.

Alexandra added, “I am so, so sorry!!” 

Courtney explained that she had missed the bachelorette trip and pre-wedding prep, in addition to flying home on the big night because of her commitment to her MBA in the American college, Dartmouth.

If you didn't think things could get anymore awkward – think again – the bride proceeds to ask for the jumpsuit to be returned so the friend replacing her could wear it. (CRINGE)

Closing the email Alexandra said: “Please don’t feel like you’re letting me down…I am asking you to do this. I love and value your friendship so much…”

As the realisation kicked in of the email contents, Courtney turned to Twitter and sent a screenshot of the email to Jet Blue airlines in a bid to get her flight refunded. 

In the since deleted tweet, Courtney explained:  “Booked my X-C flights for a wedding, then was asked ‘to relinquish’ my “duties as a bridesmaid” so another girl could fill in and wear it. I am laughing and crying and must avoid this wedding at all costs. Pls help?”

Jet Blue heard her cries and the student won't have to fork out in cancellation fees and will receive a voucher. 

The airline didn't stop there and extended their gesture of goodwill with offering the two (ex) friends a chance to clear the air and smooth over the situation with a future girls' weekend on them.

No doubt the free trip was a lovely touch, but the Internet just wasn't having any of it.

Twitter users suggested that even though it was a lovely thought, they think Courtney is better off without the bride.

"Very nice of Jet Blue – but can Courtney take a nice friend?" asked one.

"I mean, this is very sweet, but what if she doesn't want to patch up this friendship? I certainly wouldn’t," tweeted another.

"Very sweet but Courtney needs to ditch that friend. Courtney needs a trip with a real friend. I suggest Jamaica," added a user.

Courtney was clearly overwhelmed with the response and issued a series of tweets:

"Wow, did not expect this response – clearly the situation resonated. Thanks @jetblue for providing the refund I was hoping for, and thanks to everyone for chiming in with well wishes, humor, and even devil’s advocacy," she wrote. 

"Weddings have gotten totally out of control – this is about more than just an email. I’m hoping this thread reminds future lovebirds and bridal parties to keep their feet on the ground," she added in another tweet.

Call us bitter but we hope she didn't return the dress and she's sipping cocktails on that tropical islands sans the bride. 

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Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t return until the autumn time but we are already feeling excited about the upcoming season thanks to the latest casting news.

Over the years we have had to wave goodbye to some of the most iconic characters including the dashing Derek Shepherd, the fiery Cristina Yang and most recently Arizona Robbins and April Kepner.

Fans of the show will know just how upsetting character exits can be, but this season you can look forward to saying hello to a new ‘Ortho God’.

Nashville star Chris Carmack has joined the cast of the beloved medical drama series.

You may recognise the actor from his days on The O.C where he starred as Luke Ward.

Grey’s Anatomy may be returning for a fifteenth season later this year, but we could be saying goodbye to Meredith, Bailey and co. sooner than we’d like.

Fans of the show have been on an emotional roller-coaster since day one, and despite all the tears we’ve cried, we still love the show.

Ellen Pompeo, who is the star of the show, recently admitted that the end of the popular medical drama series is nearing.

She told US Weekly, "We’re getting there. Shonda and I will make that decision together. There is an end. It’s nearing.”

Grey’s Anatomy has been renewed for at least two more seasons, but who knows what will happen after season 16.

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Lindsay fans get ready – our gal is BACK.

Instead of hitting the big screen, the 32-year-old is about to take over our TV bingeing for 2019.

Lindsay took to MTV's Youtube channel to announce that she is joining their crew in a new reality show.

The clip reveals the star saying: "Pack your bags MTV, we're going to Mykonos. I've joined the MTV family, and I'm Lindsay Lohan. Get ready."

The show is fittingly named Lohan Beach Club

It follows Lindsay leading a group of "handpicked brand ambassadors" as they "strive to rise above the temptations the Mykonos nightlife scene has to offer".

 

A post shared by Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan) on

The Mean Girls actor will also co-executive produce the programme.

The Greek Islands are clearly a location close to the actor's heart.

It's her third business venture there as she already has Lohan Nightclub in Athens and Lohan Beach House Rhodes.

 

A post shared by Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan) on

Permission to get excited is granted as filming is already underway.

However, we have to wait until next year to obsess over the new MTV show. 

via GIPHY

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Right, so hear us out on this one.

Harry Styles is pretty famous, right?

He's young, good-looking and fairly recognisable wherever he goes.

So how could this 24-year-old have had a serious thing with a French-American model for twelve whole months and us not know anything about it?

More importantly, how did not one paparazzi nab more than one grainy, blurred photo of them leaving an apartment/with a jacket covering one of their heads while getting into a taxi?

I know that there are celeb couples who are extremely low-key.

They're rarely papped, they don't talk about them in interviews and you'd have to be Sherlcok f*cking Holmes to find a trace of their other half in their social media posts. 

But is that what happened here?

Basically, the nub and gist of it all is that Hazza has apparently parted ways with his missus of a year, 28-year-old Camille Rowe.

The sketchy timeline of their relationship goes as follows: they started dating last July, she met his fam in December,and they reportedly rang in 2018 together on New Year's Eve. Hmmm.

 

“Connect the dots” @williamstrobeck

A post shared by Camille Rowe -Bel (@fingermonkey) on

Look, I'm not saying it's a PR stunt (because, well, I can't hardly give Harry a ring and ask him, can I?) but it just seems a bit fishy tbh. 

Celeb journo Dan Wooton broke the story for The Sun and he says that Harry, ''called time on their romance just a fortnight after he completed his 89-date world tour.''

That's literally all he revealed so we don't have many hard and fast snippets to piece together. 

So, call me cynical but I just don't buy it.

Nevertheless, Harry, if you're reading this and ever need a shoulder to cry on, I probably (definitely) wouldn't say no. 

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Clearly, the Love Island babe has a thing for her own name.

Alexandra is a single lady after the drama with Dr Alex.

For anyone who hasn't caught up, Alex was more in love with a car than Alexandra on their date, and it was the beginning of the end for the couple.

Reportedly, love has come knocking again for Alexandra.

The beauty has been asked out by a former Love Islander and they already share something in common: their name.  

In an after party to celebrate Jack and Dani's win, the stunner was seen with another Alex.

Alex Miller seemed keen to take Alexandra on a date – and it's not hard to understand why. 

Speaking to The Sun Online, he said: "She's unbelievable, obviously. I thought that when she was in there, but what an absolute stunner."

When quizzed by the publication if anything romantic was to come from their encounter, he replied: "I literally met her five minutes ago, you need to give me a chance to take her out on a date."

Alexandra didn't dismiss the idea, but he may have his work cut out for him as she said: "It's going to take a bit of grafting.

"I don't want to put too much pressure on the situation. I'm known for doing that, It's going to have to come from you, I'm afraid."

 

A post shared by Alex Miller (@mralexmiller1990) on

Alex replied with an offer of a date, to which Alexandra said "maybe" and added that he may "slide into her DMs later." 

Their exchange mightn't come as a surprise after Alexandra confessed on Love Island's Aftersun that she fancied the hunk. 

We propose that Love Island sets them up on a date in the villa as we are already suffering from withdrawals. 

We cannot come to terms with the fact it will be 2019 before we get more Love Island drama. 

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It's coming up to that time of year again – the end of summer is approaching and that means that the Strictly season is almost upon us!

I love nothing more than curling up on the couch during those autumnal Saturday nights, with the leaves falling outside the widow, the fire roaring away and a large glass of wine in my hand.

In front of Strictly, of course. 

So no one was more excited than me when they heard that the official line-up of professional dancers had been announced.

Will the gorge Gleb make a reappearance? Is Anton still going to be clowning around on the dance floor? 

 

And so it begins… #Strictly 2018  

A post shared by BBC Strictly (@bbcstrictly) on

Sadly, it's a no to the first but Mr du Beke is definitely putting on his dancing shoes again!

Familiar faces returning are Aljaz Skorjanec, Janette Manrara, Kevin and Karen Clifton, Anton, Gorka Marquez, Giovanni Pernice, Pasha Kovalev, Nadiya Bychkova, Giovanni Pernice, Oti Mabuse. AJ Pritchard, Katya Jones, Amy Dowden and Dianne Buswell.

There are three fab new additions for 2018 and they are: Johannes Radebe, Luba Mushtuk and Graziano Di Prima.

Johannes is a two-time Professional South African Latin Champion and three time South African Amateur Latin Champion, and was a professional dancer on the South Africa version of Strictly for two seasons – and he went to the final both times. 

Luba has helped as back-up dancer an choreographer for Strictly for several years, danced in Burn the Floor and is also Giovanni Pernice's ex gf. (Bit awks there.)

Lastly, the 24-year-old ride that is Graziano has spent the last three years touring with Burn the Floor and  is an Italian Latin Champion who represented Belgium at the World Championships. 

Hardcore fans might notice that there are one or two noticeably absent pro dancers from the 2018 line-up.

Brendan Cole was let go from the series after last year, and he has since broken his silence by wishing this years cast good luck in a video on his Instagram account.

He wrote, ''to all of my @bbcstrictly friends on day one of Season 16…Wishing you a fantastic series Xx.''

The launch show is set to be aired on BBC on August 31st so get the fake tan and glitter ready – it's time to staaaart dancing!

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We adored every character in The Crown, from Queen Elizabeth herself to the dashing Antony Armstrong Jones. We even had a soft spot for Tommy Lascelles.

However, there was always one character who stood out from the crowd, the one and only Princess Margaret.

Vanessa Kirby dazzled as the rebellious royal during the first two seasons of the show. We were completely captivated by her performance, but what really grabbed our attention was the troubled life of Margaret herself.

We were stunned by just how devastating Margaret’s love life was, especially at such a young age. Our hearts ached for her when she was torn apart from Group Captain Peter Townsend.

Margaret always felt outshone by her older sister, Queen Elizabeth, and longed to be in the spotlight.

The princess will now have her moment, thanks to the BBC. They are producing a two-part documentary series based on the ‘life and loves’ of the monarch’s troubled sister.

According to The Telegraph, Vanessa Kirby’s successful performance in The Crown inspired this documentary series.

The programme is set to feature interviews with various acquaintances of the late princess, including Basil Charles, who once owned a bar on the island of Mustique, where the princess often holidayed.

 

He comments: "She was a trailblazer, she was a little bit of a rebel. She wanted to have the [royal] life but she also wanted to have a normal life.”

The series will look at her forbidden love, her rebellious ways and her struggle with living in Queen Elizabeth’s shadow.

 

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Another day, another body shaming slogan to get irked by. 

Cropping up on Living Social is a tote bag with a message that's less than positive about the way we choose to take care of our physiques. 

With over 20,000,000 results for the slogan to be found in a Google search, it's clearly a popular turn of phrase. 

However, what does the context of the phrase really say about the way we view self care. 

To be single or taken doesn't define us as people – and that's a positive message to instil. 

But to then declare the third option as being 'at the gym' rather than caring about your love life, suggests that the only way to better yourself and the worthiest consumer of your time is to improve your body through exercise. 

'Let everyone know you’re focusing on you with a statement slogan tote bag,' reads the product description. 

'First you were single, next you were in a relationship, and now… you’re focusing on you.'

Ultimately, there are many ways to personally express self care, and I firmly do not believe that weight loss is one that needs to be promoted. 

We cannot say we're impressed, as it perpetuates a societal expectation that to be worthy is to be slim. 

Living Social

Yes, working out is therapeutic, and if you have the right intentions with your gym time, then amazing, but this tote is just another example of the assumption that thin equals healthy, and it uses body shaming to do this through the slogan. 

That being said, if someone chooses to devote their time to the process of augmenting their bodies through responsible exercise control, then more power to them, but to highlight weight loss as a focal point of self improvement is not what we're about. 

Thin, fat, muscular, curvy, all bodies are good bodies and this tote forgets that. 

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Holidaymakers heading to Spain or Portugal this week are being told to expect record-breaking temperatures, especially inland.

Met Éireann have said that temperatures could reach a stifling 48°C in inland parts of the Algarve.

The last time Europe saw such extreme heat was in Athens in 1977. 

"The temperatures will be highest for inland parts of Portugal and Spain," forecaster Harm Luijkx said.

"Most people who go on holidays will go to coastal areas and temperatures will be a bit less hot there – between 30°C and 35°C.

"It might be best to avoid inland areas of Portugal and Spain for the next week or so."

The weather will be slightly different for those of us who are staying at home though.

According to Met Éireann, we should expect temperatures of between 20°C and 26°C with a "mix of showers and sunshine."

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