Latest news with #Caroline
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Government to ban depictions of choking and suffocation in adult film content
The UK government will ban choking in porn, as Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson says 'there is absolutely no place for violent, misogynistic and harmful content online' Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson has made a firm commitment to outlaw pornography that depicts acts of strangulation and suffocation. The ban will now be implemented through an amendment to the Government's Crime and Policing Bill, which will be introduced by peers after the comprehensive draft legislation successfully passed through the Commons on June 18. In a resolute statement, Dame Diana asserted that: "there is absolutely no place for violent, misogynistic and harmful content online", following calls from multiple MPs to broaden the scope of what constitutes "extreme pornographic images". Conservative former minister Dame Caroline Dinenage had attempted to modify the Bill in the Commons by proposing a new clause, but her efforts were rejected by 310 votes to 114, a majority of 196. Dame Caroline's proposed clause aimed to prohibit images and videos showcasing "an act which affects a person's ability to breathe and constitutes battery of that person". 'Strangling your partner in bed is not safe' During the debate, Dame Caroline urged her fellow MPs to take action, stating: "We need to send a signal that strangling your partner in bed is not safe. It can be a precursor to coercive, abusive behaviour." As chairwoman of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Dame Caroline further highlighted the prevalence of online pornography in the UK, revealing that over 10 million adults access it every month, with the majority being men. While acknowledging individual freedoms, Dame Caroline also pointed to disturbing research findings that show one in 10 children have been exposed to online pornography by the age of nine. "Unfortunately, it is the guide that many young people use to learn about sex, and that is why I'm extremely worried that non-fatal strangulation has been found to be rife on porn sites." Home Affairs Committee chairwoman Dame Karen Bradley, who previously served as culture secretary for the Conservatives, lent her support to the ban, telling the Commons: "This is not impacting on what people may wish to do in their private lives, but it does mean that those images would not then be available to be seen in pornographic films." Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you! She continued, underscoring child protection concerns: "And it means that there's protection for children who may be looking at this pornography. We don't want them to look at it, but we're realists, we recognise this happens, and it would mean that this doesn't normalise something which is a really dangerous act and really should not be being promoted in any way." The push for such a prohibition included Labour MP for Lowestoft Jess Asato, who had proposed a similar ban targeting depictions of "an act of choking, suffocating or strangling another person", though it wasn't brought to a vote. 'There is no place for violent, misogynistic content online' In response, Dame Diana expressed her views firmly: "There is absolutely no place for violent, misogynistic and harmful content online that perpetuates violent views against women and girls and has the effect of doing them great harm." Her stance reflected deep concern over patterns of consumption leading to violent behaviours: "We know that the increasing prevalence of this kind of content outlined in this amendment is fuelling violent sexual encounters." Dame Diana acknowledged some technical shortcomings yet supported the intent behind the amendments: "While there are issues with the drafting for both these new clauses, the Government supports their underlying aim." The commitment to tackle explicit content took a vital step forward as it was announced: "Accordingly, I am pleased to say that we will bring forward amendments in the Lords to criminalise pornography depicting strangulation and suffocation." Should the Bill succeed, it will establish novel respect orders, part of the Government's strategy to clamp down on antisocial behaviour and implement a new obligation for reporting suspected child sex offences to police and councils in England. Dame Diana also highlighted forthcoming plans, revealing: "The new violence against women and girls strategy will set out improvements in the way that we are going to tackle sexual harassment, and that's due to be published before the summer recess." The Bill in question successfully passed through the Commons with a significant majority of 217 votes, tallying at 312 to 95, and is now set for more detailed examination in the House of Lords.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
I drank 4 bottles of wine a day after getting dumped, not even AA or a broken face could stop me…a call changed it all
MY world fell apart on New Year's Eve 2008 when my fiance of six years told me he didn't love me anymore. I moved out of his flat that we shared the next day - heartbroken and lost. I didn't know what to do with the emotional pain, so I drank. Advertisement 7 Amy now, having been sober for six years Credit: supplied 7 Amy's relationship with alcohol was a desperate coping mechanism Credit: SUPPLIED My relationship with alcohol quickly shifted from something social to a desperate coping mechanism. Nights were spent in a local pub with friends, and bottles of wine consumed with my mum Caroline until the anger or sadness passed. I wouldn't go out sober. Drinking felt essential. It gave me confidence, made me feel fun. But things began to spiral. I lost my job at New Look not long after. Someone had complained I smelled of alcohol. Advertisement READ MORE REAL LIFE STORIES That part wasn't upheld - but instead of seeing it as a warning sign, I used it as justification. I told myself it was their fault I'd lost my job. It didn't stop me drinking - I drank more. In the jobs that followed, mainly in retail, I'd count down the hours until I could get home and pour a glass of wine. I was high-functioning enough that no one really knew. Or, at least, no one said anything. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous By 2015, I started hiding bottles of booze. That's when I knew, deep down, that something wasn't right. But I convinced myself it was no one else's business. I was living at my mum's while saving to move to Cambodia. I drank 7 bottles of vodka & 30 glasses of wine a week- I smashed teeth & was fired for being drunk, the booze broke me A friend had told me it was really nice and I thought a change of country might change me. But one night I came home from drinking, and my mum had lined up all the empty booze bottles on the kitchen side. There were about 15. Advertisement She had found them shoved at the back of my wardrobe. I still remember the look on her face. There was no shouting - just quiet heartbreak. Moving to Cambodia on my own in 2016 gave me total freedom - but it also gave me a deep sense of loneliness. I was teaching English as a foreign language to young children, and lived with a woman from New Zealand in an apartment in Phnom Penh. But my behaviour didn't change. One night I'd ended up at a casino with a group of men I'd met in a bar, phone dead, no way for anyone to reach me. Advertisement My housemate panicked so called my mum. I thought they were overreacting. That was my mindset. I hoped coming back to the UK after a year would fix me - but even on the flight back, and drinking a beer at the airport, I knew it wouldn't. 7 Amy once drank so much she fell and fractured her face Credit: supplied I got my own place, which meant there was no one around to see what I was doing. Advertisement My mum tried to talk to me gently about it sometimes, and I'd make these half-hearted promises to cut down. But the truth is, living alone made it way too easy to carry on. Then came Christmas 2018 when I was 38. I was working in a pub, and after one of my shifts, I drank way too much. I ended up drink-driving home. I don't even remember doing it. My colleagues were so concerned they called the police. But again, I didn't see the danger - or my own responsibility. I blamed them. In my head, I was the victim. I never went back to that job but I also didn't drive again until I got sober in 2019, so a part of me knew. Advertisement What to do if you think are an alcoholic IF you're struggling with alcohol addiction, the most important thing is to recognise the problem and seek support - You don't have to face it alone. Seek Professional Help GP or Doctor – A medical professional can assess your situation and provide advice on treatment options. Therapists or Counsellors – Talking to an addiction specialist can help address underlying causes and develop coping strategies. Rehab or Detox Programmes – If physical dependence is severe, medically supervised detox may be necessary. Consider Support Groups – A well-known 12-step programme that provides peer support. – A science-based alternative to AA, focusing on self-empowerment. By the end, I was drinking between three and four bottles of wine a day. That had become my normal. I didn't even think it was excessive - it was just what I needed to get through the day. I stopped going out as much because it was easier to drink at home. When I did go out, I'd usually end up black-out drunk. I'd fall over, lose my keys, wake up in places I had no memory of ever going. It became too risky, too unpredictable. So I started choosing the sofa, a bottle - or four - and my own little bubble of self-pity. Eventually, I couldn't do anything without a drink in me. I needed at least two glasses of wine just to get ready for work because my hands would be shaking so much. Advertisement I isolated myself a lot because I was trying so hard to hide what was really going on, as I didn't want to face questions from friends or family. I wasn't in a romantic relationship during that time. But I was promiscuous. I had a lot of one-night stands, thinking they'd somehow make me feel better. They didn't. I'd wake up filled with shame and self-loathing, and then use that as another excuse to drink. 7 On one occasion, Amy ended up driving herself home, drunk Credit: supplied Advertisement 7 Amy with a black eye after a fall when drunk Credit: SUPPLIED In the summer of 2018, I experienced what should have been a rock bottom moment. That was when I fractured my face after a fall while drunk. But it wasn't. Not yet. I had to stop drinking for eight days while I was on antibiotics. But, the following week I celebrated by drinking again. A reward. I knew then I was in trouble. I went to my first AA meeting in January 2019. I was drunk when I went. I don't even remember much about it, but that was the first time I admitted something was wrong - even if I wasn't ready to deal with it yet. Advertisement Alcohol and addiction had affected my confidence, my sense of self, my ability to trust my own thoughts. I stopped making plans for the future. I lived day-to-day, hour-to-hour, bottle-to-bottle. It robbed me of time. And, it impacted my health - my body was exhausted, my hands shook, I sweated constantly, my anxiety was through the roof. But I didn't care - my main concern was hiding the truth, from others, and most importantly, from myself. I told lies. I lived a double life: the version I showed the world and the one that sat at home pouring another glass. 7 Amy called the Samaritans for help Credit: supplied The moment it all stopped wasn't loud or dramatic. It was May 2019, and I passed out at work working as a store manager of a retail shop. I was drinking all day, every day - even at work. When they found me unconscious, I felt pure shame. But still not surprised. Advertisement At the same time, I was also in therapy, trying to cope without actually telling my therapist I was still drinking. Years of buried pain came up - heartbreak, my parents' divorce, the fallout from my cancelled wedding. I had no idea how to cope. So I drank more. But, that day, something cracked. I didn't want to live like this anymore. But I didn't want to die either. I'd been given the number for the Samaritans, and I called them. That call saved my life. After that, I rang my mum and told her I needed help. My mum suggested rehab. And four days later, I was in. Now, I've been sober for six years, since 8 May 2019. Advertisement If I'm honest, I haven't found my recovery that hard - not in the way people expect. I accepted very early on that I just couldn't drink. I loved rehab. I soaked up everything. I started going to 12-step meetings and worked through a programme. The real shift came in October 2020, when I finally shared on social media that I was in recovery. I was tired of pretending. And the outpouring of love and 'me too' messages flipped something in my mind. Maybe I didn't have to hide. That's when I began helping others - and helping others helped me. That's how it works. 7 Amy now helps others get sober Credit: supplied Advertisement On the outside, the changes are obvious - I look healthier, I show up, I've built a business. In 2022, I decided to write a book to help others. Even when I got sober, there weren't enough stories that talked about the identity crisis, the grief, the rediscovery, the unlearning, the rising. I wanted women to know they weren't broken. Drinking has been normalised, glamourised, romanticised to the point where not drinking makes you the weird one. Advertisement But here's the truth: you don't need alcohol to have fun, to fit in, or to survive the day. And once you realise that, once you live that - you start to see the lie for what it is. About Amy... Amy Deards is a She guides them to uncover their true power, build unstoppable confidence, and create lives so bold and fulfilling they never want to escape. It's about transformation, freedom, and living on their own terms.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
I drank 4 bottles of wine a day after getting dumped, not even AA or a broken face could stop me…a call changed it all
Amy lived life as a functioning alcoholic for over 10 years until a humiliating incident at work made her feel 'pure shame' BOOZE HELL I drank 4 bottles of wine a day after getting dumped, not even AA or a broken face could stop me…a call changed it all MY world fell apart on New Year's Eve 2008 when my fiance of six years told me he didn't love me anymore. I moved out of his flat that we shared the next day - heartbroken and lost. I didn't know what to do with the emotional pain, so I drank. Advertisement 7 Amy now, having been sober for six years Credit: supplied 7 Amy's relationship with alcohol was a desperate coping mechanism Credit: SUPPLIED My relationship with alcohol quickly shifted from something social to a desperate coping mechanism. Nights were spent in a local pub with friends, and bottles of wine consumed with my mum Caroline until the anger or sadness passed. I wouldn't go out sober. Drinking felt essential. It gave me confidence, made me feel fun. But things began to spiral. I lost my job at New Look not long after. Someone had complained I smelled of alcohol. Advertisement READ MORE REAL LIFE STORIES CLEAN SLATE I was a middle-class girl then became a crack addict, I even set myself on fire That part wasn't upheld - but instead of seeing it as a warning sign, I used it as justification. I told myself it was their fault I'd lost my job. It didn't stop me drinking - I drank more. In the jobs that followed, mainly in retail, I'd count down the hours until I could get home and pour a glass of wine. I was high-functioning enough that no one really knew. Or, at least, no one said anything. Advertisement By 2015, I started hiding bottles of booze. That's when I knew, deep down, that something wasn't right. But I convinced myself it was no one else's business. I was living at my mum's while saving to move to Cambodia. I drank 7 bottles of vodka & 30 glasses of wine a week- I smashed teeth & was fired for being drunk, the booze broke me A friend had told me it was really nice and I thought a change of country might change me. But one night I came home from drinking, and my mum had lined up all the empty booze bottles on the kitchen side. There were about 15. Advertisement She had found them shoved at the back of my wardrobe. I still remember the look on her face. There was no shouting - just quiet heartbreak. Moving to Cambodia on my own in 2016 gave me total freedom - but it also gave me a deep sense of loneliness. I was teaching English as a foreign language to young children, and lived with a woman from New Zealand in an apartment in Phnom Penh. But my behaviour didn't change. One night I'd ended up at a casino with a group of men I'd met in a bar, phone dead, no way for anyone to reach me. Advertisement My housemate panicked so called my mum. I thought they were overreacting. That was my mindset. I hoped coming back to the UK after a year would fix me - but even on the flight back, and drinking a beer at the airport, I knew it wouldn't. 7 Amy once drank so much she fell and fractured her face Credit: supplied I got my own place, which meant there was no one around to see what I was doing. Advertisement My mum tried to talk to me gently about it sometimes, and I'd make these half-hearted promises to cut down. But the truth is, living alone made it way too easy to carry on. Then came Christmas 2018 when I was 38. I was working in a pub, and after one of my shifts, I drank way too much. I ended up drink-driving home. I don't even remember doing it. My colleagues were so concerned they called the police. But again, I didn't see the danger - or my own responsibility. I blamed them. In my head, I was the victim. I never went back to that job but I also didn't drive again until I got sober in 2019, so a part of me knew. Advertisement What to do if you think are an alcoholic IF you're struggling with alcohol addiction, the most important thing is to recognise the problem and seek support - You don't have to face it alone. Seek Professional Help GP or Doctor – A medical professional can assess your situation and provide advice on treatment options. – A medical professional can assess your situation and provide advice on treatment options. Therapists or Counsellors – Talking to an addiction specialist can help address underlying causes and develop coping strategies. – Talking to an addiction specialist can help address underlying causes and develop coping strategies. Rehab or Detox Programmes – If physical dependence is severe, medically supervised detox may be necessary. Consider Support Groups Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) – A well-known 12-step programme that provides peer support. – A well-known 12-step programme that provides peer support. SMART Recovery – A science-based alternative to AA, focusing on self-empowerment. – A science-based alternative to AA, focusing on self-empowerment. Local Support Groups – Many communities have groups tailored to different needs. By the end, I was drinking between three and four bottles of wine a day. That had become my normal. I didn't even think it was excessive - it was just what I needed to get through the day. I stopped going out as much because it was easier to drink at home. When I did go out, I'd usually end up black-out drunk. I'd fall over, lose my keys, wake up in places I had no memory of ever going. It became too risky, too unpredictable. So I started choosing the sofa, a bottle - or four - and my own little bubble of self-pity. Eventually, I couldn't do anything without a drink in me. I needed at least two glasses of wine just to get ready for work because my hands would be shaking so much. Advertisement I isolated myself a lot because I was trying so hard to hide what was really going on, as I didn't want to face questions from friends or family. I wasn't in a romantic relationship during that time. But I was promiscuous. I had a lot of one-night stands, thinking they'd somehow make me feel better. They didn't. I'd wake up filled with shame and self-loathing, and then use that as another excuse to drink. 7 On one occasion, Amy ended up driving herself home, drunk Credit: supplied Advertisement 7 Amy with a black eye after a fall when drunk Credit: SUPPLIED In the summer of 2018, I experienced what should have been a rock bottom moment. That was when I fractured my face after a fall while drunk. But it wasn't. Not yet. I had to stop drinking for eight days while I was on antibiotics. But, the following week I celebrated by drinking again. A reward. I knew then I was in trouble. I went to my first AA meeting in January 2019. I was drunk when I went. I don't even remember much about it, but that was the first time I admitted something was wrong - even if I wasn't ready to deal with it yet. Advertisement Alcohol and addiction had affected my confidence, my sense of self, my ability to trust my own thoughts. I stopped making plans for the future. I lived day-to-day, hour-to-hour, bottle-to-bottle. It robbed me of time. And, it impacted my health - my body was exhausted, my hands shook, I sweated constantly, my anxiety was through the roof. But I didn't care - my main concern was hiding the truth, from others, and most importantly, from myself. I told lies. I lived a double life: the version I showed the world and the one that sat at home pouring another glass. 7 Amy called the Samaritans for help Credit: supplied The moment it all stopped wasn't loud or dramatic. It was May 2019, and I passed out at work working as a store manager of a retail shop. I was drinking all day, every day - even at work. When they found me unconscious, I felt pure shame. But still not surprised. Advertisement At the same time, I was also in therapy, trying to cope without actually telling my therapist I was still drinking. Years of buried pain came up - heartbreak, my parents' divorce, the fallout from my cancelled wedding. I had no idea how to cope. So I drank more. But, that day, something cracked. I didn't want to live like this anymore. But I didn't want to die either. I'd been given the number for the Samaritans, and I called them. That call saved my life. After that, I rang my mum and told her I needed help. My mum suggested rehab. And four days later, I was in. Now, I've been sober for six years, since 8 May 2019. Advertisement If I'm honest, I haven't found my recovery that hard - not in the way people expect. I accepted very early on that I just couldn't drink. I loved rehab. I soaked up everything. I started going to 12-step meetings and worked through a programme. The real shift came in October 2020, when I finally shared on social media that I was in recovery. I was tired of pretending. And the outpouring of love and 'me too' messages flipped something in my mind. Maybe I didn't have to hide. That's when I began helping others - and helping others helped me. That's how it works. 7 Amy now helps others get sober Credit: supplied Advertisement On the outside, the changes are obvious - I look healthier, I show up, I've built a business. In 2022, I decided to write a book to help others. How Did I Get Here: Building A Life Beyond Alcohol wasn't just about sharing my story - it was about telling the truth. Even when I got sober, there weren't enough stories that talked about the identity crisis, the grief, the rediscovery, the unlearning, the rising. I wanted women to know they weren't broken. Drinking has been normalised, glamourised, romanticised to the point where not drinking makes you the weird one. Advertisement But here's the truth: you don't need alcohol to have fun, to fit in, or to survive the day. And once you realise that, once you live that - you start to see the lie for what it is.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
I drank 4 bottles of wine a day after getting dumped, not even AA or a broken face could stop me…a call changed it all
MY world fell apart on New Year's Eve 2008 when my fiance of six years told me he didn't love me anymore. I moved out of his flat that we shared the next day - heartbroken and lost. I didn't know what to do with the emotional pain, so I drank. 7 7 My relationship with alcohol quickly shifted from something social to a desperate coping mechanism. Nights were spent in a local pub with friends, and bottles of wine consumed with my mum Caroline until the anger or sadness passed. I wouldn't go out sober. Drinking felt essential. It gave me confidence, made me feel fun. But things began to spiral. I lost my job at New Look not long after. Someone had complained I smelled of alcohol. That part wasn't upheld - but instead of seeing it as a warning sign, I used it as justification. I told myself it was their fault I'd lost my job. It didn't stop me drinking - I drank more. In the jobs that followed, mainly in retail, I'd count down the hours until I could get home and pour a glass of wine. I was high-functioning enough that no one really knew. Or, at least, no one said anything. By 2015, I started hiding bottles of booze. That's when I knew, deep down, that something wasn't right. But I convinced myself it was no one else's business. I was living at my mum's while saving to move to Cambodia. I drank 7 bottles of vodka & 30 glasses of wine a week- I smashed teeth & was fired for being drunk, the booze broke me A friend had told me it was really nice and I thought a change of country might change me. But one night I came home from drinking, and my mum had lined up all the empty booze bottles on the kitchen side. There were about 15. She had found them shoved at the back of my wardrobe. I still remember the look on her face. There was no shouting - just quiet heartbreak. Moving to Cambodia on my own in 2016 gave me total freedom - but it also gave me a deep sense of loneliness. I was teaching English as a foreign language to young children, and lived with a woman from New Zealand in an apartment in Phnom Penh. But my behaviour didn't change. One night I'd ended up at a casino with a group of men I'd met in a bar, phone dead, no way for anyone to reach me. My housemate panicked so called my mum. I thought they were overreacting. That was my mindset. I hoped coming back to the UK after a year would fix me - but even on the flight back, and drinking a beer at the airport, I knew it wouldn't. 7 I got my own place, which meant there was no one around to see what I was doing. My mum tried to talk to me gently about it sometimes, and I'd make these half-hearted promises to cut down. But the truth is, living alone made it way too easy to carry on. Then came Christmas 2018 when I was 38. I was working in a pub, and after one of my shifts, I drank way too much. I ended up drink-driving home. I don't even remember doing it. My colleagues were so concerned they called the police. But again, I didn't see the danger - or my own responsibility. I blamed them. In my head, I was the victim. I never went back to that job but I also didn't drive again until I got sober in 2019, so a part of me knew. What to do if you think are an alcoholic IF you're struggling with alcohol addiction, the most important thing is to recognise the problem and seek support - You don't have to face it alone. Seek Professional Help GP or Doctor – A medical professional can assess your situation and provide advice on treatment options. Therapists or Counsellors – Talking to an addiction specialist can help address underlying causes and develop coping strategies. Rehab or Detox Programmes – If physical dependence is severe, medically supervised detox may be necessary. Consider Support Groups Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) – A well-known 12-step programme that provides peer support. SMART Recovery – A science-based alternative to AA, focusing on self-empowerment. Local Support Groups – Many communities have groups tailored to different needs. By the end, I was drinking between three and four bottles of wine a day. That had become my normal. I didn't even think it was excessive - it was just what I needed to get through the day. I stopped going out as much because it was easier to drink at home. When I did go out, I'd usually end up black-out drunk. I'd fall over, lose my keys, wake up in places I had no memory of ever going. It became too risky, too unpredictable. So I started choosing the sofa, a bottle - or four - and my own little bubble of self-pity. Eventually, I couldn't do anything without a drink in me. I needed at least two glasses of wine just to get ready for work because my hands would be shaking so much. I isolated myself a lot because I was trying so hard to hide what was really going on, as I didn't want to face questions from friends or family. I wasn't in a romantic relationship during that time. But I was promiscuous. I had a lot of one-night stands, thinking they'd somehow make me feel better. They didn't. I'd wake up filled with shame and self-loathing, and then use that as another excuse to drink. 7 7 In the summer of 2018, I experienced what should have been a rock bottom moment. That was when I fractured my face after a fall while drunk. But it wasn't. Not yet. I had to stop drinking for eight days while I was on antibiotics. But, the following week I celebrated by drinking again. A reward. I knew then I was in trouble. I went to my first AA meeting in January 2019. I was drunk when I went. I don't even remember much about it, but that was the first time I admitted something was wrong - even if I wasn't ready to deal with it yet. Alcohol and addiction had affected my confidence, my sense of self, my ability to trust my own thoughts. I stopped making plans for the future. I lived day-to-day, hour-to-hour, bottle-to-bottle. It robbed me of time. And, it impacted my health - my body was exhausted, my hands shook, I sweated constantly, my anxiety was through the roof. But I didn't care - my main concern was hiding the truth, from others, and most importantly, from myself. I told lies. I lived a double life: the version I showed the world and the one that sat at home pouring another glass. 7 The moment it all stopped wasn't loud or dramatic. It was May 2019, and I passed out at work working as a store manager of a retail shop. I was drinking all day, every day - even at work. When they found me unconscious, I felt pure shame. But still not surprised. At the same time, I was also in therapy, trying to cope without actually telling my therapist I was still drinking. Years of buried pain came up - heartbreak, my parents' divorce, the fallout from my cancelled wedding. I had no idea how to cope. So I drank more. But, that day, something cracked. I didn't want to live like this anymore. But I didn't want to die either. I'd been given the number for the Samaritans, and I called them. That call saved my life. After that, I rang my mum and told her I needed help. My mum suggested rehab. And four days later, I was in. Now, I've been sober for six years, since 8 May 2019. If I'm honest, I haven't found my recovery that hard - not in the way people expect. I accepted very early on that I just couldn't drink. I loved rehab. I soaked up everything. I started going to 12-step meetings and worked through a programme. The real shift came in October 2020, when I finally shared on social media that I was in recovery. I was tired of pretending. And the outpouring of love and 'me too' messages flipped something in my mind. Maybe I didn't have to hide. That's when I began helping others - and helping others helped me. That's how it works. On the outside, the changes are obvious - I look healthier, I show up, I've built a business. In 2022, I decided to write a book to help others. How Did I Get Here: Building A Life Beyond Alcohol wasn't just about sharing my story - it was about telling the truth. Even when I got sober, there weren't enough stories that talked about the identity crisis, the grief, the rediscovery, the unlearning, the rising. I wanted women to know they weren't broken. Drinking has been normalised, glamourised, romanticised to the point where not drinking makes you the weird one. But here's the truth: you don't need alcohol to have fun, to fit in, or to survive the day. And once you realise that, once you live that - you start to see the lie for what it is.
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
How to apply for Race Across the World 2026?
Race Across the World is looking for future contestants - and you don't have long to apply 🌍 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Race Across the World will be back next year. Applications for the sixth series are open now. But how long do you have left to apply for it? After a truly mammoth journey across China, Nepal and India the latest series of Race Across the World has come to an end. Mother and son duo Caroline and Tom secured the win after a very dramatic final leg. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If you have been watching at home and feel like you could actually do a better job, applications for the next season are already open. Here's all you need to know: How to apply for Race Across the World 2026? Race Across the World finalists Caroline and Tom | BBC The curtains have been drawn on yet another season of the BAFTA winning show. The latest winners have been crowned and the reunion special has taken place. It means that attention is starting to turn towards the future of the show. A third version of the celebrity spin-off is due to be broadcast later in the year - potentially arriving around the same time as the Celebrity Traitors. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However the BBC is already looking for the teams to take part in the sixth series of Race Across the World - which is expected to air in 2026. On its website , the Beeb adds: 'We are looking for teams of two to apply and all applicants must be over the age of 18 on the date of submitting their application.' It adds: 'We are now accepting applications for the next series of Race Across the World. This experience is open to all, whether you're a seasoned traveller or total novice. We want to hear what undertaking a trip like this would mean to you, and with a cash prize at stake, to what lengths you would go to win. 'Maybe you're looking to change something in your life? Or are keen to share the journey with someone special like a family member, best friend, or someone you've lost touch with. You may even have a very personal reason for wanting to travel at this time in your life or want to explore a particular part of the world.' When is the deadline to apply for Race Across the World? If you are considering dropping in an application for the next season of the hit BBC show, you still have time. The deadline is just over two weeks away (at the time of publishing on June 19). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Race Across the World series six applications close on Sunday, July 6 2025. All you need to do to apply is fill out a form on the BBC's website and cross your fingers that you and your teammate make it.
