Latest news with #Connie
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Jenny Powell's daughter declines third Love Island offer for very different path
EXCLUSIVE: Jenny Powell says her eldest daughter Connie, 24, has been asked to be on Love Island three times but has turned it down as she's too much of an 'old soul' Jenny Powell might be one of Britain's most glamorous TV stars - but don't expect her eldest daughter to be strutting round the Love Island villa in a tiny bikini any time soon. In fact, Connie, Jenny's 24-year-old first-born, has now politely declined an invite to join the smash-hit dating show not once, not twice - but THREE times, her mum reveals in an exclusive chat. 'They've asked her three times now!' laughs Jenny, who at 57 (and looking about 37!) is still a firm TV favourite, regularly popping up on everything from Loose Women to presenting at this summer's Rewind Festival. Jenny, who lives in South Manchester with fiancé Martin Lowe, 51, and their youngest daughter Pollyanna, 16, says she's secretly relieved Connie has no interest in reality fame. 'I was on Loose Women and all of a sudden I got a call,' she said. 'It was during lockdown and she was at uni. She was like, I'm at UCL studying Art History, I don't think I'm up for doing that! I think it's quite cool that she's turned it down three times! I quite like it. If we ever meet someone famous they are not impressed at all. They're not bothered.' While plenty of 20-somethings would jump at the chance for sun, scandal and a six-figure influencer deal, Jenny says Connie is cut from a different cloth entirely - and so is her youngest, Pollyanna. 'Connie posts on Instagram about once a year. Do you know what I mean? She's not that person. And therefore I don't think she would even realise the pressure and the attention she'd get. I think I'd worry for her.' Jenny says she's proud Connie didn't get swept up in the showbiz circus, and reckons her grounded attitude comes from a solid upbringing - and the knock-on effects of a tough few years during the pandemic. 'I just think we don't realise in this day and age, even though all these young people, they've got this facade, they're all so confident and look a certain way and all that stuff. But actually, I think there is a huge fragility in these past couple of generations, especially ones that have been through shit through COVID.' 'I mean, you know, for her, she got a degree on her own, sitting in a room. Those amazing uni years at UCL, which is up there with Oxford, and UCL's major. She's got three A stars. Connie worked at Maddox Galleries in Mayfair.' 'Now, she decided she's done enough there. Then she's gone to Knight Frank, shares a flat with her friend from Manchester. She's got a lovely boyfriend. She's very old school. Old soul. They both are. I think it will help them through these times, because they're not great times.' While Connie is not the only daughter of a famous British celebrity to be associated with the show, Princess Andre, 18, was also rumoured to be entering the villa but dad, Peter, quickly turned down those rumours. In his exclusive weekly column about the rumours that eldest daughter Princess, who just turned 18, could be signing up to Love Island - he admits that he doesn't know where the rumours came from, and says at 17 she can't legally apply yet anyway. He says: "There's been a lot of talk about Princess going on Love Island, and I don't know where it came from. She's not 18 yet, so it's not even an option." He adds that, though he would support her if she wanted to sign up to the ITV2 show, it's not something he'd ever choose for her. "Whether she chooses to do it in the future is up to her, but of course it's every dad's nightmare. Then again, I look at people like Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury, and others, and see how happy they were in their relationships that came from the show. It's about what makes Princess happy at the end of the day. I wouldn't stop her, but if she asks my opinion, I'll be honest." In a recent episode of her podcast, Katie Price revealed that she has tried to encourage her daughter Princess Andre to sign up for competition show Love Island. However, the model and entrepreneur has tellingly responded that she doesn't want to be known as a 'Love Islander'.
TimesLIVE
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Connie Ferguson speaks on how she is taking SA to the world with 'Kings of Joburg' season 3
When King of Joburg made its debut on Netflix in 2020, it changed the tapestry of South Africa's film industry, transcending conventional boundaries. Ahead of the premiere of its highly anticipated third season, the executive producer of the show, actress Connie Ferguson has spoken about what people can expect to see in the action-packed show. 'There was only one objective [with season 3], it was to outdo season one and season two. We had exceptional seasons but this is our third. We had a lot of learnings from season one and season two, now we had to come back and show exactly what the kings of Joburg are made of,' she told TshisaLIVE. 'Based on season one and season two, you guys think you know what to expect but trust me, you do not know what's coming. It's an all-round entertaining and adrenaline rush type of show, something that you've never seen before in SA, that's all I can say.' Connie went on to speak about the vision and journey of Ferguson Films with the show. 'You can achieve so much more when you collaborate with other people when you are not working on your own. Ferguson Films has done a lot of local productions working with my late husband Shona Ferguson and myself. 'We created Kings of Joburg, we had a bigger picture, we wanted to cross over the borders of SA, we didn't just want to focus locally. We got together with the producer Samad Davids, we sat, brainstormed together, talked about taking SA to the continent and to the world, and bringing the world to SA. I believe that's exactly what we did with this show.' The series has featured American stars. American actress and director Terri J. Vaughn played a pivotal role and now, in this coming season, Malik Yoba is set to make his debut on the show. American film producer and director Samad Davis, who has always been part of the show, spoke of how he's proud to see and be a part of something that can compete internationally. 'Hollywood is not a destination, it's a level of execution. This is Hollywood, this is what Hollywood is about. It's not about making it to LA, it's about doing great work where you are. These actors can work anywhere on this planet and they are fantastic. Just as much as we have rockstars on the show, there are other people working hard behind the scenes.'
Daily Express
09-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Kian Kok to host Lions Charity Bazaar 3.0
Published on: Monday, June 09, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jun 09, 2025 By: Wu Vui Tek Text Size: Connie with the organising committee members for Bazaar 3.0. Kota Kinabalu: Following the successful organisations of the first two fundraising events, the Lions Charity Bazaar 3.0 is back again. It will be held from 7am to 5pm on Oct 12, this year, at the Kian Kok Middle School here. Advertisement Bazaar Organising Chairperson Connie Ting said this major fundraising event brings together 16 Lions Clubs from across Sabah in a united effort to support Lions Clubs International's 8 Global Causes. 'The goal is to raise RM200,000 with all net gross proceeds channelled toward Lions' global service areas,' said Connie during a press conference at GA Space here. The focuses are vision, hunger, environment, diabetes, childhood cancer, humanitarian relief, youth empowerment and rural medical camp. They invited NGOs and youth organisations to take part by setting up booths to showcase their causes. Advertisement 'Companies are encouraged to support the event through sponsorships, with various sponsorship tiers offering promotional opportunities,' she said. 'Vendors are welcome to join the bazaar and benefit from a large public turnout.' The public can support the cause by purchasing charity coupons priced at RM50 and RM100, which can be used to enjoy food, games, and activities throughout the day, she added. Bazaar 3.0 will offer a full day of family-friendly fun with food and drink stalls, live entertainment and engaging activities for all ages, she said. The event is designed to be a meaningful family outing day, blending enjoyment with charity, she said. The participating Lions Clubs are Api Api, Keningau Downtown, Kota Kinabalu Asia City, Kota Kinabalu Capital, Kota Kinabalu Central, Kota Kinabalu Centennial, Kota Kinabalu City, Kota Kinabalu Downtown, Kota Kinabalu Lintas, Kota Kinabalu Mandarin, Kota Kinabalu Vintage, New Century Kota Kinabalu Star City, Labuan Mandarin, Luyang (Ace), Penampang Host,Ranau, Sabah EveryGreen, and Tanjung Aru. Also present were Charter President, Lions Club of Api Api, Chris Liew (Deputy Organising Chairperson); Second Vice District Governor Elect, Alyssa Lim; and President Elect, Lions Club Tanjung Aru, Cynthia Chung. For more details, contact Connie at 0178210989. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Record
01-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Scots woman says trying to lose weight was like a 'full-time job'
Healthcare worker Connie Bulloch, 28, has now shed five stone after hearing other success stories. A woman who lost five stone while on Mounjaro says weight management used to be "like a full-time job." Healthcare worker Connie Bulloch, 28, from Cambuslang had struggled with her weight for years - but after undergoing an unrelated operation last March and gaining a stone and a half, she was desperate to find a solution. Despite watching her diet and regularly attending sessions with a personal trainer, Connie struggled to shift the weight, and began looking into medical interventions. At 15 stone 10lbs, she was too light to qualify for weight loss surgery on the NHS, and she worried that travelling abroad for an operation would be too risky - but after hearing success stories with weight loss drug Mounjaro, she began the process of obtaining a private prescription. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "I was working with my personal trainer, and had been for two years," said Connie. "I was maintaining weight, or sometimes even putting on a few pounds, and I just wasn't happy with it. It was like a full-time job - constantly having to go to the gym, constantly watching what I'm eating. "If I'd eat a takeaway, I'd have put on two pounds by the end of the weekend. Then I went for an operation around March last year, and it took me a while to recover from that - and I put on a stone and a half. "It got to me - it was one of those things where I needed the weight off and I needed to do something now. I was looking at surgeries abroad to help me lose the weight, but it didn't seem reasonable for me. "The NHS wouldn't accept me for the surgery waitlist because I wasn't heavy enough. I was thinking about it for about a month. I've got kidney disease, so that was one of the main concerns. If it was going to affect my kidneys, it wouldn't be worth it. "At the beginning, I was convinced I'd be the person that dies taking this drug, but after a while, I saw lots more people trying it and having success stories, so I thought I'd give it a go. I did it through an online pharmacy. "I filled out the form, took pictures of my body, and took a picture of the scale with my weight on it. I sent that away, and they got back to me within a few days to say that I'd been accepted, and the prescription would be sent out with 24 hour delivery." Mounjaro, a brand name for weight loss drug tirzepatide, works by mimicking the hormones released by the body after a meal, so the user experiences the feeling of fullness and encourages the body to burn fat. It is only available through private prescriptions in the UK, and Connie - despite being nervous about the side effects - decided to fork out £180 for her first month of four injections. In her first week, she lost one pound - and after a month on a 2.5mg dosage, she upped her dosage to 5mg. However, the side effects became too intense, so she quickly reduced her dosage, and has since maintained the lower dosage for nearly a full year. "At the beginning, I didn't think it was going to work for me," she said. "I'd heard about people losing five or six pounds a week on it, and on my very first week, I only lost a pound. "A pound is great, but I think I was just expecting more from it - but I've always been a slow loser. I thought at the beginning that I'd have to go up a dose every four weeks, so I went up to 5mg, but I was really unwell with it. "I couldn't eat and I was vomiting, so I went back down to the lower dose and stayed on that." Connie has now lost five stone and three pounds while on Mounjaro, and hopes to lose a further stone. She has begun sharing her story in the hopes of reducing the stigma around medical intervention for weight loss - but warns that the drug isn't an instant cure. "It'll be a year next month that I've been on it, and it's been really good," she said. "I still need to use some of my willpower because I'm not on the higher doses, but I've been able to lose or maintain my weight - I've never gained anything in the year I've done it. "I think a lot of people are scared to try it at the beginning, and I felt like that myself. I think hearing more success stories instead of all the negatives is really good. "There's a lot of women in the same boat as me, where it's maybe hormonal reasons why they can't lose weight or they struggle to keep weight off. This has made it so much easier for me. "My mindset is much better - but it's not a cure. I still have bad days where I look in the mirror and see who I was five stone ago. Some days I really love myself and some days I still hate myself, so it's not cured that side of things." Connie believes that there is an unfair stigma around the drug - but urges anyone considering it to ensure they've exhausted all non-medical routes to weight loss first. "There are lots of people out there that find it easy to keep weight off, but there are a lot more factors that go into why people are overweight. This will just make it so much more simple for people. "I think as long as people have tried everything non-medical, like eating well and exercising, and they're still not able to keep the weight off, then this is definitely the right thing for them - but it's important to still hold yourself responsible and source it properly."
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How To Build Game Changing Impact Partnerships That Inspire Action
It's an early Sunday morning and Sir Matt Busby Way is already a buzzing sea of 'real red.' Clad in bright football jerseys, thousands of fans joyously march towards the theatre of dreams, historic Old Trafford, to watch Manchester United take on West Ham. The 75,000 spectators are treated to a spirited contest, but it's halftime that truly steals the show. At the center of it all is a young, 12-year-old girl. Hailed as a miracle child, Lubona lost three of her siblings to AIDS. But thanks to another miracle—anti-retroviral treatment—the Zambian native was born HIV free. Today, she's alive and well, and standing in the penalty spot aiming to score a goal on Manchester United mascot Fred the Red. Just like a striker, Lubona eyes down her target, draws her right foot back, and delivers a precise ground shot to the back of the net. The crowd erupts, people stand and cheer as her mother, Connie, proudly looks on. This inspiring moment was the power of sports personified—and a long time coming. It was the climax of years of conversation and teamwork between Snapdragon, Manchester United and the organization that I lead. It was also a reminder of how even amid these turbulent times, purpose-driven partnerships can still break through in big ways. Not every collaboration culminates in a goal at Old Trafford—but the best ones create unforgettable moments, forge lifelong supporters, shift minds, and dare to make the world a more just place. Here are some of the secrets to building game-changing impact partnerships. The hard truth is that forging strong impact partnerships has never been easy, but it was easier. In the early 2000s, few Fortune 500 companies had corporate social responsibility (CSR) teams. The goal was to make money for shareholders, not give it away. Then came a wave of CSR, which nonprofits—and the companies themselves—benefited from immensely. Between the early 1990s and early 2020s the number of public companies that published CSR reports increased from less than two dozen to over 10,000. Now the times and objectives have changed once again. CSR is no longer viewed as charity, but a strategic business investment. It's less about altruism and more about mutual benefit. Today, the winning formula for impact partnerships focuses on reciprocal value—aligning a company's values and the values of their employees and customers with a nonprofit's mission. Much like a strong marriage, success requires a mixture of doing your own homework and choosing the right partner. Before considering an impact partnership, it's important for nonprofits to construct the right internal team that has the muscle to transform ideas into impact. Ask yourself the tough questions before you begin pitching prospects. Who are the key internal stakeholders that need to be part of the process at my organization? Should the team be cross functional? How much upfront buy-in is needed from leadership? The answers to those questions will differ by organization. But creating the right team at home will increase the odds of success and reduce the risk of last-minute hurdles. Once aligned internally, there's no widely used equivalent for companies and nonprofits to collaborate. If you're a nonprofit, it can often take weeks or even months of LinkedIn searches, introductory emails, cold calls, and meetings just to get connected to that one-in-ten-thousand person at a company who holds the keys to making a partnership happen. Choosing who you embark on the partnership journey with is critical. While there's an obvious temptation to identify and target the biggest and brightest brands, seldom does that dictate success. Do your research. Learn about a company's history, its values, its objectives, and past partnerships. Search for companies that have a clear commitment to your nonprofit's values. Your mission statements needn't be a mirror, but like a Venn diagram, you should see some strategic overlap. Hugh Foley, an expert on shared value, once said, 'Bringing those two things together, the unmet social need and the business opportunity, requires artistry, commitment and ingenuity.' If the goals and vibes are off from the get-go, get out before you get in too deep. There's an old proverb that says, 'If you want to go quickly, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.' Building strong, lasting impact partnerships takes time. The strongest impact partnerships are the ones you know by heart because they've been around for decades, think the United Way and the National Football League or the United Nations Foundation's Nothing But Nets Campaign and the National Basketball Association. Short term, quick turn collaborations are currently in fashion, but how will they be remembered a decade from now? And will those fans remain loyal to the brand or will they move on just as quickly? Resist the temptation to rush into a partnership just to hit your business development goals or organizational objectives. Learn the other side's motivations, strengths and weaknesses. Visit the company's headquarters, meet their employees and take in the environment. Recognize that it costs money to create impact. Whenever possible, invest the necessary resources to enable prospective partners to see your work up close and personal. As the old saying goes: show, don't tell. Once a partnership looks promising and leadership begins to get excited, there's a temptation to rush through the deal points as quickly as possible. Even if you're facing internal pressure to hustle, breathe and slow down. It's important for everyone to be on the same page about expectations and deliverables. Do this right up front and the chance of renewal increases considerably. And remember, it's a lot easier to renew a partner than it is to find a new one. One of the questions I get asked the most is: How do brands break through in this environment—one that's dominated by distraction, impatience, and short attention spans? The answer is: invest in good storytelling. Finding strong characters and strong narratives that show your organization's values and what you truly stand for is essential. Aristotle's rhetorical theory of ethos, pathos, and logos can help you connect with your audience and tell stories better. Amplify singular, personal stories. A piece about 5000 women and girls contracting HIV every week is not as compelling as a story about one miracle girl who lost her three siblings to AIDS, but overcame the odds. Get your audience involved and make them a central character in your storytelling. Create a strong call to action that empowers the audience to care and make a difference. When it's time to announce the partnership, you need to carefully consider what you're launching and who will see it. It goes without saying, but the vast majority of the money generated from an impact partnership should go to impact. But for every $1 you invest in producing the announcement—whether it be a launch video or splashy event—spend $4 on marketing and driving eyeballs to it. In order to break through, you need to meet your audience where they are—again and again—to increase awareness and recall. There's a reason you keep seeing the same ad in multiple places. Excellent storytelling can only take you so far. To land in this oversaturated environment, partnerships must reach people multiple times in new and creative ways. This year has been a brutal year for CSR. Words like social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion have been all but banned at most Fortune 500 companies. I've spoken to many well-intentioned executives, who are understandably terrified that any type of impact partnership could be misconstrued and spark a negative news cycle. It's incumbent on nonprofits to acknowledge the turbulence and help mitigate the risks for prospective corporate partners without compromising impact. The best thing a nonprofit can do these days is be nimble and flexible. Just because it's worked in the past doesn't mean it will work again in this new era. Nonprofit leaders may need to adjust their organization's value proposition, deliverables, and messaging without abandoning the mission. And that's okay. Stay opportunistic and get comfortable with rejection. It's an unusually tough time for nonprofit leaders looking to drive impact. But the pendulum always swings back—eventually. And the nonprofits that come out the other side will be the ones who possess the ability to reinvent themselves and evolve with the times.
