Latest news with #Love
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Former Eurovision star considered taking his own life after song contest
Former Eurovision star Joe McCaul has revealed he considered taking his own life after the song contest. Joe was part of brother and sister duo, Donna and Joe McCaul, who represented Ireland at the Eurovision in 2005 in Ukraine with their song Love while Joe was still just 17. After failing to qualify, Joe revealed he faced months of ridicule and only got a holiday to Crete out of it. Speaking to Brenda Dennehy on The Comeback podcast, he said: 'I remember when we didn't get in, the devastating effect that had on me. "I went back to my room, I was only 17, and I struggled very hard because that was more shame, more embarrassment, more rejection. Everyone was going out, and they (Donna and the crew) went to the finals on Saturday night, I didn't go, I just stayed in my hotel room.' He said when he returned to Ireland, he was ridiculed regularly. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week 'I think over the years, I was nearly taken advantage of. I was made an eejit out of by people, people in the media. That was hard because I was saying, 'Where is my self-worth, why can't I be assertive?' 'I found it very hard to be assertive because I didn't like conflict, and then because I didn't like conflict, if I reacted a certain way, some people would say 'Oh that was very aggressive'. So I couldn't even stand up for myself.' Joe said he thought they'd be 'millionaires' but all he got after Eurovision was 'a holiday in Crete'. 'I thought we were going to be millionaires. I thought I was going to be able to buy my mother out of the council estate. I got a holiday to Crete, that's what I got.' Joe is the youngest of six siblings and his mother raised them on her own. 'My dad, unfortunately, passed away a couple of years ago, but I had no kind of relationship with him. Alcoholism, unfortunately, took over his life and then he moved to London.' Joe said when a media outlet discovered his father's issue with drink it caused massive stress on the family. 'Once or twice I thought of taking my own life.' He said he had suffered recurrent intrusive thoughts about suicide from an early age. 'The intensity of it then would probably get a little more if I was under any increased stress or anything significant was happening in my life or something bad was happening… I was always terrified of the thought… I would always be going, 'f**k, I need to see a psychiatrist'.' After a stint on X Factor in 2015, where Simon Cowell called him an 'awful performer', Joe suffered at the hands of social media trolls again. 'And then there was the shame, the embarrassment, the rejection, and I just wanted it to be over there. 'The s**t that was put online, I remember my friends used to be sending them to me and the horrible stuff that people were saying. I used to have to say 'please do not send me this, I don't want to be looking at it'.' Joe revealed in 2014 that he had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the end of 2013. 'I literally just lost the plot then. I think I went on a self-destruct button that was hit. I went off the rails for months.' He said he was on medication that didn't suit him at the time but has since changed medication and is currently symptom free and in remission. 'Fitness, running, doing kind of high-intensity interval based kind of training has been my saviour. Not just for my physical health because that's quite good but for my mental health, which is an ongoing struggle that some days I'm really, really shit. 'But I have really good coping tools and I have a really solid support group around me,' he added.
Eyewitness News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Symposium thrashes out solutions to strengthening political funding law
CAPE TOWN -The influence of donor funding on the country's political landscape is one of the public concerns under discussion at a symposium on political funding underway in Durban. The symposium aims to put forward proposals to Parliament on how to strengthen the political funding law that is still under regular contestation from civil society groups. Just last month, Parliament decided to double the annual limit for receiving private funding to R30 million a year. READ: Godongwana thinks political parties should be wholly funded from national fiscus As the oversight body for the declaration of donor funding, the vice chairperson Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), Janet Love, said ahead of next year's local government elections, concerns have been raised that the Political Party Funding Act does not cover parties that only contest at local level. Seventy percent of respondents in a Human Sciences Research Council study said they were worried about the transactional nature of politics and capture by the elite who fund political parties. Love said the income of political parties and not their expenditure, has until now dominated the discourse on political funding. "The expenditure in campaigns, which has a more immediate effect on enabling a level playing field on the one hand and a more important impact on election outcomes is not the focus at the present." Love said despite political parties being required to submit regular reports on their funding sources, there are shortcomings in monitoring and investigating compliance as well as enforcement of the law.
Sunday World
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Eurovision star says he considered taking his own life after mental health turmoil
'I thought we were going to be millionaires. I thought I was going to be able to buy my mother out of the council estate. I got a holiday to Crete, that's what I got.' Former Eurovision singer Joe McCaul has told how he has struggled with mental health for years and even thought of taking his own life – but is coping much better now and is engaged to his partner Mark. The brother and sister double act Donna and Joe McCaul were selected to represent Ireland at the Eurovision in 2005 in Ukraine with their song 'Love' while Joe was still just 17. However, they failed to qualify for the finals – coming 14 out of 22 in the semi-final – and Joe has told how he was ridiculed and trolled in the aftermath. 'I thought we were going to be millionaires. I thought I was going to be able to buy my mother out of the council estate. I got a holiday to Crete, that's what I got.' The Athlone man revealed his lifelong struggle with his mental health and negative side of becoming a household namewhen he spoke to Brenda Dennehy on The Comeback podcast. Donna and Joseph McCaul News in 90 Seconds - June 18th 'Remember when we didn't get in, the devastating effect that had on me. I went back to my room, I was only 17, and I struggled very hard because that was more shame, more embarrassment, more rejection. Everyone was going out, and they (Donna and the crew) went to the finals on Saturday night, I didn't go, I just stayed in my hotel room.' He said when he returned to Ireland he was ridiculed regularly. 'I think over the years, I was nearly taken advantage of. I was made an eejit out of by people, people in the media. That was hard because I was saying, 'Where is my self-worth, why can't I be assertive?' 'I found it very hard to be assertive because I didn't like conflict, and then because I didn't like conflict, if I reacted a certain way, some people would say 'Oh that was very aggressive,' So I couldn't even stand up for myself.' Joe is the youngest of six siblings and his mother raised them on her own. 'My dad, unfortunately, he's passed away a couple of years ago, but I had no kind of relationship with him. Alcoholism, unfortunately, took over his life and then he moved to London.' Joe said when a media outlet discovered his father's issue with drink it caused massive stress on the family. 'Once or twice I thought of taking my own life.' He said he had suffered recurrent intrusive thoughts about suicide from an early age. 'The intensity of it then would probably get a little more if I was under any increased stress or anything significant was happening in my life or something bad was happening… I was always terrified of the thought…I would always be going, f**k, I need to see a psychiatrist.' In 2015, X Factor producers asked him to audition for the UK show in front of Simon Cowell. He agreed, hoping it would go okay. 'I thought maybe I could have a little breakthrough here.' However, Cowell described him as an awful performer and stopped him halfway through. 'And then there was the shame, the embarrassment, the rejection, and I just wanted it to be over there.' They asked him to perform another song. He took solace from the empathy of presenter Caroline Flack, who died by suicide in 2020, after he was given another chance to perform in front of the judges. 'Caroline Flack, God love her, was with Olly Murs back then, and she was so kind to me and so nice and help me pick a song. She was even singing with me… Caroline Flack had an energy about her. She had her hand over me and it was like a way of apologising for the way I was treated. She had empathy.' Joe said it was one of the lowest moments of his life. Joe was trolled online in the aftermath. 'The s**t that was put online, I remember my friends used to be sending them to me and the horrible stuff that people were saying. I used to have to say please do not send me this, I don't want to be looking at it.' He said on the plus side he did a bit of media again in the aftermath and got a few gigs but he still 'really just wanted to forget that whole moment ever existed'. Joe revealed in 2014 that he had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the end of 2013, 'I literally just lost the plot then. I think I went on a self-destruct button that was hit. I went off the rails for months.' He said he was on medication that didn't suit him at the time but has since changed medication and is currently symptom free and in remission. He said he got back into running that has helped a lot as well as support from his partner Mark and his therapist and family and friends. 'Fitness, running, doing kind of high-intensity interval based kind of training has been my saviour. Not just for my physical heath because that's quite good but for my mental health which is an ongoing struggle that some days I'm really, really shit. But I have really good coping tools and I have a really solid support group around me.' His sister came out as gay years ago and Joe said when he told his family he was gay as well, it didn't surprise any of them. 'It was like they all kind of new. Donna was more of a shock. He said he went back studying in recent years doing a business course and a course on mental health before starting teaching in stage schools doing vocals. "...I met Mark. Mark is already a teacher. He said why don't you go back and do your teaching degree – so I went back and did my degree and I have that nearly four years now. So I am secondary school music and special educational teacher now.' If you have been affected by issues in this article, call Samaritans free on 116 123 or email jo@ or call Pieta on Freephone 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444.
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Neuroscientist warns of 3 common toxins found in homes that can damage the brain
Neuroscientist Robert Love warns about the rising cases of Alzheimer's disease due to toxins present in everyday household items. Air fresheners release harmful VOCs, while scented candles emit toluene, affecting the nervous system. Non-stick skillets, especially Teflon-coated ones, can leach fluoride compounds into food, posing risks to brain and overall health. A round 57 million people were diagnosed with dementia worldwide in 2021, and every year, there are nearly 10 million new cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form of dementia, is on the rise, and neuroscientist Robert Love is sounding the alarm on everyday household items that may pose risks to brain health. Love, who specializes in helping people prevent Alzheimer's disease, warned about the three most common toxins found in our homes that can damage the brain. 'One of the biggest reasons that Alzheimer's disease is on the rise is that we live in a very toxic environment. Our food, our air, and our water are very toxic compared to what they were a hundred years ago,' he said in a video shared on Instagram. Let's take a look. Air fresheners First on Love's list is air fresheners. Though they make your home smell delightful, it may come at the expense of your health. These products, often used to mask odors, release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. When inhaled, these chemicals may irritate the respiratory system and, in some cases, affect brain function, particularly in individuals with allergies or sensitivities. 'These can negatively affect the brain, certainly those who are allergic to them. So you want to avoid those chemical air fresheners ,' the scientists said. Scented candles Scented candles, which are commonly used in houses, however, have hidden health hazards. Love emphasized that, due to their paraffin wax and synthetic fragrances, scented candles are not great for health. Burning paraffin releases potentially harmful compounds like toluene, which can affect the nervous system. The artificial scents added to these candles may also contribute to indoor air pollution. He also suggested an alternative for scented candles: 'If you're going to do candles, try beeswax candles.' Instead of buying scented candles from the market, you can opt for beeswax candles and add essential oils for the smell. Non-stick skillets The third on the list is quite shocking. Skillets, the non-stick ones. We all love non-stick skillets for their convenience. It is easy to clean and requires less oil. But all that convenience might be costing you your health. Non-stick cookware, particularly Teflon-coated pans, is hazardous to health, according to Love. Teflon, a fluoropolymer, can release harmful substances when scratched or overheated, which allows fluoride compounds to leach into food. Ingesting these compounds may pose risks to the brain and overall health. 'Instead try stainless steel or ceramic or titanium,' he suggests. 7 Common factors that cause brain aging One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Market Square businesses in Pittsburgh face construction challenges
Construction in Market Square downtown is expected to be completed ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Businesses in the square have to navigate the constant construction, which is impacting foot traffic and signage. The owners of Love and The Original Oyster House hope that the community will continue to support Market Square businesses through the project.
