The actress, model and activist leaves a powerful legacy of what it means to be true to ourselves
April Ashley, the first Briton to undergo sex-change surgery, poses with her Member of the British Empire (MBE) medal following an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in central London on December 13, 2012.
Fans have flocked to social media to pay tribute to actress, model and activist April Ashley who has died at 86.
Singer Boy George tweeted: “RIP April Ashley! A force of nature and transgender high priestess!”
Meanwhile, LGBT campaigner Peter Tatchell called her “the GREAT trans trailblazer for decades” and a “hero”.
Born to a working-class family in Liverpool in 1935, April was the second British person ever to undergo male-to-female gender reassignment surgery in 1960.
April had started her working life in the merchant navy, but was sent to a psychiatric unit for mental health support after repeated suicide attempts. She later moved to Paris, where she performed in drag at the Le Carrousel nightclub to save money for her gender reassignment procedure.
April claimed that becoming a woman made her the happiest she had ever been. She went on to model for British Vogue and starred inRoad to Hong Kongalongside Joan Collins, but her career was thwarted when the Sunday People newspaper outed her as trans in 1961.
In 1963, April married aristocrat Arthur Cameron Corbett. Their divorce in 1970 marked a landmark legal ruling when the judge ruled that she remained a biological man and therefore the marriage was invalid.
Refusing to let the humiliation defeat her, April rallied and opened a restaurant in Knightsbridge, London, called April and Desmond’s. But the stress and attention generated from the court case led her to have a heart attack in 1975. April left London and ended up living on the US west coast.
Decades later, in 2005, April returned to Britain and was finally legally recognised as female, thanks to the Gender Recognition Act. She was later made an MBE in 2012 for her work campaigning for the transgender community.
Reflecting on her life in an interview, April said: “They were mad, wonderful times. Why not enjoy them? That’s always been my philosophy. I know more than anyone how people can judge, but I also know if you are true to yourself, that’s all that matters.”
It might be a big birthday, but the Duchess tends to focus on family over frivolities
Kate Middleton is hosting a carol concert and she's handwritten invites
For many of us, a milestone birthday is the perfect excuse to plan an extravagant party or trip abroad. But when Kate Middleton turns 40 on January 9, she’s expected to enjoy much quieter celebrations.
“Kate and William are not the sort to go away to celebrate on their own and leave the kids at home,” royal expert Duncan Larcombe told OK! Magazine. “I think the same will apply to Kate’s birthday as it does to Christmas — it will be low key and it will be focused entirely on the family.”
At the beginning of Kate and William’s relationship, the couple saw birthdays as an opportunity for adventure. “Long before they got married and long before they had children, it wasn’t unknown for William to whisk Kate away for her birthday, usually to the ski slopes but once or twice to the Caribbean,” said Duncan.
“The first picture of the two of them kissing was taken when Kate was celebrating her birthday quietly with William at Klosters ski resort in Switzerland,” he continued. “But that was then and it’s just not Kate’s style to want to throw a lavish party for friends and family. I can’t see her going on any VIP trips to posh West End restaurants either.
“I think we can expect Kate to be deliberately modest, with no fuss and the emphasis firmly on her family.”
With their love of dressing up and dancing to Shakira, We’re sure that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will provide plenty of fun on the Duchess’ big day.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are seen at “Jimmy Kimmel Live"
The rekindling of J Lo and Ben Affleck’s romance was definitely one of the happier events of 2021. And while the couple are not officially engaged yet, apparently they do have an idea of what their wedding would look like.
“Both Ben and Jen want their wedding to be an elaborate statement of their love story for their friends and family,” a source told Us Weekly. “They really want [everyone] to have a good time. They want it to be intimate, but immaculate.”
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez attend The Last Duel New York Premiere on October 09, 2021
In September, Bennifer walked the red carpet as a couple for the first time in 18 years at the Venice International Film Festival.
“Things just keep getting better for J. Lo and Ben,” a source told US Weekly at the time. “They’re so in love and it’s only a matter of time before they’re officially engaged. They are both all in and looking to spend the rest of their lives together. It doesn’t even cross their minds that it might not work out for the long term.”
The couple were previously engaged during their 18-month relationship in the early noughties, after meeting on the Gigli set. J Lo opened up about the split on The Graham Norton Show in 2010, explaining that constant media attention caused the relationship to “suffer”.
Whether a Bennifer wedding happens or not, the reuniting of the couple is one of our favourite noughties throwbacks so far.
This article is created in partnership with App Toro
Woman holding fire sparkler
As the year draws to an end, it’s the perfect time for reflection. Arguably, there is no better record of our 2021 highlights than the most popular content we posted to Instagram. And thanks to various studies, we now know that the photos we post could say a lot about us.
But first, discover your top posts of the year by downloadingTop 9, an app that analyses your Instagram data. The app, created by App Toro, reveals your most popular posts and presents them in a collage, ready to share with friends.
It also calculates your yearly stats, such as the average number of likes you received per post and the total number of likes you had. Download the app now by searching for Top 9 by App Toro in the App Store, or by following thislink.
Now you’ve got your top posts in one place, what do the images say about you? After digesting the science on the matter, we’ve broken it down into four key personas.
The love addict
If you’re always posting photos of your other half, it could be a sign that you’re insecure about your relationship or trying to mask any issues. And watch out for the captions too — researchers from Harvard note that using words like “bae” or “my girl” could be a sign of possessiveness.
The pristine poser
Are all your photos perfectly framed? Are you immaculately made up in every selfie, and do you exclusively post about more “mature” activities (afternoon tea anyone)? This could be a sign that you prize orderliness and self-discipline, according to Harvard researchers.
The gym bunny
If most of your photos are gym selfies, scientists from Brunel University have suggested this could be a sign of narcissism. The researchers wrote: “Narcissists more frequently updated about their achievements, which was motivated by their need for attention”.
The braggy traveller
If holiday snaps dominate your Top 9, it could be a sign that you crave validation. You might be missing hanging out with your pals, but you’re not going to let them forget about you — or the fact you’re having way more fun than them.
Curious about what your top posts say about your personality? Find out now with theTop 9 app.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Christmas card hints at their parenting style
Meghan Markle holds baby Archie while smiling next to husband Prince Harry.
In their Christmas card released last week, The Sussexes have shared a glimpse into their family life. Along with a photograph of the family of four, the message reveals that kids Archie and Lilibet call their parents “Mama” and “Papa”.
The card reads: “Happy Holidays. This year, 2021, we welcomed our daughter, Lilibet, to the world. Archie made us a ‘Mama’ and a ‘Papa’, and Lili made us a family.”
By suggesting that Archie chose the names for his parents, Harry and Meghan drop hints about their parenting style.
The portrait was taken by Alexi Lubomirski, Harry and Meghan’s wedding photographer. It’s the first time the couple have chosen to share a photo of Lilibet, who was born in June and named after her Grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Taken at their home in Santa Barbara, California, the photograph shows the family laughing together and dressed casually in jeans.
Credit: Pool / Samir Hussein / Contributor / Getty
The couple also mention the charities they support in the Christmas note, including Team Rubicon and Marshall Plan for Moms.
Signed as a family, the card ends with: “Wishing you a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year, from our family to yours! As ever, Harry, Meghan, Archie & Lili.”
“I walked into the room where we were having tutoring,” said Emma, who played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films.
“The assignment that had been given was to draw what you thought God looked like and Tom had drawn a girl with a backward cap on a skateboard. And I just don’t know how to say it — I just fell in love with him.”
Credit: A Berliner/BEI/REX/Shutterstock
Watson, now 31, emphasised that nothing “ever, ever, ever happened romantically” and that the friends “just love each other”.
It turns out Tom was aware of her feelings for him. During the reunion show, the 34-year-old said: “I think I was in the hair and make-up chair and someone said something along the lines of, ‘Yeah, she had a crush on you.’”
He continued: “I became very protective over her. Yeah, I’ve always had a soft spot for her and that continues to the day.”
Return to Hogwarts will be released on Sky and NOW on 1 January.
LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 22: Singer Britney Spears attends the 2016 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on May 22, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Lester Cohen/BBMA2016/Getty Images for dcp)
The 40-year-old singer, who has sons Jayden, 15, and Sean, 16 – who she had with ex Kevin Federline – is rumoured to be putting plans in place to expand her family with her fitness model beau.
The couple first met in 2016 on set of the Slumber Party music video, and hit it off. Fast forward five years and the couple are now engaged, after Sam, 27, popped the question in September 2021.
The pair are reportedly putting plans in place and overhauling their lifestyle in preparation for the next stage in their relationship.
A source told heat magazine: ‘Britney is in awe of how disciplined and smart he is on this subject, and it’s really rubbed off on her in terms of making better choices and taking far greater care of herself.’
‘Britney’s saying she’s all in and ready to make the switch, but only time will tell if she follows through and can keep up with Sam’s routine.’
But Sam vows to be ‘by her side’ through it all.
In a recent post on her Instagram account, Britney openly shared how much she wants another child.
Alongside a photo of an adults legs beside a baby on their tip toes, she wrote: ‘I’m thinking about having another baby !!! I wonder if this one is a girl … she’s on her toes reaching for something … that’s for sure.’
To which Sam replied: ‘I hope she has great calves like that! That genetic wouldn’t be coming from me.’
The decision to have a child of their own together comes just months after Britney alleged her ‘team’ did not allow her to come off of her birth control and have another child.
Speaking remotely at Los Angeles’ Court back in June, Britney told Judge Brenda Penny: ‘I have an [IUD] inside of me right now, so I don’t get pregnant.
‘I wanted to take the [IUD] out so I could start trying to have another baby, but this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don’t want me to have children.’
Britney was freed of her 13-year conservatorship lead by her father Jamie Spears in November 2021.
The Harry Potter cast has reunited for the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, and in sneak peeks of the reunion Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have shared some secrets about filming the hit series.
The trio first appeared in the Harry Potter franchise back in 2001, up until Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 in 2011.
While filming the sequels the entire cast watched one another grow up, and while the whole cast hold a soft spot in their hearts for the movie for many years to come, Daniel, 32, who played the titular character, had one pet peeve.
In a snippet of the reunion special ahead of the January 1, 2022 release, Daniel shared his annoyance at having to let his hair grow over the summer months, and in the breaks between filming.
He shared: ”I’ll always be happy to talk about it. I think people expect me not to want to talk about it. But that’s like somebody never talking about their childhood or teenage years.
‘Every part of my life is connected to Potter and to Leavesden. My first kiss is connected to someone here, my first girlfriends were here… everything I can think of is that related right now. It all spirals out from the Potter set somewhere.
‘My one bone to pick with Mike Newell, is that every year when we left for the film, we finished a film, they said “don’t cut your hair over the summer, we’ll cut it when you get back, and we’ll decide what they want to do.’
Despite holding off on any visits to the barbers, Daniel was left disappointed when the film director, Mike Newell, was happy to leave their hair long and scruffy when they returned to filming.
He continued: ‘And me and Rupert both dutifully grew our hair for months, and then came in and he was like: “Great!”
‘And we went: “No, no no no no. You’re not leaving us like this? We’re supposed to be becoming teenagers and dating girls in this film. Like, you can’t? That’s not what it’s gonna be is it?”
‘So I think we were pretty devastated as we realised that it was. But still, I still love the man!’
Although the cast have insisted it feels like ‘no time has passed’ when the film debuted 20 years ago, Emma Watson – who plays Hermione Granger – was nervous about the reunion.
Emma, 31, said: ‘You know, some of us haven’t seen each other for years, and so it’s just been a joy, an unexpected joy.
‘I really didn’t know how it would feel. I felt quite overwhelmed this morning and then I’ve just been really pleasantly surprised by just getting to relive it all.’
The Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts reunion will hit screens on January 1, 2022, and will air on HBO Max, Sky and NOW in the UK.
Kris Jenner at the Dash store launch in Los Angeles
The Kardashian/ Jenner family know how to throw a party, and even more so when it comes to Christmas.
This year momager Kris Jenner pulled out all the stops, and spent an absolute fortune on presents for her six children; Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Rob Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner.
Kim Kardashian, 41, showed off what her 66-year-old parent had bought the entire brood on her Instagram Stories, which was a fleet of electric Moke electric golf carts, which are street legal.
The Moke cars start from around $21,000, but that is before any customisations, which estimates a total of around $120,000.
In true Kardashian/Jenner fashion, Kris added on customisation for her children.
Each member of the family received a different colour Moke , except for Khloe and Kim who both received Barbie pink-coloured cars, while Kourtney and Travis’ Moke was white with a black skull emblazoned on the bonnet.
The stylish golf carts, which drive at 25mph, were purchased in yellow, pink, white, orange and blue colours, and are said to br purchased from Bert’s Mega Mall in Covina, California.
In Kim’s post she panned across the drive to capture every vehicle waiting for the family. She captioned the video ‘Thank you mommy’.
Britney Spears has opened up about feeling ‘hurt from every angle’ and being ‘humiliated’ by her family, which has left her feeling insecure and ‘scared of people and the business’.
The Toxic hitmaker took to her official Instagram account on 28 December to share a string of quotes, as well as a lengthy heartfelt message about her feelings, and restored faith in God, following the 13-year conservatorship her father, Jamie Spears, formerly headed.
The Instagram post started with a collection of quotes, which read ‘When you wake up. PRAY. When life gets hard. PRAY. If you’re unsure. PRAY. When you’re happy. PRAY. God’s always with us.’
The chain of quotes was then followed by messages, which seem to be written in notes and shared, in which Britney, 40, shares how deeply hurt she has been over the years, why she had to mask her true feelings, and subsequently lost her faith in God.
Britney detailed her knock-backs, including when she was refused to play the music she wanted to, which left her ’embarrassed and humiliated’, and made her not want to perform.
Her honest and heartfelt post read: ‘I asked for 13 years to perform new songs and remixes of my old songs. I had two months off in between each show settings for four years in Vegas, and every time I asked I was told ‘No’!!! It was a set up to make me fail yet I knew exactly what I wanted my fans to see and it didn’t make sense how network television shows are showcasing my music with remixes of all of my music… yet the person who owns the music is told no!!! They even gave remixes to my sister but why was I always told no?
‘So much wasted time to only embarrass and humiliate me and I guess it seems odd to most now why I don’t even do my music anymore…. That’s just the surface issues. People have no idea the awful things that were done to me personally.. and after what I’ve been through, I’m scared of people and the business! They really hurt me!!! Not doing my music anymore is my way of saying ‘F**k you’ in a sense when it only actually benefits my family by ignoring my real work… it’s like I’ve subconsciously let them win.
‘Honestly my family embarrassed me and hurt me deeply… so tooting my own horn and seeing my past accomplishments reflecting back at me actually helped.
‘To the outside world it must seem like I’m extremely insecure and if people really knew what I went through, I think they would understand COMPLETELY where I’m coming from!!! It’s a shame though that people don’t like the truth! I’d get more respect from doing a spread for Playboy that I would writing a book.’
Britney’s post continued to detail how she fell out of love with her religion, although she has since found her faith in God once again, because she claims she doesn’t have anyone else to turn to.
She shared: ‘Did you know the closer you are to God there will always be more tests… everywhere… a relationship with God is never ending… that’s why prayer is a constant in my life!!! I have issues… I’m not perfect so I have to remind myself daily to look up and know I’m not alone.
‘I had an experience three years ago where I stopped believing in God!!! From every angel I was being hurt for no reason and my family was hurting me… I went into a state of shock and the way I coped was being fake denial… it was too much to really face. It then came full circle and my heart took over and I was lion… not a very nice one at all… but I screamed alone a lot and I kept all that pain to myself. They say go to the source for healing … the person who hurt you… go to them and tell them… I’ve never gotten to do that. I chose the fake denial “everything’s totally fine” approach because I didn’t want to cause conflict. I was NICE, FAKE and I was absolutely screaming inside. I wanted to be nice but what they did to my heart was unforgivable.
‘…But then I realised how shallow I sounded when I did believe in God and for parents and people who were losing people they loved and dying of cancer. I had given up hope and I would preach to them, you’re not alone and God loves you.. I mean that was easy for me to say at that time….I remember one last said she had four weeks to live and she said to me…. “Why do you believe??” And I said because I have no choice… hard test, right?? How shallow did I sound to her saying “God is with you?”
‘The reason I bring this up is because I know the pain of not believing anymore and feeling so alone and even the arrogance of the world can test your faith… Trust me, I know and it’s not fun.’
But the award winning artist – who has sons Jayden, 15, and Sean, 16, with ex Kevin Federline – believes she has turned a corner, and has big aspirations for the year ahead.
She continued: ‘Last year was growth for me… I still have a way to go!! My goal for this year is to push myself a bit more and do things that scare me but not too much!!! We are just people and I’m not superwoman. But I do know what makes me happy and bring me joy and I try to meditate on those places and thoughts that enable me to experience it!!! I obviously have serious insecurities otherwise I wouldn’t have acted like an obnoxious 8 year old last week defending myself with my accomplishments!!!
‘Either way it’s all another reason to go back to the beginning and say what I said PRAY… PRAY… PRAY. So again, I’m sorry if I sound ignorant… I’m extremely insecure and I probably care too much so that’s all I got … PRAYER.’
Britney’s upload has received over 202,000 likes, and her fans and followers, have waded in to share their support.
One social media user commented: ‘Love you Brit. Hope 2022 is your happiest yet’, while another gushed: ‘We are here for you Britney -God too ! Thank you for sharing your heart with us.’
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 16: (L-R) Brooklyn Beckham, Cruz Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Romeo Beckham, Harper Beckham, David Beckham and editor-in-chief of American Vogue Anna Wintour attend the Burberry "London in Los Angeles" event at Griffith Observatory on April 16, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Burberry)
The Beckham family are one of the wealthiest British broods, but there is one member in particular who has got a rather healthy bank balance.
David Beckham, 46, and Victoria, 47, are said to be worth $450 million dollars each, thanks to David’s longstanding football career and various fashion collaborations. While Victoria’s time in the iconic British girlband Spice Girls, combined with her successful fashion and beauty career has seen her net worth soar.
Brooklyn Beckham has boasted success in America not only with his photography career, but more recent interest in cooking, as he partnered with Facebook to release a cooking series.
While Cruz Beckham, 16, entered into the music industry with his Christmas single If Everyday Was Christmas back in 2016.
But it is the second oldest child in the gang, Romeo Beckham, who has soared to the top of the rich list amongst his siblings – and we wouldn’t be surprised if he soon gave his parents a run for their money (pardon the pun).
The 19-year-old budding footballer has followed in his father’s footsteps, as he previously signed his first professional football contract to join USL League One side Fort Lauderdale, but has recently announced a long term deal with sports giant PUMA.
As part of the collaboration with PUMA Romeo is tipped to rake in a whopping £1.2 million alone for the signing.
Speaking about Romeo’s flourishing career, a source told The Sun Online: ‘Romeo was paid £1.2million for his deal to become the new global face of Puma.
‘Designer brand Yves Saint Laurent have shown a real interest in Romeo after he worked with them in the summer and it’s likely they’ll try and snare him for another campaign.
‘The future is very bright for Romeo and it won’t be long until he’s banking another million’, the source continued.
Romeo is over the moon with his latest venture, because it ‘combines his passions for fashion and football’, he shared in a statement announcing the partnership.
