A man who put his tiredness down to long Covid was told he actually had a brain tumour that had been growing for 10 years. Grant Churnin-Ritchie, 42, repeatedly visited his GP after a bout of Covid in July 2021 left him with constant tiredness and a tingling in his right arm. For several months, he was told it was long Covid, but Grant was convinced it was more serious. After blood tests, an ECG and an MRI scan, it was revealed he had a pituitary tumour. This type of tumour affects the pituitary gland, a pea-sized organ in the brain which controls growth and development. Grant, a Microsoft specialist from Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire, said: “I kept going to my GP who said I had long Covid. This went on for several months, but I really didn’t feel well in myself and felt it was something more serious. “I was so tired and I was experiencing a tingling sensation in my arms. “I had blood tests and an ECG at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds, which revealed an abnormal heartbeat.” Grant was also told he had adrenal insufficiency - in which the adrenal gland doesn’t make enough hormones - and hypothyroidism - an under-active thyroid gland. These are both symptoms of a pituitary tumour. The father-of-three said: “An endocrinologist at St James’ University Hospital said it could be caused by Covid or a pituitary tumour. “An MRI scan confirmed it was a brain tumour which had probably been growing for 10 years.” Grant waited 11 months for his operation before the tumour was removed on January 16 2023. He said: “Soon after, I started to feel a lot better. Removing the tumour allowed some of the adrenal gland to start functioning again. “Even though I now have to take medication, I can lead a normal life. “Even though surgeons removed the tumour, there is a 20 per cent chance of it growing back. “I have an MRI scan in July so I should know more then.” Grant raised £2.5k after running Leeds Half Marathon for Brain Tumour Research on May 14 with his wife, Hannah, 40. He said: “Being able to run the half marathon with my wife Hannah was great, and I’m glad to be able to raise awareness of brain tumours. “Because I only had two months to train for the race, I found it very hard to complete. Luckily, I had my wonderful family and friends cheering me on which got me through it. “I wanted to give something back, and this was my way of saying thank you to the medical teams and Brain Tumour Research for what they do for people with this disease.” Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research said: “We’re really grateful to Grant for taking on the Leeds Half Marathon as it’s only with the support of people like him that we’re able to progress our research into brain tumours and improve the outcome for patients like him who are forced to fight this awful disease.” SWNS Read More Boy, 8, rushed to hospital after feeling constipated diagnosed with cancer A TikTok model made viral videos of her grandmother’s choice to die. Here’s why Parents of baby who died in maternity scandal say care concerns ‘batted away’ A 1D fan claimed she had a tumour. We still don’t know the truth after her death Talented boxer reveals first sign of brain tumour after collapsing at service station Father shares cancer symptoms he thought was too much coffee

Summer heatwaves are on the way, with temperatures predicted to jump into the mid-twenties this weekend and beyond. As lovely as this sounds though, as many of us have experienced year after year, sleeping in the heat can be challenging. So, why is sleeping harder when it’s hot? “Our bodies need to cool down in order to sleep” explains Theresa Schnorbach, psychologist and Emma sleep scientist. “As everyone’s bodies are acclimatised to different environments, there’s no hard and fast rule as to what temperature your bedroom should be, but it is recommended that your sleep environment be comfortably cool – usually this means between 15.5-19°C. If we are too warm, our core temperature is unable to drop, making it more difficult to fall asleep and causing sleep disturbances,” Schnorbach adds. So, how can you boost your sleep quality during summer heatwaves? 1. Ventilate wisely “Firstly, you should look to keep windows and curtains closed during the day to help keep your bedroom cool,” suggests Schnorbach. “During the night, you can open your windows and curtains to allow a fresh breeze in. A fan can also help to keep cool air circulating throughout the night, and the white noise produced by this can also have the added benefit of helping you to drift off.” Of course, only leave windows open if it’s safe and secure to do so. If that’s not an option, vents and fans may be your best friend for summer slumber! 2. Change your bedding if necessary “It’s also worth thinking about your mattress and bedding materials in warmer weather. Mattresses with open coil systems, for example, can allow air to circulate throughout,” says Schnorbach. “If you’re not looking to replace your whole mattress, a mattress topper can be a great alternative. When made from the right material, mattress toppers can keep you fresh and cool throughout the night by providing another breathable layer on top of your mattress, helping to regulate your body’s temperature and give you a comfortable sleep.” 3. Consider your pulse points It can be extremely frustrating when you’re tossing and turning due to over-heating. There may be additional steps you can take to boost that cool-down effect. “Utilise your body’s pulse points – areas where your blood flows closest to the surface of your skin, such as your wrists or the sides of your neck. Wrap an ice pack in a cloth or a towel – never apply ice directly to your skin – hold it against these pulse points to help you quickly cool off,” Schnorbach suggests. “Similarly, you can also use a hot-water bottle filled with cold water, a cool, damp flannel, or try splashing cold water on these pulse points. Your body’s blood vessels will react to the cool sensation and instantly bring your core temperature down. However, avoid your feet and hands, as this can prevent you from falling asleep.” 4. Take a lukewarm shower “While a freezing cold shower before bed may be what you’re craving to help beat the heat, I suggest opting for one that is lukewarm instead,” adds Schnorbach. “A shower that is too cold will actually cause the body to warm up again to re-balance the body temperature.” 5. Go nude or wear cotton “If you’re someone that can’t sleep without some kind of clothing on, wearing pyjamas of natural cotton is your best bet, as the material actually helps your skin breathe while absorbing your sweat during the night,” Schnorbach explains. 6. Munch on sleep-supporting fruits “A summer fruit that’s usually plentiful in the warmer months, cherries help to increase melatonin – a hormone that helps in promoting sleep. By producing more melatonin, your body can help better regulate its internal clock and you can doze off more easily at night,” Schnorbach explains. “Bananas are another fruit that can also help aid sleep. Bananas have high levels of magnesium and potassium, which can help to increase your sleep duration and promote relaxation.” 7. Have a cuddle And Schnorbach’s final tip? Have a snuggle. She says: “While it may feel counterintuitive, a cuddle before bed can help in reducing your core temperature by encouraging your blood vessels to dilate, thus losing excessive body heat.”

It appears that a new fashion trend has been ushered in at the Cannes Film Festival, worn by the likes of Sydney Sweeney, Scarlett Johansson and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. The iconic exposed bras of the early 2000s have made a comeback, but not everyone is fully on board with a seemingly half-baked iteration of a once-beloved trend. Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney stepped out in Cannes, France, wearing a silky slip dress layered over a powder-blue Miu Miu bra, with its cups and straps peering over the bustier top. While waltzing through the lobby of the Hotel Martinez with her fiancé Jonathan Davino, Sweeney paired the visible bra look with white platform heels and small diamond hoop earrings. Over on the Cannes red carpet for the premiere of Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, actor Scarlett Johansson showed off her own version of the exposed bra trend with a pale pink custom Prada number. The light pink column dress included a thin-strapped white bra built into the bodice. Meanwhile, model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley embraced the exposed bra trend in Fendi couture. Her white thigh-slit gown came equipped with a sparkly bra insert. In fact, much of the Fendi Spring 2023 couture collection was dominated by visible bras and negligee-inspired ensembles. Underwear as fashion is nothing new. Pop icons of the early to mid-2000s, like Amy Winehouse and Nicki Minaj, were rocking the visible bra trend before it was cool. In the 2004 comedy Mean Girls, Lindsay Lohan’s character Cady Heron unabashedly wore a hot pink bra under her satin strapless dress as she made her way to the top of the high school food chain. Plus, who could forget the recent revival of the controversial “whale tail” trend? Some people online are praising the return of the beloved exposed bra, while others believe these A-list celebrities aren’t fully embracing the resurgence. “Actually loving this ‘visible bra’ trend we’re seeing at Cannes! It’s so cute to me and pokes a bit of fun at a common faux pas that really shouldn’t be one imo [in my opinion],” said one person on Twitter, while another wrote: “Whatever this ‘exposed bra’ trend is I don’t like it, let’s get back to the drawing board.” Someone else pointed out that wearing visible cups “has to be done right,” as they showed images of rappers Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice perfecting the exposed bra trend. On the other hand, many people believed that a black-tie, red carpet event like the Cannes Film Festival wasn’t the appropriate occasion for an otherwise casual fashion trend. Rather than accompanying bra straps with a floor-length gown, it seems fashion lovers would prefer if celebrities stuck to the basics. “They’re trying to make it classy and elegant when it has to be the exact opposite!” one user claimed. As exposed bras are set to become one of the biggest fashion moments of the year, others are hoping that the emerging trend will soon be done right, like one person, who wrote: “Maybe the executions so far are bad and we’re just not seeing the vision yet.” Aside from underwear and bras, there have been many best-dressed moments from this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The Great star Elle Fanning turned heads with her silver Paco Rabanne dress – which was declared the “party dress of the season” and included long, shard-like sequins and two metal cut-out snowflakes that covered the actor’s chest. Jennifer Lawrence arrived on the red carpet on Sunday wearing a crimson Christian Dior couture gown featuring a corset bustier with ruffled bust and matching red shawl. But it was her footwear that really stood out as the Oscar-winner opted for a pair of casual black flip-flops instead of heels. Stranger Things star Maya Hawke wore a moss green Prada mid-length dress for the premiere of Asteroid City, while Natalie Portman donned a recreation of Christian Dior’s iconic Junon dress, which was first designed in 1949. Read More Elle Fanning wows fans with daring cut-out dress at Cannes: ‘My nips could never’ Maya Hawke raises eyebrows at Cannes as she pirouettes down red carpet From Elle Fanning to Jennifer Lawrence: All the best-dressed stars at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Exposed bras are the newest fashion trend, but not everyone is convinced All the best-dressed stars at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Dua Lipa reveals how she bonded with designer Donatella Versace

Welcome the Kardashian-Jenner sisters as they run their business empires and dominate fashion headlines on 'The Kardashians' Season 3 on Hulu

Dua Lipa said she “bonded” with Donatella Versace over their “shared love of this time of year” as she revealed the clothing in their fashion collaboration. The chart-topping 27-year-old singer, who co-hosted the Met Gala this month, co-designed the La Vacanza women’s collection with Versace. The fashion house said this was the first time it had “opened up the design process to a collaborator in this way” as the designs debuted at a show in Cannes, France, on Tuesday. Lipa and the Italian fashion designer’s clothing includes evening gowns, bikinis and beachwear alongside accessories such as bags and boots in laminated metallic leather and jewellery featuring butterflies and ladybugs. Butterfly and ladybug prints previously featured in the Versace Spring-Summer 1995 collection. Lipa said: “Donatella and I bonded over our shared love of this time of year while making this collection. “Digging through the archives we discovered we were drawn to a lot of the same references which was such an inspiring and fulfilling process. “La Vacanza (or The Vacation in English) ranges from metallic miniskirts and sexy bikinis, to butterfly rings and printed pieces inspired by the Versace SS ’95 collection. “There’s always an occasion to wear Versace, and I know I’ll be spending my days (and nights!) in La Vacanza all summer long.” Versace said the collection “celebrates the very best” of the summer with “gorgeous colours, fun prints, and light silhouettes”. She added: “Dua loves fashion, I love music — we are the perfect duo. “We had such a good time designing this collection together. We felt like we were on vacation and that is exactly the spirit we want people to feel when they wear our clothes.” Versace’s brother Gianni opened the brand’s first boutique in 1978, and following his murder in 1997 Donatella took over the house’s reins. She also described Lipa, who had worked as a model before her record deal, on Instagram as both a “superdesigner” and “Versace supermodel” and said the singer’s “passion and vision” inspired her during the creative process. Versace added: “I love you more than you can imagine.” Born in London to Kosovan-Albanian parents, Lipa has had three UK number ones including New Rules, One Kiss with Calvin Harris and Cold Heart with Sir Elton John. She is also set to release the track Dance The Night on Friday to accompany Barbie’s film soundtrack. Lipa is also starring as a mermaid in the upcoming live-action film alongside Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken.

It's the end for Season 23 of "The Voice" and also a farewell for Blake Shelton.

Nearly half (44%) of women experiencing menopause symptoms ‘suffer in silence’ at work, due to fears it could negatively impact their career. In a bid to hide symptoms, 48% say they would lie about why they needed a sick day, rather than saying menopause was affecting them, and 39% are still embarrassed to talk about the topic at work, according to a new survey by Lime Solicitors. The law firm polled 1,001 women who are experiencing or have experienced menopause or perimenopause. The research, carried out in April, also found 60% of respondents think their workplace should offer more menopause support, and less than a third (29%) of the women surveyed said they would feel comfortable asking for adjustments to help support them with menopause symptoms. “Our research shows that almost half the of women surveyed think going through menopause will negatively impact their career, which is why so many women suffer in silence,” said Neha Thethi, head of employment at Lime Solicitors. “It appears employers are failing an important part of their workforce by not providing the necessary support or creating a positive culture whereby people can raise concerns or issues with confidence. “To help dispel the stigma around menopause and empower women to speak freely and honestly about their experiences, we need menopause champions in all workplaces,” Neha added. How can employers help? “Menopause is a simple fact of life, and very much a reality in the workplace,” Paula Allen, global leader of research and total wellbeing, and senior vice-president at TELUS Health, told PA Media. While there has been a big increase in menopause awareness in recent years – with a number of celebrities, such as Davina McCall, shining a light on the topic, there’s still progress to be made. “It isn’t paid much attention in the workplace as a health issue, and therefore is rarely managed in a way that is optimum,” she added. She said, “eradicating stigma and inaction starts with education” – which can include “wellbeing sessions on all aspects of women’s health, including menopause, and training of managers on how to support employees with health needs”. Dee Murray, CEO of Menopause Experts Group, agrees awareness training is a key part of the picture. “Women who experience menopausal symptoms in the workplace are likely to need some support, or at the very least signposting, when they most need help,” said Murray. “Making sure line managers are trained, or at least have some basic knowledge, is hugely important. It’s also important to remember that those managers too may be experiencing menopause symptoms, or will do at some stage, if they are female. “Menopause champions – just like mental health first aiders – have become a vital part of the workplace for many women,” Murray adds. “Champions allow women to feel safe speaking out about symptoms that may be causing them extra anxiety and challenges at work. “Far too many women still feel embarrassed about discussing symptoms, and they must feel secure in the knowledge that they will not become the butt of the office jokes or judged about their symptoms, which can often be debilitating and very personal.” Workplace adjustments Allen said: “The good news is that even though menopause is a noteworthy health issue, the support needed from a workplace point of view can be quite simple. For example, menopause can cause drastic changes in body temperature, which can be addressed with fans, or by offering desks with windows or air conditioning vents close by. “Symptoms of menopause may also include insomnia, irritability and depressive symptoms, all of which have a physical base but can impact behaviour and mental wellbeing. With this, employees should take advantage of the personal support offered by their workplace through their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and their Telemedicine provider if available.” A flexible approach Murray notes that flexible working can be an effective adjustment too. “Employers who offer flexible working hours and remote working will benefit in the longer term. Firms with Menopause Approved status find they have better retention of staff and are more competitive when it comes to recruitment too,” she said. “Those experiencing menopause are not always seeking special treatment, just acknowledgement and support to help them through what can be a tricky time.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Signs and symptoms of breast cancer as Amy Dowden reveals diagnosis Helen Flanagan says she spent her 20s ‘pregnant and breastfeeding’ Baby food and drink guidelines needed over sugar concerns, say health campaigners

Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Amy Dowden has revealed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Caerphilly-born Dowden, who joined the BBC dance competition show in 2017, shared the news on Instagram, telling fans that she is “determined” to return to the dance floor as soon as she can. The 32-year-old wrote: “Hey all, I’ve got some news which isn’t easy to share. I’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer but I’m determined to get back on that dance floor before you know it.”Maldives Dowden went to the GP after realising the lump had grown after her holiday. Last week she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. She told Hello Magazine: “My doctor explained to me that there are three grades, and three is the most aggressive, but they feel like they’ve caught mine early and to not be too alarmed because grade three would be expected in somebody of my age. “You just don’t ever think it’s going to happen to you. I hadn’t thought it was possible to get breast cancer at my age. “My mum has had breast cancer, but she had it at a later age, in her 50s.” What are the signs to know? Many women know that a lump can be a possible symptom of breast cancer, but there are other signs of the disease to look for,” says Manveet Basra, head of public health and wellbeing at Breast Cancer Now. “While most breast changes, including lumps, won’t be cancer, it’s important to contact your GP as soon as possible if you notice a change to your breast that’s new or unusual for you, as the sooner breast cancer is found, the more successful treatment is likely to be.” Clare O’Neill from CoppaFeel!, wants everyone to be breast aware, “Because people of all ages and genders have breast tissue”, she says. She recommends checking your breasts or pecs once a month, while adding: “It can be normal to have pain and lumps around the time of your period.” So what symptoms other than lumps should you be aware of? If you see “any puckering, thickening, dimpling or rash of the skin, talk to your doctor”, advises O’Neill. “Also talk to your doctor if you notice a change in direction of the nipple or any bleeding or discharge from the nipple, or swelling of the chest or armpit. Breast awareness is not supposed to be scary, it’s about empowering people to know their bodies.” How to check your breasts “Checking your breasts only takes a few minutes. It could be when getting dressed, when showering or putting on moisturiser,” says Basra. “It’s important to remember to check your whole breast area, your armpits and up to your collarbone (upper chest) for changes. There’s no special technique, it’s as simple as TLC: Touch, Look, Check.” See your GP if you have any worries about possible symptoms, and you can call Breast Cancer Now’s free helpline on 0808 800 6000. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Helen Flanagan says she spent her 20s ‘pregnant and breastfeeding’ Baby food and drink guidelines needed over sugar concerns, say health campaigners Period advice now being offered by Amazon’s Alexa

Professional dancer Amy Dowden has revealed that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The Strictly Come Dancing star, 32, said she received the diagnosis “last week” and described it as “another hurdle” in her life. Speaking to Hello!magazine, Dowden said: “I’ve been through quite a lot in my life and this is another hurdle. “But if I’m positive and strong, I’ve got a really good chance of getting back out on the dance floor as soon as possible.” Dowden also suffers from Crohn’s disease, a lifelong condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed. She campaigns for awareness around Crohn’s and released a BBC documentary Strictly Amy: Crohn’s and Me about living with the disease in 2020. She pointed towards her work around raising awareness of Crohn’s and said she hopes to “do the same” with breast cancer. “If I can try to turn this negative into a positive, it’s going to help me get through this,” she added. The dancer, who married her partner Ben Jones in South Wales last July, continued: “You just don’t ever think it’s going to happen to you. I hadn’t thought it was possible to get breast cancer at my age.” She revealed that her mother has also had breast cancer in the past, but she was diagnosed in her fifties. According to Cancer Research UK, there are around 55,900 new breast cancer cases in the country every year, with around 5,000 women under the age of 45 diagnosed. Around eight in 10 (80.6 per cent) of women in England who are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 44 survive breast cancer for 10 years or more, data from the organisation shows. Dowden said she only began making a “conscious effort” to check her breasts for signs of cancer after taking part in CoppaTrek! With Gi, a fundraising walk led by blogger and podcaster Giovanna Fletcher for breast health charity CoppaFeel! She credited the charity with “potentially [saving] my life”, adding: “I don’t know how long this lump could have been there before I would have noticed and done something about it.” The dancer added that she hoped speaking about her diagnosis “might end up saving some other people’s lives” if she prompts them to check their breasts. She first found a “hard lump” in her right breast in April, a day before she and Ben were due to fly to the Maldives for a delayed honeymoon. Dowden said she was “in shock” and initially thought the lump could have been “period-related” or something else, but decided to “keep an eye on it”. After returning from holiday, Dowden said she realised the lump “felt so much bigger” while preparing to do a dance show with her husband and decided it was time to see her GP. She was sent for an emergency referral. Dowden’s doctors believe the cancer was discovered early, but she is still awaiting more information before getting a full treatment plan, which “will definitely include surgery”, she said. “I don’t know what stage the cancer is yet, until I have an MRI scan and a biopsy on a second lump they have found in the same breast,” she explained. “Once they’ve got that, they can give me a full prognosis.” Posting on Instagram after her interview was published this morning (Wednesday 24 May), Dowden told her followers: “Hey all, I’ve got some news that isn’t easy to share. I’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer but I’m determined to get back on that dance floor before you know it. Welsh love Amy.” Read More Breast cancer symptoms you should look out for Start mammograms at 40, not 50, a US health panel recommends Angelina Jolie shares tribute to late mum and urges women with family cancer history to get checked

Helen Flanagan admits she’s “no superwoman”, and isn’t saying being a single parent is easy. But despite “running around like a blue-arsed fly” as she puts it, the former Coronation Street actress, who split from her footballer fiancé Scott Sinclair last summer, says her new single family life is working really well. “I co-parent with my ex-fiancé Scott – we’ve got three children together, and we were together for 13 years,” explains Flanagan, 32, who has just appeared on I’m A Celebrity… South Africa. “My friends help me with the children, because I do work nearly every day. I have a friend and we’re a girl gang together – I’m not superwoman! So that works nicely at home. “Scott’s living with his mum at the moment in Bristol, and my children are really close to their nana, so it works really well. My kids just have a really happy environment, with me and my friend at home, and then they have a really nice happy environment with their dad and their nana.” Flanagan, who lives in Manchester, says she has the children – Matilda, eight, Delilah, five, and two-year-old Charlie – “the majority of the time”, as their dad’s away playing football for Bristol Rovers a lot. “So it kind of can’t be helped, really,” she says. “But his mum is absolutely fantastic, we get on very, very well. She’s known me since I was 19, so I’m close with his mum, and she helps me a lot with the children.” The actress admits that although she misses her “babies” when they’re with their dad and nana, she makes the most of her child-free time. “I had my children not young, but young-ish – I had Matilda when I was 24 – and I just feel like I spent all my 20s being pregnant and breastfeeding at home,” Flanagan reflects. “So it’s kind of nice sometimes to have that time, because I know they’re in the best hands with Scott’s mum, and it’s lovely that I can spend some time with my friends and concentrate on my work and have some fun. So it’s nice, it works well. “Of course I miss them, they’re my babies, but I know they’re really, really happy with their nana and their dad, so I don’t have to worry. I do feel like the happier you are as a mum, the better it is for your child.” Most of Flanagan’s time these days is spent either working or looking after the kids – and deflecting her daughters’ pleas to get on social media. “I’m not ready for my five-year-old and eight-year-old to have social media yet – I don’t think it’s healthy for children to have social media too young,” she says. “Matilda’s desperate to go on TikTok and create her own content, and sometimes I feel a bit guilty because I’m on TikTok and Instagram and she sees that. So I said, ‘Why don’t you have mummy’s?’ and she said, ‘No, I want my own!’” As a compromise for the time being, the girls have been allowed a NickWatch connected smartwatch, which is free from social media but features games, music, safe connectivity with parents, and a GPS tracker. “A GPS tracker is such a comfort as a parent to have,” says Flanagan. “You can see where they are at all times, which is great. For me as a parent, I never keep my eyes off my children, they’re too precious. It’s just to have peace of mind.” New research by NickWatch found 41% of parents with a child under 10 years say their child has walked off on their own without them being aware. According to the survey, parents of children aged under 10 say they’ve ‘lost’ them five times on average. Fortunately, keeping a close eye on her kids means Flanagan has never been in that position, although she admits: “I’ve had a moment in a supermarket where I’ve kind of gone, ‘Where’s Matilda?’, and then I’ve seen her. But it’s common for people to lose their children, which is really scary – it’s the worst feeling in the world, and you need to have eyes in the back of your head.” But it was her daughter’s eyes that were on her, when Flanagan took part in I’m a Celebrity… South Africa recently, more than 10 years after she first took part in the show in the Australian jungle. “I loved the jungle, I really, really, did,” she declares. “It was just such anamazing experience. It was great to go back and redeem myself. I didn’t want to be pathetic and rubbish at the trials, and I had my little girl watching from home, so I couldn’t have not done it – she’d have been gutted, so that was my motivation.” Now she’s back, Flanagan, who last appeared as Rosie Webster on Coronation Street in 2018, says she’s currently doing a lot of work on social media and auditioning, and has “things in the pipeline that I can’t really share just now”. But she adds: “I’d absolutely love to go back to Coronation Street at some point, it’s just timing – I definitely want to do it at some point.” Helen Flanagan is helping to launch Nickwatch, a new connected smartwatch for children aged six to nine with built-in GPS tracking. Read More Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden diagnosed with breast cancer aged 32 Joe Alwyn attends Celine dinner at Cannes Film Festival Madeleine McCann – latest news: Search of remote reservoir enters second day as police seen digging beside dam Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Each year, the Cannes Film Festival red carpet sees the biggest stars in Hollywood and beyond gather in their finest threads. The 2023 festival, which began on Tuesday 16 May and will run until Saturday 27 May, has already served up a plethora of looks, from Elle Fanning’s delightfully risqué sequinned gown to Maya Hawke’s pleasantly demure mossy green dress. There have also been some surprising moments on the red carpet, such as Jennifer Lawrence’s unexpected choice of flip-flops instead of heels and a shock protest by a Ukrainian activist involving plenty of fake blood. Here are our picks for the best-dressed stars at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Elle Fanning Fans went wild for The Great star Elle Fanning’s silver Paco Rabanne dress that she wore on Thursday 18 May. The metal gown was declared the “party dress of the season” and included long, shard-like sequins and two metal cut-out snowflakes that covered the actor’s breasts. Jennifer Lawrence The Oscar-winning actor arrived on the red carpet on Sunday 21 May wearing a crimson Christian Dior couture gown for the premiere of the Anatomie D’une Chute (Anatomy of a Fall). The dress featured a corset bustier topped with a ruffled bust and a matching shawl worn around Lawrence’s arms. But it was her footwear that really stood out. Lawrence opted to descend the steps at the Palais des Festivals in a pair of casual black flip-flops instead of heels. Maya Hawke The Stranger Things star opted for a Prada ensemble at the world premiere of Asteroid City on Tuesday 23 May. Hawke wore a moss green strapless grown and baby blue gloves, accessorised with a chunky diamond necklace. Julia Fox Known for her daring fashion choices, actor Julia Fox has already appeared several times at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in outfits including transparent elements. She attended the Art of Elysium Paradis 25th anniversary party on Sunday 21 May wearing a see-through abstract breastplate atop a voluminous white skirt. The following day, while attending the premiere of The Idol, Fox wore a sheer gown that appeared to be constructed out of transparent plastic, designed by Nicolas Jebran. She completed the look with black lipstick. Troye Sivan Also attending the premiere of The Idol, which he stars in opposite Lily-Rose Depp, Troye Sivan wore an all-black ensemble on the red carpet on Monday 22 May. His outfit consisted of a black shirt with cut-outs under the collar, as well as a black jacket and trousers. He accessorised with a red rose and silver stem brooch on his lapel, and silver rings. Michelle Yeoh Newly minted Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh arrived at the festival wearing a green taffeta silk gown by Balenciaga Couture, with a matching stole. The look was completed with black opera gloves and black stiletto heels. Around her neck, she wore a black-and-white statement necklace. Gigi Hadid Gigi Hadid wore a strapless, structured Zac Posen gown that featured peplum details around her hips and a slightly flared skirt. The model attended the premiere of Firebrand on Sunday 21 May. She accessorised with a number of jewels from Messika, including a collar necklace, two pairs of drop earrings and multiple diamond rings. Natalie Portman Natalie Portman made jaws drop when she arrived at the Cannes Film Festival wearing a recreation of Christian Dior’s iconic Junon dress, which was first designed in 1949. The actor’s gown features a white bustier and petal-like layers cascading down the voluminous skirt, with each petal edged with sequins. It was named as a nod to Greek mythology and was inspired by peacock feathers. Lily Gladstone Lily Gladstone made her Cannes debut wearing a Valentino Haute Couture gown for the premiere of Killers of the Flower Moon on Saturday 20 May. The actor’s dress featured large yellow flowers against a black base, with a matching cape around her shoulders. She wore dangling earrings by Jamie Okuma, as well as other jewellery by Chopard. Read More Elle Fanning wows fans with daring cut-out dress at Cannes: ‘My nips could never’ Joe Alwyn attends Celine dinner at Cannes Film Festival Maya Hawke raises eyebrows at Cannes as she pirouettes down red carpet

For those seeking to live in the most sustainable way, there now is an afterlife too