Britney Spears has reflected on the iconic double-denim outfit she wore alongside her then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake in 2001. Spears and Timberlake – who were dating at the time – attended the American Music Awards together and quickly made headlines with their showstopping outfits. The pair wore matching head-to-toe denim looks, including a blue denim cowboy hat on Timberlake. The instantly recognisable double-denim moment has gone down in sartorial history, with many people replicating the look for Halloween couple costumes. Reflecting on the starry fashion moment, Spears writes in her new memoir The Woman In Me that she initially suggested the idea to Timberlake and their stylist as a joke. “I still can’t believe that Justin was going to wear denim and I said, ‘We should match! Let’s do denim-on-denim!’’” she explained. “At first, honestly, I thought it was a joke. I didn’t think my stylist was actually going to do it, and I never thought Justin was going to do it with me. But they both went all in.” Spears continued: “The stylist brought Justin’s all-denim outfit, including a denim hat to match his denim jacket and denim pants. When he put it on, I thought, Whoa! I guess we’re really doing this!” At the time, the pop star was a newly famous pop sensation and Timberlake was an international heartthrob as the frontman of boy band NSYNC. Together, they would attend multiple red carpet events in the years they dated, from 1998 to 2002. “Justin and I were always going to events together,” Spears said. “We had so much fun doing the Teen Choice Awards, and we often color-coordinated our outfits. But with the matching denim, we blew it up.” Spears explained that the denim corset she wore to the event was so tight that she thought she might fall over on the red carpet. “I get that it was tacky, but it was also pretty great in its way, and I am always happy to see it parodied as a Halloween costume,” she said. Spears went on to address the criticism that Timberlake faced for wearing the matching outfit. “I’ve heard Justin get flak for the look. On one podcast where they were teasing him about it, he said, ‘You do a lot of things when you’re young and in love.’ And that’s exactly right. We were giddy, and those outfits reflected that,” Spears wrote. The pair began dating after meeting on the set of the All-New Mickey Mouse Club in 1992. Elsewhere in the memoir, Spears wrote about her decision to get an abortion after she became pregnant while dating Timberlake. “It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I’d anticipated” she said of the pregnancy. “But Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young.” Spears appeared to imply that she decided to get an abortion because it was what Timberlake had wanted her to do. “I’m sure people will hate me for this, but I agreed not to have the baby. I don’t know if that was the right decision,” she wrote in the memoir. “If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father.” “To this day, it’s one of the most agonising things I have ever experienced in my life,” she said. The Independent has contacted representatives for Timberlake and Spears for comment. The Woman in Me is out now. You can read The Independent’s four-star review of the memoir here. Read More Britney Spears announces engagement to Sam Asghari Britney Spears’ fiance responds to fans calling for star to get prenup Britney Spears reassures fans after deactivating Instagram account Everything we know about Britney Spears and Sam Asghari divorce A timeline of Britney Spears and Sam Asghari’s relationship What is Sam Asghari’s net worth?

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Rebecca Adlington said she is “truly heartbroken” after suffering a late-stage miscarriage. The double Olympic gold medal swimmer found out about the devastating loss at a routine 20-week scan, sharing the news in a post on Instagram yesterday evening. “I don’t really have the words right now but unfortunately we went for our 20 week scan this week and they found no heartbeat. I gave birth to our angel, Harper on Friday at 7pm. We held her, and had time with her. We will forever love her and remember her always,” Adlington, 34, said. After thanking staff at Wythenshawe Hospital for their “kindness and care”, she added: “I don’t have the strength or words right now and don’t feel ready to share this news. However, I can’t pretend to be ok or fake a smile. I can’t have people ask me how pregnancy is or when I am due as I still look pregnant. I don’t have the strength to tell this news individually. “We are so truly heartbroken. Our beautiful girl. Rest in peace.” Adlington – who shares son Albie, two, with her husband Andy Parsons and has an eight-year-old daughter, Summer, from her previous marriage with Harry Needs – previously revealed she’d had a miscarriage 12 weeks into her pregnancy last August, resulting in emergency surgery. And as her Instagram post this week highlights, one of the many difficult things about losing a baby is telling other people. So, how can people respond supportively when a friend, relative or colleague shares news of a baby loss? Showing empathy “It’s about showing empathy as much as you possibly can, showing some form of understanding, and really just being there to listen to them,” Rochelle Love, a midwife working with baby loss charity Tommy’s, told the PA news agency. A late miscarriage is one which happens between 14-24 weeks of pregnancy, and is less common than early-stage miscarriage, occurring in an estimated 1-2% of pregnancies, Love explained. “We don’t always know why these miscarriages happen. They can be for a multitude of reasons, and the sad thing for expectant parents is that we may not always find a definite cause,” she added. “It may not necessarily be related to previous miscarriage.” Take care with ‘helpful’ comments Friends and family may try to comfort someone who’s lost a baby with well-meaning but sometimes way off-the-mark ‘helpful’ comments. Love said it’s crucial to be very careful about what you say. “I don’t think it’s ever up to us to make assumptions, and especially do not make comments like: ‘Don’t worry, you can have another baby’, ‘Don’t worry, you can try again’, or, ‘You were only 20 weeks pregnant’,” Love advised. “I think sometimes people just don’t know what else to say, so they make these throwaway comments, which are not necessarily the best things to say when someone’s grieving. It’s not up to us to say [these things] – how do you know, for example, that they can have another baby? Think about what you’re going to say before you speak to someone who’s had a loss.” Be mindful of terminology Remember this isn’t just a foetus to the grieving parents – it’s their child, and it can be very important to talk about it as such. Love said: “Address the baby as their baby, and if the baby has a name, then use it. Be very careful of the words you use.” Be there for them Instead of offering up platitudes, Love said it’s often better to just let people know you’re there if they need you. “Just let them know you’re there for them – you’re there if they want to speak, or if they just want to sit in silence – you’re available to be their support if and when they should need it,” she explained. Don’t forget their partner Love stresses that any kind of support needs to be extended to the partner as well. “Sometimes the partner is ignored and we just focus on the pregnant person, but the partner is the pregnant person’s closest support and they’ve also lost their baby and are also grieving,” she said. “I always advise anyone who’s had an unfortunate loss that if they decide to go for grief counselling, they should make their partner a part of that process as well, so they can go on that grief and healing journey together.” Remember everyone will grieve differently Loss and grief is experienced differently by everyone. “How I may grieve a pregnancy loss may be very different from how somebody else might grieve,” said Love – so it’s important to let people do things their way and at their own pace. Think about offering them helpIf you are close with them, offer practical help if you feel they may welcome it. Love said this could mean “getting someone’s groceries for them because they don’t feel they can face getting dressed and going out, or cleaning the house – anything at all could be very well received.” Tommy’s helpline is on 0800 014 7800 Read More What you need to know about new research into treating cervical cancer How to do Halloween make up and still take care of your skin Which houseplants best suit your star sign? 5 of the hottest new perfume launches for autumn/winter Consistent lack of sleep may increase risk of future depressive symptoms – study World Osteoporosis Day: The risk factors and early warning signs everyone needs to know about

Using existing drugs to treat cervical cancer before standard treatment could lead to a 35% reduction in the risk of relapse or death, a new study suggests. Researchers from the UCL Cancer Institute and UCLH looked into whether a short course of induction chemotherapy (IC), where a drug is used to destroy as many cancer cells as possible, before chemoradiation (CRT), could help with this. Here’s everything you need to know about the findings… What is cervical cancer? According to the NHS website, cervical cancer is a type of cancer found anywhere near the cervix – the opening between the vagina and the womb (uterus), which is also known as the neck of the womb. Most cervical cancers grow very slowly and are caused by an infection from specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and mostly affect women under the age of 45. According to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, symptoms include vaginal bleeding that is unusual to you, changes to vaginal discharge, discomfort during sex and pain in your lower back or pelvis. Changes to cells can be spotted by a cervical screening, and then treated before they turn into cancer. There are around 3,200 new cases every year in the UK, with the five-year survival rate being around 70%, according to Cancer Research UK. CRT has been the standard treatment for cervical cancer patients since 1999, but even though there have been overall significant developments in radiation therapy techniques, up to 30% of people experience their cancer coming back. What did the research involve? Over a 10-year period, 500 patients who had been diagnosed with cervical cancer – that was large enough to see without a microscope but hadn’t spread to other parts of the body – took part in the Interlace trial at hospitals in the UK, Mexico, India, Italy and Brazil. Researchers looked into whether a short course of IC before CRT could reduce rates of relapse and death. What results were found? After five years, researchers discovered that 80% of the people who received a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy were alive, whilst 73% had not seen their cancer return or spread. A major benefit, according to researchers, is that it can be incorporated into standard of care treatment relatively quickly, because cheap, accessible and already-approved ingredients such as carboplatin and paclitaxel are needed for IC. “Our trial shows that this short course of additional chemotherapy delivered immediately before the standard CRT can reduce the risk of the cancer returning or death by 35%,” said Dr Mary McCormack, lead investigator of the trial from UCL Cancer Institute and UCLH. “This is the biggest improvement in outcome in this disease in over 20 years. “I’m incredibly proud of all the patients who participated in the trial; their contribution has allowed us to gather the evidence needed to improve treatment of cervical cancer patients everywhere. “We couldn’t have done this without the generous support of Cancer Research UK.” Why is the research important? Dr Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, said: “Timing is everything when you’re treating cancer. The simple act of adding induction chemotherapy to the start of chemoradiation treatment for cervical cancer has delivered remarkable results in this trial. “A growing body of evidence is showing the value of additional rounds of chemotherapy before other treatments like surgery and radiotherapy in several other cancers. “Not only can it reduce the chances of cancer coming back, it can be delivered quickly using drugs already available worldwide. “We’re excited for the improvements this trial could bring to cervical cancer treatment and hope short courses of induction chemotherapy will be rapidly adopted in the clinic.”

Naomi Osaka has reflected on battling self-doubt and difficult thoughts as a new mother. The four-time Grand Slam tennis champion gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Shai, in July 2023. She shares Shai with her partner, rapper Cordae. On Sunday (22 October), Osaka shared some insights into her personal life with her fans to mark turning 26 earlier in the week. In an extended post on X, formerly Twitter, the Japanese athlete wrote about taking stock of her life so far, and wondering whether or not she’s taken the “correct path”. “I often try to retrace my steps to figure out how did I end up here,” she explained. “I know I say this often but I truly still feel like that kid playing on public courts in Queens, NY. “Randomly I wonder if I’m doing OK, is there a correct path to take in life or have I veered off onto the scenic route for a little bit? However, I’ve now come into the mindset that I can only keep moving forward and everything that will be, will be.” Osaka then shared her specific feelings of worry about her capabilities as a parent. “Something I had to conquer recently is fighting the thought that I won’t be a good mom,” she wrote. “So many doubts raced through my head I had to swat them away like mosquitoes. “Looking into Shai’s eyes and holding her I always think, ‘Wow this little person depends on me so much, I have to do better.’ It’s such a strange feeling watching your kid grow, you blink and they’re double the size in a few months. “Gratefulness reminds me to breathe and take in the little things (and the big ones).” Osaka ended her post by expressing her gratitude for having “another year” and for the people who support her. Osaka’s last competitive match was at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in September 2022, before she withdrew from the tournament due to abdominal pain. She announced her pregnancy in January 2023 shortly after stating that she wouldn’t be competing in the Australian Open later that month. Last month, Osaka spoke about her year away from playing tennis and mentioned how other female tennis stars’ longevity has influenced her desire to keep competing. “The whole process, it felt long and short at the same time,” she told the American sports news channel ESPN. “When I stepped away, it was Tokyo, that was the last tournament I played. I just remember watching the Australian Open and being very devastated, because I’ve never missed an Australian Open. “When I was watching Serena and Venus [Williams], I was thinking, ‘Ah, I probably no way will ever play at their age’, but sitting here, I’m like, ‘You know what? I might do that actually.’” Read More ‘Truly heartbroken’ Rebecca Adlington reveals late miscarriage Should we stop putting the clocks back? What the experts think ‘I lost over a stone on Ozempic, but now it’s run out what am I to do?’ ‘Truly heartbroken’ Rebecca Adlington reveals late miscarriage Should we stop putting the clocks back? What the experts think ‘I lost over a stone on Ozempic, but now it’s run out what am I to do?’

Rebecca Adlington has said she’s “truly heartbroken” as the British swimmer announced she had a miscarriage at 20 weeks pregnant. Adlington, 34, said she went for her 20-week scan earlier this week and was informed her baby had no heartbeat, adding she and husband Andy Parsons, 31, “will forever love and remember” their daughter. She wrote on Instagram: “I don’t really have the words right now but unfortunately we went for our 20-week scan this week and they discovered no heart beat [sic].” Adlington added that she gave birth to the baby – who the couple named Harper – on Friday (20 October) and “we held her, and had time with her”. The two-time Olympic gold medallist thanked the staff at the Wythenshaw hospital in Manchester for their “incredible” kindness and care, and Parsons for his “selfless support, love, and help”. “I don’t have the strength or words right now and don’t feel ready to share this news,” Adlington continued. “However, I can’t pretend to be okay or fake a smile. I can’t have people ask me how pregnancy is or when I am due as I still look pregnant. I don’t have the strength to tell this news individually.” The former I’m a Celebrity contestant announced she was pregnant on 1 October, sharing a photograph of her family taken at Disneyland Paris. Former track athletes Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford, ex-hockey player Sam Quek, former swim champion Adam Peaty, and presenters Angellica Bell and Helen Skelton shared messages of support in the comments section of Adlington’s Instagram post. Ennis-Hill wrote: “Oh Becky I’m sending you and your family so much love. I’m so sorry xxxx.” Rutherford said: “Sending love to you. So sorry to read this Becky xx.” Quek also wrote: “Becky, I know no words will ease the pain… my entire heart is with you all.” Peaty’s message read: “I’m so sorry to hear this, my prayers are with you all” alongside a heart and praying hand emoji. Adlington previously revealed she had a miscarriage 12 weeks into her pregnancy last August, sharing the news on Instagram at the time. The mother-of-two wrote: “It’s such a devastating time but important in times like these we remember we aren’t alone and have so much support. “Long way to go but I’m in the right place,” she added. “Once I’m able to leave hospital I’m extremely grateful I get to go home and give my 2 little ones the best hugs!” Adlington, who has also appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, shares one son, Albie, two, with Parsons. She also has an eight-year-old daughter, Summer, from her first marriage to swimmer and personal trainer Harry Needs. You can contact the Miscarriage Association helpline on 01924 200799 or email the charity at info@miscarriageassociation.org.uk. The helpline is open from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday. For more information, help and support regarding pregnancy loss, you can contact Tommy’s on 0800 0147 800. To contact Petals to enquire about the charity’s counselling services, you can call 0300 688 0068 or email counselling@petalscharity.org. Read More Should we stop putting the clocks back? What the experts think ‘I lost over a stone on Ozempic, but now it’s run out what am I to do?’ Consistent lack of sleep may increase risk of future depressive symptoms – study Should we stop putting the clocks back? What the experts think ‘I lost over a stone on Ozempic, but now it’s run out what am I to do?’ Consistent lack of sleep may increase risk of future depressive symptoms – study

Halloween is a time for getting creative with make-up, but that means your skin can take a real battering. “Halloween make-up can irritate the skin as it often contains more artificial chemicals or heavy metals for glitter than usual make-up products do,” explains Dr Kajal Babamiri, a GP with a specialist interest in skin and wellness at CLNQ. “Since the make-up is often applied more heavily, this can also clog pores, causing more breakouts or irritation.” So how can you get the perfect spooky look – without the horrors of bad skin the next day? Check the ingredients What you put on your skin is important. “We recommend checking the products and looking for fragrance-free or alcohol-free products. You should avoid heavy metals such as lead or cobalt, and also artificial dye,” suggests Babamiri. Wear a primer A primer is a base layer that holds your make-up in place – but it could also have other uses. “One of the most important considerations is to apply a protective base or make-up primer. This adds an additional layer of protection for the skin,” says Babamiri. Many primers, such as the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base, £52 (50ml), report skincare benefits beneath your make-up. Use skincare beauty hybrids Many brands now combine skincare and make-up. Brands like Jones Road, TULA and Glow Hub have been releasing a wide range of skincare-infused make-up products. Beauty expert and Glow Hub founder Tiffany Salmon says: “By using skincare-infused make-up, you can combat some of the potential damage by nourishing your skin with moisturising ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin, creating a protective barrier between your skin and make-up.” Hydrate at every step Thick make-up for some can be super drying, particularly in spots like your under eyes. “Locking in moisture is key. Hyaluronic acid will be your skin’s best friend to help keep dryness at bay. You can use a moisturiser with hyaluronic acid already in it or combine it with your moisturisers and gently apply it before your make-up,” says Caroline Barnes, pro-make-up artist and Cetaphil partner. But be sure to “allow your lotions and creams to settle into your skin for about 10 minutes before you start applying your foundation,” to stop your make-up ‘pilling’. Give it a mean clean To keep your skin healthy, you need to remove all of your make-up at the end of the day. “Always opt for a double cleanse when removing lots of heavy make-up,” advises Barnes. “First step, use an oil-based cleanser to loosen and emulsify make-up. Remove pigments with a flannel and warm water. Next step, use a cleanser that suits your skin type to clean your skin. Using two formulas will ensure your skin is left beautifully clean and problem-free.” Read More 5 of the hottest new perfume launches for autumn/winter Consistent lack of sleep may increase risk of future depressive symptoms – study World Osteoporosis Day: The risk factors and early warning signs everyone needs to know about How to support a child with a stammer From colourful gowns to drones, these wedding trends are set take over 2024 Call The Midwife ‘should come with a health warning’

When the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Miami Dolphins in an NFL fixture airing on Sunday evening (or in the early hours of Monday morning, if you’re watching from the UK), the team’s uniforms will have a nostalgic significance. When they take to the field, the Eagles will be wearing their classic Kelly green outfits for the first time since 1996. The mid-green “Kelly” shade is a brighter and bolder hue compared to their now-customary midnight green shirts, which are closer to teal in colour. The old-school Kelly green uniforms aren’t just famous in the world of American football, though, after they were popularised around the world by one unexpected famous fan: Princess Diana. In the early Nineties, the late Princess of Wales started to adopt a more casual, low-key style when she was off-duty, swapping the puffed sleeves and pie crust collar blouses for graphic sweatshirts, cycling shorts and sports-inspired outerwear. One of her favourite pieces was a bold green and white varsity jacket, with the Philadelphia Eagles’ distinctive logo on the back, which she wore on the school run and on a trip to Alton Towers with sons William and Harry. According to Diana’s former bodyguard Ken Wharfe, who worked as her personal protection officer between 1988 and 1993, the princess favoured the laid-back jacket because it made her feel like “a normal mother” – and because William and Harry preferred it when she dressed down at the school gates too. “Diana always craved the normalcy,” he told ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown in an interview celebrating the return of the “Kelly Green” uniform. “By being a member of the royal family, that was almost impossible,” he explained. “Neither William or Harry, when they were kids, wanted their mother to sort of dress in her finery, [to] take them to school. So all Diana would do is be as casual as possible.” “She wanted to be seen as a young mother that was, you know, ‘with it,’” he added. “Diana loved to be different, this was her style. It sort of showed the public and her children that she was a normal mother in a style that people liked.” So how did a piece of NFL merch end up in Diana’s wardrobe? Apparently, it’s all thanks to a chance meeting at the funeral of Grace Kelly, later Princess Grace of Monaco, who originally hailed from Philadelphia. Diana attended Kelly’s funeral in 1982 on behalf of the British royal family, and met the Eagles’ statistician Jack Edelstein at the event. When he learned that her favourite colours were green and silver, the Eagles’ team shades, Edelstein offered to send Diana some branded t-shirts. At the suggestion of the Eagles’ then-owner Leonard Tose, he also gave her “a beautiful Eagles jacket, made for her”, Edelstein recalled to the Philadelphia Daily News after Diana’s death in 1997. The princess, he added, “sent [him] a very nice note” to thank him, telling him “how she’d been wearing [the gifts] around”. According to her biographer Andrew Morton, Diana liked the piece for purely aesthetic reasons, rather than any particular affinity to the Eagles. “She wears these things because they create a look,” he told the Daily News in 1991. “She knows very little about English sports, let alone American teams.” The jacket was a one-off, custom made just for Diana, but the princess certainly helped to boost the popularity of this all-American style in the UK and beyond. She was such a fan of the look that she was later photographed wearing similar styles, like a red bomber jacket with leather sleeves. While many pieces from Diana’s wardrobe are owned by private collectors or kept by members of her family, the whereabouts of her Eagles jacket are currently unknown. But with Diana’s off-duty aesthetic still inspiring runway collections and street style looks, its influence still lives on. Read More Jason Kelce’s wife goes viral with ‘Swiftie’ daughter Jason Kelce’s daughter Bennett makes first appearance at NFL game I salute Dolly Parton’s beauty routine – no one sees me without my make-up I salute Dolly Parton’s beauty routine – no one sees me without my make-up Replicas of Rihanna’s Super Bowl jumpsuit sell out for $2,900 each in 24 hours I’m not surprised Victoria’s Secret has dropped its rebrand – I used to work there

"Paramount owns the Cheech and Chong franchise, right? How about 'Cheech and Chong vs. Jason?’”