Drinking a love story

If you had to leave your home and all your worldly belongings in an instant to run for your life, as thousands of Ukrainians have, what would you grab? Money, your passport, some spare clothes? For many Ukrainian families, the one thing they could not leave behind was their pets. Pictures have emerged of refugees carrying cats, dogs and birds as they rush to safety . But those animals that were abandoned roam the streets in search of food and love. One of these much-loved pets found me, while I was reporting in Ukraine, and I could not leave that dog behind. This is my story of how I came back from war with a friend for life, one who helped me cope with the reality of a warzone. Before I left Islington for Ukraine, I could have never imagined the experience. The stories of destruction I found are so devastating that I struggle to comprehend how this is happening in the 21st century. Genocide. War crimes. Invasion. Yet, when entering Ukraine back in February, … [Read more...] about ‘I went to war – and came back with a dog’

Rylan Clark brought up a very memorable X Factor moment as he recalled getting very emotional after UK act Sam Ryder shot up the leaderboard in last weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest in Turin. Rylan jetted off to Turin alongside Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, with the pair commentating on both semi-finals ahead of the ESC final on Saturday, May 18. They were on-hand to provide moral support for Sam at the event while Graham Norton delivered his incredible quips to the audience at home. Essex born TikTok star Sam, who represented the UK with the song Space Man, quickly made his way up the leaderboard as the Jury votes came in, eventually ending up in second place . And UK viewers were wowed to finally see the nation succeed at Eurovision after years of disappointment, which also left superfan Rylan emotional. Chatting on his Saturday Radio 2 she, he told listeners: ‘To our boy, Mr Sam Ryder, congratulations mate. We had no doubt in you whatsoever but you really, … [Read more...] about Eurovision 2022: Rylan Clark ‘did more crying’ over Sam Ryder’s incredible result than iconic X Factor scene

Rylan Clark-Neal has revealed that his now iconic X Factor crying fit became so bad that paramedics had to be called to calm him down. The now TV presenter first broke through into the public eye in the 2012 series of the show, becoming one of the ‘Scherzy Boys’ as a final act for Nicole Scherzinger. When he was told the news, in now one of the most memorable moments the X Factor has ever aired (and a moment that’s haunted Rylan ever since), Rylan broke down into a hysterical fit. After admitting that he ‘played up being gay’ for the sake of the show, he confirmed that the moment, as dramatic as it was, was completely real. Speaking to the Guardian , he said: ‘No, that was true. But only because we were drinking in the pool until about 7am and it was 50-degree heat and I’d had an hour’s sleep. ‘I knew I only needed a week on the live shows to earn a bit of money and set myself up for a while.’ ‘But you only saw a bit of the crying,’ he added. ‘It went on … [Read more...] about Rylan Clark-Neal ‘had paramedics called’ after his iconic X Factor meltdown