1 week agoNews RoomComments Off on Brits warned they could be left with no mobile data access as major network provider prepares to close service
MILLIONS of Brits have been warned to check their mobile device as they could lose access to data very soon.
The change is coming to O2, but it will affect other operators that use the network too, including Tesco Mobile, GiffGaff and Sky Mobile.
AlamyO2 is the last big network to close 3G[/caption]
AlamyOlder phones like the iPhone 4S are among the models affected[/caption]
O2 is starting to switch off its 3G network this year in favour of faster 4G and 5G services.
Rivals Three, Vodafone and EE have already shutdown their 3G tech.
For most people with a modern smartphone from the last few years it won’t make any difference.
But if you happen to own an older phone that’s not 4G or 5G capable it means you will no longer be able to access data even though you’re paying for it.
It will still be possible to access the internet via Wi-Fi.
Calls and texts will still be possible as 2G is staying put.
One in twenty mobile customers are unaware if their phone is 4G or 5G ready, according to a USwitch poll of 2,000 O2, Tesco Mobile, GiffGaff and Sky Mobile users.
“The 3G switch-off, which began last year, is a crucial step to free up capacity for expanding 4G and 5G networks, offering significantly faster and more reliable connectivity than 3G,” explains Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com.
“While the majority of customers do have a 4G or 5G compatible phone, there will still be a proportion of customers with older devices who will need to upgrade this year.
“If you do need to upgrade, there are plenty of affordable options out there, and it may be worth looking into a refurbished device if you’re not looking for the latest launches and don’t want a costly upgrade.”
A Virgin Media O2 spokesperson told The Sun: “The switch off of the 3G network – agreed by industry and the government in 2021 and already completed by other network operators – will allow us to reallocate mobile spectrum to more efficient 4G and 5G services and improve customers’ experience with faster speeds, more reliable streaming and higher quality voice calls.
“The vast majority of customers already have a 4G or 5G device and will not be impacted or need to take any action as a result of the 3G switch off.
“Nonetheless, our priority will be to provide support to those who will be impacted to ensure they stay connected, and we’ll contact these customers directly.”
How to tell if your phone is affected
New phones you buy today are at the very least capable of using 4G, but the vast majority are 5G ready too.
If you’re unsure whether you’re affected by the move, there is a trick to check.
Go into your phone’s settings and search for Network Mode or Preferred Network.
If you see 4G or 5G listed then you are in the clear.
In 2023, EE revealed to The Sun some of the affected devices that were still in use – though this list isn’t definitive.
Doro 6520, Doro 6521, Doro 6620
Apple iPhone 4S
TCL 1C
Nokia 301
Apple iPhone 4
Nokia C2-01
HMD 3310
Samsung Galaxy Ace
Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini
TCL Pixi 4
Is the 3G switch off that big of a deal?
Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun
It’s unclear exactly how many people will be affected by the 3G switch off.
There wasn’t much noise after Three, EE and Vodafone ended 3G.
So, there will undoubtedly be some still using 3G-only phones but the numbers are probably very small.
Just because it may be a small figure doesn’t mean those people should be cast aside, especially if they’re not very tech-savvy or vulnerable.
So definitely look out for support communications from O2 – and speak to them if you’re unsure.
1 week agoNews RoomComments Off on EastEnders star issues bleak update on health after ‘serious wake up call’ as they battle genetic condition
AN EastEnders star has issued a bleak update on his health after revealing he has a genetic condition.
Fans have flooded Ben Champniss with support as he addressed his health on social media.
Ben Champniss has revealed he’s been diagnosed with a genetic health conditionBBCInstagram / @benchampnissSoap star Ben shared a new selfie as he spoke to fans about his health[/caption]
The soap star has played the role of market trader Shrimpy in EastEnders since 2014.
While his character is usually found in the background of scenes, Ben is widely adored by the BBC soap’s fanbase.
Off screen though, Ben, 40, has been dealing with health problems after being diagnosed with a genetic condition.
He told worried fans: “After turning 40 back in September, I decided to ask my doctor for the free NHS health check. Anyone 40+ is entitled to this.
“My blood results came back and suggested I have Familial Hypercholesterolaemia. A genetic condition that causes extremely high cholesterol levels.
“There are no symptoms for this. The risk of heart disease, stroke and heart attack is extremely high with this.
“For me, statins have been prescribed for my 8.6 cholesterol level due to my Familial Hypercholesterolaemia diagnosis.
“This has been a serious wake up call for me. Even though this is a genetic issue, I’ve decided to completely rethink my lifestyle. Drink less and move more!”
EastEnders fans flooded Ben with support, with one writing: “Well said Ben…& this is a great time of year to make a change. Good health & best wishes.”
A second wrote: “Welcome to the magic number 40! Every downside to health starts when we reach this number! And they say age is just a number! Stay healthy!”
“Well done, not everyone is aware of illness running through families,” said a third.
While a fourth commented: “You didn’t have to share, but I’m glad you did. Thank you….it will make many others aware….”
EastEnders' 40th anniversary cameos so far
With the 40th anniversary of EastEnders coming up, fans are looking forward to some more incredible cameos from iconic faces of Walford's past. But who have we had so far?
Tracy-Ann Oberman – Oberman returned as Chrissie Watts, a character she last played nearly two decades ago.
Paul Bradley – Bradley returned as Nigel Bates, a character he last played over 25 years ago.
Micheal French – French returned as David Wicks, a character he last played two decades ago.
Patsy Palmer – Palmer returned as Bianca Jackson, a character she last played in 2019.
Coming up this year…
Ross Kemp – Kemp will reprise his role as Grant Mitchell, a character he first played in 1990. The BBC has described Kemp’s storyline as “explosive”. Kemp said it was an “absolute honour” to return to the show.
Other aspects of the 40th anniversary celebration include: A wedding between fan favorites, A huge explosion at the Queen Vic, and A live interactive episode.
1 week agoNews RoomComments Off on Wildest ever Jerry Springer guests – including man who married stepmum in front of dad and episode so sick it was BANNED
FROM horse brides to scrapping strippers, paternity tests to a woman who sawed off her own legs, the Jerry Springer Show prided itself as being the most outrageous thing on TV.
Jerry, who died last year, had such a cult following that his own show even introduced him as the “eighth wonder of the world.”
GettyJerry Springer’s talk show quickly established the host as a cultural icon[/caption]
GettyThe show was often chaotic and had some of the wildest guests ever seen on reality TV[/caption]
YouTubeThis episode was so disturbing that it has been banned[/caption]
But the notorious host would be nothing without his guests and their outrageous stories, which played out live on his stage.
As a new Netflix documentary looks back at the phenomenon, here are some of the wildest guests ever to grace the Jerry Springer Show.
I married a horse
In 2004, Springer guest Mark, a Missouri farmer and zoophile, introduced a truly disgusted audience to his ‘wife’, a horse named Pixel.
“I had to earn her love and respect,” Mark said in a voiceover, while showing off photos he had taken of Pixel wearing women’s underwear.
Springer later told chat show host Meredith Viera that he did not know what Mark was going to reveal on the show and was just as shocked as the audience when the horse arrived on stage.
Mark told Jerry that his neighbours didn’t like his wife – and then admitted she was a horse.
He said they had been together for ten years and married for five – and, most controversially, had had sexual relations.
Springer staff member Kim Nelson was given the task of leading the pony on to the stage to meet her husband.
She recalled: “When I led the horse into the studio, the cheers turned to gasps and shrieks of shock.
“At the end of her lead line, the poor pony ambled along behind me.
Mark disgusted the audience when he revealed that he had married a horse
“She trusted me. I felt like a traitor to her, leading her into the pit. It was like the Crusades but instead of lions, I was feeding her to a sleaze-loving audience and a creepy pervert.”
At the end of the episode, Jerry said: “You can love and admire the beauty and grace of a horse, you can pet it, you can even bet on it. But if you’re going to ride it, make sure you’re up in the saddle.”
His jokes fell flat when the 1998 episode sparked outrage across the world and was banned for breaching bestiality laws.
My stepmom is also my wife
Cory shocked viewers when he brought his step mum on the show to marry herNBCThe episode featured an intense confrontation between Cory, his step mum, and his fatherNBC
Wedding bells were ringing on the show back in 2010 when Cory married his stepmom live on air – in front of his dad.
Cory told Jerry he was madly in love with his stepmom Kimberley – even though he knew it was wrong. He said: “It is not something I planned to happen, I was striving to do in spite of my dad, go against him or whatever.”
Cory had been married with a child himself but had moved back to live with his dad and stepmom after his relationship fell apart.
And he admitted to Jerry that he and his stepmom had been intimate.
I never told you to live in that box
Wife of a man who lived in a cardboard box to win her back
Cory said: “One day we were lay in bed watching a movie and she said her back was hurting. So I offered to give her a back massage and one thing led to another and we had sex.”
Jerry then brought out Cory’s dad Richard who came on stage shouting: “Man you ruined my family, you took my wife away.”
He then added: “How could you ever have intercourse with your mother?”
Next, Jerry brought out stepmom Kimberley in a full bridal gown who then went on to passionately kiss Cory on stage in front of husband Richard and the horrified studio audience.
Kimberley told everyone that Richard had treated her badly during their marriage and destroyed her self-esteem.
But despite the fact they were still legally wed, Kimberley went on to exchange vows with Cory on stage – in front of her husband, his father.
I’m happy I cut off my legs
Sandra said she did not want her legs anymore so chose to cut them off
Jerry introduced this guest to a whooping and cheering audience by claiming: “This is the most bizarre story we have done in our 15 year history.”
Transgender woman Sandra had begun wearing women’s clothes at the age of 12 but then two years later decided she didn’t want her legs.
She began living as a woman at the age of 35 and eventually at the age of 47 she took a circular saw and cut off her own legs.
Sandra wheeled herself onto the stage with the remaining stumps of her legs uncovered.
She told Springer: “I didn’t want them. My brain kept saying get rid of them so I had to get rid of them.”
I live in a box
NBCIn a bid to get his ex back, Kurt lived outside a box in front of her home[/caption]
Back in 2001 guest Lynne told Jerry that her relationship with her husband was over, but he refused to think out of the box. Quite literally.
Lynne threw husband Kurt out after three years of marriage due to his lying and cheating.
But he refused to believe the split was final and in protest had been living outside her house for weeks dressed in nothing but a giant cardboard box.
He said: “You have put me out here and everything I own is in that house. I don’t want any of it if I can’t have it with you.”
To which Lynne replied: “I never told you to live in that box.”
He told the Springer show that he spent his days outside Lynne’s house doodling love messages and her picture on to his cardboard box.
Kurt also ate food out of the rubbish bags that Lynne put into the bin outside her house.
And despite Lynne making it clear she no longer loved him, Kurt spent his nights serenading her on his guitar outside her house – come hail or rain.
Kurt had one more trick up his sleeve – he vowed to sit it out on Jerry’s stage until Lynne agreed to take him back.
I cut off my manhood
Earl cut off his own manhood with the help of a pair of garden shears
In an episode to make every man wince, guest Earl Zea took to the stage to tell Jerry about his decision to cut off his own penis – with a pair of garden shears.
He told the TV host that it was a move he “regretted more than anything” but he had taken the extreme step because a guy called Ronnie was stalking him and he wanted him to lose interest.
He explained that he had frozen his genitals to make the process easier before flushing it down the toilet.
However, in a twist to the tale, Jerry then brought Ronnie on to the stage on the 1997 episode.
And he claimed that the pair had enjoyed a five-year relationship.
600lb angry mum
NBCDonna had one of the most intense confrontations with her family on the show[/caption]
NBCShe blamed her weight on the fact that she had kids and took care of them[/caption]
Mum-of-two Donna was so overweight that she couldn’t go to the toilet or shower by herself – instead relying on her blind husband to assist her.
She told the show that she was angry that they couldn’t have a full sex life because of her obesity and felt guilty that he had to do everything for her.
But she also admitted to gorging on ice cream, doughnuts, French fries and crisps.
She was helped onto the Springer stage where she promptly lifted up her skirts to reveal her rolls of fat to the audience – and then blamed her kids for making her obese saying: “I had my children, I gained weight and this is what they damn did to me.”
She told Jerry: “I took care of those kids from the time they came into the world, every time they loved, every time they walked, I was there. And they can’t take care of me?”
But son Derek hit back saying: “I didn’t force you to eat mum, I took care of you.”
He added: “I did not force feed you. That is not my fault that you are fat mum.”
Springer secrets
New Netflix documentary, Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action, reveals how the show was meticulously staged by producers who did everything possible to rile up guests.
Producer Toby Yoshimura says: “You’d be living in the office six days a week, days and nights working for 10, 12, 14 hours a day.
“And that sort of pressure cooker was really difficult because there are some stories that probably went too far. If the show did not contain fighting it didn’t rate.
“These were big fights. Teeth were knocked out, some people literally lost chunks of scalp. Women would pull each other’s nails off. They were brutal. Like, to the death fights.
“We started pushing the needle ever so slowly towards red. It was like, ‘Let’s see how far we can push this.’”
In contrast, everyone loved Jerry’s laid-back, good humoured nature but in the studio green room, where guests were held before walking on stage, they were shamelessly incited to anger by producers, rehearsing possible scenes with them.
“The guests get their energy level from you as the producer,” says Yoshimura. “It’s called ‘being Springered.’ You’re being produced.
“I would throw the door of the green room open, pick up a chair and hurl it and start screaming. You’ve got to wake them up.
“You had to reach into their brain and tap on the thing that would make them laugh, cry, scream or fight. You rev them up to tornado level and then send them out on stage.”
And he told the audience that he had had to quit school to look after his mum – cooking, cleaning and even wiping her bottom after she had been to the loo.
Daughter Tabitha backed her brother telling Donna: “I don’t have any respect for you right now.”
While Donna’s ex-husband, the kids’ dad, Harry exploded on to the stage, calling her fat and ugly and claiming she was lying and had deserted the kids.
Jerry struggled to get a word in edgeways between the warring pair.
But the final word went to former Jerry Springer guest Marie who had also weighed 600lb last time she appeared on the show.
But she had since lost 357lb and told Donna: “Either fix it or shut up.”
Klanfrontation
Jerry’s decision to have a serious debate about race did not go as planned
In 1997 Jerry decided to host a debate on race and religion – featuring guests from the Ku Klux Klan and the Jewish Defence League.
This was never going to be a serious religious discussion and one KKK member mockingly revealed a Jewish kippah beneath his hood to JDL chairman Irv Rubin.
It soon descended into an all-out brawl with members of Springer’s security and even audience members getting involved.
The Kung Fu Hillbilly
NBCDiemon Dave was so confident in his martial arts skills he proclaimed himself to be the Kung Fu Hillbilly[/caption]
Diemon Dave was so confident in his martial arts skills he proclaimed himself to be the “Kung Fu hillbilly”.
He’d been having issues with his house mate Lil Wayne – no relation to the superstar rapper – and was ready for a full-on fight to settle the score.
But he hadn’t been practising his art for years with a Kung Fu master – no, he had been watching videos of Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme in his trailer and practising in the mirror.
“If he comes out here acting a fool, I’m gon’ kung fu him,” he told the crowd through an extremely thick Southern drawl.
So confident was he in his skills he told Springer security not to get involved.
But when the pair came to blows it quickly became clear that Dave was no Bruce Lee.
Dominatrix Duo in the family
NBCThe family awkwardly spoke about their unconventional family business[/caption]
In 2012 mum and daughter Lady Ice Queen and Princess came on to the show to boast about their small family business – as a dominatrix duo.
The pair talked about how they physically dominated their clients together.
So ever the one for the full audience experience, Jerry invited one of their sex slaves on to the stage for a demonstration.
And they proceeded to make him crawl around the floor and bark like a dog while Princess rode on his back.
But Jerry’s final flourish was to bring the man’s wife out on stage to publicly berate him for his fetish.
GettyOver the years, many guests had to be separated after huge brawls[/caption]
1 week agoNews RoomComments Off on Who is Richard Hammond’s wife Mindy Etheridge?
AMANDA “Mindy” Hammond and Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond have called it quits after 28 years together.
According to a source, newspaper columnist Mindy has reportedly had enough and is now demanding a divorce, saying she “wants him gone,” The Sun reveals. So who is Mindy Hammond?
Mindy Hammond, pictured here with husband Richard, has a career as a journalistPA: Press AssociationRichard Hammond, right, has presented Top Gear and The Grand Tour with Jeremy Clarkson, centre, and James May, leftNews Group UK Ltd
She has covered topics from life during the Covid-19 lockdown to giving her dog a haircut.
Richard married Mindy in 2002, but they had been inseparable from the moment they met each other in 1995.
Sadly, in January 2025, Richard announced that they had split after twenty years of marriage.
She is reportedly asking to keep the £7million Bollitree Castle estate as part of their split settlement.
The source said: “Richard is very upset about all this. It seems he has tried hard to rekindle the relationship but to no avail.
“There is no speculation that any third party is involved.”
The couple said: “A little update from us; this Christmas we were together as a family and this year we will still be a family but just structured a bit differently.
“Our marriage is coming to end, but we’ve had an amazing 28 years together and two incredible daughters.
“We will always be in each other’s lives and are proud of the family we created.
“We won’t be commenting further and sincerely hope that our privacy and that of our children will be respected at this time. With Love, Richard and Mindy.”
Richard and Mindy’s love story
In his book On The Edge: My Story, Richard had revealed there was an instant attraction between the couple.
He wrote: “In an instant, I fell in love with her and realised I had met my soul-mate and best friend for life.”
Richard had been racing at 288mph when the car flipped over at an RAF base in York, whilst the TV star was filming for Top Gear.
He spent two horrifying weeks in a coma, while his wife and the hospital nurses tried desperately to wake him.
Richard Hammond was involved in a horror crash in 2006 that nearly made him forget his wifeBBC
Mindy told The Telegraph: “It was disconcerting when, early after the crash, Richard looked at me from his hospital bed and said, ‘You’re lovely, but you’re not my wife’.
“When I corrected him, he responded, ‘No, you’re not my wife, my wife is French’.
“Indeed, when he was allowed home five weeks later, it became clear that Richard’s memory loss was no short-term affliction.”
1 week agoNews RoomComments Off on ‘How is this real?’ – Former Chelsea star in heartbreaking post after home is destroyed in LA wildfires
FORMER Chelsea star Ali Riley has voiced her dismay after her home was destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires.
The New Zealand captain, 37, played for the Blues’ women’s team six seasons ago.
Ali Riley played for Chelsea six years agoGettyShe also represents New Zealand on the international stageGettyAFPShe has shared a heartbreaking post about the Hollywood wildfires[/caption]
Instagram @rileythreeHer house was destroyed in the blaze[/caption]
Defender Ali made 16 appearances, scoring two goals, before leaving for Bayern Munich.
She has played for LA side Angel City since 2022, becoming club captain.
But her house was reduced to ashes earlier this week as uncontrollable blazes swept the upmarket Pacific Palisades suburb.
She posted a picture on social media of the fire-destroyed neighbourhood, with an arrow pointing out where her home used to be.
Los Angeles-born Ali wrote on X: “This was our home. How is this real. It can’t be real.”
The 163-cap international added on Instagram: “Our entire neighbourhood is gone. We are all safe.
“Holding on to that with my whole heart while we figure out what to do next.
“I keep looking at this to make myself understand that it is real.
“I was there Monday night eating dinner. Hanging with Mom and Dad.
“Watched the sunset. And now it’s gone forever.
“This rubble was our home.”
Ali received an outpouring of sympathy and support from friends and team-mates on social media.
Chelsea signed her in 2018 after she won nine trophies with Swedish club Rosengard.
At least five people have died, and 137,000 evacuated from their homes, since the devastating LA fires broke out earlier this week.
Ali’s club Angel City, founded in 2020, plays in America’s top-tier National Women’s Soccer League.
Its ownership structure includes actress Natalie Portman as well as tennis icons Venus Williams and Billie Jean King.
Gavin and Stacey star James Corden, a former US TV host, has also invested in the Californian club.
