The twins lived for 62 years, and they passed away on 7 April 2024, defying doctors' predictions that they wouldn't live past the age of 30. Prior to their death, Lori and George held the Guinness World Record for the oldest living conjoined twins, a title they'd held since 2022. 

Despite sharing part of their brain and being attached at the head, George kept a secret from Lori for most of their lives. George - who was assigned female at birth and named Dori - revealed to The Sun in 2010: "I have known from a very young age that I should have been a boy. "I loved playing with trains and hated girly outfits. I kept my desire to change sex hidden - even from Lori - for many years." 

After coming out as a trans man in 2007, he changed his name and began to finally live as his true gender identity. "It was so tough, but I was getting older and I simply didn’t want to live a lie. I knew I had to live my life the way I wanted," he said. 

While Lori admitted it was an initial 'shock' when George first broke the news to her, she has since said she is 'so proud' of him. "It was a huge decision but we have overcome so much in our lives and together we are such a strong team. Nothing can break that," she added.

Conjoined twin George Schappell hid the fact that he was transgender from his sister for most of his life (Susan Watts/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) During their lives, Lori went on to become a champion ten-pin bowler and George performed as a country singer. George added: "Most people don’t believe us but we do have very normal lives. "We travel, tidy our flat and Lori has even had a boyfriend. Nothing stops us doing what we want." 

The twins also lived independent lives after moving out of their parents' place at 21. Lori explained: "Now we have a two-bedroom flat and alternate the nights we sleep in each other’s rooms. "My room is much more girly and reflects my personality, while George’s has all his music posters." 

In a 1997 documentary, they were asked if they’d ever be separated. George said: "Absolutely not. My theory is: why fix what is not broken?"

Astonishingly, before 2017, she'd never smoked a single cigarette, but when E-cig shops began taking over her local Swansea high street, she couldn't resist their multi-flavoured allure. Almost a decade on from that fateful beginning, Stacey has been left with two black front teeth that need hiding by clip-on veneers. 

"It was about four years ago a bit of black started at the top of one tooth," she recalled. "It didn't occur to me what was causing it. Stacey Gardiner's nine-year vaping cycle caused blackness to two of her teeth (SWNS) "The vapes cost £8 each and I was going through them, around four to five vapes per week. "I always cleaned my teeth twice a day, I don't eat sweets and at first I wasn't aware what was causing it. 

"I'm on a waiting list here in Wales, but the chances of getting an NHS dentist are slim. It's noticeable for people to mention it, and I have been asked in the past 'are they crowns on your teeth?'" the blogger continued. "I've been told the vapes leave residue around the top of your teeth and gumline. That's what causes the damage. The Instasmile veneers mean I've finally got my smile back." 

Despite spotting the blackness five years ago, it wasn't until 2025 when she mentioned the change to a dentist, who was emergency-removing two of her molars at the time.

Like many, Stacey's vaping habit quickly grew out of control (Getty Stock Image) The dentist linked it to vaping, and so she went 'cold turkey' on the vapes and shelled out £200 for her new smile-protectors. 

The effect of vaping on oral health 

Not only is nictotine being introduced to the body when someone vapes, but also the vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol that is present in them. This can create a sticky, viscous substance that changes the bacterial makeup of the mouth. 

Bupa UK explains how vaping can: 

• Create excess bacteria in the mouth, which can result in tooth decay, gum disease and gum recession. 
• Inhibit the flow of blood to the gums, which can mean poor gum healing and failure or gum (periodontal) treatment and dental implants. 
• Cause a dry mouth, which can lead to oral sores, tooth decay, bad breath and a reduction of your teeth’s natural bacterial buffer. 
• Cause teeth grinding - also known as bruxism, vaping and smoking may stimulate muscular activity which can cause teeth grinding and the associated complications and discomfort associated with it.

Stacey wants to raise awareness of the dangers of vaping (SWNS) After getting her 'smile back', Stacey doesn't believe there's enough awareness surrounding the damage vapes can cause to teeth and wants 'young people' to know about the potential dangers. "I don't think vapes causing damage to teeth, there is enough awareness about that," she said. 

This comes after a groundbreaking investigation found that vaping likely causes cancer, too. Experiments raised concern about the carcinogenicity of vape liquids, and while long-term data is not yet available, researchers don't want the world to repeat history after it took more than 100 years to establish the link between smoking and lung cancer.

And it appears as though she might be speaking from experience, given that her husband Jelly Roll underwent a drastic physical transformation over the last few years. 

Bunnie - who got hitched to the country music star in 2016, one year after they met - has previously offered some insight into how her spouse's weight loss has impacted their relationship. She spoke of how happy it made her to see the father-of-two 'get his confidence back' after he shed a whopping 275lbs (124kg). The singer, pictured in 2024, revealed that his sex drive had plummeted before he began his health kick (Scott Legato/Getty Images) Bunnie said during a February appearance on the The Howard Stern Show: "He’s got a little strut in his step, and I think it’s just the cutest thing. He deserves to have a hot streak. I'm ready for him to just feel his best." The former escort, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, then revealed that the reduction in Jelly Roll's body mass had an interesting impact on his manhood. 

"I will tell you that it is very true that when a man loses weight, it grows a lot," Bunnie said, explaining that her spouse's penis now looks 'severely bigger'. Jelly Roll previously revealed that before he started his health kick, he discovered that his testosterone levels were comparable to those of a 'preteen boy', which took a toll on his sex drive. 

"You can’t get it up without T," the Grammy-winner, 41, explained during an interview earlier this year. "I was married to a smoke show, and I was still struggling." But the 'Save Me' singer said things became 'totally different' after he lost some weight, joking that he's 'like a teenager' again and can't keep his hands off of his wife Bunnie. 

However, it seems it took the pair some time to get to this point, as Bunnie has just opened up about the 'adjustment period' which couples often encounter after transforming their appearance. Bunnie doesn't mind discussing how his weight loss impacted their relationship and sex life (Taylor Hill/Getty Images) She stepped in as an 'advisor' for Playboy earlier this week and answered questions from fans about love, sex, sobriety and everything in between. While moonlighting as an agony aunt, Bunnie offered some advice to a man who complained that he and his wife have been having a lot less sex since they both started to take Ozempic and subsequently lost weight. 

"It’s like we’re not used to our new bodies," the bloke explained. "Is it a phase?" In response, Bunnie said: "When it comes to sex, slowing down after weight loss and Ozempic can be tricky. "Big body changes mess with your head and hormones. Add a medication that blunts appetite, and it’s not shocking libido dips too. "It’s likely an adjustment period, not a permanent shift." Jelly Roll has undergone an incredible physical transformation over the last few years (Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images) She also shared some tips with another fella who was looking for advice on how to match his partner's freak in the bedroom. "In my experience, confidence in bed isn’t about being extreme; it’s about being present and honest," Bunnie suggested. "You don’t have to match her intensity overnight. 

"Ask what she loves, try what feels exciting to you, and say no when something doesn’t. Enthusiasm is hotter than performance." Impact of GLP-1 drugs on libido Weight loss drugs can come with some side effects (Getty Stock Images) While GLP-1 medications can affect people differently, a number of users have reported an impact on their sex drive. This has been addressed by experts, such as Rachel Goldman, PhD, a physiologist and professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, who told PureWow: "What we do know is GLP-1s impact the reward centre in the brain, which is why you're having less food noise, fewer cravings and less interest in alcohol use. It's also why what might impact your sex drive." 

Jason Murphy, Head of Pharmacy and Weight Loss Injection Expert at Chemist4U, explained that ‘we’re seeing a growing awareness of how they impact more than just a patient’s weight, particularly around people’s sex drive, intimacy, and sexual satisfaction’. 

He added: "Dopamine is central to sexual desire, pleasure, and motivation, so with GLP-1s blunting dopamine activity, it not only reduces cravings for food, but it can also reduce sexual cravings and emotional ‘reward’ from intimacy." 

Meanwhile, a 2024 survey of 2,000 adults in the US, led by the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University with DatingAdvice.com, found that of those taking GLP-1 drugs, 18 percent reported an increase in their sexual desire, while 16 percent said it had decreased. 16 percent claimed their sexual function had improved, while 12 percent said it had got worse.

The announcement was made in front of the crowd who had turned up expecting to watch the her interview the vice president. School principal tackles active shooter to the floor “I’m going to address it right at the front, Mr. Vice President, I’m on stage here instead of our friend Erika Kirk because unfortunately she has received some very serious threats,” the Turning Point USA spokesman said. 

“It’s a terrible reflection on the state of reality and the state of the country,” he continued. JD Vance defended Erika Kirk (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Vance responded, indicating he was aware of the ‘threats’ Erika received and was concerned that the event would be canceled. However, he decided to attend after consulting with the Secret Service. “Obviously these guys do a very good job,” the VP said. “And I said, ‘You know what? Let’s let Erika do what she needs to do for herself and her family, I’m sure Andrew will fill in, and let’s go and make this an amazing event.’” 

Erika's late husband, conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, was shot and killed aged 31 last September while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. Following his death, Erika took over running the conservative group and toured the country, even interviewing Nicki Minaj, which led to mounting criticism online about her conduct.

Nicki Minaj sat down with Erika Kirk during a controversial appearance (Caylo Seals/Getty Images) Erika has since addressed her absence, writing on X: “I was so looking forward to tonight’s event at the @universityofga with our Vice President @JDVance, but after all our family has been through, I take my security team’s recommendations extremely seriously. 

“Thank you to our amazing Georgia chapter for your support. God bless you all!” Vance claimed at the University of Georgia event - where he was also heckled mid-speech - that Erika has been on the receiving end of ‘disgraceful attacks’ following her husband’s death. “Everybody is attacking her over everything, and they’re lying about her, and it’s one of the most disgraceful things that I’ve ever seen in public life,” he claimed, before adding: “The people telling you that Erika wasn’t grieving her husband are full of s**t.” 

Vance argued that the response to Kirk’s killing ‘should have been, let’s go after left wing violence and terrorism’. He went on: “If you’re going after Erika Kirk, and not the people who are trying to destroy the United States of America, you’re part of the problem, not part of the solution.” 

Meanwhile, Kolvet said that threats against Erika are taken ‘extremely seriously’, explaining that she ‘has to live with this constant reality that her kids are one parent away from being orphans’.

Back in December 2025, the Republican, who represented Nebraska, publicly announced that he'd been dealt a particularly bad hand: stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It was an eye-opening turn of events for the married father-of-three, as he'd only paid the doctor a visit to look into a muscular issue. 

"You get into your 30s, 40s and 50s and you're like, 'How do I stay fit?'" Sasse, 54, shared during an interview with The New York Times. "So, I used to do a lot of sprint triathlons. This fall, I'd been training for some short tris and I ended up with a ton of back pain. 

"I realised, 'Oh, maybe it's stupid to be wearing the 45-pound weighted vest all the time' — not just when you're training for running events but also on your bike, because it turns out that's not the right posture to be wearing a lot of weight. "I ended up in late October, Halloweenish, with a lot of back and abdominal pain, and I thought I just pulled some ab muscles from stupid forms of training." Ben Sasse was given just months to live due to various cancerous tumours in his body (The New York Times/Interesting Times) Asked by the interviewer, Ross Douthat, if he'd experienced pain of this nature before commencing his training, Sasse claimed he hadn't. 

'Stop beating around the bush... Give me a hard fact' 

"Nothing until the last couple days of October. But over the course of November, I ended up in significant enough pain that I went to my executive doc at the University of Florida and I said, 'Something's not right here'". Tests were conducted, but eventually Sasse was referred to a GI specialist.

The aim was to find out whether he was an undiagnosed celiac, or had an intolerance to lactose. "They sent me for full body scans on the morning of Dec. 13 or 14, and they called me back 45 minutes later and you could just hear them hemming and hawing," he recalled. "I said, 'Stop beating around the bush. Give me a hard fact'. 

They start talking about not wanting to be too premature, and there's been so many changes in oncology care — dude, you have not told me I have cancer yet, and you're talking to me about how great oncology care is." According to Sasse, the doctor in question pulled over to the side of the road in his car and then confirmed that his torso was 'chock-full of tumours'. Ben Sasse back in 2022 (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Due to the Stage 4 pancreatic cancer's metastasization, he was way past being operable. 

'We're dealing with a short number of months to live' 

"They told me over the course of the next couple of days that I already have five forms of cancer: lymphoma, vascular, lung cancer, bad liver cancer and pancreatic, where it originated," he explained. "So, it was pretty clear that we're dealing with a short number of months left to live." The focus now is on managing his pain and undergoing clinical trials to try and buy him a few more months. 

He says he is taking one drug that 'causes crazy stuff like my body can’t grow skin and so I bleed all out of a whole bunch of parts of me that shouldn’t be bleeding'. He added that his face and skin feel 'nuclear', while 'there’s strong waves of desire to puke'. 

But despite this, he is showing some signs of improvement. He said: "In mid-December I got a three-to-four-month life expectancy, and I'm at Day 99 or something since then, and I'm doing a heck of a lot better than I was doing at Christmas. "But even at three to four months left to live, you have to redeem the time." Pancreatic cancer cells on a hospital monitor (Getty Stock)

The symptoms of pancreatic cancer 

• Yellowing of the whites of eyes and skin 
• Itchy skin 
• Darker urine 
• Pale faeces 
• Loss of appetite 
• Losing weight without trying to 
• Fatigue 
• High temperature, or feeling hot, cold and shivery 
• Nausea and being sick 
• Diarrhoea, constipation and changes in bowel movements 
• Pain at the top of the stomach and the back, which gets worse when you're eating or lying down, and better when you lean forward 
• Indigestion 
• Bloating 

The NHS adds: "Some of these symptoms are very common and can be caused by other conditions. Having the symptoms does not definitely mean you have pancreatic cancer, but it's important to get checked by a GP. "If your symptoms are caused by cancer, finding it early may mean it's easier to treat."

In a shocking outburst last night, Rose, who is perhaps best known for her roles in Orange is the New Black and Pitch Perfect 3, responded to a social media post which included Perry's quotes about Justin Bieber's controversial Coachella performance. 

On Threads, she wrote: "Katy Perry sexual assaulted me at spice market nightclub in Melbourne. Who gives a s**t what she thinks." Perry, who is currently dating the former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, is already embroiled in another legal battle with a disabled veteran after she bought his home with ex Orlando Bloom. Ruby Rose says she was in an Australian nightclub in her early 20s when the incident allegedly occurred (Naomi Rahim/WireImage) And she could now face more legal proceedings after Rose later suggested that she had gone to a police station regarding her allegations. 

Katy Perry's response to the sexual assault allegations Perry's representatives have now responded to the almost two-decade-old allegations made by Rose, telling TMZ: "The allegations being circulated on social media by Ruby Rose about Katy Perry are not only categorically false, they are dangerous reckless lies. 

"Ms. Rose has a well-documented history of making serious public allegations on social media against various individuals, claims that have repeatedly been denied by those named." It shows 'how much of an impact trauma and sexual assault takes' Rose further wrote on social media: "I was only in my early 20s. I'm now 40. It has taken almost two decades to say this publicly. "Though I am so grateful to have made it long enough to find my voice, it just shows how much of an impact trauma and sexual assault takes. The Australian actress took to Threads to make her accusations (Threads/@rubyrose) "Thank you for seeing me." She also replied to a fan, who assured the Australian TV presenter that they believed her. "Before I open up about something incredibly raw and traumatic, I tell myself 'it's ok, you don't need people to believe you, you just need to get it out of your poor body, before it gives you cancer,'" she wrote. "But then I see this post and … tears consume me, in a good way. Thank you." Perry has hit out at the claims (Instagram/@katyperry) Rose left her role on Batwoman in 2020 after speaking out about a hostile work environment, detailing multiple allegations of misconduct against her producers and executives. This is also not the first allegation that has been made against the 'Fireworks' singer; actor Josh Kloss claimed that she pulled down his sweatpants to reveal his penis while he was filming the 2010 music video for 'Teenage Dream'. 

While Perry did not directly address this allegation, she said in a 2020 interview with The Guardian: "I don’t want to say ‘guilty until proven innocent’ but there’s no checks and balances: a headline just flies, right? "And there’s no investigation of what it is." 

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays. 

He divided opinion with the stripped-back 90-minute set, which saw Bieber perform a slew of hits from SWAG and SWAG II, before getting his laptop out and singing along to music videos of his older bangers like 'Baby' and 'Beauty and a Beat'. 

Pulling up old clips of himself singing covers, as well as the infamous 'standing on business' moment, he took fans on a trip down memory lane - but for some music lovers, with no backup dancers, special effects, or costume changes, it prompted disappointment, especially given the fact he's allegedly being paid $10 million for both weekends. Hailey Bieber has praised her husband's headline Coachella performance with a sweet Instagram post (Instagram/@haileybieber) But many fans did love the unconventional approach to a Coachella set, and of course, one of his biggest supporters is always going to be his wife, Hailey. The 29-year-old Rhode founder took to Instagram on Monday (13 April) to reflect on the 'special' weekend. 

Alongside a carousel of images, she wrote: "Such a special weekend. Nobody will ever know even an ounce of what it’s taken to get here. So grateful for this beautiful life. SO proud. let’s do it all again!!!!" She included a snap of herself and Justin with their son Jack Blues Bieber, who is a year old and was born in August 2024. 

Hailey also shared a picture of herself wearing a lacy pink and yellow dress, a video of her dancing to her husband's set as he rehearsed, and pictures in a Rhode-branded dressing room, among other snaps.

   

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hailey Rhode Bieber (@haileybieber)

The makeup mogul also posted a heartwarming video of herself and baby Jack dancing along while Justin rehearsed again, and even a temporary 'Bieberchella' tattoo on the baby's hand. Fans have flooded the comments with support for the pair, with one writing: "Literal best weekend." Another added: "You both are amazing, individually and together." The Canadian singer's headline performance sparked mixed opinions (YouTube/@coachella) Someone else penned: "Coachella’s royal family." However, as mentioned, the performance didn't go down well with everyone, and following the performance, critics made their thoughts clear. One X user wrote: "Justin Bieber is being paid 10 MILLION DOLLARS to search up his own music on YouTube and walk around the stage." 

While a second agreed: "Justin Bieber playing songs from his laptop on stage while Sabrina Carpenter delivered multiple outfit changes, visuals, choreography, and vocals." Meanwhile, those who loved it penned: "These 8 minutes of Justin Bieber singing his old songs, I’m going to treasure them in my heart for the rest of my life" and "Justin Bieber singing ‘Baby’ at Coachella… the maturity in his voice is insane." 

justin bieber singing baby and one less lonely girl in 2026?! pic.twitter.com/qmS4ZNTVsu

— 🦊 (@mikhaiyuh) April 12, 2026

According to former Universal Music Group (UMG) exec Nick Crompton, there was actually a very smart reason why Bieber decided to sing along to old music videos instead of performing his back catalogue with a live band. He says it's linked to when Bieber sold the rights to his music to Hipgnosis Songs Capital for a reported $200 million back in 2023. 

“Every minute he spends performing the old catalogue is a minute he's putting in work for other people's royalty checks,” Crompton wrote on X. “Playing the YouTube videos costs him nothing. No band, no backup singers, little production. Fans still get records like ‘Baby’, ‘Sorry’, ‘Beauty and a Beat’, and ‘Never Say Never’. "All the nostalgia, none of the overhead. He saved his actual performance for Swag, which is the era he owns.” 

But while it sounds like Bieber is playing 4D chess, a source familiar with the terms of Bieber's back catalogue deal told Billboard this interpretation is 'nonsense'. They added: "There are no restrictions on what he can or can’t do in live performance." Concert venues themselves often buy licenses that cover the performance of almost all popular songs. It's why when you see an artist live, they can throw in a couple of covers without worrying about hefty royalty checks.

In light of the excessive itching she'd been having since April last year, Sumbul went to the doctors on numerous different occasions but was turned away. One medical professional suggested that her itchiness stemmed from dry skin and told her to moisturize, while another simply said that 'it’s just one of those things'. 

In addition to itchiness, Sumbul started to experience fluctuations in her body temperature, loss of appetite and energy, and a cough. Sumbul Ali went back and forth to her doctors for nearly a year before getting a diagnosis (sumbulari/Instagram)

'I knew I had cancer' 

Sumbul's symptoms continued to persist to a point where she was 'emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted'. Sumbul, now 26, had diagnosed herself with cancer at this point after going down what she described to PEOPLE as a 'Reddit rabbit hole every night'. 

"As soon as I read itchy skin, night sweats and fatigue, I knew I had cancer," said Sumbul. Then, when she developed a lump in her neck, doctors started taking Sumbul more seriously. After rushing herself back to the doctors once she'd discovered the lump, medical professionals went on to find that Sumbul had abnormal and enlarged lymph nodes in other parts of her body too. After reading things online, Sumbul was sure she had cancer (sumbulari/Instagram)

'Being told I had cancer was relieving' 

After further testing, she was diagnosed with Stage 2-3 Hodgkin lymphoma in March 2026. According to the Cleveland Clinic, Hodgkin lymphoma 'is a group of blood cancers that develop in your lymphatic system'. 

The site adds: "These cancers affect important white blood cells in your immune system called lymphocytes." "I didn’t care if it was cancer, I just wanted the itching to stop and wanted a full night's sleep," Sumbul said of her diagnosis. Sumbul continued: "Being told I had cancer was relieving. I finally had an answer. But I was very frustrated at all the doctors who dismissed me, and very, very angry. 

"There is nothing more frustrating than knowing there is something incredibly wrong, but being brushed off by the people who are supposed to help." Now Sumbul is in the middle of chemotherapy and, since her first session, she says all the unpleasant cancer symptoms have gone.

@sumbul.ari here is my story #cancerjourney #cancerfighter #hodgkinslymphoma #lymphoma #cancerawarness ♬ original sound - Sumbul Ari

'Keep trying until someone listens' 

"I can’t believe I am saying this, but I sleep every single night like a baby, and I no longer scratch myself," she said, adding: "Every single morning I wake up grateful for a full night's sleep. I forgot what it felt like to wake up well rested." 

In light of her experiences, Sumbul has urged people to listen to their bodies and keep pushing for answers if they think something isn't right. She shared: "Never stop advocating for yourself when you know something is deeply wrong. Keep trying until someone listens." 

What are the signs of Hodgkin lymphoma? A light micrograph of a section through a lymph node affected by Hodgkin's lymphoma (Getty Images/Science Photo Library - STEVE GSCHMEISSNER) Itchy skin can be a sign of Hodgkin lymphoma, says VeryWell Health. Other symptoms of can include: 

• Developing a fever without a clear cause 
• Swollen lymph nodes 
• Night sweats 
• Losing weight without trying

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.

Ever since hitting the scene back in 2015, 23-year-old Billie has hit a number of career milestones after receiving nine Grammy Awards and American Music Awards, 12 MTV Video Music Awards from both the US and European shows, four Brit Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards.

But it's not only Billie and her 27-year-old record producer brother, Finneas, who have had a taste of the limelight; both her mum and dad have also had their own experiences in the spotlight as working actors. Billie Eilish fans were stunned after finding out who her famous parents are (Instagram/@billieeilish) Billie's fans were left in shock after discovering her mum, Maggie Baird, featured in perhaps the most well-loved sitcom of all time back in 1999. The episode of Friends, titled 'The One Where Joey Loses His Audience', sees Maggie portraying Casting Director 2, while Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) auditions in front of her. 

The scene shows Joey losing out on a role he needed in order to pay for his medical care due to a painful hernia. The pain means he can't lift the product, instead suggesting: "Or I could just point to it? Blah, blah, blah Purina One. Point to a bag today." The clip has since resurfaced across social media with many fans of both the TV show and the singer in total disbelief at the unexpected crossover. Billie's mum, Maggie Baird, appears in a scene of Friends (Warner Bros.) Many have since rushed to Instagram to share their reactions with one writing: "HOW DID I NEVER NOTICE WHAT." "HOW DID I NOT NOTICE THIS," echoed a second, while a third revealed: "I literally just watched this episode and now feeling annoyed that I didn’t notice this." 

"I didn't know that! How funny!!!" quipped a fourth. A fifth chimed in: "OMG NOOOOO FREAKING WAY?!!!!!!!! WHAT? I AM GOBSMACKED!" "WHEN I SAW HER IN THE SERIES WAS SHOCKED," admitted a sixth, while a seventh piped up: "HOLY SH*T I THOUGHT SHE LOOKED FAMILIAR!" 

"I never knew this and I’m on the last season," chirped an eighth, while another added: "Hooooly sh*t!!! That’s why the first time I saw the show, I thought I knew her! Wow!" And a final Instagram user wondered: "So Billie is a Nepo Baby?" Now, that's an entire new conversation altogether. 

Fans also couldn't believe it's not just her mum who has also had a taste of the spotlight as her dad, Patrick O'Connell, is also an actor. Billie's dad, Patrick O'Connell, appeared in Iron Man (Paramount Pictures) He has made appearances in a number of films including; Iron Man (2008), The West Wing (1999), Life Inside Out (2013), and Baskets (2016). In the comments section of the same Friends clip, thousands rushed in to share their reactions to the news that Patrick once shared the spotlight too. 

One Instagram user revealed: "Both of her parents are actors." A second chirped: "Billie’s dad was in the first Iron Man movie as one of the reporters." And someone else explained: "Her parents both had small roles. They weren't some hugely famous actors. They're just a talented family." That's for sure! 

Instead, however, certain airport scanners had to be changed after it was revealed they could see a fair bit more than that when travellers walked through, having been dubbed 'virtual strip teases'. The scanners in question were Rapiscan scanners, which were brought in across the US in 2010 after a 2009 failed terrorist attack. 

In 2009, tensions were already high around airport scanners due to the 2001 attempted shoe bombing by Richard Reid, in which he tried to detonate a pair of shoes containing homemade explosives on American Airlines Flight 63. Eight years later, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was caught after trying to blow up a Detroit-bound flight using explosives he smuggled in his underwear. The shoes Richard Reid wore on American Airlines Flight 63 which contained explosives (FBI) This backfired, leading him to be set on fire due to a malfunction in the device, with Abdulmutallab being tackled to the ground by passengers and staff and extinguished. In response, the US decided to bring in even more high-tech scanners, picking the Rapiscan ones, which were a staggering $180,000 a pop. 

Security consultant Will Geddes previously told: “The biggest problem that obviously the TSA had was if it's body worn and you went through a traditional gate, it would just pick up anything metallic and there was no means of actually looking at the body intrinsically to find out if there was anything body worn.” The full body scanners are no longer in operation (X) Geddes said after Abdulmutallab’s attempted bombing that obviously, 'all the airports went into this action, a sort of tailspin with we've got to get this new security in place now.’ He added: “Typically in the States, for federal agencies, the TSA especially, they just buy the first thing that they could possibly get.” 

The first thing ended up being the Rapiscan scanners, which Geddes said were ‘very invasive’. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was sentenced to life (U.S. Marshals Service via Getty Images) They showed everything, being referred to as ‘virtual strip teases’ in which TSA officers were able to see people fully naked when they went through. This led to concerns being raised in 2012 around privacy after widespread complaints. 

Rapiscan were given a deadline in 2013 to update their software to remove this, and as they were unable to meet that deadline, the travel agency released the following statement: “TSA has strict requirements that all vendors must meet for security effectiveness and efficiency. Rapiscan machines were installed in US airports in 2010, but were withdrawn three years later (Michael Fein/Bloomberg via Getty Images) "Due to its inability to deploy non-imaging Automated Target Recognition (ATR) software by the Congressionally-mandated June 2013 deadline, TSA has terminated part of its contract with Rapiscan. "By June 2013 travellers will only see machines which have ATR that allow for faster throughput. 

"This means faster lanes for the traveller and enhanced security. As always, use of this technology is optional." Now, thankfully, if you walk through security scanners, they don’t just get a full view of you nude as they could for a few years.

Singer Ariana Grande has started quite a debate with an Instagram post aimed at supporters of President Donald Trump. Grande made a post on her story, questioning Trump’s policies and whether they have actually delivered any of the economic improvements his supporters had been expecting.

   The message questioned Trump voters about whether the President had managed to fulfill his promises regarding lower insurance premiums, reduced grocery prices, and a strong economy. The post also challenged whether the proposed economic gains were worth the impact the new policies had had on immigrants, transgender people, and free speech. 

“Has the widespread suffering of others paid off for you in the way he promised it would, or are you still waiting?” the post she had reshared to her story, originally written by LGBTQ+ activist Matt Bernstein, read. The popstar’s reposting quickly gained attention online. Ariana Grande is no stranger to controversy, having previously been outspoken about her activism and criticism of President Donald Trump’s policies, especially when they have to do with immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. 

In June 2025, she reposted a post from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which called for Trump’s impeachment after the President made a decision to bomb Iran without approval from Congress. 

She posted a meme in the same month which asked, “which crimes get people deported, and which get people elected president,” This was in reference to the legal battles that have plagued Trump in the last few years. Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in 2024. He was also accused of sexual misconduct, including an instance of rape, by over 26 women. At Grande’s post, people began calling for her own deportation, even though she is an American citizen. 

Despite the backlash she knows she is bound to get, Ariana Grande still chooses to make such posts. She was vocal about her support for Kamala Harris. While hosting Saturday Night Live, she said, “The last time I hosted was in 2016, and we were right on the verge of electing our first female president. So I guess, second time’s a charm.” 

When President Donald Trump won the election, she took to social media to post the following message: “holding the hand of every person who is feeling the immeasurable heaviness of this outcome today.” Ariana Grande has long been one of the most popular celebrities on social media, with her Instagram following being over 370 million alone.

Truth is, however, that there is much more than that lying at the bottom of everything that happens in our life, since the real foundation of our existence is often built in the shadows, fueled by the sacrifices of people we’ve grown used to overlooking. 

This one is for my sister – the person who raised me and worked herself to the bone so I could chase my dreams. I guess we all know all too well that there comes a point in life when something shifts, yet we don’t really feel that while it’s happening. At least not consciously. For me, that moment came when my younger sister stopped being a teenager and became my caretaker, provider, and source of everything. 

She dropped out of college without telling anyone, took two jobs, and learned to stretch a single grocery list across an entire week. She mastered the art of a fake smile, telling me, “Everything will be okay,” and somehow making me believe her. My sister didn’t choose this path because she wanted to; she had no other options. At the time, I didn’t understand that. All I noticed was her hard work and her constant effort to keep us afloat. Meanwhile, I was entirely focused on my grades and climbing the ladder of success. 

Honestly, I was thriving and took everything thrown at me because of ambition and simple curiosity. Grad school, internships, and then a career that others would envy; that was my story. On the day of my graduation when everybody around was clapping their hands, I scanned the crowd, searching for her. I saw her sitting somewhere way behind in the last row, clapping quietly. She had the look of pride on her face like the whole celebration was hers, not mine.

Pexels After embracing her, I felt the surge of pride from achieving it all. But in an instant of absolute and sheer arrogance, I told her, “See, I’ve made it; I have climbed up the ladder. You chose the easier route and here you are, nobody.” She didn’t lash out at me. No, she just smiled at me and said, “I’m proud of you,” and then she walked away. For a moment, things seemed okay. 

After all, I had my own kingdom to build. So what if she could take care of hers? I just thought that was how it worked when you got older. A few months went by, and then I found myself visiting her in her town while attending a conference there. I wanted to see her, mainly because I needed reassurance that things were fine. 

However, once I got within a stone’s throw of the house, I knew something was wrong. It was open, lifeless, barren, and all the coziness and warmth of her home was stripped away from it. There was an eerie noise, which led me to the living room where she lay on the ground, pale, trembling, and barely breathing. She looked so weak and vulnerable that I realized she had let her spirit drain away over time. My mind raced as I fell to my knees, feeling completely helpless. 

Through gritted teeth, she smiled and said, “I didn’t want you to worry.” In the sterile, brightly-lit corridor of the hospital, my entire reality fell apart. It began with the truth being revealed in painstaking detail by a doctor who regarded me with a combination of pity and bewilderment. It involved a chronic autoimmune disorder she had been ignoring all along, a series of missed appointments, and medication she had not taken due to her inability to pay for it. 

She sacrificed her health so that I would not have to interrupt my studies because of medical bills. It was followed by the harsh financial truth that made me sick to my stomach. That inheritance that I assumed we had set aside from our parents’ savings? It did not exist. Our parents left us with very little in savings and an enormous amount of debt. All of those dollars she had given me for tuition, textbooks, and rent? They were the fruits of her labor, which she had endured in secret, working late hours and taking on extra jobs. In my academic bliss, I did not realize how I had deprived her of everything else she had. Pexels With these details in mind, my whole concept of love and family unraveled. I came to understand that in my pursuit of recognition, she had been eroding her own life. She had sold everything – the heirloom jewelry that once belonged to our mother, the massive oak furnishings passed down through generations, even the trinkets that were our cherished childhood memories – to ensure I could stand on my feet. 

She had compressed her own essence, well-being, and happiness into a tiny space to give me room to grow. Perspective hit me overwhelmingly. While I measured my life in degrees and achievements posted on LinkedIn, she had measured hers in patience, suffering, and sacrifice. I had been shaped by years of her hunger, fatigue, and pain. And after she finally got some sleep from her medications, I walked to the waiting area where I just lost it. 

It was not because I feared that something bad would happen to her – there was another kind of grief within me. My arrogance about all the things I had achieved made me walk around with pride and never once stop to look at the very ground I was standing on, which happened to be the woman carrying me on her shoulders. She slowly opened her eyes, and even though she was hooked up to all sorts of machines and IVs, she gave me her usual tired yet achingly sweet smile. 

And then it dawned on me – something no teacher, mentor, or CEO ever taught me in my life – that true greatness doesn’t need a megaphone or a platform to be heard; it doesn’t require media coverage at all. Greatness is found in simple and often mundane acts of service that make the world go round while other people try to get their fifteen minutes of fame. Pexels Her affection did not give me just an opportunity to advance my career – it offered me a master class on the meaning of kindness and bravery beyond the reach of any television camera. While I used to consider success to be the final destination, my understanding of this word changed dramatically in that hospital room. 

True success is the capacity to help others quietly and protect them without expecting anything in return except the happiness of those people. She did this for me for half of her lifetime, and I only started to realize the full scope of her generosity. This is not only a tribute to my sister; it is also a call for each of us to take a second glance at the individuals in our lives, particularly those who appear to be “fine” or “unassuming.” There is a tendency to believe that those who provide us with aid and support are invincible, that they are a part of the landscape. They are not. 

More often than not, the individuals whom we consider to be fortunate, or worse yet, those who lead “simple lives,” are shouldering burdens which would cripple us in less than an hour. It is a sobering reminder of the toxicity of pride and the limitations of our perceptions. My pride had clouded my judgment so much that I failed to see the individual who made my achievements possible. I mistakenly equated visibility with significance and noise with importance. 

It is perilous to place value on an individual based on their accomplishments without taking into account the sacrifices they make to attain such successes. Lastly, this is about the necessity of being grateful. We often take those who love us for granted, assuming they have an inexhaustible source of strength. We think they will always be there, unseen yet steadfast in the background. Yet they have limits. They can grow tired in body and spirit. That is why we must appreciate and value them before something forces us to realize it. Pexels Conclusion I eventually learned that the true measure of a person’s greatness isn’t in what the world sees, but in what they do when they think no one is watching. My sister’s life was never defined by a resume or a high-paying job; it was defined by the quiet, incredible sacrifices she made so I could have the luxury of choice. I also realized that recognition doesn’t need to be a public event. It doesn’t require a plaque. 

Sometimes, the most profound recognition comes in a quiet, private moment when you finally acknowledge someone’s struggle and choose to honor it with your presence and your help. By stepping into her world and truly seeing her—not as my “caretaker” but as a human being with her own dreams deferred—I finally understood the depth of her courage. Real success, it seems, doesn’t lie in standing on a podium, looking down upon an audience. 

Rather, it lies in standing by the side of another person, catching them just in time before they fall, and shaping the world around us through our strength. Today, I no longer measure my success by the degrees or diplomas I hold, because I realize I’ve found myself thanks to the loving support and resilience of my sister, who took upon herself the burden of holding up the sky so that I could fly.