Nearly two dozen more migrants reached British shores on Thursday after at least 48 made it across the English channel on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The people who arrived on December 27 – at least three of whom were children – all claimed to be Iranian, and were detained by British authorities at Folkstone, Shakespeare Beach and Dover. 

Eleven more were found by French authorities and were returned to French soil.

Immigration minister Caroline Nokes said the number of incidents over the festive period was “deeply concerning”.

The news comes as 45 migrants, including two children, were found off-shore in different five boats, or detained once making it to land, on Christmas Day.

A further three men were rescued on Boxing Day, bringing the total to at least 70 in the three-day period.

All of the people who are brought to British shores are given a medical examination.  Adults are then questioned by immigration officials, with any children being taken to social services.

The spike in attempted crossings follows a steady increase in the number of migrants trying to get to Britain, with more than 100 trying to journey across the channel in November. 

Nokes said: “Some of this is clearly facilitated by organised crime groups while other attempts appear to be opportunistic

“We are in close and continual contact with the French authorities and law enforcement partners including through the new UK-France Co-ordination and Information Centre which opened in Calais at the end of last month to tackle criminality at the border.

“Attempting to cross the channel in this way is extremely dangerous and they are putting their lives at risk. People should also be in no doubt that Border Force and the Police Aux Frontieres are working together 24 hours a day to prevent attempts, protect life and prosecute offenders.

“At the same time the UK’s NCA-led Organised Immigration Taskforce is working to stop people smuggling at source.”

The Conservative MP for Dover, Charlie Elphicke, said that the authorities needed to “get a grip” on the situation. 

“This is an incredibly dangerous crossing to make in the middle of winter,” he added.

“Our volunteer lifeboat crews are being called out nearly every day. The British and French authorities must get a grip and find and stop the traffickers... before there is a tragedy.”

Angelina Jolie has said she hopes to “bring people together from a cross-section” as she prepares to take over as guest editor on Radio 4′s Today programme.

The mother-of-six and campaigner, who will be at the helm of the radio show on December 28, said: “For me the biggest challenge I have had in my work is trying to understand how all the pieces come together.

“And with the state of the world we are all living in, with so much instability and the numbers rising on refugees, we’re at 68 million people displaced, and with all the many, many things your audience is aware of, how do we get to the core of what is happening and who are the different people that are offering solutions”.

One of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winners – Congolese gynaecologist Denis Mukwege – will feature during Jolie’s edit.

She said: “That was the goal, to bring people together from a cross-section of different kinds of people who are a part of the solution and learn what they feel needs to be done, see if we can all agree on what needs to be done and see where all the different issues come together, from General Scaparrotti to Denis Mukwege to our friends in the refugee camps.

“What they all understand is necessary to make change, to bring more stability to our world.”

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will talk about the government’s Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI).

US General Curtis Scaparrotti, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet will also feature.

Veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby, who this month stepped down as the host of Question Time after 25 years, was the first of this year’s guest editors.

Blogger Chidera Eggerue, also known as the Slumflower and historian Andrew Roberts are among the guests to follow after Jolie.

Previous guest editors over the years have included Prince Harry, Sir Lenny Henry and Sir Richard Branson.

The government is set to spend £10m installing phones in prisoners’ cells in a bid to slash reoffending rates.

The landline phones – which allow prisoners to call a small number of pre-approved numbers – are already installed in 20 prisons in England and Wales. The latest roll-out will allow 50 prisons to have access to the system by March 2020.

Justice Secretary David Gauke said the phones, which automatically record conversations, would allow those behind bars to “build and maintain family relationships”, with prisoners able to make calls at a time which fits in with their families’ schedules.

The move follows research that showed that prisoners who receive family visits are 39% less likely to reoffend, with reoffending costing the UK £15bn each year. 

It is hoped that the decision will also help to reduce rates of self-harming in prison, by providing easier access to services such as the Samaritans and MIND, as well as reducing the number of illicit mobile phones in jail.  

Gauke said the addition of more in-cell phones would help turn prisons “into places of decency where offenders have a real chance to transform their lives.”

Meanwhile, prison governors will have the power to remove phones from prisoners thought to be using them for criminal activity.

Prison Reform Trust director Peter Dawson called the announcement a “big step in the right direction”.

“This is very welcome news for prisoners’ families, who are very often the key to a crime free future for people leaving prison,” he said, calling on the rest of the prison estate to follow suit.

“Access to legitimate in-cell phones can reduce tension and self-harm. It also undermines the market for illegal mobile phones in prison, and all the violence associated with it.”

The news comes a week after parliament passed new legislation allowing prisons to use interference technology to disrupt mobile phone signals behind bars and shortly after the launch of a campaign to stop prisoners being released on Fridays.

National social justice charity Nacro believes ending the practice would make a significant difference to people leaving prison and would cut reoffending rates, which have remained high over the last decade – fluctuating between 32% and 29%.

Experts say those granted freedom just before the weekend face an uphill battle to access emergency accommodation, vital prescription medicines and addiction support in just one day.

Many are left with just the £46 discharge grant every former inmate is issued with, and some ending up spending the weekend on the streets. 

Ministry of Justice figures show a third of all prison releases take place on a Friday, as all inmates with scheduled release dates which fall on a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday are brought forward. 

Nacro chief executive Jacob Tas told HuffPost UK: “Stopping Friday releases would stop people going off the rails and staff on the frontline say it is the thing they would change to have a positive effect.

“Friday releases can make an already challenging day impossible and increase the likelihood that people will reoffend and fall back into bad ways.

“We believe there are immediate, simple and cost-effective steps that can be taken by the government and prison governors to ensure Friday releases are avoided.”

The Ministry of Justice is currently reviewing Friday release dates.

In HuffPost Birth Diaries we hear the extraordinary stories of the everyday miracle of birth. This week, Sherina White, 38, shares her story. If you’d like to share yours, email amy.packham@huffpost.com.

Having a baby on Christmas Day never bothered me. I quite liked the idea of it, actually. Of my five children, two have been Christmassy babies and all have been quick. The youngest was born on 23 December after my waters broke in the aisle of Lidl. My husband was desperate for her to come before Christmas Eve – and luckily, she did, at 11.50pm. But the quickest was 20 minutes, from first contraction to last push. That was my fourth daughter, Zhadie, who was due on Boxing Day.

I really didn’t mind being pregnant with her at Christmas, to be honest. I know it’s crazy and busy and exhausting, but I’d been bigger than a turkey for four years running (my kids were three, two and one at the time), so I was used to it. We’d just moved into a new area, to a new house, and I felt a bit like we were nesting. I was up ladders, painting the house, shopping – I did everything with three toddlers in tow right up until the day she was born. 

I thought it’d be pretty cool if she was born on Christmas Day – in fact, I tried to hurry her along. We all went to my mum’s for Christmas that year. She lives in south London and I wanted to go into labour in the hospital near her (it was much nicer), so I was almost willing Zhadie to come out. Every twitch, movement, anything, I thought it might be it. But it wasn’t, it was just me eating too many Quality Street. Can you blame me?

We tried to stay in south London for as long as we could, just to be in that hospital. Then we got bored. We wanted to go home. We left my mum’s the evening of 28 December, walked in our own door, chucked all the bags down and headed off to bed quite quickly. All five of us were exhausted, so me and my husband decided we’d just unpack everything in the morning.

Zhadie showed no signs of coming whatsoever. Until 3am. 

“This baby is coming,” I said to my husband when I abruptly woke up in the middle of the night. “What, now?” he replied. “Now!” I shouted. He then proceeded to tell me he had no petrol in the tank which, I’ll tell you now, I had been telling him for days to make sure he had filled. But he knew how quick my previous labours had been, so called my father-in-law to come look after the kids and started to get things moving.

There was a funny moment outside shortly before we left – we lived next door to an old guy at the time who didn’t like us parking on his “line”. While I was pacing up and down the path in pain, waiting for my husband to bring the car around, the man came out and shouted at me (yes, at 3am): “Not on the LINE!” To which I told him I was in labour. He put his hands up and backed off. Ha! 

[Read More: 9 Tear-Jerking Birth Stories That Prove Every Labour Is Unique]

No, but seriously. I thought my previous labours were quick but this was just ridiculous. On the (very short) drive to hospital, I told my husband I could feel the head. He told me to calm down. Arriving at hospital, even the midwives didn’t believe how close Zhadie was to coming out – I walked, and just about made it to the doorway of a room in the labour ward.

The midwife pulled my dress up when I said I needed to push. “Oh shit, push, push, PUSH,” she shouted when she saw Zhadie was crowning. I gave birth in that doorway only 20 minutes after I had woken up that night. 

It’s so bizarre. People always ask me if it was painful, but I think it was more mentally and emotionally battering than physically. My whole body was just shot to pieces. I had the shakes after, I think it was the shock and my body trying to catch up. 

We left hospital at 10 in the morning after all the checks and went home to three sleepy toddlers who were all lying together on the sofa. “Your baby sister is here,” I shouted. They were so happy. 

My birth advice?

Stoop! Let gravity do its work and stand up or squat when you give birth. Honestly, I would say stoop to anyone if they can do it, even if you’re tired. I just think it makes everything that bit quicker and your body just opens up. 

As told to Amy Packham.

Sherina White runs The Gourmet Dinner Lady, find out more here. 

 At the beginning of a new year we start thinking about what we want to achieve in the next 12 months, both professionally and personally. For many people this will include plans to extend their family. 

If you’re thinking about having a baby in 2019 you will want to get off to the best possible start, so we’ve asked the experts the questions that you will need answered to have the best chance at conceiving in the next 12 months.

When Should You Be Having Sex?

You are most likely to get pregnant if you have sex within a day or so of ovulation – when your ovaries release an egg – as an egg lives for around 12 to 24 hours after it’s released. For you to get pregnant, the sperm must fertilise the egg within this window of ovulation. 

So when in the month do you ovulate? While it will vary slightly from woman to woman, the NHS says ovulation usually happens about 14 days after the first day of your last period. If you can’t remember when your last period finished, work backwards from your next period is expected as you are usually most fertile around 2 weeks before your next period is due. 

If you’re still struggling to pinpoint your fertile window you can also download apps, such as Clue, or buy products that help you to track your cycle.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) say: “Some women think if they’ve had unprotected sex a few times and not become pregnant that they may be infertile, but all this suggests is they probably weren’t having sex at their fertile time.”

How Often Should You Be Having Sex? 

Once you’ve identified your most fertile period of the month you will want to ensure you are having ‘regular’ sex, which the NHS says means should be every two to three days throughout the whole month - not just when you’re fertile. 

This is because sperm can live inside your body for between five and seven days before they die. If you ovulate early or late and a sperm is still alive, you could still potentially conceive.  

Overall you want to be having sex about two to three times every week. But Dr Virginia Beckett, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), says quite simply: “The more often a couple has sex, the better chances of conceiving.

[Read More: This Is Why You Should Be Having Sex Twice A Night]

How Long Will It Take To Get Pregnant?

There is no hard and fast answer, of course. Some people will get pregnant straight away while others will have to wait months. But don’t despair, the statistics show that 84 out of every 100 couples will get pregnant within a year if they have regular sex (every two or three days) and don’t use contraception. 

Of the 16% of women who don’t conceive in the first year, 50% will have a baby in the second year. But if you have been trying for more than a year without any luck then you might want to see your GP for advice. For women who have a pre-existing condition, such as endometriosis or PCOS, or for those aged 36 or over, seeking advice after six months is sensible, Beckett suggests.

Does Contraception Affect How Long It Takes?

By the time many women come to getting pregnant they will have been using hormonal contraceptives (the pill, the IUD, the implant) for many years and worry that it will take a long time to resume normal service. But BPAS say that this isn’t something to worry about. 

A spokesperson for BPAS says: “There is a myth that it takes some time for the hormones to leave your body before your fertility kicks in again. The truth is you can get pregnant very soon after you stop using most hormonal contraception (which is why women can conceive when they miss pills or have a tummy bug).

The same is also true of a copper IUD (the coil) – once removed, your fertility quickly returns to normal. With the Depo-Provera injection, it can take up to a year for fertility to return once you stop the injection, but there is no guarantee. 

Should You Make Any Other Lifestyle Changes? 

The NHS says you’re more likely to get pregnant if you and your partner are in good health so making some small changes to your lifestyle may improve your chances of getting pregnant and going on to have a healthy pregnancy.

Beckett says if you’re starting to try for a baby it is important to start taking folic acid: “It is important women who are trying to conceive take 400mcg supplements of folic acid every day to reduce the risk of her baby developing a birth defect. It’s also important to avoid vitamin A supplements as these can harm.”

Fertility expert, Emma Cannon tells HuffPost UK that you might want to think about your diet and ensuring that you’re getting enough nutrients: “Start the new year by eating a rainbow diet, in other words, a wide variety of foods. 

“Your plate should be mainly plant-based with a small amount of meat per week if you eat meat. Grains which have been soaked well before use, as well as seeds and nuts which are great for your health in small quantities as well as good quality fats and oils in the diet - try olive, hemp, or pumpkin oil. It is recommended that we should eat between 5-8 portions of fruit and veg per day, with the emphasis on vegetables as fruits are often high in sugar.”

Another thing to consider is your stress levels: “Too much stress can affect our hormone levels which subsequently impact the menstrual cycle and fertility. The same holds true for men as well. Stress has been linked to poor sperm quality,” says Cannon.

Start as you mean to go on and find something which works for you such as a relaxing bath, baking, reading a book or getting you partner to give you a massage.

If you thought Christmas meant we were going to bypass cute animals of the week, you thought wrong. This week we’ve decided to keep things festive, hopefully you don’t mind. 

1. Christmas Pudding Puppy Brings Joy To Grandad

This man’s dog passed away a few months back and his wife died not long after. His family surprised him with a new puppy on Christmas Day and filmed the beautiful introduction.

No you’re crying. 

2. Dog Disrupts Christmas Parade

He was hungry for gingerbread tush.

3. Cat Discovers Feline Equivalent Of Heaven

Ribbons, bows, paper. This cat just won the lottery and we don’t quite think it’s sunk in.

4. Police Dog Enters Super Stealth Mode

This doggo has seen ‘Home Alone’ at least five times and he isn’t going to let bandits ruin Christmas.

5. Cat Wins In Epic Battle Against Christmas Tree

Well, it was only a matter of time (and here’s more where this came from).

In this week-long series, we’re talking to HuffPost UK readers who set themselves a new year’s resolution last year that you may be considering for 2019 – and stuck to it. Their motivation could be your inspiration. Here, Emma Ross, a London-based mum of two and former tech worker, who blogs at mamalina.co and Instagrams @mamalinauk, shares her story.

I’m an avid nature lover and have always cared deeply about protecting the planet. But it became more hands-on when I had my first son, Jack, four years ago. There was this feeling of almost being able to start from scratch again, with this whole new person – plus, with maternity leave, I had the time and space to do those more sustainable things, like not buying food that’s drowning in plastic by DIY-ing it, instead. Now my husband and I have number two, Sonny, it’s even more pertinent. 

On New Year’s Eve 2017, I made some resolutions. I already had my reusable coffee cup, water bottle, canvas bag and a set of cutlery that I would take out of the house with me to cut down on single use plastic waste. But I wanted to go hard. I pledged to remove all sorts of milk bottles, single use sanitary wear, plastic-packaged food, endless bottles of shower gel, shampoo and conditioner and lots of other stuff from our life. And here’s how we did it.

In the kitchen, getting rid of plastic hinged on buying loose fruit and veg and getting boxes of seasonal produce delivered. We also started making our own oat milk by blending soaked oats with water to stop using plastic bottles and taking containers out to shops, so we could buy cheese from places where you can get it unwrapped.

[Read More: How The World Went Mad For Plastic And Why It’s In Everything We Buy]

A really useful trick was joining up with a few friends locally to order things like nuts and pulses in massive bags, from bulk suppliers, which we then stick in containers and divvy out. When it comes to food out of the house, we’ve switched to beeswax wraps as a cling film alternative – and I always take my own sandwiches on the road rather than grabbing a salad box or whatever.

If my eldest needs food for a school trip, he has the same, plus a drink in a reusable water bottle and loose fruit. I managed to eliminate plastic crisp packets by making homemade snacks out of potato peels, drizzling with a little olive oil and baking them with sea salt.

A great idea is making your own quick dips, like hummus, with chickpeas, tahini and lemon by just blitzing them in a food processor, meaning you’re not buying a plastic tub. For bread, you can get it loose in most supermarkets. 

The one thing I fall down on when it comes to all things delicious? Feta. I’m obsessed with it’s tangy amazingness, as well as salty halloumi cheese, which I end up buying in plastic packets. I know you can get feta in these glass jars, but it’s crazy expensive. 

With bathroom stuff: surrendering the disposable nappies we were still using for my littlest during the night was a biggie. I’m a huge fan of cloth nappies. The amount of plastic-lined disposable sorts, that take hundreds of years to break down, you save is huge. But finding a type that would keep him dry all night long was something I wanted to investigate.

I found that a Totsbot’s peanut wrap with a Totsbot’s Bamboozle were absorbent enough, when used together. In the morning, the nappies go into a washing basket to get cleaned. (We’ve got cloth wet wipes we were already using, rather than the throwaway ones.)

For loo roll, we bulk buy recycled stuff from Who Gives A Crap?, a brilliant company who don’t wrap rolls in plastic, and who donate 50% of their profits to building toilets and improving sanitation in the developing world.

To put a stopper in the zillion bottles of hair stuff and gels that were emanating from our bathroom, we’ve now got everything in bar form. That’s honestly been transformative – we basically have zero waste coming from that room, now. 

[Read More: I Tried Lush Shampoo And Conditioner Bars In Place Of Plastic Bottles And These Were The Results]

Then, there’s pads and tampons. Again, they’re heavy on the plastic. I switched to using a Mooncup as well as period pants that feature a waterproof layer, for just in case, as well as cloth pads. It’s a lot cheaper and means you never need to dash to the shop for a box of the disposable ones. 

Another major change? Re-adjusting how I thought about clothes. As well as the ethical implications of fast fashion, a lot of it is made from plastics, which then leak microplastics in the waterways when we wash them. So, if I need something new, or something new for the kids, it’s hand-me-downs or charity shop stuff. I’ve got some well made, durable stuff that shouldn’t need replacing for a long time and am trying to be happy with that.  

Doing this, I’ve learnt loads. I’ve made changes and tweaked them, so I now know where the best place to get plastic-free cereal from is, or where the hidden gem second hand shop for amazing Christmas and Chanukah presents is. Speaking of: all of my kid’s presents this year are thrifted – so no new plastic toys or games – and they’re wrapped using old newspaper and string rather than non-recyclable paper.

If you’re looking to ditch the plastic this new year, I’d say you need to appreciate that it’s all about prep. We went camping this summer in Kent, so we went and bulk bought stuff like pasta, rice and bread to take with us, so we wouldn’t have to buy packaged stuff to eat. It’s that sort of pre-planning that can be tough.

But, if I forget my coffee cup one day, I don’t beat myself up. I’ll forgo my caffeine and that’ll make me remember, next time! It’s new habits you’re trying to form and it’s not going to click overnight. Cut yourself some slack and try again tomorrow. 

My motivation is straightforward. I think a lot about what the planet will look like in 20 or 30 years. The thought of my kids turning around to me and saying “there used to be icebergs there?” or “that island doesn’t exist anymore?” kills me. I’m not saying that my stuff is going to change the big picture. But I do think that if we all make switches, we’ll collectively help to lower greenhouse gases and try to stem the tide. 

For 2018, I feel like I’ve accomplished something. Sure, there’s always so much more to do and sometimes I have days where I feel like I’m barely doing anything. But this year has been transformative – and these changes are for good. When it comes to pushing back against plastic and making waves in the wider sustainable effort, I’m excited to dig even deeper for 2019. 

As told to Claudia Canavan.

The 100ml liquids restriction when packing your carry on bag leaves little room for your much-loved lotions and potions. But instead of having a teen-tiny bag bursting at the seams, or woefully handing your holy grail products over to airport security, be smart and savvy with space-saving beauty compacts.

Forget the headache of decanting creams into miniature containers, and embrace the brands who’ve mastered the art of streamlining the packing experience.

Avoid an eleventh hour panic with the HuffPost Finds edit of the best multi-purpose essentials for travelling to take you from beach to bar and back to departures with no drama.

Lip Service 

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Lips, Boots, £6

Ditch the dry and dehydrated lips with this fragrance-free formula designed with sensitive skin in mind. Providing instant relief for chapped lips, it’ll keep your lips hydrated and smooth throughout your travels in a pocket-friendly tube. Apply as often as required. 

Buy it here.

Solid Bar 

Prebiotic Cleansing Bar, Gallinée, £10

Avoid the dreaded liquids bag with a solid cleansing bar. Ideal for atopic-prone skin, this soap-free cleanser isn’t drying and will gently remove makeup and cleanse your face and body without irritating sensitive skin. Simply lather under water, massage into damp skin and pat dry.

Buy it here.

Go Bold Or Go Home

Mini MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo, MAC, £10

MAC has the solution to all your lipstick woes, rather than being forced to compromise between colours, you can bring them all. The Little MAC is a range of lipsticks, lipglosses, strobe creams, pigments, makeup wipes and mascaras in handbag-approved sizes. Featuring their top selling products over the years, their miniature lipsticks are as cute as they are functional. Try the universally flattering Ruby Woo red for a bold lip look. 

Buy it here.

Misting On The Move

Avene Thermal Water Spray, Boots, £4.50

A must-have for anyone with sensitive, allergic and irritated skin, this is an all-round skin saviour. Soothe sunburn or mosquito ridden legs, cool down in hot climates with a refreshing mist, set makeup and calm reddened skin after hair-removal. Keep this travel-friendly size close to hand and stock up on a jump size version when you touch down. 

Buy it here.

Effortless Eyes 

NARS Velvet Stick Eyeshadow in Dark Angel , Debenhams, £21

Sweep across lids and blend in with your finger with this pen-size, fuss-free stick eyeshadow. Complete by underlining the lash line and softly smudging out. The creamy texture won’t crumble like a powder formula and will instantly elevate your look from day to evening in the blink of an eye. This product is matte, but if you’re looking for something shiny, opt for Siros, with its stunning gold foil finish. 

Buy it here.

On The Go Glow 

Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad Gradual Glow - pack of 20, Space NK, £30

Forget faffing about with fake tan pre-holiday with these multi-purpose, mess-free gradual glow pads. A simple one-step tanning solution you can do during travelling time, simply apply to face, neck and décolleté in circular motions, making sure to blend evenly. Formulated with alpha and beta hydroxyl acids, it exfoliates without stripping the skin, while adding colour. Plus, you can skip the foundation with your new added colour. Apply to clean skin and use daily to build up colour, we’d recommend before you go to bed to save any unexpected surprises throughout the day. Don’t forget to wash hands immediately after use. 

Buy it here. 

Conceal & Conquer

Huda Beauty Overachiever Concealer, Cult Beauty, £23

Conceal tired eyes with this creamy concealer that will last all day. With a luminous matte finish, and light-reflecting particles it will keep dark circles, spots, redness and hyper-pigmentation at bay. Available in 20 shades, the blemish blurring, water-resistant and transfer free will keep you look fresh all day and night long. Perfect if you’re going from airport to office. 

Buy it here.

Dash Of Colour 

Cloud Paint, Glossier, £15

Dab onto cheeks and pat onto lips for a health burst of colour in this palm-sized tube from millennial favourite, Glossier. The gel-cream tint is sheer but buildable, creating a flushed-from-within glow. We love the deep berry shade, Haze, that packs a punch on fairer skin and a soft pink on darker skins. 

Buy it here.

Wide Awake

Eyeko Sport Brush Masara, Marks & Spencer, £10

Fit for both your carry on and your gym bag, this handy tubed mascara can be neatly tucked away after use. It’s 100 per cent waterproof, sweat-proof and smudge-proof, with no climate it won’t withstand. Keep lashes luscious and long without breaking a sweat. 

Buy it here.

Great All-Rounder

Lixirskin Universal Emulsion, ASOS, £29

The ultimate multitasker, this lightweight cream doubles up as a serum base, day cream and hydrating night moisturiser. Protecting the skin from UV rays and pollution, upon application it’ll leave skin smoother, softer with a velvety finish that’s the perfect base for makeup during the day. 

Buy it here.

We all work hard to earn our money – so it shouldn’t feel like hard work to spend it well. At HuffPost Finds we’ll help you find the best stuff that deserves your cash, from the ultimate lipstick to a durable iron to replace the one that broke (RIP). All our choices are completely independent but we may earn a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase.

It’s been a big year for music videos, whether that be ambitious epics telling stories on a cinematic scale, politically-charged efforts using the artform to comment on important social issues or just lovely-looking four-minute clips that give us something nice to stare at.

You’ll find all three of those on our list of 20 music videos that we loved in the last 12 months...

20. Jennifer Lopez - ‘Dinero’, feat. Cardi B and DJ Khalid

Directed by Joseph Kahn

Make no mistake, Jennifer Lopez is very much still that diva, as she asserts in the ‘Dinero’ music video. Teaming up with Cardi B, the clip sees J-Lo playing up to her reputation as loving all things lavish and expensive, all with a knowing wink. In the space of three minutes, she’s seen frying steaks in glamorous lingerie, toasting marshmallows on a stack of flaming money and, oh yeah, walking an ostrich around a mansion garden.

Jen received the coveted Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2018 VMAs, and while we’ll admit she wouldn’t have been our top pick, videos like ‘Dinero’ prove she’s still very much a deserving recipient.

Watch the video in full here.

19. Troye Sivan - ‘Bloom’

Directed by Bardia Zeinalif

Resembling a cross between early 90s Madonna and Lady Gaga in her ‘Applause’ video in a high-fashion photo shoot, Troye Sivan served looks in the ‘Bloom’ video, from the tip of his wet-look peroxide curls right down to the hem of his patent leather skirt.

Playing up to the LGBT+ themes of the song (and its accompanying album), Troye cranks up the androgyny to 11 in this video, in what is the most unmistakably queer statement of his career so far. Plus, don’t those flowers look lovely, too?

Watch the video in full here.  

18. The 1975 - ‘Sincerity Is Scary’

Directed by Warren Fu

Proving once again that you can’t underestimate The 1975, or predict what they’re going to do next, frontman Matty Healy delivers actual choreography in the ‘Sincerity Is Scary’ video. The actual clip is simple enough, featuring Matty walking along a street where he meets a businessman, a gospel choir and, eventually, a somber child clown who cries in makeshift rain provided by the singer with a watering can.

At once both completely pretentious and utterly silly, which is actually a perfect description of the band themselves.

Watch the video in full here.

17. Little Mix - ‘Strip’, feat. Sharaya J

Directed by Rankin and Little Mix

When they returned to the music scene with their ‘LM5’ album, Little Mix clearly had a fresh new attitude and more confidence than ever before. While they’ve always been all about empowering and encouraging the young women in their fanbase to pursue their dreams, on ‘LM5’ they spoke more candidly and honestly than ever before about the specific issues that were important to them, and this was never more apparent than in the ‘Strip’ music video.

The song itself is an ode to self-love and body positivity, which is reflected in its accompanying video, which sees them rounding up a diverse cast of women to celebrate their differences and, in its most memorable scene, owning their supposed “flaws” in a nude photo-shoot.

Watch the video in full here.

16. Bruno Mars - ‘Finesse’, feat. Cardi B

Directed by Bruno Mars and Florent Dechard

Nostalgia for the 1990s reached new levels in 2018, with Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s throwback tune ‘1999’ and Anne-Marie’s similarly-themed ‘2002’ (which was actually chock-full of 90s references, despite what the title might suggest). Even Busted got in on the act, channelling Backstreet Boys, Nirvana and ITV’s golden days of Saturday night in their ‘Nineties’ music video.

Our favourite effort was from Bruno Mars and Cardi B, though, and while their song had us pining for the glory days of 90s R&B, the accompanying video paid homage to ‘In Living Color’, complete with baseball caps, spray-paint and some expert shoulder-shimmying from Bruno.

Watch the video in full here. 

15. Rosalía - ‘MALAMENTE’

Directed by Nicolás Méndez

Every now and then, a new artist comes along who puts something out that you can’t help but pay attention to, and that’s exactly what Rosalía was able to pull off with her ‘MALAMENTE’ music video.

Admittedly, without the help of our good pal Google Translate we can’t say we really know what she’s singing about, but her charisma and effortless cool definitely crosses language barriers in this video, which features traditional Spanish imagery but in a modern context.

And if that pretentious chat is off-putting at all... the song is also a bop, which helps.

Watch the video in full here.

14. Ariana Grande - ‘Thank U, Next’

Directed by Hannah Lux Davis

‘Thank U, Next’ was already a global smash by the time its video came along, but with promises of beloved teen film parodies, allusions to her best relationships and celebrity cameos a plenty (hello Kris Jenner!), there’s no questioning that its debut was one of the biggest music video moments of the year.

The video has undoubtedly helped prolong the success of ‘Thank U, Next’, with fans flocking to watch the video on repeat in their droves, just so they can pause it and catch all of the easter eggs singer Ariana Grande (who, needless to say, you can look forward to cropping up on this countdown a fair few more times) and director Hannah Lux Davis managed to sneak into the final edit.

Watch the video in full here.

13. Kendrick Lamar and SZA - ‘All The Stars’

Directed by Dave Meyers and the Little Homies

‘Black Panther’ set the bar massively high in terms of visuals on the big screen this year, so Kendrick Lamar had to really pull it out of the bag for the ‘All The Stars’ music video, the first song to be taken from the box office smash’s soundtrack.

Wisely reuniting with Dave Meyers (who previously directed ‘HUMBLE.’, our video of the year in 2017), the ‘All The Stars’ clip showcases the elaborate African imagery that ‘Black Panther’ featured heavily.

While the video is packed with over-the-top and cinematic scenes that have come to become a staple for the director, it says a lot about SZA that our favourite bits are just watching her do her thing, while lip syncing against a starry backdrop.

Watch the video in full here.

12. Ariana Grande - ‘No Tears Left To Cry’

Directed by Dave Meyers

All eyes were on Ariana Grande in April, ahead of the release of ‘No Tears Left To Cry’, her first single since the terror attack at her concert in Manchester just under a year beforehand. The track served as a perfect comeback for Ariana, acknowledging the dark times she’d been through while also serving as an optimistic look to the future (though unfortunately, 2018 would end up going on to become another tough year for the singer).

This hopeful messages was perfectly illustrated by the song’s gorgeous video, which played with themes of disorientation, representing her turbulent year, while also showing Ariana holding her own throughout and eventually getting her feet back on the ground.

Watch the video in full here.

11. Tove Lo - ‘bitches’, feat. Charli XCX, Alma, Icona Pop and Eliiphant

Directed by Lucia Aniello 

In the past, it’s fair to say that Swedish singer/songwriter Tove Lo may have been guilty of taking herself a little seriously, which is why her efforts like ‘bitches’ (and last year’s ‘Disco Tits’) have been refreshing in their silliness.

The ‘bitches’ video has a simple enough narrative, casting Tove as the leader of a very unique facility, that teaches men to hone one very specific skill.

Or, as its lead actor suggests at the end of the video: “Guys, they teach you how to eat p***y in there.”

The whole thing is a triumph in its irreverence and ludicrousness, with each of the numerous featured artists playing their parts well too.

Watch the video in full here.

10. MNEK - ‘Tongue’

Directed by Bradley&Pablo

He’s been on the pop scene for a while now, working with big names like Beyoncé and Madonna, but 2018 felt like it saw in the true arrival of MNEK, kicked off with the music video for his single ‘Tongue’.

The clip sees the singer at his perfectly-manicured, hair-swishing, voguing, jumpsuit-sporting best, and in a year dubbed “20gayteen” by fellow pop star Hayley Kiyoko, the ‘Tongue’ video is yet more welcome queer representation, both with its romatic central storyline, but also MNEK’s unapologetic (and fabulous) approach to his aesthetics.

Watch the video in full here. 

9. Mark Ronson - ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart’, feat. Miley Cyrus

Directed by We Are From LA 

Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus offered up a bit of social commentary for the video for their country-infused first ever collaboration, ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart’, which sees the singer involved in a car chase across America.

The whole thing is about as subtle as a brick, as Miley is seen driving through walls of strip clubs attended by clergymen, shooting ranges where kids playfully handle firearms without thought and a hot-tub party between two older women, before she eventually alludes to the crucifixion, putting herself on display in an art gallery.

Still, what the video lacked in subtlety, it made up for in quality, and soundtracking what “Wolf News” (we see what you did there, guys) calls “Miley’s wild ride” just makes this late contender for Song Of The Year sound even stronger.

Watch the video in full here.  

8. Christine And The Queens - ‘5 Dollars’

Directed by Colin Solal Cardo

On her sophomore album, French singer/songwriter Héloïse Letissier took her Christine and the Queens alter-ego and ran with it even further, reinventing herself as the more masculine Chris, in what she later explained was an exploration of gender and identity.

This was never more apparent than in the ‘American Psycho’-meets-‘American Gigolo’ ‘5 Dollars’ music video. Simple enough in its premise, the video sees the singer waking up and getting dressed (with a brief pause for her to try on some S&M garb and dance around her apartment, naturally).

Sufficiently suited and booted, on top of a leather harness, the video ends with the singer heading off for a day at work in what we can only assume is Wall Street in the early 1990s. In an amazing year for Christine And The Queens, this video is something she should be particularly proud of.

Watch the video in full here. 

7. Ariana Grande - ‘God Is A Woman’ 

Directed by Dave Meyers

Seriously, what can we say?

There’s a lot to love in the ‘God Is A Woman’ video, which showcases some of the most mature imagery we’ve ever seen from Ariana. This includes, but is not limited to: laying around in white lace surrounded by naked men covered in soap suds, lounging in a pastel pool (outlined by, it should be noted, a vagina-like shape in the water), suggestively playing with a tornado while literally sitting on top of the world, barely registering the insults hurled at her by angry white men (which include “slut”, “little girl” and “adult baby”) and a glass ceiling-smashing voice cameo from Madonna.

Our favourite Ariana video of the year is also her busiest, and even though we love ‘Breathin’ and ‘Thank U, Next’, we’re hoping 2019 sees her reuniting with Dave Meyers for at least one more video like this.

Watch the video in full here. 

6. Drake - ‘Nice For What’

Directed by Karena Evans

Basically the 2018 equivalent of Charli XCX’s ‘Boys’, the ‘Nice For What’ video features some of Drake’s favourite successful women, and captures them going about their business and being fantastic.

Among them are Issa Rae taking charge over a load of old white men in a board meeting, Jourdan Dunn riding a horse, Tracee Ellis Ross dancing in nature, Letitia Wright soaking up the sun in front of a city skyline, Bria Vinaite in a racing car and Tiffany Haddish smoking a cigar and chucking some diamonds around.

Meanwhile, the man himself takes a back seat (he’s occasionally seen dancing around in his puffa jacket, but that’s about it), offering the video’s cast of women to shine on their own.

Watch the video in full here.

5. Lizzo - ‘Fitness’

Directed by Quinn Wilson 

At a time when the body positivity movement has been somewhat taken over by one very specific type of body, it looks like Lizzo took a lot of effort to ensure as many people as possible were represented in the video for fitness, regardless of race, size or perceived femininity.

Lizzo has said of the clip: ”[Fitness] is my Declaration of Independence from the bullshit! I hope to inspire women all over to put themselves first. And next time someone has a critique about you or your body, say ‘I don’t do this for you’!”

The video shows a range of diverse and different women all working out and celebrating their uniqueness, with the video’s key message (“I don’t do this for you”) appearing on screen at the half-way point, to really drive the message home.

Watch the video in full here.

4. Kali Uchi - ‘After The Storm’, feat. Tyler, The Creator and Bootsy Collins

Directed by Nadia Lee Cohen 

Truthfully, we don’t have much to say about the ‘After The Storm’ video other than praise it for serving up what can only be described as consistent eye candy.

Every single shot makes full use of the same gorgeous colour pallett without giving us sensory overload, and is exaggerated and over-the-top without being outlandish or overwhelming but also takes itself just seriously enough that it doesn’t lose its cartoonish sense of fun.

Watch the video in full here.

3. Childish Gambino - ‘This Is America’

Directed by Hiro Murai

How can one man dancing around a warehouse for four minutes tackle more important social issues than most politicians could muster in an entire national address?

Deeply unsettling and instantly iconic, the ‘This Is America’ video proved to be a career-defining moment for Childish Gambino (or Donald Glover, as fans of his acting will know him), with a simple minimal scene quickly descending into utter chaos, complete with rioting and mass shootings, all the while the rapper dances along both alone and as part of a group.

The video immediately received critical acclaim for its commentary about gun violence, racism, societal ignorance and police brutality, among other pressing themes in America, and beyond.

Watch the video in full here. 

2. Janelle Monáe - ‘PYNK’

Directed by Emma Westenberg 

Undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of her ‘Dirty Computer’ visual album, ‘PYNK’ is the most striking and memorable video Janelle Monáe released in 2018, thanks in no small part to the labia-inspired trousers she’s seen sporting throughout.

But while it’s the instantly-iconic wardrobe choices that caught people’s attention when ‘PYNK’ debuted back in April, the whole thing is actually visually stunning, with lots of subtle (and, indeed, not so-subtle) sexual and vaginal references scattered throughout, including allusions to same-sex romance, plenty of playful imagery and, our personal favourite, the “I grab back” underwear.

Not a subtle video by any means, but with this much attention to detail, who cares?

Watch the video in full here. 

1. THE CARTERS - ‘APESHIT’

Directed by Ricky Saiz

A veritable feast for the eyes, Beyoncé and Jay-Z managed to convince the Louvre to let them film overnight at the museum, with the result becoming a true work of art in itself.

And, in true Beyoncé style, they were able to keep the whole thing a secret right up until it was released.

With hidden details and subtle political and social commentary, there’s so much to pick apart and comment on in the ‘APESHIT’ video, so much so that we’re still noticing things every time we watch it, even six months on.

Stunning looks, great performances and the juxtaposition of classic art and trap music make ‘APESHIT’ our video of the year, and another absolute visual triumph from two of the most important and impressive artists in the world.

Watch the video in full below:

It’s been another vintage year for British TV – whether you’re bang into your dramas or prefer the real-life drama of reality TV, there has been something for everyone to enjoy on the box this year. 

And the majority of those shows served up moments that made us truly made us gasp. 

As we ready ourselves for another year of settling down in front of the telly, we’re taking a look back on some of 2018′s most talked about TV moments...

1. Julia is killed in ‘Bodyguard’

There was a reason ‘Bodyguard’ was the highest rated show of the year, and that is because every single episode delivered in terms of action, twists and performances. But perhaps the biggest talking point of the series was whether or not Home Secretary Julia Montague was dead or not - the debate around which all stemmed from this explosive moment. 

2. Roxanne claims she has been punched on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’

Anyone who claimed ‘Big Brother’ was no longer a talking point was well and truly proven wrong when the show dominated headlines back in August, over Roxanne Pallett’s false accusations Ryan Thomas had punched her in the house. 

3. Emma Willis’ interview with Roxanne

After she walked from the ‘CBB’ house having been outed as a liar, a squirming Roxanne was interviewed by host Emma Willis to apologise (definitely not to try and do some damage control). Emma’s face throughout their chat spoke for the nation, and never have the words “OK, thanks everyone” sounded more savage. 

4. ‘Marcella’ in self-mutilation horror 

The second series of ITV’s crime noir came to a horrific end after its titular character came to the realisation she had accidentally smothered her own baby. It resulted in Marcella self-mutilating herself by cutting off all her hair and giving herself a Chelsea smile in an attempt to escape her identity. Gruesome stuff. 

5. Jodie Whittaker’s stunning ‘Doctor Who’ debut

One of the most hotly-anticipated TV moments of the year came in the form of Jodie’s first proper outing as the Time Lord, and boy she did not disappoint. Her debut episode proved she was more than a match for any of her male predecessors, and left audiences feeling like she had always played the part. 

6. Kim Woodburn and Coleen Nolan’s ‘Loose Women’ showdown

Believe it or not, Kim’s appearance on ‘Loose Women’ was meant to act as peace talks between her and former ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ housemate Coleen, but the result couldn’t have been more different. It ended with Kim storming off set following an explosive row, and Coleen temporarily stepping down from the panel amid accusations of bullying. 

7. Jane McDonald wins a Bafta

Speaking of Loose Women, who could have predicted that former panellist Jane McDonald would one day be calling herself a Bafta winner? Well that’s exactly what happened back in the summer, when her Channel 5 series ‘Cruising With Jane McDonald’ picked up the award for Best Feature. Her reaction was pure joy. 

8. Love Island’s Brexit conversation

While it seems everyone has an opinion on Brexit, one group of people who didn’t were the ‘Love Island’ contestants - in fact, it turned out a few of them weren’t exactly sure what it was. A classic (if not facepalm-inducing) moment of reality TV.  

9. Alison Hammond pushes a man into the Albert Dock

‘This Morning’ turned the grand old age of 30 earlier this year, but all of the celebrations were eclipsed by a certain Alison Hammond - more specifically, the moment she accidentally pushed a scantily-clad male assistant into Liverpool’s Albert Dock as she attempted to present a weather forecast from the show’s former home.  

10. Stormzy’s Brits performance

In one of the most politically-charged music performances in recent memory, Stormzy shook the Brits back in February when he used the opportunity to call out Theresa May on live TV for her response to the Grenfell disaster. 

11. Barbara dies in ‘Call The Midwife’

Fans of the BBC midwifery drama were left distraught by the sudden death of one of the show’s leading stars, when Nurse Barbara Hereward - played by Charlotte Ritchie - passed away after contracting a bout of deadly meningitis. It originally looked like she was going to pull through the ordeal, but in a shock twist, her condition deteriorated, and she died with husband Tom at her bedside. 

12. Asia O’Hara’s failed ‘Drag Race’ stunt

Asia O’Hara left ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ fans shook during her finale lip-sync when she accidentally massacred a load of butterflies as a stunt went horribly wrong. Miss Vanjie and Monique Heart’s faces were a picture. 

13. Danny Dyer’s Brexit rant

The ‘EastEnders’ actor spoke for the nation when he made a now infamous appearance on an evening edition of ‘Good Morning Britain’. He went from confusion to anger in a matter of seconds when discussing the UK’s exit from the EU, before dubbing former prime minister David Cameron a “twat”.

14. Alex kills Vadim in ‘McMafia’

One of the tensest dramas of the year concluded with James Norton’s character Alex finally getting revenge on the evil Mafia boss Vadim, who was responsible for the destruction of his family, and the death of his uncle.

15. Seann and Katya on ‘It Takes Two’

After the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ pair were filmed kissing in the street on a night out despite both having partners, they made an uncomfortable appearance on the BBC Two spin-off show to apologise for their actions. Two months on, and we’ve only just managed to uncurl our toes. 

16. Love Island’s Megan steals Wes from Laura

Girl code seemed to go out of the window when Megan Barton Hanson cracked on to Wes Nelson behind Laura Anderson’s back on the ITV2 reality show. While Wes and Megan have made a go of it outside of the villa, we’re still Team Laura on this one. 

17. The truth is revealed in ‘The Cry’

We’ll admit ‘The Cry’ was difficult to get our heads around to start off with, but it was well worth sticking with when the truth behind Joanna’s son’s “disappearance” was heartbreakingly revealed.  

18. Sharon and Keanu’s affair in ‘EastEnders’

There have been some truly remarkable (if that’s the right word) moments to come out of Sheaun’s illicit affair on ‘EastEnders’, but this particular scene is something else. We also love how clear it is to see just how much Letitia Dean has relished this storyline.  

19. Faye Tozer’s Showdance

There are some routines that go down in ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ history. This was one of them.  

20. Matt Johnson’s water stunt on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’

‘Britain’s Got Talent’ has featured many death-defying stunts over the years, but never before have we been this concerned for someone’s life. Six months on, Matt Johnson’s semi-final performance still has us gasping for breath. 

21. Stage invader crashes SuRie’s Eurovision performance

There was a genuine moment of panic when an intruder stormed onto the Eurovision stage while UK entrant SuRie was performing during this year’s contest, wrestling her microphone off her to blast the “Nazis of the UK media”. Luckily, Surie was OK and soldiered on with her performance, but the mishap did nothing to improve our final rankings, sadly. 

22. Holly Willoughby’s ‘I’m A Celebrity’ reactions

As most ‘This Morning’ viewers already knew, Holly Willoughby is pretty easily terrified, but few could have predicted quite how extreme her reaction(s) to the Bushtucker Trials would have been when she stood in for presenter Ant McPartlin on this year’s ’I’m A Celebrity’. Absolutely priceless. 

23. Villanelle breaks into Eve’s house on ‘Killing Eve’

There was no shortage of jaw-dropping moments in ‘Killing Eve’ but the best by far was episodes five’s incredible face off between Villanelle and Eve. Having returned from a (failed) attempt to find the serial killer in Berlin, Eve found herself face to face with Villanelle when she broke into her house. What followed was incredibly surreal; we saw Villanelle dunk the Mi5 agent under a cold tap in a bid to calm her down and threaten to stab her. They traded compliments and were openly flirty.  Jodie Comer’s character offered some style advice and of course, the two women sat down to share some shepherd’s pie.

A man has been charged with murder after a 19-year-old woman was found dead in Maidstone on Christmas Day. 

Mohammad Qoraishi, 27, will appear via video link at Medway Magistrates’ Court today after the teenager was found dead in the Kent town.

Police were called to an address in London Road, Maidstone, at 1.18pm on Tuesday.

South East Coast Ambulance Service also attended, but the woman was confirmed dead at the scene.

The victim has not been named. 

Qoraishi, of London Road, and the woman, were known to each other, Kent Police said.

Jeremy Corbyn is urging Theresa May to cut short parliament’s Christmas recess so MPs can vote on her Brexit deal.

The Labour leader has said he wants to have a vote “as soon as possible”, accusing May of trying to “run down the clock” and offering MPs a choice between “the devil or the deep blue sea”.

MPs are due to return to the House of Commons on 7 January, after a two-week Christmas break, with a new debate on the Brexit deal scheduled for 9 January. 

However, Corbyn says May should recall parliament a week early, on 2 January. 

“I want us to have a vote as soon as possible, that’s what I’ve been saying for the past two weeks, and if that means recalling parliament to have the vote let’s have it,” he told the Independent. 

“But it looks to me the Government has once again reneged on that and tried to put it back another week.

“We need to have that vote so a decision of parliament can be made. What I suspect is that it’s a completely cynical manoeuvre to run down the clock and offer MPs the choice of the devil or the deep blue sea.”

A Downing Street source labelled Corbyn’s call a “silly demand”, and said: “Following debate in the Commons, in the week commencing 14 January MPs will vote on the Brexit deal.

“Instead of making silly demands, Jeremy Corbyn should be honest with voters that he has no alternative plan, and only intends to frustrate Brexit - ultimately betraying the referendum result.”

In the same interview, Corbyn refused to be drawn on whether Labour would seek to extend Article 50 to keep the UK in the EU for longer. 

He said: “Lots of things are possible, the EU has longform on reopening and extending negotiations, but let’s not jump too many hoops when we haven’t arrived at them.”

His comments came as John McDonnell dismissed the idea of an indicative vote to find which Brexit options MPs would be prepared to support if the prime minister’s deal is rejected.

The shadow chancellor told the Financial Times such a move would “run the clock down even further towards March 29”, when Britain is due to leave the EU.

Elsewhere, Gunther Oettinger, the European Commissioner and a member of Angela Merkel’s CDU party, warned that the remaining EU member states would have to stump up if Britain does not pay the £39 billion divorce bill.

Asked what impact a no deal Brexit would have on the EU budget, he told the German newspaper Westfalische Rundschau: “It depends on whether, following a disorderly Brexit, the British would be prepared to fulfill their rights and obligations as contributors by the end of the financial year 2019.

“If this is not the case, next year a medium three-digit million amount will be added to Germany.”

But he also claimed it was not “entirely unlikely” that MPs would vote for May’s deal next month.

‘Dancing On Ice’ judge Jason Gardiner has backed calls to include same-sex pairings on the show. 

Much like BBC rival ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, ‘Dancing On Ice’ has come under increasing pressure to be more inclusive, and while the upcoming series won’t see any couples of the same sex, Jason has revealed his hopes for the future. 

Speaking at the ‘Dancing On Ice’ press launch, he said (via Digital Spy): “If people were open to it, and I don’t see why we wouldn’t be, I’m sure ITV would have no problem with embracing that.

“I think it would be great if we had a same-sex couple. Where it gets difficult is in terms of content, because what works with the male female ratio is, generally speaking, the male is taller than the female.

“So therefore a female, slighter, would be able to be lifted. When you’ve got two men, generally about the same build or shape, height, that’s where it starts getting a bit difficult...”

While it seems ITV could be open to the possibility, so far, the BBC has remained firm on sticking to what they call a “traditional ballroom format” of male and female pairings on ‘Strictly’. 

However, the most recent series did see the pros pair up with a same-sex partner during a special group routine. 

Among the competitors on the new series of ‘Dancing On Ice’ are ‘TOWIE’ star Gemma Collins, former ‘Strictly’ pro James Jordan, ‘Love Island’ finalist Wes Nelson and ‘Coronation Street’ star Jane Danson.

‘Dancing On Ice’ returns on Sunday 6 January on ITV. 

Sir Ian McKellen played a role in persuading John Major into pushing for the lowering of the age of consent between homosexuals, it has been revealed. 

The then-prime minister met the celebrated actor in September 1991 to discuss gay rights - and within three years parliament voted to drop the consenting age from 21 to 18.

Their meeting is detailed in newly-released government files from the National Archives and one document sees Major note his thoughts on McKellen’s argument. 

He writes: “I have to say that, whilst fully recognising the sensitivities of the subject, I had considerable sympathy with some of Sir Ian’s points on the grounds of simple, straightforward equity.”

McKellen raised concerns affecting the gay community like “criminal law”, “police harassment” and “abusive language in the press” at the meeting, which took place at Number 10 Downing Street. 

The documents show the government wanted to make the meeting as informal as possible after being advised that one of the greatest actors of his generation “lacked self-confidence(!) in discussing these issues and might be slightly overawed by a meeting with the Prime Minister”.

During the meeting, McKellen said: “If two men merely showed affection for one another in public, they could be charged under the gross indecency laws or for a breach of the peace.”

A government note said this was an “extreme reading of the law” but acknowledged that the police sometimes used this legal loophole as “an excuse for harassment” against gay men.

Following the encounter, McKellen wrote warmly to Major: “It’s been encouraging to note the overwhelmingly positive response throughout the media.

“There seems to be a general acceptance that the concerns of lesbians and gay men should now be firmly on the political agenda.”

Major replied: “I too was pleased to see the generally positive response in the media - although I am afraid that my postbag has contained more critical than sympathetic letters.”

Major was advised to tread carefully over giving an “enlightened lead to public opinion” on the issue of gay rights in another document.

A handwritten note, which appears to be from political adviser Sarah Hogg, reads: “Prime Minister - I would be concerned that you should not get too far ahead of public opinion before a general election.”

In a Foreign Office speech in 2017, the former prime minister, now Sir John, spoke about the backlash he received for the meeting.

He said: “When I wished to consult Ian McKellen on the concerns of gay people, there were subterranean rumblings that I should never even have spoken to him - let alone invited him into No 10.

“Such an attitude was simply astonishing. Personally, I never regretted that meeting - and learned a great deal from it.”

In 1994 the age of consent was lowered from 21 to 18 by parliament.

Major added in his speech: “Two years later, with my encouragement, Parliament voted to lower the age of consent to eighteen - not quite the sixteen that the now Sir Ian McKellen had advocated, but a lowering nonetheless.”

Over the 12 days of Christmas, HuffPost UK will host a series of blogs from individuals at the centre of some of 2018′s biggest news stories. Today, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason speaks on playing the royal wedding, and how it’s changed his life. To find out more, follow our hashtag #HuffPost12Days or visit our series page

When I was about five or six, I went to my first orchestral concert, and was instantly captured by the sound of the cello. Part of the reason I’d already become interested in music was that I have an older brother and sister, and always used to always hear them practising music in the house. I wanted to follow them – so at age six, I embarked on my journey as a cellist.

I never had to be pushed to practise – even though it took a lot of practise to get to where I am – I loved the instrument from the moment I started. This was in part helped by the fact that I had a really good first teacher who made me excited about music; she was so inspiring and always encouraged me to perform a lot. We’d have concerts every term and I progressed really quickly. In my spare time I also used to listen to a lot of classical music and watch concerts. I also still love to listen to recordings of people who died many years ago – not just cellists, but musicians of all instruments. I’ve learnt lots from listening to others.

In terms of getting involved with the Royal Wedding, I couldn’t tell you exactly why I was asked – maybe the royals had seen a video or heard a recording of me somewhere. But when they approached me, Meghan Markle actually personally called to ask if I would do it. She was lovely, so friendly, really nice. I’d had no idea what the call was going to be about, but when she asked me to perform, of course I said that I’d love to do it straight away. Then we had a discussion about what they’d like to hear, and I made some of my own suggestions too, so the planning of the performance was really collaborative.

Being asked was a massive honour, and I knew it would be a very exciting event in history to be a part of. But for a few months I wasn’t actually allowed to tell my friends or anyone about it; I only told my parents.

When it came to the big day, in many ways I treated it like I would any concert. There weren’t stringent guidelines around what I had to wear or anything, so I went for I’d normally wear for a performance, so I felt relaxed. I tried not to think about the fact that so many people were watching, which is what I always do when I perform. And of course in the room you don’t get a sense of how huge the TV audience is, so that was actually quite easy to do – I just pretended I was only performing for the people who were there. Although there were lots of celebrities in attendance, I wasn’t thrown off, it was all people I admire and above all that just felt exciting. I also remember thinking how beautiful the building was, it was inspiring to play there.

And yes I did get to meet Harry and Meghan after, they were really lovely in person.

Thinking about what the experience means to me now, performing at an event like that is something that I’ve always wanted to do – it’s also the biggest audience I’ve ever played for. But above and beyond performance itself, my focus as a cellist is always trying to bring music that I love to people who may not have heard much classical music, so in terms of that mission, it was incredibly fulfilling.

Nowadays I’m still studying full time – I’ve just gone into my second year of university. Yes, I study music, at the Royal Academy Of Music... music is pretty much all I do. I have lots of concerts and performances throughout the year, and my extracurricular life and studies sort of blur into one, but it’s what I love.

Overall, I feel really lucky. I also hope to keep bringing the music that I love to as many people as I can; particularly people who haven’t had the opportunity to engage with it from such a young age.

I wish more people had access to classical music, it’s such a wonderful thing. I feel very lucky to have been exposed to all this wonderful music, it’s an amazing gift to have in your life.

I don’t know what my hopes are for 2019, probably just to continue to perform a lot, to develop as a cellist, and to grow taller than my brother. That’s really it.

As told to Micha Frazer-Carroll

Sheku Kanneh-Mason’s album ‘Inspiration’ is out now. He has also released a new Christmas single ‘In The Bleak Midwinter’ which is out now digitally.

Where to begin. These past few months have been tough. That’s probably beyond an understatement, but sometimes I can’t find the words to describe just how challenging our ‘everyday’ can be at times.

My son is growing up, becoming a ‘big boy’; and a handsome one at that. Physically he is changing more than ever, however mentally, not so much.

Naturally, as he’s getting older the gap is only becoming wider and more prominent between ‘normal’ kids and himself; and to some extent even ‘special’ kids and himself. Which is fine (isn’t it?), it’s the expectation we’ve been lowering adjusting ourselves to for a while now.

I am trying so hard not to be negative (honestly) and look on the bright side. We are so incredibly thankful that he finally seems to be growing more resilient to infections and that he has managed almost a year without an acute admission. But, no matter how much I try to outweigh the negatives with positives, sometimes I feel that I am fighting a battle instead of preparing for a war.

If I am constantly pressuring myself to spin every negative into a positive, I can never truly mourn the childhood Oliver should have had.

There is no doubt that our lives are becoming slightly more complicated, that the mundane ‘everyday’ is becoming tiresome and more testing.

If I’m not consumed by the guilt of working full time instead of being with Oliver I’m exhausted from fighting to keep the next ‘thing’ out that’s waiting to swoop in and take its place.

I’m beginning to realise that coping with something and busying yourself with everything other than what you should be focussing on are two very different things. Sometimes I become so wrapped up in convincing everyone else that I’m ‘ok’ that I begin to fool myself.

I can pretend that my mind isn’t depleted daily by desperate fantasies of a world that Oliver can access, that my soul isn’t crushed by my sheer despair at wanting things to just magic themselves better; that I’m fine and that my heart isn’t heavy with the tears I refuse to cry.

I am truly, utterly, unconditionally hopelessly devoted to Oliver. Just as any parent should be to their child. Frankly, I don’t think there is anything more I could be doing for him, and if there was I would do it without hesitation. But sometimes, I can’t help but wonder if some of my efforts are in vain.

Generally, Oliver loves life. He is the happiest, most innocent little soul who is unaware of just how cruel the world can be. Despite his blissful ignorance, it’s beginning to dawn on me just how little he can do for himself. If he didn’t have us he wouldn’t have anything; and sometimes that thought becomes too unbearable to fathom.

He still can’t hold a milk bottle or feed himself, he can’t go and play with his toys independently. He can’t pester us to wake up in the morning and take him to a park. He can’t make friends, he can’t hug us, he can’t verbalise how he’s feeling. He can’t sit independently nor stand. He can’t crawl or walk. He can’t dress himself. He can’t have a tantrum. He can’t make choices. He can’t discover a passion. He can’t love us the way we yearn to be loved.

He can’t ...

The list goes on and we’re under no illusion that as the months go by it may become more extensive. And yes, disregarding that list there is lots he can do but for every ‘can’ there are a hundred ‘can’ts’ and for every ‘can’t’ there are a thousand ‘mights’. It’s a ruthless, maddening, vicious cycle that we struggle to escape at times.

Ultimately, no matter how much I do for him it will never be enough. I will always feel that he has been robbed of a life that he was destined for. A life where he has the autonomy to forge his own path. To entertain his own wants, have his own ambitions and desires and fulfil them in his own way. He deserves normality, he deserves independence and he deserves, more than anything, a childhood.

The past two years have been an explosion of fear, shock, exhaustion and uncertainty and when I take the time to reflect on our journey of parenting thus far I have no idea how we’re still here.

I suppose it’s beginning to simmer down to the fact we’re starting the transition to being noticeably ‘different’, noticeably ‘special’ and I’m not too sure how I feel about it.

If you’re planning to quit smoking this new year, switching to vaping could be a good place to start. 

A shocking new film demonstrates how the toxic chemicals and tar inhaled by an average smoker in just one month compare with not smoking or using an e-cigarette.

Public Health England (PHE) has released footage from an experiment to show the harm caused by smoking and how this can be avoided by switching to vaping or using another type of aid to quit.

The film is being released on social media as part of PHE’s Health Harms campaign, which encourages smokers to try to quit this January by demonstrating the damage that even a single cigarette can cause.

Research shows that close to half (44%) of smokers either wrongly believe vaping is as harmful as smoking or do not know that it poses much lower risks to health.

At least half a million smokers are expected to try to kick the habit this January and PHE is encouraging those who do to use its Personal Quit Plan to increase their chances of giving up for good.

The film features health experts Dr Lion Shahab and Dr Rosemary Leonard carrying out an experiment that visually demonstrates the high levels of cancer-causing chemicals and tar inhaled by an average smoker over a month compared with not smoking or using an e-cigarette.

The experiment mimics the effects of inhaling tobacco smoke, e-cigarette vape and normal air into the lungs, with the lungs represented by three bell jars filled with cotton wool.

Each bell jar is attached to a diaphragm pump providing a continual and equal draw of air through each bell jar – one set up to “smoke” tobacco cigarettes, another to “vape” e-cigarettes and the third used as the control with only air drawn through it.

By the end of the experiment, the cotton wool in the tobacco bell jar is brown, the inside of the bell jar is brown and the tube leading to the air pump is thick with tar.

In comparison, the cotton wool in the e-cigarette bell jar remains practically unchanged, with some water vapour on it and very slight discolouration from the colouring in the e-liquid.

The inside of the bell jar had a few droplets of water vapour, while the “control” bell jar is entirely unchanged.

PHE director of health improvement Professor John Newton said the experiment illustrates the stark contrast between the impacts of smoking and vaping.

Research estimates that, while not risk-free, vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking.

Prof Newton said: “It would be tragic if thousands of smokers who could quit with the help of an e-cigarette are being put off due to false fears about safety.

“We need to reassure smokers that switching to an e-cigarette would be much less harmful than smoking.

“This demonstration highlights the devastating harms caused by every cigarette and helps people see that vaping is likely to pose only a fraction of the risk.

“We want to encourage more smokers to try and quit completely with the help of an e-cigarette, or by using other nicotine replacement such as patches or gum, as this will significantly improve their chances of success.”

Two British women and a baby girl were killed when the 4x4 they were travelling in crashed off a bridge in Iceland, police said.

Four other people, said be the two brothers and two other children, were seriously injured and were airlifted to a hospital in the capital Reykjavik.

The victims are understood to be British citizens of Indian origin. According to Iceland’s national broadcaster, RUV, India’s embassy in Iceland confirmed the car contained two brothers, their wives and children.

Icelandic police said the women were born in 1982 and 1985. The child who died was born earlier this year.

The Iceland Monitor newspaper said the embassy had confirmed to them the other person killed was a “very young child”.

The Indian Ambassador to Iceland, Mr T. Armstrong Changsan, is believed to have visited the survivors in hospital.

He told the Times of India: “They are British citizens of Indian origin with families in India.

“Their brother is in India. He needs an urgent visa to come here. Iceland officials are trying to help out on this.

“Friends of the accident victims have rushed from the UK to Reykjavik.

“The condition of the survivors is now stable. The British Embassy here is taking care of matters.”

Their brother, Sarvesh Laturia, told the paper: “It was my two brothers and their wives - they are British people.

“They were on vacation and their car met with an accident in which my two sister-in-laws passed away and my niece passed away.

“My two brothers are in a critical condition in hospital.”

The crash took place on took place on a 200-300 metre one-lane bridge on the national Route 1 road near Skeidararsandur, a vast sand plain in southern Iceland.

Authorities haven’t been able to determine what caused the land cruiser to lose control and crash through the barrier and plunge around 8 meters into the dry river bed below.

In a statement police in Iceland said: “The cause of the accident is unknown and under investigation by the police and the investigative committee for transport accidents.

“It is clear that the car was driven past the cameras at Hvolsvollur early that same morning.

“The car was driven to the east, along the Sudurlandsvegur road, and seems to have turned on the bridge with the result that it went on top of the railing of the bridge, to the right, following it for a short distance and then turned over off the rail and the bridge.

“There, the car fell down on the ground beneath the bridge.”

Speaking to the BBC, tour guide Adolf Erlingsson described a “very difficult situation” at the scene of the crash.

Erlingsson estimated the car had fallen about five or six metres from the bridge and was a “total wreck”.

He said the crash occurred in an area that was “the most popular destination on the south coast”.

The tour guide described rescue workers arriving at the scene and starting to cut the driver out of the vehicle.

“We had turned the car over a bit,” he said. 

“Soon after I arrived we had an SUV with a winch and we use it to lift the car up a little bit to alleviate the pressure on the driver and to try and get him out,” he said.

“It was a horrible sight to come there and see the wreckage and people there,” Erlingsson added.

“Four people were out of the car, one of them deceased,” he said. “Then there were three people, trapped in the car and I think two of them were deceased.

“We were trying to get the people out of the car and helping them. It was a very difficult situation.”

He said he spoke to some people who were “semi-conscious” outside the vehicle.

“I tried to talk a bit to the driver to calm him down. He was trapped inside the car,” he added.

The identities of those who died have not yet been released.

The Irish backstop is the only “outstanding issue” on Brexit for the UK, Jeremy Hunt has said, warning that crashing out of the EU without a deal would be “cataclysmic”. 

The foreign secretary said that the highly controversial backstop – which would see the UK temporarily remain in a single customs territory with the EU if the two cannot agree a trade deal –  was “soluble”, calling on the European Union to “define what temporary is”. 

While the safety net has been proposed in order to ensure a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, hardline Brexiteers have warned it would leave the UK following EU rules for an indefinite amount of time. 

But Hunt told Radio 4′s Today programme that the UK can “absolutely” deal with the situation, saying that parliament could “live with” a temporary backstop as long as the EU could prove it would not be a long-term deal. 

“So I am a supporter of Theresa May’s deal with those qualifications to the backstop,” he said. 

“And I think MPs, as they reflect on how close we are to an agreement but also how cataclysmic it would be if we didn’t end up having an agreement we could get through parliament, the best thing is to put our heads down and make sure we have a version of this agreement that we can through parliament.”

The cabinet minister’s comments come on the same day Jeremy Corbyn urged Theresa May to cut short parliament’s Christmas break so MPs could vote on her Brexit deal. 

In December, the prime minister shelved MPs’ meaningful vote on her deal until the middle of January after admitting it would not pass through parliament. 

But the Labour leader said parliamentarians must be given a chance to vote on the deal “as soon as possible”, accusing May of trying to “run down the clock”.