I am currently an MA Journalism student at Sheffield University. I have previously worked as a maritime journalist, and studied politics at Durham University.

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NationalWorld •

I was a constituent of Brendan Clarke-Smith in Bassetlaw and it’s time for change

My first email, from May 2020, expressed my horror and disappointment in him defending Dominic Cummings, who broke COVID lockdown rules and made the journey from London to County Durham. I told Mr Clarke-Smith why I was so angry – my dad was incredibly ill, recovering from major heart surgery, and we were isolating ourselves as we had been told to.Mr Clarke-Smith later posted on Facebook that he had replied to all emails he had received about the Dominic Cummings scandal – but I had yet to recei...
NationalWorld •

Life in Downing Street: What life will be like for Keir Starmer’s children

With Labour’s victory all but confirmed, it’s looking likely that Keir Starmer and his family will be moving into Number 10 Downing Street in the next few days. But who are his children, and what has he said about how he’s going to balance his family life as Prime Minister?Starmer and his wife Victoria have two children – a 16-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter. The Labour leader has been ‘fiercely protective’ of his children’s identities and has shielded them from the public eye, with thei...
Empoword Journalism •

'The Secret of Us’ Review: Gracie Abrams' Emotionally Charged New Album - Empoword Journalism

Tabitha Wilson In her sophomore album, The Secret of Us, indie pop starlet Gracie Abrams showcases breathtaking vulnerability. The 24-year-old musician started her career by releasing her debut EP, Minor, in 2020. This was supported by various singles, such as the viral hit I Miss You, I’m Sorry. Her first album, Good Riddance (2023), attracted positive reviews and made Abrams one to watch. The singer worked alongside a founding member of the rock band The National and Aaron Dessner, who frequen...
NationalWorld •

Moving out of Downing Street – what happens when a PM has to leave?

With Labour expected to achieve a landslide victory at Thursday’s general election - how long will Rishi Sunak have to move out? With the general election just around the corner, it’s looking more and more likely that current Conservative PM Rishi Sunak will be saying goodbye to Number 10, following polls forecasting a Labour supermajority. According to the government’s website, Downing Street has been the official residence of British prime ministers since 1735 and has three functions – the h
NationalWorld •

In defence of Taylor Swift – why Newsweek’s article was lazy, misogynistic and boring

A column criticising Taylor Swift for remaining “unmarried and childless” at 34 was lazy, misogynistic and boring, says Tabitha Wilson. American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is no stranger to criticism. Countless opinion pieces on the star have been published over the past decade, with her receiving backlash for her private jet usage, her re-recording of her old work after her master’s dispute with Scooter Braun, and her perceived ‘greed’ with the release of various versions of her latest alb
NationalWorld •

Still undecided on who to vote for? These are the three main policies from each party

There are less than 24 hours until polls open and voters across the country head to the ballot box to have their say on the UK’s next Prime Minister. A legal limit on migration: The Conservative Party has pledged to put a legal cap on migration and only allowing a fixed number of family and work visas. The Conservatives claim that this will protect public services. They have not put a specific number in their manifesto, instead saying the Migration Advisory Committee would decide this after the
NationalWorld •

Online reaction to Jay Slater's disappearance is 'inappropriate and insensitive'

The social media reaction to Jay Slater’s disappearance has been described as inappropriate, with Jay Slater’s mum Debbie Duncan slamming online trolls. In comments to the Mirror, she said “People keep asking on social media ‘why aren’t I up there?’ and calling me the new Karen Matthews. I just can’t face it.” Various conspiracy theories have been circulating on social media, with much of the criticism of the case focusing on the GoFundMe set up by Lucy Law, who was attending the festival with
Empoword Journalism •

Single Review: Hozier's 'Too Sweet' Is A Recipe For Viral Success

Irish singer-songwriter Hozier’s latest single has become one of his most popular releases to date – and for good reason. A decade after his global breakthrough with his viral hit ‘Take Me To Church’ (2013), ‘Too Sweet’ has amassed 6.7 million streams, making it the most streamed track of the week in the U.K. Hozier, real name Andrew Hozier-Bryne, made his much-anticipated return to music last August with album Unreal Unearth (2023). The well-received record was his first full-length album sin

Driven to distraction: the impact of phone addiction in UK secondary schools

Secondary school teacher James Allsopp, 22 from Retford, has noticed the influence phones are having. He said: “I know students that have used them to cheat in assessments, so they’ve gotten grade 7s, but then when completing actual mock exams they’ve got grade 1s, which massively messes up grade tracking for that student.” Andrew Cook, 29 from Wakefield, also teaches at a secondary school. He believes phones have impacted his students’ academic performance, with it being “noticeable when it c
Sheffield Wire •

“I wish I had alternatives”: why young women are shunning hormonal birth control

When Florence Gibbs-Price started taking the contraceptive pill, she didn’t have any concerns, but in the six months that followed, she began to experience “extreme” side effects. The 23-year-old content creator says: “I was a happy person with no previous mental health problems, but I began experiencing massive depressive episodes and mood swings that weren’t normal for me.” As soon as she stopped taking the pill, she began to feel much better, and now says: “My emotions and hormones feel mor
Sheffield Wire •

New female film club helping tackle loneliness in Sheffield

A new club in Sheffield is helping to tackle loneliness by hosting events for women to watch films together and meet new people. The club, named ‘Film Girls Galore’, was set up in January this year by Tasha Jagger, a freelance film journalist and civil servant. Working in collaboration with Showroom Cinema in Sheffield, the club has so far hosted two events, with the next screening on 28 April. Miss Jagger said the response to her initial tweet, asking if people would be interested, was “amaz
The Independent •

Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont announce divorce after nine years

Comedians Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont have announced they are divorcing after nine years of marriage. The couple, who have a daughter together, shared a joint statement saying they had “amicably made the difficult decision to divorce”. They asked for their privacy to be respected “at this sensitive time”, and said they would be making no further comment. The statement read: “We have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go our separate ways. “As our only priori
The Independent •

Come Dine with Me ‘legend’ Indy Nijjar dies aged 50

Memorable Come Dine With Me contestant Indy Nijjar has died aged 50. The fitness coach and tattoo artist, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, was described by friends and family on social media as a “legend”, with another calling Nijjar “one of the strongest men I know”. Starring on the Channel 4 show back in 2011, Nijjar hosted a memorable summer-themed dinner party, where he asked his guests to dress in swimwear. He fetched his shopping on a quad bike and served a meal of asparagus and ham toad in
The Independent •

Olivia Rodrigo hit with flowers thrown by fan on GUTS world tour

An Olivia Rodrigo fan has sparked backlash after hitting the singer-songwriter in the head with flowers after she failed to acknowledge them during a recent stop on her world tour. Recording of the incident, which took place before her final Madison Square Garden performance in New York, captures the moment the popstar greeted fans inside the venue before posing for photographs and accepting gifts including friendship bracelets and cowboy hats. One concertgoer can be seen attempting to hand Ro
The Independent •

Heroes set to return as original creator ‘signs onto project’

A new series of superhero drama Heroes is rumoured to be in the works, with creator Tim Kring returning to create Heroes: Eclipsed. The original show aired from 2006 to 2010 and starred Milo Ventimiglia as Peter Petrelli, alongside Hayden Panettiere as Claire Bennet. The series featured people with superhuman abilities and followed them as they worked together to prevent catastrophic futures. Initially, Kring planned the series to have an ever-shifting cast, but this changed when he saw how p
The Independent •

Superhero fans praise Marvel’s ‘best release in years’

Superhero fans have praised new series X-Men ’97, with critics calling the series ”Marvel’s best release in years”. Viewers have been flocking to social media to praise the series, with the latest episode being branded “the most amazing episode of anything I’ve ever watched”. The acclaim comes following a series of disappointments for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with 2023 film The Marvels, starring Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris, becoming the lowest-grossing film in the MCU after underperfo
The Independent •

Anya Taylor-Joy says she acted like spy during secret wedding

Anya Taylor-Joy has joked that she and her husband acted like spies when they planned their top-secret wedding. Earlier this month, the Queen’s Gambit actor revealed she and musician Malcolm McRae had tied the knot in a secret ceremony in New Orleans in April 2022. She said: “We did our research, we were like pretty spy-orientated”, adding that the intimate nature of their nuptials “made it all the more special because it just felt like a secret that we got to keep to ourselves.” Speaking to
The Independent •

Oliver Hudson says he was unfaithful to wife before wedding but ‘never got caught’

Oliver Hudson has confessed to cheating on his wife, Erinn Bartlett, before their wedding in 2006. The Rules of Engagement actor admitted he had been unfaithful after they became engaged, saying he “never got caught” but chose to confess to his bride-to-be before their big day. “When I got engaged, something happened psychologically, and I spiralled, and I was unfaithful, and I was cheating, and I was crazy”, the American actor told Robyn Lively on an episode of his podcast Sibling Revelry, wh
The Independent •

Catherine O'Hara has a stern message for people who dislike Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Catherine O’Hara has said if people don’t like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, ‘then f*** them’, at an appearance at CinemaCon. The Schitt’s Creek actor, who is returning to star as Delia Deetz in the upcoming sequel to the 1988 cult classic Beetlejuice, said the film will have plenty of scary and funny moments, “and if people don’t like it, then f--- them.” Also appearing at the event in Las Vegas was director Tim Burton, alongside Michael Keaton, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe.
The Independent •

Grayson Perry says ‘art is medicine for our deeper selves’ ahead of charity auction

Grayson Perry has called art a “medicine for our deeper selves” as he donated works for auction in aid of a children’s therapy charity The Turner prize winner, whose work will be sold at Sotheby’s to support AT The Bus, said: “Art can reach parts of us that are inaccessible to other ways of communication. “Art is medicine for our deeper selves. What better way to provide health-giving opportunities than for art as therapy to come to you in a bus?” The exhibition, which includes over 30 works
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