96 m. ago My mother was a famous feminist writer known for her candour and wit. But she was also a fantasist who couldn’t be bothered to spend time raising me

When Fear of Flying, her autobiographical novel about women’s sexual desires, came out in 1973, Erica Jong was suddenly big news. But growing up as her only child, I had a very different experienceIn August 1978, I was born in a hospital in Stamford, Connecticut. I came out with red hair. This was proof to my mother that I was special. The fantasy of my specialness continued my entire life. I was special even though I was dyslexic. I was special even though I got kicked out of college. I was special even though I was a drug addict. I was special despite my fatness. I was special despite all the evidence to the contrary. I was special because I was a piece of her.I read an interview with my mother in which the interviewer described me as a “stout” toddler. “Stout” means “kind of fat”. I never thought of a toddler as being able to be fat, but there it was. Continue reading...

Politics

97 m. ago BaByliss hair straightener that works 'just as well as ghd' drops from £90 to £30

'My wife was absolutely delighted with the BaByliss Rose Gold Styler—a true game changer in her daily beauty routine.'

Economics

2 h. ago I was enjoying a midnight swim. Then my girlfriend kissed me – and the nightmare began

Seventeen years ago Nathan Dunne was locked out of his body, or at least that’s how it felt. He talks about his battle with depersonalisation disorder – and his sudden fear of waterOn a cold winter’s night, in a “fit of spontaneity”, Nathan Dunne and his girlfriend went for a midnight swim on Hampstead Heath in London. They had been living together for a few months and, although it was dark and chilly, they “had a summer feeling in that first flush of the relationship”, Dunne says. They shed their clothes and waded into the shallows. After diving into the icy water, Dunne’s girlfriend put her lips to his cheek, and as they pulled apart, his life changed beyond all recognition. “It was like being struck. Like something came down,” he says, slicing the air with his hand. “The flip of a switch.”Dunne’s transformation sounds like a fairytale in reverse: one kiss, and his life turned into a nightmare. Seventeen years have passed since that night, and he still mostly explains the change i...

Politics

2 h. ago This is how we do it: ‘We live in a tiny flat with our kids, so we have sex in the woods at night’

Their love-life logistics may be tricky, but David and Anook have both been transformed by the intimacy they shareI’d had orgasms with previous partners, but I’d never tried to give myself one – I felt too ashamedAnook had never used a vibrator before we met and now we have an enormous box of toys that we hide under our bed Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Tourists abandon popular European holiday destination known for its cheap prices

Once a place for affordable holidays, recent price increases have left tourists looking elsewhere

Culture

3 h. ago Apple fans rush to snap up the newest 2025 MacBook Air for £22 a month

Apple's MacBook Air is probably one of the best laptops around - and Sky is offering it for an affordable monthly price

Economics

3 h. ago Andy Murray’s regret at worst investment from £110million net worth in two

Andy Murray boasts a massive net worth estimated at £110million, but having the funds to afford one luxury purchase wasn't enough to deter him from ditching it soon after

Economics

4 h. ago Best Samsung washing machines with AI technology for your home

These Samsung appliances combine style, smart technology and energy efficiency for the perfect blend of affordability and innovation

Technology

5 h. ago Protect your hair from sun, sea and chlorine damage on holiday with £24 'lifesaver' hair mask

Protect your hair from the sun, sea and chlorine with this £24 water-resistant hair mask that shoppers are hailing a 'lifeaver on holiday' and praising it for stopping hair going green

Economics

7 h. ago EastEnders' Bradley Branning star unrecognisable with different job 15 years on

Charlie Clements, who played Bradley Branning in EastEnders has undergone a dramatic transformation since departing the soap, and has now switched his career entirely

Society

7 h. ago Frankie Bridge’s silk eye mask is hailed the ‘best sleep mask I’ve ever used’ by shoppers

Frankie Bridge gave fans a glimpse at one of her must-have sleep items, and Amazon shoppers say her padded silk eye mask is ‘super soft and very comfortable’

Politics

10 h. ago UK town opens complex £2m roundabout and it's not just for drivers

A 'Dutch-style' roundabout costing £2 million has opened in an English town, and it's so intricate it comes with a three-minute tutorial video for locals explaining how to use it

Economics

11 h. ago Body coach Joe Wicks' 'simple and healthy' breakfast with delicious Italian staple

The 39-year-old said his simple morning dish takes only 20 minutes to make - here's everything you need to know

Politics

12 h. ago Liver disease is on the rise in the UK due to soaring obesity levels, but a 10

The build-up of dangerous fat in the organ is usually triggered by an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle. Pictured: File photo

Politics

12 h. ago Chris Hadfield: ‘Worst space chore? Fixing the toilet. It’s even worse when it’s weightless’

Canada’s most famous astronaut on his unusual party trick, predictions on extraterrestrial life and favourite space moviesWhat’s the most chaotic thing that’s ever happened to you in space?Launch – you go from no speed at all to 17,500 miles an hour in under nine minutes. The chaos is spectacular, the power of it is just wild, the physical vibration and force of it is mind-numbing – and it all happens so blisteringly fast. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, you go from lying on your back in Florida to being weightless in space. It’s just the most amazing, chaotic, spectacular, rare human experience I’ve ever had. Continue reading...

Politics

16 h. ago I invented the 'Death Clock'... and was horrified when it confirmed my worst fears about my own health

Brent Franson invented the Death Clock app, which analyzes a person's body metrics and lifestyle, to predict - down to the minute - when and how a person will die.

Events

16 h. ago Former EastEnders star claims castmates 'wouldn't last two minutes outside' BBC soap

The actor had a brief but memorable sting on the programme in the early 2010s

Politics

17 h. ago Thomas Tuchel tears into lacklustre England: ‘I didn’t like the attitude’

Kane’s goal secures 1-0 win over minnows Andorra‘We lacked seriousness. I didn’t like the body language’Thomas Tuchel admitted England had “played with fire” in their 1-0 win over Andorra, risking the concession of an equaliser and a draw that would have registered as perhaps their greatest humiliation since defeat to the USA in 1950. “I felt it was like a cup game where the favourites don’t see the danger,” he said.England won thanks to Harry Kane’s 50th-minute goal, leaving them top of the group on nine points without having conceded a goal. No previous England manager has ever begun with three successive victories to nil, but Tuchel was clearly very unhappy with the performance. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago ITV Deal or No Deal star dealt huge blow minutes into charity special

Alex Brooker is facing off the Banker in tonight's Soccer Aid special

Economics

17 h. ago Bilbao was a glorious blip for Spurs – and that’s why Levy had to sack Postecoglou | Jonathan Wilson

Tottenham chair was not blinded by silverware and decided finishing fourth-bottom of the Premier League was not enoughIn football, there is always a lot of light and noise. There is always a lot of emotion. That is both its appeal and why it is so difficult for those in the game to make decisions. Ange Postecoglou gave Tottenham one of the great nights in the club’s history when they won the Europa League in Bilbao.A first trophy in 17 years. A first European trophy in 41. It’s easy to understand why the instinct is gratitude, to hope that somehow victory can be self-replicating, that silverware begets silverware and something fundamental in Tottenham’s being was transformed at San Mamés. Continue reading...

Politics