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AFTER spending 11 freezing nights out in the wild, it was a “miracle” that saved Carolina Wilga in the remote Australian outback.

The “confused and disoriented” German Backpacker, 26, was found by a woman in a passing car in what has been described as “sheer luck”.

7NEWS

German backpacker Carolina Wilga has been found alive and airlifted to hospital on Friday[/caption]

AFP

The 26-year-old had been last seen at a general store on June 29[/caption]

Carolina had not been seen or heard from since June 29, when she was spotted at a general store in Beacon, 186 miles north-east of Perth.

The German woman was then seen driving away in her black and silver Mitsubishi Delica van.

Police believed Carolina had become disoriented and walked into bushland after her vehicle broke down in the Karroun Hill area in Western Australia’s outback.

The region is said to be an unforgiving expanse, described by authorities as remote, rocky and inhospitable.

Acting Inspector Jessica Securo confirmed the van was found Thursday at least 21 miles from any main track.

She told ABC News earlier on Friday: “The terrain is outback country and there are large, rocky outcrops.

“So although there’s a number of tracks, you can see how it would be easy to become lost or disorientated in that area if you didn’t know it well.”

Authorities said Carolina’s van appeared to have suffered mechanical issues and was bogged, The Guardian reported.

Cops did not believe foul play was involved, and focused search efforts around the van’s location.

They launched what they called a “reflex search” within 300 metres of the vehicle and aerial sweeps of the wider area due to the difficult terrain.

Forensic teams combed through the Mitsubishi vehicle to determine what the backpacker may have taken with her – and what might have let her to abandon it.

She had stayed with the car for just a day before panicking and striking out to find help, authorities said.

AFP

Carolina had been backpacking across Australia for two years[/caption]

AFP

Carolina pictured in the van outside a general store in the small agricultural community of Beacon[/caption]

Western Australia Police Force

WA Police seen searching Carolina[/caption]

And with minimal food and water, the German backpacker followed the sun’s position to head west.

The temperature in the area had dropped down to zero degrees at night and there was heavy rain.

At one point, she even sought refuge inside a cave and drank water from puddles to survive.

But after enduring the untinkable conditions, Carolina was luckily picked up by a member of the public and taken to Beacon before being airlifted to Perth for urgent medical treatment.

WA police’s Martin Glynn told reporters: “As you can imagine, from the trauma she suffered for the last few days, she’s been obviously through a great deal.

“She does have some injuries. She’s been ravaged by mosquitoes.”

Securo said on Saturday that Carolina has spoken to her family and had a good night’s sleep.

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At one point, she even sought refuge inside a cave and drank water from puddles to survive[/caption]

She also took a shower and ate warm food.

“This is the best result we could have hoped for,” she said.

“It’s sheer luck. The area out there is mixed terrain. It can be quite dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing or where you’re going, and it’s very easy to get lost.”

12 days missing

Carolina had been backpacking across Australia for two years and recently worked at mine sites in regional WA.

Her last known communication were text and voice messages sent to a friend in the early hours of June 29.

At 7am, Carolina texted her friend, who had been in communication with her the day she was spotted departing the Sundance Backpackers hostel in Freemantle.

In the text, the German reportedly said she wouldn’t be able to drop off a book and a jerry can because she had “some stuff she needed to handle.” 

She was then spotted at a local store in the tiny town of Beacon on June 29 at around 12.10pm.

Western Australia Police Force

Carolina seen driving in her van[/caption]

AP

A road sign stands near Beacon, Western Australia[/caption]

Later that day, at 4.28pm, CCTV captured her at a Toodyay petrol station, Sky News Australia reports.

Ten minutes later, at 4.38pm, she reportedly sent a chilling voice message to her friend, in which she could be heard saying: ”I just couldn’t wait anymore. Ugh. I felt tired”.

Police believed Carolina continued driving east to Wialki, but after June 30, all contact with friends and family ceased.

Her 12-day disappearance triggered a full-scale operation involving police, State Emergency Services and Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

The van — equipped with solar panels and water — was found Thursday, but there was no sign of the then-missing woman.

A Facebook page titled ‘Help Find Carolina was launched to assist the search as WA Police issued an urgent nationwide appeal for information.

AP

Police officers gathered in Beacon, Western Australia on Friday as they prepared to search for the then-missing German backpacker[/caption]

AP

Police wait by a helicopter in Beacon, Western Australia, on Friday[/caption]

TACLOBAN CITY — The local amnesty board (LAB) here began hearing the applications of former New People’s Army rebels who had sought a fresh shot at life in mainstream society. On July 8, Mayor Alfred Romualdez led the city’s first-ever LAB case conference as the body’s chair, marking what he called a critical step in

LTO suspends the license of Cherry White over unsafe driving. CHERRY WHITE LICENSE – The Land Transportation Office (LTO) suspended the vlogger’s license due to a viral video of her driving unsafely. In order to maintain orderliness and safety on the road, rules and regulations were set that must be followed. The Land Transportation Office ... Read more

The post Cherry White License Suspended By LTO After Her “Nakabukaka” Driving Video appeared first on PhilNews.

DARTS STAR Pero Ljubic has defended rival Michael van Gerwen after the ex-world champ labelled him a “pub player”.

The outburst caused outrage in the media – but Ljubic has now come to the aid of his Dutch opponent.

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Van Gerwen appeared to slam his opponent following a nervy victory last week in Poland[/caption]

Instagram / @peroljubic78

Croatian thrower Pero Ljubic does not hold a grudge against the Dutchman[/caption]

Van Gerwen’s insults included calling his opponent a “pub player” as well as saying “[Ljubic] won a few legs and it feels like his birthday”.

However – speaking to Polish darts outlet Okiem Darta – Ljubic downplayed the severity of Van Gerwen’s jibes.

The Croatian revealed that Van Gerwen apologised for his comments immediately – and asked people not to leap to conclusions.

He said: “Michael apologised to me straight away. We know each other well, and I know he meant no harm.

“Don’t be too quick to judge – emotions can take over in moments like that.”

Van Gerwen and Ljubic were drawn against each other in the Poland Darts Masters last week.

Van Gerwen – ranked third on the PDC Order of Merit – was expected to demolish his opponent, who sat 140 places below him in the rankings.

Instead, the three-time World Championship winner stumbled to just a shaky 6-4 victory, prompting his shocking post-match comments.

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Ljubic said: “He was just frustrated with his own performance.

“For me, what matters most is someone’s honesty – not what the internet says.”

Ljubic’s classy reaction even extended to paying his legendary opponent compliments.

He added: “During a later chat, he even gave me some motivation. He’s a genuinely decent guy and a top-class player.”

Instagram / @peroljubic78

Ljubic holds a PDC Order of Merit ranking of 143, a full 140 spots behind Van Gerwen’s top three ranking[/caption]

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Van Gerwen is considered amongst the best to ever step up to the oche, and is the second most successful PDC darts player ever behind Phil Taylor.[/caption]

Van Gerwen was eventually knocked out of the tournament in the quarter-finals by Englishman Rob Cross.

Welsh star Gerwyn Price would take the silverware in the end however, narrowly beating Stephen Bunting 8-7 in a tense final.

KATIE Price has revealed scars from her surgery in a very busty bikini as she showed off the results of her 17th boob job.

The former Page 3 icon took to social media to show off the results of her latest procedure, but with unintended consequences.

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Katie Price posted a new snap after her extensive plastic surgeries[/caption]

Snapchat / @katie-pricey / Backgrid

Scars could be seen in a new picture posted to her Snapchat[/caption]

Katie, 46, wore a very revealing burgundy and white striped bikini top as she showed off the results of her latest procedure.

She posted a faceless selfie onto her Snapchat profile where her assets were completely on show.

The former Celebrity Big Brother star practically busted out of the already skimpy swimsuit.

However, scars underneath the bottom of her breasts from the various operations could clearly be seen as she attempted to relax.

Her stomach horse tattoos were also on show as she soaked up the sun on a towel in her garden.

She previously went under the knife for her 17th boob job in Brussels, Belgium after she admitted wanting to downsize.

This was after she wanted to have the “biggest boobs in Britain”, and she got massive 2120 CC implants in her her 16th operation.

It comes after she previously admitted that her botched Brazilian butt lift left her in agony.

Although she previously swore off having surgery in the UK for good, the mum-of-five had a £1,500 bum filler procedure in May.

Two surgeons injected 500ml of filler into Katie’s rear end which she revealed in a livestream on TikTok.

She told fans at the time: “I’ve just had Endo laser and filler, I’m having it put in my bum.

“It will dissolve over time, but it can last up to two years. Something can always go wrong.

“Anaesthetic is always a risk, but I haven’t been put to sleep for this — I’m awake, talking to you guys.”

She underwent her third Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), where she also had up to 800ml of dermal fillers pumped into her cheeks.

Earlier this year, she went under the knife yet again as she shared a video on Instagram promoting CBD oil.

Fans couldn’t help but nice how her face looked extremely tight as she opted for tweakments abroad after being unhappy with her latest £10,000 facelift.

Back in January, she posted a series of gruesome photos on Snapchat, showing the sides of her face and cheeks all taped up.

The Pricey has famously had hundreds of plastic surgery ops and aesthetic treatments over the years.

This has included over a dozen boob jobs, hundreds of syringes of lip filler.

Paul Jacobs/pictureexclusive.com

The star was left in agony after a botched BBL[/caption]

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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 17: Katie Price attends the “Katie Price: This Is Me” book launch at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern on July 17, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)[/caption]

MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE hasn’t been included in Nottingham Forest’s team for their first pre-season friendly.

Forest visit Chesterfield at the Technique Stadium as they gear up for another exciting season that will see them return to Europe for the first time in 30 years.

However, Nottingham might be without star man Gibbs-White, 25, who is close to moving to Tottenham during the summer transfer window.

And the playmaker has been left out of Nuno Espirito Santo‘s squad for the friendly in Chesterfield.

This comes as Evangelos Marinakis’ club delay the England international’s move to Spurs while consulting lawyers over potential legal action.

SunSport understand the ex-Wolves star is set to leave the City Ground after the North Londoners triggered his secret £60million release clause. 

The attacking midfielder was preparing for a medical as well as a long-term agreement.

However, Forest have put the breaks on the move and consider the deal to be “off for now”.

Last season’s Premier League surprise package are consulting their lawyers over what they believe was an illegal approach.

The club argue they never gave permission for talks and have cut all communication with Tottenham.

Forest believe there has also been a breach in confidentiality around Gibbs-White‘s release clause because Spurs’ bid was pitched at exactly that level.

While the existence of the clause was known at the City Ground, it had not been publicly disclosed until after it was triggered by Tottenham on Thursday afternoon.

But SunSport understands it is unlikely the club can block the move.

Nevertheless, Gibbs-White’s transfer to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium can be delayed as his current club prepares a complaint to the Premier League.

WITH stunning 12th century architecture, picturesque open spaces and a rich history, the market town of Trowbridge seems idyllic.

Visitors are greeted by the sound of children playing in the park and a walk through a beautiful lawned area with flowers spilling over hanging baskets, and lily pads floating in a duck pond.

Adrian Sherratt

The town looks picturesque and boasts stunning buildings[/caption]

Adrian Sherratt

But there is a dark underbelly of crime and drug dealing[/caption]

Adrian Sherratt

Sue White says the town has become “horrible”[/caption]

But beneath the pretty exterior of this Wiltshire town, an underbelly of violent crime reigns, with machete-wielding thugs, drug-dealing and street-fighting gangs, leaving locals terrified.

In 2023, the crime rate in Trowbridge was 80 crimes per 1,000 people – 43 per cent higher than Wiltshire’s average – making it the county’s second most dangerous area. 

Last year, there was a bloody machete attack, while recently released footage showed another man found with a machete hidden in his trousers and admitting to carrying drugs. Just last week police arrested another man for being in possession of an offensive weapon.

Meanwhile its once thriving town centre is turning into a ghost town, as businesses are shutting up shop for good, leaving units empty or turned into nail salons.

Shop worker Sue White, 48, was on a break outside the Savers shop in the main pedestrian thoroughfare Fore Street, where people sat in the sun outside a nearby Costa Coffee shop.

She said: “Trowbridge might look nice, but I hate the place. I used to live here, but I’d never move back, it’s a horrible town.

“What’s right with it? There’s abuse, violence, drug dealing, anti-social behaviour and other crime. We get shoplifted from at least once a week. 

“It’s definitely not a safe place to come to at night and I haven’t for about seven years – I got wise. I’ve got nothing nice to say about Trowbridge at all.”

In Wiltshire, only Salisbury has higher crime figures and the ‘gangland’ town of Swindon even comes third, after Trowbridge.

On the scorching day The Sun visited, a group of street drinkers sat on a bench downing cans of beer at 11am.

Adrian Sherratt

A man drinking at 11am in the town centre[/caption]

Wiltshire Police

Police arrest a teenager with a machete hidden in his trousers[/caption]

Wiltshire Police

The teenager was later charged with possessing a machete[/caption]

Barely any other people graced pedestrianised Fore Street other than those leisurely supping their iced coffees and flat whites from Coffee #1 and Costa Coffee.

Other shops still operating include Bargain Buys and a British Heart Foundation charity shop.

Marianne Ewing, 59, lives six miles away in the town of Melksham.

She said: “It is pretty shocking to hear about the level of crime in Trowbridge, especially with knives being used.

“I’ve seen the type of people who cause trouble here and a few days ago there were girls physically fighting outside the pub until the police came and tried to calm the situation down.

“But I do think that a lot of the crime centres around drug taking and drug dealing.

“A lot of it we don’t hear about, but how can we protect ourselves if we don’t know about it? We need to feel safe, what about people who go out here in the evenings? They deserve to feel safe when they’re in town.”

A recent crackdown on drug dealing by Wiltshire Police and two other local forces Avon and Somerset and Gloucestershire saw officers seize £35,700 in cash, as well as drugs including heroin, cannabis and cocaine.

In Wiltshire, 25 people were arrested including eight drug line holders, who were charged and remanded in custody.

Adrian Sherratt

The shopping centre is a ghost town[/caption]

Adrian Sherratt

Many of the high street stores have closed down[/caption]

Adrian Sherratt

Nail bars dominate the open stores in Fore Street[/caption]

‘Absolute wreck’

Many of the shops in the town centre have become nail bars, while in the once thriving, 17-unit Castle Place shopping parade, only a pawn shop, hair salon, café and takeaway remain open. 

Sue Tucker, 79, from Bradford on Avon said: “I’ve known Trowbridge all my life because it’s a neighbouring town, I remember when what’s now the Castle Place shopping centre was an open-air cattle market.

“It’s an absolute wreck here now though. The shops are closing, the council is doing work on the roads, which they don’t seem to be getting anywhere with, and they’ve spent money widening the pavements, which I don’t see the point of as it’s still a narrow road.

“The council needs to spend their money on regeneration, instead of installing things like pathetic benches which people can’t sit on – we thought they were bits of scrap metal to start with.”

Trowbridge might look nice, but I hate the place. I used to live here, but I’d never move back, it’s a horrible town.

Sue White

Geoffrey Parsons, 75, was busy tidying up the shrubs in the St James Church garden, which was littered with beer cans and wine bottles.

He volunteers for the church as well as the sensory garden in Trowbridge Park.

Adrian Sherratt

The town centre is beautiful but businesses are moving out[/caption]

Adrian Sherratt

Geoffrey Parsons pics up the wine bottle and cans left in the churchyard[/caption]

Adrian Sherratt

Marianne Ewing (left) and Sue Tucker say the town has gone downhill[/caption]

“We do have lots of homeless people in Trowbridge and in Wiltshire as a whole, who do occasionally pitch their tents in the gardens.

“Sometimes a group will gather to use the toilets here, they don’t cause too much of a bother to me but it would be nice if they took their litter away.

“The town is a little bit messy, and the council do their best. Recently they installed some metal benches at great cost, which was a waste of money – they should be spending it on Fore Street to attract visitors, because there are a lot of shops which boarded up or shut.”

Adrian Sherratt

Rubbish mars the beauty spot[/caption]

Adrian Sherratt

A once thriving pub has now seen better days[/caption]

Adrian Sherratt

Day drinkers in the town centre[/caption]

Street attacks

In March 2024, a 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm after another man was found with a laceration to his head outside a betting shop in the town and was rushed to hospital.

July last year saw a man in his 20s arrested on suspicion of affray after officers received reports of someone walking around holding two knives in the Ushers Court area of Trowbridge.

And just this week, on July 11, a man was charged with being in possession of an offensive weapon and of being in possession of amphetamine drugs, following an incident of disorder in the town on July 4.

Three teenage girls were also arrested earlier this month after armed police stormed the town to attend an incident of disorder.

Last year police stepped up patrols in Trowbridge’s graveyard after locals repeatedly complained of drunks and drug-users using the location as a meeting place and intimidating members of the public.

Reports of used needles being left in the toilets were also commonplace.

Trowbridge Police are taking part in a countywide campaign to tackle knife crime, appealing to people to take part in a knife amnesty.

Cllr Helen Belcher, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Regeneration and Assets at Wiltshire Council, said “More than £16m has been invested into regenerating and improving Trowbridge town centre in the past four years through the Government’s Future High Streets Fund. £2 million of this funding was given directly to support businesses to reopen on the High Street.

“The rest of the projects have focused on improving connections into the town centre, refurbishing the Town Hall; enhancing the River Biss, and developing key sites in the town centre. 

“Part of this funding was invested in improving pavements, lighting, and street furniture such as these benches, something that was specifically highlighted as an area for improvement by residents and businesses during engagement carried out in 2022. 

“We have worked closely with Trowbridge Town Council throughout, including on the new benches, and we understand that new designs, particularly those with a contemporary look, can sometimes spark mixed reactions.

“However, the vibrant bench seats and planters complement other recent enhancements such as the colourful bus shelters, and these have received positive feedback for transforming the appearance of the town centre.

“These improvements are helping to create a more welcoming and visually appealing county town for Wiltshire.”

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. decided to veto the National Polytechnic University (NPU) bill due to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP)’s “low performance in the 2016 State Universities and Colleges (SUC) leveling exercise,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said on Saturday. On Friday, Palace press officer Claire Castro announced that Marcos

CHRIS Hughes has finally broken his silence and revealed the TRUTH about his unexpected romance with his Celebrity Big Brother housemate, JoJo Siwa.

From ‘showmance’ rumours to shock ‘gay’ rumours, this is the TV favourite’s most honest chat to date – buckle up.

Mark Hayman

Instagram/Chris Hughes

Even the bookies wouldn’t have backed Love Island’s Chris and Dance Moms star JoJo becoming a couple[/caption]

Here, Chris sits down with Fabulous’ Kelly Allen to set to record straight…

If someone had said 12 months ago that Chris Hughes would be dating social-media star JoJo Siwa, you’d think they were deluded.

But after meeting for the first time on Celebrity Big Brother in April, the pair have fallen madly in love. 

Even Chris is surprised by how events have panned out. 

SHOCK ROMANCE

“Everything that happened on CBB, and everything that has happened since. . . I know it’s such a clichéd thing to say, but I would never have believed it in a million years.” 

He’s not the only one. Not even a betting man would have predicted that the 32-year-old Love Island star turned racing commentator would get together with Nebraska-born JoJo, who rose to fame as an 11-year-old on Dance Moms and is worth £15million. 

Particularly as, when she entered the house, JoJo, 22, was in a relationship with 27-year-old Australian actor Kath Ebbs, who identifies as non-binary.

But love moves in mysterious ways, and as speculation about Chris and JoJo’s relationship in the house reached fever pitch, it emerged that she had dumped Kath at the CBB finale party.

Chris and JoJo initially remained coy about what was going on, but after transatlantic trips to see each other, the pair have taken it up a level. 

Today, Chris is speaking for the first time about their relationship and wants to set the story straight. 

‘Meeting her gave me this magical feeling. She is the most precious person’ 

JoJo, or Joelle as he likes to call her (she refers to him as “my sweet Christopher”), is unexpectedly also on the Fabulous shoot.

She jetted into London a day early to surprise him and has joined us on set. 

And the pair can’t keep their hands off each other! They canoodle between takes, and JoJo takes snaps on her phone, commenting on her “hot” boyfriend. 

JoJo, who is based in California, is not, on the surface, Chris’ usual type.

He dated Olivia Attwood after meeting her on Love Island in 2017, as well as having relationships with Jesy Nelson and then professional golfer Annabel Dimmock, who he split from in 2022.

We just wanted to be there for each other in the house. I adored the ground she walked on and the way she handled herself

He had been single since. 

“I started to think there was no one out there for me,” he admits.

“I’ve been on dates, but there was nothing that properly ignited me. I kept questioning if it was me, or if I had commitment issues, because so many of these people were amazing, but there was something missing.

ITV/Shutterstock

“Then meeting Joelle gave me this magical feeling. She is the most precious person. 

“Life has an unexpected way of bringing two people together, and this feels like that. We were meant to cross paths.

“We keep saying to each other it was serendipity. Life handed me a blessing in my lap.” 

Fans were gripped by the pair’s relationship on Celebrity Big Brother, where Chris finished sixth and JoJo placed third. 

I adored the ground she walked on and the way she handled herself

“Some of the best relationships start as friendships,” explains Chris.

“I look back at the CBB clips and could see how we gravitated towards each other.

“We just wanted to be there for each other in the house. I adored the ground she walked on and the way she handled herself.

“How can you not love her? But it was as a friend. 

“Then towards the end of the show, I was confused about my feelings for her. And you don’t know what it’s going to be like on the outside. I was saying to myself: ‘Come on, Chris, pull yourself together.’ 

“She flew home and she was so upset leaving and I was so sad to see her go.

“We were just friends at that stage, but we were talking all the time. I was missing her and I felt like I needed to see her, so I flew to Mexico City to surprise her.

“I was so nervous, even though I’d lived with her for three weeks. Then we ended up going to Orlando and I met her family – it was the best three days of my life.

Our first kiss was genuinely special – it felt like I was in a movie. I can’t keep my hands off her now!

“From the minute I woke up until I went to bed, I was just so happy. It was at that moment something fully ignited inside me.

“I went: ‘God, I really like this person’, and I knew she reciprocated it.” 

EROTEME.CO.UK

While on the holiday, they opened up about their feelings. “It was really special and just happened without any effort or planning.

“Our first kiss was genuinely special – it felt like I was in a movie. I can’t keep my hands off her now!

“I love her skin, her eyes and her smile. 

“I never really used to look forward to going to bed, as it’s when your mind wonders about things, and I struggled previously with anxiety, but now I look forward to it.

“When she’s tucked into me, it feels like the best thing. Now she doesn’t have hair extensions she can get really close, because before they would tickle my face or I’d be choking on them.

“There was a lot of hair,” he laughs. 

And have they said: “I love you” yet? “Yeah, every day I tell her,” he smiles. “She’s the last person I speak to at night and the first I speak to when I wake up.

“I can’t explain it, but it’s a safe love. It’s like a natural high.” 

And JoJo’s momager Jessalynn and dad Tom have given their seal of approval – even inviting Chris to the family group chat. 

There isn’t an ounce of toxic masculinity in my body

“Honestly, I’ve never felt more comfortable with people,” he says. “We were like one big happy family in Florida.

“Her brother Jayden and Abby, Jayden’s wife to be, were there. They’ve invited us to their wedding next year.­ 

“Last time they were in London, I messaged the family group chat, saying: ‘Tom, do you want to go to the spa with me?’

“So we did that, then we had a few beers and played Nintendo together. Yeah, he definitely approves.

“He plays golf and he’s been practising so we can play when I go to the West Coast in a couple of weeks.

“He thinks he will beat me, but genuinely he won’t,” he laughs. 

Her parents’ approval aside, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for the couple.

There has been criticism over their 10-year age gap and there were rumours of Chris using JoJo to boost his profile in the States.

What does he think of the accusations that their relationship is fake? 

“I don’t care,” he says. “I wouldn’t go to the effort of loving someone for any other reason than it being real.

“Having been in this industry for eight years, I needed to adapt to having criticism from different angles.

“The past few months have actually made me a little stronger mentally. 

“People are entitled to have opinions. It would be boring if we all thought the same thing.

“I’ve had more people call me ‘gay’ in the last two months of my life than ever before. But it doesn’t bother me – as long as people aren’t nasty, opinions are fine.

“I may be feminine in the way I do things, but I wouldn’t change the way I am for anything.

“I cry a lot, but we live in a world where toxic masculinity exists, and there isn’t an ounce of that in my body.

“Crying is my release, and I won’t let anyone tell me that makes me less of a man.” 

I’ve had more people call me ‘gay’ in the last two months of my life than ever before. But it doesn’t bother me – as long as people aren’t nasty, opinions are fine.

Chris insists the age gap never crossed his mind until people commented on it. 

“She’s one of the most mature people I’ve ever met, and I’m very immature! But it just works.

“My mates always say: ‘Love is love’, and that’s what this is. You can’t pick and choose how or when it happens.” 

Chris is JoJo’s first boyfriend, leading to backlash from the LGBTQ+ community. 

Paul Redmond/WireImage

“I’m very respectful of everything she’s been through,” he says. “That’s her own personal journey.

“But it upsets me that she is being thrown hate online. I do feel a sense of responsibility that being with me has led to her getting hate.

“I don’t understand how anyone could be mean to someone as caring as her. 

“Joelle has been with girls all her life. She is bisexual. She’s not now straight just because she’s with me.

“Sexuality can be fluid, and you should be able to love who you want without judgement.”

He adds: “She is still part of the LGBTQ+ community, she always will be. And while there’s been negativity, there has been so much love.” 

Chris has even garnered praise from ex Jesy Nelson’s mum. “Janice reached out to my mum and said: ‘It’s nice to see Chris and JoJo together. It’s nice to see him happy.’” 

Chris, who was with Little Mix’s Jesy for 16 months until they split in April 2020, posted on her social media congratulating her on the birth of her twin daughters.  

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t run through scenarios of our wedding

“If you can’t be happy for people who have been in your life previously, then you won’t be happy for anyone,” he says.

“We split up years ago, but she’s such a nice girl. When I was with her, she used to get so much hate and I’d think: ‘God, if you knew what she was like. . .’

“So I am chuffed to see her happy. She deserves it.”  

JoJo dresses quite androgynously, often wears Pride colours and is a big fan of diamantés and rhinestones. Would Chris like it if she was more. . . girlie? 

“No!” he exclaims. “The person I grew to love was the person she is now. I would never want to change her.

“If she wants to change her style, that’s on her. People say: ‘You need to grow out of the glitter and rhinestones.’

“But I love the rhinestones. I find them everywhere. I found a red one in the shower the other day and I’ve stuck it on the wall so every time I see it, I’m like: ‘That’s her. That’s the person I love.’” 

With Chris living in Windsor, have they discussed moving closer to each other? 

“No, we haven’t spoken about living with each other in the future. We live in the moment.

I’d love to marry her. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I run through scenarios of our wedding day

“There’s no pressure on anything. I’m happy to jump on planes. We have a transatlantic relationship – she could live in New Zealand and we’d still make the same effort.

“I say it’s effort, but it’s effortless. Nothing is too much trouble to make her happy. I write love letters.

“I’m obsessed with her. I’d do anything for her.” 

What does the future look like? 

“I do see a forever here,” he grins. “If I’m wrong, I’m wrong, but I genuinely see a forever. In relationships, you can have moments where you think: ‘Is this going to work? Is this going to last?’

“I don’t have that with her. I almost want to fast-forward to see what it’s like, but I don’t want to miss this. 

“I’d love to marry her. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I run through scenarios of our wedding day.

“We’d have a proper English wedding and I can imagine her in a full wedding dress.

“We both want kids. We come from loving families. My mum loves her. She’s my best friend.

“I love that she’s the person I have to do nothing with and still have the best time. That’s everything to me.” 

Mark Hayman

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• Chris wears: jacket, Barneys Originals; T-shirt, Falke; jeans, Next; sunglasses, Joe Browns; belt, boots, both Marks & Spencer, jacket, Barneys Originals; vest, Next; belt, jeans, both Marks & Spencer; boots, Next

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MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. decided to veto the National Polytechnic University (NPU) bill due to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP)’s “low performance in the 2016 State Universities and Colleges (SUC) leveling exercise,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said on Saturday. On Friday, Palace press officer Claire Castro announced that Marcos