Co-parenting, even at the best of times, is a massive challenge. When there is bad blood though, things can often become intense, and throw social media into the mix it can become very public, very fast. When ex-Love Island star Laura Anderson fell for Hollyoaks’ actor Gary Lucy on Celebs Go Dating, they looked like […]
The post Actor Gary Lucy claps back at ex-girlfriend Laura Anderson for claiming he’s a ‘deadbeat dad’ appeared first on RollerCoaster.
ON the day he joined One Direction an excited Liam Payne texted his dad to say “I’m in a boyband.”
He was just 16 and living the starry-eyed dream shared by millions of kids – fuelled by the popularity of shows like The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.
But his tragic death, 14 years on, has shone a spotlight on the dark side of superstardom – particularly at a young age.
Liam was an ordinary lad from Wolverhampton who became an overnight star after joining One Direction on The X Factor in 2010 and, like many on the hit talent show, he felt his dreams had come true.
But the string of number one hits, armies of screaming fans and soaring bank balances came hand in hand with the mental health problems and addiction battles that have plagued so many boyband idols.
Responding to the news that Liam had died on Wednesday, after plunging from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Boyzone’s Mikey Graham hit out at the lack of care the pop industry shows for kids who become superstars.
He wrote: “Rip Liam Payne. Such tragic news. I think it would be a wise move for record companies to have psychologists on their books from now on in his memory as a duty of care for the vulnerability of their young talent.
“Fame can be very damaging especially in today’s world. Lots of money. Nobody to help. Lots of yes people. Nobody honest.”
Friend and fellow X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson lashed out at the talent show in a tribute to Liam: “It’s always a hotel room! We both met at Euston station and shared the taxi together to X factor, young, innocent and unaffected by fame.
“I can’t help but think of that boy who was hopeful and looking forward to his bright future ahead. If he hadn’t jumped on that train and jumped in that taxi I believe he would be alive today.
“I’ve spoken for years about the exploitation and profiteering of young stars and the effects – many of us are still living with the aftermath and the PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder].
“Many of us are devastated and reflective today as it has finally taken its first victim. Rest in Peace Liam, I hope you find peace on the other side and love to your mum and family x.”
It comes as:
PR guru Mark Borkowski agrees that reality shows and record companies that thrust young vulnerable people into the limelight need to do more to protect them.
He tells The Sun: “What the industry is not good at is shielding people from the toxicity of fame. People at the centre of it are forgotten.
“Fame is not the baubles and the glitter. Fame is a very dark force. I don’t think enough is being talked about on that level.”
Psychologist Jo Hemmings says: “Your life literally changes overnight. You’re just an ordinary kid who’s applied for a show – it’s very exciting, lots of adrenaline, enthusiasm.
“It’s every young boy’s dream. But then there’s a sense that your life isn’t really your own.
“You’re away from your family a great deal of the time, you’re away from your friends. You can’t have that ordinary life.
“Also, there was no building up a career, doing the pub circuit. I don’t think you can underestimate the impact of going from zero to hero overnight.”
Liam’s struggles with drugs, drink and mental health problems were well-documented.
Talking to Ant Middleton in a 2019 documentary, Liam said: “For some certain circumstances I’m quite lucky to still be here.
“There are times when that level of loneliness and people getting into you every day, it’s like, ‘When will this end?’ That’s almost nearly killed me a couple of times.”
Asked if he has ever felt like acting on those desperate thoughts, he added: “Yeah, when I’ve been in a bad place. It’s one hundred per cent, you know. There’s no point denying it — it’s definitely been on the menu a couple of times in my life.”
In 2021, he revealed he had spiralled into drug and drink addiction and had been given a wake-up call after seeing pictures of himself on a boat.
“I was all bloated out… I call it my pills-and-booze face. My face was just like 10 times more than it is now. I just didn’t like myself very much and then I made a change.”
He also revealed loneliness fuelled his booze problem after band members were locked in hotel rooms for their own safety, as screaming crowds gathered outside.
“The best way to secure us, because of how big it got, was to lock us in a room,” he said. “And, of course, what is in the room? A minibar.
“At a certain point, I just thought, ‘Well, I’m going to have a party for one,’ and that just seemed to carry on throughout many years of my life.”
Like Liam, Robbie Williams was just 16 when he became an overnight star in Take That and he later revealed the shocking toll fame took on all the members – telling The Times they are a ‘case study’ on the dark side of the industry.
He said: “All the boys have mentioned this publicly, so I’m not busting anyone’s privacy — you’ve got Gaz [Gary Barlow] who became bulimic and agoraphobic and didn’t leave his house, who forgot how to write songs and slept under his piano.
I don’t think you can underestimate the impact of going from zero to hero overnight
Psychologist Jo Hemmings
“You’ve got Howard [Donald], who contemplated suicide. You’ve got Mark [Owen], who ended up in rehab.
“You’ve got Jason [Orange], who can’t hack it and has just, like, disappeared. And then you’ve got me.
“So that’s your case study: there’s something that solidifies and calcifies in those five years — which is the traditional lifespan of a boy band — that causes mental illness. It’s five out of five.”
By Hayley Minn
Scott Robinson, 44, was 17 when he joined boyband 5ive, who sold 20 million records worldwide.
Liam’s death has hit me very hard, as I went from being not very famous to famous in the blink of an eye, and know firsthand how lonely you can feel being in a boy band.
Within 10 days of auditioning for 5ive and getting into the band, I’d left my family home, moved into a house in Surrey and gave one person – my now-wife Kerry – my phone number. I couldn’t even tell her where I was moving to.
That same year, in 1997, our first single Slam Dunk (Da Funk) came out and was in the top 10.
Life changed for us instantly.
Liam previously said the only safe place for him was to be locked in his room by a security guard, where there’s a mini-bar.
I’ve been there. I’ve lived that. I’ve been all over the world, where I’ve got two security guards outside my room with guns, and I’m locked in and I can’t go anywhere.
I really, deeply struggled in the band, and I hated being there. I missed home, I missed Kerry, I missed my family.
I spent many, many dark days in hotel rooms, crying, drinking the minibar dry, on the phone to Kerry, saying, ‘I want to be at home. I can’t do this,’ but I was so lucky to have her telling me not to worry.
If it wasn’t for her I would not be in a good place, because I like a drink.
I’ve never taken a drug in my life, but my drug is alcohol.
I really had to bat away the drugs. You could get them as easily as you could get a pint of milk at the height of 5ive’s fame – and no one would ask you for money.
I never paid for a thing in my life, but whatever I asked for I got. If I needed a beer, someone got me a beer.
I couldn’t even go to the shops to buy it. I wasn’t allowed.
There was a time when we were in Japan, and I wanted to go out at my hotel to buy myself a dictaphone and mini disk player.
I begged my security for the chance to actually go out and buy it, and they eventually agreed, but it required me to be surrounded by five big men as I walked through the streets of Tokyo.
All the fans were trying to get at me, pulling at my clothes, and I went into this shop, and all of a sudden, the windows were smashed, because the fans were trying to get in. The shopkeeper said, ‘Just take it, take whatever you want’.
So I was sitting in my hotel room, with my dictaphone and mini disk player, gutted because I hadn’t bought it. I’d stolen it, essentially, and I was gutted because I thought, ‘This is my life now.’
Some people may think what an amazing life, but it’s a very lonely one.
And that’s what I think when I look at Liam; Every time he walked out of that hotel, there were people there.
I was 21 when I left 5ive, as I just couldn’t do it anymore.
I got married to Kerry the very next day, and started a new life, a really secure one. We already had Brennan, who was three months old at the time, and we’ve gone on to have three more beautiful kids.
I’ve got a really stable life now, but I still have mental health struggles, and have counselling because of stuff with the band, even now, 23 years later.
It’s no wonder Liam struggled, as do many people in the industry that haven’t got a big enough support network. I genuinely believe that record labels and managers should look after you just a little bit better. I think there should be something afterwards, not at your expense, at theirs, where you can go, this is where you go when you’re feeling low, when you’re feeling this, when you’re feeling that, It’s there for you.
It just doesn’t seem like record labels have learned from their mistakes.
They’re certainly looking after your money, but they’re not looking after you.
FIVE are on the Kubix Arena Tour this December with fellow boy bands 911 and East 17
Robbie, who also battled alcoholism and drug addiction, said: “Dyspraxia, dyslexia, ADHD, neurodiversity, body dysmorphia, hypervigilance… There’s a new one that I acquired recently: HSP. Highly sensitive person. Post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]. And, obviously I have an addictive personality… I am collecting them all, like Scout badges.”
He warned that mental health problems were inevitable in superstar boybands, adding: “If they don’t have them at the beginning, they do by the end. No one gets a free pass in the extreme fame game. No one comes out the other side well adjusted and happy and mentally well. Name me one.”
Former X Factor contestant Matt Terry has previously hit out at the reality show which launched so many famous acts, including 1D, saying there was “no duty of care from anyone” towards its stars.
And Katie Waissel, who appeared alongside Liam in 2010 and has since slammed Simon Cowell and his label Syco for not taking her mental health seriously, hit out over Wednesday’s tragic news, saying: “My heart is completely torn to shreds… If Simon Cowell dare put a statement out on the heart wrenching, tragic loss of my dear and darling friend Liam, he would be a fool. We all know the truth… and I’ll be sure it all comes out.”
Fame is not the baubles and the glitter. Fame is a very dark force. I don’t think enough is being talked about on that level
PR guru Mark Borkowski
Jo Hemmings says growing up in the limelight can have a negative impact on teen stars and the fact that 1D was a group of strangers, thrown together, may have made life harder.
“They were just ordinary boys who were put together in a band. But that stops them from having normal teenage years – all the mistakes we make, the broken hearts and the relationships with our mates.
“As a manufactured band, the closeness they may have had or the support for each other may not have been as strong as it would have been if they’d been friends.
“There would have been a lot of rows, fractured relationships, all of which adds to a horrible feeling of homesickness.
“When you’re young, you’re raw and it’s so important to have that downtime where they can just hang out and chill. It can become really overwhelming very quickly.
“He would never know what it’s like to be wanted for him as an individual. You never quite know if somebody wants to date him because of who he was, what he’d done in life, the money he had, his success. He’d never had that opportunity to find that out.
“You become a money making machine and you can feel very used, manipulated, and distressed. You feel there’s no freedom, no independence – and that can have a really traumatic effect on them.
“They don’t realise until later down the line that has affected them develop mentally and emotionally.
“For some, drugs are a quick fix – it’s much easier and quicker to obliterate the bad times than to actually deal with it properly.”
By Thea Jacobs
A music industry source who worked with One Direction said: “Back in the days of One Direction the boys were just non-stop. Their schedules didn’t really allow them time to have any personal life away from the band.
“But they were always close with each other and used to have a communal dressing room so they could hang out before the shows together. They used to share beers in the dressing room and on their final show as a band they had a massive cake they shared with the entire crew.
“Days off for the crew weren’t days off for the boys. They were cooped up in hotels or had to be escorted in cloak and dagger days out or for dates.
“Even in the early days, every part of their life was scrutinised by the team managing them.
“It didn’t surprise me at all when they all started acting out a bit once they went solo.
“Liam was very aware, even back then, about saying the right things and before any interviews would be on the phone with an advisor to make sure he got it right.
“Being famous from 16 is incredibly hard, and it’s not something you see that often. For most people, overnight fame takes at least five years of work and in that time you’re eased into it. You learn stuff on the way. They learn to take all the smoke being blown up their ass with a pinch of salt, but if it’s literally overnight, you don’t get that.
“But for Liam and 1D, they didn’t get that. Everything was fast tracked and it has this horrible effect on people. It’s like we saw with Michael Jackson, things just spiral out of control.
“Those insane schedules don’t work well with people who are teenagers and still developing. It’s exhausting.
“Sadly, it’s a tale as old as time and much older than the existence of boybands.
“We see it time and time again when young stars try to grab back normal life and make the most of being a rock star – like how John Lennon turned to heroin to try and get some control.
“Each year around 50 artists and bands who are signed drop out before they even release their first single because they can’t cope with the pressures of the lifestyle.”
Mark Borkowski says the entertainment industry is keen to project to “bright and shiny” side of fame that stars are caught out and “struggle with the fact they can’t have a normal life”
He said: “Going back years into the Babylon of Hollywood, you see how many people had their sexuality covered up, people turning to drink and drug addictions. It’s something that has gone on for decades.
“Corporate entertainment needs to be bright and shiny. You see this in particular with reality shows and talent shows like X Factor.
If they don’t have [mental health issues] at the beginning, they do by the end. No one gets a free pass in the extreme fame game
Robbie Williams
“Liam Payne was part of one of the most famous boy bands of all time and he had to leave his entire life behind.
“It doesn’t matter how much money or success you’ve got, when you’ve been plucked at an early age and sent to fame, it inevitably doesn’t go well.
“Time and time again we see people struggling to deal with the fact they can’t go and buy a pint of milk or have a meal with friends without someone wanting to talk to you or take a photograph.
“People don’t look at the mental health issues. They think people are famous and they’re living in luxury, with private jets and five star hotels. You’re always projecting the positive side.
“You have publicists and managers who tell you everything you want to hear until you’re no longer that person that can deliver them that 20 per cent. People kill what they eat.
“It’s important for everyone to have a friend who will criticise when necessary but you’re not guaranteed that when you become famous.
“The most valuable thing in life is trust and you can’t buy it. You need foul weather friends and trust and if you don’t have that support, it’s a very lonely and difficult place to navigate.
“Fame is a monster and you’ve got to know how to manage that. You have to value your mental health. Don’t judge your success by the money in your bank account. Health is wealth.”
ZAYN Malik is reportedly ‘in absolute bits’ after finding out about Liam Payne’s shock death ‘in the early hours of the morning’.
The ex-One Direction star died aged 31 after tragically falling from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday afternoon.
Now, a source close to Zayn, also 31, has shared how his former bandmate has been coping with the devastating news.
A US music producer currently working with him told DailyMail.com how Zayn is in “shock” and that his loved ones “don’t want him to be alone” during this difficult time.
They said: “He is in shock, and his parents have been in touch with Liam’s family to offer their support and condolences.
“People close to Zayn don’t want him to be alone at the moment, so he is surrounded by friends.”
The source went on to reveal the pair hadn’t spoken in “a while” due to previous disputes but “respected each other from a distance”.
“They didn’t hate each other but they couldn’t see eye to eye on different things.
“But they both felt that they had been exploited in the music industry.”
THE HUNTER’S Moon is here and it’s a supermoon too.
This is the brightest supermoon of the year, according to Nasa.
The lunar disk will appear up to 14 per cent brighter and 30 per cent bigger than when the Moon is at its dimmest.
It follows the Harvest Moon in September, which was accompanied by a partial lunar eclipse.
The Hunter’s Moon, also known as the Sanguine or Blood Moon, gets its name from the time of year it takes place.
Mid-October is when tribes used to come together to gather meat for the long winter ahead, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
Though it is also characterised by occasionally appearing red or orange in colour.
The earliest written use of the term Hunter’s Moon is from a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary, dating back to 1710.
However, the Moon symbolises many different things for other cultures.
For example, for Buddhists, this Moon marks the end of Vassa, a three-month period of fasting for monks that is tied to the monsoons.
While in Myanmar, the October supermoon commences with the three-day Thadingyut Festival of Lights.
The Moon appearing bigger and brighter at this time is not an illusion.
The lunar disk will actually be closer to Earth than it is normally.
The Moon travels around Earth in an elliptical orbit – an orbit that is oval shaped.
This means that there are points where the Moon appears closer to Earth, and further away.
“Each month, the moon passes through the point closest to Earth (perigee) and the point farthest from Earth (apogee),” Nasa explains.
“When the moon is at or near its closest point to Earth at the same time as it is full, it is called a “supermoon.””
The Hunter’s Moon started today (October 17) at 12:26pm (7:26am EDT) exactly, according to the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
This is when it peaked as the Moon passes below the horizon – but it’ll be big and bright into the evening.
Around this time, the Moon will look especially full for roughly three days – from Tuesday evening to Friday morning.
From Friday morning, the Moon will start to dim again, returning to its usual size.
However, while it will retract into a waning gibbous, its moonshine does risk obscuring the view of the Orionids meteor shower.
The annual meteor shower will peak in visibility between 21 and 22 October.
The Orionids are the rocky debris from Comet Halley, and will cast up to 25 shooting stars per hour in the night sky.
SOCIAL media giant Instagram has announced new guardrails in an effort to halt abuse against young users on the platform.
The move by Meta, the parent company of Instagram, comes as the company faces US state lawsuits and mounting backlash from families and parents of teens and children using the platform.
As part of a slew of new features being implemented on Instagram, the platform will prevent people from screenshotting or screen recording images or videos sent via private message.
As an extra layer of protection, if the sender enables replays of the image or video, Instagram will block people from opening the content on the web.
However, the new feature will not stop perps from capturing the image or video by recording it with another device.
The new screenshot and screen recording features will also be enforced on Facebook’s Messenger.
Meta said it’s rolling out several new features to protect teens and children against sextortion, a type of blackmail that uses sexual images or conversations to pressure victims into paying money.
Beginning Thursday, Instagram will relay specific indicators, like how new an account is and any suspicious activity, to users on the app.
The platform will also prevent scam accounts from sending follow-up requests to teens by blocking their requests or moving them to the teen’s spam folder.
The company said a new nudity-protection feature will be enabled for all Instagram users under 18.
If a nude image is sent to a young user, Instagram will blur the photo and send a warning message about the content before the person can open the picture or video.
The latest efforts come after Meta debuted its new Teen Accounts in September to protect young users further and allow more account visibility to parents.
Teen Accounts will be private by default, and private messages will be restricted, so teens can only receive them from people they follow or are already connected to.
Meta will also clamp down on teenagers who lie about their age when creating a profile and are asked to verify their date of birth.
The social media giant said it is building new technology that proactively finds teen accounts pretending to be adults and automatically places them under the restricted teen version.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has announced new changes to its video and photo sharing platform to shield young users.
Five changes Instagram is making to protect teenagers:
Meta’s enhanced teen protection efforts come as a federal judge in California ruled on Tuesday that the social media company must face several lawsuits filed in various US states.
The suit, which involved more than 30 states, accuses Meta of fueling the mental health crisis among children and young teens.
The plaintiffs accuse Meta of making Facebook and Instagram addictive, which leads to anxiety, depression, and body image issues among adolescents.
An Oakland judge rejected Meta’s efforts to try and toss the lawsuit, which was filed in 2023.
“Meta needs to be held accountable for the very real harm it has inflicted on children here in California and across the country,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said.
The states, which include Florida and New York, accuse Meta of conducting illegal business practices as plaintiffs seek an undisclosed amount in damages.
Meta said it disagreed with the judge’s ruling, citing the new developments made on Facebook and Instagram that seek to protect young users.
“We developed numerous tools to support parents and teens, and we recently announced that we’re significantly changing the Instagram experience for tens of millions of teens with new Teen Accounts, a protected experience for teens that automatically limits who can contact them and the content they see,” a Meta spokesperson told Bloomberg.
“We believe the evidence will demonstrate our commitment to supporting young people.”
A DAD has died from ‘triple E’ horse virus half a decade after he was bitten by an infected mosquito in his backyard.
Richard Pawulski, 49, passed away due to complications from eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), which he picked up five years ago.
Known as EEE or ‘triple E’, the virus got its name after first being spotted in horses.
The rare bug kills around a third of those it infects and often leaves survivors severely disabled.
This year, the US faced a large outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus, which led to the death of a man from New York State in August.
The surge in cases promoted curfew measures and warnings across several US states as experts feared the bug was making a resurgence.
So far this year, 16 people have tested positive for the virus, according to the latest CDC data.
It’s believed Richard, who lived in Connecticut, picked up the virus while clearing out his backyard in August 2019.
In the years that followed, he was plagued with several health complications, including brain damage.
“I’m not joking when I say your life can change in the blink of an eye, because that was what happened to us,” Richard’s grieving daughter Amellia Pawulski, 18, told the New York Post.
At first, the dad, originally from Poland, complained of intense headaches and began vomiting yellow bile before he was taken to hospital.
Doctors rushed Richard into emergency surgery to relieve the swelling in his brain, which left him in a coma for two months.
He was eventually diagnosed with EEE, after other cases started to crop up in Connecticut that year.
Amellia and her mother, Margaret were told Richard’s brain damage was extensive and that he would unlikely ever be the same again.
The two ultimately decided to take him off life support, believing it was what he would have wanted – when he suddenly woke up.
For the next five years, Richard bounced around hospitals and nursing homes.
He endured a traumatic brain injury, liver and kidney complications, seizures, and other severe illnesses, along with frequent bouts of pneumonia.
Some days, Richard wasn’t aware of what year it was or where he was, Amellia told the Post.
Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a virus spread to people from the bites of infected mosquitoes.
Although rare, EEE infections can be very serious.
Approximately 30 per cent of people who catch the virus die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Those who survive may continue to suffer from ongoing neurologic problems, it added.
Initial symptoms tend to show up three to 10 days after a bite from an infected mosquito, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH).
They include:
The virus can cause Inflammation and swelling of the brain, called encephalitis, a complication that can be dangerous.
“The disease gets worse quickly and some patients may go into a coma within a week,” the DPH noted.
According to the CDC and Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of a severe infection that causes brain inflammation may include:
The best way to protect yourself from the disease is to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes.
Use insect repellents and wear long sleeves, long trousers and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
Keep mosquitoes out of your house by repairing any holes in your screens and making sure they are tightly attached to all your doors and windows.
Remove areas of standing water around your home.
You can also consider scheduling outdoor events to avoid the hours between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
Sources: CDC, DPH, Cleveland Clinic
Fortunately, he was lucid enough in his final days to tell his wife and daughter that he loved them.
Richard passed away on October 14
“None of this stuff would have come up if he didn’t get it[EEE],” Amellia said.
“He always tried to look at the positive,” she added.
“I remember people being like, ‘Oh, how’s your day?’ And he was like, ‘My day is great. I woke up. I can breathe on my own. I can talk on my own. I can go to the bathroom on my own. I have no reason to be upset.’”
The CDC says only a few cases of EEE are reported in the US each year, with most infections found in the eastern and Gulf Coast states.
Outbreaks of EEE usually occur in Massachusetts every 10 years and typically last two to three years.
Philip Armstrong, chief scientist at the Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, said the clusters this year are cause for vigilance.
“This is one of the more active years,” he told Stateline.
“I would say, about every four or five years, we see these sort of regional outbreaks that occur.”
In a 2019 outbreak, there were six deaths among 12 confirmed cases in Massachusetts.
The outbreak continued the following year with five more cases and another death.
Symptoms of EEE include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea and seizures.
People who survive are often permanently disabled, and few completely recover, Massachusetts authorities said.
The disease is prevalent in birds, and although humans and some other mammals can catch EEE, they don’t spread the disease.
A UNIQUE part-time gig could help you make thousands of dollars extra each month.
The side hustle is flexible and requires barely any work to get started.
Best of all, you can decide your hours and never even have to leave your room to do it, according to a recent video from TikToker and remote work expert, Olivia (@livaubs).
“You can be any age to do this and work anywhere you want,” Olivia emphasized.
All you need is a phone and a laptop from wherever you are.
Olivia explained that the gig was for an “appointment setter” or a digital sales assistant.
The appointment setter is crucial in connecting business owners or influencers with clients to sell products to consumers.
“There’s a ton of business owners or influencers who sell their digital products for thousands of dollars,” Olivia noted.
“These business owners are always getting a ton of people inquiring about and who are interested in the product.”
The TikToker continued that the appointment setter’s job is to reach out to those clients inquiring about the business and set up a call between them and the business’s sales team.
From there, the closer on the sales team ideally makes a deal with the client, and the appointment setter gets paid for making the connection.
Olivia gave an example of the sales team trying to get the client to purchase a $5,000 course.
Given that appointment setters typically earn a five percent commission for their efforts, you’d walk away with $250.
The TikToker emphasized that if you scaled that, setting up only one appointment per day for 30 days, you’d make well over $5,000 per month.
Considering a month is either 30 or 31 days, if you set an appointment for a product or service worth $5,000 each time and earned the 5% commission, it would be over $7,500 commission.
Still, that’s unlikely as there are variables to consider, including if the closer is successful each time and the worth of the service.
Extra income you make from side hustles may need to be reported to the IRS.
If you receive more than $600 in gross payouts from a selling platform like eBay, the site will issue you a Form 1099-K to use in your tax return.
Individuals should calculate their adjusted gross income, taxable earnings, and deductions for the year.
Once they have that, they can use the 1040-ES form to calculate estimated taxes.
Getting started with the appointment setter gig is arguably the most difficult aspect.
Some companies or influencers might want to see that you have a business or sales background.
Although it’s not required, if you do enough research and show them a developed script as to what you’d say to highlight the product or service, practice, and market yourself effectively, you’ll be able to connect consistently.
You offer your connection services and charge a fee.
If the appointment setter gig sounds too complicated, there are still several other ways to make some serious money each month.
A simple “signature” side hustle could make you $900 daily without doing any real work as a mobile notary.
Sharing your opinion through marketing studies could also make you “$60 richer” in just 20 minutes.
It’s even possible to make around $700 a day transcribing audio through a little-known gig.
Dog lovers could also make around $600 daily with a babysitting and walking business.
A TIKTOKER has ruffled feathers by accusing a Walmart customer of being a so-called secret shopper who goes undercover to catch shoplifters.
The awkward interaction left the TikToker’s blood boiling and her husband embarrassed, but Walmart’s policy reveals the truth about who was in the right.
Quari and Jasmine (@cohenfamily2013) shared the video, which amassed over 100,000 likes from TikTok users who debated whether the mom was in the right or way off base.
During a Walmart shopping trip, Jasmine filmed a woman while standing just feet away, and brazenly accused her of being a secret shopper.
She fired off allegations while the customer refused to acknowledge what was going on, and didn’t even glance at the camera.
To Jasmine, this was a surefire sign that she had every right to keep filming, as she said, “She ignoring me cause she knows she’s a secret shopper.”
At the end of the video, Jasmine admitted that her husband was upset over the outburst, so she asked her followers, “Was I right or was I wrong?”
Quari ushered his angered wife to the checkout and said they just needed to pay for their items and get out of there.
“My husband had to the nerve to get mad at me,” she wrote in the caption.
“She had my blood boiling.”
The video set TikTok on fire as many users slammed Jasmine for her behavior, and for making her husband uncomfortable.
“He’s embarrassed and rightfully so,” said one user.
Commenters said they were “team husband” because he reprimanded his wife and calmly paid for their groceries.
“I’m team hubby all the way. Just finish your shopping and get out. I feel the second-hand embarrassment for him,” said a different user.
Other TikTok users were glad Jasmine confronted the shopper and said her silence proved that she was working undercover.
“I feel like her not saying anything and ignoring you just gave it away,” one user said.
Another wrote, “You literally weren’t wrong.”
“I think it’s OK you said something,” a Jasmine supporter wrote.
SOME retailers have hired so-called secret shoppers to go undercover and review the customer experience for market research.
However, Walmart has taken a strict stance against the programs.
Walmart’s corporate website explains, “Mystery shopping, sometimes referred to as secret shopping, is where an individual’ acts’ like a customer and evaluates services at a business.
“Walmart does not utilize these services or hire associates to perform services on behalf of other retailers or companies.
However, scammers take advantage of these types of programs by sending fraudulent solicitations via mail, text, or email to entice consumers to evaluate the retail experience.
Often times these offers of employment are accompanied by a fake check made out for a large amount of money or otherwise offer immediate employment with a good salary and minimal effort required.”
The U.S. Sun has contacted Walmart for comment, but according to the supermarket’s website, the brand doesn’t use secret shopping programs.
“Walmart does not utilize these services or hire associates to perform services on behalf of other retailers or companies,” the site reads.
Secret shoppers can also be hired by brands to review the customer experience and give feedback on what they can improve.
Sometimes, scammers will use this as a way to trick customers into giving up their information, Walmart warned.
“Scammers take advantage of these types of programs by sending fraudulent solicitations via mail, text, or email to entice consumers to evaluate the retail experience,” the website reads.
“Often times these offers of employment are accompanied by a fake check made out for a large amount of money or otherwise offer immediate employment with a good salary and minimal effort required.”
One woman lost $4,000 signing up for a fake secret shopping program.
SIMON Cowell has been seen for the first time since Liam Payne’s death, looking solemn in the back of a car.
Simon Cowell, who famously formed Liam’s band One Direction, made a last minute decision this morning as he came to terms with the shock news.
Auditions were due to take place in Blackpool with the judges – Simon, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and KSI, all primed for filming.
A Fremantle UK spokesperson said: “Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, we have decided to postpone the Britain’s Got Talent auditions. Our thoughts are with Liam’s friends, family and all who loved him.”
Tragic Liam Payne died instantly from multiple injuries on Wednesday evening, aged 31, including a fractured skull after plunging from a third-floor hotel balcony.
Simon has now been spotted being driven in the back of a car, with dark sunglasses on.
The music mogul held a hand up to his face and looked deep in thought as he was chauffeured.
Applause Store, who organised tickets for the BGT filming, also revealed it would not be going ahead today, writing : “Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today’s auditions in Blackpool. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Amanda, who is a judge on the show, wrote today: “Such an awful tragedy . Sending love to his family and all those who loved him.”
Filming for the talent show kicked off on Tuesday, with the help of Ant and Dec.
YouTube star KSI has stepped in for Bruno Tonioli, who is currently filming Dancing With The Stars in the US.
Last night shockwaves spread throughout the world as news broke that Liam has died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
Liam died instantly from multiple injuries including a fractured skull caused by his fall.
Buenos Aires emergency services chief Alberto Crescenti said medical teams were unable to save the former One Direction heart-throb when they reached the scene.
By Joanne Kavanagh
IT was a romance that caused a media storm.
One Direction hunk Liam Payne was only 14 when he met former X Factor judge Cheryl during the show in 2008.
But it wasn’t until 2016 – when the Girls Aloud singer was divorcing her second husband – that the pair got together despite their ten-year age gap.
The couple made their relationship official in May of that year when they appeared at Eva Longoria’s Global Gift Gala in Paris.
In 2017, Liam paid a sweet tribute to his girlfriend by getting a tattoo of her eye on his arm.
Cheryl was pregnant at the time and gave birth to a boy on March 22, 2017.
She posted a picture on Instagram of Liam cradling their 7lb 9oz baby captioned: “On Wednesday Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy looking like a dream.”
One pal told The Sun: “Liam didn’t leave Cheryl’s side throughout the birth, and like her, he is besotted with their new son and can’t wait to take him home.
“This is the perfect Mother’s Day for Cheryl.”
The Sun revealed in May 2017 that the couple named their son Bear.
They decided on the unusual name after spending a week getting to know him.
In February 2018, The Sun broke the news that Liam’s constant travelling to promote his solo career had placed a huge strain on the relationship, and the pair were ready to split.
That same month, Cheryl said “none of it matters” as she shrugged off questions about her crumbling romance with Liam during a BBC Breakfast interview.
They then put on a united front together at the Brit Awards where they smiled on the red carpet and Cheryl joked about the couple’s ‘safe word’.
However, by July 2018, Cheryl and Liam made the decision to split.
A pal told The Sun: “Cheryl and Liam worked really hard on their relationship – they had troubles earlier this year and were able to get through them.
“But they’re in different stages of their lives and, after a lot of careful thought, came to a decision that it’s best for everyone if they do go their separate ways.”
Liam and Cheryl released a statement confirming their break-up which read: “We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It’s been a tough decision for us to make.
“We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”
It comes as:
According to police in Buenos Aires, officers were initially responding to reports “of an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol”.
Pictures showed shocked fans gathering outside the hotel after police cordoned off the area, with forensic investigators in white protective suits and blue gloves seen entering and leaving.
Fans were photographed lighting candles and leaving flowers at the side of the road in an impromptu vigil as they paid tribute to the music star.
Liam previously spoke of his relationship with music mogul Simon and claimed that Simon had created the boy band around him.
He said he “started with my face, and then worked around the rest. I was the honorary member of One Direction. He told me that story himself at his house.”
He also recalled how Simon played a part in his romanced with Cheryl, which led to them having a son called Bear.
“I went to Simon’s house, and made a joke about how hot Cheryl was,” he explained.
“Simon was like, “I know who’s going to be the next Mrs Payne!””
Liam continued: “Then I was in a bar and Niall came in and told me that Cheryl liked me.”
“I was like “Cheryl? Cheryl?” Niall was in Simon’s dressing room, Simon said my name, she went red and left.”
“So I hit her up.”
MIKE TYSON will return to the ring for the first time since 2020 to face internet sensation Jake Paul next month.
The Problem Child overcame Ryan Bourland with a brutal first round knockout in back March – but he faces a completely different challenge in ‘Iron Mike’ next.
Paul has won all three of his fights since losing to Tommy Fury a year-and-a-half ago.
Tyson, 58, returns to the ring in controversial circumstances, with many of the opinion the boxing legend shouldn’t fighting again.
Tyson’s last bout came in an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr in 2020, of which Paul was on the undercard against former NBA player Nate Robinson.
Mike Tyson’s health issues forced him to put his training on hold.
The former world champion suffered a medical emergency on board a flight in May as a result of an ulcer flare up.
Netflix, who were set to show the fight, released a statement announcing the cancellation.
It reads: “Unfortunately Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will not face-off on July 20 as planned. Tyson’s recent ulcer flare up has limited his ability to train fully for the next few weeks.
“The fight will be rescheduled for a date later this year after Mike’s able to resume training with no limitations and both fighters can have equal time to prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime matchup!”
Tyson required medical assistance from paramedics on board a flight from Miami to LA.
He felt nauseous and dizzy though his publicist said he was feeling “very good” after treatment.
On the announcement of the huge fight, Paul said: “It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard.
“Now, less than four years later, I’m stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing’s most notorious fighters and biggest icons.
“Within just two and a half years of founding MVP, we’re about to produce the biggest fight in history, a fight in the biggest NFL stadium in the US, broadcast live, on the biggest streaming platform in the world – a testament to all we’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time.
“Whether you’re tuning in on Netflix or showing out in person, whether you’re team Paul or team Tyson, or whether you’re a lifelong boxing fan or watching your first fight, you’re not going to want to miss this event.”
Mike Tyson has also spoken about the fight with Paul on July 20, he said: “I started him on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones Jr and now I plan to finish him.”
