EMMA RADUCANU says her tennis results were impacted by off-field commercial activities following the fairytale US Open win.
When she incredibly became Queen of New York aged 18 in September 2021, Raducanu became a multimillionaire overnight – and a marketing man’s dream.
Brands such as British Airways, Dior, HSBC, Porsche, Tiffany & Co and Vodafone chucked enormous amounts of cash in her direction.
But in return, they all wanted her time in front of the cameras, so they could place her image on billboards and TV ads.
Three years on, Raducanu – one of the top-10 highest-earning female athletes around – now realises how much it disrupted her ability to balance training and matches.
Raducanu, 22, said: “I’m obviously very grateful and fortunate to have had certain experiences and opportunities but I wasn’t prepared for it.
“You know, in my head it was like: ‘Okay, I wake up, I play tennis. I go to the gym. I go home and I don’t have anything else to do’.
“Especially straight after I did really well, for the next few years, it was very much like there was so much communication about things off the court. And I would always, always give my 100 per cent on the court.
“I was always working really hard but I just think that I wasn’t prepared as well for the other things that inevitably do take some energy out of you.
“I think now I’m a lot more structured. I’ll be like: ‘Okay, I have this time where one hour we will talk about business. And now I’m going to train for the rest of the week’. Also I think I’ve learned how to say no a bit more.
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“Initially I felt really bad for letting people down. I’d always want to do extra for whatever partner or magazine or whatever I’m shooting for.
“I’d always want to do extra if they wanted to do another half day. I would do it and I’d fit it in around my schedule. I would put my practices early and then do that in the afternoon.
“Look, if it’s a last-minute thing, I’m always going to try and do my best to give extra to the brands I’m working with.
“Especially since I had a year off pretty much with injuries. But also just putting myself first a little bit more.”
This Friday, Raducanu flies to New Zealand – with new fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura – to begin her prep for the 2025 season, which she hopes is free from injuries and knocks.
Christmas Day will be spent on an Auckland beach rather than in the wintry cold of London but that is the life of a top-end tennis player.
Raducanu, ranked 57th in the world, said: “My best friend lives in Auckland.
“The last two years I’ve been with her and her family, and we go up north an hour.
She has a little beach hut. It’s different. It’s like a hot Christmas with a barbecue on the beach.
“It’s just different for someone who grew up in London. December in London is my favourite time of year.
“But I guess I’m just gonna make peace for the next 10 or 15 years and then I’ll come back and have a cold Christmas.”
Raducanu has recently dealt with a few bumps as she had her beloved Porsche “taken back” by the luxury car manufacturers.
The Bromley star owned a £125,000 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, with a top speed of 192mph, which was her pride and joy.
And Raducanu was warned she risks losing all of her £9m sponsorship deals unless she starts winning again.
A SUPERMARKET has slashed the price of Quality Streets to less than £4 – and it’s the cheapest place to get them this Christmas.
Sainsbury’s has massively reduced the cost of the festive chocolate favourites, and you can grab your tub right now.
Sainsbury’s has taken that down to only £3.95 as a Nectar price in the best deal for UK shoppers at the moment.
Without the Nectar saving, shoppers would have to hand over £6 for the Christmas staple.
This pockets you a saving of £2.05 in the expensive run up to the holidays.
Shoppers are encouraged to get to their nearest Sainsbury’s as soon as they can in time for Christmas, as there is a limited-time offer on the tubs.
You have until 31 December until the offer ends, so if you want those chocolates for New Year, you’ll have to act fast.
Shoppers are reminded to compare other prices at different supermarkets, and that they will probably drop even more as the big day approaches.
Comparing prices is as easy as checking the different websites online to see what they are charging before you make your pick.
Elsewhere, other supermarkets are offering similar savings this Christmas, as reported by The Sun.
Bargain supermarket Lidl has reduced that further to just £4 until December 11.
Shoppers can access the deal on the Lidl app right now – it’s free to download and sign up.
You’ll need to buy two though to get the low price. The offer is two for £8 on any of the tubs, bringing it down to the lower price.
Currently, supermarkets such as Tesco, Asda, and Sainsbury’s are charging £6 for the popular Christmas tub.
Aldi was also selling the product for £4.49 but this deal has now ended.
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Asda is selling a brand new refill pack of the Nestle-made chocolates for just £5.
These bags contain 750g of Quality Street chocolate, 150g more than the typical 600g tub available this year and have become available for the first time at all major supermarkets.
However, the refill bag costs just £5 (66p per 100g) at Asda – £1 less than 600g tubs.
The bags include an assortment of individually wrapped milk and dark chocolates, toffees, the famous Green Triangle and The Purple One.
You can purchase them in-store and online at all Asda supermarkets.
The same refill bags cost £5.50 for those with a Nectar card at Sainsbury’s, or £6 for those without – the same price as the 600g tubs.
Large refill bags cost £6 for customers with a Clubcard at Tesco or £7 for those without. Their 600g tubs cost £6 for all customers.
CHRIS KAMARA will make his return to commentary on Boxing Day after a health battle.
The former Swindon and Brentford midfielder, 66, left his role on Sky Sports in 2022 after being diagnosed with an underactive thyroid.
https://twitter.com/chris_kammy/status/1868715706231226827
He developed speech apraxia and the impact on his mental health was so great that he revealed he had even considered taking his own life.
Now Kammy has revealed he’ll return pitchside for Prime Video on December 26 alongside his old Sky colleague Jeff Stelling.
The beloved TV personality will be covering the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Tottenham at City Ground.
He shared on X: “Best phone call ever this afternoon inviting me to do the Forest v Spurs game on Boxing Day – reporting back to the Unbelievable @JeffStelling in the studio.
“I thought I was done, so it’s a big thank you Amazon – I’m back.”
Chris worked as a presenter and football analyst at Sky Sports from 1992 to 2022 before being forced to quit.
His voice is improving thanks to treatment in Mexico.
And while he is not yet back to full health, he is on the road to recovery.
Kamara said in an interview this summer: “I’ve been there twice now [Mexico]. I’m going back for a third time.
“I’ve got the fluency in my speech. The only thing I haven’t got is the speed of old, I know I talk 300 miles an hour before, but I’d like that back if I can.
“So I’m going back for more treatment.”
A Madame Blanc has joked that she was left traumatised after the cast was forced to wear heavy Christmas costumes in 40-degree heat while filming the festive special.
Coronation Street legend Sally Lindsay returns to Sainte Victoire as Jean White – an antique dealer and sleuth who is now all loved up with her partner Dom Hayes, played by Benidorm’s Steve Edge.
The pair found romance at the end of the last series, set in France.
Now, as the special airs on Christmas Eve, viewers will see them exchanging thoughtful presents.
They are interrupted by a phone call from the Chief of Police André Caron, played by Death In Paradise‘s Alex Gaumond, who reveals there has been a murder at the Christmas market.
Wearing woollen festive jumpers at the peak of summer, Sally revealed they sweltered as they filmed the scenes.
She said: “We filmed it at 40° in August—it was one of the hottest days on record.”
“There were a lot of people in the cast wearing jumpers, bless them.
“It’s bizarre but I’m used to filming Christmas in the summer and then you put it away and you forget about it – like the real thing.
“Christmas comes around but twice a year for me.”
Co-writer Sue Vincent added: “It’s really surreal.
“Christmas in the sunshine is a bit of a funny thing, but I think we’ve got used to it, seeing the tree up in the square.
“As for the heat, nothing will ever top the Christmas cracker costume. That left me with trauma,
“I sweated in places I never thought possible.
“I thought I was being clever because I chose a sleeveless costume, but I didn’t realise it was made of foil. It’s the nearest I will
ever get to running a marathon.
“I learnt my lesson and, this year, Gloria’s just got some lit-up Deely boppers that don’t cause excess sweating.”
In the opening scenes, the murder takes place in a market, where father-and-son puppeteers Frederick and Christian are spotted laughing and drinking mulled wine.
“Last year we went for a Cluedo murder-mystery theme so, this time, we’ve gone all-out festive.
“It’s Dom and Jean’s first Christmas, so that’s all very sweet but, of course, there’s a ghastly murder as well. It involves a puppeteer at the Christmas market.
“I’ve always been obsessed with puppets and magic shows, they were synonymous with Christmas when I was a kid and I wanted to hark back to that.
“There’s also a surprise ending involving Jeremy, Judith and Uncle Patrick – you really won’t see that coming.”
The two brothers are laughing and joking as the scene opens.
Christian mingles in the crowd with a puppet in each hand, and then Frederick misses his cue. Suddenly, a street vendor lets out a shriek as Frederick is found lying on the ground holding a blood-soaked puppet.
After hearing about the murder from her colleague, Jean cuts short her Christmas and arrives at the crime scene only to find something sinister about the puppet and the drama then begins to unfold.
Shameless‘ Sue Vincent as mechanic Gloria Beausha, while Benidorm’s Robin Asquith and Only Fools and Horses Sue Holderness play an eccentric married couple Jeremy and Judith Lloyd James.
Meanwhile, Black Adder’s Tony Robinson and Paul Chuckle play Dom’s Uncle Patrick, a petty thief turned pub landlord and Trevor, Gloria’s dad.
As more cases emerge and an old friend reappears, will Jean and Dom be able to keep up their romance?
The Christmas special will air on Tuesday, December 24th, at 9 p.m.
THE Outnumbered kids are all grown up as they reunited for their first TV appearance in EIGHT years.
The Brockman family will return to screens this Christmas for a festive one-off special as we catch up on the family’s latest shenanigans.
Ahead of the highly-anticipated episode, Hugh Dennis, Claire Skinner and their telly kids Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche and Ramona Marquez all appeared on The One Show.
Vastly different from their child-like early days, they teased big changes for the popular family.
Claire – who plays mum Sue, teased: “Well we find that they’ve downsized, they’re now living in a smaller house because the kids have moved out.
“However, they are grandparents so we find them at Christmas welcoming their family back and an extra member of the family.”
When asked if the kids are still testing their parents, Daniel Roche said: “I don’t know, I think it’s quite hard to keep parents on their toes as much as eight-year-old Ben was, it was that level of meance… I don’t know if I could even replicate that.”
But you’re a little bit older and we’re starting to gravitate to that point where the kids are actually trying to start help out and support the parents.”
Actor Hugh, 62, then jokingly interjected: “What, you’re saying we’re slightly infirm?!”
Tyger Drew-Honey, whose character Jake is now a dad, hinted he’ll grow closer to his own dad in the Christmas special.
He explained: “I think there’s certainly an aspect of Jake having become a dad and suddenly relating to his parents a bit more and like ‘oh my gosh this is what you guys had to go through, I feel for you and I’m sorry’ sort of thing.
“I think that allows Jake to see his parents as more so real people and not just these invincible figures in his life that are there to give him care but actually he’s about to go through the same chaotic few years as them.”
Outnumbered first aired in 2007 and ran until 2014 with five series produced.
A one-off Christmas special was broadcast on 26th December in 2016 so fans have been eagerly awaiting this reunion.
The BBC dropped the first-look trailer for the new episode sharing a glimpse of what’s to come.
Initially the show garnered critical acclaim for being partly improvised by stars Hugh and Claire, who also worked from scripts, where the children were given last minute instructions.
The series was praised for its realistic portrayal of children and family life and has won several awards including The Royal Television Society, the British Comedy Awards and the Broadcasting press guild awards.
Since we last saw Hugh and Claire on screen together, the pair have become a real-life couple.
All of the shows we've said goodbye to this year:
A MAN has been arrested after a two-year-old boy was killed in a crash.
The child was travelling in a Toyota car when it was struck by a Porsche in Smethwick, West Midlands, on Saturday evening.
Cops confirmed a 30-year-old has been arrested today on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
West Midlands Police (WMP) said in a statement this evening: “We’ve this afternoon arrested a man after a two-year-old boy tragically died following a collision in Smethwick.
“We acted on information and detained a 30-year-old man on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving in Dartmouth Road on Saturday evening (14 December).
“He is now in custody for questioning.”
The force previously said the car involved, a grey Porsche Cayenne, had come from the roundabout on Kenrick Way.
The incident took place near a railway bridge on Dartmouth Road which runs through an industrial estate just after 11pm.
A teddy bear and a bunch of flowers were attached to railings next to leftover police accident tape.
The two-year-old was travelling in a Toyota with four adults at the time of the collision.
All four were taken to hospital and police said a 29-year-old woman and 30-year-old man remain in a serious condition.
Another man and woman, both 30, are both said to be stable.
Tributes have poured in for the youngster.
One woman said: “How tragic. My heart goes out to the poor family who lost their little one. Just heartbreaking.”
Another added: “That little boy has a family, presents for Christmas, a bedroom.
“I feel so sorry for the family and hope the person responsible does the right thing and hands themself in.”
Anyone with information can contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on email at SCIU@westmidlands.police.uk.
Or, call 101 quoting log 4421 14 December.
THE last day to send parcels via Royal Mail Second Class to arrive in time for Christmas is tomorrow, Wednesday December 18.
If you’re taking a trip to the post office this week, here’s how to cut the cost of sending your pressies.
DOUBLE UP: Save on packaging by wrapping small gifts inside larger ones. For example, you could tuck a small item, like a mug, inside a scarf or pair of socks.
This reduces the need for extra gift wrap and, especially if you have more fragile items, it will keep them protected.
REUSE & REPURPOSE: Instead of buying new envelopes or packing boxes, reuse the packaging from any online deliveries sent to you this week.
Trim boxes to size if needed and cut off any unnecessary cardboard.
If you haven’t saved any packaging over the year, ask a neighbour or post a request on street or community WhatsApp groups or forums.
It’s also worth checking out any communal recycling bins for items you can repurpose.
BETTER TOGETHER: Rather than sending multiple smaller parcels, combine gifts into one larger box. This simplifies shipping and usually costs less, especially if the items are lightweight.
One big parcel is often far cheaper than several small ones.
SNUG SAVING: Oversized parcels often cost more to send.
Remove bulky outer packaging where possible and tightly pack items using just enough padding to protect them — you could try scrunching up this newspaper after you’ve read it, and packing it around the edges to prevent items from moving around inside the packaging.
COMPARE & CONTRAST: Use a comparison site such as Parcel2go.com to make sure you’re getting the cheapest delivery deal for your gifts.
Some companies offer a flat-rate fee instead of a weight-based fee for a certain size of delivery box which could work out cheaper if sending heavy gifts.
CHECK out the 50 per cent off sale at HSamuel.co.uk – this Sekonda Maverick Men’s Chronograph watch was £59.99, now £28.99.
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WARM up with an Options White Hot Chocolate – a tub was £5, now £2.50 when you use your Tesco Clubcard.
SAVE: £2.50
GET three months of Amazon Music Unlimited, with ad-free listening and thousands of songs, absolutely free for a limited time.
The subscription reverts back to £10.99 after the trial period.
HAVE a merry Grinchmas!
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SHOP for Christmas gifts at Claires.com, and when you buy three presents, you get three free on selected ranges including new Wicked merchandise.
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DANNY DYER landed the most unlikely job of his career – as a teacher.
I can reveal his latest role isn’t even being filmed, as he has been giving advice to a class of performing arts students at a school.
One of the pupils happens to be his daughter Sunnie – who he has tipped to follow him into acting.
But it has not been plain sailing for the former EastEnders actor, as he has already been told off for his bad language.
Danny said: “I did swear a lot in the lessons.” Also, some of the students did not complete the task he set.
He added: “Hardly any of them learned their f***ing lines.
“I said to them, if you want to be an actor, you’ve got to learn lines. It’s the most f***ing basic thing.”
Asked on the Live And Let Dyers’ podcast if he would like the job full-time, he said: “Let’s not go too far.
“I’m not exactly ‘Good morning Mr Dyer’ and all that caper.”
MALCOLM In The Middle is being revived to mark its 25th anniversary.
Cast members Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek will return to the family comedy for a four-episode run on Disney+.
The original show ran for seven series before ending in 2006.
ACTION hero Idris Elba will return in his role as a sleep-time saviour for CBeebies Bedtime Story.
He was one of the first celebrities to read a tale for the night-time slot in 2017.
Now he will lead the festive line-up, which also features Kylie Minogue.
The Aussie pop singer will appear on Christmas Day.
Other famous faces who will grace the big red chair are children’s TV favourite Justin Fletcher, comic Mo Gilligan, pop star Perrie Edwards, Happy Valley actor James Norton and wrestler Cody Rhodes.
Idris kicks things off on Saturday, when he reads Hedgehog’s Big Balloon by Nick Butterworth.
On Christmas Day, Kylie has The Australian 12 Days of Christmas by Michael Salmon – complete with 12 possums playing, 11 lizards leaping, and a kookaburra in a gum tree.
ROWAN ATKINSON will be back on the box with Man Vs Baby, after his success with Man Vs Bee.
The comedy great returns as stressed-out Trevor Bingley, who finds himself with another unwelcome companion.
Production has started on the four-parter which airs on Netflix next year.
THE BBC will mark the 50th anniversary of Sir David Attenborough‘s landmark production Life On Earth with a triumphant special.
The 1979 series set the template for modern natural history programmes.
The corporation’s natural history unit has already begun work on Life On Earth At 50 and is “optimistic” that Sir David, now 98, can be involved.
He no longer films on location but still narrates series, such as recent hit Asia.
A BBC source told Deadline: “Life On Earth was a pivotal series in global natural history filmmaking, so naturally the BBC will be marking this anniversary.”
Life On Earth featured the now-iconic scenes of Sir David sitting among a group of mountain gorillas.
SKY has announced its release date for the third series of The White Lotus, one of 2025’s the most eagerly anticipated dramas.
The first two series of the black comedy, which were released in 2021 and 2022, received huge acclaim.
Now the new eight-parter will drop on February 17 with creator, director and writer Mike White returning to take the reins.
Familiar names in the cast include Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Aimee Lou Wood.
The first outings were set in the tropical climates of Hawaii and Sicily, but the action now moves to an exclusive resort in Thailand.