IF the thought of wriggling back into your swimsuit fills you with dread, you’re far from alone.

According to new research from lingerie and swimwear brand Pour Moi, only seven per cent of women feel fully fabulous stepping out in their cossies. Just seven.

David Cummings

I recruited size 14, mum-of-one Michelle Court to test out this miracle swimsuit (pictured in her normal swimsuit)[/caption]

David Cummings

Available for £27.99 on Amazon in six different colours, the cossie completely showcased Michelle’s figure[/caption]

The rest of us? We’re artfully draped in sarongs, in tent shaped cover-ups or doing that frantic towel dance by the pool in a bid to stay incognito.

Because let’s be honest, hauling last summer’s swimwear from the bottom drawer rarely feels good.

That magical tummy control? Stretched beyond salvation. The ‘statement colour’? More like a fading memory, now tinged with SPF smears and fake tan mishaps.

Then comes the dreaded try-on. You catch a glimpse in the mirror and bam – any flicker of body confidence evaporates faster than your iced rosé in a midday heatwave.

But here’s the thing, it’s not just you.

We’ve all had the mirror moment. We’ve all sworn under our breath in badly lit changing rooms. And we’ve all wished, more than once, that swimwear came with built-in courage.

But those dreams could become a reality.

Whilst on the search for swimwear this year, I turned my attention to TikTok which, like it or not, is a good barometer for consumer style reviews.

The first one I stumbled-scrolled upon was a brand called Cupshe.

A top selling American swimwear brand that does ship to the UK and is available on Amazon. So far, so good.

Cupshe is a brand that on the surface sounds like every other swimwear brand with words like ‘empower’, ‘inspire’ and ‘support’.

But the brand’s Slim & Sculpt swimsuit caught my eye.

A viral clip racking up millions of views featuring three women, all different in shapes and sizes, slip into the same figure-loving cossie.

The secret? A corset-style lace-up back that cinches in all the right places, giving each of them an envy-inducing hourglass shape.

In the comments section one fan of the swimwear gushed: “These make you feel SO confident – and that speaks volumes!”

Another said: “Just got mine and I can’t believe how good it looks.”

I’m immediately sold – but I need to see it in the flesh.

Available for £27.99 on Amazon in six different colours, I recruited size 14, make-up artist and mum-of-one Michelle Court, 41, from Rochford, Essex, to test out this miracle swimsuit.

“Every time it comes to going on holiday I get a new cossie,” says Michelle.

“I used to be a bikini Queen and never think of pulling on a one-piece, but after a baby my confidence to show off my body has dwindled.

“These days I love a swimsuit for holding everything in.

“When I’m looking for my new holiday swimsuit I always try to hunt for one with a really good shape that flatters my figure, doesn’t dig in too much and one that keeps everything in its place.”

Medium is the corresponding Cupshe size for Michelle’s UK dress size but out of the packet, the cossie looks rather small. We both agree it might be a struggle to get it on.

But two minutes later Michelle is out of the dressing room in the red lycra number and looks like she’s ready to run in slow motion down the beach. So far, so Baywatch.

David Cummings

The secret? A corset-style lace-up back that cinches in all the right places[/caption]

David Cummings

Michelle felt like the Special K lady[/caption]

tiktok@blossom.bonds

Cupshe is a top-selling American swimwear brand – and is popular on TikTok[/caption]

“I look like the Special K Lady,” says Michelle. “It’s like I’ve been on weight loss injections!”

She was right, this swimsuit completely showcased her figure – and not a fat jab in sight.

I was dubious as to whether swimwear can really be that transformative but from seeing Michelle in a thousand-wash beige costume that had zero bust support or elasticity, the change was undeniable.

She said: “It really does hold you in, like, cinches in everywhere – not like that old one from the loft.”

“Its got amazing bust support, it feels like someone has just come in behind me and lifted me – and lifted everything.
“I feel way more confident than I do in my usual costumes.”

Made from 92 per cent polyester and 8 per cent Spandex the swimming costume does the nipping and tucking with its fabric, but the real magic comes from the corsetry at the back.

You can tie it as loosely or as tight as you like to take inches off your waist and it really, really works.

And at the back the suit also gives great bum coverage, unlike many high street swimsuits that are barely bigger than a thong at the back.

Michelle said: “Honestly, I love it. It’s a 10/10 swimsuit… Can I take it home?”

HANDCUFFED to a chair and sweating profusely in a puffer jacket, Alana Moor was terrified she’d never be allowed to go home. 

The 24-year-old was due to fly back home to Canada from Panama when she was arrested for drug smuggling in March 2015. 

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Alana was given the suitcase containing drugs by people she trusted[/caption]

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She spent seven years in a crowded prison in Panama[/caption]

Alamy

She claims up to 60 women would be held in one cramped cell[/caption]

People she’d considered friends had persuaded her to take a suitcase, which contained 11 kilos of cocaine stashed in the lining.

Alana – who was sentenced to six years and nine months for her crime – says she was detained in a stinking prison cell where she was deprived of all basic necessities and preyed on by pervy male prison guards.

So she understands only too well the horror that alleged Brit drug mules Bella Culley, 18, Charlotte May Lee, 21, will be facing in Georgia and Sri Lanka respectively, after they too were caught smuggling the illegal substance. 

In an exclusive chat Alana, now 38, tells The Sun: “I was scared for my life as two armed officers put me into the back of a rickety truck. 

“I didn’t know where I was going, and I was terrified I was going to be raped or something. 

“After a while, they pulled up to this police station with a prison attached. 

“Once there I was strapped to a chair in the clothes I had planned to travel home in – winter items.

“They left me there for days, nowhere to go to the loo, wash, or not even allowed to take off a layer. It was humiliating.

“I had to wipe myself with my hand when I went to the loo where I was sat.

“When the guard came to unchain me, he retched at the smell of me.

“Just two weeks before I had been partying with NBA stars.”

Alana claims she was convinced to carry the case by a client she was styling, with ambitions of becoming a fashion designer.

She had been taken under the wing of the woman – who claimed to work for a famous US music star in Toronto.

Alana says the woman, who’ d become a friend, promised to introduce her to celebrities that could become potential clients – on the condition she took a holiday to Panama to pick up a suitcase and bring it back to Canada for the musician.

Alana claims they promised to get her out of Panama safely if anything went wrong because they had top lawyers.

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Alana spent her sentence in a jail that often had power outages and poor sanitation[/caption]

AFP

Alana claims prison officers often treated the women badly[/caption]

She admits she suspected the suitcase contained something illegal, telling The Sun she thought it was likely drugs, passports or cash.

The friend promised Alana that on her return she’d be introduced to the music mogul and become their stylist.

But her dream was shattered when border officers found the cocaine stash hidden in the suitcase lining.

Alana says she was strip-searched at the airport and made to watch as cops pulled out the packages, which she’d naively thought was insulation. 

She was then handed a form in Spanish and told by a translator to cooperate and sign it – but later discovered it confirmed everything in the case was hers. 

In the first Panama prison she was detained in, Alana says they sent one meal, a bottle of water and a can of Coke, and claims it was the only food she was given while shackled to the chair.

She was later moved to an all-female prison to await her court date.

Violent offenders

After being handed a six year, nine-month sentence, Alana was moved to an overcrowded female prison in the centre of Panama.

When she arrived at the jail, she says there were 26 women to one cramped room. By the time she left that number was closer to 60.

Many were in prison for murder and other violent offences. 

But the majority had been caught with drugs and arrested to show officials were taking an active stance in the war on drugs. 

“Prison in Panama is nothing like prison in the US, Canada or the UK,” she says. 

“As I was being taken in, the guard said to me, ‘There are laws in this country, but as soon as you cross these bars, the laws don’t apply’.

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Alana uses her experience to provide incarcerated women with basic hygiene packages[/caption]

“I had nothing given to me, just the clothes I was wearing. I had to shower with laundry detergent for the first two weeks.

“I wasn’t given any underwear, no toilet paper or sanitary products. When I got my period I had to free bleed, with blood soaking my clothes as I went about my day.

“Guards and other inmates would tell me I smelt like blood, but there was nothing I could do. No woman should ever be put in that position.”

Thankfully Alana’s parents were allowed to visit and could bring supplies and money for her to buy things she needed – but she says that didn’t always make things better. 

“Depending on who was guarding when we were sent outside for work, sometimes we wouldn’t be allowed back in to use the bathroom,” she recalls.

“And when I was on my period, that would mean I used to have to just bleed through whatever sanitary product I was wearing. It was vile.”

Horrifying searches

Alana claims it was common for prison guards to randomly search cells in the middle of the night or early hours of the morning to try to seize phones or drugs that had been brought into the prison.

Often these raids came with humiliating strip searches for the women. 

“One morning, 80 balaclava-wearing officers burst in and sprayed us with pepper spray,” she recalls. 

“I was in my underwear. They took people out to be strip searched.”

I’d find notes in my stuff from the male guards telling me I was pretty or that they wanted me to be their girlfriend.

Alana Moor

Alana claims she was made to bend over and officers pointed to her tampon string, demanding she remove it.

“I tried to refuse, but they didn’t care,” she says.

“I was then made to sit in the corner of the cell while they searched it for 45 minutes holding this bloody tampon in my hand while bleeding everywhere. 

“Six male officers watched me as I left the room and then sat where I was told. It was horrendous and inhumane.”

Indecent propositions

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Alana claims officers would target her because she was a foreigner[/caption]

Male officers also brazenly attempted to woo girls they were supposed to be guarding, Alana claims. 

“Often after raids I’d find notes in my stuff from the male guards telling me I was pretty or that they wanted me to be their girlfriend,” Alana says. 

“They’d leave their phone number because they knew we had mobiles. I was often targeted for being the ‘white gringo’ in the prison.”

Alana says having a mobile phone was commonplace, and hiding them became a lucrative business for inmates. 

Everyone was hustling to try to make money. Drugs were dropped of at night by gangs.

Alana Moor

Women would be paid $100 to put them in intimate places to stop them being taken, with Alana claiming some girls fit “up to five” in their private parts.

“Everyone was hustling to try to make money,” she says.

“Drugs were also common. They’d be dropped in at night by gangs who would post them through the tiny letter box windows in the concrete jail.”

Vile conditions

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Alana says facilities in the prison were poor and rarely worked for several days[/caption]

Alana claims it was common for power and water at the prison to fail for days on end, leaving them without showers or facilities to wash. 

“We’d be having to put our excrement in bin bags because we couldn’t flush the toilets,” she recalls. 

“Then we’d be given a bucket of water to shower with for the days the power was out. This was all while it was extremely hot.

“It just wasn’t sanitary. I’d get sick a lot because the water wasn’t particularly clean. I had to beg and pay to get purified water. 

There are just layers and layers of trauma being piled onto you when you’re inside. They treat you like you’re nothing.

Alana Moor

“Often the food we were given was rotten, but you had to eat it in order to survive.

“There are just layers and layers of trauma being piled onto you when you’re inside. They treat you like you’re nothing.”

Alana used her prison time to do every course she could, even teaching herself Spanish.

She also worked out for two hours every day and helped teach other women how to exercise to keep themselves fit. 

Warning to Brit drug mules

East2West

Bella Culley was arrested in Georgia for smuggling cannabis from Thailand[/caption]

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Bella is being held in an all-female prison near Tbilisi called Penitentiary No 5[/caption]

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A view inside the prison where Bella is being held and could remain for decades[/caption]

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Former air hostess Charlotte May Lee is accused of smuggling £1.2million of cannabis into Sri Lanka[/caption]

Now she is a motivational speaker and offers dignity packages to women who find themselves in prison, and helps families advocate for drug mules in similar situations. 

Alana is horrified by the growing number of young British women who have recently been caught attempting to smuggle drugs.

Former air hostess Charlotte May Lee is in a Sri Lankan jail accused of smuggling £1.2million of cannabis while pregnant Bella Culley from County Durham was arrested in Georgia for smuggling cannabis from Thailand.

This week it emerged another young mum, Cameron Bradford, is being detained in Germany for allegedly smuggling cannabis in her bags on a flight from Thailand.

Alana says: “I feel so sad for them, but the best thing they can do now is take accountability for their actions, as hard as that is. 

“It’s easy to blame other people, but you’ve made this decision. The best and worst thing about prison is time, so use that time wisely.

“The end goal is to come out better than you went in.

“For their parents, support and love your child. They need you now more than ever.

“They know they’ve made a mistake, and getting mad at them won’t make that any better.

“I will be reaching out to their families to offer help and support in any way I can.”

Alana Moor is founder of The Hour Glass Movement, which provides dignity packages to women in prison. She also works as a motivational speaker, life coach and an advocate for women in prison, working with Lenola PR.

THERE’s rarely a dull Saturday in the racing world, though you’ll definitely need to dust off your top hat for this weekend’s action.

The cream of the thoroughbred crop is off to Epsom for the Betfred Derby, the second Classic of the season for the three-year-old colts.

This year’s race feels open, with the favourite being Delacroix for the insatiable Aidan O’Brien at the time of writing, a trainer who has won this a record 10 times. Delacroix has strong form and a pedigree that suggests he’ll stay this trip, but plenty deserve a look. 

Leading the opposition are key trial winners Ruling Court and Pride Of Arras, while the unbeaten French horse Midak has been supplemented for this in the colours of the late Aga Khan IV – with the race being run in his honour.

We’ve taken an in-depth look at the fields to bring you our very best Epsom Derby betting predictions below, with tips in each and every race at Epsom Downs on Saturday. 

2025 Derby Day: picks and tips

The card for Epsom Derby Day is a fabulous one, with no less than three Group contests across the eight-race card, as well as some seriously competitive handicap heats. 

With each race looking fairly tricky to solve, we’ve picked out a bet in each and every race for you below, including in the Derby itself. Odds are provided by our recommended horse racing sites.

• Bermuda Longtail – 5/1 to win the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at BetMGM
• Persica – 2/1 to win the Diomed Stakes at bet365
• Ruby’s Profit – 59/20 to win the 3YO Dash Handicap at SBK
• Spartan Arrow – each-way at 25/2 to win the Aston Martin Dash at SBK
• Delacroix – 3/1 to win the Epsom Derby at Tote
• Maxi King – each-way at 16/1 to win the Northern Dancer Handicap at bet365
• Hornsea Bay – 5/1 to win the Lester Piggott Handicap at BetVictor
• Badri – 7/1 to win the JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap at BetMGM

2025 Derby Day schedule 

There’s plenty to get stuck into on Derby Day, with the big race due off at 3.30pm. You can find the full schedule for Saturday’s meeting at Epsom Downs below. 

Start time	Race	Distance
1:00 pm	5:40 pm	1M 113Y
1:35 pm	The Betfred Diomed Stakes (Group 3)	1M 113Y
2:10 pm	The Betfred 3YO ‘Dash’ Handicap Stakes	5F
2:45 pm	The Aston Martin ‘Dash’ Handicap Stakes (Heritage Handicap)	5F
3:30 pm	The Betfred Derby (In honour of His Highness Aga Khan IV) (Group 1)	1M 4F
4:15 pm	The Encore Lifestyle Northern Dancer Handicap Stakes	1M 4F
5:00 pm	The Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Lester Piggott Handicap Stakes	1M 2F
5:40pm	The JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap Stakes	6F

Our best pick for the 2025 Betfred Epsom Derby (Group 1) 

A stellar renewal of the UK’s most prestigious Flat race. Several trial winners feature, including 2000 Guineas hero Ruling Court. That form has been boosted since by the runner-up Field Of Gold winning the Irish equivalent, though he must prove he stays the trip.

Pride Of Arras’ victory in top trial the Dante Stakes stands out and while he has modest connections by the Derby’s standards, he looked very classy indeed when striking at York. Behind him was The Lion In Winter, a top juvenile from last year who could build on his reappearance in sixth. Unbeaten French challenger Midak is fascinating, but Delacroix looks the best option.

A high-class juvenile, he returned by winning the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown in March, a race which has produced four Derby winners this century. This year’s form has been boosted too, with the second (Lambourn) and the fourth (Puppet Master) going on to win trials in their own right. The choice of Ryan Moore, he appeals as a horse who will handle any ground and improve for the step up in trip. He looks the best option for his all-conquering trainer.

Back Delacroix at 3/1 with Tote to win the Epsom Derby

1:00 – Group 3 The Princess Elizabeth Stakes tip

This is a tricky puzzle to solve. The ground could be sticky by post time and Skellet is versatile in that regard, winning a Listed contest in the autumn. She is interesting, while Bright Thunder would be one to note if the heavens opened. 

Both Chic Colombine (second) and Royal Dress (third) had nightmare runs in this last year and are back for more, but Bermuda Longtail catches the eye. Admittedly, three-year-olds don’t have a great record in this, but she’s got better with each of her four runs and is fancied to improve past several of these, with her price of 5/1 with BetMGM looking fair. 

Back Bermuda Longtail in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at 5/1 with BetMGM

1:35 – Group 3 The Betfred Diomed Stakes prediction 

This race is named after the inaugural Derby winner and several deserve a look. Docklands jointly leads the betting at the time of writing some classy form under his belt, though the undulations of Epsom may not play to his strengths considering he’s at his best on straight miles. 

German challenger Geography is interesting for a yard who have had success on these shores before, but it’s hard to ignore joint favourite Persica at 2/1 with bet365. He found Group 1 company at Newbury too hot last time, but had been progressing well prior to that and will handle the track having won a handicap on this day last year. 

Back Persica in the Diomed Stakes at 2/1 with bet365

2:10 – The Betfred 3YO ‘Dash’ Handicap Stakes pick

A fast and furious affair, in which the thriving Ruby’s Profit ought to take all the beating. The daughter of Profitable has bags of speed and couldn’t be in better form, still looking ahead of her mark when picking up a second win of the campaign at Goodwood last time. A 3.95 favourite with SBK, she only has one way of running and a 6lbs rise may not be enough to stop her from going in again. The reopposing Mademoiselle finished well behind the favourite last time and she rates as a big threat if she is able to learn from that experience. 

Back Ruby’s Profit in the 3YO Dash at 59/20 with SBK

2:45 – The Aston Martin ‘Dash’ Handicap Stakes pick

A fiendishly difficult puzzle to solve, particularly when you note that five of the last 10 winners have returned at odds of 16/1 or higher. A mixture of a good draw and tactical speed can often prove to be a good combination, drawing the eye to Spartan Arrow. He’s got low mileage for a sprinter but has been kept busy this year, winning twice from five starts. The latest of those wins was a career best effort to win from the front in April. He faded at York last time, but he’s a strong traveller and it would be no surprise to see him give this a good go from a high draw. It looks worth backing him each-way at 13.5 with SBK. 

Back Spartan Arrow each-way in the Dash at 25/2 with SBK

4:15 – The Encore Lifestyle Northern Dancer Handicap Stakes predictions

Yet another tough equation and a chance is taken on Maxi King each-way. He was thriving when completing a hat-trick in the mud this time last year and while he’s been in and out since, he signed off with a solid run at Doncaster in November. He’s capable of running well fresh and returns having had a gelding operation over the winter. It would be no surprise to see him go well here should the rain continue to fall and he looks worth backing each-way at around 16/1 with bet365. Both Valvano and Small Fry have plenty going for them in opposition and can’t be ruled out, either. 

Back Maxi King each-way in the Northern Dancer Handicap at 16/1 with bet365

5:00 – The Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Lester Piggott Handicap Stakes tip

A race in which excess rain would cause havoc, with plenty of these showing their best form on faster ground. Chartwell Jack represents a yard that has won this three times in the last 10 years and is respected after a solid run at Ascot last time, while Grecian Legacy showed plenty of improvement for a gelding operation when winning on reappearance at Goodwood. 

War Hawk is another last time out winner that can’t be ignored, but Hornsea Bay could be the way to go. He’s shown some fairly useful form so far and while he struggled last time, he has been gelded since and should suit the step up in trip. Trading at 5/1 with BetVictor, he gets the vote for his ultra-shrewd connections. 

Back Hornsea Bay in the Lester Piggott Handicap at 5/1 with BetVictor

5:40 – The JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap Stakes prediction

Yet another sprint race on the card that looks wide open. Circe arrives here in the form of her life, after back-to-back successes over six furlongs this term. She had to dig deep last time and faces a career high mark but is respected, while Eye Of Dubai and Rousing Encore would come into play on soft ground. 

A chance is taken however on the 2023 winner Badri. A ten-time winner, he was 8lbs higher when taking this two years ago and is slipping down to a tempting mark. Drawn in stall one, he can strike under Hollie Doyle, with his price of 7/1 with BetMGM looking more than fair. 

Back Badri in the Tokyo Trophy Handicap at 7/1 with BetMGM

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware – GambleAware.org

Read our guide on responsible gambling practices.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

HOLLY Willoughby is looking on the bright side and enjoying some downtime after her Netflix show was axed.

The beloved TV personality shared a new photo today, beaming in a make-up free selfie while she walked her dog.

Instagram

Holly Willoughby looked happy and carefree in her latest selfie[/caption]

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The star’s Netflix show Celebrity Bear Hunt has been axed after one series[/caption]

Netflix

The star hosted the series which was set in the Costa Rican jungle[/caption]

With the pup focusing on the path ahead, Holly looked cosy in a dark olive raincoat, wide-rimmed brown hat and a pair of wellies as she went for a stroll.

She joked in the caption: “Raincoat hat wellies … must be June ”

The star seems to be in good spirits despite her latest show, Celebrity Bear Hunt, was axed by Netflix after only one season.

This means for the first time in 20 years Holly doesn’t have an active show on television.

The series saw Holly head to Costa Rica with survival expert Bear Grylls to put 12 celebs through their paces to test their survival skills.

At the end of May, Bear had teased they had big plans for the show going forward while on an appearance on BBC Radio 2.

He said: “God willing, we are bringing Bear Hunt back, nd we’re hoping to do it live so it’s going to be a live version, which Netflix have never done before.

“Raw, real, hunt them down!”

However, just two weeks later it was revealed the streamer had pulled the plug on the service.

The decision not to recommission the heavily backed series comes following a series of last ditch production meetings where various cost-cutting measures were discussed.

A source told The Sun: “Everyone involved with Bear Hunt is absolutely gutted – they loved the format, and it actually hit its targets from the streaming side.

“But the overall cost of travel, insurance and, of course, securing big name talent proved too dear – it was completely untenable even after they looked at filming closer to home, and making more of a budget show.

“It is no slight on Holly or Bear either and execs are now trying to find another formula for them to showcase their talents.

“Naturally it’s a real blow to Holly as it’s the latest show to have time called, but she’s a professional and knows that sometimes this is how it goes.”

However, despite the end of the show, Holly’s team aren’t worried – with the host already working on new projects.

“She’s got a number of other exciting projects in the pipeline.” they said. “That’s showbiz, after all.”

hollywilloughby/Instagram

Holly and Bear tested the survival skills of celebrities in the reality show[/caption]

PA

Despite a strong line-up, Netflix has opted not to renew the show[/caption]

The supermarket is celebrating its loyalty card's 30th birthday.

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International travellers arriving from a select group of airports, including Ireland's Dublin and Shannon, breeze through customs — without an American passport.

It’s a once in a lifetime experience (and deal).

The England international had some huge offers.