New York State

FORMER Corrie star Michelle Keegan has signed a six-figure advertising deal to become the new face of Sky.

She is set to film a series of promo clips — which will be shown around the globe — with fellow British actor, Luther star Idris Elba.

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Michelle Keegan has signed a six-figure advertising deal to become the new face of Sky[/caption]

Getty

Michelle’s comedy-drama Brassic one of the most popular series to air on the platform[/caption]

The deal is Michelle’s first major job since she gave birth to her daughter Palma in March.

She landed the deal after becoming a major player for Sky, with her comedy-drama Brassic one of the most popular series to air on the platform.

A source said: “Michelle has really been enjoying maternity leave with Palma, but she’ll be back to work soon to film these new adverts for Sky.

“She has signed a six-figure deal for the job and is thrilled to have been chosen to appear alongside Idris, who has been their ‘face’.

“Brassic is ending after the seventh series and Michelle is keen to still be a part of the Sky brand.

“Landing this ad is huge for Michelle, as she’s fast becoming a brand in her own right.

“Everything she touches seems to turn to gold.”

The actress, 38, found fame as Tina McIntyre on Coronation Street after joining the ITV soap in 2007.

But it was after she left in 2014 her career really took off, with hits such as BBC military drama Our Girl from 2016 to 2020, playing Georgie Lane.

Last year, she had the starring role as Maya Stern in Netflix’s Harlan Coben thriller Fool Me Once — which racked up more than 100 million views globally.

The show became the streaming service’s most watched series of 2024, beating Bridgerton and Baby Reindeer.

Michelle also stars in the BBC’s Australian drama Ten Pound Poms.

The Sun revealed last year that the Manchester-born actress, who is married to Heart radio DJ and former The Only Way is Essex star Mark Wright, 38, was sitting on a £3.6million fortune.

Michelle admitted leaving Coronation Street after six years had pushed her onwards to succeed with her career.

She said: “For me, it was a massive learning platform.

“I took a long, long time to decide to leave. It was very hard.

“And then, when they told me they were killing off my character and there was no going back, I thought I would never work again.

“My security was ripped away, which made me push forward and work harder.”

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A PET tortoise thought to be a boy for 95 years turned out to be a girl.

Joey finally came out of her shell at a vet’s examination shortly before her death from a stomach tumour last week.

Supplied

Joey, who ate lettuce and strawberries, was well-known among locals in Whitwell[/caption]

The African spurred tortoise was bought from high street chain Woolworths in 1930 by Louise Dimmock, as a gift for son Alan.

Joey spent the next nine decades being passed down through the family — ending up with Alan’s granddaughter Lorraine Steward.

The cabin crew trainee, 43, said: “We always thought he was a boy until we took him to the vets to be examined before his death.

“We knew something was wrong as he wasn’t taking his food.

“He had never needed to go to the vet before and it’s difficult to check the gender. They were stunned he had done so well.

“They were examining him and revealed, ‘I’m led to believe he’s actually a girl’.

“We couldn’t believe it. Maybe he was more of a Josephine than a Joey all this time. But after knowing him as a boy for 95 years, we’re not going to change now.”

Joey, who ate lettuce and strawberries, was well-known among locals in Whitwell, Herts.

Lorraine added: “We will all miss him greatly. He lived a simple life. He was very low maintenance and happy as anything.”

Supplied

The pet tortoise thought to be a boy for 95 years turned out to be a girl[/caption]

WITH a whopping 324million pints sold last year, cider is now the most popular alcoholic drink after beer.

And it’s not just classic versions we are enjoying – because premium fruit-flavoured options account for 72 per cent of orders.

As pub gardens gear up to supply us with refreshing summer pints, Alex James – Blur bassist, Big Feastival founder and now cider maker – gives his verdict on an array of the flavoured tipples.

Rattler Pineapple Cider

500ml, 3.4%, £2.75, Tesco

Olivia West

The Rattler Pineapple Cider is full of fresh pineapple flavour[/caption]

IT’S perfectly possible to make cider from just apples and nothing else.

Apple skins carry natural yeasts that will cause juice left in a barrel over the winter to ferment and magically transmogrify into cider by spring.

This minor miracle has always been more than enough for me, but I can see the appeal of adding exotic flavourings to spice things up a bit.

Unsurprisingly, this one tastes a bit like Lilt. It’s full of fresh pineapple flavour and would be great, Hawaiian pizza-style, with cheese on toast.

Also makes me think I’d love to try an alcoholic drink made purely from fermented pineapple juice.

That really would be something.

RATING: 5/5

Alska Strawberry & Lime Cider

500ml, 3.4%, £1.99, Aldi

Olivia West

This Swedish cider tastes exactly like a ‘red’ flavour freeze pop[/caption]

A SWEDISH cider with an eye-catching label bursting with colourful illustrations of fresh strawberries and limes.

It’s almost like they’re tricking you into thinking you’re buying a yoghurt of some kind, rather than a bottle of booze with added sugar and flavourings.

It must be hard enough growing apples and strawberries in Sweden, let alone limes, but we’ll skim over that.

It tastes exactly like a “red” flavour freeze pop. It’s too overwhelmingly sugary to pair with a lot of foods or other drinks.

But pouring it over ice would dampen the sweetness and make it a decent lunchtime aperitif.

On a boiling hot day, upgrading from a crafty Mr Freeze to one of these in the garden wouldn’t be a bad idea.

RATING: 2/5

Crumpton Oaks Strawberry Fruity Cider

568ml, 4%, £1.50, Tesco

Olivia West

This can of cider tastes of strawberry flavour rather than actual strawberries[/caption]

A MIGHTY, pint-sized can of cider. It’s very pink and very sweet and it’s among the stronger offerings in today’s field at four per cent alcohol by volume.

It tastes of strawberry flavour rather than actual strawberries, but is by far the cheapest of the bunch.

If it’s value you’re after, you could easily add a shot of strawberry syrup to your favourite cider, but if it’s strawberry flavour convenience that you want, then look no further.

Syrupy sweet, so might be nice as a pudding wine alternative.

Try it with ice cream or apple pie, or maybe even delivered lovingly to the wife while she’s halfway through a long soak in a bubble bath.

RATING: 3/5

Old Mout Kiwi & Lime Cider

500ml, 4%, £2.38, Asda

Olivia West

This cider smells like a bag of Jelly Babies and tastes like an exotic species of Fanta[/caption]

IF the idea was to train your children in how to drink alcohol, this would be the perfect way to get them started.

It might be an alcoholic tipple, but it smells like a bag of Jelly Babies and tastes like an exotic species of Fanta. I have to say I rather liked it.

I can see it going down really well at a barbecue as it’s full of fizz, with enough zest and fruitiness to square up to the traditional burned sausage.

That said, I’ve also got a feeling you could get something very similar for much cheaper by adding a shot of already-open booze, like vodka, to a glass of your favourite fruity fizzy pop.

RATING: 4/5

Pulpt Melba (White Peach & Scottish Raspberry) Cider

500ml, 3.4%, £2.65, Tesco

Olivia West

This cider would work best served as cold as possible on a swelteringly hot sunny day[/caption]

THIS cider reminds me of the rhubarb-and-custard chews I used to enjoy on my Saturday morning trips to the sweet shop as a child.

It looks like a glass of plain old cider but then, when you try it, you get a good biff of raspberry flavour. Any peachiness was harder to detect.

As with most of these cheap and cheerful drinks, I think older teens would love it, but whatever your age, it would work best served as cold as possible on a swelteringly hot sunny day.

You’re basically getting a two-for-one alcohol and sugar hit.

It would also ride very nicely alongside a pork pie or a Scotch egg at a picnic.

RATING 2/5

Woodgate Blood Orange Cider

(4x440ml), 3.4%, £2.99, Lidl

Olivia West

This blood-orange tinned tipple actually tastes nothing like cider[/caption]

THERE are so many things I like about cider. Apple orchards are enchanting places – the Biblical Garden of Eden, which was a paradise, was an orchard, after all.

Even relatively recently, cider was used as currency to pay farm workers, so whoever made the best cider got the best workers.

And it helped lead to a revolution in British glass manufacturing that ultimately shaped the drinking habits of the entire world.

This blood-orange tinned tipple actually tastes nothing like cider at all. Instead, it looks, tastes and smells just like a famous orange fizzy drink.

But it would make a decent birthday breakfast substitute for a Buck’s fizz. Or swig it as an accompaniment to a weekend fast food smash.

RATING: 4/5

AS my odd-looking taxi pulled up, it was comforting to know that the driver couldn’t have downed a skinful the night before.

And I was certain this cabbie wouldn’t spend the journey telling me why my football team, Crystal Palace, aren’t as good as I think they are.

Paul Edwards

Robot Jaguar I-PACE has a light on top that displays the name of the person it is picking up[/caption]

Paul Edwards

The Sun’s Oliver sitting in a Waymo vehicle waiting for it to take him on his 1.6-mile journey[/caption]

Paul Edwards

Navigating a multi-lane highway with no one at the wheel as traffic whizzes by[/caption]

That’s because there wasn’t a human behind the steering wheel. I was about to take a ride in an AI-powered robotaxi.

They are coming to Britain next year after driverless vehicles were given the go-ahead. Ride-hailing app Uber will be allowed to put passengers’ lives in the hands of artificial intelligence in London.

For someone who has struggled to comprehend tech since the invention of the SodaStream, this ride was a frightening prospect.

Well, would you get on an airliner without a pilot?

Gazing out on to the busy freeway in Phoenix, Arizona, with giant SUVs motoring past, I had a similar pang of nerves about riding in the driverless contraption that had come to pick me up.

More gadgets than Bond

I had read some horror stories about robotaxies going rogue.

In 2021, a self-driving car in the sunbelt city became confused by traffic cones then drove away from a technician sent to rescue it.

Eventually the Waymo motor had to be disabled so a human driver could get behind the wheel. The passenger filmed the 33-minute debacle and plastered it on YouTube.

Last year a General Motors-owned Cruise robotaxi struck and dragged a pedestrian 20 feet in San Francisco. The woman — who was injured — survived the ordeal.

And in 2018 a cyclist was killed by an Uber cyber car with a safety driver in Phoenix.

The back-up driver had been looking down to watch The Voice TV show which he was streaming when Elaine Herzberg, 49, crossed a darkened road in front of her.

It was the first fatal collision involving a fully autonomous vehicle.

Nevertheless, with self-driving cars being touted as the future of motoring, it was time for a test run.

Booking my ride was simple. I downloaded the app of Waymo One — a self-drive firm owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet — and punched in my details along with where I wanted to go.

With the thermometer hitting 39C in this desert city, I was on the hunt for a nice, cool pint of Guinness and was told Casey Moore’s Oyster House was the place to go.

At least there would be no argument about designated drivers.

Soon I was tracking the Waymo on my phone as it surged to my hotel through the early rush-hour traffic.

And then the gleaming white Jaguar I-PACE came into view — with no one at the wheel. On the roof was something that looked like a giant police blue light with my initials displayed on it.

Unlocking its door with the app, I sat in the back (no one is allowed in the driver’s seat) as the Waymo played calming elevator music.

Paul Edwards

Screen on dashboard to greet passenger and button they must press to get going[/caption]

Paul Edwards

Booking a ride on app, which is also used to unlock the door[/caption]

I pressed a screen between the front seats saying “start ride”. Then, a bit like KITT, the car from Eighties TV series Knight Rider, Waymo began talking.

As we pulled smoothly away from the hotel forecourt, the robotaxi told me to buckle up.

And then, with the steering wheel spinning as if by some invisible force, we eased into the Phoenix traffic as I let out an involuntary “whoaa!”

On the opposite side of the road cars were whizzing towards us but all-electric Waymo deftly navigated the right path before pulling up at a red light.

How did it know it was red? That’s one for the brainiacs. Swinging left into East Apache Boulevard, I caught sight of a couple of pedestrians ahead. How would the cyber motor react?

My Waymo One slowed and made sure to give them a wide berth.

That’s because it is bristling with more gadgets than a James Bond car.

Its sensors include cameras, radars and something called lidars which use lasers to create a 3D image of the vehicle’s surroundings.

The in-car computer then makes sense of all the data that Waymo is gathering.

And, learning to trust the tech, I was soon beginning to relax. All speed limits were observed and driving rules obeyed.

The ride was smooth and felt safe. Perhaps I was better off without a driver after all.

Wayve’s technology operates more like a human driver would learning to drive in one city and then applying that knowledge to drive in new places.

Bill Gates

Britain’s Department for Transport estimates that 88 per cent of road accidents are caused by human error. Soon we were pulling up outside the pub.

Keeping the rear door open a little too long, an actual human called Brian came through on Waymo’s intercom to check I was OK.

He was certainly more amenable than Johnny, the robot driver of the taxi in 1990 sci-fi flick Total Recall, who Arnold Schwarzenegger ripped out of the cab in frustration be- cause he was not listening to his in- structions.

My 14-minute journey over 1.6 miles had cost $9.33 (just over £7). And, unlike most things in America, there was no need to add a tip.

Waymo One serves 180 square miles of Arizona’s capital — that makes Phoenix the largest fully autonomous ride-hail service zone in the world.

After a couple of pints, I decided to summon another Waymo.

Not arriving at the front of the pub as I had imagined, it headed to- wards a park- ing lot at the back. Would the robotaxi be able to navigate this manoeuvre?

In May this year another empty Waymo trying to pick up its ride collided with a telephone pole in a Phoenix alleyway.

No one was injured but pictures show a fire crew attending the scene with the robotaxi suffering a crumpled front grill.

Hunk of metal

Waymo voluntarily recalled its 672-car fleet for a software update in what the company called a “safety-first approach”.

The crash was put down to the robotaxi’s software having “assigned a low damage score” to the pole. It had misjudged the danger because there was no kerb or clear road edge.

My Waymo pulled into the parking lot smoothly and confidently.

But, unlike many humans, could it parallel park? Indeed it could and reversing is no problem either.

And — despite having sampled some local beverages — there was no barked warning: “Mate, you’re not going to be sick in my cab, are you?” Soon this taxi was traversing the two miles to Society restaurant like a London cabbie with The Knowledge.

The 11-minute ride cost $13.31 (£10.25). Again, no tip required by the computer chip and its hunk of metal.

With millions employed as drivers across the globe, tech titans are investing billions in robo vehicle technology for what they see as a lucrative driverless future.

Last year Elon Musk unveiled Tesla’s Cybercab at the Warner Bros studio lot in Hollywood.

The world’s richest man insisted that the sleek, golden two-seater car without a steering wheel or pedals will be on sale “before 2027”.

Meanwhile Amazon-owned Zoox’s self-driving cars will soon be available to the public in Las Vegas.

In Scotland a robobus with a back-up driver plies a route over the Forth Road Bridge. Wuhan in China — where Covid was first detected — has more than 400 self-driving Apollo Go cars taking passengers.

Tech giant Baidu delayed increasing the fleet to a thousand after complaints by human taxi drivers.

A cab firm in the city accused the robotaxis of “taking jobs from the grass roots”.

It will be far from the last time humans protest about losing their jobs to AI-powered robots.

Self-driving cars could bring jobs, investment, and the opportunity for the UK to be among the world leaders in new technology.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander

Over here, the UK start-up Wayve will be teaming up with Uber for its taxi service next spring.

If all goes well, the plan is to roll out these services across the country in the second half of 2027 when last year’s Automated Vehicles Act comes fully into force.

Founded in 2017 by New Zealand-born Alex Kendall, Wayve believes it can produce robocars that are safer and cheaper than anyone else by giving the car “its own brain.” Its AI-driven software can be used to make any car self-driving using cameras.

The live images are used to train itself to drive by visual observation.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates went for a ride to get fish and chips in a Wayve-powered motor — with a back-up driver — while in London.

The tech giant said: “Other self-driving technologies work only on specific mapped streets.

“Wayve’s technology operates more like a human driver would learning to drive in one city and then applying that knowledge to drive in new places.”

In May, Wayve raised $1.05billion (£840million) in funding, with Microsoft and Nvidia, a leading chip-maker, among investors.

It is the largest known investment in an AI company in Europe to date.

According to the Department for Transport, the UK cybercar industry could be worth £42billion and create 38,000 jobs by 2035.

This week, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “The future of transport is arriving.

“Self-driving cars could bring jobs, investment, and the opportunity for the UK to be among the world leaders in new technology.”

Back in Phoenix, I summoned another Waymo for a ride back to my hotel.

By now I was relaxed enough to enjoy the experience of being driven through the night-time streets by a machine seemingly with a mind of its own.

Yet, as the journey progressed, I realised I was missing something.

There was no round-up of the Champions League scores and no chat about the most famous person to ride in the cab.

Waymos don’t do banter. You still need a human driver for that.

WE are sliding, dangerously, towards a civil war.

I hadn’t thought it would come to this. I got that wrong.

AFP

For two nights there has been mass rioting in Ballymena in Northern Ireland[/caption]

PA

We should brace for a summer of torched cars, smashed windows and thuggery[/caption]

AFP

The NI riots are a kind of mirror image of those we are seeing every night in Los Angeles[/caption]

For two nights there has been mass rioting in Ballymena in Northern Ireland. Hundreds of (largely) young men in balaclavas attacking the police, local businesses and any foreigner they can get their hands on.

More than 30 police officers have been injured. And the riots have spread — to Lisburn, Coleraine, Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey and the capital Belfast.

Of course, they have something in common with those riots we saw in mainland Britain last year. Hundreds took to the streets to complain about the sheer numbers of asylum seekers deposited in their towns.

They caused mayhem. And the Government responded by bending the law to get them shoved in prison as soon as possible. Even those who weren’t actually taking part in the demos, just posting about them from their homes.

That unjust and heavy-handed approach from the Government — and which led to the nickname Two-Tier Keir — showed they knew that trouble was just below the surface.

You can only stretch the patience of the people so far. And then it snaps back and really hurts.

In a sense, the riots are a kind of mirror image of those we are seeing every night in Los Angeles.

Except that in the case of California, it is immigrants and their supporters doing the rioting because they do not want to be kicked out of the country.

The cause, then, is the same. Immigration. Far too much of it. So much that it changes the culture of our towns and cities. And we end up feeling, as Starmer put it, living on an island of strangers.

Nobody in the UK voted for any of this. Nobody went down the ballot box and thought: Yep, I think we need a whole bunch of new immigrants. As many as we can get. Especially those immigrants who can’t speak English, don’t understand our way of life and have no intention of integrating.

Nobody voted for that. And yet over the past 25 years that’s what we have got. Since 2000, the population of the UK has increased by ten million — much of it the consequence of immigration.

It has been an epic disaster. And it means that after decades of getting along OK with the limited numbers coming in, now all bets are off. Because it has been a case of far, far too many. Far too quickly.

The Ballymena riots were in response to allegations of the attempted rape of a young local girl, for which two Romanian teens have been charged — although several other nationalities have been caught up in the backlash.

Pretty similar to what happened here last summer. But that’s not the root cause of the issue.

Remedy is simple

The real cause is successive governments which have allowed — and in both parties’ cases — encouraged more and more migrants to flood into the country.

The remedy is very simple. Call for a moratorium on immigration right now. No more in. You could adapt the phrase “Net Zero” for this policy. The first time ordinary members of the public will chant it with pleasure.

Because the way things are going, this is going to be the summer of torched cars, smashed windows and thuggery.

And the Government cannot say that it has not been warned.

WHERE IS THE PRIDE?

PA

We have not witnessed a worse England performance than in that defeat to Senegal[/caption]

LOOKING forward to the World Cup next year?

No, me neither. I don’t think I have ever witnessed a worse England performance than in that defeat to Senegal.

They swanned about, passing it back, passing it further back, boring the arse off the crowd.

They tried playing it out from the back. And Senegal were on to them every time. They didn’t even attempt to press the Africans when they were in possession.

Just lolled around. Not a moment of wit or brilliance – and we are supposed to be No4 in the world? You must be joking.

Senegal deserved their victory and in truth it could have been five.

I know it’s the end of a long season. I know it was just a friendly.

But do they not have any pride in pulling on that shirt?

GRETA STILL A MISERY

Shutterstock Editorial

Greta Thunberg has morphed into the role of Most Annoying Woman on Planet Earth[/caption]

WHAT was that Swedish Doom Goblin (SDG) trying to prove?

Greta Thunberg set off for Gaza in a boat with a load of pro-Hamas supporters.

She was caught by the Israelis and kicked out, told never to return.

What did this achieve, other than giving the SDG more publicity?

And the chance to do a bit of virtue signalling in front of the usual keffiyeh-bedecked idiots?

Sheesh, she was irritating enough when she was 14 and screaming “How dare you!” at anyone filling their car up with petrol.

But she’s morphed into the role of Most Annoying Woman on Planet Earth.

Can’t the Swedes ban her from leaving the country, or something?

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GOT yer Brazilian Bum Bum Cream yet?

Sol De Janeiro

Hurry, hurry. The yellow gunk is only about 50 quid a jar. And guess what “flavour” it is? Yup, pistachio.

Everything these days is pistachio. I’ve seen pistachio paint (used to be called “green”).

And pistachio perfume. Then there is pistachio-flavoured “Dubai Chocolate” at 14 quid a bar.

And now you can rub the great taste of pistachio on your arse, too.

Me? I think it’s all . . . nuts.

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JUDGES FAILING

A GUTTER thug called James Higginson killed his girlfriend’s two kittens.

Neighbours could hear the cries of distress as he bludgeoned them to death. Shouting, “How do you like this, stupid bitch?”

He tried to kill a third but the creature was rescued by the RSPCA.

And so what happened in court? A suspended sentence.

The halfwit of a judge, Patrick Mason, decided he shouldn’t go to jail. Because he had been suffering from mental health issues. As ever.

When are our courts going to take cruelty to animals seriously?

And understand that people who are capable of hurting animals will soon move on to hurting humans?

EXISTENCE OF GOD MAKES HOLE LOT MORE SENSE

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Physicists believe we may be living in the middle of an extremely large black hole, the existence of God makes sense[/caption]

SOME physicists believe we may be living in the middle of an extremely large black hole.

I suppose that might explain how my hair looks first thing in the morning.

And why I can’t raise the energy to get out of bed. It’s not utter laziness. I’m just pinned to my bed by an infinite chunk of gravity.

Thing is, the more I read the increasingly bizarre explanations for the existence of the universe from quantum scientists, the more I’m tempted to believe in the existence of a chap with a long white beard deciding everything.

Multiverses? Or we are all in a giant simulation, a kind of mash-up of Grand Theft Auto and World Of Warcraft? Or we’re actually living in a black hole?

What seems more probable to you – those ideas, or God?

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SO, another £30billion to be poured down the gaping, ravenous maw of the NHS.

Do you think things will get better? And meanwhile, the Government does a U-turn on winter fuel payments.

And Rachel Reeves cannot even bring herself to apologise for having scrapped it in the first place.

She says the economy is better now. So she can afford the payments. What drivel.

The economy is WORSE than it was when Reeves cut those payments. She got it wrong, simples.

And doesn’t have the character to admit it.

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ED, IT’S A START

THE Government has at last approved funding for Sizewell C nuclear plant.

It should have been built the best part of 40 years ago. But nuclear reactors are expensive.

And the anti-nuclear lobby very loud.

We need Sizewell C because relying on wind power is dangerous.

You can’t guarantee when the wind is going to blow. Nor, indeed, if it will blow too hard for the turbines.

A few more decisions like this and Ed Net Zero Miliband will almost be on the verge of joining the real world.

DEAR DEIDRE: SEX with my girlfriend is a flop – and I’m worried it’s because she reminds me of my late mother.

She’s not my normal type at all, but I love being around her.

It’s just whenever we try to have sex, I lose my erection.

I’m 57 and have been divorced for four years.

A few months ago, I decided to try dating again. I quickly met my now girlfriend, 48, on a dating site.

I generally like petite, dark women, and she’s tall and curvy with blonde hair, just like my mother was.

That did unsettle me a little, but I brushed the thought away.

Her personality instantly attracted me. She is so warm, kind and funny, and she has a successful career.

We had lots of interests in common too.

When we met up, I realised I had developed strong feelings for her. Being around her felt comfortable and easy.

We had lots of kisses and cuddles, and held hands in the street. So, the first time we went to bed together, I wasn’t worried.

But, within a couple of minutes, I lost my erection — and whatever we tried, I couldn’t get it back.

This has never happened before.

I’ve tried to reassure her that I do find her attractive, but it’s starting to affect our relationship, and I’m now questioning whether the problem is her resemblance to my mother.

The thought that my interest in her is some sort of weird incest thing makes me feel sick.

Of course, I haven’t mentioned this subject to her.

Please help before she leaves me.

DEIDRE SAYS: Being attracted to someone who looks like your mother isn’t uncommon, and doesn’t mean you ever wanted an incestuous relationship.

Perhaps you’re so comfortable around this woman because she feels familiar. But now you’ve focused on this, it has understandably become a turn-off.

And, like any psychological problem affecting sex, the more you worry, the more your erection problem happens.

Then again, you’re now 57, so it’s possible there’s a physical reason behind your inability to sustain arousal.

See your GP to rule out any health problems. My support pack, Erection Issues, has more information about this.

Sometimes, taking sex off the table for a while helps arousal to come back naturally. And the better you get to know your girlfriend, the less like your mum she will seem.

FAMILY LEFT ON THE BRINK OVER VIOLENT YOUNGER SIS

DEAR DEIDRE: MY younger sister is spiralling out of control, it’s destroying our family.

She’s become increasingly violent and, the other day, when we had a row, she punched me in the face, leaving me with a black eye. I’m scared she’s going to seriously hurt someone – or herself.

She’s 26 and I’m her 29-year-old big brother. She’s had behavioural problems since she was a teenager and has dabbled with drugs and alcohol too.

Yesterday, our dad tried to talk to her, and she threatened to jump out of the window, just to get attention.

Our parents are at a loss as to how to deal with her. They are distraught and I can see it’s taking a toll on their health.

I know she needs professional help – maybe even to be sectioned – but I don’t know where to start.

DEIDRE SAYS: Few people realise how much someone’s mental health struggles impact the whole family.

You’re right to be concerned and it does sound like your sister needs specialist help.

You and your parents also need support.

Contact Rethink Mental Illness (rethink.org), which helps people with mental health problems, and their loved ones. It has a Siblings Network.

If she’s in denial, you could also try talking to your sister’s GP.

Tell them you’re worried she’s a danger to herself and others.

FEEL GUILTY FOR JAILING VILE EX

DEAR DEIDRE: WHEN my abusive ex was sent to jail for his violent behaviour, I thought I’d finally feel safe and happy.

But instead, I just feel sorry for him and I’m scared that when he comes out he will convince me to take him back.

We were together for ten years and have a daughter together. I’m 30 and he’s 42.

He was physically abusive throughout our relationship and it got worse when I was pregnant. I often felt in danger for my life.

For a long time, I was scared to leave. Then I became afraid he’d start on our little girl.

I told him I wanted to break up. He said if I left, he’d break both my legs and put me in hospital for months, so I couldn’t look after her.

I went to the police and got a non-molestation order. But he broke it. As he had previous convictions, he ended up being sent down for three years.

I can’t move on. I keep thinking about him, feeling guilty that he’s in jail because of me.

I still love him and worry he might manipulate me into giving him another chance.

What can I do to stop feeling like this?

DEIDRE SAYS: He’s in prison because of his own actions. You protected yourself and your daughter which was the right thing to do and have no reason to feel guilty.

But your conflicted feelings are natural. You have a child together, and presumably some happy memories. Try to remind yourself how much he hurt you emotionally and physically.

Talking to one of the organisations listed in my support pack, Abusive Partner, and having counselling, will help you to work through your feelings and to build your strength so that you’re in a stronger place mentally when he comes out.

You can also get legal advice from Rights of Women (rightsofwomen.org.uk, 020 7251 6577).

I’M struggling to keep up with Elon Musk and his on/ off bromance with Donald Trump. 

Are they buddies again? 

simon thompson

simon thompson

The cabin gets a techy glow-up with the gear selector shifted to the screen – and wraparound LEDs[/caption]

simon thompson

One thing I do know is that Tesla sales are down eight per cent in Great Britainland. 

Some say it’s because Musk backed Trump for President, followed by that awkward hand gesture at the inauguration. 

Some say it’s the Chinese invasion. 

Maybe in part. 

But mostly it’s due to Tesla halting production of the mega-selling Model Y at its Berlin gigafactory to tool up for the new one. 

Now everything is sorted and sales are likely to take off like a Space X rocket. 

Here are ten things you need to know about the new motor. 

1. The old one was fugly. The world’s best-selling car two years on the bounce, yes. But still fugly.

That’s sorted now. This new one is more chiselled.

It’s like they’ve taken a photo of the Cybertruck to a surgeon and gone, “This please”.

The lower nose helps it slice through the air, adding a bit more range. 

2. They’ve deleted the Tesla badge from the bonnet. Confident move. 

3. But the biggest change is at the back. There’s a new reflective lightbar which highlights T E S L A written out in full.

Also, the rear diffuser sticks out more. So repair bills will be lower if you reverse into something you shouldn’t. Which helps with insurance too. 

4. The “frunk” — front trunk — now has a plughole in it. So you can fill it with ice for summer barbecues. Or store muddy boots. 

5. Cabin. The gear selector has moved to the big screen — like a Model 3.

But they’ve kept the indicator stalk. Unlike a Model 3.

The wrapround LED strip is new. The front seats will warm and cool your back. They didn’t before. Other things.

The seat bases are longer in the back. So they’re more comfortable.

There’s a little entertainment screen to play arcade games.

The front passenger seat moves forward at the touch of a button for limo-like legroom. 

6. Sound. It’s now much quieter in here which makes it feel more expensive. There’s extra insulation.

Acoustic glass. Redesigned door seals. All little details that add up. 

7. The boot is a smidge smaller. But you’ll never notice. I had to look it up.

The seats now fold up and down automatically, where they only folded flat before. You had to push them back up. 

8. The suspension has been tweaked so it rides better. Batteries and motors are unchanged.

But improved regenerative braking tech adds more electrons.

Every version should do 300 miles-plus, with the rear-wheel drive Long Range hitting 387 miles.

There’s talk of a bigger battery nudging 500 miles. 

9. Price. The standard rear-drive Model Y starts at £45k, which is £2k more than before. Not bad.

The all-singing all-wheel drive Long Range is £52k. 

10. This isn’t specific to Model Y but Tesla’s Supercharger network blows everyone else out of the water.

It’s next-level good. Quick. Easy. No cards. No apps. And cheaper too. 

It doesn’t really matter if you like Musk or not. If you want a minimalist, tech-rich family motor, Model Y moves the game on. 

simon thompson

There’s a little entertainment screen to play arcade games[/caption]

simon thompson

Getty

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