TELLY star Amanda Holden says it is unfair to call her daughter a “nepo baby” — as all parents want to help their children succeed.
The Britain’s Got Talent judge has given the profile of model Lexi, 19, a push as they are pictured together at red carpet events.
Amanda, 54, makes no apologies, and insists her daughter bagging a modelling contract with top agency Storm is not down to having a famous mum.
And she said her daughter’s long-term success will be down to her own hard work and abilities.
She told the Radio Times of Lexi’s contract: “Yes, she’s related to me, but that’s nothing to do with me.
“The word ‘nepo’ can be thrown around forever, but it’s unfair it’s been used in showbiz.
“When I was young, I got a job in a fruit and veg shop as my mum knew the guy.
“If you know someone can help your child get in somewhere, you’ll do whatever.”
Amanda has two children with her showbiz agent husband, Chris Hughes, 51.
Their youngest is 13-year-old Hollie, while Lexi completed her A-levels last year and is now at university.
Amanda pointed out helping a child get their foot in the door did not necessarily ensure success.
She said: “They have to have talent and backbone, and work to succeed.
“I’m proud of my daughter, doing stuff for Storm as well as two normal jobs while at uni.
“She’s not going to come out with a debt — that’s amazing.”
COMPUTER software subscriptions can cost a fortune each year.
But you don’t always need to pay for powerful programs.
We asked Jennifer Bruton, director at tech security experts Bores.com, for the best safe and free alternatives . . .
WRITE ON: Many use the Microsoft 365 suite for writing documents, at an annual cost of £84.99 per year, but there is a free alternative.
Jennifer says: “Hands down, the best alternative to Microsoft Office applications is LibreOffice (libreoffice.org).
“It’s free, and open source, as a successor to a project called OpenOffice.”
This suite enables you to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations fully compatible with Microsoft file formats.
PHOTO EDITS: Adobe Photoshop costs £262.51 annually but Jennifer suggests: “You can try Gimp (gimp.org) and Krita (krita.org), two open-source graphic editors which are well respected and have comparable capabilities to Photoshop.”
Gimp is used for photo manipulation and retouching, while Krita is favoured by digital artists for its paint tools.
For something quite similar to Adobe InDesign, Jennifer suggests Scribus (scribus.net).
She says: “It’s a great tool for desktop publishing, and again free and open source.”
PROBLEM PDFs: Jennifer says: “The hardest program to replace is Adobe Acrobat.
“There isn’t really a good open- source equivalent to edit PDFs, for various reasons including the format not being designed for it.”
But her workaround is simple.
She says: “The best bet is to edit your existing documents, and generate a new PDF.”
This means making changes in the original file, such as a Word document or a Scribus layout, and then using the “Export to PDF” function.
SAFETY FIRST: Downloading free software requires caution.
Jennifer says: “If downloading from the official website directly it’s pretty safe, but at Bores.com, we do not recommend downloading from a third-party site as you have no way to tell if the software has been altered.”
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CHECK out the clearance sale at TK Maxx.
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CELEBRATE International Coffee Day by claiming 15 per cent off all coffee at blacksheepcoffee. co.uk.
Just use discount code COFFEEDAY15 at checkout, until October 5.
FRANKIE & BENNY’S is celebrating its 30th birthday by offering a free main meal to anyone born in 1995.
Show your ID at any restaurant, today only.
JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.
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OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column is being kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes.
Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today.
ARIES
March 21 to April 20
Venus inspires you to put more into a health or work project because you can see the benefits.
But also because it opens up the future you need. Accept any help or advice on offer today, especially from “V”.
And believe in your own strength. Love-wise, things are moving fast, so expect the unexpected all day!
TAURUS
April 21 to May 21
You have a drive to help people learn from each other and form new plans and projects today – and there are plenty of chances to test this skill.
Just be sure you don’t benefit others by losing out yourself.
Your passion profile is caring and kind – helping a stranger could be a love cue. “L” links to cash changes.
Get all the latest Taurus horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
GEMINI
May 22 to June 21
You could prove better at living and working alone than you may assume, so do consider offers that include either or both of these. A time of playing safe is over now.
If you’ve delayed a key love conversation, make a start – partners will welcome this.
Single? New love begins where items are packaged up.
Get all the latest Gemini horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
CANCER
June 22 to July 22
This is a perfect Cancer communication day – especially linked to friends and workmates.
So refresh your contacts and catch up with all those people you’ve been meaning to call. There can be a luck bonus here, possibly a career shift, too.
As the moon lights your zone of deals, be ready to make a promise first.
Get all the latest Cancer horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
LEO
July 23 to August 23
You sense things are still being hidden at home – and Mars makes it your moment to ask more.
Yes, you are braver, but also less patient. Just because you’ve accepted a situation in the past, doesn’t mean you can’t change things now.
Love has a beautiful balance of give and take – a new name on a regular rota can be why
Get all the latest Leo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
VIRGO
August 24 to September 22
Your authentic creative self is more ready to learn than you think – so open your mind to new ways of expanding or marketing your special skills.
There could be a love bonus there, too, in the shape of an online expert.
Letting your heart lead in finances may feel a soft option, but this can be the right path for you.
Get all the latest Virgo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
LIBRA
September 23 to October 23
Money upheaval is part and parcel of Mars’ mischief, so you could receive unexpected news today. Never doubt you can deal with this, because you can.
In love terms, you’re physically calm and an expert in body language, so if you pick up unexpected passion vibes, trust yourself.
Luck links to video clips.
Get all the latest Libra horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
The traditional dates used by Mystic Meg for each sign are below.
SCORPIO
October 24 to November 22
The warrior planet is your me-first mentor, on demand to boost your confidence in yourself, but also in what you do and how you do it.
So even if there’s opposition, stick to plans you know are right for you. Passion has renewed trust, letting partners surprise each other.
Single? The way a Pisces smiles is irresistible.
Get all the latest Scorpio horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
SAGITTARIUS
November 23 to December 21
You’re ready to weigh up what’s good in your life, and how you can share this with people who matter.
Some ideas may start as unusual, but stick with them.
Your passion profile is built on trust and tenderness, but it’s important to stop setting yourself impossible goals.
Single? The perfect person has a two-part name.
Get all the latest Sagittarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
CAPRICORN
December 22 to January 20
Try not to rate a quiet life ahead of speaking up, especially among friends.
A situation can be changed, but first you need to make it clear how and why you’re not happy.
Then fix a vision of how you’d like it to be.
The moon and Venus together flush out secrets in feelings, in figures, in messages.
Make them work for you.
Get all the latest Capricorn horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
AQUARIUS
January 21 to February 18
Today, look at health and see where transforming pledges may have faded – you’re ready to restart schedules with a positive push.
Instead of sticking to a too-tough goal, adjust your view and you will feel success flow.
A book with your name on it can come closer, plus a chance to share your deepest truths.
Get all the latest Aquarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
PISCES
February 19 to March 20
You’re the hottest passion sign in the zodiac, and draw interest everywhere you go.
So even at a distance, you can sense when the right partner is near, and what you need to do.
A group who recently started living or working together can be your luck-link.
Mars speeds up a journey, all you have to do is hold tight.
Get all the latest Pisces horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
THOUSANDS of men in the UK could be living with ‘silent’ diabetes, scientists have warned.
Routine diabetes checks may give false negative results in people with a common but often undiagnosed genetic deficiency.
Scientists fear this could leave thousands, particularly black and South Asian men – who are more likely to carry the gene – at risk of serious type 2 diabetes complications due to delayed diagnosis.
The condition, known as G6PD deficiency, affects a protein in red blood cells.
While it does not cause diabetes, it can skew the results of the standard HbA1c test – the main tool used by the NHS to diagnose and monitor the disease.
This means blood sugar levels may appear lower than they really are, allowing type 2 diabetes to go unnoticed until it causes serious harm.
Men with the deficiency were found to have a 37 per cent higher risk of complications such as kidney failure, blindness and nerve damage.
Researchers from the University of Exeter and Queen Mary University of London analysed health data from more than 510,000 people.
They found one in seven black men and one in 63 South Asian men carry the gene, compared to fewer than one in 100,000 white men.
Yet fewer than one in 50 men with the condition are ever diagnosed.
Professor Ines Barroso, of the University of Exeter, said: “Our findings highlight the urgent need for changes to testing practices to tackle health inequalities.
“Doctors and health policy makers need to be aware that the HbA1c test may not be accurate for people with G6PD deficiency and routine screening could help identify those at risk.”
Dr Veline L’Esperance, a GP and senior clinical research fellow at QMUL, said the findings were “deeply concerning”.
She said: “They show how a widely used diagnostic tool may be failing communities that are already disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes.
“Too many people are being left undiagnosed until it is too late to prevent serious complications.”
In the UK, around 5.8 million people are living with diabetes.
This includes 4.6 million people with a diagnosis and 1.8 million people without a diagnosis.
According to Diabetes UK, black and South Asian people in the UK are twice as likely to be living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes than white people and face worse health outcomes once diagnosed.
Anna Morris, the charity’s assistant director of research and co-lead for tackling inequities, said: “These disparities are unacceptable and must be addressed to ensure equitable diabetes care for all.
“If our most common test to diagnose and monitor type 2 diabetes isn’t accurate for people of all ethnicities, it could seriously compound these problems and leave people without the care they deserve.
“Without the reliable tools they need, healthcare professionals risk missing or misdiagnosing type 2 diabetes.”
Dr Esther Mukuka, director of research inclusion at the NIHR, which supported the study, added: “Addressing the impact of G6PD deficiency on diabetes testing is an important step towards reducing inequalities and making sure that everyone, regardless of background, benefits equally from medical advances.”
According to the NHS, the symptoms of type 2 diabetes to watch out for include:
These are the most common signs that are typically reported by those suffering from the condition.
You should visit your GP if you experience any of these symptoms.
However, there are a number of other rarer symptoms that may alert you to this disease.
These include:
IF you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it means there's too much glucose (a type of sugar) in your blood due to a problem with the hormone insulin.
Both are serious conditions that can lead to serious health complications.
However, there are differences in the causes, onset of symptoms and treatment of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
TYPE 1
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition and accounts for five to 10 per cent of all people diagnosed with diabetes.
The body’s immune system attacks the pancreas and destroys the cells that produce insulin.
TYPE 2
Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 per cent of all patients with diabetes.
With this form of the disease, cells in the body become resistant to insulin, so a greater amount of insulin is needed to keep blood glucose levels within a normal range.
Type 2 is usually brought on by certain lifestyle factors, such as being overweight
KETAMINE deaths are surging in Britain because people are using it as a cheap mixer for drug cocktails, warn scientists.
The drug’s popularity has boomed and famous overdose victims include Friends star Matthew Perry and TV drag queen The Vivienne.
A study by King’s College London estimated 123 people died from taking the drug in 2024, compared to just six people in 2014.
There were 696 deaths recorded by coroners during the 25 years between 1999 and 2024, with nearly a fifth of them in the most recent year alone.
Experts reckon ket, or K, is contributing to overdoses because it is cheap, with a gram being sold for as little as £15 compared to £80 for cocaine.
Users mix it with other drugs, such as super-strong painkillers, and lose track of how much they have taken.
Study author Dr Caroline Copeland said: “We are seeing more ketamine-related deaths but these deaths rarely involve ketamine alone.
“They are increasingly part of complex polydrug use patterns.”
Dr Copeland said it is used now by hardened addicts as well as young people at parties.
The NHS opened England’s first dedicated ketamine clinic for young people in Liverpool this year.
Regular use can cause mental health problems and damage the bladder and kidneys.
Dr Copeland found overdose victims often mixed it with cocaine, opioids such as heroin or codeine, benzodiazepine sedatives, or gabapentinoid painkillers.
Nine out of 10 deaths were ruled to be accidental.
She said there should be a better drug treatment system and more education about the risks of mixing substances.
Ministers are considering reclassifying ketamine from Class B to Class A.
Dr Copeland added: “Single-drug policies such as reclassification are unlikely to tackle the real drivers of harm.
“To reduce deaths, we need harm reduction, treatment, and social support strategies that reflect the realities of polydrug use.”
Ketamine is a general anaesthetic and illegal class B drug.
When a person takes ketamine recreationally, it reduces sensations in their body which can make them feel dream-like and detached, chilled, relaxed and happy, according to the UK national anti-drug advisory service Frank.
It can also cause a person to feel confused, nauseated, alter perception of space and cause hallucinations. If too much is taken it can cause a person to lose the ability to move their body, called a ‘K-hole’.
Ketamine is also a medication that doctors use as an anaesthetic to induce loss of consciousness, such as to help with physical pain.
Does it work for depression?
The Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust says that ketamine’s brief rapid antidepressant effect has been confirmed in several clinical trials over the last 20 years.
It has been the subject of numerous studies exploring its efficacy against severe depression which is not responding to treatment.
Some of the first findings were that of study in 2000, published in Biological Psychiatry. It showed that one singular intravenous dose of ketamine could produce rapid effects within one hour that would last up to a week.
Further studies made the same conclusions, but research was needed to look at whether it can be used more long-term.
A study in 2010, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, found repeated doses could sustain the antidepressant effect over a long period, but the benefits stopped after treatment did.
There are still significant gaps in knowledge about dosage levels, treatment protocols and safety of long term use.
Is it available on the NHS?
Ketamine has not been licensed for use as an antidepressant in the UK.
The Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust website says it can be used as an “off-label” treatment for depression, which is when a doctor prescribes a drug for other purposes than intended.
It adds that ketamine therapy can be given to people who have depression which has not responded to other treatments.
The health trust provides a self-pay ketamine treatment service after suitability is agreed following a referral letter from a GP or psychiatrist.
Patients are then given a series of intravenous ketamine infusions, with the average duration of initial benefit 10 days, according to the trust’s website.
Oral ketamine, supplied as a liquid which can be taken at home, can help maintain the benefit of infusions.
A closely related version, nasal esketamine, is licensed but has not been approved for routine NHS use, mainly because of cost – £480 per dose.