21 Mar, 2025 | Admin | No Comments
Sleep soundly with Oodie’s £35 temperature regulating pyjamas that will be a godsend for summer
SHOPPING – Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Metro article are selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, Metro.co.uk will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information.
Seeing as there are now just few days to go before the clocks go back on March 30, we’re dreaming of an undisturbed night sleep for the other 364 days of the year.
There are a number of factors that can contribute to a poor night’s sleep, from your sleep environment to your diet, and excessive caffeine intake, as well as your bedding and nightwear.
We have tried various sleep aids, thankfully, Oodie is pulling out all the stops to help combat our sleepless nights.
The brand, which is best known for its plush Oodie Hoodie, is set to launch a new temperature regulating pyjama collection, which we predict will be a sell-out success to rival the signature loungewear staple.
Oodie has a pyjama collection already, but the line is expanding to include temperature regulating designs, which is simply genius in our books.
Whether you struggle to sleep in the summer when the heatwave hits, are going through the menopause, or maybe you’re just a human hot water bottle when you’re snuggled up in your duvet, these pj’s will be your saving grace.
The collection will feature both warming and cooling nightwear options, both designed to regulate your body temperature to a comfortable degree.
The Cooling Range has been specifically designed for hot sleepers, and to wear in the warmer months.
The Cooling Range pjs have been crafted from ultra-breathable modal blend, which has been made from beech trees. This fabric is not only soft against the body, which prevents any irritating fabrics from waking you up mid-snooze, but it is moisture-wicking to pull sweat away from the body. This is a key feature, as there is nothing worse than overheating, laying in your own damp pyjamas, only for the body to cool down – as it does when the body sweats – and be left shivering cold.
Oodie’s pyjamas collection will also include the Warming Range, which helps those who feel the cold at night and can’t settle without being toasty in bed.
This collection has been designed from brushed bamboo blend, which offers the desired insulation, but are also temperature regulating too. This fabric is also said to be twice as warm as traditional cotton pyjamas, boasts antibacterial properties and is odour resistant.
Oodie has stayed true to its style with the new designs as they come in bold and playful prints, though we expect nothing less from the Australian brand.
The nightwear will be available in five prints, which include a cloud pattern inspired by the bestselling Oodie Original, as well as heart candy, ditsy and checker print, as well as a tie dye version. But, you can mix and match your prints too.
All styles in the collection feature a contrast waistband, which not only help them to stay in place during your sleep, without causing any discomfort, but it also adds another impressive stylistic feature to the design.
Oodie’s temperature regulating pyjamas are available in short sleeve pyjama tops, and shorts, as well as long sleeve tops and long length pyjama trousers with a wide leg and cuffed ankle. Quite frankly, we want one of each to see us through every season.
The price ranges from £39 for the tops and £45 for the bottoms, which makes a total of £84 for one complete set.
We predict Oodie’s upcoming drop will sell out fast, so bookmark the date in your diary, set a reminder, and get ready to add to basket.
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20 Mar, 2025 | Admin | No Comments
Shop the best fragrance deals on Amazon ahead of National Fragrance Day
SHOPPING – Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Metro article are selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, Metro.co.uk will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information.
There are multiple national days that have cropped in our calendar over the years, and one we’re very much on board with is National Fragrance Day, which falls on 21st March.
National Fragrance Day falls just before Mother’s Day, and while many of us will be buying our mum’s their favourite scent, it’s also a great time to gift yourself a scented treat (or two!).
And where better to shop for less? Amazon, of course. The mega-retailer stocks a variety of leading fragrance brands for men, women, as well as genderless designs, from Paco Rabanne, Gucci, to Marc Jacobs, and many more.
With up to 70% off select fragrances, these are bargains not to be missed. But it’s unknown how long the sale, as well as stock, will last.
Whether you’re replacing your beloved signature scent, expanding your fragrance collection or after the perfect gift for someone you love, we’ve found the best fragrance deals not to miss on Amazon.
Did we almost forget to mention Amazon Prime members are eligible for speedy delivery? If you are not yet an Amazon Prime member you can sign up for a 30-day free trial, before paying £8.99 a month thereafter.
Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau De Parfum 30ml
A bold and addictive fragrance, Black Opium by Yves Saint Laurent is a seductive blend of rich coffee, sweet vanilla, and warm white flowers. This opulent scent is sexy, deep, and long-lasting, hence why it makes the perfect statement fragrance for evening wear.
Jimmy Choo Original Eau de Parfum 60ml
Jimmy Choo Original is a modern fragrance that perfectly balances fresh and fruity notes. With its blend of pear, orchid, and toffee, this captivating scent is an ideal choice for those on the hunt for an elegant, warm and sweet scent.
DKNY Be Delicious Eau de Parfum 30ml
A vibrant and fresh fragrance, DKNY Be Delicious boasts bold notes of crisp green apple blended with floral and woody notes. This scent is perfect for everyday wear, younger adults, and the spring months.
Vera Wang Princess Eau de Toilette 50ml
With over 53,000 reviews Vera Wang Princess needs to be on your radar. It is a delicate mix of vanilla, exotic guava, and rich dark chocolate. Playful yet sophisticated, this scent is ideal for those who love a sweet, feminine fragrance. Plus, the heart shaped bottle with the crown lid needs to be on full display.
Daisy Marc Jacobs EDT Spray 50ml
Fresh, floral, and effortlessly charming, Daisy by Marc Jacobs is a sweet, yet fresh fragrance perfect for day and night wear. It boasts top notes of wild strawberry and violet leaves, middle floral notes of jasmine, gardenia, and violet petals, which are undercut by long-lasting base notes of white woods and vanilla.
Jimmy Choo Flash Eau de Parfum 60ml
Flash by Jimmy Choo is a blend of bold scent profiles, including strawberry, pink pepper, tangerine, and floral accords, such as jasmine, white lily and tuberose. It’s sweet, spicy, and multi-dimensional, a standout scent for nights out.
Calvin Klein Eternity Moment for Women Eau de Parfum 50ml
A romantic, light, floral fragrance, Eternity Moment is a mix of lychee, pomegranate, and soft peony. This delicate scent is ideal for those who love fresh perfumes, and everyday wear. For under £30, it’s a bargain buy.
Bloom by Gucci Eau de Parfum 100ml
Gucci Bloom is a rich, floral and feminine fragrance. The floral bouquet draws on tuberose, jasmine and Rangoon Creeper accords to make an everyday scent that is light, perfect for spring, but not too heady.
Paco Rabanne Paco Lady Million Eau De Perfume 80ml
It’s an iconic scent and one many people wear, but that shouldn’t stop you from investing in the hugely popular Paco Robanne fragrance. A bold and luxurious scent, Lady Million combines notes of raspberry, orange blossom, and honey for a powerful femininity. Let’s not forget the gold ingot-inspired packaging, which is a huge talking point in itself.
Si by Giorgio Armani Eau de Parfum 100ml
Elegant and sensual, Si by Giorgio Armani is a blend of blackcurrant, chypre and floral accords. This timeless feminine fragrance is perfect for women after a long-lasting, everyday scent that holds its own in a room full of potent fragrances.
We need everything…
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20 Mar, 2025 | Admin | No Comments
Fat bodies are deserving of love, not being mocked on Tiktok trends
I opened TikTok this week and was in absolute shock.
I’m used to seeing different trends going viral, but all I saw as I scrolled was video after video of users applying a ‘chubby filter’ to their pictures filled my feed.
Unfortunately, it is exactly as it sounds – and it brought back painful memories.
Users upload their photos, and the filter uses AI to show them what they would look like if they were fat. Those who have used it often accompany their post with a comment about how funny they found the images.
It’s clear that many TikTok users view being in a bigger body as some kind of punchline.
This, sadly, is nothing new. But that doesn’t make it ok.
Many of us grew up on negative media representations of fat people, where fat people were mostly depicted as the butt of the joke.
I know I did. When I was younger and going through disordered eating, screens were filled with comedic depictions of fatness – with films like Shallow Hal, The Nutty Professor, and Friends, which had a story arc about a character’s previously overweight self – ‘Fat Monica’.
In each of these examples, snipes about the fat character’s body size were either accompanied by laugh tracks, or met with raucous laughter in the cinema.
This instilled one message in me as a teenager – being fat was something to jeer at, and that at all costs I had to avoid being fat so that I didn’t experience what Fat Monica did.
At one point, someone referenced Monica’s old weight, and I realised it was exactly the same as mine.
It felt like the media had taught me that my body, because it was not thin, was meant to be laughed at.
This was reinforced by my first romantic experience. When I was sixteen, I had my first kiss in the woods with someone I trusted and thought I loved.
But I found out later that he hadn’t chosen the cover of trees to be romantic, but that, but because he didn’t want to be seen with someone who looked like me.
He was worried about being mocked by his peers for kissing someone who he thought was fat, and didn’t fit into the body type that the media had taught him was desirable.
And 16-year-old me, while hurt, didn’t even think to question his reasoning, because society and culture seemed to reinforce that he was right.
As the years went on, and as I worked to recover from disordered eating, countless depictions of fatness told me the same.
That the body I had worked so hard to love, despite all the societal messaging telling me I should hate my body, was still a joke.
This ‘fat filter’ trend is a new iteration of this same derision.
Instead of characters on screens, and actors using fat suits or CGI, people are taking that same fatphobic rhetoric into their own hands by applying a filter to their own photos.
And when, alongside it, they post nasty comments about the larger image of themselves that the AI creates, they show that they think being fat is inherently funny and something to be ridiculed – it invites others to laugh with them.
It doesn’t give them any insight into what it means to be fat in 2025, because it’s all fake. All another big joke.
When the media, whether it’s TV or TikTok, makes fun of bigger body sizes, this has a malignant effect on how we perceive fat people, and also how fat people are treated.
A study from The Lancet – a peer-reviewed general medical journal – found that negative portrayals of fat people in media not only made peoples’ views of fat peoples worse, but also risked encouraging stigmatising behaviours (for example, bullying, abuse and discrimination) towards fat people.
This is why trends like the Fat Filter trend are so harmful – it encourages and normalises the idea that fat people deserve this kind of nasty treatment, and in doing so, perpetuates fatphobic behaviour.
This goes beyond social media, and has real world consequences. This kind of trend affects how fat people are treated, and will also have a hugely negative knock on effect for peoples’ body image.
And when you consider that young people spend an average of five hours and 24 minutes engaged in social media activity, that means teenagers are at greater risk of seeing more of this body negative content.
So no, this isn’t just some silly little trend, or something to be dismissed. It can truly harm people.
What gives me faith in humanity is that in some of the comments in the videos, people were fighting back, saying how people using the filter were exposing themselves as ‘mean girls’. It’s a glimmer of hope that we are not taking these nasty jokes lying down, even if this filter has gained a great deal of traction.
No matter what a trend is telling you, fat bodies are not for peoples’ amusement. They are deserving of love, care and enjoyment.
And no filter should change that.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk.
Share your views in the comments below.
20 Mar, 2025 | Admin | No Comments
Amazon spring sale 2025 is coming – here’s everything you need to know about the pending Prime Day
SHOPPING – Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Metro article are selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, Metro.co.uk will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information.
Amazon launches a number of sales throughout the year, and of course we all know the popular Prime Day sale, but there’s another to have on your radar – Amazon’s Spring Deal Days.
Amazon’s Spring Deal Days will see thousands of deals drop to celebrate the spring months – the clue is in the title after all.
The major online retailer stocks a plethora of leading brands across tech gadgets, beauty, home, and everything in between, and all categories will be included in the sale. However, exactly what products will be discounted, and by how much, remains top secret – for now
We have shopped for bargains in countless Amazon sales over the years, so we consider ourselves experts when it comes to an Amazon sale, and our predictions on what will be reduced are often right.
Here’s everything you need to know about Amazon’s Spring Deal Days, from when is Amazon’s Spring sale, tips to securing a bargain, to the products we anticipate will be on offer.
When is Amazon’s Spring Deal Days sale?in 2025
Clear your diaries because the Amazon Spring sale is coming. It is set to launch on March 25 and run until (almost) midnight on March 31, which is one week of bargains and discounts.
The sale is open to all customers to shop. However, Amazon Prime members are often treated to an early access preview of the best deals, can shop even exclusive discounts, and secure super speedy delivery too.
What will be included in the Amazon Spring Deal Days sale?
The sale has yet to launch, but what we know is there is expected to be up to 45% off all categories, including electronics, home gadgets, beauty tech, as well as skincare, make-up cosmetics, home, garden, toys and everything in between.
If previous Amazon sales are anything to go by, expect huge savings on leading brands, such as Shark, Ninja, Phillips, Oral-B, ghd, Color Wow, and much more.
We have previously seen mega discounts on air fryers, Shark vacuum cleaners, even K-beauty skincare.
While the discount will vary on the product, and day, we also recommend checking Amazon’s “Today’s Deals” tab throughout the week to nab even bigger and better discounts. The “Today’s Deals” will highlight products that are heavily discounted for a limited time, as well as the bestselling buys, so if you see something you like with a price tag you like even more, don’t delay.
Whether you are shopping for a Mother’s Day gift before 30th March, planning an almighty spring clean of the home as the clocks are set to change, which is the official declaration spring is here and summer is on the way, or you simply want to treat yourself, the Amazon Spring Deal Days are the perfect opportunity to do so.
How to become an Amazon Prime member?
If you are not an Amazon Prime member, we strongly recommend signing up. Why? Because there are a number of perks.
Prime members not only gain early access and alerts to any upcoming sales penned in the diary, but some products are discounted even more so – including outside of sale events like the Spring Day Deals.
Prime members will also be able to watch new series and films on Prime too – and there’s a lot to sink your teeth into.
But, one of the most important of all (in our humble opinion) is the speedy delivery. Prime members can shop their basket and receive it the next day, if not the same day, depending on the product, and at no extra charge.
If you’re not sure, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial, which we recommend doing so you can shop the Amazon Spring Day Deals and get them to your door in an instant.
However, after the 30-day trial you will need to pay £8.99 per month thereafter.
How to secure the best deal
After many years of shopping Amazon’s multiple sales, and being an avid deal hunter, we have discovered a few nifty tips to ensure you don’t miss a bargain buy.
- Create a wishlist: Save your favourites to your basket, in the “Save for later” section on Amazon, or make a wishlist. Alternatively create a note on your laptop, or phone, of the items you can’t live without before shopping the Amazon sale so you can go straight to those favourites to check for any price reductions.
- Price check: We will do our best to keep you up to date with the best deals and discounts. But if there are particular items you are eyeballing, compare prices from other retailers to ensure you have found the best deal.
- Note the prices: We know the prices can vary on Amazon, as well as other retailers. When it comes to major sale events, like Amazon’s Spring Deal Days, the discount can vary, so make a note of the original price, as well as the discount throughout the week. For example day one it may be discounted by 21%, but day two 25%. But, be careful, as the offers do not last for long, so if you think you have found the highest price reduction, don’t sleep on the deal.
- Prime member: We strongly recommend signing up to Amazon Prime’s membership if you haven’t done so already. This will often grant you early access to shop the sale, see members secure exclusive discounts, and speedy delivery.
- Deal alerts: When you have a lengthy wishlist it can be difficult to check every item, which is why signing up to alerts is a genius idea. You will then be alerted with any price drop, or when an item is back in stock in some cases.
- Today’s Deals: Amazon’s Today’s Deals is a great way to find the biggest discounts on the day, which may, or may not, have been on your radar. It spotlights limited time offers, flash sales, as well as the bestselling products in each category.
Best Amazon deals to shop now
Best beauty deals:
Maybelline Concealer Instant Anti Age Eraser Eye
With over 67,000 reviews, it’s safe to say this concealer is a huge hit with shoppers. The lightweight formula is pigmented to cover any blemishes, pigmentation and dark circles under the eye.The soft cushioned applicator ensures it is gentle on the skin, and it also helps to evenly distribute the formula from the head. Tip: You can also use darker tones as a contour, so it’s a more multifunctional product than you think.
Oral-B iO7 Electric Toothbrushes For Adults
Electric toothbrushes are all the craze, and are advised by dentists over manual toothbrushes.The Oral-B iO7 promises to remove food, plaque and bacteria in the mouth for fresh breath and cleaner teeth.Plus, it’s a saving of over £270!
ghd Gold Hair Straightener & Styler
ghd hair tools are among the best in the hair industry, and ones we rely on for a longlasting style. Select items have been reduced by up to 25% in the Amazon sale, including the Gold Hair Straightener are Styler, which are a level up from the Original Styler. These straighteners utilise dual-one technology and two next-generation heat sensors to evenly distribute the heat along the ceramic plates at a constant temperature of 185 degrees. The curved edges also help to create a curl, wave, as well as poker straight hair do.
Best home deals:
Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer
An Air Fryer is a popular kitchen gadget many know and love.This 6-in1 appliance can roast, bake, dehydrate, fry, crisp and rehydrate any ingredient or feast.The two drawers mean you can cook two ingredients simultaneously, and control the settings separately to ensure all elements of your feast are ready at the same time. It holds a capacity of 9.5 litres, which is ideal to feed a large family.
Shark Corded Upright Vacuum Cleaner
This multi-functional vacuum cleaner can be used as an upright vacuum, detaching the hose to reach into tighter areas, the cobwebs on the ceiling, or on upholstery.The corded design does not need to be recharged, which is ideal for large homes.Plus, it features Shark’s anti hair wrap technology to prevent any hair clogging the brush and impacting its efficiency. It also promises to clean 99% of hair, animal fur, dust, and allergens.
Nespresso 11315 Citiz Coffee Machine
The Nespresso Coffee Machine is a compact design perfect to sit in tight corners on a kitchen counter. Simply fit a Nespreso pod in the top, fill the water tank, and press the button for your short hit of espresso, or long caffeine drink.
Ring Battery Video Doorbell (2024 release) + Chime
Keep an eye on who is at your door with the top-rated Ring Video Doorbell. It sends alerts when movement is detected or the doorbell has been pressed.You can sync to your smart device to see who is at the door, and communicate with them too.
Lumie Bodyclock Spark 100
If you struggle to sleep, the Lumie Bodyclock is a must buy.Not only does it tell the time, function as an alarm and radio, but it replicates sunrise and sunset to help you wake up in the morning and wind down before bed.Set your alarm in the morning and the light will turn from a warm red to bright yellow, while birds tweet (or the radio plays), to wake you in a more gentle manner than a blaring alarm. In the evening the light will turn from bright yellow to a warm red to soothe you to sleep.It can also function as a nightlight for children scared of the dark.
Kindle Paperwhite (2024 Release) Bundle
A Kindle is often included in Amazon’s sale, but now shoppers can shop this bundle, which includes the Kindle Paperwhite with a 16GB capacity, a fabric cover and power adaptor, so you can read a variety of books on the go without lugging around the hardback version.
Like we’ve said before, this sale is only on from March 25 until March 31, so bag yourself a bargain before it’s too late.
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19 Mar, 2025 | Admin | No Comments
Princess Kate reveals real reason the Wales family relocated to private Windsor cottage
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Meghan Markle walks barefoot as she reveals new corner of $21m estate
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19 Mar, 2025 | Admin | No Comments
Why Sarah Ferguson stopped filming inside Prince Andrew's home Royal Lodge
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson reside at Royal Lodge, but fans have seen much less of the inside of the royal home in recent years – and here’s why
I didn’t really have any friends throughout school. Having epilepsy meant people were scared of me.
They treated me like I was a ticking time bomb and at any moment, I could go off. The bullying was relentless. I missed a lot of school to deal with my condition so I wasn’t as switched on as some of the other kids in my year; I was called ‘r****d’ and all sorts, and told that I was ‘dumb’.
In fact, I’ve rarely had a good reaction to my epilepsy. As a baby, one relative said it would be God’s will if I died from a seizure. And I will never, ever forget the look of terror on my grandad’s face the first time he saw me seize.
Today, my parents and grandparents are amazing and incredibly supportive but there is still so much ignorance about epilepsy. People fear what they don’t understand. Rather than saying, ‘OK, this is scary’, it’s easier for them to just switch off and do nothing.
One of my life’s goals is to fight for people with epilepsy to be accepted, not shunned with the stigma dumped on them. Epilepsy is just one small part of who you are. It doesn’t define you.
For Sarah
Last year, on March 10, we lost our beloved colleague Sarah Whiteley. Sarah was a fantastic journalist; she was Metro’s parenting columnist and a valued member of our first-person and opinion desk.
Sarah died aged 39 from SUDEP – sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. It is thought that every year around 1,000 people die from causes related to epilepsy.
With support from Sarah’s family, Metro is fundraising for two very important charities: SUDEP Action and Epilepsy Action.
From March 10 to March 26, which marks Purple Day (epilepsy awareness day), we will be running a series of features and first-person pieces, raising awareness of epilepsy and SUDEP.
Sarah was so incredible at helping other people share their experiences; she was a born storyteller and we hope to do her proud with this series, while raising money in her memory.
I had my first seizure when I was nine months old but wasn’t diagnosed with epilepsy until I was 18 months. It was a long process with lots of tests and because I was so little, I had to be held down so that my neurologists could get clear scan images of my brain.
I became more aware of my condition as I got older. My parents tried to protect me from the nasty side of things, but I would listen to them speak to the doctors while I played with my toys, hearing them say things like, ‘If she makes it to five, she’ll be lucky’.
After that, I felt like I had to work hard to have any kind of life, and make sure I didn’t die and make my parents upset.
Glossary of terms
- Tonic-clonic (formerly known as Grand Mal): the person stiffens, falls to the floor and starts to shake or jerk.
- Absence seizures (formerly known as Petit Mal seizures): the person abandons what they are doing and appears to ‘switch off’; this usually lasts for a few seconds.
- Myoclonic seizures (also referred to as ‘myoclonic jerks’): the person has sudden, short jerks that can affect some or all of their body. The jerking can range from very mild – like a twitch – to very forceful. They usually last a few seconds, but some people have them consecutively in clusters.
- Focal seizures: a seizure that begins in one side of the brain. The person may stay fully aware, or may lose awareness. They may experience movements. Additional symptoms may also include things like changes in emotions, thinking and sensations.
- Tonic seizures: if a tonic seizure starts in both sides of the brain, all the person’s muscles tighten and their body stiffens, and they may fall to the floor. If a tonic seizure starts in one side of the brain, their muscles tighten in just one area of the body.
- Atonic seizures (also referred to as ‘drop attacks’): usually, the person’s muscles will go limp and they fall, sometimes resulting in injuries. Alternatively, their head may drop forward or they might sag at the knees. Atonic seizures are usually very short.
My seizures used to start in my hand then move up to my face, and you could watch it travel through my entire body. I also had cluster seizures; I could seize for 24 hours at a time for a week, and then I’d be good for a little while, and then start seizing again.
As an adult, I mostly have focal seizures, so I’m awake, but I have had tonic-clonic seizures, too.
At primary school, one teacher locked me in a storage cupboard while I was seizing so the other kids didn’t have to see it. I didn’t tell my parents, terrified the teacher would do worse to me, and too worried that I’d done something wrong.
Eventually my mum heard through the playground grapevine and asked me if there was any truth to it. I broke down crying.
When I was 26 or 27, I was out in town on my own – being independent is really important to me – and knew I was about to have a seizure. I took my rescue medication and tried to put myself in a safe place but I was too late. The meds didn’t kick in in time and I collapsed.
While I was unconscious, a member of the public carried me to an underground car park and dumped me there.
When I came around, I was soaked – maybe from rain, maybe just sweat from the panic of coming out of a seizure – and covered in bruises.
I’ve had people video me having a seizure when I can’t protect myself or make them stop. Then they put the ‘funny’ videos on the Internet.
Having epilepsy also means I’ve faced discrimination in my career. At college, I was obsessed with the idea of working with children and did my level one and level two childcare qualifications. Yet when I applied to the final year, I was told I couldn’t go any further because I wasn’t reliable, that I’d be a danger to the children.
I’m now 33 and have been trying to get employed ever since. At 18, the Jobcentre used to send me to jobs that weren’t safe – they once sent me to work in a kitchen in a bar. I applied to work as a community care assistant, went in and did my training, then had a seizure in the last hour – the company never phoned me again.
Epilepsy Action
Epilepsy Action supports the 630,000 people with epilepsy every day through their helpline, information, groups and services.
The charity’s ambition is to create a world without limits with people with epilepsy. By raising awareness of the condition, too often misunderstood and invisible. By changing the narrative around it, collaborating with healthcare professionals and campaigning for better services. By working to get everyone in the UK to know what epilepsy is and how they can support.
You can donate to Epilepsy Action here.
I am up front at interviews. I tell potential employers that I have epilepsy for everyone’s safety. Then I see the shift in their dynamic, their expressions. I’ve heard all the excuses as to why I can’t move further, or even be employed at all. I’m now in the process of applying to a company to become a care assistant.
I’m living independently but that means I spend a lot of time on my own, especially as my husband works away a lot.
I know that my epilepsy could kill me. When I first learned about sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), my mum tried to reassure me that it doesn’t happen often but it’s just knowing that it can; I find it odd when I hear people say they are terrified of heights or spiders when I’m living my biggest fear every day.
SUDEP Action
SUDEP Action provide key services for those who have been affected by epilepsy and SUDEP.
They offer free bereavement support to those who have lost a loved one to SUDEP, counselling and assist grieving families during the inquest process.
SUDEP Action is passionate about providing information about SUDEP to help reduce risk to those living with epilepsy, as well as driving research to prevent future deaths.
You can donate to SUDEP Action here
Yet my advice, especially for children, is not to let what the doctors say scare you. Otherwise you can miss out on so many magical moments, even just the little ones – and they matter just as much as the big ones. I have wanted so much more for myself and I know I’ve lost out on so much, not having had a typical childhood, but the fact I got to have any kind of childhood is lucky.
I’d like there to be more positive information about epilepsy out there, so that people don’t think, ‘Oh, God, no’ when they are diagnosed. Epilepsy charities do great work spreading awareness and information but it needs to come from the doctors, too.
I’ve always wanted to be known for doing something good, being something good. About 10 years ago I bumped into someone who’d been a few years below me in school, and all she remembered me as was the girl with epilepsy who had the seizure at the school disco.
There’s no chance I’ll stop fighting for more epilepsy awareness and acceptance, both for the little girl inside me and the people with epilepsy who are too embarrassed by their condition – or the things that people say – to talk about it.
I don’t want anyone to go through what I have. There’s an option for a life with epilepsy, it just might not look the same as everyone else’s.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk.
Share your views in the comments below.
19 Mar, 2025 | Admin | No Comments
King Charles' team issues apology to members of the public over 'challenging' changes at Balmoral
King Charles’ Scottish home, Balmoral Castle is undergoing changes and His Majesty’s team has had to apologise to members of the public