
Activision intervenes in Microsoft challenge to UK regulator's block
LONDON "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard has been given permission to intervene in Microsoft's legal battle with
1970-01-01 08:00

Megan Barton Hanson reveals all the Love Island secrets
Love Island is back with ten new singletons putting all their eggs in one basket. Like most Love Island alumni, Megan Barton Hanson sky-rocketed to fame when she strolled out of the villa in 2018. At just 28 years old, Megan has combined her unapologetic attitude with her impressive social media presence to flip dated views of sexuality on their head. Last summer, she voiced her opinions on sex workers' rights and the new age of porn at one of the world's most prestigious universities. "I’ve always felt the same about women’s issues," Megan told indy100, who openly shares her candid thoughts in her sex and relationships column for VICE and podcast You Come First. She added: "I’ve always been keen for women to have a voice and to feel sexually liberated, but no one really listened before or cared about my opinion. Now I’ve gained such a platform. It’s so important to use it for good and for those who aren’t being heard." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Recalling her Love Island experience, Megan said her model agent put her forward for the show. "I didn’t think I would get very far because I’m quite introverted and shy until I know people better," she shared. "I think they loved my honesty, though." Despite Love Island having viewers gripped over the summer, a certain mystery remains. There are parts of the show that are so elusive, so much so that Megan only found out she was heading to the villa 48 hours before. With Love Island 2023 in full swing, Megan gives indy100 the scoop on all the Love Island secrets. Islanders have to pass a pre-show STI screening “Thank god, or there would have been zero action," Megan revealed. "It’s so important for me to check every partner has been tested before sleeping together.” …Speaking of safe sex, plenty of branded Love Island condoms are said to be scattered around the villa. The hidden smoking area Due to OFCOM's broadcasting guidelines, smoking "must generally be avoided and in any case must not be condoned, encouraged or glamorised.” Love Island is no exception. Megan revealed islanders have to ask for permission for a smoke break and go one at a time to the designated area. “Having to ask for a cigarette after a row wasn’t a vibe,” she joked. “The stress!” The show runners grow to become friends The crew behind the scenes become pretty close to the islanders. Megan noted that while they "don't directly tell you what to do", it's nice that they chat to you after things after a villa spat. Dinner in the villa While we see islanders battling it out at breakfast, we rarely see them eat any other meal. This is because a catering company comes in with a buffet-style selection of chicken, fish and vegetables. It is also a time for contestants to charge up their mics. “There are runners making sure that there are no storyline conversations, so you aren’t meant to sit near who you are coupled up with, and you are only allowed to chit-chat,” Megan revealed. “If you are lucky, the runners will put on some music and play our favourite songs so we can have a little dance after lunch. Then we get ready for the evening!” The rush to get ready Islanders are allocated a time slot to shower, with Megan saying they only had 20 minutes to get ready. “The stress was real,” Megan said. “I’m so bad at getting ready under pressure,” she said. “With the heat and humidity, I had daily sweaty top lips! Not a look I was picturing for my Love Island experience! Time awareness isn't a thing There are no clocks or calendars around the villa, meaning islanders have no clue what time or date it is. However, Megan found a sneaky loophole after discovering the time was hidden behind a sticker on the cooker. “Me and Wes peeled the tape off to sneak a look,” Megan joked. “This was, however, a big mistake as it was 2am, and we still had loads of chats and beach hut interviews to film!” “I'VE GOT A TEXT!” Megan revealed that the mobile phones were rarely used “unless we were told to go and hold them – this way, we knew something spicy was about to happen.” Of course, they have no internet access but can be used to text other islanders and producers. “Thank god, though,” Megan added. “I would have run up that gravel driveway as quick as possible and gone into hiding if I knew how bad the press was about me!” Megan came fourth place in the 2018 series with then-partner Wes Nelson. She described leaving the villa as a whirlwind, becoming overwhelmed by the amount of love. Despite receiving some harsh criticism while in the villa, Megan said: "the nice messages certainly outweighed the negativity." As for what's next? Megan is currently working on her own lingerie line with one of her favourite brands. "I can’t wait to share more with you, but for now, I’ve got to keep it under wraps," she said. "People have been asking for some 'Meg-approved' lingerie, so I’m so pleased to be able to provide it now!" Megan is also keen to have her own documentary series exploring issues such as sex positivity, sex work, and body positivity. She said: "I am really interested in finding out more about how we have gotten to the place we are in today as a society where these topics are so taboo. "I know a lot of brands and production companies have shied away from working with sex workers and OnlyFans girls, so hopefully, as it becomes more normalised, I will get the chance to them!" Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

Selena Gomez subtly reveals relationship status while heckling footballers
After being linked to Zayn Malik and Andrew Taggart in recent weeks, Selena Gomez confirmed she is in fact single with a hilarious new TikTok. The singer sat on the sidelines of a football game with her friends, when she shouted at the players: "I'm single!", before quipping: "I’m just a little high-maintenance. But I’ll love you soooo much." 'The struggle man lol', she wrote on TikTok alongside the hilarious clip. Fans were quick to heap her with praise for her brutal honesty. Click here to sign up for our newsletters
1970-01-01 08:00

Hugh Grant just got the final say on whether Brexit has been a disaster
Hugh Grant is no stranger to making his feelings known when it comes to politics, and this time, he's having the last laugh on Brexit. The actor appeared on The View, where he was quizzed over whether he thinks the UK leaving the EU had 'ruined' his home country. "Well I do...said with a smile", he joked. "Actually now the majority of Brits do, I think." "The Europeans may not want us back!", he added. Click here to sign up for our newsletters
1970-01-01 08:00

Elon Musk shares bizarre Taylor Swift meme comparing her to ‘Napoleon Dynamite in drag’
Elon Musk has left his Twitter followers stumped with a bizarre comparison of Taylor Swift and Napoleon Dynamite. You'd think the tech mogul would have bigger things on his mind, but on Friday, it seemingly wandered elsewhere. Musk tweeted a picture of Swift and the awkward teen character, asking: "How do we know for sure they’re different people?" The caption above the photo collage of the two read: "When you realise Taylor Swift is actually Napoleon Dynamite." The tweet soon went viral across Twitter, with many flocking to the responses. "As both a Musk fan and a Taylor Swift fan, this is not the crossover I wanted," one person hit back, while another added: "Someone come get the owner of Twitter's phone, please. Now I can’t unsee it." Meanwhile, one person had enough and brutally wrote: "Elon pls go tend to ur baby DU-139X# before even coming on this shi**y app you wasted money on." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Now, this isn't the first time Musk has turned his attention to the 'Shake It Off' singer. In March, the Tesla founder complimented the star by saying her "limbic resonance skill is exceptional." Everyone was just as confused as each other, but it apparently means "a state of deep emotional and physiological connection between two people. The limbic system in the brain is the seat of emotions." He didn't stop there either. Under a series of photos from Swift's hotly-anticipated Eras Tour, Musk responded with a cigarette emoji which most people interpreted as him calling the singer smoking. When one Twitter user asked whether Musk and Swift would make a cute couple, he simply responded with a crying laughing face. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

US and UK back new 'Atlantic Declaration' for economic cooperation
WASHINGTON/LONDON Britain and the United States backed a new "Atlantic Declaration" on Thursday for greater cooperation on pressing
1970-01-01 08:00

Arnold Schwarzenegger initially wanted to change his most iconic movie quote
Arnold Schwarzenegger has perhaps one of the most iconic lines in movie history - but it could have been different if the veteran actor had his way. We all know the line "I'll be back" from his memorable role in The Terminator (1984), but the 75-year-old revealed in a new Netflix documentary series Arnold that he tried to get the line changed. But it also turns out that "I'll be back," was not the original line in the script written by director James Cameron along with Gale Anne Hurd. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The line that Schwarzenegger was supposed to say initially was "I'll come back." "Sometime in the middle of the shoot, we're doing this police station scene. The line is, 'I'll come back.' It wasn't meant to be like a big moment at all," Cameron said. "It was literally meant to be, on its face, 'No problem, I'll come back.' For some reason, Arnold didn't say, 'I'll come back.' I said, 'Well, just say "I'll be back." Keep it simple.'" Every "I'll be back" from Terminator 1 to 6 (Compilation) www.youtube.com However, Schwarzenegger wasn't exactly a fan and believed "I'll be back" sounded "funny," so instead he wanted the line to sound more "machine-like" and lobbied for "I will be back." Though Cameron wasn't exactly impressed with Schwarzenegger's suggestion. "'And he says, 'Are you the writer?'" Schwarzenegger recalled Cameron saying. "And I said, 'No,' and he said, 'Well, don't tell me how to f****** write.'" In the end, Schwarzenegger admitted that Cameron's line was "absolutely right." "It became the most quoted movie line, I think, in the history of motion pictures. So this just shows to you who was right and who was wrong," the actor added. Given that “I’ll be back" comes in at number 37 on the American Film Institute’s list of “100 Greatest Movie Quotes Of All Time" safe to say it was the right call. Arnold, the three-part documentary series is now available to stream on Netflix. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

UK's Sunak, Biden to focus on deepening economic ties at White House meeting
By Trevor Hunnicutt, Andrea Shalal and Kate Holton WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
1970-01-01 08:00

Phew - Even Kim Kardashian prefers having the lights off in the bedroom
Kim Kardashian is proving even the richest and most famous people on the planet struggle with body confidence - by confessing she has to have the lights off in the bedroom. The reality star made the confession during a new episode of The Kardashians, where she opened up on where her confidence comes from. "I can like walk out of a photoshoot with a hundred people working on set", she began. "I can walk out in like a thong, but if it's like you're there with me, I'm like, wait don't look at me! Turn the lights off!” Click here to sign up for our newsletters
1970-01-01 08:00

Remembering Christine Jorgensen, America’s First Trans Celebrity
When news of Christine Jorgensen’s gender-affirming surgery made headlines, she decided to use the exposure to help people.
1970-01-01 08:00

Britain steps up sanctions against Belarus for its support of Russia
LONDON Britain announced a new sanctions package against Belarus on Thursday for its role in facilitating Russia's invasion
1970-01-01 08:00

UK to curb crypto advertising with 'cooling off' periods, risk warnings
LONDON British consumers buying cryptoassets will get a 24-hour "cooling-off" period for the first time from October under
1970-01-01 08:00