A professional cuddler who makes a living giving clients hugs has said people travel from all over the globe to receive the cuddle therapy she offers which is “far less intimate than a massage” and helps people from “all walks of life”. Natasha Wicks, 44, from Coventry, West Midlands, says that despite criticism, cuddling is scientifically proven to release happy hormones like dopamine and that a lot of her clients are “the big spoon in life” and go to her for emotional support that they do not have at home. As such, many of her clients are caregivers and most of them join Natasha for two-hour hugging sessions, costing £70 an hour. The sessions vary depending on what the client wants, some having “emotional hugs”, others talking more and some wanting to “sit at opposite ends of the sofa with our legs and feet entwined”. Natasha became a cuddle therapist in 2015 and, while she has had comments online from people criticising the practice, she said that her family and friends were unsurprised when she first started giving professional cuddles. She said: “They all said to me that I give the best cuddles so it’s not surprising that I’d start doing it as a job. “It’s very much what I do, I help people and want to make people feel better. It’s a natural thing when someone is going through a tough time to want to give them a hug. “Cuddle therapy might not be as widely accepted in society but it’s far less intimate than other things like massages which are seen as normal.” Prior to becoming a cuddler, Natasha originally trained as a CBT therapist and counsellor. She said: “There’d be situations where I would be talking to someone and they’d really need a hug, but obviously, you’d have professional boundaries in place and it wouldn’t have been appropriate. “It was just a really natural thing. One client had finished her final session and we had agreed that she wasn’t my patient anymore so we hugged goodbye. She said to me that she’d wanted to do that for a long time and I thought ‘me too’.” Looking into cuddle therapy, which she said was increasing in popularity in 2014, Natasha took a training course. By 2015, she was a qualified cuddler and started taking on new patients for cuddle sessions. Natasha provides a minimum session of one hour but said most people go for at least two hours, sometimes longer if they are receiving more than one type of therapy. She said: “I always give people a hug on the doorstep when they arrive and then they’ll come in and relax, and we’ll have an initial chat about what brings them here. After that, I’ll put on some ambient music and we’ll have a cuddle on my cuddle sofa. “It can be daunting coming into a stranger’s house and I can tell the difference in them from arriving to leaving. The first hug they might be angled away from me but when we’re hugging goodbye, I can get my head in between their neck and shoulders and you can almost feel that a weight has been lifted from them.” There is not one type of person that visits Natasha for cuddles, but she says that a lot of her clients are caregivers. She said: “There’s all sorts of people who come for a cuddle, from people who have moved away from home for the first time and just want a mum hug all the way to people in their 80s. “I’m inclusive of all genders and all ages. I get a lot of clients who are the carers of their family and they are so busy looking after other people, and probably giving the hugs and support to other people, that they don’t have that for themselves. “A lot of people that come to see me are generally people are the big spoon in the life – they take care of others and don’t want to show a vulnerable side to people because they don’t want people to worry that they can’t cope. “I get a lot of carers, a lot of NHS staff, a lot of mums, a lot of people that are in a world where they have to be the strong one in the situation and they just want to be able to come here and let their guard down.” Natasha’s priority is to make people feel at ease when they arrive as she said it can be “nerve wracking” turning up at someone’s house for a hug. Setting out clear boundaries prior to meeting, the therapist has said that the patients she has welcomed into her home have all been respectful. She added: “I always say to people that when your body relaxes, your tummy might crumble and mine might too, but that people don’t need to worry about it. Sometimes people fall asleep and they might snore or fart, it’s just natural things that happen. It’s happened twice where someone has got an erection and that’s fine, I have boundaries and we’ll just change position. “I want people to feel reassured that, as soon as they get in, they feel comfortable.” Despite the unconventional therapy, when Natasha first took on cuddle clients, she said her family were completely “unsurprised” and the step from CBT therapy to cuddle therapy was a “natural evolution”. While Natasha focuses her time on a holistic approach for treating people, she noted that there is also neuroscience behind cuddles. According to the 44-year-old, physical touch activates the brain’s orbitofrontal cortex and cuddling releases oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin. Now, Natasha also does EMDR therapy and is a mental health swim host, and has clients travel from all over the globe to receive her hugs. She said: “Working from Coventry is brilliant because I’m only nine minutes on the train from Birmingham Airport and people come to visit me from all over. I get a client from Belgium, someone from Ireland and people from all over the UK who come to see me. “I wanted to find a sofa bed that just looked like a big comfy sofa for cuddle sessions. I’d started off with a big L shaped sofa but after about five years, it was sagging a bit, there’d been a lot of healing done on that sofa and it was time for a new one. “Now I have a sofa bed in my living room that I use as my cuddle sofa. It’s in the living room and it’s used for everyday life, watching TV with my partner, having people round and also for my work.” Breaking down the taboo around cuddle therapy, Natasha hopes more people will embrace the alternative treatment. She added: “As it’s become more popular, more people are becoming qualified as cuddlers and I think that’s great. “I’ve had comments online before of people thinking it’s weird or not understanding but there are other things we accept in society that are much more intimate than cuddles, like massages. “It’s not weird, it’s actually a really lovely thing to be able to make another soul feel better for a while.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live New warnings about ‘concerning’ rise in at-home cosmetic dentistry What is ‘beer tanning’ and why are experts warning against it? Christian Cowan: Designing is like dreaming

Manchester United star Katie Zelem wants one thing if England win the World Cup: Oreo milkshakes. “After games, I like to have an Oreo milkshake. That’s my go-to thing – so simple and easy, but I just love it. So, if we win, I will have a lot of Oreo milkshakes,” Zelem, 27, says with a laugh. But if Oreo milkshakes are Zelem’s top priority after she’s played, what fuels her before a match? “Before games, I’ll always eat pasta. I lived in Italy for a year, so pasta is one of my favourite things and [living in Italy] really gave me inspiration for different types, rather than just the basic stuff.” Training for a major tournament is no small feat, and combined with nutrition, camp before the tournament will be intense.“Obviously, people are all at different stages of [fitness]; some finished the league a bit earlier, and some played more minutes than others, so it’s about getting on the same page, and then ramping it up. It’ll be running, training, gym, everything you can think of.” Facing disappointment when she was not selected for the Euros team, the fresh Lioness has worked hard to get the call-up.“Last year, with the Euros, it didn’t quite go to plan, so I’m so proud of the season I’ve had. We’ve got our rewards by being selected to represent England at a World Cup,” Manchester-born Zelem divulges. “My first major tournament and I’m so excited.” But waiting for the news as to whether she would be heading to Australia and New Zealand, where the Women’s World Cup is taking place this summer, was nerve-wracking. Zelem didn’t want to miss her shot again. “I was actually at home, waiting,” she says. We knew we were going to get a FaceTime call, so it was an anxious morning for everyone.” Heading to her first World Cup, there are bound to be some nerves. “It is a good thing to feel nervous. You’re out. You’re at a World Cup. It should be a little bit nerve-wracking, playing with and against the best players in the world. Nerves are good. It’s just about channelling them in the right way,” Zelem adds calmly. Zelem is looking forward to being reunited with legendary Lioness, fellow midfielder and Barcelona player, Keira Walsh. “I do love joining up with the girls and playing with everyone, but Keira Walsh is a really good friend of mine and I have known her for about 15 years. We played together at the youth age groups a lot, we have done a lot of training camps in England,” the footballer explains. “She moved, and went from being on the doorstep to a totally different country. So, there’ll be a nice reunion at our first major tournament together.” Of course, there will be some noticeable players missing in Beth Mead and Leah Williamson, as ACL injuries have ravaged teams all over the world this season. “One or two is unlucky, but I think so many is just crazy. It certainly needs to be looked at – whether it’s our training load or the changes in play in minutes. As you see the women’s game rise and grow, the expectations become to play more games and have less recovery,” Zelem notes. It means the Lionesses of the Euros have had a shake-up. The new squad is missing its captain and top scorer, but Zelem and the rest of the team are still dreaming of World Cup victory. Katie Zelem, England Lioness and Manchester United Captain, is the brand ambassador for the healthy recipe box service Green Chef which is all about healthy living, your way.

Nowadays, I source the majority of my nail art inspiration on Pinterest. The feed is rich in options that are aligned with my style preferences (which the algorithm has really honed based on my pinning history). I follow a lot of nail artists and salons on Instagram, too, so I pull from there as well.

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While we might be most familiar with seeing Gordon Ramsay cooking up a storm in a galley, he says he loves to “get out of the kitchen and get my hands dirty”. That could explain why he’s filmed three series of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted on National Geographic, giving him the opportunity to explore different experiences and dishes from all over the globe. From snacking on alpaca meat 11,000 feet above sea level in the Peruvian Andes, to eating fish curry in Kerala, south India, Ramsay, 56, has been on a culinary tour of the world. “I always love to get out of the kitchen and get my hands dirty,” he says. “It gives me time to embed into local food communities and get inspired.” In the series, Ramsay switches positions – in many of his previous shows, he’s the teacher, but he’s very much the student in Uncharted. He says this “definitely made me more humble, especially when the locals don’t love my dishes”, but ultimately “experience helps me become a better chef”. Now, the chef is releasing a cookbook-meets-travelogue as an accompaniment to the TV show, with the recipes reflecting the diversity of his travels. Dishes include spicy grilled lobster with coconut and breadfruit from Hawaii, chicken pepper pot from the jungles of Guyana, New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp and spice-rubbed steaks with pele pele sauce from South Africa. We chatted to Ramsay about his approach to travel and food… How important is it to have an open mind when travelling? “Having an open mind really helps you to bed in with the local community. For me, I get to better understand the importance of each dish and ingredient. “It really helped me to craft some of the incredible dishes at our final cooks and now this amazing book. And trust me, I’ve taken all that knowledge and used it in my dishes at my restaurants around the world.” How can adventure help you understand a region’s culture and cuisine better? “If you want to go off the beaten path, you’re not getting on the tube or M5 to get there. You have to have some adventure involved! And as I learned in Peru with the mango tree, some of the best ingredients come from being out of your comfort zone.” Has travel always been a part of your food ethos? “When I was a young chef, I wanted to have all the experience and knowledge to help me be the best. I wasn’t going to places like Laos or Tasmania, but I was travelling and taking in everything I could get from every city I went to. “I may not have been rappelling a cliff or diving while learning in France, but trust me, some of those kitchens were just as intense!” What dish in the book took the most effort to master? “I’d have to say the Pandi curry in India. I’ve made many curries in my time, but this one was truly unique since it used pork. I’ve been to India many times, but never to this region and getting in so in-depth with the local purveyors. “I learned so much from the curry – to the coffee liquor to those spicy pickled vegetables – that said, the biggest challenge for me during that trip had to be getting the ants we used for the ant curry out of my hair!” Did you fail at anything? “Of course I’ve failed. I’ve lost fires, burned protein, disappointed the locals – but I’ve always picked myself up and tweaked and finessed my mistakes. “Mistakes aren’t bad when it comes to cooking, it’s the perfect learning experience. So if you fail with any of the recipes, just learn and adjust and keep trying.” What was the most memorable destination you went to? “That’s so tough, that’s like choosing a favourite child. They were all so unique and beautiful, but I think Tasmania was really memorable to me. The culture of bartering and the incredible seafood really opened my eyes to the incredible bounty that island has.” What’s the biggest lesson you learned from filming Uncharted and writing the cookbook? “Resourcefulness and making sure that we only take what we need. Those principles are very similar to what we are running and doing in restaurants, use what you need, take what you need. And making sure it’s seasonality at its best.” ‘Gordon Ramsay’s Uncharted: A Culinary Adventure With 60 Recipes From Around The Globe’ (published by National Geographic, £25). You can stream all episodes of National Geographic’s ‘Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted’ exclusively on Disney+. Read More Three meat-free dishes to try this National Vegetarian Week How to make TikTok’s viral whole roasted cauliflower What is coronation chicken? The story of the royal recipe and how to make it Healthy lemony smoked salmon pasta that takes zero effort Easy coronation chicken pie recipe chosen by Mary Berry Andi Oliver on turning 60 and channeling her anger into power

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Jade Roper Tolbert has shared an emotional message on social media after suffering from a “missed” miscarriage earlier this month. The 36-year-old, who was a contestant on season 19 of The Bachelor, recently revealed on Instagram that she was just five months pregnant when she lost her baby boy due to a miscarriage. Jade and her husband Tanner Tolbert - who she met on the reality dating show’s spinoff Bachelor in Paradise - had decided to name the baby Beau. In an Instagram post shared on 29 August, Jade was pictured laying in a hospital bed in a gown, as she looked teary-eyed at the camera. “Well, here we are,” she began the caption. “I didn’t want or expect it to go this way, but it is. I so badly wanted to bury him under a beautiful tree in our yard, to see any glimpse of his tiny body, which is why I held out so long trying to trust my body. But, it is time to heal and get to the other side of this loss.” Jade continued by sharing a message of support for women who have also experienced a miscarriage, as she told her 1.3m Instagram followers: “I’ve been trying to protect my peace and respect my baby, so I’ve only been sharing bits and pieces here and there to hopefully maybe help someone else feel less alone going through this.” “I see you, I feel your pain, and I love you,” she added. “And to Beau, I carried your body for almost five months, your soul for a little less, but I carry you with me in my heart everywhere and for always.” On 13 August, Jade announced her miscarriage in another emotional Instagram post. The reality TV star explained that she was experiencing a “missed” miscarriage - in which the foetus has died, but the body has not expelled the pregnancy tissue. According to the Miscarriage Association, a missed or silent miscarriage can occur without the mother experiencing any symptoms, such as bleeding or pain. “I’ve been struggling what to write here as I’ve been navigating a miscarriage,” Jade captioned her post, which included a mirror selfie of her baby bump, hands resting on her pregnant belly, and a photo of an ultrasound. “It felt like all my dreams were coming true to welcome another baby into our lives, to love and to complete our family. While our hearts are completely broken and we have been dealing with the deep and complex grief of the loss, we have been blessed to be touched by his soul for his short amount of time. I am forever changed.” The mother of three shared that she hoped to experience her missed miscarriage “naturally” with the help of her doctor. “I’ve been carrying him with so much pride and cherish every moment still left with part of him, but it has also been equally as challenging and devastating,” she wrote. “So while I hold my belly here, our sweet baby’s body is resting in my womb as his soul soars. We love you with every piece of our hearts, baby Beau.” Days later, Jade revealed in an Instagram Q&A that she had not yet told her three children about her miscarriage. When asked by a fan if her six-year-old daughter, Emerson, and her sons - Brooks, four, and Reed, two - knew about the pregnancy loss, Jade replied: “They don’t.” "Still figuring out if we tell them soon or wait until they are a bit older," she added, before asking the Instagram follower for advice. In the Q&A posted to her Instagram Stories, the Bachelor in Paradise alum was also asked whether she will continue to try for baby number four. “Very up in the air,” she replied. “A big part of me wants to, but I’m just not sure right now.” Her husband, Tanner Tolbert was a contestant on season 11 of The Bachelorette, but was eliminated in week six. The couple met on season two of Bachelor in Paradise and were married in 2016, when their wedding was documented in season 20 of The Bachelor. Read More Former Bachelorette contestant Josh Seiter says he’s alive after death announcement And Just Like That fans denounce the show for not being ‘progressive’ enough in latest episode A Tennessee woman needed an abortion and couldn’t get help nearby. Then she went viral on TikTok ‘Boy moms’ called out for logic behind teaching their sons to cook Maya Jama and Stormzy: Can you make it work with an ex? 12 smart ways to save money on everyday back-to-school costs

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A father has revealed the exact moment he knew that he wanted to leave the United States and raise his children in Spain. Luna, who goes by the username ​​@lunagoestospain on TikTok, frequently posts videos about preparing for her move with her family. In a recent clip, she noted that a lot of people who live in the US have told her that, while they also want to move abroad, their husbands don’t want to do the same. She went on to direct her camera towards her own husband, before explaining that he didn’t want to move at first either. However, he then shared the experience he had while visiting Spain that ultimately changed his mind about raising children outside of the US. “We go to a cafe and there’s a ton of people walking around,” he recalled about the trip to Spain. “Being from St Louis, that’s not a very comfortable place for me to be in. And you turn to me and say: ‘Have you seen all these people?’ And I’m like: ‘Uhuh,’ and you’re like: ‘None of them have guns.’” He concluded his message by describing his change in perspective about living in Missouri, which has allowed individuals to carry concealed firearms in most places without first obtaining a permit since 2017. “I realised that this weight that I’d been carrying around my whole life wasn’t necessary,” he said. “It’s like what we think is normal is not normal.” In the caption, Luna went on to describe her husband’s comments, writing: “Here’s what shifted for him. I’m sure this’ll piss the right people off. No pun intended.” The TikTok video has quickly gone viral, as it has amassed more than 121,600 views. In the comments, multiple viewers also expressed their interests in raising children outside of America, while also describing their positive experiences when taking trips abroad. “There’s so much mental energy we dedicate to simply existing in the US,” one person claimed. “We lived in Japan for three years. Feeling safe in any neighbourhood or at any time of day or night was amazing,” another wrote. @lunagoestospain Here’s what shifted for him. I’m sure this’ll piss the right people off. No pun intended. #movingabroad #spaindigitalnomadvisa #movingabroadwithpets #movingtospainwithkids ♬ 7AM (Slowed + Reverb) - adrian A third added: “As a father of two young boys, your husband’s explanation has me shook because I cannot disagree.” Earlier this month, Luna shared another video reflecting on her upcoming move to Spain. In the clip, she explained that she’ll miss her family and friends in Missouri, but highlighted some of the benefits to living abroad. “I won’t ever have to tell her she can’t wear light-up shoes because of safety,” she wrote. “No shopping for bulletproof backpacks. I’ll move mountains to make sure she’s as safe as humanly possible.” The Independent has contacted Luna for comment. Luna’s videos also come two years after Missouri enacted the “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” which “subjects local and state law enforcement officers to fines of $50,000 for helping to enforce a federal gun law,” according to the Giffords Law Center. In March of this year, a federal judge ruled the controversial law as unconstitutional, but “has since allowed the law to remain in effect pending appeals,” per Giffords. In recent years, research has found that more Americans are opting to move out of the US. According to the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), there were nearly 4.8 million Americans living overseas in 2018. This number has continued to grow, as the US Department of State estimated that in 2021, there were about 9 million US citizens living abroad. Read More A scientist's 4-decade quest to save the biggest monkey in the Americas One in six students at English universities taught overseas – watchdog Dylan Mulvaney leaves the US ‘to feel safe’ amid Bud Light backlash Schoolboy almost dies from swallowing magnets for TikTok challenge Woman shares honest review of New York City apartment TikTok mom slammed after making 5-year-old son run in 104 degree heat