For over a century, International Women’s Day (IWD) has been celebrated across the globe to highlight the extraordinary achievements of ordinary women. Held annually on March 8, I used to think it was a positive day. This year, however, I just feel angry.

Although proud of the progress we’ve made, we find ourselves fighting on a new front — and in the unimaginable position of seeing hard-won rights being rolled back.

Incredibly, we’re at a point when even the word ‘woman’ is controversial. We’ve become ‘cervix-havers’, ‘uterus-owners’ and in extreme cases ‘non-men’. Politicians, meanwhile, flounder when asked: ‘What is a woman?’ As an MP as well as a mother, it makes me despair.

The reluctance to defend women and girls is due to a small but very vocal group of trans activists, determined to let men self-identify as women, under the guise of ‘gender ideology’.

What started as an attempt to ensure that a very small minority of people with ‘gender dysphoria’ (those who feel there’s a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity) were not discriminated against has morphed into a powerful global movement which allows men to claim to be women.

By uttering the magic words ‘I am a woman’ or ‘I identify as a woman’, suddenly men can enter female-only spaces such as refuges for the victims of rape or domestic abuse. This is without any commitment to have gender reassignment surgery or take hormones — not that that would make them women anyway.

It was inevitable that predatory men would take advantage of this. It is why we are seeing male abusers, rapists and murderers being called ‘she’ and ‘her’ in court and in many countries gaining access to women’s prisons.

I am proud to stand with a group of courageous women who are fighting back. We have taken part in this Mail photoshoot to raise awareness on the eve of International Women’s Day. Known as ‘gender criticals’ or ‘sex realists’, we believe in some — not all — circumstances, the sex of a person really matters.

This might sound like common sense, but we have all faced a backlash for saying as much. Labelled ‘Nazis’ and ‘bigots’, many of us have received rape and death threats. Some have been victims of doxxing (where names and addresses are published online), stalked and, in the worst cases, suffered physical abuse.

I’ve had death threats and each week some man or other emails saying he would like to ‘re-educate’ me. Although MPs are used to hostility in Westminster, sometimes I feel not a soul is on my side. Even some Labour MP colleagues are hostile towards me in the chamber.

It’s also obvious I’ve been ‘softly cancelled’ from television and radio debates. I used to be invited onto political TV panel shows every few weeks with colleagues such as Jess Phillips. Jess is still asked, but it is years since I was.

Sometimes I feel utterly exhausted by it all. What gives me hope and strength is this army of women who stubbornly refuse to ‘budge up and make way’ for men who claim to represent us. We will not hand over our rights easily. We’ve had enough.

We are fighting to preserve the right to female-only spaces — from refuges to prisons — and wish to protect the safety, dignity and privacy of women too vulnerable to speak up themselves.

Every day my inbox is filled with messages from UK women who are frightened, furious, or both. They are unsure if they can ask for a female carer for their elderly mother’s intimate care. They despair that single-sex changing rooms are vanishing. Their daughters tell them that a boy who is identifying as a girl has joined the girls’ sports team at school and they’re scared to speak out.

Happily, we are gaining ground in this battle, albeit slowly.

Maya Forstater lost her job at a think tank for expressing ‘gender-critical’ views — but won a landmark employment case. Now we can no longer be discriminated against over our views on sex and gender in a democratic society.

The Civil Service, once wholly captured by ‘gender ideology’, was the first to set up a Sex Equality and Equity Network (SEEN) to ensure that discrimination against women could not prevail.

These networks are now cropping up in the police, HR organisations and the City.

It is a different matter in the NHS, however. Women who work in it tell me they’re scared to speak up when terms describing women’s bodies are being changed and corrupted. Yet social politics should be nowhere near public health. The NHS is there to cure people, and if women need a female doctor for an intimate examination, they should be allowed to ask for one without being labelled a bigot.

As for schools, I’ve had emails from headteachers begging for help in handling more and more children identifying out of their own sex. Recent guidance was of help but didn’t go far enough.

Children struggling with their identities need mental health support, compassionate care and to be treated on a case-by-case basis.

In sport, boys and men worldwide are entering female categories as they ‘identify’ as girls and women — surprise, surprise, they go on to smash female records. Some are even insisting on dressing in female changing rooms, which can be incredibly distressing for many women and girls.

And it’s not limited to high-profile sporting events. Just this week, Kenwood Ladies’ Pond members voted to continue to allow male bathers in if they identified as women. This was despite opposition from many women who feel uncomfortable or threatened by ‘women’ with male genitalia in their space.

Yet thanks to women such as Fiona McAnena, who until recently headed up Fair Play for Women, there are now rules to protect female categories in sports such as swimming and cycling, which are now banning males.

I applaud sporting legends such as tennis ace Martina Navratilova and Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies who have spoken about the dangers and injustice to women.

Hockey, tennis, basketball and squash, however, are still allowing men to be women. We might even see male players in the female categories in archery, weightlifting, rowing and skateboarding at this summer’s Paris Olympics. It’s not fair on the women losing out at elite level but it’s also not fair on the young girls who may be deterred from competing at all.

In politics, speaking up for women is becoming harder. I’ve been labelled a ‘transphobe’ for simply liking a tweet that says only a woman can have a cervix.

In 2019 I gave an account of my experience of domestic abuse to the House of Commons, detailing the months of verbal abuse, humiliation and financial control I’d kept secret from friends and family. Although it brought some members of the Commons to tears, I was still vilified in other quarters.

I’ve also been lied about, betrayed and abused with numerous complaints about my ‘behaviour’. Even my ‘liking’ of certain tweets has been utilised by those who want to see me ousted from politics.

Some colleagues have supported my views privately, then gone on television and criticised me. They’re cowards, but it still makes me feel very isolated.

I can’t pretend the criticism and abuse does not take its toll both emotionally and psychologically. I sometimes wonder how much more I can take. But again, I find strength and solace in knowing I am not alone.

I’m lucky to have author J. K. Rowling as a friend. Famously, she has received a barrage of vile abuse and death threats for speaking out, and yet every time she does she helps more of us be braver. Kind and funny, she has often leapt to my defence on social media.

Another group under attack are same-sex-attracted women. There was much derision when I spoke out about how lesbians are being ‘pressurised into dating so-called lesbians with a penis’, but it’s true.

A barrister friend who is currently dating will send me screenshots of the people on her dating apps, many of them heterosexual men who are simply calling themselves ‘lesbian’. This is grossly offensive to her and other lesbians. But if women complain, they are called all sorts of names and are thrown off the dating app themselves.

Violence against women is another issue I feel passionately about, due to my own experiences.

Every year around the time of International Women’s Day, in the House of Commons, my colleague Jess Phillips reads out the names of women murdered by men.

Last week her list included the names of 98 women, at least half of whom, she said, could have been saved.

It makes grim listening but is necessary to highlight that men’s violence against women is not abating.

Today, we are asking women everywhere to help us stand up for the most vulnerable women and girls.

Trans extremism might not affect you personally but it does affect those in prison, those in care, those who are too scared to speak out about their experiences.

Being ‘gender-critical’ does not mean you are ‘anti-trans’, whatever the activists may tell you. I’ve always fully supported the rights of all trans people to live freely as they choose. But women’s rights are sacred, too, and sometimes the sex of a person really matters.

Write to your local politicians in support of female-only rape refuges or domestic abuse shelters.

If your child is at school or plays sports, ask about single-sex changing facilities. And if you find out that a brand or retailer is helping to erode women’s rights, take your money elsewhere.

Join our irrepressible army of women and let’s stand together with a common goal. They can threaten us, ghost us, cancel us. But we will march on.

UP Police Constable Recruitment Exam 2023, held on February 17 and 18, 2024, has been cancelled.

The UP Constable Civil Police Direct Recruitment Exam 2023conducted on February 17 and 18 at 2,385 centers in all 75 districts of the state, is cancelled. The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, made a major announcement on Saturday stating that the UP Police Officer Recruitment Exam-2023 was canceled after reports of paper leaks surfaced. In response, guidelines have been issued for organizing a re-examination within the next six months. Share a post on X (formally Twitter), Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on Saturday tweeted: “UP Police officer civil police exams 2023 cancelled, orders issued to re-conduct the exams within next six months….” He further said that strict action would be taken against those found guilty of the alleged paper leak.

“@Uppolice Orders have been issued to cancel the 2023 exam conducted for selection for the posts of the Reserve Civil Police and to conduct a fresh examination within the next six months. There can be no compromise on the sanctity of examinations. Those who play along with the hard work of the youth will not be spared under any circumstances. Strictest action will definitely be taken against such unruly elements,” his tweet read.

UP Police Constable Recruitment Exam 2024 cancelled. Read CM Yogi Adityanath’s tweet

.@Uppolice I think I did a good job From 2023 to May 6, 2023 I think: I think it’s a good choice

I think I did well सकता।

I think I did a good job I think I…

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) February 24, 2024

#UPP_Paper_Leak: UP Police Constable Recruitment Exam 2024 for over 60,000 vacancies canceled after paper leak report

Under ‘Mission Rozgar’, the state government would recruit 60,244 police officers to further strengthen the police force. The exams for the same were held at 2385 centers on February 17 and 18. Shortly after the two-day recruitment exam was completed, reports emerged from the UP Police Exam Paper Leak went viral on various social media platforms.

To express their disappointment, aspirants and other exam candidates used hashtags #UPP_Paper_Leakage and tagging the official Twitter handle of the Office of Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh, and CM Yogi Adityanath. Sharing posts on However, the board rejected the document UP Police Officer Exam Paper Leak Report.

UP Police Constable Recruitment Exam 2024: 60,000 Posts and 6 Lakh Aspirants

According to the report by news agency ANI, over six lakh candidates from states other than Uttar Pradesh have registered, including 2,67,305 candidates from Bihar, 74,769 from Haryana, 17,112 from Jharkhand, 98,400 from Madhya Pradesh, 42,259 from Delhi, 97,277 from Rajasthan, 14,627 from Uttarakhand, 5,512 from West Bengal, 3,151 from Maharashtra and 3,404 from Punjab.

Soon after the announcement was made to cancel the exam, the protesting students, who were demanding the re-examination, were seen celebrating. Earlier on Monday, the UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board had constituted an internal committee to probe the allegations of paper leaks and viral question papers and answer sheets on social media.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Candidates in Lucknow celebrate as CM Yogi Adityanath announces cancellation of UP Police Constable Civil Police Exams 2023 and orders re-examination within the next six months. pic.twitter.com/RCWJS8UBDd

— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2024

“I express my gratitude to CM Yogi Adityanath for fulfilling our demand. Within the next two months we will show them that the youth are with them… They saved our lives. Candidates died by suicide…, an aspirant told news agency ANI.

UPPSC RO, ARO Paper Leak 2024 – Major Update

The UP government has also issued an order to probe the alleged irregularities and manipulation in the Review Officer/Assistant Review Officer (RO/ARO) investigation, not in the newspaper but at the government level. “Candidates can file a complaint with @secyappoint@nic.in till February 27. Before this, the Police Recruitment Board is also investigating the alleged rigging in the recruitment examination of constables,” the order said.

In a new Disney+ series about his life, Cristóbal Balenciaga claims he was the only person capable of running his brand Balenciaga.

And it seems as though that may be the case – as the fashion house has never fully bounced back from a series of damaging scandals in recent years.

In 2022, the Spanish brand sparked fury when it used controversial images of children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage gear in their Christmas campaign.

The adverts sparked shockwaves through the industry and prompted brand ambassador Kim Kardashian to distance herself from the fashion house.

As a result of this controversy, eagle-eyed critics started examining the rest of Balenciaga’s campaigns closely – and were horrified to find a printout of a Supreme Court ruling on whether or not internet child porn could be legally considered free speech in another.

Before this, Balenciaga had gained a reputation for its unconventional campaigns and shows, including runway presentations where models navigate through mud and endure blizzard-like conditions, while adorned in luxurious clothing. 

The Spanish brand, founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1917, has become synonymous with subversiveness, particularly since the appointment of creative director Demna Gvasalia in 2015, who famously said: ‘Who doesn’t love a fashion scandal?’

Here FEMAIL takes a look back at the rise and fall of the fashion house – as Disney+ releases a new drama inspired by the early days of Balenciaga. 

Early Days of Balenciaga 

Cristóbal Balenciaga, born in San Sebastian, Spain, achieved instant success when he launched the brand after moving to Paris in 1937. 

The designer was the son of a fisherman who took an interest in fashion after working as an apprentice for a tailor from the age of 12. 

In 1919, Cristóbal opened his first boutique in San Sebastián, Spain, later expanding with branches in Madrid and Barcelona.

Balenciaga’s designs quickly gained popularity among the Spanish royal family and aristocracy. But with the onset of the Spanish Civil War, he was forced to close his stores and subsequently relocated to Paris.

In August 1937, Balenciaga opened his Paris couture house on Avenue George V, unveiling his first fashion show featuring designs heavily influenced by the Spanish Renaissance.

He achieved rapid success, and within two years, the press hailed him as a revolutionary force, with his creations becoming highly sought-after.

Fellow designer Coco Chanel and Carmel Snow, the editor of Harper’s Bazaar, emerged as early supporters of Balenciaga’s groundbreaking work.

Subsequently, his designs were worn by celebrities Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy and Wallis Simpson.

Balenciaga was one of only 60 businesses allowed to operate in Paris throughout World War II – and his influence during this period played a transformative role in the fashion industry.

Signature silhouettes, such as the sack dress, baby doll dress and cocoon coat revolutionised the way women dressed.

‘Balenciaga alone is a couturier in the truest sense of the word. Only he is capable of cutting material, assembling a creation and sewing it by hand, the others are simply fashion designers,’ declared Coco Chanel. 

The wife of former MP Thomas ‘Loel’ Guinness was a central figure of the postwar social scene and a keen Balenciaga client. She was also a Harper’s Bazaar contributing editor in the 60s and a regular on international best-dressed lists.

Gloria liked Balenciaga’s simple necklines, and the fact that, by pulling his jacket collars back an inch from the neck, he was ‘allowing women and their pearls to breathe’. 

But when sales began to decline with the rise of ready-to-wear clothing, Balenciaga was forced to close his fashion house and retire in 1968.

He passed away four years later, and the house of Balenciaga remained dormant until 1997, when the company was sold to Kering, who appointed Nicolas Ghesquiere as creative director.

Balenciaga’s feuding directors 

Ghesquiere, who is currently creative director at Louis Vuitton, revitalised the brand, drawing in celebrity clientele, including Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

Despite achieving success in dressing Kylie Minogue for her Showgirl tour and designing Nicole Kidman’s wedding dress in 2006, the company made a surprising announcement of parting ways with Ghesquiere after 15 years – naming Alexander Wang as his successor.

In an interview with System, Ghesquiere accused Balenciaga of ‘lacking in direction’ and claimed he was ‘sucked dry, like they wanted to steal my identity while trying to homogenise things’.  

Kering subsequently filed a lawsuit against Ghesquiere for breach of contract, seeking damages amounting to €7 million (£6m). The legal dispute was eventually resolved out of court.

Demna Gvasalia (simply known as Demna) replaced Alexander Wang in 2015. 

The new creative director secured a number of brand ambassadors, including Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian, thanks to his distinctive approach to streetwear.

Demna was behind Kim’s famed 2021 Met Gala look, which saw her wearing all-black head-to-toe, including a balaclava, as she arrived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Shocking adverts 

In January 2022, the fashion house released a number of images as part of it’s campaign celebrating the Year of the Tiger.

The 57 piece collection is modelled by children and adults in a homely setting, interacting with each other as though they are family.

However the models are position in unusual poses for the images, which were taken by Chris Maggio.

In one, a child can be seen sitting on the lap of a male model, while in another, a child lies down with their head on the male model’s shoulder.

And it’s not just Balacengia which has faced controversy over it’s adverts.

The label is owned by Kering, which owns a number of other controverisal labels, including Gucci.

And in another one of the company’s campaigns from this year, a number of child models can be seen posing in recreations of classic horror scenes.

From The Shining’s terrifying twin girls to Clockwork Orange and even the masked party from Eyes Wide Shut, Gucci spared no expense in bringing the scenes to life as only Gucci can.

Unconventional Runways 

The label’s spring 2022 runway left many fashion fans shocked, after the collaboration with Adidas saw the brand dressing models in gimp masks before walking them down the runway in Paris. 

Attendees wore colourful red, blue and yellow latex masks across their face while wearing the label’s clothing.  

That summer, the label’s Paris Fashion Week show also raised eyebrows after rapper Kanye West joined other models to trudge through mud while sporting the fashion house’s latest designs.

Balenciaga is known for its quirky designs but people were left perplexed by the muddy runway, as models walked down as if they were on a grim powerwalk through a wet field.

The show opened in Paris, with it girl Doja Cat in attendance, model Bella Hadid also made an appearance, as a model wearing studded facial prosthetics.

The show featured interesting designs including corsets for men and long black dresses with matching gloves.

Kayne opened the runway, almost disguised in an all black security style suit, his beard long and bedraggled looking.

The strange show was built around a wet, mud catwalk, which saw models walking through a muddy pit, covering the new designs in splatters – 

Social media users were baffled by the showcase, with some saying it was like a ‘social experiment gone wrong’.

One tweeted: ‘Imagine being a part of the Balenciaga ss23 and realising you have to walk in mud.’

One joked: ‘Balenciaga having a mud fashion show, I know it smells crazy in there.’

Another wrote: ‘The photos from the Balenciaga mud show are awful!’

Bizarre Fetish Masks

In September 2021, Kim Kardashian surprised many as she went for a completely minimalist look for the Met Gala. 

The 40-year-old mogul completely covered up her face in an all-black head-to-toe Balenciaga ensemble including balaclava as she arrived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City

The ensemble designed by creative director Demna Gvasalia for the Paris-based high-fashion label featured several matching dark pieces including a T-Shirt dress over a curve T-Shirt with a bodysuit.

The black look had several intricate pieces despite the simplicity of its look as it also included jersey boots Pantaleggings.

The accessories were kept uniform as she also sported long gloves and a full-faced mask which kept her make-up under wraps.

Her brunette tresses poked out of the balaclava in the form of a ponytail featuring extensions which hung down to below her derriere.

And while she may have been mocked on social media for the look, she has since gone on to wear the full face mask on a number of different occasions. 

Shortly before the MET, she stepped out in a very daring leather Balenciaga look which included a zentai face covering, before checking into the Ritz Carlton.

The bodysuit was layered underneath a leather trench coat and she sported thigh high black boots and gloves while carrying a sparkly Balenciaga bag.

Her face was completely shielded by the leather face mask which had a zipper up the front and two where the eyes would be, with only her long ponytail sticking out of the back. She wore a full face mask for a third time in July. 

The reality personality, 43, who walked for the fashion house earlier in spring 2022, joined the likes of Bella Hadid and Nicole Kidman at the star-studded dinner.

‘Offensive products’

Meanwhile the BDSM style teddy bear bag isn’t the first controversial product from the brand which shoppers have deemed offensive. 

However, the praise was short-lived, as in in 2022, Balenciaga came under fire for selling £1,470 ‘trash pouches’ that resembled plastic bin bags.

When asked about the controversial product, Demna told WWD: ‘I couldn’t miss an opportunity to make the most expensive trash bag in the world, because who doesn’t love a fashion scandal?’

A number of people were baffled by the Trash Pouch and disappointed fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts.

One user said: ‘Luxury fashion’ is legal theft. High fashion is a joke at this point. Balenciaga made a ‘trash bag’ pouch for $1,790. And on top of shit like that, a lot of you fashion n***as just simply can’t dress.’

Many individuals noted that Balenciaga’s $2,090 ‘Barbes East-West Shopper Bag’ resembles a bag design that originated in West Africa, informally referred to as ‘Ghana Must Go’ bags.

The bag earned the nickname during the 1980s, after ‘hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, most of them Ghanaians’ were forced to quickly stuff their belongings into them after being given short notice to flee Nigeria, the BBC reported.

Last year, a pair of $1,190 sweatpants caused quite a stir, after multiple critics accused the design as a form of cultural appropriation.

The ‘Tropme-L’oeil’ grey sweatpants feature an exposed boxer short built-in above the waistband – a style made famous in hip hop culture during the 90s.

Critics caught wind of the controversy after TikTok user @mr200m__, whose real name is Josiah Hyacinth, posted a video mocking design at a Selfridges on September 2.

‘This feels racist. This feels very racist, guys’ Hyacinth said, while inspecting the pants. ‘They have woven these boxers inside the trousers.’

The video is captioned, ‘You know when something feels racist @sxbwxyy I have questions,’ and has garnered over 1.6 million views.

In an email statement to CNN, Marquita Gammage, an associate professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Northridge, said she was disturbed by the Balenciaga item and what she witnesses as ‘Black culture with the hopes of securing major profits,’

Gammage, who is the author of ‘Cultural Appropriation as ‘Agency Reduction” notes that the style has often ‘been used to criminalize Blacks, especially Black males as thugs and a threat to American society.’

‘Balenciaga men’s Trompe-L’Oeil sweatpants in red triggers immediate concern given the grotesque similarity to the iconic African American hip hop aesthetic worn by Black Americans for decades that has resulted in the imprisonment and death of Black men,’ Gammage added in the email to CNN. 

‘The trousers have commercial cultural appropriation written all over them; branded with the name Balenciaga.’

In an additional email to CNN, Ludivine Pont, chief marketing officer for Balenciaga, said ‘in many of our collections, we combine different wardrobe pieces into a single garment, such as denim jeans layered over tracksuit pants, cargo shorts merged with jeans and button-up shirts layered over t-shirts.’ 

‘These Trompe L’Oeil trousers were an extension of that vision,’ she added.

Individuals immediately responded to the design online, slamming the fashion brand for gentrifying yet another aspect of black culture.

‘Black men being discriminated against and devalued for sagging pants and Balenciaga is profiting off the style. Crazy how it’s ghetto until they put a price on it,’ user @HighestPriestess criticized the design on Twitter.  

The fashion house, popular with A-listers like Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber, in May released a new range of £1,290 ‘fully destroyed’ footwear, covered in holes and scuff marks.

Fans were quick to mock the brand after the shoes went viral when they launched.

The shoes were a limited edition version of the brand’s Paris high top trainers, which usually cost £450.

The fully destroyed versions come in black, white or brown and are littered with holes across the cotton sides, top and back.

The fashion giant’s brand name is daubed on the side of the soles to look like marker pen graffiti.

And ironically, Balenciaga says if they get dirty just ‘wipe with a soft cloth.’

Shoppers were quick to poke fun at the scruffy sneakers. One said: ‘I was having a good day until I saw this. Shaking my head.’

Another quipped: ‘I was just about to throw out my 12-year-old Vans. But I guess they are high fashion.’

Another joked: ‘Need these for my collection. Or I just won’t pay rent and in a month or so my shoes should look the same.’

One mum said: ‘Are they having a laugh?’

Another said: ‘Pre-f****d up shoes, what a world.’ 

Bondage-themed advert 

The following scandal erupted when Balenciaga released its 2022 Holiday ad campaign that featured children posing with its Plush Toy Bag. The bags, which looked like teddy bears, were dressed in bondage gear.

In the photo shoot, the children also appeared surrounded by empty wine and champagne glasses.

The distinctly adult themes immediately troubled many who asked why children had ever been used.

Balenciaga ignored the scandal at first and seemingly allowed the photographer, Gabriele Galimberti, to take the heat.

He released a statement saying he had no control over the content of the shoot and eventually, Balenciaga released its own statement agreeing and taking responsibility for the campaign.

After the BDSM bears fiasco, eagle-eyed critics started examining the rest of Balenciaga’s campaigns closely.

They soon discovered that in the background of an image from the Spring 2023 campaign was a printout of a Supreme Court ruling on whether or not internet child porn can be legally considered free speech.

On the back of the bears scandal, many critics said it pointed to a troubling pattern within Balenciaga.

Balenciaga was quick to blame North Six, a production company that helped arrange the shoot, for the inclusion of those documents.

They claimed that they entrusted all of the props from the photoshoot to North Six, and that their team was assured everything that was included was fake.

‘I was shocked when I heard about their presence… it was a set of negligent and unfortunate but not intentional coincidences,’ Demna told Vogue.

As #cancelBalenciaga rapidly gained traction on Twitter and TikTok, numerous voices accused the brand and Demna of endorsing paedophilia and child exploitation. 

The impact was considerable, and even Kim Kardashian publicly condemned the controversial advertisements, stating she was reevaluating her relationship with the brand, ‘basing it off their willingness to accept accountability for something that should have never happened to begin with.’

In March 2023, Balenciaga showcased its first collection in Paris  following the controversy, with Demna focusing on reinstating the house codes. 

‘There will be nothing to see but clothes. I need to be the radical antidote – to not be in that conversation at all,’ he said prior to the show. ‘That’s what Cristóbal Balenciaga would do.’

However, the brand later released a £695 ‘towel skirt’ as part of its Spring 2024 collection, which sparked further criticism. 

The knee-length garment, made from terry cotton, was mocked by countless shoppers, as well as Dame Kelly Holmes on an episode of Loose Women. 

One individual on Twitter made reference to the backlash the brand received for its controversial 2022 holiday campaign, penning: ‘To dry themselves from washing away their sins?’  

Nicole Kidman blasted by association

 Nicole Kidman has been a fan of Balenciaga for decades – having chosen the fashion house to design her 2005 wedding dress.

However, the A-List actress was slammed last December when she was named the face of Balenciaga.

The news sparked backlash among the Eyes Wide Shut actress’s social media followers, many of whom have left comments expressing their disappointment.

‘Bad choice Nicole!!! Do better!!!’ one concerned fan wrote, after Nicole shared black-and-white images of herself attending the fashion show.

‘Disappointed you chose that brand,’ another added, while someone else added: ‘Nice campaign to make us all forget [eyeroll emoji].’

Another person wrote: ‘Nicole is always such a beauty, but DANG… money must be tight for all these movie stars and musicians too when they have to support that business.’

However there were plenty of positive comments praising Nicole’s glamorous photos.

‘Absolutely gorgeous,’ one wrote, while another user added: ‘Holy hell, these are brilliant!’

Nicole’s latest collaboration with Balenciaga comes a year after the company received immense criticism for releasing a set of images that showed children posing alongside a slew of BDSM-related items.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are due to make a high-profile visit to Rome this spring as part of a European charm offensive.

But after it was revealed today by Kensington Palace that Kate, 42, is being treated in hospital following a successful abdominal operation, could her first work trip abroad in more than a year be cancelled?

The mother-of-three was admitted to the London Clinic in Marylebone yesterday for the planned procedure and is expected to remain in hospital for ten to 14 days.

She will then return to Windsor in Berkshire to continue her recovery with the support of her family. The future queen is likely to be advised to recover for two to three months and is not expected to return to public events until after Easter.

Last month, The Mail revealed that talks were underway at the highest level about William and Kate's first trip to Italy and that a date had been 'set in'.

It is not yet clear whether the short visit would also include a meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican.

Although Kensington Palace has not officially announced the trip, the charm offensive was intended to mark the couple's first trip on behalf of the government as the new Princess and Princess of Wales.

This is because although they traveled to Boston in the US this time last year, the trip was for Prince William's Earthshot Prize, a personal initiative.

At the time, it was understood that negotiations surrounding the couple's meeting with Pope Francis were still 'very high on the table' and that 'nothing has been decided yet'.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have visited Rome twice in recent years and during both visits they made a point of meeting the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 and Pope Francis in 2017.

But Pope Francis, 87, is in poorer health and canceled a trip to the COP28 climate conference in Dubai at the last minute.

A source said a possible meeting still needs to be discussed at embassy level. Kensington Palace would not comment directly on the trip to Rome, but a spokesperson said: “We look forward to announcing the Prince and Princess' travel plans in due course.”

It comes after their last official government trip – to the Caribbean in March 2022 – was beset by a host of PR problems.

Villagers in Belize used the visit to protest indigenous land issues, while in Jamaica there were republican demonstrations and uncomfortable questions about whether the tour had too much of a 'colonial' tone. Italy would look very different.

There is still great interest in the British Royal Family in the country and the popularity of the late Princess Diana continues.

As one of the world's fashion meccas, it's also likely that a visit from the stylish Princess of Wales would be very welcome.

Members of the Royal Family undertake foreign trips at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and are intended to promote diplomatic, trade and cultural ties between Britain and the host country.

The princess probably speaks some Italian while she was in Florence during her gap year.

After leaving Marlborough College in 2000 at the age of 18, she lived and studied in the city with four friends.

Then just Kate Middleton, she studied at the British Institute of Florence at Palazzo dello Strozzino, where she focused on Italian and art history.

She then enrolled at the University of St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland, to study art history.

The Princess of Wales is being treated in hospital after successful abdominal surgery, Kensington Palace announced today.

Kate, 42, was admitted to the London Clinic on Tuesday for the planned procedure. The future queen is expected to remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days before returning home to continue her recovery.

The princess will likely need between two and three months to recover and is not expected to return to her public duties until after Easter based on current medical advice, the palace said.

The Prince of Wales will not perform any official duties while his wife is in hospital and during the period immediately following her return home.

Heir to the throne William will combine his presence at Kate's side with caring for their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and he has postponed a number of engagements.

The palace declined to confirm what Kate was being treated for, but confirmed the condition was not cancer.

Kate has a close bond with her family, and her parents Carole and Michael Middleton and siblings Pippa Matthews and James Middleton will join her and help support her recovery at the Waleses' home in Windsor.

A spokesperson said: 'The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate.

“She hopes the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normalcy as possible for her children; and her desire for her personal medical information to remain private.

'Kensington Palace will therefore only provide updates on Her Royal Highness's progress if there is important new information to share.

“The Princess of Wales would like to apologize to everyone involved for having to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many people as possible as soon as possible.”

There will be no more international trips for the prince and princess in the coming months.

The princess celebrated her birthday just over a week ago, with the monarchy's official social media accounts sharing a new behind-the-scenes photo of the princess at the king's coronation.

Kate is generally in good health, but was hospitalized earlier in her pregnancy after suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe morning sickness.

Like the rest of the royal family, she has had a busy, turbulent time in recent years, with the platinum jubilee and death of the late queen in 2022, and the coronation in 2023. She has also adapted to her new role as Princess of Wales.

The Waleses also confronted the ongoing rift between William and his brother, the Duke of Sussex, with Harry making controversial claims about Charles, Camilla, William and Kate in his Netflix documentary and memoir Spare.

Citizens of Bangalore planning to celebrate New Year in Nandi Hills? Chikkaballapur district closes Nandi Hills for New Year celebrations and cancels all bookings as entry is banned. Know all the details..

New Delhi: The New Year is less than 24 hours away and most people have done their utmost to celebrate and welcome 2024 in style. Several cities have announced traffic and other restrictions, but despite these restrictions, there are plans for parties and celebrations. If you live in Bengaluru and are planning to celebrate the New Year in the hilly areas i.e. the Nandi Hills, then you are in for a disappointment. Seeing the large crowd moving towards the Nandi Hills, to ensure safety especially when the number of JN.1 Variant Covid cases are increasing, Chikkaballapur district has banned the entry of people into the Nandi Hills and also the earlier made bookings cancelled. Read to know all the details..

No New Year celebrations in Nandi Hills for people from Bangalore

As mentioned earlier, the Bengaluru people who plan to ring in the New Year in the Nandi Hills will not be able to do so as Chikkaballapur district has banned the entry of people into the area on December 31, 2023 and January 1, 2024. safety amid rising Covid cases, especially in Karnataka, district not allowing people into Nandi Hills; A major reason for this decision is the overcrowding that Nandi Hills saw on December 29, with almost 33,000 visitors.

Bookings cancelled, overnight stay not possible

As mentioned earlier, the district has canceled all bookings of people who were due to stay at Nandi Hills; these restrictions apply from the evening of New Year’s Eve, i.e. December 31, 2023, until the early morning of January 1, 2024. Overnight stays are not permitted and therefore all bookings made will be cancelled.

Traffic advisory issued in Bengaluru for New Year 2024

To control traffic congestion in the city, Bengaluru Police has issued traffic advisories for the city.

• Popular police hotspots such as MG Road, Brigade Road and Residency Road, known for their vibrant nightlife, will become pedestrian-only areas where everyone can ring in the year safely.
• Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand said that to manage traffic congestion, traffic restrictions have been imposed around MG Road, Brigade Road, Museum Road, Rest House Road and Residency Cross Road.
• He also added that no movement of vehicles will be allowed between 8 pm on December 31 and 1 am on January 1, except vehicles of police and essential services.

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders have revealed the one skit they ‘shouldn’t have done’ on their comedy show.

The pair left millions in hysterics with their BBC sketch series, satirizing a wide range of topics from films to plastic surgery.

But in a documentary for the BBC series Imagine… the duo admitted they both regretted a 1988 sketch in which they dressed up as sick Katherine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers.

The duo added that they are “very happy” that they performed much of their comedy work in the 1980s and 1990s because they are “now being canceled.”

Jennifer told Alan Yentob: ‘As far as humor goes, I think we’re still the same, we still see things on television and wish we were 30 years younger.’

Dawn added: “It would be difficult these days to know how to satirize something for the very simple reason that if it was all tense you’d be canceled now.

“You know, everyone’s scared right now. I’m very happy that we made our comedy in the time that we did it.

‘Not that we were particularly tense, but we weren’t afraid of anything.

‘You know, any philosophy I would have tried, any person I could have easily dealt with, because partly it is not fraught with hatred, partly because, I hope, there is no poison in it.

“But there’s prodding, you know, that’s the whole point. That’s what comedians are for.’

Jennifer added that there are “a lot more filters to go through,” and she’s “certain” they offended viewers at some point.

“I’ve looked back and thought ‘mmmm,’” she added, before noting the 1988 sketch from their French and Saunders show.

In the skit, Dawn dresses up as an aging Ginger and is wheeled onto stage in a chair for an ‘event’ honoring Hollywood legend Fred Astaire.

Jennifer takes the stage as an older Katherine, as the Mamma Mia star explains that she performed the part as if “she had Parkinson’s.”

She added: ‘We did a sketch where she had Parkinson’s and I don’t think we should have done that.’

In the documentary, Dawn also revealed she quit her sketch show with comedy partner Jennifer after a skit left her ‘humiliated’.

The actress recalled how she became the butt of the joke in the 2008 scene with singer Anastacia before “crying all the way home” and calling out for the series after a decade.

Dawn explained how the show’s costume designer ‘fell on her back laughing’ when the Vicar Of Dibley star dressed up as the American singer.

Saying, ‘I looked in the mirror and thought, “Yeah, this isn’t it, this isn’t what Anastacia looks like.” But instead of finding it funny, I just thought, “Oh, I don’t like it”‘.

Adding, “It felt like I had no control over the comedy. The joke was on me. I had no control over it in any way.”

Jennifer, who heard the story for the first time, said: ‘[I] I didn’t know it was so dramatic that you decided to end the whole act.”

Dawn continued, “I hated everything about the day and I said I would never do that again. I will never feel so humiliated again.’

“It could have just been hormonal, but I just hated it, and I’d never hated it before.”

Jennifer went on to say that their show ended on TV “long before the infamous skit where TV bosses ‘canceled everything’.”

Dawn brand Sketch shows a ‘game for young people’, while her friend said: ‘We thought about it carefully, no one really wants us anymore and the truth is you need a break’.

Written by and starring the duo, French and Saunders first aired in 1987 and saw them parody famous films including Titanic and The Exorcist.

In the programme, Dawn broke down in tears as she opened up about her father’s death when she was just 19 years old.

Denys French suffered from depression for years and tragically took his own life in September 1977 at the age of 45.

The actress revealed that she was unaware of her father’s illness as he had kept it a secret from her and her brother Gary, telling them that he suffered from headaches and had to lie down occasionally.

She said: ‘I grew up with a man who was completely happy and cheerful most of the time and then had ‘migraines’ at home, where Dad was asleep and the curtains were drawn and you just had to be quiet.

“But I didn’t know that because then he could come out and be completely happy again.”

Speaking about his death, Dawn said it was ‘shocking and horrible’ and left her reeling and ‘angry’.

She recalled: ‘A grenade went off in our family, it was shocking and terrible, it was the worst thing you could imagine.

“And I was furious and angry and just dripping with sadness and shock at that age.”

However, Dawn said that as she grew older, she learned from her mother the fear Denys had suffered and came to “forgive.”

Becoming visibly tearful, she said: “As I grew up I began to understand the terrible, hellish situation he was clearly in, the struggle he had to fight for so long and you forgive it.”

Dawn said Denys had been a huge source of confidence for her and always built up her self-esteem.

She said: ‘Being a little fat girl can put you in a really big crack in your self-esteem. I think he knew instinctively that I needed armor.

‘I remember he stopped me on the way out the door and told me I was beautiful and that I should appreciate myself. That’s why I always thought I was worth something.’

It comes after Dawn revealed she was plotting a return to the small screen.

Speaking on Tonight with Andrew Marr on LBC, Dawn said she hopes the show will air in late 2024 or early 2025, promising she will ‘fight to allow people to be as offensive as they want to be’.

She said: “Plans are in the works. I can’t tell you too much about it at the moment. But there will be a sitcom at the end of next year or early next year and I’ll be in that.’

Dawn spoke today about the state of comedy and recalled the struggle she and Jennifer had to get Absolutely Fabulous on screens.

She said, “I remember Jennifer [Saunders] and told me how hard it was to get Absolutely Fabulous off the ground because its characters smoked, drank, fell over and were complete eejits.

“But you know, it all seems so mild now… Let’s be inappropriate, let’s wear purple, let’s push the boundaries a little and laugh at ourselves when we get it a little wrong.”

When asked if comedy has become a bit too vanilla these days, Dawn replied: “No, because there’s everything there. There is everything for everyone. I would fight tooth and nail to let people be as offensive as they want.

‘Hate? No. I think we know when something creeps into completely unacceptable hate speech. I think we all know when that’s the case.

‘And of course it’s just not funny. Those are the facts. It’s just not funny to anyone except the person who thinks it, who usually loses their marbles.’

• Dozens of flights canceled on Christmas Day
• Disruptions come after wild storms

By Eliza Mcphee for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 6:40 PM EST, December 24, 2023 | Updated: 7:34 PM EST, December 24, 2023

A debut author who admitted to creating fake profiles to ‘one star bomb’ non-white writers has been dropped by her publisher as it’s been revealed she feared ‘being cancelled’ after her book came out.

LA-based Cait Corrain was set to release Crown of Starlight – a ‘steamy, sci-fi reimagining’ of the Greek myth of Ariadne and Dionysus – in May 2024.

But her publisher US publisher Del Rey has now officially dropped her.

The imprint of Penguin Random House, stated on Monday that it was ‘aware of the ongoing discussion’ and that the book  ‘is no longer on our 2024 publishing schedule’.

Now in a tweet from January has been revealed where Corrain wrote she was ‘extremely worried about being cancelled for something stupid when her book comes out’.

It comes as Xiran Jay Zhao – #1 New York Times bestselling author of hit novel Iron Widow – provided ’31 pages of receipts’ in a Google doc, exposing fake accounts made by Cait, going as far back as April of this year.

In a video explainer on their X account, Xiran pointed out that the different profiles, who they believe are all Cait, were giving Crown of Starlight favorable reviews on the same niche pages.

The scandal has since been compared to the plot of the hit book Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, where a white writer steals her Asian friend’s identity to become a publishing success.  

Cait has since been dropped by her American publisher and literary agent, and put out a statement on Instagram to issue an apology, explaining that they have been ‘fighting a losing battle against depression, alcoholism and substance abuse’ since June of last year.

In it, she also confessed to leaving reviews ‘that ranged from kind of mean to downright abusive’.

Cait also revealed that after starting ‘a new medication’ in late November, she ‘suffered a complete psychological breakdown’ early in December.

‘During this time, I created roughly six profiles on Goodreads and, along with two profiles I made during a similar but shorter breakdown in 2022, I boosted the rating of my book’ and ‘bombed the rating of several fellow debut authors,’ she continued.

Cait also admitted that she made up a ‘non-existent friend who was supposedly to blame’.

‘I betrayed the confidence of my agent, my pub team, my readers, and my friends, and betrayed my own deeply held vales,’ she added.

Cait said that while she ‘might not have been sober of of sound mind during this time’, she ‘accepts responsibility for the pain and suffering caused’. 

She will also be ‘checking into an intensive psychiatric care and rehab facility’. 

The statement appeared to deny that the authors were targeted due to their race, with Cait writing that she felt ‘no ill will towards any of them’. 

The authors she named were Molly X. Chang, Danielle Jensen, Kamilah Cole and Bethany Baptiste.

‘My memories of this are extremely fuzzy, so it’s possible there are a couple of other authors,’ she also added.

Cait’s American publisher has since dropped her, with Del Rey Books making a statement on X to say: ‘We are aware of the ongoing discussion around author Cait Corrain. CROWN OF STARLIGHT is no longer on our 2024 publishing schedule.’ 

Her agent Rebecca Podos has also since cut ties with the author, taking to social media to write: ‘Cait and I will not be continuing our partnership moving forward. I deeply appreciate the patience of those directly impacted by last week’s events as I worked through a difficult situation.’ 

Meanwhile, the UK publisher – Daphne Press – has also taken to X to say: ‘We’re aware of the conversations around Cait Corrain, one of our 2024 authors.

‘We are looking into the allegations, discussing with relevant parties, and determining how best to move forward once we have all of the information. We will have an announcement once this is possible.’

Xiran had been the one to first publicize the allegations, saying that Cait had ‘expended what must have been a ton of effort to make themselves look legit by rating dozens of books.’

‘But what gave away the game was that they would always rate one particular book, Crown of Starlight by Cait Corrain on a bunch of different lists,’ they said said in an explainer video on the topic.

‘I had known about this for a while but I held my tongue because the victims wanted me to.

‘They wanted to try and resolve it privately at first and this did not work out.

‘They were told to let it go… I was not gonna let it go.’

The document claimed that Cait made at least six fake profiles, where she negatively rated other authors. 

Xiran then recounted that, last week, they posted about the allegation without naming any names in attempt to give Cait the opportunity to come forward – or, if the allegations were false, to allow the culprit to show themselves.

‘If you as a debut author are going to make a bunch of fake Goodreads accounts one-star-bombing fellow debuts you’re threatened by can you at least not make it so obvious by upvoting your own book on a bajillion different lists with those same accounts,’ they penned.

‘I’m not going to leak the extensive receipts so I don’t ruin this person’s career before it even starts but if they do anything further in a similar vein….action will be taken.’ 

Xiran said they were then contacted by ‘an associate of Cait’s’ who claimed that the accounts were made by a friend who ‘thought they were being helpful’.

In the video, they shared screenshots of the alleged conversation between Cait and a friend called ‘Lilly’ – which Xiran said felt ‘stilted’.

They also said that the timestamps between the messages kept jumping between ‘today’ and ‘yesterday’. 

‘I did not believe this explanation,’ Xiran said, and added that they demanded more screenshots between Lilly and Cait – which were never provided.

They said that, later, in a private Slack for 2024 debut authors, Cait ‘confessed’ to being subject of the posts and ‘continued with the friend explanation’.

She even shared screenshots of the same conversation, but ‘the group did not buy it’, and also demanded further proof that Lilly existed – which wasn’t brought forward.

Xiran revealed that when they finally publicly shared the document, it was like they ‘dropped a nuke on Book Twitter’.

They’ve slammed the ‘heinous’ actions taken by Cait, who is said to have been close friends with one of the authors who was ‘bombed’ by the accounts. 

Xiran also hit out that, before Cait’s name was confirmed as being the subject of the allegations, they went on X to try and ‘paint themselves as one of the victims to further promote their book’.

The original post is no longer available, but the extensive Google doc includes a screenshot which claims Cait wrote: ‘Nasty surprise of the day was learning there were fake accounts messing with my GR ratings recently.

‘If you’ve ACTUALLY read my book and want to rate and review it, that would be great, as reader interest pre-release tells my publisher that my book is worth investing in!’

They added: ‘I guess this explains why my rating was fluctuating so much. If you like my book, please rate & review it.

‘If you hated it, you’re also entitled to share your opinion but making fake accounts to manipulate my book’s rating is something else entirely. I’m gonna go be sad now.’

‘I honestly do not know why Cait made the effort to do all of this while they had a traditional publishing deal,’ Xiran concluded.

‘It was super hyped… it was getting really great reviews from advanced readers.

‘You ever seen someone destroy their own life? Jealousy is a disease, y’all.’

The writer, who is based in Los Angeles and uses she/they pronouns was on track with a hit book – a ‘snarky, queer, lushly romantic duology set in a galaxy of monstrous mortals, bloodthirsty gods, and love fierce enough to shatter the cosmos’.

In June, Bookseller reported that the highly anticipated work had been ‘scooped’ by Daphne Press after ‘commissioning editor Davi Lancett acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Rachel Kind at Penguin Random House US’.

However, since Xiran’s expose, readers have taken to social media to blast Cait.

‘The whole Cait Corrain thing is really, really disappointing,’ one user said. ‘I’d been following her since the Tumblr cosplay days, and I was really happy to see her succeeding. 

‘This whole situation is absolutely horrible. I’m disgusted.’

Another penned: ‘This Cait Corrain stuff is CRAZY how are you gonna have a not yet debuted book… reader LOVING ur arcs, and then risk self sabotage by review bombing fellow debut authors who also justtt happen to be poc??? that’s insane like.’

Some social media users have also likened the situation to the plot of the hit book Yellowface.

The novel tells the story of Athena Liu, a young darling of the literary world and Juniper Hayward – her jealous friend.

When Athena suddenly dies in a freak accident, Juniper steals Athena’s just-finished manuscript about Chinese laborers in World War I. She publishes it under another name – which is racially ambiguous – and takes all the credit for the book, which is a runaway success. 

Exactly how far Juniper – who is white – will go to defend her project provides the jeopardy in the highly-rated satire.

However, some online also stressed that Cait’s situation is part of a larger issue with the industry.

‘Listen Cait Corrain should be held accountable for the Goodreads debacle, but we also have to hold publishing accountable to a certain extent.

‘Can we PLEASE stop telling authors these metrics like GR or TikTok matter more than the in-house marketing & publicity and support?’ 

MailOnline has reached out to Cait for comment. 

According to Xiran, the books most impacted by the bad reviews were: So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole, The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang, Voyage of the Damned by Frances White, Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright and the Gods of Hunger Series by R.M. Virtues.