The Princess of Wales today revealed she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy following her shock cancer diagnosis.

Chemotherapy uses powerful drugs to attack tumors and is typically given to directly treat cancer or shrink a tumor in preparation for surgery.

As in the case of Kate Middleton, chemo can also be used as a preventive option in the hope of preventing the return of cancer.

Today, Kate, 42, said in a statement that she has undergone this preventive form of chemotherapy. She started treatment at the end of February.

At the time, it was believed that the reason for Kate’s surgery was not cancer.

Today she said subsequent tests showed it was cancerous.

Kate was then advised to undergo preventive chemotherapy and described herself as being in the ‘early stages’ of that treatment.

Preventive chemotherapy, also called adjuvant chemotherapy, aims to prevent cancer from returning once the main tumor has been removed from the body.

Cancer can spread to other parts of the body, a process called metastasis, in which small cancer cells break off the main tumor and take root elsewhere.

These “new” cancers can be difficult to detect, so doctors who specialize in treating cancer, called oncologists, often advise patients to undergo preventive chemotherapy in an attempt to eliminate any remaining traces of the disease.

Preventive chemotherapy is usually administered as an infusion or tablets, where they are then carried throughout the body by the bloodstream.

Depending on the type, chemotherapy can be administered in a hospital or at the patient’s home.

There are more than 100 types of chemotherapy drugs, but they all work in a similar way and circulate through the blood.

The drugs are cytotoxic, meaning they are toxic to cells and especially to cells that are dividing rapidly.

Because cancer cells divide more than healthy cells, they are more affected by chemotherapy, which is why it is used as a treatment for the disease.

However, other types of fast-growing cells, such as hair, bone marrow, skin and the lining of the digestive system, are also damaged.

This leads to some of the famous side effects of chemotherapy, such as hair loss or thinning, fatigue, easier bruising and bleeding, an increased risk of infection, diarrhea or constipation, nausea or vomiting, rash, and more.

Often a patient undergoing chemotherapy is also taking other medications intended to alleviate or combat some of these symptoms.

The specific dosage and type of chemotherapy used varies depending on the type of cancer.

The effectiveness of preventive chemotherapy varies considerably from patient to patient.

Factors that influence its success include the specific type of cancer, when the cancer was originally treated, the patient’s age, and whether he or she has any other health problems.

The specific type of cancer Kate has has not been revealed.

Around 375,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year, with 167,000 patients dying from the disease each year.

Survival rates vary considerably by type of cancer. In total, 50 percent of cancer patients will still be alive ten years after their diagnosis.

FAKE windows and doors have been plastered in abandoned houses, giving city residents the feeling that their home is haunted.

From a distance, some houses in Horden, County Durham, look perfect with beautiful curtains and classic front doors.

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But as you get closer, the windows and doors are a facade: pieces of plastic to disguise the empty and dilapidated houses.

Locals now say Horden is some sort of ‘ghost town’ or ‘hell hole’ populated by ‘drug addicts’.

Full-time mother Sarah Smith, 32, is pregnant and desperate to escape the village before her baby is born.

Her terraced house is located between two vacant houses, both of which have been broken into.

She said: ‘The fake windows and doors are supposed to make the houses look better but they don’t work.

“How can a fake window look better than a real one? All they do is make it harder for people to break into.

‘The drug addicts are not fooled by it, they are not stupid.

“It’s too dangerous for my daughter, and she’s with my mother. The house needs repair after repair.

“Houses are being burned. They’re putting things through your mailbox in an attempt to set your house on fire.

‘The fake windows and doors don’t help anything.

‘People know they are fake. All they do is make it harder for the drugs to break in.

‘Nobody has a job here. The only job they have is to drink 24/7 and go crazy and steal to support their addiction.

‘I go out of the neighborhood to shop and visit family. There’s nothing here. It is forgotten, not cared about. It’s hell.’

Durham County Council describes the stickers as “decorative skins” used to cover properties that are uninhabited and in a state of disrepair.

Horden seems largely deserted and the residents speak of an eerie ‘ghost town’ during the day in a village that comes alive at night with antisocial people and ‘drugs’.

The drug addicts are not fooled by it, they are not stupid

Sara Smith

Residents are attracted by cheap rental prices, while landlords buy properties for an average of £40,000, with some homes selling for as little as £5,000.

Full-time mother Liza Chapman, 45, said: “The fake windows and doors look horrible.

“I don’t really see the point of them.

“I have no idea why they did it. I’m a little baffled by it.

“I think the area actually looks worse.

“The municipality should put some money into helping the homeless, they should renovate the houses.”

The village was once a thriving mining community, but has struggled with unemployment and a stagnant housing market since the mines closed in 1987.

For decades, Horden Beach was a dumping ground for coal waste and one of the most polluted in the world.

Unemployed Thomas Galloway, 30, said there was now nothing for children in the city to do.

‘They use drugs, break into empty houses and destroy everything.

The fake doors and windows make the room look a little neater. At first I thought they were real.

Aleisha Summerhill

‘It should keep the community looking tidy and prevent windows from being smashed.

‘It does not work. There are many smashed windows.

“The landlords have no problem making the houses nice because the rent is so cheap. It’s a vicious circle.”

Full-time mum Aleisha Summerhill, 23, added: “The fake doors and windows make the room look a bit tidier. At first I thought they were real.

‘They should do the same with all vacant buildings.

‘It’s not the best place to live.

‘There are a lot of drugs and anti-social behaviour.

“It feels quiet during the day, but don’t let that fool you. At night it’s a completely different place.

“There will be fighting and shouting in the streets. It can be a nightmare.

“I’m trying to get out of here.”

Michael Kelleher, head of planning and housing at Durham County Council, said: “We are pleased that the friendliness and warmth of the people of Horden was picked up by visitors in this video.

“We of course recognize that the village, as is the case with many communities across the country, is not without challenges.

“That is why we are determined to do everything we can, with the resources at our disposal, to enable recovery and support community projects for the benefit of local people.

‘We also continue to look for funding to do more, including the opportunities that decentralization offers.

“Under phase one of our Horden Masterplan, we are investing more than £6 million in new and existing homes, with the aim of providing warm, safe and affordable housing for local people.

“Through the services we provide, and by working with other agencies through our Horden Together project, we aim to tackle issues that matter to local people, including crime, drugs, health, housing and the environment.

“Through our selective licensing system in the village, we seek to improve conditions in rental properties and tackle problems caused by absentee owners, for the benefit of residents and the community.

“Over recent years we have worked with landlords to provide decorative skins for doors and windows of vacant properties, to improve their appearance and security; Residents told us this has had a positive impact on the community.”

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The operation showed well-coordinated efforts between ICG, NCB and ATS Gujrat.

Indian Coast Guard: In a joint night operation on the intervening nights of March 11 and 12, 2024, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), acting on intelligence information, arrested a Pakistani boat with six crew members and narcotics on board, worth around Rs 480 crore .

The boat was stopped about 350 km from Porbandar in the Arabian Sea during a naval air coordinated operation involving ICG ships and Dornier aircraft. The operation showed well-coordinated efforts between ICG, NCB and ATS Gujrat.

The Indian Coast Guard, based on specific intelligence inputs from agencies, strategically positioned its ships in the Arabian Sea on Monday, March 11.

ICG also ordered its Dornier aircraft to scan and locate the boat in likely areas. After an extensive search of the area, the ICG ships, with teams from NCB and ATS Gujarat, arrived at the location and positively identified the boat that was moving suspiciously in the dark. When challenged by ICG ships, the boat began to evade, but was deftly pursued and forced to stop by ICG ships.

The boarding team immediately boarded the ship for preliminary checks and investigations.

The boat turned out to be a Pakistani boat with six crew members. A search by the joint boarding team and a rummage of the boat revealed around 80 kg of drugs worth around Rs 480 crore.

The boat and crew have been arrested and are being taken to Porbandar for further investigation. This is the tenth arrest by ICG, along with ATS Gujarat and NCB in the last three years, amounting to 517 kg of narcotics worth Rs 3135 crores.

HET wordt aangekondigd als het meest bizarre gevecht van de eeuw.

In de rode hoek staat de voormalige onbetwiste wereldkampioen zwaargewicht ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, 57, die een wandelstok gebruikte in beelden uit 2022 die deze week zijn opgegraven.

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De woeste voormalige ‘Baddest Man On The Planet’, die in 2005 met pensioen ging, heeft zijn eerste clip met trainingsbeelden vrijgegeven, waardoor fans vrezen dat hij in de problemen zit.

In de blauwe hoek staat internetster Jake Paul, 27, wiens vechtcarrière gevechten met andere YouTubers en MMA-vechters omvat.

Hij werd vorig jaar verslagen door bokser en voormalig Love Islander Tommy Fury, de jongere broer van regerend WBC-kampioen Tyson.

De strijd zal naar verwachting £234 miljoen opleveren, maar is bekritiseerd door UFC-president Dana White en vechter Conor McGregor.

De clash, die in juli op Netflix wordt uitgezonden, wordt aangekondigd als een strijd tussen de oude boksgarde en een nieuw ras.

Maar de twee boksers hebben meer gemeen dan je zou denken – zoals Grace Macaskill onthult.

SEKKS-MISBRUIKSCHANDALEN

TYSON zat drie jaar in de gevangenis voor de verkrachting van Desiree Washington toen ze 18 was.

Het slachtoffer, destijds Miss Black Rhode Island, zei dat hij haar in 1991 in een hotelkamer in Indiana had aangevallen.

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Een SEH-arts die haar onderzocht, bevestigde dat haar verwondingen overeenkwamen met verkrachting.

Tyson is volgens de federale wet levenslang een geregistreerde zedendelinquent.

Jake Paul kreeg in 2021 te maken met beschuldigingen van misbruik door twee vrouwen, hoewel er geen aanklacht is ingediend.

TikToker Justine Paradise, 30, bracht een YouTube-video van 20 minuten uit waarin hij beweerde dat hij haar in juli 2019 tot orale seks in zijn slaapkamer had gedwongen.

Ze beweerde dat ze eerst met instemming dansten en kusten, maar daarna werd hij fysiek tegen haar.

Paul ontkende de beschuldiging op Twitter, noemde het ‘vervaardigd’ en ontkende dat hij ooit een seksuele relatie met Justine heeft gehad.

Actrice en model Railey Lollie maakte zich kort na de aantijgingen van Justine bekend.

Ze beschuldigde Paul ervan haar in 2017 zonder toestemming te hebben betast, aldus de New York Times.

De 24-jarige beweert dat hij haar, toen ze 17 was, ‘jailbait’ noemde.

COMEBACKS

Er zal voor beide mannen veel op het spel staan ​​als ze het tegen elkaar opnemen.

De ouder wordende Tyson probeert de wereld te laten zien dat hij nog steeds alles in zich heeft om te winnen, terwijl Paul terug wil komen van zijn nederlaag tegen Tommy Fury in februari.

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In 1986, op 20-jarige leeftijd, werd Iron Mike de jongste man ooit die een wereldtitel zwaargewicht won, maar zijn carrière liep uit de hand vanwege seks, drank en drugs.

Hij heeft niet meer gebokst sinds een oefenwedstrijd tegen Roy Jones Jr. in november 2020, die eindigde in een gelijkspel, en zijn laatste professionele gevecht was 15 jaar eerder toen hij werd verslagen door Kevin McBride.

Twee jaar geleden werd Tyson gefotografeerd terwijl hij een wandelstok gebruikte, en deze week bracht hij een trainingsvideo uit waaruit volgens een fan bleek dat hij ‘zwakke prikken’ had.

Toen Paul het in Saoedi-Arabië tegen Tommy Fury opnam, was het een van de meest verwachte bokswedstrijden ooit tussen twee nieuwelingen.

Ondanks dat de voormalige Love Island-ster in de achtste ronde door de YouTuber werd neergeslagen, won Tommy via een split beslissing.

Paul zei later: “Tommy heeft het gevecht niet gewonnen – ik heb het verloren. Ik was niet goed, ik zat niet in mijn A-game.

“Ik heb mijn spelplan niet geïmplementeerd. Mijn benen waren zwak tijdens het gevecht, maar ik wil hier niet zitten en excuses verzinnen.”

LIEFDESLEVENS

VAN nepbruiloften tot een vrouw die vreemdging met Brad Pitt: de weg naar ware liefde verloopt voor geen van beide mannen soepel.

Iron Mike is drie keer getrouwd geweest, terwijl Paul twee huwelijksceremonies heeft georganiseerd voor zijn ruim 60 miljoen volgers op sociale media.

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Tysons eerste huwelijk, met actrice Robin Givens in 1988, duurde slechts een jaar.

Volgens de zwaargewichtbokser stapten ze snel in het huwelijksbootje toen Givens hem vertelde dat ze zwanger was.

Hij gaf haar en haar moeder £3 miljoen om een ​​landgoed in New Jersey te kopen en zette £6,5 miljoen op haar bankrekening.

Maar Tyson beweert dat Robin hem vertelde dat ze kort nadat het geld was ingewisseld een miskraam had gehad.

Ze vroegen een scheiding aan, maar bleven elkaar zien – totdat hij binnenkwam terwijl ze seks had met Brad Pitt.

Tyson beweerde later dat Pitt hem had gesmeekt hem niet te slaan.

Hij zei: “Je moest de blik op zijn gezicht zien. Hij zag eruit alsof hij klaar was om zijn laatste sacramenten te ontvangen.”

Givens, die toegeeft met Brad te daten, zegt dat het verhaal niet waar is.

Van 1997 tot 2003 was Tyson getrouwd met kinderarts Monica Turner nadat hij haar had ontmoet op een feestje van komiek Eddie Murphy.

Ze bezocht hem in de gevangenis nadat hij was veroordeeld voor het verkrachten van de 18-jarige Desiree Washington – en toen hij in 1992 werd vrijgelaten, vestigde het paar zich in Maryland.

Turner vroeg vier jaar later de scheiding aan, omdat hij overspel beweerde.

Tyson is momenteel getrouwd met Lakiha Spicer, 47, beter bekend als Kiki, die hem op 18-jarige leeftijd ontmoette toen ze werden geïntroduceerd door bokspromotor Don King.

Ze begonnen te daten begin jaren negentig en trouwden in 2009.

Ze wisselden hun geloften uit in 2009, twee weken nadat de vader van zeven kinderen, Exodus, vier, stikte bij een bizar ongeluk.

Ondanks dat hij overduidelijk verliefd was, gaf Tyson onlangs toe dat hij Kiki alleen de afgelopen twee jaar van hun huwelijk trouw is geweest.

Zijn vrouw heeft ook problemen gehad met de wet.

Je moest de blik van hem zien [Brad Pitt’s] gezicht. Hij zag eruit alsof hij klaar was om zijn laatste sacramenten te ontvangen

In 2008 kreeg ze zes maanden gevangenisstraf wegens oplichting van £60.000 van een bedrijf dat eigendom was van haar vader.

Paul fakete zijn eerste huwelijk met collega-internetster Erika Costell in juni 2017, voordat het paar samen een nummer uitbracht.

Drie maanden later gaf hij toe dat de ceremonie niet echt was en dat ze niet eens aan het daten waren.

Maar het jaar daarop veranderde hun relatie van toneel in realiteit toen ze werden gefilmd tijdens het winkelen en hand in hand in zijn documentaire The Secrets Of Jake Paul.

In 2019 kondigde Paul zijn verloving aan met YouTuber Tana Mongeau en een maand later trouwden ze in Las Vegas.

Toen gaven ze toe dat ze ook niet officieel getrouwd waren en dat het allemaal een show was.”

Paul en de 28-jarige broer Logan hebben een felle rivaliteit nu laatstgenoemde ook met boksen is begonnen.

Volgens Jake sliep Logan met zijn ex-vriendin Alissa Violet voordat de oudere broer of zus opschepte in een videoclip: “Ze was vroeger jouw meid, nu zit ze in mijn team.”

Alissa en Paul ontmoetten elkaar in 2017, toen ze zangeres was in zijn gefabriceerde band Team 10.

Beiden beschuldigden elkaar van bedrog, terwijl Alissa beweerde dat Jake haar fysiek en mentaal had misbruikt, wat hij ontkende.

In een inmiddels verwijderde tweet beschuldigde Jake Alissa ervan met Logan naar bed te zijn gegaan en schreef: “Alissa heeft mijn broer geneukt. . . daarom heb ik haar eruit gezet. Oepsie, ik heb ze net de waarheid verteld.’

Logan voegde vervolgens brandstof toe aan de eerste in een diss-track genaamd The Fall Of Jake Paul.

DODGY VERLEDEN

TYSON heeft behoorlijk wat drama meegemaakt in de ring – en daarbuiten.

In zijn autobiografie uit 2013, Undisputed Truth, gaf hij toe dat hij tijdens sommige van zijn gevechten high was van de drugs.

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Hij zei dat hij cocaïne en cannabis had gebruikt vóór een gevecht tegen Lou Savarese in Glasgow in 2000, maar vermeed te worden betrapt door het gebruik van een “nep-penis waarin je iemands schone urine stopte om voor je drugstest te slagen.”

Zijn laagste punten kwamen toen hij tijdens een gevecht in 1997 een deel van het oor van tegenstander Evander Holyfield beet en in 1990 werd uitgeschakeld door underdog Buster Douglas.

Tyson verkwistte zijn fortuin van £401 miljoen aan luxe auto’s – waaronder een Cadillac en Lamborghini – £1,75 miljoen aan een verkochte gouden badkuip en betaalde een trainer £80.000 per jaar om voor zijn twee Bengaalse tijgers te zorgen.

Hoewel Tyson zijn bokscarrière niet achter zich lijkt te kunnen laten, is Jake Paul ook wanhopig op zoek naar de schijnwerpers.

Paul – bijgenaamd ‘The Problem Child’ – werd in 2018 gefilmd terwijl hij het N-woord op een nummer rapte.

Twee jaar later zou hij samen met vandalen en plunderaars zijn gezien tijdens de protesten in Arizona tegen de dood van George Floyd door een agent in Minnesota, hoewel hij volhoudt dat hij er alleen was om te filmen.

De FBI deed in 2020 een inval in zijn huis in Californië in verband met het incident, maar er werd geen aanklacht ingediend.

Mijn leven was zo goed als verwoest. YouTube heeft mij gedemonetiseerd, elk merk heeft mij laten vallen

Jake Paul

Paul, die £31 miljoen waard is, beweerde dat Covid een “hoax” was en gaf een groot feest tijdens de pandemie.

Zijn broer Logan, ook een ster op sociale media, werd gedwongen de beschuldigingen te ontkennen dat hij fans had opgelicht met zijn cryptocurrency-gameproject Cryptozoo.

Jake kreeg ook kritiek nadat Logan een ongevoelige video had geplaatst waarin het lichaam te zien was van een man die zichzelf had opgehangen in het Japanse Aokigahara-zelfmoordbos.

Nadat adverteerders vanwege de schokkende beelden niets met beide broers te maken wilden hebben, onthulde Jake dat hij aan zelfmoord dacht.

Hij zei: “Mijn leven was vrijwel geruïneerd. YouTube heeft mij gedemonetiseerd, elk merk heeft mij laten vallen.

“Ik zit daar op mijn 21e, ik ben vrijwel al mijn inkomen kwijtgeraakt door iets dat mijn broer heeft gedaan, ik sta op de zwarte lijst.

“Alles in mijn leven viel uiteen. Er komen donkere gedachten in je hoofd, zoals: ‘Ik wil haar niet meer op aarde zijn’.”

Troubled footie legend Paul Gascoigne is homeless and back with Alcoholics Anonymous, he has revealed.

The 56-year-old, who has struggled with alcohol addiction and mental health issues for decades, says he is hiding out at his agent’s home.

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Desperate to get sober, Gazza admits he is now a ‘sad drunk’ who drinks ‘indoors’ instead of going out.

He told Jake Humprey’s High Performance Podcast: “People know Paul Gascoigne, but Gazza, nobody knows. Even me sometimes.

“If I’m really down, I grab a drink to cheer myself up.”

The Gateshead-born midfielder is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of his generation and played 57 times for England.

His most iconic moment came in Italia ’90, when he cried after being shown a yellow minute before England’s World Cup semi-final defeat on penalties against West Germany.

But it was after the ex-Newcastle and Rangers legend’s retirement in 2004 that his life spiraled out of control.

He explained: “The drinking side of it became more apparent when I finished playing. I don’t think I let any managers down, or the players or the fans, you know.”

Gazza’s battle with alcohol has seen him jailed or sectioned repeatedly over the years.

These include offenses of drink driving and drunk and disorderly conduct.

He entered rehab for a seventh time in 2014 for alcohol addiction and attended a £6,000-a-month clinic in Southampton.

At worst, he spent £20,000 having anti-drinking pellets put into his stomach to try to stop drinking.

In a 2021 interview, he admitted that he will “always be an alcoholic.”

Gazza’s demons have occasionally seen him seek help from Alcoholics Anonymous, which he says he recently started visiting again.

The father-of-three, who admitted violence against first wife Sheryl, now lives at the home of constable Katie Davies in Poole, Dorset.

He explained: “I called Katie in November a few years ago, crying.

“What I did to myself and other people, prison and rehab: taking cocaine off the toilet seat.”

Gascoigne says he now drinks six cups of coffee at 10am and barely watches football because he misses it too much.

But it hasn’t all been plain sailing as cruel neighbors are said to have left gin bottles on Katie’s doorstep in a bid to seduce Gazza.

He added: “I think I’ll give in when I’m in a wooden box.

“Apart from that, I’ll keep fighting.”

She once described herself a ‘little girl from Croydon with a dream’ – and at last night’s Brit Awards, they all seemed to finally come true for Raye. 

The singer-songwriter, 26, from South London, made Brit Award history when she scooped six accolades in one night – beating records set by Blur, Harry Styles and Adele. 

Raye, whose full name is Rachel Agatha Keen, won Best New Artist, Songwriter of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Act, Artist of the Year and Mastercard’s Album of the Year.

For the final award, the star – who was forced to release her music independently after being restricted by a previous record label – was in floods of tears as she was joined by her grandmother on stage.

She said: ‘You just don’t understand what this means to me. I’m ugly crying on national television.

‘All I ever wanted to be was an artist, and now I’m an artist with an album of the year. Thank you so much, this is too much – come on Grandma, let’s go.’

As a teenager, Raye attended BRIT school for two years before then dropping out because she ‘hated being told how to write a song’. 

When she was 17-year-old, the rising star was assaulted by a music producer – and revealed how she turned to alcohol and drugs to cope. 

Since then, Raye has appointed her father as her manager while she also works closely with her sister. 

In June 2021, Raye revealed that her record label, Polydor Records, had been withholding her debut album for several years – forcing her to then release her music independently. 

Here FEMAIL delves into Raye’s incredible rise to fame and her remarkable musical comeback.

South London upbringing and dropping out of school

Rachel Keen was born in Tooting to a Ghanaian-Swiss mother and English father and was one of three daughters.  

When Raye was still a child, the family relocated to Croydon – where she attended Woodcote High School. 

In an interview with F Word magazine, Raye said Croydon was a ‘really great place to grow up’.

She explained: ‘[It is] very down to earth, very multi-cultured, very fun, really great. I grew up in the church as well, so I go to church every Sunday with the family. 

‘That’s where I learnt how to sing and understand my love for music.’ 

When she was 14 years old, Raye was accepted into Brit School – whose alumnae include Adele, Ella Eyre, Jessie J and Leona Lewis.  

Speaking to The Times earlier this month, Raye explained how she dropped out of the school after two years because she ‘hated’ being told how to write a song.

She said: ‘It’s not in my nature to follow rules. I didn’t get on with them in school and I don’t understand why they even exist in music. 

‘I love songs that don’t do what you expect them to. For me it’s liberating to write something sonically different every time that doesn’t sound like anyone else. Otherwise, what’s the point?’

What’s more, the star also told the BBC that she felt ‘confined’ as a student at Brit school – as other students were all ‘cool, underground, indie artists’. 

Bagging first record deal 

When she was 16 years old, radio host Clara Amfo played Raye’s music on her show for the first time.

The following year, she signed a four-album deal with the record label Polydor.

In 2017, she was shortlisted for the BBC Music Sound of… award and came in third place. 

After this, she won at the ASCAP London Music Awards and was nominated for a BRIT award for her You Don’t Know Me single in 2018.

Around this time, Raye was assaulted by a music producer – who forced his hand between her legs when she was 17 years old.  

Whilst performing on the Pyramid Stage last year at Glastonbury she paused between singing the song saying: ‘This next song is about sexual abuse, and rape, and sexual violence. And I know that’s heavy, okay.

‘But I also know one in four men and women will experience that in their lifetime. So I know that I’m not alone when I sing this today.’

In an interview with Cosmopolitan last year, she said she still suffers from panic attacks and PTSD regularly.

‘When I think about the panic attacks, the PTSD…you realise that someone’s actions become your burden to carry, and there is nowhere you can put it other than a therapy session,’ she said.

‘Every girl I know in this industry has some sort of story to tell me. The studio is such a vulnerable space.

‘And if you say something, you create an enemy who will spread rumours or blacklist you – and you need those connections to open doors for yourself.

‘Even though the people decide very much what’s consumed on the outside, inside, the music industry is still very much a gatekept society.’

Despite the buzz around her music and her regular appearances at festivals, Raye’s debut album never materialised – as she later revealed she was in a stand-off with her record label. 

Battle with record label and turning to drugs 

In an emotional interview with Lous Theroux last November 2023, Raye revealed that she was ‘constantly in some kind of sedation’ when she first started her career.

During the television interview, Raye said all she wanted was to be ‘in control of her life’ as she discussed her frustration with her old label Polydor for not allowing her to release an album. 

During the conversation, Raye admitted to taking ‘codine’ and ‘MDMA’ as she ‘reached her limit’ and had ‘nothing left to lose’. 

She said: ‘I think I wasn’t able to get along with my career because I was just constantly in some form of sedation just to get along with it. Whether it be weed or other things which I write about on my album. 

‘This is the thing, when I became sober, I realised, wow, I can’t do this sober. Like, this is deep. It’s actually deep.

‘It’s so deep what I’d realized I’d actually been doing to myself as a person to try and be somebody that they wanted me to be.

‘And it’s so sad. So I just got into that point where I was just like, “What is my life right now?” “What is the point?”

‘Yeah, so I just was at a point where I just had nothing left to lose. Yeah, so I was just like, “F*** it.” I’ve absolutely reached my limit.’

Raye says she reached breaking point when her label would not let her release an album – which led to her venting her frustrations on social media.

She continued: ‘But that is how far you push me. They either listen to me now, listen to their artists in pain, or we part ways, and they can save themselves this headache because I’m about to make it a headache.’

After Raye started giving interviews about her label not allowing her to release her debut album, she was able to part ways with Polydor in 2021. 

Raye’s album My 21st Century Blues is her first project as an independent artist

The singer touches on substance abuse, assault and sexual violence and anxiety in her lyrics, and previously explained why she didn’t want to shy away from ‘difficult’ topics.

She told MailOnline: ‘I just want to be a woman discussing uncomfortable topics that we don’t talk about, these are all things I battled with in the darkness and in silence.

‘You hope in writing about these songs and putting them out into the world, you just hope that people hear them, and and relate to them also.

‘It’s very much medicine in a way that you have a different feeling to to put quite a painful emotion to it.

‘For me is just very empowering, and I hope it can be medicine for anyone else who who needs it.’ 

During her interview with F Word magazine, Raye revealed that her dad is her manager while she also works closely with her sister. One of her younger sister has also had music featured in a Target advert in the US.

Raye added: ‘Music is in all our genes. Mum is the next one, she’s taking some of the workload with Dad. She’s worked in the NHS all her life so she is the next, hopefully in a year or two she will be able to join the team and it’ll be a full family empire.’ 

TikTok support

In January 2023, Raye’s single ‘Escapism’ went to UK number one and became a huge hit on TikTok. The single now has been used in over 700,000 videos on the social media platform.

The star partnered up with TikTok for the launch of their #ElectronicMusic campaign in September and her single Call on Me was also named the platform’s Song of the Summer in 2021.

Speaking to Cosmo Middle East, Raye explained how she never expected to gain such success on TikTok.

She said: ‘I think my sister pointed it out [it was blowing up on TikTok]. I checked, and it had like 1000 videos made to the sound.

‘I was like “oh that’s exciting!” and then the next day it was 2000 and it just kept doubling out of nowhere and I was like “wow!”

‘It’s the kind of thing you can’t plan. You can’t be like “Okay I’m gonna have a viral hit”. You know, it just doesn’t work like that. I’m just grateful that TikTok was like “Yeah we like that. Let’s make so many videos to it”. I was very overwhelmed.’

Despite her music’s sudden surge in popularity, Raye told The Times she does her own makeup and hair while on tour.

She also bought a house in Streatham, South-West London two years and continues living with her two sisters.  

 Career-defining turnaround at BRITs

Raye’s incredible sweep at the Brits last night marks one of the music industry’s greatest ever comebacks – just three years after Polydor refused to release any of her albums. 

This led to Raye leaving the company and releasing her critically acclaimed, and now award winning, debut My 21st Century Blues as an independent artist.

The singer/songwriter scooped the Song of the year award for her hit Escapism ft 070 Shake, shortly before also taking home the R&B Act gong and Best New Artist.

‘I’m shaking. I don’t really know what to say right now, but… thank you. I’ve always dreamed of saying that,’ she said as the reached the podium to accept her first award of the night.

Referencing her new beginning in her Best New Artist Speech, Raye said: ”I have to thank my mum and my dad who are also part of my team, and my grandma. Yes grandma! I, in ways, do feel like a new artist. I released my first song when I was 15, my first mixtape when I was 16, don’t go and listen to it because it’s not that good any more.

‘But I do feel like a new artist, I got to start again. The artist I was three years ago would not believe what she’s seeing today. I’m my own boss now, I’m in control. Thank you!’ 

She also scooped the first ever BRIT Award for R&B act, which is voted for by the public via Instagram and is a new standalone genre category after musicians and fans complained about R&B being conjoined with the pop last year.

Raye acknowledged the the uproar in her speech, telling the crowd: ‘Look I just wanna say, when I was about 16, 15 years old, I wanted to be an R&B artist, that’s what I would say. And I was told, I think, a lie that R&B doesn’t sell in the UK so I needed to learn how to make different kinds of music.’

‘I know that’s a bit shady but I need to say R&B is so important and there are so many R&B artists in the UK eating it up. I wanna shout out to Mahalia, who campaigned for this award, Cleo Sol, who’s immaculate, Sault. This really is a lot – thank you.’

Raye also won Songwriter of the Year, which was announced ahead of the live ceremony, with host Clara Amfo handing her the gong in a surprise moment after her Best New Artist win.

Clara – who gave Raye her first ever radio play – told the star: ‘There is no such thing as an overnight success, I am so proud of you.’