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Pop star and TV personality Michelle Heaton has shared a photograph of herself taken in the depths of her alcohol addiction to show fans how far she has come since giving up drinking.

The singer, who rose to fame in 2001 as a member of reality TV band Liberty X, has spoken openly about entering rehab for her problems earlier this year and posted updates on social media.

On Tuesday, she shared an image of her swollen face and bloodshot eyes, taken 20 weeks ago, saying she was “ruined” and her “immune system was shutting down”, and compared it with a recent photo in which she looks happy and healthy.

Heaton, 42, said she was not aiming to shock but wanted to show that this was her “reality” before getting sober.

She posted the pictures to mark National Sober Day and National Recovery Month, telling her 280,000 followers that she is now “stronger mentally and physically better than I’ve ever been” and is taking one day at a time.

“Encouragement of one day fuels more support and awareness, leading to long-term sobriety,” she said. “That’s something worth celebrating! The opposite of addiction is a connection.

“Recognising this provides a model for future generations who will be my picture one! And then the second picture demonstrates how to enjoy life alcohol-free, the day will embolden future generations to say no to alcohol.”

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She also shared details for Alcoholics Anonymous and NHS advice for drug addiction.

After finishing rehabilitation in May, Heaton said she had been drinking up to two bottles of wine and a bottle of vodka almost every day since 2018, according to an interview with The Sun.

Model and TV personality Katie Price was among those supporting Heaton on Tuesday, sharing the image herself and saying it was taken a week before she encouraged her friend to get help.

“This is a picture of before and after of my incredible strong best longest loyal friend ever,” Price said, adding that “asking for help that she needed is the hardest step you can do”.

She continued: “Everyone can suffer mental health never be afraid to talk and ask for help.”

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Warwick Davis’s wife Samantha dies aged 53

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Warwick Davis's wife Samantha dies aged 53

Samantha Davis, the wife of Star Wars and Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis, has died aged 53.

Samantha co-founded the dwarfism charity Little People UK and featured in the final Harry Potter film, alongside Warwick.

Warwick announced the news in a statement shared to the BBC, revealing she had died on 24 March.

“Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs.

“She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life she had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes.”

He added that she was his “most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career”.

Their two children together, Annabelle and Harrison, also paid tribute to their mother, saying: “Her love and happiness carried us through our whole lives.

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“Mum is our best friend and we’re honoured to have received a love like hers.”

The couple met on the set of George Lucas’s film Willow and married three years later in 1991.

(L-R) Harrison Davis, Warwick Davis, Samantha Davis and Annabelle Davis at the screening of Disney+ series Willow in 2022. Pic: PA
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(L-R) Harrison Davis, Warwick Davis, Samantha Davis and Annabelle Davis at the screening of Disney+ series Willow in 2022. Pic: PA

Samantha also played a goblin in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 while her husband played both Professor Flitwick and the goblin Griphook in all eight films in the franchise.

Annabelle, 27, has followed in her parents’ acting footsteps, starring in CBBC’s The Dumping Ground and Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.

Warwick starred as the titular hero Willow Ufgood in the 1988 original film Willow and reprised the role for the 2022 sequel.

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He also played several characters in the Star Wars film series.

Samantha and Warwick co-founded Little People UK in 2012 to help individuals with dwarfism and their families.

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New ‘Drake song’ causes confusion as listeners question whether AI or the rapper is behind it

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New 'Drake song' causes confusion as listeners question whether AI or the rapper is behind it

A new ‘leaked’ song thought to be by Drake is causing confusion among fans, with some questioning whether it is him or an AI clone.

The new song appeared on the internet over the weekend, supposedy after being leaked.

In it, the Canadian rapper seems to hit out at other musicians including Kendrick Lamar and Metro Boomin.

However, fans aren’t sure if it is actually him.

“This is clearly AI,” posted one user on X.

The song hasn’t been officially released and some listeners say they can hear small glitches in his vocal track that suggest it could have been generated by artificial intelligence.

Drake’s AI clone has history.

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In 2023, an AI-generated track that recreated the voices of Drake and artist The Weeknd went viral on TikTok.

The song, called Heart On My Sleeve, was created by an artist known as Ghostwriter.

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It racked up more than 230,000 plays on YouTube, with more than 625,000 plays on Spotify, according to industry news website Music Business Worldwide, before it was removed from streaming platforms.

At the time, Universal Music Group, which publishes both artists through Republic Records, said songs like Heart On My Sleeve “represent both a breach of our agreements and a violation of copyright law”.

Drake isn’t helping the current confusion.

He hasn’t claimed the track but has been posting about it on Instagram.

He even posted an AI deepfake of rap producer Metro Boomin in a clip from the 2002 film Drumline, which appears to be a reference to one of the lines in the song, “Metro, shut your h*e ass up and make some drums”.

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Sky News approached Universal Music for confirmation of the song’s authenticity but is yet to receive a response.

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Metallica frontman James Hetfield has Lemmy’s ashes tattooed into finger

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Metallica frontman James Hetfield has Lemmy's ashes tattooed into finger

Metallica frontman James Hetfield has shared details of his latest tattoo – featuring the ashes of the late Motorhead rocker Lemmy.

Hetfield posted a picture on Metallica‘s Instagram account, showing a new Aces Of Spades inking on his right middle finger in reference to Motorhead’s biggest hit.

The singer and guitarist told the band’s 11 million followers the tattoo is “a salute to my friend and inspiration Mr Lemmy Kilmister”, adding: “Without him, there would be NO Metallica.”

He went on to say: “Black ink mixed with a pinch of his cremation ashes that were so graciously given to me. So now, he is still able to fly the bird at the world.”

James Hetfield of Metallica says he has had some of Lemmy's ashes put into his new Ace Of Spades tattoo. Pic: Metallica.com
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Pic: Metallica.com

Lemmy, whose real name was Ian Kilmister, was the founder and frontman of British rock band Motorhead. Formed in the 1970s, the band went on to release more than 20 albums, with hits including Overkill, Iron Fist and Ace Of Spades.

He died in December 2015, just days after being diagnosed with cancer.

Hetfield formed American rock act Metallica with drummer Lars Ulrich in the early 1980s, and the band released their 11th album, 72 Seasons, last year.

They are best known for hits including Enter Sandman, Master Of Puppets, Nothing Else Matters and Until It Sleeps.

‘The most badass tribute’

Hetfield has previously spoken about Motorhead’s influence on Metallica, and in 2022 called for Motorhead to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

“It’s just a nod, a tip of the cap. What does it really mean to be in there? I don’t know. But to some of these bands it might mean the world,” he said in a radio interview.

“With the passing of Lemmy, it’s really, really important for me to see Motorhead acknowledged in that – because there’s no more rock’n’roll person on this planet than Lemmy.”

Many fans commented on his tattoo photo, with one calling the inking “the most badass tribute possible”.

Another said: “RIP Lemmy. This is a wonderful gift!”

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