By Katie Pickles, Health Editor

Published: 19:21 EDT, 26 September 2023 | Updated: 03:06 EDT, 27 September 2023

By Laura Sharman

Published: 09:02 EDT, 20 September 2023 | Updated: 11:18 EDT, 20 September 2023

Some prefer not to dwell on the exact moment we will depart this Earth, others are morbidly curious.

But science has unearthed several distinct patterns around when people tend to die.

Just as you have a ‘body clock’ which helps to dictate when you wake and sleep, it also influences the time of day when you die – with a distinct ‘spike’ in the morning.

Other studies have shown that certain days of the week are far deadlier – and one day of the year in particular sees more deaths than any other.

Some of this is due to factors such as drug overdoses and firearms – but other ‘spikes’ are more difficult to explain.

What time of day are you most likely to die?

Your body clock doesn’t just make you feel hungry and sleepy – it also influences when you die, according to science.

The time people are most likely to die is 11am, according to Harvard Medical School research published in 2012.

Professor Clifford Saper, the lead author of the paper, said: ‘Virtually all physiological processes have a circadian rhythm, meaning that they occur predominantly at certain parts of the day.

‘There’s even a circadian rhythm of death, so that in the general population people tend on average to be most likely to die in the morning hours. Sometime around 11am is the average time.’

But the picture is actually slightly more complex than that.

Saper’s research, which involved 1,200 healthy people aged 65, found that people with a certain genotype (the genetic variants a person carries) have different sleeping patterns – and a different average time of death.

People with the G-G genotype (guanine-guanine) tend to sleep around an hour later, generally speaking, and die at around 6pm instead of the 11am most people die at.

Saper said: ‘There is really a gene that predicts the time of day that you’ll die. Not the date, fortunately, but the time of day,’

What day of the year are you most likely to die?

More people die in the cold winter months than any other time of year, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

January and December tend to be the deadliest months of the year – but analysis by Professor David Philips of 57 million death certificates between 1979 and 2004 pinpointed one day as the deadliest.

Philips found that New Year’s Day is the deadliest of the year – and the reason isn’t due to celebrations, alcohol or traffic accidents.

Philips said: ‘This pattern turns up in every natural cause of death, but not for external causes like auto accidents. It’s hard to understand why that would be.’

More recent research highlighted Christmas Day as the deadliest day of the year (when it comes to heart attacks at least), with a significant spike between Christmas and New Year.

Dr Donald Lloyd-Jones, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, said, ‘The holidays are a busy, often stressful, time for most of us. Routines are disrupted; we may tend to eat and drink more and exercise and relax less. 

‘We also may not be listening to our bodies or paying attention to warning signs, thinking it can wait until after the new year. All of these can be contributors to increasing the risk for heart attack at this time of the year.’

What day of the week are you most likely to die?

Analysis of 39 million deaths between 1999 and 2004 found that there is one day of the week where you are most likely to die – Saturday.

Researchers at LiveScience analysed CDC data for all deaths and found a small but significant rise in deaths on Saturdays.

Some of the reasons behind this are fairly simple: deaths from drug overdoses, car accidents and firearms all peak on Saturdays.

More recent research in 2018 found that you are still more likely to die when admitted to a hospital at the weekend.

The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that, among patients with cardiac arrest, 25.2 percent survived on week days, while 21.9 percent survived on weekends and week nights.

One million more patients attended A&E in the past year amid strikes, record waits for routine care and difficulties accessing a GP, figures show.

Health leaders say people have turned to emergency departments because it is one part of the NHS where they know the ‘lights are on’ and they will be seen.

But the surge in demand meant more patients waited longer than the target of four hours to be treated, admitted or discharged.

There were 25.34 million attendances at A&E in England in 2022/23, up 4 per cent from 24.37 million in 2021/22, according to NHS Digital.

Some 29.2 per cent of patients spent more than four hours in A&E in 2022/23, up from 23.3 per cent the year before.

Meanwhile, a record 1,789,130 patients spent over 12 hours in A&E – up 80 per cent in a year and up 491 per cent since 2020/21.

Patients in the poorest areas of the country are almost twice as likely to attend A&E as those in the wealthiest areas, the figures also show.

The figures were released yesterday as junior doctors walked out of hospital for the second day in a row. They are also due to strike again today.

The junior doctors provided emergency care on Wednesday but did not spare A&Es yesterday or today.

Almost 1million routine appointment and operations have been cancelled as a result of NHS industrial action since December, with waiting lists now at a record 7.7 million.

It has resulted in patients turning up to A&E in agony after facing delays to their care.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents healthcare organisations, said: ‘A&Es have been under enormous pressure for years, with people naturally gravitating towards “where the lights are on” and where they know they will be seen in a relatively short time frame.

‘But it’s not just A&Es that are under pressure and that is the problem.

‘With general practice and primary care also facing huge demand, we know that patients may turn towards urgent and emergency care should they struggle to get a GP appointment at a time suitable to them.

‘As well as this we have an aging population with increasingly complex needs, a neglected and under resourced social care sector, and an elective care waiting list currently standing at 7.7m, all of which has consequences for A&Es which provide a safety net for the entire system.

‘For instance, many of those on waiting lists might develop complications to their condition and so seek help from urgent care.’

He added: ‘The data for last year shows the scale of the effects ever growing demand is having on A&E and on patients, with over 410,000 people waiting over half a day for admission, up from 98,000 the previous year, and this isn’t even from time of arrival, so a patient could’ve been waiting much longer.

‘But with too few staff, beds, or capacity and availability in alternative services, health leaders can only do so much.

‘This level of demand is unsustainable, so we need to see a greater focus on prevention and resourcing for community care to help relieve some pressure, keep patients healthy and out of hospital, and enable them to get care closer to home.’

Louise Ansari, chief executive of Healthwatch England, the patient watchdog, said: ‘People continue to wait many hours for care, often in crowded waiting rooms, with little or no information on when they will be seen.

‘However, people who received care for a life threatening illness or injury were still confident in the quality of care.

‘Undoubtedly, urgent and emergency services have been under unprecedented pressure for the last few years amid the pandemic, industrial action, record waiting times for hospital treatment and struggles to access GP care.

‘People will go to A&E if there is nowhere else to go, leading to increased treatment and care because they couldn’t get help sooner.’

Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said: ‘These figures show trusts are working incredibly hard to respond to rising demand by seeing more patients than ever before.

‘This is remarkable given the relentless pressure on urgent and emergency care services and the wider sector.

‘However, demand continues to outstrip capacity, which means too many patients are having to wait longer for care and treatment.

‘Shortages of staff, beds and equipment, as well as the need for proper investment in the NHS estate, social care, and more preventative support, are putting the health service under an alarming level of stress.

‘Strikes are also piling on the pressure. By the end of this week, more than a million patients will have had their appointments and procedures pushed back due to industrial action.

‘This is incredibly distressing for all involved as trust leaders and their staff are unable to give patients the timely, high-quality care they deserve.’

Cosmetics firm Warpaint London reveals record sales and profits in half year results

• Group sales increased 46% to £36.7m for the six months to 30 June
• UK revenues increased 28% to £13.3m over the same time period

By Daniel Fessahaye

Updated: 06:15 EDT, 20 September 2023

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

Britons spend more than two days – an average of 53 hours – per year planning their holidays, according to new research.

The findings suggest millions of would-be holidaymakers from Britain are hesitating to press the ‘book’ button due to the sea of choice on offer.

Gen Z (aged 16 to 26) appear to suffer the most from indecision, dedicating three days (72 hours) per year to crafting trips.

Baby boomers (aged 59 to 77) chart their courses in almost half the time but still spend close to two days a year (37 hours) planning trips.

This procrastination, the study says, is due to ‘Travel FOBO’ – ‘fear of better options’.

A close relative of FOMO, ‘fear of missing out’, FOBO is caused by information and choice overload, partly fuelled by inspiration from social media, and it’s crippling Britons when it comes to booking their getaways, the study by First Choice holidays says.

Instead of feeling excited in anticipation of a holiday, Britons are commonly left feeling mentally exhausted by the process, are often hit by ‘reservation remorse’ – and two in five (41 per cent) said they consider holiday planning to be one of ‘life’s most stressful decisions’.  

The new study, of over 3,000 Britons, found 40 per cent feel overwhelmed by travel choice anxiety when it comes to booking, with 50 per cent of Gen Z and 52 per cent of millennials (aged 27 to 42) feeling the heat.   

More than a third (39 per cent) of travellers get overwhelmed by the chaos of keeping track of multiple tabs open on devices and nearly a quarter (23 per cent) consider over 16 destinations before deciding what to book.

Almost half (42 per cent), meanwhile, get tired from an unending cycle of evaluating and re-evaluating alternative options.

And in total, 42 per cent admitted to being beaten by the ‘procrastination paradox’ – delaying booking until the last minute to find better deals, only to find that prices have increased. 

The wide range of choices and information overload has left nearly two in five (37 per cent) with reservation remorse, feeling they had made a mistake after booking, with indecision and apprehension kicking in after just two hours and seven minutes.

Despite the stress of FOBO, more than half of Brits (51 per cent) love taking control of their own travel arrangements and discovering the world on their own terms, the findings reveal. 

More than half (55 per cent) said that reviews and recommendations play an ‘important role’ when it comes to booking a break.

But more than a third (37 per cent) feel their trust in online reviews has dwindled, preferring to consult holiday company websites and apps (34 per cent).

First Choice has released a new holiday booking platform to combat Travel FOBO and ‘help travel lovers pick the trip they really want’.

The newly renovated platform combines options for different tastes, budgets and values, the holiday company explains – there are even options for trips by train.

Travellers can also choose between familiar and far-flung destinations and different activities, from cooking classes in Crete to stand-up paddleboarding in Majorca, it adds.

Bart Quinton Smith, managing director of First Choice, said: ‘Our research shows that many of us get a thrill from piecing our perfect trip together. But, in a world of endless choices, FOBO can take all the fun out of planning a holiday.’

The company has seen a change in holiday behaviours in recent years, driven by ‘a new mindset’ among travellers, the MD said.

‘For those who love to travel, holidays are up there with the most important choices we make and you don’t want to settle for anything less than the best,’ he added.

Russell Brand was called out by a furious Sir Rod Stewart at the 2006 GQ Men Of The Year Awards after telling the audience he had slept with the singer’s model daughter Kimberly.

The comedian, now 48, is currently facing allegations of sexual assaults and abusive and predatory behaviour between 2006 and 2013, when he was at the height of his fame, following Saturday’s bombshell Dispatches documentary. He has denied the allegations.

When taking to the stage at the bash to collect his gong Russell made a very crude remark saying: ‘Here’s to Rod Stewart who had a go at me earlier this year for too much womanising’. 

Before adding: ‘But then again I did have a go on his daughter’. 

When Sir Rod, now 78, then collected his own trophy he made a point of blasting Russell for his comment.

Addressing him directly, the Maggie May hitmaker said: ‘You went with my daughter, did you? Russell, stand up.’ 

The comedian then seemingly lost all his bravado and could be heard sheepishly mumbling: ‘I took her out for one evening’. 

A fuming Rod asked if Russell had behaved himself on said evening with the former Big Brother host backtracking and saying: ‘I never touched that girl’.

‘F***ing right you didn’t’ Rod snapped, ‘You mustn’t come up here and boast. I speak here as a father.’

Rod – who has eight children in total – shares Kimberly, now 44, and son Sean, 43, with ex-wife Alana, 78.

Brand reportedly attempted to make amends following the tense moment and the pair could be seen sharing a smile following the awards ceremony.

Rod later told the Evening Standard: ‘[Russell] might be a bit of a player but he shouldn’t boast. I never did. Russell’s been a bit timid since I had my say.’

One woman has alleged Brand raped her in his Los Angeles home, while another accused him of grooming her as they were involved in an allegedly ’emotionally abusive and controlling relationship’ for three months when she was just 16 and still at school, and he was 31.

A third accuser claimed the comic sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles, and that he threatened to take legal action if she told anyone else about her allegation, and a fourth detailed the alleged sexual, physical and emotional abuse she was subjected to.

Allegations about Russell‘s ‘sinister’ behaviour towards women were an ‘open secret’ among TV and radio executives, it has been claimed.

Bosses at the BBC and Channel 4 are accused of turning a blind eye towards the entertainer’s behaviour while he worked for them as a presenter between 2006 and 2013.

The broadcasters have insisted they took all necessary steps over him, but executives could still be called before a Government select committee where MPs will grill them over what they knew.

Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by multiple women, including one who says she was 16 at the time. 

His behaviour is alleged to have been common knowledge among female performers on the comedy circuit, who are said to warned each other about him.

rand has posted a video on YouTube and Twitter refuting the allegations and insisted relationships at the time of his promiscuity’ were ‘consensual’.

However, his attitude towards women is alleged to have been an open secret in radio and TV production, according to sources who briefed The Sunday Times. 

He also has a history of making high-profile and controversial remarks about women on his shows – including calling newsreader Andrea Simmons a ‘sex bomb’ and describing her as ‘erotic’ and saying he wanted to ‘go under the desk’ while she was reading the news.

In 2008 a ferocious public backlash was sparked after Brand and Jonathan Ross called the much-loved Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs during Brand’s show and left lewd messages on his answerphone – including bragging about sex with Sachs’s granddaughter Georgina Baillie, with whom he had a brief relationship.

According to The Sunday Times many believe the BBC should been awake to the concerns about Brand’s behaviour on his show well before the Sachsgate scandal.

Reportedly, a serious complaint was made by BBC staff to the station’s Controller Lesley Douglas about Brand’s behaviour in the studio, in December 2007.

The Times has reported that the complaint followed an ‘alarming display of aggression and disrespect’ by the radio host where he hurled objects in a fit of rage.

It also reported he urinated in a bottle in full view of production staff and a guest – who ‘appeared to be a minor’ – and had been invited to appear on Radio 2 by a charity.

This alleged complaint and any others that had been made were not mentioned in subsequent official reports into Sachsgate.

Douglas’ lawyers have said she ‘did not at any time encourage, enable and/or fail herself to take any adequate steps within her power with regard to the conduct of Russell Brand of which she was aware’.

‘She is presently unable to provide any further information which may be relevant to the matters raised in this article due to the obligations owed by her to her former employer,’ her lawyers added.

Brand left the BBC after the serious editorial breach in 2008 as did Douglas.

Strictly Come Dancing’s first live show ratings drop again for a second year with the opening competition night watched by an average of 6.1M

By Geraint Llewellyn For Mailonline

Published: 08:39 EDT, 17 September 2023 | Updated: 08:49 EDT, 17 September 2023

Justin Hawkins was spotted walking hand-in-hand with a mystery lady in London on Thursday. 

It comes just over a year after the singer, 48, revealed he was a happily married father-of-one, living with wife Sarah and young daughter in rural Switzerland. 

However Justin appeared to have moved on as he was seen with the gorgeous brunette as they enjoyed a sunny stroll. 

The I Believe In A Thing Called Love hitmaker donned a plaid shirt, jeans and toted his essentials in a Celine backpack.

He kept a low profile by wearing a black cap and sunglasses, and allowed his iocnic shoulder-length locks to flow freely.

Meanwhile his companion cut a chic figure in an oversized white blouse and black trousers while puffing on a cigarette.

The couple appeared totally at ease in each other’s company as they chatted together before stopping at a coffee shop.  

MailOnline have contacted Justin’s reps for comment. 

He told MailOnline in June 2022 that he was a happy vegan, married, father-of-one living a quiet life in rural Switzerland – when discussing swapping his drug fuelled Rock and Roll lifestyle for a quiet life. 

Justin and Sarah, a daughter, nine, whose name has not been revealed publicly.

Speaking about his wife and life in Switzerland to MailOnline he said: ‘They’re the reason I live there, [because that’s where his family live].

‘I live in quite a rural part so the only time I am in contact with anyone English speaking folk is when I see my daughter.

‘So those times are really important to me. I always block out her birthday in the calendar.’

He also told Metro in 2019: ‘I have a wife and a child [In Switzerland]  and it’s important to spend time in the same country as your family.’ 

Justin said he was delighted when he was eliminated from The Masked Singer – in which he appeared as The Chameleon, in 2020, just two weeks into the series – because he would have missed his daughter’s birthday otherwise, as he would have to have remained in the UK to film.

He said: ‘She thinks I am cool, for now. I’ve got another year or so before that wears off I think.

‘I’m looking forward to the hormones kicking in. The times when she is rebellious, I quite enjoy those really.

‘It’s difficult for dads, especially absent dads, [because he is often on tour]. I think the rebellion that occurs, I don’t think I’ll get the full brunt of it really. If anything I’ve encouraged it.’

Justin was also previously engaged to Sue Whitehouse, the Darkness’ former manager. 

The two split in 2003 after Hawkins claimed his drug use influenced him to sleep with numerous other women. 

Justin famously spent £150,000 of his estimated £6million fortune on cocaine, living a life of excess which caused him to quit his band in 2006, and go into recovery – before reuniting last year. 

The Darkness called it quits in 2006 after their rock and roll lifestyle took a toll. However, in 2015 they decided to give fame another go, and released a fourth album.  

Speaking at the time, he told the Daily Mail: ‘I had to make a lot of tough decisions when I left the band, but leaving my brother was the hardest. 

‘After a while, though, any awkwardness between us disappeared. We started writing songs together and that laid the foundations for this return…

‘There are the bands who have a little success before a slow decline. Then there are the ones who ride the roller-coaster, where your mood swings constantly between jubilation and despair. I prefer the rollercoaster.’

In 2011 the band reunited and went on to tour around the world. 

In January 2020, The Darkness released a new video for In Another Life, which featured model Abbey Clancy. 

Most recently Justin performed for the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert and joined Eurovision 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder after this year’s contest aired for a BBC special where he sang I Believe In A Thing Called Love. 

By Laura Sharman

Published: 08:07 EDT, 14 September 2023 | Updated: 11:50 EDT, 14 September 2023

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