A former aide to Jill Biden has warned the former first lady and former President Joe Biden to stay out of politics for the sake of the Democratic Party.

Michael LaRosa, who served as Jill Biden’s communications director, was critical of the former president’s decision to return to the public eye after he made a speech tearing into the Trump administration last week.

“If they had advisers who had their hand on the pulse of the Democratic Party or national politics, they would have understood the intense level of anger or indifference to them that remains inside our party and isn’t going away anytime soon,” LaRosa said in a recent interview withThe Hill.

“I love both Bidens dearly, but staff loyalty means there is a responsibility to provide them with an honest situational awareness, especially when it comes to their public image, no matter how hurtful it is to hear,” LaRosa added.

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Joe Biden made his first public address Tuesday since he left the White House in January.

LaRosa said the timing of Biden’s return was “a lovely gift for the White House,” as President Donald Trump was on the “defense” after heavy scrutiny over his escalating trade war.

“Biden’s reemergence, while it changed very little in the news cycle, provided a detour for the president to distract his cadre of supporters with Biden taunts and blame, giving Fox News nearly 48 hours of fresh new programming, taking editorial aim at the former president instead of the current one,” LaRosa told the outlet.

Biden’s popularity when he left office was low and the former president has not fared better in the most recent polling. His net favorability rating among Americans is -19 points compared to -6 for Trump, according to YouGov.

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“It’s a heartbreaking and tragic ending to their time in public life, but it’s also the truth, and they should index the political realities into their decision making,” LaRosa said.

In a speech to the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled’s national conference last Tuesday, Biden warned about preserving Social Security from Republican attacks.

“They want to wreck it, so they can rob it,” he said. Biden also criticized Republicans for trying to cut not just Social Security, but Medicaid.

His address follows Democrats’ attempts to recover from their brutal election loss, where Republicans not only regained the White House but also control of the Senate.

YouGov’s polling suggested that former president Barack Obama was the most popular well-known politician in the U.S., with a net favorability rating of +22. Other popular figures included independent Vermont senator Bernie Sanders (+12) and Republican former housing secretary Ben Carson (+6). The least popular in the poll were former Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell (-45), former vice president Dick Cheney (-32), Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (-31) and former New York governor and New York City mayor hopeful Andrew Cuomo (-30).

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It is possible to eat really badly in Paris. Yes, that’s negative, but it’s also a home truth. Perhaps it’s because the number of tourists means that substandard restaurants get footfall regardless of their reviews.

Fortunately, it’s also possible to eat so well that expletives burst from your mouth and you begin shouting “ooh la la” like a true Parisian. You don’t have to fork out a fortune either if you know where to go.

Although leaps and bounds ahead of much of the country, Paris is still dismally behind London for vegan and vegetarian food. Those with dietary restrictions should call ahead of time: even the most carnivorous of restaurants will usually rustle up something if given a day or two to prepare.

Here’s how to stretch your jeans during a few days in Paris.

Read more: Bourgeois beverages and the best coffee in town – where to drink in Paris

The French Bastards

Various arrondissements

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True to name, many of the viennoiseries here are what purists would call “bastardised”. They’re also delicious. There are cruffins, croissant-muffin hybrids that are crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, with sugar granules that crunch between your teeth, and croissant torsades, plaited like round Dutch braids. Hungry breakfasters should get the Kouign Amann, a Breton pastry made with so much butter that a regular croissant looks light. “Regular” bakery classics are here too, pains au chocolat and croissants, but when you’re in the pastry equivalent of a Wonka factory, it’s difficult to opt for a classic.

thefrenchbastards.fr

Read more: Best hotels in Paris 2025, reviewed

Marché des Enfants Rouges

Paris 3

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The oldest covered market in France always has a vibe, but it’s best in good weather when you can eat al fresco. Choice isn’t a problem; you can get anything from Moroccan to Japanese. The stand which always draws the longest queue is Alain Miam Miam, a build-your-own sandwich shop often voted the best in Paris. They’re also immense, quite possibly the biggest sandwiches in Paris. Save room for cod fritters from the Creole restaurant Corossol. If you’re staying self-catered, you can also do your food shop here. The cheese shops are a party.

No website; check paris.fr for opening times

Read more: Inside the six Paris neighbourhoods you should know before visiting

Le Bouillon Pigalle

Paris 9

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Everyone should visit a Parisian bouillon at least once. Good value restaurants serving classic French dishes, they’re generally in beautiful, historic buildings, with high ceilings and elaborate décor, and benches rather than traditional tables to allow them to serve large numbers of customers at once. Le Bouillon Pigalle is more modern than most, but with the same long tables that leave you bumping elbows with your neighbour. Lunch is the best time to go, and menus (starter-main-dessert, with classics like steak-frites) are excellent value. Vegetarians would do well to call ahead.

bouillonlesite.com

Read more: The best things to do in Paris, France

Orgueil

Paris 11

When a friend asks me for Paris tips, before raving about the latest exhibition, or any of the classic sites, I tell them about Orgueil. The food, the atmosphere, and even the bathrooms are just perfect. For the best experience, book the seven-course dinner service in the speakeasy part of the restaurant. In a backroom which looks straight into the open-fronted kitchen, the chefs mingle with diners between courses to explain each dish. The chargrilled tenderstem broccoli with a lemony sauce was excellent, but since the menu changes regularly, you never know exactly what you’re going to get.

bonaloi.com

Read more: Tracking the footsteps of Victor Hugo’s secret Paris

Hanabi

Paris 2

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Who knew that silken tofu could make me weep with joy? In the heart of the Japanese quarter, in the Japanese-style Hotel Hana, Hanabi takes any ingredient that risks being a little bland and turns it into a culinary masterpiece. Often either rubbery or sponge-like, this tofu was the consistency of panna cotta, marinated in white sesame oil and served in a salty but delicate broth. Even creamier was the cacio e pepe udon noodles with sea urchin. The ceramic tableware is beautiful, and you can snoop on the kitchen team as you eat; it’s open-plan.

hotelhana-paris.com

Read more: The best free museums in Paris

Shang Palace

Paris 16

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Recently taken over by Tony Xu from Chengdu, at Shang Palace there are plenty of Sichuan recipes, but the dim sum is a particular highlight. The Peking duck is so shiny you can see your face in it, and wagyu beef is sourced from a farm in Normandy. The beautiful presentation, white tablecloth service and high-quality ingredients are to be expected, but sometimes it’s the simplest-sounding dishes that surprise you most: the ice salad starter feels more hydrating than a night serum.

shangpalaceparis.com

Read more: Best cheap hotels in Paris 2025, reviewed

L’Orillon

Paris 11

Classic French bistros are six to a dozen in Paris, but this restaurant is in Belleville, a district known for world food. To fit in with its surroundings, L’Orillon has taken French classics and added twists poached from other cuisines. The mayonnaise is curried, the poultry served with labneh, and rather than leeks in the galettes, you’ve got pak choi. The tables are crammed close together, and it feels like going for dinner at a friend's (no one’s going to judge you for asking for an explainer of the wine list). It’s perfect for those who like their dining experience loud and humming with conversation.

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Read more: Best boutique hotels in Paris 2025, reviewed

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Gatwick Airport has retained the unwanted title of the UK's worst airport for flight delays, as it continues to be plagued by air traffic control (ATC) disruption.

Analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data revealed that departures from the West Sussex airport averaged delays exceeding 23 minutes in 2024.

While this marks a slight improvement from the nearly 27-minute average delay in 2023, Gatwick still lags behind all other UK airports in punctuality. As the UK's second busiest airport, Gatwick was significantly impacted by ATC staff shortages across continental Europe throughout 2024, compounded by similar issues within its own control tower.

Birmingham Airport followed Gatwick with the second-worst punctuality record, averaging delays of more than 21 minutes.

Manchester Airport ranked third, with average delays reaching 20 minutes.

Flight delays are often caused by issues outside the control of airports.

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Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said many holidaymakers “save all year” for their trips, so flight disruption can cause an “emotional toll” as people feel “their time and investment aren’t being respected”.

“Passengers expect and deserve not to spend hours stuck in terminals with little information or support.

“Reliable service, clear communication and efficient operations should be the standard, not the exception, and airports must take this responsibility seriously.

“This summer is set to be exceptionally busy, therefore it is essential airports and airlines do all they can to ensure consumer confidence to travel remains high.”

Belfast City (George Best) airport recorded the best punctuality performance in the UK for the second year in a row, with a typical delay per flight of less than 12 minutes.

The analysis took into account scheduled and chartered departures from the 22 commercial UK airports with at least 1,000 outbound flights last year.

Cancellations were not included.

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The average delay for all these flights last year was 18 minutes and 24 seconds, down from 20 minutes and 42 seconds in 2023.

Depending on the distance of the route and length of delay, passengers booked on flights from UK airports which are running behind schedule are entitled to assistance such as a reasonable amount of food and drink, a means to communicate and overnight accommodation if required.

Airlines often fail to provide this during major disruptions as they are overwhelmed by requests.

Passengers may also be able to claim compensation of up to £520 from the airline if the reason for the delay is deemed within its control, which could be a fault with the aircraft or pilot sickness.

ATC issues are considered to be an “extraordinary circumstance”, meaning affected passengers are not entitled to payouts.

Selina Chadha, a director at the CAA, which has consumer advice on its website, said: “The industry works hard to ensure flights are punctual, but sometimes delays occur.

“What is important to us is what airlines and airports do to minimise disruption, as well as comply with their legal obligations to look after passengers if something happens to their flight.

“We also advise consumers to ensure they know what assistance they are entitled to.”

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A spokesperson for Gatwick said air traffic control restrictions have “continued to impact the airport”.

“Together with our airlines, we’ve put in place a robust plan … to improve on-time performance further in 2025.”

This includes using a new method to separate arriving aircraft and trialling the coordination of connecting jet bridges to planes remotely, which are both designed to boost efficiency.

The spokesperson added that Gatwick is “the world’s most efficient single-runway airport, with flights departing or arriving every 55 seconds”.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said in February she is prepared to support Gatwick’s expansion plan to bring its emergency runway into routine use – which is partly aimed at improving its resilience – if the project is adjusted. The airport has until April 24 to respond.

A Manchester airport spokesperson said it is “committed to doing everything in our power to support all our carriers to achieve the best possible on-time departure rates.”

A spokesperson for trade body AirportsUK said: “Aviation continues to recover from the pandemic, and operates in an extremely busy, global environment with resilience challenges.

“It is therefore positive that the data shows delays continue to come down as everyone in aviation works together to provide the best possible service to passengers.”

Birmingham airport did not provide a response.

Full breakdown of airport flight delay figures

This is the full ranking of UK airports based on flight punctuality in 2024.

Airports are ordered from the longest average delay per departing flight to the shortest (duration in brackets).

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WrestleMania has rolled around again, as WWE’s biggest event of the year plays out in Las Vegas this weekend.

More than 65,000 fans are expected to pack into Allegiant Stadium for each evening of the two-night show, with some of WWE’s most high-profile performers involved.

The legendary John Cena and current star Cody Rhodes are set to headline one of the nights, while CM Punk and Roman Reigns have since been added to the match card.

Furthermore, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been involved in the build-up, and he will surely feature in some capacity – even if he does not wrestle, as he did at WrestleMania 40.

Here’s all you need to know.

Confirmed WrestleMania 41 matches

Night 1

War Raiders (World Tag-Team Champions) vs The New Day

Rey Mysterio vs El Grande Americano

Jade Cargill vs Naomi

LA Knight (United States Champion) vs Jacob Fatu

Tiffany Stratton (Women’s WWE Champion) vs Charlotte

Gunther (World Heavyweight Champion) vs Jey Uso

CM Punk vs Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins

Night 2

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez (WWE Women’s Tag-Team Champions) vs ??? and Lyra Valkyria

Logan Paul vs AJ Styles

Randy Orton vs TBA

Bron Breakker (Intercontinental Champion) vs Penta vs Dominik Mysterio vs Finn Balor

Drew McIntyre vs Damian Priest (‘Sin City Street Fight’)

Iyo Sky (Women’s World Champion) vs Bianca Belair vs Rhea Ripley

Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Champion) vs John Cena

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When is it?

WrestleMania became a two-night event in 2020, and this year it will take place on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 April at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. In the US, each evening of action will begin at 4pm PT / 6pm CT / 7pm ET. In the UK, that works out to 12am BST on Sunday and Monday morning.

How can I watch it?

WrestleMania 41 will stream live on Netflix in the UK and most territories worldwide, as part of subscribers’ existing plans (at no additional cost, in other words). In the US, however, the event will air live on Peacock pay-per-view.

In January, all of WWE’s shows began streaming live on Netflix in the UK and most territories worldwide; in the US, every show except SmackDown (which remains on the USA Network) also airs on Netflix.

Will The Rock compete?

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Last year, The Rock competed in the Night 1 main event of WrestleMania 40, teaming with Roman Reigns to beat Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. He also interfered in the Night 2 main event: Reigns vs Rhodes. He is not advertised as competing this year, but expect him to feature in some capacity.

Why is John Cena a ‘bad guy’?

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In pro wrestling, ‘good’ characters are called ‘babyfaces’ and ‘bad’ characters are ‘heels’. Cena spent most of his career as a babyface, having last been a heel in the early-mid 2000s – until February’s Elimination Chamber event, where he attacked Rhodes and joined forces with The Rock. This is part of a storyline in which Cena, during his final year as a pro wrestler, is desperate to win a record-breaking 17th world championship. Rhodes is WWE’s biggest babyface, while The Rock is a heel authority figure, given Dwayne Johnson’s real-life position on the board of TKO (WWE’s ownership group).

How much do WWE stars earn at WrestleMania?

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The specifics of WWE contracts have long been hard to ascertain. However, WWE star-turned-executive Triple H (real name Paul Levesque) told The Athletic in 2022 that $250,000 is the minimum base salary for wrestlers in the company. That figure might have risen since, of course, and it reportedly only applied to members of the Smackdown and Raw rosters – not wrestlers on NXT, which is WWE’s developmental show.

However, wrestlers’ wages are boosted by merchandise sales and, it is believed, by cuts of pay-per-view sales as well. Of course, merchandise sales are likely to be significant on a WrestleMania weekend, as well as pay-per-view sales, so 19 and 20 April could be the most lucrative days of the year for most WWE wrestlers.

In 2023, The Mirror reported some of the highest WWE wages as these: Roman Reigns $5m per year; Randy Orton $5m per year; Seth Rollins $3.5m per year; Cody Rhodes $3m per year; Logan Paul $2m per year. These figures reportedly don’t include bonuses.

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Justin Thomas beat Andrew Novak in a play-off at the RBC Heritage to end his three-year wait for a tournament victory.

The American pair both finished on 17-under-par through 72 holes at the Harbour Town Golf Links on South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island.

Thomas, who opened by tying the course record with a 61, finished with a bogey-free 68, Novak matching his score after an up and down front nine.

In the play-off, Thomas snatched his first opportunity as he sank a 21-foot birdie putt after Novak missed from 35 feet.

It was Thomas’s 16th win on the PGA Tour but his first since the 2022 PGA Championship.

“Winning is hard. It’s really, really hard,” he said on the 18th green after his victory.

“I’ve worked my butt off and stayed patient, stayed positive.”

Daniel Berger shot a closing 65 to finish three shots off the pace in a tie for third alongside Canadian Mackenzie Hughes and fellow Americans Brian Harman and Maverick McNealy.

England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who started the day three shots off the pace, closed with a 70 to finish in seventh a shot further back.

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He may soon be the Scouser in the Real Madrid team but Trent Alexander-Arnold is ever likelier to leave Liverpool a Premier League champion. A winner at Leicester could prove his last goal, his final great contribution in a Liverpool shirt, but while he might soon discard it for the white of Real, here it was removed for a topless celebration that indicated his enduring love for his hometown club.

It felt mutual. After the accusations of disloyalty from a section of the fanbase, he was serenaded by the match-going public at the end. “Special moments that will live with me forever,” he said.

Forever may take him further afield. Unlike Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, he has not committed his future to the club, but Arne Slot said: “The headline today should be the goal he scored and not about his contract, but it would be ridiculous if someone argues his commitment to this club.”

Not for the first time, it was proved. A goal six minutes after his introduction leaves Liverpool requiring just three points to seal the title. If this had promised to be their coronation, Arsenal’s earlier demolition of Ipswich prevented the possibility.

It was instead a burial, though Alexander-Arnold did not relegate Leicester; even at 0-0, they were going down. They had showed more life on the day their demise was finalised. The damage was already done. “I expected to get more points than I was able to from the games I was able to lead,” said Ruud van Nistelrooy, but his meagre tally is of eight in 20 games.

Leicester’s fortunes have nosedived. They were reigning champions in 2016, when Alexander-Arnold debuted for Liverpool. His 350th appearance was a second catalytic cameo this season, following his two assists at Newcastle. There are few right-backs who can be introduced as gamechangers but, with Leicester frustrating Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold conjured a breakthrough. Should he go, they will miss his magical right foot.

His left isn’t bad, either, though he had a gap on his CV. “I am pretty sure it is my first left-foot goal,” smiled the scorer. “It's taken a few years, but I got there in the end. Probably the one type of goal that I was missing, but I was saving it for a right time.” He found it. On a day when no one else could produce the finish, Alexander-Arnold drilled a shot through a crowded box with power and precision.

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“It was a big moment and big players like to have big moments in their career,” added Slot. “Virgil had one last week. Players of the quality of Trent, you know these players step up when most needed.”

It took Liverpool 25 attempts at goal to forge a breakthrough, the last three in swift succession after a corner Alexander-Arnold won. First Salah – for the third time in the afternoon – and then Diogo Jota hit the woodwork before Alexander-Arnold found the net. It was a reward for Liverpool’s persistence and purpose. It also demonstrated how they are winning the title. They have been almost perfect against bottom-half teams, dropping a mere four points.

Leicester threatened to make that six, with a belated show of solidity and spirit – had they shown such mettle earlier, they may not be down in April – but Slot has made a series of telling substitutions this season. He removed the booked Conor Bradley, who had been troubled by the trickery of Stephy Mavididi, and introduced a fit-again Alexander-Arnold. “I don’t think I deserve any credit," insisted the manager. "I think every manager in the world would have brought Trent on.”

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The supporters afforded their modest manager more credit. Slot’s name rang around the King Power Stadium along with choruses about winning the league. They will, perhaps against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday. “A second league title, especially in front of fans, which is what we've been missing is very special,” said Alexander-Arnold, with memories of empty stadia in 2020. “We are so close now.”

They spent much of their afternoon being close in another respect, denied by the woodwork, Mads Hermansen and an overworked Leicester defence. Salah struck both posts with a third-minute shot but his drought in open play extended to nine games. Not for the want of trying, though: he had a volley parried by Hermansen. Stretching, he could not volley Kostas Tsimikas’s cross into the empty net. A trademark curler went just wide.

Meanwhile, Hermansen illustrated why he may be seen in the Premier League next season, even as Leicester are not. His heroics included two saves from Cody Gakpo, parrying Dominik Szoboszlai’s long-range effort and blocking from Tsimikas.

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As Liverpool mounted a concerted assault, Diaz, Gakpo and Jota all came close. “It is the first time since I am here we missed so many big chances,” said Slot. They scored from a smaller chance. They waited 77 minutes to see a goal. The Leicester fans have waited more than five months, their last home league strike coming back in December. Wilfred Ndidi almost delivered, rattling the post. Conor Coady at least had the ball in the net, though it was disallowed for Patson Daka’s foul on Alisson.

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“The gap appears to be too big for promoted sides,” said Van Nistelrooy. Two have gone back down, a third will follow. “We weren't able to compete enough to stay in.”

His own immediate future involves talks with Leicester, to see if he will stay. Alexander-Arnold’s contract situation could give him discussions of a different kind; like Van Nistelrooy two decades ago, he may end up at the Bernabeu. But if he goes, he will treasure memories of a trip to Leicester and a swing of his left foot.

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Adele made a rare public appearance with her fiancé Rich Paul last night in Los Angeles.

The two sat courtside to watch the Lakers face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Crypto.com Arena, which saw the Lakers lose by 22 points.

The 36-year-old “Hello” singer, born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, was pictured in a gray button-up shirt and pants set with a beige jacket draped over her. Meanwhile, the 44-year-old sports agent wore a black long-sleeved shirt and a white hat with a black rim.

Adele’s night out comes almost a year after she hinted at an upcoming hiatus from music.

“I don’t have any plans for new music at all. I want a big break after this and I think I want to do other creative things, just for a little while,” she said during a July 2024 interview with Deadline.

She also went on to admit her Las Vegas residency left her feeling like her “tank is quite empty.”

Adele officially delivered her fans the bad news during her concert series in Munich in September 2024. “I've really enjoyed performing. It's been three years now, which is the longest I've done and probably the longest I'll ever do,” she said.

“I have 10 shows to do,” she told the crowd. “But after that, I will not see you for an incredibly long time, and I will hold you dear in my heart.”

“I just need a rest,” Adele continued. “I have spent the last seven years building a new life for myself and I want to live it now. I want to live my life that I've been building, and I will miss you terribly.”

However, the “Someone Like You” vocalist did return to the stage after that, performing for one final month in Las Vegas before the 2024 holidays.

With her music on pause, Adele has more time to spend with Paul, whom she’s been romantically linked to since 2021.

Their engagement was announced two years later when Adele cheekily told a fan she couldn’t marry them because she was already set to say “I do” to someone else.

As of now, no further details about their wedding plans have been announced.

The Grammy winner honored her husband-to-be during her last residency show, telling him, “Thank you for always bigging me up and making me feel like I could do whatever I wanted to do.”

“There [have] been times when I'm too tired or I'm too emotionally drained... so I appreciate that,” she continued.

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Timothy Spall has said he was “genuinely surprised” to beat Succession star Brian Cox at the Bafta awards last year.

The 68-year-old collected the trophy for Best Actor in 2024 amid widespread praise for his performance in BBC’s true crime dramaThe Sixth Commandment, in which he played Peter Farquhar, a cherished and inspirational teacher who was murdered in 2015.

Cox had been the heavy favourite to take home the award for his role as billionaire patriarch Logan Roy in Succession, with Steve Coogan also a strong contender for his portrayal of celebrity paedophile Jimmy Savile in The Reckoning.

“I thought it was a shoo-in for Brian Cox because Succession was such a popular show, and he was brilliant,” Spall told Saga.

“It was my sixth Bafta nomination, and I got used to doing the ‘smile’, so I thought it was going to be another one of those. When I won it, I was genuinely surprised."

Spall earned praised for his candid acceptance speech. During his address, he described the acting profession as being “a soppy old thing, standing up pretending to be somebody and pissing around in costume”.

He told the audience: “The reality is, sometimes you get a chance to play people that have had a terrible thing happen to them, and all they wanted is love. This is a story about many things, about terrible crimes, but it’s also about love.

“We’re just storytellers, aren’t we, really? When it makes a difference and we can all share in the human condition... even though acting is a silly stupid thing, it’s lovely.”

Gesturing at the trophy, he muttered: “I’ve always wanted one of these.”

Spall was first nominated at the Bafta Film awards in 1996 for Secrets and Lies, and again in 2000 forTopsy-Turvy . He earned additional nods at the Bafta TV awards for lead performances in Our Mutual Friend (1999), Shooting the Past (2000), and Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise (2002), before finding success with The Sixth Commandment.

He is also renowned for his performances in the Harry Potter franchise, Sweeney Todd, The King’s Speech, and collaborations with acclaimed director Mike Leigh such as the 2002 drama All or Nothing.

Elsewhere in the interview, Spall said that his weight loss in 2016 completely changed the type of opportunities he was offered.

“I wanted to lose weight for a part in The Enfield Haunting, so I stopped drinking wine, and that regulated my diet,” he said.

“The weight came off and I started to get parts I wouldn't have had before. Funnily enough, I'm currently filming a Netflix movie directed by Kate Winslet called Goodbye June where I had to fatten up by wearing a strap-on belly!"

In the film, Spall plays father to three daughters (played by Winslet, Andrea Riseborough and Toni Collette) and a son (Johnny Flynn). Their mother is played by Helen Mirren.

The film is slated for release on 1 December 2025.

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A once “fit and healthy” 25-year-old woman, whose lower back pain was initially misdiagnosed, died from bone cancer less than a year after a tumour was finally discovered in her pelvis.

When Kate Drummond started experiencing back pain in 2020, she initially believed it was due to “poor posture” or excessive exercise, according to her 33-year-old sister, Kelly Drummond.

After the pain spread to her hip in May 2021, she visited the A&E department of her local hospital in Devon and was diagnosed with "probable sciatica”, and Kelly said it was noted she was “one of the youngest patients (doctors) had ever seen” with the condition.

After going on to seek an MRI scan through private care, Kate was given the “life-altering” news that she had a “grapefruit-sized” tumour in her pelvis in August 2021.

She underwent treatment for several months but deteriorated “rapidly” in January 2022 as the cancer aggressively spread to her lungs, liver, and other bones.

Kate died in March 2022, less than a year after the initial tumour discovery.

Her sister Kelly is sharing her story for the first time to urge others to “listen to your body” and “advocate for yourself”.

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“We’d be silly not to assume that things could have been slightly different had she been diagnosed sooner,” Kelly, a personal trainer from Devon, said.

“When Kate’s tumour was found, it was large, they described it as grapefruit-sized and it was suggested she may have had cancer in her body for up to two years.

“What started as some lower back pain turned into cancer within a matter of days, which then turned into multiple cancerous tumours in almost every part of her body – the rapid progression was shocking.

“Kate’s story shows just how unpredictable cancer is, and clearly, early diagnosis has been shown time and time again to save lives.”

Kelly said Kate, who worked in customer care for a local company, first noticed something “wasn’t quite right” in the late summer of 2020 when she developed “intermittent” lower back pain.

“She put this down to working from home, it was the Covid pandemic, and she thought this was due to poor posture or a slightly uncomfortable working set-up,” Kelly said.

“By January 2021, the pain was more persistent and she had some new pain radiating into her hip as well.”

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Kelly said Kate thought the new pains could be because of changes in her workout routine and potentially “over-training”.

By April that year, however, the symptoms worsened and her hip was “warm to touch” and showed “slight swelling”.

Kelly said Kate started to seek help from her GP, who prescribed her pain killers, before she had a blood test in May 2021, which revealed an indicator for inflammation was “considerably elevated”.

Kate was sent to A&E at a local hospital on May 27 2021, where she had further blood tests and an X-ray, and was told it was probably sciatica – a common condition where pain is felt in the leg when the sciatic nerve, which runs down from the lower back, is irritated or compressed.

“They noted she was one of the youngest patients they had ever seen with this condition, particularly that extreme,” Kelly said.

She added that during this time, Kate’s pain was worsening, she was “struggling with everything”, and her mobility began to decline.

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A spinal physiotherapist became concerned with her symptoms, Kelly said, and Kate decided to take her care private to have an MRI scan.

On July 7, 2021, Kate was informed that the scan had revealed a large tumour in her pelvic region with numerous deposits on her spine.

After having a biopsy at Birmingham Hospital, Kate was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer that can start in the bones or soft tissue, on August 3, 2021.

It was found “in a matter of weeks” the disease had spread to Kate’s lungs, liver, skull, jaw and other bones in her body.

“The news was life-altering, mainly for Kate, but also for her friends and family,” Kelly said.

“I felt shock and disbelief, but also a bit of guilt as well as you think ‘could I have done more to push her to seek help sooner?’

“It all felt really unreal and it shouldn’t happen to someone so young, especially someone so fit and healthy.”

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Kate was given emergency radiotherapy and began a course of chemotherapy treatment for several months, where Kelly said she showed signs of improvement.

“She remained so strong and so positive the whole time, it was beyond us, and we will never understand it,” Kelly said.

She added Kate’s health “rapidly declined” from January 2022 as her liver and kidneys started to shut down from the disease.

“It just all changed from there; it was a rapid downward spiral that kind of came out of nowhere,” Kelly said.

Kate died on March 17, 2022. Kelly said she and her family members are still struggling to process the loss.

“Kate was never meant to die, it was an aggressive cancer but she was never given a terminal diagnosis until the last few weeks,” she said.

“It just shows how very, very suddenly things can change.”

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Kelly said Kate’s message would be to “listen to your body” and “advocate for yourself”.

“She would also want to encourage people to make the most of your life that you’re lucky to have,” Kelly added.

“Don’t wait, and laugh more, I think she would say.”

Kate’s family and friends continue to honour her in their day-to-day lives by aiming to live for the moment and be more present.

“Kate was the most kind and considerate person and people were just generally drawn to her, she was really warm,” Kelly said.

“She had really good wit and she was just hilarious – she had this amazingly infectious laugh.

“We all say her laugh is what we miss most about her.”

April marks Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month for the Bone Cancer Research Trust, the UK’s leading charity for primary bone cancer. To find out more, visit their website.

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