Most people at some point in their lives will need legal help. Whether this is for a divorce, employment issue or the passing of a family member. Many of us wonder if we can afford it? Legal representation and support aren’t cheap, but there are many ways in which you can get free or affordable legal help if you really need it.

1. Legal Aid

Legal aid can help meet the costs of legal advice, family mediation, and representation in a court or tribunal. You’ll usually need to show that your case is eligible for legal aid, the problem is serious and you cannot afford to pay for legal costs

There are many reasons why someone would want to request legal aid. You or your family may be at risk of abuse or serious harm, for example, domestic violence or forced marriage. You may be facing the prospect of being made homeless or losing your home. Whether you have been accused of a crime, are being discriminated against at work, or need family mediation. You may even want to bring a case under the Human Rights Act. Check whether you are entitled to Legal Aid, which can help with your legal costs.

You’ll need to show that you cannot afford to pay for this help yourself. You may have to pay some money towards the legal costs of your case or pay costs back later.

Check if you can get legal aid to get help with civil cases. Your legal adviser will usually apply for legal aid on your behalf.

Find out more at gov.uk

2. Citizen’s Advice

The first port of call for any free expert advice should be Citizen’s Advice. With so many experts available, they can give you free legal advice on a number of subjects, but you will need to book an appointment with your local office so be prepared to wait to be put in touch with someone who can help you.

Citizen’s Advice offers confidential advice online, over the phone, for free. Whether you want legal advice regarding debt, housing issues, immigration, health, you will be put in touch with a professional who will be able to give you impartial advice on your situation and guide you on your situation. Make sure you have all of the information to hand to prepare for your call and be very clear as to what the problem is so they can work with you to find the best solution.

Find out more at citizensadvice.org.uk

3. Law Centres

Law Centres are a great way of being able to get a free legal appointment with a trained solicitor who usually offers their time pro bono. You will need to book an appointment, and many Law Centres are incredibly busy. Each one should cover a wide range of issues such as benefits, discrimination, employment, family and housing issues. All Law Centres offer face-to-face legal advice to local residents, and some run a telephone advice line.

If you are going to ask for legal advice from a lawyer, then document all of the facts regarding your query ahead of your call. Make sure they are informed of your situation, with specifics including dates to maximise the effectiveness of your call. They can only give you advice based on the facts of your situation, and will often help draft a legal response or guide you as best they can. Further legal counsel will often be at a cost to you.

Find out more at lawcentres.org.uk

4. Trade Unions

Trade Unions will need you to be a member to be able to help you, and most often you can’t join with a pre-existing problem asking for free legal advice. However, they are really helpful when you need help and can offer you free legal advice when you need it.

You have a legal right to join a Trade Union in the UK. More than 5.5 million people are in a union – from nurses to checkout assistants to lorry drivers to airline pilots. Trade Unions are designed to stop workers from being treated unfairly and often campaign to get a better deal from their employers. Unions make sure working people get a voice at work, which has proved beneficial for many people who have struggled with employment issues.

Check out if there is a Trade Union already affiliated with your workplace, as it makes sense to join the same one. If you are unable to find this information out, then you can search by industry to understand which one represents you. BECTU for example is a union for staff, contract and freelance workers in the media and entertainment industries. While the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers represents workers in the retail, distributive, manufacturing and service sectors. Each Trade Union will ask for a small monthly subscription fee.

Find out more at tuc.org.uk

5. Check your banking and insurance policies

Sometimes your banking and insurance policies will include free legal advice and help. Look at the policy documents for your car, home and other insurance policies to see if any have legal cover. It’s worth checking all of your household insurance and other policies to see if they offer free legal advice or cover.

Sometimes banks will offer legal cover policies to pursue or defend things like personal injury, employer or property disputes. Banks such as TSB offer Legal Services Insurance which covers a household rather than individual members and other such as Starling’s Business Insurance will offer legal advice and protection, should you run your own business.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email laura@hurstmediacompany.co.uk or editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

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Lagatta

Founded by ex-athlete Stephanie Reynders and her mum Dimitra. The entire collection is sustainable and made with Italian fabrics which use over 78% of recycled yarn from abandoned fishing nets. Each piece features built-in ShapeTech and is UV protective, moisture-wicking and breathable. The fabrics are OEKO-TEX® certified. This means that each one has been put through extensive testing to ensure that they have not been unnecessarily treated with harmful chemicals like pesticides and lead.

Available from lagatta.com

Sourced by Oxfam

There’s a world of ethical, sustainable and brand new items available at your local Oxfam shop and online. The carefully chosen great food, gifts and homewares that are made with care, protect the planet and help the women and men who produce them to earn a decent living. For example, these Raffia Fan Earrings earrings have been handmade by traditional jewellery-makers in India. Both modern and stylish, they are the perfect addition to any jewellery collection.

Find out more at onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/sourced-by-oxfam

Glasses Direct

Every year 640,000 tonnes of fishnets are lost or discarded in the ocean. Samples of plastic waste accumulated in the ocean reveal that 46% of this plastic is attributed to fishing gear.
Waterhaul is a Cornish-based social enterprise that produces eyewear from plastics found in the ocean and along our coastline.

Glasses Direct has partnered with Waterhaul to stock its stylish sustainable spectacles. Each on-trend frame is made from 100% recycled fishing nets and sold with a sustainable folding cork case

Available from glassesdirect.co.uk/waterhaul-glasses

Valentina Karellas

Valentina Karellas is an independent knitwear brand focussing on sustainable, zero waste pieces which are handmade in London.

A sustainable approach to urban chic, every piece of knitwear is one-of-a-kind. Valentina Karellas’ commitment to source surplus yarns and knotting materials means that this reduces wastage and is zero waste. Every piece is an origina and has a story.

Available from valentinakarellas.com

Critically Endangered

Critically Endangered is a sustainable sock company that’s saving some of the world’s most endangered animals by supporting charities that protect them – their main partner is WWF.

Socks are made from GOTS-certified organic cotton and come in a recycled cardboard box, making them as sustainable as possible. Critically Endangered have also teamed up with World Land Trust to protect 20 metres squared of tropical forest every time someone makes a purchase – and who doesn’t need more socks?

Available from criticallyendangered.co.uk

Cool Earth by Vivienne Westwood

Cool Earth by Vivienne Westwood is an organic, sustainably produced T-shirt sure to be your new wardrobe favourite. Helping you make a colourful statement and a hugely positive difference to the future of Earth’s rainforest.

The organic cotton T-shirts are printed in the UK in a renewable energy powered factory, and made in real time using lower impact inks, software, machinery and automation technologies.

Available from coolearthshop.org

Luxtra

Luxtra uses plant-based leathers to make timeless accessories. The range of handbags and accessories are crafted from vegan friendly materials including pineapple leaf, apple skin, cactus leaf, corn and mango leathers.
Founded and designed by Jessica Kruger, the range includes belt bags, totes, cross body and clutch styles for both men and women.

Available from luxtralondon.com

Pikol

Having never used a sewing machine before, founded by Dan Branston taught himself to repurpose vintage embroidered tablecloths into beautiful, one-of-a-kind men’s shirts. Clients have included celebrities such as One Direction’s Niall Horan and Roger Taylor of Queen.

Available from pikol.co.uk

LØCI

LØCI sneakers are 100% vegan and unlike many vegan footwear brands, they don’t imitate leather.

All LØCI sneakers are made using recycled ocean plastic sourced from the Mediterranean and Atlantic Coast of Africa. Every pair of LØCI made ensures 20 plastic bottles are saved from polluting our world.

LØCI footwear is versatile and effortlessly cool, adding a distinctive sense of minimalist style to any outfit, dressed up or dressed down. The sneakers adopt a clean, sleek design, with a core debut collection of eleven different two-tone colour palettes, and a capsule collection designed by Twilight actress, environmentalist and designer, Nikki Reed.

The 10% of profits on every pair purchased is donated to ocean conservation sites and protecting endangered ocean species.

Available from lociwear.co

Kind Bag Totes

Kind Bag transforms old plastic bottles originally destined for the ocean and landfill into beautifully printed design-led bags.

Maria launched Kind Bag in 2019 following a holiday to Asia, where she was horrified by the amount of plastic pollution on the streets and beaches. She developed a printed shopping bag made 100% from recycled bottles spending 18 months researching fabrics, testing her designs and using her own savings.

New totes have just launched (each recycling 18 old plastic bottles) and all bags are despatched in 100% recyclable packaging.

Available from kindbag.co

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

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The gender pension gap keeps widening

Leading equity release lender more2life has summarised the key findings from its latest research looking at the gender pension gap in the UK. Despite more women contributing more of their income towards pensions, the gender pension gap still widens due to men earning more than women. The pandemic is responsible for women’s financial situation worsening during the pandemic, either from losing their employment or due to childcare.

The key findings are as follows:

• When life expectancy is taken into account, the over-55’s gender pension gap has widened to £183,936 in 2021, an increase of £26,673 (17%) since last year
• This is despite women on average contributing more of their income toward pension pots than men (9.4% compared to 8.3%)
• Women have to work an average of 54.5 years to reach the same level of pension savings that a man can reach in 40 years (14.5 years or 36% longer)
• 30% of women report that their financial situation has worsened since the start of the pandemic, compared to only 24% of men who report the same
• Men over 55 either have or expect to have annual retirement incomes of £20,712 (after tax), whilst the equivalent figure for women in £14,964
• Men who worked full time for 30-34 years receive the highest average annual retirement income of £22,776, while their female counterparts receive only £17,004 (25% less)
• The widest discrepancy in retirement incomes between genders occurs for those who have worked for over 50 years. Of these individuals, men received £19,404 in annual retirement income compared to women on £11,592 (40% less)
• Taking the average earning of each gender in 2020, men are able to contribute more to their pension pots than women (£3,184 compared to £2,340 annually).

Dave Harris, chief executive officer at more2life, commented:

“Although women appear to be better at saving into their pension, they still face a retirement that is less comfortable and financially secure than their male counterparts. The stark difference in retirement incomes highlights the need to address the root causes of financial gender inequality and better support women as they make choices around how to use their assets both in the lead up to and during retirement.

“It’s clear that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to many people’s retirement savings, but the impact has been most acutely felt among older women. As we begin to think about what a post-Covid society looks like, it’s vital that the industry and Government does more to encourage women to engage with long-term financial planning.

“Raising awareness of alternative retirement income sources, such as property wealth, is crucial in ensuring current and future retirees can enjoy the retirements they deserve. There are a range of products on offer in the later life lending market, including equity release, which has proven to be a popular solution for older homeowners looking to unlock the wealth tied up in their homes to fund their retirement. For women, exploring such options could offer greater financial stability in later life and help to manage the impact of the retirement gender gap.”

Young adults have high hopes for retirement however, despite their good intentions, many are struggling to plan effectively

Moneybox research, launched today in support of Pension Awareness Live, reveals that young adults aged 20-40 ideally want to retire at 59 (average) with a retirement income of £26k a year (covering all income sources e.g. state/ employer/ personal pensions, savings and investment accounts). 

Of the 2,000 young adults surveyed by the saving and investing app, 61% expect to have the same or a greater level of financial comfort in retirement as their parents. 

Positively, 52% had already considered the annual income they would like to have when they retire, including 18% who said they had given it a lot of thought. 

The most common motivations for considering their retirement income were:

• Concern about their standard of living post-retirement (42%)
• Wanting to be able to retire comfortably as soon as possible  (40%)
• Growing concern about not being able to retire when they hope to (38%)
• The COVID pandemic making them more conscious of the need to plan for the future (33%).

While 75% of young adults surveyed said that they have already taken some steps to save and invest for their long term future, when asked about the steps they have taken, the results revealed there is much work yet to be done to help young adults effectively plan for life after work. Only 41% believe they are currently contributing to a workplace pension and surprisingly, only 11% know that they are benefiting from having maxed out employer contributions to their workplace pension.

A total of 23% have opened a dedicated cash savings account and 16% a dedicated investment account (e.g. ISA, LISA, GIA). 12% have even chosen to invest in trading options that are designated as higher risk (e.g. Crypto /  ForEx). In spite of the steadily increasing number of self-employed people in the UK, the research found that only 11% of those aged 20-40 are contributing to a personal pension.

The research also revealed that only 12% have tracked down old workplace pensions and only 11% have chosen to consolidate their old workplace pensions to easily keep on top of how they are performing from one place.

Among those who have not given any thought to their desired income in retirement (42%) , 44% said this was because it feels impossible to know how much they will need,  almost a third (31%) are too scared and overwhelmed to think about it and 19% admitted that it had simply never occurred to them to do so.

Unfortunately, 87% of those surveyed said that they are concerned about saving for their retirement, 37% extremely so.

Ben Stanway, co-founder of Moneybox commented: “It is clear from our research that many young adults are beginning to realise how much they will need to save to be able to enjoy a comfortable retirement. The challenge they face is significant, especially when you consider changing external factors such as the rising state pension age and the fact that our research found that two thirds (63%) were never taught about the importance of saving for retirement. It is clear there is a lot of confusion and even anxiety around this topic and this is something we are committed to helping address.”

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email laura@hurstmediacompany.co.uk or editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Are you delaying paying into a pension? appeared first on Checklists.

Using a variety of money apps can help save not just hundreds, but thousands of pounds. You can use them to check and monitor your bank balance, overall spending, and for saving too. Not only can they help with money management skills, but they also help save cash too. Check out these money apps to help you on the right track.

1. Plum

Designed to be the ultimate money management app, Plum is great for saving money without even trying. You can link the Plum app with all of your banks and credit cards, to be able to see how much you have in your accounts at any one time. What is great about this app, is that using AI technology you can also start saving or investing at a rate you feel comfortable with. The splitter means that you can set up different pockets and also investment funds.

Cost: Free. You can upgrade to the paid options – Plum Plus for £1 per month, Plus Pro is £2.99 per month, or Plum Ultra is £4.99 per month – offering enhanced saving and investment opportunities.

Benefits: Great for managing your money, and saving or investing without even trying.

2. Chip

Positioned as a simple, hassle-free investment platform. Chip is a great tool to squirrel away money for a rainy day or longer-term investment and watch your money grow. Chip analyses your transactions and calculates what you can afford to save every few days. You’re still in control and can cancel or amend any of your auto-saves before they happen.

Cost: Free. You can also upgrade to an unlimited ChipAI plan (£1.50 every 28 days) with full access to their award-winning unique AI.

Benefits: All money you save through Chip can be tracked at all times in the app. Chip works by linking to your bank account and calculating how much you can afford to save.

3. Monzo

You can open a digital-only bank account, with lots of fun features to help manage your money. The Monzo card comes in a striking colour, as you can see. You can categorise your daily spending, which is all available at a glance within the app. Also, you can create ‘Pots’ to manage your money, which is useful for ring-fencing any money you need. Monzo is one of the earliest of a number of new app-based challenger banks in the UK.

Cost: Free. Monzo Premium is £15/month offers a number of benefits, but if you sign up it is for a minimum of 6 months.

Benefits: Great for managing your current account, and budget using different pots.

4. Money Dashboard

Get the app that lets you see all your accounts in one place, know how much money you have left until payday and grow your savings. Review how your spending habits have changed over time. Personalise how your spending is grouped and organised by categorising your spending. The app gives consumers the TrueView® of their financial position by consolidating all their current accounts, credit cards, investment and savings accounts from over 40 financial institutions, and allocating each bank transaction into a distinct expenditure category, thereby automatically organising an individual’s finances for them.

Cost: Free.

Benefits: Connect all your accounts to have one view of all your accounts and see how much money you have in your accounts at any one time.

5. Spending Tracker

Spending Tracker is the easiest and most user-friendly Personal Finance App in the store. What’s more, it’s free! By tracking your spending, you will be able to stick to a budget and therefore SAVE MONEY. You can set up categories yourself, so they are not fixed by the app. Also you can put the app into budget mode, which might help for those people who find it difficult to stick to a budget.

Cost: Free.

Benefits: It’s great to track your daily spending and determine where your money is going by categorising your expenditure. The dashboard can show your spending over time, which is really useful.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post The money apps designed to help you manage and save money this year appeared first on Checklists.

We thought it would be interesting to look back at all of the jobs that celebs did before they became famous. Even Sam Thompson had to start somewhere!

Pete Wicks – Director

Before joining TOWIE, Pete worked for 11 years in the city as a director of a company. Since those days he has exchanged a corporate life for working in TV, modelling and presenting his own show ‘Reality News’ with Sam Thompson. The videos they produce together have been the highlight of this year’s lockdown.

Sam Thompson – Barman

Remember when Sam started working as an intern for Jamie Laing at his Candy Kittens business? Well the only job he had before Made in Chelsea which wasn’t captured on camera, was a bar job he was fired from. Multiple times. Luckily for Sam, his career has been a great success since appearing on TV.

Harry Styles –  Baker

Before Harry joined One Direction, he worked part-ime in the W Mandeville Bakery in Cheshire. Earning £6 an hour when he was a teenager, he left the bakery when he became a success on X-Factor. Harry returned to the bakery when he was filming for the One ­Direction movie, This is Us.

Kate Middleton – Luxury fashion buyer

Does anyone remember that Kate had a job after university as a luxury fashion buyer in Jigsaw working in their accessories department? Who knew she had such a talent for fashion? It definitely shows.

Vicky Pattison – Sales assistant

Before becoming a popular TV reality star on Geordie Shore, Vicky’s first-ever job was as a sales assistant at Shelly’s Shoe. Vicky also worked in telesales, a call centre and Newcastle’s top nightclubs before signing up to MTV’s hit show.

Mark Wright – Footballer

Mark was a semi-professional footballer playing for West Ham United and Arsenal before becoming captain of the Tottenham Hotspur youth team. Mark at the time was drawn to The Only Way is Essex and celebdom.

Calvin Harris – Fish Factory

Calvin Harris used to stack shelves at Safeway and work in a fish factory when he first started out djing in his hometown of Dumfries. Later on, he moved to London and was then discovered on MySpace.

Gemma Collins – Car salesperson

Before Gemma started to film for TOWIE, she was a used car salesperson at BMW. In her opening scene, she closed a deal on a car for co-star Kirk Norcross before his father surprised him with a Range Rover.

Cheryl Cole – Waitress

Cheryl was a waitress in Newcastle when she auditioned for ITV’s nationwide talent search Popstars: The Rivals. She soon discovered fame through gaining a final place in Girls Aloud.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Jobs celebrities did before they became famous may surprise you appeared first on Checklists.

Chat to Edith to find out how you make simple switches to be more sustainable in the home…

Renewable electricity provider, E.ON has launched an interactive skill on Amazon Alexa to help us learn how to be more sustainable at home.

Topics related to sustainable living include:

• Why it’s important to be sustainable in the home
• How to make your home more sustainable
• How to be sustainable at different times throughout the year
• How to be sustainable in different rooms of your home
• What the best sustainable solutions are for your home.

‘Alexa, open E.ON’s Sustainable Home’

So many of us have incorporated more sustainable habits into their routine during lockdown. By saying ‘Alexa, open E.ON’s Sustainable Home’, Alexa customers can access free tips and advice voiced by radio DJ, TV presenter and sustainability advocate Edith Bowman.

Did you know?

• Almost half of Brits admit they don’t have time to research how they can achieve a more sustainable lifestyle
• Six in then (59%) admitted they want to educate themselves of how to live more sustainability
• Two thirds (66%) of Brits are concerned the sustainable habits they’ve implemented over lockdown may become less of a priority

As a keen advocate of sustainable living, Radio DJ and TV presenter Edith Bowman said: “I am delighted to be working with E.ON to help bring advice on sustainability directly into people’s homes.

“It is so important that we take responsibility to care for the environment we live in and as we all start leaving our homes more, it is crucial we maintain the positive sustainability habits we have developed over the past 12 months.  

“Working with E.ON on this campaign has been a great way to learn more about sustainable solutions in the home such as energy-efficient boilers, smart meters and heat pumps, which are all great steps towards living a more sustainable life.”

The UK set to hit Net-Zero by 2050

The launch coincides with the release of E.ON’s Carbon Countdown Road to 2030 report to help inform us all on how to meet the UK’s net-zero goals. Around a third say switching lights off when not in the room (39%) and turning the heating off during the day when they are not at home (35%).

Michael Lewis, E.ON UK CEO, said: “We understand that as the world slowly returns to normal and people start getting out and about more, being sustainable at home might become less of a priority for some. But we need to ensure that sustainability remains on everyone’s list of priorities and all of the good habits and intentions many of us have adopted over this last year continue.@

To find out more about 100% renewable electricity from E.ON Next visit eonnext.com and for more about how to be sustainable at home and other sustainable solutions, visit eonenergy.com

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Celebrity Secrets chats to – Edith Bowman appeared first on Checklists.

So whether you are a first-time buyer or are moving up the housing ladder, Checklist has compiled the top ways you can save for a deposit.

Five top tips for saving for a housing deposit

Whether you are a first-time buyer or are looking to move house as your priorities have changed over this past year, it’s worth looking at ways in which you can save for a housing deposit if you haven’t already done so.

1. Help-to-buy and lifetime ISAs for first-time buyers (aged 18 to 39)

You need to have this open for at least one year to be eligible for this ISA. Even if you open an ISA with £1, you have made progress and have started to get on the property ladder. Each month you can pay up to £200 each month into the ISA. The government guarantees to top up your savings by 25% (up to £3,000) when you buy your first home. Setting up an ISA means that you can save up to £20,000 tax-free each year.

2. Use the 50/30/20 rule to save up for a deposit

By using this savings formula, you can allocate a fixed amount each month to help you save for a housing deposit.  Start off by allocating 50% of your income for your immediate needs (rent, mortgage, bills). Then 30% should go for other non-essential items which are your wants (Netflix, eating out, drinks). The remaining 20% should go towards paying down your debts or saving. If you are not able to do this, it’s worth saving a little something each month, no matter how modest the sum is to start.

3. Invest your savings into a separate account

Try using an app like Plum to manage money and also save. Not only can you link your bank accounts and credit cards to always know what funds you have available, you can also save and invest using the app. Using AI the app also takes money from your account and squirrels it away for you. Online banking services like Monzo are handy to keep on top of day-to-day transactions, categorising spending and allocating money into monthly pots for rent, food and bills.

4. Automate everything

Set up an annual budget to work out all of your outgoings each month. It’s worth doing this over the course of a year as sometimes large annual bills come out of your account in different months. Work out how much you need to save over the course of a year, and then work backwards. Set up a direct debit so that everything is automated so that you don’t see this money leaving your account.

5. Diversify your income

As much as is it sometimes important to reduce your spending when saving up for a deposit, you should also increase and diversify your income. Why not look at a side hustle or for extra work? If you are working, then see if you are able to secure a pay rise or bonus. Then as soon as you get this extra money, put it immediately into your savings or investing account.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post How to save up for a housing deposit appeared first on Checklists.

With the popularity of podcasts increasing throughout lockdown and showing no signs of slowing down, Checklist checks out the top 10 celebrity podcasts you should be listening to right now.

Laura Whitmore – Castaway

Laura Whitmore, the incredible host of this summer’s Love Island, also hosts ‘The Podcast About Podcasts.’ Something in between Gogglebox and Desert Island Discs in her words. On a mission to uncover all of the other podcasts, Laura interviews a celeb guest each week to find out what they are chatting about. Featuring celebs including Jamie Laing, Frankie Bridge, Katherine Ryan to Daisy Lowe, Laura talks about everything and anything.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

Jonathan is well-known for being one of the “fabulous 5” in Queer Eye; sincere, fabulous and quirky. This podcast is a weekly exploration of what Jonathan is curious about. One minute we are asking “what’s astrology all about?” with Diana Rose and then the next “what’s on animals’ minds’?” with Eva Meijer.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

I Weigh with Jameela Jamil

What started off as a social media post around the mental health movement, grew into a podcast. Jameela challenges the status quo by talking to influencers, activists and friends to discuss their own mental health. Speaking to singer Kelly Rowland, actress and activist Jane Fonda as well as comedian London Hughes and Celeste Barber. The podcast features great insights into the lives and mental health of famous celebs.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

RuPaul: What’s The Tee with Michelle Visage

RuPaul discussed anything from beauty advice, pop culture to behind-the-scenes information from his hit show RuPaul’s Drag Race with the equally fabulous Michelle Visage. Inviting guests such as Chaka Khan and Whoopi Golberg, as well as Alan Carr and Graham Norton to chat with them, makes you feel you are invited backstage to an A-List party.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Private Parts: Jamie Laing and Francis Boulle

The duo from Made in Chelsea decided to set up this podcast to reveal their private lives and diaries, joined by a celebrity guest each week. If you have watched the show, you know that these guys will tell each other everything, so expect intimate (yet sometimes sordid) details of their lives, as Jamie joins controversial website OnlyFans and chatting phone sex with cast members Sophie Habboo and Melissa Tattam.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Under The Skin with Russell Brand

Russell Brand needs no introduction and a podcast seems the perfect world for someone who loves to talk, in his own individual articulate manner. Under the Skin provides an in-depth look at life; speaking with guests to discuss anything from Bitcoin with Andrei Jikh, Yoga with Adrienna Mishier and more personal podcasts such as looking at those affected by addiction with Elizabeth Burton-Phillips.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

The Gemma Collins Podcast

The Gemma Collins Podcast is a no-holds-barred look inside the life of ‘The GC’. Flamboyant, fun and fabulous are words used to describe Gemma, which are not lost on her podcast. Revealing the GC’s BRITs backstage secrets, speaking about her plan to meet her idol Rebel Wilson through to asking “are flamingos pink dinosaurs?” with Natural History Museum’s Professor Paul Barrett. You will be properly entertained listening to Gemma’s podcast.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Grounded with Louis Theroux

Louis Theroux, well-known for his documentary reveals, started ‘Grounded’ under lockdown. Interviewing a wide range of celebs such as TV Host Rylan Clark-Neal, singer FKA Twigs and YouTuber KSI, Louis is tracking down people he really wants to talk to and documenting it for all of us to listen to. Always getting to the heart of a person, Grounded has become one of the most popular podcasts around and once you listen you will understand why.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Russell Kane’s Man Baggage

Russell and his celebrity guests all talk about the things men usually avoid. Things like “are women more mature than men?”, “do men compare themselves to each other more than women?” and “are men good at learning from their mistakes?”. All of the conversations are funny, insightful, and are great to listen to! You feel like you are listening to your mates having a conversation about their personal lives and relationships.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Sorted with the Dyers

Father-daughter Danny and Dani Dyer have a great relationship, where they can talk about anything to each other. So they have designed a podcast where they act as agony aunts and chat through any problems that are posed to them by their listeners. The cheeky chappy from EastEnders Danny and Love Island celebrity Dani are exactly who you want to sit down with and talk about what’s bothering you over a cuppa.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post The 10 celebrity podcasts to listen to right now appeared first on Checklists.

What is a franchise?

Many of the big names on the high street such as Starbucks, McDonald’s are franchises. This means that people can trade under a brand name for a fee.

Which brands operate franchises?

Starbucks, Domino’s and KFC all operate franchises in the UK (and globally). Even Swarovski operates a retail franchise in the UK.

Who are the most famous 5 celebs operating franchises right now?

1. Kanye West, Burger King

Kanye, who is now a billionaire, has made money from various businesses.

An astute businessman, franchises seem an obvious business venture for him. Despite tweeting in 2008 that “McDonald’s is my favourite restaurant”, Kanye reportedly bought 10 Burger King franchises in 2010 as a gift for Kim Kardashian.

2. Magic Johnson, Starbucks

Former LA Lakers star Magic Johnson is another celeb who has made money from investing in franchises.

Magic Johnson retired from professional basketball in the 1990s. In 1998, Johnson Development Corporation (JDC), a division of Magic Johnson Enterprises, and Starbucks Coffee Company entered into a game-changing 50/50 partnership to build Starbucks stores in underserved neighbourhoods.

Magic Johnson persuaded Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to open more Starbucks in inner cities with him. More than 100 stores were opened in cities including Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Atlanta, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

Starbucks stores in the Harlem neighbourhood of New York City, the Bronzeville neighbourhood of Chicago, and the Crenshaw district in Los Angeles. Starbucks bought these back at a later date, making the man millions.

3. Venus Williams: Jamba Juice

Tennis star Venus Williams bought four Jamba Juice franchise stores in the Washington area. The Jamba Juice Company is a leading restaurant retailer of better-for-you, speciality beverage and food offerings, which includes whole fruit smoothies, fresh-squeezed juices and juice blends, hot teas and a variety of food items.

The brand is an ideal partnership for Venus as they focus on nutrition and targeting those who want to refuel after exercising.

“It is extremely exciting to open my fourth Jamba Juice location and continue expanding the brand’s presence in the DC metro area,” said Venus Williams, tennis star and entrepreneur.

4. Phil Mickelson: Five Guys

Professional golfer Phil Mickelson loves Five Guys so much, he purchased the rights for Five Guys franchises in Orange County California.

Buying into a popular franchise is a great business proposition for a celebrity, as the franchisee benefits from the exposure of their fame.

The celeb benefits from having a ready-made business, which they can build a team to run on a day-to-day basis. A great way to build a passive income from an investment.

5. Pharrell Williams: Fatburger

Fatburger is associated with celebs in the US; many of whom have invested in their restaurants including Kanye West, Queen Latifah and Pharrell Williams. The retro-style burger joint features jukeboxes in all of its stores and is incredibly popular in the US.

Especially after featuring in Ice Cube’s song It Was a Good Day and also by The Notorious B.I.G. in Going Back to Cali. The first outlet in the UK opened up near Camden Market in 2018.

Singer Pharrell Williams reportedly opened the first Fatburger restaurant in China with CEO Andrew Wiederhorn.

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1. Catwoman (DC)

Catwoman is a feline temptress who is an adversary of Batman. Halle Berry, Michelle Pfeiffer and Anne Hathaway have all played this supervillain; alluring, sexy and a force to be reckoned with.

2. Harley Quinn (DC)

The joker’s girlfriend, Harley Quinn has really come into her own with Margot Robbie playing this intellectual crazy badass. Harley who returns in The Suicide Squad forms part of a deadly team. Harley has become one of the most popular supervillains, and it’s not surprising why. Sassy, super-intelligent, and fun. Harley is the girl we want to be, want to be friends with, who just couldn’t give up the bad boy in her life.

3. Poison Ivy (DC)

Poison Ivy (Dr Pamela Lillian Isley, PhD) is obsessed with Batman. Creating love potions, a kiss from Poison Ivy will allow any man to fall under her spell so that she can manipulate them…even Superman. Uma Thurman appears in Batman & Robin.

4. Hela (Marvel)

Hela appears in the Marvel Universe as the Asgardian goddess of death, based on the Norse goddess Hel. The ruler of Hel and Niflheim, the character is a frequent adversary of Thor, who can cast illusions, teleport and also possesses superhuman strength.

5. Dark Phoenix (Marvel)

A good girl turned bad. Jean Grey is turned into the Dark Phoenix who has unlimited powers and can manipulate reality and how people see it. Sophie Turner plays the Dark Phoenix who loves power and destruction.

6. Elektra (Marvel)

Elektra portrayed by Jennifer Garner follows the story of a female assassin who must protect a man and his prodigy daughter from another assassin who was hired by The Hand.

7. Emma Frost (Marvel)

Emma Frost, also known as the White Queen, began as a supervillain and adversary of the X-Men. A mutant with telepathic ability, Emma first encounters the X-Men while she is the ‘White Queen’ of the dangerous Hellfire Club. 

8. Mystique (DC)

Mystique has been a supervillain, founding her own Brotherhood of Mutants and assassinating several important people involved in mutant affairs. A shapeshifter, Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) can assume the identity of other humans, often avoiding detection and being able to manipulate others.

9. Black Cat (Marvel)

Felicia Harding is a sexy, femme fatale thief known as the Black Cat. Following in the footsteps of her father a renowned cat burglar, she assumes the cat persona in an attempt to attract Spider-Man. Eventually, they began a relationship but anyone who crosses her path is subject to bad luck. Black Cat is currently in production with Amber Heard to make her Marvel debut.

10. Enchantress (DC)

Cara Delevingne stars as June Moone, the Enchantress. Joining the Suicide Squad, Justice League Pact and Shadowpact. June has superpowers that turn her from being a superhero into a supervillain. The Enchantress uses magic and has limitless powers. She has the ability to conjure terrors, manipulate minds, teleport and fly.

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