RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has opened up on his health struggles as he ponders playing in this year’s Snooker World Championship.

The Rocket has featured in every single Crucible showpiece since 1993.

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Ronnie O’Sullivan has opened up on his difficult 2025[/caption]

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The seven-time world champion has yet to decide if he’ll play at the Crucible this year[/caption]

O’Sullivan, 49, is a seven-time champion in Sheffield and remains one of snooker’s greatest active players.

But his recent health struggles have seen him take an extended break from the game.

The Rocket snapped his favourite cue after losing four of his five matches in the Championship League in January.

He has since missed the Masters, German Masters, Welsh Open and the World Grand Prix on medical grounds.

O’Sullivan has yet to confirm if he will play in Sheffield, with just over a week until the first round.

He told TNT Sports: “I don’t know yet. I haven’t made my mind up.

“I’ll probably make a decision on maybe April 17 or 18.

“I don’t know when I’m due to play my first match so I’m going to try to leave myself as much time as possible.

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“I’d love to be able to go there and play. I’d love to be able to have the confidence to be able to get my cue out and go and play snooker. 

“I just need to give myself as much time as possible to see where I’m at with it and see whether it’s something I’m going to be able to do.”

O’Sullivan has endured a love-hate relationship with snooker throughout his career.

Blessed with remarkable talent, the 49-year-old openly admits the game can leave him feeling “terrible”.

He continued: “It ground me down to the point where I lost the love for the game.

“That’s why in January, I snapped my cue just in temper, in frustration. 

It had a weird effect on my body. I was shocked to be honest with you.

Ronnie O'SullivanTNT Sport

“I don’t really want to feel like that, so I’ve taken time out.

“I am just going to try to fix what I think is the problem before I come back to play serious snooker again.”

O’Sullivan’s last world title came back in 2022.

But he admits he found the tournament easier when he was younger, with his most successful runs never feeling like “hard work”.

O’Sullivan explained: “On the whole, probably three and a half years out of the last four have been pretty terrible for me and that’s taken its toll.

“When I won [the World Championship] in 2012, 2013, I got up Monday morning and I could do it again, ‘That was easy’.

“I’ve never found any World Championship that I’ve won hard work because I’ve probably won every match by five, six frames. 

“Never had a close game, never had a decider. So, in many ways, when I look back they were quite comfortable tournaments to win. 

“When I won it in 2020, I woke up on Monday morning and felt alright.

“But then for 10 days, I just couldn’t even think straight. I was drained. I couldn’t quite work it out.

“I won it again in 2022 and the same happened again. It’s just an age thing.

“It had a weird effect on my body. I was shocked to be honest with you.

“I can only put it down to an age thing because 2020 I was like, OK, maybe it was a one off. 

“But then when I won it in 2022, and it felt quite easy winning it that year as well, I still felt like my body had been battered.”

A MUM who became the first in Britain to give birth from a transplanted womb is already planning a second child.

Grace Davidson, 36, and husband Angus, 37, have been told that her donated uterus will have to be removed within five years.

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The couple said they are now planning to have a second child[/caption]

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The hospital team at the birth of little Amy, who arrived in February weighing 4lb 8oz[/caption]

The NHS dietitian says she hopes to try for a sibling for new arrival Amy “as soon as possible”.

She added: “We knew all along that we would want to try for more kids.

“I think I joked to one of the doctors that we would have as many as we are allowed, so that’s the plan. We are from big families ourselves.

“It’s a really special thing and we just want her to have a sibling.”

Grace was born with a rare condition which left her without a functioning womb.

But two years ago her sister Amy Purdie, a 42-year-old mum of two, donated hers to give her a chance of motherhood.

Little Amy, named after her aunt, arrived in February weighing 4lb 8oz.

Grace and finance worker Angus, 37, from North London, are waiting for the all-clear from doctors before looking to expand their family.

Her womb must be removed as the immunosuppressant drugs she takes to avoid rejection bring an increased risk of infection and cancer.

It means she will have to stop at two children.

But her case has given hope to the 15,000 British women without a functioning womb.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting hailed it an “amazing medical breakthrough”.

Asked whether transplants would be offered on the NHS, he replied: “Well, quite possibly.”

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Finance worker Angus, 37, from North London, is hoping Amy will soon have a sibling[/caption]

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Grace’s sister Amy Purdie (right) donated her womb to give Grace a chance of motherhood[/caption]

A COKED-UP paramedic has been fired after crashing an ambulance on a 999 call while almost five times the legal limit.

Colin Steward, pictured above, was only spared jail due to his “exemplary” record and his life-saving during his career.

Steward, 54, was tested for drugs after crashing the ambulance — its blue lights flashing — on the A34 in Burnage, Manchester, on August 28 last year. Three people were treated in hospital.

In each litre of blood, he had 240mcg of benzoylecgonine, a compound produced when cocaine breaks down.

The legal limit is 50mcg. Steward admitted drug driving and appeared before Manchester JPs for sentence.

Chair of the bench, Brendon Hart, said in “normal circumstances” he would be jailed.

Sparing him, he said: “You have served the community and probably saved a number of lives.

“Whatever the reason that caused your spiral downwards it is no excuse.”

Steward, of Altrincham, Gtr Manchester, was given a 18-month community order, including 100 hours’ unpaid work, plus a 28-month drive ban.

North West Ambulance Service said Steward’s conduct was “completely unacceptable”.

A spokesman added: “He no longer works for the organisation.”

It is understood Steward was sacked and is now unemployed.

STEVE ALLEN

Colin Steward crashed an ambulance on a 999 call while almost five times the legal limit[/caption]

THE Chinese have a saying: “Where there is danger, there’s opportunity.” 

And if President Trump does not back down on his tariff threats or find a way out of this ridiculous situation, that saying will become very real. 

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America’s trade war with China raises the stakes, making Taiwan’s future more uncertain than ever – as China eyes an opportunity[/caption]

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With global economic chaos seeming more likely by the day, Chinese President Xi Jinping could launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan, with the rest of the world unable to do anything about it.[/caption]

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The word is,  Trump has made it clear to China that if he reached some grand bargain with Beijing that was better for America, he’d stand aside and let it absorb Taiwan[/caption]

The next few months could prove extremely dangerous but full of opportunities for the Chinese. 

America’s crazy trade war with China makes the seizure of Taiwan far more likely than it was two weeks ago. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping could launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan with the rest of the world unable to do anything about it. 

And yesterday came the news that two Chinese soldiers were arrested while fighting for the Russians in Eastern Ukraine. 

They could just be two individuals. That would be embarrassing for the Chinese. 

But if they turn out to be part of a bigger group of Chinese fighters operating on orders from Beijing, that would complicate the whole triangular relationship between China, Russia and the US. 

Complete disaster 

China would have crossed a line and we will have to wait to see what President Trump thinks about that. 

With his  104 per cent tariffs on goods from China, which start today,  he is deliberately breaking an economic system that has existed since 1946, instead of reforming it.

He is decoupling the two biggest and most mutually dependent economies in the world. 

They both need each other in all sorts of ways but President Trump must have known that the Chinese would hit back and that their retaliation could cause an economic crisis in the US. 

In an atmosphere of crisis in 1930, America resorted to extreme protectionism. 

Back then, the US economy was genuinely sick, but protecting American business was a complete disaster for both the US and the rest of the world. 

Apart from the dreamers in the White House, everyone from business to much of Congress knows that if they stick with these insane tariff levels for six or eight months, the American economy will be in serious trouble

Fascism in Italy and Germany grew on the back of it. This time, despite what President Trump says, America’s economy is actually pretty healthy and has been performing well within the existing global system. So this is an act of self-harm. 

Apart from the dreamers in the White House, everyone from business to much of Congress knows that if they stick with these insane tariff levels for six or eight months, the American economy will be in serious trouble. 

Even if Trump blinks first and reduces tariffs soon, they are never going to go back down to near zero. 

So, the American economy could still be badly affected, sparking a constitutional crisis in Washington. 

That would give the Chinese a wonderful opening to achieve their aims elsewhere, in Africa, Asia and South America but particularly in the South China Sea and Taiwan. 

The Chinese are already operating what I call the Anaconda strategy — squeezing Taiwan with more and more military exercises right around the bordering seas. 

They are even coming across the Median Line that should keep the two countries apart, right up to Taiwan’s legal territorial waters. 

China’s aircraft carrier, the Shandong, has been on manoeuvres there in the most recent show of force. 

They are coming very close to violating Taiwan’s airspace with regular overflights, all the time increasing the pressure on the island militarily. 

As a result of Trump’s trade war, China’s message to the Taiwanese is: “You can’t trust America. Why do you put your faith in these guys? Make a peaceful deal with us while you still can.” 

Because America’s influence everywhere, built up over 80 years, is draining away. And if the US is going to be plunged into a crisis for the next two or three years because of Trump’s tariffs, it gives Beijing the opportunity to strike against Taiwan. 

China’s President Xi Jinping has always said that he wanted to solve the Taiwan issue by the end of his third term in 2027. 

With the rest of the world now thinking that the Trump administration is a completely unreliable ally, Xi may feel that maybe 2025 is his moment. 

Everyone will express anger and so on. But if the Chinese decide to try to take Taiwan, they will take it. 

It wouldn’t be absolutely straightforward because a big amphibious operation across 100 miles of sea is not easy. 

But if Taiwan decided to fight, there would certainly be a nasty conflict and Taiwan would almost certainly lose, unless the Americans helped them quickly. 

Huge gamble 

And who knows if they would in present circumstances? 

It would be a huge gamble by the Chinese — they would see it as a danger — and also as their once-in-a-generation opportunity if they also believe President Trump does not really care about Taiwan. 

The word is, Trump has made it clear to the Chinese that if he reached some grand bargain with Beijing that was better for America, he would stand aside and let them absorb Taiwan

He cares — as does everybody else — about the TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which produces all of the best computer chips for the rest of the world. 

But he has made it clear he really doesn’t care about Taiwan as an independent democratic state or as a staunch Western ally. 

The word is, Trump has made it clear to the Chinese that if he reached some grand bargain with Beijing that was better for America, he would stand aside and let them absorb Taiwan. 

Of all the “Trump shocks” since he became President, this full-on trade war with China is far and away the greatest. 

No one knows where it will lead, least of all the man in the White House who lives entirely in the moment and just goes with his immediate instincts. 

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The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong was seen near to Taiwan during the latest military drills[/caption]

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CINEMA chiefs are pleading with rowdy kids not to run riot while watching A Minecraft Movie — after footage of disruptive stunts went viral.

Clips show groups of teens collectively tossing drinks and popcorn in the air as they leap on their seats.

Tiktok

Warner Bros.

The trend happens during the ‘Chicken Jockey’ scene[/caption]

Tiktok

The trend — which has gone global — happens during the “Chicken Jockey” scene of the PG-rated film starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa.

It involves the heroes being in a ring fight with a baby zombie riding a chicken — a rare enemy in the original computer game.

As it starts, some young viewers chant “Chicken Jockey” in sync with the film’s main character Steve, played by Black.

But others have gone further — lobbing their drinks or buckets of popcorn at the screen.

In one TikTok clip, teenagers appear to throw buckets of water over the audience as the scene plays.

The craze started in the US, where police had to storm one cinema after a group of youths “body-slammed” an employee trying to calm them.

Some theatres have now banned unaccompanied children.

It has spread here, with Reel Cinema in Fareham, Hants, putting up a warning.

It says: “Disruptive behaviour, including taking part in TikTok trends will not be tolerated . . . where necessary, the police will be called.”

The film has been widely panned by critics, but made £230million globally at the weekend.

WHEN Formula One tycoon Bernie Ecclestone decided to sell his collection of some of the rarest cars on the planet, he went to an unlikely location.

It was a showroom on an unassuming industrial estate next to a Screwfix depot in Leicestershire.

Paul Tonge

Tom, above in his Leicestershire showroom, sealed a deal to sell all 69 of Bernie’s Formula One and Grand Prix cars to Mark Mateschitz[/caption]

This is the humble headquarters of Tom Hartley Junior — one of the world’s top dealers of rare supercars.

The 41-year-old, who counts billionaires and royalty in his exclusive book of contacts, was able to flog the whole fleet in the biggest single car sale ever — reputed to be worth an astonishing half a billion pounds.

After months of planning and intense negotiations, Tom sealed a deal to sell all 69 of Bernie’s Formula One and Grand Prix cars to Mark Mateschitz, the billionaire co-owner of the Red Bull energy drink firm.

Tom refuses to reveal the final price they settled on, but reports claim it was in excess of £500million.

The discreet dealer has known 94-year-old Bernie for more than two decades. They met when Tom, then just 20, bought a Bentley from the billionaire and they became friends.

Tom remembers once flying with Bernie in his private jet to the US Grand Prix in Texas. They spent the entire flight playing backgammon for an undisclosed bet.

The record-breaking Ecclestone deal is the latest success in the incredible life of Tom, who has been obsessed with cars since he was a toddler.

It all started in his father Tom Senior’s car showroom, which quickly became his classroom.

Teenage millionaire

While other parents tested their children on spelling and sums, Tom was grilled on car prices. He left school with no qualifications after selling his first car, a Porsche 911, at the age of 11.

His fierce determination to be the best car salesman in the business meant that by 14 he was turning over £4million a year.

Back then he was working for his dad and had his own chauffeur, as he was too young to drive.

At 15 he became Britain’s youngest self-made millionaire and at 17 he passed his driving test after just one lesson — in a Ferrari.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Tom said: “I never imagined doing anything else but selling cars.

“Working with cars is my hobby and it’s my business. I’m self- educated but I have never felt inferior to anyone.”

His ability and self-confidence has created a business empire that last year sold more than £400million-worth of ultra-rare supercars and classics — at an average price of just over £3million.

His showroom in Ashby-de-la-Zouch is an A to Z of the ultimate in supercars, F1 racing cars and ultra-rare classics.

Worth more than £150 million, the cars for sale include a McLaren F1 worth £20million.

There is also a row of Ferrari’s greatest supercars, including two of only three 288 GTO Evo models ever made. Together the pair are valued at more than £10million.

Also for sale is the McLaren that Lewis Hamilton drove to win his first Grand Prix in 2007 in Montreal.

And the showroom also boasts the car driven by Niki Lauda in 1975 that put Ferrari back on the winners’ podium, plus cars raced by Flying Finn Timo Makinen.

Tom said: “The thrill is in the chase, trying to acquire the best cars in the world, and the risk you take when you write a cheque for the car.

“Then it’s the satisfaction when you sell the car. I am backing my own judgment — I gamble on my ability and knowledge.”

Tom happily admits he was given an early chance by his dad to learn about buying and selling.

He said: “I used to sit in different cars and pretend to drive them when I came home from school.

Working with cars is my hobby and it’s my business. I’m self- educated but I have never felt inferior to anyone

Tom

“I learned all about them, which gave me an early understanding.”

But he added: “I’ve worked hard for everything and learnt the business inside and out, including learning from my own mistakes.

“I served a long apprenticeship from when I was 11, buying and selling cars.

“I learned something every day. It was my decision to leave school. I wasn’t enjoying it.”

The money that Tom earned as a teenager was put into a trust fund until he was 18, when he invested it into becoming a partner in the family business.

Then in 2014 he quit the family firm and set up on his own — which he acknowledges was a big gamble.

He said: “I’d invested so much of my life in the family business from being a boy.

“But I wanted to go more into buying ultra-rare classic and supercars, the best cars in the world.

“Now my firm buys more rare supercars than any other dealer in the world. It’s a privilege to deal in these cars.

“I believe you should be the expert in your field. I’ve always had a good eye for detail and attention. I learned how to negotiate from my father.

“Deals are all about timing and having the courage to pull the trigger at the right price.”

Tom’s success has led to his own collection of 30 rare classic and supercars, worth around £50million, which he says he will never sell.

‘We don’t do bulls**t’

What sets him apart is an encyclopaedic knowledge of cars and a contacts book that is envied by his rivals.

After our interview he checked his missed calls, and although he won’t name any of his high-profile customers, he did reveal that he had received a message to call a royal in the Middle East.

Those customers appreciate that Tom is not just a car salesman, but a man with an all-consuming passion for cars — and that includes driving them. He said: “I only buy cars that I would like for myself, because that means I sell them easier.

“I like cars that are unique or rare, and I research everything about the car. I believe in every car I sell.

Paul Tonge

Tom’s showroom boasts a £3million 217mph Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider[/caption]

“Every one comes with its own detailed history file in its own case.

“I like to add value to every car — they have to be right on the button, cosmetically and mechanically, without a blemish.

“The collectors who buy these cars have a passion for them and expect to be dealing with an expert.”

Tom’s meticulous attention to detail is why Bernie chose him to sell his precious collection.

It took 22 months of work to prepare the cars and sell them, with three researchers working alongside Tom, cataloguing every snippet of information about the incredible Ecclestone collection.

Tom said: “It was the most important high-profile sale of cars ever, and I micro-managed every detail.

I was honoured that Bernie chose me to get the best deal

Tom

“I was honoured that Bernie chose me to get the best deal.”

Tom’s daughter Olivia has already joined the business at the age of 17 and he hopes his sons, 12-year-old Tom, and William, seven, will also join later.

He smiled and said: “I really enjoy driving my children to school in a very special pre-war Bentley.”

Now he has set himself the ultimate challenge — to build the most exclusive car showroom on the planet.

The facility on a five-and-a-half acre site in the heart of the Cotswolds opens next January. It will have three showrooms — for supercars, racing cars and classic models, as well as a members’ lounge for customers, a library on cars and a photo studio.

He said: “I want it to be the destination where the world’s greatest cars are bought and sold.

“Relationships are everything — our customers want to deal with us because of the reputation we have built up.

“We don’t do bulls**t, we deliver what we promise.”

Tom — who has met Donald Trump twice but is yet to sell him a car — was not happy when the President announced a 25 per cent tariff on cars imported into the US last month.

He said: “l was upset with him, then pleased when I later found out that cars over 25 years old, which we deal in, were exempt.”

While selling Bernie Ecclestone’s collection is the highlight of his career, Tom was also proud to receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in 2018 from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.

He said: “At the end of our chat I asked Prince Charles if he wanted to sell his classic Aston Martin DB6. I said I’d give him £10million.

“He laughed and said he was not selling — but was surprised at how much it was worth.”

Paul Tonge

Tom’s fierce determination meant that by 14 he was turning over £4million a year, above with XXX[/caption]

AT first glance, the shocking photograph of a seemingly battered Virginia Giuffre appeared to back up her dramatic claim she was at death’s door following a car crash.

“I’ve gone into renal kidney failure, they’ve given me four days to live . . . ” she posted on Instagram.

Virginia Giuffre

The photograph of a battered Virginia Giuffre appeared to back up her claim that she was at death’s door following a crash, until her story unravelled[/caption]

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If Prince Andrew had gone to court over Virginia’s claims, any half-decent lawyer would use this Instagram post to cast doubt on all her claims[/caption]

“I think it is important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110km . . . no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can.”

To hammer home the severity of the situation, she added that she was “ready to go”.

Bruised face

Sympathetic comments poured in for the now 41-year-old woman who, in 2015, bravely told her story of being sex trafficked as a teenager by US billionaire Jeffrey Epstein to service the needs of him and other powerful men.

But then her crash story started to unravel . . . 

Hang on, said the bus driver. She was in front of me, took a last-minute right turn off the main road and I merely nudged the back of her car, breaking a tail light.

The Australian police backed up his version of events and said no major injuries were reported.

A spokesman for Virginia then claimed it was “a mistake” and she hadn’t intended for the post to be made public.

Curiouser and curiouser. Then why write it at all? And what’s the story behind the supposedly bruised face?

Yesterday, Virginia’s story changed again and she now alleges she suffered domestic abuse in her 22-year marriage to now- estranged husband Robert Giuffre, with whom she has three teenage children.

“After my husband’s latest physical assault, I can no longer stay silent,” she says, claiming that he assaulted her on January 9 and left her injured and needing hospital treatment.

Mr Giuffre — who has a restraining order against Virginia which she was recently accused of breaching — hasn’t responded to this latest development, but suffice to say the spotlight has now been turned on to some of her other claims.

Namely that Prince Andrew was one of the men that she was forced to sleep with.

He has always categorically denied it but, in February 2022, paid her an undisclosed amount — said to be “millions” — to settle the matter with no admission of liability.

Lady Victoria Hervey, friend and vocal supporter of Andrew, said yesterday: “I have known for a long time what this woman is capable of.

“She claimed more than a week ago that she had four days to live, and yet now she is out of hospital.”

Lady Victoria added that Virginia is a “fantasist” and that she suspected from the outset that the post suggesting her imminent death was exaggerated because she is wearing gold jewellery in the photo with no sign of a hospital gown.

And let’s not forget that another of Virginia’s “mistakes” was to accuse US lawyer Alan Dershowitz of abusing her before, later saying she had got the wrong man.

None of the above means that she lied about Epstein and his side-kick Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving 20 years in a US prison for her part in assisting his crimes.

But if Prince Andrew had gone to court over it, any half-decent lawyer would use this bizarre Instagram post to paint her as fantasist and cast doubt on all her claims.

Begging the question: Will the public’s attitude to the King’s disgraced younger brother now mellow and allow him to step out of the shadows?

Rex

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HARRY STYLES has been given permission to build a £30million mega-mansion in north London as long as he creates a wildlife haven for, among other things, great tits.

You can make up your own punchline.

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IDIOT NEEDS A JOB

Police Handout

Idiotic American ‘YouTuber’ Mykhailo Polyakov made a nine-hour dinghy trip to land on a remote island in the Indian Ocean where the deadly Sentinelese tribe live[/caption]

ANOTHER day, another idiotic “travel influencer” puts their life at risk by going somewhere they shouldn’t.

This time, it’s American “YouTuber” and (yawn) “adrenaline junkie” Mykhailo Polyakov who, despite numerous warnings and the knowledge that previous visitors have met a grisly end, made a nine-hour dinghy trip to land on a remote island in the Indian Ocean where the deadly Sentinelese tribe live.

Luckily for him, they weren’t on the beach at the time. So he left them a can of Coke (great content dude) and escaped with his life.

He and his video footage are currently in the custody of local police, furious that not only did he put himself at risk, but also the tribe, who have no immunity to common outside diseases.

When he’s eventually released, perhaps getting a proper job might prove beneficial all round.

RESET POLICE SENSE

WITH parents finding themselves arrested for merely questioning how their child’s school was run, one wonders whether a return to the halcyon days of common sense policing might be preferable.

In a letter to The Times this week, a retired chief superintendent writes fondly of the days when “all but 999 calls were filtered locally by the station sergeant”.

He says that time pressures necessitated the use of abbreviations, and “one such could be applicable in the case of the parents who were arrested over their WhatsApp messages…”

LOBNPAR.

Which, apparently, meant “load of b****cks no police action required”.

Is there a person in the land who would balk at this method being reinstated?

A REAL BAR TO BOATS

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If the rubbish-strewn streets of Birmingham doesn’t put small boat migrants off coming here, nothing will[/caption]

A READER who lives in the St Mary’s Bay area of Kent has written of watching five migrants photographing each other on the beach before then spending time on their phones.

He suggests that perhaps they’re sending “wish you were here”-style messages to their mates back home.

Indeed. And the current spell of china-blue skies must add to the allure.

Perhaps, given that the boat arrivals show no sign of abating, an easy deterrent might be the requirement for all new arrivals to these shores to send true depictions of life in Britain to anyone thinking of making the same journey.

For example, the packed corridors of an inner-city A&E that resembles a war zone on a Friday night?

Or the large rats stuffing their faces on the rubbish-strewn streets of Birmingham.

If that doesn’t put them off coming here, nothing will.

FUR IS FLYING

BBC

Karl Lagerfeld’s pet cat Choupette now lives in the lap of luxury with the designer’s former housekeeper[/caption]

WHEN designer Karl Lagerfeld died, he left a sizeable chunk of his multi-million pound fortune to his pet cat Choupette.

She now lives in the lap of luxury with Lagerfeld’s former housekeeper Francoise Cacote and, apparently, is “boss” of the household.

But wait, what’s this?

Madame Cacote tells us that Choupette has a new playmate in the furry form of a stray moggy found in a bin in Guadeloupe.

“Having a youngster in the house has made her a bit more alert,” she says.

I’ll bet it has.

Who is this gold-digger and can cats sign pre-nups?

BONKERS KANYE A HOME BANKER

John Chapple for The US Sun

Kanye West ripped out all the windows, the roof and utilities from a $57.25million house in Malibu as he wanted to create a bunker for the apocalypse[/caption]

Getty

But the star’s house was bought for just $21million by developer Bo Belmont, who then made a $9million profit after refurbishing it[/caption]

JUST when you thought Kanye West couldn’t be any more bonkers, it seems that he can.

Having paid $57.25million in 2021 for a house on the beach in Malibu, he then ripped out all the windows, the roof and utilities.

His former builder says he wanted to create a bunker for the apocalypse and planned on having a “bonfire” in the living area for heating.

As you do. So when he put it back on the market last year, it’s hardly surprising there were no takers.

Eventually, it was bought for a bargain $21million by developer Bo Belmont who, having refurbished it, has just sold it on at a $9million profit.

A fool and his money are soon parted.

DEAR DEIDRE: MY partner has announced he is going on holiday to Thailand in a few weeks with some of his friends.

I’m gutted because he’s always known that my dream is to go there — and I’m convinced he’s going to get up to no good with Thai women.

I’m 39 and my partner is 44. We’ve been together for three years. We get on well and do love each other, but he hasn’t wanted sex for almost a year.

He is kind and affectionate, but not intimate. I thought it was down to his age and, without putting pressure on him, I told him how it makes me feel unwanted and unattractive.

I then discovered he’d been in contact with an escort. There were voice notes on his phone.

I didn’t listen to them, but when I asked him about it, he completely denied there was anything to worry about.

He goes into denial whenever he doesn’t want to admit things. We don’t live together, so I don’t know what he gets up to when I’m not there. Then he announ-ced this holiday.

Now I don’t feel that I can trust him because he’s become so cagey about his whereabouts.

His mates are pretty shady characters. They are all bad influences on each other.

My partner says he won’t cheat, but I’m worried.

I know the obvious thing would be to walk away, but I love him.

DEIDRE SAYS: Whether your partner has had sex with someone else or not, there are clearly lots of problems in your relationship that need sorting before he can ever make you happy.

He shouldn’t be exchanging messages with anyone else while in an exclusive relationship with you.

You need him to be honest with you. Your trust has been shattered. He must take ownership of how much he has hurt you. You deserve better treatment than this.

My support pack, Addictive Love, will help you think this through.

I would recommend you go to counselling. Talking things through with a trained therapist will help you decide your next steps.

My support pack, How Counselling Can Help, explains more.

SELF-HARM SECRET IS HOW I COPE

DEAR DEIDRE: I’M a woman of 36 who is self-harming. I have never told anyone about my secret before.

I find it really hard to confide in people about how I feel, even my family. I work for our local council and the only person I can talk to is my manager.

My mental health trouble rules my life. I suffer from PTSD after I was sexually assaulted as a child.

One member of my family died in a riding accident and another friend took his own life.

I have been through a traumatic time. I’ve had counselling, but didn’t tell the therapist I had got to the stage where I was self-harming.

Now I cover my arms because they are so scarred.

I am trying really hard to stop and open up more, but at the moment it’s very much a work in progress.

DEIDRE SAYS: I’m sorry you’re dealing with so much pain and heartache.

Self-harm is a way of handling the emotional pain you are feeling. It might bring immediate relief in the short term, but the underlying issues will remain.

My support pack, Understanding Self-Harm, explains more about this and where to get help.

DEPRESSED BY HUBBY’S DEBTS

DEAR DEIDRE: DESPITE my husband always telling me he has very well-paid jobs, I have had to bail us out several times.

I’m 62 and he is 63. We’ve been married for 12 years. I have an adult son from a previous relationship. I’ve always been very independent and never relied on anyone else financially.

I thought I was marrying my equal, with the same values and goals, but clearly that’s not the case.

I now have no savings and have had to give up work due to poor health. I am totally reliant on my husband.

He pays our bills and gives me money for food, but he has many credit cards. He’s always getting letters saying he has missed payments. He hides them from me but sometimes I see them.

I am very worried, as I’m very careful with money. I suggested we should work out a budget, but he simply refuses to tell me how much he earns every month.

We have had several terrible arguments about it. I have a feeling he is hiding something, as he fobs me off saying he will “sort things out” and not to worry about it – but this has been going on for almost two years.

I am depressed and lonely and don’t know what to do. I feel trapped with no money, no income and nowhere to go.

DEIDRE SAYS: Money is the number one issue that people fight over in their relationships, and it does sound as if your husband is in denial about how bad things are.

Keeping financial secrets is an abuse of trust that a relationship is built upon. He may feel guilt or shame, especially if he has gambling debts or other addictions.

Pick a moment to talk to him again and explain the impact this secrecy is having, and explain you are having thoughts about ending your marriage.

My support packs Family Finances and Solving Debt Problems may be of help.

ARSENAL are hosting Real Madrid at the Emirates in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final RIGHT NOW!

The Gunners XI is boosted by the return of star winger Bukayo Saka, as they aim to beat the 15-time champions of Europe.

It’s the Arsenal captain’s first start for 108 days after featuring twice as a substitute in the last week.

Jude Bellingham and Co already have recent success in the capital, having won last season’s Champions League final at Wembley, and will be looking to repeat the trick in north London.

• TV channel/FREE live stream: Amazon Prime Video
• Arsenal team: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Merino
• Real Madrid team: Courtois, Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Alaba, Modric, Camavinga, Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappe, Rodrygo

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Follow Arsenal’s Champions League clash below…

PLANS for Formula One to return to South Africa for the first time in more than three decades are nearing a decisive decision.

F1 fans have long wanted the motorsport to return to Africa, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton one of the most vocal supporters of the move.

TILKE

The Times

The track will run next to Cape Town stadium, which hosted a World Cup semi-final in 2010[/caption]

Getty

Alternatively, the F1 will return to the Kyalami which hosted the last African race in 1993[/caption]

Talks over a return have been ongoing for years, but the South African government are now close to making a major decision on how they will make plans a reality.

One popular idea is to use the refurbished Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit located just north of Johannesberg, which hosted the country’s last F1 race back in 1993.

The other proposal would see the construction of a street race circuit running along Cape Town’s waterfront and past a 2010 World Cup semi-final stadium, known as Green Point Stadium.

Organisers for the Cape Town bid have detailed their latest changes to the Tilke-designed 5.7km circuit.

They hope the central, urban location of the track which will snake around the Green Point harbour and use facilities around the 64,000 capacity Cape Town stadium, will help to edge it across the line.

Cape Town GP CEO Igshaan Amlay highlighted the potential capacity of 250,000 visitors – the 2024 British Grand Prix at Silverstone had a record 480,000 visitors – and the natural beauty around the circuit.

Amlay, who has been working on a project to bring F1 to Cape Town for over two decades, told Autosport: “The latest design has all the bells and whistles.

“It’s partly on the waterfront and it also uses the facilities that have been used for the football World Cup.

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“We meet all the requirements, with the airport 15 to 20 minutes away from the circuit; we’ve got a top hospital on site and plenty of hotels within walking distance.

“What also plays a big role is the natural backdrops of Robben Island, the waterfront and Table Mountain. Cape Town has a lot to offer as our top holiday destination.

“We’re up against Kyalami, which has a rich F1 history, so it’s a street race versus a purpose-built circuit.

“We’ll be waiting to see what the decision will be. Here we could easily accommodate 250,000 people, so it makes it more accessible to more people.”

A decision one way or another is set to be made at the end of April, though work still needs to be done to convince F1 bosses that a being given a spot on the calendar from 2028 would be worthwhile.

Bids from a number of other nations have also been heavily lobbied to F1 chiefs, with CEO Stefano Domenicali visiting Thailand over a proposed race there last month.

Previous proposals had seen the track run through the Cape Town Stadium.

But the latest plans will instead have it run next to ground, with the venue used as a paddock, media centre and hospitality centre.

Amlay added: “The purpose of running through the stadium was that it can take a capacity of up to 70,000 people and our intention was to make it accessible to people that can never afford to go to a F1 race.

“After speaking to the circuit’s designers, there are a few obstacles and it would be better to actually run along the circuit. DHL Stadium will be used for the paddocks and the media centre.

“Everything that was set up for the football World Cup will be reactivated, and it’s already existent within the stadium, so we will make full use of it.

“We will still run through the original Green Point athletics stadium, which has a rich legacy.”

He continued: “We’ve never shied away from any criticism. Whenever people criticised us, we looked at it seriously and made a few changes.

“When we pitched the idea in 2016, we had interest from various sponsors and investors. The big problem we had was we didn’t get the government’s backing.

“But now there is a big push, and we have a huge following from the younger generation, who have been following Formula 1 and have been supportive of it.

“We’ve come a long way since first envisaging the concept back in 1999, but we’ve always believed in it. If you believe in something and you persevere, then it will happen.”

The Cape Town stadium the track will run past hosted England during a World Cup group game against Algeria, before playing host to the semi-finals between Uruguay and the Netherlands.

South Africa’s last F1 race was won by four-time world champion Alain Prost after the Frenchman also took pole, with icon Ayrton Senna and Brit Mark Blundell completing the podium.