The Hungary international returned from international duty with a hamstring injury, missing games against Manchester City and LASK.
He was back in the team against Brentford earlier this month but was forced off just after the half hour mark that afternoon, missing Liverpool’s last two games as a result.
Szoboszlai, who has scored three goals in eight appearances this term, netted a stunning free kick in the same fixture last season with his manager hopeful another training session under his belt on Saturday will give him a good chance of being involved.
Victor Munoz meanwhile has also missed Liverpool’s last two games with a knee issue with the Liverpool boss also hopeful he can be involved.
‘I think they have a chance, but I do not know if they will be involved or not, but we still have two days,’ Iraola said in his Friday’s pre-match press conference. ‘I think they have a chance, yes.’
Liverpool remain without Jeremie Frimpong with Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Hugo Ekitike still longer-term absentees.
Szoboszlai limped off against Brentford (Picture: Shutterstock)
Victory at Anfield would see Liverpool move to within three points of the Gunners as they look to continue a five-match winning run in all competitions, but Iraola said his focus remains on improvements in performances early in his reign.
‘It is still October,’ Iraola said.
Munoz has also missed Liverpool’s last two games (Picture: Getty)
‘We have to take one game at a time and I always say the reference is more or less when we’ve played against each other once so halfway through the season. That’s when you can start to look at the standings.
‘Right now, we are in a position where we need to improve and keep getting better.’
Caption: FILE – Patrick Stewart, left, and Sunny Ozell arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday, March 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Sir Patrick Stewart was one of Britain’s most beloved actors, but away from the cameras, the Star Trek legend endured a complicated family life that he came to deeply regret.
The acclaimed actor died aged 86 on Wednesday, October 28, following what his family described as a ‘brief and poignant journey’ with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
He spent his final days surrounded by loved ones at his Los Angeles home, including his third wife, American singer Sunny Ozell, whom he married in 2013.
But while Stewart enjoyed an extraordinary career spanning more than six decades, his personal life was marked by two failed marriages and a painful estrangement from his children, which he admitted continued to haunt him in his later years.
Did Patrick Stewart have children?
The X-Men star welcomed two children, son Daniel, 59, and daughter Sophie, 54, with his first wife, dancer and choreographer Sheila Falconer.
The actor’s daughter Sophie was born in 1972 (Picture: Antony Jones/UK Press via Getty Images)
The couple married in 1966, just as Stewart’s theatrical career was beginning to flourish, and welcomed Daniel the following year, with Sophie arriving in 1972.
However, Stewart’s increasingly demanding career meant that family life frequently took a back seat, something he would eventually acknowledge with considerable remorse.
Speaking to the Irish Independent in 2023, the actor made the heartbreaking admission that his relationship with his adult children had become ‘practically non-existent’.
He explained that the estrangement had caused him significant grief and that he frequently reflected on his own responsibility for the distance between them.
He said: ‘There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not pained by the memories of my children, who they were and by a sense of responsibility that they became who they are in part because of me and my influence or lack of influence on them.’
Stewart, his second wife Wendy Neuss and his children Daniel and Sophie attend the 44th Annual Drama Desk Awards in 1999 (Picture: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
He continued, ‘I always put my acting work first, before my family.’
He added: ‘Given that I’m separated from my children now, we don’t have relationships, they have become very important. I never thought this would happen, but both my children are in their 50s, they’re not children anymore, they’re adults. And my relationship with them is practically non-existent.’
It was a particularly painful admission for someone who had previously spoken so fondly about the early years of fatherhood.
Stewart recalled being a devoted caretaker during the first two years of Sophie’s life, when his work briefly slowed down and Falconer was busy performing.
He also described the joy of holding Daniel as a baby, remembering those early moments with enormous affection.
Who are Patrick Stewart’s children?
Daniel eventually followed his famous father into acting, appearing in productions on both sides of the Atlantic, including Silent Witness and Law & Order: SVU.
(Picture: Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
The pair even shared the screen on several occasions, most notably in a 1992 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, in which Daniel played the son of Stewart’s character.
They later appeared together in the thriller Death Train and the sitcom Blunt Talk.
In a 2012 interview with Metro, Daniel spoke warmly about his father’s efforts to introduce his children to the arts, recalling a childhood filled with books and classical music.
Stewart’s second wife was Wendy Neuss, a TV producer, pictured here with Stewart’s son Daniel (Picture: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
However, Stewart had previously admitted feeling horrified when his son announced his intention to become an actor, knowing all too well the sacrifices the profession could demand.
Sophie, meanwhile, largely remained outside the public eye, although she occasionally joined her father at film premieres and awards ceremonies.
How many times was Patrick Stewart married?
The actor was married three times.
Stewart and Falconer’s marriage ended in divorce in 1990, after the actor’s move to Los Angeles to film Star Trek placed further strain on their relationship.
In his 2023 memoir, Making It So, Stewart acknowledged his own failings during the marriage and admitted the breakdown of his relationship with Falconer had left a lasting impact on their children.
He described rebuilding their relationships as ‘a work in progress’, although he spoke with considerable affection about his four grandchildren, with whom he enjoyed a closer bond.
He was married to Wendy Neuss from 2000 to 2003 (Picture: Getty Images)
Stewart was married for a second time in 2000, to television producer Wendy Neuss, but the couple divorced just three years later.
Reflecting on both failed marriages in his memoir, the actor acknowledged his infidelity and expressed deep regret over the hurt he had caused.
However, he found lasting happiness with his third wife, Sunny Ozell, whom he met in 2008 while she was working at a restaurant in Brooklyn.
Despite their 38-year age difference, the pair fell in love and married in 2013, with Stewart’s close friend and X-Men co-star Sir Ian McKellen officiating their wedding ceremony.
Who is Patrick Stewart’s wife Sunny Ozell?
Stewart’s romance with Ozell began in rather unlikely circumstances in 2008, when the actor visited a Brooklyn pizzeria where the aspiring singer-songwriter was working as a waitress.
At the time, Stewart was starring in a Broadway production of Macbeth, and the pair struck up a conversation after Ozell approached his table offering complimentary desserts.
When she mentioned that she’d been desperate to see the play but couldn’t get tickets, Stewart seized the opportunity to give her his phone number.
Sir Patrick Stewart was married to singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell for 13 years (Picture: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
Speaking to People in 2022, he recalled that it was the only time he’d ever given someone his number and explicitly asked them to call him. Ozell subsequently visited him backstage after a performance, and the pair arranged a dinner date.
Their relationship blossomed into a lasting romance, with Stewart crediting his wife, 38 years his junior, for bringing endless excitement and intellectual stimulation into his life.
‘I’ve never met anyone like her before,’ he gushed. ‘She is so smart and so informed. And her intellectual accomplishments are extraordinary.’
He added: ‘My life is perpetually interesting — and it’s largely as a result of Sunny.’
Their relationship became one of the great joys of Stewart’s later life, with the actor regularly expressing his admiration for his wife and the support she provided him.
Sunny was working as a waitress when she first caught the Star Trek actor’s eye (Picture: Getty Images)
He told the Saturday Evening Post: ‘I now think I understand the importance and significance of sharing life with one other person in particular.’
So smitten was Stewart that he even wanted his beloved Star Trek character, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, to enjoy a similarly happy ending.
In his memoir, he revealed he had imagined Picard settling down with a wife at his vineyard, reasoning that if he had been fortunate enough to find true love, his fictional counterpart deserved the same.
Although the scene never made it to television, Stewart’s own marriage to Ozell lasted until his death, just weeks after the couple celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary.
He is survived by Sunny, his children Daniel and Sophie, and his four grandchildren.
Nakaryakov was captured on CCTV buying booze after the alleged murder (Picture: east2west)
A manhunt is on in Russia for a teacher who fought in Ukraine later ‘killed his one-year-old son and hid his body in the freezer.’
Dmitry Nakaryakov, 40, is also accused of killing his girlfriend’s mother, Alla Pidzhakova, 58, before going on the run.
His partner Anastasia Kycheva, 32, escaped the attack by jumping barefoot out of a ground-floor flat window in Solnechny Gorod, St Petersburg, in her dressing gown to get help.
Injured and ‘covered in blood’, she found a passerby and asked for help before telling them: ‘He killed my child.’
Nakaryakov escaped but was caught on camera buying alcohol in a shop in the village of Druznaya Gorka, Leningrad region.
Police are searching for the father (Picture: east2west)
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A major search is underway for Nakaryakov, with locals saying they are scared to go outside until he is caught.
The Russian soldier allegedly accused his girlfriend of ‘infidelity’ and claimed the young boy, Sasha, was not his.
A note left in the flat where the toddler was found in the fridge-freezer accused Anastasia of cheating on him.
Nakaryakov and his partner taught in the same school before he went to war to ‘prove to himself that he was worth something’.
Putin has hailed fighters who return to civilian life as the ‘new elite’ in Russia.
But Russian soldiers returning from Ukraine have been linked to the deaths of at least 500 people, according to a study published by Vyorstka at the end of last year.
Another 465 people survived serious injuries at the hands of returning servicemen.
Researchers warned that the real toll may be substantially higher because many crimes never reach court or are excluded from published records.
Richard Baines died while walking near his home on Sunday (Picture: PA)
Tributes have been paid to a botanic garden curator who died after being hit by a tree in Dumfries and Galloway during Storm Boelo.
Richard Baines, 60, curator at Logan Botanic Garden, died while walking near his home on Sunday during the storm, which battered Scotland with 80mph gusts.
The storm, which sparked yellow and amber weather warnings for wind across the country, resulted in power outages and travel disruption.
Logan Botanic Garden, south of Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway, is a regional garden of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, whose director paid tribute to Mr Baines.
David Knott, director of horticulture at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said he was an ‘enthusiastic plantsman’ and will be ‘deeply missed.’
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He said: ‘He was primarily responsible for a number of significant developments and initiatives at Logan, including the first ‘all green’ public conservatory powered by green energy in the UK.
‘During his tenure, Logan also successfully gained a number of accolades, including being voted the best garden in the UK by Which? in 2021.
The storms left widespread damage and more bad weather is on the way (Picture: Shutterstock)
‘It will, however, be for his passion and enthusiasm for plants that he will be remembered for significantly increasing and expanding the plant collection at Logan, participating in and leading fieldwork in China, Canary Islands and Vietnam, from which seven plant species are currently being published that are new to science.
‘Richard’s contribution as an enthusiastic plantsman and curator at Logan and to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s wider work and culture, has been immeasurable, and he will be deeply missed by many.’
Fresh weather warnings have been issued as strong winds and heavy rain are on the way after two storms battered Britain.
Yellow wind warnings will be in place for western areas of the UK on Monday and Tuesday as gales and spells of rain bring the potential for ongoing disruption, particularly around exposed coasts and higher ground, the Met Office said.
The continued winds could hamper recovery efforts in some places after Storm Boelo pummelled the north of the UK, bringing 84mph gusts and a third of a month’s rain to pockets of Scotland.
Two women were also taken to hospital after they were struck by another falling tree in Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross.
A yellow Met Office warning for strong winds and potentially damaging gusts is in place from 3am on Tuesday to midnight for the far north of England, Scotland, and the far north-east of Northern Ireland.
Monday will remain wet and windy as rain moves across southern and western areas before spreading north-east, which brings the potential for coastal flooding, particularly in northern areas, the Met Office said.
As this clears, drier conditions will develop across England and Wales later in the day. On Tuesday, early rain will clear eastern and south-eastern England, while heavier rain in the north west of Scotland gradually turns to showers, the forecaster said.
Heavier rain and wind is expected to move through soon (Picture: Shutterstock)
The strongest winds will continue to affect Scotland, particularly in the far north and north west where gusts in excess of 70mph are possible.
The Hebrides are most likely to experience the strongest winds, which could potentially last several hours.
Elsewhere, there will be sunny spells and showers will continue, with some heavy in western areas. Conditions will begin to settle down from Wednesday as high pressure increasingly begins to influence the UK, the forecaster said.
This will bring lighter winds and drier weather across much of the UK on Wednesday night and Thursday, though western areas may remain breezy and experience a few light showers.
Mist and fog could be dense and slow to clear, leaving some areas chilly and grey, while brighter spells elsewhere will allow temperatures to rise into the teens.
High pressure will keep England and Wales mostly dry on Friday, with morning fog clearing to sunny spells and temperatures of 13C to 16C, the Met Office said.
Leanne Gregory, 36, died after her two sons were swept away by a strong current in Bimini on Tuesday
A mum was celebrating her 10th wedding anniversary when she drowned trying to save her sons from being swept out to sea.
Leanne Gregory and husband Nathan booked the trip to the Bahamas for themselves and their two boys as an early celebration of their anniversary in December, he revealed.
But when a riptide dragged the two boys out to sea on Tuesday morning, their parents rushed in after them.
While both boys were saved, Leanne, 36, was pulled from the water unresponsive and later pronounced dead.
Speaking on Sunday, Nathan explained how Leanne was his ‘childhood sweetheart’ and ‘soulmate’ who he’d been with for 22 years.
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‘We first got together when we were 14… so 22 years.’
Nathan, who has since returned with his boys to their family home in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, said the whole ordeal happened in less than 10 minutes.
Leanne and Nathan Gregory were ‘childhood sweethearts’ who had known each other since infant school, he said
Beforehand, the boys had been snorkelling in shallow water as their parents sorted out their towels and bags on the beach in Bimini, Nathan revealed.
When they got into difficulties, Leanne did everything to save her children and, despite Nathan’s trying to resuscitate her, she never regained consciousness.
She was later taken to hospital, where she was sadly pronounced dead, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.
Paying tribute to his late wife, Nathan said that the pain of losing her was ‘unimaginable’, but she was a ‘hero… in life and in death’.
‘There are no words I can use to describe Leanne,’ he said.
‘She was the purest of people, the most generous, kind and beautiful person who ever walked the earth.
‘She was the perfect mother’
‘Our relationship was perfect. She was the perfect mother. The perfect wife. The foundation of our entire family.’
Nathan also said that Royal Caribbean and Virgin Airlines had been ‘absolutely incredible’ and ‘made an impossible journey home so much easier’.
He has now vowed to keep ‘strong for his boys’ and said a GoFundMe page to support the family had raised nearly £9,000.
More tributes have also been paid to the family since the tragedy.
Richard MacRae, who represents Stapleford North at Broxtowe Borough Council, said: ‘It’s heartbreaking when something tragic happens and people have got young kids involved. It is just a different level.
‘My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends and the wider community.’
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: ‘Our thoughts are with the family of a British woman who has died in the Bahamas.
‘We are in contact with the local authorities and providing support to her family.’
In a statement posted on social media, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said an autopsy would be conducted but ‘foul play is not suspected’.
Protests have descended into riots across France this weekend (Picture: Romeo Boetzle/AFP via Getty Images)
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in cities across France this weekend, with some 70,000 officers deployed, equipped with tear gas and water cannons.
Powerful pictures show protesters clashing with officers just days after some of the worst unrest the country has seen in decades.
Last weekend, hundreds of arrests were made as peaceful protests descended into arson, looting, and physical violence, which French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said there is ‘no place’ for.
Initially, student-led demonstrations demanded better public school building conditions and action against teacher shortages, budget constraints, and overcrowding in classrooms, with staff, parents, lawyers, and emergency service workers joining in solidarity.
Further unrest then stemmed from anger towards rising living costs and fuel prices, with reports that over half a million citizens had gathered in defiance of President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
Ultimately, the protests were overshadowed by riots, which led to buildings being vandalised, town halls being taken over, and 500 businesses being damaged.
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Over 400,000 took to the streets (Picture: Tim Clarke)
Water cannons were used to disperse gatherings (Picture: Tim Clarke)
Individuals wore hoods and face coverings (Picture: Tim Clarke)
But that was far from the end, as the likelihood of returning rioters forced the interior ministry to heighten security measures and impose restrictions today.
This followed criticism from opposing parties that the government failed to prepare for the scale of last week’s disorder, which resulted in 2,700 arrests and, as of Thursday, 217 convictions in fast-track trials.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said: ‘We will not let anything go unchallenged.
‘We will be uncompromising with the vandals, with the looters, and all those who commit acts of violence.’
As well as the planned protests, authorities were anticipating separate instances of violence, with Nuñez noting calls for violence from the ‘far left and radical extreme left’ on social media.
70,000 police were deployed to tackle the large crowds (Picture: Reuters)
Tear gas was fired to discourage riots in areas where protests were banned (Picture: Reuters)
Riot police were armed with shields (Picture: Reuters)
Most demonstrations began peacefully (Picture: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images)
Interior Ministry official Jean-Didier Berger said there would be a 20% increase in police deployments compared to last weekend, with forces backed by helicopters, while curfews were implemented and extended until Monday in parts of Paris.
Partial curfews through the week also restricted movement of young people in cities such as Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, and Lyon, and Macron had plans to divert demonstrations organised by groups such as trade unions over the weekend in a bid to protect businesses.
The Louvre, Orsay, and Picasso museums have been closed, and landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe have been guarded amid concerns raised by some officers, who told French media they are not trained to deal with such large crowds.
At least 135 people have been arrested today, with many detained found carrying fireworks, ball bearings, and various items to be used as weapons.
Nearly 800 protests comprising over 400,000 people were planned across France today alone, 110,000 of which marched in Paris, with the unravelling swiftly beginning as individuals wearing hoods and face coverings kicked off.
Recent weeks have seen some of the worst unrest in the country in decades (Picture: Thibaud Moritz/AFP via Getty Images)
Even authorised demonstrations organised by labour unions involved fires and vandalism (Picture: Reuters)
Marches throughout the week have put pressure on the government (Picture: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images)
Hundreds have been arrested, with some already jailed in fast-track trials (Picture: Reuters)
Grenades were launched, to which riot gear-clad police responded with tear gas.
Cops later turned water hoses on the gangs to disperse them.
Chaotic scenes unfolded even in protest-banned zones, such as the Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux, despite a city-wide shutdown and public transport cancellations.
Police ordered the dispersal of several hundred people in Nice after they gathered at Place Masséna, where demonstrations were also prohibited.
Trade unions have criticised the protest bans, arguing that they violate freedoms of expression.
The crisis comes as centrist Macron enters the final stretch of his presidency.
His second term, which began on May 14, 2022, is scheduled to end on May 13, 2027.
The scenes aired during Thursday evening’s episode of the BBC game of wink murder, in which a mission put the cat among the pigeons and left Miranda suspicious of Joanne.
During the challenge, the trio of Traitors were tasked with creeping around the Faithful to try and disrupt their construction of shields.
Given that the mission unfolded in a rickety lair, with creaking wooden floorboards, Miranda reported that she had felt the floor wobbling beneath her.
While actual Traitor Maya Jama was to her right, it was Joanne on her left that Miranda subsequently started eyeing up – something she raised ahead of the roundtable.
But Joanne was clearly unhappy with the assertion and turned it back to say it made her suspicious of Miranda.
The mission put the cat among the pigeons and left Miranda suspicious of Joanne (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)
The comedian took to her Instagram to defend herself (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)
When Miranda later told the roundtable her so-called floorboard theory had been ‘debunked’, Joanne took issue with her decision to raise it at all.
The exchanges prompted some BBC viewers to label Joanne’s reaction a bit much – but the comedian has since defended herself, and Miranda has said she never took issue with anything that unfolded.
Taking to her Instagram Stories after the episode aired, Joanne described the episode as ‘the one where I snapped at Miranda at the table’.
She went on to defend herself, saying: ‘Was it my finest moment? No. Did the tension of the roundtable and the general gaslighting get into my head in that moment? Yes it did.
Miranda has said she never took issue with anything that unfolded (Picture: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)
‘What can you do? It is a game about gaslighting. It’s a funny game to navigate. Rest assured, me and Miranda have laughed about it since.’
Miranda also took to her Stories and wrote, ‘Love this woman’ over a clip of Joanne explaining her haphazard approach to the game.
In another post, Miranda wrote of the roundtable exchange: ‘It’s so funny to me that people are saying that you snapped. Next felt like that. Was never stressed. And actually we chinked glasses and laughed on the night,’ with kissing emojis to round it off.
Celebrity Traitors returns on Thursday at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
A gang that attempted to tunnel into a jeweller’s in south London was linked to more than £700,000 of burglaries.
Members of an organised crime group were caught digging into a jewellery store on Mitcham Road in Tooting just after 3am on July 17.
Video footage recorded from body-worn cameras showed how the gang had broken into a massage parlour with the intention of tunnelling their way into the jewellers next door.
One suspect, Laurentiu-Daniel Nitisoara, was arrested by officers in a nearby alleyway, while Ioan Asafeti was handcuffed after being found hiding on a rooftop.
A third gang member, Sergiu Plastin, was detained later the same day as he attempted to flee the country on a flight to Ireland from Stansted, having been tracked by a flying squad to the Essex airport via mobile phone data.
Officers discovered a tunnel dug by gang members between a massage parlour and a jeweller’s in Tooting, south London (Picture: Metropolitan Police)
Officers found tools and equipment discarded by the gang, which were used to dig the passageway between the two shops.
The group were linked to more than £700,000 of burglaries from shops across the capital.
Enquiries through Interpol found the group had possible links to similar offences in Europe.
The trio appeared at Kingston Crown Court today after admitting in August to charges of conspiracy to commit burglary with intent to steal and cause criminal damage.
Asafeti, 39, was jailed for four years and 10 months, while Plastin, 42, was given a sentence of three years and four months.
Nitisoara, 38, was handed a two-year jail sentence.
Sergiu Plastin, Laurentiu-Daniel Nitisoara and Ioan Asafeti were all jailed after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary with intent to steal and cause criminal damage (Picture: Metropolitan Police/Press Association)
To get the latest news from the capital, visit Metro'sLondon news hub.
DCI Craig Magee said: ‘Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: if you target London businesses, we’ll catch you, and you will face justice.
‘Our crackdown on thieves is delivering results. We’re driving down commercial burglary across the capital, with offences falling by 11 per cent in the past 12 months.’
According to Met Police figures, commercial burglaries fell by 10.7 per cent in the year to September, compared with the previous 12-month period.
UK Pleasure Boys performed to a ‘very lively’ crowd in Banbury United’s clubhouse (Picture: John Woodward)
A semi-professional football club in a sleepy Oxfordshire town has been forced to apologise this week, after hosting a male stripper night which turned into a ‘Roman orgy’.
In a statement on its website, Banbury United FC addressed circulating video footage of a UK Pleasure Boys show held in its Spencer Clubhouse on Saturday.
‘The images suggest that part of the performance towards the end went beyond what we find acceptable at our venue,’ it explained. ‘We apologise to anyone in attendance who was offended.’
Billed as the ‘ultimate girls’ night out’, the group’s 18+ Wet ’n’ Wild event promised ‘sizzling dance routines, ‘raunchy sets’ and audience participation.
However, it seems some took the final element a little too far, with clips shared on social media apparently showing ‘inappropriate’ sexual acts between performers and crowd members.
While we’re not prudes here at Metro, in our bid to work out exactly what went down on that fateful night, we keep coming up against roadblocks; as evidence is removed or deleted within moments of appearing online, we can only assume things got pretty X-rated.
The club has apologised to ‘anyone in attendance who was offended’ (Picture: Getty)
One local who claims to have witnessed this wrote on Facebook: ‘I was expecting the Full Monty with maybe a little flash of something at the end, but honestly I left traumatised.’
‘It actually went too far,’ added another. ‘Some women are feral.’
Others were more positive, including one female attendee who described the evening as ‘an absolute laugh,’ writing: ‘Yes, some parts of it were like wooah, but it clearly stated strippers. The lads were absolutely fantastic.’
UK Pleasure Boys’ promoter John Woodward told The Sun this weekend’s Banbury audience were admittedly ‘very lively’, but although things had been ‘more heated than usual,’ ‘there was a great atmosphere.’
‘It isn’t clear how or what got out of hand, or if it was the women or the men who got too heated,’ he added. ‘We are looking into it.’
Double standards?
While certain people may wish what happened in the clubhouse could have stayed in the clubhouse, online commentary over it has only ramped up in the days since.
But where some called scenes ‘grim’, ‘horrendous’ and ‘awful’, many took a different outlook on this risqué revue turned ‘Roman orgy’.
‘At the end of the day, they were all consenting adults,’ commented one Banbury resident, while another wrote: ‘I’m just sorry I didn’t go.’
Where women may have once seen male striptease shows as campy, low-budget sleaze, the industry has undergone a huge makeover in recent years, with over 900,000 tickets sold for Magic Mike Live in London and companies like Dreamboys and Forbidden Nights running weekly events around the country.
According to psychologist Emma Kenny, this trend is partly driven by the fact these environments actively encourage women ‘to express desire and enjoy themselves without feeling they have to be restrained or demure.’
‘Marketing matters, too,’ she tells Metro. ‘Packaging sexual entertainment within a familiar social occasion helps make attending feel more ordinary and acceptable.’
POLL
Do you think male stripper events are becoming too extreme?
Yes, they are crossing boundaries.
No, it's all in good fun.
It depends on the event and how it's handled.
In many ways, after centuries of being objectified, it’s a good thing women feel comfortable openly owning and embracing their sexuality.
However, this sense of novelty can cause things to get out of hand.
Emma explains: ‘People take cues from those around them. If somebody does something increasingly outrageous and receives laughter, cheers and encouragement, others may start to interpret that response as permission to go further.
‘The apparent boundaries of what is acceptable can shift within the room.’
Alcohol naturally also factors into a dynamic where lines can be crossed here — not to mention the ‘persistent stereotype that men always welcome sexual attention, while women are assumed to be less threatening.’
Things can get out of hand when alcohol and peer pressure are involved (Picture: Getty Images)
‘That can lead people to interpret unwanted behaviour towards a man as flattering, funny or harmless,’ Emma continues.
‘If someone is being grabbed, pressured or touched without consent, describing it as a bit of fun does not make it acceptable.
‘Being paid to perform does not mean being paid to have no boundaries. That principle should apply equally to men and women.’
That said, Emma does add that ‘consensual audience participation should not automatically be treated as misconduct simply because an observer finds it shocking’.
What’s actually allowed at strip shows
In terms of UK Pleasure Boys specifically, promoter John Woodward told Oxford Mail: ‘It’s pretty clear to the guys that no sexual activities are acceptable at our show, and that’s not standard stuff we would expect to happen.
‘If there’s a specific performer that’s done something you’re not supposed to, the performer would be taken out of the show.’
A number of similar performing groups have policies like this. However, where licensed ‘sexual entertainment venues’ (SEVs) are subject to a local authority’s rules for what’s allowed, this isn’t the case with those that tour.
SEVs in Bromley, for example, must agree to ensure no ‘indecent behaviour, including sexual intercourse’ takes place on their premises.
Meanwhile, North West Leicestershire Council stipulates ‘no audience participation shall be permitted’, nor should any physical contact between customers and dancers, ‘with the exception of shaking hands with a customer and/or leading a customer by the hand from a seated area to a booth for a private dance.’
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