Lucy Beaumont, 42, is a comedian from Hull. She won the BBC Radio New Comedy Award in 2012, and her debut Edinburgh show, We Can Twerk It Out, was nominated for best newcomer in 2014. She has appeared on QI, Taskmaster, The Celebrity Traitors, and co-written and starred in five series of Meet the Richardsons with her former husband, Jon Richardson. They have a nine-year-old daughter, Elsie.
Here, she looks back at the moments that shaped her.
My mum was only 20 when she had me. She’d been a bit of a tearaway at school, and I think that got put on me. On my first day of art, my teacher said: “I hope you’re not going to be like your mother, because the last time I saw her, she was rolling around on the floor fighting.” So I had a lot to live up to.
Mum and I were brought up like sisters. I’m an only child, and we lived in Hull with my grandparents. I shared a bedroom with my mum’s younger sister. My dad lived down south, in London. It really annoyed my mum when my granny would say: “I’ll bash both your heads together in a minute.” It must have been tricky, wanting to parent while my granny took over.
Working at Asda changed my life. That sounds mad now I’m 42, have lived in London, and been on telly. They built one near us in Hull – it was a fishing community with a thriving, working-class high street, and we thought: “Oh wow, they’ve picked us.” I couldn’t believe I’d been chosen to work there. Asda was owned by Walmart, so even the training felt like Hollywood.
Royal claims you haven’t heard as Earl Spencer’s book published
With Earl Spencer’s controversial book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister now released, The i Paper has taken a closer look at some of the claims.
Here are five of the most eye-catching.
Charles acted like ‘child’
Then-prince Charles acted like a “petulant” child, according to Spencer. Charles is said to have told the author that he was “lucky” to be inheriting the Althorp Estate while still in his twenties.
- According to Spencer, Charles told him: “You’re just so lucky – you know, inheriting when you’re so young. I mean, I’m 43… and I employ 50 people … but my parents insist on treating me like – like a child!”
A closer look at the claims
Spencer claims, via a courtier, that the late Queen Elizabeth II said Charles was “resentful”. “He always resents things. He even resented it when I taught him the alphabet.”
He also wrote about Elizabeth’s apparent response to the news Diana was involved in an accident. “When the Queen had heard the first news of Diana’s being in a traffic accident, she had asked tetchily, ‘What is she up to now?’” he wrote. “This, before the seriousness of it all became clear.”
Diana suspected Charles had ‘tryst’ with Camilla on train
Diana suspected that Charles may have had a “tryst” with Camilla, according to the book. The suspicion followed a press report in 1980 which claimed Charles was seen with a blonde woman on the royal train.
However, Spencer wrote that this was not Diana and that she suspected that it was Camilla on the train.
Law firm offered to help him sue over Diana crash
Earl Spencer claims that a law firm offered to help him, William and Harry sue over the crash that killed Diana in France.
He said that he did not reply to the letter.
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Morgan threatens to sue
Piers Morgan has threatened to sue Earl Spencer after claiming that there are “fabricated inaccuracies” in the book.
- The Earl claimed that Morgan “snarled with annoyance” after he was uninvited from Diana’s funeral.
The reaction
- Earl Spencer, responding to the Palace’s pushback over Charles’s alleged words, told the BBC: “Those are exactly the words he said.”
- He has also denied being vengeful. “I don’t hold resentments,” he told .
- Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the latest revelations and referred back to Wednesday’s initial statement.
- Earl Spencer was approached for further comment.
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Children as young as 13 diagnosed with ‘ketamine bladder’
Children as young as 13 have been referred to a specialist clinic with ketamine-induced uropathy (KIU), according to new analysis.
What is ‘ketamine bladder’?
KIU – also known as ketamine bladder – is a painful and severe condition caused by the drug damaging the urinary tubes, kidneys and bladder.
- Frequent urination, blood in urine and a loss of bladder control are some of the symptoms.
- The UK’s first KIU clinic opened in May 2025 due to a rise in young people with the condition.
Which children are most affected?
- The average age of the first 60 patients was 14.
- Around 66 per cent of the patients were girls, with a similar proportion living in the most deprived areas.
- 72 per cent had experienced emotional trauma, with one in five having experienced the care system.
- 16 of the children had autism or ADHD, or both.
The underlying factors
We are trying to understand the wider picture. use does not happen in isolation, and our analysis is helping us explore the different factors that may be associated with young people developing serious health problems
Professor Rachel Isba, consultant in paediatric public health medicine at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
How one test could ‘transform’ womb cancer care
A simple test analysing cells in urine and vaginal fluid could help rule out womb cancer in women experiencing bleeding after menopause.
Women could avoid invasive tests
The new test has the potential to “transform care” researchers said, sparing patients from “invasive, uncomfortable” tests that are costly for the NHS.
Around 10,200 women are diagnosed with womb cancer in the UK each year. Bleeding after menopause is a common symptom and can trigger urgent cancer referral.
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A closer look at the study
- The research included 1,864 women attending hospital with postmenopausal bleeding.
- The test correctly identified 80 per cent of cancers.
- It had a negative predictive value of 98.8 per cent for womb cancer, meaning women with a negative result were very unlikely to have the disease.
- It also detected 95.8 per cent of high-grade tumours and 96.4 per cent of cancers that had spread beyond the uterus.
Support for Reform falls to lowest level since 2024 election
New polling by YouGov has seen Reform UK record its worst result from the pollster in more than two years.
Tied with the Tories
YouGov’s weekly voting intention tracker shows Reform tied with the Conservatives on 21 per cent – the first time this has happened since March 2025.
Meanwhile, Labour continue to sustain a post-Starmer bounce, two points above their rivals on 23 per cent.
What about other parties?
The Green Party sits at 14 per cent, with Restore Britain at 4 per cent, the SNP at 3 per cent and Plaid Cymru at 1 per cent. Despite the poll being carried out during the Liberal Democrat’s annual conference, their support fell by one percentage point to 12 per cent.
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more politics from the i paper
A crisis-hit Reform UK council is facing a rise in council tax and crippling cuts to services due to an £83m black hole in its finances, The i Paper can reveal.
Why Piers Morgan has vowed to sue over Diana book
Piers Morgan has threatened to sue Earl Spencer after claiming that there are “fabricated inaccuracies” in his controversial new book.
The claims made by Spencer
In Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Spencer says he was “flabbergasted” that newspaper editors had been invited to Princess Diana’s funeral, adding that they could not attend because “they killed her” in his view.
- Earl Spencer says he personally called tabloid editors to tell them that they were uninvited from the funeral.
What else did he say?
Earl Spencer said of the newspaper editors he rang, “the only one who sounded surly, as opposed to merely confused or embarrassed, was Piers Morgan of , who snarled with annoyance before he hung up”.
He then claimed he assumed Morgan must be feeling “guilt” over publishing photographs of Diana wearing a leotard in a gym four years before.
Morgan’s response
- Morgan described the claims as “all bulls**t,” adding that the pictures of Diana were published in November 1993, but he started working at in 1995.
- He said Earl Spencer would hear “from my lawyers” and asked him to remove “the complete lie” from his book.
- He also speculated whether anything else in his book should be believed, as he got “such basic facts” so “incredibly defamatorially wrong.”
Earl Spencer apologises for ‘error’
A spokesperson for Earl Spencer said: “Earl Spencer’s account of his conversation with Piers Morgan is accurate…Mr Morgan was surly and annoyed when Earl Spencer called personally to tell him that he was not welcome at his sister’s funeral.”
“Mr Morgan has pointed out that he did not join the until October 1995,” the statement adds. “He wishes to clarify that his assumption was incorrect. Earl Spencer apologises to Mr Morgan for this error.”
The 90s video games that could fetch you up to £16,000
Some old video games could fetch staggering sums of money, new research by UK Debt Expert has found. It comes as physical copies are set to become ever rarer, with Sony to halt disc production for PlayStation games in 2028.
The top 3 most expensive
- 1 sealed 1st print Sandshrew US version 1998 WATA 9.4 was sold for £16,086.70 on eBay.
- 2, Nintendo Game Boy Original sealed was sold for £5,085.70 on eBay.
- 3Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time, Nintendo 64, graded 9.0A, sealed was sold for £4,586.70 on eBay.
Other games on the list
- Sega Genesis, sealed sold for £4,500.
- Nintendo Gameboy Advance, graded 9.0A+, sealed sold for £3,999.95.
- Nintendo 64, graded 9.2A++, sealed was sold for £3,000.
- , PlayStation 1, graded 8.0 CIB Excellent sold for £3,000.
- Sega Genisis, graded 9.6A+, sealed sold for £2,045.68.
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The expert view
As gaming continues to move towards digital, it’s worth taking a second look at old games and consoles as well as collectibles […] It’s worth getting these valuable items professionally assessed or graded […] to help understand if you’re holding onto something of value.
uk debt expert spokesperson
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
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A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
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It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
- While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
- It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
- There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
- Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
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They put me on the meat counter, but a big dog chased me home, so the other women petitioned to have me moved to pizzas. The pizza, which sat on a plastic plinth, would collapse, so I learned to fold it over to hide how many toppings I’d used. I thought I’d invented the calzone, and then when I first went to Italy at 17, I couldn’t understand how my idea had caught on so quickly. I didn’t have that middle-class upbringing where you take your kids to museums or on educational holidays. Mine was about family, and the food wasn’t very adventurous. I got my education at Asda.
I fell into comedy. I really wanted to be an actor and had done plays since I was a child at Northern Theatre, which was life-changing. It was run by eccentric, lovable, dramatic teachers who genuinely cared about kids from Hull. Sheridan Smith came through there, too.
I’ve still got a chip on my shoulder about not getting into drama school. Other people went on to Lamda and Rada, but it crushed me that I never got in. I was sure my accent was too strong. I remember doing an audition monologue and thinking that when I said “no”, it made them wince.
I still get a lot of misogyny because of my accent. It’s the one thing men attack online if they want to put me down. I get so many comments saying they can’t bear listening to me on telly because they think I’m putting it on, which I find fascinating. I think: “A: why would I choose this accent? And B: how would that help, when most people on television are posh?” I think it’s because you don’t often hear a Hull accent, whereas you hear plenty of people with, say, a Bolton accent, like Peter Kay. No one would accuse him of putting his accent on.
I love speaking with a Hull accent on telly. People in Hull used to be ashamed of how they talked. Hull was always the butt of the joke, and slagging it off was an easy go-to, so we grew up with a chip on our shoulders.
I would never dream of putting my daughter on social media. Some parents put their kids all over it. Before I was in the public eye, I’d post pictures on Facebook of us having a nice day out, because it was just friends and family and a way of documenting her childhood. But now there is this weird environment of using your children to build an Instagram following. I’m scared by the thought of her posting a picture and having her day ruled by how many likes it gets.
Being a parent gives you a reason to stay alive. I once freaked out a woman who didn’t have children by asking: “Why do you want to stay alive, then?” Now, not having kids seems lovely: sleeping really well and not constantly worrying whether you’re doing a good enough job.
‘Lucy Beaumont: Bad at Quiz Shows, Good With Weirdos’ tours from September