A 59 year-old woman who has faced a lifetime of taunts from cruel trolls about hundreds of tumours that cover her face will soon undergo a life-changing operation to transform her looks.

Annetjie de Wit, from Pretoria, South Africa, has long been afraid to go out for fear of what people would say about her face — which is covered in lesions due to a rare genetic skin condition.

Ms De Wit suffers neurofibromatosis, which affects between 1 in 3,000 and 1 in 5,000 people, and causes non-cancerous tumours to grow along the nerves of the skin.

She described a ‘difficult’ childhood, in which children asked if she had leprosy and  called her ‘hideous’.

Annetjie de Wit has been subjected to a lifetime of abuse from bullies who called her ‘ugly’, but has now been offered a chance to treat the symptoms of her genetic condition that causes lesions to grow on her face.

As an adult, she decided to give up work after a colleague threw nasty jibes at her, leading to disabling self-consciousness. 

But now, Ms De Wit’s nightmare is nearly over.

While here is no medication or treatment that can fully cure her chronic condition, aesthetic treatments can improve the appearence of the growths on her skin.  

She has been chosen as a candidate on a TV show that helps patients like her by offering them transformative medical treatments.

Currently, she is undergoing intensive laser therapy with private aesthetician Dr Riekie Smit to burn away the disfiguring lesions. 

Dr Smit said: ‘Annetjie’s treatment involves a laser ablation procedure to burn the lesions, accompanied by radiofrequency with needles to reduce the deep tissue from where they originate.

‘We’re trying to make most of the lesions smaller and those that don’t respond will be surgically removed.’

She recalled being asked if she has leprosy as a child, and why her sister had beautiful skin while she was ‘so hideous.

The 59 year-old is now undergoing laser treatment to have the growths blasted off of her face

By November, some 80 per cent of the tumours will be either destroyed or considerably shrunk, Dr Smit said. 

Speaking of her struggle with the disease, Ms De Wit said: ‘[Growing up], I didn’t really have friends.

‘I so badly wanted someone to tell me I was beautiful or that they liked me, or that there was a boy who wanted to kiss me, like the other girls.

‘But who would want to kiss me? I was on many different medications but nothing helped.

‘My mum spent a fortune on beauty products to hide the lesions but they didn’t really help either.

The treatment is expected to result in an 80 per cent improvement in the appearance of Ms De Wit’s skin.

‘I accepted it and thought there was nothing we could really do about it.

‘I became a recluse because it wasn’t pleasant to go out, not even to the shops.

‘Do you know how it feels when people stare at you? It’s not nice at all.’

Desperate for a solution, she applied to appear on the makeover show, called Dr Nou! earlier this year, after spotting an advert calling for participants.

‘I thought, let me apply and see what happens. I had nothing to lose,’ said Ms De Wit. ‘I didn’t think I’d even make the short list.’

She ‘can’t wait’ to show her new face in public. 

‘I’m actually a social butterfly, a people person,’ she said. ‘I like to chat, even if it doesn’t seem like it.

‘When December comes, I’ll go to the shops myself to do my Christmas shopping! I can’t wait.’

• Barnsley boss Darrell Clarke pulled no punches as he condemned his players 
• Manchester United recorded back-to-win wins with the 7-0 hammering at home
• LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday

By Luke Power

Published: 09:44 BST, 18 September 2024 | Updated: 11:52 BST, 18 September 2024

Barnsley manager Darrell Clarke threatened to ‘slap’ his players on Tuesday night after witnessing them get crushed 7-0 by Manchester United in the Carabao Cup. 

United annihilated the League One outfit at Old Trafford thanks to doubles from Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Christian Eriksen and a penalty from Antony. 

It was a bruising night for Barnsley, who had admirably beaten Wigan and Sheffield United to reach the third round, against an inconsistent United side worth around £500million on the night. 

‘If I ever hear of my players telling me Premier League players are poor I’ll be giving them a slap because we were miles off against a team that can absolutely destroy you when you’re not at it,’ Clarke revealed to Sky Sports after the drubbing.

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‘They’re a quality team but we’re very disappointed in our performance. We haven’t done ourselves justice. That was my fear tonight coming here. 

“We are very disappointed in our performance. We haven’t done ourselves justice” 😤

Barnsley manager Darrell Clarke reacts after losing 7-0 to Manchester United 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/xyuKtDjCHh

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 17, 2024

Barnsley boss Darrell Clarke threatened to ‘slap’ his players after they lost 7-0 to Man United

He does not want to hear his players criticised a Premier League team again after the defeat

Erik ten Hag’s side sealed back-to-back wins after a turbulent start to the 2024-25 campaign 

‘A lot of our players had an off-day. Maybe one player, Mael (de Gevigney), probably comes out of the game with credit, but not for us. 

‘I know it’s a big occasion against a very, very good team, I get that, and they turn it on against Premier League teams, but it’s a huge wake-up call for me, to the players, to understand what it takes to be a player. 

Erik ten Hag’s side peppered the Tykes’ goal with 26 shots and suffocated them so much that their opposition did not manage a single attempt on target. 

The night represented another step in the right direction for Rashford who opened his account for the season with a goal – his first in six months – in the 3-0 win at Southampton on Saturday.

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For Ten Hag, the obliteration calms some of the noise after a turbulent start to the season and he has the brief satisfaction of back-to-back wins.  

Barnsley boss Clarke added: ‘I have had a go at them. I wasn’t happy with the performance.

‘I know we have come to Man Utd, who have world-class players, but I wasn’t happy with how we played. Did the occasion get to some of them? Yes, probably. 

‘The players were miles off the standards of a top Barnsley player tonight never mind a top Premier League player. 

Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho both scored twice as they served fans a feast 

Christian Eriksen (left) also bagged a double while Antony got off the mark for the season 

Barnsley had done well to reach the third round but were off the pace at Old Trafford 

Manager Ten Hag refused to get ahead of himself with a trip to Crystal Palace coming up next 

‘It was a proud night for myself but it’s been ruined by the performance.’

It was little surprise that Ten Hag was pleased but he refused to get ahead of himself with a trip to Crystal Palace, where they lost 4-0 last season, up next.

‘For the team, this is the perfect night,’ he said. ‘I wasn’t devastated after Liverpool and I’m not celebrating now.

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‘It was a brilliant goal,’ said Ten Hag of Rashford’s first. ‘In my first season he had his fight, his good mood. When I see the teeth from Marcus Rashford I am confident that he will score.

‘They are very hungry but they give each other the ball,’ added the United manager. They give assists and when Antony needs some confidence then Rashy gives him the penalty which is good in a team.’ 

Rashford was a constant threat all game and capitalised on Barnsley mistakes in the win

He showed some neat footwork to work himself some space before shooting to score

Ten Hag did as he promised and rotated his squad which meant full debuts for £50.5m signing Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer who played at left-back and left his mark on Barry Cotter.

The combative Ugarte flexed his muscles as well, although there was a scare towards the end of the first half when a mistimed challenge from Luca Connell left the Uruguayan needing treatment on a bruised right foot and bloodied knee.

Lucy Beaumont revealed her career was held back by predatory men on the comedy circuit in unearthed comments.

It was revealed on Tuesday that Lucy’s ex husband, comedian Jon Richardson, had  agreed a mega payout after they split.

Jon handed over £1.625 million to Lucy when they called time on their nine year marriage in April. The pair starred together in the mockumetary-style show Meet the Richardsons for seven years, and amassed a £6 million fortune.

But documents for a company they had run together reveal that in June, two months after their split, Jon, 41, paid Lucy, 40, £1.625 million for her shares in a company they had co run.

In light of Lucy’s departure from their company, her comments about her career trajectory have been unearthed. 

Lucy Beaumont revealed her career was held back by predatory men on the comedy circuit in unearthed comments

Last year, in comments that do not refer to Jon, the comedian explained how she had suffered ‘quite a few incidences’ early on as she set out in the industry.

And confirming the ‘blacklist’ of alleged offenders, she said there were up to 15 men carrying out the appalling behaviour.

Lucy, said when being asked if anything had held her back: ‘Predatory male behaviour.

‘I’ve had quite a few incidences where if you’re in any other workforce you would go to HR, but there isn’t one. I think it’s just everywhere and it’s not talked about enough.

‘It upsets me when I hear about young female comics having the same experiences. I thought for a while it was the same five or six people – and now it’s not – I could name you 10 or 15 because of course people talk.’

The writer and performer spoke in July 2023 about the issue on The Comedian’s Comedian Podcast.

It was revealed on Tuesday that Lucy’s ex husband, comedian Jon Richardson, had agreed a mega payout after they split 

She added: ‘Comedy has the biggest gossips ever so everybody knows – or if you don’t know the ones I know yet then you will do soon.

‘It attracts such interesting, passionate, raw, edgy, wounded people – but it also attracts predatory men who are really messed up and sexually have been repressed for years. And they get a bit of fame and display these behaviours.

‘It just gets covered up. Their agents know and the channels know and nobody seems to be doing anything about it. 

‘There’s been times when I’ve just wanted to go on Twitter and just let people know everyone that we talk about, but not allowed to say.’

According to recently filed accounts Lucy and Jon’s company was worth £4 million last year and the couple are still listed as joint owners of a £1 million detached home with a pool in Yorkshire and a £1 million flat in a swanky part of North London.

The pair, who share one daughter together, tied the knot in April 2015 and announced their split in April this year – just days after the launch of the fifth series of their comedy show Meet The Richardsons.

They started dating in 2013 after they met each other through friend Roisin Conaty and went on to work together on a number of shows including Meet The Richardsons.

Last year the comedian explained how she had suffered ‘quite a few incidences’ early on as she set out in the industry 

Jon and Lucy started dating in 2013 after they met each other through friend Roisin Conaty and went on to work together on a number of shows (pictured in 2017) 

But four months ago in a joint statement the couple said: ‘After 9 years of marriage, we would like to announce that we have separated. We have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go our separate ways. 

Meet The Richardsons saw Lucy nominated for a BAFTA TV award in the female performance in a comedy programme category in 2023.

The show first launched on the channel in 2020 with the couple writing it alongside Peter Kay’s Car Share scribe Tim Reid.

Lucy has had a successful standup career and has featured on a number of panel shows including Would I Lie To You?, Taskmaster The Last Leg and Have I Got News For You. 

In 2021 her comedy Hullraisers, which she co-wrote, was aired on Channel 4 while in that same year she released her first book Drinking Custard: Diary of a Confused Mum. 

For as long as pubs have been pouring beer, the pint has been the universally accepted serving size.

But now, woke scientists from the University of Cambridge want to do away with the humble pint to curb the nation’s boozing.

In the first trial of its kind, researchers convinced 12 pubs to ditch their pint glasses in favour of two-thirds servings for four weeks.

With the biggest serving size now a third smaller, pub-goers drank almost 10 per cent less beer and cider compared to when pints were on the menu.

However, should this recommendation become policy, the study found that bars could face falls in revenue of to 9.6 per cent. 

Scientists want to shrink the size of your pint in order to cut down Britain’s boozing habits after a study found that smaller serving sizes reduce alcohol consumption 

Although Britain’s beer consumption has fallen off in recent years, health experts are still worried that the UK’s drinking habits could be damaging our health.

As the researchers point out in their paper, published in PLOS Medicine, cutting down alcohol consumption reduces the risks of seven common cancers and diseases.

Lead researcher Professor Theresa Marteau, director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit, told MailOnline: ‘Alcohol harms health, increasing the risk of over 200 different diseases and injuries including bowel, breast and liver cancers.

‘In England it is the fifth largest contributor to early death, disease and disability, and the leading risk factor for those aged 15 to 49.’

Since increasing the price of drinks or placing restrictions on beer sales would prove extremely unpopular, concerned scientists are keen to find other ways of slowing drinkers down.

In this study, researchers asked pubs to get rid of the pint serving for beer and cider and replace this with a two-thirds glass.

The idea is that, since people tend to have a set number of drinks rather than a specific volume of beer, making those drinks smaller should encourage people to drink less.

Researchers found that by swapping out the 568ml imperial pint for a smaller 379ml two-third pint serving, pub-goers drank 10 per cent less beer than they otherwise would have. Although, slightly more wine was sold than before 

The study took place over three four-week periods, first selling pints as normal, then switching to smaller servings, and finally returning to business as usual.

And, as the researchers had predicted, the mean volume of beer sold fell noticeably in the four weeks when pints weren’t available.

On average, the 12 venues in the study sold just under five fewer pints (2.77 litres) of beer and cider per day when pint glasses were removed.

While the researchers had anticipated that customers would be extremely hostile to the change, the venues involved reported very few complaints.

The amount of wine sold during the trial period did increase slightly, rising by 7.2 per cent on average, but almost half of this increase was from one venue which also acted as a restaurant.

Professor Marteau and her co-authors write: ‘Removing the offer of pints in 13 licensed premises for 4 weeks reduced the volume of beer sold.

‘This is in keeping with the emerging literature showing that smaller serving sizes help us drink less and presents a novel way of reducing alcohol consumption and improving population health.’

While the researchers argue that this could be an effective way of reducing the health impacts of drinking, they acknowledge that pubs are unlikely to be keen on the idea.

Despite being offered £3,000 to compensate for the losses and all of the smaller glasses needed, less than one per cent of venues contacted about the trial agreed to participate.

During the trial period, the venue’s mean daily revenue fell by five per cent due to the drop in beer sales 

The total drop in weekly revenue varied from just £3.70 to £146.60 depending on the venue. 

And, when the trial was complete, none of the bars involved kept their maximum serving size at two-thirds.

Since pubs are unlikely to adopt this measure voluntarily, the researchers therefore suggest that the regulation would be needed to ban the pint.

Data gathered by the World Health Organization and compiled by Oxford University-backed platform Our World in Data, found that the UK’s beer consumption has been steadily falling since the 1980s. Researchers think further reductions could help ease the health impacts of alcohol consumption 

Professor Marteau says: ‘Removing the one pint serving size would need to be enforced by changes to alcohol licensing regulations which stipulate the sizes in which alcohol is served.’

However, with many pubs struggling to stay open, many may be concerned about any legislation designed to bring down sales.

A spokesperson for the British Beer and Pub Association told MailOnline: ‘Measures to reduce alcohol consumption must be carefully thought through as this study showed a decrease in beer volume was accompanied by a slight increase in the purchase of higher strength alcoholic drinks.’

Ash Corbett Collines, vice-chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), told MailOnline: ‘With less than 1% of venues approached for the study agreed to trial the smaller measure, and none of the 12 pubs who did take part choosing to keep the change, the on-trade’s verdict is clear.

Since people tend to order a set number of drinks, rather than a specific volume, swapping a pint for a two-thirds glass (pictured) means that drinkers consume less alcohol (stock image) 

‘The removal of the British Pint from pubs would not encourage drinkers to embrace the sociable and supervised environment of the pub, which fosters moderate drinking. Instead, it would push people toward drinking at home.’

Likewise, Andy Slee, chief executive of the Society of Independent Brewers, told MailOnline: ‘It should be down to publicans, brewers and beer drinkers to decide the best way to enjoy a local beer.’

However, despite the obvious resistance to the introduction of the policy, the researchers maintain that their findings should be included in consideration for new regulations.

Professor Marteau says: ‘There is a trade-off to be made between improving population health by reducing alcohol consumption through effective alcohol control policies and the health of the alcohol industry.’

By Daily Mail City & Finance Reporter

Updated: 08:42 BST, 18 September 2024

Hitmaker: Universal’s artists include Taylor Swift (pictured) and Elton John

Superfans are expected to help deliver growth at Universal Music.

The world’s biggest record company predicts profits will grow by 10 per cent every year for the next four years, while revenues are set to jump 7per cent.

Universal, whose artists include Taylor Swift and Elton John, delivered the forecasts in a market update yesterday. 

The group pointed to ‘accelerating superfan monetisation’ and continued growth in streaming subscriptions as key factors in its growth outlook.

In 2023, Universal posted profits of £2billion and revenues of £9.4billion. It has been enjoying a boost as a result of Swift’s Eras concert tour.

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The tour alone boosted merchandising revenue by 44 per cent in the second quarter this year.

Yesterday’s projections came as part of the group’s capital markets day, where it unveiled its plans for the year.

The targets contrasted with the group’s last update in July, when Universal’s Amsterdam-listed shares dropped the most since the company’s initial public offering in 2021.

Investors were left spooked after its streaming revenues disappointed investors.

But Universal Music has been pushing ahead with a global cost-cutting program.

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