In a captivating final display, Luke Littler’s fairy tale run in the World Darts Championship came to an end in a thrilling contest against Luke Humphries. The 16-year-old sensation, who had captured the hearts of the nation with his remarkable journey, faced a formidable opponent in Humphries, the new world champion.
From the start of the interview, it was evident that Littler’s primary goal was to win at least one game and return after Christmas. However, his incredible journey exceeded all expectations, reaching the final and making it a truly unforgettable experience for the young player.
A Fairy tale World Championship Display
Reflecting on the tournament, Littler expressed his gratitude, stating, “It’s been unbelievable. Like I’ve said, I just wanted to win one game, come back after Christmas, and that was it. That’s the only goals I set. So, this is just a massive, massive bonus.”
Despite the defeat, Littler remained proud of his achievements, emphasising that losing on such a grand stage didn’t make him angry at himself. He acknowledged the incredible support from the public, describing it as “crazy” and expressing appreciation for all the encouragement.
A Missed Opportunity
The pivotal moment in the final came when Littler had one dart double for a 5-2 lead. Reflecting on it, he admitted, “My mind went blank, and I stopped my rhythm, and I didn’t take it.” It was a turning point that shifted the momentum in favour of Humphries.
In response to a question about future confidence, Littler mentioned winning about six televised PDC games and set his sights on winning more in the upcoming years. He acknowledged the valuable experience gained in the tournament and the belief it instilled in him for future competitions.
A New Global Superstar
The interview delved into the impact Littler had on growing the sport, with him expressing hope that he had inspired young people to take up darts. He encouraged them to try the sport, emphasising its appeal once they get into it. Littler’s impact on the global audience has been nothing short of extraordinary, transcending the boundaries of traditional darting enthusiasts. The 16-year-old prodigy has not only captured the attention of ardent darts followers but has also managed to draw in spectators from diverse backgrounds who may have never tuned in to watch the sport before.
On the other side of the spectrum, Luke Humphries, the world champion, praised Littler’s contribution to the sport, stating, “He’s grown it bigger than anybody could ever have imagined.” Humphries highlighted Littler’s fantastic attitude and family support, foreseeing a massive future for the young talent.
‘Relentless’ Luke Littler
Humphries, in a gracious acknowledgement of Luke Littler’s relentless performance in the final, praised the young prodigy’s unwavering determination and skill. Recognising the formidable challenge presented by Littler, Humphries commented on the difficulty he faced in contending with such a skilled opponent, especially in the intensity of a world championship final. Impressed by Littler’s tenacity, Humphries went so far as to suggest that “relentless” could be a fitting nickname for the young player, a testament to his unyielding and persistent style of play.
The Premier League Beckons for the Nuke
As the darting world looks to the future, the possibility of Luke Littler joining the Premier League garners considerable attention. Fans and experts are keenly anticipating his inclusion, fuelled by his stellar performance in the World Championship. Despite the looming pressures associated with this prestigious league, Littler maintains a grounded perspective, expressing his commitment to staying true to himself and carrying forward the impressive form he showcased in recent weeks.
In addressing this pivotal decision, Humphries imparts valuable advice, underscoring the significance of Littler making his own choice amid the challenges of a demanding schedule. Humphries acknowledges the substantial commitment that the Premier League entails but also points out the potential for Littler to relish World Series events, displaying confidence in the young player’s adeptness at navigating the opportunities ahead.
With the darting community eagerly awaiting the announcement of the Premier League line-up, Littler’s potential inclusion injects an exhilarating new element into the already fierce competition among the sport’s elite. Humphries concludes, “It’s up to him and his family to decide. If he decides not to go into the Premier League, he’s got loads of World Series. The PDC would love to put him in. The only advise I would give Luke [Littler] would be to follow his heart, as I don’t think the Premier League would be too overwhelming for him.”
The Future of Darts
In conclusion, the World Championship final between the two Lukes left an indelible mark on the darts world. Luke Littler’s journey may have come to an end for now, but his impact on the sport and the promise of a bright future makes him a player to watch in the years to come. The rivalry between the Lukes is expected to continue, promising more exciting moments for darts enthusiasts worldwide.
A group of celebrities and activists have joined forces for a powerful video for international development charity Tearfund. It shows how working through the local church can bring life-changing benefits to some of the world’s poorest communities.
Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh, Friday Night Dinner star Tamsin Greig, climate activist Vanessa Nakate and Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin are among those speaking out about the difference the church can make to those living in poverty.
Actor Adjoa Andoh said: “As a Lay Reader in the Church Of England, I know how a local church can effectively sit at the heart of a community meeting the need to transform lives. In many communities, Tearfund chooses to set itself within the church’s beating heart where people come together, in order to identify their needs, whether that be to build a school, set up a health clinic or to plant drought resistant crops to cope with climate change.”
Actor Tamsin Greig (pictured above) said: “In times of crisis, churches are often the first responder after an emergency but they are also there for the long term. As a Tearfund Ambassador I have seen the holistic change brought about by working through churches in the countries I have visited, creating self-sufficiency, changing mindsets and building resilience.”
Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate said: “With 2.6 billion members, the global Church is bigger by far than any national population or multinational corporation. It often holds a position of influence and can be the voice that speaks truth to power, advocating for the rights of a community.”
Tearfund’s work through local churches involves training pastors to look outwards and meet the needs of their communities, using locally available resources. Recent research has shown that this process supercharges donations turning every £1 invested, alongside community contributions, into up to £211 of social value. Tearfund works with 25,000 churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries but has a vision to increase that number to 250,000.
Main Photo Credit: Tamsin Greig, photo courtesy of Sally Hope Associates
There’s a very popular hymn which is sung with gusto in churches around the country at Christmas time. Perhaps you have sung it yourself, it begins like this:
*Hark the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn king:
peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Much loved broadcaster and author Pam Rhodes, is the familiar face of BBC Television’s Songs of Praise, presenting programmes from tiny country churches to huge outside broadcasts with interviews ranging from Pope John Paul II to Dolly Parton. Here she unpacks the backstory of this hymn and adds her voice to the festive conversation.
In the book Christmas VoicesPam writes: “You know that old saying, ‘If you want something done well, do it yourself’? Well this carol is proof that real perfection comes with teamwork. When the great Charles Wesley wrote this carol in 1739 the first line was, ‘Hark how all the welkin rings’. He knew ‘welkin’ meant the vaults of heaven but no one else did, so his ministry colleague George Whitefield tactfully changed that first line to ‘Hark! The herald angels sing.’
Then, 40 years later when Tate and Brady brought out their new hymn-book, they decided that this carol would be even better with the addition of the chorus that we all now know and love. And Wesley had stipulated that this carol needed stately sombre music – with exactly the same determination as, a century later Mendelssohn insisted that the melody he wrote to mark the invention of the printing press should never be partnered with sacred words. So, both men would have turned in their graves to know that, 15 years after that, William Cummings, a young English organist, picked up those words and that melody, and created one of the most perfect and best-loved carols of all! Teamwork won through in the end – and I can just imagine God smiling at the blessing it’s given us all.”
Photo credit: Val Fraser
Christmas Voicesis a sweet little advent book published by the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) with reflections by Claire Musters. Its tasteful burgundy red cover is reminiscent of a premium quality Christmas card adorned with golden holly, trumpets and a Christmas star. At 150 pages long, the compact size would fit nicely through the average letter box.
* Words by Charles Wesley (1707-88), adapted by George Whitefield (1714-70); music by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47), adapted by William Hayman Cummings (1831-1915).
Digital Editor’s Note: I’m excited and proud to welcome Rob Allwright as a Guest Writer here at the Sorted Magazine website. Rob brings a wealth of experience and is one of the most respected Christian reviewers in the UK. The energy Rob devotes to supporting and encouraging Christian creatives is staggering. His review show One Man In The Middle is broadcast by Branch FM, Heartsong Live and Hope FM. And I’m just a teensy bit excited that he has joined the wonderful peeps at the Manchester based broadcaster Konnect Radio!
Rob writes: Over the years Matt Maher has released a number of Christmas singles, but this album is his first collection of Christmas songs, this album isn’t just about Christmas itself though, it’s about the build-up, the anticipation and the message of hope that is prevalent through this time. The album itself is made up of a few familiar festive songs, and many more original songs to bring us to a total of 13 tracks in all.
The album starts off with Gabriel’s Message which is a surprisingly traditional track for this collection. It’s not a Christmas carol that I am terribly familiar with, but I have heard it sung by the traditional Anglican choirs. This sets out the beginning of the Christmas story as Gabriel brings God’s message to Mary which is as good a place to start in thinking about advent. Matt keeps a fairly traditional feel to this track with a choral emphasis on the Gloria refrain. Matt follows this up with a version of He Shall Reign Forevermore which Matt wrote with Chris Tomlin, previously featured on Tomlin’s 2015 Adore album. Both of these tracks work well with Maher’s vocals with some great emphasis put behind parts of the verses bringing these to life. These first few tracks are on the serious side of Christmas considering what the Jesus’ birth means for us and for humanity. Born On This Day is the third of these as it considers the meaning of Emmanuel as God with us and how Christmas paves the way for our forgiveness and salvation through Jesus.
Next there is a slight change as we get that song that is so full of Christmas meaning, Jingle Bells. It’s got a bit of a Jazzy feel to this version, it’s not quite Bing Crosby but it’s quite enjoyable none the less. Another well known carol is up next with the gentle track of The First Noel, this version does have an additional chorus which doesn’t really add much to the original, but it works reasonably well. The main focus for this track is the vocal, backed for the most part of the song by just a piano, Matt carries this song well. Then we are into one of the key tracks on this album which is Hope For Everyone and it expresses just that in an upbeat style. Advent is about hope, Jesus’ incarnation offers something new, from the Angel’s declaring the birth, the wise men seeing the sign in the sky and for everyone waiting for the promise of a saviour amongst men. Don’t let the chorus catch you out on this track as the first couple of lines seem to be sung in isolation with no music or other sounds between them making you wonder for a split second if something has paused the playback.
Glory (Let There Be Peace) could almost be sung in church at any point. Other than the references to Emmanuel and the Angel’s song it doesn’t really sound like much of a Christmas song. Of course the next track O Come, O Come Emmanuel is incredibly Christmassy and Maher has done a great job of breaking this out from the Christmas hymn that can at times be quite slow into a very upbeat and joyful song. He has even managed to insert sleigh bells into the recording which works really well. There is just one guest vocal on this album that is credited and that is found in Always Carry You. It’s by none other than Amy Grant who brings a great vocal to this track which blends really well with Maher’s voice. The issue I have with this song is that it doesn’t really make a huge amount of sense to the listener, well not to this listener anyway. Perhaps its about Mary carrying Jesus and holding these things in her heart, but I am not totally convinced! Love Came Down To Bethlehem is another co-write, this time with Jon Guerra. This track sounds like a traditional Christmas Carol and certainly seems to borrow some phrases from other places making this seem more familiar than it actually is.
Moving the style more towards a folk sound it seems that Matt has taken a page out of Rend Collective’s book for the very upbeat Hark The Herald Angels Sing which features an Irish whistle and flute along with the acoustic guitars. It is at this point that it seems Matt has allowed himself to let his hair down a little and Little Merry Christmas is much more a tongue-in-cheek look at the trappings that go with Christmas. Trees, twinkly lights and hopefully silent nights if the kids go to sleep, of course the theme is that being with the one that you love at Christmas is the best thing that can happen. The last song also fits with a different aspect of Christmas, reminding us to spend it well and remember those that are no longer here to celebrate it with us. There are memories to be made and a hope to remember as Matt wishes us a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Matt has done well to incorporate many aspects of the season of advent into this album. He’s definitely kept the message of the hope that Jesus Christ is for the world through many of these tracks but also the joy of the time of year. There are some songs that don’t work as well as others, but it seems that Matt has had a lot of fun to re-imagine some of the traditional and well known songs. I love the way that he brings a swing flavour to Jingle Bells and although it’s been done before it still sounds great. I really liked the version of Hark the Herald Angels Sing as well. Of the original tracks there are a number that work well, but a couple that just didn’t quite work for me. It’s my first Christmas album for the year so I have enjoyed this selection, but there are definitely tracks that wouldn’t make it onto my Christmas playlist!
The Long Shadow drama series tells the story of the five-year manhunt for the serial-killer who was known as the Yorkshire Ripper. It boasts a familiar line up of high-calibre talent. Toby Jones, Lee Ingleby, David Morrissey, Katherine Kelly, Daniel Mays, Jasmine Lee-Jones and Jill Halfpenny all deliver quite remarkable performances. There are seven one hour episodes in total, each one more compelling and gripping than the last.
While The Long Shadow has generated a bit of grumbling among some of us northern-based media peeps, there has also been much praise for it. Writing and producing a drama, which is based on an unprecedented true story of this magnitude, is such a sensitive exercise that some here in the north may have viewed the idea as a “poisoned chalice”. Leeds and Manchester are cities with thriving media industries and yet The Long Shadow was primarily powered by the south. Were questions raised about whether the north was just too close to the subject and unable to deliver a fresh perspective?
The Long Shadow is a drama which is based on a true story; actual crimes which actually happened; and the worst kind at that. The creators attempt to help us get our heads around that potential paradox by issuing a fairly direct statement at the start each episode. But, like a home-made no parking sign swallowed up by a ten foot hedge, if you blinked, emotionally or literally, you might just miss it. In fairness, it clearly states that some characters and scenes have been created for the purposes of dramatisation.
But the story of the Yorkshire Ripper is so badly burned into the British psyche, that the dramatisation aspect of it cannot be emphasised strongly enough. Some of us may need reminding that we’re watching a drama, not evidence for use in courtroom proceedings, not a factual documentary or a journalistic account of events. A drama. The creators have fabricated some fictional characters and scenes, they’ve been made up, they’ve said as much, right from the off. The sensible viewer must keep this fabrication in mind. The literalists who roll their eyes and protest that “ah yes, but such-and-such a thing never actually happened” have missed the opening statement and possibly the entire point of television drama.
Photo credit: Sam McGhee via Unsplash
Should true crime stories be dramatised for public consumption?
This is a tough ethical question. Rembrandt’s famous oil painting The Return of the Prodigal Son is one artist’s interpretation of a fictional story, made up by no less than *Jesus himself. Much commentary has been made regarding the authenticity of Rembrandt’s scene. Characters have been included which were not mentioned by Jesus. Rembrandt’s art is not a photograph of reality, it’s his interpretation and representation of a powerful story. In a similar way, it seems reasonable to me, that television dramas might transcend the precise literal truth of events, while taking great care not to sensationalize the facts.
Drama invites the viewer to step outside of time and place. Viewing confirms acceptance of that invitation. By continuing to watch, the viewer passes through a sort of portal where there are risks. We risk expanding our horizons, we risk stepping outside of known narratives, comfort zones, mindsets, prevailing cultures, attitudes and agonies. Like the hundreds of people who line up to witness The Return of the Prodigal Son at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, we risk stepping right into the flawed human representation of a powerful story. To engage with creative works of art is to risk changing and expanding our views about the known and the unknown.
For a story as horrendous as The Long Shadow, is that transcendence of literal reality, much more than creative license? Is it essential to the telling of the story? In a case such as this, if we were to demand the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth would we have to witness the re-enactments of terrible crimes which really happened? Acts so evil, so cruel, that some hearts may not be able to recover from the witnessing of them, and that can’t be right can it?
While watching The Long Shadow I was struck just as much by those parts of the story which were left out, as by those which were left in. I limit my viewing of crime dramas, mainly because of gory murder scenes and compulsory conversations around post mortem examinations. As a visual thinker, these scenes are packed with high-impact, high-res images which can soak up too much precious data capacity. Some scenes in The Long Shadow gave me shudders. The creators cleverly capitalize on the true-story-terror and convey a chilling sense of foreboding without depicting any violence and without the shedding of a single drop of blood on screen. The killer himself is not the centre of the story, he’s not glamorised as with some true crime dramas, in fact he barely makes an appearance, and I’m fine with that.
Photo credit: Al Elmes via Unsplash
Some of the filming of The Long Shadow took place in and around a home belonging to a friend of a friend; a real bricks and mortar house which I have actually visited. This added a strange dimension for me personally, bringing a surreal grounding effect to some episodes. Trendy homes back then were about a million miles away from the open plan, grey-beige minimalism of today. The bizarre fashions, the contrived hairstyles, the Deidre spectacles, the wacky wallpaper, they all shout of an uneasy time of turmoil and uprising. The Long Shadow highlights the shocking practices of an era where societal attitudes towards women were even more outrageous than the zany trends of the day. Blatant misogyny abounded. The intensity of these prevailing attitudes are sensitively conveyed by David Morrissey as DCS George Oldfield, the police officer who led the manhunt, a determined but thoroughly misguided individual.
The women in this story weren’t heard, believed or valued. It’s the kind of relatable, conflicted viewing that can make you nod in recognition at the telly, whilst wanting to throw an ugly vase at the screen in protest. Somehow we are spared the most obvious details, at the same time as being smacked square between the eyes with the relentless horror of those five years. I am grateful for the careful omissions, at the same time as being desperately, desperately sad for all those who died, lived, and continue to live with the impact of those crimes.
The Long Shadow highlights a disturbing time in history, a shameful period where many women were badly let down. Many consider it to be a critical turning point regarding women’s rights and women’s voices. My prayers have to be with all those women associated with this story, their families and all the people who love them. The Long Shadow is a modern day work of creative art, as powerful and compelling as any Rembrandt, and as such I hope that the sensitive delivery of it might bring some measure of peace to those who need it most. All in all, it’s very clever telly, and this northerner must doff her metaphorical flat cap and give the creators credit, where credit is indeed due.
The Long Shadow is available on ITV1 and ITVX from 25th September 2023.
*The story of the Prodigal Son is recorded in Luke 15:11-32.
Main Photo Credit: Courtesy of Daniel Mays via Twitter/X
At just 24, Canadian singer Shawn Mendes has racked up some serious musical achievements – and a heap of awards. But he’s found his real peace in God, as Violet Wilder discovered.
Success is a peculiar thing, mainly because of the different ways it seems to affect people; either raising them up or bending and eventually breaking them. For some, like Shawn Mendes, it came with such ease, so early in the game, and so forcefully, he was almost left shivering in its wake, unsure of where to go next.
“To think I was only 15 when this whole crazy story kicked off is something that, looking back, I almost find quite terrifying,” he begins. “At the time you are swept along with the momentum, and it feels exciting and the biggest thrill you could ever imagine… and of course it is.
“However, receiving that sort of adulation at such a young age is probably unnatural… it’s not real life. And in the seven years straight I had on the road – a lot of big songs, big gigs, big experience – I think gradually I brought about a feeling of sanity to my life, but it really did take that long; and there were many things I had to lean on along the way to get to where I am now.”
Of course, Shawn Mendes won’t have been the first pop star to believe his own hype, albeit it manifested itself in a way the Canadian star didn’t expect. “I think the stress of going along with a certain version of yourself is actually the thing that terrifies you most,” he reveals. “I have always said it’s something of a monster, and I could feel it eating me from the inside, gnawing away at my self-confidence.
“The pressure gave me a fragility I had never felt before, to the point where criticism I might have brushed off a year or 18 months earlier, I was taking to heart, and it was destroying me.”
Considering that the 24-year-old has already spent nearly a decade of his life in the limelight, it is understandable that his celebrity status feels intricately bound to his personality. Mendes felt the first thrills of recognition way back in 2012 when, after teaching himself to play guitar using YouTube tutorials, he garnered half a billion views singing pop covers on now-defunct social media app Vine. He was one of the first in a new generation of stars whose DIY approach and self-starting ambitions give the notion that fame is one touch of a screen away. Inevitably, those six-second snippets of songs drew the attention of a management company, which led to a life-changing contract with Island Records.
A debut album, Handwritten, went to number one in his native Canada, and topped the billboard charts in America (as did his two follow-up records). His first single Stitches has over a billion views on YouTube and his song Treat You Better has double that number. Mendes has supported Taylor Swift on tour and had a high-profile relationship with Cuban-born sweetheart Camila Cabello. And these are just some of the extraordinary feats for one so young. Yet even the indefatigable Mendes wasn’t safe from the spectre of self-doubt.
“Things really came to a head a couple of months before lockdown,” admits Mendes, who looks fit, wholesome and has shifted his image away from those initial years of boyishness. “Around January I almost had something of a creative shut-out, where my body would just not allow me to sing.
“This was all brought about by severe anxiety, and that came from a place of feeling desperately out of sorts with how I was going to get my next album together. I think most people are used to fear that consumes you in the moment, but mine was a daily thing. I was totally stuck.”
From Judy Garland to Britney Spears, history has a hefty roster of young stars who became victims of the fame monster, but unusually it was Mendes and his management team who were labelled as exploitative, unethical and irresponsible by various child advocacy groups. It came after a highly dubious marketing stunt whereby fans, desperate to meet their idol, were encouraged to ‘buy all album copies’ of Handwritten, some of which hid golden access ‘meet and greet’ passes. “It was one of those where the idea was better than the execution – it happens.”
Despite this controversy, the singer has always had an untarnished air of affability. Charming, authentic, polite and always ready with that starry white grin for a selfie with a starstruck fan, he was, and still is, the perfect pop star.
Photo by Sara Jaye Weiss/Shutterstock (9705097u) Shawn Mendes iheart Radio Wango Tango Backstage Portrait Studio, Los Angeles, USA – 02 Jun 2018
Unavoidably, it is that quest for perfection that becomes the chink in one’s armour. For while he is adored by many, there are still the usual naysayers who say his music is formulaic, that he lacks personality and even those who are convinced his two-year relationship with Cabello was merely a publicity stunt.
“I’ve come to terms with the ‘formulaic’ tag,” he says. “The fact is, you cannot make music that pleases everyone – it’s just impossible.
“I think at its worst, I came close to quitting the whole thing. I lost sight of the fact I had an ability to control my place in the industry; it didn’t have to be the industry was controlling me. That was never the deal when I was 12 or 13 in my bedroom making music. It was just a love for what I was doing, and I needed to win back a bit of that mentality.”
A big part of that recovery ultimately came when Mendes turned to a higher power for healing. He admits to reading over 50 self-help books in a bid to fix his mental health. He also exercised hard; yet in the end, it was meditation and spiritual energy which really made the difference.
“I think when you tap into real spirituality, it is something that will really transform who you are,” he says. “For me that started with meditation – I just jumped on a YouTube video, cleared my mind, and found a new way through.”
Mendes went on to use an app product conceived by instructor Jeff Warren. “It was a 30-day thing, but it took me from a place of anxiety into a new sphere. It taught me compassion, temperance, and indirectly reconnected me with the power of faith.”
In 2021, along with Cabello, Mendes launched his own series for the mindfulness and meditation app Calm, titled ‘Breathe Into It’. It consists of 24 sessions which explore experiences in overcoming anxiety and building a sense of self-acceptance and gratitude. He also announced a partnership that will provide thousands of free Calm memberships to youth activists and leaders through the Movement Voter Fund and the Shawn Mendes Foundation. For Mendes, it’s an opportunity not just to destigmatise the conversation around mental health, but also to give back.
“I wanted to get as far away from the idea of this being a commercial activity as possible, because it’s totally not. We have offered free memberships because, in my mind, everything connected to health and positivity and wellbeing should be free. It’s so important these days; maybe more important than ever.”
Mendes’ soul-searching also took him on another great journey – one which realigned him to God. In fact, it was while listening to Maverick City, a contemporary worship music collective who originate from Atlanta, Georgia, that he experienced an electrifying epiphany. The 100-strong gospel group were singing about Jesus, and Mendes found himself moved to tears.
“I’ve always known that music is a real connector to our emotions, but when it came to religion it never really got me to that place. I would say that gospel was the genre that went closest, but when you are in a room with a gospel choir, when the power and the passion of faith is reverberating around you – well, it’s an incredible experience. It has opened up a lot for more.”
In recent months, Mendes and fellow Canadian star Justin Bieber have been spotted leaving services at the Beverly Hills chapter of Churchome – the Seattle-based church led by Pastor Judah Smith which is endorsed by numerous celebrities and even has its own app. Besides sharing a home country and a wealth of talent, both Bieber and Mendes have been admirably candid about their personal struggles with fame and its repercussions on their mental health, including postponing tours in a bid to ‘ground’ themselves. In 2020 the pair even released the duet Monster which deals with the trappings of fame and perils of worshipping false idols.
Bieber has long worn his love for Jesus on his sleeve. Not only has he performed with Maverick City at a worship service – you can find his stirring rendition of the song Jireh (a duet with the group’s co-founder Chandler Moore) on YouTube – but the title of his hit 2015 album, Purpose, literally refers to his relationship with God.
For Mendes the transition appears to be a little more on the subtle side. One obvious shift is how his much his fourth studio album, Wonder, differs from his previous work. On the title song, soaring choirs and earnest soul-searching, that crescendo in the chorus where he asks: “I wonder what it’s like to be loved by you?” have replaced the palpable anxiety and despair of his 2018 masterpiece In My Blood.
Mendes is the first to recognise that his ultimate downfall was his own avarice and appetite for success. While always clean-living, his drive for success had become an addiction that, he believes, turned him away from his true self.
“I think most of us use faith and God as a way of wanting things to happen,” he says. “Praying, hoping, committing ourselves is often a way of yearning for something more in our lives, and I certainly did that for many, many years.
“I guess what I have ultimately learned is that sometimes the whole point of believing is that when you reach out it is just for consolidation, or for normality. That is ultimately so much more valuable – to be able to go back to your equilibrium.
“Everything else in life is really what you bring yourself – and if you don’t then maybe that doesn’t matter anyway; but at least be content in yourself.”
Subsequently, in his bid to find clarity and truth, Mendes has fully gone back to the basics. Reconnecting with old friends and family – his parents live in Ontario, Canada but his mother is originally from Somerset and his father is Portuguese – he now finds peace and beauty in the world around him, rather than YouTube hits and bank balances. He has also invested time into other realms of spirituality, discussing scriptures with author Jay Shetty.
“For me it is true enlightenment. I cannot be a global face without taking in those influences from around the planet – I’m just glad I’ve got to this point right now.”
Photo by Sara Jaye Weiss/Shutterstock (9705097w) Shawn Mendes iheart Radio Wango Tango Backstage Portrait Studio, Los Angeles, USA – 02 Jun 2018
Currently Mendes is in between albums, having cancelled the majority of his Wonder tour dates in order to prioritise his health and take forward even further the epiphanous lessons from 2022.
Perhaps, as well, in the time away from relentless touring, he may afford himself a deeper foray into cinema. In the recently-released film of Bernard Waber’s beloved 1965 children’s book Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, Mendes voices the eponymous singing reptile who must eventually choose between a glamorous life of showbusiness and a homely one in Manhattan with the Primm family.
In the end, Mendes is, himself, much like the doleful, gentle crocodile, though it has taken him a little while longer to realise that it is faith, family and friendship, not fame, that bring you the greatest joy.
Tai Woffinden is a speed king. In 2013 he won the Speedway Grand Prix series to become World Champion. He’s since won it twice more. But you’re more likely to notice the ear-stretchers, and the tattoos that cover 75% of his body.
The philosophy of identity has been the subject of unceasing debate since the origin of humankind. If you are so minded, you can read the classical scholarly accounts, including the marathon poem ‘The Odyssey’, understood to have been penned by Homer around the eighth century BC, which, amongst other things, connects with the notion of self. Since I was a kid, and old enough to have deep and meaningful conversations with myself, the enigma of personality has been captivating. However, since adolescence one identifying feature has remained fairly consistent – the way I look.
Our thin yet resilient skin – the largest human organ – and especially the wrapping around the contours of our faces, provides a pictorial element of our identity. How much of our true self is represented by our outward appearance is open to conjecture, but what if you decide to significantly change this shop window to the world? Does your overall identity change? Do people treat you differently? Do you migrate to a different you?
The more I wrestled with these uncertainties two themes became dominant. First, my own decision to change the way I look. Having made this landmark choice, my confidence grew to another level, and I was cool with myself. Perhaps for the first time in my entire life my reflection was pleasing to me and – in my opinion at least – stepping away from the norm for a guy of my age. I like the new me! The second issue is perhaps more abstract but nonetheless connected to a purposeful decision to change how the world saw individuality.
The link? Tai Woffinden – the three times individual speedway world champion. The 32-year-old athlete born in the UK, but having grown up in Perth, Western Australia after emigrating with his family, is the undisputed painted man of this adrenalized motor sport – where 500cc motorcycles accelerate faster than a Formula 1 car, with the added risk of having no brakes. His decision to illustrate his body and parts of his face is a line of enquiry I needed to follow in my quest to better understand the human construct of identity.
Madonna once said, “I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.” How closely does this resonate with you?
“It not only resonates with me, but with every person. Although there are millions of people all over the world, we are each unique in our own special ways. I can see where Madonna is coming from, and I agree with her.”
Tai was right – identity is never ordinary and should never be ordained by others. Madonna’s take added a vital new dimension to self. When looking at my reflection in the mirror I was actually admiring a piece of art – and the rest of the world can marvel at it for free!
When did your body art start and what was the trigger?
“I just wanted tattoos when I was young. Mum and dad weren’t that happy; dad only had a standard one on his forearm. When I was fifteen and racing my dad challenged me to beat a couple of older guys, not expecting me to do so. I beat them both – so a deal’s a deal and I got a tattoo!”
American writer, Jack London, proclaimed, “Show me a man with a tattoo and I’ll show you a man with an interesting past.” What’s your story?
“I grew up in Western Australia and rode motorbikes. I came out to Europe to become a professional, but I was kind of playing at it for the first few years – coming home and going out on big benders with all my mates and letting my hair down for three months every summer back in Australia. This was good fun and I absolutely loved it!” Tai then paused as he reflected upon the moment it all changed. “My dad passed away in 2010. That was like a switch – from a teenager to becoming a man overnight. I got my head down and focused on my career.”
Tai’s effervescence quickly returned as he casually added that he then won a few world titles. This, an understatement of epic proportions when his individual and team titles across many countries are tallied up.
“There is not really much left for me to do other than win more world championships.” A driving ambition that won’t please his rivals.
The people I know who have tattoos have mostly chosen to be discreet; most can be covered with clothing. You have prominent ones on your face and hands too. Why did you make this choice?
“I just wanted to be different. I saw a great quote once that went something like this: ‘What are you going to do with all those tattoos when you are older?’ and I think the response was something along the lines of, ‘What are you going to do when you get older – look like everyone else?’ I thought that this was quite insightful when I read it.
“I had my sleeves done and my mum said, ‘please don’t get your hands done.’ I said I wouldn’t, and she replied, ‘you had better not!’ If she hadn’t said that last bit, I probably wouldn’t have got them done.”
Over the years mum has become far more accepting; nonetheless, his face is still wholly out of bounds. “It just progressed then to my neck as I had run out of space on my chest, and then a little bit on the side of my face.”
Although Tai has considered more on his head, he heeds the wishes of partner Faye. “If she gave me the green light, I’d have more on my face, but I will respect her decision since she has to look at me every day.”
How have others reacted to your look?
“It depends on which country you are talking about. US, Australia, UK, and Western Europe – not really a problem. Further east – for example Poland, Russia, and Ukraine – older people do tend to stare and look down at me.”
How do you feel about your look?
“It’s just me now. I’ve seen photographs of me when I was younger without tattoos and I think ‘oh my God, I look so weird!’ I love my look. I’m very happy with it.
“Like a lot of people with tattoos, if I could, I would start again. I’ve got some really amazing ideas – the most insane body art! But I’ve kind of done it from 15, then added and added. Sometimes the guy will come to my house and tattoo me, and I’ll flick through the pictures and think, that looks sick – where can we put it? Then boom, it’s done! Some have meanings, but some are just filling in the gaps.”
Identity, image, and profession are intrinsically intertwined. You risk your life for the entertainment of others – how important is danger in your life?
“Danger is really important in my life but not only from the aspect of my job. Danger gives you that adrenalin – and I’m an adrenalin junkie. I ride a motorbike for a living for a start, although I don’t actually get that much of a buzz anymore. It’s something I’ve done over and over and over again for so many years and that buzz does die off a bit. I’m searching in other places.
“I raced a sprint car in Australia. It’s an absolute weapon of a thing. Once I had done a backflip on a BMX, I did it on a motocross bike. I’m trying to organise a double backflip too.”
Tai then reeled off details of his other daredevil pursuit – skydiving – acknowledging that once he had finished jumping out of aeroplanes, he would start jumping off cliffs. “The more danger, the more adrenalin, the more buzz, and the more excitement. I’m forever chasing that vibe. Where do you stop?”
No brakes and no gears, surely you have to be crazy to ride speedway?
“No! You could say that about many other sports. For many people looking in on what I do on my YouTube channel, they may think that it is crazy, but riding a speedway bike to me is like you walking down the road. When you walk down a path, 99.9% of the time you do so without tripping up. That’s the same for me on a speedway bike because I’ve done it for so long. I began when I was 12 and started riding speedway in 2002. It’s become second nature.”
We share the same significant loss – that of our dads. My dad was my hero, and he first took me to speedway where I saw your dad, Rob, ride. Would you please tell me about the influence your dad had on your life?
“My dad was more my best mate than my dad. Obviously, there were times when he had to be the father figure and discipline me for being a little out of control; but the majority of the time he was my best mate. We travelled together around Europe in the early years, taking in different countries – Sweden, Poland, Denmark, Croatia, Slovenia, Germany – virtually everywhere.
“Then his life was cut short, and he didn’t get to see me achieve the greater things that I have accomplished in my career. But I’m sure he’s watching down from above.”
In his compelling autobiography – Raw Speed – Tai wrote this powerfully poignant tribute: “For Dad, my best friend, my teacher, my travelling companion, my father. Everything I have achieved came from what he taught me about life and how to live it.”
You display a powerful sense of self. What is your message to those who have yet to discover themselves?
“My message to anyone is live every day, don’t waste any opportunities and take a moment out of your hectic day just to sit there and appreciate what you do have, and not what you want.”
Meeting Tai in person for the first time at the 2022 FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain was an opportunity I didn’t intend to waste, and the premium risk-taker took my understanding of identity to a new level. Often what lies beneath is obscured by what someone looks like, and our own latent prejudices. But Tai the sage stands proud in an often-confusing landscape of self-doubt, and his personal insights perfectly compliment the words of writer Theodor Seuss Geisel who, under his pen name of Dr Seuss, concluded, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
Amid the clamour of consumerism, David Essex singing It’s Only a Winter’s Tale stopped me in the middle of the supermarket. I have no idea why. I don’t know the rest of the lyrics, only the title. It’s not one of my all time favourites, but perhaps the music evoked memories of childhood Christmases from the deepest recesses of my mind. Salvation Army bands have a similar effect on me at this time of year. Is it pure nostalgia?
It seems to me that the origins of Christmas are sometimes obscured by tinsel and trappings. Consumerism promotes a celebration of a different kind. It asks us to impress our family with expensive catering, gaze in wonder at the latest gadgets and have our best Christmas ever.
Is the Christmas story “only a winter’s tale”? It goes something like this: The King of Heaven broke into our earthly existence in Roman occupied Palestine. He arrived as a baby, to a trusting Mum and Dad. Shepherds out in the fields, familiar with the night sky, were alerted to a bright, moving star. They followed it to a stable in Bethlehem. They knelt before a new born baby. Wise men saw that same star and followed it from a far away country. The gifts they brought held clues to the baby’s royalty (Gold), his priestly calling (Frankincense) and his ultimate sacrifice (Myrrh). I doubt they came to worship in confident faith. It’s more likely they came with unspoken questions.
So as I hear the sound of David Essex singing his familiar Christmas anthem, I pray that, despite the increasing secularisation of Christmas, we might not lose sight of the reason for the season, and approach the Christmas story with honest questions, because for me it’s so much more than a winter’s tale.
Last Saturday on The Big Lunch radio show I chatted with my mate, John Lawson, a former violent criminal, bouncer and body guard. John’s worked with some famous household names such as the Rolling Stones and Neil Diamond and in this interview he opened up to me and gave an incredibly honest account of what some of those experiences were really like for him. He’s also been a significant player in the criminal underworld and I was privileged to hear first hand about John’s mindset during that dark season of his life. John went into great detail about some of the staggering exploits and risks he took. Here are a few highlights from the show:
On emigrating from Scotland to South Africa:
John Lawson (JL): “I was born in Glasgow, we emigrated (to South Africa) when I was three, that was a huge contrast!”
On being abandoned by his father as a child:
JL: “Unfortunately I was a bit of a wild child really … came to the UK … raised on one of the toughest housing estates in Europe, just developed a violent mentality. By the time I left school I got involved with my uncles who were running most of the sex industry in Soho.”
On leaving prison and working as a bouncer:
“I enjoyed the violent aspect of it … we were a tight team … for a bit of pocket money we would find drug dealers and rob them the night before they bought their drugs. Believing we were good guys we would flush all their drugs down the toilet, believing we were doing society a favour, but really it was nothing but pure violence.”
On the police catching up with him:
“The police caught up with me … they had my voice recording, they had CCTV footage, I got done for four years for attempted extortion … I was a foolish idiot … but that prison was the best place that I could ever be cos that’s where my life completely changed.”
I asked John how it was for him to walk into prison on the first day and what his experience was like during all those years inside. I was aware that John came to faith in prison and was interested to know exactly how that came about. What followed was one of the most dramatic, inspirational and emotional stories I have ever heard. Listen to the full interview here. Read John’s autobiography in novel form here, his ministry work is here and there’s a song inspired by a poem he wrote for his wife here.
The Cheeky Pandas has released a pack of free resources, including a special Christmas episode, The Best Present Ever. Featuring CBeebies’ star, Gemma Hunt, there’s a special message for kids; Christmas is really about a person called Jesus, who is the best present of all.
In The Best Present Ever Christmas preparations are falling apart for the Cheeky Pandas. Milo is sad at the lack of snow, Rory and Benji are fighting over which Christmas lights to use, and CJ’s cooking is less than perfect (pies in the kettle and turkey in the toaster!). Lulu just wants everyone to be happy. Every panda has a different idea about how Christmas should be. When the pandas get a special gift from the Pandaroo Delivery Service, will it remind them who Christmas is really about?
The Christmas episode and song are both available on YouTube and The Cheeky Pandas website. The downloadable activity pack contains questions, prayer points, craft activity and a super-easy recipe (no ovens or mixers required). A free assembly plan will also be available for use in schools and a new Cheeky Pandas book The Best Present Ever accompanies the Christmas episode.
CBeebies star Gemma Hunt said:“It’s an absolute joy to be a part of The Cheeky Pandas family. The fun, free Christmas resources that they are providing for children this year to remind them of the life-changing message of Jesus, the greatest gift this world has ever seen, is great! In the aftermath of the pandemic, as we face a cost-of-living crisis and a world that often feels in turmoil, children and families are more in need than ever of hope that can’t be taken away from them. Through this year’s Cheeky Pandas Christmas episode, song and bumper pack of crafts, recipes and activities, they have a timely reminder that Christmas is about Jesus, the light in the darkness.”
Access The Cheeky Pandas Christmas episode and song here
