UK’s third-largest baby born weighing over a stone is already eating porridge and bursting out of size 9-12 month clothing - at FIVE MONTHS OLD
A baby born weighing 14lbs 15oz is now so big he's already eating porridge and bursting out of size 9-12 month clothing - at the age of just FIVE MONTHS.
Alpha Stone Mitchell, now 24 weeks, was crowned Britain's third largest new born when he arrived via c-section on 28th October 2021 at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
The tot is now a hefty 1st 10lbs and squeezing into size 9 to 12 month baby clothing - despite not yet being six months old.
Mum Cherral Mitchell, 31, says her little boy is now so chunky and hungry that she's having to wean him off milk and start him on soft foods.
He loves porridge and rusk biscuits - despite most babies not being ready to eat solids until they are at least six months old.
The mum-of-four, from Thame, Oxfordshire, said: “Alpha was a whopper.
"We knew he was going to be a big boy as my bump was huge, but we didn't realise quite how big he would be until he was here.
"I'd had three babies before and with Alpha it felt like we skipped the new born stage altogether - and went straight to him being three months old.
"He didn't fit into any new born or 0-3 month baby grows - he went straight to 3-6 month and quickly grew out of them.
"Even now he's in 9-12 month clothing, it's a little tight - it won't be long before he's in the next size.
"And I just found he wasn't feeling full enough after drinking his milk so I've had to start weaning him early.
"Now he gobbles up porridge and he loves rusk biscuits too.
"He's a growing boy."
Alpha’s considerable appetite leads him to eat baby porridge first thing in the morning, before drinking 7oz bottles of Aptamil baby milk every three hours and consuming a whole baby rusk in the evening.
Full-time-mum Cherral - who has Rouge-Angel, five, Lyon, three, and Twyla-Bay, one, with husband Tyson, 36, an electrical engineer, - said: “We just started introducing baby porridge because he still seemed hungry in the morning.
“He’s not quite six months yet, but it’s not affecting his digestive system so it’s fine.
“He also sleeps all night from his last bottle at 9 or 10 o’clock until he wakes at five or six, ready for his next one. He's a good baby."
None of Cherral's other children were as big as their little brother when they were born.
Cherral revealed: “None of my children weighed anywhere near 1.5st at Alpha’s age.
“And they only needed to be fed every four hours - he's definitely the greediest.”
“Because Alpha is so long, he’s not far off his one-year-old sister’s height so people actually say to me ‘ah you’ve got twins!’
“He doesn’t even fit in his carry cot anymore because he’s so long, so he sits in a car seat on the buggy instead.”
Twyla-Bay is only 10 months older than her younger brother, but Alpha already weighs just under 11lbs lighter than her.
Twyla-Bay and her two older siblings were delighted to welcome their baby brother when he returned from the hospital at the end of last year.
Cherral said: “His siblings absolutely love Alpha.
“They always want to hold and feed him and even put his dummy in before I even get a chance to, so they’re helping out a lot.”
During her 30-week scan, it became clear that Cherral was expecting a larger-than-usual baby, and at 36 weeks, her baby bump ballooned.
Doctors believed this was due to Cherral’s gestational diabetes diagnosis - a condition which caused Alpha to consume sugary amniotic fluids in the womb.
But despite doctors’ predictions, Cherral and husband Tyson could never have imagined their son would be born weighing over a stone.
Cherral said: “When we first saw him, my first thought was he was not going to fit into any of the clothes I’d brought in the hospital bag.”
“Tyson even had to go home to bring back some 3-6 month clothes for him.
“When he was first born, I suddenly thought ‘oh wow, you are a big baby’ and then started asking the midwives how big he was.”
Weighing 14lb 15oz, Alpha claimed the title of the UK’s third largest new born baby on record, closely following Guy Carr who measured 15lb 8oz at his birth in 1992, and George King who tipped the scales at 15lb 7oz in 2013.
After delivery, midwives started excitedly Googling the measurements of the UK’s heaviest new born.
Cherral recalled: “One of the anaesthetists admitted to me that Alpha’s birth was the first one she hadn’t cried at because she was just so shocked by his size.
"Everyone kept laughing when his head came out. My husband Tyson was like: 'He's a chunky boy'.
“Tyson still calls Alpha his future Strongman, and already says he’ll need to do some more weightlifting training to keep up with his son one day.”
iLOVE YOU - A wife who missed her husband's death by minutes found his final phone notes including how to pay the mortgage - and how much he loved her
A wife who missed her husband's death by minutes found his final phone notes to her including how to pay the mortgage - and how much he loved her.
Katie Coelho, 33, walked into the ICU seven minutes after Jonathan Coelho, 32, was pronounced dead of coronavirus.
She regretted being unable to say goodbye then discovered he had penned an incredibly emotional goodbye in an 170-word phone note.
Beneath instructions on how to pay the mortgage, Jonathan left messages for his wife and children - Braedyn, two, and Penelope, one.
Jonathan wrote it the day before he was placed on a ventilator at a hospital in Danbury, Connecticut.
The note includes reassurance that "if you meet someone, know that if they love you and the kids that I love that for you".
It added: "I love you guys with all my heart and you’ve given me the best life I could have ever asked for.
“I’m so lucky, it makes me so proud to be your husband and the father to Braedyn and Penny.”
The stay-at-home mum from Connecticut, USA, said: “I don’t think if I was in Jonathan’s position, I would have thought to write a note - but that’s just how Jonathan was as a person.
“Trying to understand how he was in that mental state is so hard, but it’s also not surprising because of how much he loved me and loved the kids.
“I turned on his phone to get some pictures and when his phone turned on, his call log was on because he had tried to call me.
“So I cleared that out and right behind it was his notes and at the top of it, it had some personal information - who to contact at his job, passwords and telling me that we had a safe that I didn’t know we had.
“He was the grown-up in the relationship!
“Then I started reading down and the first line said, ‘I love you guys with all my heart,’ and I just screamed.
“I kept reading and it clicked.”
Jonathan’s symptoms included a migraine and a loss of taste and he tested positive for Covid-19 on March 25.
After developing respiratory problems on March 26, he was admitted to hospital and placed on a ventilator on March 31.
One of the last conversations the pair had was when Jonathan first came off the ventilator on April 7 - he told Katie that he might be discharged soon.
On April 22, doctors called Katie at 2:15 am to say that she needed to come say goodbye.
Jonathan's ashes are now part of two grandfather clocks - one set to the time Braedyn was born, and the other to Penelope's birth time.
Katie and Jonathan met at Western Connecticut State University and would go on double dates with their partners at the time.
The pair eloped on Valentine’s Day in 2013 - and got married in sweatshirts in their living room.
They had a larger wedding with family and friends in December 2013.
Katie said: “I never felt so secure in who I was as a person until I became his wife, because he just never made me feel anything less than amazing.
“It sounds so surreal because it’s like a person like that doesn’t exist, but he really did.
“He was my partner - there was nothing else I wanted to do except share my time, my laughter, everything with him.
She added: “Jonathan was just steadfast and I knew he loved me."
Note transcription:
“I love you guys with all my heart and you’ve given me the best life I could have ever asked for.
“I am so lucky it makes me so proud to be your husband and the father to Braedyn and Penny.
“Katie you are the most beautiful, caring, nurturing person I’ve ever met...you are truly one of a kind...make sure you live life with the happiness and that same passion that made me fall in love with you.”
“Seeing you be the best mom to the kids is the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced.
“Let Braedyn know he’s my best bud and I’m proud to be his father and for all the amazing things he’s done and continues to do.
“Let Penelope know she’s a princess and can have whatever she wants in life.
“I’m so lucky…”
“Don’t hold back and if you meet someone, know that if they love you and the kids that I love that for you.
“Always be happy no matter what!”
NEW YORK PROTEST ARREST - A British photographer has become one of the first members of the media to be arrested and charged while working at the American police brutality protests
A British photographer has become one of the first members of the media to be arrested and charged while working at the American police brutality protests.
Adam Gray, 33, a New York based photojournalist for agency SWNS, had been taking photographs at the rallies in city.
He says he was thrown to the ground by police with several officers climbing on top of him in order to restrain him and force him into handcuffs.
Despite showing his press pass that had been issued to him by the US State Department at the UN Plaza, Adam reports he was arrested and put into a police vehicle.
He was charged with unlawful assembly near Union Square and spent twelve hours through the night in custody amongst the protestors.
Adam said: "The whole time that I was being arrested, I was shouting that I was press and showing them my Foreign Press card but they just didn't seem to care.
"I get that in the heat of the moment you might get pushed or grabbed, but as soon as you say that you're press, it normally stops there but not this time.
"I've worked in many other countries doing work like this and never has it gone as far as this, I couldn't believe it."
Adam had been heading down 13st near Union Square on Saturday 30 May after filing Manhattan protest photos by Astor Place.
During his arrest, police claimed that they had made several orders for people to leave the area before Adam had arrived on the street.
Adam said: "I walked down the street taking photos as I went and then the cops rushed the crowd.
"I photographed the pandemonium that ensued of them pushing and grabbing protesters before one big cop came at me and pushed me to the ground with his truncheon to my chest.
"I smashed into the floor with my three cameras as three or four cops then got on top of me, restraining me and putting me in handcuffs as I shouted repeatedly that I was press."
Adam was put into a police van with about 20 other protesters and waited for half an hour inside before being driven down to 1 Police Plaza, Manhattan.
HE claims police were removing masks from the protesters and not returning them as they sat in close proximity to other people in holding.
Adam said: "I was explaining that I was accredited press at every opportunity.
"I got searched, processed, had my photo taken and then put into a large holding cell of 50-70 people at its fullest with zero social distancing.
"Police had removed masks from some protestors for their photo but then refused to give them back and did not offer any extra masks."
Adam was held in custody for eight hours until approximately 9:15AM on Sunday 31 May when he had his fingerprints and photos taken.
He was given a Desk Appearance ticket for a court date on 10 September 2020 for an offence charged of PL 240.10.
This offence means that 'a person is guilty of unlawful assembly when he assembles with four or more other persons for the purpose of engaging or preparing to engage with them in tumultuous and violent conduct likely to cause public alarm, or when, being present at an assembly which either has or develops such purpose, he remains there with intent to advance that purpose.
Adam was then released from the police station and is now back home in New York with a broken filter on his camera and a court date to wait for.
He said: "I was really shocked when they arrested me, I was just in total disbelief.
"We were held in such close proximity to other people in the holding cell and police weren't letting people have their masks.
"Considering there is a worldwide pandemic right now, it felt very irresponsible and dangerous of the police to do that.
"It was shocking to see how blase the police were about the risk of coronavirus and public health.
"Thankfully, I do not have any injuries but I am in disbelief at what happened."
Jon Mills, SWNS Picture Editor, said: ''It is deeply concerning that the NYPD appear to be trying to shut down honest and objective reporting.
''Bringing charges against a working photojournalist just for doing his job is an utter outrage and we will fight this every step of the way.'
CORONA RECOVERY - This is the heartwarming moment a husband and wife left hospital on the same day after RECOVERING from COVID-19
Image by: Simon Galloway
This is the heartwarming moment a husband and wife left hospital on the same day after recovering from COVID-19 as doctors and nurses cheered them on.
Jeff and Cheryl Poole received an emotional send-off from the entire staff with medics lining the hallways cheering and clapping as the couple were discharged.
The pair had spent more than two weeks in the ICU at UnityPoint Health Meriter in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, battling the deadly virus.
Cheryl, 59, was admitted to the ICU on March 18 and became the hospital's first patient to require a ventilator due for COVID-19.
Husband Jeff, 60, was admitted several days later and also needed a ventilator.
Jeff, from Waunakee, Wisconsin, said: "People keep saying this is a fake, it's not a fake.
She almost died. I almost died."
When the couple left the ICU, nurses placed them in neighboring rooms and helped them speak to each other on the phone.
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Simon Galloway
Later they were able to have their meals together before they were discharged last week.
ICU nurse Beth Woodford said: "It was just really wonderful to see them communicate again.
"Of course being the wonderful person he is, Jeff gave Cheryl lots of words of encouragement. They both talked about getting better."
Beth Woodford said that the couples' recovery brought medical staff to tears.
She added: "There were a lot of tears of happiness in the room.
"The fact that they both made it through and they can get home together, it's just fabulous."
The married couple were finally discharged on April 17 after spending almost a month in hospital.
Nurse Dawn Cloutier added: "The send-off we had for them was a bit of a surprise to them and to me too honestly.
"It was just so cool to have people cheering them on as they left."
Jeff promised that once the threat of the virus has subsided, he and Cheryl will return to the hospital to see the staff who saved their lives.
"When everything is lifted, we can come back in here to see everybody."
Video by: Ashley Moran
WALL OF HONOUR - Window cleaner creates giant mural to NHS hero fundraiser Captain Tom Moore on the wall of his business
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
A company boss has paid tribute to Captain Tom Moore by having a giant mural of the NHS fundraising hero spray-painted on the side of his business.
The stunning graffiti artwork adorns the walls of Bradley Scott Windows in Tamworth, Staffs., after being unveiled on Monday (27/4).
Director Andy Farrington, 57, said he wanted to come up with a unique way to honour the 99-year-old war veteran who has captured the hearts of the nation.
The former army officer has raised more than £30 million for the NHS by walking laps of his garden in Marston Moretaine, Beds., ahead of his milestone 100th birthday.
The incredible artwork by Graffiti by Title took six hours to complete and covers the 140 sq ft wall at the side of the showroom with the words "Thank You NHS."
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Andy said: “I was just totally inspired by Captain Tom and the phenomenal amount of money he has raised.
“On his walks, he has just kept going and going and going. I wanted to do something to honour him.
“We have done murals before and we had the blank space so I thought it would be nice to do some artwork of Captain Tom.
“He is an old school gentleman with a never die attitude that helped make Britain great, that's why we have taken to him I think.
"We should learn off him. He is a wonderful man.
“At 99, he gets up and does that. It’s simply amazing. He just puts a smile on peoples places in these difficult times.
“I am struggling like hell with my business, but it is good to give back a bit."
Graffiti by Title only had a few pieces of paper with four pictures of the pensioner for reference and completed the piece in under a day.
Married dad-of three Andy added: “That’s all he had to work with. One picture with his head and shoulders and one with him on his zimmer frame.
“He had one with the NHS logo on it and then another of the soldiers in the background. That was it. It's absolutely amazing what he has been able to do. It looks incredible.
“He started at 10am and finished at about 4pm. He has made it so lifelike. It looks like it could be a print but it's not, it's done by spray paint.”
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Andy says the reaction to the display has been “absolutely crazy” with people flocking far and wide to come and take pictures.
He said: “I felt a bit bad with the number of people coming to see it, what with social distancing in place, but loads of people have come from everywhere to have a look at it.
“We've had cars stopping in the road and people getting out to take pictures. It has just been absolutely crazy how popular it has been.
“I thought it would get some local recognition but nothing like this scale.
“I have had messages from people in Belfast, one from Canada on social media. People have been so taken with the artwork.
"It's mad, I never expected this scale of reaction or how far it has spread."
Captain Tom, who served in World War Two, also recently topped the charts singing a duet of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ with musical theatre star Michael Ball.
He is the oldest person ever to get a UK number-one single and was honoured with a Pride of Britain award last Thursday (23/4).
Video by: Gabriella Petty
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT -This mesmerising footage shows a talented group of skydivers moving in a perfectly synchronised pattern that looks like a SPEEDING TRAIN
Image by: Matt Leonard
This mesmerising footage shows a talented group of skydivers moving in a perfectly synchronised pattern that looks like - a SPEEDING TRAIN.
The footage shows a skills training event known as ‘Flock and flow’ organised by ‘Momentum flight’.
Momentum Flight team members Matt Leonard, Max Manow and Tom Baker were on site at Skydive City, Zephyrhills, Florida, USA, to teach the participants necessary and safe piloting skills.
The footage shows skydivers performing 360 degree rolls in the air and lining themselves up in perfect patterns.
The highlight of the day comes when a perfectly timed ‘train’ of skydivers speeds through the middle of two other lines of their fellow Skydivers.
The footage was captured by Momentum Flight on March 12th and 14th 2020, just days before the national shutdown brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic
Full time momentum instructor Matt Leonard, 29, from Boston, Mass., said: “I’m the youngest of the team and currently a full time instructor.
"I used to be an engineering manager but gave it up to travel the world and teach canopy piloting.
“There was about three months of group preparation for planning the jumps, testing out some new ideas, and then trying them out before the camp.
"Myself and Max Manow have been jumping together for over four years and have hundreds of jumps together doing stunt work, exhibition projects, having fun and try out new things to teach the world.
"Between the three of us we have collectively amassed more than 23,000+ jumps in the sport and bring that knowledge to the camps.
“This footage not only reminds me of a time not in quarantine but more seriously it reminds me of the impact we had on so many students lives in four days.
"The skills they learned, the excitement. This is what I see when I watch the footage.”
Video by: Matt Leonard
A mum has spoken of her "heartbreak" after her 12-week-old baby contracted coronavirus - in what is thought to be one of the UK's youngest cases
Image by: Jade Watson
A single mum has spoken of her "heartbreak" after her 12-week-old baby contracted coronavirus - in what is thought to be one of the UK's youngest cases to date.
Little Winter-Rose Watson was admitted to hospital on Friday morning (3 April) suffering from a severe temperature and struggling to breathe.
According to distraught mum Jade Watson, doctors initially ruled Covid-19 out but tests the next day confirmed the virus, she said.
Brave Winter-Rose was placed on a drip and left to fight for her life, as experts told the mum-of-two there was "nothing else" they could do.
Miraculously, within 48 hours the baby's condition had improved so drastically she was allowed to return home, where she remains in recovery now.
Jade, 27, from Burnley, Lancs., said: "It was the worst experience of my entire life, I was so scared.
"To see my baby struggling like that was so painful, I couldn't believe what was happening.
"I'm so grateful she was able to pull through."
Jade is speaking about her ordeal to warn other parents about being vigilant and staying indoors, following reports babies were not as susceptible to the virus.
Image by: Jade Watson
Jade said: "She's still got the virus and I don't know if I've had it or not, as the only symptom I had was a headache that wouldn't go away, even after taking headache pills.
"My son was with me a couple of days before Winter went into hospital, but now he has to isolate with his dad at his home as we don't know if he could have it too.
"It's been such a difficult time as I've not been able to have anyone come and visit. Even when I was in the hospital I was on my own, it was hard.
"You need support at times like this, but with this whole situation, it must be so difficult for people who are in hospital alone, not having anyone to come and visit them.
"That was the hardest thing - having no-one to support me at the hospital.
"I did receive a lot of nice messages from people online though. That was quite overwhelming, and made me cry but it's what got me through."
Jade said doctors are continuing to check on Winter-Rose's condition every day, and family members drop food and other items outside her house.
She added: "There's been talk of this virus not affecting babies the same way as others, but it does, and it has affected Winter so much. I had never seen her looking so helpless.
"I'd only been out of the house really to go to Lidl and Home Bargains but people need to listen to the advice, and stay indoors."
Dr Chris Gardner, Deputy Medical Director and Consultant Paediatrician at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We do not comment on individual cases but we are pleased to report that no babies or children cared for at the trust have needed oxygen or any respiratory support as a result of Covid-19 in keeping with the fact that this virus generally causes only a mild illness in children.
"We are however ready and able to provide all additional support including stabilisation, ventilation and transfer to intensive care and have good links with specialist children’s centres around the country for any future children who may require this.
"We would also like to reiterate the plea for people to stay at home to protect themselves and others.
"If you do need to go out please observe social distancing guidelines, and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.
"Children do however still get sick with other serious and treatable conditions apart from COVID-19 which often presents as only a mild illness in this age group.
"If your child is unwell and you are concerned, we want to see them.
"Do not delay in connecting with NHS111, your GP or in serious cases the emergency department. This is particularly important for young children and babies such as Winter-Rose."
Image by: Jade Watson
Image by: Jade Watson
The single mum, who also has a six-year-old son, said: “On Thursday she had a really bad temperature, it was about 38.5 degrees.
“So I contacted 111 and they advised me to stay at home.
"But at about 5am on Friday I’d set my alarm to check on her and she’d got really warm, even more than she was before.
"I didn’t even need to touch her, there was heat just coming off her. She was gasping for breath.
“I called for an ambulance but it took around three hours to get here. Her temperature had gone down slightly but it was still 39.1.”
Winter-Rose was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital.
Jade said it was "heartbreaking" to see her little girl in so much pain but it was made worse by the fact she had to go through the ordeal alone, without the comfort of having her family and friends around her.
The single mum claims upon arrival at the hospital with her daughter a senior doctor told her babies did not get Covid-19 and they would not be testing the 12 week old.
She said: “That really upset me, and they could see that.
"A consultant said he still wanted to give her a test though and they put a cannula in her hand and tried to put a catheter in her too, it was heartbreaking.”
It usually takes 24 to 48 hours for a coronavirus test to come back, so while doctors waited for the results, Jade says they carried out other checks and placed Winter-Rose on antibiotics to try to bring her fever down.
She added: "They put needles in her spine to check for meningitis and gave her antibiotics, but they didn't work.
"And on Saturday morning the doctor came and told me she had tested positive for coronavirus.
"It was the worst thing in the world to hear.
"She was on a drip to try to get her fluids back up but there was nothing else they could do to help her fight it."
Over the weekend, Winter-Rose's condition improved and she was allowed to go back to her home in Burnley on Monday morning, where Jade was told to isolate with the 12-week-old for 14 days.
Image by: Jade WatsonVideo by: Jade Watson
Shocking video shows a supermarket line HUNDREDS OF METERS LONG – as people panic buy supplies in the USA
Image by: Video Contributor 50
This shocking video shows a line hundreds of meters long outside a Costco supermarket in Irvine, California on Saturday, March 14, 2020.
“There were hundreds if not thousands of people in line,” said an onlooker, who shot the video at 9.18AM, as he was passing in his car.
“What makes it even more crazy is that Orange County is not a hot spot for coronavirus,” he added.
“Roughly 10 people have only recently been diagnosed with it and zero deaths.”
Video by: Video Contributor 50
A real life BFG who stands at a staggering 7ft 1in struggles to fit in aeroplane seats - but drives around in a TINY smart car
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
A real life BFG who stands at a staggering 7ft 1in struggles to fit in aeroplane seats - but drives around in a TINY smart car.
Towering Lydon Sutcliffe, 32, makes his colleagues laugh each morning when he drives into work - after squeezing his huge frame into his mum’s 60-inch high Smart Fortwo.
The friendly giant says he was mocked tirelessly as a boy for being so tall - after hitting 6ft when he was just ten - but his struggles have pushed him to help others.
No order is too tall for Lydon, who splits his time between his job as a disability support worker, a university counsellor and studying psychotherapy.
He had also appeared as an extra in Hollywood blockbuster, Rogue One and as a body double in Solo: A Star Wars story.
And the lofty bloke gets funny looks when he drives around Blackpool, Lancs., where he lives, as he travels in the tiny £16k 2016-model smart.
His Nissan Navara pickup truck broke down sometime in 2016 which left him with no choice but to drive his mum’s Smart - and he’s loved driving it ever since.
Lydon, from Blackpool, Lancs., said: “I bought the Smart four years ago for my mum because she needed a car.
“At the time I was driving a Nissan Navara pick up truck but it broke down and I thought I’d try to drive the Smart - and I fit. So I said why not?
“Everyone keeps asking me when I'm going to get a bigger car but it’s actually comfortable.
“When I get on planes it’s always a struggle because I have to buy extra seats or sit on Business Class just to fit. My legs always stick out.
“But I’ve got no issues with the smart. It’s like driving a go-kart for me and it’s a convertible so I do enjoy sticking my head out.
“People always do double takes when they see me in it, just because of how goofy it is - but I love it.”
The former Wimbledon groundskeeper became a support worker five years ago but said it’s been his lifelong ambition to help people in need.
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
Image by: Lee Mclean SWNS
Lydon, who claims to be able to hug 20 people at once, said: “I think it’s so important we talk about our issues and I want to help as many people who're struggling as I can.
“As a tall person you suffer a lot of abuse throughout your childhood, you get mocked a lot and get made to feel horrible about yourself and many suffer with depression.
“But I want to spread positivity, and encourage people to talk. That’s my mission - I’m a big guy, with a big message.
“At work they call me the BFG, and that’s what I want to be. A big friendly giant.”
Lydon, who lives with his girlfriend, has lived an interesting life and has his own big name fans - as tennis legends Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal all approached him for pictures at Wimbledon.
He also played the role of “tall Ant” on ITV’s Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and a tall Jimmy Carr on 8 out of 10 cats.
He’s a big fan of Tyson Fury, who similarly battled his own mental health issues before becoming a boxing world champion, and has met him on several occasions.
The part-time stand-up comic said: “I’ve met Tyson Fury - he’s a great guy and I think it’s nice to see him have success after everything he’s been through with his mental health.
“I’m probably the only person who makes him look small, like a little brother.”
Lydon’s parents aren’t particularly tall, with his dad standing at 6ft 3in and his mum 5ft 6in - but his sister Rachel stands at 5ft 10in and his “little” brother Spencer is a short 6ft 6in.
His striking height means his encounters with people centre around his towering presence.
Lydon, who wears a size 15 shoe, said: "I had a woman recently ask me to pick something up for her at the supermarket, and thankfully she helped me get some of the things on the lower shelves I can’t reach.
“A lot of people will also assume I’m a basketball player or ask if I am one, and I always tell them my preferred sport is actually miniature golf.”
He consumes over 8,000 calories a day to satisfy his massive appetite, but says he’s always been skinny.
Lydon, who weighs 22 stone, said: “I was always really skinny but now I eat a lot. I eat thousands of calories every day, people think I’m greedy but I’m just a big lad.
“If I order a Maccies I’ll get a grand BigMac, three double cheeseburgers, three large fries, 20 chicken nuggets, two cokes and a milkshake to treat myself.
"People don't realise how expensive it is to be tall."
Video by: Ashley Moran
This is the hilarious moment a man is forced to shave his own head after his girlfriend convinced him she could cut hair
Image by: Arizona Eastwood
This is the moment a man is forced to shave his head after his girlfriend convinced him she could cut hair - and completely ''ruined'' his do.
Arizona Eastwood, 29, and Max Braham, 28, are stuck together while the country is on 'lockdown' - despite only being an item for several months.
Due to the short-term nature of their relationship the pair are still finding out things about each other - like special skills.
It was on this basis that Arizona managed to persuade Max that she was qualified to give him a much-needed trim - with amusing results.
She captured her builder boyfriend's reaction as he realised that she had tricked him - and he doesn't look too pleased.
Image by: Arizona Eastwood
Image by: Arizona Eastwood
Image by: Arizona Eastwood
Image by: Arizona Eastwood
Image by: Arizona Eastwood
Luckily Max eventually saw the funny side and is now sporting a shaved look around the couple's home in Cheltenham, Glos.
Assistant television director Arizona said: "We are struck in isolation and Max needed a hair cut.
"We've only been together seven months and are still learning new things about each other.
"So I told him I could cut hair, much to his surprise - and he believed me.
"It was only after I'd tried to do a fade to the back and sides of his hair that he realised this was all a lie - and he had no choice but to cut all his hair off.
"I couldn't stop laughing. My stomach actually hurt from it and still does when I watch it.
"He didn't find it funny at first but saw the funny side afterwards."
Video by: Gabriella Petty
