‘Thank you for everything’ – what Francis Tshibangu said after selling his story with Talk to the Press

Francis and Arlette's miracle baby appeared on the front page of the Sunday Mirror

When new dad Francis contacted us regarding his remarkable little boy we knew there would be a huge amount of interest from the newspapers in his story.

When Daniel was born two months ago he stunned doctors, nurses and his family alike because while his parents are black, he was born with white skin, blonde hair and big blue eyes. 

Francis and Arlette’s incredible story appeared on the front page of the Sunday Mirror.

Afterwards, Francis said: ‘It has been a great experience working with the Talk to the Press team and the one which we are going to remember for the rest of our life. I must admit it wasn’t easy to cope with phone calls from differents newspapers and television showing interest, but thanks to Kira, she handled it all very well. I appreciated all the effort and time you took in ensuring our story got published. Once more I would like to thank you for everything.’

If you have a story to sell, or would like help handling press interest in your life, email us on message@talktothepress.com or visit our website.

Did you see Natasha on LK Today this morning?

Natasha on the Lorraine Kelly show

If you were watching ITV this morning, you may have seen Talk to the Press founder Natasha on LK Today reviewing the newspapers alongside broadcaster Adil Ray and presenter Lorraine Kelly.

Stories discussed were superinjunctions, the ash cloud, the rise in caesarean sections and whether or not men who frequent art galleries and museums are genuinely more attractive than their more rugged counterparts.

Natasha with Lorraine Kelly and Adil Ray

Natasha will be on LK Today reviewing  again next month. We’ll keep you posted with the dates.

 

‘My husband saved my life’ – read our incredible love story in this week’s Woman’s Own magazine

Shona and Andy's incredible love story is in this week's Woman's Own

At Talk to the Press we love stories with a happy ending – and we know you do too!  Nothing could be more inspirational than Shona Clark’s story about how falling in love saved her life.

Shona, 36, is convinced she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her husband Andy, 37, after he persuaded her to have a smear test which detected her cervical cancer before it was too late, and this week her amazing story appears in Woman’s Own.

Shona met Andy in January last year on the dating site eHarmony and after a whirlwind romance he asked her to marry him in May that year. But he also asked her to do something else – see a doctor.

For several years Shona had been experiencing bleeding between her periods but had been fobbed off by no less than seven doctors, who said there was nothing wrong with her and it was simply a side effect of the contraceptive pill. It was only because of Andy’s nagging that Shona eventually sought a second opinion. Shona was devastated when she was told the cancer was in its early stages but had already spread to her lymph nodes.

Shona had to delay her wedding while she had a radical hysterectomy and underwent gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but finally she was able to walk down the aisle with Andy in October last year.

Shona is all too aware that, if it wasn’t for her concerned husband, she might never have seen that day come. She says: “As I said my vows I couldn’t help thinking that it was all thanks to Andy that I’m alive now. Andy means so much to me and I’m convinced that falling in love with him saved my life.’

If you have amazing love story to share about overcoming the odds, get in touch with us at message@talktothepress.com.

Meet the woman aged 20, who has spent £20k on cosmetic surgery

Kirsty’s story appeared in The Sun on Monday

Model Kirsty Yaqub is just 20 years old – but she’s already blown an incredible £20,000 on cosmetic surgery and admits to being a beauty addict.

When we heard how much Kirsty had spent in her pursuit of perfection we knew a newspaper would love to feature her amazing story – and yesterday Kirsty appeared in a double page spread in The Sun.

Kirsty has been modelling since she was just 13, when she was spotted in her local shopping mall by a photographer. Kirsty started off by having a boob job when she was just 18 – taking her up from a modest 30B to a 30G – and followed this with teeth veneers costing £3,000. She has also had her lips done 11 times, at a cost of £300 a time, and even admits to having had Botox – despite not having a single line or wrinkle on her face. Add to this the regular hair extensions, nails and eyebrow tattoos and Kirsty estimates she has spent at least £20,000 on her looks over the last two years. Kirsty says: ‘People are amazed when they hear I’m only 20 and have already spent thousands of pounds on surgery, but I don’t regret any of it. I like the fake look – I always have.’

We’re now arranging Kirst a magazine deal. If you have an amazing cosmetic surgery story like Kirsty’s email us at message@talktothepress.com.

TTTP represents former tank driver following his sex change

Louise’s story appeared in the Sunday Mirror

Louise Lamb contacted Talk to the Press in the hope that what she’d been through might help others. Blonde Louise has not always looked as she does now – just a few years ago she still went by her birth name, David, before gender reassignment therapy.

As a teenager David battled with his identity. In a bid to hide his true feelings David threw himself in macho roles – including a stint in the army, but deep down but he always knew he’d been born the wrong sex.

Louise says: “I remember when I was five I told my mum God had made a mistake in making me a boy but she just told me to stop being so silly.” For decades David did as was expected, and in 1988 he met Denise who was to become his wife. David was open with her from the start about his transgender feelings and, in 2008, decided to confess everything to the rest of his family. Only Denise stood by his side and the pair began to live like sisters. And in 2010 David underwent gender reassignment surgery to finally become Louise.

Louise’s story featured as a Sunday Mirror exclusive last weekend and we are now getting him a magazine deal.

TTTP story makes front page of Sunday Mirror

Our story on the front page of the Sunday Mirror

Talk to the Press is thrilled to be representing Francis and Arlette Tshibangu – a couple whose baby was born white, despite them both being black.

When new dad Francis contacted us regarding his remarkable little boy – who is not albino – we knew there would be a huge amount of interest from the newspapers.

When Daniel was born two months ago he stunned doctors, nurses and his family alike with his white skin, blonde hair and big blue eyes. Mum Arlette feared people would question her fidelity but in fact experts have said Daniel’s skin colour is most likely explained by a genetic mutation – with amazing million-to-one odds. Francis says he never doubted his wife, who he’s been with for three years. He said: “I never for one second had negative thoughts, it was just a shock to us both – as you can imagine!”

We secured the couple – who also have a one-year-old son, Seth – an exclusive with the Sunday Mirror just four days after they got in touch. 

Francis added: “We call him our special baby, he is our gift. To us the colour of his skin doesn’t matter. God works in mysterious ways and I’m not sure why he chose us – we are just normal people – but I’m glad he did and we couldn’t be prouder, of both our special boys.”

If you have an incredible story to sell, visit our website or email us on message@talktothepress.com

TTTP secures exclusive deal for BBC presenter’s son’s incredible survival story

Owen's story was sold as an exclusive to the Sunday Mirror

When 20-year-old Owen Horton contacted us with his incredible tale of how he cheated death after his parachute failed during a skydive, we knew a newspaper would love to feature his story.

We secured Owen an exclusive deal with the Sunday Mirror, where he told how he slammed to earth at terrifying speed after his parachute got caught in a thermal draft 70 metres above the ground.

Owen, the son of BBC Coast and Time Team presenter Mark Horton, is an experienced skydiver who has done over 100 solo jumps. Although he suffered extensive injuries – including a crushed thigh, broken bones in his right arm and severe bruising to the soles of his feet – he is expected to make a full recovery.

Thankfully he remembers nothing of the accident itself, but says watching the footage made him realise how fast he hit the ground. Most people would be killed instantly and the doctors said it was amazing he survived.

Owen says he couldn’t have done anything to prevent the freak accident, which happened in New South Wales, Australia, where he is studying at university. Incredibly, he says he can’t wait to go skydiving again once he has recovered.

He says: ‘I feel very, very lucky to be alive. Apparently I hit the ground with such force it’s a miracle I didn’t die. But I’m itching to get back into it – I can’t describe how it feels to soar through the clouds. I could never give that up.’

If you have an incredible death-defying real life story, we want to hear from you. Email us at message@talktothepress.com.