BRUNO Santos’ unwavering dedication to fitness and competitive spirit has propelled him to the top of the bodybuilding world.
He now stands ready to take on his biggest challenge yet: competing at the 2024 Mr Olympia.
Bruno Santos is a bodybuilder, who is widely recognized for his dedication to fitness and competitive spirit.
With a strong presence in the bodybuilding scene, Bruno has earned a reputation for his muscular physique, commitment to nutrition, and fitness coaching.
Bruno is from Brazil, a country known for producing top athletes in various sports, including bodybuilding.
His roots play a significant role in shaping his passion and approach to fitness, as Brazil has a strong fitness culture.
He is also both a nutritionist and a fitness coach.
His Instagram profiles, @ifbbprobruno and @probrunosantos, highlight his professional expertise in offering fitness advice, nutrition guidance, and personalized coaching.
As an IFBB pro, his social media content reflects his dual roles, where he educates his followers on proper diet, bodybuilding techniques, and lifestyle changes to achieve peak physical fitness.
Bruno has claimed victories in various bodybuilding competitions under the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness).
He achieved a major victory at the 2024 Europa Pro, held in London, England, on September 14-15, 2024.
The Europa Pro is one of the key qualifying events in the IFBB Pro League, and his win was a significant milestone in his bodybuilding career.
Here are the highlights of his competition history:
Other significant placements include:
Bruno’s victory at the 2024 Europa Pro secured his qualification for the 2024 Mr Olympia contest in Las Vegas, Nevada.
As part of the prestigious lineup, he is one of 18 athletes competing for the coveted Sandow Trophy at the 60th edition of the event.
The competition is set to take place over two nights, with pre-judging on October 11, 2024, and the finals on October 12, 2024.
He represents Brazil among this elite group, sharing the stage with top-tier competitors including defending champion Derek Lunsford, Hadi Choopan, and Samson Dauda.
As one of the world’s biggest bodybuilding stages, Mr Olympia offers Bruno a chance to further solidify his reputation and compete for the $400,000 grand prize.
MICAH Richards is making a massive change to his £2million mansion – months after his neighbours moaned about the property.
The ex-Man City star and current TV pundit, 36, was previously met with neighbour moans after he submitted plans to extend his luxury five-bed pad.
Despite uproar, officials made a decision in his favour and allowed renovations to go ahead.
And now he wants to demolish an existing “poorly erected” conservatory to make way for a contemporary-style flat roof extension with steel cladding.
Richards submitted plans for works on the lavish property, in North Yorkshire, which already boasts a cinema room, to provide “additional space that meets the needs of the occupants”.
In an application submitted to the local council, Richards’ planning agent said: “The extension enhances the visual appearance of the existing building.
“It also enhances the visual impact of the surrounding environment.
“The extension also improves the functionality of the existing building, providing additional space that meets the needs of the occupants.
“This includes adding new living areas and outdoor areas that enhance the usability and convenience of the home.
“The proposals will also provide a high quality family home for modern living.”
And officials have now granted the ex-baller’s plans.
The council said: “In most cases, flat roof extensions will not be supported where they detract from the character and appearance of the surrounding area.
“There have been many alterations and ‘domestification’ of the host dwelling… [but while it’s] of differing architectural style, it is of subservient portions and would not dominate the south elevation.
“Overall, the development will not detract from the appearance of the host dwelling nor character of the area.”
Richards bought his rural retreat for £1.3million in 2021 after hanging up his boots.
But it is now believed to be worth £2million.
Two years ago, he won his battle with neighbours to convert a home office outbuilding into an annex, and carry out internal alterations.
He also built extra accommodation on the first floor with two new dormer windows and five rooflights, despite objections about overlooking.
Richards’ agent added: “The proposed extension is intended to present as a subtle addition to the existing house, that also amends a poor previously erected extension, tying the house together.
“The design opens the ground floor internally to the rear with better access from the existing living spaces to the improved garden.
“This will provide a much higher standard of accommodation in line with the need of a growing family along with improved amenity through better access to the garden and increased natural light internally.”
Officials at the local council are expected to make a decision next month.
So far, there have been no objections from neighbours.
Richards has previously opened up about his big-spending while playing in the Premier League – and issued a warning to today’s superstars.
The pundit burst onto the scene at Manchester City in 2005 – signing a big-money contract in the same year – aged just 17.
Richards revealed he came into so much money overnight he impulsively spent it.
The fan-favourite pundit bought supercars, a luxury mansion in the footballers’ paradise of Hale and even splashed out over £100,000 on a single night out.
Speaking to The Athletic, Richards explained: “Imagine going from £500 a week to £5,000 a week… and then going from £5,000 a week to £50,000 a week.
“Then you’d get bonuses, appearance money, a signing-on fee that was spread over the length of the contract.
“I remember one pay packet was like “£250,000 for a month. I was at the training ground, just looking at my payslip, thinking, ‘Wow. How?’
“What can you do? I know what I did. I went straight out and bought myself a Ferrari.
“I already had a Range Rover and an Aston Martin, but I thought, ‘It’s time’. I bought myself a Ferrari, an F430. Then a 458 Speciale.”
But the spending didn’t stop with cars. Richards continued: “I started to look at houses in Hale.
“I bought this £3m, seven-bedroom house and I was living with two brothers, two cousins, my best mate.
“Where I was living was already more than enough, but this is what happens when you’re a footballer.
“It’s always, ‘Who has the best house? Who has the best car?’.
“You can never just be content. You’ve always got to want more.”
Richards’ reps have been contacted for comment.
A PREMIER League star in an intense row with his neighbour over a basketball court and firepit has won a battle to keep them.
Ben Chilwell, 27, became embroiled in the disagreement when he raised the back garden of his £5m Surrey mansion and erected a retaining wall for a new walkway.
But the Chelsea defender failed to get the go-ahead for the Ground Force-style makeover at his luxury five-bed pad which boasts a swimming pool, gym and two games rooms.
He needed consent from the local council for the “engineering operation” and faced a possible red card over the unauthorised development.
His next-door neighbour objected, citing loss of privacy and overlooking, but the council have now granted retrospective permission for the landscape alterations.
In his ruling, a planning officer said: “Despite the change in levels in this part of the garden, it is considered that the works do not significantly alter the overall land levels of the application site.
“Moreover, the works are located in the rear garden and would not be visible from the street scene and are therefore acceptable.
“The proposed development is considered in terms of scale, form, bulk, height, massing, spacing and design, and there would be no adverse impact on the character of the area or the visual amenities of the street scene as a result of the proposals.”
Chilwell wants to plant new laurel and yew hedges to provide screening with further soft planting in grey, green and purple – but no blue.
He also wants to splash out on a stone-stepped pool seating area with glass balustrade, and new paving at his home near Chelsea’s Cobham training ground.
Documents submitted as part of the planning application reveal that building work on the sunken fire pit and basketball court started in April but has not yet been completed.
In a letter objecting, the neighbour wrote: “This increase in height means someone in this section of the garden or on the firepit walkway now has direct line of sight into our garden, terrace and kitchen area.
“This is a loss of amenity and the new levels mean we are now overlooked.
“We are keen to retain the privacy and amenity of our home, terrace and garden and whilst we would prefer the new ground levels not to be so high we appreciate that some mitigation through screening foliage has now been proposed.”
“dog whistles”
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ROYAL Mail is increasing the price of stamps again in just a few days.
The price of first-class stamps will rise by 30p to £1.65, the second rise in a year, the delivery giant has confirmed.
Royal Mail said the price increase will come into force from October 7.
It comes after first class stamp prices increased by 10p to £1.35 in April and by 10p to 85p for second class.
The company has frozen the cost of second class stamps at 85p until 2029 in a bid to keep the sending of letters affordable.
Royal Mail says it has tried to keep price increases as low as possible in the face of declining letter volumes, and inflationary pressures.
When announcing the price rise earlier this month, it also cited the costs associated with maintaining the so-called Universal Service Obligation (USO) under which deliveries have to be made six days a week.
Postal regulator Ofcom declared in early September that Royal Mail could be allowed to axe Saturday deliveries for second class letters as part of an overhaul of the service.
Ofcom, which has been consulting on the future of the universal postal service since January, said it should keep first class deliveries to six days a week.
Under the plans being considered, second class deliveries would not be made on Saturdays and would only be on alternate weekdays, but delivery times would remain unchanged at up to three working days.
Ofcom said no formal decision had been made and it continues to review the changes, with aims to publish a consultation in early 2025 and make a decision in the summer of next year.
Royal Mail said letter volumes have fallen from 20billion in 2004/5 to around 6.7billion a year in 2023/4, so the average household now receives four letters a week, compared to 14 a decade ago.
The number of addresses Royal Mail must deliver to has risen by 4million in the same period meaning the cost of each delivery continues to rise.
Royal Mail said the universal service needs urgent reform, adding: “The minimum requirements of the universal service haven’t changed for over 20 years despite major changes to how people communicate.
“We have no certainty on regulatory reform and the rate of letter decline and ongoing losses means that Royal Mail has had to take the necessary steps within its power to address the very real and urgent financial sustainability challenge the universal service faces right now.
Nick Landon, Royal Mail’s chief commercial officer, said it always considers price increases “very carefully”.
However, he said, as letter volumes have declined by two-thirds since their peak, the cost of delivering each letter has inevitably increased.
He added: “A complex and extensive network is needed to get every letter and parcel across the country for a single price – travelling on trucks, planes, ferries and in some cases drones before it reaches its final destination on foot. We are proud to deliver the universal service, but the financial cost is significant.
“The universal service must adapt to reflect changing customer preferences and increasing costs so that we can protect the one-price-goes anywhere service, now and in the future.”
Royal Mail typically increases the price of stamps annually and this year the price rose in April.
Normally, it gives customers advance warning of around a month before pushing up prices.
This year the hike was announced in March.
Royal Mail said it is hiking the price of postage due to the decline in the number of people sending letters.
It blamed rising inflation for the increase too.
It also cited the costs associated with maintaining the so-called Universal Service Obligation (USO) under which deliveries have to be made six days a week.
Royal Mail has urged the Government and Ofcom to review its obligations, arguing that it is no longer workable or cost-effective, given the decline in addressed letter post.
In its submission to Ofcom in April, it proposed ditching Saturday deliveries for second class post and cutting the service to every other weekday.
Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s group director for networks and communications, said: “If we decide to propose changes to the universal service next year, we want to make sure we achieve the best outcome for consumers.
“So we’re now looking at whether we can get the universal service back on an even keel in a way that meets people’s needs.
“But this won’t be a free pass for Royal Mail – under any scenario, it must invest in its network, become more efficient and improve its service levels.”
Royal Mail owner International Distribution Services (IDS), which agreed to a £3.57billion takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky in May, said “change cannot come soon enough” to the UK’s postal service.
Royal Mail also ousted old-style stamps and replaced them with barcoded ones last July.
The business said the move would make letters more secure.
Anyone who still has these old-style stamps and uses them may have to pay a surcharge.
Royal Mail previously raised the price of first class stamps from £1.10 to £1.25 last October, before boosting them again in April.
Right now, a first class stamp costs £1.35, which covers the delivery of letters up to 100g.
Historically, the cost of stamps has seen a steady increase over the years, reflecting inflation and operational costs. For example, in 2000, a First Class stamp was priced at 41p.
A second class stamp is priced at 85p and also covers letters up to 100g.
The stamps can be bought individually if you buy it at a Post Office counter.
Otherwise, you can typically buy them in sets of multiple stamps.
The first class service typically delivers the next working day, including Saturdays, while the second class service usually delivers within 2-3 working days, also including Saturdays.
For larger letters, the cost of a first class stamp is £2.20 for items up to 100g, and a second class stamp for the same weight is £1.55.
Parcel delivery prices vary based on size and weight, starting from £3.69 for small parcels.
Additional services include the “signed for” option, which requires a signature upon delivery and adds an extra level of security.
The cost for first class signed for is £3.05, and for second class Signed for, it is £2.55.
The “special delivery” service guarantees next-day delivery by 1pm with compensation cover, with prices starting from £7.95.
Royal Mail periodically reviews and adjusts stamp prices, so it is advisable to check the latest rates on their official website or at your local post office.
The cost of a book of stamps has risen gradually over the past few decades.
First class stamps were worth 60p in the early 2010s and are now priced at £1.35.
Second class stamps were also worth 50p in the early 2010s but now sell for 85p.
First class stamps cost 95p at one point in 2023, before being hiked to £1.10 last April. They were then raised by 15p to £1.25 last October.
The latest hike on first class stamps to £1.65 in October means they will have risen by a staggering 43% since just last year.
Money guru Martin Lewis advised Brits to buy stamps in bulk before the new prices kick in to save a decent chunk of change for all their posting needs.
He said: “For years, every time stamps go up in price I’ve suggested people stock up and bulk-buy in advance, as provided the stamp doesn’t have a price on it and instead just says the postage class, it’s still valid after the hike.
“So you may as well stock up now, even if it’s just for Christmas cards for the next few Christmases.”
Do bear in mind though, if you stock up on stamps now, be careful to avoid fakes, he said.
Buy from reputable high street outlets and, where possible, hang on to your receipt.
Stamps are also available directly from the Royal Mail online shop, but you have to spend £50 to get free delivery.
Back in April, Royal Mail paused the £5 penalty for anyone who receives a letter with a fake stamp on it while it takes fresh action against counterfeits.
However, you could still be charged if you use a fake stamp when sending something.
To check whether a stamp is genuine, you can use Royal Mail’s new “fake stamp scanner” on the app.
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