Author: News Desk

A Great British Bake Off icon is completely unrecognisable in a throwback 80s picture. In fact, his shaggy locks make him look rather more like his co-star than himself four decades later. Fans of the beloved baking competition were sent wild when its Instagram account posted a picture of Paul Hollywood from his ‘art school days’. A very young Paul, who is now 58, was unrecognisable behind long, dark hair covering the front of his face. It’s a very different hairdo to the silver fox look he has going on now. He appeared to be holding a cat in his…

American Bluey fans have been left scratching their heads after witnessing a common Christmas tradition for the first time. Fans of the Australian animated children’s series have been watching old festive episodes of late but are bewildered. For the uninitiated, the emotional show follows the titular character, a Blue Heeler puppy, and her family – Dad Bandit, Mum Chilli and younger sister Bingo. Two years after premiering in Australia, the series was picked up by Disney Plus in 2020 and rolled out globally. Over the years some viewers have been left confused by scenes and references in the show, with…

  After previously denying reports, Ubisoft has announced it’s ending development on XDefiant and closing down several studios. While XDefiant had a strong launch when it came out in May, there’s been concern around the free-to-play shooter’s future over recent months. Ubisoft previously described the game as being ‘behind expectations’, during an earnings call in September, while reports suggested layoffs were feared at Ubisoft San Francisco, as XDefiant struggled to hit 20,000 concurrent players across all platforms. Despite denying reports of a shutdown just two months ago, Ubisoft has now confirmed it is doing exactly that, and laying off 277…

Diane Morgan is returning as Philomena Cunk in a one-hour special called Cunk On Life, which will be released on Netflix on January 2. In the legendary mockumentary Diane plays a curious yet totally un self-aware presenter Philomena, who asks architects things like, ‘What is a building?’ with the same earnest energy as Emily Maitlis during her famed interview with Prince Andrew. The New Year treat – dropping on January 2 2025 – will see Philomena answer the question: ‘What’s the point of it all?’ It’s safe to say, fans are absolutely buzzing at the news as @harvv took to…

ITV has confirmed the release date of the final episode of one of its best dramas Vera after more than a decade on our screens. Launched in 2011, the crime drama followed Brenda Blethyn, 78, in the titular role of the unorthodox trench coat-wearing DCI Vera Stanhope, who investigates a series of puzzling crimes in Northumberland. But after 14 series it is drawing to a close with the last two two-hour episodes will air on New Year’s Day and Thursday January 2 at 8pm on ITV and STV. After broadcast, they will also be made available on streaming platforms ITVX and STV…

ITVX have released their top streamed shows and one programme’s inclusion in the list may shock many people. To celebrate the catchup service’s second birthday, ITV has given an insight into viewing habits with a full rundown of the series we can’t get enough of. Dramas accounted for 1.5 billion streams, which included Red Eye, After The Flood, Trigger Point, The Long Shadow, Joan, and Until I Kill You. It’ll come as a surprise to few that the impactful Mr Bates vs The Post Office took the crown as ITVX’s most watched commissioned title. It also had a total audience of…

Will other Chinese firms follow Shein to London? Shein’s reported decision to list in London rather than New York is likely to be an anomaly rather than a trend, says Megan Penick Fashion giant Shein’s prospective IPO – slated for early next year – has caused something of a stir in the City. Indeed, the decision to list on the London Stock Exchange appears on the surface a major vote of confidence for London, as it looks to compete with the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. In an uncertain economic landscape, it provides reassurance that Britain is still an…

Costain wins major HS2 contract It has been announced that engineering firm Costain has been awarded a contract by HS2 worth upwards of £400m. The deal will see the group supply tunnel and lineside mechanical and electrical systems over a seven-year period, beginning in the first quarter of 2025. It comes after a stellar year for the company, which has seen its shares rise over 60 per cent since January. Costain reported a near-doubling of profit in its half-year results in August. It also announced a £10m share buyback programme. https://www.cityam.com/costain-wins-major-hs2-contract/

Employment reforms need considerable thought to not ‘swamp business’ A legal group urged Parliament that the Employment Bill needs “considerable thought” to avoid ” swamping business” with costs or obligations that “confuse even senior and experienced lawyers.” In written evidence provided to the Committee overseeing the Employment Rights Bill, the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA), a group of 7,000 lawyers, urged the government to reconsider some of the changes contained within the bill. The ELA stated that the zero-hour contract changes “will grant workers rights that are so difficult to navigate that this may well impact their ability to be enforced”…

The ongoing chaos in South Korea is dominating news globally as MPs have begun impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol after thwarting his shock move to impose martial law. The overnight chaos has come as a shock for many – not just in South Korea, but around the world.

In domestic news, convicted killer Lucy Letby has been interviewed by police in prison under caution as part of ongoing investigations into more baby deaths at two hospitals, Cheshire Constabulary has confirmed.

Pep Guardiola has hit back at claims from TV pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher that the City boss has fallen out with midfielder Kevin de Bruyne.

Scotland women’s national team missed out on a place at next year’s Euros after losing 2-0 to Finland. Wales booked their place – the first major tournament for the team – after beating Ireland 2-1 yesterday in Dublin. The Lionesses beat Switzerland 1-0 in a friendly which saw many of the young lionesses get a start.