1 hour ago I ate at Jamie Oliver's only UK restaurant and was stunned when bill arrived

Christopher Sharp went into central London to review Jamie Oliver's restaurant on Catherine Street, just a stone's throw from the city's theatre and cultural hubs

Society

1 hour ago Julie Andrews’ wonderful take on Jane Austen: the best podcasts of the week

Over 25 episodes the screen legend is an absolute delight as the narrator of Pride & Prejudice. Plus, Kevin McCloud take us behind the scenes of his long-running property showWho better to retell Jane Austen’s most beloved story than her royal highness Julie Andrews? It may lack Colin Firth in a wet shirt, but the Hollywood great is a wonderful and faithful narrator of the original romcom classic about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy. The series, which is broken down into 25 episodes, not only celebrates the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth – it’s Andrews’s 90th birthday this year, too! Hollie Richardson Widely available, episodes weekly Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago Holiday horrors: Airbnb and Booking.com users battle for refunds as stays go wrong

In a Consumer Champions special, Anna Tims tackles online rental disasters, from a tree collapsing on to a cottage to being trapped in a flatThe 100-year-old oak fell on the first day of the holiday. It crashed on to the terrace where James and his partner, Andrew, had been breakfasting minutes earlier, smashing the table and chairs and crushing the windscreen of their hire car.The Airbnb cottage in Provence, France, was engulfed by the branches that broke the living room window and damaged the roof. “I was sure the ceiling was going to come in,” says James. “If it had fallen minutes earlier we would have been seriously injured or killed.” Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago OpenAI promises more ‘granular control’ to copyright owners after Sora 2 generates videos of popular characters

Company behind the AI video app says it will work with rights holders to ‘block characters from Sora at their request’ OpenAI is promising to give copyright holders “more granular control” over character generation after its new app Sora 2 produced a flood of videos that depicted copyrighted characters.Sora 2, a video generator powered by artificial intelligence, was launched last week on an invite-only basis. The app allows users to generate short videos based on a text prompt. The Guardian’s review of the feed of AI-generated videos last week showed copyrighted characters from shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants, South Park, Pokémon and Rick and Morty. Continue reading...

Culture

6 h. ago BBC 'bans stars from using friendly terms like mate and sweetheart' in wake of bad behaviour scandals

Employees are being told to fill in screen skills passports 'designed to create a better, more welcoming and safe place to work' as part of the latest package of measures.

Politics

8 h. ago CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews Frauds on ITV: How do you pinch a priceless Dali painting? I can't wait to find out...

With its cinematic, spaghetti western swagger, Frauds could have been nothing more than a pastiche of Thelma & Louise, the archetypal outlaw gals movie.

Politics

10 h. ago Frauds review – Suranne Jones gives her best ever performance in this absolute triumph of a heist drama

Jones and Jodie Whittaker are astonishing as conwomen bent on pulling off one last job. It’s a wild, thrilling ride whose portrait of a toxic friendship is fantastically stylishWhat would you do if your most reckless friend from your teenage years got back in touch? What if you were dying of cancer and had nothing to lose? What if you felt guilty for landing your friend in the clink 10 years ago? If you were the one she landed in the clink and you were only being released to die of cancer in her care? If you used to be a nearly unbeatable pair of scam artists who still had a stash of disguises left over from your glory days and a longing to feel some excitement again?All this and more are the questions that Frauds, a new drama starring Suranne Jones and Jodie Whittaker, flings at us on a wild, thrilling six-part ride that follows two conwomen bent on pulling off one last job. As with 2023’s Maryland, Jones co-created this with Anne-Marie O’Connor – who wrote every episode – and it h...

Events

10 h. ago Rob Brydon’s Honky Tonk Road Trip review – proof that he doesn’t need Steve Coogan for a fun travelogue

The genial Welshman marks the 100th anniversary of country music by dressing like a cowboy, and driving 2,000 miles across the US. He’s a great fit for this breezy show, which is definitely not The TripWhile the Euro-hopping reality competition Destination X might not have been the Traitors-rivalling summer smash the BBC were hoping for, it did give host Rob Brydon a lovely glow-up. The convoluted coach trip clearly wanted to give off a jet-setting vibe, so its master of ceremonies was outfitted in deluxe tailoring: boldly coloured three-piece suits, silky cravats and yacht-ready blazers. All of a sudden, Brydon had the debonair look to match his vintage Roger Moore impression.His latest three-part series, Rob Brydon’s Honky Tonk Road Trip, also features some Mr Benn-style thematic wardrobe. The genial Welshman goes full Yellowstone cowpoke in a parade of flannel shirts, rugged jackets and the occasional Stetson hat. It’s all part of a premise that sees him piloting an imposing Ford...

Transport

10 h. ago Frauds review – Suranne Jones’s heist caper proves you don’t always need a big screen to think big

Suranne Jones is an ex-con with cancer determined to carry out ‘one last job’ with her former partner (Jodie Whittaker), in ITV’s surreal and often gusset-wettingly funny show

Politics

10 h. ago Arsene Wenger's prediction for £6.5m signing proven spot on after Frank Lampard comments

Ben Sheaf joined Wrexham from Coventry in a £6.5m deal in the summer and has quickly established himself, with two famous football figures previously highlighting his qualities

Economics

12 h. ago Strictly Come Dancing fans say 'sort it out' as they make screen time demand

This week saw the first couple eliminated from the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing

Politics

12 h. ago Backstage bloodbath leaves Loose Women in turmoil: Insiders reveal twist that's left show fighting for survival

The fallouts between the panellists of Loose Women - both on and off-screen - can be vicious. As for managing their ever-changing cliques? Nigh-on impossible.

Events

14 h. ago Badenoch says Tories open to quitting more treaties to increase deportations

Party leader uses conference speech to outline proposal for UK to exit ECHR as part of wider bonfire of protectionsA future Tory government would be open to dismantling more treaties as a means to deport people from the UK, Kemi Badenoch has said at the start of a Conservative party conference focused almost exclusively on immigration policy.Making the first of two addresses to the gathering in Manchester, the Tory leader formally set out her proposal for the UK to quit the European convention on human rights (ECHR) as part of a wider bonfire of protections including an end to legal aid in immigration and asylum cases and the right to take migration decisions to tribunals or judicial review. Continue reading...

Politics

14 h. ago Frauds on ITV: What's it about, full cast and where you've seen them before

The six-part drama sees a Coronation Street legend and Doctor Who icon going on a thrilling mission

Politics

15 h. ago Backstage bloodbath leaves Loose Women in turmoil: Insiders reveal show is fighting for survival after shock sacking

The fallouts between the panellists of Loose Women - both on and off-screen - can be vicious. As for managing their ever-changing cliques? Nigh-on impossible.

Events

15 h. ago Ohio at the Young Vic review: this new musical is an intimate and idiosyncratic joy

Fleabag and Baby Reindeer producer Francesca Moody brings another Edinburgh Fringe hit to London

Politics

15 h. ago Badenoch says Tories could quit more treaties to increase deportations

Party leader outlines proposal for UK to quit ECHR as part of wider bonfire of protections at conferenceA future Conservative government would be open to dismantling more treaties as a means to deport people from the UK, Kemi Badenoch has said at the start of a Tory conference focused almost exclusively on immigration policy.Making the first of two addresses to the gathering in Manchester, the Tory leader formally set out her proposal for the UK to quit the European convention on human rights (ECHR) as part of a wider bonfire of protections including an end to legal aid for migrants and the right to take migration decisions to tribunals or judicial review. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago Frauds: from Jodie Whittaker to Suranne Jones, who plays who in the ITV show?

Two former con artists team back up for the score of a lifetime. What could go wrong?

Events

18 h. ago Where was Frauds filmed? ITV drama's 'stunning' Spanish locations revealed

Frauds stars Jodie Whittaker and Suranne Jones as two confidence tricksters

Events

18 h. ago A ‘magic pill’ made Israeli violence invisible. We need to stop swallowing it | Diana Buttu

For years, I pressed Palestinian interests in peace talks. The response to Trump’s plan proves the international community hasn’t learned from catastropheFor two years, the world has watched as Israel has systematically destroyed the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and maiming an untold number more. As dangerously, Israel continues to methodically target the healthcare, education, water and sewage systems to ensure that life cannot resume in the Gaza Strip.Western governments’ responses to Israel’s actions have ranged from cheerleading and unconditional support in the first year of Israel’s attack on Gaza after 7 October 2023, followed by statements of concern and handwringing, to, more recently, occasional expressions of consternation and empty threats that continued Israeli attacks may, at some unspecified time, lead to an arms embargo or a drop in trade relations. In the last few months, there have also been the greatly celebrated proclamations of conditiona...

Politics