20 m. ago Strictly Come Dancing adds The Apprentice star Tom Skinner to 2025 line

He's a TV personality, social media star and businessman and will enter the famous ballroom when Strictly returns to BBC One this September

Politics

1 hour ago ‘I have to believe I deserve to be here’: ‘Tesco TikToker’ Hannah Lowther on her path to West End stardom

The up-and-coming musical theatre star’s online audience of 1.2 million has been crucial in scoring her major roles. Her career is part of a shift in the industry towards performers with social media clout – but not everyone is happyIf you’re on TikTok, you’ll probably recognise Hannah Lowther. Known affectionately as the “Tesco TikToker”, she found viral fame during lockdown by filming herself singing and dancing in the aisles of the supermarket during her shifts there.“I got 10,000 views on a video and I thought: OK, that’s it, I’m famous, and I just never let it go,” the 27-year-old laughs. Since then, Lowther has built an audience of 1.2 million followers and leveraged her social media presence into a starry stage career, landing roles in West End musicals including Heathers and Six. “At the back of my mind, I was thinking: You know what? Maybe this could help me one day.” Continue reading...

Politics

1 hour ago Truck drivers, doctors and bakers: ordinary Yemenis turn to veteran journalist when justice fails

Fatehi Bin Lazreq has used social media, newspapers and radio to expose corruption and everyday injustices since the country’s civil war started a decade agoWhen dozens of gas tankers near Yemen’s southern city of Aden were held up at a checkpoint by soldiers demanding heavy bribes, the frustrated drivers and traders turned to a man they trusted: Fatehi Bin Lazreq, a prominent Yemeni journalist.Known for using his media outlets and social media platforms to demand accountability, Bin Lazreq posted about the drivers’ ordeal on Facebook. It quickly went viral, generating thousands of likes and comments. Within hours, the post prompted a phone call from the prime minister and another senior official, both pledging to resolve the issue. Soon, the tankers were able to move on. Continue reading...

Society

8 h. ago Death of influencer Emilie Kiser's son is the latest high profile child drowning tragedy: Now experts issue urgent safety warning to all parents

Trigg Kiser, three, drowned at the home of his parents, social media star Emilie Kiser and her husband Brady, in May - accident prevention experts have since issued a stark warning to parents.

Events

10 h. ago Kate Cassidy shares she wears Liam Payne's clothes to bed in emotional grief update

Liam Payne's girlfriend took to social media to share how she is coping with the loss of the former One Direction star as she urged people not to judge how others grieve

Politics

11 h. ago Trump reignites dementia fears after blunder with iconic rock band name

President Donald Trump made a gaffe as he stumbled over the name of the rock band Kiss during a speech at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday, sparking a flurry of social media jokes

Politics

11 h. ago Men who attacked Orthodox Jews with water pistols get 'let off with a slap on the wrist'

Two social media influencers who targeted Orthodox Jews with a water pistols have been 'let off with a slap on the wrist', antisemitism campaigners say. 

Events

14 h. ago Gavin Newsom praised for new online posting style: All Caps and mimicking Trump

California governor is taking on president over Republican gerrymandering efforts in Texas

Politics

14 h. ago Brooklyn Beckham and wife Nicola Peltz 'have NO contact with celeb pals from his former life in the UK' as he unfollows them on social media and snubs them from vow renewal

Brooklyn, 26, and Nicola, 31, said 'I do' for a second time on August 2 in Westchester County in front of her family, with the Beckham clan nowhere in sight amid their ongoing 'feud'.

Politics

15 h. ago WWE legend rushed to hospital after getting 'bitten by a bat'

Charles Robinson revealed on social media that he'd somehow been bitten by the mammal in the dead of the night - thankfully he appears to be okay after a number of injections

Politics

15 h. ago Sydney Sweeney breaks social media silence with first post since American Eagle controversy

Sydney Sweeney has broken her social media silence with her first Instagram post since her recent American Eagle campaign sparked global outrage.

Politics

16 h. ago Dale Webster, surfer who rode waves for 14,642 consecutive days, dies aged 77

Surfer rode waves daily for over 40 years straightStreak reached 14,642 consecutive surfing daysGuinness record-holder dies at age 77 in CaliforniaDale Webster, the Northern California surfer who paddled out every day for more than 40 years, has died at the age of 77. News of his death was shared on social media by friends and fellow surfers. No cause of death was given.Known as Daily Dale and Daily Wavester, Webster holds a Guinness world record for the longest streak of consecutive days surfed: an extraordinary 14,642, a stretch that began in 1975 and ended in 2015. His feat required him to surf at least three waves a day, rain or shine, in sickness or in health, through frigid Pacific waters and the shark-rich lineup off Sonoma County. Continue reading...

Events

16 h. ago Royal once dubbed one of the 'hottest unknown princes' is celebrated by the Greek Royal Family as he turns 25

The Greek Royal Family celebrated Prince Achileas-Andreas' 25th birthday on Tuesday, with his parents and siblings sharing touching messages on social media.

Politics

17 h. ago Memphis man who killed 3 in live streamed shooting rampage pleads guilty

A Tennessee man has avoided a trial and a possible death sentence by pleading guilty to fatally shooting three people and wounding three others in a daylong series of shootings live streamed on social media

Events

17 h. ago Love Is Blind UK fans all make same complaint about 'red flag' contestant

Netflix's Love Is Blind UK fans have flocked to social media to share their thoughts on season 2 so far - and it seems that one contestant in particular has left a lasting impression

Politics

18 h. ago Fake Labubu dolls are a choking risk, warns UK standards body

Thousands of the viral toys are poorly made while genuine dolls ‘are almost impossible to find’, CTSI saysGrowing numbers of counterfeit Labubu dolls being sold in the UK are poorly made and pose a choking hazard to young children, a trading standards body has warned.The toothy, fluffy monster doll figures, made exclusively by the Chinese toymaker Pop Mart, have surged in popularity among children and adults after going viral on social media. Celebrity fans include Rihanna and Lisa from the K-pop group Blackpink, while many owners like to attach the dolls to handbags or backpacks. Continue reading...

Events

18 h. ago Teenage girls making TikToks: Philippa James’s best photograph

‘My daughter and her friends are part of the smartphone generation. The more time I spent with them, the more I learned about the darker side of their mobiles’This started as a project with my daughter and her friends, who are all part of the smartphone generation. They were 14 years old at the time and I wanted to learn more about the relationship they had with their mobile phones. In 2022, a study by Ofcom showed that nine out of 10 children owned one by the time they reached the age of 11, and that 91% of them used video platforms, messaging apps and social media by the age of 12. I spoke to my daughter and her friends about how they use their phones and the negative reputation that surrounds teenagers and their screens. They told me the positives as well as the negatives, such as how social media can raise confidence as well as knock it down.I asked if I could photograph them. There was very little direction from me and – rather than photographing them in a controlled portraitur...

Culture

19 h. ago Strictly Come Dancing star's mum almost died after terrifying brain condition

Social Media star George Clarkey is set to compete on this year's Strictly Come Dancing alongside the likes of Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Dani Dyer

Events

19 h. ago David Beckham makes 'family' statement after Brooklyn Beckham vow renewal snub

David Beckham has taken to social media to make a "family" announcement after missing his son Brooklyn Beckham and daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz-Beckham renew their vows

Politics

20 h. ago Romeo Beckham hangs out with brother Cruz on £15m family yacht after Brooklyn's 'cruel' snub

Romeo and Cruz ‘blocked’ Brooklyn on social media amid the family’s intensifying feud

Economics