Coverage in United Kingdom

Reality TV welfare

MAFS UK faces new scrutiny as insiders allege ‘toxic’ culture

Former workers told the BBC that producers focused heavily on contestants’ sex lives and engineered conflict, claims the production company disputes as Channel 4 reviews welfare standards

Cost of living

VAT cut to lower some family days out this summer

Rachel Reeves said VAT will fall from 20% to 5% on selected attractions, children’s meals and entertainment, but businesses will decide whether to pass on the savings

Television

BBC names Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe as new Strictly hosts

The trio will replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, making the next series the first with three permanent presenters

Sunday Times Rich List

David Beckham Becomes UK’s First Billionaire Sportsman

The 2026 Sunday Times Rich List estimates David and Victoria Beckham’s combined wealth at £1.185bn, placing them second among the UK’s wealthiest sports figures

UK markets

UK borrowing costs hit 18-year high amid Starmer uncertainty

Ten-year gilt yields briefly reached 5.13% as investors weighed political uncertainty, higher oil prices and the risk of looser public spending

UK elections

Reform gains reshape early UK election results as Labour and Tories lose ground

Results are still coming in across England, Scotland and Wales, but early counts point to a fragmented political map and a difficult test for Keir Starmer’s Labour government