Imagine almost every person on Earth doing nothing but making cups of tea, day and night, one every second – and pouring every single one into the sea.

It sounds absurd. Yet it helps us picture one of the biggest changes happening to our planet.

Although we experience global warming through hotter air and record-breaking heatwaves, the atmosphere is only a sideshow, which we happen to especially notice because we live within it. The more important feature is that the ocean is absorbing some 90% of the extra heat now being trapped at the Earth’s surface.

This heat is being measured year by year, with increasing precision, by a network of satellites and ocean-based instruments. A few years ago, Chinese climate scientist Lijing Cheng and colleagues put together all the data for 2021 from this ocean-wide panoply of devices. The oceans, they said, absorbed some 15 zettajoules of energy that year. That sounds impressive – but what does it mean?

A zettajoule is 1 followed by 21 noughts: unintelligible in itself, and even more confusing when placed in stark contrast to the humble joule, which is the energy needed to raise 0.239 grams of water by 1°C. To try to convey the hugeness of 15 zettajoules, one needs to find some suitable analogy. One common comparison is that it’s the energy equivalent of seven Hiroshima-scale atom bombs exploding every second. It’s a dramatic and oft-used image – but (luckily) outside most people’s direct experience.

That’s why we wanted to bring things a little closer to home. Let’s use a mug of tea.

What’s brewing in the oceans?

Heating a mug of tea needs about 100,000 joules. Divide 15 zettajoules by that figure, and then divide that by the number of seconds in year, gives 4.8 billion mugs of hot tea entering the ocean each second.

We can even try to be properly scientific about this, and invent the measure of a billion mugs of hot tea per second. Following the scientific convention of “giga” for billion, you could even use gigamugs per second: or GMug/s. In 2021, ocean heat input was running at 4.8 GMug/s.

These are large numbers, and it is sobering that the energy directly expended for global human use each year (from all sources) is much smaller: a bit more than half a zettajoule – or some 0.2 billion mugs of hot tea per second in our new measure. Make a mug of tea with fossil-fuelled energy, and the carbon dioxide emitted in that simple process means that you are also doing the equivalent of pouring a dozen or more mugs of hot tea into the sea.

The oceans are absorbing even more heat

But global warming has not been standing still since 2021. It has been accelerating, partly because greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere continue to rise, partly because the air is getting cleaner and letting more sunlight in, and perhaps partly because warming is beginning to reduce reflective cloud cover, allowing even more heat to be absorbed. This would be an example of a positive feedback: warming causing changes that lead to yet more warming. If so, that could be a slippery slope for the global climate – and for us.

Global average ocean temperature anomaly from the surface to nearly 2000 m depth over the past 20 years:

That acceleration has now been measured in the oceans too. An updated analysis estimated that, in 2025, the oceans absorbed about 23 zettajoules of extra energy. That’s roughly half as much again as the 2021 figure, although the precise figure is subject to natural variation and measurement uncertainty.

Translating that into our new measure means the oceans are now absorbing the equivalent of some 7.6 billion cups of hot tea every second. That’s almost one cup every second for every person on the planet – just as we asked you to imagine at the start.

That extra heat is the physical effect of the trillion or more tonnes of carbon dioxide, plus other greenhouse gases, that we have added to the air since we began burning fossil fuels in earnest, some two centuries ago. It’s raising sea levels, driving marine heat waves and melting polar ice.

The tea cup analogy is one way of getting the point across – that the Earth is absorbing ever more heat. It’s something to remember as national promises of pathways to net zero become increasingly diluted, delayed, mocked or forgotten, and as investments in fossil fuels rise steeply: a path that might briefly enrich oil company shareholders, but that will permanently impoverish and endanger everyone else, for countless generations to come.

Better by far to invest instead in energy sources that are not carbon-based. That’s something to ponder on, over a cup of tea.

It’s billed as one of the biggest grudge matches ever witnessed in international football. And for good reason. 

The Falklands War, the Hand of God, Beckham vs Diego Simeone (remember the 1998 World Cup when Becks reacted with fury after being fouled by the Argentine, kicking out at the player who feigned collapse, earning the England midfielder a red card and widespread vilification back home).

While England and Argentina have disagreed for decades over the right and wrongs of the political and sporting divides between the two countries, this is a match that will divide my family.

For when Lionel Messi, ‘Dibu’ Martinez, Julián Alvarez and the rest of the Argentine team line up to sing their national anthem tonight, I will be singing my heart out alongside them and their 45million countrymen from a bar in Buenos Aires.

Meanwhile, Matthew, 43, my younger brother by three years, will be belting out ‘football’s coming home…’ and cheering on every one of Jude Bellingham’s penetrating runs and Harry Kane’s decisive headers.

So whose loyalty is the truest? Both of us were born in England and raised on the same diet of baked beans, Marmite and rhubarb crumble and custard. 

My father, a doctor and Olympic fencer from Oxford, and my mother, a teacher and aspiring actress from Buenos Aires, met in Paris in the late 1970s.

My first few years were spent living in cosmopolitan Montparnasse in Paris, where my father worked for The American Hospital. 

We moved to the sleepy English village of Dinton in Buckinghamshire in 1985. I was five, and even now remember the distinct feeling of being out of place and craving acceptance from my peers.

It was during the 1986 World Cup that I took stock of my Argentine heritage for the first time. Watching my homesick mother rooting for her country’s team, match-after-nail-biting match, made a huge impression on me.

Together we lived the drama of that fateful encounter against England in the quarter-finals, with Maradona´s controversial goal quickly followed by his Goal of the Century, a piece of individual genius that dumped England out of the tournament.

My mother was elated when Argentina won the cup. In pretty Dinton, as English as it could be with its 12th-century church and village green, she was moved to tears by Maradona’s iconic pose as he hoisted the trophy high above his head.

I was captivated. It marked the beginning of my unwavering support for Argentina.

Our mother spoke to us Spanish, in a porteño (from Buenos Aires) accent, sang traditional nursery rhymes, dished up family recipes and acclimatised us to Argentine passion. 

It was imperative that we spoke Spanish since her relatives didn´t speak English. Language was her way of connecting us. 

We´d count down the days till we went to visit her family in the Argentine capital, usually over the Christmas holidays, happily leaving behind the grim English winter, and showing off our exotic tans to our school friends on our return.

My brother was born in 1982, the year Argentinian troops occupied the Falkland Islands. 

My mother recalls a frosty reception crossing the English border during and in the immediate aftermath of the war. I remember my parents discussing the conflict at home, abhorring Margaret Thatcher’s decision to torpedo the ARA General Belgrano.

For Argentina today, the Falklands War is far from over. 

Their claim for sovereignty of the islands persists, and the Malvinas, as they’re known there, are everywhere – the islands’ outline emblazoned on T-shirts, on road-signs, tattooed on chests and plastered on the side of buses with the accompanying slogan ´Las Malvinas son Argentinas´ (Las Malvinas are Argentine).

For many Argentinians, England and Thatcher stand for everything that is anti-Argentine and unpatriotic, yet it often feels more political than a tangible dislike for English people.

Indeed there has always been a great appreciation and love of British culture and customs. 

Many send their kids to bilingual English schools, fixate over bands such as The Beatles and Oasis, and have a particular obsession with the Rolling Stones. 

My brother and I moved to London, and while he found his feet and flourished, for me it felt hostile and frantic, and that I was trapped on a hamster wheel.

I’d long toyed with the idea of moving to Argentina and, on the eve of my 30th birthday – 16 years ago – I bit the bullet and left. 

I was drawn to the warmth and openness of Buenos Aires. Here, people work to live and never need an excuse to socialise. In Argentina, the sobremesa (after dinner conversation) is a religion, and spending Sunday lunch with friends and family is sacred.

Soon after arriving, I applied for my Argentine citizenship and began teaching English. I became a freelance writer for international media and set up a successful concierge service called Creme de la Creme, creating curated tours and itineraries of Buenos Aires for discerning tourists.

Drawn to the warmth and openness of Buenos Aires, Vanessa moved there 16 years ago

When Argentine beat Switzerland 3-1 on Sunday, and knowing they would be facing England in the semi-final, the Argentinian coach Lionel Scaloni immediately insisted: ‘It’s a football match. Let’s not read too much into it.’

Yet for countless Argentinians, it is so much more than that. For many, it’s an open wound that won´t heal, a cross to bear. It’s even seen as a way of honouring the veterans who fought in that war.

Meetings and social engagements have been postponed for later in the week. Schools and offices will close early. 

The atmosphere in Buenos Aires is expectant, the tension palpable. Children at the park frantically swap football cards in the hope of scoring Messi. Regulars at the local pizzeria earnestly discuss tactics, while blue and white flags festoon the streets, shop windows and car windshields.  

People here are highly superstitious and many have their rituals (called cábalas), which they truly believe can influence results.

Sitting in a specific spot on the sofa, wearing the same clothes, popping out at half time to buy cigarettes. Even Visa Argentina´s World Cup advertising campaign shows midfielder Rodrigo de Paul reminding people about their acts of good luck.

Nowadays, my motives for supporting Argentina are tied up with my feelings of gratitude towards my adoptive country. 

Over 16 years, I´ve been able to forge a career and prosper, follow my dreams and build a family with my Argentine partner.

So tonight I’ll be clutching my lucky Messi sticker and sitting at the same table at the same neighbourhood bar as I have done for all of Argentina’s matches. I’m not taking any chances.

As for our bilingual four-year-old son, Messi and the Argentine squad have captured his heart.

I am expecting some friendly banter between my brother over text – and will naturally raise a glass to England if they emerge the victor. But for the sake of my loyalty to Argentina, I can´t cheer your heroes on. Luckily, we have plenty of our own.

Millions of people face waiting longer for their state pensions amid claims the Government has decided to speed up the age rise.

The Treasury has told its OBR watchdog that the threshold will increase to 68 between 2037 and 2039.

That is seven years earlier than the 2044-2046 timetable currently laid out in legislation. 

It would mean around five million people now aged between 49 and 55 working an extra year before being eligible for the payments – costing them about £12,500 each but saving the Government £6billion a year.

The shift comes despite Labour ministers being heavily critical of the way the Coalition administration ‘rushed’ through the previous age increases.

Pensions minister Torsten Bell – who has previously seemed to hint that age rises should be slower because of a lack of progress in life expectancy – played down the significance. 

He stressed a review is under way and the Treasury was merely reflecting the position of the previous Tory Government. 

However, experts warned that middle-aged Brits face ‘real uncertainty’ over their retirements and demanded new PM Andy Burnham provides ‘clarity’. 

Eperts warned that middle-aged Brits face ‘real uncertainty’ over their retirements and demanded new PM Andy Burnham provides ‘clarity’

The apparent confirmation was slipped out in the OBR’s fiscal risks report last week. It assumed that the state pension age would increase to 68 between 2037 and 2039, adding: ‘The Treasury has confirmed to us that this is the Government’s current policy position, rather than the legislated increase set in the Pensions Act 2007.’

The pension age is already slated to reach 67 between April this year and 2028.

Currently the legal position is that it will reach 68 from 2044-46.

However, a previous report by former Tesco director Baroness Neville-Rolfe warned that might need to be accelerated.

With the so-called triple lock in place there are estimates the level would have to hit 74 by 2068–69 in order to maintain spending at around 6 per cent of GDP.

The OBR’s central projection is for spending on the state pension to go from 5 per cent of GDP at the end of this decade to 9 per cent of GDP by 2075-76. 

Posting on X, Mr Bell said: ‘Legislation sets out that the State Pension age is due to rise to 68 in the 2040s. 

‘The previous Tory government said it wanted to bring this forward to the late 2030s – that is what this story is referring to NOT anything this govt has said.’

He added: ‘We have not announced any change of policy – and certainly not this specific one. 

‘There is currently a review of the State Pension age underway – that is simply because legislation (the 2014 Act) requires the Secretary of State to conduct such reviews on a fairly regular basis.’ 

Giving evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee in March, Mr Bell said he thought ministers had been too ‘relaxed’ about the impact of state pension age increases in the past. 

Committee chair Debbie Abrahams challenged Mr Bell that life expectancy had been increasing much more slowly for lower income households, saying it had actually fallen in her Oldham constituency.

The minister said ‘a lot’ of weight would be put on the needs of those who were not benefiting from wider improvements in life expectancy.

‘If I take the long view… state pension increases have been going on for different reasons since the early 1990s,’ he said.

‘There’s obviously to some degree a consensus that as you see increases in longevity there will be consequential changes in the state pension age to some degree.

Pensions minister Torsten Bell – who has previously seemed to hint that age rises should be slower because of a lack of progress in life expectancy – played down the significance

The apparent confirmation was slipped out in the OBR’s fiscal risks report last week

The OBR has highlighted the rising cost of the state pension in the coming decades

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‘I think sometimes what that has flipped into too easily into is being relaxed about that, not weighing that.

‘You can take seriously the need to support people working into later life while taking very seriously the consequences in the distributional…

‘If I was looking at the changes in 2011 for example and some of the comments I saw from then-ministers after very fast accelerations of SPA… I would say they weren’t weighing seriously enough those consequences in the way they went about it.’

Lady Rolfe previously suggested setting a rule that Britons receive pensions for 31 per cent of the average life expectancy.

Those principles would have big implications for younger workers, with the Tory peer saying that the retirement age should reach 68 between 2041 and 2043.

It could then reach 69 between 2046 and 2048 – with those projections indicating that it would need to hit 70 in the early 2050s.

That would be when people born in the 1980s would be looking to bow out of the workplace.

Dr Suzy Morrissey has been commissioned to look at the ‘factors government should consider’ on state pension age.

And the Government Actuary’s Department has been asked to produce a report on the proportion of adult life in retirement.

However, final decisions had been expected to be kicked into the next Parliament, despite concerns about giving people enough time to prepare for changes.

Lily Megson-Harvey, Policy Director at My Pension Expert: ‘For millions of people currently in their 50s, this latest speculation creates real uncertainty over when they will be able to claim their State Pension.

‘Retirement planning takes decades, and people need confidence that they can make informed decisions about when to stop working, how much they need to save and what their income will look like in later life. If the timetable is going to change, the new Prime Minister must provide clarity as soon as possible so savers have the certainty they need to plan ahead.

‘Anyone who could be affected should consider reviewing their retirement plans and seeking financial advice to understand what any future changes could mean for their long-term finances. A sustainable State Pension is important, but it must not come at the expense of giving people certainty and confidence as they approach retirement.’

England has been called “invaders” and “usurping pirates” by Argentina’s vice-president in a bizarre rant of tonight’s World Cup semi-final.

Political tensions linger between Argentina and Great Britain over the Falkland Islands, which boiled over into conflict in 1982.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said pre-match it would be “madness” to mix up sport and politics, but his nation’s vice-president Victoria Villarruel didn’t take the same viewpoint in a message on X.

“Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates,” the post began. “This isn’t just another match. I’m not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted; against the English, it’s always something more.

“It’s the Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s Leo’s last one, and it’s putting the brakes on the invaders. Go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we’re going to claim what’s ours!”

He shared that one change he ‘holds quite close to his heart’.

The Tartan Army well and truly left an impression on Boston during their World Cup journey, with Boston and Glasgow even becoming sister cities. However, one member has shared some of the Scottish things he would add to the American city to make it even better.

Taking to Instagram to share his views, account user @giodoesinterviews shared that some of his new Scottish additions are very ‘close to his heart’. Sharing his love for Boston, he also asked his viewers to give their own suggestions of how they could elevate Massachusetts with a Scottish twist.

In the clip, Giovanni said: “Here’s some things in Scotland that I think would improve Boston as a city. First thing is morning rolls. These are the best, I think Americans would love them and they’re a lot better than bacon, egg, and cheese.”

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He continued: “Second thing is something I use quite a lot – public transport. You know the only downfall to Boston was trying to taxi it everywhere. I mean, I think I saw like two buses in my whole time and one was like a boat that could go into the water.

“The third one I don’t really use a lot but these water fountains in Glasgow. I don’t really get much use out of them but see if I was in like 30 degree heat the way it is in Boston, you can just get water out of a tap for free.”

The final improvement Gio shared was the one he was the most passionate about. He said: “This is something I hold quite close to my heart – chippies. I couldn’t find any good chippies in Boston or a chippy in general for that matter.

“I had a fish and chips from the Cheesecake Factory but that was stinking and I’m pretty sure it had been sitting there for a couple of days.”

Many Bostonians were quick to amend Gio’s improvements as quite a few highlighted the food and transport services in the city.

One person wrote: “Did you use the subway system when you were in Boston? I’m pretty sure it has a better network than Glasgow.”

With another viewer also noting: “The funniest thing is that Boston has one of the best public transportation in the entire US. Try going to Vegas or Orlando and you’ll see why.”

Meanwhile, others urged Giovanni to return to the States so they could show him some local favourites for eating out.

A third commenter noted: “There are places that make a decent fish and chips. Mcgonagles in Dorchester is pretty far from downtown but I’ve heard they have one of the best.”

With another Bostonian also echoing: “Locals don’t eat at Cheesecake. Come back and we will show you the local spots!”

Another viewer also noted: “I think the one thing I noticed from watching all of the Scotland posts, like dozens of different people, was that you guys were eating stuff that we definitely do not eat or consider to be high-quality. So you probably should come back and sample more independent cuisine.”

However, one viewer did pitch their own idea of how to improve Boston, suggesting: “Something that would make Boston better: more Scottish people.”

This article contains spoilers from tonight’s episode of EastEnders, which is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

After more than four years away from EastEnders, Gray Atkins, the monstrous lawyer with a murderous streak a mile wide, is set to make shocking return to Walford.

Before the crazed killer makes his comeback, let’s reacquaint ourselves with one of Walford’s most evil residents…

Who is Gray and who plays him?

Albert Square’s most sinister solicitor first set foot on the Square in Walford in 2019 with wife Chantelle Atkins (Jessica Plummer). They appeared to have the picture perfect marriage. Behind closed doors, Gray made Chantelle’s every day a waking nightmare by inflicting severe mental, emotional and physical abuse, not to mention coercive control and gaslighting.

The iconic soap villain is portrayed by actor Toby-Alexander Smith, also known for playing Jason Carwell in the BBC medical soap Doctors, and Lor-Ran in SyFy’s Superman spinoff Krypton. He is married to Amy Walsh, best known to Emmerdale fans as Tracy Shankley. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Bonnie, in 2021, and in March this year, they introducedtheir second, Nell.

Toby has spoken openly about his struggle with male post-natal depression, and the importance of being a positive male role models to both his daughters.

Who did Gray kill?

During his three year stint on the Square, Gray racked up a bone-chilling body count of three beloved Walford residents.

His first victim was, tragically, Chantelle.

In a terrifying twist uncommon in a soap domestic abuse story, Chantelle was unable to escape no matter how hard she tried. Even after suffering a miscarriage when Gray pushed her down the stairs, Chantelle was gaslit by her abuser into believing that it was her fault she lost their baby.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, EastEnders took advantage of the break in filming by showing how much Gray’s toxic behaviour had worsened over lockdown. Finally, Chantelle reached breaking point and began secretly consulting a divorce lawyer. Unfortunately, Gray discovered her plans to flee and in harrowing scenes, furiously shoved his wife onto an open dishwasher, causing fatal injuries.

While he managed to play the grieving husband and stage Chantelle’s death as a horrific accident, not everybody was convinced.

Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White) smelled a rat and eventually caught Gray in a lie, using her own history with an abusive relationship to recognize the signs of control. It didn’t take her long to piece all the facts together and realise the awful truth – Gray killed Chantelle.

This discovery sealed Tina’s fate.

Desperate to silence her, Gray attacked Tina and strangled her to death.

Gray hid Tina’s body under the floorboards of the Argee Bhajee and tricked her family into believing she went on the run.

Then came Gray’s third and final victim, Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami).

While Gray’s other murders were committed out of rage and desperation, Kush met his end due to sheer, green-eyed jealousy. The bloodthirsty lawyer developed a dangerous obsession with the hoop-eared darling of the Queen Vic, the iconic Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty). Needless to say, when Kush and Whitney got engaged, it drove Gray into a jealous frenzy.

Discovering the couples’ plan to leave Walford to start afresh, Gray followed them to the London Underground. There a violent struggle on the platform ensued which dramatically spilled onto the tracks, where a vengeful Gray claimed his third victim by pushing Kush into the path of an oncoming train.

How did Gray’s reign of terror end?

It would be another year before Gray was finally brought to justice. His downfall came at the hands of Whitney, and his second wife,Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams).

Unaware of his blood-soaked past, Chelsea had a whirlwind romance with Gray, becoming pregnant with his child and getting married soon afterwards.

Then Chelsea discovered that Gray murdered his first wife.

Terrified, she began plotting her escape as Gray started exhibiting coercive and controlling tendencies again. The experience was so terrifying that Chelsea went into labour as a result of her harrowing discoveries and gave birth to their son, Jordan (Izaiah Hagan-Brown).

Assisted by Whitney and Kheerat Panesar (Jaz Deol), Chelsea gathered evidence and records Gray confessing to all his crimes while on the phone to the police. With his crimes finally exposed to all on the Square, Gray was arrested and sentenced to life in prison.

Why is Gray back and what happens now?

Gray might be rotting in prison, but that doesn’t mean he can’t pose a threat. Since Jordan suffered life-changing injuries from a hit-and-run, Chelsea’s been so overwhelmed that she reluctantly accepted assistance Gray’s grandmother Sheila Atkins (Sheila Ruskin) – who is of course, still visiting Gray in prison.

In tonight’s episode, the villain is already pushing Sheila to do anything she can to stay in Jordan’s life, so she can provide him with updates about his son.

However, an obstacle to Gray’s twisted plan is Chelsea’s mother, the unstoppable Denise Fox (Diane Parish).

Despite struggling with a heartbreaking leukemia diagnosis, the no-nonsense Mama Bear of Clan Fox-Hubbard is still very much in charge when she warns Sheila to stay away from her family in tonight’s episode.

Unfortunately, Gray always had a problem with taking no for an answer.

Surely it’s only a matter of time before Gray escapes prison and tries to bring fresh slaughter to the Square… but will he claim victim number four?

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Emergency services were called to a two-vehicle crash on Tanfield Lea Road, Stanley, just after noon yesterday (July 14).

Three people were taken to the University Hospital of North Durham for further treatment.

Both vehicles were recovered, and the road was reopened around 2pm.

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call at 12.03pm on Tuesday 14 July to reports of a road traffic incident on the junction of West Street and Tanfield Lea in Stanley, County Durham.

“We dispatched two ambulance crews to the scene and transported three patients to UHND for further treatment.”

A County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) spokesperson said: “We were called at 12.06pm yesterday (July 14) to a road traffic collision involving two cars on Tanfield Lea Road at the junction with West Street, Stanley.

“Two fire engines from High Handhold and Consett Fire Stations attended. Crews left the scene at 1.20pm”

A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said: “We were called to reports of a two-vehicle road traffic collision in Tanfield Lea Road, Stanley. The fire service and ambulance service also attended and one person had to be cut out of a vehicle. Three people are believed to have been hurt.”

England and Argentina met in another quarter-final in Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium at the 1986 World Cup, with the Falklands War four years earlier providing the backdrop.

It was the day of Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand Of God” – as well as his brilliant second goal – as Argentina won 2-1, and then went on to lift the World Cup.

France ’98 delivered a classic last-16 game best remembered for a wound-up David Beckham being sent off for kicking out at Diego Simeone, and the solo goal that brought an 18-year-old Michael Owen to global superstar status.

Argentina prevailed on penalties to provide yet more World Cup heartache for the Three Lions.

There was still lingering ill-feeling between the two teams when they met again four years later in a World Cup group game under Sapporo’s dome in Japan.

This time it was redemption for Beckham, who scored the winner with a first-half penalty, but Argentina complained long and loud – insisting Owen had dived amid a challenge from future Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Tuchel said: “It is a very big rivalry between two big footballing nations.

“I could say the history is irrelevant but I’m not sure. The players are aware of it. When a fixture provides so many iconic moments, you can’t say it is just another football match.”

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni – who represented his nation at the 2006 World Cup – added: “We all have stories from that past time and history and it all makes it very emotional.”

It is this backdrop, this history of acrimony, that elevates this encounter above those other semi-finals.

England have had many memorable games in the past six decades – but winning this match would outstrip them all and offer the chance for a historic triumph in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain.

Joe Swash seemingly hinted at his next TV venture as he also shared an update on the return of his show with his wife

Joe Swash has teased what appears to be his next TV venture as he also shared an update on the return of his BBC reality show with his wife, Stacey Solomon.

Stacey, Joe and their family have been busy filming for the next series of their reality show, Stacey & Joe, which first started on the BBC last year.

The programme, which aired two series in 2025, sees the pair let the cameras into their beloved home, Pickle Cottage, to follow their lives as they document the highs and lows of life juggling work, play, parenting and their ever-growing menagerie of pets.

The BBC then confirmed in April that Stacey & Joe will be back with the Solomon-Swash’s for a third run. According to the broadcaster, “the series, which follows the warmth, chaos and humour of family life at Pickle Cottage, follows Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash as they juggle their busiest chapter yet.”

In an Instagram Story update at the end of last month, Stacey informed her millions of followers that she and Joe were busy filming for the show, specifically the pieces to camera in which they sit down together on the sofa and discuss what has been going on that day, or what the show is focusing on at that moment.

She explained how they had been filming those specific moments at her neighbour, Farmer Scott’s, and later shared a glimpse at the filming. Stacey posted a picture from behind the scenes, simply with a white heart emoji, hinting that the recording is still ongoing for the show’s much-anticipated return.

Now, Joe has confirmed that filming is still taking place, which comes as he continues to document the progress of his own fishing lake and glamping site.

Sharing a smiling snap to his Instagram Story of himself and a camera crew, the former EastEnders star also teased he had more filming ahead, as he wrote: “Lake meetings this morning, now filming with the @staceyandjoetv crew and then filming another show this evening – it’s a busy one!”

It comes after Stacey recently revealed the arrival of her and Joe’s new addition to their menagerie of pets at Pickle Cottage. Sharing a sweet video of the arrival of two ponies, and their children meeting them for the first time, the Loose Women star said: “We are officially Pony Foster Parents [crying face and horse emojis].

“Meet Thumbelina & Mermaid. They are two girls who were rescued by the incredible Redwings Horse Sanctuary. Thumbelina was seriously neglected when she was rescued by Redwings who saved her & mermaid’s owner could no longer look after her [single tear crying emoji]. So we are so grateful to be able to offer them a home. In the hope that they’re happy and want to stay forever one day.”

She continued: “We have a grass area sectioned off for them & also a dry area. Redwings will check in and visit us and give us all of the guidance we need to be the best pony parents for mermaid and Thumbelina. One of my dearest friends Lianne from the incredible Hopefield Animal sanctuary is going to be our Pony hand/extra pony Mumma. As we do not take rescuing animals lightly and want to be the absolute best foster parents we can be.”

They’re the YouTube power couple known for sharing every aspect of their lives, but for the past six months, Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, and Alfie Deyes have vanished almost entirely from social media.

They disappeared without a warning: no goodbye, no statement explaining their disappearance.

Yet fans maintained hope, pointing to Alfie’s sporadic Instagram posts as proof that the couple, who soared to fame as ‘vloggers’ in 2012, would return to their regularly scheduled programming.

However, signs are emerging that this may never happen.

I can reveal that Alfie, who has always shared his love for photography and filming, has even started selling his camera equipment on Vinted.

In recent days, the 32-year-old has uploaded Canon camera lenses to the second-hand marketplace. One was originally listed for £600 but the price has already been dropped to £550. It retails for £2,000 on the Canon website.

Another lens, the EF 70-200mm F/2.8 IS II USM, has been listed for £750. A third camera lens, a Samyang fisheye, which retails at around £275, is listed for £130 and was uploaded by Alfie four months ago.

His Vinted account now has more than 5,000 followers and has 154 positive reviews.

Fans have maintained hope that the couple, who soared to fame as ‘vloggers’ in 2012, will return to their regularly scheduled programming

Elsewhere, Zoe, 36, has been posting life updates to her private Instagram account, which only her close friends are allowed to follow – including her best friends and fellow influencers Mark Ferris and Jim Chapman.

While it is unknown what specific content she has shared on the page, @tigerlilyneverland, it seems she is not having a total social media detox, as some originally thought.

Many of Zoe’s loyal fans now say that the news of her private social media activity has come as a ‘slap in the face’.

‘What a slap in the face to all the loyal fans who have supported her for over a decade and who have bought the products she has released, liked the videos she has made, helped drive her engagement and thus increase her earnings via YouTube and Instagram for years,’ one wrote online.

‘She is more than entitled to step away, but when she decided to share her life online, build a community, and profit off that community, she does, in fact, owe them a brief explanation, or a few words. It’s just rude now.’

Over the past six months, I have contacted Zoe and Alfie’s manager, Maddie Chester, on several occasions to get answers for fans and to make sure the couple is well. Maddie has been with them for more than 12 years and has helped their careers flourish.

I have never received a response. In fact, there has been radio silence from the ‘Zalfie’ camp.

That hasn’t stopped the couple from continuing to profit from their business ventures, clothing line Future Self and journal brand Dear Sunday.

The products are still available to buy, and Alfie returned to social media with a one-off post on Zoe’s birthday in March with a discount code.

Alongside a picture of her three-tier cake, Alfie wrote: ‘To celebrate Zoe’s 36th Birthday, we’ve just put 36% off the entire DearSunday website!’

Again, fans were left disappointed that the couple are still trying to cash in on their followers despite not giving anything back.

Ahead of their disappearance from social media, the couple had been gradually reducing their online output, while becoming increasingly protective of their lives.

Some have speculated that Zoe’s disappearance is linked to her children.

Her eldest started school last September, and the couple have spoken openly about limiting her online exposure to protect her privacy now that she’s of school age.

Others were concerned that different issues were behind the couple’s absence. But there have since been sightings that suggest things are well.

Zoella fans have posted about bumping into Zoe and Alfie in their hometown of Brighton.

‘I saw her and the girls at our village fete last weekend. She looked happy, enjoying normal family life,’ one wrote online.

Zoe and Alfie were also pictured on an outing with Zoe’s brother and Strictly Come Dancing star Joe and his partner Dianne Buswell – whom he met on the ballroom competition – shortly after the arrival of their baby boy, Bowden, in March.

Many of Zoe’s loyal fans now say that the news of her private social media activity has come as a ‘slap in the face’

Zoe joins Dianne Buswell and Joe Sugg on a family walk in Sussex with the Strictly couple’s new baby Bowden back in March this year

Elsewhere, behind the scenes, the couple have become embroiled in a bitter countryside row after creating a new home for two donkeys behind their £2million Sussex mansion without planning permission.

They have rankled some of their well-heeled neighbours after three shepherd’s huts, fencing and gates were installed on a five-acre agricultural plot in the affluent village of Hassocks.

Work on the project – which includes a stable built for Zoe’s adopted animals and new access points to the field – started without planning permission being sought from the local council.

Objectors have now accused the social media star of failing to consult them over her plans and claim the development is harming the ‘character and charm of the area’.

Details of the dispute emerged in a belated planning application now submitted to Mid Sussex District Council by Zoe and Alfie.

It’s all a long way from the early days of Zoe’s career. She initially found an audience through blogging before turning to YouTube, where her videos documenting beauty products, shopping trips, house moves, and her personal life attracted millions of viewers.

At the peak of her online fame, she was one of the country’s most recognisable influencers and transformed her following into a multimillion-pound business empire.

She began dating Alfie in 2012 after he found success through his own YouTube channel, PointlessBlog.

The pair soon became one of the best-known couples to emerge from Britain’s ‘vlogging’ boom, building a combined following of more than 20million subscribers. They got engaged in September 2023 after more than a decade together and have two daughters, Ottilie and Novie.

For years, fans followed almost every major stage of their relationship, including their house moves, pregnancies, and family celebrations.

As someone who has followed Zalfie since those early days, I’d love to see the couple return to vlogging. However, I fear they have lost their passion for it.

And, besides, they would have a lot of making up to do with their followers.