Dragons’ Den is back on our screens with the remainder of series 23, and there have been some big changes to the line-up.

Two Dragons’ Den stars have been replaced, as the series returns to screens.

The business programme began airing its 23rd season earlier this year, with new episodes continuing on Thursday, August 20.

Following Sara Davies stepping back from the programme, and Touker Suleyman announcing his exit just weeks ago, two guest Dragons are entering the Den.

In tonight’s episode, Susie Ma and Jenna Meek join Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones and Steven Bartlett, marking a show first, reports Chronicle Live.

The BBC had teased: “A brand-new batch of ambitious entrepreneurs are facing a series first!

“With female Dragons outnumbering the males for the first time there’s a powershift in the Den, as queens of commerce Susie Ma and Jenna Meek return to join Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett.”

The series has previously seen the likes of Joe Wicks, Emma Grede and Trinny Woodall take on the role of guest Dragons, while Tinie Tempah and Gary Neville also feature this season.

Sara revealed she was stepping down from Dragons’ Den last year, after joining in 2019 as the youngest ever female Dragon.

She explained her plans to focus as CEO of Crafter’s Companion after taking up the position again, adding: “As well as filming an incredible show, being a Dragon requires so much dedication and time behind the scenes as you join the life of each business you invest in. It means seeing through your investment and committing to your part in that organisation. It’s so much more than a TV show.

“That’s why l’ve taken the decision to step away from the Den for now, to focus on my own business, which was my first baby! So I won’t be filming with the team this year for the next series.”

Meanwhile, Touker announced he was stepping back from the show just weeks ago, but confirmed he’d still be appearing in some episodes this season.

He said in his statement: “At 72, I find myself reflecting on what matters most. I am proud of every deal made, every pitch challenge, and every founder I had the honour of backing. But I firmly believe that great institutions must evolve, and it is time for new blood to take my seat in the Den and bring their own vision to this brilliant show.

“Fans of the series can still catch me in action one last time – my final episodes will be airing later this year.”

Dragons’ Den airs Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

In a cosmic u-turn, Jupiter and Venus forge an alliance. A comfortable and exciting energy has a significant prescence through the day ahead.

Cancer, Leo and Libra, your personality has its chance to shine. Embrace all your qualities, no matter how quirky.

Nothing runs too deeply today, which makes this a good chance to experiment, have fun and enjoy life. Nothing is permanent, and that’s freeing.

Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Friday August 21, 2026.

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To order your unique personal horoscope based on your time, date and place of birth, visit patrickarundell.com.

Aries

March 21 to April 20

A flamboyant link between the planet of relating Venus, and the planet of bubbly optimism Jupiter, has been to the fore this week, and it may have seem some upbeat interactions. As Venus moves to oppose the sensible Saturn, a more cautious vibe prevails. And whether in developing connections or on-going relationships things can feel more restrained.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

Your appreciation of quality is unlikely to change, but your decisions to purchase them, could take a rain check today. You can be in a thrifty mood, and keen to get maximum value. However, this can be a good thing, helping to ground all sorts of financial decisions, and introduce a stronger appreciation of what you have. Shared finances may though cause tensions.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

Even if you have found someone great fun recently, perhaps even very attractive, the sparkle may just seem to be muted today. This needn’t be terminal, more a slice of realism, which is what everyday relationships routinely possess. The Moon helps this however, bringing an appreciation that some detachment, and a chance to tune into other friendships, is helpful.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

The planets have been given you great encouragement to value your qualities, and where you’ve wanted, to pitch your talents to those in the know. Today you may prefer to hunker down and appreciate the more homely side of your situation. This could arouse a wider train of thought, about whether your work-life balance is as you’d like, and what is being compromised.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Leo

July 24 to August 23

Your personality power has been supercharged of late, but it’s always good to be watchful when things are powering along and today is a point in case. Something you say, which is perfectly fine, could just jar on another person, for no apparent reason. To handle this, just be that much more circumspect about how you say things but equally don’t disguise your vibe.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

Shared finances could throw up some differences of perspective. And it could be one of those situations where neither of you are wrong but just looking at the same scenario in a slightly different way. You are in a phase of the year, when your appreciation of the spiritual dimension can get stronger, or you feel more cautious and that could be informing your perspective.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Libra

September 24 to October 23

When Venus, your ruler is at home in your sign, as she now is, it really helps you to glow up and show what a class act you can be. Further, with such a powerful cluster of energies in the most social part of your chart, others have been aware of this. So why today might you feel a touch despondent Libra? Well, it could be because someone is more direct. If so keep the faith.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

With your worldly interactions receiving extra planetary support, relationships may not taken a back seat as such, just less your focus. However, the busyness you have experienced may seem to someone close like disinterest. Even if this may be unfair – given the wider circumstances, it can be the perfect time to step back from the demands and let them know you care.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

Is that sparkling friendship disguising a developing attraction? Well, the truth is Sagittarius, only you can decipher this. For today’s stars could see what seems like a flirty connection be confirmed as nothing more that banter, or the beginning of something deeper. However, you might want to be a little bit cautious if you do hope for more, as Venus and Saturn clash.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

With so much planetary emphasis around shared aims, deeper bonds and the bigger picture, you may have been looking at how you fit into wider plans. Today, Venus opposes Saturn, and this can bring a more realistic tone to ambitions or friendships. Don’t mistake a pause for a setback, as some things need time to develop fully, something you appreciate more than most.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

The current Leo emphasis has been shining a light on your relationships, and where you stand with important people. Today, you might become more aware of where effort is mutual, and where it is not. A more serious conversation may be useful, but don’t let a moment of reserve make you overlook where genuine affection has been gaining a foothold in your situation.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

Your daily routines, wellbeing and working patterns have been under a spotlight, and today as Venus and Saturn face off this suggests reviewing what is sustainable. You may need to be realistic about what you can give, especially if others have been relying on you rather too much of late. A little restructure now can help you to restore a better sense of balance.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

Check out the tarot horoscope reading for the month of August here.

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MORE: Daily horoscope August 20, 2026: Today’s predictions for your star sign

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The new national day following years of campianging from victims and survirors who have sought to raise awareness of the impacts of terrorism

The UK will hold its first ever national day to recognise and honour the victims and survivors of terrorism.

Hundreds of victims, survivors, bereaved families and, emergency responders will attend a ceremony in London on Friday to mark the new National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism. A two-minute silence will be observed at the ceremony.

It follows years of campaigning from victims and survivors who have sought to raise awareness of the impacts of terrorism.

The date, August 21, was chosen to coincide with the United Nations International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.

In the past 12 months the UK has suffered terror attacks at Heaton Park Synagogue and Golders Green in London.

The attack at Heaton Park on October 2 last year, saw terrorist Jihad Al Shamie, 35, drive his Kia Picanto into the gates of the synagogue, on Middleton Road in Crumpsall. He then began attacking people with a knife whilst wearing a fake suicide belt.

Worshippers Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, lost their lives, while Al Shamie was shot dead by armed police.

Next year will also see the 10th anniversaries of five terrorist attacks in the UK – including the Manchester Arena bombing which killed 22 people and injured hundreds of others.

Speaking ahead of National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “I am proud that we now have a national day to honour victims and survivors of terrorism.

“There is something remarkable about how we come together as a country in those darkest moments. As time passes, most people go back to their lives, but for those who lived through the trauma, there is no return to normality.

“Today matters because it says you are not alone. You have not been forgotten. This is a moment to remember the loved ones lost and anyone who has survived the very worst of humanity.”

Travis Frain OBE, was aged 19 when he was injured in the Westminster Bridge attack in 2017. mr Frain, who lives in Darwen, said: “I’m pleased to see this National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism come to fruition, after many hard years of campaigning.

“This should be a date when we come together as a country to remember those affected by terrorism and set our sights to the future, to understand how we can all play our part in preventing further radicalisation and defeating the spread of violent extremism. It is my hope that this event will be one that we can build on in the years to come, demonstrating clearly that the UK stands firm in the face of terrorism.”

Victoria Cummock, widow of John Cummock, who was killed in the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie in 1988, said: “We are profoundly grateful to the government for establishing this National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism, recognising the experiences of those affected by terror attacks both recent and historic.

“Each year, it will enable people across the country to gather in solidarity and fraternity to give voice to the hundreds killed, remember their loved ones, and recognise the survivors and responders whose lives were forever changed.”

“We take comfort knowing the Support Hub will provide community-wide trauma-informed care, empowering us on our road to healing and recovery. Together we can turn trauma into positive purpose and leave a legacy that teaches the world a lesson in humanity.”

A support hub for victims and survivors of terrorism was launched earlier this year. The Hub provides specialist, trauma-informed support for anyone affected by a terrorist incident and can be accessed here.

Terry Dyson, a key member of Bill Nicholson’s all-conquering team of the early 1960s, was born in Malton and attended the town’s secondary school.

Famously small in stature at 5ft 3ins, he scored in the FA Cup Final as we clinched the ‘double’ of league championship and FA Cup in 1961 and produced arguably his best display in the 1963 European Cup Winners’ Cup Final, when he scored twice as we beat Atletico Madrid 5-1 to become the first British side to claim a European trophy.

Terry Dyson ducks under the FA Cup held aloft by skipper Danny Blanchflower and fellow goalscorer Bobby Smith after the 1961 FA Cup Final

Terry also remains the only Spurs player to score a hat-trick in the north London derby.

Born in Malton, on 29 November, 1934, the son of jockey ‘Ginger’ Dyson, Terry was invited for a trial after a Spurs scout watched him score five goals for the Army in a match against the Guards. He joined us as an amateur in December, 1954 before signing professional forms in April, 1955.

Posting on the Tottenham website, the club said: “Terry went on to spend 10 successful years at White Hart Lane. Famed for his tenacious nature and fierce competitive spirit, he spent his early days as understudy to George Robb and Terry Medwin before Cliff Jones’ arrival in 1958 would appear to limit his chances again but, despite interest from other clubs, Bill kept him at Spurs and it paid dividends.

Terry Dyson pictured with the Cup Winners’ Cup trophy in 2013 – 50 years after the final

Playing mainly down the left flank, with Cliff on the right of a formidable forward line, Terry started 47 of our 49 matches in the double season, weighing in with an impressive 17 goals (12 in the league, five in the FA Cup) and none more important than his diving header in the FA Cup Final against Leicester City, where our 2-0 win saw us become the first team to clinch the league and FA Cup ‘double’ in the 20th century.

His most famous moment in a white shirt arrived two years later, when he scored twice as we became the first British team to win a European trophy with a 5-1 demolition of Atletico Madrid in the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

His team-mate and fellow goalscorer in the 1961 FA Cup Final, striker Bobby Smith, said to Terry afterwards, ‘you better retire now, you’ll never play better’.

Terry Dyson and fellow goalscorer Bobby Smith after the 1961 FA Cup Final

Terry stayed for another two years, taking his total of appearances in all competitions to 209, scoring a superb tally of 55 goals.

From Spurs, Terry moved to Fulham in May, 1965 and had spells at Colchester, Guildford City and Wealdstone before managerial stints at Kingsbury, Wingate, Dagenham – where he won the FA Trophy in 1980 – Boreham Wood, Ruislip and Kingsbury Town.

He was then a referee’s observer for the Premier Academy League for a spell from 1999, when he was a regular visitor to matches at our former training ground, Spurs Lodge.

A true Spurs great, we would like to send our condolences to Terry’s family and friends at this sad time.”

Terry Dyson pictured with double team-mates Cliff Jones and Terry Medwin in 2021

Tottenham’s 1961 double-winner Terry Dyson was born in Malton and attended the town’s

The Premier League club confirmed Dyson’s death on Thursday and paid tribute to their former winger, who made 209 appearances and scored 55 goals for Spurs across a 10-year spell.

Dyson was a key figure in Bill Nicholson’s 1960-61 side who were the first English team in the 20th century to achieve a First Division and FA Cup double, but one of his finest moments occurred two years later when he scored a brace in a 5-1 victory over Atletico Madrid to secure European Cup Winners’ Cup success.

“The club is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of our former player Terry Dyson at the age of 91,” a Tottenham statement read.

“Terry was a key part of our double-winning side in 1961, scoring in the FA Cup Final. He also scored twice in the 1963 European Cup Winners’ Cup Final. He made 209 appearances in all competitions, scoring 55 goals.

“Our deepest condolences are with Terry’s family and friends at this incredibly sad time.”

Dyson played for Fulham, Colchester and Guildford after a distinguished spell at Spurs.

Yorkshire-born Dyson remains the only Tottenham player to score a hat-trick against fierce rivals Arsenal, which he achieved at the start of the 1961-62 campaign.

Back in 2020, Dyson told the Press Association: “One of them hit my hand. It bounced up, hit my hand and I lashed it in and the Arsenal players went mad.

“They ran after the referee but he never saw it. I didn’t do it deliberately but it hit my hand and I just lashed it in.

“To get a hat-trick was brilliant and nobody has done it since. There was a header, a left foot and a right foot. It was perfect!”

Dyson celebrated with “a few drinks” and also received small praise from perfectionist Nicholson.

“His praise wasn’t brilliant, he didn’t throw it out willy-nilly, but he said well done and I was like ‘oh thanks Bill!’ We went out that night and had a few drinks, so it was good,” Dyson said six years ago.

“It is amazing, you don’t think of it at the time but it has gone down in history.”

Friday’s Inbox is unsure whether to buy a Switch 2 before the price rise, as a reader looks forwards to The Duskbloods network test.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Doomed behaviour
I am legit shocked at what is going on with these GTA 6 leaks and the idea they’ve got a copy of the game. I assume it’s going to turn out the leakers/hackers were just a bunch of teenage kids, but they are so beyond screwed I really feel bad for them. Rockstar is going to come down on them like a ton of bricks. The fact that they’re trying to make money out of it too, with the poll for what’s next, is going to make things even worse, from a legal point of view.

These kids are going to jail for a long time, and all just so they can reveal that GTA 6 has basketball in it two weeks before it’s officially announced. In answer to yesterday’s Inbox, yes online fans are too negative. But they also have such a skewed view of the world that it’s doing them real harm.

The hackers have just ruined their lives, forever, but they’re encouraged by legions of conspiracy theory loving ‘fans’ that egg on leakers and who care more about spoiling every little thing about a game before it comes out than they do about playing it. Like GC said in their Wolverine preview, it’s not healthy, and it’s only getting worse.
Colm

Executive power
I doubt anyone is surprised by this EA exec mocking people that are going to lose their jobs but it’s the mix of evil and incompetence, in so many positions of power nowadays, that gets me. I can guarantee you I won’t be buying a single EA game anymore though. I don’t care how good that Star Wars game looks, and it does look very good, because I wouldn’t even dream of giving EA money now.

The problem is, because their sports games are so popular, that it doesn’t matter what I do. It doesn’t even matter if there’s a lot of people like me, because there’s far, far more people that won’t care/don’t know and just want to play their football games.

As the saying goes: ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ We’re only talking video games and yet we’re also talking about thousands of people’s jobs and terrible people getting even richer and more powerful. It’s no good.
Taylor Moon

Game of the half year
I’ve just finished 007 First Light and want to say what an amazing game it is. I enjoyed every single thing about it and found it to be pretty much flawless, and I wouldn’t normally say I was a big Bond fan or anything.

The story, the acting, the graphics, the action, the stealth, everything is top notch. IO Interactive should feel very proud of themselves for what they’ve made. I just feel sorry for it being released this year because it’s never going to win Game of the Year with GTA 6 coming out.

Maybe it never would’ve, because I think some people just assumed it’d be bad, because it’s a licensed game, but I promise you it is top notch. Hopefully we’ll get a sequel, but it’ll have to be going some to beat this.
Korey

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Beneath the wrapping
I watched the leaked Grand Theft Auto 6 footage, but only for about a minute. Doing this felt like illicitly peeking at a present before I’d received it. With regards to all of these leaks and previews and trailers, I can’t help but think that they threaten to dilute the launch day experience, not just for GTA 6 but for any game.

People, myself included, should learn to wait and ignore the hype. Keeping yourself in the dark about a highly anticipated game makes the experience of playing and exploring its world so much better.

On a tangential point, I purposefully don’t watch trailers for films that I know I’m going to see. Movie trailers often spoil the best parts of the film that they’re promoting. By ignoring leaked footage/trailers for games we can keep launch days and first playthroughs special.
Michael Veal

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Make or break
I don’t think indie games have much to fear about being released at the same time as GTA 6. A £10 indie shooter, or whatever, is so completely different to GTA 6 it’s almost like they’re not both video games.

It’s the regular published games that are in more trouble, both this year and next. But who can really say? I think that GTA 6, and the vacuum it creates around it, will either kill off AA games just as they’re making a comeback or help them to succeed, as people ignore the more expensive AAA games. Either way it’s like the buzzing of flies to Rockstar.
Bitey

Pulling the trigger
Nice reminder on the Switch 2, it’s also worth pointing out that most retailers have been selling it under the £395 RRP for quite some time, usually around £375 or £380 (Argos and John Lewis come to mind). Not sure if that is to get rid of the old design stock before the EU remix comes in (the one to make the system more easily repairable in Europe?). I remember when the Mariko CPU ‘better battery’ revision of the OG Switch came in and retailers couldn’t shift the old model for love or money.

I haven’t pulled the trigger yet and had been waiting to find out more about the rumours over the new LCD screen. I’m one of those people who does see the ghosting in fast-paced titles, due to the low refresh rates (seriously I can’t unsee it when I tried it in-store and really irritates me, especially as I’d be using it exclusively as a handheld) and hoping the rumoured new panels would solve the issue and be coming with the EU revision. I don’t suppose there is any news on this? Or just accept the blur and save nearly £50.
Marc

GC: There’s been no new rumours in the last month. Knowing Nintendo’s usual MO it does seem inevitable, but it could still be a year or two away.

Things can only get better worse
Never mind console sales in July, what I worry about is what happens in December, when they’re down even when it’s Christmas and GTA 6 is out. People are already predicting that’s exactly what’s going to happen and given how expensive everything is now I don’t really doubt it.

The people buying GTA 6 are going to be people that already own a console. Basically all of them. But if even that doesn’t create a blip in console sales, then Sony is in real trouble (obviously Xbox is already dead). I think it’s madness they’re talking about the PlayStation 6 and some kind of hyper powerful console. No version of that plan makes any sense at all.
Benjy Dog

Corporate causalities
I’m not sure we should be cheering on for Fairgames to be cancelled, considering Sony is just going to end up shutting down the studio when they do, but it is hard not to want a line drawn under the whole live service nonsense.

How many have suffered for all that though? And I don’t mean gamers that have not had as many new games this gen as they expected. All those layoffs and yet the people that made the decisions, that thought they were going to have 12 live service games by 2026, none of them have been forced to pay for their mistakes.

Or maybe they have, maybe that’s why Jim Ryan left. And I guess we wouldn’t necessarily hear about the lower grade corpos, if they’ve been thrown out the window too.

What we do know is that millions of dollars have been spent, thousands of jobs have been lost, and the only one that was a hit is the game Sony didn’t even make and would’ve published anyway (Helldivers 2).

Have they really learnt anything? Will they go all in on the next fad and waste time and money before they realise that’s a waste of time too? I think we all know the answer to that.
Focus

Inbox also-rans
Curious to know if GC will be playing The Duskbloods network test this weekend? I can kind of, sort of understand why Nintendo are being secretive about the Zelda remake but why are they being secretive about this as well? Millions of people are going to be playing it this weekend but right now we know virtually nothing about.
Keef

GC: We have our codes ready to go, yes.

Just saw that Xbox has stopped reporting digital sales for its games now, in the US and Europe, so it’s now impossible to know exactly how well anything sells. Well, except that if you assume ‘almost nothing’ you probably won’t be wrong.
Randish

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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Are online video game fans too negative?

MORE: Games Inbox: How much disruption will GTA 6 launch cause?

MORE: Games Inbox: What is the best The Simpsons video game?

The victim needed hospital treatment

A disabled man suffered a seizure after being attacked in Stockport, police say.

Officers say they are investigating after the man, who is registered disabled, was punched and kicked several times in the alleged ‘serious assault.’

It happened at an unnamed venue on Nangreave Road, in the Heaviley area of the town, at around 11:30pm on Saturday, August 8.

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Greater Manchester Police (GMP) say the alleged attack resulted in a ‘small seizure’ and that the victim required hospital treatment.

They have now released three images of a man they would like to speak to.

In a post on their GMP Stockport Facebook page, the force said: “Following initial enquiries, officers have now released images of a man they would like to talk to, as it is believed he could help with their enquiries.

“We appreciate that the images are not the best quality, but hope someone can recognise the individual.”

Anyone with information is asked to call GMP on 101 or use the LiveChat service on their website. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident, which took place while temperatures hit 37C and a heat warning was in place, but have not arrested anyone

A five-year-old girl has tragically died after being left in a hot car under 37C heat, police have confirmed.

The child was sadly pronounced dead in hospital on Tuesday evening (August 18). She had been left inside the hot car for several hours, according to police in Texas.

Cops believe the little girl was left inside her family’s car when she returned home from school, but adults at the address on Redbird Drive in Garland did not realise the child was missing for several hours. When they found the girl unresponsive inside the car, they called emergency services at 8:20pm and started CPR, a statement from the police department said.

A spokesperson added: “First responders quickly arrived and continued lifesaving measures that family members had already begun. The child was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased.

“Officers began investigating the circumstances leading up to the child being located and learned that an adult family member had returned home from school with the five-year-old female child and the child’s sibling. The five-year-old was left inside the vehicle.

“After realising the five-year-old was missing, family members began searching for her and located her unresponsive inside the vehicle. Family members immediately began CPR and called 9-1-1 for assistance.”

Temperatures reached 37C (100F) on Tuesday afternoon, according to meteorological data. An excess heat warning was in place for the northern part of the state at the time.

Officials warned Texans to limit outdoor activity during the hottest part of the day, check on vulnerable neighbours, and stay hydrated. It will remain above 36C for several days to come, forecasts suggest.

Detectives are continuing to probe the child’s death, but no arrests or charges have been made at this stage. The spokesperson continued: “The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death remains active. At this time, no charges have been filed as investigators continue working to determine the complete sequence of events leading up to this tragic incident.

“As part of our standard procedures following a traumatic incident, community counseling services will be offered to the family.”

What jobs are most associated with deaths from radiation-related cancer? Surprisingly, the answer is cabin crew and pilots – ahead of nuclear technologists, whose work involves handling radioactive materials used in medical imaging and treatment.

That’s the finding of a new study that analysed more than 12.7 million death records from 2020 to 2024, covering more than 500 occupations. The researchers ranked the occupations by the proportion of deaths in which a radiation-related cancer was listed as a cause.

For the analysis, the researchers concentrated on cancers that previous research had suggested is associated with radiation, including breast cancer, leukaemia, brain tumours, prostate cancer and melanoma. About 6.9% of deaths among cabin crew and 6.7% among pilots were from these cancers.

The pattern was particularly interesting because it was not seen for cancers that were not considered radiation-related, nor among aircraft mechanics and engineers who spend their careers around aeroplanes but remain on the ground.

The obvious question is why working on an aircraft should expose anyone to much radiation at all. The answer has nothing to do with the aircraft itself. It comes from above it.

Cosmic radiation

The Earth is continuously struck by cosmic radiation, consisting primarily of extraordinarily energetic particles originating from outside the solar system. Many are thought to have been accelerated by violent events, such as exploding stars.

We are exposed to some of this radiation even while sitting at home, but there is an enormous difference between living at sea level and travelling at 35,000 feet.

As well as supplying the air we breathe, the atmosphere protects us from much of the radiation arriving from space. At ground level there is a huge mass of atmosphere above us, and cosmic particles must pass through it before reaching our bodies. During that journey, they collide repeatedly with atoms in the air and lose energy.

An airliner climbs above a substantial part of this protective blanket. At typical commercial aviation altitudes, measurements suggest that the radiation dose approximately doubles for each additional 1,830 metres, or 6,000 feet, of altitude. The metal skin of an aircraft provides comparatively little protection from these very energetic particles.

Altitude is only part of the story. The Earth has another remarkably effective radiation shield: its magnetic field.

Charged cosmic particles are deflected by this field, but the protection varies across the planet. It is greater near the equator and weaker towards the magnetic poles, which is why a long flight at high northern latitudes can produce a greater radiation dose than a similar flight nearer the equator.

Solar activity influences radiation levels too, meaning cosmic radiation exposure is not simply determined by how many hours someone spends in an aircraft. A short, relatively low-altitude flight near the equator is different from a long flight at 40,000 feet across the far north.

Measurements on commercial aircraft have found doses ranging from less than one microsievert on some flights to more than 60 microsieverts on others.

One calculation estimated an effective dose of about 67 microsieverts for a nine-hour flight from Athens to New York. These are small doses individually, but pilots and cabin crew repeat the exposure hundreds of times over many years.

That cumulative exposure is what makes cabin crew different from regular passengers.

The authors of the new study estimate that pilots and cabin crew receive around 3-6 millisieverts of cosmic radiation each year. Someone taking ten return cross-country flights annually in the US, by comparison, would receive around 0.4 millisieverts from flying. In other words, being an airline pilot or cabin crew is, from the point of view of radiation exposure, a genuine radiation occupation.

Why might that matter for cancer? Ionising radiation has enough energy to remove electrons from atoms and molecules. When that happens inside a cell, it can damage important biological molecules, including DNA.

Cells have sophisticated machinery for repairing DNA damage, and most damage is either successfully repaired or the damaged cell dies. Occasionally, however, the repair is imperfect and a mutation survives.

Cancer develops through the accumulation of such alterations in cells, which is why exposure to ionising radiation has long been known to increase cancer risk.

What about frequent flyers?

The new study doesn’t prove that cosmic radiation caused the cancers recorded among pilots and cabin crew.

The researchers knew people’s occupations from their death certificates, but not how many years they had spent flying, how many hours they flew each year, the routes and altitudes involved, or the radiation dose each individual had accumulated. There is nevertheless something intriguing about the pattern they found, and an interesting question is at what point a passenger becomes a genuinely frequent flyer.

Radiation does not know whether the person sitting in an aircraft is wearing a pilot’s uniform, serving drinks or answering emails. What matters is accumulated dose.

Someone taking dozens of long-haul flights each year, particularly on high-latitude routes, will inevitably receive more cosmic radiation than someone who flies twice a year.

There is no particular number of flights at which this suddenly becomes dangerous, and for most passengers cosmic radiation is not a reason to avoid flying. But for people whose lives involve exceptionally frequent long-haul travel, it is reasonable to recognise cosmic radiation as one of the less obvious consequences of spending so much time at altitude.

That is perhaps the clearest message from the new research. We usually think of radiation exposure as something associated with X-ray machines, nuclear reactors or radioactive materials, and therefore something that occurs in places where radiation is carefully controlled. But every passenger aircraft routinely enters a radiation environment quite different from the one in which we live on the ground.

For an occasional traveller, the additional exposure is small. For pilots and cabin crew, repeated flight after flight over an entire career, those small doses accumulate – and the new study suggests we should take that occupational exposure more seriously.

David Mitchell stars as puzzle-setter John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor in the hit BBC detective series returning for season two

Ludwig has returned for its second series, and devotees of the popular detective programme are delighted.

Featuring comedian David Mitchell as master puzzle-setter John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor and Anna Maxwell Martin as his sister-in-law Lucy, the British mystery drama has been hailed as the “ultimate comfort food” in a crime format.

Series two will continue from where the first concluded, with Ludwig now serving as a Crime Scene Consultant, collaborating with DCI Russell Carter (Dipo Ola) on ‘impossible’ crimes for the Cambridge Police Authority.

While the second series boasts an impressive ensemble cast, featuring guest appearances from Stephen Merchant and Sian Clifford, Cambridge, where the programme is both set and shot, assumes a significant role, reports Cambridgeshire Live.

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Discussing this, producer Georgie Fallon explained: “Cambridge, as a setting, is important to the show. We didn’t want to set it in London because so much is set in London, but Cambridge feels like a big enough, cosmopolitan enough city to justify the horrendous number of murders that they have there.”

“It’s also beautiful on camera and feels recognisable to viewers, but it hasn’t been seen loads. I think Cambridge has a nice mix of the beautiful old architecture, but also this really modern side with the science parks and all the research and that’s very interesting for us to set our world in.”

While lead actor David commented on Cambridge: “I went to university there, and I love it. You want people to enjoy slipping into this world like a pair of slippers, but with a dead body in them. Cambridge is obviously a great candidate for that.

“Inspector Morse is one of my favourite shows, but that was set in Oxford. That’s where people want to escape to in this kind of program. I think you’ve got to have a beautiful setting to juxtapose with the nature of the crimes.”

In a diary he maintained during Ludwig’s production, which he shared with Radio Times, the comedian also disclosed the challenges of shooting in Cambridge.

He noted: “Cambridge is an absolute nightmare to film in. It looks great, but you have to bring in a lot of vehicles full of lights and cameras and actors and make-up artists, and this city wasn’t built for traffic.

“So they set up a ‘unit base’ on the outskirts of Cambridge, and baffled drivers who don’t know the area try to negotiate their way through with the aid of Google Maps until they reach some bollards and a Cyclists Only sign and I say, ‘I can get out, I think I know the way from here.’”.

Executive producer Kenton Allen also discussed Cambridge’s significance. He remarked: “I think the setting is critical for any crime drama. When you think of Inspector Morse, you think of Oxford. When you think of Broadchurch, you think of the Dorset coast and the beach and cliff setting.

“I think Cambridge gives us another layer of specificity and a visual language. I think the more specific you can be about where you are, the stronger flavour your show can have.

“It’s a lot of period shows that feature Cambridge, but there’s not that much contemporary drama that’s been shot there. I think it feels fresh to a British audience.”

Series two of Ludwig will premiere on Thursday, August 20 at 9pm on BBC One. The first three episodes will drop on iPlayer at the same time.