It’s 2028 and you’re getting a taxi home from a night out. So far, so normal, the only difference is that this one is flying.
Advertisement
Sounds futuristic but it’s far from unrealistic according to Vertical Aerospace, which is aiming to have its taxis soaring across London’s skyline within two years.
Uber has slightly tempered its ambitions to 2030, although its partnership with Joby Aviation is set to bring flying taxis to Dubai already later this year.
What one of Joby Aviation’s electric flying taxis looks like (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)
Uber’s chief product officer Sachin Kansal revealed he would be ‘very disappointed’ if the 2030 milestone wasn’t hit.
‘London is going to be a very high priority market,’ he said.
‘We know our users (there) would love a feature like this, which will help them escape a lot of the traffic and be able to get from their home to the airport within a few minutes rather than hours.’
How fast would a flying taxi journey be?
Joby’s flying taxi could travel at up to 200mph, which could make journeys a fraction of a regular four-wheeled trip (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)
To put that in perspective, a 10-mile journey across central London could take as little as 10 minutes in a flying taxi – compared to in excess of 90 minutes during peak times.
‘To me, the number one advantage of being able to take that ride is time,’ Sachin explained.
Advertisement
Latest London news
To get the latest news from the capital, visit Metro’s London news hub.
‘Of course the aircraft itself is going to be an amazing experience, but being able to save an hour is going to be amazing.’
Advertisement
Joby’s electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) will launch like a helicopter before tilting forward to cruise like a plane to travel at speeds of up to 200mph.
It will carry a pilot and four passengers, cover up to 100 miles on full battery, which takes up to 10 minutes to charge from empty.
And it won’t be priced beyond the means of ordinary Londoners.
How much would flying Uber trip cost?
Fares would be comparable to Uber Exec, the premium tier of the Uber app. In central London, a 10-mile Uber Exec journey typically costs between £50 and £70 depending on traffic and demand.
Advertisement
The flying taxis are said to be quieter than traditional aircraft (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)
Like with Uber, customers will be able to book shared trips or an entire aircraft. They will travel via ‘vertiports’ — landing pads on rooftops, car parks, or repurposed helipads.
Under Uber’s model, passengers can take ‘stitched’ journeys where a car takes them to the ‘vertiports’ and another picks them up when they land for the final leg of their journey.
On top of this, they are significantly quieter than conventional aircraft. Joby claims their eVTOLs are around 55 decibels when flying overhead, roughly equivalent to a loud conversation in a restaurant.
So far, no infrastructure exists to accommodate eVTOLs – although not many ‘vertiports’ would be needed to serve London, according to Sachin.
‘My expectation would be that we would pick a few spots that give us enough coverage in the city as well as on the outskirts … which could be starting points,’ he said.
Advertisement
‘You just need a clearing to get enough angle to come in, you need enough space, and you need charging infrastructure. And all of that is very creative.’
What happens next with flying taxis in UK?
Joby is currently testing the taxis out in Dubai – which promises to be the guinea pig before the models expand to the US and then London.
Advertisement
Despite the ambitions, significant hurdles remain.
Before any commercial service can begin, aircraft must receive certification from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The regulator must approve their safety, and operators must secure licences covering pilot training, routes, and maintenance.
Advertisement
Local authorities could also block the building of ‘vertiports’, especially if locals raise concerns about issues like noise.
Jonathan Nicholson, from the CAA, said we were ‘very close’ to seeing flying taxis ‘as long as it is safe we will seek to enable it’.
But there are also broader concerns over public confidence.
Autonomous cars have yet to be rolled out on a large scale in the UK. Until this is normalised, it remains to be seen how popular self-flying taxis will be.
Advertisement
Until these hurdles are overcome, the dream of beating London traffic by air remains just that.
Would you travel in a flying taxi?
Stay up to date with the stories everybody’s talking about by signing up to Metro’s News Updates newsletter.
For London music journalists, the news that The Brits 2026 would take place in Manchester was both annoying and a relief. The fact it would be impossible to attend given working journalist wages and the cost of train travel – though I bet the guy from the Times had a lift – was frustrating but on the other hand, we were spared of having to spend the evening talking about how the record industry was better in the old days and trying to get into third tier afterparties.
Instead, this Brit Awards was about simply enjoying it on TV – and, it was a good one. A very good one. Here are the highs and a few lows:
High: Jack Whitehall as Host
Presenter Jack Whitehall during the Brit Awards 2026 at Co-op Live in Manchester (Doug Peters/PA)
Advertisement
PA Wire
Unlike the Baftas, the Brits have realised the most important thing is to have a good comedian host. After Roman Kemp demonstrated what can happen when your host is not a good comedian in 2024 – now that was a long night – the Brits have since returned to Whitehall (this was his sixth time) with winning results. Despite one Mancunian interrupting grabbing his mic to call him a “nobhead”, this nobhead delivered at a laugh a minute as he milked the Manchester move for all it was worth. A couple of winning lines included him referring to the Brits move to Manchester and Oasis reforming making “a great year for Manchester drug dealers,” and reassuring viewers about bad language since they had, “the guy from the Baftas on beeping duties.”
High: Shaun Ryder and Bez
Shaun Ryder called Mani a ‘beautiful human being’ (Ian West/PA)
PA Wire
Advertisement
The night made sure to nod plentifully to the great sons of Manchester, or rather Madchester, which included a couple of priceless moments with the Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder and Bez, who, for reasons no-one would ask since it’s Bez, was dressed as a Tudor magician. After having earlier introduced them by saying they had “aged as well as service station flowers,” Whitehall sat down with him during one of his table walks for a suitably chaotic chat, which featured a awkward Aitch vs H joke (Ryder knew the latter, not the former) and then a pre-prepared stunt where Paddington’s legs were shown sticking out from the table, as if the poor bear had had another bad awards experience after the Baftas, which ended with an unprepared response from Ryder: “Me and Bez had sex with Paddington Bear.”
Low: Winners reading speeches off their phones
Wolf Alice accept the award for group of the year from Shaun Ryder and Bez during the Brit Awards 2026 (Doug Peters/PA)
PA Wire
Reading speeches off phones at the podium has been creeping into award ceremonies of late, and its immensely annoying. Not only does it undermine any humble notions of ‘surprise’ but it feels unconfident and, as Lola Young and Wolf Alice demonstrated at the Brits, leads to the temptation of writing a little essay that fails to register when its actually read out. If you want to raise awareness to small venues struggling – a very important cause Wolf Alice flagged – you don’t need to stick to a script, just speak from the heart.
Advertisement
High: Rosalia’s performance
The Spanish artist opted for an open back (Ian West/PA)
Her album, Lux, was a huge triumph last year, but you it feel was more talked about than listened to. Well, this performance delivered to the nation/ITV viewers exactly what Rosalia is all about with a track that started as opera, before a cameo by Bjork dressed as Squidward from Spongebob Squarepants cued a climax like a rave in an 18th century brothel. Probably one of the best performances in years. Even better than…
Low: Alex Warren and James Blunt
Apparently Alex Warren spent 12 weeks at number one with his song Honesty. The charts were never a sign of quality even in their heyday, but this seems to have been a reflection of the song appearing as background music to cat videos. Anyway, a sign of its musical quality was signified by the fact James Blunt (dressed as Noel Coward) accompanied Warren (dressed as a middle manager at a Bond-themed company party) on piano.
Advertisement
The Godlike Irish superstar CMAT backed up a nice red carpet appearance in which she dismissed Radiohead and Wim Winders’ notions that art shouldn’t be political – “Everything is politics… you don’t get to make art in a fascist state” – and as Rosalia beat her to International Artist of the Year, the camera took to her breaking the usual gracious Losers face rules by mock sobbing to hilarious effect. Next year, CMAT, next year…
High: Harry Styles’ trousers
Harry Styles performs during the Brit Awards 2026 at Co-op Live, Manchester (Doug Peters/PA)
PA Wire
Harry Styles performed his new single Aperture, which was a little Coldplay-lite but enlivened by some excellently weird dancing that recalled Let’s Dance-era Bowie or any-era David Byrne. Best of all were Harry’s high-waisted trousers, which made him look like an 80s trainee bank manager, in a good way.
Advertisement
High: Olivia Dean winning everything
It’s always someone in particular’s night, and this was firmly Olivia Dean’s. While fellow Brit School grad Raye trumped her performance-wise on the night, Dean is just so likeable it felt feel-good every time she was on the stage. What are they feeding the kids at Brits School? It’s getting almost suspicious now.
High: Robbie Williams and Ozzy’s band
Robbie Williams will front a tribute to the late Black Sabbath frontman in Manchester (Ian West/PA)
PA Wire
Advertisement
The in memoriam section featured a tribute to Manchester son legend Mani (Tim Burgess giving a tribute in a pleasingly un-slick manner), before Robbie Williams fronted Ozzy Osbourne’s band for an exceptional version of No More Tears to pay tribute to the big man. Williams dialled it down for a surprisingly muscular performance which brought the fire down on what was a triumphant night for the North.
The world’s autocrats, from Vladimir Putin to Xi Jinping, will surely be sleeping a little less easy after the death of Iran’s supreme leader in an operation backed by Donald Trump.
But the US decision to go to war with Iran without any attempt to gain international consensus – or even the endorsement of Congress – sets a dangerous precedent for the unilateral use of force to achieve foreign policy goals, which could make the whole planet a lot less safe.
None of America’s Western allies, including the UK, will mourn the demise of Ali Khamenei, 86, who was killed by Israeli airstrikes against his compound in Tehran on Saturday at the start of a blitz of missiles and drones launched by the US and Israel.
Advertisement
Yet the move – which comes less than two months after US forces launched a deadly raid into Venezuela to capture its strongman ruler– further reduces the threshold for any country to deem it acceptable to lob bombs against another sovereign state to resolve a dispute.
“We are in an era of great power politics and this is what it looks like,” Rob Johnson, the head of the Changing Character of War Centre at Oxford University, told me.
The consequences of Mr Trump’s Iran gamble are still playing out.
But three things are already very clear.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Appointed for life, Khamenei led by divine right
Firstly, this intervention – especially as it will most likely not be condemned by the UK and other NATO allies, given they hate the Iranian regime almost as much as the US – will make it a lot harder for the West to criticise the legitimacy of similar attacks launched by their opponents.
For example, Mr Putin can now brush off as double standards the fiery condemnation by Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz of his full-scale invasion of Ukraineeven though there was no justification for the Russian attack against Volodymyr Zelensky’s government – in contrast to the demonstrable threat posed by the Iranian regime to its own people and the wider region.
President Xi of China will also be watching events in the Middle East closely and most likely drawing the conclusion that he now has a far freer hand to capture Taiwan by force.
Advertisement
At the same time, a second certainty that world leaders will understand with renewed clarity is the importance of military strength to shore up their survival.
Advertisement
Trump’s attack on Iran: Is this ‘America first’?
This is especially true for those who seek to defy whoever has the strongest armed forces – which for now at least is the US under Mr Trump.
It sets the stage for even greater militarisation of the world’s most powerful countries and the need for smaller and middling powers to club ever closer together – an observation made by Mr Merz at a major security conference in Munich last month.
Advertisement
Finally, and perhaps most profoundly, is the undeniable unravelling of a set of international rules that evolved from the ashes of the Second World War and are upheld by the United Nations to protect the sovereignty of all countries and the dignity of all people.
With Mr Trump establishing his own so-called “Board of Peace” to rival the UN, the old world order that has existed for decades has never seemed so challenged.
As for what comes next in Iran, it is very hard to predict.
How the Iran attacks unfolded
Advertisement
The regime is reeling from the loss of its leader and has vowed its largest ever retaliation, though Mr Trump says the response so far – with Iranian missiles and drones fired against Israel as well as Gulf states where US forces are based – is weaker than anticipated.
The US president, who likes the simplicity of bold statements, is already able to portray the mission as having achieved success following the killing of Khamenei.
But Iran’s fate is not a short, self-contained, made-for-social-media news story.
As history shows, there is huge peril in any foreign intervention and the consequences of the United States decapitating the Iranian regime will only truly be understood over time.
The top airline has issued a crucial update for travellers on the unfolding situation in the UAE
Thousands of holidaymakers have been left stranded after aviation giant Emirates cancelled all flights in and out of Dubai on Saturday, owing to the escalating situation in Iran and across the Middle East.
Advertisement
The airline issued a “red alert” suspension set to last until at least 3pm local time on Sunday, pointing to a series of regional airspace closures that have rendered the skies effectively off-limits. The carrier is “actively monitoring” the high-stakes situation as authorities race to manage the deepening crisis.
Whilst safety remains the “highest priority,” the move has triggered widespread travel chaos for those caught up in the turmoil.
The update follows confirmation from Iran’s state broadcaster that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the early hours of Sunday local time during US and Israeli airstrikes, reports the Express.
Advertisement
Emirates’ announcement comes as airlines operating across the Middle East grounded or rerouted flights en masse on Saturday in the aftermath of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
Iran retaliated by launching a series of strikes, targeting Israel and four Gulf Arab nations hosting US military bases — Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air were amongst airlines that reduced their flight schedules to Middle Eastern destinations, referencing safety considerations.
Emirates full statement on flights to and from Dubai
Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 3pm UAE time on Sunday, 1 March.
Advertisement
If you are booked to travel in the next 72 hours, your options are:.
– Rebook on an alternate flight. You can rebook on another flight to your intended destination up to 10 days from your original date of travel.
If you booked your flight with a travel agent, please contact them. If you booked with us directly, contact us.
– Request for refund. You can request for a refund of your ticket by completing the refund form if you booked with us directly.
Advertisement
If you booked your flights with a travel agent, please contact them.
We urge all customers to check flight status before proceeding to the airport.
Customers impacted by flight cancellations must contact their travel agency for rebooking. If booked directly with Emirates, please contact us.
Customers are requested to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting http://emirat.es/managebooking to receive updates We are actively monitoring the situation and engaging with relevant authorities. We apologise to customers affected by disruptions for any inconvenience caused.
Advertisement
The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.
UK Foreign Office issues advice for Britons trapped in Dubai
For any Britons currently in the UAE, the Foreign Office released fresh guidance overnight.
Those already in the UAE are being urged to register their presence with the UK government in order to receive further updates as events continue to develop across the Middle East.
“Due to reported missile attacks, British nationals in the UAE should immediately shelter in place. Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities.”
Advertisement
The FCDO further advised that British nationals in the UAE should take sensible precautions, taking into account their own personal circumstances.
– Read the UK Government’s fact sheet If you’re affected by a crisis abroad. This includes guidance on how to prepare for a crisis with suggestions on what you might include in your emergency supplies and what to do in a crisis.
– Follow advice from the local authorities and sign up to receive information and alerts. Read the FDCO fact sheet: National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority’s guidance across numerous emergencies.
– Sign up to FCDO Travel Advice to get email notifications on updates as they happen.
Advertisement
Want to see more of the stories you love from Belfast Live? Making us your preferred source on Googlemeans you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Belfast Live as a preferred source, simply click here.
Giving the first UK Government response to Mr Khamenei’s death, Mr Healey told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “I think few people will mourn the Ayatollah’s death, not least the family and friends of those thousands of young protesters murdered on the streets of Iranian cities.
Thick black plumes of smoke continued to rise from the Jebel Ali port area, where one of the berths caught fire earlier on Sunday because of debris from an aerial interception of a missile.
Two people were also injured in Dubai after shrapnel from drones fell on two houses when they were intercepted, a Dubai Media Office statement said.
Advertisement
A plume of smoke rises from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai on March 1, 2026. (AFP via Getty Images)
Iran has said that it would target US bases in the region, but it has hit a range of other targets across Gulf cities.
Dubai’s international airport, its landmark Burj Al Arab hotel, and man-made Palm Jumeirah Island have all suffered damage.
The Dubai Media Office said in a statement on Sunday morning: “Authorities confirmed that debris from drones intercepted by air defences fell in the courtyards of two homes in Dubai, resulting in two injuries.
Advertisement
This video grab taken from UGC images posted on social media on February 28, 2026, shows smoke and flames rising from Dubai’s landmark The Palm archipelago, as Iran carried out retaliatory strikes in the Gulf following US and Israeli attacks. (UGC/ANONYMOUS/AFP via Getty Imag)
“The injured have received the necessary medical care. Authorities also clarified that the sounds heard across the emirate were the result of successful interception operations”.
Debris from a drone ignited a fire at Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab hotel on Saturday. Authorities said the fire had been limited to the hotel’s outer facade and that no injuries were reported.
Four people were injured after an incident at Dubai International Airport and the terminals were cleared of passengers.
Advertisement
A yacht sails past a plume of smoke rising from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai on March 1, 2026. (AFP via Getty Images)
UK ambassador to the UAE, Edward Hobart, told British nationals to shelter in place on Sunday. In a video posted to social media on Sunday morning, he acknowledged: “I know many of you will have had disturbed nights, woken up to noises and alerts. It’s been a really difficult 24 hours. There’s been hundred of missile and drone attacks over Abu Dhabi and Dubai which have been intercepted”.
Mr Hobart added that he was very grateful for the “swift actions” of the UAE defence forces.
Advertisement
Motorists drive past a plume of smoke rising from a reported Iranian strike in the industrial district of Doha on March 1, 2026. (AFP via Getty Images)
Israel said that it had launched another wave of attacks on Iran on Sunday, while US president Donald Trump warned of consequences for retaliation.
Mr Trump warned in a post on Truth Social that Iran “better not” attack further on Sunday, saying: “If they do, we will hit them with a force that has never been seen before!”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an air strike yesterday, Iranian state media confirmed. Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, said a temporary leadership council would be set up.
Air raid sirens sounded repeatedly across Israel early on Sunday, with a series of explosions heard in Tel Aviv as Israel’s sophisticated air defence system sought to intercept the latest Iranian offensive.
Other criminals jailed in February include a drug dealer who dragged a woman out of her car.
A man who left a woman with a fractured cheek bone and a lorry driver who caused a major crash are among those criminals who were jailed in February. The second month of the year has been a busy one for Cambridgeshire courts.
Advertisement
Among the people jailed is a man who left a 14-year-old girl “broken”, after sending her an explicit photo, and also a drug dealer. Here are five of the worst criminals sent to prison in February.
Mark Broom
Mark Broom, 47, started talking to a 14-year-old girl in March 2024. The girl’s father found an explicit photograph on her phone of Broom, as he was talking to the victim on TikTok and WhatsApp.
The girl’s father contacted police and Broom’s phone was seized from him at his home in Hinchcliffe, Orton Goldhay in Peterborough. The chats revealed Broom told the girl he was 18, asked her what underwear she was wearing, and said he couldn’t wait to be with her.
Advertisement
The 47-year-old used a fake profile photo when talking to her. Broom admitted to one charge of sending a photograph of his genitals to cause alarm, distress, or humiliation in December.
He was sentenced to one year and seven months in prison at Huntingdon Law Courts on February 6. He was also made the subject of a seven-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to monitor any further offending.
Lee Holliday
Lee Holliday, 43, ran towards a woman’s car as she was driving out of the Westwood Centre in Peterborough on July 31, 2025 at around 1.30pm. The woman stopped when she realised Holliday was chasing her, thinking there was a problem with her car.
Holliday, formerly of Welland Road, Dogsthorpe, opened the back passenger door and got into the back and shouted “drive, drive, they’re chasing me”. The woman told him to get out, and Holliday did.
However, he opened the driver’s side door and tried to grab the keys and steering wheel. He then put his hands around the woman’s neck, tried to pull her out of the car and ripped her shirt and necklace.
Holliday was found guilty of common assault after a trial at Cambridge Crown Court on February 12. He was jailed for two years and five months, which included the activation of a two-year suspended sentence for supplying class A drugs.
Mindaugas Borisas
Mindaugas Borisas, 56, was driving a Mercedes lorry on the southbound carriageway of the A1 between Stibbington and Water Newton at around 4.25pm on July 30, 2025. He crashed into the back of a Skoda Octavia estate that stopped in traffic.
Advertisement
Another lorry, a blue Kia Cee’d estate, and a Mercedes Van were also then involved in the crash. Geoff Brock, 73, of Hillcrest in Bar Hill, who was driving the Skoda, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Borisas pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on February 16. He was handed a sentence of four years and nine months in prison. He was also banned from driving for 12 years and five months.
Kosta Dimitrov
Kosta Dimitrov, 36, kept pestering a woman and claimed to be in love with her before he attacked her on July 2 last year. The 38-year-old woman was sitting with friends in Baker Park, Westfield Road, when Dimitrov approached her from behind.
He kicked the victim several times in the head and then punched her. Her friends went to get help by telling a nearby couple who pulled Dimitrov away from the woman.
The friends fled and called the police when they were home, believing the victim had been killed. Emergency services attended and the woman was taken to hospital.
The victim could barely speak because of her injuries. On February 23, Dimitrov, formerly of Lincoln Road in Millfield, Peterborough, was found guilty of grievous bodily harm and jailed for six years.
Gavin Boot
Gavin Boot, 33, visited his former partner at her Peterborough home on August 17, 2025, less than a month after he was released from prison. The woman had a restraining order against her former partner, but Boot manipulated his way into her home. Boot discovered messages on the woman’s phone and this triggered a violent outburst.
Advertisement
Boot damaged part of the woman’s home, threatened her with violence and tried to stop her from leaving. The victim managed to leave and fled to her friend’s home.
While there, he made threatening text messages and calls, including one where he threatened to “execute” her. He continued to harass the woman, and even sent a video of himself outside her parents’ house.
After appearing at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court (acting as a crown court) on February 20, Boot, of no fixed address, admitted to sending communications threatening death or serious harm, criminal damage and making threats to kill. He was jailed for two years and eight months.
Jack Whitehall once again stepped out onto the BRIT Awards stage, but this time he was presenting the ceremony in Manchester
From his dig at Manchester to his mocking of Victoria Beckham, Jack Whitehall once again stepped out onto the BRIT Awards stage, but this time he was in new territory as the ceremony moved up north for the first time.
Advertisement
Launched in 1977, the BRIT Awards are the premier annual showcase of the UK music industry to celebrate the biggest musical achievements. Originally celebrating the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, they became a regular televised event in 1982.
But Saturday night’s (February 28) awards bash saw a multitude of stars descending on our very own city as Co-Op Live hosted the major music event.
And while the venue may be new, award-winning comedian, actor and presenter Jack was back on familiar turf for his sixth year hosting the BRITs as a former University of Manchester student.
Advertisement
But it didn’t take him long to comment on his surroundings after five years of presenting the ceremony in London and mid a number of moments being censored for broadcast on ITV and ITVX, here are some of the gags from the host on the star-studded night.
Jack Whitehall was missing Harry Styles
The awards ceremony kicked off with a sketch starring Jack, as he reminisced about missing the former One Direction star. In a montage of clips set to Styles’ number one debut single, Sign Of The Times, Whitehall was seen wondering where the singer was, poking fun at his lengthy break from music.
The former Bad Education actor was then seen looking at a corkboard which read: “Where is Harry?” The singer has kept a low profile since his Love On Tour run of gigs came to an end in 2023, but hit the headlines recently after a string of announcements surrounding the release of his long-awaited new record.
As the sketch continued, Jack was seen growing a beard, sporting long hair and looking dishevelled as he awaited Harry’s return, before wandering to the Manchester Co-Op Live arena where the awards ceremony was held. It ended with the comedian looking longingly at Harry’s dressing room door ahead of his performance which opened the ceremony.
Advertisement
He took aim at the ceremony being held in Manchester
To kick off the awards show, the comedian made a string of gags about the ceremony being held in Manchester for the first time in its almost-50 years. He said: “The Brit Awards has done what anyone in their 40s does, moved out of London.”
Referencing the venue, Manchester Co-Op Live arena, he joked: “As a Waitrose man, this is my first ever time in a Co-op.”
The comedian also spoke about Britpop group Oasis, who were formed in Manchester in the 1990s and are comprised of once-feuding brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, who reunited last summer after a 15-year split. He said: “Oasis reforming, and the Brits moving here. It really has been a remarkable year for Manchester’s drug dealers.”
Advertisement
He made digs at the Bafta controversy
As the ceremony got under way, Jack cracked a joke about the recent controversy at the Bafta film awards and the fact a racial slur was not edited out of the broadcast.
After Sam Fender and Olivia Dean collected the first award of the night, Whitehall warned that the ceremony could get a bit “raucous” but reassured viewers there was someone operating the bleep button. He joked: “It’s the guy who did the Baftas, he’s the best in the business. Nothing gets past him.”
A joke about Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham
Jack also cracked a joke about Lord Peter Mandelson, which was removed from ITV’s coverage of the ceremony. He said: “I’m down here, guys, at the tables, I’m in and amongst it, the Brit Awards is absolutely swarming with celebrities tonight.
Advertisement
“I think I saw Calvin Harris over there, who else have we got? Oh my God, it’s Andy Burnham, yes, legend, the only party he’s allowed into these days. And Lisa Nandy, this must be the politicians’ table, I wonder who else is here…”
Paddington had too much marmalade
Jack made another joke about the Bafta film awards last week – this time referencing Paddington Bear’s appearance at the ceremony. The beloved bear, who was appearing from the production currently being shown in the West End, strutted on the red carpet and presented an award at the Baftas.
Referencing this, the host joked: “We also invited Paddington Bear to give out an award tonight, like he did at the Baftas.” Speaking to Happy Mondays members Shaun Ryder and Mark Berry, professionally known as Bez, the comedian quipped: “Though I think it may have been a mistake putting him on your table this evening. He’s had a little too much marmalade.”
The camera then panned to reveal two bear legs wearing bright red wellington boots hanging out from underneath the table.
Advertisement
And a jab at Lady Victoria Beckham
Ahead of musician Mark Ronson’s performance during the ceremony, Jack made a jab at Lady Victoria Beckham. The Spice Girl and fashion designer hit the headlines since the start of the year after her eldest son Brooklyn claimed in a post on Instagram that his mother “hijacked” his first dance with his wife at his wedding and danced “inappropriately” on him.
Referencing this, Whitehall said: “It’s now time for a very special performance from a musical genius whose fingerprints have been over practically every hit album of the past two decades.” He added: “Manchester, prepare to throw shapes like you’re Victoria Beckham during a first dance – it’s Mark Ronson.”
The winger was an important part of the side that romped their way to the League One title in 2008
08:43, 01 Mar 2026Updated 08:43, 01 Mar 2026
Advertisement
You can feel the warmth in his voice as he reminisces about tormenting his former boss.
For Tommy Butler and his team-mates, drinking their way through the fine establishments of Wind Street was just as much a part of being a Swansea City player as stepping out and doing the business on a Saturday.
That’s despite the disapproval of Kenny Jackett, whose attempts to rein in his unruly, but largely talented rabble of a squad were doomed from the start.
“Kenny came in one day and just said he didn’t want us going out,” the former winger tells WalesOnline..
Advertisement
“He was just saying ‘it’s not good for you. You’re professional players. What are you doing? I’m here and you’re out two, three nights a week’.
Jackett, in a desperate attempt to try and keep his squad under control, tried to get his players to sign an agreement preventing them from going out.
Needless to say, his efforts were largely ignored.
“It probably didn’t help that probably 80% of us were single lads,” Butler says. “We’re all living in apartments around the city, so like again from a management point of view, it’s a nightmare. There was no way you were going to keep us all in, it’s just not going to happen.
Advertisement
“You’re just hoping that the lads will do the business on the pitch. And we did, in fairness.
“We could have been a lot better if we didn’t go out as much, but we’ve still done all right, you know what I mean?
“We were probably out two, three times a week. And we still smashed the league and did it in a really good way. That was when Swansea started to play the way we all know now.
“Looking back you think ‘what if I lived properly and I lived right and I ate clean’, but I always say Swansea was probably one of the most enjoyable times I had in my career.”
Advertisement
The move to south Wales was something of a second chance for the Irishman, who after making his breakthrough at Sunderland in the Premier League had been compared to the likes of Joe Cole.
But a string of injuries and the dismay of Peter Reid’s departure dented his progress, and at one point even left him wondering whether he still had a future in the game at all.
“You talk about mental health now, but you just didn’t know much about that back then,” he added.
“Looking back I probably just needed a bit of guidance. I was coming in every day, and I wasn’t looking forward to training.
Advertisement
“Howard Wilkinson was manager at the time and that was a probably big catalyst for me leaving because it was so boring. It was so daunting.
“We were in front of the screens all day. It was like being in a classroom, which I hated.
“I wasn’t enjoying training. I didn’t even bother coming to games because it was boring, a boring way of playing. I’m an out and out winger, and I wasn’t being utilised properly.
Advertisement
“I just needed to get out for a while, get as far away as possible and heal. But looking back I probably wasn’t emotionally astute enough to deal with it.”
Short spells at Dunfermline and Hartlepool followed, before a proposal from an ambitious League One club in south Wales came onto his radar.
Butler, like so many other prospective Swans signings over the years, fully admits he didn’t even really know where Swansea was.
But after taking a closer look, he saw a squad that he felt had the potential to achieve something special.
Advertisement
“They had good footballers down there,” he remembers. “Lads like Leon Britton, Leon Knight, Garry Monk, all these lads that have started up quite high in their careers and my agent felt they had the potential to go through the leagues.”
Despite giving him a hard time, Butler also has nothing but praise for his time with Jackett, whom he says brought out the best of him and his team-mates.
However, it was under Roberto Martinez he enjoyed his best spell as a player, although Butler and his team-mates weren’t initially convinced by the Spaniard’s methods.
“I remember Roberto did this talk. He just said, ‘lads the average number of passes per game in League One is around 180. We’re gonna be averaging 700, 800 passes a game. We’re gonna play fluid football, building from the back.
Advertisement
“We just looked at each other in disbelief thinking ‘does this bloke realise what league we’re in?’.
“We thought he’d be sacked after maybe five or six games.
“But Roberto knew the players he had and knew his coaching techniques could get the best out of us.”
Butler himself played 50 games in all competitions in that season, scoring six goals, as the club romped to promotion as champions.
Advertisement
“I always say to people that if I’d had Roberto when I was 18, 19, I definitely think I would have played a lot more games and had a better career.
“Not because the other managers weren’t good. i just think Roberto wouldn’t have allowed certain behaviours, especially from young players.”
That’s not to say Swansea’s drinking culture disappeared under the Spaniard’s watch, mind.
Advertisement
“He obviously didn’t like the fact that we drank alcohol, he said to us that it was bad and that it poisons the muscles and things like that.
“But, Trunds, obviously a brilliant character, he’d be standing up again and he’d be like, ‘no, no gaffer. I like a bevvy after a game, it relaxes me’, and you could tell by the manager’s face that he was just thinking ‘what am I dealing with here?’
Nevertheless, Martinez’s reign proved a roaring success, not just in terms of results, but also in laying down the foundations of what would later become the fabled ‘Swansea Way’.
But while the football was pretty, the sheer determination to win running through the squad often created a volatile atmosphere behind the scenes.
Advertisement
“We were fighting every day,” he chuckles.
“I don’t think that’s a bad thing at times is it? We were all such competitive lads and it would be rare for us to get through a week where there wouldn’t be a few scuffles in training.
“But then it was like ‘Oh sorry mate, didn’t really mean that. I just wanted to win’, and we’d get on with it.”
The welcome Butler gave Andrea Orlandi, who arrived as part of Martinez’s Spanish contingent in late 2007, perhaps summed it up.
Advertisement
On Orlandi’s very first day, Butler took it upon himself to give the club’s latest continental import an unforgettable welcome – by shooting him with a BB gun in the leg.
“It was almost beautiful,” he says. “All these new Spanish joined and they were all handsome lads and good footballers.
“So we were just laughing one day saying ‘lads, we can’t be having this. They’re good players and they’re all so beautiful as well’.
Advertisement
“We just felt some drastic measures were needed and we had a bit of a warped sense of humour as you can imagine.
“Andrea comes out with his hair slicked back and he’s coming out and looks great.
“I’m just thinking ‘no way. He could take my position this kid, look at him’.
“I don’t know how I hit him actually. He was a good distance away.
Advertisement
“He came up to me afterwards and he tried to fight me and I just said ‘look mate, this is normal around here. you’re going to have to get used to this’.
Promotion to the second tier brought about a more professional atmosphere, but there was still plenty of edge burning away in that dressing room.
What’s more, Orlandi was by no means the only figure to receive both barrels from the Irishman.
Just ask referee Mike Dean, who sent Butler off during a chaotic South Wales Derby with Cardiff City at Ninian Park.
Advertisement
The winger wasn’t even on the pitch, but flew off the handle after Dean gave a late penalty that would ultimately see Ross McCormack cancel out a young Joe Allen’s strike in an eventful 2-2 draw.
“It was just a soft penalty, especially in a derby,” he says.
“I was fuming. I just lost it. I think we would have gotten to the play-offs if we won that game. I think I’m not sure.
“I was there, red mist came down, and at the final whistle I stormed onto the pitch and went over to him.”
What followed was an astonishing 18-page wrap sheet, which was presented to Butler during a tense meeting with Martinez the following Monday.
“He just said to me ‘Tommy, a red card? How did you get a ******* red card you weren’t even on the ******* pitch.
“He called me into the office on Monday and pulled up the report from the FA.
Advertisement
“It was like a scroll.
“I could see Graeme Jones in the corner of my eye. He was holding his laugh in and Roberto was just like ‘Here is what Mike Dean has said about your red card in his report: ‘You are bottom of the ******* food chain. You’re a ******* disgrace. You are a joke. You’re a cheat. You’re a cheat. I hope you die’, and all this stuff.
“I was just thinking ‘holy ****’.
“Graeme Jones was looking at me and thinking ‘you’re a psychopath, there’s something not right with you’.”
Advertisement
Butler fully holds his hands up to his role in what was clearly one of the more unsavoury episodes of his career.
Luckily for him, the bond with Martinez just about remained unbroken, although the Spaniard would move on at the end of that season, with Paulo Sousa coming in.
Butler made just nine league starts under the new boss before Brendan Rodgers arrived, an appointment that would ultimately push the Swans to the brink of the big time.
However, not for the first time in his career, a serious injury in April 2010 would ultimately sabotage his hopes of playing any part in what was arguably Swansea’s finest hour.
Advertisement
“I had a hip flexor rupture, which I would eventually retire from,” he remembers.
“I said to Brendan, ‘look I’m close to getting fit’, this was the summer I first met him and he actually gave me an extra year on my contract.
“I was never going to play for him with the injury, but it was a sign of a brilliant human.
“He pulled me into the office, and just said ‘I think you’ve had a hard time with injuries. But I know about you, I spoke to people about you. I’m going to give a year to just use as a way to get fit. You’re not going to get fit for me. But you should be fit and ready for another team then to try and I want to see you do well’.
Advertisement
“I always think I was very lucky to have managers like Brendan and Roberto. If I’d had other managers I probably would have retired at around 24, 25.
Butler would never play another minute for the Swans, and despite short stints in non-league, his professional days were over.
“Every time I came back, the surgeon said, look, because you’re 31 your body won’t heal as quick. It won’t heal like a 21-year-old.
Advertisement
“He said ‘given the trauma you’ve sustained in that area you’re just going to have to have a real sit down and think about health now. Forget about football and think about your health.
“It was obviously disheartening because you’re only 31. But every time I tried to do certain kind of manoeuvres on a pitch, it just didn’t work, you know.”
After a brief spell working as an agent, Butler’s now studying for a Masters in sports performance at Northumbria University, which he supplements with a bit of coaching.
Having made his breakthrough in the Premier League, he admits there’s some disappointment at not tasting the the top flight again, although looking back there’s also an acceptance that some of the vices during his playing days may have been a factor.
Advertisement
“I think around 80% of the injuries were probably my own fault. When you look back, you think, you know what, was I really getting the right sleep in? Was I really eating the right foods? Was I hydrating properly?
“Probably the most of the time, the answer was no.
“But I met so many brilliant characters, especially down at Swansea.
“They were some of the best people I’ve ever met. It’s testament today that I’m still in WhatsApp groups with most of them now. That’s a rare thing in football.
Flights to the Middle East have been cancelled or diverted in the wake of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
08:37, 01 Mar 2026Updated 08:43, 01 Mar 2026
Tonnes of holidaymakers have been left trapped after Emirates Airlines axed all flights in and out of Dubai on Saturday following the US and Israel’s joint missile attack on Iran.
Multiple regional airspace closures were triggered over Dubai due to the ongoing situation in Iran and the Middle East. Emirates hit travellers with a “red alert” suspension lasting until at least 3pm local time Monday.
The carrier is “actively monitoring” the high-stakes situation as authorities scramble to manage the unfolding crisis. While safety remains the “highest priority,” the move has sparked travel mayhem for those caught in the crossfire.
Advertisement
Airlines serving the Middle East cancelled or diverted a large number of flights on Saturday in the wake of US and Israeli airstrikes against on Iran. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air were among carriers to scale back their schedules to destinations in the Middle East, citing safety concerns, reports the Mirror.
Taking to X an Emirates spokesperson said: “Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai, up until 1500hrs UAE time on Monday, March 2. If you are booked to travel before or on March 5, your options are:
“Rebook on an alternate flight. You can rebook on another flight to your intended destination up to 10 days from your original date of travel. If you booked your flight with a travel agent, please contact them. If you booked with us directly, contact us.
Advertisement
“Request for refund. You can request for a refund of your ticket by completing the refund form if you booked with us directly. If you booked your flights with a travel agent, please contact them. We urge all customers to check flight status before proceeding to the airport. Customers impacted by flight cancellations must contact their travel agency for rebooking.
“If booked directly with Emirates, please contact us. Customers are requested to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting http://emirat.es/managebooking to receive updates.
“We are actively monitoring the situation and engaging with relevant authorities. We apologise to customers affected by disruptions for any inconvenience caused. The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.”
Advertisement
The update comes in the wake of confirmation from Iran’s state broadcaster that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the early hours Sunday local time in US and Israeli airstrikes.
Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.
“In this context, is bombing Iran going to improve the lives of Iranians or provide more stability and peace? The answer to both these questions is no – instead more innocent people will die, hatred will spread like cancer and all of us will ultimately be less secure.”
Donald Trump infamously accused Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky of “gambling with World War III” in an Oval Office confrontation. But the US president is arguably now doing exactly that by partnering with Israel to launch deadly strikes on Iran.
Advertisement
He and Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to initiate the pathetically named Operation Epic Fury in the middle of negotiations marks a grave and destabilising turn in an already volatile region. More than 50 schoolgirls killed in a missile strike are reported to be just some of the victims of America and Israel’s fury.
Meanwhile the conflict has already spread with retaliatory strikes on Dubai, Doha, Bahrain and Kuwait where the US has military bases. It is not remotely an overreaction to fear this conflict could flare into a full scale regional war and then spread.
Nobody wants Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, and there should be no love lost for its authoritarian theocratic regime which has killed thousands. But it is worth recalling the underlying facts. Iran does not possess a nuclear weapon despite its programme to acquire one having advanced in troubling ways.
By contrast Israel is widely reported to maintain an undeclared nuclear arsenal despite having never signed the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran was also at the negotiating table and clearly desperate to avoid conflict with the US and its closest ally at the time it was attacked.
Advertisement
The war appears clearly to be illegal under international law. No UN resolution supporting it exists and it would be preposterous to argue that an attack from Iran was imminent.
Advertisement
There are legitimate concerns over Iran’s support for groups such as Hamas, who carried out the horrific October 7 attacks, killing more than 1200 Israelis.
Israel meanwhile has chosen to launch military strikes on a number of its neighbours in recent years. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza, where tens of thousands of civilians have died.
In this context, is bombing Iran going to improve the lives of Iranians or provide more stability and peace? The answer to both these questions is no – instead more innocent people will die, hatred will spread like cancer and all of us will ultimately be less secure.
Operation Epic Fury, like so many misadventures in the Middle East, feels destined to become Operation Epic Folly.
Advertisement
Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.
