We wrote earlier this summer about the decline of wasps in our homes and gardens – and now, similarly, we are wondering where all the bugs have gone from our windshields?

Here’s what you need to know…

A survey called Bugs Matter by Buglife was conducted between 2021-2025. People were asked to clean their car number plates before a journey, take a photo of the plate and then take another afterwards, as well as counting the number of bugs killed.

The survey found that in this period of time, the number of flying insects had declined by 60%. Analysis of records from more than 25,000 journeys showed an annual average decline in bug splats of 19% since the survey began in 2021.

This may seem like good news – after all, who wants dead bugs all over their cars? But it’s a real cause for concern, not just for bug populations but for the planet as we know it.

This isn’t just a UK problem, either. We are losing insects at unprecedented rates around the world according to Earth.org.

Writing for The Conversation, Senior Lecturer in Zoology Alex Dittrich, said the decline stems from a range of factors, from habitat loss to disease pollution and pesticides.

Dittrich said: “Agriculture is a major concern as land is turned over to farming as it may remove existing habitats – essentially removing some insects homes – but agrichemicals such as pesticides, designed to kill agricultural pest outbreaks, are also negatively affecting those non target insects that we want.”

Of course, much like the decline in wasps, climate change also plays a key role in this concerning decline.

Dittrich added that when the weather is hot, water availability becomes scarce, plants become more stressed and food availability drops for insects.

“In the same way that humans struggle in the heat, this is the same case for other animals,” said the expert.

On their website, Buglife suggested small steps can have a “huge impact” if everyone does their bit: “We can stop, and reverse the global declines in our insects, but only if everyone pulls together to do their part.”

In a guide to reversing insect decline, the charity outlines five steps people can take to improve insect population numbers. These include:

• Using alternatives to peat in your garden
• Eliminating or at least reducing your use of pesticides in the garden
• Letting your grass grow longer and sowing wildflowers: “If every garden had a little patch for insects collectively it would probably be the biggest area of wildlife habitat in the world.”
• Reducing your use of fossil fuels by driving and flying less
• Avoiding import plants.

Many of us – especially those prone to period or chronic pain – will have experienced that familiar mottled rash from using a hot water bottle on repeat.

But when a tween boy began to experience a similar mark on his abdomen, without the use of hot water bottles or heated pads, doctors were perplexed.

The rash was accompanied by bruising, which he’d had for a week – and neither the boy nor his parents could think of a likely trigger, according to the online journal BMJ Case Reports

He was initially suspected of having a liver injury, but his blood test results and abdominal scans came back normal and he was discharged.

Two weeks later, the boy turned up at hospital again. This time, his rash had progressed, was more tender to the touch and some of the skin was peeling away.

He was asked more about what he’d been doing and revealed he was home-schooled and routinely used a laptop for educational activities, resting it on his abdomen for up to eight hours a day – often while charging it.

Doctors swiftly realised he had erythema ab igne, also known as toasted skin syndrome, which occurs when the same patch of skin is repeatedly exposed to a low-grade heat source over a long period of time.

The issue can cause skin discolouration and burning sensations. Doctors are concerned it is on the rise in children due to electronic device usage.

The boy was told to stop resting his laptop on his body and a consultation with his dad several months later indicated that the condition had gradually improved and the rash had disappeared.

The report’s authors said: “The increasing use of electronic devices, particularly during home schooling, has emerged as an under-recognised cause of [erythema ab igne] in paediatric populations.”

Usually the condition clears up when the heat source is removed, but in rare cases, “chronic exposure may result in persistent pigmentation or, in longstanding cases, malignant transformation,” they warned.

Per Healthline, toasted skin syndrome can be serious – it’s been linked to cancers such as squamous cell carcinoma and cutaneous lymphoma.

The site suggests children could also be at an increased risk of toasted skin syndrome as “their skin is generally more sensitive than adults”.

To reduce the risk, ensure children and teens use a desk, thick pillow or lap desk to pop their devices on, so they’re not resting directly on their skin or clothes.

A major air traffic control issue left almost two thousand flights cancelled yesterday in the UK, per data from analytics company Cirium.

National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said the technical problem has since been resolved, however further disruption is expected today. It serves 15 UK airports including Heathrow, Newcastle, Manchester, Gatwick and Stansted.

NATS boss Martin Rolfe apologised for the issue, saying there’ll be a full investigation into what happened.

People have been left sleeping on airport floors, with nearby hotels being booked up immediately after the chaos began to unfold.

Airline bosses have called for “urgent reform” over the issue. Wizz Air UK’s boss Yvonne Moynihan pointed out to Sky News it’s the third summer that passengers have been affected by air traffic control problems.

Ryanair has called on Rolfe to quit as a result of the chaos, which it said disrupted over 65,000 of its passengers.

As on the time of writing, the following airports had shared updates on their websites or social media:

“A technical issue affecting NATS air traffic control services is causing disruption to some flight departures. As a result, some services operating to and from our airports may experience delays.

“We apologise for any inconvenience and advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest flight information before travelling.”

Belfast International Airport

“Flights are operating to schedule this morning however some delays can be expected as the day goes on. If you are due to travel please check your flight status with your airline.”

“Following yesterday’s nation-wide National Air Traffic Services (NATS) technical issue, flights are mostly back to normal with a small number of delays and cancellations. Customers should check the latest flight information with their airline.”

“Following technical issues affecting air traffic control services across parts of the UK yesterday, Cardiff Airport is operating as normal today.

“NATS has advised that work is continuing to assist airlines and airports with the recovery from yesterday’s disruption, which has created difficulties across the wider aviation network. We encourage passengers to check directly with their airline or travel operator for the latest information on the status of their flight.”

“Following yesterday’s technical issue affecting NATS air traffic control, Heathrow’s operations are recovering.

“Flights are operating today, however some knock-on disruption is expected as airlines reposition aircraft and crew. Passengers are advised to check the latest status of their flight directly with their airline and to only travel to Heathrow if their flight is confirmed as operating today.

“We apologise to passengers affected by the disruption. Additional colleagues are available across our terminals to provide support, and we are working closely with NATS and our airline partners to return operations to normal as quickly as possible.”

“Following yesterday’s technical issue affecting NATS air traffic control, London Luton Airport is open and operational today. However, it is likely that there will be a knock-on impact as airlines work hard to recover their schedules.

“We advise passengers to check the status of their flight directly with their airline before travelling to the airport. We appreciate how frustrating this situation is and apologise to those affected. We have extra colleagues on hand to support across our terminal.”

“Following yesterday’s NATS air traffic control issue, the airport is operating as normal. Those travelling today should continue with their journey plans and check with their airline for the latest information on their flight, as usual.”

“Following yesterday’s technical issue affecting NATS air traffic control, our airports’ operations are recovering.

“Flights continued to operate yesterday and today, but we are expecting ongoing disruption as aircraft and crew reposition. We advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest flight information and to only travel if they have a confirmed flight operating today.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this NATs related technical issue and will continue to provide support to our passengers.”

“Following yesterday’s NATS air traffic control issue, the airport is operating as normal. Those travelling today should continue with their journey plans and check with their airline for the latest information on their flight, as usual.”

Heathrow has warned passengers of potential delays on Wednesday as a result of the technical glitch, with Bristol Airport also warning to expect more disruption.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said passengers have the right to food or a hotel stay depending on the length of their delay – but he urged travellers to “keep the receipts” as you’ll need to claim the costs back from your airline.

Anyone due to travel today should check the advice from their airport, tour operator or airline for the most up-to-date advice.

ABTA, a trade association for tour operators and travel agents, said it will be supporting passengers who have booked with them to “help make alternative arrangements”.

Per ABTA’s advice page, if your flight is cancelled and you’re departing from the UK, your airline must offer you the choice of a replacement flight at the earliest opportunity or a refund.

If the flight delay exceeds five hours, your airline must offer you the choice of taking a refund of the flight cost.

Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at ABTA, said: “While the immediate priority is supporting customers, as this isn’t the first Nats outage to cause widespread disruption, the industry and the public will want answers as to what has gone wrong, what lessons are being learned, and how the system will be made more resilient to avoid this happening again.”

Kelly Osbourne has made it clear that she and her mum Sharon are not in agreement when it comes to the former X Factor judge’s recent support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson.

On Tuesday night, Kelly attended the National Television Awards, where Attitude asked if she agreed with her mum, who indicated earlier this year that she planned to go to an anti-immigration demonstration in London organised by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson to his followers.

“I don’t agree with my mum, no,” she insisted. “That’s one thing that I can say that I don’t agree with her on. It’s hard, because I love my mum.

“But I also have to understand she’s entitled to her own opinions, as well. And it’s really hard when it comes to politics and things like that. But, I… that’s not for me.”

The LGBTQ+ outlet then asked Kelly whether she and her mum were on the same page when it came to support for the queer community, to which she admitted: “I was always of the understanding that my mum was of the same opinion as me.”

When it was suggested Sharon had made “certain comments” that “may not align with the trans community”, Kelly said: “Honestly, [that makes me] sad. I don’t know if my mum knows enough trans people to make a fair judgement on anything to do with that sort of thing. Whereas, for me, that is my world. And to be born into a body that doesn’t belong to you, I couldn’t imagine anything worse.”

Kelly then claimed: “I definitely think it’s [a lack of education]. And when I sit down, if I ever have a conversation with my mum about stuff like this, she gets it.

“But, I think that honestly, it is just a misunderstanding, it’s not like, in any way, against, if you know what I’m saying.”

Kelly also said: “The LGBTQ+ community is everything to me, I wouldn’t be me without them. They are the only community that has always accepted me no matter what. They taught me how to be myself, fearless and to truly believe that I can be whatever I want to be.

“I was such a tomboy and it was the drag queens who taught me to do makeup. It was the trans community who taught me about bravery. It was Rupaul’s Drag Race that taught me how to stand like a lady [when she appeared on the first All Stars season].

“Every ounce of creativity and beauty in this world I think comes from this community.”

In recent history, Sharon has sparked controversy due to her staunch support of Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which included calling for the Irish group Kneecap’s US work visas to be revoked after they chanted “fuck Israel, free Palestine” at last year’s Coachella music festival.

Nigella Lawson has shut down the rumours of tension on the set of Great British Bake Off.

The TV cook, who will replace Prue Leith as a judge on the upcoming season of the Channel 4 baking show, joined Paul Hollywood, Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding at an exclusive screening of her episode earlier this week.

At the event, she denied there was a rift between her and Paul, insisting: “It’s such a lovely atmosphere, and the four of us get on very well.”

Paul also squashed any rumours, saying: “By the time the main series started, it just felt quite natural. It does feel like we’d all been working together for years and Nigella just fitted in beautifully.”

Alison told the audience at the event that Nigella had taken quickly to her role as a judge and “didn’t need any advice” at all.

“She literally went in front of those amazing bakers [and] the only way I can describe it is she’s magical, isn’t she?” Alison enthused. “When she’s put the camera, she’s just magical. She’s Nigella. She’s iconic. She’s our queen.”

Back in July, the Daily Mail reported that Paul and Nigella were “not really getting on too well” behind the scenes of Bake Off’s new season.

The article claimed that Nigella found Paul’s somewhat ostentatious behaviour – including him supposedly arriving to set in a helicopter – “rather cringe”.

At last month’s Edinburgh TV Festival, Channel 4 exec Kiran Nataraja also denied the rumours of any feud.

“We’re really excited to have her on the show. Contrary to ‘the Sidebar of Shame’, [she] and Paul are not arguing about helicopters the whole time.”

Meanwhile, Nigella recently told The Times that it was a “treat” to work in a team on Bake Off, in comparison to her BBC specials where she appears alone on screen.

“I’ve spent a lot of my professional life alone in a room, writing or pacing around thinking,” she shared, adding, “It’s actually really lovely to be with lots of people. For me, it’s a sort of treat.”

Nigella concluded: “I love solitude, I need solitude, but it’s really good to have a working life that feels companionable.”

She added: “What will people say of us on the programme? I feel that half will go, ‘Oh, there’s clearly something going on with them,’ and the other half will say, ‘Oh, clearly they don’t like each other at all.’ And I feel like that’s fine.”

Earlier this week, Great British Bake Off revealed the ecclectic 12 bakers who will be competing for a Hollywood handshake this time around, which includes a Bhangra-dancing paediatric doctor, an aspiring competitive sprinter and a drag king.

The new series of Great British Bake Off airs on Tuesday nights from 22 September on Channel 4.

ITV has addressed recent reports surrounding a new drama set to air on the broadcaster and actor Michelle Keegan.

Over the weekend, The Sun shared an article alleging that the former Coronation Street star had “pulled out of a major new ITV drama just months before filming was due to start”.

The tabloid claimed that Michelle was due to take the lead in an upcoming drama about a barrister from a working-class background, suggesting she’d “committed to the drama a few months ago”.

It was also claimed that she chose not to pursue the role to focus on family life, after welcoming a daughter, Palma, with her husband Mark Wright last year.

However, in a statement to Digital Spy, an ITV representative claimed: “Early conversations occurred, but Michelle was never contracted so it’s incorrect to say she pulled out.”

The Sun also claimed that former Doctor Who and Toxic Town actor Jodie Whittaker will play the lead in the new drama instead.

Michelle first rose to fame for her work as Tina McIntyre in Coronation Street, a role she played for six years between 2008 and 2014, when the character was killed off.

Shortly after leaving the cobbles, she was cast as a lead in the BBC ensemble drama Ordinary Lies, before winning acclaim for her work in Our Girl, Tina & Bobby and the comedy Brassic.

More recently, Michelle has been introduced to a more international audience thanks to her work in the Netflix thriller Fool Me Once.

She is also set to appear in another Harlan Coben adaptation for the streaming giant, which is due to hit our screens early next year.

The new series, titled The Woods, will see Michelle acting alongside Tom Bateman, as well as The Inbetweeners’ James Buckley, Mandeep Dhillon, comedian Tom Allen and former soap star Tracy-Ann Oberman.

Alan Carr was reduced to tears at the National Television Awards on Tuesday, when he was stunned to receive the Special Recognition prize, after giving TV fans a year of iconic moments.

During the ceremony, viewers were treated to a Celebrity Traitors-inspired musical performance of I Know Him So Well in Alan’s honour, which included Paloma Faith emerging from a coffin, in a nod to her friend Alan brutally “murdering” her right at the beginning of last year’s series.

The comedian was also serenaded by more of the “Faithfuls” from his series, including Kate Garraway, Charlotte Church and David Olusoga as well as his partner in house restoration crime, Amanda Holden.

In a video tribute, Sir Stephen Fry declared: “Despite the wickedness, despite the cruelty of the man, it’s very hard not to love him.”

Once Alan realised the performance wasn’t just a tribute to the BBC reality series, but to him specifically, he struggled to hold back tears.

Collecting the prize, Alan told the audience: “This is how thick I am, it was only when Paloma came out that I realised [the award was for] me.”

He quipped: “I should have realised, when they put me in the front row, I’m usually in the back with the people from Naked Attraction.”

Accepting his award, he added: “It’s amazing. It’s been very surreal and triggering. But thank you [to the audience], because if you didn’t watch the shows and vote, then I wouldn’t be here.”

The comedian and presenter, who was also nominated for an award for his sitcom Changing Ends, later spoke backstage about why receiving the award had been so emotional for him.

“I looked out there [in the crowd] and saw people [I had] interviewed, runners and producers who are now getting NTAs themselves,” an emotional Alan shared backstage. “It all came together in one big thing and I think that’s why I got a bit upset.”

He added: “I’ll also never forget Paloma poking her head out of a coffin and serenading me.”

Paloma described taking part as “all in homage to my beautiful friend, who deserved it more than anybody else”, with Amanda adding: “You’ve had the most incredible year. It’s been like Christmas… and you’ve totally deserved it.”

It truly has been an amazing 12 months for Alan – not only did he win the first series of The Celebrity Traitors and brought season three of Changing Ends to ITV, he also appeared in Amanda And Alan’s Greek Job, season two of Last One Laughing and was announced as a new judge on The Masked Singer.

In past years, the Special Recognition Award has been won by the likes of Wallace and Gromit, Sir Lenny Henry, Davina McCall and Sir Michael Palin.

Every year, the National Television Awards ceremony gathers some of the biggest names from the small screen under one roof – and that means one especially star-studded red carpet.

True to form, this year’s event was another starry affair, with big names from the world of comedy, drama, soap, reality TV and beyond, from both sides of the Atlantic, rubbing shoulders at London’s iconic O2 Arena.

Of course, after a big event like the NTAs there are two things you want to know – who were the big winners, and who turned it out on the red carpet?

Well, we’ve already got you covered on the first front, and as for the second, just keep scrolling for all the must-see looks from the 2026 NTAs…

Check out our round-up of more moments you might have missed from the 2026 National Television Awards here.