I published an essay entitled, “I’m A Surgeon. I’m Also Child-Free — And 6 Words From A Colleague About My Life Left Me Stunned,” on HuffPost Personal in 2024.

The morning it went live, my alarm jolted me from sleep well before sunlight filled the sky. I grabbed my phone, swiped it open to see the headlines, and there, smack dab in the middle of my news feed, I saw my name. The day had hardly begun… and I was already trending.

I had revealed my most private feelings about my reproductive life and detailed how my choice not to have children was repeatedly called out in professional settings. I was confident that whether I had kids or not did not determine my worth as a person. In the 21st century, it should not be controversial to say that some women choose other paths. And, still, that morning, I was nervous about sharing all this in such a public way.

Those nerves only proved my social conditioning. Women without kids are still viewed within the context of rigid stereotypes. I was anxious about how my essay – and I – would be perceived, and I worried it wouldn’t be good.

Then something unexpected happened. I was inundated with messages. Over the next week, my Instagram, the essay’s comment section, and even my work email were flooded with a huge outpouring of gratitude and positivity. Women wrote to thank me for sharing what they felt but couldn’t vocalise, for helping dispel the myth that women without kids are selfish and cold, and for making it clear that women don’t need to apologise for choosing not to have children. More people felt like me than I ever would have guessed.

Most of these messages were from women who, like me, did not want to be mothers. Women who knew that their reproductive freedom was hard fought and well deserved, but still wrestled with strong societal expectations. Some of the messages I received, however, were from women with kids who wished they had been told at some point in their lives that they had other options. I even received notes from men who had witnessed their partners’ or wives’ value reduced to whether or not they were a mother. What united all of these people was a simple wish: for women to be valued beyond their reproductive choices.

I would be lying, though, if I said all the responses I received were positive. A proportion of these notes were filled with anger and resentment. A few of them even veered into harassment. Like the positive messages, these all had a unifying theme.

“You stupid idiot,” wrote one person, “will feminism take care of you when you’re old and dying?” Feminism, responses like these implied, was to blame for my decision to pursue a life as a successful surgeon, to follow the instincts that told me I did not want children of my own and that my life could be complete without motherhood.

To some degree, I expected to receive messages like these from men, but I was surprised to find that many of the negative replies were, in fact, authored by women. They insisted my own take on my own life could not be trusted and that I was lying about feeling fulfilled. I would never be happy, they insisted, and never know true love or joy. My life would always be incomplete, they said, since I had been misled by a wolf in sheep’s clothing into a life without meaning. That wolf was, apparently, feminism.

These sentiments are not new, even if they have been emboldened by the current presidential administration. Feminism has long been a societal scapegoat. The wave of feminism championed by figures like Gloria Steinem encouraged women to free themselves of society’s expectation that all women must have children and stay in the kitchen. However, in recent years, this narrow definition has been heavily critiqued for the way it may appear to overlook and undervalue the labour involved in motherhood. This version of feminism has also estranged women from different backgrounds by centring the experiences and priorities of only white middle class women.

Women who find deep meaning in child rearing and significance in their work at home have felt alienated by mainstream versions of the movement. Some have even fled progressive politics because they found more alignment in conservative platforms, which often embrace domestic life and labour as a woman’s truest calling. There are even those who have argued that feminism has “ruined” motherhood by allowing women to pursue alternative paths in life and by encouraging the declining birth rate. Furthermore, the experiences, voices, and struggles of marginalised, non-white, and queer women have not always been included in the mission of some approaches to / forms of feminism, leaving many searching for alternative frameworks to fight for all women’s rights.

As the derogatory messages I received in my inbox show, the societal skepticism of women without children is not going anywhere, especially now that we have high-powered conservative think tanks pushing regressive gender roles and opposition to feminist movements. They, too, take the stance that feminism has damaged the traditional family structure by allowing women to believe their lives can be fulfilled without motherhood and marriage.

At the same time, conservatives like JD Vance, who is well known for his animosity towards single women without children, are using their large platforms to claim that women who pursue professional careers are causing social unrest.

Instead of addressing the real lack of support mothers face in this country, Trump is also making an explicit play to push motherhood on American women. Since my essay was published, we have seen proposals for a baby-bonus cash payout for new mothers, childbirth medals, and a federally funded tax-advantaged savings account seeded with $1,000 for any child born between 2025 and 2029, all aimed at selling women on partaking in a traditional nuclear-family lifestyle.

As a paediatric surgeon who helps children every day, I do not understand how I could be viewed as an enemy of the state. Unfortunately, I still see this belief play out – even at work.

In fact, a mother recently asked me a series of personal questions to suss out whether I was capable of performing her child’s routine surgery. After inquiring about my qualifications, she asked me directly whether I was a mother. “No,” I told her, and I asked her why she wanted to know. After a bit of rambling, she concluded with an unconvincing apology, noting, “But I think women should be able to do all kinds of jobs… or whatever.”

I don’t mind questions, and I understand parents put a huge amount of trust in their children’s doctors, especially when it comes to surgery. However, this specific encounter was yet another reminder that even a woman’s value in professional settings can be tied back to their reproductive choices.

I knew a question like this didn’t belong in that hospital exam room and had nothing to do with my skill as a surgeon, but it’s no surprise women feel this way. After all, we are all taught to view women without children as less capable and less committed to the care of others.

At the time I wrote my original essay, I had hoped such sentiments about women without children were declining. But in the weeks after it was released, I watched Kamala Harris’ choice to not have children of her own get repeatedly dragged through the mud. The derogatory rhetoric about women without children has, sadly, only accelerated since I awoke to find myself trending on my phone screen.

I, however, have never wavered in my belief in my value as a childfree woman. Because of the women who have come before me, I have been able to live a life full of joy, meaning, and fulfilment – on my own terms. I will continue to use my voice to ensure others can do the same.

Caitlin A. Smith is a surgeon and writer in the Pacific Northwest. Her personal essays on surgical training and experiences have appeared on Doximity. She is currently writing her first book, a firsthand account about the life and experiences of women in medicine. Find her at @miseducationofaknife on Instagram and Substack.

Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@huffpost.com.

We already know that exercise seems to reduce dementia risk (a 2022 paper found that walking 3,800 steps a day may lower your likelihood of developing dementia by 25%, with increasing benefits up to 9,800 steps).

Even when it’s not directly dementia-related, movement appears to improve memory and thinking skills.

A recent paper, published in Brain Communications, has found that 20 minutes of cycling a day can create “ripples” in the brain that might help us to process and store information more efficiently.

The research involved 14 participants aged from 17-50. They tracked their brain activity before and after 20-minute stationary cycling sessions through an intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG).

The iEEG measures electrical activity in the brain, which provides an added layer of detail.

Previously, scientists had noticed “ripples” in the minds of rats, which were believed to improve their memories after exercise, though these had not been seen in humans before.

But the iEEGs in this research saw similar results after the participants completed their exercise.

Speaking to Medical News Today, study author Dr Juan Ramirez-Villegas said, “Ripples are very brief bursts of highly synchronised electrical activity in the brain’s memory centre, the hippocampus.

“In animals, they are known to play a key role in stabilising memories after an experience. You can think of them as moments when the brain rapidly ‘reviews’ information, helping convert recent experiences into lasting memories.”

They might also help to regulate blood sugar in animals, the study added.

The study found that the higher someone’s heart rate got during the cycling session, the stronger those “ripples” seemed to be.

“This suggests that the intensity of physical activity may influence how strongly the brain’s memory circuits respond,” stated Dr Ramirez-Villegas.

Aside from the “ripple” effect, this research also seemed to help different parts of the brain communicate better, potentially leading to improved memory.

“It is surprising how after a session of acute exercise, hippocampal-cortical communication seems to be enhanced, a phenomenon thought to be strongly linked to memory processing,” Dr Ramirez-Villegas said.

“This suggests that even a brief bout of physical activity can influence the neural dynamics involved in learning and memory.”

In an age where everyone’s a critic, it’s increasingly rare for a TV series to come along and hoover up near universal acclaim.

But ever since The Pitt debuted in the US in January 2025, it’s been hailed as a hit that has “revolutionised the medical drama”, scooping up Emmys and Golden Globes in the process.

Perhaps even more surprisingly, it’s also been praised for its accuracy by many doctors in its gritty depiction of the US healthcare system, in a genre that has traditionally favoured outrageousness over credibility (who remembers Grey’s Anatomy’s ghost sex storyline?).

With The Pitt finally arriving in the UK this week, you might be currently working your way through the series (if you’ve not already binged it, that is!) and clocking a few familiar faces along the way.

Here’s where you’ve seen the cast of The Pitt before…

Noah Wyle is no stranger to a medical drama, after his breakthrough moment in the 1990s as Dr John Carter on ER.

He later leant into his role when he popped up in an episode of Friends, to cameo as dishy doctor opposite fellow ER alum George Clooney back in 1996.

As well as his penchant for playing medical professionals, Noah starred as Steve Jobs in Pirates Of Silicon Valley and has also appeared in a range of films including Donnie Darko, A Few Good Men and W.

TV remains his main stomping ground, though, with appearances in series including Falling Skies, The Librarians, The Red Line and Leverage: Redemption.

British actor Tracy Ifeachor is best-known for her work as Aya Al-Rashid in Vampire Diaries spin-off series The Originals.

Whovians will know her from the 2009 Doctor Who Christmas special, in which she appeared as Abigail Naismith, while she has also starred in US series including Crossbones, Quantico, Legends Of Tomorrow, Treadstone.

She was also introduced as a new character, Thema, in the most recent series of Netflix hit series The Diplomat.

On this side of the Atlantic, you might have seen Tracy in BBC shows like Showtrial, Mayflies or Netflix’s British miniseries Treason.

While his role as Dr. Frank Langdon in The Pitt is Patrick Ball’s biggest yet, eagle-eyed viewers might recognise him from an appearance in Law & Order back in 2023.

He’s a far bigger name in the stage world, and is currently in Broadway production Becky Shaw after roles in theatre productions including Hamlet, All My Sons and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.

Katherine has had a long TV career over in the US, starting out with brief appearances in classics like Seinfeld, 3rd Rock From The Sun and ER, before landing regular roles in Miss Match and Judging Amy.

Her most recognisable roles are in series including Two And A Half Men – where she played Charlie Sheen’s on-screen love interest, Lydia – as well as Big Love, Three Sisters, Deception, Imposters, Truth Be Told and Satisfaction.

Over on the big screen you might have spotted Katherine in Valentine’s Day, The Campaign or Alfie.

Landing the role of medical resident Dr Samira Mohan in The Pitt is Supriya’s biggest acting gig so far.

Having said that, you might have caught her in one of her small roles in popular US series Billions, Law & Order: SVU and Grown-ish.

Known for playing complex characters, Shawn is probably best known for playing eldest Cody son Pope in crime series Animal Kingdom.

You might also recognise him from Dexter, Southland, Fear The Walking Dead, Flaked, Chicago P.D. or Numb3rs – and like many other members of The Pitt cast, Shawn also previously cropped up in an episode of ER.

Movie fans could have seen him in In & Out, The Faculty, Outside Providence, Anywhere But Here, The Cooler, Alpha Dog or the recent horror sequel Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come.

Chances are, horror buffs will have seen Fiona before.

She’s most well-known for her role as Nica Pierce in the Child’s Play franchise, starring in the films Curse Of Chucky and Cult Of Chucky, as well as the 2020s TV spin-off.

Fiona has also appeared on our TV screens in Deadwood, Shameless, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, The Blacklist, The Purge, Utopia, When We Rise and The Stand.

She’s also had small appearances in movies like Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master.

Taylor’s first on-screen role was in Breaking Bad where she appeared opposite her famous dad, Bryan Cranston, as the fleeting “Sad Faced Girl” back in 2010.

Since then, she’s enjoyed larger roles in MTV series Sweet/Vicious as well as American Vandal, For All Mankind and movies Heartthrob and The Last Champion.

After a small part in The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Isa broke through in sci-fi series Star Trek: Picard, before picking up a main role in the 2023 Disney+ Goosebumps series.

Isa is also a popular face in the theatre world, having appeared in Hamilton as well as the Broadway production Hadestown and most recently, Off-Broadway’s All Nighter.

Welsh actor Gerran cut his teeth on CBBC series Young Dracula before going on to star in series including Emerald City, Catch-22, Suspicion, Ludwig and Out There.

He’s also appeared in This Country, Casualty, Drifters and Some Girls, as well as the war epics 1917 and Freedom’s Path.

Aussie actor Shabana starred in homegrown series including In Limbo, Nautilus, Metro Sexual and Why Are You Like This before her international breakthrough moment in The Pitt.

You’re perhaps most likely to recognise her from her small role in Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar, or for her appearance as Nowa in the Sarah Snook horror Run Rabbit Run.

Season one of The Pitt is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes of season two streaming weekly.

We’re about to enter British Summer Time (BST).

This year (2026), it kicks in at 1am on Sunday, 29 March (in the UK, always happens on the last Sunday of March, thanks in part to Chris Martin’s great-great-grandfather).

And while the shift is linked to lower incidences of car accidents, it’s also associated with worse sleep and even a higher risk of heart attacks.

So, we thought we’d share the best advice we’ve heard about coping with the change:

Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, Dr Tim Mercer, an NHS GP partner, said, “On Sunday, 29th March, eat dinner an hour earlier than usual.”

That’s because “Where we’re losing an hour, eating too close to your bedtime can disturb your sleep and cause indigestion,” he explained.

Clock changes can wreak havoc on our Circadian rhythm, or body clock, which is key to a good night’s sleep.

But sunlight can help to regulate your sleep-wake cycle, and morning light seems most effective of all. That’s because it may encourage something called a “phase advance,” which means you fall asleep faster, potentially making an earlier wakeup more bearable.

Dr Tim Mercer, an insomnia specialist, shared that different generations have their own ways of handling clock changes.

Gen Z may be the “most disadvantaged” group after the clock changes, he added, as their natural sleep patterns tend towards being night owls. And Millennials might be more likely to deal with “orthosomnia,” where anxiety about perfect sleep can (paradoxically) keep you up all night.

These groups all need to take different approaches, he added.

It takes a lot of people several days to acclimatise to the clocks changing. And even if your sleep routine and daytime activity are perfect, it’s possible you might still struggle with the shift.

Speaking to the Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Dr Rachel Sharman, a researcher in Sleep Medicine, said, “Recognise that it may take time for your body to adjust to the new schedule and be gentle with yourself during this transition period”.

Stressing about it may only make any sleep issues worse.

Miley Cyrus is celebrating 20 years since she first transformed into fictional popstar Hannah Montana for the beloved Disney Channel series that became appointment viewing for tweens everywhere in the mid-2000s.

To mark the occasion, Miley put together a suitably epic anniversary special for Disney+, featuring Miley’s own recollections from her time as Hannah, as well as appearances from stars like Selena Gomez and Chappell Roan, who opened up about what the show meant to them.

After launching in 2006, Hannah Montana quickly became one of Disney’s most successful shows, drawing in global audiences in the hundreds of millions and launching Miley’s career as a star in her own right.

Young viewers across the world became enchanted by the blonde-wig-donning teen with a secret life as a global pop star, as the lines between Hannah and Miley became increasingly blurry.

With Hannah Montana now back in the spotlight thanks to the anniversary special, we’ve gathered some little-known facts about how the whole thing came together that even the most devoted Smilers might not have known…

When Disney first envisioned Hannah Montana, they were on the look-out for a rising teen actor to play the lead character.

This didn’t deter Miley Cyrus, just 11 at that time, who decided to try out anyway, even though she was too young for the part (she’d previously gone for the role of Lilly, which eventually went to Emily Osment).

Indeed, while they were impressed with her audition, the Hannah Montana team initially turned Miley down due to her age, but a year later, still struggling to find a young star who impressed them as much as her, invited her back to try out again.

Famously, Miley spotted a t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “I should have my own TV show” to wear for her audition while mall shopping with her mum – and the rest is history.

These days, it’s impossible to imagine anyone but Miley as Hannah, but during the anniversary show, former Disney executive Gary Marsh shared some fascinating lore about how the title character was nearly played by an entirely different actor.

“We were down to the last two girls, and you were this 12-year-old pistol, raw and real, and fresh out of Tennessee,” he told Miley. “And you both left… there [were] 10 people in the room, and we took a vote. It was not a landslide.

“People put forth their real opinion, and I had made a decision, and I wrote an email to the team. It said, ’we pride ourselves not just on creating great television, but on creating stars. I’m ready to pull the trigger on Miley. Is she a risk? Unquestionably true. Is she a potential star? Absolutely.

“’And whatever comes of this decision, I’m thrilled that all of us will be able to sit down over a drink in a few years and remember this moment when we decided to forsake the safe route for the riskier one and the greater reward’.”

This, combined with the fact Miley was originally considered too young to play Hannah makes it even more miraculous that the stars aligned.

Speaking of which, before Miley was cast as Hannah there were several other stars in consideration for that infamous blonde wig .

One of them was Taylor Momsen, who was only seven when she appeared in How The Grinch Stole Christmas opposite Jim Carrey in 2000 (six years before Hannah Montana launched).

Taylor apparently got down to the final two, but doesn’t sound too cut up about not getting the role, going on to star in Gossip Girl and form her band The Pretty Reckless.

She previously admitted: “Honestly, if I’d ended up as Hannah Montana, I don’t know if the show would have gone as well. I probably would have told them all to go fuck themselves by the time I hit 11.”

Nickelodeon and Victorious star Daniella Monet also made it down to the final few, as well as Mexican singer and actor Belinda, as did teen singer JoJo, now best known for her hits Too Little Too late and Leave (Get Out).

Hannah’s bedazzled popstar wardrobe was one of the key reasons tweens loved tuning in to see her in action, and Miley explained that her mum Tish played a big part in shaping her on-screen persona’s style.

Tish was a key voice in whether something was “very Hannah” or “very Miley” with Miley often going with her mum’s suggestions over Disney’s.

Miley’s real dad Billy Ray Cyrus famously played her character’s on-screen father in Hannah Montana.

However, in the newly-released 20th anniversary show, it emerged that he was practically giving the part away before officially signing up.

She recalled: “He goes out into the parking lot, grabs other dads, brings them into Disney and is like, ‘You should hire this guy! He’s a great actor!’.”

The Grammy winner added: “Me and mom were both like, ‘Shut up!’. You were always the guy trying to give the other guy the job.”

In a 2015 interview with Marie Claire, Miley opened up about the intense schedule when working on Hannah Montana.

She claimed that she and her co-stars often worked 12-hour days, and that her mum Tish suggested bringing in certain lights to deter seasonal affective disorder.

“Every morning, I was getting coffee jammed down my throat to wake me up,” Miley said. “I just had to keep going, be tough, be strong. Everything happened to me on that set.”

It’s hard to remember a time when Taylor Swift wasn’t one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, but when she appeared in the Hannah Montana movie in 2009, it was for very different reasons.

Taylor cameos in the movie, performing her song Crazier, while also contributing You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home to the soundtrack.

“The way that Taylor Swift ended up in the Hannah Montana movie was because this was kind of the beginning of her career, and they were looking for someone that would authentically – no shade, I guess – be performing in a barn,” Miley explained.

“Credit where credit’s due. Banger,” she added of Taylor’s contribution to the movie.

Hannah Montana: 20th Anniversary Special is now streaming on Disney+.

With six hit studio albums, six UK number one singles, 16 Grammys, three Brit Awards, an epic Super Bowl Halftime Show, three lead movie roles, at least 17 Guinness World Records and an Oscar to her name, there’s no arguing that Lady Gaga has cemented her place as one of the biggest stars of the 21st century.

Yes, that young woman who started out performing in nightclubs, setting hairspray cans on fire, making her own costumes and even providing her own fog machine has come a long way.

As the pop icon celebrates her 40th birthday this weekend, we’re looking back at the beginnings of her career, to recognise just how far she’s come from those early years to international superstardom.

So, get yourself a cup of tea (in a china cup, naturally), stick on The Fame (both the album and the perfume) and join us for a brief strut down memory lane…

In October 2008, she headlined then-bestie Perez Hilton’s One Night In… concert at NYC’s Highline Ballroom

If ever there were one night that proved to be a turning point in Lady Gaga’s career, it was the 2009 VMAs. She began the evening by making a grand entrance alongside Kermit The Frog…

…and even managed to grab a photo with one of her idols, Madonna, long before the two stars kicked off a very public war of words (we’re pleased to say they’ve long since buried the hatchet)

Alright, we get it – the arrival of a new streaming service is hardly a cause for celebration in 2026. In fact, there are so many of them kicking about these days it barely constitutes a news event.

But trust us when we say that the UK launch of HBO Max is actually a bigger deal than you might realise.

The US streaming platform is responsible for some of the most acclaimed original shows of the last few years, and while some of them have already been available to watch on Sky and Now, others will be making their UK screen debut now HBO Max is up and running on this side of the Atlantic.

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by choice – or, indeed, you’re just contemplating whether it’s worth your while subscribing – here are 17 of our top recommendations currently streaming on the platform, including classics from American broadcaster HBO and other more new and exciting additions…

Arguably the biggest reason for TV fans to get excited about HBO Max’s UK launch is the fact that British viewers finally have a place to stream the hit medical drama The Pitt.

Co-produced by and starring ER Noah Wyle, the show has become one of the most talked-about and critically-acclaimed US telly offerings of the last 12 months, sweeping the board at the Golden Globes, Emmys, Actor Awards and Critics’ Choice Awards.

However, until now, it’s not been available to watch anywhere in the UK, but thanks to the debut of HBO Max finally debuting here, it’s time to find out what all the fuss is about.

Friends fans were bereft when the classic show disappeared from Netflix UK at the end of last year – and we know that because we were among them.

HBO Max has been the streaming home of Friends across the pond for the last six years, the platform was even responsible for the 2021 reunion special that proved so popular with long-term fans of the award-winning sitcom.

Now, after a four-month absence from Netflix, TV fans on this side of the Atlantic finally have a place to watch Friends on demand again.

Let the nostalgia-fest commence!

There are two types of people in the world – those who love The Comeback, and those who haven’t watched The Comeback yet.

Launched in 2005, Lisa Kudrow’s cringe comedy takes the form of a mockumentary about Valerie Cherish, a struggling sitcom who is given a second chance at a TV career, but only if she lets a camera crew follow her every move, with mortifying results, as she tries in vain to navigate an industry she no longer understands, all while putting on a brave face for those watching her at home.

While initially cancelled after one show, it developed such a cult following that HBO revived The Comeback a decade on, and after another 11-year absence, it’s back for a third and final run.

The current season – with new episodes dropping every Monday for UK fans – sees Valerie once again trying to wrap her head around an ever-changing industry, tackling the complicated world of AI, social media and modern junket culture.

One of HBO Max’s most popular originals, the multi-award-winning comedy Hacks only continues to grow and grow with each season that comes.

The show centres around veteran comic Deborah Vance (played impeccably by Jean Smart), whose career has reached something of a plateau when her manager suggests pairing her up with a younger comedy writer, Ava Daniels (a star-making role for series lead Hannah Einbinder, herself a stand-up outside of the show).

While season one saw the two butting heads due to their different views on… well… pretty much everything, Deborah and Ava’s relationship has only become increasingly knotty, complicated and, let’s face it, toxic as the years have gone on.

Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are set to reprise their roles for one final outing later in the year, in what promises to be a must-see season.

If you loved The Comeback and The Other Two, we can all but guarantee that you’ll love The Other Two.

A razor-sharp skewering of the modern fame game, the dark comedy focusses on a jaded brother-sister duo whose family dynamic is turned upside down when their teenage brother becomes an overnight viral sensation.

Tonally, the show is like a cross between Girls and Will & Grace, with fast-paced zingers, pop culture parodies and countless cameos ensuring that it more than stands up to repeat viewings.

Inarguably the biggest TV phenomenon in recent memory, Heated Rivalry blew up beyond anyone’s expectations when it premiered on the Canadian broadcaster Crave late last year, before being snapped up by HBO, at which point it became an international success story.

The romantic sports drama introduces us to hockey players Ilya Rozanov and Shane Holland, fierce rivals on the ice who are harbouring a secret relationship away from the glare of the spotlight.

Heated Rivalry’s love story (and many, many sex scenes) have helped make household names of its leads, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, with a second season quickly being ordered off the back of the first’s success.

The iconic Batman villain Harley Quinn was the break-out star of 2016’s Suicide Squad, and finally got the opportunity to stand on her own in the animated series Harley Quinn.

Picked up by HBO Max in 2020 (after its first two seasons were included on the now-defunct DC Universe platform), the series features Kaley Cuoco as the titular anti-heroine, while Lake Bell voices Poison Ivy, portrayed in the series as her girlfriend.

Critical acclaim for the show has been pretty close to that coveted 100% as the seasons have gone on, with its cult following only continuing to expand, and everyone keeping their fingers crossed that a sixth season could be on the cards soon.

The White Lotus has been one of the biggest TV juggernauts to come out of the post-pandemic era, serving up barbed satire, sun-soaked settings and murder mystery in one.

An anthology series with a new cast for each season, past iterations of The White Lotus have taken place at resorts inhabited by spoiled guests and the disgruntled staff who wait on them in Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand, with a return to Europe planned for the upcoming fourth season, which looks poised to be its most ambitious to date.

While some critics might suggest the show is a little slow in pace (that’s kind of the point), viewers’ patience is invariably rewarded with The White Lotus providing some of the most gloriously chaotic season finales in 21st century telly.

Sam Levison’s unflinching teen drama is one of the most-watched HBO originals of all time, with nine Emmy wins and a Golden Globe.

The show has been a hit with both critics and viewers thanks to its frank depiction of issues like addiction, gender identity and sexual expression, and has helped make household names of cast members Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Colman Domingo, Hunter Schafer and Jacob Elordi.

A long-awaited third season of Euphoria is now just weeks away, so now would be a great time to check out the show for yourself.

Game Of Thrones is still the most-watched TV show in HBO’s history, and – aside from that iffy final season – it remains as popular with fans as ever.

In the years since it’s been off the air, the world of Westeros has only continued to expand, most notably with the hugely popular prequel series House Of The Dragon, which explores the tumultuous origin story of the Targaryen dynasty, while continuing to build on what made Game Of Thrones such a hit during its original run.

HBO Max is the home of all adaptations of George R.R. Martin’s works (including the recent spin-off A Night Of The Seven Kingdoms, plus a rumoured adult animated series), with House Of The Dragon returning for a third run in the summer.

Another of HBO’s all-time most-watched shows, the TV adaptation of the hit video game The Last Of Us became an instant smash when it premiered in 2023, with the second iteration following last year.

Filming on the third season began earlier this month, with rumours suggesting the next instalment in the story could be the last.

Like Downton Abbey before it, The Gilded Age is a period drama from creator Julian Fellowes, this time focussing on the so-called “boom period” in New York back in the late 1800s.

The show has only gone from strength to strength over the last three seasons, with particular praise for its female cast members, most notably Carrie Coon, Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski.

We’re getting to “oldie but goodie” territory now, but you just can’t have a conversation about HBO greats without mentioning Sex And The City.

The show was an absolute TV game-changer when it launched in the late 1990s, introducing the world to neurotic sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw, straight-talking lawyer Miranda Hobbes, idealistic art curator Charlotte York and sexually-empowered PR Samantha Jones.

While we have to concede that not all of Sex And The City has aged well, the show is still our go-to comfort watch whether we’re in need of a pick-me-up, a good laugh or just a check in with the girls.

HBO Max was also the home of the patchy reboot And Just Like That, but honestly, after that surprisingly-scatological finale, perhaps the less said about that the better…

If you’ve been putting off watching The Sopranos for the last… hmmm… two decades, consider this your sign that it’s finally time to give it a go.

The critically-acclaimed crime drama ran for six seasons between 1999 and 2007, and is still considered one of the most pioneering, influential and important TV shows of all time.

Another huge hit from the last few years, Succession introduced the world to the Roy media dynasty, including Brian Cox’s domineering patriarch Logan and his ruthlessly ambitious (with varying levels of competence) offspring, played by Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook.

Succession became appointment viewing during its four-season run, culminating in the gripping finale back in 2023.

Between the infamous Snyder cut of Justice League and the aforementioned Harley Quinn spin-off, HBO Max is the home of numerous DC Comics offerings.

One surprise hit was The Penguin, a spin-off of the 2022 film The Batman hooked on Colin Farrell’s transformative villain character.

As villain origin stories go, this one is one of the most popular ever, not only pulling in praise for its central performances and film noir stylings, but also picking up Emmys, Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards left, right and centre.

And then there’s Somebody Somewhere, which is truly in its own league compared to everything else on our list.

Renowned for its gentle tone and slow pace, the show centres around a woman who returns to her home town to care for her terminally ill sister, and her struggles to connect with those around her after her sister’s death.

If that sounds like hard going, believe us when we say that Somebody Somewhere is anything but – in fact, it’s a life-affirming and beautiful celebration of chosen family and self-love.

Brigitte Everett’s central performance as Sam Miller is one for the ages, while co-star Jeff Hiller is also an absolute scene-stealer as her BFF Joel, even triumphing at last year’s Emmys for his work on the show.

Genes, age, and cardiovascular health can all affect dementia risk. And some lifestyle choices might have an impact too: everything from reading and writing to switching to vegetable oils, and “speed of processing” brain games might reduce your likelihood of developing the condition.

And new research has suggested that urinary tract infections (UTIs) might matter too.

Published in PLOS Medicine, its “results support the role of severe infections as independent risk factors for dementia”.

In this paper, researchers looked at over 62,000 Finnish people aged 65 or over. They had all been diagnosed with dementia.

The study also included 312,772 “control” participants who didn’t have dementia.

The researchers saw links between 29 hospital-treated diseases, including “mental, behavioural, digestive, endocrine, cardiometabolic, neurological, and eye diseases, as well as injuries”.

These “occurred 1-21 years before dementia diagnosis,” but only two of them were infections (cystitis, or a UTI, and bacterial infections “of an unspecified site”).

“Severe infections have been linked to an increased risk of dementia, but both conditions often coexist with other illnesses that may confound this association,” the study reads.

In other words, there was already a link between bacterial infections and dementia risk, but scientists weren’t sure if they were an independent risk factor.

But once they adjusted for the 27 other conditions, researchers found that UTIs and bacterial infections of an unspecified site appeared to be linked to a 19% higher dementia risk.

“These results support the role of severe infections as independent risk factors for dementia,” the study reads.

This was an observational study, which only showed associations and not cause.

On average, these bacterial infections happened five to six years ahead of a dementia diagnosis, which the study authors speculated might mean that they push an already dementia-prone patient to a tipping point, “rather than initiate neurodegeneration in a cognitively healthy person.”

The paper concluded, “Overall, our findings support the possibility that severe infections increase dementia risk; however, intervention studies are required to establish whether preventing or effectively treating infections yields benefits for dementia prevention.”