Graham Norton is devoting a whole episode of his talk show just to Madonna as she gears up for the release of her new album.

On Wednesday, several outlets spotted a special sit-down with the talk show host titled simply Madonna & Graham in the BBC’s scheduling listings.

The special is due to air on Friday 26 June at 10.40pm, just one week before the Queen of Pop unveils her long-awaited 15th album, Confessions II, and is billed as an “in-depth discussion” about Madonna’s “incredible life and career”.

HuffPost UK has contacted the BBC for comment.

Graham has interviewed Madonna on his talk show on several occasions in the past, including on the promo trails for her film W.E. and her most recent album, Madame X.

Asked about his past interviews with Madonna in 2024, the Bafta winner recalled: “She’s done [my show]. And then, I think, she fell out with me, and then the next one she did was Jonathan [Ross, in 2015]. And then she came back to me [in 2019].”

“I like Madonna, but she doesn’t make it easy,” he then admitted. “I always thought that I might become her friend.

“[When I see] her Instagram posts, I like to look behind her at the house, and say, ‘I wonder which house she’s in? Is she in London?’. Sometimes I cycle past it and think, ‘I wonder if she’s in there now?’. But rest assured, I’m not her friend, so don’t be too jealous.”

Back in 2015, Graham was a surprise guest when Madonna brought her Rebel Heart tour to London’s O2 Arena.

Madonna’s Confessions II will be released on Friday 3 July.

The release was preceded by album cuts I Feel So Free and Love Sensation, as well as lead single Bring Your Love, featuring fellow chart-topper Sabrina Carpenter.

Earlier this week, she also unveiled a new short film to promote the album, featuring a host of impressive celebrity cameos.

If there were any lingering doubts that Keir Starmer is in the final throes of his time in No.10, they were extinguished this morning.

John Healey’s devastating resignation as defence secretary, and his central charge that Starmer is failing to keep the country safe, means the end is near for the prime minister.

With opinion polls showing that Andy Burnham is on course to be elected the MP for Makerfield in a week’s time, there is a not-inconsiderable chance that it could all be over before MPs leave Westminster for the summer recess.

Starmer has let it be known that he intends to fight any attempt to unseat him. Healey’s resignation means there is now no chance of that.

There have been far too many ministerial resignations in British politics over the past decade, but none have been as catastrophic for a sitting PM than Healey’s.

Healey, one of the most respected figures at Westminster, calmly and methodically set out how both the prime minister and chancellor Rachel Reeves were failing to come up with the money Britain’s armed forces needs at a time of growing global unrest.

The final straw for the now-former defence secretary came on Monday afternoon, when he was shown the full Defence Investment Plan (DIP), a document which has been delayed for months because of wrangling between No.10, the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury.

It set out how defence spending would increase from 2.6% of gross domestic product (GDP) next year to just 2.68% in 2030 – well short of the 3% Healey said was the minimum requirement.

If he accepted that settlement, Healey said, it would see him “being forced to make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our Forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations, and could make the country less safe”.

Nor did his resignation letter spare Reeves from criticism.

“The excellent and extensive cross-government work that completed in January – overseen by you, me and the chancellor – confirmed the scale of the challenge and the rising demands on defence,” he wrote.

“Since then, you have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats.”

Starmer, like every prime minister before him, has regularly trotted out the line that keeping the country safe is his number one duty.

It is simply impossible for him to repeat that claim when it has been so comprehensively debunked by his own defence secretary.

There are many reasons why Starmer is clearly not cut out for the job of prime minister.

But his failure, with a massive Commons majority behind him, to make and win the case for a huge increase in defence spending is surely the most damning.

It remains to be seen whether Burnham, or whoever else comes next, is able to meet the moment.

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Life is full of so many little mysteries, like what those little buttons on suit jacket sleeves are really for and why there’s sometimes a little “v” under your sweater’s collar.

And after reading a recent post shared to Reddit’s r/london, I realised I’d been carrying one such puzzle in my pocket for years.

“When I first came to the UK to study, I was always very curious about why the UK’s subway card has the nickname ‘Oyster Card,’” u/Deep-Ad-3363 wrote.

Here’s the history behind the marine-themed name:

Per TfL, the commuter staple could have been named “Pulse” or “Gem” cards. But of the three shortlisted options, “Oyster” won out.

Launched in 2003, the card was created with TranSys, which contracted Saatchi and Saatchi Design to help work on the branding.

Saatchi, in turn, worked with Andrew McCrum, then of Blue Sky Enterprise at the time and now of Appella name consultants.

An archived page on Appella’s site reads: “OYSTER was conceived, mainly, because of the metaphorical implications of security and value in the hard bivalve shell and the concealed pearl.

“Its associations with London through Thames estuary oyster beds and the major relevance of the popular idiom ‘the world is your oyster’ were also significant factors in its selection.”

The company added that the unique sound of the word, and its “sophistication” – as well as the marine theme of Hong Kong’s Octopus card – were added bonuses.

And the name made the design easier and more playful, too.

“Assumed it was because they came in a clamshell-like wallet,” u/Mattdabes replied to the original Reddit post.

“I’ll never forget our first time in London aged 18 and my friend asked for ‘a mussel card’ by mistake,” u/kaiaemeli added.

And u/Annual-Load3869 wrote, “I always assumed it was ‘world’s your oyster’ but that’s pretty interesting”.

An expectant parent has asked the internet masses whether they think being naked in front of kids is “weird” – and it’s opened up a whole lot of conversation around nudity, children and what’s acceptable.

The parent-to-be wrote on Reddit that they’re having their first child this year and grew up in a “naked household” – where it was totally normal to get dressed, changed, or shower in front of each other. “I’ll also add it was just us girls who did this (no brothers),” she said.

“I’m going to be having a son. Is this concept still weird? My husband thinks so as he grew up with just his mother and much older brother.”

In my household, privacy is limited – I can’t even take a shower without someone barging in to sing Wheels On The Bus at me. And I’m fine with that.

I’m not ashamed of my body and I don’t want my kids to grow up feeling shame around their bodies, either. I also personally think it’s great for opening conversations with little kids around what our body parts are called and what their functions are.

Most Redditors seemed to think nudity is fine, with one caveat. It’s OK until someone – whether you or the kids – becomes uncomfortable.

“It’s nothing to be shamed, and nothing to be forced either,” said one commenter.

Another said their husband stopped being comfortable “fully nude” around their daughter when she was a toddler.

“That’s respected, but it’s also not some huge deal if she runs into the room to tell him about her made up dragons while he’s changing, he’ll cover up or turn away and ask for privacy,” they said.

“At 8 she wants privacy for the bathroom mostly, we respect that, but then she will run around the house naked or just in underwear. She sees me changing frequently and it doesn’t make either of us uncomfortable so for now that’s fine. Everyone gets to say in what level of privacy they want within the family.”

There are definitely rules that are useful to follow, though.

One parent said they have three rules in their household: “Respect anyone asking for privacy, no naked butts on the couch, and we all put on clothes for visitors.”

Another said they have conversations around what’s appropriate to do in private (versus out and about), as well as consent.

“We don’t shame nudity, we explain anatomy using anatomical language, we teach about things that are only appropriate to do in private, and who’s allowed to view/touch his private parts and who isn’t,” they said.

“Whenever our son is ready to keep his nudity private or ask us to do the same, that’s fine, we’ll change. He knows it’s up to him.”

Experts agree it can be beneficial, too.

Amy Lang, a child sexual health educator, told The Guardian that while strict rules and guidelines are needed (ie. telling kids not to touch other people’s private parts), family nudity gives kids the opportunity to talk about boundaries, bodies and safety.

Pop singer Delta Goodrem will compete on this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC has confirmed.

On Friday evening, the Australian performer became the third celebrity unveiled for the line-up, fresh from her recent success at the Eurovision Song Contest.

She enthused: “I’ve been incredibly honoured to perform on many different stages throughout my career – from TV, theatre, film sets, to touring my own shows around the world.

“There is, however, one stage I’ve never stepped onto and that is the ballroom floor! I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Strictly and can’t wait to get started!”

After getting her start in Neighbours in the early 2000s, Delta burst onto the music scene with hits including Born To Try and Lost Without You.

In her native Australia she has an impressive nine number one singles to her name, including Innocent Eyes, Predictable and Almost Here, a duet with her ex-partner Brian McFadden.

Last month, she represented her home country at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria, with her song Eclipse, finishing in fourth place on the night.

This year’s Strictly Come Dancing casting announcements are coming in earlier than usual, with the line-up usually beginning to get unveiled around August time, ahead of the show’s September return.

On Wednesday, fans of the long-running BBC dance show were surprised when, out of the blue, EastEnders favourite Lacey Turner, best known for her performance as Stacey Slater, became the first star revealed to have signed up.

A day later, it was revealed that former Love Island champion Dani Dyer would also be competing in 2026, a year after having to pull out of the series days before the first live show after sustaining a serious injury.

It’s well-documented that the upcoming series of Strictly will be markedly different to recent seasons, most notably thanks to its new presenting line-up, a mass exodus among the show’s resident troupe of professional dancers and, reportedly, a revamped studio.