According to the experts at BBC Science Focus, we have around two solar eclipses per year. Which might sound staggering because from our perspective, they are incredibly rare, right? How many times in your life can you say you’ve seen one compared to lunar eclipses?

Dr Alistair Gunn, a radio astronomer at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester, explained: “A lunar eclipse, when the Moon moves through the shadow of the Earth, is visible from wherever the Moon is above the horizon, which is over half of the Earth.

“However, when the Moon appears to move in front of the Sun during a solar eclipse, the shadow cast by the Moon is much smaller than Earth. It’s only about 480km (300 miles) wide when cast onto the Earth’s surface.

“Solar eclipses are therefore only visible from within a narrow path across the Earth, making it difficult to get to a location to see one. This is why they are visible less often from any given location.”

However, some parts of the UK are set to experience the largest solar eclipse in over 25 years on 12 August.

The solar eclipse will be visible across the whole of the UK, according to the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA).

“People watching in the South West are likely to see the greatest proportion of the Sun covered by the Moon… this will be the most coverage seen from the UK and Ireland since the 1999 solar eclipse – which was total from most of Cornwall and Devon – making it a genuinely special occasion,” added the UKHSA.

In fact, the BBC states that people in Bristol, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire are expected to see around 90% of the Sun obscured, while Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly should get some of the best views anywhere in the UK with 95%.

You can actually buy solar eclipse glasses! If you are looking to purchase these, the UKHSA advises ensuring the ones you buy have specially designed filters that meet the international safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E).

Alternatively, they advise, you can watch the eclipse indirectly without any specialist equipment at all. Safe options include:

• a pinhole viewer, which you can easily make at home
• viewing the Sun’s image projected through a colander or the gaps between tree leaves
• projecting the Sun’s image onto a sheet of paper using a simple pinhole projector.

It’s not even September yet, but we already know the full cast for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.

After months of speculation and teasing, the line-up has now been confirmed in full, consisting of big names from around the world of sport, soaps, fashion and beyond, who are ready to compete for that illustrious glitterball when the show returns to our screens.

If you’re already looking forward to Strictly’s return, here’s our quick guide to the full line-up competing in 2026…

The first 2026 cast member unveiled was EastEnders star Lacey Turner, in a surprise to fans as the announcement came much earlier in the year then usual.

Lacey is best known for playing Stacey Slater in the BBC soap on-and-off since 2005, and has also starred in the military drama Our Girl and appeared in Call The Midwife.

“I am so excited to be making my way to the dance floor this year to be a part of Strictly Come Dancing! I am a huge fan and can’t quite believe I will be taking part and not watching at home this year!” she said when her Strictly stint was confirmed by the BBC in mid-June.

The soap star added: “I look forward to meeting everyone and learning a new skill!”

Dani Dyer was originally booked for last year’s season of Strictly – even taking part in its pre-recorded launch show – but was forced to pull out due to injury just days before the first live show.

She was replaced in the cast by fellow Love Island winner Amber Davies, who made it through to the 2025 final.

Almost a year later, Dani is now getting a second chance at nabbing the coveted Glitterball trophy.

She said: “I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September! I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one!

“I’m just over the moon and cannot wait to find out who else is doing it!” Dani added.

Although best known as a singer thanks to hits like Born To Try and Lost Without You, Australian performer Delta Goodrem first found fame playing Nina Tucker in Neighbours, a role she held for around three years in the mid-2000s.

She’s also no stranger to reality TV, having served as both a coach on The Voice and The Voice Kids in her home country.

Delta’s Strictly stint comes off the back of her success at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. During the live final in Vienna back in May, she represented Australia with her song Eclipse, finishing in fourth place overall.

When announced as taking part in Strictly, she beamed: “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!”

The first man confirmed for the Strictly 2026 cast was Chris Appleton, hairstylist to the stars and the man behind some of Kim Kardashian’s most famous red carpet hairdos.

Chris has earned a following online for his hair tutorials, as well as his collaborations with A-list clients like Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande.

The UK-born stylist said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Strictly Come Dancing and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience.

“I’ve always believed that the best things happen when you take a chance and try something new. I may know my way around a salon floor, but the dance floor is a whole different story – and I can’t wait to get started.”

Cach Mercer is the second Love Islander to sign up for Strictly this year – and like fellow alum Dani Dyer, he won the series back in 2025.

The model, DJ, social media star and dancer enthused: “I have grown up watching Strictly with my family and am so excited to now be part of the cast.

“Dancing is a huge passion of mine and I can’t wait to learn ballroom and do the Foxtrot for the first time!”

Will Best is a presenter most famous for fronting ITV’s Big Brother reboot and Hits Radio’s daily breakfast show.

He admitted: “I can’t quite believe it… I’m doing Strictly! What an absolute dream. Albeit a pretty terrifying one.”

“I’ve been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this,” he claimed, adding: “I cannot wait!”

Dame Sarah Storey is a 19-time gold medallist and the most successful British Paralympian of all time, so she is more than prepared to handle the pressure that comes with competing on Strictly.

The decorated cyclist retired from the sport in June, but doesn’t have any intention of taking it easy as she makes history as the first Dame to hit the ballroom.

Sarah was inspired to take on the new challenge by her ballroom-dancing daughter, Louisa.

“Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting,” the Paralympian said.

She added: “I have always loved watching Strictly and my daughter Louisa is a very talented dancer, so to be able to learn from the best and hopefully understand even more about her world, is incredibly motivating! I can’t wait to get started!”

In 2024, the 30-time medallist was booked to compete on Dancing On Ice, but had to pull out due to fracturing her ankle during rehearsals.

Jaime Winstone was the eighth addition to the BBC show’s line-up.

Daughter of fellow actor Ray Winstone, Jaime is best known for her roles in Kidulthood, Made In Dagenham and the 2018 reboot of Tomb Raider.

She also won acclaim for her performance as Dame Barbara Windsor in the 2017 TV biopic Babs, later playing the late actor’s character Peggy Mitchell in a special flashback episode of EastEnders.

Strictly isn’t her first reality TV appearance, as the actor appeared on ITV’s The Masked Singer as Firework back in 2022.

“I am no stranger to a dance floor, but the ballroom is a whole new world for me,” she said when announced for the show.

She added: “I love a challenge though, so can’t wait to enter my showgirl era and get super sparkly!! Let’s get physical – see you on the dance floor!”

House Of The Dragon star and musical theatre actor Bethany Antonia was the ninth star revealed for this year’s Strictly.

Alongside playing Lady Baela Targaryen in the Game Of Thrones prequel, Bethany has appeared in the Harlan Coben adaptation Stay Close, ITV biopic Nolly and the 2025 Doctor Who episode The Well.

She is also currently appearing as Eurydice in the Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown in the West End.

“I can’t quite believe that I will be heading to the Strictly ballroom this September! I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill. See you on the dancefloor!” she told the BBC.

Shaun Wright-Phillips is a former England footballer and pundit.

During his career, Shaun had 36 caps for England, as well as playing for Manchester City, Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers, before moving to the USA and joining the New York Red Bulls and Phoenix Rising FC.

The son of football icon Ian Wright, Shaun now works with BBC, ITV and Sky Sports as a pundit.

Shaun told the BBC: “Dancing is in my blood—but mainly at family events! Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I’m super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!”

The sportsman told The Sun that he joined Strictly and appeared on 2021’s Cooking With The Stars because he wanted to learn new skills.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m really nervous – it’s out of my comfort zone,” he admitted. “I know the hard work the dancers put into it but I’m excited for the journey and want to come out of it as a ballroom dancer,” the former footballer added.

Known to fans as “The Dogfather”, Graeme Hall is a respected canine expert who has been offering dog owners advice on both TV and in print for years.

He has fronted Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly on Channel 5 since 2019 as well as The Dog Hospital.

Graeme also regularly pens articles for The Times, and is an author of three adult books, including the Sunday Times Bestseller All Dogs Great And Small.

He admitted he “can’t believe” that he’s landed a spot on this year’s Strictly line-up, enthusing: “I have always loved dancing, so to have the opportunity to learn from the best in the business is a dream come true.

“I have watched the show for years, so to be a part of it feels like a very exciting challenge, albeit more than a bit nerve-wracking! I can’t wait to get started.”

Scottish actor Lawrence Robb is best known for playing Mackenzie “Mack” Boyd in Emmerdale, now a member of the iconic Dingle dynasty.

He also appeared alongside Billie Piper in an episode of I Hate Suzie.

Outside of his TV work, Lawrence has on-stage experience, appearing as Rapunzel’s Prince in Into The Woods, the Prince in Cinderella and in Legally Blonde The Musical.

“I don’t know who’s more excited about this, me or my Mother,” he joked to the BBC. “I can’t quite believe that I am going to be getting my dancing shoes on this September on one of my favourite shows of all time! It’s a dream come true, and I can’t wait to bring my all to ballroom.”

“Wish me luck, and any advice is very welcome – trust me I’ll need it!” he added.

Olympic gold medallist Tabitha “Tabby” Stoecker is a skeleton racer who most famously won gold at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

She is also a World Cup race winner, a double World Championship medallist and a European Championship medallist.

The athlete said she was “over the moon” at joining the cast of the BBC show, adding: “I’ve had the wildest year of my life so far, so to be rounding it off with a childhood dream of dancing in the Strictly ballroom is surreal and I can’t wait to get stuck in!”

Football content creator John Nellis has more than 20 million followers across social media.

He has amassed billions of views for his videos featuring global football stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi.

Most recently, John collaborated with Norwegian football star Erling Haaland, with content from the duo earning more than 60 million views across social media.

The former air traffic controller said he was “a little nervous” because he has never danced before.

He added: “It’s such an incredible opportunity, and I’m going to throw myself into every moment. I can’t wait to meet everyone, learn a new skill and, hopefully, be much better at family parties by the end of it!

The Welsh actor is best known for playing Gwen West, the doting mum of Joanna Page’s Stacey in the BBC sitcom.

She has also appeared in Hollyoaks and, more recently, the 2025 crime mystery Death Valley.

Melanie explained: “Performing in Pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly ‘fix’ has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room,” so she is delighted to swap her “fairy wand for sequinned dance shoes.”

She added: “I cannot wait to take part in this absolutely iconic show, it’s so exciting. See you in September!”

Strictly Come Dancing will return to our screens in the autumn.

Rihanna took a moment to reflect during a recent trip to Barbados with her three children.

On Tuesday, the Grammy-winning star shared a rare family photo with her sons and daughter, after revisiting the street where she was born, which is now named after her.

She enthused: “One minute I feel like that kid from Westbury… the next minute I’m bringing my own kids back to ‘Rihanna Drive’. Trippy how life works!”

The We Found Love singer added: “And the glory still and will always belong to the Almighty Creator!!!”

Rihanna and her partner, fellow musician A$AP Rocky, welcomed their first child, a son named RZA, in May 2022.

A year later, Rihanna announced she was pregnant for the second time during her headlining performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and later welcomed another son, Riot.

Last year, she disclosed that she was expecting another child while walking the Met Gala red carpet, before welcoming a baby girl – who she and her partner named Rocki, in an apparent nod to her father’s stage name – in September 2025.

Earlier this year, the A-list couple formally introduced their daughter to the world with a photo spread in W magazine, which saw the whole family sporting head-to-toe Dior (right down to Rocki’s nappy).

In the accompanying article, A$AP Rocky said: “[Rihanna] has changed a lot [in the time we’ve known each other] because she became a mother in that time span, and that certainly changes you. But this woman has always been magic.

“Philosophically, the way she operates is on another level. She is the most charming and genuine person on Earth. Her energy is unmatched – one of a kind. I just adore her.”

More recently, it was suggested that Rihanna was back working on new music, with a decade having now passed since the release of her last album, Anti.

KPop Demon Hunters performer Ejae has claimed the sight of Leonardo DiCaprio was enough to cause her to make a mistake during the band’s performance of Golden at the Baftas.

Back in February, Ejae took to the stage at this year’s Baftas ceremony alongside fellow performers Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, but has admitted she wasn’t entirely happy with how things went.

“The Baftas haunt me,” the singer – who provides the singing voice of Rumi in the Netflix phenomenon – told The Times in a new interview. “I made mistakes. I cracked a little bit on the high notes.”

During the trio’s first performance outside of the US, Ejae kicked things off from the stage at the London Festival Hall solo, before Audrey and Rei emerged from the crowd.

The Oscar winner noted that she was “put off” a high note in the song when she spotted the One Battle After Another star sitting in the audience in front of her, particularly as “he was not smiling”.

“He made me so nervous,” she admitted. “It was already so nerve-racking to be in front of all these celebrities, and then I look up and lock eyes with Leonardo DiCaprio? Come on…”

Leonardo had gone viral earlier in awards season when, at the Golden Globes, he animatedly spoke to his co-star, Teyana Taylor, about the animated fantasy film.

The Titanic actor also became a meme at this year’s Academy Awards after he enthusiastically waved a synchronised K-pop lightstick during the band’s performance of Golden.

Ejae skyrocketed to fame last year after providing vocals for the animated musical, which follows K-pop band Huntr/x, who use secret identities to protect their fans from supernatural threats.

KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix’ most-watched film of all time, winning an Oscar, Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award and Grammy.

“It’s still crazy to me,” Ejae told The Times of her film’s success. “I was a nobody and suddenly I’m a something.”

Controversially, the film was ruled out of a Best Animated Film nod at the Baftas because it did not have a qualifying theatrical release – but the band still appeared in one of the evening’s feel good moments.

“Performing at the EE Bafta Film Awards is a golden moment that our younger selves could never have imagined,” the trio said in a statement when their performance was first announced.

“We’re so proud to represent Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters and spread the film’s positive message to fans around the globe,” the statement added.

British voters want Count Binface to beat Nigel Farage in Thursday’s Clacton by-election, a new poll has revealed.

The survey, by the More in Common think-tank, found that 37% of the public want the comedy candidate to win in a head-to-head contest with the Reform UK leader.

By contrast, just 32% of Brits would want Farage to win.

A majority of Labour, Lib Dem and Green Party voters want Count Binface to win, although Farage is backed by Tories and, unsurprisingly, Reform supporters.

He quit as Clacton’s MP last month amid the furore over a £5 million gift he received from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before he became an MP two years ago.

Farage said he is the victim of a “witch-hunt” and was therefore triggering a “people versus the establishment” by-election.

An investigation by parliament’s standards watchdog into Farage’s failure to declare the money was immediately put on hold, but it will start again if he wins the contest.

A total of 34 candidates are taking part in the by-election, even though Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems Greens and Restore Britain all refused to put up candidates.

Despite the seeming popularity of Count Binface in the UK at large, Farage is expected to be comfortably re-elected in a seat he won with a majority of 8,405 at the 2024 general election.

It may not be the last by-election in the seat this year, however.

If the standards commissioner finds that Farage broke Commons rules by not declare his £5m gift, and he is suspended as an MP for more than 10 days, a recall petition will be held which could lead to another by-election being held.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

If you grew up with siblings, you might have noticed your family either adhering to or defying birth order tropes – think “the responsible eldest daughter” or “the invisible middle child”.

As it turns out, scientists reckon birth order might actually affect your health, wealth, and even IQ.

Here’s what the research says:

Some data suggest that first-borns are 13% less likely to smoke than fifth-borns, while first-borns are “more likely to be overweight, to be obese, and to have high blood pressure and high triglycerides”.

Meanwhile, first-borns seem likelier to have ADHD and/or autism than those born later. They’re also at a higher risk of food allergies and hayfever.

And second-borns may be more prone to substance abuse, migraines, shingles, and gut issues.

Firstborns seem to perform higher on IQ tests than their younger siblings, even in tests conducted as early as one year old.

Some think that might explain why oldest children could end up more successful and rich, too. A 2014 study found that eldest daughters are the most likely to succeed out of any sibling type; a 2012 study suggests first borns are more likely to hold leadership roles.

Last-borns seemed to be the most social and resilient, followed by first-borns, middle-borns, and only children in a study that quizzed parents on their kids’ qualities.

In the same research, middle-borns appeared the least happy.

Some think it might have to do with how parents treat each new child – perhaps the eldest gets the most emotional investment. “Firstborn kids get the undivided attention of their parents, whereas kids born later are often competing for parental time and resources,” NPR suggested.

Then, there are the peer groups of each sibling to consider. An only or eldest child looks up to their parents, while a younger sibling might “have role models who are slightly irrational two-year-olds, you know, their older siblings”.

With that said, birth order traits are far from universal, and not everyone agrees on how much of a difference it makes to things like intelligence and personality.

A leading toy maker has promised to make changes to a controversial butt-shaped toy, which encourages children to squeeze, jiggle and spread the toy’s cheeks to elicit fart sounds.

Goliath, which created the ‘Butt Face’ toy – available to buy at Smyths, The Entertainer, Amazon and Asda – said it has listened to feedback from families and professionals who aired safeguarding concerns over the product.

Earlier this week, Dr Niamh Lynch, a paediatrician based in Cork and author of Should I Be Worried? A No-Panic Guide To Your Child’s Health, shared her worries over the toy, which has been marketed to children aged four and up.

“As a paediatrician, I would have a lot of safety concerns for children around this toy and the normalisation of this kind of play,” said Dr Lynch on social media.

“Because children learn through play, they learn what is acceptable and not acceptable through play – and this might break down boundaries and normalise playing with other people’s bottoms.”

In response to her video, people shared equal outrage over it. “I saw this in Smyth Toys the other day and I was seriously appalled. And anyone who bought that for a kid I would immediately suspect as a groomer,” said one commenter.

Multiple others called for the toy to be banned.

Elsewhere, on Mumsnet, one parent shared they’d spotted the product in their local Smyths store and “couldn’t believe it was real”.

They continued: “Am I being completely unreasonable, or is this incredibly inappropriate for early years? Children learn through play, and at age 4, they are just starting to grasp vital concepts like body safety, personal boundaries, and consent. Normalising this kind of interaction under the guise of ‘cheeky humour’ feels entirely wrong and confusing for toddlers.”

In response, a commenter said: “I can’t imagine who thought this would be a good concept for a toy – it’s really distasteful.”

Another described it as a “safeguarding nightmare”.

Some parents acknowledged that their kids would love it and they could understand why the product exists (“it’s grim but my 8yos would 100% want one”, said one), while others couldn’t see the problem.

“I don’t see the issue? I mean it’s tacky. And ugly. But children find bums funny. Obviously they don’t see them in a sexual way,” said another respondent. “Not saying I like this toy. But I can’t see how it could be harmful.”

Following a backlash in Australia, which saw a former child abuse detective warn that the toy could be misused by people seeking to normalise touching private parts or groom children, some stores pulled the toy from shelves.

Goliath has since told HuffPost UK that it has “decided to remove the stretch feature and change the age recommendation to 8+ years”.

“We are currently updating packaging and product design to reflect these changes,” the company’s spokesperson said.

“Ultimately, our aim is to create toys that bring families fun and laughter, while taking seriously the trust parents place in us when choosing toys for their children.”

HuffPost UK has contacted Asda, Amazon, Smyths and The Entertainer for comment.

One popular fan theory about the new Spider-Man movie Brand New Day is really starting to grab people’s attention.

In the lead-up to the film’s release, many people spotted a detail in the trailer that led them to believe that the Spider-Man comic book villain The Jackal could make his MCU debut, after they spotted Peter Parker and MJ at a party with a fictitious beer brand called the “Green Jackal” prominently displayed.

Some even suspected that Keith David might be playing the villainous character – and while this turned out not to be true, that hasn’t stopped people speculating as to exactly what the Jackal nod could have been all about.

Film fan Ivan Mars – whose posts as The Movie Detective have earned him 3.1 million followers on TikTok – has speculated that MJ’s new boyfriend, played by Star Wars actor Eman Esfandi, may actually be The Jackal in disguise.

“During the party scene where [MJ’s boyfriend] appears for the first time, there’s a beer keg labelled Green Jackal – but wait, he’s also wearing a green jacket,” Ivan pointed out.

“And if you look closely, the corners of his smile almost make his teeth look unusually sharp, just like The Jackal.”

He also reminded viewers that when Peter asks MJ how her new relationship is going, she tells him that her boyfriend is always telling her that she’s “withholding”, suggesting he might already suspect she has more knowledge about Spider-Man’s identity than he thinks she’s letting on.

“And we know Marvel never leaves these details there by accident…” he added.

Ivan’s video has now been viewed more than a million times across Tiktok and Instagram, with fans voicing their support in the comments.

“Not only that, but he was on Ned’s list of potential Spider-Man,” one TikTok user wrote, while another agreed: “Ned was suspicious of him being Spider-Man must be a reason for that.”

“Ooooohhhhhhh…..wow this is a great take!!!!” a different fan wrote on Instagram, while another Marvel fan conceded: “It is possible.”

“Dude got a sharp teeth and now he’s the goblin,” another Instagram user also joked.

While Marvel bosses are remaining tight-lipped about MJ’s boyfriend’s back story for now, one thing we can rule out is that he is actually Paul Rabin, another love interest of Peter Parker’s ex originally introduced in the comic books as the secret son of another Spider-Man villain, The Emissary.

“I am not, never have been, and never will be ‘Paul’,” the actor wrote on X earlier this week. “To those of you I saw in the comments defending my honour and saying I’d never accept that role… thank you and [may the force be with you].”

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is in cinemas now.