Politics
The Best And Worst Foods For Osteoporosis And Bone Health
Osteoporosis is a health condition that can really sneak up on you. Its early stages typically don’t cause any symptoms; it isn’t until a bone is broken or fractured that many people are diagnosed, and that can hurt.
“Osteoporosis is a disorder of bone quality and strength that increases the susceptibility for fractures,” explained Dr. Rozalina McCoy, an endocrinologist and associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
McCoy explained that osteoporosis is diagnosed through a DEXA scan, which is an X-ray that measures bone density. “A DEXA scan can tell us what someone’s fracture risk is, which is the main concern. Low bone density is the biggest indicator, but there’s an additional component of bone quality, too,” McCoy said.
According to scientific research, the risk of osteoporosis rises significantly with age, especially for women 50 and older, and men 70 and older. According to research published in the journal Clinical Medicine, 50% of women and 20% of men 50 and older will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture.
“As we age, we become less efficient at rebuilding bone, tend to be less physically active and absorb nutrients like calcium less effectively from food,” said Dr. Yesika Garcia, an endocrinologist with the Medical Offices of Manhattan and a contributor to LabFinder.
Garcia explained the reason women 50 and older are at an increased risk for osteoporosis is because of the drop in oestrogen after menopause. This matters because oestrogen helps regulate the balance between bone formation and breakdown, which is important for maintaining bone density. But after menopause, the protective effect from oestrogen is lost.
Fortunately, there are ways to lower your risk of osteoporosis, including eating more of one food that’s especially good for your bones yet often overlooked.
FG Trade Latin via Getty Images
Before we talk about diet, there’s another way to reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
When it comes to reducing your risk of osteoporosis, Dr. Deborah E. Sellmeyer, an internationally recognised expert in metabolic bone disease and a clinical professor at Stanford Medicine, told HuffPost that good nutrition and weight-bearing activity are what’s most important.
“For physical activity, it’s encouraged to do 30 minutes a day of impact activity such as brisk walking, progressive weight and resistance training at least twice a week, and balance training,” Sellmeyer said. Balance training can include tai chi, yoga or standing on one leg.
McCoy and Sellmeyer both emphasised that avoiding fractures, particularly when you’re older, is important for managing osteoporosis because it can lead to more severe bone breaks in the future.
With this in mind, Sellmeyer told HuffPost that it’s important to lower your risk of falling at home by using good lighting, keeping the floor and outside area clear of any trip hazards, and staying up to date with your eye doctor appointments to support your vision care.
There are two key components of your diet that can maintain bone density
When it comes to lowering your risk of osteoporosis through diet, all four of the endocrinologists we talked to said that while what’s most important is maintaining a well-rounded, nutrient-rich diet, the two nutrients that matter most for bone health are calcium and vitamin D.
“Calcium and vitamin D are the only nutrients that have been shown to reduce the risk of fractures,” Sellmeyer said, adding that clinical trials of these nutrients were all done with supplements, not with food, because of the need for a placebo control, which is very difficult to do with a food item and much easier with a pill.
Dr. Jad Sfeir, an endocrinologist and an associate professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, also emphasised the importance of getting enough calcium and vitamin D.
“The daily recommended goal of calcium for postmenopausal women and older men is 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams per day, preferably from dietary sources. The daily recommended goal of vitamin D for postmenopausal women and older men is 800 to 1,000 international units,” he said.
Besides calcium and vitamin D, Sfeir added that getting enough protein is also important for lowering the risk of osteoporosis (or managing it properly if you already have it).
“Protein provides the structural framework for bone tissue. The body uses protein to build the collagen matrix that gives bones their strength and flexibility, working together with calcium and other minerals to maintain bone structure,” he said.
The food to eat more of if you’re over 50 and want to lower your risk of osteoporosis.
It bears repeating that when it comes to using diet to lower the risk of osteoporosis, what’s most important is having a balanced, nutrient-rich diet; avoiding osteoporosis doesn’t come down to eating one singular food.
That said, Garcia told HuffPost that there is one food she wishes people 50 and older would eat more because it contains both of the only two nutrients (calcium and vitamin D) shown to reduce fracture risk: sardines.
“Sardines deliver calcium directly in an absorbable form, especially when eating the edible little bones. They are rich in vitamin D and a great source of protein,” she said. To this point, one 3-ounce serving of sardines contains 325 milligrams of calcium, which is roughly 30% the recommended daily amount for older adults. The same serving has 46 microunits of vitamin D, which is about 17% of the recommended daily amount for older adults. (That means you’re still going to have to rely on other foods or supplements – and sunshine in the case of vitamin D – to get enough.) To get the maximum bone benefits out of sardines, Garcia recommends eating them two to three times a week.
Can’t stomach sardines? Sfeir’s top food recommendation is dairy foods, as long as you don’t have a sensitivity. “Building new bone requires a consistent supply of calcium, which is why daily calcium intake is essential for maintaining healthy bones,” he said. Milk, yogurt and cheese are all high in calcium.
If you are lactose intolerant or are vegan, it’s extra important to make sure you’re getting enough calcium and vitamin D since you are not consuming dairy – or sardines, if you’re vegan. Be sure to get your blood work done during your appointments with your healthcare provider to check your vitamin D and calcium levels. If you’re not hitting the mark, talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian about how you can meet your nutrient goals.
While it’s important to know what foods support bone health, all of the endocrinologists say it’s just as important to know what foods and drinks can damage bones. The top offender, according to all four experts: alcohol. “Alcohol suppresses the bone-building cells called osteoblasts and interferes with vitamin D metabolism,” Garcia explained.
Garcia and McCoy both told HuffPost that soda is the second-worst offender when it comes to bone health. McCoy explained that this is because of an ingredient in soda called phosphoric acid, which pulls calcium from bones to maintain the body’s calcium balance. While phosphoric acid is found in soda, it isn’t typically in sparkling water.
Garcia and Sellmeyer both told HuffPost that consuming too much sodium can cause the body to excrete calcium through urine, so be sure to go easy on the salty foods.
“Osteoporosis is common but not fully inevitable as we age. It is largely preventable,” Garcia said. The sooner you start supporting your bones through your diet and exercise habits, the better. According to McCoy, even if you already have osteoporosis, you can improve your bone density. It’s never too late to become your strongest self.
Thursday’s local elections have exploded one myth. The Green Party of England and Wales is definitely not riding a wave of popular support to power. It turns out that an obsessive loathing of Israel, combined with a vicious identitarianism and sixth-form ‘tax the rich’ slogans, is not quite the electoral elixir the Greens’ media cheerleaders would have had us believe.
Not that you would have known this in the lead-up to the ballot. For weeks and weeks, there had been breathless talk of a Green wave about to break across the nation. This had been accompanied by heady seat projections, with the Greens expected to pick up over 700 councillors in a one-on-one battle with Reform UK.
Amid the Green fluffing, the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, the Walter Mitty-ish Zack Polanski, was everywhere, garnering ear-bleeding amounts of airtime and eye-watering puff profiles in The Times, the New Statesman and even, across the Atlantic, in the New York Times. The Greens, we were told, were always ‘rising’, ‘surging’, the right-thinking populist counterweight to Reform UK.
After the hype, the reality. The Greens have done relatively well in these elections, but achieved nowhere near what had been expected. They have recorded the second-most gains behind Reform, leaving them with 587 councillors. But that has still consigned them to fourth place overall, behind Reform (1,453), Labour (1,068), Lib Dems (844) and the Conservatives (801). Extrapolating from Thursday’s vote, Sky News gave the Greens a General Election vote share of just 13 per cent. Under the first-past-the-post system, this would translate into a meagre 13 seats out of 650 in the House of Commons. That’s not a wave, that’s a leaky soil pipe.
Even in London, which many had anticipated turning Green, Polanski’s crew underperformed. The Greens did win mayoral races in Hackney and Lewisham, but they have struggled in large swathes of London, from Ealing to Westminster. In both Hammersmith and Richmond upon Thames, the Greens actually lost all their councillors.
Their cheerleaders are no doubt blaming the Greens’ failure to live up to the pre-election hype on every leftist’s favourite bogeyman, the right-wing meeja – and, by association, their supposedly duped audience. They see all the negative coverage as little more than an orchestrated smear campaign. In their paranoid style, they cast the reports of the rampant anti-Semitism among election candidates, the criticism of Polanski’s police-bashing response to the Golders Green attack, and the revelations about Polanski’s CV embellishments (he was never, as he once claimed, a Red Cross spokesman), as all part of one big billionaires’ plot to discredit the self-styled radical left.
It’s true the Greens have received a rough ride in the media recently (and not just in the Telegraph or the Daily Mail). But journalists haven’t been victimising Polanski; they’ve been scrutinising him. They haven’t been smearing the Greens with accusations of anti-Semitism; they’ve simply been reporting evidence of anti-Semitism. That’s not a conspiracy – it’s called accountability.
The Greens’ problems – Polanski’s personal popularity ratings have plummeted in the past week – are of their own making. Over the past few years and especially since Polanski took the helm, they have turned themselves into a vehicle for identitarianism and ‘anti-Zionist’ Islamic sectarianism, leavened with Occupy-era slop about taking on the ‘one per cent’ and the ‘billionaires’.
As the local elections show, this paradoxical admixture has gone down well among certain constituencies – from the middle-class left, comprising students, under-employed graduates and affluent ‘progressives’, to large, concentrated Muslim communities. Hence the Greens have broken through in areas where those constituencies predominate. They’ve picked up councillors in the wealthy, university-dominated urban areas of Exeter, Reading, Manchester, Oxford and parts of London. And, thanks to their sectarian, anti-Israel posturing, they’ve done well in areas with large Muslim populations, such as Waltham Forest in North East London. In one telling moment in Burngreave, Sheffield, the victorious Green councillor, Mustafa Ahmed, interrupted the count to raise the Palestine flag and chant ‘free Palestine’. Quite how he will use his mandate in Sheffield City Council to affect Middle Eastern politics is unclear.
As Tony Travers, professor of political science at the London School of Economics, told the Financial Times on Friday, the Greens’ success is ‘very concentrated in a small number of cities and city centres’. But beyond those areas, beyond those constituencies, it seems Polanski’s Palestine and progressivism platform is about as appealing as a couple of hours in one of his nipple-focused hypnotherapy sessions. Especially since the mask-off moments of the past few weeks, with more than 30 candidates being investigated over anti-Semitism in an internal party probe, two London candidates arrested for ‘stirring up racial hatred online’, and Polanski himself seeming more concerned with the police’s treatment of the alleged Golders Green attacker than with his Jewish victims.
Indeed, the Green Party’s mutation into a tribune for decadent identity politics and Islamic sectarianism is even worrying some long-standing, senior Greens. Siân Berry, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, admitted on Friday morning that there had been ‘questions on the doorstep’ about the party’s response to anti-Semitism. And Caroline Lucas, the former leader and doyenne of the pre-Polanski Greens, called last week for ‘immediate action’ to be taken against the Greens’ anti-Semitic candidates.
This will be easier said than done – and not just because current deputy leader Mothin Ali has been threatening his own party with legal action if it tries to kick out those accused of anti-Semitism. The Green Party also owes its relative success over the past couple of years precisely to its embrace of ‘anti-Zionism’ and identity politics. This has pulled in hardline Muslims and middle-class Corbynistas, and with them, an inevitable undertow of anti-Semitism. Polanski can no more root out the Jew hatred in his party than he can turn away the party’s new support base. The source of their rise in the polls is also the source of their animus towards Jewish people.
Polanski and his party have made their bed, complete no doubt with a keffiyeh-pattern duvet and pillow set, and will have to lie in it for the foreseeable future. They will no doubt enjoy a significant measure of support from sectarian bigots and their middle-class, ‘progressive’ enablers for a fair while yet. The local elections have shown it works in some specific urban areas. But the Greens are alienating a great many Brits in the process – especially the working-class majority currently lending their vote to Reform.
If the elections have revealed one thing about the Greens, it’s that this now very nasty party is neither populist nor popular.
Tim Black is associate editor of spiked.
A Labour MP once considered to be close ally of Keir Starmer has called for him to resign as prime minister.
Josh Simons, the Labour MP for Makerfield, has written an article for the Times newspaper expressing his view that Starmer should oversee an “orderly transition to a new prime minister”.
Simons was director of the Labour Together think tank before entering parliament. The group, associated with former Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, was prominent in supporting Starmer’s rise to power.
Simons was one of the first MPs that entered parliament at the 2024 general election appointed to a ministerial post. However, he resigned as a junior minister serving jointly in the Cabinet Office and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in February 2026. He stepped after facing claims that Labour Together commissioned a report that looked into journalists’ backgrounds.
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In his Times article, Simons wrote: “When a party fears the people it was created to represent, it is marching towards extinction…
“These elections were not a normal mid-term drubbing, they were an unequivocal judgment that our actions do not meet the moment. We constantly talk big, then act small.”
He added: “Putting the people I represent and the country I love first, I do not believe the prime minister can rise to this moment. He has lost the country. He should take control of the situation by overseeing an orderly transition to a new prime minister.”
Simons shared the article in a post to Twitter (formerly X) alongside additional comments.
He stated: “This was not an easy piece to write. But because of my history in the Labour Party I felt a duty to be honest.
“We Labour MPs must square up to the truth. These elections were not a normal mid-term drubbing, they were an unequivocal judgement that our actions do not meet the moment.
“To put the country first, the PM should lead an orderly transition. Senior figures across the party should urgently come together to agree a path forward.”
Simons’ intervention comes after a fellow former Labour minister, Catherine West, threatened to launch a “stalking horse” challenge to the prime minister.
On Saturday afternoon, West called on the cabinet to “reorganise themselves” and put forward their “best communicator” to replace Starmer. Speaking to BBC News in the wake of this week’s elections, the Labour MP and former Foreign Office said she was putting senior ministers “on notice”.
West said: “My preferred option is for the cabinet to do a reshuffle within itself, where there’s plenty of talent, and for Keir to be given a different role, which he might enjoy, perhaps an international role.”
West sought to justify her proposal across as Sunday morning media round.
West told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “I will hear what the prime minister’s got to say tomorrow and, then if I’m still dissatisfied, I will put out my email to the parliamentary Labour Party, asking for names. And the reason I’m doing that is not for me. It’s for working people, because Labour is the only party that can beat Reform.”
West was asked if she believes that she will get the requisite number of MPs – 81 – to mount a leadership challenge.
She responded: “We will find out when I put out my email to the Parliamentary Labour Party, but what we need is that timetable from the chair of the party, and she and I are very good friends, she knows, I’ve asked her for an orderly transition into a leadership election, which will allow us to make the case to the country, as well as to our colleagues, so that we can go forward.”
In the words of Quint aboard the Orca: ‘He’s got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, he doesn’t seem to be livin’. Until he bites ya…’
When a similarly soulless creature lurched onstage at this year’s BAFTAs, the reaction of the audience was not to run screaming. Instead there were a few whoops, and then a slide into what felt and looked like… embarrassment. Paddington Bear gave his speech, and his jokes got barely a laugh. Not even his earnest quotes from his opinionated mother figure, ‘Mrs Brown’, got a cheer. Prince William, the future king no less, looked as if he regretted not bringing his hunting rifle. It all made the breathless media headlines – ‘Adorable!’ ‘Paddington stole the spotlight and hearts!’ ‘Stunning debut!’ – look somewhat out of step. Maybe they were quoting the pre-show press release.
I was a fan of Paddington growing up. Quite a big fan. I loved the books. But here’s the thing: I was seven. Don’t get me wrong, I would probably still enjoy them today (I mean, I recently spent a few happy hours reading old Calvin and Hobbes compendiums). I loved the 2014 Paddington movie. It’s just that I don’t remember the Paddington of my day giving quite so many moral lectures – and I think that even at the age of seven I’d have resented his newfound priggishness. Nobody likes a lecture, least of all children. It’s a big part of why the modern publishing industry can’t get kids to read.
But with the bear from computer-generated hell, it’s not the kids I’m worried about – it’s the grown-ups. Paddington Syndrome is rife these days. It hit what I can only hope was its nadir last year, when district judge Sam Goozee, an actual member of the judiciary at an actual magistrates’ court, told two sheepish defendants, ‘Your actions were the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for’.
The defendants in question had vandalised a Paddington statue in the home town of his author, Michael Bond. Vandalism is bad, even when it’s (whisper it) quite funny. The two young men deserved their punishment and they deserved the financial penalty of restoring the statue. What they didn’t deserve, because none of us does, is a vicarious moral lecture from a fictional bear. As the defence counsel said, likely while trying to stop his eyeballs from rolling back in their sockets:
‘I accept there are a lot of people who know who Paddington Bear is, but there are a number of people who would not say it is a national treasure. It is a literary character. I am not too sure it has that level of status.’
Sometimes pronouns do matter. I am full of admiration for that lawyer for his use of ‘it’.
The bear is not to blame for this phenomenon. Paddington is a cutesy, dead-eyed symptom of mass infantilisation – a process that has long infected public-information leaflets, advertising and our television screens in the UK. You know the style: two-dimensional figures who look as if they were dressed by Hannah Spencer, long-legged and occasionally eyeless, big white semicircles on their faces in lieu of human smiles. They’re supposed to make information accessible. Relatable. Though what kind of grown-up human being ‘relates’ to these artless monstrosities is anyone’s guess.
The BBC is at it, too; everyone’s a kids’ TV presenter these days. Watching a BBC News TikTok video about violence towards Trading Standards officials, I had to ignore the presenter’s earnest CBeebies enunciation. Here was a truly dark story voiced like a Newsround item. The One Show comes across as a reiteration of Blue Peter. Programmes on gardening, properties and makeovers feature the stars speaking to their guests as if they’re nine years old. Even on Question Time, host Fiona Bruce acts like an overwrought Year 12 teacher fielding rude interjections from the class. You can almost imagine the scene in the staffroom – sorry, the green room – afterwards. ‘I’m so sorry about Connor. I’ll be writing to his parents. I do hope you’ll be kind enough to visit again?’
Perhaps the most curious thing about this infantilisation of adults is the concurrent determination to treat actual children as if they’re undersized grown-ups. Children sometimes need guidance from actual adults. However, as is particularly stark in the gender debate, adults are increasingly prone to taking political dictation from their kids. Alastair Campbell, who learned everything he knows about women and woman-impersonators from his infantile daughter, Grace, is one such example of this. Back in the day, it was understood that children rebel against their parents from time to time. That it’s all part of the process. But the poor offspring now have nothing to rebel against. Their parents merely roll over at the first threat of a breakfast-table tantrum. Kids, we are encouraged to believe, are omniscient little gods.
This age-inversion has real-world safeguarding consequences. There are way too many videos of mothers applauding their children as they dance ‘provocatively’ at events, all the while being leered at by grown men throwing money. The idea that ‘young people know who they are and what they want’ has quickly devolved into ‘Thomas is a girl and wants puberty blockers’. Of course, Thomas has no concept of what it means to lose future fertility and sexual function and to put a screeching chemical brake on his brain development.
Adulthood and childhood have been transposed, and it’s not just insulting – it’s dangerous. Let children be children, not political gurus, hyper-sexualised drag queens or medical experiments. And for the love of all that’s holy, cut the cartoons and the stuffed bears, treat adults like adults, and expect a bit more of them.
Gillian Philip is a writer and a driver in the haulage industry.
A defence barrister is facing contempt-of-court proceedings after allegedly inviting a jury to act according to their consciences. Rajiv Menon KC was acting for Palestine Action activists, who had been charged with aggravated burglary for damaging the property of Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer, near Bristol in August 2024. During their first trial at Woolwich Crown Court in January, at which they were acquitted (although, in a re-trial this week, four people were convicted on lesser charges of criminal damage), the trial judge had ruled that the barristers could not invite the jury to disregard his legal rulings. He also directed them not to invite the jury to acquit ‘on the basis of their conscience’.
In his closing address in January, Menon allegedly told the jurors that they could acquit according to their conscience, relying on Bushell’s Case from 1670, which is ordinarily recognised as having established the independence of the jury. He quoted a plaque at the Old Bailey stating that Bushell’s Case ‘established the right of juries to give their verdict according to their convictions’.
There is, of course, nothing in our constitution that expressly protects the right of a jury to completely abandon the evidence. But juries can, and sometimes do, return verdicts that appear to cut against the evidence or the strict application of the law. This is possible because of a combination of legal rules and constitutional traditions that protect juries’ independence.
Bushell’s Case arose after a judge imprisoned a jury for refusing to return the verdict he wanted. There is plenty of argument about the applicability of that case to modern trials, but it at least established that jurors cannot be punished for their verdicts. It is also unlawful, because of separate rules, to enquire into the reasons for a jury’s decision. This means that even if we suspect that a jury has acted contrary to the evidence, there is no proper way to prove it. That combination of rules and traditions shows how hallowed the jury’s verdict is in our system.
That is a good thing. The whole point of a jury is to allow the wider community to participate in the justice system, free from the pressure of the institutions conducting the proceedings.
That is why these contempt proceedings are chilling. Without commenting on the individual case, lawyers should be able to draw a jury’s attention to its independence, the importance of its judgment and the fact that its verdict is ultimately its own. A jury should never be reduced to a rubber-stamping exercise. We should not be afraid of juries bringing the morals of wider society into the courtroom, including by refusing to convict where they cannot, in conscience, do so.
Juries have always brought morality into proceedings. In the United States, jurors famously refused to convict people accused of helping enslaved people escape – a practice widely thought to have contributed to the end of slavery. In England, during the 18th and 19th centuries, the criminal law made many offences punishable by death, including minor property crimes. This became known as the ‘Bloody Code’. Jurors frequently refused to convict defendants, thereby sparing them from the gallows.
More recently, juries have returned what look like perverse verdicts in cases involving political protest, free speech and the limits of criminal liability. These cases allow the black-letter law to be tested against public morality. That is not a defect in the jury system. It is one of its essential democratic functions.
So, solidarity with Rajiv Menon KC. The proceedings against him should concern anyone who believes that the justice system should remain democratically accountable through our juries.
Luke Gittos is a spiked columnist and author. His most recent book is Human Rights – Illusory Freedom: Why We Should Repeal the Human Rights Act, which is published by Zero Books. Order it here.
As you age, your go-to sex positions might not age as gracefully alongside you. After decades of showing off your flexibility in bed, you may notice as you enter your 70s that your joints ache, your back hurts and you maybe can’t bend as easily as before.
Arthritis and other age-related conditions may also come into play – issues that likely didn’t affect you when you were younger. Not to mention there’s the age-old (no pun intended) myth that your sex life somehow “ends” after a certain age.
“Body image shifts, loss of a long-term partner and deeply internalised ageism are among the biggest barriers to intimacy after 70,” Alicia Sinclair, sex educator, founder and CEO of Le Wand, told HuffPost.
“Sexual desire doesn’t have an expiration date, and neither does the need for connection and pleasure. Open communication with a partner – being explicit about what feels good and what doesn’t – often leads to greater intimacy than couples experienced in earlier years.”
Which means sex isn’t off the table after 70. Instead, it simply requires more adaptability and a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t.
Below is a list of sex positions that can become risky or uncomfortable after 70, – and expert-backed advice for what to try instead.
Traditional missionary (particularly for the bottom partner)
“This one catches people off guard,” according to Annette Benedetti, sex and intimacy coach and host of the podcast Talk Sex With Annette.
“Seventy-five percent of hip fractures happen in women, and bone density takes a nosedive after menopause. [The top partner’s] weight pressing down on [the bottom partner’s] hips and pelvis during missionary is exactly the kind of sustained force that can snap a fragile femur. Add vaginal atrophy and deep thrusting from above, and you’re also looking at vaginal tears and bleeding.”
Adds Sinclair: “Lying flat with a partner’s weight on top can compress the spine and make it difficult to breathe, especially for anyone with osteoporosis, spinal stenosis or limited hip mobility.”
Instead, Sinclair recommends using a wedge or positioning pillow under the hips to reduce lumbar strain or shifting to a side-lying position that keeps the spine in a neutral position.
Benedetti suggests flipping the dynamic with a modified cowgirl position, with the receiving partner on top, sitting upright on their partner’s lap or kneeling. “[The kneeling position] is what orthopaedic specialists recommend for women with osteoporosis. She controls the depth, the pace, and the pressure goes through his body, not hers.”
Doggy style (kneeling)
“Sustained kneeling puts significant pressure on the knees and wrists, and the position can destabilise the lower back,” Sinclair said. “For anyone with knee replacements, arthritis or balance issues, it’s a real injury risk.”
Benedetti adds that rear-entry positions with deep thrusting may also become uncomfortable over time. “With age – especially after menopause or other hormonal changes – internal tissues can become shorter, thinner and more sensitive. What once felt pleasurable can start to feel uncomfortable or even painful, with a higher risk of irritation or small tears.”
As an alternative, Sinclair recommends a supported standing variation, where one partner leans over a bed or cushioned surface, keeping weight off the knees entirely.
Another option is spooning. “You get a similar rear-entry angle and sense of closeness, but the receiving partner can control depth by adjusting their leg position,” Benedetti said. “It also removes pressure from the knees, wrists and shoulders, making it a much more comfortable choice overall.”
Halfpoint Images via Getty Images
Legs up over shoulders positions
“This position demands hip flexion that older joints often can’t handle safely, especially for people with hip replacements or conditions like arthritis,” Benedetti said. “It can also create very deep penetration at a time when tissues may be more sensitive. That’s a challenging combination.”
The better option? Reclining with a pillow wedge under the hips. Keep the knees bent and slightly apart, with the hips gently elevated to achieve a similar angle — without putting excess strain on the joints. This allows for better alignment and comfort while reducing orthopaedic risk.
Cowgirl / reverse cowgirl (on top)
“This requires quad strength, hip flexibility and balance – all of which decline with age,” Sinclair said. “A fall or sudden movement can cause hip fractures or knee injuries, which are among the most serious fall-related injuries in older adults.”
If you’re keen on doing the position, Sinclair recommends using a supported seated straddle – sitting face-to-face in a sturdy chair or using a dedicated intimate machine like The Cowgirl with a low, stable platform, which distributes weight differently and reduces fall risk dramatically.
Standing sex
“Balance and bone density both decline after 70, and the one-year mortality rate after a hip fracture sits around 25%,” Benedetti said. “A fall during sex isn’t a punchline; it’s a serious event.”
What can you do instead? Benedetti suggests using a sturdy armchair. One partner sits while the other straddles. Face-to-face, full-body contact – all the closeness without the risk of a fall.
Sex might look and feel different in your 70s than it did in previous decades, but it doesn’t mean it has to feel less pleasurable. With a better understanding of the body’s changing needs, couples can adapt their sex life rather than give up on it.
Keir Starmer is “not waving, but drowning” as he struggles to fight off attempts to kick him out of Downing Street, a Sky News presenter has declared.
Trevor Phillips said “the vultures are circling” around the prime minister in the wake of Labour’s latest election catastrophe.
The party is on course to lose around 1,500 councillors in England following a surge in support for Reform UK and the Green Party.
Labour also lost power in the Welsh Senedd for the first time ever, and was defeated once again by the SNP at Holyrood.
In response, Starmer insisted he “won’t walk away” from his job, and even suggested that he will be PM for another eight years.
On Saturday, the prime minister shocked Westminster by handing jobs to Labour grandees Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman.
Meanwhile, Labour backbencher Catherine West said she will trigger a leadership election unless the cabinet ousts him.
On Sky News this morning, Phillips said: “The smart money says the prime minister won’t be winkled out of Downing Street, but the vultures are circling.”
In a powerful monologue, Phillips added: “On May 7 the British people spoke, and they were brutal. They gave Nigel Farage a fighting force of nearly 1,500 councillors. They boosted [Green Party leader] Zack Polanski’s ranks by getting on for another 500.
“They put leaders in Edinburgh and Cardiff who ultimately want to break up the UK.
“What they said to Sir Keir Starmer was unambiguous: we think your government is a massive letdown, we really can’t see the point of your party and what’s more we really don’t like you very much either.
“The Labour Party is in chaos, with a backbencher threatening to trigger a leadership contest, and several of Starmer’s cabinet members jostling to replace him.
“The prime minister is going to respond tomorrow in what we are promised is a major speech. To rescue his leadership he’ll need something a bit more persuasive than his initial response on Friday morning, which amounted to ‘yes I made mistakes, the biggest of which is not to tell people frequently enough and loudly enough that everything I’ve done is right’.
“It’s quite hard to imagine voters in Barnsley or Hartlepool or Thurrock, where Labour were swept away by Reform, turning to their friends and crying ’if only I’d known they’d bring back Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman, I’d definitely have voted for Keir instead of Nigel.
“The prime minister is signalling frantically that he plans to keep going. He talked about being set for a 10 year run. But for all the stirring words and the bravado, this weekend he seems to me, and to many others, to be a man who is not waving, but drowning.”
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We’ve written before about how using a paintbrush on your tomato plants can help to ensure a fruitful bounty, as you can use the tool to self-pollinate them.
And now, gardener and author Simon Akeroyd has shared that when it comes time to water your soil – especially if it has seedlings or freshly-sown seeds – a spoon could be your secret weapon.
How can a spoon help me to water my plants better?
In an Instagram post, he said that watering soil can help new seeds germinate, but doing so over a large area can be tiring “if you only have a watering can with no attachment”.
Removable heads that attach to the nozzle of your watering can, like “rose” style sprinkler heads, can make the process faster and ensure the even distribution of water.
You can get similar results with various hose attachments, the gardener added.
But, Akeroyd continued, “my tip for a wider distribution of watering is to attach a spoon to the end of your nozzle”.
He does that using cable ties. Others have used tape.
That way, when you tip the can forward, water fans out from the bowl of the spoon rather than streaming in a straight line.
This is especially useful for “broadcast sowing”, Akeroyd continued, stating that “Seeds that you might broadcast sow include mustard, green manures, lawn seed, wildflowers, etc.”
Any other tips?
Yes. Akeroyd said in his clip that if you live in the UK, another way to water pre-seed soil is to simply wait for the rain to come.
Even if you’re using a watering can, this may still be sage advice.
Rainwater is significantly better for your plants than water from the tap, partly because its slightly acidic nature allows it and its nutrients to reach your plants’ roots sooner.
It is a little dirtier, but that’s no bad thing. The Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA) said that a bit of grime in your water works “like a light application of fertiliser”.
And if your rainwater falls during a storm, even better. Lighting releases soil-friendly nitrates, and while most forms of nitrogen, which is crucial for soil and plant health, aren’t easily absorbed by greenery, nitrates found in rain are incredibly easy for your flowers to process.
Collect rainwater using a water butt or mulching to retain nature’s greatest gift to gardeners.
In the UK, NHS ADHD lists have soared to an estimated 700,000 people.
That includes more and more adults, though experts are pretty confident there is no so-called ADHD “overdiagnosis” problem in the UK. In fact, ADHD UK expects there are about two million undiagnosed cases in the UK.
Per experts from Berkeley Psychiatrists, that’s partly because signs of ADHD often go missed or misdiagnosed in adults, “especially women”.
They added, “In practice, many women are labelled as anxious, overwhelmed or disorganised, rather than their experiences being recognised as ADHD. There’s also pressure to appear organised and in control, so people develop ways of coping that can mask the condition”.
Whatever your gender, they shared some possible ADHD-related patterns that can go under the radar, “particularly when symptoms don’t match traditional expectations”:
1) Seeming to “cope well”, despite being burnt out
This can look like “high-achievers relying on rigid systems or overworking,” the experts said.
Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, consultant psychiatrist Dr Stefan Ivantu of the ADHD specialist said: “signs of ADHD are frequently misinterpreted as burnout in undiagnosed adults… The exhaustion often comes from the immense effort required to fit in and function in a neurotypical environment, [like] the average workplace.”
2) Less visible hyperactivity
Not all hyperactivity involves physical fidgeting, the experts said. It can include an “overactive mind rather than physical restlessness”.
Some forms of ADHD don’t have hyperactivity as a symptom at all.
3) Being misdiagnosed
ADHD can sometimes be mistaken for other conditions, like depression or anxiety.
“One of the main issues we see is over-reliance on symptom checklists,” the psychiatrists said. “ADHD can’t be diagnosed from a questionnaire alone; many traits overlap with anxiety, trauma or burnout.”
4) ADHD that’s been “masked” by other conditions
Meanwhile, sometimes ADHD really does occur alongside other conditions. For instance, autistic people are more likely than those without autism to have ADHD. When the two co-occur, it’s called AuDHD.
And, the psychiatrists told us, “Difficulties like inattention or restlessness can stem from anxiety, depression or environmental stress, not just ADHD.”
That might mean that an existing condition leads to ADHD going undiagnosed.
5) Only getting a diagnosis when at breaking point
We’ve written before about how menopausal women are increasingly being diagnosed with ADHD, in part because symptoms they’d been able to mask for years seem to come to the surface during the life stage.
“We often see ADHD become more noticeable during periods of hormonal change, when coping strategies are no longer as effective. For many women, this is when they seek support or receive a diagnosis for the first time,” the experts said.
What if I think I may have ADHD?
The psychiatrists said that you need to see an expert to get a diagnosis.
“There’s been a clear rise in awareness, which is positive,” the clinicians said. “But some online narratives oversimplify what a complex condition is.
“A thorough assessment looks at the full picture. That includes developmental history, current functioning, and whether there may be other factors contributing to those experiences. Without that level of depth, there’s a risk of both missing ADHD where it is present and identifying it where it isn’t.”
We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.
Every year, I’m buzzing for summer to roll around so I can frolic around in meadows and lie in the sun.
But then the reality of hay fever hits me around March time, and I lose all fantasies of an idyllic pastoral life in an instant.
The pollen count seems to get worse each year, too. It’s not just me: thanks to climate change messing with the weather, pollen season now lasts one to two weeks longer than it did less than three decades ago.
You know what that means: extra days of sneezing, itchy eyes, a runny nose, and dry throat. Joy of joys!
If, like me, you’re looking for something, anything, to help minimise the effects of hay fever, we’ve found 14 products that aren’t antihistamines to help deal with pesky pollen allergies.
For many of us, there is no greater comfort than rewatching our favourite shows – to the point that those familiar characters can begin to feel like close friends.
Because of this, it can be near impossible to imagine anyone else but the line-up of actors we know and love appearing in these series.
However, what you might not know, no matter how many times you have binge-watched them, is that some of the most popular shows in TV history almost had a very different cast.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up 17 hit shows that almost had completely different A-list stars in their casts…
Elizabeth Olsen, Millie Bobby Brown, Sam Heughan and Mahershala Ali all didn’t make the cut for Game Of Thrones
It sometimes felt like every actor in the world was in Game Of Thrones, but there are a few famous faces who didn’t make the cut, after auditioning for roles in the fantasy drama.
In 2021, Elizabeth Olsen told The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast that she auditioned for the part of Daenerys in Game Of Thrones, but didn’t get a callback for the role which made Emilia Clarke a global household name.
“I auditioned for, like, the assistant to the casting director in a small room in New York with just a camera on me and them reading the script,” she claimed. “I was doing the Khaleesi speech when she comes out of the fire. It was awful.”
Another A-lister who claims they “blew” their Game Of Thrones was Mahershala Ali. The two-time Oscar winner auditioned for the part of Xaro Xhoan Daxos, a merchant in Qarth, during season two, telling Jimmy Kimmel that it was the “worst audition of his life”.
Outlander star Sam Heughan, meanwhile, had multiple chances to appear on Game Of Thrones, auditioning to play Loras Tyrell, Renly Baratheon and several members of the Night’s Watch, but never landing any of them.
“I’d always get so close! I’d be like, ‘Guys, just give me a sword!’,” he told Vulture in 2014, lamenting: “Everyone was going in for those parts.”
Lastly, Millie Bobby Brown’s failure to land the role of Lyanna Mormont in the fantasy drama almost led her to quitting acting before her career had even taken off.
“I was auditioning for commercials, anything really,” the British star told Jimmy Kimmel in 2020. “I then auditioned for Game Of Thrones and I got a no for that. That’s kind of when I was like, ‘Oh, this is really difficult’.”
The role of Lyanna eventually went to Bella Ramsey, who now stars in The Last Of Us (and will next be seen in the upcoming season of The Celebrity Traitors).
Despite being one of the biggest shows of the 21st century, a long list of other actors also turned down roles in Game Of Thrones.
Hunger Games actor Sam Claflin dropped out of the audition process for Jon Snow after being offered a major movie role.
Despite the show’s success, he doesn’t regret this decision, telling Cinema Blend: “I like getting into things like that [as a viewer] and not being a part, because I always find it’s very jarring if I was part of it. But I’m a big fan.”
Gillian Anderson also rejected an unspecified role in the show, telling the Daily Mail back in 2013: “If I am going to be spending that amount of time working on something, I would rather be working with a director like Martin Scorsese.”
Succession actor Brian Cox turned down the role of Robert Baratheon, complaining in 2016 to Vodzilla that the show wouldn’t pay him enough, a complaint he later regretted.
“Now they have more money,” he continued. “And I was silly. I was silly, it was silly, because I’m a complete addict now.”
In his memoir, Putting The Rabbit In The Hat, Brian wrote: “There’s always been a tendency of American productions to treat British actors differently from American actors,” he said. “In other words, to get them cheap.”
The Crown star Dominic West was another big name who rejected a role in the fantasy show, admitting he was put off by the prospect of spending six months shooting in Iceland.
Many fans believe the actor was referring to the role of Mance Rayder, the King Beyond the Wall, which eventually went to Ciarán Hinds.
“It was a lovely part, a good part. I’m going to regret it,” he told HuffPost in 2012. “My problem is, I’ve got four kids, and at the moment, I’m reluctant to be away from home for a long time.”
Lily Allen quite rightly turned down the role of playing Yara Greyjoy, alongside her real-life brother Alfie Allen, who starred as Theon Greyjoy.
“They asked me if I’d be interested in playing Theon’s sister,” Lily claimed during a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session.
“I felt uncomfortable because I would have had to go on a horse and he would have touched me up and shit. Once they told me what was entailed, I said, ‘no thanks’.”
Jennifer Lawrence, Lily Collins and Dakota Johnson all auditioned for Gossip Girl
CW Network/Kobal/Shutterstock
Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz has revealed that a then-16-year-old Jennifer Lawrence auditioned to play Serena van der Woodsen, the role which launched Blake Lively to fame.
“We did not realise this at the time, but Jennifer really wanted to play Serena and auditioned,” he told Vulture in 2018.
“This story came to us secondhand – but we were told she definitely auditioned and was bummed to not get it.”
Lily Collins auditioned for the show, too, with the hopes of playing Taylor Momsen’s character, Jenny.
She recalled to Glamour: “I was about 17 or 18 years old at the time. I remember driving onto the lot and going, ‘Oh my God. This is surreal’,
“It was one of those OMG moments,” she laughed. “Whether or not I got it, I knew I could say I screen tested on the lot and one day I want to work at one of these [studios],” the Emily In Paris actor added.
Gossip Girl casting director David Rapaport also told E! that the pilot starred Jessica Jones actor Krysten Ritter and Pitch Perfect star Brittany Snow, and that Dakota Johnson, Rooney Mara and Nina Dobrev all auditioned for the teen drama.
Although Kristen Bell was the top pick to voice Gossip Girl, both Christina Ricci and Selma Blair were “in the mix” as possible candidates, according to the executive producer.
Dawson’s Creek almost starred Selma Blair and Katherine Heigl
Globe Photos/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
Katie Holmes, James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson changed the TV landscape forever with their coming-of-age TV drama Dawson’s Creek – but they weren’t the original casting choices.
Creator Kevin Williamson told Entertainment Weekly in 2018 that Selma Blair was his first choice for Joey Potter, before seeing Katie Holmes’ audition.
“I really loved Selma until, of course, I got the infamous videotape from the basement of the Holmes family in Toledo, Ohio,” Kevin said.
“And when that video showed up, it changed my whole life.”
Grey’s Anatomy actor Katherine Heigl also nearly starred in the iconic 90s teen drama, auditioning for the role of Joey Potter, which ultimately went to Michelle Williams.
“She looked slightly older at that time. Even though she was younger, I just think she was more mature,” Kevin explained in the same interview. “She gave a great audition, I remember we were all sort of like, ‘Wow, she’s good.’”
Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Fergurson, Charlie Hunnam and Adam Brody also all auditioned for the show.
There is an alternative universe where Vince Vaughn, Kristin Davis and Jon Favreau were in Friends
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Phoebe, Joey, Rachel, Ross, Chandler and Monica in Friends, but the road to those stars being cast was an especially arduous one.
During a 2015 interview with HuffPost, Friends casting director Ellie Kanner opened up about the difficulties of casting an ensemble of six.
MCU actor and director Jon Favreau was one of the many in the running to play Chandler, but turned it down to concentrate on his own career writing and directing.
Two And A Half Men star Jon Cryer also auditioned for Chandler, but his tape never even made it to the show’s creators, getting lost in transit.
Meanwhile, Tea Leoni was the first choice to play Rachel Green, but turned it down to star in another sitcom, The Naked Truth, which aired for three seasons.
30 Rock icon Jane Krakowski also auditioned for the role that eventually became a star-making turn for Jennifer Aniston.
“I, like almost every actor, auditioned for Friends,” the Broadway star told Giuliana Rancic at the 2015 Emmys. “I wish I had gotten that one… I didn’t go very far [in the audition process].”
Before landing her big break on The King of Queens, Leah Remini made it through several rounds of auditions to play Monica.
“I was devastated that I didn’t get it. We all knew it would be a huge hit. We just knew it,” Leah told MediaVillage.
Sex And The City’s own Kristin Davis also told James Corden in 2021 that she was was ”one of like 8,000 young ladies who read for Monica”, but didn’t get the part.
One of the many actors to audition for the role of Joey Tribbiani was Vince Vaughn, as did The Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria, who eventually became known to Friends fans as Phoebe’s boyfriend David.
“I auditioned for Joey, and didn’t get it, and I was like, ‘No, no, I have to go back, I have to try again’,” Hank said during an appearance on The Late, Late Show.
“So, I bulled my way back in for a second time and they were very kind and watched my audition, and then threw me out. Spoiler alert, I didn’t get the role of Joey.”
Taraji P Henson and Gabrielle Union could have played Olivia Pope in Scandal
Shondaland/Abc Studios/Kobal/Shutterstock
In the early stages of the casting process, The White Lotus actor Connie Britton was the first choice by play political fixer Olivia Pope in Scandal, until the show’s creator Shonda Rhimes stepped in.
She felt it was important that the role should go to a Black actor, with Kerry Washington eventually landing the part.
Taraji P. Henson has revealed she auditioned to play the character, even though she knew already that Kerry was a better fit for the part.
“When I went in to read for Shonda Rhimes, in my mind I was like, ‘this is Kerry Washington. Why am I even in here?’,” she told Power 105.1′s Angie Martinez.
Bring It On star Gabrielle Union has claimed she was in the final running to play Olivia Pope before Kerry was cast.
“I was one of the last five or 10 to audition,” she said in a 2013 interview with Rolling Out. “When Kerry got it, I congratulated her. Now after each episode, I’m leading the charge, like Gladiators, stand up! I’m obsessed with the show.”
Nicola Coughlan could have been in Stranger Things
In March 2026, Nicola was asked during a radio interview if there were any “near-miss” roles in her past, befre admitting to having tried out for Netflix’s hit 80s-set series.
“It would be generous to myself to say I narrowly missed out on it,” she claimed. “But I did a first-round audition for Stranger Things.”
Fortunately, the Irish actor is not too bitter she didn’t land the role.
“You know when you watch a show and you go, ‘oh well, thank God I didn’t get that, because I would have been way worse!’,” she joked.
“I don’t think I was anywhere close to being in Stranger Things, but I did audition,” she added.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Jessica Chastain were nearly Bill and Sookie in True Blood
True Blood creator Alan Ball revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch auditioned to play the lead vampire role of Bill Compton in True Blood.
Speaking in 2018, for the show’s 10th anniversary, Alan also shared that Jessica Chastain read for the part of Sookie.
The characters were eventually portrayed on screen by Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin, who married in real life after appearing on the supernatural show.
Alan also told The Hollywood Reporter: “Jennifer Lawrence read for, in season three, there’s this werepanther girl, and she was great”.
However, it was decided that Jen would be an inappropriate casting choice to play Jason’s girlfriend, given she was only 17 at the time.
Dakota Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen were among the stars who auditioned for lead roles in Girls
In her recent memoir Famesick, Lena Dunham opened up about some of the A-list stars who tried out for roles in Girls, before the show’s central quartet were all cast.
The Emmy winner explained that Wandavision’s Elizabeth Olsen, Fifty Shades Of Grey’s Dakota Johnson, Black Mirror’s Cristin Milioti and comedian Amy Schumer tried out “several times” for her US comedy.
Lena previously wrote in her newsletter that Amy had auditioned for the role of Shoshanna, but “it was clear Amy wasn’t meant to play an innocent Juicy Couture lover obsessed with emoji – even if her Meatpacking District club lingo was the funniest shit I had ever heard”.
“When she left the room, the vibe was very ‘Someone give that lady a show, STAT!’” Lena added.
Jenny Slate who played Hannah’s high school nemesis Tally Schifrin in the series, was originally up for the role of uptight Marnie, a role Allison Williams was cast in.
“At the time the show Girls was being cast, and I went in a bunch of times for the role of Marnie,” she said on the Las Culturistas podcast.
Gillian Anderson declined a major part in Downton Abbey
Jaap Buitendijk/Focus/Kobal/Shutterstock
It wasn’t just Game Of Thrones that Gillian Anderson turned down – she also rejected the role of Lady Cora in Downton Abbey.
Back in 2012, she told TV Guide that she hoped her work in the TV adaptation of Great Expectations would be embraced “with the same love that flowed toward Downton Abbey”.
“I was actually offered a part in Downton,” she then added, referring to the role which would eventually be taken on my Elizabeth McGovern.
Matt LeBlanc almost joined another iconic sitcom after Friends ended
Mario Perez/Abc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
When the short-lived Friends spin-off Joey was cancelled, Matt LeBlanc had the opportunity to return to the sitcom world in another show that became a smash hit.
Speaking to USA Today, Matt explained that the script for Modern Family wound up on his desk, with an offer to play the role of the dorky patriarch Phil Dunphy.
“I remember reading it thinking, ‘this is a really good script, [but] I’m not the guy for this’,” he said. “I’d be doing the project an injustice to take this.”
The role, of course, went to Ty Burrell, who it’s hard to argue is perfect for the part.
Judy Greer also revealed she was asked to audition for Phil’s wife, Claire, but didn’t want to play a character with children.
“I was really torn about it, but I ended up obviously not,” the told the Dinner’s On Me podcast, hosted by Modern Family’s own Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
“Who knows if I would have even gotten it anyway? I was just like, ‘I don’t know if I want to be America’s mom yet’.”
Can you picture anyone else in Breaking Bad but Bryan Cranston?
Before Bryan Cranston was cast as Walter White, the creators of the show had John Cusack and Mathew Broderick on their initial lists to play the science teacher turned drug kingpin.
The US broadcaster AMC and the show’s creator Vince Gilligan have both claimed these actors were sent scripts, although John Cusack insisted on social media in 2013 that he would never have turned down the role of Walter, branding the suggestion “crazy”.
Sarah Michelle Gellar wasn’t the first choice to play Buffy The Vampire Slayer
It looks like every young woman in 90s Hollywood was being eyed to play the lead role in Buffy The Vampire Slayer before Sarah Michele Gellar landed the gig.
Before being cast in her breakout role on Dawson’s Creek, Katie Holmes was offered the part of Buffy Summers in the iconic supernatural drama, but she decided to finish high school instead.
Selma Blair – who we know now almost appeared in Dawson’s Creek herself – revealed on Instagram in 2018 that she had also auditioned to play the vampire slayer but “didn’t even come close”.
Natasha Lyonne has claimed she was sent scripts for both Buffy and Dawson’s Creek after her performance in Everyone Says I Love You, but “did not want to be committed when I was 16 years old” to a demanding TV schedule.
It wasn’t just Buffy who actors were lining up to play, either.
Yellowjackets actor Melanie Lynskey told Shut Up Evan that she was in the running to star as Willow, a role ultimately played by Alyson Hannigan.
Years before he was an A-lister and football club owner, Ryan Reynolds turned down playing Xanders, a role made famous by the late Nicholas Brendon.
“My biggest concern was that I didn’t want to play a guy in high school,” Ryan explained to the Toronto Star in 2008.
“I had just come out of high school, and it was fucking awful.”
Michael Keaton turned down the role of Jack on Lost because he wanted the character to die in the first episode
Florian Schneider / Disney
Beetlejuice actor Michael Keaton was originally set to play Jack Shepherd on Lost but, rather unusually, didn’t like the fact that the character would live for so long.
You see, Jack was originally going to be killed off in the first episode as a way to subvert audience’s expectations, something that attracted the Birdman star to the project.
“I think what happened was – and I’ve never really talked to [Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams] about this – he thought better of [the twist of Jack dying in the pilot],” he explained during a 2017 appearance on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast. “Or the studio said ’That ain’t gonna happen’.
“And then there was kind of a half a conversation, like, ‘Well, do you have any more interest?’…”
You can probably guess that he didn’t, which is Matthew Fox came to play the character in all six seasons of Lost.
Rob Lowe was one of many stars who turned down parts in Grey’s Anatomy
Ron Tom/Abc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
Several A-listers almost starred in Grey’s Anatomy before the long-running medical drama landed on our screens, most notably Rob Lowe, who passed on playing Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd.
Rob stands by saying no to that iconic role, telling E! about he silver linings of his choice.
“Me in that part isn’t as interesting as Patrick in that part,” he insisted. “If it’d been me, they wouldn’t have called me ‘McDreamy,’ they would have called me Rob Lowe’.”
“Had I done Grey’s, I wouldn’t have been in Parks and Recreation. That alone for me is enough,” he added.
Joshua Jackson was also almost Owen Hunt on Grey’s before Kevin McKidd was brought in.
The Dawson’s Creek actor originally said yes to the role until the 2008 Writer’s Strike led to disruption, and Joshua chose to instead appear in Fringe.
Chris Pine could have been a lead in The O.C.
LlLl/Globe Photos/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
Chris Pine almost played Ryan Atwood in The O.C. but lost the role to Ben McKenzie.
Appearing on an episode of Josh Horowitz’s podcast Happy Sad Confused, Chris claimed: “I had awful skin as a teenager and then when I came after college, my skin started breaking out again.”
In TV critic Alan Sepinwall’s 2023 book Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History, casting director Patrick Rush confirmed that while Chris was “really good” in his audition, he “was at the age where he was experiencing really bad skin problems”, which put him out of the running.
Patrick wrote: “It was at that point where it looked insurmountable. And as a kid who grew up with horrible skin, it just broke my heart. But Chris Pine’s fine now.”
At one point, Hugh Grant was in the running to replace Charlie Sheen in Two And A Half Men
Warner Bros Tv/Chuck Lorre Prod/Kobal/Shutterstock
Hugh Grant was actually one of producers’ top choices to replace Charlie Sheen on Two And A Half Men in 2011.
Years later, the English actor revealed that he had been offered a “stratospheric” amount of money to join the sitcom, but had reservations when he met with the creative team.
“They didn’t have a script or a new character,” Hugh told Howard Stern in 2016. “They just said, ‘Trust us, we’ll create one’.”
“I said, ‘well, you’re obviously brilliantly talented because I like that show’ and they make brilliant TV shows, but I said I’m I’m too scared to sign up without a script,” he claimed.
Ashton Kutcher would eventually take on a role within Two And A Half Men, which ran for four further seasons after Charlie’s infamous exit.
A whole host of stars were in the running to play Carrie Bradshaw in Sex And The City – while Alec Baldwin was originally eyed for the role of Mr Big
Sarah Jessica Parker is perfect as Carrie, but lots of other actors had the opportunity to walk in her Manolos.
Riverdale’s Mädchen Amick was reportedly to have first been offered the role by the show’s creator, Darren Star.
In that version, the show would have been a spin-off vehicle for Carrie Fairchild, the character she played in Central Park West. However, Mädchen is said to have turned down the role to prioritise her family.
Desperate Housewives actor Dana Delany was also offered the role of Carrie, but apparently passed because she felt she was too closely associated with sex-related shows after appearing in Nude Girls and Exit To Eden.
House actor Lisa Edelstein also auditioned for Carrie and was even considered an alternate for if Sarah Jessica left the project.
Lisa told Access Hollywood: “I was either going to do it or not. It all depended on whether she said yes. My contract was complete. I was waiting.”
Kristin Davis also originally auditioned to play Carrie before being cast as uptight Charlotte York.
Meanwhile, Pose star Sandra Bernhard once told Howard Stern that she was asked if she was interested in playing Miranda Hobbes, but passed on it because she didn’t rate the original script, which she branded “terrible”.
Chris Noth wasn’t the first person considered to play Mr Big, either. In fact, Darren Star once revealed that Alec Baldwin was his first thought for the role, until he met Chris in person “and thought he was perfect”.
Darren Star has also revealed that the role of Aidan Shaw nearly went to Aidan Quinn rather than John Corbett, but the star they wanted was unavailable.
“We kept ‘Aidan’ because we loved the name,” he noted.
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