Maybe it’s part of the current 2016 nostalgia, but I’ve been seeing a lot more sweet potato content recently.

There’s the classic orange fare, this time caramelised to crispy perfection – but in 2026, Japanese sweet potatoes (perfect for dessert) are all over my feed as well.

So, too, is the increasingly popular ube, a yam key to Filipino cuisine. It’s also sometimes called a “purple yam”, “water yam”, or “violet yam”.

But what’s the difference between a sweet potato and a yam to begin with?

Sweet potatoes – which aren’t actually that closely related to “normal” spuds – are from the Convolvulaceae family, while yams belong to the Dioscoreaceae family.

Yams are quite closely related to lilies and grasses.

Yams are tubers, while sweet potatoes are technically roots.

Sweet potatoes usually have thin, papery skin and a yellow or orange-ish inside. Sometimes they can have purple flesh too.

Yams have tougher, more “scaly” skin and can weigh as much as 45kg in extreme cases. They’re more cylindrical and sometimes have protrusions called “toes”.

Yams are common in parts of Africa and Asia, with about 95% of the plants being grown in Africa. It can be hard to find true yams in mainstream Western supermarkets.

Sweet potatoes are predominantly grown in China, India, and some African countries. They’re native to Central and South America and are more common in Western stores.

Yams are starchier and “not nearly as sweet as sweet potatoes,” America’s Test Kitchen said.

Sweet potatoes’ flesh is softer and fluffier when cooked, meanwhile, and can be creamier and more moist than yams.

Sweet potatoes have ever so slightly more protein than yams, while yams are considerably higher in carbohydrates.

Yams have slightly more vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, and iron, while sweet potatoes are higher in sugars, fat (though neither has much at all), beta-carotene, and calcium.

But, Healthline notes, both are rich in nutrients, fibre, and vitamins.

Usually, yams are boiled, roasted, or fried.

Sweet potatoes are often baked, roasted, fried, pureed, or mashed.

Nigel Farage has admitted that the number of small boats coming across the English Channel is falling – but still insisted the migrant crisis is “completely out of control”.

The Reform UK leader vowed last week to use the British Royal Navy to return small boats to France if his party ever got into power.

This proposal triggered a row with the French authorities who called it a breach of international and maritime law.

The number of crossings has fallen this year overall, but the controversial topic resurfaced this week after a record 230 people arrived in the UK on just one large dinghy.

Farage said Britain is evidently heading towards the kind of migrant crisis seen in the Mediterranean during a press conference on Monday.

But, Sky News reporter Rob Powell hit back: “Yes this is the largest number of people arriving in one boat but overall numbers are down quite significantly, 42% down on last year.”

He asked if Farage would acknowledge numbers are falling, adding: “Are you being straight with the British public when you suggest this is an issue that is getting worse?”

The Reform leader replied insisting he “always” thought the boats would get bigger.

“The overall numbers are down,” he admitted. “But they’re still horrendous.”

“Whether we have fewer bad people thus far than last year, the situation is desperate, it should be declared a national security emergency,” Farage said.

“Yes, we have managed to stop some of the dinghies.

“But it doesn’t stop the problem. It doesn’t go away. It is completely out of control.”

He added: “The idea that we should be celebrating that numbers are not as extreme as they were is for the birds.”

Responding to concerns over the mega-dingy, prime minister’s spokesperson told reporters on Monday: “We’ve seen today some appalling images of young babies being put into these unseaworthy craft, and they’re shocking images, and they show the reality behind the ruthless smuggling gangs that are prepared to risk human lives for profit.

“That’s exactly why the government has signed a new payment-by-results deal with the French to prevent these perilous journeys from happening in the first place.”

He said the government was “not complacent” and noted how joint action with the French since the general election had prevented 47,000 crossings.

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.

A “dead bedroom” sounds final. Case closed – or in this case, the bedroom door closed to a cold bed. For many couples, a prolonged period without sex can feel like the beginning of the end.

“A difficult sexual phase can expose things a couple has avoided: resentment, loneliness, fear of rejection, body insecurity, different needs or the sheer impact of everyday life,” said Lisa Opel, the in-house sex educator at JOYclub. “That can be painful, but being able to see the problem also creates the possibility of responding to it.”

Opel, who once navigated a dead bedroom in her own marriage, said rebuilding a sex life does not necessarily mean returning to the way things were before.

“Bodies change, people change and relationships change. The goal may be to create a new form of intimacy that is more honest and better suited to who you are now,” she said.

Kiki Maree, a queer-inclusive somatic sexologist and intimacy educator, doesn’t use the phrase “dead bedroom” in her work because “I think it can feel quite hopeless and often misses what’s actually happening underneath. I prefer to think about it as a period of sexual disconnection.”

Maree has also experienced sexual disconnection with her partner, “but the relationship itself was never ‘dead.’”

“There was still love, care and commitment,” Maree said. “What had become difficult was the pathway back to intimacy.”

Both experts say finding their way back wasn’t about forcing desire or chasing a perfect solution. Instead, it required understanding what had created the distance in the first place, and learning how to reconnect with their partners without blame, pressure or expectations.

For Opel, one of the biggest obstacles wasn’t a lack of sex – it was the lack of talking about sex.

“One of our biggest mistakes was pretending everything was fine for far too long,” she said. “I think I was scared that saying, ‘I don’t really want sex anymore’ might break something, so instead I said nothing and hoped the problem would sort itself out.”

Instead, the silence gave hurt, confusion and feelings of rejection more room to grow until the lack of intimacy became “a large, silent third person in the relationship,” she said.

What helped was finally talking about it.

“Then, once we finally started talking, we made the very human mistake of hoping there might be one conversation, one technique or one gloriously sexy breakthrough that would fix the whole thing. There wasn’t,” Opel said.

“Rebuilding intimacy was much less cinematic: lots of talking, trying something, realizing it did not work, talking again and slowly becoming more honest.”

Both experts say one of the biggest mindset shifts was moving away from blame and toward curiosity. For Maree, that meant recognising that both partners were often suffering in different ways.

“One partner often feels rejected, lonely or undesirable, while the other often feels pressure, guilt or like they’re constantly letting the relationship down,” she said. “Once we stopped seeing each other as the problem and started seeing the dynamic as the problem, everything became much more collaborative.”

Opel says couples often get stuck when they treat low desire as one person’s failure, asking questions like, “What’s wrong with you?” or “Why don’t you want me?”

“Being treated as the faulty part of the relationship is rarely an aphrodisiac,” she said.

Instead, both experts say couples need to look beyond the lack of sex itself and understand what is happening underneath it.

“Low desire is often a symptom rather than the problem itself,” Maree said. “Stress, exhaustion, resentment, body image concerns, parenting, medical issues, performance anxiety, mismatched desire styles or years of pressure can all contribute. Understanding the function of the disconnection is usually far more productive than simply trying to increase frequency [of sex].”

Opel added: “The bedroom is often just where the consequences appear.”

Perhaps the most surprising strategy both experts recommend is temporarily removing the expectation of sex altogether.

“We actually banned sex for a while,” Opel said. “Which sounds like a slightly ridiculous solution to not having enough sex, but it helped enormously.”

Before that decision, she’d started avoiding even innocent affection because she worried every intimate interaction would eventually lead to sex she wasn’t ready for.

“I had started to avoid kisses and cuddles because I worried they would lead somewhere and I would eventually have to say no,” she said. “Once sex was officially off the table, I could relax into touch again. We could kiss, lie together or stroke each other without silently wondering what was expected next. It made affection feel like affection again instead of the first stage of a test I might fail.”

Maree often suggests something similar to the couples she works with.

“I usually suggest taking penetrative sex off the table temporarily – not because sex is bad, but because removing the expectation can dramatically reduce pressure.”

Rather than having couples try to manufacture desire, she encourages them to rebuild positive physical experiences through cuddling, massage, kissing, showering together or simply holding each other, instead of them trying to manufacture desire.

“Small, consistently positive experiences often rebuild trust more effectively than trying to engineer one perfect sexual encounter,” she said.

Both experts say reconnecting required letting go of the idea that intimacy had to lead to sex, or that rebuilding a sex life simply meant having more sex.

Opel encourages couples to create what she calls an “intimacy menu,” which might include kissing, massage, lying naked together, sharing fantasies, reading something erotic or simply spending uninterrupted time together.

Maree and her partner created something similar: a “pleasure menu” they could use to choose forms of intimacy based on how they were feeling in the moment.

“We also had to let go of the idea that fixing our sex life meant simply having more sex,” Maree said. “Instead, we became curious about what had made sex feel difficult in the first place and focused on creating experiences that felt emotionally and physically safe enough for desire to return naturally.”

She says the menu helped them reconnect without pressure.

“We used it to see what each of us were feeling like in our shared intimacy,” she said. “It included activities ranging from cuddling to mutual masturbation.”

By creating more ways to be physically close, both experts say couples can reduce the stress around sex and make affection feel enjoyable again rather than like an expectation.

Neither Opel nor Maree believes a prolonged period without sex automatically means a relationship is beyond saving.

For Opel, one of the clearest signs that her marriage could recover was that she and her husband still wanted a future together, even when they were questioning whether they could fix their intimacy.

“We did talk about divorce, but neither of us was calmly saying, ‘This relationship is over,’” she said. “We still laughed, parented well together and cared how the other person felt. We were upset because we missed each other, not because we had stopped caring.”

Maree says that’s often what gives her hope when working with couples experiencing sexual disconnection.

“I’ve worked with many couples who believed they would never reconnect sexually and later described their relationship as stronger than it had ever been,” she said. “Not because they found a magic technique, but because they stopped seeing each other as opponents and began working as teammates against the problem itself.”

Opel added: “Not every relationship should continue, and nobody should remain in a situation involving fear, coercion or persistent disrespect. But a quiet bedroom is not automatically a doomed relationship. Sometimes it is a signal that two people need to stop measuring what is missing and start listening to what has been neglected.”

Dr Pepsi’s name isn’t just catchy: originally called Brad’s Drink, the newer name reportedly “derived from dyspepsia (ie. indigestion), which the beverage was supposed to assuage”.

A 1907 ad describes the drink as “an absolutely pure combination of pepsin – for the ingestion – acid phosphate and the juices of fresh fruits”.

And yes, digestive biscuits were originally meant to aid digestion too (seems our modern gut health obsession is nothing new).

But marshmallows, which were apparently eaten by the Ancient Egyptians many moons ago, “originated as a versatile medicinal syrup and ointment,” Britannica explained.

We don’t know for sure that Ancient Egyptians definitely used them for health reasons, though they appeared to have been reserved for nobility.

It does seem, however, that Ancient Greeks were using marshmallows for everything from wound-healing to sore throats by the 9th Century BCE.

There is some evidence to suggest the original versions may actually have helped with everything from coughs to skin irritation, too.

“Marsh mallow” is a herbaceous plant from eastern Europe and northern Africa. The root of this plant was used to make medicinal “marshmallows” in the past.

According to the National Confectioners’ Association (NCA), Ancient Egyptians “squeezed sap from the mallow plant and mixed it with nuts and honey”.

We don’t know what this tasted like, but we do know that in the 19th century, the plant was introduced to France.

At this point, “owners of small candy stores whipped sap from the mallow root into a fluffy candy mould,” the NCA said.

This was a very long and labour-intensive process, and confectioners struggled to keep up with demand.

It took until later in the century for marshmallow makers to substitute marshmallow root for gelatin, which is still a standard ingredient in the no-longer-medicinal modern versions.

You can still get marsh mallow root tea, which contains the old-school sweet’s star ingredient. Its flavour is described as “earthy”, but obviously, that’s before it’s mixed with other ingredients.

Creator Phoenix Ross, who makes difficult, rarely spotlighted, and unlikely foods (including a giant potato smiley and fizzy grapes) by hand, recently tried an old-school marshmallow recipe, which included the root.

Noting the “snotty” texture it created when soaked (which was responsible for traditional marshmallows’ signature spring), he said the flavour was mostly “swamp”.

He added, “I think there’s a reason we’ve moved on from this”. I’ll take his word for it.

Yet another heatwave is on the way for parts of England this week, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issuing an amber heat-health alert for multiple areas of the country.

Amber heat health alerts have been issued for the East Midlands, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, London, North West, South East, South West, and West Midlands, while a yellow heat health alert has been issued for the North East, from Tuesday, August 11 at 9am until Friday, August 14 at 9pm.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: “Sustained periods of warm weather can result in serious negative health outcomes across the population, so it is important that everyone takes sensible precautions while enjoying the sun.

“Based on the current forecast, we don’t currently expect the health impacts to be as high as the heatwave we saw at the end of June but older adults and those with pre-existing conditions are still at risk.”

With heat health alerts becoming a more common occurrence during the British summer, we looked into exactly how such high temperatures can impact the body – and why it’s so important to try and stay cool.

When it’s hot for an extended period of time, the body’s internal temperature may rise, making your heart rate increase and vessels expand to bring more blood to the outer layers of skin, where the heat is then released.

If this heat isn’t released fast enough or the surrounding air is warmer than the body, your sweat glands will try to cool you down.

This is all well and good, but Dr Luke Powles, associate clinical director of Health Clinics Bupa Global and UK, told HuffPost UK sweating means a loss of fluid.

“This can lead to a drop in blood pressure,” he explained, “causing the heart to beat more rapidly, making the heart work harder to maintain a cooler body.”

“People with heart conditions and other underlying medical problems, and those on certain medications, can be particularly sensitive to increasing temperatures and therefore at a higher risk of becoming unwell in a heatwave,” he said.

This is why it’s imperative to stay hydrated, and keep cool where possible.

Part of the brain called the hypothalamus controls our core body temperature and is also responsible for sending signals to the skin to start sweating.

However when it becomes too hot, these signals may not get through properly.

While we shouldn’t see this from the forecast temperatures, Dr Powles explained that “in extreme cases where your body temperature goes over 40°C, this can stop nerve fibres from working properly, which means the messages may not get through to and from the brain”.

When the body temperature goes higher than normal it can lead to dizziness, feeling weak and tired, poor co-ordination, and even problems with balance or thinking, said Dr Powles. “Your skin can also turn pale, cold and dry with loss of sweating, if it stops receiving messages from the brain.”

Dr Kenny Livingstone, a registered GP and founder of ZoomDoc, said at a cellular level; membranes, mitochondria and DNA can become damaged in extreme heat which raises the risk of stroke and swelling in the brain.

“If high internal core body temperatures are sustained – it can ultimately prove fatal,” he added.

Another symptom of heat-related illness is breathing more quickly. Dr Powles said the hot weather can put more strain on the lungs, especially if you already suffer from conditions such as COPD or asthma.

The summer months also mean there are higher levels of pollen and, in some cities, air pollution, which can also impact your breathing.

“If you feel the heat is negatively impacting your breathing, try staying indoors more often, in well-ventilated areas,” Dr Powles advised.

The hot weather can also be “dangerous” for the liver, which is another thermosensitive organ. “Serious conditions such as heatstroke can damage liver cells, reflected by increased levels of liver enzymes in the blood,” Dr Powles explained.

Heatstroke is when the core body temperature rises above 40°C and the body’s internal systems begin shutting down. This can impact the nervous system and, if left untreated, can harm specific organs too.

“At its worst, this can lead to overall liver damage, although liver injury is often self-limiting,” said Dr Powles. “If you are suffering from any symptoms of heatstroke, it’s vital to get treatment immediately.”

Studies have linked heatwaves to an increased likelihood of kidney disease for those increasingly exposed to heat.

“As well as dehydration and a drop in blood pressure, both of which can harm the kidneys, in hot weather the body’s energy requirements can exceed its ability to produce energy, causing muscle cells to break down and release a protein called myoglobin and other products into the bloodstream,” Dr Powles explained.

“Some of these breakdown products (including myoglobin) can be toxic to the kidneys and can directly damage them.”

He added that while illnesses such as heatstroke can eventually be a cause of kidney failure, it’s important to know that this would result from a combination of events and, if treated, can be managed properly before it reaches this stage.

“Rehydrating the body will be essential in treating and protecting the kidneys from heatstroke,” he said.

UKHSA health advice for the hotter weather

• Keep your home cool by closing windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun.
• Look out for those who may struggle to keep themselves cool and hydrated – older people, those with underlying conditions and those who live alone are particularly at risk.
• Drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol.
• Never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or animals.
• Check that fridges, freezers and fans are working properly.
• Try to avoid direct sunlight, especially between 11am and 3pm – if you do go outside, cover up with suitable clothing, such as an appropriate hat and sunglasses, and seek shade and apply sunscreen regularly.
• Avoid physical exertion in the hottest parts of the day.
• Make sure you take water with you if you are travelling.
• Take care and make sure to follow local safety advice if you are going into the water to cool down
• Check medicines can be stored according to the instructions on the packaging.
• If you are going to do a physical activity (for example, exercising or walking the dog), plan to do these during times of the day when it is cooler, such as the morning or evening.

Harry Potter star Bel Powley has defended accepting a role in the new TV adaptation of the books, despite the controversy surrounding the franchise’s creator JK Rowling.

The former The Morning Show star is set to appear as Aunt Petunia in the new Harry Potter TV series, the first instalment of which is set to premiere on Sky, Now and HBO Max in the UK later this year.

Powley and many more of her co-stars have faced backlash for choosing to be involved in the show, despite Rowling becoming an increasingly divisive figure due to her stance on issues relating to the transgender community.

This has included deliberately and repeatedly misgendering transgender public figures, as well as donating tens of thousands of pounds to the campaign group which raised the initial legal challenge that led to the UK Supreme Court’s ruling last year that the legal definition of a woman should include only those who were assigned female at birth (and sharing a celebratory post of herself smoking cigar once the Supreme Court’s decision was reached).

Asked about this controversy during a new interview with The Telegraph, Powley began by making it clear that she “strongly’ disagrees “with JK Rowling’s views on gender”.

“I think that the trans community deserve safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance,” she continued

“But,” she added, apparently throwing up her palms. “I love Harry Potter. I grew up with the books. I am from that first generation of readers and, again, I love magic and spookiness.”

John Lithgow admitted earlier this year that he had considered quitting the Harry Potter series – in which he’s set to star as Hogwarts professor Albus Dumbledore – when he began to face criticism over his involvement, but ultimately decided to remain a part of it.

Nick Frost, the new Rubeus Hagrid, also maintained that his and Rowling’s views on trans issues “don’t align in any way, shape or form”.

Meanwhile, Paapa Essiedu, the successor to the late Alan Rickman in the role of Snape, raised eyebrows when he co-signed a petition in solidarity with the transgender community, despite his participation in the new Harry Potter series, on which Rowling serves as an executive producer.

Heated Rivalry newcomer Justice Smith has responded to the outpouring of “love and support” he’s received from the show’s fans since it was announced that he’d be joining the cast.

Over the weekend, it was confirmed that Justice and Charlie Gillespie would be joining the TV phenomenon in its long-awaited second season as Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, a new couple sharing the screen with Shane and Ilya (played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie).

Posting on Instagram on Sunday, the Detective Pikachu star wrote: “I have to say I am moved by the support and love I’m getting from fans in my DMs, fans who have welcomed me with open arms and who already feel a responsibility to protect me.”

The I Saw The TV Glow actor added: “I am honoured to play a character you all care about deeply, and I promise I will take good care of him if you give me the chance.

“I am beyond excited for this experience.”

Meanwhile, author Rachel Reid – who penned the original sports romance novels that inspired Heated Rivalry – has already jumped to Justice’s defence, after some fans took issue with Justice’s casting, based on the fact that his character is described in the original novel as being bigger in build than his teammates.

“Thinking about all the people last summer who told me the casting for Ilya and Shane was wrong and bad…” she posted on her Instagram story (per The Hollywood Reporter).

Showrunner Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady also said in a statement announcing Justice and Charlie’s casting: “From the start of the casting process, we knew we were looking for actors who could create something truly special together and bring that same depth and heart to the screen.

“Justice and Charlie do exactly that. They immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters, bringing an instinctive understanding of who Harris and Troy are.”

Heated Rivalry’s second season is due to begin filming this month, ahead of its release worldwide in 2027.

The production recently released a message addressed to “our incredible fans and everyone who’s been sharing in the excitement for the show”, which read: “Your support, enthusiasm, and kindness have meant the world to us. As we gear up for more Heated Rivalry, please help us in making it the best it can be.

“If you happen to come across one of our filming locations, please give our cast and crew the space they need to do what they do best. We promise it’ll be worth the wait!”

Based on George R R Martin’s books, the new play The Mad King serves as a direct prequel to the original award-winning fantasy drama, set around a decade before it begins, and featuring many of the same characters.

Its opening night took place over the weekend at London’s iconic Globe theatre, with performances scheduled for the next month – and for the most part, critics have been pretty taken with this latest addition to the Westeros universe.

The Mad King has received a smattering of four- and even five-star reviews, with critics praising the play’s production and dramatic tone.

Here’s a selection of what’s been said about Game Of Thrones: The Mad King so far…

“This feels like a five-star production for most devoted throners but a three-star for those who haven’t seen the TV series. Thereby, to channel this show’s infectious tones, the Judging One has trod a path between those stellar prophecies.

“[An] epic theatrical experience […] The Royal Shakespeare Company’s stellar stage show has all the thrillingly staged battles, gory deaths and, yes, dragons that the most bloodthirsty fan could hope for. But there’s also a surprising amount of heart – of the warm, still-beating kind – as it lingers on the faces of its fallen.”

“A remarkable achievement, wonderfully directed by [Dominic] Cooke and superbly acted by every member of the 35-strong ensemble. The result is a brilliant exhibition of how theatre can create magic.

“It’s a clarion call for the power of imagination and skill in telling stories for the ages, making a room filled with others into an entire world.”

“There is a lot to please fans here, with throwaway lines foreshadowing things to come, and lore tidbits designed for dissection on those aforementioned Reddit threads. But there’s also a more universally appealing tale under the surface, of how we choose between love and duty, how the personal bleeds into the political, and how we cope when life doesn’t turn out the way we planned.

“Sometimes The Mad King makes these points with all the subtlety of Robert’s warhammer, but it has the storytelling ambition to win over even the most diehard of dragon sceptics.”

“[Playwright Duncan] Macmillan and Cooke do a decent job of juggling the sizeable number of characters, and ensure the sprawling narrative is largely well-paced, with enough sub-plots and spectacle to keep both hardcore and lesser-engaged fans entertained.

“The cast’s performances are solid too, while the emergence of the iconic Iron Throne in Act II earns a scene-stealing cheer from the audience.”

“The RSC has pulled off a coup by unveiling a gripping prequel to Game of Thrones […] It’s not up there, yet, with the Harry Potter or Stranger Things prequels but, on balance, the Game Of Thrones franchise has yet another worthwhile and lucrative spin-off on its hands.”

“As pure visual spectacle, this is great fun, with excellent oversized puppet horses and a red-eyed dragon, ceaseless grunting swordplay and, crucially, an interval.

“While The Mad King sometimes veers towards the risibly cod-historical, this is by no means a cynical exercise in fan-baiting, but rather a heartfelt addition to Martin’s canon.”

“If Dominic Cooke’s stolid production at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre gives hardcore GoT fans a chance to go hunting for ‘Easter eggs’, it seldom comes close to matching the grim aura of the TV series […] there are more than enough GoT devotees to keep the box office ticking over for the rest of eternity, but only the most dedicated of them will have the energy for this marathon.”

Game Of Thrones: The Mad King is playing at London’s Globe Theatre until 5 September.

The creator of The Office, Extras and After Life premiered his new animated series last week, depicting a group of foul-mouthed stray cats living on the streets of London.

Upon its release, Alley Cats was near-unanimously mauled by critics, many of whom branded it “smug” and needlessly “crude” in a smattering of one- and even zero-star reviews.

Ahead of its release on Friday morning, Ricky posted on X: “If you watch Alley Cats and you get offended at any point, just remember that 1, It’s just a cartoon about cats, and 2, you’re an adult, and can take it.”

He then spent the next few days reposting praise for the show, including one comment by the actor James Dreyfus, who lambasted “pronoun wankers” he claimed were “raging about Alley Cats”, which he described as “a brilliant new cartoon series” and “wickedly funny, very rude and unexpectedly moving” (it’s perhaps worth noting in this instance that even more right-leaning outlets, such as The Telegraph and GB News, were heavily critical of Alley Cats upon its return).

Eventually, once Alley Cats made it to the top spot on Netflix’s in-platform chart of most-watched shows, Ricky commented on Sunday morning: “Oh. My. God. I’ve never been so happy. Best fans in the fucking world.”

The following morning, he wrote: “Millions of you watched Alley Cats last night and kept it at number one. That has annoyed a few people. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

In an interview with The Times – which gave Alley Cats a more forgiving three-star review, but questioned whether some might find it to be “too much” – published ahead of Alley Cats’ release, Ricky also remarked: “I’m sure many people will find many things to be offended by – with some people it’s their job.”

He added: “It doesn’t bother me, no. It’s inevitable and a bit boring now. But the funny thing is they’ll have to say, ‘I was offended by what a fictional cartoon cat said.’ I can’t wait for that.”

Solar eclipses happen about twice a year. Visible meteor showers, meanwhile, occur up to 30 times annually.

But it’s a lot less common for the events to happen together. Happily, UK stargazers have just that combination to look forward to in the next few days.

The BBC suggested the “main UK [sky gazing] event” of 2026 is likely to be the coming solar eclipse. And as it turns out, it’ll happen within the same 24-hour stretch as the Perseid meteor shower in what’s been termed a “cosmic double whammy”.

This is expected to happen on August 12, 2026.

The partial solar eclipse (90% of the sun will appear to be covered by the moon) will start at around 6:17pm London time (the exact minute will vary across the UK). The greatest coverage, meanwhile, will be seen at 7:12pm London time.

The eclipse will mark the greatest coverage of the sun seen in the UK since 1999.

The Perseid meteor shower, meanwhile, is expected to run from 17 July to 24 August.

But it’s going to “peak” the night of 12-13 August – just hours after the amazing eclipse.

That means the greatest number of meteors are expected to fall on that night, leading to an unusually dazzling display.

Just how covered the sun will appear to be in 2026′s eclipse depends on your location. Spain might be the best place to catch it, but the UK’s in a pretty great spot this year, too.

Some particularly stunning views, with up to 90% coverage, are predicted in cities like:

• Glasgow,
• Belfast,
• Manchester,
• Liverpool,
• Birmingham.

If you’re considering travelling abroad for the event, the Republic of Ireland will have even better odds. Cork is going to see 96% coverage, while Dublin will get an impressive 94%.

Please don’t look directly at the sun during a solar eclipse. That can damage your vision.

Instead, wear certified solar eclipse glasses. Or, you can tune into Royal Museum Greenwich’s live stream of the event, which runs from 6:15-7:30pm on 12 August (it’s free!).

As for the Perseid meteor shower, you won’t need special equipment to watch it – just patience, clear skies, and a lack of light pollution.

The best, most “dramatic” views will probably come after midnight when the sky is darker.

Speaking to the Natural History Museum, planetary scientist Dr Ashley King said: “The darker the skies, the better your chances of seeing the really faint meteors as well… You could go to the coast or stand on a hill in the middle of the countryside somewhere.”

But don’t expect instant results, the expert continued.

“You might not be able to see anything for the first 10 minutes while your eyes adjust to the dark… Once you get used to the low light levels you’ll begin to notice more and more. So don’t give up too quickly.”