To Do List TRENDING
ELLIE TAYLOR
The comedian and Ted Lasso star, right, was revealed this week as a contestant on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing. She will be joining the line-up which includes Kym Marsh, Matt Goss and Ellie Simmonds.
EXTREME WEATHER
Temperatures are expected to hit 37ºC in some parts of the UK this weekend and the Met Office has issued an amber extreme heat warning for southern and central England and parts of Wales.
HOBBIES
Reading books or playing an instrument slashes your risk of dementia by 23%, a major new study has found. Regularly playing sports, doing yoga or dancing also has a 17% protective effect, say researchers from Peking University.
DAVID BOWIE
The Starman singer topped Sky Arts’ list of most influential British artists of the last 50 years, beating the Spice Girls, Stormzy and Vivienne Westwood. He was lauded for his broad influence including in music, film and fashion.
VEGETARIAN DIETS PAUL O’GRADY
After 13 years hosting his Sunday afternoon show on BBC Radio 2, the 67-year-old announced he was quitting this week. He said he loved doing the show but felt “that now is the right time to go”.
SWIMMING POOLS
Swimmers across the UK have lost access to more than 60 public pools in the last three years, according to a BBC News investigation. It found 65 pools had been closed, either temporarily or permanently, in the three years to March 2022.
Women who are vegetarian are more likely to experience hip fractures in later life than those who frequently eat meat, a UK study has found.
WATERING THE GARDEN
Water company bosses are being urged to impose an England-wide hosepipe ban to avoid the worst effects of drought on rivers and wildlife. Action to reduce water use and pollution is needed to help the natural world, the Wildlife Trusts said.