UK city culture, events & lifestyle
George Thompson 
If you grew up watching 1990s British television, Carol Smillie’s face is instantly familiar. But the woman who once handed out prizes on Wheel of Fortune and transformed living rooms on Changing Rooms has swapped the studio lights for a very different calling. Born: 23 December 1961, Glasgow, Scotland · Known for: Wheel of Fortune, … Read more
You’ve probably seen her face in a blockbuster or binged her in a gritty crime drama, but the name Jing Lusi often gets mixed up in search results with a younger Chinese star. She’s the Chinese-British actress who held her own alongside Constance Wu in Crazy Rich Asians and traded designer dresses for fight scenes … Read more
You’ve seen him grilling politicians on ITV News, often with those distinctive rings catching the light. Robert Peston is one of the UK’s most recognisable political journalists, but his life outside the studio has its own compelling story – from the tragic loss of his wife to a serious health scare that could have ended … Read more
Few figures in rock and roll sparked as much fascination—and fury—as Jerry Lee Lewis. His piano-playing was electric, his voice raw, and his personal life a minefield of scandal. This article traces how one marriage turned a rising star into a pariah, and how he fought to reclaim his legacy. Born: September 29, 1935, Ferriday, … Read more
A search for “Sarah Arabic” leads to two very different people: an X user who goes by Sara Iraq and posts poetry, and an Iraqi Jewish poet named Sarah Sassoon who has won awards for her work. This article untangles the two identities and explores what the name means across cultures. Sara Iraq: Joined October … Read more
A horsetail stem photographed at thirty times its natural size looks less like a plant and more like a Gothic cathedral. That strange, beautiful transformation is the signature of Karl Blossfeldt, a German photographer who spent decades capturing the architectural precision of nature. Born: 13 June 1865 · Died: 9 December 1932 · Known for: … Read more
There’s a scene in the 2023 film Gran Turismo where a young sim racer loses control of his Nissan at over 170 mph, the car flipping over a barrier in a deadly crash. But the real version of that story — the one involving Jann Mardenborough — is more complicated, and it happened years later … Read more
You’ve probably seen her charging down the right flank for Chelsea or England, but there’s more to Lucy Bronze than her pace and trophies. In March 2025, the 33-year-old defender revealed she was diagnosed with autism and ADHD in 2021, a disclosure that reshaped how fans understand her focus on the pitch. Full name: Lucy … Read more
For an actor who spent decades on screen, Patrick McGoohan remains one of television’s most intriguing figures. He was the man who walked away from James Bond, created a cult series that still baffles new viewers, and insisted on doing things his own way. Born: March 19, 1928, New York City, USA · Died: January … Read more
There’s something quietly remarkable about a two-time Oscar winner who still seems to fly under the radar. Mahershala Ali has built a career on choosing roles that linger—from the magnetic Cottonmouth in Luke Cage to the tender, complicated performances that earned him Academy Awards for Moonlight and Green Book. Between his conversion to Islam, a … Read more