Alan Johnson

Rangers trail Jagiellonia Białystok 2–1 ahead of the Europa League second leg at Ibrox. While manager Derek McInnes wants to establish home dominance, former Poland striker Marek Citko says the pressure is on Rangers and predicts that Jagiellonia’s confidence, possession play and counter-attacking ability could carry them through. He also praises Jagiellonia manager Adrian Siemieniec.

Tarbet Isle, a short walk near Loch Lomond in Argyll and Bute, has been praised by visitor Grace Cordey as an exceptionally scenic and manageable route. The 20-to-25-minute trail offers views of Loch Lomond, Ben Lomond and Argyll Forest Park. Forestry and Land Scotland, which manages the site, provides information about its history, access and parking, including a £10 overnight fee for motorhomes and campervans while daytime parking is free. The piece also highlights Eas More on the Isle of Arran, a 30-minute woodland walk featuring a waterfall, viewpoint and visitor-created library.

Mental health professional and writer Scottee documented starting a climb of Ben Nevis at 5am, warning viewers about the lengthy ascent, cold conditions and need for proper clothing. He became emotional after reaching the summit, saying the achievement showed he was still capable despite relying on others to maintain his mental health. Foggy conditions made the view an anti-climax, and his humorous complaints about the climb and descent attracted hundreds of thousands of likes and supportive reactions on Instagram.

New York City visitor Kaitlyn Lavery visited Edinburgh's Lannan Bakery, which won La Liste's Pastry Opening of the Year Award in 2024, and documented the experience on YouTube. After waiting 45 minutes and sampling eight pastries, she praised the Raspberry and Tonka Flan, Sour Cherry and Coconut Jaffa Cake, croissant and cinnamon buns, though she found the Majool Date and Butterscotch Bun excessively sweet. She concluded that the bakery was worth the hype and advised visitors to arrive early.

Mia says her former partner named his newborn daughter after the dog they shared and held his wedding at the workplace where they were together. Her post on X attracted more than 200,000 views, with users divided between those who viewed the similarities as unsettling and those who felt she should keep the matter private until her emotions settled.

While stripping wallpaper from her sister’s future nursery in a Scottish home, Megan Moore discovered a large Star Wars mural featuring characters including Yoda, Darth Maul, Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi. She shared the reveal on TikTok, where it received more than 1.2 million views in 15 hours. Viewers encouraged the family to preserve the mural for the baby.

The BBC has appointed Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis and former professional dancer Johannes Radebe as the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing for 2026, replacing Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. Widdicombe is viewed as an unexpected but smart choice because of his successful partnership with Rob Beckett, relatable parenting-focused comedy, 1990s nostalgia and extensive live television experience on The Last Leg. His enthusiasm for the role, including a previous appearance in a penguin costume during the Strictly Christmas Special, reinforces the expectation that the new trio will bring warmth, humour and expertise to the programme.

Mr. C, the former frontman of The Shamen and vocalist on the 1992 number-one hit “Ebeneezer Goode,” says he is recovering in hospital from a serious stomach ulcer caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. After experiencing severe cramps, vomiting blood and black stools, he was advised by NHS 111 to call 999 and seek immediate hospital treatment. He reports feeling much better but remains very weak, expects recovery to take about a month and has been told to avoid the gym for six weeks. Mr. C also discussed his new North London wellness venture, Bed Light and Beyond, which aims to provide more affordable red-light therapy and related services.

Mechanic Scotty Kilmer advises drivers to disable their cars’ automatic start-stop function, arguing that repeated restarting increases engine wear and could shorten engine life. He also questions whether commonly used lead-acid batteries are suited to frequent cycling. The feature is designed to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions, and some drivers have expressed annoyance or concern about it, but the claim that disabling it could double engine life is presented without independent evidence.

Flight attendant Esther Sturrus advises travelers who forget a plug adapter to connect a USB cable to the USB port on a hotel television to charge a phone. She also recommends several hotel tricks, including using a hanger to close curtain gaps, covering remotes with shower caps, placing a shoe in a safe as a reminder, and using a card to activate room lights or air conditioning. The article also discusses Emirates cabin-crew pajamas, which help passengers identify staff during emergencies, a policy viewers largely praised.

Maria Keenan, known online as Oxford Girl Cooks, recommends peeling ginger, cutting it into smaller pieces, placing it in a freezer bag and freezing it for up to six months. Shaking the bag after one to two hours can prevent the pieces from sticking together. Food specialist Abbie Leeson supports freezing as the best long-term method, while noting that ginger lasts about a week at room temperature and three to four weeks in the refrigerator, where its texture may become spongy.

Traveller Steph describes Belarus as one of Europe's most affordable destinations, citing meals costing about 87p and bus fares of around 22p. She praises the country's clean streets and Minsk Metro, French-influenced architecture, Soviet-era monuments and distinctive mix of Russian and Bollywood cinema. Belarus is portrayed as culturally different from much of Europe, although a local commenter notes that prices can still feel expensive for residents.

Susan Boyle is embracing a more glamorous public image after celebrating her 65th birthday, sharing a blonde makeover and football-shirt look with her Instagram followers. The Britain's Got Talent star has also launched a merchandise range of clothing and accessories priced from £13 to £50, which has prompted enthusiastic customer reactions. Boyle is preparing new music and has recently received public attention from celebrities including Liam Gallagher, Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender, Ant McPartlin and Timothée Chalamet.

Susan Boyle has attracted enthusiastic fan reactions after sharing an Instagram photo ahead of her 65th birthday, showing a blonde makeover while wearing a limited-edition Street Soccer Scotland and Timorous Beasties football shirt. The singer, who rose to fame after winning Britain's Got Talent in 2009 and has sold around 25 million records, is supporting the charity’s work with people experiencing homelessness. Boyle is also hoping to return to music after a seven-year break, a cancelled 2020 tour and a stroke disclosed during the 2023 Britain's Got Talent final. She returned to the recording studio in 2025 and said she had been told she might never perform or record again.

Entrepreneur Sara Davies demonstrates how to upcycle empty wine bottles into decorative ornaments. Her method involves removing labels, applying white spray paint, adding blue acrylic paint and silver gilding flakes with specialist adhesive, then using the bottles as vases for wildflowers. Readers shared their own decorating ideas, while Davies’s television series The Big Idea Works was also highlighted as available on BBC iPlayer.

Dog trainer Will Atherton recommends crate training to help dogs cope with separation anxiety. He advises making the crate a calm, safe space and placing a frozen Fenrir Hammer chew toy filled with treats or raw food inside 10 to 15 minutes before leaving. The dog can then be calmly encouraged into the crate, helping it associate being alone with a rewarding and comfortable experience.

Vail Shoars shared a TikTok video of her 11-year-old cat, Reno, appearing confused and concerned when hearing a toddler's tantrum for the first time. The clip attracted 9.7 million views and prompted viewers to share similar experiences. Explanations cited in the report suggest cats may instinctively investigate infant cries because mammalian distress sounds resemble those of kittens, with reactions varying according to pitch and volume.

Ice Cream Irn-Bru, a previously limited-edition zero-sugar flavour, has returned to Home Bargains in eight-can packs priced at £2.99. The flavour replaces Winter-Bru in Irn-Bru’s Xtra range, which will be renamed Irn-Bru Zero in 2026. A.G. Barr is also bringing back the Diet Irn-Bru name and introducing a redesigned can to mark the drink’s 125th anniversary.

British expat Harry Poulton visited Ray's Chippy at the Duke of Wellington pub in Benidorm and ordered cod, chips, curry sauce and Coca-Cola. He praised the meal's freshness, crunchy batter and authentic chip-shop style, and described the €13.50 total as an absolute bargain. The report places the price in the context of rising fish-and-chip costs in Britain, where the average portion has reached £11.23 amid the cost-of-living crisis.

A woman says a neighbour filmed and monitored her for eight months while allegedly documenting residents for possible lease violations. After receiving a complaint from the housing association about disturbances, she sought advice online and was urged to report the behaviour as stalking, create a paper trail and document the neighbour’s actions. She said she would instead ask the housing association to specify the allegations and put them in writing, fearing that escalation could make her appear unreasonable.

The Bridge House, a two-bedroom mini castle built on a bridge over the River Ardle in 1881, is available as an Airbnb in Ballintuim, Perthshire. The renovated property sleeps four, retains historic Scottish features and includes river views, a private sauna and surrounding stone walkways. Guests have given it a 4.91 out of 5 rating, praising its unusual character, peaceful setting and host Mirian.

A shopper named Angelina praised Greggs outlets after finding heavily discounted food, including cookies, doughnuts, sausage rolls, pastries, bakes, pizzas and sandwiches. Greggs says the outlets sell excess stock at about half standard prices and are located in areas experiencing high social deprivation, while some profits support local charities through The Greggs Foundation. The article lists outlet locations in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with prices including 27.5p per sausage roll under a buy-one-get-one-free promotion and £1.85 for a southern fried chicken baguette.

Food blogger Rachel compared chocolate chip cookies from eight UK supermarkets. Marks & Spencer and Waitrose stood out, with Rachel giving Marks & Spencer a perfect 10 and Waitrose 10, while Tesco also performed strongly with 9.5. Lidl and Aldi scored well for texture, Co-op was rated positively but below Waitrose, Sainsbury's was considered basic but acceptable, and Asda's white chocolate cookies came last with a score of 4.

Home cook Kirsty Fletcher recommends making one large pancake and scrambling it into pieces instead of frying and stacking individual pancakes. Her recipe uses banana, egg, milk, oat powder, flour, protein powder and toppings such as blueberries and maple syrup, takes only a few minutes to prepare, and provides 419 calories and 29 grams of protein per serving.

Viewers are rediscovering ITV’s detective drama Endeavour after a Reddit recommendation described it as a “10/10” masterpiece. The prequel to Inspector Morse follows the early career of Endeavour Morse, played by Shaun Evans, in 1960s and 1970s Oxford. The series ran from 2012 to 2023 and received critical acclaim for its writing, performances, character development and period atmosphere, with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating. ITVX Premium is promoted as a way to stream the series.