“Someone is in the sun.” This is how the Guardian captioned a photo of King Charles III and Queen Camilla arriving for a Christmas Day church service at Sandringham.

The Times says Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s daughters “strongly march on a united front” in Sandringham. The newspaper describes her appearance as a public show of support for the royal family, as her parents have grown “cool” over her friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The sisters were showing their support for the king and queen. The Daily Mail says Andrew’s girls chose “the firm” over “Mom and Dad.”

The Times warns that thousands more households than expected could become eligible for payments from the “Mansion Tax” due to changes in how property values will be calculated, as announced in the November Budget. It says a computer-based system – which would be quicker to implement – ​​could increase the value of properties by £30,000.

The Daily Mail says Barclays is predicting Boxing Day sales will fall by £1 billion compared to last year. The newspaper reports that analysts believe fewer people will choose to sell their homes because the Chancellor’s recent tax announcements have “stretched household budgets” and resulted in a “fall in consumer confidence.”

The Daily Mirror has warned that bargaining is not the solution to low wages, rising bills, and the challenges faced by common, hard-working people.

The Daily Telegraph says a teacher showed videos to his US Politics A-level class—including a video about Donald Trump’s inauguration. Oxfordshire’s Child Protection Authority was informed. The body concluded that he should be referred to Prevent, the government’s anti-terrorism program. The newspaper says Henley College paid him £2,000 to leave his job. In an official email, the college told the teacher that some of the videos were unrelated to the course – and one had made a student feel “quite uncomfortable”. The school was quoted as saying: “Henley College does not comment on individual allegations or ongoing investigations.”

The Sun reports that some gangs earn £50,000 at once by sending drones filled with contraband, such as phones or drugs, into prisons. The Times has warned, according to the head of the Prison Governors Association, “any day now.” A new generation of large drones, operable by an average person, can help prisoners escape.

The 28-year-old US actor has this year appeared in the psychological thriller The Housemaid and the boxing biopic Christy, which both address issues around domestic violence.

Sweeney calls the topic “prevalent” and says she takes a “lot of care” when playing these types of roles.

“Being able to have a film that’s on a more commercial level talk about a very difficult topic is important,” she adds.

Sweeney is currently starring as Millie Calloway in The Housemaid, which is based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Freida McFadden.

The novel is an international bestseller and has generated a large following, especially among the reading community on TikTok.

Sweeney says she is “a huge fan of the book” and that she “loved all the characters”.

“I love complex, juicy, crazy, twisted stories. This is a dream project,” she adds.

The film also features Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar as Nina and Andrew Winchester, who employ Sweeney’s character in their home.

Seyfried and Sweeney were chosen to play the two female leads in The Housemaid because of their physical resemblances, but Seyfried says the similarities do not end there.

“There’s a similarity between us that is uncanny, and it’s really fun to work with people [who] are doing life in a similar way and have similar ideals about the job and life,” she tells the BBC.

Sweeney says the two have a “dynamic” that allows them to “enjoy being around” each other, and their relationship lets them “go to these crazy places and discover so much more within your character.”

“You have to play it as realistically as possible because it needs to reflect real life,” she says.

The Housemaid has been compared to domestic thrillers of the 1990s, such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Fatal Attraction; the film draws inspiration from classics like Basic Instinct, but it incorporates a distinctly modern twist through its physical and mental abuse plot lines. The film incorporates a distinctly modern twist through its physical and mental abuse plot lines.

Seyfried, who is known for her roles in Mamma Mia! and Mean Girls, believes the cast “nailed getting the tone right” and hopes that despite the movie being entertainment, people “come out with a deeper understanding of domestic violence” and “broaden their horizons”.

She adds that this is “especially” true for “people who haven’t thankfully had to deal with it”.

This is echoed by director Paul Feig, who admits he was “nervous” about handling the subject sensitively.

“I made sure there wasn’t any physical abuse, that it was more psychological abuse,” he says.

Domestic abuse in Hollywood has become a hot topic, sparked by the promotional tour for the 2024 film It Ends With Us, which was criticised by some for packaging it as a romantic story rather than one of abuse.

Sklenar, who appears in both The Housemaid and It Ends With Us, says it is “challenging” to take on the role of an abuser.

He describes his characters, Andrew Winchester in The Housemaid and Atlas Corrigan in It Ends With Us, as “polar opposites”.

“When it comes to acting, you can try all you want, but ultimately, sometimes ‘it just affects you’,” he says. “It’s intense and it’s ultimately going to affect you in certain ways.”

The film has received mostly positive reviews.

The Guardian gave the film four stars, stating that Feig and his cast “deliver with terrific gusto,” and this positive reception will be welcome for Sweeney after she was at the centre of multiple controversies and discussions in 2025. In 2025, Sweeney was at the forefront of both drama and discussion.

Her American Eagle jeans ads drew criticism for raising issues over race and beauty standards. Sweeney told People Magazine earlier this month she was “against hate and divisiveness” and had been surprised by the reaction to the campaign.

And her career was under scrutiny after a string of box office flops—but The Housemaid opened with a healthy $19 million (£14 million) in North America last weekend.

That’s no surprise given that the original novel was a huge hit, selling more than 1.6 million copies worldwide.

Film adaptations could be on the cards.

Two sequels have also been published, meaning further film adaptations could be on the cards.

Feig, whose previous films include Bridesmaids and The Heat, believes novels will become an even more fertile source of material for Hollywood because “studios always want something that is a known quality” to “justify their ability to put a lot of money” into the project.

But he says he tries not to let books with a huge audience and fanbase dictate what projects he makes, because “there are plenty of books that are really popular that just don’t work as movies.”

Feig adds that it has been “fun” to work with Rebecca Sonnenshine’s adapted screenplay for The Housemaid, but that he has “restored” some parts of the book that “readers really would miss if they weren’t in there”.

“There’s also an extra ending that’s not in the book,” he says, “so readers can get something new that they didn’t expect.”

A customer of a social supermarket has said she “can afford a few extras for Christmas” thanks to the money she saves there on her weekly groceries.

Yazz Gough, who goes to the Re:dish Good Stuff in the Reddish area of Stockport, Greater Manchester, said, “I save a fortune because I’ve got two teenage kids at home who never stop eating!”

The 56-year-old said, “I buy a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables to make things like apple strudels, chips or shepherd’s pie, so it has cut the cost of my midweek shop.”

Reddish Good Stuff – open twice a week and funded by Stockport Council and local businesses, including Vernon Building Society – charges customers £4 a week. So far it has about 330 members.

The social supermarket opened in June 2024 to offer low-cost, good-quality, fresh, and healthy food to people in Reddish, Heaton Norris, and Heaton Chapel who are struggling with their weekly groceries.

Social supermarkets typically operate on a membership model.

It costs £5 to become a member of the Re:dish Good Stuff and £4 for each visit.

Members can choose one item from each table/freezer/area plus several items of fruit and vegetables.

The charity collects surplus food from large supermarkets and wholesalers that would otherwise go to waste.

For example, they sell excess seasonal goods like ice cream, which supermarkets struggle to sell in cold weather.

The choice of household groceries varies each week, depending upon what is available.

Re:dish’s CEO Lynn Brandwood said, “The main difference between us and a food bank is that there’s no referral needed, so it’s open to everybody in the community.

“You get shown around by a personal shopper so you get the chance for a chat and the savings mean there’s money for rent, bills, Christmas presents or a night out.”

Social supermarkets typically place an emphasis on fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as frozen items which can be used to create a meal.

Sue Bredbury, from Reddish, said, “I picked up luxury items like strawberries and ice cream today, but getting the vegetables here really means I can save money.”

The 63-year-old added, “Being able to come here and pay £4 to get the bulk of the week’s shopping is wonderful.”

Re:dish Good Stuff store also stocks seasonal items like Christmas crackers.

Mandy Carter, also from Reddish, told BBC Radio Manchester: “Each week is different, so it could be potatoes, onions, tomatoes and carrots to help make things like soup.”

The 69-year-old added, “It helps me out a lot, so I’m not worried about putting on the central heating to keep the house warm and I live quite well.”

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman embraced on the dancefloor as they signed off as Strictly Come Dancing hosts, more than a decade after they began presenting the show together.

“Thank you again for watching us over the years; it has meant the world to us,” Winkleman told viewers at the end of Strictly’s Christmas Day special. “There’s just one thing left to do. Come on, Tess.”

Daly then grabbed her presenting partner and began to slowly dance, looking into her eyes and declaring, “For our very final time, Claud.”

“Let’s make it count,” added Winkleman, before the duo led the room in one last call of the show’s catchphrase: “Keep dancing!”

Many see Daly and Winkleman as the faces of Strictly.

Daly has presented the show since it started 21 years ago, initially alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth. Winkleman began co-hosting the results show with her in 2010, before permanently replacing Sir Bruce in 2014.

Prior to that, Winkleman had hosted Strictly’s sister show It Takes Two since 2004.

The pair became prime-time Saturday night TV’s first female presenting duo.

Much attention has turned to who may replace them, with Zoe Ball, Rylan Clark, Janette Manrara, Alan Carr and Holly Willoughby among the names that have been suggested.

Warning: This article contains spoilers about Strictly Come Dancing’s Christmas special

Early on in the Christmas special, Anton Du Beke briefly interrupted Daly to say he and his fellow judges had decided to have “a whip round” to get her an Argentinian Tango – the host’s favourite dance – as a parting gift.

She was then swept off her feet and spun around by Strictly pro dancer Aljaž Škorjanec.

“Best present ever,” said a breathless Daly afterwards. She was then generously awarded 12 out of 10 by Du Beke.

The presenter later gave Craig Revel Horwood, considered the grumpiest of all the judges, a “little cuddle.”.

“I’ve always wanted to do this,” beamed Daly, 56, while wrapping her arms around the pantomime villain.

Strictly’s long-serving musical director and arranger Dave Arch then paid a silent tribute to Winkleman, conveying his message with cue cards in the style of the 2003 Christmas film Love Actually.

“To me you are perfect,” he declared in writing, before joking: “Even though you are orange.”

More hugs followed.

The Christmas special saw six couples compete on the dance floor under the glitterball.

The celebrity contestants included comedian Babatunde Aléshé, All Saints star Mel Blatt, Westlife singer Brian McFadden, ex-rugby player Jodie Ounsley – aka Fury from the TV show Gladiators – and EastEnders actor Nicholas Bailey.

But it was former Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt and dance pro Vito Coppola who cha-cha-cha’d their way to victory with a full house of 10s from the judges.

“This is honestly the greatest gift that ever could’ve happened at Christmas,” a shocked Moffatt said.

In a joint Instagram statement in October, Winkleman and Daly said hosting the show had been “an absolute dream.”

In 2024, Strictly’s 20th anniversary, the pair picked up the entertainment program Gong at the Bafta TV Awards.

Earlier this year, Winkleman – who also presents The Traitors – and Daly were made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by King Charles III at investiture ceremonies at Windsor Castle, for services to broadcasting.

Last Saturday, it was an emotional night in the ballroom, as together they hosted the main Strictly final for the last time – with the Queen among those paying tribute to the long-running hosts.

In a message read out by judge Craig Revel Horwood, Queen Camilla said their “warmth, compassion and sheer happiness” had been at the heart of the show’s success, adding, “I think I speak for everyone when I say you have been utterly fab-u-lous.”

After a rocky few years for the show, some have also been wondering what comes next for the competition.

But entertainment journalist Emma Bullimore says many people will still want the hosting job.

She assured BBC News that the hosting role remains a significant role on British TV. Strictly brings families together more than most shows.

Media circles viewed the current Strictly series, which started in September, as a potential revival of the long-running hit BBC show.

It follows last year’s controversies relating to the behaviour of some professional dancers and, in August, the launch of a BBC investigation into alleged drug use by two of the show’s stars and an unnamed star being arrested on suspicion of rape (it is understood the development was not related to the current series).

BBC bosses were keen for fans and the media to return to talking about the show itself.

However, the scandals continue to persist. In October, a second unnamed star from the show was arrested on suspicion of rape. Reports from November also suggest that the current series has no connection to that development.

Bullimore says it’s “difficult to know” whether the various scandals played into Daly and Winkleman’s decision to leave.

But she also said, despite the controversies, hosting would remain “very attractive” to any presenter.

The BBC has stated that they will reveal plans for the show’s 2026 format in due course.