Articles up to May 2nd, 2025
Danny Rigg
Danny Rigg joined Metro in February 2024 after reporting on the politics of raves and The Beatles in wartime Ukraine. He was previously the resident Protest Chaser while a reporter at the Liverpool Echo, where his investigation into rape culture at universities saw him shortlisted for Young Journalist of the Year.
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Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Doctor Who's finale infuriated fans – but the next series will fix everything
Doctor Who is in an odd place both in the fictional universe it inhabits and our mundane reality. Last we saw, the tenacious Time Lord Ncuti Gatwa was burning away to reveal the Doctor's new face, and it looked very familiar. For whatever reason, the Last of the Time Lords appeared to have taken on the form of his old companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper). Needless to say, this sudden and unexpected transformation has left a lot of fans very curious – and in some cases downright furious – about what's next for the good doctor. Annoyingly, however, the BBC and Russell T Davies have remained tight-lipped on the situation and at the time of writing, there's been no word on the beloved sci-fi series' future or whether Disney is interested in helping finance another run. So what's a Gallifreyan superfan to do then? Well, here at Metro we've gathered our team of dedicated Doctor Who experts – Deputy TB Editor Tom Percival, TV Reporter Asyia Iftikhar, and Senior TV Reporter Rebecca Cooke – and cracked out the crystal ball to predict what's next for the show, both in terms of the story and the thorny world of TV production. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Don't worry, though, most of us are predicting a happy ending for the Doctor. It might just be me, but it seems painfully obvious where Doctor Who is going next. Regardless of Disney's involvement, I think we're getting at least one more special, and I don't believe that Billie is playing a true incarnation of the Doctor. Instead, it seems far more plausible that she's the Bad Wolf entity borrowing the Doctor's body. Basically, in this imagined special, we'd learn that Rose's consciousness exists in the Time Vortex as Bad Wolf. When 15 poured his regeneration energy into the time vortex to bring back Poppy, part of that consciousness merged with the Doctor. Sadly, it's not a true regeneration, and this new 'Meta-Crisis Rose Doctor' has a limited time until the body finishes 'cooking' and the true 16th Doc emerges. In that time, though, she has all Rose's memories and all the Doctor's abilities, so she decides to track down her Doctor… aka David Tennant. Over the course of a special, we then get 'Rose Doctor' travelling through the Doctor's timeline, running into some familiar faces (old companions and some returning Doctors perhaps?) before one final tear-jerking run-in with the 10th Doctor giving closure on Davies' tenure and the revived Doctor Who series. Basically it's one big happy ending. What happens next depends on whether the BBC wants more Doctor Who or not. But either way, I think it'll end with the Rose Doctor regenerating into the true 16th Doctor. This will either lead to a third season or, if the BBC decides it's done with Who, the regeneration will be left open-ended for some future writer to pick up a decade or so from now. Whatever happens, though, I think it's time for some fresh blood, and that means two things. Drop Russell T Davies and leave the nostalgia for New Who behind. Change is part of the show's DNA, and the refusal to 'regenerate' has been holding the series back. Disney will pull out of the deal, and the show will fall back into the BBC's hands, returning with a 2026 festive special by which time they will have chosen the 16th Doctor proper. In the Christmas special, much like Susan's cameo was teased and never addressed again in season two, Billie Piper will make a fleeting appearance before the show quickly moves on. I believe she won't even last the full episode, and her cameo will be resolved perhaps even in the first 5 to 10 minutes, as the Doctor's regeneration goes wacky due to Rose's energy being in the Time Vortex after the Bad Wolf incident. Billie will then regenerate into thetrue16th Doctor, who will have their introductory adventure. The show will then return in 2027 for a full season three (ideally returning to, at least, the 10-episode structure provided for Jodie Whittaker's era) with a brand new companion. Belinda Chandra, Ruby Sunday, the 15th Doctor, and whoever Billie is portraying will be firmly left in the past – and, like you, I hope and assume there will be a new showrunner. It's fair to say the Billie Piper reveal has not gone down well. Most see it as the Whoniverse putting the brand on life support, where the memories of the good ol' heyday of the Russell reboot are intravenously administered to keep the dwindling fanbase hopeful that our ailing Tardis might pull through. So, if an idea like, say, bringing back a beloved companion and defying show logic by making her a Time Lord were to backfire, how best to style it out? This season gave fans a lot of things on their wishlist: big budget, stellar Doctor, lovable companion, some cracking episodes (Lux, The Well, etc). But still, it seemed the only fans tuning in were the meta superfans we met when the Doctor battled Mr Ring-a-Ding. Let's go out on a limb here and say that Disney won't back out. That Rose is the Sixteenth Doctor. (All the logical predictions have been taken.) In order to get fans back in and keep Disney sweet, we might have a big shake-up on our hands. Huge. Piper is so bonkers and out-there a person to appear in the regeneration, it could upset the time-space continuum enough to usher in the new normal: a Doctor-of-the-week format. More Trending Hear me out. Perhaps Piper is explained away with some timey-wimey nonsense, and perhaps it turns out the mechanics of Time Lord-dom are broken. He/she/they is regenerating every hour of television, to be precise. Which Doctor Who prediction do you think is right? So, for a one-off special season, playing the Doctor will be the new equivalent to hosting Saturday Night Live. Or going on Snack Wars. Or eating some chicken in whichever poultry promotional content you prefer. A rotating cast of 'Doctor Who's who'. The whiff of desperation is already in the air, so why not lean in? View More » Doctor Who is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Bake Off legend claims she's been dropped by the BBC after 10 years on TV MORE: Psychological thriller labelled a 'masterpiece' free to stream on BBC iPlayer MORE: TV fans have days to binge BBC's 'best crime drama' before return
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
My date was a terrible kisser - but that wasn't the worst part
Jay* held my hand as he walked me back to my car, telling me he didn't want the night to end. We had talked and laughed throughout dinner before going to a show. We spoke about everything, from my disability – I am an ambulatory wheelchair user with chronic pain, as well as autistic and have ADHD – my job, love of musical theatre, and his passion for travel. He even told me more about his family and how he had recently been to visit them for a holiday. When we got back into my car after my dream date, we continued talking, while listening to music. Eventually he leaned over and kissed me. I'd been waiting for this all night. And that's where things started to go wrong. The kiss was bad. Oh god, it was terrible. It was sloppy, all teeth, as if he'd never kissed anyone before and had no idea what he was doing. He'd clearly never even practiced on the back of his hand. He kissed me a few more times and I found myself pulling away because it was so unappealing. I was shocked and extremely disappointed; kissing is important to me – I love a snogging session. Love reading juicy stories like this? Need some tips for how to spice things up in the bedroom? Sign up to The Hook-Up and we'll slide into your inbox every week with all the latest sex and dating stories from Metro. We can't wait for you to join us! So, How Did It Go? is a weekly series that will make you cringe with second-hand embarrassment or ooze with jealousy as people share their worst and best date stories. Want to spill the beans about your own awkward encounter or love story? Contact I went home feeling unsure. Jay was the best date I'd had in a long time but if he couldn't deliver on the kissing front, I wasn't sure I was willing to compromise. This uncertainty prompted me to try to find out more about him. Jay had sent me a screenshot of our dinner table reservation, which had given me his full name, so I typed it into the search engine. His Facebook account popped straight up. And right there, at the top of his feed, was a wedding picture of him and his new bride – from three weeks earlier. I felt a punch in my stomach, and then I started to laugh. I had been lied to and didn't even consider there to be another explanation. He was married. And I instantly decided that I was never seeing him again. I clicked on the picture. There were over 30 comments congratulating Jay and his wife, as well as his replies, thanking them. The most galling part is that the pictures were taken in the same location he had told me he had been to visit his family on 'holiday'. But that was clearly where he had done his wedding ceremony. By this time, it was after midnight and I knew Jay would be asleep. So I decided to take a screenshot of the wedding photo with the comments and send it to him on WhatsApp. 'Would you like to explain this?' I wrote. No immediate response. Lying in bed that night, I couldn't help but look back on the date. There wasn't actually anything he said or did to raise any red flags that he could be married, so I'm glad I was proactive and looked him up. A part of me was relieved because this meant that I didn't have to kiss him again. In fact, I even felt sorry for his wife. The next morning, I still didn't have a reply from Jay so I checked his profile and discovered that he had blocked me on everything. To this day, I have never seen or heard from him. H The whole experience made me even more cautious about dating than I already was; it made me question others' intentions, whether they are already in a relationship, who to trust, and so much more. More Trending Yet I knew I couldn't judge all men by that one guy. That hasn't stopped me from asking dates I've been on if they're married. I try to laugh it off, but it is always in the back of my head that I am being lied to. I am extremely paranoid. I now know to trust my gut when it comes to bad kissing – and definitely not settle for it. *Name has been changed Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: I discovered my parents' secret aged 8 – I kept it until 16 MORE: 'Taking my rapist to court was worse than what he did to me' MORE: I asked my partner to choose the porn I watched for a week Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
Experts reveal how you could win Tuesday's £208,000,000 EuroMillions jackpot
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video People who play the EuroMillions are looking forward to a chance to win the biggest jackpot the UK has ever seen. The jackpot has rolled over to a massive £ 208 million after nobody claimed the top prize on Friday. If a lucky single ticket holder manages to win the jackpot on Tuesday, June 10, they will instantly become richer than megastars Dua Lipa and Adele. But with such a massive prize pot on offer, it stands to reason that more people than normal could buy a ticket to try their luck. So, can anything be done to increase your chances of matching the six numbers and two lucky stars to win the jackpot? The Midlands is the luckiest region in the UK, as more than 1,000 people have become millionaires there since the National Lottery was launched in 1994. In comparison, only 195 people have ever won more than £ 1 million in Northern Ireland, with 408 people in Wales becoming millionaires in the same time frame. When it comes to EuroMillions, people from other European countries also take part in the draw, but you'll be pleased to know the UK is one of the luckiest countries. Some 46 out of 172 jackpot winners since September 2016 have been in the UK, analyst said – about 26%. But hold your horses if you're considering packing your bags and moving to the Midlands. A National Lottery spokesperson said: 'Certain areas have more National Lottery millionaires, but there are more people in London than the North East, for example, so after 30 years of millionaire-making, you'd expect it. 'Remember, only around 5% of big winners share their news, so your perception of where the winners are may be based on just the winners spraying champagne. There are big winners in every corner of the country.' Some players reckon buying a ticket in a shop rather than taking part online increases your chances, but a Lottery spokesperson has debunked this theory. They told Metro: 'It's up to you – buy your ticket in your local corner shop, or on the app, sitting in the bath, how you buy your ticket has no impact on your chances of winning. 'The key point is to have a ticket, without one your chance is zero.' The number of times a number has been drawn also doesn't play a role in boosting your chances. reckons the least drawn EuroMillions numbers are 22 and 40, and the numbers 26, 11 and 16 are the most overdue to feature in a draw soon. Similarly, some superstitious players use a fixed set of numbers every time, maybe choosing lucky numbers, memorable dates, or the birthdays of loved ones. But the National Lottery spokesperson said neither of these improves your chances, saying: 'Any set of numbers can be drawn, so sticking with one set doesn't make a statistical difference. 'However, we are all drawn to our own lucky numbers, and plenty of winners will say it is these that have helped them bank a big prize. 'Statistically, there is no reason why the same set of numbers couldn't come up in every single draw.' This did actually happen once – 4, 15, 23, 24, 35 and 42 were drawn in two consecutive rounds of the Bulgarian lottery back in 2009. Officials ruled it a coincidence. The Lottery spokesperson also ruled out always playing on a certain day and only playing when there is a lower jackpot as potential ways to boost your luck. This is because the odds of all of your numbers matching those drawn remain the same and will not change, no matter how big the jackpot, what day it is, or how many other people have bought tickets. 'The key is to have a ticket. No ticket, no chance – a ticket, whenever you buy it, means you are in with a chance of winning big,' the spokesperson said. However, when it comes to only playing when there is a lower jackpot, the spokesperson added: 'In general, fewer people tend to play when jackpots are lower, which means if you were to win the jackpot there is a slightly smaller chance that you would end up sharing it with another player who has the same set of numbers.' So overall, it seems like there isn't a tried and tested way to improve your odds of winning the EuroMillions jackpot. More Trending The only way to make sure you're in with a chance at all is to buy a ticket and cross your fingers. Previous British winners include those who scooped £83,000,000 in January and the £65,000,000 jackpot in February. Other recent wins include the Easter Lotto draw, in which three people won £1million, and in April a single ticket holder claimed a £5.2million jackpot – not quite as big as the sum on offer this week, but still a life-changing amount of cash. And if you've ever wanted to know what actually happens when you win the EuroMillions lottery, Metro has the answers. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Euromillions results reveal huge £208,000,000 jackpot will rollover again to Tuesday MORE: UK's 10 biggest EuroMillions wins ahead of tonight's £208,000,000 draw MORE: Tonight's EuroMillions £208,000,000 jackpot will be the biggest UK has ever seen
