Titanic: Ship of Dreams review — as lavish as a White Star Line cabin
Everyone loves the tragic glamour of the Titanic — Downton Abbey at sea with that fateful iceberg looming up in the distance. More than 100 years on it still attracts a nerdily fetishistic curiosity. Even its most blandly inconsequential passengers have had their biographies written. Monographs are published about its soft furnishings. Billionaires risk their lives in futuristic submarines to probe its mouldering metal skeleton.
If the Titanic had been an old rust bucket creaking across the north Atlantic without a palm court and millionaires there wouldn't be nearly as many films, books and podcasts. Titanic: Ship of Dreams is a chart-topping new podcast from the BBC and Noiser. As its title implies, it leans into the opulence. Indeed, it is something of a huge,
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tatler Asia
29-05-2025
- Tatler Asia
10 wealth-gap relationships in film that actually worked out
2. 'Titanic' (1997) James Cameron's epic uses the doomed voyage of the Titanic as a powerful metaphor for class division. Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), a struggling artist from the lower decks, and Rose (Kate Winslet), a young woman engaged to an aristocrat, come from worlds that rarely intersect. Their romance is propelled by the thrill of rebellion against societal expectations. Rose's yearning to escape her gilded cage and Jack's carefree poverty illustrate how class shapes identity and opportunity. The stark differences between their lives heighten the tragedy, as the ship's sinking parallels the collapse of the class system—if only momentarily. 3. 'Maid in Manhattan' (2002) In this romantic wealth-gap comedy, Marisa (Jennifer Lopez), a hotel maid raising a child alone, catches the eye of Chris (Ralph Fiennes), a rising political star. Their initial misunderstanding—he believes she is a wealthy socialite—sets up a narrative where class and identity intertwine with romantic possibility. The film delves into the awkward realities that follow when economic disparity is revealed, exposing insecurities on both sides. Marisa's dignity and Chris's idealism are tested by societal preconceptions about who belongs in whose world, highlighting the emotional toll of crossing class boundaries. 4. 'Crazy Rich Asians' (2018) Crazy Rich Asians explores wealth disparity not just as income but as inherited power embedded within cultural and familial expectations. Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), a middle-class professor, confronts the extravagant lifestyle of Nick Young's (Henry Golding) family, who epitomise Singapore's ultra-rich elite. The film foregrounds the pressures faced by those entering such circles, where lineage, reputation and tradition govern acceptance. Rachel's outsider status forces her to navigate subtle class codes, from luxury consumption to social manoeuvring, making the romance as much about cultural capital as personal affection. 5. 'Notting Hill' (1999) William Thacker (Hugh Grant), a modest London bookstore owner, and Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), a glamorous Hollywood actress, negotiate the chasm between ordinary life and celebrity privilege. Their romance examines how fame and wealth alter perceptions of normalcy and intimacy. William's quiet, unassuming background contrasts with Anna's world of cameras and adulation, creating a tension between public identity and private connection. The film's charm lies in its nuanced portrayal of love struggling against the alienation caused by class and status disparities. 6. 'The Notebook' (2004) Based on Nicholas Sparks's novel, The Notebook centres on Noah (Ryan Gosling), a working-class man, and Allie (Rachel McAdams), a young woman from a wealthy family. Their passionate summer romance is stifled by social expectations, particularly from Allie's parents, who disapprove of Noah's lack of fortune. The film captures the enduring conflict between societal pressure and personal desire. It portrays how class can act as a gatekeeper to relationships, while illustrating the perseverance required to overcome such barriers. 7. 'An Education' (2009) Set in 1960s London, An Education tells the story of Jenny (Carey Mulligan), a bright but sheltered schoolgirl from a modest background, and David (Peter Sarsgaard), a suave older man with money and connections. Their relationship reveals the complexities of power, manipulation and class privilege. The film critiques how economic advantage can be wielded to exploit vulnerability, while portraying Jenny's coming-of-age struggle to reconcile romantic fantasy with harsh social realities. Class shapes not only romance but also education and opportunity. 8. 'The Great Gatsby' (2013) Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald's novel depicts Jay Gatsby's (Leonardo DiCaprio) obsessive pursuit of Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan), a symbol of old money and social prestige. Gatsby's self-made fortune attempts to erase his humble origins, but the entrenched social hierarchy remains unforgiving. The film exposes the fragility of newly acquired wealth and the rigid codes protecting established privilege. The romance, idealised yet doomed, serves as a critique of the American Dream's class illusions. 9. 'Cinderella' (2015) This live-action retelling of the classic fairy tale focuses on Ella (Lily James), a servant girl whose kindness endears her to Prince Kit (Richard Madden). Unlike earlier animated versions, this adaptation foregrounds Ella's resilience and integrity within a rigidly stratified society. The wealth-gap romance directly challenges inherited privilege and questions the fairness of social structures. Their relationship imagines a love that can dismantle class barriers, though it remains firmly rooted in fantasy. 10. 'Brooklyn' (2015) Set in the 1950s, Brooklyn follows Eilis (Saoirse Ronan), an Irish immigrant navigating a new life in New York. Her romance with Tony (Emory Cohen), a working-class Italian-American plumber, is tender and understated, shaped by the immigrant experience and the constraints of social class. The film poignantly portrays Eilis's internal conflict between pursuing love and seeking upward mobility, reflecting the compromises immigrants often face. In this wealth-gap story, class and cultural identity are inextricable from her emotional journey.
Times
29-04-2025
- Times
Who Do You Think You Are? The best episodes and revelations, ranked
It has been more than 20 years since the comedian and conservationist Bill Oddie became the first famous face to have their family tree investigated by the BBC genealogy series. Since then, Who Do You Think You Are? has become a staple of the BBC schedules and over more than 170 episodes has treated its celebrity subjects and viewers to all manner of previously unknown facts about their pasts. With a new season — which includes episodes with Andrew Garfield and Mishal Husain — upon us, we've decided to look back at some of the most interesting episodes from the past two decades. From discoveries of royal heritage to revelations about darker characters in their families' past: there have been some truly memorable shows throughout the years. Here are our top ten episodes, but don't forget to leave your favourites in the comments below. 10. Emma Willis Most people go on the show hoping to uncover heartwarming family connections, but delving into the past can reveal a troubling legacy. The presenter set out to explore her Birmingham roots and was pleased to discover they run deep: her three-times great-grandfather, James Gretton, was born in the city and counted among the pioneering entrepreneurs who helped to earn it the nickname 'the city of a thousand trades'. So far, so uplifting. But things shifted when her journey took her to Ireland, where she uncovered a darker chapter: her five-times great-grandfather, Richard Fowler of Boggy Meadows, was a Protestant landowner known for brutally assaulting and torturing republican-minded blacksmiths. Josh Widdicombe at Hever Castle BBC/STEPHEN PERRY 9. Josh Widdicombe During his ancestry journey, the comedian uncovered a surprisingly regal lineage. He discovered ties to the Earl of Holland and learnt that his 13-times great-grandmother was a cousin of Queen Elizabeth I. But the biggest revelation was that his 12-times great-grandmother was in a 'love triangle' with the queen and that he was related to Anne Boleyn. It was even suggested that he may be directly related to King Henry VIII. He also found out that his 23-times great-grandfather was King Edward I, making him a descendant of French royalty. 'To say it's exceeded my expectations is the understatement of a lifetime,' the comedian said about the show. 'I was just expecting a couple of farmers. It's proper blue blood, isn't it?' 8. Lesley Garrett The truth about the soprano singer's two-times great-grandfather had long been buried — a tightly held family secret, hidden even from her father. To the outside world, Charles was a local councillor and a respected figure. But within the family, a darker story loomed. According to his son and daughter-in-law, Charles had been responsible for his wife's death. They believed he had deliberately replaced her medication with carbolic acid, which killed her. Although the coroner ruled it an accidental death caused by a medication mix-up, suspicion ran deep. Convinced of foul play, the family severed all ties with Charles and never looked back. 7. Matt Lucas The comedian went on a mission to explore the history of his beloved late grandmother Margot, who came to the UK in 1939 as a Jewish refugee. In one of the more poignant and moving episodes of the show, Lucas travelled to Berlin and Amsterdam to uncover the hardships and tragedy that befell her and his family as Jews in Nazi Germany before they escaped to safety in the UK. He also stumbled upon an extraordinary connection between his family and the Second World War diarist Anne Frank. 6. Jeremy Paxman Although this episode didn't offer up the most shocking revelations, it was one of the most interesting and watchable. The Newsnight and University Challenge presenter began the show quite unphased by what he might discover, talking of looking to the future, not the past. It was with this in mind that his reaction to discovering the abject poverty his family in Glasgow had survived only a few generations before was even more moving. 'We just don't know we're born, do we?' he tells the camera in one of the most poignant moments of a series famous for them. 5. Alan Cumming The award-winning actor and presenter of the American version of The Traitors discovered a fascinating story about his grandfather that was very different from that which he thought he knew. Thomas Darling, his mother's father, had died at the age of 35 under mysterious circumstances while serving in the military in Malaysia. When he began to look into the matter, it appeared that Darling may not have died in an accident as Cumming had first thought, but perhaps had been involved in playing Russian roulette. 4. Judi Dench Given that she is one of the greatest British actresses, you would have struggled to script the big reveal in her episode. After she learnt that she had roots in Denmark in the 16th century, things took a truly epic twist when it turned out that the great Shakespearean star was descended from people who lived in a castle in the Scandinavian kingdom. Even better, her family could be traced to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, families named in Shakespeare's Hamlet, perhaps explaining Dench's love of the theatre. Ainsley Harriot discovered his ancestors had accumulated enormous wealth BBC 3. Ainsley Harriott The television chef travelled to the West Indies to trace his Caribbean roots, believing he already had a good idea about where he came from, but was shocked to find that his family history wasn't quite as he had thought. He discovered that one of his ancestors was a 'free black woman' who had accumulated enormous wealth, but the biggest revelation came when Harriott was told that his great-great-grandfather James Gordon Harriott had not been a slave but a descendant of a long line of white slave owners. 2. Matthew Pinsent Although a few celebrities have found royal roots on the show, the former Olympic rower's journey ended up being elevated further — tracing his lineage back to Adam and Eve. At the College of Arms, he discovered rolls that showed his family roots went back to Edward I and William the Conqueror. But there was more: another showed that he could be linked to King David, Jesus, Adam and Eve and, therefore, effectively to God. That's quite the journey. 1. Danny Dyer The EastEnders and Rivals star's episode began with stories of poverty and workhouses, which didn't much surprise the self-styled Cockney hero. However, things took a dramatic and unexpected turn when historians pulled on a thread that led them back to the court of Henry VIII. His 15-times great-grandfather turned out to be Thomas Cromwell, and following the royal line it turned out he came from a long line of royals including Eleanor of Aquitaine, William the Conqueror and the French king Louis IX. In a show that's all about surprises, it's hard to see how that will ever be topped.
Times
29-04-2025
- Times
Ian Hislop: I wasted an evening watching With Love, Meghan
The instrument I play I don't play any instruments. I am very jealous of anyone who can play anything. I went to a baroque concert recently where a man was playing an enormous sort of lute and thought I would like to be able to say: 'Oh yes I play the theorbo.' Or the sackbut or crumhorn. The music that cheers me up Dolly Parton or Palestrina. Depending on how much I need cheering. There was a great BBC TV series called Sacred Music in which the choir the Sixteen were singing Palestrina. The presenter, Simon Russell Beale, just walked up and joined in. Now that was impressive. ALAMY If I could own one painting it would be Hogarth's Election Series. I have some large copies in my office, but quite fancy having the real thing on the wall. This satirical masterpiece is currently in the Soane Museum, but if they won't sell it then anything by Hogarth would do. A Rake's Progress or Marriage a la Mode would be fine or the portrait of his servants or the self portrait with the dog. I would be happy with any of those. My favourite author Apart from my wife [the author Victoria Hislop], obviously. This changes all the time. Recent favourites include James by Percival Everett, a funny and savage retelling of Huckleberry Finn. I am keen to tell people that I had read his satirical novel about race and the literary world, Erasure, long before it was turned into the popular film American Fiction. Then there is Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, which is a retelling of David Copperfield and is an extraordinary tour de force about the American opioid crisis. Amor Towles's A Gentleman in Moscow is an absolute delight that feels like a retelling of a great Russian novel, but is actually original. And for an insight into modern Russia, The Wizard of the Kremlin by Giuliano da Empoli is extraordinary. I also love Cloud Cuckooland by Anthony Doerr, which is an erudite classics based sci-fi thriller and is a hopeful tribute to the power of the written word. At least I think that is what it was. • The best paperback books of 2025 — April's picks The book I'm reading I am re-reading the medieval Mystery Plays as research for my Radio 4 series Ian Hislop's Oldest Jokes. These short plays performed in the street are vernacular versions of the Bible stories and were produced by the craft guilds. The combination of the sacred and the profane, of comedy and tragedy, of the sublime and the ridiculous is extraordinary. No wonder they were banned. BRYN COLTON/GETTY IMAGES The book I wish I had written The Complete Beyond the Fringe, the collected sketches from the 1960s revue by Peter Cook, Alan Bennett, Jonathan Miller and Dudley Moore. I was lucky enough to work with Cook at Private Eye when he was the most hands-off proprietor in publishing history. It is not always true that you shouldn't meet your heroes. I have this slim volume on my shelf next to AG Macdonell's England, Their England, the collected plays of Oscar Wilde and quite a large number of other works of comic genius. My favourite film Toy Story, with Toy Story 2, 3 and 4 as very close runners-up. Wise, witty and wonderful. They really do make one think about infinity and beyond. Or on second thoughts it should probably be The Court Jester with Danny Kaye, which is the film I have seen more often than any other and enjoyed the most. My favourite play I recently went to see Tom Stoppard's Invention of Love with Simon Russell Beale as AE Housman. I had seen the original version in 1997 and thought it was brilliant. On seeing it again 28 years later I thought it was even better. The other play I saw when it first appeared and twice again since — once as a student production — is Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem. It is magic every time and Mark Rylance's performance is simply the best thing I have ever seen on stage. The box set I'm hooked on Bad Sisters by Sharon Horgan. Beautifully written, compelling and really funny. ALAMY My favourite TV series I enjoyed the recent Wolf Hall series with Mark Rylance hugely. I read the Hilary Mantel novels over lockdown, which was a good time to read very long novels and also to be reminded that things have been quite frightening in our history before. Detectorists is also terrific. Funny and melancholy and reassuring about unfashionable England. I found a 9th-century Anglo-Saxon coin in a field when making a documentary for Radio 4 and was so excited I could hear the Detectorist theme tune in my head. My favourite piece of music Handel's Messiah. I first came across it at school and thought I knew it backwards, but then I heard it again in Hampstead Church a few months ago with a cut-down choir and an orchestra with period instruments directed by Geoffrey Webber and was overwhelmed. The play I walked out on I try not to do this, although someone recently walked out of a play I wrote. The lady in question did have medical assistance and they did have to stop the performance. It was The Autobiography of a Cad at the Watermill in Newbury and I am pretty sure that the paramedics said the problem was that the play was just too funny. The poor theatregoer was overcome with mirth and her sides threatened to split. Fortunately she recovered and was fine and the play restarted allowing a triumphant, hilarious performance by James Mack as the Cad, the ultimate Tory politician, to the delight of the audience.
