England fans watch on nervously as Lionesses fall behind in final
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The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Gen Z rank Love Island top cultural moment for summer 2025
The annual reality show also ranked higher than the Women's Euros (33%), where the Lionesses dramatically defended their title on penalties in Switzerland in front of a gripped 15m-plus audience back home. The Love Island water bottle (24%) is considered a 'British cultural artefact' by Gen Z. (Image: Joe Pepler/PinPep) The British Grand Prix at Silverstone (25%), Royal Ascot (18%), BBC Proms (16%), Edinburgh Fringe (12%) and Chelsea Flower Show (11%) make up the rest of the list. Gen Z's Top 10 British cultural moments of summer 2025 Love Island, 44% Wimbledon, 43% Glastonbury Festival, 37% Women's Euros, 33% British Grand Prix at Silverstone, 25% Oasis reunion tour, 23% Royal Ascot, 18% The BBC Proms, 16% Edinburgh Fringe, 12% Chelsea Flower Show, 11% Love Island – known for its sun-soaked villa antics, fiery recouplings and meme-worthy moments – has cemented its place in the national psyche as the event of the summer season. And not content with dominating screens, the guilty pleasure turned cultural juggernaut has also broken into the realm of cultural artefacts. The show's iconic personalised water bottle – seen in the hands of Islanders during every heated conversation and poolside flirtation – was named one of the top 10 symbols of modern British culture. In a list that included both serious and tongue-in-cheek contenders, the Love Island bottle rubs shoulders with the likes of the Greggs sausage roll, a Freddo, Colin the Caterpillar, and even the almighty Wetherspoons toilets. A testament to the show's impact, the Love Island water bottle (24%) is considered more of a 'British cultural artefact' by Gen Z than classics such as the Blue Peter badge (23%) and even Doctor Who's Tardis (19%). Both a hydration hero and certified cultural icon, the popular piece of Love Island merchandise has long since transcended the villa to become a must-have summer accessory. Spotted in the hands of Kimberly Wyatt at Wembley Stadium yesterday for the Oasis concert, the ex-Pussycat Doll and radio presenter arrived in style with the new Love Island bottle in tow – personalised with her name and newly released accessories. Taking its place in this season's cultural hall of fame alongside the likes of Oasis, Glasto, and Wimbledon, Love Island's enduring popularity has made it one of the most talked-about moments of the summer – with a quarter of the nation (25%) planning on tuning into the final next week.
New Statesman
3 hours ago
- New Statesman
The Lionesses have slain an old England
Photo by Adam Davy/Alamy On an overcast Tuesday afternoon (July 29), as 65,000 people lined the Mall to Buckingham Palace in celebration of the Lionesses Euro triumph, one thing became clear: this was not like the football gatherings of old. Gone were the crushed beer cans, roadside urination and coked-up Charlies; instead there were prams, cowgirl hats decorated with the St George's Cross, and women of all ages. There were plenty of boys and men, too: the elders who had learned to appreciate the women's game, and the young'uns native to its joys. It is a different type of game. But the joyless, systemic reasons as to why the professional women's game isn't as advanced as the men's did not bother anyone on the Mall. If there is one uncontestable truth about football, it is that there is no uniform way of experiencing, playing or enjoying it. The beautiful game would not be so beautiful if everything was the same. It survives by flexing with different contexts and audiences, grounded by the game's fundamentals. It thrives on difference – as the tempo of the Premier League differs from the National League; so does the European version of the game from the South American; as there is a complete 180-degree vibe shift between something like the Euros, compared to the Africa Cup of Nations. The women's game is just another variation. The modern personality of the women's game (which only became fully professionalised in 2018) can be seen off the field, too. Unsurprisingly, a game led by a group of people who were officially excluded from playing football for 50 years (by the FA), has a keen interest in inclusivity. That includes a wide embrace of queerness, race and culture. This was exemplified on the Mall by the appearance of the Nigerian afrobeats superstar Burna Boy, who performed alongside his die-hard fan, the England head coach Sarina Wiegman. And though this is a cleaner, family-friendly packaging of the game, there is still some bite. The exuberant Arsenal winger, Chloe Kelly, is that personified: still riding high after scoring the winning penalty for England (with a kick of the ball that clocked in at a thunderous 110 km/h), she told those gathered on the streets how 'so f*cking special' the Euros triumph is. The Mall was chosen as a royal setting for the queens of European football, but the vibrant and inclusive Englishness that the women's national team represents contrasted oddly with the palace that loomed over them – a greying, absent relic, more an uninvited uncle than a generous host. The patriotism represented by Buckingham Palace now looks dated against the national pride envisioned by Gareth Southgate and displayed by both the women's and men's national teams. Through it, in a footballing context at least, a malleable and de-toxified Englishness – one sensitivity attuned to race, class and cultural struggles – has emerged. After her winning penalty in the final, Kelly declared: 'I'm so proud to be English', and this was uncontroversial. Had she been a male player during our national team's dark period in the 1970s and 1980s, when hooliganism and racism was rife, these words would have had very different connotations. This new, more malleable form of Englishness is not the 'Cool Britannia' of the Euro '96 tournament, a cultural celebration which was co-opted by politicians, most notably Tony Blair. The power and pervasiveness of sport to connect otherwise disparate groups of people hasn't waned, but there is less room in this movement for Royals in hospitality boxes and celebratory Downing Street visits. Keir Starmer would have been an awkward host for the Lionesses' reception at No 10 on Monday (July 28), despite being a football fan (he was in Scotland meeting Donald Trump). Angela Rayner – who, like many of the women's team, wears her working-class roots proudly – was clearly a more natural fit. On the Mall, there was no escaping this new and different patriotism. The Lionesses have taken the tactical foundations of Southgateism and aligned it with their own, proud, goals. The cameras focused on the celebrating team and their fans, cropping out the old symbols of national identity in the background. The road to Buckingham Palace served a practical purpose, in that no other street could accommodate 65,000 people. And yet it felt as if this crowd could have congregated somewhere else – a park, a festival, somewhere with less historical baggage – and that this might have been more appropriate to the England they chose to celebrate. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Don't look back in anger, Christian! Sacked Red Bull boss Horner enjoys Oasis gig at Wembley while wife Geri rubs shoulders with triumphant Lioness heroes
Sacked Red Bull boss Christian Horner is making the most of his unexpected abundance of free time and joined the vast number of stars in attendance at Oasis' Wembley show on Wednesday. Horner, who was dismissed as team principal on earlier this month after 20 years at the constructor, and his former Spice Girl wife Geri rubbed shoulders with a few members of the victorious Lioness squad. The 51-year-old has kept a relatively low profile since his shock firing, having overseen the team's transformation from upstart on the grid to winner of six constructors' championships and eight drivers' championships. While the official reason for Horner's firing remains unstated, it comes almost exactly a year after the former team principal was engulfed in a high-profile investigation. In February last year, Horner was accused of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling behaviour by a female employee. He was twice cleared, initially after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, and then by another lawyer who dismissed the female employee's appeal. The episode cast a long shadow over the team, though, and left Horner's public image severely tarnished. He has been replaced by Laurent Mekies at the helm of the team. This week, he cast those worries to one side and enjoyed Oasis' latest show at the home of football. After a run of homecoming gigs in Manchester's Heaton Park, Oasis returned to London last week, where they will play five shows. His wife Geri joined Alex Greenwood, Hannah Hampton and Alessia Russo in the crowd for the band's hotly-anticipated reunion. The Lionesses roared to victory in Sunday's match following a nail-biting game, which finished with an incredible 3-1 penalty shoot out win. Congratulating them on their win, Geri joined the trio for a photo before they took their seats for the gig. She captioned her Instagram post: 'They're home!' Unsurprisingly, the Lionesses were in high demand after their latest success and they also joined Noel Gallagher's daughter Anais for a couple of candid snaps. In one of the photos, Anais could be seen holding a signed Russo jersey as the striker stands behind her. England's penalty hero Chloe Kelly is present in the other image from the night. Last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix was the first since Horner was removed as Red Bull boss. The occasion was sure to be difficult for anyone to deal with but Horner put on a brave face, posting a video of himself riding a horse along a country lane, in addition to an image of him atop his steed in front of a barn. Horner accompanied the images with the caption: 'Different horse power this Sunday.' Ahead of Sunday's race, Jos Verstappen was left squirming on live television as former world champion Nico Rosberg confronted him with his past comments about Horner. Jos - influential father of Red Bull's reigning world champion Max Verstappen - called for Horner's exit during the investigations into his conduct last year. The two warring F1 giants 'never really saw eye to eye in the first place'. But Jos has now downplayed any alleged tensions he had with Horner. Being interviewed on the grid ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Sky Sports reporter Martin Brundle asked Jos: 'Big changes in the team. Are you and Max and everybody happy with where it's going so far?' Jos issued a diplomatic response. 'Well, they decided to change so I'm fine with everything, so as long as it works,' he said. Rosberg then reminded Jos of his public call last year for Horner to step down. The former Mercedes driver said: 'Last year, you said: "Horner needs to go because he's going to destroy the team".' Jos tried to brush it off, replying: 'That was a year ago. It's different. I have nothing to say. It's fine.'
