Latest news with #AlanPartridge
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Audible three-month free trial for Prime members – offer ends July 31
Audible has the UK's biggest selection of audiobooks - and it's included in the free trial | Amazon This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Audible's free three-month trial gives Prime members a chance to enjoy top audiobooks for nothing – but time is running out. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There is now less than a week remaining to snap up an offer from Audible, to enjoy three months of audiobooks without paying a penny. It's a promotional trial from the platform that's been running for a few months, but the window of opportunity draws to a close on July 31st. Audiobooks are an incredibly convenient way to consume content. Whether you like to soak up a new best-selling crime thriller, or lose yourself in an autobiography, having your book read to you while you carry on with your day is a lovely luxury. The new Alan Partridge podcast, from the Oasthouse Series Four, is part of the Audible free trial | Audible Audible's latest special offer gives new members three months of full-access membership for free. And that means you can download and listen to a best-seller or a new release in each of those months as part of the trial, and the audiobooks will be yours to keep after it finishes in three months time. After or during the three months, you won't be obliged to pay anything, you can cancel at any time, so it really is a free offer, and it's a great way to bank up some summer entertainment. The only catch with this deal is you'll need to be an Amazon Prime member to take Audible up on it, because it's an Amazon company. However, you can join Prime on a free trial for 30 days by clicking here, and that could be an easy way around it if you're not a member already. If you are a Prime member, joining up for the three-month free trial is as simple as clicking this link and setting up your new membership. Just remember, the offer will expire at 11.45pm on Thursday, July 31 - so the clock is ticking. Canva Get beach-ready with MySweetSmile's gentle teeth whitening range £ 20.99 Buy now Buy now Sunshine, selfies and holiday cocktails – summer is here, and so are all the moments you'll want to capture with a glowing smile. Whether you're jetting off for a beach escape or heading to a sunny staycation, MySweetSmile can help you look your best. This UK best-seller offers peroxide-free, gentle whitening that works its magic without harsh ingredients or faff. Their powder is perfect for whitening before take-off, while the handy on-the-go pen is great for keeping your smile photo-ready poolside. Shop the full MySweetSmile summer-ready range here. Discovery Cove Discover Orlando's hidden island paradise with exclusive early booking savings £ 115.00 Buy now Buy now Tucked away in the heart of Orlando, Discovery Cove is the all-inclusive tropical escape most visitors don't even know exists. Swim with dolphins, snorkel through vibrant reefs, hand-feed exotic birds and unwind on white-sand beaches — all in a serene, crowd-free setting with guest numbers capped daily. Right now, you can save up to 28% on 2026 bookings, plus an extra 12% off with code SUNNY, and enjoy a free premium drinks package for over-21s. But hurry — these early booking savings end soon. Explore Discovery Cove deals today
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Audible three-month free trial for Prime members – offer ends July 31
Audible has the UK's biggest selection of audiobooks - and it's included in the free trial | Amazon This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Audible's free three-month trial gives Prime members a chance to enjoy top audiobooks for nothing – but time is running out. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There is now less than a week remaining to snap up an offer from Audible, to enjoy three months of audiobooks without paying a penny. It's a promotional trial from the platform that's been running for a few months, but the window of opportunity draws to a close on July 31st. Audiobooks are an incredibly convenient way to consume content. Whether you like to soak up a new best-selling crime thriller, or lose yourself in an autobiography, having your book read to you while you carry on with your day is a lovely luxury. The new Alan Partridge podcast, from the Oasthouse Series Four, is part of the Audible free trial | Audible Audible's latest special offer gives new members three months of full-access membership for free. And that means you can download and listen to a best-seller or a new release in each of those months as part of the trial, and the audiobooks will be yours to keep after it finishes in three months time. After or during the three months, you won't be obliged to pay anything, you can cancel at any time, so it really is a free offer, and it's a great way to bank up some summer entertainment. The only catch with this deal is you'll need to be an Amazon Prime member to take Audible up on it, because it's an Amazon company. However, you can join Prime on a free trial for 30 days by clicking here, and that could be an easy way around it if you're not a member already. If you are a Prime member, joining up for the three-month free trial is as simple as clicking this link and setting up your new membership. Just remember, the offer will expire at 11.45pm on Thursday, July 31 - so the clock is ticking. Canva Get beach-ready with MySweetSmile's gentle teeth whitening range £ 20.99 Buy now Buy now Sunshine, selfies and holiday cocktails – summer is here, and so are all the moments you'll want to capture with a glowing smile. Whether you're jetting off for a beach escape or heading to a sunny staycation, MySweetSmile can help you look your best. This UK best-seller offers peroxide-free, gentle whitening that works its magic without harsh ingredients or faff. Their powder is perfect for whitening before take-off, while the handy on-the-go pen is great for keeping your smile photo-ready poolside. Shop the full MySweetSmile summer-ready range here.
Times
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Times
Omoda 9 SHS review — a cavernous hybrid SUV with a whopping range
Alan Partridge, you may recall, referred to his blue Lexus IS300 as 'the Japanese Mercedes'. In the Omoda 9 SHS we have the Chinese Mercedes. Who or what is Omoda? So saturated have we become with new Chinese car brands washing upon Britannia's shores, it's difficult to keep up. There's MG, BYD, GWM and its sub-brand Ora, Aiways, Maxus, Xpeng, Leapmotor, Skywell and now Jaecoo and its fancier sister Omoda. Both brands are owned by Chery, China's fourth largest car builder, which is also launching its eponymous mothership brand in the UK later this year. So will Nio, HiPhi, Avatr, Zeekr and Geely, all before the Christmas lights go up. Hongqi is set to follow in 2026. The Chinese build cheap, reliable, efficient cars with impressive technology. The new world order of cars has seen these guys sweep in and undercut the competition thanks to cheap labour and their direct access to the raw materials that make batteries. China sells 60 per cent of the world's EVs and 80 per cent of the batteries that power them. Here in Britain there are 73 dealers for the Chery brands Jaecoo and Omoda alone, and that figure is expected to rise to 130 before the end of this year. This is startling growth. The appeal of the Omoda 9 SHS (which stands for Super Hybrid System) is clear: a cavernous hybrid SUV that is well appointed and has legroom that'll embarrass a Mercedes GLE. And just savour the price. The Alabama-built Mercedes GLE 400 e 4MATIC Urban Edition, offering a combined 408bhp, costs £80,490. The Wuhu-built Omoda 9 is more powerful, with a combined 443bhp. It's faster to 62mph: 4.9 seconds versus the Merc's 6.1. And it costs just £44,990. To cap it all, the Omoda 9 offers only one extra: paint. White is free, black or grey is £750 and satin grey is £1,000. There are no other extras because everything is included as standard. All the safety tech, self-parking function, 20in alloy wheels, 14-speaker Sony audio, a huge panoramic powered sunroof — you name it, it's got it. As for styling, it's no uglier than anything else in its class. Squint your eyes and it could even pass for a modern Mercedes. The Omoda 9 boasts three headline figures that are seriously noteworthy. First, the price means you're paying just £100 per horsepower, a figure no other SUV gets near. The second is the Omoda's stated 700-mile overall range. On a lengthy drive I actually managed to extract 760 miles before I had to pull into a petrol station. If you set off from John O'Groats, you wouldn't quite get to Land's End on a single tank, but you'd get to Plymouth. The third headline figure is its 34.48kWh battery, meaning this hybrid has more electric power than the all-electric Renault Zoe. With a claimed pure electric range of 93 miles, it's the longest-range PHEV on sale. You could easily do most daily commutes with this car and never have to pay for petrol — a huge plus point. The battery feeds a pair of electric motors, while the other half of the powertrain is made up of a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that's good for 154bhp and 159lb ft on its own. • Read more expert reviews, news and insights on cars and motoring Dynamically it's less involving than the Mercedes GLE and Range Rover Velar, but its handling is sharp and the power delivery is unruffled. Put it in sport mode and it tugs at the leash. It won't reward like a Porsche up the Stelvio Pass, but no one's going to buy it with that in mind. This is a car for getting from A to B cheaply, comfortably and reliably, and on that score it delivers better, probably, than any car under £60,000. It's arguably better value than a Range Rover or Mercedes, even if it lacks their heritage and verve. On the other hand, if you can spend more and wish to support the workers in Solihull or Tuscaloosa, please do so. Chinese imports provide more bang for your buck, but potentially at the expense of western car industries.
Telegraph
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Steve Coogan: ‘Fawning podcast fans should get a life'
The comedian and award-winning actor, who hosts the weekly podcast Alan Partridge: From the Oasthouse, also took aim at the 'tsunami' of podcasts hosted by 'anyone with any confidence or conviction'. 'I do think the podcast bubble might be about to burst,' he said of the countless celebrity-hosted shows which have 'followers flock to them'. Coogan has posed as his evergreen character Alan Partridge since 1991, when he was created for the BBC Radio 4 comedy programme On the Hour. The comedian turned his hand to podcasting as the character in 2020, when podcasts exploded in popularity during the Covid pandemic. Coogan, who writes the show with his long-time collaborators Neil and Rob Gibbons, explained: 'The podcast is stuff we want to do, that we're passionate about and we think is funny and relevant.' He differentiates it from 'intimate chat' celebrity podcasts because every word of the show is scripted and rehearsed. 'People forget it's not real, it's all written,' Coogan said, adding: 'Even when Alan is going away on a train of thought, all that's been crafted so it's funny.' The Telegraph described the first episode of the podcast as '25 minutes of sheer Partridge pleasure' in its review, saying Coogan's 'fictional alter ego is on top form'. Political podcasts Speaking about the crowded industry, the comedian said there 'used to be proper analysis' offered, particularly in political shows. He explained: 'The problem with political podcasts is there are no solutions. There used to be proper analysis that was evidence-based with references and research. 'Now it's loads of people's gut feelings everywhere. They just like talking about politics, the game of it.' While he didn't single any out by name, the actor said his focus remains on trying 'to get the balance between doing stuff that has some substance, without vanishing up my own arse, and doing things that are entertaining'. He continued: 'If you go one way or the other, for me that's failing. I want it to be about something, but I don't want to be a bore.'
The Independent
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Steve Coogan says he now dresses the same as character Alan Partridge
Steve Coogan, 59, has stated he feels he is increasingly morphing into his long-standing alter-ego, Alan Partridge, a character he has played for over three decades since 1991. Coogan recounted an incident where he discovered he was wearing a shirt identical to one prepared for Partridge on set, leading him to feel the lines between himself and the character were blurring. He explained that he needed to change into the costume shirt for his 'own sanity' to maintain a clear distinction between his identity and Partridge's. A new Partridge series, 'And Did Those Feet… with Alan Partridge,' is forthcoming, which will see the character return to his home county of Norfolk after working in Saudi Arabia. Coogan is also set to reunite with Rob Brydon for a fifth season of 'The Trip,' with filming scheduled to commence in Scandinavia later this year.
