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The Most Popular Dog Names Of 2025

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Just like baby names, dog names ebb and flow in popularity each year depending on pop culture, traditions and more.

One year, you may run into dozens of dogs named Ollie at the dog park, just for lots of pups named Luna to appear a few years later.

This year, though, many dog owners stuck to certain trending names, according to a report from online pet supply retailer and pharmacy Chewy, which uses data from the profiles users make for their pets to determine pet name trends and name popularity throughout the country.

When signing up for an account, users input the name of their dog, their pet’s birthdate and the type of dog they have, Ciara Lavelle, pet expert at Chewy, told HuffPost via email.

“By looking at this aggregated information, we can see which dog names are trending and celebrate the most popular picks of the year,” Lavelle said.

According to this year’s data, the top 10 dog names for both male and female dogs are:

  1. Bella

  2. Luna

  3. Daisy

  4. Lucy

  5. Max

  6. Charlie

  7. Bailey

  8. Cooper

  9. Buddy

  10. Sadie

Charlie and Luna are among the most popular dog names of the year.

Getty Images

Charlie and Luna are among the most popular dog names of the year.

Beyond the top 10, names like Cheeto, Brisket and Elphaba are also becoming more popular.

Even if your pup’s name doesn’t fall within the top 10 most popular, there’s a chance their moniker is still part of a larger movement.

According to Lavelle there are some “really fun dog name trends” going on this year; for example, food-inspired names are growing in popularity. “Cheeto and Pickles both rose about 25% in popularity since 2024, and Brisket is up 68%,” Lavelle said.

The popularity of the film “Wicked,” the first part of which was released in November 2024, also inspired some pup names, she noted. The name Elphaba, which is the name of the Wicked Witch of the West (played by Cynthia Erivo), has grown in popularity by 200% since last year, along with its nickname Elphie. The name Glinda, which is the name of the Good Witch (played by Ariana Grande), has grown by 175% this year.

A few other pop-culture names were favored this year, too. “Plenty of pups were named in homage to Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away earlier this year. We’re seeing a 15% bump in dogs named Ozzy,” Lavelle said.

The popularity of this past season of “The White Lotus” also inspired 2025 dog names. “Remember the ‘Piper, no!’ meme from the last season of ‘The White Lotus’? We can’t prove there’s a connection, but Piper as a pet name is up 33% since last year,” added Lavelle.

What to keep in mind when naming your pet, according to an expert.

Naming your dog can feel like a tall task. Will it match their personality? Do they look like their name? Or does it sound too much like your nephew’s name?

“You can take inspiration from just about anything as you’re naming your dog — their color, their personality, or your favorite movies or musicians,” Lavelle said.

If you need some inspiration beyond the name’s Chewy has identified this year, American Kennel Club has a helpful list of ideas, including unique names, trending names and classic ones. (Storm, JoJo, Scout, Zeke, Kona and Jax are just several of the names on this list.)

It is important to remember that your dog’s name isn’t something that only your pup will hear. “You’re going to be yelling it at the dog park and responding to it at the vet’s office, so if you decide on something silly, be prepared to own it,” Lavelle said.

As long as you pick a respectful, not-offensive name, you really can’t go wrong.

“No matter what you choose, your dog will love it,” said Lavelle — “because it’s how they’ll be called by their favourite person.”

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12 Things Millennials Do That Stress Out Gen Zers

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Every generation has its quirks. Millennials and Gen Zers may only be a small number of years apart, but culturally, they often feel worlds away.

From the way they communicate to the way they approach work, life and even pop fandoms, their styles can clash ― sometimes in ways that really irritate each other.

We asked Gen Zers to share the millennial behaviours that frustrate and stress them out. Of course, many of these habits vary across individuals within the same generation, but certain tendencies and patterns still emerge. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Ominous Punctuation

“For me, a main millennial ‘ick’ is the dot-dot-dot or period of doom. Getting a ‘Sure…’ or ‘Thanks.’ makes it feel like I’m in trouble.” ― Ethan Hillis, TikTok creator

2. Over-Emphasis On Appearances

“They have a need to make everything aesthetic. Gen Z is very guilty of this as well, however, I think that millennials grew up with the rise of social media. Rather than listening to their favourite artist at a music festival or sharing a drink with friends at brunch, I think they’re more prone to focus on getting a good Instagram or Snapchat story. This just fuels what it means to live vicariously through social media, rather than in the moment.” ― Madeline Kerestman, TikTok creator

3. Passive-Aggressive Lingo

“The passive-aggressive work lingo. ‘Per my last email,’ ‘gentle nudge,’ ‘circling back’ … all of it stresses me out instantly.” ― Hillis

4. Getting Competitive Around Generations

“Making conversations about economic problems millennial vs. Gen Z instead of realising we’re all struggling, and different times had their own unique problems.” ― Ayana Williams, digital marketer

“Why is this a competition? Why are we battling between generations? I feel like millennials are constantly comparing their generation and saying things like, ‘Oh you guys have it so easy. Back in my day …’ I think millennials went through a really difficult period, so they might have a lot of resentment toward our generation. But in reality, I feel like Gen Zers are going through a lot of different challenges that the previous generation didn’t go through too.” ― Lavinia Gabriele, high growth startup manager and member of The Z Suite

5. Lack Of Boundaries

“I’ve noticed that a lot of millennials don’t have a lot of boundaries at work ― whether it’s that your work hours are not well defined and you’re supposed to be on at all times, or it’s asking personal questions. Millennials are a lot more open with their thoughts, and I think it’s a little bit stressful when they ask really personal questions about your life when maybe I don’t want you to know about it.” ― Gabriele

"Millennials are a lot more open with their thoughts, and I think it’s a little bit stressful when they ask really personal questions about your life when maybe I don’t want you to know about it," said Lavinia Gabriele, a gen Z high-growth startup manager.

We Are via Getty Images

“Millennials are a lot more open with their thoughts, and I think it’s a little bit stressful when they ask really personal questions about your life when maybe I don’t want you to know about it,” said Lavinia Gabriele, a gen Z high-growth startup manager.

6. Inability To Relax Until Things Are Fully Completed

“I feel that sometimes there is a very strong hustle culture where millennials feel they are always ‘in the trenches’ and life is about surviving rather than experiencing. Of course, Gen Zers are ambitious as well. But when there’s a big challenge or new project at work, I do observe that the millennials on my team are like, ‘Oh, my god. How do we survive through this?’ ― while the Gen Zs are a bit more relaxed and moving through it. It doesn’t mean we don’t care. We’re still going to power through. And I have friends and cousins who are millennials that tend to get really stressed out about planning certain things. Until the plan has reached a certain stage of being completed, they’re super stressed out.” ― Angel Aileen, member of The Z Suite who works in a tech forward beauty company

7. Withholding Validation And Information

“I think because Gen Zs grew up in a world of social media, we’re conditioned to get dopamine rewards constantly. So at a workplace, how that shows up is if we do work, we really want to feel recognised. Everyone has their different ways of feeling recognised or rewarded. But if they don’t get that, they feel very down. They want to feel seen, so getting a sense of reward or recognition makes a huge difference in the workplace. And millennials don’t necessarily realise that. But I really notice millennials who recognise and appreciate their Gen Z employees have better team dynamics. It’s similar with sharing information because Gen Zers like to see the whole picture of their job. If millennials share the big picture of what we’re all working on, then it’ll feel more like we’re all working toward the same goal and contributing to the puzzle. Gen Zers are happier when they feel a bigger sense of purpose in their work.” ― Aileen

8. Overwhelming Communication

“Slack novels. A whole LinkedIn-style essay in a quick chat app? I can’t.” ― Hillis

“With their communication style over text, they send like a lot of emojis, like a million emojis. And they’ll screenshot a meme and text it to you, instead of sending it to you directly in the app. And then the meme isn’t that funny…” ― Gabriele

9. Assuming Gen Zers Don’t Get References

“Not recognising some of us are Gen Zennials and very much remember late 90s/early 2000s references and going outside to play.” ― Williams

10. The Millennial Pause

“The millennial pause at the start of videos. They can just cut that part out.” ― Williams

11. Work-Life Balance Overload

“They lean a little too far into the ‘work-life balance’ mindset. As a med student myself, I am all about maintaining a ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality. I value hard work and believe that while it’s incredibly important to maintain a healthy balance, it should never be used as a way to do the bare minimum. I think the millennial generation introduced this mentality and took it to another level, which has normalised using ‘boundaries’ as an excuse to cut corners.” ― Kerestman

12. Taylor Swift Obsession

“This is 100% a personal preference, and I know I might get some backlash for this! For some reason, I feel like I associate the millennial generation with the ‘Swiftie’ fanbase. Taylor Swift is iconic and such a talented artist. However, I think her fans take it to an unnecessarily intense level, and I just don’t understand the hype.” ― Kerestman

Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.

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‘My Mum Expects Me To Care For Her In Old Age. How Do I Tell Her I Can’t?’

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Over-50s own 78% of the UK’s property wealth, and the Financial Times reports that one in five “Boomers” are millionaires (largely due to soaring property prices).

But, like all modern wealth, this is a story of deep inequality. The Centre For Ageing Better says that roughly 18% of older people live in relative poverty; one in six over-55s have zero retirement savings, and 9-12% of rough sleepers are believed to be over 55.

Which means that renting long past retirement age, never mind costly nursing home care, is out of the question for many.

That might lead some, like the mother of Redditor u/Swimsmoke, to assume their children will help with their housing, care, and costs in their old age.

But, like the 6.6 million UK adults who say they wouldn’t know where to start with the commitment, the site user said they’re not sure they’re able to do it.

We asked Dr Barbara Sparacino, an adult and geriatric psychiatrist also known as The Ageing Parent Coach, how to handle the situation.

The original poster (OP) feels guilty

Writing to the forum r/AmItheAsshole (AITA), the OP said that her 63-year-old mother retired from her career 15 years ago but has been making money through a soap business since.

“She lives in a small studio and has a car but not much else to her name,” the woman added, stating that her mother is quite frivolous with her spending and likes to travel a lot.

Ahead of a hip surgery, her mum has started to think about what her future will look like and expects her 30-year-old daughter to “help”.

OP has a few reservations. Firstly, their relationship is a little fraught, and the poster says their mother delivered “bare minimum” care in their teens.

Then, guilt, money, and time come into it.

“I also feel some amount of responsibility for the woman who birthed me, a woman who had a hard and traumatising life as well – but I don’t have the resources to help in any real capacity,” they wrote.

“I don’t have money to throw at the problem, I don’t want to use all my time off for the year taking care of her, and I wouldn’t get paid if I take leave, which I won’t even qualify to take until another six months from now.”

She ended, “AITA for putting myself first here?”

Honesty is the kindest policy

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Dr Sparacino said that, “Often, these expectations are unspoken. A parent might have spent years believing you’d ‘step in one day,’ even if that was never discussed.

“When you finally say you can’t, guilt and fear can flood in, but honesty is an act of love, too.”

There is no point offering something you cannot emotionally or financially afford, she added. So, try to stay clear-sighted and precise about what you’re really able to offer – even if that doesn’t feel like much.

“Maybe you can help plan for future care, find resources, or support them emotionally, but you can’t take on full-time or financial responsibility. That’s not neglect; that’s setting a boundary rooted in realism and care,” the psychiatrist said.

She recommends saying something like, “Mum, I love you and want you to be well supported as you get older. But I can’t be your full-time caregiver. I’d like to help you make a plan so you’ll have what you need.”

Dr Sparacino added that your parent might respond with fear, anger, or sadness.

“Try to respond with calm empathy: ‘I know this is hard to hear, but I want us to plan ahead so neither of us faces this alone,’” she stated.

“You’re not rejecting your parent; you’re protecting both of you from burnout, resentment, and crisis later on. Love without boundaries leads to depletion, not devotion.

“If you’re struggling with this kind of conversation, you don’t have to figure it out alone, reach out to a professional experienced in ageing and family dynamics for guidance and support.”

Help and support:

  • Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
  • Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
  • CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
  • The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
  • Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.
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What Is ‘Chatfishing’, The Disappointing Dating Trend Plaguing Apps?

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You might have heard of “catfishing”, which happens when people create fake or misleading profiles online in order to draw others in.

The term comes from a 2010 documentary, Catfish, which compared the practice to the catfish one of the cast members suggested were included in tanks of cod to keep them agile in transit.

“I thank God for the catfish because we would be droll, boring and dull if we didn’t have somebody nipping at our fin,” Vince Pierce, who helped to inspire the name of the movie, said in the flick.

But according to author and relationship and self-help expert Tam Kaur, another species has taken its place: we are now in an age of “chatfishing”.

What is “chatfishing”?

“‘Chatfishing’ is when someone uses an AI tool, like ChatGPT or Gemini, to write their messages on dating apps,” Kaur shared.

Though it doesn’t exactly sound romantic, the self-help expert said she understands why reliance on large language models (LLMs) like these is growing.

The machines, after all, won’t make an embarrassing grammar or spelling mistake, and they can make the “awkward” process of starting a conversation a little smoother.

“Using AI becomes a way to show up as a ‘perfect’ version of yourself, without the fear of rejection,” the expert continued.

But that doesn’t take away from the core issue: if the chat goes well, the goal is to enter a scenario in which you have no choice but to be yourself, in real life.

“Ultimately, many people use the tools to enhance their confidence with online dating, but they don’t realise it’s doing a disservice to themselves as they deceive their matches,” Kaur said.

“It is a very real form of deception because you’re presenting as a person who isn’t you. That doesn’t show respect to the person on the other end who’s trying to get to know you.

“Relationships, whether they’re casual or committed, are built on trust, and when you start something off with even small dishonesty, you’re disrespecting whoever you’re entering this relationship with.”

How can I spot a “chatfisher”?

It can be hard to spot, especially when you don’t know the person’s usual texting style, the author admitted.

But sometimes, “chatfishers” leave clues behind.

“If the message is from someone based in the UK, but uses American spelling, this can be a key sign. Most AI tools default to Americanised spellings, opting for ‘z’ instead of ‘s’ or ‘olor’ instead of ‘olour’,” she explained.

“A message that uses strange punctuation, which you wouldn’t see in regular text conversations, could also be a sign – for example, random hyphens or odd spacing before the start of sentences.

Most of all, Kaur ended, “it’s about trusting your own intuition. If something feels off or too curated, it probably is.”

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From Sunsets To Sex: 7 Ways To Make The Most Of Long, Dark Nights

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Now that the sun’s officially begun setting before 6pm in the UK, I have to say I’ve noticed a marked decrease in my motivation.

Sure, I’ll go on my morning walks – but it’s not the longer runs I enjoyed in brighter months, or even the strength training I know can boost my mood.

I’ve even fallen victim to “pumpkin spice fatigue” at work.

Science says I’m not alone, however. We exercise for an average of eight minutes less in the colder months, appear to do less housework, and generally sit and sleep more.

This might be down to decreased vitamin D levels, seasonal changes like SAD (a disorder which affects one in three people in the UK), or even gut changes.

Whatever the cause, though, I mostly care about how to handle the gloomy weather without feeling like I’m losing out – which is where the members of r/AskUK come in.

Recently, u/bobbydazzler1000 asked: “How do you get through these dark miserable nights in winter?”

We thought we’d share some of the best responses:

1) “Ex-Brit/current Scandinavian here, where we have ~3 hours of daylight during the winter. Lean into it.”

“Seriously, accept it, and celebrate it.

“Winter is now your excuse to be as cosy and extra as you can possibly be. You’re going to take whatever you enjoy in the summer and winter-ise it. You’re going to take what you can’t do (very well) in the summer and learn to love it.

“Hot drinks. Cosy blankets. Knit jumpers. Knee-high socks. Clompy boots. Dramatic winter coats. Saunas. Jumping into frozen lakes. OK, not that last one. Hot water bottles. Socks in bed. Heavy duvet!

“Exercise outside with more layers and high-vis clothes. Running is a whole new experience if you’re wrapped up warm and breathing cold air.”

Credit: u/bluntbang

2) “Do you like sunsets and sunrises?”

“They can be the most beautiful parts of the day and it’s actually lovely to get them at civilised hours (in terms of being awake and out of the house).”

Credit: u/Katharinemaddison

“This! I go outside and watch the sunset every day, it’s great. Gives you that feeling of a beautiful view on a summer’s day,” u/Minimum_Leopard_2698 agreed.

3) “Vitamin D, and get yourself outside at lunchtime if you are working, if you can.”

Credit: u/QuarrieMcQuarrie

4) “Wake to light if you can. I use a light on a timer to fade in and wake me gradually before my alarm goes off.”

“Try to get outside and see the sky in the morning.

“Embrace the cosiness of the season, celebrate the small, lovely things – autumn leaves, chestnuts, mulled wine, a nice fire and a thick blanket.”

Credit: u/DocMillion

“Get a book on it and enjoy.”

Credit: u/Confident-Slice4044

6) “I live in the North of Scotland, so I feel you! For me, it’s vitamin D supplements, getting outside as much as I can and making a concerted effort to go out and do things with friends and family.”

“I struggle with my mental health, so for me it’s all about being conscious that I’m susceptible to SAD and recognising the signs (which usually involve not getting dressed properly when working from home and not wanting to socialise, just stay in and get cosy).”

Credit: u/GirlInTheIslands

7) “Sex, more sex, and even more sex.”

“This is exactly why more babies are born in summer months.”

Credit: u/Quinacridone_Violets

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Trump Reportedly Wants Name Of New Ballroom To Honour His Favourite Person In The World

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Donald Trump has reportedly picked a name for the new ballroom that will replace the East Wing of the White House, and it’s a true measure of his humility.

Katherine Faulders, ABC’s managing editor in Washington, posted on social media Friday that “Trump will likely name the new $300 million ballroom after himself,” and cited senior administration officials as her source.

“Already, officials are referring to it as “The President Donald J. Trump Ballroom” and that name will likely stick,” she added.

When reached for comment, White House Spokesman Davis Ingle told HuffPost: “Any announcement made on the name of the ballroom will come directly from President Trump himself, and not through anonymous and unnamed sources.”

Some people thought another person near and dear to Trump would be a better name on the ballroom.

Others speculated on what might happen to the ballroom after Trump leaves office.

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Ask A GP: When Should I Worry About Fatigue?

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According to YouGov, a third of UK adults say they feel tired about half of the time.

Some research suggests 5-7% of people who see their GP complain of fatigue, and recent surveys say the average British adult only gets three nights of decent kip a week.

No wonder it feels like everyone, everywhere, is constantly exhausted.

But if we’re all so wiped out, how can we be expected to tell “normal” tiredness from more concerning fatigue?

Here, we asked Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, when to worry.

When should I see a doctor about fatigue?

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Dr Wylie explained that fatigue “is a very common complaint in general practice and, in most cases, is related to lifestyle factors such as lack of sleep, stress, or overwork”.

But sometimes, it can be linked to underlying health issues – and its persistence can be a red flag.

“As a GP, I would suggest that you should start to worry about fatigue if it is persistent, lasting more than a few weeks, or if it is unexplained by your usual activities or recent events,” she said.

Aside from longer-lasting fatigue, exhaustion with other symptoms should be investigated, too.

“You should also seek medical advice if the tiredness is accompanied by other symptoms such as unintentional weight loss, night sweats, fevers, breathlessness, chest pain, persistent cough, or changes in bowel habit,” the GP said.

Meanwhile, fatigue linked to low mood, disrupted sleep, and a loss of interest in hobbies “may indicate depression or anxiety, which also warrants assessment”.

She added, “Additionally, if you notice symptoms such as increased thirst or urination, palpitations, dizziness, or heavy menstrual bleeding, it could point towards conditions like diabetes, thyroid disease, or anaemia”.

Anything else?

Per the NHS, you should see your doctor if fatigue lasts longer than a few weeks, if it affects your day-to-day life, and/or if you’ve noticed other symptoms like unexplained weight loss or mood changes.

And if your partner or someone else tells you you’ve been “making gasping, snorting or choking noises when you’re asleep,” visit your doctor as this could be a sign of sleep apnoea.

“In short,” Dr Wylie ended, “while occasional tiredness is normal, persistent or unexplained fatigue, especially when associated with other symptoms, should always prompt a review with your GP”.

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On The Jaw-Dropping West End Girl, Lily Allen Sets A New Bar For The Confessional Break-Up Album

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As soon as Lily Allen announced her return to the pop world with her fifth album West End Girl last week, it was clear the press was going to have a field day.

Lily has been a tabloid fixture since she first burst onto the pop scene more than 20 years ago, and at the height of her fame, was arguably as known for her headline-grabbing antics and personal drama as she was for her frank and confessional songwriting.

West End Girl is not just her first release in seven years, but the first since her much-publicised split from her second husband, Stranger Things actor David Harbour. The pair tied the knot in Las Vegas in 2020, after which they relocated to New York with Lily’s two daughters from her first marriage, and were first reported to have split at the beginning of this year, after David was spotted on the exclusive dating app Raya (which is where he and the Smile singer also first met).

In the lead-up to her new album’s release, Lily described the collection as a “mixture of fact and fiction”, telling British Vogue it was “inspired by what went on in the relationship”, with its creation seeing her go through a mix of “confusion, sorrow, grief, helplessness”.

Lily also shared that the album was both written and recorded over an “intense 10-day period” in December 2024, the same month she announced she was taking a break from the spotlight to spend time in a residential facility to rest and focus on her mental health.

A week after it was announced, West End Girl debuted on Friday, and as predicted, the album is truly jaw-dropping in its candour and frankness. Of course, no one but the two parties involved can really know how much artistic license was employed, but the album paints a picture of a woman whose life slowly starts to unravel when she somewhat hesitantly agrees to open her marriage to a man she’s uprooted her life and moved across an ocean for.

Lily Allen's latest album West End Girl is quite possibly her most personal to date
Lily Allen’s latest album West End Girl is quite possibly her most personal to date

Charlie Denis

The sense of dread and paranoia only grows as the story unfolds and our heroine’s husband appears to “move the goalposts” and repeatedly violate the terms of the “arrangement” that he’d set in place, ultimately taking its toll on her until she finds herself struggling to carry on.

Naturally, much has already been made of the song’s lyrics, and understandably so – this is Lily at her most unfiltered, lifting the lid on the ugliness of a break-up in a way that even Adele or Taylor Swift daren’t.

“We had an arrangement, be discrete and don’t be blatant, there had to be payment, it had to be with strangers,” she sings on Madeline, an imagined conversation between herself and a woman she discovers her husband has been sleeping with.

On Relapse, Lily opens up about her struggles to hold onto her sobriety at the height of her personal issues, while Tennis sees her opening up about feeling like she is losing the man she loves to someone else.

“I can’t get my head round how you’ve been playing tennis, if it was just sex, I wouldn’t be jealous,” she claims.

Then, there’s the much-discussed Pussy Palace, when she comes back to her marital bed to find “sheets pulled off the bed, strewn on the floor, long black hair, probably from the night before”.

“Duane Reade bag with the handles tied, sex toys, butt plugs, lube inside, hundreds of Trojans, you’re so fucking broken,” Lily continues, in one of her new album’s most-cited lyrics, before questioning if she’s “looking at a sex addict”.

Lily Allen as depicted in the striking artwork for her new album West End Girl
Lily Allen as depicted in the striking artwork for her new album West End Girl

Nieves González

Still, as revealing as these lyrics are, it would be remiss to reduce West End Girl to just its more sensationalised moments. For one thing, it’s much smarter than the straightforward “woman scorned” narrative that is inevitably going to be applied to an album with song titles like 4Chan Stan, Monogamummy and the aforementioned Pussy Palace.

As the name West End Girl highlights, this is Lily’s first musical release since she embarked on her career in theatre, appearing in productions like Hedda, The Pillowman and her Olivier-nominated turn in 2:22 A Ghost Story. It’s a fitting name for the album, too, as West End Girl feels like a piece of theatre in itself.

A collection that’s undoubtedly intended to be enjoyed as a piece of work from start, the album runs roughly chronologically allowing the narrative of the central break-up to play out in real-time, with Lily also taking on numerous different characters (in a spoken-word interlude at the end of the first track, she recreates a phone call in which an unheard party first floats out the idea of an open relationship, while on Madeline, she adopts the titular character’s American accent to assure our protagonist that “lies are not something that I want to get caught up in”).

Early reviews have picked up on the fact that West End Girl bounces from genre to genre, encompassing everything from bossa nova to dancehall and flamenco to drum and bass, all sprinkled with the pure pop Lily best showcased on her second album It’s Not Me It’s You (which, incidentally, is a sentiment the Brit Award winner revisits on closing track Fruityloop).

As well as showing off Lily’s skills as a songwriter, the frequent genre-hopping mirrors the unpredictability and chaos of the album’s central narrative, and a feeling of not knowing what’s next. Meanwhile, some of West End Girl’s more salacious moments are also among its sweetest-sounding – few could have predicted that a song called Pussy Palace would actually be a devastating ballad more akin to Lily cuts like Three or Littlest Things than the claws-out pop she’s often associated with (it’s worth pointing out, too, that Lily has probably never been on in better voice than she is on West End Girl, which is saying something as her vocals have always been one of the more unfairly-underrated parts of her art).

So, while the sordid details, irreverent lyrics and tea-spilling might be what have many listeners initially hitting play on this new release from Lily, those who stick around will find there’s so much more to enjoy on West End Girl than the surface-level tabloid drama that a release like this will invariably conjure up. The fact is, Lily has set a new bar not just when it comes to her own work, the break-up album in general.

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Psycho Actor Anthony Perkins’ Son Lays Into Monster Season 3

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The son of actor Anthony Perkins has called out the inclusion of the Psycho star in the controversial Netflix series Monster.

Earlier this month, the third season of Monster began streaming, focussing on the horrific crimes of serial killer and grave-robber Ed Gein, whose actions inspired the murderous fictional characters in movies like The Texas Chainshaw Massacre, The Silence Of The Lambs and Psycho.

One episode centres around the creation of Psycho, with Tom Hollander and Joey Pollari playing its director and star, Alfred Hitchcock and Anthony Perkins.

Following its debut, the show received criticism from many viewers over the way the show hinted at a link between the latter and Ed Gein, because of the way the actor chose to conceal his sexuality publicly in his lifetime.

Anthony Perkins on the set of Psycho
Anthony Perkins on the set of Psycho

The Legacy Collection/THA/Shutterstock

Speaking to TMZ, Anthony’s son Osgood Perkins (the director behind recent horror movies like Longlegs and The Monkey) claimed he “wouldn’t watch” the series “with a 10-foot pole”.

He also slammed streaming platforms for “glamourising” the true-crime genre and which he said is “increasingly devoid of context”, while lamenting that “the Netflix-isation of real pain” is “playing for the wrong team”.

Osgood Perkins
Osgood Perkins

via Associated Press

Oz told People magazine last year that the way his parents concealed his father’s sexuality from him when he was growing up was part of the inspiration for his movie Longlegs.

“Everybody knew it, even my brother and I theoretically knew it, but we were never given any language for it,” he claimed.

“The idea that [my mother] could make up – not make up, it’s not a lie – but it’s like a cover, a storytime…”

He said that Longlegs became “the most baroque horror version of, ‘What’s going on in my household?’”, noting: “Every kid probably feels [that] to some greater or lesser extent. But if your father’s a public movie star and you don’t know who he is, that’s a little bit more profound.”

Despite the controversy around all three seasons of Monster so far, the show has continued to be popular with Netflix users, with a fourth currently in the works, based on another famous case from history.

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John Bishop Reveals How He Really Feels About Bradley Cooper’s New Film Inspired By His Life

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John Bishop has admitted he’s finding it both “brilliant” and “bizarre” that Bradley Cooper has turned his life story into one of the year’s most-hyped films.

Earlier this year, it was announced that John’s story was being adapted into the comedy Is This Thing On?, helmed by the A Star Is Born and Maestro director with Arrested Development star Will Arnett in the lead role.

The film centres around a man who turns to stand-up comedy when his marriage starts falling apart.

While the movie’s characters are fictional (Will plays aspiring comic Alex Novak while Oscar winner Laura Dern plays his wife, Tess), the story is based on events from John’s own life.

He told BBC Merseyside he found it “so weird” that “this is happening, but so brilliant at the same time”.

Will Arnett and John Bishop at the premiere of their film Is This Thing On?
Will Arnett and John Bishop at the premiere of their film Is This Thing On?

via Associated Press

Recalling the first time he introduced his wife to the Oscar nominee, John said: “[Bradley Cooper] gave Melanie a hug and then Melanie had a minute with him, talking to him, but she was whispering in his ear.

“We come back to the hotel and I was saying ‘This has been a mad few days’. I said: ‘What are you going to remember most about it?’ She said: ‘Whispering in Bradley Cooper’s ear’. That kind of doesn’t make me feel great…”

During an appearance on the podcast RHLSTP earlier this year, comedian Chloe Radcliffe (who plays a supporting role in Is This Thing On), explained: “I think Will and John sat next to each other at a dinner 10 years ago, and Will heard his story, and was like, ‘That rules, I want to do that someday’.”

Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper

Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock

John first pursued a career in 2000, following a brief break in his marriage to his wife Melanie (the pair eventually reunited and share three sons, Joe, Luke and Daniel).

He opened up about his first time performing during Graham Norton’s 2024 New Year’s Eve special, claiming he put his name down to appear at an open night mic on a whim.

“It was four pounds. I was going through a divorce. I thought, ‘Well, that’s four pounds she’s not getting’,” he quipped.

John added: “I was meant to do seven minutes but because there was no one there, they let me carry on, and I did about 25 minutes. When I walked off I remember Mick, the compere, and the fella who ran the place, Dave Perkin, coming up to me and saying, ‘Where have you been doing your stand-up?’. I said ‘I’ve never done it in my life’. And he said, ’Well some of that was really good, some of that was fun. The bit where you started talking about getting divorced and started crying… don’t do that again. But come back’.”

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Elsewhere in his BBC Merseyside interview, John revealed that he was able to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his first stand-up performance at the same venue on his latest tour.

The next night, he attended the London Film Festival for a premiere screening of Is This Thing On?.

You couldn’t write it,” he enthused. “You couldn’t line things up like that as perfectly [as they have]. It’s been odd trying to get my head around it.”

Is This Thong On? hits US cinemas in December, with a UK release date yet to be confirmed.

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