London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 09, 2026

Prince Andrew's 'extraordinary' TV interview

Prince Andrew's BBC interview about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein leads many front pages.Most of the front pages are filled with pictures of Prince Andrew being interrogated by Emily Maitlis about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for this evening's BBC Newsnight special.

"TV grilling for prince at palace" is the headline in the Daily Express, while the Daily Mail says he was "machine-gunned" with questions about everything from his family to his sex life in "excruciating detail".

The Daily Mirror says Buckingham Palace is braced "for a potential backlash" over the interview, after months of issuing strong denials over the scandal involving the Duke of York's links to the disgraced financier, Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in prison in August while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Royal sources tell the Daily Telegraph that Prince Andrew decided to grant the BBC access in the hope it might "draw a line" under the affair before his 60th birthday next year.

The paper adds that he reportedly overruled aides who thought it was a bad idea to go in front of the cameras.

The i newspaper describes it as a huge but necessary gamble amid despair among the duke's closest supporters that his response to the allegations has been "inept".

The motives behind Prince Andrew's decision to speak to the BBC are explored in the inside pages.

"This is more than just an air-clearing exercise," writes Richard Kay in the Daily Mail. "It is the act of a gambler - and the stakes could not be higher".


More adults living with parents

Official figures featured in the Guardian show that record numbers of young adults in the UK are living with their parents.

According to the Office for National Statistics, 3.5 million 20 to 34-year-olds are still living at home - about one million more than 20 years ago.

Over the same period, average house prices have nearly tripled from £97,000 to £288,000.

Campaign group Generation Rent tells the paper that young people are facing an "impossible choice: either stay in your childhood bedroom in the hope you can save a deposit - or rent and face a struggle to put money aside".

The Financial Times reports that the former head of the advertising giant, WPP - Sir Martin Sorrell - was allegedly involved in an altercation with a former protege at a conference in Lisbon last week.

The paper claims that Sir Martin slapped the face of Jim Prior, who had made unflattering comments about his new business venture in the Press last year.

In text messages sent to an FT reporter, Sir Martin insists that he did "not slap" Mr Prior as suggested - describing the exchange as "very brief, with no injuries or complaints on either side".

Mr Prior confirmed the two men had met - but would not comment further. WPP said it had spoken to Sir Martin about the alleged incident.

According to the Guardian, the price of crisps and chips could rise sharply in the new year as the flooding seen in the north of England over the past week hits the supply of winter vegetables such as potatoes.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board says there are "increasing reports of crops being abandoned" in areas such as South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, where farmers have been counting the cost of the deluge.

The British Growers Association says the brassica harvest has also been badly affected - with sodden ground making it difficult to get cauliflowers and cabbages off the fields.

The Times reports that the de facto chairman of the People's Vote campaign for another EU referendum has resigned, after weeks of fierce internal wrangling about its direction.

The millionaire businessman, Roland Rudd launched what was described as a boardroom "coup" last month, ousting two senior staff - James McGrory and Tom Baldwin - in a move that prompted mass staff walkouts.

One source tells the paper that Mr Rudd's departure may just be "window dressing" and workers would not return until a deal aimed at getting the campaign "back on track" had been signed off.

The group isn't expected to appoint a new chairman until after the general election.


Greggs boss 'goes vegan'

Several papers including the Daily Mirror report that the chief executive of Greggs the bakers - famous for its sausage rolls - is going vegan.

Roger Whiteside says he was inspired to make the change after watching a documentary on Netflix but was doing so for health rather than environmental reasons.

Greggs launched a vegan version of its sausage roll - to mixed reviews - at the start of the year.

Finally, several papers including the Sun and the Times says a rail passenger with a standard season ticket has been fined for having one foot in a first class carriage.

Fellow commuters took to social media to defend the woman, who was stopped by an inspector on a packed train travelling from London to Clacton in Essex on Wednesday.

The operator, Greater Anglia, said the woman had been informed there was more space available further down the train - and that first class carriages are for the use of first class ticket holders only.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Tech Pulse: The Future of AI and Screen Culture
Global News Briefing: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions and Corporate Shakeups
Global News Brief: Escalating Conflicts, Public Health Crises, and World Cup Drama
Rare Early Copy of US Declaration of Independence Found in British Archive
Cornish Language Revival Gains Momentum Through Schools and Community Programs
UK Authorities Face Criticism Over Prisoner Early Release Safeguards
Clacton By-Election Set After Nigel Farage Resigns Seat to Trigger Contest
Government Agencies Review Long-Term Fiscal Risks from Aging Population and Low Productivity
UK Heatwaves Expose Pressure on Public Transport and Housing Infrastructure
UK Government Prepares Welfare Review Amid Debate Over Personal Independence Payment Reform
UK Government Expands Rapid Endometriosis Testing Across NHS Services
Vistry Group Issues Profit Warning as UK Housing Market Faces Continued Pressure
Virgin Media Receives Record Twenty-Eight Million Pound Fine Over Contract Cancellation Failures
Office for Budget Responsibility Warns UK Public Finances Face Long-Term Pressure
UK Watchdog Warns Regional Income Gap Has Barely Narrowed in Three Decades
IMF Raises United Kingdom Growth Forecast as Inflation and Energy Pressures Ease
UK Government Launches Regulatory Reform Bill to Speed Up Commercialization of Innovation
Prince Harry Loses Privacy Lawsuit Against Daily Mail Publisher After High Court Rejects Claims
Federal Financial Framework Shifts as Treasury Launches Universal Savings Program for Minors
Jet2 Reports Strong Summer Travel Demand as Bookings Rise Seven Percent
Prince Harry Loses High Court Privacy Case Against Daily Mail Publisher
British Universities Warn Against Potential European Union Tuition Fee Changes
Heal Fertility Clinic Investigated After Embryo Biopsy Sample Mix-Up
Resolution Foundation Warns Regional Income Divide Has Barely Improved Since 1997
British Markets Remain Cautious as Middle East Tensions Rise and Government Transition Nears
Andy Burnham Poised to Become United Kingdom Prime Minister in Expected Political Transition
Nigel Farage Resigns as Member of Parliament Ahead of By-Election Amid Funding Investigation
Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire Over After Renewed Attacks on United States Bases
French Court Allows Le Pen to Run for Presidency, but with an Electronic Tag: "I Will Appeal, and I Will Run"
$1.4 Trillion: The Lawsuit That Could Crush Meta
Europe's Growing Struggle with Extreme Heat and Air Conditioning
UK Daily Briefing: Legal Developments and Social Issues
Political Turmoil and Rising Costs
Anthropic Reengineers Agentic Architecture to Shift Autonomous Workplace Automation to the Cloud
Logic Flaw in Windows 11 Permission Architecture Silently Consumes Hundreds of Gigabytes of Local Storage
Apple Advances Late-Stage Operating Systems with Fourth Beta Deployments
Global Crisis Alert: Escalating Middle East Tensions and UK Political Upheaval
UK Parliament Pushes for Greater Domestic Control Over Critical Technologies
UK Parliament Warns Trade Fair and Exhibition Industry Is Losing Global Competitiveness
Police Launch Murder Investigation After Mother and Two Children Found Dead Near Bedford
British Chambers of Commerce Survey Shows Business Confidence Falls to Post-Pandemic Low
UK Parliament Report Warns Britain Risks Falling Behind in Artificial Intelligence Sovereignty
Office for Budget Responsibility Warns United Kingdom Faces Long-Term Fiscal Pressures
Nigel Farage Resigns as Member of Parliament Amid Financial Scrutiny and Triggers By-Election
Deep Purple Has Released Its Best Album in Decades
UK MPs Criticise Student Loan System as Potentially Mis-Sold to Millions of Borrowers
Policy Groups Propose Bank of England-Backed Solar Loan Scheme for Millions of Homes
UK Health Agency Issues Amber Heat Alerts Across Six Regions as Temperatures Rise
Royal Air Force F-35 Jets Conduct First High North Air Policing Missions From Aircraft Carrier
Major UK Companies Join Government Cybersecurity Pledge Amid Rising Digital Threats
×