Author: BBC

InstagramGregg Wallace made a video statement on InstagramGregg Wallace has hit back at allegations of historic misconduct, saying they have come from a “handful of middle-class women of a certain age”.The MasterChef presenter said in a video on Instagram on Sunday morning there had been “13 complaints” from “over 4,000 contestants” he had worked with in 20 years on the BBC One show.He stepped aside earlier this week after a BBC News investigation revealed a string of allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and inappropriate behaviour against him.The investigation heard from 13 people across a range of ages, who worked across…

Cate Blanchett has told the BBC she is “deeply concerned” about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI).Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the Australian actress said: “I’m looking at these robots and driverless cars and I don’t really know what that’s bringing anybody.”Blanchett, 55, was promoting her new film Rumours – an apocalyptic comedy about a group of world leaders trapped in a forest.”Our film looks like a sweet little documentary compared to what’s going on in the world,” she said.Asked whether she was worried about the impact of AI on her job she said she was “less concerned” about…

PA MediaA public inquiry described the scale of the scandal as “horrifying”Some victims of the infected blood scandal have been told interim compensation payments of £100,000 due to be made before Christmas have been put on hold.It is thought at least 10 bereaved families have received letters saying applications approved this month cannot now proceed until they submit new paperwork.More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.The government said in October families of people who died as a result of the scandal could…

Getty ImagesMore than a million mortgages have been issued in the past three years which home-buyers are set to still be repaying into pension age.The latest data shows that two in five new mortgages have terms that see homeowners still making payments in retirement.Ultra-long, or extended, mortgages have become more popular during a time of higher interest rates as people aim to spread the cost.But this will ultimately make the loan more expensive, and experts say it raises serious questions over financial planning for retirement.At the end of 2021, about three in 10 mortgages took repayments into pension age, according…

Getty ImagesBy the time The Beatles visited the US, they were already huge stars in the UKIn Beatles ’64, the new documentary which charts the impact of the band’s first US tour and how it catapulted them to global superstardom, Paul McCartney makes a suggestion as to why they achieved so much so quickly.“When we came, it was quite shortly after Kennedy had been assassinated,” he said.”Maybe America needed something like The Beatles to be lifted out of sorrow.”Beatles scholars and cultural historians have long remarked upon how much of a lift the band gave to an America in mourning.But…

Getty ImagesThe most popular mobile games in the UK are being advertised without disclosing they contain loot boxes – random in-game purchases which critics say are “exploitative” and “foster addiction”.The regulator, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), says it bans and removes ads which fail to make the clear whether or not a game contains a loot box.But a BBC investigation found only two of the top 45 highest-grossing games on the Google Play store actually followed those rules.Dr Jane Rigbye, chief executive of Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust (Ygam), called the findings “deeply concerning”. “In the absence of robust…

EPAOn Friday, after weeks of fierce and passionate debate, MPs began their formal scrutiny of the bill that would allow terminally ill adults expected to die within six months to seek help to end their own life. It was a day of tears, hope, relief and fear. This is the story of how it unfolded inside and outside of parliament – and how Labour MP Kim Leadbeater secured a historic win for her proposed law. It is nine in the morning. The MPs’ debate hasn’t started yet but campaigners on both sides are already gathering outside the Houses of Parliament.Those…

ReutersIt may be Saturday but you’ll still find plenty of Black Friday sales on as the event carries on into the weekend.It can be easy to get swept up in the shopping frenzy and end up out of pocket – instead of bagging a bargain.The vast majority of Black Friday offers are cheaper or the same price at other times of the year, consumer group Which? has warned.We’ve spoken to some experts who have shared tips on how to shop Black Friday without getting ripped off.Make a list and stick to it”It’s only a deal if it’s something you genuinely…

BBC/ShineGregg Wallace has presented Masterchef since 2005Television host Gregg Wallace has been accused of making “lesbian jokes constantly” by a woman who worked on a travel show with him.The woman, who we are calling Anna, said he was “fascinated” by the fact she dated women and asked her the “logistics” of how it worked. She is one of a number of workers across a range of shows who came to BBC News with claims about the TV presenter.On Thursday, MasterChef’s production company said Wallace is to step away from presenting the show while allegations of historical misconduct are investigated.Wallace’s lawyers…

Jamie MatthewsJamie Matthews tracked down heat loss at his home with a thermal imaging cameraIt’s like X-ray vision – for heat loss. Last year, web engineer Jamie Matthews bought a thermal imaging camera. His home, in the southeast of England, was about to give up some of its secrets.The colourful images on the device’s small screen soon revealed how his loft hatch was letting him down.“That was really obvious on the camera,” he says, explaining that he could see cool areas on the hatch, where heat was apparently escaping.Mr Mathews, who runs a software company that supplies the clean tech…