The UK Pulse The Pulse of the UK

Why Summer 2026's Movies Are Suddenly Obsessed With Sex and Gen Z Celibacy

A wave of summer 2026 films — including One Night Only, The Invite and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma — use sex and awkward desire to probe Gen Z's much-discussed 'sex recession.'

8 min read

Alex Jones says she was too scared to say she wanted TV career

Alex Jones says she was too scared as a child in south Wales to admit she wanted to work in television, as The One Show marks 20 years on air.

3 min read

Alex on a stage with the background darkened and blurred. She has a wireless mic coming out of her shoulder length brown hair, parted to one side and a yellow sleeveless top.

Sali Mali to return to TV after more than 20 years

Sali Mali is set to return to S4C as a live-action series for the first time in over 20 years, with Mojo Productions launching a search for a new actress.

2 min read

A person wearing a Sali Mali costume, standing outside the S4C headquarters in Carmarthen.

Fans say Love Island needs more romance, not just drama

Fans say the latest UK Love Island series lacked romance, as viewers and commentators compare it with the more socially driven US edition.

6 min read

Lorenzo Alessi and Julia Majchrzak pose beside Love Island host Maya Jama, who is in the middle. Lorenzo wears a black suit over a black shirt. Maya wears a black sparkly bra top and black sheer skirt. Julia wears a black dress with long-sleeves.

Welsh actor Rex Hayes joins Ted Lasso cast in 'surreal' role

Cardiff actor Rex Hayes joins Ted Lasso season 4 as Siobhan, a new member of The Lady Greyhounds, and calls the role a “surreal” match of football and drama.

5 min read

A person with short reddish hair wearing a white shirt, colourful tie and a red leather jacket

Zendaya and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man romance, from 2016 to 2026

Zendaya and Tom Holland met in 2016 and have since promoted three Spider-Man films together, with a fourth arriving in 2026 after Holland confirmed their marriage.

4 min read

Tom Holland and Zendaya together promoting Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017

Spider-Man: Brand New Day review – Zendaya lifts Tom Holland’s reset sequel

Tom Holland returns as Spider-Man in a reset sequel that brings back MJ, new threats and familiar MCU spectacle, while Zendaya stands out as the film’s strongest presence.

4 min read

Love Island UK crowns winners after twist-filled final

Julia Majchrzak and Lorenzo Alessi won Love Island UK 2026 after a final with only three couples. The series ended after shock twists, while Priya Jaswal apologised for comments made on Aftersun.

5 min read

Love Island finalists Jasmine Muller, Kavan Murphy, Simba Kudyiwa, Angelista Gunda, Lorenzo Alessi and Julia Majchrzak

Sam Heughan says Outlander actors were 'perhaps forced' into nude scenes

Sam Heughan said Outlander actors were “perhaps forced” into nude scenes and praised later safeguards such as intimacy co-ordinators.

4 min read

Sam Heughan looking slightly off camera. He is wearing a blue jacket over a dark blue top and is standing in front of a blue background with yellow writing on it.

How South Asian BBC programmes helped migrants settle in the UK

Three generations in Leeds and West Yorkshire reflect on how BBC South Asian radio and TV helped migrants settle, build community and see themselves on screen.

10 min read

A younger version of the same woman stands beside her older self.
The younger self wears a red and gold embroidered outfit with jewellery, while the older self wears glasses and a pink patterned top, with faint larger copies of both images behind them.

What Love Island reveals about how dating is changing

Love Island’s shifting rules reflect wider changes in dating, from who makes the first move to how gender roles are judged, according to sociologists, commentators and former contestants.

10 min read