Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
Speculation has been rife this week over the source of alleged behind-the-scenes tensions between daytime television stars Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, sparking concerns of a potential crisis in their hosting relationship.
Often hailed as the “golden couple of daytime TV” and self-proclaimed “best friends”, their 14-year onscreen partnership appears to be in jeopardy following rumours of irreparable strain in their relationship and reports that Schofield may be leaving “This Morning”.
Pundits have pointed to a series of well-known events that may have contributed to these tensions, including Schofield’s announcement in 2020 that he is gay. In another high-profile incident last year, the media accused Schofield and Willoughby of jumping the queue to see the Queen’s coffin – an incident that garnered attention during a moment of national mourning and damaged the pair’s squeaky-clean brand.
But perhaps the most significant factor is the recent conviction of Schofield’s brother Tim, who was jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing a boy. Willoughby was reportedly angry that she had not been warned.
Elsewhere, the battle for the future of the Conservative Party is hotting up. Two right-wing conferences took place this week, namely the inaugural meeting of the Conservative Democratic Organisation in Bournemouth and the National Conservatism Conference in London, and they laid bare the ideological fault lines within the party.
Nevertheless, Rishi Sunak appeared resolute in his belief that he can secure another term as prime minister, despite his party returning woeful results in the local elections and trailing Labour in the polls. Speaking to Sky News yesterday at the beginning of a G7 summit in Japan, he said: “I know that things are tough right now, but I think we have made good progress in the six months that I’ve been in the job.” He added: “I’ll just keep at it.”
To find out how closely you’ve been paying attention to the latest developments in the news and other global events, put your knowledge to the test with our Quiz of The Week.
1. Which country was crowned the winner of Eurovision 2023?
- United Kingdom
- Finland
- Sweden
- Israel
2. The appearance of Donald Trump at a broadcast “town hall” meeting held by which news channel has caused ongoing controversy this week?
- CNN
- Fox News
- NBC News
- CBS News
3. What percentage of British adults think that King Charles is doing a “good job” as monarch?
- 20%
- 32%
- 45%
- 53%
4. Which US star became the oldest person to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week?
- Dolly Parton
- Martha Stewart
- Diane Keaton
- Michelle Yeoh
5. Which major city has been warned it must stop building skyscrapers and high-rise buildings or it could “sink”, according to a new study?
- London
- Beijing
- Rio de Janeiro
- New York
6. What percentage of people in the UK dunk their sausage rolls in tea, in a finding which made the front page of the Daily Star?
- 5%
- 10%
- 20%
- 25%
7. The World Meteorological Organization has warned that the planet will breach the 1.5C global warming “threshold” by what year?
- 2024
- 2025
- 2026
- 2027
8. Which major media company filed for bankruptcy this week?
- Vice Media
- News UK
- Bauer
- Reach
9. Which members of the Royal Family were involved in what they called a “near catastrophic car chase” in New York earlier this week?
- Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence
- Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales
- Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla
10. Which world-famous star has been criticised with going ahead with a gig in Italy, despite extensive flooding in the country?
- Taylor Swift
- Beyoncé
- Elton John
- Bruce Springsteen
1. Sweden
Sweden’s Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest for the second time. The singer, who won the competition in 2012, triumphed in Liverpool with pop-anthem “Tattoo”.
2. CNN
CNN recently organised a live prime-time town hall question-and-answer session featuring former president Donald Trump. In a setting fuelled by a supportive audience, Trump swiftly assumed control of the event. He frequently interrupted the moderator, labelling her as “nasty”, while reiterating claims of a “rigged” 2020 election. Despite facing significant backlash for the broadcast, CNN CEO Chris Licht expressed his unwavering support for the town hall concept. He said he believed history will view the network’s decision to interview Trump, surrounded by cheering supporters, favourably. But he added that he would like to improve some production elements.
3. 53%
That’s up from 49% last month according to polling by Ipsos for The Telegraph. In the same polling, it was found that 50% believe that too much money was spent on the coronation. In April, 33% objected to the cost. Almost two-thirds were aware of the arrests of anti-monarchy protesters at the coronation, and of those, only two in five thought the police had acted appropriately.
4. Martha Stewart
Aged 81, Stewart is the oldest person to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimwear edition. She took the crown of oldest cover model from Elon Musk’s mother, the model Maye Musk, who posed at the age of 74 in 2022.
5. New York
New York must stop building skyscrapers or it will sink, a new study has warned. There are thought to be one million buildings in New York City, weighing an estimated 771 million tonnes, and the study, headed by Tom Parsons of the United States Geological Survey, found that the city is “plopping closer” to the water at a rate of 1 to 2mm a year, “with some areas subsiding much faster”, said the New York Post. Lower Manhattan is particularly at risk, and there is heightened concern for both Brooklyn and Queens.
6. 10%
One in 10 people said they dunk sausage rolls in their cup of tea, according to a study that has caused much upset for the Daily Star. The tabloid called the practice a “hideous habit” and further claimed that 4% of individuals, whom they referred to as “wrong ’uns”, engage in the act of dipping sandwiches into hot beverages – something the tabloid deemed nothing short of “evil”.
7. 2027
According to the World Meteorological Organization, there is now a greater likelihood that the planet will surpass a 1.5C increase in global warming by 2027. If this threshold is consistently exceeded, it would signify a heightened risk of reaching critical climate “tipping points”. Passing these tipping points would lead to a less hospitable planet and an acceleration of climate change.
8. Vice Media
The youth-oriented news organisation, once hailed as one of the most exciting media start-ups in the industry, has recently filed for bankruptcy in the US. This turn of events marks a significant downfall, considering that it was once valued at nearly $6 billion. Find out more on the latest episode of “The Week Unwrapped”.
9. Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have said that they were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” involving paparazzi photographers in New York. In a statement, they described being relentlessly pursued by a gang of paparazzi in blacked-out vehicles for two hours. New York City police confirmed that while the royal couple’s journey was challenging, there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests.
10. Bruce Springsteen
The rock star’s concert in Ferrara, with a crowd of 50,000 fans, drew criticism from a local councillor who deemed it insensitive to the “pain, desperation, and difficulties” faced by flood evacuees near the worst of the disaster, merely 30 miles away.
