The Latest Breaking News from Polly Hudson

Is it OK to talk at the cinema? How about if it’s just during the trailers?

Some might argue that streaming movies at home has given us all etiquette amnesia. But when it comes to disrupting a screening, I think the rules have some nuance, writes Polly Hudson

The Guardian - UK · Oct 30, 2025

Are you a ditherer, sharer or pre-preparer? What your menu ordering style says about you

We’re just human beings, out at a restaurant, struggling against the horror of food envy or orderer’s remorse. But how you approach this can be very revealing, writes Polly Hudson

The Guardian - UK · Oct 29, 2025

Vote for a party’s policies and actions, not its name or history

Letters: Readers respond to Polly Hudson’s article about feeling that she has no choice but to vote Labour

The Guardian - UK · Oct 14, 2025

Prince Harry and King Charles reconciling? Their feud was the only relatable thing about them

I may not live in a palace but I can say that even my most challenging of relatives has not slagged me off to Oprah, says freelance journalist Polly Hudson

The Guardian - UK · Sep 14, 2025

Is anything more awkward – and potentially insulting – than giving up your seat on public transport?

Celia Imrie was recently shocked to be left standing for a long train journey. But the etiquette of when to offer your seat is complicated, writes Polly Hudson

The Guardian - UK · Sep 7, 2025

Let’s not split hairs over life with a beard

Letters: Readers respond to an article by Polly Hudson in which she argues that all men look better with facial hair

The Guardian - UK · Jul 10, 2025

Beards may be dirtier than toilets – but all men should grow one

Without his, my husband resembles an estate agent. It’s time more men took advantage of this hairy little glow-up, writes Polly Hudson

The Guardian - UK · Jul 3, 2025

How bad am I at small talk? Let me tell you about vaginal dryness ...

I’m not sure there is anything more terrifying than chatting to parents at the school gates – then lying awake at night reliving my most embarrassing moments, writes Polly Hudson

The Guardian - UK · Jul 2, 2025

I know judging other parents is wrong. But when it comes to giving kids smartphones, I’m a lost cause

From feeding to bedtimes, toys to piercings, from the day your child is born, you’re monitored by other parents. And I’m as complicit as anyone else, says freelance writer Polly Hudson

The Guardian - UK · Jun 22, 2025

Prince Andrew should never be allowed to return to public life

The death of Virginia Giuffre - who accused the Duke of York of sexual assault - surely makes his desire to resume royal duties out of the question, writes Polly Hudson

The Guardian - UK · May 1, 2025