This week’s list of unmissable news brand content includes a popstar serenading on a canal, a wholesome story of a 79-year-old intern and top energy-saving tips for winter…
1. Serenade along the canal
Artist Ed Sheeran has gone viral after serenading a passing jogger while filming a music video on a London canal boat.
The Evening Standard shares the video of Sheeran, who begins the interaction with the lucky passerby by asking for a song request and proceeded by singing his hit song ‘Tenerife Sea’.
2. Heart-to-heart podcast
Award-winning Daily Mail journalist and author Bryony Gordon has released a brand-new podcast ‘The Life of Bryony’. In a series of a weekly heart-to-heart episodes, Gordon tackles taboos and provides listeners with candid conversations with experts and guests. The first guest is radio presenter Adele Roberts, who discusses body acceptance, breaking records and how she came out the other side stronger than ever.
3. Strive for better paternity leave
According to a story from the Guardian, the UK has the worst paternity leave offer in Europe. Activists from the new group ‘The Dad Shift’ attached life-sized model babies to bronze statues of men across central London, calling on the government to improve the country’s parental leave options.
Campaigners are asking for “parental leave that is affordable for people to take, gives a substantial allowance of time, and supports equality among parents”.
“Proper parental leave for fathers and co-parents is good for mothers, good for babies, good for fathers and good for society too. Countries with six or more weeks’ paternity leave have a gender pay gap that’s 4% smaller… meaning change can help grow the economy while helping British families,” says an open letter the group plans to deliver to the prime minister later this month.
4. The 70- year-old intern
Inspired by the film ‘The Intern’ starring Robert De Niro, Lewis Holmes hired his 79-year-old grandfather Raymond as his intern.
“It was such an eye-opener”, Holmes said, who has a close relationship with this grandad after living in London from the age of nine, only moving away earlier this year for work.
Speaking to the i, Holmes describes how his grandfather missed work and connections made with colleagues, making him realise that older people want to feel more valued and connected. The pair came up with the idea of Senior Interns: a non-profit that matches people over the age of 50 with employers for short-term paid internships.
5. Six ways to stay warm this winter
As the UK awaits cold weather this winter, The Sun’s consumer reporter Ellie Smitherman gives readers top energy tips to save money on bills. First up is to switch to more efficient gadgets — swapping from an oven to using an air fryer could save up to £130 a year, for example.
Another tip is to make sure each radiator has a thermostatic radiator valve attached, which can give greater control on heating. This means only using the energy needed rather than relying on the thermostat for a blanket temperature across the whole house. Experts say the handy attachments could save homeowners up to £75 a year.
