If you don’t know the comedian Huge Davies from his keyboard-supplemented stand-up sets, or his appearances on various comedy panel shows, he’s concerned you might recognise him from his “crash out” last year.
He appeared on 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and couldn’t speak. “It was really bad. I get very nervous when I do panel shows,” he tells me in a drowsy, monotone drawl. “But often, I’ll try and fix the nerves by being really awake, so I’ll take three coffees and eat loads of sugar.
“I also had Wagamamas. And it was so hot [on set]… I think I was fully out of it. Jimmy Carr asked me things, and I just didn’t know what was going on. They had to stop the show and check if I was alright.”
Nick Kyrgios banned from tennis after positive cocaine test
Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from tennis after testing positive for cocaine.
The Australian submitted a sample during the Mallorca Open on 22 June that was later found to contain benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.
What you need to know
- Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended since 4 August.
- The International Tennis Integrity Agency said Kyrgios could appeal against the provisional suspension “but has not done so to date”.
- In a post on Instagram, Kyrgios said he made “a huge mistake” and takes “full responsibility” for it.
What the suspension means
Kyrgios cannot play, coach at or attend Grand Slams or any events sanctioned by the men’s and women’s tennis tours.
The 31-year-old has played just four singles matches this season, having struggled with injuries. He last played in the men’s doubles at Wimbledon, where he lost in the first round.
Years of injuries take toll
My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do. Coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined. None of that excuses what I did.”
said in a written statement
Ikea is set to launch its own second-hand selling site later this year, which will allow shoppers signed up to its membership to buy and sell pre-owned Ikea items locally.
Already trialled in other countries
The scheme follows trials of online second-hand marketplaces in Spain and Norway.
It also comes five years after the world’s biggest furniture retailer began buying and selling used Ikea items in some of its UK stores.
2 min read
Perks for users
- On the Spanish version, selling is made easier with price suggestions given by Ikea and pre-filled product descriptions.
- Ikea also offers sellers 15 per cent extra on the price of the item if they agree to be paid with an Ikea gift card.
- A similar system to Vinted of paying a 5 per cent “protection fee” is being implemented in Spain from January next year to fund various costs related to the sale.
2 min read
The mispronounced words Britons struggle with the most
The most commonly mangled words in the UK have been revealed in a new survey, as well as our attitudes surrounding pronunciation.
Here is everything you need to know.
What you need to know
OnePoll has conducted a survey on the most commonly mispronounced words in the UK.
The research was commissioned by Czech car manufacturer Skoda to highlight the fact that many Britons pronounce the brand’s name wrong – “S-co-der” instead of the correct “Sh-co-da”.
3 min read
Mispronounced words – and the correct pronunciations
- 1Acai: Ah-sigh-ee
- 2Segue: Segway
- 3Charcuterie: Shar-koo-tuh-ree
- 4Quinoa: Keen-wa
Mispronounced words – and the correct pronunciations
- 5 Gnocchi: Nyock-kee
- 6 Worcestershire: Wus-ter-sher
- 7 Chipotle: Chi-poht-lay
A closer look at the survey
The survey also revealed how Britons feel about mispronounced words.
- 85 per cent of respondents had someone correct them after a mispronunciation, with 25 per cent feeling embarrassed afterwards.
- 27 per cent admitted they continued using the wrong pronunciation anyway.
- 52 per cent thought it shows respect for language, while 38 per cent thought it made them appear more knowledgeable.
- 34 per cent thought it made them seem more professional.
- 38 per cent said that the way someone pronounces words could affect the impression they have of them.
How worried should you be about UK salmonella outbreak
One person has died and more than 200 have fallen ill amid a UK-wide salmonella outbreak, with health officials linking the cases to the consumption of imported eggs.
Source being investigated
The patients affected appear to have eaten the contaminated eggs in restaurants and cafes, not at home. Those affected include babies and people as old as 90.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has ruled out UK-produced eggs or poultry as the source and said the evidence suggests imported eggs are responsible.
Where have the cases been?
Most cases have been in England, including 47 in London and 38 in Yorkshire and the Humber. There have been six cases in Scotland, one in Wales and another in Northern Ireland.
Officials have found that all of the cases are linked to a single strain of salmonella.
5 min read
3 min read
How worried should you be?
- More than a third of those affected have needed hospital care – however, most people get better without treatment.
- Salmonella generally causes a mild illness, though vulnerable people may experience severe illness.
- There are simple steps to prevent the spread of salmonella, including washing your hands after using the bathroom and before handling food.
5 min read
What are the symptoms?
- Hannah Charles, the UKHSA’s lead epidemiologist for gastrointestinal infections said: “Symptoms of a salmonella infection include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever.
- “Anyone who is concerned about symptoms should contact their GP or out-of-hours service in the first instance.”
- To prevent the spread, she advised: “Wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and before preparing and handling food, cook food thoroughly.
- “If you have any symptoms, avoid handling food for others where possible.”.
How the UK’s child ADHD diagnosis rates compare to the rest of the world
The former president of the Royal College of General Practitioners has said she would “ban the label ADHD” and that it should be treated as a “social construct” instead of a neurodevelopmental condition.
What is the situation?
Speaking to ahead of the Channel 4 documentary The Great ADHD Myth?, Dr Iona Heath criticised overdiagnosis and argued there is no scientific evidence that those diagnosed have neurological differences.
Earlier this year, then-health secretary Wes Streeting said there was an “overdiagnosis” problem and launched a review.
4 min read
What does the UK data reveal?
- and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) put the UK rate of childhood ADHD at 5 per cent, and 3 to 4 per cent for adults.
- One study found ADHD diagnoses increased in the UK from 2000 to 2018.
- By 2018, the highest rates were in boys aged 10 to 16 – 3.5 per cent had been diagnosed. Back in 2000, this number was 1.4 per cent.
5 min read
How we compare with other countries
In the US, 11.4 per cent of children aged three to 17 years old were diagnosed with ADHD in 2024. In Europe, a 2023 French study indicated 3.68 per cent of children (800,000) have ADHD compared with 5.5 per cent of adults (1.4 million).
Meanwhile, in Spain, estimates of ADHD prevalence in children range from 5.5 per cent to 6.8 per cent.
A closer look at the review
The ongoing Government review is led by Professor Peter Fonagy, national clinical adviser on children’s mental health.
An interim report, published in March this year, identified rising diagnosis rates as an issue alongside people with ADHD and autism failing to get the support they need.
The final report is set to focus on how to make more support available that is “less dependent on diagnostic thresholds” and “more responsive to functional need”.
2 min read
Why better sleep could keep people working for longer
Researchers in Finland examined data from people aged between 50 and 68 to look at the correlation between sleeping habits and the ability to continue working.
The story in numbers
13 years, five months
Regularly disturbed sleep was linked to leaving the workforce months early.
People who reported no disturbances had a working life expectancy of 13 years and five months.
Six years, five months
The shortest working life expectancy was found among men in routine jobs with low levels of education who slept for more than nine hours a night.
They had an average of six years and five months left in work after the age of 50.
What does this tell us?
Researchers said the findings, published in the journal , suggest healthy sleep (under seven hours but undisturbed) may help people keep working as they age.
“To promote older adults’ participation in working life, supporting sleep of recommended length and good quality may be required,” they added.
3 min read
How some prostate cancers ‘can be diagnosed without biopsy’
Researchers at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) have found MRI scans can be used to detect cancer in some men with a high degree of certainty.
What the research found
- Men may not need to have a biopsy to diagnose prostate cancer.
- Radiologists looked at scan results combined with the patient’s age and their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) score.
- Of the 69 patients deemed to be “99 per cent certain” they had a tumour via their MRI scan, all of them had cancer confirmed through biopsy.
- Researchers said this indicates certain men may not need to have invasive biopsies.
What does this mean?
UCLH consultant radiologist Alex Kirkham said the research indicates prostate cancer could join the list of cancers which can be diagnosed with a scan alone.
Consultant urologist and professor of interventional oncology Mark Emberton said it is particularly important as prostate cancer incidence is only set to rise.
4 min read
3 min read
Th expert reaction
Avoiding unnecessary biopsies is an important goal in cancer care, because they can be painful, invasive and can cause infections… Using MRI alone to diagnose these cancers could make the process much safer and easier for men, and less costly for the NHS.
Dr Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Cancer UK
How some prostate cancers ‘can be diagnosed without biopsy’
Some prostate cancers can be diagnosed without the need for an invasive biopsy, according to a new study.
For some men, cancer can be detected through an MRI scan alone with a high degree of certainty, according to experts from University College London Hospitals (UCLH).
What you need to know
- In many hospitals, men with suspected prostate cancer will be referred for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detailed images of what is happening in the body. Depending on the images, doctors may also recommend a biopsy.
- In other hospitals, those with suspected cancer will be referred straight for a biopsy – where a small needle is put into the prostate to take a tissue sample so it can be checked for cancer cells.
4 min read
A closer look at the detail
There are two different types of biopsy for prostate cancer, with needles inserted in different places depending on the type chosen.
- Samples taken are then examined under a microscope to check for cancerous cells.
Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum
There are a number of advantages and disadvantages for having a biopsy, with the disadvantages including side effects; missed cancers and the detection of non-aggressive or slow growing cancers which may not need treatment.
He’s not been invited back on, he says, adding: “It happened on Jonathan Ross [the Comedy Club show] as well, they had to bring out the script to remind me what to say.”
Huge, 35, has supported Phil Wang and Joe Lycett, co-hosted the podcast and appeared on plenty of TV comedy shows. He’s become renowned for his dark jokes and absurdist observations contrasting amusingly with the peppy tunes he bashes out on his neck-slung Yamaha.
The only problem? He’s not slept properly in over a decade. “I never feel refreshed; I feel like I’m crashing every morning”. Huge was in his second year of university when, “at some point, I realised I hadn’t been asleep for a few weeks”.
“It’s partly the environment; everyone’s staying up all night to do essays or go out partying. I was a partier so I wasn’t really feeling the effects of [not sleeping]. But when it turned into five months I felt like, ‘Oh, I’m almost going to die.’”
It got so bad that, for a few months, he sublet his bedroom. “A friend was in town for something happening in the city so I just let them stay – it wasn’t like I was using my room.”
These days, he will take himself to bed, but not to sleep. “My body needs to be still and I need to close my eyes for a certain amount of time”, he says. “I listen to the same audiobook – – every night, which puts my mind to rest. It helps me phase out; I go into a bit of a trance.”
The next morning, his alarm goes off at 8.30am and while his girlfriend “has been to sleep, I’ve been to Mordor and Smaug”. While many a sleep-deprived adult will turn to big doses of caffeine, Huge will – at least when he’s not nervous about crashing out on national TV – make do with “one can of iced coffee. I get quite shaky, I can’t deal with the caffeine. If I’m doing a TV record, I’ll take a lot of coffee but then I never learn.”
Without this routine, he says, “I feel awful… if I do an all-nighter working, the next day I’m ruined and can’t do anything from 2pm.”
Sometimes Huge can get five hours’ sleep, but the last time this happened was “three-four years ago”. The impacts of his near-constant grogginess have been massive. “My symptoms sound like ADHD but it’s just that I’m tired,” he says. “When someone’s talking I will space out, concentration is hard.
“I always wonder what it would be like if I wasn’t tired, like if I started the day on a good day, how much could I get done? I see loads of people in comedy working and sometimes I just can’t do it.”
He still has ideas, of course, and has a notes app bursting with them. “But sometimes I’ll think of a funny idea and I will forget it within a second. It’s not like my attention’s been driven somewhere else; I can physically feel my brain fogging. That’s when I get really annoyed; it’s like I’m not allowed to have my own thoughts, like I’m being punished for having a good thought!”
Making new friends becomes hard, too, because strangers don’t get why he’s so distracted. “My friends know I’m always tired and will take that into account when I’m with them. If I’m stroppy or a bit out of it, they won’t ask me things that I need to think about”.
They also won’t eagerly offer up solutions, like people coming to his new Edinburgh show, , do, suggesting “melatonin or exercise, as if I’ve not been in the Googles”. He’s also tried magnesium, but found it didn’t work and that “it felt weird to eat a metal”.
As for stronger sleeping pills? “I took one – not even a hardcore one – the night before a podcast recording. I did sleep, but I felt so groggy the next day that I don’t actually recall the podcast recording.”
He also tried therapy, at about £90 a week: “She would use props and was very interested in the sleep stuff. But years later, the sleeplessness wasn’t going away, nothing had changed, so I stopped paying for it.”
Next, he tried acupuncture, at £80 a session, every week, but he only lasted a year: “That was a waste of time. There’s this whole thing in movies about how no one notices the needles sticking in, but it really hurts, your body goes so hot. “Everyone kept saying ‘stick with it, it’ll be fine’, but it’s absolutely painful.” All in all, Huge says he has “spent tens of thousands of pounds trying to solve it”.
Huge’s fear of doctors means going to the GP isn’t an option: “When I was in my teens there was a fear I had something that I was going to die of. It turns out I was going to be OK and I wasn’t going to die, but I am full of dread from that.”
Death plays in his mind often. “If you spend enough time alone you probably end up thinking about death. “I find death quite scary, but I think what’s good about comedy, that there’s always going to be a version of you that lasts forever, if the internet lasts forever. That helps me with the death stuff, because I don’t want to disappear.”
There is some sliver of hope; he’s discovered that, if the setting is wrong, he can actually take a nap. “I did sometimes use to sleep for a few hours on the motorway on the way back from gigs.” The problem is, “As soon as I’ve been given a bed and need to go to bed, I can’t sleep, but I can just pass out when I’m not meant to sleep. I’m pretty sure I slept during ”.
‘Sleep Paralysis Princess’ is on at Monkey Barrel Comedy until 30 August