Danny O’Donoghue, 45, is an Irish singer-songwriter and frontman of The Script. Formed in Dublin, the band broke through in 2008 with hits including “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” and “Breakeven”, and have since scored six UK No 1 albums. O’Donoghue was also a coach on the first two series of The Voice. In 2023, his close friend and band co-founder Mark Sheehan died aged 46 after a brief illness. He married his long-term partner, Anais, last year.
Here, he looks back at the moments that shaped him, from growing up in a nine-person Dublin household and getting an “Irish Power” tattoo at 18.
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.
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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.
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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”.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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”.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Getting through grief is like climbing through barbed wire. Three things help me: church, boxing and therapy. They give me somewhere to put what’s going on inside my head.
I was born Catholic, but sometimes I wonder what I’m doing when I go to church. I think I’m trying to stop thinking about myself. Going to church is really about practising gratitude. Most of us grab our phone first thing, check Instagram and fill our minds with everybody else’s noise. I find that poisonous. I try to leave the phone alone, go outside, get some sunlight and, when I can, go to Mass at 9am. I sit, listen and try to offer some energy towards somebody else.
I’ve been doing combat sports for seven years. I started with Muay Thai, then tore my meniscus and moved more heavily into boxing. It’s somewhere healthy to put aggression and stress. A lot of men grow up being told: stiff upper lip, take it on the chin, nobody wants to hear your problems. I’ve lost people who couldn’t talk about what was happening inside them. The boxing ring is another kind of church. You leave something there.
A lot of my anger comes from not knowing I was dyslexic. I only found out a few years ago. At school, I could see other children picking things up more quickly than me. Learning requires you to be vulnerable enough to say: “I don’t know this. Can you teach me?” I wasn’t comfortable doing that, so embarrassment came out as frustration and anger.
I met my wife by walking past her in the street. I spotted Anais about 30 feet away and waited what I thought was the gentlemanly amount of time before turning around to check her out. She had turned around to look at me, too. We smiled, she waved, but I left it in the hands of fate and walked away. A week later, she walked into my local pub. I was drinking Guinness with the boys, saw her and shoved my pint under the table. I offered to get in a round, even though everybody already had a drink. At the bar, I could feel her looking at me. Eventually, I turned around and said: “So, we finally meet.”
Our first proper kiss was in a graveyard. We had dinner, went for a walk and kissed there. About a month later Covid happened and we moved in together. We spent almost every day of lockdown together and somehow melted into one person. I’d never used a dating app or been set up on a date, so the fact that we found each other walking down the street still feels like magic.
Anais and I walk together almost every day. We put the phones down, get outside and talk. The more purposeful time I give to our marriage, the better everything else becomes. The secret to marriage is deliberately making time for each other.
There were nine of us living in our house when I was growing up. Mum, Dad, three boys, three girls and my nanny, all in one not-very-big house in Dublin. If everybody brought a friend home, suddenly there were 16 people – always somebody talking, shouting, laughing. Growing up with three sisters taught me a lot about talking openly. In a busy Irish household, everybody knows everybody else’s business.
I have “Irish Power” tattooed on my arm because, at 18, I felt completely free. My late bandmate Mark and I got tattoos in America. We were driving towards Las Vegas with the windows down, blasting the Irish band Aslan, thousands of miles from home. I saw an “Irish Power” bumper sticker with a shamrock and thought: “I’m getting that tattooed on me.” We were young, far from home, and felt like anything could happen.
I always knew I’d have eight No 1s. When I was a kid, I slept on a mattress on the floor and stuck eight free CDs from magazines like and Top of the Pops on the wall beside me. Every night I looked at them and imagined they were my platinum records. Looking at it now, after The Script have had eight No 1 albums in Ireland, is very strange. Maybe I was one lucky kid who stuck eight CDs on his wall and happened to get exactly what he wanted. Or maybe I dreamed it into existence.
The Script’s new album, ‘The User’s Guide to Being Human’, is out now