After Elsie Gonzalez’s kids had left home, her furry friends became the centre of her universe…

Dancing queen Shirley Ballas will be making a cameo at Christmases across the country, as families tune in to this year’s Strictly Come Dancing festive special. However, the head judge of the sparkly

Round our way, Christmas Day is a right dog’s dinner

A furry hot-water bottle? Or a restless snoring pest? Sharing a bed with a dog isn’t ideal for everyone, but it certainly warms the soul, says Bethany Stone

→ When Bella meets Chris Packham, she engages in what the wildlife presenter describes as an “ancient greeting ceremony”. That is to say, she licks his entire face. “Oh, she likes you,” says Big Issue

Budget fiasco: That the whole of Wednesday’s Budget was erroneously published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) an hour before chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured) stood up to give her spee