A poll of 1,000 adults who have used a dating app in the past five years found a fifth of Gen Z consider them unhealthy – with four in 10 describing their matches as ‘mean’ or ‘weird’

Princess Anne stepped out in a statement floral jacket and a gorgeous set of pearls for the 40th anniversary dinner of the Vine Trust, held at Babcock’s Rosyth site.

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Dinosaurs may be long extinct, but a visit to Jurassic World: The Experience at Battersea Power Station feels so close to the real thing. 

The event has become one of the hottest tickets in London, welcoming over 180,000 visitors since its launch in the spring and prompting an extended run until January 4th, 2026, due to its popularity.

And this autumn, you can grab tickets for a third off. Talk about a dino-mite deal…

Midweek tickets now start from just £18 for kids and £23 for adults, slashing a third off the standard price. Students can also save big, with 35% off weekday tickets when you show a valid student ID at the box office.

Tickets to Jurassic World: The Experience

Buy Now from £23.95

The experience, created by NEON, has ten immersive zones to discover, all bringing the 1993 blockbuster to life. Hop on the ferry to the Isla Nubar and walk through the iconic gates, where you’ll instantly be transported into a prehistoric land.

Get up close and personal with the Velociraptors, and meet a Carnotaurus, which was a creature with devil-like horns above its eyes that could run even faster than T. rex. 

Speaking of T. rex, the famous carnivorous predator is also waiting to greet you with its famous roar and sparkling gnashers.

There are plenty of gentler attractions for young children or grown adults needing a little wind-down after a run-in with a Carnotaurus and T. rex…

You can take selfies with adorable baby dinosaurs, including Baby Raptor, Camp Cretaceous, and Baby Bumpy. Make sure you meet the park’s brand-new Parasaurolophus babies, created by the expert geneticists.

Walk beneath a towering Brachiosaurus, or explore the lab of genetic development, learning how to extract DNA from mosquitoes trapped in amber.

Or why not dive into the adventure with a life-size gyrosphere display? You can also roll up your sleeves to discover fascinating fossils and hidden secrets buried under the dirt at the interactive Dig Site.

Visitors are also spoilt for choice with the location at Battersea Power Station, with the tube station a stone’s throw away, and Sloane Square, Victoria, and Vauxhall tube stations all within walking distance. 

Battersea Power Station also has its own Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pier and is just a 15-minute ride from Embankment, so you can make your way on water. 

Plus, you’ve also got a huge array of shops, restaurants, bars, parks, and historical spaces nearby, so you can really make a day of it.

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Zara Tindall stunned in the most ‘eye-catching’ Rebecca Vallance dress at a charity dinner she attended with husband Mike Tindall, and it might just be her best dress of autumn 2025 so far.

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If you’ve been dreaming of adding some autumnal charm to your kitchen but don’t want to splash hundreds on fancy cookware, we’ve got just the thing for you. 

Our latest Sainsbury’s find is a gorgeous £15 pumpkin-shaped casserole dish which, if we do say so ourselves, looks almost identical to a luxury Le Creuset dish that retails for a whopping £289.

Now, we know that a seasonal casserole dish is a little bit OTT for some but, when it’s this cute, who can resist?

Sainsbury’s Home Casserole Dish

Serve your autumnal stews and casseroles in this cute, seasonal pumpkin shaped dish. Made from hardy dolomite, it’s safe for popping in the oven and microwave and holds up to 2.1L of liquid.

SHOP £15

Whether you’re planning to serve up hearty stews, tasty casseroles, or a spicy chili, this dish is functional and pretty.

Holding up to 2.1L, it’s safe for use in the oven and microwave and with its adorable pumpkin design and stalk-shaped handle on the lid, it’s a seasonal showstopper. 

While you could argue that the Le Creuset version might last you a tiny bit longer, there’s no arguing with the price difference. 

At just £15, the Sainbury’s dish is far easier on the wallet and does just the job of serving delicious dishes during the autumn season. 

So, if you’ve been eyeing up some high-end cookware but want to keep things budget-friendly, this Sainsbury’s pumpkin casserole dish is the perfect answer.

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‘I’ve gone through Emma’s* diet plan and we’re going to cut back on the bananas at breakfast,’ the weight loss consultant explains to a room of women, aged between 40 and 80. 

I am one of them in the £5.95 session, ready to have my eating habits analysed by consultant Sandra*, who previously lost 10st on the programme.

However, before me, there’s Cheryl*. At the Slimming World meeting in a London community hall, Sandra points out that her daily lattes and brandy nightcaps could be delaying progress, as they go over the ‘Syn’ limit (the umbrella term that describes any food that is high in calories, fat or sugar, and offers fewer traditional nutritional benefits).

When the room’s reaction becomes a bit too lively in response, Sandra quickly reminds them that Cheryl has been through a difficult time and shouldn’t be too hard on herself. 

Despite the pep talk, the very nature of using the term Syns clearly encourages shame around food — swapping the ‘i’ for a ‘y’ can’t simply erase it. Referring to food as simply good or bad doesn’t feel very forward-thinking in 2025, so I’m surprised it’s still happening when I attend the meeting.

However, the concept will soon be changing, with an overhaul designed to help modernise Slimming World in a market now swamped with weight loss jabs like Ozempic and Mounjaro. Coming into effect from 2026, Syns will soon be called Swips, which stands for Slimming World’s Individual Picks.

‘While our approach has always been to help members lift any feelings of guilt and create an empowering, non-judgemental community, we know some people felt that Syns labelled those higher-calorie foods as ‘bad’ – and, for some people, it was a barrier to joining a group,’ Slimming World have explained.

‘Even though that was never the meaning or spirit of Syns, language matters. So we’re making this change to help everyone feel welcome, supported and empowered.’

Additionally, members will now have a healthy fat allowance, which includes foods like oils and avocados that were previously classified as Syns. While other tweaks will see Body Magic become the more accurately described active lifestyle programme, and IMAGE Therapy is similarly becoming more literal with the new title of support system. But is it enough?

Attending meetings

At my meeting, Sandra – with her natural warmth – continues to easily recall everyone’s individual circumstances (from upcoming holidays to their previous week’s loss) and names, including mine. ‘Why are you here, Josie?’ she asks, as all eyes lock in on me.

I explain that it would be nice to feel more at ease in my body. ‘You want to live your best life,’ Sandra quickly responds.

As someone who used to accompany their mum to slimming clubs in the early 00s, I am also here to understand where they fit in today’s weight loss landscape, especially after it was reported earlier this year that WW (formerly Weight Watchers) is planning to file for bankruptcy.

I’ve seen the power slimming clubs can wield. I can remember being around eight, sitting next to my mum, a committed member, who would take me along when my dad was working late. I’d see her mood flatten if she didn’t have the week she’d hoped, or her happiness increase if she’d been ‘lucky’ by managing to still lose despite breaking some guidelines.

In a recent honest conversation, my mum expressed regret at ever taking me. ‘In hindsight, you probably shouldn’t have listened to so much weight talk at a young age, as it’s not something you should have been concerned about at all. You have to remember that this was before the body positivity movement, and we weren’t fully aware of what could harm self-esteem,’ she explained. I did manage to get through pretty unscathed, as I always saw my mum’s participation as her thing and not something I should necessarily worry about.

I also witnessed, back then — and still here, in 2025 — people creating a safe space to share struggles. At the London slimming club, there’s friendly applause celebrating losses, and hands placed gently on backs if someone is talking about any difficulties.

Where it all began

It was in 1961 when New Yorker Jean Nidetch began gathering other housewives at her home each week to share the weight loss advice she’d been following from the New York City Board of Health. Sensing an appetite, savvy Jean licensed her speeches, trained others to be leaders and launched Weight Watchers, which saw membership peak in around 2018 with nearly five million subscribers worldwide. The UK’s Slimming World franchise wasn’t far behind, launching in 1969, and it now boasts around 700,000 members per week.

Explaining the allure of slimming clubs, registered dietitian and Diets Debunked founder, Kate Hilton, tells Metro: ‘Some believe, particularly women, that losing weight is the miracle cure for all issues and will lead to happiness, which slimming clubs very much market themselves at. They spiked in the 90s and 00s as society made people feel being overweight was a personal failing, and groups were seen as the solution.’

Lisa, 55, knows this all too well. 

‘When I was nine, I weighed 8 stone, so my mother took me to the doctor, who said I was obese,’ she remembers. ‘Mum went to Weight Watchers, so she decided to bring me along with her. I remember them saying that I couldn’t officially be part of the programme because of my age, but I still went on the scales.’

Since then, learning support assistant Lisa has been in and out of slimming groups. Her stints have ranged from a couple of weeks to two years, and in adulthood, her weight has fluctuated between 11st 10lbs and 19st 5lbs.

‘You think you’re the only one having a tough time with weight, but the groups are great for showing you’re not,’ she explains. ‘I remember one woman who couldn’t stop putting cream on her cornflakes, and we’d all have a laugh over that, rather than judge her as others might. I’ve had some great times and made close friends.’

Former primary school teacher Kim, 54, has been a Slimming World consultant for 25 years after losing four and a half stone on the programme. ‘All consultants understand what it’s like to lose weight because we’ve been there,’ she tells Metro. 

‘Before slimmers arrive, they can sometimes carry a lot of guilt, but we’re all human beings, and losing weight and then maintaining it isn’t easy. Once people walk through the doors of a Slimming World group, though, they see they’re not alone. It gives me goosebumps when I think about members who are 18 and 80 supporting each other. There will always be merit in getting that human contact when losing weight.’

While Dietitian Kate agrees that the community aspect can motivate people and offer structure, she also points out that many weight loss groups sometimes have ‘rules that don’t make sense’.

‘On Slimming World, mashed bananas are counted as [five] Syns, but unmashed bananas are zero, despite them having the same nutritional value,’ she explains. ‘The rules can be contradictory, which builds upon the feeling of shame when it comes to certain eating choices.’ 

Lisa admits that she is doubtful about returning to a slimming club for the ninth time. ‘It is a struggle to maintain the mindset needed,’ she says. ‘I turn to food for everything. I reward myself and drown my sorrows with food — that can’t be fixed with weekly weigh-ins.’

The competition 

The decline of real-life slimming clubs is down to a variety of factors, says Kate. ‘Diets come in fads — at the moment, carnivore diets [a diet of meat, eggs, fish, and some dairy products] are all the rage. Slimming groups kept with the same old, and it got boring.’

The rise of the internet also allowed people to access workouts and detailed diet plans from fitness influencers and apps, often at no cost. And, of course, AI is changing things too. ‘We live online more, so people are using AI, which is free, to help them plan their meals,’ adds Kate.

Trainee nurse Kitty, 22, tells Metro that she can’t remember a time she wasn’t insecure about her weight, and although she tried WW as a teenager after seeing her mum and nan have success with it, she used the app as she was embarrassed for anyone to know. ‘I felt like it was weird that I was trying to lose this weight when my friends were just living,’ the Gen Zer recalls. 

Over 18 months, Kitty went from 18st 7lbs to 12st 7lbs by sticking to the regime and through personal training sessions at a local gym, but then ended up losing a further stone on the low-carb high-fat Keto diet.

‘Weight Watchers and Slimming World are associated with slower weight loss, but there are other diets that are advertised as having super quick results,’ she explains. ‘When you’re younger, you don’t care about how healthy the weight loss methods are, you want the quick results.’

Asked if she felt any better, Kitty admits: ‘When I wore clothes that I wanted to wear, I felt good — but I was still comparing myself to other girls my age and models with “perfect” bodies on social media.’

Slimming clubs are also facing serious competition from injectable prescription medication for weight loss, such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, originally used to treat diabetes. An estimated 1.5 million Brits** are now using the drugs, which work by suppressing appetite and lengthening the amount of time food stays in the stomach. Both Lisa and Kitty are considering them.

‘When I was at my biggest, I hadn’t even heard of weight-loss injections, but I probably would have considered them if I had,’ says Kitty. ‘Back then, I couldn’t just go out and enjoy food with friends without thinking about it, but the jabs could have made that part a bit easier.’

However, she adds, she’d want to do more research first, especially as there have been so many varying stories of their success and side effects.

While one US study reported that half of the weight lost during traditional diets is regained within two years, and more than 80% in five years, recent research from the University of Oxford has found it is similar for semaglutides, with most weight returning within a year after stopping weight loss jabs. 

Can clubs survive? 

In a telling business move, WW is now working with CheqUp, a provider of weight-loss drugs. James Hunt, Deputy CEO of CheqUp, said in a statement: ‘There is no doubt that the addition of WeightWatchers’ breakthrough GLP-1 companion programme will add enormously to our patients’ ability to achieve sustainable weight loss through its science-backed and proven programmes, together with their global community of like-minded individuals.’

Kim, whose sessions on the Isle of Wight can attract up to 120 people, insists that ‘injections are not a silver bullet’.

She adds: ‘People need wraparound care because they don’t work for everybody. Even when medication is effective, the weight can come back on once they stop taking it. We welcome people who take weight loss jabs to take part in Slimming World and get that extra support around sustainable changes.’

After my session, I know I won’t be signing up for Slimming World membership anytime soon. I am not in a place where I want to follow a diet plan, but that’s not to say I never will be. I can see how they can help people get healthier, as long as they also keep the perspective that weight is probably the least interesting thing about humans.  

As for banana Syn-gate… Kim says to me, ‘Shall we address the elephant in the room? If I were to give you a couple of bananas right now, Josie, it would be quite filling, but if we were to mash them in a bowl, there’s less chewing involved, that banana is going to slide down more easily, and it may not fill you up so you’d reach for something else as well. We are ultimately a weight loss company, and we’re going to protect members’ losses. It’s not because we’re being awkward.’

Changing Syns to Swips is certainly a positive move, but that and bananas aside, dietitian Kate has her own advice: ‘Ultimately, there are hundreds of reasons why we eat the way we eat, and if we’re not tackling them, whether it be emotional, comfort, financial or social, then eventually the diet is going to fail.’

*Names have been changed

**IVQO

***Medical Clinics of North America

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Josie.Copson@metro.co.uk 

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The brand behind your favourite hand soap is now coming for your conditioner. 

Method, the cult-fave eco cleaning brand known for its sleek teardrop bottles and plant-powered formulas has just launched haircare in the UK – and honestly, it makes perfect sense. 

The new range lands with three shampoo and conditioner duos, formulated to suit different hair types. 

Scented to match the brand’s much-loved body washes, each shampoo and conditioner is designed to transform your wash day routine.

Method Volumising Shampoo, Peace and Petals 350ml

Made with thoughtful ingredients that address your hair’s needs, Method’s new shampoo and conditioners are guaranteed to upgrade your wash day.

Free from sulphates, parabens, silicones or dyes, choose between three formulas depending on your hair concerns. And yes, each smells incredible!

shop £6.95

Method Moisturising Conditioner, Simply Nourish 350ml

Infused with coconut, rice milk and shea butter, this moisturising conditioner helps you step out of the shower feeling nourished and smelling like sweet comfort. ​

shop £6.95

Whether your strands are thirsting for deep hydration, craving lightweight bounce, or in need of a fresh start, Method’s new haircare collection has you covered.

As you’d expect from Method, the range is made without sulphates, parabens, silicones or dyes, and totally safe for colour-treated hair. 

Plus, every bottle (minus the cap) is made using 85% recycled plastic, so it’s kind to the planet and your hair – win-win!

With three options to choose from, picking a favourite might be tricky so here’s a quick guide: 

Dry, frizzy hair? Go for Simply Nourish. This coconut-scented formula is infused with coconut, rice milk and shea butter to help nourish, hydrate, smooth and soften parched hair.

If your hair’s lacking volume, then opt for Peace + Petals. It has a delicate fresh-floral fragrance and, thanks to quinoa protein, peony and rose water, it boosts limp, lifeless hair without weighing it down. 

If your hair’s on the oily side, crisp and clean smelling Daily Zen is perfect for a reset. Cucumber, seaweed and green tea help remove build-up from styling products, pollution and sebum while balancing the scalp. The result? Hair is left feeling clean and refreshed.

Whether you’re switching up your shampoo or upgrading your entire wash day routine, this is haircare that we’re adding to basket immediately. 

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