Alex Taylor

Dating apps try something different to keep search for love online Jaded by online dating fatigue, reporter Alex Taylor hopes to meet the future love of his life.

Wrote about my love life for work as a way to explore the rise in dating app fatigue. My evolution into a budget Bridget Jones continues at pace 😅

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

And an added extra from the junket - Danny Boyle is also a pained Man Utd supporter 😆😅 #28YearsLater

28 Years Later star Jodie Comer sees similarities between the plot of her new film and social media today #28YearsLater #JodieComer #DannyBoyle #SocialMedia #Virus #RageVirus #28DaysLater #28WeeksLater #Film #Movie #BBCNews

28 Years Later: Danny Boyle and Jodie Comer on Covid, horror and the real-world rage virus The British director of 28 Years Later speaks alongside star Jodie Comer about returning to horror.

Great to speak to Danny Boyle and Jodie Comer this week about #28YearsLater, which is out today

A really interesting chat about the impact of Covid, horror, the political undercurrent that influenced Boyle - and just what it's like to be chased by zombies

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Katy Perry: From Blue Origin flight to 'cringe' dance moves - the online backlash against her The US singer says she feels

Katy Perry was everywhere during my uni years - the queen of bubblegum pop. I wrote about the backlash against her in recent weeks. Thanks to @mcragg.bsky.social and @portalkatyperry.com.br for their thoughts

How Katy Perry became the Hot and Cold popstar www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Wrestlemania 41: Will WWE's big Netflix gamble pay off as John Cena and Cody Rhodes do battle? Wrestling's main event is to stream live on Netflix for the first time - here's why it matters.

Spoke to fans, @brandonthurston.bsky.social and others about WWE's #WrestleMania  debut on Netflix

The stakes are high. WrestleMania is being treated as a litmus test - not just for WWE's global expansion, but for Netflix's potential move into live sports #wrestlesky www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Looking for new-gen WWE fans who are excited about Wrestlemania being available on Netflix worldwide for the first time. For BBC article. If you know any young megafans who'd be willing, pls get in touch! Wednesday afternoon deadline (latest). Contact alex.taylor01@bbc.co.uk or Msg/DM #wrestlesky

Sam Mendes Beatles biopics targets box office success with Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Barry Keoghan and Joseph Quinn as the Fab Four Sir Sam Mendes' forthcoming Beatles biopics have cast four modern-day heartthrobs - here's why.

Can 'the internet's boyfriends' spark cinema Beatlemania?

I explored why Sam Mendes opted to cast internet heartthrobs (Mescal! Keoghan!) over local Liverpool talent to play the Fab Four in 2028's big-screen quadrilogy

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Temptation Island: How 'Montoya, por favor!' broke the internet As clips from Spain's Temptation Island go viral, the BBC speaks to the show's executive producer.

'Montoya, por favor!'

As clips from Spain's Temptation Island go globally viral, I spoke to the show's executive producer Juanra Gonzalo and The Sun's Lottie Hulme to explore why, if the show could ever be shown in the UK and where this leaves reality TV

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Chappell Roan: 'I'd be more successful if I wore a muzzle' The star talks about the impact of fame and the pressure to conform in an exclusive BBC interview.

"On a more personal level, Chappel Roan's finally got the financial security to move into a house of her own, and acquire a rescue cat, named Cherub Lou

'She's super tiny, her breath smells so bad, and she doesn't have a meow,' the singer dotes" www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Severance, season 2: Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette and Tramell Tillman on returning to Lumon Apple TV's hit dystopian workplace thriller finally returns after a three-year cliffhanger.

Spoke to the cast of #Severance about THAT cliffhanger and the long-awaited return of one of the most inventive shows on TV. Turns out workplace reality may not be so far apart. Can't speak for my Innie, though

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

David Lynch obituary: Twin Peaks director who embraced the weird The visionary director's belief in American beauty and horror being two sides of the same coin was perfected in the iconic 1990 TV series.

Sad about the passing of David Lynch - wrote this obituary fuelled on coffee, which somehow seems fitting www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Spotify's auto-generated personalised playlist for me, titled 'teen rock not a phase saturday night'

Stop it, Spotify

Oasis, Charli XCX, Tom Cruise and a giant spider: 2025's cultural highlights These big comebacks, awards contenders and cultural heavyweights should be highlights of the year.

Happy New Year! Here's a look at the cultural highlights 2025 has in store www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Grand Theft Auto: How Shakespeare's Hamlet found a virtual stage New documentary Grand Theft Hamlet follows actors attempting Shakespeare inside GTA during lockdown.

15. I'm always fascinated at how culture evolves but timeless art and literature endures. This look at Grand Theft Hamlet - a documentary following attempts to bring Shakespeare to GTA Online during the existential crisis of Covid, stuck with me
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

South Park Timmy: The disabled character from 24 years ago getting me harassed today I have felt the shadow of Timmy since childhood - but never imagined the name would be hurled at me by strangers in my 30s.

14. One of my most personal BBC pieces explored how South Park's Timmy is being misused on TikTok to fuel real-life abuse toward disabled people, including myself - 20 years on. Its impact, even reaching ABC News Australia, has been beyond what I imagined
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The Cure's Robert Smith on grief, death and new album Songs Of A Lost World The goth icons played two sets at the BBC in support of their new record, Songs Of A Lost World.

13. In a pinch me moment, I covered The Cure’s return with their new album, Songs Of A Lost World for the BBC website, including their intimate Radio 2 gig. An album of grief, certainly, but disintegration? Absolutely not
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Chappell Roan: Why female pop stars are rejecting toxic fame and fandoms Chappell Roan's rapid rise has seen her call out

12. This year saw Chappell Roan explode into culture like Madonna in the 1980s (via Boy George's aesthetic), thanks to her album of classics. The difference? Toxic fandoms, social media, and 24-hour celebrity. I explored the sour edge of her supernova 🌟🍷
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Oasis reunion: The multi-million pound economics of tour After tickets for the band's reunion went on sale, many are asking: how much do the Gallaghers stand to make?

11. Oasis' return became one of the biggest news stories of the year, cutting through as a music story like nothing I've ever seen in my journalism career. I was ready with my cigarettes and alcohol to cover for the live page and website. Mad 'fer it? You bet 🎸
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Avicii's dad on his son's legacy, mental health and survivor's guilt The DJ's father Klas on his son's legacy and family's mission to raise mental health awareness.

10. My interview with Tim Bergling's dad Klas on honouring his son's legacy, both personally and as Avicii, was particularly affecting. Our conversation about mental health, the impact of loss, grief, and overcoming survivor's guilt will always stay with me
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Speak No Evil: James McAvoy on Andrew Tate, toxic masculinity and political extremes The Scottish star explores toxic masculinity in Hollywood's remake of Danish horror Speak No Evil.

9. For years, the fact my stammer can be worse in pressured speaking situations has left me hesitant to conduct A-list interviews. I forced myself to take the plunge this year 🗣️. Thank you to James McAvoy for his time discussing toxic masculinity and extremism
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Eminem: With new album and Houdini single, what is Slim Shady’s legacy? The star claims he will kill off his alter ego on his forthcoming album, The Death of Slim Shady.

8. My first of two pieces given a push alert: A deep dive into Eminem's Slim Shady legacy

In 1999, he told Jo Whiley: "I used to make up my own heroes and my own villains, but my heroes would always die"

Which is Shady? It depends who you ask, and when...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

TikTok trainspotter Francis Bourgeois on identity, internet hate and commuting playlists The star, fresh from a UK rail adventure for the BBC, talks identity, hate and saving the railway.

7. I spoke to the internet's favourite trainspotter Francis Bourgeois about TikTok, fame, online hate, and reclaiming identity. Oh, and as a huge dance music lover (and Aphex Twin fan), he made a great playlist for the BBC, too! 🎵
www.bbc.co.uk/news/enterta...

Are you having a productive day? Perhaps consider Dolly Parton and think again. One afternoon in 1973, a flash of inspiration saw her sit down and write two classics back to back. First came Jolene - a career-defining smash, synonymous with Parton alone. The next? I Will Always Love You. Not a bad nine-to-five.

6. As I Will Always Love You turned 50, I tried not to break hearts in exploring the song's history - from Dolly Parton's tender original to Whitney Houston's powerhouse classic. No apologies for this opening 😆
www.bbc.co.uk/news/enterta...

Oscars 2024: Are films now 'too long' as Hugh Grant suggests? Actor Hugh Grant recently questioned film runtimes - but have they changed and if so, why?

5. "Oompa Loompa doompity-dong, most of these films were frankly too long." When Hugh Grant teased the year's awards contenders dragged, I couldn't resist taking a look to see if this really was the case, why it may be, and if intermissions could return 🤔
www.bbc.co.uk/news/enterta...

The not-so-family-friendly thriller arrived on Amazon Prime days before Christmas, just in time to heat up living rooms: its salacious scenes leaving viewers recoiling red-faced and unsuspecting in-laws squirming - neither set to look at bathtubs, nor perhaps cranberry sauce, in quite the same way.

4. Looked at the power of TikTok and streaming in changing how films like Saltburn find success. Murder on the dancefloor? Perhaps. But mostly amazed I'm still alive after getting this paragraph published on the BBC 😂😅
www.bbc.co.uk/news/enterta...

London Fashion Week: Celebrating 40 years of catwalks As London Fashion Week marks four decades of creativity, we look back at some memorable moments.

3. Put my shades on and strutted down memory lane to cover 40 years of London Fashion Week, with thanks to Charlotte for her work on the ground 😎
www.bbc.co.uk/news/enterta...

Grassroots live music venues suffer 'most challenging year', report says Soaring costs forced 125 venues to stop offering live music in 2023, the Music Venues Trust says.

2. Dived into the challenges facing live music venues, covering the Music Venue Trust's annual report in @mrdiscopop.bsky.social's absence. Spoke to NME's @andrewtrendell.bsky.social and @banquetrecords.com amongst others. In short, small venues need our support!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/enterta...

The power of Mr Bates vs The Post Office in bringing about justice Mr Bates vs The Post Office is not the only TV series to have helped renew public interest in an issue.

1. I began on my first day back by writing about the power dramatisations like Mr Bates vs The Post Office can have on bringing about real-world awareness (thanks to Yasmin for writing the box summarising other examples🙏)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/enterta...

In 2024 I found myself back on the Culture team for much longer than initially expected. I tried to make the most of it (amid enduring BBC restructure instability). Here are some highlights - from original features to interviews💫 #journalism