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Features

<p>Life imitates art: AI is taking over more and more elements of everyday life in a manner reminiscent of the Joaquin Phoenix film ‘Her’</p>

Hired by a robot: What it’s like to have an AI interview

As recruitment teams swap human interactions for increasingly elaborate screening techniques, Helen Coffey tries out being quizzed by an avatar and ponders the wider implications for people trying to get a foot on the career ladder

<p>‘Sex and the City’ was one of the first shows to spotlight the joy of thirtysomething friendships</p>

Why your 30s are the golden era for female friendships

<p>‘Lovely Fiona’ has been revealed as the ‘secret traitor’ on the BBC show</p>

The Traitors is a reminder to never underestimate an older woman

<p>As appetite-suppressing drugs go mainstream, eating is becoming something to be managed, not indulged</p>

M&S’s Ozempic meals: How do you feed people who aren’t hungry?

<p>Ashley Tisdale was in a star-studded mom group with Meghan Trainor, Hilary Duff, and Mandy Moore</p>

Why I’m ditching my toxic ‘mum group’ WhatsApps – and you should too

<p>Noughties icon Jessica Simpson might not be best pleased to hear that her name is the ‘new Karen’</p>

Are you being a ‘Jessica’? How the internet chose the millennial Karen

<p>Timothee Chalamet publicly declared love for ‘partner’ Kylie Jenner after Best Actor win at Critics Choice Awards</p>

Have the terms girlfriend and boyfriend just become redundant?

Latest news

More features

<p>Risky? Lydia has been getting Botox since she was 26 </p>

I’ve been getting Botox since I was 26 – here’s why

<p>There were red flags Eve Simmons missed before her husband asked for a divorce</p>

Six months married, then he divorced me – here are the signs I missed

<p>Audrey Hepburn reading in New York Public Library as Holly Golightly in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ </p>

The one thing everyone should do in 2026

<p>Suited and booted: John Slattery as Roger Stirling and Jon Hamm as Don Draper in ‘Mad Men’ </p>

The new rules of dressing up for the plane

Fitness and wellness

<p>Dark showers: Experts say a candlelit bathe before bed could be the answer to an easier night’s sleep </p>

Why experts think we should all be showering in the dark

A growing number of young people are opting to ‘dark shower’, saying it helps them to de-stress and sleep better. Lydia Spencer-Elliott dims the lights and puts it to the test

Why experts think we should all be showering in the dark

A growing number of young people are opting to ‘dark shower’, saying it helps them to de-stress and sleep better. Lydia Spencer-Elliott dims the lights and puts it to the test

<p>Dark showers: Experts say a candlelit bathe before bed could be the answer to an easier night’s sleep </p>

<p>A new report has found serious failings in maternity care across NHS wards in the UK</p>

Health and Wellbeing

The best places to give birth – and what they can teach us

<p>Women are being encouraged to ‘cycle smart’ at the gym</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

Cycle-syncing workouts: Should your period dictate your gym routine?

<p>Dr Jenny Goodman inspecting the living room for toxic red flags </p>

Health & Families

The everyday items making your home more toxic than you think

<p>I interview diet and nutrition experts weekly, and these are their top tips for improving your health</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

The diet tips most nutritionists swear by for fat loss and health

<p>I interview diet and nutrition experts weekly, and these are their top tips for improving your health</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

The diet tips most nutritionists swear by for fat loss and health

<p>Researchers from the University of Copenhagen suggest there are deep-rooted biological mechanisms that make losing weight and maintaining weight loss incredibly challenging</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

Why experts say ‘eat less, move more’ won’t work for weight loss

<p>‘The 2026 rebrand’ trend has become the internet’s new favoured form of manifestation</p>

Why a 2026 rebrand is the most toxic way to start the year

Food features

<p>Many of us are reaching the recommended daily salt limit by lunchtime</p>

Think you eat healthily? Why hidden salt is still wrecking our diets

<p>The injectable weight-loss medication Wegovy (Photo Illustration by Scott Olson/Getty Images)</p>

How the Wegovy pill will shake up the weight loss market

<p>Generation X, such as Oasis’s Liam Gallagher, were the first generation to have UPF feature heavily in their diets from an early age</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

The food Gen X is addicted to – and why it could be killing them

<p>A quarter of the adult population has been prescribed weight loss drugs in the last 12 months</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

Everything you need to know about weight loss drugs this January

Recipes

<p>A hearty reminder that autumn salads can be every bit as comforting as roasts</p>

Autumn recipes to cook now, from squash to apple pie

<p>A thrifty twist on minestrone from Tom Kerridge – proof that a clear-out can still taste like comfort</p>

15 soup recipes from Tom Kerridge, Fearnley-Whittingstall and more

<p>Slow-cooked beef goulash – rich, smoky and perfect for soaking up with dumplings or crusty bread</p>

How to make classic Czech beef goulash

Life Stories

<p>Lorraine Stanley put on a whopping seven stone with surgery - and now regrets it </p>

Why losing three stone made me more miserable than I was before

<p>After having five children of her own, Charlotte Johnson-Daniels decided to help childless couples and become a surrogate in 2022</p>

‘I’m a surrogate – but I don’t want to make money from a baby’

<p>Mohammed Nayef Salem is 18 and has been training as an entertainer since he was 12</p>

‘I’m a clown in a war zone – it’s an incredibly important job’

<p>Lauren Bateman, who received under-eye filler from a woman without medical qualifications</p>

‘I got under-eye filler – then felt like my face was going to explode’

Independent TV

Martin Lewis warns millions missing tax benefit due to council errors

<p>Paddy McGuinness shows off incredible weight loss transformation</p>

Paddy McGuinness unveils dramatic fitness transformation

Jesy Nelson shares video of baby daughter after devastating diagnosis

<p>Amy Schumer shares parenting rules for raising young son Gene.</p>

Amy Schumer shares parenting rules for raising young son Gene

Deals

<p>Enjoy luxury garden decor at without the pricetag at Garden Trading</p>

Enjoy 25% off all homeware and garden at Garden Trading

<p>These are the best ways to save at M&S right now</p>

M&S discount codes for January – how to save 10%

Up to 50% off luxury bags and jewellery at Aspinal of London

<p>Enjoy the best of Jacamo with these deals</p>

Save more than 25% on fashion, tech and gaming at Jacamo

Design

Ski lodge style to amp up your space (Desenio/PA)

9 ways to weave chic chalet style into your scheme

<p>Laying the table to an art form to showcase your festive flair</p>

How to elevate your Christmas dinner with stylish tablescaping

Organise the home with these must-haves (Mustard Made/PA)

9 stylish storage solutions to clear the clutter

Royal Family

<p>Harry and Meghan are due to attend an Invictus Games event in Birmingham (Aaron Chown/PA)</p>

Meghan Markle to visit UK for Invictus Games event

Kate marks birthday with video from ‘deeply personal’ series

<p>The Princess of Wales is celebrating her 44th birthday on Friday</p>

Princess Kate says she’s ‘deeply grateful’ as she marks 44th birthday

Women

<p>Vote in our weekly Independent Women poll</p>

Poll: Is Reform a good alternative to Labour?

<p>‘Rather than a constructive conversation, it is more like an argument about who is doing more jobs’</p>

‘I have never been happier’: Readers on life after divorce

<p>Independent Women: Sign up to Victoria Richards’ weekly newsletter </p>

Independent Women: Sign up to Victoria Richards’ weekly newsletter

Dating and Relationships

<p> (L to R) Steve Carell as Nick, Kerri Kenney as Anne, and Tina Fey as Kate Netflix’s The Four Seasons which examines at marital upset in midlife</p>

Why ‘walkaway wives’ are leading the charge in midlife divorce

<p>Terms like ‘partner’ and ‘friend’ are rendered obsolete in the place of a more fluid approach to any kind of relationship</p>

Is 2026 the year we all become relationship anarchists?

<p>After 18-years of marriage Jane moved to Marrakech for a new beginnning </p>

The brutal truth about my first post-divorce Christmas

indy100

news

Love Island: All Stars postponed as wildfires threaten South Africa filming location

Love Island: All Stars postponed as wildfires threaten South Africa filming location

science-tech

Musk and Starmer clash over potential X ban – the Grok AI ‘undressing’ scandal explained

science-tech

How one small change to your sleep routine could help you live longer

news

An infamous Ukrainian time-traveller story has finally been explained

viral

Golden Globes 2026: How to watch, start times, and nominations

viral

Golden Globes 2026: How to watch, start times, and nominations

politics

Trump leaves social media confused as he randomly admires White House ballroom ‘view’ mid-meeting

science-tech

NASA orders first-ever medical evacuation of SpaceX Crew-11 – here's why