24+ min ago (873+ words) Don't know where to find them? We've scoured the city's markets, workshops and studios to discover the most exciting names across fashion, homeware and artisanal food " from a pioneering small-batch fragrance maker working out of Shoreditch to the Paul Smith prot'g'e designing wear-forever women's power suits. Plus, the name to know for the ultimate foodie gifts under "10. Secret Santa: sorted. In pursuit of their signature scent, Londoners are increasingly sniffing out more unique, small-batch fragrances. It has helped Maya Njie to make a name for herself with her capsule collection of six artisanal blends, which are developed in her Shoreditch-based studio, where she also hosts workshops for the public. While Njie feels an affinity to the "strong independent spirit and creativity" of people in the capital, her scents are inspired by her dual Scandinavian and Gambian heritage. A self-taught perfumer,…...

3+ hour, 24+ min ago (817+ words) Homes & Property | Where to live Moving to London was a culture shock for Alfie Jackson, and not a pleasant one. But the capital did give him what he had always dreamed of: the chance of making it as a professional musician. Following in the footsteps of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of young men and women Jackson, who has played guitar since he was a teenager, moved to London after university. His day job was a broadcast assistant and scheduler with ITV. But by night he hung out at pubs, clubs, and music venues, networking and listening to as much music as he could. Having spent most of his childhood in the market town of Melton Mowbray " "the home of pork pies" " he found the hectic rush and crush of the city hard to handle. It was a complete shock…...

4+ hour, 30+ min ago (579+ words) Diana Vickers is coming into her own in a new era where she can be everything - actor, singer, writer - all tied together with her "funny bones" "I wasn't gonna let anyone stop me. And I haven"t changed, no. I feel like I've always had a fire in me. It can be to my own detriment sometimes, like nothing's enough. My friend even said to me, you can't even relax when things are going right. I'm always like, everything's really good, but what's next?" As an X Factor contestant in 2008 she hit fame early, at pace, and while finding herself somewhat in the midst of lad mag culture, she considers what it was like to have everyone in the country knowing who you are and says, "I was 16, I was obviously loving it." "It was written about a guy that…...

6+ hour, 24+ min ago (659+ words) In the blink of an eye, the year is almost over. And that means only one thing: Christmas is upon us once more. Alongside all the playing of board games, eating of turkey and unwrapping of presents, there's one other thing that remains a mainstay in most British festive households: the telly. Nothing quite beats the feeling of sitting in front of the TV, sliding into a post-feast food coma and drowsily watching the year's collection of festive specials. With the BBC's festive offering newly released, what better time to round up our picks for the best shows to stream over December? From Taylor Swift to David Attenborough, here's what we're looking forward to putting on. Netflix, out December 3 BBC One, out December 7 Disney+, out December 10 Disney+, out December 12 Prime Video, out December 17 Is the title still accurate when she's…...

6+ hour, 50+ min ago (737+ words) Former footballer Alex Scott said she will quickly leave Australia following her eviction from I'm A Celebrity" Get Me Out Of Here! in order to support her partner Jess Glynne after the singer's mother suffered a major stroke. Scott, 41, was the first campmate to be evicted from the reality show on Friday after it was announced that she had received the fewest votes and would be heading home. During her two weeks in the camp, Scott skydived from 12,000 feet and even waded through offal as part of the show's challenges. Eliminated contestants normally remain at a hotel in Australia until the final, however Scott told the Daily Mirror she wanted to get back to the UK and be a "rock" for Glynne. "I want to be there for the wrap party but I need to get home straight away," she…...

11+ hour, 25+ min ago (681+ words) I'm A Celebrity contestant Aitch has said his sister Gracie, who has Down's syndrome, loved watching model Ellie Goldstein on Strictly Come Dancing. The rapper frequently speaks about his sister and has used his platform to raise awareness of the condition. During Thursday's episode, he told his campmates that Gracie would see'Goldstein, who was the first contestant with Down's syndrome to perform on the BBC dancing competition series, and would tell him that she was "like one of God's special children like me. Speaking about advice he would give to people, he said: "It's not even about how to handle it, it's about how you view it. They're the best people in the world. "Obviously everyone would say this about their siblings " but forget that she's my sister, she is the sickest person I've ever met. "I've heard different stories…...

11+ hour, 42+ min ago (906+ words) Former Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope has topped the Strictly leader board and won the first Instant Dance challenge. Saturday night was eventful in the Elstree studios after the BBC dance competition introduced a new challenge which tasked the couples with performing a dance on the spot for the chance to win extra points. The episode began as normal, with each couple performing their choreographed dances. Cope and his partner Katya Jones danced a rumba to Harry Styles" Falling. They received 36 points from the judges. Head Judge Shirley Ballas said: "I love the chemistry, I love the narrative, and I love the way you told the whole story. So for me, I would say this is one of the very, very good rumbas." Well done." Craig Revel Horwood added: "The hips, I thought lacked a little bit of fluidity and resistance…...

11+ hour, 57+ min ago (1083+ words) The King and Queen have led tributes to award-winning playwright Sir Tom Stoppard, who has died aged 88, describing him as "a dear friend who wore his genius lightly. In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, Charles said: "My wife and I are deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our greatest writers, Sir Tom Stoppard. "A dear friend who wore his genius lightly, he could, and did, turn his pen to any subject, challenging, moving and inspiring his audiences, borne from his own personal history. "We send our most heartfelt sympathy to his beloved family. Let us all take comfort in his immortal line: "Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else. Sir Tom, known for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Arcadia and the film Shakespeare In Love, died "peacefully at his home in Dorset…...

13+ hour, 38+ min ago (945+ words) Award-winning playwright Sir Tom Stoppard has died aged 88. The writer, known for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,Arcadia and the film Shakespeare In Love, died "peacefully" at his home in Dorset "surrounded by his family", United Agents said in a statement. The statement added: "He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of the English language. "It was an honour to work with Tom and to know him." Among those paying tribute was Sir Mick Jagger, lead singer and co-founder of the Rolling Stones, who said Sir Tom was "a giant of the English theatre" and a "friend and companion" who he would miss always. Over his six-decade career, Sir Tom earned Tony and Olivier awards, as well as a Golden Globe…...

13+ hour, 58+ min ago (636+ words) Singer Jess Glynne has hit out at ITV producers after her girlfriend Alex Scott was kicked off I'm A Celebrity, complaining that they didn't give her enough airtime to show "how incredible she really is. The former Lioness was the first star to get booted out of the jungle on Friday night after just 14 days in the competition. After the 41-year-old's exit, the singer took to Instagram to commend her girlfriend's efforts. Jess, 36, wrote: "My woman might be out far earlier than she ever deserved, but I'm so unbelievably proud of her, "She didn't get the airtime to show how incredible she really is, and trust me, this is only the beginning.' The popstar went on to explain how she was unable to meet Alex on the bridge as her mum had suffered a "major stroke and underwent brain surgery....