It's been another whirlwind week across sport, royalty, and entertainment. From a dramatic Formula 1 race in Azerbaijan to a seismic verdict in the Premier League, and from a life-changing lottery win to a royal memoir making waves—let's break down the stories that have everyone talking.
🏎️ Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Russell Wins as Chaos Unfolds in Baku
The Formula 1 circus rolled into Baku this weekend for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and the race delivered plenty of drama. George Russell claimed victory in a race that saw multiple retirements and a stunning recovery drive from Max Verstappen.
Russell started from pole position and controlled the race from the front, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. The win is a major boost for the Mercedes driver, who is chasing down his teammate Kimi Antonelli in the championship standings.
The Big Story: Verstappen's Charge
The real excitement came from Max Verstappen, who started from a lowly eighth on the grid after a difficult qualifying session. The Dutchman carved his way through the field, storming past Leclerc and into fourth place as the race unfolded. It was a vintage Verstappen performance that reminded everyone why he's still one of the most feared drivers on the grid.
Chaos on the Streets of Baku
The race was punctuated by retirements. Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris were confirmed as DNFs, joining Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, and Alex Albon on the sidelines. Aston Martin's weekend was particularly disastrous, with both Stroll and Alonso retiring early. The team's struggles continued from qualifying, where they had already shown a lack of pace.
Why Saturday?
The race was held on Saturday instead of Sunday due to Azerbaijan's national day of remembrance for the victims of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. It's a unique scheduling quirk that added an extra layer of intrigue to an already unpredictable street circuit.
⚖️ Manchester City: Guilty on 114 of 115 Charges
In what could be the biggest story in Premier League history, an independent tribunal has reportedly found Manchester City guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against them for alleged financial rule breaches.
The Athletic broke the story on Friday, revealing that City have been found guilty on all but one of the charges. The club was first charged in February 2023 following a four-year investigation.
The Reaction from the Football World
Former Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who left the club for Barcelona this summer, spoke out ahead of Spain's Nations League clash with England at Wembley. "I trust the club. They told us to be relaxed," Rodri said, recalling how City had previously been cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020 after a UEFA competition ban.
"What they did, nobody can take from us," Rodri added. "It is not something paid by money, but earned with effort, partnership, being shoulder to shoulder every day".
What's Next?
The sanctions have not yet been decided, with all possibilities remaining on the table—including huge points deductions, financial penalties, and even relegation. City are expected to appeal. For context, Everton were docked points for PSR breaches, but City's case is in a completely different league of severity.
⚽ England Football: World Cup Bronze and a Wembley Clash with Spain
England fans have had plenty to celebrate this year. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Three Lions reached the semi-finals before falling 2-1 to Argentina, with Enzo Fernández scoring the late winner in the 85th minute.
But they bounced back in style. In the third-place playoff, England defeated France 6-4 in a ten-goal thriller, with Bukayo Saka netting a hat-trick. It was a chaotic, brilliant end to a memorable tournament run, and England secured the bronze medal at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
What's Next for England?
The team is back in action today (September 26) against Spain at Wembley, with Thomas Tuchel now at the helm as manager. After a World Cup that showed both England's attacking prowess and defensive vulnerabilities, this Nations League fixture will be a fascinating test of how Tuchel shapes the squad going forward. With Rodri—now at Barcelona—likely lining up against his former City teammates in the England squad, there's an extra layer of intrigue to this one.
🎰 EuroMillions: UK Ticket Holder Wins £111 Million Jackpot
Someone in the UK is waking up significantly richer this weekend. A single ticket holder matched all five main numbers—11, 12, 15, 38, 49—plus the two Lucky Star numbers—10 and 12—to win Friday's £111 million EuroMillions jackpot.
National Lottery operator Allwyn confirmed the win, with senior winners' adviser Andy Carter calling it "fantastic news for a UK EuroMillions player" who has secured the "life-changing" sum.
The Bigger Picture
This marks the third UK EuroMillions jackpot win of 2026. Back in March, one UK winner took home £181 million—the third-largest in UK National Lottery history—while in April, two UK-based winners shared a £125 million jackpot with a French player. The record for the largest UK EuroMillions prize still stands at £195 million, won anonymously in 2022. Tuesday's jackpot is now estimated at £14 million—so if you didn't win this time, there's always next week.
👑 Royal Family: Diana's Brother Drops a Bombshell Memoir
The royal family is once again at the centre of a media storm, this time thanks to a new book by Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's younger brother. Titled "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," the memoir was published on September 22 and has already triggered a rare and sharp rebuttal from Buckingham Palace.
The Explosive Claims
Spencer alleges that King Charles III told him shortly after Diana's death: "Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough". He claims Charles "sounded giddily elated, like a lottery winner" at the news of Diana's death, and says he later suspected Charles may have been thinking about how Diana's death could free him to marry Camilla.
The book also reveals that Diana considered ending her engagement to Charles before their 1981 wedding because she feared he did not love her. Spencer writes that "in her later years, Diana drove herself more than once to Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in England, while contemplating ending it all. Her love for her sons stopped her from going further".
The Palace Strikes Back
Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement from King Charles, saying: "His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss."
Spencer hit back, saying: "It is not every day you wake up to find you've been gaslit by the king." He also claimed Queen Elizabeth II offered to restore Diana's HRH title on the day of her funeral, but he rejected the offer, saying it had come too late.
Royal experts have questioned some of the book's claims. Nearly three decades after her death, Diana's story clearly still has the power to divide and fascinate in equal measure.
🎭 Celebrity Traitors: Series 2 Is Almost Here
The wait is nearly over. The Celebrity Traitors returns for its second series on Thursday, October 1 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with an extra-long opening episode. Episodes will air twice weekly, on Thursday and Friday evenings.
The Lineup
This year's cast is stacked with big names, including Richard E. Grant, Maya Jama, Michael Sheen, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Joe Lycett, and Julie Hesmondhalgh, among others. The celebrities are competing for a cash prize of up to £100,000 for a charity of their choice.
Claudia's Best Moments
Host Claudia Winkleman has been teasing what's to come, revealing that comedian Rob Beckett said something so funny during filming that she had to "hide in a bush until I composed myself". She also discussed her now-iconic wardrobe, saying the fashion for this series went "a little Artful Dodger".
With a cast this talented and a format that thrives on paranoia and betrayal, Series 2 of The Celebrity Traitors looks set to be unmissable television.
From the streets of Baku to the boardrooms of the Premier League, and from Buckingham Palace to a castle full of celebrities—it's been a week that reminds us why these stories capture our attention. Which one has you talking? Let us know in the comments.
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