Kate Randall
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Fashion and showbiz writer with a slightly weird photographic memory and a passion for wine and musicals
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Articles by Kate Randall
Jon Holmes: “How Stephen Fry saved my life”
It’s been three years since Jon Holmes was given a diagnosis of prostate cancer during a routine check-up at the doctors. Despite not really having any symptoms, he decided to get himself checked out after seeing continuous adverts on his social media. Although the treatment he went through was “grim” and “undignified” at times, the 57-year-old comedian and radio host will be forever grateful for phoning the doctors and getting that test.
A fixed methane filter maximizes freshwater emissions under warming
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Abstract Approximately half of all methane (CH4) emissions come from freshwaters, where they are regulated by the microbial ‘CH4 filter’ whose efficiency describes the fraction of CH4 produced that is subsequently oxidized back to CO2 (methanotrophy) before emission. How the CH4 filter efficiency responds to natural warming over centuries or millennia remains unknown.
By Sarah F. Harpenslager, Kate Randall Verified, Yizhu Zhu, Michelle Jackson, Ian Sanders, Bruno Gallo, Danielle Harris, Hannah Prentice, Yulia V. Bespalaya, Olga V. Aksenova, Alexander M. Milner, Tom Cameron, Eoin J. O’Gorman, Gabriel Yvon-Durocher, Nikolai Friberg, Kevin Purdy, Guy Woodward, Alex J. Dumbrell, Mark Trimmer, Boyd A. McKew
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Nature
Verified
World Cup 2026: Everything you need to know
By Kate Randall | Published - 3 Jun 2026 It may be one of the most controversial World Cups of all time (which is quite the feat considering the last two were held in Russia and Qatar), but there’s no doubt that once it kicks off, football fever will grasp most of the country again. Especially with both England and Scotland representing the home nations.
Welcome to the Experience is Everything podcast
By Kate Randall | Published - 20 May 2026 Sometimes there’s nothing better than putting on your favourite podcast and switching off from the world for a while. Whether it’s while you relax on holiday, back at home on your morning walk, or sitting down with a cup of tea, listening to a podcast allows you to become part of a new community and hear stories or opinions you may not have encountered before.
Tea vs coffee: Which one is actually better for your health?
By Kate Randall | Published - 5 May 2026 For many of us, a cup of tea or an energy-boosting coffee are a non-negotiable part of our daily routine but there’s always been a debate over which drink is better for our health. Well, whether you’re Team Coffee or Team Tea, there’s good news as both beverages have benefits and can fit into a healthy lifestyle as well as counting towards consuming 30 plants a week.
Tessa Peake-Jones: “Re-watching Only Fools and Horses was torture”
By Kate Randall | Published - 7 Apr 2026 It’s been more than 20 years since any new episodes of Only Fools and Horses have been made but it still continues to be voted the nation’s favourite TV comedy. The antics of the Trotter family can still regularly be seen on U&Gold and it’s the programme that everyone who starred in the sitcom will forever be associated with.
Dame Jenni Murray: a tribute from her Saga family
By Louise Robinson | Published - 24 Mar 2026 Broadcasting legend Dame Jenni Murray, who has died at the age of 75, was an integral and much-loved part of the Saga family and we will miss her enormously. Her monthly column in Saga Magazine generated a huge postbag in its five years – a reflection of her unerring ability to cover subjects that readers really cared about.
Brenda Blethyn: “I didn’t rule the roost on this set”
By Kate Randall | Published - 10 Mar 2026 It’s been more than 40 years since the TV adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s iconic novel A Woman of Substance hit our screens but the 1985 show remains Channel 4’s most-watched programme.
Prue Leith on her affair shame, her trademark specs and Nigella replacing her
Prue Leith has led a colourful and exciting life – and despite being 86, she has no signs of stopping. She recently announced she was stepping down as a judge on The Great British Bake Off as she wanted to take more opportunities that came her way without the commitment of being in the famous tent for 10 weeks each year. But as she tells Jenni Murray on Saga’s podcast Experience is Everything, she’s thrilled that Nigella Lawson will be replacing her.
Adjoa Andoh on her Bridgerton future and being a famous grandma
As Bridgerton returns to our screens for the second half of series four, there is speculation that one of its main stars is set to leave. Adjoa Andoh, who has played Lady Danbury in the regency Netflix drama since it first aired in 2020, recently said her character needed a “sabbatical” from the show leading to rumours she would not be returning for series five.
Dealing With Argumentative Kids and How to Show Them the Respectful Ways to Argue
As a parent, finding the best way to implement manners for kids may prove to be challenging, especially when you’ve got one that just loves to argue. Should you keep arguing? Try to get the upper hand? You probably don’t want to end another argument in “because I said so” anymore, so what’s the best way to handle argumentative kids? The answer may surprise you.
Eddie the Eagle: “I went from earning £6,000 a year to £20,000 an hour”
By Kate Randall | Published - 16 Feb 2026 It’s been 38 years since Michael David Edwards – aka Eddie the Eagle – won the hearts of the nation, and the rest of the world, when he became the first ski jumper to represent Great Britain at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. He may have finished last in both events, the 70m and 90m jumps, but he was undoubtedly the star of the games. Becoming a household name and a hugely in-demand celebrity, he was able to give up his day job as a plasterer.
Tanni Grey-Thompson on pregnancy, prejudice and how competing left her broken
By Kate Randall | Published - 9 Feb 2026 Tanni Grey-Thompson may have retired from competitive athletics nearly 20 years ago and is now a television presenter as well as a member of the House of Lords (as Baroness Grey-Thompson), but she says her success as a wheelchair racer is still what people remember her for. “Even now, people will say to me, you're the athlete, aren't you?” she explains.
Alex Kingston on divorce, infertility and the future of Strictly
By Kate Randall | Published - 28 Jan 2026 After her stint on Strictly Come Dancing last year, finishing in eighth place with her partner Johannes Radebe, Alex Kingston says she’s so glad she finally did the show after turning it down for years. Speaking on Saga’s new podcast Experience is Everything, Alex – who was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2024 – tells host Jenni Murray: “After I had gone through all of the cancer treatment, I actually felt fantastic.
Dr Miriam Stoppard: 4 ways to help combat loneliness
“It’s at least a decade since I began to think of loneliness as an illness, instead of just being something that happened to people who live alone and was worse in old age,” Dr Miriam Stoppard writes in her new book, Sex, Drugs and Walking Sticks. There’s no denying that loneliness is a growing problem in the UK, especially among the older generation. Recent research revealed that nearly a million over-50s are often lonely, with loneliness a major issue that is now widely recognised in society.
Why there will never be another Paul O’Grady
On 28 March 2023, the nation lost one of its most beloved comedians when Paul O’Grady passed away in his Kent home at the age of 67. Famed for his sharp wit, kindness, loyalty and love of dogs, when the news broke even Queen Camilla paid tribute to him (they grew close when working together for animal welfare charity Battersea Dogs and Cats Home). “He was the most welcome guest at any event, from glamorous parties to private visits to our beloved Battersea, and was loved by one and all,” she said.
The Retinal Light Response Is Modulated by an mGluR5-Mediated Retrograde Signal from ON-Bipolar Cells to Photoreceptors
The Retinal Light Response Is Modulated by an mGluR5-Mediated Retrograde Signal from ON-Bipolar Cells to Photoreceptors Catherine W. Morgans, Tammie L. Haley, Gaoying Ren, Ian A. M. Taylor, Kate L. Randall, Robert M. Duvoisin Journal of Neuroscience 14 January 2026, 46 (2) e2277242025; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2277-24.2025
The Traitors: Everything you need to know about Faithful favourite Harriet
By Kate Randall | Published - 12 Jan 2026 Just when we thought nothing could beat Celebrity Traitors, along came series four of the civilian version and it’s surpassed all expectations – and we’re only two weeks in. There’s been backstabbing, hidden relationships, the Secret Traitor and huge showdowns with two Traitors already banished. There’s no doubt the casting this year has been nothing short of genius but our stand-out star is Harriet Tyce.
Tim Spector on eating more to stay healthy
From calorie-counting to keto, from veganism to no carbs, we’re constantly being bombarded with different advice when it comes to what we should be eating. And we’re always told that when it comes to portion size, the smaller the better. However, Professor Tim Spector, 67, disagrees with that and says that what we put on our plates is more important than how much. In fact, he believes that if we’re eating the right things, we can have a lot more of it.
Why you should never squeeze your teabag - and other golden teamaking rules
By Kate Randall | Published - 7 Jan 2026 With more than 8 million of us enjoying two or more cups of tea a day, there’s no denying that we’re a nation of tea lovers. More than 81% of Saga customers drink a morning cuppa, and most continue throughout the day: around half (46%) drink three or four cups a day, and 29% drink five or more. But how do you make the ultimate cup of tea?
How to leave the sofa and get fit – at any age
By Kate Randall | Published - 2 Jan 2026 As the decorations are put away for another year and the final Christmas chocolates and biscuits are eaten (or thrown away), many of us are vowing to get more fit and active for 2026. But due to the festivities and spending a lot of time on the sofa watching TV and drinking and eating, we may not be at our best as we enter the new year.
Sir Trevor McDonald on newsroom life, tough stories and world leaders
By Kate Randall | Published - 29 Dec 2025 For many of us, Sir Trevor McDonald is the news. Thanks to more than 30 years at ITN – over 15 of them as the main news anchor – and his Tonight with Trevor McDonald programmes, Sir Trevor has been there through all the big stories, good and bad. Whether it was reporting on war and famine, a shocking murder or an uplifting story, his familiar and reassuring voice became a staple in living rooms across the country.
Why you’ve been playing Monopoly wrong for years
By Kate Randall | Published - 22 Dec 2025 Once the presents have been opened, the turkey has been eaten and the Christmas pudding has been set alight, there’s nothing quite like a board game to keep the festivities going. But as we all know, a fun and innocent family game can quickly descend into chaos as players argue over the rules and how you should be playing it. And with Monopoly consistently being voted the UK’s number one board game, it unsurprisingly can cause the most fallouts.
How to throw a christmas fit for royalty
For many of us, the run-up to Christmas can feel less magical and more overwhelming. Between planning meals, hosting family, buying presents and trying to keep everyone happy, festive entertaining can quickly become a source of stress rather than joy. And while most of us are juggling endless to-do lists, the royal family have more of a relaxed approach, with everyone heading to Sandringham in Norfolk, where they are hosted over the festive period by King Charles, and looked after by staff.
Tony Blackburn on retirement, divorce and his radio rivals
By Kate Randall | Published - 15 Dec 2025 With a career spanning more than 60 years and his 83rd birthday approaching in January, nobody would blame Tony Blackburn if he wanted to retire and put his feet up. But the radio legend – who was the first voice on Radio 1 when it launched back in 1967 – says he has no intention of giving up his job and wants to carry on working for as long as he is able to.
The official fool-proof way to spot a scam
By Kate Randall | Published - 12 Dec 2025 Around 800,000 people fell victim to investment and pension scams from May 2023 to May 2024, according to figures from the UK’s watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Which means it has never been more important to be extra vigilant when it comes to financial crimes. From being conned into investing in companies for a high return to transferring pension funds, people are being targeted in a variety of ways.
The retinal light response is modulated by an mGluR5-mediated retrograde signal from ON-bipolar cells to photoreceptors
Abstract The ON visual pathway is initiated by the deactivation of mGluR6, coupled to the opening of TRPM1 channels in retinal ON-bipolar cell dendrites. Here, we show that a second metabotropic glutamate receptor, mGluR5, is localized with TRPM1 and mGluR6 in the dendrites of ON-bipolar cells.
How your daily cup of coffee can prevent falls
By Kate Randall | Published - 7 Dec 2025 Whether you love coffee for its rich taste or increase in energy, there’s no denying that the beverage is a staple of many people’s daily routines. But did you know that your morning mug may offer more than just a delicious boost? Recent research has found that coffee could reduce the risk of falls in old age, by improving muscle strength and reducing fatigue.
How to enjoy Christmas without piling on the pounds
By Kate Randall | Published - 4 Dec 2025 Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year but thanks to all the food, drink and parties, it can also be the most indulgent time of year. Even if you’ve got the strongest willpower in the world, it can be hard to stick to a healthy eating and exercise regime when you’re being offered yet another canapé or a top up of champagne. And let’s face it, who wants to be a party-pooping misery at Christmas?
Welcome to Experience is Everything – the new podcast from Saga
By Kate Randall | Published - 1 Dec 2025 Here at Saga, we all love listening to podcasts. Whether it’s one about the latest political news, something to make us laugh or an in-depth chat, they are becoming more and more part of our daily routines. So we are thrilled to announce the launch of the new free Saga podcast, Experience is Everything, hosted by our columnist Dame Jenni Murray.
How to feel less groggy in the darker mornings
By Kate Randall | Published - 4 Dec 2025 As we face cold, dark and dreary mornings for the next few months, getting out of bed when the alarm goes off isn’t the easiest – or nicest – of tasks. It’s very tempting to stay in bed as long as we can, especially as it feels the winter season can sap all our energy. So, why do we find it harder to wake up feeling fresh in the winter?
Five simple ways to reduce your biological age
By Kate Randall | Published - 28 Oct 2025 “I’m 75 but have the biological age of a 41-year-old” is the kind of sentence you might have heard a lot in recent years. More and more people are being tested to see how old they 'really' are, but what exactly is biological age? And can we really make ourselves younger? Simply put, biological age is an indicator of how your body is ageing, compared to chronological age – the number of years you’ve actually lived.
Carol Vorderman: “Why I haven’t weighed myself in 26 years”
It’s safe to say that, over the past 30 years, our attitudes towards health and fitness have changed. Instead of embarking on fad diets to lose as much weight as quickly as possible, the focus has shifted towards getting stronger and looking after your future self. Somebody who definitely advocates this attitude is broadcaster and writer Carol Vorderman, who has always been interested in health & wellbeing with a scientific approach, rather than just quick fixes.
At boiling point: what it really takes to get a Michelin Star
Screen acting has the Oscars and the Emmys, music has the Grammys, and the theatre has the Tonys. And when it comes to the world of cooking, it’s all about winning a Michelin star (or three). The Michelin Guide was set up by French tyrecompany Michelin in 1900 and its prestigious stars were introduced in 1926 to recognise exceptional restaurants for their culinary quality.
Fancy a snack? What to eat to avoid blood sugar spikes
Snacking in between meals is not always advised but sometimes it’s unavoidable - and even necessary at times. But as we know, some snacks can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes. And while the body has an inbuilt system to deal with blood sugar increases, if you have too many large, fast increases in blood sugars, it can affect your energy, mood, hunger levels and health over time.
The one simple move that will help you age well
Staying strong and supple doesn’t mean spending hours in the gym – in fact, a handful of simple moves can make all the difference to how well we age. We asked personal trainer Louise Arnold – a PT with many clients over 50 – to share her expert advice on the exercises she recommends as we get older and the simple moves that will help us age better.
What really goes on backstage at Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing will be back on our screens this weekend as 15 new celebrities – full of nerves and excitement – begin the long campaign to lift this year’s glitterball trophy. And Debbie McGee knows exactly what they’re going through as she was in the same position in 2017.
Royal tips for the perfect dinner party – and the one thing you’re doing wrong
As the nights get longer and we start to spend more time inside, it is now the ideal time to have people over for dinner again – and we’ve got the expert tips on how to a host a dinner party fit for royalty. Grant Harrold – who worked as King Charles’ butler for more than seven years at Highgrove – draws on his experience to offer Saga Magazine readers advice on how to impress your guests with your hosting skills. He insists it doesn’t have to be expensive.
5 surprising items to help keep pests out of the garden, from the King's ex gardener
There’s nothing more frustrating than working hard in the garden for days on end only for pests to ruin all your efforts. But fear not – there are many easy and affordable eco solutions to deter animals and insects from spoiling your outside space. And what’s more, you probably already own most of them.
30 years of eBay: Inside the wacky world of the online auction site
Thirty years ago, if you wanted to make money from unwanted or unused items, the only real option was to get up at an ungodly hour for the best spot at the nearest car boot sale or forego any profits and donate items to charity or family and friends. But all that changed when French-born computer programmer Pierre Omidyar founded eBay – originally known as AuctionWeb – on 3 September 1995 as a hobby to make some extra cash.
Princess Anne: A-Z of fascinating facts about the hard-working royal
Drama and the royal family seem to go together like a horse and carriage – hardly a day goes by without one member of the clan making controversial headlines. But like most families, there is always a quiet one in the background just getting on with things – in The Firm’s case, that’s Princess Anne. Having inherited the stoic and dutiful traits of her late mother, Queen Elizabeth, Anne is a royal workhorse who helps whip the rest into shape with her no-nonsense attitude.
The news we’ve all been waiting for – chocolate IS good for us
By Kate Randall | Published - 30 Mar 2026 If you’ve ever felt guilty about eating chocolate, then fear not as scientific research has revealed that a daily dose can actually be good for you. Growing evidence suggests that eating a small amount of dark chocolate every day could improve your memory, cognition and cardio-metabolic health.
How the Government’s new app will help you - from pensions and retirement, to travel and benefits
Earlier this week, the Government launched the first version of its new GOV.UK app, with the hope of offering everyone a simple, secure way to access public services all in one place. The app is designed with ease in mind and aims to ‘put public services in your pocket’. Users can now access services such as retirement support, travel advice and benefit entitlements from a smartphone without needing to use the official government website, fill in endless forms or spend hours on the phone.
Women’s Euro 2025: everything you need to know
It’s been three years since Chloe Kelly scored her extra time goal at Wembley Stadium to give England a 2-1 victory over Germany and crown the Lionesses European champions for the first time. The picture of her celebrating on the pitch in her sports bra with her shirt over her head became an iconic image of Euro 2021 (held in 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic) and helped raise the profile and popularity of the women’s game.
Race Across The World winner Caroline Bridge: “I’m no longer scared of being lonely”
It was one of the closet finals in Race Across The World history, with all four teams finishing within three hours of each other. But it was mum and son duo Caroline and Thomas Bridge who crossed the finish line first in Kanyakumari, on the southern tip of India – 14,000km from the starting point of the Great Wall Of China - and pocketing the prize money of £20,000.
ABBA: 10 fascinating facts
In 1975, one year on from winning the Eurovision Song Contest, ABBA released their much-anticipated, self-titled album ABBA. The Swedish quartet – made up of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad – won worldwide fame with their 1974 Eurovision hit Waterloo and this was their first album since their victory.
The new, easy way to test your hearing at home, whatever your age
With more than 18 million people in the UK suffering from hearing loss, tinnitus or diagnosed as clinically deaf, our hearing health has never been more important. Losing your hearing can have a huge impact on your mental health, social life and even on your physical wellbeing, so getting your hearing tested should be a regular event – just like going to the optician or the dentist. Yet according to expert data, only 6% of the population get their hearing tested regularly.
10 fascinating facts about Sir David Attenborough
By Kate Randall | Published - 6 May 2025 Despite having been eligible for retirement for more than 30 years, Sir David Attenborough is showing no signs of slowing down as he approaches his 100th birthday. After more than seven decades exploring the world’s most exotic animals and plants, in his new BBC series, Secret Garden, Sir David focuses on the inhabitants of Britain’s gardens.
How Pilates can improve your sex life - and the other surprising benefits
For both men and women, it is important to have a strong pelvic floor, especially as we get older, and Pilates is one of the best forms of exercises for strengthening it. Instructor Margaret Brabrook, 71, who has been teaching Pilates since 2008 and is a fully-trained fitness expert with over 40 years’ experience – says it’s unsurprising that studies found Pilates can improve your love life as it works wonders on your pelvic floor.
What your Wordle guess really says about you
For nearly three million of us, solving Wordle has become a daily ritual, and everyone has a different approach to the popular word game. For some users, they do the puzzle at the same time every day and use the same first word, while others are more inclined to dip in and out of it and come up with a random five-letter word as their initial guess. On the surface it is just a daily game, but people’s playing technique can really say a lot them and how they handle everyday life.
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