Love it or loathe it (or quietly acknowledge that it’s not aged all that well while continuing to ingest it every year), Love Actually is a Christmas classic.
It’s one of the biggest festive films of all time, starring some incredibly famous faces, as a light-hearted plot follows nine different couples in the run-up to Christmas.
There’s family tension, unrequited love, language barriers, questionable workplace practices (looking at you, Prime Minster Hugh Grant. And you actually, Alan Rickman), heartbreak, heartache, dodgy dancing and even dodgier flirting.
But this is a Richard Curtis film, so as much as people may take issue with some the storylines – if you’ve never read this Jezebel article, please do – Love Actually certainly warms the cockles.
A couple of years ago though, people found a new thing to be outraged about, and that is the age gap between two of the show’s stars.
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The age gap between these two Love Actually stars is wayyy smaller than you think. Credit: Universal
When people found out the age difference between Keira Knightley and Thomas Brodie-Sangster at the time they starred in the film, they were stunned.
For at the time of filming, there was a mere five-years between the two – Thomas was 13, and Keira was just 18 years old.
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Keira Knightley was actually closer in age to Thomas than she was to her on-screen husband, Chiwetel Ejiofor, who is eight years older than her.
Yearly reminder that there is only a five year age gap between Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Keira Knightley in Love Actually pic.twitter.com/ciC4v75ZPO
On Twitter, one person said: “Recently found out that Thomas Brodie Sangster and Keira Knightly had a 5-year age gap in this movie. The math isn’t mathing.”
Another wrote: “oh yeah there’s only a five year age gap between Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Keira Knightley in Love Actually who knew??????”
Someone else said: “There was a FIVE YEAR age gap between these two when Filming Love Actually. What. The. Heck.”
Featured image: Universal
Christmas
Festive pop-up cafe filled with hundreds of dogs in Christmas jumpers is coming to Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Are you a dog person? Love seeing lots of little pups in the same place? Looking for your dog to make some four-legged friends?
Well you’re in luck, as the Pup Up Cafe is heading back out on a tour of the UK next month, and if the concept of the popular event wasn’t already flipping cute enough as it is, this time around, it’s a Christmas-themed edition, and it’s sounding set to be the perfect festive day out in the city with your fur baby.
If you’re looking to get in the Christmas spirit early, then both the ‘Jingle Paws’ all-breeds and dedicated ‘Dashing Dachshund’ pop up cafes – or we should say ‘pup up cafe’ – are returning to Manchester in late November.
The adorable events will be filling a popular city centre venue with loads of dogs to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
A festive pop-up cafe filled with hundreds of dogs in Christmas jumpers is coming to Manchester / Credit: Supplied
Last year, hundreds of different dogs visited the cafe to join in on the festive fun, and this year is expected to be no different, as the event organisers have secured a large city centre space for all the dogs to roam free.
Whether you’re a dog owner yourself, or just a big fan, everyone’s free to attend to mingle with many furry little friends, take part in a range of seasonal activities, and stock up on canine-related goodies as early Christmas presents.
There’ll be ball pits, toys, and tunnels for all the zoomies, while the pups themselves can enjoy unlimited dog treats and free puppuccinos.
With up to 50 dogs allowed per session, and festive fancy dress very much encouraged, each pup will get a Christmas present on arrival at the party, and will even have the chance to win some extra prizes if they’re the best dressed.
A dedicated photographer will be getting snaps of each session and there’ll be loads of Christmas props to use in the pictures.
So, if you fancy joining The Pup Up Cafe when it arrives in Manchester for Christmas on Sunday 23 November, then tickets will set you back £12 if you’re a dog owner, and £15 if you’re just a dog person who’s keen to go along for the fun anyway.
Greggs confirms Festive Bakes return date as it unveils 2025 Christmas menu
Emily Sergeant
Greggs has unveiled its Christmas menu for 2025, and that means the Festive Bake is back again in all its glory.
The UK’s most-popular high street bakery chain has officially revealed its festive food and drink offering for the 2025 season, and there’s a few brand-new goodies joining the lineup this year, along with the return of some undeniable fan favourites.
And of course, nothing spells Christmas at Greggs quite like the Festive Bake, right?
The chain’s classic crumb-coated pastry filled with chicken, sage and onion stuffing, and sweetcure bacon in a creamy sage and cranberry sauce goes down an absolute treat each year, and is a serious fan-favourite, so it’s no surprise it’s made a comeback for 2025.
Thankfully for plant-based foodies, the Vegan Festive Bake has also made a comeback, but this year under a slightly different name – the Vegan Lattice (Festive Edition).
Greggs has unveiled its Christmas menu for 2025 / Credit: Greggs
Despite the new name, the flavours have stayed the same, as the Vegan Festive Lattice is puff pastry filled with savoury-flavour Quorn mycoprotein pieces, sage and onion stuffing balls, and vegan bacon, finished with a mouth-watering cranberry and red onion sauce.
Another returning Greggs festive favourite this year is the Christmas Lunch Baguette, which is a freshly-baked baguette ‘jam-packed full of festive flavours’, alongside last year’s newest addition, the Festive Flatbread – which is filled with sage and onion-style chicken, sweetcure bacon, mayo and cranberry and red onion relish.
When it comes to sweet treats, Greggs really does take some beating, as the lineup is full of tasty cakes, muffins, biscuits, and more.
Some of the stand-out newbies this year include the Gingerbread Muffin, and the Christmas Mini Caramel Shortbreads, while returning for more is the indulgent Chocolate & Hazelnut Flavour Doughnut, the Christmas tree and start-shaped biscuits, and of course, the classic Sweet Mince Pies.
The festive drinks lineup this year includes the popular Mint mochas and hot chocolates, and the Salted Caramel Latte.
Gingerbread returns for 2025 too, and you can get Gingerbread Lattes both hot and iced, as well as a Gingerbread Flat White.
Daisy Jackson -
23rd December 2022 
