Chester Zoo has shared an adorable video of its baby penguins taking their first swimming lessons, and it’s hands down the cutest thing we’ve seen all week.
But would you expect it to be anything less?
The footage shared by the UK’s biggest charity zoo across its social media platforms this week shows two Humboldt penguin chicks – who hatched a little earlier this year, and have already naturally shed their fuzzy grey baby feathers – embark on the brand-new adventure of swimming lessons with the zoo’s 45-strong adult colony.
Understandably a little nervous at first, the penguin chicks can be seen tentatively making a splash, before doing what comes naturally to them within minutes.
Keepers at Chester Zoo say they’re now “zooming through the waters at high speed”.
Oh and we forgot to mention the best bit – not only are the two chicks up there with the cutest things we’ve ever seen, they’re also called Ryan and Rob, and have been named after none other than Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
In a bid to “raise more awareness” of the iconic birds – which are native to the coasts of Chile and Peru, and are known for their charismatic personalities and unique black and white markings” – conservationists at the zoo have chosen to pay homage to one of their favourite local football teams, and have decided to name the Humboldt penguin duo after the Wrexham AFC’s owners.
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Brilliant.
Chester Zoo shares adorable video of baby penguins taking their first swimming lessons / Credit: Chester Zoo
“Each year, our team enjoys choosing a different naming theme for the chicks to help garner some much needed attention for the species,” explained Zoe Sweetman – who is the Team Manager of Penguins and Parrots at Chester Zoo.
“We’ve previously had brands of crisps, chocolate bars, and types of fruit, but this year, as one of our penguin keepers is huge fan of Wrexham AFC, we decided to do something a little different and name the two new male arrivals after Wrexham’s Hollywood owners Ryan (Reynolds) and Rob (McElhenney).
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“They’re both so full of personality and charisma, so it seemed rather fitting.”
Ryan and Rob when they were just newly-hatched little babies / Credit: Chester Zoo
Zoe also revealed that there’s a more “serious message” behind the penguins’ fun names too.
“We hope we can help spread some much-needed awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation,” she added.
“We want to inspire more people to take small, daily steps in playing an active role in protecting the future of species like the Humboldt penguin.”
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
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Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
Boyzone are telling us about coming back together for one final run in their most unforgettable concerts yet 🎤
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right now.
With just a week to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Emily Sergeant -
25th August 2023 
