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BBC’s comedy site offers a new look
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC has unveilled the full launch of its comedy website bbc.co.uk/comedy, featuring new elements, offering users a more immersive experience.
Comedy fans can now navigate BBC comedy past, present and future. There are classic archive moments aggregated into collections, exclusive material from the likes of The Thick Of It and Outnumbered and bespoke web-only comedies from some of the hottest new talent online.
Following its beta launch in May 2009, the site has become a playground for the next generation of comedy stars as well as enabling well-known comedy greats to experiment with new ideas.
The library now features over 600 clips that have amassed 2.5 million views on bbc.co.uk, with as many again being watched on YouTube.
The broadcaster adds that bbc.co.uk/comedy is the place to discover rising stars such as Jason Lewis, Idiot Of Ants, Harry Partridge and Mr Khan, played by Adil Ray – one of the stars of Bellamy‘s People.
To mark the full rollout of the site, comedy fans will also be treated to sketches from comedy talent including Those Mitchell And Webb Animations, a collaboration between the team behind the sketch show and some new online animators.
James Corden, Jaime Winstone, Robert Llewellyn and Ewen Macintosh star in BeastHunters – a fantasy horror series that follows a team of amateur de-beasters on their hunt to find creatures released from a mysterious medieval bestiary – The Whisperine, created by newcomers Jamie Lennox and Louis Waymouth.
There will be a series of short films by Lenny Henry, titled Conversations With My Wife. Lenny plays a stay-at-home dad Skyping with his executive wife who is jetting off around the world.
In a bid to further utilise the online trend of sharing content, bbc.co.uk/comedy will be introducing Playlists, which will allow established comedy talent to recommend their favourite BBC comedy moments of all time as well as discover up-and-coming comedy. Kick-starting this will be Stephen Merchant and Johnny Vegas.
BBC Comedy Commissioning controller Cheryl Taylor says, “The BBC Comedy website represents an extraordinarily diverse array of classic and cutting-edge humour and I would urge all comedy fans to check it out.
“Any platform which showcases both established and up-and-coming comedians in such innovative and accessible ways is hugely valuable to the genre and offers up brilliant development opportunities to both on and off screen talent.”
BBC Multiplatform commissioning executive Martin Trickey says, “The site brings together the best of the BBC from past, present and future. People will be able to find classic moments from comedy greats alongside the freshest new talent from around the UK.”
bbc.co.uk/comedy, aims to be the first port of call for comedy lovers, enabling them to catch up on the latest comedies from across the BBC via BBC iPlayer, discover spin-off content via the Red Button and YouTube, join in discussions and keep up to date with the latest news via the blog and Twitter.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
