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BBC launches Fresh Online for short form docs
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC‘s channel BBC Three has announced the launch of a new initiative to find aspiring directors of the future with the creation of Fresh Online – a BBC online space which will showcase the country‘s best short-form documentaries.
Fresh Online will invite aspiring factual filmmakers to produce and submit their short films, which will then be showcased on a new Fresh Online website due to go live later this year.
The website will provide a platform for aspiring filmmakers to get their work seen, while also becoming the ‘go to‘ place for BBC Three audiences interested in documentaries. A collaboration between BBC Three, BBC Documentaries and BBC Learning, Fresh Online will sit alongside the fresh new directors scheme already run by BBC Three.
BBC Three controller Zai Bennett said, “I‘m thrilled with the success of documentaries on BBC Three – from Bafta-winning ‘Our War‘ and the ‘Body Image‘ season to the recent success of ‘The Call Centre‘, the channel is committed to delivering documentaries on a diverse range of topics specifically for a younger audience.”
“The Fresh directors scheme for up-and-coming filmmakers has played a vital role in BBC Three‘s factual offering, and now we‘ll be extending that with Fresh Online aimed at finding the directors of the future,” he added.
BBC commissioning editor for documentaries Charlotte Moore said, “Fresh Online is a chance for us to find raw talent and the next generation of filmmakers. We‘re looking for people who have stories to tell and something to say about the age we‘re living in. Free from the pressures of schedules, budgets and viewing figures, it‘s a chance to experiment, to create short films and to become part of a community of documentary makers in this country. It could be your first step on the road to an Oscar! We‘re looking for films between two and 10 minutes long which give an insight into what‘s really important for young people in today‘s Britain.”
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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.
