Around 20million people in England are eligible for the Covid top-up jab this year, including the over-65s, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions.

Fewer people than ever before are tuning into the main channels, with news bulletins and soap operas failing to attract the audiences they once did, according to Ofcom’s Media Nations report.

Olivier Veran, the French health minister, said today that the AstraZeneca vaccine will soon be made available for those aged 50 to 75 with underlying health issues that make them vulnerable to Covid.

Researchers from University College London (UCL) analysed data from people aged between 14 and 93, and found the pandemic has had an effect on exercise habits.

A study found that 23 per cent of retirees admit their grown-up children are in debt to them, with the average amount owed around £3,100.

The study by the University of Texas found that over-65s who drank a can of fizzy diet drinks every day increased their waist size by 3 inches in 10 years, which puts them at higher risk of diabetes.

The age group saw the biggest increase in wedding in 2012, at a time when getting hitched is on the up including a return to religious ceremonies.