London Mayor Sadiq Khan Hails ‘Adolescence' for Having ‘Mainstreamed' Conversation About ‘Epidemic' of Violence Against Women
'Adolescence' has been praised by London Mayor Sadiq Khan for helping bring the subject of violence against women and the dangers of social media into the limelight.
Speaking to Variety on the sidelines of the inaugural SXSW London, where he gave the opening speech, Khan said that there was an 'epidemic of violence against women and girls' in the U.K., citing statistic from 2019 and 2020 that asserted 'every three days a woman is killed at the hands of a man.'
More from Variety
Jon Stewart Tackles Elon Musk's Exit From the Trump Administration: 'This Guy Has Seen Some S-t'
Inaugural SXSW London Opens With Mayor Sadiq Khan Taking Shots at 'Inward-Looking Mentality' of U.S. and Trump Tariffs: 'The U.K. is Tearing Down Barriers to Trade, Not Putting Up Walls'
Creators of 'Adolescence' and 'Squid Game' Reveal Behind-the-Scenes Secrets at Produced By Conference
While he said there was obviously a major part to be played by criminal justice, he noted that it was also hugely important for it to be address in educational terms in schools, highlighting various London initiatives, including one for teachers to use inside classrooms.
'Because I'm afraid boys in particular need to be taught about healthy relationships, about how to respect girls, but also about stoicism about resilience,' he said. 'So when you're seeing, for the first time a TIkTok or a social media film or a YouTube video about the way to treat girls, you realize that's not the way to treat girls, that's not the way to treat women, and you're seeing it from, you know, inverted commas: banter, name calling, verbal abuse, sexual harassment, violence, abuse, rape and murder … that's why it's really important we tackle it at all levels of the spectrum.'
But, for all the concern, Khan noted that he'd been 'pulling my hair out over the lack of people's attention in this area,' which is why he gives 'Adolescence' so much credit.
'Stephen Graham is a genius, but Netflix deserve huge credit,' he said. And listening to Jack (Thorne), who wrote it and Stephen and the publicity they did afterwards was really important. Those conversations, from going to Parliament, having those conversations with MPs to talking about it on sofas and breakfast TV. Hopefully everyone's going to understand this is an issue that's not going to go away and we're going to carry on addressing this issue, from making sure the laws keeping up to pace with some of the stuff girls go through.'
Khan referenced a The Killers concert he attended several years ago where a woman was upskirted.
'At that time, it wasn't a criminal offense, you could take photographs up women's skirts, but the law has been changed now to make upskirting an offense,' he said. 'Her experience of the concert was very different to mine and that's why people like you and I — men — have got to show ally-ship and empathy for women and girls. And that's why 'Adolescence' is so important. It mainstreamed this.
Speaking to Variety, Khan also doubled-down on his opening speech at SXSW London, where he pitched the British capital as a stable international investment opportunity as opposed to the U.S., where there was 'uncertainty and political' and an 'inward-looking mentality'
'I know from speaking to friends in America that they're in choppy political waters, and what I'm saying to them is, that we have something rare in London, which is an environment that is open, that is stable, that is diverse, so it's perfect for the creative industries,' he said, adding that the number of Americans moving to the U.K. had soared since Trump started his second term as president.
'In the first three month of this year, we had record numbers of Americans coming to the U.K., and coming to London in particular, looking at properties, looking at nationality. I know from speaking to those in the film sector, the music sector and the fashion sector, that's there's huge appetite to build on what they've been doing in London, and to come to London,' he said.
'You'll have seen some of the concern from all sorts of sectors within Hollywood about some of the things President Trump is saying, and so what I'm saying is look, London's a place that's the opposite, where there's an antidote to the negativity, so come to London.'
Best of Variety
What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
2 hours ago
- UPI
Arrest made in hit-and-run death of Realtor in Netflix reality series
Sara Burack, a luxury real estate agent who appeared on Netflix's Million Dollar Beach House, was killed Thursday when she was mowed down in a hit-and-run while walking. Photo from luxgrouppalmbeach/Instagram June 21 (UPI) -- Police on Long Island have arrested a suspect in the fatal hit-and-run crash of Sara Burack, a luxury real estate agent featured on Netflix's Million Dollar Beach House. She was 40. Friday, one day after the crash, Amanda Kempton, 32, of Virginia, was arrested on charges of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident in which a fatality occurred in Hampton Bays. On Saturday, the marine biologist's family in Manorville put up collateral in lieu of $100,000 bail during a first appearance in Southampton Town Justice Court. Kempton, who had planned to return to Virginia for a wedding Saturday, faces up to seven years in prison in the felony case. Burack was discovered lying unconscious on the side of Montauk Highway, near Villa Paul Restaurant, at around 2:45 a.m. Thursday, Southampton Town police told the New York Daily News. Burack was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she died that afternoon, her friend and fellow realtor Paulette Corsair said. Corsair said Burack endured severe injuries to her head, brain and liver, as well as a broken leg. "This animal of a being, left her in the gutter to die," Corsair posted on Facebook. "She was not identified for hours. Her beloved family was called & I was next. We were all bedside w sara til the end." Although Kempton was at a tavern before the incident, her lawyer told the court that alcohol is not a factor in the case. Kempton did not see the victim in the fog, Keahon said, and thought she had hit a traffic cone. She left the scene and went to a friend's home, and found Burack's large, pink, wheeled suitcase underneath her vehicle, Keahon said. Authorities, using a license plate reader, tracked Kempton's movements and found her vehicle with a damaged front end at her family's home, prosecutors said. Burack, who lived in Southampton, was a renowned broker and former agent with Nest Seekers International, a luxury firm known for handling properties in Manhattan and the Hamptons. She listed property through Palm Beach Lux Group in Florida. Burack appeared on Million Dollar Beach House in 2020 with Peggy Zabakolas and J.B. Andreassi.
Hamilton Spectator
5 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
The Rob Ford Netflix documentary is extra surreal for me. Because I'm in it
Many Torontonians are, thanks to a new Netflix documentary , reliving Rob Ford's wildly chaotic, world-headline-making years as the city's mayor and chief magistrate. Watching ' Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem ,' was extra surreal for me because I'm in it, among three reporters, three former mayoral staffers and two city councillors whose recollections narrate Ford's unlikely election, early mayoral success, crack-fuelled scandal and untimely death. Reactions to the doc, since it went live Tuesday, are as fascinating and varied as Torontonians' evaluations of Ford as mayor, ranging from martyred best-mayor-ever to a natural human disaster for the city. Ontario Premier Doug Ford says a new Netflix documentary about his late brother Rob Ford is "disgusting." The doc titled 'Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem" chronicles Rob Ford's rise to power as Toronto mayor in 2010 and his chaotic time in office. Speaking at a news conference in Toronto, Doug Ford said he wasn't going to watch the film, and he doesn't see eye-to-eye with the creators. (June 17, 2025 / The Canadian Press) In 2016, when asked about Ford's death from a rare cancer, I replied that it was a huge human tragedy for him and his family. For the city, his reign was collective trauma that would take years for all of us to work through. We're still doing the work. Some reviewers have questioned why do the doc, and why now . The reality is that Canada, where the Ford story is known, is a small part of Netflix's viewership. This is a fast-paced retelling aimed at a global audience including those who had never heard of him. Social media reactions from viewers in the U.S., England and elsewhere are versions of 'I remember a bit about this guy but the stuff in here is CRAZY, can it all even be true? And in Canada??' I sympathize because, even though I watched Ford like a hawk as the Star's city hall bureau chief, I had forgotten how many embarrassing videos surfaced before he finally went to rehab. Torontonians' reactions seem split between Ford fans who, like his brother Doug the premier, think that making a doc is 'disgusting,' those who say the filmmakers made a balanced and informative recounting, and those who say glowing tributes and missing details hide lasting damage Ford did to the city's reputation, transit, finances and more. My take is that U.K.-based director Shianne Brown and her team did a great job in the run time they had, less than 50 minutes, and within the confines of a 'Trainwreck' series focused on promising things that went horribly wrong. I can say from my window into the process that they took the challenge seriously and did exhaustive research, including three background interviews with me before I went on camera. Could the Rob Ford experience have sustained a 90-minute treatment, or longer? Absolutely. The doc doesn't mention the saga of Ford mugging my then-colleague Daniel Dale of his BlackBerry , trying to ruin Daniel's reputation with a heinous falsehood and being forced to apologize . Also missing are Ford's visits to Taste of the Danforth and the Biermarkt, as well as wandering through city hall at 2:30 a.m. with a half-drunk bottle of brandy . A friend who worked at city hall and knew Ford well told me the story is crying out for a multi-part, Scorsese-esque dramatization. Brown artfully covered the question 'What happened?' A longer run time would have allowed a look at 'Why?', and a deeper exploration of the most complicated person I have met in 36 years of reporting. The film mentions the strong influence of Doug Ford Sr., the rags-to-riches millionaire patriarch and one-term Progressive Conservative MPP who was 'tough' on the kids but sparked their ambition before his own premature cancer death. There is more to consider on that. In 2014, I examined why the Fords had no 'off switch,' no matter what came at them, by talking to Doug Ford and family friends. Doug Sr. used to call his four privileged children's unlimited potential 'the gold mine.' 'Any time he got ticked off he'd say, 'You aren't mining the gold!' ' Doug recalled. 'The gold mine, it doesn't have to be financial. You have an opportunity and take advantage of the opportunity.' In 2010 when Rob Ford launched his mayoral campaign at an Etobicoke convention hall , he choked up looking skyward and said: 'He was my idol ... I know you're with me Dad, I know you're with me.' For the 2014 story , when Rob Ford was deep in addiction and scandal, people who knew Doug Sr. and his sons told me that the father who ignited Rob's passion for politics was the only person who could have forced him to temporarily quit to get healthy — but he was gone. The documentary doesn't include the mayor captured by police surveillance drinking in the Etobicoke park named after his father. He seemed haunted by the loss of Doug Sr., the pressures of being mayor of Canada's biggest city — a job he appeared to dislike except for public appearances and helping individuals — and multiple investigations into his conduct. In the documentary, I note that Rob attempted to demonize and delegitimize media, hitting hardest those most likely to expose or criticize him, before U.S. President Donald Trump did the same. Part of the reason Ford is still important is that he was a warning that the populist ability to buffalo through any allegation, with bravado and no shame, is an incredibly powerful political weapon. Something else I felt when the documentary ended was a phantom-limb-like memory of my exhaustion trying to ensure we were keeping up with a seemingly inexhaustible mayor on an extended rampage. I was seeing my wife and young kids so little, and thinking about Ford so much, that I sought and got a nine-month fellowship — my rehab from Rob Ford — at U of T's Massey College. But on a fellowship trip to Berlin I opened a newspaper, aiming to test my high school German, only to see a front-page story headlined 'Crack-rauchen Bürgermeister' — crack-smoking mayor — and knew that I could not escape Rob Ford. Later, when I was back at work and Ford was back from rehab, my doctor sent me to a private clinic for my first routine colonoscopy. As an anesthetist prepared to put me out, the physician about to perform the procedure asked what I do for a living. When I told him, he beamed and said he knew Ford from the Muskoka addiction clinic, adding 'I like Rob!' My stomach lurched. Ford Nation folks hated the Star, and by extension me. 'But him,' the physician said, pointing at the anesthetist as the needle slid into my arm, 'he LOVES Rob Ford.' 'Oh my God,' I thought just before the lights went out, 'they're going to kill me.' Spoiler: They were completely professional and I survived. But I couldn't escape Rob Ford. I still can't, and we still can't. We're still doing the work.
New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
5 foods that naturally stimulate the ‘Ozempic hormone' — without drugs
Want to shed pounds without getting poked? Your fork might be the fix. While GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have taken the weight-loss world by storm, there are some everyday foods that offer similar benefits naturally — no needle required. 'No one food is a magic bullet for anything, but getting a balanced diet rich in nutrition-dense foods is a great way to manage your appetite and feelings of being full,' Dr. Amir Khan, a general practitioner, said in an Instagram video. Advertisement Khan broke down five foods to add to your diet if you're looking to naturally boost your levels of GLP-1, the hunger-controlling hormone that these trendy drugs are designed to mimic. An added bonus: These foods are also packed with nutrients that benefit your whole body, not just your waistline. But first: what is GLP-1? Advertisement GLP-1 is a hormone released by the small intestine after you eat, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It plays several key roles in how the body processes food, including triggering insulin production to turn meals into energy and lower blood sugar levels. 5 About 12% of US adults have tried a GLP-1 drug. millaf – Advertisement It also suppresses glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar, and slows stomach emptying, which helps you feel fuller for longer. GLP-1 drugs mimic this natural process by curbing appetite and reducing food intake, often leading to weight loss. But according to Khan, some kitchen staples can produce similar effects. #1 Eggs Packed with protein and monounsaturated fats, eggs have been shown to help boost GLP-1 secretion. Advertisement 'Egg whites in particular are thought to be beneficial to GLP-1 release,' Khan said. 5 Eggs may even help trigger the release of GLP-1 and other satiety hormones. Mara Zemgaliete – A 2016 study compared a bagel breakfast to one with three eggs. The egg meal led to lower blood sugar after eating, less hunger, and reduced food intake over the next 24 hours. #2 Certain nuts Almonds, pistachios, and walnuts may help boost GLP-1 thanks to their fiber, protein, and healthy fats. These nutrients work together to slow digestion, leading to a more steady rise in blood sugar and improving insulin sensitivity. #3 High-fiber grains Grains like oats, barley and whole wheat are packed with soluble fiber, which dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance in your gut. 5 Soluble fiber, found in oats, barley, and rye, slows down the digestion process. baibaz – Advertisement This gel slows digestion and the release of glucose into your bloodstream, preventing sugar spikes and triggering GLP-1 release. #4 Olive oil 'Studies suggest unsaturated fats, like those in olive oil, stimulate GLP-1 release better than saturated fats found in butter,' Khan explained. Olive oil also slows carbohydrate digestion, helping prevent rapid blood sugar spikes. Advertisement Its polyphenols and vitamin E provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that support hormone regulation — including GLP-1. A 2021 review found that a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil led to higher post-meal GLP-1 levels, improved insulin sensitivity, and lower blood sugar compared to diets high in saturated fats. #5 Some vegetables Veggies like Brussels sprouts, broccoli and carrots are loaded with fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar. Advertisement Gut bacteria break down that fiber into short-chain fatty acids, which Khan says signal gut cells to release GLP-1 into the bloodstream. 5 Vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, which can help regulate blood sugar and GLP-1 levels. Wolfilser – A 2022 study found that eating vegetables before carbs significantly improved glucose and GLP-1 levels in people with type 2 diabetes — especially an hour after eating. America's weight problem Advertisement About one in eight US adults have tried a GLP-1 drug, according to a 2024 KFF poll. Among them, nearly four in 10 say weight loss was the primary reason. Obesity is an epidemic in America, with more than two in five adults and nearly one in five kids and teens classified as obese, per the CDC. The health fallout is huge. Obesity is a risk factor for a wide range of chronic conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, kidney disease and even several cancers. But it's not just physical. Obesity can take a toll on mental health, with research showing it increases the risk of developing low self-esteem, depression, eating disorders and chronic stress. On top of that, people with obesity often face bias at school and work, taking a serious toll on their quality of life.
