People will be spending 30 per cent longer in the kitchen this winter compared to the summer months – as they crave comfort foods to keep them warm. A study of 2,000 adults who cook at home found they anticipate spending 72 hours rustling up meals from December to February, but just 55 hours from June to August. And 40 per cent spend more time cooking in the cooler months than they do during any other season. Among the reasons for this upward trend are a craving for more hearty, comforting dishes (65 per cent), wanting to feel warm and cosy (42 per cent), and the kitchen being the warmest room in the house (32 per cent). It also emerged 51 per cent are concerned about the impact more time spent in the kitchen will have on their household bills. As a result, 79 per cent are keen to learn more energy-efficient recipes. The research was commissioned by Smart Energy GB, which has teamed up with Michelin-trained chef, Poppy O’Toole, dubbed TikTok’s ‘Potato Queen’, who has crafted a selection of energy-efficient recipes and hacks She said: “Winter is one of my favourite seasons when it comes to the wealth of hearty, comforting recipes you can create - especially if they include potatoes. “And when the weather is colder and the days shorter, what better way to spend time than cooking your favourite winter warmers? “These dishes can take more time and energy to make, which is why I’m excited to show it doesn’t always have to be this way. “I’ve developed a recipe range of energy efficient takes on classic favourites - all with the help of a smart meter.” The study also found 25 per cent of those with a smart meter plan to monitor their in-home display more carefully during the winter. Of those, 42 per cent are doing so because it gives them a greater sense of control over their household bills, while 40 per cent want to reduce their energy use when cooking. One in five of all adults are searching for more cost-saving cooking methods, and 77 per cent said being mindful about energy use when cooking is important to them. It also emerged the typical home cook will use their oven for the equivalent of nearly three days (64 hours) from December to February, and their hob for nearly two days (46 hours). This amounts to at least £18 in energy usage in the kitchen alone between December and February, according to data from Smart Energy GB and Energy Saving Trust. A traditional roast, shepherd’s pie and sausage and mash are among the most popular meals made when then temperature plummets. The study, conducted via OnePoll, also found 39 per cent are using more kitchen appliances in their cooking endeavours than ever before. The oven was voted the top winter appliance of choice (43 per cent), with the economical air fryer (27 per cent) also featuring in the top 10. Victoria Bacon, director at Smart Energy GB, said: “As we head into the colder, winter months where many people spend more time in the kitchen, small changes to the way we cook can make a tangible difference to the amount of energy that’s used. “Smart meters are installed at no extra cost by your energy supplier and come with a handy in-home display which allows you to track your usage in near-real time. “These warming recipes created by Poppy are the perfect thing to help households rustle up hearty dish, while keeping an eye on energy use.” Read More Watch live as gun salutes mark King Charles III’s 75th birthday Woman defends her $7,000 cheese board How to host a dinner party for under £2 per portion Man shows the increase in grocery prices since 2019 Starbucks customer reveals comical result of her request for half sandwich Waitrose Christmas advert features Graham Norton cameo at kid-free festive party

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Spoilers ahead. When Sex and the City premiered in 1998, it was truly revolutionary for its authentic depiction of the female experience on television (albeit a cis, white, thin, non-disabled experience). Despite its flaws, the show’s portrayal of love, sex, relationships, and friendship was like nothing else we’d ever seen before, and continues to hold relevance even 25 years after it first aired.

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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton bucked the trend by apologising after an incident in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, insisting the rest of the F1 grid “complains and moans to try and not get a penalty.” Hamilton admitted he was at fault for a collision with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at Monza – he received a five-second time penalty as a result – and apologised to the Australian after the race. Wolff, who stated that Max Verstappen’s 10th win in a row was “completely irrelevant”, concurred with Hamilton’s analysis and made a sharp dig at the rest of the field in the process. “Lewis is very sportsmanlike with these things – and he is the only one that I see out there admitting, saying that he’s wrong,” Wolff told media after the race. “We just had a chat and he said ‘I didn’t see him on the right and that is on me’. And I think that kind of sportsmanship is what you need to admire with him. “Pretty much everyone else is complaining and moaning just to try to not get a penalty. “These things happen. It was hard racing to overtake here and we’ve seen a few of these. It [the penalty] was justified.” Ultimately, the penalty had no impact on Hamilton who finished sixth, while the clash cost Piastri a top-10 finish after he had to pit for a new front nose, dropping him down the order. He finished 12th. Hamilton said: “I misjudged the gap I had with Piastri right at the end. It was totally my fault. “I apologised to him straight afterwards and we move on.” Piastri, though disappointed with the race-impacting clash, seemed satisfied with Hamilton’s apology. “He creeped over a bit more than he thought,” Piastri said. “The stewards gave their verdict and Lewis apologised and nothing more I can ask for or do at that point.” Hamilton’s team-mate, George Russell, finished fifth in an indifferent weekend for Mercedes in Monza after the pair signed new contracts until the end of the 2025 season. Read More FIA reveal results of 2022 F1 cost cap process Toto Wolff blunt in response to Max Verstappen’s ‘irrelevant’ record Alex Albon, James Vowles and the start of a Williams renaissance FIA announce results of 2022 F1 cost cap process F1 2023 race schedule: When is the Singapore Grand Prix? Damon Hill unimpressed by Toto Wolff’s dismissal of Max Verstappen’s record win

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Max Verstappen recorded a dominant victory at the Spanish Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished second and third for Mercedes. Verstappen led all 66 laps at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya to record his fifth win from the opening seven rounds and extend his championship lead. Hamilton started fourth but finished runner-up, with team-mate Russell completing the podium places on a strong afternoon for the Silver Arrows. Sergio Perez secured fourth spot after moving ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz with a dozen laps remaining. Verstappen’s title lead over his Red Bull team-mate now stands at 53 points, with a week off before the next round in Canada on June 18. A day on from crushing his opposition to take pole, Verstappen held off the advances off Sainz on the long run to the opening corner and from there, his 40th career victory, which takes him just one shy of Ayrton Senna’s career tally, never looked in doubt. Red Bull have won all seven rounds this year, and 17 of the last 18 races contested, and their stranglehold on the sport shows few signs of easing. Mercedes have endured a turbulent season in their pursuit of Red Bull, but the Brackley team will take significant pleasure from their performance here. The seven-time world champion, who started fourth, survived a prang with Lando Norris on the second corner. Hamilton leapfrogged his countryman off the start-line before Norris nibbled at the Mercedes’ gearbox, and broke his front wing in the process. The McLaren man was forced to stop for repairs. Hamilton lost a position to Lance Stroll, but on lap eight he was back ahead of the Aston Martin driver. Further behind and Russell, who started 12th following a bizarre collision with Hamilton in qualifying, was on the move, too. After ending the opening lap in seventh, Russell cleared Fernando Alonso, before slipstreaming his way ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon. On lap 15, Sainz stopped for rubber, promoting Hamilton to second, with Verstappen eight seconds up the road. Nine laps later, Hamilton made his first stop, dropping him back behind Sainz, with Russell pitting for fresh rubber on the next lap. But the Mercedes men, in their upgraded machines, were flying on new tyres, and on lap 28, Hamilton roared past Sainz to assume second position. Seven laps later, Russell was also ahead of the Ferrari man following a fine move down the Spaniard’s inside at Turn 1. “Solid work,” was the verdict of Russell’s race engineer, Marcus Dudley. “Just solid?” replied Russell. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was next on the radio. “It was pretty good,” the Austrian said. Mercedes hauled Hamilton and Russell in for a second pit-stop, but the team-mates, hung on to second and third on the road, with both Verstappen and Perez also needing a second change of tyres. Verstappen was handed the black and white flag for exceeding track limits, but took a bonus point for setting the fastest lap, and crossed the line 24 seconds clear of Hamilton, who finished eight seconds ahead of team-mate Russell. Stroll was sixth, one spot ahead of home favourite Alonso, who, despite a move on Ocon in the latter stages, provided the packed grandstands with little to cheer as he registered his worst finish of the season. Charles Leclerc finished only 12th on a weekend to forget for the Ferrari driver, with Norris, who qualified third, 18th, following his first-lap accident. “It is a big pleasure to drive a car like this,” Verstappen said afterwards. “It showed again today. A win here is incredible. “I had another strong weekend and that is what I like and hopefully we can keep that up throughout the year.” Hamilton said: “What a result for our team. We definitely did not expect that, so I want to take my hat off to the team and everyone back at the factory. “The Red Bulls are still ahead but we will keep working at it and chasing them down.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen tops rain-hit final practice for Spanish Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton toils in 12th as Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominate in Spain Fernando Alonso: Hamilton can win eighth title but Verstappen can break records