It's been called a bigger scandal than thalidomide but one you may never have heard of. For decades women were taking an epilepsy drug during pregnancy, without being told it could harm their babies. How long were the dangers known about - and why weren't they told? ITV Meridian Social Affairs Correspondent Christine Alsford tells I'm Lucy Watson and this is What You Need to Know. --- For more of our reporting: https://www.itv.com/news/topic/sodium-valproate...
Jun 30, 2025•15 min
It's been called a bigger scandal than thalidomide but one you may never have heard of. For decades women were taking an epilepsy drug during pregnancy, without being told it could harm their babies. How long were the dangers known about - and why weren't they told? ITV Meridian Social Affairs Correspondent Christine Alsford tells I'm Lucy Watson and this is What You Need to Know. --- For more of our reporting: https://www.itv.com/news/topic/sodium-valproate...
Jun 30, 2025•15 min
Hundreds of fake companies. Thousands of scams. An estimated billion euros swindled. But just one entity apparently behind it all. ITV News has helped uncover a global scamming network - targeting victims around the world - which appears to use ordinary suburban homes across the UK to hide their operation. Sam Holder and Daniel Boal tell Sally Biddulph What You Need To Know.
Jun 27, 2025•11 min
When were you first offered drugs? Uni? Sixth form? Well, when it comes to Ketamine - children as young as 12 are getting hooked on the horse tranquilizer. Why are they taking it, how are they getting it and what's it doing to them? George Hancorn tells Lucy Watson what you need to know.
Jun 25, 2025•13 min
Stranded on the Antarctic ice, their ship sunk - how did Ernest Shackleton's crew survive for two years before being rescued? ITV News Science Correspondent Martin Stew is on his way to the scene of that mission impossible - more than a hundred years ago. And from penguins to chimpanzees - conservationist Jane Goodall tells us why what happens in Antarctica impacts all of us. Martin tells Lucy Watson and this is What You Need To Know....
Jun 23, 2025•18 min
A motorbike mechanic is working freely in London, despite being wanted for murder. Another man was working as a delivery driver despite being convicted of child rape. Both men are from Brazil and authorities there have requested and been denied their extraditions. So why have judges here ruled that would infringe their human rights? How many more alleged criminals are walking our streets, avoiding justice in Brazil and beyond? ITV News UK Editor Paul Brand tells Lucy Watson what you need to know...
Jun 20, 2025•15 min
We're on Day six of a bitter new outburst of war in the Middle East. A direct confrontation between Israel and Iran emerging from a shadow war that's been going on for decades. Hundreds have been killed, with exchanges of missiles and evacuations from homes in both countries. The world has long worried about Iran's nuclear ambitions and Israel has seized its moment to end them. But with Iran now feeling more insecure and under threat than ever, could it actually have the reverse effect? Lucy Wat...
Jun 18, 2025•18 min
A group of scientists are currently on journey to the end of the world in hope of finding answers about our planet's future. And our Science Correspondent Martin Stew is with them on board the RRS Sir David Attenborough. The only journalist on board in fact. This week he's spoken to prime ministers, witnessed whales and even spotted penguins, whose existence is under severe threat. He tells Lucy Watson what you need to know.
Jun 16, 2025•19 min
If you use an energy meter, it could be about to stop working. Hundreds of thousands of homes have a form of metering that will be obsolete from the end of June. How can you check if you're affected? What happens if you are? And why are so many people fuming about it? Consumer Editor Chris Choi tells Lucy Watson what you need to know...
Jun 13, 2025•14 min
It's brazen, shocking and becoming more and more common. From thefts in shops and supermarkets, to hardworking people's tools being stolen in broad daylight -- thefts by criminal gangs are on the rise. Why is it getting worse? And what's being done to stop the perpetrators? Antoine Allen tells Geraint Vincent what you need to know... You can watch Antoine's investigation into the organised gangs targeting the high street and tradesmen and selling stolen goods on ITVX following the links below: C...
Jun 11, 2025•13 min
It's brazen, shocking and becoming more and more common. From thefts in shops and supermarkets, to hardworking people's tools being stolen in broad daylight -- thefts by criminal gangs are on the rise. Why is it getting worse? And what's being done to stop the perpetrators? Antoine Allen tells Geraint Vincent what you need to know... You can watch Antoine's investigation into the organised gangs targeting the high street and tradesmen and selling stolen goods on ITVX following the links below: C...
Jun 11, 2025•13 min
Lucy Watson talks to our Science Correspondent Martin Stew in Antarctica as he joins a team of scientists on a vital research mission on the so-called Boaty McBoatface - or the Sir David Attenborough. Making history as the first British journalist to go this far south in polar winter, Martin describes the incredible, but also alarming, change unfolding around him. He also tells of the scientists’ hope that the grim prognosis for our planet can be turned around.
Jun 06, 2025•17 min
A year on from his father's death, Michael Mosley's son is aiming to continue his father's legacy. Dr Jack Mosley says that skinny jabs are a "game changer" but warns of people using them as a quick fix, highlighting the associated risks. Dr Jack tells Lucy Watson what you need to know. ----------------------------------------------- If you've been affected by the 'skinny jab black market', please get in touch with [email protected]. More support can be found at itvnews.com/news....
Jun 04, 2025•16 min
Imagine arriving at university to find your accommodation falling apart. This is becoming all too familiar with students using privately rented accommodation, which in some cases was recommended by their university. ITV News has received complaints about substandard accommodation, which are being ignored or dismissed. Digital reporter Sam Leader tells Investigations Editor Daniel Hewitt what you need to know. ----------------------------------------------- If you've been affected by anything dis...
Jun 02, 2025•15 min
It's causing trouble across the UK's roads. Every night, as soon as it gets dark, flashy cars with loud exhausts, tinted windows and custom plates take to the streets across the nation. Is it the adrenaline? Is it the thrill? ITV News understands that there are hundreds of street racing groups set up over encrypted social media sites like WhatsApp and Telegram. ITV Central reporter, Lewis Warner tells Lucy Watson what you need to know after he spent time exposing the UK's street racing scene and...
May 30, 2025•15 min
A funeral is meant to be a celebration of life, a time to reflect on lost loved ones. But mourners are becoming targets for scammers. ITV News has found hundreds of livestreaming funeral pages created by scammers on Facebook. Digital reporter George Hancorn and producer Olivia Mustafa tell Geraint Vincent what you need to know. ----------------------------------------------- If you've been affected by anything discussed in this episode click the link to get advice from Streaming provider Obitus:...
May 28, 2025•9 min
Love them or loathe them, parakeets are becoming familiar to more and more of us, with the exotic birds nesting in thousands of locations across the UK this spring. The UK population has almost doubled in the last ten years, so what does it mean for other wildlife and should the bright, long tailed birds even be returned to captivity? Chris Choi tells Lucy Watson what you need to know.
May 26, 2025•13 min
On 29 July last year, three young girls were stabbed to death while attending a Taylor Swift dance class. Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, were killed by Axel Rudakubana, who was jailed for a minimum of 52 years. A day after the attack, riots broke out on the streets of Southport and over the coming days spread right across the nation. The protests were fuelled by false claims on social media that the perpetrator of the Southport attack was a Muslim and an asyl...
May 23, 2025•16 min
She was by Donald Trump's side throughout his first term, but recently we've seen precious little of the First Lady. Ex-White House correspondent Kate Andersen Brower knows how first families handle power and is the author of The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House, which inspired the Netflix hit The Residence. Lucy Watson asks her about Melania's absence, whether it matters and which other Trump is filling her place.
May 21, 2025•13 min
How are some people using technology as a means to control their partners? Charities have warned that coercive control through technology is on the rise. A woman from north Cumbria has anonymously spoken to ITV News about her experience, explaining how she first thought it was "sweet" and "loving" that her former partner wanted to know where she was all the time. However, she soon realised something much more sinister was happening... ITV Border reporter, Katie Templeton-Knight tells Lucy Watson...
May 19, 2025•14 min
Sean 'Diddy' Combs, a man who is without doubt one of the biggest names and cultural figures in the hip hop world. But his spotlight has shifted, from music, film and fashion to a New York court. Combs is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. If he is convicted, he could end up spending the rest of his life behind bars. As the first week of his trial draws to a clos...
May 16, 2025•22 min
A drug dealer has been jailed for fourteen years after his cannabis lab blew up, killing his seven-year-old neighbour Archie York. Reece Galbraith was using butane gas to produce 'shatter'. So what is this super-strong cannabis, why is it so popular and what makes it so explosive? ITV Tyne Tees Correspondent Gregg Easteal has investigated its production, trade and users and tells Lucy Watson what you need to know.
May 14, 2025•19 min
It was supposed to be a day of celebration but turned into one of absolute horror. 40 years ago this week, a fire tore through Bradford City's stadium on the final day of the season, killing 56 fans. What caused it and how did it change football forever? ITV Calendar Sports Correspondent Chris Dawkes tells Lucy Watson what you need to know. -- Watch Never Forget: The Bradford City Stadium Fire here: https://www.itv.com/watch/news/never-forget-episode-one-city/5wnq1w5...
May 12, 2025•18 min
Lucy Watson meets Simone and Malcolm Collins, leaders of America's pronatalist movement, which is gaining traction in the White House, thanks to father of 14 Elon Musk. Why do they want so many children and what is the Trump administration doing to aide their cause?
May 09, 2025•20 min
Imagine having a cosmetic filler on your face go badly wrong...and being recommended turmeric lattes and massaging it with an electric toothbrush. That's what happened to one woman, now waiting to see if she'll be permanently scarred. So do we need tighter regulation on who can carry out aesthetic procedures? Ellie Pitt tells Lucy Watson what you need to know.
May 07, 2025•13 min
Happier Cars promises to sell your car for a commission... But an ITV News investigation has found at least 50 people have been left out of pocket and a car. The used car dealership is accused of stealing £740k from their customers. Police in London and Essex have now launched investigations relating to Happier Cars in Harlow, but will these customers ever get their money back? Kaf Okpattah tells Lucy Watson what you need to know.
May 05, 2025•13 min
Up until now, the Football Association has resisted pressure from campaigners and ministers and continued to allow trans biological women to play in women’s teams on a case-by-case basis. But now football chiefs have changed course, banning all trans women from June 1. So what explains the FA's decision? And what does it mean for transgender footballers and the wider sport? ITV News' Sports Editor Steve Scott tells Geraint Vincent what you need to know.
May 02, 2025•7 min
In October 2016 Kim Kardashian was robbed in an exclusive Paris hotel - with the gunmen making off with millions of pounds worth of jewellery. Now - almost a decade on - a group known as the ‘grandpa robbers’ are finally going on trial for the crime. So will Kim testify? And why has it even gone to court given one of the men accused released a book entitled ‘I kidnapped Kim Kardashian!’... Rishi Davda tells Lucy Watson what you need to know about the Kim K trial....
Apr 30, 2025•19 min
For the mother of a murdered son, a small change in the law could make a life or death difference for other parents who fear for their adult children. Fiona’s autistic son Christopher was violently murdered in his own home by a criminal who had exploited him. She’s now fighting for other families' concerns to be acted on - a campaign supported by MPs from all three major parties. But will the government listen? Romilly Weeks and Elisa Menendez tell Geraint Vincent what you need to know....
Apr 28, 2025•16 min
Ever used a nasal spray to deal with a cold? Imagine using one so much, you need surgery. That's what happened to one woman who told us she'd become addicted. Thousands more have been opening up with similar stories. So how are they getting hooked? Sam Holder and Olivia Mustafa tell Mary Nightingale what you need to know.
Apr 25, 2025•12 min
