British adults prioritize celebrity knowledge

A recent poll of 2,000 British adults found many people follow celebrity news more closely than the lives of family and friends. Forty-four percent said they cared about trivial celebrity matters, and 80% admitted they knew more about celebrities than their own parents. Nearly half reported knowing more about famous people than about their friends. Sixty-one percent believe the media spends too much time on celebrity coverage.

The survey also asked why people read celebrity stories and found entertainment (37%) was the top reason, followed by staying updated (29%) and joining social media conversations (25%). About one-third of respondents said quitting celebrity gossip would improve their lives. The poll highlights a gap between public complaints about overcoverage and the sustained appetite for celebrity content in everyday media use.

Who did it? And what's their angle?

Every conspiracy theory pins one culprit and one motive on the same story. The same story can spawn any number of theories — different culprits, different motives. That's part of how you spot a conspiracy theory: the same event can be "explained" any number of ways.

You'll walk through the four moves on separate screens, with a debunk on every step.