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The English Riviera is a 22-mile stretch of the South Devon coast with Torquay at its northern end. It’s sometimes compared to the French Riviera, but it’s a very different place

Stand on the promenade of this legendary seaside resort when the weather’s pleasant, and you could easily mistake yourself for being somewhere on the Mediterranean rather than in Britain. Lines of palm trees flutter in the wind, waves gently wash onto an expansive sandy shore and gleaming art-deco structures perch on the hillside overhead.

Take a closer look, though, and there are telltale signs you’re actually on the English coast rather than somewhere along the French Riviera. Reach reporter Milo Boyd is pretty sure traditional fish and chip outlets, seaside souvenir shops and penny arcade machines aren’t common sights along the Côte d’Azur.

And whilst a typical July afternoon in this Devon resort of 50,000 residents reaches around 20C with some cloud cover, the French Riviera basks in 29C temperatures with glorious sunshine and clear blue skies.

Parallels drawn between the Devon shoreline and the glamorous French destination date back to Victorian times, when tourists likened the mild microclimate and stunning landscape of Torbay – a 22-mile section of the South Devon coast with Torquay at its northern tip – to the 186 miles of the original Riviera.

Whilst the French Riviera sometimes faces criticism for being overly warm, rather posh, and costly, Torquay regularly receives brutal assessments of an entirely different nature.

Actually, it appears to attract an unfair share of criticism, reports Devon Live.

Last year, a Which? survey declared Torquay as Brits’ most disliked seaside destination, whilst The Telegraph ranked it as their 13th most disappointing coastal location.

Even one of Milo’s taxi drivers couldn’t resist having a dig, branding the high street as a “dump”. The decision-making process of these competition judges is a mystery to him, and their lack of taste in coastal spots is evident.

After a weekend getaway in Torbay, Milo was captivated and intrigued by Torquay, a seaside town unlike any other he has encountered in the UK.

Food and drink in Torquay

One of the town’s most appealing and tasty features is its food. Sure, you can find the traditional cod and chips every 10m along the seafront as you would in most UK seaside towns, but Torquay has much more to offer.

Milo had the good fortune to get a quick tour of the town’s food scene through an invitation to the 7 Chefs event on 4 October. Over seven hours, guests are treated to seven different seafood dishes, each crafted by a different chef and served in a different independent restaurant.

This annual event is highly sought after, making stops at the Michelin-starred Elephant for some braised octopus, the sibling-run Ollie’s for a generous lobster thermidor, delicately prepared oysters at No. 7 Fish Bistro and Offshore for its unique take on mussels with katsu.

If you fancy indulging in top-quality seafood and British-produced wines, then this event is perfect for you.

It might only happen once annually and set you back £120, but you’ll require a solid 364 days to recover after tackling diver-caught scallops at The Yacht, a generous helping of fish and chips at Pier Point, and cheese with far too much port at Twenty1 Lounge.

“Lightweight,” one of my fellow foodie companions shouted after me as he ordered another couple of reds for good measure, whilst Milo hauled his aching frame into a taxi.

The event also runs in Brixham on the opposite side of the bay.

The vibrant, boutique village houses one of England’s largest fishing markets and restaurants, including Olive, The Prince William, and The Mermaid, where many of the 40 fish and shellfish varieties landed here are consumed.

‘The Queen of the English Riviera’

Torquay is often dubbed ‘the Queen of the English Riviera’, and rightfully so.

On a bright day, the magnificent art deco properties crown the hillside overlooking the bay, sparkling in the sunlight like gems in a tiara.

Torbay lies just beyond the western tip of the Jurassic Coast and comprises Devonian limestones intersected with red ochre deposits.

These form a intricate landscape featuring elements like the wave-carved Berry Head platform and natural caves. On a Sunday afternoon, Milo was given a tour by Nigel Smallbones, the ranger at Berry Head Nature Reserve for 27 years.

He showed Milo the roosting spot of a 1,600-strong guillemot colony, the cave system where his son monitors the 56 resident horseshoe bats, and explained how rock enthusiasts travel from as far as China to appreciate the geology.

A short half-hour drive around the bay led me to Kents Cavern – a prehistoric cave system unearthed by some tough Victorians. It’s an awe-inspiring place that continues to yield significant scientific discoveries, including the jawbone of a Neolithic girl likely devoured by cave hyenas, and a colossal bear skull.

If exploring a cavern filled with stalagmites and stalactites isn’t your cup of tea, just up the road lies a piece of British comedy history – the hotel that inspired John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers. Perhaps due to its somewhat infamous association, the hotel has since been replaced by a block of flats and a commemorative blue plaque.

One stark difference between the Rivieras is their approach to drinking. Milo was genuinely taken aback and impressed by the amount his fellow restaurant-goers consumed, and how some managed to stomach a full English breakfast on a sunrise boat trip the next morning.

Such passion and resilience would be hard to find on the French Riviera.

Locals he spoke with admitted that Torquay’s nightlife isn’t what it used to be, with several mourning the loss of two clubs that once offered unlimited drinks for under a tenner.

Nevertheless, the party atmosphere endures through the 1,200-capacity Arena Torquay, which is hosting an Ibiza throwback evening next week, alongside a string of bars along the quayside.

With roaming packs of stag and hen parties, some donning lederhosen in honour of Oktoberfest, Torquay remains regarded as a cracking spot for a night out.

Devon’s temperate climate and breezy conditions mean its flourishing vineyard industry creates light, refreshing wines that complement seafood perfectly – a fortunate match.

Torquay also boasts several gin distilleries.

Laurance Traverso, director of the Coastal Distillery Co, served me a delightful G&T from his waterside headquarters.

So what’s behind the animosity?

There’s undoubtedly a segment of the British public that simply doesn’t rate Torquay.

If you rock up for a family break and have the bad luck of being drenched for seven days straight, Milo can see their point.

Some townsfolk have grown fed up with the high street and how districts beyond the seafront and tourist hotspots have deteriorated.

Local Sophie Ellis-Marsden revealed: “I avoid that end of town. I don’t have much nice to say, to be honest. The waterfront is lovely, and that’s the only thing that is.

“It’s nice, don’t get me wrong, I moved here from Milton Keynes for the sea, but it needs more work. More shops just seem to be shutting down. Everything’s gone, and I don’t really know why.”

The local authority appears determined to tackle these problems head-on.

Significant investment has already been made, with much more planned for the future.

The Strand at the harbourside has been transformed into a piazza-style promenade, featuring expanded pedestrian zones for dining and seating, plus improved public transport connections.

A former Debenhams department store is earmarked for demolition, to be replaced with new homes, cafés, restaurants, and an upmarket hotel.

Additional proposals are in the works for the town centre, along with further development at The Strand, which the council estimated would create approximately 80 full-time jobs, £32 million in wages, and attract 86,000 new visitors over a 30-year period.

The total cost of the scheme is reported to be £70 million.

Visitors to Japan are leaving behind their suitcases behind at hotels and airports, causing significant cost, hassle and even security concerns, Audrey Kohout, Co-CEO of Luggage Forward, told the Mirror

Japan has a rather unusual tourist problem.

Holidaymakers in the Asian country are leaving behind their suitcases. It’s not an isolated phenomenon. Hundreds of bags are being dumped, cluttering up airports and hotels.

At the root of the problem are souvenirs. The recent weakness of the yen in comparison to the dollar and pound means tourists can load up on cute gifts in Japanese gift shops in a way they have never done before.

Weighed down with a hotel room full of Pikachu dolls, unusual flavours of KitKats and yukata, tourists are buying large bags to take everything home with them. They then dump the bag they brought rather than paying to take two home.

A survey by the Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau found that more than 80 percent of the hotels surveyed complain about abandoned suitcases. This can prove tricky for hotels, which end up storing the bags while they attempt to make contact with the departed guest.

The Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka Shinsaibashi reports about three or four suitcases left in rooms on some days. Disposal cost the hotel more than £1,400 last year.

While the issue is one of inconvenience and financial cost in hotels, it is a security matter in airports. Narita International Airport near Tokyo reported more than 1,000 abandoned suitcases last year alone, some of them prompting police responses to ensure that they aren’t a security threat.

Audrey Kohout, Co-CEO of Luggage Forward, told the Mirror: “A few things in Japan have led to this trend there as opposed to other surging places. Japan is a wonderful place for souvenir shopping. People are purchasing a huge amount and are upgrading to a bigger suitcase, as they didn’t plan ahead.

“You combine that with checking a bag on an airline, and it leaves people a bit squeezed and not wanting multiple bags. The dollar is strong there. You merge that with Japan having a lot of high-quality, affordable options and fun knick-knacks. It lends it to be a strong souvenir destination.

“Also, it is not an easy place to throw something away. It is built for residents. I remember walking around with a coffee cup for miles. You’re supposed to bring things home and dispose of them at home. Abandoning it can be easier than throwing it away.

“There is also often a language barrier. Japan is a pretty easy place to get around, but not a lot of people speak English. Just getting support on something that’s not wildly obvious is not the easiest thing to do there.”

Japan has quickly become one of the most popular destinations in the world for a holiday, and it’s having a bumper year. The weak state of the yen is encouraging visitors to book holidays in record numbers.

From the UK alone, just shy of 70,000 Brits travelled there in April, a 43% increase compared to the same month in 2024. Overall, Japan set a new visitor record with 21.5 million tourists in the first half of 2025, a 21% increase from last year.

THOUSANDS of records related to notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein have been unleashed on the public by the US Government.

The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday posted a staggering 33,295 pages of material handed over by the Justice Department after a subpoena from chairman James Comer (R-Ky.).

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The files cover Epstein’s sprawling sex-trafficking network and his partner-in-crime Ghislaine Maxwell.

The trove includes old court filings, police bodycam footage of searches, and interviews with victims — their faces blurred to protect identities.

Much of it has been seen before, but the sheer scale of the release is unprecedented.

Pressure is now mounting on Congress to go further.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing a bill that would force the DOJ to release the full Epstein files — minus victims’ personal details.

Speaker Mike Johnson is under fire for trying to stall the move, even as he and other members met with survivors this week.

The Oversight Committee said it’s still digging through the files and more could follow.

“The Department of Justice has indicated it will continue producing those records while ensuring the redaction of victim identities and any child sexual abuse material,” the panel confirmed.

The explosive dump is already stoking speculation over who and what might be exposed as fresh eyes comb through Epstein’s secret world.

It comes as fresh claims are emerging from the cache.

One revelation reportedly points to Prince Andrew keeping in touch with Epstein five years longer than he has publicly admitted.

The Duke of York has long insisted he cut ties with Epstein after visiting him in New York in December 2010.

But according to messages dated December 2015, allegedly between Epstein and former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, Andrew was named as the source of information about a potential business opportunity in China.

Royal watchers believe the new twist could sink any faint hopes of rehabilitation.

Author Phil Dampier said: “I believe Andrew thought he could make a comeback.

“But this is the nail in the coffin.”

The emails were in Mr Barak’s hacked inbox, put online by file sharing site Distributed Denial of Secrets.

The Sunday Times separately verified dozens of contact details such as addresses and phone numbers.

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Andrew, 65, has always denied any wrongdoing. He did not respond to a request for comment.

Ghislaine Maxwell has reportedly told US officials that Prince Andrew did not sleep with Virginia Giuffre, according to newly released transcripts.

Epstein’s convicted accomplice made the remarks during a two-day interview with the Justice Department in Tallahassee, Florida, last month.

She was questioned by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The disclosures surfaced after transcripts and audio recordings of the exchange were made public today.

Blanche pressed Maxwell — who is serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking — on what she knew about allegations involving Giuffre.

Although the woman’s name was redacted in the documents, the context of the questioning, including timelines and reference to the infamous photograph, makes it highly likely that the discussion was about Giuffre.

THIS is the woman who is hired by others to get their husbands to dump their lovers in secret.

Wang Zhengxi, who operates out of Henan province in northern China, helps women deal with a growing problem.

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As growing numbers of women suspect their husbands of cheating, Wang is on call to help save their marriages.

Speaking to one client Ms Li, she said: “The most urgent matter at hand is how to inject me organically into your family.”

Wang comes to the rescue after Ms Li found texts on her husband’s phone suggesting he was having an affair.

Instead of confronting her husband, Ms Li is employing Wang to help save her marriage.

She will befriend a cheating husband and his mistress and convince them to both break it off.

Wang is one of a growing number of “mistress dispellers” – and has been featured in a documentary by the Hong Kong filmmaker Elizabeth Lo.

In the film, Wang says: “When people come to me for help because a mistress has appeared, I can provide them with solutions to fix the problem.”

It comes amid a crisis of confidence in the institution of marriage across China.

There were fewer than 300,000 divorces back in 1978, but this jumped by 2019 to 4.7 million.

Lo said: “In Asian cultures, the mode of conflict resolution is different.

“Solving a problem and maintaining face on the surface while not poking a hole directly in the bubble or reality they live in is a form of preserving harmony.”

When she approaches the husband and mistress, Wang works subtly.

She asks Mr Li to teach her badminton and befriends the mistress at the same time.

Wang said: “When someone becomes a mistress, it’s because they feel they don’t deserve complete love.

“She’s the one who needs our help the most.”

Eventually, at his home, Wang reveals Ms Li’s suspicions to her husband when the wife is out of the room.

“He confessed everything, but you should pretend to know nothing,” Wang whispered to Mrs Li.

“I think there’s hope, but I don’t know the girl yet. I can only advise you after I see her.”

Mr Li even broke down in front of Wang at one point.

It comes after a model was hired by anxious girlfriends to test if their partners are truly loyal.

Dubbing herself the “ultimate temptation”, Lana Madison helps women catch cheating boyfriends by flirting with them to see if they’ll make a move.

Lana, 29, said: “They slide into my inbox and ask me to flirt with their boyfriend to find out if he’ll cheat.”

She added: “Spoiler alert – a lot of them will. I didn’t plan to become a real-life honey trap.

“But once a few girls online saw what I look like and what I do for work, they realised that I’m the ultimate temptation.”

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Love Island fans were treated to even more drama tonight, as it was announced the villa would be holding a shock recoupling – with the power in the boys hands

The Love Island villa was thrown into chaos once again tonight, when the Islanders learnt there would be a shock recoupling. After a dramatic week, the power was in the boys hands – and Toni and Malisha’s fate was left in new bombshell Harrison’s hands.

Bombshells Malisha and Toni were left single after Dejon, who had been getting to know Malisha chose to couple up with original partner Meg. Toni’s partner Conor chose to couple up with bombshell Emily.

When it came to Dejon’s turn, he chose to couple up with “my Meg,” leaving Malisha standing single alongside Toni and Yasmin – who was later picked by Shea. The Islanders were left wondering whether Toni or Malisha would be dumped from the Island – but they were left in shock when they were told they were both vulnerable through a text.

They were then told that their fate would lie in new bombshell Harrison’s hands, as both would date the 22-year-old. Only one would return to the villa, and that choice would be Harrison’s.

The 22-year-old footballer from Derby, but resides in Miami, was left waiting for both just outside the villa – and their fate was in his hands. As both went on a date with Harrison, it was down to him to decide who he’d be taking back to the villa, and who would be sent packing.

Both had a good date, but fans have already worked out who he’d be taking home after spotting a huge clue. Fans believe he’ll pick Toni, as the pair share a connection residing in the US.

“Miami…..yh he’s off with Toni #LoveIslandUK #LoveIsland,” said one, as another penned: “They set up Malisha omg sending in a guy who lives in America and likes American girls wtf #LoveIsland.”