Billie Piper has lived with the dark side of fame for virtually all her adult life. From her teenage pop career through Doctor Who and beyond, unwanted attention has repeatedly crossed the line into stalking, intrusion and fear.
Nobody should have to accept that as the price of being famous. The latest case is a reminder of why repeated behaviour must be taken seriously. Stalking is rarely about one message, one appearance or one unwanted gesture. It is the pattern that matters.
Intervention cannot wait
Again and again, cases show that men who ignore boundaries, breach orders and persist despite warnings can escalate their behaviour. That is why intervention cannot wait until something worse happens. Protection orders must be enforced, breaches punished, and victims believed when they say they are frightened.
Philip Jerome's personal circumstances may help explain aspects of his behaviour, but they cannot excuse repeated breaches. Billie has spent far too much of her adult life looking over her shoulder. Nobody should have to live that way.
Energy bills and Lego sales
Millions of families are heading into winter frightened about whether they can afford to turn on the heating. That is the reality of an energy system which leaves British households paying some of the highest prices in Europe while bills keep climbing.
Another expected rise in Ofgem's price cap would push typical costs towards £1,729, with more than one in three households worried about how they will cope. Worse, 3.5 million households are in energy debt or have gone without gas and electricity because they cannot afford to top up.
There is comfort ahead. EDF warns bills could still be above £1,800 at the end of the decade. Global conflict may explain the rise, but Britain needs affordable, secure energy.
Lego has built another blockbuster success, with sales soaring, partly thanks to World Cup fever. From a £160 build-it-yourself trophy to brick versions of Messi and Ronaldo, football fans clearly could not resist. A 20 per cent sales jump proves that, even in a digital age, simple toys still click with millions.
