Five Essential Weekend Reads: From Food Trends to Family Feuds
As another intense news week concludes, Guardian Australia presents its curated selection of five compelling stories from the past seven days. This weekend's edition spans from celebrity family drama to nutritional experiments, offering readers diverse perspectives on contemporary issues.
1. The Beckham Family Drama Unfolds Publicly
The ongoing tension within the Beckham family has captured public attention this week. Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, son of David and Victoria Beckham, made significant claims on Instagram regarding his parents' alleged attempts to influence media narratives about his family. He suggested they had tried to undermine his relationship with his wife through press manipulation.
Marina Hyde provides insightful commentary on this modern family conflict, drawing parallels with other high-profile disputes and questioning whether current social media regulations adequately address content created by parents about their children.
Reading time: Approximately three minutes.
Additional perspective: Emma Brockes examines the growing phenomenon of adult children severing contact with parents without experiencing traditional guilt or stigma.
2. Celebrating Hollywood's Unsung Prop Masters
Behind every memorable film scene lies the often-overlooked work of property masters. Television prop specialist Jode Mann expresses appreciation for the recognition, noting that props rarely receive proper acknowledgment despite their crucial role in cinematic storytelling.
From iconic lightsabers to Rose's necklace in Titanic, these carefully selected objects help create the magic audiences remember. Jamie Wilkinson, who has contributed to major productions including Wicked films and recent Star Wars sequels, advocates for practical props over digital effects, arguing that physical objects elicit more authentic performances from actors.
Reading time: Approximately four minutes.
3. A Week Without Ultra-Processed Foods
Following a comprehensive 2025 global report linking ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to various health concerns including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and depression, journalist Emma Joyce embarked on a personal experiment. As someone who has consumed UPFs throughout her life and regularly uses processed items in parenting, she attempted to eliminate them for seven days.
After familiarizing herself with the Nova food classification system, Joyce discovered the financial and practical challenges of avoiding UPFs. Specialty rye bread and pure butter came at significantly higher costs than their processed counterparts, highlighting the economic barriers to healthier eating choices.
Reading time: Approximately four minutes.
Practical guidance: The article references nine straightforward substitutions to reduce ultra-processed food consumption in daily diets.
4. The Jacket Potato Renaissance
The humble jacket potato, traditionally associated with basic student meals, is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in British culinary culture. Social media platforms and innovative potato vendors are driving this revival, aiming to transform the perception of this simple dish.
Dr Joanne Lunn, health and nutrition lead at Waitrose, connects this renewed interest to growing public awareness about ultra-processed foods. Food writer Sammy Gecsoyler conducted extensive taste tests of various commercial offerings, delivering verdicts that ranged from disappointing to delightful.
Reading time: Approximately five minutes.
5. Siberia's Isolated Old Believer Family
The remarkable story of the Lykov family reveals an extraordinary chapter in religious history. As members of the Old Believers, a schismatic Orthodox Christian sect committed to preserving what they considered authentic religious practice, the family sought extreme isolation to maintain their faith.
Living approximately 240 kilometers from the nearest settlement in remote Siberia, the Lykovs were discovered by scientists in 1978 after decades without external contact. Their isolation was so complete that they remained largely unaware of major global events, including the Second World War.
Today, the last surviving family member is regarded as a national treasure, representing a unique cultural heritage preserved through generations of seclusion.
Reading time: Approximately nine minutes.
Weekly Reading Recommendations
Guardian Australia's Five Great Reads newsletter delivers carefully selected articles directly to subscribers' inboxes every weekend. For those interested in broader cultural and lifestyle content, the Saved for Later newsletter provides weekly recommendations covering entertainment, trends, and weekend activities.
