A year that felt like a shrug still gave us more to laugh about than we expected. We start with brutal honesty—2025 gets a solid six out of ten—then sift the moments that made it strangely memorable: norovirus advisories that told you not to visit hospitals because “everyone’s ill,” bumblebee declines that quietly threaten our breakfasts, and the delicate line between a sharp heckle and a derailed gig. Along the way we tussle with AI that suggests designs it refuses to make, unpack why “neutral” TV hosts feel suspiciously synthetic, and revisit a stand-up hour that swaps belly laughs for brand power.

Summer delivers the good stuff. Oasis sound better than nostalgia should allow, the Lionesses grind their way to a Euros title that rewards patience over polish, and Coldplay accidentally spark a viral not-a-couple kiss. We also sit with loss—those artists and icons who felt permanent until they weren’t—and admit that sometimes a playlist hits harder the morning after the headline. If the grand narratives dodged us, live shows and shared screens stepped in, reminding us why crowds matter.

Then we go gloriously local. A football owner’s pyrotechnic pressers and collapsing cake, a front page celebrating a city street for being “the best it’s been in five years,” and an annual quiz decided by a furious debate: can whales jump higher than mountain lions? Add a delayed roadshow, a wildly amplified breathing mic, and the Saviours bracket that crowned a winner we’ll argue about until next year, and you’ve got the flavour of a year built from tiny stakes and big laughs. Hit play for a warm, sceptical, and very human rewind of 2025. If it made you smirk, share it with a friend. And if you shouted “mountain lion,” leave us a review and tell us why you’re right.