We’re preparing to put 2025 out to pasture, but before we do, why not take a look at Prolific North’s most-read news stories of the year?
It’s been a hectic year in tech. If you believe what you read on LinkedIn, 2026 will be the year that AI either makes all of our lives either incomparably better, or infinitely worse. The tech stories that appeared of more interest to readers however, were the seemingly endless stream of cyberattacks and data breaches, from high street retailers to Silicon Valley, that dominated this year’s headlines. Maybe an abject lesson in making sure the tech you already have works before excitedly jumping onto the next one?
It’s been a bumpy year in agency land, with some big names growing ever bigger, and other giants fighting to stay afloat, or at least avoid becoming a small part of an even bigger giant, and leaving some indies undoubtedly wondering what all of this means for them moving forwards.
It’s been a great year for production in the North, with Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Baby Reindeer, Alma’s Not Normal and Clive Myrie’s Caribbean Adventure all winning big at the BAFTAs, and that’s before we even get to the armfuls of international awards for Warp Films and Netflix’s global smash Adolescence, and Quay Street Productions’ all-conquering multi-platform takeover in conjunction with Harlan Coben.
But enough of my thoughts – here’s what readers were interested in in 2025, with your annual top 10 rundown of Prolific North’s most-read news…
10) Cyber security expert warns of three-year wait for full recovery from M&S and Co-op cyber attacks
It’s been quite a year for system failures, outages, breaches, hacks and general technology failure. Which bodes well as AI continues its steady march. One could easily have expected any of JLR, AWS, Cloudflare, Google and an (online) host of others to be the first to make an appearance on our chart this year, but in the event the sheer extent of the spring hacks at M&S and Co-op is the first to throw its hat into the ring at number 10.
The big question after the year we’ve had is, will the remaining nine places simply be filled by a list of one cyberattack after another?
9) Why Harrison Ford said yes to a new TV ad – and what Hollywood star refused to do
Harrison Ford was shooting in Scotland at the start of the year as the face of Glenmorangie’s “unconventional” new campaign, with fellow Star Wars alumnus Joel Egerton on directing duties for added geek value.
The end result was Once Upon a Time in Scotland, a series of 12 shorts and a hero film in which Ford brings his wry humour to the screen as he journeys to Glenmorangie’s Highland home, to discover the skill and craftmanship that goes into making each bottle of its whisky.
8) Barclays digital services go down on payday
Another technology failure at number eight, and in fact the highest to chart of this year’s many contenders (see number 10). Barclays’s January online meltdown seems a distant memory after the many, many cyberfailures since in 2025, but in the event it was our most read one.
Whether that’s a sign of how many of our readers bank with Barclays, or simply because it happened at the start of the year before massive online failures were a weekly event was unconfirmed at the time of going to press.
7) “Inspirational” PR firm founder killed by falling tree branch in Manchester
There was tragedy in September when Greater Manchester police confirmed that a woman killed by a falling tree branch in a South Manchester accident was 49-year-old Carousel PR founder Jen Higgins.
Higgins founded Carousel with her husband Gawen Higgins in 2011, and the agency has since grown to employ over 20 staff and worked with global household names such as high street and online toy giant The Entertainer, theme park operator Legoland and heritage watch brand Accurist as well as brands closer to home including Manchester’s Printworks leisure destination and the Lowry Outlet Mall in Salford Quays.
6) Radio 1 Big Weekend 2025: Everything you need to know about tickets, line-up and more as festival comes to Liverpool
Radio 1’s Big Weekend Festival made its debut at Liverpool’s Sefton Park back in May with Geordie rocker Sam Fender, Stockport indie darlings Blossoms and, veering some way from our usual Northern theme, The Isle of Wight’s Wet Leg topping the bill.
If all this talk of islands off the coast of Hampshire has you breaking out in a cold sweat, fear not – we don’t know the line up yet, but next year’s festival is staying firmly in the North. Greg James announced on his Radio 1 Breakfast show last month that Sunderland’s Herrington Country Park will play host to the 2026 event.
5) Steven Bartlett invests seven-figures in “biggest female ambition brand of the next decade
As reliably as Santa dropping down the chimney on Christmas Night, Dragons’ Den star, Social Chain founder and Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett is dropping onto our annual end-of-year top 10 rundown. Most eagerly read this year was news of the now-LA-based Bartlett’s “seven-figure” investment in Maggie Sellers Reum and her media brand, Hot Smart Rich (HSR).
The partnership aims to “build the biggest female ambition brand of the next decade” by scaling “a platform dedicated to women at the intersection of culture, content, capital and community.”
4) The Northern city labelled Britain’s first ‘Crap Town’ named one of coolest places to live
Hull has plenty going for it – one of Europe’s biggest aquariums, impeccable Spiders from Mars history, Phillip Larkin and a massive bridge for a start. Unfortunately it also suffered the ignominy of being voted the UK’s very first ‘Crap Town’ in 2003’s inaugural edition of the controversial The Idler-backed survey.
Well no more – according to a new list by The Sunday Times this year, Hull is a haven for “real northern hipsters” and boasts a thriving culture, food, and art scene. The HU1 postcode was even named one of the coolest places to live in the UK, which we assume Mick Ronson knew all along.
3) Legendary BBC North West Tonight reporter bows out after 25 years – ‘time for a new chapter’
One of BBC North West Tonight’s longest serving reporters, Richard Askam left the show, and the BBC, after 25 years in February.
Askam’s first report on camera for NWT, complete with a full head of hair, was his youthful coverage of D-Day commemorations, which his final bulletin showed to mark his departure, although in recent years Askam is better known for his thoughts on the football, cricket, Olympics et al
“I can’t believe I’m saying it out loud. Yes I am leaving my North West Tonight family and the BBC after 85,000 years talking nonsense to the people of the North West. It’s been an amazing privilege,” the veteran journo told viewers on his final show.
2) Who is leaving Coronation Street in 2025? Six major exits as ITV cuts episodes
A hectic year on the cobbles, with schedule changes, shorter episodes, major character departures and an eagerly anticipated crossover episode with Emmerdale to look forward to in 2026. Spoiler alert – among the popular characters to bow out this year were Eilleen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) after 25 years on the Street, Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) following a 14-year stint, and Daisy Midgely (Charlotte Jordan) who, despite a comparatively short four-year spell on Corrie, certainly shook things up while she was there.
1) Full-time Huddersfield Town AFC role for Leeds agency following successful rebrand
You might think there’s plenty of football talent in the North without heading to the middle of the Pennines, but you can keep your trebles, European trophies, Premier League titles and plans for bloated billion-pound circus tents to play in. 2025 was the year that Prolific North conclusively proved that Huddersfield Town AFC are the most keenly followed team in the region. The news of Fantastic Media’s full-time appointment as the club’s official brand and marketing partner following a successful 2024 rebrand was our most-read news story of the year.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing they’re sitting ninth in League One, suggesting they haven’t quite converted their online popularity to success on the pitch just yet.
