Lewis Hamilton dating Kim Kardashian?Photo: Kristina Bumphrey/Getty Images
Seven‑time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton and reality TV star Kim Kardashian were recently spotted spending time together in Tokyo, adding fresh fuel to the already growing speculation about the nature of their relationship. The sighting came during a short break in the busy Formula 1 calendar, following the opening double‑header of the 2026 season in Melbourne and Shanghai.The timing was especially sweet for Hamilton, who had just ended a long wait for a podium with Ferrari. In Shanghai, he climbed the top three for the first time with the Italian team since late 2024, matching his teammate’s position in the championship standings. The result was a major confidence boost, and the upcoming race in Suzuka was still a few days away—so he decided to use the gap to unwind in Tokyo, where Kim Kardashian arrived to meet him.
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The pair were seen walking through the city, looking relaxed and at ease, with few bodyguards or distractions around them. At one point, Hamilton paused briefly to acknowledge some fans, offering a smile and a wave before continuing down the street with Kardashian by his side. The low‑key, almost casual nature of their outing stood in contrast to the usual red‑carpet, flash‑photographed moments often associated with both of their worlds.This togetherness is yet another chapter in a story that has been playing out in the spotlight for months. Reports first linked Hamilton and Kardashian in early February 2026, when they were said to have enjoyed what was described as a “romantic meetup” in Paris. Since then, their names have repeatedly appeared together—at major events, in paparazzi photos, and in social media posts—sparking endless debate among fans, fans of the couple, and critics alike.Their appearance at Super Bowl LX, in particular, poured gasoline on the rumours. The image of a seven‑time world champion in racing’s most glamorous category next to one of the most recognisable media and business icons of the past two decades quickly became one of the most talked‑about pairings of the night. The constant attention, though, hasn’t come without its critics.Among the most vocal concerns reportedly comes from within Hamilton’s own family. His mother, Carmen Larbalestier, is said to have reservations about the relationship. According to those close to the family, she is worried about the differences in lifestyle between the two. On one side is Hamilton’s highly disciplined, physically demanding career, where training, focus, and privacy play a big role. On the other is Kardashian’s life, which is built around reality television, social media, and an almost constant public presence.The sources suggest that Larbalestier would prefer to see her son with someone quieter, someone less immersed in the 24/7 glare of the spotlight. Lifestyle, background, and long‑term expectations are all weighing on the situation, at least in the family’s private conversations. While the public can only speculate, these reports hint that there is more tension behind the scenes than the couple’s calm public image might reveal.
Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton’s long standing friendship
Even so, the truth is that Hamilton and Kardashian have known each other for several years already. Their connection isn’t a sudden crush sparked by a single chance meeting; it’s a friendship that has grown over time, long before the current wave of romance rumours. They’ve interacted at events, shared mutual interests, and moved in overlapping social circles—worlds where athletes, celebrities, and business figures frequently cross paths.Kim Kardashian, in the meantime, remains a powerhouse in her own right. She is the mother of four children—North, 12, Saint, 10, Chicago, 8, and Psalm, 6—with her ex‑husband Kanye West. Her life is a mix of family, fashion, beauty brands, and reality TV, all built on a level of public visibility that’s hard to escape once it’s become part of your identity. For Hamilton, stepping into a relationship with someone so recognisable—and so constantly watched—carries a different kind of pressure than dating a lesser‑known figure would.As the 2026 Formula 1 season moves forward, the spotlight on his performance, his choices, and his personal life will only grow brighter.What are your views on Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton’s rumoured relationship? Tell us about it in the comments below.
The City regulator has launched a review into later life mortgages, anticipating a future where older homeowners increasingly rely on their property wealth for financial stability.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that 43 per cent of people are currently undersaving for retirement, according to recent government analysis.
This shortfall suggests products like lifetime and retirement interest-only (RIO) mortgages could become crucial.
These financial tools enable consumers to unlock equity from their homes, either as a lump sum or through a drawdown facility, without needing to repay the capital until a specified life event, such as their death.
The regulator also suggested that new, innovative products, similar to these existing mortgage types, are likely to emerge as the market evolves to meet evolving needs.
The FCA said that it wants to understand if the market will develop to meet the increased and differing needs of people in the future.
Many people are already thought to be heading for a tough retirement financially (PA Archive)
In a speech on Friday to the JP Morgan pensions and savings symposium 2026, FCA chief executive Nikhil Rathi said: “For homeowners, choices around downsizing, equity release or later life borrowing can interact directly with how their pension savings are used.
“And as mortgage terms extend further into later life, and pensions savings gaps persist for some groups, housing wealth will play a larger role in supporting retirement living standards.
“Products like lifetime mortgages and retirement interest-only mortgages – currently more niche – may become more prominent parts of the retirement landscape.
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“How straightforward is it to understand the trade-offs between pension drawdown and borrowing to utilise housing wealth?
“And does the market currently provide the advice and support people need to navigate those choices with confidence?
“These are just a couple of the questions behind the market study we are running this year.”
He said that the regulator will be looking at whether the later life mortgage market “can and will develop in a way that meets consumers’ evolving needs, and what changes might be required”.
The regulator will explore how people might be better supported to access more holistic advice and guidance on later life lending.
Mr Rathi said decisions “are rarely straightforward – often spanning housing, inheritance and long-term care planning considerations all at the same time.
“And we can never lose sight of ensuring vulnerable consumers get the support they need and are not exploited.”
Mr Rathi said that for renters, “the absence of housing assets materially changes the retirement equation”.
He said: “Analysis from Standard Life suggests people who expect to rent during retirement could need an additional £398,000 in savings.
“With home ownership falling, this will only become a more pressing issue.
“Our interim pure protection study is looking at the structure of markets for products like life insurance and income protection, where take-up remains low despite the crucial role these can play in managing risk over the longer term.
“These different elements must work much better together to support consumers in making decisions about their financial futures.
“So that retirement is a glide path, not a cliff edge.”
The FCA said it would welcome views on the scope of the market study and the issues it will explore by 17 April.
A “Hannah Montana” anniversary special starring Miley Cyrus and fresh music from Robyn and Charlie Puth album are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: the Oscar-winning Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value,” James Marsden as a hit man in “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” and the San Francisco Giants host the New York Yankees on Netflix’s first MLB broadcast.
— In “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” (Friday, March 27 on Disney+), James Marsden plays a hitman named Mike who’s hired by a time traveler named Nick (Vince Vaughn). Nick wants to prevent the biggest mistake of his life by killing his past self. Writer-director BenDavid Grabinski’s film, recently premiered at the SXSW film festival.
— Following its win at the Academy Awards, Joachim Trier’s Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value” has its streaming debut Monday on Hulu. Nominated for nine Oscars, including best picture, it won for best international film. In it, Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas play sisters who reconnect with their filmmaker father (Stellan Skarsgård), who’s making an autobiographical film starring an American actor (Elle Fanning). In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote that the film’s focus “may be small and limited — one Norwegian family struggling to connect and communicate — and yet its emotional scope is downright cosmic.”
— Daniel Day-Lewis came out of retirement to star in his first film since 2017’s “Phantom Thread” in “Anemone” (Saturday, March 28 on Netflix), a family drama directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis. In it, Day-Lewis plays a hermit in the North England woods who’s visited by an old friend (Sean Bean) sent to bring him back to his son. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck called it “bleak, somber, absorbing but also sometimes frustratingly opaque.”
— The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ eccentric bassist Flea will release his debut album on Friday. And in a true shock to those who don’t know him, it’s a trumpet-forward jazz record. You read that correctly. Long before the rocker made a name for himself in a band known for songs about California, he was a huge jazz fan, a musical world he explores on the record titled “Honora.” Come for the name, stay for his inventive improvisations and star-studded collaborations, which include Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and the always introspective Nick Cave.
— A lot has happened to singer/songwriter Charlie Puth in the time since his last album, “Charlie,” was released in 2022. He got married. He’s expecting his first child. He performed at the Super Bowl. Taylor Swift gave him a shoutout on her album “The Tortured Poets Department.” And now, he’s embracing it all on a new record, the playful “Whatever’s Clever!” Expect fun pop songs about life and its many transformative moments. That, and some Kenny G.
— Swedish pop savant Robyn has returned with “Sexistential,” her first album in eight years. It is nine-tracks of shimmering synths (“Dopamine,” “Really Real”) ascendant choruses (“Into the Sun”) and rebellious pop songs that double as emotional life rafts (“Sucker for Love.”) The songs are all about freedom, single motherhood, love and lust — often in the same breath. It’s a lascivious collection for the dancefloor: exactly what most pop stars hope to achieve, many fail, and Robyn makes look effortless.
— “Hannah Montana” made Miley Cyrus a star and a new special streaming Tuesday on Disney+ celebrates 20 years since the show’s premiere. Filmed in front of a live audience, the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” will feature music, archival footage and an interview with Cyrus, hosted by podcast host Alex Cooper.
— A bride-to-be starts to get a bad feeling about her impending nuptials. Is it cold feet or intuition? “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen” stars Camila Morrone (“Daisy Jones & The Six”) and Adam DiMarco (“The White Lotus”) star in the new creepy limited-series debuting Thursday on Netflix.
— In 2015’s Life Is Strange, a young woman named Max rewound time to save her childhood friend Chloe’s life. The series has bounced around since between different lead characters with different supernatural gifts, but Max and Chloe are back in Life Is Strange: Reunion. Max is now a teacher whose university has been destroyed by an inferno — and when she turns back the clock this time, Chloe shows up. Does she have mysterious powers of her own? Can they save the school and their relationship? If you’re craving an emotional, metaphysical mystery, you can check in Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC.
The war has seen large oil and gas facilities attacked and it has effectively closed a key shipping channel, the Strait of Hormuz, which runs close to the Iranian coast. One fifth of the world’s oil passes through here, so the disruption has sent global oil prices soaring, and the price of diesel has followed.
I’ve never been particularly interested in the world of finance. I have a humanities brain, and like books and paintings infinitely more than stock charts and spreadsheets.
I used to see the world of investing as sort of like astrology for boys; full of jargon and unpredictability. I say mercury’s in retrograde, you tell me the S&P 500 is trading down around 0.61 per cent – now, we’re both confused and think the other is simply making nonsense up. So, as is the case for many others, my money sat in the safety of a savings account, earning a pitiful one per cent interest rate each year.
That was until, on one afternoon spent scrolling on TikTok, Mia McGrath popped up on my spoon-fed “For You” page. The 25-year-old financial influencer (finfluencer) – who previously worked in the world of fashion and coined the term “frugal chic” – has six figures in her savings and investments, and plans to become a millionaire by the time that she’s 30.
Unlike the city’s money men – or even Martin Lewis – she wasn’t dressed in a crumpled suit and sad brown shoes. She was sitting in her bedroom, in a black rollneck and jeans, speaking in terms I could actually understand. Inherently, I trusted her and, without checking any of her credentials, moved my money around to copy her investment strategy.
This might sound monumentally stupid, and perhaps it is – but it’s also not uncommon. A recent survey found that just over seven million people have followed financial advice from an online personality or influencer. Of those, 1.9 million didn’t check whether the content creator held any financial qualifications. These numbers significantly accelerate among Gen Z, 75 per cent of whom have sought financial advice online, according to Credit Karma.
“The popular expert isn’t some hoity-toity ivory tower academic,” says Copenhagen University professor Andreas Lindegaard Gregersen, who’s studied the strategies finfluencers employ. “It’s a person who can speak at large about complicated things in layman’s terms,” he says.
“Early examples would be someone like Jamie Oliver; a celebrity cook who can talk about the importance of [nutrition] but that everyone can relate to… The difference is if I look up a new chicken recipe and I don’t like it – that’s fine. I can try again or find another influencer. But with finance, you’ve lost real money and now you have to recoup.”
There has been a finfluencer boom, with content creators of this type experiencing rapid follower growth. On TikTok, there are 3.7 million posts under #investing, and 24 million under #money. At this financially precarious time, when war in Iran is threatening to usher in soaring inflation and a bottle of olive oil already costs £12, it’s somewhat unsurprising that people are looking for ways to get more cash.
The world of finance is also, increasingly, everywhere. From our algorithms to the latest season of Industry, to single girls “looking for a man in finance” we are now consistently tuning in and lusting after the sector. Plus, let’s not forget the manosphere bros promising young men lives of luxury and yachts. Notably, Andrew Tate spoke about being rich, getting rich, and other words relating to success and money in 43 per cent of his videos – twice as much as he mentions women.
“There is so much that gets us invested, literally, in this particular political economy that we have,” says historian Amy Edwards, author of Are We Rich Yet? The Rise of Mass Investment Culture in Contemporary Britain.
“Culture sometimes celebrates or makes fun of it – but that doesn’t matter whether it was taking the mick or not. There’s just so many more images of stock markets, yuppies and traders, whether that’s Dragon’s Den, or the fact that the president of the US got famous on the world-of-business reality show The Apprentice. That makes people more aware – and then want to be part of that world and its success.”
Marisa Abela as trader Yasmin Kara-Hanani in ‘Industry’ (HBO)
Finance, historically, has been a white man’s game. Industry demographics from March 2024 show that three quarters of certified financial planner professionals are men and more than 82 per cent are white. Meanwhile, financial influencers are more likely to be women or people of colour, with research by economic sociologist Adam Hayes finding that influencer messaging – the language they use, the topics they focus on – explicitly promotes diversity.
Financial influencer Zoe Burt, who previously trained and worked as a financial adviser, says she slowly started to question her industry when she noticed the clients she was serving were “frankly pale, stale and male”. It’s a valid concern. Notably, one study this March found that women are twice as likely to have poor financial literacy than men. Burt reflects: “It just felt like a lot of people were being left behind and often they were women.” Now, she makes content, runs workshops and provides coaching specifically designed to help women invest.
In the Eighties, the boom in investing was bolstered by Margaret Thatcher’s government, who sold nationalised industries like British Gas and British Airways to private investors and kept share prices cheap to attract small investors. “It was this social cultural endorsement, which says ‘investing is a good thing to do’,” says Edwards of the reassurance.
Today, the equivalent influencer in chief is Rachel Reeves, who wants Britons to put more of their cash into shares to help get them better returns, support UK businesses and the London Stock Exchange. Since she has spouted this wisdom, the market has been trading down due to heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, fears over a severe oil supply shock, rising inflation and potential stagflation. Right now, a lot of people with stocks are losing money, as is always the risk.
Whatever the manosphere bros would have us believe, investing is a long-term game, with most financial experts advising to wait at least five years before selling in order to ride out any short-term fluctuations. The longer you hold, the higher the chance of a higher return.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been encouraging savers to invest for better returns (PA)
Everyone gaining financial literacy and earning more cash sounds great. But Edwards points out we aren’t going to topple inequality in this way alone. “In the Eighties, lots of people sold their shares quite quickly,” she says. “It didn’t create enough of an investing culture where people then reinvested money in something else. It was a one-off. They were like, ‘Ooh, I bought these shares in BT and now I can sell them for a bit of money.’
“There wasn’t enough infrastructure, or support, or education that meant people felt confident in investing, creating a diverse portfolio. So, all those shares just got bought up by institutional investors, which meant the shares wound up back with these large financial institutions, who are already very dominant in the financial markets and have a big say in how our economy is run.”
So, who do you trust and what do you do? Especially in these precarious times, when some finfluencers claim we’re on the brink of a financial armageddon and the best thing to do is bury your cash in the woods?
Gregersen warns against taking the advice of any influencers who claim to have “frontrunner tips” about the market. “If you’re in the know, you’ll shut up and make those millions yourself, right?” he says.
His second red flag is anyone who is flogging a “bespoke trading system” and is offering to mentor people if they want to leave their 9-to-5 job. “It’s a sort of finance multi-level marketing scheme where the hook is that you’re the trader but you’re being bled dry by all these weird partnerships,” he explains. “Long-term investments are fine – but there are no get-rich-quick schemes.”
David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst as get-rich-quick wannabes Del Boy and Rodney in ‘Only Fools And Horses’ (UKTV/BBC)
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has previously expressed concern that finfluencers’ advice can be misleading and that they have “little knowledge of what they’re promoting”. They added: “This lack of expertise is reflected in the large number of promotions that are either illegal or non-compliant, making it likely that consumers will see poor-quality information on social media.” Luckily for me, McGrath is one of a handful of content creators to have actually worked with the FCA to ensure safe and smart information is shared online.
Elsewhere, China’s Cyberspace Administration has banned influencers who don’t possess degrees in finance, health or law from speaking on the topics online, in an aggressive step to prevent fraud and misinformation. No such big swing is planned in the UK as of yet.
“We want consumers to feel confident when investing, and legitimate finfluencers can provide really useful advice,” the FCA told me. “However, other so-called ‘influencers’ are unauthorised and promoting outright scams or high-risk investment schemes without explaining the risks,” a spokesperson added, pointing to the FCA Firm Checker as a tool to avoid being duped. “We are continuing to engage with finfluencers who want to play by the rules and help consumers. We will soon be providing new guidance for them.” In the meantime, scroll with care.
