Rated Reads this week takes a look at Ncuti Gatwa's casting as the Doctor, the surprising rise of "blokecore" and dating apps vs. loneliness.

‘It’s a massive moment’: how Ncuti Gatwa will shake up Doctor Who

The casting of a new Doctor Who always sets the Internet a little bit on fire, and that was certainly the case of the announcement that Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa will be taking over the TARDIS from Jodie Whittaker. The first Black actor to play the series lead, Gatwa’s casting opens up a whole new world of possibilities, which The Guardian explores by interviewing show fans and creatives.

The Rise of ‘Blokecore’, the Football-Inspired Style Trend

Blokecore. What is blokecore? It’s a good question. Imagine a man dressed in faded jeans and a vintage Arsenal T-shirt, but on purpose, and you’re about there. In its comprehensive explainer of what is now a trend for some reason, VICE explains the appeal of this rising fashion trend, in which Adidas trainers are on the feet and The Stone Roses are on the retro-on-purpose iPod. Whatever works for some people.

I Used Dating Apps To Combat Loneliness At Uni (Spoiler: It Didn’t Work)

Hinge: designed to be deleted. Few marketing slogans have caused as much stress as this one. What does it mean to rely on human connection in such a fast-moving and ephemeral environment filled with terrible men and Disney adults? For Refinery29, Amber Middleton explores the harshness of relying on apps like Hinge when settling into a new city, and why “designed to be deleted” might actually be a useful instruction.

Sigrid: ‘It is scary to be that vulnerable’

Sigrid has made herself the pride of Norway in recent years by making her way to the pop big leagues, and the just-passed release of her second album saw that ascension continue unabated. She chats to The Independent about how she found her confidence, playing for the Royal Family and the big festival summer she has ahead of her.

Netflix’s LGBTQ+ romcom Heartstopper has been lighting up social media these past few weeks, and a key part of its success has been the presence of newcomer Joe Locke as one half of the series’ central couple. GQ sits down with him to chat about becoming part of such a huge success story and how the show’s queer love has inspired him in his own life.

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