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For years, McDonald’s fans in the UK have been begging the fast food chain to bring one very specific menu item over from the US.

And these prayers have finally been answered, as the ‘legendary’ Shamrock Shake is finally making its UK debut.

For the first time ever, the vivid green milkshake is available here, but it’s only going to be on sale for a limited time, so you’ll have to be quick to give it a try.

McDonald’s is launching the drink from today (Wednesday, March 12) and it’ll be on the menu for two weeks only until March 25 – and when it’s gone, it’s gone.

What is the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake?

The milkshake features a peppermint-flavoured syrup blended with a creamy vanilla base, and comes hot on the heels of the launch of the Grimace Milkshake, which arrived in the UK in 2024.

The purple milkshake went viral on TikTok, sparking a bizarre challenge and quickly sold-out after it was introduced, but returned for a second time later in the year.

It will cost £3.09 for a large Shamrock Shake, £2.69 for a medium and £2.19 for a small one.

And, as well as getting to try a cult item, those who purchase a Shamrock Shale in participating restaurants will also be donating to a good cause, as 20p from each sale will go to Ronald McDonald House Charities UK.

McDonald’s is a founding and forever partner of the Charity, which provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families with children in hospital.

What do people in the US think about the Shamrock Shake?

Online, people in the US have raved about the Shamrock Shake, with @russbus_18 on X hailing it ‘the greatest McDonald’s creation ever’.

Similarly, @slime_belief1 proclaimed: ‘Shamrock shake [is] the best shake in the world. I have one every year only during this time since I was 10.’

While @Makeupbaroness said the drink was ‘legendary’, as @LethalEmpress claimed the return of the milkshake to the US menu is ‘what [she] lives for.’

Others branded it ‘delicious’ and ‘amazing’, but not everyone was a fan, with some claiming it just tastes ‘like toothpaste’.

A McDonald’s archivist named Mike recently shared a look at the history of the Shamrock Shake on McDonald’s Corporate TikTok account.

He explained that the milkshake was originally created in 1967 by a McDonald’s operator in Connecticut, and in 1970 the drink was expanded to a number of locations across the US. The sales from these drinks helped to build the very first Ronald McDonald House in 1974 in Philadelphia.

But it wasn’t until 2012 that the drink was available nationwide across the USA for the first time.

The milkshake proved so popular that in 2017, the fast food chain started experimenting with different varieties, launching a chocolate version.

Fast forward to today, and 2025 marks the first time the Shamrock Shake will ever be available in the UK – it’s come a long way in the last 58 years.

As well as the Shamrock Shake, there are a number of other exciting new items on the McDonald’s menu for fans to try.

Three fan-favourite items including a burger that’s previously been hailed as ‘sensational’, ‘immense’ and one of the ‘best’ by fans, recently returned in February.

Yes, that’s right, the Philly Cheese Stack is one the menu once more and it’s going to be sticking around for a while this time.

The burger, which fans have been known to launch petitions for, features two beef patties, cheese sauce, and cheese slices, as well as grilled and crispy onions and pickles, all served in a toasted bun.

There’s also the new the Stormzy Meal, which recreates the rapper’s go-to order.

The £7.99 meal features nine Chicken McNuggets and a side of fries, with two BBQ Dips. To finish off there’s a choice between the Oreo McFlurry or an Apple Pie and the whole thing gets washed down with a Sprite Zero.

Every Stormzy meal purchased in a McDonald’s restaurant, will come with a set of premium limited-edition stickers.

But if you’re still stuck over what to order during your next visit, you could always take a leaf out of an expert’s book.

Two top chefs recently told Metro what they actually order from the fast food restaurant, and their answers were certainly interesting…

This article was first published on February 7, 2025.

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Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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Gigi Hadid juggles a lot: a modeling career, being a single mom and dating Bradley Cooper.

And in the April 2025 cover of US Vogue, the blonde beauty talked about her Hollywood boyfriend for the first time.

The New Yorker revealed for the first time how they met, and it wasn't through mutual pal Leonard DiCaprio.

The Chanel model said they ran into each other at a child's backyard birthday party thrown by a common friend.

And she also shared what Cooper has made her appreciate more. 'He has opened me up to going to the theater more, and that’s something that’s so nice to bring back into my life,' she said.

And she addressed dating in the spotlight. 'You want to give yourself a normal experience of dating,' Hadid said adding it sure is not easy.

Gigi Hadid juggles a lot: a modeling career, being a single mom and dating Bradley Cooper . And in the April 2025 cover of US Vogue, the blonde beauty talked about her Hollywood boyfriend for the first time

'Even for my friends who aren’t public figures, that’s hard. Where do you go? And, what? You just start talking to people?' said Hadid.

'And then there’s another added layer of privacy and security. You want to believe that people are going to have your back and not call TMZ or go on Deuxmoi or whatever, but you just don’t know.'

She also admitted that therapy helps her deal with all of it.

The sister of Yellowstone star Bella Hadid credits therapy with making her understand she does not have to be a people pleaser all the time.

She now has the desire to 'have respect for myself' she told the magazine.

These days she says no if she doesn't want to do something, which is new for her.

'I have no regrets, ever, being like, 'I can't make that job. I have Khai that week,'' she said. Khai is her child with rock star Zayn Malik. 'That's just the boundary I've set.'

And she loves the world she has created for her mini-me girl.

'Khai is protected by our friendships here. And that means,' she pauses, visibly emotional, 'that means a lot to me.' The magazine also said she teared up when talking about her child.

She said that he has made her appreciate theater in NYC. 'He has opened me up to going to the theater more, and that’s something that’s so nice to bring back into my life,' she said; seen in November in NYC

. And she addressed dating in the spotlight. 'You want to give yourself a normal experience of dating,' Hadid said. With his daughter

Both Gigi and Bradley are close pals of Leonardo DiCaprio; seen January 7, 2024 in Beverly Hills

As far as showing Khai's face, she is not up for it, though she does show her body and the back of her head.

'I don't think it would be fully genuine to post nothing of Khai,' she said.

'But I also don't want to put anything up that would take away from her privacy and her peace.'

She won't quit social media though: 'I love connecting with people.…

'I am grateful for social media, and the ways that it has connected me to the world.

'I wouldn't have the same career without it.'

She later told the Vogue writer: 'It's different from how socials felt when I was younger. It doesn't come as naturally to me as it did when Instagram started.'

Hadid also talked modeling. She said in front of the camera she is performing.

Gigi shares daughter Khai with ex-boyfriend Zayn Malik, 31 (pictured in 2016)

Gigi explained why she does not show her child's face on social media; seen on her farm in Pennsylvania

'If you just met me at a photo shoot, you wouldn’t see a full depiction of me,' said Hadid. 'I feel that as a model, I’m a performer.'

As far as turning 30 soon, she said she may do a fun party to celebrate.

'I’m excited for 30,' she shared. 'I feel like a lot of the stuff in my career, in my relationships, in my life, in my friendships, that people maybe normally go through in their 30s, I went through in my 20s.'

And she is up for more challenges: 'After 10 years of doing this job, I’m not nervous anymore. I have to remember that if I feel scared or intimidated, that means I’m excited. And yeah, at this point, why not try?'

The ageist and sexist trope of the cougar, milf, or Mrs Robinson – a desperate older woman pursuing a relationship with a younger, less interested man – is being challenged by a spate of Hollywood movies pairing older women with younger men.

For generations, the idealised relationship on screen has been for an older man and a younger woman. This casting practice dates back to Hollywood’s silent era and mirrors global cultural norms. The real average age gap in the west, meanwhile, is much narrower than the silver screen would have you believe, standing at 2.2 years in the US.

Mirroring what we see in the cinema, however, research on heterosexual relationship preferences in Europe, published in December, indicated that men prefer relationships with younger women. And that preferred gap increases as men age. In contrast, women prefer a smaller age gap as they age. And in their 60s, they tend to prefer a slightly younger partner.

The history of Hollywood age gaps

Many Hollywood classics feature significant age gaps. Debbie Reynolds starred opposite a 40-year-old Gene Kelly when she was just 19 in Singin’ in the Rain (1952). Kim Novak was paired with 50-year-old James Stewart in Vertigo (1958) when she was just 25. And Maria Schneider was only 19 when she was coupled with Marlon Brando, then 49, for Last Tango in Paris (1972).

Reynolds and Schneider have both spoken about the abusive on-set power dynamics that ensued. Reynolds felt assaulted when Kelly “shoved his tongue” down her throat, and Schneider accused both Brando and director Bernardo Bertolucci of sexual assault.

More recent, and now notorious pairings, which demonstrate the ubiquity of double digit age differences include 30-year-old Catherine Zeta-Jones and 69-year-old Sean Connery in Entrapment (1990). A 27-year-old Eva Mendes paired with 47-year-old Denzel Washington in Training Day (2001). And 22-year-old Gemma Arterton as the romantic interest of 40-year-old Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace (2008).

Actor Laura Dern has reflected that the 20-year age gap between her and Sam Neill in Jurassic Park (1993), which was considered the norm in the 1990s, now feels “completely inappropriate”.

Flipping the script

Audiences are tiring of Hollywood’s habit of pairing younger stars with men old enough to be their fathers and are calling for change.

The casting of Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh in Oppenheimer (2023) received a backlash for the 20-year age gap between the two actors. This came particularly as the film featured lingering nudity of Pugh, and the age gap was ten years greater than the real life age gap between the characters they play.

When Hollywood has depicted an inversion of this age gap dynamic in the past, it’s generally been done to demonise the older woman. One of the most renowned examples is The Graduate (1967). The film starred Dustin Hoffman as a 21 year old at the mercy of a middle-aged seducer Mrs Robinson (Anne Bancroft). Mrs Robinson is at the periphery of the story and portrayed as a sad, fading beauty in competition with her daughter who eventually “wins” the man.

This depiction of a bitter older woman is being challenged by a surge of recent films that centre characters over 40. Babygirl (2025) stars 57-year-old Nicole Kidman as a CEO in a relationship with an intern 30 years her junior, defying gendered stereotypes and sexual power dynamics.

Read more: Babygirl’s provocative exploration of power, infidelity and eroticism – reviewed by a sex therapist

Similarly, Anne Hathaway, 41 in The Idea of You, falls for a 24-year-old pop star. Unlike the daughter in Mrs Robinson, who is perceived as the competition, her character’s daughter has her back and acknowledges the double standards women face when the age gap is this way around.

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Even so, 2024 was referred to dismissively by some as “the year of the cougar” following the release of two Netflix romcoms, A Family Affair (again with Nicole Kidman, this time paired with 36-year-old Zac Efron) and Lonely Planet (with 57-year-old Laura Dern and 34-year-old Liam Hemsworth).

Despite this online mockery, the trend looks set to continue. The upcoming Bridget Jones sequel, Mad About the Boy, will show Bridget (played by Renée Zellweger who is now in her 50s) dating a 29-year-old Leo Woodall. Meanwhile I Want Your Sex, set to release in late 2025, will star Olivia Wilde, 40, opposite Cooper Hoffman, 21.

Women still only make up 23% of writers and directors in Hollywood. Interestingly, the recent films featuring older women and younger men couples have more women in key creative roles behind the scenes.

Lonely Planet and Babygirl were written and directed by women (Susannah Grant and Halina Reijn). A Family Affair and May December were written by women (Carrie Solomon and Samy Burch). And I Want Your Sex and Mad About the Boy have a mix of genders on their writing teams.

The need for more women to be involved in the creative decision-making to amplify women’s voices is crucial. Research shows that women make up only 35% of speaking parts and roles for women start to nose-dive post 30.

No wonder then that Reese Witherspoon, Amy Adams and Kerry Washington are just a few of the Hollywood actresses who have established production companies to tell stories that reflect the wide range of women’s experiences, sexual desires and vulnerabilities – and celebrate the complexity and diversity of their relationships.

Having missed CES this year, I’ve had to wait longer than usual to get my first look at LG’s new TVs, but I finally got the chance last month at a London event for reviewers.

I have to say that up until that point, I was a little underwhelmed by the G5 – frankly, I think LG did a pretty poor job of selling it during the pre-CES video briefing I tuned in for, with way too much focus on AI and personalisation and far too little on picture quality. I’m pleased to say, though, that having now seen the G5 in action, it looks like a really big step forward for the range and a much bigger upgrade over the G4 than that TV was over the G3.

While LG Electronics will never confirm such things, we know that it has moved from the MLA OLED technology of the G4 to a new Primary RGB Tandem (aka Four-Stack) OLED panel for the G5, and the results are striking. Yes, peak brightness is a little higher on the G5 than the G4, but the improvements to full-screen brightness and colour reproduction are far more obvious and have a much more profound effect on overall picture quality.

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In the demo session, which also included the G4, Samsung S95D and Sony A95L, the G5 definitely looked slightly brighter than its rivals in small peaks, but when an explosion filled the screen, the difference between the G5 and G4 (and S95D for that matter) was stark, with the G5 offering an intensity that its predecessor was nowhere near to matching. The A95L fared better, but while it appeared to be in a similar brightness ballpark to the G5, it couldn’t match it for bright detail – the texture of the explosion and, in a later clip from Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the bats swarming in front of a bright cave exit, looked vague on the Sony whereas they were clear and controlled from the LG.

These intensely bright images also demonstrated the G5’s improved colour reproduction, with the TV retaining its cinematic warmth (all of the TVs were in their Filmmaker Mode except for the Sony, which was in its equivalent Professional Mode) right the way to the brightest parts of the picture. The Sony QD-OLED, in particular, looked rather blue/green in the bright white areas.

Impressively, this colour consistency extends down to the darkest parts of the picture, too, with the G5 reproducing the gold-embossed writing on the dimly lit spine of a book with a warmth that none of the other sets could match. Shadow detail looked exceptional, too, with the G5 digging up picture information in the darkness that the other TVs missed. The G4 was already good in this area, but the G5 definitely looks better.

All told, the G5 looked exceptional through all of the demos, with a degree of dynamism and consistency that none of the other TVs could match. Demo sessions such as this can never be fully trusted (there’s a strong suspicion that the Samsung S95D in particular wasn’t setup to look its best), so we will need to complete our full, comparative review before passing final judgement, but I went from something approaching ambivalence towards the new G5 to a feeling that it could be a huge step forward for the G series and perhaps even the best TV of 2025. Stay tuned for that full review, which will be on its way very soon.

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