From Bradford to Miami – 2025 media coverage
Throughout 2025, the University of Bradford has received national and international media coverage, showcasing its innovative research projects, student and academic’s opinions and theatre productions.
Media outlets including the Miami Herald, New York Post, The Independent and The Sun have covered our stories during an action-packed year at the University.
Here is a look at some of the highlights of media coverage from 2025:
Teaspoon of Shampoo – The Independent – February
Teaspoon of Shampoo, a dramatisation based on the life of Muhammed Saeed, who falsely worked as a doctor in Manningham, Bradford, from 1961 until 1990, proved a hit on stage and in the media.
He prescribed one patient suffering from a cold with shampoo to be taken twice a day. Another was prescribed a substance similar to creosote (normally used to preserve timber) to treat toothache.
The play, held at Theatre in the Mill, an arts organisation based on the University of Bradford campus, staged five sell-out performances in March.
The remarkable story was covered by The Independent’s website, with the headline: ‘A Teaspoon of Shampoo: The unbelievable true story of Bradford’s fake doctor’.
Doggerland - New York Post and The Sun – March and August
The University’s ongoing work on the Doggerland project generated more than 200 different news articles from across the world in August. Bradford’s work is part of a 13.2 million euro ($15.5 million) six-year international project to map parts of the seabed in the Baltic and North Seas.
Outlets who covered the Associated Press story included the New York Post and other media in Australia, New Zealand and many more across the UK.
Katylee Bailey visit – TikTok - April
Social media content creator Katylee Bailey, pictured front above, was given an insight into her possible future career as a midwife during a visit to the University of Bradford in April 2025.
Katylee, from Bradford, enjoyed a tour of the University’s state-of-the-art midwifery facilities, and met Midwifery students. Her subsequent TikTok video on her visit racked up 1.1 million views.
AI in Boxing – BBC Tech Now and Boxing News – July
Dr Kamran Mahroof’s, Programme Leader for MSc Applied AI and Data Analytics at the University of Bradford, debate on how artificial intelligence (AI) could have helped with judging boxing bouts and how it could shape the sport’s future received coverage in both Boxing News, a weekly publication on the sport, in its August 28 printed magazine, and on the BBC’s Tech Now programme in July.
Free childcare study - The Sun – September
Research co-authored by the University of Bradford, led by Professor Kerry Papps, pictured above, and University of Bath, warned the Government’s flagship ‘free childcare’ expansion is failing to keep pace with nursery fees. This story was covered by The Sun, This is Money, and BBC Online’s national news website among others on September 1.
Child of the North – Sunday Express – October
The Sunday Express featured the story about the University of Bradford, including Professor Mark Mon-Williams, pictured above, teaming up with universities across the North to call on the Government to take urgent action to improve the lives of children as part of the #ChildrenFirst campaign, which highlights inequalities in the health of young people in the North of England.
Image study – BBC Two’s Global Eye – October
Professor Hassan Ugail, pictured above, Professor of Visual Computing at the University of Bradford, featured in BBC Two’s Global Eye programme.
His expertise in facial recognition was used to investigate Musa al-Sadr, the former leader of Lebanon's Shia community, who mysteriously disappeared in 1978 during a visit to Libya, an event that remains one of the Middle East's most enduring mysteries.
In the programme, Professor Ugail was shown studying an image of a corpse - attempting to solve a mystery that has gripped the Middle East for nearly 50 years.
Alumni strongman – across USA including Miami Herald – November
The story of former University of Bradford student George Smith, who prepared to compete in this year’s England’s Strongest Man by getting married and going on honeymoon proved popular Stateside.
George, who married fellow Bradford alumna, Kathryn Bradney, both pictured above, who competes in strongwoman competitions herself, was covered by a host of news websites in the USA, including the Miami Herald.
Despite finishing in 12th place in that competition, he finished second while representing England at the Extinct Games Invitational Singapore later in November.
Students’ Budget views – BBC Breakfast – November
A group of University of Bradford students shared their views on national television ahead of the Autumn Budget.
Eve McCallum, Minihal Faisal and Jiya Mahmood, all pictured above with BBC Breakfast presenter Emma Vardy, front left, all appeared on a special edition of BBC Breakfast, partly held at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford on Wednesday 26 November.
The student panel gave their views as part of a studio audience for the BBC One programme, ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget announcement, held that afternoon.
Stonehenge – CBBC Newsround, The Guardian, the i Paper, The Sun - October
Research led by archaeologists from the University of Bradford is transforming our understanding of one of Britain’s most extraordinary prehistoric discoveries – the vast ring of Neolithic pits near Durrington Walls, close to Stonehenge.
First identified in 2020, the pits from a circle over two kilometres wide, enclosing an area greater than three square kilometres around Durrington Walls and Woodhenge.
Each pit measures up to 10 metres across and five metres deep, making this the largest known prehistoric structure in Britain.
Researchers have now gone beyond mapping the pits to explore their origins and environmental context.
This story was featured across the world by media outlets including The Guardian, The Sun, the i Paper, India Times Online and CBBC’s Newsround website.
Derry Walls – Good Morning Ireland, Derry Journal – November
Two of Ireland’s most historic walled towns – Kilmallock in County Limerick and Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland – which were digitally recreated in stunning detail thanks to pioneering technology developed at the University of Bradford, drew headlines in both Northern Ireland and England.
The story on the innovative research was covered in Northern Ireland by ITV’s Good Morning Ireland and Derry Journal.
Rising neuro-weapon threat – The Guardian and New York Post - November
The New York Post, Daily Mail and The Guardian were among the media to carry the story on a new book co-authored by University of Bradford academics Dr Michael Crowley, and Professor Malcolm Dando, pictured above from left, which urges urgent global action to prevent the weaponisation of neuroscience, as advances in AI and pharmacology create unprecedented risks to human cognition, behaviour and security.
AI Wildfires research – i Paper and BBC Radio 6 Music – December
The University of Bradford’s research on using artificial intelligence (AI) to spot wildfires early, led by Professor Kamran Mahroof, pictured above, and send alerts to emergency teams, helping them act quickly and reduce damage, attracted national media coverage.
The research looks at the impact of AI to detect fire or smoke, through real-time high definition (HD) video camera footage, sending alerts using 6G technology to key services including remote control centres, to help with early interventions in such fires to help reduce the destruction caused and enhance the recovery efforts.
This story was covered by BBC Radio 6 Music, the i Paper and BBC News Online.