ratings

Sunday’s highly anticipated premiere of “60 Minutes” scored 7.9 million viewers according to Nielsen, the lowest for a season opener since 2000.

Nielsen data showed the news magazine was down 21% compared to last year’s opener, which averaged 10.3 million viewers. The premiere was the first ratings report card for the program since a major upheaval that occurred behind the scenes under CBS News Editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.

The number — which was also below the 2025-26 season average of 9.1 million viewers — has to be a disappointment to CBS News. The episode received a major promotional push in the weeks leading up to the premiere, which featured an exclusive interview with an Air Force officer who was shot down over Iraq.

The story of the pilot’s heroism may not have been enough to overcome the public’s antipathy toward the U.S. military operation which has gone on much longer than President Trump predicted.

The program did suffer from some comparisons to 2025.

The ratings for “60 Minutes” are often tied to the lead-in from the late afternoon NFL game on CBS, which was also off from 2026. Most of the country saw the Minnesota Vikings top the Green Bay Packers by a score of 39-22 which, with 18.4 million viewers, was down 22% compared to a comparable broadcast window last year.

Broadcasters tend to blame Nielsen when there are significant ratings declines. The NFL has already raised concerns to the research company about changes to its methodology in counting viewers, as the first week of games are down significantly compared to a year ago.

This year, CBS did not have the exclusive late Sunday window with its NFL game. Fox carried the Philadelphia Eagles-Washington Redskins contest in the time period. Last year’s “60 Minutes” opener was on Sept. 28, when CBS had the sole game with a Kansas City Chiefs-Baltimore Ravens contest.

CBS News did see “60 Minutes” retain a larger portion of its audience lead-in compared to last year, despite a later start time of 7:48 p.m. Eastern. The delay meant half of “60 Minutes” competed with NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” the most-watched TV program of the week. It dropped to 6 million viewers by the final quarter hour.

While there are plenty of rationales, CBS News will have to be patient and hope that viewers will sample the program, which largely had the same look as last year despite Weiss’ changes.

But personalities matter to TV viewers, and the new “60 Minutes” is without four of its longtime correspondents — Anderson Cooper, Scott Pelley, Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi. The latter three were fired by Weiss after clashing with her over their belief she is pushing the show to the political right. Weiss — who took over editorial control of CBS News after parent company Paramount acquired her heterodox digital news site the Free Press — also dismissed “60 Minutes” executive producer Tanya Simon and replaced her with screenwriter and documentary filmmaker Nick Bilton, who has no previous experience in TV news.

Viewers on Sunday briefly saw one of Weiss’ new hires, former conservative New York Times opinion writer Ross Douthat, who has no previous experience as a TV presenter.

Senne Lammens: Not as busy as he might have expected to be. Absolutely vital save from Fernandez to prevent City second. 7

Diogo Dalot: If only he had been able to control Bruno Fernandes’ chipped pass into the penalty area he might have marked his 250th Manchester United appearance with a rare goal. Didn’t look down the line to see he was clearly offside as United pressed just before half-time. Screwed shot wide after break. 4

Harry Maguire: Decent performance from veteran central defender and not far away from an equaliser with late header. Needless push on Enzo Fernandez in the box, for which he was booked. 6

Lisandro Martinez: Didn’t dive in when Bruno Fernandes played a pass towards his own goal straight to Erling Haaland and won the ball from the Norwegian. Decent effort 7

Patrick Dorgu: Replaced Luke Shaw at left back in the starting 11 and did OK but doesn’t have the same link with Rashford. Attempted block proved so crucial to City’s opener. 6

Kobbie Mainoo: Another assured display in front of England boss Thomas Tuchel. Came close to giving his side the lead just after half-time and was home side’s most effective midfielder. 8

Youri Tielemans (off 66, Sesko): Best performance of the season so far but yet to make the standout contribution expected. 7

Bryan Mbeumo: Probably United’s most-effective attacking player. Header just wide before injury-time effort saved. 8

Bruno Fernandes: Fortunate to get away with no sanction at all over the incident that led to Foden’s dismissal. Not one of his better efforts 6

Marcus Rashford (off 83, Zirkzee): Curling long-range free-kick against the post with Donnarumma beaten and shot into side-netting but still waiting for first goal since his return. 6

Matheus Cunha: Preferred to Benjamin Sesko in starting line-up and dragged early shot wide. Got involved on plenty of occasions, but again by dropping deep. Off target with a second-half opportunity. 7

Subs:

Benjamin Sesko (on 66, Tielemans): Brought on to make an impact and tried his luck from distance soon afterwards. 6

Joshua Zirkzee (on 83, Rashford) 6

Subs not used: Darlow, Mazraoui, Mount, Yoro, Santos, Heaven, Lacey.

FINDING a family holiday that actually lives up to the glossy brochure pictures is rare – especially one that’s also affordable.

Luckily, we’ve done the hard work for you by tracking down some of the top-rated resorts on Tripadvisor that also have incredibly cheap package deals.

Whether you’re booking ahead for winter sun in Egypt and Tunisia, or wanting massive family aquaparks in Turkey and Spain, we’ve got you covered.

And these aren’t just ordinary hotels – we’ve found a video game-themed resort in Spain with an on-site retro arcade, and a hotel on the sunny Turkish Turquoise Coast with a whopping 13 waterslides.

All of these hotels have an average rating of 4 out of 5 approval rating or above on Tripadvisor, and offer all inclusive weeks away for under £500pp.

Here’s our pick of top-rated breaks based on a family of four staying 7 nights all inclusive, from as little as £299pp.

Happy Life Village – Dahab, Egypt

With a solid 4.5/5 rating on Tripadvisor, it’s safe to say many guests leave happy after a holiday at the Happy Life Village.

This hotel sits on Egypt’s Red Sea, home to a huge coral reef which you can explore by scuba diving or snorkelling.

This resort is built to keep families happy, with waterslides and a children’s pool for the kids to make a splash, as well as a relaxing spa for parents to unwind.

One happy holidaymaker left a gleaming Tripadvisor review, writing: “It’s possibly the best holiday I’ve ever had. Out of many”.

“The facilities – pools, bar, restaurant, beach are amazing in my opinion. And the big one for me – right off the beach, corals as far as I can swim both sides. Kilometres! Stunning snorkelling. I love this hotel”.

We found a deal for a seven night, all inclusive break from October 25, with return flights from Edinburgh, for £469pp.

Orka Sunlife Resort Hotel and Aquapark – Olu Deniz, Turkey

Fancy zipping down a waterslide into a crystal clear pool, which offers sweeping views of Turkey’s Turquoise Coast?

The Orka Sunlife Resort Hotel & Aquapark sits in Olu Deniz, a Turkish hotspot home to beautiful beaches and the Blue Lagoon, where water glows almost luminously blue.

The hotel itself has five pools, 13 waterslides, and an all-day entertainment program to keep little ones entertained.

The hotel has a 4.3/5 rating on Tripadvisor, with one guest writing: “The hotel was beautiful, we loved everything, the shows, activities, everything was perfect, we had so much fun.”

Another praised the entertainment staff, writing that the “Atmosphere at this hotel is absolutely amazing the entertainment team made my holiday they are wonderful and work really hard to entertain the guests”.

We found a deal for a seven night, all inclusive stay from October 27 with return flights from London from £479pp.

Hotel Magic Games – Spain

As Spain’s first video game-themed hotel, it’s safe to say it’s near-impossible for kids to get bored here.

Hotel Magic Games sits in Spain‘s Costa Del Azahar, a beautiful stretch of coastline known as the Orange Blossom Coast. Here, you can stroll through quiet pine-backed beaches or visit the medieval Papa Luna Castle.

For days spent at the hotel, explore the on-site video game museum, dine in the themed Pixel Buffet Restaurant, float past giant dragons at the on-site waterpark and tackle old school arcade games in the massive Magic Play Zone.

When night rolls around, head back to your immersive, gaming-themed room – complete with comfy gaming chairs, chessboards and glowing neon lights.

This hotel has a comfortable 4.1/5 rating on Tripadvisor, and is the top-rated stay in the Oropesa Del Mar area.

On the Beach offer a seven night, all inclusive break from October 25, with return flights from London, for £333pp.

Gravity Sahl Hasheesh – Hurghada, Egypt

With an outstanding 4.7/5 rating on Tripadvisor, the Gravity Sahl Hasheesh is certainly an impressive place to stay.

This five-star family resort boasts seven pools, an on-site aqua park, a private beach and a full-service spa.

Come evening, the resort lights up with live entertainment and a popular on-site nightclub.

One Tripadvisor review reads “From the very first moment, it was clear that this hotel in Hurghada offers an outstanding level of luxury and truly deserves more than five stars”.

“The hotel has a lot to offer for children and adults, making it perfect for families and couples. The pools are beautiful and well-maintained, and the beach is very clean with a lovely private pier.”

Loveholidays offer a seven night, all inclusive stay from October 27 with return flights from Edinburgh, from £489pp.

Grand Uysal Beach Hotel, Antalya

Rated 4.6/5 on Tripadvisor, the Grand Uysal Beach Hotel is a reliable pick for families looking for an action-packed Turkey holiday.

Here there’s several pools with a kids zone surrounded by waterslides, plus there’s even an underground tunnel that leads you straight out to the beach.

One Tripadvisor guest praised the hotel’s friendly staff, writing “The active and consistent work of the staff and the deliciousness of the food were among the most important things we noticed”.

“The entire place was also very clean, which is due to the discipline of the staff; they were always active and smiling. We would love to come again with my family”.

Loveholidays offer a week-long, all inclusive package break from £299pp in November.

With temperatures still sitting comfortably in the 20s, it’s an absolute steal for families with pre-schoolers or older teens who aren’t tied to term times.

Hotel Le Sultan, Hammemet, Tunisia

If you’re looking for a family holiday with plenty of activities for the kids, Hotel Le Sultan is a top pick.

Here you can play tennis, go catamaran sailing, practice archery and even go horse riding at the hotel’s very own equestrian centre.

The hotel has a 4.5/5 rating on Tripadvisor, with over 5,000 reviews.

One review reads “We had a wonderful stay at the Hotel Sultan in Hammamet. The hotel is very beautiful, the staff friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was simply wonderful”.

“We would especially like to highlight the kids club. Our children had a lot of fun there and were well taken care of”. 

EasyJet holidays offer a week-long, all inclusive package break from £341pp in November, when temperatures are still hitting 23C.

Emiliano Martinez: There was concern when the Argentina goalkeeper was accidentally kicked in the head by Gabriel early on, but he was beaten too easily at his near post for Havertz’s equaliser. He later made a high-quality save from Saka in the second half. 5

Josh Acheampong: Often dragged into uncomfortable areas by Tzolis from a tactical perspective, but handled his individual defensive duties well. 6

Maxence Lacroix: Miscontrolled a ball early on and allowed Havertz’s shot to pass through his legs but also impressed at other times. 6

Wesley Fofana: Unconvincing defensively against Saka, Odegaard and, ultimately, Havertz for the equaliser, but the most composed of Chelsea‘s defenders in possession. 6

Pedro Neto: Tasked with marking Calafiori while also providing an attacking threat. Hit the post just before half-time with a brilliant curling effort. 7

Reece James: Saw a well-struck long-range effort saved after 22 minutes and was arguably Chelsea‘s best passer. 7

Romeo Lavia: Produced a superb defensive header to clear the danger in the 32nd minute and competed aggressively throughout. 6

Jorrel Hato: His determination helped create Rogers’ volley and he matched that effort defensively, although he struggled to contain Saka at times. 6

Cole Palmer: Had one effort on target in the first half and was booked for a professional foul. Also had a second-half shot saved. Arsenal largely kept him quiet. 5

Morgan Rogers: Opened the scoring with a first-time volley after just two minutes. Later curled an effort narrowly wide in the 31st minute and was Chelsea‘s most dangerous attacking player. 7

Joao Pedro: Unconvincing defensively at set-pieces and had few opportunities in front of goal, including an ambitious effort from distance. Still made a significant contribution through his work-rate, physical presence and ability to bring team-mates into play as the number nine. 6

Subs:

Malo Gusto (on 60, Lavia): Poor effort moments after coming on, albeit playing out of position in central midfield. 5

Pep Chavarria (on 60, Hato): Struggled to track his runners on a few occasions. 6

Estevao Willian (on 80, Neto): The Brazilian’s sensational curling effort almost levelled but was saved by Raya.

Danny Welbeck (on 87, Rogers)

Subs not used: Penders, Colwill, Barco, Quenda, Gittens