Pop Culture Moments That Broke The Internet In 2025

When Sydney Sweeney was announced as the star of a new American Eagle advert – no one could have predicted the storm that it would create. In the advert, Sweeney told the world that she has ‘great jeans’, something that unfortunately sounds identical to the phrase ‘great genes’ – which was not a great look for the blonde, blue eyed star (read: white supremecist undertones). There were calls for Sweeney to apologise for the ad – but a misguided podcast interview only made it worse.

One small step for Katy Perry, one giant leap for internet jokes

In April, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin rocket took an all-female crew into space. In attendance was his wife Lauren Sanchez and CBS presenter Gayle King – but one passenger stole the show, Katy Perry. It’s hard to pick just one moment – maybe it was when she serenaded everyone with Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World,” maybe as she stared at a floating flower ignoring the view of earth behind her, or maybe it was when she kissed the ground on her return. The whole journey was only eleven minutes, but Katy Perry turned every second into a meme.

“Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday” had us reliving our worst memories

The standout song of the summer wasn’t released this year; it wasn’t even released this decade. Jess Glynne’s “Hold My Hand” found a new life as the soundtrack of the ‘Nothing Beats a Jet2 Holiday’ advert. For weeks, you couldn’t scroll TikTok or Instagram Reels without hearing the jingle above a video of a toilet exploding, or a roof caving in, or a hotel infested with bugs. It might have been the worst holiday of your life, but at least you saved £50 per person for a family of four.

Celebrity Traitors brings back appointment TV

The Traitors returned to our screens, but this time with a twist – an all-star cast. Whether it was Paloma Faith getting murdered, Celia Imrie farting during a challenge, or Alan Carr bursting into laughter as he said ‘I’m a faithful’ – every night had a moment that kept us hooked. Season 2 is coming next year and Claudia’s bound to have more tricks up her sleeve.