From shared toothbrushes to mid-sex water bladders, You Be the Judge tries to settle domestic disputes. But what happened next?

For five years, our column has attempted to settle rows about the important little things … but what happens after the verdicts are in?

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ince 2021, I’ve had one of the most brilliantly nosy jobs in journalism. Writing Saturday magazine’s You be the judge column has let me into the interior lives of others, lifting the lid on the everyday irritations that grind people’s gears in their closest relationships. It’s the pettiness that gets people going. I’ve interviewed couples at war over alarms and dishcloths, girlfriends disagreeing about dog care, and sisters who cohabit and argue about their sex lives.

With interviews conducted online and in person, I’ve accumulated domestic disputes from every corner of the globe which have also sparked heated debates online. Part small-claims court, part sociological experiment, You be the judge turns low-stakes grievances into battles that somehow feel life-or-death, and it’s fascinating to see which minor injustices ignite the fiercest debates.

Now, nearly five years in, I thought it would be good to revisit some of our most controversial couples, to see what they have been up to since we last spoke and whether the court of public opinion has led to more friction – or caused them to change their ways.