UK Gardener Sets New World Record with 1,295.8 kg Pumpkin Named Bagheera
British gardener Ian Paton set a new world record by growing the heaviest pumpkin, Bagheera, weighing 1,295.8 kg at a weigh-off in Wargrave, UK, on October 3, 2026. This surpassed the previous record of 1,278.8 kg set by Ian and his twin brother Stuart in 2025. Stuart retired from competition, while Ian continued, dedicating up to six hours daily to tend the pumpkin amid challenging heatwave conditions. The pumpkin was named after a character from The Jungle Book, suggested by Ian's son.
First-hand measurement across 2 sources
We measured how 2 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is positive (78/100). Lens Score 30/100.
Outlets measured: indiatoday, hindustantimes. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (78–78/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
hindustantimes broke this story on 13 Oct, 09:27 am. Other outlets followed.