The Exchange: Thursday's Running Order

8.10PM 

New research has found that gay men on average are earning 9 per cent less than their heterosexual counterparts, however lesbian women on average earn 12 per cent more than heterosexual women. Even in other parts of Europe, Australia, Canada and the US, gay and lesbian people experience more obstacles when getting a job, and face discrimination more than others.

So has your sexuality ever affected your job prospects? 

8.25PM 

Two thirds of people surveyed by the British Heart Foundation admit to dragging themselves into work despite being too ill to do their job, citing they felt they had too much to do to be able to take time off. 

Could your work be making you ill?

8.40PM 

A petition has been started, calling on the government to reconsider cutting funding for HIV prevention for 2015.The National AIDS Trust says local authorities should be investing in HIV prevention as part of their public health responsibilities, but that they need the support of a national programme to maximise the effectiveness of their HIV prevention activities.

8.55PM 

A coach driver has quit his job ‘at the wheel’ after repeatedly getting lost during a journey from Bradford to Heathrow airport, leaving his passengers stranded by the roadside. He told customers he was not allowed a satnav as National Express bosses believe they look ‘unprofessional.’

9.05PM 

Parents who vaccinate their children face the possibility of their children becoming gay – that’s the wild claim made by American anti-vaccine group, VacTruth, despite no scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism or a change in sexual orientation.

What turns you gay?

9.20PM 

Bookmaker Coral has suspended betting on The Queen announcing her abdication in her speech on Christmas Day, following a rush of bets this afternoon. The firm was offering odds of 10-1 but today's unusual gambling has instantly set alarm bells ringing, forcing Coral to close the market altogether.

9.35PM 

Former UKIP candidate Paul Rimmer has said that Liverpool FC is cursed because the club attended this year’s Liverpool Pride. Explaining why Liverpool had apparently lost the league title, he said: “From the Bible, Sodomy defiles a Nation. Those who promote it will be punished & vomited out of the Land.”

9.50PM 

The best place to find hotel bargains this New Year's Eve is Manchester. According to comparison website Trivago – hotels are up 146% in Edinburgh,  132% in Amsterdam and 40% in London on last year. With prices on average £110 a night – Manchester is the only place in the top ten where there have been no increases.