THERE is nothing worse than losing a furry friend.

And after King Charles and Queen Camilla lost their adorable terrier Beth last month, the pair are now planning on giving their love to a new dog from Battersea Cats and Dogs Home.

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Amanda Holden, who is hosting the Royal Variety Performance on Sunday ay at 8pm with Alan Carr on ITV1, told me she’d discussed rehoming a new pooch with the King after meeting him backstage.

She said: “King Charles spoke to Alan and I for ages,

“Camilla is a patron of Battersea Cats and Dogs Home and I’m the ambassador for there.

“We were talking about rescues and he was saying they were definitely going to rescue another one from Battersea and that losing their dog was so sad.”

Of being with Charles, Amanda added: “It’s amazing that he took the time to go around that whole room because it’s a long night, it takes four hours to film.

“I said ‘Get yourself home, you must be shattered’.”

During tomorrow night’s performance, Amanda and Alan perform a number of skits as well as introducing acts including Marti Pellow and Sydnie Christmas.

“My grandparents used to watch it religiously every year and I really thought about them during it,” Amanda said,

“It’s terrifying. You really don’t want to mess anything up.

“We’ve done loads of silly things. Like you’ll see us in roller skates, you’ll see me levitating, you’ll see Alan dressed up as a bus.

“There’s so much humour injected into it.”

RICHARD ASHCROFT has teamed up with John Lewis to unveil the winner of its Christmas Cover Star competition.

And it’s not hard to see why – as the winner turned out to be a version of his 1997 song Sonnet with his band The Verve.

Rising star Mel Raeburn’s cover will now be released on Thursday via BMG.

I won’t be X Rayeted

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RAYE topped off an incredible year by performing for King Charles – but she had to change her setlist to avoid having a potty mouth in front of the monarch.

Looking incredible in this black dress, she was at an event for Apple at its headquarters at London’s Battersea Power Station, where she was introduced to the King, as well as Apple CEO Tim Cook.

But taking to the stage for a performance afterwards, she confessed she ditched No1 hit Escapism, in which she sings about doing drugs and having “drunk sex”.

She told the crowd: “I was gonna do Escapism but I think there’s too many swear words.

“The King’s in the vicinity, my nan would never forgive me.”

I’m sure he was impressed, either way.

Gallagher girl team-up

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THEIR dads put their differences aside for a mammoth tour – and equally massive pay day –  now Noel and Liam Gallagher’s daughters have done the same.

Anais, who is Noel’s eldest, and Molly, who is Liam’s youngest, posed in London’s Primrose Hill for Danish shoe brand Ecco.

Alongside snaps on Instagram – which I’m sure they were paid handsomely to post – they wrote: “This holiday season, Ecco asked us to share what keeps us connected. Hanging out and catching up is what we do best!”

Molly’s brother Gene commented: “QUEENS!!!”

If the kids can get on, there’s still hope that the Oasis tour will go off without a hitch.

Wham! leading race for Christmas number one

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THE race for Christmas No1 is under way and it’s an open playing field, with a raft of tunes battling for the coveted top spot.

YouTuber Ladbaby has stepped aside for a second year so there’s no sausage roll-themed contender, but 2023’s No1, Last Christmas by WHAM!, is the early favourite, according to odds from Coral.

It is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a new vinyl re- issue, although another festive favourite, Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You, is also celebrating an anniversary, turning 30.

And Band Aid’s 40th anniversary version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? is also in with a shout. Sam Ryder finished at No2 last year with his Amazon-exclusive song You’re Christmas To Me.

And now Tom Grennan is hoping to one-up him with his track It Can’t Be Christmas, which is also out on Amazon.

Another Amazon exclusive is Lauffey’s Christmas Magic, which is being tipped for a Top Ten finish.

Other runners and riders include East 17’s Stay Another Day, raising money for charity Nordoff and Robbins, and Paloma Faith’s Silent Night, Gentle Night, which has been released for the launch of Sky Kids’ Ready Eddie Go! Christmas special.

It’s all to play for, so let the festive battle commence.

Shawn’s messy love triangle

SHAWN MENDES has admitted he messed up when juggling his romances with Camila Cabello and Sabrina Carpenter.

He was the subject of much of ex Sabrina’s album Short N’ Sweet this year, after he was snapped kissing his former girlfriend Camila while they were dating in spring last year.

Now he has opened up about the drama on John Mayer’s SiriusXM show.

He explained: “I’m always gauging whether or not it’s worth talking about the details in these situations…

“So, I’m with someone. Two days before going to hang out with my ex . . .  because I have unresolved feelings.

“Maybe instead of two days, it could have been two weeks.”

The encounter inspired several of Sabrina’s hit songs including Taste, which spent nine weeks at No1 – so she who got the last laugh.