Thu. Dec 26th, 2024
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Getty Images Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt attend the Los Angeles premiere of Universal Pictures film The Fall Guy at Dolby Theatre on April 30, 2024 in Hollywood, CaliforniaGetty Images

Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt starred in The Fall Guy, one of the year’s big movie flops

Money, success, power, beauty – it often seems as if celebrities have everything they could possibly want.

So it’s just as well they also get tangled up in their fair share of mishaps, blunders and own goals every year.

Here’s a light-hearted look at some of 2024’s biggest flops and fails.

1. Katy Perry’s comeback

Getty Images Katy Perry at the AFL Grand Final Entertainment Media ConferenceGetty Images

It was supposed to be a triumphant return, but critics and fans complained Katy Perry’s latest album 143 sounded dated and showed little artistic growth.

The music video for Woman’s World, which saw Perry join a group of dancers wearing tiny outfits on a construction site, was criticised for being regressive, although Perry later said it was supposed to be satirical.

Matters were only made worse when the singer attracted the attention of the Spanish government for shooting the video for follow-up single Lifetimes in ecologically-sensitive sand dunes in the Balearic Islands.

But many fans defended the album, which wasn’t as bad as some reviews made out, and Perry’s accompanying tour has been a huge success.

2. Joker bombing at the box office

Getty Images Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga attend the Los Angeles premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures Joker: Folie a Deux at TCL Chinese Theatre on September 30, 2024 in Hollywood, CaliforniaGetty Images

The sequel starred Joaquin Phoenix as Joker and Lady Gaga as Harlequin

Making a sequel to 2019’s Joker, which grossed more than $1bn (£790m), was something Hollywood found simply irresistible.

Unfortunately, the resulting film, Joker: Folie à Deux, was something audiences found entirely resistible.

Making the film a musical was a bold swing, but the tonal handbreak turn alienated the fans and critics who adored the Oscar-winning original.

Folie à Deux managed to scrape over the $200m (£158m) mark, but that was barely enough to cover its production budget, let alone marketing costs.

It wasn’t the only movie flop of the year – audiences were also unenthusiastic about Madame Web, The Fall Guy, Kraven the Hunter, Megalopolis, Borderlands, Argylle, Unstoppable and Furiosa: A Mad Max Story.

3. Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing

Simon Emmett Liam and Noel GallagherSimon Emmett

Liam and Noel Gallagher distanced themselves from the wildly unpopular dynamic pricing policy

Ticketmaster attracted a storm of controversy after making use of so-called “dynamic pricing” for UK dates on the Oasis reunion tour, which raised the cost of a ticket by £200 due to the predictable demand.

Charging fans £350 per ticket was a dubious PR move for a band famous for their working class roots, and the Gallagher brothers wisely distanced themselves from the strategy.

But Ticketmaster argued prices are set by artists and promoters. Dynamic pricing was later ditched for the band’s US tour dates.

Meanwhile, 50,000 fans who’d paid inflated prices on secondary platforms in order to secure tickets faced having them cancelled. A total omnishambles for everyone involved.

4. The ruined surprise party

Watch: Surprise party is accidentally revealed on TV

When BBC weather presenter Kawser Quamer was asked in February about her plans for the weekend, she cheerfully explained she was attending her niece’s surprise birthday party.

Host Annabel Tiffin said that all sounded very lovely, but presumably the party was no longer a surprise, having just been announced on live TV. “Oh goodness me,” replied an alarmed Quamer, “I’ve spoiled the surprise!”

The glorious mishap made its way across the Atlantic, going viral and featuring on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

But Quamer handled it beautifully, and even managed to convince her niece she was talking about a different relative, keeping the surprise element intact.

5. Kaos

Netflix Jeff Goldblum in KaosNetflix

Jeff Goldblum starred in Netflix’s Greek mythology drama

Chaos is a term which could be applied to a lot of entries in this list, but one of the biggest casualties of the year was Kaos itself.

Just a month after the first series of Jeff Goldblum’s Greek mythology drama was released, Netflix announced it would not return for a second.

Streamers can tell quickly if something is a hit or not by measuring viewing figures and completion rates. Their data even gives them the prospective ratings of the following months based on the first.

But although fans campaigned for its return, ultimately Kaos was Kancelled.

6. The Co-op Live Arena

The Co-op Live Arena music venue in Manchester, 28 March 2024

Manchester’s hottest new live venue finally opened this year, but only after several attempts. There was a string of cancellations due to various technical problems, including a ventilation unit falling from the ceiling.

Shows by Peter Kay, Olivia Rodrigo, Take That and others were cancelled or moved, before the venue finally opened with a successful concert from rock band Elbow.

The problems did at least bring one delightful moment: A Radio 4 newsreader announcing the delay of a gig by US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.

7. Joe Biden’s debate performance

Reuters President Joe Biden attends the first presidential debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta, Georgia, US on 27 June, 2024Reuters

President Biden ultimately stepped down, with Vice President Harris replacing him as the candidate

Flops don’t come much bigger than a debate performance which was so poor, it brought down an entire presidential campaign.

Joe Biden seemed distant and frail when he took part in a televised live debate in June, struggling to finish some of his sentences and keep pace with Donald Trump.

Biden tried to stay in the race, but the pressure on him became too high as figures including Democrat fundraiser George Clooney publicly called for him to stand down, leading to Kamala Harris replacing him as the candidate.

8. The Olympics opening ceremony

Reuters French former football player Zinedine Zidane carries the Olympic torch at the Trocadero during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic GamesReuters

Zinedine Zidane was among the stars to feature in the Paris ceremony, but the event was hampered by rain

A barnstorming performance from Celine Dion sadly wasn’t enough to rescue this soggy croissant of an opening ceremony, which was badly hampered by rain.

Organisers took the event outside of the traditional stadium setting and had performers spread out across Paris instead, which was both a security nightmare and challenging for spectators.

The spread meant things felt somewhat disjointed and it was hard for the ceremony to build any momentum.

Meanwhile, some viewers were upset by a scene involving drag queens which many interpreted as a reference to the Last Supper, but artistic director Thomas Jolly said was a reference to pagan gods.

9. The unofficial Bridgerton ball

TikToker shares disappointment over Detroit Bridgerton ball event

Hot on the heels of the disastrous Willy Wonka experience was an unofficial Bridgerton ball, where fans of the Netflix series were invited to dress up and “step into the enchanting world of the Regency era”.

Unfortunately, they were greeted with disappointing food and drab decor, with one violinist and a pole dancer for entertainment. Creators blamed “organisational challenges” and said they “sincerely apologised”.

We anticipate the event being eviscerated in Lady Whistledown’s next newsletter.

10. Eurovision. The whole thing.

EPA Netherlands' Joost Klein performs the song Europapa during the second semi-final of the 2024 Eurovision song competition at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden on 9 MayEPA

11. Broadcasting blunders

Shutterstock/BBC Ed Balls and Laura Kuenssberg seen in a composite imageShutterstock/BBC

Laura Kuenssberg withdrew from an interview with Boris Johnson in October after mistakenly sending her briefing notes to the former prime minister himself, resulting in what she called a few “red faces”.

ITV took over and Johnson later told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Matt Chorley his originally scheduled interview had “blown up on the launch pad”.

Elsewhere, thousands of viewers complained to Ofcom in August when Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was interviewed on Good Morning Britain by her own husband, Ed Balls, about the violent unrest in parts of the UK.

ITV’s chief executive later noted it was a fluid news morning and the team had short notice that Cooper was coming on. She said the interview was impartial and fair but it wouldn’t happen again.

PA Media BC handout photo of Wynne Evans and Katya Jones during Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing show on BBC OnePA Media

On the plus side, Wynne Evans made a terrific Mrs Doubtfire

Another daytime presenter, Lorraine Kelly, became the subject of a viral X account which monitored her show attendance throughout the year (hovering just below 60%, if you’re interested).

Over on Strictly Come Dancing, which had already had a fairly appalling year before this series even started, fans were puzzled by some unusual on-screen encounters between singer Wynne Evans and his partner Katya Jones.

Viewers spotted Jones apparently refusing to high-five Evans, and later moving his hand away from her waist.

The show’s welfare team checked in on them after concerns were raised, but the pair apologised for what they said was actually just a “very silly inside joke” between them.

12. The Oppenheimer stage invasion

Getty Images Cillian Murphy, Christopher Nolan, and Emma Thomas accept the best film award for Oppenheimer on stage during the Bafta Film Awards 2024 at the Royal Festival Hall on February 18 in London, while a YouTube prankster stands in the backgroundGetty Images

Lizwani (second right) appeared with the Oppenheimer team as it was named the winner of best film

When Oppenheimer was named best film at February’s Baftas, the prize was collected by actor Cillian Murphy, director Christopher Nolan, producer Emma Thomas… and a random man standing silently in the background.

The intruder was actually YouTuber Lizwani, who managed to infiltrate the event and make it all the way to the stage during the night’s biggest moment.

But the fact he was standing quietly and respectfully meant few viewers even noticed anything was wrong. Bafta have since tightened security.

A month later, there was more awkwardness when Oppenheimer was named best picture at the Oscars, in an announcement fumbled by Al Pacino.

Getty Images Al Pacino at the 96th Annual Oscars held at the Dolby Theatre on 10 March, 2024 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaGetty Images

His eyes saw Oppenheimer

Pacino dispensed with the traditional “And the Oscar goes to…”

Instead, he stumbled through proceedings before announcing somewhat abruptly: “My eyes see Oppenheimer.”

There was a delayed reaction from the audience and orchestra, who weren’t entirely sure if Pacino was finished or if they had heard the winner correctly.

But Scarface redeemed himself later in the year by revealing his delightful Shrek phone cover, courtesy of his young daughter. All was forgiven.

13. Cynthia Erivo’s poster reaction

Reuters Cast member Cynthia Erivo attends a premiere for the film Wicked at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California on 9 November, 2024Reuters

When one fan affectionately edited a promotional poster for Wicked to resemble the musical’s original Broadway illustration, actress Cynthia Erivo said it erased her contribution to the film, because her eyes were hidden under her witch’s hat.

A barrage of memes followed as fans lightly poked fun at her reaction, with many social media users jokingly trying to avoid any further erasure by attaching pictures of Erivo to posts which had nothing to do with her.

The original fan clarified that the altered film promo was intended to be “an innocent fan edit to pay homage to the original Broadway poster”.

But Erivo handled the backlash like a pro, making light of the situation and telling ET: “For me it was just like a human moment of wanting to protect little Elphaba. I probably should have called my friends.”

14. Rishi in the rain

Getty Images On 22 May, former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a statement in the rain outside 10 Downing Street announcing a UK general election would take place on 4 July in London, UKGetty Images

When Rishi Sunak called a general election in May, the then-prime minister made the announcement outdoors despite it bucketing with rain.

Being in the open air also allowed an anti-Tory activist to disrupt the announcement by blasting music from a nearby speaker.

But Sunak gamely stuck it out, later commenting that he was “not a fair-weather politician” and confirming he’d be taking an umbrella on the campaign trail.

15. Tour troubles

Getty Images Adele performs on stage during Weekends with Adele at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on January 26, 2024 in Las Vegas, NevadaGetty Images

Adele mis-heard an audience member who she thought was saying something offensive

Live tours and concerts were disrupted this year for all kinds of reasons.

Jennifer Lopez cancelled her lives shows after reports of poor ticket sales, although she said it was so she could spend time with family and friends.

Tenacious D’s tour fell apart after one member made some ill-advised comments about Donald Trump.

And Madonna’s fans became increasingly frustrated with her lateness.

Elsewhere, Adele repeatedly swore at an audience member in Las Vegas who she thought had shouted “Pride sucks”. It transpired the fan had actually shouted “work sucks” after the singer discussed her working week. Oops.

So fair play to Kate Nash for not only keeping her show on the road, but funding her tour by selling pictures of her bottom online, helpfully bringing publicity to the issues of high tour costs and poor streaming royalties in the process.

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