PRINCE HARRY has given his royal seal of approval to 2024 Britain’s Got Talent winner Sydnie Christmas.
He told Syd he “felt every word in the back of his throat” after she performed Tomorrow from Annie and Frank Sinatra’s My Way in front of him at David Foster’s charity gala in Canada over the weekend.
Both tracks have poignant lyrics about overcoming difficulties and being beaten down, which is rather apt for Harry, who has endured setback after setback recently.
Speaking from Canada, Syd told me: “When I was on stage, I joked about meeting his dad before adding, ‘Sorry he couldn’t make it. He sent me instead’.
“Oh my god – I say such silly things when I’m nervous, but Harry started laughing.
“When I got down off stage he just came forward and gave me a big cuddle.
“And he went, ‘Sydnie, I felt every word. I really felt that in the back of my throat’.”
Revealing how the fifth-in-line to the throne ditched royal protocol, Sydnie continued: “He just went in for the hug and I was like, ‘Why not?’.”
Next week, the singer drop her new single Spirit, taken from her second album The Artist, which is due out on October 2.
Teasing the record, Syd said: “This is going to be different from what people know me for.
“I’m just trying to progress and make music that hopefully people like.
“The dream is just to continue touring and making music.
“It’s sounds so simple, but it’s difficult in this day and age.”
Denise has a Tiny secret
DENISE WELCH has revealed that US band Tiny Habits soundtracked Matty Healy and wife Gabbriette Bechtel’s first dance at their wedding last month.
The folk-pop trio were joined by Matty’s mum, Loose Women star Denise, during their show at London’s St Pancras Old Church on Friday when she let slip the news.
Clearly she’s a big fan now too, as she stayed for the gig and posed for a photo with the group afterwards.
The band, made up of Judah Mayowa, Cinya Khan and Maya Rae are good friends with The 1975 frontman Matty, who provided background vocals on their recent single, Anything He Was.
It will feature on their second studio album, Keepers, which is due out on August 28.
Tiny Habits met while at university in Boston and have since gained more celebrity fans in Marcus Mumford, Noah Kahan and Phoebe Bridgers.
They’re clearly doing something right.
Film role boosts self esteem
BRIT Award nominee Self Esteem has landed her first major film role.
The singer and actress will star in coming-of-age drama Mountain, set in Wales in the Eighties.
She secretly shot the movie in Anglesey recently, but no release date has yet been announced.
The tale follows a young boy, GG, as he searches for friendship and community, and meets a man called Bill, played by Peter Mullan, who changes his life forever.
In 2023, Self Esteem – real name Rebecca Lucy Taylor – won rave reviews for her turn as Sally Bowles in Cabaret on the West End.
Madge and Kylie set for 102nd top ten hit
POP legends Madonna and Kylie Minogue are on course for a big hit with their new single, Love Sensation.
Official Charts has revealed the track is currently at No8 in the midweek update.
If its popularity continues, it will become the 102nd Top Ten that the pop stars have scored between them – Madge’s 65th and Kylie’s 37th.
They debuted the tune, a remix of a song from Madonna’s Confessions II album, at WorldPride in Amsterdam earlier this month, right.
Meanwhile, Sam Fender and Olivia Dean are set to stay at No1 for a 21st week with Rein Me In, with only Shakira’s Dai Dai challenging them for top spot.
Usher: ‘I don’t do doubles’
USHER has been forced to hit back at claims that he had a body double perform on stage for him during his MetLife Stadium show in New York.
The Burn singer’s fans were up in arms after his concert, claiming the man on stage singing was not Usher.
Posts about the claims started to go viral yesterday, with Usher forced to clarify it was him, writing: “How y’all come up with this? AI ain’t that advanced.”
It’s not the first time we’ve seen this recently.
Last month, a Blue fan got in touch to complain they didn’t think Simon Webbe had been performing with the band during a gig in London.
After a quick – and comical – conversation with their manager, we managed to clear up that it was the real Simon on stage.
Specsavers, anyone?
Taika moment to go offline
TAIKA WAITITI’S upcoming sci-fi film, Klara And The Sun, is set in a world with no internet.
But the Hollywood director admits he struggles to limit his time online – despite his best efforts.
Taika, below, told us: “When I’m writing, I tend to hang out too much on it, but you’ve got to really make an effort and go somewhere where there is no wi-fi – or just unplug the router and force it upon yourself.”
He added of the film, based on the best-selling book by Kazuo Ishiguro: “It’s set in the near future where we’ve ended up abusing our power with the internet and technology so much that they actually had to turn it off.
“No internet or AI – all the robots are analogue and not connected to anything at all. Basically, robots that are dumb.”
I’d love some internet breaks at times, but alas showbiz never sleeps.
This weekend in bizness
WEDNESDAY: US girl group Katseye let the cameras in for their documentary film Wild Hearts, which hits cinemas ahead of the release of their third EP Wild on Friday.
THURSDAY: The UK tour of Stepping Out, starring Strictly’s Karen Hauer, kicks off at Eastbourne’s Devonshire Park Theatre, while the national tour of Mrs Doubtfire begins at the Birmingham Hippodrome.
FRIDAY: The Script return with their eighth album, The User’s Guide To Being Human, and Ayra Starr, Jungle and Jon Batiste also drop new records.
SATURDAY: Ariana Grande brings her Eternal Sunshine show to London’s O2 Arena for a ten-night sold-out residency ahead of her break from the public eye.
Fans’ joy at long Weeknd
THE WEEKND has done a U-turn on his announcement early last year that he plans to retire – insisting he will keep performing “for ever.”
The Blinding Lights singer, inset, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, had said he wanted to put his alter-ego to bed, but in Stockholm on Saturday, he made it clear his current tour has reinvigorated his love for music.
Ad-libbing during one of his tracks, he sang: “I’ll never disappear. I love this too much to ever disappear.
“I tested retirement a little bit, and I don’t like the way it feels. Imma be here for ever with you.”
That will be music to the ears of fans who didn’t manage to get tickets for his five Wembley Stadium shows and two concerts at Dublin’s Croke Park in the next fortnight.