appearance

SWIFTIES assemble! Your favourite superstar Taylor could be in line to make a very special surprise appearance at next week’s Brit Awards.

Right now, there is a bit of a blank space when it comes to the exact details of her possible attendance at the celebrations.

In fact, no one seems to know what will happen on the night.

I can exclusively reveal, though, that Tay, along with an enormous entourage of more than 20 people, secretly landed in the UK this week.

I’m told they’re going to be visiting Manchester next week — the location for this year’s Brits.

Their schedule then sees them leaving the UK a week on Monday — just a couple of days after the ceremony.

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My music industry mole said: “Taylor is hiding out in London at the moment and is scheduled to visit Manchester, which seems like she could be lined up for a surprise appearance at the Brit Awards.

“Taylor was handed the Global Icon Award at the ceremony back in 2021 and has a huge amount of respect for the Brits. She loves it.

“Brits bosses are trying to keep everything under lock and key, but it feels too much like a coincidence that Taylor is secretly in the UK at the exact time of the Brits.

“The fact her team are all heading home the Monday after the ceremony is fishy. Manchester is an amazing city, but Taylor wouldn’t just be coming to look at the cathedral and the Etihad, would she?”

As lovely as those landmarks are, I doubt it.

If Tay is at the city’s Co-op Live arena on February 28, I think it could be the greatest coup for the Brits. She always delivers a show, on and off the stage.

In 2015, when I was working for Heat magazine, I exclusively revealed that Taylor had hooked up with Calvin Harris at an after-party, with the pair dating for a year.

And in 2021, when she received the Global Icon Award while we were mired in Covid restrictions, she had a very safe knees-up with pals including Haim and Olivia Rodrigo.

This time around, I know Manchester is ready for one massive party and having Taylor front and centre would be phenomenal.

And given her ex Harry Styles is also on the bill, I think it could be a very exciting night.

…AND SHE’S No1 AGAIN

TAYLOR has been named the biggest-selling artist globally of 2025 – the fourth year in a row that she’s topped the list.

The singer, who also took the title in 2014, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024, triumphed thanks to the release of her 12th album, The Life Of A Showgirl, in October.

She is just ahead of K-pop group Stray Kids, who have become megastars around the world, despite not having chart success in the UK.

The list has been compiled by the International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry, which compiles streaming, downloads and physical formats in every country for its global artist chart.

The biggest gainer was Super Bowl headliner Bad Bunny, who hopped up from No20 in 2024 to No5, while country star Morgan Wallen rose from No13 to No7.

And there was good news for Lady Gaga.

She has re-entered the list at No10 for the first time since 2020, following the release of her album Mayhem.

JADE HAS A LITTLE HELPER IN GROOT

JADE THIRLWALL got comfort from a surprising source after stepping away from her musical roots when Little Mix went on hiatus in 2021.

She admitted walking around with a teddy version of Groot – the tree-like character from Guardians Of The Galaxy – on her shoulder as she pined for her girlband pals.

On new podcast By The Way  . . . With Harriet Rose, out today, Jade said: “Little Mix, that was my life. I’m very career driven and poured everything into Little Mix.

“So when that kind of stopped, that was a massive shock to the system. I had a little bit of a mini menty-b [mental breakdown].

“I had a little teddy of Groot and started wearing it on my shoulder all the time. It was really weird.

“After Little Mix, I went on holiday with my friends and they were like, ‘Why do you keep wearing Groot on your shoulder?’. I think I was replacing the girls with Groot.

“My friends were like, ‘I think it’s time to stop wearing Groot’.”

MILEY CYRUS will take part in a special for Disney+ to mark the 20th anniversary of her breakout show Hannah Montana.

In the one-off, which is to be screened on March 24, she will be interviewed by podcaster Alex Cooper in front of a live studio audience to look back at the series.

Miley said: “This ‘Hannahversary’ is my way of celebrating and thanking the fans who’ve stood by me for 20 years.”

YELL OF A LOOK, PRIYANKA

PRIYANKA CHOPRA spread some joy in this bright yellow outfit ahead of the premiere for her new movie The Bluff.

She wore the thigh-high dress at a photocall before changing into a leather look for the Los Angeles launch of the action thriller on Tuesday night.

The actress was supported on the red carpet by her husband Nick Jonas, who she grabbed by the cheeks while leaning in for a kiss, inset.

Nick released his fifth solo album Sunday Best earlier this month, but it failed to crack the charts.

Here’s hoping her movie fares better.

SHAUN BLASTS TRUMP

US President Donald Trump winds up many people – and Shaun Ryder is no exception.

The Happy Mondays frontman has channelled that into music and written his angriest ever song about Donald, who he branded “orange, fat and bloated”.

In an exclusive chat about their new album, Shaun told me: “Trump keeps popping up.

“There’s plenty on that f***ing orange, motherf***ing waste of space.

“Although I’ve not been mentioning his name, some songs are definitely influenced by that w***er. I f***ing hate him.

“He’s just a p**ck. You might as well have me and Bez up there saying s**t. We have probably got more of a clue than he has.

“I just can’t stand the f***ing man. You can see how it’s affecting me lyrically. I wrote one song that goes, ‘You orange, fat, bloated ****! You f***ing lying, f***ing delusional t**t!’ How’s that for a chorus?”

Brilliant, Shaun.

He also takes a pop at Nigel Farage on the record and said: “Reform, f*** me.

“Every time it gets a bit tough and people haven’t got jobs, it’s ‘blame f***ing immigrants, blame this’,’ it never changes. “That’s the f***ing world, the world is on a loop.

“We never seem to learn f*** all about wars or anything.”

RITA’S TIPS TO BRUSH OFF TROLLS

RITA ORA has advice for ignoring online trolls who target her and other celebs.

The Anywhere singer recites mantras to get into a good headspace.

Rita has teamed up with tech company Meta for a video series on Instagram in a bid to help others.

She said: “You can’t be afraid of something you can’t control.

“You can’t control it, stop thinking about it. These are the mantras I say to myself every day in the mirror.”

Rita added: “Comments can cut. Every tiny thing gets magnified and everyone can see through the walls.

“Someone in the public eye may have more people looking at them but the walls are just as fragile. The doubts are really what helps me make great songs though.”

Personally, I just like to laugh at the trolls, who are always sad, decrepit nobodies, who should get off the internet and find a job.

ACTOR Daniel Radcliffe does not want the cast of the new Harry Potter HBO TV show to be compared to those in the original movies.

He was boy wizard Harry on film, but that role is now Dominic McLaughlin’s.

Daniel said: “Just let them get on with it, it’s going to be a new, different thing.

“I’m sure Dominic is going to be better than me.”

ROB HITS WIG TIME

ROBERT PATTINSON is unrecognisable in this blond wig as he sits on the floor holding a ciggie.

The actor posed for Interview magazine, in which he and his The Drama co-star Zendaya interviewed each other.

Even she was puzzled about the snaps, saying: “The theme was, I don’t know.”

Rob revealed he doesn’t feel welcome in Hollywood, admitting: “I’m never really allowed in. I’m always knocking at the door, like, ‘Hey, guys. Where the party at?’

“And everyone just gets younger and younger.”

Feb. 16 (UPI) — The lone surviving suspect in the Bondi Beach shooting, in which 15 Jewish people were killed and 40 were injured, made his first court appearance in Sydney on Monday on murder and terrorism charges.

Naveed Akram, 24, appeared in court via video-link from Goulburn supermax prison to face 59 charges related to the Dec. 14 attack on a gathering to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, including 15 counts of murder and one of carrying out a terror attack.

Akram is accused of carrying out the attack alongside his 50-year-old father, Sajid Arkram, who was shot dead at the scene by police who also shot Naveed, seriously injuring him.

Naveed Akram did not enter a plea and was asked only to confirm he understood the extension of a court order suppressing the identities of survivors of the attack who do not wish to be named in court.

After the brief hearing at Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court, criminal defense attorney Ben Archbold refused to answer questions as to how his client would plead, saying it was too early to say.

Court documents detail several videos, including one taken on one of their mobile phones in which the pair are allegedly seen undergoing firearms training at a rural location somewhere in New South Wales. Police allege the footage shows them “firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner.”

Another video on Naveed Akram’s phone shows the pair allegedly posing with an Islamic State flag and long-arm firearms, in which they are allegedly heard making “a number of statements regarding their motivation for the Bondi attack and condemning the acts of ‘Zionists.'”

The documents allege the attack was “meticulously” planned over a period of months with CCTV footage also showing the pair carrying out a reconnaissance mission to Bondi on Dec. 12, in which they scoped out the footbridge from which they are alleged to have opened fire on around 1,000 people gathered in Archer Park two days later.

The pair is also alleged to have thrown several IEDs at the crowd, including a “tennis ball bomb,” but none of them detonated, according to the court documents.

Naveed and Sajid Akram spent most of November in an area of the southern Philippines known for Islamist militants, but authorities have said their investigations thus far indicate they acted alone and did not receive training or “logistical preparation” assistance there, as originally feared.

Naveed Akram is next scheduled to appear in court in April.

Anyone who thought Cruz Beckham was just another nepo-baby musician should think again — that boy is seriously good on a guitar.

He made his live radio debut on Chris Evans’s TFI Unplugged on Virgin Radio UK with his band The Breakers and proved his mettle.

Their new track, For Your Love, is packed with promise — gentle and lilting before it ramps up to an Indie-anthemic chorus.

The video is also out now and features a special appearance from Victoria’s dad, Tony Adams.

Cruz said: “Tony is my grandad, he is an amazing human. He was in a band when he was younger. I love talking to him about music and playing songs.

“Once I found out he was part of a band I got a lot more into it. I found out about The Beatles because of him.”

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It’s clear the Fab Four are a big influence for Cruz, along with a smudge of Oasis and a large splattering of The Stone Roses — his dad David’s favourite band.

Chatting after their performance, Cruz said: “I’ve always wanted to be in a band. Growing up, listening to so much band music, it was always important to me.

“When I was in the studio, there was always something missing. I always wanted stuff around me.

“We met through my girlfriend [Jackie Apostel] who is a songwriter. I went to see one of their gigs and the sparks flew from there.”

The group have already put out tracks including Optics and Lick The Toad, but like Cruz, For Your Love is my favourite by far. Cruz added: “Optics wasn’t my favourite song.

“I wanted to put For Your Love out first. I just think it was a different way into it.”

Cruz and The Breakers have just finished their debut run of shows with Welsh indie group, The Royston Club, and are now preparing to head out on their first solo tour — with almost all of the 14 dates nearly sold out.

“The Royston boys hadn’t heard anything that we were playing,” Cruz explained.

“They didn’t know if we could play a tune to be honest and they just accepted us and it was nuts. It was a whole new thing for me, I’d never really gigged in front of people. But every night it got easier and a lot less stressful.”

Opening up about their influences, Cruz, alongside his bandmates Dan Ewins, Telmo Seixas and Dario Scotti, all cited rock bands — including Machine Head, Rage Against The Machine and Born Of Osiris — as their first shows.

Cruz was more true to form though, joking with Chris: “Other than Spice Girls age two?

“My dad took me to a Stone Roses gig at Old Trafford.”

Chris then revealed David had been listening from home and told Cruz: “Now you’ve mentioned your mum and dad.

“We played Stone Roses at 6:45am and your dad texted me and said: ‘You can’t get enough Stone Roses.’”

True that, David.

I think there’s an exciting future ahead for Cruz and co, so take a look at their performance on Virgin Radio UK’s YouTube channel to see them singing live for yourself.

Millie looks ace

It’s game, set and matching outfit for Millie Bobby Brown as she poses on a tennis court to model her latest fashion range.

The Brit actress was promoting her clobber for fashion brand Florence By Mills, while taking a break after a mammoth tour for the final series of cult Netflix show Stranger Things.

The tennis ball in an ice-cream cone was certainly a stranger thing – but she serves up a good look.

Scott backing UK Eurovision hope

The UK’s Eurovision entry has finally been chosen and Scott Mills has high hopes.

The Radio 2 DJ, who goes to the contest every year, has revealed the BBC are playing him the chosen song next week ahead of a grand announcement later this month.

And he insists we have a good chance, despite mixed results recently, as the standard of our tunes has improved.

Asked in an exclusive chat if he has heard it, Scott said: “No, but I know they’re going to play it to me next week. But I’m really in the dark about it this year.

“I don’t feel embarrassed by any of the artists or songs that we have sent recently.

“I’m not gonna say when, but I’ve worked on Eurovision so long that when they would play me the song I’d be like ‘OK, right then, I’ve got to sell this now….’

“It was quite a while ago now. And that doesn’t really happen any more.

“But I say that now…”

Yesterday Scott was named in Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley, in it’s annual list of 100 LGBTQ+ trailblazers.

Scott, who attended the glitzy lunch with his husband Sam, explained: “I’ve never had a gay honour.

“This magazine is iconic, and also, I have mad imposter syndrome so I’m like, ‘Why am I on this list?!’”

But he is thrilled that homophobia, for him, is in the past.

He said: “When we did Race Across The World, I thought that there might be, like, ‘Oh, God, a gay couple,’ because that’s kind of where I’m from, and that’s what I’m used to.

“And I think it’s all in our heads. That’s what really made me go, ‘Oh, OK, there has been a shift here.’”

And although they aren’t considering it now, having a child isn’t off the table.

He added of becoming a dad: “It’s a huge thing. I would like to, but my schedule is so unpredictable and ridiculous still.

“I thought by this time in my career, things would have kind of calmed down a bit, but it’s got busier than ever.”

Tate’s Can do attitude

Tate McRae’s fans are still right behind her, it seems, despite the singer causing a storm after backing Team USA in the Winter Olympics rather than her native Canada.

Die-hards mobbed her as she enjoyed a night out in Paris with mates.

But Tate, who looked chic in a black leather jacket and miniskirt, happily signed autographs and posed for selfies.

It’s the first time she has been seen out since she made a very Gen Z apology for getting behind the Yanks.

She shared a sweet picture of herself as a child, waving a Canadian flag, and wrote: “Y’all know I’m Canada down.”

I’m sure the cash Tate got for this gig more than made up for the criticism.

Tom’s on hand for proposal

My favourite pop star Tom Grennan helped pull off a heart-melting proposal on Capital Breakfast yesterday.

Show hosts Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby have spent the past fortnight dropping hints about their “secret fiance” (Darren Spencer) during their shows but his girlfriend, Sophie Black, who listened every day on her commute was none the wiser.

Sophie believed she was a competition winner who had bagged a night’s stay at the Jumeirah Hotel in London.

But at breakfast a flash mob of choir singers got up and started performing, Tom popped out to sing his hit, Little Bit Of Love, and Darren got down on one knee.

Sophie, who said yes, said: “Never in a million years did I think he could pull off something like that.”

Katherine Ryan looked as smooth as the cartoon characters at London’s new Pixar attraction.

She showed off the results of her facelift as she cradled daughter Fenna at the launch of the Mundo Pixar Experience in Wembley on Thursday.

Mermaid is little bit naughty

The tale of the Little Mermaid is tipped on its head in a new musical – telling the story from the villain’s perspective.

Camp and hilarious show Unfortunate: The Untold Story Of Ursula The Sea Witch is packed with naughty gags and belting songs, and sees Sam Buttery play the deliciously wicked protagonist.

It launched at London’s Other Palace theatre . . .  although drag queen Tiara Skye caused quite a stir in the audience.

The TikTok star, who it seemed had enjoyed a few drinks, repeatedly heckled the actors and left some of them clearly miffed.

It’s fair to say that Doctor Who’s Yasmin Finney, who was unfortunately sat next to Tiara, looked absolutely mortified by the crazy outbursts.

Taylor Swift scores her sixth No1 single with Opalite, after originally peaking at No2 last year. Olivia Dean, right, stays top of the album charts, ahead of Bad Bunny, whose Super Bowl show has propelled Debí Tirar Más Fotos up to No2 and his single DtMF is at No4.

Single

1. Opalite – Taylor Swift
2. Raindance – Dave & Tems
3. Where Is My Husband! – Raye
4. DtMF – Bad Bunny
5. Rein Me In – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean
6. So Easy (To Fall In Love) – Olivia Dean
7. Lush Life – Zara Larsson
8. Man I Need – Olivia Dean
9. I Just Might – Bruno Mars
10. Stateside – Pink Pantheress with Zara Larsson

Albums

1. The Art Of Loving – Olivia Dean
2. Debí Tirar Más Fotos – Bad Bunny
3. The Fall-Off – J Cole
4. 50 Years: Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac
5. The Highlights – The Weeknd
6. Piss In The Wind – Joji
7. Man’s Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter
8. The Essential – Michael Jackson
9. You’ll Be Alright Kid (Chapter 1) – Alex Warren
10. +–=÷×– (Tour Collection – Ed Sheeran

“People joke that I only did it because he didn’t do his homework,” says former Premier League referee Jon Moss about the time he sent off James Milner.

Twenty-four years after making his debut, Milner, 40, will equal the record for most Premier League appearances if he features for Brighton against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

A stellar career spanning more than two decades, six top-flight clubs, 652 Premier League appearances, 61 England caps, three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one Champions League triumph has also delivered some unexpected moments.

Like the time Milner – known as ‘Millie’, external by those close to him – was sent off by Moss, his former teacher at Westbrook Lane Primary School in Horsforth, Leeds, while playing for Liverpool against Crystal Palace in 2019.

“He said I couldn’t wait to get my card out,” laughs Moss about dismissing his former pupil after switching careers.

“People say I’m the only teacher to send off one of his pupils in a Premier League game. We can both laugh about it now.”

Milner is set to go level with Gareth Barry, who played 653 times, at the top of the all-time Premier League appearance list some 8,491 days after making his debut for hometown club Leeds United soon after leaving school in 2002.

“I think that will be a special thing for him but he is focused on top of that on the ambitions from the club as well. He wants to be always successful like he was his whole life,” said Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler.

“He is a driver of this winning mentality and I think it’s very important to have these kind of players in the squad.

“They know how to win, they know what it needs to win, how you need to prepare a game, how you react in bad phases like on bad runs we have at the moment.”

Alan Shearer, who played with Milner at Newcastle, describes him as a model professional and a “manager’s dream”.

“You would do well if you had him in your squad because you knew exactly what you were going to get,” adds former England captain Shearer.

This is the story about a young lad from Leeds who evolved to set standards for hard work, professionalism and longevity – and earn respect from fans all over the world.

CATHERINE O’Hara has died unexpectedly on Friday, months after her final appearance alongside her husband Bo Welch.

Fans are reeling following the announcement, which did not reveal the Schitt’s Creek star’s cause of death.

Catherine, 71 when she died, made her final appearance alongside her husband Bo back in September.

Photos show the couple dressed to the nines.

The Home Alone actress is wearing a black gown while her hubby sports a chic suit.

Her shoulder-length blonde hair was down with a slight curl in the ends.

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She wore subtle makeup, including a nude lipstick color.

Catherine appeared in good spirits during the evening out.

She and Bo posed for photos together.

At times, he stood behind her with his hands on her hips.

OUT OF SIGHT

Months later, Catherine was nominated for a Golden Globe award.

She was schedule to appear at the January 11 awards show, where she was nominated for Best Supporting Performance from a Female Actor for her role in the Apple TV series, The Studio.

Unfortunately, she did not attend.

RIP

TMZ broke the news of Catherine’s death on Friday afternoon.

Sources with direct knowledge confirmed the iconic actress’ passing to the outlet.

A cause of death was not immediately available for the star.

Catherine O’Hara dead at 71

Iconic Home Alone actress Catherine O’Hara died on January 30, 2026. O’Hara was 71.

Biography:

• Catherine O’Hara, who was born in Toronto, Canada, began her acting career in comedy in 1974 after joining the cast of The Second City, which was televised in both Canada and the United States.
• O’Hara expanded her career in television in the mid-1970s, appearing in small roles on the CBC series Wayne and Shuster, the film The Rimshots, and the children’s series Coming up Rosie.
• She gained prominence in Hollywood in the 1980s, after she was cast in the classic horror-comedy film Beetlejuice.
• Starring alongside Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, and Winona Ryder, among others, O’Hara portrayed Delia Deetz.
• In 1990, O’Hara starred alongside child actor Macaulay Culkin in the holiday blockbuster Home Alone.
• She reprised her role as Kate McCallister, the mother of the young troublemaker Kevin McCallister, portrayed by Culkin, in the film’s 1992 sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
• Both installments of Home Alone were massive hits at the box office and to this date remain among the most successful Christmas movies of all time.
• After the success of Home Alone, O’Hara continued to appear in several films throughout the 1990s, including the comedy-drama The Paper, Waiting for Guffman, and the Western film Wyatt Earp.
• O’Hara also had several voice artist appearances, including The Nightmare Before Christmas, Chicken Little, and Monster House, among others.
• She had a career resurgence in 2015 when she appeared as Moira Rose in the Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek.
• In 2025, O’Hara had a main role in the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio.
• Throughout her career, O’Hara received various awards, including two PrimeTime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
• She had two children with her husband, Bo Welch, whom she met on the set of Beetlejuice.

While the exact cause of death has not been revealed, Page Six reported that she was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in “serious” condition.

Paramedics were called the the actress’ home home at 4:48 a.m. on Friday morning, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson confirmed to the outlet.

She was in “serious condition” when she was transported to the hospital.

PAYING TRIBUTE

Tributes to the actress flooded social media almost immediately after her death was announced.

“RIP Catherine O’ Hara. I know John Candy greeted her with open arms.”, one fan wrote.

Another posted on X: “Catherine O’Hara was an absolute genius for the entirety of her career.

“She will be terribly missed.”

A third posted: “Catherine O’Hara will be remembered most as the mom in the first two Home Alone movies

“But I’ll always remember her as Delia Deetz in BeetleJuice. RIP to a legend.”

ICONIC ROLES

Throughout her long career in Hollywood, Catherine appeared in many iconic films and TV shows.

She was an actress for more than 50 years.

Catherine got her star in the sketch series Second City Television in the 1970s.

She’s known for starring in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Home Alone 2, Schitt’s Creek and more.

A MUSIC legend shocked fans on Saturday by appearing out of nowhere on stage at a gig.

The appearance was totally unannounced, and the venue’s owner didn’t even know they were going to walk out.

Musician Afel Bocoum was performing his set at The Cornish Bank when Blur and Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn sent the crowd into a frenzy.

He then performed a surprise set with Afel’s band.

Speaking to CornwallLive about the impromptu visitor Rufus Maurice, owner of The Cornish Bank, said: “Thought you might be interested in our surprise guest last night.

“No one knew he was in the room till he jumped on stage and did a melodica set with the band.”

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Fans of the singer were heard blurting out, “That’s Damon Albarn, it f*****g is!!,” in the crowd.

Damon is said to have described Cornwall as a “lovely place”.

He lives along the coast of South Devon, but is rumoured to be recording projects near Falmouth.

This isn’t the first time Damon has surprised crowds by suddenly hopping out on a stage.

In 2006 he did the same thing with his Blur bandmates at the Marlboro Club in Ilfracombe.