boozy

CARDI B is about to let everyone in on the story of her rollercoaster life — including working as a stripper.

I can reveal the rapper is the subject of a major new documentary from the same team behind programmes on Victoria Beckham, Pamela Anderson and Coleen Rooney.

Production company Dorothy Street Pictures is secretly working on the special, in which she will speak about her rags to riches story.

Cardi, who wore this eye-popping pink catsuit and matching hat for a performance in New York on Sunday, has quite a backstory, so I’m sure it will be riveting viewing.

She started off her working life as a stripper, and would entice men to hotel rooms and steal their money.

Her fortunes changed when she became a viral sensation a decade ago on apps such as Vine and Instagram, and eventually got signed to a label and scored hit songs including Wap and I Like It.

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Cardi has not been short of controversy during her time in the showbiz spotlight, famously throwing a shoe at rival Nicki Minanj during a spat in 2018.

She has also had a difficult love life, getting married to Migos rapper Offset in 2017, and having four kids with him before they separating in 2023.

A source said: “Cardi is one of the most in-demand rappers in the world and is also one of the most interesting.

“She has lived her life in the public eye to some degree. But there’s a lot that she’s never opened up about, and this is her chance.

“Next year will mark a decade since she released her major-label debut single Bodak Yellow and so there’s a documentary in the works which will mark that.

“There’s a lot to talk about and she wants the public to see who she really is, because she often feels misunderstood.

“It’s expected to air on a big streaming service like Netflix, but the deal is still being hatched out.”

Cardi released her long-awaited second album Am I The Drama? last year and then went on a tour across North America.

And I won’t be surprised if we see her back on stage at British festivals next summer.

KOJO: LADIES RULE

Kojo Funds has worked with acts ranging from Wizkid and Tion Wayne to Kano and Bugzy Malone since bursting on to the music scene a decade ago.

But the British singer has saluted the work ethic of top women in the industry and says they have inspired him.

His biggest chart hit to date is 2017 collaboration Finders Keepers with Mabel, and has also worked with Raye on a 2018 track called Check.

Kojo said in an exclusive interview: “Female artists who are operating at that level take their craft seriously. Put effort into what you’re doing, don’t do it anyhow.

“They’re very hard-working, I respect them for that. The work ethic… that’s the kind of thing I took from them.”

Kojo’s new single How Many will be on his EP Hello It’s Me Again, which is out on August 21.

And one person who’s bound to be giving it a spin is Cardi B.

Recalling how the US rapper discovered his music, he said: “Her first time in London, she went to a club and they were playing my music.

“Dun Talkin’ came on and she saw how people were hyping her up while she was moving to it.

“The next morning, she’s on Instagram singing it, with her hair messy, a little bit tipsy.”

They’ve since performed together and hung out, so I’m hoping a collaboration with her is on the cards next.

DANCING On Ice beauty Vanessa Bauer has been tipped for a career in Hollywood by Football Factory and The Business actor Tamer Hassan.

She has re-trained after the ITV show was axed, and plays Tamer’s girlfriend in new film Rise Of The Footsoldier: Retribution.

On how great she was playing Isabella Chaika opposite his character, Colonel Sullivan, he told me: “Vanessa has a future in films, 100 per cent.

She looks great, she carries herself well.

“She’s definitely got some chops to be an actress.”

Vanessa joined Dancing On Ice in 2018 when the show was revived.

She won with Jake Quickenden, and was a runner-up several times with celebs including Diversity’s Perri Kiely and Towie’s Joey Essex.

But the show ended again in 2025 and now she is exploring new paths, having also appeared in Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club.

THE race for No1 is hotting up.

Shakira’s Dai Dai now is just 118 copies ahead of Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s Rein Me In – closing the gap from 609 copies the previous day.

The World Cup anthem will be her third chart-topper if she can hang on to the lead until Friday.

But if Rein Me In can clinch it, it will become the longest-running No1 of all time, with 19 weeks at the top.

ROMCOM TOO TOUGH FOR CHRIS

OSCAR-winning director Christopher Nolan says there’s one genre that’s too hard for him to tackle – the romcom.

The man behind movies such as Oppenheimer, Interstellar and The Dark Knight would be “terrified” at the prospect of making one.

The Brit whose new epic The Odyssey is No1 at the box office, explained: “I think doing a romcom would be incredibly difficult.

I love watching those movies. But no, I think people who direct comedy, people who do comedy . . .  that’s one of the hardest things in the world, to make people laugh that way.

“If I show a film to people and maybe they don’t respond to bits of it, I’m like, ‘Ah, they don’t get it. Whatever’. There’s no hiding behind that when you do comedy, so I would be terrified.”

TYLA POPS TO UK ON TOUR

TYLA is hitting the road for a 34-date global tour following the release last week of her second album A*POP.

The Chanel singer has announced she will open the tour in Paris on October 12 before shows at London’s O2 Academy Brixton on October 15 the O2 Apollo Manchester on October 19 and O2 Academy Glasgow on October 18.

Tickets will go on sale at 10am this Friday through tylaworld.com.

Zara’s latest feet

THERE was no chance of Zara Larsson getting cold feet about her latest brand deal with these slippers.

She wore the funky footwear – designed as giant feet in flip flops – while reclining on a sofa as part of a campaign for re-sale site Depop.

Zara put 30 pieces of clothing from her own wardrobe up for sale, and they sold out almost straight away.

She said: “I’m not particularly sad about releasing anything of mine into the world because I know I’m gonna get many more beautiful things back. Fashion is fun in that way.”

Given all the designer brands desperate for her to wear their clothes, I am sure she has plenty of options.

LIFE OF RILEY FOR RAY AND DANNY

DANNY DYER and Ray Winstone are teaming up again, two decades after appearing in TV film All In The Game.

The hardmen, pictured together in 2006, have been cast in UK crime thriller Going Under, which is due to hit cinemas next spring.

Production on the film has just been completed, after being shot in secret.

It will follow Ray’s gangster character Riley and his right-hand man Don, played by Danny, trying to pull off one final deal.

Charli’s bra-t summer

CHARLI XCX is ready for our fourth heatwave of the summer – and has stripped off to prepare.

She shared this photo of her wearing a bra and sunglasses on Instagram, just as it was revealed there will be a picture of the singer going on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

A 2024 photo of Charli in a white crop top, which was taken by Harley Weir and used to promote her album Brat, has been added to the gallery’s collection and will be in its History Makers Now space.

Senior curator Brandei Estes said: “We are delighted to acquire this striking portrait of Charli XCX, which captures one of the defining cultural figures of her generation.”

WILD Child actress Emma Roberts has tied the knot to afellow screen star Cody John.

Emma, who appeared in American Horror Story and is the niece of Hollywood A-lister Julia Roberts, wore a Monique Lhuillier dress, and told Vogue: “I’ve been married in a movie before, and I tried out wedding dresses for that, which feels so weird. Now, it’s the real deal.

“I wanted it to feel very vintage-inspired.”

The couple started dating in 2022.

LIZ & BILLY LOVE BIRDWATCHING

LIZ HURLEY has revealed the secret to her romance with Billy Ray Cyrus is a shared love of birdwatching.

She said: “We’ve been together nearly 18 months, but we spend the vast majority of our time in the countryside, whether it’s in England or Tennessee.

“We like doing the same things, which some people would think is a little odd. We like bird watching. We’ve got binoculars, we’ve got long lenses.”

The relationship has been especially good for her son, filmmaker Damian, who has been able to meet Billy’s superstar daughter Miley.

Liz added on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live in the US: “When he was a young teen, he used to love all her music. I used to have to watch her music videos like Wrecking Ball a zillion times with him, so we were very familiar with who she was, and I knew I was going to like her, and I do like her.”

LEWIS Capaldi celebrated the end of two ­triumphant sets at BST Hyde Park with a massive boozing session with singer pal Jacob Alon.

Insiders spotted the Scottish Beyonce hitting The Golden Lion Bar backstage with a big group of family and friends who had travelled down from across the border to celebrate with him.

A source said: “Lewis and Jacob hit the bar hard on Sunday night, and that was after he sank a few with Sam Fender after their performance on Saturday.

“He was really in the mood to party, and so was his family.

“Lewis’s dad Mark became the most popular bloke backstage after buying a round of beers for the people working at the Yeti Coffee van.

“It was a massive party atmosphere.

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“On Sunday, Lewis took the time to go around every artist on the line-up to thank them for taking part.

A sopurce said: “He is the sweetest bloke in music and everyone backstage was grabbing selfies or drinking beers with him.”

On stage for his final night in London, Lewis was ­dishing out his best banter, ­joking with the crowd: “I won’t be around for long because I’m grossly overweight. KFC, KFC, Burger King  . . .”

But giving fans something to get excited about, he added: “I’m going to go away after the summer and make an album for everybody, and when I come back, I hope you’re all still here.”

Lewis’s last album was 2023’s Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, which gave him his second UK No1 album and spawned three UK No1 singles in Forget Me, Pointless, and Wish You The Best.

That same year, he struggled to make it through his Glastonbury Pyramid Stage set due to a Tourette’s flare-up, then took time off.

Insisting he’s now in a good place, he told the Hyde Park crowd: “I just want to say there was a point where I never thought this would be possible again.

“But we are here and we are playing it and we are having a great time.

“Having said that, there was a time where things were really bad.

“I have played in London a bunch of times and there has been a bunch of times that I haven’t really been enjoying it.

“But to be sat up here and to be honestly able to say that I’m f***ing ­having a buzz up here is a really special thing.”

It’s great to see him back on top form.

Ella showing decks appeal

Ella Eyre is adding a new string to her bow as she works on the follow-up to her last album, Everything In Time.

During an exclusive chat backstage at BST Hyde Park, Ella said: “I’m starting to dabble with DJ-ing so that’s opening up a whole new world.

“What I’ve realised is that the music I love and listen to is not what I’m known for, and it’s allowed me to expand my ability to perform on stage in a different way. Watch this space.

“That stuff might come into play more in the next couple of years. I might be moving to Ibiza. Who knows?”

Everything, In Time, which came out last November, was the long-awaited follow-up to her debut record, 2015’s Feline.

Ella confirmed she has started working on new music, explaining: “I’m writing the next album now. I’m going to take my time with it to make sure it’s what I want it to be, but I don’t want it to take as long as the last one took.

“To go back to the drawing board is kind of scary and daunting, but I’m learning to be cut-throat.”

She added: “I can be quite bull-headed in the way that I approach things, so finding different avenues to express myself has really helped.”

Ella, who performed as a support act for Maroon 5 at BST at the start of the month, has more live shows coming up and joked she is simply looking forward to sleeping in her own bed again soon.

She revealed: “I cannot travel without noise-cancelling headphones because you don’t know who you end up sleeping near in the bus, and we have some snorers.

That’s my worst nightmare.

Kesha had the most “zen” backstage area at BST Hyde Park to help keep her calm.

She had her own private oasis created behind the main stage before her set supporting Pitbull on Friday night.

An insider explained: “Kesha made her own tranquil paradise amid the madness of the festival.

“She had loads of plants on her rider, which were turned into a ­little garden for her to relax in.

“It was the most laid-back set up ever seen at BST.”

Zen’s Greek chic

Zendaya looked ready for battle in strappy gladiator-style heels as she continued her never-ending press tour in New York.

She wore an ivory minidress as she made her way to a telly appearance to promote Christopher Nolan’s new epic The Odyssey, which hits cinemas on Friday. The premiere comes ahead of the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which Zendaya also stars in, less than a fortnight later.

She appears opposite husband Tom Holland in both films, and it was Tom who gave her the news that she’d been cast as Athena in the adaptation of Homer’s Ancient Greek epic.

Zendaya said Tom, who plays Telemachus, the son of the main character Odysseus, handed her a script, recalling: “He [Nolan] was like, ‘Read it again.’ And I was like, ‘OK.’

“And he was like, ‘But now, think of Athena.’ I was like, ‘Stop right now! You’re joking!’

“He was allowed to be the one to tell me, and that was really special.”

Ed Sheeran is teaming up with the Government to support its Music in Libraries programme.

The Ed Sheeran Foundation will aid the rollout of £12.5 million in government funding which will create dedicated music spaces in public libraries across England.

The Shape of You singer met with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy last year when they visited not-for-profit music and arts organisation Brighten The Corners in his home county of Suffolk..

Ed Sheeran Foundation CEO Dr Renuka Fernando said: “The Music in Libraries programme is an important step forward for music education.

“By expanding access to music beyond the classroom, our library network can help ensure that children and young people from communities across England have the opportunity to engage with music, regardless of where they live.”

Move to USA? Leigh-Anne has mixed feelings

Leigh-Anne Pinnock is in a tussle with her husband over relocating to the US because she doesn’t feel appreciated in the UK.

The Little Mix star said she wants to move to New York to further her solo music career, but footballer Andre Gray isn’t convinced.

Leigh-Anne, who is pregnant with her third child, said: “In the UK, I think there’s a lot of black female artists that aren’t getting the support they deserve, and people are coming to America for that reason.

“I definitely feel like there’s a market here for me and a fanbase that I can keep nurturing, but I have to be here.

“I’ll be honest, it is really hard with kids.

“My girls go to school in the UK. If I come here, I can only really do two weeks at a time.

“I want to move to New York, but my husband doesn’t want to.”

During an appearance on the Relations**t podcast, she also opened up about how filming her stint for the upcoming series of Celebrity Traitors helped her get away from toxic social media.

Leigh-Anne explained: “I didn’t realise how bad my mental health was until I came away from it.

“I filmed Traitors recently and didn’t have my phone, and I had a really good cleanse.

“I think social media is not made for mental health. It was really affecting me.”

Rihanna, and Bey help Jay-Z

Jay-Z pulled out all the stops at his New York show on Sunday, despite the fact it started four hours late.

It was after midnight before he arrived on stage at the Yankee Stadium, but he more than made up for it by bringing out special guests Rihanna, Usher and Beyonce.

Rihanna, who hasn’t performed since 2024 but sang Run This Town and Bitch Better Have My Money with Jay, told the crowd: “Y’all know I’m rusty, right? It’s been a while.”

She added: “I miss this s**t y’all. I love you guys.”

Other musicians who joined him during the two-and-a-half hour show included Teyana Taylor, Jermaine Dupri, Jeezy, The Dream, Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys.

However, given it didn’t end until 3am, I’m sure there were plenty of sore heads in the Big Apple yesterday.

Formula 1 fans are in for a treat after McLaren Racing announced a one-off show at London’s O2 Arena featuring top drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

The pair will be interviewed on stage, alongside other McLaren F1 talent, about the racing season. Tickets for the event, on December 14, go on sale on ­Friday.

New star on the Ho-Z1on

New artist Z1ON has already secured the backing of some of the biggest names in the industry, despite only ­dropping a couple of tracks online.

The rising star will this week release his new song Magazine Girl – with Cruz and Romeo Beckham backing him for success.

Last week, he was spotted with Rita Ora on a night out in London, while Liam Gallagher recently took to X to brand him a “spiritual dream weaver”.

I have no idea what that actually means, but I guess we are about to find out.

Chaka out Alex

Ain’t Nobody compares to Alexandra Burke as she transforms into Chaka Khan for the US singer’s ­biographical musical, I’m Every Woman.

The Broken Heels singer beamed at the curtain call at 3 Mills Studios in East London during a special ­preview of the show, ahead of its launch at Troubadour ­Wembley Park Theatre, which kicks off next Wednesday and runs until September 27.

It’s a full-circle moment for Alexandra, whose late mum ­Melissa encouraged her to audition for The X Factor with Chaka’s song Ain’t Nobody back in 2008.

She said: “It’s very ­emotional being here. But I really feel and believe this is a gift from my mum.”

HELEN Flanagan almost spilled out of her plunging corset while enjoying a boozy night out with her pals.

The former Coronation Street star, 35, took to Instagram to share a sneak peek into her big night out with her friends.

She threatened to spill out of her top as she stunned in a teal blue animal-print corset top, which was held together with just one thin clasp.

The actress showed off plenty of cleavage as she went for a bouncy blow-dry and a glam make up look complete with eyelashes and a glossy lip.

She posed at a bar with a friend and took some mirror selfies in the bathroom as she took a break from mum duties for the night out.

Her followers rushed to the comments section to compliment her as one gushed: “Stunning!! Absolutely gorgeous…”

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Another social media user enthused: “Wow, such a beautiful face and stunning body.”

Somebody else commented: “Classy and stunning,” while a fourth added: “Looking hot there babe.”

Her evening out comes after she was axed from Celebrity Ex On The Beach after just four episodes.

She joined the likes of Towie’s Dani Imbert and Love Island’s Toby Aromolaran to shoot the new series of the Paramount+ reality show in Tenerife last year.

But a shock twist saw Helen and controversial star Rogan O’Connor sent packing just four episodes into the current run.

When it was revealed the boys had picked Helen to go home, while the others looked stunned, she wasn’t upset by the decision.

Smiling, she said: “Thank you so much!”

Speaking in a confessional, Dani, 28, said: “I’m so shocked the boys have picked Helen, I feel like they loved her so much.

“It’s going to feel so strange not having her here in the morning. Really sad to see her go.”

The Celebs Go Dating star said of her exit: “I do feel a sadness that I didn’t find a romantic spark, but I feel that the connection I have with the girls… I feel sad leaving them.”