As remote talent surges globally, legacy banking is giving way to instant, borderless payouts.
This article appears in the November issue of Global Finance Magazine.
The World Bank estimates that there are between 154 million and 435 million gig workers worldwide, a workforce that is helping reshape the estimated $191 trillion cross-border payments market.
Financial institutions are looking to tap into the gig economy’s high-volume, low-value cross-border payments for freelancer payments, remittances, and small-business transactions. The market is projected to grow nearly threefold, from $674.1 billion to between $2.18 trillion and $2.52 trillion, over the next 8 to 9 years.
J.P. Morgan Payments recently expanded the cross-border payment capabilities of its Xpedite Remit offering by integrating Thunes’ Direct Global Network, enabling clients to make payments in more than 100 currencies via instant payment rails to accounts and, in some cases, to digital wallets.
“If you’re paying an individual in China, they probably want to receive it in their wallet rather than in their account,” Gayathri Vasudev, global head of high-value payments & FX at J.P. Morgan Payments, told Global Finance.
Cross-Border Payments Speed Up
Whether it’s Brazil’s PIX, India’s Unified Payment Interface, or the EU’s SEPA Instant Credit Transfer, the domestic instant payment rails have set a high bar for cross-border payment rails.
“Customers and businesses now expect domestic payments to be instant, transparent, and available 24/7,” said Albion Murati, a senior partner at McKinsey & Co., who moderated a panel on the topic at the recent Sibos conference in Miami. “Cross-border transfers, by contrast, do not always deliver the same experience.”
“In most jurisdictions now, the progress that retail and wholesale domestic payments have made in terms of having that great customer experience is there for all to see,” added panelist Simon Eacott, head of payments at NatWest. “And whilst cross-border, we have made a lot of progress over the years, it’s still lagging a little bit in many areas.”
However, the speed of cross-border transactions has improved dramatically, according to Swift performance data. For inward transactions, the average time for ANZ is about 90 seconds, said fellow panelist Lisa Vasic, managing director of transaction banking at ANZ.
Corporate treasuries could pay employee salaries in emerging markets, for example, $1,000 to $4,000, directly to an employee’s mobile money account or digital wallet, said Peter De Caluwe, co-founder and CEO of Thunes. “If it’s a corporate that is ordering 50 tons of chemicals for $2 million, it won’t be paid into a wallet. That is something that needs to be transacted with correspondent banks because there is trade financing involved.”
“Speed is not the issue that it once was,” said Vasic. “Similarly, on an outbound transaction in certain corridors, we are getting payments there in 40 seconds.”
Speed is important, but not as important as principle protection for low-value cross-border flows, added J.P. Morgan Payments’ Vasudev, who was also on the panel.
“It means no deductions,” she said. “What you send is what the beneficiary gets.”
For multinational employers, these advances should improve the cross-border contractor experience and reduce payment inquiries. Adoption, however, hinges on greater transparency and availability.
Rob Daly covers fintech and economics. Contact him at rdaly@gfmag.com.
THEY scored a resounding victory for farmers everywhere when they won Britain’s Got Talent this year.
And now the Hawkstone Farmers Choir want to follow their success with a place on the Glastonbury main stage — and are calling for Emily Eavis to sign them up for next year.
The Hawkstone Farmers Choir want to follow their success with a place on the Glastonbury main stageCredit: Jen Amelia PhotoThey scored a resounding victory for farmers everywhere when they won Britain’s Got Talent this year
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, one of the choir’s leaders, Katryna Shell, told how the group have their sights set on the famous festival, saying: “Our dream is to play the main stage at Worthy Farm. We’re farmers, so it’s kind of meant to be, isn’t it?
“But we haven’t had the call yet. So Emily, if you’re reading this, we’re open, we’re here, we’re listening.”
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There’s no doubt that the 32-strong choir would be right at home in the Glastonbury mud and puddles.
The singers — all of whom are working farmers in their day jobs — were brought together by Sun columnist Jeremy Clarkson last year when he put out a casting call for a group to sing the expletive-heavy lyrics of a song for his Hawkstone beer advert.
The singers were brought together by Sun columnist Jeremy Clarkson last yearCredit: ITVThe group are now dreaming of playing the main stage at Worthy FarmCredit: Getty
But he could never have predicted the unlikely bunch of livestock and arable experts would go on to the final of the ITV talent show, where he cheered them on from the front row as they were declared winners.
James Florey, from Witney, Oxon, said: “Jeremy is always there supporting us — the same with Kaleb Cooper and all of the Clarkson’s Farm team.
“It’s really nice knowing they’ve got our backs.
“Last week, we performed at the British Farming Awards and Jeremy made the time to come along, even though he had to leave straight afterwards.
“And when we finished, I saw Kaleb standing on a chair going wild.
“The fact that Jeremy came all the way down for the final — and I don’t think Britain’s Got Talent is necessarily his thing — was great.
“But he came and met us outside before we went on stage, to encourage us.
“He said, ‘I can’t believe what you guys have done and how far you’ve moved this, and the difference you are making to people’s lives.’
Katryna Shell is one of the choir’s leaders and says that as farmers, playing at Glastonbury is the ultimate goalCredit: oscartalbotstudioThe group say Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper are constant in their support for the choirCredit: PA
“But by backing us, he is also helping to get our supportive message out there, so it’s a collaborative effort.”
And it turned out the ex-Top Gear host was no less enthusiastic when it came to helping the choir celebrate their BGT win, as they revealed he sank pints with them and show judge Amanda Holden in a pub until 3am.
Katryna, from Alnwick, Northumberland, said: “How did we celebrate? We went to the pub with Jeremy and Amanda.
“That was a really good night — we were all out till 3am.
“And we hadn’t eaten before the final because we were so nervous.
“Then we won and I was feeling a bit jittery — it was all the excitement.
And it got to about mid- night and I was starving. Someone came in with a kebab, and it was all I could smell.
“So we left the party in search of the kebab shop, which was about five miles away, got a kebab and then came back.”
The group released their first official single Absolution last monthCredit: SuppliedTheir first album This is Home is set for release on November 20
Since their win in May, the choir have been inundated with messages of support from fans both inside and outside of the farming community.
After the release of their debut single Absolution last month, their new album, This Is Home, follows on November 20 — and they have a UK tour beginning in March next year.
There is also the small matter of performing in front of royalty, when they take to the stage at the Royal Variety Performance next month.
But the members confirmed they won’t be undergoing a glow-up ahead of the big night and are happy to tread the boards of the Royal Albert Hall in wellies and jeans.
They also insist there is no chance of them letting fame go to their heads — because hours after rehearsing for a performance they could be back drilling crops or mucking out livestock.
“This is our glow-up,” said Katryna, gesturing to the group’s clean jeans and shirts.
“I auditioned for BGT in boots that smelled of manure. A guy interviewing me for a video was like, ‘What’s that smell?’”
She continued: “Someone asked me, ‘Do you think the fame will go to your head?’ And I said, ‘No, because every time I come away from whatever we’re doing, I’m thrown right back into farm life, mucking out livestock and so on.
Jeremy and Kaleb were thrilled that to see the group win the ultimate prize on Britain’s Got TalentCredit: Instagram/jeremyclarkson1Singer James Florey says Clarkson’s support in promoting the choir is gratefully receivedCredit: oscartalbotstudio
“I’ve got three young children as well, so I’ll be looking after them.
“It is challenging and we’re all leaning on friends and family to keep everything working and safe, but we love what we do.”
Fellow farmer Ben Brooke, from March, in Cambridgeshire, said: “It has been hectic, juggling the choir and our normal day jobs. I’m an arable farmer, and I’m lucky as I have my dad in the business too, so he can step in while I’m away.
“At the moment, we are drilling the crops that will be harvested next summer.
“And then there’s running the people who work for us — we used to have 50 and now we have four.
“I’m trying to get involved as much as I can without going off singing all the time. That’s the main job.
“But is also so important for us to keep doing what we are doing, because it is bigger than us.
“Farming is inherently super- isolating, and it’s also quite an old-school industry, so no one seems to open up.
“For other farmers to see us having conversations and supporting each other goes a long way.
“We’ve had lots of people opening up to us online, sending us messages, and it’s important they know they are not alone. We want to have these conversations because we want to make a difference.”
James, who says he has struggled with mental health problems in the past, adds that for him joining the choir has been “like therapy”.
And he said it is more important to support farmers’ mental health now than ever before.
He went on: “It is a difficult time for farmers, and there is huge pressure because it is not the sort of industry you can just step away from and say, ‘Actually, you know what, this isn’t profitable at the momen’.
“There’s so much legacy and so much family history behind it. And people will often feel the pressure of that weighing down on them as well as all the financial burdens.
“You don’t want to be that generation that fails or lets things slide.
“Coming together as part of this group has been like therapy because everyone here understands what you are going through.
“And sharing some of our own stories and challenges has made others aware they are not alone.
“For me, this is one of the best things we’ve ever done, and you never know where it might lead. But hopefully it will be to the top of the charts.”
The Hawkstone Choir’s debut album This Is Home is out on November 20 and their UK tour begins in March next year.
SITTING atop a bat-encrusted throne in front of me and 44,000 other screaming fans at Birmingham’s Villa Park last summer, Ozzy Osbourne took his final bow.
Just 17 days later, the music world was plunged into mourning as wife Sharon announced news of the Black Sabbath legend’s death at the age of 76.
Ozzy Osbourne took his final bow at Birmingham’s Villa Park last summerCredit: SuppliedRocker Ozzy Osbourne with beloved wife SharonCredit: Getty
Speaking to me for her only newspaper interview, Sharon reveals Brummie Ozzy — who she was with for 45 years — knew the epic performance might kill him.
“We never told anyone how sick Ozzy was,” Sharon says. “The doctors told him if he performed, he might die.
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“Ozzy asked how long he had left and they said it was months.
“He said, ‘I’ve had the most amazing life. What is a few more months going to do, with me in pain and being miserable?
And they have poured all their energy into creating a feature-length film of last year’s Back To The Beginning concert, which is out in cinemas next Wednesday.
Bizarre’s Ellie Henman with SharonCredit: SuppliedSharon with Sabbath rocker Tony Iommi at the Back To The Beginning London premiereCredit: Carsten Windhorst & Gerard Hynes
“I am still learning to live with the grief, and that grief will be with me until the day I die,” Sharon says.
“I had counselling in the beginning. And when we watched the movie last week in LA, Aimee had to leave — it was too emotional for her.
“Jack stepped up and helped me with the business and Kelly is dealing with it in her own way.
“I told them we were lucky to have him, and it’s a blessing their dad was so beloved.”
“We kept his phone number on and do you know how many of his friends still text him?” she says, with a sad smile.
“Why should you wipe everything out because they have gone?
“I talk to Ozzy, too. I speak to him about everything that is going on.
“I ask, ‘What would you do? Tell me what to do’. We do whatever we can to take comfort. People I don’t even know have been so gracious — they come up to me to offer their condolences.
“The other day I was pushing my trolley around M&S and a lady approached to pay her respects. It really is touching that people thought of him so highly.
“The thing about Ozzy is that you didn’t even have to like his music, because people just loved the character.
“He was larger than life, a real softie and funny as f***. I mean, the f****** fights we had . . . but it always ended in love. “He’d come out with one line which would be so funny, I’d crack and go, ‘Oh, f*** it’. Life is too short.”
Ozzy knew his epic final performance might kill himCredit: GettyOzzy and Sharon with kids Kelly and Jack in 2015Credit: Getty
Ozzy’s death saw an outpouring of grief all over the world, and Birmingham came to a standstill on the day of his funeral.
“I am blessed to have my husband’s friends. They are incredible and they have all been there for us,” Sharon says.
“We got so many messages, and we are still receiving letters, cards and flowers from fans all over the world.
“We had the honour of spending some time with him on a few occasions and he was just a normal bloke.
“The King loves to laugh . . . he’s really naughty, and Ozzy loved that.”
Ozzy’s farewell concert on July 5, 2025, saw the great and the good of heavy metal travel to Birmingham to perform, including Sabbath bandmates Bill Ward and Geezer Butler as well as Tony Iommi — who supported Sharon at the film’s launch in London on Tuesday.
It is two-and-a-half hours of unbridled rock ’n’ roll joy, with acts including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and Slayer performing Sabbath’s biggest hits.
Sharon admits Ozzy was worried about being able to go the distance at the concert, which ran for more than ten hours.
“I was petrified because I didn’t know whether he could get through it,” Sharon explains.
“He was just praying his lungs would work and that he could sing because, along with everything else wrong with him, Ozzy had emphysema.
“He could be great for two days and then on the third day he’d wake up and couldn’t breathe. But it was mind over matter. He wanted to play with Sabbath one last time. He wanted to see his mates and the fans.”
Music legend Ozzy back in 1989Credit: GettyOzzy on stage during his final concertCredit: Getty
Emotions aside, Sharon admits there was non-stop fun backstage.
She told how Hollywood actor Jason Mamoa called and asked for tickets to the show, only to be told on the day he had to compere the entire event.
“I said, ‘Just go and talk to the crowd and introduce the bands’,” Sharon recalls.
“He said, ‘I can’t do that’. So I said: ‘F**k off, you’re an actor!’.”
The concert, which raised more than £8million for local charities, has gone down in music history as the greatest gathering of heavy metal artists of all time.
And Sharon hopes Ozzy’s legacy will continue to inspire the next generation.
“People don’t understand how poor Ozzy was [as a child],” she says. “He was born in the Forties and a can of condensed soup and a white bread loaf fed him and his five siblings.
“They all slept on one bed. They didn’t have blankets — they wore coats.
“There was no bathroom, just an outside toilet in a shed.
“He worked so hard to change his life and achieve what he did.
“He was a true working-class hero, and his music will live on forever.”
GREEDY ROCKERS TRIED TO CASH IN ON CONCERT
LAST year Sharon told how one rock band – a household name – tried to profit from Ozzy’s Back To The Beginning fundraiser.
I gasped when she told me who the gutless group was.
Sharon asked me not to run the name of the band, who have a string of No1 albums, because it would make their name mud – and rightly so.
Sharon told me: “It was a charity event but everyone’s expenses were paid for.
“We asked this band for theirs and they came back with a sum over £800,000. I said, ‘F*** off’.
“I explained Metallica were bringing their whole stage set, everything, and their expenses were nowhere near that.
“For this band, it was about money. But this was not a concert to make a profit – it was for charity.
“They were taking the p***.”
If the band’s fans knew, they would be horrified. I hope one day she tells the world who it was.
Trust me, you’d be stunned.
GOT TIME FOR GLASTO, SAM?
Sam Fender is set for a huge 2027Credit: Getty
SAM FENDER has announced his biggest ever tour, a new album and dropped a big hint that he could headline Glastonbury in 2027.
The Seventeen Going Under singer will hit the road for the first time in 18 months next summer, with stadium shows across the UK and Ireland.
He will play Newcastle’s St. James’ Park on June 3 and 5, followed by Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on June 10.
Then there will be two nights at London’s Wembley Stadium on June 18 and 20, Dublin’s Marlay Park on July 1, Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium on July 8 and Manchester’s Etihad Stadium on July 15 and 17.
The Proper Massive Stadium Tour will see Sam, right, perform to over 600,000 fans, and tickets go on sale at 9.30am next Friday, October 30.
Sam’s fourth album – a follow-up to 2025’s People Watching – could well be out by then, too, as fans who pre-order it will get access to tickets on Wednesday.
It’s hard not to see the clear gap in Sam’s schedule over Glastonbury weekend though – June 23 to 27.
I’ve heard some exciting whispers about next summer’s event and with Sam on board, it’d be a belter.
RYLAN: STRICTLY IS IN MY DNA
Rylan Clark missed out on a role in Strictly’s presenting line-upCredit: Getty
RYLAN CLARK says he’s thrilled his pal Emma Willis landed the Strictly job after he missed out on a role in the BBC show’s presenting line-up.
In an exclusive chat to celebrate Rylan teaming up with M&M’s to give away free Vue cinema tickets for Halloween, he said: “I love Emma to bits and I’m so over the moon for her. I think her, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe are doing a fantastic job.
“Being part of the show for four years hosting It Takes Two, it will always be a part of my DNA.
“I still love watching the show and long may they keep dancing.”
Rylan, inset, who has been going on secret missions for M&M’s by giving cinema-goers jumpscares before handing them free tickets, added: “I hid in a photobooth, a sofa and a ticket machine to give people spooks.
“There was one group that had quite an OTT reaction.
“They were very scared, even when it was revealed it was me, but maybe the teeth scared them off.”
TOM GRENNAN launches his bid to return to the charts tomorrow with new single, Wrapped In Gold.
Tom Grennan has launched his bid to return to the chartsCredit: Getty
The emotional track will feature on his upcoming fifth album. But before that, Tom will take to the stage at London’s O2 Arena to perform at Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball.
I previously told how John Legend, Jamie Miller and Becky Hill and will be part of the December line-up, with Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey also in talks to sing.
MUNYA CHAWAWA appears to be angling to become the first influencer to be cast as James Bond.
The funnyman looked dapper as ever as he enjoyed his new role as Oatly’s first-ever Diplomat of Taste.
Munya Chawawa in his new role as Oatly’s first-ever Diplomat of TasteCredit: Supplied
He was driven through London in a three-car motorcade to celebrate the opening of The Oatly Embassy in West London.
On Fridays and Saturdays, guests can enjoy free oat-based drinks and a tour of the Museum of Modern Oats.
Munya said: “If there are two things people say about me, it’s that I love oats and I’m great at diplomacy.”
A GROOVE Armada gig has sparked a surge in hearing checks.
The Superstylin’ hitmakers headlined a one-off event exclusively for over-50s that saw music fans take action for their hearing health to be in with a chance of securing tickets.
The exclusive gig took place at Phonox in Brixton, LondonCredit: SWNS/SpecsaversThe party was exclusively for over 50s onlyCredit: swns/specsavers
The initiative, from Specsavers, saw more than 50,000 people complete a free three-minute online hearing screener before being entered onto ‘The Testlist’ a club guestlist exclusively for the over-50s across the UK and Ireland.
Among the over-50s who took the hearing screener, 75 per cent were told a check-up with a hearing expert could be worthwhile, while 25 per cent received results in the good-to-fair range.
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The exclusive gig took place at Phonox in Brixton, London, last night, marking the first time Groove Armada have played the venue.
It followed further research of 2,000 adults which found 47 per cent of over-50s say some of their happiest memories revolve around the music they love.
Sound performance was measured at the eventCredit: swns/specsaversFree hearing protection was providedCredit: swns/specsavers
While 21 per cent would attend more live music events if experiences were designed with their generation in mind.
Helping put that into practice was University of Derby’s associate professor of electroacoustics, Adam Hill, a live sound engineer and chair of the Healthy Ears, Limited Annoyance (HELA) Initiative.
He is also a supporter of the ‘Listen for Life’ campaign championed by the Night Time Industries Association and was enlisted to oversee safe listening measures.
Working closely with the venue, Dr Hill assessed the sound system’s performance, identified a dedicated quiet zone and conducted staff training.
50,000 people took the online hearing screener to be part of the gigCredit: swns/specsaversTom Findlay thinks that music lovers should not take their ears for grantedCredit: swns/specsavers
During the event, sound levels were assessed and free hearing protection was provided to all attendees.
All these measures ensured that the event aligned with the World Health Organization’s Global Standard for Safe Listening Venues and Events.
Andy Cato, one half of the dance music duo, said: “We’ve been making and playing music for decades. For most of that time, the attitude to volume was the louder the better. Loud is exciting after all.
“As we approach our 30th birthday, still in DJ booths and still with lots of music to make, it would have been nice for there to have been greater awareness around enjoying the dancefloor experiences we all love whilst looking after your hearing.
“It’s nice to see this collaboration with Specsavers spreading the word and making a check-up for your ears as normal as one for your eyes.”
His bandmate, Tom Findlay, added: “When music’s been such a big part of your life, you don’t want to take your hearing for granted. It’s something I’ve come to appreciate more over the years, and I know what a difference taking care of it can make.
“The great thing is, it doesn’t mean changing the way you enjoy music, just being a bit more aware of it.
“And the fact that over 50,000 people took the online hearing screener to be part of this gig is fantastic.
“It’s a brilliant way to get people thinking about their hearing, while bringing everyone together through music.”
The poll of 2,000 adults also found 75 per cent of over-50s are still attending live music events, but 44 per cent have experienced ringing in their ears after a show.
Another 22 per cent have walked away from a venue with muffled hearing after a performance.
But 61 per cent added the availability of hearing protection would be important or essential when choosing where to go to enjoy live events.
Jo Cammell, from Oxfordshire, was one of the fans who secured a place at the Groove Armada gig after completing the free online hearing screener.
Now in her 50s, she returned to Brixton, where she last saw the dance music duo perform in 2004 while six months pregnant with her son Tom, alongside two lifelong friends.
Jo said: “Music has always brought our friendship group together. We started going out dancing in the early 90s and we’ve not hung up our dancing shoes yet. Nothing beats hearing music live.
“Superstylin’ has always been our tune, so coming back to Brixton to see Groove Armada more than 20 years after the last time feels incredibly special. It’s a reminder that dance music isn’t just for the young and that you’re never too old for a great night out.
“Taking the Specsavers hearing screener was really interesting because it made me stop and think about how important my hearing health is for the first time, so I can continue enjoying live music for years to come.”
THE Pussycat Dolls shrugged off the Lil Kim ‘tour axe’ while stripping to some striking outfits at their packed London gig on Tuesday night.
Lady Marmalade star Lil Kim, 52, didn’t appear for the final night of the Pussycat Dolls’ run at London’s O2 Arena, with the headline act fed-up of her unpredictable behaviour.
The Pussycat Dolls shrugged off the Lil Kim ‘tour axe’ while stripping to some striking outfitsCredit: GettyKim shot to fame in 1994 after being discovered by late rap legend The Notorious B.I.G.Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
A source said: “Kim didn’t show up to their gig in Manchester on Saturday night, and it was all very last minute. It threw everything into chaos and a sign just went up at the last minute to say she wouldn’t be performing.
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“As a result, she hasn’t been asked back for the closing night in London tonight, which was seen as the grand finale.”
But shrugging it off entirely, Nicole Scherzinger and her glam bandmates Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt looked sensational in racy outfits at the gig.
The girls opted for silver leotards, with Ashley wowing in a two piece and showing off her toned physique.
Kimberly had her long pins on display with cut out tights on and white boots.
The girls looked sensational in silver bodysuitsCredit: GettyThey performed the final London night at the O2 Arena on TuesdayCredit: Getty
And Nicole looked as glamorous as ever in her dazzling bodysuit, embellished with sequins.
The Pussycat Dolls all rocked beautiful makeup looks and styled their hair down, while having the time of their lives on stage.
The girls wowed their fans and put Lil Kim’s tour axe.
No official reason for support act Kim’s absence in Manchester was given, though some fans claimed she was ill.
However, others noticed she had shared social media videos of herself on her tour bus in the build-up to the gig where it looked she was playing video games.
One fan wrote on TikTok: “She was on the tour bus prepping for GTA 6.”
Another posted: “Omg we were there last night how bad is that, not even a comment on sorry she’s no show or anything, playing GTA in the trailer apparently, previous videos of her trying glad she didn’t show.”
Kim also came under fire from baffled fans at a previous gig in Paris when a music video playing on the big screens behind her during her set appeared to be synced from her phone and private messages kept popping up before the feed was quickly pulled.
The larger than life star then invited Kim to join the Brooklyn-based rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A, before she launched her solo career with her double-platinum album Hard Core, which debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200.
Grammy-winner Kim’s biggest hits in the UK are all collabs, including the 2001 number one ‘Lady Marmalade’, a cover commissioned for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, and 2003 track ‘Can’t Hold Us Down’ with Christina Aguilera, which reached number six.
The Sun contacted representatives for the Pussycat Dolls and Lil’ Kim.
PUSSYCAT Dolls have kicked rap star Lil’ Kim off their UK tour after a string of controversies.
The Lady Marmalade star, 52, won’t appear for the final night of the run at London’s O2 Arena later today, with the headline act fed-up of her unpredictable behaviour.
Lil’ Kim won’t appear with the Pussycat Dolls tonightCredit: Shutterstock EditorialThe Dolls have had enough of her unreliable behaviourCredit: Getty
A source said: “Kim didn’t show up to their gig in Manchester on Saturday night, and it was all very last minute. It threw everything into chaos and a sign just went up at the last minute to say she wouldn’t be performing.
“As a result, she hasn’t been asked back for the closing night in London tonight, which was seen as the grand finale.
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“Her not showing up in Manchester was really the final straw for team PCD, there had been a string of issues where she was challenging to work with.”
The Sun has contacted representatives for the Pussycat Dolls and Lil’ Kim.
No official reason for Kim’s absence in Manchester was given, though some fans claimed she was ill.
However, others noticed she had shared social media videos of herself on her tour bus in the build-up to the gig where it looked she was playing video games.
One fan wrote on TikTok: “She was on the tour bus prepping for GTA 6.”
Another posted: “Omg we were there last night how bad is that, not even a comment on sorry she’s no show or anything, playing GTA in the trailer apparently, previous videos of her trying glad she didn’t show.”
Kim came under fire from baffled fans at a previous gig in Paris when a music video playing on the big screens behind her during her set appeared to be synced from her phone and private messages kept popping up before the feed was quickly pulled.
The larger than life star then invited Kim to join the Brooklyn-based rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A, before she launched her solo career with her double-platinum album Hard Core, which debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200.
Grammy-winner Kim’s biggest hits in the UK are all collabs, including the 2001 number one ‘Lady Marmalade’, a cover commissioned for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, and 2003 track ‘Can’t Hold Us Down’ with Christina Aguilera, which reached number six.
