HE’s got almost 2 million followers on TikTok alone, has an army of A-list celebrity fans and now US comic Corey O’Brien is preparing to invade the UK.
After blowing up on social media post lockdown with his hilarious videos impersonating everyone from Dua Lipa and Justin Timberlake to the Spice Girls– who all shared his clips online – the 34 year-old former dancer’s comedy career has gone from strength to strength.
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US comedian Corey O’Brien’s career blew up on TikTok – and how he’s headed to the UKCorey’s video impersonating the Spice Girls was shared by the ladies themselvesCorey in action onstage
And next week he’s performing in London for his first ever UK show, much to the delight of both Corey and his legions of British fans.
“I’m a real anglophile,” smiles Corey, as he chats to The Sun from his home in Los Angeles.
“I’m really excited because I feel like my comedy goes across really well with a UK audience.
“I’m unhinged and have no filter, and I feel like you guys really get that. I have no boundaries, I say whatever the f*** I want to say and I think that’s quite a British sense of humour.”
He may live 6000 miles away from Blighty, but Corey admits he avidly follows UK pop culture – whether it’s binging classic early seasons of Love Island with his former NFL star boyfriend Ryan K Russell (“we stopped having sex at one point because we were so obsessed with watching Hannah Elizabeth) to keeping abreast of every development of the Beckham family feud.
“I am so invested in that drama,” he confesses. “I’m team Posh, of course. If Victoria wants to come to crash my wedding, do a full dance number and make the night all about her, I wouldn’t hate it.
“She could slap me in the face in the middle of my vows and I would probably say thank you. She’s Victoria Beckham. She was my gay awakening.”
Indeed, when Corey impersonated all five Spice Girls for his own take on the iconic Say You’ll Be There video three years ago, he never expected it to get more than three million views and be shared by the legendary pop group’s official social media channels.
“I think I cried when that happened,” he confessed. “It was one of the most amazing things to ever happen. My boyfriend was upstairs at the time and I screeched as if someone was killing me. He was quite concerned.”
It’s not just iconic British girlbands that Corey is obsessed with though – during our chat he happily recounts his favourite moments from various UK Celebrity Big Brother series.
Corey is a huge anglophile addicted to Love Island UK and Celebrity Big BrotherCredit: vixinatorCorey dates retired NFL footballer Ryan RussellCredit: instagramThe hilarious star is more than happy to flash the flesh on instagram
“Oh my god, I’ve watched all of Chris Hughes and JoJo Siwa‘s romance, I can’t get enough of Farrah Abraham‘s fight with Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace and of course Tiffany Pollard’s ‘David’s dead’ moment is my all time favourite,” he laughs.
“I’d love to do Celebrity Big Brother. If any casting people are reading it, get me on there! I’ll get nude if they want me too!”
Anyone who follows Corey on social media will know he’s more than happy to flash his naked buff body – either in the name of comedy or simply for a bit of a thirst trap.
“I’ve not said this publicly before, but I microdose Ozempic,” he confesses when asked about his increasingly toned physique, before admitting to making a big mistake when he started on the fat jabs.
“I ordered some off some random website for like $400 and, believe it or not, I’m not a doctor so I didn’t really understand the dosages,” he deadpans.
“The first time I took it, I shot up a whole month’s worth of it in one go and I didn’t realise. I lost like 12 pounds in a week and it was all muscle that I lost. So yeah, now I just do little microdoses here and there.”
And he’s more than willing to show off some skin when he hits Britain next week.
“I’ll show my nudes on stage, hell, I’ll show them in person for like 20 bucks,” he laughs.
“I need to make some money – the exchange rate is crazy right now!”
Corey O’Brien: Live In London is at the Top Secret Comedy Club in London on Monday February 23. Doors open from 5.30pm.
Corey will play his first UK show next Monday, February 23Corey is a former professional dancer who turned to comedy during lockdownCredit: Luke fontana
SHE’S got her showbiz career nailed, but will it be boom or bust for Sydney Sweeney as she takes on Kim Kardashian in the lingerie business?
It is the big question in Hollywood following Syd’s very ambitious move to rival Kim’s Skims brand with her own label, Syrn.
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Sydney Sweeney has launched her own lingerie label SyrnCredit: SYRN.comSydney is rivalling Kim Kardashian’s Skims labelCredit: Instagram/Skims
Last month, Sydney finally launched her highly anticipated range of undies with $1billion of support from a fund backed by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos.
And this week, she upped the ante with a cheeky promo video, which sees her raiding a local store with a gang of pals flashing their bras.
It is a ballsy scheme for a relative rookie who, despite cementing herself as a leading lady in the acting world, has yet to prove she has the business acumen to “do a Kim” and turn her sex symbol status into a corporate, billion-dollar brand.
Since co-launching her shapewear company Skims in 2019, Kim, 45, has defied the odds, making it a global lifestyle behemoth worth $5billion.
But evidently, Sydney, 28, isn’t one to be deterred — and why should she be when she’s got the world’s fourth-richest man on her side, injecting big bucks into her new venture?
Syrn, pronounced “siren”, is a lingerie line that promises to offer inclusive sizing, up to a 42DDD.
So far, the inventory is limited, with a handful of sexy bras, corsets, thongs and knickers offered on its online store, mostly priced at around $100 (£73) or under.
But sales have already been sky- high, with the “Seductress” collection going out of stock almost immediately.
Like Kim, Sydney has chosen a platform to stand on.
While Skims’ remit focuses on inclusivity — with shapewear sold in nine skin colours and in a large range of sizes — Syrn includes bigger-breasted women, who might not otherwise be catered for by traditional retailers.
It is a clever move, positioning the actress and her own famously ample chest front and centre, with the underlying message that she has something innovative to offer.
According to sources close to Sydney, the Euphoria star’s new business isn’t a half-baked move.It is a calculated plot to elevate her to the big leagues and prove she can more than keep up with the Kardashians.
Sydney wants to dethrone Kim — she knows she has the potential to make enormous money and turn Syrn into a multi- billion-dollar company, like Skims
Sweeney insider
“Sydney is extremely competitive and knows she has the potential to reach the very top of the fashion industry,” an insider exclusively tells The Sun.
“That’s exactly why she launched her lingerie brand.
“Syrn is one of her biggest dreams, and she is fully committed to doing whatever it takes to turn it into a major success and compete with top brands like Skims.
“She isn’t afraid of anything.
“She’s aware that Kim Kardashian and her team aren’t happy about her entering the lingerie space, and she was warned by several people not to do it, including friends close to Kim.
“But she never cared about Kim’s opinion, and she never lets others influence her business ideas.”
The insider adds: “Sydney wants to dethrone Kim — she knows she has the potential to make enormous money and turn Syrn into a multi- billion-dollar company, like Skims.
Sydney’s ‘Seductress’ sold out almost immediatelyCredit: SYRN.comSince launching Skims in 2019, Kim has made it a global lifestyle behemoth worth $5billionCredit: Instagram/ Kim Kardashian
“She sees this as a competition and she loves that challenge.”
Sydney showed her rebellious streak — and got her brand some extra publicity — with a video in which she and her production crew scaled the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, before hanging Syrn bras across the famous letters.
Some hailed her a cheeky rabble-rouser.
Others dismissed it as a PR stunt.
Either way, it got Sydney noticed and made her brand a talking point — especially after the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which owns and licenses the sign, slammed the actress, saying she did not have prior authority.
So could Sydney go to jail thanks to her zest and zeal for selling big-sized bras to the world?
No. But for an actress who knows the power of a good performance, she put on one hell of a show.
According to brand and culture expert Nick Ede, the stunt was in keeping with Sydney’s bold approach, which hinges on her unapologetically selling her biggest asset: herself.
She is not afraid to stick two fingers up to propriety to make her mark — and money.
‘STUNT MAVERICK’
Nick says: “While Kim is all about being wanted and admired, and always making sure everyone loves her, Sydney doesn’t care.
“She knows that people want to buy into the brand, and she is being maverick with her stunts.
“We didn’t know much about the lingerie line until a few weeks ago, but she’s stepped it up in a strategic way to cut through other celebs with huge brands and endorsement deals.
“Look at Meghan Markle — she had so much around her when she launched her brand.
“She had her TV show and her status, but Sydney has cut through all that in a punky way.
“In Euphoria, she’s a little bit messy as her character Cassie, and she’s a little bit messy as an actual celebrity.
“She’s sticking with her persona, which works well as a brand.”
Fans and critics will remember the chaos last year over Sydney‘s American Eagle ads, which boasted that she “has great jeans”.
Sydney has curves that match her confidenceCredit: Getty
But Sydney proved that sex plus controversy sells.
The clothing brand duly reported a massive spike in sales, plus a stock surge of 25 per cent.
Initially, Sydney refused to discuss the controversy.
However, in December, she said: “I’m against hate and divisiveness.
“In the past, my stance has been to never respond to negative or positive press, but I have come to realise that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it.”
That said, she didn’t regret the ads, nor the impact they made.
And she’s not about to moderate her behaviour . . . not when she’s got her own brand to promote.
As Nick explains, the actress knows what her assets are, with curves that match her confidence, and she’s putting both on display.
“Sydney’s selling and creating a fantasy,” he explains.
‘SULTRY SELFIE’
It’s very ‘old Hollywood’ in many ways, but it’s gritty, too, and that’s why there is such huge appeal.
“She will become a mega-brand in the future.”
As for Kim, it is no surprise her nose has apparently been put out of joint over the Sydney uprising.
While she often gets models and celeb brand ambassadors to model her Skims wear, the week of the Syrn launch in January saw Kim post her own sultry selfie to Instagram, posing in her brand’s lacy lingerie.
Fans could not help but notice the timing of her decision to model a sexy Skims set, hot on the heels of Sydney’s own saucy campaign, also on social media.
As one follower said: “Kim said, not today, Sydney Sweeney,” while another weighed in: “Is this the Sweeney fight back?”
Ramping it up, Kim this week called in little sister Kylie Jenner to model a bra and knicker set from her “Everyday Cotton” Skims range in a bid to reel in younger fans.
Obviously, when it comes to the Hollywood pool of superficial friendships, Kim and Sydney are on decent terms, having rubbed shoulders last year at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding.
Needless to say, having a mutual pal like Jeff will keep them civil — on the surface at least — as they have too much to lose if they fall out and put him in the middle.
Kim has also spoken about expanding into the beauty space with SkimsCredit: Getty
But, according to insiders, Kim feels particularly irked by Sydney’s apparent bid to claim some of her global spotlight.
The Kardashian beauty is used to being the most talked-about woman in any room, but — since Sydney became a pop culture phenomenon — she’s been pulling eyes away.
The fact that she is now launching this lingerie line feels a little too close to home for Kim, especially since it has been reported that Sydney has also filed to trademark the Syrn name for cosmetics and beauty care products.
Coincidentally — or maybe not so — Kim has also spoken about expanding into the beauty space with Skims.
Now, she has reportedly been complaining to friends that Sydney is nothing more than a “copycat”.
Still, as Nick tells us, the pair actually have more to gain from this rivalry than meets the eye, as “it’s all about the amount of column inches and publicity they can get”.
‘REBELLIOUS STREAK’
Kim is hardly naive when it comes to the art of publicity.
This is the woman who “broke the internet” in 2014 after exposing her very famous bum to the world on the cover of Paper magazine.
She is hardly going to blush at the thought of engaging now in some performative bra wars with Sydney, as she knows full well that the oxygen for any successful brand is attention and visibility.
So who will ultimately triumph?
Well, Kim’s obviously got a tremendous head start.
She steered her brand to global domination, proving that — despite her internet-breaking derriere — she does nothing half-arsed.
But, like Kim, Sydney understands the power of harnessing one’s sex symbol status to achieve fame and fortune, combining that with business-minded savvy and sizeable investments to create a brand with real selling power.
Add to that her rebellious streak and she could be on to a winner with Syrn.
Whether she overshadows Kim remains to be seen, but one thing remains clear.
In the big, bad world of bra- selling celebs, this storm in a D cup will run and run.
SYD’S GEAR
The Show Off plunge bra: £65Credit: SYRNString You Along low-rise thong: £14Credit: SYRNThe Showpiece basque: £72Credit: SYRN
SYDNEY SWEENEY
AGE: 28.
WEALTH: £30million.
FAMOUS FOR: Starring in The White Lotus, Euphoria and 2025 film The Housemaid.
CONTROVERSIAL MOMENTS: Her American Eagle clothing ad, with the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”, which saw her accused of promoting genetic supremacy.
Plus having her bath water used to make a soap range in 2025.
RELATIONSHIPS: Dated businessman Jonathan Davino from 2018 to 2025.
Began dating controversial music executive Scooter Braun in 2025.
BRANDS: As well as Syrn, Sydney has her own production company, Fifty-Fifty Films.
She has also collaborated with Armani Beauty, Kerastase haircare, Laneige skincare, Ford motors and Miu Miu fashion.
FAMOUS FOR: Reality shows including Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
CONTROVERSIAL MOMENTS: Leaking of a sex tape starring Kim and Ray J in 2007, “breaking the internet” with her 2014 cover of Paper magazine, and a 72-day marriage to Kris Humphries.
RELATIONSHIPS: Married music producer Damon Thomas at 19 and split after three years; Kris Humphries, married and split after 72 days, 2011; Kanye West, married 2014, split 2021.
She is now dating Lewis Hamilton.
BRANDS: KKW Beauty (2017-2021), SKKN By Kim – skincare brand from 2022, Kardashian Kloset – resale site for TV family’s clothes.
Skims has also launched collaborations with Nike, Dolce & Gabbana and Fendi.
