moment

Here’s to the ones who dream.

The anthemic thesis of “La La Land” — the Ryan Gosling/Emma Stone movie musical celebrating its 10th anniversary — became a moment of musical reality in May when a 21-year-old student in Sydney, Australia, was plucked from the crowd at a live concert of the film during intermission. Sterling Nasa proceeded to stun composer-conductor Justin Hurwitz and the 2,000-person audience with his flawless, impromptu performance.

“Jumping into that concert in Sydney, and having an earpiece and seeing all this, was a little bit crazy,” says Nasa with well-mannered modesty, “but we somehow got through it.”

Conductor Justin Hurwitz with pianist Sterling Nasa performing the soundtrack of “La La Land” at the Greek Theatre.

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

Nasa is sitting backstage at the Greek Theatre between rehearsals, preparing to make his Los Angeles debut. After that remarkable incident, an international feel-good news story, Hurwitz invited Nasa to fly out and play the entire concert at the anniversary screening here, in Griffith Park, where many of the film’s iconic scenes were shot.

“He’s playing better than most of the professional pianists I’ve worked with,” says Hurwitz, who regularly conducts “La La Land in Concert.”

“He’s nailing it,” Hurwitz explains during a break. “Those Sebastian solos, the ones that Ryan Gosling plays in the movie, he’s playing those as perfectly and cleanly as I’ve heard them in a very long time. Very few of the pianists I work with around the world — and they’re all great professionals — but very few of them play it this well in sync with the picture.”

Saturday’s rehearsals took place under a scorching sun. Half of the assembled musicians played on the film’s original soundtrack; star trumpet soloist Bijon Watson can even be seen wailing in the Lighthouse jazz scenes. Sitting in the midst of these veteran L.A. sessions players, Nasa looked focused but confident, his youthful face belying his easy, fleet-fingered playing.

Pianist Sterling Nasa heads to the stage Saturday after intermission during the 10th anniversary show featuring a full orchestra and jazz band performing the “La La Land” soundtrack at the Greek Theatre.

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

He flew in from Sydney on Thursday, leaving a rainy Australian winter for a California heat wave. The initial jet leg was rough, he says, but he had mostly adjusted by Saturday. Hurwitz took some one-on-one practice time with him before the orchestra arrived, and Nasa had also been practicing his part for six weeks.

Nasa (an Anglicized Lebanese name) has been playing piano since he was 3. His parents encouraged his musical education, and he’s performed enough in bands and local musical theater not to suffer from stage fright. He also plays the bagpipes, and has played with 300 bagpipers for 10,000 people at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle.

“I’ve always had a bit of an inkling that I’d love to be a musician,” Nasa says, “or if I can find some opportunity in the artistic world, or in musical theater or in music, that I would love too. But I did sort of get the ‘real’ degree.”

He was finishing his studies in international relations at the University of Sydney when the cosmic moment happened in May. His friend Scarlett was the one who enthusiastically pushed Nasa’s hand up when Hurwitz, panicking, asked if anyone in the audience was an “amazing sight reader.”

“I owe so much of this to her,” Nasa says. “I really probably would not have done it.”

The 10th anniversary show of “La La Land” featured a full orchestra and jazz band.

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

He played the entire second half of the concert that night. (The hired pianist fell ill and had to leave.) Nasa says he thinks Australians were inclined to root for an underdog — “the audience that night really just wanted it to work” — but for this big L.A. moment, “I think now there’s obviously a bit more of an expectation.”

As the twilight concert began, Hurwitz addressed the sold-out Greek Theatre — a lively crowd filled with yellow dresses — and surprised them by announcing that the “kid from Sydney” was here to play the entire show. Nasa absorbed his ovation, then took his bench in the middle of the orchestra with a little monitor displaying the movie on his piano.

He played the melancholy strains of “Mia and Sebastian’s Theme,” a solo piano motif that Gosling’s character plays throughout the film; he accompanied their flirty “City of Stars” duet, and he performed all of Sebastian’s acrobatic jazz solos — many of them meticulously synced to corresponding shots of fingers on a keyboard.

“La La Land” plays on the screen at the Greek Theatre while an orchestra and jazz band accompany the film.

(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)

The film itself was projected over the stage, but monitors on either side showed Nasa and the other live musicians. A young woman in front of me watched his hands, perfectly aligned with Gosling’s, with her jaw dropped. Nasa never missed a note, and he received another outsized ovation after the rousing end credits.

“I’ve thought a lot about opportunity, and how there’s so much talent in the world,” says Hurwitz, reflecting on the moment in Sydney. “And there’s also so much lost talent in the world, talent that just isn’t realized. And I just love that there was this talented guy, who’s a great musician, but he was in school studying something else — because he didn’t know if he could or should go into music. And then there was this opportunity, and he took it, and he showed everybody — and he showed himself — that he can do it.”

Nasa says he’s not sure what he’ll do now that he’s graduated, but one thing he’s interested in is composing for musical theater — or possibly scoring films.

Given that impressive 2025 she had, the pressure was on O’Connor to at least win a medal in Glasgow and it only ramped up after Katerina Johnson-Thompson, who had won gold ahead of her in 2022, pulled out.

The Englishwoman’s withdrawal paved the way for a good shot at that coveted gold, but she still had to go out and deliver.

O’Connor ended on 6,569 points, 291 ahead of her nearest challenger, England’s Jade O’Dowda, but it wasn’t all straightforward.

Resilience is a key trait for any sportsperson, but particularly a heptathlete.

Fortunes can fluctuate across the seven events so it is needed in ample supply to come out on top at the end of two days of competition.

It was particularly pertinent for O’Connor in a rain-soaked second session of the event on Tuesday evening.

After a good start in the morning, that brought a third-place finish in the 100m hurdles and a season’s best 1.82m in the high jump, O’Connor struggled in the shot put and dipped well below her high standards by throwing just 12.85m as the torrential rain hammered down.

She said trying to grip the shot put in that rain was akin to trying to lift a bar of soap and that she was “gutted” as she “made it a lot easier for the rest of them to beat me”.

Her resilience was shown in abundance in the 200m that followed as she defied the elements to easily win her heat in a time of 24.14.

The Newry-born athlete added she had to “work really hard” on Wednesday and that she did, finishing with a flourish.

First came a big leap of 6.37m in the long jump, then another season’s best, this time in the javelin, of 52.85m that far exceeded those around her.

It will be particularly satisfying as that was an event she had worked hard at improving heading into 2026.

All that was left was to hold her nerve in the 800m and she did that and more, cruising to victory in a time of 2:10.46 just as the sun broke through for the celebrations at Scotstoun.

“I came here expecting a lot from myself and I really wanted to score like 6,600 or 6,700 and open up my season because that’s the shape I felt I was in,” she added.

“After day one I had to raincheck myself a bit, it’s not always about getting huge big scores but competing and getting the best out of yourself with the elements and challenges.

“I tried to navigate it as best as I could. The shot put didn’t go to plan, it needs work in those conditions, but I’m happy overall with how I did.

“There’s a lot of positives to take from it. I’ve got a gold medal round my neck so I can’t say much more.”

THIS is the moment reality TV star Samie Elishi was escorted off the Love Island set by security after being banned from watching the final.

The 26-year-old, who originally appeared on season nine of the ITV show, flew out to Majorca to watch her man Tyrique Hyde on the last episode of Aftersun.

But, after spending hours getting glammed up for the “special day” she was refused entry into the villa.

In a video posted to her TikTok, Samie could be seen filming behind the cameras and production crew as she approached the set.

She filmed stunning Love Island host Maya Jama and her beau Ty all ready to film before things “took a turn for the worst.”

“We got told that we weren’t actually allowed to watch the show,” confessed Samie.

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“Before everyone in the comments starts asking why, we don’t know why we had no explanation.

“The three of us [her, Harry Cooksley and Kane Ruddach] did actually have seats in the audience but they just got taken away, escorted, back to the holding villa.”

She continued: “God knows how I managed it but I got the show up on my phone, found a place with actually good signal and watched from my phone on a tripod.

Samie explained that while “it wasn’t quite” how they expected to spend their evening “Ty did amazing as always.”

The Love Island alum was banned from watching the final Aftersun alongside the partners of the other panelists – Shakira Khan and Joe Baggs.

Samie and Tyrique began dating back in March just weeks after she returned from Love Island All Stars in South Africa.

They were first spotted together at a Baller League match but The Sun revealed they had actually been out on a string of dates before then.

The loved up couple have since been on multiple holidays, barely leaving each other’s sides after going Instagram official.

Samie has publicly been a big supporter of Ty’s career, cheering on his Aftersun gig and his daily Love Island themed streams.

EDDIE MARSAN is to play Harry Redknapp in a film about one of football’s most incredible stories, I can reveal.

The actor, a Spurs fan, will put his allegenices to one side when he takes on the role of the West Ham favourite when he was their assistant boss in 1994.

The film by Sir Ridley Scott re-tells the moment Harry actually invited a loudmouth Hammers fan to play up front for the Premier League outfit after hurling abuse at players from the stands — and he went on to score.

Eddie plays gaffer Harry in Halftime Hero, alongside Anson Boon as angry fan Steve Davies.

West Ham were struggling against non-league Oxford City in the pre-season friendly when Steve was told to put on a kit and prove he could do better . . .  and did.

A source said: “Eddie has been cast as Harry in Halftime Hero and will be filming his scenes in the coming weeks.

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“As a huge football fan, Eddie knows this tale well and to take on such a prominent part in a film about such a huge moment in the game is hugely exciting for him.”

Like me, Sherlock Holmes actor Eddie is a Tottenham fanatic, so it will be a dream role to play Harry, who went on to manage Spurs years later.

It’s just a shame he’s going to have to wear a West Ham coaching kit to do it.

I revealed last month that Ridley’s production company was working on the film about Harry’s famous game, which has become part of football folklore.

Steve could be heard heckling striker Lee Chapman and repeatedly branded him a “donkey” for his poor performance.

Harry went into the stands and got him to play, with Steve going on to score and helping West Ham to a 4-0 win.

The historic moment was never caught on camera, so now Anson, Eddie and Ellie Bamber — who plays Steve’s girlfriend — are bringing it to life.

Harry has spoken fondly about the wild episode over the years, admitting he told the stadium announcer that he was bringing on a “great Bulgarian” called “Tittyshev”.

Steve previously said: “It was the greatest moment of my life.

“After that, I was exhausted.

“I was on 30 cigarettes a day back then.

“I had a couple of cigs and a couple of beers in the first half.”

Good on you, Steve.

Me, I’m Jase relaxing

TAKE THAT have just finished their hit Circus Tour, but there’s been no clowning around for former member Jason Orange.

The ex-boybander, who quit the group in 2014 to lead a quieter life, was seen enjoying a peaceful afternoon in a park in Cheshire on Monday.

He now has a successful property portfolio and has declined offers to rejoin the group.

And judging by how zen he looks here, I can’t say I blame him.

LEIGH-ANNE PINNOCK is feathering her nest with a few quid from her fans by becoming a mumfluencer as she prepares to give birth to her third child.

The Little Mix star has started a page where fans can subscribe for £5 a month for “behind the scenes content” and a “private community” to find out what’s going on with her pregnancy.

Announcing the move, Leigh-Anne said: “I’m excited to announce I’ve started a Patreon to share more of my pregnancy, bump updates, everyday life and all of the things in between as I prepare to be a mum of three.

“This is going to be a complete safe space to be open and honest, share advice and give you a little more insight into life right now.”

Leigh-Anne, who will perform at Brighton Pride on Saturday, already has twin daughters with her footballer husband Andre Gray.

Kaia and Homer channel parents

KAIA GERBER and Homer Gere looked like proper Hollywood stars at the premiere of new Disney+ thriller series The Shards – maybe because of their A-lister parents.

Kaia’s supermodel mum Cindy Crawford wed Homer’s old man, Richard Gere in 1991, although the golden couple divorced four years later and went on to have kids with new partners.

Now, their actor offspring are appearing opposite each other in the Shards, which launches next week.

Speaking on the red carpet, Kaia said of Homer: “I’d never met him but I was really, really excited to meet Homer and he’s such a wonderful actor, my god.

“This is his second thing he ever did and he has this confidence and charisma – he’s so magnetic to watch.

“He made my job much easier because of how talented he is.”

Looking forward to tuning in.

Niall hits the clubs

IT’S tee time for golf nut Niall Horan ahead of his Dinner Party Live Tour.

The ex-One Direction singer hit the greens at Royal Lytham & St Annes in Lancashire before the AIG Women’s Open this weekend.

He will soon be heading out on the road, kicking off his tour at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena on September 22.

But the long spells playing shows across the UK, Europe, Australia and North America until next May won’t stop him hitting the greens.

He said earlier this year: “It’s Niall’s golf tour with music, especially in the States.

“Florida is great.

“There’s so much good golf in Florida, and we’ll hit random places in Ohio.

“If we do 30-something shows, I’ll try to get in ten rounds.”

TULISA HAS MAXED OUT ON LOVE

TULISA’s romance with medicinal cannabis kingpin and influencer Maximillian White has gone up in smoke, it seems.

One of my pals has spotted the N Dubz singer back on celebrity dating app Raya.

I told you last autumn that the pair had started dating.

But on Raya, the former X Factor judge has listed her occupation as “singer/investor/author” while her bio simply says, “Lara Croft”.

As for her interests, she’s into, “Music, fitness, deep belly laughs, cheeky bottle of red, all things weird and wonderful.”

Sounds like a fun time to me.

Harry Potter actor Tom Felton and Kingsman star Taron Egerton have both been spotted on the exclusive app, so she has her pick of handsome fellas.

Mel C met her husband Chris Dingwall on Raya, and Lily Allen found her now-ex David Harbour on there too, although the less said about that, the better.

Tulisa was also on there before meeting billionaire Maximillian but insisted she was a “spectator” and said: “I never like or message anyone first . . .  just letting you know.

“I’ve only gone on one date from there, and that was because of a recent rebound.”

Live a little, Tulisa.

ELLIE MUSIC OF LOVE FOR HER BEAU

IT has been dubbed her “divorce album” but Ellie Goulding’s new record will feature at least one song about falling head over heels for her new beau, called, err, Beau.

I first revealed their romance last July when I told how she had jetted off to Italy with actor Beau Minniear, when they stayed at the Four Seasons in Florence together.

Now Ellie, who gave birth to their daughter Iris in March, has written a song about how she was swept off her feet by him during the trip to that very hotel.

On the track, titled 4 Seasons, she sings: “Daydreaming, faint feelings, f**k around at the Four Seasons. I think that I might be falling in love with you.

“I need it, wanna keep it. We mess around, put the damn key in. I think that I might be falling in love.”

The song will be on her sixth album, I Know Too Much, which will be released on September 4.

And from what I’ve heard so far, it’s going to be another brilliant record.

PRINCE’s cult movie Purple Rain is being adapted for the stage and will debut on Broadway next March.

The hit film was accompanied by Prince’s album and song of the same name, with the projects being released in 1984.

The news of the stage musical was announced on the 42nd anniversary of its release and will launch next spring.

ARIANA SUES SONG HACKERS

ARIANA GRANDE has understandably seen red and filed a lawsuit against hackers who leaked unreleased tunes.

The Thank U, Next singer has alleged that two unidentified hackers broke into devices from people she had worked with to get songs and footage of her which was sold for “significant sums of money” on the dark web.

Legal papers have been lodged in Los Angeles to try and unmask those responsible.

The documents claim: “In 2023 alone, 45 unreleased songs belonging to Ms Grande were hacked, stolen, and leaked.

“Since her music debut in 2011, hundreds of similar leaks have taken place.”

And it sounds like Ariana, whose new album Petal will be out on Friday, won’t stop pursuing them until they’re in prison.

‘Here’s a more natural flowing version of that section…’
Canadian politician Bill Oliver has gone viral after he appeared to accidentally read AI-generated editing instructions aloud, not once, but twice, during a speech to lawmakers in early June.

A HUGE US singer shared the agonising moment that a fish hook was stuck in his HEAD.

In a gruesome video, Tyler Hubbard, who is best known for the band Florida Georgia Line, was seen with a wounded head as his wife Hayley pulled the hook out.

The horrifying moment came during a family fishing trip with his wife and their three kids.

The family were camping by the lake, when their vacation took a turn.

Posting on Instagram, the American star shared a video called: “Breakfast had to wait.”

Next fans were shown Tyler’s wife wrestling with the hook in his head.

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Although he didn’t reveal how he ended up with the fish hook buried in his head, Hayley was seen gently trying to prise it out.

She was then heard asking her family: “Are there any tricks to this?”

One of their children then reassured their dad that there was “no need to worry”.

“Mom is just going to pull it out right away,” the kid said.

After much wrestling with the hook, Hayley finally said: “Oh, we got it!”

The horrifying fish hook moment comes just days after Tyler teased more reunion plans with his former Florida Georgia Line bandmate Brian Kelley.

The pair called it quits four years ago after being together for a decade.

However this summer they reunited for a several performances, which included CMA Fest in June.

THIS is the shocking moment former glamour model Katie Price left her son Junior mortified as she talked about her “hairy bits.”

Katie made the comments on series three of her daughter’s show The Princess Diaries after finally being “allowed” to film.

During a glamping trip with her kids, Katie was asked by Princess when she started her first business.

The 48-year-old confessed she launched raunchy ironing board covers when she was just 18.

Katie said: “Ironing board covers. When you iron it, I go naked. Sorry Junior.”

“I’m doing my beauty range at 18 and that’s when you started,” said Princess.

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Katie replied: “That’s what I mean you’re following in my footsteps.”

Speaking candidly on her mum‘s cheeky venture, Princess said in her confessional: “It’s actually really interesting to hear mum talk about starting to build her career.

“Because like if a girl did that now at 18, it would be classed as very wrong so, it’s two different lives really.”

Podcast host Katie then went on to leave her kids – specifically Junior – gobsmacked by a surprise revelation.

She announced: “I had bit of a hairy muff back then though.”

Junior, who is following in his dad Peter’s footsteps as a singer, put his head in his hands.

Shaking his head he said: “Oh my god!”

Katie didn’t stop there, she added: “It was because I had red bikini on and the ironing board cover would take it off and I had like a little triangle.”

Junior said: “Mate that I…I don’t like…”

“It’s part of your mum’s journey and after that I bought out cups with me topless on them,” added Katie.

Mortified Junior decided to remain silent as his mum opened up on her sexy merch.

This comes as Katie has finally been “allowed” to film the show after previously being banned from production.

After fallout from Princess’ dad and his wife Emily being allowed on the show they both took a step back to avoid further drama.

Following Katie and Peter’s truce back in February, Princess hinted that both her parents would feature in series three – which they have.

In March, she said: “I mean, the good thing is now, obviously, my mum and dad have come out with an agreement to be fine.

“So hopefully season three, they will actually both be in it which is amazing. It’s so good now because there is just no issues.”

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake has hit Kumamoto on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, sending buildings swaying as people rushed to safety. Authorities have issued a tsunami alert following the quake.

Tom Holland is officially the first “Hot Ones” guest to really spill his guts during a spicy interview.

During a Thursday appearance on the popular talk show — where guests answer questions while eating chicken wings with increasingly spicy sauces — the actor struggled to keep his composure.

Host Sean Evans cranked up the heat with each burning question to Holland and fellow actor Jon Bernthal, his co-star in not one but two of the biggest cinematic events of the summer, “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” While Holland began the interview with an eloquent discussion of his two blockbuster films, Evans’ lineup of 10 hot sauces, each hotter than the one before, had the “Uncharted” star on the verge of blacking out.

After Holland bit into his chicken wing slathered with the second sauce — Hot Bergine, a roasted eggplant and tomato sauce with a 3/10 heat level — the actor described his first day on the set of Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”

“I wanted to get a bit of a jump on how Chris likes to work and just watch from afar,” he said, noting that he wasn’t filming any scenes that day, but watched his colleagues working from the beach. “I arrived at the beach, and I could not see a single crew member. You just see miles and miles of ships and extras and warriors and horses, and you’re asking yourself, ‘Where is the crew?’”

“So then they asked me to walk down this beach, and every 10 minutes you’d hear ‘Rolling!’ and I’d have to lie down and hide behind these dunes. And I kept asking myself, where are they rolling? I can’t see the crew anywhere. Then eventually I got down to where Matt [Damon] was and his men, and it really felt at that moment like we were a part of something that had never been done before.”

By sauce No. 4 — Chickpotle, a creamy chickpea sauce with smoky chipotle and ghost pepper with a 4/10 heat level — Holland and Bernthal were loosening up and trading barbs. Holland discussed how speaking in an American accent (rather than his native British) is almost like having a disguise, which makes his job as an actor easier.

“But I would love to explore some more British accents because you know, as an island, we have some of the most interesting, unique, and fun accents,” he told Evans. “I think there’s more accents in Britain than any other country.”

Bernthal, visibly uncomfortable from the heat of his own chicken wing, quipped, “Why does it always got to come to competition … I would go out on a on a limb to say there are more accents in America than there are in Britain.”

Holland said he would “drink a shot of that hottest hot sauce” to prove he’s right. After some quick fact checking, “Hot Ones” production confirmed that Holland was correct — among English-speaking countries, anyway.

By hot sauce No. 10 — The Last Dab: Thermageddon, described as a slow-building superhot sauce forged with Pepper X, Apollo, Carolina Reaper and Scorpion peppers, ranked at a heat level of 11/10 — the two actors had completely lost their composure and appeared nearly drunk on hot sauce.

Eyes red, cheeks tear-stained and foreheads pouring sweat, the two squirmed in their seats and Bernthal said he was going to be sick. Still, the “Odyssey” star appeared to have made it through without spewing any body fluids.

Then Holland got up to snap a photo with Bernthal and Evans and barfed on the floor. While the actor may have been embarrassed, Bernthal cheered and Evans crowned him the first guest to lose his lunch.

Last year, Evans told The Times that the interview format, with its squirm-inducing sauces, was a tactic to turn what might otherwise be a typical press tour interview into something raw and real.

“On ‘Hot Ones’ you have those moments of people who are struggling, who are vulnerable, who are in a borderline state of panic. You have emotions that are real, and all of these things are so hard to get to in a traditional interview setting,” he said. “The fact that we can create these moments, and then combine it with this thoughtful career-spanning interview, all of those elements working together, it just gives you a unique look at the celebrity guests … What we’re doing is knocking them off of that pedestal down to a level that everyone can relate to. It’s very human.”

Singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell first wrote the numbers for “Hadestown,” a folk musical based on Greek mythology, in 2006. Twenty years later, the Tony-winning smash musical comes to the big screen in a version filmed on the West End in 2025, directed by Brett Sullivan. The production reunites the original Broadway cast — André De Shields, Patrick Page, Reeve Carney, Eva Noblezada and Amber Gray — six years after the show debuted and swept the Tonys in 2019.

There is a timelessness to Mitchell’s work, thanks in large part to the ancient source material, the myths of Orpheus, Eurydice, Hades and Persephone. Developed in partnership with Rachel Chavkin, who directed the Broadway show, the action is set around the 1930s in the American Deep South. The story expresses evergreen themes of love, sacrifice, oppression, addiction and devotion, juxtaposing the tragedy of the way things are against a hope of the way they could be.

There are moments when Mitchell’s songs feel eerily prescient: The show’s villain, Hades (Page), rules the underworld of Hadestown as a fascistic industrialist; his Act I closing number is titled “Why We Build the Wall.” Factory workers sing back to him, “We build the wall to keep us free,” a chorus that foretells the Trumpian rhetoric of 2016 and a reminder that these patterns of division and otherization are the eternal tools of the oppressor.

“Hadestown” is a love story first and foremost, set in a joyous juke joint, the band ringing the stage. The camera follows our narrator, Hermes, played by American theater legend De Shields, as he takes the stage, kissing the heads of his company.

But the show doesn’t start until the 79-year-old De Shields nattily flips his jacket open, to the approving roar of the audience. He introduces doomed Orpheus (Carney), “touched by the Gods themselves,” a born yearner with a gift for song. When Eurydice (Noblezada), a scrappy, skeptical slip of a girl, rolls into town, Orpheus instantly falls head over heels. They have nothing except each other, their love symbolized by a red flower that Orpheus offers.

Party girl Persephone (Gray) brings the summer fun, but her jealous lover Hades wants to keep her all to himself in his domain, trapping the world in a long winter. Orpheus promises to write a song to summon spring again, but a struggling Eurydice is seduced by Hades’ promises of security in Hadestown, and she descends with him, signing her life away to work in his factory. Orpheus tries to rescue his love, but his faith in her is tested on their return to the top — if he turns back to see if she’s there, she’ll be banished to Hadestown forever.

Real-life couple Carney and Noblezada married several months after this production; they met at Noblezada’s audition. Their chemistry makes the emotional devastation of this tragedy that much more real: Every main actor sheds a real tear over the course of the show. Carney’s unique tenor ranges from Jeff Buckley to Freddie Mercury; his rock background and skill with the guitar is required for Orpheus’ lyre-playing and lends to the folk roots of Mitchell’s songs.

Cinematographer Clayton Jacobsen captures unexpected camera angles that a theatergoer wouldn’t get (even one with decent seats), both from down below in the circular pit and above it. He sends the camera soaring over the heads of the audience into intimate medium shots. Sullivan makes the animated and often rowdy crowd an integral part of the cinematic experience, including an extended curtain call with De Shields toasting the audience, sending them out with the warmth with which he brought them in.

There is such a temporal quality to theater, a shared moment in time and space. This production feels like a fleeting moment — a reunion of friends and collaborators retelling a myth that is recounted over and over again. “It’s a sad song, but we sing it anyway,” Hermes reminds us, and it’s a sentiment worth repeating. There may be tragedy, but the summer will inevitably return.

MELANIE C threw her ‘wedding bouquet’ to a crowd in Ibiza as she DJed just days after her magical ceremony in the UK.

The 52-year-old and Australian model Chris Dingwall said ‘I do’ in an intimate ceremony in the Lake District last weekend.

Just three days after their special day, Melanie jetted off to Spain to take to the decks at the Chinois Ibiza nightclub.

Melanie looked incredible in a hot pink jumpsuit and the club-goers cheered as she lifted up a bouquet of flowers while dancing away to the music.

The Spice Girls star then turned her back to her fans, chucked them behind her and laughed to herself as she got back to the decks.

Melanie has shared a first look at her wedding after tying the knot with her boyfriend of three years, Chris.

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And it came just days after their private legal civil ceremony in Sydney, Australia, where Chris is from.

The couple got married in a stunning ceremony in the grounds of The Country House Cumbria on Saturday.

They were joined by their loved ones, including her Spice Girls bandmates.

Mel B, Geri Horner and Emma Bunton were all in attendance as Victoria Beckham was noticeably absent from the big day – but she was unable to attend due to the World Cup final in the US.

Despite not being able to be there, she designed her pal’s beautiful backless, white wedding gown.

Melanie also wore a custom Adidas robe to get ready for the ceremony, made from ivory silk with white silk stripes and then changed into an Adidas tracksuit look for the evening.

A source told The Sun on Saturday: “Mel and Chris’ wedding was perfect, they couldn’t be happier.

“They chose a classy, laid-back ceremony before a reception with their closest friends and family.

“Mel B gave a speech which got a lot of laughs, as well as some tears — it was really beautiful.

“Geri was there but there was no awkwardness between her and Mel B.

“It was a day for celebrating Mel and Chris’s love for each other and that was all anyone wanted to do.”

Melanie told British Vogue the wedding was “low-key, relaxed, romantic and chic”.

She added: “I’m so excited for the world to know he’s my husband.”

The happy couple met on dating app Raya.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — This summer’s World Cup will be remembered for a lot of things.

It was the first to be played in three countries, the first with 48 teams and the overall attendance nearly doubled the previous record. Norway’s Erling Haaland and Cape Verde’s Vozinha were captivating while Egypt and Canada both won World Cup games for the first time, advancing to the Round of 16.

And Spain, glorious Spain, gave up just one goal in eight games to dethrone the reigning champions and become the first nation in history to own both the men’s and women’s World Cup titles at the same time.

But the tournament will also be remembered for a classless and churlish Argentina, which forever stained itself with a thuggish performance in the game and an ungracious one afterward.

If La Albiceleste had simply kept its composure it would have secured a place next to Brazil and Germany, the only other countries to reach three finals in four World Cups, as one of the greatest teams of all time. Instead, some of its players turned the postgame handshakes into a brawl, with Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes drawing a red card for grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the throat and shoving him to the turf.

It was believed to be the only red card ever handed out after a World Cup final, and the ignominy it brought was well-deserved. But the childishness was just beginning. When Spain assembled on the podium to accept the World Cup trophy, which had been Argentina’s moments earlier, the South Americans turned their backs.

More than an hour later Lionel Messi, who has cemented his stature as the greatest player in World Cup history, soiled that status by leading the players out of the locker room and through a back exit to the team bus, avoiding the media many had been so eager to speak with during the team’s unbeaten run to the final.

Argentina’s Nahuel Molina, top, reacts after Spain won the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J.

(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)

It was an attack on class and decorum as well as violation of FIFA rules, which require players to leave the stadium through a “mixed zone” accessible to media. They are not required to stop or speak, but certainly someone owed some accountability to the tens of thousands of fans in Argentine jerseys who packed Times Square and MetLife Stadium over the weekend and the millions in Argentine who filled plazas and town squares to watch the team play.

“We’ve been great in victory and we need to be great in defeat,” Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni said moments after Paredes was booked for assault. “We have shown today that we know how to lose, too. We lost the game and we accept that.”

Scaloni, who did address the media, later broke down in tears.

“I already cried all the tears I had in the dressing room,” he said in Spanish.

Scaloni, 48, may be out of a job when his contract expires in December, but his message for the fans was don’t cry for me, Argentina.

“It is hard to ask people to enjoy this equally. It is very hard to convince people that this is a triumph,” said Scaloni, who has lost just twice in 15 World Cup games.

“When you win, not everything is good. When you lose, not everything is bad.”

But while Argentina was being petty and petulant, Spain was practically perfect in every way. Not only did it concede just one goal in the tournament, it held Argentina without a shot into extra time Sunday — the first time that’s ever happened in a World Cup final — and ran its unbeaten streak to a record 38 games overall.

The win, which came on substitute Ferran Torres’ goal moments into the second extra-time period — and less than 20 minutes after Argentina was reduced to 10 men when Enzo Fernández was given a second yellow card for a foolish tackle — not only made Spain the first country to be the men’s and women’s world champion at the same time, it also made it the first to be the men’s world, European and Olympic champion at the same time.

No country in history has dominated the sport as Spain is dominating it now. And since Spain is the second-youngest team to win the World Cup in 56 years, La Roja could be on top for some time.

“After the match, some of the players who have been with us the longest asked me ‘coach, what is left for us win? We’ve won everything,’” said Spain’s manager Luis de la Fuente. “I told them, well the next match in September.”

That’s a UEFA Nations League match with England, which finished third in this World Cup. A little further down the road is the 2030 World Cup, which Spain will co-host, making it the first country in history to defend its title at home.

“When you arrive at a moment like today and think about the journey we’ve taken, you realize the importance of that process,” said De la Fuente, a former youth national team coach who managed many of the players on the World Cup team — among them Dani Olmo, Mikel Merino, Mikel Oyarzabal, Unai Simón, the tournament’s top goalkeeper, and Rodri, tournament’s top player — to U-19 and U-21 European titles.

“We certainly wouldn’t be here today — we wouldn’t have achieved anything — without the journey we’ve shared with these players,” the coach continued. “We have that raw material, those wonderful Spanish footballers. And they way they compete, that is what brought us here.

“That goes back many years.”

De la Fuente, soft-spoken and professorial, is also scrupulously polite, an example many of his players follow. And while it is undoubtedly easier to display grace and dignity in victory than it is in defeat, the difference in the way Argentina and Spain exited the World Cup was far greater than the gap that separated them on the scoreboard, something De la Fuente unwittingly highlighted in speaking about his team late Sunday.

“It seems people were surprised that, alongside talent and brilliance, good people can also play the game,” he said. “This proves that it is possible; that good, supportive, generous people with strong values can form a genuine team.

“We played against the best national teams in the world, yet we were the best team. We demonstrated that a team built on good people — supportive people, people who hold values and principles that prioritize the common good over individual interests. Traveling with people like that makes for a better, safer journey.”

In Spain’s case, it also makes a World Cup champion.

Staff writers Eduard Cauich and Jad El Reda contributed to this story.

Former Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham gave his first speech as prime minister outside No 10 today, after he replaced Sir Keir Starmer as leader of the Labour party.

In his speech he promised to give the public “more breathing room”, and said he would set out a new 10-year plan for Britain by the end of this year.

He also announced that his first instruction as prime minister would be to end rough sleeping, which was met with cheers from his supporters who’d gathered outside Downing Street.

His predecessor Starmer gave a farewell speech in the same spot this morning, before formally offering his resignation to the King.

More on this story.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The list of men who have won a World Cup final is less than 500 names long, making it among the most exclusive in sports.

Jurgen Klinsmann’s name is on that list. And if he had known what a special club he would join when he stepped on the pitch for the 1990 final, he might have taken more time to enjoy it.

“How big that actually was, you only realize when when you start traveling the world and you get basically approached everywhere in the world about those moments,” Klinsmann said Friday. “It’s pretty crazy.”

Several new names will be added to that list Sunday, when Spain and Argentina meet at MetLife Stadium to decide the winner of the largest, most complex World Cup in history. A record 48 teams started the tournament 39 days and 103 games ago. Now just two remain: Spain, the reigning European champion, a team that hasn’t lost in 37 games and 27 months, and top-ranked Argentina, the reigning World Cup champion seeking to become the first team to repeat in 64 years.

Argentina leads the tournament in goals with 19, 12 of them coming in the 75th minute or later. In all four of Argentina’s wins in the knockout stages, the go-ahead goal came in stoppage time or extra time. Its captain, Lionel Messi, finished the semifinals leading the tournament with contributions on 12 goals — eight goals and four assists. He‘s also the all-time World Cup leader in goals, assists and games played and seems a shoo-in for a third Golden Ball, which goes to the tournament’s best player. No one else has won that award more than once.

But if Argentina is the unstoppable force, Spain is the immovable object. It has given up just one goal in the tournament with its goalie, Unai Simón, pitching shutouts in seven of his last eight World Cup games, dating to 2022. Slowing Messi won’t be up to Simón alone, however. Midfielder Rodri, Spain’s captain and the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner as the best player in the world, is the team’s defensive anchor. He said the best way to try to control Messi is to keep him out of the box — although Messi’s two decisive assists in Argentina’s semifinal comeback against England came from outside the penalty area.

And while Klinsmann’s one-and-done experience in a World Cup final is typical of most players, Messi, 39, is the exception: When the whistle blows Sunday, he’ll become just the second player, after Brazil’s Cafu, to play in three World Cup finals. When he made his World Cup debut in 2006, two starters on Spain’s team — center back Pau Cubarsí and winger Lamine Yamal — had yet to be born.

East Rutherford was hit with heavy thunderstorms Saturday, which helped knock down the hazardous smoke from Canadian wildfires that had blanketed the tri-state area for days. The poor air quality, which is dangerous for both players and fans, led FIFA and the White House to hold informal discussions over moving the World Cup final.

So while the air won’t be clear Sunday, the greatest risk appears to have passed and the threat of rain or lightning interrupting the game has also decreased, with the forecast calling for temperatures in the mid- 80s and 55% humidity at kickoff.

President Trump is expected to attend the game, after which he will present the World Cup trophy to the victor. And Klinsmann’s advice to the players who will walk across that stage to get their winners’ medals is to savor every moment because they might not come again.

Jurgen Klinsmann, a World Cup champion with West Germany and the former U.S. men’s national team coach, understands players often forget to savor the moment of playing in soccer’s biggest game.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

“Take it all in to and really enjoy every second of it,” he said. “Make it special. Don’t miss out on anything.”

Klinsmann was 25 and less than three years into his international career when he helped West Germany win the World Cup in 1990. So naturally he figured there would be more to come.

“I said, ‘Well, if this is so cool to win a title, then I want to win more titles,” he said. “The magnitude of it, I did not understand.”

In two more tournaments as a player, he never got past the quarterfinals and in two World Cups as a manager he made the semifinals once. Never again would he hold the most cherished trophy in sports, though his 11 World Cup goals are tied for ninth all-time, tied with Cristiano Ronaldo and one behind Pelé.

Mario Gotze scored only two goals in his World Cup career but the last one will never be forgotten. In the 88th minute of the 2014 final against Argentina, just before sending Gotze on as a sub, German manager Joachim Löw called Gotze over and said, “Show the world you are better than Messi and can decide the World Cup.”

With seven minutes left in extra time he did just that, chesting down a cross, then lobbing a volley into the net for the game’s only score, giving Germany its first title since Klinsmann’s team in 1990. It was a moment Gotze, then 22, had long dreamed of and one he had rehearsed as a kid.

Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon, shaking hands with France’s Kylian Mbappe after the World Cup semifinal, has given up only one goal in the tournament.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

Yet it was also one he was not prepared for.

“That was a dream come true. But you can’t prepare for these kind of moments,” he said. “I get reminded about that goal and even speaking nowadays with people in Germany, and they say, ‘I still remember where I [was] in that moment.’ That’s very special. You have that connection to a lot of different people. I’m very happy about that.

“When I look back now, OK, I was there. I played 30 minutes of football in a World Cup final and I scored one goal. That impact is huge and to even be in that moment is rare.”

So rare Gotze never held the World Cup trophy again either. As a result he, like Klinsmann, would urge the players in Sunday’s game to drink in the memories, because win or lose, if your name isn’t Messi the odds are great you’ll never be back.

“You can’t describe the feelings because everything happens so fast,” he said. “You’re in the zone, you do a lot of things out of instinct, especially on the pitch. And then, at least with me, I had that relief after the final whistle.

“You get to understand over the years how special that moment was. Because in the end you only can play every four years. And then to be in the final and score a goal? That, of course, was very special.”

KATIE Price’s good friend and podcaster pal Lewis Nicholls shares sweet moment with her son Harvey on social media.

It follows husband Lee’s latest lock up in Dubai, whom Katie, 48, married in January just days after meeting him.

Lewis took to his Instagram to post a heartwarming video of him and Harvey, 24, in his apartment.

Harvey is filmed giving Lewis a flower as a gift as the two share a sweet moment.

As Lewis filmed the gesture, he said: “Best gift ever. Harvey, what did you give me? 

Harvey replied: “A flower.”

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“You got me a flower. It says to Lewis, you look handsome Lewis. Love from Harvey Daniel Price. Thank you so much,” he added.

The video then ends with Harvey sweetly kissing Lewis and saying “Love you”.

He captioned the post: “Harvey just melts my heart. Came back to the apartment and had this gift waiting for me (heart emoji)”

Lewis is close with the family and most recently went on holiday with Katie to Cornwall.

The pair snapped themselves whilst away, dressed in matching harnesses and helmets with Go Pro cameras attached to them. 

“What have we just done,” Lewis captioned the photo of them with an eye emoji.

Katie reshared the image on her Instagram Story and wrote: “Such a fun day with friends in Cornwall.”

She also hung out with Lewis’ parents at a pub, with Lewis sharing photos of them having dinner and cocktails. 

The pair grew close when Lewis hosted Katie and Kerry Katona’s tour around the UK, An Evening With Katie Price & Kerry Katona.

“Katie – well, what can I say, the most random, funniest and loyal person I have met and we have had lots of laughs from our daily shopping trips, sunbeds and car singalongs,” Lewis wrote alongside photos of them on tour in November.

Speaking of his relationship with Harvey, Lewis said: “Also spending a week with Harvey was the best and to see how much of an amazing mum she is and their bond is just the best, he loved my voice-over.” 

It comes several days after Lee was put into prison once again in Dubai.

The controversial businessman was arrested for unpaid debts.

Many of Lee’s victims have told The Sun he took thousands of pounds from them in supposed investment schemes only to be left high and dry.

Lee has already boasted he’s raised the cash to get out of Al-Awir prison and is expected to be a free man by the end of the week, The Sun exclusively revealed.

In another fresh blow it was then revealed, that Conman Lee Andrews’ father joined him in prison earlier this week, after being reported to officials by a third party. 

Father and son are understood to have seen one another inside the jail, with both believed to be facing allegations of fraud.

Lee is currently trying to raise funds to pay off his debts and be released, from where he faces extradition. He hopes to return to the UK, to be with his wife.

Sources say a patient Katie has finally snapped – and is now “at the end of her tether” with friends urging her to leave Lee once and for all.

This article contains many spoilers for “Heartstopper Forever.”

In the early minutes of “Heartstopper Forever” — the feature film finale of Netflix’s hit teen romantic dramedy series — Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) notices a crooked photo strip on his boyfriend Nick Nelson’s (Kit Connor) bedroom wall. Gently pulling down the pictures, taken on the beach day they made their relationship official, Charlie smiles wistfully at their younger selves: “We look like babies.”

It’s a line that applies to the characters as much as it does to Locke and Connor. Four years after being catapulted into global stardom, the pair are bidding a bittersweet farewell to the roles that have defined their own coming of age.

“Season 1 does feel like an immensely long time ago that I do look back and think, ‘Yeah, we do look like babies,’” Connor says, with Locke nodding in agreement next to him on a recent video call from London. “‘Heartstopper’ itself was this tiny little show that was clearly something quite special to us, but we didn’t really think or know anyone was going to watch. And, suddenly, it became this thing that was immensely important to a lot of people.”

Adapted by Alice Oseman from her own bestselling graphic novels, which originated as a webcomic in 2016, “Heartstopper” chronicles the endearing love story between high-strung, gay overthinker Charlie and kind-hearted, bisexual rugby player Nick at an all-boys’ school in England.

Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke) in a scene from Season 1 of “Heartstopper.”

(Netflix)

Upon its debut in 2022, the show was lauded for its unabashedly joyful, tender portrayal of queer youth — a refreshing departure from the trauma-heavy narratives that dominate other teen dramas. Even as “Heartstopper” ventured into darker thematic territory, such as Charlie’s history of eating disorders and struggles with self-harm, Oseman’s writing never lost its deft, light touch.

From the outset, Oseman knew she wanted to end “Heartstopper” with Nick going off to university in Leeds and Charlie, who is a year younger, finding independence as head boy at school. But with her cast growing increasingly more in demand every year, the author-turned-screenwriter says it would have been logistically difficult to make a fourth and final season.

After Netflix greenlit a two-hour finale instead, Oseman elected to zero in on her protagonists — not unlike her comics — rather than give each character their own, heavily condensed arc. “I think that was definitely the right decision, because we really get to spend a lot of time with Nick and Charlie and not feel like we’re missing anything,” she says.

Directed by Wash Westmoreland (“Colette,” “Still Alice”), “Forever” finds the first loves grappling with the reality of an impending long-distance relationship, leading to a rash breakup and, ultimately, an emotional reconciliation. In a surprising role reversal, as Charlie confidently steps into a leadership role as an advocate for other LGBTQ+ students, Nick is left to discover his own identity and self-worth outside of being the protective, supportive boyfriend.

On the set of “Heartstopper Forever” as Connor and Locke film a scene from the movie.

(Samuel Dore / Netflix)

Connor, who also executive produced the film with Locke, felt Charlie and Nick’s romance would be better wrapped up in a feature-length format. “There were a few very important and crucial, but short and intense [plot points] — the breakup and the time apart, and the eventual makeup and the two of them discovering who they are without one another,” he explains. “Doing it in a shorter period, I thought, would make those things hit that much harder and feel that much more visceral.”

Unlike previous seasons in which she could rely on her existing comics as storyboards for the show, Oseman was working simultaneously last year on the sixth and final volume of the “Heartstopper” comics, released earlier this month, and the “Forever” screenplay.

Juggling the same story in two different formats turned out to benefit each end product. “When I finished writing the first draft of the script, it actually made me do a really big rewrite of the comic, because it helped me see which moments were really important and which moments didn’t need to be there,” she says. (One of the pivotal scenes was the Pride parade, filmed on the last morning of production.)

As first-time producers, Locke and Connor also provided script notes that directly influenced the story. For instance, “there was no scene between Charlie and Mr. Ajayi in the original script,” says Locke, referring to the gay art teacher, played by Fisayo Akinade, whose classroom became Charlie’s safe haven from bullying before he befriended Nick. “I was like, ‘That scene in Season 1 with them is so pivotal to the story. It would be really lovely to have just a little moment for them in the film that circles on that chapter of their relationship.’ And straight away, Alice was like, ‘Yeah, great idea. Let’s do this.’”

For his part, Connor always feared that the show’s “rose-tinted” approach, though part of the story’s appeal, “would not be nuanced enough to talk about the complexities of being human and being young.”

Locke says he proposed a scene with Fisayo Akinade, who plays art teacher Mr. Ajayi, as a way to circle back on their relationship.

(Netflix)

“There was one moment where I was like, ‘Oh God, I hope these young people watching “Heartstopper” don’t suddenly forget that these kids are human, and that these kids can make mistakes and still be lovely, delightful and good people,’” Connor says. With Oseman and Locke, Connor was adamant about “finding the place [where] these characters were being treated in a way that we all felt good about.”

According to Oseman, Locke and Connor were also heavily involved in selecting a new intimacy coordinator, Robbie Taylor Hunt. Over the years, the amount of sex — or lack thereof — in “Heartstopper” has been the subject of much discourse. “It always annoyed me slightly that people were like, ‘Oh, this is so unrealistic. They’re not having sex.’ They were underage. What do you want us to do?” Locke says with a wry laugh.

Oseman has learned to tune out that online chatter, accepting that she cannot please everyone — let alone represent the entire spectrum of the young queer experience. With each season and now this film, her creative team chose to age up the story slightly. After Charlie and Nick lost their virginity to each other at the end of Season 3, the film uses physical intimacy to reveal more about their maturing relationship.

Locke says those scenes were necessary to the plot. “The pier sex scene is this carnal lust between these two people who need to get it out. The sex scene in the pillow fort is a moment of connection for them,” he says. “And the big sex scene at the end of the film is the reconciliation of their relationship.”

In the end, Nick and Charlie decide to give their relationship another shot, confident that their love can defy the conventional wisdom that teen romances rarely last. But what they learn during their split is “that you can’t put all of your hopes and dreams, your mental health and your ability to survive into one person, because it’s not fair on yourself and on that other person,” Connor says.

Over the years, the amount of sex, or lack of it, in “Heartstopper” has been the subject of online discourse. The film shows more physical intimacy.

(Netflix)

The film’s epilogue, like in the comics, offers a brief glimpse of Charlie visiting Nick for a weekend in Leeds, ending with the two of them looking through the pages of a scrapbook that still has room for new photos. While Oseman has her own vision of Nick and Charlie’s future in 10 years — they’d be newly married with a dog, she believes — the actors who play them aren’t so sure.

“I feel like the beauty of ‘Heartstopper’ is that we get to see a chapter of these two young men’s lives, and it ends in a way that doesn’t promise anything,” Connor says. “Even if they were to not end up together eventually, it wouldn’t make the experience that they shared together any less special or pivotal to who they are as people. I think that’s kind of beautiful.”

Locke is reluctant to divulge his own interpretation of the characters’ future, preferring instead to let viewers make sense of the hopeful ending. “I hope they’re happy,” he says simply. (But for the record, the actors both believe that Charlie and Nick will stay together. “Of course, we all hope so,” Connor clarifies.)

Although she is ready to tell new stories, Oseman believes that she will be revisiting Nick and Charlie, who first appeared in her 2014 debut novel “Solitaire,” “in small ways for the rest of my life.”

“I think there definitely won’t be another 10-year-long webcomic — probably not — but I love thinking about what Nick and Charlie might be up to when they’re 40 or 60,” Oseman says. However, she adds, “I think the main story of ‘Heartstopper’ has concluded, and I do feel good about that.”

Like their high school characters, Locke and Connor are ready to graduate from the “Heartstopper” universe. Wary of being typecast, they have established themselves as versatile stage actors, making their Broadway debuts in “Sweeney Todd” and “Romeo + Juliet,” respectively. Onscreen, Locke joined the Marvel universe in “Agatha All Along,” while Connor has explored vastly different cinematic genres — his next major project, the film adaptation of the dark fantasy video game “Elden Ring,” will reunite him with “Warfare” director Alex Garland.

Even on the day of our interview, Connor and Locke looked a world away from Nick and Charlie. Locke wore an all-black designer outfit, while Connor — dressed in a light blue striped button-down over a white tank and khakis — had traded Nick’s signature floppy hair for designer stubble. Yet both actors have made peace with the reality that they will forever be linked to each other and their roles. “That’s part and parcel of the job,” Connor says.

Fittingly, the last scene Connor and Locke filmed as Nick and Charlie was the anniversary scene in the park where there is a fallen tree with the letters “N+C” carved into the trunk. “It was lovely because it was back to how a lot of the ‘Heartstopper’ experience has been, which is just me and Joe,” Connor says.

“I love thinking about what Nick and Charlie might be up to when they’re 40 or 60,” says creator Alice Oseman. However, she adds, “I think the main story of ‘Heartstopper’ has concluded, and I do feel good about that.”

(Netflix)

Would they be open to revisiting Charlie and Nick’s love story as older adults? “In 10, 15, 20 years, who knows? Maybe,” Connor says. “Even if Alice were to decide that they wanted to make a TV show about another character in the universe of ‘Heartstopper’ and they wanted us to cameo or something, then, hey, maybe.”

While the “Heartstopper” team expected the series to resonate with younger audiences, they have been particularly moved by the reactions of older queer viewers, who have marveled at the strides in LGBTQ+ representation onscreen. Coming from the world of young-adult fiction — where she notes stories of queer joy are abundant — Oseman recalls being surprised that “Heartstopper” was treated as an anomaly in mainstream media. Still, she is proud to have helped move the needle on LGBTQ+ representation, particularly when such characters remain underrepresented.

“My hope is that people will be able to look back … and say, ‘Hey, “Heartstopper” did really well. Let’s make another queer show that’s got the [same] ‘queer joy’ vibes,’” Oseman says. “I hope it’s been able to give that encouragement to the people in power to let there be more stories out there because we just need more, different kinds of queer stories.”

Connor believes that anyone can enjoy the show because “Heartstopper” simply captures the universality of “human beings being happy and being in love.”

“Obviously, the [queer] representation is incredibly important. I think that the very existence of the show and the comfort and safety that it can bring people is one of the things that makes it so special,” Connor says. And the demand for such stories “isn’t going to change,” he adds. “Queer people are always going to exist.”

THIS is the moment Matty Healy performed with a The 1975 tribute band – having booked the act for his stag do.

Brit Award winner Matty, 37, has been lead vocalist of pop rock band The 1975 since 2002.

The singer-songwriter put a unique spin on his stag do – as he joined a The 1975 tribute act on stage.

A clip of the moment begins with tribute group The 9075 singing The Sound, which was released in 2019.

Matty jumps on stage mid-performance and performs alongside the band.

One person commented: “Matty Healy attending a 1975 tribute is very Matty Healy coded.”

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Another added: “I thought the real Matty was the fake Matty until he started counting things on his fingers that don’t need to be counted, that’s when I knew.”

A third wrote: “He wanted to experience a 1975 concert for his stag party and I respect it.”

Matty – the son of Denise Welch and Tim Healy – is set to marry American model and singer Gabbriette.

He and the 28-year-old – whose real name is Gabriella Bechtel – announced their engagement in June 2024.

Gabbriette showed off a huge black ring on social media at the time and wrote: “Marrying the 1975 is very Brat.”

Back in February, The Sun revealed the couple had set a July 2026 wedding date.

PHILADELPHIA — Pete Crow-Armstrong was 9 years old, maybe 10. He can’t remember for sure. But he clearly remembers the scene: a journey from his San Fernando Valley home to Angel Stadium, for a game featuring Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees.

Jeter wasn’t an outfielder, though. Crow-Armstrong sat in right-center field, with a great view of an Angels’ phenom.

“I absolutely followed Mike Trout,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I would have followed him if he were in freaking Seattle.

“He was — he still is — the only one to ever really do what I’ve ever seen him do in my life.”

A decade and a half later, in an All-Star Game that was short on drama and long on tributes to Trout, the hometown hero and future Hall of Famer, Crow-Armstrong shared center field with Trout.

“That,” the Chicago Cubs’ star said, “is a cool nugget I’ll always keep with me.”

With a two-run single in the first inning from All-Star Game MVP and former Dodger Cody Bellinger giving the American League the only runs it would need, the AL shut out the National League on Tuesday, 4-0.

The three Dodgers in the NL starting lineup — Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy and Andy Pages — went hitless.

Freddie Freeman and Mike Trout embrace during the fourth inning.

(Al Bello / Getty Images)

Justin Wrobleski, the lone Dodgers pitcher, gave up a home run to former Dodger Miguel Vargas but pitched two innings and struck out five, the most strikeouts in an All-Star Game since Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez struck out five in 1999 — and, before that, Fernando Valenzuela did it in 1986.

Trout went hitless in three at-bats. After he grounded out in his final at-bat, Freeman enveloped him in an impromptu bear hug.

“I love Freddie,” Trout said.

There was a fireworks show after the fourth inning, with kids riding bicycles onto the field a la “The Sandlot.” Trout offered swing tips to one of the kids. Freeman played catch with another.

“One of the cooler moments I’ve ever been a part of on the baseball field,” Freeman said. “It makes you feel like a kid again.”

Mike Trout signs autographs before the home run derby Monday.

(Matt Rourke / AP)

Before the game, Freeman addressed his fellow NL All-Stars, followed by Bryce Harper and Chris Sale. Freeman channeled his inner Ferris Bueller, reminding his younger peers to stop and appreciate every moment.

“It’s going fast,” Freeman said. “There’s a lot going on. Make sure you take a step back.”

Trout savored every moment with friends and family, including his two sons, in the festivities. In an interview with MLB Network, his 2-year-old scampered off the stage. His 5-year-old, asked if he would be a better player than his dad, said yes.

“It’s special to be able to sit back and remember the special experiences when you were a kid,” Trout said. “It’s a full circle. Just trying to enjoy every minute of it.”

He got a nice ovation from the Philadelphia crowd, which he knew better than to take for granted. The crowd engaged in lively and targeted booing: mascots Mr. and Mrs. Met; the guy that beat the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber in the home run derby on Monday; a guy that played for the Houston Astros when they beat the Phillies in the World Series five years ago; anyone playing for the Dodgers or any of the Phillies’ NL East rivals.

Juan Soto, especially. But not Trout.

“It means a lot,” Trout said. “I know how Phillies fans are when an opposing player comes in here, and it’s usually boos.”

As he spoke with the media, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays walked by.

“I love you,” Caminero said.

Mike Trout bats in the first inning Tuesday.

(Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)

Trout had just saluted a fellow All-Star, Detroit Tigers rookie shortstop Kevin McGonigle, who like Trout grew up in the area, rooting for the Phillies. McGonigle was 6 when Trout made his major league debut.

“The way he plays the game, it’s like a young Trout out there, just with how hard he plays,” Trout said.

Trout turns 35 next month, far closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Justin Verlander is retiring at the end of the season, and Freeman said he hoped Trout’s accomplishments would not be lost amid the Verlander accolades at the All-Star Game.

“I know Justin’s been getting his flowers the last couple days, and rightfully so,” Freeman said. “Mike deserves it until he retires, because he’s one of the best players of all time.”

Verlander was all too happy to share the legacy of Trout in the AL clubhouse, and not just for the benefit of the twentysomethings in the room.

“He took the baseball world by storm,” Verlander said, “one of those generational talents that does everything — great outfielder, great baserunner, all the pop you would want. He was a complete player and generational talent for a reason.

“I always loved watching him play. I remember sitting there watching him hit a triple, and — I forget the teammate, but he was literally hitting me on the leg, like, watch him run, watch him run. He was, like, floating. He’s a once-in-a-generation guy for a reason.”

By his standards, Trout was unusually reflective after the game. He was the dominant player of the previous decade, but before Tuesday he had not taken an All-Star at-bat in this decade.

He grew up here, watching Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins play for the Phillies. Now he has youngsters like Crow-Amstrong and McGonigle telling him they grew up watching him.

“It makes you feel like you’ve done something,” Trout said. “For me, since day one, I’ve always played this game how I saw a lot of guys when I was young, watching Utley and JRo and Jeter. Play the game right. Play the game hard.

“You never know when it’s your last.”

HILARY Duff’s Los Angeles concert took an unexpected turn when two fans were caught on camera launching into a shocking fight in the middle of the crowd.

The dramatic altercation unfolded as the actress and singer performed on stage, leaving fellow concertgoers stunned as the footage quickly spread across social media.

The viral video showed the two fans shoving and throwing punches at each other as the band carried on performing behind them.

One fan, dressed in a shining, shimmering crop top, appeared to have their hair yanked by another concertgoer dressed in black as security rushed in and attempted to pull the pair apart.

Other concertgoers looked on in shock, with many pulling out their phones to capture the dramatic moment.

Dressed head-to-toe in sparkling sequins, the pair appeared to be devoted Hilary Duff fans before the shocking altercation unfolded.

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It’s unclear exactly when the altercation broke out, as Hilary Duff is not visible in the footage.

However, members of her band can be seen on stage, suggesting the fight erupted during a transition between songs.

Hilary recently wrapped up two sold-out shows at The Forum on Wednesday and Thursday, with a host of famous faces spotted in the crowd.

Among those in attendance were Mandy Moore, Meghan Trainor and Demi Lovato, who all turned out to support the singer’s long-awaited return to the stage.

The singer is currently on the road for her first tour in nearly two decades, and fans couldn’t be happier to see her back on stage.

Hilary began her career playing the titular character on the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire before transitioning into music.

She took an extended break from singing to focus on acting, writing, and raising her family.

Hilary sang both her older classics and new tracks from her sixth studio album, luck… or something, released in February.

At the beginning of her concert, the passionately packed crowd sang along to her hit tracks, including Wake Up and So Yesterday, from her debut album Metamorphosis, which she released in August 2003.

She also belted out the slightly raunchier lyrics to her new single, Roommates, while rolling around on the stage.

The singer put on an impressive showing at the famed Los Angeles venue, stopping the show at several times to express her gratitude to the 20,000 screaming fans.

At one point, the former child star even teared up when discussing how much it meant to her to have people in the crowd who have followed her life for decades.

Also in the crowd was her family, including husband Matthew Koma – whom she created her latest album with.

Hilary has spoken about the lyrics of her newer songs reflecting her vulnerability and personal challenges during her 18-year hiatus from singing.

COMEDIAN Jim Davidson admitted “I found out what legless means” after collapsing outside a pub and being helped up by drinking buddies.

The star downed two ­bottles of wine, tequila, vodka, six pints of ­Guinness and two whiskies on an all-day session, saying: “I think it must have been that last scotch that did it.”

Ex-Big Break and Generation Game host Jim, 72, had sailed to the Isle of Wight on his £350,000 yacht Lady Natasha — named after his fiancée.

The pair dined at The Hut in Colwell Bay before Natasha, 49, called it a night and Jim ­carried on drinking with some yachtsmen.

He said: “It was boys stuff. I found out what the term legless means.

“My quote is ‘must take more water with it’.

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“We had a smashing meal at The Hut, which is the best ­restaurant in the country, then I decided to go on the p***.

“It was a bit of a harmless fun, no one died.”

Jim, who has five ex-wives, detailed his mammoth booze-up, which ended with him collapsing outside Salty’s pub in Yarmouth.

He said: “Most people leave Salty’s like that. First I had a couple of bottles of wine that made me a bit dizzy.

“I thought I better have some tequila to sober me up. After the tequilas made me feel worse, I thought vodka will kill the tequila.

“And after that six pints of Guinness. I thought well I need a wee, I’ll go into this pub and use their toilet and while I’m here I’ll have a couple of scotches.

“I think it must have been that last scotch that did it.”

Jim admitted being a binge drinker and said: “I can do that when I’m not working. I can’t when I’m working.

“Today I’ve got to drive five hours to Blackpool, do a show in the club and then five hours back tomorrow. This is the reality of showbiz. Then back to the studio to film my weekly satire show.

“When you’ve got a picture of me coming off stage in a theatre like that, then I’m in trouble.”

CHRISTINE McGuinness has admitted she fears about her children’s future without her and is preparing them already for when she “goes to sleep”. 

The 38-year-old model is the proud mum to three autistic children – twins Penelope and Leo, 11, and Felicity, 8 – with ex Paddy McGuinness. 

But in a new tell-all parenting podcast, Parent Unplugged, Christine admitted that their special educational needs have left her fearing what the future will look like for them once she dies.

In a teaser clip for the upcoming episode with parenting coach and podcast host Charis Halsall, Christine took a deep breath when she was quizzed on what she found the hardest part of parenting. 

“Oh, this is quite deep to start with!” she said, before admitting: “It’s realising that I am preparing my three children to live without me when I can’t live without them.” 

When Charis asked why, Christine noted: “It’s our job, as a parent or a carer, anyway. Of course we want them to be happy, we want them to be successful, and all of that. 

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“But really, we want to know that when we do… go to sleep properly, that they’re going to be able to cope and manage.” 

“So I think that that was the biggest realisation: that I kind of can’t live without these three kids, and one day, they have to live without me, so I need to prepare them to be as independent as possible, especially with their additional needs as well.” 

While Christine and Paddy announced their split in 2022, the pair have continued to live together in order to maintain a regular pattern for their three children. 

After her children’s diagnosis, Christine was also diagnosed with autism and ADHD. 

However, last year they decided to take a new step and put their Cheshire mansion on the market for £6.5million – though they’re yet to find a buyer. 

A source close to the couple has told The Mail on Sunday that TV presenter Paddy – who bought the house with Christine for £2.1million back in 2020 – is behind the ‘overpriced’ property value and it’s suspected it’s due to him not wanting to move out of it. 

However, this has reportedly caused issues with his ex-wife, with the source noting: “Christine is getting really fed up now. She wants to move on but it seems with it being priced so high, Paddy doesn’t want her to.

“Paddy doesn’t want to downsize. He wants a big house to fit with his ego. It feels like a control thing. 

“He knows he will never get £6.5million for it. It feels like he’s playing silly games.”

Since her split from Paddy, Christine has tried getting back out into the dating world – and in June 2025 confirmed she was interested in both men and women, having dated both since she was a teenager. 

She’s since been seen locking lips with DJ Roxxxan, just days after it was revealed she was ‘growing close’ to Strictly star and Olympic boxer Nicola Adams, and had a fling with a high-profile soap actress. 

Joining the London Pride festivities last weekend, Christine shared that she wasn’t interested in labelling her sexuality, noting in her Instagram post: “More love, Less labels. Open hearts, Open doors. Happy Pride everyone!” 

Wicklow manager Oisin McConville hopes this weekend’s Tailteann Cup final against Down proves a launchpad for the county as he chases his first trophy in inter-county management.

Having fallen just short of shocking Dublin in the Leinster SFC quarter-finals in April, the Garden County recorded wins over Limerick, Tipperary, Antrim and Offaly to set up a shot at silverware at Croke Park on Saturday (15:30 BST).

Since being introduced in 2022, the second-tier Tailteann Cup has given winners Westmeath, Meath, Down and Kildare the opportunity to compete in the All-Ireland series – and McConville hopes Wicklow can follow suit.

“I look at the teams that have won the Tailteann Cup, Down, Meath and Westmeath – all those teams are capable of challenging at the highest level and they’ve already proved that,” said McConville, an All-Ireland winner with Armagh in 2002.

“If our trajectory was something similar to what they’ve gone through, then definitely.

“But we can’t be accepting of the fact that we’re just in the Tailteann Cup final, we want to go ahead and win it now.”

Wicklow have shown impressive spirit en route to Croke Park. They overturned a nine-point deficit to beat Antrim by the minimum in Belfast in the quarter-finals (2-19 to 3-15) before a second-half surge against Offaly saw them roar back from eight points down to win a dramatic semi-final 2-26 to 4-15.

But 2024 champions Down have serious pedigree at this level having edged past Fermanagh in the semi-finals to reach their third Tailteann Cup decider.

“They’ve got a lot of dangers, they’ve been playing at a high level over the last couple of years. They were in Division Two, back down to Division Three and are going back to Division Two next year,” McConville, who took over as Wicklow boss before the 2023 season, said of the Mournemen.

“[In the] Ulster Championship, they beat Donegal and that’s the standout result. If you look at that game on a standalone, that’s a scary thought.

“The likes of [Odhran] Murdock, [Daniel] Guinness and Pat Havern, they’re very hard to pin down. That’s the job that’s ahead of us.

“We know the enormity of the task, but we have to have confidence in our ability and how good we’ve been in the past four games. A lot of the concentration has to be on ourselves.”