Pop Music

THE Love Actually reunion no one saw coming just happened – and it’s still 49 days until Christmas.

My insiders tell me that stars of the seasonal rom-com Martine McCutcheon and Thomas Brodie-Sangster have signed up for Google Pixel’s new festive ad.

They filmed the top-secret project in London yesterday afternoon — 22 years after appearing opposite each other in the 2003 hit film.

A source said: “Nothing says Christmas like Love Actually, and so Google Pixel are bringing a sprinkling of it back to insert some nostalgia into the festive period.

“It’s still such a firm favourite with millions of people, so they tapped up Martine and Thomas for the sweet reunion.

“The ad is going to be packed full of throwbacks — especially because Thomas was only 13 when he was in Love Actually.

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“A whole street in London was transformed into a winter wonderland and Martine and Thomas were in great spirits.

“They’re really happy with how the ad worked out. It’s going to be one people are talking about for a while.”

If you’ve lived under a rock and have never seen Love Actually, it’s one of Richard Curtis’s best films.

Martine plays hapless PA Natalie, swept off her feet by the Prime Minister, played by Hugh Grant.

And Thomas took on the role of sweet, love-stricken Sam, who went all out to impress his teen crush.

Google Pixel isn’t the only brand getting in on the Love Actually nostalgia for their Christmas ad.

Aldi revealed their famous Kevin the Carrot will propose to his sweetheart Katie in their festive offering this year using cue cards — inspired by the scene in the film where Andrew Lincoln’s character Mark professed his love for Juliet, played by Keira Knightley.

Without wanting to be too sentimental, it proves love really is still all around us.

And I’m definitely going to be renting it on Prime Video tonight.

KYLIE MINOGUE used a stocking from the filming of her CBeebies bedtime story last Christmas in the music video for her new festive single Xmas.

The Aussie pop star is celebrating the tenth anniversary of her Christmas album with a new version of the record, Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped), which features four new songs.

Speaking to Scott Mills on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show about the video, Kylie said: “Because I was on the road we didn’t get to go so Christmassy.

“I think it was from a CBeebies Christmas story | did and they gave me a Christmas stocking.

“I thought, I have got to take something Christmassy and I think that’s it. That’s the one thing that you may see.

“We didn’t get to do fairy lights. We didn’t get to do paper chains. But in spirit we were very Christmassy.”

JOSH’S TOP DAY WITH SPINAL TAP

JOSH GROBAN was one of a few artists asked to perform with Spinal Tap for their next film, Stonehenge: The Final Finale.

I exclusively revealed the ­parody band had shot a concert alongside Eric Clapton and Shania Twain at the ­landmark in August, and now US star Josh has told me all about taking part.

He said: “Singing with Spinal Tap at Stonehenge – I don’t care how much you’ve done, that’s an experience for anybody. Eric Clapton felt it, Shania Twain felt it.

“Everybody was going, ‘I can’t believe we’re doing this’. I can’t tell you the song but it was ­ridiculous and amazing.”

Josh is returning to the UK on April 1 next year for a date at London’s O2 Arena, with tickets on sale tomorrow.

And on November 14 he will drop his next record, Hidden Gems.

The album is a collection of fans’ favourite tracks not available on streaming platforms.

Speaking after an intimate show in ­London at Union Chapel, Josh says: “These are all songs from my past.

“They’re B-sides and special-editions. I’ve also been working on new music.”

MUMMY’S THE WORD, BRENDAN

BRENDAN FRASER and Rachel Weiz are teaming up again for The Mummy 4, 17 years after the last film in the franchise.

They both starred in 1999’s The Mummy and 2001’s The Mummy Returns, below, but Rachel skipped 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor.

Plans for a fourth film were ditched in 2012 before Tom Cruise tried to reboot the series in 2017 with another movie called The Mummy, but it lost millions at the box office.

The original followed treasure hunter Rick (Brendan), who wakes up an ancient Egyptian priest with special powers.

The latest news comes three years after Brendan’s career comeback in The Whale, which landed him a much-deserved Oscar for Best Actor.

YUNG HIT IN TRANS PIC SHOW

YUNGBLUD has provided the soundtrack for a new photography exhibition that tells the stories of 13 trans people from across the UK.

His song Hello Heaven, Hello will be used on screens at Outernet, right outside Tottenham Court Road Tube Station in central London, for the free exhibition called Trans Is Human from November 17.

Yungblud said: “I’m honoured that Hello Heaven, Hello will be a part of this exhibition.

“Trans Is Human is all about celebrating truth, identity and the beauty of being yourself.

“That’s something I’ve always tried to celebrate in everything I do.”

BABYSHAMBLES have returned with their first song in 12 years, Dandy Hooligan.

The band, fronted by Pete Doherty, dropped the track yesterday ahead of the launch of their comeback tour.

Pete said: “It’s a well turned-out, ­elegantly crafted reggae-ska-pop song . . . with a sweet melody to bowl along to with your sharpened walking cane.”

They were back on stage in Hastings last night for a warm-up gig ahead of their tour later this month.

ED’S PERFECT PITCH MEANS ALL KIDS CAN LEARN MUSIC

ED SHEERAN has once again proved he is a voice for good after a successful ­campaign to give all kids access to ­creative subjects at school.

Back in March, the Shape Of You singer wrote to No10 urging the government to look at the critical state of music education – and, incredibly, they’ve listened.

Keir Starmer yesterday heralded Ed’s letter, which was backed by stars including Harry Styles, Stormzy and Annie Lennox, as “powerful”, and told him: “I wanted you to know that your voice has been heard.”

In a letter to Ed which has been shared with me, the PM said: “The review ­places creative ­subjects firmly at the centre.

“We are revitalising arts ­education, strengthening music and drama, and launching a new National ­Centre for Arts And Music Education to support teachers and raise standards.

“We will make sure every child has access to those experiences – from arts and ­culture to nature and civic engagement – so that creativity isn’t a privilege, but a right.”

It is a huge victory for Ed and the Ed Sheeran Foundation, which has ­campaigned for accessible, meaningful education for all young people.

In a statement, Ed said: “I set up the Ed Sheeran Foundation because every child deserves to have access to a meaningful music education, and the chance to experience the joy and confidence that musical expression can bring.

“Shortly after ­setting up my foundation, I wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister about the critical state of music education in the UK and the fact it was slipping through the cracks.

“With the help of the letter and everyone who signed it, I’m happy to say that some of the key points we raised have been recognised by the government, marking the first change to the music ­curriculum in over ten years.”

All power to you, Ed. This is ­brilliant news.

COAT AND TAYLS

TAYLOR SWIFT has gone quiet since dropping her album The Life Of A Showgirl last month, but she re-emerged in New York for a night out with Gigi Hadid on Monday.

The singer wrapped up in a coat and knee-high boots alongside the model who is a long-time friend.

I’m sure they had plenty to catch up on, with a wedding to plan for Taylor, while Gigi’s romance with Bradley Cooper seems to be going from strength to strength after two years together.

Perhaps wedding bells will be ringing for her, too, before long.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE has let slip that she’s co-producing a movie with Emma Stone based on Miss Piggy, being written by US comedian Cole Escola.

Asked on the Las Culturistas podcast whether the actresses will also star in the film, she said: “I think so, we have to.”

On working with Emma for the first time, she added: “It’s f***ed up. It’s dark that we haven’t done a movie together.”

CYNTHIA’S IN GOOD MOOD FOR PREMIERE

CYNTHIA ERIVO was grinning from ear to ear at the premiere of Wicked: For Good, despite the fact her co-star Ariana Grande missed the big launch.

The British actress, who returns as Elphaba in the second flick, wore this quirky, tummy-baring outfit and was joined at the event in Sao Paulo by co-star Jonathan Bailey ahead of the London premiere on Monday.

Hopefully, Ariana will make it over here after a fault with a plane meant she couldn’t get to Brazil in time for Tuesday’s event.

She apologised on Instagram, but was then subjected to vile abuse.

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Later on, she wrote online: “Please don’t wish danger on us.

“It’s a sad state of affairs when fans are so vicious over something so unimportant.”

HER sixth album Brat topped the charts and won her five Brit Awards, but Charli XCX feared her label was going to drop her over it because it is so out there.

In a new interview, she explained: “I think when I was making it, I wasn’t thinking about the response at all.

“I actually made this record being like, ‘OK, I’m just going to do this one for me.

“And maybe I’m going to get dropped by my label and that’s fine’.

“That was kind of the headspace that I was in.

“There’s a lot of luck with timing and the way that culture is moving.

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“I think when I released this record, it’s like people were wanting something that felt very real and messy.

“And I think that’s just the way that culture was swinging.”

Charli previously suggested she was going to have a lengthy break from music following the success of the record, released in June last year, but she has now teased that she’s working on “inherently different” tracks.

The Guess singer continued: “I’m really interested to see what comes next in pop culture, especially in the music space, what people are ­craving.

“I really like to work in contrast. I think whatever I do next will just inherently be different to Brat because that’s what feels natural.

“I’m exploring a lot of stuff with strings at the moment, which I’m really enjoying and I haven’t really worked in that space before.”

And with a series of movies on the way — including Faces Of Death and I Want Your Sex, Charli said she is committed to becoming an actress.

Speaking to Gwyneth Paltrow on her Goop podcast, she said: “I’ve been making music since I was 14.

“And don’t get me wrong, I love making music, but I think there was just a point where I was kind of like, OK, I really need to exercise my creativity in a different way.

“I don’t actually really listen to that much music ever. I never really have.

“But what I am doing is I’m always watching films.”

And Charli also reflected on the prospect of starting a family, having mused on her indecision about ­becoming a mother on her song I Think About It All The Time, which was on the Brat album.

The Brit, who wed The 1975 drummer George Daniel in July, said: “There is, I think, still a bit of stigma perhaps around women who don’t really want to have ­children, you know, and I think for me it’s like I’m always swinging between the two.

“Right now, I’m on the side of, like, actually I’m not sure that that is for me, but that could go back.”

BENSON BACK

BENSON BOONE shook off illness and returned to the stage for a killer sold-out show at London’s O2 Arena.

The American singer had to cancel his gig in Birmingham on Saturday after struggling with his voice but he was on song on Monday when he sailed through tracks including Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else, Young American Heart and Mr Electric Blue along with a cover of Coldplay‘s Sparks.

Welcoming out his friend and photographer McLean Long to the stage armed with a T-shirt cannon, Benson said: “Every night I sing one song that is a cover song.

“I love this song very much, so we’re going to have a friend come out and help us figure out which song we’re singing.”

Another poignant moment in the evening came when Benson performed In The Stars, which he wrote as a tribute to his great-grandmother who died aged 96.

Benson said: “I think the loveliest thing about this song is this is a song about me, about my life.

“My experiences, somebody that I know, something I felt, something I went through, but when you listen to it it’s no longer about me, it’s about you.”

RITA’S A PINK LADY

THERE was no missing Rita Ora in this pink dress at the Music Industry Trusts Awards, but it was Jessie J who stole the show with an amazing rendition of Whitney Houston‘s I Have Nothing.

Speaking at the ceremony on Monday night, Jessie referenced her breast cancer diagnosis and said: “This is one of my favourite songs to sing. There is no hiding in this song. It’s very exposing.

“This year has changed my whole world – my perspective, what battles I’m going to pick.

“You know, death comes knocking at your door and you kind of dance and f***ing kick it away.

“It just changes everything.

““I will say this, I don’t care how old you are or how long you have been doing this, enjoy your f***ing life.

“Be kind to each other.”

Ashley Tabor-King, founder of Global Media, whose radio stations include Heart and Capital, was honoured on the night, with video messages from Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift.

Rita flew in especially from Los Angeles to perform, and Olly Murs was there for a night out after becoming a dad for a second time.

“Albert is nine weeks old now,” Olly said.

“Another one next year? We are happy with two at the moment.

“Who knows, in a few years’ time we will see.

“I have got time next year to spend a bit more time with the family.

“It has been a busy few years.”

KATY HAS A POP AT BLOOM

KATY PERRY is returning with a new single tomorrow and it sounds as though it will hint heavily at her split from Orlando Bloom.

The Roar singer announced the track Bandaids last night, following a tricky year which saw her break-up with the English actor after almost a decade, and start dating ex-Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.

Insiders have claimed she worked on it with top writer and producer Cirkut, who worked on her No1s Part Of Me and Roar, as well as Greg Kurstin, who co-wrote Adele’s heartbreak singles Hello and Easy On Me.

Last night, Katy played the latest show on her Lifetimes tour in Paris, ahead of the end of the 91-show jaunt next month.

I’M imploring the BBC to put cash behind another series of Daisy May Cooper‘s brilliant TV series This Country.

Daisy told Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place podcast: “It’s difficult and we get asked all the time.

“If we got paid enough to do another series, we’d f***ing do it but that’s all it comes down to.”

Tim Davie, sort it out.

OASIS GET ONE OVER TOUTS DOWN UNDER

OASIS have scored another victory over the vile ticket touts – this time in Australia.

Thanks to the Major Events law in Victoria, ­scalpers were shut out of their three sold-out shows there.

The rules in the Australian state means that anyone flogging tickets for more than ten per cent above face value at an event ­protected by the Major Events Act faces a fine of up to £270,000.

In a statement, Noel and Liam Gallagher‘s management team told me: “It’s great to see Victoria’s Major Events declaration doing exactly what it’s meant to – Viagogo can’t list our Melbourne shows – and that’s a huge win for real fans.

“When government and the live industry work together, we can stop large-scale scalping in its tracks.

“We’d love to see other states follow Victoria’s lead so fans everywhere get a fair go.”

The success of the law means that the 180,000 tickets sold for the shows in Victoria went to genuine fans for the right price.

The brothers will play two more shows in Australia this week, with back-to-back sold-out gigs in Sydney on Friday and Saturday, before they take their Oasis Live 25 tour to South America.

COLDPLAY OFF TO CHURCH

IF you missed out on Coldplay tickets earlier this summer then fear not.

The band’s Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland have announced a one-off, intimate show on Wednesday, December 3, in aid of War Child and Crisis.

But it will be even harder to get in than catching one of their ten nights at Wembley, as it will take place at Hackney Church in East London, with a public ballot for 150 pairs of tickets is now open online.

Last year Chris and Jonny’s Hackney Church performance raised £350,000 for charity.

I’m sure kind-hearted fans will dig deep again this year.

ED-ING WHERE IT BEGAN

ED SHEERAN headed back to Dublin for a special ­concert to celebrate his songs which had clocked up more than one billion streams.

And he had plenty to pick from, with the star performing hits including Thinking Out Loud, Castle On The Hill, I See Fire and Galway Girl.

The gig saw the 2,000 fans packed into Industries Hall at the Royal Society Dublin going wild – and I got to join them after my lovely friends at Spotify flew me out on Monday.

Speaking at his Billions Club Live set, Ed said: “The reason I wanted to do it in Dublin is this is the place where I decided I wanted to be a singer- songwriter when I was a kid.

“It’s a special place for me with my family but it’s also a ­special place for me musically.

“I feel like this is where it all began.”

Ed also used his time on stage to remind the crowd that he last headlined Glastonbury back in 2017, which makes me think he’s a sure-fire bet to return to Worthy Farm in 2027 to ­mark ten years.

Watch this space.

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ARIANA GRANDE was forced to miss the world premiere of Wicked: For Good in Brazil last night after a safety issue with her private jet.

She was on board her plane to fly to Sao Paulo yesterday but had to get off when a fault was found, leaving her “beyond devastated” because there was no other way to make the journey in time.

THERE was recently an awkward moment a huge popstar had her microphone the wrong way up.

She was even accused of lip-syncing in an embarrassing on-stage blunder, though some fans have defended her.

Canadian hitmaker Tate McRae, 22, was performing at a recent gig when she crooned into her microphone when it was the wrong way up.

Sparking major lip-syncing accusations, Tate has now been slammed for allegedly miming at her concerts.

Sharing a video of Tate “lip-syncing” on stage, an X account wrote: “Tate McRae caught lipsync during her show.

“Many fans are question if she ever sang live since the beginning of her career.”

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In the video, Tate could be seen dancing a high octane routine.

Flipping her hair backwards and forwards, the superstar rocked out on stage in some very tiny shorts.

Dancing around, Tate then moved her microphone up to her mouth.

Holding the microphone the wrong way up, Tate crooned into the bottom of the handle of the mic.

Tate quickly realised as her backing track played, and turned the mic so it was the right way up.

Ever the professional, the hitmaker then continued with her performance.

Fans have since reacted to the awkward on-stage blunder.

One person penned: “I don’t listen to Tate McRae but she literally started singing when she flipped the mic around, she’s singing over a track.”

Another said: “When she flips the mic around, you can hear her voice. It’s just that a backing track is there. Not lipsyncing.”

A third person added: “As someone who saw her recently in concert, she lip syncs like 80% of the concert because she’s more focused on dancing and theatrics and doesn’t try to hide it.

“The only time she actually sings is when she’s stationary for small periods but there’s always a backtrack no matter.”

While a fourth wrote: “I went to a show. There IS a lot of backing tracks since she dances so much, but she definitely sings live a ton as well. And you can tell when she does.”

And a fifth said: “That’s called a backing track you can clearly hear her singing.”

Tate is known for her hits such a Greedy, You Broke Me First, Sports Car and Revolving Door.

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She often storms stages at music festivals and her own concerts and puts on high energy shows.

Tate is famous for her dance routines and sexy image.

DOWNLOAD festival has landed a Hollywood A-lister to perform at the rock and metal event next summer.

The 2026 line-up was announced this evening and features the surprising actor, as well as three American bands topping the bill.

Download will return to Leicestershire’s Donington Park from June 10 to 14, with The Matrix and John Wick star Keanu Reeves set to play.

The band Dogstar, for which he plays bass, are among a series of acts which have been officially unveiled.

Limp Bizkit will headline the Friday night, followed by Guns N’ Roses on the Saturday.

Linkin Park will close the festival on the Sunday night, marking their first performance at the festival since frontwoman Emily Armstrong was brought in.

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They previously headlined four times between 2004 and 2014 with their original line-up.

And it comes after Linkin Park played a sold out concert at Wembley Stadium in June.

Tickets are already on sale for the 23rd annual festival, which will also feature performances from Pendulum, Trivium, The All-American Rejects, Mastodon and Bush.

Other acts on the line-up include Feeder, Ash, Tom Morello, The Pretty Reckless and Those Damn Crows.

Limp Bizkit’s booking comes just a fortnight after it was revealed that bassist and founding member Sam Rivers had died aged 48.

They paid tribute to him last month when they described him as not “just our bass player” but “the soul in the sound.”

The band said: “From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced.

“His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous.”

The full rundown of artists was revealed at a launch event at the Barbican in central London, where guests were entertained by fortune tellers and a string quartet.

GRATEFUL Dead singer Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay has sadly died at the age of 78.

The singer, who made a name for herself in the band in the 70s, was also a backup singer for Elvis Presley and Percy Sledge.

The rocker sadly died on Sunday after a lengthy cancer battle.

A statement was released after she died at Alive Hospice in Nashville.

The statement announced her passing reads, “She was a sweet and warmly beautiful spirit, and all those who knew her are united in loss.

“The family requests privacy at this time of grieving.

“In the words of Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, ‘May the four winds blow her safely home’.”

Fans have already flocked to social media to express their sadness over her tragic passing.

One person on X said, “Donna was awesome. Really sad about this.”

Another penned, “Beautiful and powerful voice, there will never be another Donna Jean.”

A third person added, “So sad to learn of the passing of Donna Jean Godchaux.

“Through most of the 1970s, she made her mark on American music as a singer with the Grateful Dead. May she rest in peace.”

And a fourth said, “RIP Donna Jean Thatcher Godchaux-MacKay.

“Helluva singer who worked with the Grateful Dead & Elvis and put up with a sh**load of misogyny. Tough, special lady.”

LILY Allen has announced she is taking her “revenge album” West End Girl on the road.

Hitting venues across the length and breadth of the UK, here’s everything you need to know so you don’t miss out on her first tour in seven years.

Lily Allen’s latest album West End Girl levels cheating allegations against her ex-husband, Stranger Things star David Harbour.

The couple split in December 2024, with later reports claiming he’d had a three-year affair.

Details of their open marriage and break-up are seemingly laid bare in the new 14-song album.

On October 24, 2025, Lily said in a statement: “I’ve tried to document my life in a new city and the events that led me to where I am in my life now.

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“At the same time, I’ve used shared experiences as the basis for songs which try to delve into why we humans behave as we do, so the record is a mixture of fact and fiction.”

The tour – Lily Allen Performs West End Girl – will see the singer perform the album in its entirety in the order the songs feature on her record.

When is Lily Allen’s 2026 tour? 

Lily Allen’s 2026 West End Girl tour is scheduled to take place throughout March 2026.

The British singer is set to perform her acclaimed fifth studio album at venues, theatres and concert halls across the UK.

This tour marks her first headline shows since her No Shame Tour in 2018-19.

The tour dates and venues for Lily Allen Performs West End Girl UK in March 2026 are:

• March 2: Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
• March 3: Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
• March 5: Birmingham, Symphony Hall
• March 7: Sheffield, City Hall
• March 8: Newcastle, City Hall
• March 10: Manchester, Aviva Studios (The Hall)
• March 11: Manchester, Aviva Studios (The Hall)
• March 14: Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
• March 15: Cambridge, Corn Exchange
• March 17: Bristol, Beacon
• March 18: Cardiff, New Theatre
• March 20: London, Palladium
• March 21: London, Palladium

How can I get tickets for Lily Allen’s 2026 tour?

Tickets go on general sale from 10am GMT Friday, November 7, 2025, via Ticketmaster and LiveNation.

For fans who want to secure tickets before the general release, thankfully there is a presale, taking place from 10am on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.

But to access this presale, you will need to register with co:brand before midnight on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

Selected venues have already confirmed ticket prices for Lily Allen’s UK tour.

The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall said they start at roughly £40 and go up to around £85.

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Manchester’s Aviva Studios also revealed ticket prices, with the breakdown as follows: £45, £55 and £75.

As of November 3, 2025, the official ticket prices for different sections in every venue are yet to be revealed.

Damon Albarn has opened up about his emotional journey while recording Gorillaz’ upcoming album.

The singer and his bandmate Jamie Hewlett poured the grief of losing their dads into their ninth record, The Mountain, and Damon revealed he scattered his father’s ashes in India while making the collection.

“Both Jamie and I lost our fathers,” Damon said.

“We did two quite amazing, magical trips to India.

“India is a very interesting place to carry grief, because they have a very positive outlook on death.

“England is just really bad at dealing with death.

“In a way, I think this record is in that tradition of celebrating their lives.

“I did things I’d never done before. I swam in the Ganges in Varanasi.

“I watched the bodies being burnt on the banks of the Ganges.

“In England when we cremate a body we don’t even look at the bodies, it’s covered up immediately and then it’s put in the fire, the little curtains close and that’s it.

“On the banks of the Ganges, every family is there with the body wrapped in a shroud and they’re burnt, and it’s going on everywhere. It goes on 24 hours a day and it’s been going on for thousands of years.

“I took my dad’s ashes there and I cast them in the river. It was very beautiful.”

Indian culture helped shape the record — which will be released in March — with the album’s cover art featuring the title in Devanagari, a script used to write the Indian Sanskrit language.

And this time around the pair will not make their famous, animated music videos and instead are creating a one-off production.

Damon added: “We’re making a full eight-minute thing.

“This is why there are no videos at the moment, because it’s serious stuff. It’s really great that Jamie is concentrating on doing one animated thing.

“It’s a big amount of work, any animation. It’s kind of our Achilles’ heel because no other band has to spend that kind of time just to produce one small thing.

“So let’s make it a piece of art in itself and not really rely on it for the promotional aspect of things and let it breathe in its own way.

“I think fans are going to love every aspect of this record.”

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Personally, I cannot wait.

Jen’s perfect pairing

Jennifer Lawrence put on her poshest frock to party in the Big Apple after promoting her new film, Die My Love.

The Hunger Games star appears alongside Robert Pattinson in the black comedy, out this Friday.

And the pair coordinated their outfits for the New York premiere at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater.

J-Law then changed into a blue gown before heading out for a night on the town with her pals.

The actress has a busy few months coming up. She is starring in and producing upcoming murder-mystery movie The Wives, before kicking off a new project with legendary director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Jen and Leo are set to play the leads in a terrifying film adaptation of Peter Cameron’s ghost story, What Happens at Night.

She did the chart double last month but Olivia Dean is keeping her feet firmly on the ground.

The singer scored No1s with her album The Art of Loving and single Man I Need, becoming the first British solo female artist to top both charts simultaneously since Adele in 2021.

Asked whether she’s let her success go to her head, she said: “I don’t think so. I feel like I try really hard and think all the time about not becoming a p***k. That would just be horrible.

“I’ve met some and it’s just like, ‘Oh no, it got to you’.”

On how success depends on the people around you, Olivia continued: “A lot of people work really, really hard. It’s really important to recognise that yes, you’ve worked on your skill or your craft, but all the people around you had to believe in it and be there to make it happen as well.

“It takes a village of people to make an album or do a campaign. There’s a lot that people don’t see.”

It sounds like Olivia has a lot of goals in the future, though – including headlining Glastonbury and releasing an album of standards.

On the And The Writer Is… with Ross Golan podcast, Olivia was also asked if she had written a musical yet.

She said: “No, but I would like to in the future. It’s definitely on the bucket list for me.”

Time to say ’ello to Eli

Hot prospect Eli released debut album Stage Girl at the weekend, jam-packed with infectious melodies.

It looks like her label, RCA Records – also home to Britney Spears, P!nk and Shakira – has unearthed another gem.

But her collection of tunes also features references to a battle with her identity, which the American singer has now overcome.

In an exclusive interview, Eli, who is a trans woman, said of her album: “It was made in a flow state.

“But that was after a year or two of complete wits’ end, last straw, end of the rope, repressing everything under the sun as a human being for 20 years of my life.

“I was just like, ‘I need this joy and I need this super-extravagant pop’.”

Part of her journey of discovery is related to listeners in album highlights Girl of Your Dreams and Falsetto, and Eli now hopes that her music will help people to accept those in the queer community.

She explained: “I like the idea that this is going to play in Walmart in Kansas, for the lady who thinks I’m the spawn of Satan.

“And she’s going to be like, ‘Wow, this song is so good’.

“I feel like there is a sort of trickle-down effect of awareness of my humanity and trans humanity in general.”

Eli is already feeling the love following her album release – Mark Ronson, Demi Lovato and Zara Larsson have all voiced their support and her fan base is growing and growing.

Eli added: “I feel so excited by the community I’m existing in in LA right now.

“I feel like everyone is so supportive of each other.

“And it’s so refreshing and so cool.”

Dazzled by Doja

Doja Cat looked a true member of the glitterati as she joined A-listers for a night out.

The rapper sported a sparkly orange dress at the LACMA Art+Film Gala in Los Angeles and completed the ensemble with a curly blonde wig in a nod to Marilyn Monroe.

This is not the first time she has gained inspiration from the Hollywood legend. At the 2022 Grammys, she wore a custom-made crystal Versace gown – which took 475 hours to make.

Doja attended the fundraising bash alongside a host of stars, including actresses Demi Moore, Salma Hayek and Cynthia Erivo all of whom dazzled in their ’fits.

Keep sparkling, ladies.

Robyn’s return so sexi

Singer Robyn is planning to drop a new single in the next few weeks, then her ninth album in 2026.

It is seven years since the Swedish-born star put out her last collection, Honey, and an industry insider tells me the new one, with alluring title Sexistential, promises to be bigger and better than ever before.

They said: “Robyn has spent years working on this music and has been really inspired by loads of up-and-coming artists.

“She has worked with some very cool people and all the stops are being pulled out for this to be her biggest record in decades.”

Robyn has joined Gracie Abrams and Charli XCX on stage for surprise performances over the past year.

But by the sounds of it, next year she will likely be performing plenty of big gigs of her own.

Cat Burns opens up about losing her grandad and breaking up with a long-time girlfriend on her new album How to Be Human.

The singer and Celebrity Traitors star told The Sunday Times’ Style mag: “While grieving, a quote that stood out to me was: ‘Grief is just love with no place to go’. That helped guide the message of the album.”

A Brum deal for Benson

Benson Boone is due back on stage tonight at London’s O2 Arena after he was forced to cancel his Birmingham show on Saturday.

The Beautiful Things singer, who is on his American Heart World Tour, told fans he wouldn’t have been able to put on the show at the Utilita Arena due to problems with his voice.

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In a statement, he told fans: “Birmingham I am so so sorry but I will not be able to perform. I have tried everything I can to revive my voice, but I cannot give you the show I’d like to be able to give you with the condition of my throat right now.

“I’m working with my team to find a date to reschedule as soon as possible. I promise I will do everything in my power to make it up to you. I love you guys so much.”

We’re sending you our best, Benson, and we hope you can make the show tonight.

LIAM GALLAGHER let rip in fury yesterday at a fan who fired a flare into the crowd during an Oasis concert.

The band were kicking off the Australian leg of their world tour, at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium in front of a 55,000-strong audience, when the incident happened.

The flaming missile landed on a packed moshpit as Oasis belted out 1996 hit Champagne Supernova.

Liam continued singing but later called out the disruptive act from the stage, wagging his finger at the crowd and telling fans:  “That was naughty — naughty, naughty, naughty.”

Brother Noel is also reported to have been not at all best pleased — looking “concerned”.

The band were then fuming backstage, as Liam took to X yesterday and blasted: “To the massive C* who launched that flare into the crowd last night at the gig in Melbourne, you are one seriously f**d up individual and you will get yours, trust me.”

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‘A bit intense’

One member of the crowd revealed: “People were scared as they didn’t know what was going on.

“No one expects to see flames in the crowd at a gig.

“It was all a bit intense for a few split seconds.”

A venue spokesman said: “Security acted quickly, but the patron involved in throwing the flare wasn’t found. Thankfully no one has ended up getting injured.”

Earlier on in the evening, Liam was in high spirits as he told an anecdote about a kangaroo that had the audience laughing.

Meanwhile, Liam’s sons Lennon and Gene had been enjoying the Asian leg of the tour last month.

A source tells me: “When they were in Japan last week they went all out and did a tea ceremony, they went to a temple and got blessed by a monk, and they had Samurai lessons.

“They are living the dream.”

With their dad laying low after a few too many parties on tour,  I’m glad his lads are having fun.

JACOB’S COFFEE DATE

HUNKY actor Jacob Elordi is wasting no time after splitting from his glamorous YouTuber girlfriend after four years.

The Aussie, who stars in new Netflix film Frankenstein, was spotted grabbing coffee with model Kristen Kiehnle after the movie’s premiere in Los Angeles.

Kristen, who has 83,000 Instagram followers, is often seen flaunting her svelte physique on her holidays.

A source said: “Jacob and Kristen have been hanging out in LA. His romance with Olivia Jade has fizzled out and Jacob is concentrating on the film.”

Jacob and Olivia, were first linked in 2021, but called it quits after rekindling their relationship two months ago.

Olivia, the daughter of actress Lori Loughlin supported Jacob at the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of Frankenstein in September.

He may be playing Frankenstein’s monster, but it sounds like Jacob won’t be single for long.

BRIT OF LUCK FOR LILY

SHE’S already announced a 13-date UK tour next year, but I can reveal Lily Allen could be gracing us with a live performance before then.

I hear that the star, whose record West End Girl came out last month, is on the most wanted list to sing at the Brit Awards in February.

A well-placed music source tells me: “Lily’s album has gone stratospheric.

“Not only will she be a shoo-in for a gaggle of nominations, but bosses think she’d be ideal as a centre-piece for the performers on the night.

“She epitomises British talent and deserves to be on that stage being celebrated.

“It’s early days, but planning has already begun.”

Lily last performed at the Brits – which take place at the Co-op Live in Manchester for the first time next year – in 2010.

Back then, she belted out chart-topper The Fear.

Over the years, the star has been nominated for nine Brit Awards, but has only taken one home.

I’m sure that will change, though, with her latest musical offering detailing the breakdown of her marriage to Stranger Things actor David Harbour.

Despite the exposing compilation, Lily – who dressed up as kids’ book character Madeline for Halloween in a nod to the name she gave David’s alleged mistress on the album – says she doesn’t want “revenge”.

She told Interview magazine she now feels “differently” about their marriage breakdown, adding: “I wrote this record in ten days in December, and I feel very differently about the situation now.

“We all go through breakups, and it’s always f***ing brutal.

“But I don’t think it’s that often that you feel inclined to write about it while you’re in it.”

I think Lily crooning Pussy Palace on stage at the Brits would be iconic British behaviour . . .

IT’S NOUGHTIES BUT NICE, LADS

THE BUSTED vs McFly tour served up a dose of Noughties nostalgia as it hit London’s O2 arena.

The two groups are going head to head on a shared series of gigs around the UK, in a battle of the bands to finally settle their rock rivalry.

McFly – Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Harry Judd and Dougie Poynter – opened the London show with Where Did All The Guitars Go? before they had the whole room swaying with 2005 hit All About You.

Next, it was time to welcome their older brothers, in the form of Busted’s Matt Willis and Charlie Simson.

The pair paid tribute to bandmate James Bourne who has quit the tour for health reasons.

Matt said: “James Bourne, our best friend, is not with us right now – it sucks, we miss him and we love him. James is really fing sick so we are playing without him. It has been so fing weird but thank you for supporting us.”

After Busted reeled off their hits Crashed The Wedding and What I Go To School For, they belted out Year 3000 – joined by McFly. That song may be about the future, but I was happy to be back in the Noughties.

HE may pocket £500,000 as host of This Morning, but Ben Shephard has got a nifty side hustle on the go.

The presenter, who co-hosts the ITV daytime show with Cat Deeley, has set up an enterprising firm called Sweet Spot, which matches celebs with commercial opportunities.

Featured celebs include Joel Dommett, Gemma Atkinson and Love Island stars Will Young and Jessie Wynter.

Sweet Spot is actively looking for investors to help celebs create their own brands.

A source said: “Ben saw a gap in the market and doesn’t want to rely on telly work forever.”

Clever clogs.

ARGGH MAYA HEARTIES

CELEBS love to dress up for the cameras and Halloween gave them the perfect excuse.

Olivia Attwood went as Toy Story’s Jessie the cowgirl to a bash hosted by Heidi Klum, who was in full scare mode as Medusa.

In Manchester, Maya Jama and her footballer boyfriend Ruben Dias dressed up as characters from Pirates Of The Caribbean, while his Man City team-mate Erling Haaland appeared as The Joker.

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Paris Hilton sprinkled some Tinker Bell magic, while Sabrina Carpenter opted for a Fred Flintstone look.

Mariah Carey threw on a long pink wig, Hailey Bieber dressed as one of The Incredibles and Simon le Bon sang on stage with Duran Duran as a zombie.

THIS 90s pop star looks unrecognisable 24 years after his hit single and name change.

The hitmaker is very different as he posted a new clip of him on stage at a performance in Liverpool.

The musician was seen belting out one of his tracks while holding a guitar.

The former solo singer was accompanied by his band, which was formed in 2019.

Some fans may not recognise him, not just because he looks so different, but also because he has a new name.

But have you worked out who this huge star is yet?

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It’s none other than Terence Trent D’Arby, who now goes by the name Sananda Maitreya, after changing it in 2001.

His singles Sign Your Name, If You Let Me Stay, and Wishing Well all stormed up the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

Sananda created The Sugar Plum Pharaohs as part of his new identity and to separate from his past as Terence.

The band was featured on the 2019 live album Live From The Ruins. 

In a new post, Sananda shared a clip of the band performing at their latest gig.

He wrote: “The Sugar Plum Pharaohs & I would love to THANK THE DENIZENS OF LIVERPOOL for last evenings great hospitality.

“It is NEVER NOT A PRIVILEGE to entertain the Liverpudlian Spirit.
A Scouser’s embrace is a thing to cherish & hold close to the heart.

“We LOVE YOU, & hope to see you all again sooner rather than later.

“LONG LIVE THE RUTLES!”

PAST SUCCESS

His debut album Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D’Arby went five times platinum, selling 1.5 million copies and earning him a Grammy.

And he had no bigger fan than himself.

In typically humble style he declared the work “the most important album since Sgt Pepper“.

But his follow up album, Neither Fish Nor Flesh, failed to hit the high notes and he fell out with his record company, blaming their “wholesale rejection of it” for its commercial failure.

He became Sananda Maitreya, a moniker which came to him in a series of dreams in 1995, and officially changed his name in 2001.

Claiming his second album had killed his stage persona, he said: “Terence Trent D’Arby was dead… he watched his suffering as he died a noble death.

“After intense pain I meditated for a new spirit, a new will, a new identity.”

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Speaking on another occasion about his name change, he said his alter-ego had joined the 27 Club, referring to the tragic artists who died at that age, including Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse.

He said: “It felt like I was going to join the 27 Club, and psychologically I did, because that is exactly the age I was when I was killed.”

THE original line-up of Five have finally stepped back on stage for the first time in 25 years.

Eight months since they announced their comeback in Bizarre, fans swarmed to the Utilita Arena in Cardiff.

Five hours before kick-off, I joined Abz Love, Jason “J” Brown, Ritchie Neville, Scott Robinson and Sean Conlon as they flitted between agony and ecstasy backstage . . . 

Sipping an Asahi 00, Scott says with a laugh: “I’m a nervous wreck,” just as Ritchie brings me a handmade lucky charm from a fan who has flown all the way from China.

He says: “Do you want to have a hold of my ball?”

J adds: “He’s flown over from China. It’s taken him 15 hours. He’s taken two weeks off work and he’s seeing six shows.

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“He’s renamed himself J and he gave us all these lovely gifts. He made that ball himself.

“And he’s got silk scarves for us all too. He embroidered them all himself. It’s a really nice touch.”

Telling me the ball is a symbol of good luck, Abz interjects and jokes: “Or he’s cursed them and we’re all f***ed.”

‘Getting shirty’

But they most certainly are not. As Five walk on stage to deafening screams later in the evening, they are slick, solid and on song.

The set begins with a bang, with the lads emerging from a haze of smoke before they burst into Slam Dunk (Da Funk) and Got The Feelin’.

For a band who last performed together two decades ago, they’ve not lost their chemistry.

Recalling the run-up to the first night, Ritchie explains: “The rehearsals had all gone great but two days ago, I was a wreck.

“As it went on, for the first time we had a couple of moments where we were getting shirty with each other.

“We all had to just step back and say, ‘Let’s just really look at the situation with 48 hours to go until the first gig.

“Let’s just acknowledge that whatever level of stress you think you’re at, you’re actually probably a little bit more’.

“We just worked to get through it all.”

The screams of fans — including a woman holding up a message that reads: “Get your tops off” — never subside as they whip through their back catalogue. Their rendition of 1998 track When the Lights Go Out proves emotional.

Fans who were looking forward to seeing the proper Nineties choreography got a treat.

It’s clear the lads have worked hard to get to this point.

“We’ve actually got new routines,” J says with a smile.

Scott adds: “The old moves didn’t come back immediately but there was some muscle memory there.

“Paul Domaine, our choreographer, he’s less spiky than he was in the Nineties.”

Abz jokes: “We’re better behaved now,” before J adds: “We’re better than we were before, but we’re not giving the behaviour of fully grown men with kids at nearly 50 years of age.”

Ritchie adds: “He was dealing with naughty school kids but now at least we’re applying ourselves a bit.”

Sitting in the underbelly of the arena, Five are physically and mentally in the best place they’ve ever been.

“We’ve been saying to everyone that we’re going to do the best tour ever,” Scott tells me.

“We said we would bring it all: the vocals, the dance moves. We weren’t just saying it though. We believed it.”

Sean adds: “It is 100 percent the best show we have ever done. Better than anything in the Nineties.

“It’s like everything’s been delayed to get to this point. It’s been 25 years. It’s meant to be.”

A-list celebrities including Cara Delevingne have been slipping into their DMs to blag tickets to the tour, which will see Five playing 24 more shows across the UK and Ireland, including Brighton tonight.

But Five have kept the first night more intimate.

Scott says: “My wife Kerry is here with my twin girls.

“They’ve never seen us perform as a five-piece in their lives.

“On the journey up here, one of my girls sent me a message and I let the boys read it. I couldn’t do it because I kept crying.

“She said how proud she was of me. She’s 11 years old. I thought, ‘This is going to be epic’.

“All I know is that I am going to be crying my eyes out.”

The atmosphere rocks up a notch with Let’s Dance and Everybody Get Up, before Five knock through a medley of House Of Pain’s Jump Around, Place Your Hands by Reef and Daft Punk’s Get Lucky.

A final encore of Keep On Movin’ closes a history-making first night and Five are grinning like Cheshire cats.

On stage, Sean takes a moment to reflect and turns to his bandmates as he says: “We are lucky guys.”

As the band rallies round him, he adds: “I just wanted to say, I did not expect that so many years on it would mean so much to so many people.”

Ash a Madge coney phoney

ASHLEY ROBERTS looked the image of Madonna in this outfit for Halloween – as hopes build she will return with the Pussycat Dolls.

She was certainly more treat than trick in bright-red lippy and iconic Jean Paul Gaultier-style cone bra, just like the pop superstar on her Blond Ambition tour from 1990.

It comes as Ashley’s former bandmate Nicole Scherzinger teased “possibilities” for the group, after settling a legal dispute with the group’s founder Robin Antin, which derailed their planned 2020 arena tour.

Nicole told LA Times: “Our lawsuit is settled. That should have never happened. That was an unfortunate mistake on someone’s part – not mine.

“However, time heals things, and grace is always beautiful in life. I’m very positive and, dare I say, excited for the possibilities to come on the horizon.”

Shona bid for charts stardom

EASTENDERS’ Shona McGarty is following in the footsteps of fellow Walford favourites Nick Berry, Martine McCutcheon, Sid Owen and Michelle Gayle with a music career.

The actress, who played Whitney Dean in the soap from 2008 to 2024, has today dropped her debut single Unapologetically Me in a bid to make a name as a powerhouse vocalist.

The track was co-written and produced by hitmaker Steve Anderson.

He has previously worked with Kylie Minogue and Britney Spears, so she’s off to a good start.

Shona said: “I wrote Unapologetically Me as a reminder to myself, and to anyone who’s ever felt pressure to be someone they’re not – that it’s OK to simply be who you are.

“Having spent years in the public eye, surrounded by glitz, glam, and expectation, I’ve often felt the need to play a character, to present a polished version of myself that fits what people want to see.

“But beneath all that, I’m just human. I’m silly, sensitive, strong, and imperfect, and that’s OK.”

Freya returns as Wicker Woman

FREYA RIDINGS is pulling no punches on comeback single Wicker Woman – the first taste of her third album that’s coming out in 2026.

The English singer-songwriter, who posed in this striking and spooky black dress, said of the song that is released today: “It’s an unashamed, euphoric celebration of reclaiming primal feminine power, a return to the core of who we are, and an ode to the forgotten women and gods who came before us.”

Mika is also making a return today with his single Modern Times, ahead of an arena tour next spring, and Jessie J releases H.A.P.P.Y.

British boyband ABSNT MIND have put out their latest single Stitch and fresh from winning over a new fanbase on The Celebrity Traitors, Cat Burns has dropped her second album, How To Be Human.

Lily on tour

LILY ALLEN will perform her new album West End Girl in its entirety on a 13-date UK tour next year.

She will hit the road for the first time since 2019, kicking off at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on March 2.

Tickets go on sale from 10am next Friday.

KT’s got eye on Prada 2

SOMEHOW it has been 20 years since KT Tunstall broke on to the scene with her debut album Eye To The Telescope.

The record peaked at No3 in the UK charts and spawned a series of hits including Black Horse And The Cherry Tree, Other Side Of The World and Suddenly I See, which featured in 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada.

Now with Devil Wears Prada 2 set for release in 2026, KT is back in the studio working on a follow-up track which she hopes film bosses will use in a full-circle moment.

KT told Bizarre: “I would love them to use Suddenly I See, but I think they will want to move it on.

“I am writing a song to pitch to them as it’s the 20th anniversary of that too and they are using the same cast.

“I am coming up with a sequel. Who knows if they will be interested but I am going to give it a shot.”

She has today released a special 20th anniversary edition of Eye To The Telescope featuring a series of new tracks including Anything At All – which sees KT duet with her younger self.

She said: “It was so weird. I’m listening to this young woman who hasn’t had a record out yet.”

The never-before-heard title track is also on there.

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She added: “I’d only written the verse and chorus and then I abandoned it.

“But the record label said, ‘Why don’t you finish that song?’ It was difficult as I couldn’t really get myself back to what I was thinking at the time. It’s really cool it has taken 20 years to write the song.”

Promising hint

FLEETWOOD MAC greats Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks have given a promising hint that the band will reunite for the 50th anniversary of their album Rumours.

The former couple had a huge fallout in 2018 but have revealed they are now back in touch after re-releasing their 1973 joint album Buckingham Nicks – so they really could come back together for the band.

The pair were interviewed separately about the making of the record, for the podcast Song Exploder.

But proving they are back in touch, Stevie said on the episode: “Lindsey and I started talking about it last night. This whole thing seems really like yesterday to us.”

SELENA Gomez showed off her sweet side at the 2025 Rare Impact Fund Benefit.

The US singer and actress, 33, looked effortless in a purple satin mini dress at the the third annual event in Los Angeles.

The former Disney star, who recently celebrated one month of marriage to music producer and songwritter Benny Blanco, launched the Rare Impact Fund in 2020 to raise funds and awareness for youth mental health globally.

According to Vogue, the event, hosted by US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, raised more than $600,000.

Earlier in the week, Selena’s ‘unnecessarily cruel’ comments landed her in hot water.

The star came under fire for boasting that her billion-dollar brand doesn’t “use real models” for its beauty campaigns. 

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While Selena, was attempting to deliver a positive message about how Rare Beauty highlights real, natural features, many took offence to the comments. 

The company had used hundreds of different models since it launched in September 2020 – making many feel Selena’s comments disregard their talents and professions. 

Her remarks caught the eye of one Rare Beauty model who spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun about hearing Selena’s comments. 

The model, who did not wish to be named due to fear of not being hired for future campaigns, has been working with the brand since 2024. 

“I actually cried when I heard Selena’s comments,” the model claimed, who then added: “I was already having a bad day and was feeling really sensitive and emotional.”

She continued: “I was feeling nervous about some career stuff, and then I saw that video of her saying I’m not even a real model. 

“It hit me at the worst time because now I’m like… ‘what am I even doing?’ 

“I thought this would be a big break for me, and to be told by the founder of the company that I look up to that I am not ‘real’ at my job? 

“It’s degrading and embarrassing. The number of family and friends who sent me that clip after was mortifying.” 

AN ICONIC British pop band has been forced to scrap an upcoming performance amid one member’s battle with a mystery illness.

The Year 3000 hitmakers were due to take to the stage in Bradford for the Radio 1 Anthems show in the Yorkshire city.

Yet even though the gig isn’t until next month, Busted have revealed they’ve pulled out already.

It comes amid founding member James Bourne‘s ongoing, but as yet not disclosed, medical battles which have left the guitarist “really f**king sick.”

On a message posted to Busted’s official Instagram page, the band wrote: “We are sorry to say that we will no longer be performing at Radio 1’s Anthems Live in Bradford on November 15.

“James’ health is our priority and having discussed as a band we agree it wouldn’t feel right to do this without him.

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“We love Radio 1 and thank them very much for their understanding.”

They added: “We look forward to being back performing as a full band when the time is right.”

SHOW GOES ON

Just days before the arena run of tours was due to begin, James announced that he had been forced to pull out due to a health issue.

None of the boys wanted to let fans down and so they decided to push ahead with a replacement on guitar.

At the time, bassist Matt told the Birmingham crowd: “You may have noticed our best friend is not here tonight.

“James Bourne is really f***ing sick and we love him and we miss him.

“This is the first show we’ve ever played without him and it’s really weird but we’re going to do the best we can.

“This happened really fast, y’know, health is wealth.”

He explained how they asked James whether or not they should continue and he told them: “You should totally do it”.

They then introduced a familiar face to the stage.

Matt said: “You might recognise this little guy from the Year 3000 video. This is James’s brother Chris Bourne.”

Chris then appeared from the wings and was greeted by cheers.

During another show, Matt choked back tears on-stage as fan concern grew.

JAMES’ SAD STATEMENT

In a message to fans, James admitted he “wasn’t in good enough health” to perform on tour, in a series of gigs where the band had scheduled to teamed up with McFly.

The current run of live shows will wrap at the Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham on November 8.

In his statement, James cited health problems and said he “hoped to come back further down the line”.

He wrote: “The VS tour kicks off tomorrow night in Birmingham and as excited as I’ve been all year for this tour to begin, I’m really sorry to say that over the last 8 days it has become clear that I am not in good enough health to play these shows,”

Although he didn’t disclose what the health issue is, James said: “There’s a lot of information I still don’t have about my condition but my bandmates, management and I are unanimous in deciding that I should focus on medical stuff for now.

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“I really hope I can be in a position to come back further down the line.

“It’s still going to be an amazing show and I will miss being there!”

BON JOVI are going to hit the road next year for what is set to be a tour for the ages.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a fan for years or heard ‘Living on a Prayer’ at a disco as a child, the chances are you’re aware of them and their impact on the music industry.

Their catalogue promises anthems galore to get ready to scream out at the top of your lungs throughout their show.

Last Friday, Jon Bon Jovi answered fans’ prayers when he confirmed that the band would perform in the UK for the first time since 2019.

Having recently received vocal cord surgery he says he is now “ready and excited” to get back on the road.

The tour is a celebration of the band’s new music, including their 2024 album Forever, and will feature an extensive setlist of their greatest hits.

When is Bon Jovi’s tour?

The announced UK and Ireland tour dates are:

• Friday, August 28, 2026: Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
• Sunday, August 30, 2026: Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
• Friday, September 4, 2026: Wembley Stadium, London

The UK and Ireland ‘ Forever’ tour is set to follow a 6 show run that they are set to do at Madison Square Garden next July.

How can I get Bon Jovi tickets?

The crucial opportunity for all fans to secure their seats for the Bon Jovi ‘Forever Tour’ is the official General Sale, which is set to begin on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 9:00 am local time.

Tickets for both the Edinburgh Murrayfield Stadium and London Wembley Stadium shows will be made available through major official ticketing outlets.

Prior to the general sale, several exclusive presales have been running, though these opportunities are now drawing to a close.

The Live Nation, O2 Priority, and Artist presales for Bon Jovi’s ‘Forever Tour’ are all currently active today.

Bon Jovi tickets are available at the following places:

Ticketmaster

Live Nation

See Tickets

Viagogo

Vivid Seats

Stub Hub

How much are Bon Jovi tickets?

Wembley Stadium prices:

Seated Ticket Tiers (Reserved Seating):

• Category One (Premium Seated): £125
• Category Two: £95
• Category Three: £85
• Category Four: £75
• Category Five: £65
• Category Six (Budget Seated): £45

Standing Ticket Tiers (Pitch Access):

• Gold Circle Standing (Closest to Stage): £125
• General Admission Standing: £75

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VIP & Hospitality Packages (Experiences by Wembley Stadium):

• Gold Package: Starting from approximately £549 per person.
• Diamond Package: Starting from approximately £699 per person.

ANOTHER TikTok trend has taken off, this time featuring a combo of iconic tracks from different genres and eras.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Beez in the Trap trend, which is clocking up tens of millions of views and spawning hundreds of thousands of videos.

What is the Beez in the Trap trend? 

The Beez in the Trap trend is a viral TikTok phenomenon combining two iconic tracks.

The mashup has produced a surge of videos, with participants lip-syncing lines from both songs in a duet or surprise reveal.

As of October 2025, it is one of the platform’s most popular viral sounds.

The remix at the heart of the trend was originally made by TikToker DJ Auxlord in August 2025, but didn’t explode online until a few months later.

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What were the original songs? 

The original songs fuelling this trend come from different genres and eras – Nicki Minaj’s 2012 hip hop single Beez in the Trap and 4 Non Blondes’ 1993 alternative rock hit What’s Up.

Beez in the Trap, featuring rapper 2 Chainz, was released on May 29, 2012 as a single from her second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.

Minaj said the phrase “I beez in the trap” means she’s always making money, as she explained on the Graham Norton Show when the song came out.

During the interview, Minaj clarified that “beez” is slang for “I am always” and “the trap” refers to any place where money is made.

The other single, 4 Non Blondes’ What’s Up, was released on June 11, 1993 and went on to become one of the decade’s definitive rock anthems.

Written and sung by Linda Perry, the song’s rallying chorus of “what’s going on?” became ingrained in pop culture.

The mashup has brought both songs new attention on social media.

The clips usually begin with someone lip-syncing the opening line from What’s Up over the beat of Minaj’s track.

The focus then swaps to another participant, who delivers Minaj’s razor-sharp hook.

As of November 28, 2025, the trend has seen over 600,000 TikTok videos created.

It has been embraced by both of the original artists, with 4 Non Blondes’ Linda Perry telling Rolling Stone it is “ridiculous in all the best ways”.

What celebrities have been doing the trend? 

Education advocate and youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai joined Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show for a rendition, which has been viewed over 73million as of November 28, 2025.

Sabrina Carpenter and Marcello Hernandez did a version that has so far been viewed over 18million times.

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Other major celebs taking part in the trend include rapper Ice Spice with PinkPanthress and Quen Blackwell, while Jennifer Lopez and former 4 Non Blondes singer Linda Perry – who sang the vocal on the original – have joined in on the fun.

Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian have also had a go, as well as Gordon Ramsay, his wife Tana and daughter Tilly.

DUA LIPA has topped heat magazine’s annual Rich List – with a fortune of £129million.

And the pop star looks like she’s going to be keeping her crown as she’s miles ahead of second place Tom Holland whose £35.7m pot looks pretty measly by comparison.

Lewis Capaldi, Millie Bobby Brown and Molly-Mae Hague, and love rat Tommy Fury, make up the rest of the top five.

The magazine Rich List, which is made up of the 30 richest under 30s in the UK and Ireland, has also compiled the biggest international stars – with Kylie Jenner coming in at No1 with a fortune of £540m, beating Hailey Bieber, Billie Eilish, Blackpink and Kylie’s sister Kendall.

And they’ve also listed their top five most generous celebs, with Sir Elton John giving away £27m last year.

While Harry Styles raised a massive £5.2m for charity last year, with Ed Sheeran also giving away £2m to good causes.

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Last month Dua and her fiance Callum Turner were on the look out for a place in the sun.

I’m told the couple, who got engaged last Christmas, have called on a property expert to tap up a series of very posh holiday homes in Andalusia in southern Spain.

A source said: “Dua and Callum are looking for a sunny bolthole to enjoy with their families.

“Their preference has been pretty clear: nice weather and properties that have space.

“They have a man scouting for homes in Portugal and Andalusia, which have amazing weather all-year round.

“The house has to be able to comfortably fit Dua and Callum, as well as their family and friends.”

THE Nineties might have been ruled by boybands and girl-bands, but life at the top of pop could be tough.

And it was probably worse for the girls, as putting on extra pounds, dating the wrong guy or, heaven forbid, having a baby were hugely frowned upon by management teams.

New BBC documentary Girlbands Forever, the follow-up to last year’s three-parter about boybands, delves into an era where record companies had less regard for duty of care, days off or mental health.

It features members of Atomic Kitten, Eternal, Sugababes, Mis-teeq and Little Mix, providing insight into what it was like being in an all-female group in the Nineties and early Noughties.

The dream was to replicate the success of the Spice Girls, the all-conquering icons who sparked the girlband explosion.

And record labels invested millions in a bid to find the next big thing.

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But as the Spice Girls’ rivals All Saints found out, the pressure became unbearable.

So much so that when founding member Melanie Blatt informed managers that she and bandmate Nicole Appleton were pregnant, both were told to abort their babies.

The reason? They had just cracked America with No1 hit Never Ever and momentum could be lost.

Melanie, 50, explains: “I hadn’t been with my partner for very long, it was definitely a bit of a surprise It wasn’t people congratulating us. It was more like this look of dread and worry and the realisation that things are going to change.

“We flew to LA and at [airport] LAX our manager, he was behind us, was telling us to abort our babies.”

She added that her bosses told them they were “going to ruin everything” and “it was the end of the band”.

Melanie ended up having her baby with her partner, Stuart Zender, the bassist for band Jamiroquai.

‘Vomiting in toilets’

But Nicole, who fell pregnant with then boyfriend Robbie Williams, did not, which Melanie admits caused issues with their relationship.

She explains: “Nic and I had been best friends since we were 11. We took pregnancy tests in a hotel in Canada and spent that whole night discussing bringing our kids up together. It was one of the best nights ever.

“And it’s not really my place to talk about it, but unfortunately . . . it was a very uncomfortable situation because I kept mine, she didn’t. That was a really tricky part of my and our existence.”

All Saints, which consisted of Melanie, sisters Nicole and Natalie and main songwriter Shaznay Lewis, were always deemed a “cool version” of the Spice Girls and were far more rock ‘n’ roll.

Whereas Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton and Mel B found love with a footballer, an R&B singer and a dancer respectively, the All Saints girls dated rock stars, with Nicole marrying and having a son with Liam Gallagher.

Melanie says: “We were turning up to kids’ TV shows on a Saturday morning without having one wink of sleep. We looked fine, just a bit of vomiting in the toilets prior to CD:UK.”

After two albums, All Saints split in 2001, a disparity in earnings between Shaznay and the rest of the band being a major factor.

By the end of their existence as a group, Melanie says they “hated each other”.

She adds: “We’d fallen out, it was hell, it was ‘separate’ everything.

“It was just ridiculous but literally one of the proudest moments of being in that band was calling it quits because we didn’t stay for the money. We wanted to be done, we didn’t want to be with each other any more and we made that decision.

“We were in control. We were supposed to go on tour and we gave the money back and I’m so proud of that. That’s one of the only decisions we were all happy to make together, telling each other to f*** off.”

• Girlbands Forever begins on Saturday at 9.20pm on BBC Two.

Little Mix

AS girlbands moved into the 2010s, life did not get any easier, with social media now to contend with.

With Little Mix, Perrie Edwards, 32, bore the brunt of the online abuse due to her relationship with One Direction heart-throb Zayn Malik.

She explains: “Social media was dark, especially back in the day.

“Me and the girls used to get a lot of stick. Things we would wear or how we would look, people would pick us apart.

“You’re hurting enough as it is, never mind everybody having an opinion on it. Everyone wants to know your business and everyone feels like they have ownership in that.

“You can’t escape it. So you may as well sing about it.”

Life in girlbands was relentless, so Little Mix lasting ten years was a monumental achievement.

But Perrie, below, admits she almost quit when she was at her lowest ebb ahead of a gig in Las Vegas.

She says: “I didn’t want to go, I was so exhausted. I tried getting out of the trip and when I got there, I started experiencing panic attacks.

“I didn’t know what was happening at the time, I’d never experienced a panic attack.

“I ended up in a hospital. I didn’t want to let the girls down. They had to do it without me and I hated it and I really resented myself for it.”

She adds: “When you’re in a group dynamic, even though you’re going through stuff individually, you can’t just be selfish so I kind of put a brave face on a lot of time.

“I didn’t want to let the team down.”

Eternal

ETERNAL had a No1 smash hit with I Wanna Be The Only One in 1997, but their looks soon became a concern.

Founding member Kelle Bryan, 50, reveals: “People were always voicing concerns about my weight and about our weight as a band. Stylists would come along and say, ‘This doesn’t fit you, this doesn’t fit you’.

“We’re talking about an era where being a size zero was popular, so they sent us away to this place in the countryside where they were able to control what we ate.”

Atomic Kitten

WHILE on the 1999 Smash Hits Tour, Atomic Kitten’s Kerry Katona fell for Westlife singer Brian McFadden, but was ordered not to date him by management.

Kerry, 45, says: “They all went absolutely f*ing apes**t. I remember [Westlife manager] Louis Walsh saying, ‘I don’t like you, you’re trouble’.

Bandmate and best pal Natasha Hamilton, 43, adds: “It was definitely bad for the brand. Not from my point of view but from the label and management. They said girls can’t be seen with one of the boys in the biggest boyband in the UK because fan jealousy is a thing.”

Mis-Teeq

BEING an all-black group who rose up from the “underground scene” in 1999, Mis-Teeq felt they were discriminated against and given fewer opportunities.

Su-Elise Nash, 44, says: “We weren’t invited to the same premieres. Some magazines wouldn’t consider us for the cover because they didn’t think three black girls would sell.

“Our struggle to get there was definitely not as easy as it would have been if we had one white member or we’d all-white.”

Sugababes

WHEN Sugababes founding member Mutya Buena gave birth to her first child aged 19 – while the band were working on their fourth album – there was no let-up.

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Mutya, now 40, quit the group that same year in 2005 and was later diagnosed with post-natal depression.

Record label exec Darcus Beese says: “I remember standing in my kitchen trying to talk her down. I had no concept of post-natal depression. I would ask questions now like, ‘How’s your mental health?’.”

HE’S got some time on his hands after pushing back the release of new album Britpop until February.

And after announcing he was planning on opening a luxury hotel in Dubai, Robbie Williams is now working on another madcap idea.

“I want to open a University of Entertainment,” Robbie, right, revealed. “I did notice nobody else is doing it.”

He said of the inspiration behind his dream school: “I grew up as a vaudevillian. That’s what I am. I am cabaret.

“I spent all of my youth watching my dad do cabaret and watching all of the acts that he would bring off and on stage — and how talented and hard-working they were, and how genuinely funny the funny acts were, and how genuinely amazing the vocalists were.”

Robbie, who left Take That in 1995 before launching his hugely successful solo career, added: “I arrived in 1995, after Take That, I want to be Oasis.

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“I want to be Radiohead. Then, when I opened my mouth and my mind, I came out instead and I’m not cool. And you go, ‘OK, so what am I? Oh, I’m all of these people that I loved — Tommy Cooper, The Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise.

‘In a different place’

“The way they made me feel is how I want to make people feel.”

Robbie will be back on stage next year, kicking off a mini-tour in Glasgow on February 4, before playing three more intimate shows in Liverpool, London and Wolverhampton.

And until then, he said he’s going to be busy working on his new plans.

He told the Heretics podcast: “I’ve got so many fingers in so many pies, giving me so much to peruse. My ambition and my want and my need and my desire has not abated. But the oxygen I once had in my career, where I couldn’t miss every time I went to the table, has been taken away from me just because I’m an older pop star now.

“The rise was a long time ago, 1990 till, say, 2010.

“It’s only different as it’s different for everyone else lucky enough to have had my kind of career. I was the most played artist for ten years in a row.

“And, you know, thank you. I’ve had a nice run, but I’m in a different place now.

“And it’s not over. Where does all of that naked ambition and drive go?

“It goes into purpose. It goes into creating.”

If it ever gets off the ground, I’ll make sure to sign up for a night class.

Good friendships in the Mix

THEY may no longer be making music together, but Little Mix are still best of pals.

Pregnant Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock were backstage at the Roundhouse in Camden to support Jade Thirlwall at her gig.

Leigh-Anne shared this sweet snap of them together, and one of my mates spotted them dancing and singing along to Angel Of My Dreams.

Jade, whose debut album, That’s Showbiz Baby, peaked at No3 when it came out last month, is now preparing to head Stateside in the New Year.

Let’s hope she can do what Little Mix couldn’t and crack America.

Jade kicks off a run of 14 shows in San Diego on January 30.

Fergie up fur reunion

IT looks like Fergie can’t decide if she’s too hot or too cold.

The Black Eyed Peas singer teamed this crop-top with a faux fur jacket as she performed at One Musicfest in Atlanta, Georgia.

The I Gotta Feeling singer wowed fans at the event in Piedmont Park, belting out some of her biggest hits including amazing 2006 single London Bridge.

Earlier this year, I revealed that Fergie had created a whole new music video for the track in the capital as part of Lena Dunham’s Netflix series, Too Much.

Fergie left the Black Eyed Peas in 2018, but I told you this summer that discussions are under way about a possible reunion with her bandmates Will.i.am, APL.DE.AP and Taboo.

I’d love to see this happen.

Jovi’s got the Midas Tuchel

I TRIED my hardest to make Jon Bon Jovi a Spurs fan when I hung out with him last week, but his legendary PR Alan Edwards – a die-hard Gooner – persuaded him to follow the reds.

Jon was obviously something of a lucky charm as Arsenal managed a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.

He later hung out with England boss Thomas Tuchel and Jason Sudeikis.

It was Jon’s first Premier League game and I bet my last quid it’ll be his last given how rubbish Arsenal are.

You should have watched Spurs instead, Jon.

We battered Everton 3-0.

Is Geri in a bad Spice?

THE Spice Girls were all smiles at the launch of Victoria Beckham’s Netflix documentary this month.

But insiders say those grins were more like grimaces once the cameras were off – and the finger of blame is being pointed at Geri Horner.

A well-placed mole told me that while Mel C and Emma Bunton were together on row D, Geri was placed in a different area with her husband Christian Horner.

And the apparent snub is now the talk of the town.

Our source explained: “All people are still talking about what happened with Geri that night.

“She was seated away from Mel C and Emma, which seems weird given they were there to support Victoria. Inside the party she only seemed to talk to Victoria, too. It all felt rather frosty. No one has seen a photo of the four of them together either.”

Something is definitely up.

Last November, I revealed how Geri was dragging her heels over a new Netflix band biopic.

And last week, The Sun reported the band – completed by Mel B – were planning on implementing a “rule of four”, to allow the show to go ahead even if Geri wasn’t on board.

A telly insider said: “Geri has been dragging her heels for almost a year now and the rest are keen to plough ahead, as next year marks the 30th anniversary of first single Wannabe.”

Get it together, Ginger.

Cops get Raye on track

RAYE has revealed the police have found her stolen car – with her songwriting books on the backseat.

The Where Is My Husband! singer was forced to push back her second album after the thieves nicked her motor last year.

But now Raye is busy putting the finishing touches to the record after getting them back.

Appearing on Global’s Big Top 40, Raye, right, said: “It was a rollercoaster journey but what I didn’t tell people is that the police called me two or three months ago and said, ‘We’ve found your car.’

“Not only did they get it back but not one thing had been taken out of the car.

“All my songwriting books were there untouched.

“There was so much important stuff in there and when I was flicking through it I was like, ‘Thank God this has been returned to me’.”

Mark: I still get nervous

MARK RONSON has a load of hits to his name but has admitted he still questions if he’s any good every time he gets into the studio.

On Radio 2’s Tracks Of My Years, which airs all this week on Vernon Kay’s morning show, Mark said: “Every time I get into the studio with somebody for the first time, or even if it’s someone like Dua Lipa, or someone I’ve worked with a lot, it’s that combination of like, before the first day of school meets a blind date, meets every insecurity.

“Am I going to think of an idea? Am I going to be able to deliver?

“I still have that and I know people might be like, ‘That’s ridiculous, you’re good, don’t worry about it’.

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“But I think it’s served me well in my career because it’s always made me work extra hard.

“I wouldn’t know what to do if I fully lost that.”

FORMER Sugababes star Amelle Berrabah has confirmed she’ll “reveal secrets” about the band after being ousted from the reunion.

The popstar, now 41, joined the girl group in December 2005 as a replacement for Mutya Buena and stayed with the band until they went on hiatus at the end of 2011.

When the Sugababes came to end, Amelle was singing alongside Heidi Range, who joined the group in 2001, and last recruit Jade Ewen, who came on board in 2009.

Whilst with Heidi and Jade, Amelle released the Suagbabes seventh album Sweet 7 before the band “fizzled out”.

At the same time, the band’s original line-up, Mutya, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy began performing together again and by 2019 won a legal battle to re-gain the band name Sugababes – essentially preventing the other three from ever reuniting.

Now Amelle is getting her own back on being ousted from the band’s reunion.

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She is set to spill “secrets” in an explosive new BBC documentary called Girlbands Forever.

Posting about the doc on Instagram, she wrote: “Had such a wonderful time chatting all things girlbands for the BBC show ‘Girlbands Forever’.

“It brought back so many amazing memories — from my time in the Sugababes to the incredible era of pop that shaped so many of us.

“So grateful to have been part of it all, and to share a few laughs (and maybe a few secrets 😜) along the way!

“Sending love to all the girlbands who paved the way and to all the music lovers who still keep the music alive!

“Girlbands Forever promises a nostalgic trip through that time in pop music history.”

It comes as The Sun asked Amelle last year if she ever saw any of the Sugababes stars anymore.

She admitted she hadn’t heard from any of the original three and revealed that there has been virtually no contact with them ever.

The star, who is the only Sugababe to achieve a solo number one away from the group, said: “I’ve never met Siobhan, I’ve heard great things, though.

“Mutya, the only day I’ve ever met her was to wish me luck for CDUK and we had a little chat and a cuddle.

“That’s literally the only time I’ve ever met her.

“And then Keisha, we haven’t spoken in a few years to be honest.”

Girlbands Forever airs on BBC Two and the BBC iPlayer on November 1 at 9,20pm

Sugababes – over the years

Siobhan Donaghy (1998-2001, 2013-present)

Keisha Buchanan (1998-2009, 2013-present)

Mutya Buena (1998-2005, 2013-present)

Heidi Range (2001-2011)

Amelle Berrebah (2005-2011)

Jade Ewen (2009-2011)

FEUD rumours have reignited inside a huge UK boyband after fans spotted a major clue on their social media.

The group had massive hits between 2009 before it was disbanded in 2014, with plans to bring the boys back together.

But now it seems The Wanted aren’t reuniting, and stars Max George and Nathan Sykes might not be talking at all.

Fans on Reddit noticed that the pair have unfollowed each other on Instagram, cutting off social media communication.

One wrote, “Not to sound parasocial or anything, but for some context, I have been a fan of The Wanted since 2012.

“I have been following all 5 of them on Instagram from 2014 before their breakup.

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“I remember vividly most of them unfollowing each other and specifically Max unfollowing all of them and then ofc all of them followed each other back after Tom announced his diagnosis.

“I couldn’t help but just check for fun to see if the boys are all following each other, and couldn’t help but notice Max and Nathan unfollowed each other?

“I wonder if there’s any beef between them lol.”

The band was first formed in 2009 by Max, Nathan, Jay McGuiness, Siva Kaneswaran and the late Tom Parker.

Max and Siva made The Wanted 2.0 following the death of Tom after his shock death back in 2022.

Another fan replied to the Reddit thread, saying, “I’ve always suspected Max and Nathan had a falling out before they broke up the first time.”

A third said, “It’s a real shame because teenage me loved Nathan and Max’s interactions.

“I remember when Nathan used to comment on Max’s ig posts around 2 years ago.

“They haven’t followed each other in a very long time.

“I think there’s some beef there but I don’t know what.”

Outside of the feud rumours, Max has only recently jetted out to America to support Siva at his first-ever stateside gig in Las Vegas.

The show, at the M Resort Spa Casino’s events space, M Pavilion, marked the duo’s first show in the US since reforming as The Wanted 2.0.

Nathan Sykes and Jay McGuinness did not appear on stage for the Vegas gig.

Meanwhile, Nathan has been busy getting married, with his nuptials alongside his girlfriend of six years confirmed earlier this month.

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The pair were first seen together in public photos in November 2018 and announced their engagement in December 2022.

A stunning wedding ceremony snap shared on the couple’s social media accounts showed the happy two on their special day.

ON Christmas Eve, 1956, a 15-year-old boy heads due south on a five-hour Greyhound Bus journey from his home in Hibbing, Minnesota.

Arriving in the state capital, Saint Paul, he meets up with two summer camp friends and they go to a shop on Fort Road called Terlinde Music.

Styling themselves as The Jokers, the fledgling trio record a rowdy, rudimentary 36-second rendition of R&B party hit Let The Good Times Roll and a handful of other covers.

The boy, with his chubby cheeks and hint of a rock and roller’s quiff, leads the way on vocals and piano.

Already enthralled by popular sounds of the day from Elvis Presley to Little Richard and the rest, he is now in proud possession of a DIY acetate — his first precious recording.

His name is Robert Allen Zimmerman, Bobby to his family and friends.

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Less than seven years later, on October 26, 1963, as Bob Dylan, he takes to the stage in the manner of his folk hero Woody Guthrie, now adopting an altogether more lean and hungry look.

Acoustic guitar and harmonica are his only props as he holds an audience at New York City’s prestigious Carnegie Hall in the palms of his hands.

He performs his rallying cries that resonate to this day — Blowin’ In The Wind, The Times They Are A-Changin’, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.

He calls out the perpetrators of race-motivated killings with The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll and Only A Pawn In Their Game.

He dwells on matters of the heart by singing Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right and Boots Of Spanish Leather.

His 1956 schoolboy shindig and the Carnegie Hall concert, presented in full for the first time, bookend the latest instalment in Dylan’s endlessly captivating Bootleg Series.

Titled Through The Open Window, it showcases an artist in a hurry as he sets out on his epic career.

“I did everything fast,” he wrote in his memoir, Chronicles Vol.1, about his rapid transformation. “Thought fast, ate fast, talked fast and walked fast. I even sang my songs fast.”

But, as he continued: “I needed to slow my mind down if I was going to be a composer with anything to say.”

Among the myriad ways he achieved his stated aim, and then some, was by heading to the quiet surroundings of New York Public Library and avidly scouring newspapers on microfilm from the mid-1800s such as the Chicago Tribune and Memphis Daily Eagle, “intrigued by the language and the rhetoric of the times”.

He’d fallen under the spell of country music’s first superstar Hank Williams — “the sound of his voice went through me like an electric rod”.

Dylan affirmed that without hearing the “raw intensity” of songs by German anti-fascist poet-playwright Kurt Weill, most notably Pirate Jenny, he might not have written songs like The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll.

Then there was Mississippi Delta bluesman Robert Johnson, who Dylan likened to “the scorched earth”. “There’s nothing clownish about him or his lyrics,” he said. “I wanted to be like that, too.”

‘Did everything fast’

We’ll hear more later about the man considered to be his primary early influence, Woody Guthrie, the “Dust Bowl Balladeer” who wielded a guitar emblazoned with the slogan “This machine kills fascists”.

And about leading Greenwich Village folkie Dave Van Ronk, known as the “Mayor Of MacDougal Street”, who had Dylan’s back from the moment he first saw him sing.

On two occasions in recent years, I’ve had the privilege of talking to Joan Baez, the unofficial “Queen” to Dylan’s “King” of the American folk scene in the early Sixties.

She championed him as he made his way, frequently bringing him on stage, their duets on his compositions like With God On Our Side revealing rare chemistry.

They also became lovers as Bob’s relationship with Suze Rotolo, the girl on the cover of the Freewheelin’ album, crumbled.

“He was a phenomenon,” Baez told me in typically forthright fashion. “I guess somebody said, ‘There’s this guy you gotta hear, he’s writing these incredible songs.’

“And he was. His talent was so constant that I was in awe.”

A leading figure in the civil rights movement, who marched with Martin Luther King, Baez added: “It was a piece of good luck that his music came along when it did. The songs said the things I wanted to say.”

But she finished that reflection by saying, tellingly: “And then he moved on.”

For Dylan, now 84, has forever been a restless soul, “moving on” to numerous incarnations — rock star, country singer, Born Again evangelist, Sinatra-style crooner, old-time bluesman, you name it.

In the closing paragraph of Chronicles, he admitted: “The folk music scene had been like a paradise that I had to leave, like Adam had to leave the garden.”

But it is that initial whirlwind period, 1956 to 1963, centred on bohemian Greenwich Village and the coffee shops where young performers got their breaks which forms Volume 18 of the Bootleg Series.

Through The Open Window is available in various formats including an eight-CD, 139-track version, and has been painstakingly pieced together by co-producers Sean Wilentz and Steve Berkowitz.

And it is from Wilentz, professor of American history at Princeton University and author of the liner notes accompanying this labour of love, that I have gleaned illuminating insights.

I can’t think of too many modern artists of his stature, if any, who developed that rapidly

Sean Wilentz

He begins with the arc of Dylan’s development, first as a performer, then as a songwriter, during his early years.

Wilentz says: “He came to Greenwich Village in 1961 with infinite ambition and mediocre skills. By the end of that year, he had learned how to enter a song, make it his own, and put it over, brilliantly.

“By the end of 1962, he had written songs that became immortal, above all Blowin’ In The Wind and A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.

“By the time of the Carnegie Hall concert in 1963, the capstone to Through The Open Window, his songwriting had reached the level we can recognise, that would eventually lead to the Nobel Prize.

“And his performance style, for the thousands in that hall, was mesmeric. I can’t think of too many modern artists of his stature, if any, who developed that rapidly.”

One of the show’s striking aspects is the lively, often comical, between-song banter. (Yes, Dylan did talk effusively to his audiences back then. Not so much these days.)

In order to assemble Through The Open Window, Wilentz and Berkowitz had “more than 100 hours of material to draw on, maybe two or even three hundred”.

Their chief aim was to find a way to best illuminate “Bob Dylan’s development, mainly in Greenwich Village, as a performer and songwriter”.

But, adds Wilentz: “Several factors came into play — historical significance, rarity, immediacy and, of course, quality of performance.

‘Good taste in R&B’

“We hope, above all, that the collection succeeds at capturing the many overlapping levels — personal, artistic, political and more.”

Though noting Dylan’s inspirations, Woody, Elvis and the rest, Wilentz draws my attention to “a bit of free verse” written by Bob in 1962 called My Life In A Stolen Moment, which suggests nothing was off limits.

“Open up yer eyes an’ ears an’ yer influenced/an’ there’s nothing you can do about it.”

This is our cue to take a deep dive into the mix of unheard home recordings, coffeehouse and nightclub shows as well as studio outtakes from Dylan’s first three albums for Columbia Records — his self-titled debut, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and The Times They Are A-Changin’.

Of the first track, that primitive take on Let The Good Times Roll, Wilentz says: “Dylan and the other two were obviously enthusiastic, and they had good taste in doo-wop and R&B.

“But if you listen closely, you can hear Dylan, on piano, calling things to order and pushing things along, the catalyst, the guy we know from other accounts who was willing to take more risks onstage.”

I ask Wilentz what he considers the most significant previously unreleased discoveries and he replies: “Most obviously Liverpool Gal from 1963, as it’s a song even the most obsessive Dylan aficionados have known existed but had never heard.

“He only recorded it once, at a friend’s party, and it’s stayed locked away on that tape until now.

Dylan was producing so much strong material that some of it was inevitably laid aside

Sean Wilentz

“While not Dylan at his peak, it’s a fine song. It’s significant lyrically, not least as testimony to his stay in London at the end of 1962 and the start of 1963. That stay had a profound effect on his songwriting, and one gets a glimpse of it here.”

Also included is near mythical Dylan song The Ballad Of The Gliding Swan, which he performed as “Bobby” in BBC drama Madhouse On Castle Street during his trip to Britain.

The only copy of the play set in a boarding house was junked by the Beeb in 1968 but this 63-second audio fragment survives.

Of even earlier recordings, Wilentz says: “I’m drawn to Ramblin’ Round.

“Although known (in his own words) as a Woody Guthrie jukebox, Dylan has never released a recording of himself performing a Guthrie song.

“Here he is, in an outtake from his first studio album, handling a Guthrie classic, and with a depth of feeling that shows why his earliest admirers found him so compelling.”

Wilentz considers other treasures: “There’s an entire 20-minute live set from Gerdes Folk City from April, 1962, concluding with Dylan’s first public performance of Blowin’ In The Wind.

“Then there are two tracks of singular historic importance, the first known recordings, both in informal settings, of two masterpieces, The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll and The Times They Are A-Changin’.”

If these versions shed fresh light on classics, let’s not forget the great Dylan songs that didn’t make it on to his albums, so great was the speed he was moving.

Does Wilentz find it staggering that songs like Let Me Die In My Footsteps and Lay Down Your Weary Tune were discarded?

“Yes and no,” he answers. “Yes, because these are powerful songs that were left largely unknown for years.

“No, because Dylan was producing so much strong material that some of it was inevitably laid aside.

‘Literary genius’

“Sometimes intervening factors kicked in. Take the four songs that, for business and censorship reasons, got cut from Freewheelin’ and replaced with four others.

“The album was actually better in its altered form, including songs like Girl From The North Country.

“But that’s how Let Me Die In My Footsteps was lost, along with a lesser-known song I love that we’re happy to include, Gamblin’ Willie’s Dead Man’s Hand, as well as an amazing performance of Rocks And Gravel.”

So, we’ve heard about songs but who were the key figures surrounding Dylan during his formative years?

Wilentz says: “Among the folk singers, Van Ronk most of all, and Mike Seeger, about whom he writes with a kind of awe in Chronicles.

“There was the crowd around Woody Guthrie, including Pete Seeger (‘Mike Seeger’s older brother,’ he calls him at one point) and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott.”

He singles out producer John Hammond, “for signing him to Columbia Records and affirming his talent.

“But most important of all there was Suze Rotolo, who was a whole lot more, to Dylan and the rest of the world, than the girl on the cover of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.”

Finally, I ask Wilentz why the singer felt uncomfortable at being labelled king of the folk movement, “the voice of a generation” if you like.

“People misread Dylan from all sides,” he argues. “Never a protest singer in the mould of Guthrie or Seeger, even though he worshipped Guthrie and admired the left-wing old guard by the time he turned up.

“But Dylan wasn’t one of them, though he sympathised, in a humane way, with victims of injustice.”

Dylan’s work springs from a matrix that is emotional, filtered through his literary genius

Sean Wilentz

Wilentz believes the recent biopic A Complete Unknown, with Timothee Chalamet making a decent fist of portraying the young Dylan, “is a little misleading”.

He says: “It wasn’t Dylan’s ‘going electric’ that pissed off the old guard and their younger equivalent as much as his moving beyond left-wing political pieties.

“Hence the song My Back Pages, from 1964: ‘Ah but I was so much older then/I’m younger than that now.’”

Wilentz concludes: “Dylan’s work springs from a matrix that is emotional, filtered through his literary genius.

“It was impossible for someone like him, living through those two years (1962-63), not to respond to the politics in an artistic way.

“How, if you were Bob Dylan, could you not respond to the civil rights struggle, the killing of Medgar Evers (Only A Pawn In Their Game) or Hattie Carroll, as well as the spectre of nuclear annihilation?

“Dylan had a lot to say, but he was never going to be the voice of anyone but himself.”

Maybe he’d already explained himself on Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright:

“When your rooster crows at the break of dawn

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Look out your window and I’ll be gone.”

BOB DYLAN

Through The Open Window
The Bootleg Series Vol.18

★★★★★