Pop Music

FOR almost four decades, Kylie Minogue has soundtracked our lives with anthems of love, joy and heartbreak.

While her own personal life has seen both stellar highs and crushing lows — including failed romances, and cancer — she has kept calm and carried on, and on, then on some more.

As for those gold hotpants from her 2000 video for disco belter Spinning Around, they brightened up all our lives, to the point they are now under lock and key in a museum.

But as Kylie, 57, sits down with me for her only newspaper chat ahead of her self-titled Netflix docuseries that airs on Wednesday, she insists she is just like the rest of us when heartbroken.

In the TV tell-all, she recalls her devastating 1991 split from the late INXS frontman, Aussie Michael Hutchence, after a passionate two-year romance — and how she slept on a pal’s sofa in Paris while unable to face the couple’s old stomping grounds in Oz and the UK.

She had previously also dated Aussie actor-singer Jason Donovan — and when I ask if she’s ever “gone full Bridget Jones”, liked the unlucky-in-love soul of movie fame, she swiftly replies: “Oh, 100 per cent.

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“I’ve had different relationships that all shaped me. Of course, I talk about Michael. I’ve also got Jason Donovan, who speaks so amazingly in the documentary.”

During the Netflix special, Kylie recalls how she struggled post-Hutchence — and tells viewers: “I didn’t know where to go or what to do. I knew I didn’t want to be in London and I didn’t want to be in Australia, so I went to Paris.

“I remember having a tiny English to-French dictionary. I didn’t know anyone, but had two numbers on a bit of paper. One of those was a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of mine.

“She lived with a girl called Kat, who is now my oldest, best girlfriend. I moved into her apartment, got a sleeping bag and slept on the sofa. I was feeling heartbroken.”

Keen not to sugarcoat her life for Netflix, Kylie let director Michael Harte retain total creative control, even when she may have liked some bits left on the cutting-room floor.

In one episode, her former Neighbours co-star Jason remembers the moment Kylie left him for rocker Michael — explaining how they met him after an INXS gig before Jason watched the pair disappear into a hotel bathroom together.

Jason admits: “He wasn’t interested in me. I could sniff that a mile away. And she disappeared with him into the bathroom, which is fine. You know, we’re grown-ups.”

Reflecting on that evening, Kylie adds: “After the gig, Jason and I were invited back to the after-party. I would have been a bit like, ‘How did we get here?’ We were just talking about singer stuff.”

Kylie has been single since splitting from GQ magazine boss Paul Solomons in 2023, and insists she does not need a man to feel complete.

When I ask if she is happy, All The Lovers singer Kylie replies with a smile: “I’m super-happy, yeah.”

She told the Sunday Times’ Style magazine yesterday: “I don’t have a boyfriend. I was in a relationship, and when that ended, I realised I was OK on my own. I’m getting pickier. Narcissists . . . I’ve dated one and I’m grateful I now have that knowledge. That’s my red-hot ‘no’.”

Similarly, when Kylie and I last chatted, in October 2024, the I Should Be So Lucky singer told me: “There’s no one significant in my life and I feel content. I feel like this is my destiny right now.”

But she STILL fiercely believes in love — and enjoys watching it bloom for others.

We first met in 2023 while she was promoting 16th album Tension. I was shamelessly chasing a boy and, on my way to her Claridge’s hotel suite, bought a bottle of Kylie Prosecco for her to sign for him.

After our chat, she agreed, writing his name on the bottle and wishing me luck in my romantic pursuit. The next summer, he was my boyfriend.

During a brief meeting in 2024, at the British Summer Time festival in London’s Hyde Park, I thanked her for the part she had played. “See, I’ve still got it!” she happily told her team, punching the air.

But by the time we crossed paths in May 2025, outside her dressing room as she played London’s 02 Arena for her Tension world tour, I was single once more.

I mentioned I was seeing her show again the next night and bringing my ex. “Ooh, what’s the goss?” Kylie asked. Laughing awkwardly, I admitted I wished we were still together.

Meanwhile, in episode two of her Netflix series Kylie wells up as she admits she has been searching for a love like she shared with Michael ever since their 1991 breakup.

Kylie says to camera: “I haven’t quite got it. I’ve probably been looking for something like that ever since.

“He was a first for so many things and one was heartbreak. I was devastated. He was a rock star, which doesn’t just mean that he needs many women in his life, but he needed to go where he needed to go. But I know from people in his circle that he talked of me and thought of me. We were good together.”

Shrugging off the emotion, Kylie adds: “Shoulda, woulda, coulda  — whatever. But it was an amazing time. The memories make me feel good, even if I’m getting teary. It was good to have someone, to feel like you were a good team. I’m fortunate. The emotion and the memories I have with that time — I just felt protected, nurtured, valued, and believed in.”

Recalling Michael’s funeral in 1997 in Sydney, after he died at just 37, Kylie says: “At the church it was overwhelming, the outpouring of love for him. I felt him saying, ‘It’s OK. It will be OK’. I always feel he’s with me.”

But as we chat, Kylie wishes she had “stressed less” over the course of her career, and she admits she sometimes “didn’t manage it well”.

I am also relieved that — like me when love’s course goes awry — this global superstar so indentifies with Bridget Jones, as played in the films by Renee Zellweger.

In the series’ first film, Bridget Jones’s Diary, in 2001, the pyjama-clad protagonist has break-up blues as she clutches a bottle of wine and belts out power ballad All By Myself.

I doubt Kylie’s go-to heartbreak fixes are the same as my budget pairing — a £4.99 supermarket Pinot Grigio and Cadbury popping-candy chocolate bar. But I do recommend them, Kylie.

Of course, the other bombshell in Kylie’s life came at just 36 when, in 2005, she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

She had to pull out of a Glastonbury set and part of her Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour to undergo a lumpectomy as well as chemotherapy.
The next year she was in remission and given the all-clear.

But Kylie tells Netflix viewers: “I felt removed from my body. I was so scared of what was ahead of me.” Her singer sister Dannii adds: “We didn’t know, if she was ever going to be well again.”

It is hard to believe, though, how she has kept much of her off-stage life little known about.

When I put this to her, she nods and says: “It’s like, is there a monster under the bed? You build up this fear of telling.”

But she adds: “There’s enough behind me, and in front of me, that now has made it a good time. And what am I so scared of? It’s been a good exercise to have a look back at life, and find acceptance.”

In the docuseries, Kylie admits she was “riddled with self-doubt and anxiety” — and that those feelings still rear their head.

Kylie, who wrapped up her 66-date Tension tour last year, tells me: “I still have anxiety and self-doubt. No, not all the time, but a healthy amount is good.

“I know what I’m doing more now, which is satisfying. There’s definitely moments but that doesn’t permeate through.”

Although Kylie is now a superstar, she got there through steadfast resilience — proving critics wrong time and time again.

Her decision to quit Aussie soap Neighbours at the height of its success — when 24 million daily viewers was commonplace — was deemed by many as crazy.

Indeed, so popular was the soap that when Princess Diana missed just two episodes, she called up the BBC to ask after recordings.

Kylie’s sixth studio album, 1997’s Impossible Princess, was savaged so brutally by critics that radio stations refused to play her singles. A billboard even told the world Kylie was “over”.

Yet nearly three decades later, the 5ft powerhouse has never been more beloved. In December, she landed her eighth UK No1 single, ,and her first festive chart-topper, with Xmas.

A seasoned pro with interviews, Kylie usually has a slick answer ready for any question. But when I ask what she would say to her younger self, she takes her time before replying: “I still don’t know what’s ahead of me now — but I especially didn’t at 16.”

During the Netflix series, Kylie hits back at a suggestion she might be ready to slow down soon.

“Tell that to Cher and Barbra [Streisand]” she quips.

Both are plenty older than her — Cher recently turned 79 and Barbra 84 — and Cher, in particular, is still dusting off her suspenders and stockings for performances.

So, can we expect to see Kylie still doing The Locco-Motion at 80?

Beaming, she replies: “With all my heart, I hope so, yes.

“But how I’ve done this is, I am not a planner, I like to be fluid. I have a loose idea, I know what I want to do — but, yeah, maybe next week or this month.”

But while Kylie may still be up on stage in 2049, her famed gold hotpants will not. They are in a museum in Melbourne, Australia — but Kylie beams at my idea they belong in the Louvre museum in Paris, with the Mona Lisa painting.

Kylie says of the hotpants: “That would be amazing. But I bought them for 50p — my girlfriend found them in a secondhand store. I wore them quite rigorously so they’re fragile and the museum have said they have got to stay flat. They are in preservation mode.”

I also ask if “Kylie the pop star” ever feels like “Kylie the person” is forgotten.

But she feels fans want her to be both, adding of time on stage: “It’s a place for me to harness everything I’ve worked for and that I feel, and be expressive.”

The word “icon” is overused, but when I tell Kylie she is one, she replies simply: “I try.”

HIS love life has been almost as varied as his incredible songwriting catalogue.

Sir Paul McCartney endured the tragedy of losing first wife Linda to cancer and a catastrophic £24million divorce from Heather Mills before finally finding happiness again with American businesswoman Nancy Shevell.

But today The Sun can reveal the identity of the secret childhood crush who became Sir Paul’s “one that got away” — a pretty neighbour whose striking good looks inspired the opening track to his new album, which tells the story of his childhood in Liverpool.

The record was unveiled at a preview event in London this month, where the legendary Beatles songwriter recalled memories of a pretty neighbour called Jasmine, who lived close to his home.

Today, it has emerged she is retired mum-of-three Jasmine Howe, who left the area and resettled in Hertfordshire before retiring to the New Forest in Hampshire.

And the now 83-year-old’s ­family were stunned to learn of the £800million rock legend’s youthful infatuation — revealing she had “absolutely no idea” about his fondness for her.

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They explained: “It’s a cute story, she lived nearby and knew who he was, but she never got close to him — meanwhile, he obviously felt very differently!

“It’s an amazing story — a very long time ago now, but we’ve chatted as a family in the past about how Jasmine grew up close to Paul McCartney.
Goosebumps

“She just knew him as one of the boys in the local area. It’s enough to give you goosebumps!”

The Boys Of Dungeon Lane is Sir Paul’s first solo album in five years, and critics say it is his “most personal to date”.

The title is taken from Days We Left Behind, a wistful acoustic track that references Dungeon Lane, near the River Mersey, where McCartney played as a boy, as well as a “secret code” and mysterious promise made to John Lennon at the time, which he insists “will never be broken”.

At a special event, held at the iconic Abbey Road studios in London where the Fab Four ­produced their biggest hits, Sir Paul played tracks from the new record and explained their ­origins — beginning with opening song As You Lie There.

The lyrics recall: “Do I ever cross your mind as you lie there? As you lie across your bed, am I there inside your head?”

Revealing the inspiration to a small invited audience, Sir Paul explained: “Up in one of the ­windows, there was a girl I ­fancied called Jasmine.

“But I didn’t know how to approach her — I never spoke to her.

“The joke was, she did show up later that year and knocked on the door. I was indisposed — I was on the toilet — so I missed Jasmine!”

Turning to his wife Nancy, who he married in 2011, he grinned and quipped: “Sorry, Nancy.”

Prior to meeting his third wife, Macca famously had quite a ­colourful love life.

His first serious romance was with Dorothy ‘Dot’ Rhone, who he met at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool in 1959.

The pair dated for more than two years and even got engaged, but split just before Beatlemania exploded.

In 1963, Paul met actress and model Jane Asher backstage at one of the band’s concerts.

The relationship would last five years and Paul even moved into the family home on London’s Wimpole Street.

Jane was his muse and introduced him to the avant-garde arts and classical music scene, which would inspire some of his most famous songs.

Despite being charmed by Jane’s cultured family and domestic life, Paul had secret flings with model Maggie McGivern and US writer Francie Schwartz — betrayals that ultimately shattered one of the Sixties’ most iconic romances.

He met his second wife, model and amputee activist Heather Mills, at a charity event in 1999, marrying her three years later.

Their daughter Beatrice was born the following year. However, the pair split acrimoniously three years later with a very publicly played-out divorce — one that cost the star £24million.

However, the singer enjoyed real happiness with his first wife, American photographer Linda.

They married in 1969, raised four children together, and were ­inseparable until her death from breast cancer in 1998.

Growing up, Sir Paul lived with his parents at 20 Forthlin Road in Allerton, Liverpool, while Jasmine lived with her family on the corner of neighbouring Hurstlyn Road, just 20 yards away.

Both properties still stand in the south Liverpool suburb, nestled in a series of brick-built terraces — though Sir Paul’s is now owned and maintained by The National Trust as a museum.

The Trust operates tours around Sir Paul’s home and also John Lennon’s childhood home nearby.

Inside, the three-bed property has been meticulously preserved as a snapshot of 1960s Liverpool, including some of the family’s original decor — and a blue plaque outside commemorates “The Birthplace of The Beatles” as Paul and pal John would meet there to compose their earliest songs.

Jasmine later married her boyfriend Charles, known to the family by his middle name, ­Christopher, and they had three sons — Philip, Matthew and, amusingly, Paul.

A photograph of Jasmine posted online by a family member shows her looking elegant in a navy blazer at a relative’s wedding, with carefully cropped blonde hair beneath a wide-brimmed hat.

The relative explained: “She is 83 now and lives quietly. She wouldn’t want it to become any more of a story than it is — she had no idea that Sir Paul liked her, but she’s happy to leave it as that.

“It’s a good story for our family.”

The album, released on May 29, returns the world’s greatest living songwriter to many of his early memories and experiences, with Sir Paul going on to explain more about his 18th solo collection.

He said: “This was a lot of memories of Liverpool for me, but also any days we’ve left behind.

“Everyone’s got them, school, old mates  . . . It has memories of John in the middle — that’s lovely to go back to. Someone asked: ‘What’s the secret code?’ I’m not telling.

“You make up a lot of stuff when you write songs.”

And that admission may chime with Jasmine’s family, who later jokingly insisted: “She never ­actually knocked on his door.”

On another track, Salesman Saint, Sir Paul turns to his parents. “I was born in 1942, in the war. I was too young to appreciate that, but my parents weren’t.

“My dad was a fireman, putting out fires from the bombs. My mum was a nurse and midwife. But they carried on, because they had to.

“Like people in Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere now.”

Meanwhile, Down South, one of the album’s most nostalgic tracks, recalls a story of hitchhiking with Lennon and fellow pal and later Beatles bandmate George Harrison.

The lyrics explain: “It was a good way to get to know you before we learned Twist & Shout.”

And reminiscing about the trip, Sir Paul reveals how he and George climbed on to a milk float.

He says: “There was the driver’s seat, a battery and a passenger seat. George got the battery. His jeans had a zip on the back and it connected with the battery. Later, he showed me the big zip burn.”

The new record was unveiled in Liverpool with a series of cryptic posters around the city.

Artwork for the project was designed by Sir Paul’s nephew, Josh.

It features cameos from Ringo Starr, The Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde and Texas frontwoman Sharlene Spiteri.

And its release coincides with a series of major Beatles retrospectives — including Peter Jackson’s seminal Get Back documentary put together from restored archive footage that details the creation of their final album, Let It Be, and the band’s break-up.

But still to come is a major new dramatisation of the band’s rise to fame directed by Sam Mendes and with Paul Mescal as Macca.

The blockbuster will be released simultaneously as a quadrilogy in 2028, with each movie focused on one of the Fab Four’s formative years, charting their coming together as the world’s greatest musical group.

Filming with Mescal as Paul, Harris Dickinson as John, Barry Keoghan as Ringo and Joseph Quinn as George has already begun.

A NINETIES chart topper, 55 has barely aged a day as she performed in hotpants and a corset, 25 years after her smash hit – but can you guess who she is?

The singer appeared in a TikTok video where she was filmed dancing and singing on stage by her daughter.

The R&B star looked incredible on stage in thigh boots, corset and matching hot pants as she belted out her famous tune.

Previously, she appeared in a television commercial with legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald for KFC when she was just nine years old.

At the age of just 11-years-old, she competed in the hit US talent series Star Search which helped to launch the careers of huge stars like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Usher and Destiny’s Child.

The singer released her first album, Discovery in 1987, produced when she was just 14-years-old, and it gave her two top 10 R&B hits.

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She later signed with the famous Motown records in 1991, where she achieved mainstream success.

She’s best known for the hit song, I Love Your Smile which went to the top five in 12 territories worldwide and made the top 10 in 22 countries.

If you haven’t guessed already – it is pop legend Shanice – and her daughter Imani lovingly posted the video clip.

She captioned the video: “Watching my mom perform never gets old.”

Fans flocked to comment and one wrote: “My favourite song ever!”

Another said: “Shanice I love Your smile hits harder because I do Love Her Smile.”

A third added: “Soundtrack to my childhood.”

While a fourth said: “I freaking love your mom!!! I’m 52 and she’s been on my Playlist for 32 of those years!!! She’s amazing!!! So cool she’s your mom!!”

Shanice’s 1993 song Saving Forever for You reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

In 1999 she went onto release When I Close My Eyes which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard hot 100.

Her voice has also been heard on several iconic film soundtracks including Eddie Murphy‘s Boomerang, The Meteor Man as well as Disney’s 1995 classic Pocahontas.

Her voice can also be heard in the backing vocals of Toni Braxton‘s smash hit, Un-Break My Heart.

Shanice married actor and comedian Flex Alexander in February 2000.

As well as sharing their daughter, Imani, the couple also have a son called Elijah Alexander Knox.

LOOK Mum No Computer is competing for the UK at the iconic Eurovision Song Contest tonight.

As one of Eurovision’s “Big Four” (formerly “Big Five”), the UK gets an automatic place in this Saturday’s final.

But the competition gets real this evening for Sam Battle, who is representing the UK with his single Eins, Zwei, Drei, because there can only be one winner.

Speaking about Eurovision in a press conference ahead of the final, the artist said: “It has been a lot of work, especially as I have just become a new dad at the same time as prepping for Eurovision.”

Who is Look Mum No Computer?

Sam Battle, widely known as Look Mum No Computer, is an English musician and electronics enthusiast from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

On his YouTube channel with more than 700k subscribers, he posts videos about making pro audio gear and synthesizers, as well as original music tracks.

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Battle is known for playing unusual musical devices made from vintage technology, such as a classic Raleigh Chopper bicycle and a Game Boy.

The YouTuber also runs This Museum Is Not Obsolete, a museum in Ramsgate, Kent, showcasing vintage devices repurposed for comic uses.

Sam has been curious about mechanics since early childhood, when he spent much of his time building rockets and robots.

After starting a university course in chemistry, he realised that he “was really not cut out for that” and switched to a music tech course instead.

However, he still quit his studies halfway through to join a music band in London for three years.

Stuck with an album that wasn’t being released and no gigs, Sam used this time to learn electronics.

He worked in numerous jobs, from fixing bicycles at Halfords to cooking in a restaurant, before before setting up indie-rock group ZIBRA with his three friends.

They performed at the Glastonbury Festival in 2015 as the final act on the BBC Introducing stage.

The musician launched his YouTube channel in 2013, primarily posting content for the the band — until its end in 2016 when he switched to his solo music project.

His younger sister Jodie Bartle, who appears in the music clip for Eins, Zwei, Drei by Look Mum No Computer, plays football for Wrexham.

In 2025, Sam developed a video game in collaboration with German indie studio The Bitfather and publisher Headup Games.

The game, called Look Mum No Computer, was nominated for the German Developer Award for Best Audio Design.

Who is Look Mum No Computer’s wife Melanie?

Sam Battle has been married to his wife Melanie for more than a decade.

On her Instagram, Melanie shared that she met Sam after “nicking a piece of plastic from outside of [his] house”.

The couple tied the knot in 2012 and have three children together.

Dr Melanie King is an awarded artist and curator based in Ramsgate who specialises in astronomy, alternative and analogue photography.

She works as a co-director of Lumen Studios, an art collective exploring the themes of astronomy and light, and super/collider, an independent agency that “celebrates and champions the connections between science, creativity and culture”.

In 2013, Melanie founded the London Alternative Photography Collective, which has grown from a small group of analogue and alternative photography practitioners to a collective producing large-scale symposiums, exhibitions and workshops.

Recently completing her PhD in Fine Art at the Royal College of Art, the mum-of-three also teaches Photography at Canterbury Christ Church University.

The couple welcomed their baby boy Max in April 2026, as Sam had been working hard on his performance in the iconic song contest.

On his Instagram page, the musician has recently posted more photos of the baby, adding: “Not long till he (Max) will be holding a soldering iron and helping!”

GERMANY is pinning its Eurovision hopes on one of the country’s best-known entertainers.

Sarah Engels will fly the flag for the nation in the Grand Final with her empowerment anthem Fire.

Who is Germany’s Eurovision entrant Sarah Engels?

Sarah Engels, 33, is a German singer and TV personality of Italian descent who has been a household name in her homeland for more than a decade.

She first burst onto the scene in 2011 when she finished as runner-up on the eighth season of Deutschland sucht den Superstar (DSDS) – Germany’s equivalent of The X Factor.

Her debut single Call My Name reached number two in the German charts and earned her an Echo Award nomination.

Engels, who was previously known by her married name Sarah Lombardi, has carved out an incredibly successful career on German reality TV.

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She finished second on Let’s Dance – Germany’s answer to Strictly Come Dancing.

The multi-talented star went on to lift the trophy on Das große Promibacken – the German version of The Great Celebrity Bake Off – as well as The Masked Singer Germany and Dancing on Ice.

She also works as a presenter, actress and voice artist.

Since November 2025, Sarah has been playing the lead role of Satine in the Cologne production of hit musical Moulin Rouge!

In her personal life, Sarah married fellow DSDS star Pietro Lombardi – who won the show the same year she came second – in March 2013.

The couple welcomed son Alessio in 2015, but split a year later.

She later tied the knot with former footballer Julian Büscher in May 2021, with the groom taking her surname.

Their daughter Solea was born later that year.

What is her Eurovision song ‘Fire’ about?

On February 28, Sarah was crowned Germany’s Eurovision pick after winning the national final Berlin.

She pipped wavvyboi’s Black Glitter and Molly Sue’s Optimist (Ha Ha Ha), with 38.3% of the public vote.

Fire was written by Sarah alongside Dario Schürmann, Luisa Heinemann, Raphael Lott and Valentin Boes.

On the surface, it is a punchy synth-pop banger about a lying, two-faced ex.

In the lyrics, Sarah brands a former flame a “vampire” who only comes out at night, telling him to stop denying his deceit and saying: “Boy, I’m out of your league”.

But the song’s deeper message is one of empowerment, solidarity and self-determination.

These themes are close to Sarah’s heart thanks to her foundation Stiftung Starke Mädchen, or Strong Girls, which she set up to inspire young women.

Sarah said taking part in Eurovision was a chance to share her message, “which comes deep from my heart”.

She added: “My motto for Vienna is: I’m on fire. I truly have no fear at all – I’m just incredibly excited.”

As one of Eurovision’s Big Four, Germany has automatic qualification to Saturday’s Grand Final at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle.

The country has won the contest twice – in 1982 with Nicole’s Ein bißchen Frieden, and also in 2010 with Lena’s Satellite.

THE 2026 Eurovision Song Contest final is officially here, as Brits prepare themselves for the inevitable ‘null points.’

Over the years, many A-list celebrities have had a go at the world’s most famous singing competition, with some of them more unexpected than others.

Olivia Newton-John

Before her Sandy days, Grease star Olivia Newton-John represented the United Kingdom at Eurovision.

Singing “Long Live Love” back in 1974, Olivia managed to secure joint 4th place behind winners, ABBA.

Celine Dion

A 20-year-old Celine Dion competed in Eurovision back in 1988, singing “Ne partez pas sans moi” for Switzerland.

The Titanic star quickly transformed from a French-language star to a global icon, winning the competition by just one point.

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Blue

British boyband Blue proudly represented the UK in 2011, singing “I Can” to audiences in Düsseldorf.

The band, comprising of Simon Webbe, Duncan James, Antony Costa and Lee Ryan, scored a respectable 100 points, finishing 11th in the competition.

Bonnie Tyler

Beloved Welsh icon Bonnie Tyler represented the United Kingdom in 2013, singing “Believe in Me.”

Bonnie should have been Holding Out for a Hero during the competition, scoring only 23 points and coming 19th.

Cascada

Dance and electronic act Cascada represented Germany in 2013 with the song “Glorious”

The Evacuate the Dancefloor and Everytime We Touch singer finished in a disappointing 21st place in the competition.

Flo Rida

American rapper and singer Flo Rida made one of the most unexpected appearances in Eurovision.

Representing San Marino in 2021, Flo Rida teamed up with singer Senhit to rap a verse of her song, “Adrenaline.”

ABBA

The most famous entry of all, ABBA’s debut at Eurovision catapulted them to global superstardom.

Singing iconic hit “Waterloo” for Sweden back in 1974, their winning performance in Brighton became the start of their legendary careers.

EUROVISION gets underway tonight in Vienna, as fans celebrate the 70th edition of the iconic music competition.

Here’s all you need to know about what time the competition starts and what to expect.

What time does Eurovision start tonight?

The Eurovision Grand Final gets underway at 8pm on BBC 1.

The final is taking place at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria.

Austria are hosting this years edition after winning the 2025 contest in Switzerland.

What is the Eurovision 2026 running order?

The running order for tonight’s Eurovision 2026 Grand Final was confirmed after the conclusion of the second semi-final on Thursday.

The running order for tonight is as follows:

1. Denmark: Søren Torpegaard Lund – Før Vi Går Hjem
2. Germany: Sarah Engels – Fire
3. Israel: Noam Bettan – Michelle
4. Belgium: ESSYLA – Dancing on the Ice
5. Albania: Alis – Nân
6. Greece: Akylas – Ferto
7. Ukraine: LELÉKA – Ridnym
8. Australia: Delta Goodrem – Eclipse
9. Serbia: LAVINA – Kraj Mene
10. Malta: AIDAN – Bella
11. Czechia: Daniel Zizka – CROSSROADS
12. Bulgaria: DARA – Bangaranga
13. Croatia: LELEK – Andromeda
14. United Kingdom: LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER – Eins, Zwei, Drei
15. France: Monroe – Regarde !
16. Moldova: Satoshi – Viva, Moldova!
17. Finland: Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen – Liekinheitin
18. Poland: ALICJA – Pray
19. Lithuania: Lion Ceccah – Sólo Quiero Más
20. Sweden: FELICIA – My System
21. Cyprus: Antigoni – JALLA
22. Italy: Sal Da Vinci – Per Sempre Sì
23. Norway: JONAS LOVV – YA YA YA
24. Romania: Alexandra Căpitănescu – Choke Me
25. Austria: COSMÓ – Tanzschein

How can I watch Eurovision 2026?

Coverage will start in the UK on the BBC and BBC iPlayer at 8pm, with Graham Norton returning to his regular commentary role.

The show will last for almost three hours, coverage ending at 11.50pm, when the BBC will switch to the news.

Who is UK entrant Look Mum No Computer?

Look Mum No Computer is the alias of Sam Battle, originating from the name of his YouTube channel dedicated to creative audio electronics projects.

The artist also uses it as his stage name when performing as a musician.

The name is inspired by the phrase “look mum, no hands”, used by kids when they are learning to cycle.

It highlights the artist’s bold, anti-digital approach to making music where he builds his own synthesizers and hardware, such as his famous Furby organ.

POP star Sabrina Carpenter pips it in the fashion stakes in a lemon yellow frock.

The Espresso singer, 27, donned a transparent Dior gown which showed off her white underwear.

And she clutched a ­yellow Dior handbag as the French fashion house showcased its new collection in Los Angeles.

Carpenter had also worn a Dior dress at the annual New York Met Gala, which paid homage to Audrey Hepburn’s 1954 film Sabrina.

She was joined at the Dior show by The Queen’s Gambit actress Anya Taylor-Joy, 30, who was in a black cut-out frock.

This comes off the back of Sabrina’s sensational headline concerts at Coachella last month.

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The singer delivered a set dubbed “Sabrinawood” with a Hollywood-themed set across two weekends on April 10 and 17.

Her shows featured some very iconic cameos from the likes of Madonna, Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell, and Sam Elliott.

The setlist highlighted her most recent album Man’s Best Friend.

But it also included some of her biggest hits like Espresso and Feather.

IN the weeks before we lost The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson on June 11 last year, he had two special visitors. 

They were the group’s surviving founder members, his first cousin Mike Love, and his best friend from college, Al Jardine. 

It was their chance to say goodbye to the man who, above anyone, brought “good vibrations” to the world and created their 1966 magnum opus Pet Sounds. 

First to venture up the drive at Brian’s Beverly Hills mansion for one last time was Jardine.  

“I last saw him at the very end,” he says. “I came up to the house and he just pointed at me. 

“He said, ‘You started the band’, and I went, ‘Wait, come on, Brian, I’m sure you had a little something to do with it!’ 

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“He was very direct at times — he could be very unfiltered — but I think our friendship meant a lot to him. 

“He was always my best friend, right from when we started out.” 

Despite Brian’s well-documented struggles with mental health, Jardine insists that his old buddy never lost his passion for music. 

“His reputation remains solid,” he adds, before supplying an answer to his own question: “What’s the term? Legend.  

“His work will be appreciated for centuries to come. He had his own style. Just listen to his arrangements and his chord changes — they’re just so unusual.  

“His brother Dennis actually said it first, ‘Brian is The Beach Boys’. He created our sound and, as Mike Love would say, he heard things we couldn’t hear.” 

Of his last visit to Brian, Love says: “A couple of weeks before he passed away, I was able to go and see him. 

“We had a great time. We sang together, actually, which was a lot of fun.” 

Love leads the latest incarnation of The Beach Boys, keeping their songs alive in concert, including Pet Sounds classics God Only Knows, Wouldn’t It Be Nice and Sloop John B.  

“Brian’s still with us every night in that music,” he affirms 

If Brian, younger brothers Carl and Dennis, Mike and Al started out by singing about surfing, girls and open-top cars in the California sun, it was the elder Wilson sibling who took things to the next level with Pet Sounds. 

A themed song cycle employing pioneering production techniques, sublime harmonies, divine melodies and darker, soul-searching lyrics, it is regarded as Brian’s masterpiece.

He had been impressed with The Beatles’ sonic adventures on Rubber Soul — now he was pushing The Beach Boys to raise the bar higher, in turn inspiring their chart rivals to make Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. 

Paul McCartney maintains that God Only Knows is his favourite song and that Pet Sounds is among his top three albums.  

He once enthused: “The musical invention on that is, like, ‘Wow!’  

“I just thought, ‘Oh dear me, this is THE album of all time, what the hell are we gonna do?’” 

To mark its 60th anniversary, The Pet Sounds Sessions — including demos, alternate takes and outtakes — are receiving digital, CD and vinyl editions. They feature a host of a cappella tracks shining the spotlight on the breathtaking harmonies.  

Which is why I’m speaking to Brian’s bandmates via video calls that seem entirely appropriate for singers who epitomise California’s sunny beach vibes.  

As we’re connected, Love, 85, reports that he’s “driving down the Pacific Coast Highway outside of Malibu”. 

In a separate call, Jardine, 83, is sitting in his solarium under clear blue skies in Monterey, gateway to the rugged Big Sur coastal region. 

First, Love gives me insights into his Beach Boys journey, leading up to the groundbreaking Pet Sounds.  

His mother Glee was the sister of Murry Wilson, father of Brian, Carl and Dennis, “so every holiday — Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Fourth of July — and birthday was celebrated with music. 

“When Brian and I were teens, we’d get together and sing or listen to the radio, hearing groups like The Everly Brothers.” 

When they formed The Beach Boys, the clean-cut image involving surfing, sun and girls was, he says, “environmental because we lived a few miles from the sea”. 

Love continues: “We would often go to the beach for family outings. There, you’d find people who dressed a certain way, talked a certain way and had a certain attitude.  

“They were the surfers who inspired our first song, Surfin’ [released in 1961].” 

As to whether The Beach Boys joined the craze, he adds: “Dennis, Al and I had surfboards but we weren’t the greatest athletes. We appreciated it though, and we gave it a shot. 

“I’m not sure Brian ever tried it. He could only hear out of one ear and didn’t have much balance. You need all the balance you can get when you’re surfing.” 

Love recalls how he would “sit down at the piano with Brian while he figured out chord progressions, tempos and melodies.  

“I felt it was up to me to come up with lyrics and sing lead on songs we were working on together such as Surfin’ USA, I Get Around and Fun Fun Fun.” 

Jardine, who currently fronts The Pet Sounds Band of ace Brian Wilson associates, also casts his mind back to the early days but is interrupted by “actual pet sounds”. 

“Hang on a second, we have a little dog outside and he’s barking — I gotta shut him up,” he reports.  

When calm returns, I ask Jardine how he came to form a band with three brothers and their cousin in 1961.  

He answers: “Well, Brian and I were classmates in high school but didn’t really know each other. 

“We were on the football team — he was quarterback and I was full back. He would call the plays, either pitching the ball to me or somebody else. 

“But we didn’t interact until we went to college. I’d heard him in concert and, in our second year, I bumped into him on campus and said, ‘We gotta start a band’.  

“We walked over to the music room and started playing music for each other.  

“I’d already been in a folk group and, when he heard me sing, he realised I had a gift. 

“Then he said, ‘I’ve got my little brothers and my cousin, Mike. I’ll introduce you to them. I rented instruments from a local music store but we didn’t know how to express ourselves at first, so we just sang a cappella. 

“Once we finally got around the piano, we were off and running. 

“I soon realised that Brian was a fine-tuned instrument. He had a great voice, a great knack for composition and already had a duet thing going on with Mike.” 

As for the surfer image, Jardine credits Dennis Wilson, the family rebel who played the drums. He says: “Dennis was a surfer and the rest of us were land lovers. He taught me how to surf but I sank like a stone. 

“But surfing was the craze so we put lyrics to our first song and called it Surfin’.” 

In 1964, Brian dropped the bombshell that he was stepping back from touring to concentrate on studio work.  

Love provides this insight into his cousin’s state of mind: “Brian wasn’t comfortable on the road — he got nervous and unhappy. He missed home and he missed the studio. 

“It was a drag to see him leave the live group but it was in his best interests.” 

Afforded fewer distractions, Brian applied himself to Pet Sounds and, in tandem with it, the sophisticated sonic miracle Good Vibrations — a standalone hit deemed not a good fit for the album. 

This period coincided with his experiments with LSD and marijuana.  

He once stated that drugs helped him achieve a deeper level of creativity but later expressed regrets over the damage to his mental health. 

Because of the complexity, Brian needed longer than usual to finish Pet Sounds so The Beach Boys released a stopgap party album, yielding one of their biggest hits, Barbara Ann. 

Then, after a tour of Japan in January 1966, with Bruce Johnston taking Brian’s place, Carl, Dennis, Mike, Al and Bruce returned for the momentous sessions.  

In their absence, Brian had employed lyricist Tony Asher and crack session musicians the Wrecking Crew, including, among many, Glen Campbell on guitar and banjo. 

Love says: “The tracks Brian had done were completely amazing. Our main job was to finish them vocally and we worked very hard.” 

One of the songs was God Only Knows, which he says was “sung so beautifully by my cousin Carl”. 

“We lost him many years ago to lung cancer. For concerts these days, my son Christian sings lead.” 

So what was Carl like? “He was our musical director on stage and the most proficient musician in the group,” replies Love. 

Jardine adds: “Carl could knock it out of the park. He was right in the centre of our harmonies with Mike’s baritone below and me higher, with Brian higher still.” 

And what about Dennis, who had a wild reputation and later befriended cult leader and killer Charles Manson? 

Love says: “He lived a dangerous life because of the alcohol and drugs he got involved with. He died [from drowning] in 1983.” 

Jardine adds: “Dennis was our Keith Moon. Oh boy, all he had to do was just stand up on stage and the crowd would go nuts.” 

It was self-confessed folkie Jardine who brought Bahamian sea shanty Sloop John B to Brian. He says: “I was a Kingston Trio fan. They were big Capitol Records guys, same label as us, and they wore striped shirts.  

“Learning all their songs was my musical training. When the time came to start The Beach Boys, I went out and bought striped shirts for us. 

“Sloop John B was my idea. I said, ‘Brian, if we add one major and one minor chord, it’ll sound like us instead of The Kingston Trio’. 

“He put it to good use. It became Pet Sounds’ lead single. Capitol always wanted a hit to sell an album.” 

Recalling the sessions, Jardine says that Brian’s abilities had been “growing exponentially” while they’d been away. 

“In spite of our jet lag, we were in the studio the day after we got home from Japan. We were extremely impressed with Brian’s arrangements. 

“People forget that he was a masterful producer. He knew the language. He could go into a studio and the studio became an instrument for him.” 

That said, it wasn’t all plain sailing, as Jardine explains: “Mike didn’t like the lyrics on some songs so he insisted on changing a couple around.  

“He thought a song called Hang On To Your Ego was too sophisticated for our crowd so he changed it to I Know There’s An Answer.” 

The story of Pet Sounds wouldn’t be complete without mention of the album title and cover shot of the boys among the goats at San Diego Zoo. Love says: “Brian didn’t know what to call the album.

“At the end [of final track Caroline, No], you hear a train going by and dogs are barking.  

“Those were Brian and [first wife] Marilyn’s dogs. So I said, ‘Why don’t we call it Pet Sounds? It was a double entendre, of course — and it stuck.” 

Jardine picks up the story of the photo shoot: “It was a total mystery to me.  

“We had to drive to San Diego, which was 200 miles away. We had our own zoo in Los Angeles, for God’s sake!” 

The resulting album cover has a quaint charm but it’s not exactly up there with Sgt Pepper’s iconic Peter Blake design. 

Love smiles at the memory and says: “I was in India at the Maharishi’s place when Paul McCartney and I had a conversation one night. 

“He was saying, ‘Mike, you ought to take more care with your album covers’. 

“So I told him, ‘Paul, you’re absolutely right.

We should’. 

“But we always felt that what went into the sleeve was more important than the cover itself.” 

And speaking of goats, to many including Macca, Pet Sounds is the GOAT. 

THE BEACH BOYS 

The Pet Sounds Session Highlights 

★★★★★

EUROVISION fans have picked their first ten finalists after the 70th edition of the iconic song contest kicked off in Vienna.

The BBC aired the first semi-final of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest at 8pm on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

Austria is hosting the world’s biggest music competition for the third time after JJ stormed to victory in Basel last year with Wasted Love.

Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski are hosting the show, with Emily Busvine looking after the Green Room.

Rylan and Angela Scanlon are providing commentary from the Wiener Stadthalle.

What happened in the first Eurovision semi-final?

A total of 15 countries competed for 10 Grand Final spots on Tuesday night.

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Pre-qualified Italy and Germany were slotted in after the sixth and 10th songs respectively.

Both nations were performing and voting, but not competing for a place in the final.

After all acts had performed, it was down to Eurovision fans to vote for who they want to see in Saturday’s final.

Just ten countries were picked and they were:

• Moldova – Satoshi, Viva, Moldova!
• Sweden – Felicia, My System
• Croatia – Lelek, Andromeda
• Greece – Akylas, Ferto
• Finland – Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, Liekinheitin
• Israel – Noam Bettan, Michelle
• Belgium – Essyla, Dancing on the Ice
• Lithuania – Lion Ceccah, Sólo quiero más
• Poland – Alicja, Pray
• Serbia – Lavina, Kraj mene

Viewers in the UK were not able to vote during the first semi-final, but things are going to change tonight.

What is the Eurovision semi-final 2 running order?

The second Eurovision semi-final follows at 8pm on Thursday, May 14, live on BBC One and iPlayer.

Another 15 countries will battle it out for the remaining 10 places.

Pre-qualified France, Austria and the UK will slot in after the fifth, eighth and 12th songs respectively.

These countries are performing and voting, but not competing for a place in the final.

The order for the second semi is as follows:

• Bulgaria – Dara, Bangaranga
• Azerbaijan – JIVA, Just Go
• Romania – Alexandra Căpitănescu, Choke Me
• Luxembourg – Eva Marija, Mother Nature
• Czechia – Daniel Žižka, Crossroads
• France (non-competing) – Monroe, Regarde !
• Armenia – Simón, Paloma Rumba
• Switzerland – Veronica Fusaro, Alice
• Cyprus – Antigoni, Jalla
• Austria (non-competing) – Cosmó, Tanzschein
• Latvia – Atvara, Ēnā
• Denmark – Søren Torpegaard Lund, Før vi går hjem
• Australia – Delta Goodrem, Eclipse
• Ukraine – Leléka, Ridnym
• United Kingdom (non-competing) – Look Mum No Computer, Eins, Zwei, Drei
• Albania – Alis, Nân
• Malta – Aidan, Bella
• Norway – Jonas Lovv, Ya Ya Ya

This is the show where UK fans can pick up the phone and vote.

When is the Eurovision Grand Final?

The Eurovision 2026 Grand Final takes place on Saturday, May 16, with the show getting underway at 8pm on BBC One, iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.

A whopping 25 acts will perform – the top 10 countries from each semi-final, alongside hosts Austria and the Big Four of Germany, France, Italy and the UK.

The full Grand Final running order won’t be locked in until after the second semi-final.

A draw will decide if each of the qualifying nations is slotted into the first or second half of the show.

Another draw has already determined that Austria are the closing act, meaning the host country is set to be the 25th and final performance of the night.

Graham Norton is back behind the mic for the BBC’s live coverage, with former Drag Race winner Tia Kofi heading up the broadcaster’s backstage and digital coverage.

TONIGHT, Delta Goodrem is hoping to turn Australia’s Eurovision fortunes around.

The Born To Try singer is banking on her track Eclipse to get her country into Saturday’s grand final for the first time in three years.

She will compete in the second Eurovision Semi-Final live in Vienna alongside the UK’s entry Look Mum No Computer and former Love Island
star Antigoni Buxton .

The reality star is representing Cyprus with her song Jalla.

Australia, who have competed in the contest since 2015, has failed to make it past the semi-finals since 2023, when Voyager’s track Promise saw them finish in ninth place in Liverpool.

Speaking to Bizarre, Delta revealed she has put just as much effort into the production of her performance as she has the song itself.

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Delta said: “I have definitely been learning on the job.

“This is my first ever Eurovision. The staging is just as important as the song.

“When I was working on the track, I wanted to make sure there was a lyric that lends itself to a journey in the production.

“I wrote it thinking about what the staging looks like and what exactly we are saying in the song.”

Admitting she was like a kid in a candy store when choosing her stage
effects, Delta added: “You can do all sorts of things.

“They give you a long list.. honestly, what an amazing opportunity.

“You can have fire, wind, you name it. I felt like I was going shopping.”

Last year’s 2025 contest in Basel, Switzerland, was watched by a
staggering 166 million people.

However, Delta insists she isn’t fazed by the massive global audience
set to watch her tonight.

She said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s Hackney, the Commonwealth Games,
Eurovision, or my outdoor pop-up in Camden earlier this year, I care
just as much about every single performance.

“My game plan is simple, stay true to myself and bring it.”

While Delta is determined to make her country proud, she isn’t taking
things too seriously.

In fact, she says bonding with fellow contestants has been a highlight.

Delta said: “Eurovision is completely its own world. I met a lot of artists in Oslo earlier this year and you naturally find your friends. Denmark’s Soren Torpegaar came up to me and told me how he went to one of my shows the last time I was in Denmark. It was really sweet.

“Honestly, the whole process has been amazing.”

JOHN Lennon’s son Julian has revealed his devastating health diagnosis while sending a warning to his fans.

The son of the iconic singer from The Beatles has opened up about being diagnosed with coronary heart disease and pre-diabetes.

The 63-year-old musician, who followed in his father’s footsteps and had the hit Too Late For Goodbyes, opened up in a recent social media post.

Taking to social media, Julian said in a post: “After being diagnosed with Coronary Heart Disease & a Pre-Diabetic, I urge you all to get checked out sooner rather than later.

“You never know what hidden health issues you may have, even after exercising and eating as much ‘good/healthy’ food as possible.

“Nip it in the bud! As they say…

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“Even with these ailments, I’ve managed to catch them early enough, to be able to reverse some of the damage and will hopefully be able to live a healthy long life!

“Please get checked out, before you’re checked out…

“And last but not least, thanks to all the Doctors who have helped and guided me on this new journey so far… Truly.”

Fans rushed to support Julian amid his health woes.

“Be well Julian! I’m on the same journey,” said one fan.

“Dear Julian, You are very thoughtful to share this, especially for our benefit. Good luck with your new healthier journey. Please keep us updated,” added a second.

“Good advice. Trying to be better at it now. Take good care,” penned a third.

This isn’t Julian’s first health concern.

In 2020, the musician revealed he had to undergo an emergency operation to remove a cancerous growth from his head.

The singer had visited his dermatologist, who noticed a lump on his head which he had had all his life “looked and felt a little different”.

After having a biopsy, the results showed that the mole was cancerous and Julian got it removed immediately. 

Writing on social media at the time, he said: “She urged me to have a Biopsy 2 days ago, which I obliged…

“Only to learn, 24 hrs later, that it was malignant/cancerous, and that her recommendation was to get it removed immediately, which is what happened today…

“Hopefully we managed to remove all that was cancerous, but the mole is being sent off again, for a further/deeper analysis, and I’ll have those results next week.”

Julian is the son of John Lennon and his first wife Cynthia, who sadly died in April 2015.

AN X Factor star has mysteriously pulled out of a major festival gig for “unforeseen” reasons.

The 30-year-old shot to fame on The X Factor in 2012 and went on to enjoy huge success as a musician.

The In It Together festival, which takes place this month in Wales, has announced that X Factor star Ella Henderson will not be appearing this year.

Taking to social media they said: “We’re very sorry to share that Ella Henderson has unfortunately been forced to cancel some of her upcoming appearances due to unforeseen circumstances, and as a result will no longer be appearing at In It Together Festival this year.

“We completely understand and support Ella’s decision, and we want to send our love and very best wishes to Ella and her entire team at this time.

“We sincerely hope to welcome Ella to In It Together in the near future.”

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The statement continued: “While we know many of you will be disappointed, we’ve worked tirelessly behind the scenes at the last minute to secure a huge replacement artist and someone you absolutely do not want to miss.

“Join us on Sunday at 2PM on the Together Stage for the official reveal. Trust us… this is BIG.”

Ella found fame on the ITV talent show in 2012 aged 16 where she wowed judges with her rendition of Cher’s Believe before reaching the live finals.

But she finished in sixth place behind winner James Arthur.

Following her stint on the show, Ella went on to sign with Simon Cowell’s label Syco Music and released her first studio album, Chapter One, with the music mogul in 2014.

During her time with label, Ella scored several hits with her single Ghost, which she wrote with the American writer producer Ryan Tedder, and emotional ballad Yours.

She went on a four-year hiatus in 2015, and released her second studio album, Everything I Didn’t Say, in 2022. It became her second top 10 album in the UK.

Ella has received the Brit Billion Award, and nominations for four Brit Awards and an Ivor Novello Award.

EUROVISION fever is back in full effect as the 70th Song Contest kicks off at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle tonight.

The first semi-final will see 15 countries battle it out for 10 spots the Grand Final.

Can I vote in the Eurovision semi-final tonight?

In short – no.

Aside from enjoying the show, UK viewers are unable to take part in tonight’s Eurovision semi-final.

This is because we have been drawn into the second semi-final on Thursday May 14, 2026.

Eurovision rules state that you can only vote in the semi-final in which your country is performing.

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That means Brits will have to wait until Thursday to vote, when viewers can have their say alongside France and host nation Austria, as well as the 15 competing nations.

How do you vote in the Eurovision semi-final?

UK viewers will be able to vote on Thursday.

Don’t worry, as full instructions will flash up on screen during the BBC broadcast.

The official website explains: “If you’re in a participating country, you can vote by phone or SMS.

“The instructions you will need will be on the screen during the broadcast, and you can also find them at esc.vote.

“Voting opens after the last song has been performed. You can vote up to 10 times, and you’ll have around 18 minutes to do so. Use your power wisely.”

You cannot vote for the UK’s own entry, in line with long-standing Eurovision rules designed to prevent home-nation advantage.

Why does the UK only take part in one semi-final?

The UK is a member of the Eurovision Big Five alongside France, Germany, Italy and Spain, all of whom automatically qualify for the Grand Final.

These nations are are the biggest financial contributors to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) – the organisation that runs Eurovision.

That pre-qualified status means the UK does not have to fight its way through the semi-finals, but is instead allocated to broadcast and vote in one of the two semis.

For 2026, Germany and Italy were drawn into the first semi-final, while the UK and France will join Austria in the second.

Spain has, however, pulled out of the contest entirely in protest of Israel’s participation amid the Gaza war, alongside Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia.

When are the two Eurovision 2026 semi-finals?

The Eurovision 2026 semi-finals will take place ahead of Saturday’s showpiece, with 30 of the 35 nations battling it out for 20 Grand Final spots.

Both start at 8pm and are live on BBC One and iPlayer, with the first on tonight – Tuesday, May 12 – and the second following on Thursday, May 14.

Rylan and Angela Scanlon will be providing commentary from the Wiener Stadthalle during both semis.

The order for the first semi-final is as follows:

• Moldova – Satoshi, Viva, Moldova!
• Sweden – Felicia, My System
• Croatia – Lelek, Andromeda
• Greece – Akylas, Ferto
• Portugal – Bandidos do Cante, Rosa
• Georgia – Bzikebi, On Replay
• Italy (non-competing) – Sal Da Vinci, Per sempre sì
• Finland – Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, Liekinheitin
• Montenegro – Tamara Živković, Nova zora
• Estonia – Vanilla Ninja, Too Epic to Be True
• Israel – Noam Bettan, Michelle
• Germany (non-competing) – Sarah Engels, Fire
• Belgium – Essyla, Dancing on the Ice
• Lithuania – Lion Ceccah, Sólo quiero más
• San Marino – Senhit, Superstar (featuring Boy George)
• Poland – Alicja, Pray
• Serbia – Lavina, Kraj mene

While the schedule for the second semi-final is:

• Bulgaria – Dara, Bangaranga
• Azerbaijan – JIVA, Just Go
• Romania – Alexandra Căpitănescu, Choke Me
• Luxembourg – Eva Marija, Mother Nature
• Czechia – Daniel Žižka, Crossroads
• France (non-competing) – Monroe, Regarde !
• Armenia – Simón, Paloma Rumba
• Switzerland – Veronica Fusaro, Alice
• Cyprus – Antigoni, Jalla
• Austria (non-competing) – Cosmó, Tanzschein
• Latvia – Atvara, Ēnā
• Denmark – Søren Torpegaard Lund, Før vi går hjem
• Australia – Delta Goodrem, Eclipse
• Ukraine – Leléka, Ridnym
• United Kingdom (non-competing) – Look Mum No Computer, Eins, Zwei, Drei
• Albania – Alis, Nân
• Malta – Aidan, Bella
• Norway – Jonas Lovv, Ya Ya Ya

A NOUGHTIES pop star has hinted he’s quitting fame after 25 years in the spotlight as furiously ranted online.

The 42-year-old took to his Instagram to share some hard truths about the industry and told how he’d rather live a simpler live.

Lee Ryan, a star of the 90s boyband Blue, explained that he’s “been through hell and back” and said he now “hates the public eye.”

The singer found fame in the early 2000s after the band achieved massive success with their debut album All Rise in 2001.

Blue, who have three UK Number 1 Platinum-selling albums, are still going strong, with tours lined up for the rest of this year and next.

Alongside Antony Costa, Duncan James and Simon Webbe, Lee has been taking to the stage but it seems he’s not entirely happy.

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He posted a picture of himself singing at a concert on Instagram and captioned it with the statement: “As much as I love my career I’ve had for 25 years singing in Blue, sometimes I just want to go home to be a husband and father to my baby’s.

“There’s no place I feel more at peace than with them. This industry sucks you in and spits you out the other end… I’ve been through hell and back in the public eye and I actually hate it now.”

Lee continued: “I don’t like the fame part of this job anymore, it’s fake and quite toxic. People use you and abuse you and use your success as a weapon.”

“Don’t get me wrong I love singing and being creative making music and seeing the fans at shows,” said Lee.

“The rest I could leave behind and never step foot into that space again happily… I have no interest in the industry bs anymore…. Rather be home being a dad and a husband x”

Fans took to the comments to support Lee while some felt annoyed that they had brought tickets and could see he “didn’t want to do it anymore.”

One fan wrote: “I love blue, I still do. But at the concert I feel like I could see that you don’t really want it anymore. It‘s sad because people pay money to see the absolute best of you…”

Another fan said: “Thank you for carrying on and bless us with your beautiful voice. There is no place like home and I am sure your family is forever proud of you.”

A third fan added: “You would be missed, your voice, stage presence and banter is truly in a small minority BUT you have to do what’s best for you.”

Lee’s wife Verity also rushed to support her man. She said: “You get to do both!!! Be a pop star and come back to reality and live on the farm in the sunshine!!! We love you Mr, keep going nearly home time xxx”

The couple, who married in Gibraltar in 2022, share four children together.

Blue took a hiatus in 2004 but later reformed with the original bandmembers in 2011.

JENNIFER Lopez has joined Spotify’s billionaire club for the first time.

Her 2011 dance hit On The Floor, with rapper Pitbull, has now clocked up more than a billion streams.

The US singer, 56, in a celebratory mood at a Netflix comedy event in LA on Sunday night thanked fans online, adding: “Thank you JLovers … On The Floor is one billion strong on Spotify because of you!

“Let’s keep dancing.”

It is the first of J-Lo’s songs to ever achieve the feat, while it becomes Pitbull’s sixth track to make the grade.

However she has a way to go before overhauling Spotify’s most-played track — The Weeknd’s 2020 classic Blinding Lights, on 5.4billion streams.

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Released as the lead single from her seventh album Love?, the song marked a major comeback for the star following a quieter period in her music career.

We recently revealed how the star got down and dirty with her co-star Brett Goldstein in a first look at their brand new movie, Office Romance.

A trailer for the raunchy Netflix rom-com has dropped with J Lo serving up some of her sauciest on-screen scenes to date.

The hotly anticipated flick is due to release next month with Jennifer and her co-star Brett having heaps of passion as a typical work love story blooms.

POP star Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for £11million after the tech giant allegedly used her face to sell £300 televisions without her permission.

A picture of the Levitating singer was on the packaging of Crystal 43in ultra-high- definition sets to promote its XITE Hits music channel.

In legal paperwork obtained by The Sun, Dua’s attorneys say she owns the copyright to the photo — taken backstage at a 2024 festival.

She claims it appeared on a “significant portion” of the tellies sold in the US — and her fans even flocked to buy them in the belief she had endorsed them.

The filing, made in the Central District of California Federal Court, reveals that Grammy- winner Dua is demanding a minimum $15million (£11million) in damages — but a jury could decide to award far more.

South Korean firm Samsung is said to have ignored several legal warnings from her team.

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Her lawyer Christine Lepera wrote: “Samsung used a copyrighted image of Ms. Lipa without authority or licence and prominently featured it on the front of boxes containing Samsung-manufactured televisions for retail sale.”

She added “The substantial revenue made on the sale is inextricably tied to the false message conveyed to consumers that Ms. Lipa has endorsed the Infringing Products when she has not.”

One fan is said to have put a photo of the box online with the caption: “I wasn’t even planning on buying a TV, but I saw the box so I decided to get it.”

Another in Miami who spotted it in a store wrote on Instagram: “I’d get that TV just because Dua is on it. That’s how obsessed I am.”

A third said: “I’ve always said if you need anything selling, just put a picture of Dua Lipa on it.”

Ms Lepera added that Dua would not have agreed a Samsung deal anyway as she is “highly selective in her commercial partnerships”.

The London-born star, 30, is one of the world’s biggest pop stars, cracking America and winning three Grammy Awards.

She has signed a number of advertising deals to take her net worth in excess of £100million.

Dua is the face of Nespresso, alongside George Clooney, and also the frontwoman for Yves Saint-Laurent’s beauty products.

In 2023, she signed a seven- figure package to become the face of sports car brand Porsche, and she is in a multi-year partnership with sportswear giant Puma.

Samsung had yet to file a defence to the court. Both Samsung and Dua Lipa’s legal firm, MSK, were asked to comment.

AKON and Ne-Yo have been the soundtrack of our lives for the past two decades.

Between them, they have sold more than 55million records worldwide, thanks to a series of high-profile collaborations including Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Gewn Stefani and David Guetta.

In 2008, Akon teamed up with Michael Jackson to rework the King of Pop’s 1982 smash Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.

Now he tells Bizarre that he’s got his sights on teaming up with Princess of Pop Britney Spears.

Speaking to Bizarre’s Jack backstage at The O2 as he and Ne-Yo team up for a massive UK arena tour, Akon said: “Yeah, I would f***ing kill that record with Britney. I’m obsessed with her.

“I have some songs lined up, but I can’t even explain it. As for the sound, I think it needs to reflect where she’s at in her life.”

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He added: “That thing is beyond Britney. I can’t think of anyone that I haven’t worked with.

“So this is why I do a lot of collaborations with new artists, because that is what inspires me now.”

The duo have played just about every big arena in the country, including multiple nights at Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena and four nights at London’s O2.

And fans there for their last night at the capital’s venue this Thursday are in for a treat as the show is nothing short of bonkers in the best way, with Akon crowd-surfing on a pimped-out table.

The hitmaker had kicked off the tour Zorbing over the crowd — but UK health and safety rules forced him to rethink his plans.

Akon said: “Yeah, the inflatable ball was my idea. I’ve been doing it at other places since about 2008, but the UK has got too many restrictions.”

Videos of Akon crowd-surfing have gone viral on social media, with overjoyed fans baffled and stunned at the singer’s ­daring display.

In one clip, the superstar can be heard telling ­security not to worry and to get out of the way, as his fans love him and won’t hurt him.

Admitting he has zero fears when it comes to entering the crowd, Akon said: “No, I’m not nervous about falling off at all.

“You have got to have balance, though.”

After we tell him we would need a vodka before hitting the stage, the teetotal star laughs: “That’s why you could never do it. You couldn’t balance on there.

“You would be wobbly the moment you get on top.”

In fact, the sober star says all he needs is a can of Coca-Cola and some jelly beans to get him pumped up for the two-and-a-half-hour show.

Akon said: “Back in the day I used to work out before a show, but now it comes so second nature, I just chill and relax until it’s time for me to get on. I literally have no rituals.

“I love jelly beans. I have them before my show every day. I like Coke as a nice refreshing drink, and I make fruit juices as well. Just the basic stuff — ginger and lemon teas.

“But for the show itself, it’s totally different. I turn into the Incredible Hulk. I just change when the lights come on. I turn into somebody totally different.

“I’m not exhausted by the end. I’m fully energised and ready to go again.”

While Akon is powered by jelly beans, it seems his co-headliner Ne-Yo gets his energy from Scampi Fries.

Bizarre are led through the rabbit warren of corridors in The O2, passing racks of diamond- encrusted clothes to meet the star ahead of the gig.

And when he emerges from his dressing room, he holds up two packs of the savoury snack, which can be found in most old boozers.

Clearly impressed and baffled by the quintessentially British treat, Ne-Yo says: “I’ve just discovered scampi snacks — I love them.”

Rather than bringing them with him on the road, bosses at The O2 have stocked his dressing room minibar with a ­plentiful supply.

We tell Ne-Yo that if he pops to the pub for a post-show pint, he will be able to ask for a bag of Scampi Fries alongside his Stella.

Ne-Yo, who has clocked up 20 UK Top 40 singles and five UK No1s, jokingly replies: “I’m going to invest in the company.”

Judging by their high-energy set, it seems jelly beans and Scampi Fries really are the way forward.

ZENDAYA: MY BALANCING  ACT

THEY are two of the biggest showbiz names on the planet.

But despite regularly being seen out and about together, Tom Holland and Zendaya are notoriously private when it comes to their relationship.

Now the Dune actress has revealed why she holds things back from fans – describing how she is locked in a daily battle over how much of her private life to share.

Zendaya said: “It’s a complex thing. It’s a balance of how to figure out how much to give of yourself, because I wouldn’t be in this position without the people who support me, and I want to be able to show them how thankful I am for their support.

“But then on the flip side, it is important to pour into yourself as well and hold things sacred to yourself and to your loved ones – to have those moments too and create that little healthy boundary.”

Zendaya and Tom married in secret this year after meeting on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016.

She added: “At the end of the day, you have to fill your cup too.

“I try to find that balance. There’s really no blueprint. There’s no road map.

“We don’t know what we’re doing. We’re just figuring this out every day.”

A $570m JACKO THRILLER

THE MICHAEL JACKSON biopic, Michael, has only been out for three weeks but is already breaking records.

The film has surpassed $570million (£420m) at the global box office – making it the No1 music biopic of all time in North America.

It is only the second music biopic ever to earn more than $500million at the box office, following in the footsteps of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Released in 2018, that film saw Rami Malek play the late Freddie Mercury, while former EastEnders actor turned X-Men hunk Ben Hardy played drummer Roger Taylor.

Meanwhile, in Michael, the late King of Pop is played by his real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson.

Michael’s daughter, Paris Jackson, has distanced herself from the project, accusing bosses of creating a “fantasy” with “full-blown lies”.

ARIANA: NEW LIFE BUDS IN PETALS

ARIANA GRANDE has continued to tease her upcoming eighth album, Petal.

The We Can’t Be Friends singer has insisted the new collection isn’t like her X-rated 2021 record Positions – despite previously referring to it as “a bit feral”.

Asked if the records will be similar, Ari simply replied: “No, but I love her [Positions] . . . I just enjoy evolving.”

The album’s lead ­single, Hate That I Made You Love Me, drops in just over a fortnight, with Petal released on July 31.

Ari’s previous album, 2024’s Eternal ­Sunshine, was all about her split from ­Dalton Gomez after three years of ­marriage, and finding love once more with her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater.

Insisting Petal will be far more uplifting than her last offering, Ariana added: “Basically, it’s about something that is full of life growing through the cracks of something cold and hard and challenging.”

Doja’s frilled to hit  town  

LOOKS like less is more for Doja Cat.

The Paint The Town Red rapper clearly doesn’t feel the cold as she steps out in New York in this tiny outfit.

Looking ready to party into the night, Doja opted for a purple metallic crop-top and a tiny frilly brown skirt – which barely measures more than some of the belts I own.

Doja completed her look with an equally minuscule pink handbag, which looks like it would only be able to fit an iPhone and a ­single lighter.

She may be from Los ­Angeles, but Doja clearly has some northern grit in her.

HELLO JAMES – WHO’S THE LITTLE GUY ON YOUR KNEE?

I’VE posed for my fair share of unflattering pictures with stars over the years.

But James Martin may have just taken the crown when it comes to photographic oddities.

The TV chef shared this picture of himself with presenter Guy Martin after he appeared on James Martin’s Saturday Morning cookery show.

Due to the angle, James appears five times the size of Guy, who is perched next to him like a ­ventriloquist’s dummy.

The Instagram comments section was ­immediately filled with fans of the duo giving them a good old-fashioned ribbing.

One wrote: “Did you have him on a boil wash?” Another added: “Love Guy. I didn’t realise he was only 2ft tall though.”

A third teased: “Faith in the British sense of humour restored by reading this ­comment section.”

Seemingly oblivious to the epic fail, James gushed over his bromance with Guy, with the caption: “I’ve interviewed many people but Guy was a top one . . .fascinating man and a massive eater. Top show – hope you liked it.”

DANCEFLOOR legend Martin Garrix has confirmed my tale that his single with Ed Sheeran is just around the corner.

Over the weekend, a billboard with a message from Martin popped up in the Dominican Republic, where Shape Of You singer Ed has just played a show.

It read: “Hi Ed. Can we please release our song? Xx Marty.”

I told last month how the duo will be releasing Repeat It.

Show support

LEWIS CAPALDI has added some huge support acts to his BST Hyde Park shows in London.

The singer will be supported by a string of top names including The Vaccines for his July 11 gig and Alessi Rose for his July 12 date.

Before he reaches the capital, Lewis will also play the brand-new Roundhay Festival in Leeds on July 4.

Jessie Murph, Kerr Mercer and Nieve Ella have all been announced to support him at the show.

Going all out

WE can always count on Rita Ora to go all out when it comes to weird and wonderful outfit choices.

The singer and actress looks like she stepped straight off the runway in this quirky blue-striped co-ord on Sunday in London.

Rita was in high spirits as she headed to the Royal Albert Hall to rehearse for tonight’s special King’s Trust Celebration concert there.

Bizarre will be backstage to bring you all the gossip from the VIP-packed night.

THE hot contender to win Eurovision has a steamy past, having posed topless for Playboy and appeared on Baywatch.

Glamorous violinist Linda Lampenius is the bookies’ favourite to win next week’s contest with singer Peter Parkkonen, representing Finland with their song Liekinheitin.

But she is no stranger to fame, as she has an illustrious career as one of the nation’s sexiest musicians.

Linda, now 56, posed on the cover of US magazine Playboy in 1998 and appeared topless while holding her instrument in photos inside the mag.

She was compared to Pamela Anderson because of her stunning figure and blonde hair, which led to an appearance on Baywatch.

Linda, who has also used the name Linda Brava, appeared in an episode playing a violinist named Ariana, but she later claimed to have refused to shoot certain scenes with David Hasselhoff, who played lifeguard Mitch Buchannon.

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She said the script included the pair giving each other massages before they “find themselves in a steam room sharing a hot kiss.”

But Linda recalled: “I said that I refused to do the scene and that Hasselhoff was also ‘too old’ for me.”

She also appeared on an episode of the British late-night show Eurotrash in the Nineties, where she was referred to as a “supermodel” and “the hottest thing to come out of Finland since the sauna.”

Reflecting on the TV show appearance and her previous work in 2018, Linda said it was a small part of her life which she still laughs about.

She wrote on Instagram: “These fashion shows and photo shoots were something I did for less than 20 days of my life!! (I’m just laughing about the fact that they called me ‘supermodel’).

“If you get stuck in a box and never dare to do anything funny and different, life will become boring. Eurotrash was a humorous TV show, like a comedy show.

“I come from a theatre family and all quirky stuff is normal. It doesn’t make me less of a classical violinist/artist.”

Linda and Pete will compete in the first Eurovision semi-final at 8pm on Tuesday on BBC One, with hopes of progressing to the 70th annual grand final on Saturday May 16.

The latest odds from William Hill give Finland odds of 5/4 to win the entire contest, just in front of Denmark and Greece which are both at 11/2.

If Linda does win, she will be the oldest person to ever do so.

Estonia’s Dave Benton currently holds the record after winning aged 50 for Estonia in 2001.

Meanwhile, the UK act Look Mum No Computer is 17th in the betting with odds of 80/1 to win with his song Eins, Zwei, Drei.

THE Beatles and the Rolling Stones both launched their latest albums yesterday – on separate continents. 

It was a case of let’s attend the knights together in honour of British rock royalty, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Mick Jagger. 

At London’s fabled Abbey Road Studios, where the Fab Four recorded nearly all their songs, Macca held a lunchtime listening party for his latest LP, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane (out May 29). 

Then, in New York City hours later, Sixties chart rivals Jagger and Keith Richards as well as the later arrival to the ranks, Ronnie Wood, were seen strolling out of a Brooklyn theatre at the launch of their album, Foreign Tongues (out July 10). 

In a neat twist, Sir Paul plays bass on new Stones track Covered In You, recorded at the same session as his contribution to Bite My Head Off from 2023’s Hackney Diamonds. 

And BOTH albums were produced by American hotshot producer Andrew Watt, known for work with Ozzy Osbourne and Lady Gaga. 

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Before a select audience of fans and “my lovely son James” in Studio No2, McCartney, 83, introduced all fourteen tracks on his heartfelt 21st studio effort. 

For nearly two hours, he filled the time with fascinating anecdotes, playing select chords on his acoustic guitar and even mouthing some of the lyrics.  

Many songs have nostalgia-filled backstories, including As You Lie There about unrequited love for a girl called Jasmine. 

The “trippy” Mountain Top recalls Glastonbury, where he headlined in 2022, while Down South is about hitchhiking trips to Wales with George Harrison. 

Elsewhere, there’s a first-ever duet with fellow Beatle Ringo Starr on new single Home To Us, also featuring Chrissie Hynde and Sharleen Spiteri. Salesman Saint is a moving tribute to Macca’s parents, Jim and Mary. 

Meanwhile, the Stones also heralded their album with the release of a single, In The Stars, the follow-up to Rough & Twisted, a limited edition vinyl single which appeared under a pseudonym, The Cockroaches. 

Then Oscars host Conan O’Brien hosted a Q&A session with Mick and Keith, both 82, and Ronnie, 78. 

Besides McCartney, other guests on Foreign Tongues (also 14 songs) include The Cure’s Robert Smith on three tracks and Steve Winwood. 

SIMON Cowell has revealed he is thinking of bringing back The X Factor, nearly eight years after the ITV talent contest was axed.

Over its 14-year run the show discovered huge acts including One Direction, Little Mix, Leona Lewis and Olly Murs.

And now the music mogul is considering a revival for the Gen Z years, following the success of his Netflix show The Next Act, which spawned rising pop stars December 10.

Simon told TV presenter Jamie East on his new podcast Tales From The Celebrity Trenches: “Do you bring it back as X Factor or do you bring it back as the Z Factor? We talk about it a lot.

“There’s still no question — the power of TV in terms of getting people to know an artist.

“It is so important if you are not writing your own material.

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“There is something about being on a big screen.

“You do hear about these artists who break online, but so rarely.

“We could have made [The Next Act] online.

“I just don’t think it would have had the same effect.

“The truth is, thank God, people like being on TV.”

Running such a huge talent show is not always plain sailing, but Simon had a distinctly New Age solution when the stresses got just too much while filming The Next Act.

He turned to crystals.

Simon recalled: “We were running out of money so I did have a little mini meltdown.

“And then I just sat with my crystals and they just comforted me.

“I can feel the energy.

“I thought it was kind of comforting having the crystals rather than everyone in my ear driving me crazy.”

He added: “I definitely believe in the powers of the universe.

“I feel that if you can harness the power of the universe to try and make your mind just calm down for a moment . . . ”

I don’t think I’ll be swapping a medicinal glass of rosé for rose quartz any time soon, but each to their own . . . 

Kylie in Michael tribute

Kylie Minogue will pay tribute to late boyfriend Michael Hutchence in her new self-titled Netflix documentary.

She confirmed yesterday that the Inxs frontman will be included.

In a first-look trailer, Kylie shared photographs of them together while they dated between 1989 and 1991.

Despite splitting, Kylie stayed close to fellow Aussie Michael until his death aged 37 in 1997,

She said previously: “He was a dark bad boy and I was the pure good girl.

“He opened up a whole new world for me.”

The three-parter will also feature Kylie’s friends and family talking about highs and lows she has faced, including her breast cancer diagnosis in 2005.

Kylie is heard saying off camera: “I felt removed from my body.

“I was so scared of what was ahead.”

Her sister Dannii can then be seen welling up as she says: “We didn’t know if she was ever going to well again.

“I just wanted to be with my sister.

“Music kept us going.”

Fans will have to wait until May 20 to watch the series in full.

Hol lotta Caity

Caity Baser was hostess with the mostess as she opened a beach club in the back garden of her seaside home.

She squeezed into a tight blue dress and posed with bunting and flowers at the party to mark the release of new single Holiday Song this Friday.

The singer’s pal Joel Corry was drafted in as DJ for the bash in Brighton.

She ordered a tonne of sand to turn her garden into a beach – but revealed to TikTok followers that she ordered builders’ sand by mistake.

She referred to her makeshift club as Ibiza Crops – a reference to Ibiza Rocks on the White Isle – but was dreading the prospect of clearing it all up afterwards.

If the release of the single goes as well as her party, she’ll have a very fun summer.

Jack Cullen began his first headline European solo tour in Bristol last night, and has a long slog in front of him.

The musician, who released single Face To Face on Friday, will play across the UK in the next few days then head to Brussels, Cologne, Amsterdam and Berlin.

He’ll then Run 22 marathons in 22 days – back from the German capital to London for the tour’s final night, headlining Oslo in Hackney on June 12.

Live gigs in Dolldrums

Pussycat Dolls, Post Malone and Zayn Malik have all cancelled North American tours in the past week – and it’s the clearest sign yet the live music economy is about to turn.

Last summer was one of the best-ever for gigs, with Oasis, Dua Lipa and Coldplay selling out stadiums, while Radiohead, Lewis Capaldi and Tate McRae played to packed arenas.

But ticket prices have only continued to rise since live shows returned after Covid, and now it’s clear punters have had enough of greedy artists taking advantage.

Shows are already hugely expensive in the UK, but over in the US, the prices are even higher.

Suki Waterhouse, Ella Mai and Logic and G-Eazy’s tours there later this year are also struggling to shift tickets, with fears they could be axed too. It’s only a matter of time before we see a similar knock-on effect in the UK.

Even some major tours here this summer are yet to sell out, after insatiable promoters added strings of dates and pushed artists into bigger and bigger venues.

As you know from this column, I love a good concert.

But at a time when everyone is strapped for cash, paying through the nose for a couple of hours of singing is just not an option for many.

So if the music industry keeps moving like it is at the moment, it’s only going to turn people off altogether.

It’s a three-horse race to the No1 album spot this Friday, with Mel C, Michael Jackson and Kneecap all battling it out for the prime position.

Just under 3,000 chart units separate third place from the top spot, so it’s all to play for.

Kneecap are currently at No1 with Fenian, closely followed by Mel’s Sweat and MJ’s 2005 compilation album The Essential, which is back in demand after the Michael biopic.

Pete aims for Kyle collab

Pete Doherty is recruiting The View’s frontman Kyle Falconer to collaborate on songs for his next solo album.

They previously worked together on Pete’s track Midas Touch, on Kyle’s recent LP Lovely Night Of Terror.

Now Kyle has revealed he visited Pete’s home in the South of France and will return soon to work with the Libertines rocker, right, again.

He said: “I was just over in France to see him, we’re talking about loads of stuff.

“It was all very arty. We were painting together, and talking about films.”

Pete’s last solo effort was 2025 album Felt Better Alive, while the last Libertines record was 2024’s All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade.

Two years ago Kyle moved to Alicante in Spain with his wife Laura and their four kids.

He now runs songwriting camps from his La Sierra Casa studio, and said: “The camp is getting bigger and better every year, and we’ve just moved to a new place.”

Celebrity treasures on sale

War Child is back with its Spring Clean auction – packed with some of the most random and brilliant celebrity treasures going.

Fans can get their hands on Alan Carr’s Isabell Kristensen blazer from RuPaul’s Drag Race, and even a signed Devil Wears Prada 2 script donated by Stanley Tucci.

There’s a Fantastic Four script signed by Vanessa Kirby, plus one of the strangest items on offer – the infamous radish prop from Netflix’s Beef, signed by the cast.

You can also win a private film screening and lunch with Simon Pegg.

Meanwhile, sci-fi lovers can snap up a personalised photo signed by X-Files co-stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny.

Music lovers are also in for a treat, with signed setlists and memorabilia from Robbie Williams, The 1975 and Coldplay all among items up for grabs.

It runs until May 27, and will raise money to support children in war zones. See springclean.charitystars.com to get involved. Prize draw entries start at £10.

Liz up to sun-thing

Lizzo is lapping up as much sun as she can before she kicks off the promo for her new album, Bitch.

The Truth Hurts singer shared this snap with her 11million Instagram followers with the caption: “Best Birthday Ever”.

Lizzo turned 38 last week and used her special day to announce the record, which is the follow-up to her 2022 album, Special.

Teasing what Bitch has in store, Lizzo said: “I think it’s always going to be the Lizzo sound.

“I posted a snippet of one of my new songs that’s coming out very, very soon and somebody was like, ‘The Nineties are back’.

“I love constructing and producing and creating just well-crafted music and songs.

“I hope everyone likes it.”

As a massive Lizzo fan myself, I am sure I’m going to love it.

They are one of the most in-demand couples in ­Hollywood, so what do Gen Z heartthrobs ­Zendaya and Tom Holland do in their spare time?

The British actor, above with his other half, said: “So we have been ­crocheting at home. I absolutely love it.”

“I just find it turns my brain off. I can’t do anything else and do it. I have to be lasered in.”

I’m sure he still has Zendaya in stitches . . . 

SABRINA Carpenter rocked an old Hollywood look at the Met Gala on Monday, rocking a tight-fitting frock with a racy thigh-high slit.

The 26-year-old singing sensation wore a gorgeous dress made out of real old Hollywood film reels as she attended the star-studded event in New York.

The film reels on the dress were of the Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn movie, which is titled Sabrina.

She flashed her toned pins as she strutted her stuff in front of onlookers, smiling and beaming as she made her way up the iconic steps.

Fans were left completely enamoured by her sizzling ensemble.

“The hair is so pretty, the dress is stunning, everything is amazing,” penned one person.

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“This b**ch wrapped herself in Kodak film,” added a second, complete with a laughing emoji.

“That is a cool dress and idea,” said a third.

“She DEFINITELY understood the assignment,” added a fourth.

While a fifth wrote: “Sabrina Carpenter’s dress is one of the most creative I’ve seen tonight. I love that.”

But not everyone was complimentary of her outfit, with some quick to share their critique.

“It’s classy but she could have done a whole lot better,” said one person.

“Boring as usual,” slammed a second.

While a third penned: “the dress itself is beautifully constructed but the choice of the film strips is lost on me and its connection to the theme/dress code?”

This comes off the back of Sabrina’s sensational headline concerts at Coachella last month.

The singer delivered a set dubbed “Sabrinawood” with a Hollywood-themed set across two weekends on April 10 and 17.

Her shows featured some very iconic cameos from the likes of Madonna, Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell, and Sam Elliott.

The setlist highlighted her most recent album Man’s Best Friend, but also included some of her biggest hits like Espresso and Feather.