Pop Music

THE BRIT Awards are back again tonight, and music fans will be excited to see if they are any shocking moments on the show.

While the award ceremony celebrates musical talent, the event hosted by Jack Whitehall, is also infamous for being host to an array of wild celebrity moments.

As we gear up for the likes of global hitmaker Alex Warren, pop legend Harry Styles and KPop Demon Hunters to take the stage this evening, we take a look back at the wildest moments that took place at the Brits over the years.

Danny Dyer shocked viewers as he dropped the c-word (2025)

EastEnders legend Danny, 48, was chatting with host Jack Whitehall, 37, when he made the X-rated blunder, forcing producers to mute the audio.

The actor was discussing his new film Marching Powder when he struggled to find the right words to describe it without getting himself into trouble.

And, while Danny’s comments didn’t make the airwaves in their entirety, The Sun captured it all from the crowd.

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“It’s basically Bridget Jones, but with the word c**t,” he quipped, leaving Jack scrambling to remind him, “Danny, like when I said say anything, not bad words, obviously.”

Producers silenced some of his comments, swiftly cutting to an ad break before things got even worse.

Lewis Capaldi’s sweary speech (2021)

The singer, 29, appeared at the O2 to present the award for British Album of the Year.

However his speech had to be muted due to the amount of swear words he used.

Lewis said to the audience: “Hello motherf***ers! Listen guys… I’m f***ing sweating – it’s like a swamp down there, I’m telling you. Sweaty b****cks.”

He added: “It’s been a great year for albums….

“Most of all because I haven’t f***ing released one!”

The award was given to Dua Lipa for her album ‘Future Nostalgia’.

Jack Whitehall and Little Mix (2019, 2021)

Jack has had a couple of awkward moments with Little Mix at the awards ceremony.

In 2019 he brought up a comment about the girls made by Piers Morgan after they posed nude.

Jack asked Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson and Jade Thirwall: “What would you say to that dutty wasteman?”

The girls were left lost for words, with him adding: “What? I want some beef at some Brits.”

Then in 2021 he chatted to the band again, but this time as a trio after Jesy Nelson left in 2020.

Leigh-Anne and Perrie proudly showed off their growing baby bumps, to which Jack said: “The next question on my card is, “What do you do to pass the time in lockdown?”

“He went there, he actually went there,” Leigh-Anne joked back.

Madonna’s cape fail (2015)

Madonna took a tumble down a flight of stairs at the 2015 awards, she later blamed the fall on the design of the cape she had been wearing.

But the cape’s designer, Giorgio Armani claimed that the cape was originally designed with a hook – but Madonna has requested a tie.

He said:  “Madonna, as we all know, is very difficult. That’s all there was to it.”

Liam Gallagher vs. Peter Kay (2010)

At the 2010 ceremony, the Oasis frontman made a surprise appearance to accept his award for Best Brits album of the past 30 years – but then went on to give a rambling and foul-mouthed acceptance speech.

Liam then threw his microphone into the crowd, causing a 10 minute delay.

Host comedian Peter Kay eventually got back on stage where he referred to the Oasis member’s actions by saying: “What a k***head.”

Brian McFadden vs. So Solid Crew (2002)

This may not be on of Brian’s best thought out moments, but reportedly the then-Westlife singer threw a bottle of water over all 24 members of So Solid Crew backstage at the 2002 awards.

Apparently, he’d consumed two bottles of vodka and eight cans of Red Bull before he decided it was a good idea.

We don’t think either of the band’s would have been happy about that.

Robbie Williams vs. Liam Gallagher (2000)

Who could forget the time that Robbie used his acceptance speech to offer Oasis singer Liam Gallagher a fight?

In 2000, Rob famously used his Brit Awards acceptance speech to offer to fight Liam, leading the rocker to call Rob a “fat f***ing idiot”.

Robbie said: “So, anybody like to see me fight Liam?

“Would you pay to come and see it? Liam, a hundred grand of your money and a hundred grand of my money.

“We’ll get in a ring and we’ll have a fight and you can all watch it on TV, what d’you think about that?”

Robbie was quickly escorted away from the stage.

Ronnie Wood and Brandon Block (2000)

In one of the most awkward moments in the history of the Brits, dance DJ Brandon Block was so drunk that when his friends joked that he had won an award he staggered onto stage to accept it – interrupting rock legend Ronnie Wood’s speech.

Brandon was pulled back but broke free from security and squared up to the Rolling Stone’s rocker.

Ronnie then retaliated by throwing a drink in his face.

A BRITISH indie rocker has left pub punters feeling shocked as he performed in a cover band – but would you have recognised him?

The global songwriter, 31, was spotted singing at a local pub in his home town Shields alongside his dad and brother.

Sam Fender has had three Brit Awards and his albums Hypersonic Missiles and Seventeen Going Under also topped UK charts.

But the Geordie star took to covering other people’s songs as he got together with his family in a social club.

A fan took to TikTok and posted a video of the star performing and captioned it: “Rare .. Sam Fender playing and singing with his dad and brother on keyboard.

“All for a good cause #teamjanine raising awareness for MND . Real canny lads!”

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The award-winning singer took part in the event to raise funds for MND in memory of the late Janine Turnbull, joining his dad and brother on stage as part of band The Pirates.

In another video shared of the same event, fans rushed to the comments section to praise the star: “The vocals are absolutely insane, fair play.”

A second said: “They’re a talented bunch those Fenders.”

While a third wrote: “I love how humble Sam is and doing this.”

A fourth stated: “Was great that he was able to do that and just be Sam local lad again.”

A fifth added: “Unreal scenes.”

Sam is allegedly a multi-millionaire after years and years of hard graft combined with his natural musical talent.

He’s built formidable music connections from a collaboration with rising US star Noah Kahan to supporting Bruce Springsteen and The Killers and hanging out with the late guitar virtuoso Jeff Beck. and Johnny Depp when the actor was in the North East with his Hollywood Vampires band.

The singer-songwriter, nabbed the Mercury trophy and £25,000 cash at the 2025 ceremony in his native Newcastle – the first time the awards had been held outside London.

He won with his third album ahead of a star-studded pack of 12 nominees, including Pulp, Wolf Alice, FKA Twigs, PinkPantheress and Pa Salieu.

Sam was not fancied by the bookies, so his victory was something of a shock, and the crowd went ballistic at his name.

The Geordie name-checked fellow nominees during his acceptance speech and thanked an ecstatic crowd.

He said: “We did not expect this at all. I want to say thank you,” before declaring: “This region is the best region in the country.”

Sam then grabbed his guitar and launched into a rendition of his album’s titular track, People Watching.

He also paid tribute to the late actress Annie Orwin, the inspiration behind the song, who he described as like a “surrogate mother”.

Sam added that his win on home turf was “really, really important” because the music scene in Newcastle had “always been in an isolated bubble”.

Last year, Sam hoped to toast his global success with his own range of booze.

The star had been granted permission by the UK’s Intellectual Property Office to use his name to sell a range of goods.

The documents revealed he could market “Beers, Alcoholic beverages, and Non-alcoholic beverages; Retail services connected to the sale of Beers, Alcoholic beverages, Non-alcoholic beverages, Mineral and aerated waters, Fruit beverages and fruit juices.”

The application stays in place for ten years now that it has been rubber-stamped.

ROBBIE Williams will pay tribute to late rocker Ozzy Osbourne at the Brit Awards. 

The singer, 52, will perform a special arrangement of Ozzy’s 1991 track No More Tears alongside some of the Black Sabbath rocker’s former bandmates and musician pals. 

It will celebrate the posthumous Lifetime Achievement award being made to Ozzy, who died in July aged 76, at tomorrow night’s ceremony. 

His wife, Sharon, 73, will be in the audience at Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena.

A source said: “Sharon personally asked Robbie to perform the tribute to Ozzy. He is a huge Ozzy fan and has been a friend of the family for decades. 

“For Sharon, Robbie seemed the perfect person to perform this song for him. She has curated the special arrangement for No More Tears. It will be a performance that goes down in the Brits’ history books and will be a very special moment.” 

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A Brits insider added: “Robbie’s performance with some of Ozzy’s closest friends will celebrate his legacy as one of the most influential rock icons of all time. 

“The Brits have a special relationship with Ozzy. He hosted the ceremony with Sharon and his children Jack and Kelly in 2008. 

“This will be an incredibly emotional and fitting way to celebrate the impact he had on not only British music, but globally, too.” 

Others who died in the past year will also be remembered during an In Memoriam segment. They are expected to include Stone Roses bassist Gary “Mani” Mounfield. 

Ozzy, who died just five days after after giving his final concert, joins music royalty John Lennon and Freddie Mercury in being posthumously honoured. 

The awards will be hosted by Jack Whitehall and will air on ITV and ITVX from 8.15pm. 

Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, Raye, Wolf Alice, Sombr, Alex Warren and Mark Ronson will perform. 

ANT McPartlin says he and co-presenter Declan Donnelly never want to host the Brits again because: “Everybody in the room just wants to get drunk.” 

THE musician and the visual artist . . . two lives shaped by shared experience and creative endeavour. 

Damon Albarn was born on March 23, 1968, and eleven days later, on April 3, his chief collaborator, Jamie Hewlett, came into the world. 

In 1998, after bonding while sharing a flat, they dreamed up virtual band Gorillaz, a vehicle for wild flights of imagination. 

Fronted by cartoon characters 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs and Noodle, Gorillaz have blurred musical styles, crossed generations and involved numerous nationalities in their songs for more than 25 years. 

“We’re the Alan Whicker of bands,” declares Hewlett, in reference to the globe-trotting broadcaster. 

“More Michael Palin,” interjects Albarn. “He’s nicer and also very funny.” 

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In 2023/24, sad events conspired to take Damon and Jamie in a new direction — to that vibrant, teeming country of 1.4billion people, India.  

The result is the Gorillaz ninth album, The Mountain, with its title inscribed in Devanagari script on the cover. 

Performed in five languages — Hindi, English, Arabic, Spanish and Yoruba — it features a host of stellar guests, most living but some no longer with us. 

The musicians come from different corners of the globe, India, Syria, the US, Argentina, Nigeria, and, of course, the UK. 

Albarn says: “The original impetus came from quite a tragic story. We were in Belgrade finishing off a video when Jamie got a call from Jaipur in India. It was from his wife Emma, saying, ‘My mum’s in a coma’.” 

Hewlett picks up the story: “They had been there for a month at an Ayurvedic retreat (a system focused on balancing mind, body and spirit). 

“They had packed their suitcases, had called a taxi and were just on their way home when my mother-in-law had a stroke.  

“She was rushed to the closest hospital in Jaipur — it’s all about speed when you have a stroke.” 

So on December 4, 2022, Hewlett arranged to fly from Serbia to India and so began “eight weeks of daily hospital visits hoping she might wake up”. 

Sadly, his mother-in-law didn’t make it, leaving Hewlett to reflect: “It was a very traumatic experience but, in between those visits, we were able to explore Jaipur. 

“I just fell in love with the place. The people were so warm and I discovered that the whole subject of death is viewed from a very different perspective.” 

He’s alluding to the fact that Hinduism sees passing away as a natural transition — a temporary pause for the eternal soul rather than a final end. 

Hewlett continues: “When I was in the hospital, people were visiting loved ones who were dying. 

“There were tears but, at the same time, there was a feeling of celebration in the belief that they were coming back in an another form.” 

This got Hewlett thinking about possibilities for Gorillaz, his visual playground. 

“Damon was in touch with me the whole time I was there,” he says. “When I came home, I said to him, ‘We need to go to India together to see if we can do something’. A year later (after Blur’s epic reunion), we were off.” 

Albarn says: “I saw it as the perfect opportunity to give the whole world of Gorillaz a nice, new kickstart. I was just waiting for an excuse to go there.  

“I grew up in Leytonstone where my school was 30/40 per cent Asian. My dad was very into Indian classical music so I was genuinely listening to (sitar player) Ravi Shankar at the same time as The Beatles.” 

Albarn also saw visiting India as a perfect opportunity to spend quality time with Hewlett.  

“We enjoy each other’s company,” he says. “We’ve got an awful lot in common and our taste is very similar.” 

Hewlett nods in agreement and adds: “We thrive on finding ourselves in different cultures — and there’s so much to take from a place like India, even if somewhere as big as that can’t be grappled with immediately.” 

And Albarn again: “The first time you go there, you’re just so bewitched by the place.” 

With their sights set on a Gorillaz album drawing on Indian music, two more devastating events were to bring the pair even closer together — and the project into even sharper relief. 

In July 2024, some time after an initial foray to the subcontinent, Albarn’s dad Keith died. Ten days later, Hewlett lost his father.  

For Albarn, a return to India offered him a degree of solace. He journeyed to the ancient city of Varanasi to scatter his dad’s ashes in the Ganges. Keith had been a respected artist, designer and teacher who loved Indian culture. 

“Grief manifests itself in so many ways,” says Albarn.

“You don’t overcome it but you can learn to accept it and going to Varanasi definitely helped. 

“This place has been inhabited for 5,000 years and it’s where families have burned their loved ones every day, every night, for all that time.  

“The fire rituals are wonderful, so poetic — almost like an inhalation and an exhalation.  

“The idea that people pause at sunset, light fires and sing is so beautiful. Harder to do in northern Europe where cloud can bruise the spirit!” 

Albarn goes on to describe, “something I learned, which is a useful life lesson,” from taking a loved one’s ashes to the Ganges. 

“Don’t stress yourself by thinking too much,” he affirms. “At moments like that, don’t think of anything — empty your mind. 

“Emptiness is a beautiful thing and there’s infinite possibility within it. We mention ‘the void’ a lot on this record.” 

For Albarn, the album’s starting point was his gorgeous melody, which morphed into the title track and opener, The Mountain. He calls it the LP’s “signature tune”.  

The finished piece is blessed with sublime playing by Ajay Prasanna on bansuri, a traditional bamboo flute, with Anoushka Shankar, daughter of the late, great Ravi, on sitar. 

Albarn says: “Once I met Ajay and he’d played his bansuri, I thought, ‘I’m never letting this gentleman out of my sight again’. He’s an amazing person. 

“You give him a melody and he turns it into something godlike.” 

As for the contribution of Anoushka, whose mastery of the sitar echoes the work of her legendary father, he says: “I could hardly imagine the idea that I was going to play with one of the Shankar family.” 

Hewlett says: “If you’ve never been to India, you find yourself mentally transported there just by this song. It’s almost like the beginning of a movie.” 

The Mountain is the first of several tracks to feature the voices of the dear departed, in this case maverick actor and film-maker Dennis Hopper. 

Elsewhere, there are contributions from one-time Gorillaz collaborators who have since died — soul singer Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur of De La Soul, The Fall’s Mark E Smith, rapper Proof and Albarn’s long-time associate, drummer Tony Allen. 

Their inclusion is a poignant way of saying: They may have gone but they live on in some way. 

Albarn says: “I think of a mountain as a manifestation of reincarnation because, if you think about it, a mountain is formed through chaos and tectonic shifts. The change in everything creates something new.” 

The Mountain gave Hewlett all the inspiration he needed to begin conjuring up the exotic, beautifully realised imagery, which is so crucial to this Gorillaz project.  

He says: “I guess the biggest challenge for me was that we were dealing with a subject that is more grown up than in the past. 

“How should the characters behave because usually there’s a lot of sarcasm and jokes? 

“So I was thinking about how to tell the story in a respectful way but also maintain a level of fun.” 

Hewlett admits: “We didn’t rush into this one — a lot of work ended up going in the dustbin for both of us, musically and visually, until we got on the right course. But when Damon gave me this piece of music and called it The Mountain, that was the starting point. Everything opened up for me.” 

Of all the myriad guests on the album, perhaps the most notable is 92-year-old Asha Bhosle, one of the most revered singers in Hindi cinema, who sings on the shimmering, life-affirming The Shadowy Light. 

Albarn says: “She’s one of the most important living Indian singers — and maybe even the best. 

“Everyone in India knows her music, she’s had hundreds of billions of streams.” 

And Hewlett adds: “Damon managed to get her to sing for us in her apartment in Mumbai. He used his charm and she was very comfortable with him.” 

If India is central to The Mountain, no Gorillaz record would be complete without sounds of various cultures.  

The Happy Dictator, with eccentric American duo Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks providing the chorus, began life in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, a dictatorship in central Asia. 

“That’s where I got the idea,” reports Albarn. “I went there with my daughter. “We have a father-daughter holiday every year, and we’ve been to North Korea, China and Turkmenistan.  

“This year we’re going to Georgia. We share a real passion for the remnants of communism and the possibility of future socialism.” 

So what’s Turkmenistan like and why call a song The Happy Dictator? I venture.  

Albarn answers: “It’s a very barren place, almost entirely desert, with this pristine modern city of Ashgabat, which is made almost entirely of white marble. 

“Being in that society, I realised that they are given no bad news. They had no news at all, really.” 

Another fabulous song is Damascus, which rekindles Albarn’s abiding love of Syrian music.  

You may recall when he helped assemble the Orchestra Of Syrian Musicians in London while civil war raged in their home country. 

For Damascus, Gorillaz employed the services of Omar Souleyman, one of the country’s pre-eminent singers, alongside American rapper Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def). 

With Syria still in state of flux after the toppling of the cruel Assad regime, Albarn says: “I wouldn’t go there at the moment but I did go to Mali (a favourite destination) in December, even if I was absolutely told not to. 

“I didn’t find it anywhere near as dangerous as everyone says it is and I would definitely go back.” 

This feeds into the notion that Gorillaz has no borders, that it’s an example of how multiculturalism can break down division and strife. 

“Not only is it the right way forward but it’s the most important way forward,” says Albarn.  

“Isolationism and the idea of demonising people from other cultures is not correct — and it’s profoundly dangerous.” 

So that’s why we hear the freewheeling rap of The Roots’ Black Thought on a track like The Empty Dream Machine, which also harnesses the guitar power of Johnny Marr and more sitar from Anoushka. 

And why Albarn’s expressive tones are matched with Argentinian Trueno rapping in Spanish and telling words recorded by American rapper Proof not long before he was shot dead in 2006. 

Let’s not forget that love and loss loom large on this record.  

On Casablanca, again featuring Marr as well as The Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Albarn sings: “I don’t know anything that feels like this/I don’t know anything that hits like this.” 

Simonon has been a member of The Good The Bad & Queen with Albarn and the late Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen. 

You hear Allen intoning, “We are ready, let’s go,” on The Hardest Thing before Damon, clearly with his father in mind, sings: “You know the hardest thing is to say goodbye to someone you love.” 

Albarn says, “We definitely put a lot of love into this record,” and Hewlett signs off with, “There’s more to come. We’re not finished yet.” 

It’s anyone’s guess where in the world those Gorillaz masterminds will pitch up next. 

GORILLAZ 

The Mountain 

★★★★★

WHEN it comes to having A-list siblings, these two nepo-sisters are at the top of their game.

The two women, who both have popstars for sisters, looked incredible as they stepped into their spotlight at London Fashion Week – but can you guess who they are related to?

The nepo-sisters in question are Rita Ora‘s sister Elena, 37, and Dua Lipa‘s little sis Rina, 24,

The pair were spotted posing for the cameras at London Fashion Week.

Dua’s sister Rina looked chic in white trousers and a striking turquoise jacket.

The aspiring model was spotted at the after party for the Burberry 2026 show.

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Meanwhile, Rita’s big sister Elena looked stunning in a black cut-away dress at the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective, which was held at posh hotel, Claridge’s.

At another London Fashion Week event earlier in the week, she looked equally incredible in a black and gold dress.

Elena works as Rita’s talent manager, creative director, and business partner.

The pair are extremely close, and the popstar involves her big sister in every aspect of her life.

Rita was just a year old when her parents moved her and three-year-old Elena to the UK to escape persecution in Kosovo.

But the pair have gone onto become a sibling powerhouse.

Rita has had Elena by her side since she shot to fame in 2012.

Elena previously said that her little sister’s success is a “team celebration” for both of them, as she has been such a big part of her fame.

“I get as proud of the success as Rita does. But I guess the public only sees her reaction to it,” Elena told Idris and Sabrina Elba on the Coupledom podcast, when she chatted to them in 2021 with Rita.

“It feels like a team thing. Obviously the public just sees Rita, but to us that’s just how it is, you know?”

Rita added: “Elena is really good at protecting me. I think that is so important in this industry.”

Together the sisters have negotiated movie roles, fashion brand deals and lucrative TV contracts.

But the sisters admitted on the podcast that there has often been a battle for Elena to be taken seriously.

“It’s really tough in such a male dominated industry to really stand up for yourselves and navigate this s**t,” Rita candidly admitted.

“What do they expect people in power to look like? There’s not an identity.”

Continuing, proud sister Rita said of Elena:“But she’s never lost her cool. She’s always kept it very together.” Rita says she has always had the same trusted people around her in her career.

“I try to keep my team very small. I don’t really like change. That’s why I’ve had the same team for over 10 years. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

The star siblings also thrilled fans in 2023 when they appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox together, with fans hailing them “the most beautiful sisters”.

Meanwhile, Dua Lipa‘s sister Rina is forging a career as a model

The rising star has done well for herself and has already worked with fashion houses like Miu Miu and Versace.

The model has also walked the runway at the prestigious Milan Fashion Week.

Rina has also set her sights on becoming an actress.

Speaking about going on auditions, she told Nylon: “There’s something about walking into the room and saying, ‘Hi, nice to meet you,’ and having that energy and that aura and that little repertoire between people.

“You can leave feeling like you had a connection if you walk in and you’re a bit bubbly and you are happy to be there. I’m really happy to do really fun auditions. Even if I don’t get the job, that’s absolutely fine.”

Rina got her first taste of fame when her big sister pulled her and their younger brother Gjin up on stage at the Brit Awards.

It came in 2018, when the singer won the Best Female Solo Artist gong and invited her siblings to join her accepting the award,

Speaking to Off Set about the sweet moment, Dua said: “I didn’t even know what I was gonna say onstage and I was like, ‘Come with me! You two — with me.

“They were so terrified. When we got offstage, my little brother and sister were like, ‘Why did you do that to us?’ ”

“They were like, ‘We love you, but that’s crazy. Don’t do that one again.;”

IT’S FAIR to say that Robbie Williams’ iconic song Angels is the most famous of his back catalogue and always gets everyone singing.

However, the man who claims to have originally wrote the song almost 30 years ago has reignited the decades old feud this week as he gave fans the inside story in a slew of new TikTok videos.

Irish singer-songwriter Ray Heffernan has always maintained that he wrote the first version of Angels in 1996.

However, although former Take That star Robbie confirmed that he recorded a demo with Ray, he has maintained he rewrote it significantly with Guy Chambers.

The singer also bought the rights to Angels from Ray for £7,500 before it was released in 1997.

However, over the years there has been a lot of bad blood between the two men concerning the song, and this week the feud over the iconic tune was reignited.

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It came when Robbie appeared on Radio 2 to talk about his debut album, and said: “I spoke a lot about the album I wanted to make, but the one I did make was Life Through A Lens.

“My memories of making it are, it took me less than two weeks with Guy Chambers to write the whole album.

“That didn’t necessarily mean that it was going to be a success. My album came out and it sold 33,000 copies in three months and that is not what EMI expected to do.”

Continuing with his story, the singer said: “I was about to be dropped and then fortunately I dropped The Angels, didn’t I?

“And it gave me the career that I’ve got today. I’m incredibly grateful for that song.”

But it was this last comment that appeared to really annoy Ray.

Sharing a POV video, the songwriter was seen on his couch reacting in response to Robbie’s comment about Angels, as he wagged his finger at the video and tutted with disapproval.

Since then, Ray has been dropping videos on TikTok, where he has been talking about Angels and how he “signed his rights away” to the song.

He also posted a throwback video of Robbie from 1997 where the singer talked about how he “wrote Angels in a couple of hours”.

Ray captioned the short clip with: “Body language never lies.”

The Sun has reached out to representatives of Robbie Williams for comment.

The last time the pair’s Angels feud was reignited was three years ago – again following Rob’s comments about writing the song.

It came after Ray was left incensed after listening to a Gary Barlow podcast in 2023 where the subject of who wrote Angels popped up again.

Robbie told his former Take That bandmate: “I was off my head basically, the record company has spent a lot of money signing me.

“I made a big song and dance about leaving Take That and wanting to do my own thing, and I hadn’t done anything.

“I thought I’d better get down to it, figure out my voice, and whether I can actually do this … I was at my sister’s house in the garden with a pen and a paper and I thought, right then, I’d better come up with something..(so I wrote) ‘I sit and wait .”…

Robbie then reportedly branded Ray a “fantasist” in the comments section of the podcast, after the songwriter revealed he was unhappy with what had been said.

Ray told The Irish Sun at the time: “How can Robbie Williams call me a fantasist?

“I have always maintained that as a young man, I wrote a song with Robbie, that went on to become his hit song Angels and my story of how that came about has never changed.

“Robbie now says publicly that I’m a fantasist. My question is what part of this am I making up?”

Ray also previously shared with The Irish Sun a picture featuring himself, Robbie and his family on the day he says they wrote the song together.

It was during Christmas 1996 when he met the singer in Dublin’s Globe pub.

Later the same evening, Ray claims that he invited Robbie around to his mum’s place to hear a song he’d just written.

Ray recalled: “We didn’t waste any time, starting that night where I got the guitar out in my mum’s house and played him this song I had been working on.

“This picture was taken the next night day when we played this new song. Robbie loved the song so much, he booked a studio to record his own version the next day.”

A few months later, Ray found out that Robbie was going to record Angels for his next album.

“I contacted Robbie’s management and his people said they would give us an amount of money if I signed a waiver denouncing any rights I had to the song,” he told us.

Robbie later worked on the song Angels with songwriter Guy Chambers.

The song went on to become the singer’s biggest selling single to date AND one of the biggest songs of the 90s.

Speaking about selling the rights to the song, Ray said: “I accepted a deal worth £7,500 to pay me for ‘all and any creative input’ into the song.

“I have the legal documents to prove it. So I am not making this up. You could certainly call me a dreamer in life but not a fantasist. I have never lied about this story, and every part of it is true”.

Back in 2017, Robbie defended the decision to pay Ray for Angels.

“We could have gone to court, and it all would have been down to whether what way the judge wakes up that day out of bed … So I gave him some money, and he went away,” the singer said.

“LINDA looks so beautiful, so cool,” says Paul McCartney.

He’s just been watching a film about the decade of his life after The Beatles broke up — and it is filled with images of his much-missed first wife.

“The Linda stuff was very emotional,” he admits at the Man On The Run launch event in London.

“Linda, the kids, me and John [Lennon] — all these memories. It’s like my life flashing in front of me.”

Macca is talking to an intimate gathering that includes his daughter Stella, son James, superfan Noel Gallagher and the actor who will play him in a forthcoming biopic, Paul Mescal. Oh, and me.

He continues: “Seeing me and Linda interacting is special because, you know, she’s not here.

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“So is seeing the kids when they were little, because they’re not little any more. They’ve got kids of their own now.”

The film stirs memories of forming his own band, Wings, with Linda in 1971, prompting this from McCartney: “We tried to follow The Beatles — it’s mad!”

It also brings into sharp focus his relationship with Lennon, which broke down in the wake of The Beatles split but, as we see, they reconciled shortly before John’s death.

Directed by Oscar-winning Morgan Neville, Man On The Run is a masterpiece of ­documentary storytelling.

Rich in source material, partly because Linda was a professional photographer who also shot home movies, it is raw, heartfelt, funny, poignant and, crucially, not remotely sugar-coated.

Before the screening starts, Sir Paul, looking fit and well for his 83 years, strolls on to the stage and quips: “I just want to say thank you to Morgan for keeping in all the embarrassing moments that I asked him to take out.”

But let’s get back to the big ­question: How DO you follow The Beatles?

It was a conundrum that weighed heavily on McCartney as the ­Swinging Sixties drew to a close.

As he puts it himself in the movie, the first thing he did was “escape” and then he had to learn how “to grow up”.

He had married American Linda Eastman in March, 1969, at Marylebone Town Hall, London, and soon afterwards adopted her daughter Heather from a previous marriage.

McCartney was still only 27 when, on April 10, 1970, he told the world that he, John Lennon, George ­Harrison and Ringo Starr were going their separate ways.

The announcement came amid acrimony over the band’s crooked business manager Allen Klein, favoured at the time by John and the others but later described by Paul as “a sort of demon”.

It was all over for the band of four likely lads from Liverpool who changed popular culture for ever.

In private, McCartney had known for months that his songwriting partner Lennon was leaving.

“John broke up The Beatles,” Macca affirms in Man On The Run. “But I got the rap. And that’s a bit of a weight to bear.”

Around the same time as ­Lennon’s bombshell, in late 1969, there were rumours across the US and around the world that “Beatle Paul may be dead”.

There’s a hilarious moment in the film when his younger brother Mike is asked whether it’s true.

“It’s a hoax, it’s a con,” he exclaims, before being asked when was the last time he saw his brother.

Mike replies: “The last time? It was his funeral, I think!”

It turned out that McCartney had the perfect bolthole, in an archetypal middle of nowhere, to hide away and reset his life.

In 1966, he had bought High Park Farm, a 183-acre sheep farm on the Mull of Kintyre (yes, that explains the song) in Argyllshire, only reached via a “long and winding” track.

With its corrugated iron roof and general state of dilapidation, it was, as someone in the film points out, the sort of place a poor farm labourer might baulk at accepting.

But, as the Sixties ebbed to a close, Paul, Linda, their daughters, Heather and baby Mary, plus their Old English Sheepdog ­Martha decamped to the Scottish wilds.

In the movie, McCartney suggests, “We got up there to escape”, and ponders whether he would write “another note of music” before confessing to drowning himself in one wee dram of Scotch after another.

But, with the responsibility of supporting a young family on his shoulders, he realised that “it was a question of HAVING to grow up”.

At the Man On The Run launch, McCartney reflects: “With The Beatles, we were just lads. Everyone, all our management, used to call us ‘the boys’.

“Then I got married and then there was a baby [Mary] on the way.

“I had to grow up. I thought, ‘We can’t just be these ‘boys’ any more’. It was time to think about stuff.

“Even though the film is kind of madcap and you see all our insane decisions, in the background there were some sensible decisions, too.”

He remembers how Linda was his guiding light through those years.

“If there was an idea that was a little bit crazy, I’d say, ‘Should I do that? Could I do that?’ She’d say, ‘It’s allowed’. It was a brilliant philosophy in life.”

Director Neville picks up on this theme: “I looked into the questions Paul was trying to ask of himself, questions that I felt were universal.

“How do you deal with your own legacy and the expectations people have of you? How do you balance your career with your family?

“In Paul’s case, he made them one and the same. And that, I thought, was completely inspirational.”

Though Kintyre provided a necessary respite from the dazzling glare of publicity, Macca has never been far away from making music. It’s in his blood.

In 1970, he released his debut solo album, simply titled McCartney, with its intimate DIY aesthetic and featuring at least two songs with his beloved partner in mind — The Lovely Linda and Maybe I’m Amazed.

In 1971, he formed Wings with ex-Moody Blues musician Denny Laine and, controversially, Linda, who until that point had little or no experience, as core members.

Rehearsals for their debut album Wild Life took place at Macca’s converted barn in Scotland, dubbed Rude Studio.

It felt to him as if he was starting over, at the bottom of the pile.

“It was so impossible to do something like that,” he says today.

“Just go back to square one, show up at a university, don’t book hotels, take the dogs in a van. For some reason, we thought it was a great idea!”

If Wings took time to take flight, everything changed in 1973 when they released third album Band On The Run, loaded with classic tunes such as the title track, Jet and Let Me Roll It.

Recorded in extraordinary ­circumstances at EMI’s studio in Lagos, Nigeria, not far from where Paul and Linda were mugged at knifepoint, it paved the way for ­stadium-sized shows in America.

Without the McCartneys’ sojourn to Scotland, there would have been no Mull Of Kintyre, which, at the time of its release in 1977, became the biggest selling single of all time.

A “love song” to that remote idyll, it featured Great Highland bagpipes played so passionately by the local Campbeltown Pipe Band.

Yet, interwoven with stories of Wings’ upward trajectory, there are musings on McCartney’s strained relationship with Lennon during the Seventies.

We’re reminded of John’s caustic song How Do You Sleep?, directed at Paul with its line, “The only thing you done was yesterday”.

And there’s his old buddy left thinking, “Aside from Yesterday, what about Eleanor Rigby, Lady Madonna, Hey Jude, Let It Be and the rest?”

Macca says: “As it shows in the film, I knew John from a very early age — we were just a couple of rock and roll fans.

“We enjoyed hanging out together and we started writing little songs round at my place.

“My dad had a pipe in his drawer. So we thought we’d smoke it. We couldn’t find any tobacco so we smoked tea! We had all those ­memories in common.

“Then we went through the whole trajectory of The Beatles. But John was always just that guy to me, even when he was being really mean and I was having to take it.

“At the same time, it was like, ‘Yeah, it’s just John, he does that’. He’d always done that — so that made it a little bit easier.

“But I loved him, you know. I loved all the guys in The Beatles.

“I try and think of how else it could have been, but with just me, John, George and Ringo, it was a magic grouping. And we did OK!”

Near the end of Man On The Run, you see McCartney being confronted by camera crews about the shocking death of Lennon, who had been shot the day before outside the Dakota Building apartment he shared with partner Yoko Ono in New York.

Macca was criticised at the time for a rather cool, unemotional response — but one look in his eyes reveals his utter devastation.

As for the aforementioned “embarrassing moments” on display in the film, they are what make it so refreshing and endearing.

Hence you see McCartney singing Mary Had A Little Lamb wearing a red clown’s nose with Wings guitarist Henry McCullough looking as if he wants the earth to swallow him.

There’s a moustachioed Paul in a baggy pink suit performing the cabaret-style Gotta Sing Gotta Dance, complete with dancing girls, for his 1973 variety show.

And what about him getting ­busted by Japanese cops in 1980 for having 219g of cannabis in his luggage, spending nine days in custody before being booted out of the country?

McCartney was supposed to be embarking on a Wings tour of Japan but, as it turned out, they never played together again.

He says: “So many bits are embarrassing. The look on Henry McCullough’s face! He’s not happy.

“I was thinking, ‘Maybe we could cut those bits, the dance routine, cool out my image’.

“But Morgan said, ‘No, let me keep them in. You’ll see all that stuff but because you overcame it all and found yourself, you won in the end’.”

Finally, McCartney takes a long hard look at himself — at the ­person “growing up” in Man On The Run and the man he is today.

He says: “You start to see yourself, not just in the mirror, but to realise what your character is like.

“It’s natural for me to be enthusiastic so I don’t always see pitfalls, With me, it’s, “Nah, nah, just do it’.”

SINCE my exclusive story broke about Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton, everyone wants to know how long they’ve been together.

And now I’ve been given a little more insight into their top-secret romance.

While it was thought that Kim and Formula 1 star Lewis started growing closer over Christmas, I can reveal it was a lot earlier than that.

My moles tell me Kim visited Lewis in Las Vegas in the days before the Grand Prix there on November 22.

From what I know, they went all-out to keep it hush-hush.

One insider said: “Lewis invited Kim to be his guest inside the garage over the week. That included for the preparation and the race itself.

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“She was there when the race happened and was alongside him, talking to him and hanging out with him before he took to the circuit.

“Nicole Scherzinger did that back in the day when they were together.

“People saw it and didn’t think much of it — but now it all makes sense.”

A second source in the F1 world added: “Three days before the race, Kim was spotted coming out of a garage where Lewis’s car was.

“She headed to his trailer. That was one of the few times Kim was seen.

“Something was definitely happening between them then. Why else would she have been there?”

Why, indeed?

I revealed Kim and Lewis enjoyed a night at posh Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds on January 31, before heading to London for a second date and Paris for a third.

Lewis then flew back to Los Angeles with Kim on her £100million private jet, and days later they made their first public appearance together at the Super Bowl on February 8.

Since then, the A-list couple have been apart, with him flying to Bahrain, where he spent time last week doing pre-season testing in his Ferrari F1 car.

Lewis said he had a new-found vigour ahead of the season, adding: “I’m reset and refreshed.”

I’m sure that Kim has helped boost his drive . . . 

ESTEEM DREAM

SELF ESTEEM will be in Manchester this Saturday for the Brit Awards – and she may have a very special man by her side.

I’ve learned the singer-songwriter, who is nominated for Artist of the Year at the ceremony, is dating actor Wilf Scolding.

And I’m told they have been seeing each other since 2023, when they were cast in West End show Cabaret together.

The singer, whose real name is Rebecca Lucy Taylor, hinted they are an item when Wilf appeared in the video for her song The Curse in August.

A source said: “Rebecca and Wilf have been together for a while – they live together and even have a dog.

“But they aren’t showy with their personal lives so haven’t flaunted the relationship in the public eye.

“She’s had bad dating experiences in the past but Wilf is a good guy. He has the seal of approval from her mates.”

Wilf, who starred in Game Of Thrones and BBC One drama The Passing Bells, is a sea-change from the singer’s last boyfriend, who she has never publicly named but said was “a real nasty bastard”.

Self Esteem referenced her “current male lover” in an interview back in November.

When asked how often she has sex, she said: “Oh, often. That is one thing I don’t compromise on.”

Good on them both.

JUSTIN TIME FOR UK GIGS

JUSTIN BIEBER is set to embark on his biggest tour in more than a decade.

I’m told the Baby hitmaker will announce a string of global dates after playing two headline slots at US festival Coachella in April, as well as plans for a new pop album.

A source said: “This year is set to be a huge one for Justin.

“He kicked things off with his Grammy performance earlier this month and bosses hope his Coachella sets will remind the world why he became one of the most successful singers on the planet.”

As part of his upcoming world tour, Justin is expected to announce a show at BST Hyde Park in London.

He previously played BST in 2017 – but hasn’t done a full concert on UK soil since then.

ANTI’S EURO VISION

LOVE Island fans might spot a familiar face at the Eurovision Song Contest in the spring.

While the UK will be represented by YouTuber Look Mum No Computer, Cyprus’s act is Antigoni, who starred in the ITV2 series in 2022.

She wore this striking red dress in the video for her entry song, Jalla – and eagle-eyed viewers might recognise someone else in the promo.

Antigoni, who was born and raised in London but is of Greek-Cypriot descent, managed to get Stavros Flatley star Demetri Demetriou to make a cameo.

Currently, Antigoni is tenth favourite to win, while Look Mum No Computer is 14th.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for them both.

KEEP an eye out for LA-based singer Amelia Moore, who has just completed a UK tour supporting Ashnikko.

She has been getting rave reviews off the back of her latest EP He’s Still Just Not That Into You! and I’m expecting big things in the coming months.

FOO FIGHT FOR GIGS

FOO FIGHTERS have announced a set of surprise shows this week – leading to thousands of fans queuing in the streets for a ticket

Tonight they will play The Academy in Dublin, before a show on Wednesday at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire and the O2 Ritz in Manchester on Friday.

Tickets were released yesterday but fans had to queue at the venues’ box offices in a bid to stop online touts ripping people off.

The gigs come ahead of the release of their 12th album Your Favourite Toy on April 24.

I’ll be in Manchester to see the band – I can’t wait.

THE SEX PISTOLS BACK ON ROAD

THE SEX PISTOLS ft. Frank Carter have announced a brand new tour celebrating 50 years of punk.

Anarchy In The UK will see them play five shows at the end of the year, kicking off in ­Ireland at Dublin’s 3 Arena on December 7.

They will then play Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange on December 9, before hitting Glasgow’s O2 ­Academy the following evening.

Frank and Co will then head to London to play the Brixton Academy on December 18 and the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith two days later.

MARGOT IS SHEER DELIGHT

MARGOT ROBBIE skipped the Baftas and headed Down Under for Tropfest 2026 in Sydney.

The film festival, which celebrates the best short films and new rising stars of the industry, enlisted Margot as the president of this year’s jury.

Next year, I know Margot will be front and centre at the Baftas in London – with her new film Wuthering Heights expected to pick up a raft of nods, including Best Actress for her star turn.

Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel has caused a storm among cinema lovers, with Margot’s co-star Jacob Elordi expected to be shortlisted for Best Actor.

GRAMMY-nominated salsa legend Willie Colón has died aged 75.

Heartbreaking tributes have poured in for the musical pioneer – with Bad Bunny calling the star “one of the legends who contributed to this beautiful and legendary genre”.

The iconic artist passed away on Saturday surrounded by loved ones, his manager confirmed.

Colón was a trombonist, composer, arranger, singer and social activist.

Over his decades-long career, he produced more than 40 albums that sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.

His manager Pietro Carlos said: “Today, we’ve lost an architect of the New York sound, a trombonist who made metal his banner and wrote eternal chapters in our musical history.

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“Willie didn’t just change salsa; he expanded it, politicized it, clothed it in urban chronicles, and took it to stages where it hadn’t been heard before.

“His trombone was the voice of the people, an echo of the Caribbean in New York, a bridge between cultures.”

He added: “Today we say goodbye to a master, but his legacy lives on.”

Meanwhile, Grammy-winner Bad Bunny said on Instagram: “Today, one of the legends who contributed to this beautiful and legendary genre passed away.”

The star continued: “So, on behalf of myself and Los Sobrinos, we wish Willie Colón peace.

“Much strength to his family.

“The inspiration of so many of these great musicians who left their mark on this earth will never die as long as there are talented young people like those here, keeping the music, salsa and all Caribbean rhythms alive.”

Colón’s cause of death has not been confirmed, but Saturday’s tragic news follows reports from last week claiming that the star had been hospitalised for respiratory problems, according to TMZ.

A pivotal architect of urban salsa music, Colón collaborated with a long list of fellow icons, including the Fania All Stars, David Byrne and Celia Cruz.

His critically acclaimed collaboration with Rubén Blades, Siembra, which touched on social issues in salsa, became one of the bestselling albums in the genre of all time.

The musician, born to Puerto Rican parents, was nominated for 10 Grammys and one Latin Grammy.

Colón was born in the Bronx, New York, before being raised by his grandmother and aunt, who from a young age nurtured him with traditional Puerto Rican music.

When he was 11 years old he ventured into the world of music, first playing the flute, then bugle, trumpet and finally trombone.

His interest in trombone was sparked after experiencing Barry Rogers playing it on Dolores, Mon Rivera’s song with Joe Cotto.

He recalled in 2011: “It sounded like an elephant, a lion … an animal.

“Something so different that, as soon as I heard it, I said to myself: ‘I want to play that instrument.’”

Colón’s main musical traits included the fusion of rhythms.

The genius harmonized jazz, rock, funk, soul and R&B with the old Latin school of Cuban son, cha-cha-cha, mambo and guaracha.

His style also encompassed traditional Puerto Rican sound including jíbara, bomba and plena music.

A passionate advocate for civil rights, he fought mostly in the US for the Latino community among others.

In 1991 he was awarded the Chubb fellowship from Yale University, a public service recognition also awarded to John F. Kennedy, Moshe Dayan, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Ronald Reagan.

And he even served in politics – working as a special assistant to David Dinkins, New York’s first Black mayor, and an adviser to Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Colón had his own stints running for public office too – but had little luck challenging the then-US Rep. Eliot Engel in the 1994 Democratic primary.

In 2001 he also came in third in the Democratic primary for New York’s public advocate.

The late star also appeared in films such – taking roles in Vigilante, The Last Fight, and It Could Happen to You.

On TV, he featured in Miami Vice and Demasiado Corazón.

The icon also appeared in Bad Bunny’s music video for NuevaYol.

Colón is survived by his wife and four sons.

BARRY Manilow has been forced to reschedule his shows AGAIN after undergoing cancer surgery following his diagnosis in December.

The veteran singer, 82, has delivered a health update to fans while revealing he will have to push back his tour dates.

In his post, Barry revealed he was rescheduling his first batch of arena shows, which were due to begin in a matter of days.

He explained that the shows that are being canceled are the February 27 up until March 17 shows, on the order of his surgeon.

Barry then delivered some happy news when he said he would likely be able to do the Vegas shows at the very end of March, and the second batch of arena shows at the beginning of April.

“I’m SO, SO sorry I have to reschedule some of these first arena shows, again,” Barry added.

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The full statement read: “Hi everyone, Barry here.

“Just got home from visiting the surgeon. Very depressing visit.

“I told him that I have been using the treadmill three times a day (I have) but that I still couldn’t sing more than three songs in a row before I had to stop.”

Barry added that he told his surgeon that he was sure he would be able to do the arena shows in a few weeks, but the surgeon shook his head.

THERE’S a line in Badlands, one of Mumford & Sons’ new songs, that feels like a mission statement for new record Prizefighter.

Singer Marcus Mumford says: “The lyric says, ‘Don’t look down now/I’m not done here yet’. I was listening to that song today and that’s the sentiment of Prizefighter.

“We try really f***ing hard, we want to be great. And I think we’ll keep trying.”

I’m chatting to Mumford and keyboardist Ben Lovett in Bath, a few hours before they are due on stage at The Forum to celebrate the release of their new album.

“We feel very fortunate to be launching our sixth album, it’s a big deal,” says Lovett.

“It’s a marker of beyond the creativity and how we feel about the music itself. “When we started this band, it was all about longevity for us.

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“And it feels great to be coming up to 20 years as a band and feel like we want to do another 20.

“That’s a big statement of success for us.”

The pair are seated together on a sofa, comfortable and clearly energised by their new record.

It’s hard to believe it’s only 11 months since fifth album Rushmere signalled their return from a seven-year hiatus.

For Prizefighter, they worked with producer Aaron Dessner from US rock band The National.

They had worked with him on 2015’s Wilder Mind, and they crossed paths again while mixing Rushmere in Electric Lady Studios in New York City.

Mumford says: “Aaron showed us the beginning of an idea for Prizefighter, the song he’d written with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon.

“And we instantly started writing on it.

“Aaron’s always writing music with his mates for fun. He then played us a snippet of what became new single The Banjo Song that he’d started with Jon Bellion as a sketch.

“This was the be­ginning of the record, a beginning of ideas, like we do with each other all the time. It was just for fun to see where it goes.”

Mumford & Sons have continued as a trio since founding member Winston Marshall departed in 2021 after publicly expressing support for a book by right-wing American journalist Andy Ngo.

Lovett explains: “We got together in January 2023 and started making music without any agenda and I felt very free.

“That was the right thing to do. That was the right start or restart after Marcus’s solo record [2022’s Self-Titled].

“And it was the first time we’d played together in a couple of years. It felt like riding an old bike.”

Their first new music came in the form of Good People — a surprising collaboration with Pharrell Williams in 2024.

“That record was a very different experience but showed us that we have range and versatility,” says Lovett.

“So, by the time we got to the studio with Aaron, we were confidence high. We loved it and wanted to be curious creatively, from a place of positivity.

“And that’s basically how the record got in to motion.”

Mumford says stepping back was crucial to finding their confidence again.

“I am less insecure about being an artist,” Mumford tells me. “I will go off to a coffee shop and read poetry and do it unapologetically.

“I’m also more playful with my lyrics. I love Clover in particular.

“I just didn’t have the confidence to be tongue-in-cheek, surreal or even slightly ridiculous.

“Those types of lyrics would never have got on any previous albums.

Aaron, like Pharrell and Dave Cobb, who produced Rushmere, sat us down and gave us quite a serious talking to about believing in ourselves and looking back at what we’ve done with pride while also looking ahead.

“Recognising our confidence and DNA at the same time is what led to us being able to write this record.

“There’s a lot of insecurity and confidence on the record and also nostalgia and ambition and so that’s why it’s called Prizefighter.”

Lovett adds: “We feel more comfortable in our own skin, with a stronger sense of identity than we’ve had as a band for a while.

“The success of Rushmere [their third No1 album] and touring last year gave us a big confidence boost and reminded us that people still care and we are having a good time.”

Prizefighter sees Mumford at their most collaborative. Gorgeous piano ballad Badlands features Gracie Abrams, while Chris Stapleton, Hozier and Gigi Perez are also guest singers.

Finneas, Dessner, Vernon, Bellion and Brandi Carlile are credited as co-writers on the record.

“We’ve always been a bit more protective in the studio,” says Mumford. “In the early days a band needs to set out their stall and show people who you are.

“We have always had this collaborative spirit where we’ve enjoyed playing with other bands but we’ve not really recognised that on record before.

“It felt the time to do it, so we’ve opened the doors and it’s been really fulfilling. It’s one big community.”

Gracie Abrams, a long-time friend of Mumford’s, was the first to hear the band’s new songs.

“I’ve known her right from the start,” says the singer. “Gracie was the first person to hear any of these demos, like before labels or managers or anyone else.

“And we found out recently that she came to one of our shows when she was 13.

“We’ve been friends for a long time. She’s amazing.

“With Badlands we asked her to pick any song to sing on and she said yes to that song which had been written to be her voice.”

Album opener Here was written with Grammy-winning country powerhouse Chris Stapleton in mind.

Mumford says: “I’m just a fan of his and I couldn’t get the idea out of my head that he should sing the second verse on Here.

“We hadn’t met, so I called him. We had a long conversation. We really connected. Then he heard the song and said, ‘Yeah, I’ll record it next week’. And he did. It was all pretty organic.

“We didn’t have a list. It was like, ‘Let’s send this to Andrew, aka Hozier, see if he wants to f*** with it’. And he said yes.”

Lovett adds: “It’s a simple environment up at Aaron’s Long Pond studio. We record then we sit around eating soup together.

“It’s not the glossy album where you’re stuck on the other side of the glass and the red light goes on and it’s your big moment.

“Making Prizefighter felt a much more human experience.”

Conversation With My Son (Gangsters & Angels) is another highlight on Prizefighter and a song that Dessner was a huge fan of.

“Yeah, Aaron was a huge advocate for that song,” says Lovett. “It felt like there was an opportunity to explore something musically and thematically that was a bit different to the rest of the record.”

Mumford, who has two daughters and a son with actress Carey Mulligan, adds: “It has a hymnal and intentionally repetitive, melodic thing like in a Trad Irish song.

“Ben is being modest but he had this clear vision for that song.

“Then we sat down and Ben made a little demo of his chord sequence, and I fell in love with it.

“I’d been writing some words that morning and it became an essential band moment.

“We sit quietly and play along until we have an idea. Ted Dwane was on the bass, Ben was on the piano, Aaron was playing a guitar, I was writing words.

“Aaron understands being in a band very well and when we play to our strengths. It fell together like that and is a good example of the alchemy of being in a band.”

Lovett, who has a young daughter with his partner, American fashion executive Molly Howard, says: “Having kids act as a mirror to your life makes you want to be a slightly better version of yourself.

“We all take fatherhood quite seriously and it means that when we’re together, it’s cherished in a very different way.

“There was a real fun and silliness to our 20s that was inefficient — like staying out until 5am just because, why not have one more?

“I think there’s something beautiful about treating this with more care. It’s a very precious thing.

“Being in Mumford & Sons is amazing and we’re lucky we get the opportunity to do this.

“And finding out we have people all over the place who appreciate that we continue to still do this, is a charger for Chapter Two.”

Mumford adds, smiling: “I would say we’re in the phase where we take our work more seriously but take ourselves less seriously.

“Making my solo album made me fall back in love with the band. I love these lads and the sense of belonging and home we get from being this band together.

“When we got back together it was like we renewed our vows.

“It’s very silly but a privilege so we’re really trying to be present and our audience has made us more grateful and appreciative. Seeing new and younger fans getting into the songs has been amazing.

“I think we’re about at the point of our career where Radiohead were when they released Hail To The Thief — that was my way into Radiohead. It’s my favourite record of all time. And through that record I discovered the rest of their catalogue.

“They’d always felt like my brother’s band, who is older than me, but then this album came out when I passed my driving test.

“I hope that Prizefighter is that first Mumford album for some people.”

Making an album so soon after another, has been inspiring and Mumford says: “We never want to turn the tap off. The tap still feels like it’s got something in it.

“We could have released Prizefighter a week after Rushmere, but we wanted to give people space and time, but now the idea is to be accelerating that process so that we can show people.

“I hope we can start writing songs and releasing them the next day, like Bruce f***ing Springsteen!

“Our Hyde Park show in July will be a celebration for us — the centrepiece of our year.

“We are inviting guests and friends and crafting the line-up at the moment.

“We’ve announced The War On Drugs, who are one of the best bands in the world and people know from working with Sam Fender.

“There’ll be more we can tell you about soon, which will be fun, we really put time and effort into those line-ups.

“Hyde Park is going to be wicked, with plenty of surprises on the day too.”

Lovett adds: “Prizefighter is important to us.

“As a band, we’ve had some fun getting here, but I think this album sets us up for a really bright future.”

• Prizefighter is out today.

MUMFORD & SONS

Prizefighter

★★★★☆

A FORMER Pussycat Doll has taken a scathing fresh swipe at Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt after it was revealed the three of them are reuniting for a world tour.

The Sun confirmed last week that Nicole, 47, Ashley and Kimberly, both 44, will be hitting the road again – four years on from when their comeback plans fell apart.

But, one of the original members of the hit girl group, who isn’t returning for the tour, doesn’t seem to be taking the news well.

Taking to Instagram, Carmit Bachar, 51, appeared to take a harsh swipe at her former group.

Carmit reposted a clip of a woman singing along to the song I’m Letting Go Of The B******t by Nick Hustles.

In the video, the woman can be seen saying the lyrics, ” F*** anything that don’t help me grow, fake friends, shiesty h**s letting all that b******t go.”

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The clip was captioned: “My 2026 anthem.”

Carmit is one of three stars not returning for the world tour.

Jessica Sutta and Melody Thornton are also not part of the exciting new plans.

The tour was originally set to kick off in 2020 but was pushed back a year due to the pandemic before later being shelved altogether over a disagreement between Nicole and the group’s founder Robin Antin which was eventually settled out of court.

But it’s full steam ahead now for Nicole, Ashley and Kimberley who were seen at dinner together in London’s Mayfair a few weeks ago.

They were said to be ironing out the final details of the tour deal as they enjoyed a lavish meal.

When the Pussycat Dolls tour was first announced, Carmit seemed to take a cryptic swipe at the trio on social media as she celebrated one of the group’s most iconic hits reaching 100 million streams on Spotify. 

She shared a clip from the Beep music video, seemingly making clear she will always be part of the Pussycat Dolls’ legacy.

Carmit wrote: “20 years of BEEP music video and here we are, still feeling the love. 

“100 millions streams on @spotify is a reminder that music really does live beyond the moment it’s created. Thank you to every @pussycatdolls fan who’s listened, danced, remembered and shared!”

Fans were quick to share the disappointment over the iconic singer not being part of the new plans for the group.

One wrote: “Sad you aren’t going on tour, but I totally get it.”

And another said: “If you’re not returning with the band I will not be there to support.”

Nicole, Ashley and Kimberly quietly signed to top touring agency CAA in December to help guide their huge comeback.

At the end of last year, Nicole hinted at plans for 2026 as she shared an old video of the group.

A source told The Sun: “Nicole and the girls have been talking about getting Pussycat Dolls back together for months now.

“Covid scuppered the original plan and then disagreements behind the scenes meant it all fell apart.

“But Nicole, Ashley and Kimberly are a solid unit and they’re raring to go.”

The Pussycat Dolls burst onto the music scene in April 2005 with their single Don’t Cha.

A YOUNG rapper signed has died days after releasing a new single, at just 25 years old.

Janarious Mykel Wheeler, known by fans as Lil Poppa, died at 11:23am on Wednesday, according to the medical examiner.

According to his Spotify profile Poppa began releasing music in 2017, when he was just a teenager.

When rumours of his death first circulated, fans flooded his social media begging for answers, however the young rapper’s cause of death is currently unknown.

At the time of his death Lil Poppa had more than 600,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and over 960 thousand followers on Instagram.

In a now-tragic final post shared on his Instagram story Tuesday night, Poppa appeared to be riding in a car as he listened to Letting it go by Rod Wave.

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Who was Lil Poppa?

Lil Poppa, was born in Jacksonville, Florida, where he first started rapping at church with a group of friends and his older brother.

And at just 12 years old Poppa built a makeshift studio in the closet of his bedroom and started recording his music using just a laptop and a Radio Shack mic.

His big break came in 2018, when his independently released single Purple Hearts hit 2.3 million views on YouTube.

Since then he has released several albums with his label Collective Music Group, which has signed other industry heavyweights like GloRilla.

What was Lil Poppa’s cause of death?

The Fulton County Medical Examiner in Atlanta, Georgia, announced the tragedy, but didn’t give a cause of death, TMZ reported.

According the a medical examiner, the young rapper’s time of death was 11.23am, but his cause of death is currently unknown.

Fans began expressing their concerns about rumours of his death online when the news first started spreading.

A distraught fan wrote: “poppa please say something this can’t be happening.”

What song made Lil Poppa famous?

Lil Poppa wrote songs about relationships, mental health, and love.

The artist was best known for his tracks including “Love & War,” “Mind Over Matter,” and “HAPPY TEARS”.

Just days before his death Poppa released a new single called “Out of Town Bae”.

“And I can’t change how I’m living, I ain’t got no feelings, I pour drank in my kidney, And it’s only for the healing” he sings in his most played song on Spotify, “Eternal Living”.