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BRITNEY Spears has been accused of barking, waving a knife around and lighting up a cigarette inside a restaurant by concerned fellow diners.

The Princess of Pop, 44, was said to be in “rough shape” as she arrived at the Los Angeles tavern with witnesses claiming even her own team were helpless to stop her from causing havoc.

Representatives for the Toxic singer have hit back at the reports calling them “completely blown out of proportion”.

They told PEOPLE: “Britney was enjoying a quiet dinner with her assistant and bodyguard.

“She was simply telling the story about how her dog was barking at the neighbors.”

The vehement denial comes after one dinner guest spoke out about Spears having an “outburst” inside the restaurant.

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US entertainment journalist Jeff Sneider told Page Six he and a friend turned up at Blue Dog Tavern in Sherman Oaks at around 7pm on Wednesday night.

Spears then walked in a few minutes later hiding behind a big pair of sunglasses.

Pictures show the blonde popstar in a light blue top standing up by the tills before being taken to her seat.

Sneider then claims: “The woman sat down and proceeded to make a lot of woofing or barking noises and just throw a lot of outbursts.”

Spears was accused of constantly leaving her seat and moving around the restaurant erratically.

Her table then ordered food with bar staff bringing out a burger and chips and placing it in front of the Grammy Award winner.

At this point, Sneider alleges Spears stood up while holding a serrated knife which came with her food.

He admitted it looked as if Spears had forgotten she was holding the blade and that no one on his table felt threatened.

But one woman sitting in the restaurant did appear to be in some distress.

Sneider claims the scared diner thought Spears “was going to stab” her.

The journalist did go on to confess: “When she eventually left, I turned around and was like, ‘holy s**t that was crazy!’ to the entire section.”

Britney’s reps said the claims about the knife have been massively exaggerated.

“At no point did she put anyone in danger with a knife,” they said.

The Oops!…I Did it Again star was simply using the knife to cut her burger in half, they assured fans and critics alike.

Back in 2023, fans were concerned for Spears’ safety after she posted a video to her social media of her playing with two knives while in a bikini and boots.

Shortly after the latest alleged knife debacle, Spears lit up a cigarette inside the restaurant near to the door, according to witnesses.

Staff quickly told one of the people she was with that she had to put it out, they added.

Spears wasn’t asked to leave the restaurant at any point but did reportedly leave a mess on the table after “picking” at her food.

No alcohol was seen on Spears’ table with orange juice believed to have been her drink of choice, according to guests.

The popstar’s team added in their statement: “This constant attack on everything that she does and this is exactly what happened 20 years ago when the media tried to depict Britney as a bad person.

“This is ridiculous and it needs to stop now.”

It comes just days after Spears escaped jail by pleading guilty to reckless driving after being hit with a DUI in March.

A judge sentenced Britney to 12 months’ probation, along with one day of jail time already served.

The acclaimed artist checked herself into rehab after her initial arrest following gentle encouragement from her sons.

THEIR podcast was supposed to be a safe space for unfiltered conversations about relationships and families, but instead, it’s become a cause for concern for Louise Thompson and Ryan Libbey’s fans.

This week, things reached boiling point as Louise, 36, and her fiancé, 35, giggled about children going to school without being potty trained or being able to eat on their own on the He Said, She Said podcast. Listeners branded the conversation “disgusting and disappointing”, and now insiders tell us how the bubble is about to burst for the Made In Chelsea star.

Our source explained: “Louise has, of course, been through a hell of a lot in her life and is entitled to an opinion, but she has really hit a nerve with this one.

“She seems to have forgotten that she is in an incredibly privileged position with a healthy four-year-old son and lots of time and money, which of course all play a part.

“It’s a real shame she didn’t think before she started laughing because it would have upset a lot of people.

“It’s very surprising considering how much work she has done for mothers in the past.”

In a clip, which has now been deleted from social media, Louise and Ryan discuss the number of children who are attending school without being potty-trained. 

Outraged by the stats, Louise insisted: “I think a basic human right is to teach your child before the age of four how to use the loo and how to wipe their bum.”

Clearly amused, Louise is heard giggling as she explained: “One in four children are sent to school before they’re potty trained, which means that the teachers are having to change their nappies and then wipe their bum. 88% of kids are going to reception, unable to eat and drink on their own.”

Looking horrified, Ryan replied: “They’ve got nappies on, and they can’t feed or drink themselves.”

Musing on why she thinks it might be the case, Louise said: “Maybe it’s like a bit of a cop out there, like, oh my child’s crying, and they’re being a bit difficult, I can’t be bothered with the hassle. 

“I think that people are so distracted these days with screens that they can’t be bothered to dedicate the time.”

But shockingly, they then revealed that their own son Leo was potty-trained by Ryan’s parents while they were on holiday without him.

He admitted: “My parents pretty much broke the back on the potty training for us with Leo because we went away for a week and he went to his grandparents and they got him out of nappies in a week. It was quite convenient to be honest.”

A recent survey found that one in four children who started reception in 2025 were not toilet-trained. The stats did not count delays that may be related to disabilities or special educational needs. 

It’s a highly sensitive topic, and understandably, the comments have sparked a huge debate.

Reality star, entrepreneur and mum-of-three Lateshya Grace has been vocal in her upset. She shared: “Mocking children for wearing nappies, struggling with toileting, feeding, communication, or developmental delays is honestly disgusting.

“So many families are already dealing with enough without hearing people laugh at situations they clearly don’t understand. Not every child develops the same, and many children facing these challenges have disabilities, additional needs or medical conditions that are nobody else’s business to judge.

“Calling parents “lazy” because their child needs extra support is such an ignorant and privileged take. Most parents in these situations are doing everything they possibly can behind closed doors while fighting battles people never even see.”

Lateshya continued: “Deleting the clip without properly addressing it or apologising doesn’t take away from the damage caused either.

“Children deserve compassion, patience and understanding, not to be mocked for content or podcast conversation. Please educate yourselves before speaking on topics that affect vulnerable children and families.

“You should be ashamed of yourself. Some people honestly don’t even deserve a platform.”

Her thoughts were echoed by lots of parents online as the clip went viral, despite their best efforts to remove it. 

Holly Steer, who runs the Instagram account autismandourworld, dedicated a whole post to the podcast.

She wrote: “Platforms that should be used to promote kindness, compassion, and understanding are instead being used to mock and ridicule children with special needs, and to blame parents for developmental delays that are often far more complex than people realise.”

Her own harrowing story and her past work have only added to her fans’ confusion.

Indeed, Louise has dedicated much of the past few years to improving maternity care after her own life-threatening situation, which means she now wears a colostomy bag.

In 2021, she suffered a near-fatal birth with son, Leo, after an emergency C-section led to catastrophic bleeding. She later required a stoma bag and revealed how she suffered PTSD from the traumatic labour.

She also suffers from lupus, a chronic autoimmune condition that has left her with exhaustion and joint pain, and said she was diagnosed with hydrosalpinx – a condition where a fallopian tube becomes blocked and swells with watery fluid.

Others also pointed out that Louise’s own brother – fellow TV star Sam – was recently diagnosed with ADHD and ASD, adding: “I really expected more from a person who has a brother who is neurodivergent.”

And she won’t be getting much sympathy from her former Made In Chelsea co-stars either, after she made it clear how she had moved on after the show.

After attending the Baftas this weekend, Louise took a swipe at the likes of ex Spencer Matthews and her one-time arch nemesis Lucy Watson as she failed to acknowledge them.

Posing with Millie Mackintosh at the awards, she also shared a throwback with her former cast mates, and wrote: “Here are some photos of Millie and I (and other cast members) attending the BAFTAs in 2013, when we won a Bafta for Made in Chelsea… THIRTEEN years ago.”

Our insider said: “Louise has made it quite clear that she’s got very little interest in some of her old castmates. After what she went through having her son, she made a decision to distance herself from MIC drama, and it’s fair to say there’s no love lost with some of them.”

Just last week, Louise met the then Health Secretary Wes Streeting to discuss her petition to appoint a maternity commissioner and improve care for mothers and babies. She left feeling “genuinely optimistic”.

Some NHS practitioners have expressed concerns about her appraisal of the service, which they believe could be damaging to expectant mothers.

One midwife, who has worked for the NHS for ten years, expressed upset about “being blamed for women’s traumas” and pointed out that there have been issues with funding and resources for more than twenty years, which is something midwives have been fighting for day in, day out. 

Louise is clearly playing an important part in advocating for change, but whether her fans will be able to forgive her faux pas is yet to be seen. 

Claudine Longet, the French-born star and ex-wife of crooner Andy Williams who became notorious for the fatal shooting of Olympic skier Vladimir “Spider” Sabich, has died. She was 84.

Her death was confirmed by her nephew, Bryan Longet, who posted a social media tribute on Thursday. Translated from French by The Times, he wrote, “You have been a true inspiration in my life and you will always be. … Another star in the sky. Thank you for everything, my aunt.”

Born in Paris on Jan. 29, 1942, Longet was the daughter of a doctor and an X-ray manufacturer. From a young age, she showed a knack for singing and dancing and envisioned her name on the marquee. In 1960, when she turned 18, American impresario Lou Walters (father of Barbara Walters) saw Longet dancing on French television and hired the ingénue to join the Tropicana casino’s flashy new production. She bid Paris adieu and sashayed to Las Vegas, where she starred in the Folies Bergère revue.

While working as a showgirl in Sin City, Longet met then-fellow Vegas performer Andy Williams one evening when her car broke down on the side of the road. Williams happened to be passing by as the young dancer was pushing her car down the highway with a friend, and Williams along with his manager stopped to help and was quickly charmed. The two were married on Christmas Day the following year, in 1961.

In 1962, Williams released “Moon River,” and the crooner’s career took off. The newlyweds left Las Vegas and moved into an oceanfront mansion in Malibu where they started a family, and over the next several years welcomed daughter Noelle and sons Christian and Robert, or “Bobby,” who was named after the couple’s close friend Robert F. Kennedy. Also in 1962, Williams’ eponymous variety show debuted and quickly became a hit. Longet was a regular on the show, and the family-oriented Christmas TV specials, often featuring the entire Williams clan, were a ratings juggernaut.

In addition to her regular appearances on “The Andy Williams Show,” Longet acted in television and film. Notably, the chanteuse captivated audiences singing Henry Mancini and Don Black’s “Nothing to Lose” in the 1968 comedy “The Party,” in which she played an aspiring actress. From 1967 to 1972, she released seven studio albums, five with A&M Records, including her debut single and album titled “Claudine,” and two with Barnaby Records. Her music was known for its breathy, lounge-pop quality, and she sang in both English and French.

By 1970, Williams and Longet’s marriage was on the rocks, and the pair separated. They officially divorced in 1975. The Emmy-winning host chalked it up to the pair growing apart. He told CBS’ “This Morning” during a 2009 appearance that he was never home. “It was all my fault, and I just didn’t take care of my marriage,” he said, noting that he regretted the split. The two stayed friendly afterward, and Williams stood by Longet when tragedy and scandal struck a year later, in 1976.

Longet met Olympian skier Sabich in Bear Valley at a celebrity skiing exhibition in 1972. There was an instant attraction between the two, and Longet relocated to Aspen, Colo., and ultimately moved into the pro skier’s ritzy Starwood chalet around 1975. On March 21, 1976, Longet shot Sabich in the abdomen with an imitation World War II .22-caliber German‐made pistol. Her daughter, Noelle, who was in the house at the time, testified that she heard Sabich yell out, “Claudine! Claudine!”

According to The Times’ archives, Longet told authorities that she found the handgun and asked Sabich how to use it. During Longet’s trial, Aspen Det. David Garms testified that Longet insisted the shooting was an accident. Garms said that Longet told him she’d pointed the gun at Sabich and then “jokingly said ‘bang, bang.’” She told investigators she thought the safety was on, and a ballistics expert said the safety did not work.

Longet was with Sabich in the ambulance when he died en route to the Aspen hospital. The “Love Is Blue” singer was subsequently questioned by investigators and charged with felony reckless manslaughter weeks later. She initially faced up to 10 years in prison. But in January 1977, after four days of testimony and 3½ hours of deliberations, Longet was acquitted of the felony charge and convicted of a misdemeanor charge of negligent homicide.

Ex-husband Williams accompanied Longet to her trial and told “This Morning” years later that he supported his ex-wife because he believed in her innocence.

“I did because I thought it was unfair,” he said. “I thought she was innocent. I thought it was an accident.”

During the trial, she testified in her signature French accent that she and Sabich were the “best of friends.”

“There were times over the four years that we would disagree. … [T]here would be times he would be a little bit offended by the attention I got and I would be a little bit offended by the attention he got, but we were the best of friends and we loved each other very much,” she told the court, per The Times’ archives.

Longet was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail “at a time of her own choosing.”

“There is not really much to say,” she told reporters outside the courtroom, per The Times’ archives. “Only that I have too much respect for living things to do that. I’m not guilty.”

The parents of Sabich filed a $1.3-million civil suit against Longet later the same year, but the case was settled out of court two years later. Longet was reportedly forbidden from speaking or writing about the shooting. As for her career in show business, she was finished.

The Sabich case became an absolute sensation in the media, not just in America but also globally, and Longet was internationally labeled Aspen’s femme fatale. Pop culture had its way with the incident as well. The Rolling Stones’ song “Claudine” was withheld from their 1978 album, “Some Girls,” because of legal considerations but was featured on the 2011 reissue of the album.

“You’re the prettiest girl I ever seen / I want to see you on the movie screen / I hope you never try to make a sacrifice of me, Claudine,” belted Mick Jagger in what may have been considered a diss track or a tribute, depending on whom you ask. “Nah ah / Don’t get, don’t get trigger happy with me, Claudine.”

In an April 1976 episode, “Saturday Night Live” also took aim at the deadly affair with a sketch titled “The Claudine Longet Invitational,” in which Chevy Chase and Jane Curtin play sports commentators who offer a play-by-play of a competition in which male skiers are “accidentally” shot by Longet as they race down the slopes.

The producers read an apology on air the following week.

Aspen attorney Ron Austin, who was on Longet’s defense team, left his wife shortly after the trial concluded to be with the embattled starlet. The two married in 1985 and remained in Aspen afterLonget’s conviction but also spent time at their second home in Hawaii. In 2023, the pair listed her $60-million Red Mountain Ranch estate, according to Robb Report.

Longet’s last known public appearance was in 2003 on the A&E channel’s Andy Williams “Biography” documentary, in which she recorded only voice-over. “To this day people stop me in the street and say how much they loved the Christmas show.”

Top Gear was suspended before the BBC announced in November 2023 that it would not be returning “for the ­foreseeable future” but now insiders say it is returning

Four years after the horror crash that saw Freddie Flintoff suffer life-changing injuries, the car show Top Gear is being brought back by the BBC according to insiders.

In 2022, Freddie’s life was changed after a car crash while filming BBC1’s Top Gear at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey left him with devastating facial injuries. He underwent extensive reconstructive surgery led by maxillofacial surgeon Mr Jahrad Haq. Freddie is believed to have been paid £9million compensation.

The popular series was suspended before the BBC announced in November 2023 that it would not be returning “for the ­foreseeable future”. However, Prime Video has since announced a reboot of The Grand Tour, the motoring show hosted by Clarkson, May and Hammond after they left Top Gear.

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A new presenting team will replace former hosts Andrew Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris. BBC Studios has already started work on the reboot, which could be aired next year — half a century after the show launched in 1977.

An insider told The Sun: “BBC bosses are keen to revive Top Gear because they have never filled the space it left behind and so many viewers hanker after a motoring show. And it’s not just in Britain that the programme is much loved, it is a brand in its own right and watched by millions around the globe.

“Which is why it wasn’t just important to satisfy the needs of petrolheads, but also, specifically, fans of Top Gear. They’ll be thrilled to hear it is returning.”

The search is already under way for new presenters for the show.

Hosts over the years

The show’s most successful period came with Jeremy Clarkson and the little-known Richard Hammond and James May — plus the mysterious Stig — from 2002 to 2015.

There was a brief period from 2016 when DJ Chris Evans and Friends star Matt LeBlanc took over. Then in 2019, former England cricket captain “Freddie” Flintoff and comedian Paddy signed up to present alongside motoring expert Chris.

While the BBC insider said the show “is returning” the Beeb and BBC Studios, who produce the show, said they had no updates on whether the show was returning.

A spokesman for BBC Studios said: “The Top Gear brand continues to thrive across digital, publishing, and global formats. As a commercial producer, we’re always exploring new ways to develop the brand and reach audiences by leveraging such iconic IP.”

Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse are expecting their first child together.

The model debuted her baby bump Thursday at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where she walked the red carpet for the premiere of “Parallel Tales” along with her husband.

The couple posed for photos at the event, drawing attention to their gestating bundle of joy by framing and caressing Palvin’s belly. According to TMZ, the baby is due around August or September.

Palvin and Sprouse also took to Instagram to share their happy news. Included in the slideshow they posted Thursday is what appears to be a sonogram image of a fetus in a womb, throwing a “rock on” hand signal.

“High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens, who appeared alongside Sprouse in “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” in 2006, was among the couple’s well-wishers on social media.

“Rock on little family,” Hudgens wrote in her comment, which also included a heart emoji.

The former Disney Channel star and Victoria’s Secret model first met at a party in 2017. In a 2018 video for Vogue Australia, Palvin shared that Sprouse was her first boyfriend in six years and described him as a “perfect guy” who is “very kind and gentle.” The couple tied the knot in 2023.

In April, Sprouse tackled a trespasser at his Hollywood Hills home after Palvin spotted “the creepy” intruder. Palvin called the police, and Sprouse held the suspect down until they arrived.

Married at First Sight Australia star Alissa opened up about the ‘mean girl treatment’ she faced from fellow brides during Season 13

A Married At First Sight Australia bride has revealed she “couldn’t get out of bed” after enduring “mean girl treatment” from fellow cast members.

The thirteenth series of the popular social experiment has finally wrapped up, but not without the couples facing one last interrogation from the relationship experts.

During Thursday’s (May 14) finale, Alissa was given the opportunity to speak out about the text message controversy involving co-stars Gia and Bec.

Fans will recall that the pair were exposed sharing vicious messages about Alissa and her husband David in a private group chat. One message suggested the couple’s relationship was fake, while another branded Alissa a “rat b****”.

In a final bid to defend herself, Alissa confronted Bec and Gia, the only two members from the group chat who attended the reunion, reports OK!.

“What did I do to you? What did I actually do to you? Mean girls, just mean girls,” she said.

When questioned about how their remarks impacted her, Alissa emotionally confessed: “I couldn’t get out of bed. If it wasn’t for him [David]. He was with me, he stood by me.”

She continued: “And he was like ‘You’re strong, you got this.’ I remember that second dinner party, I sat there and I was shaking under the table.

“My arms were shaking and that was one of the hardest days of my life. And I didn’t shed one tear, and I sat there and I called out a bully.”

The heartfelt admission left the entire cast visibly moved, with even Bec appearing distressed. Despite clashing throughout the E4 experiment, the two female contestants have since buried the hatchet.

Both Gia and Bec offered sincere apologies during the reunion episode.

Bec was first to speak up, saying: “The way I treated you was disgusting. And I vow to you and promise you that I will never, ever, ever, ever treat you or another woman without speaking to them about it [first],” before adding: “That was just unfair and I’m sincerely sorry.”

Gia then responded: “Obviously we’re leaving the experiment so you’ve no way to judge if my behaviour’s going to change, but all I can say is I’m really truly sorry for anything I’ve ever said.”

Married at First Sight Australia is streaming now on Channel 4 online

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 

★★★★★

Clarence Carter, the blues and soul singer famous for songs including the raunchy hit “Strokin’” featured in Eddie Murphy’s “The Nutty Professor,” has died.

Fame Recording Studios in Carter’s native Alabama announced the singer-songwriter’s death Thursday morning. In a statement shared to Facebook, the studio said Carter “was more than an artist to us,” adding he “was family.” The post did not disclose additional details about Carter’s passing, including the cause of death. Carter was 90.

The Grammy-nominated musician, who was blind since age 1, was most popular in the late 1960s and early ’70s, with chart-busting hits including 1968’s romantic “Slip Away,” 1970’s “Patches” and the Christmas hit “Back Door Santa.” He released a steady stream of music through the ’90s — Carter released 22 studio albums over the course of his career — and earned two Grammy Award nominations.

Carter received his first nod in 1970 for composing ex-wife Candi Staton’s single “I’d Rather Be an Old Man’s Sweetheart,” which was nominated for the rhythm & blues song category. He received his own nomination in R&B vocal performance the following year for his story-driven “Patches,” about a young man fulfilling his father’s expectations.

Former Times pop music critic Robert Hilburn wrote in 1992: “Clarence Carter is one of the most overlooked soul stylists of the modern pop era.”

Among Carter’s musical talents was a knack for descriptive lyricism, which he channeled for unapologetically sexual songs “G Spot” and “Strokin’.” In these numbers, Carter spares no detail in his approach to lovemaking. “Strokin’,’” released in 1986, notably received play in 1996‘s “The Nutty Professor” as Murphy’s titular character drives over to a date.

Born in 1936 in Montgomery, Ala., Carter took an interest in music in his youth, enjoying the blues records his stepfather bought and learning to play the guitar. “I would lie in my bed and hear those bands playing and say to myself, ‘One of these days I’m going to play just like that,’” he told The Times in 1987.

He graduated from Alabama State College in 1960 with a bachelor’s in music and worked briefly as a schoolteacher before beginning his professional music career. Carter formed a duo with friend and singer Calvin Scott, but his collaborator was later seriously injured in an automobile accident. Carter then went solo and began recording music with producer Rick Hall and Fame in Muscle Shoals, amid the late-’60s soul boom.

After the success of his early hits in the ’70s, Carter struggled to find the same chart success amid disco’s popularity. “Nobody’s gonna keep a hit record all the time,” he told The Times. In the early ’80s, his “Working on a Love Building” was a moderate hit. Carter signed to Ichiban Records to record his 1986 album “Dr. C.C.,” which featured “Strokin’” among its tracks.

“By the time I finished doing that song and walked back up to the control room, [the engineer] was laughing so hard he hadn’t even turned the tape machine off,” he said a year after the hit’s release.

Carter released his final studio album, “Sing Along With Clarence Carter,” in 2011 but continued to release live albums and compilations until 2020. He also continued performing live through the 2010s.

The singer-songwriter was married to Staton from 1970 to 1973 and they share a son, Clarence Carter Jr. He married Joyce Jenkins in 2001 and has lived in DeKalb County, Ga., since 1983.

“Clarence Carter leaves behind a legacy of timeless music, unforgettable performances, and a friendship we will always cherish,” Fame Studios said in its statement. “We extend our love and prayers to his family, friends, and fans around the world.”

LEE Andrews has made a change to his social media platforms after leaving his wife Katie Price furious by failing to come over to the UK.

The self-proclaimed millionaire has said he will be flying over any day now but has not kept his word.

Now Lee has turned off all the comments sections on his recent social media posts so he can’t receive messages from fans.

Lee failed to arrive in the UK in time to accompany Katie on Good Morning Britain, but praised her online for doing such a “fantastic” job on her own.

Katie then reposted the video online, insisting to fans that her man was indeed still on the way.

However, the former model and TV personality now seems to be questioning herself and whether what Lee has been saying is true.

EX’S WARNING

Lee Andrews’ ex shares post hinting at downfall & sends message to Katie Price

CAUTIOUS KATE

Katie Price FINALLY reveals doubts over hubby saying ‘something’s not right’

Speaking on her podcast The Katie Price show, she said: “I’ve said to him, he needs to make it to the UK, because if he doesn’t, then it’s obviously something not right going on.”

She then admitted to confronting Lee over the situation, and said: “It’s the fact you keep saying you’re coming and then don’t come.

“Of course, everyone is going to flag up. Even I’ve flagged it up to him.

“Big time I’ve flagged it up now. I said, ‘Don’t do that to me again. Me having to go on live TV without you and make me look stupid and a d***.

“No wonder everyone’s saying, ‘You’re this, you’re that’, because they’ve got a reason to say it. I agree with everyone.”

Lee’s ex Alana Percival has also claimed that he made up excuses for “missing” his flights while they were dating.

They were in a relationship for nine months until late last year, with Lee even proposing to her in a identical proposal to the one he did for Katie.

Taking to her Instagram stories, she expressed: “Another time he ‘pretended’ to be coming to the UK to come and see me.

“Wearing his cap so facial recognition doesn’t get him hahaha lies lies and more lies… delusional is a understatement.

“This excuse was one of soooooo many but a ‘flight risk’ if this one. He went all the way to the airport to lie when he cannot travel lol.”

EastEnders’ Mark Fowler has resorted to desperate tactics to clear his debt to gangster Delaney, but fans think there’s a further twist on the way that will be fatal for one character

EastEnders fans are convinced Mark Fowler’s latest desperate antics will prove fatal for one character. In Thursday’s episode, airing on 14 May, Mark learned that his debt to gangster Russell Delaney had been doubled after his father, Grant Mitchell, threatened the drug lord. In his panic, his aunt Sam, managed to convince him to do something drastic.

Sam told Mark that he needed Lauren Beale to start working with him on stealing cars and selling them on her car lot. Lauren refused to do that before but Sam suggested that if Mark made it so that she had no choice but to turn to him, then he could get his money. As such, they took a car Lauren was due to sell and set fire to it.

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Fans noticed that just before this scene, Bea Pollard, who had been kicked out of Honey and Billy Mitchell’s home after stealing Honey’s identity, was sleeping rough on some bin bags. Some thought she might be too close to the fire and die as a result, as the character is thought to be leaving soon.

“I think Bea was bedding down in one of the lock ups by the car,” one fan said. “Hopefully that will be her leaving scene.” Another added: “Was that Bea asleep on the ground when Mark threw petrol all over the car and put a lighter to it?” A third said: “I thought the same thing. Near the car – bet she saw it all.”

But others pointed out that it looked more like Bea was in McClunky’s, the chicken shop where she works. One wrote: “Bea camping out at mcklunky’s on a bin bag…”

Another said: “Sure she was in the chicken shop.” A third added: “She was in the chicken shop, you could see counter in the background.”

This comes as Bea’s actions left Honey hospitalised. When it was revealed that Bea used Honey’s identity to open a credit card account, which landed her friend in £5,000 debt, Bea tried to convince Honey that it was all a misunderstanding.

When that didn’t work, she said she only did it so that she could buy things for people and make them like her. It was close to persuading Honey to let her stay, until Honey’s husband Billy came home.

Billy threw Bea out on her ear. In a fit of rage, Bea flipped the safety lever on his ladder, so that when he went up to clear the drains, he would fall.

But in a sick twist, it was Honey who went up the ladder. She fell from the ladder and couldn’t be roused by Billy, as Bea watched on from the shadows.

Honey was rushed to hospital, where she eventually woke up. But despite convincing everyone that she wasn’t responsible for Honey’s fall, Bea was not allowed to stay with them in Walford and was told to leave.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

South Korean boy band BTS, U.S. pop culture icon Madonna and Latin music superstar Shakira will be performing at halftime during the World Cup final July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., FIFA announced Thursday morning.

The performance will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is looking to raise $100 million to assist children in accessing education and soccer.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino wrote on Instagram that the show “will be a truly special moment, bringing together music, football and a shared commitment to improving the lives of children around the world.”

The show is being curated by Coldplay leader Chris Martin and, if this event announcement video is to be believed, a bunch of Muppets.

“It’s a chance to show how amazing all different kinds of humans are,” Martin explains to Elmo in the video.

The three acts will bring a variety of cultures, musical styles and generations of fans to the Super Bowl-style concert, which will be the first of its kind for a World Cup final.

Madonna headlined the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show in 2012, and Shakira teamed with Jennifer Lopez to co-headline the Super Bowl LIV halftime show in 2020. Also, Coldplay headlined the Super Bowl 50 halftime show in 2016.

No duration time has been announced for the World Cup show, although soccer halftimes are not supposed to last more than 15 minutes. Bad Bunny’s halftime performance at Super Bowl LX in February lasted 13 minutes.

Among the three of them, Madonna, Shakira and BTS have compiled 20 No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart, 10 Grammys and 37 MTV Video Music Awards. Shakira is scheduled to release “Dai Dai” with Nigerian singer Burna Boy as the official song of the 2026 World Cup this month.

FORMER glamour model Katie Price has taken a fresh swipe at “missing” Lee as it seems they weren’t on the same page when he failed to show up in the UK.

Earlier this week poor Katie was left “embarrassed” after Lee, 43, failed to board a flight to the UK again, leaving her alone on the sofa of their scheduled GMB interview.

Katie was left fuming with the Dubai-based “businessman,” who she married in January, and has even issued him an ultimatum.

But now, Katie has continued to fuel rumours their marriage is on the rocks as she posted a clip of her podcast with her sister Sophie to Instagram.

She took a brutal swipe at Lee, writing in text across the video: “Where’s Wal-Lee?”

The mum-of-three made a calculated joke about her husband playing on the words Where’s Wally – a series of search and find books.

EX’S WARNING

Lee Andrews’ ex shares post hinting at downfall & sends message to Katie Price

LAST CHANCE

Katie Price rages ‘time is running out’ for husband Lee

It seems Katie is beginning to question her man as she bantered that he was hard to track down.

In the video, she said: “I just want him here, just to visit here and shut everyone up that he can get here.

“So next week when we do the pod we’ll find out whether he’s come to England or not and we’ll see what he’s said.”

Lee has claimed he was going to fly into the country multiple times but is yet to show up.

It raised questions again about his alleged travel ban which stops him from leaving Dubai, which he denies exists.

With Lee still mooching about the UAE, Katie admitted today that she has started to question her husband.

She captioned a post on social media: “Time is running out for Lee and he needs to give a good reason as to why he can’t get back because I am not going back to Dubai.”

During her podcast, The Katie Price Show, she admitted to confronting Lee over the situation.

She said: “It’s the fact you keep saying you’re coming and then don’t come.

“Of course, everyone is going to flag up. Even I’ve flagged it up to him. Big time I’ve flagged it up now. I said, ‘Don’t do that to me again. Me having to go on live TV without you and make me look stupid and a d***”.

“No wonder everyone’s saying, ‘You’re this, you’re that’, because they’ve got a reason to say it. I agree, I agree with everyone.”

Lee, dubbed a “Walter Mitty,” was caught in yet another lie as documented his journey to the UK on Instagram.

He claimed to be flying from Muscat in Oman, but it was clear from the clips that Lee was in Dubai airport, near where he lives.

Netflix’s ‘micro-series’ has already creeped its way into the UK’s top 10

Fans of a “saucy” drama can binge-watch this one in just an afternoon.

Binge-watching is how most TV fanatics view their favourite shows nowadays with Netflix dropping the perfect “micro-series” for its subscribers.

Mexican thriller Between Father and Son has arrived with the 20-part series focussed on well-respected lawyer Barbara (played by Pamela Almanza) whose life changes after “just a few suspenseful minutes”.

She visits the house of her fiance Alvaro (Erick Elias) before getting married but unexpectedly finds herself attracted to her future step-son Iker (Graco Sendel).

On top of the forbidden sexual tension, there’s also the mystery around what happened to Alvaro’s first wife and Iker’s mum Fernanda who went missing.

Between Father and Son is perfect for those wanting to quickly binge their way through a series.

Each of the 20 episodes have a running time of 10 minutes or less, with seven instalments just seven minutes long.

So Netflix subscribers could binge-watch the entire boxset of Between Father and Son in under four hours if watched back-to-back.

However, while fans have been “hooked” by the Mexican drama, some have complained of a technical issue.

From episode four onwards, fans are currently unable to hear the dialogue in Between Father and Son.

Taking to X, a viewer questioned: “Why’s there no sound?”, as another on Reddit stated: “It doesn’t have any dialogue audio after episode three.”

They went on to add: “I am already hooked though and patiently waiting for the issue to be fixed!”

But others have shared that their audio is working fine, including the English dubbed version of the series.

Between Father and Son is available to watch on Netflix.

LEE Andrews ex has shared a cryptic post that hinted at his downfall as she sends a new message to Katie Price.

The self-proclaimed businessman, 42, was supposed to appear on Good Morning Britain with wife Katie Price on Tuesday but she was forced to go solo after he claimed he missed his flight.

Lee Andrews ex Alana Percival has posted a cryptic story which said: “Today is the day..unfolding,” amid his failure to reach the UK.

In a second post Alana declared: “Also I promise there is so much to come to show you exactly what I meant when I warned her from him.

“I refuse to keep silent not just for me but for anyone else that is going through the same thing I went through.”

Almost talking directly to Katie Price, she added: “I am healed/healing and happy and if I can help anyone going through anything similar my messages are open, you are not alone.”

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PAYING THE PRICE

Is Katie starting to see ‘real’ Lee Andrews after he abandons her on TV?

This comes as there’s ongoing speculation that Katie‘s husband Lee is unable to leave the United Arab Emirates city after allegedly forging his ex-girlfriend Dina Taji’s signature to secure a £200,000 loan – something he’s strongly denied.

After missing his flight, Lee later shared a video on Instagram from the airport to say he was on his way to the UK to see his wife again.

However, despite his claims that he was flying from Muscat in Oman, he was caught in a lie as he was clearly at Dubai airport in the video, which is where he resides.

Alana, who has previously hit out at him on several occasions, has claimed he pulled the same airport stunt with her.

They dated for nine months until late last year, even proposing to her in a identical proposal to the one he did for Katie.

Taking to her Instagram stories, she expressed: “Another time he ‘pretended’ to be coming to the UK to come and see me.

“Wearing his cap so facial recognition doesn’t get him hahaha lies lies and more lies… delusional is a understatement.

“This excuse was one of soooooo many but a ‘flight risk’ if this one. He went all the way to the airport to lie when he cannot travel lol.”

During the GMB interview with Katie, Susanna and Ed told how they had approached the Foreign Office to see if Lee had a travel ban.

They said they had been informed they had “supported a British man detained in the United Arab Emirates“.

Katie addressed the situation on the latest episode of her The Katie Price Show podcast, telling sister Sophie: “I said [to Lee], ‘Don’t do that to me again. I have to go on live TV without you and make me look stupid and a d**k.’

“’No wonder everyone’s saying you’re this, you’re that – because they’ve got a reason to say it. I agree’.”

The mum-of-five then confessed she’s not even entirely sure whether or not her husband is unable to leave the United Arab Emirates city. 

Katie added: “I want answers. Just a bit of respect. Just tell me what’s going on.”

Rivals’ Rupert Campbell-Black star may be a literary sex god but his wife gave a blunt response to his nude scenes.

Rivals actor Alex Hassell met his wife at drama school and she warned him to be wary.

Rivals fans are on the edge of their seats awaiting the arrival of season two on Disney+, starring Alex Hassell as the entitled millionaire Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black.

The new outing will continue to follow the rivalry between Campbell-Black and Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant), while treating viewers to more tantalising romps.

Essex-born actor Hassell’s character may spend a lot of time in the nude, but the star’s famous wife once warned him about avoiding nude scenes.

The 45-year-old star previously told inews that his wife said to him him he’d better stop “before I get a name for myself”, going on to say he’s “not particularly body shy”.

Here is all you need to know about the star’s famous wife and how they met.

Who is Alex Hassell’s wife?

Hassell, from Southend, is married to actress Emma King and the pair tied the knot in January 2011.

King has previously taken on guest roles in Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop, The Vanishing and The Cry, and she often appears alongside her husband at red carpet events.

The pair met at drama school but didn’t get together until years later, after King went to see one of Hassell’s shows by his theatre group, Factory.

He explained to Square Mile: “She came to see a Factory show and we both asked for each other’s number off the same person.”

They have since worked together on multiple occasions, including at RSC productions and on an episode of Cowboy Bebop.

The publication went on to say his wife is “thrilled about Rivals”, which has become an international hit.

Hassell and King had a rather private wedding in front of friends and family, both preferring to keep their relationship out of the spotlight.

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However, King has previously shared plenty of photos of the pair on her Instagram account and she wrote a sweet tribute to her husband on their tenth wedding anniversary.

Next to a collection of snaps from their big day, she said: “Happy anniversary @alexanderhassell I never knew it was possible to feel this loved or to love this much.

“I don’t always know what I’m doing but I know I couldn’t do it without you.”

Rivals season 2 airs on Disney+ from May 15.

ASHLEY Roberts has stripped down to a tiny leather corset and red bra as she shook her bum while recreating iconic Pussycat Dolls moves.

The Heart Radio host, 44, turned up the heat as she tried on one of her racy outfits that she performed in back in the day.

Her waist cinched into the zipped up black corset which she paired with a sparkly red bra and the tiniest short shorts.

She turned around to reveal a bow and a piece of material on the back as she shook her bum in the air like she just didn’t care.

Shocked by the outfits they used to wear, she expressed: “No tights?,” before scrunching up her face and saying: “I don’t know about this one.”

Ashley then tried on a black top with straps which was paired with a high-waist ruffled grey skirt.

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Clearly getting into the groove, she began dancing and singing to the group’s hit song ‘Don’t Cha’.

The I’m A Celebrity star showed off yet another look, as she posed in a long-sleeved red Adidas top which cut off at her midriff and went with some matching red shorts.

She captioned the post: “Dolls, you asked for it, had a lil @pussycatdolls archive to try on.”

Her fans rushed to the comments section as one gushed: “The Doll Domination tartan looks were THE moment.”

Another follower enthused: “The second outfit is everything!”

Somebody else said: “You are so beautiful woman,” and a fourth added: “So iconic Ash.”

In March, she announced the Pussycat Dolls were returning as a trio with Nicole Scherzinger and Kimberley Wyatt.

They revealed their comeback with their new single, Club Song and will also be embarking on a world tour this year.

They were due to begin the tour with 33 dates across US and Canada, starting in Palm Beach, California on June 5 but this will no longer be happening.

They struggled to sell tickets despite slashing prices to $30, and several dates still had as much as 80 percent of the seats available.

Rehearsals were due to start last month but were delayed and had not formally started before the plug was pulled.

However, they will go ahead with the European leg of the PCD Forever tour, which is due to begin in Copenhagen on September 9.

It will see the group perform arena concerts in Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Dublin, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester and London.

Insiders insisted their ticket sales have been far better in Europe than in North America, with shows in Warsaw and Paris already sold out.

Disney+’s Rivals is back for a second series, with a string of new faces joining the cast of the hit British comedy-drama

Rutshire is set to welcome fresh faces for Rivals season two, with some recognisable stars joining the fray.

Disney+ is set to launch the second instalment of its hugely successful British comedy drama Rivals tomorrow (Friday, May 15), reports Somerset Live.

The streaming service will release the opening three episodes simultaneously, plunging viewers back into the flamboyant realm of 1980s regional television, complete with its big hair and eye-watering fashion choices.

Disney+ has teased the upcoming series with this synopsis: “In the second season, the battle for the Central South West television franchise reaches fever pitch as the war between Corinium and Venturer enters a dangerous new phase.

“More ruthless than ever, Tony Baddingham is determined to dismantle his rivals piece-by-piece, weaponising scandal and manipulating those closest to him to maintain his grip on power.”

“Amidst the hedonistic glamour of 80s excess, the personal lives of our Rutshire heroes spiral into chaos. Marriages fracture under the weight of ambition, illicit affairs threaten to shatter families, and long-buried secrets ignite with explosive consequences.

“As rivalries push everyone to the brink, loyalties are tested and hearts are broken in the pursuit of victory. But what is the true cost of war?”

Alongside the new plot developments, several fresh performers are entering the mix. Here’s your guide to the latest additions and their previous work.

Who is in the cast of Rivals season 2?

Helen Gordon – Hayley Atwell

English-American star Hayley Atwell portrays Rupert Campbell-Black’s (Alex Hassell) former wife and mother to his two children.

Atwell has made her mark playing Peggy Carter in Marvel’s Agent Carter series and various Marvel blockbusters, alongside appearances in the Mission: Impossible franchise with Tom Cruise and Netflix’s Heartstopper.

Malise Gordon – Rupert Everett

Acclaimed actor Rupert Everett takes on the part of Helen’s new husband Malise Gordon, who previously served as Campbell-Black’s show-jumping coach and mentor.

Everett boasts an extensive career dating back to the 1980s, with memorable performances in My Best Friend’s Wedding alongside Julia Roberts, An Ideal Husband, Napoleon, My Policeman, and The Serpent Queen.

Sebbie Carlisle – Maxim Ays

Emerging talent Maxim Ays brings Sebbie Carlisle to life in the latest series, having previously appeared in The Larkins, Sanditon, Boarders and Still So Awkward.

His television credits also include Doctor Who, Grantchester and Truth and Treason.

Dommie Carlisle – Bobby Lockwood

Completing the fresh additions is Bobby Lockwood as Dommie Carlisle, with the actor’s previous work including Wolfblood, Here We Go, Casualty, The Tower and Tell Me Everything.

He’s also shared screen time with Rivals colleague Emily Atack on The Emily Atack Show, while making brief appearances in The Diplomat, Grantchester, ITV’s Grace, and Dunkirk.

Rivals season 2 returning cast in full The second series of Rivals will welcome back its expansive ensemble, with Good Omens’ David Tennant reprising his role as the scheming Lord Tony Baddingham, His Dark Materials’ Alex Hassell as former Olympian-turned-Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black, and Poldark’s Aidan Turner as ex-BBC journalist Declan O’Hara.

Bloodlands’ Victoria Smurfit will return as Declan’s actress wife Maud O’Hara, joined by Black Lightning’s Nafessa Williams as TV executive Cameron Cook, and The IT Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson as Rutshire’s romance novelist Lizzie Vereker.

Additional cast members include Sex Education’s Bella Maclean as Taggie O’Hara, EastEnders legend Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones, Sherwood’s Claire Rushbrook as Lady Monica Baddingham, The Crown’s Oliver Chris as James Vereker, ITV’s Maternal’s Lisa McGrillis as Valerie Jones, The Inbetweeners’ Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton, and W1A’s Rufus Jones as her husband Paul Stratton.

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Completing the impressive roster are The Musketeers’ Luca Pasqualino as Basil ‘Bas’ Baddingham, Wild Cherry’s Catriona Chandler as Caitlin O’Hara, The Split’s Annabel Scholey as Beattie Johnson, Outlander’s Gary Lamont as Charles Fairburn, Wolf Hall’s Hubert Burton as Gerald Middleton, The Winter King’s Gabriel Tierney as Patrick O’Hara, How To Have Sex’s Lara Peake as Daysee Butler, and Call The Midwife’s Bryony Hannah as Dierdre Kilpatrick.

Rivals season 2 launches on Disney+ tomorrow and airs weekly on Fridays

A 90s heartthrob looked worlds away from his West End heyday as he was snapped in Essex this weekend.

Donning a leather jacket over an all-black ensemble, the star, 57, added a heavy chain around his neck during a shopping trip, but would you recognise him?

It’s Darren Day behind the brand new look, with the singer and actor snapped visiting a jewellery store near his home.

The star is best known for his bright blonde locks and clean-shaven look, but is now sporting a beard and moustache.

He was spotted enjoying an energy drink during the solo outing whilst popping into several shops, holding a tote bag and small cactus.

It comes after Darren became a grandfather earlier this year, with his 21-year-old son Corey welcoming his first child, a son named Colton, with girlfriend Erin Mitchell.

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Darren shares Corey with former Hear’Say singer Suzanne Shaw, whom he split from in 2005 following a whirlwind romance.

Suzanne and Darren had a short-lived romance in the early noughties, with the latter leaving soap star Suzanne when Corey was just seven weeks old.

Darren began a romance with Suzanne in 2003, while he was still engaged to fellow actress Adele Vellacot.

He then split from Adele and began a relationship with Suzanne, with the pair staying together for 18 months and even getting engaged.

But in 2005, on Mother’s Day, Darren famously walked out on Suzanne and Corey.

They became grandparents for the first time in March following Colton’s birth, and shared snaps together from hospital to show they were friendly exes – despite the historic drama.

Darren has had a famously tumultuous love life which has included six engagements – with the actor hailed as one of showbiz’s most notorious womanisers.

However, he has been with other half Sophie Ladds since 2017, getting engaged back in 2020.

Darren is also still performing on stage and recently appeared in a pantomime production of Mother Goose for Easter.

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.

A World War II veteran who just turned 105 shared his secret as he appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain

A World War II veteran who just turned 105 shared his secret as he appeared on Good Morning Britain.

Flight Lieutenant Colin Bell, the last surviving World War II Mosquito bomber pilot, was on the ITV show on Thursday (May 14) and viewers were “amazed” at how youthful he looked.

Hosts Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley quizzed him about his secret, and Colin shared that being “lucky” had a role as he paid tribute to his late wife of 73 years. He also told the presenters that he avoids negative people “like the plague”.

Colin was talking about a recent return to the skies and writing his bestselling book, Bloody Dangerous, when Richard said: “Colin, I, I just don’t know how you manage to be so trim and fit and so strong.” “You’ve got you’ve got a quick secret of 105, haven’t you, of how you managed to be so fabulous?” Kate added.

“Well, I’m not fabulous,” the former pilot replied. “But I’m very lucky. And that plays a very large part in one’s life. I’ve been very lucky all the time. I was lucky to be married to the best woman in the world for 73 years.

“And unfortunately, I lost her eight years ago. But, you know, you just have to get on with life, don’t you?”

Richard suggested that after every mission he flew, Colin’s chances of coming back safely from the next one went down.

But the centenarian said: “No, I disagree with you. It’s like flipping a coin. You stand the same chance when you flip a coin as it is when you’re coming back from an operation. The chances of survival are exactly the same for every trip that you go out, except that you’re most vulnerable in your early stages when you haven’t got experience.

“Because without experience see, until you’ve actually been out and experienced being shot at… nobody can tell you what it’s like. But when you’ve experienced it and you know how, then you become less vulnerable.”

After Kate commented on his “positive” view, Colin replied: “Well, you would need to be positive. I like positive people, and I avoid negative people like the plague.

“Let’s put it this way. It was a job that had to be done. I think I lacked quite a lot of imagination, which was in my favour. I think I was pretty thick. But I got on with it because, as I said, it was a job that had to be done.”

Viewers watching at home were impressed by Colin’s story and youthful appearance, with several posting messages on X.

“105!? Woah, Amazing…! What a man,” one said on the platform, which was formerly Twitter. “105, good for him,” said another.

One wrote: “Colin Bell, where’s his knighthood!!! 105 still going strong and he’s amazing, totally on the ball still. Thank you for your service Sir.”

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX

The BBC has confirmed that a comedy that had viewers ‘howling’ will be back for a third series

A BBC comedy that had viewers “howling” with laughter is set to return.

Mammoth, which is about about a PE teacher from the 1970s getting a second chance at life, started in 2024 before returning for a series two. And now the broadcaster has confirmed that it will be back for a third run, with filming due to start in Wales this year.

Starring Death Valley‘s Mike Bubbins as Tony Mammoth and Car Share ‘s Sian Gibson as his daughter, the series followed the teacher when his body was discovered frozen in time, after he was thought to have died in an avalanche during a school trip in 1979. He then attempts to rebuild his life in a world that has completely changed.

The BBC said the next series, which will be comprised of five episodes, will see Tony still trying to fiund his place in society “but due to his thin skin and inability to keep his thoughts to himself, he often puts his big retro shoes in it, on all fronts”.

“I can’t wait for people to see the next adventures in the life of Tony Mammoth,” said Mike. “He’s back funnier, bolder, and dafter than ever.

“When I first came up with the idea, I didn’t dream that in a few years it would be back for a third series.

“It’s once again been a lot of hard work for me, Paul Doolan and Luke Mason (co-writers), although when the three of us spend our days in a room together laughing, I’m reminded that it’s not exactly the same sort of hard work that my grandad did toiling away as coal miner for 50 years.

“Although, in fairness, we have both never won a BAFTA. So make sure you watch the new series, and don’t forget… Mammoth is the word!”

Josh Cole, CCO of BBC Studios fiction and comedy, says: “We’re delighted to be delving deeper into Mammoth without leaning too far into the traumatic decades he spent frozen alive in the ice.

“We’re so proud of this show: a big, bold, laugh out loud creation from a unique voice.”

The BBC’s director of comedy Jon Petrie said the series was “warm, daft, joyful and full of heart”, adding: “Audiences have really taken Tony Mammoth and his ridiculous misadventures to their hearts too, and we’re very proud to keep backing such brilliant original comedy from Wales.”

Mammoth has been popular with viewers since it began two years ago, with one person on Imdb calling it “a cracking comedy” and a Reddit user saying it was “one of the best recent comedies”.

“I was f****** howling,” said someone else, as one critic called it “an absolute gem of a comedy”.

Mammoth will return for a third series on BBC iPlayer, BBC Two and BBC One Wales.