tour

A group of Israeli settlers attacked Israeli rights activists as they were conducting a tour near illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israeli security forces arrested the activists.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You have got to have balance, though.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ZENDAYA: MY BALANCING  ACT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A $570m JACKO THRILLER

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARIANA: NEW LIFE BUDS IN PETALS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Doja’s frilled to hit  town  

LOOKS like less is more for Doja Cat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Show support

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

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

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

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

Going all out

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

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

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

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

Alex Fitzpatrick hit a sparkling seven-under-par 64 to seize a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow.

The 27-year-old younger brother of former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick produced an inspired display, carding eight birdies to move to 14 under par and put himself in pole position for a maiden individual PGA Tour title.

Fitzpatrick leads Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan, who also posted a 64, by a single stroke.

It is just a fortnight since the Fitzpatrick brothers won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans pairs event, which secured a two-year tour card for Alex, who is ranked 120th in the world.

World number two Rory McIlroy, a four-time winner at this venue, suffered a frustrating Saturday, carding a four-over-par 75 to fall out of contention.

Starting the day two shots off the lead, Fitzpatrick surged forward with five birdies on the front nine.

Despite a stumble with a bogey at the 16th, he responded immediately by sinking an eight-foot putt for birdie at the par-three 17th to regain his narrow advantage.

“The one thing that I kind of did a really good job today was embracing everything that’s going on,” Fitzpatrick said.

“I had so much support out there, which was amazing.

“I would love to win. I would give a lot to win. But also if winning doesn’t happen, I would hope it would happen at some point. As long as I can go out and enjoy it, that’s all I can do.”

In contrast, McIlroy’s bid for another victory – following his triumph at The Masters last month – collapsed on a difficult afternoon in Charlotte for the man from Northern Ireland.

Six bogeys meant he slid down the leaderboard to one under par, leaving him 13 shots adrift of the leader.

American Cameron Young carded the lowest round of the day, a sensational eight-under 63, to sit alone in third at 12 under. Young, who won last week’s Cadillac Championship, had his only dropped shot at 18, where a wayward tee shot proved costly.

South Korea’s Sungjae Im, the halfway leader, sits at 10 under after a 70, alongside Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard whose 67 put him firmly in contention.

England’s Tommy Fleetwood remains in the hunt after a 70, sitting in a tie for sixth at nine under par alongside two-time major winner Justin Thomas.

Emma Raducanu is targeting a return to the WTA Tour in Strasbourg in two weeks’ time following her withdrawal from the Italian Open on health grounds.

The British number one is, however, reliant on a wildcard having missed the entry deadline.

Raducanu, 23, was granted a wildcard for last year’s WTA 500 event and beat top 20 player Daria Kasatkina, before losing to American Danielle Collins.

The tournament, which starts on 17 May, has not yet confirmed whether a wildcard will be forthcoming.

Kid Cudi has fired M.I.A. as an opening act on his Rebel Ragers tour following backlash over her onstage comments in Dallas, where she said she “can’t do illegal” and appeared to accuse audience members of being in the country illegally.

The controversy first gained steam on Reddit where concertgoers expressed their concerns about her comments at Saturday’s show, including that she reportedly claimed she was canceled for being a brown Republican voter, prompting boos from the audience. Although she is not a U.S. citizen, she endorsed Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

In one video, she says she “can’t do illegal, though some of you could be in the audience,” drawing audible gasps.

In a statement Monday, Kid Cudi announced that M.I.A. was no longer with the tour and noted that he had previously had his management tell her team that he “didn’t want anything offensive” in his shows and that he was assured this message was understood.

“After the last couple shows, I’ve been flooded with messages from fans that were upset by her rants,” he wrote in a statement on Instagram. “This, to me, is very disappointing and I won’t have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upsets my fanbase.”

The rant came as she introduced her song “ILLYGIRL,” which has lyrics that say “I’m illegal, f— your law.” In another video, she can be heard saying, “I’m illegal, half my team are not here because they didn’t get the visa,” before instructing the audience not to listen to “what the bots say on the internet.”

After Cudi’s announcement about her being removed from the tour, she responded in an all-caps message on X, writing, “I WROTE BORDERS AND ILLYGAL AND PAPER PLANES BEFORE YOU THOUGHT IMMIGRANT RIGHTS WERE COOL. I’VE HAD [THESE] BATTLES BY MYSELF WITHOUT THE HELP OF MILLIONS OF FANS BACKING ME.”

M.I.A., whose real name is Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam, is a British-born rapper with Sri Lankan parents. She spent her early childhood in Sri Lanka before her family returned to London as refugees during the country’s civil war.

She is best known for her 2008 smash hit “Paper Planes,” which includes the lyrics “If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name.” Several of her songs deal with themes of immigration, politics and war.

In 2022, she announced her conversion to born-again Christian, which inspired her recently released album M.I.7, featuring heavy Christian themes.

In her X statement on Monday, she accused people of gaslighting her song lyrics, noting that “IS THE WORK OF SATAN.” She also made comments about Jesus being an immigrant and a rebel and said he returned to lead the world to fight injustice. She ended the post with a call for everyone to listen to M.I.7.

Kudi’s 33-show Rebel Ragers tour kicked off March 28 with M.I.A. and Big Boi billed as the opening acts. On Monday, he also announced that his Tuesday show in Birmingham, Ala., was canceled due to low ticket sales. The tour is set to continue with Big Boi as an opener and A-Trak, Me N Ü and Dot Da Genius slated to open at certain shows.

SPICE GIRLS fans might not be getting a reunion tour for their 30th anniversary — but they could be enjoying something a lot more futuristic.

Victoria Beckham has confirmed they are in discussions about a hologram spectacular, a year after I revealed talks were under way with former manager Simon Fuller.

With a full-blown comeback looking unlikely, Posh said the girls all reckon a digital show would be “great” — and have already been chatting about it over dinner.

The concept would follow in the footsteps of ABBA Voyage, which turned the Swedish band into digital avatars and has been raking it in since launching in East London in 2022.

Victoria said on SiriusXM radio: “I think it would be a great idea.

“The principle of it would be great.

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“We were talking about it at dinner, but we’ll see.”

It comes after Melanie C poured cold water on reunion hopes, insisting a tour “is not happening”.

So fans shouldn’t hold out for the band hitting the road together anytime soon.

Still, a Spice Girls show without the stress of rehearsals, travel or arranging five schedules sounds very on- brand.

And if anyone can make Girl Power go digital, it’s music boss Simon, who first dreamed up ABBA’s avatar take

My insiders first told me of the girl-group’s plans last May, with Simon keen to celebrate their greatest hits with the show.

A source added: “Simon is desperate to have one last hurrah with the Spice Girls and this is his latest idea.

“He was the person who came up with the original idea for Abba and their digital show and he thinks this model could work perfectly for the group.

“Simon knows this plan would mean the band would be making money in their sleep and it would open up their music to a whole new generation.

“It’s a really exciting concept and he thinks he could make it work.”

Now he’s got Posh on board, I don’t think there is anything stopping them.

DAMON: TOO BUSY TO WIPE

SUCCESSFUL musicians can be lazy sods after years of having lackeys looking after their every whim.

And Damon Albarn has revealed he’s become so high and mighty, that he’s decided to stop doing anything not worth his time.

The result, my friends, is absolutely disgusting.

The Blur frontman said: “Sometimes I don’t even really wipe my bum properly.

“No, it’s not all the time, but you know what I mean. I just don’t allow many of the conventions that slow the day down to get in my way.”

Defending his toilet habit, Beatlebum singer Damon, insisted: “It’s more of the principle of the thing.

“If I’m in a hurry, I won’t waste extra time doing something that is not necessary to do at that moment.”

Remind me to never sit down wind of him at a party.

DUA TO LINE UP TOUR FILM?

HOLIDAY-loving Dua Lipa wore denim and stripes as she zipped off on another trip with her actor fiancé Callum Turner.

They have just returned from a romantic getaway to Copenhagen and she shared snaps online of them together and him tucking into a burger.

But it sounds like she may soon have a surprise up her sleeve, after sending fans wild with a message about a potential film of her Radical Optimism tour, which kicked off in November 2024 in support of her third album.

Dua shared a video on WhatsApp of herself performing and people screaming in the crowds.

In an accompanying note to fans, she wrote: “Happy 2 years of Radical Optimism . . . how should we celebrate?”

Her song End Of An Era features in new flick The Devil Wears Prada 2 and with the singer already hard at work on her next album, now would be the perfect time to close the book on her previous one.

OLIVIA’S STRIP TEASE BEFORE BARCA GIG

THE World Cup kicks off in just over a month and Olivia Rodrigo is already proving she’s on the ball when it comes to the beautiful game.

But rather than getting behind the US team, she’s more focused on La Liga champs Barcelona, teaming up with the Spanish club and Spotify to create a limited-edition jersey.

Perhaps we just forget about her trip to Stamford Bridge in 2023 to see Chelsea when it was proudly claimed she was a Blues fan.

The women’s team will wear the tops in their home match against Levante on Thursday. On Saturday, Olivia will play a Spotify Billions Club Live gig there.

Olivia, who follows acts such as Ed Sheeran, Drake and The Rolling Stones by featuring on the club’s kit, said: “Seeing ‘OR’ on a Barcelona jersey, I don’t even know how to process that.

“Getting to perform for the fans who’ve been listening since day one, in a city like Barcelona, is going to be special.”

EUPHORIA actor Jacob Elordi has broken his foot.

The Page Six gossip column in the US said the Aussie heartthrob’s injury means he is out of the running to be on the Cannes Film Festival jury, which he was expected to be part of.

The festival starts next Tuesday, but the injury means we are unlikely to see him striding down the red carpet.

HELL OF A START FOR DEVIL 2

THERE were plenty of doubters and mixed reviews – but The Devil Wears Prada 2 certainly hasn’t fallen out of fashion.

It has topped the box office worldwide, and over the weekend banked $233.6million, including $77million in North America.

That’s more than double the $27.5million the original 2006 flick made in its opening weekend.

It’s finally proof there is demand for female-fronted films, after male movies such as Michael and Project Hail Mary dominated in cinemas.

Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway reprise their roles, with all eyes back on Runway magazine and its editor Miranda Priestly.

Unlike the fictional mag, there’s nothing to worry about with these bumper figures.

CAMERON DIAZ has become a mum for the third time, aged 53.

She and hubby Benji Madden, of rock band Good Charlotte, have welcomed a baby boy called Nautas.

The Charlie’s Angels actress, who had daughter Raddix and son Cardinal by surrogate, previously said she was conscious about being an older mum.

FUTRA LIGHT

RIHANNA gets fruity in an new shoot for her Savage X Fenty’s latest undies range.

The singer, who looked stunning in sett decorated with strawberries, wrote on X: “It’s giving everything but basic for your everyday basics.”

Rihanna has been really quiet lately, with all whispers of new music once again dying down – a decade after the release of her last album, Anti.

C’mon girl, it’s what we RiRi want.

KATY AND JUSTIN GET PICKLED

KATY PERRY and Justin Trudeau have got themselves in a right little pickle.

The singer proved her unlikely romance with the former Canadian Prime Minister had gone from strength to strength – when she shared loved-up photos on Instagram, including one of their personalised jar of pickles.

The label shows the couple under the name “Katy & Justin’s Pop + Policy Pickles.”

Customised jars like theirs set customers back £22, but she clearly enjoyed the savoury souvenir, given that she shared the photo with her 200million followers.

Katy, pictured with her arms wrapped around her boyfriend, will head out on a six-week tour next month with stops in Dublin, Cardiff, and Isle of MTV festival in Malta.

At least with this momento stashed in her suitcase, she will have a reminder of home.

BOBBY’S BOO TO ROCK SIRS

PRIMAL SCREAM frontman Bobby Gillespie has taken a swipe at rock royalty, accusing some of music’s biggest names of getting too cosy with the Royal Family.

The singer didn’t hold back as he blasted those who accept honours, taking aim at the likes of Sir Brian May, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Rod Stewart.

At the launch of the David Bowie: You’re Not Alone immersive experience in London, Bobby said: “David Bowie was one of the few admirable rock stars who never took an honour from the Royal Family, which I think is incredibly cool.

“Maybe the coolest thing he ever did.

“The rest of them grovel on their knees, Bowie was like, nah. Too cool.”

Bobby made it clear his admiration for Bowie goes far beyond just snubbing a title, though.

He added: “I was a teenager in the Seventies so I’d be going to school in the morning and my mum would have the radio on and The Jean Genie would be blasting out, or Suffragette City or Golden Years.

“So since I was a conscious kid, a teenager, a pop music fan, he’s always been there.”

Bobby also praised Bowie’s constant reinvention, which he says helped shape his own band’s sound.

He added: “The way that he changed as an artist from album to album – he did different styles, as did The Beatles – that’s been a big influence on Primal Scream.”

ROBBIE WILLIAMS had to grin and bare it after breaking off half of his front tooth.

He shared this smiley selfie with the damaged gnasher on full display, telling his Instagram followers he hadn’t noticed it was missing until getting into bed with his wife Ayda Field.

Robbie revealed: “She said I look like Dumb And Dumber. Fair enough, I guess I do.”

But Rob is in Miami and his dentist is in Los Angeles, so he’s in a quandry over whether to fly five hours to get it fixed before his upcoming shows.

Whatever he does, I doubt he will be taking PALOMA FAITH’s advice.

She commented: “Knock them all out to match.”

That sounds more like a threat than a solution.

A huge singer and rapper has apologised to fans saying “I love you all” after he was forced to cancel the first three weeks of his tour.

The star got candid with his loyal fans on social media as he revealed the reason why – and it’s not what you might expect.

Post Malone, kicked off the Big A** Stadium Tour in Salt Lake City last April and was due to begin part 2 on May 13 in El Paso, Texas.

But unfortunately the Circles singer has now postponed the tour with Jelly Roll until June 9 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Taking to Instagram, Post Malone said in a statement: “Looking at the upcoming schedule after Stagecoach [festival], I came to the realization that what we were trying to do, and what’s possible isn’t really lining up.

“Truth is I promised y’all beautiful people new music, and I don’t have the time to finish it before our tour starts. We ain’t ready for tour just yet, so I’m making the decision to push the tour back about 3 weeks to get this music done.”

Post Malone, who’s real name is Austin Post, continued: “That being said I’m so sorry to the folks who were planning on coming to the few cancelled shows…

“That THAT being said we’ve been making some bada** s**t for this album… and I can’t wait to perform for y’all. I love you and can’t wait to see you crazy motherf*****s soon.”

The rapper has cancelled five dates more dates after the opening night including May 19 in Waco, Texas; May 23 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; May 26 in Birmingham, Alabama; May 29 in Tampa, Florida and June 5 in Oxford, Mississippi.

Post Malone’s upcoming seventh studio album The Eternal Buzz has been teased as a mega project with 40 songs.

The star last released F-1 Trillion back in 2024 and it was a huge hit – charting at number 1 in the US, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and The Netherlands.

His pending project will be more traditionally country as opposed to F-1 Trillion, which is categorized under country pop.

Seoul – Shekinah Yawra had no other option but to spend the night at a South Korean jjimjilbang, a 24-hour bathhouse, after every hotel near central Seoul sold out in late March.

But sleep was secondary for the 32-year-old Filipino who had made her way to Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square at 7am to secure a spot in a crowd that city officials estimated would grow to hundreds of thousands.

All this was for a glimpse at the seven-member K-pop supergroup BTS, who returned to the stage on March 21 after almost four years away from the limelight for their staggered, mandatory military service.

Though she failed to secure one of 22,000 free tickets for BTS’s first return concert in the square, Yawra was still ecstatic to stand on the sidelines and watch the concert live on a big screen set up for the occasion.

“We all came just for this,” she told Al Jazeera, recounting how friends had flown in from the Philippines for a single night to catch the concert.

Worldwide, more than 18.4 million viewers tuned in for the Netflix livestream of the concert.

With an estimated 30 million fans worldwide – who refer to themselves as the BTS ARMY – the K-pop group is the most visible symbol of “Hallyu”, or the “Korean Wave”, and the global surge of interest in South Korean popular culture and the financial revenues being generated as a result.

In late March, BTS’s 10th studio album, Arirang, topped the charts in the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom, the world’s three largest music markets. The group’s upcoming world tour is expected to generate more than $1.4bn in revenue across more than 80 shows in 23 countries.

Domestically, inbound tourist numbers for the first 18 days of March rose 32.7 percent from the previous month, according to Ministry of Justice data, as the return concert approached and hotel prices surged across central Seoul amid the demand for rooms.

In the week leading up to the concert, sales of BTS merchandise – from BTS glow sticks to blankets – surged 430 percent at the Shinsegae Duty Free retail outlet in central Seoul, the company said.

Over the concert weekend, revenues also rose 30 percent at the city’s Lotte Department Store and 48 percent at Shinsegae overall, compared with the same March weekend a year earlier, in 2025.

As far back as 2022, the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI) – a government-sponsored think tank and research organisation – estimated that a single BTS concert in Seoul could generate up to 1.2 trillion won ($798m) in overall economic impact.

KCTI researcher Yang Ji-hoon told Al Jazeera that a sample study of the crowd at the BTS comeback event at Gwanghwamun Square highlighted the uniqueness of fandom-driven tourism. More than half of those at the concert were foreign visitors and many required long-haul travel to attend.

“In Europe and the United States, travel tends to be concentrated within its own regions,” Yang said.

“So, for people to overcome such travel barriers and come to South Korea, it usually requires more than just ordinary motivation or typical spending – it’s not something that happens easily,” he said.

K-pop’s transition to the global mainstream

The scale of BTS’s return to the entertainment world reflects a broader state-backed strategy.

When music promoter Hybe requested Seoul city support for the Gwanghwamun square comeback concert, authorities approved it on public-interest grounds, treating the event as a showcase of national cultural influence.

Almost befitting an official event, more than 10,000 state personnel were deployed for security, logistics and crowd control.

According to data retrieved by South Korean publication Sisain, through a public information disclosure request to the Seoul government, close to 130 million won ($87,400) of city funds were spent as part of logistics for the comeback concert.

South Korean government support for BTS has a precedent.

As members of the boyband approached South Korea’s mandatory military service age, policymakers debated special exemptions for members of BTS, which was estimated to have generated $4.65bn annually to the country’s economy.

After BTS’s forthcoming concerts in Mexico City sold out in just 37 minutes, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung to “bring the acclaimed K-pop artists more often”, noting nearly one million fans in Mexico had attempted to secure 150,000 tickets.

South Korea’s cultural influence is also extending beyond music.

South Korea’s cosmetics exports surpassed $11bn last year, according to global accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), overtaking France in cosmetics shipments to the US, while South Korean food and agricultural exports reached a record $13.6bn, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

KCTI researcher Yang described the growing interest as a phase of “transition to the global mainstream”, where South Korean products are internationally recognised and content output is measured against worldwide benchmarks such as the Billboard charts and the Academy Awards.

He also warned that structural reform is now essential to keep pace with the wave of interest in South Korea.

“As the industries expand in scale, they must also evolve in its underlying systems, infrastructure, and workforce,” he said.

“Rather than focusing solely on direct financial support, future governmental policies should move toward strengthening foundational conditions – such as improving labour environments, addressing unfair practices, building relevant infrastructure, and establishing more robust statistical and data systems,” he said.

Politicians appear to be paying attention.

During his election campaign last year, President Lee framed the next phase of cultural expansion as “Hallyu (Korean Wave) 4.0”, with promises to grow the sector into a 300 trillion won ($203bn) industry with 50 trillion won ($34bn) in exports.

In line with this vision, the government set the budget to bolster “K-content”, support the “pure” arts sector and strengthen the overall culture-related fields at a record 9.6 trillion won ($6.5bn) — reflecting the president’s view of the cultural sector as a strategic national industry rather than merely a consumer market.

South Korea’s strategy appears to be paying off.

South Korea now ranks 11th globally in “soft power”, according to Brand Finance’s Global Soft Power Index, placing the country as both “influential in arts and entertainment” and “products and brands the world loves”, just behind the US, France, the United Kingdom and Japan.

The darker side of K-pop: Pressure to become a perfect idol

Amid its global success, the darker side of the K-culture industry has received more scrutiny.

Mega-promoter Hybe has been embroiled in a prolonged dispute with K-pop’s New Jeans, a band considered to be a potential heir to BTS and their all-female colleagues Blackpink. The highly public legal dispute that started in 2024 highlights industry tensions over creative control and artist autonomy.

Since the early 2000s, K-pop has also grappled with the legacy of “slave contracts”, or highly restrictive agreements limiting artists’ freedom. Although reforms by the Fair Trade Commission have improved protections for performers, contractual obligations in the K-pop industry are exacting on new performers and their strict work routines have long been documented.

From their trainee years, aspiring idols endure gruelling schedules that involve long workdays and little sleep.

Many top stars often face contractual restrictions on socialising, using their phones or dating. They are also typically limited in what they can say publicly, relying on agency-managed messaging to communicate with fans and the media.

While the rise of social media and other online platforms has opened new avenues for more direct expression and interaction in recent years, concerns over burnout and depression have continued to shadow the industry, with several high-profile stars taking their own lives.

Beauty standards associated with the K-culture genre have also become another flashpoint for controversy.

A 2024 report by South Korean economy news site Uppity found 98 percent of 1,283 respondents born between 1980 and 2000 viewed physical appearance as among the most desirable “social capital” an individual can possess.

Nearly 40 percent of respondents in the survey had undergone cosmetic procedures, while more than 90 percent held neutral or positive attitudes regarding undergoing medical procedures to enhance beauty.

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, South Korea has the world’s highest rate of procedures, with 8.9 per 1,000 people compared with 5.91 per 1,000 people in the US and just 2.13 per 1,000 in neighbouring Japan.

Yoo Seung-chul, a professor of media studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said that K-culture has reinforced the normalising of beauty as a significant metric of personal and social value.

“K-culture has reinforced systems and structures around self-expression,” Yoo told Al Jazeera.

“With the rise of webtoons that incorporate themes like plastic surgery, there has been a noticeable reduction in the stigma towards going under the knife among younger audiences in their teens and early twenties,” Yoo said, explaining that popular plastic surgery platforms such as Unni have further normalised the trend by connecting people to clinics and reviews of these clinics and their surgeons.

At the same time, globalisation has reshaped the K-culture industry itself. Many new K-pop acts now include international members to broaden appeal.

Hybe has expanded this strategy through its US subsidiary, Hybe America, producing globally oriented groups like Katseye, which only has one South Korean member in its six-member girl group.

The shift has prompted debate.

Even BTS’s latest album Arirang – a nod to South Korea’s most iconic folk song – has divided fans over its use of English lyrics and foreign producers.

“K-content is being designed with global audiences in mind from the outset. In film, there has been a noticeable rise in genres like horror and science fiction, which are easier to export internationally,” Yoo said.

“This global orientation is also reflected in K-pop agencies recruiting foreign members for idol groups,” he said.

But international audiences do not always prefer highly globalised versions of Korean content, Yoo said, adding, in fact, that many are drawn to K-pop’s “sense of locality”.

As audiences increasingly seek authenticity, Yoo argues the industry faces a defining challenge.

“Industries and companies need to figure out how to preserve a sense of local identity while effectively marketing to global audiences,” Yoo added.

“Striking that balance will be crucial in shaping the next phase of Korea’s cultural exports.”

Zayn Malik, the former One Direction star turned solo artist, canceled all U.S. dates for his upcoming tour. The hitmaker was recently hospitalized for an undisclosed illness.

“To my fans: Thank you so much for all the support and love you’ve shown me on the album release and more importantly your love, prayers, and well wishes for my health,” Malik wrote Friday in an Instagram story. “I’ve felt it, and it’s meant the world. I’ve been at home recovering and I’m doing well and will be better and stronger than before.

“I’ve had to take another look at my schedule for the months ahead and have to reduce the number of shows on the KONNAKOL Tour,” he continued. “I want to make sure I still get out and see as many of you as I possibly can. I’m really looking forward to playing these shows for you, and I hope to see the rest of you around the world very soon. Big Love, Z”

While the “Side Effects” singer still has forthcoming shows in the United Kingdom and Mexico later this month, he nixed the U.S. leg of the tour, which was slated to kick off this July in Philadelphia. Other major stops included Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Chicago, Indianapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Inglewood, Anaheim, San Francisco and Seattle, with the tour concluding in Miami on Nov. 20.

The announcement comes weeks after Malik, 33, revealed he was hospitalized. The singer didn’t disclose what condition he was suffering from, but on April 17 — the day his latest album “Konnakol” dropped — he shared a since-expired Instagram story that included selfies of the singer in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV.

“To my fans – Thank you to all of you for your love & support now & always – been a long week and am still unexpectedly recovering,” he wrote alongside the photo. “Heartbroken that I can’t see you all this week, I wouldn’t be in the place I am today without you guys and am so thankful for your understanding.”

The “Prayers” singer also thanked “all the incredible hospital staff of [doctors], nurses, cardiologist, management, admin and everyone who had helped along the way and continue to”.

Earlier this year, Malik performed his first ever seven-night residency in Las Vegas at Dolby Live at Park MGM.

A League of Their Own is going on tour – we take a look at three iconic moments from the beloved show including Jamie Redknapp, Jill Scott and Tony Bellew

A League of Their Own fans have had reason to celebrate this week with the hilarious TV show now doing a live tour across the country. The show, which has been enjoyed by millions since it started in March 2010 concluded at the end of last year after 20 series but now fans can enjoy a little bit more with the show now on the road.

The Jamie Redknapp-fronted show is returning as a live production for the first time this September, with a UK arena tour planned. The run includes seven dates in major cities such as London, Newcastle and Manchester, as well as a headline night at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena on Friday, September 4, 2026.

Redknapp will be joined on stage by team captains Jill Scott and Tony Bellew, alongside familiar faces Tom Davis, Patrice Evra and Maisie Adam. More guests are expected to be confirmed in the coming months, and audiences can expect the same loud, chaotic challenges that made the show a hit on TV.

Over the 26 years, there have been many hilarious moments and gags on the show, whether that is from the studio or on the road, that many enjoy looking back on. Here are three iconic moments from the series.

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1. ‘You text Gary Neville haven’t ya?’

On a road trip with Freddie Flintoff, Romesh Ranganathan and Alan Carr, Jamie Redknapp was always going to be in trouble with a cricketer famous for his quips on the cricket pitch and two comedians.

Somehow, Romesh managed to get Jamie’s phone and text one of his fellow broadcasters Gary Neville in a tongue-in-cheek message that clearly got to Redknapp. Playing dumb Romesh pretended nothing happened and he had nothing to do with it.

Even when the former Liverpool midfielder reminds him they work together, highlighting the awkwardness, Flintoff did not hesitate to say “I’ve never seen him [Neville] at Fulham!”

The text sent read: “I know you were only here five minutes but what’s the best restaurant in Valencia?”

The hilarious moment would have put Redknapp in a sticky situation with Neville who had a torrid time in his one and only managerial job which included a match where he was thrashed and humiliated by Barcelona in the Copa del Rey.

Still, the Man United legend sent his recommendations over to his Sky Sports colleague.

2. ‘It’s typical Kopites once again, glory hunting’

It is a sensitive topic in the world of football caused by a very simple question: who do you support and why? For many, it is a simple question, for others it might fairly layered but then there are some that ignite the glory-hunting debate when someone supports a club miles away with zero affiliation other than they win.

But it always comes with a good laugh in these sorts of things as passionate Evertonian Tony Bellew laid into Micah Richards and Jamie Redknapp on who they support – with neither supporting their local team. Well kind of, which makes this moment even funnier when it started with Redknapp saying he’s a Red.

Tony Bellew said: “No you’re not, you’re not from Liverpool.” When Jamie jokingly hit back that Tony couldn’t tell him “who I support and who I don’t”, Tony upped the ante. He added: “It’s typical Kopites once again, glory hunting b*******. They’re not from the city. He’s just come in on a f******…if you shut the airports and shut everywhere else on matchday, f****** Anfield will be empty.”

He added: “He’s not a scouser – big Liverpool fan.”

3. ‘He’s one of them two-team w******’

Bellew did not just settle with Redknapp’s choice of who he supports and pressed Micah Richards, the opposition captain on the show. The Birmingham-born defender revealed he was a Man City supporter in front of the cameras but an Arsenal fan behind-the-scenes – which makes sense giving his long-time admiration of Thierry Henry!

And just when the heat was going off Jamie, Bellew threw in a grenade that would cause many football fans to cringe with the added notion that he supports more than one club. This just egged Bellew further and kept that hilarious rant going.

TB: “Jesus Christ! What’s up with you people!? You’re not from there! Support where you are from. Support your own.”

JR: “I support Bournemouth as well.”

TB: “That’s even worse. Because he’s one of them two team w******. That’s the worst person in the world.”

It did not just stop there as the 43-year-old former world champion was asked why he chose Everton. When Big Meeks pressed Bellew on why he supports his beloved Everton and why his family do, he responded in the only way a proper football fan who supports his local team does.

Bellew responded: “I was chosen. I didn’t choose, I was chosen. Special kind to support my club mate. All my children are Evertonians as well. I’ve f****** told them it’s character building.”

How to buy A League Of Their Own presale tickets

A League Of Their Own tickets are on sale right now and can be purchased through Live Nation.

Once fans have registered, they will receive an access email, and tickets can then be purchased. Here’s the link:

Buy A League Of Their Own tickets here.

A League Of Their Own Live Tour Dates 2026

• Friday 4 September – Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena
• Saturday 5 September – Manchester, AO Arena
• Tuesday 8 September – London, OVO Arena Wembley
• Wednesday 9 September – London, OVO Arena Wembley
• Friday 11 September – Newcastle, Utilita Arena
• Monday 14 September – Birmingham, BP Pulse Live
• Thursday 17 September – Glasgow, OVO Hydro

OLIVIA Rodrigo is set to embark on a huge world tour later this year.

She is releasing a new album in the summer, and to mark it, the superstar singer will be performing across the globe.

What are Olivia Rodrigo’s UK tour dates?

To mark the release of her upcoming record, Rodrigo is going on a world tour that will span North America, Europe and the UK, with over 60 dates announced.

It is titled ‘The Unravelled Tour’ and will start in the US in September 2026.

The tour will start its UK leg in April 2027, with four nights at London’s O2 Arena the only dates announced so far in Britain. The dates announced for the London shows are:

• Monday April 5 2027 – The O2
• Tuesday April 6 2027– The O2
• Thursday April 8 2027 – The O2
• Friday April 9 2027 – The O2

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How can I get tickets for Olivia Rodrigo’s tour?

Tickets for the tour go on general sale on Friday, May 7 at 12pm, and will be available on Ticketmaster here – but there are ways to grab tickets ahead of that date.

There are various presales in which you can secure your place at one of the gigs:

• O2 presale – Tuesday May 5 at 10am. Only for O2 customers
• Album presale – Tuesday May 5 at 12pm. This is for fans who preorder Olivia’s new album.
• American Express presale – Tuesday May 5 at 12pm. For American Express card holders.

There will also be tickets available on secondary ticket websites, such as Viagogo here.

No prices have yet been confirmed for the tour, however for an idea of how much they could be, her 2024 GUTS tour ranged from around £65 to £200 for non-VIP tickets.

Cheaper “silver star” tickets will also be made available during the tour. In the US they’ll cost just $20, with the UK dates priced at ‘a local currency equivalent’. 

These tickets will be made available at a later date.

When is Olivia Rodrigo’s new album released?

Olivia’s new album “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love” comes out on June 12.

So far, she has only released one track from her new record, a song called “Drop Dead”.

As I cycle in golden light through the Loire’s vineyards, I have the sudden wish to wear a flowing floral dress, tuck a sunflower behind my ear and answer only to the name Delphine. Opulent chateaux, honeyed stone villages, blazing fields of sunflowers … the Loire is so ridiculously and relentlessly beautiful it’s no wonder artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Émile Vernon made it their home.

A short zip across to Paris on the Eurostar and then an hour south on the TGV to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps and it feels as if we’ve stepped into a live JMW Turner landscape (he toured the region in 1826).

As a fair-weather cyclist – no hills and only in sunshine – I’ve never fancied a proper cycling holiday. However, my partner, Toby, is a keen mountain biker. Our compromise? A self-guided ebike tour through the Loire valley with Cycling for Softies (the clue’s in the name).

A short taxi ride takes us to our starting point, Château du Rivau, a Renaissance beauty in Lémeré, where Joan of Arc is said to have collected her horses before the siege of Orléans in 1429. After we enjoy a glass of chilled local rosé and a potter around the gardens, Quintin from Cycling for Softies arrives with our ebikes (offered as an upgrade on normal touring bikes for a few euros a day) and talks us through the itinerary. We’ll cover about 100 miles (160km) over the next three days, cycling along the river, through vineyards and to towns such as Langeais and Azay-le-Rideau, with plenty of time to stop along the way.

The chateau, which has been lovingly restored by Patricia and Éric Laigneau since 1992, hosts a contemporary art gallery in its ancient turrets. Here, classics are reimagined by modern artists – Pierre Ardouvin’s playful Ile Mona, Jeff Koons’s inspired hunting trophies and Sabine Pigalle’s Dutch Last Supper. There’s also a room devoted to Joan of Arc.

Tonight’s dinner is in the Jardin Secret, the chateau’s gourmet restaurant led by Andrea Modesto, once second-in-command to globally revered chef and restaurateur Joël Robuchon. In a candlelit gazebo, we feast like royalty on stuffed courgette flowers, roast duck with cherries, and a platter of local cheeses, all washed down with an excellent bottle of chinon.

After breakfast the next morning, we wave goodbye to Château du Rivau and our luggage, as Quintin takes care of that. We’re eased in gently – today is just 27 miles – and Toby takes the lead with the help of the on-bike GPS. The route couldn’t be simpler, and within minutes we’re following the cycle path and wheeling through heavenly vineyards and past honeysuckle-draped farmhouses. We soon join La Loire à Vélo, the 560-mile cycling route tracing the river from Nevers to the Atlantic, the first section of which was opened in 2005.

After an hour or so, we arrive at the confluence of the Loire and Vienne rivers in Candes-Saint-Martin, one of the Loire’s ancient river port towns, and stop for a beer at La P’tite Vienne. Basking in the sun on the banks of the river, it’s so nice that we stay for another. And then order lunch. With wine. Before the pastis menu distracts me further, we grab our bikes and potter around the town with its dusty brocantes, fromageries and wine caves.

We tear ourselves away to cycle on through more vineyards and fields of spent sunflowers, heads bowed. It’s late afternoon when we roll into Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, one of France’s Plus Beaux Villages and Petites Cités de Caractère, and L’Hôtel de Fontevraud L’Ermitage, our resting place for the night.

Founded in the 12th century, and now a Unesco world heritage site, Fontevraud Abbey is the final resting place of Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart. Set in the grounds of the great abbey, the four-star hotel is light, contemporary and has an almost monastic vibe. The Michelin-starred restaurant is closed on a Monday, but we enjoy a gorgeous picnic prepared by the chefs in the candlelit gardens. Guests of L’Ermitage are also allowed to wander around the hauntingly beautiful abbey after dark.

Day two, and we’re getting the hang of this cycling lark. After breakfast, we leave our cases to be picked up and taken to our next hotel, and set out on today’s 34-mile route. We cross back over the Loire and pick up the riverside cycle path towards Château d’Ussé, a huge and heavily turreted castle said to have inspired Charles Perrault’s fairytale Sleeping Beauty.

I love how easy it is to just ebb and flow with the day. Our route is mostly traffic-free as we drift past copses of poplar trees and weeping willows whose boughs touch the flowing river below, the air scented with cut hay and apples. We fall into an easy routine of cycling for an hour before stopping for a beer. Another burst of energy and a dozen or more kilometres before lunch, which is often long and leisurely.

From Ussé, we cruise on quiet country lanes banked by cliffs dotted with ancient and often forgotten wine cellars to Château de Rochecotte, near Langeais, our home for the next two nights. Elegant, regal almost, with ethereal views across the valley, it feels utterly indulgent. Dinner is a lavish affair: fresh langoustine, locally bred roi rose pork and crème brûlée.

On our last day, we clock up 37 miles, largely without breaking a sweat thanks to the ebikes. We wind our way through medieval river towns such as Azay-le-Rideau, past apple and cherry orchards to Château de Villandry. Built in the 16th century by Jean Le Breton, this glorious Renaissance pile was the last of the grand chateaux to be built along the Loire. One of the highlights is its tiered, geometric gardens, which were restored in the early 20th century by Joachim Carvallo. Wandering around the harp-shaped box bushes in the ornamental garden, the maze and the water garden shaped like a Louis XV-style mirror, I think Delphine would be happy here, especially if she could keep her ebike.

The trip was provided by Cycling for Softies; its four-night Loire in Luxury trip costs from £1,510 per person, including half-board accommodation, bike rental with ebike upgrades available (£20 a day), luggage transfers and route information

The Fitzpatricks missed the cut in last year’s Zurich Classic and finished in a tie for 11th in 2024.

But this victory earns them a cheque worth £1m.

“It was a struggle,” Matt, who won the 2022 US Open, said.

“I was doing zero to help him but he was fantastic on the back nine. I said ‘just give us a chance on the last to hit a bunker shot like that’.”

“It means the world. I’m absolutely speechless, it was a grind today but he was unbelievable and I could not be more proud.”

The event was played over four rounds, with teams of two alternating between fourball (best ball) in the first and third rounds and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and fourth rounds.

Matt, 31, already had two wins this year, including last week’s RBC Heritage.

WHAT do a former Tory councillor from Kent and a Wimbledon-supporting socialist have in common?

They are both sharing a beer with me on my “solos” group tour of Portugal.

And the three of us are talking over the day’s activities with a Trump fan from the east coast of America.

Luckily, politics is off the menu.

Very much on the menu, however, is sardines, salted cod and the country’s speciality egg yolk pastries. But more on them later.

We are part of a 26-strong group on a dash around the southwestern-most territory of Europe, which is packed with old-world charm.

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Our adventure, organised by solo tour specialist Just You, starts in Porto, where the steep hills that rise up from the River Douro are dotted higgledy-piggledy with colourful houses.

Author JK Rowling lived among the granite streets here before she was famous — and it is said the city’s gothic architecture, along with the traditional robes of its university students, inspired her world of Harry Potter.

At least one establishment, bookshop Livraria Lello, cashes in on the fact, charging entrance fees to see its elaborate interior and upstairs cafe where Rowling would drink her coffee.

Talking of elaborate, it doesn’t get much more so than the “Gold Church”, real name the Church of St Francis.

Designated a Unesco World Heritage site, its interior is dripping with carved wood covered in gold leaf, with the precious metal having been shipped over from Portugal’s former colony of Brazil.

It’s certainly dazzling, as is a trip down the Douro River to the vineyards, which supply grapes for that most Porto of products . . . port.

Can you get more Portuguese? Well, actually, my guide informs me that, historically, it was mostly grown here by the British.

The two countries have long been allies, with many Englishmen living in Portugal in the 1600s.

Back home in those days, the English liked wine but were always at war with the pesky French, meaning booze cruises across the Channel were often a no-no.

Instead, they turned to north Portugal and the Douro Valley to grow their own.

It will come as no surprise then that many of the port brands bear English names.

These include Taylor’s, Cockburn’s and Sandeman, and you can see lots of them emblazoned on the wine cellars that fill the hills of the city of Gaia, which is just across the narrow river from Porto.

By the way, white port (yes, that’s a thing) is tipped to be the next big thing in the cocktail market.

After time in Porto, Gaia and the Douro Valley, day four of my eight-day trip sees the group begin to wind south to capital Lisbon, but not before stops at Aveiro, Coimbra and Obidos.

Let’s take them one by one. Aveiro is marketed as the “Venice of Portugal”. OK, it has some canals, but a trip on a large, electric gondola just doesn’t feel as romantic.

A fellow traveller did remark on its Art Deco beauty, though.

Coimbra could maybe be the Oxford of Portugal, boasting the country’s oldest university, which dates back to 1290. Bats live in its library to eat book-destroying bugs.

A guided tour of the city, which was once the capital, will take you into the grand university building, which sits among former church schools in a street that was the widest in Europe until the 1800s.

You will also likely hear the story of Don Pedro and Donna Ines. I heard it twice and am still a little hazy on the details.

Based on truth, it is Portugal’s Romeo And Juliet tale, which involves the 14th-century prince Pedro digging up the five-year-dead corpse of his mistress Ines.

He then crowned her queen and made his courtiers kiss her hand. The things we do for love.

The walled city of Obidos continues with the historic buildings. Perched on a hilltop, the medieval settlement is completely enclosed by its fortifications. And its small size makes its stunning streets very manageable to navigate.

While there, it’s worth trying its cherry liqueur, called ginjinha, which is served in chocolate cups that you can eat afterwards.

The final days of the tour were spent in Lisbon, a city built on seven hills.

This may make exploring its small streets a challenge, but you can always hop on and off the quaint yellow trams.

The downtown area and main squares are flat enough and filled with impressive buildings despite the earthquake that devastated the area in 1755. A couple of miles out from the centre lies the Belem district.

Its Belem Tower is a small, picturesque fort which marks the transition from tall forts (for shooting arrows) to horizontal ones (for hosting canons).

And it does this by combining both aspects of those designs as it juts prettily into the Tagus river.

Thirty minutes drive from the capital lies Sintra, another Unesco World Heritage Site. With its microclimate making it cooler and wetter than Lisbon, it stays green all year round.

It also plays host to colourful palaces where past royalty would spend their summers hunting.

I’m sure they feasted well, too. And I didn’t do badly on that front, either.
The Portuguese say they have 365 different recipes for cod (one for each day of the year).

It is often dried and salted, which they call bacalhau. I had bacalhau covered with onions and accompanied by wafer-thin fried potatoes.

Another national delicacy is pastel de nata, an egg custard tart pastry, often dusted with cinnamon.

Grabbing one with a coffee will only set you back a couple of euros for both the treat and the drink.

It’s the sort of thing you can do to while away the hours with new-found friends from the group of initial strangers on the tour.

Which, arguably, is the key factor of the holiday’s success. Do you like your travel companions? Are you cut out for solo travel?

Cards on the table, this was my first solos tour. I met people I liked and no one I disliked. Ages ranged from 40 to 95, though 85 per cent were retired.

Lots I spoke to had been using solo tour companies for many, many years.

For some it was their first time.

If you haven’t tried it before, all I can say is: You might like it, you might love it.

But you only live once (unless you’re Donna Ines) . . . and Portugal is well worth a visit.

U.S. Navy Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC-21) “Blackjacks” gave TWZ a personal tour of one of its MH‑60S Seahawk helicopters and filled us in on some of key capabilities during the Dubai Air Show in November 2025. 

The MH-60S is a versatile multi-mission, medium‑lift maritime helicopter that is designed for a broad range of missions, such as vertical replenishment (VERTREP) at sea, search‑and‑rescue, airborne mine countermeasures, anti‑surface warfare, and electronic warfare.

The U.S. Navy operates both the MH-60S and the MH-60R variants of the H-60 and the two share a common airframe, General Electric T700 powerplants and many avionics, enabling streamlined logistics, maintenance and training across the fleet while allowing each variant to be customized for distinct operational roles. The MH-60R is primarily configured for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) but it too has anti-surface warfare (ASuW) capabilities and has been used to shoot down drones.

The MH-60S features a modern glass cockpit, twin General Electric T700‑GE‑401C engines and a flexible, modular, mission‑systems suite that supports interchangeable payloads, internal fuel tanks, and advanced mission packages.

“Sikorsky is leveraging its global MH-60R and MH-60S Seahawk users to constantly iterate while we operate, ensuring the aircraft is mission ready and evolves. This commitment to production, sustainment and modernization enables the MH-60R to stay ahead of emerging threats and maintain its position as the premier global ASW platform,” the company commented to TWZ.

Check out the full MH-60S walk-around video below:

U.S. Navy MH-60S Pilot Talks Multi-Mission Roles Of The Seahawk

Contact the editor: Tyler@twz.com

OLIVIA DEAN stormed the opening night of her debut arena tour – but left fans gutted by not performing No1 hit Rein Me In.

She received a hero’s welcome at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, fresh from a stellar few months which saw her scoop four Brit Awards, three Mobos and the Grammy for Best New Artist.

But she surprised the audience by deciding not to include her Sam Fender collaboration, which has so far spent eight weeks at the top of the charts, on her 23-track setlist.

So fans had a singalong to it outside the venue afterwards instead.

Rein Me In won the Brit Award for Song of the Year in February, but Olivia had plenty of other brilliant tunes to satisfy the sold-out arena.

As floor-to-ceiling white stage curtains opened to reveal the singer, she looked cool, calm and collected, despite the high expectations on her shoulders.

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She breezed out in a pink sequined dress and was greeted with echoing singalongs of utterly joyous tracks Nice To Each Other and So Easy (To Fall In Love).

She then told the crowd that her whirlwind success over the past 12 months has been a shock, even to her.

She explained: “This is crazy. Apologies if I get emotional tonight but I just can’t believe how many people are here. Today we were driving in and I drove past King Tut’s. I played there two years ago, and there was 300 people in the room.

“Now I’m here with all of you, so thank you so much for being here.

“Just enjoy yourselves. Sing, dance, cry, whatever you want. I’ll certainly be having a good time.”

And things got more emotional as she performed UFO, from her 2023 debut album Messy, which she said is about feeling “overwhelmed.”

When the audience spontaneously waved their phone torches in the air to light up the arena, she wiped away tears of joy.

One of the set’s unexpected highlights came as she sang Loud live for the first time.

And she did so in a flowing white skirt from a flower-shaped stage in the centre of the room.

Against stripped-back instrumentation, the haunting track showed her vocals at their most powerful.

Back on the main stage, disco balls descended from the ceiling for a more upbeat section which had her skipping and dancing across the stage, along with her nine-piece band.

As she wrapped up the gig, she said: “I never imagined I could have my own headline arena tour. It’s mental.

“Thank you so much for listening and just believing in me.”

And while she didn’t do Rein Me In, she finished her set with fan favourite Dive and her first No1, Man I Need.

She will be back on stage tomorrow at Manchester’s Co-op Live before six nights at London’s O2 Arena, and further shows in Dublin and across Europe.

Olivia is at the top of her game right now and if you want a warm, musical hug, this concert is it.

Duran set for summer

DURAN DURAN have dropped new single Free To Love and have signed up presenter Clara Amfo to appear in the music video.

They gave Radio 2 a first play of the track yesterday morning and it’s a banger, with Simon Le Bon and the band working on the single with Nile Rodgers – 40 years after he produced their Notorious album.

In an exclusive chat after the single dropped, John Taylor told me: “We wanted to write something uplifting for these times we find ourselves in. A feelgood piece for an imaginary dance floor.

“I always want to feel the DNA of classic disco in our music, reframed for now. Nile locks us into that timeless groove, bringing a sense of optimism. It’s a reminder that music can still bring people together.”

If you’ve not heard Free To Love yet, definitely give it a listen. It’s the perfect summer song.

Lady Gaga eyes six second Oscar

LADY GAGA is eyeing up another Best Original Song nomination at the Oscars after recording three songs for Devil Wears Prada 2.

After Gaga, released her Doechii collaboration Runway earlier this month, I told how the superstar had a surprise in store for fans and had contributed more to the film’s soundtrack.

I can reveal that as well as Runway, Gaga has recorded Shape Of A Woman which she performs during the film, plus a third song, which is called Glamerous Life.

It is a stripped-back emotional ballad – similar to her 2022 single Hold My Hand for the Top Gun: Maverick sequel.

On the new song, Gaga sings: “I might need a hero to save me from breaking. Can I be myself in a world that’s just faking it?”

In 2019 Gaga won Best Original Song at the Oscars for A Star Is Born’s Shallow and if Prada 2, which is in cinemas from May 1, takes off like I think it will, she will have another Oscar nomination under her belt.

Gaga co-wrote Shallow with Mark Ronson and performed it at the Oscars ceremony with her movie co-star Bradley Cooper.

Sofa, so good Kylie

ANYTHING Kylie Jenner touches seems to turn to gold.

So I think sofa superstore DFS should be having a serious think about signing her up, after the American reality TV star turned beauty mogul decided that she would use her cream sofa as the backdrop for a load of thirsty Instagram snaps.

Over two million of her fans have now liked the images, which Kylie captioned: “Can’t a girl have fun?”

I can think of more places to have a laugh than on my sofa wearing a bra, but each to their own.

Ant & Dec go crazy

OUR sister showbiz column Biz On Sunday told you back in February that Ant & Dec were in talks for a new ITV primetime show all about crazy golf.

And now I’m told the Geordie duo have had the series green-lit by telly chiefs, and the pair are already busy filming with a host of golf-mad hopefuls.

It is based on US show A Hole In One, where contestants battle it out on a seriously hard silly course for cash.

A source said: “Ant and Dec have been given the nod and they’re preparing to film their new ITV show later this summer.

“Rather than having the public competing like in the US version, they’ve got a load of golf fans to sign up and play.

“It’s going to be the weirdest and wackiest game of crazy golf ever, with some big personalities trying to putt a winner.

“Ant and Dec are huge golf fans so really wanted to get the concept off the ground. ITV loved it and now it’s being pitched for a primetime slot on Saturdays. It’s family-friendly and with the great personalities they’ve got on board, they think it could be a ratings winner.”

Ant and Dec will have a hell of a job fitting this new show into their schedules, with the pair due to jet off to Australia later this year for the next series of I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here!

But if I was getting paid to spend some days in the sun mucking around on a crazy golf course, I’d definitely make some time in my diary.

Liam bigs up Oasis return

LIAM GALLAGHER is fuelling what we all know – Oasis will be coming back with more live shows.

And now the motormouth has sent fans in Italy into overdrive after heading to Rome.

He was mobbed outside his city-centre hotel, where one asked if he and Noel would return to the city.

Liam replied: “Without a doubt. We’re coming next year.”

I revealed the rockers are plotting more reunion dates in 2027 after taking this year to recharge.

A huge run across the UK, Europe and North America is heavily tipped as the brothers celebrate the 30th anniversary of their heyday.

For a man meant to be on holiday, Liam is putting in serious hours in the Oasis promotions department.

Tyla has A* pop lined up

TYLA has announced her second album A*Pop will drop on July 24.

The singer was in New York to dish out copies of her signed i-D Magazine cover and celebrated the release date with her fans, saying: “Initially going into this project, I was nervous – like, ‘Where do we go from here?’

“But I realised that the music really reflects where you are in life, and the way the new album sounds came on its own, it fell into place.

“There are some exciting features but those are all still under wraps for now.”

Reverand And The Makers also have exciting news for fans.

Today they have dropped new single F*ked Up with Robbie Williams.

NICK GRIMSHAW knows an act who has already been booked to headline Glastonbury 2027, after I revealed in January his close pal Harry Styles will top the bill next summer.

On his Sidetracked podcast Nick seemed to confirm my story by saying: “I know someone that’s playing. I can’t say who. So two spots to go . . . Maybe. They might be booked.”

VINYL fans with deep pockets should start saving now, as the White Label Auction is back.

The annual sale in aid of The Brit Trust begins on June 23, with hundreds of rare white label test pressings going under the hammer through Omega Auctions.

Among the hottest lots are signed releases from Sam Fender, The Cure, Roxy Music and Yungblud.

Collectors can also get their hands on gems from Gorillaz, Coldplay, Freddie Mercury, Sex Pistols and The Who.

The charity event has already raised more than £200,000.

STRICTLY fans can swap the sofa for the dance floor later this year, with the show’s pros heading to Warner Hotels for a string of star-studded breaks.

Kai Widdrington and Katya Jones will lead the glittery line-up, with guests able to watch live performances, snap photos and even learn a few moves themselves.

And it’s not just sequins on offer.

Singers Chesney Hawkes, Michael Ball, Alexandra Burke, Will Young and Russell Watson are all booked to perform at various locations across the country.

The stars of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” thrilled us with their bold fashion choices at the film’s world premiere in New York City on Monday night, the most recent stop in a press tour that began at the end of March. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt brought their A game, embracing method dressing without going overboard. Even Miranda Priestly would be proud.

While the film dons Prada’s name, Schiaparelli was among the go-to designers for the promo tour. From custom numbers to archival pieces, cast members, new and old, impressed in gowns that deserved center spreads in Runway. And there were no florals in sight.

Anne Hathaway attends “The Devil Wears Prada 2” world premiere in New York.

(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)

During the film’s New York City premiere, Hathaway wore a devilish satin red gown. Designed by Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton, Hathaway’s tea-length dress was paired with dazzling jewels from Bulgari.

Lady Gaga attends “The Devil Wears Prada 2” world premiere at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall in New York.

(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)

Styled by sisters Chloe and Chenelle Delgadillo, Lady Gaga donned a black Saint Laurent gown from the fashion house’s fall 2016 collection. But Gaga really turned heads with her sparkling 7-carat earrings designed by Tiffany & Co.

Gaga has a cameo in the film, which director David Frankel told Vanity Fair was the “the worst-kept secret in showbiz.” The entertainer also wrote and recorded “Runway” with rapper Doechii for the sequel’s soundtrack.

Meryl Streep attends “The Devil Wears Prada 2” premiere on Monday.

(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)

Streep paired her statement sunglasses with a Givenchy by Sarah Burton caped dress at the film’s New York City premiere. The sweeping red dress included elegant black gloves that matched her Stuart Weitzman heels.

Emily Blunt attends “The Devil Wears Prada 2” world premiere in New York.

(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)

Emily Blunt wore a dress from the Schiaparelli spring 2026 line. The dress’ structured bodice gave way into tulle skirt, with the fabric’s warm tone contrasting Blunt’s dark red lip. The bustier was covered in 25,000 silk thread feathers, which required roughly 4,000 hours of work.

Simone Ashley attends “The Devil Wears Prada 2” world premiere at David Geffen Hall in New York.

(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)

“Bridgerton” star Simone Ashley made her “Devil Wears Prada” debut in a vintage high-low Prada dress. Styled by Rebecca Corbin-Murray, she paired the chartreuse dress with marching diamonds. Ashley plays Amari Mari, Miranda’s first assistant in the film.

Meryl Streep promotes “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in Seoul.

(Ahn Young-joon / AP)

Streep wore a custom Prada power suit and David Yurman jewels while promoting the film in Seoul.

Anne Hathaway on the red carpet to promote “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in Seoul.

(Ahn Young-joon / AP)

During the film’s premiere in Seoul, Hathaway donned a red leather Balenciaga number. Dressed by stylist Erin Walsh, the oversize jacket contrasted with her pencil skirt, and the look was tied together with Hathaway’s sleek ponytail.

Meryl Streep attends the “The Devil Wears Prada 2” premiere at Anahuacalli Museum in Mexico City.

(Angel Delgado / Getty Images for Disney)

During the press tour’s kickoff in Mexico City, Streep — styled by Micaela Erlanger — donned a long, belted navy blue Schiaparelli dress.

Anne Hathaway promotes “The Devil Wears Prada 2” on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”

(Scott Kowalchyk / CBS)

For an appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” Hathaway wore vintage Versace.

Karol G is taking her 2025 album, “Tropicoqueta,” worldwide.

After wrapping two bombastic headlining sets at Coachella this year, the Colombian superstar announced a stadium world tour on Instagram Tuesday morning.

The “Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour” will kick off July 24 at Chicago’s Soldier Field. The “Provenza” artist will then head out to Las Vegas on Aug. 7 before making a stop at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Aug. 14. She’ll grace California with one more performance on Aug. 21 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

The 35-year-old singer will wrap up the U.S. leg of her tour with a performance in Dallas on Oct. 15 before commencing the international section of the tour in Monterrey, Mexico, on Nov. 6. This string of shows is scheduled to finish exactly a year after commencing, with a July 24, 2027, set in Milan, Italy.

Karol G was the first Latina to headline Coachella in the desert fest’s 27-year history. She was only the second Latin music artist to get top billing at the event, with Bad Bunny being the first to ever do it with his 2023 headlining performances.

“This is for my Latinos that have been struggling in this country lately,” she told her fans during her history-making performance. “We stand for them. I stand for my Latina community. I am very proud because this brings out the best in us: unity, resilience and a strong spirit. We do this because we want everyone to feel welcome to our culture, so I want everyone to feel proud of where you come from.”

During her Coachella shows, which took place across two weekends in April, she brought out a cavalcade of guest performers — including L.A.’s own Becky G, the Colombian reggaeton revivalist J Balvin and Greg Gonzalez from Cigarettes After Sex.

The “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” artist first teased that she’d be embarking on a tour at the end of her set during the second weekend of Coachella. Text reading “Nos Vamos de Tour” (We’re going on tour) was displayed as she played her final song.

Australian Hannah Green’s strong start to 2026 continued with victory in the JM Eagle LA Championship – her fourth triumph of the year.

In March, she became the first Australian to win the Women’s Australian Open since 2014, and lifted the LPGA’s Women’s World Championship and the Australian WPGA Championship.

In Los Angeles, Green holed a curling 12-foot birdie putt on the first play-off hole to win this LPGA Tour event for the third time in four years.

It was a stunning victory for Green given she had briefly been six shots adrift of the lead after Kim Sei-young chipped in for an eagle three on the 11th.

Green responded with the first of five birdies in six holes as she reeled in Kim and Im Jin-hee and all three finished on 17 under par.

“I didn’t think I was still in the tournament,” said Green, who won her only major, the Women’s PGA Championship, in 2019.

On her tournament-winning stroke, she added: “I had that putt, similar line in regulation, so I felt somewhat comfortable.”

Kim had already missed a 35-foot birdie attempt while Im – penalised a stroke for slow play during Saturday’s third round – was also unable to get down in three after a wayward tee shot.

The tournament was played at El Caballero for the second year because of course renovations at Wilshire where Green had won this title in 2023 and 2024.

During Saturday’s round, the tournament’s prize money was increased by $1m to $4.75m (£3.5m), lifting the purse to the highest on the tour outside of the major championships and season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

As a result of that, Green took home $712,500, up from $562,500.

The Chevron Championship, the first women’s major of the year, stars on Thursday in Houston, Texas.

TWZ got a personal tour of a U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopter by its pilot during the Dubai Air Show in November 2025. Sikorsky has built more than 5,000 examples of the Hawk family of helicopters for 36 nations worldwide. Together they’ve racked up more than 15 million flight hours, including five million in combat.

The UH-60M Black Hawk has a maximum gross weight of 22,000 pounds (9,979 kg) and can transport 12 fully-equipped troops (seated). The variant has also been missionized for various roles, including for U.S. special forces as the MH-60M.

Whether used by the National Guard to respond to disasters, delivering humanitarian aid across Europe, supporting relief operations in the Philippines, battling wildfires in the Firehawk version, or hoisting stranded hikers, the Black Hawk is a truly versatile multi-mission helicopter.

Sikorsky’s Black Hawk modernization efforts will enable more power, greater payload and extended range while reducing fuel consumption. 

Furthermore, with a digital Modular Open-System Approach and autonomy for unmanned operations in its new U-Hawk variant, the Black Hawk will be able to support fast capability integration and enhanced survivability through uncrewed battlefield operations.

Check out the full walk-around video below:

U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk Tour And Mission Brief With Its Pilots

Contact the editor: Tyler@twz.com

ROBBIE WILLIAMS could be getting back in the studio — this time with boyband Blue.

It comes after Rob wrote the lads’ new single Flowers, which is on the setlist for the UK leg of their 25th Anniversary world tour.

Biz on Sunday’s Emily caught up with Blue members
Antony Costa, Simon Webbe, Lee Ryan, and Duncan James at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, West London, this week.

The band are on their milestone tour following the release of seventh studio album Reflections.

Antony said: “We would love to work with Robbie’s people and that is the conversation that is happening.

“Karl Brazil (Robbie’s music director) is very much on our side.

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“He is championing Blue and us and the lads have spoken to Karl separately and together.

“You never know, watch this space.”

Antony revealed that Robbie reached out to the band after watching their story on the BBC documentary Boybands Forever.

He said: “It resonated with him because we were all young and he was a young lad in Take That.

“Take That went on a different journey than us, but we still wanted that same goal.

“Robbie has always been there and he’s been a big supporter of me and the boys.”

Duncan said: “We’re so lucky that after 25 years we’re still getting to sell out gigs, still touring around the world and we’ve got the adoration from the fans.

“We’ve had the nod from Robbie to write that song for us, so it’s almost like the industry is opening the door again and we’re feeling the love.”

Of their new hit Flowers, Duncan added: “A lot of people have said it sounds like a Robbie song as well.”

Blue are one of the few bands still touring with an original line-up.

Simon said: “One of the reasons we have stood the test of time is all four of us wanted to be in a boyband.

“Most are full of members who want to be solo artists but weren’t good enough.

“So all of a sudden you’ve got egos.

“We don’t understand why bands argue or why they don’t get on because when you’re a team, you’re a team player.”

The boys are playing at London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea on June 11.

I will get my prosecco and picnic blanket ready.

Tickets are on sale at myticket.co.uk.

Meanwhile, the band revealed Ellie Goulding got them to perform at her 70s-themed baby shower in January, ahead of the birth of her daughter Iris.

The boys sang their 2002 track One Love with Ellie.

Duncan added: “We didn’t realise she was a big fan of our music.”

SAM THOMPSON is stepping down from his role on Love Island: Aftersun.

The 2023 I’m A Celeb winner has been a panel regular on the spin-off since his stint in the jungle.

But an insider revealed: “Sam’s schedule is jam-packed and producers are going in a different direction so there’ll be a bit of a shake-up on Aftersun.

“ITV is really keen on harnessing new talent, especially plucking from its pool of influencers and TikTokkers to boost ratings.

“Sam may well return as a guest, but he won’t be a regular.”

A spokeswoman for Sam said: “He absolutely loved his time as part of the Love Island team and the show will always have a special place in his heart.”

NOEL SHOWS HIS SCENTS OF STYLE

NOEL GALLAGHER might have a thing for cigarettes and alcohol – but he also likes more refined smells, too.

The Oasis great shares the same taste in scent as suave Thirties and Forties playwright and composer Noel Coward.

He visited bespoke perfumer Azzi Glasser at her London studio.

Azzi, who has created scents for Kylie Minogue, Tom Hardy And Jude Law, charges £1,500 for a “fragrance workshop” to create a one-off scent to match your personality.

Noel spent £400 on candles and chose Vetiver scent by Floris London – favoured by Noel Coward.

Azzi revealed that Noel is also a fan of her £259 Mystere Vetivert.

She said: “It smells like you’re wearing a million dollars.”

IS THAT MADGE? CORSET IS

MADONNA returned to Coachella in the same jacket and corset she performed in 20 years ago as she joined Sabrina Carpenter for her headline set on Friday.

The sparkling duo performed the Queen of Pop’s hits Vogue and Like A Prayer before launching into a new song, I Feel So Free, from Madonna’s long-rumoured new album, Confessions II, set for release on July 3.

Madonna was delighted to stand four inches taller than Sabrina, who is just under 5ft.

She told the crowd: “The other thrilling thing I need to point out to everybody right now is this is probably the first time I’ve ever performed with someone who’s shorter than me.

“So, thank you for giving me that experience.”

In response, Sabrina shouted, “Amen!”.

Cute as a button.

’ROACHES ROLLING OUT AGAIN?

ROLLING STONES fans reckon there could be live dates on the horizon under their alias, The Cockroaches.

Rumours started after the rockers updated their website to include a poster of a 1977 surprise gig at El Mocambo Club in Toronto, attended by Princess Margaret , which was billed as a gig by The Cockroaches.

Keith Richards also posted a cryptic comment saying: “Great fun though huh?

A good rhythm section, a couple of mates, where else can you go.”

A source said: “There is a lot of buzz about this as next year it will be 50 years since the Stones last played live as The Cockroaches.”

TALIA MAR is hoping to work with DJ Sigala again.

The pair collaborated on 2022 dance track Stay The Night.

Asked if she would like to work with him this year, Talia told me: “Oh my God, yes. I was talking to him the other day. He is summer. I was like, ‘Can we get some new music please, because it is summer?’.”

Talia who has released new track Lady, will play at London’s Courtyard Theatre on May 16.

She said: “I want it to be really casual, I don’t want it to be glitz and glamour.

“Stripping it down is a really lovely moment.”

TIM’S CHILL TIME DOWN TO A TEE

TIMOTHEE CHALAMET has been enjoying some chill-out time on the beach.

After watching Justin Bieber at Coachella with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner last weekend, he headed for Miami to relax.

The Marty Supreme actor paid homage to his movie with a “Supreme” Wu-Tang Clan tee.

Tim was later seen catching some rays shirtless and sipping on a Coke.
Lovely.

Meghan Trainor is turning off the microphone.

The singer announced in an Instagram Story that she is canceling her Get in Girl tour. “This is the right decision for my family and me right now,” Trainor explained Thursday, saying that the decision came “after a lot of reflection and some really tough conversations.”

“Balancing the release of a new album, preparing for a nationwide tour and welcoming our new baby girl to our growing family of five has just been more than I can take on right now, and I need to be home and present for each and all of them at this time,” Trainor wrote.

Trainor apologized to her fans, but promised that she will be “back soon.” She also shared that she “can’t wait” for fans to hear her new album, “Toy With Me,” which will be released April 24.

“I know this will come as a disappointment to my fans, and I am so sorry to let you down,” Trainor said. “I’m endlessly grateful for your love and support always.”

Trainor announced the Get in Girl tour in November and was set to kick it off June 12 in Clarkston, Mich. The tour included stops at Madison Square Garden in New York City and the United Center in Chicago and was to conclude at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.

Social media users speculated that the tour’s cancellation was due to low ticket sales, with Ticketmaster seating charts in some stadiums showing very few seats sold. Influencer and Trainor’s close friend Chris Olsen took to TikTok to push back against the “predictably vicious” online comments about the tour.

“This is a bigger conversation than just her and people’s feelings toward Meghan,” Olsen said. “The question that always comes up for me is ‘Why? And what is the end goal?’”

The singer welcomed her third child with her husband, Daryl Sabara, via surrogate in January. Trainor, who has been candid about her struggles during her first two pregnancies, explained on Instagram that she was “forever grateful to all the doctors, nurses, teams who made this dream possible.”

“We had endless conversations with our doctors in this journey and this was the safest way for us to be able to continue growing our family,” Trainor wrote.