KATE Cassidy has posted a Valentine’s Day tribute to the late Liam Payne – declaring him her “best friend from afar”.
The social media star had been dating Liam for two years before his sudden death in October 2024 – and despite his passing, she makes sure to remember him on key dates.
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Kate shared a small polaroid photo of her and Liam in happier timesCredit: instagramKate and Liam dated for two years before he died in October 2024.Credit: PAKate continues to remember Liam and has said she will always love himCredit: @katecass / instagram
This Valentine’s Day, Kate shared a never-before seen photograph of the pair in happier times.
The polaroid snap shows Kate sitting on Liam’s lap as they pose for the picture in somebody’s garden.
She simply noted: “Happy Valentine’s Day to my best friend from afar.”
Kate and Liam dated for from October 2022, through to the time of his death in October 2024. He was 31 years old.
The One Direction star died after a horror fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, where he was due to attend his old bandmate Niall Horan’s show.
Kate had been holidaying with him in the country, but had returned to their home in Florida alone to look after their dog, Nala, just two days before the tragedy.
Kate has been left heartbroken by the loss, and continues to remember him by sharing photos, videos and memories on special occasions, including his birthday.
“I’ve been sitting outside of the house that I used to live in with Liam for the past 45 minutes just in my car and it’s just really hard to wrap my head around the fact that I’m not pulling in the driveway and going home to him being there,” she said.
“You really just never know what life is going to bring. Life can bring you plenty of happiness and plenty of joy, I’ve experienced it all.
“But I’ve never felt this much pain.”
When facing criticism for her public heartache, Kate hit back by reminding fans that he was a “real person in her life” and she can grieve how she wants.
In December last year, in retaliation to another fan who said they “wanted her to move on and stop talking about him”, she declared she will always love him.
Posting a video in tears, Kate said: “I want to make something clear. Whoever I end up with in my future will have to accept the fact I will always love Liam, I will always talk about Liam I will always laugh about Liam, I will always cry about Liam.”
She said she normally pays no mind to critical comments but this topic really riled her.
“Let me tell you something, Liam Payne was my boyfriend,” she continued. “He wasn’t just this famous figure to me. It hurts so bad because I am just criticized all the time for speaking about my boyfriend that passed away, the person that I loved and still do love.
“I would never settle for anyone in this lifetime who did not feel comfortable enough with me speaking about Liam.”
Liam and Kate had built a life together before his untimely death aged 31Credit: GettyThe social media star has continued to pay her respects to himCredit: InstagramKate broke down in tears as she shared future boyfriends will have to accept she will always love LiamCredit: TikTok
Thundering drums and shredding guitar solos cut through the crowd as pyrotechnics and streamer cannons blast. The energy and production feel like a show at the Hollywood Palladium or the Forum, but we’re at Knott’s Berry Farm, on the rooftop of a big red doghouse — that is if we can suspend our disbelief for an evening. The educational rock band Jelly of the Month Club along with guest musicians Charlie Brown, Lucy, Schroeder and Linus set up the show’s finale with a question: “Where’s that crazy dog?” Hundreds of fans scream as “All aboard!” resonates through the park, watching in anticipation as a spotlight searches for its fuzzy rock ‘n’ roll star to emerge.
Chances are you’ve seen Snoopy dressed as Doggy Pawsbourne on your Instagram or TikTok feed, complete with Ozzy’s signature round sunglasses, long hair and trench coat, punctuating the Prince of Barkness’ “Crazy Train” entrance. Snoopy’s Legendary Rooftop Concert became an instant hit with park patrons and with fans internationally thanks to a viral video posted on opening night. Sharon Osbourne shared the “Peanuts” tribute to her late husband with the all caps message “I LOVE IT” to her social media from the floor of the 68th Grammy Awards. But it’s more than witty puns and costumes that make Snoopy’s Legendary Rooftop Concert special.
The show at Knott’s tells the story of Snoopy learning to be a rock star at Jelly of the Month Club’s Music Academy and touring the world with the band. Snoopy takes on fursonas like Dog Lennon, Paw Prince, Fido Mercury, Flying Ace Freely and even a lost member of Devo wearing the signature Energy Dome hat. Jelly of the Month Club hits every beat and chord with precision, with arrangements of songs and medleys that bring together the power of rock’s past with the whimsy of “Peanuts.” Woodstock gets a solo moment too, whistling on Dog Marley’s “Three Little Birds,” set to a perfect one drop beat as Charlie Brown spirals out in a chicken suit while rubber chickens sway.
“We got rows of kids bringing their own rubber chickens,” show director Rob Perez tells me. “Its almost like watching ‘Rocky Horror’; kind of bizarre, really funny, and charming.” When Charles Schulz’s daughter Jill came to see the show, she told Perez that her dad used to say “there’s nothing funnier than a rubber chicken.”
Snoopy as Doggy Pawsbourne at Knott’s Berry Farm
(Dick Slaughter)
It makes sense that rock ‘n’ roll appeals to Snoopy; he’s a bit of an outsider with an internal life seen by almost none of his friends. It makes more sense that the feeling of family promised by rock touring life would appeal to Charlie Brown; it often calls to creative dreamers and outcasts with a subconscious need to belong. Schulz explored why all humans have the feeling people don’t like us in his cartoons and admitted that Charlie Brown was loosely based on himself. “People who win are the minority,” he told BBC in 1977, “most of us lose a lot.” The solution he provided to overcoming life’s most difficult conditions was simply to never give up.
Nobody cheers on Charlie Brown in Snoopy’s Legendary Rooftop Concert more than Jelly of the Month Club guitarist and vocalist Michael De La Torre, a.k.a. Mic Dangerously, who has become accustomed to encouragement working with youth. Active since 2013, Jelly of the Month Club is a family-friendly band who use music to inspire, educate and entertain kids and adults. It has played countless elementary schools, children’s hospitals, civic events and theme parks with interactive songs that teach musical concepts and life lessons. The band also offers free online lessons called the Jelly of the Month Club Music Academy, which turned live gigs into cartoon-based educational games. The band members have partnered with nonprofits including UNICEF’s Kid Power initiative to provide concerts to schools across Southern California, often donating their time.
“Studies say music helps with math, English and science, but it also helps you as a person,” Dangerously says. “It helps you understand feelings better. Look at how adults use music therapeutically. Kids are doing just the same.”
Dangerously first recognized the power of music education as a young boy at St. Pius elementary school in Buena Park, when a man with a bushy mustache and a Hawaiian shirt quieted the boisterous students in seconds with only an acoustic guitar. But hearing Louis Prima’s voice in “The Jungle Book” solidified his desire to become a singer.
Playing at Knott’s has forged meaningful connections to the community in ways Dangerously never foresaw in his early rock ‘n’ roll days. He’s become close to a father and his usually nonverbal son who can’t keep quiet at shows, asking questions and singing along. Last year an older woman who he’s built a friendship with for years suddenly disappeared. Dangerously learned from her daughter and granddaughter that she suffered a stroke. She credits singing and dancing to his music at Knott’s as instrumental in recovering her speech and movement. “She told me that she loved me like a son,” Dangerously says. “I’ve never had anything like that happen with my rock band. It makes you really want to show up.”
On the night The Times experienced Snoopy’s Legendary Rooftop Concert, Dangerously’s biggest fan, Abbey, stood in the front row playing a light up tambourine above her head to “The Blooz Beagles,” wearing a head-to-toe matching outfit to him. In her sequin blazer, red pants, black boots, bow tie and wide-brim hat, the 11-year-old mirrored his musical gestures, never missing a beat. Abbey loves “everything” about the music and dancing she tells me, excited to share that Mic personally gave her the tambourine and a few other instruments too.
Crowd at Jelly of the Month Club show at Knott’s
“They’ve known her since she was 3,” says April Guerrero, Abbey’s supportive mom who has helped her daughter make replicas of Jelly of the Month Club’s looks since 2017. Abbey learned to play music because of the band’s online resources.
“Many of us have a background in education,” Dangerously said. Matt Kalin is a teacher and pro saxophonist who has shared the stage with legends like Social Distortion and Louis Bellson. Dr. Todd Forman is a practicing physician who went to Harvard, taught at USC, and played sax with Sublime. Bassist James Kee is an educator who has taught kindergarten through fourth grade for the last 15 years. Dangerously’s own mom was an art teacher who encouraged him to teach after he finished his audio engineering degree at Musicians Institute, something he’s used in a junior producer’s course he created for an after-school program in Long Beach.
Like the members of Jelly of the Month Club, director Rob Perez is a multi-instrumentalist and producer with a deep reverence for classic rock and Charles Schulz cartoons. Perez is the man responsible for turning Snoopy’s Legendary Rooftop Concert from a dream into a reality. The concert grew out of a 2017 show called Woodstock’s Music Festival. When Snoopy walked out as Jimmy Hendrix, the crowd went wild, and Perez’s boss and Knott’s fans wanted more.
“The Rooftop Concert is a little bit of a nod to the Beatles, but it’s much more about Snoopy’s rooftop,” Perez tells me. “When you see Snoopy as the great writer, or the World War I Flying Ace, it’s always on the roof of his doghouse. So why wouldn’t he be a rock star on his rooftop?”
Knott’s rebrand of the show let Perez incorporate more storytelling, a task he shared with Jelly of the Month Club. The show opens with Snoopy traveling from his fictional cartoon town to a rehearsal where Dangerously gifts him a tambourine to join their jam. He sends Snoopy home with a pile of records which he listens to obsessively in his doghouse, a relatable experience for fans who have found solace and inspiration in old LPs, hiding out like Snoopy with pizza, root beer, and the complicated dream of leaving the only place you’ve ever called home to follow music’s call. Snoopy dons a leather vest, proclaims he’s a “Golden Dog,” and runs away from home to take lessons at Jelly of the Month Club‘s Music Academy and tour the world. After receiving criticism in the recording studio about his howl, Snoopy finds himself missing his best friend Charlie Brown. He asks the Peanuts Gang to team up with Jelly of the Month Club for one final performance on top of his doghouse, legendary enough to land them in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Perez’s writing and producing shares the attention to detail present in Jelly of the Month Club’s approach to the music. Perez had the honor of voice acting for Snoopy. He digitally re-created a technique he learned from researching Bill Melendez’s 1960s approach in which he recorded barks and grumbles directly to reel-to-reel tape, sped it up, then cut and pasted it randomly to create Snoopy’s signature pentameter-less cadence. Perez worked closely with costume designer Tim Barham, creating every wig, accessory, and costume with exacting detail. The storyline and graphics pay close attention to “Peanuts” lore and rock ‘n’ roll film history, with Easter eggs from “La Bamba,” “Rocketman,” “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Almost Famous” and many others hidden throughout the 30-minute show.
“We don’t try to change the Peanuts from who they are,” Perez says. “We have to bring Charlie Brown along as he constantly fails at being a rock star. We have to give him a shot and prop him up, because he’s usually on the ledge. We bring him back. That’s been the premise of many Peanuts TV specials and movies.”
Mic Dangerously with Snoopy at Knott’s
(Dick Slaughter)
Jelly of the Month Club’s original song “The Magic Is in the Music” meets Charlie Brown where he’s at, encouraging him to take on the challenge of becoming a guitarist. As he fumbles with his out-of-tune Flying V, looking ready to shred in a thrash band, the crowd cheers for his success despite his self-doubt. When Charlie withdraws during the Elton John number, Dangerously responds by saying that that music can be a safe place when you’re feeling lost, saying “Charlie Brown, you are home.”
“We’re out there singing we ‘want to bark and howl all night’ but we’re teaching Charlie Brown and Snoopy is that it’s not just about your clothes, it’s about what’s in here,” Dangerously says, touching his heart. “It’s important not to take yourself too seriously. We’re showing that it’s OK to have fun. And that silliness is a big, important component of rock and roll.”
This spirit is the core of Snoopy’s Legendary Rooftop Concert on stage and on the floor. At the show I see a sea of grandmas shaking babies’ fists in the air, a little boy in a Woodstock hoodie headbanging, rockers in studded vests with huge smiles on their faces, and teenagers momentarily dropping their defenses against cringe in exchange for a moment of sheer joy.
Hanna and Ellie, teens from South Gate and Silver Lake, respectively, can’t contain themselves, pogoing, screaming and singing along. “I’m at a loss for words,” Hanna says, giggling. The girls agree that the show was better than they expected.
On Snoopy’s rooftop everyone is a rock star: Abbey, a rubber chicken and even Charlie Brown.
BROOKLYN Beckham has shown that he still has his tattoo tributes to his brothers despite covering up his inking to his mum and dad.
The 26-year-old is yet to remove his inking to his brothers despite them losing touch amid the bitter family feud.
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Brooklyn can be seen sporting his ‘brotherhood’ tattoo tribute on his legCredit: BackGridHe has yet to remove the inking despite the family feudCredit: BackGridBrooklyn’s famous brotherhood inkingCredit: Instagram/@certifiedletterboy
In new snaps, Brooklyn can still be seen sporting his famous “Brotherhood” inking on his leg which he got in honour of both Cruz and Romeo.
When he was pictured out and about in LA with wife Nicola, the tattoo was on full display – proving he is yet to make any permanent alteration to the inking.
It could spell a slight sense of hope of a potential reconciliation between the brothers despite Brooklyn claiming he did not want to reunite with his family members.
One telling sign is that Brooklyn has already opted to cover up the tributes to David and Victoria in his clearest sign yet that he is not letting the feud go.
Sending a defiant message, he opted to have the word “family” tattooed onto his neck despite the blistering feud.
He already has a tattoo of a cross with angel wings on the back of his neck in honour of his dad’s famous body art in the same place.
But now penned above the cross in cursive lettering is one distinct word: ‘family’.
His inking comes days after it was first revealed that Brooklyn had covered up his own tribute to his parents.
His previous dad inking has already been covered upCredit: Instagram/@brooklynpeltzbeckhamThe Beckham boys have been torn apartCredit: InstagramBrooklyn is no longer on speaking terms with his familyCredit: AP
A poignant tribute has been paid to a forgotten Blue Peter star, who died at the age of 28 after a brave health battle. The presenter wowed both on screen and on stage
Ellie Fry Assistant Head of Features (Audience) and Peter Hart
12:11, 07 Feb 2026
The Blue Peter star suffered a tragic illness(Image: Peter Brooker/REX/Shutterstock)
Tributes have been paid to a talented Blue Peter presenter who was sacked before his tragic death.
At just 12-years-old, Michael Sundin had already become a trampolining champion, a talent that would prove instrumental in securing his position as a Blue Peter presenter in 1984.
Prior to joining the beloved children’s show, Michael had performed in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s acclaimed musical Cats before going on to portray Tik-Tok in Disney’s Return To Oz.
He caught the attention of Blue Peter producers while being interviewed by the programme’s then-presenter Janet Ellis, resulting in his appointment alongside her and Simon Groom.
Taking over from the show’s celebrated presenter Peter Duncan, Michael swiftly gained recognition for his adventurous exploits on Blue Peter, covering film sets and even paying a visit to Elton John’s residence.
However, despite his natural screen presence, Michael’s stint on Blue Peter proved brief; he departed the programme after less than a year, allegedly when his contract wasn’t renewed. He then heartbreakingly passed away from an Aids-related illness aged just 28, in 1989.
Michael, fondly recalled by those close to him as a “blond, outgoing, gregarious ball of fun”, was cruelly outed by the media as gay during his short tenure on Blue Peter.
While then-Editor Biddy Baxter attributed his departure to lack of viewer appeal, his exit became mired in scandal as numerous sources suggested it stemmed from his sexuality, OK! reports.
During a 2007 television interview, Baxter dismissed these allegations, stating: “It was his leaving the programme because children didn’t like him – nothing to do with his sexual proclivities”.
After leaving Blue Peter, Michael went on to pursue acting, featuring in the 1987 film Lionheart. He performed in touring stage shows including Seven Brides For Seven Brothers and Starlight Express, and made an appearance in Rick Astley’s 1988 music video for She Wants To Dance With Me. Tragically, that same year Michael became unwell. He passed away at Newcastle General Hospital aged just 28, with initial reports suggesting his death was caused by liver cancer.
This week, The Elstree Project paid a poignant tribute to Michael’s talents as they looked back on his role as Tik-Tok. They wrote: “Michael Sundin was the performer inside Tik-Tok in Return to Oz (1985). His contribution was not animatronic control or puppetry, but full-body suit performance: movement, balance, timing and physical character, carried out under extreme physical and technical constraints.
“Tik-Tok was a hybrid creation. His head, eyes and facial details were operated externally by puppeteer Tim Rose using mechanical and radio-controlled systems, while the voice was added later in post-production. But the character’s weight, rhythm and locomotion came entirely from Sundin. He was responsible for making a rigid, four-foot copper robot feel grounded, deliberate and alive.
“The physical challenge was extraordinary. Sundin was folded double inside a small Kevlar suit, arms crossed, head tucked between his legs, walking backwards throughout filming. To navigate the set, he relied on a small internal monitor relaying an external camera feed — upside-down and reversed. This demanded constant recalibration, spatial intelligence and muscular control.”
Meanwhile, the programme’s oral history director, Walter Murch, said: “When Michael Sundin died in 1989 from an AIDS-related illness, aged just 28, there was only a small on-air acknowledgement of his passing on Blue Peter with no retrospective of his work in the way other presenters have been respected. In an era marked by stigma and silence, much of his contribution was quietly erased, and he was notably absent from anniversary clips and montages until the 60th anniversary.
“Sundin’s work on Return to Oz deserves to be understood clearly. He was not an animatronics operator or a puppeteer, but a suit performer whose body performed in a complex system of mechanical, electronic and human collaboration. Without his performance, Tik-Tok would not move as he does on screen. As we celebrate the technical innovations that took shape at Elstree, it’s worth remembering how many depended on performers willing to endure extraordinary conditions to make new forms of cinema possible.”
Following Michael’s passing, Blue Peter presenter Yvette Fielding paid tribute, joined by colleagues John Leslie and Caron Keating. She said: “We had one piece of very sad news during the summer. As many people may have heard, Michael Sundin – who presented Blue Peter five years ago – tragically died at the very young age of 28. Michael had been ill for a little while but the news of his death came as a great shock to all of us.”
As it ended, a picture of Jonathan Clough was displayed on screen, along with the words: “In memory of Jonathan Clough” and the dates 1989 to 2025.
The producer had been diagnosed with a Grade 4 Glioblastoma in 2024, at the age of 35.
A fundraising campaign had been established to support Jonathan, whose TV also credits included Strictly Come Dancing and The Apprentice, in accessing specialist treatment. Actor Sam Swainsbury established the GoFundMe campaign following an appeal launched by the family.
The producer and his partner, Tracy Martin, both had to leave their careers and relocate with their two young children from London to Wigan to stay with her parents following his diagnosis.
Writing on the GoFundMe page, Tracy explained how their lives had changed after Jonathan suddenly collapsed due to a seizure in March 2024.
She wrote: “Two months after that, the results of an MRI brought our world crashing down. Our brilliant Jonathan, at only 35 years old, was diagnosed with a Grade 4 Glioblastoma — an extremely aggressive and incurable brain cancer.”
Jonathan underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but subsequent scans disclosed a regrowth that doctors deemed inoperable.
In January, Sam posted a message on Instagram saying that Jonathan had died on Boxing Day.
“He saw his daughter’s first day at school,” he said. “He then made it to her first play. He then made it to Christmas. He then sadly passed on Boxing Day. He fought for every last second. He exceeded all expectations. He was extraordinary.”
“I don’t have many more words than that,” he said. “I still can’t believe it.”
Former Strictly pro Kevin Clifton was among those to pay tribute to Jonathan, who was a producer on the BBC ballroom show from 2017 to 2019.
Sharing photos of Jonathan on social media, he wrote: “An amazing friend, an amazing man, an amazing father and a heck of a fighter for his amazing family. I will miss you forever [heartbroken emoji].”
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Following Bad Bunny’s landmark album of the year win at the 68th Grammy Awards for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” Ricky Martin penned a letter of appreciation to commemorate the moment.
In an opinion piece for the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día published Tuesday, the Boricua hitmaker said Bad Bunny’s accomplishment stirred deep feelings within him.
“Benito, brother, seeing you win three Grammy Awards, one of them for album of the year, with a production entirely in Spanish, touched me deeply,” Martin wrote. “Not only as an artist, but as a Puerto Rican who has walked stages around the world carrying his language, his accent and his history.”
In addition to becoming the first all-Spanish album of the year winner, the “Nuevayol” artist took home the Grammy Awards for música urbana album and global music performance for the track “EoO” on Sunday.
Martin further called Bad Bunny’s achievement a “human” and “cultural” win, lauding him for not bending to the will of anyone who tried to change his sound in any way.
“You won without changing the color of your voice. You won without erasing your roots. You won by staying true to Puerto Rico,” Martin wrote. “You stayed true to your language, your rhythms and your authentic narrative.”
Martin, who first broke out as a solo musical act in the mid-’90s, became an international superstar off the back of his Spanish-language hits including 1995’s “María,” 1998’s “Vuelve” and “Perdido Sin Ti.”
He reached a new strata of stardom after his track “La Copa de Vida” was used as the official anthem for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. That song charted in over 60 countries and was translated into English. He landed his biggest hit with “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” which was the lead single from his 1999 self-titled English album.
When accepting his album of the year award Sunday night, Bad Bunny addressed the crowd predominantly in Spanish and spoke of the strugglesof the immigrant experience.
“I want to dedicate this award to all the people who had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams,” he said in English.
“Puerto Rico, believe me when I say that we are so much bigger than 100 by 35 and there is nothing that exists that we can’t accomplish,” the “Dakiti” artist said in Spanish. “Thank God, thank you to the academy, thank you to all the people who have believed in me throughout my whole career. To all the people who worked on this album. Thank you, Mami, for giving birth to me in Puerto Rico. I love you.”
The 54-year-old singer also showed love to Bad Bunny for using his platform to show solidarity for vulnerable communities.
“What touched me most about seeing you on the Grammys stage was the audience’s silence when you spoke,” Martin wrote. “When you defended the immigrant community, when you called out a system that persecutes and separates, you spoke from a place I know very well where fear and hope coexist, where millions live between languages, borders and deferred dreams.”
Martin concluded his letter by thanking Bad Bunny for reminding him and showing other Puerto Ricans that there is power in being true and authentic to yourself.
“This achievement is for a generation to whom you taught that their identity is non-negotiable and that success is not at odds with authenticity,” Martin wrote.
“This was for Puerto Ricans, for all our Latino brothers and sisters who dream in Spanish, for those crossing seas and borders wearing their cultures like a flag. From the heart, from one Boricua to another, with respect and love, I thank you for reminding us that when one of ours succeeds, we all succeed.”
The beloved snooker icon and BBC commentator has died at the age of 79, reports Wales Online.
Sharing the sad news at the close of Wednesday’s edition of the BBC programme (February 4), TV star JB announced: “Before we go we just wanted to take a moment to mention today’s news about the death of former UK snooker champion John Virgo at the age of 79.”
“Many of us also fondly remember him from his commentating work and his TV programmes like Big Break so of course our thoughts are with his family and his friends,” continued the star.
“Of course,” his co-host Alex Jones acknowledged as she sat beside him on the sofa.
Whilst the presenters paid tribute, a photograph of the late snooker legend appeared on screen.
It was revealed earlier in the day that Virgo had died, prompting a wave of sorrow from his fans and the snooker community.
A statement on the World Snooker Instagram account read: “Everyone at World Snooker Tour is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of legendary snooker player and broadcaster John Virgo, aged 79.
“Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Rest in peace, JV.”
It was shared on the platform alongside a black and white photograph of Virgo with the dates 1946 to 2026.
Fans have been offering tributes on social media following the announcement.
“Aww he was great RIP,” one person wrote on X, which was formerly Twitter.
“To me John Virgo was like Eddie Butler was to rugby commentary, he was the voice of snooker,” remarked another person. Others hailed him as a “legend”.
One fan of the late snooker ace wrote on the platform: “I grew up watching the snooker decades ago and watching John Virgo was always brilliant. His skill as a player was immense but what a great character RIP.”
“Mr Virgo you were very much loved,” they added in the moving post.
At this year’s Grammy ceremony, the Recording Academy called on artists Post Malone, Lauryn Hill and Reba McEntire to honor the musicians who died last year.
The annual In Memoriam segment paid tribute to artists including Roberta Flack, D’Angelo and Ozzy Osbourne. From heavy punk numbers to jazzy R&B ballads and solemn country-infused performances, the academy celebrated those who have shaped music, whether the artistry or the business.
It started off with a candlelit tribute from McEntire, Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson. The trio performed McEntire’s “Trailblazer.” McEntire lost her late stepson, talent manager Brandon Blackstock, last year. As the performance continued, images of people like Connie Francis, Roy Ayers, Joe Ely and Ace Frehley appeared on the screen behind.
Then Post Malone, backed by Andrew Watt, Slash, Duff McKagan and Chad Smith — all artists who worked with Osbourne over the past few years — covered Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” complete with bursts of fire and endless guitar riffs. The camera continued to pan over to teary-eyed Kelly and Sharon Osbourne, daughter and wife of the Black Sabbath frontman, who attended the ceremony.
Then, it was Hill’s turn to pay tribute to late R&B pioneer D’Angelo. Behind dark shades and covered in diamonds, the singer started off by saying, “Make time for the people you love while you can.”
The singer was backed by a massive band and started to sing her own track “Nothing Even Matters.” She was soon joined by musicians Lucky Daye, Leon Thomas and Jon Batiste. As they continued to blend the sounds of “Brown Sugar” and “Devil’s Pie,” the giant ensemble shifted gears to pay tribute to Flack.
Throughout the remainder of the segment, Hill acted as a conductor, calling on each musician to sing their parts. They were soon joined by Chaka Khan and John Legend, who sang “Where Is the Love?” By the end of the performance, the setlist came back to the Fugees’ “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” The entire stadium erupted in applause, got on their feet and started to dance along with everyone on stage.
In between the live performance, the academy also showed video tributes for Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and Sly Stone.
PHIL COLLINS’ daughter Lily has paid a sweet tribute to him on his 75th birthday after the star revealed he has a 24-hour live-in nurse.
The Emily in Paris star, 36, took to Instagram to share a series of pictures to commemorate the special occasion.
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Lily Collins has shared a sweet tribute for her dad PhilCredit: InstagramShe shared a series of pictures of the pairCredit: InstagramThe father and daughter duo in a throwback photoCredit: Instagram
In the first snap, the father and daughter duo are seen smiling for the camera, while in another photo, polaroids of the pair are seen laid out onto the floor.
In the third picture, a baby Lily is seen being held by her suave looking dad in the sweet throwback.
Alongside them, she penned: “Yesterday dad turned 75 and I feel so grateful to have celebrated together.
“For all you’ve accomplished, all the joy you’ve brought so many all over the world for ALL these years, all the lessons we’ve learned, all the memories we’ve shared, and all the new ones to come, thank you.
“I count myself so lucky to have hugged you, laughed with you, reminisced with you on such a monumental day.
“Proud is an understatement. Love you to the moon and back again…”
Her followers and fans of the iconic singer flocked to the comments section as one gushed: “Your dad’s music has brought so much joy to my life and fans worldwide.”
Another person wrote: “Love this @lilyjcollins – and such a great pic of you two!!”
While a third added: “Glad you could celebrate such a special birthday together.”
The Netflix star’s tribute to her dad comes after he gave a major health update following health woes in recent years.
He revealed that he now has a 24-hour live-in nurse after five knee surgeries and his kidneys also “packing up”.
During a conversation with Zoe Ball for Eras – In Conversation for BBC Two, the hitmaker divulged: “Yeah, it’s an ongoing thing. You know I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication as I should do.
“I’ve had challenges with my knee, I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me.
“I got COVID in hospital – my kidneys started to back up, you know, everything that started that could, all seemed to converge at the same time.
“I had five operations on my knee now – I’ve got a knee that works and I can walk, albeit with assistance, you know, crutches or whatever.”
But despite his ongoing health issues, the musician is keeping optimistic about the future.
He told the presenter: “The things that are ahead for me would be, apart from just being back to being totally mobile and healthy, is go in there and have a fiddle about and see if there’s more music ’cause you know, you tend to sort of feel, that’s it, I’ve done that.
“But you’ve gotta start doing it to see if you can do it. Otherwise you don’t do it. So that is something on my horizon.”
Phil’s music career started in 1970 when he became the drummer for Genesis.
While remaining with the band, he also had a solo career in the 1980s which included hits such as Against All Odds and Two Hearts.
The star has faced several health issues over the last few yearsCredit: STEVE GILLETT/LIVEPIXHe recently opened up about his life to Zoe BallCredit: PA
Holding back tears, she said she had “loved every minute”, adding: “This hasn’t been an easy decision to make, but it feels like the right moment to step away. I’ll carry with me the most wonderful memories.”
Carol went on: “My job is something I’ve never taken for granted and I’ve loved every minute. From early starts and all manner of forecasts, I’ve shared it with incredible colleagues at BBC Breakfast, BBC Weather and programmes across the BBC. I’d like to thank them for their support and friendship which has meant the world.”
She concluded: “To those watching and listening at home – thank you for all the kindness you have shown me over the years, being part of your mornings has been a joy.”
Carol went on to say she plans on spending more time with her husband Steve, writing her books and travelling, and choked up as she told Sally and Jon: “It’s really hard for me to say this because I love my job. I love all of you guys, my weather colleagues, every department I’ve worked with, and of course, all the viewers I’ve been so engaged with for many years. But it’s great! I don’t want to be coming in on my Zimmer frame, going, ‘I can’t reach the Northern Isles anymore!'”
Since announcing the news, Carol has been showered in support from fans and friends alike.
Susanna was among those paying tribute on social media, writing: “CAROL KIRKWOOD! The gorgeous force of nature @carolkirkwood is leaving BBC Breakfast. Let me tell you a few things about Carol, having been lucky enough to have worked with her (and shared a hotel room with her on a hen weekend)
“1. I have NEVER seen her in a bad mood. 2. She sends cards EVERY birthday and Christmas. 3. She ALWAYS has a giggle with every viewer who recognises her off air – and everyone does.
“Good luck Carol – enjoy your well-deserved lie-ins. Love you.”
Susanna was a co-presenter on BBC Breakfast from 2001 until 2014 alongside Bill Turnbull and Charlie Stayt before she joined Good Morning Britain.
Her post was showered in support, with one follower writing: “Absolutely fabulous picture. Good luck with your new venture, beautiful lovely @carolkirkwood.”
Another said: “What a lovely pair,” as a third added: “This has genuinely been made me sad.”
Former BBC Breakfast star Dan Walker also marked the “end of an era”, as he wrote on X, alongside several pictures with Carol: “I still get asked what Carol is like in real life and she is just the same lovely person you see on the telly.
“She was always so kind, generous and funny on and off screen and she will be hugely missed on @BBCBreakfast
“Throw that alarm clock away Carol. Long may she reign.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.
Katie Price has mysteriously deleted her online tribute to new husband Lee Andrews onlineCredit: GettyKatie wed Lee in a surprise Dubai ceremony over the weekendCredit: instagram/@wesleeeandrewsThe former glamour model updated her Instagram bio after tying the knotCredit: InstagramBut 48 hours later, Katie has since removed any mention of her new husbandCredit: Instagram
Following the nuptials, the loved-up newlywed took to her social media to update her new relationship status, proudly writing in her Instagram bio: “married @wesleeeandrews”.
However, 48 hours on, Katie has now ditched the tribute to her new hubby, reverting back to her former bio and deleting any mention of Lee.
While Lee no longer features in her bio, Katie has continued to repost photos of her with her new groom online.
Katie reposted a selfie on her Instagram stories of her and Lee posing in front of a mirror during their stay at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai – the same place they married.
