Wayne

THEY’VE been soaking up the Ibiza sunshine, while wrapping their arms around one another like two lovesick teenagers at a beach rave.

So it’s only natural that fans have begun asking whether former glamour model Katie Price, 48, and party king Wayne Lineker, 64, could be embarking on a new romance after a trying year for Pricey – who ditched her wedding ring for the Ibiza bash.

Pictured on a sunbed at the O Beach Ibiza last week, with Katie wearing a barely-there bikini, the tactile displays of affection between the two showbiz veterans had everyone asking the same question: what on earth is going on here?

Indeed, one insider told me: “It certainly got everyone talking. Naturally people started to wonder if there could be a romantic spark between the pair.

“While many questions have been raised about Katie’s husband Lee Andrews and the reality of his finances, Wayne is the real deal.

“He’s raking it in with all his Ibiza businesses and he’s not ashamed to show off the rewards of his hard work.”

It’s no secret that Katie’s love life has been a rollercoaster of late.

After a whirlwind romance and shock January wedding to Dubai-based businessman Lee, recent months have brought a storm of drama.

Self-proclaimed “millionaire” Lee is back in a Dubai prison for unpaid debts and Katie has voiced her frustration to The Sun’s Clemmie Moodie over the “ridiculous” drama surrounding him.

Wayne, brother of football legend Gary Lineker, is known as a party boy, and many wondered if the newlywed was seeking comfort in his famously welcoming arms.

After all, he has a taste for models – with his past girlfriends including model Danielle Sandhu and the late Love Island star Sophie Gradon.

But before anyone starts buying a wedding hat for another Pricey trip down the aisle, we can reveal the real truth behind their close connection.

According to those close to Katie, the pair are strictly platonic and the tactile body language is simply the result of two larger-than-life personalities who love letting their hair down together.

“Katie and Wayne are just brilliant mates, plain and simple,” a close insider spilled to us last night.

“People look at the photos of them cuddling up or whispering during the eclipse, and because it’s Katie, they instantly assume there’s a massive romantic scandal brewing.

“But honestly? It’s completely innocent. They just get each other.”

My source continued: “They are both veterans of the showbiz scene and they both love a massive party.

“When Katie is in Ibiza, Wayne is her go-to guy. He treats her like royalty and ensures she has a great time.

“There is zero romantic spark there. She sees him like a fun, cheeky older brother who knows exactly how to throw the best parties.”

Katie’s recent trip to the Mediterranean wasn’t just a wild solo getaway to escape the exhausting Lee Andrews saga back home. It was a fun-filled adventure for her beloved eldest son Harvey, 24, who joined her on the Spanish island.

And it’s actually Wayne’s bond with Harvey that has cemented his status as one of Katie’s most treasured pals.

Harvey, who has Prader-Willi syndrome and is also autistic and blind, was also at the sprawling Ibiza resort dancing away to his favourite tunes.

For protective mum Katie, seeing the entrepreneur go out of his way to ensure her boy had a spectacular time meant the absolute world.

“Wayne is absolutely brilliant with Harvey, and that’s the fastest way to Katie’s heart. Not romantically, but purely as a loyal friend,” my insider revealed.

“Wayne rolled out the red carpet for them and even made sure he had his favourite meal of Spaghetti Carbonara.

“He makes Harvey feel so special, safe, and included in all the fun. Katie is endlessly appreciative of that.”

This supportive dynamic is especially poignant for the mum-of-five, given the well-documented absence of Harvey’s biological father.

Former Premier League footballer Dwight Yorke has played no part in his son’s upbringing, leaving Katie to deal with all of Harvey’s very complex needs on her own.

“It genuinely breaks Katie’s heart that Harvey’s real dad has never done a thing for him, so when she sees men like Wayne stepping up just to be kind, patient and supportive, she is so touched,” the pal explained.

“Wayne doesn’t have to go out of his way for Harvey, but he does it because he has a big heart. That’s why Katie is so loyal to him. She will defend their friendship to the hilt.”

So, while the pictures of them cosying up under the sun might scream new romance to the untrained eye, the reality is far sweeter.

It is clearly a feeling shared by Wayne, who took to Instagram to pay tribute to Katie.

He wrote a “special message” to the businesswoman, writing: “We’ve certainly had our moments over the years, you more than anyone knows that.

“We’ve faced obstacles, made mistakes and sometimes been our own worst enemies.

“But through it all, there’s one thing I believe we’ve always shared: our two hearts and our genuine love of helping other people.”

With the baggage of her recent marital woes weighing heavily on her mind, Katie wanted a place to let off steam with her son.

And the O Beach did not let her down. The club’s waitresses, wearing skimpy outfits, added to the upbeat party vibe, showing off their best moves on the stage and holding up cards spelling ‘Harvey’ as partygoers chanted his name.

Harvey looked over the moon and threw his hands up in the air with joy.

“Katie knows exactly what she’s doing,” our insider laughed. “She knows people will talk when she wraps her arms around Wayne in a tiny bikini. But she doesn’t care anymore.”

Whether her husband Lee, who remains in Al Awir prison, will be equally nonchalant remains to be seen.

FORMER glamour model Katie Price was seen putting on a very cosy display with Wayne Lineker as she took her son Harvey to party at O Beach in Ibiza.

The reality TV star looked as though she was having the time of her life on the party isle as she got behind the DJ decks.

Harvey, Katie and Wayne cuddled up onstage as they faced the huge crowds gathered.

Katie’s eldest son was movin’ and grovin’ to the tunes and fans were going wild.

In clips shared on Instagram by Katie’s pal Lou Roy, they pair could be seen dancing as she planted a sweet kiss on Harvey’s lips.

Lou dubbed Harvey the “main man” as he got the crowd riled up and ready to party.

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The O Beach girls even surprised Harvey, 24, in matching swimsuits, holding up the letters of his name.

Harvey looked over-the-moon and threw his hands up in the air with joy.

Elsewhere, club owner Wayne wrapped his arms around Katie’s waist as she whispered in his ear.

Wayne gave a cheeky grin as the mum-of-five got up close and personal in her skimpy mint-coloured bikini.

She paired the tiny two-piece that barely covered her modesty, with a sheer white cover-up.

In another snap, Wayne, 63, was sandwiched in between Katie and her pal as they smiled for the camera.

Katie, 48, rested her head on Wayne’s shoulder as she took a brief break from tearing up the dance floor.

While the podcast host and party legend Wayne certainly looked cosy the pair are old pals.

They move in similar celebrity circles and she often visits Wayne at his famous Ibiza club.

A piece of iconic Los Angeles architecture and one of pop culture’s most recognizable exteriors is on display as the Pasadena home featured as Wayne Manor in TV’s original “Batman” hits the market this month for $32 million — less than a year after it was last sold.

The seven-bedroom, 11-bathroom Jacobean Tudor Revival home on 5 acres of gated land was built in 1928 by the L.A.-based architectural firm Morgan, Walls & Clements. This is the same firm responsible for some of L.A.’s most fantastical and beloved architectural creations including the Wiltern, El Capitan and Mayan theaters. It’s located at 380 S. San Rafael Avenue in Pasadena, in a lush, wooded area above the Arroyo Seco near the Rose Bowl.

The home, which features a stately mahogany main staircase and a genuine butler’s pantry worthy of Alfred Pennyworth, was made famous by the “Batman” TV series, which originally aired on ABC from 1966-68. During that time a man named Norman Preston van Valkenburgh lived there with his family. Film crews shot at the home for three days in 1966, but only external shots ended up being used as stock footage for Wayne Manor.

Over the years fans began to confuse the mansion with another nearby estate — the work of one of the city’s most prominent Africa American architects Paul R. Williams . The home, which The Times cheekily called an “imposter” in a 1989 article, burned down in 2005 while being renovated by its owner, Michael Hammer, grandson of the late oil tycoon Armand Hammer. At that time, crowds of “Batman” fans gathered before the smoldering ashes lamenting the loss only to discover they had the wrong house.

If the real Wayne Manor sells for its $32 million asking price it will break its own record for a residential sale in Pasadena. That record was set only last year when the current owner bought it for $20.5 million.

It will take just one super fan with Bruce Wayne-deep pockets to snap up this dreamy estate. Spoiler alert: There is no Bat Cave, but there is a pickleball court, a resort-style pool, a private theater and an Architectural Digest pedigree.

I’m Arts editor Jessica Gelt counting the money in my swear jar and dreaming big. This is your arts and culture news for the week.

The week ahead: A curated calendar

FRIDAY

Jeff LeBeau, left, and Tim Cummings in the West Coast premiere of Samuel D. Hunter’s “Grangeville” at the Ruskin Group Theatre Arts Center, directed by John Perrin Flynn.

(John Perrin Flynn)

Grangeville
The West Coast premiere of Samuel D. Hunter’s two-hander about a pair of estranged brothers concludes its acclaimed run at the Ruskin next weekend. In his review, Times theater critic Charles McNulty wrote that the playwright “turns his characters inside out in a play that powerfully illuminates a subject that has rarely been treated onstage with such unflinching honesty and sensitivity: How does one integrate a past that took everything to escape?”
8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 2. Ruskin Group Theatre, 2800 Airport Ave., Santa Monica. app.arts-people.com

Sounds of LA County
Country music in Sylmar and Quartz Hill; disco, soul and R&B in South L.A.; regional Mexican music in Florence-Graham and La Puente; deep house, Afrobeats, hip-hop and funk in East Compton; global acoustic in Willowbrook; and live salsa in East L.A. are this week’s offerings in the free summer series from LA County Parks and Nextfest LA. The program continues through August.
6-9 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Thursday. Check website for exact days and locations. soundsoflacounty.com

SATURDAY

Joe Hisaishi presents Music Future
Coming off three nights at the Hollywood Bowl, the Japanese composer moves to a more intimate setting to celebrate the work of contemporary composers, including Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner and Max Richter, with the LA Phil New Music Group.
8 p.m. The Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East theford.com

The Hour of the Star
Brazilian actor Bruna Fachetti stars in the world premiere of a stage adaptation of the novella by Clarice Lispector about an impoverished woman dreaming of a better life in Rio de Janeiro. The limited, five-performance engagement was conceived and will be directed by Alex Tietre from the English translation by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Lispector biographer Benjamin Moser.
7 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, Thursday, July 31 and Aug. 1. The Broadwater Black Box Theatre, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A. eventbrite.com

SUNDAY

Boris Brejcha performs during the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival .

(Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images for Coachella)

Boris Brejcha with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
The masked German DJ makes his global orchestral debut. The techno DJ duo Frieder & Jakob open the show. Be prepared to dance.
7 p.m. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N Highland Ave. hollywoodbowl.com

Murder on the Orient Express
Sidney Lumet’s 1974 version of the Agatha Christie mystery, adapted by Paul Dehn, earned six Oscar nominations. Alfred Finney, nominated for leading actor, stars as the meticulous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot investigating a killing aboard the famous train. Also starring Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam and Ingrid Bergman, who won the Oscar for supporting actress. Part of the Oscar Sundays series.
2 p.m. Academy Museum, David Geffen Theater, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org

TUESDAY

Rhapsody in Blue & Shostakovich
Marin Alsop conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Anna Clyne’s “Masquerade,” Gershwin’s soaring American classic (with pianist Conrad Tao) and Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony.
8 p.m. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N Highland Ave. hollywoodbowl.com

THURSDAY

Peter Finch in ‘Network.’

(TCM)

Network
“I’m mad as Hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” shouts Peter Finch as news anchor Howard Beale in this 1976 satire directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Paddy Chayefsky. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, winning four: leading actor, posthumously, for Finch, leading actress for Faye Dunaway, supporting actress for Beatrice Straight, and original screenplay. Fifty years later, it feels as prescient as ever.
2 p.m. Vidiots, Eagle Theatre, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd. vidiotsfoundation.org

Arts anywhere

André De Shields, left, Reeve Carney, center, and the cast of Hadestown perform onstage during the 2019 Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall.

(Theo Wargo / Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

Hadestown: The Musical
The hit Broadway show, winner of eight Tonys and a Grammy, comes to movie theaters for a special five-day engagement. “The show travels to the underworld and back again with liquified grace,” wrote Times theater critic Charles McNulty. “Unfurling like a dream, ‘Hadestown’ speaks most eloquently through its sultry jazz score.” With Reeve Carney as Orpheus André De Shields as Hermes, Amber Gray as Persephone, Eva Noblezada as Eurydice and Patrick Page as Hades.
Friday through Wednesday, theaters everywhere. bleeckerstreetmedia.com

— Kevin Crust

Culture news and the SoCal scene

The Hollywood Bowl during a summer concert.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

The Hollywood Bowl recently debuted its biggest sound system upgrade in decades (featuring AI-powered vocal isolation and immersive, surround-sound), and Times classical music critic Mark Swed weighed in on why audiences should be careful of what they wish for. Still, the jury is out: “It is far too soon to say what ways the fabulous new Bowl sound system, which happens to be AI-endowed, might become friend and/or foe. In the first two L.A. Phil classical concerts, the white speakers brought out wonders and caused problems. But the minimal Bowl rehearsal time allows little opportunity to fine-tune,” Swed writes.

Swed also attended a showing of two of Yoko Ono’s famous performance pieces at REDCAT (in collaboration with the Broad, which is currently showing a major Ono retrospective). Titled “Sky Piece” and “Cut Piece” the music-driven works featured compositions by Ono’s friend and collaborator John Cage (Swed writes about the pair’s complicated relationship in New York during the 1960s). Swed also extols “Cut Piece” as performed bythe artist known as MPA, who sat stoically as the audience lined up to cut patches of her clothing off piece by piece.

Sean Luc Rogers and James Tupper in “F— Strangers” at the Echo Theater Company.

(Cooper Bates)

Times theater critic Charles McNulty headed to Echo Theater Company to see playwright Erik Patterson’s “F— Strangers,” directed by Echo Theater Company founding artistic director Chris Fields. McNulty found the show, which features scene after scene of intimate encounters, “intriguing and frustrating in equal measure.”

“It’s over 8 feet tall, nearly 11 feet wide and travels by 53-foot semitrailer. It’s covered in more than 20,000 beads and weighs almost 1 ton — or about 2,000 pounds,” writes The Times’ Eloise Rollins-Fife in her charming profile of “Gillian,” the chandelier featured in “Phantom of the Opera’s” current North American tour.” “And eight times a week, it’s dropped atop the heads of people who pay for the privilege — just a few feet short of actually hitting anyone.” “Phantom” is currently playing the Hollywood Pantages Theatre before it moves on to Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.

Kihun Yoon, Michael J. Hawk, Nicholas Brownlee and Salmir Pirgu, from left, perform during an L.A. Opera dress rehearsal for Barrie Kosky’s “La Bohéme” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Sept. 12, 2019.

(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

Bernard A. Greenberg, a founding board member and former chairman of L.A. Opera, has died at 95. Throughout his life Greenberg was a devoted opera fan and a champion of establishing a dedicated opera company in the city, which ultimately led to the 1986 creation of L.A. Opera. As a philanthropist, civic leader and arts advocate, Greenberg dedicated more than seven decades to steering L.A. Opera and creating the renowned company that it is today. He served on the board of directors for 40 years and held almost every major leadership position during that time. He and his wife, Lenore, also founded the Bernard A. and Lenore S. Greenberg Opera Fund — an endowment that continues to support some of the company’s most vital work.

“If anyone could be called the founder of LA Opera, it is Bernie Greenberg,” said Keith R. Leonard, Jr., Chairman of LA Opera’s Board of Directors in a statement about Greenberg’s death. “For more than 70 years, he devoted his extraordinary wisdom, leadership and generosity to building this company into the institution that serves our audiences today. Bernie believed deeply that opera could enrich lives and strengthen our community, and he worked tirelessly to make that vision a reality. His legacy is woven into every chapter of our history, and all of us at LA Opera are profoundly grateful for his friendship, his guidance and his unwavering commitment to this company.”

IAMA Theatre Company has announced its 2026-2027 season, including three world premieres, as well as its ninth New Works Festival, featuring a variety of new plays by fresh talent. The season kicks off with “Bobby Robotowitz” by Matt Schatz and directed by Casey Stangl, which will be performed from Oct. 15-Nov. 23 in two secret venues — one on the Westside in October and one on the Eastside in November. (When you buy a ticket you find out the location.) The season will end with IAMA’s first collaboration with Geffen Playhouse: the world premiere of “Closing Costs” by Grace McLeod, which was originally developed during IAMA’s 2024-2025 Emerging Playwrights Lab. For the full season lineup, and to buy tickets, click here.

— Jessica Gelt

And last but not least

This adventurous family of four is raffling off their $2 million home just outside of London in order to travel the world. I tip my hat to them because this is something I would think of doing but never actually do. Instead, I think I’ll buy a ticket or two.