Archive June 14, 2025

One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson is getting ready to play for England in the Soccer Aid match alongside his girlfriend Zara McDermott’s recent ex Sam Thompson

Louis Tomlinson revealed he is feeling nervous ahead of the Soccer Aid match alongside his girlfriend Zara McDermott’s ex Sam Thompson. The One Direction star is now dating Zara, just months after she split from Sam at the start of the year.

In an awkward twist of fate, both Louis and Sam are on the same team as they take part in the charity football match for Unicef. The pair crossed paths earlier in the week as they took part in a training session together with former Made In Chelsea star Sam insisting there’s ‘no hard feelings’.

However, the meeting is likely to be a bit awkward as he was with Zara for over five years. Louis and Zara’s budding romance came as a surprise to their fans as they grew close to each other in March.

Ahead of the match, Sam and Louis are having to spend time together as they make sure they’re as prepared as they can be. It seems Sam may be wanting to keep an eye on Louis as when the singer took part in an interview, the reality star could be seen hovering behind.

Louis revealed being part of the team was “an incredible opportunity to play with some amazing players and do it all for an amazing cause”. Yet, he admitted in all his years performing for millions of people, he is still nervous for Sunday’s game.

He told TalkSport: “I used to play in charity games a little bit more often when I was a bit younger and there’s no comparison. Don’t get me wrong I get really nervous doing a gig but that’s my job, so to speak, but every football fan… you want to be decent, so you put that pressure on yourself.”

While Louis was chatting away, Sam could be seen standing behind him in an awkward moment. All eyes have been on the lads as training takes place while Sam revealed he will now not be playing the match but will be on the management team instead, becoming Louis’ boss.

Before the meeting, Sam discussed the expectations and attention around the pair being in the same room together. While on his Staying Relevant podcast, he recalled an interview where the focus turned to his impending encounter with Louis.

Sam shared: “At the end of the interview, he goes, ‘Look mate, I’ve got to ask the question that everyone wants to know. This is sort of the big question really, the elephant in the room, What’s it going to be like with you and Louis? Obviously he’s doing Soccer Aid too.”

Sam chuckled as he recounted the strained moment: “Mate, you should have seen the room, everybody, it was silent then everyone goes ‘Woah, Woah Woah, end the call! End the call!’ and I have just gone ‘No, no guys, I’ve got this, I’ve got this.’ I held my hands up to say just relax.”

He clarified: “I think I did alright and I meant everything I said as well, that it’s not about me or Louis or who anyone is dating, it’s f**king Unicef and charity and everyone is going to be there for the exact same reason. And if he has anything about him which I’ve heard he does, he’s going to sit there and say the exact same thing.”

During a chat with The Mirror back in May, Sam spoke excitedly about the prospect of encountering Louis: “I’ve never met Louis, but the moment I see him, I’ll be like, ‘mate, how amazing is this what we’re doing, and hopefully we can make as much money as possible. And I imagine – from what I hear is a really lovely bloke – I imagine the reply will be exactly the same.”

READ MORE: ‘Best strips’ for teeth whitening shoppers ‘ever used’ with ‘instant results’

Soap star Ryan Thomas shares Scarlett with Tina O’Brien but insists his daughter isn’t ‘getting a free ride’

Ryan Thomas insisted his ‘nepo baby’ daughter Scarlett ‘won’t be getting a free ride’ as he discussed her role on Waterloo Road. The 40-year-old actor shares Scarlett with Coronation Street star Tina O’Brien, with Scarlett also having Love Island’s Scott Thomas and Emmerdale’s Adam Thomas as her uncles.

Scarlett has been a hit on BBC’s Waterloo Road and even has almost 150,000 followers on social media where she updates fans on her life. Speaking in a new interview, her father Ryan said of her TV role: “She worked damn hard to get that job, and people need to recognise that she’s a talented girl – she’s up against other people and she’s not getting a free ride.”

READ MORE: Disney+ drops to £1.99 in rare deal Netflix and Amazon can’t beat

He added to The Sun : “She has to go through the same process as everyone else – it was between her and somebody else. It wasn’t like, ‘This is a Thomas, she’s going to get this job’.”

Back in April, Scarlett hit back at the ‘nepo baby’ claims with a short video on TikTok.

The daughter of the soap star took to her social media page to share a carefree video of herself riding the passenger seat of a convertible car in the sunshine as she lip-synced to the 1977 hit song Easy by Commodores.

In the clip, She wore oversized sunglasses, and gold hoop earrings and rocked an off-the-shoulder jumper. Over the clip, Scarlett typed out a comment she receives from trolls, which is: “You only got these opportunities because of your family.”

In response, Scarlett wrote: “God forbid a girl takes the chances she gets.” Fans shared their support for the teen in the comment section, with one user writing: “Girl it’s jealousy! You enjoy every bit of it.”

Another said: “You have talent, regardless of your family.” One fan posted: “God forbid a girl who has opportunities and doesn’t waste them.”

Scarlett also has a large legion of fans on social media who love her content, which includes behind-the-scenes clips of her life with her famous family.

Experts in the industry believed she would be able to bag a cool £2million from her content before she turns 18.

PR expert Lynn Carratt told The Sun: “It’s clear they’re a close-knit family who understand how to use social media effectively to build their careers. They capitalise on TikTok trends, and each member is talented in their own right.

“From a PR perspective, the family TikTok videos are an excellent platform for displaying the family’s talent to a huge audience.”

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

READ MORE: Save £250 on a giant Tuscan olive tree that will transform any patio into a Mediterranean haven

Will Young has reflected on his coming out experience in a new interview for Pride Month. He was pressured into revealing his sexuality after winning Pop Idol in 2002.

Will Young has paid tribute to those who came before him to fight for equal rights while reflecting on his own coming out story. The 46-year-old singer shot to fame in 2002 when he starred on, and won, ITV’s singing talent show Pop Idol.

After winning the show, Will enjoyed huge success, with debut single, the double sided Anything Is Possible / Evergreen, becoming the fastest-selling debut single in UK history. His first album also topped the charts – with all of his subsequent records making the top five, including three further number ones and three at number two.

Shortly after winning Pop Idol, Will came out and he told fans he had no shame about his sexual identity and that he had not hidden it from those in his life. In a new interview with Metro, the singer has reflected on this moment from 2002 and shared his thoughts on how the world has changed.

He told The Metro: “It’s like chalk and cheese now. I don’t often really remember the sort of mini traumas that would occur being openly gay and a public figure in the early 2000s. It was so different then.”

He continued to highlight the ways the country has changed since he burst into the spotlight. He said: “There was no legal support, you couldn’t get married.

“You just operated within how it was then, which was like, ‘Well, I’m going to get shouted out, I’m going to get threatened. No one’s gonna care.’ That was a given, which seems bonkers now to think like that.”

And paying tribute to equal rights campaigners, he added: “We have to remember those people and those before them, because they were pretty seminal.”

Will first opened up about his sexuality in March 2002 in an interview with the since defunct News of the World. He told the publication: “I feel it’s time to tell my fans I’m gay.

“It’s totally no big deal, just part of who I am. For me it’s normal and nothing to be ashamed about. I’m gay and I’m comfortable with that. I really don’t know what the fuss is about.”

It has been over two decades since the singer found fame and he continues to enjoy chart success. His 2024 album, titled Light It Up, peaked at the top of the downloads chart and reached number 5 on the official albums chart.

He embarked on a tour in support of the record last September – with extra dates added due to demand. More recently, Will has been sharing gardening tips with fans and uploading videos of his green work to social media.

Over the decades, the star has become a campaigner for mental health, winning praise from fans for sharing his own struggles and spotlighting resources so others can get help.

He also, tragically, lost his twin brother, Rupert, to suicide in July 2020. He shared his story and grief as well as the life of his brother in the acclaimed Channel 4 documentary, Will Young: Losing My Twin Rupert.

Celebrities and football legends join forces to raise vital funds for UNICEF with Old Trafford game

The Soccer Aid camp have been bonding over late night karaoke sessions. Celebrities including singer Tom Grennan, presenter Big Zuu and footballer Robbie Keane were on the mic until 11pm belting out hits as they got stuck into training at Champneys Tring.

Tom, 30, revealed: “We’ve been singing all night.” “There were a few dancing queens last night,” chuckled Lioness Steph Houghton, 37. “There was a bit of ABBA, everyone was having a great time.” Big Zuu, 29, said he got in on the action. “I sang Senorita by Justin Timberlake,” he told. “As soon as Robbie says it’s time to sing, you’re ready. Get a vocal ready. He is the life and soul of soccer. It really broke the ice on the first night.”

READ MORE: Louis Tomlinson returns to Soccer Aid as Sam becomes his boss after quitting team

Coach Harry Redknapp, 78, said he left the team to it – and didn’t bother imposing any strict curfew as he said they wouldn’t listen to him. “They definitely won’t listen to me,” he laughed. “I just go to bed and ignore it all the let them get on with it. And hope for the best in the morning. Everyone gets a bit excited.”

Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2025 sees England taking on the Soccer Aid World XI FC in the world’s biggest celebrity football match. Stars taking part include One Direction star Louis Tomlinson, explorer Bear Grylls, Strictly Come Dancing star Gorka Marquez and Gladiators favourite Diamond.

Denise Lewis says she’s been pushed out of her comfort zone in her first year taking part in Soccer Aid. The retired Olympics athletics star says she’s gained a newfound love for football and has even joined a local team.

“I’m representing the 52 year old women right now,” Denise says proudly. “I’m a debutant and I’ve been retired for 100 years so this is all new territory for me. I’m trying to champion the mindset of trying something new, go out your comfort zone, do something different, and have fun with it.”

Having joined Penn & Tylers Green Football Club in the lead up to tomorrow, Denise said she’s taken to the sport. “I wasn’t that girl who had the opportunity to play football in school,” she explained.

“It just didn’t happen. And so I’ve only started kicking a ball, even with my boys, just the odd kick. I’m fit for purpose. It’s nothing like when I was an elite athlete, but I definitely think I’ve been more mindful about why I exercise now in the last five years.”

This year, thanks to the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, every donation you make to Soccer Aid for UNICEF will be doubled – up to £5 million. It will take place tomorrow at Old Trafford, Manchester and will be shown live exclusively on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player. Donate to UNICEF ahead of the match at socceraid.org.uk/donate.