Category Entertainment News

Rock star Ozzy Osbourne is undergoing a worrying health battle as the Black Sabbath frontman prepares for his last ever gig with the band this weekend

An icon of both the rock and reality TV world, Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne is in the midst of a worrying health battle while he is set to take to the stage at Villa Park to play in front of around 50,000 fans.

The now 76-year-old music legend hasn’t played a live show in nearly seven years, but he has made it his mission to produce a knockout performance for Black Sabbath fans for their farewell show at Villa Park. Ozzy has committed to his rehab by moving a specialist coach into his home, to give him the fitness he needs to produce the performance.

The show means a lot to the Prince of Darkness. In an interview with Premier Comms the rocker said he viewed the set as a chance to “say thank you to my fans for always supporting me and being there for me”.

He added: “I couldn’t have done my final show anywhere else. I had to go back to the beginning. ”

But the singer has been through it in the past few decades and after fully embracing the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle in his earlier years, his health has taken a hit. Ozzy’s health battle began more than 20 years ago, when in 2003, he broke his neck after falling off a quad bike leading to some extensive back surgery and metal rods being put down his spine.

In 2020, the singer also announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s around a year before. In an interview with Good Morning America alongside his wife Sharon, he shared: “I had to have surgery on my neck which screwed all my nerves. I found out that I have a mild form of…” Struggling to finish the sentence Sharon stepped in: “It’s Parkin two which is a form of Parkinson’s.”

She added: “There are so many different types of Parkinson’s. It’s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination but it does affect the nerves in your body. It’s like you’ll have a good day, then a good day, and then a really bad day. “

But despite his setbacks, and his worsening condition, Sharon claims his voice is as good as ever. Speaking to The Sun she added: “He’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this. Parkinson’s is a progressive disease.

“It’s not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body, and it’s affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it’s ever been. “

Loose Women star Coleen Nolan opens up about her ‘roller coaster’ year so far, what got her through the bad times and what’s next for her family – and her Loose Women colleagues

Coleen Nolan describes the past six months as an “emotional roller coaster” — with incredible highs and devastating lows. But the Loose Women favourite, who turned 60 in March, is at her bubbly best when she arrives at our exclusive photoshoot after a busy day at the ITV Studios. Given her bright mood, it’s only right that we start with her biggest high, becoming a grandmother again. Coleen’s daughter Ciara, 24, who lives with her fiancé Maxx in an annexe on Coleen’s Staffordshire farm, is five months pregnant with her first baby.

“I want to shout it from the rooftops,” beams Coleen. “Everything I do is for them. From the moment I had Shane at the age of 23, my kids have always been the most important thing. When Ciara first told me, I cried so much that she didn’t know if I was happy or not! ”

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As well as a sleepsuit embroidered with “How does Nanny and Grandad sound?”, Ciara also gave her mum strict instructions to keep the baby a secret. “It got to about 12 weeks and I told the Loose Women,” Coleen admits. “I was just so excited!”

The news was especially welcome after an incredibly difficult start to the year, with the death of her sister Linda, 65, who had been living with cancer. Attributed to pneumonia, Linda’s death hit Coleen “very hard”, and she found herself struggling to cope with normal life. She took time off from Loose Women and relied on friends and family, especially Ciara, to keep her going.

“Linda had cancer for 20 years and was so positive. I got to a point where I thought she’d outlive us all,” Coleen says. “Then when it happened, it happened so quickly. Afterwards, I didn’t want to get out of bed. It was overwhelming.

“My kids literally didn’t leave my side and when I needed to be alone, they would be in the next room. Ciara took control of everything and everyone that came round. I’d be asked to do something and say ‘yes’, and she’d jump in and tell them no, I wasn’t ready. ”

Adding to the whirlpool of emotions was Coleen’s 60th birthday in March. Losing Linda before that milestone gave her a bittersweet perspective. “You start questioning your own mortality. I was asking myself, ‘What’s all this for? ’ I didn’t want to work, I wanted to stay home with the animals. I’d really lost my mojo for everything, and that’s when I realised I needed professional help.

“Therapy has been the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve had it on and off over the years and I’m always pushing people to have it, it’s still a bit of a taboo in this country, but it’s amazing.

“I really needed it this year because I didn’t know how to push forward and had an incredible sadness, and when it wasn’t sadness it was numbness. Therapy has absolutely saved me, my therapist can’t give me a pill or an operation to fix me, it ultimately has to come from me, but it gives me the belief and the courage that I’m strong enough to do it. ”

And doing it she is. As Coleen expertly navigates our shoot — in her element as she rummages through a rack of tulle skirts — her mojo is very much in evidence. She’s not someone to go down without a fight, even when the fights come a little too frequently.

There’s also the ongoing uncertainty at Loose Women , which has been the focus of her working life for 25 years. In May, ITV announced a raft of changes, including cutting the show to 30 weeks a year. The upshot is suspected job losses, and while there’s no word on the panellists yet, the news has hit Coleen hard.

“The crew have become family. I’ve watched them grow. Some of our runners from back in the day are producers, married with kids. I’ve shared my life with them. They’re in limbo, not knowing what they’re going to do,” she says.

“Loose Women isn’t ending, which I’m so thankful for, but it’s changing. It’s going to be very different in respect of the size of the crew, but it’s still running. Which it should be — there isn’t another show that celebrates and supports all women — every size, age, whatever. But it’s heartbreaking to see some of my colleagues not knowing what they’re going to do. Many of them have young families and mortgages. ”

Coleen is a realist, however, and understands that those at the top need to make tough decisions.

“You read about it all the time — a chain store’s shutting down and 300 people are affected. You go, ‘Oh, that’s awful. Anyway, what do you want for dinner? ’, because it doesn’t directly affect you. I’ve never been so close to it. It’s made me realise how much this is happening across the whole country at the moment and it’s devastating. ”

Coleen has firm friends at Loose Women and dismisses rumours of backstage feuds. “Honestly, it’s boring,” she laughs. “If there were feuds, you’d know. I can’t hide anything! I think it’s down to people not seeing us out together all the time because we all live in different parts of the country. But I see the Loose Women more often than my family. ”

Coleen says her colleagues have helped her through her toughest moments. They texted “every day” after Linda died, and were her closest confidantes after her split from Michael Jones, who she’d dated since 2021. Although they had a “fabulous” time, Coleen decided late last year that she only wanted a friendship. They’re not quite there yet, she says, but she’s hopeful.

Her focus for now is on her 30-odd animals living on her six-acre Staffordshire farm, but that’s not to say romance is off the cards completely. “I’d probably date again, but the men I meet are either married or gay, so I’ve no hope in the industry I’m in,” she says. “And I don’t go out to bars, unless they’re serving me a cup of tea. ”

Double dating with her Loose Women colleague Ruth Langsford is also off the table, for now at least. “Ruth’s definitely not going on dates yet. I’m trying to force her into it but she’s not having it. And I think she’d be a terrible wingwoman — she’d be too severe and say, ‘No, you’re not right, get away! ’”

Coleen met Michael on a dating app, and she’s not averse to going down that route again. But you won’t find her on celebrity dating app Raya because she “only lasted two days — it wasn’t for me”. She’s recently found an alternative, though.

“Apparently, there’s one that’s aimed at country folk, called Muddy Matches, so that’ll be the one I try when I’m up for it,” she says. “But whoever I date, I’m not sure I want their toothbrush in my bathroom. I’ve been in relationships my whole life and I’m enjoying having my house to myself, not worrying about anyone else.

“I do miss hugging and kissing, but not necessarily sex. That said, if I meet him and I fancy him, he’s getting it! You can’t beat a good snog and there’s only so many times I can kiss my boxer dog’s crinkly face. ”

Coleen isn’t exaggerating about kissing her dogs (and horses and goats) as anyone who’s watched her new YouTube channel will know. Launched last month, it shows her and Ciara’s daily life with their menagerie of animals and it’s fast become her favourite thing to film, despite the less-than-glamorous vibe.

“There are so many TV farm shows and I thought, ‘They’re not going to make one with me, so sod ’em, I’ll do my own! ’ And I love it. We’re free to be exactly who we are. We do decide what we might do and film that day, but it’s things we’d be doing anyway because we have animals to look after. Honestly, I’m obsessed with animals. And every time I go, ‘No, we’ve got enough now,’ I see an animal online and think I need to adopt them! We also have to cram a lot in, that’s life on a farm though. Plus there are always people popping by, who are equally as mad as we are, so it’s great fun. ”

“On Loose Women I’ve got make-up and hair people. I did ask if I should put make-up on for this, but the answer was no, because obviously I don’t normally wear pyjamas and make-up! Then you watch it back and think, ‘Holy Mother of God! ’

“It’s definitely been a battle with my self-confidence — I think we all want to look our best. But actually I love the freedom of it, to be exactly who we are. It’s special. And for the record, I started it before the news about Loose Women came out! ”

* Follow Coleen Nolan’s YouTube account @ColeenNolanOfficial

I’ve used this makeup artist-approved brush cleaner for years now, and it’s the only one I’ll trust to clean my makeup tools – it works instantly and smells like summer holidays

As any beauty lover knows, the right tools can make a huge difference to your makeup, which is why keeping them in good condition is essential. As well as helping your brushes to perform better, cleaning them is also key to keeping them hygienic and safe to use – a dirty brush can be a breeding ground for bacteria, cause breakouts and leave your skin looking oily or patchy. Not to mention layers of different foundations, blushers and bronzers can affect the colour of your products when you apply them.

Although I generally find cleaning my makeup brushes to be an arduous task that I can almost never be bothered to do, discovering Isoclean’s Paradise Scented Make Up Brush Cleaner has absolutely changed the game for me. It’s easy to use, takes barely any time at all, and smells amazing, and – dare I say it – I’ve actually started to enjoy cleaning them?

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Unlike other cleaners which require copious bowls of water, cloths, and leaving them to drip dry for hours, the Isoclean spray top means I need nothing except the bottle and some paper towels. You can currently pick up a large 275ml bottle for £19. 50, or a full size bottle and 275ml refill worth £35 for £31. 15. In my experience the 275ml bottle lasts around four months with a weekly clean, although that obviously depends on how frequently you clean your brushes and how many brushes you clean.

To use it, you just need to spray the brushes with the cleaner, then rub them into some paper towels or tissues and the makeup comes straight off. Some more stubborn products (like full coverage foundation) might need a couple of goes, but generally I can have a brush fully cleaned in around 30 seconds.

If you do prefer a more traditional solid soap style cleaner, Zoeva (who makes some of my favourite makeup brushes of all time, FYI) has the Brush Shampoo Bar for £12, which deep cleans and nourishes the bristles, helping prolong their life span. You could also try the CLOMANA BEAUTY Chocolate Orange Brush & Sponge Cleanser, which is currently on sale down from £16 to £10. 40 at Sephora, and smells like chocolate orange.

However personally I love the spray formula that Isoclean has. It means they dry almost instantly, so you can clean as you go or give them a quick clean before swapping between two different coloured products without muddying the shades. The Isoclean Paradise Scented Make Up Brush Cleaner also kills off all bacteria, keeping them safe to use.

The only real downside to the Isoclean Paradise Scented Make Up Brush Cleaner is that it can be tricky to make sure the bristles at the middle of your brush are fully saturated, especially on denser brushes like foundation ones. However a few repeat goes makes sure you get everything out and clean.

I’ve also found in the past that most brush cleaners tend to have quite a strong, harsh alcohol smell which can be off putting. However the Paradise Scented version of Isoclean’s cleaner quite honestly smells like a summer holiday. It has notes of salted caramel, vanilla, almond and pistachio, and the scent lingers on your brushes so you can still smell it next time you use them. Anything that makes me keep my makeup brushes clean with minimal effort is a winner in my book!

Kelvin Carpenter may have left Walford in 1987, but fans of the show still remember actor Paul J Medford who played him – and not only for the single he released with Letitia Dean

Tony Carpenter and his son, Kelvin, were the first-ever black characters to appear in EastEnders when it launched back in 1985. Black and Asian characters had been under-represented in UK soaps and its creators were keen to redress the balance. Builder Tony was played by actor Oscar James, 82, with one of his most famous storylines involving clandestine affair with the original Queen Vic landlady, Angie Watts (Anita Dobson).

The star has gone on further TV and movie roles since his 1987 exit from the soap – including starring in Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp and also gracing the stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company – and he prefers not to linger on his Albert Square days.

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His partner once told the Mirror: “It was such a long time ago that he doesn’t like to talk about it. To him it was just a role and he has done so much since. He has made some films and done some wonderful plays. He still gets excited by every role and had no idea when he took the part in EastEnders it would follow him. He doesn’t watch the show anymore apart from maybe when I have it on but it has changed so much since his day.”

Meanwhile, Kelvin – played by actor Paul J Medford, 57 – was one of Albert Square’s brightest teens, balancing education, aspirations, and working-class tenacity. His portrayal stood out as a rare positive depiction of Black youth on 1980s television and he became one of the most popular young characters in the show’s early days.

During his time in Albert Square, Kelvin had a chequered love life, including flings with Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) and Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully), with him also showing an interest in Mary the Punk (Linda Davidson).

In one storyline, he went to college and formed a band with friends, which led to the real-life release of a single with Letitita, Something Outta Nothing, reaching No 12 on the UK Singles Chart. Kelvin stayed on in Walford even after the rest of his on-screen family departed, but eventually left the show himself in 1987 to pursue university studies.

Paul has gone on to boast a successful stage career, featuring in West End hits including Five Guys Named Moe, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Lion King, and was honoured with the Society of Black Arts Achievement Award in 1995.

He has since relocated to the USA and moved on to an executive career. In 2012, he worked on Naomi Campbell’s reality TV series The Face as Talent Producer, and later worked as Model Casting Director on seasons 17 and 18 of another reality show, Project Runway. In 2019, he was named Vice President, Unscripted Current Series, at Nickelodeon, working on productions including The Spongebob Musical: Live On Stage! as well as Nick’s Ultimate Bloopers.

Despite residing overseas, a former neighbour once revealed disclosed that Paul remains an avid follower of the soap that launched his career, keeping up with Walford’s happenings through family and the internet.

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Spice Girl star, Melanie Brown, is getting married today to hairstylist, Rory McPhee, at St Paul’s Cathedral in London following their three-year engagement

Scary Spice star, Mel B, is tying the knot today – despite swearing she’d never get married again. Since shooting to stratospheric fame with the Spice Girls, Mel, 49, has had a chequered love life, including two failed marriages and a bitter break-up with Hollywood A-lister, Eddie Murphy, who the singer shares daughter Angel Iris, 18, with.

Today, the mum-of-three is walking down the aisle at St Paul’s cathedral in London with hairstylist, Rory McPhee, and celebrate at The Shard afterwards in a bash said to have cost £28,000. A whole host of stars will be in attendance – apart from apart from Victoria Beckham and Geri Horner-Halliwel and Geri Horner-Halliwell – as Mel’s pals wish the couple the best for the future.

The Spice Up Your Life star, who not so long go insisted “I’m fine by myself”, is certainly due some luck in love as we look back at her rocky romances, starting with Dutch dancer, Jimmy Gulzar…

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Jimmy Gulzar

Mel first tied the knot with Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar in 1998, donning a flamboyant Vegas showgirl feathered headdress and a white-and-gold frock.

The couple met when Jimmy was strutting around on stage as a back-up dancer for the Spice Girls during the Spiceworld tour in 1998. They married a short time later and welcomed daughter Phoenix, now 26, together. However, their relationship wasn’t to last and they split in 2000, citing irreconcilable differences in the divorce courts.

Speaking to the Mirror after the breakup, Mel said: “My friends did try and warn me not to take things so fast, and in hindsight it’s easy to see I made a mistake.

“Marrying someone I’d only just met on tour was not the smartest thing I’ve ever done. When the relationship broke down it was a complete nightmare. We both really wanted to be a proper happy family but it seemed destined not to work.“There was a lot of pain and even with my friends and family around me I often felt isolated and alone. But you have to find the inner strength to carry on. Somehow I did it but it nearly killed me.”She added: “What I’m basically saying is that he didn’t love me and to be honest I now don’t give a s*** any more. It’s a sad situation but that’s the reality.”

However, talking to The Sun, Jimmy said: “I always think about Goliath facing David – that story is pretty much how I have always felt. “

Mel B later won custody over Phoenix Chi, however Jimmy followed them to the US to be close to his daughter.

Eddie Murphy

Mel B and Eddie Murphy shocked the world when they began dating in 2006, but after a whirlwind nine-month relationship, the pair parted ways.

They then ended up in a bitter paternity battle after the Hollywood actor refused to believe daughter, Angel Iris, now 18, was his child. Following DNA testing, it was confirmed that Angel was his daughter and since then, the former lovers have remained amicable as they co-parent their child.

Mel revealed it was her who chose to end the relationship and walk away from the actor. Writing in her memoir, Brutally Honest, she said: “You know, he’s Eddie Murphy. And I’m like, ‘Well, I’m Mel B!

“If something doesn’t feel right, if it isn’t equal, then what’s the point? Yes, Eddie Murphy’s a massive star. In my eyes — Spice Girls — so am I. I have my own house, my own car, my own credit card. I don’t need to fall in line and be Pretty Woman, because I have my own life.

“He almost wanted to just go like that. But I have a career. I’m not just going to give that up for love… to be a housewife. “

She continued: “But that wasn’t my path. It probably didn’t make sense to anybody at that time — why I would leave a relationship so full of love and giving, and almost nurturing.

“But I’m a strong independent woman, and it wasn’t coming together as equal as I wanted. “

Stephen Belafonte

In 2007, Mel married US film producer, Stephen Belafonte, in a Las Vegas ceremony and renewed their vows in Egypt a year later.

The former America’s Got Talent judge met her husband on the set of film Talk, and they were friends for years before embarking on a romantic relationship.

The pair tied the knot after just four months of dating, and Stephen – who also has a daughter, Giselle, from a previous relationship – insisted that he had “never connected” with someone the way that he did with Mel, and that knowing her as a friend beforehand had made the dating process easier.

However, after welcoming their daughter Madison into the world, the couple separated in 2016 amid accusations of emotional and physical abuse from Mel, which Stephen denies. Last year, he announced he was suing Mel for defamation over claims she made about him being abusive and controlling during their time together, which she detailed in interviews and her autobiography, Brutally Honest.

On his £3. 9m libel suit in Florida, he said: “I am ready to prove Melanie’s statements about me are false. ” Stephen added that authorities investigated the claims and no charges were brought.

Mel’s legal team asked for the case to be thrown out last year.

In their filing to have the case dismissed, Mel’s lawyers said: “Brown should have never been dragged through the courts because of an exercise of [her] constitutional rights. ” But this was denied in October.

Rory McPhee

After years of heartache, Mel says she has finally found her happily ever after with fiancé Rory McPhee, who she has known for years and who is the best friend of her cousin.

As she gets set to wed today, she conceded she’d ever walk down the aisle again, insisting she was ‘fine by herself’.

Speaking to People magazine, she said: “I was like, ‘I’m never going to get married again. Never, never, never. I’m never having a relationship. I’m fine by myself. I want to raise my kids, put my head down and work, and that’s it. And then… never can say never, can you?”

Affirming she still believed in love, Mel continued: “I believe in love, and clearly the other two marriages turned out to be not love, from their angle. So I feel like I’ve really missed out, and now I’ve got this opportunity to be properly in love with a really good guy who I know loves me for me. “

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