Category Entertainment News

Daily Mirror Columnist Jessica Boulton brings you Jess Saying, her wry, witty and slightly whimsical take on the heroes and villains, winners and losers and the outright outrageous showbiz shenanigans keeping us amused this week. Now, where better to start than….

WHERE’S THE SPICE? MONDAY

It’s been a mixed week for Girl Power. Pictures from inside Mel B’s glam wedding at St Paul’s Cathedral began appearing on socials on Monday (most thanks to Celebrity Big Brother’s Angelica Bell). And it certainly looked like Scary had the perfect day with hubby number three, Rory McPhee. But….While Mel B, 50, looked stunning in a couture gown, I was sad to see the wedding planner had missed some major opportunities to really spice up the big event.

I mean…. where was the leopard print wedding cake? Or the string band playing 2 Becomes 1 as they said their vows? Why wasn’t the bride in white platform trainers? And surely the groom could have done a Spicy routine for the First Dance? It’s almost – almost – like Scary didn’t want her wedding to become a Spice Girls nostalgia fest. ( Weird, I know!) .

For, despite spending a reported £28,000 on a glam reception at the Shangri-La inside London’s The Shard, there was something else lacking from the celebrations as well. Well, three things in fact: Mel’s fellow Spice Girls. Only ONE – Emma ‘Baby Spice’ Bunton – made it in person. The others sent their wishes on social media, citing work conflicts. To be fair, this is third time lucky for Mel. Perhaps they just figured they’d catch the next one?

JUST GOOD FRIENDS? TUESDAY

Sound the showbiz klaxon! There was good news aplenty for one of our best Friends this week. First the new trailer for The Morning Show dropped, showing Jennifer Aniston and Reece Witherspoon ready to slay another season of the Apple show.

And then came the Internet tittle tattle we’ve been waiting YEARS to hear.…..Jennifer Aniston is (possibly or possibly not)[italics] in LOVE. Yes, the 56-year-old is rumoured to be dating again.

Before you get too excited, Jen is yet to confirm the romance but she also did nothing to stop tongues wagging either – after pictures emerged this week of her on holiday in Mallorca with her super hunky hypnotist pal, Jim Curtis. Social media sleuths have unearthed dozens of cutesy interactions between the pair over the past months. They’ve also been spotted together at a hotel in California’s Big Sur.

So if she does go Instagram official you can hardly criticise her taste. I mean , just look at those eyes, I could stare into them all day (risk of hypnotism be damned). But, why is it, I wondered, that so many 40-somethings like myself, are quite so obsessed with Jen’s love life? She hasn’t even gone public with a relationship since her 2018 split from her hubby of three years – Justin ‘Oh my gosh how is he related to Louis?’ Theroux.

But the real reason for our obsession is threefold: Brad Pitt, Angelina and 2005. AKA The Most Infamous Split in Hollywood History™. As any #TeamAniston supporter will remember, it was anything but Jolie. In fact, a certain pair of Oscar winners treated her like the absolute pitts .

And that was the moment that made Jen an cultural touchstone. Every woman – and many men – could instantly relate to the Hollywood golden girl’s heartache. Most of us have been heartbroken by a split. Many of us have seen partners hook up all too quickly with someone new. And here it was happening to one of the most likeable and talented stars of the era. In the most public way imaginable. So by the time the Mr and Mrs Smith pair did their infamous ‘happy families’-themed magazine shoot to promote their movie?…….. Well, it was as if they done it to a real life friend, when their tears were barely dry……

Team Aniston fans the world over could empathise: we could all remember a time when an ex had (probably inadvertently) made us feel the same. So of course, we want the sitcom queen to have the last laugh. Because that’s what we’d all want for ourselves….

WALLY OUT WEDNESDAY

While Mel B has had a brilliant week, Geri must have been driven to distraction. For on Wednesday morning, hubby Chris Horner’s 20-year F1 career came to a sudden and screeching halt – as Red Bull Racing clipped his wiiiiiings with zero public explanation.

His shock firing came 12 months after Chris was caught up in an alleged texting scandal, and just a month after he and Geri were honoured guests at Brad Pitt’s London premiere of F1. The road ahead for the couple is now uncertain. Yet Chris wasn’t the only one reading job ads this week.

Under fire Gregg Wallace finally got the given the chop, chop, chop from MasterChef – after a seven-month investigation into inappropriate behaviour accusations (claims he originally denied). The poor cash-strapped Beeb is yet to comment publicly. But it’s understood they may have no choice but to throw out an entire unaired pre-recorded series of MasterChef. Why? Because there’s no way to edit the rotten old turnip out. (And I don’t mean some bad veg on set).

If the waste of Licence Fee payer’s hard-earned cash doesn’t turn your stomach enough, this might. For Gregg went on to BLAME the BBC, implying his newly-diagnosed autism was the reason for some of his alleged behaviour. Not only is this damaging, disparaging and possibly even defamatory to people with autism, mental health problems and neurodiversities – many charities were outraged – ….but Gregg’s made this whole thing even harder to swallow…. by making himself the victim. Personally I’d say every budding chef he’s ever critiqued deserves an apology. For, he clearly has no idea what’s goodtaste – and what’s not.

WHAT A PAIR THURSDAY

Talking of job hunting, Gregg may not have to look far for his next gig. Fellow cancelled TV star Wynne Evans has announced plans to open his own restaurant – the ‘Welsh House by Wynne’ – in his hometown of Carmarthen, West Wales. The pair met when Strictly’s Wynne appeared on Celebrity Masterchef. So presumably he has Gregg’s number if he needs a cheap pot washer. Who knows? Maybe they can GoCompare where things went wrong.

GOOD, SORRY, SUPER FRIDAY

Is it a bird, is it a plane? No it’s Superman… and his superdog. The DC movie opened on Friday after having had mixed reviews. But it was another supersonic pair who also made headlines. For Oasis finally returned for their first hometown gig in Manchester on Friday, a week after reuniting on stage in Cardiff. So were the Manchester crowds still as ‘Mad Fer It’ after the Gallaghers’ brothers 16 years away? One imagines so.

Although after years of anticipation, the Hunger Games-style showdown for tickets, the adrenaline rush of the big night, and the copious amount of Cigarettes and Alcohol being consumed…..For some[ital] fans….it’s probably a bit of a Blur.

JESS A LITTLE QUICKIE

On the ‘ead, mate! Oh, sorry…. wrong sport!

Poor Stephen Fry did an inadvertent header at Wimbledon this week, when an errant ball from Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka caught him right on the noggin. Normally, I’d quip that it might knock some sense into him. But with Fry’s IQ, he’s probably got enough already….

What do you think? Let me know in the comments or via IG/X @JessicaBoulton

Rocker Neil Young breached the strict 10.30pm London Hyde Park curfew after an epic concert – forcing BST Hyde Park bosses to turn off his guitars

Music bosses were forced to cut the power to Neil Young’s Hyde Park show as he was rocking out too much. The star was supposed to finish at 10.20pm on Friday night ahead of a strict 10.30pm curfew in the Royal park.

But the 79-year-old was still going strong at 10.32pm with an extended version of Rockin’ in the Free World forcing festival chiefs to to step in. One source said: “Neil and his band were having a great time and would have kept on going. There were at least three false endings to the song before festival bosses decided enough was enough. Neil and the band looked a bit puzzled when the power was cut but they are strict about these things – especially as it’s a royal park.”

Westminster Council insists on a 10.30pm finish as part of their licensing conditions. There were some boos near the front when it emerged the power had been turned off.

But fans said of Friday night’s show: “It was one of the all-time great BST shows. Neil completely rocked out the place.” Hyde Park has had high-profile curfew breaches before – most notably for Bruce Springsteen in 2012.

READ MORE: Neil Young’s Glastonbury performance will air on the BBC in dramatic U-turn

Sir Paul McCartney had joined Bruce and his E Street Band to play Beatles classics I Saw Her Standing There and Twist and Shout. But as they got ready to launch into another number, their power was switched off by the then-promoters of the Hard Rock Calling festival. BST is run by a different team.

Steve Van Zandt, the E Street Band’s guitarist, vented his fury at the “police state”. Then-Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said it was “an excessively efficacious decision”. The Boss was back at Hyde Park in 2023 and could see the funny side. During a performance of Glory Days, he told the 65,000-strong audience: “It’s time to go home. I’m telling you, they are going to pull the f***ing plug again.”

The Mirror revealed at the time how Bruce was scheduled to start his concert earlier at 7pm to ensure the 10.30pm curfew was not breached. The plan by BST Hyde Park bosses worked as the gig ended at 10pm.

The performance by Young for his BST show comes just two weeks after his headline Glastonbury show on the Pyramid stage,

BST HYDE PARK REVIEW BY TOM BRYANT

It would take some effort to eclipse what was a magical show on Worthy Farm two weeks ago. But as the sun set on W2, Neil Young did just that with a spell-binding performance for the ages.

All the focus had been on Neil’s Glastonbury show in the build up to his short European tour. Not least the controversy over whether he would allow the BBC to screen his Pyramid stage performance.

But here in Hyde Park it was all about the music – and the 79-year-old rocker delivered with aplomb. There was no scrimping on a hits-packed set list including Old Man, Harvest Moon and the Needle and the Damage Done.

There was even a rare outing for his 1970 hit After the Gold Rush which made its tour debut. Sat astride a piano, it was a moment of perfection and you could hear a pin drop in the hushed Royal park.

Otherwise, the godfather of grunge was at his rocking best, his band generating an inordinate amount of noise as they jammed away into the night with a thrilling encore of Rockin’ in the Free World.

Until 10.32pm that is….

The fashionable star has been showcasing some timeless summer looks of late, thanks to her collection with Next

Rochelle Humes has been showcasing another showstopping outfit from Next. The former pop star turned TV personality has an ongoing collection with the retailer, and her summer range includes lots of timeless and classic linen pieces.

One of the latest drops in the seasonal line is a cream two-piece comprising a jacket and some city shorts. The tailored, short-sleeved jacket is £50 and the accompanying shorts are £26.

The tailored shorts are selling fast and are only currently available in sizes 8-24, with sizes 6, 20 and 22 sold out. There’s better availability in the jacket, which is offered in sizes 6-20 (size 22 sold out).

READ MORE: Huge Amazon Prime Day sale slashes Coco & Eve’s ‘best tanner on the market’ by 30%

READ MORE: Aryna Sabalenka’s stunning Wimbledon jewellery and where fans can get similar

Next’s linen set is new-in but fashion fans, who have bought it, have left a handful of reviews. One shopper described the linen jacket as “very stylish.”

Another customer wrote about the shorts: “Lovely shorts to dress up with a jacket or down casual.” A third wasn’t happy with the material, saying: “Thin and see-through.”

Next’s new linen co-ord

From £26

Buy Now on Next

A fourth buyer concluded: “Great choice.” Rochelle pairs the set with a brown belt and gold bangles.

For style suggestions, shoppers can pair with loafers or sandals for a daytime look, or heels for an evening. For fashion fans who would rather a printed co-ord for an upcoming holiday, Nobody’s Child has a striking brown and cream set.

The zebra print set includes a pair of high-waisted, wide-leg trousers priced at £99 (sizes 8-18). The off-the-shoulder top is on sale for £44, down from £52 (sizes 8-18).

For more affordable options, New Look has an all-in-one black linen jumpsuit for £32.99. The new-in piece is offered in sizes 6-18.

Returning to Rochelle’s linen co-ord, the jacket features a V-neck collar, a button fastening and patch pocket detailing. It’s finished with added linen for a light and breathable feel.

Meanwhile, the shorts are cut to a tailored fit and have an elasticated waistband and central leg pleats.

Charlotte Crosby is a very busy woman and has found the time to speak to the Mirror about difficult moments with her children, her struggle with partner Jake Ankers and her big new venture

Charlotte Crosby won our hearts on MTV’s Geordie Shore with her hilarious shenanigans and drunken capers. It’s been 14 years since that first series aired, and a lot has changed for the Sunderland native.

For a start, she’s now a busy mum to Alba Jean, two, and five-month-old Pixi Cecilia, who she shares with her fiancé Jake Ankers. Now the 35-year-old has added a new string to her bow, in the shape of her debut novel, a coming-of-age story called Lucky Break.

It’s a fun summer read set in the wild world of reality TV, full of scandal and laugh-out-loud characters. Here, the bubbly TV personality opens up about how she lucked out with her “angel” children – and how excited she is to add ‘published author’ to her list of achievements.

Read more: Charlotte Crosby sells house and employs ‘intense security’ after terrifying home raid

Hi, Charlotte! You sound like a busy woman at the moment…

It feels like I’m on the verge of a nervous breakdown every day. I’ve got two kids, I’m filming a TV show for Paramount plus a reality show about my life, and I’m bringing out this book.

I’ve got three businesses. It’s not for the faint of heart. I think only a small percentage of people could deal with this.

Alba has been going through a phase of biting her little sister – how’s she doing now?

She’s still very much in the phase of wanting to hurt Pixi. Listen, you always have to have that little chat with them and ask, “Why would you want to hurt your little sister? You love her.” It’s a stage.

How do you ground yourself in those difficult moments?

Alba is actually an angel –mostly – and Pixi is an angel, the happiest little baby. So we have just never had moments where I ever feel that angry, you know? I have more moments where I’m in fits of laughter, because Alba is the funniest little girl.

She’s such a character. So, luckily, I’m laughing more than I’m thinking about how to control a tough moment.

Would you say that you and Jake share similar parenting styles?

Sometimes we totally agree on everything, sometimes we don’t. But I think when the children get older, there’ll be an element of like, “Okay, Jake, that’s yours to handle, and I’ll do this.”

How do you feel about your children seeing Geordie Shore one day?

Geordie Shore is now two decades old. I’m never going to say, “Know what we should do? Sit down and watch Geordie Shore.” My mum would never have said to me, “Do you know what we should do, Charlotte? We should get out all my home movies from when I used to go out on the weekend with my friends.”

And I would never, as a daughter, be like, “Yeah, shall we?” I’d be like, “Oh, no, I’m so embarrassed.”

It’s a rite of passage to be embarrassed by your parents!

Exactly. It’s so uncool. So I know that moment is never going to come where Alba wants to watch her mum get drunk on TV. I’m going to tell her of all the fun stuff I’ve done but I’m not going to tell her about everything.

I used to be embarrassed if my mum was even drunk when I had my friends around. In 10 years’ time, when Alba is 12, I honestly think her generation will not have a clue what the f**k Geordie Shore is.

What are your hopes for your kids as they get older?

To try loads of different things. I didn’t have any hobbies when I was little. I didn’t go to dance, gymnastics, I didn’t own an instrument. I feel like I just didn’t have anything, which upsets me now, because I think if I had, I would be quite talented now, because I do stick at things.

I’d like them to dabble in a lot of different things, and if they love something, I’d love them to just keep at it.

Haven’t you guys recently bought a villa in Spain?

Yes, we have! And I got my hair done there by someone from Essex. She’s lived there since she was seven and is fluent in Spanish because she was young enough. That is something that I’m constantly thinking about, because we’re going to be over in Spain a lot. The girls could pick up Spanish quite easily because they’re so young.

What made you decide to go into fiction writing?

I was approached to do it and I was like, “Yes!” I suddenly found myself driving and thinking about all these stories, what it would be called. After the call with the publisher I already had the title, the plotline, everything in my head as if it had been there for years. I’m excited. I just want it to hurry up and be out now.

Are any of the characters inspired by people you know in real life?

Well, I did say to my friends Holly [Hagan] and Sophie [Kasaei] that there are two girls in this book – but I don’t want you to get carried away. They’re not you guys, so don’t get offended or anything when one of them’s s****ing everyone in sight!

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Jo Wood opens up on stepson Jesse Wood’s split, why she’s flying the flag for older women – and how you can ‘pick yourself up and start again’ at any age, as she knows all too well

Since turning 70 in March, model, TV personality and health entrepreneur Jo Wood is embarking on a new chapter — as she adds novelist to her lengthy list of credentials. Inspired to write her debut book after going on a date, as she exclusively tells OK!, it unleashed a passion for writing that Jo never knew she had.

Drawing on her own experiences of heartbreak and divorce for The Resurrection Of Flo, the ex-wife of Rolling Stones rocker Ronnie says it’s given her a new lease of life — and she hopes it inspires others to do the same. “It’s a story really for women to be able to pick themselves up whatever age you are, even if you’d be 70 or 80, to pick yourself up and get back out there again,” Jo explains.

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“I bumped into a girlfriend I hadn’t seen for years, and she turned around to me and said she’d just split with her husband. She said, ‘My life’s over now.’ I said, ‘No, it’s not. Are you crazy?’ I was 53 when my husband walked out on me. I said, ‘It’s not over.’ “And another thing, my mum, when she was getting old, she said to me that as she got older, she became invisible. I said, ‘Mum, you are not invisible. I want to show you can do anything at any time.’”

And Jo is doing exactly that. She’s already thinking about book number two in between running her businesses Jo Wood Organics and Longevity Wellness and being a devoted grandmother to 10. Jo packs a punch in more ways than one, as she speaks to us fresh out of a boxing class. So has she got a mean right hook? “I have actually,” she smiles. “I’ve been doing it for years.”

The sparring practice came in handy when she had a run-in with a drunk stranger, who came off second best. “Years ago, some drunk guy grabbed a hat off my daughter and I just took off and ran after him, grabbed the hat and tripped him over at the same time,” Jo recalls. “He fell on the floor. I said, ‘Don’t f**k with me and my daughter.’ I was so furious. I wonder if I could do that now? Of course I could!”

There’s certainly no writing Jo off. With the air of an eternal optimist, she has brushed off hard times to come out the other side smiling. Jo’s colourful life has inspired parts of her book — which was sparked by a first date. “I never ever thought about writing a novel,” Jo admits.

“I’ll tell you what happened. I went on a date with some guy and he told me about the break-up of his marriage, and I walked out of that restaurant and I walked down the road and I thought to myself, ‘That would make such a great story.’ And that was it.”

From there, Jo started building up a picture of her main character, Flo. Writing notes on her phone, she eventually got up to 55,000 words and the beginnings of her book were born. So, is Flo anything like Jo? “She’s not as silly as me, but she does make lots of mistakes like I have,” Jo laughs.

It wasn’t just Jo’s own life that threw up ideas for the book — stories from her friends also made it in there. I asked my girlfriends to give me a story that I could use as inspiration for my book. I went, ‘Did you really just tell me that? Can I use it for the book?’ A couple are in there.”

Speaking of romantic ups and downs, mum-of-three Jo — who has daughter Leah, 46, and sons Jamie, 50, and Tyrone, 41 — was surprised by her stepson Jesse Wood’s split from his presenter wife Fearne Cotton. The pair announced the end of their marriage last December, with both going on to find new partners.

“I didn’t see it coming,” admits Jo. “You don’t know what their life is like behind closed doors.” However, Jo says Jesse, 48, is “crazy” about his new love, 39- year-old former Made In Chelsea star Gemma Gregory — while wishing Fearne, 43, the best.

“You know she’s got a new life, I hope she’s very happy,” Jo says. “Jesse’s doing great. He’s got a new girlfriend and he is crazy about her. That happened in a flash! He’s good. I’m really happy.” The family has form for maintaining a good relationship with exes — Jo and Ronnie, 78, being the prime example. They are often pictured together alongside their children and Ronnie’s third wife Sally.

Jo takes her hat off to Ronnie’s longevity with the Rolling Stones — and says she believes it’s down to women carrying the stress for them. “They don’t have any stress, the boys,” she muses. “You know what they’ve got, they’ve got that music, the vibrations and the music, which I think is really good for them. Keeps them young.”

Jo says she’s flying the flag for older women exploring their passions in later life. “If you look at leaders of the world, Donald Trump is in his seventies, Mick Jagger is still prancing around the stage at 81,” she vents. “Why aren’t we seeing more women do the same? We live longer than men anyway. We should still be creative way into our eighties, nineties even.”

Twice-married Jo says her love life has been put on hold while she focuses on her book. “I occasionally go out on a date, but last year I was doing this book, I didn’t want to go on any dates,” she says. “And, at the moment, I’ve got so much on. I don’t have time and it will only be a distraction.

“I know what I’m like. I go head over heels if I am into something. But I do hope to find somebody, still, but who knows. I am also very attached to my single life. I like being on my own. “Right now, I like how I know everything I have, I don’t have to pick up anybody else’s clothes, do anybody’s washing, wonder what they want to eat. But it would be nice if I could share it with somebody.”

Singer, actress and TV personality Brenda Edwards talks about the changes to Loose Women, the soap she’d love to star in and the office job she still has

Brenda Edwards rose to fame after finishing fourth on The X Factor in 2005. Since then she has forged a successful career as a theatre star and become a firm favourite on the Loose Women panel, which she joined in 2019. The star has brought her trademark fun and humour to the chat show, previously confessing that she and Judi Love are the“ wildest Loose Women”.

But it’s all change soon, after ITV announced that the show will be aired for just 30 weeks a year from January. Here, Brenda, 56, gives her surprisingly philosophical take on the news – and reveals the beloved soap she’d adore a part in and why, when work is lean, she’s quite happy to return to her temping job…

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Hi Brenda! Loose Women is so popular, it’s hard to believe ITV is cutting its screen time next year…

I think a lot of people were surprised, but it’s a business and you’ve got to run a business in the most efficient way possible. I don’t have anything to do with the business side, I’m just about giving my stories, opinions and views on things, so as long as I’m allowed to do that, I’m happy.

Rumour has it they may stop filming with a live audience…

They haven’t confirmed it, but I would miss it. A live audience is great because it gives you some affirmation, it confirms the things that you’re saying when With Brian May in We Will Rock You they clap. But we did without in lockdown, so… There might be a lot of fans at home who write in and ask for the audience back. So we’ll see.

Do you think it will still be successful with the changes?

I do. Because there is always a space for women – and men, because there are Loose Men as well. There is definitely a space for us to get our opinions out and help others. While there is somebody who needs helping or entertaining, there is always a space for Loose Women and Loose Men.

The show will be missed when it’s not on during the summer holidays…

Yes, it won’t air during the summer holidays and when Ascot and the racing is on, but we will just be bigger and better when we do come back. You’ve met so many celebrities on the show.

Who is the one person you still hope to meet?

Well, I would have loved to meet Whitney Houston, because she was my idol. I never got to do that, but I did get to see her in concert at Wembley.

What’s your funniest celeb story so far?

I was playing the Killer Queen in the musical We Will Rock You in Manchester and Brian May came to play his guitar. He came from one side of the stage, Roger Taylor came from the back of the stage on the drums, and they collided. I tried to save Brian – I went to get his hand but he stopped me. He kept playing his guitar, because he’s a rock star. In the words of Queen, The Show Must Go On.

You previously said you’d love to go on Strictly this year. Have they been in touch?

No, I haven’t been asked yet. I have a few other exciting things lined up, but I can’t say anything right now.

What about soaps? Would you ever consider a part on EastEnders?

Oh, I’d love it! If they came calling, of course I would. I’m a major fan and I’ve been watching it since it started. I love EastEnders – there is always a story there.

You could play Denise’s cousin on the show…

I could. Let’s manifest it! I could be Denise’s long-lost cousin, and it actually turns out that I had the child, not Denise.

The X Factor changed the course of your life. Did you ever imagine you’d leave your old job in accounts and do what you’re doing now?

I still go back to working in accounts when the jobs aren’t coming in. If I haven’t got any work on, I go back to temping. I’ve got a mortgage to pay. I’m not shy. Work is work and money is money. I’ve got to make my money even if I’m not doing anything on stage or on TV.

When was the last time you temped, then?

Just coming out of lockdown. I temped at Twickenham rugby ground and I worked in accounts payable. I’ve got my certificates, so I know how to do it. It’s like riding a bike – you never forget. I’m not afraid of hard work. Bring it on!