Category Entertainment News

Busted star James Bourne has announced he has quit the band’s joint tour with McFly just hours before it kicks off. He is due on stage with the two bands tomorrow night, but released a bombshell statement confirming he won’t be there.

In a post, James explained: “The VS tour kicks off tomorrow night in Birmingham and as excited as l’ve been all year for this tour to begin, I’m really sorry to say that over the last 8 days it has become clear that I am not in good enough health to play these shows 🙁

“There’s a lot of information I still don’t have about my condition but my bandmates, management and I are unanimous in deciding that I should focus on the medical stuff for now.

“I really hope I can be in a position to come back further down the line. It’s still going to. be an amazing show and I will miss being there! See you all as soon as possible.”

After years of battling the charts, Busted and McFly decided to come together for a UK tour, performing their greatest hits back to back across one massive night of entertainment.

McFly’s Harry Judd shared his disappointment at James not being able to tour with them as he said: “Won’t be the same without you dude. Hope you’re back on Tour asap.”

Danny Jones shared James’ statement to his fans and added: “Get well soon mate.” Busted bandmate Matt Willis commented: “Love you brother…”

The bands are due to kick off the show in Birmingham tomorrow night, before heading to London’s O2 Arena. McFly and Busted are set to head to Cardiff, Sheffield, Leeds, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Manchester, Dublin and Belfast before bringing the tour to a close at London’s O2 Arena on November 1.

Following James’ bombshell news, fans have rushed to share their support as they urged him to “Get well soon.” Another added: “Get well soon brother.”

Someone else commented: “Aww, wishing you a speedy recovery James.” A fourth wrote: “Oh nooooo JB!!!!!!!!!!! WE WILL MISSS YOUUUUU!!!! Hope you’re okay.”

The two bands, who previously played as McBusted, said they wanted to come together for the tour to go head-to-head in a bid to steal each other’s fans. Busted – which includes James, Matt Willis and Charlie Simpson – will tour with McFly’s Harry Judd, Dougie Poynter, Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones.

It’s not the first time the bands have been on tour together – uniting in 2014 for the McBusted tour. The idea was sparked after Busted’s Matt and James joined their McFly pals as special guests as they performed a number of gigs at the Royal Albert Hall.

The pair were on hiatus after Charlie Simpson quit Busted in 2005 to focus on his post-hardcore band Fightstar. Charlie then went back to Busted for a reunion tour and new music in 2015.

Last year, Harry told us: “We’ve been talking about this for years, it’s only now it’s the right time so it’s come together. The idea is that each band will perform, then we’ll come together to battle it out.

“There’ll be laser beams shooting out of guitars, and at the end some kind of winner.” James added: “I love the idea of it being a McFly show, and then they sing Bubble Wrap – and the first you see of Busted is Charlie coming down from the ceiling like an angel, singing the chorus.

“I’ve got a hundred of those ideas. I wanted to have the intro like in ET, with seven of us flying in on BMX bikes in the sky. That would be epic.”

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With it suddenly feeling like autumn is well and truly here, this new beauty box is the perfect way to adapt your routine to the cooler weather – and for an incredible price

As soon as September arrives and the temperature starts to drop, I switch straight into autumn mode – lighting pumpkin-scented candles, digging out my knitwear and reaching for more nourishing beauty products to combat the effects of the cold. And for the latter, I’ve found a real bargain.

One of the UK’s best value beauty subscription services, OK! Beauty Box, has just dropped its latest edit, and it’s absolutely perfect for this time of year. Called the Fall Into Beauty Edit, the box contains five seasonal skin, hair and body treats worth over £95 in total, but if you’re a new subscriber you can get it for just £8.99 when you sign up – that’s a huge £86 saving.

READ MORE: ‘I tried Molly-Mae Hague’s favourite £12 brow gel and I’m totally converted’

READ MORE: Caroline Hirons launches innovative product that makes your skincare more effective

Here’s exactly what you’ll find inside the box:

• Figs & Rouge Secret Radiance Glow & Prime Moisture Creme – 40ml full-size, worth £45
• Nail Kind Nail Polish in the shade Darling You – 8ml full-size, worth £8.95
• Grace & Stella Spray All Day Rose Spray – 30ml travel-size, worth £8
• FUL All Rounder Shampoo – 75ml travel-size, worth £12
• FUL Intense Moisture Hair Mask – 60ml travel-size, worth £15

You also get a voucher to redeem for not two copies of OK! Magazine – worth £9.20

I’ve already got my hands on this month’s box, and it’s exactly what my beauty routine needs at this time of year. I love a face mist for adding extra hydration to my skin without any heaviness, the priming moisturiser (worth an impressive £45 on its own) feels really smoothing on the skin and, as I’ve just switched up my hair colour for autumn, the shampoo and conditioner help to keep my bleached strands feeling healthy.

My favourite product inside, however, is the Nail Kind nail polish. Although not the most expensive, I wear a deep red like this one almost exclusively throughout autumn and winter, so I’m thrilled to see this in the box.

Signing up to OK! Beauty Box’s monthly subscription service gets you a box of beauty products delivered every month for £15 after your first £8.99 box, and they’re always worth at least £80 in total, so it’s a great way to give yourself a little treat each month.

Another great thing about OK! Beauty Box is that it’s super flexible, allowing you to skip, pause or cancel your boxes easily anytime.

Lookfantastic also does its own monthly subscription service for £15 a month, or £13 a month if you sign up to 12 months of deliveries. This month’s contains brands such as Elemis, Pixi and Rituals.

Meanwhile this time of year means that beauty advent calendars have started dropping. Boots sells a number of different ones but we’re particularly taken by the 24 Days Of Skincare Advent Calendar, which costs £70 but is worth £289.

Pals Amanda Holden and Alan Carr were called on to front the 2024 Royal Variety Performance

Amanda Holden and Alan Carr have been replaced as hosts of the Royal Variety Performance after just one year at the helm.

Comedian Jason Manford will present this year’s star-studded spectacle at the Royal Albert Hall in front of members of the Royal Family.

Jason said: “The Royal Variety Performance is always such a spectacular night, so I’m genuinely chuffed to be asked back as host. The last time I did it was in 2020 – which, if you remember, was during the pandemic. I had a virtual audience… was like doing a gig in front of a Curry’s window! Nothing says showbiz quite like getting heckled by someone who’s accidentally left their mic on while eating crisps. So I’m very excited to see some actual real-life human faces in the audience this time!”

Pals Amanda and Alan were called on to front the 2024 ceremony, taking over from Bradley Walsh. King Charles was in attendance but Queen Camila was a no-show due to illness.

Alan kicked off the show by joking about Amanda’s choice of dress and her numerous run-ins with Ofcom complainers.

“You look fabulous, just on the right side of an Ofcom complaint,” he told her.

READ MORE: Jason Manford hits out at rumours he quit Waterloo Road with hilarious tweet

He went on: “I feel a great sense of comfort and security sharing a stage with you, well it’s a high profile event and if Just Stop Oil come at the stage, I can use you as my human shield.”

They were joined by Sir Elton John, BGT winner Sydnie Christmas and Brit Award winner James Bay. Eurovision champ Nemo and popstar Sophie Ellis-Bextor were also called upon to perform.

Amanda said she was delighted to be a part of the historic night calling hosting the show “an honour”.

“I’m still pinching myself! This is a dream job and Alan is a true friend, we are already bursting with ideas and excitement, it’s going to be such a fun night!

“I’ve worked on Britain’s Got Talent for 18 years and have been so proud watching all our winners perform for the Royal Family. This year will be no different, so in the words of Sydnie Christmas, let’s av it!”

Ricky Hatton’s family hailed his ‘kindness, humour and loyalty’ in an emotional statement following his death and his ex Claire Sweeney says they remained friends after their split

Ricky Hatton and Claire Sweeney went from being friends to lovers and back to being friends again following a whirlwind eight-month relationship.

Soap star Claire is no doubt coming to terms with the sudden death of her ex-Ricky, who was tragically discovered dead at his home on Sunday morning. They dated last year before things cooled between them just before Christmas – but it is clear they stayed close, with the Coronation Street star cheering on his boxing return just weeks before he died.

Despite knowing each other for many years, it was only after their stint on ITV ‘s Dancing On Ice last year that rumours of a budding romance began to swirl, following a series of pub dates spotted in Manchester. Their first public appearance as a couple came in May 2024, when they graced the red carpet at the grand opening of the £365m Co-op Live Arena in the city they both loved.

READ MORE: Ricky Hatton’s dating history – from Claire Sweeney romance to ‘brutal’ engagementREAD MORE: Ricky Hatton’s final pictures with daughters and granddaughter before his death emerge

Ricky, a former light welterweight champion, met Claire during rehearsals for the ITV reality show and quickly began to win her over. A source told the Mirror at the time: “The chemistry was electric. Ricky went out of the show early on but he contacted her afterwards and let’s say he started wooing her. They’ve been out on several dates.”

They added: “They’ve been seeing each other quite a bit. He is completely besotted. It seems like an unlikely match but he’s always had a way with women. They fall for his personality, and Claire has. He knows her number one priority is her son so they are being very careful. Let’s watch this space.”

However, in the New Year reports emerged suggesting Ricky and Claire had parted ways. The split occurred prior to Christmas and when questioned about the separation a red carpet event earlier this year, Claire informed MailOnline: “I’m great – we’re still friends, we were friends, we dated and now we’re friends again. It’s all good!”.

But the former couple maintained their public backing for each other. Prior to Ricky’s devastating passing, it had been revealed that he was scheduled to take on UAE fighter Eisa Al Dah at middleweight in December in Dubai.

The Stockport-born boxer was meant to travel out for a press conference to publicise the match, but was forced to stay at home following an eye injury he suffered during an Oasis reunion gig in Cardiff.

Although he couldn’t be there physically, he joined via video link, stating: “I’m very much looking forward to it myself, to be honest with you. What you’re trying to do there for boxing in Dubai is fantastic.”

At the time, showing her backing, his ex-partner Claire posted a video of the announcement on Instagram, writing alongside it: “This is brilliant.”

Ricky, who was one of British sport’s most popular athletes during his prime, was crowned world champion when he stunned Kosta Tszyu on what was a defining night in 2005. He went on to be involved in two of the biggest fights involving British fighters when he took on Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed a body had been found at Hatton’s address and that the death was not being treated as suspicious. A spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we have found a body at an address on Bowlacre Road in Gee Cross at 6.45am today, Sunday, September 14. The death is not being treated as suspicious.”

Ricky grew up on a council estate in Hyde in Manchester and after having trials for Rochdale football club, he joined a boxing club in order to defend himself from bullies at school. After a short amateur career, he made his professional debut in a leisure centre in 19897, a far cry from the dazzling lights that would follow.

The Duke of Sussex has offered a closer glimpse inside his relationship with Meghan Markle in a telling interview, noting what he ‘always falls back on’ thanks to his wife

Prince Harry has spoken about his wife, Meghan Markle’s pivotal role and her “efficient way to live” he “always falls back on”.

The Duke, who is celebrating his 41st birthday today, visited the UK last week and met with his father, King Charles, for the first time in 19 months. The private meeting is said to have lasted around 50 minutes and hinted at a suspected reconciliation between the father and son.

Afterwards, Harry went on to visit Kyiv, Ukraine, to champion the work of his Invictus Games Foundation (IGF), and to honour the recovery and rehabilitation of the thousands of veterans there who have endured life-altering injuries since the conflict with Russia commenced three years ago.

READ MORE: Prince Harry teases dark family secrets after painful discovery that ‘really hurt’READ MORE: Prince Harry takes thinly-veiled swipe at Prince William in explosive chat

During his trip, he had a telling interview with The Guardian, where he divulged a closer insight into his relationship with Meghan. While he only mentioned his wife by name once, Harry recalled how she told him that telling the truth “is the most efficient way to live”.

He said: “She said ‘just stick to the truth’. It is the thing I always fall back on. Always.

“And if you think like that, who would be stupid enough to lie? It takes up too much time and effort.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Harry reflected on his explosive memoir, Spare and Netflix programmes. He maintained that these were attempts by him and Meghan to correct a “one point of view”.

He told the publication: “I don’t believe that I aired my dirty laundry in public. It was a difficult message, but I did it in the best way possible. My conscience is clear.

“I know that [speaking out] annoys some people and it goes against the narrative. The book? It was a series of corrections to stories already out there. One point of view had been put out and it needed to be corrected.”

In addition, Harry declined to discuss his father in the interview but dropped a mysterious hint about the King’s health. He revealed that in the year ahead, “The focus really has to be on my dad.”

The remark implies that Harry is eager to spend more time with his father, which appears to reference the King’s condition. But this isn’t the first occasion he’s made such a statement.