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Category News

Gladys Knight, 80, forced to cancel concert after falling ill and needing treatment

By in Entertainment News, News

Gladys Knight has been forced to cancel a show at the last minute after receiving medical treatment.

The 80-year-old Grammy winner was due to perform at the Florida Theatre in Florida on Saturday night, but just moments before she was due to take to the stage, she was taken to hospital. According to a statement from the Florida Theatre president Numa Saisselin, the Midnight Train to Georgia hitmaker fell ill “very suddenly” backstage and was treated by medical staff before being taken for further treatment.

She was released overnight, according to TMZ, and is resting at her home in North Carolina. “Tonight’s performance by Gladys Knight was canceled due to illness. Ms. Knight and another member of her staff were taken ill backstage, very suddenly and at the last minute, which necessitated the sudden cancellation of the show”, the statement read.

Motown icon Gladys was taken ill on Saturday night in Florida
Motown icon Gladys was taken ill on Saturday night in Florida (Getty Images for EJAF)
No further details have been released about the singer's condition
No further details have been released about the singer’s condition (Getty Images for The Elizabeth T)

“Ms. Knight was attended to by Jacksonville Fire Rescue, and she was smiling and in good spirits when they left the building. We hope to reschedule the show, but it’s too early to know about that… we should know more early next week”, the statement continued. Gladys is due to perform on Tuesday in Orlando, but no further details have been given about any more cancelled gigs.

The singer updated worried fans on Instagram, and revealed that she would be resting at home after contracting the flu. “Hi my loves! I have that flu that is going around and am already feeling better. I’ll see everyone real soon and appreciate the good wishes”, she wrote. Her fans rushed to the comments to send their love and well wishes to the iconic singer, with many worried that the post was announcing her death.

She completed her Farewell Tour last year, with dates in the UK and Australia
She completed her Farewell Tour last year, with dates in the UK and Australia (Getty Images)
The Grammy-winning singer updated her fans with a brief post on social media
The Grammy-winning singer updated her fans with a brief post on social media (Getty Images For dcp)

“God bless you Miss. Gladys! Take care of yourself”, one fan penned, while her famous friends including Jermaine Dupri and Sheila E also sent their love to the singer. “Get well soon Auntie”, the singer and drummer commented.

Gladys began her career in the late 1950s, and shot to fame with her family group Gladys Knight and the Pips. She pursued a solo career in the 1980s, and has written more than 40 albums, with her Motown hit Midnight Train to Georgia voted one of the greatest songs of all time by Rolling Stone. She has been honoured with 10 Grammy Awards, and released her last album, Where My Heart Belongs, in 2014.

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Celine Dion issues urgent warning amid health woes as music career is threatened

By in Entertainment News, News

Celine Dion’s team has taken to social media to issue a strong warning to fans, addressing the growing issue of AI-generated content featuring the singer.

These digital creations have been circulating online, with some mimicking her voice or musical performances, and even claiming to be new releases under her name. Celine, 56, who last released original music in 2019 with her album Courage, has not put out any new songs since then, following her retreat from the spotlight due to her Stiff Person Syndrome diagnosis.

The statement from her team clarified: “We are aware that unauthorised AI-generated tracks, falsely attributed to Celine Dion, are being shared online and distributed by various platforms. We want to make it clear that these recordings are not authentic, and are not part of her official music collection”.

Supporters of the singer quickly rallied, expressing their concerns with comments like: “This AI nonsense is getting out of control. There needs to be regulation on this”. Another said: “What a nightmare for Celine! Thanks for speaking out”. While someone else added: “It’s actually kind of terrifying the way AI is taking over absolutely everything”.

Celine has issued an urgent warning to fans
Celine has issued an urgent warning to fans (celinedion/Instagram)

While dealing with her health challenges, Celine has focused on recovery, taking the time to regain her strength before planning any new music releases or returning to her residency and tour.

In a conversation with Vogue, Celine shared her experience of first noticing the symptoms of her illness while on the Taking Chances tour in 2008. “I started having trouble controlling my voice. It would go high and then spasm. As a singer, you immediately go to the ENT”, she recalled.

Despite undergoing thorough examinations, doctors couldn’t find any issues with her vocal cords. When she finally received a diagnosis, Celine was surprisingly relieved. “It might sound strange, but when I was diagnosed, I felt a sense of relief. It meant I could finally stop fighting the illness and start working with it”, she said.

Sharing her condition with the public lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. “It’s been a heavy burden, but now that it’s out in the open, I can focus on my reality, and that’s been so liberating. My happiness has returned”.

Celine commemorated the ninth anniversary of her husband René Angélil's passing back in January
Celine commemorated the ninth anniversary of her husband René Angélil’s passing back in January (Instagram)

It comes after Celine commemorated the ninth anniversary of her husband René Angélil’s passing back in January by sharing a heartfelt message and a rare family photo featuring their three sons. In her tribute, Dion expressed that not a day goes by without feeling Angélil’s presence and referred to him as her greatest champion and partner. She concluded with, “We love you”.

The accompanying photograph showcased Dion with her sons: René-Charles, 23, and 14-year-old twins Eddy and Nelson. The family coordinated in neutral tones, with Dion dressed in a cream turtleneck and matching sweats, while her sons opted for tan and white ensembles.

Dion’s full caption read: “René, we can’t believe you’ve been gone nine years already. Not a day goes by that we don’t feel your presence, RC, Eddy, Nelson and I. You were my greatest champion, my partner, and the one who always saw the best in me. I honor you and you are forever missed mon amour…. We love you”.

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M23 rebels advance as DRC gov’t offers $5m reward to capture rebel leaders

By in News, World News

The M23 armed group has pushed deeper into the Democratic Republic of Congo’s mineral-rich region after capturing the key cities of Goma and Bukavu – the capitals of North and South Kivu provinces, respectively – in recent weeks.

Security sources have told Al Jazeera that the Rwanda-backed rebels had entered Nyabiondo village, about 100km (62 miles) north of Goma and located on the road leading to the strategic town of Walikale in North Kivu.

“Walikale is very important for the government as it is the only place where the government has the industrial mine from which they are getting millions of tax payments”, said Al Jazeera’s Alain Uaykani, reporting from Goma.

In a major setback to government forces, one of the government’s allied armed groups, known as the Group Kabido, announced it had joined fighters from M23. The Group Kabido has been active in eastern DRC for decades, and fighting with the army for the last three years. Its leaders announced this weekend that it is officially joining the M23 to fight what they call the “mismanagement of the Kinshasa government”.

“This is showing the disorganisation within the DRC army, and the M23 is taking advantage of this situation on the ground”, Uaykani said, adding that a second group defected soon afterwards.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that escalating attacks have struck hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

“Between March 1 and 3, several hospitals were targeted by armed actors in an escalation of violence against medical centres and health personnel” there, OCHA said. Security in Goma is threatened by “a resurgence of criminal acts including burgling of homes, thefts and attacks”, it said on Sunday, adding that hospitals and schools had also been forced to close in other areas.

OCHA said at least four civilians were killed in fighting between M23 and rival groups in the Masisi district between February 18 and 25, and more than 100, 000 people were newly displaced in Lubero to the north.

$5m reward for capture of M23 rebel leaders

Meanwhile, authorities in the DRC have offered a $5m reward for help in arresting rebel leaders, as government forces struggle to contain their advance.

“A reward of five million dollars is offered to any person who helps arrest the convicts Corneille Nangaa, Bertrand Bisimwa and Sultani Makenga”, the Ministry of Justice announced on Friday.

Nangaa is a leader in the Congo River Alliance (AFC) – a military-political coalition to which the M23 belongs. He is also a former president of the DRC’s Independent National Electoral Commission. Bisimwa and Makenga are the president and military chief of the M23, respectively.

Tried in absentia in Kinshasa, all three men were convicted and sentenced to death in August 2024.

DRC authorities are also offering a bounty of $4m for any information leading to the arrest of the three men’s “accomplices on the run” and “other sought individuals”, the statement said.

More than 7, 000 people have been killed in fighting in the eastern DRC since January, with a “significant” number of civilians among the dead.

The M23 is one of the more than 200 armed groups operating in the eastern DRC and vying for control over the region’s minerals. After being dormant for more than a decade, the group in 2021 resumed fighting and seized large swathes of territory in North Kivu, which borders Rwanda.

Evans grateful for Sherratt’s Wales lifeline

By in News, Sports News
Huw Evans Picture Agency
Gareth Griffiths
BBC Sport Wales

Fly-half Jarrod Evans says he thought his Wales career was over before being given a lifeline in the Six Nations.

Evans, 28, had not played international rugby since 2021 after being overlooked by Wayne Pivac and Warren Gatland.

He was called up to the Six Nations squad by interim head coach Matt Sherratt and has made two replacement appearances in the defeats against Ireland and Scotland.

“I never thought I’d be back on the international stage again”, said Evans.

Evans left Cardiff for Harlequins in 2023 when he had won eight caps and it was originally thought he was unavailable for Wales because he had fewer than 25 caps.

But there is a clause in the Professional Rugby Board’s law on the 25-cap ruling, which states a player can remain eligible for Wales if he is not offered a contract by a region or is “low-balled” with a new contract offer.

Evans was available because of this and was called up by his former Cardiff coach Sherratt.

The fly-half came on the field in Murrayfield for Gareth Anscombe and helped transform the Wales attack in a much improved second half.

“Watching in the first half was a little bit difficult but when I got on the field, I enjoyed it personally”, said Evans.

“We were chasing our tails so it would have been easy to fall into the trap of playing a lot of rugby against that defence.

Matt Sherratt and Jarrod Evans walk out at the Principality StadiumHuw Evans Picture Agency

Evans admits he is enjoying his reunion with Sherratt.

” I’ve had two stints with him and I’m grateful he called me back in, “said Evans.

” The emotions initially were strange because I’d been out of the squad for such a long period.

“I was just so over the moon I could help the boys and the team in some way”.

Evans plays his rugby with Marcus Smith at Harlequins and is set to face his club mate next weekend as Wales face an England side who are still within a chance of winning the Six Nations title.

“We’re good mates off the field so I’ll be looking forward to seeing him next week”, he said.

“I’ll probably speak to him before the game. We speak quite regular anyway, so I’ll drop him a message”.

Despite 16 successive Test defeats, Evans says the squad need to keep the belief and positivity in Welsh rugby.

“There is no reason why we can’t”, added Evans.

Related topics

  • Welsh Rugby
  • Rugby Union
  • Harlequins

Dancing On Ice’s Holly Willoughby leaves fans gobsmacked with ‘gorgeous’ appearance

By in Entertainment News, News

Fans have complimented host Holly Willoughby over her outfit for this weekend’s Dancing On Ice final.

The latest series of the ITV show, which launched back in January, concludes tonight and could be the last show, ever. One celebrity and their ice skating partner will be crowned this year’s winners in the episode, which will be fronted once again by long-running host Holly, 44, and her colleague Stephen Mulhern, 47.

The episode will see football pundit Anton Ferdinand, TV presenter Michaela Strachan and Coronation Street actor Sam Aston – who are the three finalists – compete to be named the winner of DOI. The trio are set to take to the ice for the final performances alongside their respective skating partners Annette Dytrt, Mark Hanretty and Molly Lanaghan.

Ahead of the final, Holly has showcased her outfit for the special occasion in a post on Instagram this evening. She is known for unveiling her chosen looks on the platform, with her regularly sharing her DOI dresses on there first. Previous weeks have seen the former This Morning presenter model a sparkling golden dress, for example, whilst on another occasion she dressed as Glinda from Wicked in a pink gown.

Holly’s opted for a glittering gown for her finale look this year. She shared a photo with her followers an hour ahead of the episode. It shows her posing in the layered dress, which features silver sparkles on its bodice that disappear further down to reveal the white gown beneath the embellishments.

Holly Willoughby in a silver glittery white dress.
Holly Willoughby has showcased her outfit for the latest Dancing on Ice final ahead of hosting the episode (Instagram)

Fans shared their thoughts in the comments section. One person wrote: “You look STUNNING in that dress”. Another fan said: “Gorgeous dress Holly”. A third reacted: “So pretty”. Someone else commented: “You look gorgeous”. Whilst another follower told her: “Wow, stunning dress”.

Alongside the photo, she wrote: “Tonight it’s the @dancingonice FINAL! Our incredible celebrities @strachan. michaela @anton_ferdinand5 and @samaston93 are skating for your votes and to be our Dancing on Champion… they are all champions to me! See you on @itv at 6: 30pm #hwstyle. Dress by @idancohenofficial jewellery by @boodles shoes by @stuartweitzman”.

Last weekend’s semi-final saw the Only Way Is Essex cast member Dan Edgar and his partner Vanessa James voted out of the competition. The pair, who had been bottom of the leaderboard, lost a skate-off to Anton and Annette. It meant that Dan has placed fourth in the competition.

Previous weeks on the new series have seen the likes of EastEnders star Charlie Brooks, the Traitors finalist Mollie Pearce and Love Island’s Chris Taylor voted off the show. This year’s line-up had also featured actor Chelsee Healey, comedian Josh Jones, reality TV star Ferne McCann and retired rower Steve Redgrave. Whilst Paralympic cyclist Sarah Storey had dropped out just weeks before the series ‘ launch, with her sharing that she had fractured her ankle.

There’s speculation that tonight’s DOI episode could be its last. Over the past two years, the ITV show has lost more than one million viewers, with the 2023 launch episode being watched by 4.1 million people. However, this series has not made it over 3 million, according to official overnight ratings from BARB. Channel chiefs believe the only way to justify the huge costs involved in making Dancing on Ice going forward is by attracting a blockbuster audience, which isn’t happening.

One source said: “There are very real fears this is the end of the road for Dancing on Ice. It’s had a good run for nearly 20 years and has a very loyal set of viewers who really love it but the sad truth is there’s just not enough of them. We need bums on seats but the ratings have dropped to a point where it’s difficult to justify the cost”.

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Gypsy Rose Blanchard issues stark warning to Luigi Mangione over worrying fan mail

By in Entertainment News, News

Gypsy Rose Blanchard didn’t hold back when addressing the overwhelming amount of fan mail pouring in for Luigi Mangione.

Mangione, accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4, 2024, has amassed a devoted following. Supporters have rallied outside courtrooms, flooded him with letters, and even raised funds for his legal defense.

The sheer volume of mail has reportedly become so overwhelming that Mangione has asked fans to limit the number of photos they send. Gypsy, 33, who spent nearly nine years behind bars for her role in her mother’s death, warned the accused healthcare CEO killer to be cautious when responding to letters from admirers. Drawing from her own experience as a high-profile inmate, she emphasized that not everyone reaching out has good intentions.

“There’s a lot of strange people out there”, she told TMZ while passing through Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Thursday. “You have to be able to read people, to figure out who’s real and who’s just in it for clout”.

Blanchard acknowledged that letters can make time in prison more bearable – she even met her partner, Ken Urker, through prison correspondence. However, when asked if she had any advice for Mangione on finding love while incarcerated, she laughed and quickly shut the idea down. Her broader advice for navigating prison life? “Appreciate the support, ignore the critics, and focus on doing your time”.

Gypsy Rose has issued a warning to Luigi
Gypsy Rose has issued a warning to Luigi (Pennsylvania State Police Depart)
Gypsy has turned her life around since leaving prison
Gypsy has turned her life around since leaving prison

One TikTok user, Holli Lambirth, claims to have exchanged letters with the 26-year-old former University of Pennsylvania student. She shared a handwritten note allegedly from him, in which he joked about his infamous arrest at a McDonald’s. The message, dated February 13, described his time in isolation, but skeptics were quick to question its authenticity, pointing out grammatical errors they believed Mangione wouldn’t make.

Beyond fan letters, Mangione has been able to communicate with the outside world through a website run by his legal team. In a statement, he expressed gratitude for the widespread support, saying he was deeply moved by letters from people of all backgrounds. While he admitted he couldn’t respond to most messages, he assured supporters that he reads every one.

“I am overwhelmed by – and grateful for – everyone who has written to share their stories and express their support”, he said. “This kindness has transcended political, racial, and class divides, with letters coming in from across the country and around the world. Though I can’t reply to most, please know that I read them all. I look forward to hearing more in the future”.

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