Nicole Kidman is just the latest strong woman to regain control of a killer revenge outfit following a painful breakup.
Nicole Kidman’s stunning black gown, which she unveiled at a Vogue event right after she announced her breakup with Keith Urban and exudes sex appeal, was dubbed a “revenge dress.”
Following a break in their love, she is just the latest in a long line of successful female celebrities to use a killer dress to showcase what they are made of.
After giving a surprise appearance at the 2025 Oscars wearing a satin and rhinestone-encrusted gown, which fashion critics refer to as a “bum dress,” Zoe Kravitz caused a stir on the red carpet.
Viewers of the upcoming two-part documentary Girlbands Forever on BBC Two will be left slack-jawed by some of the biggest female popstar confessions from the 1990s, including Kerry Katona and Melanie Blatt.
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All Saints star Melanie made some shocking claims on the show(Image: Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Ima)
The dizzy highs and dark lows of some of the biggest girlbands of the 1990s are the subject of a jaw-dropping two-part BBC Two documentary that will be broadcast on television. shocking revelations, including aborted babies, cruel fat-shaming, and shocking revelations.
Girlbands Forever explores not only the hordes of adoring fans, swanky hotels and sold-out stadiums, but a very different era in which record companies had barely heard of the term ‘duty of care’, and seemed to care little for stars’ mental health.
Featuring powerful insights from members of Sugababes, Atomic Kitten, Eternal, Mis-teeq and Little Mix, it pulls back the veil on exactly what it meant to be in a successful girlband in the Nineties and early Noughties.
One of its most incredible testimonies comes from All Saints singer, Melanie Blatt, who was the veteran broadcaster Louis Theroux, who was the follow-up to last year’s eye-opening three-part documentary about boybands.
Melanie, 50, claims that she was pressured into getting an abortion at the height of the band’s fame – alongside her bandmate, Nicole. The Never Ever singer, who was expecting a baby with Jamiroquai bassist Stuart Zender at the time, maintains she was told that having a baby would ‘ruin’ the band.
It was undoubtedly a surprise because I hadn’t been with my partner for very long. People didn’t give us congratulations. More like the realization that things are going to change and the dread and worry that surrounds it.
She continued, “At the airport LAX, our manager, he was behind us, was telling us to abort our babies,” after landing in Los Angeles at one point, where the band was also enjoying fame.
Melanie went on to have her daughter, Lilyella on November 20, 1998, the same month All Saints bagged the MTV Europe Music Award for best breakthrough artist. Nicole, however, chose to terminate her pregnancy, a bombshell revealed in 2002 autobiography Under The Bridge, penned with bandmate and sister, Natalie.
Dating Robbie Wiliams at the time, the former Take That star’s biopic Better Man even shows the former couple decorating the nursery together – before Nicole’s management stepped in.
She stated in the 2002 book that she was shocked when Robbie said, “This baby is saving my life,” and that he had had my abortion later that year. What I had done was beyond my comprehension. I desired to commit suicide.
She continued, “Everyone later pretended it hadn’t occurred.” I avoided confrontation because I was afraid. I’m just starting toregain my self-assurance. But I had to confront it all when I wrote about it. I’m so happy I did it.
But Melanie’s isn’t the only shocking story to come out of those heady days of Cool Britannia – where the world was gripped by girl power, particularly in the form of Baby, Sporty, Scary, Ginger and Posh, aka, the Spice Girls.
Eternal legend and occasional Loose Woman Kéllé Bryan, s just 15 when she signed her first record deal recalls how, behind the scenes, she was encouraged to lose weight during the peak of the band’s fame – admitting ‘Everything we ate was controlled.”’
As she told the Mirror, “Stylists would come along and say ‘this doesn’t fit you’,…. They sent us away to this place in the countryside where they were controlling what we ate. When I look back on it, you think that was crazy, but it’s what they did.”
Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton also paints a bleak picture of just how much pressure she and her bandmates were under – from feeling like she’d got the best job in the world, she found herself dealing with punishing tours, frayed friendships and, like Kelle, worries about her figure.
The Liverpudlian mother-of-five told the Mirror, “I’m hoping that people will come to terms with this documentary because it’s all smoke and mirrors.”
There would be some fat-burning supplements that we would take to try and get like a six-pack, Natasha says. No one made us do that, but it’s obvious that our body image was very distorted in those days. In three days, we received six-packs. That is something I will never do at this time.
Natasha also gave birth to her first child Josh at the age of 19, but initially kept it a secret from her manager. When Josh was delivered via C-section, Natasha was given six weeks off to recover from her pregnancy.
“I basically have a child,” says Mirror. I have no knowledge of pregnancy or postpartum. Throughout my pregnancy, I went on tour. So when I’m told, “OK, you can have six weeks off and then come back and do a show,” I’m just like, “OK.”
Another former Atomic Kitten singer, OK! columnist Kerry Katona also contributes to the show. Admitting it wasn’t just about pop stardom for her, but a means of escape from a tough upbringing and a way to finally feel loved’ – she confesses that her time in the bubble of 90s girl pop was traumatic, in parts.
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“I still experience PTSD from it. With the glamour modeling, the foster homes, the refuges, and the drug abuse, I had so many skeletons in my closet at the time. You were made to believe that you had screwed up everything and that your career would be destroyed.
On BBC Two on Saturday November 1 at 9:20 p.m., watch Girlbands Forever.
As another “awful” song choice is chosen for a fan favorite, making some people wonder if the star is being “set up to fail” before Halloween Week, some strict fans are alarmed.
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Strictly fans fear that the star is being “set up to fail” due to his “awful” song selection.
Strictly fans are worried for George Clarke’s future on the show ahead of Halloween Week, as the TikTok star is given another ‘awful choice’ of song to dance to. George has become a fan favourite on the show and many of his own fans have started watching Strictly to see him dance every week.
Some people have expressed concern about a pattern that has appeared in the songs he has been given to dance to. The TikToker has danced to several songs that became well-known on the video app, as well as some tracks that lean more toward silly, jokey dances, like K-Pop Demon Hunters’ Soda Pop.
Ahead of Halloween Week, the show has announced that George and his partner, Alexis Warr, will be dancing to Apple by Charli XCX, which exploded in popularity on TikTok last summer. His fans flocked to social media, fearing the preference for trendy ‘TikTok’ songs was setting him up for failure on the show.
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Is it “Strictly setting George up for failure”? a question was asked. “I love Charli XCX, but Apple is such a bad choice,” I say. Fans have pointed out that George has been depressed by “TikTok trends” rather than proper dances. They simply “wish they would stop giving George tik-tak trends and instead focus on his songs.”
Another questioned, “Do the producers want him out?” A third questioned whether Strictly was “trying to sabotage George.” One fan directly addressed the producers of the program, asking, “Can we stop giving George the “young” choices because it’s obvious it’s only going to appeal to a certain audience and not actually to give him good dances.”
George appears to be getting frustrated with the songs he’s been given. He looked teary-eyed, grimaced, and scratched his head as Soda Pop played in a video that was posted to TikTok ahead of movie week. You can’t imagine George doing a dance on this week’s episode of “a dance,” he wrote in a top-notch manner.
Fans of that video jumped in and said they thought the video was a poor choice. One claimed that it would result in “you guys being voted out”. They said, “Every other movie is so iconic, and then there’s… this.”
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Only a few days ago, he posted another video showing that he had to shave his beard to be Harry Styles in Icons Week. During the video, he said: “I have to be Harry Styles this week. Please don’t make me do it, please don’t make me do it, people will hate it.”
With the release of her new album revealing her ex-husband’s alleged infidelity, Lily Allen has claimed it took her life “falling apart” before discovering her “authentic voice” as a musician.
Senior entertainment reporter for PA, Jamie Roberts and Hannah Roberts
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Lily Allen has released a series of brutal songs following David Harbour split(Image: FilmMagic)
Pop star Lily Allen has revealed that her life had to “fall apart” for her to discover her “authentic voice” as a musician. The 40-year-old Brit Award-winner released her first album in seven years on Friday.
According to rumors, it details the alleged infidelity of David Harbour, an American actor, in her ex-husband. According to Allen, her new album, West End Girl, combines “truth” and “fantasy.”
The pop star sings about a broken sexual “arrangement.” Allen recently mentioned that she worked with a “guy called Blue,” who was the musical director on her most recent tour in 2018, to write and record the album over a 10-day period in December.
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She stated in an interview with Interview Magazine, “I feel very differently about the entire situation right now.” We all experience breakups, and it’s always brutal. However, I don’t believe you’ll write about it while you’re in it that frequently.
At the end of December 2024, reports of the singer’s separation from Harbour, 50, from the television series Stranger Things, surfaced. When I first started to process things, Allen said, “I was really trying to process them, which is great for the album, but I don’t feel confused or angry now.” I don’t need retribution.
She continued, “Some of it (the record) is based on reality, and some is fantasy.” Not a cruel album, either. I don’t feel cruel to myself. Simply put, I was processing those emotions at the time.
She said the album follows the same principles as the beloved A Grand Don’t Come For Free by the Streets album. She asserts that the finished product is complete with a movie feel.
Each song can be read on its own and make complete sense, but it resembles a novel in its own right. On this record, it just happened as I’ve always wanted to do that. No melodies or lyrics were written the night before I entered the studio. Nobody in the studio was aware of what was happening to me.
She explained that she had been crying there for two hours. And so she made the decision to incorporate those feelings into her most recent artwork.
The narrator makes references to Madeline on the album, posing questions about whether she has an emotional or physical connection to their unfaithful partner.
Allen explained to her how crucial it is to avoid coming across as a victim. She claimed that because of that, she frequently altered her work to prevent coming across as “poor me.”
She also revealed that she is a member of Raya’s exclusive dating site and that Hinge had her disabled because of her “impersonating” myself. The performer called dating apps “awful, especially if you’re going through heartbreak.”
She claimed that nothing is more depressing than seeing hundreds of people trying to grab your attention who are completely different from the person you are missing. Allen admitted in 2024 that she had started using the adult-only website OnlyFans and that she doesn’t use it as frequently as she does now.
She stated, “I started it about a year ago. I was a lot of fun when I broke up with David, but that’s when I stopped.
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After killing her on Traitors, Alan Carr has admitted that he and Paloma Faith are no longer friends. He also plans to invite the pop star to dinner to apologise.
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Alan Carr says he’s no longer friends with Paloma Faith after he ‘murdered’ her on Celebrity Traitors(Image: BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)
Alan Carr has admitted that he and Paloma Faith are no longer friends after he ‘murdered’ her early on in Celebrity Traitors. The comedian, 49, is one of the titular traitors on the celebrity edition of the hit BBC show, and sensationally made sure that the New York songstress was the first one out of the game just after it had all started.
Fans watched as the lid come down on the singer’s coffin after her pal and funnyman Alan carried out the murder in plain sight. The former Chatty Man star, who is a traitor alongside singer Cat Burns and fellow chat show host Jonathan Ross on the programme, spoke out about the current status of their friendship during the latest episode of his Life’s A Beach podcast.
He was joined by DJ Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim, who directly asked him: “Aren’t you mates with Paloma?” before Alan replied: “Well, I was…”
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The pop star, 44, then told Alan that he had to remind her that the whole point of the show was to begin with “she said, If you were a real friend, you wouldn’t have killed me,” but that he had to do so because he had been wrong. However, I remarked, “I’m the Traitor!” The Traitors is a television program that does what it says on the tin!
Then Alan explained how the fans were affected by the viral moment and how they thought he was acting appropriately. She claims that I let her down because I killed her in plain sight, according to him. It’s similar to being told to wear my knickers off at Naked Attraction before going on a show. You are aware of your commitments, right?
Alan then admitted he would make it up to Paloma despite the apparent fallout. He declared, “I’m going to take her out for dinner.” She is my love. No one wants to be murdered first on a show, but I’m a huge fan of her and think she’s the best. I was afraid”!
After watching the episode back, Alan’s theory that he was left with no choice was quickly refuted by Paloma who had sat down with Ed Gamble on the spin-off series Uncloaked shortly after it all started to play out on screen.
In an hysterical interview on the spin-off show The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, she opened a note listing them one by one and was floored by the revelation who had been in the trio of traitiors. She responded, “Jonathan?! The nerd! What a p***k, I’m happy to lose him as a friend.
You had no suspicions about Jonathan, Ed asked. He is obviously really, really studied, she replied, “No, no suspicions.” He excels at it a lot.
She discovered Cat had a traitor in a similar way. She continued, “I’m actually annoyed because she belongs to the same record label as me, and she should be a good listener.” Alan was given the most brutal attack by Paloma, and she held her. “These are my three favorite people,” I said. I mean, I hope they don’t call me again.
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She returned later in Uncloaked after having fully enjoyed the episode and not calmed down after Alan had taken her. She continued, “I still think that if the shoe was on the other foot, I wouldn’t have done that,” adding that she was surprised that he had done it for me.
He had a choice, which was not very nice, he said. However, he is very endearing, and I’ve spoken to him since, and I also find forgiveness to be simple in my own eyes. I also care about him. She continued, “she continued to say that she feels” even more betrayed now that she has “had time to digest her murder.”
In a conversation with her Line of Duty pals, Vicky McClure and her husband, Jonny Owen, discuss how revolutionizing the clubbing scene can be achieved.
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‘Music is medicine’, says Trigger Point star Vicky. ‘I’ve seen it with my own eyes’(Image: Rob Nicholson/Pedalo Photography)
Trigger Point star Vicky McClure and her husband Jonny Owens have quite the side hustle. It involves getting those who don’t fancy rolling home at 3am on a Saturday night out, clubbing by day, having the time of their lives and getting home ‘in time for a nice curry.’ Day Fever started out as an idea on WhatsApp with their friend, Jon McClure of the band Reverend & The Makers, at the tail end of 2023.
Fast forward to the present day, and it’s a nationwide phenomenon, with day raves regularly selling out in cities across the UK “It’s like… a massive kitchen party at your nan’s”, laughs Vicky warmly, as the Mirror catches up exclusively with the actress and her Welsh film director husband on Zoom, from their home in Nottingham. “Just with an awful lot more people and… an unlimited bar.”
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Vicky, 42, has been front and centre of the biggest TV dramas of recent years (Line of Duty, anyone?) but is as proud of this initiative as anything else.
Beyond the music, it goes. She explains that we are told powerful tales. “We’ve met people at our events in the middle of cancer treatment, in remission, people grieving, caring for loved ones. They can find joy in the midst of their hair loss.
The best thing you can do is let your mates out when you or you are going through difficult times, according to my personal experience. Day Fever is somewhere you’ll get lost in music. People watch out for each other in a beautiful setting. The music can even save you.
Vicky speaks from experience, having set up The Dementia Choir in memory of her nan, who died from the cruel condition in 2015, something which led to the deeply personal, acclaimed two-part BBC 1 documentary, Our Dementia Choir, in 2018.
“I don’t say this flippantly – I really do believe music is medicine. In that series, we went into hospitals and scanned people’s brains. We saw the neurons firing, how music does work.
It’s very important to know that “you can’t stop people from feeling, you see.” I’ve always been a massive music lover, but from that moment forth, the penny dropped for me. Everyone should have music in their lives, especially those who have dementia.
Some fans turning up to one of their Day Fever events – with Sleigh Fever Christmas Clubs coming up for the festive season, are of an age where responsibilities and worries are sky-high, adds Vicky. “But the uplifting effect of music is magical. We never expected it, but at every show, there’s a story – everyone’s going through something.”
Huge music fans themselves, Vicky and Jonny, who married in 2023, have specific tunes that are guaranteed to get them on the dancefloor instantly. Vicky’s is the Whitney Houston classic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody. “It’s just a literal anthem, I feel like I’m in church. Whitney’s the number one for me. Then Young Hearts, such a cool song – it will never die.
She continues, “I was born in 1983, so I’m a true 90s girl; when we dance to the 90s hits, that’s when I get sucked in.” But my taste is varied, I’m also a massive reggae fan. However, “Day Fever is for everyone; you could start off singing Raining Men before Pulp comes on”!
For Jonny, 54, it’s A Town Called Malice, by The Jam. “When I saw Paul Weller on Top of the Pops it was like, ‘He’ll do it for me.’ Music was everything to me, still is. I went to see Oasis this summer and it was almost spiritual.”
Both were also big clubbers, ‘ back in the day’. Jonny says, “I used to be amazed that people could actually stay in on the weekend.” For the most part of 15 years, I went out every weekend.
“Yeah, I loved going out too”, adds Vicky. I have a passion for music and dance for many years, but I have always been a trained dancer. Day Fever is also reasonably priced. As Vicky puts it, “It’s a tenner a ticket, you can’t get much for a tenner these days”!
And there are a lot of different people who attend daytime concerts, including a couple who met there, fell in love, and are now getting married. Did Vicky and Jonny get an invite, then? “We did, actually,” the statement read. I might try to get there because it’s in Wales, Johnny says. “We’d definitely like to send one of our DJs for the reception”!
Someone else that springs to mind for Jonny is comedian Paddy McGuinness, who popped in for a boogy with them all one afternoon after wrapping on his Radio 2 show. “Oh, they loved Paddy! He was dancing on stage, then he went ‘Right, time for selfies’, jumped down into the crowd and spent a good half hour just taking selfies with the crowd. Beautiful thing to do.”
Unsurprisingly, both Vicky and Jonny are ardent supporters of the idea that “age is just a number” and adore how young and old, mothers and daughters, team up for their events.
Jonny’s mum even came along once, he recalls, laughing. She arrived at Cardiff’s one. Security called me with a slightly embarrassed look before I went down there and discovered that she was attempting to mug a bottle of vodka in… I said, ‘ Ma, I’ve got bloody vodka for you backstage, it’s OK! ‘ She said, “No, Jonny, I like this one.”
As for Vicky, she has moments when she forgets she’s in her 40s. How did I get to 42 on days where I’m like blimey? In my heart and head, I still feel young. I dont wanna party till 2 in the morning, but I do honestly think age is just a number”.
Of course, acclaimed ITV series Trigger Point has just returned to the small screen for a third series, Vicky reprising her lead role as bomb disposal expert, Lana Washington. Fans are already gripped, and Vicky couldn’t be happier.
“I’m so excited it’s back”, she tells us. The people I work with are the kindest, funniest, most talented cast and crew, and they’re a dream, in my opinion. Because we did series three and four consecutively, it’s been an amazing year.
This sounds gruelling, but Vicky smiles shyly at the idea. Because I work in a hospital, I don’t enjoy playing the violin on this. A little perspective is always good. It’s long hours and it’s tiring but it’s great fun.
Everyone looks after each other, and that is how it appears on the screen. You can dance with the camera in a way that makes the show better and bigger and stronger. “
The star is also pleased that Trigger Point’s cast and crew come from a variety of backgrounds. She explains, “Trying to create opportunities is my main passion.” Currently, just 9% of people in our industry are from working class backgrounds. Better work must be done. However, we were enthralled on Trigger Point that trainees were spent the entire day learning new skills while working on the job.
We won’t ask about Line of Duty, which she’s already said time and again she’d love to reprise with old cast members Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston. But what of the travel series we’ve heard rumours the trio could do together?
Says Vicky: I’m certain we’ll get it going at some point. To be fair, it’s just something us three know that we’d love to do – travel somewhere together, cameras following us or not. I’m releasing it to the universe. What will happen, we’ll let you know.
Credit: Tickets are available atday-fever.com. Follow DAY FEVER on Instagram, X (@DAYFEVERUK), and Facebook.
