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    I’m Too Hot to Handle’s intimacy coach – I have strict rule for stopping contestants falling for me

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    HE’S a smooth-talking, spiritual intimacy expert who helps the stars of Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle enhance their sexual chemistry.As a prominent voice in all things communication, well-being and sexual positivity – it’s no surprise that Brenden Durrell is alluring to show stars and viewers alike.Intimacy expert Brenden Durrell returns for season six of Netflix’s Too Hot to HandleCredit: Brenden DurrellThere have been major changes including a bumper $250k prize potCredit: NetflixHowever, the former baseball player has a strict rule in place that immediately shuts down any potential feelings that might develop towards him.Speaking exclusively to The Sun from his home in Ecuador, Brenden says: “It’s a difficult thing. Within the show and my work and retreats and workshops, never.”I have a really firm boundary in the realms of like, ‘no, it’s okay you feel that way, but I represent something for you, I’m not that thing for you’.”That’s that’s the way that I go about it, and in the case of Too Hot To Handle I’m forever ‘big bro’.READ MORE ON TOO HOT TO HANDLE”I don’t come in like an authoritative figure like, ‘Hey, listen to me, my way or the highway’. I’m like, ‘no, I’m big bro and you can feel safe with me and work that way’.”He continues: “But I do get my fair share of wild messages. Like if we did a series on that you’d be in stitches laughing because some of it… I feel violated with some of the stuff that I get. “But it’s all in good faith. I’m grateful that I can be in position where, you know, I am attractive to people in a lot of ways.”Season six of Too Hot To Handle recently returned to screens with some bold new elements.Most read in RealityNot only has the prize pot been increased to $250,000, but the introduction of the virtual ‘Bad Lana’ allows contestants to go against the show’s very premise and exercise their sexual desires without having money stripped from the prize pot.The programme has taken a leaf out of Love Island’s playbook to and brought back previous contestants Flavia and Louis – dubbed grenades as opposed to the villa bombshells – for extra drama.TOO Hot To Handle: Season 6 Revealed!Having appeared in five series’ of Too Hot, Brenden has issued Love Island bosses with a come and get me, and would love the chance to share his expertise with Islanders.He says: “Let’s get it on record. I would love to work for Love Island. So producers like just bring me out. I would love to be on Love is Blind also, that’s another one. “I feel like I offer an emotional intelligence, but not in a way where it’s like super zen. I feel like when people are offered reflections about how they’re relating with one another that offers a deeper intimacy and more sparks for the show. “So if I switch this little thing, then there’ll be a deeper spark. And then that’s better for TV and for their relationship and their connection.”What I’ve learned from most people, myself included, is that we have these two major fears: fear of the unknown, and then fear of intimacyBrenden DurrellHe’d also like to see the introduction of team-building games to boost connection between contestants in a way that the raunchier -and perhaps increasingly tired – challenges fail to do.A regular gripe among loyal fans that there has been a distinct lack of fun games and challenges in recent series’.Brenden’s keen to work on Love Island and spice up the villaCredit: ErotemeThe wellness coach lives in Ecuador and says intimacy goes hand in hand with natureCredit: InstagramBrenden says: “It doesn’t have to be a workshop structure, but maybe some kind of scavenger hunt or games that people get to see their true colours.”For instance, in marriage couples therapy. A lot of times the a therapist will have them go on a canoe trip because you have to have teamwork, you have to have good communication, you have to have patience, and also you’re in the realms of working together with the elements. “I feel like Love Island would be cool if they implemented some aspects of that just so we could see how these flames are actually compatible with each other in other ways outside of just the cameras and looking good.”SPREADING THE LOVEBrenden currently has a number of projects in the works including a documentary series that sees him travelling the world with different healers and an interview series which will be broadcast on a streaming platform.He’s also hard at work developing his Unknown Intimacy brand and project that is a culmination of everything he’s learnt in his 14 years embracing spirituality and personal development.”What I’ve learned from most people, myself included, is that we have these two major fears: fear of the unknown, and then fear of intimacy,” he explains.”I’m like, I’m going to create a brand around that because I want to support people in those two fears and getting rid of them. “We’re doing multimedia projects, retreats, workshops, and a lot of ecotourism because a big part of intimacy work for me is going into nature. I go into the Amazon rainforest all the time. I go up to the volcanoes all the time here and, for me, it goes hand in hand. READ MORE SUN STORIES”We have to connect with the earth, and then I feel connecting with the earth literally leads us to a better and happy life with sex, with romance and all those things.”So yeah, I know intimacy is gonna be a lifelong project. And it’s a multimedia project. So yeah, just help people get to the root of why they’re afraid of life essentially, and why they’re afraid of love.” More

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      Huge A-list singer stuns London Underground commuters as she gets the tube during UK visit

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      A GLOBAL superstar who spent years enjoying a jetset lifestyle recently took to slumming it on public transport in London.The Portuguese Canadian singer posted a social media reel of herself dancing at Brixton Underground station with Tiktoker Sabrina Bahsoon, also known as Tube Girl.The award winning singer joined Sabrina Bahsoon – AKA Tube Girl – for a social media reelCredit: InstagramDressed in a colourful jumpsuit with sparkly pink trainers and diamante hoop earrings, Nelly Furtado is seen dancing to a track by Nehamis.Her hair is blown up by the gust, as the tube train whooshes into the platform.Tube Girl’s dancing videos have gone viral and made her a social media sensation. She captioned her latest post with the words: “Nelly and I have the same favourite artist.”read more aboutNelly has paid quite a few visits to Britain recently, having headlined at the Mighty Hoopla festival back in June.She also appeared on BBC’s The One Show and ITV’s Lorraine to talk about her latest single, Corazon. Last week she wrote: “It was truly great to be back in the UK again.”The singer gained global recognition back in 2000 thanks to tracks like I’m Like A Bird and Turn Off The Light.Most read in MusicShe had massive success in 2006 with the release of her chart-topping album Loose.It sold more than 12million copies worldwide and spawned four massive hit singles including Promiscuous, Maneater, Say It Right and All Good Things (Come to an End).Nelly Furtado, 44, shows off her incredible ageless figure in skintight nude catsuit for Kim Kardashian’s Skims campaignNelly, who was born in Canada to Portuguese parents, gave birth to her daughter Nevis on 20 September 2003 with her then-boyfriend Jasper Gahunia.The couple split in 2005 but have remained close friends and continue to co-parent their daughter.Nelly married sound engineer Demacio Castellon in 2008.But she revealed on Loose Women in 2017 that the pair had split up after nine years together.The mum-of-one then stepped away from the limelight after struggling with the pressures of touring.Nelly explained: “At the height of my career it was super exciting, but I took too much on. “A mother on the road trying to maintain a relationship – I cried on stage.”She told the Loose Women panel: “I need to stay emotionally and physically well for my daughter.”The hit-maker has taken a few years off since the release of her last album The Spirit Indestructible and moved away from music entirely to focus on her home life.READ MORE SUN STORIESLast year she confessed to being single, but she has two more children from her relationship with rapper Hodgy.She has since made her comeback and released new music last year – much to the delight of fans around the world.Nelly is back with new music and has hardly aged in 20 years since she shot to fameCredit: GettyThe singer appeared on ITV’s Lorraine to discuss her return to the spotlightCredit: RexThe star is celebrated for her vibrant stage presence, womanly curves and catchy songsCredit: Rex More

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      We’re always trying to find the next rare gem, says Empire Of The Sun’s Luke Steele

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      LOCATING Empire Of The Sun’s Luke Steele is proving difficult.One half of the award-winning Australian electronic duo is 20 minutes late for our video call and he’s locked in a studio in Hawaii. But when he does emerge, he’s in good spirits and full of apologies.Luke Steele, right, Nick Littlemore, left, release Ask That God, Empire Of The Sun’s fourth album, todayThe new album is the first the band has released since 2016’s After Two VinesSteele says fans won’t have to wait eight years for another album after Ask That God, as the band are ‘trying to keep the train moving’“We decided there was no better time to start the next record, right as this new one is getting released,” says Steele who with Nick Littlemore releases Ask That God, their fourth album, today.“We are recharged and ready to go,” he says. “After Two Vines (2016 album) we got quite exhausted and everything stopped working. Nothing was gelling.“At the start of the pandemic, I was instrumental saying, ‘That’s it, I’m done, I’m leaving’,” he explains. “I told Nick, management, the record company that the band was over. That I was never doing another record. And I left.“I made a solo record and moved to northern California, but then piece by piece, I started to realise what I was missing and what was so beautiful about Empire in the first place.READ MORE BIG INTERVIEWS“I’d work with people and think, ‘That’s cool, but it’s not working with Nick,’ and then start falling back in love with Empire again.“Then Nick and I got back in the studio, and it really has been great. The hardest part of being in a band that’s had success is there really is extreme pressure.“With Empire, when the spirit is right, we sound like nothing else. We’ve made a few albums now and so we’ve broadened the palate with this record and it feels good.”The multiple ARIA Music award-winning band who have also been nominated for two Brit awards, sold more than 5.5million albums worldwide, and generated 7.6billion streams.Most read in MusicHonour the loveSteele says: “You work so hard to get there, then when you get there, you’ve got to stay there, so it’s hard. We’ve been fortunate to have had some big songs, and success so we’ve opened the door and are writing with different writers including some Swedish writers who we’ve always wanted to work with.”Steele is referring to production duo Vincent Pontare and Salem Al Fakir who have worked with Avicii, Madonna and David Guetta, and Pontus Winnberg of Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue producers and songwriters Bloodshy & Avant.We feel like conduits. Empire is bigger than us and the audience own the song — you have to honour the love that people have for it.Luke Steele“Changes was the song we made with the Swedes and it felt like the quintessential Empire Of The Sun comeback song,” says Steele. “It’s a really great song and has transformed into something that’s not really ours any more.“We feel like conduits. Empire is bigger than us and the audience own the song — you have to honour the love that people have for it.”The video for brilliant song Changes also features Cruz, Steele’s ten-year-old son with wife Jodi (aka Snappy Dolphin), a creative also involved with the band.“My kids are really into music and being creative,” says the proud dad-of-two. “They are best buds. Cruz is into Metallica and all the stuff I was when I was a kid — it’s pretty awesome.“Sunny (his 16-year-old daughter) has got a band and she’s working on her own record. She really understands hooks and melodies and is a great lyricist — songs are written in the tongue of a 16-year-old going on 21.”Standouts on Ask That God include recent single Cherry Blossom, the dreamy and futuristic Rhapsodize, the classic title track, album closer Friends I Know and AEIOU, a collaboration between Empire Of The Sun and Littlemore’s other band, PNAU.“AEIOU was a great track Nick brought in. I’ve always wanted to do a song with vowels as it reminds me of a song the Maori kids sing at school,” says the singer who now lives in New Zealand.“My wife said the album is a journey of someone’s life. All these songs have been collected along the way. Friends I Know was made in Japan in 2017 as was Rhapsodize and then Revolve was made when we were working with Wendy Melvoin from Prince’s band. I believe songs step into your life — they literally walk out of the computer’s hard drive and jump onto the album when they’re ready — like a life journey.”As well as Melvoin, Empire Of The Sun have worked with Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham while with PNAU, Littlemore (together with Peter Mayes and Sam Littlemore) enjoyed a huge hit with the remix of Cold Heart by Dua Lipa and Elton John.“I felt happy and proud of Nick with that song,” smiles Steele. “He works so hard. The other day he was in Uptown New York recording with a Brazilian guitarist. I then talked to him the next day and he was working with a choir. A couple of days later he was in LA with a guy who collects 70s synths, getting samples. I think doing our own thing and working with other people is so healthy.”I have storage units for the costumes we wear in America, Australia and a couple here in Hawaii. I’ve got stuff everywhere. It really does take a village.Luke SteeleSo who would Steele say is his dream collaborator?“Tom Waits, Lana Del Rey or the Oasis guys,” he answers. “Or Sir Paul McCartney — he would be good to put down some basslines.“We’ve got a big festival (Corona Capital) in Mexico where we are playing with Sir Paul. The minute I knew that, I was like, ‘We’d better start rehearsing.’“I met Sir Paul once at Henson studios in LA. I knew he was coming so I bought a vinyl along especially. When I got to the studio I saw him getting out of the car, so I opened the door and pulled out my vinyl like a magician. My voice started shaking as I said, ‘Here you go, Paul’. I’m a huge fan.”The visuals and look of Empire Of The Sun are as striking as their music and for Ask That God, the narrative is that Emperor Steel and Lord Littlemore have come to save Empyreans after eight years away.Steele says: “We still curate the whole thing but we have a good team of artists around the world to work on projects.“I have storage units for the costumes we wear in America, Australia and a couple here in Hawaii. I’ve got stuff everywhere. It really does take a village.”To help build the visual side of the album, Steele and Littlemore spent nearly a month in Thailand with Canadian director Michael Maxxis where they recorded stunning films to accompany the release.“It was a beautiful adventure,” says Steele. “We’d been trying to find a director to make the videos for 18 months and met with 15 to 20 people from Tokyo, Australia and America but no one got anything close to what we wanted until we met Michael.God of Instagram“He sent five song treatments and they were all incredible. Then he said, ‘Why don’t we just keep going and make a music film?’ We shot nine music videos.“We’ve worked with directors before but no one as genius as him. He has a beautiful, poetic mind and is an incredible director.“All the jungles, beaches and locations we went to and the people we met made it a magical trip. At every location we’d stop and pray, blessing the land.”Steele says his spirituality and faith “are everything”. He says: “People say they love that we are spiritual.“Every soul under heaven breathing on this planet is a spirit, so everyone is spiritual. It’s important that rather than tap into the God of Instagram, people need to tap into the God of the heavens.”And deciding to name the album Ask That God after the song on the album was an obvious idea for the singer. “Nick and I coming back together to make this album was us surrendering,” he says.“It felt like we both surrendered things that we were holding on to. No one’s going to get the answers from the world — you must ask the divine. And we had a lot of songs pressing on that.“The song Ask That God came midway through the record and felt like the message that Empire needed to come back with.“It feels like we are going into battle with no weapons. It is a volatile time in the world and this is the message people need.”A year ago Steele and his family moved from north California to New Zealand (where he was born before moving to Perth where he grew up) after feeling unsafe and unhappy in California.“I felt like the whole ground in Los Angeles was shaking constantly,” he explains. “A kid was shot dead near LAX and I drove past just after he’d been murdered. I felt emotional the whole time I was in LA — like I could feel the pain. I’d be driving and start crying. Things had changed for me living there.“There was the pandemic, the riots when Trump was president. I’m so sensitive, I just can’t deal with what’s going on in America.Real work ethic“I was so paranoid living there, so now we are back in the motherland and close to my family — it’s cool to be there. When you’ve been depressed you really value joy and after living in America, I really value peace.”Once the album is out Steele is looking ahead to Empire Of The Sun’s live shows that begin in October.Fans won’t have to wait another eight years for another album after Ask That God. We are trying to keep the train moving.“I’m really excited to start the tour but it seems like you guys are last,” says Steele. “We start in Australia and go up to America and so if not this year, we will definitely be in the UK next year. It takes six months to put the show together so I can’t wait. Someone said we should be playing Glastonbury and I’d love that idea — let’s see.Empire Of The Sun perform on stage at the Madcool Festival 2019 in MadridCredit: GettyOn bandmate Nick Littlemore, Steele says: Our relationship is the best it’s ever been’Credit: Getty“Right now Nick and I are here in Hawaii working on album number five.“Our relationship is the best it’s ever been. We both now have families, so when we get into the studio, it’s down to business. Our earlier years were the hardest — there’s was so much built-up emotion, ambition and ego.“But I love the way we work now — we are hungrier now more than ever and we know what we are doing now. We’ve made four records but we’ve made hundreds of songs. We have three or four folders of Empire rarities. We have a real work ethic and I am so proud of us. We are always trying to find the next rare gem.READ MORE SUN STORIES“And that’s why fans won’t have to wait another eight years for another album after Ask That God. We are trying to keep the train moving.”The album Ask That God is out today.Ask That God by Empire Of The Sun is out 26 AugustCredit: SuppliedEMPIRE OF THE SUNAsk That God★★★★☆ More

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      Hollywood’s highest paid actors revealed with just 2 women in top 10 & biggest earner an unlikely dad on £1m a WEEK

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      IF there was one star who the banks of photographers didn’t want to miss at the Oscars in March, it was Margot Robbie in her ­fabulous Versace dress.The Australian actress had not only starred in 2023’s biggest box office hit, Barbie, but also produced it.Despite a packed year, Margot Robbie wasn’t the highest earning celeb last yearCredit: GettyComedian Adam Sandler, who had a quieter year, earned $72mCredit: RexTom Cruise earned $45millionCredit: GettyYet she didn’t receive the biggest Hollywood pay cheque of last year, as she was out-earned by comic Adam Sandler — who was not even popular enough to get a movie in the top ten highest- earning releases.So it is perhaps not surprising that Basic Instinct legend Sharon Stone has voiced her anger about the gender pay gap.Yesterday we told how she had complained that men who “frankly no one has ever heard of” had been offered 14 times her fee for a role in the same film.Of the current top ten movie ­earners, only two are women — ­Margot, and Jennifer Aniston.READ MORE ON CELEBSBut with the Barbie star earning $59million, second only to Adam Sandler’s $73million and ahead of Tom Cruise on $45million, there are some signs of improvement.Three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep said recently: “There is some progress. The biggest stars in the world are women right now, although Tom Cruise is probably way over the top.”Her comments followed reports that Cruise’s 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick had earned him a reported £78million.Adam Sandler’s crowning as the cash king of Hollywood is equally spectacular.Most read in CelebrityTo Taylor’s surprise, the studio said yes to $1mAccording to financial magazine Forbes, he earned $1.4million a week last year, largely due to his ­production company Happy Madison signing a four-movie deal with ­Netflix in 2020.Paris Olympics rich list But Murder Mystery 2, in which he starred with Jennifer Aniston, performed poorly on the streaming platform, just scraping into the top 40 most viewed releases between January and June 2023.On these pages we list 2024’s highest-paid actors, according to ­Forbes magazine.But it wasn’t always the men who topped the Hollywood pay chart.The first actor to secure a million-dollar pay cheque was British film idol Elizabeth Taylor.She wasn’t keen on taking the title role in the 1963 epic Cleopatra, and was advised to ask for what was then an astronomical sum.To her surprise, the studio said yes.Many critics questioned whether anyone was worth $1million, but in the words of Taylor, who died in 2011 aged 79: “If someone is dumb enough to offer me a million dollars to make a picture I’m certainly not dumb enough to turn it down.”Even in the early days of ­cinema, before the talkies, actresses were keeping up with the men.In 1915 Charlie Chaplin signed a deal worth $10,000 a week, and a year later Mary Pickford, the ­Canadian star known as America’s Sweetheart, got the same.Ryan Gosling made $42mCredit: GettyJennifer Aniston made $41mCredit: GettyThat all changed with the advent of the blockbuster.Studio bosses wanted sequels to money-making behemoths such as Indiana Jones, The Terminator, Rambo and the comic book superheroes.And they were willing to pay astronomical sums to make sure the films’ male stars returned to make yet more of them.Will Smith was paid $100million for Men In Black 3 in 2012 and Robert Downey Jnr $75million for returning as Iron Man in 2018’s Avengers: ­Infinity War.In Hollywood’s top ten most extravagant pay cheques of all time there is only one woman — Sandra Bullock, who defied the pay ceiling on 2013 sci-fi thriller Gravity with an out-of-this-world $70million.The key to narrowing the gender pay gap will be giving women more blockbuster roles and more power behind the scenes.Undoubtedly, Margot Robbie will be able to name her fee if Barbie 2 gets made.She received the same basic pay cheque as her male co-star Ryan Gosling for making the first film — $12.5million.But because it was her production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, which got the movie green-lit, she earned a decent slice of the profit from the $1.4billion it grossed at the global box office.However, Margot is an exception in the largely male-dominated studio system.Stats out this year from The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University revealed that only 21 per cent of producers are female.The disparity is even worse for directors, with just 16 per cent women, and writers at 17 per cent.Significantly it is predominantly male producers who hire the cast and negotiate pay when a film is made.There was outrage when Barbie’s female director Greta Gerwig was not nominated for an Oscar.Oppenheimer star Matt Damon made a whopping $42mCredit: GettyLeonardo DiCaprio made a massive $41mCredit: GettyBut then it may have had something to do with the fact that membership of the Oscars organisation, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is 67 per cent male.Even this year’s Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone, whose film Poor Things made $117million worldwide, is not in the top ten ­earners.Long-established actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck both earned more, even though Air, their film about Nike trainers, didn’t do as well at the box office.Also in the top ten are Jason ­Statham and Leonardo DiCaprio, each on $41million, and Denzel Washington with $23million.But Brit Jason, 56, did have four movies out in 2023, including hits Meg 2, Fast X and the fourth Expendables film.Emma Stone is not the only actress who is angry at the pay gap.Earlier this year Olivia Colman said: “I’m very aware that if I was Oliver Colman, I’d be earning a f*** of a lot more than I am.“I know of one pay disparity which is a 12,000 per cent difference. Do the maths.”In September Jennifer ­Lawrence, whose co-star DiCaprio was reportedly paid £4million more than her for making the satire Don’t Look Up last year, said: “It doesn’t matter how much I do. I’m still not going to get paid as much as that guy, because of my vagina.”In 2014 leaked emails revealed she was paid less than Jeremy Renner, Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale when they made 2013 crime comedy American Hustle together, even though she was the star of the box office smash The Hunger Games.The extent of the problem was clearly illustrated by the row over the reshooting of scenes in thriller All The Money In The World in 2017.It was reported that Mark Wahlberg got more than $1.5million for doing the same work as co-star Michelle Williams — who got just $1,000.There is already sure to be a disparity in this year’s wage winners.Dune 2, 2024’s second-biggest box office hit, supposedly paid male lead Timothee Chalamet $3million, while female lead Zendaya got $2million.Those sums will be dwarfed by Ryan Reynolds whether or not his film Deadpool And Wolverine opens as a hit this weekend.His basic pay for writing, starring in and producing the superhero blockbuster will top $25million.READ MORE SUN STORIESBut when he made the first Deadpool, the canny Canadian negotiated a share of its profits.If Ryan has repeated that trick, he can buy himself a few more Wrexham FCs.Highest grossing celebs of 2024 and all timeJason Statham made a cool $41m last yearCredit: GettyBen Affleck made $37m in the last yearCredit: GettyLegend Denzel Washinton earned $23mCredit: GettyIn 1915, Charlie Chaplin signed a deal worth $10,000 a weekCredit: GettyIn 1916, Mary Pickford, the ­Canadian star known as America’s Sweetheart, got the same $15k Chaplin was dealtCredit: AlamyMatt Damon in OppenheimerCredit: AlamyTom Cruise in Top Gun: MaverickCredit: SplashDenzel Washington in The Equalizer 3Credit: AlamyDi Caprio in Killers of the Flower MoonCredit: PARyan Gosling in a scene from the Barbie movieCredit: AlamyMargot in BarbieCredit: AlamyAdam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston in Murder Mystery 2Credit: Alamy More

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      Inside J Lo’s lavish Bridgerton party complete with full orchestra and stunning costumes… but no husband Ben Affleck

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      JENNIFER Lopez hosted a Bridgerton-themed party for her 55th birthday — but husband Ben Affleck was nowhere to be seen.The Jenny From The Block singer arrived in a ­Cinderella- style white carriage pulled by two white stallions.J-Lo hosted a Bridgerton-themed party for her 55th birthdayCredit: InstagramLopez blows out the candles on her four-tier cakeCredit: InstagramShe wore a duck egg blue gown with her hair in a plaited bun — a look inspired by the Netflix show’s Penelope Featherington (played by Nicola Coughlan).Guests tucked into a three-course dinner underneath floating chandeliers and were serenaded by a full orchestra.J-Lo later changed into a plunging green sheer gown to dance the night away and blow out the candles on a four-tier cake.Mum Guadalupe Rodríguez, son Max, 16, and manager Bobby Medina joined J-Lo in the Hamptons, New York.READ MORE ON J-LOBut, amid rumours of their marriage being on the rocks, actor Ben, 51, clutched a coffee 2,500 miles away in Los Angeles.He was joined by the children he shares with actress Jennifer Garner — Violet Anne, 18, Seraphina Rose, 15, and Samuel, 12.J-Lo and Ben were engaged from 2002 to 2004 but called it off. They rekindled their love and held two 2022 weddings in Las Vegas and Georgia.Most read in BizarreThe pair have not been seen together for several weeks and J-Lo cancelled a tour which was set to be all about how she found “The One” in Ben.Despite the rumours, she remained in good spirits at her birthday bash, telling fans: “I have so much love for you. I want you to know on my birthday that YOU are my biggest gift.Bennifer 2.0: Is the Fairytale Ending Over?“Besides my family and friends, you have always been there for me in the good times and in the tough times.“I can always count on you. And I want you to know that you can always count on me.”Ben Affleck was not at the celebrationsCredit: BackGridJen’s look was inspired by Bridgerton’s Penelope Featherington (played by Nicola Coughlan)Credit: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX More

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      Russell Crowe forced to flee as fight breaks out between his team and over zealous fans at his London gig

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      HE played hard-as-nails Maximus in Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator, but Russell Crowe didn’t show any fighting spirit when one of his ­entourage got into a scrap outside the star’s gig in West London.Cops were called at around 11:30 pm on Wednesday after his tour ­promoter became embroiled in a row with fans and autograph hunters who had queued to meet the Hollywood star.Hollywood legend Russell Crowe watches as a fight breaks out between his team and fans outside his band’s gig in LondonCredit: GREG BRENNANRussell in flip-flops with his promoter on the night of the gigCredit: GREG BRENNANRussell’s promoter appeared to be grappled to the ground in the fracas outside London’s Shepherd’s Bush EmpireCredit: GREG BRENNANRussell has been touring the UK with his band, The Gentlemen Barbers, and was playing the Shepherd’s Bush Empire.An onlooker told me the Oscar-winner looked bemused at the unfolding brawl, then turned and legged it back inside through the stage door when things turned nasty.A feat made all the more impressive because he was wearing flip-flops.They said: “Russell came out to meet about 30 fans who had gathered outside the gig.READ MORE ON RUSSELL CROWE“A man who we believed was the tour promoter was shouting at a few people for pushing, but out of nowhere it turned a bit nasty.“This bloke started shouting and swearing and calling one of the fans a c***. He then saw he was being filmed and ­grabbed the guy’s phone then ran off down the street.“The man who’d had his phone taken chased him down the road.“They ­grappled and the promoter ended up on the ground.Most read in Bizarre“Russell looked absolutely horrified at what was happening and made a quick U-turn back inside the venue.“It was absolute chaos. Four police cars turned up and the coppers were talking to people about what happened.Where Are They Now? The Gladiator Cast 23 Years Later “The promoter seemed pretty badly winded but no one had much sympathy for him because he seemed to be acting a bit aggressively.“Ultimately none of this would have happened if he’d kept his cool when he was asking people not to push.“Russell never came back outside again.“He must have been pretty ­embarrassed by the whole thing. It was a proper commotion.”Four police cars arrived at the scene, with cops talking to people about what had happenedCredit: GREG BRENNANRussell has been touring the UK with his band, The Gentlemen BarbersCredit: AlamyRussell’s Indoor Garden Party tour, which also features Irish singer Lorraine O’Reilly, headed to Leeds last night.The actor is due on stage in Inverness tonight for his final gig of the UK tour.I hope he’s got his fighting trousers ready . . . just in case.Cover girl JadeJade Thirlwall posed with just a copy of Polyester magazine over her boobs as she opened up about life after Little MixCredit: Polyester MagazineIt’s good to see Jade Thirlwall supporting print media, even though she is using this mag to cover herself up rather than for reading.She posed with just a copy of Polyester over her boobs as she opened up about life after Little Mix.Speaking to the mag, which is out later this summer, she said: “From 18 until now, my whole life had been scheduled. Little Mix always had a year-long diary in place. To not have that any more was so scary. But once I got over that, I was like, this is really exciting.”She is set to hit the top ten with debut solo single Angel Of My Dreams today and told Apple Music 1 about her mum Norma’s reaction to the track.Jade said: “She went, ‘Oh, I don’t get it.’ And I thought, ‘Well, perfect. Hun, Norma, you’re not me demographic.’“Now she’s listened to it a million times – she’s obsessed.”Celine is Gaga for OlympicsFans will see Celine Dion will make her live comeback at the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Paris on FridayCredit: The Mega AgencyCeline Dion will make her live comeback during Friday’s Olympic Opening Ceremony in Paris.The My Heart Will Go On singer is set to be joined by Lady Gaga for a special performance of classic 1947 Edith Piaf song La Vie En Rose.Lady Gaga covered the song in 2018 in the remake of hit film A Star Is Born.I first told last month how Celine, right, who will be dressed by legendary French fashion house Dior, had been formally asked to perform by Olympics bosses.It will be her first live performance in four years after battling the crippling neurological condition stiff person syndrome, or SPS.Celine has also been tipped to announce a Las Vegas residency, to kick off at the end of the year.The UK will return to compete at Eurovision next year, despite yet another dismal result in ­Sweden in May.Olly Alexander finished 18th out of 25 with his song Dizzy and faced ­criticism from some for not pulling out of the contest in protest over Israel’s participation.But the BBC has insisted we will send an act when the event goes to Switzerland next year.Fingers crossed we can break the top ten this time.Jenn’s fun and gamesJenni Falconer will meet some of the country’s most highly decorated athletes on her RunPod podcastCredit: GettyFans of Jenni Falconer’s podcast RunPod are in for a treat, as she has launched a spin-off series to coincide with the Paris Olympics.The radio presenter, above, will meet some of the country’s most highly decorated athletes, who will tell all about their experiences of the Games and lift the lid on what it is really like to win gold for your country.Jenni’s RunPod got me through Couch To 5k two years back and I have been listening ever since. If you are going to be sitting down to catch some of the contests, RunPod: Going For Gold is well worth a listen when the events launch tomorrow.It’s Billy vs. the sharksFormer racing driver Billy Monger will attempt to break the record for the Ironman World Championship triathlon for a double-leg amputeeCredit: Sam Riley/Comic ReliefSports commentator and former racing driver Billy Monger is used to challenging himself, but his next task will put him to the ultimate test – with the risk of being eaten by sharks.The daredevil has announced he will attempt to break the record for the Ironman World Championship triathlon for a double-leg amputee and become the youngest ever to complete the course this October at Kailua-Kona in Hawaii.It will include a 112-mile bike ride, 26.2-mile ­marathon, and 2.4-mile swim in the Pacific, which is home to all manner of critters, including sharks.In an exclusive chat ahead of the challenge, in aid of Comic Relief, Billy said of the sharks: ­“Hopefully they take one look at me and think that if they are going to go for someone, there’s ­somebody else that’s a bit more juicy. But that is an element of this challenge.”Billy, whose legs were amputated after an F4 car crash in 2017, has already been training for nine months and is being followed by cameras for a BBC documentary.It follows his stint on BBC One show Celebrity Race Across The World last year, which he believes made him stronger for this challenge.Billy – who you can support with donations at comicrelief.com/billy – said: “In a weird way it does translate to this sort of training because of the mental endurance needed for those long days where we were left to our own devices with no connection to the outside world.“When I’m doing long training sessions I’m not listening to music because you’re not allowed to do that when you do the Ironman event.“So I’m ­trying to use my training as a bit of a detox and escape from technology. Race Across The World was me stepping out of my comfort zone, and this is that – taken to the next level.”They spent eight weeks at No.1 last summer with Miracle, and now ­Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding have teamed up again. Today they drop their new song Free, in which Ellie sings: “What do I say now? Don’t want to fall in love. I’m not afraid now.”Aitch is also back with a D-Block Europe collaboration called Gold Mine, while Gwen Stefani and Anderson .Paak have teamed up for their Paris Olympics anthem Hello World.Charli XCX hoping Brat lands votesCharli XCX’s Brat has turned into one of the year’s hottest albums, after a social media campaign praised US presidential hopeful Kamala Harris for being ‘so Brat’Credit: GettyCharli XCX’s Brat has become one of the most talked-about albums of the year, after a social media campaign which praised US presidential hopeful Kamala Harris for being “so Brat.”Now the Brit singer-songwriter has another reason to smile because she leads the list of albums shortlisted for the ­prestigious Mercury Prize.The full run-down of the 12 records up for the award, which aims to celebrate the most critically acclaimed British releases of the past 12 months, was announced yesterday.It included records from The Last Dinner Party, Corinne Bailey Rae, Nia Archives, and Cat Burns.Barry Can’t Swim, Berwyn, Beth Gibbons, Corto.Alto, Cmat, and English Teacher are also in the running.Rapper Ghetts is the final nominee for his album On ­Purpose, With Purpose, three years after he was last shortlisted for the prize.Asked in an exclusive chat whether it means more to him this time around, he said: “It means I want to win it more.”And despite the record ­featuring acts including Kano and Sampha, he didn’t tell ­anyone about the nomination.He admitted: “I kept it schtum. I didn’t even tell the missus until this morning.“She asked me, ‘Where are you going so early?’”But it was bad news for the Rolling Stones, Blur, and Dua Lipa, who were all snubbed for the prize which will be presented, along with a £25,000 award, in September.READ MORE SUN STORIESI’d say better luck next year, but I think it’ll be a while until any of them drop more music.Michelle Keegan and Clara Amfo will speak to fans at Glamour mag’s Empowerment Summit in Manchester next Saturday. The pair are the stars of a variety of panels where they will talk about career highs and lows and the women and experiences that influenced them. If that isn’t enough to tempt you, everyone at the event at the Aviva Studios will get a Glamour goody bag worth £300 which is included in the cost of the £32 ticket. See eventbrite.co.uk. More

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      Inside Taylor Swift’s record-breaking V&A museum exhibition with surprise costumes she donated

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      TAYLOR SWIFT mania will descend on the hallowed halls of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum when a free exhibition of her outfits opens on Saturday.Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail will feature 13 stops showcasing costumes donated by the Look What You Made Me Do singer.London’s Victoria and Albert Museum will open a free exhibition of Taylor Swift outfits on SaturdayCredit: GettyCrystal Oscar De La Renta dress for MTV Awards, 2022Credit: PATaylor performs during her Eras world tourCredit: GettyFedora from 22 video and Eras tour, 2013 & 2024Credit: GettyRunning until September 8, the display ties in with the school holidays and comes as nearly 500,000 fans are expected in the capital next month for Taylor’s five gigs at Wembley on her Eras tour.The choice of 13 installations in the hour-long museum trail, created by theatre designer Tom Piper and architect Alan Farlie, is a nod to 34-year-old Taylor’s favourite number.The V&A has previously hosted exhibitions about pop great Sir Elton John and supermodel Naomi Campbell and expects its latest show to be one of its most popular since the art and design museum began life in 1852.Exhibits include get-ups from Taylor’s six world tours, her white knit from the video for 2020 hit Cardigan, the dress she wore to the LA premiere of her Eras Tour film in 2023 and the black ruffle frock from the video for latest single Fortnight.READ MORE IN SHOWBIZOf the video’s moody look, designer Elena Velez said: “Taylor Swift x Elena Velez doesn’t make much sense without a good story, which the art directors of Fortnight gave us. I loved the [Frankenstein author] Mary Shelley aesthetic.”Elena adds that the gown — created from a Victorian-gothic skirt, a bustle from Amazon Prime and yards of fine silk — is about “our relationship to reason and romanticism” and was “stitched together with desperate and delusional tenderness”.Other fun items include the wig and facial hair Taylor wore in her video for 2020 hit The Man — influenced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2013 film The Wolf Of Wall Street — which transformed Taylor into a City boss. Video of her career is also beamed on to the walls.Most read in MusicThe V&A’s Kate Bailey said: “We are delighted to display iconic looks worn by Taylor, each celebrating a chapter in the artist’s journey. Taylor’s songs, like objects, tell stories drawing from art, history and literature.”Social media is already buzzing. Posting on X, one fan wrote: “There’s a Taylor Swift exhibition at the V&A?! I’m screaming, crying, throwing up. I need to go.” Another said: “I have to go to London and see the Taylor Swift exhibition.”Why Taylor Swift’s royal selfie reveals so much about modern royals William & Kate – they’re triple-A celebs, says proAnd fans even hope Taylor pays a surprise visit.Swift stunned on the red carpet in Los AngelesCredit: Getty Images – GettyStrapless floral gown at premiere of Eras Tour movie, 2023Credit: GettyMetallic jacket & skirt from 1989 world tour, 2015Credit: GettyThe superstar performing in the outfit featured in the exhibitionCredit: PATaylor during the Fearless Tour at Madison Square Garden in 2009 in New York CityCredit: GettyTudor-style dress for Love Story on Fearless tour, 2009Credit: V&ACowboy boots with her name on from her country days, 2007Credit: GettySwift pictured wearing the cowboy boots on stageCredit: V&ATaylor during the 2019 American Music Awards in November 2019 in LACredit: GettyShirt with her album titles on for American Music Awards, 2019Credit: Getty2020 Wig, beard and jacket from The Man videoCredit: ReutersThe shirt will also be showcased at the V&ACredit: GettyTaylor Swift’s The Man video was inspired by The Wolf Of Wall Street More

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      Luciano defines Cadenza with this selection of music from the label

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      LUCIANO is in the middle of his summer residency at Club Chinois in Ibiza.Every Thursday this month, from July 11, the Swiss-born, Chile-raised Latin house pioneer has been enthralling the Ibizan crowds at the White Isle nightspot with his Luciano presents Cadenza parties, welcoming guest DJs from his legendary Cadenza label, unveiling fresh sounds and exciting new releases.Luciano performing at Club Chinois, IbizaFor this Thursday’s party, Luciano welcomes Romanian Arapu, who employs driving synths and field recordings in his seductively playful sound. He will be joined also the enigmatic minimal maestro, Moldavian-born Holchin.Click or tap image for ticketsAhead of the penultimate show on Thursday we caught up with Luciano and he has compiled an exclusive playlist of ten tracks that create the real feeling of the Cadenza sound. Listen and read what he had to say about the music below.Luciano & Quenum – Orange Mistake / Funky Dandy (12″, Promo, Cadenza)This release gave birth to the record label. We hadn’t planned to start a label, I just had these tracks that were sitting on my desktop, refused from a different label. At the same time my sister was in Chile studying graphic design. She needed to do a project to finish her degree. I said why don’t we do a record, you do the graphics, let’s put out the music, and then you can present this at the end of your studies. The hype and buzz was so big, we were No1 in Groove Magazin in Germany for example, and the feedback was so massive, we ended up with a record label on our hands![embedded content]Salif Keita & Cesaria Evora – Yamoré – (Luciano Remix)
(12″, 33 1⁄3 RPM)This is a super special one. A long time ago when I was first starting to make music I got the chance to work with Salif Keita & Cesaria Evora. Salif is such an angel, and such an incredibly talented musician and I was graced by the chance to make a remix for them, it holds such a special place in my heart.[embedded content]Ricardo Villalobos – IchsoRicardo is part of my family. We’ve been on this journey together since I was 14, 15. He is one of the most brilliant electronic composers in the world. This is from his Achso album.Most read in Music[embedded content]Reboot – ShunyataReboot is extremely talented. I met him at the beginning of his career, I think he was still selling insurance in Germany then! He is such an incredible artist, to meet him at the beginning of his career, to then have him on the record label was so special.[embedded content]Loco Dice – Harissa (album)This is a special record that created a super big buzz. Loco Dice was produced by Martin Buttrich so they recorded this album together. It was such a special time for this music, the music we were composing then and releasing on the label wasn’t known in the world yet, we were pioneers of that sound really. It was the right moment, with the right sound and the right vibe.[embedded content]Petre Inspirescu – Tips (album)A fabulous artist, from the very first Romanian wave when this music was new in Romania. We had the chance to sign him and the Tips album was outstanding. It’s still influencing the music industry today I think.[embedded content]Guido Schneider, André Galluzzi – AlbertinoGuido Schneider and André Galluzzi are both artists I knew from when I was living in Berlin 20 years ago. They are such talented underground artists that have always been giving to the music community. This was some of the earliest Berlin sound. Albertino is such an important tool and track they’ve produced, it’s from the Nora EP,[embedded content]Los Updates – First If You Please The Remix Part 2Signing Los Updates was a personal achievement. It’s a special alias and project from Jorge González, one of the biggest artists of the 80s in Chile, from one of the biggest rock bands ever existing, he would fill up 2 stadiums in my country. One of the most incredible composers I’ve ever met, he is so talented. We were so lucky to release his Lost Updates project on Cadenza.[embedded content]Michel Cleis – La MezclaThis was one of the very first hits we had back in the day, when we were creating this really new sound, mixing South American influences with dance and electronic music. This track still sounds amazing today, the hook is still being picked up by lots of genres including hip hop.READ MORE SUN STORIESCesar Merveille & Pablo Cahn- SpeyerTwo outstanding artists, both incredible producers still producing incredible music. They have always been at the forefront of minimal house. It was so hard to pick between 130 plus records and reduce the story to 10(ish), but I’ve tried my best![embedded content] More

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      John Mayall dead: ‘Godfather of British blues’ who helped discover Eric Clapton & Mick Fleetwood dies aged 90

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      BRITISH blues legend John Mayall has died aged 90.His influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars.John Mayall performs on stage at Teatro Nuevo Apolo in Madrid, SpainCredit: RedfernsMayall performs during the 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, SwitzerlandCredit: APMayall performs in Munich, Germany in 1969Credit: APMayall in London in 1971Credit: GettyA statement on Mayall’s Instagram page announced his death yesterday, saying the musician died on Monday at his home in California.“Health issues that forced John to end his epic touring career have finally led to peace for one of this world’s greatest road warriors,” the post said.Nicknamed the Godfather of British Blues, the musician is credited with helping develop the UK take on urban, Chicago-style rhythm and blues that played an important role in the genre’s revival in the late 1960s.At various times, his band included Fleetwood Mac members Fleetwood, John McVie and Peter Green, as well as Clapton and Jack Bruce, later of Cream, and also Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones.Read more showbiz newsMayall protested in interviews that he was not a talent scout, but played for the love of the music he had first heard on his father’s 78-rpm records.“I’m a band leader and I know what I want to play in my band — who can be good friends of mine,” Mayall said in an interview with the Southern Vermont Review. “It’s definitely a family. It’s a small kind of thing really.”Mayall never achieved the fame of many others who performed with him and was still performing into his late 80s.Most read in Showbiz“I’ve never had a hit record, I never won a Grammy Award, and Rolling Stone has never done a piece about me,” he said in an interview with the Santa Barbara Independent in 2013. “I’m still an underground performer.”Known for his blues harmonica and keyboard playing, Mayall had a Grammy nomination for “Wake Up Call” which featured guest artists Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Mick Taylor and Albert Collins.He received a second nomination in 2022 for his album “The Sun Is Shining Down”.He also won official recognition in Britain with the award of an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2005.He was selected for the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class and his 1966 album “Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton” is considered one of the best British blues albums.Mayall was born on November 29, 1933 in Macclesfield, near Manchester.Sounding a note of the hard-luck bluesman, Mayall once said: “The only reason I was born in Macclesfield was because my father was a drinker, and that’s where his favorite pub was.”His father also played guitar and banjo, and his records of boogie-woogie piano captivated his teenage son.Mayall said he learned to play the piano one hand at a time — a year on the left hand, a year on the right, “so I wouldn’t get all tangled up”.The piano was his main instrument, though he also performed on guitar and harmonica, as well as singing in a distinctive, strained-sounding voice. Aided only by drummer Keef Hartley, Mayall played all the other instruments for his 1967 album ‘Blues Alone’.When he moved to London in 1962 his aim was to soak up the nascent blues scene led by Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Eric Burdon were among others drawn to the sound.The Bluesbreakers drew on a fluid community of musicians who drifted in and out of various bands. Mayall’s biggest catch was Clapton, who had quit the Yardbirds and joined the Bluesbreakers in 1965 because he was unhappy with the Yardbirds’ commercial direction.Mayall and Clapton shared a passion for Chicago blues, and the guitarist later remembered that Mayall had “the most incredible collection of records I had ever seen”.Mayall tolerated Clapton’s waywardness: He disappeared a few months after joining the band, then reappeared later the same year, sidelining the newly arrived Peter Green, then left for good in 1966 with Bruce to form Cream, which rocketed to commercial success, leaving Mayall far behind.Clapton, interviewed for a BBC documentary on Mayall in 2003, confessed that “to a certain extent I have used his hospitality, used his band and his reputation to launch my own career”.“I think he is a great musician. I just admire and respect his steadfastness,” Clapton added.Mayall encouraged Clapton to sing and urged Green to develop his song-writing abilities.Mick Taylor, who succeeded Green as a Bluesbreaker in the late 1960s, valued the wide latitude which Mayall allowed his soloists.“You’d have complete freedom to do whatever you wanted,” Taylor said in a 1979 interview with writer Jas Obrecht. “You could make as many mistakes as you wanted, too.”Mayall’s 1968 album ‘Blues from Laurel Canyon’ signalled a permanent move to the US and a change in direction. He disbanded the Bluesbreakers and worked with two guitars and drums.The following year he released ‘The Turning Point’ arguably his most successful release, with an atypical four-man acoustic lineup including Mark and Almond. ‘Room to Move’, a song from that album, was a frequent audience favourite in Mayall’s later career.The 1970s found Mayall at low ebb personally, but still touring and doing more than 100 shows a year.“Throughout the ’70s, I performed most of my shows drunk,” Mayall said in an interview with Dan Ouellette for Down Beat magazine in 1990. One consequence was an attempt to jump from a balcony into a swimming pool that missed — shattering one of Mayall’s heels and leaving him with a limp.“That was one incident that got me to stop drinking,” Mayall said.In 1982, he reformed the Bluesbreakers, recruiting Taylor and McVie, but after two years the personnel changed again. READ MORE SUN STORIESIn 2008, Mayall announced that he was permanently retiring the Bluesbreaker name, and in 2013 he was leading the John Mayall Band.Mayall and his second wife, Maggie, divorced in 2011 after 30 years of marriage. They had two sons.The Bluesbreakers in 1966 in London: Mayall, Hughie Flint, Eric Clapton and John McVieCredit: Michael Ochs Archives – Getty More