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    Rita Ora wows in silver bra and pink bikini bottoms over tights at free festival in Lithuania

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    RITA Ora has her knickers in a twist as she gets animated backstage at a music festival.The singer, 33, performed in a silver bra and pink bikini bottoms over tights at the As Young As Vilnius Festival in Lithuania. Rita Ora has her knickers in a twist as she gets animated backstage at a music festivalCredit: SplashThe singer, 33, performed in a silver bra and pink bikini bottoms over tightsCredit: SplashRita was about to take to the stage at the As Young As Vilnius Festival in Lithuania – a free bash celebrating the 701st birthday of the city of Vilnius.Credit: SplashRita said: “50,000 people, in the pouring rain, I appreciate every single one of you.”The free bash celebrated the 701st birthday of the city.It’s not the first time the singer has been wowing fans, she recently went braless in a very daring see-through dress at a Girls Aloud gig in London.The singer looked incredible as she posed up a storm at the O2 Priority gig in London, exclusive for Priority members, just before watching the band perform.READ MORE ON RITA ORARita, 33, rocked a glitzy tight-fitting midaxi dress for the show at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire.The star wore nude pants underneath the sheer dress, but opted for no bra.The I Will Never Let You Down songstress accessorised with a black of black boots.Rita completed the look with brown eye shadow, pink blush and a nude lip.Most read in CelebrityRita Ora goes braless in very daring see-through dress for Girls Aloud gig in London More

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      Stunning Kate Upton shows off bust as she poses in revealing candy cane striped bikini

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      ACTRESS and model Kate Upton shows she has stardom licked — as she poses in a candy cane striped bikini.She recently starred in comedy movie Sweet Dreams and kept the confectionery theme going with this outfit for a Sports Illustrated photoshoot in Mexico.Kate Upton wore this sexy candy cane striped bikiniCredit: GettyStunner Kate also donned this gilt dress at a posh do for V Magazine last weekCredit: Cover ImagesLast week Kate, 32, took the golden opportunity to wear a gilt dress at a posh do for V Magazine.And she’s just launched reality TV show Dress My Tour in the US.Sounds like her career is a pick ’n’ mix.In May the model-turned-actress wore a slinky backless dress at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Island bash to mark the magazine’s 60th anniversary.READ MORE ON KATE UPTONAnd Kate was joined by the original Uptown Girl, Christie Brinkley, now 70 — who starred in the video of her ex-hubby Billy Joel’s No1 UK hit in 1983.Loved-up Kate previously called American baseball player Justin Verlander her “perfect partner” and the pair welcomed their daughter, Genevieve, a year after they wed in 2017.She and Verlander met while working on Major League Baseball 2K12 video game in 2012 and officially started dating in January 2013.Their relationship ended for about six months in mid-2013, but they were back together by January 2014.Most read in CelebrityIn 2016, Verlander popped the question and after winning the World Series with the Houston Astros in 2017, they set off for Tuscany, Italy to get married.The three-time cover girl is one of SI Swimsuit’s most celebrated models.Supermodel Kate Upton strips off in two new commercials for the ‘Perfect Fit’ range from Italy-based lingerie firm Yamamay Upton has just launched reality TV show Dress My Tour in the USCredit: Getty More

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      Dua Lipa takes drastic step to avoid neighbour row as she builds new pool at £6.75million London mansion

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      POP star Dua Lipa is having her new pool dug by hand to avoid upsetting neighbours.The Hotter Than Hell singer, 28, has ordered workers to use picks and shovels during works on her £6.75million mansion.Dua Lipa is having her new pool dug by hand to avoid upsetting neighboursCredit: GettyIt follows a two-year battle with a local council for permission to build the extension after locals complained.The new pool and basement at her home in Hampstead, North West London, will also include a gym and recording studio.Architects will fit detection devices designed to pick up any movement in the earth.Her team assured planners: “A basement dig would typically have potential for noise and vibration to pass through to neighbouring properties. In this case, as the existing house is completely detached and the dig would be a manual operation, the extent of noise transmission would be mitigated.READ MORE ON DUA LIPA“As a safety measure, movement monitoring would be undertaken to give early warning of any building movement.”There was opposition to Dua’s 2021 proposals to add a pool, steam room, cinema, relaxation zone and a studio waiting area and lobby.Plans included “a replacement single storey rear extension and enlargement of existing basement including formation of pool”.A neighbourhood forum objected to the felling of a willow tree — which it said was planted to soak up water from an underground stream.Most read in MusicLocals also warned about potential harm to boundary wall bricks, which are “a very important feature” to the area.This week, we told how One Kiss singer Dua raked in £1million a week last year from her music — swelling her fortune to around £100million.Glastonbury fans all have the same complaint about Dua Lipa’s headline set as they blast ‘it’s terrible’She made £21.8million in profits, and paid herself £11million. More

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      My days are numbered but I’ve got no fear, says Rod Stewart as he lifts lid on wild parties and reveals future plans

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      HE has partied and danced his way through life ever since his hit single Maggie May in 1971.But as Sir Rod Stewart looks ahead to his landmark 80th birthday in January, he insists he has no plans to tone down his rock ’n’ roll ways.Sir Rod Stewart looks ahead to his landmark 80th birthday in JanuaryCredit: Jonas MohrRod with wife Penny LancasterCredit: GettyPenny and Rod with sons Aiden and AlastairCredit: InstagramIn fact, as he kicks off his last run of Las Vegas shows after 13 years there, the Sailing singer plans to make full use of the “final 15 years” of his life and party into his 90s.Speaking exclusively to The Sun from his home in Los Angeles, Rod says: “I’m aware my days are numbered but I’ve got no fear.“We have all got to pass on at some point, so we are all in the same basket.“I am going to be enjoying myself for these last few years as much as I can.Read More on Showbiz“I say few — probably another 15. I can do that easy mate, easy.”As he continues his final residency, The Hits, at The Colosseum, ­Caesars Palace, Rod insists he still “goes mad” on the booze after each show, encouraging his dancers and ­musicians to knock it back.Rod says: “I’m not like I was in the ’70s and ’80s and I can’t stay up all night, get drunk and go mad and still have a voice just like that.”Nowadays I have to protect my voice before and after every show.Most read in Celebrity“The older you get, the more you have to do that. Water has a hell of a lot to do with it. But no, you think I just have water on my rider? “You’re talking to Rod Stewart here, mate. We go mad after every show. There are 13 of us, six women, really great musicians and I make them drink. We absolutely love it.”Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster’s lavish yacht adventures”‘I’m f***ing mad’ Asked what his go-to tipple is, rather than his own brand of whisky, Wolfie’s, Rod takes after James Bond and sips Martinis. He says: “Before the show I have a quick Bacardi which I am trying to convince myself is good for my voice. “After a show we all get stuck into the Martinis. Most bands all go home and go to bed but we don’t. We have a big old party.” As well as celebrating backstage, Rod makes sure his gigs get everyone on their feet, with balloons dropping from the ceiling and at least four costume changes in the two-hour set. The musician laughs: “I sweat a lot so I have to change or I get too wet. “We have the change backstage down to a tee. It is funny, I have a bloke take my trousers off who runs over. He is the sound guy and yanks them off. I think it’s all part of showbiz really — you want to turn up and make it special. I can’t just go on in a pair of jeans. I think it’s an attractive side of rock ’n’ roll.” Despite vowing not to tone down his love of a good time, Rod says he is more aware than ever about his health as he approaches his milestone birthday next year. Rod, who has had both prostate and thyroid cancer, says: “I am more aware of my health now than before. I’m f***ing mad, ain’t I? I do enjoy keeping myself fit. Sometimes you don’t want to do it but you’ve got toRod Stewart“You should be when you start ­getting on a bit. It’s very important. “You should be when you start ­getting on a bit. It’s very important. “I am a bit of a hypochondriac. I think men in particular should take advantage of all the wonderful ­medical science out there. “When I come back to the UK I am going to have my blood cleaned as I’ve been told it is a real boost to the system.” Asked if, like many his age, he is on a high amount of prescribed ­tablets, Rod insists: “I’m not on any pills. No nothing. You’ve got to remember I’ve been doing this all my life — I don’t suffer after a show.“Sometimes I take an anti-inflammatory if my knee is playing up but very rarely. I don’t need pills. Rod with rocker pal Ronnie Wood in 1973Credit: RexThe singer performing in 1973Credit: Getty“I keep myself very, very fit. I have had the same trainer for 31 years. We work out three or four times a week.” Keen to put his money where his mouth is, Rod is constructing a running track at his UK home to take on the “f***ing mad” mission of breaking the 100m sprint record for his age.Rod says: “I am currently building a track at my house in Essex and I am going to try to beat the world record for a 79-year-old, which I think is about 17 seconds. I’m f***ing mad, ain’t I?”I do enjoy keeping myself fit. Sometimes you don’t want to do it but you’ve got to.”But while Rod is ­preparing for his final bow in Sin City, he has zero plans to slow down. In fact a UK tour with Jools Holland is on the cards.He says: “Vegas is thriving and 13 years really did slip by quickly and it’s been a privilege — but in terms of ­moving on there’s a lot of things that come into consideration.“I’ve done this album with Jools and we are trying to work out when we can do a short tour.“Also, I don’t want to wear my welcome out in Vegas — we are still selling 90 per cent capacity every night, sometimes 100 per cent. I’ve not really made   my mind up in terms of what’s next.“I am just enjoying the moment. I will continue to do so. I’m pretty sure if I said I wanted to come back they would have me but there is plenty of time for that. I absolutely love the place. “The only thing I don’t like is that if you play more than an hour and a half, which I always do, then I get told off for not letting the fans get back into the casinos to spend their money. The bastards!”Looking ahead, proud dad-of-eight Rod says he is more content than ever.After shifting 120million records and with 11 UK No1 albums under his belt, he says: “I’ve got ­ambitions like touring with Jools but no, I would feel greedy if I asked for ­anything more.“I have had a good time and a good life and I’ve enjoyed myself, so I wouldn’t ask for anything more.“Probably good health and good health for my children and happiness . . . and Celtic doing well.You think I just have water on my rider? You’re talking to Rod Stewart here, mate. We go mad after every showRod Stewart“We beat Man City the other day in a friendly. I am truly fanatical about Celtic still.”In January, Rod will celebrate turning 80 by throwing a huge party.Though keen to keep things a ­surprise, his wife Penny Lancaster, 53, has kept him in the dark about the details.Rod says: “I have left my 80th up to my darling wife Penny but she has big plans afoot which she is not allowing me to talk about.“I don’t even know what they are. I’ve just basically left it to her.“All my kids are in on it — all my children and my grandkids are in on it. They know, and I don’t.”Penny and Rod tied the knot in 2007 in Italy and a decade and a half later are more in love than ever.He says: “I am an old romantic. We enjoy candle-lit dinners and we are still very much in love with each other. She is in England at the moment and I am in LA but she’s coming over on Monday.READ MORE SUN STORIES“My top tips to keep the romance alive is being honest with each other and talking things through.“That, and don’t have an argument just before you go to bed after loads of wine. Penny is amazing. A great, great lady.” More

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      Adele’s romance with Rich Paul to be made into a film after he lands big money deal to make movie of his life

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      SHE is used to being the centre of attention in their relationship and is six days away from starting her huge residency in Munich.But Adele will play a more supporting role when her fiancé, American sports agent Rich Paul, begins work on a new film about his life.Adele’s romance with Rich Paul is set to be made into a filmCredit: GettyInsiders tell me he is set to have his dramatic memoir, Lucky Me, turned into a feature film for release in 2026. A script for the book — which told how he over-came huge adversity to become one of the biggest players in the US sports business — is in the early stages.My source said: “Rich’s book has been a major success and his rise is a huge source of inspiration.“He had a difficult childhood with a mother who struggled with drug addiction and a house in an area riddled with crime. But he managed to turn it all around.READ MORE ON ADELE“Adele was so moved by Rich’s book and after he was approached about it being made into a film, she has been backing him. She wants people to see how amazing Rich is and the film will reach people that his book didn’t.”My source said Jay-Z and US basketball legend Lebron James, who helped Rich change his fortunes, are also backing the movie.It comes as Adele starts her residency in Munich this Friday.Bizarre’s Howell will be in Germany for the first night — and the Someone Like You singer will be in good spirits after she finally got engaged following months of speculation, The Sun revealed yesterday how Rich popped the question last Thursday with a massive four-carat diamond ring.Most read in BizarreI’d love to see the cost of the insurance policy on that sparkler.XXNOT TO BE REUSED XX Adele makes rare public appearance with husband Rich Paul as couple enjoy night out in LondonGaga’s in on the actLADY GAGA explains the, er, obvious when discussing her role as Harley “Lee” Quinn in upcoming musical- thriller movie Joker: Folie à Deux.Gaga, inset, said: “People know me by my stage name. But that is not what this movie is, I’m playing a character.”Lady Gaga made an obvious point when discussing her role as Harley ‘Lee’ Quinn in upcoming musical- thriller movie Joker: Folie à DeuxCredit: GettyThat’s what acting is, no?Speaking to Empire magazine, she added: “I worked a lot on the way I sang, to come from Lee and not me. When I breathe to sing on stage, I have this controlled way, to make sure I’m on pitch, but Lee would never know to do that.”Maybe no Oscar for this one.Ste’s fab festCAT Burns, AJ Tracey, Corinne Bailey Rae and Ezra Collective have been announced as performers at a festival celebrating the life of the late Stephen Lawrence.They will take to the stage at London’s O2 Arena on September 13, which would have been the 50th birthday of Stephen, who was 18 when murdered in 1993.D Double E, Ghetts and Wretch 32 are among acts previously confirmed for the event More Life – Pass The Mic.Tickets on sale now.Kit’s got his kit offKIT HARINGTON has been getting strong reviews for his West End show Slave Play – and I can see why.He strips completely nude in the gritty play and, by the looks of it, has been putting plenty of hours in at the gym to prepare.Kit Harrington has been getting strong reviews for his West End show Slave PlayCredit: instagram/@jeremyoharrisThe show’s writer, Jeremy O. Harris, shared this snap of Kit from backstage, and the Game Of Thrones heart-throb’s rippling muscles are on full display.Now I can see why Madonna was so keen to get tickets when she was in London recently.Halsey looks NoughtieHALSEY looks every bit the Noughties pop star in this photo to promote new single Lucky.The tune is modelled on Britney Spears’ track of the same name, which is about how a girl in the spotlight isn’t as happy as people think, and Halsey echoes that in her lyrics.Halsey poses to promote her new single LuckyUS star Halsey, who posed in a pink miniskirt and purple top, left, sings: “I shaved my head four times because I wanted to. And then I did it one more time ’cos I got sick. And I thought I changed so much, nobody would notice it, and no one did.“And I left the doctor’s office full of tears. Became a single mom at my premiere and I told everybody I was fine for a whole damn year. And that’s the biggest lie of my career.”She recently revealed she had been diagnosed with autoimmune disease lupus and has been struggling with her health privately.It’s good to see she seems to be on the up again now.Aisle’s well, KatyKATY PERRY is finally about to make it down the aisle.The US singer was due to marry Orlando Bloom in 2020 but the pandemic meant the couple had to put their plans on hold.Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom are finally set to get marriedCredit: GettyBrit movie heart-throb Orlando popped the question in 2019, on Valentine’s Day.But now Katy, who is in the UK to promote new single Woman’s World, says plans are in motion again.She told Heart Radio Breakfast: “We are engaged, yes. I was going to get married and then Covid happened and now I have a really large credit at a venue that I am going to use.“I was pregnant then, so the dress is different now. We are going to rework the whole thing.”It’s a huge year for Katy.As well as releasing seventh album 143 in September, her first since 2020’s Smile, she is busy planning an epic 40th birthday bash.Katy, currently in London with Orlando and their three-year-old Daisy, added: “I’m putting together a massive tour, which is being announced soon, and am going to see the world again.READ MORE SUN STORIES“I had my daughter and Covid happened before that, so it’s been an extended time away, but I am excited to bring my joy and light to the world again.“Also, I am turning 40 at the end of October so am going to be celebrating that.” More

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      Ryan Reynolds mocks Hugh Jackman divorce in savage Deadpool & Wolverine gag

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      RYAN REYNOLDS always hits close to the bone as movie superhero Deadpool.But the Hollywood A-lister delivers a brutal blow to Australian co-star Hugh Jackman, in their new film Deadpool & Wolverine which hit cinemas on Thursday.Deadpool and Wolverine stars Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds have been bantering ahead of their movie releaseCredit: GettyIt sees Ryan make a gag about Wolverine actor Hugh’s 2023 split from his wife of 27 years, Aussie actress Deborra-Lee Furness.Referring to Wolverine’s yellow costume, red-clad Deadpool jokes: “This is Logan. He’s usually shirtless but he’s let himself go since the divorce.”But that isn’t the only gag made at Hugh’s expense in the movie, which is packed with surprises that will thrill Marvel fans.Deadpool goes on to poke fun at the fact Hugh’s Wolverine was killed off in 2017’s 21st Century Fox film Logan, before Disney later got the rights to the franchise.READ MORE ON RYAN REYNOLDSDeadpool says: “Fox killed him but Disney brought him back. They’re going to make him do it till he’s 90.”If the movies are as fun as this one, I certainly won’t be complaining about that.Earlier in the week The Sun revealed Wrexham owner Ryan and partner Rob McElhenney are in talks with the ECB about making a shock move into cricket.SunSport has learned that the Hollywood pair are considering buying into Hundred franchise Welsh Fire.Most read in BizarreReynolds and Rob McElhenney are understood to have had meetings with ECB representatives and been invited to attend matches at this summer’s competition, which kicks off with Oval Invincibles playing Birmingham Phoenix on Tuesday.The Welsh Fire would one of be cheapest of the eight teams to buy, with sources involved in the talks valuing half the franchise at around £20m.Hugh Jackman forced to wear cast after he ‘snapped his finger’ while filming action movie Deadpool & Wolverine on LiveReynolds and McElhenney have transformed Wrexham since buying the non-league club three years ago, winning two successive promotions and gaining a worldwide fanbase on the back of the smash-hit documentary Welcome to Wrexham. 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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      Model Kelly Gale shows off stunning figure in orange Victoria’s Secret bikini

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      THE future’s bright for model Kelly Gale as she poses in an orange bikini from Victoria’s Secret’s VS swimwear line.The Swedish beauty, 28, has several other options to bandy about if she wants to take a dip — recently wowing fans with a selfie of a silver two-piece she wore on holiday to Italy.Kelly Gale posed in an orange bikini from Victoria’s Secret’s VS swimwear lineCredit: Victoria’s SecretKelly recently wowed fans with a selfie of a silver two-piece she wore on holiday to ItalyCredit: InstagramKelly has been dating actor Joel Kinnaman, 44, for five years.Joel divorced tattoo artist Cleo Wattenstrom in 2018.He and Kelly became engaged in 2021.On Instagram Joel shared a snap of him down on one knee and presenting a ring to an ecstatic Kelly, joking: “She said no. Jus kiddin…”READ MORE ON KELLY GALEKelly posted the same photo of his proposal on her account and wrote: “Most beautiful moment.”She and Joel adopted adorable pooch Zoe in 2020 and Kelly regularly posts cute photos of her to the delight of her fans.Kelly has also done a spot of acting.She featured alongside Olympus Has Fallen star Gerard Butler, 53, in new film Plane.Most read in CelebrityButler plays a pilot who saves his passengers from a lightning strike and lands on an island where they are taken hostage.His character has to rely on a prisoner on board to save them.Victoria Secret model Kelly Gale shares her ab workout 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