Author: WTX Entertainment

Dame Helen Mirren treated fundraisers camping in London’s Trafalgar Square to a bedtime story.  The actress was among several high-profile names supporting the World’s Big Sleep Out event – with actor Will Smith doing the honours in New York’s Times Square.  The global bid to tackle homelessness saw supporters brave the cold in a drive to raise $50m for homelessness charities.  An estimated 60,000 people participated in this year’s event. The sleepouts took place across the globe, in cities including LA, NYC, Chicago, Dublin, Edinburgh and Cardiff.  In Edinburgh, Brian Cox opened the sleep out, saying the time had come…

BRIEF – ME! – ENTERTAINMENT NEWS BRIEFING Entertainment Briefing, Catch up with this week’s top stories from the world of art, music, film and TV.  In music, singer R.Kelly is facing a bribery charge over 1994 marriage to American singer Aaliyah. The K-pop world has been rocked by another sudden death of one of its young stars. We look into the dark underbelly of K-pop and the people who pay the price for fame.  We look at this year’s biggest film flops and why 2019 has been the year of apologies. Star Wars actor says UK black talent is underrepresented…

John Boyega says he’s met Americans who didn’t know black people lived in London. The 27-year-old, who grew up in Peckham by British-Nigerian parents, believes such attitudes are fuelled by the under-representation of black UK talent. Whilst promoting his first film, Attack The Block he told the Radio Times: “I’m black British and I’m from London.” “And that in itself is something that the world doesn’t know about yet. I met American people – civilians of a first-world country- who were confused that there were black people in London,” he continued.  Boyega went on to describe why representation in popular…

BRIEF – ME! – ENTERTAINMENT NEWS BRIEFING Entertainment Briefing, Catch up with this week’s top stories from the world of art, music, film and TV.  K-pop stars Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon have been sentenced in a South Korean court for rape. A former X Factor star’s death has been revealed. Ariel Burdett was found dead in her home with a stab wound in the neck. A drunken Kid Rock went on a rant about Oprah and other TV hosts on stage at his bar. Jack Whitehall fans will see their favourite comedian return to host next year’s Brit Awards.…

X Factor star Ariel Burdett’s cause of death has been confirmed.  Ariel, 38, – real name Amy Burdett- was found with a “stab wound to her neck” at her home in Leeds on November 12.  And it has been ruled there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death.  Employees of her Landlord had attempted to check on her eight days earlier, on November 4. And they made several more attempts to make contact with Burdett after concerns were raised about her welfare.  On November 12, with a locksmith, they gained entry into the property. Amy was found on her bed…

BRIEF – ME! – ENTERTAINMENT NEWS BRIEFING Entertainment Briefing, Catch up with this week’s top stories from the world of art, music, film and TV.  French Montana has been rushed to hospital after suffering ‘cardiac issues and severe nausea’. The rapper is reportedly receiving IV fluid treatment. Take a look into the Taylor Swift / Scooter Braun spat and find out if Taylor can really be banned from performing her hit songs at the upcoming AMAs.  British star Stormzy reveals he cried for an hour after his historic Glastonbury set. Tech difficulties led the rapper to believe his performance was…

Inside an ugly industry: So … Was Taylor Swift really banned from playing her songs? The Taylor Swift/Scooter Braun/ Record label feud is certainly interesting albeit a little confusing. Last week, in a lengthy Twitter post, Taylor declared “I just don’t know what else to do.” And added, “I just want to be able to perform my own music.” So the question is, can Taylor really be banned from performing her hit songs?  Taylor’s Twitter post paints a picture of a distressed and upset woman being pushed around by the men of the industry. She simply wanted to perform a…

BRIEF – ME! – ENTERTAINMENT NEWS BRIEFING Entertainment Briefing, Catch up with this week’s top stories from the world of art, music, film and TV. In music, Kanye West opens up about running for Presidency in 2024 and changing his name to reflect his wealth.  Harry Styles is set to host SNL this Saturday, he’ll also be performing new songs off his upcoming album. And Taylor Swift has said she’s been banned from performing her own songs at the AMAs this month.  In TV and film, Disney+ has launched and has seen an impressive number of subscribers on its first…

Taylor Swift banned from singing her hit songs at awards amid music feud Taylor Swift has said her performance at the upcoming AMA show is in doubt because she has been banned from singing her own songs.  The singer said music moguls Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta would not let her perform songs from her previous albums, which they own the rights to.  Adding, a Netflix documentary about her life has also been left in doubt.  A statement for fans via Twitter had the caption: “I don’t know what else to do.” “Right now my performance at the AMAs, the…

Calling all music lovers. Soul Royalty Festival is back. For the fourth year, Soul star Zalon has teamed up with We Work Devonshire Square to bring Soul to the international stage. Every year We Work Devonshire Square and Soul Royalty choose a charity to support. This year’s event will raise money for the homeless, through the charity The Connections. The headlining acts include a variety of Soul, Reggae, Funk and R&B artists – in what promises to be an immersive, thrilling ride suitable for the whole family. Soul Royalty Winter Festival will be headlined by Heshima and his 15 piece…

BRIEF – ME! – ENTERTAINMENT NEWS BRIEFING Entertainment Briefing, Catch up with this week’s top stories from the world of art, music, film and TV. In Music, Taylor Swift talks about the modern music industry and releasing albums. Rain Phoenix has opened up about her new album, River. The album is named after her late brother, actor River Phoenix.  In the arts, BBC journalist Hanna Yusuf has been posthumously nominated for a British Journalism Award. In film and TV, The Mighty Ducks are coming back in the form of a TV series thanks to Disney+. A UK date for the…

BRIEF – ME! – ENTERTAINMENT NEWS BRIEFING Entertainment Briefing, Catch up with this week’s top stories from the world of art, music, film and TV. Diddy speaks to DJ Khaled for Rolling Stone and declares he’s ‘semi-retired’. He asks “Is there a role for me in music now?”. Actor Kevin Hart has spoken for the first time after undergoing back surgery following a car crash that changed his life. And Jennifer Aniston reveals the cast of Friends are working on a new project.  In the art world, a new book about the elusive street artist Banksy has been published. Pictures…

Have we caught our first glimpse of Banksy? If recently published pictures by his former agent and photographer, Steve Lazarides, are to be believed, we have our first images of the elusive street artist at work.  Banksy’s identity has never been publicly revealed. And the images published do not show his face. But we see Banksy in action creating several famous works of art at various locations.  Having worked with the street artist for over a decade Lazarides said: “ I hate the art world. I only became part of it because Banksy catapulted the movement into the stratosphere.” “It…

In a conversation with DJ Khaled for Rolling Stone, Diddy has revealed he considers himself to be in “semi-retirement.’ And has found himself questioning his role in the modern music industry.  The two musicians sat down to discuss their respective work in the industry and their journeys to fame.  “To be honest, I’ve been in semi-retirement,” Diddy said when asked about what he looks for when signing a new artist. “If you don’t see my name on all the Top 10 records, that means I’m not making music.” After revealing he’s bringing back his TV series Making The Band next…

Todd Phillips’ controversial Joker has inspired protesters worldwide to adopt the Joaquin Phoenix makeup/mask from the film. Despite getting mixed response from critics and audiences, the new take on the iconic Batman villain continues to clean up at the box office. But Chinese theatres probably won’t screen the film at all as protesters have begun to wear Joker masks and paint. The situation appears to have escalated in ways no one could have predicted.  People in Lebanon (and many other cities) have also begun painting the Joker’s face. A group of graffiti artists known as Ashekm have painted a mural…

BRIEF – ME! – ENTERTAINMENT NEWS BRIEFING Entertainment Briefing, Catch up with this week’s top stories from the world of music, film and TV. Eminem faced a visit from the secret services following his anti-Trump lyrics. Selena Gomez is back with a new Bieber-inspired track. Millie Bobby Brown is set to turn her hand to a music career once she turns 16. In the film and TV world, Francis Ford Coppola backs Martin Scorsese’s views on Marvel movies. Soap stars defend the actress who became front-page news after she was discovered to now be working as a security guard in…

Selena Gomez has dropped her first solo single of 2019, “Lose You to Love Me.” In a statement, Gomez said: “This song was inspired by many things that have happened in my life since releasing my last album. “I thought it was important to share the music, as I know many can relate to the fact that the road to self-discovery generally comes from the scars in one’s life.” She added: “I want people to feel hope and to know you will come out the other side stronger and a better version of yourself.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlJDTxahav0 Lose You to Love Me…

Jobbing actors shouldn’t be shamed for taking normal jobs says soap stars Soap actors have come to the defence of former Eastenders actor Katie Jarvis after she became a front-page story for working a “normal” job. The Daily Star’s Sunday front page revealed the actress, who played Hayley Slater in Eastenders, was now working as a security guard at a B&M shop in Romford.  The story felt like an attempt to shame and embarrass the actress. But instead prompted an outpouring of empathy on social media. And highlighted the uncertainty of the acting profession.  Soap stars  “So much love and respect…

BRIEF – ME! – ENTERTAINMENT NEWS BRIEFING Entertainment Briefing, The Irishman becomes Martin Scorsese’s most acclaimed film.  Homeless man found guilty of stalking Harry Styles. Elton calls Disney’s 2019 Lion King remake “a huge disappointment.” Jennifer Aniston breaks Instagram with a little help from her FRIENDS. Mark Ronson on why we should listen to albums in full.  Nicki Minaj and Adele are not working together, despite Nicki’s earlier claims. All in today’s ENTERTAINMENT briefing – A weekly roundup of all the news headlines that you need to know, summarised as part of WTX News Briefing. ……………………………………………………. THE IRISHMAN BECOMES MARTIN…

Nicki Minaj got music lovers excited on Tuesday when she told Entertainment Tonight she was working with Adele. But now she’s backtracked admitting she made the whole thing up.  On Tuesday she said she was super excited to be collaborating with the British singer and confirmed the two had already shot a music video.  “Adele made me swear to secrecy that I’m not allowed to tell anyone that I’m working with her,” Minaj said. “And that we already shot a video. And it’s an epic song! Ahh!” After fans went wild on social media, she took it back.  https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ/status/1184513489408118786 “Omg…

The president of Atlantic Records has resigned after admitting that he attended a party as a member of the rap group Run-DMC. Ben Cook has acknowledged his choice of dress was “offensive.”  Cook has been credited with guiding the careers of Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Rita Ora. And is head of a record company that is home to many famous black artists.  BEN COOK Cook said: “Seven years ago, at a birthday party where guests were asked to come dressed as their favourite musical icon, I came as a member of Run-DMC.” “Late last year rumours began to circulate about…

Jennifer Aniston has racked up 7.9 million more friends after joining Instagram yesterday. The actor’s first post was a reunion picture with her former Friends co-stars.  https://www.instagram.com/p/B3o8vWDhlOh/ Impressively, she attracted almost five million followers in 12 hours. It followed her recent revelation that the cast had met up at Courtney Cox’s home.  Her profile stopped accepting new followers for a while because of technical difficulties. Jen joked: “ Sorry, I think I broke it.” Her post has been liked more than nine million times. And reportedly gained more than 116,000 followers within 30 minutes of creating her account. Making…

A homeless man who spent months camped outside the north-west London home of Harry Styles has been found guilty of stalking the musician.  Harry’s first encountered Pablo Tarazaga-Orero outside his home during a wet night in March. Harry told the court he was “sad to see someone so young sleeping rough.” And offered the homeless man money for a hotel or food. “He told me that he couldn’t accept the money for religious reasons,” said Styles. And “He said he was vegan.” The next morning Styles gave him some vegan food. “He asked me if I wanted to go to…

Harry Styles returns with a soulful, psychedelic track  Harry Styles has returned to the industry with a fantastic new single. Leaving behind the 70s rock influences of his 2017 debut album he has adopted a more soulful sound.  His track, Lights Up is laced with surprises – the looping, stilted pre-chorus, and even the sounds of a gospel choir. Lights Up is a self-assured piano and guitar drenched track with serious California vibes and psychedelic grooves. His vocals have shifted from gritty rock to light, airy and cool tones. The single gives us a glimpse into his ability to evolve.…

BRIEF – ME! – ENTERTAINMENT NEWS BRIEFING Entertainment Briefing, Mark Ruffalo slams Ellen’s support of George W Bush.  Harry Styles drops his new song ‘Lights Up’ and it’s being praised as a ‘bisexual anthem.’ ‘Joker’ doesn’t live up to the hype! A review of the highly-anticipated new film. Rihanna confirms she turned down NFL half-time show in support of ex-NFL star. Liam Hemsworth has been spotted with a new leading lady. All in today’s ENTERTAINMENT briefing – A weekly roundup of all the news headlines that you need to know, summarised as part of WTX News Briefing. ……………………………………………………. MARK RUFFALO…