#tulisa now

[herinfluencerdeer]

Tulisa Contostavlos: Why I’m a Celebrity 2024 contestant left the spotlight after The X Factor.

The N-Dubz singer has faced several obstacles in the last 10 years

Read more....

[mcflysohigh]

Ok so I share a birthday with Tulisa

[musicforastylesrestaurant]

Skydiving.

word count - 1.4k

The camera then cut to a video of you walking up a grass hill towards a big house, you were wearing a white play suit, your hair tied up in a pony tail as you fiddled with your wedding ring, something that you often did when you were nervous.

You walked up to the house, walking through it and letting your feet lead you outside.

You peered your head around the corner, making eye contact with all of the contestants.

Oti Mabuse,

Tulisa,

Danny Jones,

Dean McCullough,

And Jane Moore.

“Ahh!” Tulisa ran towards you the second she saw you and embraced you in a hug. You recognised all of the people in front of you which you were glad about.

You had met Tulisa a few times over the years, a few times when Harry had performed on the x-factor.

“It’s so nice to see all of you,” you grinned, after Danny Jones brought you in for a hug.

“Can’t believe Harry Styles wife is stood right in front of me,” Dean couldn’t wrap his head around it. “— think you can give him my number when we get out of here?”

You laughed, embracing him.

Danny smiled, before bringing everyone around him into a hug.

“Campmates!”

The sound of helicopters in the air brought you out of the hug, you lifted your head up, linking arms with Dean.

“What is that noise?” He asked, mouth falling agape.

“It’s a helicopter!” You exclaimed, pointing your hand up into the air. “— holy cow!”

Soon enough, six helicopters could be seen.

“Six?” Danny widened his eyes. “Are you having a laugh?”

Jane pointed to one of the helicopters. “It’s Ant and Dec!”

The six camp mates started jumping up and down, you had to admit that you were a little bit excited.

“Six helicopters,” Danny could hardly contain his excitement as he counted all the people around him. “One, two, three, four, five, six!”

It felt like something out of a movie as the double act walked towards the six of you, you gulped.

“Here comes trouble!” Oti gasped.

“Look at you, you all look gorgeous,” Ant grinned and held his hands out.

Dec smiled. “— welcome to Australia!”

“Now take in all that’s around you,” Dec continued, an evil glint to his eye. “— because you won’t be here long.”

You gulped, one foot kicking the heel of your other foot out of nerves.

Was it too late to back out?

You and Dean exchanged a look.

“You all about to take part in a race to become the first leaders of camp,” the shorter host began explaining. “— down there are six helicopters, each for one of you.”

“Oh god,” you eyes widened slightly. “I know where this is going.”

Ant pointed at you all. “Before you take off you might want to grab yourselves a parachute! Because you’ll all be skydiving out of your chopper!”

Danny started pumping his hands up into the air.

“Someone’s excited.”

Danny let out a laugh. “— I don’t know why I just thought I’d celebrate.”

That got you laughing.

“Once you landed, you’ll meet your other celebrities.” Ant continued. “— you will then have to pick a celebrity to partner up with.”

Dec instructed. “The pair who win the race will become the first leaders of camp and that comes with perks.”

“You’ll be sleeping in the comfort of the leaders lodge and will be exempt from the first bush tucker trial.”

Ant then remembered something as he turned to his best friend. “I’ve just realised we’re terrible hosts, we haven’t offered them a welcome drink.”

“I’m fine thanks.” You smiled, making everyone laugh at you.

Just as you said that, a waiter came walking over, holding a tray of drinks in his hand.

“The welcome drinks are not very welcoming,” Dec expressed, “— this is blended bull’s penis and fish eye with vomit fruit garnish.”

Oh god, you were going to be sick.

“The order in which you finish your drinks will be the order in which you jump out of the helicopter, which will then result in the order you pick your partner.”

The six camp mates then walked over to pick up one of the glasses and you made the grave mistake of smelling the contents.

Your never doing that again.

“The race is about to begin,” Ant stated. “Ready…steady…go!”

You placed the vomit fruit up to your mouth and chewed on it as fast as you possible could, your eyes were closed, focusing on anything but the food in your mouth.

You then brought the drink up to your mouth, drinking through the straw, you pulled away and gagged, nothing came up but you were close.

When you looked up, you noticed Danny was almost done and Tulisa was close behind him.

There was no way that you were going to come last.

The straw came back in connection with your mouth and you drank like your life depended on it.

Danny finished his drink first, placing his drink on the table, and Tulisa came third, followed by you in third, Jane in fourth, Dean in fifth and Oti in sixth.

The next think you knew, you were running down the hill towards the helicopters, a man with a parachute waiting for you.

Up, up and away.

As Harry approached the beach area, was when he spotted a few other celebrities stood there.

“Harry!”Melvin exclaimed, running over to give the man a hug. “— long time no see!”

“Hi, how are you?”the singer asked, stepping away from the embrace.

“I’m good,” Melvin smiled. “You?”

Harry nodded his head as he fiddled with his wedding ring. “Yeah, m’good, tired but good.”

The next camp mate approached, it was Colleen Rooney.

So then everyone was there.

GK Barry,

Alan Halsall,

Barry McGuigan,

Colleen Rooney,

And Melvin Odoom.

“So this is it then?” GK asked, looking around at everyone. “— honestly im shitting it, not going to lie to you all.”

Suddenly a ringing sound became known to the celebrities, Harry pursed his lips.

“What’s that?” Colleen asked, hands on her hips.

“Shall we have a look?”

Alan leaned forward and hesitantly pressed the button, Harry stood there, eyebrows furrowed.

The ringing stopped.

“Celebrities…” it was Ant.

“How are you all feeling?”

“M’palms are sweaty.” Harry murmured, wiping them against his shorts.

He was wearing a pair of cream shorts with a white tank top with a matching cream top over the top.

“Well we can help with that because you are about to take part in a race to become the first leaders of camp and they will sleep in the leaders lodge and will be exempt from the first bush ticket trial.”

“However, the race has already began, five of your fellow celebrities will be skydiving down next to you and will be picking one of you to be part of the team.”

That was when Harry realised that one of those contestants would be his wife, and he knew for a fact that his wife was immensely scared of heights.

So scared that on the flight out of here, she was practically in his lap during the take off, he had to hold her down in the seat.

“Once your picked, you will then leave the beach and continue the race.”

You were shitting it.

There was no way that you would be able to jump out of this helicopter.

Oh god.

Oh golly gosh.

The professional skydiver was sat behind you, attached.

You looked out of the window and watched as Danny exited the helicopter and shortly after Tulisa did the same.

Now it was your turn.

“Are you ready?”The skydiver asked, shimmying the two of you closer to the open door.

“I don’t think I can do it.” A start tear fell down your face as you contemplated the idea of skydiving.

And then your mind drifted to Harry.

What would he be saying to you if he was sat next to you.

“Y’got this m’sunshine.”

“M’so proud of you already.”

“Let’s do it.” You took a big intake of breath as you were shuffled even closer.

And when the light turned green you were propelled out of it and flipping through the sky.

A scream ripped through your chest.

But once you had stopped flipping, it was one of the most amazing things you had ever seen.

You were above the ocean, you could see things for miles.

“This is amazing!”you exclaimed, as you fell.

Danny was the first to land and he partnered up with Barry and Tulisa picked Alan.

When you landed, you fell softly but rough on the sand, you were quickly unclipped and you ran forward to pick a partner.

And when you approached, you got the biggest surprise of your life.

“H?”

He grinned up at you sheepishly whilst rubbing the back of his neck.

“Sunshine!”

taglist: @luvr4miya @thurhomish @shanice

[zot3-flopped]

There's a piece on the Daily Mail that gives a very interesting behind-the-scenes of Liam's life (they also talk about a big childhood trauma but "whose full details the Mail has chosen not to publish"). It's behind a paywall but I've discovered that many times the reading mode in Firefox and Safari gets through anyway, so here it is:

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Liam Payne's serious childhood trauma and why having a baby so young with Cheryl couldn't bring the stability that may have saved him: KATIE HIND

It was the autumn of 2011, and I had been summoned to Sony Music’s west London HQ to meet Britain’s hottest new boy band.

A few months earlier, five hopeful teenagers had auditioned for ITV’s X Factor talent show – and the music impresario Simon Cowell had drawn them together to form One Direction.

The fledgling stars had already attracted a global fanbase in the millions: a juggernaut that was drawing comparisons to 1960s Beatlemania, even though they had yet to release a song.

Now that was about to change. The band’s debut single, What Makes You Beautiful, was launching the following week – and I was there to interview the boys behind it.

Although they had seemed like sweet young things when we had briefly met at the Fountain Studios in Wembley, north-west London, during their X Factor live shows the previous year, I had expected these precocious adolescents to now be full of self-importance at their growing fame.

How wrong I was.

I arrived to find five handsome young men politely waiting to greet me, but one of them stood out thanks to his cute curly hair and his charming, talkative manner.

No, not Harry Styles – the only ex-1D member who has gone on to forge a successful, long-term solo career – but Liam Payne. Dressed down in a navy hoodie and jeans, Liam wrapped me in a warm hug and excitedly introduced me to his bandmates – Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik – in his strong Wolverhampton accent.

Looking younger than his 18 years, Liam told me how badly he was missing his beloved mum Karen’s cooking – so much so that he had resorted to eating chicken dippers warmed up in the microwave.

Living as he was out of suitcases in hotels, he asked me for ironing tips as he had yet to learn how to use one – and said he still spent much of his free time playing Nintendo.

He admitted that he had practised putting his hands behind his back and trying to sing like his hero Liam Gallagher, the snarling Oasis frontman. ‘I probably looked a bit stupid though,’ he said.

He also spoke lovingly about West Bromwich Albion, the football team he had supported since he was a young boy – though he regretted that he no longer had time to cheer them on in person.

As for girls, Liam told me he preferred shy and quiet ones, although he revealed he’d fallen in love with X Factor’s 2006 winner Leona Lewis, while he found singer Tulisa Contostavlos ‘really, really hot’.

Overall, he struck me as an innocent abroad – a child, really – who seemed too vulnerable a soul to last long in the cut-throat music world.

As the years passed, I met Liam many times at industry events and in chance encounters – and I never shook that worrying sense that he was, in some ways, a lost little boy.

I could never have known, of course, that just 13 years after our first interview, Liam would perish in the most terrible circumstances – following a long spell of torment, scandal and drink and drug abuse.

His descent into addiction had been playing out, in public and in private, for years – worsened by his fragile emotional state.

Many had tried to help him quit the substances that were destroying his life, but to no avail: following his death in Buenos Aires’s five-star CasaSur hotel on Wednesday evening, what appeared to be cocaine and heroin paraphernalia were found in his wrecked suite, with its smashed TV and half-drunk flutes of champagne.

It was a squalid end for one of the most famous young men in the world, so adored by ‘Directioners’ that he insisted he couldn’t leave his hotel without a large security detail (although it’s worth pointing out that other former bandmates, including the global megastar Styles, often travel without huge entourages).

So where did it all go wrong for him – and how did that smiling boy I met all those years ago, rough around the edges as he was, come to such a terrible end?

There is no doubt that he struggled, even more than his bandmates, with that explosive early fame and notoriety.

In a candid moment at 2014’s Brit Awards, Liam told me how difficult he found it to be unable to blend into a crowd. The band’s relentless schedule had taken its toll on him, as had the long months away from home.

He often wished, one of his friends later told me, that he had gone to university like many of his schoolmates.

Of course, Liam came to enjoy a lifestyle unimaginable to his old contemporaries at St Peter’s Collegiate, his Church of England secondary school in Wolverhampton.

Despite his insatiable appetite for drugs, his large property portfolio, his endless jaunts on private jets, taste for high fashion and luxury hotel stays, his bank balance was still thought to be in the millions when he died.

For all his fears that he had peaked so young, he still had decades ahead of him – and ample time to grow into the contented father to Bear, his son with Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy, his friends and family longed for him to become.

But I can reveal that behind that smiling, cherubic face, Liam had suffered serious trauma in his childhood: a shadow from which he felt he could never escape and whose full details the Mail has chosen not to publish.

One friend told me: ‘Before he even began his showbiz career, he had demons from his formative years. He struggled with that and never quite got over it. He was in a band with four other guys, he could get any girl he wanted and he was earning millions – but he struggled to enjoy any of it.’

I can vouch for that: of all the 1D members, Liam seemed by far the most uncomfortable with his fame and fortune.

I would see him most years at the Brits, where at first he would dash over to say hello, often reminding me that he had enjoyed me asking him ‘fun questions’ at our first interview.

Yet as time went on, his chaotic living began to catch up with him, and his manner became ever more unpredictable.

In February 2013, at a Brit Awards afterparty organised by his music label at the upmarket Arts Club in Mayfair, I saw him drunkenly dancing with his bandmates – by far the most bleary-eyed of them.

That December, I bumped into him in the Kurt Geiger shoe shop in Canary Wharf, east London, where he was buying his then girlfriend Sophia Smith – a former school sweetheart – a pair of boots for Christmas.

Gone was his carefree demeanour of just two years earlier, he now seemed strikingly shy. He told me he had bought a penthouse flat in the Docklands, and at my insistence, he posed for a picture with me before dashing off.

During 2013’s Take Me Home tour, the band performed an average of a concert every two days, completing 124 dates between February and November. That, I’m told, put unbearable pressure on Liam, who would often say that he ‘just wanted to be normal’.

Of course, the fame came with perks – women chief among them. Liam’s best-known romance was with Cheryl, who was ten years his senior, which had begun in 2016 following her split from her French husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini.

They quickly became the most talked-about couple in showbiz –and only six months after they were confirmed to be an item, Cheryl revealed she was expecting their baby.

For Liam, however, the pregnancy was a huge shock: he was, he allegedly told friends, not ready to become a dad.

With 1D having gone on ‘permanent hiatus’ in 2016, he was trying to launch his solo career, and becoming a father – especially to a woman a decade older than him –was not part of his plans.

He told friends that he felt like Cheryl, who was 33 when Bear was born, had used him so she could have a baby.

When Bear, now seven, was born in 2017, Cheryl grew increasingly fed up that she was stuck at home with the baby while Liam was away jet-setting.

‘Liam was flying around the world promoting his music,’ said a friend. ‘He was in the zone Cheryl had been in ten years before with Girls Aloud. It led to some furious rows.

‘He began using private jets so he could get home quicker, but it wasn’t enough. Cheryl wanted a proper family unit and Liam just could not give it to her. Things got really bad and tempestuous. Liam was a young lad in his early 20s and he just wasn’t ready for it all.’

Inevitably, they split up – giving Liam even more time to ‘go off the rails’, as one former associate of the star describes it.

Even when they were co-parenting, Cheryl desperately hoped that Liam and Bear would develop a strong father-son bond, despite Liam’s addiction issues.

‘Cheryl knew what a state he was in,’ says a source. ‘She wished she could make it better.’

And she wasn’t alone in that wish: as Liam turned from being a cheerful teenager into a tormented, angry young man, many of those closest to him tried unsuccessfully to rescue him.

He was dropped by more than one of his managers due to his erratic behaviour and his failure to turn up to work engagements.

In September 2017, Cheryl, Liam and Bear went on a luxury holiday to Majorca: a birthday treat for Liam. But he injured himself while drunk.

As the years went on, he only got worse.

In 2022, a gurning Liam appeared to be high on drugs at a post-Oscars party in Hollywood. In footage that went viral for all the wrong reasons, he replaced his Wolverhampton twang with a bizarre Los Angeles accent.

One friend of Liam’s called me in horror to share their fears that he ‘really wasn’t OK’. Last year, Liam moved to a sprawling mansion near the Buckinghamshire town of Chalfont St Giles to be further away from the temptations of London and closer to Bear, who lived nearby with Cheryl.

However, neighbours tell me that he brought his problems with him. They would often spot him coming home in the early hours in chauffeur-driven cars, often with women in tow.

While I’m told he tried to see Bear regularly, his unpredictable lifestyle frequently made this impossible. Instead, Cheryl was largely left to bring up the little boy alone with the help of her mother Joan.

Liam’s new home was also close to a woman who some describe as his fairy godmother – the Olympic heptathlon gold medallist Denise Lewis.

Her husband Steve Finan worked with Liam for several years and the couple were at his side through some of his most difficult times – including his fall-out with Cheryl.

He would often stay at their home as they battled to keep him sober.

‘Liam adored Denise,’ says a source. ‘She mothered him and really tried to support him.’

Yet in recent months, his life was clearly spiralling out of control. His on-off girlfriend, Maya Henry, 23, had recently hired lawyers to send a ��cease and desist’ letter to the star, accusing him of repeatedly contacting her and her loved ones.

Liam’s friends insisted he was angry and upset at her, adding that her behaviour was due to her wanting to publicise her new book.

And only last week, I’m told Liam had a huge row with his manager over his forthcoming album, whose release – to Liam’s fury – had been delayed because it was deemed ‘too poppy’.

A source said: ‘There was a blazing row and the album was put back again. The single from it had flopped and there were concerns. Liam desperately wanted that album to come out: despite everything, he thought of himself as a musician.’

To make matters even worse, just a few days ago Liam’s record label dropped him.

Another source said: ‘People begged him to get help and suggested that he went to Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings, but he wouldn’t take them up on it.’

His most recent girlfriend was Texan model Katie Cassidy, whom he thought might have been The One. She too had tried to help him, but left Argentina to return to the US two days before he died.

‘Lots of people cared for Liam,’ said a source. ‘He had so much love around him.’

Yet all the love in the world was not enough to rescue this desperately unhappy young man, who for all his fame and fortune could never escape the demons that haunted him from his lost, tormented youth.

www dailymail co uk/tvshowbiz/article-13972405/Liam-Paynes-childhood-trauma-having-baby-young-Cheryl-bring-stability-saved-KATIE-HIND html

Thank you for this. Plenty of interesting insights here.

[dietplanssite]

Tulisa explains her sexual dysfunction after a celebrity's remarks

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter now Listen to this to get the inside track on all things music Get Now Hear This email for free Get Now Hear This email for free Pop singer and TV star Tulisa has clarified her outlook on relationships after revealing that she identifies as bisexual during an appearance on I’m a celebrity…get me out of here! The N-Dubz artist took part in the…

[markowensmile]

The Spotlight - Chapter 10 (A Gary Barlow FanFiction)

I take a deep breath, feeling the hot Los Angeles heat on my skin as I stand among the other contestants.

I turn to David. "Who do you want as a mentor?" I ask, genuinely curious about his thoughts.

David flashes that confident grin of his, the one that seems to light up his whole face. "Definitely not Gary Borelow," he says with a chuckle. "He has a record for losing and bad song choices. Great singer, but he's not for me to win this."

I feel a little twinge in my chest at his dismissal of Gary, but I keep my face neutral as David continues.

"I'm hoping for Nicole," he says, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "She's had multiple winners or has contestants that are in the semi-finals. Being a semi-finalist is almost as good as winning, as there are people who got record deals after." He winks playfully. "Besides, who wouldn't want a Pussycat as their mentor?"

I can't help but smile at his cheekiness, even as I mull over his words. Nicole has indeed had a lot of success as a mentor, but something in me can't help but defend Gary.

"I wouldn't mind Gary," I say, my voice gentle but firm.

David's eyebrows shoot up, and he nudges me playfully with his elbow. "Because he's hot?" he teases, a mischievous glint in his eye.

I feel the heat rush to my cheeks immediately, and I know I must be blushing furiously. It's true that Gary is attractive—I'd be lying if I said I hadn't noticed—but that's not why I admire him. I shake my head, willing my voice to steady as I explain.

"Because of his story," I say, meeting David's gaze. "His comeback is incredible, and you can't deny he's talented, whether he's had a winner or not. You are bound to learn from him."

As I speak, I feel a surge of passion. Gary's journey in the music industry has always resonated with me. The way he bounced back after Take That disbanded, how he reinvented himself as a solo artist, and then reunited with the band—it's a testament to his resilience and dedication to his craft. That's the kind of mentor I want—someone who understands the ups and downs of the industry and can guide us through them.

David seems taken aback by the intensity in my voice. His teasing smile softens into something more thoughtful. "I hadn't thought about it like that," he admits. "You really admire him, don't you?"

Our conversation is interrupted by the commotion of the group. The production assistant has returned, clipboard in hand, looking ready to make an announcement. My heart starts racing.

As we wait for the announcement, I can't help but let my mind wander. What if it is Gary? The thought sends a flutter through my stomach. I imagine standing in front of him, receiving guidance on my performances, and maybe even getting to hear some of his songwriting tips. But then again, what if it's Nicole? Or Tulisa? Or Louis? Each possibility brings its own set of exciting prospects and challenges.

The production assistant clears her throat, and a hush falls over us. "Alright, everyone," she says, her voice carrying across the now-silent group. "It's time to meet your mentor. They will be here shortly."

A collective intake of breath ripples through the group, including me. This is it. In just a few moments, we'll know who will be guiding us through this competition.

I follow the gaze of my fellow contestants, my heart leaping into my throat as I spot a sleek black limousine gliding towards us. The vehicle moves with an almost otherworldly grace, its polished surface reflecting the bright Los Angeles sun.

My breath catches in my chest. Our mentor is about to be revealed.

I feel David tense beside me, his earlier bravado seemingly evaporating in the face of this imminent revelation.

Cameras swivel in our direction, their lenses capturing every nuance of our reactions. I'm acutely aware of my expression, trying to school my features into something resembling calm excitement rather than the tumultuous mix of anxiety and hope that's churning inside me.

The limo comes to a stop, and for a moment, time seems to stand still. Then, with agonizing slowness, the door begins to open.

My heart pounds so loudly that I'm sure the microphones must be picking it up. I hold my breath, my eyes fixed on that opening door, willing it to reveal...

And there he is. Gary Barlow steps out of the limo, and it's as if the world shifts on its axis.

He looks absolutely immaculate in a dark green polo that hugs his broad shoulders and khakis that cling to his body, accentuating every curve and defining his impressive musculature. I can't help but notice how the fabric stretches across his chest as he moves, hinting at the strength beneath. His outfit, while casual, exudes an effortless sophistication that makes my heart murmur. I find myself mesmerized by the way the ensemble complements his tanned skin and highlights his confident posture, creating an image of perfection that's hard to look away from. His presence is commanding and magnetic. The sunlight catches his hair, giving him an almost ethereal glow. But it's his smile that captivates me—warm, genuine, and filled with an excitement that mirrors our own.

For a split second, I'm transported back to that night, watching Gary on old X Factor clips. But this isn't a video on my phone screen. This is real. Gary Barlow is here, in the flesh, and he's going to be our mentor.

The realization hits me like a tidal wave, and I'm swept up in the surge of emotion that ripples through our group. Cheers erupt around me, a symphony of joy and disbelief. I find myself joining in, my voice blending with the others in a chorus of excitement.

Even David, who had been so dismissive of Gary earlier, is swept up in the moment. I watch as he plasters on a grin, his hands coming together in enthusiastic applause. If I didn't know better, I'd never guess he had any reservations about our mentor.

As Gary approaches us, his smile widening, I feel a bubble of laughter rising in my chest. I turn to David, unable to resist the urge to tease him just a little.

Leaning in close, I murmur, "Your wish just came true." The irony of the situation isn't lost on me: David, who had been hoping for anyone but Gary, is now faced with the very mentor he'd dismissed.

David's response is a playful nudge, his eyes twinkling with glee despite the conflict I can see lurking beneath the surface. "Careful what you wish for, right?" he whispers back, his voice tinged with a mix of resignation and humor.

I want to say more to reassure him that Gary isn't the "Borelow" he thinks he is, but there's no time. Gary has reached our group now, and his presence seems to fill the entire space around us.

Gary's voice rings out, clear and strong. "You are my final six. Congratulations and welcome to my judge's home. A big round of applause for everybody!"

The air around us erupts with applause, and I join in, my hands clapping almost of their own accord. The excitement is electric. I can feel it thrumming through my body and see it reflected in the faces of my fellow contestants. We've made it this far, and now we're here, at Gary Barlow's judge's house.

Gary's voice cuts through the applause, commanding our attention once more. "Now I want you all to give it everything you've got. I want this to be the performance of your life. I want to see everyone's amazing vocals and everything you have to show and have to offer for this competition."

His words resonate within me as I nod along with the others, my resolve strengthening with each word.

But Gary's not done surprising us yet. "Now, I'd like to introduce someone very special who will be the guest judge for tonight," he says, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "Please welcome, Mark Owen!"

The cheers that erupt at Mark's entrance are even louder than before. I can hardly believe it—Mark Owen is here with us! Another Take That legend approaches us, his face lit up with a genuine smile.

Mark takes the time to shake hands with each of us, and when it's my turn, I'm struck by how down-to-earth he is. His grip is firm, and his smile is bright and encouraging. "I've heard so much about you all," he says, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "I'm really excited to hear you all sing tonight."

As Mark moves on to the next contestant, I feel a surge of inspiration. To have not just Gary, but Mark as well, here to listen to us and guide us—it's more than I could have ever dreamed of.

Gary and Mark stand before us, two legends of the music industry.

I close my eyes for a moment, soaking it all in. The sounds of excited chatter around me, the heat of the sun on my skin, the lingering echo of Gary's words in my mind.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart as Gary addresses our small group.

"Right, let's get down to business," Gary says, clapping his hands together. "We've got a busy day ahead of us. You'll start with the vocal coach and warm up first thing in the morning. It's crucial to take care of your voices, especially with tonight's performance coming up."

I nod along with the others, mentally noting to set an early alarm. Gary continues, his voice filled with enthusiasm, "After warm-ups, you'll have the rest of the day to rehearse your chosen song. This is your chance to really shine, to show Mark and me what you're made of."

My mind immediately starts sprinting, thinking about the list of song choices I've been debating about. What would showcase my voice best? What would impress Gary and Mark? I'm so lost in thought that I almost miss Gary's next words.

"You'll be performing for us this evening. This is your moment to leave it all on the stage. We want to see your passion, your talent, and everything you've got."

Gary's eyes sweep over our group, making sure we're all paying attention. "Remember, this isn't just about hitting the right notes. It's about connecting with the song. Show us who you are as an artist."

This is what I've always dreamed of—a chance to show who I truly am through my music.

"Alright then. I'll see you all tonight." With that, Gary dismisses us.

As we start to disperse, I hear Mark call out, "And remember, this is your chance to shine. Make the most of it!"

I turn to follow the other contestants into the house, but just before I go inside the house, something compels me to look back.

My breath catches in my throat. Gary is standing there, his gaze fixed in our direction. For a fleeting moment, our eyes meet, and I feel a jolt of heat run through me. Is he watching me specifically, or is he just observing all of us? I can't be sure, but the intensity of his gaze makes my heart rush.

As if sensing my attention, Gary's lips curve into an amiable grin. It's brief but genuine, and I feel my cheeks flush, which has nothing to do with the LA heat. Before I can react, he turns back to Mark, their conversation resuming.

I shake my head slightly, trying to clear the fog of confusion... and excitement I'm feeling? It was probably nothing, I tell myself. He's just being a good mentor, keeping an eye on all of us. But as I step into the cool interior of the house, I can't shake the feeling that there is something more.

The vocal coach, a petite woman with a commanding appearance, leads us through our warm-up drills. Her voice carries over the group, guiding us through scales and exercises designed to prepare our voices for the day ahead.

"Remember, breathe from your diaphragm," she instructs, demonstrating the proper technique. I focus on my breathing, feeling the expansion in my lower abdomen as I inhale deeply.

To my left, David mimics the coach's movements, his face crunched up in concentration. On my right, Trisha executes each exercise with precision, her eyes darting around the room as if to gauge everyone else's performance. Sean, Melissa, and Dean are scattered throughout the group, each absorbed in their own warm-up routines.

"Now, let's try some tongue twisters," the coach announces. "Repeat after me: 'The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick.'"

We stumble through the phrase, laughter rippling through the group as we trip over our words, except for Trisha, who looks at us with disgust for laughing.

As we continue with our exercises, the coach offers tips on maintaining vocal health and improving our warm-up routines. "Hydration is key," she emphasizes. "And don't underestimate the power of a good night's sleep."

After what feels like both an eternity and no time at all, the coach wraps up the session. "Alright, everyone. You've done well this morning. Remember these techniques as you prepare for tonight. Good luck!"

With that, we're dismissed to spend the rest of the day rehearsing our chosen songs. I make my way back to my room, my mind already cycling through potential song choices. As I close the door behind me, I reach for my phone, thinking I might look up some lyrics for inspiration.

That's when I see it. A notification for a new post on Instagram. My heart drops as I recognize the familiar face of my ex, Ethan. The man who broke my heart and shattered my trust. And he's not alone.

Sitting in his lap is a girl I've never seen before. She's stunning, with long, flowing chestnut hair that cascades over her shoulders in perfect waves. Her eyes, a striking ocean blue, sparkle with joy as she smiles at the camera. Her arms are wrapped around Ethan's neck in a possessive embrace, and the intimacy of the pose feels like a punch to my gut.

But it's the caption that really twists the knife: On the way to true love. #soulmates #forever

I feel the anger rising within me—hot and fierce. How dare he? After everything we went through, after the pain he caused me, how can he act as if none of it mattered? As if our relationship, our love, was nothing more than a stepping stone to this moment?

The phone trembles in my hand as I stare at the image, unable to look away yet desperate to erase it from my mind. Years of memories flash before my eyes—the laughter, the shared dreams, and the plans we made together. All of it is tainted now by his betrayal and by this blatant display of his new "happiness."

I toss the phone onto the bed, pacing the room as emotions war within me. Anger, hurt, betrayal, and a fierce determination all vie for dominance. How could I have been so blind? How could I have given so much of myself to someone who clearly never truly valued me?

As I move restlessly around the small space, my eyes fall on the notepad where I've been jotting down song ideas. Suddenly, everything clicks into place. I know exactly what song I'm going to sing tonight.

I grab my phone again, ignoring the Instagram post still glaring from the screen, and search for the lyrics I need. As I read through them, I feel a sense of catharsis washing over me. This song isn't just about impressing Gary and Mark anymore. It's about reclaiming my power and turning my pain into strength.

With renewed purpose, I begin to practice. The words flow from me, charged with all the emotion I've been holding back. Each line feels like a declaration, a promise to myself that I won't let Ethan's actions define me any longer.

As I sing, I can almost feel Gary and Mark watching me, their eyes assessing every note and every inflection. But for once, I'm not nervous about their judgment. I'm too focused on the story I'm telling and on the emotions I'm channeling through the music.

Hours pass in a blur of repetition and fine-tuning. I barely notice the sun moving across the sky outside my window, too engrossed in perfecting my performance. I hear a knock on my door, signaling that it's almost time for us to sing.

I take one last look at my phone, at the image that sparked this fire within me. But instead of anger, I now feel a sense of gratitude. Ethan's post, painful as it was to see, has given me the fuel I needed for tonight's performance.

As I head down to join the others for dinner, I silently thank Ethan and his new girlfriend. They think they're on the way to true love. Well, I'm on my way to something even better.

And tonight, Gary Barlow and Mark Owen are going to see exactly what I'm capable of.

I take a deep breath and make my way downstairs to rejoin the others. The air is thick with tension as we gather in the living room, each of us lost in our own thoughts about the performances to come. David, Sean, Dean, Melissa, and Trisha are already there, sitting on the couches.

Dermot enters the room, and it's both comforting and nerve-wracking to see him. He gives us a friendly smile, but I can see the seriousness in his eyes.

"Alright, everyone," Dermot begins, his voice steady and reassuring. "It's time. You'll be performing one by one for Gary and Mark. Remember, this is your chance to show them everything you've got." He pauses, looking at each of us in turn. "David, you're up first."

David stands, smoothing down his shirt and taking a deep breath. I catch his eye and give him an encouraging nod as he follows Dermot out of the room.

The wait is excruciating. I find myself fidgeting, unable to sit still. My mind races, going over my song choice, my performance, and every little detail. What if I've made a mistake? What if I'm not ready?

After what feels like an eternity, David returns. His face is split into a wide grin as he sits back down next to me. Before I can ask him how it went, Dermot is back, calling for Melissa.

As Melissa leaves, I turn to David. "How did it go?" I whisper, desperate for any information.

David's eyes are bright with enthusiasm. "I think they were impressed," he says, his voice low but filled with confidence. "I gave it everything I had, and they seemed to really respond to it."

I hold my breath as we anticipate Melissa's return, but when she finally appears, I'm completely unprepared for her condition. My spirits plummet at the sight of her tear-filled eyes. She collapses into her seat, her posture radiating disappointment.

Sean leans forward, concern etched on his face. "What happened? Why are you crying?"

David moves to give Melissa a supportive hug. I can't help but see how kind and good of a person David is. Even in this competitive environment, he's still looking out for others.

Melissa takes a shaky breath. "I messed up on my final high note," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think... I think I'm going home now."

My heart goes out to her. I know how devastating it feels to think you've blown your chance. Dean tries to console her, but I can see the worry in his eyes too. We're all acutely aware of how easily any of us could be in Melissa's position.

Before we can say anything more, Dermot is back, calling for Trisha. She stands with a toss of her hair, and the atmosphere shifts, becoming even more tense in her absence.

When Trisha returns, she's practically glowing with self-assurance. As she takes her seat, she casts a glance at Melissa, who's still visibly upset. A sly smile plays at the corners of Trisha's mouth.

I watch as Trisha opens her mouth, her tone oozing insincere compassion. "Oh dear," she coos, feigning concern. "I'm just devastated to learn about your mistake... Though I guess that means there's one fewer competitor to fret over."

I feel a surge of anger at her words, but before I can say anything, David is on his feet. "Shut it, Trisha," he snaps, his earlier kindness replaced by fierce protectiveness.

Trisha looks taken aback for a moment but quickly rolls her eyes dismissively. The tension in the room ratchets up another notch.

Dermot's return breaks the standoff. "Sean, you're up," he announces, seemingly oblivious to the drama unfolding in the room.

As Sean leaves, I try to catch David's eye, wanting to thank him for standing up to Trisha. But he's focused on comforting Melissa, and I don't want to interrupt.

The wait continues, with each minute feeling like an hour. When Sean returns, looking neither elated nor devastated, I barely have time to register his expression before I hear my name.

"Riley," Dermot calls, "it's your turn."

I stand up, my legs feeling like jelly. As I walk towards Dermot, I repeat my mantra in my head: "You can do this. You're ready. This is your moment."

Dermot greets me. "How are you feeling?" he asks as we start walking.

I manage a shaky smile. "Nervous," I admit. "But excited too."

He nods understandingly. "That's perfectly normal. Just remember, you're here because you earned it. Show them what you've got."

As we step outside, I see Gary and Mark sitting in chairs by the pool, shaded by a large white umbrella. They're deep in conversation but fall silent as Dermot and I approach.

I come to a stop a few feet in front of them, and my heart will not stop ferociously pounding. Gary and Mark both smile at me, and I feel a small measure of relief.

"Hi Riley," Gary says, his voice calm and cheerful.

Mark chimes in, "I've got to say, I loved your audition. You sing our song better than Gaz here." He taps Gary on the shoulder teasingly.

Gary tilts his head back, laughing good-naturedly. "Oi, watch it, you," he retorts, but there's no heat in his words.

I feel a rush of warmth at Mark's compliment, but it's quickly overshadowed by nerves as Gary's expression turns serious.

"Riley," he says, leaning forward slightly, "what would winning the X Factor mean to you?"

I take a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts. This isn't just about impressing them. It's about being honest and sharing the truth about who I am and why I'm here.

"Winning the X Factor... it's not just about the competition for me," I begin, my voice growing stronger as I speak. "It's a life-changing opportunity. Music—it's everything to me. It's how I express myself, how I make sense of the world around me."

I pause for a moment, gathering my courage to continue. "I want to share that with others. I want to create music that touches people, makes them feel understood, and makes them feel less alone. Because that's what music has always done for me."

As I speak, I notice Gary watching me intently, his gaze thoughtful and assessing. It's as if he's trying to see beyond my words to understand who I truly am as a person. The scrutiny is unnerving, but I hold his gaze, willing him to see my sincerity.

Gary and Mark both nod, their expressions serious but understanding. There's a moment of silence, and then Gary speaks.

"Good luck," he says simply, but there's a weight to his words that I can't quite decipher.

I nod my thanks, and then I hear the opening notes of the song. The man at the keyboard begins to play "Resentment" by Beyoncé, and I close my eyes for a brief moment, centering myself.

As I begin to sing, I'm no longer by the beautiful garden and pool, performing for Gary Barlow and Mark Owen. I'm back in my small apartment, staring at the empty drawers that used to be filled with Ethan's clothes, then remembering his Instagram post with him and his new girlfriend. All the pain, the anger, and the betrayal I felt at that moment came rushing back, fueling every word and every note.

The lyrics pour out of me as if I'd written them myself, each line a catharsis, a release of everything I've been holding inside. I'm not just singing; I'm telling my story, baring my soul through Beyoncé's words.

"I'll always remember feeling like I was no good

Like I couldn't do it for you like your mistress could

And it's all because you lied..."

As I sing, I can feel the emotion building inside me, threatening to overflow. But I channel it into my performance, using it to add depth and power to my voice. This isn't just about technical perfection anymore; it's about raw, honest emotion.

"I know she was attractive but I was here first

Been ridin' with you for six years why did I deserve

To be treated this way by you, you..."

I pour every ounce of hurt and anger into these lines, remembering all the years I spent with Ethan and all the dreams we shared, all now tainted by his betrayal. But as I sing, I feel something shifting inside me. The pain is still there, but it's no longer overwhelming. Instead, it's fueling something stronger: determination, resilience, and a fierce desire to prove my worth.

As I reach the final verse, my voice soars with newfound strength and conviction. This song, this moment—it's not just about Ethan anymore. It's about me, about reclaiming my power, about turning my pain into art.

"I gotta look at her in her eyes and see she's had half of me

How could you lie?"

With the last note, I open my eyes, coming back to the present moment. The garden is silent except for the gentle lapping of the pool water. I see Mark lean towards Gary, whispering "Wow" with wide eyes.

But it's Gary's reaction that catches me off guard. His face is stern, almost painful. He doesn't respond to Mark's comment; he doesn't even look at him. Instead, his eyes are fixed on me, and I can't read the emotion in them. Is it disappointment? Anger? Or something else entirely?

"Thank you," Gary says, his voice flat and emotionless. The contrast to his earlier goodwill is jarring, and I feel my confidence wavering.

"Thank you," I manage to reply, pushing a few strands of hair out of my eyes. My heart is racing, but now it's from uncertainty rather than the adrenaline of performance.

As I turn to walk back with Dermot, my mind is whirling. Did I make a mistake? Was the song too emotional or too personal? I thought I had given it my all, but Gary's reaction has me second-guessing everything.

"How do you think that went?" Dermot asks as we walk back towards the house.

I hesitate, unsure how to answer. The confidence I felt during my performance has evaporated, replaced by a gnawing doubt. "I'm not sure..." I finally admit that my voice is small.

Dermot must sense my apprehension because he gives me a small side hug, trying to console me. But even his kindness can't shake the feeling that I've somehow messed up.

As we walk back inside, I hear Dermot call for Dean. I make my way back to my seat, feeling dazed and confused. David notices my demeanor and sits next to me, his presence a silent offer of support. I try to smile at him, but I can feel it faltering before it even forms.

My mind keeps replaying Gary's expression after my performance. What did it mean? Was he annoyed? Disappointed? The more I think about it, the more convinced I become that I've made a terrible mistake. Maybe choosing such an emotional song was the wrong move. Maybe I let my feelings about Ethan cloud my judgment.

Dean returns from his performance, his expression neutral. He doesn't seem upset, but he's not exactly jubilant either. Before I can ask him how it went, Dermot is addressing us all.

"I hope everyone gave it their best," he says, his voice serious. "Tomorrow, Gary will be picking his final three for the live shows."

With those words, the reality of our situation comes crashing down on me. Everyone gets up to leave the room, but I find myself still sitting, lost in my thoughts. Tomorrow, our fates will be decided. And after my performance today, I'm no longer sure where I stand.

All I can do now is wait and hope that, despite Gary's reaction, my performance was enough to secure my place in the final three.

[influencermagazineuk]

Singer Tulisa Contostavlos is readying herself for her stint on I'm A Celebrity. Get Me Out Of Here! and is making headlines with a body that's sure to get tongues wagging. Seen flaunting some of the tightest abs ever, former X Factor judge and N-Dubz singer has been undergoing a fitness regime that would put even many top athletes to shame. To reach her fitness goals, Tulisa has been dedicated to an intense regimen of Tibetan Rites, an ancient yoga practice known for its energy-boosting and revitalizing effects. This form of yoga, which she’s reportedly practicing up to 21 times a day, is a cornerstone of her fitness journey and is said to promote strength, flexibility, and rejuvenation through regular sessions. On top of that, she has also been training with a personal fitness coach with boxing exercises to build endurance and agility. Sean Reynolds from Liverpool, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons She has also been frank about other treatments, like Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+), she has been undergoing. This would amount to energy-boosting therapy - high on people's lists if they want to restore vitality and stamina the natural way. Now 36, she's set to go into the show with every bit of energy she can muster, and these treatments seem to be considered part of a concerted effort at preparation. Tulisa's makeover is only a couple of months away from undergoing a major surgery on her part: the double hernia operation in July. This was certainly a setback, but not enough to keep her from pursuing her active lifestyle. A close friend reported how "Tulisa has been all set to be her best before going into the jungle. She's been attending yoga classes throughout and often appearing at the local gym. She even met with a boxing trainer to remain one step ahead of everyone else." As the launch of I'm A Celeb gets close, Tulisa has taken the next steps to gear up for this on-camera life in the jungle. Known to spend almost weeks in the wilderness without makeup, she has had her lip liner tattooed on—a practical decision to hold on to a little style amidst the ruggedness of the show. While she is ready for anything that life may throw at her, Tulisa already demonstrated that she was not going to be the I'm A Celeb version of that "jungle shower moment" she alleged Myleene Klass became famous for. "I am wearing black," she said of her style choice for the time in camp. She will be coming in with three basic bikinis and has avoided the traditional swimwear related to Myleene, which is in white. "I am not going to step out in white. It will be the polar opposite, and if someone can hold up a towel, then I'll ask them to," she joked. Fans can't wait to see her enter the jungle, and with such preparation both mentally and physically, it looks like Tulisa has really gone out of her way with regard to getting fit and grooming herself for a physically grueling regime that will tax her in so many ways that most people wouldn't imagine. It speaks of a real desire on her part to get fit, healthy, and ready for the ordeals that specifically exist in the realm of the reality show. This was set to be its first screening this Sunday but I'm A Celebrity. Get Me Out Of Here! promises drama, challenges, and a few surprises, and Tulisa's transformation is already creating a buzz among the show's fans who cannot wait to get her in action. From disciplined training to grounded attitudes, Tulisa sets a new standard for celebrity preparedness. Read the full article

[macybeckham7]

Confetti

Part One

10 Years of Little Mix! If anyone told that 15 year old that was shaking on the stage infront of Kelly Rowland, Tulisa, Gary Barlow and Louis Walsh that she was in fact going to be apart of the first girl band to win the show. Gain four best friends, your sisters and go on for 10 long years. She would of probably told them to fuck off.

I had grown up with the four girls, we learnt our worth, we travelled around the world and saw corners of the Earth that I dreamt about seeing. They had seen me through my first love, first heartbreak, the first time I got followed by the paparazzi (which still feels odd to me). We wrote love songs, girl anthems to get over the guy that wasn't the shit. The women I have become today was all thanks to them. Having them on your side makes you think you could conquer anything. We got through those nervous butterflies before shows, just looking at your sisters on the stage and dancing silly with them, will always be the most incredible feeling in the world.

If I was being honest I wasn't ready for the hiatus, there was a lot of tears. It felt like it was going to happen. With Jesy leaving, for her health. It ended on good terms and then it turned sour (but lets not talk about it). Then Leigh and Perrie had kids and it was obvious that they wanted to focus on being mothers.

'Are we really doing this?' Perrie asks looking at each of the girls. Jade takes your hands and nods.

'You are always going to be my sisters, no one can change that' Leigh says as you all hug each other in a little huddle.

You looked around at the girls. The history couldn't get changed and that will always be engraved in our hearts. The present is now and I promised myself that I was going to hang onto everyone lasting moment, as we don't know what the future is going to have in hold for us.

After a long day at the office with the girls and the management, you find yourself pulling up at your exes house. You see the curtains move as he peers out the window. You sit there looking at him, wondering if he would be happy to see you. You and Trent have been pretty much on and off throughout the years. You had met him through Ox, and often went on some double dates. But the last time you saw him was after the UCL, everyone beaming at the four of you on the pitch and celebrating. You and Perrie couldn't look anymore proud of your boys.

He opens the door and waits till you get out the car, he notices your bottom lip quivering and you were close to tears. 'What's happened?' he says softly, his accent still thick.

You hug him tightly as you take in your favourite scent, if you could just bottle it up, that would make you feel safe even with a scary storm outside. He takes you inside the house and you both talk for hours, you tell him everything that was happening with Little Mix, and how lost you felt and how scared you were about the future.

'Whatever you end up doing, I know you will be amazing' he says softly as you cuddle into him. Just being around him always made you feel a little bit more at ease.

You both end up staying on the sofa and sleeping in one another's arms, it wasn't until you got woken up by Perrie and Alex that you realised that you had fallen asleep. He told you that he was still single, telling you that it wasn't for a lack of trying, he told you that you just had cursed and haunted him. 'I can't stop thinking, she is good and all but she isn't YN'. He told you that he didn't want to be with anyone else if it wasn't you. The two of you broke up, because you got in your head and you believed he deserved someone who would be more present in his life. You hated having to leave him at home, when he was injured because you had to shows.

'Oh hello YN' Alex smiles. 'If I knew you were here I would of brought you breakfast too' he says as Trent gratefully takes the coffee they brought him.

'No worries' you smile. You stand up and walk to the kitchen, with Perrie hot on your heels. 'Promise me one thing?' she says. You nod. 'You need to make this work with Trent' she whispers.

You both look at Trent and Alex who were in a full wrestling match with each other.

'You deserve to be happy' she says hugging you and giving you a peck on the cheek. 'Now come on, we have to be at the studio' she says looking at her phone.

........

You were on the Graham Norton Show, you were stood in the middle of Leigh and Jade. You had to stop the recording as you couldn't get through the song without crying. This was how you were going to announce it to your fans. You let out a deep breath as the music restarts and you start the song, you keep your eyes closed as you refused to look at them. Between Us was a song for each other, for our loyal mixers.

You all sit down as Graham says the word 'hiatus' you look at Jade with both your eyes tear up.

'It's been amazing 10 years, its time to venture out and do things on our own for a bit' Perrie says.

The next 24 hours was such an outer body experience, you looked on your socials of all your fans thanking you for the memories and what the songs you wrote did to them. When you were out with Trent (you are dating him again) they would come over and hug you, you nearly crying all over their shoulders. You loved meeting your fans, you felt butterflies in your stomach as you think if they were will be like this with you. Or would they just be supporting Perrie, Jade and Leigh-Anne. Did they like you? Or was you just apart of the band of girls that they liked more?

The tickets go on sale and they get sold out within minutes, your group chat was popping up constantly as your management was giving you updates. #DoWeNeedThisHiatus kept popping up from Perrie.

You would facetime the girls as you start to speak about the songs that should be in the line up. Originally this was supposed to be the Confetti tour but now it was the best hits of the 10 years, and there is a lot.

'What is your favourite song to perform?' Trent asks as he stand to the side in the kitchen making your dinner.

'Joan Arc' both you and Jade say in unison.

-------

'How would I describe our little YNN?' Jade smiles at the camera for the At Home docuseries.

'YN is a little ray of sunshine, I don't think she actually realises how powerful she is, a powerful women and she has so much talent in her little finger' Leigh beams.

'It has been a pleasure to watch her grow, because this goddess that she is now, and the crazy thing is that she gets off the stage most times and is like I could of done that better, and we look at her like she is crazy because she smashes her vocals all the time!' Perrie says, pulling a face.

[imgloriaa]

As much as I hate Simon Cowell and let’s be real we all do because he’s a fucking horrible person does anyone else feel like he’s paid more attention to the other bands he’s created but just left CNCO in the dust it’s almost like he said OK I want to make a Latin boy band get that money and then get out of here because I feel like we don’t associate him with CNCO as much as we do the other bands that he’s worked with like the only other band that Simon created that is doing worse is pretty much but besides that Little Mix is on their game One Direction was bigger than the fucking Beatles and that was a big accomplishment and fifth harmony was also pretty decent but I feel like he just kind of did it but he really didn’t know what he was doing so he was like OK this is somebody else’s problem now

he shouldn’t even be held accountable for creating little mix & one direction because he didn’t. little mix got put together by tulisa and one direction got put together by nicole as far as i remember but simon keeps saying he created both band… no baby boy, you gave them the news, you didn’t create them because it was someone else’s idea. and neither he did with cnco, like he wasn’t even a judge at la banda

[sweet-evie]

Any updates on that 12 chapter GOT crossover you posted? It’s labelled complete despite being clearly incomplete, but I’d at least like to hear about your plans for that.

Ooooh interesting question! 🤔 I marked it complete from the beginning too, because I treat every additional installment to A Game of Thrones and Faces as a one-shot. It was supposed to be just random GoT/CG one-shots which are CLuCLu-centric, but then for some reason a plot came into the picture.

I've been wanting to get back to that one for years now. But writing motivation sucks, and my interests are a mishmash. And a lot is going on when it comes to that.

Thank you for asking though. 😊 I offer you my actual to-do list for that AU GOT crossover fic [contains spoilers, but that's ok.]: 😅

Revise the names of places and do an overhaul [Note: Consult the GoT MAP PLS, so the campaign actually makes sense]

Revise the way the places are described.

Patch some plot holes [Note: Evie, this is what you get for not planning and just going with the flow. TT_TT]

C.C. may or may not be pregnant [idek yet]

Lelouch may or may not take the throne. Thinking of handing the throne over to Nunnally or something.

Battle of the Blackwater inspiration & how Daenerys conquered Mereen. -> Rebels imprisoned in the Red Keep

Charles' motivations

Detail the botched arranged marriage between Shirley and Lelouch [Reference: Robb Stark & Jeyne Westerling/Tulisa situation]

Remember the Red Wedding? xD <- Use that

Maybe lay a siege to the Red Keep using Suzaku's fleet

Adjust the numbers of Suzaku's fleet

Write an installment fleshing out Leila Breiskau [Inspo: The Redwynes]

Detail the "Iron Throne" a bit more. Iron Throne in GRRM's book, not the iron chair from the TV series.

Finish that interlude showcasing what Lelouch is up to while he was living in King's Landing.

He was a queer sort of Imperial son. From the Captain’s time in Court, he knew how the other Consorts ridiculed Lady Marianne for letting her son gallivant off to mingle with ‘street rats’ and ‘sullied bitches.’ A Prince shan’t be in poor company, they said. For so long, the Realm held fast to the idea that the peasants belonged in the field, not the city gates. Most of the nobility blamed the stench of the streets on the multiplication of the common folk too.

There was no great love between the people of King’s Landing and the nobility cloistered away within the walls of the Red Keep.

And yet, here was a Prince, settling on his haunches to offer food to starving orphans and tousle their less-than-manageable hairs. He sat with people in taverns, drank ale with the gold cloaks, listened to people’s concerns, paid the soldiers’ barracks a visit, and many more. His actions varied from day to day.

[crashing9against9the9walls]

My Six Modern!AU headcannon (based on the lyrics of Six)

Catherine of Aragon would be a singer similar to Whitney Houston or Aretha Franklin. In this headcannon, Aragon refused an arranged marriage and joins the local church choir where she would stand out among the rest. This caught the attention of her town and it reach all the way to a music agent when they overhear a worker talk about how good Aragon is. The music agent found her and ask if she would want to have a singing career and gave her a record deal, which she accepts. Now, she's one of the most famous soul singers in the country and her fame found its way around the world.

Anne Boleyn would be one of those singers who found fame in YouTube, similar to Jasmine Thompson. Her ex-boyfriend wrote her a poem in hopes of getting her back but she's done with his BS and re-write the poem by adding her own lyrics and made a song out of it. The song went viral and was even mentioned by a few celebs like Chris Evans and Shawn Mendes. Realising her dream, she kept making music and now has a has a large fanbase.

Jane Seymour is in a band that is like a mash up of The Von Trapps and The Corrs. In this headcannon, She and Henry are married and have a son and two stepdaughters from Henry's previous marriage. Henry is faithful to her but has IED so to help him calm down in his explosive episodes, Jane uses her music therapist background and forms a band with her family where she is main vocals, Henry plays guitar, Edward plays bass, Mary plays the drums and Elizabeth plays the violin. The therapy worked and every now and then, the family band have small gigs, playing at birthday parties and local fairs, where people began talking about them. Since then, their family grew stronger and now has a record deal with Sony Music.

Anna of Cleves is a DJ with Krewella, Rebecca and Fiona, NERVO, Sofi Tukker, and The Blessed Madonna as her inspiration. After nobody wanted to date her (even going as far as to belittle her looks), she decided to one-up her haters and learned how to DJ and use music making apps like Ableton Live. Her first song went viral on Soundcloud and Beatport and became #1 in the sites charts. Her real breakthrough though was her fourth song, where it got the attention of Martin Garrix and now has her signed to his record label. Since then, she plays in the hottest clubs, the biggest festivals, the best parties and even has her music featured in movie, tv shows, games and sporting events. Everyone who rejected her pretty much regret not dating her.

Katherine Howard is a cheerleader with a passion for singing. After getting assaulted by her music teacher, she decided to make her voice be heard by joining a music reality competition (think of The Voice, American Idol, or The X-Factor) where she shares her experience and uses those shows to advocate for women's rights and end sexual assault. Although she only ended up fifth place, she did manage to have her former music teacher arrested and is now living the best live while advocating for her causes, even getting a chance have a collab with Lady Gaga, Kesha, Ariana Grande, Halsey, and Taylor Swift.

Catherine Parr is a struggling singer-songwriter who worked as a waitress just to get by. While out grocery shopping, she managed to caught the attention of a famous K-Pop producer and asked him to let her write a song for him. While hesitant, he accepts her wish and she submitted songs to BLACKPINK and iKon. The songs became massive hits and now has been writing songs for both groups and more artist like BTS, Red Velvet, KARD, Tulisa, Rita Ora, Bebe Rexha, Dua Lipa, and Alan Walker. After hearing the music of the aforementioned girls, she tracks them down and ask if they could do a song together, which they accept. It was biggest collaboration she had and their song is a massive hit. Since then, she writes songs for the girls and is happy with her achievements in life.

[theangrypokemaniac]

Random Irritations

N-Dubz's Reunion Tour

Being used to Team Rocket putting some effort into costumes, it's hard for me to accept...

The backstage-at-Jerry Springer look.

A.K.A.: Kyle, Kenny, Stan and Cartman.

Note 1: Discovered at the trailer park, Jessie left caravans and crystal meth behind to begin a glamorous career, modelling for Matalan.

Eh lads?

Note 2: Meowth's Oxfam rapper style led to ripping off his own charm for a medallion, thereby perfecting 80s chav chic.

Vanilla Slice.

Note 3: Once a swooning, Romantic poet, now a creepy, adenoidal skiffy, NASA's tent gives James a spare tyre.

Good.

Note 4: Shirt-stretching wide-loads like Wobba should avoid slogans.

Red, white and black? Must have sworn allegiance to the Middle East.

And why is that man so pleased to see that little girl?

Sorsha, Willow, Queen Bavmorda and, after another magical mishap, Fin Raziel, finally put aside their differences to focus on what really matters:

Synthetic fibre, which is nice.

And what about Ol' Frankenstein Forehead in the corner?

Fecking freak.

Young Rose West swears vengeance on Gonad for nicking her eyelashes.

We all recall Tulisa's unfortunate choice of collagen. As such, she made the wise decision to do without lips all together.

Hey, who needs make up when yer look this good without?

Cleetus and Brandine take Disneyland.

Fazer and Tulisa's romance hit the skids since he's got too many features and she's not got enough.

Nothing but playas these lads.

Sheldon and Leonard regularly visit the Women's Detention Centre to pick up the poontang.

Who can blame 'em? A right pair of fanny magnets we got here.

What feminoid can resist the lure of a hairy-palmed, hip-op (hip-po?) midget and a four-eyed, porn-addicted incel?

Tulisa, Dappy and Fazer ponder the wisdom of a comeback single featuring Adele.

Wobba the Hut's job as washer-woman led to disaster, for, having No Bloody Eyes, the cack-handed lump shrank every item of clothing belonging to yoomunz.

Thus we suffer Jessie's unfeminine, raw-pork-sausage body and James in godforsaken three-quarter trousers.

Boy, if they didn't look good on greebos from the 00s, they ain't gonna look good on you.

Stick a red sock in with the whites again, eh Wobbly? All yer need is a cap and the ill look's complete.

It's like one of them kids dolphins have to swim with, 'cause they got leukaemia.

I can but dream.

Exclusive to OK! magazine: Brian Harvey reflects on the Potato Incident.

What's that hippo nose on Meowth's hat?

Holes? Holes?!

Holes at the front? Ears at the back!

And who's making woolly hats for cats?

And who put ear holes too close together?

And why isn't the jumper in his size?

It's a failed business model there!

And I'm saying it, 'cause none of you will:

Hippo Head Meowth's turned into Joe C.

Yer dad DIED in that jumper, Meowth! Have yer no respect for his legacy?

Yer want me to tell yer mam whatcha done?

Stretching the sleeves out of all reasonable proportion?

Cutting holes in his hat?

And cutting 'em in the wrong bloody place?

Desecrating the one thing he left her?

She'd turn in her grave, she would!

No Sir, please don't tell Mama.

[habibialkaysani]

tag meme

i was tagged by @nothingseemsquiteright - thank you!

playlist shuffle rules: hit shuffle on your media player and write down the first 20 then tag 10 people, no skipping!

wanted dead or alive - bon jovi

say you won’t let go - james arthur

one last time - ariana grande

savoir qui je suis - lââm (it’s a french version of hsm 2′s gotta go my own way)

crying in the club/I have questions - camila cabello

work from home - fifth harmony

please don’t say you love me - gabrielle aplin

you should be sad - halsey

ordinary day - lindsay price

now or never - high school musical 3 (zac efron, vanessa hudgens, etc.)

over you - ingrid michaelson ft a great big world

take me to church - sofia karlberg (original by hozier)

my blood (halcyon) - ellie goulding

we are young - tulisa

touch - little mix

obliviate - harry potter and the deathly hallows part i soundtrack

save me - shinedown

tunnel fight - arrow season 2 soundtrack

bleeding love - leona lewis

my love is always there - harry potter and the deathly hallows part ii soundtrack

list 10 songs i’ve been listening to lately

read my mind - boygenius (original by the killers)

godspeed - frank ocean

forget me too - machine gun kelly ft halsey

the world we made - ruelle

silence - marshmello ft khalid

exile - taylor swift ft bon iver

rockabye - anne-marie (acoustic version)

if the world was ending - julia michaels and jp saxe (demo version)

my heart will go on - jessie j (original by celine dion)

it’s a man’s man’s man’s world - jurnee smollett (original by the residents)

list your nine most influential albums

romance - camila cabello

manic - halsey

hopeless fountain kingdom - halsey

i am sasha fierce - beyonce

25 - adele

21 - adele

camila - camila cabello

no 6 collaboration project - ed sheeran

all the hsm soundtracks

tagging: @joharvell @deadtedkord @karasunovolleygays @crollalanzaa @moonlightandromache @yesokayiknow @ginger-canary @funnefatale

[littlemixnet]

Little Mix's Jesy Nelson on surviving the trolls: 'People were saying horrific things' Eight years after she shot to fame on The X Factor, Nelson describes how she navigated the trauma of being relentlessly bullied on social media. When Jesy Nelson was 19 and working behind the bar at a pub in Dagenham, Essex, she remembers watching The X Factor on TV, and thinking: “I know I could win that.” In 2011, she did just that, as part of the girl group Little Mix – and thought: “This is the worst day of my life.” Competing in Simon Cowell’s singing contest unleashed ceaseless criticism of her appearance and weight (although rarely her voice). “All I cared about was what people were saying about me,” she says now. Winning offered no respite. When Little Mix were crowned, the first Facebook message she saw was from a stranger. It read: “You are the ugliest thing I have ever seen in my life. You do not deserve to be in this girl band, you deserve to die.” “I should have been on cloud nine,” she says. “I had Leigh-Anne [Pinnock, also of Little Mix] in my room being like: ‘This is the best!’ and I was like: ‘No, this isn’t.’” Little Mix went on to become the biggest British girl group since the Spice Girls, but Nelson was consumed by the trolling and abuse on social media. Within two years of the finale, she had depression and an eating disorder and had attempted suicide. The downward spiral and her eventual, slow recovery are the focus of an intensely personal BBC One documentary, Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out. Before shooting it, she says, she had never spoken publicly about her struggles in the spotlight. When we meet in a corner of BBC Broadcasting House in central London, Nelson, now 28, is friendly and glamorous, dressed in a double-breasted tangerine suit. It is the eighth anniversary of her X Factor debut and #8YearsofLittleMix has been trending on Twitter all morning, thanks to their fans, the “Mixers”. Within minutes of sitting down, she says that, had she known the consequences of appearing on The X Factor, she wouldn’t have done it: “I don’t think anything is worth your happiness, and it was a lot of my life that I won’t get back.” As a child growing up in Romford, Essex, Nelson was intent on becoming a performer, be it singing, dancing or acting. “I didn’t really have any reason to not be confident,” she says. In mid-2011, she auditioned for The X Factor as a solo entrant, and was eventually placed in a group with three others: Pinnock, Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall, all aged between 18 and 20. Back then, social media was not as inextricably linked with reality TV as it is now. In fact, that eighth series was the first where applicants could upload their audition videos to YouTube; Nelson didn’t even know what YouTube was. She remembers being wowed when all the contestants were given new Samsung phones and told to get on Twitter to build their fanbase. On the first live show 12 weeks in, Little Mix (then Rhythmix – the name was changed later) performed Nicki Minaj’s Super Bass to gushing praise from judges Louis Walsh, Gary Barlow and their mentor Tulisa Contostavlos. It was “the best feeling in the world,” said Nelson through happy tears on stage. That night, off-camera, the contestants gathered to watch themselves on YouTube. Someone pointed out the comment section. “I was very naive,” says Nelson. “I thought it would be people giving their opinion on our performance. But nearly every comment was about the way I looked: ‘She’s a fat ugly rat’; ‘How has she got in this girl group?’; ‘How is the fat one in this?’” She remembers the air being thick with tension – “because no one knew what to do or how to react. “I felt a rush of anxiety, because I’d never experienced anything like that in my life. People were saying my face was deformed – just the most horrific things. I felt like I was heartbroken. I remember ringing my mum and saying: ‘Mum, I want to go home, I don’t want to do it.’” At about 1am, a member of The X Factor team found Nelson crying alone and asked why she was so upset. A couple of days later, she was asked to explain again – on camera. She didn’t want to do it. “They told me it wasn’t recorded, and it was.” A few weeks later, the clip of Nelson in tears over “a few nasty comments” was broadcast before Little Mix’s performance, the reality TV playbook of “sad piano” switching to upbeat pop music when Thirlwall comforts her: an uplifting moment of girl power. From then on, that was Nelson’s public narrative. She does not hold that clip, or the producers, responsible: “I think it would have always happened – that just added fuel to the fire.” From the start, relatability had been billed as a central tenet of Little Mix’s appeal. Contostavlos introduced them as “the girl group to represent ladies in this country”; she framed Nelson’s tears as evidence of Little Mix having “the same insecurities as every other girl”. Nelson, however, was the only member even remotely close to the average UK woman at size 16. Although the four bandmates have always been friends – “that’s why we’re still together” – she felt singled out. “I was with three other girls to be compared to. I don’t think it would have been as bad if I’d been on my own.” After the clip presented her as Little Mix’s weakest link, the abuse snowballed. “It was like as soon as people knew that it was really affecting me, they wanted to do it more.” Nelson had been bullied at school, to the point of stress-induced alopecia – “but this wasn’t playground stuff”. She was shocked by the cruelty from adults – some clearly parents. “Obviously everyone sits in their living room and will see someone on TV and make a comment. But to actually pick up your phone and go: ‘I’m going to make sure this girl sees it’ – even if they didn’t think I was going to see it – you have no idea the effect that one comment will have.” Nelson became “obsessed” with reading criticism. The praise didn’t register. “It only got worse when I got Twitter. And that led to the Daily Mail, and reading the [below the line] comments – the worst you can read about yourself. It was like I purposely wanted to hurt myself.” “I had a routine of waking up, going on Twitter, searching for the worst things I could about myself. I’d type in the search bar: ‘Jesy fat’, or ‘Jesy ugly’, and see what would come up. Sometimes I didn’t even need to do that, I’d just write ‘Jesy’ and then I’d see all the horrible things. Everyone told me to ignore it – but it was like an addiction.” At one event, Nicola Roberts of Girls Aloud – who had seen the clip of her crying – took Nelson aside. “She said: ‘Can I just give you one bit of advice? Please don’t read stuff about you. It’s the worst thing you could do.’” Nelson rolls her eyes self-mockingly. “But did I listen? No.” Contestants had been told help was available if they were struggling, but Nelson had learned that talking only made the problem worse. “I don’t think any of the team really knew how upset it was making me – it’s just go-go-go, from the car into hair and makeup, then rehearsals.” It was also a popularity contest. “We just wanted to make everyone happy, and we wanted everyone to like us.” In December 2011, Little Mix became the first group to win The X Factor. Their debut single entered the charts at No 1 seven months later; DNA, their first album, was released in November 2012. Scrutiny of Nelson only increased amid the pressure to maintain momentum. Although she tried not to discuss it, she feels the abuse came to define her public image. “I’d become a bit of a joke. People would make memes, chopping my head off in a group photo and putting a monster or ET on there. I’d be in live Q&As and these things would pop up and I’d have to just sit there.” Interviewers asked her how she dealt with it; fans said they looked up to her. She was depressed and in denial: she refused antidepressants, and therapy didn’t help. “Our schedule was so gruelling. I was going to see a therapist at six o’clock in the morning, crying, and then going to a photoshoot.” Meanwhile, in public, she was “giving speeches about being confident”. Little Mix, as the guardians of girl power, were not only supposed to represent every woman, but defend every woman. “I felt I had to be this person who was like …” Nelson juts her jaw, sashays from side to side, a facsimile of her sassy music-video persona: “‘I don’t care what people are saying about me, I’m this strong woman.’ That was the role I had to take on in the group, when really I was an absolute mess.” In the lead-up to TV performances or video shoots: “I’d starve myself … I’d drink Diet Coke for a solid four days and then, when I felt a bit dizzy, I’d eat a pack of ham because I knew it had no calories. Then I’d binge eat, then hate myself.” Yet she did not see herself as having an eating disorder. “I could see that I was losing weight and sometimes I’d see a few good comments and that spiralled me to be like: ‘This is how I need to stay.’ No one cares whether your performance was good, or if you sounded great.” Nelson started skipping events where she knew she would be photographed. On one magazine shoot, the wrong size clothes were provided. “I had a meltdown. I cried so much, I had to wear sunglasses. I did one photo, then left.” She hid her misery well, she says now. “I think people just thought I was a miserable bitch.” Her lowest point was in the lead-up to Little Mix’s second album, Salute, in 2013. Her mum, Janice, increasingly desperate, told her she had to quit the band. Yet Nelson worried that leaving – or even taking a break – would draw more attention to herself. “Everyone’s going to ask why.” In November 2013, Little Mix returned to The X Factor to perform their new single, Nelson notably slimmed down. Coverage centred on one tweet from Katie Hopkins: “Packet Mix have still got a chubber in their ranks. Less Little Mix. More Pick n Mix.” Increasingly, Nelson felt trapped. “I felt that I physically couldn’t tolerate the pain any more.” She attempted suicide. Nelson’s family, her management and the rest of the group knew – but “once it was spoken about, it wasn’t ever spoken about again,” she says. She was offered time off, but once more was too frightened of drawing attention to herself to take it. The turning point came in February 2014, when Little Mix spent six weeks travelling across North America, opening for Demi Lovato. One day, on the bus, the dancers pulled her aside and told her she had to quit Twitter, likening it to a book filled with “loads of nasty things” that Nelson always had her nose in. She finally deleted her account. “It was a long, hard process, because I didn’t want to help myself. But it wasn’t until I deleted Twitter that everything changed for me and I slowly started to feel normal again.” Through more regular therapy and talking to friends and family, eventually she was able to stop reading articles about herself, and distance herself from her public image even as Little Mix’s star continued to climb. In 2016, Glory Days became their first No 1 album in the UK. Since February, Nelson has been dating the 2017 Love Island contestant Chris Hughes, who has defended her publicly from online trolling and who she says is a positive influence on her feelings about fame: “It’s nice to be around someone who doesn’t give a shit about all that stuff.” Making the documentary also contributed; she lights up while talking about meeting a body-image specialist, Liz Ritchie, to help her understand her relationship with social media and the “mask” that she had developed to withstand the spotlight. Part of this involved going over footage from The X Factor, which was a difficult experience, but ultimately empowering. “Don’t get me wrong, I still have days when I feel shit in myself but instead of beating myself up about it and being miserable, I think: ‘OK, I’m going to have my moment of being sad, and I’ll be over it.’ Before, I didn’t let myself be sad.” Talking to other young people who have experienced online abuse made her feel less alone. “A lot of people think ‘stop moaning’, but until you’ve experienced it, it’s hard to understand – and it doesn’t just happen to people in the limelight. There’s so many people struggling with social media and online trolling. People need to know about the effects it has.” The turnaround in five years, she agrees, is remarkable: now, as Little Mix work on their sixth album, Nelson is less conscious of her weight, her appearance, what she’s eating – even what is being said about her. To shoot the documentary, she returned to Twitter, and discovered some new slurs. “I didn’t even know some people said that about me, but it’s because I don’t look for it – and also, I. Don’t. Care,” she says, leaning forward in her chair. “Now I’m mentally a lot happier, I just think people are always going to have an opinion. But I only care about mine.” She flashes a smile from beneath all her hair, happy but defiant – and for a moment she looks exactly like the girl in the music videos.

[omdaily10]

HEART SKIPS A BEAT

Guest Artist: Rizzle Kicks

Writers: Alex Smith, Samuel Preston, Jim Eliot, Jordan Stephens, Harley Alexander Sule

Producers: Alex Smith, Matt Furmidge

Album: In Case You Didn't Know

Release Date: 21/08/2011

B-Side: 'On My Cloud' (Writers: Olly Murs, Mark Taylor, Samuel Preston / Producer: Mark Taylor)

Chart Positions: #1 (UK), #1 (Germany), #1 (Luxembourg), #1 (Switzerland), #1 (Poland), #2 (Scotland), #6 (Ireland), #6 (Austria), #9 (Belgium), #12 (Hungary), #60 (Sweden), #67 (Romania), #76 (Netherlands), #85 (Australia), #91 (Canada)*, #96 (US)*

Sales: 700k+ (UK, Platinum), 450k (Germany, 3x Platinum), 15k (Austria, Platinum), 30k (Switzerland, Platinum)

Nominations: 'Best British Single', BRIT Awards 2012

It doesn't matter what genre you operate in, the age-old music industry cliché of the "difficult second album" can either make or break an artist if they're to confirm themselves as a long-term prospect. And whilst it wasn’t difficult for him, as the summer of 2011 dawned, Olly was no different when it came to his follow-up effort. He had already started writing and recording for it in March that same year.

The demo of 'Heart Skips A Beat' had actually been around for the best part of a year and had started life when it was initially put forward for consideration to be included on his self-titled debut album. Nick Raphael and Jo Charrington at Epic however, whilst impressed with it, decided to hold it back for inclusion on his second album. The track was written by the then up & coming songwriter and producer Alex Smith (who had cut his teeth on a clutch of top 20 hits for motormouthed Brit rapper Example) in collaboration with former lead singer and guitarist with The Ordinary Boys, Samuel Preston, and Jim Eliot, formerly one half of electropop duo Kish Mauve, who had been behind "2 Hearts" and "All The Lovers", both massive hits for Aussie pop royalty Kylie Minogue.

It marked the first time that Olly hadn't had a hand in writing a single, but speaking to Music Week on its release, he understood what a special song it was from the get-go: "It was a curve ball and nothing like anything else on the album, but I loved the production and the writers wrote it for me." Sonically, it retained some of the sprightly, catchy feel of 'Thinking of Me', whilst also introducing an early 90s dance/big beat styling, in the vein of The 45 King, Beats International or Dee-Lite (the latter of which’s single "Groove Is In The Heart" Olly performed as a mashup with this single at the following year's BRIT Awards when it earned him his second nomination for the 'Best British Single' trophy).

But there were two more vital rolls of the dice to be made before the single bought him to another level of success altogether. The first was the appearance of Jordan Stephens and Harley Alexander Sule, aka Brighton based teenage hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks, who had been making waves that summer after signing to Universal Island the year before and were riding high in the UK top 10 with their debut single 'Down With The Trumpets'. Sensing that they were to become a big name, even on a rival label, they were approached by Epic to contribute a guest rap to 'Heart Skips A Beat'. They immediately obliged, and their perfectly cheeky, playful rap was incorporated on just two weeks before the final version was cut and delivered to radio.

They also turned up to join Olly at the single's video shoot. Filmed at the skate park in Mile End, East London in July 2011, with a cast of two dozen extras hoofing it around a giant Olly sized record player, it was the perfect backdrop for the single, as Olly, resplendent in a straw trilby, blue and white striped tee and red chinos, delivered one of the most iconic videos and looks of his career. 'Heart Skips A Beat' took many people in the UK by surprise, including many of the detractors who'd disputed he'd even get past his first single a year previously and were now grudgingly eating their words. As its release drew closer, it had built up a good head of steam with strong airplay on radio and TV. And then, on the weekend of its 21st August release, there was also the first showcase for Olly's other seemingly endless pool of talents in entertainment.

Towards the end of his first theatre tour, a call came in from the producers at The X Factor. Some major personnel shifts had occurred on the show, which was then still at its peak - chiefly, the departures of Simon Cowell and Cheryl (albeit briefly) to the then just launched US version of the format, and Dannii Minogue to concentrate on being a full-time mum.

Only Dermot O’Leary (hosting the main show) and Louis Walsh (on the judging panel) remained for the new look show, this time headed by the Captain of Take That, Gary Barlow, and also consisting of former Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland and Tulisa, the lead female vocalist with British hip hop group N-Dubz. Former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq, the host of the show's lovingly irreverent ITV2 spin off, The Xtra Factor, had also left after just one year.

The producers, knowing how popular he was and that he'd bring the cheeky likeability needed to the show, had Olly in mind to take over from her. An understandably nervous Olly, who by his own admission couldn't dream of hosting anything on his own, let alone a show as big as the very one he got his start from, fortunately had an anchor to play off. Enter one-time CBBC and MTV host Caroline Flack, who had been on the ITV2 spin off for I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here for two years and was already a hit with the same channel's audience.

They immediately proved a winning combination, and it was indeed our very own fansite which christened them with the name which their loyal army of internet shippers - but chiefly the ones on here - have used for them ever since (Carolly). All of these factors combined to ensure that Olly was, not for the first time in his career, going to confound his critics by launching his second album with a bang, and just a week shy of a whole year since ‘Please Don’t Let Me Go’ managed it, ‘Heart Skips A Beat’ rocketed straight in at the top to give him his second UK number one.

It was still on the chart some thirteen weeks later, when the single we’ll meet next week was about to make its debut. And it was also with this single that Olly broke a territory which, after the UK, is to this day one of the most ardent supporters of him and his music, as it hit the top in Germany the following spring, as well as hitting number one in three other European countries. A modern pop classic to be proud of.

OTHER THOUGHTS

Another taster of this single’s parent album was given as a B-side, in the form of an early version of the perky, piano led dream pop meets Britpop number ‘On My Cloud’. Olly co-wrote this with Samuel Preston, whilst additional writing and production came from Mark Taylor at Metrophonic, who had amongst other things produced Cher’s mega-selling number one hit ‘Believe’ in 1998. When performed on tour the following year, Olly did it as a mashup with ‘I Need A Dollar’, which had been a huge worldwide hit for Aloe Blacc twelve months previously.

* = the asterisk against the US and Canada chart positions indicates that the single charted there, but under a different version for these territories. More information on this will be covered in our future entry on 'Troublemaker'.

[whatsonmedia]

Music Monday: Hitlist Of the Week!

Here is the list of top Songs of the week. WhatsOn music editor Adam Humphries has come up with a new hit list for the week. Add these songs to your playlist and get grooving! The Kut releases 2022 FIFA World Cup Single - 'Fun When You're Winning'! Now we've had Fat less with Vindaloo and New Order with England football team as well as that single with James Corden and Tinnie Tempa with "Shout" but now the court has released her own single fun when you're winning. Now, what's actually quite good about it's one of those songs that could just as easily not be a football anthem?  Whenever you listen to the lyrics of the song it doesn't come across as a sure typical football anthem, even though there is a lot of individuality about the song.  As a songwriter, Kut really is showing that she has what it takes to make an anthem-type. Track. https://open.spotify.com/track/1JIanUHIrFdwFmnrectZGK?si=Y3p1n5hNT4-TXtru9BoP9A&utm_source=copy-link The video is a similar sort of thing to The Script and Will.i.am's Hall of fame In that it could just as easily be a song about anything that motivates, and inspires.  I think of anything this is where the genius of the song in the video more or less comes into its own. It's a song about motivation yeah just as easily as a standalone. https://youtu.be/ffCB9-ytvc4 The Kut Socials https://thekut.co.uk https://instagram.com/thekutofficial https://facebook.com/thekut https://twitter.com/thekutgirlsrock https://tiktok.com/@thekutofficial https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsKXv_zDVAs6yFH82xbpXeBmqILr7YXJI www.thekut.co.uk  | www.criminalrecords.cc Becky Hill - Losing First released nearly a decade ago, yes that long ago, and was the first solo single by Voice UK contestant Becky Hill. Losing marks a different genre as when we were first introduced to her we only ever heard her sing rock music so this was definitely something new. It was quite refreshing to hear Becky come out with this number as it sounded a bit fresh a put something new on the dance floor. https://youtu.be/PCulrBwoeqc In the video, Becky just wonders around a funfair occasionally going to the attractions whilst singing. It's quite an intriguing one to watch as it's almost as though you're at the funfair with her and it's you she's talking about or to N Dubz - Charmer Absolutely amazing tune and signals the much needed return of the infamous hip hop grime trio to the music scene. Charmer not only shows us N Dubz in all their glory. But also that they have grown along with both the music industry and their loyal fan base. Dappy and Fazer are as incredible as they were the last time we heard them rap and Tulisa is every inch a front woman of hip-hop and grime. The lyrics are more of a tongue-in-cheek reference to being able to charm someone both with what you've got and what you can do. It's been over ten years and they've not lost touch. https://youtu.be/lBKPfnXck-8 The video has their personal touch and taste pretty much written all over as well as another tongue-in-cheek reference to being a 'charmer'. Their video reminds us of why we fell for the charms of N Dubz and why their fans, both old and new will be wanting them for a while yet SG. Lewis - Meant to Be An amazing attract by British singer SG Lewis. What is disappointing is that this song didn't nearly get enough recognition or attention that it probably deserved when it first appeared. Vocally as a singer, Lewis is in a similar music vein to Billie Eilish in that he demonstrates that you don't have a loud voice just make a record sound good it is easily slightly coarse up to almost whispering. SG Lewis's voice is that quiet soft and smooth, almost a whisper. What's interesting about this song is that it's about acknowledging an attraction that will probably never happen. Listening to lyrics there's that direct reference to the infamous saying it is meant to be it's meant to be https://youtu.be/hfWdOpuNgGw The video for Lewis's song doesn’t follow the typical love story type of situation. And in which you have two characters meet and fall for each other. There are references to relationships between people at a race track. For a debut track onto the music scene, it was quite a good attempt.  Musically he's in the vein of Disclosure, vocally he's in the same vein as Billie Eilish. Overall an absolutely brilliant singer-songwriter with a whole lot more to show Read the full article