Latest news with #LoveShack
Metro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
00s pop star reveals pain of fame forcing him 'back into the closet'
Noughties music star Noel Sullivan has revealed the struggles he was secretly facing behind the scenes at the height of his fame in one of the country's favourite pop bands. Now aged 44, the Welsh singer rose to popularity in Hear'Say in 2001, having been created on the talent show Popstars. Along with bandmates Myleene Klass, Kym Marsh, Suzanne Shaw, and Danny Foster, he broke chart records with their debut single, Pure and Simple, which remains just as catchy today. However, away from the bright lights of stardom, Noel was battling with having to stay quiet about who he truly was. Just 19 at the time he was thrust into the spotlight, Noel has said he was forbidden from discussing his sexuality, feeling as though he had been 'chucked back into the closet'. It wasn't until 2017 that he publicly came out as gay when he announced he had married his partner. Speaking to Heat magazine, he shared: 'It was really mad. It was a lifetime ago. I can look back at it with fond memories now, but it took a while to sort through the damage.' With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! 'But I'm here, and I survived,' he declared proudly. The performer reflected on his late teens and early twenties, which ought to have been the time he could 'explore who [he] is'. 'To be boxed back up and chucked back in the closet was a damaging experience for me; it took a lot of time to find some resolution to that and not feel guilty or shameful because of it.' Noel is now in a happy marriage with husband James and often shares an insight into their relationship with social media snaps. On his birthday several years ago, he also reminisced on his pop band days and how he sank into 'depression' when he was unable to come out. He wrote: 'As a 19 year old, I was told to shut up about my sexuality. If I wanted a career, I had to be something else. Silent. It ruined me. 'No one was held accountable for the years of depression and self abuse that followed. It got to the point where I felt like I couldn't speak out anymore because my time in the spotlight had passed and I assumed no one would care. 'It was a turbulent time but I took solace in my family and in theatre. Without the crazy, beautiful, supportive and talented people I worked with, lived with and performed for, I could never have found myself.' 'After years of self doubt I finally feel free to say what I need to,' Noel concluded. 'Free to let go of the past, free to love myself. But most importantly, free to love. Thank you [sic]'. While Noel now enjoys a much quieter, slower-paced life, he hasn't turned his back on entertainment completely. A lover of theatre, he previously appeared in productions of Fame, Love Shack, and What a Feeling, as well as playing male lead Danny Zuko in Grease on the West End in the late 2000s. Noel also had a cameo in Gavin and Stacey, starred as Galileo Figaro in the UK tour of We Will Rock You, and shared the role of Tick/Mitzi with Jason Donovan in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In more recent years, he's popped up in BBC's Call the Midwife Christmas special and played Oscar Baxter in Doctors. As for Hear'Say, their glittering success was short-lived. Things started going downhill in January 2002, when Kym left due to conflicts with Noel and Myleene. She was replaced by former Boom! member Johnny Shentall, and they released just one single, Lovin' is Easy, as part of this lineup. In October 2002, Hear'Say announced they would be breaking up, having failed to make a commercial splash with their latest music. At the time, they cited 'abuse from the public' as the main reason for the split, while its members went on to achieve success individually. Kym, 49, enjoyed a solo career and famously starred as Michelle Connor in Coronation Street, has hosted Morning Live, and also starred in Waterloo Road. More Trending Danny, 46, has had a quieter career, but performs as part of his own soul and Motown group, Danny Foster & The Big Soul Corporation, and also auditioned for The Voice. Suzanne, 43, is an established West End performer, won series 3 of Dancing On Ice and took part in the All Stars series, and played Eve Jenson in Emmerdale. Finally, Myleene, 47, was an iconic I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! campmate in 2006, and went on to win the All Stars series in 2023. She also presents on TV and radio, and was awarded an MBE this year for her women's health campaigning. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: What I Own: At 22 and 23, we bought a run-down London four-bed for £910,000 MORE: EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite reveals her son, 17, is transgender MORE: Netflix viewers rush to watch 'absorbing' reboot of beloved Scottish crime drama
New York Post
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Today' co-host Dylan Dreyer splits from husband Brian Fichera after 13 years of marriage
It's over for Dylan Dreyer and her husband, Brian Fichera. The 'Today' co-host, 43, announced their split on Friday, July 18, after almost 13 years of marriage. 'For many years I have shared my family with you all — the highs and lows. The ups and downs. And all of the blessings and beautiful memories in between,' her statement posted on Instagram read. Advertisement 8 Dylan Dreyer and Brian Fichera in 2023. Getty Images 'I am incredibly grateful for the support and love you've given me through it all. For that reason, I want to share with you that a few months ago, Brian and I made the decision to separate. 'We began as friends, and we will remain the closest of friends. Most importantly, we will continue to co-parent our three wonderful boys together with nothing but love and respect for another. Thank you as always for your support,' she concluded. Advertisement The Post is told that Dreyer and Fichera have 'been separated for months,' but remain friends and are still living together while co-parenting their kids. 'There is no divorce set yet,' an insider noted. The source also revealed that Fichera, who is a freelance cameraman, is 'taking time off work to focus on family.' Dreyer appeared on Friday's 'Today' episode without her wedding ring. Advertisement 8 Dylan Dreyer posts on Instagram with her husband and friends on July 14. Dylan Dreyer/Instagram 8 Dylan Dreyer and Brian Fichera pose with their kids in June. Dylan Dreyer/Instagram Days before the breakup announcement, Dreyer and Fichera were away in Lake Tahoe, Calif., for the American Century Championship. The NBC star even posted images from the event with her estranged husband on her Instagram. Advertisement 'One of the best parts of @acchampionship is all the fun that happens off the course! Boat rides, jersey swaps, connecting with friends and making new ones! Thanks for another great year!!' Dreyer wrote, alongside her smiling ex. The meteorologist participated in the tournament, and Fichera served as her caddy. The duo also participated in a celebrity karaoke contest during the weekend, where they took home the second-place trophy after crushing The B-52's 1989 hit 'Love Shack.' Dreyer married Fichera in October 2012, with the television personality sharing a tribute on their 12-year anniversary last year. 8 Dylan Dreyer with her husband and kids. Dylan Dreyer/Instagram '12 years of marriage and I'm still in my happy place. Sitting on the couch with @fishlense,' she captioned her post, which included two images of them lounging on their sofa. 'After I took this picture, Brian pointed out that I posted the same thing 2 years ago! Not much has changed and I wouldn't change a thing. Love you Bri!!' Advertisement The third hour of 'Today' co-host has spoken about the hardships of their marriage, specifically due to their hectic work schedules, which causes them to communicate mostly over text messages. 8 Dylan Dreyer and her son son Calvin and husband Brian Fichera in 2017. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images 'Our schedules mean we don't see each other much, but we text all the time. Sometimes it's even easier to have an important or deep conversation via text because we get all our thoughts out without being interrupted,' she admitted in 2022. At the time, Dreyer shared that they turned it into a positive. Advertisement 'We don't find it impersonal. In fact, just the opposite. We know each other well enough to understand each other's tone so a lot gets accomplished through texting!' she added. 8 Meteorologist Dylan Dreyer. FilmMagic In May, Dreyer and Fichera's distance was clocked by fans who noticed he hadn't been posting lately. The social media absence sparked speculation about the state of their marriage. However, when Dreyer shared images from her Mother's Day that included their children and her husband, she seemingly squashed concerns. Advertisement 'I know this is a Mother's Day post but yay for Brian sighting!' one person commented on her post. 'It's wonderful to see Brian! Happy Mother's Day!' added another. 8 Dylan Dreyer and Brian Fichera in 2024. Brian Fichera/Instagram She also delighted her followers when she posted pics with her husband and kids during a fun day at home for Father's Day on June 15. 'Took the kids to the @redsox game…in the living room. But we needed tickets. Happy Father's Day Bri!!' Dreyer wrote, including images of the smiling family. Advertisement Dreyer and Fichera share three children: sons Calvin, 8, Oliver, 5, and Russell, 3. 8 Dylan Dreyer rocks a white top and bright green pants. Ron Smits/London Entertainment/Shutterstock Their oldest son, Calvin, was diagnosed with Celiac disease, Dreyer revealed to People in 2023. Dreyer's oldest was diagnosed with the chronic digestive illness, which is triggered by eating gluten, at just six years old. 'Some people you'll tell you have celiac disease or you can't eat gluten, and you have to brace yourself for the eye roll. They don't take it seriously,' she told the outlet. 'But when I realized how much damage this actually caused him,' Dreyer added. 'I mean, for him to have a stomach ulcer, for him for his hair to be falling out, for like him to have just a persistent earache and a headache — I don't want him coming in contact with it at all, and everybody in my world needs to be aware of that.'
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Love Island fans need to read new thriller with a big twist perfect for summer
I'm not a big New Year's resolution person, but one of my goals for this year was to stop mindlessly scrolling on my phone while the TV blares in the background and instead read a book (or at least watch TV a bit more intentionally). So while I haven't been watching very much TV, I have been reading a lot of literature inspired by TV shows and trends, which is definitely the next best thing. Enter: People Pleaser. Catriona Stewart's debut novel follows Maggie Lathrop, a woman whose life is transformed overnight when she wins LoveShack, America's most popular reality dating show. But when she is found murdered in a Los Angeles warehouse and the police fail to find any answers, her sister Emma steps in to investigate. Thrillers aren't usually my thing and I probably only read one every other month. But when I saw People Pleaser described as White Lotus meets Love Island, I just couldn't resist. And I'm so glad I didn't, because this story had me hooked from the first few pages. I'm generally a pretty quick reader, but this is such a page-turner and I flew through this in just two sittings. It's so addictive, especially for anyone, like me, who has ever wondered what goes on on shows like Love Island when the cameras stop rolling. The story is told from several different perspectives, including Maggie's, and we get an insight into her time both on and off screen, as well as her experiences after leaving LoveShack. Maggie aside, we also follow other characters throughout the book, and though I wasn't entirely sold on one POV at the start, they all become important in their own ways by the end. All of the characters felt really fleshed out, and you really get to both love and hate them (sometimes simultaneously) throughout. The whodunit element of the story was also executed well, and I was in the dark until the very end. With short chapters and some big twists, this book is an ideal holiday read, though it would also suit commuters too. For more book recommendations, reviews and news, click here to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, The Bookish Drop, on Substack.
Scoop
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
The B-52's Classic 'Love Shack' Gets A Reggae Refresh!
Get ready to take a fresh new trip down to the 'Love Shack'! This is the new release from the upcoming album CLASSIC HITS IN A REGGAE GROOVE, a bold project that pairs original vocalists with Kingston Sound System, a collection of Jamaica's finest musicians, to reimagine massive hits in true reggae style. The band behind the project, Kingston Sound System, have created this new imagining of The B-52s classic track 'Love Shack' using the original vocal takes combined with a live Jamaican reggae band. The unmistakable vocals from Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson sound at home inside of a wall of skanking guitars and pulsating horns, creating a sun-drenched version of a track named by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest of all time. Every track featured on CLASSIC HITS IN A REGGAE GROOVE, has been recorded with the involvement and the blessing of the featured artists. No AI, no recording tricks, this is the real deal. Recorded in Jamaica, the album boasts a band of reggae royalty - veterans who've played with Ziggy Marley, Peter Tosh, Sly & Robbie, and Wyclef Jean. The album delivers hits infused with a reggae twist that feel timeless, vibrant and beautifully grounded in tradition. Originally released on their 1989 album COSMIC THING, 'Love Shack' was an immediate hit, reaching Number Three on the Billboard Hot 100, and topping the charts across the world. The track became the most successful of The B-52s' nearly 50-year career, with 'Love Shack' still standing up as a joyous and upbeat dance floor-filler. Now, Kingston Sound System present a sun-soaked reggae version, moving the good times from the dance floor to the beachside. 'Love Shack' is the latest release from CLASSIC HITS IN A REGGAE GROOVE, following on from Steve Winwood's 'Higher Love,' Blondie's 'Heart of Glass' and Jimmy Somerville/Bronski Beat's 'Smalltown Boy'. Each track delivers a reggae twist that's innovative and irresistible. The Full Album Project: CLASSIC HITS IN A REGGAE GROOVE by the Kingston Sound System is a project that re-imagines a range of massive international hits, working with the original vocalists and the Kingston Sound System to recreate the songs in an authentic reggae style. The album features the original vocals of the artists, with all-new recordings coming straight out of the vibrant musical metropolis of Kingston, Jamaica. The authentic reggae sound is captured by a band that includes musicians who have played with the likes of Ziggy Marley, Peter Tosh, Sly & Robbie, Wyclef Jean and other reggae legends. The forthcoming album features classics such as Steve Winwood - 'Higher Love', Blondie - 'Heart Of Glass', The B-52s - 'Love Shack', Pretenders - 'Don't Get Me Wrong', Sophie B Hawkins - 'As I Lay Me Down', Bronski Beat - 'Smalltown Boy', Tanita Tikaram - 'Twist In My Sobriety', Cyndi Lauper's 'Time After Time' featuring Gary 'Nesta' Pine and more. About Kingston Sound System: Kingston Sound System is a collective known for its electrifying fusion of reggae with a wide range of musical genres. With a focus on rhythm, energy, and innovation, Kingston Sound System has earned a reputation for reimagining music in new and exciting ways, while honouring the rich traditions of reggae.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The B-52s' Kate Pierson talks Rock Hall snub, influencing John Lennon, and fears a solo album would be a ‘betrayal' to her band
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Thirty-five years ago, Athens eccentrics the B-52s experienced one of the greatest, if most bittersweet, against-all-odds comebacks in pop music history. After the 1985 death of guitarist Ricky Wilson, they'd done little promotion for their fourth album, Bouncing Off the Satellites, which was recorded while Wilson was secretly battling AIDS and released just 11 months after he tragically succumbed to that disease at age 32. The future of the B-52s at that point seemed in doubt, but then surviving members Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland, and Cindy Wilson (Ricky's sister) regrouped. The result was 1989's Cosmic Thing, a surprise mainstream smash that catapulted the band to MTV superstardom, thanks to effervescent partystarters like 'Love Shack' (the video for which starred a young, unknown Atlanta punk singer named RuPaul) and 'Roam.' Only drummer and composer Strickland — who would later take over guitar duties for the band, teaching himself Ricky's distinctive, three-string, spy-movie-sonics style — was aware of Ricky's illness at the time, because Ricky 'was shy and very private, and he didn't want people to fuss over him,' Pierson, who recently released her second solo album, the many-years-in-the-making Radios and Rainbows, tells Gold Derby. 'It was during a very early part of the AIDS pandemic epidemic, and nobody really knew there about the 'gay virus,' and Rock Hudson had passed away, so there was stigma attached to it. It was just so weird, because nobody knew what was happening and it was so sudden. … We'd rehearsed just a few days before and then we were supposed to rehearse and he was getting thin, but we were in denial.' More from GoldDerby Kate Pierson today. (Photo: Josef Jasso; art direction: John Stapleton) - Credit: Photo: Josef Jasso; art direction: John Stapleton Photo: Josef Jasso; art direction: John Stapleton While Pierson jokes that she's 'the only person in the band that never said, 'I'm quitting,'' she does recall, 'It did seem like that might be the end' after Ricky was gone, and the band 'spent a year just grieving — just disorientation and grief.' But then Strickland played his bandmates some of the new music he'd been working on, 'and we got inspired. And we also realized what a precious thing we had with each other. 'The only thing we said, was, 'We're not doing this for commercial [success]. We're not trying to be a hit. We're just doing this for ourselves and for our fans and to heal.' And what happened was pretty amazing,' Pierson continues, smiling as she recalls the band's decision to carry on. 'A lot of the [Cosmic Thing] songs hearkened back to that time when we were in Athens and that time of innocence with Ricky, and I think that's one of the reasons it was a success, because he inspired it in a lot of ways. I feel like there were a lot of times when I think we felt like he was there in the room. I think he would've been very happy about our success.' It was around the time of Cosmic Thing's breakthrough that Pierson became an in-demand duet partner, joining Iggy Pop on the only top 40 hit of his career, 'Candy' (which Pierson says 'everyone advised' her not to do), and fellow Athenian college-rock royalty R.E.M. on their top 10 single 'Shiny Happy People.' But despite those one-off successes, and the fact that Pierson had been writing songs on her own since she was a teenager, she refrained from doing a full solo album out of loyalty to her bandmates. Even after a 1999 stint in a multinational supergroup called NiNa (featuring members of Japanese punk band the Plastics and legendary art-rock bassist Mick Karn) 'opened up a new vista' for Pierson creatively, she still didn't release her first solo LP, Guitars and Microphones, until 2015. 'Somehow when I was with the B-52s, I felt like, 'Oh, I can't write anything without the band.' I guess that is one little regret I have. Why didn't I just at that point — sort of after Cosmic Thing, when we did [1992's] Good Stuff and Cindy left — why didn't I just go off?' muses Pierson. She's referring to a time when Cindy took a four-year hiatus from the group; Schneider 'caused some disruption' when he released his 1996 album, Just Fred; and Pierson had stockpiled enough songs for her own solo album, but the B-52s' manager 'put the kibosh' on her project. 'I guess it's because there's the pull of the mothership,' she explains. 'Our band is a very family dynamic. … It's such a collective experience. So, it did feel — and this was in my own head — that [going solo] was sort of a 'betrayal.' … But now I don't regret it, because I'm so grateful and it's been such a great experience and we still love each other. We're still like a family. We still hang out. And losing that would have been really tragic. I really valued my relationship with the band. 'And then I realized: I could do both!' Pierson has a bit more time to focus on her solo career now that the B-52s have supposedly retired from touring (even though they still have a residency in Las Vegas and Pierson jokes that their farewell tour was more of a 'Cher-well' tour, since they actually have some 2025 dates on the books with fellow trailblazing new wave oddballs Devo). And so, 10 years after her solo debut, she has finally released Radios and Rainbows, which runs the gamut from the most personal songs she's ever written, 'Beauty of It All' and 'Higher Place (inspired by her wife of 10 years, artist Monica Coleman); to spooky tunes like the Sia collaboration 'Every Day Is Halloween' and the Bleu-cowritten revenge fantasy 'Evil Love'; to 'Take Me Back to the Party' and 'Wings,' both homages to vintage B-52s party jams like 'Planet Claire.' And then there's the title track, an antiwar anthem that hearkens back to when Pierson, a self-described 'child of the '60s' and Rachel-Maddow-viewing 'political junkie,' was a teenage 'protest hippie chick' playing in her high school folk band, the Sun Donuts. 'Radios and Rainbows' was partially inspired by Patti Smith's 'People Have the Power,' but it also references John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who happened to be big B-52s fans. Lennon was famously inspired to make music again, after his five-year hiatus, by the B-52s' signature sci-fi/surf-rock classic. ' 'We were always big fans of Yoko Ono… and 'Rock Lobster,' at the end… when we do some of the fish sounds, that's directly inspired by Yoko Ono,' says Pierson. 'And when John Lennon heard that … apparently he was in the club and heard 'Rock Lobster' and he thought, 'We're back, Yoko! Our sound is back!' He loved 'Rock Lobster.'' While Pierson never got to meet Lennon (who was murdered in 1980, just one month after the release of the partially 'Rock Lobster'-inspired Double Fantasy), she did form a longstanding bond with Ono. Ono sang with the B-52s at their 25th anniversary show and 'let it rip,' and Pierson and Schneider performed at Ono's 70th birthday celebration. Pierson even interviewed Ono once for Rolling Stone. The B-52s will soon be the subject of a highly anticipated documentary executive-produced by super-fan Fred Armisen, who actually appeared on Pierson's Guitars and Microphones album. (Pierson reveals that they were also approached by The Skeleton Twins filmmaker Craig Johnson about the prospect of a B-52s biopic, which excited her — 'I was like, 'Sounds great! Who's gonna play me?' — but not everyone in the band was as enthusiastic.) Considering their far-reaching influence, it's not surprising that the B-52s' harrowing story is being adapted to the big screen in some way. It is surprising, however, that they have never even been nominated, let alone inducted, by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Another famous B-52s fan, Dave Grohl, has 'really been pushing to have us inducted,' Pierson reveals, but it hasn't happened yet. 'Most musicians say, 'I don't care.' Fred always says, 'I don't care!'… It would be nice to be recognized,' says Pierson regarding the Rock Hall snub. 'I'm against the whole idea of it in some ways. It's not a race. It's not a contest. … But yes, it would be nice. I wouldn't say no if they invited us into it. But it's not a big deal. We are who we are, anyway.' Best of GoldDerby Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article.
