Latest news with #Wigmore
Daily Mirror
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Brooklyn Beckham kisses Nicola in heartbreaking photos for David and Victoria
Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz secretly visited the UK for a photoshoot just two miles from his family home amid the ongoing feud with David and Victoria Beckham David and Victoria Beckham are sure to have their hearts broken when they cast their eyes to the latest photos of eldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz. The family have been warring for weeks, in a move that is said to have left them all devastated. Brooklyn and Nicola sparked concern for the famous family when they failed to attend any of David's 50th birthday celebrations in May. They had even jetted into London from Los Angeles but decided to stay away from the special family events. It proved just the start of distance forming for the Beckhams, as Brooklyn failed to reach out to his football icon dad when he received his long-awaited knighthood. Father's Day also came and went without a murmur from the eldest son, with reports claiming he has stopped responding to his famous parents and siblings. Things came to a devastating blow when it emerged Brooklyn and Nicola had returned to the UK amid the ongoing drama. They managed to keep their visit a secret from the family as they swiftly left for LA before the news broke. The young couple headed to London to take part in a photoshoot for designer brand Moncler, dubbed a "love letter" to the capital. To make things even worse for Posh and Becks, Brooklyn and Nicola shot their photos just two miles from the family home in Holland Park. On the same day, David was even closer as he attended the Chelsea Flower Show that was just around a mile away. Photos from the shoot have finally been released, as Brooklyn and Nicola put on a very loved up display. It would surely be a tough look for David and Victoria as the painful memories of that day will be brought back. Brooklyn and Nicola donned matching Moncler jackets for the shoot as they embraced on a cobblestoned street in the city. They also gazed lovingly into each others eyes for the campaign in a separate dark and moody shot. For his solo snaps, Brooklyn looked the spitting image of his famous dad as he strolled through the capital. He showcased a number of different looks for the brand, including an all white outfit and a sophisticated beige and brown combination that is not too dissimilar to what David would wear. In her own photo, Nicola embraced a sulky look as she wore a dark fur jacket with burgundy leather gloves and clutched a brown bag. She wore her hair back and added a smokey eye to add to the style of the shoot. Despite keeping their trip to London on the down low from his family, a picture uploaded to Instagram showed Brooklyn sipping a pint in a pub, with bottles of his own-brand hot sauce on the table in front of him. Innocuous enough to outsiders – but friends of the Beckhams recognised the distinctive light fittings and stark green walls in the background. One pal told us: 'The picture was taken in London's Wigmore pub, which is part of the Langham Hotel where the Beckhams have sometimes stayed. 'The fact that Brooklyn was in the country and failed to see any of his family was heartbreaking. And not only that, but here he was posting about it.' A pal revealed: 'Brooklyn had kept the visit quiet from not only his mum and dad but his siblings and extended family. It was terribly sad that he had flown thousands of miles to London and hadn't engaged at all. It would have been very easy to meet up.' To acquaintances of the family, the blame for what they believe are 'performative' social media posts lies with billionaire heiress Nicola. But a source close to the couple hit back at suggestions Nicola is 'controlling' her husband – and insisted Brooklyn is very much his own man. They revealed: 'She is not isolating him at all. He is free to do what he wants and he loves his wife and they are happy together. They are each other's family.'
Daily Mirror
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Victoria Beckham makes bittersweet family statement amid ongoing Brooklyn feud
Spice Girl and fashion designer Victoria Beckham issued a bittersweet comment about family as she deals with the ongoing fallout with her eldest son Brooklyn and wife Nicola Victoria Beckham gushed about spending time with her family in a bittersweet moment amid her ongoing fallout with eldest son Brooklyn. The Spice Girl turned fashion designer has been struggling with conflict in her beloved family as Brooklyn is said to have cut contact. Things came to a head for the famous family when Brooklyn and his wife Nicola snubbed all of dad David's 50th birthday celebrations last month. The blows kept coming for Posh and Becks, however, as he also failed to acknowledge Victoria's birthday online, David's long awaited knighthood and Father's Day. Reports have claimed Brooklyn has stopped responding to his famous parents and siblings as he continues to show his loyalities to Nicola. However, things took a turn this week when Brooklyn reached out to his family for the first time on social media. He posted a moving message to his paternal grandma, Sandra and said: 'Happy birthday nanny xx love you so much.' Yet, insiders still believe there is no way he will bury the hatchet with his parents. Amid the ongoing pain, Victoria made sure to surround herself with her family. She enjoyed time with her own parents as they lapped up the sunny weather. Victoria, who smiled as she stood in between her mum and dad, declared: "Family weekends make me happy!!! Love you @ Last month, the Mirror revealed how David and Victoria's eldest son was in London at the same time as his dad, but kept his visit a secret. A picture uploaded to Instagram showed Brooklyn sipping a pint in a pub, with bottles of his own-brand hot sauce on the table in front of him. Innocuous enough to outsiders – but friends of the Beckhams recognised the distinctive light fittings and stark green walls in the background. One pal told us: 'The picture was taken in London's Wigmore pub, which is part of the Langham Hotel where the Beckhams have sometimes stayed. 'The fact that Brooklyn was in the country and failed to see any of his family was heartbreaking. And not only that, but here he was posting about it.' Brooklyn, 26, and his wife Nicola, 30, had flown to London for a joint photoshoot with Italian luxury fashion brand Moncler, which took place less than two miles from the Beckham family home in Holland Park. Dad David was not far away – he was pictured with the King at the Chelsea Flower show that day – just three miles from the Wigmore. A pal revealed: 'Brooklyn had kept the visit quiet from not only his mum and dad but his siblings and extended family. It was terribly sad that he had flown thousands of miles to London and hadn't engaged at all. It would have been very easy to meet up.' To acquaintances of the family, the blame for what they believe are 'performative' social media posts lies with billionaire heiress Nicola. But a source close to the couple hit back at suggestions Nicola is 'controlling' her husband – and insisted Brooklyn is very much his own man. They revealed: 'She is not isolating him at all. He is free to do what he wants and he loves his wife and they are happy together. They are each other's family.'
Daily Record
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Brooklyn Beckham breaks silence with touching gesture towards family amid ongoing feud
David and Victoria Beckham's eldest son Brooklyn Beckham has reached out to his family in a touching social media post amid rumours of an ongoing feud Brooklyn Beckham has made his first public gesture towards his family on social media, sharing a heartfelt message. The eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham posted a touching birthday tribute to his grandmother, Sandra. He said: 'Happy birthday nanny xx love you so much," along side two heart emojis. The post is believed to mark the first time Brooklyn has publicly acknowledged his family amid reports of a bitter family feud. However, insiders remain convinced that a reconciliation with his parents is unlikely. One source stated: "At present it feels like there is too much to overcome.' It comes as it was revealed last month that the wanna be chef was in London at the same time as his dad, but kept his visit a secret. A picture uploaded to Instagram showed Brooklyn drinking a pint in a pub, as bottles of his own-band hot sauce on the table in front of him, the Mirror reports. The pub may have seemed unrecognisable to outsiders, but those close to the Beckhams quickly recognised the distinctive light fittings and bold green walls in the background. One pal stated: "The picture was taken in London's Wigmore pub, which is part of the Langham Hotel where the Beckhams have sometimes stayed." "The fact that Brooklyn was in the country and failed to see any of his family was heartbreaking. And not only that, but here he was posting about it.' Brooklyn, 26, and his wife Nicola Peltz, 30, had travelled to London for a joint photoshoot with Italian luxury fashion brand Moncler - which took place less than two miles from the Beckham family's Holland Park home. His dad, David was also nearby that day, appearing alongside the King at the Chelsea Flower show. A friend shared: 'Brooklyn had kept the visit quiet from not only his mum and dad but his siblings and extended family. It was terribly sad that he had flown thousands of miles to London and hadn't engaged at all. It would have been very easy to meet up.' In a separate Instagram post on May 16, Brooklyn paid tribute to Nicola's late grandmother, sharing a photo to mark the anniversary of her passing. He wrote: "I miss you and will love you forever." A source stated: "Brooklyn's heart is of course in the right place…but it hasn't gone unnoticed how all the while he is posting about Nicola's family he is silent about his own, including his own grandfather whose birthday it was last week." Those familiar with the family suggest that what they believe are "performative" social media posts are Nicola's doing. They express concerns that she may be influencing or even directing Brooklyn's online activity - which they say feels out of character - and suggest she is playing a role in distancing him from his friends and family. A pal close to the family, stated: "She is creating conflict where there is none and divides are springing up left, right and centre." Although a source close to the couple has hit back at comments of Nicola being "controlling" towards her husband, and claims that Brooklyn is very much his own man. The source, said: "She is not isolating him at all. He is free to do what he wants and he loves his wife and they are happy together. They are each other's family."
Daily Mirror
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Brooklyn Beckham reaches out to family for first time with sweet words amid feud
Brooklyn Beckham has reached out for the first time to his family on social media in a heartfelt gesture. The eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham posted a moving message to his grandma, Sandra. He said: 'Happy birthday nanny xx love you so much.' He posted it alongside two love hearts. It's thought to be the first time he has publicly acknowledged his family with whom he is at the centre of a bitter feud. But insiders still believe there is no way he will bury the hatchet with his parents. A source said: 'At present it feels like there is too much to overcome.' It comes as the Mirror revealed last month how their eldest son was in London at the same time as his dad, but kept his visit a secret. A picture uploaded to Instagram showed Brooklyn sipping a pint in a pub, with bottles of his own-brand hot sauce on the table in front of him. Innocuous enough to outsiders – but friends of the Beckhams recognised the distinctive light fittings and stark green walls in the background. One pal says: 'The picture was taken in London's Wigmore pub, which is part of the Langham Hotel where the Beckhams have sometimes stayed. 'The fact that Brooklyn was in the country and failed to see any of his family was heartbreaking. And not only that, but here he was posting about it.' Brooklyn, 26, and his wife Nicola Peltz, 30, had flown to London for a joint photoshoot with Italian luxury fashion brand Moncler, which took place less than two miles from the Beckham family home in Holland Park. Dad David, 50, was not far away – he was pictured with the King at the Chelsea Flower show that day – just three miles from the Wigmore. A pal reveals: 'Brooklyn had kept the visit quiet from not only his mum and dad but his siblings and extended family. It was terribly sad that he had flown thousands of miles to London and hadn't engaged at all. It would have been very easy to meet up.' Another Instagram post, made on May 16, showed Brooklyn with Nicola's late grandmother to mark the anniversary of her death. He captioned it: 'I miss you and will love you forever.' A friend said: 'Brooklyn's heart is of course in the right place…but it hasn't gone unnoticed how all the while he is posting about Nicola's family he is silent about his own, including his own grandfather whose birthday it was last week.' To acquaintances of the family, the blame for what they believe are 'performative' social media posts lies with heiress Nicola. They list concerns that she is somehow orchestrating her husband's social media activity, which they claim is out of character, and that she is responsible for 'isolating' Brooklyn from his friends and family. A pal says: 'She is creating conflict where there is none and divides are springing up left, right and centre.' But a source close to the couple has hit back at suggestions Nicola is 'controlling' her husband – and insists Brooklyn is very much his own man. They reveal: 'She is not isolating him at all. He is free to do what he wants and he loves his wife and they are happy together. They are each other's family.' .
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Anatomy of an IPL fan: cricketers, experts and fans examine why the game matters to them
In the beginning of May, the Indian Premier League (IPL) juggernaut, with more than two-thirds of the fixtures completed, came to an abrupt halt. Stadium lights dimmed. Commentary boxes fell silent. With military tensions mounting between India and Pakistan, the fate of the 18th edition of the franchise-based cricket league hung in the balance. Then a few days later, just as suddenly, the switch was flipped back on. Players flew out, others flew in. Some teams rose. Others faltered. But the pulse of the IPL? Steady. Loud. Unrelenting. Last week, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched their first-ever IPL title. With tears in his eyes, Virat Kohli lifted the elusive trophy, in a culmination of years of relentless pursuit, near misses, and unyielding passion. With that, an electrifying season came to an emotional close. According to Ormax Media's 2024 sports report, cricket commands 612 million viewers in India. Of these, 86 million are urban IPL franchise loyalists. Google Trends show IPL-related searches topping charts for eight consecutive weeks, barring the brief pause mid-May. In the final week alone, 'PBKS vs RCB' clocked over 10 million searches; 'MI vs GT' had a search volume of 5 million. This isn't just consumption, it's commitment. This is what it means when a game becomes something more than just a game. The gulf between domestic cricket and the IPL isn't as wide as it seems. The skill, the level of competition, even the pressure, it's all there. What changes is the spotlight. 'There's not much of a difference in the game itself,' says Abhishek Desai of the Gujarat Cricket Association. 'It's all about the exposure — playing alongside the world's best. And the IPL is louder, flashier, and that makes everything feel bigger.' In India, where even silence can be political, the noise around cricket matters. And the IPL, more than any other format of cricket, understands how to dial it up. Test vs. T20 Tim Wigmore's Test Cricket: A History offers a sweeping chronicle of a format long seen as cricket's ultimate test — of skill, temperament, and endurance. But while Wigmore looks back at the grandeur and grit of the red-ball format, the sport has surged ahead. If Test cricket is its pinnacle, then T20, especially in its most commercial, glamorous avatar as the Indian Premier League, has redefined its base. T20 has reshaped cricket's priorities, drawing new audiences with its three-hour bursts of action. The IPL, as an extension of this format, has amplified that shift, injecting staggering money, youthful energy, and mass entertainment into the game's bloodstream. Wigmore portrays Test cricket as both archaic and alluring. He raises a pressing question: can this demanding, five-day format coexist with the electric thrill of T20, especially in its glossy franchise form? The IPL hasn't killed Test cricket, it has, in fact, made its survival more urgent. In challenging Test cricket to prove its worth, the IPL has become an unlikely mirror: a rival that paradoxically keeps the older format alive. Today's aggressive, fast-paced batsmen may light up the IPL, but it's Test cricket that teaches them the true grammar of the game. The IPL may be where they shine, but Test cricket is where they are forged, say experts. Sport as story 'The IPL is a McDonaldisation of sport, which is a concept frequently spoken of by sports sociologists,' says Aman Misra, a Ph.D candidate at the University of Tennessee. He studies sports communication and the sociology of sports, particularly public memory and media perception of disability. 'It's tightly packaged, highly produced, and modelled on western templates. To make it work, they have to start creating rivalries, they have to manufacture narratives around wins and losses.' There is a conscious effort to build parasocial relationships, thinks Misra. 'The best way to understand it is that even if the league is 'constructed', the emotions it sparks are real. Sports reflects society,' he says. This emotional mirroring touches fans and players alike. Gujarat Titans' spinner Sai Kishore understands it. 'It's not bizarre to me. It means the team is theirs, too. They feel the wins, and they feel the losses,' he says. For comedian Danish Sait, who plays RCB's irreverent mascot Mr. Nags, defeat feels personal. 'You travel with the team, spend time with the players. When they lose, it hurts. But the business side still rolls on, so you keep the performance on. Even my valet tells me, 'Sir, please come back with the trophy'. I don't even play! But that's the magic of sport. It makes you one of them,' he says. 'When I got the opportunity 11 years ago to be the bridge between fans and cricketers, the goal was to humanise the players — to bring them closer. Back then, cricket was all about hero worship, the constant David vs. Goliath narrative. But no one was showing them as real people, just like us, who love the game and have a sense of humour. I really enjoyed speaking the language fans speak and creating something they could connect with.'Danish SaitComedian and RCB mascot RCB remained among the league's great enigmas — hugely popular despite never winning the title until this season. The 2024 Ormax report pegs it at 13.3 million fans, just behind five-time winners Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. 'Everybody loves an underdog,' says screenwriter Navjot Gulati. 'RCB's arc is full of drama, chaos, and heartbreak,' he adds. For years, they came agonisingly close — losing the final in 2009, 2011 and 2016, and pulling off a dramatic comeback in 2024 only to stumble in the playoffs. One of the most consistent teams, RCB made the playoffs five times in the last six seasons. It's a cruel irony. A team that boasted T20 swashbucklers such as Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers somehow never managed to translate their talent into silverware. Having won nearly every other cricketing honour, Kohli bore the weight of this one for years. Which is why, Gulati says, 'It won't just be their core fans who'll celebrate. I think a lot of people will celebrate just because there's a story there.' For Mumbai Indians fan Dhruv Shah, co-founder of Funcho Entertainment, a comedy content channel, the appeal lies in sport as an outlet. 'Most of us have aggressive, competitive sides, but life gets in the way. The IPL lets us win by proxy. Cricket allows us to win.' Fandom and identity The emotion isn't superficial. It cuts deep. Therapist Meghna Singhal, a Ph.D in clinical psychology, maps fan grief to the DABDA model: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. 'Fans genuinely grieve. At first, it's 'We didn't deserve to lose'; then, 'The umpiring was biased'; followed by 'If only we bowled that guy'; then comes a week of sadness; and finally, 'It was still a great season'.' Cricket is a life marker for actor Nakuul Mehta. His fandom is a dream deferred. 'Like most children in India, I once dreamt of playing for the country. But at some point, you realise your ambition outweighs your talent. So you live that dream through your heroes. When they win, you soar. When they lose, it stings, it feels personal.' He credits the IPL management with building a fandom few saw coming. 'When my team loses, it hurts because I lose the right to defend them. But when they win, it feels worth it, like all those years of standing by them finally paid off.' Singhal adds that team loyalty anchors personal identity. 'Sports fandom taps into a deeply human need to belong. When we support a Mumbai or Gujarat, we're anchoring ourselves to a shared identity,' she says. Psychology calls this the social identity theory, according to Singhal. 'Our sense of self is shaped by the group we belong to.' Meanwhile, veteran sports editor Suresh Menon believes fans are outsourcing emotion. 'You look at Kohli and think, 'Thank God I don't have to do all that.' You've nominated him to win on your behalf.' He calls it coquette psychology. 'Sport is fundamentally meaningless. So we impose meaning, glory, sacrifice, heartbreak. It's got a story. It's got memories.' 'When India beat England for the first time — whether at home in 1952 or away in 1971 — it felt like getting our own back on the colonisers. Cricket can mean many things: a way to assert nationhood, to express identity. During the Depression, Don Bradman became a towering figure in Australian cricket, someone the nation could rally around, just like we did with Tendulkar. He didn't just play for us; he stood in for us. That kind of identification with a sporting hero runs deep. And then there's the thrill, the unpredictability, the drama, the not knowing how it will end. That's what pulls fans in, even those who don't follow every match.'Suresh MenonEditor and columnist Media arms of franchises are happy to add to the storybuilding. 'International cricket doesn't need to build characters,' Menon notes. 'But IPL franchises have private players. So you get social media teams building emotional hooks. Personalities are amped up. Narratives are fed.' Misra agrees. 'Sport has always been likened to war to a certain extent. Journalists love conflicts, rivalries, storylines. We're not telling Indian audiences what to think, we're telling them how to think. We are creating meaning through media logic. So even if you're not playing, you start to carry this conflict emotionally, as though it's yours.' That is the aim with which comedian Sait began donning the role of RCB's mascot. 'When I got the opportunity 11 years ago to be the bridge between fans and cricketers, the goal was to humanise the players. Back then, cricket was all about hero worship. I really enjoyed speaking the language fans speak and creating something they could connect with,' he says. Winning by proxy That effort to humanise players, to bridge the gap between icon and individual, is echoed by players, too. Says Sai Kishore of the Gujarat Titans, 'People in Gujarat feel deeply connected to the Titans. Most of us players aren't even from here. But fans get that local flavour, just like Chennaiites do with Dhoni. That's love.' Kishore now calls Ahmedabad his second home. 'The connection is real. The IPL is emotionally intense. When we lose, it's not just about 'moving on to the next one'. We feel it.' In the end, only one team gets to lift the trophy. But millions more will feel like they lifted it, too. Because when the IPL rolls into town, the country doesn't just watch. It plays along, and for a little while, all they are going to be saying is, 'Ee Saala Cup Namdu' (this year, the trophy is ours). The writer is a culture, lifestyle and entertainment journalist. This article appeared in print in the June 8, 2025 edition of The Hindu-Magazine. It was written earlier and updated on June 4 after Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the IPL trophy the previous evening. The article could not include details of a tragic stampede that took place in Bengaluru on the evening of June 4 during the victory celebration.
