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The UK has a rich history of producing incredible boybands like Take That and One Direction but for the last decade, we have been severely lacking.
Now dearALICE, made up of Blaise Noon, Dexter Greenwood, Olly Quinn, James Sharp and Reese Carter, are here to take on the challenge and they’ve already won over girls across the nation – as well as their mums.
SuppliedThe group have today (Fri) released their debut single Ariana and they joined me in Bizarre HQ to talk about it, following an incredible 2024 which saw them appear in their own BBC series and perform on Strictly Come Dancing.
On their new status as heartthrobs, Reese admitted: “I’ve had hotties in my DMs, yeah, constantly.”
Olly continued: “We’ve had lots of attention from mothers.”
And Dexter added: “After Strictly definitely. I mean, I’m not complaining.”
Before their official debut, dearALICE endured an intense 100-day bootcamp in South Korea at the headquarters of SM Entertainment – which is the agency which looks after the biggest K-pop acts.
The experience was shown in the BBC One series Made In Korea: The K-Pop Experience, which you can still watch on iPlayer, and last month they played to a crowd of 50,000 in Seoul.
And they reckon their training has given them something which sets them apart from other acts.
James explained: “For our music, I think we’re creating a new sound. It’s dearALICE and what we’re about is something completely new.
“We want to redefine what it means to be a boy band because I don’t think we feel individually that we fit that kind of boy band archetype.
“We really want to set the bar and change what it means to be a boy group. And with our music, I think we really want to push and be as progressive as we can with our sound.”
Blaise said: “Whenever we’re working on stuff, we’re always thinking in the long run. Like, let’s constantly improve it so that we can have a long career.”
They’ve already been getting advice from another talented boyband member, JB Gill, who competed on Strictly last year.
Dexter recalled: “After the show, I went and spoke to him. It was really interesting and he gave me some really good insight and advice into how to do this. He’s so nice.”
I’m a fan of their new tune Ariana, which shows off their unique sound with sharp, jerky synths and percussion under the boys’ voices.
Speaking about the song, and its reference to Ariana Grande, James said: “I think all of us have taken our own meanings behind it. Cause I think it’s also for interpretation.
“But originally the song was written about somebody that’s obsessed with celebrity culture and somebody who was in love with someone that is obsessed with celebrity culture and the image of Ariana.”
I’m sure my fiance can relate.
Beyonce a cut above
Beyonce made sure she was the mane attraction by posing in this dress to promote her haircare range.
She looked jaw-dropping in the cleavage-boosting gown with a thigh-high slit, celebrating one year of her brand Cecred.
InstagramMeanwhile, her pal Lady Gaga was talking songs, not shampoo, during a lie detector test for Vanity Fair in the US.
She was hooked up to the machine and asked whether there will be a sequel to her 2009 Beyonce collaboration Telephone, after they put “to be continued” at the end of the video.
In the video, Gaga insisted she did want to make a follow-up, but said, “I don’t know” when quizzed when, before dismissing a rumour that Bey’s hectic schedule was to blame for the delay.
It’s been 14 years, so I think we’ve waited long enough.
Two extra Sam albums
Sam Fender’s third album is out today after four years in the making – but he already has two more on the way.
The Geordie rocker was so inspired while making People Watching that he is now hurrying back into the studio to do a “stripped back” record and a “thrashy” album.
Tom FarmerHe said: “If I’m honest. I have got a load of new songs already. There are two avenues I’ve got right now on the go.
“I’ve got a real stripped-back bunch of tunes, which really I couldn’t build on them. They need to just be on their own.
“And then the other side’s a bit more thrashy. So I’m thinking about two records at once at the moment.
“We’ll see. But I would love to do a real stripped back one, because that’s how I started.”
Sam also revealed his new album came from the emotional experience of losing a loved one back home in North Shields.
He explained on The Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music 1: “People Watching, the title track, was about Annie Owen.
“She was like a surrogate mother, and I was looking after her when she passed away.
“So the last five days of her life, I was with her in palliative care and I was staying back in my hometown.
“Every day when I was walking back from the palliative care place, I was people watching and just trying to think about what was going on.”
Spill or Chill
Love Island’s Faye Winter once had a steamy encounter with an ex . . . when she got frisky in a sauna.
She made the cheeky revelation in the latest episode of YouTube series Spill Or Chill by The Sun’s Fabulous mag, which you can watch now by scanning the QR code below.
Sean Collymore/News GroupFaye, who was on the ITV2 dating show in 2021, said: “I have misbehaved in a sauna with my first boyfriend.
“At the time I thought it was very romantic but looking back on it, maybe not.
“These places do weird things to people and give you endorphins.”
Watch Faye Winter in Spill Or Chill by scanning this QR codeOzzy gave pirate film the booty
Ozzy Osbourne certainly has the swashbuckling look of a pirate – and could have actually been one on the big screen.
His wife Sharon revealed that one of her major regrets as the Black Sabbath singer’s manager was turning down the chance for Ozzy to appear in the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies.
AP
Wife Sharon didn’t reveal Ozzy’s potential role, but Rolling Stone axe man Keith Richards landed a part as Captain Jack Sparrow’s fatherAlamyShe said on the Magnificent Others podcast: “Do you want to know the biggest mistake I ever made with Ozzy?
“He got offered to go and read for Pirates Of The Caribbean, and I’ve never said this to anyone – I said no. Now, wouldn’t he have been perfect?”
Sharon didn’t reveal what role he was asked to play. But another rocker, Keith Richards, did end up with a role as the dad of Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp in World’s End and On Stranger Tides.
Mind you, I can’t imagine Ozzy being great at remembering his script, bless him.
Daisy May Cooper was already one of my favourite celebrities, but has risen even higher in my estimation by cleverly avoiding mundane school politics.
Unlike my mum pals who are stuck in endless WhatsApp groups discussing lessons and lunch boxes, she can now avoid all that because she hasn’t had a phone for years.
Daisy told Olivia Attwood on her So Wrong, It’s Right podcast: “Because of work, I don’t do the school gate stuff.
“My ex-husband, who has been brilliant, does all of that. I don’t have to do any of it, and I tell you what, it is absolutely brilliant.
“I don’t get any PTA emails, I’m not in any WhatsApp groups.
“I haven’t owned a phone for like two years because of my crippling anxiety, and WhatsApp was just literally sending me over the edge.
“Social media was just awful, so everything goes to my partner’s phone and he tells me.”
Luke who Pitbull met
X/TwitterPitbull looked chuffed to get a snap backstage at his own show with darts champ Luke Littler.
“The Nuke” hung out with the rapper before his show at Dublin’s 3Arena on Wednesday, ahead of his gig at London’s O2 Arena tonight.
With the pic of him beaming from ear to ear, Mr Worldwide said “it was an honour” and that he was wishing the teenage thrower “the best of luck.”
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