4 weeks agoNew York StateComments Off on Floyd Mayweather to host £4million 48th birthday party on Miami Beach lasting a WEEK – with ATV tour and roller skates
FLOYD MAYWEATHER is hosting a WEEK’S worth of birthday celebrations in Miami – costing £4million.
The boxing legend turns 48 on Monday, February 24 and it will mark the end of seven days worth of partying.
Floyd Mayweather is hosting a week’s worth of birthday celebrations in MiamiGetty Images - GettyGetty Images - GettyMayweather is an avid skater[/caption]
According to TMZ, Mayweather is spending $5m (£4m) on a series of bashes in Miami starting on Monday, February 17.
The American and 400 of his closest family and friends travelled to South Beach to celebrate his 48th.
He is said to have put up his pals in fancy hotels throughout Miami Beach.
4 weeks agoNew York StateComments Off on The best budget wines from around the world & their surprising food pairings – including the right rose for Jaffa cakes
WHETHER you enjoy a drop of Spanish red, French rose or Aussie white, affordable wine from all over the world has never been so widely available in UK supermarkets.
To celebrate Global Drink Wine Day here Alex James, Blur bassist, food and drink aficionado, founder of the annual Big Festival, cheesemaker and the curator of Britpop wines, raises a glass to common types of plonk from eight grape-growing countries.
Olivia WestAlex James raises a glass to common types of plonk from eight grape-growing countries[/caption]
And he suggests the best British dishes to tuck into when drinking them – including some you might not have tried before.
ITALY – Caparelli Italian Pinot Grigio, £5.50, Tesco
DRINK WITH: Cheesy crumpets
ITALIAN white is the perfect match for old-fashioned, budget-friendly mild Cheddar for cheese on toast – or crumpets.
Having said that pretty much any cheese is fair game. If you can grate it, you can grill it.
TescoTesco’s Caparelli Italian Pinot Grigio is the perfect match for cheese on toast or crumpets[/caption]
It’s almost impossible to eat badly in Italy and it’s the home of many grand, spectacular wines but this dish calls for a cheap and cheerful classic.
Pinot Grigio is great with pizza and it takes the perfect simplicity of cheesy crumpets straight up to the penthouse of indulgence.
Some pomegranate seeds give this pairing the perfect finishing touch of prettiness. Midweek heaven.
IcelandIceland’s Burfield Chardonnay is the perfect partner for a pork pie[/caption]
I brought a stash home with me and I discovered it’s a pork pie’s perfect partner.
The wines have green apple and a whole host of fruity flavours that really connect with pork – and would be great with a hot sausage roll, too.
Chardonnay grapes also do well in England.
You will probably have to pay a bit more for a home-grown bottle but they are well worth trying with a pie if you get the chance.
GERMANY – Extra Special Gewurztraminer, £8.50, Asda
DRINK WITH: Chicken Tikka Masala
WHEN it comes to curry, most of us would probably reach for an ice-cold beer.
But there is a wine for every occasion and Gewurztraminer which hails originally from the culinary gold mine of Alsace along the French-German border is a fine choice to sip alongside spicy food.
AsdaAsda’s Extra Special Gewurztraminer is best served ice cold and sipped gently[/caption]
It’s quite viscous and sometimes reminiscent of tea with honey but it’s a white, big and bold enough to sit comfortably with any curry, exotic naan or aromatic rice you care to throw at it.
I like Gewurztraminer ice cold and sipped gently so I’ll stand my wine glasses in the freezer for half an hour before pouring.
WHITE wine with a nice, light acidic bite is the obvious choice for fare like fried fish but it’s by no means the only one.
If you like red wine and you like fish and chips, chances are you’re going to like them both at the same time.
Lidl’s 5 Oros Rioja Crianza is wonderful with fish and chipsLidl
Especially in the winter.
Batter is quite meaty so it can easily take the weight and depth of a full-bodied red and the might of malt vinegar needs something robust to meet it.
This Rioja pairing works really well and would be outstanding enjoyed at the British seaside at this time of year.
Or lying down in front of the telly.
ENGLAND – Britpop Brut by Alex James, £25, laithwaites.co.uk.
DRINK WITH: Full English breakfast
YES, this one is mine but there are lots of other great bottles of English fizz also worth paying a bit extra for.
The brightness and sharpness of our native sparkling wine makes it the perfect accompaniment to this culinary juggernaut – a full English.
laithwaites.co.ukBritpop Brut by Alex James is a great accompaniment to a Full English[/caption]
It cuts through rich meaty oils, refreshing the palate and adding a dash of glamour.
If you like orange juice with your fry-up, try mixing it with Brit fizz for the full breakfast of champions.
These are golden days of English wine making and our home-grown bubbly is now right up there with the very best in the world.
CHILE – Specially Selected Chilean Pinot Noir, £6.49, Aldi
DRINK WITH: Toad in the hole
I WAS going to say how cheap and easy it is to make Yorkshire puddings for toad in the hole then I spotted some ready-made ones in the supermarket.
But the gravy is the key ingredient in this dish.
AldiAldi’s Specially Selected Chilean Pinot Noir is perfect with toad in the hole[/caption]
Even with a packet or ready-made sauce, I still add a good splosh of vino to give it spicy depths.
If you’ve got time, the advantage of making your own batter is you can make them as gigantic as you want.
I rather like tearing off bits of Yorkshires and dunking them in my Pinot.
But I have to do it when my mum’s not looking.
FRANCE – Chais du Moulin Rosé, £6.99, laithwaites.co.uk.
DRINK WITH: Jaffa Cakes
WHILE I’m not suggesting anyone make a habit of this at teatime, biscuits like Jammie Dodgers or Jaffa Cakes coupled with a bottle creates a surprisingly sensational combination of interconnecting fruitiness and creaminess in the mouth.
Rose would be lovelier still with scones, jam and clotted cream but biscuits have fewer calories so this is actually a relatively sensible choice.
.laithwaites.co.ukChais du Moulin Rosé works well with biscuits like Jammie Dodgers or Jaffa Cakes[/caption]
There are so many affordable wines to explore in every supermarket.
They will tell you what they taste like and what they go well with on the back label so don’t be afraid to sip around.
ARGENTINA – Buenas Vides Argentinian Malbec, £4.59, Aldi
DRINK WITH: Sunday roast
NOTHING could have prepared me for how much the Argentinians love the UK.
They are mad about British music, football and totally mad about beef.
AldiAldi’s Buenas Vides Argentinian Malbec pairs perfectly with a sunday roast[/caption]
Aberdeen Angus beef is very highly regarded across South America.
It tastes spectacular and is traditionally cooked to perfection on adjustable barbecues called parillas.
I sometimes dream of running away to Argentina and never coming back.
A glass of fat Argentinian Malbec red wine with a traditional meaty roast is the next best thing.
4 weeks agoNew York StateComments Off on Doctor Who facing axe as lead star Ncuti Gatwa ‘quits’ amid woeful rating and fans’ fury at woke storylines
DOCTOR Who is facing the axe, with lead star Ncuti Gatwa poised to quit and crew claiming to be laid off.
The recent series suffered abysmal ratings with fans outraged by the BBC shoehorning wokery into storylines.
BBCDoctor Who is facing the axe, with lead star Ncuti Gatwa poised to quit and crew claiming to be laid off[/caption]
BBCThe recent series suffered abysmal ratings with fans outraged by the BBC shoehorning wokery into storylines[/caption]
Bosses have postponed any decision until Ncuti’s second season has aired later this year.
But the Scot, 32, is already believed to have filmed his regeneration “exit scene”, and crew fear the BBC will shelve the show after 62 years.
An insider said: “Ncuti doesn’t want to be tied to the series beyond this and plans to relocate to Los Angeles with several Hollywood projects standing by for him.
“His team also see a lot of fan backlash from the series, and don’t want the perception of him still being The Doctor to get in the way of any future work.
“The show has been poorly managed in recent years, and there’s a lot of people who’ve been working on this show for years and now being cast aside due to poor leadership.
“People warned some episodes were getting too caught up on an agenda rather than telling a story, and those people got shouted down, ignored.”
The first series under Ncuti which began last May attracted viewing figures between 2.25m and 3.18m – a fraction of what it used to pull in.
Controversy over the storylines has ramped up since 2023, when Russell T Davies returned as showrunner.
A trio of 60th anniversary specials kicked off with a plot involving a character who was able to save London because they were trans.
Another saw The Doctor — played by the returning David Tennant — realise he was gay after developing a crush on Sir Isaac Newton.
However viewing figures were still around two million up on the episodes to come under Ncuti, accompanied by new companion Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson.
The first full series had plots slamming everything from capitalism to Christianity — and introduced a new enemy played by a drag queen.
A huge question mark also hangs over whether Disney will renew their deal with the BBC, which is said to be worth £100m.
Crew working on the show in Cardiff are said to be furious at being left in limbo after filming wrapped last week.
The insider said: “Word on set is that the BBC will shelve the series for at least five years. The crew were told not to hold their breath for work on the series for at least 10 years.
“As we scramble to find work, those responsible get to ride off onto other well-paid projects without any repercussions. Filming wrapped on Friday afternoon, with no fanfare or celebration.”
Ncuti’s exit as the Time Lord would be the earliest since Christopher Eccleston, who left after just one series in 2005.
Ncuti was brought in by Russell T Davies, who rebooted the franchise in 2005 before leaving in 2009, only to return two years ago.
AlamyNcuti’s exit as the Time Lord would be the earliest since Christopher Eccleston, who left after just one series in 2005, pictured iconic alien monster, the Dalek[/caption]
4 weeks agoNew York StateComments Off on Watch moment Star Wars legend Mark Hamill’s trousers fall down on Baftas stage as horrified A-Listers get flashed
LUKE Skywalker actor Mark Hamill faced the dark slide when his trousers dropped as he revealed the Best Film gong at the EE Baftas.
A clip unearthed by The Sun shows the Star Wars favourite scrambling to hold up the pants while focusing on the autocue.
Star Wars star fumbles behind the lectern at the Baftas as his trousers start to drophttps://x.com/BritBox_US/status/1891231661716554214Hamill looks panicked as he feels the trousers slipping while he tells the audience of his love for filmhttps://x.com/BritBox_US/status/1891231661716554214An insider said that stars such as Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Adrien Brody would have seen his trousers fail from their angle in the audiencehttps://x.com/BritBox_US/status/1891231661716554214
Stage-side A-listers watched in horror. But Mark’s blushes were spared by a lectern at London’s Royal Festival Hall which meant from 3.8million TV viewers missed the drama.
An insider sat at the front told us: “Mark started speaking then his suit trousers just dropped to his knees. It was like they were too big for him.
“Most guests looked horrified but said nothing. It was a moment that you wouldn’t have believed unless you saw it.
“They were turning to each other wide-eyed as if to say, ‘Did that just happen?’”
As seen in our pictures, the moment Mark, 73, feels the trousers Force slipping comes as he tells the audience about his love of cinema, saying: “For me, films create worlds so vivid.”
Without losing his place on the autocue, he continues speaking to the stars as he hurriedly does up his trousers and tucks his shirt back in.
After handing over the Best Film award to the team behind Conclave, telling of the secretive task of picking a new Pope, Mark manages to walk off stage with his trousers intact.
Our insider added: “Mark and his disappearing trousers were the talk of the awards dinner later on.
“People couldn’t work out how they just fell down when they had been perfectly fine earlier when he walked out on to the stage.
“It’s a scenario which is every big star’s worst nightmare but Mark styled it out like a pro.
“He might need to get a better belt for next year though.”
Absolute Film ArchiveThe star as most will remember him as Luke Skywalker[/caption]
GettyThe audience was left baffled as Hamill’s trousers suddenly dropped – despite appearing fine as he walked on[/caption]
GettyThe star managed to keep his trousers up as he exited the stage after presenting the Best Film award to Conclave[/caption]
Gen Z’s chill zone
BOSSES created a “quiet room” for Gen Z stars.
The spot, next to the VIP pre-show drinks area, offered comfy chairs and chilled water for anyone struggling with the noise.
An insider said: “The awards can be hectic. Not everyone wants to hob-nob and swig champagne.
“Bafta wanted to be in tune with the younger stars’ needs.”
FRIDAY’S eight-hour blaze at The Chiltern Firehouse, which had been due to host Sunday’s post-Baftas party, was caused by wood falling from a pizza oven, London fire chiefs revealed yesterday.
Wicked’s stars split
WICKED stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were kept apart by security — fearing the film pair would be mobbed.
They only managed a quick hello and a photo in the VIP reception before being whisked away from each other.
Our insider said: “It’s a nightmare having two stars of a film together. Everyone rushes to speak to them.”
Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.
4 weeks agoNew York StateComments Off on Simon Cowell admits he no longer finds ‘superstars’ on Britain’s Got Talent after 18 years of the hit ITV show
SIMON Cowell’s search for Britain’s Got Talent superstars has fallen down his pecking order in favour of acts such as pole-dancing seagulls.
In its 18 years on air, his ITV variety show has unearthed stellar performers including Susan Boyle, Paul Potts and dance troupe Diversity — along with prancing pooch Pudsey.
ITVSimon Cowell says he no longer finds ‘superstars’ on BGT after 18 years[/caption]
Simon said: ‘Amanda is our Britain’s Got Talent queen and she deserves that crown’ITVJudge Alesha Dixon is back on the panel for the new seriesITV
Now, Simon says ahead of the new series he is looking for weird talent that can create high-flying moments for YouTube.
The head judge, 65, explained: “My outlook on things has changed since series one. When I first started it was like, ‘You’ve got to find a superstar.’
“And, of course, we always hope we will find someone who’s going to have a mega, mega, mega career.
“At the same time, whether you’re in magic, comedy or dance, where else are you going to showcase yourself to a huge audience and have that kind of, what I call, a ‘moment’? No other TV show does that.”
The new series features a pole-dancer dressed as a seagull and a rock band wearing dinosaur costumes.
After years judging singers on The X Factor, Simon now loves the absurd, saying: “I laugh at weird things. I have a very strange sense of humour.
“People still think after all these years I know what’s happening during auditions but no one tells us anything. It’s that surprise element of never knowing what’s coming next.
“As much as I love music shows, you know a singer’s followed by another singer. With this show, you just don’t know.”
4 weeks agoNew York StateComments Off on Love Island All Stars fans work out ‘real reason’ Lucinda Strafford pulled out of show return
LOVE Island All Stars fans are convinced they know the real reason Lucinda Strafford made a last minute U-turn on the show.
Lucinda, 25, had flown out to South Africa for the series last month but changed her mind about appearing at the last minute.
Lucinda Dawes was supposed to appear in Love Island All StarsBut the 2021 islander quit after arriving in South AfricaITVFans are convinced she discovered her ex Nathan Dawe was booked for the show[/caption]
The 2021 islander had already touched down in Cape Town but got straight back on a plane to the UK before entering the villa.
Fans are certain they have now worked out why she had a sudden change of heart.
As the Love Island All Stars Live Final go underway on Monday night, the five remaining couples were treated to a DJ set from Lucinda’s ex boyfriend.
Nathan Dawe had been flown in to play a set at the islanders’ final night party and viewers are convinced she knew about his upcoming appearance.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan said: “So this is why Lucinda actually backed out? Didn’t want to possibly come face to face with her ex DJing #LoveIsland #AllStars #loveislandallstars.”
Another added: “Isn’t this Lucinda’s ex loool.”
And a third penned: “Isn’t Nathan Dawe Lucinda’s ex. That would have been awkward if she came in cuz she did travel.”
The blonde beauty snapped a picture of herself in the back of a car with mountains behind her.
She captioned the snap: “Respectfully, this is how it feels knowing Love Island All Stars is not for you this year.”
Lucinda also took a photo of herself on a plane, adding: “And if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
A source at the time claimed she had grown tired of being left in ‘holding’ for two long so decided to head home.
The insider said: “Lucinda was asked to come and do Love Island again and she was really ready to give it another go.
“But she ended up being in holding for too long and wasn’t happy about it.
“She decided it would be too late for her to go in and make a connection.
“It was a tough call but she decided to head home.”
‘NOT FRIENDS’
Lucinda dated Nathan last year but they kept their romance quiet.
They only decided to announce it publicly just weeks before splitting in June 2024.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun in December, Lucinda said: “My last relationship was quite a chilled one. Nathan [Dawe] is literally the best and we still have conversations from time to time.
“I wouldn’t say we’re friends but we’re on good terms and chilled.”
She blamed their break-up on conflicting schedules, adding: “We were dating at the start of summer and he’s the busiest through summer with his music, so it was kind of like both of our schedules were so busy that it was hard to put time into the relationship.”
ITVNathan DJ’d for the five final Love Island All Stars couples[/caption]
Lucinda found fame on Love Island 2021
RexOlivia took aim at Grace upon her return to the villa[/caption]
Grace is coupled up with Luca in the ITV showErotemeITVThe pair reached the All Stars final[/caption]
She claimed she’d seen text messages from Grace to someone where she’d declared she would “do anything to win the show this time”.
In tonight’s final, host Maya spoke to Olivia about her claims – including asking if there were any receipts.
The presenter said: “Absolute scenes when you came into the villa the other day. The question we all want to know, do you have the receipts?”
Olivia replied: “I’ve seen them, I’ve said what I’ve said. You know me, I’m very straight talking. I’m straight to the point. I honestly wish them the best.”
Meanwhile, Grace retorted there were no receipts and said she looked forward to “apparently seeing them”.
Writing online, viewers made their thoughts clear about the wider situation.
One fan wrote on X: “Olivia couldn’t hide her jealousy and envy for Grace if she tried, scary!!!!!!”
Another penned: “I just can’t respect olivia, you had so much to say trying to expose Grace but you come to the finale with no receipts?”
While a third wrote: “Olivia pulling zero receipts, is actually very embarrassing after all that talking.”
A fourth remarked: “Did you see Olivia? Trying to play it down. Grace said no chance! I wanna see the receipts!!!”
Reuben Collins, who dated Grace when she first appeared on the show in series 11, was one of many to back her in the fight, declaring on Instagram the accusation was: “FAKE NEWS!!!”
However, it’s clear they left on good terms, with Reuben cheering on her reappearance for All Stars, posting on her announcement: “Now that’s a bombshell!! .”
But his latest comments had fans cheering him on, with some dubbing him a “supportive king” for having Grace’s back.
One wrote: “even you supporting her tells me these girls lying”.
Another added: “wow ur standing up for her, just shows how sweet of a girl she is if her ex/situationship is defending her.”
Love Island airs on ITV2 and ITVX.
ITVOlivia addressed her claims during the final[/caption]
ITVGrace entered the Love Star villa as a bombshell[/caption]