David Beckham has "always been a huge royalist".
The 49-year-old former England soccer star was raised in a household that "adored and loved" Britain's royal family, and David remains hugely passionate about the monarchy.
David – who became an ambassador of The King’s Foundation in 2024 – told CNBC anchor Sara Eisen at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland: "I always get emotional talking about anything that I do with our royal family, because I've always been a huge royalist.
"I was brought up in a household that adored and loved everything that came with the royal family."
David has also worked extensively with Prince William over the years.
The former England captain said: "Over the years, I've done a lot with the Prince of Wales.
"I've always been there, when he's asked me to get involved with things. Whether it be veterans, whether it be the London Air Ambulance Service, which we raised funds to get two new helicopters for London. These are the things, when I was a kid, I used to see the helicopters going over, and you knew exactly what they were going to do. They were on their way to an emergency. So to be involved in that, has always been a 'Yes' for me."
Last year, David was announced as a new ambassador of The King's Foundation, an educational charity that offers courses to thousands of people every year.
The sporting icon said at the time: "I’m excited to be working with The King’s Foundation and to have the opportunity to help raise awareness of the charity’s work.
"I’ve always been keen to help young people to expand their horizons and I’m particularly looking forward to supporting the Foundation’s education programmes and its efforts to ensure young people have greater access to nature."
Back to Homepage
Must-Read Stories
Conan O’Brien’s house has survived the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires.
The television host, 61, told fans during the Monday (20.01.25) episode of his ‘Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend’ podcast his property was not damaged despite his family being evacuated as the infernos blazed.
Conan added he was in a meeting with writers to discuss his upcoming gig as the host of the 2025 Oscars when he got a call from his wife Liza about seeing “some smoke” on the horizon.
He said: “I remember thinking, ‘Well, we’ve been through this before – we’ve been evacuated. There’s also been smoke and we haven’t been evacuated’.
“It’s part of life in LA, so I wasn’t thinking that much about it.”
He added about how Liza called to tell him that they were evacuated: “And so I went from here to, whatever, we went to a hotel, and I went to sleep that night thinking, ‘I’m pretty sure that our house will go’, and it did not.”
Conan admitted the number of people he knows who did lose their homes in the blazes was “stunning”.
More than 80,000 people have been displaced as a result of the fires, including celebrities Billy Crystal, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Joshua Jackson, Anna Faris, Ricki Lake, Cary Elwes, Cameron Mathison, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag.
Conan previously shared a photo of himself standing in front of a Redondo Beach fire truck with four firefighters on Instagram and expressed his appreciation for their work during the fires.
He captioned the post: “Just ran into these heroes in my neighbourhood. Thank you to them and all the brave firefighters who have been working tirelessly to keep us safe.”
Celebrities including Jamie Lee Curtis have donated huge amounts of their showbiz fortunes to the wildfire recovery effort, while others such as Paris Hilton have urged people to take in stranded pets and neighbours.
Back to Homepage
Must-Read Stories
Sting has postponed a series of concerts “due to illness”.
The former Police frontman will no longer perform at the Bass Magazine Awards at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California on Thursday (23.01.25), and has rescheduled three concerts with his new trio STING 3.0 – completed by guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas – in Phoenix, Arizona on January 24 and Wheatland, California on January 26.
The Phoenix gig will now take place on June 1 and the Wheatland show on May 28.
Sting was also due to perform at the Cherrytree Music Company’s 20th anniversary bash on January 25 at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles alongside fellow label mates – including Shaggy, Mike Einziger, Chance Emerson and Sophie Grey – but the event will now take place on May 29.
The ‘Every Breath You Take’ hitmaker, 73, hasn’t disclosed the type of illness he is suffering from but has been advised by doctors to rest up.
A statement posted to his Instagram page read: “On advisement from his doctor, due to illness, it is with sincere regret that Sting must cancel his appearance at the Bass Magazine Awards this Thursday and postpone his STING 3.0 concerts in Phoenix, AZ (originally scheduled for January 24) to June 1 and Wheatland, CA (originally scheduled for January 26) to May 28 as well as his performance at the Cherrytree Music Company’s 20th anniversary, now taking place May 29.
“Fans should retain their tickets for the postponed shows, as they will be honoured on the new dates.
“Sting sincerely apologises for any inconvenience and extends his gratitude to the fans for their understanding.”
Sting was recently confirmed to be performing at the FireAid benefit concert to raise funds for the Los Angeles wildfires relief efforts on January 30.
Other artists to have signed up for the show include Joni Mitchell, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Earth, Wind and Fire, Gracie Abrams, Green Day, Gwen Stefani, Jelly Roll, Pink and Rod Stewart as well as Dave Matthews and John Mayer, who will be performing together.
The concert has been described as an "evening of music and solidarity" to raise vital funds to help communities devastated by the fires.
It will be broadcast and streamed on services including Apple Music and Apple TV, iHeartRadio,Netflix/Tudom, Paramount+, Prime Video, SiriusXM, YouTube and more as well as being shown at a number of cinemas across the US.
Back to Homepage
Must-Read Stories
Khloe Kardashian doesn't feel "ashamed" of her turbulent love life.
The 40-year-old beauty is currently single following her high-profile split from NBA star Tristan Thompson, but Khloe has insisted she doesn't have any reason to feel ashamed about her romantic past.
Khloe – who has True, six, and Tatum, two, with Tristan – said on her 'Khloe in Wonderland' podcast: "I've chosen to not [date] – and because I genuinely don't want to.
"Right now, I'm not dating because my relationship with my kids just is it's everything to me. And not that that means people who are dating when they have kids anything … but where I am in my life right now, I just really want to nurture this love, and I just want to be as present as I can. I don't want any distractions right now in my life."
Khloe remains open to the idea of finding love and settling down with someone. But, for the time being, it's not something she's actively looking for.
The reality TV star – who was married to Lamar Odom between 2009 and 2016 – explained: "If I meet someone in two months, two years and I fall in love, great, but I'm not actively on the dating scene, searching for someone, and I'm so happy. I feel so fulfilled."
Khloe believes she's actually got to know herself even better while she's been single.
She said: "I also love that I've taken about three years off of dating, and I feel like I've really got to know myself on a deeper level.
"It's that thing about avoidance or distracting. And when you're stuck with yourself, you're like, 'Okay, I gotta come face to face with this version of me.' Or, 'What do I want to perfect?' Or, 'How can I be a better person in this area?'"
Back to Homepage
Must-Read Stories
Nearly a hundred jurors packed into a Los Angeles courtroom again on Wednesday with the possibility that they’ll serve on the trial of A$AP Rocky, who is charged with firing a gun at a former friend.
Lawyers for the hip-hop star, fashion mogul and actor again raised the issue of the small number of Black jurors in the pool, saying they planned to appeal a judge's rejection of their request for a hearing on the matter.
“We’re troubled by that to say the least,” Joe Tacopina said. “We’re in downtown Los Angeles, not a small town in Montana.”
The defense said that the geographic area that potential jurors were pulled from is 9% African American, but by their assessment of the room less than 5% of those summoned were Black, and it is entirely possible no Black jurors will be seated.
The Rev. Al Sharpton said on the social platform X that he has been following the proceedings and was critical of the racial makeup of the juror pool.
“It is absolutely ridiculous that the jury will be not fair and representative, so as to deprive A$AP Rocky of a fair trial,” the post said. “I am monitoring this trial and challenging the Los Angeles District Attorney to ensure that fair and representative justice is afforded to A$AP Rocky.”
The judge declined to pause the trial for the appeal.
Prosecutors resumed questioning of potential jurors, focusing on their attitudes toward police and celebrity.
Deputy District Attorney John Lewin asked how many of the 12 people in the jury box during the first round of questioning consider themselves fans of Rihanna, who is Rocky's longtime life partner and the mother of his two toddler sons. Four said they were.
He asked them whether they'll worry about the effect that convicting Rocky — on two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, which could lead to many years in prison — could have on Rihanna.
“You put it in my head, and now I'm like, ‘Oh, it would affect her,’” one woman in the jury box responded.
Rocky, who is free on bail and has pleaded not guilty, sat at the defense table in a black suit, watching the questioning.
Rihanna was not in court, but Rocky's mother and sister sat in his section of the gallery.
Before the jury panel was brought in, Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold asked him who the women were, and marveled at the youthful appearance of his mother, Renee Black.
“What were you, 7 when you had him?” the judge asked. She said she was 26.
“You are very beautiful,” the judge told her. “That's on the record.”
Jury selection began Tuesday after the 36-year-old Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Athelaston Mayers, turned down a deal offering 180 days in jail, a seven-year suspended sentence and three years’ probation if he would plead guilty to one of the two counts.
Nearly a hundred potential jurors will remain in the courtroom as the selection process resumes Thursday. Opening statements will begin once 12 jurors and four alternates are seated.
Other than dismissals for cause, each side can have 10 jurors dismissed without giving a reason. The defense has used four of its challenges. Prosecutors used just one. They said they are happy with the jury as currently composed. But that may change.
“I'm pretty sure we're going to have a jury tomorrow,” Arnold said at the end of court Wednesday. “This is not going to go on forever.”
The trial was initially expected to last three weeks, but updated witness lists suggest it could be closer to two weeks.
Rocky has been named one of the celebrity chairs of the Met Gala in May, and has a major role in a Spike Lee-directed film with Denzel Washington to be released soon after.
But his life could be upended if he's convicted of firing a gun at Terell Ephron, a childhood friend who testified that their relationship had soured and a feud came to a head on the night of Nov. 6, 2021. Ephron testified that bullets grazed his knuckles.
Back to Homepage
Must-Read Stories
Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs filed a defamation lawsuit Wednesday against a man they said had falsely claimed to possess videos implicating the music mogul in sexual assaults on eight celebrities.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York City, accuses Courtney Burgess and his lawyer, Ariel Mitchell, of fabricating “outrageous lies” as part of an effort to potentially profit off of the media frenzy around Combs, who was indicted in September on sex trafficking charges.
Combs also sued Nexstar Media, saying its cable news network, NewsNation, aired Burgess’ allegations without looking into whether they were true. The videos, the lawsuit claimed, simply don't exist.
“These defendants have willfully fabricated and disseminated outrageous lies with reckless disregard for the truth,” said Erica Wolff, an attorney for Combs. “Their falsehoods have poisoned public perception and contaminated the jury pool. This complaint should serve as a warning that such intentional falsehoods, which undermine Mr. Combs’s right to a fair trial, will no longer be tolerated.”
Burgess and Mitchell did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press requesting comment. A phone call to Mitchell was not answered. A spokesperson for Nexstar Media Group declined to comment.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges lodged against him after his September arrest. He has remained incarcerated, awaiting a May 5 trial, after judges refused to grant him bail.
After Combs was arrested, Burgess began giving interviews with reporters, social media personalities and true crime podcasters in which he claimed to have been given flash drives with incriminating evidence by the late actor and model Kim Porter, a longtime partner of Combs and mother of four of his children.
But the videos Burgess claims to possess have never become public. Some people close to Porter told The New York Times for a story published in November that they had never heard of Burgess and doubted his claims. Burgess has acknowledged that he doesn’t know Combs personally.
Federal prosecutors have not publicly identified Burgess as being involved in the criminal case.
In interviews, Burgess said law enforcement seized the videos from his home. Mitchell also told reporters Burgess handed over the drives to the federal government.
The lawsuit said both claims were “completely false.”
“No such video was ever turned over to the government because no such video exists,” the lawsuit said.
Back to Homepage
Must-Read Stories
Flavor Flav has launched a fundraiser to help Black families affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.
The 65-year-old rapper is partnering up with GoFundMe and the Black Music Action Coalition to offer support to those displaced by the fires in Palisades and Eaton.
He wrote on Instagram: "So many of y’all have helped in the aftermath of the LA Fires,,, so many of y’all have received help. But there’s SO MANY more that REALLY need your help.
“It’s been inspiring to see so many people come together as one to lift each other up, and I just want to highlight one aspect of the larger LA community in dire need.
"Not enough is being done for the Black families and community in the aftermath of the California fires.
"I’ve partnered up with GoFundMe and the Black Music Action Coalition to create ONE main GoFundMe campaign to immediately help those in need.
"I urge not only Black artists and musicians and creators, but EVERYONE to come together and continue to help those in still in desperate need."
The GoFundMe has already raised over $44,000.
The description for the page reads: "As a community-rooted effort, Community Aid Dena, AFROPUNK, and WalkGood LA came together to amplify the GoFundMe Campaigns of Black families displaced by the Eaton Fire, through a consolidated list entitled Displaced Black Families GoFundMe Directory.
"Powered by Flavor Flav, this fundraiser further amplifies the collective efforts to generate funds in support of Black families as they navigate displacement, loss of income, grief, essential needs in the short-term as they seek to rebuild."
Meanwhile, this week Zoe Saldaña spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day (20.01.25) assisting volunteers in handing out supplies to victims of the Eaton Fire.
The 46-year-old 'Emilia Perez' star was doing her bit to support the residents of Pasadena and Altadena, who were left displaced by the blaze, by helping the National Day Laborer Organizing Network with their relief efforts and admitted they were in desperate need of more everyday essentials to offer locals impacted by the disaster.
In a video shared to Instagram, Zoe said: “We’re here at the Pasadena Job Center — I’m here with the team organizers. We are in dire need of a lot of items that are running out. The lines here of cars and people that are coming is incredible.
“The support is incredible, but we need more. So if you guys can help, we are here right now. Come you guys.”
Back to Homepage
Must-Read Stories
George Clinton, The Doobie Brothers, Ashley Gorley, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, The Beach Boys' Mike Love and Tony Macaulay make up the 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees — an inspiring mix of funk, rock, R&B, country and beyond.
Is there funk without George Clinton? Is there groove? From Parliament/Funkadelic to his solo work, Clinton is an innovator of American popular music — a long overdue inductee heard on timeless hits (like “Atomic Dog” and “Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)”) but also across the songs of Kendrick Lamar, Tupac, OutKast, Dr. Dre, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, De La Soul and beyond.
Previously, Clinton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. He received the lifetime achievement award at the Grammys in 2019.
The Doobie Brothers — the inducted members are Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons — are known the world over for their roots-y rock ‘n’ roll, particularly for their No. 1 hits “What A Fool Believes” and “Black Water.” They went into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
Ashley Gorley is an unmistakable name in the world of country music, with 80 No. 1 radio singles to his name. Recent credits include the honky-tonk stomp “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen.
The class of 2025 also includes The Beach Boys' Mike Love, who joins his bandmate Brian Wilson in the Hall; Wilson was inducted in 2000. Groundbreaking producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, whose touch is heard across countless R&B and pop hits, will also be inducted, as will legendary English songwriter Tony Macaulay, known for such classics as The Foundations' “Build Me Up Buttercup” and 'Baby Now That I’ve Found You."
The 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on June 12 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
“The foundation of the music industry exists because songwriters compose great songs," Songwriters Hall of Fame chairman Nile Rodgers said in a statement. “Without them, there is no recorded music, no concert business, no fans, or merchandising; it all starts with the song and the songwriter."
Last year's inductees included Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford. At the induction ceremony last summer, R.E.M. stunned attendees by reuniting for an acoustic version of their alt-rock hit, “Losing My Religion.”
The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor those creating popular music. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.
Back to Homepage
Must-Read Stories
An estimated 24.6 million television viewers watched President Donald Trump's second inauguration, the smallest audience for the quadrennial ceremony since Barack Obama's second inauguration in 2013.
The Nielsen Company said Tuesday that viewership was down from Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration, which reached 33.8 million, and Trump's first move into the White House, seen by 30.6 million in 2017.
Inauguration viewership has varied widely over the past half-century, from a high of 41.8 million when Ronald Reagan came into office in 1981 to a low of 15.5 million for the start of George W. Bush's second term in 2004.
The length of Trump's inauguration coverage may have hurt him in bragging rights. The 24.6 million figure represents the average number of people tuning in to coverage on one of 15 networks between 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern. In past years, the coverage didn't go on for so long, which meant the averages were likely higher because people tune away as the day goes on.
Nielsen had no immediate estimate, for example, of how many people watched Trump up until 4 p.m. Eastern, the cutoff point for most inauguration coverage in the past.
There's no doubt where most viewers gravitated on Monday: Fox News Channel had 10.3 million viewers between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., when Trump was sworn in and gave his inaugural speech. In that same period, ABC had 4.7 million viewers, NBC had 4.4 million, CBS had 4.1 million, CNN had 1.7 million and MSNBC had 848,000, Nielsen said.
Four years ago, 13.4 million people watched Biden's inauguration on CNN and MSNBC, compared to only 2.4 million on Fox News.
Back to Homepage
Must-Read Stories
Lucy Liu says there is a huge contrast between the directing styles of Steven Soderbergh and Quentin Tarantino.
The 56-year-old actress features in Soderbergh's supernatural horror movie 'Presence' and revealed that his approach behind the camera is the polar opposite to Tarantino – who she worked with on 'Kill Bill'.
Speaking to MovieWeb, Liu said: "It's not even apples and oranges. It's like meat and fruit… they're so different."
The 'Charlie's Angels' actress plays work-distracted matriarch Rebecca in the haunted house flick but explained how she was given little guidance by the 'Erin Brokovich' director about how to approach the role.
Liu recalled: "Steven talked to me, but there was nothing about the project until later in the meeting. Then, later, he sent me the script, but didn't tell me which character (I'd be playing).
"He didn't say that he was going to shoot it this way. I said, 'Yes', and then I showed up to the set. Then he said nothing to me, other than, you know, 'Should we move to the left or to the right,' or, 'Let's do it again?' You know, 'What do you think?' That was it."
The star reflected on how Tarantino is far more talkative during the making of his movies.
Liu said: "Steven and Quentin are obviously such auteurs, and they work very differently. Quentin has more energy than the sun, and that says a lot, you know? He talks, and he just has an imagination that he puts out there readily.
"He acted out the entire scene (in 'Kill Bill'), all of our end screens, and all the different characters to me at a restaurant."
She added: "Their styles are so different. I think the experimentation that Steven is willing to take is more like a painter who isn't afraid to scrape and then add or put on top."
There is scant dialogue or backstory in 'Presence' and Liu was intrigued by the picture originating from a "very clear place of curiosity".
Liu said: "I feel like it is coming from a very clear place of curiosity, which I enjoy, because that is artistic freedom, isn't it? You're not doing it for 'the Man'. It's something you are curious about so then you just try it. It's almost childlike."
The actress also explained that she never felt desperate to maintain a commercial movie career after the success she enjoyed with 'Charlie's Angels' and 'Kill Bill' in the early 2000s.
She said: "I'm interested in working with people that I like, and I think that's happened more and more.
"(Being an Asian American actor has) never been an incoming-call business. Sometimes it has been, but it's very rare, so it's still a journey where you have to look at the project, see what makes sense."
Back to Homepage
Must-Read Stories
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ alleged crimes are reportedly set to be probed in an upcoming documentary.
The shamed rapper, 55, has been languishing in New York’s notoriously tough Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since September awaiting trial on charges including racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution – all of which denies.
The Sun has now reported Channel 4 is joining forces with Lion TV to examine the charges against the Bad Boy Records founder.
It comes after the broadcaster aired a string of documentaries on the controversies swirling around Russell Brand, Andrew Tate and Marilyn Manson.
A TV insider told The Sun: “As the clock ticks towards Diddy’s trial, it gives an opportunity for those yet to have their voices heard in this case to speak up and give their testimony.
“This in-depth programme will dive into all the charges, the highs and lows of Diddy’s success and what went on behind the scenes at his infamous White Parties.
“It will no doubt produce some very shocking revelations.”
Combs’ trial is due to start on 5 May, and Channel 4’s series ‘Diddy: In Plain Sight’ is expected to air later this year, The Sun added.
It follows an announcement by Netflix that they have also been making a documentary about the fallen star, titled ‘Diddy Do It?’
Other shows about the rapper include Peacock’s ‘The Making of a Bad Boy’, TMZ’s ‘The Downfall of Diddy’ and HBO’s ‘The Fall of Diddy’, which is due to be shown in the US this week.
Along with the federal charges facing Combs, he has also been hit with scores of civil cases against him from men and women alleging he subjected them to horrific drug-rapes and abuse.
Much of the apparent abuse centres around Combs’ now-infamous ‘Freak-Off’ and ‘White Parties’, where victims are said to have been put into stupors by spiked drinks.
Back to Homepage
Must-Read Stories
Trevor Noah will host next month’s Grammy Awards for the fifth consecutive year.
The 40-year-old comedian will once again lead proceedings at the ceremony on February 2 at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, which will still go ahead despite the wildfires in Southern California, but with a “renewed sense of purpose” considering the disaster.
There were fears the bash would be axed in the wake of the deadly wildfires still plaguing LA, which have claimed the lives of at least 27 people and seen thousands of residents’ homes destroyed and many more displaced since the fire broke out in the Pacific Palisades area on January 7, before hurricane-force winds spread the infernos across thousands of acres.
But Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason Jr and Board of Trustees Chair Tammy Hurt said the show must go on with a focus on fundraising and supporting music industry folk impacted.
Shared by CNN Reporter Elizabeth Wagmeister on X, a statement read: “Dear Recording Academy Members, Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles.
“This city is our home, and we mourn the loss of life and destruction that have come to it in recent days.
“In response to this crisis, the Recording Academy and MusiCares launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort last week with an initial $1 million donation to support music creatives and professionals.”
Referring to funding raised for wildfire victims and the awards’ sense of “purpose” this year in light of the devastation, they added: “Thanks to additional contributions, we have already distributed over $2 million in emergency aid to those most in need – and we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing ongoing assistance.
“In close coordination with local authorities to ensure public safety and responsible use of area resources, the 67th GRAMMY Awards telecast on CBS on February 2nd will proceed as planned.
“This year's show, however, will carry a renewed sense of purpose:
raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honouring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours.
“In challenging times, music has the power to heal, comfort, and unite like nothing else.
“The Grammys will not only honour the artistry and achievements of our music community but also serve as a platform to amplify the spirit of resilience that defines this great city of Los Angeles.”
Beyonce, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Taylor Swift are among the nominees this year.
Back to Homepage
Must-Read Stories
Prospera Place, Kelowna
Jan 29 7:00 pm
Green Gables Daycare, Kelowna
Feb 1 7:30 pm
Oyama Community Hall, Lake Country
Feb 8 6:00 pm
