Rod Stewart says country should ‘give Farage a chance'
The 80-year-old singer backed the Reform UK leader ahead of appearing in the festival's afternoon legends slot on Sunday, 23 years after he headlined the Pyramid Stage.
'I've read about (Sir Keir) Starmer cutting off the fishing in Scotland and giving it back to the EU. That hasn't made him popular,' he told The Times.
'We're fed up with the Tories. We've got to give Farage a chance. He's coming across well. Nigel? What options have we got?
Rod Stewart has called on Britain to give Reform UK leader Nigel Farage a chance (PA)
'Starmer's all about getting us out of Brexit and I don't know how he's going to do that. Still, the country will survive. It could be worse. We could be in the Gaza Strip.'
Admitting his wealth ensures 'a lot of it doesn't really touch me', he insisted he is not out of touch and expressed his support for Ukraine – criticising US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance for their treatment of Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky on his visit to the White House – and Gaza.
'It's depressing, what's going on in the Gaza Strip,' he said. 'Netanyahu doesn't realise that this is what happened to his people under the Nazis: total annihilation. And Trump is going to turn the Gaza Strip into Miami?'
Stewart said a prolonged bout of flu, which forced him to cancel five shows in the US, nearly forced him to withdraw from a Glastonbury appearance he described to ITV as his 'World Cup final'.
'This time last week I was thinking of cancelling,' he told The Sun, crediting his wife Penny Lancaster with nursing him back to health.
'I have had Influenza A. It's been so terrible. It's the worst thing anyone could possibly have, I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
'Apart from (Vladimir) Putin. I'd wish it on him.'
Stewart told The Sun he had negotiated an extra quarter of an hour on top of the allotted 75 minutes for his set.
He confirmed he will be joined at Glastonbury by former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood, Simply Red's Mick Hucknall and Lulu, as well as performing the song Powderfinger by Saturday headliner Neil Young.
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South Wales Guardian
39 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Rod Stewart says country should ‘give Farage a chance'
The 80-year-old singer backed the Reform UK leader ahead of appearing in the festival's afternoon legends slot on Sunday, 23 years after he headlined the Pyramid Stage. 'I've read about (Sir Keir) Starmer cutting off the fishing in Scotland and giving it back to the EU. That hasn't made him popular,' he told The Times. 'We're fed up with the Tories. We've got to give Farage a chance. He's coming across well. Nigel? What options have we got? 'Starmer's all about getting us out of Brexit and I don't know how he's going to do that. Still, the country will survive. It could be worse. We could be in the Gaza Strip.' Admitting his wealth ensures 'a lot of it doesn't really touch me', he insisted he is not out of touch and expressed his support for Ukraine – criticising US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance for their treatment of Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky on his visit to the White House – and Gaza. 'It's depressing, what's going on in the Gaza Strip,' he said. 'Netanyahu doesn't realise that this is what happened to his people under the Nazis: total annihilation. And Trump is going to turn the Gaza Strip into Miami?' Stewart said a prolonged bout of flu, which forced him to cancel five shows in the US, nearly forced him to withdraw from a Glastonbury appearance he described to ITV as his 'World Cup final'. 'This time last week I was thinking of cancelling,' he told The Sun, crediting his wife Penny Lancaster with nursing him back to health. 'I have had Influenza A. It's been so terrible. It's the worst thing anyone could possibly have, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. 'Apart from (Vladimir) Putin. I'd wish it on him.' Stewart told The Sun he had negotiated an extra quarter of an hour on top of the allotted 75 minutes for his set. He confirmed he will be joined at Glastonbury by former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood, Simply Red's Mick Hucknall and Lulu, as well as performing the song Powderfinger by Saturday headliner Neil Young.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Zoe Ball 'blissfully happy with new Norman Cook lookalike boyfriend as they stroll hand-in-hand at Glastonbury' - nine years after her divorce from the Fatboy Slim DJ
Zoe Ball was spotted looking 'blissfully happy' with her new boyfriend who strikes a remarkable resemblance to ex husband Norman Cook. The Radio 2 presenter, 54, was spotted strolling hand-in-hand with the mystery man while enjoying the music at Glastonbury on Friday. In snaps obtained by The Sun, Zoe cut a casual figure in a black ensemble while shielding her eyes behind shades. Her companion, who was tall and boasted salt and pepper hair just like Fatboy Slim, 61, held her hand as they made their way through Worthy Farm's VIP area. An onlooker told the publication: 'Zoe is down at Glastonbury as a punter and has brought her new boyfriend along for the ride, they seemed blissfully happy and were strolling along holding hands.' 'People were doing double takes at her bloke though because he looks a lot like Fatboy. It's so great to see Zoe smiling again,' they added. MailOnline have contacted Zoe's reps for comment. Zoe and Norman, who share son Woody, 24, and daughter Nelly, 14, announced their split in 2016 after 17 years together, before finalising their divorce in 2020. Zoe continues to have a close relationship with Norman and is thought to have sold her £2million country home in Sussex to move to a townhouse between Brighton and Hove, close to where he lives. Both Zoe and Norman are now teetotal having admitted issues with alcohol and both had stints in rehab. Norman previously credited his former wife for keeping him down to earth when he was at the height of his fame. He told the Changes podcast: 'One thing I did have to keep a lid on during that crazy time was my ego. 'While you've got licence to break rules, you've always got a lot of people who'll let you get away with murder. 'Zoe was really good for me for that, because she knew the fame game and we would sort of check each other. 'If I wasn't respectful to people, she'd go: ''Oi, come on, that's not how we behave! Go back and thank them for that''. 'We were both quite good at keeping each other's feet on the ground. Because it's hard when everyone's saying: 'Here, have this, take this, drink this, you're brilliant.' 'It's hard to keep some kind of limit and say: 'I am actually a human being, not a superstar.' I think we probably saved each other a lot of bother.' In 2016, Norman said he was still mending his 'wounded heart' more than two years after his break-up with Zoe. At the time, Zoe had moved on with boyfriend Michael Reed and the DJ at the time ruled out dating as his 'heart's not ready' to find love again. 'I'm single, I'm definitely not on Tinder,' he told the Daily Star at the time. 'It's been 18 years since I was in this situation, I've forgotten what the rules are. My heart's not ready. My heart is still wounded to be honest.' Norman and Zoe began their romance in 1997 after they met in Ibiza and they married two years later at Babington House in Somerset. They split briefly in 2003 when it emerged she had an affair with a close friend of her husband's DJ Dan Peppe. Following the revelation, Norman said he still loved Zoe and would take her back, as long as she promised never to see Peppe again. The Praise You hitmaker confessed at the time: 'I still love her. If you love someone you'll forgive them. 'I've spoken to her today and she is genuinely remorseful.' In September 2016 they announced their separation for good, nine months after Zoe was seen embracing Franklin Lake singer Tay Tay Starhz, 22, at the December 2015 festive wrap party for Strictly Come Dancing's BBC2 spin-off show It Takes Two. In a joint statement, the pair wrote: 'With great sadness we are announcing that we have separated.' Following the breakdown of her marriage to Fatboy Slim, Zoe found love again with her partner Billy Yates, who took his own life in May 2017. After a long battle with depression, Billy, 40, took his own life in May 2017 at his home in Putney, London. The Radio 2 presenter previously told how she felt 'really grateful' he had said goodbye to her the last time she saw him.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Welcome to the Ministry of Happiness! Glastonbury kicks off for 2025
Each year there are tweaks and adjustments to the tried and tested Glastonbury formula, and this year the eccentric Shangri-La area has had a makeover. On Thursday afternoon David Levene took a stroll around the revamped area – see more pictures here in our gallery. The thoroughfare through the revamped Shangri-La. Photograph: David Levene Late on Thursday night we happened upon a secret set at Floating Points' new Sunflower Sound System in the Silver Hayes dance area – a special back-to-back performance by Four Tet (Kieran Hebden) and Floating Points (Samuel Shepherd) himself. They played a set on a painstakingly built sound system which had been assembled in a special tent with mycelium-based sound-baffling discs and tweeters hung from the top of the tent. The system has six stacks arranged around the dancefloor in a circle, enabling the selectors to pan sound around the tent. Kieran Hebden, AKA Four Tet, plays with Samuel Shepherd AKA Floating Points, perform together at Sunflower Sound System. Photos by David Levene Thursday evening, with no open performance stages in action, has evolved into a bit of a party night as festivalgoers ease into the proceedings. Over in Silver Hayes, crowds packed out the Lonely Hearts Club, for Nooriyah's set around midnight. Festivalgoers at Lonely Hearts Club for Nooriyah's set on Thursday evening. On Friday, the first day proper, we kicked things off with a Guardian Live talk between features writer Zoe Williams and drag queen Bimini at Astrolabe. Drag queen Bimini during an interview with Zoe Williams at Astrolabe fora Guardian Live event. Photograph: Jonny Weeks. Love was in the air as the festival kicked off for Guardian photographer David Levene: he snapped newlyweds Charlie and Charles in the south east corner by the Rum Shack. Charlie and Charles Shires, from Harrogate, held their wedding ceremony at the festival. In the words of our reviewer Safi Bugel: 'In many ways Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso's music is perfect for the chronically online: they rap knowingly about hashtags and OnlyFans; their hook-heavy tracks rarely push beyond the three-minute mark. But despite the in-jokes and commitment to the bit, the music is strong; they deliver a tight, confident performance for the full hour, which frequently climaxes in their frenetic percussive breakdowns. And when the music drops and the audience join in for a full-blown a capella, you know they're bona fide popstars.' Fans watching Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso at West Holts stage. Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso at West Holts stage. Photographs: Jonny Weeks Lola Young played Woodsies, and Jonny Weeks was there to capture the young British artist's assured performance – who shot to fame with her viral track Messy, and who has had a rocky year thanks to a sometimes scabrous public. Lola Young at Woodsies. Photograph: Jonny Weeks Later into the evening on the big stages we saw Busta Rhymes on the Other stage, Self Esteem up at the Park stage and the 1975 closed the first day's programme on the Pyramid stage. Self Esteem plays the Park stage at Glastonbury. The Guardian's Elle Hunt was at Self Esteem: 'Many in the crowd know every word – and these are very wordy songs – and really seem to get something out of shouting them to the sky. It's stirring, serious-minded yet still upbeat.' Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star on Other stage. Reviewer Jason Okundaye called Busta Rhymes's show 'absolutely hilarious, and the interaction with the crowd is gold standard'. Anohni and the Johnsons plays the Park stage. And closing the Pyramid was the 1975: 'A bold, experimental, occasionally confounding, but ultimately hugely impressive performance,' said the Guardian's Alexis Petridis. Matty Healy of the 1975 on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury on Friday evening. Matty Healy with a pint of Guinness. Photographs: Jonny Weeks
