Young Elvis impersonator from Paignton to perform at Graceland
A 12-year-old Elvis impersonator has been invited to perform at the singer's iconic home in the US.Cooper from Paignton in Devon has been given three slots for his Elvis tribute act at Graceland in Memphis in August after the promoters saw his videos.The great pretender told BBC Radio Devon he had been impersonating the king of rock and roll since he was five years old after he saw an Elvis video and "fell in love".He said: "It's the moves, the hair, his looks, his style, everything really, that makes me want to look like, act and sing like him."
Cooper has been performing his tribute act for the past five years in care homes, hotels and other small venues across the UK.After his agent sent videos to the Graceland team he was chosen to take part in three shows at the singer's former mansion and has signed a contract with Elvis Presley Enterprises. His mother Kelly said she was "so, so proud".She said: "I'm pretty speechless most of the time, especially when I see him on stage."I'm like 'where did he get this confidence from?'"Cooper said: "The Elvis world is a great world and I just want to win as many competitions as I can and tour the world as Elvis."
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Daily Mail
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- Daily Mail
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Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Harry and Meghan appear to pour cold water on 'Beckxit' alliance: Insiders say Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz were 'not directly invited'... after claims of 'deep and meaningful' conversations
Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz were not 'directly invited' by Meghan and Harry to a VIP soiree at their Montecito mansion, a pro-Sussex source claimed today. The two women are said to have had a 'deep and meaningful' chat and formed a bond after being accused by critics of being 'homewreckers' and wives who 'tear apart their husbands' families'. They also reportedly clicked over their 'similar family feuds', insiders have said. But the timing of the so-called Beckxit summit amid the younger couple's falling out with David and Victoria Beckham has been described by an insider as 'pure coincidence'. People, Harry and Meghan's preferred publication in the US, has spoken to lukewarm sources that appear to distance the royal couple from the Peltz Beckhams. It has reported that 'Brooklyn and Nicola were not directly invited by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ', suggesting the couple were asked to be there by a mutual friend or intermediary. 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Brooklyn, 26, and Nicola, 30, who live 90 minutes away in LA, have received 'unwavering support' from Harry and Meghan who reportedly feel 'empathetic' towards them. 'Brooklyn and Nicola had a wonderful time and found Harry and Meghan to be particularly kind, caring and generous', one source said today. The Duchess of Sussex 'has a lot of sympathy for her' because both women have been branded 'homewreckers', another source familiar with the dinner claimed. 'There was shared common ground', the insider claimed. 'Nicola and Meghan also had a bit of a 'deep n' meaningful' as obviously both women have been positioned in the media as homewreckers - the women to tear apart their husbands' families. 'Harry and Meghan were very empathetic and very kind to them both. Harry was fully aware of the situation and offered Brooklyn his unwavering support as someone who has been through similar'. The Sussexes have apparently swapped mobile numbers with the couple amid the fallout with Brooklyn's family being dubbed Beckxit after Harry and Meghan's own messy feud with the prince's British family. The Montecito dinner could infuriate David and Victoria Beckham who are said to have fallen out with the Sussexes in a row over allegations of leaking stories to the press. There was also footage of them on Instagram showing Harry kissing his wife at the gig, where she danced with his hat on The Mail's Katie Hind revealed this week that Brooklyn has ditched his old pals in the UK and has followed Nicola's lead when it comes to mixing in new LA circles. David and Victoria, 51, are currently 'heartbroken' over the family feud after Brooklyn and Nicola were a noticeable no-show at the footballer's 50th birthday celebrations earlier this month. Meanwhile, Harry launched a series of scathing attacks on the Royal Family earlier this month, saying he has been cut off from King Charles who 'won't speak to him'. And according to The Sun, Harry, Meghan, Brooklyn and Nicola found 'common ground' as they continue to be at the forefront of their family riffs. A source told the publication: 'They didn't meet in relation to recent developments and headlines, but it was an honest but very welcome coincidence'. People, the Sussexes' preferred publication in the US, has suggested that Brooklyn and Nicola were not directly invited by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - although the royal couple enjoyed their company. The dinner was for a large group of VIPs and TV and media executives. 'Brooklyn and Nicola were invited prior to David's numerous global birthday galas, so the timing is pure coincidence,' People's source said. 'While it was an intimate gathering, there were several additional guests, including VIPs and film executives. Brooklyn and Nicola had a wonderful time and found Harry and Meghan to be particularly kind, caring and generous'. MailOnline has contacted Brooklyn, Nicola and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex' representatives for comment. Victoria and David's eldest son Brooklyn first met Prince Harry at just 13-years-old at The Sun's Millies awards in 2011. Posh and Becks also attended Harry, 40, and Meghan's, 43, wedding in 2018. However, years later Meghan and Harry fell out with Victoria and David after the couple allegedly had a suspicion the Beckhams leaked stories about Meghan's help from Victoria to the press - a claim the former Spice Girl denied and left David reportedly feeling 'absolutely bloody furious'. Posh and Becks also attended Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018 (pictured) The Duke and Duchess of Sussex allegedly invited the couple over for dinner at their mansion in Montecito, California in recent weeks (pictured in 2017) David is allegedly 'desperate to make amends with his son Brooklyn as he fears history is repeating itself' following his bitter fall out with his father Ted in 2005. In the latest evidence of this, David included Brooklyn in a post about Mother's Day in the U.S. as he dedicated a post to the mother of his children, Victoria. Over the weekend, David reached out to his son on social media as rumours of their family feud continue to bubble. A sweet black and white photo showed Victoria cuddled up with her four kids, soon after welcoming their daughter Harper, now 13. They also shared sons Romeo, 22, and Cruz, 20. Alongside the photo, David wrote: 'Happy Mother's Day to the best mommy. To all our friends in the U.S. Happy Mother's Day.' Meanwhile, Victoria shared a photograph of a beautiful bouquet of flowers she had been sent by Cruz and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 29. While David and his dad Ted, 77, now share a close-knit relationship, the father-son duo were once not even on speaking terms. After Ted suffered a near-death health scare in 2007, it sparked the pair to make amends and get back in touch - and they have been close ever since. And now David is reportedly worried 'history is repeating itself' amid his rift with his and Victoria's eldest son Brooklyn. A close friend of David reportedly told The Sun: 'David and the family genuinely fear Brooklyn could be lost to them forever. 'The word 'lost', here, is especially poignant as it was the exact sentiment used when David fell out with his dad. 'Ted believed his son would never speak to him again, and he was heartbroken. It was an extremely tense few years, and devastated the whole family.' David previously revealed he had to wait 'over two decades' before getting any approval from his father over his successful football career. Chatting to James Corden on his podcast series This Life of Mine in 2024, David admitted his ambitious drive came from the desire to please his father Ted - earning a 'you've made it boy' only after he won 100 caps. 'My dad never told me I'd done well really until my hundredth cap. That was the first time my dad turned around to me and said, 'you've made it boy'. He said he didn't get the same recognition at any other point in his career despite six Premier League titles, two FA cups, four Community Shields and a Champions League title. David added: 'It was the moment that we sat at dinner after I'd won my hundredth cap in Paris and he put his arm around me, and said, 'you made it, boy.' The Mail's Katie Hind revealed that Brooklyn has ditched his old pals in the UK and has followed Nicola's lead when it comes to mixing in new LA circles. They were certainly in good company on Saturday as they joined Hollywood actors Gerard Butler and Lewis Tan at Oliver Trevena's bash. A source told the publication: 'The wider Beckham family and Brooklyn's friends – many of whom he no longer sees – take the view that he does what Nicola wants. From Beckhams' point of view, it's not nice to watch.' Their trip to the U.S. comes following a slew of lavish celebrations to honour David's 50th birthday, all of which were not attended by his son Brooklyn and his wife. David hosted an early birthday party in Miami in April, as well as a fishing trip with his sons in Scotland, an intimate dinner at his Cotswolds mansion, a trip to France for a vineyard tour and finally a big bash in London to round off the week. The couple's absence at the events is said to have cemented the divide between them, with The Mail revealing that Romeo's girlfriend Kim Turnbull has been made the 'scapegoat' in the feud. A Mail Plus report also revealed Victoria's heartbroken verdict on the row, claiming that she feels 'betrayed' by Brooklyn and thinks Nicola is a viper. Read the full story here. A source said: 'Victoria is fairly open among her close friends about what a viper Nicola is and how she feels betrayed by Brooklyn, so the mask has fully dropped.' The Beckhams have been hit by fears they won't be able to heal their rift with Brooklyn as Victoria has been having 'sleepless nights' over the feud. The fashion designer and her husband David are said to have been left heartbroken at the distance that has grown between them and their eldest son. A source told The Sun: 'This is Victoria's worst nightmare. The thought of any of her children falling out gives her sleepless nights. 'It's been difficult with Brooklyn since he met Nicola, and there's no denying that there was a family fallout over their wedding. 'But Victoria and David have worked hard to get things back on track, so this is a real blow. Victoria's social media has been filled with photographs from various parties held to celebrate David's 50th birthday last week, including a bash at their Cotswolds home. The fun-filled celebrations culminated with a massive party held at London's esteemed Michelin-star restaurant Core on Saturday night. It was claimed Brooklyn and Nicola pulled out of attending the Met Gala with the intention of attending David's birthday party, but were no shows at both events. Brooklyn was reportedly planning to attend, but felt too uncomfortable to come after he felt Nicola was being blamed for the rift with his family. Claims that Brooklyn and Nicola were rebuffed when they asked David and Victoria to celebrate David's birthday privately were also said to be untrue. Sources close to Nicola told TMZ they wanted 'to get together privately' to avoid Romeo's girlfriend Kim as the couple are said to 'have a problem' with her. Following the birthday party snub, it was revealed Brooklyn also declined an invitation by his father to join him and his brothers on a 'boys' fishing trip to celebrate his 50th. The Mail revealed David invited Brooklyn on a short break six months ago when he began planning, yet his son failed to go despite arriving in the UK the day he went with Romeo and Cruz. Sources have suggested that Brooklyn's decision was influenced by his wife. 'Brooklyn was asked to join them ages ago,' one claimed. 'Then he came to London in time but he didn't go. Once again David made the best of things and had a great time with Cruz and Romeo.' David still offered an olive branch to his son as he shared snaps from the trip, as he captioned one of his posts: 'You were missed @brooklynbeckham.' The Mail revealed Romeo's girlfriend Kim is being made the 'scapegoat' in the feud between Brooklyn and David - with Nicola 'at the centre' of the rift. Kim and Brooklyn were undeniably close for a brief period – as photographs of them together in 2016 show - but suggestions that they were ever an item are wide of the mark, according to well-informed sources who spoke to The Mail. In fact, younger brother Cruz, personally shut down the gossip recently when he responded to an Instagram post showing a picture of Romeo and Kim together. In a now-deleted message, one user commented: 'It's appropriate to date your brother's ex too? Cool.' Cruz replied: 'Brooklyn and Kim never dated.' One friend told the Mail's Katie Hind: 'This is nothing to do with Kim and is all about Nicola. 'All David and Victoria want is their son back – and they will be there to welcome him any time.' Family friends claim Brooklyn's wife has a pattern of 'starting an argument' before family events and then preventing her husband from attending. Some believe that friends of Nicola have been behind the briefings about Kim being the cause of Brooklyn's rift with his family, some of which went so far to claim that he had told them he refused to come to any event at which Kim was present. A source close to the family told MailOnline: 'Brooklyn was close to Kim because she was dating Rocco and they all hung out in a tightknit friendship group. But that was years ago. Brooklyn and Kim were close, but there was never any romance. 'It seems Nicola doesn't like Brooklyn spending any time with the Beckhams full stop and is using his previous closeness to Kim and her getting in with the family as a reason to not be around them. 'She denies it, but Nicola has been controlling him since the wedding. The family - including the brothers - have had enough of it. 'This is the narrative that's been put out to other news outlets, that Romeo is dating his brother's ex-girlfriend - and that's really weird, so that's why they wouldn't want to be around the family when she is there. 'But none of this is true. And it's really upset Romeo and his parents because Kim is seemingly being used by Nicola as a reason to start the rift. Romeo is furious at the suggestion that he would bring an ex-girlfriend of Brooklyn into the family when there never was any romance.'
