Rod Stewart says country should ‘give Farage a chance'
'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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BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
WaterAid volunteers share polaroids of Glastonbury Festival
A set of polaroid film photos have revealed what it's like to work behind the scenes as a volunteer at Glastonbury Festival. Two WaterAid volunteers, Liz Lace and Lucas Myers, shared a sneak peak into their first shift on Wednesday handing out free water and cleaning toilets on has been a charity partner of Glastonbury since 1994, supporting water and sanitation services on site while spreading the message that everyone deserves access to clean water, decent toilets, and good Lace described the experience as "really fulfilling", allowing her to enjoy all the festival has to offer while simultaneously "doing something worthwhile". This year marks Mr Myers' fourth time volunteering with the charity, working on the 'loo crew' to keep more than 3,000 toilets onsite 21-year-old described the team of volunteers as "one big family". "Meeting other volunteers from all walks of life means every conversation back at the camp is unique, and have been some of my best times at the festival," he said. "I really enjoyed taking the photos and capturing moments of volunteers enjoying themselves, rolling their sleeves up and spreading the important message of WaterAid's mission – that change starts with clean water and decent toilets. "The whole event is just indescribable. I've met the best people here and I always feel like I've made a real difference with volunteering." Ms Lace acted as a 'water welcomer', helping festival-goers stay hydrated by filling up bottles for those passing through the gates and exploring the site. The 60-year-old has been to every Glastonbury Festival since 1993 except one, following the birth of her daughter. "My favourite thing about volunteering at the festival has been meeting all the lovely people. Everyone was so happy to chat and get involved," she said."This is my fourth time volunteering here and over the years I've made some firm, lifetime friends. "I will keep coming back to volunteer with WaterAid because it's such a great experience. You never know who you'll meet or the amazing experiences you'll have."WaterAid is encouraging festival-goers to add their name to its 'Water can't wait' open letter, calling on world leaders attending this year's COP30 conference in Brazil to take urgent action to tackle the water and climate crisis.
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
I'm a 48-year-old music snob and I loved Olivia Rodrigo
I have to admit, when I told friends I was taking my 14-year-old daughter, Florence, to see Olivia Rodrigo, I did so with an eye-roll and a bit of a 'bloody kids, eh?' smirk. At 48, I've got quite a few gigs and festivals under my belt. I was at Knebworth in '96 and could be found in the mosh pit at countless Britpop shindigs back in the day. While my record collection spans from the classic '60s swagger of the Stones to the big-riff grandeur of '70s Led Zep, taking in the stadium-filling, guitar-squealing anthems of Pink Floyd, my Spotify algorithm tells a different story. Being subjected to the 'racket' of a teenage playlist in the car is the scourge of many a parent, but I have to say, secretly — thanks to my kids —I've been introduced to a new breed of alt-pop, punk-pop… call it what you will. And I'm pleasantly surprised to report that pop music is very much alive and well — and I am a fan! It's nearing showtime, and as we gently jostle for position amid the fug of Sol de Janeiro and mounting anticipation — this is, after all, essentially Rodrigo's Glastonbury dress rehearsal (she headlines the Pyramid Stage on Sunday) — I'm suddenly self-conscious that at any moment someone might holler at me: 'Oi, Grandad, ELO's next month!' As the former Disney actor bounds on stage, the Hyde Park noise levels go up several notches, and Bad Idea Right? is greeted with a delirious tsunami of whoops and screams from teens and tweens (and dads) living their best lives. One banner I can just make out reads: Olivia, I'm obsessed with you. The hits keep coming. Bad Idea Right? is followed by the Pixies-tinged Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl, and if Vampire isn't the perfect example of a flawless, three-and-a-half-minute pop song, I don't know what is. I look across at my sequin-clad daughter, lost in the moment and singing along. I even turn a blind eye to her joining in with the (perhaps overly) sweary lyrics (shut up, Gramps). Screaming pubescent girls in purple cowboy hats watch the entire gig through their phone screens, and then the screams go up a few more decibels when Rodrigo thrills the already overexcited crowd even more by nonchalantly bringing out 'her favourite Brit,' Ed Sheeran, to duet on his classic, The A Team. As one perfectly crafted, delicious slice of pop perfection follows the next, it occurs to me that until recently — like many fellow middle-aged music-snob dads — I would have dismissed the warblings of Rodrigo, Carpenter, Roan, Styles et al. as disposable, autotuned bilge. Far from it. The output from these pop princes and princesses really stands up. These are songs with legs: compositionally sophisticated, rich in infectious melody, and emotionally devastating. ABBA, Pulp and The Cure for the Gen Z, TikTok-cool kids. Rodrigo's effortless between-song patter is charming and endearing. She tells the crowd that the capital is 'her favourite city' and yells: 'I f*cking love you, London!' Her band — made up entirely of women and non-binary musicians — isn't just making up the numbers behind the 'talent': they're excellent and rightly enjoying every minute of it. A quick low-key costume change into shorts and a T-shirt, and she's back for a supercharged, rocky encore of Brutal, the Green Day-esque All-American Bitch, Good 4 U, and — for reasons that weren't totally clear — she scales some scaffolding and belts out Get Him Back through a megaphone. Throw in the obligatory fireworks, streamers and pyrotechnics to close the show, and all the boxes have been ticked. More Trending As we turn to leave, I have to suppress my boring dad-rock instincts and resist vocalising them — like: 'The opening chords of Brutal remind me of Elvis Costello's Pump It Up,' or wondering wistfully what a Knopfler guitar solo would sound like on Happier. 'Do you want to get a T-shirt?' I ask Florence as we edge our way, exhausted but slightly euphoric, towards the exits. 'No, I think I'm all right, actually.' 'Oh, OK,' I reply. 'Er… do you mind if I get one?' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Glastonbury 2025 Saturday live: BBC will broadcast 'controversial' rap group Kneecap MORE: The 1975's Glastonbury glory is overshadowed by Matty Healy's problematic past MORE: Robbie Williams drops major hint he's making surprise Glastonbury appearance
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Glastonbury headliners The 1975 leave fans divided over 'bland' set as they brand pint-supping frontman Matty Healy 'insufferable'
The 1975 left Glastonbury fans divided as they took to the Pyramid stage on Friday to headline the first day of the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset. In their first and only gig of the year, frontman Matty Healy, 36, was in great spirits as he smoked a cigarette and drank a pint of Guinness before belting out a number of the band's biggest hits. However, their set split the opinions of those tuning in at the festival and at home, with some branding their performance 'bland', causing some to even switch off. While many took also aim at the swaggering lead singer, known for his outlandish behaviour, calling him 'insufferable' and 'about as rock & roll as Aled Jones.' Taking to X, fans made their feelings very clear on Matty and The 1975's headlining performance. They penned: 'How bad were #The1975 at #Glastonbury2025 a bloke who spent the first half hour staggering around drinking pints & smoking tabs, and the rest of the time faffing about with his hair, while being in the most boring band going, surely #Glastonbury can't get any worse, can it. 'I saw #The1975 in their very early days, was very underwhelmed then. Gave them another go this evening, awful. Songs all sound the same and a terrible front man. There were huge gaps around us near the front. #glastonbury got this one wrong sadly.' 'Matty Healy trying to play the archetypal rock & roller with the leather jacket, pint of Guinness and a cigarette while simultaneously performing some of the blandest music imaginable is quite the contradiction. About as rock & roll as Aled Jones.' 'Admittedly, I like #The1975's first record, but Matty Healy is so obsessed with trying to be edgy (he's not) that it just comes across as Liam Gallagher caricature. His band's headlining #Glastonbury yet he can't, not for one night, pretend to be anything other than insufferable.' 'Never seen #the1975 live before on TV. You have 1 chance to headline #glastonbury & the lead singer cares more about his Guinness & fags, & staggering all over the stage like an 18 Yr old on their first pint... The songs are wishy washy & bland. Is this it?!' However, in contrast, there were a number of fans who actually loved the set, hailing it as 'epic', with many going on to praise Matty as a frontman. They wrote on X: 'Just saw #The1975 they were so good.' 'Well that was bloody amazing I'm a snotty mess now!! About you was the perfect way to finish it.' 'Matt Healy a modern front man. That was excellent.' Taking to X, fans made their feelings very clear on Matty and The 1975's headlining performance 'I had heard of #the1975 but wouldn't have known any of their songs. Enjoyed the performance, the wide variety of genres they cover, and the set overall. Worthy (pun intended) headliners. I'll be looking out for them in the future.' 'If you don't know the 1975 then I get that it might have been lost on you, but for me that was a f***ing epic show. What a frontman, what a band.' Matty - the son of Loose Women's Denise Welch and Benidorm's Tim Healy - is famous for his provocative stage presence - and his Glastonbury set was no different. The English singer-songwriter was seen belting out hits while puffing away on a cigarette and sipping from a pint of Guinness. During his set, Matty claimed to be his generation's 'best songwriter' in a tongue and cheek moment. The Cheshire-formed band, backed with a saxophone, opened with Happiness from 2022's Being Funny In A Foreign Language, with Matty wearing a black leather jacket, white T-shirt and blue jeans, with a pint of stout in his hand on the Pyramid Stage. After performing Part Of The Band, sat on a stool and smoked while sipping his drink, Healy said: 'What this moment is making me realise is that I probably am the best songwriter of my generation. 'The best what they say, a poet, ladies and gentlemen, is what I am. 'Generational words, and I just wanted to remind you, over the next couple of minutes, these lyrics are poetry, I believe.' The band then launched into Chocolate from their 2013 self-titled debut, before Healy remarked, 'I was only joking about being a poet' at its conclusion. Made up of four school friends, the group, comprised of singer Matty, bassist Ross MacDonald, guitarist Adam Hann and drummer George Daniel, were headlining the festival for the first time. Midway through the set, Matty told festival goers: 'Use your platform, that's what they say, right?' He continued: 'People who are watching this may, I don't know, they might be disappointed at the lack of politics in this show and our forthcoming shows, and probably a few shows, because I always know it's a conscious decision, and we honestly don't want our legacy to be one of politics. 'We want it to be that of love and friendship, because we and I'm not trying to be too earnest, but you can go out into the world, and there's loads of politics everywhere. And I think we don't need more politics, we need more love and friendship. 'And I know that's really basic, but if you are a young kid and you are inspired by like about this band or something like that, don't aspire to like play a stage or be a certain size, aspire for like this level of friendship and love in what you do and you'll never fail and I love you, thank you so much.' Love Me, the lead single from 2016's I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It, prompts the first sing-a-long from the crowd, with Healy pushing guitarist Hann to the front, announcing: 'Ladies and gentleman, in 2025 with zero irony, a guitar solo.' Their stage set-up included a car, which Matty got into to sing Somebody Else while smoking a cigarette, before getting out during the song and walking on a travelator. While performing She's American, Matty dipped into The Backstreet Boys I Want It That Way, before returning to his own 2016 song. Before Paris, the singer declared 'this is my favourite 1975 song', and prior to playing Robbers from the band's debut album, he said: 'For the first time in my life I don't know what to say.' The band ended their set with About You from Being Funny In A Foreign Language. Before the song, Matty said: 'Ladies and gentlemen it's very cool to be mysterious but I think it's cooler to be honest and we're not going anywhere, we're not going anywhere, everything's going to be fine.' Earlier in the day, festivalgoers were treated to surprise performances from alternative pop star Lorde, who played her new album Virgin in full, and Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi, who played two years after a performance at the festival during which he struggled to manage his Tourette syndrome symptoms. Matty was seen wearing a black leather jacket, white t-shirt and blue jeans, with a pint of stout in his hand on the Pyramid Stage Among the celebrities spotted at the event so far included Barbie star Margot Robbie, 34, with her producer husband Tom Ackerley, eight months after giving birth to their first child. Yesterday, moustachioed Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, 48, read out letters from around the world in the Greenpeace area in a feature called 'Letters Live'. Meanwhile, thousands of unsuspecting fans were treated to surprise performances from Lewis Capaldi and Lorde yesterday. Lewis choked back tears as he declared 'I'm back baby' during an emotional return to Glastonbury's iconic Pyramid Stage. The Scottish singer, 28, was greeted with cheers from the huge Worthy Farm crowd, two years after his battle with Tourettes left him unable to finish his performance at the festival and led to a career hiatus. Delighted to back in front of an audience he tearfully said: 'Two years ago I wasn't sure if I'd ever do this again, but I'm back baby!''. Lewis sung a number of his famous hits, before once chocking back tears as he performed brand new single Survive, which highlights the difficult period in his career following his last Glastonbury gig. Fans in the crowd could be seen crying and calling out his name before joining him in a rendition of megahit Someone You Loved. In his emotional speech, Lewis said: ' Glastonbury it's good to be back. Won't say too much up here today as if I do I might start crying, but I can't thank you enough for coming here and being with here'. 'Second times a charm hey! It's a short set today but just wanted to come and finish what I couldn't last time, also this was like the worst kept f*****g secret ever'. Following his set Lewis took to Instagram with footage of his performance alongside a post which read: 'Glastonbury it's so incredible to be back, thank you so much for having me x' Fans and famous friends rushed to the comments to welcome the talented musician back into the public eye. Sam Fender said: 'Return of The King', while Alan Shearer said: 'Love It': Paddy McGuinness gushed: 'Governor' and Jade Thirlwall shared a slew of loving emojis. Following his emotional set at Worthy Farm in June 2023, the singer took time off to focus on his mental health and to 'adjust to the impact' of his Tourette's diagnosis. Also performing on Glastonbury's first day was CMAT, Lola Young, Alanis Morissette, as well Lorde with her own secret set. Meanwhile Rizzle Kicks also made a return to the stage after their own 11 year hiatus and were joined by a surprise guest. Harley 'Sylvester' Alexander-Sule and Jordan Stephens performed the biggest hits, with the later introducing his mum on stage during their track Mama Do the Hump.
