Latest news with #Conchita
Metro
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Fans have days to binge 'addictive' historic drama before the new season
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Period drama lovers have just days to race through this underrated Apple TV Plus show, The Buccaneers, ahead of the second season. The eight-episode first season is based on classic novelist Edith Wharton's unfinished novel and offers a modern take on the lives of a group of New York debutantes sent to London to find husbands. Set during the Gilded Age, we meet Conchita (Alisha Boe), Lizzy (Aubri Ibrag), Mabel (Josie Totah), Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) and Nan (Kristine Froseth, lifelong friends about to encounter plenty of heartbreak, love and scandal. Originally released in 2023, the synopsis reads: 'A group of fun-loving American girls burst onto the scene in tightly corseted 1870s London kicking off an Anglo-American cultural clash. 'Sent to secure husbands and status, the buccaneers' hearts are set on much more than that.' The show comes across as a fusion of Julian Fellowes' Gilded Age and Netflix's Bridgerton – fusing the more serious themes of the period aesthetic with the current trend of forward-looking historic dramas, dubbed by some as 'anachronistic'. Although it gets off to a rocky start for some viewers, it has won countless fans over by the end with its refreshing ensemble cast. The first season landed an impressive 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. 'Very easy and enjoyable to watch, pure escapism, loveable characters, beautiful scenery and costumes, great soundtrack,' user Kate C wrote. 'I love everything about this show. Truly magical. A must watch for sure!' Freya C added. 'Love this version of Edith Wharton… it works brilliantly on so many levels.. roll on season 2,' L S shared. 'It's intelligent, well-acted, funny, uplifting and addictive!' Patrick G said. 'It had absolutely everything and more you would want in a period drama. It also covered a lot of interesting topics such as women having to be silent, abuse, loveless marriages, and unfaithfulness. Our main group of women prove themselves a powerful ensemble cast with vivacious personalities. Far from my initial impression of a shallow drama with trite love triangles, predictable affairs and stereotypical aristocracy, this only scratches the surface. Don't get me wrong, for people who love those soap operatic style storylines, there is still plenty to sink your teeth into, but the show also goes much deeper than that – as proven by season two. 'It started with annoying Americans laughing and being silly, but managed to transform into each character having a really important story,' Jemma CC said on Google Reviews. Nisha Bhatt echoed: 'I can't say enjoyed the premise or the first episode too much but the character development is truly the best part of this show. Unlike several other shows, the side characters have some the best storytelling and leave you wanting to watch the show again.' More Trending 'Everyone needs to watch The Buccaneers is so cute and addictive,' @anyasunrise wrote over on X. The show may not be to everyone's taste, however, so proceed with caution. Some have called it out for 'poor writing', the lack of 'historical accuracy' and 'ridiculous storylines', with some unhappy with how the main character, Nan, is characterised. The second season will introduce Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester and pick up right from where the show left off after that dramatic season one cliffhanger. View More » The Buccaneers season one is available to stream on Apple TV Plus. Season two starts airing weekly on Wednesday, June 18. 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: Owen Wilson addresses claim his new TV show is the 'next Ted Lasso' MORE: Thriller that 'deserves to be bigger than Line of Duty' is back very soon MORE: 13 of the best and most blood-curdling shark movies streaming right now
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Eurovision 2025: Austria wins crown with JJ's song 'Wasted Love'
Austria won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Swiss host city Basel on Saturday, with the country's first victory since 2014. Operatic singer JJ won ahead of Israel in the world's biggest music competition, which was watched by more than 160 million people across the world. The win was Austria's third in the competition, following Conchita's success and Udo Juergens' victory in 1966. JJ, a 24-year-old from Vienna, combined elements of opera, techno and high-pitched vocals in his song Wasted Love, winning the hearts of the professional juries and telephone voters. Switzerland won the right to host Eurovision after Swiss rapper and singer Nemo won last year's contest in Malmo, Sweden. Fans travelled from across Europe and beyond to Basel, with 100,000 people attending Eurovision events in the city, including the final. Eurovision, which stresses its political neutrality, has also faced controversy again this year due to the war in Gaza. Israel's entrant, Yuval Raphael, was at the Nova music festival during the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. Pro-Palestinian groups urged the European Broadcasting Union to exclude Israel over Gaza, where more than 50,000 people have been killed in the ensuing offensive by Israel, according to local health officials. Around 200 protesters mounted a demonstration in Basel on Saturday evening. Spanish public broadcaster RTVE also showed a message before the start of the Eurovision show saying "When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Peace and Justice for Palestine".
The Guardian
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Austrians celebrate JJ bringing home first Eurovision win in 11 years
Austrians were on Sunday celebrating JJ, an Austrian-Filipino countertenor lauded for 'singing Austria into the spotlight' after bringing home the country's first Eurovision song contest victory in 11 years with a song that gives a nod to both the country's rich operatic heritage and modern music. JJ, 24, hit all the right notes with Wasted Love, an operatic ballad about unrequited love that mutates into a techno club anthem. The 69th edition of the contest was hosted in Basel, Switzerland. The win was Austria's third in the history of the competition, following drag performer Conchita's success in 2014 and Udo Jürgens' win in 1966. 'It's wonderful to have this victory, 11 years after Conchita,' said Micaela Taroni, an Austrian-Italian correspondent in Rome for the Austrian press agency APA. 'JJ won because of his vocal qualities. He's a countertenor, so reaches the high notes. He was an outsider, but one who encompasses musical modernity with Austria's rich operatic tradition.' JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, won ahead of Israel's Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the 7 October attacks by Hamas militants on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage, and led to Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza in which an estimated 53,000 Palestinians have so far died. As with 2024, Israel's inclusion in the world's biggest music competition, which was watched by more than 160 million people across the world, sparked protests. Demonstrations were held in Basel earlier on Saturday evening and a Eurovision crew member was hit by paint after two pro-Palestinian protesters tried to rush on stage as Raphael sang New Day Will Rise. A spokesperson for Israeli broadcaster Kan said Raphael was 'shaken and upset' by the protesters. Many of the 200 protesters in Basel wore Palestinian keffiyeh scarves and carried signs stating: 'No music for murder', 'Stop genocide' and 'Singing while Gaza burns'. Some burned huge Israeli and US flags and others sent red and green smoke into the air, according to the AFP news agency. Pro-Palestinian marches were also held throughout the day in major cities around the world in protest against Israel's intensified bombardment of Gaza and its enforced blockades of food and other humanitarian supplies. In third place in the competition was Estonia's Tommy Cash with Espresso Macchiato, a song poking fun at Italian stereotypes that both riled and enthused Italians. After being presented with his winner's trophy in Basel, JJ thanked his voters and called for 'more love' in the world. He said Wasted Love, which he co-wrote with Teodora Špirić and Thomas Turner, was intended to give listeners an insight into his deepest thoughts. 'There's no wasted love. Love is never wasted,' he added. 'There's so much love that we can spread around, and we should use love as the strongest force on planet Earth.' JJ's success was applauded by the Austrian chancellor, Christian Stocker, who said the singer was writing musical history. Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Austria's foreign minister, wrote on X: 'Dear JJ, you have moved Europe with your voice and sung Austria into the spotlight.' The Philippine consulate general in Frankfurt also issued a message of congratulations to JJ on Facebook. Sign up to The Guide Get our weekly pop culture email, free in your inbox every Friday after newsletter promotion 'What an incredible moment – Filipino pride on the European stage!' she said. Austria will now host next year's contest. JJ, who returned home on Sunday, said he would like the event to be held in Vienna, where he was born. Once again, the Eurovision song contest was pitiful for the UK's contenders, who came 19th out of a possible 26 and received nul points in the public vote for their appropriately named tune, What The Hell Just Happened? In the final, all participating countries get two sets of votes – one from a jury comprising music experts and one from the public across Europe, who can vote by phone, text or the Eurovision app. A score of 12 is awarded to the most popular act, 10 to the second-placed one, and the rest in a country's top 10 scored from eight to one. Despite the setback, Remember Monday, a trio comprising Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele, said the contest had given them memories 'that will last a lifetime'. The band, the UK's first girl group entrant since 1999, received 88 points from the national juries, including a generous 12 points from Italy, which last won the competition in 2021 with the now famous rock band Måneskin. 'Wow – what a ride,' Remember Monday said in a statement. 'Three best mates walked on to the world's biggest music stage and came out with a top 10 jury score, massive streaming numbers and memories that will last a lifetime.' The UK, meanwhile, gave its top public vote of 12 points to Israel, although the British jury awarded no points to Raphael's song. Thirty-seven countries entered the contest and 26 made it to the final. The semi-finals threw up some surprises. Australia, which has competed in Eurovision since 2015, surprisingly failed to qualify with Go-Jo's innuendo-laden Milkshake Man. There were still plenty of risque songs on offer, including Miriana Conte, who had to change the lyrics of her song Serving to remove a reference to the Maltese word for singing – 'kant' – due to having an obvious resemblance to an English swear word. Despite it being a fan favourite, it scored poorly with the wider public. In Finland's entry, Ich Komme by Erika Vikman, her song repeatedly announced that she was coming, and she ended her performance hoisted up on a giant gold microphone spraying out fireworks. Other outlandish props included Italy's Lucio Corsi with an outsized piano and France's Louane being covered with falling sand.
Scottish Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Eurovision legend reveals they've undergone secret facelift aged 36 with clever trick to hide scars
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EUROVISION legend Conchita Wurst has revealed she secretly underwent a facelift at the age of 36 - and cleverly hides the scars with her signature beard. The surprise admission came during a special edition of Scott Mills' Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2, broadcast live from Basel, Switzerland, ahead of tonight's Eurovision Grand Final. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Eurovision legend Conchita Wurst has revealed she secretly underwent a facelift at the age of 36 Credit: Instagram Host Scott asked guests Graham Norton and Conchita for a never-before-heard exclusive - and both delivered. Graham teased: 'I've a good one. This is my left shoulder's first appearance on radio. Brand new shoulder… It's less than two weeks old.' Showing off the fresh scar, he added: 'It feels a bit new, it's a little oweee, but forgive me I'm on many, many pain medications right now so if I say anything bad, it's not my fault.' Conchita responded: 'Oh lucky you!' before casually dropping her own bombshell. She announced: 'My facelift. First time on radio!' A surprised Scott asked, 'Is that real?' to which Conchita confirmed: 'Yeah.' Graham joked, 'That beard covers a lot of scars,' prompting Conchita to quip: 'Yeah. I got the Lindsay Lohan treatment.' Scott praised the results: 'It is good,' to which Conchita replied: 'Thank you.' Scott added: 'What we do is celebrate - Graham's got a new left shoulder and Conchita's got a new face!' Conchita Wurst is the stage name and persona of Austrian singer Thomas Neuwirth. Scott Mills chats to 2014 Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst When performing as Conchita, she uses she/her pronouns. As Thomas, he uses he/him pronouns. Thomas was born November 1988 in Gmunden, Austria, making him 29 years old. He is a recording artist and drag queen and was part of a short-lived boy band called Jetzt Anders! before creating the Conchita persona in 2011. Is Conchita Wurst married? Thomas has created a fictional backstory for Conchita, which includes her marriage to a French burlesque dancer called Jacques Patriaque. Jacques is a real person and is a friend of Thomas. Conchita's backstory helps the singer to keep his real-life relationships private. When did Conchita win Eurovision? Conchita was selected to represent Austria in September 2013 at the 2014 Contest. In May 2014, Conchita travelled to Copenhagen in Denmark for the competition and her song Rise Like a Phoenix was one of 1o favourites to win among bookmakers. On May 10, Conchita won the Eurovision Contest with 290 points. It was the first time Austria had won the Contest since 1966. What is the HIV positive blackmail plot about? On 16 April 2018, Conchita revealed in a post on Instagram that she has been forced to reveal she is HIV positive after being blackmailed by a former boyfriend. The bearded performer wrote that she had received medical treatment and that she was feeling healthy and strong. She wrote that "coming out is better than being outed by a third party". She added that her reason for going public was "to encourage (others) and make a step against the stigmatisation of people who through their own behaviour or through no fault of their own were infected with HIV." What has Conchita said about her beard? Conchita's participation in the 2014 Contest led some to nickname her the 'bearded lady'. But speaking on The Graham Norton Show at the time, she said of her beard: "It's my own truth. It makes me comfortable on stage. "I love myself and the bearded lady is fun and expresses everything I feel. "Being a teenager in a small Austrian village was not fabulous." Rylan and Scott are providing Eurovision commentary tonight on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds from 8pm, with Graham on BBC One and iPlayer. 4 Conchita is seen performing at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest last week Credit: EPA 4 She won the 2014 contest, representing Austria Credit: AP:Associated Press
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Eurovision legend reveals they've undergone secret facelift aged 36 with clever trick to hide scars
EUROVISION legend Conchita Wurst has revealed she secretly underwent a facelift at the age of 36 - and cleverly hides the scars with her signature beard. The surprise admission came during a special edition of Advertisement 4 Eurovision legend Conchita Wurst has revealed she secretly underwent a facelift at the age of 36 Credit: Instagram Host Scott asked guests Graham Norton and Graham teased: 'I've a good one. This is my left shoulder's first appearance on radio . Brand new shoulder… It's less than two weeks old.' Showing off the fresh scar, he added: 'It feels a bit new, it's a little oweee, but forgive me I'm on many, many pain medications right now so if I say anything bad, it's not my fault.' Conchita responded: 'Oh lucky you!' before casually dropping her own bombshell. Advertisement read more on Conchita Wurst She announced: 'My facelift. First time on radio!' A surprised Scott asked, 'Is that real?' to which Conchita confirmed: 'Yeah.' Graham joked, 'That beard covers a lot of scars,' prompting Conchita to quip: 'Yeah. I got the Scott praised the results: 'It is good,' to which Conchita replied: 'Thank you.' Advertisement Most read in Music Scott added: 'What we do is celebrate - Graham's got a new left shoulder and Conchita's got a new face!' Conchita Wurst is the stage name and persona of Austrian singer Thomas Neuwirth. Scott Mills chats to 2014 Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst When performing as Conchita, she uses she/her pronouns. As Thomas, he uses he/him pronouns. Thomas was born November 1988 in Gmunden, Austria , making him 29 years old. Advertisement He is a recording artist and drag queen and was part of a short-lived boy band called Jetzt Anders! before creating the Conchita persona in 2011. Is Conchita Wurst married? Thomas has created a fictional backstory for Conchita, which includes her marriage to a French burlesque dancer called Jacques Patriaque. Jacques is a real person and is a friend of Thomas. Conchita's backstory helps the singer to keep his real-life relationships private. Advertisement When did Conchita win Eurovision? Conchita was selected to represent Austria in September 2013 at the 2014 Contest. In May 2014, Conchita travelled to Copenhagen in Denmark for the competition and her song Rise Like a Phoenix was one of 1o favourites to win among bookmakers. On May 10, Conchita won the Eurovision Contest with 290 points. It was the first time Austria had won the Contest since 1966. Advertisement What is the HIV positive blackmail plot about? On 16 April 2018, Conchita revealed in a post on The bearded performer wrote that she had received medical treatment and that she was feeling healthy and strong. She wrote that "coming out is better than being outed by a third party". She added that her reason for going public was "to encourage (others) and make a step against the stigmatisation of people who through their own behaviour or through no fault of their own were infected with HIV." Advertisement What has Conchita said about her beard? Conchita's participation in the 2014 Contest led some to nickname her the 'bearded lady'. But speaking on The Graham Norton Show at the time, she said of her beard: "It's my own truth. It makes me comfortable on stage. "I love myself and the bearded lady is fun and expresses everything I feel. "Being a teenager in a small Austrian village was not fabulous." Advertisement Rylan and Scott are providing Eurovision commentary tonight on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds from 8pm, with Graham on BBC One and iPlayer. 4 Conchita is seen performing at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest last week Credit: EPA 4 She won the 2014 contest, representing Austria Credit: AP:Associated Press 4 The surprise admission came during a special edition of Scott Mills' Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 Credit: Getty
