Latest news with #Eurovision
Extra.ie
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Linda Martins dog shelter sees huge spike in French Bulldog surrenders
Designer French Bulldogs are being dumped en masse at rescue centres around the country, with animal lover Linda Martin noticing a marked increase in the numbers of French bulldogs being dumped at her North County Dublin rehoming sanctuary. Former Eurovision winner Linda, who now operates the pound for North County Dublin County Council, says she has seen a huge number of French bulldogs come into her care at her state-of-the-art facility, The Dog Hub located in Meakstown in North Dublin. In fact, at least a fifth of Linda's current residents at The Dog Hub are of the French bulldog breed and range in age from one to five years of age. Photo taken in Chiang Mai, Thailand Speaking to Linda says she is not entirely sure why the pricey pooches- who breeders sell at anything from around 1,000 to 10,000 euros are suddenly being dumped by their owners into rescue centres around the nation. 'We have seen a huge increase in the numbers of French bulldogs coming into us,' Linda told But she says the fleeting celebrity popularity with certain breeds can lead to an uptake in people opting to buy different types of dog at certain times. 'If you have a Disney movie out that has a particular type of dog then you will usually see that breed become the 'dog-of-the-week',' explains Linda. 'For instance when 101 Dalmations came out, everyone wanted spotted doggies. Then when Game of Thrones was on Huskies were the popular dogs,' Linda told the MoS. While Linda said French bulldogs are a beautiful breed they can be quite rambunctious of character. 'They're gorgeous dogs; they really are, but I think people have this idea that they are just going to sit there looking all pretty, and that's simply not the case. 'They can be quite tough, and they are sturdy and they can be rambunctious.,' said Linda 'They do make great pets but they are not just a pretty little plaything like some people imagine.' Pic: Getty Images Linda's state-of-the-art Dog Hub is currently home to a vast array of scruffs, mutts and designer doggies all looking for their forever homes. And the famously well-respected singer Linda has not only seen mutts coming to her spanking new rehoming centre as she has also seen more than a few famous faces drop by. Bassist and avid gardener Adam Clayton of U2 fame popped into The Dog Hub last month where he adopted three cute hedgehogs from Linda, and the three little rascals are right at home burrowing around Clayton's 17 acres of gardens and woodlands at his Southside home. Linda Martin and Adam Clayton. Pic: Supplied A lover of all creatures great and small, Adam paid a visit to Eurovision winner Linda's animal sanctuary where he quickly made the acquaintance of three little friends. Adam loves animals,' said Linda 'and his daughter especially loves hedgehogs so now three little mites are living their best life and they have the run of Adam's massive gardens.' Eurovision legend and animal welfare campaigner Linda Martin has been awarded a contract to run a dog shelter on behalf of Dublin City Council, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal. And last week a contingent of soft-hearted rough-riders from Ireland Devils Disciples motorcycle crew made a pit stop at the Dog Hub to pay Linda and her kennels full of four-legged friends a visit. 'It's smashing out here,' said one of the bikers.'It's like Beverly Hills for dogs. She's some woman is Linda,' said another animal loving biker.
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Official gifts given to Royal Family disclosed including lavish Rolls-Royce
Buckingham Palace has revealed all the gifts given to members of the Royal Family over the years and while some of them are damn right extravagant, others may surprise you When you're a member of the Royal Family, you can expect a few fancy gifts from time to time, but some are rather surprising. Perhaps one of the most elaborate presents given to King Charles was a Rolls-Royce from the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Given to the King in May 2023, it's worth around $443,575 - or £329,545 and was a gift for his Coronation. The lavish car is said to be brought out for official purposes, including state occasions. But this isn't the only generous gift. During the month of his coronation, the monarch also received a feather crown, two beaded chest pieces and two carved staffs from Amazonian Indigenous leaders Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai and Atossa Soltani, reports Sky News. Former US president Joe Biden and then-first lady Jill Biden also gifted the King a leather folder containing printed letters between Queen Elizabeth II and former president Dwight D Eisenhower. In April that year, the King and Queen Camilla also received two gold Blue Peter badges from Blue Peter presenters during a visit to Liverpool ahead of the city hosting Eurovision. But that's not all - during an audience with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy in February, the King was presented with a framed mosaic, a scrolled document about St Sophia Cathedral and a signed Ukrainian ship's flag. Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II was given a Cedar of Lebanon tree from Pope Francis in 2022 - the year of her Platinum Jubilee. The year before, during a visit to the Coronation Street set in Greater Manchester, she received a cobble from the original set in a presentation case. The avid Corrie fan was also presented with two gin glasses with a Manchester skyline silhouette design, a book entitled 60 Years Of Coronation Street and a bottle of Coronation Street gin. In 2020, Prince William and Kate, then the Duchess of Cambridge, were both gifted a toiletries set from the president of Ireland, Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina Higgins. This is according to official records, which cover official gifts to most members of the royal family from 2020 to 2023. But did you know the Royal Family give each other presents on Christmas Eve as opposed to Christmas Day in keeping with their German heritage? And the presents they give to each other speak volumes about their family dynamics and sense of humour. Over the years, quirky presents have included a toilet seat and homemade chutney, according to Hello magazine. When she first joined the Royal Family, Princess Kate gave the late Queen some homemade chutney, a recipe from her own grandmother. Princess Anne gave her brother Charles a leather toilet set. She also once gifted her father, Prince Phillip, a pepper mill with a light on the end, to enable him to season his food during barbecues when it was dark.
Daily Record
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Brits music icon says she'd love to do Strictly but gets 'rejected every year by producers'
The singer, who rose to fame in the early 80s on the Eurovision Song Contest, revealed that BBC bosses have rejected her proposal to star on the show multiple times. UK Eurovision icon Cheryl Baker has revealed that she would love to participate in Strictly Come Dancing but she gets turned down by the producers every year. The 71-year-old singer, who was born Rita Maria Stroud, won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the UK's pop group entry, Bucks Fizz, which she was a member of. However, it seems that the pop group's memorable win still isn't enough to get Cheryl Baker onto that Strictly Come Dancing ballroom floor. Cheryl still performs in the band alongside OG member Jay Aston and newcomers Nikk Mager and Matthew Pateman, but the group are now known as The Fizz instead. Speaking exclusively to Slingo, the singer revealed she's been repeatedly turned down for the BBC One reality series, despite regularly throwing her name into the ring. She also revealed that she had put herself forward for this year's Celebrity Traitors but was left 'gutted' to discover she was too late and the star studded cast had already been selected. While Cheryl has made her eagerness to dip her toes into reality TV pretty clear, also saying she'd 'love' a go on I'm A Celebrity, she has ruled out a return to Eurovision, despite insisting the group are now 'vocally stronger'. Formerly known as Bucks Fizz, the band were victorious in the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest Final with their song Making Your Mind Up. Their big win over 44 years ago comes as the second last time the UK have won the annual singing contest since. Britain have not been successful in Eurovision in the contest since 1997, when Katrina & The Waves came out on top with their song Love Shine A Light. During a conversation with Slingo, Cheryl was asked about her reality TV ambitions. She said: 'I'd love to do Strictly. I always put myself up for it every year, and they always say no, which is a great shame. I love dancing - I'm not a trained dancer, but I love dancing. "I would love to go do I'm A Celebrity - I would love that. I would also love to do Traitors. When I knew there was going to be a celebrity one, I contacted my agent and said, 'Get me on it!' "When she told me that they'd already cast it, I was gutted. I can't wait to see it, but I'd do any of them." Cheryl continued: "That's the way TV has gone. If you don't want to be on any of those shows, it really limits you to what you can do, because that's what's on TV now. "I miss Top of the Pops - I wish they'd bring it back. All the young artists now, they've got a televisual platform to show how good they are.' However, when questioned on a Eurovision return, she was not so keen. When asked if she'd ever go back on the contest, she said: " I mean, we've got our two new guys, they're great singers and if the cameras are far enough away… I'd hate for them to do camera close ups of Jay and I, and go, they're getting on a bit! "I feel vocally we're stronger now than we have been for years, because there's four of us and the boys are tremendous but I don't think we could do Eurovision again. 'We've carried on and had lots of gigs, working with Mike and Jay and now with Matthew [Pateman] and Nikk [Majer] as four. There are certain gigs that haven't employed us because we're not officially Bucks Fizz but we're really good!" Cheryl, 71, added: "We haven't done a Let's Rock for years, we used to do it as The Original Bucks Fizz, but because we're called The Fizz now, I'm guessing that's probably the reason we don't get to do it. "We do lots of other festivals and 80s weekends. It's great fun, I love it. They all chant and at the end we get them to sing 'A Land Of Make Believe' and they all sing it on their own, all the musicians cut out. I love it, what's not to love? It's such a boost to your ego!'
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Samantha Mumba's Gotta Tell You: From 'obnoxious teen' to pop fame
In the summer of 2000, a 17-year-old Dublin girl emerged with a debut single that would redefine the perception of Irish pop was a voice a far cry from the ethereal, mega-selling Celtic sounds of Enya; the pop-meets-Irish trad mash-up of The Corrs; or slick boy-band contemporaries, like Westlife and Ronan Keating who, between them, had already notched multiple UK numbers ones that Samantha Mumba's Gotta Tell You was a sleek, radio-ready hit that climbed international charts and, almost 25 years ago to the day, introduced a confident and cool new voice to the noughties music that the woman herself remembers it that way. "I was an obnoxious little teenager," she said with a laugh. "I don't really think I had a clue what I was doing. I was just winging it and hoping for the best." Winging it is one way to put it - Mumba followed Gotta Tell You with more hits, including the Davie Bowie-sampling Body II Body; a debut album that entered the top ten in UK and Ireland; and a starring role in a Hollywood blockbuster The Time Machine with Guy Pierce. It was a meteoric ascent. But subsequent years proved to be a bruising education in the music business, from record label problems to an unsuccessful bid to represent Ireland at Eurovision earlier this that Mumba is all about looking back."This is my new chapter to do anything and everything that I want to do," she said."I've got so much drive, I'm a hard worker and up for the challenge." From stage school to pop fame Born in Dublin in 1983, Mumba's musical journey began when she was three and her parents enrolled her at the Billie Barry Stage School for dance key musical influences took hold early - Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton and her "obsession" Michael Jackson."I used to write him letters. I remember being sent a letter back from the Neverland Ranch - to this day, I'm devastated we don't have it any more." Performing in stage productions until she was 15, she attracted plenty of attention."Back then you didn't really very often see young black girls on stage in Dublin. I was young and I had a big voice, and so I started getting a lot of press. I was very lucky in that regard," she industry soon came knocking and she was invited to a meeting with the Spice Girls' producers, which later led her to future manager Louis for his success with Westlife and Boyzone, Mumba admits she was "definitely a different project" for the future X Factor judge. 'We were making something special' After signing a deal with Polydor Records, Mumba set about recording her debut with heavyweight producers like Dave Pensado, Teddy Riley and Stargate. She built a "big rapport" with the team behind Gotta Tell You - and it was soon apparent they were doing something right."You can feel when you're making something special, and I'll never forget it... we all were like: 'Oh God, no, wait, this is really, really special.'"I still stand by that song to this day. I still feel like it could be released now." First released in Ireland on 2 June 2000, the single quickly shot up the charts, peaking at number four in the United States, and clearing the top three in Australia, New Zealand and the still remembers her surprise."Are you kidding me? I was beyond shocked. I just couldn't get my head around it."I remember being in a bubble and doing tonnes of press, but that didn't really compute with me, I was still a teenager." Race 'just wasn't a thing' The cultural significance of her rise also didn't immediately register with the new-born into an interracial marriage, Mumba was giving people something they had rarely heard before - an Irish accent on a famous black "just wasn't a thing" for her then, but now, at 42, she said it blows her mind. "When girls send me messages or I meet them and they say how much it meant to them to see me, and that they looked like me... that just means so much," she said."I wasn't raised with race being significant, obviously I am a black woman now and I have a black daughter and I'm very aware of the significance of representation, and the importance of that."I'm just grateful I got to be that for anybody, because I certainly didn't have that growing up." Mumba's debut album came out in October 2000, making her contemporaries the likes of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Destiny's a string of successful singles, she set about recording a follow-up while also juggling commitments such as her role in The Time Machine opposite Guy Pierce and a collaboration with Damian Marley. But, Mumba's sophomore album - Woman - never saw the light of day."I kind of got caught in between when all the labels merged," she said. "I was frozen, I couldn't be released from my label, but they wouldn't release music at that time."If I had to go back and do it all over again, I would, just with better attorneys and kind of industry savvy," she laughed. Instead, Mumba was "ready to be a normal girl" - she moved to Los Angeles, in an effort to "live a little bit and grow up". On her return to the stage in recent years, Mumba said she is trying to adapt to a very different rise of social media and streaming has been an advantage "because it's taken a lot of the power away from the labels", she said, adding she can now release music without expectation, connect with people instantly and shut down any untrue rumours."I remember things would be written about me in newspapers and there was nothing I could do. Whereas [now] you can just laugh and nix it immediately." Samantha Mumba and Eurovision: 'Zero regrets' Indeed, social media was to the fore when Mumba's emoji-loaded post criticising Ireland's Eurovision selection process made headlines earlier this year. Mumba, who came second with her track My Way, questioned some of the judging panel's credentials for the Eurosong hindsight, would she have reacted differently?"I stand 10 toes down, absolutely," she said. "I've been asked about [competing in Eurosong] for years and never at my age would I have thought I would consider doing a competition."So it was very personal for me. It was really more just about me pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I have zero regrets." Eurovision aspirations aside, Mumba said there is still "an awful lot more" she would like to been guest starring in Irish mystery-drama Harry Wild since 2023 and popping up on summer music festival bills, including Mighty Hoopla in London this evidently, are still drawn to the Dubliner and she's keen to get unreleased music from "back in the day" out to the public - although she wants to strike a balance."I'm constantly trying to teeter on, you know, 'are people over the old stuff? Do they want new stuff?'"For now, Mumba said she's happy to be riding the current wave of noughties nostalgia."It was a great time in all of our lives. Things were a lot simpler, easier, happier, and almost a lot more innocent," she reflected."I'm grateful that 25 years in people still stream the song and and come and see me perform. That's not lost on me at all. "But yeah, it it definitely feels like a lifetime ago."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Some global LGBTQ travelers are skipping America this Pride season
For many European gays, the festive Eurovision Song Contest each May marks the unofficial kickoff to the global Pride season. As usual, there were soaring highlights and scandalous lowlights among the competing Eurovision nations at the 2025 edition of the contest in Basel, Switzerland, this month. But another country was on the lips of many queer jet-setters this year: the United States, with its spate of new anti-trans and anti-immigrant policies that are causing some LGBTQ travelers to reconsider their upcoming American itineraries. Several European countries, including Denmark, Finland and Germany, have issued official cautions for LGBTQ travelers visiting the U.S., particularly those with an 'X' gender listed on their passport. Meanwhile, out of concerns for participant safety, Canada's leading LGBTQ rights group, Egale Canada, pulled out of participation in WorldPride DC, and the African Human Rights Coalition has called for a boycott of this edition of the international Pride event, coordinated by InterPride and usually held every two years. 'It doesn't feel right to at the moment,' Karl Krause told NBC News at Eurovision in Basel, referring to travel to the U.S. Krause, who is German by birth, lives in Amsterdam with his Dutch partner, Daan Colijn, and together they are travel-focused content creators known to their followers as Couple of Men. In 2021, Lonely Planet awarded them its first Best in Travel LGBTIQ Storyteller Award, a nod to their work for the LGBTQ community. 'As gay men traveling to the U.S., we are probably still the more privileged part of the community,' Krause said. 'But we had some interesting conversations recently in Bilbao with a trans person who was like, 'I cannot, I literally cannot travel to the U.S., because I have no idea how they would receive my diverse passport, if I would be put in detention or whatever. I have my little daughter — I'm not going to risk any of this.'' Krause said that was the moment he realized that while he and Colijn as gay men may not yet be feeling the full effects of the Trump administration's policies, they were already having an impact on other travelers within the LGBTQ community. 'So how can we in good feeling promote this destination?' he asked. 'How can I send a trans friend or nonbinary friend and try to inspire them to go to the U.S. when they are in what's supposed to be the best time of their year, to spend in a country where they don't feel safe?' Colijn added that he and Krause want to send their followers 'somewhere where they are safe, where they feel welcome.' 'At the moment, of course a lot of people will still feel very, very welcome in the majority of America — a lot of places are still the same, or maybe even trying to do better. But we just want to be careful in what we are supporting,' Colijn said. John Tanzella, president and CEO of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, or IGLTA, told NBC News that such concerns are commonplace this year. 'We've heard from travelers feeling uncertain about visiting the U.S., especially trans and gender-diverse individuals,' he said. 'These decisions are often driven by concerns about safety, treatment at the border and access to affirming health care. Some have canceled their trips. Many others are still coming, but they're being more selective about where they go.' Nicoló Manfredini, an Italian trans man living in Valencia, Spain, said he was recently able to enter the U.S. without incident thanks to having an 'M' marker on his passport, but the government's anti-trans policies currently make America a place he would rather not visit again. 'Originally I had planned to go to WorldPride, but not now,' he said. Given the current environment in the U.S., Manfredini added, he said he would only travel to the U.S. if he had to do so for work. Even American gender-diverse people are adjusting their travel plans because of Trump administration policies, according to a study released earlier this month by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. Of the more than 300 transgender, nonbinary and other gender-diverse people surveyed, 70% said they are less likely to go on vacation to U.S. states they view as less trans-affirming. Krause said that despite usually attending at least one and sometimes several U.S. Pride events every year, this year will be different. 'We were actually planning to go to Washington, D.C., for WorldPride, but this is off the table for us … How safe can we be in Washington? Just saying that scares me a little bit,' he said, noting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was particularly concerning. 'I don't know what is going on there now and who is coming, and I don't feel safe with the idea that I'm going there and I'm walking and maybe there is a mob [coming] from whatever direction.' Capital Pride Alliance, the organizers behind WorldPride DC, which started earlier this month and continues through June 8, did not respond to requests for comment from NBC News, but the event's website details security protocols and includes a passport advisory for transgender and nonbinary travelers. Sahand Miraminy, director of operations for Capital Pride Alliance, told The Washington Post this week that security measures at WorldPride DC will include weapons screening at the entrance to the street festival June 7 and 8, which will also be fenced in. In addition to the local and federal "agency support that we have, we also hire private security and have many forms of safety measures and surveillance that we may not share at all times with the public,' he said, 'but there are certainly conversations that we're having with those agencies on a weekly basis.' Organizers at NYC Pride, arguably the most globally popular of U.S. Pride events each year and held like most big cities during Pride Month in June, are also stepping up security plans for 2025. 'NYC Pride has contracted a private firm with vast experience managing LGBTQIA+ events to lead on-site security,' spokesperson Kevin Kilbride said. 'Given the size and visibility of our events, NYC Pride is monitored and secured by municipal agencies at every level of government to protect our freedom of expression and ensure a safe space for our community.' Tanzella said that since safety is unfortunately never guaranteed for the LGBTQ community, careful planning is more essential than ever for LGBTQ travelers coming to the U.S. this year. 'Research destinations with strong reputations for inclusion and visible LGBTQ+ support,' he advised. 'Connect with local LGBTQ+ organizations for on-the-ground insights, stay informed about local laws and current events, and have a plan for accessing affirming health care if needed. Most importantly, prioritize places where you feel respected and supported.' Cities and states with long-standing reputations for LGBTQ inclusivity are getting more attention, Tanzella added. 'In this climate, a destination's visible commitment to inclusion through its policies, community engagement, and public support truly matters,' he said. In October, the IGLTA will host its annual global convention in Palm Springs, California, a destination Colijn said he and Krause can and will enthusiastically visit. 'We were there just last year, and we felt how amazing and welcome and how much old queer culture is there,' he said. 'So of course we want to go there, and we can fully tell people to go there. Unless of course we might get in trouble at the border.' Krause, however, noted that he and Colijn still haven't booked their Palm Springs trip just yet, because they fear that under the Trump administration 'everything can change overnight.' 'There is no long-term planning,' he said. Kilbride said he understands the need global queer travelers feel to exhibit caution this year, but he said he believes Pride remains one of the most powerful tools in the collective struggle for equality. 'We stand with the international LGBTIA+ community, particularly our trans and nonbinary siblings,' he said. 'But we also believe the fight for our community is more important now than ever. We need to show up big to make it clear: We're here, we're queer, and we're not going anywhere.' This article was originally published on
