Latest news with #Kavana
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Legendary 90s pop star who had a 'crippling alcohol addiction' warns celebs to be 'very afraid' over upcoming tell-all book
Nineties pop sensation Anthony Kavanagh is set to lift the lid on the darker side of stardom with his explosive new autobiography, Pop Scars - and he's warned the industry to brace itself. The singer, 47, who rose to fame under the name Kavana with hits like I Can Make You Feel Good and Crazy Chance, has hinted that no one is safe from the revelations in his upcoming book. Known for his boy-next-door image in the teen pop heyday, Anthony has since opened up about his struggles with addiction, revealing the personal cost of fame after finding success at just 16 years old. As the release of his tell-all book looms, some of his friends and acquaintances in the industry could be in for a shock. Back in 2017, the singer promised that he'd write a revealing memoir about his time in the music industry. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. He told Attitude magazine: 'I am very excited about it. It's more of a memoir, I'll save the autobiography for when I'm older. 'It'll be warts [and all] and recalls what was happening back in the pop industry back in the 90s and when I went to live in Hollywood. 'There are some really outrageous stories that most people wouldn't know about. Yes, people should be afraid…very afraid.' And the former pop idol appears to be relishing the build-up as he took to his Instagram page on May 14 to tease fans with a glimpse of what's to come. He posted a snap of the cover of his book, featuring a imagine of the star at the height of his success. Anthony penned: 'Can't believe I'm saying this but I actually wrote a book. Like by myself, like those grown ups do. POP SCARS covers all things 90s pop but more importantly what happens AFTER fame.' The star continued: 'It's about teenage fame, loss, addiction and hope, and how not to iron a white Kappa tracksuit. 'It's been described as 'Laugh out loud, jaw dropping, and heartfelt' but you can decide that. The former pop idol appears to be relishing the build-up as he took to his Instagram page on May 14 to tease fans with a glimpse of what's to come in 'Come join the ride with me. More news to come. This is for the underdog.' After his pop career wrapped up, Anthony kept busy in the public eye, starring in Hollyoaks: In The City in 2006 and later competing as a finalist on the TV show Greece Is the Word in 2007. He also took part in Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, where he finished seventh. As for his personal life, Anthony shocked fans as he shared a swollen photo of himself at the peak of his alcohol addiction. The star has been sober for nearly three years and has been incredibly open about his struggles with addiction and his journey to recovery. And the artist admitted he was 'lost, broken and hopeless' during his crippling addiction. He wrote: 'On #addictionawarenessweek I want to make anyone struggling aware that recovery is possible. 20 months ago I was lost, broken and hopeless. 'Ask for help, I'm so glad I did. #Wedorecover #Noshame #addiction #youcandoit'. The singer documented his 2022 entry into rehab after sadly relapsing a year earlier. In February 2022, he took to Twitter to apologise to his family for not being 'truthful' as he admitted that alcoholism had 'got a grip on him' in an emotional post. The singer spoke of his 'mental struggles', before signing off social media for the foreseeable future. The statement read: 'Today I go into rehab. Again. This illness of Alcoholism has got its grip. I'll be off social media for a while. 'To what family I have left, I'm sorry I wasn't truthful I've been going through a lot of mental struggles. Good news I'm going to get the help I need. 'My phone will be off for a while. Clint, Aunty Angela, Aunty Maria, Brad, I'm going to be OK and I love you all madly x.'
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
90s pop star warns celebs to be 'very afraid' ahead of autobiography release
Celebrity Big Brother contestant Kavana says he was 'broken by addiction' as he opens up in his upcoming book. The pop star of the nineties, Anthony Kavanagh, is warning celebs to be 'very afraid' ahead of the release of his autobiography. More well known by his stage name Kavana, the 47-year-old became a pop sensation with hits such as I Can Make You Feel Good, MFEO and Crazy Chance. Anthony is set to release his explosive memoir - Pop Scars - in July, in which he has promised to tell all about his experiences in the limelight. While talking about his battles with addiction, the singer is also said to lift the lid on the supposedly 'innocent' 90s pop scene. Nearly three decades ago, Anthony graced the covers of teen pop magazines, including Smash Hits, as a bright-eyed 20-year old. However, since then, he has been candid about his addiction problems over the years, reports the Mirror. For example, last year he shared a post on Instagram that included before and after photos of his recovery battle, along with the caption: "Recovery is possible." He has also spoken about his drastic change in appearance compared to how he looked a year and half prior, when he was in one of his lowest states, and what steps he had taken to get help. In the comments, he wrote: "On #addictionawarenessweek I want to make anyone struggling aware that recovery is possible. 20 months ago I was lost, broken and hopeless. Ask for help, I'm so glad I did." Many of his celebrity pals flooded the comments with encouraging messages, including former Bad Boys Inc singer Matthew Pateman who said: "Proud of you." Steps' H Watkins also added a heartfelt "Proud friend", while 911's Lee Brennan wrote: "Superstar". While he has many friends who support him, with the upcoming release of his 'explosive' book, some of his friends and acquaintances may be in for a surprise. Speaking to Attitude magazine back in 2017, Anthony promised that he would write an exposing memoir about his experience in the music industry. He said: "I am very excited about it. It's more of a memoir, I'll save the autobiography for when I'm older. It'll be warts [and all] and recalls what was happening back in the pop industry back in the 90s and when I went to live in Hollywood. "There are some really outrageous stories that most people wouldn't know about. Yes, people should be afraid…very afraid." The former star has since promoted his book on his Instagram, claiming that it is "for the underdog". Posting a picture of the front cover that shows an image of Kavana back in the 90s, he said: "Can't believe I'm saying this but I actually wrote a book. "Like by myself, like those grown ups do. POP SCARS covers all things 90s pop but more importantly what happens AFTER fame." He continued: "It's about teenage fame, loss, addiction and hope, and how not to iron a white Kappa tracksuit. It's been described as 'Laugh out loud, jaw dropping, and heartfelt' but you can decide that. Come join the ride with me. More news to come. This is for the underdog." Kavana didn't disappear after his pop career ended, as he remained in the spotlight through a variety of television appearances. This includes starring in Hollyoaks: In the City in 2006, being a finalist on TV competition Grease Is the Word in 2007, auditioning for The Voice in 2014 and coming seventh in Celebrity Big Brother in 2015. In 2014, the star came out as gay as he revealed a past secret romance with Boyzone's Stephen Gately. However, his battle with addiction followed as he confessed to feeling "guilty and sick" about his relapse. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. He said: "Ok. I think it's important for me to be transparent about my recovery. I relapsed after 100 days of sobriety. I feel guilty and sick and I hate myself after letting the people I love down. I thought I knew better. I have to start again."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
90s pop star 'broken by addiction' warns celebs to be 'very afraid' over exposé
Former 90s pop star and Celebrity Big Brother contestant Kavana has been very candid about his addiction battles, but now he's promised to be honest over his heyday experiences too Nineties pop sensation Anthony Kavanagh warned celebs to be 'very afraid' over his upcoming autobiography. The now-47 year old singer who had a string of hits including I Can Make You Feel Good, Crazy Chance and MFEO using the stage name Kavana, made the threat prior to the release of his explosive memoir, Pop Scars, which he's promising will tell all about his experience with fame. The singer has been candid about his battles with addiction since hitting the spotlight as a fresh-faced 20 year old nearly three decades ago, when he graced the covers of teen pop magazines including Smash Hits. Last year, he candidly shared on Instagram a before-and-after photo that illustrated his journey from a dark place last year to a successful recovery, along with an encouraging caption for his fans: "Recovery is possible." He spoke about how vastly different he looked compared to one and a half years previously, when he was at a low ebb, and explained how he'd taken steps to get help. Leaving a powerful comment with his images, he said: "On #addictionawarenessweek I want to make anyone struggling aware that recovery is possible. 20 months ago I was lost, broken and hopeless. Ask for help, I'm so glad I did." Celebrity pals rallied around with messages of encouragement, including former Bad Boys Inc singer Matthew Pateman who declared, "Proud of you," while Steps' H Watkins chimed in with a heartfelt, "Proud friend," and 911's Lee Brennan added: "Superstar." But with the release of the book , some of his friends and acquaintances in the industry could be in for a shock. Back in 2017, Anthony spoke to Attitude magazine and promised that he'd write a revealing memoir about his time in the music industry, to lift the lid on the wild goings on of the seemingly-innocent 90s pop scene. He told the publication: "I am very excited about it. It's more of a memoir, I'll save the autobiography for when I'm older. It'll be warts [and all] and recalls what was happening back in the pop industry back in the 90s and when I went to live in Hollywood. There are some really outrageous stories that most people wouldn't know about. Yes, people should be afraid…very afraid." And it seems the former idol is excited about what's to come, as he recently promoted the book on his Instagram page. Alongside a shot of its cover, featuring an image of Kavana at the height of his success, he said: "Can't believe I'm saying this but I actually wrote a book. Like by myself, like those grown ups do. POP SCARS covers all things 90s pop but more importantly what happens AFTER fame." And he continued: "It's about teenage fame, loss, addiction and hope, and how not to iron a white Kappa tracksuit. It's been described as 'Laugh out loud, jaw dropping, and heartfelt' but you can decide that. Come join the ride with me. More news to come. This is for the underdog." After his pop career ended, Anthony stayed in the spotlight, going on to star in Hollyoaks: In The City in 2006, before becoming a finalist on the TV competition Grease Is the Word in 2007, auditioning for The Voice on ITV and finishing seventh on Celebrity Big Brother in 2015. He later revealed a 12-month stalking hell. He also came out as gay in 2014, revealing a past secret romance with Stephen Gately from Boyzone. But his addiction battle followed, with Anthony previously confessing he felt "guilty and sick" for relapsing, saying: "Ok. I think it's important for me to be transparent about my recovery. I relapsed after 100 days of sobriety. I feel guilty and sick and I hate myself after letting the people I love down. I thought I knew better. I have to start again."
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
O.V. Vijayan Literary Awards to be given away on Sunday
Minister for Fisheries, Culture and Youth Affairs Saji Cherian will give away the O.V. Vijayan Memorial Literary Awards at a function to be held at O.V. Vijayan Memorial at Thasrak near here on Sunday. The Minister will also inaugurate the renovated road to the O.V. Vijayan Memorial. The road was reconstructed by spending ₹92 lakh under the inland fisheries development scheme of the Fisheries department. A. Prabhakaran, MLA, will preside over the function. V.K. Sreekandan, MP, will be the chief guest. Writers E. Santhosh Kumar, Santhosh Echikkanam, and Shafi Poovathinkal are the winners of the O.V. Vijayan Memorial Literary Awards 2024. Santhosh Kumar won the award for his novel Jnanabharam, Santhosh Echikkanam for his short story anthology Kavana, and Shafi Poovathinkal won the award for the young writer's unpublished story for his work Raqeebinum Atheedinum Idayile Nunakal. The awards for the novel and the short story collection will comprise a plaque, a citation and a cash prize of ₹25,000. The award for the young writer's unpublished story will have a cash prize of ₹10,000 along with a plaque and a citation.
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Santhosh Kumar, Santhosh Echikkanam, Shafi Poovathinkal win O.V. Vijayan Awards
Writers E. Santhosh Kumar, Santhosh Echikkanam and Shafi Poovathinkal have won the O.V. Vijayan Memorial Literary Awards 2024. While Mr. Santhosh Kumar won the award for his novel Jnanabharam, Mr. Echikkanam won the award for his short story anthology Kavana. Mr. Poovathinkal won the award for the unpublished young writer's story for his work titled Raqeebinum Atheedinum Idayile Nunakal. O.V. Vijayan Smaraka Samiti secretary T.R. Ajayan said here on Saturday that the awardees were selected through a rigorous screening of more than 200 writers. 'We had more than 200 works of different writers sent by different publishers and as many suggestions and recommendations by established writers. We had a mega jury of 20 writers who screened and shortlisted the works through a rigorous process,' said Mr. Ajayan. Jury members Rajesh Menon, P.R. Jayaseelan and Manoj Veettikkad said that they had thoroughly evaluated the works with utmost care to select the most deserving ones for the award. The awards for the novel and the short story collection will comprise a plaque, a citation and a cash prize of ₹25,000. The award for the young writer's unpublished story will have a cash prize of ₹10,000 along with a plaque and a citation. Mr. Rajesh Menon said that despite the modest prize money, the young writer award holds great significance owing to its association with the renowned author O.V. Vijayan. The award distribution ceremony, scheduled for May 18, may be postponed due to rising tensions along the national borders, said Mr. Ajayan.
