Latest news with #PopIdol
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Scotsman
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Robbie Williams sings iconic Hibs anthem at Murrayfield as he asks Hearts question
Robbie Williams has paid homage to an iconic song synonymous with Hibs - and asked a Hearts question about the anthem. Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Robbie Williams has tackled Hibs' iconic Sunshine on Leith anthem - with a question asked on Hearts. The 51-year-old performed at Murrayfield over the weekend as part of his Britpop tour where he played plenty of his famous hits. As part of the slate of songs he performed, Scots star and Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus joined him on stage for a duet of Take That's Relight My Fire. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One fan got close to the singer as he worked with the crowd at a barrier, stopping to serenade them with emotional lyrics from She's The One. He then moved into a heartfelt rendition of Sunshine on Leith, which was met with mixed response, with Hearts' Tynecastle home close to the home of Scotland's national rugby team. Robbie Williams sings Sunshine on Leith Originally sang by the Proclaimers, Hibs fans belt out the anthem in times of joy and outstanding results, a rare occurrence happening in the season past as it was heard two times in a week after wins over Celtic and Hearts in Leith. Williams asked: "Now there's two things here. One is I think that's a better song than You'll Never Walk Alone and the other thing is why don't Heart of Midlothian boo that song? I don't get it?" "Are you here Hearts?" was another question posed by the frontman before he finished off any talk of football rivalry "Ok that's enough of that s**t." He is the latest high profile music act to cover Sunshine on Leith after Coldplay had a go earlier this year. Coldplay on why they sung Hibs anthem Chris Martin said: 'This cover that Guy sent me three days ago - he said 'listen to this song by The Proclaimers.' And I'd never heard it before. It blew me away. I'd never heard it before. Then I watched the Hibernian fans singing it in the terraces and it just gets me so much that song. There is a whole other world of music behind that song that I've just been discovering, and they're a wonderful, wonderful band. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "Now we live in the age of coolness doesn't mean anything, just quality and soul. The Proclaimers make more sense than ever. This song is so astonishingly good and we're going to butcher it right now!" Guy Berryman, the bass player who comes from Kirkcaldy, explained : "I'd never heard it before either and I'm Scottish! I was listening to it in the bath three days ago and when it got to the second verse I was like kind of like 'oh, this is a serious song.' By the time it got to the chorus I was crying. I got to the end of it and I said to myself, if I listen to it again I wonder if it'll have the same reaction. So I did it again and the same thing happened. And by the third listen, I was in the bath howling. It's just one of those perfectly simple songs and I can't believe I'd never heard it before."
Edinburgh Live
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh crowd goes wild as Michelle McManus join Robbie Williams for special duet
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Robbie Williams' fans were left gobsmacked on Saturday night when Pop Idol sensation Michelle McManus made a surprise appearance on stage with the Rock DJ singer. The unexpected duet took place as Robbie launched his Britpop tour at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium. Michelle, originally from Baillieston and winner of Pop Idol in 2003, joined her old mate Robbie to perform a duet of Relight My Fire to a crowd of 70,000 at Murrayfield. Their joint performance of the song, famously covered by Take That in 1993, thrilled fans who gave the pair a standing ovation. Robbie's setlist for the evening included all his biggest hits such as She's The One, Feel, Angels and Let Me Entertain You, making it an unforgettable night for his dedicated followers. (Image: Instagram/Michelle McManus) Before her performance, Michelle, 45, admitted she was more nervous about singing in front of Robbie than she had been when she performed for the Pope. She confessed: "My happy place is when I sing, so the singing part is not the problem. "The nervous part is singing to Robbie Williams in front of 70,000 people.", reports the Daily Record. "When we did the Pope's visit in Bellahouston, it was 80,000-but singing for a bunch of cardinals and a Pope was slightly different from singing for Robbie Williams." Back in March, it was revealed that Robbie, 51, had surprised Michelle with an invitation to sing with him during her BBC Scotland Radio show. In a surprising turn during their interview, Robbie popped the question: "Would you like to come and sing with me in Edinburgh?". Michelle was clearly taken aback, as she asked in disbelief: "Sorry... What? What was that?". Without hesitation, she excitedly accepted his invitation, saying: "Yes, I'm saying yes-I would love that. You are amazing. And you are an incredible human being. I meant every word I said before this even came up." Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. Following their impromptu duet, Michelle took to Instagram to share a picture from their onstage collaboration, succinctly captioning it: "This diva though." Robbie didn't hold back on social media either, posting multiple images from his electrifying performance that night. He captured a particularly daring moment with the photo showing him suspended headfirst above the audience, accompanied by the caption: "Scotland – I love you. That was an incredible opening night. Until next time. Rob x".
Daily Record
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Michelle McManus joins Robbie Williams on stage at Murrayfield Stadium for incredible duet
Robbie Williams kicked off his European tour at Murrayfield Stadium last night with Glasgow popstar Michelle McManus joining the singer on stage for a duet of Relight My Fire. Robbie Williams fans were left stunned last night when Glasgow pop star Michelle McManus made a special appearance on stage alongside the singer as the Rock DJ hitmaker kicked off his Britpop tour at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium last night. The Baillieston born singer, who formerly won Pop Idol in 2003, joined her long time pal Robbie on stage at the capital, singing to crowds of 70,000 as the pair performed a duet of Relight My Fire. Their joint rendition of the track, which was famously covered by Take That in 1993, delighted fans who rose to their fans in a standing ovation. Robbie's setlist yesterday evening featured all of his most famous tracks i ncluding She's The One, Feel, Angels and Let Me Entertain You in what was an unforgettable night for his loyal fanbase. Ahead of her performance last night, Michelle, 45, confessed she was feeling more nervous about singing in front of Robbie than she was when she performed for the Pope. She said: 'My happy place is when I sing, so the singing part is not the problem. "The nervous part is singing to Robbie Williams in front of 70,000 people. 'When we did the Pope's visit in Bellahouston, it was 80,000—but singing for a bunch of cardinals and a Pope was slightly different from singing for Robbie Williams.' It was reported back in March that Robbie, 51, had surprised Michelle with an invitation to sing with him during her BBC Scotland Radio show. As their interview came to an end, Robbie unexpectedly asked: 'Would you like to come and sing with me in Edinburgh?' Michelle was left stunned by his proposal as she responded: 'Sorry… What? What was that?' She was quick to take him up on his offer as she emotionally added: 'Yes, I'm saying yes—I would love that. You are amazing. And you are an incredible human being. I meant every word I said before this even came up.' Following their joint performance, Michelle shared a snap of the moment on her Instagram Stories, showing her and Robbie singing together on stage. She simply captioned it: 'This diva though.' Robbie also shared his own social media post with several snaps from his performance throughout the evening. The main snap showed the singer dangling upside down above the crowds as he captioned the post: 'Scotland – I love you. That was an incredible opening night. Until next time. Rob x' Fans took to the comment section to gush over his opening night gig. One wrote: "Wow- what a show. i'm still flabbergasted. you can truly call yourself the king of entertainment." Another added: "The best escapism! I felt like we were all in a bubble, you're incredible and we love you." A third chimed in: "Rob is the best!"
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Thousands of Robbie Williams fans flock to Murrayfield on opening night of superstar's major tour
Even some rain showers ahead of the show could not put a dampener on fans' spirits HE'S THE ONE Thousands of Robbie Williams fans flock to Murrayfield on opening night of superstar's major tour Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TENS of thousands of Robbie Williams fans turned out to see their hero perform live at Murrayfield tonight. Many supporters of the former Take That idol wore Stetson hats for the gig in Edinburgh. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 3 Maxine McCallum and Nikki Johnston are buzzing to see Robbie Williams live at Murrayfield Credit: Duncan McGlynn 3 Nurse Stacey Sutherland and pal Sarah Barker have been Robbie fans for years Credit: Duncan McGlynn 3 Rhiannon Smith and her mum Fran Connor are going to see the superstar as part of a birthday treat Credit: Duncan McGlynn And even some rain showers ahead of the show could not put a dampener on fans' spirits. Nurse Stacey Sutherland, 42, from Leven, Fife, said: 'I have been a fan of Robbie since the nineties. He's ageing like a fine wine, so he is.' And her pal, nail technician Sarah Baker, 36, who is also from Leven, added: 'He's just amazing. I've loved him since he was in Take That. I've always been team Robbie through and through.' Carer Rhiannon Smith, 25, from Kikintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, bought tickets to the gig for her mum Fran Connor, 48. Rhiannon said: 'I absolutely love Robbie and I bought my mum tickets for her birthday.' Fran added: 'I went to see Take That a few times - but Robbie was never there.' Auxiliary nurse Maxine McCallum, 25, from Bo'ness, Falkirk, said: 'I've been a fan of Robbie since I was ten.' Her pal Nikki Johnston, 32, a catering assistant, who is also from Bo'ness, added: 'I'm so excited. I only know his older songs. I'm only here for a good day.' We told previously how Scots singer Michelle McManus will take to the stage with the Angels hitmaker tonight. The Pop Idol winner, 45, revealed how she was more nervous to perform with Robbie than when she sang in front of the Pope. Robbie Williams records new music video in central London Glasgow-born Michelle was interviewing the She's The One singer on her BBC Radio Scotland show when he proposed the shock duet. The pair have known each other since the early 2000s when he offered her advice on coping with fame and the media. Robbie later agreed to be part of her 2023 documentary about talent show winners and even brought her to the London premiere of his acclaimed biopic last December.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Pop Idol star Rik Waller unrecognisable with brand-new career 24 years later
Rik Waller was one of the breakout stars of the first series of Pop Idol in 2001, but his singing career came to a standstill after he left the show and he is now unrecognisable Pop Idol, one of the early noughties' biggest telly sensations, only ran for two series but launched the careers of Gareth Gates and Will Young as well as Michelle McManus. It also catapulted Kent-born crooner Rik Waller to fame, who was a hot favourite to win the inaugural series of the reality singing competition. Back in 2001, a then 20 year old Rik wowed judges Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox with his stellar vocal prowess, securing a spot in the final ten. However, the singer's journey was cut short due to a bout of laryngitis. Despite his premature exit, he did enjoy some chart success with his rendition of Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, which climbed to number six in the UK singles chart. He signed a record deal with EMI, rumoured to be worth around £400,000, and went on to release a cover of Something Inside (So Strong). Now 44, Rik bagged roles on various UK reality shows, including a stint on Celebrity Fit Club. Around this time, he was dropped by his record label, EMI and formed a band that signed with Red Admiral Records. However, after disappointing ticket sales, they scrapped a planned tour and split up. The last time Rik graced our screens was in February 2007, with an appearance on Never Mind The Buzzcocks. It was rumoured that the singer had lost his ability to belt out tunes after damaging his voice, leading him to confide in 2007: "I'm getting tired of singing and I can't rely on it for 100 per cent of my income. I've got two people to think about now, and talent doesn't always pay the bills." Amidst a whirlwind romance, he found love with a Pagan woman and the pair were reportedly sketching out plans for a Pagan wedding ceremony. But their union came to an end amid whispers she had influenced Rik's decision to step away from the limelight. In 2019 he went on to say he was 'gutted' that his fellow Pop Idol contestant, Michelle McManus, was married, writing on Facebook: "Gutted that Michelle McManus is married, but she looked gorgeous and wishing her all the best." In a candid 2013 chat with the Daily Mail, Rik laid bare the harsh reality of job-seeking as he recounted: "The most demoralising thing I've ever had to do was queue up at the Job Centre and have people look at me saying, 'What a failure'. "When you've lost the ability to do the job you've always done, it's an incredible stab in the back to find people are actually laughing at you." Rik bared his soul as he continued: "It's why I don't make a lot of effort to talk to the press these days - it can be more trouble than it's worth." He admitted, finding solace in simpler joys: "If you've got a roof over your head and food on the table I don't know how anyone can be truly unhappy." By 2014, the chart-topping days were a distant memory as Rik returned to his roots, moving back in with the folks. There, he secured a gig as a secondary school exam invigilator under his birth name, Richard, while also dabbling in the disco beats of his Dad's mobile karaoke and disco venture. According to his Facebook page, the former singer is still an exam invigilator and lives in Leicester.
