Latest news with #Proclaimers
The Courier
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Robbie Williams superfan from Dundee reveals how she got a kiss from idol in front of 70k fans
A Robbie Williams superfan from Dundee has revealed her kiss from the star in front of 70,000 people nearly didn't happen. Debbie Allan, from Lochee, says her 'dream came true' when she received a peck from the singer during his gig at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. It was the highlight of their 10-minute interaction, which was displayed on the big screen on Saturday night. During this time the former Take That superstar sang Proclaimers classic Sunshine on Leith, held Debbie's hand, and even lightheartedly traded swear words with the 42-year-old. Pictures and video of the encounter have gone viral on Facebook and TikTok, with thousands empathising with Debbie's on-screen tears as she got up close and personal with the household name. But the once-in-lifetime meeting so nearly didn't happen, Debbie told The Courier. Debbie has been a Robbie Williams fan for more than 30 years and has seen him perform live around 35 times. These include all his Scottish shows, many in England, and even a gig in Munich, Germany. In the past few tours he has picked out a fan standing at the front to dedicate his song 'She's The One' to. So Debbie, with fellow Dundonian and superfan Paula Williamson, joined the Robbie Williams gig queue first thing in the morning in the hope of being picked out by the 51-year-old Stokie. But on Saturday at 10pm, having been at Murrayfield since 6am, Williams chose another woman standing nearby. 'He actually spoke to another girl first,' Debbie told The Courier. 'But she was from Germany and he wanted someone from Scotland. 'So I shouted 'I'm from Dundee'. 'That's when he came over.' The next 10 minutes were 'crazy', Debbie says. 'He came down, asked me where I was from and then he started singing Sunshine on Leith,' she said. 'He had his hand on my arm and I was holding his arm. 'I was quite happy and could have stood there all day – I wouldn't have cared. 'I was just holding him, looking at him and thinking 'Oh my God, I can't believe this is actually happening'.' After mischievously asking why Hearts fans tend to boo Williams' rendition of Hibs anthem Sunshine on Leith, the focus again turned to Debbie. 'He said to me, 'I never ask a woman how old she is…so what do you weigh?',' she recalled. 'And I told him to f*** off. 'He then cuddled me and said, 'That's why I love Scottish people. You ask them a question and they tell you to f*** off'. 'He gave me a direct kiss on the lips. It was so unexpected and I burst out crying. 'The camera was on me the whole time. 'The crying face was all over the screens. 'It was the most surreal experience ever.' Williams returned to the stage to sing She's The One, which topped the UK charts in 1999. But the spotlight hadn't left Debbie just yet. She explained: 'He dedicates that song to a fan. 'And even during the song he said things like 'wee Debbie'. 'There was still a camera on me the whole time. 'Then he waved at me after he sang it. 'I was crying.' Debbie had only once before made it onto a TV screen through her Robbie fandom. It was in February 1999, when she was asked why she was queuing so early for Williams' only Aberdeen gig. 'It was snowing and reporters were saying 'You can't be out queuing in the snow'. But we didn't care,' Debbie said. The scale of this exposure was minor compared to Saturday's experience. Debbie said: 'I've waited 30 years for a moment like that, it's just unbelievable. 'Every fan wants it to be them, and I hope that girl from Germany gets her moment when Robbie is next over there. 'For it to be me was unbelievable. It was surreal. 'Even after the gig, complete strangers were coming up to me, saying 'It's Debbie from Dundee'. 'It's been so emotional. 'Robbie is one of the best entertainers we have. 'He knows how to work the audience and is just unreal. 'I can't put into words what the guy means to me.' She added: 'I have followed him since I was 10 years old and to have this moment is like a dream come true. It's just amazing. 'Every time I watch the video and talk about it I'm crying. It's mental. 'I'm trying to save all the different videos but every one of them is just amazing. It's crazy.' The Courier's live news reporter James Simpson was among the 70,000 people at Murrayfield for the gig. The Dundonian admits Debbie's interactions with Williams put a lump in his throat. He said: 'Robbie asked if anyone else was from Dundee, and there was a good reaction. 'Robbie then had a bit of banter with Debbie and her pal, who was trying to film it or take pictures. 'Robbie then dedicated 'She's The One' to Debbie. 'It was brilliant. 'She was emotional and gave him a hug during the performance. 'I was delighted that a local person had been picked – she even got a smacker on the lips from Rob. 'Suffice to say, she looked chuffed.'
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Good riddance to single use vapes, a blight that will finally be stuck in the bin
Vaping was almost unheard of 10 years ago but is now a part of everyday life for millions. The devices have helped countless people finally quit their cigarette habits after years of trying. But the hobby is not harmless and the vast industry it has spawned requires proper regulation. Tomorrow finally sees a long-awaited ban on the sale and supply of single-use disposable vapes. These cheap plastic devices should never have been allowed in the first place, given how many of them have ended being thrown away. There's not a street in Scotland that's not seen some of the 26 million single-use e-cigarettes disposed of each year kicked into a gutter. Their cheapness, colourful packaging and easy availability also encourages far too many children to pick up a habit they now can't kick. That's why the Daily Record launched our Bin the Vapes campaign to get rid of these disposable devices - which pose a threat to our kids' health and the environment. The campaign had an instant impact and has led, eventually, to a UK wide ban on disposable vapes - which comes into force tomorrow. The measure is part of a wider bill to make the UK and Scotland smoke free. And that is a welcome aim. Put simply, kids at school should not be vaping under any circumstance. It's alarming to learn that a quarter of 11-15-year-olds have tried the habit at least once. Shops specialising in vapes have been allowed to open next to high schools, with local authorities seemingly oblivious to the health risks. So it's good riddance to single use vapes, a blight that will finally be consigned to the dustbin of history. And finally off of our streets for good. 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'. Answer the call A Glasgow bingo caller could see his life change tonight - and we can all play our part to make it happen. Vinnie McKee has wowed audiences in this year's Britain's Got Talent with his stunning voice. His rendition of Proclaimers hit 500 miles got the audience whipped up into a frenzy at the first audition stage - and earned him praise from Simon Cowell. Thanks to massive public support he has now been voted through to take part in tonight's grand final. In today's Daily Record Vinnie is asking all of Scotland to cheer him on and vote for him to win the contest. And we hope our army of readers will do their bit for this talented young Scot. We're sure Vinnie will do us all proud - win or lose. And hopefully he can go from calling out bingo numbers to Number One in the charts.
STV News
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Olly Murs: 'I used to sing The Proclaimers to my nan for biscuits'
Olly Murs is bringing his latest show to Glasgow as he celebrates over a decade of hits at his 'best' stop on tour. Olly Murs first appeared on screens back in 2009 as a contestant on The X-Factor. Despite coming in second to Geordie singer Joe McElderry, Murs has gone on to release chart-topping singles and five number one albums. Now, 15 years on, he's celebrating with his 15 Years of Hits Tour which will see him take to the stage at Glasgow's OVO Hydro on Thursday. Murs spokes to STV News about his upcoming show, saying that Glasgow is his favourite stop on tour. 'Honestly, genuinely, I say it to everyone, it's probably the best for me on tour. I think the arena, the Hydro, the people, it just has everything for a great night of entertainment for me so, I just love it,' he said. 'It gets me really excited when I see it in the diary and it says, 'up next is Glasgow', I'm like, 'right, here we go'.' The Dance With Me Tonight singer has even popped a 'little treat' in his set specifically for his Scottish fans. 'I think it's like, I'm singing one of Scotland's national anthems in my set, well, I'm actually singing Proclaimers and although it is not obviously a national anthem of Scotland, but it's definitely something you hear a lot of Scottish people sing,' he said. However, it's not just his love for Scotland that has inspired the set list addition with the singer saying The Proclaimers hold real sentiment in his life. 'When I was a kid, my nan used to say to me, 'if you sing this song to me, Proclaimers, you'll get a biscuit'. And I used to have to sing it,' he said. He said the song holds a sentimental place in his life and performing it to Scots on Thursday will be special moment. 'Singing that every night for my nan is pretty special. And the fact I'm doing it in Scotland's even better,' he said. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Metro
07-05-2025
- Metro
Metro's Lifeline challenge raises over £33,000 for Missing People
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Thousands has been raised for the charity Missing People after a group of hardy fundraisers trekked across the Isle of Wight. Each year, Metro staff and readers take on a mammoth hike alongside charity workers and supporters as part of our annual Lifeline campaign. Missing People, which helps the loved ones of those who have vanished, was our chosen charity for 2025. In the lead-up to this year's Lifeline challenge, Metro spoke with the families of Matt Bone, Damien Nettles and Luke Durbin about the support they'd received. We also were told the story of Jade Knight, who went missing 50 times as a teenager. More often than not, Missing People was described as a 'lifeline' during people's darkest days. This year's event took place on Saturday May 4th, with the sun shining over the starting point in Chale, a small village near the town of Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. Fundraisers warmed up to I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by the Proclaimers before the first wave of walkers crossed the start line at 7.30am. A sea of pink t-shirts, vest tops and hats ensured the Missing People Lifeline team stood out as over 1,700 Ultra Challenge participants made their way along the clifftops. Cheerleading came in many forms across the trek. Local people displays signs of encouragement outside their homes; visitors to the island raised their drinks in solidarity as fundraisers made their way past beer gardens, while shouts of 'good luck' came from children through car windows. While the sunshine was welcome, hot temperatures took their toll, especially at 17km when a steep hill near to Freshwater Bay left some already weary walkers exhausted. After a steady stroll past the Tennyson Monument and a courtesy glance towards the Isle of Wight's iconic Needles, trekkers descended to the 26km point on the route by early afternoon. This marked the finish line for some, while other walkers tended to dodgy knees, empty stomachs and stubborn blisters before carrying on through picturesque forests, beachfronts and towns. As the sun set, the next batch of Lifeline walkers made it to the 53km point at 8pm and celebrated the end to an epic challenge. Someone is reported missing every 90 seconds in the UK. That means life is lonely, scary and uncertain for 170,000 families every year. Missing People is the only UK charity dedicated to reconnecting them and their loved ones and that's why this year Metro is proudly supporting them for our 2025 Lifeline campaign. As well as raising awareness through articles and sharing stories of those impacted, we are also taking on a 52-106km hike on the beautiful Isle of Wight to help raise vital funds for the charity. Just £12 buys one hour of helpline support at Missing People, which could help save someone in crisis. To make a donation, please click here. For our intrepid group taking on the 106km distance over two days, which included Missing People CEO Jo Youle, there was time for dinner and a few hours sleep before a bright and early start on Sunday to take on another gruelling 53km. Reflecting on the challenge Jo, who had taken on the London Marathon for Missing People just a week earlier,, said every pound raised would be 'vital.' She told Metro: 'From the cliff tops to walking along the seafront we were all walking in solidarity with people missing loved ones – raising awareness and vital funds. 'Thank you to every single walker and supporter – and to the Metro for walking and championing the cause every step of the way.' By the eve of the Isle of Wight challenge, the Lifeline team had raised an impressive £24,000. As the walk began the next morning and pictures and videos were shared to social media, donations rolled in and our current total now sits at just over £33,000, including Gift Aid. This year's Lifeline trek was truly magical,' said Metro Deputy Editor Claie Wilson. 'On the day, Metro staff and readers joined forces with the team from Missing People and some of the families they have supported over the years, which made this event all the more poignant. 'There's no doubt it was hard work – and I don't think anyone got away blister-free – but it was so, so worth it. This is what our Lifeline campaign is all about, raising awareness and money. I'm so proud we got to do it for Missing People this year, as they are such a brilliant charity to support.' The funds raised in this year's Lifeline challenge will support Missing People's helpline, support workers and counselling service. Staff who provide this support previously told Metro of the vital difference it can make. More Trending Here are some examples of how the money raised will be used: – £5 could send life saving messages – £11 could answer a Helpline call – £33 could give three families a reassuring call from a Support Worker when they need it the most. MORE: Urgent hunt for woman, 21, who vanished from seaside resort a week ago MORE: British man vanishes in Amsterdam after saying he'd forgotten his passport MORE: I'm a foodbank volunteer and have to throw away 20% of our donations
Scotsman
03-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Readers' letters: For 'Berwick Bank' wind farm read 'Bird Mincing Eyesore'
A reader decries plans for a massive wind farm off the coast of East Lothian Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, 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... As if the UK in general and Scotland in particular didn't have enough problems with wind turbines destroying landscapes and the environment, it seems that there is a plan to build another one (Scotsman, 1 May). This is aimed at a place 40 kilometres off the coast of East Lothian. The distance given being in kilometres says it all. However, the plan seems to be to provide sporadic wind power and simultaneously to decimate the wild bird population. There will only be 300 wind turbines. Hardly any, really. These will be 355 metres in height, or a mere 1,164 feet, or around the height of the Eiffel Tower, even if some of it is underwater. It is worthy of note that storms in that area can be severe, so let's hope they are well nailed down! As I said, part of the plan must be to reduce our population of birds, such as the gannets we all see at the Bass Rock, whose population has only recently started to recover from bird flu. As the Proclaimers might have sung with this proposed environmental catastrophe in mind: 'Gannets no more, A reader fears for the future of the Bass Rock's gannet population if the Berwick Bank wind farm is built (Picture: Lisa Ferguson) Kittiwakes no more, Herring gulls no more, Puffins no more.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The plan is to call this obscenity 'Berwick Bank'. Catchier than 'Spiorad na Mara', however you pronounce that beauty off the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. I think that 'Berwick Bank' should be given a better name. One which encapsulates its actual function, when those (unrecyclable) blades rotate. 'Bird Mincing Eyesore' sounds about right. Peter Hopkins, Edinburgh Nuclear caution Your story 'Majority of SNP voters back nuclear' (1 May) got me thinking. First of all; opinion poll results depend on the framing of the questions. He who pays the piper calls the tune, and it is stretching credibility to think that this survey's commissioner, 'Britain Remade', didn't desire a favourable outcome. Secondly, back in the 1980s when 'green' issues were going mainstream, groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth educated the public on the downsides of nuclear energy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The longevity of lethal nuclear waste was highlighted, and as we can see here in Rosyth, even irradiated submarine hulls have to be kept at a safe distance from the public for many decades, at taxpayers' expense. Thirdly, as the Ukraine crisis has highlighted, nuclear facilities can be war targets. If Torness were to be hit on an east wind, Edinburgh would become as uninhabitable as Chernobyl. Food for thought, methinks. George Morton, Rosyth, Fife Runcorn lessons It's hardly a surprise that Reform UK won the Runcorn by-election, albeit by a mere six votes. Arguably, it was expected that the majority would have been significantly larger. The most revealing aspect of all, was surely the low 46 per cent turnout. Obviously there were many disillusioned Labour voters, for whom staying at home or voting for Reform UK was their chosen option. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hopefully Keir Starmer will sit up and take notice of just how unpopular his government is. It's getting past the time when he can blame their plight on the previous Conservative government, and instead take full responsibility for their actions and failures to act. I believe that Nigel Farage and Reform UK should enjoy their day in the sun, which will probably be brief. They are, in truth, a one-man band, whose leader doesn't like to share the limelight, to the point of being portrayed as a messianic figure by a disaffected member of his own party. As someone, who has led far-right party after party under several different names, we can only watch and wait for this latest version to implode. With fingers crossed, we live in hope. Ian Petrie, Edinburgh Sottish impact It will be interesting to see how, if Reform's stunning Runcorn and council election momentum and substantial vote share reaches Scotland, it will impact next year's Holyrood elections because our PR voting system could produce a three-way Reform, Labour and SNP split. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad You can hardly get a fag paper between SNP and Labour policies these days so it wouldn't suprise me if they formed a coalition to keep the 'far right' out. Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire Election promises The English elections carry a message for the SNP. Don't make foolish promises based on shallow and half-baked analysis of inadequate information. For English Labour this resulted in a panicked dash to tax employers, the old, disabled and vulnerable because Labour boxed themselves in with the aforementioned foolish promises, on tax, and cried for sympathy because they had to 'make difficult decisions'. Difficult for whom? Meanwhile in Scotland we have had years of SNP foolish promises on education, health, gender equality, dualing the A9 and ferry delivery. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The electorate may take a view on these SNP failures that are based on foolish promises. Let's hope we Scots don't make a gadarene rush to the untested Reform just for the sake of change. In all this what is missing is competence and honesty. B Shanks, Forfar, Angus Healthy debate An interesting article from Henry McLeish (Scotsman, 1 March) on the health of Scottish politics; the mere recognition that it could be in a better state is a good sign. However, in saying 'political parties must be honest with themselves, with each other and the electorate' is probably wishing for too much, given the state of them. William Ballantine, Bo'ness, West Lothian Nothing ventured... In the business world, as opposed to academia, new ventures are undertaken with risks attached that are offset by sound knowledge and calculated confidence of decision-makers based on a range of pertinent factors. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jill Stephenson (Letters, 2 May) bases her argument for Scotland remaining in a now dysfunctional union by desperately resorting to scare stories around a single factor: the economic performance of the Scottish Government within an economic straitjacket wrapped tight by a UK Government acting on behalf of an already wealthy elite (even with Labour's Keir Starmer having authoritarian control at Westminster). In 2014 no one predicted that the economy of the UK would be in the parlous state it is in today but given the number of catastrophic financial decisions made by the UK Government over the last decade we know that an independent Scotland would have taken a different economic path, with previously postulated GERS figures (including academic imaginary deficits) having little relevance. Of course there will be major challenges ahead of an independent Scotland but in spite of overwhelming negativity spread by those with a vested interest in maintaining the constitutional status quo, the reality is that Scotland has vast natural resources on which to build a thriving economy and the people (as has been proven historically around the globe) to deliver not only prosperity for its citizens but an essentially egalitarian society of which we can all be proud. Or perhaps Ms Stephenson is actually looking forward to life under 'President Farage'? Stan Grodynski, Longniddry, East Lothian Buried news Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In typical SNP style, the long-promised misogyny law was dropped on the very day the news was dominated by English elections. The SNP, who rushed through the gender reforms. now appear to not have time for this new law to protect women. The SNP is sending out a clear message on which community it supports and which it doesn't care about. Women voters have only a year to wait and given the new-found impetus from Reform UK the prospects for an SNP victory in 2026 look far too optimistic. Gerald Edwards, Glasgow Remote control The absurdity of SNP-run Scotland is on display as never before. The vote of Stirling MSP Evelyn Tweed – enjoying a taxpayer-funded jolly in the Cayman Islands – was required to keep the Green MSP who called the Supreme Court judges 'bigots' on Holyrood's equalities committee. No problem. Ms Tweed could vote remotely. Even if she had to be told to switch the visuals on. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But it saved John Swinney the embarrassment of saying he had to whip his troops to keep Maggie Chapman in situ. I am well aware of what the Holyrood opinion polls indicate. The SNP's diehard core remains. But it reduces me close to tears to witness my country being run in this hopeless and cack-handed manner. Alexander McKay, Edinburgh Great morning Congratulations to everyone at the Good Morning Service, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The service (which started by providing telephone calls to six people) now provides 50,000 morning calls for the lonely and elderly per year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This charity is a lifeline for those with mental health conditions, providing emotional support for its clients. As someone who has suffered deep depression, I cannot thank everyone who has ever worked there enough. If not for their kindness and compassion, I wouldn't be here today. Stephen McCarthy, Glasgow Write to The Scotsman
