Nicki Minaj promises huge surprise for UK fans as they’re left in tears after she cancels gig over ‘drugs bust’
AFTER serving her fans a pretty big s**t sandwich when she missed the first night of her UK tour, Nicki Minaj is going all out to make it up to them.
The American singer canned her gig in Manchester 30 minutes before she was due on stage on Saturday after being held by Dutch police for “possessing soft drugs”.
After landing in the city in the early hours yesterday, Nicki went straight out to meet her fans outside the Stock Exchange Hotel — some of whom had gone there from the venue — in a desperate bid to make amends.
Clips shared online showed her telling them: “I love you . . . and I’m so sorry.
“Jennifer Malone, from Manchester, flew home from New York for the show.
“She was joining her little sister’ at her first concert for her birthday.
Jennifer said: “I’ve spent over £2,000, she’s ruined my trip.
“I’m furious, I can’t believe Nicki would let her fans down like this.”
Those close to Nicki told me she was determined to make it up to her fans, many of whom had travelled from around the country to see her perform.
A tour insider told me: “Nicki is in pieces and knows her fans have badly been let down.
Pretty special
“She knows her British fans spent a lot of money on coming to that show and her team is working non-stop to get it rescheduled.
“Nicki understands why they are upset and she is so determined to make it up to them.
“She likes to speak to her fans on a personal level. Nicki wants to make it right.”
The rapper was released in Amsterdam but will have to pay a fine.
I don’t doubt Nicki will sort out something pretty special.
SHE may be down but Celine Dion isn’t out.
Insiders told me the singer, who is living with stiff person syndrome, which causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms, hopes she will be able to return for one final performance.
She is said to be considering a recorded TV special.
The Canadian superstar has been working on her voice at home as she continues to try to fight the illness.
A source said: “Celine is not giving up her desire to sing again. She has been working with voice coaches, band members and specialists for over six months now. She believes she could release a concert film featuring her playing her biggest hits.
New documentary I Am: Celine Dion, soon on Prime Video, will see Celine telling her story about how the illnesshas affected her life.
All power to her. What an incredible woman.
K-POP girl group Aespa sold out London’s O2 Arena last year and they are ready to ascend to new heights with their new album.
They posed in these pink and purple outfits to promote their first full studio record Armageddon, which is out today.
The ten-track collection features slick and rich pop tracks, so if you’re missing the spicy sound of a girlband in your life, give it a spin.
YMAS big festival send off
IT was an emotional night at Slam Dunk for You Me At Six – who played their final ever festival gig at the rock event.
On stage, frontman Josh Franceschi took a moment to thank their fans for helping the band launch their career in 2004 with EP We Know What It Means To Be Alone.
Josh said: “When we were 14 and 15, all we wanted to do is be in a band, travel the world and be part of something more than just being a couple of d***heads in high school. And people like you welcomed us . . . I want to say thank you for making our dreams come true . . . It’s almost over –but not quite.”
YMAS will take to the stage for the last time next year on 12 dates across the UK and Ireland. It’s going to be one big send off for a truly brilliant band.
SHE is pals with Harry Styles, now Stevie Nicks is friends with his ex Taylor Swift.
Tay gave Stevie a shout out on her song Clara Bow.
And on stage at a US festival the Fleetwood Mac legend wore a friendship bracelet favoured by Swifties.
Stevie’s bracelet had TTPD on it, the initials of Taylor’s new album The Tortured Poet’s Department.
Simon’s memory mission
REMEMBERING your lines as an actor can be tricky at the best of times.
But when you’re freezing on a snowy mountain and having explosions going off around you it’s even more difficult.
Simon Pegg knows this all too well, according to stunt man Luke Smith, who is working with him on the next Mission: Impossible 8 film.
At the Kodak party at the Cannes Film Festival in france, Luke said: “Simon was performing in a cabin in the mountains. They illed it with snow then blew it up and Simon’s there doing his dialogue.
“He kept forgetting his lines because he had to talk all scientifically – he forgot his lines 50 times. But that’s how it is. He’s a brilliant actor and a great character.”
Hopefully he got there before the frostbite set in.
Lily’s night is electric
LILY COLLINS beat the traffic in France by riding a scooter with her husband, film director Charlie McDowell.
The actress is filming the next series of Netflix comedy Emily In Paris and after hours spent the evening exploring the French capital with Charlie.
My exclusive pictures show the pair holding hands as they went sightseeing before they hopped on to an electric scooter to speed up their tour.
Not to take away from the romance of their night, but all I can think about when I see them is the then single Lily James and Dominic West – who did almost exactly the same thing in Rome in 2020.
Dominic, of course, was married to someone else when he got carried away with joie de vivre.
AJ TRACEY lit up the stage at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend yesterday – and it wasn’t just the enormous flames which made it so hot.
The London born rapper put on a show to remember in front of a packed out crowd in Luton.
AJ must have been absolutely baking in a black jacket and cap as he played hits including Ladbroke Grove and Thiago Silva.
After finishing his performance, insiders told me AJ and his friends had a party backstage and ordered hundreds of pounds worth of chicken.
A source added: “AJ got wind of George Chicken, which is one of the best food vendors on site, and put a huge order in.
“They sent him and his mates stacks of food which they had with a couple of beers as Sabrina Carpenter started her set.”
Her boyfriend, Saltburn star Barry Keoghan, was on the guest list yesterday and was expected to be watching her from the side of the stage.
Who knew Luton could be this glamorous?
Jamie just can’t believe his truck
JAMIE LAING made the most of his first time at the Radio 1 Big Weekend.
The massive event – which saw 105,000 revellers at Luton’s Stockwood Park – had Jamie, pictured, broad-casting live with co-hosts Katie Thistleton and Vick Hope.
And when I caught up with them backstage, it sounded like it had been fun.
Jamie told me: “I’ve been driving the golf buggies and the trucks but I don’t have a truck licence. We tried to steal a buggy and I got told off.”
Unscathed, the pair watched Aitch and Raye on Saturday before Sabrina Carpenter and Coldplay closed the show last night.
I’D hate to be lumped with loading Adele’s bags on to a plane.
The singer has started packing ahead of her residency shows in Munich, Germany, and said: “Six weeks is a very long time away for me to be packing for. I’ll turn up with 50 suitcases.”
The week in bizness
MON: THE Britain’s Got Talent live semi-finals will get underway. The shows will run on ITV all week ahead of the grand final on Sunday.
THURS: DAISY RIDLEY will be on the red carpet in for the gala screening of her new film Young Woman And The Sea, ahead of its release on Friday. It is about Trudy Ederle, who in 1926 became the first woman to swim the English Channel.
FRI: ST VINCENT will play at SWX, Bristol.
SAT: Mighty Hoopla festival will start in South London, featuring Nelly Furtado, Rita Ora and Bananarama. Pop-up radio station Virgin Radio Pride will launch on Saturday, too.