Yungblud teases ‘rock opera’ inspired album as he reveals surprise bond with music legend
FOLLOWING the success of Yungblud’s first-ever festival last summer, the punk rocker is doing it all over again.
And it’s not just a second Bludfest his fans have got to look forward to.
Yungblud, real name Dominic Harrison, told me he’s just finished his fourth album – the follow-up to his last No1 record in 2022.
“It’s a f***ing rock opera,” Dom explains in an exclusive chat.
“It’s just been mixed. And what is so amazing is that Bludfest inspired so much of this album.
“I think looking out on 30,000 people last year, it really made me ready for another adventure.
“The crowd really gave me so much inspiration to finish this project that I’ve been making for four years, and really go for it more than I’ve ever done before.”
Last year’s festival gave a platform to up-and-coming stars including Lola Young, who is making waves off the back of her performance.
Tickets for next year’s event at The National Bowl in Milton Keynes on June 21 go on sale today.
This time, Dom tells me it will be even bigger, with Blackbear, Chase Atlantic and Rachel Chinouriri all booked to play.
He added: “We’re trying to lock in our icon slot, it’s a massive name.
“I think Roger Daltrey will come out and do Baba O’Riley with me.”
Talking of Roger, I told Dom that a mutual friend recently revealed The Who singer struck up a close friendship with Dom and the pair had bonded over a love of fishing.
Dom broke into a smile and told me: “My phone kept ringing and it was a weird number so I ignored it.
“But it kept going so I answered and this man said, ‘Hello, it’s Roger.’
“I was like, ‘Roger f***ing who?’ And he said: ‘It’s me, Roger Daltrey, I’m just on a ladder fixing my roof’.”
Laughing, Dom added: “He told me he was a big fan and invited me to go fly fishing with him.
“When I’ve got the time I’ll be putting on my wellies and going down to see him.”
Now that would be a picture.
Dj Jord in River Rescue
Jordan North got far more than he bargained for while out for a run – when it ended up with him having to be rescued by the RNLI.
The Capital Breakfast host has revealed he had a near-death experience on Monday evening when he spotted a Labrador struggling in the River Thames and jumped in to help it.
But he then started to panic and members of the public who saw him in the water raised the alarm to save them both.
Miraculously, a lifeboat crew were on an exercise nearby and reached the location near Hammersmith Bridge in West London just three minutes later.
Passers-by helped the emergency services get to him by holding up their torches, and Jordan and the Labrador were brought ashore.
And with a true show-must-go-on spirit, Jordan was still on air for his listeners at 6am yesterday.
Jordan said of the terrifying ordeal: “A big thank you and a massive shout out to RNLI Chiswick, who came and rescued me because I was getting a bit panicky.
“I was getting a bit nervy as well, because I thought my legs are going to go, I couldn’t hold on much longer so they got there just in time.
“The real heroes here are the RNLI, who came out and got me and put a blanket round me.
“They’re the heroes.”
In footage from the mission, one of the crew members can be heard saying: “That’s what’s his name off the radio, isn’t it?”
Thames RNLI Commander Gavin Simmons, alongside crew Sid Blake, Tom Coe and Cameron Crawley, were the ones who got Jordan and the dog — which belonged to a member of the public — to safety.
Gavin said: “We are on call to help all those who find themselves in difficulty on the water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — even for our beloved pets.
‘Safely back’
“While we would always encourage people to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard instead of entering the water themselves, we’re happy that in this instance we were able to help Jordan and the dog safely back to dry land.”
While he put his own life in danger and things could have gone very differently, I’ve got to commend Jordan for his bravery.
He’s come a long way since being the resident-screaming scaredy pants on I’m a Celeb a few years ago.
Matt Goss is once again estranged from his brother Luke, seven years after Bros reunited.
The singer said: “I don’t want to go into detail, but I also don’t want to lie any more.
“We are completely estranged.
“When you do your best, that is enough.
“And I’ve done my best. I really have.
“Listen, I want to be on the stage with him, I want to be touring with the band, I want to be having a pint, I want him to meet my girl, I want to meet his.
“I want to live with him.
“But I’m not going to make myself unwell. I’m not.”
J.Lo-rise jeans
Noughties music and fashion are back – but as far as I’m concerned, low-rise jeans can stay firmly in the past.
Even Jennifer Lopez, who could probably make a bin bag glamorous, didn’t seem sure about these denim trousers with a low waist as she posed in them.
She wore an all-blue outfit, which included a sheer top, for an LA screening of her new movie Unstoppable.
The biographical sports drama about wrestler Anthony Robles hit cinemas earlier this month and will be released on Amazon Prime on January 16.
At least that’s one thing to look forward to in the murky depths of January.
Mariah Carey has overtaken Tom Grennan in the race for Christmas No1.
Wham! are currently in the lead and favourites to snag the top spot for a second year.
But Mariah’s All I Want for Christmas Is You is now at No2.
Meanwhile, Tom’s Amazon exclusive original It Can’t Be Christmas is at No3 ahead of Friday’s final reveal.
Madge back floor more
Madonna has promised new music – and teased her next album will be a sequel to 2005 No1 Confessions on a Dance Floor.
She is seen here with top British producer Stuart Price, who is back working with her following the success of the first record, which featured hit singles Hung Up, Sorry, Get Together and Jump.
The singer shared this snap on X with the caption: “Confessions on a Dancefloor part 2?”
On Instagram, she added: “Working on new music with Stuart Price these past few months has been medicine for my soul.
“Songwriting and making music is the one area where I don’t need to ask anyone for their permission.
“I’m so excited to share it with you.
“Who wants to hear new music in 2025!”
Hollyday with the in-laws
Tom Holland is jetting to the US for Christmas to spend the big day with his actress girlfriend Zendaya.
But it’s not the first time he’s been in the States for it.
The Spider-Man actor reckons she is the “best thing that’s ever happened to me”, and revealed he got stuck there in 2021.
He said: “I am gonna be in America this year.
“I’ll be with my girlfriend’s family, which will be fun.
“The first time I spent Christmas away from home was in America, and unfortunately, not by choice.
“I’d made two movies back to back through Covid.
“Did two press tours through Covid and not got Covid once, the entire time.
“The Spider-Man 3 premiere was the last day of work I had.
“I was supposed to fly home the next day for Christmas, and I got Covid.
“So I spent two weeks in essentially the guest bedroom and just was by myself.”
On his plans for future Christmases, the British star told the Dish From Waitrose podcast: “What we’d like to start doing is rather than spending it with each family each year, is to bring the families together.
“Because we’re both actors, we’re terrible at organising things, so it hasn’t happened yet.”
Jamie Lee Curtis is in talks to take on Angela Lansbury’s character Jessica Fletcher in a movie adaptation of Murder, She Wrote.
Angela, who died in 2022, played the crime-writing sleuth in the TV series from 1984 to 1996, and a script is now being prepared for the film.
The original show ran for 12 series and attracted millions of viewers around the world.
So there should be plenty of people keen to see this.
A very merry giggsmas
Aside from drinking mulled wine and snogging someone you probably shouldn’t under the mistletoe, Christmas is a time to give back.
And that is exactly what British rapper Giggs and a load of his famous mates did on Monday night.
Every year, the Mandem star holds a festive bash to bring his pals together.
This year he got musicians including Wretch 32, Ghetts, Maino, Swizz Beatz, Lethal Bizzle and Krept & Konan along to take donations for a local kids’ charity.
My party mole, who was at the bash in the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, South London, told me: “Giggs wanted to give back this Christmas and got all his guests to bring a gift for a child. Krept & Konan turned up with two huge bags stuffed with presents.
“Everyone really got the message and there were so many gifts at the end of the night, which will be distributed by charity KidsOut to children across London for Christmas.”
For this annual Giggsmas, Peckham-born Giggs turned the Naval College into Narnia, with guests walking into fake snow-filled hallways surrounded by Christmas trees.
The bar was stocked with free booze, including marshmallow espresso martinis and a rather lethal Grinch cocktail made of Au Vodka Green Watermelon, pineapple juice and lime.
Guests sat down to a posh meal including seafood boil, made up of lobster tail, crab and New Zealand half-shell mussels.
There was jerk chicken and curry goat – in a nod to his Jamaican roots – while Omar Lye-Fook gave an impromptu performance of Nothing Like This.
Other celebrities including Snoochie Shy, Zeze Millz and Charlie Sloth were also invited to the impressive bash, where Giggs got up on the mic to thank everyone for their generosity before they partied into the early hours of yesterday morning.
It has been ages since Stormzy’s last album – and it sounds like he’s too busy playing padel.
He has invested in Padel Social Club, a chain that is capitalising on the world’s fastest-growing sport, with a string of sites in London.
It is a racket game similar to tennis and counts David Beckham and Lionel Messi among its fans.
Stormzy said: “It’s got something that draws everyone in, whether you’re new to the game or already hooked, as I am.”