KIMBERLEY WALSH says she and her Girls Aloud bandmates have never been closer following the group’s sell-out tour last year.
At friend Ben Forster’s launch party for his upcoming album Musicals: Greatest Hits – out on November 21 – the Sound Of The Underground singer said: “It brought us all much closer together, and I love that.
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“We were just kids. We grew up together and experienced something crazy together. Now we are mums. We all have our own kids and they are all our priorities.
“We mainly chat about the kids. Nadine [Coyle] and I both have kids who are starting secondary school in similar areas.
“Times have changed but we are still leaning on each other and supporting each other. I feel lucky to have such a special bond in my life.”
Ben’s album features Britain’s Got Talent winner Sydnie Christmas and sees the West End favourite belt out his favourite show tunes including hits from Wicked and The Phantom Of The Opera.
Read more on Kimberley Walsh
Ben said: “Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to play some huge roles, from Phantom, Elf and Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar.
“They are all really different so I don’t think I have been pigeon-holed.
“Sometimes I’m in suspenders and sometimes I’m on a cross.”
Kimberley added: “I first met Ben about 25-years ago when we were all on the audition circuit.
“I often reflect on my time before Girls Aloud. I wonder how many more times I would have been rejected before giving up.
“I used to crash on his flatmate’s sofa as I couldn’t afford a hotel – that was Kelli Young from Liberty X. It’s such a small industry. Ben’s vocals are insane. Hearing him sing is like a masterclass.”
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LOLA FINDS HER FUNK ALONGSIDE THE FILTH
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LOLA YOUNG’s third album was never going to be tame with the title I’m Only F***ing Myself.
But in an exclusive first listen, we discovered that rather than being packed with crude shock tactics, the record is actually full of quirky and funky beats.
Don’t get us wrong though, some of the lyrics are filth.
Songs such as Walk All Over You and One Thing are reminiscent of Lily Allen.
Other numbers like Penny Out Of Nothing wouldn’t be out of place on a Florence And The Machine record.
Despite the clear influences, at no point does she lose herself in paying homage.
It’s very much a Lola Young record from the opening track.
And we have no doubt Lola and this album will be up for many gongs at the Brit Awards in February.
POSH ON THE SPOT
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VICTORIA BECKHAM gets leathered in a mag shoot, and reveals she suffered from acne as a youngster.
She told the October issue of Elle US: “My skin was so bad at one point, I remember my mother’s friend saying to me, ‘You couldn’t even put a pin between [the pimples]’.
“I was so self-conscious because of my skin. I didn’t want to look people in the eye.”
IT’S ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR XO
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WE have struggled for good girl groups since Little Mix split in 2022 – but new five-piece XO are hoping to change it.
The British band have today dropped debut single Lovesick, one of a raft of releases to get your ears around.
Miley Cyrus has put out her single Secrets, featuring Fleetwood Mac, and Lewis Capaldi has released Something In The Heavens, while Anne-Marie is back with her track, Depressed.
Badman Generation by Slick Rick, featuring Irdris Elba, Yes Baby by Madison Beer, and Aerosmith’s comeback track with Yungblud, My Only Angel, are among other tunes I’m loving.
Elsewhere, British singer-songwriter Elles Bailey has dropped her single Growing Roots, from upcoming album Can’t Take My Story Away, and ahead of her support slot on Florence and the Machine’s tour, Paris Paloma has released Good Boy, featuring Bafta winner Emma Thompson.
Daryl Hall has teamed up with Dave Stewart for the song Peace One Day, in aid of the non-profit organisation of the same name, which has been released on the Eurythmic star’s music platform SongBits. And for an unwind, try Newton Faulkner’s album Octopus.
DOSING UP ON DANDY
IF you’re feeling a little posh, it’s worth giving new podcast A Dose Of Dandy a listen.
It is from the brilliant brains of photographer Nathan Rollinson and his pal Nicolas Fairford, whose musings range from entertaining to personal reinvention.
Nicolas and Nathan, who is deaf, will launch the podcast on Tuesday.
Nic said: “We wanted to create a space that feels warm, inclusive and inspiring.
“The fact that one of us is deaf and one is hearing brings an unexpected layer to the conversations, and we hope it shows elegance comes in many forms.”
APPLE Music’s new update lets you have live translations on lyrics, and phonetic descriptions, so you can sing along with your favourite K-pop or Spanish acts.
And it’s good timing by the streaming service, because Kpop Demon Hunters’ Golden, which features a handful of lines in Korean, looks likely to spend a seventh week at No1 today.
AJ EARNS HIS SPURS AS COACH
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MY fellow Tottenham fan AJ Tracey wants to move into football coaching.
The rapper said on talkSPORT: “I think at some point I’ll get my badges.
“I haven’t started them, but Spurs have said to me if I want to do them, they’ll have me down to go do them.
“I’m just trying to get into the football world. I’m a student in the game, so I need to study and I want to go in there knowledgeable.
“I don’t want to go in there like, ‘Look at me because I’m a rapper, I think I can now do this’.
“It’s not like that. It’s about something I love.”
ON October 28, fans of Depeche Mode are in for a visual extravaganza when the band finally release their new film.
The movie, Depeche Mode M, has also dropped a trailer with footage from shows on the Memento Mori tour.
Tickets are on sale at depechemodem.com.
