Sam Ryder: Last News

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is on the shortlist to become the UK’s entry to Eurovision 2024, according to a source.The country was represented by Mae Muller at this month’s home competition in Liverpool, scoring just a few points.As Mail Online report, a source believes that only one name is currently being touted for next year’s entry.The source said: A source shared: “At the moment there is only one artist on the BBC’s list for Eurovision 2024, and they don’t intend to add to it.“Sophie Ellis-Bextor is seen as the ideal fit for the contest – she’s a great singer and performer, and she is already known to audiences, both straight and gay, across Europe.”Speaking to NME backstage after her performance at Liverpool’s Eurovision Village on ‘EuroEve’, the night before the Song Contest’s Grand Final in the city (Friday, May 12), Ellis-Bextor discussed her chances of appearing as the UK’s entry in 2024.“I think doing it is an amazing opportunity, and that Mae Muller will smash it, but it was never the right thing at the right time – and I’m a big believer in serendipity like that,” she said.She continued: “Recent times have seen Eurovision artists release amazing songs outside of it and these amazing careers being launched. Sam Ryder’s approach to it last year where we always just so positive and upbeat just saw him really seize the opportunity a bit.

Take That have announced details of a new festival called ‘The Greatest Weekend’, starring performances from Sugababes, Sam Ryder and more. Find ticket details below.Developed by the iconic ‘90s boy band, the new festival will be held on the Mediterranean island of Malta, and span across four days later this year.Running between Thursday, October 17 and Sunday, October 20, the live event is the first of its kind, and will see Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, and Howard Donald host what promises to be a “celebration of music, entertainment, and unforgettable moments, curated by the band themselves”.The exclusive event tells fans that it offers a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to see the band perform in an intimate live setting, and bring out an array of special hand-picked guests to perform.So far, the first wave of artists have been announced, with Sugababes, Ella Henderson and Gok Wan lined up for the Saturday instalment, and Sam Ryder, Daniel Bedingfield and Heather Small being confirmed for the Sunday event.

NME about why so many grassroots events have seen cancellations recently or are taking a fallow year in 2024.While a number of the UK’s mid-to-large capacity festivals have shared their line-ups over recent weeks, a number of grassroots events have broken news to fans that they would no longer be going ahead. Last month saw Herefordshire’s Nozstock Hidden Valley announce that 2024 would be their final incarnation after 26 years due to “soaring costs” and financial risk”, while the fan favourite Shepton Mallet skating and music festival NASS announced that they wouldn’t be putting on an event this summer either as it was “just not economically feasible to continue”.Elsewhere, rising costs also cancelled Dumfries’ Doonhame Festival for 2024, Bluedot announced a year off for the land to “desperately” recover after being struck by heavy rain and cancellations last summer, Nottingham’s Splendour has been canned for this year due to planning delays from a financially-struggling city council, and Barn On The Farm shared that it would be taking a fallow year due to financial constraints.Last year Barn On The Farm hosted headline performances from Gang Of Youths, Bleachers and Holly Humberstone, as well as sets from the likes of Sigrid, Sam Ryder and Mahalia.

Becky Hill and Snow Patrol are set to headline Big Feastival, a music and food festival hosted by Blur’s Alex James on his Cotswolds farm.The festival will take place on August 23-25 and features a combination of live music, acclaimed chefs, award-winning food and a programme of family entertainment. Weekend and camping tickets are on sale now with prices ranging from £42.50 to £198.95.

Rylan Clark is being replaced on his BBC Radio 2 show by Paddy McGuinness. Rylan will be off for four weeks in February, while Paddy promises to bring an "endless supply of dad jokes" to the Saturday afternoon radio show. This news comes as Rylan has revealed a surprise career change – he'll be performing at Henley Festival in July with stars including Gladys Knight, Sam Ryder, and Nicole Scherzinger.

Rylan Clark is set to be replaced on his BBC Radio 2 show by Paddy McGuinness, who has vowed to provide listeners with an "endless supply of dad jokes".

Gang Of Youths, Bleachers and Holly Humberstone, as well as sets from the likes of Sigrid, Sam Ryder and Mahalia.“We loved it and poured everything into it,” the statement continued. “Thank you so much for all the votes around the UK Festival Awards.

Ed Sheeran has reacted to the win of his first-ever Emmy, saying he “was not expecting” to take home the award.The singer-songwriter was announced as the winner of the Emmy in the Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics category, thanks to the track he wrote for the TV show Ted Lasso.News that the superstar was asked to write music for the show’s third season was first revealed in October 2021. The series also commissioned Eurovision runner up Sam Ryder to write a song, called ‘Fought & Lost’.Titled ‘A Beautiful Game’, the singer shared the award with co-writers Max Martin and Foy Vance, and was unable to attend the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts with his ongoing tour.“We won an Emmy last night,” Sheeran wrote, addressing the victory on social media.

Ed Sheeran has won his first Emmy thanks to music that he wrote for TV show Ted Lasso.Back in October 2021, it was revealed that the superstar was asked to write music for the show’s third season. The show also commissioned Eurovision runner up Sam Ryder to write a song, called ‘Fought & Lost’.Both Ryder and Sheeran were nominated for Emmys.

In the battle between British pop stars Ed Sheeran and Sam Ryder — both nominated for Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso — it was Grammy winner Sheeran who walked away with the Emmy for Outstanding Music and Lyrics.

Last Christmas by Wham! has made pop history, topping the Christmas chart for the first time since it was released almost four decades ago.

Wham! have earned the Christmas Number One with their iconic holiday hit ‘Last Christmas’ after attempting to land the spot for 39 years.The track was penned and produced by the late George Michael with the aim of landing the Christmas Number One in 1984. However, ‘Last Christmas’ was kept off the top spot upon release by Band-Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, a track that would go on to become the second best-selling single of all time.Today, almost four decades later, ‘Last Christmas’ has earned the festive top spot.

NME about how her campaign is about “how climate change affects us all”.Louise Harris released the stirring ‘We Tried’ in November, with the track already having topped the UK iTunes singles chart. Broadcaster Chris Packham has got behind her bid for a Christmas hit, while iconic musician and producer Brian Eno describing the song as “a powerful weapon”.Harris, 25, from Hertfordshire, was arrested after performing the track at a peaceful protest outside Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s home at the end of November.

Wham! taking the lead for the peak position on the charts.The news follows a neck-and-neck race between the iconic ‘80s pop duo Wham! And Eurovision star Sam Ryder over the past week, with their respective songs ‘Last Christmas’ [1986] and ‘You’re Christmas To Me’ [2023].At the first look at the race last week, just 42 chart units stood between the two taking the top spot on the UK charts, however, this week it has been revealed by the Official Charts that Wham! are in pole position, and have widened the gap between Ryder’s Amazon Music original track – which remains at Number Two.However, it doesn’t seem likely that the charts will stay this way until Christmas, with Ryder set to play a fan-exclusive gig tonight (December 19) in Shoreditch, London, in a push to promote the song in time for Christmas Day.Similarly, today (December 19) The Pogues are sharing a special, limited-edition physical run of their own iconic Christmas song ‘Fairytale Of New York’ in a push to climb the charts.Originally released in 1988 and featuring Kirsty MacColl, the track is being reissued in memory of the band’s late singer Shane MacGowan, who died “peacefully” in hospital from pneumonia on November 30. He was 65 years old and his funeral took place in Nenagh, County Tipperary on December 8.All proceeds from the reissue will be donated to the Irish charity Dublin Simon Community, and the release also arrived alongside a fan campaign to get Fairytale of New York to Christmas Number 1 for the first time.The push for the top position on the charts has also been endorsed by Shane MacGowan’s widow, Victoria Mary Clarke.

Olly Alexander has said shares his hopes to “fly the flag for the country in the gayest way possible” when he performs as the UK’s entry at Eurovision 2024.The Years & Years singer will represent the country next year in Malmö, Sweden – the hometown of this year’s winner Loreen – as revealed during the Strictly Come Dancing final this weekend.He will succeed the UK’s previous contestant Mae Muller, who finished second to last in the 2023 competition.The artist previously shared on social media that it was “very difficult to keep quiet”, but that he has “wanted to do this for a long time.”In a statement released Saturday (December 16), the ‘King’ singer vowed to “fly the flag for the UK in the gayest way possible” and “put on an unforgettable performance”.While details about the song currently remain under wraps, Alexander has confirmed that it was co-written by Danny L Harle, who has produced Dua Lipa‘s new song ‘Houdini‘ alongside Tame Impala‘s Kevin Parker.“It’s gonna be electronic, something you can dance to,” Alexander told the BBC. “But I can’t say much more than that.“I just can’t wait to get out there and meet the fans and everyone else taking part,” he added.

Sam Ryder has admitted that he would “love” for The Pogues’ ‘Fairytale of New York’ to beat him to this year’s Christmas Number One spot.The Eurovision star is one of the competitors in this year’s race, with his single ‘You’re Christmas to Me’, taken from the film Your Christmas or Mine 2.However, since the news broke of the death of Shane MacGowan, fans of his festive classic are rallying to get that track to the Christmas Number One. It has never gone above second place in the UK charts, peaking there on its initial release in 1987.

The BBC has released a first look at the upcoming Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.The one-off episode of the show that airs on Christmas Day will see the set transformed into a winter wonderland as six new celebrity contestants take to the floor, in the hopes of being crowned the festive winner. The A-list couples will perform their routines in a bid to impress esteemed judges, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, head judge Shirley Ballas, and the voting studio audience. Broadcaster Dan Snow was the first star to confirm he has joined the Christmas special as he is paired up with dancer Nadiya Bychkova.

Hannah Waddingham’s kicking off the holidays. The “Ted Lasso” alum is returning to her musical roots with a newly released Apple TV+ special, “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas.”The Emmy Award winner, 49, recorded the episode live at The Coliseum in London, and invited some of her former co-stars and more — Phil Dunster, Nick Mohammed, Luke Evans, Leslie Odom Jr. and Sam Ryder — as her special guests.Additional performances also include The Fabulous Lounge Swingers, the chorus of the English National Opera, the London Gay Men’s Chorus, and an 18-piece band.

Thanksgiving 2023 has arrived, and whether you’re doing a big family celebration or a more quiet affair, there’s plenty to watch on TV. From streaming classic movies, to marathons, here’s your essential guide on what to watch.This documentary is about David Holmes, a former stunt man on the “Harry Potter” films who broke his neck and became paralyzed in an accident. While that subject matter sounds grim, Holmes’ resilience is ultimately inspiring, and the connection to “Harry Potter” makes it have broad appeal as a Thanksgiving watch for multiple generations.

Singer Rick Astley will host the BBC’s New Year’s Eve show this year.

Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham is ready to ring in the holidays. Apple dropped the trailer for Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas, set to debut globally on Nov. 22 on the streamer.

EXCLUSIVE: British comedian Russell Howard is launching a comedy podcast featuring the likes of John Oliver, Jimmy Carr and Taylor Tomlinson.