Latest news with #Steps
Time Out Dubai
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out Dubai
New Covent Garden theatre and performing arts space now open at Mall of the Emirates
A brand-new venue capable of hosting world-class entertainment at one of Dubai's most popular malls has officially opened. New Covent Garden at Mall of the Emirates is a hive of creativity featuring a 575-seater theatre, ten dance and rehearsal studios and a new restaurant. The theatre will bring first-class stage productions, including West End musicals, Arabic plays, ballet, comedy, opera, family shows and concerts to the mall. Major industry professionals are behind the move to bring the new live arts space to Dubai, so you can expect the highest standards. Pop star Lisa Scott-Lee from iconic 90s band Steps and creative director and choreographer Johnny Shentall-Lee are behind New Covent Garden. The gallery lobby at New Covent Garden (Credit: Majid Al Futtaim) We can expect international stars and homegrown talent to take to the stage and hone their craft at the rehearsal studios. New Covent Garden sees a Dubai branch of the famed Pineapple Dance Studios open up outside London for the first time. It provides a space for all abilities and ages to dive into the world of dance and performing arts. New Covent Garden will open up Pineapple Dance Studio in Dubai (Credit: Majid Al Futtaim) When the project was first launched in 2024, Lisa Scott-Lee, who is also the founder and principal of Dubai Performing Arts Academy, said that it has been a dream for years to bring a creative hub for the arts to the emirate. She said: 'New Covent Garden has been a passionate dream for Johnny and I for years. 'Being professional performers ourselves and having made Dubai our home over 10 years ago, we wanted to create a unique space and a home for performers, dancers, musicians, artists and the theatre and performing arts community — a creative hub where people from all walks of life can come together and share their passion and their love of the arts. 'New Covent Garden is an exciting and unique venue with a beautifully equipped 575-seater Theatre in the heart of Mall of the Emirates, along with 10 accompanying Dance and Rehearsal studios, a performer's dream to be able to rehearse, train and perform in one location, with a fully working Theatre and 10 backstage dressing rooms.' The first show at the new venue will be in collaboration with Live Nation Middle East. You might also like: UAE public holidays: Every long weekend to look forward to in 2025 The dates to know 22 pictures that show how much Dubai has changed from the 1950s to today Take a look at these unrecognisable photos of the city 112 best things to do in Dubai in 2025 Everything to tick off your Dubai bucket list
Metro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Steps narrowly missed out on Glastonbury legends slot for devastating reason
For almost 30 years, Ian Watkins has been affectionately known as 'H', an acronym for Hyperactive – his energetic character being an instrumental part of Steps' success when personalities in pop weren't just all the rage, they were essential. It's a moniker which is a lot to live up to, though, particularly when you're in a band as exposed as Steps were. If they weren't playing to a sell-out arena, they were rarely off television, almost on SM:TV as much as Ant and Dec. In 1997, 5,6,7,8 was unleashed on the world to moderate success in the charts, but ruled school discos. It was a steady rise to the top of the charts for Steps when their fourth single, a cover of The Bee Gees' hit Tragedy, and a B Side of ballad Heartbeat got to number one in such an extraordinary fashion. It's sold more than 1.2million copies in the UK alone, a remarkable feat for any pop act from the Smash Hits era, and almost got them a spot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury when it was saturated with nothing but guitar bands and 90s house DJs. 'The Bee Gees asked us to join them on stage,' Ian tells Metro. 'But it was a really late request, and we literally couldn't get it all together in time. Of course, some of them have passed away now, so that will never happen again. But that's another little jewel in the Steps crown.' With their own critically acclaimed musical, Here and Now, about to tour the UK and eventually make it to the West End, there are few things left on the Steps bucket list to tick off but they're not deterred from one day getting on that coveted Glastonbury bill, either in the Legends slot or the festival's first pop-friendly stage, Avalon. 'We're the only ones, really, from that era that have all the original members and are still going, so it feels like we've earned our stripes by now.' More than earning their stripes, Steps are still headlining festivals and breaking records. In 2022, they joined an exclusive club of bands to score a number one album across four decades. But now Watkins is on stage and topping charts as his true, authentic self. He has nothing to hide anymore – it's not the 90s when, if you were a good-looking male, the press was frothing to uncover secrets about your sex life. For Ian, there was always an underlying fear that they would discover he was gay when the press had a field day outing gay pop stars like Will Young and Stephen Gately. During one holiday with his then-boyfriend, Ian got the call he'd been dreading. 'They knew where I was, who I was with, and why I was there – I had a boyfriend. Immediately, I flew back from holiday, told my loved ones, told my family, told my parents, and then the next day, they didn't run the story, because I didn't give them quotes. 'But they threatened me for many years, and I felt like my coming out story was taken from me; my power was taken away, so it was a really emotional, dark time for me.' He wasn't alone, though. There were several pop stars gathered in the same closet, cautiously able to give solace to one another. Ian became particularly close with Lance Bass of N'SYNC and Boyzone's Gateley, but concedes: 'If the press knew you were gay, it was a really tricky thing to be seen together or to even admit that you were friends with another closeted gay person.' Instead, he clung to his closest straight women. His bandmate Lisa Scott-Lee, the girls from Liberty X and S Club… and Britney Spears. 'All of her dancers were gay anyway,' he says. 'People thought I was dating Brittany a long time ago, but that obviously wasn't the case – that was strange.' Ian is about to turn 50. Hyperactivity is no longer the personality he's defined by. His life is calmer, albeit busy with running his two children to school, walking the dogs, building a home, and organising his local annual Pride with his partner. 'Since having children, I've realised that education starts really early on, and it drowns out the bigotry,' he says. 'I go to all of the local schools and talk about how being different is something to be celebrated. My partner and I organise Cowbridge Pride, which is in its fifth year now. 'Cowbridge used to be the most conservative, laidback town, but now we have 2000 people marching every year, and we raise money for all of the schools to have LGBT resources in all of their libraries.' Ian is exactly where he's meant to be in life, and with Steps on a hiatus, he's finally managed to turn his passion project into a reality – a children's book, Pride and The Rainbow Warriors, educating children (and some parents) about LGBTQ+ history. All of the main characters represent a different colour in the original Pride flag, and all have traits corresponding to the original meaning. More importantly, Ian is finally cool to his children. 'Two of them are named after my kids – it's lush,' he grins. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video For those of us old enough to remember sneakily watching Queer As Folk with the volume turned down to one and one eye on the bedroom door in case anyone walked in, a children's book about LGBTQ+ was inconceivable. More Trending Now, with shows like Heartstopper becoming so hugely popular and a plethora of openly LGBTQ+ popstars ruling the charts, the world feels unrecognisable compared to just a few years ago. How children look at and look up to LGBTQ+ people is completely different today. 'It's something that I felt we needed, because there's a real lack of resources for children of all ages, also parents to be educated too,' he says. 'It's all about celebrating your superpower, and being different is an amazing thing. 'I was bullied terribly growing up because I was different, and I didn't know at that time what that different was. Luckily, I had an amazing art teacher, Mr. Owen, who is still one of my dear friends today, but if it wasn't for that man, who knows where I would have ended up.' Pride and The Rainbow Warriors is available in paperback now . Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: For the latest Glastonbury weather forecast you need to follow a guy called Gav MORE: Drug warning issued ahead of Glastonbury after high-strength MDMA found at Parklife MORE: Glastonbury boss confirms 'exciting plans' for Worthy Farm in 2026 despite fallow year
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Kim Woodburn's heartbreaking last post to fans as star dies aged 83
How Clean Is Your House? star Kim Woodburn has died aged 83, her family has sadly confirmed Celebrity Big Brother star Kim Woodburn's last post on social media was on Valentine's Day just four months before she sadly died. The How Clean Is Your House? star, who first stepped into the spotlight on Channel 4's show with Aggie MacKenzie, passed away on Monday, aged 83, her family confirmed. On Valentine's Day, Kim sent a message to her fans on Instagram, giving them instructions to get their messages in for her personalised videos. Fans of the no-nonsense star loved hearing Kim delivering their messages in her iconic tone, which earned her a legion of loyal fans. Updating her followers on the next set of videos, surrounded by teddy bears, wearing a string of gold chains, Kim said: "Right my loves, the usual message, I know it's boring, but if I don't tell you, you'll forget, so open your lug holes. The next time I'll be doing these videos is on Friday 21st February. I hope you're all ok and keeping well. Thanks so much for asking me to do these videos. They give me such a laugh, thank you very much." READ MORE: Kim Woodburn's real life tragedies that led to call from police with autobiography release Responding to the post, her fans told her how much they loved her and how much she made them smile. Sadly, this was Kim's last ever post as a message was posted on her account reading: "We regret to tell you that Kim is unable to record any more videos for the foreseeable future to a health problem. She sends her love to you all." Three months later and Kim's family confirmed the sad news of her death today. A representative for Kim shared in a statement: "It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved Kim Woodburn passed away yesterday following a short illness. "Kim was an incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person. Her husband Peter is heartbroken at the loss of his soulmate. "We are so proud of the amazing things Kim achieved in her life and career. We kindly ask that Kim's husband and close friends are given the time and privacy they need to grieve. "We will not be releasing any further details." Kim, who also starred in Celebrity Big Brother as well as string of appearances in shows, including This Morning and I'm A Me Out Of Here! was known for her hilarious off-the-cuff remarks, brutal honestly and no-nonsense attitude. She was last seen in public when she attended The Vivienne's funeral in January. The star paid tribute to the RuPaul's Drag Race star, who sadly died following a ketamine overdose, age 32. Kim was joined by a number of famous faces at the funeral, including Jade Thirlwall, Steps singer, Ian 'H' Watkins and X Factor star, Marcus Collins.
The Star
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Elusive former TVB actress Kate Tsui spotted at art museum in Paris
Former Hong Kong actress Kate Tsui left the entertainment industry in late 2019, describing it as a very 'passive environment'. Photos: Kate Tsui/Instagram, China Press Former Hong Kong actress Kate Tsui has been maintaining a low profile since stepping away from the entertainment industry in late 2019. At the time, the 45-year-old sold her car and property before pursuing her studies in Europe. With singer-actor Raymond Lam's recent seven-night concert run at the Hong Kong Coliseum, many netizens hoped for a reunion, fondly recalling Tsui's guest appearance alongside him 15 years ago. However, she remained out of the spotlight. Lam, 45, even referred to her as a 'missing person, adding: 'I don't know her whereabouts. We haven't kept in touch.' Although actress Jessica Hsuan is still in contact with Tsui, she has respected her friend's wish for privacy and declined to reveal any details about her current life. Recently, however, a netizen revealed that they had spotted the elusive former TVB star at an art museum in Paris, casually attired in a white dress and sneakers. Many noted that she appears to be enjoying the simplicity of a normal life, while others expressed their well wishes despite still missing seeing her on screen. 'She must really love the life of an ordinary person if she's willing to give up her star status,' said one netizen. 'Seeing her so happy, I feel happy too,' another added. For the record, Tsui made the decision to retire from the entertainment industry at the height of her career, describing it as a very 'passive environment'. She signed a contract with TVB after being crowned Miss Hong Kong in 2004 and went on to star in dramas like The Brink of Law (2007), Steps (2007), Moonlight Resonance (2008) and more. On the movie front, Tsui is known for her performances in Eye In The Sky (2007), 14 Blades (2010), Turning Point 2 (2011) and more.
Scottish Sun
03-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Steps star Ian ‘H' Watkins forced to change name of latest project after he's SUED by festival giant Coachella
Read on to find out the hilarious new name for the star's festival in Wales STEPS TOO FAR Steps star Ian 'H' Watkins forced to change name of latest project after he's SUED by festival giant Coachella FORMER Steps star Ian 'H' Watkins was forced to change the name of his festival Cowchella — because it was too similar to Coachella. Watkins organised a small event including a Harry Styles tribute act and actress Claire Sweeney. Advertisement 3 Cowchella has now been renamed Moo-La-La Festival after the American festival complained Credit: WNS 3 The former Steps star was stunned to get a complaint from Coachella, the famous festival in California with 250,000 fans But he was stunned to get a complaint about the name from Coachella, the famous festival in California with 250,000 fans. Watkins' show at his home town of Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan is now called the Moo-La-La Festival. The Welshman, 49, said: 'I'm taking it as a massive compliment that they feel that our little festival is a little bit of a threat to their ginormous, juggernaut of a machine. 'It's a little bit mindblowing. What we're doing is very, very different to what they do. Advertisement 'We don't have Beyonce performing. "We have a Steps tribute act and also they don't have myself, Claire Sweeney and Owain Wyn Evans hosting, which in my book is much better than Beyonce.' He added: 'We've spent a lot of money on marketing and flyers and posters and banners that are all visible around the town. 'So yes, those will have to go in the bin but let's just do that, rather than have any more people knocking on our door.' Advertisement 3 Former Steps star Ian 'H' Watkins was forced to change the name of his festival Cowchella — because it was too similar to the huge US event Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
