Saturday 16 August 2014

Ella Henderson talks marriage proposals, Adele and Bond theme ambitions



Chart topper Ella Henderson says she has been flooded with marriage proposals since unleashing her debut single earlier this year.

The 18-year-old former X Factor star says she is a little alarmed by her infatuated fans who demand her hand in marriage online.

‘It freaks me out when people I’ve never met are like, “marry me! Please!” I think the scary thing is I think they aren’t even sixteen yet,’ the singer laughed.

However Henderson is she’s already taken – having been dating fellow Grimsby local, Matt Harvey, since January this year.

‘I don’t tend to discuss too much about him. He’s so private and I respect him for that and that’s the way he wants it,’ she says of her own happy romance – although she admits she has to leave him behind when work takes her around the world.

‘He’s got a job! So he has to work,’ she sighs before changing topic to wishing she could meet fellow singer Adele who championed her when she competed on The X Factor back in 2012.

‘I would love to sing with her at some point. It would be really dark. Not gloomy, but imagine Rolling in the Deep mixed with Ghost! It would be really cool,’ she gushed.

Another ambition for Henderson is to mirror Skyfall singer Adele by penning her own 007 tune.

‘It is definitely on my bucket list to perform and write a song for a Bond theme one day,’ she reveals, but confessed she couldn’t imaging going one step further to become a Bond girl.

‘They always die! And it’s really upsetting. Whenever you engage with one and think “I really like that one!” she’s dead going down in a lift under water,’ she laughs.

Wednesday 13 August 2014

Ariana Grande: I'd prefer a guy to cheat on me with another guy


Ariana Grande says she is convinced an ex-boyfriend cheated on her with another guy – but says it would be much worse if he had cheated on her with another girl.

The 21-year-old Problem singer says she is ready to be honest about her love woes and reveals all on a new track from her upcoming second album.

‘There is a song called Break Your Heart Right Back which is about a boy that cheats on a girl with another boy. It’s one of my favourites on the album and it’s really funny to me,’ the pop beauty told Guilty Pleasures in an exclusive chat.

‘I believe it has happened to me. I’m not going to say I’m 100 per cent positive, but I’m 99.9 per cent positive,’ she said, adding the heartache would be more traumatic if a guy left her for another woman.

‘I would rather he cheats on me with a guy than with a girl any day! Oh please! Oh my god. If I found out my boyfriend was gay, I would be like “Ok!” I’d be so relieved,’ Grande laughed.

‘It would be so much better than finding out he was cheating on me with a girl. Of course we would be friends! Absolutely,’ she added.

With her album, called My Everything, due for release on August 25, fans of the singer can expect to hear other tales from her love diary.

‘A lot of the album is about love. It’s definitely really fun to sing about,’ she said.

Grande also revealed she she won’t scrap her duet with former lover Nathan Sykes from her future live set lists – and might even call up her ex to join her on stage.

The American beauty recorded a track called Almost Is Never Enough with former The Wanted star Sykes when they dated last year but says the memory of what they had and lost won’t impact her performing their track.

‘I don’t think it would be awkward to perform with Nathan. That would be professional,’ Grande explained, adding she has no ill feelings following her four month romance with 21-year-old Sykes.

‘I wish him well. He’s a great person, it just wasn’t right. You know?’ she said of their past.

The singer explains that love is a frequent influence when it comes to penning her tracks and says it can be upsetting singing the songs once the love is no longer there.

‘It brings back the memories but I love it because it was real and I get to capture that in the song. It’s like a love-hate thing. That can be so emotional sometimes,’ she said.

Boys aside, Grande is thrilled to be featuring on new single Bang Bang alongside Nicki Minaj and Jessie J after the girls reworked the song she originally wrote.

‘All of a sudden [music manager] Monte Lipman sat me down in his office one day and played it for me with Jessie and Nicki on it and I had a heart attack! It was the best surprise ever!’ she gushed.

Thursday 7 August 2014

Pixie Lott talks duets, Selena, and meeting Justin Bieber


Pixie Lott reckons Justin Bieber still carries a flame for his ex Selena Gomez after they shared their appreciation for the fellow singer in Monaco earlier this year.

Lott hung out with the Biebs – who has had an on-off relationship with Gomez since 2010 – after she performed at the Grand Prix and they found themselves gushing over the American beauty.

‘When I was in the South of France I bumped into Justin Bieber and we were both talking about how elegant and beautiful she is,’ 23-year-old Lott revealed.

Hinting that she may have something of a girl-crush on 20-year-old Bieber’s ex, the Nasty singer continued: ‘I think she is so lovely and beautiful. She is really talented.’

She also said she would love to reunite with Gomez, 22, for a pop duet having sung with her on a track back in 2011.

‘Selena recorded a song I had written and she left my parts in on the middle eight so it ended up being Selena Gomez featuring Pixie Lott,’ Lott explained.

‘There are lots of boy-girl duets but there isn’t as many girl-girl ones. One of my favourite songs is The Boy Is Mine by Brandy and Monica. I’ve always said I’d love to team up with another girl for a girl power track,’ she said.

Lott is currently romping her way up the album charts with her self-titled third record which has entered the Top 10 in the mid-week charts.


‘It is really exciting that it is No. 8 at the moment as my last album was out at a tricky week and its position didn’t do as well as this one has done – so I’m really over the moon about that,’ she said at her album launch at London’s Langham hotel on Tuesday night.

Tuesday 5 August 2014

Prides eye up Kylie at Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony


Stewart Brock of Glaswegian indie rockers Prides says he would be too intimidated to date Kylie Minogue after sharing the stage with her at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony.

The 25-year-old frontman fears the media storm that would surround dating the Aussie beauty would overshadow any possible romance.

‘I’m not sure if I could date her. I mean, she is a babe, obviously, but I’m not sure I could do it. The pressure would be too much,’ the Messiah singer said.

Brock did add that he regretted not asking Minogue one question when he had the chance after they sang together at Hampden Park.

‘I wanted to ask her where she gets her hotpants. I feel that could be my new look,’ the singer joked.

Referencing 46-year-old Minogue’s famously pert derrière and youthful looks, Brock said he and bandmates Lewis Gardner and Callum Wiseman couldn’t believe the In To The Blue’s singer is now 46-years-old.

‘We were all looking up how old she is – that sounds terrible, doesn’t it? But we were trying to guess. She does look incredible. She must do her squats!’ he said.

However Minogue can rest easy as Brock explained he has his eye on another famous pop singer for a date.

‘I’m saving myself for Katy Perry. I wouldn’t want to scupper my chances. All her tunes are great and she is a total babe. What’s not to love?’ he asked.

Having wowed the crowds at the Glasgow Games ceremony – plus one billion viewers around the world – Brock revealed he took the ‘House Party’ theme of the closing ceremony literally and partied with mates the night before.

‘I was at a mild house party which was maybe not the best idea the night before the Closing Ceremony. But I recovered in time,’ he laughed.

[Elements of this article appeared in Metro, Guilty Pleasures, Monday 4 August 2014]