R Kelly is set to be released from jail after the $161,000 (£122,000) in child support he owed was paid.
Cook County sheriff’s spokeswoman Sophia Ansari confirmed the singer would be released on Saturday, after an unknown person made the payment on his behalf.
R Kelly was held in custody after allegedly owing more than eight months in child support for his three children, which hadn’t been paid to his ex-wife Andrea.
This legal trouble coincides with a number of sexual misconduct allegations against the star, after he was charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse of four women, three of which were minors at the time.
R Kelly has denied all the sexual abuse charges against him (Picture: AP Photo/Matt Marton)
R Kelly has denied all the charges against him, and recently spoke out about the claims in an interview with CBS News’ Gayle King.
‘I’m very tired of all the lies,’ Kelly said. ‘I’ve been hearing and seeing things on the blogs.
‘All of them [are lying]. That little girls trapped in the basement, helicopters over my house, handcuffing, starving people, I have a harem or cult. I don’t really know what a cult is but I know I don’t have one.
‘If you look at that documentary, everybody said something bad about me. They was describing Lucifer, I’m a man and make mistakes but I’m not the devil or a monster. They are lying on me.’
The singer spent a weekend in jail last month after being arrested on the charges, and was released after a Chicago business owner paid his $100,000 (£77,000) bail.
Wes Nelson has suffered an injury one day before the Dancing On Ice final, as the three finalists rehearse their rendition of Torvill and Dean’s Bolero.
The Love Island star, who is paired with Vanessa Bauer, popped a bone out his wrist while in rehearsals, and was treated by the show’s physiotherapist.
An injury this close to the final could prove a confidence knock, but we’ll have to see if he can overcome the injury to fend off Saara Aalto and James Jordan.
This isn’t the first injury Wes has sustained on Dancing On Ice, having previously suffered with a bust-up knee which almost threatened his future on the show.
Wes was seen by the show’s physio (Picture: ITV)
The three finalists are rehearsing for the final on Sunday, with the final two set to perform their interpretation on Bolero – the iconic Olympic dance which gave Torvill and Dean fame and fortune.
‘Being in the final in general is an honour and we’ve had an amazing time. To get all the way through and be in the process for as long as possible has been an absolute pleasure.
Wes Nelson has suffered an injury (Picture: ITV)
‘And then to finally win it, that’s sort of that golden star that everyone wants in the end. The memory is never gonna go anywhere, but neither is the trophy. It’s something to take away from it as well as the memories.’
You can check out more pictures below.
Wes and Vanessa are practising their Bolero (Picture: ITV)
Stacey’s celebrating her 32nd birthday (Picture: sjdooley METROGRAB)
Strictly Come Dancing stars have been wishing the 2018 champ Stacey Dooley a happy birthday as she turns 32, with partner Kevin Clifton hailing her as an ‘inspirational woman.’
Our Kev’s got a way with words.
Sharing a snap of the pair of them lifting the Strictly glitter ball together on Instagram, the pro dancer wrote: ‘I know International Womens Day was yesterday but wanted to say Happy Birthday to one of the most inspirational women I know.’
And he’s not the only one of last year’s Strictly squad to share the love for Stacey, with vlogger Joe Sugg sharing a cute snap and writing: ‘Happy birthday to this absolute legend!’
His pro dancer girlfriend Dianne Buswell added: ‘Happy birthday sis’ as she shared a cute photo of the two girls laughing together.
Meanwhile Steps star Faye Tozer wrote a similar message to the 32-year-old, sharing her own sweet snap.
She was recently accused of perpetuating the ‘white saviour’ stereotype (Picture: Instagram)
A photograph of her holding a black Ugandan child, which was posted on her Instagram, sparked the debate.
More than a few of Stacey’s followers took issue with Dooley’s choice of caption, which read ‘OB.SESSED’, accusing the TV presenter of using the child as an ‘accessory’.
Some also pointed out that the child looked less than happy in the snap, with MP David Lammy being one of the most vocal, and arguing: ‘As I’ve said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Let’s instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate.’
He added: ‘We’ve assumed so much about a picture with no context. It wasnt even a press/PR pic. But if she SHOULDNT take that pic i dont see how this is progress (sic).’
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The 12-year-old has managed to build up an enviable collection of acting credits by playing the younger version of every film’s main character.
We’re not even exaggerating.
The young actress started scooping up credited roles in 2013, when she was just 7 years old, even acting alongside Chris Evans in heart-wrenching film Gifted
‘Physically, it was the most challenging role I’ve ever done before because I had to learn to ice skate, and I’ve never done ice skating before,’ she told The Boston Globe of the role.
She later starred alongside Bella Thorne in horror flick Amityville: The Awakening, before tackling Netflix’s The Haunting Of Hill House, playing the young version of Theo, who can sense the supernatural.
‘She’s very mature and more like a 40-year-old than an 11-year-old. She’s the complete opposite of me,’ she told Collider.
Afterwards, McKenna continued with the supernatural vibe to play the young version of Sabrina in last year’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, with fans noting that she and Kiernan Shipka, who played the older version of the character, look strikingly similar.
The young actress even tweeted a photo of the pair of them, joking: ‘No, we are not the same person…here is proof.’
She and Brie Larson are melting hearts (Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
And finally, the 12-year-old has been melting hearts before the upcoming Captain Marvel is even released.
With Brie Larson sharing adorable snaps of the pair of them hugging, and fans pointing out that McKenna is a prime example of the young girls who are set to look up to Marvel’s first female-led superhero movie, it’s a lot to handle.
And she’s certainly not taking the role lightly, telling Collider: ‘Oh, my gosh, I’ve always dreamed about and wanted to be a Marvel superhero. When I found out I got that, I screamed.’
We don’t blame her.
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American Gods season two covers a slightly bit more of the book (Picture: Amazon)
Warning: Contains spoilers for American Gods season one.
American Gods returns for a second season of trippy visuals and gigantic tussles between deities, adapted from the critically-acclaimed novel by Neil Gaiman.
The first season of the show played around with the source material, fleshing out characters like Laura and Mad Sweeney who are rarely mentioned in the original book.
The finale climaxed as Wednesday revealed himself to Shadow as Odin, with the old gods heading for a meeting on the House On The Rock.
It’s a relatively early moment in the grand scheme of the novel, but it seems the second season won’t be accelerating through events too quickly either.
Ian McShane is back as Wednesday (Picture: Amazon)
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Ricky Whittle (Shadow) said: ‘The first season covered about 120 pages of a six to 800 page book, depending on the edition that you bought.
‘We’re still only a third of the way through I would say. We start at House On The Rock, a very famous part of the book but it’s still at the very beginning. We progress through the funeral parlour and things. The great thing about the show is it’s never chronological.’
‘We got to about 200 pages in,’ Ricky added. ‘But the way we’re fleshing out characters in the book, like Laura who is sporadic in the book, Mad Sweeney is only in the book twice. Technical Boy is only a small character. We have incredible actors so let’s use them, so we’re able to really expand these stories.
‘Neil Gaiman even wrote short stories, The Monarch Of The Glen and Anansi Boys, so it really does have legs to go even further. For now, we’re just chugging along and we’re not afraid to take our time with it either which is nice, so you can sit in moments a bit longer and tease those stories out.’
Author Neil Gaiman previously said at Comic-Con last year the show would take five seasons to cover the book’s entirety.
‘The plan going in was to make five seasons,’ Gaiman said. ‘And it seems to be actually running according to plan, currently.’
There’s been a number of shifting parts behind-the-scenes on the show between the first and second season, including changing showrunners and claims of ‘turmoil’, which the cast have shrugged off as nothing to worry about.
American Gods season 2 returns to Amazon Prime Video on 11 March, with new episodes coming to the service weekly.
He wants to give musicians the start that Simon Cowell gave him (Picture: Naomi Barker)
Olly Murs may have a hugely successful music career of his own, but he insists helping emerging singers is the ‘best part of his job’ as a judge on The Voice.
He’s ready to pass on his pearls of wisdom.
The Voice coach explained that he was most focused on the impending semi-finals of the talent show, explaining to Metro.co.uk that helping new singers is ‘the best part of my job’.
He added: ‘At the end of the day, The Voice is an amazing platform for [musicians], to go on and showcase their music and their talent, and just enjoy the platform and go for it.’
Although he’s got his own music career, he insists it’s the best part of his job (Picture: Rachel Joseph/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
However, he’s clearly grateful for his own experience on the show, explaining: ‘Simon [Cowell] gave me that chance years ago so I love doing that for others.’
And, although Olly’s been open in the past about the struggles of dating while being a coach on the singing show, he insisted he’s perfectly happy, chatting to us as he spent a night out at The Apprentice winner Sian Gabbidon’s swimwear launch with two pals.
The singer sits alongside judges Tom Jones, Jennifer Hudson, and Will.i.am (Picture: Rachel Joseph/ITV/REX)
‘I’m happily single,’ he grinned. ‘I’m with my mates, coming out and having a drink. It’s great!’
Stefan Mahendra, 23, performed a cover of Childish Gambino’s Redbone on the show, winning over judges Olly Murs and Jennifer Hudson who both turned their chairs for the singer.
Turns out Stefan wasn’t alone, with his band Brown Sugar waiting in the wings and coming out on stage for an ‘impromptu’ performance of Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy.
As the two judges locked horns to compete for Stefan, Olly said: ‘I’m going to tell you this straight. I’m on a UK tour this year.
‘Mark my very words on this stage, if you do what I tell you to do and I coach you through this show, I will have you and Brown Sugar support me on the tour.’
Bold words Olly, bold words.
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The pair fueled the speculation (Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Liam Payne and Naomi Campbell majorly fueled dating rumours after they were spotted at the same Formula E party in Hong Kong.
We see you guys, we see you.
Although they weren’t pictured together, the pair both were both dressed up to the nines for the swish ABB FIA Formula E party, with the model in a gorgeous sequinned dress, and the former One Direction star looking dapper in a suit.
Naomi refused to talk about Liam on the Jonathan Ross Show (Picture: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Beneath the steamy photo of the 25-year-old Liam looking in a mirror, the model wrote: ‘Beautiful soul’ followed by a heart. Liam replied: ‘Takes one to know one’, adding a kissy face emoji.
Afterwards, Liam heated things up by commenting: ‘Perfection in a person… don’t give me those eyes’ on a photo of Naomi’s, followed by eyes and a kissy face.
According to The Mirror, Cheryl and Liam appeared ‘very friendly’ on the Global Awards 2019 red carpet.
Speaking to the publication, a source said: ‘They were smiling and talking and they went in for a big hug. Liam put his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek.’
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Devil May Cry 5 has become victim to bizarre act of censorship (Picture: Capcom)
Warning: Contains spoilers for Devil May Cry 5.
A cutscene in Devil May Cry 5 has left some players perplexed after a character’s posterior was censored in the game’s PlayStation 4 western release.
Devil May Cry 5 released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC around the world to critical acclaim earlier this week, but it seems there’s some minor differences in its transition to Sony’s platform in western territories.
In one scene, main protagonist Dante saves naked Trish from a beast. As the demon relinquishes his grip on Trish, Dante rushes to save her on a motorbike, before laying her down on the ground.
As she’s carried across players can see Trish’s bum. This, however, isn’t seen in the PS4 version, which instead blocks out her buttocks through the convenient power of lens flare from Dante’s motorbike headlight.
You can check out the differences between the Japanese and western versions of the PS4 version in the video, from Naughty Gaming 2, below.
It’s claimed this lens flare cover-up is only shown in the western version of the PS4 title, with Trish’s full bum shown in the Japanese PS4 version, and PC and Xbox One versions around the world.
This bizarre censorship is apparently included in the day one patch of Devil May Cry 5 on PS4, with Sony’s new censorship policy believed to be the reason for the update.
Weirdly, another cutscene from the game shows Lady fully naked from behind blurred out by lens flare across all versions – making Trish’s specific case on PS4 even more puzzling.
Sony’s policy has affected a number of Japan-developed titles in recent years, with Senran Kagura Burst Re: Newal’s release delayed on PS4 after Sony asked for the Intimacy Mode to be removed. A visual novel titled Nora to Oujo to Noraneko Heart was also censored when it released on the platform.
There was also concerns surrounding whether Catherine: Full Body edition on PS4 would similarly face censorship, though Atlus has reassured fans it wouldn’t be affected.
Considering Devil May Cry 5 boasts plentiful violence and gore, it does raise the question of whether a brief flash of nudity should be placed on a worse pedestal.
GameCentral has reached out to Capcom for comment.
Devil May Cry 5 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
He won the competition by a landslide (Picture: MICHAEL CAMPANELLA/Getty Images)
Sweden are set to take John Lundvik to Eurovision with his song Too Late For Love after he triumphed during a national competition.
And it was no easy feat.
The 36-year-old scooped up the win at the end of Melodifestivalen, a national competition, which went through four semi-finals and a second chance tour. However, John reportedly won by a landslide vote.
As well as a singer, John’s an accomplished songwriter, co-writing the song When You Tell the World You’re Mine, which was performed at the Swedish Princess Victoria’s wedding back in 2010.
Melodifestivalen, which translates to ‘The Melody Festival’ in English, is the music competition through which Sweden decides its Eurovision entry for the year.
The competition has happened almost every year since 1958, and has produced all six of Sweden’s Eurovision winners, as well as 24 of Sweden’s top five placings.
And it’s been a busy couple of weeks for Eurovision entires, with a multitude of countries deciding on their picks.
Meanwhile, Iceland announced techno trio Hatari as their pick (Picture: Eurovision)
The band is set to play their song Hate Will Prevail just months after they disbanded after ‘failing to dismantle capitalism’.
Meanwhile, it was also announced that Moldova would be sending singer Anna Odobescu to the contest with her song ‘Stay’. Norway’s pick was supergroup KEiiNO, which consists of rapper Fred Buljo, and the singers Alexandra Rotan and Tom Hugo Hermansen, with their song Spirit In The Sky.
Singer Conan Osiris will be competing for Portugal, with the song Telemóveis.
Maruv had previously won the chance to represent the country at the semi-finals in Tel Aviv in May, however after she declined to sign a contract with the Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC she was dropped.
Following her withdrawal, the broadcaster went down the list and approached the runners up in the selection but when they, too, turned down the chance to represent the CEO of UA:PBC announced the country would no longer participate at all.
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Naomi and Gemma appeared on the same sofa together (Picture: ITV)
Gemma Collins has been branded as ‘rude’ towards fellow guests Harry Redknapp and Naomi Campbell following her appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show.
The 38-year-old reality star rubbed shoulders with a wide breadth of talent on the chat show, including John Barnes, Dido and comedian James Acaster.
While Gemma explained her Game Of Thrones role aims and how she was poverty-stricken because she didn’t grow up with a toaster, many viewers felt her turned pose was a rude gesture to fellow guests Harry Redknapp and John Barnes.
Gemma sat with her back to Harry and John (Picture: ITV)
As Naomi Campbell descended onto the sofa, discussing those Liam Payne rumours, Gemma frequently jumped in mid-interview in a fan-girl moment.
‘I am so honoured to be sitting here next to you, I’m just so not cool right now,’ Gemma said.
‘You are my queen Naomi. I’m so happy right now.’
Gemma’s initial back-turn however didn’t exactly go down well with viewers.
#jonathanross Gemma needs to learn some social skills! I’m cringing so bad at how she has sat with her back to everyone…it’s just uncomfortable watching 😩
— Kerry – Tough Cookies (@kerrycabbin) March 9, 2019
Gemma sat with her back to Harry Redknapp. Rude. 🙄#jonathanross
He needs answers and he needs them now (Picture: Marvel/Disney/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
The wait for Avengers: Endgame is clearly getting to Jack Black after he tried distracting Jumanji co-star Karen Gillan with a game of Crash Bandicoot to get some answers out of her.
However, just when Karen was getting into the swing of it (she’s got some real Crash Bandicoot skills), the School Of Rock star slyly told her: ‘While you’re playing, I’m gonna ask you questions.
‘Now, I’ve noticed that when I’m playing, it’s hard to concentrate and hard for me to answer questions… just do your best, don’t really think about the questions.’
Rapidly, he asked: ‘If you could really quickly just tell me the whole plot of Avengers: Endgame?’
‘Well, basically,’ the Nebula actress began, before backtracking: ‘You got me for a second!’
And the 49-year-old admitted he felt ‘a little hoodwinked’ at the end of Infinity War, as he went in not realising it was the first installment of a two-part story.
‘At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, I was so mad…Hitler wins, evil destroys, the end,’ he summed up.
The Nebula star’s keeping tight-lipped about the flick (Picture: Marvel Studios/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
He added: ‘Now I’m frothing at the mouth for the next installment.’
With two weights that, sorry to say, looked incredibly light compared to the boulders Chris was throwing about, the 49-year-old worked up a sweat on Tuesday.
The video caught the attention of Chris himself, with the wellness warrior (who launched his own fitness app Centr last month) commenting: ‘Haha you legend.’ Chris added as he reposted the vid to his own Instagram: ‘The student has become the master.’
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Alex Brooker is reportedly attempting to salvage his marriage (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX)
The Last Leg’s Alex Brooker is fighting to save his marriage after having an affair with a beautician, according to reports.
The 34-year-old comedian is claimed to have slept with Claire Killock, 36, after meeting in a London pub last year during filming for the Channel 4 show.
Alex, who lives in Yorkshire with accountant wife Lynsey and their daughter Daphne, was said to be ‘mortified’ over the affair, and is now attempting to save his marriage.
Speaking to The Mirror, a source said: ‘Last year was a really tough year for Alex and Lynsey. He was filming in London and she was at home up north. It was a real strain on the marriage.
Josh Widdicombe, Alex Brooker and Adam Hills of The Last Leg (Picture: Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
‘He met this other woman while filming in London for The Last Leg. They had a real connection and became very friendly.’
They claim the affair lasted for about a month, before Claire ended the romance in August last year.
Alex and Lynsey married in 2014 and had their daughter Daphne in 2017. It’s believed Alex has told Lynsey about the affair and they’re working on their marriage.
Metro.co.uk has reached out to Alex’s reps for comment.
She pointed out that Luke hated social media (Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Jenny Garth has hit back at fans after facing backlash about her posting a snap of her daughters for International Women’s Day rather than a tribute to co-star Luke Perry after his death.
With fans hitting out at her, the 46-year-old wasn’t standing for it.
‘Hey everyone … I chose to post a pic of my girls today. Because they are my life. Because today is a day to celebrate all women,’ she explained. ‘It took a lot for me to want to celebrate anything. I thought about it and I know that’s the way my dear friend would have wanted it.’
She added: ‘His kids were his life. And anyone who knew him knows that and knows he didn’t give a f*#k about social media. So please don’t assume or judge or make rude comments. That’s really uncool. Sincerely, Jennie.’
Jennie starred as Kelly Taylor throughout the series, alongside Luke, who starred as Dylan McKay.
She hit back after facing backlash (Picture: jenniegarth)
Lili Reinhart, who plays Betty Cooper, tweeted: ‘I’m finding it hard to grasp that he will no longer be around to give long hugs and share his wisdom and kindness with all of us.
‘I’m thinking of his family. His children. I pray for them to heal and find peace in this devastating loss.
‘I just can’t believe it.’
Mädchen Amick, who plays Alice Cooper on the show, said she was ‘absolutely heartbroken’ to hear of Luke’s passing.
She wrote: ‘I’m absolutely heartbroken of the news that we lost someone so incredibly special. Luke had become a dear friend. We laughed. We cried. We shared our showbiz war stories. We shared how proud we are as parents.’
Meanwhile, Molly Ringwald, who starred as Luke’s onscreen ex-wife Molly Andrews, tweeted she will miss Luke ‘so much’.
She said: ‘My heart is broken. I will miss you so much Luke Perry. Sending all my love to your family.’
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The pair were together for more than 11 years (Picture: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock)
Luke Perry’s fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer has broken her silence after the Riverdale and 90210 star’s death, as she said the years she spent with him were ‘the happiest of her life’.
The actor died at the age of 52 at the beginning of the month, days after he suffered from a ‘massive stroke’.
While tributes from his friends and fans poured in, Wendy stayed quiet.
However, she’s now spoken out, saying: ‘I want to express my gratitude to everyone for the outpouring of love and support.’
She added to People: ‘The countless, heartwarming stories of Luke’s generosity and kindness have been a great source of solace during this difficult time.
‘The past 11½ years with Luke were the happiest years of my life, and I am grateful to have had that time with him.
‘I also want to thank his children, family, and friends for their love and support. We have found comfort in one another and in the knowledge that our lives were touched by an extraordinary man. He will be dearly missed.’
In his heartbreaking Instagram post, Jack wrote: ‘He was a lot of things to a lot of people. To me, he was always Dad.
‘He loved supported me in everything, and inspired me to be the best that I could possibly be. I’ve learned so much from you, and my heart is broken thinking about everything you won’t be here for.
‘I’ll miss you every day that I walk this earth. I’ll do whatever I can to carry on your legacy and make you proud. I love you Dad.’
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GameCentral readers pick holes in games they otherwise love, as everything from The Witcher 3 to Dark Souls comes under fire.
The subject for this week’s Hot Topic was suggested by reader Edone, who asked what it is you don’t like about the game or games you otherwise love? How would you fix the problem and what effect would that have on how you – and the wider world – think of the game?
We had plenty of suggestions, from recent hits to older titles, although Red Dead Redemption II did come up more than most. Although most people admitted they didn’t really mind the flaws as long as the rest of the game was good.
Too many trolls
God Of War is a great game, I voted for it as the best of last year, but there’s no doubting it’s got some serious problems when it comes to enemy variety. It’s a shame because the game is about the same length but fighting the same two or three monsters again and again and again starts to get really old, especially as the combat isn’t that varied in itself anyway.
This lack of variety also extends to the boss battles, which is weird. I don’t know if this was a lack of money (seems unlikely) or time (ditto really, it’s not like they were in a rush or anything) but having to fight those same trolls all the time really spoilt the sense of immersion and exploration. It was especially annoying given the Baldur battles were amazing and just like the God Of Wars of old.
Like I said, I though the game size and length was just about right, but I would’ve happily had it cut down to add more variety. If that’s the choice facing the next game then I hope they acknowledge the problem. Ford404
Out of control
This problem is common with a lot of Western games, I’ve seen it said of Red Dead Redemption II a lot lately (haven’t played it myself), but as much as I love The Last Of Us I have to admit that it’s not particularly interesting from a gameplay perspective. The combat and stealth is okay but it’s nothing memorable and lacks any real variety or depth. It all gets a bit old by the end of the game, but I can see why it’s like that as anything more complex would take away from the story which is the main part of the game.
And emotionally gripping as the ending is you have to admit that it’s completely uninteractive and that’s kind of a problem when you’re playing a video game. None of this makes me think less of the game but they are issues I hope will be addressed in the sequel. Although I fear that Naughty Dog may be getting too full of themselves now, like Rockstar, and will refuse to admit that they can do any wrong. I guess we’ll see. Bowie
Remastered not remade
I’m sure this one will be mentioned by a few people: Dark Souls – Lost Izalith. In a game featuring some of the best level design of all time, this area is a massive disappointment.
It’s clear that From ran out of time and rushed this area, the copy-paste enemies, the linear path to the boss, and the boss itself. It’s a shame and was something I hoped they’d amend in the remaster, but to no avail. Matt
Climbing sections in Dead Space 3 are terrible and utterly tedious game design. Could they have not used steps or an alien lift or something?
Also, Red Dead Redemption II was a classic example of a game that didn’t want to end or seem to know how to. That part set on the island I found boring, I felt like it had taken me out of the experience altogether. The campaign sure had memorable moments and I still enjoyed it overall. But I felt it would have been better sticking to the main map plot and leaving the island out of it altogether. stevosghost
Free hat
‘How can I quell these feelings I have… Aifread?’ So runs the second line of a character, Lyla, in Tales of Symphonia, after your initial interactions with her a few hours in but very close to the beginning of the game. You have to wait a long time for the payoff and well – which Hot Topic are we in?
Annoying music, bad artificial intelligence, game-ruining bugs despite 100-hour-week efforts before release day. Why should one daft side quest out of so many, across so many games, annoy more? The spoilers will come in the next two paragraphs, but it’s a Tales tradition to include (or at least mention) the pirate, Aifread. You are able take a route in Symphonia that avoids all awareness of him, but a typical first playthrough will see you visiting the village where Lyla lives.
And that’s part of the problem, for me anyway. The game holds your hand to get you to the port of Izoold and so it feels like the letter that Lyla asks you to deliver to Aifread is part of the plot. I have no problem with the deflection of these events; Lyla appears to be pining for the rascal who has skipped port and discovering where her true love lies is amusing. The discovery is entirely optional though and dependent on you rebuilding the city of Luin with your own hard-earned cash.
Once you meet the conditions – it’ll cost you a few hundred thousands – a colourful new character appears and cons you twice in quick succession. You’re now in his employ searching for a lost treasure. No surprise that his clues lead you straight to it and the revelation that he is in mourning for his dead crew, and wants you to remember all the people who died recently. Fair dos; you did cause the disaster, after all. What’s more, he allows you to keep the treasure afterwards, so is that lesson learned for us?
The nuances though. His treasure hunt is ostensibly to cheer up an unhappy world, but the churchman who reveals this inadvertently confirms that the search began before you had done anything wrong. Indeed, once you are given a reply to Lyla’s letter, you learn that he swindled a comedy debt of 100 million with various scenes playing out the ‘fun’ of your repayments as he has passed that onto you without hesitation. Your quest was well on track when you first learned that Lyla was missing him, so he borrowed money to teach you a lesson before he even knew who you were… Yep, that’s why I hate this section!
You end up with a hat for all your troubles. As a player though, I do like Lloyd’s pirate costume and ‘Arrgh, Me Hearties!’ title. Mr Graham Addressing The Nation
Motion out of control
My favourite game of all time is Super Mario Galaxy 2. The game is hugely inventive and probably has more new idea in it than any other game, which is why I love it.
The downside however is the spin jump, which requires a flick of the Wiimote to activate. I did not have that much trouble with it, to be honest, but using a button press instead would have been far more intuitive and accurate. PazJohnMitch
I remember Final Fantasy VIII being the game I must play, after the many amazing memories of Final Fantasy VII, and the excitement factor was through the roof. This was still me in my early days, getting newly into Japanese role-playing games and the turn-based combat was still very new to me – which will explain the experience I had in Final Fantasy VIII.
Now my life in Final Fantasy VIII (and I completed it multiple times in my life) was of absolute awe, with a great soundtrack plus the amazing artwork and graphics which bowled me out of the water. Nothing wrong with the storyline and the characters and the adventure and exploring of this huge world was very enjoyable and very emotional.
Still, in my mind Midgar totally ruled as a location and the background stories and the greater awesomeness of J.E.N.O.V.A and the Cetra, with gaming’s greatest and most complex villain Sephiroth, were just unbeatable. The thing that got me, which constantly annoyed me, was why was Final Fantasy VIII’s turn-based combat so hard to learn and very frustrating to get? The materia and upgrades of weapons, and growing then with experience points, was very easy to learn and eventually very fun in a short amount of time in Final Fantasy VII. VIII was just weird and not fulfilling in any way.
I found that my normal attacks were just rubbish and magic was much more of a continuous powerful tool. The worst thing to me though, being new at this style of combat, was that the summons were just one or two per major battle in Final Fantasy VII and were a joy to behold. But in Final Fantasy VIII I could use them continuously and with no limit! Eventually when fighting bosses I’d pretty much use the summons all the time and watch and watch the long animations do their stuff on some bosses for over 20-odd times!
Final Fantasy IX’s combat was a ton more entertaining to use, which made up for my previous disappointment. The main problem (or not) was that Final Fantasy IX’s combat was so easily and quickly levelled up that my normal attacks were doing 5,000 to 9,999 damage per hit towards the end, which made the final bosses pushovers in the end.
Don’t get me wrong, I was probably just missing something and these three PlayStation 1 era games will always be remembered as some of the best gaming experiences of my life. Testament to the fact that flawed combat mechanics (in my mind) don’t always destroy a well-made game. Alucard
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A reader imagines what video games will be like when gaming is twice as old as it is today, by comparing it to the evolution of cinema.
Yesterday I found myself thinking about the future of video games. I imagine that’s a common thing for gamers, especially with the next generation coming up, but rather than the next five years I started to wonder what things would be like in the next 47 years – when the industry is twice its current age.
At first I started by comparing games to cinema, which would be like going from 1915 to 1962. That takes you from Birth of a Nation (a vile film in terms of content but an undisputed landmark when it comes to cinematic technique) to the year Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. No were released. A lot obviously changed in that time but some films were still being made in black and white and if someone somehow time-travelled from 1915 to the ‘60s I don’t think they’d fine anything about the changes in cinema particularly shocking.
To make the comparison with video games the obvious place to start is 1972, which was the year of the release of Pong and the Magnavox Odyssey (the first ever home console). As with cinema, progress was relatively slow and it wasn’t until 1978 that Space Invaders was released, with the NES not arriving until 1983 (1986 in Europe) and the modern 3D era not until 1993 – some 21 years after after Pong.
Up until then video games had showed a slow but predictable progression in terms of graphics, but 3D and CD-ROM storage was the equivalent of getting both colour and sound at the same time for cinema. It was a huge leap forward for games, with further massive improvement in the PlayStation 2 era, before you started to see progress slow down again during the Xbox 360 era and the current generation.
In 47 years you went from moving two squares around on a TV screen to games which are approaching genuine photorealism, and which may actually reach it in the next generation. So my question is how does that history lesson help us predict the next 50-odd years of games?
Adding 47 years to 1962 takes cinema from the first James Bond film to Avatar in 2009 (these dates really are working out very helpfully to make my points, the only bit I planned was the starting years!). So you’ve gone from a time when practical effects were the only effects there were to the rebirth of 3D cinema and a film where almost everything is computer-generated.
Although to digress for a minute here it’s interesting that in terms of genre cinema both it and video games are essentially striving for the same thing: to create perfectly realistic visuals of things that don’t exist. But cinema, with all its money and no need for interactivity, has never quite got there and obviously games lag somewhat behind – although they often feel more real because of the sense of immersion.
I’m not enough of a tech expert to know if and when photorealism will be possible, but it seems to me that it must happen, for cinema at least, in the next 10 to 20 years. Although it’s hard to say because Avatar still has some of the best graphics ever seen, simply because of the amount of money spent on it and the unique talents involved. But let’s be bold and suggest that by 2030 photorealistic graphics will be possible for both cinema and games. So what then?
When graphics are indistinguishable from real life what difference will that make? Well, in some ways I suspect not much. A shooter will still be a shooter and a lot of multiplayer games don’t particularly rely on graphics for their appeal anyway. Narrative games will be more effective, and so will horror, but they’ve always been niche genres and I’m not sure they won’t always stay that way.
For me the biggest change in games isn’t going to be the graphics, it’s going to be the controls and how you view them – and in turn how you interact with other people playing them. Modern controllers are a huge turn-off to non-gamers, as are complicated interfaces, and other necessary evils that we gamers take for granted. By 2030 I would hope that we have not only reliable, high resolution VR but also some kind of interface that breaks away from the DualShock model we’ve been using since the start of the PlayStation era.
There are already experiments now with devices that allow you to control electronics with your brain, so in another 20 years, and certainly by the full 47-year jump to 2066, I’d expect thought control to be an everyday thing. So at that point you’re in a virtual reality, you’re viewing photorealistic graphics, and you’re controlling everything by just thinking about it. It sounds like science fiction, but I really don’t think it’s farfetched at all. Not when you look at how far we’ve come already.
By that time cinema and video games may well have become one, and you’d just choose to have either linear or interactive experiences – with the ability to chat with people during either if you want. Social media will continue to evolve during all this, of course, and remember that Facebook own Oculus VR. Social media of the future will probably involve just thinking at people too, since I certainly can’t imagine still typing out messages on Twitter.
In the last decade or so we’ve seen many of the science fiction ideas of the 20th century become an everyday reality and I think that will eventually come to include some version of the Star Trek holodeck, except more convenient and more social. Although the one issue I’ve not addressed is artificial intelligence, since I have no idea how to predict when and how that will advance.
Maybe by 2066 multiplayer will just be a niche and people will prefer to play with AI that’s guaranteed to give them the perfect challenge for their skill level. Or maybe the AI will have taken over control of the planet, for our own good, and video games is all we’ll do. Who knows, but if things evolve the way I’ve predicted then maybe that won’t be such a bad thing for all involved.
By reader Panzerwart
The reader’s feature does not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. As always, email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk and follow us on Twitter.
A reader tries to explain the enduring appeal of Shenmue but admits that the sequel is much better than the original…
The Shenmue series. It’s quite… eccentric, isn’t it? Last August, when the HD re-release of the first two games came along, you would hear of many newcomers feeling perplexed. You would see many a commentator scratching the skin off their scalps trying to work out what in the blazing Randy Pitchfords the appeal was supposed to be. To them it’s one of, if not the very worst game ever made. Whilst it would be somewhat mean-spirited to call it the very worst game in existence, you can see where the critics are coming from.
I shall try to explain what the fans, myself among them, see in these very curious beasties. Let’s start sensibly. At the start. And when we get to the end… we’ll stop. I played Shenmue pretty much when it first came out, in early 2000, a short few months after its UK release. All the Dreamcast magazines unanimously awarded it very high scores, with at least one or two generous enough to furnish it with top marks. Edge magazine were a little more guarded and gave it an 8 out of 10. At the time. Which today is much too high.
For me, though, it was my first experience of any kind of open world game. The day/night cycle, being able to knock on doors, playing games within a game, a robust set of martial arts moves to utilise in its much-vaunted free battles – it was a heady and enticing mix. It was also responsible for popularising, if that’s the appropriate word, quick time events. Or QTEs, for short. Hell, it even coined that term! Now, there’s a not insignificant portion of gamers who despise QTEs no matter what. And if that’s you, then there’s nothing I can say that will convince you of their value here. I feel that they’re fine – not as effective as Resident Evil 4 or Bayonetta’s but nowhere near as awful as the examples so beloved by insufferably pretentious ‘auteur’ David Cage.
But there is definitely a whiff of loving one’s own farts to Shenmue. Certainly the first one, which is much more difficult to defend. The story is so boring. After the dramatic event of Iwao Hazuki’s murder – the father of protagonist, Ryo – very little of any real interest actually occurs. In fact, if I were to act as editor to the narrative as a whole, the only parts you should keep are Lan Di killing Ryo’s dear old dad and then Ryo leaving for Hong Kong to chase him down. Everything else is just so much tedious filler.
None of the characters are memorable or well-drawn. For anybody about to point out Tom, the African American immigrant trying to earn money in Japan selling hot dogs, don’t be silly. He is such a thin, flimsy caricature that it would be funny if the script had a sense of humour. He only makes any impression at all because he has at least some superficial flamboyance amid a universe-wide charisma vacuum that is the rest of the cast.
And if you thought Ryo was dull, just wait until you meet Nozomi – the game’s romantic lead. Or ‘Snore-zomi’ as I prefer to call her. Ha ha. I’m here all week. And I played with the dubbed, American voice actors initially! She’s so weak and bland that if she were a table sauce she’d be pre-boiled water. Pre-boiling it takes all that pesky taste away! Delicious! Predictably, she’ll get herself kidnapped towards the end of the game. You’ll need to go through a motorbike section against the clock which is a lot less exciting than it sounds. The handling is so slippery and over-sensitive, honestly Super Hang-On plays better. I have to say, I would just rather the useless, little waif died than go to the trouble.
Playing through it again now, the Japanese voice actress isn’t much better. But it’s only the fault of the writing – she’s just so insipid and uninteresting a character. Of course, some will try to assert that it’s so bad it’s funny. True, the lady who voices an elderly antique shop owner has some entertainment value to be had from the dubbed version. In just the same way that there is entertainment value in hearing Freddy Krueger’s claws scrape a blackboard. ‘Oh, it’s so awful that I want to insert electric kitchen knives in my ears! What japery!’
As a veteran, there was some nostalgia to be enjoyed in traipsing through the snowy, grimy streets of Dobuita again. But to be brutally honest, it’s like walking through the Coventry of Japan. From the same time period. And I can say that because I was born there. Not Japan, obvs.
The first game is not friendly to players at all, new or old. There are no mini-maps. You have to wait for all your scheduled appointments in real-time with no option to fast forward. You even have to wait for the bloody bus! I had forgotten that and it weirdly enraged me more than anything else. The straw that broke the camel’s back, I suppose. There are several occasions, especially after Ryo gets a job at the docks. (Union’s been on strike. He’s down on his luck, it’s tough, so tough.) The stubborn, little sod will refuse to leave the area until you’ve advanced some more of the story. Who’s playing this game, Ryo?! Me or you?!
Then we come to combat. Which has a surprisingly extensive move set for Ryo to deploy, consisting of punches, kicks, throws, and the odd special attack. That being said, you’ll only use the more unusual stuff to show off. For the most part, Ryo’s opposition is laughably weak – it would be like pitting Bruce Lee against a gaggle of toddlers. Which would be highly unethical. When you do run into a tougher enemy, they’re really just damage sponges.
Nor do you really have any idea how well you’re doing against them, as none of them have health bars. When it comes to the 70-man battle, which the game is oddly proud of, you’ll find that most of them go down in a hit or two. And if you do find yourself surprised when one of the bigger guys take off about 30% off your health, simply pressing the dodge button a few times and keeping your distance will see it magically regenerate.
But, I do enjoy the combat. It is satisfying. You’re more concerned with your positioning, as the dodge button lets you shuffle around the arena in three dimensions and hit the enemy in a blind spot. It’s hardly as elegant as the eight-way run system from SoulCalibur, more like Virtua Fighter after it’s got a bit drunk. ‘Wait, did I team up with Dead Or Alive last night? No! I can’t have! That would’ve been crazy! And I never do crazy! That’s something Tekken would do!’
Yet even though some sections of the first game were a real slog to get through, it still had a zen lure. I’ve got my platinum trophy from it now and I have a save waiting during the famed forklift racing section which I may go back to now and then. Probably not the whole thing, though. And, unless the first game pulls you in within the first hour, give up. Trust me, it won’t get any better for you. There’s nothing in there that’s all that essential – even to the series as a whole.
You do have a nice, Christmassy atmosphere when it gets to that time in the game. You can even hear a beautiful instrumental rendition of Silent Night coming from an alley in Dobuita. But you can also hear it on YouTube.
Everything gets better for the sequel. The script is so much stronger that even the American cast sound more enthusiastic. You should still stick to the original, though, as they are far more professional. Not that there aren’t still clangers in the dialogue, but there is far more charm and wit on display.
Almost the moment you step off the boat, you’ll run into the aptly named Joy – a redhead who loves tearing around Hong Kong on her sporty, red motorbike. She must be a fan of Yu Suzuki’s Super Hang-On, huh? But at last! You encounter somebody with a personality!
You do immediately get the feeling that this is going to quite different from the last game. Those Sega-blue skies, the clear waves lapping Fortune’s Pier, Wan Chai – at last, Suzuki and his team have let their hair down and decided that this is more concerned with being an actual video game! Yay!
Joy, in spite of Ryo’s constantly surly attitude, is nothing but helpful to you throughout your adventure. She seems to something of a local hero, everybody knows her. From sleazy photographers and violent hooligans to business owners and dock workers. Her connections get you a good price at a local hotel and a part time job. Ryo isn’t very appreciative of this, because he’s not exactly the most sympathetic protagonist. He’s easily provoked to violence, won’t hesitate to torture or threaten its use, and is about as smart and charismatic as a broken brick. Although at least he likes cats and collecting capsule toys, so he isn’t exactly pre-2018 Kratos, either.
Now, if the story was better written, Ryo’s less sociable attributes could be the result of him losing his dad. But we never really get an indication of his emotional state as he’s just so blank and wooden. It’s not even any of the actors’ fault who play him – he really is that dreary. As such, whenever Joy or any of the other characters you meet bewilderingly want to spend time with this idiot, he always says he’s busy – even when he clearly isn’t.
The frustrations of playing as Ryo come into focus when you meet the person you were told to find, Master Lishao Tao of Man Mo Temple. Or Xiuying, to her friends. When Ryo first meets her, he doesn’t believe that she could be a martial arts master. Because it’s the 1980s and she’s a girl. Yes, it’s that lazy and tiresome. There is a nice pay-off, however. Xiuying then demonstrates exactly what she’s capable of. And she’s not just simply better than Ryo. Her prowess is god-like. Ryo can’t even land a single punch.
You try to hit her and she’s just not there anymore. It’s honestly kind of scary. She is so powerful that she could probably defeat Lan Di at any time. But, like a One Ring sort of situation from Lord Of The Rings, she doesn’t do so as using her abilities in such a way would mean giving into evil. Or something. A lesson that Ryo isn’t learning. Which is why Xiuying is not all that eager to help him.
But if Ryo wasn’t so thick, he would be able to approach it from a different angle. Rather than: ‘Revenge! Revenge! I must have revenge!’, why not ask her about the Phoenix Mirror? You know, that MacGuffin that seems to be so important? Or maybe he could remember that he was told to contact this woman for help. Obviously she opposes Lan Di and his organisation, wouldn’t she want to know what he’s up to? But no, Ryo doesn’t think of that because that would involve thinking.
Which I feel is a deliberate, creative choice. He’s meant to be a big, dumb meathead who only ever thinks about fighting. Other characters will even point it out. Much like Link, Ryo is meant to be the blank canvas. You uncover the mysteries of the game as he does. But quite frankly, I’m surprised this boy knows how to tie his own shoes. Which does no favours for his depth as a character or your emotional investment.
Happily, in the sequel, the other characters are here to pick up the slack. Like Fangmei, the sweet girl Ryo befriends while he stays with Xiuying and is made to perform community service at the temple. She doesn’t like being compared to cats and you can even buy her a present for her birthday where she’ll profess her love for Ryo. No idea why, the poor girl. And, of course, the second part of one of gaming’s most beautiful bromances: Ren of Heavens. Ren is everything Ryo is not. He’s a crook, he likes dressing as a pirate for some reason, he’ll get others to do things for him as much as possible, he has a flamboyant personality, and is quite smart and funny.
You might find yourself thinking that you’d rather be playing this game as him. Clearly Toshihiro Nagoshi thought so too and gave us the Yakuza series. Although Kazuma is less of a scoundrel than Ren is. Which is really saying something. Those stolen glances, those lingering looks, the time they spent handcuffed together and Ren needed to take a leak – the fan fiction writes itself.
I’m going to say it now: I think that Shenmue II boasts one of the greatest ever game worlds of all time. It’s certainly in my own top 10. It made me want to know more about Wan Chai and Kowloon. Incidentally, the walled city of Kowloon as seen here is long gone now. The British and Chinese governments considered it a hotbed of crime, too difficult to police. They wanted that place gone. And yet it is a fascinating and vibrant place.
When you go into one of the buildings, you’ll find the first floor of each taken over by local businesses. One building specialises in bird feed, being the Three Bird Building and all, another will focus on bars, still another tea houses. Usually the third floor is a ‘retail section’ as well. It’s nice just to look around even when you can’t buy anything. It’s such a good idea, it makes me wonder why it hasn’t been attempted here. It would instil a strong sense of community in what are otherwise soulless, grey tower blocks. Unless it has somewhere, I don’t know – somebody will point it out in the comments if it has.
A slight disappointment when playing Shenmue II for the Trophies, is that it’s clear that d3t, the developer, weren’t huge fans of the game. There’s nothing for uncovering the secret fighters, collecting the medals, the Fangmei birthday event, or otherwise seeing and doing things that could be missed. But hey, that’s just Achievements in general for you. They rarely are all that inspired.
There is still an impressive amount of things to see and do here, a world away from its predecessor. You can now play darts against a series of characters, you can take part in street fights, try to win big money in high stakes gambling, play pachinko tables, or carry crates for a living. That last one gets very dull very quickly so if you need money, I would recommend the various gambling houses on either Fortune’s Pier, Wan Chai, or the Old Government Office Site in Kowloon. You can win up to HK$18,000!
Speaking of money and secrets, there is of course ducks. No, I’m not mad. This game is. Because, after meeting certain conditions, you can take part in illegal street duck racing! ‘Wait, what?’ you say. No, you read that right the first time. It takes place in the Wise Men’s Quarter of Wan Chai and you need to have reached it before you meet Ren.
The whole Quarter is closed off and eight ducks in differently coloured bow ties will race one lap around it. I don’t know how you would train a duck to do this. I don’t know why they wouldn’t just fly off for the winter or something. I don’t know how you calculate the odds in such an endeavour. But you need to stop thinking about it so hard because none of these things matter! What matters is picking one which will net you the highest pay out, then keep reloading until you win the big bucks! Ha ha, fast ducks for big bucks.
All your street fights, mini-games, and arcade games will be stored in your Shenmue Collection on the main menu for whenever you feel like punching Master Baihu in his stupid, pasty face again. Which is quite good. Sadly, if you want to see the madness of duck racing again (and you absolutely must at least once before you die), you’ll need to either play through the game again or leave one of your save files around about that area.
So yes, there are still some sections that will irritate newcomers. That part time job carrying crates where your partner screams QTE instructions at you like a lunatic, dancing around the floor like you’re some sort of ice skater. It is reliable, steady money though. You can even do it again in Kowloon if you’re some sort of masochist. The QTEs are harder there and the operation is run by a girl Ryo’s age wearing all black leather like some sort of Casual Friday dominatrix. I’m pretty sure she’s a criminal. If popular culture has taught me nothing else is that girls in black leather are usually up to no good.
Carrying those books out of the temple library for Xiuying every morning until you decide to go after Ren can be quite the test, too. Yep, more QTEs here, in case you were wondering. No, I don’t know why he has to carry them in such unstable and ungainly piles and no, I don’t how ‘airing out the books’ is supposed to be a good thing, either. I think Xiuying is just screwing with Ryo on purpose. She almost admits as much. That said, I’m pretty good at them by now and if you carry them all out you’ll be awarded free move scrolls by the monk, Hanhui. I think he gives you up to five.
You may also be confused by the Guilin section. You would be forgiven for assuming that the bit where you Die Hard your way up the Yellow Head Building is the finale. And it is. So you may well question why the game is carrying on. This is where you’ll finally meet Shenhua, the girl on the front of the box. Yes, she is somewhat dull – but to say she’s more so than Ryo is much too harsh. Have you already forgotten Snore-zomi? Oh, I see. Of course, you would have. Hey, she at least has magic powers and might even be a Chinese equivalent of Princess Anastasia Romanov! Just a guess. Think of this bit as an extended, semi-interactive ending sequence. The scenery is lovely, there isn’t much in the way of threat and you can relax. How much mileage you get out of such a reward will naturally vary.
So, there you have it. I hope this lengthy dissertation has helped explain what the fans of Shenmue see in it. Or maybe it hasn’t and you think we’re all quackers.
By reader DMR
The reader’s feature does not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. As always, email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk and follow us on Twitter.
Celebrations are in order for Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez who got engaged this weekend on their romantic holiday in the Bahamas.
Alex, 43, popped the question to the Love Don’t Cost A Thing singer on Saturday in Baker’s Bay where they are currently enjoying a cosy getaway to celebrate their two-year anniversary.
The retired MLB player announced the exciting news on Instagram with a photo of the stunning, large diamond ring he proposed to Jennifer with. Alex captioned the image: ‘She said yes,’ and interestingly tagged the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Jennifer shared the same photo with several love heart emojis.
The singer’s rep confirmed the engagement to People, stating: ‘They are on vacation and got engaged today.’
Leading the stream of congratulations, J.Lo’s friend Khloe Kardashian shared the engagement photo on her Instagram Stories with love hearts, while Paris Hilton commented: ‘Congratulations gorgeous.’
Ryan Seacrest added: ‘Congrats JLo and ARod!’ while Jenna Dewan, Kourtney Kardashian, Gwen Stefani and Gabrielle Union and Heidi Klum were among the others to send on their congratulations.
Perhaps hinting at his impending proposal, Alex shared a poem hours before titled Soulmate.
Two years down, a lifetime to go (Picture: Getty Images)
It read: ‘A soulmate isn’t someone who completes you. No, a soulmate is someone who inspires you to complete yourself.
‘A soulmate is someone who loves you with so much conviction, and so much heart, that it is nearly impossible to doubt just how capable you are of becoming exactly who you have always wanted to be.’
Cute.
Last week, Jennifer shared a sweet tribute to her fiance to mark their two years together.
Alongside a sweet montage of their best photos, J.Lo wrote: ‘Two years of laughter. Two years of fun. Two years of adventures. Of excitement of growing and learning. Of true friendship
‘And so much love!! You make my world a more beautiful safe and stable place… in the midst of our ever-changing, ever moving life… te amo Macho.’
Now this is one wedding we can’t wait for.
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Justin Bieber has concerned fans after admitting he’s been ‘struggling’ recently, just weeks after reports claimed he has postponed his second wedding to wife Hailey Baldwin to focus on his mental health.
The 25-year-old revealed his personal struggles in an emotional Instagram post early on Sunday morning, alongside a throwback 2016 photo of him hugging Kanye West and his longtime manager Scooter Braun.
In the message, Justin explained: ‘Just wanted to keep you guys updated a little bit hopefully what I’m going through will resonate with you guys.
The Sorry singer continued: ‘Just feeling super disconnected and weird.. I always bounce back so I’m not worried just wanted to reach out and ask for your guys to pray for me.
‘God is faithful and ur prayers really work thanks .. the most human season I’ve ever been in facing my stuff head on.’
Justin was flooded with supportive messages from fans who encouraged him to think positive. One stated: ‘Vulnerability is power.’
It comes just weeks after reports that Justin pushed back his forthcoming wedding to Hailey, 22. The couple secretly tied the knot in September 2018 at a New York courthouse and were planning a full ceremony so their friends and family could attend.
Justin and Hailey have ‘postponed’ their wedding (Picture: GC Images)
A source told People: ‘They will have a wedding ceremony with family and friends eventually. However, right now, Justin’s focus is getting well mentally.
‘Justin is doing okay. He is very focused and committed to getting help. Hailey is very supportive – Justin is very open about that, Hailey does nothing but help him.’
Kate and Pete couldn’t be happier right now (Picture: Rex Features)
Pete Davidson has finally confirmed his romance with Kate Beckinsale and he’s ‘not bothered’ about their 20-year age gap either, FYI.
The Saturday Night Live comedian casually addressed his blossoming romance with the British actress during the Weekend Update on last night’s episode.
When asked if there was anything to add at the end of the weekly segment, Pete, 25, tried to act nonchalant about his new relationship with Kate, 45, and their controversial age gap with two decades separating them.
Without mentioning Kate’s name, Pete said: ‘Apparently people have a crazy fascination with our age difference.’
He added: ‘It doesn’t really bother us, but then again I’m new to this…
‘So if you have questions about a relationship with a big age difference, just ask Leonardo DiCaprio, Jason Statham, Michael Douglas, Richard Gere, Jeff Goldblum, Scott Disick, Dane Cook, Derek Jeter, Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee, Alec Baldwin, Sean Penn and whoever the president of France is.’
Oh, and he still wasn’t done.
What a way to go public (Picture: Rex Features)
‘Mel Gibson, Billy Joel, Mick Jagger, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy, Kelsey Grammer. Larry King, Larry King, Larry King, Rod Stewart and Donald Trump,’ he continued.
It was thought their romance had cooled as they were only spotted on occasion after, but they’ve ramped up the PDA in recent weeks.
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