Celine Dion has paid tribute to her mum Therese Tanguay Dion, who has died aged 92.

As she took to the stage tonight, Celine revealed she was dedicating her show to her mother, affectionately known in her native Canada as ‘Maman Dion’.

It was reported earlier tonight by Radio-Canada, who broke the news Therese passed away this week.

It is believed Therese – who had 14 children including Celine – died on Thursday night, and was surrounded by her family at the time of her passing.

As of the time of writing, it’s not known which of Therese’s children, including Celine, were with her at the time, and there are no further details about her death.

Sharing a photo on Twitter, Celine wrote: ‘Mom, we love you so much …We dedicate the show to you tonight and I will sing for you with all my heart.

‘Love, Céline xx…’

Maman, nous t’aimons tellement…
Nous te dédions le spectacle de ce soir et je chanterai pour toi avec tout mon coeur. // Maman, we love you so much… We dedicate tonight’s show to you and I’ll sing to you with all my heart. Love, Céline xx…
📸 : Richard Gauthier pic.twitter.com/5kQDL1ILbs

— Celine Dion (@celinedion) January 17, 2020

It’s been an emotional week for the My Heart Will Go On hitmaker, as Therese’s death comes just two days after the fourth anniversary of the death of Celine’s husband, Rene Angelil, and Thursday also marked the fourth anniversary of the passing of her brother Daniel.

Celine, 51, is currently on her Courage World Tour and earlier took to social media to mark the anniversary of her husband’s passing, where she thanked him for ‘watching over’ her and their sons René-Charles, 19, and 10-year-old twins Eddy and Nelson.

She wrote: ‘Il n’y a pas une journée où je ne pense pas à ton magnifique sourire. Tu nous manques, merci de veiller sur nous mon amour. Je t’aime, Céline xx…

‘There is not a day that goes by without me thinking about your beautiful smile. We miss you, thank you for watching over us my love. I love you. Céline xx…(sic)’

Celine recently admitted she is open to finding love again and remarrying, but she isn’t worried if she doesn’t find a new partner because she still has the music manager ‘within’ her.

Asked if she is open to remarrying and if she’s dating again, she said: ‘I don’t date. I don’t have a boyfriend and you know, it doesn’t mean that I will not find someone in my life. If I do, that would be great. If I don’t, that would be great, because I am still in love.

‘Once you’re in love so much, you know, I’ve been living all my life with Rene. He is still within me. I see him through the eyes of my children every day. I’m so passionate about life and I’m so lucky to have my three beautiful sons.

‘But, I keep everything open. If it happens, I’m not looking for that. I think it’s something that happens, that you feel, that comes, and right now, if I would have someone in my life, I would tell you because I’ve been an open book all my life. If I do, I’ll come back and tell you about it.’

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Lisa Armstrong has liked a tweet branding ex Ant McPartlin ‘s****y and spineless’ as the pair have reportedly reached a divorce settlement two years after they split.

The make-up artist, 43, took to Twitter earlier in the week to slam claims she had been awarded £31million in the divorce settlement, and to thank fans for their support.

She also liked a series of tweets suggesting that the money was of little importance in comparison to the emotional cost of the break-up.

One tweet she liked read: ‘I bet the money means nothing in some respects, it certainly can’t buy the respect she deserves or make up for the s****y spineless way he scurried off & tried to silence her. Whatever the sum is I’m sure it will be put to much better use & I wish her all the best.’

Another tweet she liked read: ‘Why do people care what you get, no amount of money big or small can change the fact a heart was broken’.

A report in The Sun had alleged that Ant, 44, and Lisa had come to an agreement over their divorce settlement which claimed Ant would hand over ‘more than half his £50million fortune’.

Lisa denied the claims, tweeting: ‘Nope a load of nonsense AGAIN…’ and ‘I deny it cos it’s not true….’

A source also told The Sun: ‘Ant and Lisa agreed to settle and sign their divorce agreement during a productive and civil meeting on Tuesday.

‘Ant made a very generous settlement that works out to be more than half of everything that he has.

‘He is delighted because it means he can put what has been a very difficult chapter in his life behind him and move on.’

The couple had married in July 2006 and announced they were divorcing almost 12 years later, in January 2018.

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Love Island’s Siannise Fudge has angered music fans all over the world as she claimed to like the metal genre – before name-dropping the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Yes, the Red Hot Chili Peppers of Dani Californication fame.

Attempting to get to know newbies Connagh Howard and Finley Tapp a little more, she asked the pair what music they are both into.

Connagh replied: ‘I like a bit of everything, drum and base, R&B, metal, all that s**t, especially when I’m in the gym.’

Jumping on to the metal mention, Siannise’s eyes practically lit up.

‘Do you know… I quite like, have you heard of… I do like a few songs,’ she said.

‘Shall I tell you who I love? Red Hot Chili Peppers!’

Just in case we hadn’t quite heard of them, she then took a second to belt out a few bars of By The Way – which is still a total bop.

But fans watching on were left baffled by the whole thing, flocking to Twitter to discuss her music credentials.

DID SIANNISE JUST SAY THAT RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS ARE METAL HAHAHAHAHAHA @LoveIsland #LoveIsland cant Cope

— elise (@TedfordElise) January 17, 2020

“I like a bit of metal…like what’s that Red Hot Chili Peppers band”. #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/xOzU6MR4jp

— Hannah Rachel Powell (@Hanaranah) January 17, 2020

“Ooohh you like metal music, so do I actually.. do you know that band? Erm… what are they called?? Erm what are they called again?” .. And then comes out with Red Hot Chili Peppers 😂😂 #NotAClue #LoveIsland

— Nikki Elliott (@NikkiElliottx) January 17, 2020

The AUDACITY of some of these islanders, agreeing with a bloke saying she likes metal and backing this up with loving ‘red hot chili peppers’ #LoveIsland

— Emily Louise (@emilylouise_07) January 17, 2020

‘Did Siannise REALLY just say she likes metal and then start singing red hot chili peppers. Uncultured. #LoveIsland,’ one fumed.

‘Siannise just referred to Red Hot Chili Peppers as metal and I can hear Anthony Kiedis frothing at the mouth, christ #LoveIsland,’ another agreed.

While one viewer screamed: ‘“I do like metal I really like red hot chili peppers” ARE YOUUUU SERRIOOUSSSS #loveisland.’

Unfortunately, the majority of people slating Siannise have spelled Red Hot Chili Peppers wrong, causing Red Hot Chilli Peppers (with the two ls) to trend on Twitter.

Note to critics: Maybe get the band’s name right before you make fun of their ‘fans’?

And, to be fair to Siannise, there are definitely ~less~ metal bands out there…

Love Island continues daily, at 9pm, on ITV2.

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Rihanna has ‘split’ from boyfriend Hassan Jameel, after around three years together.

The We Found Love Singer first started dating the businessman back in 2016, and they were seen together for the first time the following year.

However, the pair have now reportedly called time on their relationship, according to Us Weekly.

Despite being one of the biggest stars in the entire world, the 31-year-old has kept much of her relationship with the businessman under wraps.

All that changed last year when she lifted the lid on her personal life in a candid chat with Vogue, admitting: ‘Yeah, I’m dating.

‘I’m actually in an exclusive relationship for quite some time, and it’s going really well, so I’m happy.’

‘When asked whether she wants children in her future, Rihanna replied: ‘Without a doubt.’

In true form, she added: ‘I don’t think about stuff like that. I don’t know, God’s plan.

‘But I look forward to all the pregnancy rumours after this interview.’

Rihanna has yet to publicly comment on the split claims.

The Loud star previously dated Chris Brown, and has been linked to a string of other famous faces, including Drake and Leonardo DiCaprio.

While Hassan called time on his marriage with Lina Lazaar shortly before he started seeing Rihanna, and also dated Naomi Campbell.

Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for a comment.

The first winter Love Island has only been on for a matter of days, but it’s already had the first dumping as an Islander was evicted following the recoupling.

One half of the twins, Eve Gale became the first contestant to be ditched from the island after being left without a partner in the recoupling.

However, they technically aren’t the first person to leave the show, after Ollie Williams walked out just three days into the show.

The original couples had already been given a shake-up from the very first day after twins Eve and Jess Gale were brought in to steal two men from their original partners, choosing Callum Jones and Mike Boateng.

This left Shaughna Phillips and Leanne Amaning single, though their boys did choose to leave the twins for their original partners ahead of the recoupling.

Paige Turley was also left single after Ollie walked out of the villa, stating that he was ‘still in love’ with his ex on the outside.

However, despite their close connection, the recoupling meant the twins were separated as Eve was sent home while Jess remained in the villa paired up with Nas.

In the recoupling, Finley Tapp chose Paige Turley to couple up with, Connagh Howard picked Sophie Piper and Mike Boateng chose Leanne Amaning.

Callum Jones picked Shaughna Phillips to pair up with, Connor Durman chose Siannise Fudge and Nas Majeed went for Jess Gale.

Love Island continues nightly on ITV2 from 9pm.

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Sky One’s newest drama, the tense political thriller Cobra, aired tonight and set the scene for a truly world-shifting first series.

The series follows the titular government cabinet that deals with high-level threats, led by Prime Minister Robert Sutherland (Trainspotting’s Robert Carlyle) and his fearsome chief of staff Anna Marshall (The Crown’s Victoria Hamilton).

The episode ended on a massive cliffhanger, as a solar flare for the sun basically destabilised the entire country, cutting off all the power. The question we have now is…what next?

1. What’s next after the solar flare?

Cobra’s debut ended in true style as we saw London – and the entire country – suffer a major blackout following the fall-out of the solar flare. Lights, electricity, everything disappeared in the blink of an eye in a truly stunning final shot.

But what’s next for Britain after this? Cobra now shifts from a modern-day political thriller to some kind of dystopian hybrid, and it will be interesting to see how the show deals with the inevitable societal breakdown this causes.

2. Will Archie lead a government coup?

From the off, we’re aware that Home Secretary Archie Glover-Morgan (David Haig) isn’t the greatest fan of the Prime Minister and has machinations to take the top job for himself.

After the one-two punch of the airplane crash and now the full solar blackout, morale for Sutherland’s leadership will certainly plummet and leave people to ask the question – who’s next?

We don’t think it’ll take much for Archie to drum up interest in a coup and make his dreams for a tenure at Number 10 a distinct possibility.

3. Is the press going to find out about the PM’s daughter?

In a momentary detour from the chaos, we saw the Prime Minister’s personal life thrown into crisis when it emerged that after graduating uni, his daughter and her friend had taken a bad batch of drugs.

Luckily, the PM’s child was unhurt, but her friend OD’d and died in hospital.

If the press got hold of this  – and the fact Sutherland didn’t visit his daughter, deciding instead to deal with the impending solar flare crisis – they’ll be out for blood, which will certainly help Archie out.

4. What happened in Anna’s past?

We were all surprised when ice queen Anna was met at the door with a mysterious stranger who she seemed to recognise intimately.

It soon emerged this mystery man was from Anna’s past life as a war correspondent, and we can’t decide if the previously thought-dead soldier has returned to revisit his relationship with the Chief of Staff or cause trouble for her.

And, while we’re at it, what exactly did Anna get up to as a journalist – we’re betting it all has something to do with why she made to move into politics.

5. Will the government be blamed for the crisis?

The Prime Minister had a tough decision to make this episode – he knew the solar flare might hit, yet decided not to ground any flights in and out of the country to save a public panic.

This backfired spectacularly as an airplane crashed down on a British motorway.

Will the Prime Minister’s judgment now be called into question? We saw Archie support him in the board meeting, but we think he’ll be the first to speak up and blame Sutherland for the catastrophe.

Cobra continues next Friday at 9pm on Sky One. All episodes are available to stream via NOW TV.

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It was an emotional episode of Deadwater Fell as the fallout from the horrific fire continued, with the town’s residents mourning the loss of Kate and her three children in mysterious circumstances.

Jess (Cush Jumbo) is determined to clear Kate’s (Anna Madeley) name as the finger of suspicion continued to point at her. Meanwhile Tom (David Tennant) came out of hospital and by all accounts is a dangerous killer – or is he?

Elsewhere Steve’s (Matthew McNulty) world was rocked when Jess suddenly confessed to him that she had slept with Tom and that she fears he might have played a bigger part in the fire than what he’s letting on.

And as usual there was a huge twist as a flashback threw fresh doubts on who is responsible.

Here are all the questions we need after episode two.

Is Dylan lying about what he saw?

First things first; the big cliffhanger. In a police interview, Dylan (Lewis Gribben) claimed that he had seen Tom catch up to his daughter Emily when she was running through the woods on the night of the fire.

However a flashback revealed it was actually Kate who found Emily and carried her back to the house.

Is Dylan telling porkies? Or is he genuinely confused about what he saw? And if he is lying, why?

How much does Tom remember?

Tom has insisted that much of the night of the fire is a blur, and that he can’t even remember his wife saying anything in the moments leading up to her death.

When Jess pressed him about the issue, Tom snapped at her before acting apologetic moments later. Why is he being cagey?

Is Sasha really from teacher training?

Jess met Kate’s friend Sasha (Seline Hizli) at the funeral, explaining that Kate mentioned she met her at teacher training.

Their discussion in the pub later revealed they did more than training together, taking drugs and going on wild nights out.

Sasha seemed to be confused about the whole teacher training thing, so how did she really know Kate?

And she was adamant that there was no way Kate would hurt her own children, yet it’s looking like she might have…

Why was Kate crying?

A flashback scene saw Jess try and put a drunk Kate to bed with little success. After Tom stepped in and told her to sleep it off, Kate burst into tears and repeated ‘I don’t want to feel like this any more’ over and over.

Was it just drunken blubbing? Was she referring to her mental health? Or is it something yet to be revealed?

Did Kate know about Tom and Jess?

Jess said that Kate might have hinted that she was aware of Tom and Jess’ one night stand. If she did know, was it Tom who told her? And might she have killed her own family out of revenge?

Or are Jess’ fears about Tom’s controlling behaviour right?

Deadwater Fell airs Fridays at 9pm on Channel 4.

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The jury for Harvey Weinstein’s upcoming trial has been confirmed, with seven men and five women selected.

It comes after model Gigi Hadid was formerly dismissed, after she was chosen, as a resident of New York City, to face jury selection.

The 12 jurors who will take in the testimony beginning next week were chosen on Friday after a lengthy two-week process.

On his way out of the courthouse, an ambling Weinstein – who recently had surgery on his back and is currently using the aid of a Zimmer frame – refused to answer questions about the jury selection, instead suggesting reporters ‘ask Donna’, referring to his lawyer Donna Rotunno.

Weinstein, 67, is facing charges of rape and sexual assault after numerous allegations came to light in 2017.

The disgraced film producer, whose companies have been behind such films as Pulp Fiction, The English Patient and Shakespeare In Love, is charged with raping one woman in a hotel room in the New York borough in 2013, and performing a forcible sex act on the second woman in 2006.

He denies the charges and all allegations of non-consensual sex. The trial is expected to last six weeks once jury selection is completed.

About 700 candidates were screened over the course before the select group were picked – with a three alternate jurors chosen to sit in a replace any permanent members unable to make it to deliberation.

As the trial is set to begin on Wednesday, Judge James Burke told potential jurors yesterday that the events were ‘not a referendum on the #MeToo movement’, adding they were expected to decide the fate of the fallen Hollywood mogul purely ‘on the evidence’ presented.

The trial is expected to conclude in early March.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Weinstein lawyer Damon Cheronis asked a panel of 20 potential jurors on Thursday the following questions: ‘Does anybody on this jury think that it’s possible that an individual can say they were sexually assaulted when they really weren’t? Does anybody think it’s possible that someone can have sex with someone they may not find attractive for reasons other than love? Does anybody think that a person who had consensual sex can change their story years later to turn someone into a pariah and say what was once consensual and then say it’ something different?’

On Thursday Gigi Hadid was dismissed as a potential juror, after telling the judge she believed she was able to remain impartial, despite meeting Salma Hayek, who may be called as a witness. She was excused 15 minutes after arriving to Manhattan Supreme Court.

On Monday Gigi, 24, was part of a pool of potential jurors and was asked by Justice James Burke to return to court on Thursday to answer further questions.

She’d earlier informed the court that she had also met Weinstein, however insisted ‘I think I’m still able to keep an open mind on the facts’.

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The Jonas Brothers have dropped the music video for their latest single What A Man Gotta Do – and it’s a pure nostalgia trip.

The video sees the JoBros pay homage to three blockbuster movies from the 20th century, as they also star alongside their wives – Priyanka Chopra, Sophie Turner and Danielle Jonas.

As the video begins, we see Nick and wife Priyanka parody Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay from the classic teen film Risky Business (1983) – and as Nick dances around the room trouser-less, his wife can be seen watching him from the sofa.

We then see Joe and his wife Sophie, and if you weren’t already aware of who they are meant to be, they are channelling Danny and Sandy from the musical Grease (1978) during their high school dance.

Sophie also happens to star as another Grease character in the video, as she portrays the nemesis Cha-Cha DiGregorio, who was proclaimed the best dancer at St Bernadette’s and ‘with the worst reputation’.

And as for Kevin and his wife, Danielle? Well, they are paying homage to the infamous boombox scene from the romantic comedy Say Anything (1989), which starred the likes of John Cusack and Ione Skye.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7X16HzJE7K/?utm_source=ig_embed

Nick and Priyanka had also recreated the Risky Business movie poster in the runup to the release of the song and video – and it’s safe to say that it’s a near-perfect attempt.

In the poster, Priyanka is seen showing off a little leg in just a shirt, while Nick seems to be taking a peek through his cool shades before getting his hands on his girl.

Sharing the poster to Instagram, Priyanka joked: ‘I’m risky… he’s the business @nickjonas @jonasbrothers.’

This isn’t the first time that the JoBros’ wives appeared in one of their music videos – Priyanka, Sophie and Danielle also starred in the video for the band’s comeback hit Sucker, which was released in March 2019.

Sucker was a huge success upon release, hitting number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and also going top 10 in several other countries.

And last year was a huge year for the boys, as not only did they make their long-awaited comeback with a new studio album, they picked up awards at the MTV Video Music Awards and Teen Choice Awards, and embarked on a sellout tour.

They have also been confirmed to be performing at the Grammy Awards at the end of this month, where they have been nominated in the category for best pop duo/group performnce.

We just love to see it.

What A Man Gotta Do is available to stream and download now.

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Love Island fans were left in stitches as new boy Finley Tapp opened up about what he likes in a woman – and it basically equates to having a spine.

While a spine is a pretty crucial part of the body, most would agree, that’s one of the things Finley finds most attractive in the opposite sex.

The 20-year-old hunk previously admitted to having a foot fetish during a challenge on his first day in the villa, and there are other body parts he likes, too.

As far as fetishes go, feet are pretty normal, but Finley also likes women to have a nice neck and spine, too.

Speaking to Paige Turley on the balcony, Finley confessed: ‘It’s the icing on the cake if someone has nice feet.’

Paige then went to walk away, before turning back and telling him: ‘Don’t look at my feet now!’

Finley then added: ‘I like a neck and back’, to which Paige replied: ‘F**k, you don’t ask for much, do you?’

Finey explained: ‘These are just weird things I just have a look at. They’re not the dealbreakers, no chance.’

When it came to explaining what makes a good back versus a bad back, Finley revealed: ‘You see the line down the middle? Gotta have one of them. And you’ve got it as well! Ah mate, you see? It’s banging!’

He added: ‘You know like the little dimple there? It’s that’, as he pointed at the bottom of his back.

Fans were quick to jump on the fact he pretty much exposed a spine fetish, tweeting: ‘Finley basically said he likes women who have a spine’ and ‘Back? Neck? Finley what are you on?’

Others found it hilarious, tweeting: ‘Finley and his fetishes are killing me’ and ‘The line…Oh, you mean the spine?!?!?!?!?’

Hey, the boy likes what he likes, ok? Even if it’s elbows and nostrils, whatever floats his boat…

Love Island continues nightly on ITV2 from 9pm. 

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Two weeks after announcing she’d welcomed a daughter Raddix with husband Benji Madden, Cameron Diaz has been seen for the first time.

Running errands in Los Angeles earlier this week, the Charlies Angels star was seen without her new bundle of joy, instead cradling a notepad, phone and glasses, with a tote on her arm.

In a cozy sweater, jeans and boots, the star didn’t appear to be with her Good Charlotte rocker husband, 40, either, as she looked like a woman on a mission.

It comes after the couple announced their happy news on 3 January with first-time mum Cameron confirming the arrival of Raddix on Instagram – surprisingly everyone as it was not publicly known the pair were expecting.

She said: ‘We are so happy blessed and grateful to begin this new decade by announcing the birth of our daughter, Raddix Madden.

‘She has instantly captured our hearts and completed our family.’

The star, 47, added that she and Benji will not be posting any pictures of their little bundle of joy on social media.

‘While we are overjoyed to share this news, we also feel a strong instinct to protect our little one’s privacy,’ she continued. ‘So we won’t be sharing any more details, other than the fact that she is really really cute!! Some would even say RAD :).’

Last week Benji was spotted for the first time since the news as he headed out on a coffee run in Los Angeles, probably picking up something to help the couple get through the sleepless nights.

The couple have been married since 2015 and have largely kept their relationship private.

In an interview with InStyle last year, she confessed that marriage is ‘hard work’ but that Benji is the one for her.

She said: ‘He’s just a good man. There’s no bulls**t. It’s really refreshing. I’m really grateful for him.’

It seems they’ll be splitting parent duties straight down the middle, too, as Cameron dished of her beau and their union: ‘Marriage is certainly hard, and it’s a lot of work.

‘You need somebody who’s willing to do the work with you, because there’s no 60-40 in marriage. It’s 50-50, period. All the time.’

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The first trailer for Normal People has dropped, and no one is prepared.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal have taken on the roles of Marianne and Connell in the small-screen adaptation of Sally Rooney’s bestselling 2018 novel.

The 12-part series – aired on BBC Three and Hulu – follows the star-crossed teenagers as they fall in and out of love, while dealing with peer pressure, societal issues and growing up.

And the teaser shows the pair at different stages of their rollercoaster romance, giving us glimpses at their school days and university parties.

Audio of their phone conversation plays over the trailer, in which Marianne can be heard telling him: ‘I keep thinking, how nice it was to see you.

‘I was thinking that I’ve missed…. having you in my life, and that maybe it would be nice to…. have you in it…. again?

‘I know we haven’t… really done the whole friendship thing, but I guess I was just wondering if we could…’

We didn’t think it was possible to feel that many emotions in the space of 50 seconds, so we’re absolutely not ready for 12 entire episodes of it.

Fans flocked to Twitter to rave about the clip, with one commenting: ‘One of my favourite books!!! Very excited for this.

‘Omg I’m already in my feelings,’ another replied.

An impressed follower posted: ‘Please let this be what I hope it is.’

While a social media user added: ‘I’m not emotionally prepared for this.’

The series has been adapted by author Sally herself, alongside writers Alice Birch and Mark O’Reefe, with Lenny Abrahamson in the director’s chair.

Speaking about her novel being made into a series, the writer said: ‘As a longtime admirer of Lenny Abrahamson’s work, it’s a special privilege for me to be working alongside him on the adaptation of Normal People.

‘I couldn’t be happier with the cast and team we’ve put together, and I’m very excited to watch them bringing new life to the story onscreen.’

Normal People is set to air on BBC this spring.

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As he tries to make his mark in the Love Island villa, Connor Durman has been slammed by his ex, who has branded him ‘money driven’.

Stevie-Leigh Pich, 22, has opened up on her relationship with the former butler-in-the-buff, claiming she only found out Connor cheated after he bragged about going on a date with someone else on the show during the timeframe they were dating.

Not believing Connor is in the villa for fame, she recalled the Worthing lad used to work seven days a week to make sure he had the cash coming in.

Extraordinarily, Stevie-Leigh also claimed Connor ‘banned’ her from going on the show.

Speaking to The Sun, she said: ‘I was approached for Love Island last year, he told me I’d never get on it so I never expected him to apply for it.

‘It’s mad seeing him on TV because I keep thinking ‘that’s my Connor’ even though he’s not anymore.

‘He was my best mate and from what friends have said it doesn’t sound like he’s the boy I fell in love with.

‘It sounds like he’s coming across as a f***boy.’

The pair lived together for three years and travelled to Australia together, with Stevie-Leigh saying she only found out he took another woman on a date after he bragged about it in the first episode of the winter edition.

In the press pack of the show, Connor chimed: ‘I’ve actually already had the best date. When I was in Sydney, I met this girl on Instagram and messaged her because we had mutual friends.

‘I booked this cinema in the park with a double bed, bottle of champagne and we watched A Star Is Born-best first date ever.’

Would be sweet in any other world, but according to his ex, the pair were still together.

She said: ‘It’s such a massive shock. He told me he was going to see A Star is Born with two male friends – I had no reason to suspect him.’

Despite insisting she has ‘no hard feelings’ towards her ex, the make-up artist revealed she ‘felt sick’ when he boasted about having a threesome, while also pouring cold water on the idea he’s slept with 100 women.

In this week’s Love Or Lie Island, body language expert Judi James called Connor ‘controlling’ during his interaction with previous partner in the villa Sophie Piper.

Discussing the heated discussion they had over Sophie’s excitement for new boys entering the villa – which has attracted yet more Ofcom complaints – Judi told Metro.co.uk: ‘She was being fun.

‘We do need to remember, this is a guy that works as a naked butler, who boasts about having had over 100 women and having threesomes, and after doing that, he’s now having a go at her for being funny.

‘I’m sure she’s got a good career ahead of her, she’s stunning, she seems like a very nice person, he’s not going to help her at all.’

Blasting his antics as ‘controlling’ she insisted: ‘In between these two incidents, they have been displaying the most flirting, and building proper relationship signals. But that makes it even worse because he has no right to behave like this.

‘He’s being absolutely awful in doing that. They’re not even a couple, and if he’s being like that now… That will only get worse, that behaviour.

‘It worries me because she looks genuinely worried as though she’s done the wrong thing.’

However with Connagh Howard picking Sophie Piper, Connor went with Siannise Fudge in tonight’s recoupling ceremony, so he may have more luck this week.

Metro.co.uk contacted Love Island for comment.

MORE: Love Island’s Finley Tapp’s fetishes get weirder as he admits to liking women to have a spine

MORE: Love Island fans cringe as Siannise Fudge brands Red Hot Chili Peppers ‘metal band’

Lady Gaga is apparently going to be making her musical comeback sooner than we expected, as she is said to be releasing a new single next month.

The record will be the first solo single from Mother Monster to drop in four whole years, with an album to follow later in the year.

A source told The Sun: ‘Gaga has been working hard in the studio for the last year and is really excited about what she’s got. She is sticking to what she is good at and the first single is very pop.

‘She knows she can’t spend too long away from the industry so wants to come back now while there’s still so much love for her.’

The album will be the follow-up to 2016’s Joanne, and is said to be slated for release on 7 February.

From the sounds of it, Gaga, 33, will be heading back to her pop roots for at least part of the new record, which is sure to please her Little Monsters.

The paper also reports that Gaga is planning to tour the UK in support of the album, which will mean fans get to hear her new material live, too.

Lady Gaga announced at her show tonight that she will be doing her Las Vegas residency for another year! #ENIGMA pic.twitter.com/m2GM4PevCY

— LG Updates (@LadyGagaVegas) December 29, 2019

Her most recent album was the soundtrack for her hit movie A Star Is Born, with Bradley Cooper, which went to number one in multiple countries after its 2018 release.

Gaga is also currently in the midst of her Las Vegas residency, Enigma, which is due to finish in May this year.

Her residency has been hugely successful, grossing $53.8million (£41.3million) in 2019 alone, having sold over 185,000 tickets.

She also hinted that her residency could be extended past May, telling the crowd in December that she would sign on for ‘another year’ or maybe two.

Here’s hoping there’s a break in there for new music too, because we need that new album to drop in 2020.

MORE: Lady Gaga admits she and Bradley Cooper ‘created’ those romance rumours: ‘We did a good job fooling everyone’

MORE: Lady Gaga recalls horrific PTSD and ‘intense pain’ after being ‘repeatedly raped’ aged 19

Love Island’s Connor Durman branded Connagh Howard ‘snaky’ after the newbie chose to pair up with Sophie Piper in the first recoupling session.

And the 25-year-old was not about to hide his feelings about the drama, blasting the ‘dishonesty’.

Unfortunately for the former butler-in-the-buff, the model was the second person to choose who he would like to be partnered up with, and opted to get to know Rochelle Humes’ sister a little more.

Standing up to make his own decision a few moments later, Connor threw all kinds of shade at his new love rival, explaining: ‘I’ve found myself in this situation, I feel like I’ve been snaked out a little bit.

‘People being dishonest, but I’m in it now…’

After the least romantic speech in the history of Love Island, he then chose to couple up with Siannise Fudge, but looked less than thrilled about the situation.

A teaser for Sunday night’s instalment shows he’s not about to forget the savage moment in a hurry, telling his co-stars he’s raging.

‘I’m p****d off with what’s happened tonight,’ he fumed.

To which Mike Boateng replied: ‘There’s a lot of things that he’s done which are questionable.’

Even Siannise wasn’t best pleased, telling Connagh she felt blindsided by the decision after making a move on him.

‘I just felt a little bit misled,’ she said.

‘Me standing there, I felt like a bit of a d***head.’

But it was left to Connor (or small Connor, as he’s now been renamed) to have the last word, insisting: ‘May the best man win.’

Fans have been turned off by his behaviour so far, and we’re not even a week into the show.

While they’ve only known each other a matter of days, he was previously seen berating Sophie after she got excited at the idea of two new boys entering the villa.

And he also got upset as the 21-year-old made a joke about his revelation that he had a threesome, raising red flags for those watching on from home.

Reigning champion Amber Gill has now warned Sophie from getting any closer to him.

‘I do think that Sophie needs to be careful. What I saw from Connor was intense,’ the 22-year-old told the Sun.

‘He seemed like a control freak Sophie seems really sweet, so just needs to watch out, as she is a little bit vulnerable.

‘I wouldn’t have any of that from him myself.’

Petition to get Amber in the villa to give Connor a talking to?

Love Island continues daily at 9pm, on ITV2.

MORE: Lady Gaga’s first solo single in four years ‘to be released in February’ ahead of next album

MORE: Love Island’s Connor Durman slammed by ex, who labels him ‘f**kboy’ and claims he ‘banned her from going on show’

A reader looks at Microsoft’s motives for not having any Xbox Series X exclusives at launch and predicts a new console every two to three years.

There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Microsoft’s decision to not have console exclusives at the Xbox Series X launch. From a historical gaming perspective, it seems stupid but if viewed from a business perspective it is potentially a stroke of genius. I will try and explain why I came to this conclusion.

The lack of Series X exclusives for the first year or so is certainly odd but it is not completely unprecedented. Nintendo released the Legend Of Zelda titles Twilight Princess and Breath Of The Wild on both new and old consoles. Despite owning a GameCube I bought a Wii on release day for Twilight Princess. I also bought Breath Of The Wild on Switch despite having a Wii U. (Although that was not at launch as I waited until Mario Odyssey was released.)

Buying a console to have the best version of multiformat games is also something I have done previously. During the previous generation my main console was the Xbox 360, as it offered the best experience for multiformat games, I also had a PlayStation 3 but I only used that for the Sony exclusives. Therefore, not having console exclusives is not a complete no-no even if it does remove a unique selling point.

This generation I did not buy an Xbox One as the release model was weaker and more expensive than the PlayStation 4. However, despite there being no exclusives that interested me I was tempted by the Xbox One X. The main reason for not buying one was thinking that it would become quickly obsolete with the introduction of the new generation. Microsoft’s current approach however means that the Xbox One X will remain relevant for longer. I am still not going to buy an Xbox One X but if this becomes Microsoft’s business model from now on it might convince me to buy a later Xbox console.

The console market is very cyclical, with platformer holders having to regrow their installed base every console generation. This leads to cyclical profits where a lot of money is invested in a new console and it takes a few years to get a return on investment and then a few years later the cycle restarts. The Xbox division is likely to be far more cyclic than other divisions within Microsoft and will not achieve the investors requirements of year-on-year growth because of these console cycles, whereas other Microsoft divisions will be able to provide continual grow.

Failing to meet targets will have meant needless redundancies and the inevitable loss of some talented people just to appease shareholders and/or upper management. So to combat this (but mainly to make the accounting/forecasting easier), Microsoft are trying to flatten the curve and make profits more predictable. This also reduces the risk of a Saturn-sized mistake bankrupting the division.

I can easily see a structure where there are three Xbox consoles on the market at any one time and each has around a 10-year life. So every two to three years a new Xbox model is introduced and the bottom model stops being sold. This enables Microsoft to always have a premium $600+ machine (Series X) that is best in class but also a competitive mass market $400 model (Lockhart) and a budget $200 option (One X).

Microsoft have already ensured that their games are backwards compatible which means regardless of which future Xbox you buy all your games will still work. And with xCloud they can probably do the opposite too, whereby if you have an Xbox One you would be able to stream all future titles too.

Game Pass is clearly positioning itself to be the number one subscription service and when coupled with xCloud it could enable you to access any game on the service regardless of which Xbox you own, making Microsoft’s first party games Game Pass originals as opposed to console exclusives. One-off games purchases would still continue as they are now, and physical games will need to specify the minimum spec Xbox system required to run them. These will, however, be for non-subscribers as all games would be available on Game Pass at launch.

This shift to a combined Game Pass and xCloud would mean that if you have an older Xbox console (or older PC) new games could still be played, albeit by streaming only. Everyone (apart from Google) knows this will not be as good as running it locally but it will still be a way of accessing a game. And there will be people that start streaming a new game on an Xbox One S and decide they like it enough to buy an XBox Series X to improve the experience by running the game on local hardware.

Combining Game Pass and xCloud would also ease the transition from owning local hardware to streaming. At the point a gamer’s Xbox console no longer runs the latest games locally they may find that their Internet infrastructure has improved enough that playing the game via xCloud is good enough and they do not need to update their physical console.

I think Game Pass will be Microsoft’s real bread winner from now on and growing the number of subscribers is an achievable way of delivering year-on-year profit growth. From Microsoft’s perspective it would be great if Game Pass/xCloud helps to sell Xbox Series Xs and future consoles, but for Microsoft this now looks like a bonus sale and not the main objective.

If Game Pass is as great as everyone says (which I have no reason to doubt) it will be hard to step away from the Xbox family of consoles once you have subscribed. That is of course assuming the service maintains its quality. And if you stay subscribed, Microsoft will keep making money.

By reader PazJohnMitch

The reader’s feature does not necessary 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.

GameCentral readers try to decide on the best video games of the 2010s, from Red Dead Redemption to Rayman Legends.

We offered up our top 10 list over Christmas but what is your favourite from the years 2010 to 2019? What do you think were the most notable traits of gaming during the 2010s and how well does your pick exemplify them?

We had lots of very carefully thought out answers but although Super Mario Galaxy 2, Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, and Red Dead Redemption were mentioned a lot there was no clear winner, just lots of suddenly very nostalgic readers.

What it’s all about
For me the best game of the decade has to be The Witcher 3. I was a little worried as I made my deliberations that I was being influenced by the surprisingly good Netflix series but while it did inspire me to go back to the game that only cemented my feeling that it is the best game of the decade and generation.

People point out problems with the combat and some of the other mechanics and they’re right but the reason that’s not important is because The Witcher 3 is really all about… not so much the story but the interaction. Talking to and influencing people feels like you’re deal with real people and there’s no simple good and bad options.

Combine that with the superb mission design, which has sub quests better than the main story missions on most rivals and you have got an essentially perfect role-playing game. It’s certainly the best I’ve ever played and if Cyberpunk 2077 is better than that will really be something.
Baker

An active decade
Looking back at the releases over the past 10 years to pick three of my favourite games was quite an interesting trip down memory lane for me. I was an avid gamer as a kid, starting with the NES then SNES, N64, PlayStation 1 and 2, but then as I became an adult gaming slipped off the radar for a few years in place of pubs and wild nights out.

But around 2009/10 I started to get back into gaming, spurred on by the release of GTA 4, which I’d played at a friend’s house. As a result I’d probably say that the last 10 years have been my most active years of gaming, where I was old enough to be able to afford to buy new games and up until the birth of my first child four years ago was able to find plenty of time to play them too (I still find time, but it is in much shorter supply these days), anyway onto my list:

1. Red Dead Redemption (2010)
In my opinion the original Red Dead is probably the best of all Rockstar’s games and the one that I played the most. Red Dead Redemption 2, while technically brilliant and a game that I also thoroughly enjoyed just wasn’t a patch on the original.

2. Batman: Akrham City (2011)
Although not the best in the trilogy (for me that is still Asylum), this is the best entry in the last decade. I did also really enjoy Arkham Knight, including the much-maligned tank sections, but I just rate Arkham City a bit more, both as a gamer and as a Batman fan.

3. Astro Bot (2018)
The first game that I ever played in VR, which ultimately heralded a new era and gave an example of the future of gaming. I love this game for all that it is, even the minor details like seaweed dangling in your eyes as you come up from an underwater section, sheer joy from start to finish.

Interestingly, the list changed as I wrote it so special mentions also have to go to GTA 5 and the Resident Evil 2 remake which were originally on my list!
Rickandrolla (PSN ID)

Almost too good
I completely agree with your top two selections of best games of the decade. I would also say both could be considered the best games ever made. I didn’t have high hopes for either game, as I thought Super Mario Galaxy 2 was going to be a cheap cash-in but it was anything but. I would rate it above Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, as I thought that there were elements of Breath Of The Wild that could be improved upon. In Galaxy 2 the level that flips the world like the scene in the Inception movie was jaw dropping for me at the time and no other gaming moment has come close.

A special mention for me would be Mario Kart 8. The game I thought deserved to be in the top 10 ahead of Ultra Street Fighter 4. As, yes, Street Fighter 4 did reinvigorate the genre but I don’t think it had much of an impact in the wider perception of games as Mario Kart 8 did. Mario Kart 8 has a universal appeal that I don’t think any other multiplayer game has; not even FIFA, Call Of Duty, or Fortnite has that.

The game has a simple premise and simple controls that appeal to casuals and hardcore gamers. Mario Kart 8 is great to play, levels are well designed – with the anti-gravity they added something new. Nintendo have perfected the multiplayer game that I don’t know where they can go with the franchise.
Alek Kazam

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

Three times as good
My favourite game of the decade has to be the sublime Rayman Legends. I am late to the Rayman party as I never played the earlier games until they were released again last gen.

Playing Rayman Origins I instantly became a fan and wanted more of the experience. I went into my local electronics emporium to purchase a new TV. While I was waiting for the sales staff to go to the back and bring out my TV; I had a play on the Wii U they had set up on display.

That Wii U was running a Rayman Legends demo, which at the time was said to be a Wii U exclusive (it wasn’t out yet). I had to have it! When the salesperson came out with my TV I asked them to get me a Wii U as well.

When the game did eventually launch I regretted nothing. It played so well on the Wii U and I enjoyed it immensely. I enjoyed it so much I purchased it on the PC, and again when I went to a store and saw a brand-new copy sitting in a clearance bin for the Xbox 360. An unfitting end for what is in my opinion one of the most finely crafted platformers ever.

So my game of the decade is the one I own three copies of. It’s Rayman Legends.
Commodore Fan

Oh brother
My game of the decade is Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons.

A wonderful little game with a great mechanic (you control the two sons with the two thumbsticks), nice puzzles, beautiful graphics, and a massive emotional moment at the end if the story. I loved this game and recommend it to friends who are casual gamers who have no idea it exists.

I should also say I’m not the only one. it got a lot of praise in the GC Inbox when it was released.

If you’ve not played it, it’s often reduced to about £4 now in the Xbox sales.

Honourable mentions also to Call Of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2, and Portal 2.
Manic miner 100 (gamertag)

Rated fresh
Choosing the series my game of the decade comes from is surprisingly easy, the only difficulty is whether it should be Splatoon 1 or 2. Splatoon 2 is clearly the better game with Salmon Run, a greatly expanded single-player, and way more content but Splatoon 1 has Squid Jump!

The Splatoon duo are by far the most imaginative, stylish, and fun games of the decade. I’ve gladly been one of the biggest cheerleaders for them in the inbox, even writing a Reader’s Feature for the first one and would implore anyone who hasn’t played them to discover what they’re missing!
Ryan O’D

Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here

A lot of maxing
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this topic. Already knew my number one, but I can’t wait to see everyone else’s.

The game I’ve played the most between 2010 and 2019 was easy enough: Borderlands 2. I must have sunk 1,000 hours into it easily, I had it on Xbox 360 first and maxed all four characters, then on PlayStation 3 the same, then got the Handsome Collection on PlayStation 4 and maxed out six, as it had all the DLC. I still play it now when I gave up on Borderlands 3 after a month or so. But it’s not my best of the decade, despite adoring it and playing it continuously since release.

Around 2012/3 I’d really fallen out of love with gaming, I was still buying games, as is my habit and always will be, but never really getting into any. I’d play for a few hours a week, if that sometimes.
I was even close to selling my Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 for a while and sticking with my retro consoles.

Then I started playing a preowned game I’d picked up cheap: Dark Souls.

I didn’t know what on earth I was doing, I couldn’t get my head round why the skeletons at the beginning were so damn hard. Surely they’re the easiest, being so close to the start of the game was my thinking. I died over and over and over and over. I gave up on the game a few times, coming back a few days or weeks later for a go. Until it all clicked into place.

I found other areas, and it started getting a bit simpler. Bit by bit I got better, day by day getting used to the gameplay and every new enemy and every death being a learning process. By the time I finally finished the game I’d put hundreds of hours in, and gotten to level 200 or something – later playing all the way to 452 over time as seen in the pic below – and I’d re-found my love for gaming.

I’ve no doubt that with the passage of time it’ll usurp Final Fantasy 7 as my favourite game ever, but nostalgia and red-tinted specs is keeping Cloud and his mates in the number one spot for a bit longer at least. Or maybe just maybe he’ll take the spot from himself in a few months in his shiny new high-def form.

Dark Souls ended up being a bit of a poisoned chalice though. Nothing after gripped me in the same way, nothing has since really. I never finished Dark Souls 2 as it seemed such a let-down compared to the first, and I barely touched the third one and it’s still sat in my to-do pile about three years after I bought it.

I think I burnt myself out with Dark Souls games like I’ve done before with other franchises. Or in the case of Sony I’ve grown bored of AAA strut driven, action heavy, third person open world games (Horizon Zero Dawn, God Of War, Uncharted, Days Gone, etc.) although I did love Bloodborne until my data corrupted and I never had the will to start again.

I’ve enjoyed many games greatly but I haven’t become totally infatuated like I did with Dark Souls for a few months. Not only my game of the decade, but one of the best I’ve ever played in 35 years of gaming.

Honourable mention to Astro Bot which has been the closest thing to Dark Souls in terms of wowing me this decade, such a wonderfully joyous and fun game, such a shame so many people will never play it unless Sony have a last minute fire sale of VR headsets.

Also-rans are Celeste, Portal 2, Resident Evil 2 remake, Human Fall Flat, NieR (not Automata), Undertale, Uncharted 2, Stardew Valley, Portal 2, Moss, The Forest, The Last Guardian, Bloodborne, Call Of Duty: Black Ops 1 (purely for the hundreds of hours put into the remastered World At War Zombies maps late at night with mates), Spec Ops: The Line, Tales Of Vesperia, Dying Light, Little Nightmares, and Yakuza 0.

The ones I debated upon despite knowing my number one anyway deep down. I’ve likely forgotten loads, just mentioning the ones that always pop into my head that I particularly enjoyed, even if some aren’t all that highly rated.
Lost-Sock-
PS: I’m gutted about the Final Fantasy 7 remake delay, I have a few days booked off for it that now needs rearranging. Let’s hope it’s worth the wait.

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The small print
New Inbox updates appear twice daily, every weekday morning and afternoon. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

A reader sets out the four stages of a console’s life and advises on when the best – and cheapest – time is to buy a new one.

For whatever significance the 202nd decade AD brings to humanity as a whole, in terms of gaming it promises to be one to remember. If nothing else for the fact that the outgoing Xbox and PlayStation systems are passing their respective batons to their successors.

Generational console updates are fascinating things and are the subject as much to furore and hyperbole as they are to scrutiny. But, however much we may all look forward to the launch of a new super system, not everyone buys one at launch. Sony and Microsoft have made no secret that they’re working on new hardware, and yet the marketing juggernauts behind their current offerings have continued unabated.

For example, even though monthly system sales have slowed for the PlayStation 4 in the last holiday period, Sony still managed to sell millions of the things; even at what is a stubbornly high price point for this point in its life cycle.

Which leads me to the question at hand: when the best time is to invest in a new, contemporary console. I believe there are four distinct phases.

The Release Window Buyer
There’s nothing more exciting than owning a new console on ‘day one’. That feeling of having bleeding edge console tech before 99% of your friends is difficult to beat, and not because gamers are shameless braggarts (or not just because of that), but because sharing that new console experience with friends is a wonderful thing.

I’ve not strictly been a Day Wunner myself but had the privilege of owning an import Dreamcast before the PAL release back in 1999, so can vouch for how awesome it feels to have the system before everyone else you know. The excitement is tangible and by jumping in first you certainly influence your friends’ chosen system.

For all the excitement though, the drawbacks are numerous. A paper-thin library of titles that usually doesn’t set the world alight. For every Halo: Combat Evolved there are five games of Killzone Shadowfall or Ryse quality. Then you have your cross-gen games which are either barely distinguishable from the previous generation (see Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag) or have been truncated due to rushed development on a new engine (FIFA has form for this) and the benefits of the upgrade from a game perspective are smaller.

Add to this the more modern frustrations of half-baked interfaces, missing features and failing systems (Red Ring of Death, Yellow Light of Death, failing Joy-Cons) and you almost feel like a console beta tester for your money. And yes, it is a lot of money to buy a machine on or near release.

You may even get a motion camera you never wanted too.

But despite all this, nothing in gaming quite compares to the raw thrill of having a brand-new gaming box fresh off its launch.

The Mid-Cycle Price Drop Poachers
Since most people don’t buy a console on release, given the drawbacks, the next phase I see covers a wider window of two to three years.

During this time we usually see several important shifts in a console’s life cycle. The first being that all-important initial price drop. Depending on the system’s success this can be anywhere between six months to two years (unless it’s a Nintendo Switch). By this time the library is more diverse, with more must-have gems that make better use of the modern tech.

Older games are cheaper too. The console may even have its own Platinum/Classics/Budget/Bargain bin line, so you can expend your library on your new console quickly, easily and cheaply.

You will also see hardware revisions, which will either be highly publicised like the Switch Lite and Xbox One S or deployed with little fanfare, much in the way some of the various Mega Drive, Saturn, PlayStation 1 and PS2 revisions snuck out. In either case, it usually means better economies of scale and more cost-cutting.

Most importantly, that one game that tips you over the edge may finally be available. For me, after dropping its price and the Kinect sensor, Halo 5 tipped me over the edge for the Xbox One. For the Wii U it was Super Mario 3D World, for PlayStation 3 it was LittleBigPlanet 2, for PlayStation 2 it was GTA 3, for Xbox 360 it was Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 (don’t ask). In those cases, a game I deemed unmissable coupled with a more affordable price made me take the plunge.

The Belated Bargain Buyers
Buying a console at the end of its life is an odd thing. How do you know it’s at the end of its life? Usually rumours of its successor are gathering pace and the release schedule tends to become more vague and thin as its price tends to tumble more so than ever.

You’ve seen it in every generation, where a contemporary console can be picked up for a relative pittance alongside a few games. This is the main benefit of waiting it out to this stage. Whether it’s because you were hesitant to make the jump into the generation as a whole or because you had plumped for a rival’s machine earlier on, there’s a lot to gain from picking up a console when it’s in its twilight years.

I remember picking up a GameCube, brand new, for £30 in Currys when they were making shelf space for the soon-to-be-launched Xbox 360 in 2005. That’s an extreme example. More common is seeing new consoles for around a third of their launch price or less than £100 second-hand, much like the Xbox One now.

Interestingly, the PlayStation 4 seems to have bucked this trend, stubbornly clinging to a circa £249 price point that the slim version launched with years ago, just £150 less than its launch price.

And it’s this which prompted me to write this piece, since my wife was awesome enough to buy me a PlayStation 4 for Christmas. With the PlayStation 5 less than a year away, does that provide good value? I’d say yes. The library of the console is enormously impressive and since exclusives such as God Of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Bloodborne and many more can be had for less than a tenner if you shop around, you can amass a great library very quickly.

Add to this a great selection of games due in the first half of 2020, including The Last Of Us Part 2, and it’s still a great time to become a PlayStation 4 owner. Several million gamers in the last couple of months would seem to agree.

Sometimes, buying a console in its death throes can be the best time!

The Dead Console Dealers
Okay, death does sound a little too final in this context, given many consoles are supported after their successor is released, but there’s no argument with regards to saying they’ve dropped out of mainstream support like Windows 7.

With no new games, save for a few legacy releases, you’d be forgiven for thinking the ship had sailed on a no-longer-current console, but you’d be wrong.

Sure, there’d be no new triple-A releases, online arenas might become increasingly sparse, and you may have seen your last system update, but if you’re diving into a what is essentially a last gen system then you’re in for a treat.

If you thought games and systems were cheap before, they will be at literally bargain basement levels by now. Granted, you won’t find many new (especially if production has stopped) but they’ll all be dirt cheap, with even cheaper games. As an example, just take a look at Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 stock now in your local CeX. You could get all three mainline Gears Of War and Uncharted games and still have change for £10. And that’s just for starters!

Just don’t leave your acquisition of dead console software for so long that it becomes ‘retro’, at which point the titles will probably start becoming expensive again…

Conclusion
So, when is the best time to buy a console?

I’m predictably copping out and saying it’s up to you! I’ve enjoyed buying games at each stage of various systems lives. I had a Dreamcast around its PAL launch; an Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and Xbox One all bought and enjoyed during early price drops; a GameCube, PlayStation 3, and now PlayStation 4 in their final years; with a PlayStation 1 and SNES both purchased after they’d been supplanted by their successors.

It all depends on the games you love and what you want from your system!

By reader Daniel Driver
Swooper D (gamertag)
swooper_d (PSN ID/Steam ID/Twitter)

The reader’s feature does not necessary 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.

The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett has revealed that one celebrity who has denied being on the show, actually is behind one of the masks….(well as if they are going to admit it Joel).

The new ITV talent show has kept fans on the edge of their seats as they try to figure out who the mystery celebrities are – and the suspense is literally killing us.

So far the guesses that have been thrown out are Nicola Roberts as Queen Bee and John Barrowman as Unicorn.

But now the former Extra Camp presenter confirmed that he knows that some of the celebrities performing have given fans a false impression by denying that they’re on the show.

‘Last Saturday, I saw someone who is on the show saying it wasn’t them. Which is interesting,’ he began.

‘The final episode is going to be a mad one. There are three reveals and nobody is getting near to guessing them. It’s going to be epic.’

He continued to The Sun:  ‘The secrecy behind it is insane. None of the crew know, only a handful of producers — maybe five or six. Until the reveal happens, I’m still guessing myself.’

It follows after Jason Manford shut down claims that he was Hedgehog, but now thinking about it, is he just saying that?

The comedian revealed on Good Morning Britain that his new show had actually been moved to make way for the ITV talent show.

‘Have you moved the time because you’re defeating yourself?’ Kate Garraway asked him.

‘I don’t want to spoil the show by saying no but – no,’ he laughed.

‘My own kids asked me as well.’

The Masked Singer viewers were convinced that Jason was Hedgehog, so now it looks like they’ll have to go back to the drawing board.

Other guesses for Hedgehog included Michael Ball or Alfie Boe.

Ahead of Hedgehog’s performance on Saturday, he told judges Davina McCall, Rita Ora, Ken Jeong, and Jonathan Ross in his VT that he found their initial guesses ‘interesting’.

‘They were absolutely stumped and I am planning on keeping it that way,’ he enthused.

He then began dropping some clues, adding: ‘Being out there was a challenge because I do enjoy being part of a team.

‘There can be many times where I find myself alone on stage, but it’s nice to be part of an ensemble. Either way, all I can aim for is to have fun. I don’t think that’s too much to ask for.

‘Tonight, I want to have a ball out there. When I step out onto the stage, I’m going to do everything in my power to bring the house down.’

After he sang, the Hedgehog revealed two lies and one truth, which included: ‘I sometimes wear high heels on stage, I once worked at a major fast-food restaurant, my daughter is more famous than I.’

The Masked Singer airs on Saturday at 7pm on ITV.

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Celine Dion left fans emotional when she paused her recent concert in Miami to pay tribute to her mother, Therese Tanguay Dion, who had died the night before.

Therese passed away at age 92 on Thursday night in Montreal, surrounded by family including Celine.

Not wanting to miss a performance, the singer went ahead with her Friday night show, addressing the sad news onstage.

‘I’m pretty sure that you heard the news about my mom passing away early this morning,’ she said.

She went on to reassure fans: ‘But I’m doing okay and we’re all okay.’

Celine added that she knew her mother had been ill for quite a while, and that she had received a call a couple of days earlier from a nurse to tell her ‘her time was coming soon.’

.@celinedion talks about the death of her mother and dedicates this show in #Miami to her. pic.twitter.com/bSNSFLbSGV

— Diana Gonzalez (@DianaGHealth) January 18, 2020

‘So last night I joined my brothers and sisters in Montreal, and I spent the evening at her bedside,’ she told fans.

‘We told stories. We sang songs. We hugged each other and we said our goodbyes.’

The musician added: ‘We are pretty sure that mom waited for us to be all together one more time.’

With the audience cheering, she told them: ‘I know she wanted me to be the best of myself tonight and I also know that she wanted all of you to have the time of your life.’

Maman, nous t’aimons tellement…
Nous te dédions le spectacle de ce soir et je chanterai pour toi avec tout mon coeur. // Maman, we love you so much… We dedicate tonight’s show to you and I’ll sing to you with all my heart. Love, Céline xx…
📸 : Richard Gauthier pic.twitter.com/5kQDL1ILbs

— Celine Dion (@celinedion) January 17, 2020

Fans were stunned at the star’s strength, with many sending her messages of support.

Sharing a photo on Twitter before the concert, Celine wrote: ‘Mom, we love you so much …We dedicate the show to you tonight and I will sing for you with all my heart. Love, Céline xx…’

It’s been an emotional week for the My Heart Will Go On hitmaker, as Therese’s death comes just two days after the fourth anniversary of the death of Celine’s husband, Rene Angelil, and Thursday also marked the fourth anniversary of the passing of her brother Daniel.

Celine, 51, is currently on her Courage World Tour and earlier took to social media to mark the anniversary of her husband’s passing, where she thanked him for ‘watching over’ her and their sons René-Charles, 19, and 10-year-old twins Eddy and Nelson.

MORE: Celine Dion’s mother Therese Tanguay Dion dies aged 92

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