Nicki Minaj looked like an absolute dream at Mardi Gras (Picture: Splash/backgrid)
Nicki Minaj showed off her best carnival look this week as she headed to Trinidad and Tobago for the annual Mardi Gras event.
The annual event, held on Ash Wednesday, took place in the Socadrome in Port Of Spain in Trinidad, and Nicki made sure to jump on a music truck to show off her amazing outfit.
The singer went for a blue and silver design comprised of a cage bra and high-leg underwear, with fishnets tights and diamante embellishments.
The crowning glory of the outfit was an elaborate feathered headpiece and large feathers attached to her back.
Nicki’s no stranger to a daring outfit, so she pulled off the feathered creation like an absolute dream as she grabbed a mic and spoke to the crowd.
While the full outfit looked incredible on the photos and videos the singer shared, she later ditched the feathers and the headpiece in favour of a pink scarf over her hair, so she could move about more freely.
Her celeb friends were also loving her look, with Meghan Trainor commenting: ‘QUEEN OF CARNIVAL’.
Megan Thee Stallion added: ‘Wow’, while Winnie Harlow posted: ‘Obsession’.
Nicki later ditched the feathers for a bit more freedom (Picture: Splash News)
She hopped on a music truck with her husband, Kenneth Petty (Picture: Splash News)
Nicki, who was born in Saint James, Trinidad, expressed her pride at being back in her hometown for the celebrations.
Nicki wrote: ‘Rappers would kill for this attention chile. Lol at night when we go to bed I say “babe u was all over the blogs today”. He be like “oh word?”
‘He rlly don’t have social media to see y’all write think pieces about him chile. ‼️♥ AND AH LIKE IT LIKE IT LIKE THISSSSSSS. JUS LIKE THIS ‼️‼️‼️‼️’
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s wife has best response to Alpha and Negan sex scene (Picture: AMC / Getty)
The Walking Dead fans were scarred for life after watching that horrific Alpha and Negan sex scene – where the Whisperer leader refused to take off her skin mask.
But while we were left squirming in our chairs, it turns out Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s wife was finding the whole thing ‘kinda hot’.
Taking to Instagram shortly after the episode Squeeze aired, Hilarie Burton shared her response – and it’s ‘kinda iconic’.
Underneath a picture of her hubby and Alpha star Samantha Morgan butt naked, she wrote: ‘Watched @thewalkingdead after the kids fell asleep last night. This scene!!!
‘Ol’ daddy has a way of looking at a gal, and it is CUTE! Only YOU could have made that situation kinda hot, @jeffreydeanmorgan ! Hahahaha.’
The mother-of-two then dropped in a little TMI, adding: ‘Prepping my own zombie flesh mask now. #neganswife.’
The Walking Dead fans were scarred for life after Negan and Alpha kissed (Picture: AMC)
‘Bless your heart Mrs Morgan,’ her man commented underneath the snap, while his co-star Norman Reedus simply wrote: ‘Ha.’
And it seems her followers were in agreement, as one joked: ‘He does have a way of making all his scenes hot, doesn’t he,’ while another echoed: ‘That sly grin gets me every time.’
Others weren’t as convinced, adding: ‘Yes he’s hot, but I was NOT ok with that scene lol.’
While we didn’t actually see them get down and dirty in the woods – Alpha forced Negan to strip off at gunpoint while she got naked too.
Hilarie joked her hubby ‘has a way of looking at a gal’ (Picture: AMC)
She said she was off to make her very own skin mask (Picture: Getty Images)
Thinking he was going to be shot, the Saviour turned around to see Alpha completely undressed with only her skin mask on – and we can’t unsee the rest!
Talking about the bizarre twist of events, showrunner Angela Kang told Entertainment Weekly: ‘Alpha and Negan, obviously something has shifted in that relationship. So we’ll see in the season going forward where that takes us.’
On their decision to air the scene, Angela lays the blame squarely on the shoulders of writer David Johnson, who penned the creepy moment.
‘I was like, “This is so weird. I don’t know if I can air this. You know what? We kind of have to do this”,’ she explained.
And now we’re just waiting for an explaination as to why they chose to leave their socks on!
The Walking Dead airs Sundays on AMC in the US and Fox the following day in the UK.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Nicole Scherzinger held hands with boyfriend Thom Evans while he drove her home (Picture: Backgrid)
Thom Evans played the role of doting boyfriend as he picked up Nicole Scherzinger from the BBC Studios after her appearance on The One Show.
The couple, who seem pretty loved-up lately, were seen making their way home, with Thom behind the wheel and Nicole clutching onto her man’s hand.
She looked glam in a blazer and nude dress, while Thom kept things sharp in a light blue shirt and jacket.
He was no doubt cheering on his girlfriend as she took to the stage with The Pussycat Dolls live on The One Show to perform their new track React.
But the girls comeback performance was spoiled by unfortunate technical difficulties that saw the track play, with the girls not realising it had started as they stood with their backs to the crowd.
It was left to Matt to rescue the situation, shouting out: ‘It’s the Pussycat Dolls’ once more as the music restarted.
Nicole seemed pretty smitten while her rugby star boyfriend drove her home (Picture: Splash News)
Thom had been at the BBC Studios with Nicole after she appeared on The One Show (Picture: Backgrid)
Host Matt Baker jumped into re-introduce to the band and the music restarted, but despite breezing over the glitch and slaying their performance, it didn’t stop some from criticising the Dolls on social media and accusing them of lip-syncing.
One commented: ‘Awkward there just bit miming I’m guessing #TheOneShow #pussycatdolls,’ while another suggested: ‘That was a miming f**k up wasn’t it #TheOneShow.’
Others made sure to jump to the girls defence, with one fan hitting back: ‘The Pussycat Dolls got off to a rough start on The One Show but boyyy did they bring it back #TheOneShow.’
Thom and Nicole have been dating since filming for The X Factor Celebrity split (Picture: Splash News)
Another offered: ‘People will always have something to say, it can happen that artists have to start their performance a 2nd time after the 1st time had a wrong start.’
A BBC spokesperson, meanwhile, told Metro: ‘There was a minor technical fault on the part of The One Show which affected the beginning of the Pussycat Doll’s live performance.’
Still, at least Nicole had Thom on hand to take her mind off the mishap.
The Pussycat Dolls’ performance on The One Show suffered a technical glitch, that saw them unaware their track had started playing (Picture: BBC One)
Matt Baker then reintroduced the song and the girls slayed their performance (Picture: Backgrid)
She and the rugby star went public with their romance, after months of speculation they were dating did the rounds while The X Factor: Celebrity was airing.
Nicole had been a judge on the show, while Thom competed as party of boyband Try Star with Ben Foden and Levi Davis.
A source told The Sun: ‘Thom knew he’d have a lot of fun on the show and not just because of the singing.
‘He’s been after Nicole for some time and was confident that spending so much time in her company would give him the opportunity to woo her.
‘In the end, she couldn’t resist Thom’s charms, despite the fact that she was meant to be judging him.’
Nicole has previously dated tennis player Grigor Dimitrov and Lewis Hamilton, while Thom dated Kelly Brook for three years, before getting together with 90210 star Jessica Lowndes.
Got a showbiz story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Love Island’s Luke and his brother Liam are double the trouble (Picture: ITV, Luke Mabbott, Instagram)
Love Island viewers did a double-take when they saw Luke Mabbott’s brother for the first time and yep, you guessed it, they want him to apply for the summer series.
Luke M, 24, jetted back from South Africa this week after spending two months, well, sunning himself in the Love Island villa and finding romance with Demi Jones.
Not a bad winter break, at all.
The heating engineer couldn’t wait to reunite with his family and particularly had a nice little catch-up with his brother Liam, who was manning the reality star’s Instagram account while he was away.
While Love Island viewers have spent the past couple of months getting lost in Luke’s uncanny Justin Bieber-esque looks, there were mesmerised by Liam’s blessed features.
Luke M shared a selfie with Liam by his side and the caption: ‘Reunited with my brother after nearly 2 months missed my guy.’
Those Mabbott brothers have the most ridiculously good looking genes (Picture: Luke Mabbott, Instagram)
Aw, Luke Trotman would be jealous.
Speaking of Luke T, he joked under the snap: ‘How does it feel being the ugly brother… again.’
Who’s he kidding? Name a better looking duo… we’ll wait.
Swooning after Liam, one of Luke’s followers weighed in: ‘Can your brother apply for the summer ed?’
Luke and Demi Jones are still going strong (Picture: Luke Mabbott, Instagram)
Complementing both brothers, another stated: ‘That’s some good genes right there!’ while another agreed: ‘Can you cope with the genes in this family.’
Using true Love Island lingo, one admitted: ‘Bit of me,’ while a particularly smitten follower wasn’t too fussed which of the brothers they could potentially date and quipped: ‘Sign me up buttercup one [or] both thanks.’
‘What a handsome pair,’ one stated.
Another asked: ‘Is his brother single?’
Ah, and we come to the problem.
Liam appears to be in a happy relationship and they share one gorgeous little baby boy… so that pretty much splashes cold water on any hopes of a hot Love Island summer for Luke’s sibling.
Cue adorable double dates with Luke M and Demi, who are still going strong after leaving the villa.
The couple, who finished third place on the show, joined some of the other Love Island finalists in London last night and seemed blissfully happy with each other.
Got a showbiz story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Marzia’s as obsessed as the rest of us (Picture: Netflix/Marzia Kjellberg)
Marzia Kjellberg has proved she loves a Netflix binge just as much as the rest of us, starting her day with the Love Is Blind finale.
You and us both, girl.
The internet star and wife to PewDiePie couldn’t hold off on watching the final episode to the dramatic dating show, sharing a clip on her Instagram Stories.
‘Having breakfast while watching the Love Is Blind finale,’ she wrote. ‘THE DRAMA’.
With the last episode finishing right at the part where argumentative couple Giannina Gibelli and Damian Powers were set to say their I dos, we were all left on a major cliffhanger.
The drama of it all (Picture: Instagram/ItsMarziaPie)
Jessica also appeared to be having some big doubts about her relationship with Mark Cuevas after her feelings for Matt Barnett.
And not even the most solid couples were immune from getting cold feet, after we saw Lauren Speed failing to give Cameron Hamilton the assurance he was asking for before their big day.
Basically, anything could happen.
The pair were recently reunited (Picture: @itsmarziapie/Instagram)
Aside from all the drama, Marzia has been enjoying time with her husband PewDiePie – real name Felix Kjellberg – after he returned from his getaway to Japan and made his YouTube comeback.
Reunited just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Swedish star was clearly keen to pamper his wife after they spent three weeks apart, bringing her breakfast in bed, and a pretty flashy gift.
Snapping a photo of her treats, Marzia wrote on Instagram: ‘The mad lad surprised me with breakfast in bed, a lovely card and a beautiful ring.’
And Pewds has definitely been fulfilling his role as an Instagram husband, with Marzia sharing a pretty unflattering selfie he took while capturing her strutting her stuff.
She wrote: ‘If you ever wondered what it looks like behind the camera.’
We definitely had, and it’s absolutely glorious.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Liu Yifei is ‘hoping for a miracle’ to stop the Coronavirus epidemic (Picture: Rex Features)
Mulan actress Liu Yifei has opened up about Coronavirus, which has caused devastation in her hometown of Wuhan, China.
The actress, 32, who plays the lead role in Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan, spoke about the epidemic which has since spread to several countries around the world.
She told the Hollywood Reporter: ‘It’s really heavy for me to even think about it. People are doing the right thing. They are being careful for themselves and others.
‘I’m so touched actually to see how they haven’t been out for weeks. I’m really hoping for a miracle and that this will just be over soon.’
Coronavirus originated in Wuhan, and over 82,000 cases have since been confirmed around the world, including over 2,800 deaths.
While the majority of cases and fatalities have been in China, it has now spread to over 40 countries around the world and at least 50 of the deaths have occurred outside of China.
Liu had moved away from Wuhan at the age of 10, after her parents divorced, and she lived in New York for a while, before returning to China in 2002 to pursue an acting career.
Liu Yifei was seen wearing a mask while at Beijing Airport (Picture: Rex Features)
Although she has no close friends or family personally affected by the virus outbreak, she was happy to see people were taking precautions to curb the spread of the disease.
She had written on the Chinese social media site: ‘I support the Hong Kong police; you can beat me up now,’ in Chinese.
Liu plays the title role in Dosney’s Mulan (Picture: Stephen Tilley/Disney Enterprises, Inc.)
Fans called for a boycott of Mulan after her comments and she remained tight-lipped when the Hollywood Reporter asked her to elaborate on her stance.
She added: ‘I think it’s obviously a very complicated situation and I’m not an expert. I just really hope this gets resolved soon.
‘I think it’s just a very sensitive situation.’
Mulan will be released in cinemas on 27 March, 2020.
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Jessie J knew how to let loose as she hung out at Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park in Los Angeles, California.
The 31-year-old enjoyed some quality time with her friends as she made her way through the amusement parks rides.
She and her friend waved at the cameras as they embarked on the Full Throttle rollercoaster and the Gold Rush coaster.
We would love to see the mid-ride photo of them all screaming.
The group even stopped to pose for a couple of photos, looking like they were having a great time.
She even won what looks like a half rabbit half mermaid plushie.
Jessie fears no rollercoaster (Picture: Mega Agency)
Gotta have group photos for memories (Picture: Snorlax / MEGA)
Jessie took to Instagram to share her fun-filled day with her fans, explaining how she conquered ‘so many fears’.
‘Literally the most fun I have had in soooo long! I laughed so hard I cried. I screamed so hard and didn’t care about losing my voice. (NEVER do that),’ the singer wrote.
‘I surprised myself over and over facing soooo many fears from heights and control issues and major anxiety etc etc to actually putting everything in life aside that sometimes distracts me from just being me and giving myself time to just be free and let go!
‘Proud of myself tbh. I had the best time! Need to do this stuff more and more! I have to start giving myself the advice I give everyone else. Live your life and do things that make YOU HAPPY! Thank you.’
The videos had Jessie singing her song Domino, which is impressive considering roller coasters can get terrifying.
She posted a short clip of her and the six-year-old dancing together using a red scarf as a prop.
And while there was a little mishap with some celery juice (by mishap we mean a pretty mammoth spillage after some serious scarf throwing), like a pro, Jessie quickly mopped up and carried on.
Jessie gave her scoring verdict alongside video and gave herself a -4 that was slightly too harsh, in our opinion, the celery juice 0, the scarf just 1 point and Everly or ‘Evie’, as she calls her, 100 points.
Nice job.
Got A Story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
The spon life didn’t choose them, they chose the spon live (Picture: Getty)
We’ve had 10 whole years of Instagram, but it seems we have finally reached peak spon-con.
Khloe Kardashian brought the paid partnership to new heights, by posting a string of ads for Febreze, of all things, for her 105 million followers.
The trio of pictures saw Khloe lounging in bed with 10 bottles of Febreze, reclining in a sofa with three bedazzled bottles of the odour eliminator with more of them sitting out on the balcony against a mountainous backdrop, and a final zoom in of the crystal studded bottles next to a picture of Khloe and her daughter, True.
The reality star, worth an estimated $40 million, captioned the post: ‘ the best ever 🤍 I’ve used @Febreze Fabric on my bed for years. Try it out and let me know what you think? 👑 #FebrezePartner forever!’
Now, we all know that celebs are constantly using their social media platforms to promote brands, whether their own ranges or in exchange for freebies and fees, but some stars go above and beyond when it comes to their ludicrous spon-conning.
Welcome to the hall of fame, Khloe…
Detergent brand live tweets the birth of Kevin Jonas’s child
Before Love Island stars singlehandedly brought Daniel Wellington watches into the public psyche, there was Kevin Jonas, who sold out his own child’s birth.
Back in 2014, the JoBro was expecting his first child with wife Danielle, who was pretty excited to be using the baby detergent Dreft throughout her pregnancy.
And the partnership between Dreft and the Jonases became clear on 2 February 2014, when Kevin tweeted: ‘#BabyJonas is on the way!! Follow Dreft for all the updates!!!!!!!!’
The detergent’s Twitter account joined in, tweeting: ‘What a day! We’ll bring you the first photo of #BabyJonas as soon as she’s born.’
Thus began the live tweeting of Kevin’s firstborn’s birth, with the Sucker singer even tweeting: ‘Here we go we’re pushing!!!! #babyjonas.’
Kevin. Your wife was in labour.
And when the little girl finally entered the world, it was Dreft who announced the news, tweeting a picture of Danielle holding the baby and writing: ‘On this day, a little star was born. Meet Alena Rose Jonas. #BabyJonas.’
Cute, but pretty much a Black Mirror episode.
Every pregnancy test spon-con
Discovering you’re pregnant is usually a pretty private moment, perhaps shared with a partner or friend in your bathroom.
But in celeb land, it also involved showing off your pee stick to your thousands of followers.
Since 2013, numerous stars have teamed up with companies like ClearBlue to sponcon their pregnancies.
Sister, Sister star Tamera Mowry announced her second pregnancy with a paid partnership, writing: ‘We are thrilled to announce we are#ClearblueConfirmed! Can’t wait to meet baby #2!
Love Clearblue’s pregnancy test with Smart Countdown. It helped me get through the wait to get my result by counting down with me. #spon.’
Kendra Wilkinson teamed up with the brand back in 2013 as well, and this year, Malika Haqq held up a positive test on Instagram and wrote: ‘I listen to my heart, and I’ve decided that the rest of my life will be the best of my life. I’m pregnant! I didn’t know when, I just knew one day.
‘God said it’s my turn, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the little spirit that grows inside of me. I am yours, baby, and you are mine. Thank you, @Clearblue for being a CLEAR and intricate part of the most important test result of my life. 2020 baby! #ClearblueConfirmed #ClearbluePartner.’
And model Iskra Lawrence partnered with First Response, writing on Instagram: ‘When @Philipapayne ran out and got us six boxes of #ad @firstresponsepregnancy Early Result tests, our lives changed forever.
‘We were so shocked when we saw those two lines and we knew for sure we were having a baby🤱🏼 Right now we’re 17 weeks and 3 days pregnant!’
Nobody thought Jess and Dom from series three of Love Island would make it, but fast forward three years and they’re happily married with a baby boy.
But before their family bliss, they were two of the most prolific spon-conners in the game, and for that we salute them.
Glam (Picture: Instagram)
Our favourite post came from Jess in 2017, when she filmed a promo for a HITT fitness guide called Bodyboss in an incredibly unglamorous background of corrugated iron stairs.
Last summer, a spate of former Love Island stars flogged air fresheners on their grids, including 2019 islanders Callum Macleod and Sherif Lanre, the latter posting: ‘Fresh out the villa & straight on the @CarFumeUK hype. They’ve got my car stinking of Creed, soo sick.’
Georgia Steel also got in on the action, writing: ‘Guys I’m literally addicted to @carfumeuk at the minute, I can’t wait to try them all😍 The best car fresheners I’ve ever tried and they look like crystals💫’ – before adding her discount code GEORGIA10.
Kylie Jenner’s face wash tutorial
Not typical spon-con as it was Kylie promoting her own product, but very badly.
Last year, Kylie hopped on social media to show her followers that she really does us the foaming face wash from her Kylie Skin line.
The mogul was seen lathering up her face before removing the foam almost immediately – and when she patted her face dry, the towel could be seen covered in make-up.
Oh dear.
Got A Story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Doctor Who star Sacha Dhawan has finally addressed a massive plothole concerning his character, The Master.
In the long-running sci-fi show The Doctor’s (Jodie Whittaker) mortal enemy made his return in style during the two-parter Spyfall, where he was unmasked as the latest regeneration of the renegade Time Lord.
But a question mark has always hung over The Master’s new identity – or rather, how that new identity came to be.
His previous incarnation Missy (Michelle Gomez) had seemingly met her demise at the hands of…well…an earlier version of herself (John Simm) at the end of Peter Capaldi’s stint as the Twelfth Doctor.
How Missy became the Master again has never been addressed in the current series, and it seems that if Dhawan and showrunner Chris Chibnall have their way, it never will be.
Speaking to Radio Times, the actor revealed: ‘I didn’t question [the regeneration] too much. I was more focused on, as soon as the Master appeared, it’s like right – let’s get back to business.
‘He doesn’t quite dwell on the past.’
The Master returned with a new face for series 12 (Picture: BBC)
He continued: ‘Like at the end of [Spyfall Part 2] you kind of think… Oh, the Master’s gone, but he always makes a surprise appearance.
‘And I think the character will always do that in some form or other.’
We know, of course, from experience that this is always true – last weekend the Master made another surprise return just in time for this Sunday’s finale, The Timeless Children.
The episode in question looks set to answer one of the most enduring mysteries from Jodie’s stint in the Tardis: who is the Timeless Child?
Speaking to Metro.co.uk this week, Sacha hinted The Master has actually given a massive clue as to what this means – have we all been paying attention?
‘In that plane scene I said to Jodie everything that you think you know is a lie,’ he explained. ‘That is going to be…that question is going to be uncovered.
‘It is going to be a game-changer. It’s going to be something people haven’t seen before.’
Doctor Who concludes this Sunday at 7.10pm on BBC One.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Love Island contestants arrive back at Heathrow Airport in London following the final of the reality TV show (Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
The very first winter Love Island may be over, but that doesn’t mean the romance has to end.
Series six featured plenty of ups and downs during the course of the show, culminating in Paige Turley and Finley Tapp being crowned winners.
However, long-term fans will be aware that not many relationships survive life outside of the villa – last year show winners Greg O’Shea and Amber Gill split only five weeks after taking home the £50,000 cash, with the Irishman attributing the breakdown of their relationship to ‘careers and distance’.
Likewise, 2018 winners Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham split less than a year after the show ended, with none of that year’s contestants remaining together at all.
So, here’s a round-up of who still has the hots for each other (so fa), after the 2020 series finale.
Finn is also allegedly considering proposing to Paige, confessing he’d ‘thought about marriage’ with the 22-year old Glaswegian.
Love Island winners Paige Turley and Finley Tapp want to move in together (Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
Meanwhile Luke T and Siannise were runners-up, which could actually have been a more favourable result for their romantic success.
Viewers have a theory based on previous series that the couples who come second have a habit of sticking together in the long run.
For the moment the pair are clearly still besotted, with Siannise arriving back to the UK still clutching onto the crown Luke T made for her when he asked her to be his girlfriend.
During their declarations of love, Siannise said: ‘I love how mischievous we are together, how much we laugh and the fact I can’t be away from you for any more than five minutes.’
Siannise and Luke came second place in the Love Island final (Picture: ITV)
Luke responded with a poem, which included the lines: ‘Siannise, I honestly can’t believe I found a real life princess, and life feels enchanted ever since you said yes. I pinky promise to always make your fairytale dreams come true, because from the bottom of my heart I’m proud to say I really do love you.’
Then there’s Mike and Priscilla, who hit it off straight away thanks to the magic of Casa Amor.
They still seem to be going strong, after Mike uploaded photos of Priscilla meeting his mum to his Instagram, referring to her as ‘one of his two queens’.
Luke Mabbott and Demi Jones couldn’t help but pucker up at the airport as they arrived back in the UK following their Love Island (Picture: PA)
Zarude the rogue monkey, or is it a gremlin? (pic: The Pokémon Company)
A new mythical pokémon has been announced for Sword and Shield and he looks a lot like Gizmo’s evolved form from the Gremlins films.
Officially, Zarude is describe as a Rogue Monkey and is a Dark/Grass type, but surely it’s not just us that thinks he looks like a gremlin from the classic ‘80s movie?
Either way, he’s the first new mythical pokémon of Generation VIII, the only class of pokémon rarer than legendries. Others include the likes of Mew and Celebi and often they’re not available to catch in games in the normal manner but have to be obtained via a special event.
It’s not been announced how you’ll get Zarude yet, or whether he has anything to do with the Expansion Pass, but it’s already confirmed that he can’t be encountered ‘in regular gameplay’.
For now, the official blurb reveals that Zarude, ‘lives in a pack deep in the dense forests of Galar. It treats anyone that isn’t part of its pack with immediate hostility. When fighting, Zarude swings around from tree branches, attacking relentlessly with its sharp claws. Its quick wit helps it excel in battles.’
Zarude is rumoured to play a part in new Pokémon animated movie Coco but was announced now because it’s Pokémon Day today — the anniversary of the release of the very first games in 1996.
As a result, there have already been a bunch of announcements today, with Mewtwo (a legendary not a mythical) and the Gen I starters appearing in Sword and Shield in Max Raid Battles.
There’s not been much announced so far for Pokémon Go though, which may mean there’s more news to come. Although Mewtwo will be make a reappearance in raids, to tie in with the release of the film Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution on Netflix.
Germany will be sending Ben Dolic to Rotterdam in the pursuit of Eurovision glory.
And in a sea of ballads, his song Violent Thing could stand out.
Opting to go more chart than ‘traditional’ Eurovision, the 22-year-old is hoping his up-tempo dance track will impress voters.
Ben was chosen by two independent juries organised by German broadcaster NDR – aone jury made up of 100 German Eurovision fans, and an international expert jury of 20 music professionals.
Ben was born in Slovenia and when he was 12, he competed in Slovenia’s Got Talent, before making it to the finals of the Slovenian national Eurovision selection in band D Base in 2016.
At 18, he moved to Switzerland, where he learned German, and in 2018, he came second in The Voice Of Germany.
He said: ‘When I got the news that I had been accepted by the juries, I was totally overwhelmed. Taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest for Germany was a dream come true for me.
‘This is where I made my breakthrough as a professional singer. I think we have the perfect song for the Eurovision Song Contest, and I will give everything I have for Germany.’
Germany is pulling out the stops when it comes to the song, with songwriter Boris Milanov behind the tune.
Milanov has written numerous Eurovision favourites, including Poli Genova’s If Love Was A Crime (Bulgaria, 2016) and Cesar Sampson’s Nobody But You (Austria, 2018).
And for Dolic’s performance at the grand final (Germany gets an instant pass as one of the Big Five), Marty Kudelka – who choreographed Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl halftime show – has been enlisted for the staging.
Germany didn’t do so well at 2019’s Eurovision, with their act S!sters and their song Sister coming second last, only outdone by the UK’s Michael Rice.
They last won in 2010, with Lena and Satellite.
Eurovision Song Contest 2020 participants
ALBANIA: Arilena Ara - Shaj
ARMENIA: Athena Manoukian - Chains On You
AUSTRALIA: Montaigne - Don't Break Me
AUSTRIA: Vincent Bueno - Alive
BELGIUM: Hooverphonic - Release Me
BULGARIA: Victoria (song TBA)
CYPRUS: Sandro - Running
CZECH REPUBLIC: Benny Cristo - Kemama
FRANCE: Tom Leeb - The Best In Me
GEORGIA: Tornike Kipiani (song TBA)
GREECE: Stefania - SUPERG!RL
ISRAEL: Eden Alene (song TBA)
ITALY: Diodato - Fai rumore
LATVIA: Samanta Tina - Still Breathing
LITHUANIA: The Roop - On Fire
MALTA: Destiny Chukunyere
NORTH MACEDONIA: Vasil (song TBA)
NORWAY: Ulrikke - Attention
POLAND: Alicja Szemplińska - Empires
ROMANIA: Roxen (song TBA)
SLOVENIA: Ana Soklič - Voda
SPAIN: Blas Cantó - Universo
THE NETHERLANDS: Jeangu Macrooy (song TBA)
UKRAINE: Go_A - Solovey
UNITED KINGDOM: James Newman - My Last Breath
Got A Story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Hailey Bieber knows how to take over wherever she goes (Picture: @TheHapaBlonde / SplashNews.com/Beretta/Sims/REX)
Hailey Bieber was all about keeping it monochrome as she stepped out in Paris for fashion week.
The 23-year-old came prepared to fight the cold weather as she catwalked her way down the streets of Paris.
There’s no better winter-themed outfit than making sure you’re wearing all-white.
And a little off-white.
Hailey was wearing a white turtleneck, white trousers with cream boots, cream coat and a cream purse – which might as well be white at this point.
The previous night had her keeping to one colour yet again, but this time she went for pure autumn vibes.
Hailey Bieber made a bold statement in an all-white ensemble (Picture: @TheHapaBlonde / SplashNews.com)
Hailey is attending Paris Fashion Week (Picture: SplashNews.com)
She’s dressed for all seasons (Picture: IMP FEATURES / BACKGRID)
All she needs now is Spring and Summer and we’ll be sorted for the year.
Hailey – who’s married to Yummy singer Justin Bieber – headed for dinner looking business chic in her thigh-high brown boots and oversized brown blazer worn as a dress.
Paris Fashion Week can’t even compete with her outfit changes.
Plenty of celebs have jetted off to Paris this week, including Zoe and Lenny Kravitz, who have proven they’re the coolest father-daughter duo in town.
Brooklyn Beckham has clearly followed in his trend-setting parents’ footsteps, as he was seen enjoying one of the Fashion Week parties with his girlfriend Nicola Peltz.
Meanwhile, stars including Stranger Things’ Joe Keery, Rami Malek, Ana De Armas and Kit Harington also rocked up to see the fashion shows, enjoying life in the front row.
Got A Story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Chuck noted the moment the show was greenlit on an endcard on Two and A Half Men (Picture: CBS/Getty)
The Big Bang Theory’s showrunner and creator teased fans about the upcoming series a full year before it went on air – documenting the moment he got the OK to run with it on a Two and a Half Men title card.
In season three episode My Tongue Is Meat of Two and a Half Men, which aired on Feb 27th, 2006, Charlie (Charlie Sheen) is seen hiding his less-than-healthy eating habits from his new girlfriend Mia, and the episode ends as always with the now legendary end notes from Chuck.
This one though, carries a lot more weight than even he must have realised at the time, as he reveals the excitement and panic around pitching Big Bang Theory – and it’s eventual outcome.
‘As I write this I’m moments away from pitching an idea for a new comedy series to the president of CBS, Leslie Moonves,’ the card read. ‘I’ve done this before and it’s always an anxiety-producing experience. Months of work can evaporate in seconds if he does not respond favourably.
‘To make matters worse, I always known when I’m getting a negative response because Les has what poker players call a subtle *tell*. When he doesn’t like something he frowns. Many of the people who work for him are familiar with this tell.
‘When they see it they respond with a tell of their own – they start examining their shoes as if they’ve never seen them before. Anyway, I have to go to a meeting now, keep your fingers crossed!’
His end card notes – which appear on every show he produces, marked a groundbreaking moment on Big Bang (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/WireImage)
The show is now a record breaker (Picture: Getty/NBC)
However, that’s not the end of the card, with the producer – who’s also responsible for series including Young Sheldon and Dharma and Greg, giving another update just three little dots later.
He added: ‘Okay, I’m back and I think it went fairly well (no perceivable tell). I did made an amateur mistake by telling Les that he and I drive the same cool car, but he didn’t seem to hold it against me.
‘He and his team were courteous, pleasence and appropriately cautious. They ended the meeting by saying they looked forward to seeing a finished script before making a final decision… Hold on, my cell phone is ringing…’
This title card from Feb 2006 marked the start of the Big Bang Theory (Picture: Chuck Lorre Productions)
The guys are literally now cemented in Hollywood history (Picture: AP)
‘That was Peter Roth, president of Warner Brothers TV,’ he then tells the reader. ‘Apparently moments after we left the building, Les told his execs he liked the idea and to move forward on it. Our project has received a green light!’
But it’s not all fun and games and knocking it out of the park for Chuck, as he wrote: ‘In a matter of seconds my anxiety about pitching it has transmuted into anxiety about writing, casting, shooting, editing, waiting to find out if it gets on the Fall schedule, and if it does, juggling two shows, promotion, staffing, time slots and ratings – not to mention worrying about whether Les will be p***ed off when he reads this vanity card.
Two and A Half Men was eclipsed by Big Bang once it launched (Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images)
Somehow, we think Les was OK with it, though that end card definitely wasn’t wrong. The original pilot for the Big Bang Theory, which was slated for a release in the Fall season of US TV (which starts in September) that year, wasn’t given the go ahead, and they had to start over again.
So while they maybe started with a fizzle than a bang, they definitely found their feet eventually – and now Big Bang Theory holds the records for most episodes ever for a sitcom, and even have their handprinted marked permanently in cement outside Los Angeles’ Chinese Theatre.
At least the panic was worth it in the end.
The Big Bang Theory airs on E4 and streams on Netflix in the UK.
Got A Story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
BTS have dropped the official MV for their new track ON and we’ve probably played it ten times over already.
It’s nearly six minutes worth of real goodness, with an incredible dance break that hits around four and half minutes in and sees the band really showing some moves.
They really don’t miss a beat, do they?
The video starts in complete silence as the camera pans over a battlefield and its casualties, before we get Noah’s Ark, fleeing prisoners, a burnt down forest, a church congregation holding candles and an entire village coming together.
It’s got it all going on and will have you singing eh-oh even in you’re sleep.
ON is the latest track from BTS – made up of RM, Jimin, Suga, V, Jin, J-Hope and Jungkook had released – and the boys had already released a video for the track, ahead of its official MV.
Highlights include BTS playing the drums while Suga raps, the powerful group shots and Jimin’s blue hair.
BTS released new album Map of the Soul 7 on 21 February (Picture: Getty Images)
In a video shared before the premiere, RM explained: ‘It’s our own honest story that we wanted to tell you, so we hope you enjoy it.’
J-Hope said: ‘Trust me, you won’t be sorry you waited,’ while Jimin added: ‘We worked really hard to bring you next level performance and music, so I hope you’ll love it.’
Oh, love it we definitely do Jimin. And that goes for both vids.
‘It’s like a big diary for our past seven years… it’s like a shrink version of the whole BTS identity. It’s kind of about how we could stumble from time to time but we get, we got back up.
‘And so, like, ON is, like, when did people first hear about the title ON? It’s like, what’s ON? You know, it’s like, it’s very brief. When we say ON it’s like, we on, or, like, on air. It’s like, bring it on.
‘We, we could like imagine it many things…. so it’s like a declaration for that we have admitted our, like, destiny, you know, all the, all the pains and all the shadows.’
Got a showbiz story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Margaery Tyrell was the ebst player at the Game of Thrones (Picture: HBO)
Game of Thrones revolved around the titular competition for the royal houses of Westeros to sit on the Iron Throne. Everyone was a player. Some were successful, others were not…but no-one played the game of thrones better than Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer).
Ambitious, coquettish and above all level-headed, Margaery entered the fray in season two of the show as the wife of Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony), who was vying to succeed his brother Robert (Mark Addy) as King.
After Renly’s murder and the subsequent annulment of their marriage, Margaery arrived in King’s Landing as a pitch-perfect match for the psychopathic child-king Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), backed by her formidable grandmother the Queen of Thorns (Diana Rigg), who had her sights set on imperial glory for House Tyrell after the fall of House Stark after the death of Ned (Sean Bean) for treason.
The nearest comparison to Margaery in the series at this point was Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) the similarly ambitious but less politically nimble eldest daughter of her house.
But Margaery was different to Sansa – whilst Sansa learned, through loss and trauma, how to navigate the structures of Westerosi power, from her very inception Margaery seemed to thrill at political intrigue, she didn’t need to be taught. She was already the master.
She was consistently the smartest and most socially adept character in the show, managing to not only manoeuvre herself into the upper echelons of aristocracy as Joffrey’s Queen but also ensuring that a little something like the death of her husband and king wouldn’t demote her – she just married his brother (Dean Charles Chapman) instead.
The queen regent also made a spectacular foil for her bitter enemy, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). As a character, the Lannister queen was always more adept at dealing with a human enemy, whether that be the faith militant lead by the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) or the woman vying to replace her in the affections of her son and subjects.
You know what they say, when you play the game of thrones you live or you die… (Picture: HBO)
And, above all, it was just a genuine pleasure to watch Margaery at work on the screen, climbing the ladder of the show scene-by-scene, week-by-week, step-by-step.
Imbued with a mixture of regal elegancy and the thorned sexuality of a femme fatale, Dormer really shone in the role. Given its high-fantasy roots, Thrones was always chock full of genre-archetypes but was at its best when it gleefully subverted them.
In Margaery, it found its people’s princess, it’s Princess Diana, but dared to give us a peek behind the curtain; to show just what kind of person you had to be to survive, and thrive, in the cut-throat (literally) world of medieval politics.
Of course, it also helped that Margaery, like most of the female characters in the show, was never painted as a one-dimensional character. She was a softer evil than Cersei’s arch-villainess and Daenerys Targaryen’s genocidal tendencies sure, but she was not below manipulating anyone to get what she wanted.
She manipulated the closeted Renly into a relationship, turned a blind eye to Joffrey’s more homicidal inclinations to get near the Iron Throne and, after he was assassinated, used sex to turn her third husband, Tommen, against his mother.
Margaery used her cunning and ambition to move ever closer to the Iron Throne (Picture: HBO)
But ultimately, Margaery’s inability to understand the lengths Cersei would go to to protect her family proved to be her undoing as she was killed in the destruction of the Sept of Baelor with wildfire at the end of season six.
It was the Cersei’s endgame move and practically incinerated the massive deck of cards stacked against her, clearing the way to the Iron Throne.
But that’s another thing…after her death, the show never managed to fill the hole Margaery left.
After Cersei had cleared such an insurmountable obstacle, there was really nothing left for her character to do apart from basking in her victory and drink wine (which she did, a lot, in season eight) as the fight for the survival of the world took part in the far-flung North.
Removing Margaery from Cersei’s path also cleared most of her motivation – she had already won, gaining everything she had ever wanted (but losing her family in the process).
This could have been explored, but the show had bigger fish to fry and with an expanding storyline Cersei had no emotional stake in (and her character always worked best when motivated by emotion), she was sidelined for most of the last season.
In the grand scheme of the show, Margaery’s exit does make sense, as we now know writers David Benioff and DB Weiss were basically just clearing house in anticipation of their two last, shorter seasons leading into their ending.
Which is fine. But the subtleties behind Margaery’s characterisation and motivations were sorely missed in seasons seven and eight, although thanks to hindsight we can see her loss was a larger indication that the show was getting ready to chuck all sophistication out the window in anticipation of the finale.
Ultimately, the death of Margaery is symbolic of the ending of an era in Game of Thrones, where the biggest show in the world stopped being a character piece defined by its intricate subversion of fantasy tropes and descended into a plot-heavy race to the finish line.
Cersei once said that when you play the game of thrones you live, or you died. Well, she may have died…but nobody played the game better than Margaery Tyrell.
Game of Thrones is available to stream via NOW TV.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
David Beckham (left) opened up on his friendship with Prince Harry (right) (Picture:
David Beckham has opened up about his close friendship with Prince Harry, and his hope that the former royal is doing alright after stepping down from the monarchy.
The footballer spoke out on Harry’s decision to quit the royal family in favour of a quieter life in Canada with his wife, Meghan Markle.
‘That was put into me by my grandmother, and watching Harry grow over the years, and also William, they’re sons not just to our country but the world.
‘Seeing him grow into being a great father, that is one thing that he’d always cared about.
‘I just hope that Harry’s okay and he’s becoming the best father and I can see that that’s happened.’
David admitted the pair had spoken about parenting more than the move away from the UK, adding to ET Online: ‘I haven’t spoken to Harry about him moving. We speak as friends and that’s the most important thing for me.
David and Victoria Beckham were guests at Meghan and Harry’s wedding (Picture: Rex Features)
‘I think he’s enjoying being a young father for the first time and that’s what we always spoke about.
‘When you are a parent, it changes everything for you. He always needs to be happy.’
He added: ‘We love him and he’s an amazing person – and that’s the most important thing – but I’m proud to see him growing up as an individual and being that person that every father wants to be.
‘Every father wants to be loving to their children and that’s what I see with him.’
Harry and Meghan made the decision to leave the monarchy for a quieter life in Canada (Picture: Getty Images)
David and Victoria Beckham were guests at Meghan and Harry’s wedding in 2018, as the couple tied the knot at Windsor Castle.
As well as his relationship with Harry, David also spoke out on the loss of his friend, Kobe Bryant, and how he handled the news.
He told the Today Show: ‘I think [I handled it] the same way as the world has handled what happened with Kobe, his daughter and obviously the rest of the families that have lost loved ones that weekend.
‘I think we’ve all been the same, we’ve grieved in a way that it wasn’t just about Kobe as a sportsman and a basketball player.
David also revealed his grief at the death of Kobe Bryant, who died alongside his daughter in a helicopter crash (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Globally I think we were all affected by what happened that weekend.’
He added: ‘I was lucky to live in LA at a time where the Lakers were winning everything. I was privileged every time I sat courtside and was able to watch Kobe do what Kobe does best.
‘It was incredible for me. I sat ‘til the last second of every game I went to see, just to watch Kobe.’
He added: ‘His legacy will continue, not just through the work that he did over his playing career, but the incredible work that he did with his amazing daughters and his wife.’
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Carry On Nurse star Michael Medwin has died at the age of 96, with tributes for the late actor pouring in.
The actor had an impressive career, being best known for his role as Don Satchley in the BBC drama Shoestring, as well as the 1959 movie Carry On Nurse.
His friend David Pugh, who had previously formed a theatre company with him, confirmed the sad news, writing on Twitter: ‘To Michael thank you for everything I’m going to miss you so much.’
Medwin, who was awarded an OBE in 2005 for his services to drama, also starred in Scrooge, the musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
Born in 1923, Michael trained at stage school in London, and made his first film appearance as a radio operator in 1946’s Piccadilly Incident.
He began his career in theatre before moving on to TV and film, with one of his last roles being alongside Kiera Knightly in 2008 movie The Duchess.
Michael’s friend David Pugh confirmed the sad news (Picture: Twitter/davidsoho1)
During his career, the star also appeared alongside the likes of Michael Caine, Sean Connery and Albert Finney.
He previously told The List of his impressive career: ‘Acting was something I wanted to do, and by good fortune I found I could do it quite well.’
Michael enjoyed an impressive career (Picture: Getty Images)
Fans and friends have been paying tribute (Picture: Rex Features)
Friends and fans have been paying tribute to the late actor, with one writing on Twitter: ‘Very sorry to hear that Michael Medwin has died. What a legacy, with ‘if’ and so much more.’
‘He was SUCH a generous and funny man to work with,’ one more said. ‘He introduced me to Sean Connery amongst others.
‘Everybody loved him. He knew everyone and I have never heard a bad word said. RIP.’
Another added: ‘He had quite the career: not just an actor, a film producer as well. Good friend of Sean Connery. Shoestring would’ve a lot poorer without Don Satchley.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
However, it looks as though she’ll be back, and her momager couldn’t be happier.
When appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the 64-year-old said: ‘I think she just needed a bit of a break.’
The proud parent continued: ‘You know how we all hit a tipping point, and she hit a wall.
‘She was frustrated and she felt under-appreciated and her sisters didn’t appreciate her boundaries, so I think after taking a little bit of time off, she’s seen the light.’
Kris dished up the goss on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Picture: Warner Bros.)
Ellen joked that the ‘light’ was actually the money – and, well, she could quite be onto something.
The conversation then quickly turned to the recent teaser trailer, which shows Kim K brutally punching Kourtney in the face.
‘I wasn’t there when they had that argument,’ Kris said: ‘And I have not seen them really fight like that since they were in high school.
‘It made me really sad. I was like, “you guys can’t be fighting with each other, that’s ridiculous.”‘
The drama started when Kim decided to invite Khloe’s ex Tristan Thompson to dinner, shortly after it was claimed he’d cheated with Kylie Jenner’s ex-BFF Jordyn Woods.
It’s all kicking off in the Kar-Jenner household (Picture: Backgrid / E!)
‘You invited him to dinner?’ Khloe snapped as Scott Disick threw his hands over his face.
And it seemed as though the other sisters were not impressed with her invite, as Kendall Jenner exclaimed: ‘She can’t sit back and be like, “Alright, I was wrong.”’
But, just when you thought it couldn’t get any more heated, Kourtney launched herself at Kim, and she didn’t take it well at all.
‘Don’t ever come at me like that,’ the mother-of-four shouted, as she took aim at the Poosh founder before throwing her fist at her.
‘Buttons have been pushed,’ Kendall said at the end of the clip – and we can’t wait to see the drama unfold when the show lands on E! next month.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Greninja is the public’s favourite pokémon (pic: The Pokémon Company)
Pikachu is not even in the top 10 list of fan’s favourite pokémon but would-be doppelgänger Mimikyu is.
The biggest surprise so far on Pokémon Day is that Pikachu has been confirmed as old news as far as pokéfans are concerned, and in the inaugural Google vote for Pokémon of the Year hasn’t even made the top 10.
Instead, the winner has been Greninja, which is a double slap in the face for Pika, as both starred in last year’s Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, but only Greninja seems to have benefited from the exposure.
Greninja was introduced in Pokémon X and Y, at the start of Generation VI, and quickly became a fan favourite, including being one of the few pokémon to be turned into a playable character in Super Smash Bros.
The final blow to Pikachu’s self esteem though comes from the fact that the third place choice (after Lucario in second place) is Mimikyu, who is a ghost type pokémon that wears a bag over its head with a picture of Pikachu crudely scribbled on it.
It’s not even as if Pikachu has fallen out of favour for being too old school, as fellow Gen I critters Charizard and Gengar have made the list just fine.
Umbreon and Sylveon are evolutions of Eevee, whose also Gen I and was the cover star of Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! opposite companion game Let’s Go, Pikachu!
Frankly, we don’t see how Pikachu comes back from this, especially as the voting was organised by Google and allowed anyone to make their choice known. So this isn’t just a small group of people trying to be contrarians.