The 'kooky' Eurovision rules that made Sophie Ellis-Bextor turn down a position as judge

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThose “specific people” showed up at the Variety offices in costume as the mysterious guards (aka “pink soldiers”) from “Squid Game,” complete with iconic circle/triangle/square masks. They came bearing an invitation to Netflix’s FYSee Emmy events space at Raleigh Studios, along with a box of donuts.The brutal South Korean drama about class, power, wealth and kiddie games clearly remains an awards priority for the streamer — particularly after this year’s SAG Awards garnered wins including male actor (Lee Jung-Jae) and female actor (Jung Ho-yeon).

YouTube guitarist Sophie Lloyd has joined Machine Gun Kelly‘s live band.The London-based guitarist and content creator, who boasts 722,000 YouTube subscribers and 604,000 Instagram followers, has previously been endorsed by Muse‘s Matt Bellamy, who sent her a guitar as a gift in March 2021.In an Instagram Story that was shared by Kelly earlier today (May 24), Lloyd was seen rehearsing with the singer/rapper and his live band.“Adding a new friend to the band,” Kelly wrote as a caption to the clip, while clarifying that Lloyd and his band were practising ahead of Kelly’s ‘Mainstream Sellout’ tour.Lloyd reshared Kelly’s Story on her Instagram account this afternoon, confirming her place in Kelly’s live set-up. She later shared another story, writing: “Secret’s out! I’ll be joining Machine Gun Kelly on his ‘Mainstream Sellout Tour’ this year!!”A post shared by Sophie Lloyd (@sophieguitar_)You can watch Lloyd’s guitar cover of Iron Maiden‘s ‘Fear Of The Dark’, the latest in her ‘Metal Monday’ cover series, above.Kelly’s tour will visit the UK and Europe in September, with UK dates planned for October.

Sarah Ferguson says the late Princess Diana would have "adored" being a grandmother. The 62-year-old author - who has Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie with ex-husband Prince Andrew - was extremely close to the late royal, the ex-wife of Prince Charles, as the pair both married into the British royal family. And Sarah admits it's sad Diana - who died in Paris in August 1997, aged 36 - wasn't alive to meet Princess Harry and William's children.

Eurovision Song Contest runner-up Sam Ryder broke his silence on Monday after making history for the UK on the international talent show.MORE: How to get your hair like the stars of Eurovision - from the stylists who made themThe Essex-based singer, who became popular during lockdown with his impressive vocals, blew Europe away with his epic performance on Saturday night, scoring a staggering 466 points for his homeland.WATCH: Eurovision 61 years of contestantsTaking to his Instagram, the 32-year-old shared a jubilant snap of himself and Team UK. Captioning the photo, he wrote: "Still up in Space, Man!READ: Why Eurovision fans can't stop talking about Meghan Markle's hairSEE: Eurovision's most memorable contestants"Thank you all for blazing with love, positivity and kindness throughout this wild and euphoric experience.A post shared by SAM RYDER (@samhairwolfryder)Sam became a TikTok sensation during the pandemic"We completely felt your support and we so deeply appreciated it.

Video: Taylor Hill shines in blue gown at the 2022 Met Gala in NYC (Daily Mail)Beaded beauty! Lily James arrives on 2022 Met Gala red carpetEmma Corrin dons quirky top hat at 2022 Met GalaBrooklyn Beckham and wife Nicola Peltz cosy up at Met Gala 2022Eiza Gonzalez takes the plunge in feathered gown at Met GalaOlivia Rodrigo is a vision in violet at the 2022 Met GalaCardi B poses with Donatella Versace at the 2022 Met GalaLily Allen & David Harbour laugh and pose at The Met Gala 2022TikTok star Addison Rae serves in silver at the 2022 Met GalaKaty Perry wraps herself in sheer fabric at the 2022 Met GalaGorgeous in Gold! Camila Mendes in leggy display at Met GalaMegan Thee Stallion is a Goddess in Gold at the 2022 Met GalaJodie Turner-Smith and Joshua Jackson stun at The Met Gala 2022Taylor Hill shines in blue gown at the 2022 Met Gala in NYCRachel Brosnahan stuns in gold gown at the 2022 Met GalaKhloe Kardashian glitters in gold as she makes Met Gala debutJulianne Moore and hubby Bart Freundlich at the 2022 Met GalaMeanwhile, former Great British Bake Off contestant Ruby Bhogal cut a casual figure in a grey jumper and a pair of black leggings. She opted for a pair of comfortable white trainers and was seen carrying some cookbooks in her arms at the event.

Måneskin returned to the Eurovision Song Contest last night (May 14) to give new single ‘Supermodel’ its live debut – check the performance out below.The Italian band, who won the 2021 contest with their song ‘Zitti E Buoni’, have had a massive year since their Eurovision triumph, playing across the globe and announcing a massive arena tour.This week, the band returned with new single ‘Supermodel’, their first new music of 2022, and the track was given its live debut during the half-time break at last night’s Eurovision in Turin.After the track was played, the band then debuted a snippet of an unreleased song called ‘If I Can Dream’, revealing that it was written in collaboration with Baz Luhrmann and set to appear on the soundtrack to his forthcoming Elvis Presley biopic.“We felt a huge connection and we decided to jump on it,” frontman Damiano David said of working with Luhrmann. “We’re really proud of what we did, we can’t wait to see it.”Watch the two performances below:Eurovision 2022 was won by Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra with the song ‘Stefania’, with the UK’s Sam Ryder coming in second, the country’s best placed finish since 1997.

It's been a whirlwind year for Eurovision 2021 winners Måneskin since they won the contest with their song Zitti e Buoni. The Italian group, which consists of singer Damiano David, bassist Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Thomas Raggi and drummer Ethan Torchio, stormed the competition in the Netherlands with an impressive 524 points.

Rylan Clark and AJ Odudu have been getting glammed up ahead of tonight's Eurovision Song Contest grand final. Rylan, who has revealed a brand new chest tattoo in a daring outfit ahead of the show, looked dapper in a royal blue wrap shirt and black skinny jeans.The 33-year-old presenter uploaded snaps of his outfit alongside a slow-motion video showing off his outfit in full, photographed by Radio 1 DJ and semi-final co-host Scott Mills. And AJ Odudu, who will be delivering the United Kingdom's results later in the show, has been sharing updates on Instagram as she gets ready ahead of her appearance.

Sam Ryder as the UK’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 have spoken to NME about the singer’s chances of winning, and the need to put politics aside.Last year it was announced that TaP Music (the music publishing and management company behind the likes of Dua Lipa, Lana del Rey and Ellie Goulding) would be collaborating with the BBC to choose the next song and act to represent the UK at Eurovision.They selected viral TikTok sensation Sam Ryder, who, with his song ‘Space Man’, is currently the second-favourite to win the competition, according to bookmakers.Speaking to NME about the selection process, TaP’s Ben Mawson – who previously managed Dua Lipa – said: “I remember thinking, ‘Why do we do so badly every year? We’re one of the homes of some of the best pop music of all time. Is it political, or is there more to it than that?’”He continued: “There’s this historic cynicism in the UK, and maybe we’ve been too casual about it. We weren’t convinced that you could blame it on politics.

Eurovision Song Contest has returned for another year, bringing with it more musical drama and excitement. So far this year, Russia has been banned from the contest, while Latvia has been stamped with a censorship order and the UK afforded a rare shot at first place in the bookies. Every year, the show is presented by showbiz stalwarts from the hosting nation – and this year is no exception.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefLondon- and Singapore-based 108 Media has announced plans to acquire Malaysian film and TV production firm Revolution Media (previously Ideate Media). Led by Zainir Aminullah, Revolution was founded in 2013 and underwent a management buy-out in 2019.

Måneskin disqualified from the Eurovision Song Contest, it has been reported.The glam-rock group – fronted by Damiano David – won the annual music competition for Italy last year after scoring 524 points with their hit track ‘Zitti E Buoni’.However, their victory was soon overshadowed by accusations that David had been caught on camera snorting cocaine off a table in the green room. The singer denied the claims and subsequently passed a voluntary drug test.Måneskin have since enjoyed huge success.

With the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 final in Turin fast approaching, last year's winners Måneskin are set to return to the stage with their new single Supermodel.