U.K. rapper Pa Salieu claims he was removed from Commonwealth Games ceremony over weapon conviction

Tony Iommi has addressed Geezer Butler’s absence from Black Sabbath‘s mini reunion at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in Birmingham.Last Monday (August 8) saw Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne take to the stage in their home city to perform Sabbath’s classic single ‘Paranoid’ alongside drummer Tommy Clufetos and bassist Adam Wakeman.“I love you, Birmingham – it’s good to be back!” Osbourne told the crowd at the Alexander Stadium.During a recent interview with Birmingham Live, Iommi was asked why the pair’s former bandmate Butler didn’t make an appearance.“I don’t think he wanted to come over as he hadn’t been well with COVID,” he told the outlet.“He’d been on holiday to Kenya and to Italy and had had an accident on a boat, cracking or breaking a rib about three weeks ago, so he was not quite in fine fettle to come over to play.”The musician continued: “It’s a shame because we’d talked for a long time about the possibility of playing at the Commonwealth Games.”Iommi went on to say that he was surprised Osbourne was well enough to participate in the show after recently undergoing major surgery and experiencing various health setbacks.“I never thought that Ozzy would be able to come and perform at the Commonwealth Games because of his operation,” he explained.

Naman Ramachandran Rocker Ozzy Osbourne made a surprise appearance in his home city of Birmingham, U.K., and performed at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Monday evening. Osbourne and his band Black Sabbath, featuring Tony Iommi on guitar, Adam Wakeman on bass and Tommy Clufetos on drums, performed their evergreen hit “Paranoid” in front of a capacity crowd of 30,000 at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium.

Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in Birmingham brought many unexpected delights, one of which was Dexys Midnight Runners opening proceedings with their smash hit Come On Eileen. The night might have belonged to Ozzy Osbourne’s barnstorming surprise performance with Black Sabbath at the night’s close, but plenty were delighted to hear a live rendition of this 1982 classic. As well as the popular nostalgia, there were many coming to terms with the news of the band’s Birmingham origins, with the closing ceremony a celebration of the musical heritage of the West Midlands.

Ozzy Osbourne made a surprise appearance at this year’s Commonwealth Games closing ceremony. Watch a clip of the performance below.The Black Sabbath frontman had previously shared his desire to attend this year’s event in his hometown of Birmingham.

Naman Ramachandran A sequence from an upcoming “Peaky Blinders” stage show and a performance from legendary local band UB40 are amongst the highlights of closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.The sequence from U.K.-wide theater show “Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby,” will be staged at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium on Aug. 8, with a special performance of a newly-commissioned track from Laura Mvula, inspired by Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand,” which is used as the TV show’s theme song.

Jorja Smith, Laura Mvula, UB40, Dexys have been announced to perform at the 2022 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony tonight (August 8).West Midlands acts and other associated figures Beverley Knight, Goldie, Jacob Banks, Ash, Apache Indian, Mahalia, Musical Youth, Neelam Gill, Panjabi MC, Raza Hussain, Talulah-Eve, and The Selecter will appear at the event to round off the multi-sport event that’s been hosted this year by Birmingham.The acts in question have been selected to “celebrate the diverse musical heritage of the West Midlands, championing the genres and trends that run through this great Commonwealth city; from rave to reggae, street and grime to R&B, drum ‘n’ bass and rap”, according to a press release.Masterminded by creative directors Amber Rimell and Bronski from TAWBOX, the ceremony staged at the city’s Alexander Stadium will also feature a sequence from the theatre production Peaky Blinders: The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby. Laura Mvula will perform a freshly commissioned track for the show, which has been inspired by the Blinders‘ theme tune, ‘Red Right Hand’ by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds.The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby is written and adapted for the stage by creator Steven Knight, and choreographed and directed by Rambert’s Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer.

Milnathort runner Laura Muir has won stunning 1500m gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

First Dates star Fred Sirieix was beaming with pride after his daughter Andrea, 17, proved victorious at the Commonwealth Games. Andrea is competing in her first Games for England, which are currently being held in Birmingham, and performed in the Women’s Diving 10m Platform final.The teenage diver came out on top in the preliminary round, and further secured first place in the final five dives. Earlier today, Thursday 4 August, Andrea competed alongside another 11 contestants, after coming out in first place against 14 divers in the preliminary rounds.

Adam Peaty has apologised after being criticised for 'disrespecting' the significance of the Commonwealth Games.

Princess Charlotte is already getting into the swing of her royal duties.Kate Middleton and Prince William's only daughter made a surprise appearance at the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday alongside her royal parents, marking the first time she has joined them for a public engagement without either of her two brothers. Sporting a striped black-and-white dress with a Peter Pan collar, the youngster was hard to miss sitting with her parents in the stands of the Sandwell Aquatics Centre for the swimming competition. The princess seemingly enjoyed her day out as she was photographed smiling with her mom, reacting to the competition and giving her dad an enthusiastic thumbs up. Some very special guests are in attendance today. A warm welcome to Birmingham, @KensingtonRoyal!#B2022pic.twitter.com/MQSNB47B37In addition to the swimming, Charlotte also joined her parents for a visit to SportsAid House, for which the Duchess of Cambridge serves as patron. The pint-sized royal shook hands with SportsAid CEO Tim Lawler and sat in a meeting with athletes at the house.  While Charlotte and her siblings don't typically join their parents for daily public engagements, the older two did make appearances at Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee events in June and for the Service of Thanksgiving held in March in honor of their late great-grandfather, Prince Philip. Just days ago, she joined her dad in a video message shared on social media for England's women's national football team, the Lionesses.

Taking it all in! Princess Charlotte joined her parents, Prince William and Duchess Kate, for the Commonwealth Games, and it seems like she had a blast.

Prince William and Kate Middleton were joined by a very special guest during their royal outing in Birmingham, U.K., on Tuesday.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (aka Kate Middleton) sits aside her daughter, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, as they watch some aquatics during the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday (August 2) in Birmingham, England.