The Mayhem Ball – the concert tour for Lady Gaga’s 2025 album Mayhem – is set to conclude in April after a global run. The tour delivered everything fans have come to expect from the artist: spectacle, innovation and, above all, immersion in a gothic world.

The production is bursting with macabre theatricality, including concepts and images associated with the gothic tradition. Skeletons, doppelgängers, zombies, candelabra, cloaks, veils, dreams and nightmares are incorporated into intricate set designs and showstopping costumes. Themes of pain, death and rebirth frame the whole narrative of the show.

Gaga has often made interesting use of gothic motifs, so much so that she was a key source of inspiration for my new book Gothic Celebrity: Fame and Immortality from Lord Byron to Lady Gaga. In it, I examine the intersection of celebrity culture and the gothic across literature, visual media and popular culture.

I started writing the book in 2016, inspired by a significant wave of celebrity deaths and the public’s reactions to these losses – including David Bowie, Prince and George Michael. These deaths unsettled many people because modern celebrity culture has established an expectation of the celebrity’s immortality.

Fame, immortality and the gothic

Described by some as the first celebrity, the Romantic poet Lord Byron’s posthumous fame was maintained in the years following his death by various cultural artefacts. These included a statue in Cambridge University’s Trinity College and two illustrated books published by William and Edward Finden in the 1830s.

In the 21st century, digital technology now serves this purpose. Three years after her death, actor Carrie Fisher was digitally resurrected for her role as Princess Leia in the 2019 Star Wars film The Rise of Skywalker with the help of CGI. Holograms of deceased celebrities have also been used for music performances, such as in 2020 for An Evening with Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour.

In western culture, our relationship with celebrities revolves around a tension between renewal and decay. We want celebrities to be immortalised; we do not want them to age or die. Technological preservation or the reinvention of a celebrity’s image in a new context reinforces immortality, ageing or dying disrupts it. Gothic can be found in these moments of disruption.

My research has found that celebrities have continually been represented in gothic ways. Mortality and immortality are central themes in these gothic representations, whereby the celebrity is often portrayed as decaying, dead or undead.

The notoriously hideous portrait in Oscar Wilde’s 1890 Gothic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray establishes a useful motif for exploring the deterioration of a celebrity’s flawless image. In the novel’s context of Victorian fashionable society, Dorian Gray is celebrated for his remarkable beauty. However, his decaying portrait embodies the horror of this beauty not being preserved, reflecting both the inevitability of ageing and the precarity of visual media.

This motif is later reimagined in the celebrity portraits of the pop artist Andy Warhol. Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych, created in the months following Marilyn Monroe’s death in 1962, mimics the appearance of a decaying portrait to symbolise Monroe’s death and question the perceived immortality of celebrities in the late 20th century.

In gothic novels, a celebrity’s immortality is often symbolised by the eternally youthful vampire. John Polidori’s 1819 short story The Vampyre established this archetype. In the story, the enchanting Regency gentleman Lord Ruthven – modelled after Lord Byron, who was friends with Polidori – returns from the dead in vampiric form.

Polidori’s tale inaugurates a tradition of eternally youthful vampires modelling celebrity that extends all the way to the post-millennium. In fact, Lady Gaga has played one such character in the anthology television series American Horror Story (2011-). In an episode titled Hotel, she plays a vampire called The Countess who adapts to the modern world by reinventing her image.

Lady Gaga’s gothic celebrity

What makes this phenomenon particularly compelling is the degree to which celebrities can choose to manage or even initiate their affiliation with the gothic. My research has found that there are many celebrities who form dialogues with gothic texts. This is done by producing, starring in or inspiring them. These celebrities also self-consciously construct images that can be described as gothic. Lady Gaga is the perfect example.

A recurring theme in her music performances is her interest in the undead. In the music video for her song Bad Romance (2009), she emerges from a coffin-like container inscribed with the word “Monster”. Later in the same video, she is seen lounging on a bed and smoking a cigarette next to a charred carcass.

Uncanny echoes of this gothic iconography appear in Gaga’s recent Mayhem Ball performances. During her song Perfect Celebrity (2025), she is laying in a sandpit caressing a skeleton, surrounded by skeleton backing dancers. The show’s climax sees Gaga dramatically resurrected after the set is engulfed in flames. She is wheeled back on stage by dancers in plague doctor costumes, who operate on her lifeless body before she is spectacularly reanimated for a show-stopping rendition of Bad Romance.

These performances, in which Gaga is frequently depicted as undead or resurrected, represent more than just an aesthetic interest in the macabre. They are reflections of our enduring fixation with death. In this way, celebrities can play a crucial role in interrogating such profound concerns. Both gothic and celebrity culture are vehicles for exploring how modern western society processes its deepest anxieties.

This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

Court papers said the murder charge was aggravated by reason of involving domestic abuse

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of mother-of-two Amy Doherty in Derry.

Connor McNamee, 30, of Summer Meadow Mews in Derry, was also charged with possession of an offensive weapon, a kitchen knife, and possession of a class A controlled drug, cocaine.

Court papers said the murder charge was aggravated by reason of involving domestic abuse.

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He appeared at Derry Magistrates’ Court on Friday via videolink.

There was no application for bail and he was remanded in custody until April 23.

Police launched a murder investigation after officers were called to a property in the Summer Meadows Mews area of Derry on Saturday and found 28-year-old Ms Doherty badly injured.

She was taken to hospital where she later died. Ms Doherty’s funeral took place on Thursday. Mourners at her funeral on Thursday were told she had a “magnetic personality” and “would draw people to her by her joyful smile”.

A vigil in her memory will take place later tonight in Derry.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here

Carney Chukwuemeka’s name was trending all over social media this week.

Had the Borussia Dortmund midfielder scored a worldie? Maybe he had produced an outrageous piece of skill?

It was a little bit stranger than that.

The former Aston Villa and Chelsea midfielder has now made 97 senior appearances across all competitions – but has never played a full 90 minutes.

The 22-year-old made his debut for Villa on the final day of the 2020-21 Premier League season against Tottenham.

He has started 18 games but always been subbed off. The closest he has got to a full game is the 82nd minute, twice.

That was in a 4-1 loss for Chelsea at Manchester United in May 2023, and a 1-1 draw for Dortmund at Hamburg in November 2025.

His other 79 matches have all been from the bench.

The breakdown of his games is 16 for Villa, 32 for Chelsea and 49 with Dortmund since his move in 2024.

This should be no slight on the player’s ability, with Dortmund boss Niko Kovac describing him as “sensationally good”.

“The way he takes the ball and carries it, the way he immediately turns in the direction of play, that is really unique,” Kovac said after a 6-0 win over Union Berlin last year.

“He has very good acceleration and technique. The boy will give us joy.”

What does this tell us about the modern game with five substitutes?

Do any other players come close, or is Chukwuemeka an exception?

Steven David Green, 47, is wanted for failing to comply with court requirements following his release from prison partway through a sentence for sexual assault, North Yorkshire Police has said.

Extensive enquiries have been carried out by police to find Green, who also has connections in Newcastle and Liverpool.

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The force said: “As part of those enquiries we are appealing to anyone who has seen him or knows where he is now, to get in touch.

“Green previously lived in Newcastle and is believed to be in the North East area, however, he is originally from Liverpool, where he has connections.

“He also has connections to the Hull/Humberside area.”

Those with an immediate sighting of Green have been urged to contact police on 999.

For non-urgent calls, please contact 101.

Please quote reference number 12260043991 when passing on information.

A judge has decided a man is fit to stand trial charged with attempting to murder three children in Dublin.

Riad Bouchaker, 52, of no fixed abode, is accused of an attack at Parnell Square East on 23 November 2023, hours before a riot broke out in the capital.

At a hearing on Friday, at the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Tony Hunt considered medical and psychiatric evidence, including from two consultant forensic psychiatrists working for the defence and prosecution, who disagreed about whether Bouchaker should stand trial.

The judge said both psychiatrists accepted that the accused had a neurocognitive disorder arising from neurosurgery in 2021 before the incident, and a subsequent brain injury sustained in 2023.

Mr Justice Hunt said the accused had sufficient understanding of his situation and the proceedings, had demonstrated ability to provide a coherent and consistent account, could understand the evidence and had the ability to offer a defence.

He said this could be done with “reasonable accommodations” to the proceedings, but the matter would remain “under review” as the trial progresses.

The judge said Bouchaker “undoubtedly had cognitive limitations” but was “currently fit to stand trial”.

He added that any difficulties could be tackled without undermining the fairness of the process or the ability of the accused to take part.

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Bouchaker is charged with the attempted murder of two girls and a boy, and assault causing serious harm to a care worker.

He also faces three counts of assault causing harm to two other children and a woman in her 30s, as well as a charge of possession and production of a 36cm kitchen knife. He has not yet entered pleas.

Sky’s Ireland Correspondent Stephen Murphy, who is following the case, said the attack plunged Dublin into “rioting later that day, as it became known that the alleged attacker on that day was from another country”.

He added that the subsequent violence caused millions of euros worth of damage, with police vehicles set on fire and officers injured.

Bouchaker, wearing glasses, a grey shirt, green jacket and green pants, spoke with his Arabic interpreter throughout the proceedings.

A trial date has been set for June and it is expected to last two weeks.

Kash Patel had his personal email hacked by a group of “Iran-backed hackers,” who published photographs of the FBI director and other documents on the internet.

The group, Handala Hack Team, claimed responsibility for the security breach Friday and said Patel “will now find ​his name among the list of successfully hacked ⁠victims.”

Among the material shared online by the group were old pictures of Patel smoking cigars and pulling silly faces while taking selfies, as well as what appeared to be a copy of his previous resumé.

A Justice Department official confirmed to Reuters that Patel’s email had ​been breached and said the material published online appeared to be authentic. The Independent has contacted the FBI for comment on the incident.

“The so called ‘impenetrable’ systems of the FBI were brought to their knees in a matter of hours by our team,” the hackers wrote. “All personal and confidential information of Kash Patel, including emails, documents, conversations, and even classified files, is now available for public download.”

The group claimed the attack had been in response to the FBI “proudly” seizing its domains and announcing a $10 million reward for information on its members, which it described as a “ridiculous show.”

“This is the security the U.S. government boasts about?” the hackers added.

Handala, which calls itself ​a group of pro-Palestinian vigilante hackers, is considered by ​Western researchers to be one of several personas used by Iranian ‌government ⁠cyberintelligence units.

Handala recently claimed the hack of Michigan-based medical devices and services provider Stryker on March 11, claiming to have deleted a massive trove of company ​data.

Reuters was not ​able to ⁠independently authenticate the Patel emails, but the personal Gmail address that Handala claims to have ​broken into matches the address linked to ​Patel in ⁠previous data breaches preserved by the dark web intelligence firm District 4 Labs.

A sample of the material uploaded by ⁠the ​hackers and reviewed by Reuters ​appears to show a mix of personal and work correspondence dating between ​2010 and 2019.

Reuters contributed to this report.

“News broke about Banksy’s true identity being unveiled and I knew the time was right to sell”

Four original Banksy paintings are coming up for auction in Belfast.

On The Square Emporium’s June event ‘The Extraordinary Auction’ is already living up to its name after a local collector of the elusive artist decided to sell his collection.

Due to the recent unmasking of Banksy, there has been a surge in interest in the famous street artist. The owner of the paintings said: “I have bought many things from On The Square Emporium and love the shop and their auctions.

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“When I heard of their ‘Extraordinary Auction’ I had already decided to put a few choice items in. But then the news broke about Banksy’s true identity being unveiled and I knew the time was right to sell”.

Banksy was recently revealed as a 52-year-old Bristol-born man named Robin Gunningham, now going by the name David Jones.

It was uncovered that in 2000, Robin Gunningham was caught in Manhattan scaling a brownstone to deface a Marc Jacobs Poster. He signed the confession that Reuters found 24 years later.

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Justin, owner and auctioneer at On The Square, said: “This is great timing. With Banksy back in the headlines the prices of his work is rising again.

“We are very happy to accept the entries of the Banksy Originals with full certification. The entries are Love Rat (estimate £14,000 to £18,000), Happy Choppers (estimate £14,000 to £18,000), Golf Sale (estimate £10,000 to £14,000) and Monkey Queen (£10,000 to £14,000).”

He added that the Banksys should prove very popular in the auction, but there are many other great lots, with over £400,000 worth of entries coming in.

If you have something special that you would like to enter into the Extraordinary Auction email info@onthesquareemporium.com

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter.

TNA Wrestling star Elayna Black has revealed her most embarrassing moment in the ring, where even the referee thought she was ‘dying’.

The 25-year-old wrestler, who rose to fame as Cora Jade in WWE before her release in MONTH 2025, first appeared for TNA in March that year as part of the partnership between the two companies when she represented NXT against then-Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich at Sacrifice.

Speaking exclusively to Metro before tonight’s Sacrifice event, Elayna recalled delaying her usual pre-match beet juice drink with just five minutes till her entrance.

Already feeling nervous, she ‘chugged’ the whole thing, and before the announcements were done, she was already feeling queasy.

‘The match starts, I just felt so sick the whole time, holding it down. I remember it was a double-down with me and Masha,’ she said.

‘I was like, “Oh no, I have to throw up”. I tried to make it to the edge of the ring, but I didn’t, I threw up in the ring!

‘But because it was straight beet juice, it just looked like a puddle of blood… It was my throw-up! Everyone thought she hit me and I was bleeding. The ref thought I was dying!’

By the time fans saw what happened, it ‘looked like a mysterious puddle of blood’. Despite her love of hardcore wrestling, she admitted that she has issues with the sight of blood.

‘God, I just remember being very sick to my stomach afterwards,’ she said of her first deathmatch in her late teens. ‘I do not do good with blood, and I had clotting blood coming out of my elbow.’

Tonight, she faces Mane Sade in a No Disqualification match, which could be a problem.

‘I’m worse 1774626381, if anything. I don’t know what’s happened to me as I’ve gotten older, but I get so queasy,’ she laughed.

‘Blood in wrestling doesn’t bother me, but when it’s on me and I’m looking at it, that bothers me.’

Tonight is an opportunity for Elayna to prove herself after being released by WWE in May 2025.

‘”Damn, I’m so young still, and my dreams are over,”‘ she thought at the time. ‘”What the f**k am I gonna do for the rest of my life?!”‘

Her mental health ‘took a turn’, and she stepped back from wrestling after some advice from CM Punk.

‘Punk left for 10 years and came back – obviously, the situation was different,’ she added. ‘But how many times has this happened where someone has been cut and not only came back, but came back a better version and more of a superstar?’

That doesn’t mean that TNA is a step back to WWE.

She’s trying to build herself and the company up, and she still sends her matches and promo to Punk for ‘honest’ advice, which is a ‘surreal’ experience after growing up watching everything he did.

It was tough for Elayna to step away for a few months in 2025, and she totally closed herself off for the first time since becoming a fan at around eight years old.

‘During that time, I wasn’t thinking about wrestling at all. I wasn’t watching it. I wasn’t looking at it online,’ she added.

That was a conscious move.

‘I wanted to miss it, because I told myself, if I didn’t miss it, then I didn’t want to do it anymore, period,’ she said. ‘[Now] I have a second chance.’

As a lifelong fan, she appreciates people wanting to meet their idols, but after the recent drama surrounding Chappell Roan and a young fan approaching her at a hotel, Elayna thinks there has to be a line.

She’s been that fan sitting outside for hours hoping that a wrestler would give them a few seconds of their time, but hotels are ‘not the place to do that’, she stated.

‘There have been a lot of times people have been weird, and you feel uncomfortable and you don’t feel safe… It’s just not okay, and it’s very much an invasion of privacy,’ she said.

As well as meet and greets, Elayna connects with fans through her OnlyFans account.

‘I’m very much someone who thinks that women should be able to do what they want with their bodies,’ she said. ‘People are gonna sexualise and objectify you, no matter what. It’s sh***y to say, and it sucks that it is that way.

‘But if I’m able to make an OnlyFans and post pictures and get paid to do so, why would I not do that?’

Elayna is grateful that she gets to ‘live her dream’ as a wrestler, while also being able to make money in another way.

‘I had never seen income like that before,’ she admitted. ‘I’m not touching it right now, but it’s there for the future.’

Speaking of what’s to come, Elayna still has some dream matches, including AEW’s Mercedes Mone and WWE legend AJ Lee.

Tonight, she’s hoping to add to the company’s rich history of bloody and violent matches.

‘Hopefully someone will say one day that this was their favourite hardcore match in TNA,’ she said.

‘It’s pressure, but good pressure. And I think we’re gonna tear the house down.’

TNA Sacrifice airs tonight at midnight on TNA+.

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.

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The Moisture Surge Overnight Face Mask has been reduced from £42 to £33.60 and is described as ‘one of Clinique’s best products’

Beauty enthusiasts battling dry or lacklustre skin following winter might want to consider purchasing an overnight face mask. Since skin cells regenerate during the night, applying a hydrating mask during these optimal hours can help maximise results and help skin feel smoother and look younger.

Amazon offers numerous choices, with Clinique’s Moisture Surge Overnight Face Mask being amongst its most sought-after option. Normally retailing at £42, the mask has now been reduced to £33.60. It is oil-free, creamy, and functions to hydrate and plump the complexion.

The sleep mask contains panthenol and assists in supporting the skin’s moisture barrier. It’s also fragrance-free and intended for evening use as the final stage in a skincare regimen. It can be applied to both the face and neck, according to Clinique.

Likewise, another popular option is Medicube’s Collagen Overnight Wrapping Face Mask, currently £23.40, reduced from £26 at LookFantastic. This variant features a peel-off format that claims to result in ‘visibly plump, glowing skin’ by morning.

Another alternative is Fenty Beauty’s Dew N Plump Nectar Glow, discounted to £24 at Space NK, down from £30. The leave-on facial mask promises to seal in moisture for up to 72 hours, reports the Daily Star.

Clinique Moisture Surge Oil Free Overnight Face Mask

£42.00

£33.60

Amazon

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The product has received glowing reviews, one user describing it as ‘a miracle in a bottle’, and has been reduced by 20% on Amazon.

Nevertheless, it’s difficult to ignore the impressive reviews for Clinique’s Moisture Surge Overnight Face Mask. One customer commented: “I have always been a fan of Clinique products, but somewhere along the way I strayed and have found myself going back to them.

“Recently, I’ve struggled to heal my skin on my lower lip. It is always so dry and then it will crack. I’ve tried everything, and nothing has really worked… until now.

“My skin has become so dry recently from the weather turning colder and I absolutely love how soft, plump, healthy, and hydrated my skin looks the morning after using this product. It has made a huge difference in my skin.

“If you’re struggling to get your skin feeling moisturised, this is a miracle in a bottle. Try it, you won’t be disappointed.”

Another satisfied customer simply stated: “It’s a very good nighttime product. Skin looks fresh and young.”

A third buyer commented: “Fantastic overnight moisturiser. I put a generous amount on my face, and it absorbs into the skin quickly. In the morning, super soft and plumper feeling skin.”

Not every reviewer awarded it full marks, with one individual deducting stars due to the texture. They noted: “I find it very sticky. It doesn’t absorb well.”

Another shopper had a more positive experience, saying: “I add this as an extra at night and my skin feels smooth and comfortable on the morning.”

Another review reads: “One of the best products Clinique does. Will always buy it.”

A final customer observed: “I absolutely love this product. It leaves my skin feeling hydrated and soft. It’s has got a cooling effect. It’s not oily and it doesn’t have a fragrance. It doesn’t irritate my skin, so that’s great.”

One person was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital this morning (Friday, March 27)

A person has been taken to hospital after a crash on a major Cambridgeshire A-road. Emergency services were called to a crash on the A10 near Ely at around 9.45am today (Friday, March 27).

The crash involved a lorry and car. One person was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital by the East of England Ambulance Service.

An ambulance spokesperson said: “An ambulance came across a road traffic collision while driving on the A10 near Ely this morning. One patient was transported to Addenbrookes Hospital.”

Cambridgeshire Police also attended the scene. A police spokesperson said: “We were called at about 9.45am this morning to the A10/A142 roundabout, at Ely, after reports of a collision between a car and a lorry. There looks to be no serious injuries, no arrests and the road was cleared at about 11am.”

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