Obsession has very quickly become the horror movie the whole world is talking about.
The second feature-length offering from YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Curry Barker, Obsession centres around two friends who enter a nightmare scenario when one of them makes a life-changing wish for the other to fall in love with him “more than anyone in the fucking world”.
A modern-day “be careful what you wish for” cautionary tale, the film has received rave reviews, including an enviable 96% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and 4.2 stars on Letterboxd, with particular praise for its break-out star Inde Navarrette.
But despite dominating the pop culture conversation right now, how much do we really know about what went into Obsession’s creation?
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Here are 17 behind-the-scenes secrets you’d probably never heard about how the film of the moment came together (and be warned – there are plenty of spoilers ahead)…
Interestingly enough, the idea for Obsession was inspired by a classic episode of The Simpsons
The story goes that Curry Barker first had the idea for Obsession after inviting his friends over to watch an episode of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia that he had a small role in.
“Before the episode [aired] there was a Simpsons episode where [Bart] has a monkey paw, and he’s making wishes and stuff,” he recalled to Triple J, referring to The Simpsons’ second Halloween special Treehouse Of Horror II.
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In the episode – based on WW Jacobs’ short story The Monkey’s Paw – the family travels to Morocco and buys a cursed monkey’s paw at a market, which grants their wishes with sinister consequences.
Curry admitted: “I was just excited to see my Always Sunny episode, but it hit me right then and there on the couch that Obsession idea that I had would be perfect if it was a wish movie.
“And so I actually remember the moment, I remember being on the couch, and being like, ‘oh my god’ and writing. It down. And after that, I just kept developing and developing that idea.”
The Simpsons’ brush with a monkey’s paw was an unexpected inspiration for Obsession
He also told Variety: “I was thinking that I’ve never seen a straight crazy horror [based on that idea]. We’ve seen ‘be careful what you wish for’ tons of times. But we’ve never seen my version of it. I instantly started thinking about what I could do with that…”
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Once he had the idea that Obsession would be about a ‘wish come true’ gone awry, Curry Barker had to decide what form the wish would actually take
“I didn’t want to use the Monkeypaw because it was too recognisable,” he told IndieWire. “And so then I went down this rabbit hole of trying to find things that you could make a wish off of.
“You’ve got the wishing well, you have shooting stars, a wishbone you break in half, but nothing really worked well for the movie.”
In the end, he reasoned: “Screw it. I’m going to make something up.”
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And so, the One Wish Willow came to be – with Curry Barker’s designer mum helping him bring it to life
He told Moveable Fest: “My mum actually helped me design that. She’s a graphic art designer, and I told her I wanted it to look kind of timeless, like it’s from the ’50s or the ’80s, and I wanted it to have this very retro feel, like it’s been around forever and you can’t really pinpoint when it was made.
“I also wanted it to look inviting, and almost creepy in the way that it looks so friendly, like it couldn’t hurt anything.”
The One Wish Willow as seen in Curry Barker’s Obsession
That’s not the only way that Obsession was a family affair for director Curry Barker, though
Remember that cringe-worthy party scene where Nikki makes everyone uncomfortable by, among other things, reading out an excerpt of an incestuous love story based on Hansel And Gretel?
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Well, it turns out, it was written by Curry’s dad.
The director told Polygon: “My dad had just started his screenwriting journey and I was like, ‘Yeah, if you want to give it a stab’. So I let him write it and he did some really creepy stuff.”
“My dad’s been a writer for a while,” he added. “My dad writes novels and stuff, and now he’s a full-time screenwriter. And my dad has a mind that lends itself well to that type of creepy stuff. So I guess like father, like son.”
And speaking of that sinister Hansel And Gretel story, what was that actually all about?
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Well, Curry said he wanted that to be a manifestation of Nikki’s mind warping different kinds of love, having previously considered Bear to be a brother figure to her before his wish for her to fall in love with him.
“I knew I wanted it to be about Hansel And Gretel,” he said during his Polygon interview. “I knew that I wanted it to be about brother and sister because the kind of thing I was doing there is that if you remember Nikki tells Bear in the beginning of the movie that she kind of sees him as a brother.
“And so that’s kind of that, like brother and sister being together. It’s not right and it’s not supposed to happen, but it is. And that’s kind of the movie.”
Nikki’s impromptu reading gave Obsession one of its most memorable scenes
There was no formal choreography when it came to Nikki’s creepy way of moving
“Nikki’s movement was something that Curry and I built from scratch,” Inde told The Hollywood Reporter. “Not because we didn’t want to take any inspiration. It was just as soon as we got attached to the project, we just really spearheaded. It was a fast track.
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“We filmed it in 26 days, and it was an indie-budget film, so we didn’t have a lot of things at our disposal. But that created this organic movement for me.”
She continued: “I’m not a movement person. I’ve never really done that before. I used to dance, but Curry would be on the opposite side of me, mimicking something with his body, and then I would do it in a way, and be like, ‘No, no, like this’. And so we would mirror each other.”
“Technically, the choreographer would be Curry Barker,” she added with a laugh.
No CGI was used to make Inde Navarrette’s facial expressions in Obsession so scary, either
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In fact, the team relied on good old-fashioned makeup contouring to achieve Nikki’s unsettling look.
“I think they call it contour in the makeup world, but you can kind of just accentuate things,” he recalled to Polygon.
“The goal was never to make her look too demon, because if you go demon, then you’re just making her eyes really dark and her mouth really dark, and then you’re in that uncanny valley. We wanted her to still look human but not quite human. But also, it was 90% her.”
Inde Navarette’s Nikki goes to some terrifying depths in Obsession
Obsession’s duct-taped door was a practical effect, too
“I was so impressed with the art department to see what they did with that,” Curry beamed. “What’s funny is we were shooting so out of order that sometimes we had to take that duct tape down to shoot one scene and then put the duct tape back up to shoot another scene.
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“So, what the art department did to make it really easy is, 90% of that duct tape is not taped to the door. It’s like a big sheet. So there’s a big sheet and then tons of tape. And so the only tape that’s attached to the wall is on the outskirts. Once you remove that, you can kind of remove this big piece that they had designed. It was really smart.”
Curry Barker has lifted the lid on how Obsession achieved the duct-taped door effect
One especially grisly Obsession scene had to be tweaked to appease the censors
In the original cut, the scene where Nikki smashes in Sarah’s head with a brick was much more graphic, but to ensure the film got a wider release, Curry had to make some tough decisions.
“That was definitely a scary moment for me as a director,” he admitted to The Guardian. “Especially as I had just watched the movie in Toronto with a crowd that really reacted to that scene.
“Hearing the news that I might have to cut it down was quite devastating at first. But we cut it down and I feel like the integrity of the scene is still there … I’m actually surprised at how much they let us keep in.”
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Similarly, Inde insisted to The Hollywood Reporter that version of Obsession shown at TIFF was “not that different” to what we all saw in cinemas.
“[When] I kill Sarah, we reduced the amount of head smashes because it was too long,” she claimed.
“I really loved the response at TIFF, because people really liked how long it is and how aggressive Nikki is. It shows how obsessed she is, what she’s willing to do for Bear and how far she’s willing to take it. It’s just really intense.
“Also, what was cut was the aftermath. Curry wanted to play with the idea of what does a human body do after that sort of smashes, like there’s gurgles come out, so there was gurgles, there was like human sounds that might have been too gruesome for an R rating, so they kind of downsized it.”
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She added: “TIFF definitely got a really gruesome, gruesome version, but it sounded like they liked it.”
The opening scene was added in at the last minute
“The original opening of this movie was actually at Bear’s house [when he found] the dead cat, and you’re just thrown in and you don’t really know what’s going on,” Curry told Movable Fest.
During the editing process, he “decided to open” up the story, bringing back actors Michael Johnston and Cooper Tomlinson to shoot the new opening set at a diner.
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Obsession had a few alternative endings, too
In the version of Obsession that made it into cinemas, Bear’s hold over Nikki comes to an end when he dies, at which point she screams in terror when she realises what she’s done.
Before Nikki became horror’s new “final girl”, though, Curry had planned for the character to die alongside the rest of her friendship group.
“I was really obsessed with this Romeo And Juliet ending, actually,” he told Entertainment Weekly, revealing that it was his dad who told him to have Nikki live, instead.
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“We shot both,” he noted. “We shot this ending that you see in the movie, and we shot the ending where she ends it all.”
Nikki and Bear pictured in the final moments of Obsession
He added: “We had shot a ton of different versions of the official ending, the one that’s in the script, the one that I was excited about, and I was like, ‘Okay, we’ll do one ending where [Nikki] survives, but we’ll just do one take of it, and then we’ll move on’.”
In fact, Obsession’s shocking ending was shot in only one take
Because of the complicated technique used to capture it – and the fact that Curry was still set on Nikki dying – he recorded the ending that made it into the finished film in one take.
“It was a very technical shot, and so we only gave her one where she survives,” he told Entertainment Weekly, revealing that Inde’s “performance was so good” he had to include the scene in his movie.
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He revealed: “I just remember my dad and multiple people around me being like, ‘Dude, I think it’s way more disturbing if she just survives this thing’. I was like, ‘Ah, you’re right’. And so we switched it.”
Inde told The Hollywood Reporter: “The original ending was that I was going to choose that I didn’t want to live that way anymore, after all of the trauma and pain. [At the] last second, they were like, ‘Let’s just try this one thing’, and from other people’s perspective, which is high praise for me, and I really, really appreciate it, they did one take, they felt like it was magical and electric, and they knew that that was the ending.
“At the end of all of this, it was such a release to get all of what I felt like Nikki was experiencing out of my body. I’m really glad that she didn’t die. I’m really glad that she’s considered a horror final girl, that I think is the sickest title ever.”
Inde Navarette’s performance as Nikki in Obsession is one you’re going to be hearing a lot about in the next few weeks and months
One other scene that went through ‘so many different versions’ was Sarah and Bear’s private conversation in the car
“There was a version where Sarah tells Bear that Nikki admitted to her that Nikki actually had feelings for Bear,” Curry recalled to Polygon. “I thought that was really heartwrenching if it turns out that Nikki liked Bear along and then this happened, but that obviously didn’t make it in.”
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He also pointed out: “No one ever has picked up on this, but there’s this line in the beginning that says Nikki was crying in the break room. You can hear it at the trivia bar. They talk about, ‘Why was Nikki crying in the break room?’ And Ian’s like, “I don’t know, maybe she…” But really it’s because Ian had told her that he wanted to [end their casual hook-ups].”
Curry Barker had a very specific intention while making everything in Obsession so centre-focussed (and no, it wasn’t to do with vertical video)
“I wanted to shoot this centre-composed and have extra head space because I wanted it to feel uncomfortable in its loneliness,” he told Variety.
“There’s something about centre-composed that forces you to look and pulls you in in a way that traditional composition may not. I’ve seen a lot of horror filmmakers I look up to recently shooting in that way.”
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When putting together Obsession, Curry Barker never envisaged the ‘incel’ label that many have thrown at his protagonist, Bear
Michael Johnston as Bear in Obsession
“He just makes some bad decisions but I think it starts from a really innocent place,” the director told The Guardian. “It’s what he chooses to do after that that’s bad.”
He also noted: “Embarrassingly, I wasn’t even familiar with the term incel until someone brought it up to me.”
Curry Barker actually makes a cameo in Obsession you might have totally missed
You know that part where Bear calls up an operator for the One Wish Willow helpline?
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“It was me,” Curry admitted to Polygon. “I recorded that dialogue in my room, way after we shot the movie. I was editing in my room so I was able to just do whatever I wanted with it. I just got my phone out and I was just like, ‘Hey, what’s up?’.”
And finally, is there any chance of an Obsession sequel? Kiiiind of…
Curry has claimed he’d “definitely” be up for another film set in the Obsession world, but introducing a different set of characters and, crucially, another wish.
“It wouldn’t have these characters, but it would have the One Wish Willow,” he teased to Polygon. “It would be [about] that same selfishness of a person who wants something that’ll only benefit them and not really thinking about other people.
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“The horror would come out of what happens when you wish for something that you think is going to be good, but it’s not. That’s the theme, and so there’s so many different stories.”
During her Hollywood Reporter interview, Inde also revealed that she’d “absolutely” be up for playing Nikki again, even though she “really” loves the idea that the story is “kind of left there”.
“It’s like a memory, whenever you look back to yourself at like 24, 23, 22 those are all chunks, and they begin and end at a certain point. I think that’s kind of like this story. It begins and it ends, and then it’s new Nikki, if you will,” she added with a laugh.
Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey Slater, is currently on a temporary break from the BBC soap to spend more time with her family.
However, it’s now been reported that Lacey will be using her newfound free time to take to the Strictly ballroom.
EastEnders legend to join Strictly Come Dancing 2026
According to The Sun, a source told the outlet, “Strictly bosses are delighted to snap Lacey up for the series, especially as she has such a huge fan base from her time on the soap.
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“he’s down to earth and viewers will be excited to get to know her personality away from Albert Square.
“She has loved having some quality time off screen to focus on parenting, but feels like now is the perfect time to learn to dance and try something different before she reprises her role in EastEnders.”
Back in 2027, Lacey revealed that she turned down Strictly, sharing, “I have been asked to go on Strictly but I’m rubbish at dancing and I don’t really have the guts.
“I think it’s a great show to do, though, as you learn a new skill.”
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The 2026 line-up for Strictly Come Dancing has yet to be announced but is expected to be revealed over the next few weeks.
Shirley Ballas shares verdict on Strictly’s new hosts
Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas has given her verdict on the show’s new hosts.
The 65-year-old ballroom star shared her excitement for the shake-up in a recent interview.
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Ballas praised Emma Willis as “a true professional” and called Johannes Radebe “a shining star.”
She also welcomed comedian Josh Widdicombe to the line-up, which was announced earlier this week.
Ballas said: “I’ve worked with Emma (Willis) before on Cooking With The Stars and she is a true professional.
“And who doesn’t love JoJo (Johannes Radebe)?
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“He’s a shining star.
“And I’m looking forward to the banter Josh (Widdicombe) is going to bring, he’s a fabulous comedian, I know he’s going to give Craig Revel Horwood a run for his money with the comebacks.”
The new presenters join the long-running BBC show following the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who stepped down last year.
Ballas will return to the judging panel when the series resumes in September.
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Are you excited for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing? Let us know in the comments.
Emergency services, including the air ambulance, were called to the crash on the A182 Washington Highway near Houghton-le-Spring on Wednesday, May 27, around 2.45pm.
The man was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
The road was closed for several hours while the emergency services and crash investigators attended.
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The man’s next of kin have been informed.
A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: “Our thoughts remain with them at this sad time.
“A report is being prepared for the coroner.”
A spokesperson for the Great North Air Ambulance said previously: “Our doctor and paramedic team were activated to an incident at 2.51pm. They flew to scene and arrived within 13 minutes.
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“They worked alongside the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS).”
A NEAS spokesperson adedd: “We dispatched one ambulance crew, one rapid response paramedic, one specialist paramedic, one clinical team leader and were supported by our colleagues at Great North Air Ambulance Service.”
Hosts Mexico are World Cup stalwarts, and they will be hoping that a hint of home advantage will drive them into the latter stages this summer.
Javier Aguirre’s men are two-time quarter-finalists on the global stage, but they have only reached that far at home tournaments.
They were in 1970 and 1986, where they were defeated by beaten finalists West Germany on penalties.
Now, ‘El Tri’ will be looking to repeat that feat – or perhaps go even further – as they welcome the biggest sides in international football once more.
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Goalkeepers: Raul Rangel, Carlos Acevedo, Guillermo Ochoa
Defenders: Israel Reyes, Jesús Gallardo, Jorge Sánchez, César Montes, Johan Vásquez, Mateo Chávez
Midfielders: Erik Lira, Luis Romo, Obed Vargas, Brian Gutiérrez, Orbelín Pineda, Edson Álvarez, Gilberto Mora, César Huerta, Álvaro Fidalgo, Luis Chávez
El Tricolor have been placed in a group where they will fancy their chances.
They take on the weakest side – South Africa – first, opening the tournament in front of their adoring fans in Mexico City, before a couple of banana skins against South Korea and Czechia.
If they can harness their raucous home support, they should reach the last 16 at least.
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West Ham midfielder Edson Alvarez captains the side from the centre of midfield, and it will be down to him to start attacks with forward passes as well as breaking up opposing moves.
Up top, Fulham forward Raul Jimenez will be tasked with scoring the goals to get Mexico out of the group stage and into the knockouts, and he will have AC Milan’s Santiago Gimenez there to ease the burden slightly.
Latest Mexico World Cup odds
To win the World Cup: 66/1
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BOSTON (AP) — Former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell used one of his first major public appearances since leaving office to defend independent institutions while accepting an award Sunday honoring his efforts to preserve the central bank’s independence.
Speaking at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library overlooking Boston Harbor, Powell called universities, courts, Congress and the central bank “the foundation and the embodiment of our democracy” and argued that the Fed’s independence was a “priceless asset” that must be protected.
It was one of his most direct defenses of Fed independence, warning that a single administration’s decision to remove bank officials over policy differences would open the way for future elected officials to follow suit, ultimately undermining the credibility that the Fed has spent decades building.
Powell, who frequently clashed with Trump during his eight years as chair, stepped down as his term expired in May. He was succeeded by Kevin Warsh, whom Trump selected to lead the central bank.
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After stepping down as chair, Powell took the unusual step of keeping his seat on the Fed’s governing board, which he has until January 2028. By doing so, he has deprived the Trump administration of an opportunity to appoint another member of the board.
The Trump administration has also sought to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook, which would open an additional seat on the rate-setting committee the president could fill. Yet Cook sued and the courts have so far let her keep her seat.
While Powell never mentioned Trump by name Sunday, he repeatedly returned to the importance of protecting institutions from political pressure and preserving public trust in their independence.
“Like many other institutions, the Fed has been undergoing a stress test,” he said. “Congress wisely chose to insulate monetary policy decisions from political pressure. All other advanced economy nations have done the same.”
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Since 1989, the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award has recognized public servants who make what the foundation describes as courageous decisions of conscience despite personal or professional consequences.
Previous recipients include former Presidents Barack Obama and George H. W. Bush, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former Vice President Mike Pence.
In March, the foundation said it was awarding Powell for protecting the independence of the Federal Reserve “despite years of personal attacks and threats from the highest levels of government.”
Trump harshly criticized Powell throughout his tenure as chair, frequently attacking the Fed’s interest-rate decisions and urging the central bank to cut borrowing costs more aggressively.
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Beyond the Federal Reserve, Powell defended U.S. universities and research institutions, the Constitution, Congress and the court system.
“The United States has long been the leader of the world’s freedom-seeking people — the indispensable nation. Other countries know us as a nation built on integrity, and that integrity must be maintained,” he said.
In his remarks, Powell indirectly acknowledged mistakes as chair. The Fed is legally required to seek stable prices, but inflation surged amid the pandemic’s supply chain crunch. Many economists believe the central bank should have raised interest rates more quickly in response.
“At the Fed, we are, of course, human and thus imperfect,” Powell said. “When we make mistakes, we acknowledge them and change course.”
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Powell was honored alongside residents of Minnesota’s Twin Cities, who received the award for what the Kennedy Foundation described as acts of courage during a federal immigration crackdown that led to thousands of arrests and the deaths of Minneapolis mother Renée Good and nurse Alex Pretti, both of whom were killed while observing or documenting enforcement activity.
“It’s wonderful just to be invited, honoring Renée,” Good’s father, Tim Granger, said as he entered the library with family members.
Kennedy’s only surviving child, Caroline Kennedy, and her son, Jack Schlossberg, said in a statement that without people like Powell and those in Minnesota “willing to put their lives on the line to hold America to its promises, our democracy can’t survive.”
Attendee U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is running for governor of Minnesota next year, reflected that the award was unusual because it recognized ordinary residents rather than elected officials.
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“This didn’t go to an elected leader for a reason,” Klobuchar said. “It’s because the people stood up. They stood up by marching 50,000 strong. They stood by bringing kids they didn’t even know — strangers’ kids — to school, by bringing them groceries and they didn’t blink. And that’s what this award is about. It’s about courage.”
___
AP journalist Christopher Rugaber contributed from Washington.
The quiet event took place ahead of a three-day-long wedding set to take place in Sicily this weekend.
Callum is said to have been so in awe of his blushing bride that he was ‘shaking’ as he saw the singer in her lavish outfit, rumoured to have been influenced by Mick Jagger’s former wife Bianca.
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Dua walked down the aisle alongside her parents, Dukagjin and Anesa, as well as her sister Rina and brother Gjin who watched on.
A source told The Sun: ‘He was in tears and shaky.’
The pair were cheered on by friends and family as they left the ceremony (Picture: News Group Newspapers Ltd)
The singer exuded seventies glamour with her wedding look (Picture: Collect)
A staffer at the register office told the publication that the pair left in a black cab after their speedy nuptials.
‘It all happened very fast. In and out, job done,’ they said.
The source added: ‘Dua and Callum said their vows in a ceremony with their closest family and friends. Last night they had a quiet celebration dinner. It was chic and simple — exactly as Dua and Callum wanted.
‘Dua’s dad and manager Dugi is a massive Arsenal fan so there were a few jokes made about the timing, as the Premier League victory parade was happening at the same time not far away. Both him and Dua’s mum Anesa were beaming with pride.
‘The celebration was relatively low-key as they fly to Sicily this week for their second, big wedding.’
The singer oozed glamour in a custom Schiaparelli skirt suit (Picture: Collect)
Dua and Callum tied the knot at the famous Marylebone Town Hall with just eight guests present (Picture: Collect)
The pair said ‘I do’ at their legal ceremony in London on Sunday (Picture: Collect)
Their upcoming bash in Sicily is likely to be a star-studded affair, with the likes of Charli XCX rumoured to be attending, as well as a performance by Sir Elton John.
‘Dua and Callum have put together the most incredible itinerary for their celebrations in Sicily,’ an insider said.
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‘The last-minute preparations have been hectic — and she’s been back and forth to Italy for dress fittings — but it’s all coming together perfectly.’
The source added that it was to be a ‘true fairytale wedding’, with Dua and Callum ‘renting out multiple huge venues for the multi-event extravaganza’, but keeping exact details under wraps due to concerns of fans intruding.
It has since emerged that no expense has been spared, as they’ve reportedly booked out a whole floor of suites at the luxurious Villa Igiea hotel, which overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea.
They’ll then exchange vows for a second time at the 17th-century Villa Valguarnera, with collaborator Mark Ronson and fashion designer Donatella Versace watching on.
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The couple confirmed their engagement in July 2025 (Picture: John Shearer/WireImage)
Donatella is said to have been designing Dua’s second dress, with the performer flying to Italy to meet up with her and finalise the details.
Dua and Callum’s romance got serious in early 2024, and they confirmed their engagement last July.
She told British Vogue: ‘Yeah, we‘re engaged. It’s very exciting.
‘This decision to grow old together, to see a life and just, I don’t know, be best friends forever — it’s a really special feeling.’
Asked about planning the nuptials, Dua shared: ‘I want to finish my tour; Callum’s shooting, so we’re just enjoying this period…
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‘I’ve never been someone who’s really thought about a wedding or dreamt about what kind of bride I would be. All of a sudden, I’m like, “Oh, what would I wear?”‘
In the meantime, she’s still enjoying her jet-setting lifestyle, frequently making fans envious with her tropical travel snaps on Instagram following the end of her Radical Optimism stadium tour.
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The professional dancer confirmed her exit from the BBC One dance show after 14 years
Karen Hauer has shared the real reason for her Strictly Come Dancing exit, which she kept secret from her co-stars so she wouldn’t change her mind about leaving.
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The Venezuela-born professional dancer joined the hit BBC One show back in 2012, and over the years, she has had several celebrity dance partners, including former The Only Way Is Essex star Mark Wright, broadcaster Jeremy Vine, and Made In Chelsea alum Jamie Laing.
But Karen, who was Strictly’s longest-serving professional dancer after 14 years on the entertainment show, confirmed in March that she would not be returning to the dance floor ahead of the 2026 series, set to get underway later this year.
She wasn’t the only pro to confirm their exit from Strictly, with Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas and Gorka Marquez also going on to confirm their departure from the popular competition programme.
And while questions were asked by fans as to whether the decision to leave was the dancers’ own, Karen has confirmed the reason behind her own exit.
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Speaking to the Mirror, she shared: “It was very emotional, but it did feel like I was ready to get my teeth stuck into other projects and continue evolving. I learned so much from every single celebrity that I came across.” She added: “It’s always about growth. It was a beautiful decision that came from a good place in my heart.”
Karen also told how she decided to keep her decision quiet from everyone, including her fellow pros, except her very closest pals, as she knew they would try to convince her to stay.
“I didn’t say anything because I know it would have been hard for them to digest and they’d have been like, ‘No, definitely no, not you,’” she laughed. “I kept it within my tightest circle. But you know what? When I announced it, I’ve never felt such an outpouring of love. So many people were reaching out to me, and just being so kind.”
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She later added that despite her exit: “Strictly will always be my home, you know? I will always have a deep connection to it, no matter what.”
Meanwhile, after months of speculation, it was finally announced in May who would be taking over the presenting roles on Strictly, which were left vacant following the exits of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the end of the 2025 series in December.
A number of names were linked to the role, including BBC stars Zoe Ball and Rylan Clark, before it was confirmed on Tuesday (May 19) that Emma would be one of the new hosts, alongside comedian Josh Widdicombe and professional dancer Johannes Radebe.
The news was shared on the show’s Instagram page with the caption: “It’s official…September 2026,” and speaking about the history-making trio, as Strictly has never been hosted by more than two people, for the first time, Kate Phillips, the BBC’s chief content officer, said that their “chemistry is undeniable”.
Vladimir Putin does “not care too much” if Russian weapons end up hitting Ukraine’sNato neighbours, according to a former UK security chief.
One of Russia’s drones crashed into a Romanian apartment block in the city of Galati and injured two people overnight.
The move was condemned by EU leaders as “blatant and serious violation”, while Nato leader Mark Rutte warned: “Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all.”
Romania president Nicusor Dan said the incident was the “most serious” to have impacted his country since Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022.
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Romania, a Nato country which borders Ukraine, expelled the Russian consul from its city of Constanta as a result.
The Kremlin has already threatened its own response to that diplomatic move, claiming the retaliation would not be “long in coming”.
He said while it looks like this particular incident was not an “intentional attack” on Romania, “I’m not sure Putin cares too much”.
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Ricketts added: “He thinks it is a reminder to western countries, to Nato, what Russia is capable of.”
It’s part of a whole “spectrum” of Russian activity to “try and disturb Nato countries,” Ricketts said.
He pointed to the civilian building in Poland which was hit with no casualties in September last year, and the multitude of drones which have crashed in the countryside of Ukraine’s neighbours.
Ricketts said: “This was a disaster waiting to happen. There’s been a whole series of incursions by Russian drones and aircrafts into Nato airspace over the last couple of years.”
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He added: “Some of those must be intentional. They are probing Nato to see how Nato responds, first of all [with] relatively low-level incursion but then implying that Russia could do more if they chose to do so.”
“It is just another demonstration of how reckless the Russians are, continuing to fire hundreds and hundreds of Russian drones at Ukrainian targets, and honestly, I think not really caring when they malfunction and land on Nato territory,” the former security chief continued.
“The most effective response of course is to get this war over, to ensure Ukraine comes out of the war strong, and to stop Russian aggression.
“In the shorter term, the EU and Nato are both scrambling to develop programmes for counter drone defences, better detection, better capabilities to shoot them down – and of course, the experts on that are the Ukrainians who are having to do it every night.”
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Four other teenagers were previously arrested in connection with the deliberate fire.
08:46, 01 Jun 2026Updated 08:50, 01 Jun 2026
Three more teenagers have been arrested after a large fire broke out at a derelict school building. Fire crews and Suffolk Police were called to a large fire at the former Parkway Middle School in Park Road, Haverhill just before 9pm on May 12.
The fire was determined to be deliberate. Last Wednesday (May 27), Suffolk Police made three further arrests following the fire.
Officers arrested a 14-year-old boy and two 15-year-old boys on suspicion of criminal damage – arson. They were taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning, and later bailed to return to police on August 24, August 25 and July 24 respectively.
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Police made other arrests before the latest ones. A police spokesperson said: “On May 15, two teenage boys, aged 14 and 15, were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage – arson. They were bailed to return to police on August 7.
“This followed the arrests of two 15-year-old boys on suspicion of the same offences on May 13 and May 14. They were bailed to return to police on June 22 and July 14 respectively.”
Suffolk Police are still appealing for information following the fire. Anyone with information should contact police online or call 101 and quote reference 37/27212/26.
One man is due in court on Monday while another man and woman have been arrested
08:40, 01 Jun 2026Updated 08:48, 01 Jun 2026
A man has been charged a man to court and two further arrests made after a PSNI officer was seriously injured after being hit with a stolen police car.
A shot was fired at the car in the incident that occurred on Sunday morning, May 31, in Downpatrick. Police have opened an attempted murder investigation, saying the act had the potential to cause “fatal injuries”.
Before 5am on Sunday, a vehicle failed to stop for police in the Fountain Street area and was later located in the Ballymote Walk area.
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A man was then seen running from the vehicle and a foot pursuit ensued towards the Colmcille Road.
In an update on Monday morning, detectives investigating the incident said they have charged a man to court and made two further arrests. The man, aged 27, has been charged with dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and using a motor vehicle with no insurance.
He is due to appear before Downpatrick Magistrates’ Court today, Monday 1st June. He has been bailed to allow for further enquiries in respect of driving whilst unfit, and aggravated vehicle taking causing injury and released unconditionally in respect of attempted murder and a number of driving-related offences.
As is usual procedure, the charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.
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Meanwhile, a man aged 36 has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and aggravated vehicle taking causing injury. A woman aged 27 has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.
Both remain in custody at this time while enquiries continue.
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones said on Sunday: “As officers returned to their police car, someone was in the driver’s seat – driving erratically and directly towards an officer. The officer discharged one round from his firearm.
“The officer was struck by the vehicle – causing serious injuries. The vehicle was subsequently abandoned a short time later. The suspect made off from the scene.
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“Urgent medical treatment was provided at the scene by police colleagues, who were also supported by members of the local community.
“The officer was taken to hospital by colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service for treatment to his injuries believed to be serious, but thankfully not life-threatening at this time.”
She added: “Officers put themselves on the front line to help keep people safe – they do not deserve to be assaulted for simply doing their job, and today’s incident is a stark reminder of the dangers they face.
“Our thoughts are with the officer as he receives ongoing medical treatment today for his injuries in hospital. And we will continue to support him and his family.
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“This would have been a terrifying experience for the officer and also his colleagues – with the clear potential to cause life-changing or even fatal injuries.
“Actions were taken this morning in defence of life to protect himself and fellow officers.
“Detectives from our Serious Crime branch have now launched an attempted murder investigation – with their enquiries continuing at pace.”
The Police Ombudsman confirmed it had been notified of the firing of a round, and its investigators attended the scene.
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