Follow Daily Mail Sport’s live coverage as Morocco take on Jesse Marsch‘s Canada in Houston.
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Canada vs Morocco – World Cup last 16 LIVE: Shaky African champions suffer huge blow in opening 20 minutes with star striker forced off – as co-hosts look to stun rivals with opening goal in Houston
NewsBeat
Confessions II: why Madonna still matters
Every time she releases a new album, journalists and social media commentary insist that Madonna is over. They are usually, eventually, proven wrong.
This debate has emerged again now Madonna is on the promotional circuit for her new album Confessions II. Despite the positive response to the music released so far, she is drawing controversy for her appearance and performances – surprise.
Madonna’s contribution to music was never simply the hit records. It was demonstrating that a woman at the centre of popular culture could have an audacity that matched any applauded (male) rockstar.
Album / Alamy
Now, just as it was back in the 1980s and early 1990s, that quality feels scarce in contemporary mainstream pop music. There are many more female artists in the 2020s, but there is no one as iconoclastic as Madonna, more than 40 years on from her debut.
This is not to say today’s female artists lack talent. Quite the opposite. Popular music is filled with extraordinary singers, writers and performers (see Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande et al). They are well-oiled, slick, inoffensive and easy to imagine the parental approval of teenage fans.
Madonna built her career by refusing precisely that approach.
From 1984’s Like A Virgin until the present day, she has made art that potentially jeopardised safe commercial success that became culturally significant because of its audacity.
Some projects did not perform as expected: 2019’s Madame X did not connect with many. Some attracted furious criticism: 2005’s Hung Up created a cultural debate about the ageist sexism in early 2000s music. Others were misunderstood for years before being reassessed: 2003’s American Life was ahead of its time with its critique of George W. Bush and early noughties US society.
The point is not that every provocation succeeded artistically. It is that she accepted the possibility of failure as the price of remaining culturally significant and having the audacity to say something beyond the solid harmonies and fantastic melodies. Madonna had a message and meaning.
For women, significance beyond representation
The music industry has never been especially comfortable with women exercising power over both their image and their business. Female artists continue to encounter double standards around ageing, sexuality and ambition that male performers rarely experience.
Madonna did not dismantle these structures. Instead, she repeatedly exposed them. The imagery for the Confessions II album shows Madonna in outfits she would have worn 35 years ago, and her refusal to acquiesce to society’s views of what a 68-year-old woman should wear, is exactly the reason she has an army of female fans supporting her, and why she matters.
It isn’t the simple fact she is a woman, and improves the quota of female artists, it is the fact she is a woman with opinions and a provocative mind that matters.
Her importance to queer audiences
Long before LGBTQ+ identities gained mainstream acceptance, Madonna treated queer culture as a source of artistic innovation and fought for the community. She employed queer dancers, collaborated with gay creatives during the Aids crisis and brought elements of queer “ballroom” culture into mainstream visibility through Vogue.
Those choices have since generated important debates about appropriation and cultural credit, particularly regarding the Black and Latino communities that created ballroom culture. Those criticisms deserve serious attention. But they should not obscure the fact that Madonna used unprecedented levels of mainstream visibility to platform queer aesthetics and queer people to audiences who might otherwise never have encountered them.
Now, 35 years on and her new Confessions II album is positioned directly to her gay audience; the project is sponsored by queer dating app Grindr and she is tapping into Pride month performances to launch the record.
This strategic partnership with Grindr is a first for the music industry, and given the salacious perceptions of the app, and the music videos and performances so far, it is clear this album is audaciously using a “sex sells” strategy for a 68-year-old female artist with a large gay audience. This is quintessential Madonna, and her gay audience is loving it.
Why she matters now more than ever
Every moral panic surrounding her career revealed less about Madonna herself than about society’s anxieties about female autonomy. Whether discussing gender, religion, sexuality, material consumerism or ageing, she has both ignited and contributed to society and culture’s big conversations.
In her recent interview with Graham Norton for the BBC, her audacious nature shows no signs of slowing down; she persistently pushed back on his questions, and was quite clear when she did not want to answer.
It is rare to see anyone be so confident and assured in their own skin. Many would want to appear likeable and hope for a positive reception so the audience would be warmed up to buy the record, but Madonna is less polished popstar and more confident rockstar, her answers felt more like those of Ozzy Osbourne, Jonny Rotten and Liam Gallagher in their swag and attitude.
Not every artist should aspire to be Madonna. But every generation needs an iconoclast: someone prepared to risk popularity in pursuit of possibility and to ignite debate and conversation.
You might love her or hate her, but in an age increasingly governed by algorithms, metrics and carefully managed authenticity, that may be Madonna’s most relevant legacy of all: queer-infused female audacity. There is no one like her, and she is needed now more than ever.
NewsBeat
Paraguay v France LIVE: Latest team news and updates from World Cup last-16 clash
WATCH: How France became the World Cup’s greatest entertainers
France have lit up this World Cup with their play and Chief Football Writer Miguel Delaney has broken down how they’ve become the great entertainers
Luke Baker4 July 2026 21:32
How Michael Olise’s rise is rewriting football’s tactical rulebookI
In the same way that Michael Olise suddenly plays a pass that no one else had even imagined, he has quickly gone from an exciting talent to one of the best in the world — genuine top five — and especially from the relatively late age of 23 on.
One question being asked in coaching circles is whether there has ever been a player who has made that leap so fast?
Maybe Mohamed Salah, but this still feels so much more extreme.
Some in the game would of course immediately point to what Olise himself said in an Instagram message as a young Reading player, about how he wouldn’t be at the club “for long,” and argue that he – and many football insiders – knew he was always destined for the top.
Miguel Delaney dives into Michael Olise’s astounding rise:
How Michael Olise’s rise is rewriting football’s tactical rulebook
There has rarely been a player who has so quickly become one of the best in the world. Michael Olise’s World Cup has offered something rarely witnessed in football, and it reflects a shift that England may have to take heed of, writes Miguel Delaney in his latest Inside Football newsletter
Luke Baker4 July 2026 21:22
Sweltering in Philly
It is not cold in Philadelphia today… How much of a factor will the conditions play?
Luke Baker4 July 2026 21:16
Here’s what our Senior Football Correspondent, Richard Jolly, out in the US has to say ahead of this evening’s clash.
“America celebrates its 250th birthday in the city of the Declaration of Independence. It means there is plenty going on in Philadelphia today, but an essential problem for everyone here: 100-degree heat.
“It remains to be seen who copes best with it. This had shaped up as France v Germany on July 4 until Paraguay intervened. They will be looking for a second major scalp, France, to book a quarter-final with Morocco in Boston.”
Richard Jolly, in the US4 July 2026 21:10
World Cup 2026 power rankings: France the team to beat while England falter heading into last 16
What have you made of all the teams in the last 16 of this World Cup?
We’ve ranked every one of them and, unsurprisingly, France are top of the pile. But how does everyone stack up behind Les Bleus?
Luke Baker4 July 2026 21:02
Paraguay team news
And here’s how Paraguay will line up this evening – Diego Gomez is back from suspension and Omar Alderete has recovered from his knee injury to feature as well.
Having the Sunderland man in defence is a huge boost.
It will likely be a 5-4-1 for Paraguay as they try to stop the French onslaught
Paraguay XI v France: Gill; Caceres, Velazquez, G Gomez, Alderete; Alonso, Cubas, D Gomez, Galarza, Almiron; Enciso
Luke Baker4 July 2026 20:57
France team news
Here’s the French team for this evening. No real surprises in there – Mbappe, Olise, Barcola and Dembele all start in that ferocious forward line.
However, Aurelien Tchouameni is ruled out with a thigh injury, so Manu Kone comes into the midfield
France XI v Paraguay: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Barcola, Mbappe
Luke Baker4 July 2026 20:52
Team news imminent
Right, we’re only a couple of minutes away from finding out the team news for this one.
Will either side have any surprises in store?
Luke Baker4 July 2026 20:44
Inside the French revolution that forged a generational World Cup team
On the Boston training ground that has formed the studio for France’s “art”, to quote one insider, Kylian Mbappe and his orchestra have only really had one instruction. That is to “express themselves”, to do what “comes with instinct”.
If this sounds unusually romantic for a coach as pragmatic as Didier Deschamps, he offered up even more evocative words for the media, in speaking about that illustrious trio of Mbappe, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele.
“They speak the same football.”
Typically with Deschamps, there is more edge to that than just nice phrasing.
And it’s partly why France have already had more to them than almost any other team at this World Cup, as well as most in modern history.
Read Miguel Delaney’s full analysis of France’s brilliance so far:
Luke Baker4 July 2026 20:36
Paraguay president declares national holiday after World Cup triumph over Germany
There was even more reason for Paraguay fans to celebrate the victory over Germany earlier this week after the country’s president Santiago Pena declared a national holiday following the triumph.
The South Americans confined the Germans to their first-ever defeat in a World Cup penalty shootout and Pena seized the moment.
The president also declared a public holiday last September after Paraguay returned to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 and he announced another one, for Tuesday, 30 June, after his country’s historic moment.
Posting on X, Pena said: “Paraguay never gives up! Public holiday, damn it!”
According to Paraguayan law, the executive branch can declare up to three additional public holidays per year.
Luke Baker4 July 2026 20:26
NewsBeat
Residents of Wordsworth’s ‘loveliest’ Lake District village are furious over plans to turn restaurant into its first-ever kebab shop
A Lake District village once described by Wordsworth as ‘the loveliest spot that man hath ever found’ is under siege… from a kebab shop.
Residents of Grasmere, a former civil parish located in the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria, are furious over plans to turn a restaurant into a Turkish takeaway.
Outraged locals complained to the council over the proposals to transform Goody Blakes on Stock Lane into Grasmere Kebab Shop, which led the local authority to refuse planning permission.
The restaurant’s owner, Shwan Khder, had originally sought approval to install a ‘discreet’ new chimney on the rear wall in addition to smaller changes to facilitate a grill.
Lakes Parish Council recommended refusal, noting in its response that a kebab shop would ‘introduce a level of activity and operational intensity that is out of keeping with the surrounding residential and sensitive village context’ and ‘undermine the established character and function of this part of the village’.
The local authority also warned of additional noise pollution and vehicle congestion, saying Grasmere’s ‘tranquility’ could be ruined.
However Mr Khder has said he will fight the decision in order to deliver Grasmere’s first-ever kebab shop – and in the meantime operate the venue as a restaurant.
He has pledged that ‘customers can eat in or take out, but it won’t be a takeaway’.
Restaurant owner, Shwan Khder, 38, (left) plans to fight the refused planning application for a kebab shop in the quiet village of Grasmere
Poet William Wordsworth once described the village as ”the loviest spot that man hath ever found’ – but residents now fear a takeaway shop could turn Grasmere into a ‘nightmare’
Residents, however, are fuming over the ‘appalling’ plans, with one calling the prospect of a kebab shop in the village a ‘nightmare’, while another said the eatery would be an ‘eyesore’.
But not all are opposed, with one local declaring he ‘believes in free enterprise’ and another saying: ‘I’d definitely try a kebab once’.
Poet William Wordsworth once described Grasmere, where he lived and was buried, as ‘the loviest spot that man hath ever found’.
But Mr Khder, 38, a British-Iranian Kurd, believes that if he were alive today, Wordsworth would have been a customer.
He told The Telegraph: ‘There are no other takeaways in Grasmere and it is a busy place, especially at this time of year.
‘If Wordsworth was alive today, of course he would [be one of my customers]. He needed energy and he needed food, especially if it’s fresh, homemade food like my kebabs. Everybody back then would have wanted one.’
The restaurant owner described the backlash from residents as ‘absolutely unbelievable’ before saying he will ‘have to apply again for a change of use to a takeaway’.
Bookseller Julian Hyde, 59, decried the prospect of a kebab shop in Grasmere as ‘appalling’, suggesting it could lead the quaint village down the path of destruction by encouraging a ‘fish and chip shop (to open) next to it – then a Tesco Express’.
Pictured: Goody Blakes on Stock Lane, where the proposed kebab shop will be developed
The plans have split the community, with residents having voiced opposition for and against the takeaway
He also expressed concern for the environmental impact, saying that litter from the takeaway could ‘get out of hand’.
John Lowther, who owns puzzle retailer Barney’s Newsbox and lives on a private road shared with Mr Khder’s restaurant, said a kebab shop in Grasmere ‘is going to be a nightmare’.
The 71-year-old, who has lived in the village for over 40 years, said a takeaway ‘simply does not fit in with this beautiful village’, before adding: ‘Being a vegan, I wouldn’t go there’.
His verdict was that Grasmere ‘doesn’t need a kebab shop at all’.
And Kyle Wyness, who owns the flat above the restaurant, complained to the Lake District National Park Authority that the takeaway would be ‘an eyesore that is completely out of keeping with the nature of what is a mainly residential area’.
Co-owner J Wynass wrote in a separate letter that it would have ‘a detrimental impact on our business and the value of the property’.
However some residents have voiced support for the plans, with bartender Leah Sky saying that as she works late into the evening, there is nowhere else open in the village to grab dinner after her shift.
Art dealer Tim Hardy, 60, also said ‘I just believe in free enterprise’, adding that ‘everyone will be against it’ because residents like to keep Grasmere ‘as a museum’.
And Paul Abbot, who runs a distillery in the village, said he would ‘definitely try a kebab once’.
The Daily Mail has approached Lakes Parish Council and the Lake District National Park for comment.
NewsBeat
21 things to see and do across Northern Ireland this July
Hopefully the sun comes back out very soon!
The summer is flying past us and we can only hope the sun is going to make another reappearance very soon!
While festival season takes a little lull until the end of July after Belsonic finishes and CHSq returns in August, there are still plenty of exciting things to get up to this month.
From distillery tours to arts and culture festivals to scenic tours, every corner of Northern Ireland has something fun to explore this summer.
Discover Northern Ireland has put together a list of standout events happening in July 2026 to give you some inspiration for your next day out.
Here are 21 things happening this month across NI:
American Independence Weekend Celebrations at Ulster American Folk Park
Omagh, County Tyrone, 4-5 July.
A day for all the family, enjoy games and activities including traditional swing boats, a mobile shooting range, face painting and crafts. Listen to live music at the Frontier and hear a re-enactment reading of the Declaration of Independence by one of our costumed characters. We’ll also be joined by Paula McIntyre for ‘Hamely Kitchen’, a modern interpretation of classic Appalachian dishes inspired by Ulster migrants.
Picnic in the Park with Open House Festival
Bangor, County Down, July-August.
Open House Festival is an annual summer event that takes place in the beautiful seaside city of Bangor, County Down, curated and run by Open House, a local charity dedicated to regenerating the city through arts and culture. The festival’s eclectic programme includes music, comedy, film, theatre, boat trips, food and drink, talks and tours, and crafting events. The festival also hosts Picnic in the Park each Sunday throughout July and August, with free live music at the band stand in Ward Park.
Celtic Heart
Belfast Waterfront, until 30 August (select dates).
Created in collaboration with The Music Yard, Celtic Heart is a locally produced show celebrating Belfast’s rich storytelling, traditional music and homegrown talent.
USA 250: Showbusiness, Culture and the Causeway Coast Exhibition
Coleraine, County Derry, until 29 August.
Celebrate 250 years of the United States with this engaging new exhibition at Coleraine Museum, exploring the enduring cultural connections between America and the Causeway Coast.
Songs & Stories of Carrickfergus
County Antrim, 4 July (more dates through the summer).
Join local musician and storyteller, Lisa Dawson, as she shares Ulster-Scots heritage through song and folklore in the heart of Carrickfergus. Through the doors of Dobbins Inn, Lisa welcomes you by the 500-year-old fireplace. Her music reflects the language, stories and traditions of Ulster Scots culture and the rich history of her hometown renowned for the iconic Carrickfergus Castle overlooking Belfast Lough.
Lady of The Lake Festival 2026
Irvinestown, County Fermanagh 10-19 July.
The Lady of the Lake Festival is Fermanagh’s biggest annual summer festival which takes place every July in Irvinestown, providing 10 days of fun for all. Folklore has it that the legendary Lady of the Lake walked amongst the mists & islands of Lough Erne bringing a sign of good times ahead.
Shortcross Distillery Tour (Gin)
Crossgar, County Down, 2-3 July, 24-25 July and more.
Experience an immersive guided tour of Rademon Estate Distillery and discover the craft behind their award-winning Shortcross Gin. Learn about our unique distilling process as you explore the distillery, gaining an insight into the passion, expertise, and botanicals that make Shortcross Gin so distinctive.
Benone Visitor Complex Makers Market
Limavady, County Derry, 12 July.
Visit the Naturally North Coast and Glens Artisan Market at the Benone Visitor Complex this summer. Featuring a wide range of products including ceramics, street food, garden products, local produce and speciality food, art, handcrafted gifts, wood turning, pet products, gifts for children and so much more.
Orchard Cider Tour Experience with Tastings – Long Meadow Cider
Portadown, County Armagh, 11 July (more dates available).
Enjoy a fully immersive orchard/cider experience in the company of the McKeever family. Take an orchard walk explaining the various orchard plantations in place.
County Antrim Junior Senior and Masters Tennis Championships
Ballycastle, County Antrim, 11 – 18 July.
Held in the beautiful setting of the Ballycastle tennis courts, close to the beach, the tournament features events from age 8 to 80, with junior, senior and veteran events taking place in the same venue during the tournament week.
Twelfth of July Celebrations 2026
Various locations across Northern Ireland, 13 July.
Celebrate the Twelfth of July across Northern Ireland, as towns and cities mark the occasion with parades, music, and community festivities – the day honours tradition and heritage in every corner of the region. Whether you’re soaking up the atmosphere in a bustling city centre or enjoying local celebrations closer to home, there’s plenty happening across the country to mark the annual celebrations.
Harp By The Foyle
Greysteel, County Londonderry, 13 July.
Lucia brings years of professional performance, teaching and therapeutic experience, offering a warm, engaging introduction to the harp’s rich cultural history. Enjoy live harp music, hear the stories behind the tradition, and take part in a gentle, hands-on introduction where you can hold and play a harp.
Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne Guided Tour
Castlerock, County Derry, 13 July (more dates available)
Discover the history, ambition and character of Earl Bishop Hervey as you explore the landscaped gardens, the dramatic clifftop ruins of his once-grand residence, and enjoy special access to the iconic Mussenden Temple. Along the way, stories of the estate will be brought to life, from its remarkable architectural features to its breath-taking coastal setting.
Fiddler’s Green International Festival
Rostrevor, County Down, 15 – 19 July.
Prepare yourself for a captivating experience that combines traditional music, arts & crafts, mountain walks and so much more. With a history dating back over 30 years, the Fiddler’s Green Festival is a celebration of music, arts, and community that attracts visitors from far and wide.
Scarva Sham Fight
Scarva, County Down, 14 July.
Visitors can turn the clock to the 17th Century while watching performers in period costumes re-enact scenes from the 1690 Battle of the Boyne at the Sham Fight pageant in the Co Down village of Scarva.
Féile an Phobail
Belfast, July 25 to August 9.
Féile an Phobail is Ireland’s Biggest Community Arts Festival. Féile provides a programme of inclusive arts, cultural and community-based activities throughout the year, with its flagship festival, the August Féile, being the highlight of Ireland’s festival calendar. Join this year as they welcome over 120,000 visitors to our 500+ events.
Ulster Museum – GaelStair Exhibition
Belfast, until 16 August
Explore the origins of Belfast’s first urban Gaeltacht and the community that grew around it, and learn how the group built homes, raised children, founded schools, and established community.
Meet an Astronomer at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
Armagh, County Armagh, until 27 August.
This summer, join Armagh Observatory and Planetarium for their ‘Meet an Astronomer’ sessions. Every Thursday from 12pm to 2pm, an astronomer from the Observatory will be at the Planetarium answering your burning astronomy questions.
Summer Explorers at Crom
Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh, until 31 August .
Summer has arrived at Crom. After an eventful spring, come along for animal orienteering or borrow a tracker pack to find some of the animals you may have seen on TV. Take part in some summer games including play fishing, rabbit hoopla and other games. If outdoor activities are more of an interest, why not hire a bike, balance bike, boat or canoe.
Hillsborough Castle Hijinks
Royal Hillsborough, County Down, until 31 August.
Armed with a special Hillsborough Castle Beano comic strip story, you’ll track down six missing parts of the time machine and stumble across larger-than-life characters from Hillsborough’s history. With kids going free this summer and discounted entry to Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, there’s never been a better time to enjoy this Beano-inspired family adventure.
Dragonfly Festival at WWT Castle Espie
Comber, County Down, until 30 August.
Explore the magical world of dragonflies and dive into a summer full of wondrous new wetland experiences. Activities and event dates may vary throughout the summer. Please visit the official Castle Espie website for the latest updates and programme information.
For more information on what’s on, or to plan your next giant adventure in Northern Ireland, visit: discovernorthernireland.com
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter.
NewsBeat
Cruz Beckham’s girlfriend Jackie Apostel poses topless to show off scar as she marks two years since extensive spinal surgery
Cruz Beckham’s girlfriend Jackie Apostel told fans to embrace their scars as she posed topless to mark two years since she had extensive spinal surgery.
The Brazilian songwriter, 30, suffers from scoliosis where the spine twists and curves – and underwent an extensive operation to stabilise her backbone.
Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Jackie turned with her back to the camera to show her scar two years on and wrote: ‘Your scars are sexy.’
Jackie posed in a pair of Good American high-waisted jeans and wore her hair in a chignon.
Jackie captioned the post: ‘2 years ago today I had my full spinal fusion. never ever felt better and we love a cute scar. just a lil wear & tear.[sic]’
The musician shared the post while in Miami with the Beckham clan. She was seen at Inter Miami stadium on Friday night with Victoria, David, Cruz, 21, and Romeo.
Cruz Beckham’s girlfriend Jackie Apostel told fans to embrace their scars as she posed topless to mark two years since she had extensive spinal surgery
Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Jackie turned with her back to the camera to show her scar two years on and wrote: ‘Your scars are sexy’
Jackie captioned the post: ‘2 years ago today I had my full spinal fusion. never ever felt better and we love a cute scar. just a lil wear & tear’ [sic]
Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure that joins two or more vertebrae in the spine to reduce pain, correct problems, and make the spine more stable.
During the procedure, the surgeon places a bone graft in the space between the vertebrae to prevent excessive movement.
The bone graft can come from the patient’s own body, a donor, or a synthetic material. The surgeon may also use screws and rods to secure the bones.
Last year, Jackie detailed the procedure and praised Cruz and her loved ones for helping her through the ‘crazy psychological fear’ she felt while on medication.
She began her lengthy post: ‘1 year ago today I had my scoliosis surgery so we’re celebrating with a big dress and an ai painting . sitting here reflecting a little bit and weirdly I went into this day last year with zero fear. [sic]’
Jackie continued: ‘I fully pranked my mind into thinking it was no big deal. The 2 weeks after that were absolute hell but I think what really kept me going was having something to go back to.
‘I was determined to be back in the studio no more than 1 month to the day post op. 25 days later we were back.
‘I would have never ever made it through those 2 weeks if I wasn’t surrounded by so much support and love.
‘People go through far worse than this every day and in times where you’re physically and mentally weak you really realize what a crazy difference conversation and comfort can have on you.
Among the images was an X-ray of her spine before and after surgery
The musician shared the post while in Miami with the Beckham clan. She was seen at Inter Miami stadium on Friday night with Victoria, David, Cruz, 21, and Romeo
Last year, Jackie detailed the procedure and praised Cruz and her loved ones for helping her through the ‘crazy psychological fear’ she felt while on medication
Jackie had to relearn how to walk after the spinal surgery
‘Having someone check on you all the time, help you, love you. A year later, most days I forget I even did it. There’s days where I feel weird in my body, but everyone does.
‘I look a little crazy putting on shoes and getting out of cars and can’t do long high heel nights, except that, slaying.
‘Long story short, always have people around you that will really be there. [sic]’
Jackie went on to praise her loved ones for rallying around her, explaining: ‘The hardest part of the surgery and recovery was weirdly the mental side.
‘For weeks later I would call people crying because I was worried I wouldn’t be able to be as productive or idk some crazy psychological fear because the medication makes u weird and sensitive especially if you’re already anxious etc. [sic]’
Offering advice to anyone going through a similar situation, she concluded: ‘So 1 surround yourself with love, with friendship, with genuine care.
‘2. Have something to go back to. To look forward to. From whatever it is you’re going through.
‘Those are my 2 humble thoughts of the day ☺️ and check in on your people always. it could be making the biggest difference and you don’t even know [sic].’
NewsBeat
Leaked footage shows astonishing first look INSIDE Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding: See the bride’s aisle, altar and couple’s personal touches as A-listers vanish through MSG castle’s ‘magic doors’
Breathtaking new footage obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail offers the first look inside Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s top-secret New York City wedding.
It was a fairytale made real: Madison Square Garden transformed into an enchanted garden of towering trees, emerald drapery and soaring archways, where the couple said ‘I do’ before a room of A-listers, lifelong friends and family.
Guests can be seen gathering at the altar before disappearing through a hidden set of doors and into the couple’s dreamlike reception.
The video shows the room buzzing as Candi Staton’s disco anthem ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ plays.
Stars dressed to the nines file through the doors behind the altar following the ceremony, where Swift reportedly walked down the raised, stage-like aisle to a string arrangement of one of her own songs.
One guest told the Daily Mail that after the vows, attendees ‘headed into the festivities room behind the altar’s magic doors’, where the real party began.
Exclusive Daily Mail footage offers the first look inside Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding. Madison Square Garden was transformed into an enchanted garden of towering trees, emerald drapery and soaring archways
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift married in front of 1,000 of their closest friends – including some of the world’s biggest stars
The guest described an interior styled in a ‘whimsical Tinker Bell fairytale’ theme. Footage shows arrangements of green foliage and large trees, playing into the ‘garden party’ theme the bride is said to have requested for her big day.
Emerald green drapery hung from the ceiling to complete the ambience, while the stadium’s usual blue seats were chicly covered in nude-colored coverings.
A towering ceiling-height structure, with gray embellishments and archways, dominated the space, resembling a chapel or the ‘castle’ that sparked frenzied speculation prior to the event.
The exclusive video also shows a romantically lit hallway with pink walls, peach drapery and matching carpet. It appears to be just beyond the glamorous carpet-covered stairway some guests posted to social media. The entrance also featured a sentimental touch, as several photos of Swift and Kelce throughout their relationship were featured on the walls.
All of the sweet photographs, including the couple’s August 2025 backyard proposal, were inside large gold frames. A large ‘T and T’ logo, which seems to have featured in other parts of the nuptials, was displayed in the center.
A separate part of the footage shows the ceremony space itself, where the pop superstar and NFL pro’s elegantly attired guests lined up in another area of the arena, apparently where Swift and Kelce exchanged their vows.
‘It was really this garden inside The Garden,’ Good Morning America host and wedding guest George Stephanopoulos said on Saturday. ‘It was just so beautiful.’
AMC CEO Adam Aron also gushed about MSG’s magical transformation.
‘Immediately upon entry, everything… floors, walls, ceilings… was draped in peach and white. Large blown-up pictures of Taylor and Travis at each age, year by year from one-year-old to late teenager-hood were on display,’ he wrote in a since-deleted post on X.
He also noted that the space was ‘devoid of any notion that a basketball or hockey game [had] ever shared the space.’
The exterior of Madison Square Garden was bathed in pink light to mark the occasion, with giant illuminated screens displaying ‘JUST&T MARRIED!’ adding to the spectacle.
Industry experts estimated that Swift and Kelce, both 36, spent more than $15 million to transform it into the fairytale wedding of their dreams.
And a source told The New York Times that between lighting, sound, catering, flowers, decorations and labor, it could cost between $10 million and $12 million.
Leading up to Swift and Kelce’s big day, there were several NYPD officers and security members patrolling MSG, which reportedly cost taxpayers about $1 million.
The exclusive video also shows a romantically lit hallway with pink walls, peach drapery and matching carpet. It features a sentimental touch, with several photos of Swift and Kelce throughout their relationship featured on the walls and a large ‘T and T’ logo
All of the sweet photographs, including the couple’s August 2025 backyard proposal, were inside large gold frames
Personal trainer Rob Jordan and his wife, Joann Jordan, shared photos of themselves taken on the day of the wedding, including this image showing them on the carpet-covered steps
Guests can be seen gathering at the altar before disappearing through a hidden set of doors into the couple’s dreamlike reception
Outside of the venue, adoring fans and members of the media received the announcement via a large sign that read, ‘JUST&T MARRIED,’ which referenced the bride and groom’s first initials
For days beforehand, dozens of staffers were seen unloading equipment, boxes of food and the decorations now visible in the exclusive video from a fleet of trucks and caravans.
The massive event was met with some criticism from local business owners, who claimed business was halted during a holiday weekend due to street closures.
Swift’s publicist issued a press release shortly after the newlyweds said ‘I do,’ sharing several of the intimate details about the nuptials.
She shared that Adam Sandler officiated the wedding, the couple wore custom Christian Dior Haute Couture, Swift opted out of bridesmaids and chose her brother, Austin Swift, as her ‘man of honor’ instead and, as Daily Mail exclusively reported, Kelce named his big brother Jason Kelce as his best man.
Later in the evening, the wedding celebration reportedly turned into a concert, as Stevie Nicks, Paul McCartney and Tim McGraw, among others, took the stage.
It is believed that even Swift herself performed for her new husband and guests, including best friends Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid, Sabrina Carpenter and other surprising attendees like Karlie Kloss, Hugh Grant and Barbara Corcoran.
Friday’s festivities followed a more intimate gathering on Thursday of 100 of the couple’s closest family and friends inside MSG’s smaller Infosys Theater.
Sources told the Daily Mail exclusively that the ‘super posh’ rehearsal dinner featured several speeches from many of Swift’s dear friends, including Lena Dunham, who delivered a punchline so rude that it left guests ‘gasping and laughing.’
The Girls creator quipped that ‘American football is just straight guys reenacting gay porn,’ but we’re told the bride was not bothered, however, by the crude comment and reportedly called the joke ‘genius.’ Swift served as Dunham’s bridesmaid at her 2021 wedding.
Lena Dunham wore a green ensemble to the Thursday celebration
Gigi Hadid wore a $14,500 Wiederhoeft corset dress for the wedding
Country star Maren Morris revealed guests received custom handkerchiefs as a wedding favor
Dita Von Teese’s dress evoked vintage bridal glamor
Dozens of workers were seen over the past few days unloading boxes and bags of decorations, food and equipment in preparation for Swift and Kelce’s big day
Taylor Swift’s wedding: Read all the top stories
Each guest left Thursday night’s intimate affair with a black velvet box that reportedly contained custom diamond-encrusted champagne flutes.
Although details of the multi-day celebration have been trickling out via the press, Swift and Kelce went to great lengths to try and keep everything under wraps.
The Daily Mail was first to report in April that the couple issued nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) with their save-the-dates, and guests had to sign it in order to get a formal invitation to the wedding.
Guests were also asked to surrender their phones upon entering the event in an attempt to prevent leaks.
Perhaps part of the reason Swift had her wedding under such strict controls is because she is planning on cashing in on the footage she obtained, sources told us.
Insiders have been telling the Daily Mail since as early as March that ‘the whole thing will be recorded,’ as Swift wants to give her fans a peek into her special day.
‘It’ll happen on Taylor’s timeline, after she’s edited it and is ready,’ another insider said of the full release of the wedding footage.
‘If Taylor wanted total privacy, she could have quietly gotten married at home with a handful of people.’
NewsBeat
The Bayeux tapestry and the hidden history of the women who embroidered it
For the first time in nearly 1,000 years, the Bayeux tapestry is returning to Britain. The 70-metre embroidery will be displayed at the British Museum from September. The tapestry depicts the Norman Conquest of 1066 and the battle of Hastings. In comic-strip form, it tells the story of Harold II and William the Conquerer.
For centuries, the tapestry has been read as the ultimate example of “great-man” history. But, like most embroidery in the medieval period, the tapestry was almost certainly made by women.
In writing about the tapestry, this fact is often acknowledged only briefly, before attention returns to elite men – particularly Odo of Bayeux, who is widely thought to have commissioned it.
This oversight is a familiar historical pattern in which men are remembered as patrons and decision-makers, while the labour that produced the object itself fades from view. The absence of named makers matters. It shapes how we understand the tapestry as a story of conquest and power, rather than a display of collective skill.
The twin tapestries
There is a full-scale Victorian replica of the Bayeux tapestry in Reading Museum. This British tapestry tells the same story of 1066 – but this time the makers are visible.
In 1885, the pioneering embroiderer Elizabeth Wardle set out to create a full-scale copy. She was the founder of the Leek Embroidery Society, which won awards for its high quality needlework and received commissions from all over the country.
Wardle travelled to Bayeux to study the original and became convinced that England should have its own version. Working from tracings made from images held by what is now the Victoria and Albert Museum, she coordinated a team of 35 women to recreate the entire tapestry.
The women worked carefully to reproduce the original, but a few distinctly Victorian changes remain. In the borders of the original work there are several nude figures. In the Reading version, one has been given trousers. This change is often attributed to the embroiderers, but they were in fact copying images already altered by male staff at the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A), who had censored the photographs for Victorian audiences.
The project took around a year to complete. It is an extraordinary object in its own right – not simply a copy, but a record of 19th-century artistic practice, collaboration and historical imagination.
On the move
Some people are against the plans to transport the original medieval tapestry from Bayeux to London, calling it a “heritage crime”. Critics feel that the tapestry is too fragile and precious to be moved and that taking such a risk is madness.
The Victorian copy is much more widely travelled than its medieval cousin. After its completion, it toured British towns and cities and as well as going on display in Germany and the US. It was also shown at Windsor Castle for Queen Victoria after it was acquired by Reading Museum in 1895. Before its permanent installation at Reading in 1993, it continued to tour Britain and overseas until the outbreak of the second world war.
Each woman who worked on the Victorian tapestry signed her contribution, stitching her name into the lower border. These signatures transform the object. What was once anonymous labour is here personal, traceable and proudly acknowledged.
The contrast between the two tapestries is striking. One obscures the identities of its creators; the other insists upon them. Together, they reveal how easily women’s work can be overlooked – and how that invisibility can be both produced and challenged.
This matters not only for how we understand the past, but for how we interpret the objects that survive it. The Bayeux tapestry has long been treated as a narrative of male conquest and power. However, it is also a product of skilled, collaborative female labour. Recognising this only enriches its historical significance.
With this new chapter in the tapestry’s history, there is an opportunity to tell a fuller story: not just of kings and battles, but of the women who stitched those stories into being. Women are always present in history. Sometimes, we just need to look a little more closely to see them.
NewsBeat
Weary A-listers emerge from Taylor and Travis’s wedding bash as superstars share cabs and desperately grab their confiscated phones… but who partied the hardest?
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce put the Met Gala to shame with a star-studded wedding bash at Madison Square Garden, as superstars in sports, music and film were seen leaving the world’s most famous arena into the wee hours of the July 4 holiday.
The All-American couple has gripped headlines since Swift was first spotted at Kelce’s game almost three years ago.
Speculation around their wedding has loomed ever since, culminating in a ceremony at the Midtown arena and a massive billboard announcement outside the venue with a message reading ”JUST&T MARRIED!’
Following the ceremony, A-listers packed into their black SUVs. Swift’s longtime best friend, Selena Gomez, was seen leaving the celebrations in a sparkly silver gown and a glamorous updo.
Another one of Swift’s forever ‘squad’ members spotted at the arena was Gigi Hadid. She attended the wedding with boyfriend Bradley Cooper, who was captured walking the streets of NYC in his suit and tie earlier that day.
After the glamorous event, Cooper was pictured gripping his confiscated phone while sitting next to Hadid.
The supermodel was also seen earlier in the day, giving fans a glimpse of a sparkly pink gown as she departed for the arena.
Fans had hoped to see Gomez or Hadid in Swift’s wedding party; however, the newlyweds announced in a press release that they opted not to have bridesmaids or groomsmen.
Just married! After a whirlwind courtship in the public eye, the two mega superstars are officially husband and wife following a star-studded wedding at Madison Square Garden
Swift’s longtime best friend, Selena Gomez, was seen leaving MSG in the early hours of July 4 following the blowout bash
Another one of Swift’s close confidantes, Gigi Hadid, was captured leaving the wedding alongside her boyfriend, Bradley Cooper
Like Cooper, Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown could not keep her eyes off her phone after leaving the arena. Popstar Tate McRae also grinned at her phone after departing the arena.
Rapper Ice Spice seemed to nod off in the backseat of her vehicle after departing the event. Ice Spice and Swift sparked a friendship after collaborating on the popstar’s track, Karma.
Another one of Swift’s protégés, Gracie Abrams, was pictured looking down or nodding off as she left the wedding.
The two collaborated on the song ‘Us,’ and Abrams opened for Swift during a leg of her unprecedented Eras Tour.
Actress Niecy Nash, who befriended Kelce when the football star cameoed on her FX series, Grotesquerie, was pictured closing her eyes in the backseat of her vehicle after the event.
While most attendees were driven in black SUVs, actor Ethan Hawke took a more humble route and left the event in a taxi.
Celebrities darted to their vehicles at all hours of the night. Despite the permit going until 4am, some A-listers opted for an early night.
Tom Brady, George Stephanopoulos, Chris Rock, Hugh Grant, Steven Spielberg, Jessica Alba and Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid were among those who called it quits early.
Other celebrities stayed on much later. Singer Fergie and Dita Von Teese, ‘the Queen of Burlesque,’ arrived back at the Ritz-Carlton hotel just after 2am. Both women rushed inside the hotel and refused to answer questions.
The Ritz was flowing with celebrities after the event. Kelce’s father, Ed, was caught by surprise as he exited his vehicle at the hotel. He appeared to be carrying a blanket.
Popstar Gracie Abrams seemed to be looking down at her phone or resting her eyes, departing from MSG
Popstar Tate McRae was seen grinning at her phone while departing the arena
Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown was locked into her phone after Swift and Kelce’s wedding
Rapper Ice Spice appeared to nod off as she was driven home after the A-list wedding
Travis Kelce’s father Ed is seen arriving back his hotel after the wedding bonanza
Actress Niecy Nash was on hand for the festivities in full glam
Ethan Hawke, along with his wife Ryan, were seen leaving the wedding in a taxi cab
Another returning wedding guest, Andrew Whitworth, an NFL broadcaster, hailed the celebration ‘a great night.’
Elsewhere, Robert Allen, Swift’s longtime tour manager, returned to the hotel but was predictably tightlipped when quizzed by reporters.
Swift’s publicist Tree Paine and her childhood best friend Abigail Anderson Berard arrived back at the Ritz together with their partners in one of several blacked-out buses after the wedding.
The quartet refused to say anything as they were swept into the building.
Rapper Lil Dicky, a staunch Tayvis supporter, helped his wife, producer Kristin Batalucco, toward the door as she struggled to walk straight.
They were quickly followed by actor Donald Glover and his wife Michelle White, who quickly dashed inside.
Meanwhile, Graham Norton was heard yelling out that the wedding was ‘great’ as he staggered into his hotel in Tribeca in the wee hours of Saturday.
The Irish talk show host clutched a bottle of water, looking bleary eyed as he came back from partying for almost 12 hours.
Join the discussion
Do celebrity weddings like Taylor and Travis’s fuel our obsession with fame or highlight how out of touch A-listers have become?
Superstar Fergie was all smiles getting back to the Ritz-Carlton after the wedding
Dita Von Teese, who starred in Swift’s Bejeweled music video, was seen arriving at The Ritz-Carlton after the singer’s wedding
Donald Glover rocked a brown suit as he and his wife Kirstin arrived back at their hotel after the MSG wedding
Lil Dicky cozied up to his wife Kristin as they arrived back at their hotel
Graham Norton made sure he kept hydrated as he left the wedding with a bottle of water
Stars in the sports world were seen in New York City to support Kelce at his wedding
Kelce’s football star colleagues were some of the last to return to their hotel after partying into the wee hours.
New York Giants wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was snacking on a pizza slice and a soda as he and wife Lauren sauntered into their hotel.
Charissa Thompson, the woman who helped broker the ‘Love Story’ between Swift and Kelce said everything ‘looked great’ when asked about the wedding on her return to the hotel just before 3.30am.
Los Angeles Rams player Matthew Stafford, still looking dapper in a forest green suit, arrived back at the hotel at a similar time. His wife, Kelly, decided to switch out her heels for flip-flops.
Although it may seem like anyone and everyone was in attendance, the celebs pictured just scratched the surface of the 1,000-person guest list on Friday night.
Details about the ceremony have remained sparse, but a press release from the couple said that Adam Sandler officiated and that Kelce’s nieces were the flower girls.
The theme inside Madison Square Garden was an old-fashioned fairground, with guests given a turn on mechanical slot and pinball machines.
Swift kept close to Kelce’s mom, Donna, during her first appearance at a Kansas City Chiefs game back in September 2023
The couple publicly announced they were officially married at 7.30pm. The ceremony was officiated by Adam Sandler
After the ceremony came an elegant dinner – before an Alice in Wonderland meets Wizard of Oz themed party on the lower level of the venue.
During the reception, Sir Paul McCartney was the surprise highlight, as the Beatle stunned the crowd when he came onto the stage and sang I Want to Hold Your Hand.
Swift and Kelce made their entrance at 5pm, according to planning permits obtained by New York City officials.
The couple’s marriage was publicly announced by MSG and Paine at 7.30pm. The Empire State Building also lit up in blue to celebrate the wedding.
NewsBeat
Lord Blunkett calls for ‘ethical reset’ of police leadership
The police service in England and Wales is “not good enough” and its leadership needs an “ethical reset”, Lord Blunkett has said.
Speaking exclusively to the BBC ahead of the publication of a major report he co-authored on police leadership, the former Labour home secretary said its findings point to weaknesses in leadership, morale and culture across the service.
The report, to be published on Monday, will conclude there are “significant causes for concern” and that police leadership requires a “fundamental overhaul”.
“At the moment, the service isn’t good enough,” Lord Blunkett said. “At the moment, the morale and motivation of many of those working in the service needs a reset.”
The report, produced along with the former Conservative policing minister Lord Herbert for the College of Policing, will recommend a “root and branch modernisation” of recruitment, development and monitoring within the service.
The “comprehensive” review of police leadership was commissioned to ensure the service could respond to evolving threats and deliver government targets, the College of Policing said, in the face of declining public confidence in policing.
None of the 43 police forces in England and Wales were graded “outstanding” for leadership in the most recent inspection round. Almost a third were rated as needing improvement, and two as inadequate.
Lord Blunkett told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that the evidence gathered during the review pointed to “a very large number of those at senior level who have been or are under investigation”.
“I think at the moment, there are eight former or serving chief constables who are either under disciplinary action or awaiting the result,” he said. “And that’s out of 43 forces.”
He added: “All of that leads us to believe that a new ethical reset is required.”
The report will highlight challenges including a scarcity of resources, excessive paperwork and officers being “demotivated” by negative and overly risk averse leadership cultures.
Lord Blunkett was also asked whether he thought there was a problem with “two-tier policing”, a term some politicians have used to argue that police may deal with people belonging to ethnic minorities more favourably than white people.
Last month in the House of Commons, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage connected it to the police’s handling of the murder of Henry Nowak, a teenager arrested as he lay dying after his killer had falsely accused him of racism.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer rejected the claims, saying he did not believe there was two-tier policing in the UK, and accused Farage of exploiting the tragedy to create grievance and division.
Lord Blunkett said: “I think there’s a perception. We’ve moved the pendulum.
“It’s gone from the [1999] Macpherson report about outright racism in the force, particularly the reflections in the Met, all the way through to people saying ‘oh, it’s woke’.
“We make it clear in the report that there’s no room for culture wars or woke. It isn’t the job of the police in our country to take sides of any sort. It’s the job of the police to deliver.”
NewsBeat
Smithills Garden Party returns with fun for all the family tomorrow
And the social event of the year is back tomorrow afternoon as Smithills Hall stages welcomes visitors to enjoy a traditional summer fair, with artisan stalls, food, and much more.
The garden party starts at noon and goes on until 4pm.
There’ll be garden games, story times, fairground rides and more! Free entry. Charges are applicable for some activities.
Entry is free but charges will be applicable for some activities.
A spokesman said: “Come rain or shine we’ll be there with lots of fantastic activities for all the family!”
Last year’s event attracted hundreds of visitors who enjoyed food stalls, ice cream, games, and interactive storytelling in the estate’s grounds.
The fair is hugely popular and visitors are being encouraged to use public transport where possible.
The event is one of the standout events in Bolton’s social calendar.
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