Brittin took over as BBC director general in May after a decade as president of Google in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Asked by Kuenssberg if he would allow a programme to be made and presented by AI, Brittin replied: “I would do, within guardrails.”

He added: “We want to experiment with this technology and understand what it can and can’t do, but I’m here because I believe in human creativity.

“I don’t think anything we do should be replaced by AI. I think there are lots of places where AI can help us make the licence fee go further, but also help us in our decision-making and creativity. But it’s not a substitute for humans.”

He also warned of the danger of a handful of tech companies having too much control over information in the future.

“We’re also in this moment where AI is in takeoff. So I think there’s a danger that six companies will control access to information in future and the creation of information and misinformation,” he said.

“Six companies, none of them European, let alone British. In that world, here’s the BBC. It’s the most trusted organisation by over half a billion people.”

Asked if he trusted big tech companies he replied: “There’s a lot of platforms out there, so I wouldn’t trust any platform innately.

“And I think what you do is you keep under review how those things work and whether your content can show up in the right place and fulfil its mission.

“I think the BBC and our apps and services should be the antidote to the algorithm. Everywhere else you go is driven by some commercial interest.”

The full interview will be broadcast BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, on 27 September, at 09:00 BST.

​​St George’s RC Primary at Overdale in Eastfield, Scarborough, will construct a new multi-use games area (MUGA) for use by pupils and residents.

​The new facility will be open during evenings and weekends, providing a “high-quality space” to the wider community, which planners noted has a lack of sporting facilities.

​​St Cuthbert’s RC Academy Trust, which runs St George’s, will convert an existing area of natural grass playing field into a new synthetic play zone.

The existing grass surface will be replaced with a new MUGA that is 30 metres by 20 metres, in addition to a spectator standing area along the touchline.

​“There is an insufficient number of similar facilities within the local area, and this development will provide a space for the community to engage in sport year-round,” planning officers said.

​They added: “The MUGA will provide an accessible facility and in terms of health and wellbeing, the proposed development will provide physical benefits to the pupils at the school.”

​In order to limit noise pollution from the games area, the school plans to implement a “no-whistle policy” after 5pm and reduced hours of operation, which will be from 9am to 9pm, Monday to Sunday.

​No objections were made by the Highway Authority, which said that a “suitable level of parking will be maintained within the site, including turning for vehicles allowing them to enter and exit the highway in a forward gear”.

​It added that no changes were proposed to the junction with the highway and that it did not anticipate “an increase in vehicle movements as a result of the development”.

​The new facility will maintain the general gradients and levels of the existing natural grass area.

It will be finished in synthetic turf and will be enclosed by a three-metre-high, green-coloured, wired fence.

​

An access path will also be created and four lighting columns, each six metres high, will be on each corner of the development.

​

The application was approved by North Yorkshire Council, subject to conditions, on Monday, September 21.

A fan of Jason Derulo was called up on stage at his The Last Dance World Tour, and what happened next left people’s jaws hitting the floor in complete disbelief

A Jason Derulo fan was lucky enough to get up on stage alongside the man himself to dance, and what happened next left the audience completely floored.

Derulo, known for huge music hits such as ‘Whatcha Say’ and ‘Swalla,’ is currently performing in his The Last Dance World Tour. He was performing in Perth, Australia, where audience member Jess O’Meara was chosen to get up on stage with the 37-year-old star. It’s not uncommon for a fan to be chosen to get on stage to dance with singers, and it just depends on luck as to whether you’re picked to do it.

But Jason Derulo likely didn’t regret getting Jess on stage thanks to what happened. At first, she seemed a little shy, but she certainly knew the dance to Mi Chico.

However, as the dance went on, it was clear that Jess was a superstar in her own right, and she took the audience’s breath away.

Jess, who normally dedicates her social media pages to fitness content, kept time with the professional dancers, putting a whole lot of passion and energy into proving herself to be an incredible performer.

The other dancers were looking at her with admiration as she nailed every single move, but what happened next left them gobsmacked.

Jess did a backflip, then landed into the splits, kicked her leg into the air while she was still on the floor, and then got back up on her feet and continued dancing as if she hadn’t just done something incredible.

Over the top of the video, which amassed more than a million likes from people who were amazed by what she could do, Jess wrote: “There’s no way this happened (that’s me),” as she was still struggling to process that she’d had the opportunity to do something so cool.

What did people online say?

“Why do I feel so proud of a random stranger on the internet!! You grabbed your moment with both hands, and I LOVE THIS,” someone gushed.

Another claimed that she “outdanced the paid dancers” because she was so passionate and knew every step.

However, Jess responded: “Trust me, they were absolutely killing it the entire show!! My 2 minutes are nothing compared to their performance over 2 hours, but thank you!!”

Others wondered whether this was her “audition” to be part of the dancers full-time, and some were wondering how she managed to do such incredible things “in jeans”.

A fan penned: “I’ve watched this way too many times! You were phenomenal”.

Someone else said that she deserves “so many beautiful opportunities” because she “killed it” with the performance she gave randomly.

It’s safe to say that Jess did an absolutely amazing job, and proved that she has some serious talent!

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR

Published: 10:44 BST, 25 September 2026 | Updated: 12:36 BST, 25 September 2026

Andy Burnham is gearing up for a pivotal Labour conference with speculation swirling about a snap election.

The PM is due to give interviews today to local media ahead of the start of the annual gathering in Liverpool on Sunday – the first since he ousted Keir Starmer.

Mr Burnham has insisted he will ‘develop the themes’ of his vague ‘Manchesterism’ platform and set out a ‘clear new path’ for the country in his keynote speech.

However, the desperate struggle to balance the books in the looming Budget is set to dominate much of the debate around the conference.

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And there are concerns that the fevered rumours about an early election – furiously denied by No10 – could prove another unwanted distraction.

Labour has seen a poll bounce since Mr Burnham took over, and the frenzy was fuelled yesterday by two megapolls suggesting Reform is no longer on track for a Commons majority. 

Andy Burnham is gearing up for a pivotal Labour conference with speculation swirling about a snap election

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Advocates of going to the country early argue that it could be the best chance of clinging on to power, with another inflation shockwave from the Middle East crisis about to hit. 

Labour insiders have warned that the persistent rumours could create a situation similar to that under Gordon Brown in 2007. 

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The then-premier was badly damaged when he quashed rampant speculation about a snap election at Labour conference, having allowed it to build for months. He went on to lose the election in 2010.

In contrast, Downing Street has been frantically trying to kill the idea that Mr Burnham will trigger an early poll.  

But one senior party source told the Daily Mail that the stage was ‘definitely set for a rollercoaster of loose remarks and desperate rowing back’ about an election. 

Another Labour veteran suggested the polls were still not good enough for Mr Burnham to act.

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‘Two things can be true. Things can’t get any better. And they still aren’t good enough,’ they said.

In an interview with the New Statesman earlier this week, Mr Burnham said he would use conference to flesh out his vision of public control and devolution. 

‘People might say you get into government and you dial down. I don’t feel like that. I won’t be dialling it down, put it that way,’ he said.

Labour insiders have warned that the persistent rumours could create a situation similar to that under Gordon Brown in 2007

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Mr Burnham – who grew up in Liverpool and is a keen Everton fan – said returning to the city as PM would be a ‘big thing’.

‘It’s a moment to weave all of these threads together and to lay out the path, I think, and say, ”Look, Britain’s here, we can be there” – a much better place – but we’re going to have to be honest with ourselves about what it takes to get from where we are right now to where we should be.’ 

He added that ‘people won’t be in any doubt what I want to do with the job’.

‘This has to be a point where the country says, ”Right, we can’t carry on like this, we need to set a new, clear direction, a new clear path.”’ 

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An 11-year-old schoolboy who was hit and killed by a train as he walked to class was distracted by his new smartphone, an inquest has concluded. 

Jaiden Shehata, a Year 7 student at Riddlesdown Collegiate in South Croydon, died while crossing the ‘high risk’ level crossing near Kenley, south London, on January 23 last year.

He would usually have been accompanied by his 18-year-old brother, Reece, but had set off for school 20 minutes earlier than normal that day. 

Jaiden was walking to the school he had joined just four months prior to the accident. 

But that morning he walked into the path of an oncoming London-bound train at the Bourneview crossing despite the driver sounding the horn while approaching the crossing. 

Jaiden, a promising young footballer and Chelsea fan, was not wearing headphones at the time.

At the inquest into Jaiden’s death, Sarah Ormond-Walshe, senior coroner at South London Coroners’ Court, said Jaiden was ‘doing something which was very much normal behaviour by all of us’, adding that ‘everybody’ gets distracted by their phones. 

The schoolboy was struck by the train at 8.03am. He was found by a police officer at 8.18am before paramedics arrived a few minutes later. He was pronounced dead at 8.52am.

Jaiden, a promising young footballer and Chelsea fan, was not wearing headphones at the time 

A jury concluded on Thursday afternoon that the cause of his death was that he ‘did not perceive the danger of the train approaching, probably because he was distracted by his mobile phone’, and added that a lack of warning at the crossing also contributed to the accidental death. 

His medical cause of death was recorded as ‘severe neck injuries’. 

Ms Ormond-Walshe told Jaiden’s family: ‘Everybody, everybody, looks at their phone. So please, let that go because every single person in this room does that, and he was only 11 years old. Thank you so much for your dignity. It must have been so difficult.’ 

She said that she would write a report on the prevention of future deaths in an effort to prevent something similar from happening again. 

Summing up the evidence heard at the jury inquest, Ms Ormond-Walshe said: ‘Jaiden had been using this route to school since September 2024, four months. He normally walked to school with his older brother, but that day, he was by himself.’

CCTV showed Jaiden holding a ‘glowing object in his hands’ right before he was struck by the train, Paul Tickner, a Rail Accident Investigation Branch investigator said.  

The inquest previously heard that Jaiden was watching an eight-second video his friend sent him on WhatsApp when he was struck. 

Ms Ormond-Walshe said: ‘Mr Tickner said it was important to have a change of environment, something distinct when a pedestrian was going across the level [crossing].

The youngster was walking to Riddlesdown Collegiate in south Croydon – where he had been a Year 7 pupil since the previous September – and had used the crossing most days

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The crossing been ranked by Network Rail as C4 – described at the hearing as meaning ‘high’ risk

‘He agreed with me that the use of mobile phones was increasing. Jaiden was doing something which was very much normal behaviour by all of us.’ 

The jury found that Jaiden died an accidental death. 

The foreperson told the court: ‘Firstly, Jaiden did not perceive the danger of the train approaching the crossing, probably because he was distracted by his mobile phone.

‘The second probable cause of the accident was that Bourneview was a passive crossing, which was not fitted with active warning systems giving a visual and auditory warning of the train’s approach.

‘A possible further cause was that the design and construction of the crossing could have made it more obvious to pedestrians that they were entering a hazardous area.’

The jury had previously heard that it took seven months for Network Rail to close the level crossing, which was scheduled for safety improvements at the time of the tragedy.

It had been ranked by Network Rail as C4 – described at the hearing as meaning ‘high’ risk. 

But the firm’s head of level crossing and safety, Daniel Fisk, told the jury the Bourneview crossing was ‘compliant’ with its standards at the time of the tragedy.

He said Network Rail didn’t have the legal authority to close the crossing and had to obtain permission from Croydon Council, as it was a public right of way.

And he conceded its eventual closure was driven more by a petition from the family than ‘Network Rail’s view’.

A risk assessment carried out by Network Rail on the crossing in 2023 identified possible changes that could have made it safer.

These included better signage and the installation of ‘miniature stop lights’ with red and green indicators.

By December 2024 – a month before Jaiden’s death – designs were being drawn up for the crossing, which has been ranked the 13th most dangerous footpath on Network Rail’s Sussex route out of 111.

The coroner said there had been ‘approximately one near miss per year at Bourneview’. 

That work was completed earlier this year, but the crossing remains closed as Network Rail wants to complete ‘more engagement with local schools’ about rail safety before reopening it.

Ms Ormond-Walshe said: ‘Jaiden died in January 2025. The most recent risk assessment conducted on the Bourneview level crossing was completed a year and eight months before his death.

‘The work was planned for March 2026 – two years, nine months from the time of the risk assessment – and this was found by the RAIB to be an acceptable amount of time to put in recommended changes.’

Anna Murphy has revealed how she plans to spend her 22k prize money, the the life-changing plans she has for the future

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The latest winner of Traitors Ireland has shared a sweet tribute to her experience on the show after making it out the other side.

With all odds against her, Anna Murphy and fellow player Diego Caixeta managed to vote out the final Traitors, Carla and Pauric O, although viewers were convinced Anna would be wrongly voted out due to suspicions created by the Traitors, reports RSVP.

Since finally being able to talk about her win, Anna spoke about how she’s hoping to spend her 22k prize money: “So for myself and my partner, a lot of it will be put away for when we’re ready for IVF, and we’re hoping to go ring shopping soon.

“That’s on the cards for hopefully the next few months to a year, and then we’re also trying to get our own house. So once that’s all sorted and settled, then we’re looking to have kids.”

She has since shared a few words reflecting on the whirlwind experience: “What a crazy few weeks, and to think I nearly didn’t send my Traitors application in…

“A year ago, although I was the same woman, I tended to hold myself back from saying yes to opportunities. Submitting my Traitors application and getting a chance to play the game is genuinely the best thing I have ever done for myself.

“I am still in shock that I won the game, but that is not my biggest triumph from this experience. I came out of the castle as the same Anna but with a newfound confidence in myself, my voice, and my gut (most of the time).

“I had the best time playing the game, and getting to do so many unreal missions – I will never forget flying in a helicopter and zooming around in a speedboat with my fellow finalists!

“I am beyond grateful to have met a group of amazing people who I have learned a lot from and have grown close to since being in the castle.

“Diego, I am so honoured to have won with you by my side. It’s so mad to think we began our castle journey together in the car, and ended it together by the fire pit. It has been so lovely to celebrate with you these past few days, and I can’t wait to see where the next few weeks and months take us.

“I would like to thank RTÉ for broadcasting such an amazing show, I’ve been a Traitors fan for many years and can’t wait for season 3 already!

“And I would like to also extend a huge thank you to the team at Kite Entertainment for believing in me and taking such great care of me throughout this journey. I will be so grateful to you all forever.

“A big thank you to my gorgeous friend and long time nail tech @nailsbysopph and my amazing barber and hair stylist @amik.hair for keeping me glam in the castle and at the finale viewing party.

“And lastly, thank you to my beautiful girlfriend Fiona, my friends and family, and everyone else who showed me immense love throughout this journey.

“The fantastic support I have from the people in my life validated that submitting my application, the one I almost didn’t send in, was the best decision I’ve ever made for myself.”

READ MORE: Dolly and Me: Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee’s heartfelt letter to musical icon

READ MORE: ‘We have a right to live in peace’: Residents speak out ahead of Drumcree ruling

Anna’s girlfriend Fiona shared the sweetest few words in the comment section: “I am so proud of you, it’s truly the best thing you have done for yourself. I love every single thing about the person you are and it’s been amazing to see your inner confidence soar since you came out of the castle.

“You have flourished so much, it’s been so wholesome as your girlfriend to see so much support from our friends, families, your fellow players, and many more. You’ve got so much love in your corner Anna, and I hope you hang onto everything the castle taught you. I love you sooo much.”

Want to see more of the stories you love from Belfast Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives… To add Belfast Live as a preferred source, simply click here.

Dramatic footage shows Spanish riot police forcing their way into an 87-year-old woman’s Madrid flat after supporters piled furniture against the door to stop her eviction.

Maricarmen Abascal was forcibly evicted from her home of 70 years on Wednesday after an investment firm hiked her rent by 275 per cent sparking furious protests across Spain.

In video captured inside the apartment police are seen crashing through a barricade of chairs shelves and a lamp to carry out the court-ordered eviction as the bewildered pensioner watched on.

A cutting sound can be heard before the door gives way and the furniture begins to topple. Maricarmen was inside with her cousin Vicente, her niece and members of the Tenants’ Union.

She was removed from the property despite pleas from her supporters as violent clashes broke out outside her apartment in the upmarket area of Retiro in central Madrid.

Supporters say she was given just 30 minutes to gather her belongings before health workers took her away in an ambulance.

The eviction sparked violent clashes between police and demonstrators who had gathered outside the building to try to stop it. 

The firm behind the legal action, Urbagestión Desarrollo e Inversión SL, is run by investment brothers Ricardo Alonso Fernández and Fernando Alonso Fuentes. It bought Maricarmen’s apartment in 2018.

Maricarmen was inside with her cousin Vicente, her niece and members of the Tenants’ Union

Pictured: A barricade against the door of Maricarmen’s flat, assembled to delay riot cops from entering the apartment 

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Pictured: Activists tried to prevent the eviction as riot police forced their way into the property

Maricarmen waits at home to see whether her eviction will go ahead or be prevented, on 23 September, 2026

Pictured: Police confront demonstrators during a protest in Madrid following the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen

She had been paying around €440 a month under an old tenancy agreement. The firm later proposed a rent of €1,650 a month, a rise of 275 per cent, according to Spanish reports.

Maricarmen’s lawyer claims the owners had not spoken directly to her once in the eight years since the purchase. 

Both brothers are lawyers and have been administrators of Urbagestión since it was founded in 2005. 

The firm paid around €240,000 for Maricarmen’s apartment, according to reports.

The men are also linked to more than a dozen other companies, including businesses in property, construction and pharmacy sector advisory services.

British pianist James Rhodes later revealed that he had contacted Urbagestión and offered to pay Maricarmen’s rent or buy the apartment so she could remain there. He said the firm rejected both proposals. 

Supporters of Maricarmen camped outside the building on Tuesday night, joined by celebrities including Javier Bardem’s brother, Carlos, and the singer Ana Belén, who read out the poem Desahucio (Eviction) by Rafael Alberti.

Police carried out the court-ordered eviction, while health workers took Maricarmen from the building as protesters chanted, ‘Maricarmen, you are not alone.’

The legal battle reached the Supreme Court which ruled in favour of the firm, clearing the way for the eviction, the the Madrid renters’ union said.

Police officers charged and dragged away dozens of activists who had camped outside Maricarmen’s building to try to stop the eviction, to cries of ‘shame!’ from protesters.

After leaving the building, she was taken to the Gregorio Marañón Hospital. She refused the free emergency placement offered by the city and, at least temporarily, is supposed to be staying with a relative.

Amnesty International Spain slammed ‘a violation of human rights’ and ‘a system that puts the speculative interests of a vulture fund before Maricarmen’s right to stay in her house’.

‘It isn’t an isolated case, it is just another portrayal of the suffering that thousands of households go through in Spain,’ Amnesty said in a statement.

In an interview with public broadcaster RTVE recorded on Tuesday, Maricarmen called the company ‘inhuman, and all in order to make money’.

‘You cannot make a person live for seven years with a machete hanging over their neck,’ she said, blaming the national, regional and city authorities for her plight.

Maricarmen Abascal was carried from the building on a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance as demonstrators chanted: ‘Maricarmen, you are not alone’

Maricarmen was forcibly evicted from home of 70 years on Wednesday after an investment firm hiked her rent by 275 per cent sparking furious riots across Spain

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Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Madrid as an 87-year-old woman was evicted from the apartment she had called home for 70 years

Housing activists react, after Maricarmen Abascal, 87, was taken away on a stretcher to an ambulance

Spanish riot police removes one of the activits, who were trying to prevent the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal

Police remove a member of the Madrid Tenants’ Union from forming a barricade in front of the access to the building 

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Socialist Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez insisted the minority Leftist government had repeatedly tried to pass a law to ban such evictions and accused the conservative-run Madrid region of ‘rolling out the red carpet for these speculators’.

Housing has for years been a top concern for Spaniards as supply falls short of demand, with rents and purchasing prices soaring relentlessly as elsewhere in the European Union.

Residents in the world’s second-most visited country blame short-term tourist rentals such as Airbnb for driving up prices and cutting supply, sparking protests in hotspots including Barcelona.

‘I’m leaving Madrid, because Madrid isn’t Madrid. And the people of Madrid are no longer Madrilenos. They are all the tourists that you have in Gran Via,’ Maricarmen told RTVE, referring to the Spanish capital’s main commercial thoroughfare.

Earlier this year, it emerged that more than 100,000 half-finished homes currently lie empty in Spain, after locals spent years complaining that they had nowhere to live.

Data from Spain’s Ministry of Housing indicates that this vast array of unfinished homes is only a portion of those in the country.

The government’s report into the issue only tracked developments that were meant to host at least 1,000 homes and had building levels of less than 70 per cent.

On top of this, there is enough developed land with streetlights and roads – but no homes – in Spain for 390,000 homes.

Many of these developments exist in an eerie state of limbo as a result of the 2008 financial crisis, with many housebuilders defaulting on loans and declaring bankruptcy, unable to pay their loans back.

And since then, the country’s property development market has come to something of a standstill. The Bank of Spain estimates that there is currently a shortage of almost 700,000 homes.

Because of this, demand for homes has surged, and Spanish residents have increasingly felt priced out of their communities. In the last few years, they have taken out much of their anger on tourists and non-residents who buy up homes in holiday hotspots.

Riots and protests have blighted many of Spain’s biggest tourist cities, including Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Mallorca’s Palma.

And in many parts of the country, legislation about banning Britons from buying property is being debated.

New rules come into force on Thursday, October 1, making it illegal to mix vape liquids from non-duty paid ingredients unless the mixing takes place at an HMRC-approved premises.

The change affects people who create DIY vape juices using base liquids and flavour concentrates.

According to HMRC guidance, the rule applies to “the mixing of non-duty paid liquids to produce a liquid to be used in a vape, even if not produced for commercial sale.”

Anyone found in breach could face civil or criminal penalties, including the possibility of imprisonment.

Shane Margereson, owner of Ecigone, said: “Home mixing has always felt more like a hobby than anything official, so it’s easy to see people being caught out by a rule written for manufacturers.

“A cupboard full of base bought before October won’t get round it either, because what matters is when the mixing happens.

“Far better to hear it from us now than to find out the hard way.”

Mixing shop-bought shortfills with nicotine shots remains legal, as long as both components have had duty paid.

The new Vaping Products Duty adds £2.20 to every 10ml of vape liquid from October 1, regardless of nicotine content.

Duty-paid products made from that date will also feature a vaping duty stamp on their packaging.

Using its Vape Tax Calculator, Ecigone estimated that duty and VAT will add £26.40 to a 100ml shortfill and £52.80 to a 200ml bottle.

30,000 HMRC interventions planned

HMRC announced in June that it would carry out more than 30,000 interventions during 2026-27 aimed at dismantling criminal networks involved in tax fraud, labour exploitation and the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.

The crackdown is part of a wider Government push against organised crime on the high street.

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A new High Street Organised Crime Unit was launched by the Home Office in May with £30 million of funding, bringing together HMRC, Trading Standards, police partners and the National Crime Agency.

The Government says information from the public will help enforcement teams build intelligence, identify links between suspicious activity and decide where to focus investigations.

For anyone who suspects a local business is involved in tax fraud, money laundering or other HMRC-related criminal activity, the message is clear: report it.

Headliners for the four-day event include Ocean Colour Scene, Matt Goss, Marc Almond and Symphonic Ibiza.

Next year will mark the fourth Brit Fest, a celebration of 80s and 90s music featuring the original artists.

Festival founders Edward and Anthony Prophet said: “The line-up is a huge part of The Brit Fest, but the feeling people take home with them is about so much more than who they have watched on stage.

“It is the friendships, the freedom, the unexpected moments and thousands of people singing together as the sun goes down. It is arriving with a group of friends, making new ones and leaving already talking about next year.

Brit Fest line-up 2027 (Image: Brit Fest)

“For 2027, we have created four days that each have their own identity while still feeling unmistakably like The Brit Fest. There are artists people have loved for decades, songs everyone knows and performers that a new generation of festivalgoers will discover for the first time.

“An event like this takes an army of partners who share our ambition and believe in what we are building. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported The Brit Fest and delighted to welcome The Propstore, Add People and CAFT as we begin this next chapter together.

“This will be our biggest edition yet, but it will retain the warmth, character and sense of community that have carried us from the very beginning. We want people to look at this line-up and know that next July, there is only one place they want to be.”

The festival will run from Thursday, July 15 to Sunday, July 18.

Matt Goss (Image: Brit Fest)

Symphonic Ibiza will open the festival on the Thursday evening, filling the showground with iconic Ibiza anthems performed by a live orchestra, DJs and vocalists. They will be joined by three special guests Kelly Llorenna, Livin’ Joy and Rozalla, launching The Brit Fest weekend in spectacular style.

Marc Almond (Image: Brit Fest)

Friday will be headlined by Ocean Colour Scene, joined by Lightning Seeds, Huey Morgan of Fun Lovin’ Criminals and rising star Laurie Wright. The Fizz and Let Loose singer Matthew Pateman will also perform on the main stage before hosting the festival’s VIP stage throughout Friday. Two further major Friday artists will be revealed soon.

Saturday brings together an extraordinary collection of era-defining performers, with Matt Goss leading a line-up featuring Haircut 100, Heaven 17, The Real Thing, Doctor & The Medics, Nathan Moore and Toyah.

Bringing the festival to a memorable close on Sunday will be Marc Almond, joined by The Brand New Heavies, The Amy Winehouse Band, Baccara, The Magic Numbers, Musical Youth and Cole Page.

Ocean Colour Scene (Image: Brit Fest)

Alongside the main stage, festivalgoers can explore the Busk Stop and Little Big Top, discover emerging performers, enjoy independent food and drink, experience family entertainment and stay on site as part of the festival’s growing camping and live-in community.

VIP experiences, weekend camping, live-in pitches and a wide range of day and weekend tickets allow visitors to create their own Brit Fest experience, whether that means one huge day of music or four days completely immersed in the festival.

Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Thursday, October 1 including general admission, VIP, camping and live-in vehicle packages, with and without electrical hook-up. For details, visit www.thebritfest.co.uk