Two years after their brief 2023 romance, Matty Healy’s mother, British actress Denise Welch, recently made headlines for her biting comments about Taylor Swift. During a July appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Welch, 66, was asked about Swift allegedly writing an entire album about her son. She sharply retorted, “Not being her mother-in-law is a role that I’m glad I lost,” a comment that shocked the audience and host Andy Cohen. Welch quickly softened her tone, stating she has “nothing against” Taylor personally but found the media frenzy surrounding The Tortured Poets Department “tricky.” She added, “Listen, you’re not allowed to say anything, and then she writes a whole album about it.” Despite the drama, Welch affirmed that Matty, 35, has handled the situation with maturity and is “very happy with his amazing fiancé Gabriella, Gabbriette,” emphasizing that they’ve “moved on.”

Swift, 34, and Healy were first romantically linked in May 2023, following her split from Joe Alwyn. Their relationship, though brief (just over a month), faced backlash from some fans due to Healy’s past controversies. They reportedly parted ways in June 2023, with speculation continuing until Swift released her 31-track opus, The Tortured Poets Department, in April 2024. Several songs, including “Fresh Out the Slammer,” “But Daddy I Love Him,” “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” and “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” are widely believed to be inspired by her intense connection with Healy. While fans interpreted the lyrics as expressions of heartbreak, betrayal, and longing, Welch’s recent remarks suggest a different perspective from the Healy camp.

Despite just concluding her 149-date Eras Tour in December, which became the highest-grossing tour of all time, and releasing The Tortured Poets Department as the best-selling album of 2024, Taylor Swift is already making a comeback. She sent fans into a frenzy by announcing her 12th studio album, titled The Life Of A Showgirl, set for release in the coming weeks. Swift has been strategically dropping “Easter eggs”—secret hints—about the record for years, including a strong clue hinting at a collaboration with fellow superstar Sabrina Carpenter. The announcement was confirmed in a teaser video from an upcoming podcast recorded with her boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce, shared with the caption “Posted at 12:12 on the 12th. Tay’s 12th album is called . . .” Swift revealed, “This is my brand new album The Life Of A Showgirl.”

The album artwork for The Life Of A Showgirl was blurred in the teaser video, but Swift has updated all her online pages with an orange color scheme, a theme she began teasing last year. The cover is currently obscured by an orange padlock on her website. Hints included Swift wearing orange on night 12 of her European Eras Tour leg in Lyon last June, and appearing in orange on the 12th page of her Eras Tour Book released in November. Most recently, her official management and social media team @taylornation posted 12 images of Swift in orange outfits from the tour, captioned: “Thinking about when she said ‘See you next era . . .’.” The final image notably featured her with Sabrina Carpenter from their performance in New Orleans last October, which fans believe was referenced by Carpenter’s recent Instagram post, “Go put on some clothes!” Swift previously hinted at the announcement date in an October snap from Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, showing section “A12,” interpreted by fans as August 12. Her 2022 music video for ‘Bejeweled,’ featuring burlesque performer Dita von Teese, also hinted at the “Showgirl” title, reinforcing her strategy of planting clues years in advance, a practice she discussed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2021.

The new album is expected to mark a significant return to the pop sound reminiscent of her 2014 record 1989 and 2017’s Reputation, both crafted with acclaimed Swedish producers and songwriters Max Martin and Shellback. Martin, renowned for hits with artists like Britney Spears and Katy Perry, also produced Taylor’s “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Following the announcement, billboards in New York and Nashville directed users to a Spotify playlist featuring 22 of Swift’s songs, all produced with Max Martin and Shellback, further solidifying the stylistic direction. While available for pre-order, the official release date remains unannounced, with her website stating it will ship before October 13. The record was reportedly completed earlier this year, with a music video shot in Los Angeles last month, and extensive non-disclosure agreements have been used to maintain secrecy, as she has not been seen entering or leaving a recording studio since December 2023.

Taylor Swift has established herself as one of pop music’s most prolific artists since her 2006 debut. Music forecasters anticipate The Life Of A Showgirl will easily become the biggest-selling album of 2025 within its first week. Bookmakers William Hill have already made her 1/3 odds-on favorite for International Artist Of The Year at next year’s Brit Awards. Swift has sold over 300 million records worldwide, secured 13 No. 1s on the UK album chart (surpassing Madonna’s record of 12 in February), and achieved 30 Top Ten singles, including four No. 1s. Beyond her 11 studio albums, she has released four re-recorded versions after the rights to her back catalogue were controversially bought in 2019. However, in May, she announced she had reacquired the rights to her first six albums, ending a long-running legal dispute. She shared on her website, “All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me. I’ve been bursting into tears of joy… To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually being pretty reserved about it.”

Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, NFL tight end Travis Kelce, recently shared insights into their relationship in an interview with British GQ. Kelce, whose parents divorced, expressed his desire for their relationship to “last forever,” inspired by friends whose parents remain together and thriving. He found their relationship relatable given Swift’s comparable level of scrutiny and public attention, noting how exhausted she becomes after shows. Kelce described Swift as an athlete due to the immense work she puts into her performances, stating, “She may not think of herself as an athlete… But I’ve seen what she goes through. I’ve seen the amount of work that she puts on her body, it’s mind-blowing.” He praised her ability to mesmerize audiences and create an intimate atmosphere during her three-hour, high-energy shows, calling it “arguably more exhausting” than his own Sunday efforts. Kelce enjoys being the “plus one” at her concerts and fostering her newfound passion for football, confirming she is now “the most engulfed fan,” understanding injury reports and game situations. He emphasized their private life, stating, “Whenever I’m with her, it feels like we’re just regular people. When there is not a camera on us, we’re just two people that are in love. It happened very organically, even though from a media standpoint it was being tracked.” He concluded by highlighting their shared values and fun-loving nature.

Taylor Swift has also hinted at a potential Super Bowl performance in February. Her announcement of The Life Of A Showgirl on boyfriend Travis Kelce’s sports podcast, New Heights, was itself seen as a clue. Eagle-eyed fans noted Swift’s references to the number 47: her 47th Eras Tour show was at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the expected Super Bowl venue; she thanked the Kelce brothers for “screaming for 47 seconds”; and joked about performing in “47,000 countries.” Swift expressed her fondness for “numerology, math stuff, dates.” Her chosen orange theme for the new album cover could be another nod, as California is home to Orange County, and the Kansas City Chiefs play in red and yellow, which mix to make orange. The podcast’s focus on American football further fueled speculation. Swift and Kelce’s public romance began with a kiss at the 2024 Super Bowl following the Chiefs’ win. During the podcast, a bookcase filled with Super Bowl clues was visible, including the Lombardi Trophy and a figurine of Travis in his Chiefs kit near a glass microphone. Previously, Swift reportedly turned down Super Bowl offers to focus on re-recording her first six albums. With her recent announcement in May that she had reacquired her master recordings, stating “All of the music I’ve ever made… now belongs… to me,” fans believe it’s now “game on” for a Super Bowl halftime show.

In other celebrity news, supermodel Kate Moss continues to make headlines, this time for her smoking habit. She is featured in Yves Saint Laurent’s Fall 2025 campaign, ‘Velvet Heat,’ where she is seen holding a cigarette in photos posted by her agency, The Kate Moss Agency. However, a video posted by YSL appears to have edited out the cigarette, prompting discussion. Moss stated in 2023 that she “still smoke occasionally” and that “old habits do die hard.”

Television personality Maya Jama is launching a nationwide search for emerging talent with MIJ Mentorships. This initiative aims to provide opportunities for early career women from underrepresented backgrounds in the creative industries. Five aspiring creatives will be matched with mentors from Jama’s network, specializing in TV production, broadcasting, fashion, communications, marketing, and talent management, targeting those without prior mentorship. Jama, who moved to London at 16 to pursue presenting, recounted her early struggles, including being “broke” and “hustling.”

Musician Ed Sheeran is venturing into filmmaking, having set up Craanford Pictures LLP with his cousin, screenwriter Murray Cummings, who directed the 2018 documentary Ed Sheeran: Songwriter. The company name is a tribute to Sheeran’s beloved Irish grandmother, Anne Mary Sheeran, from Craanford, Co Wexford. Ed was unable to attend her 2023 funeral due to a copyright trial in New York, a fact his father mentioned during the eulogy, highlighting Ed’s distress at his absence.

Rock band Wolf Alice is set to release their new album The Clearing next week, with fans anticipating their video for the track “Just Two Girls,” which stars actress Lucy Boynton. Boynton is noted for her striking resemblance to the band’s lead singer, Ellie Rowsell. The “Don’t Delete The Kisses” hitmakers filmed a ball scene for the video at Freemasons’ Hall in central London.

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker expressed her emotional reaction to the conclusion of the Sex And The City reboot, And Just Like That, writing “Very weepy xxx” online. The reboot ran for three series since 2021, continuing the story of the original Sex And The City, which aired from 1998 to 2004, notably without Kim Cattrall’s character, Samantha Jones.

Rising music star Absolutely, whose real name is Abby-Lynn Keen, shared how her elder sister, Raye, provided crucial fashion advice early in her career. Raye introduced her to Pinterest, which helped Absolutely, known for her experimental looks, to gather inspiration and develop her style. Absolutely, who recently released “I Just Don’t Know Yet,” is scheduled to perform at the All Points East Festival in East London next Saturday, where Raye will headline.

In brief music news, Mimi Webb’s new single “You Don’t Look At Me The Same” is highlighted as “fabulous.” Olivia Dean is preparing the setlist for her forthcoming album, The Art Of Loving. On a less positive note, the bitter feud between exes Peter Andre and Katie Price is mentioned as something to avoid.