GLASGOW’S ILI WRITES FOR EUROVISION

Beverley Lyons 

Scots singer Ili is heading to Basel for the Eurovision Song Contest after co-writing the entry song for Switzerland. 

Glasgow born Ili, 26, whose real name is Emily Middlemas has been performing since the tender age of nine and admitted it was a dream come true as she revealed she is behind the Swiss entry Voyage, sung by Zoë Me. 

And she admitted she also sings backing vocals on the catchy anthem which was co-written while vocalist Zoe was on a trip to Scotland.

Emily who was on the 11th and 13th series of X Factor in 2014 and 2016 and has written platinum selling songs for other artists since, was recently a finalist for BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year. 

She exclusively told the Scottish Sun: “I co-wrote the Eurovision song for Switzerland and it’s a real pinch me moment. It has been one of my biggest dreams for years. Imagine it in an arena.”

 Emily also revealed the irony that she and fellow writer Tom Oehler were in Switzerland at the SUISA Songwriting Camp while they made video calls to Zoe who was visiting Scotland on a similar writing trip.

She laughed: “It was July 2022. It was the best time ever, and everyone there was so lovely. Zoe who was in Scotland while we were in Switzerland brought in a gorgeous, gorgeous kind of piano instrumental with a couple of ideas. We had a long chat about the song and what it meant, and she made sure that she translated every line in English for me so that I could kind of check over and make sure that it was okay and of course it was perfect, every single time. She blows my mind.

She is an amazing artist, an amazing singer, an amazing songwriter, just overall an amazing person, and I am so excited to watch her conquer that stage and live her dreams.

In a video online, Emily was also filmed as she was told by Zoe and Tom that her song had been chosen to represent Switzerland. 

Visibly shocked, she told her cowriters: “ Oh my god, no, stop! I'm gonna cry. Are you serious?”

Switzerland’s representative, Zoë Më, also said of her time with Emily: “I am Swiss and I was in Scotland. I started to write the song in Scotland. I created a first verse, a pre-chorus and a refrain and then I sent all my ideas to Tom, the producer. He said: ‘I love it, Zoë! That is exactly what we should do.’ And the other co-composer Ili, who is Scottish, was in Switzerland. So, its a rather witty story.”

JEAN JOHANSSON REDUCED TO TEARS

A Place In The Sun presenter Jean Johansson says  she has been reduced to tears after being told she was ‘not black enough, not white enough and too fat’ for jobs in previous years.

The telly talents also revealed she was recently knocked back by the UKs biggest talent agent.

Jean, who also hosts Channel 4’s Key To  Fortune, admitted that rejection is something she has had it deal with throughout her life and says it still hurts.

Port Glasgow born Jean, who is married to ex Rangers and Charlton Athletic footballer and coach Jonatan, said: “Rejection is something I've always had to deal with since being a model, and in those days it was like, ‘not tall enough, not white enough, not black enough, too fat, too small, too thick’, and they just told you, and you left the room with your book and went to the next casting. I used to stand outside the room and cry at 15 and 16, but by 17 and 18, it's like, ‘Okay, next’. So I'm very, very thick skinned now. I learned that in a harsh way, but I'm so grateful for it.”

Jean who spoke about her life on podcast H1THR admitted she still gets regular knockbacks and give herself permission to grieve over them.

She said: “There was an agent that I had coveted for years and years and years, and I finally got a meeting with them, the biggest sort of talent agent in London. And I went and met them, and thought the meeting went really well, and thought these are the ones that are really going to take me to that household name, that next level. And they just passed. It's just an email, ‘Not the right time Jean. You know, we'll come back to you, but you're not for us.”

She added: “There's always ones as well where it's like, Oh, what did I do wrong there? But now I'm not the 15 year old crying outside the casting room anymore. I can sort of go ‘they weren't for me.’ Yeah, it hurts. And I think a big message that I want to give today is that allow yourself that space. You know, when you don't get a job, you're allowed to greet over it. Yeah, you're allowed to phone your friends and bitch, you're allowed to lose sleep that night, then get over it. I hate this, like ‘You're in the wrong space. You're not allowed to grieve. You're not allowed to be upset, like you didn't get it for a reason. It didn't happen because it wasn't meant to, bigger things for you.’

“That's all true, but can I have a couple of days, just to mourn and grieve that agent that I wanted to be with for twenty years.”

GRADO AND JACK JESTER TRASH GLASGOW CITY CHAMBERS



Scots wrestlers Grado and Jack Jester shocked audience members as they slagged Glasgow’s Lord Provost and ran amok through the City Chambers, throwing and toppling bins over one another before being turfed out. 
And Scots TV host Laura Boyd also got swung about the ring after she ran in to defend her wrestling friend Jack.
Blockbuster and ICW Pros Grado and Jester were celebrating Glasgows 850th anniversary at the Birthday Bonanza charity bash for the Lord Provost’s Children’s Fund when the chaos ensued. 
Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren had welcomed local families to enjoy watching the sport which also featured wrestlers Jack Ripley, Colton Davis, Lewis Girvan, for the first  time at the prestigious council building when she was confronted by wrestler Jack Jester. 
After she took the credit for organising the match, he told her angrily: “Well well well, look what the cat brought in. I’m not talking about you. I’m talking about you. Who do you think you are swaggering about my show with your big fancy chain on?”
The Lord Provost pointed her finger and replied: “This is my show.”before proceeding to call him ‘’Dafty” and urging the crowd to chant it with her. 


During the title match, the Provost who had expected some ‘over the top high flying’ wrestling action on the night, admitted to being shocked when a seething Jester ran out of the ring and picked up one of the full rubbish bins  before throwing it and hitting Grado with it. Grado retaliated by dumping the contents over Jesters head. He then did it with a second one leaving the audience lost for words. 
Jack, who then smacked a chair over Grado’s back, said: “They are booing me the star of the show. Grado, I don’t care how much they love you or how much the Lord Provost loves you, you are going to get done in right here, right now and it’s going to be quick.”
STV Telly host Laura Boyd also got lifted in the air and swung around by Grado after marching into the ring to defend her pal Jester. Laura, who is a wrestling fan, jeered at the children watching the show before she was shown the door alongside Jester by the Lord Provost. 
Provost Jacqueline MacLaren said afterwards: “It was absolutely amazing and a great night in the City Chambers but I did get fed up with Jester smashing up my house so I just had to throw him out. He got what he deserved. I got him sorted. I was fed up with Laura too. She was giving it big time so I threw her out as well.”

Jack Jester admitted his £700 outfit was ‘ruined with bin juice’  following the bin fiasco, but said he was thrilled to do his bit for the charity.
And Grado added: “Fair play to the Lord Provost for letting a ring in there. Mind you, she did say afterwards she didn’t know we were going to throw bins about, but the weans loved it and the parents did too. We’re doing well. That’s twenty odd years we’ve been doing this so hopefully they’ll still be churning us out in years to come.”

SABRINA CARPENTER AND GRACIE ABRAMS HIT GLASGOW

TWO US superstars missed one another by seconds as they arrived and exited the same hotel in Glasgow at the same time. 

Sabrina Carpenter who played the Ovo Hydro on Tuesday has been staying in the Penthouse of Glasgow’s Blythswood hotel alongside her entourage. 

The singer admitted to her fans today that she is ill ‘sick like dog’ but still can’t wait to play Glasgow despite being holed up in her room since yesterday. 

And Gracie Abrams, the daughter of director JJ Abrams who recently toured with Taylor Swift, who plays the Hydro on Wednesday, arrived at the hotel shortly after lunchtime. 

As she went in the side door emerging from her tour bus, Sabrina made an escape from the back of the stylish five star hotel by black people carrier. 

 Gracie was keen to hide under a mask but you could still see her smile under the black cloth as fans called out her name. 

Gracie visited Glasgow just a week after her father JJ Abrams was also spotted in the city during Glasgow Film Festival. 

The singer was also impressed by the Scots scenery on offer as she viewed it from her tour bus as she told fans: “The most beautiful drive ever.”

She is recovering after being forced to cancel two tour dates on the Secret Of Us tour after she was struck down with an illness at the start of the month. 

Pulling out of her show in Nottingham just hours before she was due on stage, the 25-year-old singer, who is rumoured to have split from actor Paul Mescal, left fans devastated by the news.Not only did she cancel her Nottingham gig, but she also cancelled her concert that was due to take place in Leeds on Tuesday March 4. 

Taking to social media to pen a handwritten note, Gracie - who is often referred to as a nepo-baby, told fans in the statement: "Nottingham + Leeds... I hate that I have to write this again so soon. Unfortunately, I am really still struggling with this illness and have been advised that I cannot perform these next two nights.

"I can’t tell you how much this breaks my heart.”

During Sabrina’s visit she was sent Caribbean ‘Short n Sweet’ tour cakes from Tropical Cafe in Glasgow’s Merchant City. 

KIRSTY YOUNG’S GLASGOW HOTEL STAY

Kirsty Young looked the picture of health as she visited Glasgow following the green light of her and her husbands new island project. 

The reclusive Scots radio presenter, who has suffered from ill health in recent years as a result of a fibromyalgia diagnosis, checked into her Glasgow hotel around 4pm this afternoon alongside a friend.

Kirsty who looks perfectly coiffed and wore a camel coloured coat even carried her own suitcase up the stairs of her Scot’s’ hotel as she and her friend arrived for her overnight stay. 

Kirsty has spoken before about the chronic pain she was left in after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis in 2018. 

She stepped down from presenting Desert Island Discs to receive treatment but has said over the last year that she is now "pretty good" but has little flares. 

She has said that she takes some medication to manage her arthritis and that keeping in routine has greatly helped her too and that a good sleep, lower stress levels, and walking every day all impact positively. 

Kirsty and her husband Nick Jones, recently won her years-long battle to build a holiday lodge on her £1.6 million 'Wallaby Island' in Loch Lomond. 

The 56 year old had faced objections from environmentalists since she and her Nick  first submitted plans in 2021 for the sprawling 103-acre site. 

The couple snapped up Inchconnachan Island in Scotland when it was put on the market for offers over £500,000.

Their blueprints to demolish a bungalow and replace it with a timber holiday rental and boathouse triggered campaigners to launch a petition to 'Save the Wallabies'.

The island is one of the few places outside of Australia to a wild population of the marsupials. 

It attracted more than 100,000 signatories but Young insisted she had no plans to 'eradicate' them.   The colony of the wild wallabies were released by the recordbreaking speedboater and local aristocrat Fiona Gore, the late countess of Arran. 

The Woodland Trust added to the increasing voices of discontent by raising concerns the development in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park would destroy native trees.

Now, nearly four years since the proposals were unveiled, the park authority has finally given the go ahead for the three-bed lodge despite admitting it will 'result in a small loss of habitat'.

OOMPA LOOMPA KIRSTY PATERSON’S ONLY FANS REQUEST

SCOTS viral sad Oompa Loompa Kirsty Paterson has been inundated by requests to join Only Fans - wearing her now famous Wonka outfit. 

Kirsty, who became a global star after Glasgow’s disastrous Willy’s Chocolate Experience hit the headlines a year ago, revealed she’s become a fantasy figure amongst anime fans. 

She admitted: “I’ve been sent so many hand drawn pictures of me as an erotic anime figure and I’ve had loads of requests to join Only Fans.  People like the idea of me being naked apart from my green wig and I’ve had offers from some who want me to draw me live, as well as play with chocolate online. Others have foot fetishes and want me to march around like an Oompa Loompa.  It’s so funny but it’s not something I’m keen to pursue.”

The Bearsden talent admitted she’s had ‘the worst and best year of her life’ on the twelve month anniversary of the event. 

Billed as a “celebration of chocolate in all its delightful forms”, it left children in tears and was abruptly cancelled as police were called due to its ‘rip off’ prices, lack of props and dire AI script. 

Kirsty became ‘a viral meme’ in an unflattering green wig and brown outfit as she prepared jelly beans in what was described online as a ‘meth lab’. 

She was hunted down by Hollywood producers to star in her own sell out show at The Edinburgh Fringe, as well as events across LA and New York. 

Her meme also inspired celebrities including Chrissy Teigen, appearances on The Last Leg, Good Morning Britain, Studio 54 in New York, billboards in Times Square and a portrait in GOMA. 

As she celebrated her first anniversary with friends and special Oompa Calipso cocktails at Glasgow’s Tropical Cafe, the yoga instructor and fire eater turned actress admitted: “This has been a rollercoaster. The worst time of my life has also turned into the best time. I’ve achieved more in the last year than I could ever imagine in a lifetime but I’ve only just started processing it now.”

She added: “There has been a lot of self growth and I’ve got even bigger stuff coming out.”

She says she went through the full gamut of emotions as the story unwound. 

She said: “Initially it was really not great for everyone involved. People paid a lot of money and we never got fully paid. 

But I had opportunities and worked really hard to make it into something better.”

Event organiser William Coull was exposed as a sex pest, and Kirsty admitted: “I found it difficult when people put me in the same line as the organiser because my story is completely different. I met him once and feel a lot of empathy for anyone involved but I don’t really want anything to do with someone like that.”

As she returned from filming Stateside, a fire also devastated her family home.

She added: “The house fire tore my world apart. Everything I invested in, like cameras, was wrecked. I had no clothes and lived in a hotel for two months. It was very hard getting my life back on track. Luckily enough, the insurance paid out although we are still not back home.”

 She said: “The one thing that kept me going is making something of myself. I’m so proud I turned something so bad into something life changing. I can’t wait to show people my documentary of the real Kirsty Paterson and just make people smile again.”

Kirsty is currently wrapping documentary Pure Imagination from Emmy winning director Todd Bieber and his company Goodfire Productions. 

She said: “The documentary is positive but there’s also a lot of ups and downs. I think it will relate to people who have been through things. It is emotional and impactful. It’s going to go big places so we are very lucky.”

JAMES BLUNT MEETS GLASGOW BUSKER FRANCIS BONDD

Singer Francis Bondd couldn’t believe it when he met James Blunt on a walk near Glasgow’s OVO Hydro - and began serenading him on the squinty bridge. 
Francis, who also performs at the new Tropical Café in Merchant City, is a huge fan of James and a year ago in March  even wrote on his social media  ‘See you in Glasgow’. “ 
Francis, who is from Lagos in Nigeria, said he’s sometimes been compared to James vocally and couldn’t believe it when he just saw the star walking beside him as he was shooting some content for his new single.
He reckons their meeting was down to Divine Intervention. 

He said: “I’ve always loved James Blunt and my voice has been compared to his in the past. He has inspired me when I’ve been songwriting. When I saw him, I had to go and speak to him immediately and ran up to him and told him about my new single LOML which is out today. We walked the whole of the bridge together and I even played a bit for him. I then asked him if I could sing You’re Beautiful to him and he said yes so I did. He was so warm and the nicest guy on the planet. My video has now gone viral online.“
James says in the video: ‘Sweet man, it’s so lovely to meet you’ as he listens intently to Francis singing the famous chorus of his hit song.

For Francis, his meeting with James is proof that the universe brings people together and he says he now has his eyes set on bigger stages with an aim to play the Hydro himself one day.
He added: “Meeting him today, definitely, it made me know that the universe is aware of my hustle and that it's gonna happen. What you see is what you become. I saw myself meeting him, and I've seen myself selling out venues, selling out the OVO Hydro.”