Adele on divorce, working out and dating – as she makes history on Vogue covers
Adele has opened up about her son, dating and working out in an interview with Vogue – making history as the first person to appear on the UK and US cover with a different fashion shoot and interview in each.
The British singer, who is set to make her musical comeback next week with a new single Easy On Me, has spoken out about her upcoming album – which is the first one to be released since her ’25’ album in 2015.
She told Vogue it was created for her eight-year-old son Angelo, whom she shares with charity boss Simon Konecki.
The pair split in April 2019, with their divorce finalised in March this year, and they share custody of Angelo.
“I just felt like I wanted to explain to him, though this record, when he’s in his 20s or 30s, who I am and why I voluntarily chose to dismantle his entire life in the pursuit of my own happiness,” she said.
“It made him really unhappy sometimes. And that’s a real wound for me that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to heal.”
All three of her studio albums so far have been named after the milestone ages she hit during the creative process.
Last week, she shared a snippet of new music in a Twitter video after she teased fans with a social media rebrand.
Discussing the end of her marriage, she said that “nothing bad happened” but it “just wasn’t right” for her anymore and “I didn’t want to end up like a lot of other people I knew.”
“It wasn’t miserable miserable, but I would have been miserable had I not put myself first,” she said.
She added there were people “everywhere trying to get stories and I just hated it”.
“I was really embarrassed. That thing of not being able to make something work,” she said, “we’ve been trained as women to keep trying, even by the movies we watched when we were little.
“At the time it broke my heart, but I actually find it so interesting now. How we’re told to suck it up.”
A post on Adele’s Instagram account featuring her Vogue cover had been liked more than 500,000 times within 10 minutes.
The British cover features a close-up of the star wearing a yellow dress with a large silver brooch, while the US edition shows her wearing a long green gown.
Throughout the interview, Adele also discussed her post-break-up partying in Los Angeles.
“I thought I was being carefree, but I think there was an element of being careless,” she said.
“Then again, I have security guards coming out my ass, so nothing ever got out.
“I was falling out the back door of the bar rather than falling out the front.”
The Grammy-award winning artist also spoke about her dating afterwards, before she met her now partner, American sports agent Rich Paul.
The 39-year-old is the founder of management company Klutch Sports Group, which represents high-profile basketball stars including LeBron James, Anthony Davis and John Wall.
She told Vogue that those she dated before found it “stressful being out or seen” with her, whereas Rich is not “frazzled by it at all”.
“It feels like it’s consistent and considerate enough that I don’t care who knows”, she said.
“He’s great. He’s so f****** funny. He’s so smart, you know.”
She told Vogue it was created for her eight-year-old son Angelo
Adele made headlines across the world for her weight loss, sharing pictures on social media of her slimmer figure while living in the US.
But she told Vogue, that it was her anxiety that led her to losing weight.
She said: “It was because of my anxiety. Working out, I would just feel better.
“It was never about losing weight, it was always about becoming strong and giving myself as much time every day without my phone.
“I got quite addicted to it. I work out two or three times a day.”
She said she lost the weight without going on a diet or fasting intermittently.
Entertainment
BAFTA Games Awards: Astro Bot tops leaderboard – with psychological horror close behind
Astro Bot was the big winner at this year’s BAFTA Games Awards, taking home five prizes, including the coveted best game.
The 3D platformer, which was launched to critical acclaim in September to mark PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, was nominated for eight gongs, while Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, led with 11 nods.
But in the end, the critics – some of whom had dubbed Astro Bot a “perfect game” – were right as it dominated the awards at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, hosted by comedian Phil Wang for the second year running.
Astro Bot. Pic: Team Asobi
Nicolas Doucet with his five awards for Astro Bot. Pic: PA
BAFTAs for audio achievement, game design, animation, and best family game completed the set for developers Team Asobi, who designed multiple galaxies and dozens of levels for the titular Astro to journey through, retrieving spaceship parts and rescuing lost robots.
“We’re a team based in Japan, but we have over 12 nationalities. We really mix it up and get ideas from everyone,” Nicolas Doucet, president of Team Asobi, told Sky News.
“We do a lot of jokes in the game, but the joke has a different meaning depending on where you are in the world. So it’s really, really nice to go around and ask everyone ‘is that joke fine in your country?’ And then together we come to a kind of universal playfulness.”
Among the gongs for Astro Bot was the best game award. Pic: BAFTA
It’s a very different atmosphere than that generated by British psychological horror Still Wakes The Deep, which won three awards for best new intellectual property and best supporting and leading roles.
Compared to John Carpenter’s 1980 sci-fi horror The Thing but on a Scottish oil rig, the game sees players take on the role of an electrician trapped on a damaged facility while being pursued by monsters.
Still Wakes The Deep. Pic: Sumo Digital Limited
Developer The Chinese Room has been praised for using home-grown talent to voice the characters, including comedian and actress Karen Dunbar, who picked up best performer in a supporting role for voicing Finlay.
“I’ve been nominated for quite a few BAFTAs in my time in Scotland, and I’ve never won one,” said Dunbar.
“It was such a great category, so many great performances. When they shouted my name, I think I started clapping for someone else!”
Read more: See full list of winners
Still Wakes The Deep star Karen Dunbar won best performer in a supporting role. Pic: BAFTA
Meanwhile, best multiplayer game went to Helldivers II – a satirical, sci-fi shooter that sees players fight bugs, aliens and robots with the gumption and gullibility of the characters in Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers.
It has gained a cult following since launching in February 2024 with so much initial interest it created server problems.
“Games for me are about connecting people and forging those bonds of friendship and the multiplayer award is exactly what it stands for,” said Johan Pilestedt, chief executive of Arrowhead Game Studios.
Helldivers II. Pic: Arrowhead/Sony
From outer space to a fictional Yorkshire town called Barnsworth. Thank Goodness You’re Here! – a cartoonish, comedy platformer – won Best British Game. Like Still Wakes The Deep, it has won praise for the authenticity of its actors and setting.
“I think it’s been a real privilege to be able to represent Barnsley on the silver screen,” said Will Todd, who is from the town and one of two game designers behind the project.
Thank Goodness You’re Here! Pic: Coal Supper/Panic Inc
Co-creator James Carbutt added: “Me and Will wrote everything in our tone of voice, quite literally. The further along development we got, the more we lent into it. I think the voices from different parts of the UK and different voices in gaming are super important, and hopefully we’re one of them.”
By the time the BAFTAs wrapped up, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II was only handed one of the 11 BAFTAs it was nominated for, technical achievement.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. Pic: Ninja Theory
But developers Ninja Theory are already adding this year’s win to a tally of five BAFTAs they were awarded for the first game in the series, which created a protagonist with psychosis by drawing on clinical neuroscience and the experiences of people living with the condition.
Blondie drummer Clem Burke has died at the age of 70
The band said Blurke had been diagnosed with cancer, and described his death as a “profound loss”.
He featured on all the Debbie Harry-fronted group’s studio albums since joining a year after their formation in 1975.
Blurke was with the band from their self-titled debut, through their 1978 classic Parallel Lines, to 2017’s Pollinator.
Drummer Burke.
Pic: Reuters
In a statement on Blondie’s Instagram, Harry and the band’s guitarist, Chris Stein, said: “It is with profound sadness that we relay news of the passing of our beloved friend and bandmate Clem Burke following a private battle with cancer.
“Clem was not just a drummer, he was the heartbeat of Blondie.
“His talent, energy, and passion for music were unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are immeasurable.
“Beyond his musicianship, Clem was a source of inspiration both on and off the stage. His vibrant spirit, infectious enthusiasm and rock solid work ethic touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
“Clem’s influence extended far beyond Blondie, a self-proclaimed ‘rock and roll survivalist’, he played and collaborated with numerous iconic artists.”
Burke in his performance at Festival Estereo Picnic 2023.
Pic: AP
Burke featured on Iggy Pop’s 1982 album Zombie Birdhouse and also performed with Bob Dylan, The Ramones, The Who guitarist Pete Townshend and Joan Jett.
The statement went on to say Burke had left an “indelible mark on every project he was part of”.
It added: “We extend our deepest condolences to Clem’s family, friends, and fans around the world. His legacy will live on through the tremendous amount of music he created and the countless lives he touched.”
Burke, who performed on classic tracks such as Call Me, Heart Of Glass and One Way Or Another, made his final live appearance with Blondie last year.
Read more from Sky News:
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Blondie performing during Glastonbury Festival in 2023.
Pic: Invision/AP
Among those paying tribute to him was Kinks guitarist Dave Davies, who said: “I feel saddened that Clem Burke was taken from us so soon.
“May he rest in peace, spectacular drumming, we were friends.”
Nancy Sinatra said: “My heart is shattered. Clem became an icon as a member of Blondie, but he was also an important part of my band, the K.A.B. I was blessed to call him my friend.
“If I ever needed him, he was there. Always. Sending healing prayers and comfort to his widow, Ellen, his family, and all who loved him.”
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