It was once one of Hollywood’s biggest and booziest nights – with the A-list stars who flocked to the ceremony to pick up their gongs, mercilessly roasted for the viewing entertainment of the millions who tuned in to watch.
British comedian Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globes five times, pushing the boundaries of celebrity mockery so far, it was a miracle they turned up to be teased.
But this year, the ceremony organisers will be waiting with baited breath to see how many stars turn up – and for a very different reason.
Image: Mayan Lopez (L) and Selenis Leyva (R) announced the nominations, pictured with HFPA President Helen Hoehne
Embroiled in scandal
Last year’s ceremony was quite literally a non-event – the celebrity-filled night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel was replaced by haphazard Twitter updates from the Golden Globes, after NBC refused to air the show.
The reason? The Globes organising body, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), found itself embroiled in scandalover a lack of diversity, accusations of sexism, and ethical and financial lapses among members.
An expose by the Los Angeles Times revealed that none of the 87 Hollywood Foreign Press Association members was black and the group had not had a black member since at least 2002.
So, this year – which is also the Globes’ 80th anniversary – there will be many eyes on the show.
Making changes
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Since the fallout, the HFPA has been attempting to rebuild the awards’ reputation from the top down, adding more than 100 new voters to its voting body, which it says “is now 52% female, 51.5% racially and ethnically diverse”. For the first time, journalists from other countries can also be part of the mix.
Twenty-one new members joined the HFPA last year, six of whom are black, and membership eligibility was expanded from Los Angeles to anywhere in the United States.
Additionally, new rules around “freebies” and press trips have been imposed. Plus, they’ve set up a complaints hotline and hired a diversity officer.
In perhaps the biggest change of all, the Globes has also had a change of owner, after being purchased by billionaire Todd Boehly, who is in the process of shifting the voting body from its founding non-profit status to a for-profit model, (pending approval by the California attorney general). He plans to preserve the HFPA’s charitable work with a separate non-profit entity.
Image: Brendan Fraser in The Whale. Pic: TIFF
Who will rock up?
So what can we expect? Some notable celebrities have said they will attend – including Michelle Williams and Judd Hirsch – with the night hosted by comedian Jerrod Carmichael.
Confirmed presenters include Quentin Tarantino, Jamie Lee Curtis and Ana De Armas.
British stars up for awards include Dame Emma Thompson, Olivia Colman, Bill Nighy and Daniel Craig. And pop megastar Taylor Swift will also take on Rihanna and Lady Gaga after being nominated in the category for best original song. But we must wait and see who will be there on the night.
Eddie Murphy will receive the coveted Cecil B DeMille award for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment, and five-time Golden Globe Award winner and 16-time nominee Ryan Murphy will receive the Carol Burnett Award, honouring excellence in television. One would expect them to come to pick up their gongs – but will they?
Someone who will definitely not be attending is Brendan Fraser – nominated for his star performance in The Whale – following an alleged incident at the Globes ceremony in 2003.
And while Tom Cruise didn’t get a nod for his performance in Top Gun: Maverick, it’s unlikely he would have turned up if he had, having reportedly handed back the three Golden Globe awards he had won over the years in protest.
It remains to be seen if the publicists and studios – including Netflix and WarnerMedia – who boycotted the 2022 event in protest at the body’s diversity issues – will be satisfied with the improvements.
And, as opposed to the multi-year contracts of the past worth tens of millions of dollars, NBC is hedging its bets by airing this year’s show under a one-year deal. Much is hanging on this year’s show – and the HFPA is likely holding its breath. Watch this space.
The 2023 Golden Globes will be held on Tuesday 10 January and broadcast on NBC and streaming service Peacock.
Fashion brand Topshop celebrated its relaunch with its first catwalk in seven years.
The company’s website promised everyone was invited as models strutted down a runway on Trafalgar Square in front of noughties fashion icons Cara Delevingne and Adwoa Aboah and the London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
The label has been operating on the online fashion platform ASOS after ceasing to operate as a standalone business in 2020.
Image: Topshop held a catwalk in Trafalgar Square. Pic: PA
Image: A model on the catwalk
Its previous owner, Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia group, collapsed into administration and all of Topshop’s physical stores – including the Oxford Circus flagship in London’s West End – closed soon after.
Delevingne told Sky News she was “totally blown away” by the relaunch event.
“It was like nostalgia mixed with something eclectic but also something brand new,” she said.
“For me, it really brings back a time of exploration of my own fashion sense because I think for me at Topshop I got to discover so much.”
The model, who is working on a capsule collection for next year, has already unveiled a choice edit in this year’s show and said her relationship with Topshop precedes her fame.
She said: “I would go in and my friends would be like ‘you would look good in that’ and I would go ‘no, that’s not really me’, and then you’d try it on and be like ‘oh maybe I can explore more’.
“They really have everything for everyone, and I feel like they brought that back.”
The runway showcased highlights from its Autumn-Winter 2025 collection, as well as an early preview of pieces set to drop later this season, including showstopper gowns, the classic white tee, and an aloe vera-coloured faux fur coat that surely should not have been on display – to prevent just about everyone rushing to buy it.
Image: Topshop’s relaunch was staged at Trafalgar Square
Image: Models in front of the National Gallery in London’s Trafalgar Square. Pic: PA
Reclaiming the high street
But sharp tailoring and statement outerwear suggest the brand is ready to reclaim the high street.
Must-have denim pieces completed the womenswear line-up while the Topman collection screamed modern utility by blending refined formal wear with sharp new silhouettes.
Casual pieces are grounded by authentic denim in deep indigos, which stood out on Trafalgar Square’s magnificent stone steps.
Topshop’s relaunch comes as the high street continues to struggle and as the UK operation of Chinese fashion giant Shein announced pre-tax profits of £38.3m for the year, up some £14m from 2023.
‘Top end of the market’
Moses Rashid, global marketing director at Topshop/Topman said they are competing in a different space.
Image: Topshop has been operating on the online fashion platform ASOS after ceasing to operate as a standalone business in 2020
“We’re at the top end of the market. We’re about elevation. We pride ourselves on the quality of the product,” he said.
Those products are being designed in north London, and managing director Michelle Wilson said the aim is to stay that way.
“We are a British brand, we want to be a positive force for fashion. We want to bring London to the world. It’s fundamental to who we are as a brand, our style is very much London-driven.”
The majority Danish-owned company has suggested it will slow fashion down by opening physical stores where customers can touch the products, browse collections and try things on, though the flagship on Oxford Circus is unlikely to return because a Swedish fast furniture brand has since occupied the space.
Designer Wayne Hemingway has previously collaborated with Topshop and said the relaunch must be more than nostalgia.
“They can’t rely on their old customers because their old customers have now got kids of their own to spend their money on, and they’ve got mortgages and all of those things of what being an adult means.
“They’ve got to have designers, marketeers, people who understand – who are on the pulse – who understood, number one, what was a success back then, and also a young generation of people who are there saying, ‘this is what our generation needs’, and who are bright and can help deliver that. They can’t rely on the past.”
Jones said in a statement: “A few months ago, I had to stop my tour HA!MILTON because I needed treatment for prostate cancer. I’m glad to say I’ve had that treatment and am now cancer-free!
“So, many thanks to all the doctors and nurses who helped me get better – I couldn’t do their job (I tried, but apparently you have to be qualified).”
Thanking his family, friends and fans, he went on to joke: “I have to admit there were a few dark moments when I wondered if anyone would ever see me again, but then I realised that I was leaning against the light switch.
“Thankfully, I’m now in a completely different place, and if you look at my website, you’ll see that very soon I’ll be in lots of other different places on tour too”.
Jones picks up his tour on 15 September in Stafford, touring until the end of November 2025.
The show, whose name is a play on the title of the hit musical Hamilton, promises laughter and unforgettable comedy moments, as well as jokes about giraffes and tomatoes.
The Richmond-born comedian has been hailed as the king of the one-liner, basing his jokes on clever wordplay and surreal humour.
He has performed on Live At The Apollo, Lee Mack’s All Star Cast, and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.
Now, in social media posts and an appearance on boyfriend Travis Kelce’s sports podcast, Swift revealed just what fans can expect from the new album.
Image: Taylor Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce on the New Heights podcast. Pic: New Heights
The Life of Showgirl, written during the European leg of her record-breaking Eras tour, will be released on 3 October.
It consists of 12 songs, including the title track that features pop star Sabrina Carpenter.
The full track list is:
1. The Fate Of Ophelia 2. Elizabeth Taylor 3. Opalite 4. Father Figure 5. Eldest Daughter 6. Ruin The Friendship 7. Actually Romantic 8. Wi$h Li$t 9. Wood 10. Cancelled! 11. Honey 12. The Life Of A Showgirl (featuring Sabrina Carpenter)
Long-time collaborators Max Martin and Shellback, two Swedish producers who worked with Swift on some of her biggest hits, joined the pop star for this album.
Within four hours of posting the full podcast episode on YouTube, it had already gathered 4.7m views.
Image: The cover of Taylor Swift’s newly announced album. Pic: Republic Records
Image: The back cover of Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album The Life Of A Showgirl. Pic: Republic Records
‘The hardest-working star in pop’
The album follows last year’s The Tortured Poets Department, which was released during the Eras tour.
That tour, with shows on five continents and in 51 cities, raked in more than $2.2bn (£1.62bn) and was the highest-grossing tour of all time.
“This album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant,” Swift said during her podcast appearance.
Sky News culture and entertainment reporter Gemma Peplowsaid after her globe-trotting tour and a swathe of re-releases over recent years, the new album cemented Swift’s reputation “as the hardest-working star in pop”.