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Ed Sheeran has shared more details around the last-minute cancellation of his gig in the US, saying he’s “gutted” but is “not gonna risk the safety of my fans for anything”.

The Shape Of You star let fans know the show was off shortly before his performance was due to start at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday.

His initial post on Instagram at around 2am UK time (6pm local time) had blamed “challenges encountered during the load in”.

Sharing more details with his 45 million Instagram followers on Sunday, Sheeran reposted a snippet of an article claiming there was a “flooring problem” in the venue.

It said that when the crew were bringing in their equipment ahead of the soundcheck, “rubber tiling had become unstuck – causing two tall towers to slip overnight by about a foot each”.

The article also reported that despite tearing down, re-building and reinforcing them, “both towers were still found to be shifting”, leading to the late cancellation of the show.

The piece also praised the singer and his team, saying: “Ed and his crew battled for 24 hours to salvage the show.”

Giving his own “context” on the cancellation, Sheeran wrote in his message alongside the extract: “It was a safety issue, and we really tried to do the best we could to make the show happen but I’m not gonna risk the safety of my fans for anything.

“I really am gutted, this was very much out of my control but I do take full responsibility for everyone that was put out from the cancellation.”

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He also apologised for the sudden nature of the cancellation, adding: “Nothing will take away from the effort people went to to get to Vegas though and I’m sorry it wasn’t communicated sooner to the people waiting outside.

“We really thought the show was going to happen up until the very last moment but it just couldn’t for safety reasons.”

The stadium in Nevada, which is the home NFL team Las Vegas Raiders, is a 65,000-seat venue.

Sheeran had been due to play alongside support acts, US rapper Russ and English singer-songwriter Maisie Peters.

The show has now been postponed until Saturday 28 October.

Sheeran has previously cancelled gigs in Hong Kong due to severe weather conditions in 2019 and in St Louis, Missouri, amid protests in 2017.

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His next scheduled gig is in Oakland, California, on Friday night.

Sheeran will be back on home turf, performing at the Royal Albert Hall in London over the weekend of 18 and 19 November, sharing tracks from his upcoming album Autumn Variations.

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Holly Willoughby fined after colliding with moped and injuring rider

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Holly Willoughby fined after colliding with moped and injuring rider

TV presenter Holly Willoughby has been fined in court after she admitted driving without due care and attention when her car collided with a moped, injuring the rider.

The star, 44, pleaded guilty by post to the charge at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday but did not attend the hearing.

Willoughby was fined £1,653 alongside £130 in costs and a £661 victim surcharge and given six points on her licence, the Metropolitan Police said.

According to court documents, the incident happened on 28 August as she was driving her Mini Cooper near her home in Richmond, southwest London.

Police were called to Church Road, Barnes, following reports of a collision.

The rider of the moped, a 43-year-old man, was taken to hospital. His injuries were assessed as neither life-threatening nor life-changing.

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The presenter is best known for fronting Dancing On Ice as well as ITV daytime show This Morning, which she left in October 2023.

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Sabrina Carpenter hits out at ‘evil and disgusting’ White House video featuring her song

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Sabrina Carpenter hits out at 'evil and disgusting' White House video featuring her song

Sabrina Carpenter has hit out at an “evil and disgusting” White House video of migrants being detained that uses one of her songs.

“Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” the pop star posted on X.

The White House used part of Carpenter‘s upbeat song Juno over pictures of immigration agents handcuffing, chasing and detaining people.

It was posted on social media on Monday and has been viewed 1.2 million times so far.

President Trump‘s policy of sending officers into communities to forcibly round up illegal immigrants has proved controversial, with protests and legal challenges ongoing.

Mr Trump promised the biggest deportation in US history, but some of those detained have been living and working in the US for decades and have no criminal record.

Carpenter is not the only star to express disgust over the administration’s use of their music.

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Olivia Rodrigo last month warned the White House not to “ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda” after All-American Bitch was used in a video urging undocumented migrants to leave voluntarily.

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In July, English singer Jess Glynne also said she felt “sick” when her song from the viral Jet2 advert was used over footage of people in handcuffs being loaded on a plane.

Other artists have also previously hit out at Trump officials for using their music at political campaign events, including Guns N’ Roses, Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, Ozzy Osbourne and The Rolling Stones.

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Dame Joanna Lumley warns of ‘crisis hidden in plain sight’ – with 1.5 million older people set to spend Christmas alone

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Dame Joanna Lumley has warned of a “crisis hidden in plain sight”, with 1.5 million older people set to spend Christmas alone.

Age UK spoke to more than 2,600 people and found 11% will eat dinner alone on 25 December, while 5% will not see or speak to anyone the whole day.

Applied to the overall population, the findings suggest 1.5 million people will eat alone at Christmas, according to the charity.

Dame Joanna said the “silence can be deafening” for those left isolated and called it “a crisis hidden in plain sight”.

The actor and campaigner is now joining other luminaries including Dame Judi Dench, Brian Cox and Miriam Margolyes to back Age UK’s campaign against loneliness.

The charity says its volunteers made more than 70,000 minutes’ worth of calls to people during Christmas week last year and is urging people to donate.

‘A tragedy we don’t talk about enough’

Age UK said it also supports coffee mornings and festive lunches to give lonely people the chance to enjoy in-person interaction.

Dame Judi said: “For so many older people, Christmas can be a time of silence – days without conversation or company.”

Succession star Brian Cox called the issue “a tragedy we don’t talk about enough”.

He said: “Far too many older people are left spending the season in silence, when it should be a time of warmth, connection and joy.”

Brian Cox is another of the campaign's high-profile backers. Pic: PA
Image:
Brian Cox is another of the campaign’s high-profile backers. Pic: PA

Margolyes, of Harry Potter fame, added: “Growing older shouldn’t mean disappearing into the background, we need to be seen, heard and celebrated.

“That’s what Age UK is striving for – they’re changing how we perceive age.”

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The charity’s chief executive, Paul Farmer, said: “Your donation could bring comfort, friendship, and care to an older person facing loneliness this winter.

“From friendly, weekly calls to local lunch clubs, we’re here to make sure no one spends winter alone. But we can’t do it without you.”

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