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It all began in front of 20 people at a club called The Boardwalk. Tickets were £3 each. It was a modest debut for what became one of the biggest bands in British music history.

The news that Oasis is expected to return to the stage 34 years after that first gig in Manchester has created the greatest buzz of all in their home city.

The band has teased that an announcement is coming on Tuesday morning after weeks of growing speculation about comeback gigs next year.

For a band that has sold 75 million records worldwide – making them one of the best selling ever – the anticipation is enormous.

And in Manchester, where murals and artwork still pay tribute to the band’s place in the city’s cultural fabric, the expectation is huge.

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Noel and Liam Gallagher in 1994. Pic: Paul Slattery
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Noel and Liam Gallagher in 1994. Pic: Paul Slattery

Like most fans, Chris Green wasn’t at The Boardwalk in October 1991 but he did see early Oasis at Manchester’s Academy three years later, just as their debut album had become the fastest-selling in history.

He has been a fan ever since.

Of the reunion, he said: “It matters because they’re a big part of our culture. I’m old enough to have been there first time around but the second time around what has surprised me is that my kids and my grandkids are saying ‘Dad, we’re going to see Oasis next year’.

“For us in Manchester, when they went global, with the look, that football terrace look, to see local boys doing that and taking us along with them and making unbelievable stadium anthem rock music was just amazing.”

Noel Gallagher sings as Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds perform, at Twickenham Stadium, London, Britain, July 8, 2017. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
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Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds perform in 2017. Pic: Reuters

Read more:
‘Everyone was out of control in the ’90s’
The ‘unsolvable conundrum’ of Oasis’s biggest album

The fractious family dynamic of Noel and Liam is almost as famous as their music and the band’s ultimate split in 2009 came as no surprise.

Rumours of a reunion have come and gone over the years but recently there has been a noticeable and very public softening in the brothers’ relationship.

Noel Gallagher and Meg Matthews seen arriving a the BRIT Awards Launch 1996 (AP Photo/John Marshall, JME)
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Noel Gallagher and Meg Matthews seen arriving a the BRIT Awards Launch in 1996. Pic: AP

Veteran Manchester music journalist John Robb’s recent interview with Noel appeared to confirm the sense that they could be putting the band back together.

“They’re brothers, aren’t they,” he told Sky News. “At the end of the day no matter how much your brother annoys you, you still love your brother as well. So there’s a lot of sentiment and maybe Noel just felt like doing it again.

“People have wanted it to happen for so long and they’ve timed it perfectly, where everyone isn’t too old and everyone isn’t too young. it’s exactly the right time.”

Noel Gallagher sings as Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds perform, at Twickenham Stadium, London, Britain, July 8, 2017. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
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Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds perform in 2017. Pic: Reuters

In Manchester’s northern quarter, Afflecks Place bazaar has long been a regular stop for Oasis fans.

The band hung around there in the early days, buying clothes and even once recruiting a drummer from its notice board.

Noel Gallagher, right, and Liam Gallagher, of Oasis, appears on the television show "Top of the Pops" at BBC TV Studios in 2002. (AP Photo/Mark Allan)
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The pair performing on the BBC’s Top of the Pops in 2002. Pic: AP

Alistair Hall runs the Vinyl Resting Place record shop on the top floor.

“I think there’s not a day goes by that we don’t get asked for an Oasis record or CD. The brand itself just seems to be constantly popular,” he said.

“I think because they’ve been broken up for 15 years it’s gathered a bit of momentum. There’s people growing up who have never heard them before and I think the nostalgia thing plays a part. People revisit everything in a cyclical way and the vinyl boom has added to the snowball effect.”

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That is certain to gather even more momentum with the likely reunion – not least for the band itself, with estimates that the comeback shows at Wembley and in Manchester could net tens of millions of pounds.

It is a long way from that October night at The Boardwalk.

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How Clean Is Your House? presenter Kim Woodburn dies

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How Clean Is Your House? presenter Kim Woodburn dies

Kim Woodburn – a former cleaner who found fame presenting the hit TV show How Clean Is Your House? – has died.

Woodburn, who was 83, later became a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, finishing as runner-up.

Kim Woodburn is evicted in third place during the Big Brother 2017 final at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.
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Woodburn came third in Celebrity Big Brother 2017. Pic: PA

Her manager said in a statement: “It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved Kim Woodburn passed away yesterday following a short illness.

“Kim was an incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person.

“Her husband, Peter, is heartbroken at the loss of his soulmate.

“We are so proud of the amazing things Kim achieved in her life and career.

“We kindly ask that Kim’s husband and close friends are given the time and privacy they need to grieve.

“We will not be releasing any further details.”

Aggie MacKenzie and Kim Woodburn.
Pic: PA
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Woodburn with Aggie MacKenzie (L). Pic: PA

On Tuesday, her husband shared a video montage of photos of Woodburn over the years, starting when she was just four years old, with the message: “My wonderful, beautiful, Kim passed away last night. God bless, my love, xx xx”

Known for her trademark tight, plaited bun, Kim was largely blind in her right eye, and had poor sight in her left eye, and earlier this year had told her followers she was undergoing emergency eye surgery.

Read more from Sky News:
Doctor to plead guilty to giving Friends star ketamine before fatal overdose
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Woodburn, who had been selling video greetings to fans, shared her last Instagram post in February, when she posted a message saying “Kim is unable to record any further videos for the foreseeable future due to a health problem”.

She wrote: “No more videos for now, my loves, I need to get better!”

Woodburn, born Patricia Mary in Hampshire, left a turbulent home life aged 16, moving to Liverpool to become a live-in cleaner.

She revealed in her 2006 autobiography that, at the age of 23, she prematurely gave birth to a stillborn son and buried him in a park.

The revelation in her book led to a police inquiry, but no action was taken by officers.

In the same year as the stillbirth, she changed her name to Kim – after American actress Kim Novak.

Years later, she was scouted by a TV company looking for a cleaner with an engaging personality to front How Clean is Your House?

Paired with Scottish cleaner Aggie MacKenzie, the two professional cleaners fronted the show – a ratings hit and a pioneer for the home cleaning genre – from 2003 to 2009.

Woodburn went on to appear in Celebrity Big Brother, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of here! and E4’s Celebrity Cooking School, as well as regularly contributing to ITV’s This Morning and Loose Women.

She also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, Celebrity Come Dine With Me and A Place In The Sun.

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Doctor to plead guilty to giving Matthew Perry ketamine before Friends star suffered fatal overdose

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Doctor to plead guilty to giving Matthew Perry ketamine before Friends star suffered fatal overdose

A doctor in the US has agreed to plead guilty to giving Friends actor Matthew Perry ketamine in the lead up to his death from a fatal overdose, prosecutors have said.

Dr Salvador Plasencia, who will admit to four counts of distribution of ketamine, faces up to a maximum of 40 years in prison.

He is among five people charged in connection with the death of Friends star Perry, who was found dead in his hot tub by his assistant in October 2023.

The medical examiner ruled that ketamine and other factors caused him to lose consciousness and drown.

The actor, 54, had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal treatment for depression, but had begun seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him.

Plasencia is accused of supplying the bulk of Perry’s ketamine in his final weeks. He and three other defendants, including another doctor, agreed to plead guilty in exchange for their cooperation.

Jasmine Sangha, who prosecutors allege was a major ketamine dealer, is alleged to have provided the dose that killed the actor and is the only defendant who has pleaded not guilty.

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About a month before the actor’s death, Perry found Plasencia, a doctor who allegedly asked another doctor, Mark Chavez, to obtain the drug for him, according to court filings in the Chavez case.

“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia texted Chavez, according to court filings from prosecutors.

The pair who practised in California met up the same day and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine, the filings said.

After selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500 (£3,314), Plasencia allegedly asked Chavez if he could keep supplying them so they could become Perry’s “go-to” prosecutors said.

Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on Friends, when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing.

He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial judge dismisses juror after five weeks of evidence – over ‘concerns about his candour’

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Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial judge dismisses juror after five weeks of evidence - over 'concerns about his candour'

A juror has been dismissed from the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex-trafficking trial after hearing five weeks of evidence.

Judge Arun Subramanian said he had “concerns” about the jury member’s “candour” and made the decision after it emerged the man – Juror 6 – had given inconsistent answers about where he lives.

This could indicate he potentially had an agenda, that he wanted to be on the panel hearing the Combs trial for a purpose, the judge said, and there was nothing the juror could say that would “put the genie back in the bottle”.

Diddy trial: Day 24 – as it happened

Sean "Diddy" Combs hugs his lawyer Nicole Westmoreland as he enters the courtroom during his sex trafficking trial
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Combs hugged one of his lawyers as he arrived in the courtroom. Pic: Reuters/ Jane Rosenberg

Questions over whether the juror, a black male, resided in New York or across the Hudson River in the state of New Jersey first arose at the end of last week – but defence lawyers argued dismissing him would disrupt the diversity of the jury.

However, the judge rejected this argument ahead of the start of Monday’s court session, excusing the juror and replacing him with one of the alternates, a white male.

A review of the juror’s answers to questions about his residency during jury selection, along with his subsequent responses to similar questions, revealed “clear inconsistencies”, the judge said.

“Taking these all together, the record raised serious concerns as to the juror’s candour and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the jury,” Judge Subramanian said.

Leaving the juror on the panel could threaten the integrity of the judicial process, he added.

“The court should not, indeed cannot, let race factor into the decision of what happens. Here, the answer is clear. Juror number six is excused,” Judge Subramanian said.

The charges against ‘Diddy’

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, two charges of sex-trafficking, and two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has strenuously denied all allegations of sexual abuse. The hip-hop mogul’s defence team has described him as “a complicated man” but say the case is not.

They have conceded Combs could be violent and that jurors might not condone his proclivity for “kinky sex”. However, they argue this was a consensual “swingers” lifestyle and was not illegal.

Special agent and paralegal testify

Following the juror’s dismissal, the sixth week of the trial began – with testimony from a paralegal specialist and a special agent, who both gave evidence as summary witnesses.

This means they were not involved in the criminal investigation into Combs, but were tasked with reviewing some evidence, including charts, phone records and data. In court, the aim is to provide context to the testimony heard so far and how it relates to the charges against the hip-hop mogul.

During paralegal specialist Ananya Sankar’s testimony, the court heard about texts appearing to reference “freak offs” – sexual encounters with male escorts which former girlfriends Cassie Ventura and “Jane”, two of three alleged victims to give evidence during the trial, both say Combs forced them into.

Cassie was in an on-off relationship with Combs from 2007 to 2018, while Jane – a pseudonym – dated him on and off from the beginning of 2021 to his arrest in September 2024.

Casandra "Cassie" Ventura cries on the stand during redirect during Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New York, U.S., May 16, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
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Cassie Ventura gave evidence against Combs during the first week of the trial in May. Pic: Reuters/ Jane Rosenberg

Chicken soup and $4,000 cash

In messages from March 2016, Combs’s then chief of staff Kristina Khorram appeared to ask an assistant to set a hotel room up, with items requested including Gatorade, water and chicken noodle soup. “He wants you to go right away now please,” a message said.

In another text, Khorram asked workers to fetch $4,000 in cash and to ensure a male escort was given access to the hotel room, the court heard.

The court also heard about messages sent around the time of the bombshell civil lawsuit filed against Combs by Cassie in November 2023 – which was settled within 24 hours for a then undisclosed sum, revealed to be $20m during the trial.

By this time, Combs was seeing Jane. According to an audio file of a conversation, Jane told Combs after finding out about Cassie’s lawsuit: “I don’t know what I’m feeling… this is so word for word, it is crazy and it just feels sick to my stomach.”

On 28 November 2023, about two weeks later, Jane told Combs she felt he exploited her with their “dark and humiliating lifestyle”.

The following month, the court heard Jane said in a message to Khorram: “He said he would expose me and send videos to my baby daddy… I am traumatised by my time with him.”

Sean "Diddy" Combs, winner of the global icon award, poses in the press toom at the MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
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Diddy at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2023. Pic: Evan Agostini/ Invision/ AP

Jane said she would not normally involve Khorram in such matters, but told her she needed help as Combs was having one of his “evil-ass psychotic bipolar” episodes.

Jane told Khorram that she was heavily drugged in the tapes.

Although it was not clear exactly what she was referencing, a message sent to Combs by Khorram around the time of the lawsuit seemed to show some friction between the pair.

“If you cannot be honest with me this doesn’t work,” she told him, according to the messages. Combs “keeping things” to himself put them in the “situation we are all in right now”, she added.

Towards the end of the court day, videos entered into evidence under seal were played by the prosecution. This means the jury and lawyers could see and hear what was happening, but members of the public in court could not.

Read more:
Everything you need to know about the trial
The rise and fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
What we learned from Cassie’s testimony

Prosecutors have said they expect to conclude their case later this week. After this, Combs’s defence team will begin theirs.

Last week, Kanye West turned up at the court in Manhattan, New York, to support the rapper, spending about 40 minutes in the building watching proceedings on a monitor in an overflow room.

Combs’s mother, Janice Combs, and several of his children have also consistently shown up throughout the hearing.

Diddy denies charges of sex-trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy.

The trial continues.

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