Why were people sniffing dead skin out of Liam Gallagher’s hair at Glastonbury? What do the big Britpop players think of Lad Culture today? After nearly 30 years, Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq join forces once again for a new BBC series on The Rise And Fall Of Britpop to tell the definitive story of one of Britain’s most culturally defining eras.
[ Listen to all eight episodes now on BBC Sounds]
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“I mean, who doesn’t have regrets?” – Dan Wootton |
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Email stories to us hello@popbitch.com
* The great reckoning begins…
* Wootton gets the Vardy treatment
* PLUS: Chatting with King Charles |
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>> Stage wait << |
Get to the chopper |
Jung Kook from BTS is due to perform his new single live on The One Show tomorrow, but producers have been having a hell of a time trying to find somewhere for him to perform.
Initially they wanted to have him perform just outside Broadcasting House, but last week Westminster Council refused permission for an audience to congregate there. Then they thought they could maybe do it at the old Billingsgate Market, overlooking Tower Bridge. Permission for that was refused earlier this week.
His management were keen on getting a cool location with an iconic London vista in the background, but all anyone’s been able to get at such short notice is the Skyports helipad in East London – which does have some lovely views.
Of the car park of the neighbouring self-storage facility. |
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The UKIP candidate for Boris’s vacant seat in today’s South Uxbridge and Ruislip by-election is Rebecca Jane: the former Big Brother contestant that Michael Owen was caught begging for tit pics (“Tremendous, by the way”). |
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>> No Heroes << |
Who covers for the cover stars? |
GQ’s annual “GQ Heroes” event is taking place at Soho Farmhouse right now – and the idea this year was to go big on Hollywood names. Recent cover stars Bryan Cranston, Chris Hemsworth and Jennifer Coolidge were all lined up to give the whole affair a bit of A-list sparkle (sparkle which is sorely needed when you’re charging £3,000 a ticket).
Sadly, SAG-AFTRA union rules state that any public appearance that promotes struck work could count as crossing a picket line. So, owing to the recently called strike, SAG-AFTRA members are having to keep clear of events like this.
Which Cranston, Hemsworth and Coolidge – three of this year’s four hugely trailed cover stars – all are… |
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The last time the Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild were striking together was 1960 – when Ronald Reagan was the SAG President. |
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>> Big Questions << |
Who’s asking what this week? |
Which comedian did Tim Lovejoy deliberately stitch up on air during an interview on Sunday Brunch after he caught them being mean to one of the researchers? |
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\ v / is different. They’re making
(())|(()) green heat pumps cheaper and
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with financing options.
[Make the switch now to Octopus Energy] |
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>> Bran management << |
The man of the moment |
Dan Wootton has replaced Huw Edwards at the centre of this week’s media storm – and, unlike Huw, Dan decided to address the allegations facing him on air.
In his big Errors Of Judgement speech on Tuesday night, Wootton claimed that the so-called smear campaign against him was the result of “nefarious players” and “dark forces” trying to shut down GB News.
An interesting theory, but anyone who received Issue 1029 of Popbitch will know that our first questions about the mysterious Martin Branning appeared in March 2021 – a full three months before GB News launched.
It’s typical of Dan to be so modest and self-effacing, of course, but we hope he realises people aren’t just interested in this story because of the connection to GB News. They’re interested in it because of him.
And it’s extremely well deserved. |
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Life Imitating Art, pt.645: Max Branning (the EastEnders character that reportedly inspired the alias Martin Branning) was famously brought down by a video tape. |
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>> Confidence boost << |
The blind-copied leading the blind |
We’re glad to see the Sun has taken us up on the advice we offered them last week, launching a proper investigation into their former golden boy, Dan Wootton.
It sounds like it’s in safe hands. HR sent out emails this week to employees they thought might potentially have been affected by the alleged actions of Wootton, or could shine some light on his time at the News Of The World and the Sun.
And on at least one of those emails, forgot to use BCC – so all the individuals who received the email could see who else got it too. |
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Cameo’s popularity has plummeted; their workforce has dropped 90% in a year. |
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>> Vard luck << |
Reviewing the record |
During the Phillip Schofield saga, Dan Wootton wrote in his regular Mail column that the reason he quit his job at ITV was because they tried to ban him from talking about Schofield and Meghan Markle on air. Unwilling to be bound by such suffocating conditions, Dan claims he proudly told them where to stick their job – and left.
This might astound you, but it seems recollections of those events differ somewhat from person to person. The story that survives at ITV is that Dan was suspected of leaking stories that he’d gleaned from hanging around at ITV and feeding them back to his paymasters at The Sun – in breach of the terms of his employment.
To make sure it wasn’t coincidence, they pulled the old Wagatha Christie trick on him: deliberately floating some fake gossip his way to see if – by some miracle – it made its way into the paper.
And it did. So they dropped him. |
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Imagine you’re Rishi Sunak, so, so rich, but time poor… No time to read even a 3 page report… So, what do you do? Just bang on The Smart 7 Podcast! 7 minutes, 7 stories, 7am. The Smart 7 – It’s news, but not ‘the news’.
[Wherever you get your podcasts] |
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>> Death wish << |
Off-the-record deal |
In October 2010, Gamu Nhengu was booted off the X Factor and promptly found herself facing deportation to Zimbabwe. The News Of The World secured an interview with her, so sent Dan Wootton out to conduct it. During the interview, Gamu specifically told him that she couldn’t say Mugabe will kill her if she returns, because then he would.
So what was the story that Dan Wootton filed? “DON’T LET ME FACE FIRING SQUAD” – leading with Gamu’s fears that Mugabe was going to kill her entire family. |
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When Phil Taylor from Motorhead had a French girlfriend, the idea was floated that the band record a cover of Je T’aime Moi Non Plus – with Phil’s lady as Jane Birkin and Lemmy as Serge. Sadly, it never came to pass… |
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>> No notes << |
Charles has learned his lesson |
With a change of boss at Buckingham Palace, the way things get done there is starting to change too.
Under the eye of Elizabeth, those with serious roles in the wider Royal framework used to have regular sit-down meetings with her. Charles, on the other hand, much prefers to have a chat and a walk around the grounds.
A friendly and informal gesture from the King, for sure – but there’s some suspicion about his motivations for doing it. Apparently informal walks out with the King don’t count as “meetings”, per se, so therefore wouldn’t necessarily have to be minuted.
Which means everything discussed on these leisurely strolls could stay off the public record. |
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Unexpected Coutts Account Holders, pt.II: Thom Yorke. |
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>> Popbits << |
(U)K-Garage |
K-Pop continues to take over the world, with the first half of this year seeing its best export figures ever. It’s no longer that tightly controlled anodyne boyband/girlband scene either. It’s morphing into something a whole lot more interesting.
Ariana Grande has been a huge influence this year, with tracks by Kard (Icky) and Jisoo (Flower) taking K-pop into contemporary grown-up pop territory. But the big music inspo in Korea at the minute appears to be 90s/00s UK Garage.
Girlband NewJeans have just released summery two-step flavoured track, Super Shy, while BTS’s Jung Kook has gone full Craig David.
Only a few months ago he was clean-cut enough to be chosen by Qatar to sing the official FIFA World Cup anthem, Dreamers. But now? He’s telling fans “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, seven days a week / Every hour, every minute, every second, you know night aftеr night / I’ll be fuckin’ you right, seven days a week.”
Even Craig David gave his ladies Sunday off.
[Hear them here] |
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Stuff moves fast these days and a single Thursday email is not always enough for the thirstier gossips among you. If you want a little more Popbitch in your life, try Club Popbitch. A second weekly email, daily audio quizzes and other bonuses – all from just £4 a month.
[Find out more – and join the club] |
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Thanks to: RM, NB, AC, wienerbalcony, DB, J, HS, G, C, M, bitch_with_the_accent, naughtystep, NM, LM, purplelizzie, ernie, the_impish_scribe |
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Old Jokes Home
Dan Wootton, Martin Branning and Maria Joseph all walk into a bar.
The barman says “What can I get you, sir?”
Still Bored?
John Hinckley Jr has a new album out
[Called “Redemption”] |
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