…but the real star of the segment was Selena Gomez.
Henry’s charm, Eboue’s corgis joke & the amazing story of the day the Queen invited Arsenal over for tea | Goal.com
Arsenal were once invited by Her Majesty The Queen for afternoon tea – this is the story of that amazing day
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Party at the Palace concert features Paddington Bear, star performances and a Partygate joke – ABC News
Day three of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations has closed with quite a show in front of Buckingham Palace.
The Party at the Palace concert kicked off at 8pm local time, with the line-up including Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Diana Ross, Alicia Keys and Hans Zimmer.
In case you weren’t awake at 5am AEST to follow the action, here’s a wrap of some of the key moments.
Paddington Bear met the Queen
The concert opened with a skit of the Queen sitting down to tea with fellow British icon Paddington Bear.
Despite being characteristically polite and well-meaning, poor Paddington made a bit of a mess of the spread.
The ever-prepared bear offered the Queen an emergency marmalade sandwich — something he keeps stashed in his hat — but it turned out that was unnecessary.
That’s because the Queen also keeps such essential provisions on hand at all times.
Now we know why she’s always carrying around a handbag even when she has people to hold her things for her.
Lee Mack made a Partygate joke
Late last month saw the release of a scathing report into a series of parties held at British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official residence while the UK was under a strict COVID-19 lockdown.
The scandal, dubbed Partygate, prompted fierce criticism and calls for the British PM to resign. In fact, Mr Johnson was booed on his arrival at the Platinum Jubilee thanksgiving service on Friday.
Comedian Lee Mack referenced the Partygate affair while on stage. Here’s what he said:
“Welcome to the Platinum Party at the Palace!
“We are here right outside the gates of Buckingham Palace for the party of a lifetime.
“And I tell you what, finally we can say the words “party” and “gate” and it’s a positive.
“That wasn’t in the autocue …”
Mr Johnson was in the audience.
There were a few Queen references
The first came in the form of a performance by Queen (the band, that is) with Adam Lambert on vocals.
They played We Will Rock You and Don’t Stop Me Now, with military drummers adding something a bit extra to the performance.
Guitarist Brian May really drove the whole “queen” reference home by popping up above the stage in front of the Queen Victoria statue:
Later in the concert, Sam Ryder played Space Man — the song that earned him second place in the Eurovision Song Contest.
But he tweaked the words slightly, singing “space ma’am” as a nod to the Queen.
Drones lit up the sky
It wasn’t all about what was happening on stage.
Some carefully coordinated drones took to the sky to produce some rather regal images above Buckingham Palace.
Prince Charles paid tribute to ‘Mummy’ and ‘Papa’
The Queen’s son and future king Prince Charles took to the stage to pay tribute to his mother as images of the monarch were projected on the walls of Buckingham Palace.
Joined on stage by his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the prince spoke about the monarch’s “strength and stay” and said his “Papa”, Prince Philip, was much missed.
“But I’m sure he’s here in spirit,” he said.
Here’s more of what he said:
“Your Majesty … Mummy, the scale of this evening’s celebration and the outpouring of warmth and affection over this whole Jubilee weekend is our way of saying thank you — thank you from your family, the country, the Commonwealth, in fact, the whole world.
“On behalf of us all, I wanted to pay my own tribute to your lifetime of selfless service — in pictures, in words and in light.
At this point, waved his hand and the palace lit up with spotlights.
He went on:
“I know what really gets my mother up in the morning is all of you, ladies and gentlemen.
“All of you watching at home, represented here tonight in this great audience.
“Your Majesty, you’ve been with us in our difficult times, and you bring us together to celebrate moments of pride, joy and happiness. Maybe this year it really is coming home.
“You have met us and talked with us. You laugh and cry with us. And most importantly, you have been there for us for these 70 years.
“You pledged to serve your whole life. You continue to deliver. That is why we are here. That is what we celebrate tonight.
“These pictures on your house are the story of your life and ours.
“So, Your Majesty, that is why we all say thank you.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I know the Queen is watching these celebrations with much emotion — having, I hope, finished her marmalade sandwich — including immense regret that she cannot be here in person with us this evening.
But Windsor Castle is barely 20 miles away so if we cheer loudly enough she might, might just hear us. So let’s all join together.”
A cheer erupted from the crowd as more lights flashed around the palace.
Prince William called for climate action
The Queen’s grandson, Prince William, also fronted the crowd.
As the second heir to the throne, the Duke of Cambridge used his time on stage to look to the future with a sense of optimism.
Here’s what he said:
“Well, no-one’s grandmother thanks them for talking about their age. My own grandmother has been alive for nearly a century.
“In that time, mankind has benefited from unimaginable technological developments and scientific breakthroughs.
“And although those breakthroughs have increased our awareness of the impacts humans have on our world, our planet has become more fragile.
“Today, in 2022, as the Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, the pressing need to protect and restore our planet has never been more urgent. But like her, I am an optimist.
“Decades of making the case for taking better care of our world has meant that environmental issues are now at the top of the global agenda.
“More and more businesses and politicians are answering the call. And perhaps most inspiringly, the cause is now being spearheaded by an amazing and united generation of young people across the world.
”When humankind focuses its minds, anything is possible. It’s my firm hope that my grandmother’s words are as true in 70 years’ time as they are tonight.
“That as nations, we come together in common cause. Because then there is always room for hope.
“Tonight has been full of such optimism and joy. And there is hope together if we harness the very best of humankind and restore our planet, we will protect it for our children, for our grandchildren, and for future generations to come.
“They will be able to say with pride at what’s been achieved, ‘What a wonderful world.'”
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
Depp Cracks ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Joke in Court at Heard’s Expense
Over the past short while, many have been tuning into the Depp vs. Heard trial.
Considering how many are deep fans of Johnny Depp due to his various acting roles, especially Jack Sparrow, many were saddened to hear that Disney decided to part ways with him months ago as all of the drama with his ex-wife Amber Heard was unfolding.
One of the worst things to have happened to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was Disney’s choice to eliminate Johnny Depp from the franchise. Depp kicked off the role of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and carried out the role for the following five films.
Depp has become so iconic as Captain Jack Sparrow, so much so that multiple Disney attractions, from Disney World to Disneyland and more, have changed their attractions to fit in the rum-drinking pirate who looks identical to Depp. You can also meet Jack Sparrow in the Parks when you visit Disney, and he too looks just like Johnny Depp and behaves like him in the role as well! Because of this obsessive love that so many have for Depp, it is easy to understand why fans decided to boycott the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise when Disney gave him the boot.
The allegations that Depp abused his former wife quickly became a claim that everyone wanted to know more about. Depp continues to state that Heard’s allegations are false, and he has not been proven guilty by any court of law.
We have since seen Depp’s career take a dip due to the court case and the rippling effects that Heard’s allegations have caused. After U.K. tabloid The Sun wrote an article defaming Depp while calling him abusive, Depp sued the publication. The actor lost the battle with the tabloid as well as his appeal. Shortly after, Depp would lose two major roles.
The Fantastic Beasts franchise helmed by Warner Bros. dropped the actor and recast him with Madds Mikkelson, and then Disney booted him from his iconic role of Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. After losing to The Sun in a libel lawsuit case in November 2021, Depp has gone back to court for a defamation case, claiming that Heard isn’t telling the truth and has ruined his career. Now fans watch the court case ensue as it continues right now in Fairfax, Virginia.
We have even heard Depp’s former CAA agent has stated that she believes that Depp lost his most iconic role of Sparrow due to Amber Heard’s allegations, without them being proven as true. Christian Carino, who works for Creative Arts Agency, stated, “My opinion is that it was related to the accusations that Amber has made,” in a video that was shown in court.
In a recent video, fans caught Depp making a Jack Sparrow joke while Heard was on the stand. Heard was accusing Depp of having cocaine and kept noting that he had a jar, and repeated the word numerous times. If we cut to Depp, we can see him whisper to his legal team, “A jar of what? A jar of dirt?”. Of course, Pirates fans know this well to be a reference to the franchise, as Sparrow carries around a jar of dirt on the ship, proclaiming that “I have a jar of dirt!”
tizifvilla posted the video on Instagram with a clip of Depp playing Jack Sparrow in the films, with his iconic jar of dirt.
View this post on Instagram
At the moment, Amber Heard is still on the stand, and Depp’s team will soon be cross-examining her.
We have seen the media take heavy shots against Amber Heard, especially for her attempts to copy his various outfits to an identical standard. #IStandwithJohnnyDepp and #JusticeforJohnnyDepp have been trending throughout the last year. Still, following shocking revelations in the defamation court hearings, an output of support from the majority of fans has flooded social media. Johnny Depp has also admitted that no matter the cost, he is not looking to return to the role of Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Amber has admitted to hitting Johnny Depp, defecating in their bed on purpose, and now, we are seeing Starbucks place out tip jars for customers to pick between Depp and Heard when they are getting their drink.
At the moment, the trial is still ongoing, however, the amount of supporters that have been actively standing with Johnny Depp only continues to grow as more evidence and light is shed on this case. Continue to follow Inside the Magic for your latest updates.
What do you think about Johnny’s Pirates of the Caribbean joke in court?
The post Depp Cracks ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Joke in Court at Heard’s Expense appeared first on Inside the Magic.
Barcelona stars Pedri and Ansu Fati €1BILLION release clauses the latest in list of crazy deals | Daily Mail Online
The bizarre world of release clauses reached a quite incredible new point recently when highly-rated midfielder Pedri and star forward Ansu Fati signed new five and six-year contracts at Barcelona.
Midfielder Pedri, 18, put pen to paper on a deal which includes an £846million (€1billion) release clause, having already played more than 50 times for his club and represented Spain at a Euros and Olympics.
And while team-mate Fati followed in his footsteps shortly afterwards with the same extortionate exit fee, there are still bargains to be had with one of the world’s most highly-coveted strikers – Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland – available for just £67m (€80m) next summer.
Pedri signed a new contract which includes a €1billion release clause at Barcelona this month
Ansu Fati followed his Barcelona team-mate, signing a new six-year deal soon after Pedri
Real Madrid and Barcelona both held talks with his agent Mino Raiola in the summer and should either look to sign him in 2022, they will no doubt look to tie him down to a long-term contract with a clause which no one in their right mind – besides Newcastle’s new owners perhaps – would go near.
Release clauses this high are a speciality for both LaLiga clubs, especially with the Catalan giants who, amid their financial turmoil, are desperate to keep hold of their academy talent at all costs.
So which other stars in LaLiga have had such eye-watering figures added to their contracts? Sportsmail takes you through some of the most breathtaking and peculiar release clauses at the Clasico clubs…
Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, meanwhile, is available for just £67m next year
10. Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele – Barcelona – £338m (€400m)
We open our list with atwo Barcelona players who have – for various reasons – had limited impact during their careers at Nou Camp so far.
France winger Ousmane Dembele is another player after Pedri and Fati who reports claim will be offered fresh terms over the coming months, despite having a mixed and injury-hit career with the Catalan giants.
The pressure has always been on the forward ever since his £96m move from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, when he signed a five-year deal involving a €400m release clause.
He has scored just 30 goals in 118 games but he has missed 98 matches for the club with various injuries too. The jury, therefore, remains out on the 24-year-old, with many hoping he will still come good in Spain.
Philippe Coutinho (L) and Ousmane Dembele (R) have struggled in injury-hits Barca careers
Team-mate Coutinho, 29, does not have time on his side but like the Frenchman, has seen injury and poor form overshadow his time in Spain following a £142m move from Liverpool in January 2018.
Just 25 goals in 100 games and a loan move to Bayern Munich have come in a torrid three-and-a-half years at the club, while suffering six separate injuries during that time too.
With less than two years left on his deal, he is unlikely to be kept on and the club will hope to sell the Brazilian soon, but it is clear from the whopping release clause that they had hoped for much more.
=9. Sergi Roberto and Gerard Pique – Barcelona – £422m (€500m)
Two of the longest-serving members of the Barcelona squad are up next, but their equal release clauses will come as a surprise for many.
Roberto has – as many utility players before him – struggled to nail down one position and has therefore been deployed at right-back and in central midfield.
He will always be known as the scorer of THAT goal against Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, and in January the following year signed a new deal until June 2022 including the current release clause.
He is available for free in the summer but reports suggest he could stay by signing a fresh two-year contract soon.
Gerard Pique and Sergi Roberto are two of the longest-serving Barcelona players remaining
Pique, meanwhile, is the club’s most high-profile centre-back and is a reminder of the good times at Barcelona too.
But the former Spain defender has taken it upon himself recently to help the club out, reportedly restructuring his deal for a second time after signing fresh terms initially in October last year.
That deal – which runs until 2024 and has seen him defer payments into later years – however is still thought to include a release clause of half a billion euros.
But having seen the likes of Lionel Messi leave, he may fancy one more move if Barcelona’s fortunes continue to nosedive. A fee far below his release clause would have to be negotiated.
=9. Dani Ceballos and Gareth Bale – Real Madrid – £422m (€500m)
A north London link and a peripheral role at best at Real Madrid for the majority of the last few years in Spain is not the only theme that connects Ceballos and Bale.
The Spain midfielder spent the last two seasons on loan at Arsenal, while the latter joined former club Tottenham on a season-long loan for the previous campaign.
In truth neither loan worked out particularly well despite Ceballos’ key role in Arsenal’s victorious 2020 FA Cup campaign, but with the duo at opposite ends of the spectrum they do share a common £422m release clause in their deals in Spain.
AS reported that Spain international Ceballos, 25, had the enormous figure inserted into his contract when he joined Los Blancos from Real Betis – who are now reportedly keen to take him back due to his lack of game time at the Bernabeu – on a six-year deal in 2017.
Bale, meanwhile, worked his way back into Carlo Ancelotti’s plans before suffering a long-term hamstring earlier in the season.
But the 32-year-old Welshman’s equal release clause is believed to have been inserted when he signed his last contract extension at the Bernabeu in October 2016, taking him through until June next year.
Dani Ceballos (R) and Gareth Bale (L) both have release clauses worth half a billion euros
7. Marco Asensio, Isco and Vinicius Jr – Real Madrid – £591m (€700m)
A real mish-mash of Real Madrid talent past and present involved in this next bracket of release clauses, with all three having had their issues despite their differences in age.
Isco, 29, has become a peripheral figure at Madrid and has started just two of his six LaLiga appearances this season after starting just eight league matches under Zinedine Zidane in the whole of 2020-21.
But four years ago, the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich were sniffing around a 25-year-old playmaker who was a crucial member of the first team and was about to enter his peak years as a professional footballer.
Isco had the release clause inserted as part of a new contract he signed four years ago
Madrid therefore tied him down to new five-year contract with a €700m release clause. However, ever since that new deal things have headed south for the 29-year-old, who is now nowhere near the Spain squad.
Injury has only ever ruled him out for a maximum of six games at the Bernabeu, but the same cannot be said for Marco Asensio, who missed 39 games in 2019-20 after rupturing a cruciate ligament.
He too has struggled for minutes though and his deal runs out in June 2023, with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool having been linked with a move for the 25-year-old despite Ancelotti trying to find him a role in central midfield this season.
But despite his bit-part role at the club, Asensio’s release clause still stands at the same level at Isco’s, after agreeing to it when signing fresh terms in September 2017.
Marco Asensio (L) and Vinicius Junior (R) have the same release clause in their deals
That came off the back of an impressive U21 Euros for Spain, but he is now nowhere near Luis Enrique’s senior team.
One player who definitely has a future at Madrid, though, is Vinicius Junior.
Despite reports last month the 21-year-old is among the five lowest-paid players at the club, the deal he signed through to 2024 when he joined in 2018 still has that whopping figure involved.
The only hope at the Bernabeu is that he can deliver on his potential – unlike his team-mates in the same bracket – and with five goals already this term, there is confidence he can do just that.
4. Brahim Diaz and Luka Modric – Real Madrid – £633m (€750m)
The present and potential future of the club’s midfield is included in this list, with veteran Modric coming towards the end of a sublime career.
The 36-year-old Croatian signed a one-year extension in May this year to keep him at the club until next summer.
But despite being very much in the twilight of his career, he still remains at the core of the midfield and is believed to have retained the release clause that was added either when he joined in 2012 or when he extended for the first time in October 2016.
Malaga-born midfielder Diaz, meanwhile, finds himself currently in the second year of his three-season loan at AC Milan, just a couple of years after he joined Madrid from Manchester City.
The 22-year-old has only played for Madrid 21 times – scoring two goals in the process – but that did not stop Los Blancos including a massive release clause in his contract when he joined in 2019.
The next bracket involves Real Madrid’s present and future in midfield, Luka Modric (L) and Brahim Diaz (R)
3. Antoine Griezmann – Barcelona (on loan at Atletico Madrid) – £675m (€800m)
Another investment at Barcelona that simply did not work out, Griezmann re-joined former club Atletico Madrid on a season-long loan deal with an obligation to buy for £34.4m (€40m) last summer.
After the protracted histrionics on social media prior to his move to the Catalan giants in 2019 on a five-year deal, he has scored 22 goals in 74 LaLiga matches.
There was undoubtedly hope, however, that he would gel with Messi and Luis Suarez as part of a formidable attack, with his £108m move seeing him sign a deal with a €800m release clause inserted.
But the 30-year-old became the final one of the trio to leave Nou Camp in the summer, with the plan of seeing him as a long-term investment and member of the side well and truly a distant memory now.
Antoine Griezmann had a €800m release clause included in his deal when joining Barcelona
2. David Alaba – Real Madrid – £717m (€850m)
The Austria international has had huge shoes and a sizeable personality in the Real Madrid defence to replace following Sergio Ramos’ departure for PSG on a free transfer in the summer.
Alaba himself moved as a free agent after bringing a 13-year association with Bayern Munich to an end, and German outlet Der Spiegel brought the details of Alaba’s contract in Spain to light in July.
They claim Alaba will earn £16.46m (€19.47m) per season, with his contract expiring in 2026 and his release clause set at £717m (€850m). In the event he sees out his contract, they added he will earn £97m (€115m) in total.
Deployed both as a centre-back and more recently at left-back by Carlo Ancelotti, Los Blancos will be hoping he can deliver on the enormous financial investment they have made on Alaba by steering them to further domestic and European success.
David Alaba’s release clause, according to German outlet Der Spiegel, is set at €850m
1. Karim Benzema and Federico Valverde (Real Madrid) and Pedri and Ansu Fati (Barcelona) – £846million (€1bn)
Benzema has finally stepped out of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale-shaped shadows to undisputedly become the most influential player at Real Madrid.
The 33-year-old is now fifth on the list of all-time Real Madrid top goalscorers, with 290 goals coming in 572 appearances across all competitions.
Lionel Messi may have won last season’s award for LaLiga top goalscorer but it is Benzema who leads the way this term with nine already.
But just as the current campaign was beginning, Benzema signed a new deal to keep him at the club until 2023 and which saw the insertion of a €1bn release clause, two months before Pedri signed his at Barcelona.
Karim Benzema matches Pedri’s release clause after signing fresh terms until 2023 in August
But as a four-time Champions League winner and three-time LaLiga champion, the Frenchman’s legacy continues to grow and the release clause and fresh terms are just the latest confirmation of that.
Federico Valverde’s stock has also continued to rise, with his versatility a key attribute used by the likes of Zidane and Ancelotti since his arrival from Penarol in Uruguay five years ago.
In 114 appearances since, he has scored five goals and he signed a two-year extension to his current deal until 2027 in August this year.
That saw the initial release clause of €500m incredibly double, making him the second Madrid player to be able to boast such a figure just a few days after Benzema had penned his new deal.
But Barcelona have followed suit, with Pedri signing after impressive displays at the end of last season and with Spain at the Euros and the Olympics.
Federico Valverde joined Benzema with a similarly stunning release clause just days later
Spain team-mate Fati, however, broke through into the first team in the 2019-20 season and his release clause automatically increased to £338m (€400m) from £143m (€170m).
That appeared to be justified after he scored five goals and laid on four assists in just 10 appearances at the start of last season, before he tore his meniscus in November 2020.
Four surgeries and 11 months later Fati was back on the pitch for his club, and duly scored on his return in a victory against Levante last month. He showed his worth with a stunning goal at Valencia and his presence was missed in the defeat by Rayo Vallecano earlier this week.
Barcelona view the duo as key to their future, and it would not be a surprise to see the likes of Nico and Gavi follow suit with huge release clauses of their own.
Barcelona have followed Real with huge release clauses for Pedri (L) and Ansu Fati (R)