THE ROLLING STONES are so keen to make sure their upcoming Hackney Diamonds tour is The Best they have hired a Tina Turner impersonator to be a backing singer.
Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, have booked Chanel Haynes for their run of gigs in the US.
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It’s a huge win for Chanel, who said she was sacked from Tina: The Tina Turner Musical in London last year after she got the dream opportunity to sing Gimme Shelter with them during a show in Italy.
A source said: “The Stones had a very close relationship with Tina and Chanel blew them away when she got up on stage with them.
“She ended up losing her job on the production because she didn’t want to miss out on the huge opportunity of singing live with The Stones.
“Chanel has now been booked as one of their backing singers and will be going out on tour with them across America in the spring.
“It means the world to her and the band were just pleased they could help her out.”
The Stones will kick off their run of gigs in Texas on April 28.
Hackney Diamonds, which was their first body of original music in 18 years, is in the running to land the Christmas No1 album spot, eight weeks after it first topped the charts.
Prior to her performance with the group in Milan, Chanel had only rehearsed the cult 1969 track once.
She later said of performing to 60,000 Stones’ fans: “The sound they made was like trees in a jungle in a storm.
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“It’s primal, like a war.
“When that hit my body, all of those voices, all of those eyes, were shooting into my body.
“I had to hold and possess all of that. It was a very surreal experience.”
She announced her departure from the West End show just weeks later and posted a note she had received from the production’s manager which told Chanel she had been suspended.
Before her death in May, Tina had a close relationship with the Stones and even claimed she had taught Mick how to dance, saying she showed him how to Pony, which was a move popular in the Sixties.
Opening up about their friendship, Tina said previously: “Mick wanted to dance — and I was a dancer — but he never gave me the credit.
“He said his mother taught him how to dance. But we worked with him in the dressing room, me and the girls, and we taught him how to Pony.”
We’re sure Chanel will make her proud.
Bella’s back in the frame again
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BELLA HADID has her eyes on the prize after taking a career break in an attempt to ease her chronic Lyme disease battle.
She told in August how she had been quiet as she was fighting a flare-up, but she has started to get back out there and wore this grey knitwear as she went shopping in the Big Apple on Sunday.
During the stroll, where she seemed all smiles , she was spotted popping into an opticians to check out the latest fashion in eyewear.
Hopefully a far more specs-tacular year beckons.
Land of hoop and glory
OLLY ALEXANDER has already started intense rehearsals for his Eurovision performance – belting out his entry while hula hooping to get in shape.
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The Years & Years frontman will compete for the UK at the contest in Malmo, Sweden, next May and has promised his song is upbeat pop.
He said on Radio 2 yesterday: “Whatever I’m going to be doing it’s going to require some extreme physical fitness from me.
“When I was on tour I started singing the songs on the treadmill, so I’ve started doing that.
“I’ve started hula hooping and singing the song.”
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He will be trying to sidestep Eurovision superfan Rylan Clark in the lead-up to the contest after he led previous entries Sam Ryder and Michael Rice astray. Rylan told him: “I bet they have warned you already.
“But I have been known for a night out.
“I took Michael out until 7am and Sam as well, so you are following in some footsteps, but you son’t need to worry.
“We can have a cut-off time.”
Laughing Olly replied: “Maybe lead me a bit astray.”
The Sun first told last month how he was in line for the job after teaming up with the producer behind Dua Lipa’s latest hit Houdini, Danny L Harle, for the entry, which will debut in early 2024.
Open to ideas how to end the country’s dismal record in the competition, he added: “I had lovely messages from Sam and Mae Muller.
“I need to have a proper conversation with them about it all.”
Dolly girl Blake
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BLAKE LIVELY gave her best Barbie impersonation as she dolled up in pink to celebrate her pal America Ferrera’s Critics Choice Awards nomination for playing Gloria in the movie.
Blake wrote on Instagram: “I was so happy to celebrate my denim sister America.
“She’s the heart and soul of Barbie because she’s the heart and soul of everything she’s a part of.
“I can’t wait to watch her sweep awards up across her living room floor.”
Liam and Kate chill out
LIAM PAYNE has been walking in a Winter Wonderland – well, the closest he can get.
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The One Direction singer was joined by his American girlfriend, TikToker Kate Cassidy, as they checked out the attractions at the festive pop-up in London’s Hyde Park.
Despite a brief split earlier this year, the couple are said to be stronger than ever after rekindling their romance.
Liam is once again splitting his time between the UK and the US this Christmas so he can see both his son Bear, who he shares with Cheryl, and American Kate’s family.
She’s from Los Angeles, so he won’t find any snow there . . .
Wham! grow lead for No1
WHAM! have extended their lead over Sam Ryder in their battle for the Christmas No1 single.
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Last Christmas has pushed ahead to 1,700 extra sales after being only 42 copies in front of Sam’s You’re Christmas To Me on Sunday.
Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You is at No3 but was last night more than 3,000 copies adrift of Sam.
Part of his issue is that Sam’s new festive tune is only available through Amazon Music.
That said, the numbers are still massive and we would love to see Sam score his first No1 with the song.
Bookie Ladbrokes has Wham!, who were No1 last Friday, on odds of 4/7 to claim top spot, while Sam is at 8/1. Not a bad punt . . .
Skepta a secret fan of ABBA
SKEPTA proved he was a real Super Trouper after shunning Grime for Abba hits at the opening of a new club.
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The MC stunned posh partygoers with his tunes of choice as he took to the decks and sang along to the band’s 1976 hit Money, Money, Money at Dear Darling in London’s posh Mayfair.
A source said: “The toffs were expecting Skepta’s DJ set to be all grime, but he was playing some amazing techno house remixes.
“Then out of nowhere he started playing ABBA songs.
“He was singing along to the tracks he played and knew all the lyrics to Money, Money, Money.
“Skepta looked totally at home with ABBA and was clearly enjoying it because he was dancing along to them.”
We’ve only got one question, Skepta, Does Your Mother Know?
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