Lewis Capaldi splits from girlfriend and ‘will use heartbreak to pen new album’
HE is the king of the heartbreak ballad and, sadly, it seems Lewis Capaldi might be singing about his own on his next record.
I have been told the Scottish singer has split from his girlfriend of two years, actress Ellie MacDowall.
I last saw the pair together at Universal Music’s Brit Awards after-party last year and they looked madly in love.
But friends have revealed their romance has run its course, with the couple struggling to make time for each other.
An insider said: “Lewis and Ellie had some long conversations and decided it was best for them to end things. It was a mutual decision. They are still friends and have been talking, so all is not lost.
“Ellie is still based in Edinburgh and Lewis lives in London so it’s been hard for them to see each other.
“It’s sad but ultimately Lewis and Ellie had a wonderful time together. It just wasn’t to be.”
We revealed in June that Someone You Loved singer Lewis was back at work a year after announcing he was taking an indefinite hiatus from music.
Back in the studio
He returned to the studio to start working on new songs and last month spent time writing with brothers Connor and Riley McDonough, who helped pen Mimi Webb’s Red Flags and John Legend‘s Wonder Woman.
The pair have also worked with Anne-Marie, Jason Derulo and Benson Boone.
Lewis announced he was taking a step back last June, after his second album, Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, hit No1. The record, which I played on loop for weeks, featured No1 singles Wish You The Best, Pointless and Forget Me.
Ahead of going back into the studio, I saw Lewis letting his hair down at Glasto and standing in the sun with pals, he looked happier than he had in a long time.
When he returns I’m sure whatever he comes up with will turn to gold . . . or platinum, just like his other records.
Mel B’s birthday dig
GERI Horner celebrated her 52nd birthday with a raft of well wishes from her husband Christian Horner, telly’s Rylan Clark and, of course, her Spice Girls bandmates.
But while Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton and Melanie C shared sweet tributes to Ginger Spice, I doubt she was smiling when she saw what Mel B had to say.
The notoriously naughty singer shared Instagram stories which all poked fun at her, having previously joked that Geri was lying about her age because no one had seen the date of birth in her passport.
Over one photo of them together she wrote: “Happy 75th bday Ginge.”
She also posted an image of Geri in her Union Jack dress with the caption “girl power,” but appeared to make a dig by using the song Boss Bitch by Doja Cat over the top.
But in a move which I’m sure will have really grinded the birthday girl’s gears, Mel once again brought up her claim that they had a lesbian fling in the early days of the band — something which Geri has always denied.
Scary Spice, who is bisexual, shared a 20-year-old snap of Geri in a T-shirt which read “dip me in chocolate and throw me to the lesbians,” which she wore to perform at a gay bar.
Alongside it, she wrote, “yaaaas” and used Lil Kim’s song How Many Licks – about performing an intimate sex act on a woman – to soundtrack the post.
Mel B probably shouldn’t expect a gift from Geri when she turns the big 5-0 next summer…
Music comes first for Corinne
CORINNE BAILEY RAE was all smiles last month when she was announced as a nominee for this year’s Mercury Prize Award.
But now the Put Your Records On singer has told us she isn’t actually interested in chasing chart hits and gongs.
Corinne said: “I try not to focus on reviews or awards. It’s nice to be acknowledged but success for me is the feeling I have when I play the music.
“I never read reviews which I think is really good advice for any artist.
“You can’t absorb all the good things and you also don’t want to get affected by the negative ones either.”
Corinne’s fourth album Black Rainbows will go up against 11 other records for Album of the Year, which will be announced next month, including Charli XCX’s killer record Brat and The Last Dinner Party’s Prelude To Ecstasy.
And Corrine revealed she already has an album worth of tracks ready to go for the follow up.
She said: “The first record feels like a lifetime ago but then they still feel very present because I am still playing those songs all the time.
“I am working on new music. I have ten more songs I wrote for Black Rainbows which I’m still working on and I am trying to work on new ideas and be free with new music as well rather than just obsessing on production for those songs.”
Sabrina needs a lie down
HER sixth studio album Short N’ Sweet is just 15 days away so I’m not surprised Sabrina Carpenter is having a lie down before it all kicks off.
The American singer, whose songs Espresso and Please, Please, Please have dominated the charts this summer, posed in a black dress for a new interview with Variety, where she opened up about her friendship with Taylor Swift.
Sabrina opened Taylor’s Eras tour shows in Australia, Singapore and Latin America and said that Taylor had been helping her cope with the madness of the music industry.
“She’s one of my best, best friends,” Sabrina said. “We grab dinner or text and catch up like you would with your best friend.
“It’s so cool for me to get a perspective on this whole process from her and the community of artists that I feel I’m close to, to get advice from them on stuff that you can’t just ask the internet.”
Asking the internet always leads to disaster so I’d definitely stick to texting Taylor.
Ed goes for the hat-trick
ED SHEERAN could land his third Christmas No1 after writing the track Under The Tree with his composer brother Matthew for Richard Curtis’s new animated movie That Christmas.
Ed said of the Netflix film, out on December 6 starring Brian Cox, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy: “It felt so good to create something my children would watch with their uncle.”
Ed had No1s with Perfect in 2017 and Sausage Rolls For Everyone with LADBaby and Elton John in 2021.
Let’s hope for a hat-trick.
Blake has big hint for Britney
GIVEN Britney Spears is looking for actresses to play her in the new film about her life, I think Blake Lively is giving off a pretty strong hint about wanting the job.
The actress wore this same colourful Versace gown Britney showed off in 2002 at the premiere of her film It Ends With Us in New York on Tuesday.
Blake then went on to pay tribute to Britney and her best-selling memoir, The Woman In Me, saying: “Britney, us millennials all have a story of a moment, or of years that you made us want to shine and inspire awe, with strength, and joy, and immensely hard work.
“Thank you for your example and your contribution to women telling their stories. So excited about your biopic* and all you have to come.”
*Cough . . . give me the job.
Justin loves a bargain
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE stunned Manchester locals after being spotted working out in an £18 per month PureGym.
The singer, worth £250million, appeared to be bringing Sexy Back on a budget after jetting in for the latest leg of his world tour.
Rather than using his hotel gym – or swankier nearby options – Justin hit up the bargain facility on Tuesday.
Last month, one gym-goer complained about “buckets all around the gym floor” after the roof leaked.
I hope Justin didn’t get soggy shorts.
Lady Gaga’s lookalike
PLENTY of people complain that all pop stars sound the same nowadays – and they’re starting to look identical too.
Lady Gaga posted this snap on Instagram as she promoted the new liquid eyeliner from her make-up brand Haus Labs.
But everyone was saying the same thing in the comment section, that she looks just like fellow chart topper Ava Max.
Sweet But Psycho singer Ava has often been accused of copying the superstar but now the roles are reversing.
That said, being mistaken for someone who is eight years younger than you must be quite the ego b