Beyonce hires body double for new tour as superstar’s bizarre attention to detail for shows is revealed
BEYONCE has made doubly sure the stage production for her new Renaissance world tour is just perfect.
Insiders tell me the Single Ladies singer uses a stand-in during show rehearsals — so she can see what tweaks need to be made.
A source said: “Beyonce is known for her attention to detail and the Renaissance tour is no different.
“She has a body double travelling with her to each venue so Beyonce can see how the show looks from the audience’s perspective.
“Beyonce likes to sit in front of the stage and watch the show as it runs through the technical rehearsals.
“It is a huge production and is three hours long, so Beyonce wants to make sure everything is right.
“As she watches, Beyonce looks at anything that may need to be tweaked or moved around.
“She takes notes and makes sure anything that she notices is changed if it doesn’t quite work.”
The superstar’s determination to fine-tune the extravagant show reflects how she is “absolutely dedicated” to her fans.
Our source added: “She wants them to enjoy the show as much as she has enjoyed making it.
Killer routines
“Plus this tour is her first since 2016 so in her eyes it has to be perfect each and every night.”
Bey arrived in Blighty this week for the first night of the UK leg of the tour in Cardiff — and invited me along for the ride.
If the opening night in Stockholm, Sweden, was anything to go by last week, I know I won’t be disappointed.
Beyonce performs 36 tracks with killer dance routines to boot.
She started her opening night’s performance with Dangerously In Love 2, from her 2003 debut album, and continued with a string of ballads — before striking out into her more upbeat numbers.
The tour, which includes five nights at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where she will perform to more than 300,000 people, is projected to gross £1.9billion by the time it ends in September.
That means it could bring in even more than Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which kicked off in the US in March.
The race is on.
Miley sets the gold standard
MILEY CYRUS’ video for latest single Jaded certainly shows ex-husband Liam Hemsworth what he is missing.
Their split has given her a new album packed full of heartbreak bangers.
Miley stripped off to a gold swimsuit for the emotional song, which has her singing about the breakdown of a relationship.
In Jaded, which comes from her record Endless Summer Vacation, Miley sings: “Oh, isn’t it a shame that it ended like that? Said goodbye forever, but you never unpacked. We went to Hell, but we never came back.”
The ballad also has Miley singing: “You’re not even willing to look at your part.
“You just jump in the car and head down to the bar ’til you’re blurry.
“Don’t know when to stop, so you take it too far.”
I suggest Liam turns off the radio for the rest of the year.
Jared on mission for Mars
JARED LETO reckons fans may not recognise his band Thirty Seconds To Mars on their comeback album.
The group, which also includes his brother Shannon, will return in September with their first record in five years, It’s The End Of The World But It’s A Beautiful Day.
Even Jared was taken aback by their new sound.
He explained: “Sometimes you pick up a guitar, sit in front of the piano or the computer, or talk to your brother, and an idea comes out that may even surprise you.
“I think a lot of this album is going to be surprising to people who may have heard Thirty Seconds to Mars before.
“It feels like a new beginning for us – it feels like a brand new band.”
Jared admitted he needs to start to slow down, after juggling his music with an acting career that has seen him star in Hollywood movies including Suicide Squad and House of Gucci.
He said on radio in Australia: “If I don’t do that eventually, my body just says, ‘f*** you’.
“I deal with some back issues and other things and when I’m pushing too hard and not giving myself any balance, eventually your body will say, ‘stop’.”
Lily: I’m takng time out
LILY ALLEN is taking a break from the spotlight after the success of her Sky comedy Dreamland.
The singer and actress admitted she had achieved all her goals and was ready to put her feet up for a while.
Lily, who squished herself into a box during a shoot with Rankin for Timeslice, Hunger Magazine’s collector’s issue, said: “I feel like I have done everything I wanted to do in terms of my career, and I do feel like I won at being a musician.
“But that being said, I can’t just be making packed lunches and ferrying kids to activities for ever.
“I’ll do it for a few months and then I’ll have to stick my teeth into something.”
Lily was dropped by her record label in 2019 after poor sales for album No Shame.
But said she would consider going back into the studio if the time was right.
She added: “I’m not saying I’m never going to make music again.
“But with acting, especially theatre, something truthful happens in the moment and when I write music, I’m thinking about how people are going to receive it.”
The full interview is in Timeslice, out on Wednesday.
Robbie stoked by French duet
ROBBIE WILLIAMS has joined forces with former Miss France Mareva Galanter on a surprise new single, I can reveal.
The Rock DJ singer announced earlier this year he had two new albums ready to go after quietly coming up with a raft of new tracks – but they aren’t all for him.
Robbie and Mareva, who was crowned Miss France in 1999, have recorded Une Tahitienne à Paris.
The song translates to A Tahitian in Paris and is a nod to her roots as, she was born on the island in French Polynesia.
A source said: “Mareva and Robbie have known each other for a while and he wanted to help her out.
“He performed his song Morning Sun at the Miss France finals in 2009, where he met Mareva, and they have stayed in touch on and off.
“She has been working hard to make a name for herself in music for a number of years and when she reached out to Rob, he kindly agreed to help her out.”
The lyrics of the single, which is being released by Mareva, aren’t exactly Angels quality but tell the story of the pair meeting in Paris.
In the opening line, Robbie sings to Mareva: “Excuse me Miss, but do you speak English?
“I don’t speak French well. I’m lost in the city. I come from Stoke city.”
The single with Mareva is not the only secret track Robbie has been working hard on.
Earlier this year I revealed that Robbie was gearing up for a new album with his electronic group Lufthaus.
He created the trio with Tim Metcalfe and Flynn Francis, who confirmed they were busying themselves with their debut record.
Robbie said of his plans: “I have got two albums coming out pretty soon.
“I have a vault of new Lufthaus stuff.
“I could do three albums of it as Robbie Williams but new stuff gets written and you get excited about that.
“I want to put an album out before the summer.”
I think your fans would be thrilled, Rob.
FOO FIGHTERS have announced a global streaming event where fans can watch the band perform from the comfort of their own home for free.
Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts was recorded at the rockers’ 606 Studios and will stream on Veeps at 8pm on May 21.
To get involved, check out foofighters.veeps.com.
LATER . . . With Jools Holland returns on Saturday, featuring a show filmed at Alexandra Palace in North London.
Hozier will play tracks from his new album, while Arlo Parks has been booked to give a sneak peek of her hotly anticipated second record.
Other stars on the BBC Two show from 9.50pm include Jessie Ware and Sleaford Mods.
JACK WHITEHALL still hasn’t got over being beaten to a role in Harry Potter.
But according to the comic, no one was more annoyed than his dad Michael, who was a producer and theatrical agent.
He insisted Jack skipped the open audition and instead used his connections to get a one-to-one with the film’s casting director.
Jack said: “My dad was like, no one’s ever been cast from an open casting. I’ll get you in front of the actual casting director.”
He added: “Complete narcissism, managed to get me picked up and got me a one-on-one interview with the casting director in London.
“I had not read the book, I’d done no preparation for the audition whatsoever, and completely flunked it.”
Jack said on the Full Disclosure podcast: “My father was bitterly disappointed. I think it’s a nice story of how nepotism doesn’t work.”
Ash and Ella Pinking alive
THERE is not much worse than turning up to a party in the same outfit as someone else, or so my wife tells me.
But when it happened to Ella Eyre and Ashley Roberts, they managed to laugh it off.
They were in near-identical baby-pink outfits at The Maine Mayfair’s annual summer party.
Ashley and Ella also both wore knee-high boots.
Rather than doing a runner, they styled out the moment and posed for some pictures together in their get-ups.
Normally when I’m seeing double it is a sign I need to hit the hay.
But when it is Ashley and Ella, it can only be a good thing.