Madonna has a bit of a rep for being a bit of a diva, which is probably why we aren’t too surprised by Rita Ora’s anecdote about the first time she met the notorious Queen of music.

And, to be honest, that really is saying something.

The 25-year-old singer recalls the meeting in a new interview, revealing that she was at a charity concert in London back in 2013 and things got pretty strange very quickly - with Rita ending up on her knees.


According to the former X Factor judge, Madonna asked if they could kneel down whilst they were chatting in order for Rita to see the star at her best angle and in the best lighting.

Right.

Rita explained: “I was waiting in the room and Madonna walks in with the lighting - how major is that?

"We say hello and then she’s like, ‘This isn’t working, can we just kneel down on the floor?’ So I knelt down and we had the whole conversation because the lighting was better.”


"I know who I am, I know my fans, I know the records I sell, I know what I do and what I desire and if that’s not getting tarnished then I’ll do what I like.”

You go, girl!

The Notorious BIG's estate, Jay Z and Rita Ora are among those to have been hit with a hefty copyright infringement lawsuit. Poet Abiodun Oyewole is suing Biggie's estate for $24m (£17m) over the alleged unlawful use of his lyrics in the late rapper's 1993 classic Party and Bullsh*t.


In the lawsuit, which was filed at a New York federal court, Oyewole claims he and his spoken word group The Last Poets coined the expression "party and bullshit" in their 1970 track "When The Revolution Comes". Ora, who is signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation, sampled the lyrics on her 2012 debut single How We Do (Party), also without Oyewole's "consent or authorisation".

The complaint states: "The defendants did not credit the plaintiff nor secure permission... to sell the plaintiff's hook, copyrighted lyrics and recordings." In addition to Ora, Oyewole is suing Jay Z's Roc Nation and P Diddy's Justin Combs Company for producing the song, while Eminem and Busta Rhymes have also been named for sampling Party And Bullsh*t on their 2014 track Calm Down.

Rita Ora has spoken out about the racism and indifference that her family suffered as refugees during an emotional plea to change the perception of immigrants and help victims of the Syria crisis.

The singer, who was forced to flee Kosovo during the outbreak of war in 1992, gave an impassioned speech at Wembley Stadium for ‘We Day UK’ on Wednesday 9th March.


Copyright [Jonathan Hordle/REX/Shutterstock]

Ora shared her story: “I was born in Kosovo, and when I was one year old, had to flee the country with my parents and sister.

“The word refugee carries a lot of prejudice…and not everyone is comfortable having refugees settle into their environment.

“Some people make negative judgements on new immigrants and others simply turn a blind eye.”


Rita, whose father Besnik is Muslim, also addressed what she described as the “rise” of Islamophobia amid the refugee crisis, urging people not to judge people based on their skin colour, clothing and more.

She was amongst a number of stars including Fleur East, Joe Jonas’ band and Labrinth, who attended and performed at the charity event, which aims to educate young people about events of global significance.

When Downton Abbey premiered in the United States in January 2011, it was just another entry in PBS’ Masterpiece schedule. It had premiered earlier in Britain, where it got good-not-great reviews (the Brits thought they recognized a frothy spot of bother in the backyard of their own history, thankew veddy much). It arrived in America at a time when Masterpiece Theatre was going through an identity crisis, trying to boost its ratings by splitting into subdivisions such as Masterpiece Mystery and Masterpiece Contemporary — the latter as foolish a re-branding as Coca-Cola’s New Coke. Little did PBS know that it wasn’t re-branding it needed at all; what was necessary for a resurgence was something buried deep in the very roots of the network: a lively soap opera whose mix of upstairs posh and downstairs cook-and-wash would hit the spot for American Anglophiles in a way no other PBS entry had done since Upstairs Downstairs, the ur-Downton from the mid-1970s whose co-creator and co-star, Jean Marsh, once accused Downton of ripping off. 


Downton creator Julian Fellowes was, in 2011, a British writer who had already won an Oscar for another bit of canny Anglo-angel-food-cake for American audiences: his script for Gosford Park, a Robert Altman-directed Agatha Christie-style murder mystery with a cast that included the future Countess Dowager, Maggie Smith. 

During his show’s premiere season, Fellowes told The New York Times that the wisest thing he’d done was “that we treat the characters of the servants and the family exactly the same. Some of them are nice, some of them are not nice, some of them are funny, some of them are not, but there is no division between the servants and the family to mark that.”


Sure, Downton has had its uneven plot-lines, and even uneven seasons, but Julian Fellowes, who wrote all the scripts, maintained a narrative drive that carried us past the dull patches. 

When it premiered, the most esteemed American TV shows on the air were Breaking Bad and Mad Men. Downton Abbey seemed like something completely different, but it wasn’t: Like those American shows, this import offered a picture of a culture in slow, steady decline, colored by often bleak, dark humor yet filled with characters we cared about. It will leave us on Sunday night with many viewers weeping — with sadness and gratitude — into their cups of tea. a

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who is busy promoting his upcoming film Fan, in which he is seen in a double role, admitted that he used to get quite irritated while shooting for the film at times.

Elaborating on the reason, the King Khan said that when playing the role of the obsessed fan Gaurav, the prosthetic work on his face used to make him sweat and that he used to get quite irritated with it. Khan however thanked the film team for bearing with him and also specially thanked director Maneesh Sharma for helping him understand the character Gaurav.


Fan is slated to release on April 15.

Back in the late ‘90s, when Da Ali G Show pulled in big ratings and before the Kazakh clown Borat spun off with his own film, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen was arguably the funniest man in Britain, if you didn’t count Boris Johnson (the outgoing mayor of London). In the wake of the disappointment that was 2012’s The Dictator, The Brothers Grimsby (which will be called just Grimsby when it opens in the U.K. on Feb. 24) provides further evidence that Baron Cohen, having embarked on a career as a straight actor, is perhaps going a bit soft in his middle age. And that’s not something one says lightly about a film featuring jokes about pedophilia, AIDS and people being accidentally anally penetrated by all manner of strange objects.

Indeed, although bawdy penetration gags run right through the film, there’s considerably less of the incisive satirical skewering that distinguished Baron Cohen’s early work. It’s possible that what’s changed isn’t the writer-producer-star himself so much, but the industry and the social climate, making it harder to finance films that are authentically risky and potentially hugely offensive. It’s almost inconceivable now, with the way things are when it comes to representation, especially in the U.S., that a white Jewish man could get away with playing a racially ambiguous character like Ali G, who achieved comedy immortality back in 1999 with the line, “Is it because I is black?”

Today, Baron Cohen is more contained and circumspect, confined to making jokes mostly about genitals and excrement. That kind of body humor was always in his repertoire in the old days (think of the epic naked tussle with Ken Davitian in Borat, for instance). What’s significantly missing here is any spontaneous interactions with unsuspecting members of the public, the comedy of cruelty and irony that was always his strongest suit. Meanwhile, even a cursory survey of trailers on YouTube suggests that some of The Brothers Grimsby’s sharper, crueler lines have been cut, and like every third movie off the production lines above a certain budget, big chunks of it look like a shooter-style computer game, necessitated by a script that casts Mark Strong (best known, despite his triumphs on the stage, for his character work in Kick-Ass and Kingsman: The Secret Service) as super-spy Sebastian Grimsby, reunited after a 28-year separation with long-lost brother Nobby (Baron Cohen). Perhaps producer-distributors Sony, famously burnt so badly recently with the backfiring satire of The Interview, plan to spin a game out of this for the PlayStation platform.

Distributor: Sony
Production companies: Four by Two Films, Working Title, Big Talk Pictures
Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Strong, Rebel Wilson, Penélope Cruz, Isla Fisher, Gabourey Sidibe, Annabelle Wallis
Director: Louis Leterrier
Screenplay: Sacha Baron Cohen, Phil Johnston, Peter Baynham, based on a story by Sacha Baron Cohen, Phil Johnston
Producers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Nira Park
Executive producers: Louise Rosner Meyer, Todd Schulman, Phil Johnston, Peter Baynham, James Biddle, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, Ant Hines, Adam McKay, Ben Waisbren 
Director of photography: Oliver Wood
Editors: James Thomas, Jonathan Amos
Production designer: Kave Quinn
Costume designer: Paco Delgado
Music: Erran Baron Cohen, David Buckley
Casting: Lucy Bevan

Rated R, 83 minutes

For a few weeks now, whispers about Bollywood actress Preity Zinta’s impending wedding to Los Angeles-based Gene Goodenough have been doing the rounds.

We have now received a sort of a confirmation from Preity Zinta’s spokesperson. The cleverly drafted press release says that Preity is working on her wedding and hints that her wedding date will be announced soon. Late on Saturday night (Los Angeles Time) Preity’s spokesperson released a statement saying that the actress-businesswoman and her fiancé Gene Goodenoough have decided to “channel the massive anticipation around her wedding” into a charitable cause. We are sure that Preity will elaborate on that but we decided to steal some of the thunder by telling you what those charitable cause are.

First of all, yes the couple is getting married at a famous church in LA away from the prying eyes of Bollywood. Preity and Gene however have decided to use the interest around their wedding for some good cause.

It’s being claimed that Rita Ora could jump ship once again and return to The Voice UK, having left the show last year to become a judge on The X Factor.

It’s thought that producers want Rita back in a spinning chair when The Voice moves to ITV next year.

A TV insider told the Daily Star: “Rita is one of the hottest properties in entertainment so it is no surprise The Voice producers want her back.


“They were devastated when she moved to X Factor last year. But now it looks like she won’t be doing the next series, it means they’ve got a chance of poaching her.”

With Ricky Wilson announcing that he won’t be returning when the show changes channel, a source adds: “The Voice’s first year on ITV will be critical to its longterm future. They can’t afford for it to be a disaster.”

Copyright [Syco/Thames/Corbis]

It’s also thought that Rita wants to leave The X Factor as ratings continue to fall, with an industry insider claiming: “X Factor ratings were dismal last year so it is no surprise Rita is keen to walk away.

“A return to The Voice is very possible because she loved being a coach last time.”

Watch this space.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus holds an ice towel to her face during a break in her fourth round match against Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 25, 2016.(AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Danielle Knudson (R), girlfriend of Canada's Milos Raonic, reacts after he won his fourth round match against Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka at the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park, Australia, January 25, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Madison Keys of the U.S. reacts as she sits in her chair during her fourth round match against China's Zhang Shuai at the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park, Australia, January 25, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Peter TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Britain's Andy Murray reacts during his fourth round match against Australia's Bernard Tomic at the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park, Australia, January 25, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Peter TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Spain's David Ferrer celebrates after winning his fourth round match against John Isner of the U.S. at the Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park, Australia, January 25, 2016. REUTERS/Brandon Malone

Ekaterina Makarova of Russia reacts after losing a point to Johanna Konta of Britain during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 25, 2016.(AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

It's a hard-knock life. Jay Z's music label Roc Nation is suing Rita Ora for $2.4 million, according to reports.

The label claims that Ora, 25, has not honored her contract, which she signed in 2008. The British singer was reportedly supposed to deliver five albums but has only made one. (She released her debut album, Ora, in August 2012.) In addition, the label says it spent over $2 million on marketing and developing her second album, which has yet to hit shelves.


"[Roc Nation] has tirelessly promoted [her] career, investing millions of dollars in marketing, recording and other costs, which was instrumental in guiding Ms. Ora to her current level of success and fame," legal documents state, via Page Six.

"Jay Z has personally and graciously promised Rita complete freedom from Roc Nation, the details of which are now being finalized," King stated, via Page Six. “We believe that Roc Nation’s distributor, Sony Music, has required Roc Nation to file this action to preserve whatever rights Sony might have pending resolution."

Another day, another celebrity photo shoot. But friends, this isn’t just another phtotoshoot – no, it’s Rita Ora, and she’s got that ‘ever-so-slightly-morally-questionable’ snapper Terry Richardson to do them.


And they’re, err, quite something.

The 25-year-old ambassador for Kosovo (yes, let’s just remind ourselves that THAT happened), was shot by the controversial photogrpaher for French magazine Lui.

Not really sure what the 'concept’ is here, but it’s a French magazine and they’re all very artistic and liberal aren’t they. I mean, you certainly wouldn’t get this sort of carry-on in Good Housekeeping, would you?

The X Factor judge shared the cover on her Instagram page, with the caption ’“FREEDOM” Being ME without permission’ – which, let’s be honest, is just a pretentious way of saying 'Oooh, look at me! I forgot me bra again!’


Other snaps show Rita 'playing’ the piano and looking slightly nippy, whilst another one shows her struggling with the lock on her hotel room.

The perils of a night at the Dunstable Travelodge, eh Rita?

The shoot must have been quite a nice distraction for the singer, who’s having a bit of a mare with life at the moment, what with suing Jay-Z (good luck with that one, hun) and having to deal with the repercussions of her November burglary this week too.

On Monday, a man accused of robbing the singer’s home last year appeared in court


26-year-old Charaf El Moudden appeared before Hendon Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with burglary, and will go back to court again to face the proverbial music on February 22nd.

Jessica Simpson 
The fashion mogul was paid a lot of money — twice! — to make her body look this good, so why not flaunt it during a family vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico? (Photo: FameFlynet Pictures) 

Justin Bieber 

We all know that the singer likes to skinny-dip, but thankfully he kept things rated G while taking a dip with his little sister, Jazmyn, in the Caribbean. (Photo: Instagram)

Anne Hathaway 
Perhaps no celebrity looks better than the Oscar winner, who showed off her work in progress — her first baby — from the shoreline. (Photo: Instagram) 

Rebecca Romijn 
Yes, the model-turned-actress has maintained her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model physique. (Photo: Instagram) 

Rita Ora 

Needless to say, this photo of the singer wasn’t taken in London. (Photo: Instagram)

Victoria Beckham 
David Beckham shouldn’t be the only one in his family allowed to off their bod. Here’s the Designer Formerly Known as Posh, along with her daughter, Harper, enjoying a holiday in the sun. (Photo: Instagram)

Christina Milian 

Some parts of the U.S. aren’t so chilly — and the singer found herself in one of them. Three cheers to Miami Beach and pineapple bathing suits. (Photo: Splash News)

Kelly Bensimon 
Is it wrong that when we see the former Real Housewives of New York star throwing around a football in Miami, we think about that awful Viagra commercial? If so, sorry, but it’s true. (Photo: Getty Images)

Rita Ora has freed her nipples for the cover of Lui, as she goes completely topless for the French magazine’s February issue.

Posing in nothing but a black leather skirt, the singer ripped her denim blouse open to reveal her assets, while sporting a cheeky grin on her face.


The 25-year-old’s sizzling photo was shot by controversial photographer Terry Richardson, and it’s not the first time the pair have worked together, as they previously joined forces for a risque black and white shoot back in 2014.

#freedom pic.twitter.com/Yl7hPFxg3z

— Rita Ora (@RitaOra) January 28, 2016

If you’re in the fame game, you have to get used to being in the public eye, whilst many celebrities prepare themselves for scrutinisation, they remain hopeful that they will appear in the ‘best dressed’ lists…

Unfortunately for some, this doesn’t always work out - it certainly didn’t for Rita Ora on Sunday night’s X Factor, who graced the stage wearing a print and texture clashing ensemble.

If a unicorn was human…
It seems that Rita’s ‘My Little Pony’ hair phase really influenced her wardrobe choices. The multi-coloured haired beauty was lucky that she wasn’t beamed up to another planet wearing this sheer purple top with metallic stars to cover at least some of her modesty, metallic skirt… and Adidas trainers.

Have I made the front page yeti?
You might think that Rita is about to trek through the Antarctic or have a battle with some bears… but it seems like the only battle that Rita is engaging in is one with her wardrobe. Copyright [BBC]

When in doubt, take inspiration from children’s television…
If you had turned on your television at this precise moment, then you might have mistakenly thought that you were watching Elmer the Patchwork Elephant but no, that’s just Rita representing for the colourful mammal. Copyright [ITV]

The ‘couldn’t-decider’
We have all faced the casual vs. dressy dilemma but we can’t help but think that this hooded parka/jumper with thigh-high leather boots combo is the result of trying to change her outfit but running out of time midway through. Copyright [Photofab/REX Shutterstock]

Pimp Daddy fancy dress?
Surprisingly, it wasn’t Halloween when Rita rolled up to LAX airport in this 1970′s costume. She wore the signature fur coat, black top hat and shiny boots, all that she needed to complete the look was a walking cane and cigar. Copyright [Broadimage/REX Shutterstock]

What are you looking at me fur?
It seems like Reetz loves to mix ‘n’ match her patterns and textures. We wouldn’t have thought that ‘dip-dye’, ‘fur’ and ‘sweater’ would ever be in a sentence together but team that with some bedazzled ripped jeans and you have a case of too much funk for one outfit. Copyright [Splash News]

And in case you missed it…
This is Rita’s most recent fashion choice to spark controversy and it left viewers of Sunday night’s X Factor puzzled as to whether she was channelling her inner snowman, transitioning into a clown or if she had been rescued from the sea because of the tentacles that have replaced her legs. 

Rita Ora looked super sexy at the Atelier Versace show. Photo: Getty

Today, Atelier Versace showed its latest and greatest for the Spring 2016 season, some of which we may or may not see gracing the red carpet as Awards season trudges on in the coming weeks. Rita Ora was on hand to take in the show today, clad in a very sexy orange number from the label. The brightly-hued minidress was rife with cutouts and (barely) held together with Swarovski-encrusted rope. In fact, it looked really similar to a look that came down the runway, sported by none other than Joan Smalls.


Joan Smalls looking like a goddess on the runway, as she always does. Photo: Getty

Smalls’ look appears to be covered in sequins and is just a bit more covered up than Ora’s. Either way, it’s definitely a sexy number and both ladies are rocking it! 

The legendary rap group Run-D.M.C. will receive a lifetime achievement award at the 2016 Grammys, according to the FADER. It will be the rap collective’s first Grammy award despite a storied career — one that included some near misses. In 1986 they were nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance, largely because a category for rap hadn’t been created yet. In addition to Run-D.M.C.’s lifetime achievement award, several other acts will be given honorary awards, including Earth Wind & Fire, Jefferson Airplane, Herbie Hancock, John Cage, Ruth Brown, Celia Cruz, and Linda Ronstadt.

“Each year, the Academy has the distinct privilege of honoring those who have greatly contributed to our industry and cultural heritage,”  the President/CEO of the Recording Academy Neil Portnow said in a statement. “And this year we have a gifted and brilliant group of honorees. Their exceptional accomplishments, contributions, and artistry will continue to influence and inspire generations to come.”

There’s something really pretty - and feminine - about getting a delicate tattoo. One that’s not immediately obvious and that you can cover up, should you need too. 

Rihanna

Ariana Grande

Rita Ora

Emma Stone

Cara Delevingne

Beyonce

It may be winter in the USA, but in the celebrity world, beach season is just getting started. Snow and freezing cold temperatures in the forecast? No biggie! Just hop on a plane to the nearest (or most exotic) tropical locale!

Lena Dunham wears a vintage skirted one piece by Norma Kamali.

Reese Witherspoon (with her son, Tennessee) wears a polka dot one piece in the pool. 

Rita Ora wears a color-blocked cutout one-piece on Dec. 28, 2015 in Miami, Florida.

Bey chilled on the lawn in this printed, cut-out one-piece suit–proof that a maillot can be just as sexy (if not more so!) than a bikini.