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Tyson Fury‘s body transformation ahead of his undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk has left fans in disbelief.

The Gypsy King looks as ripped as ever with just under two months until his bout with the Ukrainian.

The heavyweight world will seek to elect a unified champion for the first time in 24 years on May 18, with a reported £100million purse up for grabs.

Boxing followers believe Fury is taking his fight with Usyk much more seriously after he scraped through his fight with Francis Ngannou, winning via split decision after being knocked down.

His long-time sparring partner Martin Bakole claimed that Fury didn’t prepare properly for his fight with Ngannou, telling IFL TV: ‘Tyson was not 100 per cent focused in the gym.’

Tyson Fury’s incredible body transformation ahead of the Oleksandr Usyk fight has been revealed

Heated words exchanged between Ngannou & Fury at press conference

His physique is radically different to when he fought Francis Ngannou back in October

Usyk himself suggested that Fury didn’t take the fight seriously, asking: ‘Was he playing around trying to fool me?’

READ MORE: Eddie Hearn reveals plans for Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to fight each other TWICE… as Saudi powerbroker eyes Wembley showdown between the heavyweight pair  

However, Fury appears to have stepped up the intensity of his training and posted a video at the weekend promising that he would ‘f***ing batter’ his undefeated opponent.

In an exclusive chat with Mail Sport last year, Fury said: ‘I would love to have a good body. But, I don’t have any hope of having a good body.

‘I am fat now, I was fat as a baby and I will be fat on my death bed. We’re all fat. Hughie is fat, Shane’s fat, my dad’s fat and even my mum’s fat. I hope she’s not watching this. But, we’re a fat family.’

The Brit doesn’t appear to have even a spare ounce on his muscular physique and fans have been left amazed by his transformation.

‘Tyson looks hungrier than ever to prove himself after that Ngannou fight. We’re about to see another historic Fury performance,’ one wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

‘Never seen Tyson that cut,’ said another.

‘That doesn’t even look like the same person,’ one said, adding a shocked face emoji for emphasis.

Even this update from early February shows Fury’s body looking far more toned than it had previously

Fury started his dedicated training camp for the Usyk fight earlier this week

Many think Fury didn’t prepare for the Ngannou fight properly, especially after his long-time sparring partner Martin Bakole said so

Fans have been raving about Fury’s attitude and new physique ahead of the Saudi Arabian bout

‘Tyson Fury over here looking like The Rock,’ another commented.

‘It’s obvious he didn’t take Ngannou seriously,’ one said after seeing his transfromation.

‘Ngannou actually knocked sense into him,’ another wrote.

The clash between Usyk and Fury promises to be one of the biggest in memory.

Usyk will bring the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles while Fury holds the WBC heavyweight crown – and there will be a new ‘undisupted’ belt up for grabs.

They will meet in the ring as part of Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era.

Fury has been chomping at the bit since the fight was postponed from its original date of February 17 after he suffered a nasty cut above his eye in training.

He has 34 wins – 24 via knockouts – and one draw on his ledger.

Meanwhile, Usyk has a perfect record of 21 wins and no defeats with 14 knockouts.

However, Anthony Joshua’s seamless triumph over Ngannou has caused some to question Fury’s credentials.

AJ floored Ngannou three times with a second-round knockout when they met earlier this month, while Fury hit the deck himself before only beating the former UFC champion on points last year.

Eddie Hearn has revealed that Joshua and Fury could sign a two-fight deal to finally face each other, with one of the bouts potentially taking place at Wembley Stadium.

A win for Fury over Usyk could set up a fight against Joshua, but fans have become concerned that the pair may not meet on British soil due to Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh being able to offer boxers lucrative money to fight in the Middle East.

Eddie Hearn has revealed that Fury could clash with Anthony Joshua in the UK as part of a two-fight deal if he beats Usyk

However, Joshua’s promoter Hearn has raised hopes that his charge and Fury could meet in the UK, and even claimed that is something Alalshikh is exploring.

‘This is a gentleman called Turki Alalshikh, who is obviously a very influential figure in sports and entertainment in Saudi Arabia,’ Hearn said on The Sports Agents podcast.

‘He’s also the biggest fight fan I’ve ever met. And quite amazingly, he’s now talking about staging two Fury vs AJ fights – one in Saudi Arabia and one at Wembley Stadium.’

Taylor Swift reunited with her close pal and collaborator Ed Sheeran in New York City on Thursday after recently wrapping up the North American leg of her Eras Tour.

The duo — who’ve worked on a number of songs together over the years — grabbed dinner at the members-only social club Zero Bond.

They were flanked by security as they exited the celeb hotspot separately.

Swift, 33, looked effortlessly stylish as she strolled out of the building in a rust-toned dress with a flowy satin skirt.

Her dirty blonde hair was tied in a braid and she sported black platform loafers that matched her purse.

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Reunited: Taylor Swift reunited with her close pal and collaborator Ed Sheeran in New York City on Thursday

The Anti-Hero singer was decked out in gold jewelry and had a Louis Vuitton purse slung across her thin frame.

Swift made her way to a chauffeured SUV parked right outside of the establishment.

Meanwhile, Sheeran, 32, cut a casual figure in a white T-shirt and black skinny jeans.

The UK hitmaker hid most of his ginger hair beneath a ball cap and wore a necklace tucked beneath his shirt collar.

He strolled onto the sidewalk in a pair of Jordan 1 Retro High OG Washed Black sneakers.

Sheeran did not get a ride with Swift as he was seen heading in the other direction with his security team.

Swift is enjoying some rare downtime after closing out the first two of legs North American legs of her Eras Tour with six sold-out shows at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The back-to-back shows saw a number of A-list stars flock to the venue to watch Swift perform along with an estimated 500,000 fans.

The tour kicked off in Glendale, Arizona in March and it was supposed to wrap up in LA on August 9 but more shows in the United States and Canada have been scheduled for next year.

Swift will head to South America later this month to perform in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil through November.

Sheeran’s outing with Swift comes days after he revealed that he hasn’t yet made his way into his superstar pal’s massively popular series of re-recorded music.

During an interview on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM podcast Deep & Shallow on Monday, he told the host that he and Swift haven’t discussed the possibility of re-recording their 2017 single End Game for a future release.

‘No, I haven’t. No No. But, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is the next one coming out. That’s the next one,’ the Grammy-winning musician stated.

The song, which also features the rapper Future, was originally included on Taylor’s hit 2017 album Reputation.

The topic came up after Cohen, 55, asked Sheeran if he had plans to see Swift’s and Beyoncé’s concerts for their respective tours, which are both coincidentally going on at the same time as the English musician’s Subtract Tour.

Sheeran expressed his desire to attend one of the Eras tour concerts and shared how he enjoys the individuality of his fellow musicians’ concert shows.

‘I think what’s nice about everyone’s show is everyone’s show is so individual to them. And everyone’s got a different show,’ he explained to Cohen.

Ed Sheeran reveals he has yet to re-record End Game

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Effortless: Swift, 33, looked effortlessly stylish on Thursday

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Autumn vibes: She strolled out of the building in a rust-toned dress with a flowy satin skirt

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Simple elegance: Her dirty blonde hair was tied in a braid

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Boosted: The already statuesque star sported black platform loafers that matched her purse.

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Signature: Swift rocked her signature red lipstick

Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran hike as they chat AMA nominations

‘We’re all playing. I would love to go and see Taylor’s show, but we’re all playing on the same dates every single weekend. I think there’s a chance next year when she’s in the UK.’

Swift’s Eras Tour will not reach its United Kingdom leg until June 2024, with stops planned in the following four cities: Edinburgh, Scotland; Liverpool, England; Cardiff, Wales; and London, England.

Multiple shows will take place in each of the four cities during the UK leg of the tour.

The single ‘End Game’ was co-written by Swift, Sheeran and Future, all three of whom have won a combined 18 Grammys (Swift has 12, Sheeran has four, and Future, 39, has two).

‘End Game’ was the third single from Swift’s sixth studio album Reputation (2017), which has yet to re-recorded yet.

The pop superstar has to wait until ‘the later of two years following the expiration of the agreement or five years after the commercial release,’ according to common contractual language supplied by Rolling Stone, which indicates that Taylor is not likely allowed to rerecord Reputation, though she has yet to put out the rerecorded version of her previous LP, 1989.

As Sheeran mentioned during his interview with Cohen, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), the re-recorded version of her 2014 album, will be released on October 27, 2023.

Swift, who made the announcement herself during one of her six Los Angeles Eras Tour concerts, told the crowd that the version of 1989 will include five new singles, all of which are unreleased songs written for the original album that were dropped from the final track list.

Her album 1989 (Taylor’s Version) will be her fourth re-recorded LP, which is part of her counteraction to her 2019 masters dispute.

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Golden girl: The Anti-Hero singer was decked out in gold jewelry

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Security: They were flanked by security as they exited the celeb hotspot separately

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Designer darling: She had a Louis Vuitton purse slung across her thin frame

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Casual-cool: Meanwhile, Sheeran, 32, cut a casual figure for his time with Taylor

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Killer fit: He rocked a white T-shirt and black skinny jeans styled with a pair of Jordan 1 Retro High OG Washed Black sneakers

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The UK hitmaker hid most of his ginger hair beneath a ball cap and wore a necklace tucked beneath his shirt collar

Sheeran and Swift have formed a close friendship since the two worked together on the single Everything Has Changed, which was featured on the latter’s fourth studio album Red (2012).

The English singer re-recorded their duet for Swift’s re-recorded album Red (Taylor’s Version), which was released in 2021.

The pair’s friendship goes beyond music, as Sheeran told People in May that he feels Swift is ‘one of the only people that actually truly understands where I’m at.’

‘I had an hour–20 conversation with [Taylor] yesterday and we were just — everything that was on our minds we talked about. I mean that in itself is kind of therapy as well because you’re actually talking to someone that genuinely gets it,’ he said.

Kris Jenner’s sister Karen Houghton at 65 on Monday, DailyMail.com is taking a closer look at the younger sister of the Kardashian family ‘Momager’ and the relatively modest life she led compared to her sister and nieces.

Since 2017, TV audiences have been accustomed to seeing the extravagant mansions Kris, 68, and her famous daughters live in on their social media pages as well as their TV shows, Keeping Up With the Kardashians and Hulu’s The Kardashians.

In comparison, Karen led a far more comparatively middle class life, as she resided in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home in the San Diego County suburb of San Marcos.

The 1,233 square foot home is estimated by Zillow as being worth $841,200, with monthly rent potential of $3,137.

San Marcos is about 130 miles south of Calabasas, an estimated two-and-a-half hour drive via California Interstates 5 and 405. It’s about 100 miles south of Los Angeles, and 35 miles north of San Diego.

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Amid the tragic news of the sudden passing of Kris Jenner’s sister Karen Houghton on Monday, DailyMail.com is taking a closer look at the younger sister of the Kardashian family ‘Momager’ and the relatively modest life she led compared to her sister and nieces.

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Karen led a comparatively middle class life, as she resided in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home in the San Diego County suburb of San Marcos

The famed family has often focused on their impressive real estate holdings and portfolios – primarily in the luxe Southern California enclave of Calabasas, and surrounding areas – on their shows.

Kris and daughter Khloe Kardashian, 39, in 2021 bought property in Hidden Hills, California, where they built side-by-side mansions next to one another in the following years.

Kris spent more than $20 million on her opulent abode, while Khloe shelled out a reported $17 million for her mansion.

The homes are located within a radius of mansions owned by family members Kim Kardashian, 43; Kourtney Kardashian, 44; Kylie Jenner, 26; and exes Scott Disick, 40, and Tristan Thompson, 33, who share children with Kourtney and Khloe, respectively.

Kris opened her mansion’s doors for a housewarming party in November of 2021 on an episode of The Kardashians that aired in May of 2022, welcoming relatives and friends such as Ellen DeGeneres and Faye Resnick into the luxurious mansion.

Kris, 68, took to social media Tuesday to remember her late sibling with a slideshow of images throughout the years and a poignant memorial.

‘It is with the heaviest heart and deepest sadness that I share that my sister Karen passed away yesterday unexpectedly,’ she told her 52.6 million followers on Instagram. ‘My heart aches for my mom MJ and my niece Natalie and I pray that God guides us all through this difficult time.’

She described her late sibling as ‘beautiful inside and out,’ ‘the sweetest,’ ‘kindest,’ ‘the most sensitive,’ ‘vulnerable’ and ‘so so funny.’

Aerial view shows Kris Jenner and Khloe Kardashian’s mansions

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Kris spent more than $20 million on her opulent Hidden Hills, California abode

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Kris’ mansion (L) is situated next to daughter Khloe’s $17 million abode

Aerial of Kylie Jenner MEGA MANSION in Hidden Hills being built

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Kris opened her mansion’s doors for a housewarming party in November of 2021 on an episode of The Kardashians that aired in May of 2022

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She welcomed relatives and friends such as Ellen DeGeneres and Faye Resnick into the luxurious mansion

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Kris took to social media Tuesday to remember her late sibling with a slideshow of images throughout the years and a poignant memorial

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Kris shared a series of vintage shots as she posed along her late sibling

Kris lauded Karen for always having a sense of gratefulness and thankfulness ‘for her life,’ as she ‘treasured her family and friends and especially her beautiful daughter.’

Karen ‘holds such a huge part of my heart,’ Kris said, ‘and I cherish every single memory we have together.’

Kris said that her sister’s ‘passing is a reminder that life is so short and precious and tomorrow is never promised,’ wrapping up in saying, ‘We must tell those we cherish how much we love them. I love you my beautiful sister.’

Mary Jo ‘MJ’ Shannon welcomed both Kris and Karen with her former husband Robert Houghton, and raised them both as a single parent prior to her 40-year marriage to her third husband Harry Shannon.

Shannon died from a staph infection while hospitalized with injuries from a 2003 car accident; in a Haute Living piece published in August of 2015, Kris called Shannon her ‘dad’ and said his passing ‘was so devastating for my family.’

Kanye West’s wife Bianca Censori stunned onlookers as she stepped out in Los Angeles on Tuesday wearing a racy look inspired by his ex-wife Kim Kardashian.

The Yeezy employee, 29, and the rapper, 46 — who is behind Bianca’s X-rated makeover — were spotted exiting a building together in West Hollywood.

She had on a metallic silver micro miniskirt and thong underwear that exposed her bare butt cheeks as well as a busty triangle bikini top.

Bianca’s outfit looked straight out of Kim’s closet.

Kim, 43, is an avid wearer of silver bikinis and her clothing brand SKIMS famously released a metallic swimwear line in the summer of 2022.

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Kanye West’s wife Bianca Censori (left) stunned onlookers as she stepped out in Los Angeles on Tuesday wearing a racy outfit inspired by his ex-wife Kim Kardashian (right in 2018)

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The Yeezy employee, 29, and the rapper, 46, were spotted exiting a building together in West Hollywood

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She had on a metallic silver micro miniskirt and thong underwear that exposed her bare butt cheeks

Bianca strolled the pavement in sandals and rocked silver eyeshadow with her hair was slicked back in a bun.

Bianca did not have a purse with her but she did keep her iPhone in hand.

She led the way out of the LA office building as Kanye trailed behind her.

In contrast to his wife, the hitmaker was bundled up in a baggy all-black outfit.

He had on a long-sleeve top, oversized joggers, Yeezy boots and sunglasses.

The couple — who wed in December 2022 — slipped into the backseat of a chauffeured SUV and made their way to a new destination.

They grabbed ice-cream at a local ice-cream shop and Bianca emerged with a cone.

Kanye and Bianca ended their errands with a stop at a tanning salon on Melrose Avenue.

The day prior, Bianca shocked diners at a local Cheesecake Factory restaurant by wearing a see-through, neon green tights and a beige tube top to lunch.

Earlier that same day, Kanye was seen pulling down the model’s tights after he wrapped a meeting in Beverly Hills.

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She also wore a busty triangle bikini top

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In contrast to his wife, the hitmaker was bundled up in a baggy all-black outfit

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The couple — who wed in December 2022 — slipped into the backseat of a chauffeured SUV and made their way to a new destination

Kanye has been parading Bianca around in the world in X-rated looks after secretly tying the knot in December 2022 — just weeks after he finalized his divorce from Kim.

She shocked last month by wearing sheer stockings for pants in Paris after going nude under a see-through raincoat in LA.

A source previously told DailyMail.com that Bianca’s parents are ‘mortified’ at seeing their daughter in racy looks and that they just seems to be ‘getting worse and worse.’

‘Her parents are so distressed over this because they do not recognize her. She would not be doing this unless she was being controlled,’ the insider said.

Some of her loved ones even reportedly staged an intervention with Bianca over West’s alleged ‘controlling ways’.

Just last week Bianca’s mother Alexandra reportedly flew out from their native Australia to Los Angeles in the hopes of ‘saving’ her daughter, according to sources close to the family.

A source told DailyMail.com that Alexandra is taking time ‘to see for herself’ if Bianca really does have everything ‘under control’ as she claims.

‘This has been a wonderful opportunity for Alexandra to get to spend time with Bianca and assess the situation for herself.’

Her fears have reportedly been eased during this time with Bianca and West as an insider claimed the rapper ‘knows how to sweet talk a mom’.

‘Right now is a pivotal time and Alexandra was low-key believing she would come to save her daughter,’ the source said.

Bianca Censori shows off her figure in a daring ultra-mini dress

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They grabbed ice-cream at a local ice-cream shop and Bianca emerged with a cone

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Kanye and Bianca ended their errands with a stop at a tanning salon on Melrose Avenue

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Bianca rocked silver eyeshadow with her hair was slicked back in a bun

‘But this is not the case. Kanye has started to turn things around since the release of [his new album] Vultures in the sense that he is not going off on as many unhinged rants.

‘He also knows how to sweet talk a mom,’ the source added. ‘This has been really a good experience, and everyone is so relieved to see her with Alexandra.’

The insider claimed that a desire to be involved in the lives of any future grandchildren may also be a driving force.

Recently, insiders claimed to DailyMail.com that Bianca’s father Leo is keen on confronting the rapper over his daughter’s X-rated makeover and how he’s paraded her around like a ‘trophy pony.’

‘Leo honestly wants to just sit Kanye down to let him know that he is hurting her family by turning his beloved daughter into a trashy-looking marketable commodity,’ they said.

‘No man should ever encourage the woman that he loves to walk out in public and present herself like this. That isn’t love. That is control.’

Bianca’s family have also questioned how Kanye would feel in the future if a man was treating his daughters with Kim Kardashian in the same way.

‘He knows that there is no way in hell that Kanye would allow this for his daughters so it makes no sense why he would encourage this for his own wife.’

Kim Kardashian and Bianca Censori together at Kanye listening party

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Kim filed for divorce from Kanye in February 2021 after six years of marriage and four children together; seen in 2019

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Kanye and Bianca tied the knot in December 2022 – weeks after his and Kim’s divorce was finalized; the couple seen in February

As for Bianca’s relationship with Kim, a source previously told DailyMail.com exclusively that the pair are ‘amicable’ but that Kim has taken issue with Bianca dressing provocatively in front of her and Kanye’s four children.

The exes share North, 10, Saint, eight, Chicago, six, and Psalm, four.

Kim allegedly warned Kanye to tell Bianca to ‘cover up’ around the kids, which the 29-year-old brunette has seemingly obliged.

‘Kim instructed Kanye to never let Bianca dress like that around their kids,’ a source dished. ‘She is truly surprised that Kanye would let his wife leave the house like that.’

Last week, Kim was spotted with Bianca along with her kids Chicago and Psalm in the audience during Kanye’s Vultures listening party in San Francisco.

It marked the first time that the women were photographed together.

Sources told DailyMail.com that Kim’s appearance was part of a ‘concerted effort’ by the reality star to put on a ‘united front’ with her ex-husband and his new wife.

A clip of Bianca and Kim standing side-by-side at the event went viral on social media, with fans wondering ‘what’ the women could have been speaking about.

Taylor Swift declared that she loves teaching ‘men how to apologize’ when she performed to 70,000 fans on Friday night, kicking off her record-breaking Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona.

The 33-year-old superstar — who rocked a pink rhinestone leotard and belted out a 44-song set list — opened up about ‘recurring themes’ in her music as she candidly spoke to State Farm Stadium with a guitar in her arms.

‘So, sort of a recurring theme in my music is that I love to explain to men how to apologize. I just love it,’ said the 12-time Grammy winner, per footage posted to Twitter.

‘It’s kind of my thing,’ added Taylor. ‘I love to tell them step-by-step, “Here’s how simple this is to fix things if you just follow these easy steps that I’m laying out for you in a three-minute song.” I just love the idea of men apologizing.’

The Bad Blood songstress was explaining how her eighth studio album Folklore was inspired by her imagination instead of her own life.

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The art of apologizing: Taylor Swift, 33, declared that she loves teaching ‘men how to apologize’ when she performed to 70,000 fans on Friday night, kicking off her record-breaking Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona

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Taylor’s passion:  ‘So, sort of a recurring theme in my music is that I love to explain to men how to apologize. I just love it,’ said the 12-time Grammy winner, per footage posted to Twitter

‘[My songs are] kind of like journaling for you or something,’ Taylor told her massive audience. ‘[And] I wanted to do a different thing that I had done before [with Folklore].’

Earning thunderous applause, the pop megastar went on to describe the ‘excruciatingly autobiographical’ nature of her first seven albums, likening them to ‘live-streamed public autopsies.’

‘You know,’ she explained, ‘my albums have characteristically been, sort of, excruciatingly autobiographical where, like, when I put out an album, it just feels like getting some sort of live-streamed, public autopsy.’

Taylor continued to discuss the different approach she took when writing Folklore, crafting ‘characters and storylines’ instead of purely using her own experiences.

The hitmaker said: ‘With [Folklore], I thought, “Wouldn’t it be so fun to create characters and storylines? They’ll live in different times, and they’ll do all these things and fall in love and hurt each other, go to wars and all these things.” So, I created all these characters.’

Released in 2020, Swift’s smash hit album Folklore featured a pair of characters inspired by the two daughters of her close friends Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively – James, seven, and Betty, three.

Taylor wove the two characters into a storyline for the song called Betty, which revolved around a very romantic apology.

Swift said: ‘This is a song about a teenage [boy] named James trying to apologize to the love of his life and her name is Betty.’

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Kind of her thing: ‘It’s kind of my thing,’ added Taylor. ‘I love to tell them step-by-step, “Here’s how simple this is to fix things if you just follow these easy steps that I’m laying out for you in a three-minute song.” I just love the idea of men apologizing’

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Inspiration: She said her eighth studio album Folklore was inspired by her imagination instead of her own life, saying that she created ‘characters and storylines’

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Candid creativity: The pop megastar went on to describe the ‘excruciatingly autobiographical’ nature of her first seven albums, likening them to ‘live-streamed public autopsies’

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Putting it all out there: ‘My albums have characteristically been, sort of, excruciatingly autobiographical where, like, when I put out an album, it just feels like getting some sort of live-streamed, public autopsy’

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No apology necessary: Taylor has been in a relationship with English actor Joe Alwyn, 32, since 2016, and the pair are intensely private about their life together (Swift and Alwyn pictured in 2019)

Emma Stone sings and dances at Taylor Swift concert in Arizona

Taylor has been in a relationship with English actor Joe Alwyn, 32, since 2016, and the pair are intensely private about their life together.

Swift rarely discusses Alwyn, but she did give her handsome partner a sweet and subtle nod at a Grammys after-party in February when she wore his black leather jacket.

Performing for 3 hours and 15 minutes Friday night, the chart topper belted out hit songs such as Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince, Cruel Summer and You Need to Calm Down from the Lover era.

About an hour into her performance, Taylor told the sold-out audience, ‘Is it just me or do we have a lot of things to catch up on? It’s been a really long time since I’ve been on tour.’

Credits: IMAGO / Motorsport Images

Oliver Bearman made his F1 debut at the Saudi Arabian GP two weeks ago and caught the attention of the entire paddock with his incredible P7 finish. Now, Riccardo Adami, who will be Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer at Ferrari next season, explains why Bearman’s debut was so special.

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Bearman filled in for Carlos Sainz at short notice after the Spaniard got diagnosed with appendicitis. He took part in just one practice session before suiting up for qualifying, but still managed to finish P11. In the race, he made some brilliant moves to get 6 points for Ferrari on debut.

Adami, as reported by Junaid Samodien on X, told Scuderia Ferrari what surprised him the most about Bearman’s debut. “Many things, starting with zero preparation that we had, and the talent he showed in that weekend. How quick, and fast he was in understanding and executing the things that we discussed together beforehand.”

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Adami also recalled a situation regarding the radio button. The Italian revealed that it got stuck during the race, but Bearman remembered how Adami told him about a second button on the steering wheel. His presence of mind ensured that Adami could still be in his ears during the race, and guide him through the memorable seventh-place finish in Jeddah.

While Bearman’s debut was impressive, it is unlikely he will get another shot at driving the SF-24, at least for now.

Carlos Sainz or Oliver Bearman: Who will race in Melbourne?

As of now, Ferrari haven’t made a statement regarding whether Sainz will return in Melbourne for the Australian GP. He was at the paddock in Jeddah, walking, just a day after his surgery, and reports suggest that his progress and rehabilitation has been optimal.

He is on the race poster too for Ferrari ahead of this weekend’s race. So, it seems to be clear that Ferrari is planning the weekend ahead with Sainz and Charles Leclerc as their driver.

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Bearman, however, will be at Albert Park in Melbourne this weekend. The 18-year-old, who sits last in the F2 championship will be looking to redeem his season in the Land Down Under. However, if Sainz is deemed unfit to continue, Ferrari could call upon Bearman’s services once again.

Credits: IMAGO / HochZwei and IMAGO / Motorsport Images

Ever since Oliver Bearman showed his prowess in Saudi Arabia, he has been a hot topic of discussion in F1 forums. Some found Bearman’s debut so impressive that they speculated whether Ferrari would regret its decision to sign Lewis Hamilton for 2025. Certainly, the 18-year-old performed exceptionally well to outscore Hamilton in Jeddah, finishing 7th. However, French journalist Fred Ferret says that Frederic Vasseur won’t be sweating on signing up the seven-time champ ahead of Bearman.

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On the F1 Nation podcast, Ferret defended Vasseur’s call about sealing Hamilton as a Ferrari driver for 2025. He said, “It’s not being rude to Ollie Bearman, not at all. When you have Lewis Hamilton, you don’t think about anything else. So if you have Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, it’s not being mistaken by forgetting Ollie Bearman.”

Ferret is a close friend of the Ferrari boss, so the host Tom Clarkson wanted his views on what Vasseur could be thinking after seeing Bearman in Jeddah. While the British prodigy has turned a lot of eyeballs after his incredible stand-in performance, the French boss knows what value Hamilton brings to the table.

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Hamilton jumping ship to the Italian stable was arguably the biggest news of the year and shocked the F1 world to the core. He  himself mentioned that driving for Ferrari was a childhood dream for him and Vasseur’s presence as the team boss completed the puzzle for him. Hamilton and Vasseur go way back as they have worked with each other during his junior racing days.

Amid this closely-knit dynamic, Bearman is certainly a fresh face. He may have stirred the pot in terms of the available options in the driver market for 2025. However, Vasseur and Ferrari may not want to sideline Hamilton for the 18-year-old.

Is Ferrari betting wisely on Lewis Hamilton’s experience?

Lewis Hamilton shifting base to Ferrari, when many thought he may retire at Mercedes was shocking to many fans. Hamilton, one of F1’s greatest ever is joining arguably the most iconic F1 team but it is hard to not ignore the fact that he will be 40 years old when he joins.

Besides, even Ferrari has not been in the best position to fight for wins and championships. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko also commented on how the move surprised him, given the timing.

As per RacingNews365, Marko said, “You wonder how it could have happened. Mercedes was overtaken by Ferrari in the second half of the 2023 season and McLaren was also faster. Perhaps Hamilton has realized something that the outside world does not yet know”.

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While the Italian team’s competitiveness may improve, Hamilton is certainly in the twilight of his career. So, can Ferrari get the best from the 39-year-old, who has not won a race in the last two years?

Add to this, Oliver Bearman’s stunning debut, and that puts the Maranello team in a fix. On one hand, they wish to retain the British prodigy, but can’t afford to give him a Ferrari seat.

There have been reports of Haas wanting Bearman’s services for 2025. Given Haas’s close working relationship with Ferrari, it could safeguard Bearman for a couple of years by giving him the deserved shot in F1. Even Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has mentioned that he is a fan of the 18-year-old and would want to consider signing him up.

Credits: IMAGO / Motorsport Images and IMAGO / NurPhoto

The 2024 F1 season got underway earlier this month, and even though fans want to get into speculation and discussion surrounding who might win the title, it is evident that Max Verstappen is the clear favorite. Matt Bishop feels this prediction is unavoidable, and hailed the Dutchman in an exclusive interview with The SportsRush’s Tanish Chachra.

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During his interview, Bishop was asked about his predictions for the upcoming season. Unsurprisingly, he sees Verstappen and Red Bull dominate. However, he considers this a boring premise.

“One of the predictions that is very boring but it’s hard to avoid is that Red Bull and Max Verstappen will be extraordinarily strong,” he said.

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Bishop goes on to make another claim about the dynamic between the Red Bull drivers. According to him, “there is a huge gulf” between Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez. The 61-year-old notes that he worked with Perez (at McLaren) before and rates him highly as a driver. Still, Verstappen’s superiority is too big a gap for Perez to fill.

“[Verstappen] He is a brilliant driver. Not only brilliantly fast, but brilliantly complete. And he is a winning machine.”, added the Briton.

People wouldn’t talk about Red Bull because of Sergio Perez

Since 2022, Red Bull has been on the top of the F1 world, with Verstappen winning two world titles. They’ve also won both constructors’ titles, adding to the supremacy that no other team has come close to breaking. However, Perez alone could have never taken Red Bull this far.

Matt Bishop hypothetically says that two Sergio Perezs in the team would not make the world talk about Red Bull domination. There would be no complaints, and the field still be competitive. This fact just makes Verstappen’s seat at Red Bull more special, and he remains the firm favorite to decimate the rest of the field once again to become world champion with multiple races to spare.

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A non-Red Bull driver that Bishop mentioned in this interview with Charles Leclerc. Of course, Ferrari’s limitations have made it difficult for Leclerc to think about race wins but in 2024, Bishop predicts them to develop a fast car over time.

Leclerc’s qualifying performances in particular have always drawn in a lot of praise and the 61-year-old sees him using that skill to compete for race wins later this year.

Credits: IMAGO Motorsport Images

Despite securing the seat at Visa Cash App RB ahead of Liam Lawson for the 2024 season, Daniel Ricciardo has arguably failed to prove his worth. The Australian driver is far from his prime and is yet to justify his place in F1 at the moment. Since the 34-year-old’s performances have been below par recently, F1 expert Fred Ferret has made a shocking prediction. Ferret from French media L’Equipe believes that Ricciardo‘s failure to rediscover his form and be consistent might lead him to retirement.

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When asked to predict Ricciardo’s future if the Australian fails to improve, Ferret replied on the most recent episode of the F1 Nation podcast, “Retirement.” Following this, Ferret added, “If he’s (Ricciardo) still on his way of driving like he did in the last two races, I’d say yes [Ricciardo’s retirement].”

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Tsunoda and Ricciardo barely had any pace difference in 2023. However, things changed in 2024 as the Honey Badger is struggling to keep up with his Japanese teammate.

In Bahrain, Tsunoda qualified in P11, whereas Ricciardo in P14. The same story followed in Saudi Arabia as well since Tsunoda entered Q3 and qualified in P9. In stark contrast, Ricciardo could only manage P14 again.

Now, since the next race is in Australia, Ricciardo would be under huge pressure to deliver in front of his home fans. Things get trickier for him as the race after Australia takes place in Japan, which is Tsunoda’s home Grand Prix.

The pressure on Ricciardo is likely to be very high as his goal is to return to Red Bull, but his recent performances do not seem to warrant him a spot at the Milton Keynes-based outfit. Alongside Ricciardo, Tsunoda will also be hoping for the same goal, having driven for Red Bull’s sister team for four years now.

How is the fight between Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo panning out?

In 2024, both Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo have begun their season on the back foot. Despite having the potential, both drivers are still to score their first points after two races, majorly due to their slow challenger.

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Moreover, tensions also seem to be high at the Visa Cash App RB outfit. One of the main talking points of the Bahrain Grand Prix was the argument between Ricciardo and Tsunoda over team orders. RB had asked Tsunoda to let Ricciardo through to overtake Kevin Magnussen in search of a point finish.

However, the 23-year-old declined initially. Even though Tsunoda eventually let Ricciardo through, it was already very late by then. This put both of them at a disadvantage as none of them managed to score a point.

On the other hand, Sergio Perez, whose seat Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda have been eyeing, is performing decently. The Mexican has so far had two second-place finishes behind Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen. If Perez can keep this up till the end of the season, Red Bull is likely to retain him even for 2025.

Credits: IMAGO HochZwei

Ex-Ferrari engineer Rob Smedley expects Lewis Hamilton to give the Maranello-based outfit that final push in their fight against an already vulnerable Red Bull. The Milton-Keynes-based team has been dominating the sport since 2022 and despite looking like the favorites to win the championship this year too, Smedley believes that his ex-employers are closer to Red Bull than before. Hamilton, who joins Ferrari in 2025, could make the difference when it counts.

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Speaking on the Formula for Success podcast, Smedley said, “Ok, Red Bull have focused on 2024. But if you look at the gap to Ferrari, especially in qualifying in Bahrain, they are right there. I think someone like Lewis can give Ferrari an extra percentage point or two: that’s all they need.”

Ferrari have been the second-best team so far this season. Red Bull secured two 1-2 finishes in the opening round, but Ferrari don’t look too far behind in a single lap pace as Smedley pointed out. Races haven’t been too bad either, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc getting a third placed finish each. Still, Smedley feels that Hamilton can make that extra jump that the team needs.

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Ferrari seems to agree with Smedley in his assessment of Hamilton’s potential impact. The contract that Ferrari agreed to while signing Hamilton is worth north of $400 million, and gives the Briton an opportunity to collaborate with Ferrari on his 0ff-track ventures.

The mood in Maranello is generally optimistic given how they expect to do well under the latest engine regulations slated for the 2026 season onwards. While Lewis Hamilton will most definitely want to maximize the result for the team on-track, his signing has an equally great significance for Ferrari; as a Formula 1 team and a global brand.

Ferrari gets ready to win with Lewis Hamilton; on and off the track

As per GPBlog.com, Ferrari is going to pay Hamilton upwards of $100 million in terms of just salary. This would make him the highest-paid F1 driver in the history. What’s more, on top of that hefty pay-check, Ferrari chairman John Elkann has pledged a total sum of $400 million into the Briton’s on-track and off-track endeavors such as Mission44.

Hamilton is arguably one of the most recognized and marketable athletes in the world and his influence has already started paying massive dividends for the team. For instance as soon as the 39-year-old’s deal was announced, Ferrari’s market cap increased by $7 billion, as per Motorsport.

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Ferrari came to Hamilton with more than just a blank cheque. While Mercedes denied him a shot at an ambassadorial role that could have seen him transition into a global icon for the team after his retirement, Ferrari were willing to offer him the same while also axing Carlos Sainz – the only driver to win a race for them last year.