Nicole Scherzinger and Andrew Lloyd Webber make up after Cats spat left the theatre mogul ‘fuming’
ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER said NICOLE SCHERZINGER made him look an “absolute twot” by quitting his musical Cats to rejoin The X Factor.
But two years on, the pair have made up and are working on an album to celebrate the theatre mogul’s 70th birthday.
In an exclusive interview, thrilled Nicole said: “It’s hard for me to fathom that I’m a part of one of Andrew’s career-defining albums. That in itself is career-defining for me.
“It’s a dream, a life accomplishment. It means the world to me that Andrew let me be myself and bring my own life into the song, and that he approved of it and liked it.
“Happy birthday, Andrew. Thank you for everything you continue to do for me, for music and art and theatre.”
They fell out in 2016 after Nicole, having starred in a revival of Andrew’s Eighties hit Cats at the London Palladium, pulled out before the show moved to New York’s Broadway.
Andrew said at the time: “I’m furious because she’s the most fantastically talented girl, I went out on a limb to get her for the London Palladium and it makes me look an absolute twot. But never mind, there’ll be another girl on Broadway and Nicole will not get her Tony Award.”
Now Nicole — who was replaced by LEONA LEWIS — has recorded a new version of Cats track Memory, for her album with Andrew.
Singing the original on stage as Grizabella, remains “one of the proudest moments” of her life. She said: “The stars aligned. Where I was in my life, what I was supposed to be doing, it was all supposed to come out through my character, through Memory.”
The album, Unmasked: The Platinum Collection, is out on March 16 and will also feature tracks from LANA DEL REY, BARBRA STREISAND, BEYONCE and MADONNA. Nicole’s song is available now.
READ MORE FROM DAN WOOTTON'S BIZARRE COLUMN
Magical Ora for awards
THE biggest night in UK music has just got even better.
I can reveal RITA ORA is the latest top name to be confirmed to perform at next month’s Brit Awards.
In the past 12 months she has released a string of huge tunes including Your Song, AVICII collaboration Lonely Together, new single For You with LIAM PAYNE and my 2017 Song of the Year, Anywhere.
Speaking about the honour of a Brits spot, she said: “As a British artist it has always been a dream of mine and I am beyond excited.”
She joins ED SHEERAN, RAG ’N’ BONE MAN, JORJA SMITH, STORMZY, DUA LIPA, SAM SMITH and FOO FIGHTERS who I have already revealed will perform at London’s O2 Arena on February 21.
Unbelievably, Rita has never played at the ceremony, but she has had plenty of practice.
After her Brits appearance she will release her second, as-yet-untitled album then head out on a sold-out UK tour in May.
It is shaping up to be a top night.
Biz Bit
GERI HORNER has revealed she tried for a role opposite KEANU REEVES in 1999 sci-fi movie The Matrix. She recalled: “It was only a small part. The casting director said, ‘Stop frowning, you look like a needy girl at a prom’.”
Biz Meter Music
Collab: Fans hoping for a ZAYN MALIK/SELENA GOMEZ collaboration are to be disappointed. The pair were rumoured to be working on a tune for the up-coming Aladdin movie but Zayn denies it is happening.
Album: Of his album, SNOOP DOGG Presents the Bible of Love, the rapper said: “I’m working on a gospel album. It’s always been on my heart. I never got around to it because I always be doing gangsta business.”
New: Lady Gaga is putting out a new piano version of the title track of album Joanne. She teased the video on Twitter and urged fans to donate to the Lupus Research Alliance in honour of her late aunt.
Sell-out: All 135,000 tickets for Wireless Festival have sold out in record time after the line-up was announced on Monday. DJ KHALED, STORMZY and J. COLE will headline the three-day event in London in July.
SIGMA are hoping to get their hat-trick of No1 singles by teaming up with DUA LIPA.
The drum ’n’ bass duo – JOE LENZIE and CAM EDWARDS – are eager to get in the studio with the singer, after she had hits with SEAN PAUL and MARTIN GARRIX.
In an exclusive chat before their headline performance at London’s Ministry Of Sound tomorrow, Joe said: “She’s an amazing talent.
“There’s something unique about her, so we would love to work with her.”
Christina's ear-o worship
CHRISTINA AGUILERA seems to be paying homage to two of her heroes – PRINCE and EastEnder Pat Butcher.
She teamed her plunging outfit with a pair of dangly earrings – the type Pat, played by PAM ST CLEMENT, was famous for in Albert Square.
And she topped it off with a Prince- style raspberry beret. The pout was all her own work. Christina has gone quiet on the music scene, with her last album, Lotus, released in 2012.
But this week she insisted new material is on its way, telling fans: “It’s coming, bitches.”
If her next album is a hit, Christina could upgrade these earrings to platinum discs.
Dearly enjoyed musical
BROADWAY’S Dear Evan Hansen boldly tackles the issue of teenage suicide head on.
I had the pleasure of seeing it on Tuesday and can safely say that no musical or theatre experience has ever touched me in the way this show did.
There were people sobbing in their seats ten minutes after the show had ended. It’s everything you’ve heard about and so much more – heart-breaking, deeply uncomfortable, brutally, emotionally realistic, funny and, ultimately, uplifting.
This is the future of the musical and I really hope it comes to the West End.
Lead man NOAH GALVIN is a truly inspired choice for the role and an absolute superstar in the making.
Well done.
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Kim breaks the internet
MY video of KIM WOODBURN terrorising the red carpet at the National Television Awards got over a million views in less than 24 hours.
She had viewers in hysterics as she branded the Emmerdale team “bumholes” and told Corrie’s JULIA GOULDING she’d “seen more meat on a dirty fork”.
She labelled KEITH LEMON “a born show-off” for sprinting past her. BRADLEY WALSH and CAROLINE FLACK, both in the video, got caught by her too.