Harry Styles has finally broken his silence and addressed the claims that he spit on Chris Pine after a video appearing to show him do so went viral online.
It’s been quite the whirlwind week for Harry Styles.
In case you need catching up a bit, the 28-year-old pop icon has recently ventured into acting and has taken on his first leading role in the upcoming drama film Don’t Worry Darling – which is directed by his partner Olivia Wilde, and stars Oscar-nominated Florence Pugh, Nick Kroll, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, and of course, Chris Pine.
The film is due for release at the end of September, but it has premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival this week – and has been grabbing headlines for a variety of reasons ever since.
To sum up all the drama and controversies surrounding the film would probably mean that we’d be here all day, but by far one of the most talked-about moments from the festival has, bizarrely, been whether or not Harry Styles spits on his co-star Chris Pine as he sits down in his chair to watch a screening of the film.
Caught live on camera, Chris Pine’s shocked reaction to the supposed ‘spit gate’ interaction had fans convinced that it happened, and only added to the growing rumours that there was a rift between the two men.
The footage subsequently went viral online, and racked up millions of views and saw people weigh-in with their opinions in their thousands.
While many were convinced from the initial viral video that the Cheshire singer does, in fact, spit on his co-star, videos of the interaction from other angles began circulating on social media shortly after which disapproved the widely-believed claims as it looked like Styles did nothing of the sort.
This only left the world even more in doubt and demanding answers.
First, Chris Pine’s team released a rather serious statement quashing the rumours and calling it a “ridiculous story”.
A spokesperson told People Magazine that it was “a complete fabrication” and “the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation”.
“Just to be clear, Harry Styles did not spit on Chris Pine. There is nothing but respect between these two men and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.”
But the silence by Styles was becoming deafening.
Chris Pine's Rep Responds to 'Ridiculous' Claim That Harry Styles Spit on Him: 'Complete Fabrication' https://t.co/AUVJ58CiOo
With days passing, the drama growing, and Styles or his team of representatives yet to address the spitting claims, the singer finally appeared on stage in New York at Madison Square Garden and told the audience of doting fans the truth they’ve all been waiting to hear.
No, he didn’t spit on Chris Pine.
Seeming very amused by the whole situation, Styles comically tells the audience: “This is our 10th show at Madison Square Garden, and it is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to be back in New York.
“I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine – but fear not, we’re back.”
Harry Styles: "It's wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to be back in New York. I just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine." pic.twitter.com/TUGOSoQPxw
Most people were able to pick up on the sarcastic tone Styles took with his response to the situation, but, as there often is, not everyone realised he was joking.
“He definitely spit on him,” one person said on Twitter, while another questioned: “DAMN IT, DID YOU OR DIDN’T YOU?!?! …. Why am I so invested in this?”, and a third added: “But did he do it?”
Others took it as a chance to poke fun at people who didn’t realise the irony, with one commenting: “I think my favourite part is how many people don’t realise he’s making a joke at their expense. He’s both right and wrong for this and I love it and I’m here for it.”
Another said: “Even more strange how so many people are taking this as confirmation it happened as opposed to him joking about how dumb the notion was.”
The majority of people, however, are just glad it’s all over.
“And with that, SpitGate comes to a close. Great job everyone. A terrific 48 hours.”
Featured Image – Twitter
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Brighton’s Carlos Baleba is now said to be ‘keen’ on a move to Manchester United
Danny Jones
Manchester United may not yet be done with their transfer business, as another potential summer target, Carlos Baleba, is now reportedly “keen” on a move to the Theatre of Dreams.
The Brighton midfielder popped up on the radar of numerous clubs around Europe following a breakout season in 2024/25.
At just 21 years old, the promising young player has recently emerged as one of the most exciting prospects in the Premier League over the past 12 months or so, and it appears Man United are leading the race to sign him.
Many around the club think the Cameroonian CDM could be the perfect fit for Ruben Amorim’s somewhat makeshift midfield at the moment; perfectly positioned to take the starting spot from an ageing Casemiro or an as-yet unproven Manuel Ugarte. Moreover, it’s now said United appeals to him.
📹🚨🗣️| Laurie Whitwell on Carlos Baleba and Manchester United:
“Now you come to Carlos Baleba, and as you say, Brighton are going to ask for a lot of money for him.
I don’t know an exact figure – I don’t think that’s been communicated yet. Clearly United feel as if they have… pic.twitter.com/MNYQzgeU5a
Whitwell had already explained that the Seagulls would be setting a hefty and perhaps intentionally excessive asking price in a previous episode, as it is understood they would prefer not to sell him at all, with a figure of at least £100 million being floated around as the current rough estimate.
Given that Man United have already forked out over £200m on a selection of new signings – the most recent being striker Benjamin Šeško – the chances of him making the jump in this current window look slim, though it is thought there is still an eventual switch that could be done.
“Talks are continuing”, according to Whitwell. “There are obviously intermediaries working on behalf of United and the player [Baleba] as well, to see if Brighton would be open to this [a deal].
“Brighton are saying he’s not for sale, and there is quite a bit of scepticism at Manchester United as to whether this can be achieved, but still, it’s been totally shut down.
“That is leading me to believe that you never know, but I’m probably in the camp of it being unlikely. There are ways this can be sorted; a crucial point is the player – he’s keen on the move to Old Trafford.”
Whitwell goes on to detail that current players have been in touch to explain the “landscape” around the club amid this rebuild, reiterating that the environment is positive. However, Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler seems pretty confident that the south coast club will hang on to him, at least for now.
Fabian Hürzeler is adamant Carlos Baleba will still be a Brighton player at the end of the transfer window, despite interest from Manchester United… 👀 pic.twitter.com/4AagOtKJbl
Addressing the rumours with reporters, the German manager insisted, “I didn’t see any change. He seems to be in a very good place, enjoying it [the pre-season and training] with his team-mates.”
With that in mind, it’s more probable that Baleba could join the Red Devils next year, when he’s had yet another season to develop and prove himself in the English top flight, though his value will probably increase even further.
On the other hand, if Baleba does indeed want to swap his white and blue striped shirt for a red one, he could push for the negotiations progress, like new arrival and fellow compatriot Bryan Mbuemo did.
This is an outcome that could, in theory, benefit both teams, as not only are Brighton still considered a selling club, but with another EPL campaign under his belt, they could demand and even larger fee come summer 2026/January if Amorim is still desperately in need of a central solution.
You can watch the episode – one that also touches on the new so-called ‘Man United mantra’, which has even been printed on water bottles around Carrington – in full down below.
Featured Images — MyAlbionTV (screenshot via YouTube)
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Aldi is back looking for another taste tester to send FREE crisps to
Emily Sergeant
Aldi is looking for a special someone to become its official crisp taster, and will send the lucky winner a bunch of bags to try for free.
Calling all self-confessed crisp connoisseurs, this one’s for you.
That’s right, Aldi is ready to make savoury snack food lovers’ dreams come true, as the supermarket retailer is back on the look-out for another official ‘Crisp Taster’ to join the team, especially after the inaugural search last year proved to be so popular with shoppers, amassing hundreds of applications.
The highly-anticipated return also follows interest from local celebrities last year too, with Manc actress Michelle Keegan declaring to her 7.5 million Instagram: “IS THIS TRUE @aldiuk? Because I am READY and available with lots of experience.”
Last summer, it was 39-year-old NHS worker George Critchley from Sheffield who became Aldi’s first-ever Official Crisp Taster… but now it’s your turn.
Aldi is back looking for another taste tester to send FREE crisps to / Credit: Aldi UK | Esperanza Doronila (via Unsplash)
The successful applicant will receive a selection of Aldi’s most popular crisps to sample at home for free, including Aldi’s Specially Selected Lightly Sea Salted Hand Cooked Crisps, Specially Selected Mature Cheddar & Red Onion Hand Cooked Crisps, the Snackrite Delta Strips, and Snackrite Cheese Flavour Cheezios.
All that’s required in return is a set of exclusive reviews rating the crisps’ taste, crunch, texture and appearance to help guide the supermarket’s Buying Team on potential future flavours.
“After the success of last year with hundreds of entries, we welcome our shoppers feedback once again to make sure our latest products provide the quality, taste and price they deserve,” explained Julie Ashfield, who is the Chief Commerical Officer at Aldi UK.
“Our range of crisps are going down a treat this year, so launching the role for a new Crisp Taster is the perfect way to encourage innovative ideas and delicious products onto shelves.”
Fancy it then? To apply, you’ll just need to be aged 16 or over, a legal UK resident, and create a short application video, that’s no more than a minute long, explaining why you should be Aldi’s next ‘Crisp Taster’.
Applications are now open, with a closing deadline of Thursday 21 August.
You’ll need to share your application video via the email address [email protected], and you can find out more information on the official ‘Crisp Taster’ webpage here.
Emily Sergeant -
8th September 2022 
