Louis Tomlinson has been hailed the “god of Glastonbury” after bringing a TV into the festival so fans could watch the England game.
In case you missed it, England took it right to the wire but (somehow) managed to book a coveted place in the Quarter Finals of UEFA Euro 2024 last night after beating Slovakia 2-1 in extra time, thanks to two very late goals from Jude Bellingham and captain Harry Kane, despite it being another particularly poor performance overall.
But for those who were camped out in the fields of Worthy Farm at this year’s Glastonbury festival, the chance to catch all the sporting action unfold could have passed them by.
While Glastonbury has been known to screen the football in other years in the past, this wasn’t the case for 2024, as officials had announced earlier in the week that the match would not be shown at this year’s festival due to clashes with performances on the major stages.
Louis Tomlinson hailed Glastonbury ‘god’ after bringing TV for fans to watch England game / Credit: Flickr | England (via Instagram)
This left many festival-going England fans with the dilemma of having to decide to either watch their favourite music artists, or support Gareth Southgate’s men in European football’s flagship tournament instead on Sunday night, and One Direction star – and famously a massive football fan – Louis Tomlinson was one to have found himself in this predicament.
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However, he hatched a plan… and it was this very plan that saw him hailed a “hero” and the “god of Glastonbury” by hundreds of others at the festival.
The 32-year-old Doncaster-born singer – known for being one-fifth of boyband One Direction, turned solo artist – was one of the approximately 210,000 people who attended this year’s Glastonbury festival, but after he found out that he wouldn’t be able to watch England’s Round of 16 match, he decided to head to the nearest Argos earlier that morning and buy a big flat-screen TV and a generator, so he could stream it using WiFi.
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Judging by all the pictures and videos shared on social media, and the TikTok posted by his little sister, Lottie – which has already amassed 650,000 views and counting – it looks like dozens of campers got wind of his plan, and all gathered together around the TV screen in the field to watch the drama live.
Louis, his sister, and their other friends and family who attended the festival with them, wheeled the TV into the campsite and set it up on a little stand using plastic buckets filled with stones.
Glastonbury doesn't show football. But in one of the campsites, someone set up a flatscreen to screen the England match.
Tomlinson told the BBC’s Culture and Media Editor, Katie Razzal, that it was pretty “touch and go” with at times with the signal of the live stream, but they made it work and were able to see England clinch that last-minute victory.
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“It was a little… well, we brought a TV in,” Tomlinson told the BBC.
“Very Glasto, in some stones and a little stand. It was a little bit touch and go at times, because the signal kept going in and out, but yeah, luckily we got the win.
The Three Lions will now face Switzerland in Quarter Finals of the Euros this Saturday at 5pm in Dusseldorf.
Featured Image – BBC
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Rowetta calls on Bez to not ‘let her down’ following Shaun Ryder allegations
Danny Jones
Ex-Happy Mondays singer Rowetta is imploring her fellow bandmate and long-time friend Bez to rally by her side after making a number of claims about frontman Shaun Ryder.
Speaking out for the first time back on 26 February, the 59-year-old screenshotted an old NME headline touching on a previous split, where they wrote about a “tussle” on a ferry to Ireland before Dublin’s Witness Festival 2000.
Having posted a series of messages on her X account since then, Rowetta has gone on to make more specific claims that Shaun Ryder not only assaulted her but even rendered her unconscious.
Rowetta left the band once again back in December of last year without offering much detail on the situation. The Manc music icon is continuing to both thank as well as share her own messages of support to victims of domestic violence and remains steadfast in her allegations.
Imagine if it was your Mother, your daughter, your sister, your loved one.
If you punch a woman, be man enough to admit it and apologise to my children.
Clarifying what reportedly happened two and half decades ago, Rowetta said on social media: “When I speak about Happy Mondays it will always be true. I’m not a liar.
“Shaun Ryder punched me, knocked me out […] there were lots of witnesses and my son had to see me with a black eye! Don’t call me a liar threatening with defamation! Should have called the cops!”
Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped the Crumpsall native from reiterating her claims, writing in a subsequent post: “Everybody stop saying I’m lying. I’m speaking to my lawyer this afternoon. I have witnesses, photos and press.
“It’s not a new story. He didn’t deny it when it happened. Ask Bez why he didn’t go on stage [at Dublin’s Witness Fest 25 years ago].” Many people online have taken issue with how the story has been reported by some outlets so far too:
Just another sloppy unsubstantiated article . Fact check atleast
Crucially, it seems Rowetta is banking on her Bez – real name Mark Berry – to back up her claims as the case unfolds, addressing him directly in her most recent post: “Anyone who knows my kids knows they would never lie.
“I do hope Bez doesn’t let my kids down. I’ve always been there for him and his”, she went on to add. Her children, now in their 40s, have also expressed their shock at Ryder‘s denial.
Rowetta also shed some light on the most recent tour before leaving after 34 years, claiming that she stayed on a “16-bed bus on the last tour with mainly men [she] didn’t know, while Bez and his dogs, Neetsy and her merchandise-selling boyfriend, and Shaun + 1 stayed in luxury hotels.”
Although it’s hard to confirm details at this stage, it seems some have already made their minds up, with one user commenting: “It’s time for all the band to move on from Shaun Ryder, after listening to the Paul Ryder podcast, it highlights what a nasty self-centred bully he is. No doubt more skeletons in his closet.”
Mancunian has now become the UK’s ‘most desired’ accent
Emily Sergeant
Mancunian has now taken the crown as the ‘most desired’ accent in the UK, according to a new analysis.
You may remember that in recent years, the findings from two separate shocking surveys revealed that the Manchester accent is considered to be one of the ‘least respected’ nationwide, especially within the corporate world of work, and that northerners with strong accents are considered ‘less intelligent’ than their southern counterparts.
But now it seems like the tides have shifted slightly.
That’s because a new analysis by The Hearing Care Partnership revealing which regional voices are ‘turning heads’ in 2025 has seen Manchester take the top spot.
Last year in the hearing care company’s study, Essex topped the list as the UK’s most desired accent, but in 2025, Manchester came up to first place with a huge 127% increase in searches, pushing Essex down to the second spot.
Mancunian has now become the UK’s ‘most desired’ accent / Credit: Simon Emmett
The company claims the long-awaited Oasis reunion could be the ‘driving force’ behind the nation’s new curiosity towards Manchester’s tone.
“It’s interesting to see how the Manchester accent has become popular all of a sudden,” Ashish Shah, who is an audiologist at The Hearing Care Partnership, commented on the findings.
“Cultural events can really change how people feel about certain accents, and Manchester’s up-and-coming vibrant music scene, lively nightlife, and sports achievements might explain why so many people are interested in it now.
“Last year, Manchester wasn’t even in the top five, so jumping to number one with a 127% increase is really impressive.”
Top 10 ‘most desired’ UK accents
Manchester
Essex
Welsh
Yorkshire
Geordie
Cockney
Scouse
Birmingham
Scottish
Irish
Elsewhere on the list, it appears that regional accents across the UK have seen noticeable shifts.
The Welsh accent now ranks thirdon the list with a 24% increase in searches – a surge that could be linked to the hit BBC series The Traitors, where contestant Charlotte deliberately spoke in a Welsh accent as she believed it to be one of the most trustworthy.
Yorkshire’s unique sound has also seen an 18% boost this year, which is a major shift from 2024 when it was one of the least desirable, and the Geordie accent has also remained a favourite with a 17% increase in interest.
Emily Sergeant -
1st July 2024 
