Welcome to your Daily Lowdown 2022 celebrity roundup podcast where we're taking a look back at some of the biggest showbiz stories that have happened this year.
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The year kicked off with some sad news for Adele fans after the singer shocked the world when she abruptly cancelled her Las Vegas residency just one day before it was due to begin.
LISTEN: The biggest stories of 2022
The singer posted an emotional and honest video to her fans as she said that they had no choice but to pull the shows due to them not being ready. Adele added that setbacks in production and Covid meant her team was low on numbers and that she wanted her string of performances at the Colosseum to be perfect. The singer later rescheduled for November.
The Oscars returned in March 2022 to its full capacity for the first time since before the pandemic and it was a show that will go down in history. At the 94th Academy Awards, one shocking moment saw actor and nominee of the evening Will Smith walk on stage and slap Chris Rock after a comedian made a joke about Will's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Will then shouted out to Chris in an expletive-filled rant and the moment was immediately from airing. Later in the night, Will collected the Oscar for Best Actor thanks to his role in King Richard and apologised on stage, but he kept a very low profile until later in the year.
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Will Smith on stage accepting his Oscar after slapping Chris Rock
The music world was shocked and saddened to hear the passing of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who was found dead in a hotel room in Bogota, Columbia, while the band was on tour. The group, led by Dave Grohl, cancelled the remainder of the tour shows shortly after, telling fans they were taking time to grieve, heal and appreciate all the music and memories they made together. Later in the year, a tribute concert was held for Taylor in both London and Los Angeles in his honour.
The so-called Wagatha Christie trial that gripped the nation took place in May and finally saw Rebekah Vardy and Colleen Rooney come face to face during their high-profile libel case.
Rihanna made her comeback this year
The trial went on for seven days and saw the two celebrities fight to clear their name after a Colleen alleged in 2019 that Rebekah was selling stories about her to the press. Although Rebekah denies the allegations, she later lost the case.
November marked the official return of Rihanna. After the superstar revealed that she would be headlining the iconic Superbowl Half Time Show in February 2023, the singer finally dropped new music for the first time in six years. The new song, titled Lift me Up, was released in support for the Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever, and indicates a new era for the star. We can't wait to hear more.
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