Black guitarist who has played with Dave Matthews and John Mayer slams American Airlines after flight attendant suspected he had kidnapped his biracial children and called police who were waiting for him when he arrived in LA

• Guitarist David Ryan Harris says cops and an American Airlines flight attendant suggested that one of his kids didn’t belong to him following a recent flight

By Paul Farrell For Dailymail.Com

Published: 09:15 EDT, 27 September 2023 | Updated: 10:13 EDT, 27 September 2023

Whatever John Boumphrey thought he was taking on when he became Amazon’s UK boss, he almost certainly underestimated it. 

When he was appointed in November 2020, Britain was engulfed in the second major wave of Covid-19 infections and Amazon was seeing a surge in demand as customers who were stuck at home turned to online shopping. 

He was then forced to confront more mayhem last year when the Russian invasion of Ukraine threw global supply chains into chaos, leading to soaring inflation and sparking the cost-of-living crisis. 

But the extent of the company’s growth since the pandemic has shocked even veteran staff – and Boumphrey has seen his British workforce more than double to 75,000 since he started. 

‘It wasn’t easy and there was a lot of learning on the job,’ he admits. ‘I’m looking forward to having a normal year, because I haven’t had one yet.’ 

Boumphrey’s calm and jovial manner contrasts with the frantic hive of activity at our meeting place – the main floor of one of Amazon’s massive warehouses, or as the company calls them, ‘fulfilment depots, near Dartford on the south bank of the Thames.

Behind us, machines and employees are busy picking, packing and shipping thousands of items to waiting customers across Britain in a symphony of whirring conveyor belts, beeping barcode readers and aptly named ‘Slam’ (scan, label, apply and manifest) robots stamping addresses on packages. The warehouse itself, the size of six-and-a-half football pitches, is only slightly younger than Boumphrey’s tenure as UK manager, having opened its doors in 2021. 

And the rapid expansion that he has presided over shows no signs of slowing down. Amazon plans to open two more warehouses before the end of the year, one of which will be based in the West Midlands town of Sutton Coldfield and will create up to 1,400 jobs. 

The company will also keep moving into the bricks-and-mortar world of physical shops with its Amazon Fresh brand.

Boumphrey dismisses recent reports of shop closures in some areas, saying it is part and parcel of running the division.

‘One of my roles as country manager is to champion the UK and make sure we are at the forefront of receiving investment,’ Boumphrey says. 

Amazon launched in Britain in 1998. At that time, it was still primarily an online bookseller headed by founder Jeff Bezos, who appeared to be intent on upending the traditional publishing industry. 

Since then, it has grown into one of the country’s largest private-sector employers and a one-stop-shop for virtually everything that can be bought legally. 

This was emphasised by data released last week showing the top 25 most popular products of all time on Amazon.co.uk. The list, which is topped by Andrex Gentle Clean toilet rolls, also includes the much-derided Crocs shoes, Earth Rated dog poo bags and Nizoral anti-dandruff shampoo, alongside more predictable wares such as Harry Potter books, the card game Dobble and the Echo Dot smart speaker.

Boumphrey has witnessed the stark shift in shopping patterns over the past year as the cost-ofliving crisis has piled pressure on household budgets. 

‘We’ve seen people buying more unbranded goods and also changing the sizes of their purchases. They are either buying in bulk to save money or buying items in smaller sizes than they were before.’ 

But one customer the company can seemingly count on is the boss himself, saying he and his family ‘buy everything on Amazon’, including multiple Kindle ebooks to satiate their reading habits. 

Brought up on the Wirral near Liverpool, Boumphrey, 48, has a family legacy in retail. His father worked as a regional manager for US food giant General Foods, now a part of Kraft Heinz. His mother, meanwhile, initially stayed at home before retraining as an adult literacy teacher when he was a teenager. 

In his professional life, Boumphrey spent more than seven years as a manager at US consultancy Bain & Company before nearly five years at DIY retailer Homebase. He joined Amazon in 2011. Since then the retail and tech giant’s presence in Britain has exploded, with its workforce surging from around 2,500 staff. 

His ascent to the top of the British arm of the business almost mirrors the dramatic expansion of Amazon UK over the past decade, as well as how the retail landscape has altered drastically. 

He joined as a director of the music and DVD business, both of which have since been subsumed by streaming services such as Spotify, Netflix and Amazon’s own Prime arm. The father of three then steadily moved up the ranks, heading Amazon’s European fashion arm for just over two years before taking over as UK boss in 2020.

The new perspective that his current role has given him on the business environment has raised one area of concern. Surprisingly, it is not about the tax regime – an area where Amazon is frequently criticised for not paying its fair share despite the company’s claims to be one of the top 15 contributors to Revenue and Customs. 

‘I’ve got so much on my plate that I haven’t had time to really think about the UK tax regime,’ Boumphrey says, although he stresses that it is ‘really important that big businesses contribute’ to the nation’s coffers. 

Instead, he voices worries about the state of the UK’s competition regulations, saying there is an ‘opportunity’ for Britain to stand out post-Brexit from its continental counterparts. 

He says firms should have the ability to appeal the substance of decisions made by the watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), rather than the proposed regime, which allows businesses to challenge only the process by which a conclusion is reached. 

‘The CMA has significant power over companies and they can’t challenge the substance of a decision… I think a merits-based appeal approach is what we would be looking for. 

‘The UK does have an opportunity to differentiate itself from the EU. And I think what’s really important is that there are appropriate checks and balances in place.’

He adds: ‘This is an untested regime and I think for companies and the Government, it makes sense that the appeals process is fit for purpose.’ Boumphrey remains tight-lipped about Amazon’s plans in the UK beyond the imminent opening of the two new fulfilment centres, although that could be because some of it may hinge on the choices of his US bosses. 

‘I don’t have a crystal ball, unfortunately,’ he says, but reiterates that Amazon is likely to keep focusing on the very corporate-sounding area of ‘innovation’. Key to this is the rapidly developing area of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly through computer programs such as ChatGPT. 

‘Over the past six to 12 months we’ve seen generative AI really come on in leaps and bounds. And I think every part of the shopping experience is going to be reimagined by that,’ he says. 

Amazon is already working to implement AI, with the technology currently being used in the US to help summarise thousands of customer product reviews. Does he ever find himself coveting the top job at Amazon and becoming the next Jeff Bezos?

Boumphrey laughs, saying he is ‘absolutely delighted’ to be in his current role.

‘It’s a huge privilege to be managing Amazon UK. It’s a big business we’re running and I feel a responsibility to the 75,000 employees we have in Britain.’ 

He also seems uninterested in decamping to the US, where he previously worked for almost three years as Amazon’s head of consumables programmes at its Seattle headquarters. 

‘I’ve had the opportunity to work over there and absolutely loved it. But for personal reasons, I’m really happy to be back in the UK.’

LIVE

BUSINESS LIVE: John Lewis narrows losses to £55m

By Live Commentary

Updated: 02:40 EDT, 14 September 2023

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John Lewis and Waitrose to hire more than 10,000 Christmas staff

• JLP wants to recruit for more than 2,800 seasonal posts at its Waitrose outlets
• It is also looking to recruit for over 2,900 temporary roles at John Lewis stores
• The employee-owned retailer has recorded three consecutive annual losses

By Harry Wise

Updated: 05:34 EDT, 25 August 2023

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

Locals are battling to stop John Lewis‘ plan to replace Waitrose supermarket with huge 20-storey tower blocks. 

A ‘Stop the Towers’ campaign has been organised by residents of west Ealing who are against the plans for almost 430 homes. 

Campaigners say John Lewis has ‘ignored’ public opinion and local planning guidance.

The public consultation on the controversial plans opened on August 10 and closes on August 31 – a move objectors say is a ‘deliberate attempt’ to avoid scrutiny, as many residents will be on holiday and won’t have time to respond. 

In February this year, Ealing Council leader Peter Mason said the plans were ‘disappointing to say the least’. 

He added that it felt like the ‘big institution’ was trying to ‘twist arms and bully through a scheme’. 

Cllr Mason questioned the height of the four proposed tower blocks, with the tallest reaching 20-storeys. 

Subject to ‘ongoing discussions’ with the Labour-led council, 35 per cent of the homes will be affordable – although the documents do suggest this could drop to 20 per cent. 

Co-chairs of the campaign, Denise Colliver and Justine Sullivan stated: ‘The arrogance of JLPs development team is breath-taking. 

‘They’ve ignored both the weight of public opinion and also the Local Plan site-specific guidance.’

They added: ‘No one objects to appropriate, proportionate development that will genuinely benefit local communities. But yet again we are seeing developers trying to ride roughshod over local people’s wishes and needs, ignoring democratically implemented local plans, just to make a fast buck.’ 

Leader of the Liberal Democrat group at the council, Gary Malcolm, said: ‘There have been too many tall towers built over the past fiver to ten years. 

‘A huge amount of housing is needed but it’s better to have lower density schemes,  that are good for families.’ 

Cllr Malcolm added that John Lewis is going against one of the council’s policies which was brought in last year to crack down on tall buildings.

John Lewis has said residents will have until the date of the planning committee to submit their views on the major development.  

The plans also include a café, a Waitrose and ‘public realm improvements’ on Alexandria Road. 

A planning statement submitted by Savills on behalf of the retailer says it is ‘an exciting and significant opportunity to optimise a well-connected, heavily under-utilised, brownfield site’.

The Conservative group said: ‘We are listening to residents’ stated concerns about the proposed height of the development, the amount of parking proposed, the potential strain on local infrastructure, and the provision of retail. All of these questions need to be addressed.’

The department store giant is hoping to build 1,000 new flats on sites of old Waitrose stores as part of a £500 million deal, with its flagship scheme in Bromley in addition to a site in Mill Lane, Reading.

A spokesperson for John Lewis said: ‘As the housing crisis continues, we have the opportunity to make better use of a supermarket and car park site to deliver much-needed homes for the local area, as well as improved community facilities, new commercial space and a new Waitrose shop. 

‘We’ve set out our ambition to maximise the delivery of affordable housing to ensure good availability of quality, rental homes for local people, including nurses, teachers and other key workers. 

‘This is an ongoing process where we’ve been working closely with a range of stakeholders and will continue to do so while the application is considered. 

‘The plans have been submitted to Ealing and the local authority will now consider the application in line with all relevant planning policies. 

‘We are confident that Ealing will welcome feedback from local residents between now and determination of the application as has always been the case with other major applications in the borough.’

Tyson Fury’s father John flips tables to end the press conference for son Tommy’s fight against KSI

• Tommy Fury’s father John flipped his table during Tuesday’s press conference
• John was furious after KSI mocked Tommy and his older brother Tyson Fury
• Security rushed in as a mass brawl broke out between the two teams on stage 

By Charlotte Daly For Mailonline

Updated: 12:25 EDT, 22 August 2023

Only Fools and Horses legend John Challis’s widow reveals cruel thieves stole a watch from her nephew’s body after he died last month

• Carol Challis said her nephew Si had his belongings stolen after he passed away

By Dan Woodland

Published: 06:14 EDT, 22 August 2023 | Updated: 06:32 EDT, 22 August 2023

Retail is in the blood for Nish Kankiwala, the former Hovis boss who has become the first-ever chief executive of the John Lewis Partnership, owner of the department store chain and Waitrose grocery stores.

His family came to the UK from Mumbai, India, in the 1960s.

At first his parents couldn’t afford for Kankiwala and his sister to come to London, so the children stayed with their grandparents who had six sari shops.

‘I used to go to the shops on the way to school,’ he says. ‘I love fabrics.’

It sounds ideal for a man who will be responsible for all John Lewis’ cushions, curtains and beautifully upholstered sofas. Not to mention the fabled haberdashery and dressmaking departments.

Kankiwala originally had a clothes stall on Walthamstow market in east London.

He was also running the family’s shop attached to a Post Office in Tottenham, north London, when his father fell ill, while he was studying for his degree at University College London. ‘I did engineering, but I couldn’t escape my retail destiny,’ he laughs.

Kankiwala finds himself back on the shop floor in one of the hardest jobs in the industry – restoring John Lewis and Waitrose to their former status. The two chains were once synonymous with quality, service and being the undisputed destination of choice for Britain’s middle-class shoppers.

Waitrose, for example, was the first British supermarket to sell hummus – in the 1980s – and sushi – in 1996 – as well as being the first to offer organic produce.

It has its own farm and was the first to have its own vineyard. In a sign of the times it also has the largest value range with more than 900 ‘Essentials’ products.

Though its middle-class credentials still run deep, there is even an ‘Overheard in Waitrose’ satire on social media, poking gentle fun at the pretensions and foibles of the customers. But the business has struggled in the pandemic and the rampant inflation that followed.

Underlying those problems, which hit the retail sector as a whole, the department stores seemed to lose their mojo when faced with tough competition online and elsewhere on the high street.

John Lewis, the largest employee-owned operation in the UK with 74,000 partners, dropped its ‘never knowingly undersold’ policy, a move that would once have been sacrilege. Even its well-heeled customers are more hard up.

‘The Bank of England wants to make people feel a bit gloomier so they spend less, and it is working,’ says Kankiwala pointedly.

‘If you look at previous booms and busts sometimes it goes too far and we tip into recession. The trick is to avoid that. But that is for the bank. I just run shops.’

He says Anyday – the John Lewis ‘entry level brand’ for home and fashion – has ‘grown significantly’ as has the Waitrose Essentials label.

He is also looking at offering Klarna-style payments by instalments, which are often associated with lower income consumers. ‘I think we will develop a buy-now-pay-later product,’ he says. ‘Especially in the younger generation, people expect it.’

Kankiwala, who was a non-executive for two years before becoming chief executive officer, will be working alongside chairman Dame Sharon White to try and restore the partnership’s place in the nation’s hearts.

They have their work cut out. Losses for last year were £234 million and partners have had only one bonus in the past three years.

The hope is that installing Kankiwala as the first chief executive of John Lewis and Waitrose will supercharge the revival. Previously, the two chains had separate bosses, each reporting to the chairman.

‘We have never had a CEO,’ Kankiwala says. ‘In the old days we had two of everything. We have brought together all the functions and they all report to me now.’

Kankiwala’s task is to implement the recovery strategy – called the Partnership Plan – drawn up by White three years ago. The five-year blueprint aims to reduce costs, improve service and branch out into areas such as financial services and high quality rental housing.

The target is to make £200 million profits in the next two years and £400 million by 2025. Along the way, White has pledged to bring back partner bonuses when profit hits £150 million and debt falls.

But given the downturn in the economy since the plan was put in place, is this still realistic?

‘We are midway through it,’ he says. ‘We have had the cost of living, rising utility bills and an additional £180 million of costs.

‘It means we need to go even harder in some areas of the plan where I can bring my skills into play. Number one – I am fixated by customers. Growing up as I did, I can think of a thousand examples of learning from customers because they tell you the truth, though you might not like it.

‘Number two is cost. With all the extra expenditure coming out of the business we really have to make sure we are as productive as possible. In some areas we are not as efficient as other retailers. We need to look at waste and the supply chain.

‘The third area we need to supercharge is technology. We’ve not invested as fast as we should have.’

Despite three years of losses, he believes he can still hit the profit targets. ‘I broadly think they will be achieved by taking out more costs,’ he says.

‘When the previous team did the work, their assumption on inflation was about 3 per cent. We have taken out £300 million of costs already. This year we will probably take out £100 million.’

‘In procurement, we can do better. But we want to do it sustainably, not just slash.’

John Lewis has shut 16 shops since the pandemic, resulting in over 2,000 redundancies. And nine Waitrose shops have been closed, leading to more than 500 job losses. Kankiwala says there are no plans to shut any more shops.

When White talked in March about the possibility that there might be more implications for jobs, she meant by natural turnover. No redundancies were announced.

As for reinstating bonuses, he says staff are more concerned about higher basic wages. Partners have been promised they will be paid at least the Real Living Wage of £10.90 an hour – or £11.95 in London – once profit is over £200 million. Customers may be surprised this was not already the case.

There have been suggestions that the plight of John Lewis had become so desperate that White was prepared to dismantle the partnership model in order to bring in new investment. Kankiwala, however, is adamant that the partnership is safe in his hands.

Kankiwala spent most of his career in the mainstream corporate sector including Pepsico and Burger King. His most recent role was at Hovis, where he negotiated a sale to private equity.

The buyout barons have a hard-headed approach to business that is inimical to the partnership ethos. So is he really wedded to it?

‘I am,’ he insists. ‘I genuinely feel that the partnership model is a better one and will be replicated elsewhere.’

Sadly, his parents have passed away and are not here to see their son take one of the biggest jobs in British retail.

‘My mum and dad would be really proud,’ he says. ‘When I used to sell clothes on the market, we were poor. I am very privileged to be here because I come from nothing. My sister is in India and she would say ‘You have a big shop now’.’

John Lewis boss: Customers want to buy now, pay later

By Ruth Sunderland

Published: 16:50 EDT, 12 August 2023 | Updated: 16:57 EDT, 12 August 2023

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

Sir Elton John took to his Instagram on Monday to share a message with fans after his ‘last ever UK’ gig at Glastonbury – which saw him hailed as the ‘best headliner ever’.

The iconic musician, 76, tearfully took to the festival’s famous Pyramid stage the previous evening for the final UK show of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour before retiring.

Elton, who had undergone hip surgery amid the gruelling 300 date tour, was seen limping onstage to a thunderous applause. 

Sharing an incredible snap of Sunday night’s crowd he wrote: ‘Thank you, Glastonbury!’ 

‘The energy last night was like nothing else, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the crowd and the people watching at home for all your love and support’. 

Before adding: ‘You will be in my heart and soul forever. UK, what a farewell. I love you’.

After hundreds of thousands gathered at Worthy Farm fans branded the performance a triumph, while at home a peak of 7.7 million viewers tuned in. 

One person said that after promising to perform ‘hit after hit’, Elton ultimately delivered during his two hour set, which featured four special guests – although not Dua Lipa and Britney Spears, who had been expected to perform on the night.

The ‘life-affirming’ set was watched by his husband David Furnish and their children, as well as celebrity pals including David Walliams and the Spice Girls, who were reportedly set to join him for a glitzy after party following the show.

Stars including Paul McCartney, Taron Egerton and Andrew Garfield were also spotted backstage watching the show before attending Elton’s bash.

The only disappointment for some, was that big name stars who were rumoured to be dueting with the legend failed to make an appearance on the night. 

Britney Spears, 41, was widely speculated to be performing their track Hold Me Closer with Elton during the show, however she never appeared.

Elton also noted that he would be singing Dua Lipa’s part of the song, Cold Heart, himself because she was also unable to join him on the night.

Dua, 27, couldn’t be there leaving Elton to sing their 2021 hit alone – and instead Dua shared snaps from a family meal on the same day. 

Fans were quick to comment as one wrote on Twitter: ‘Sorry Dua Lipa but where on earth is more important to be right now than the headlining performance of Glastonbury with Elton John?’

At the start of the show, Elton walked on to the stage in a gold suit before taking a seat at the piano as fireworks went off, before saying he never thought he would play the festival for a ‘special and emotional’ show.

Pop star Sir Elton removed his famous red-tinted glasses to wipe away tears as his musical guests paid tribute to him on stage.

During the evening, he dedicated his penultimate song Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me to the late George Michael on what would have been the singer’s 60th birthday, saying: ‘This is a very special day today, I wondered how I was going to approach it.

‘One of Britain’s most fantastic singers and songwriters was George Michael. He was my friend, he was an inspiration, and today would have been his 60th birthday, so I want to dedicate this song to his memory. All the music he left us with is so gorgeous. This is for you George.’

He opened his set with Pinball Wizard before playing The B***h Is Back and then said: ‘I never thought I would ever play Glastonbury and here I am. 

‘It’s a very special and emotional night for me because it might be my last show ever in England, so I had better play well, and I had better entertain you, you’ve been standing there so long, and I really appreciate all the outfits and everything.’

He then followed up with Bennie And The Jets and Daniel to a capacity crowd at the Pyramid Stage.

Sir Elton was joined by Jacob Lusk of Gabriels and The London Community Gospel Choir for Are You Ready For Love?

Following a performance of Someone Saved My Life Tonight, he told the crowd: ‘When I chose my guests for this show I wanted to have newer artists, save for one person, and this boy I heard last year on the radio… 

‘I’ve asked him to come to Glastonbury to do his song and he’s an amazing young talent.’

He was then joined by Stephen Sanchez for a performance of Sanchez’s song Until I Found You. 

Sir Elton then welcomed the Killers frontman Brandon Flowers to perform with him, who took to the stage in a red jacket, with the pair performing Tiny Dancer.

Brit-nominated singer Rina Sawayama took to the stage with him to perform Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.

He also performed renditions Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Your Song and Candle In The Wind to the huge crowd.

Taking to Instagram after his headline show on Sunday, Sir Elton thanked his fans for their continued support. 

He wrote: The energy last night was like nothing else, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the crowd and the people watching at home for all your love and support. You will be in my heart and soul forever. 

‘UK, what a farewell. I love you.’ 

Earlier in the day, Blondie’s Debbie Harry looked every inch the edgy rock star as the took to the Pyramid Stage to perform with her band during day five of Glastonbury Festival on Sunday.

The singer, 77, was watched on on by the likes of fashion designer Stella McCartney, 51, and actress Kate Hudson, 44, at the site in England’s Somerset.

She wore a black sequinned mini dress and a matching jacket with a black T-shirt underneath.

The American hitmaker wore black over-knee leather boots and futuristic mirrored dark visor sunglasses as she stormed the stage with the band.

Blondie launched their set with hit song One Way Or Another and opened the performance with static buzzing across the back screen, however some in the audience and viewing at home claimed they were unable to hear.

Debbie then said the band had to get the ‘phone songs out of the way’ at the beginning of their set.

Addressing the crowd, she said: ‘Good afternoon, good evening, good day, good night.

‘Hello, thank you, it’s very nice to be here, I hope you’re all having a lovely time.

‘We had to get those phone songs out of the way because none of it is relevant today, we all have our phones in our pockets.’

The US rockers continued to rattle through hits Will Anything Happen and Atomic, which ended with the guitarist playing his instrument behind his head. 

Debbie came to the edge of the stage to whip up the crowd further as they performed Rapture, which featured intense guitar riffs. 

They later changed to a more joyful sound as they moved on to The Tide Is High. Harry got the audience to sing back the tune at one stage, describing it as ‘so pretty” and adding: ‘I love it.’

She reflected on Blondie’s relationship with Glastonbury as they returned to the festival after playing in 1999 and 2014.  

She told the crowd: ‘We’ve got a long track record with you guys so thank you very much for that.’

However, many festival goers and viewers at home said they struggled to hear as the band performed.

‘Blondie doesn’t sound the best, can’t hear her!,’ wrote one person on Twitter.

Another shared from the audience: ‘Sound is awful here for Blondie, backing music way too loud and can’t hear any vocals.’

While another television viewer posted: ‘I’m going deaf of my telly isn’t working. I can hardly hear them.’

‘Blondie we can’t hear you hun,’ tweeted someone else. 

And someone else posted: ‘I turned on and saw a bit of rick astley, now watching blondie do one of au or another they need to turn her Mike up I can’t hear her great (sic).’  

Meanwhile, Sophie Ellis Bextor looked nothing short of sensational as she took to the Pyramid stage during day five of Glastonbury Festival earlier in the day.

The singer, 44, wowed onlookers at the iconic Worthy Farm in a gold sequinned leotard and tasseled cape.

The show-stopping number featured a figure-hugging waist and high lighted the star’s sensational figure. 

She teamed the daring outfit with pink strappy heels and put on a leggy display in the revealing outfit.

Sophie sang her heart out on stage, delighting a selection of the 210,000 expected festival attendees. 

Among them, Andrew Garfield and Laura Whitmore were a handful of celebs admiring the star.

Perched in the VIP section, Andrew donned a white t-shirt and navy blue cap for his day at the farm.

Laura looked equally chic in a white blouse and stylish pair of brown sunglasses. 

Elton John, Arctic Monkeys and Guns N Roses are among the main headliners at the world-famous festival this weekend.

The farm has over 100 different stages and over 30 ‘areas’, with 900 acres of the Somerset farm. 

Taking to the stage before her, The Bristol Reggae Orchestra and Windrush Choir kicked off the Pyramid stage at 11am.

Following Sophie’s performance, The Chicks, Yusuf and Cat Stevens and Blondie are all performing until 6.15pm.

Fans then gear up for Lil Nas X who is taking to the stage before Elton John at 9pm.

Pop star Sophie became a viral sensation when she turned her kitchen into a disco amid the coronavirus pandemic lockdown, live-streaming her performances on social media.

Her Christmas tour came after she performer her Kitchen Disco Tour in sold-out venues across the country earlier this year.

The Murder on the Dancefloor star’s show at the London Palladium has even been released as a 24-track live album, called Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Kitchen Disco: Live at the London Palladium.

Having performed in her kitchen live on social media every Friday night throughout lockdown, Sophie said last year that she was keen to get back on stage for a live audience.

Sophie told the i newspaper: ‘I’m lucky as a creative person that I get to interpret the things that happen in my life and make them part of what I do next.

‘And I can’t imagine not incorporating the kitchen discos, because it’s been so defining, not just for me, but for my whole household.’

She is set to release her seventh studio album this year.