NEWS
Fans have been concerned about Justin Bieber's well-being for the last few days after a video of him attending the second weekend of Coachella surfaced on Monday morning (April 21). In the video, Bieber is shirtless and looking considerably thinner than usual. He's smoking something while rapping along to Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" and vibing to his own music. Since then, Bieber has made a series of concerning posts. Many of them pertained to religion and forgiveness, vaguely referencing his relationship with the media and the coverage he receives.
Fans and family have asked Justin Bieber to leave Los Angeles, the place he's called home for much of the last fifteen years. This comes after a tirade against paparazzi earlier in the month at Coachella for photographing him without his consent. He told them that they "did not care about human beings" and only cared about "money, money, money, money, money," per Page Six. He responded to those pleas in a new Instagram story. "U think I'm gonna get bullied to leave where my influence is most needed?" Bieber asked. "How can we make a change if we run away from the darkness?"
Of course, Justin Bieber was one of the most famous child stars in the history of popular music. The Canadian singer made his debut in 2009, at the age of 15. Now 31, he is still one of the most scrutinized entertainers in the world, especially since he has a wife and child. Bieber's Instagram story seems to be calling for an end to the harassment, both of him and of other celebrities. It seems that he believes he can be part of being the change he wants to see when it comes to handling paparazzi.
Justin Bieber's mental health has been in question for months. As fans may know, Bieber has a lengthy history with Diddy. Diddy was there at the beginning of Bieber's rise to fame, and Bieber previously called the now-disgraced mogul a "brother." The list of allegations against Diddy have reportedly been difficult for Bieber to reconcile. Between that and constant media coverage of his adult life, it is not hard to see why Bieber would be so against paparazzi. Hopefully, Bieber has a strong support system and people with his best interests in mind.
Sharleen Spiteri joined BBC Radio 2’s The Sara Cox Breakfast Show ahead of Texas taking the stage to launch the main live music programme at Radio 2 in the Park in Stirling.
Checking in from rehearsals, the Texas frontwoman spoke about getting ready for the band’s opening performance at City Park. Radio 2’s annual flagship festival takes place there from 11 to 13 September 2026. "I’m match fit because I’ve had a couple of days’ rehearsals," Spiteri said. "We’re kicking the whole weekend off, which we’re very much looking forward to, so everybody’s got to get ready to party."
Before the live acts take over, Friday’s DJ Pre-Party gets the weekend started with Radio 2 favourites Sara Cox, DJ Spoony, Gary Davies, Michelle Visage, and Rylan behind the decks.
Jo Whiley helped set the mood with a special programme from Stirling’s Tolbooth venue. Working with BBC Introducing Scotland, the broadcast put the spotlight on Scotland’s emerging music scene through performances and conversations with Fright Years, Alice Faye, and James Emmanuel.
Fright Years, a four member band from Edinburgh, played "Never Been Wrong" and offered their take on Simple Minds’ "Waterfront." Glasgow singer and songwriter Alice Faye, the BBC Introducing in Scotland 2026 winner, paired "Some Brief Encounter" with a rendition of Lulu’s arrangement of "I Started a Joke." James Emmanuel, who was born in Nigeria and now lives in Edinburgh, sang "Brothers & Sisters" before taking on Chaka Khan’s "I’m Every Woman."
"We’re all about celebrating BBC Introducing and all the music that’s come out of Scotland," Whiley told listeners. "It's about celebrating the local music scene and the incredibly important work that BBC Introducing does to support independent, up-and-coming artists."
Joining the conversation were Stephanie Cheape, presenter of BBC Introducing in Scotland, Tara McLoughlin, venue manager for Stirling Council, and student radio presenters representing the University of Stirling’s Air3 Radio.
Listeners can catch the complete interviews and live performances from the weekend’s programmes on BBC Sounds.
