• Cynthia Erivo has spoken out about the "strange fascination" with her relationship with Wicked co-star Ariana Grande in a recent interview.
• "At first, I think people didn't understand how it was possible for two women to be friends - close - and not lovers,” Erivo explained to Stylist Magazine.
• "People either thought we were putting it on for the cameras or that we were lovers," she continued. "And I think it’s because there’s such little conversation around platonic female friendship that is deep and real."

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande continue to make headlines, with both A-listers nominated this award season for their starring roles in 2025 release, Wicked: For Good.

It is their close relationship however that gets the world talking the most, with the internet fascinated by their deep bond during the press tours for both Wicked films. And from that "holding space" interview moment to the footage of Erivo protecting Grande from an incident at the Singapore Premiere, their friendship has garnered a great deal of interest.

This is something that Erivo spoke out about this week, addressing her relationship with Grande amid "strange fascination" from the public.

"At first, I think people didn't understand how it was possible for two women to be friends - close - and not lovers,” Erivo explained in a recent interview with Stylist Magazine.

"I've never really spoken about this but there was this strange fascination with the two of us, where people either thought we were putting it on for the cameras or that we were lovers," she continued. "And I think it’s because there’s such little conversation around platonic female friendship that is deep and real."

"We're not used to seeing it on camera in front of people," she continued. "A relationship where people are connected sometimes just makes people uncomfortable; we aren't taught that those relationships are good for us."

Ariana Grande has also spoken out about their friendship in the past, calling her experience working with Erivo "the greatest privilege of [her] professional life."

"To be able to act with this one and to share a space and to be a scene partner with you was the greatest privilege of my professional life," Grande explained in the interview alongside Erivo. "Let alone sing with her, the greatest singer in the entire world. I’m spoiled for life."

"[We are] like opposite sides of the same coin," Erivo previously added of their bond. "So I think we each have something the other can love and can see themselves."

Well, this is lovely.

We will continue to update this story.

The most enduring thought I had while watching Wicked: For Good earlier this month? Well, alongside the stream of tears that made an appearance halfway through 'For Good,' (the song), it was how phenomenal Glinda's lip combo looked. That beautiful, glossy, iridescent hue with hints of lilac, pink and blue was totally mesmerising, and I made it my mission to discover exactly which products the makeup artists used to create the look.

Sadly, there seemed to be no clear answer, much to my rising frustration. But then I remembered I was a beauty journalist, and I was lucky enough to be connected to some of the film industry's most respected makeup artists, like Wicked: For Good's award-winning MUA Frances Hannon. Could we call this a beauty PSA of the highest form? I'd say so.

Hannon told me that it was crucial to make a clear distinction between the make-up of Wicked and Wicked: For Good. "It was very important for both Glinda's [Ariana Grande] and Elphaba's [Cynthia Erivo's] make-up looks to evolve to tell the visual story of their characters. How they have grown up and changed since the days of Shiz is shown by subtle make-up changes that give a big difference visually by using many different methods, for example, more density of colour, changing colours and shaping and contouring in various areas," Hannon explained.

For Grande's character, she said, this meant embracing a more 'grown-up' Glinda: "In Wicked: For Good, her maturer look was achieved by making her hair longer and a much paler, creamier colour. Her make-up was intense, particularly around her eyes. The combination immediately made her look much stronger."

Interestingly, she says that Ariana was "one of the most collaborative actors I have ever had the pleasure to work with," and that "Having the opportunity to use her wonderful r.e.m beauty [Grande's makeup brand] products was a fantastic bonus."

This was particularly notable in her lip look. In fact, says Hannon, "Ariana always applied her own lipstick." This consisted of a layer of r.e.m's Practically Permanent Lip Stain Marker in 'Booked n Busy' (which "was then buffed with her finger") followed by the On Your Collar Plumping Lip Gloss in the shades 'Scrunchie' and 'Jelly Sandals.' "Ari regularly topped up her lip gloss during the filming day and, if necessary, on very long days, sometimes added more stain."

As for the rest of her make-up, there was plenty more r.e.m. For the base, Hannon says that the brand's Sweetener Foundation and Sweetener Concealer were used.

For Glinda's beautiful all-over glow, Hannon also used the Interstellar Highlighter Topper in the shade 'Miss Mercury.'

Luckily for us, most of these products are available to buy in UK markets at Boots and Sephora. The lip gloss shade 'Scrunchie' is the only thing that's currently not shoppable, but r.e.m recently released its 'Glinda Makeup Set,' which features two lip products, an eyeshadow and a highlighter; all of which capture that gorgeous iridescent Glinda look.

In the world of cinema, few symbols are as enduring as the ruby red slippers from The Wizard of Oz, a film that has enchanted generations since its release in 1939. The iconic, glittering shoes, worn by Judy Garland’s Dorothy, have transcended their cinematic origins to become more than just a costume accessory, but a symbol of hope, magic, and the enduring power of dreams. It’s something Ariana Grande knows all about, having manifested the role of Glinda.

The slippers that have sparkled and shimmered on-screen and long captivated audiences were reimagined in Ariana Grande’s second outfit of the Oscars when the actress took to the stage to perform a medley of Wizard hits with co-star Cynthia Erivo.

Opening tonight’s 97th Academy Awards, the gravity-defying duo performed a magical mix of musical tracks from the film. Grande stepped onto the stage wearing a bejewelled scarlet gown saturated in light-catching sequins with a cascading train. The look was topped off with—yes, you guessed it, a pair of ruby red slippers scattered with jewels and crowned with bows (a recurring theme at this year’s Oscar awards). The pièce de résistance though, was a third ruby red slipper, this one pierced in the back of Grande’s gown as if a frenemy had tossed it at Grande as she was dashing for the red carpet and it became lodged in the dress.

The slippers might only have been nodded at in Wicked, but as a key part of the beloved original story, they represent Dorothy’s journey from the dust of Kansas to the vibrant land of Oz, and ultimately, her discovery that “there’s no place like home.” Perhaps in the case of Grande’s gown, the slippers not only give a spectacular homage to Garland but also hint at what might be next for the Blockbuster’s much-anticipated sequel.

The 2025 Golden Globes took place in LA last night, and it was the glamorous kick-off to awards season that we had all hoped for. As well as a potential engagement soft-launch from Zendaya, there was an adorable PDA moment between Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner which has since gone viral, and host Nikki Glaser is already being praised for holding the show together following Jo Koy's controversial appearance last year.

And while many A-listers were unmissable at the Golden Globes last night (did you see Emma Stone's new pixie cut? And Zoe Saldana looking radiant in her sparkling Saint Laurent gown?) there were some noticeably absent actors, too. While Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were front and centre thanks to their Wicked nominations, Ariana's boyfriend Ethan Slater didn't walk the red carpet and was nowhere to be seen at the ceremony.

Ariana and Cynthia, who were both nominated for individual awards, walked the red carpet together at The Beverly Hills Hotel and later sat together as they watched the show. When Wicked won the award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, it was collected by director Jon M. Chu and a handful of the Wicked cast, including Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh. However, Ethan - who stars in the film as Boq - was not spotted with his co-stars, or his girlfriend.

Ethan and Ariana have kept their relationship out of the spotlight during the Wicked press tour following the criticism when they started dating in 2023. Ariana had recently split from her ex-husband, Dalton Gomez, while Ethan's ex-wife Lilly Jay - with whom he shares a two year old son - penned an essay on the difficulties of their divorce.

But there's a very simple reason why Ariana and Ethan weren't sat side by side during the ceremony; he appears to have decided to skip the Golden Globes altogether. While it could be down to the fact that he wasn't individually nominated for any awards, he wasn't the only actor from the main Wicked cast to forgo the event as Jonathan Bailey (who plays Fiyero) was also absent.

In an interview with GQ late last year, Ethan opened up about his relationship with Ariana and called her 'a genius'. He said: "I'm just really, really proud of Ari and the work she's done on [Wicked]. She’s poured herself into it. I’m really proud that I got to be there for that part of it, and I’m really excited to be there for this next step of it when the world gets to see the amazing thing that she did."

If you have an internet connection and you're still not aware of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's Wicked-forged friendship, we really don't know what to tell you.

Still, even if you haven't been following the two women's sweet support for each other, Ari just shared an anecdote that beautifully illustrates how strong their bond really is.

"We talk a lot about this pact that we made to take care of each other and to be really honest with each other about anything that were to come up," the "thank u, next" singer explained during a recent talk at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. "But I don’t think people really get how granular we got and how fully we mean that."

She continued: "When I got my contract, I called her and I was like: 'Hey, let’s go through this thing. Like let's go beat per beat through this together and make sure we are aligned in what we need, because if you need something, we need it together. I want us to have each other's backs, like your problems become my problems, and mine become yours."

The audience cheered for the two women's attitude, with Ariana adding: "We really showed up for each other in a really real way that I don't think any press tour, any amount of times we talk about it in a short little TikTok ... it's impossible to really share the depths of how real that is."

She concluded: "I’m really grateful, because it’s one of the things that I’m most proud of is how we nurtured each other."

Ari and Cynthia have welcomed some light teasing of their displays of affection during the Wicked press tour, notably the viral "holding space" interview.

In said interview, everyone got really emotional over a very confusing statement, and Ariana grabbed onto Cynthia's fingers/nails for comfort. The whole thing has become a series of very funny memes, of course.

Wicked is in cinemas now.

It may feel like the Wicked movie has been in production forever, but finally, finally, we're being offered a glimpse of what to expect from the film adaptation - and the first sneak peak trailer for the movie, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, is a colourful big budget retelling of the award-winning musical. 

The film will be split into two parts - with the first instalment set for release in November 2024, and the second part landing a year later in November 2025 - and with Ariana as Glinda, Cynthia as the iconic Elphaba, and the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum and Jonathan Bailey joining the cast, it's set to be a huge hit when it finally makes its way to cinemas. Wicked fans have already decided that it will be Oscar-nomination worthy, and if the teaser notes of Defying Gravity got you feverishly excited, then same. 

However, it isn't just the epic rainbow-coloured trailer, A-list cast and haunting rendition that has the internet talking. It's the costumes. And in particular, Ariana's fluffy pink Glinda gown. 

According to a number of viewers, the dress - an enormous layered and ruffled bubblegum pink number - likes like ham. An unusually large weighting of trailer-watchers agreed that Ari's pink dress was comparable to an array of lunch meats, including prosciutto and sliced bologna, and now people can't unsee it. 

User @airbagged shared the poster on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote: "Why does her dress look like prosciutto?"

The post racked up over 113k likes, with other users chiming in. One added: "Oh boy subway do I have a deal for you."

Another wrote, "That dress look like sliced bologna lol" while someone else claimed: "Nah it looks like those ginger slices you get with sushi."

Another person wrote: "Charcuterie core."

Part one of the Wicked movie, directed by Jon M. Chu, is set for release on 27th November 2024 to coincide with Thanksgiving in the US. 

Will you be watching?

Jonathan Bailey has discussed LGBTQ+ inclusion in Bridgerton as the show prepares to return to the small screen after almost two years. The British actor is one of the stand-out stars of the past year - and it looks like his career is going to reach dizzying new heights in 2024. Jonathan won our hearts as Anthony Bridgerton, the male lead in the hit Netflix show's second series, and with Bridgerton's third season's release date closer than you might think, it's only a matter of time before we'll see how Kate and Anthony have fared as a new couple. 

But that's not all Jonathan has been up to. Starring alongside Matt Bomer in the LGBTQ+ series Fellow Travelers, he has received much acclaim for this boundary-breaking role. The actor is also working on the upcoming Wicked film adaptation, starring Hollywood heavyweights Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, which is set for a release next year.

Jonathan spoke to Bustle about inclusion and representation in Bridgerton, and how he has faith that upcoming storylines will ensure 'everyone’s gonna see themselves'. So far, the central romances in the first three seasons of the Shondaland show have depicted heterosexual couples. 

"I’m always hopeful for inclusion in that way," he explained. "There’s so much that Bridgerton has achieved in storytelling, and there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that with the brilliance of Shondaland, everyone’s gonna see themselves in the story at some point, I’m sure."

Jonathan also went on to say how much he's enjoyed taking part in the Netflix show, ahead of Bridgerton's third season, telling Bustle: "The thing that’s special is the overwhelming love that you feel. Every year, it’s a different lead character. So, tonally, it shifts. Even in the way that they market each series, you see the tonal colours, the passion, the different ways in which people can fall in love.

"The personal experience of suddenly being exposed on Netflix, it’s life-changing. [Being on the show] makes you feel the need to be stabilized in this industry, but it’s also the thing that gives you [stability]. So it’s a really lovely thing to be able to go away and to come back. We’re a tribe."

Watch this space for more updates on Bridgerton series three...