Entertainment
‘The Traitors’ Producers Say They ‘Underestimated’ Swifties’ Impact on the Show for This Reason
More Taylor Swift fans than ever before likely tuned in to this season of The Traitors to watch Donna Kelce — who is the mom of the pop superstar’s fiancé, Travis Kelce — compete. But in a new interview, the show’s producers revealed how those extra eyeballs impacted the show in ways they didn’t expect.
While speaking to Variety in a Thursday (Feb. 12) breakdown of the competition series’ fourth installment, executive producers Rosie Franks and Sam Rees-Jones reflected on the choice to not only cast Donna, but to also make her The Traitors‘ first ever Secret Traitor. “She really did want to play,” Franks began. “She came with so much strategy.”
“And then the idea of having Taylor Swift’s future mother-in-law wandering around the castle secretly in a red cloak, there’s nothing more camp than that,” she continued. “So we felt like that really would lean into the tone of The Traitors.“
What the showrunners didn’t expect, however, was that the other contestants on the Peacock reality competition would feel influenced by the 14-time Grammy winner’s fanbase when making decisions on who to vote in or out of the castle. “We never thought the players would be scared of the Swiftes, but maybe we underestimated the Swifties,” Rees-Jones said.
Franks agreed, “Never underestimate the Swifties.”
Indeed, Donna’s competitors were keenly aware of how her soon-to-be daughter-in-law’s devoted listeners might react if they crossed her on the show. As Dorinda Medley said in one episode, “No one’s gonna murder [Donna] — the Swifties will kill you.”
Season four premiered on Jan. 8, revealing in episode three — when she was eliminated — that the Kelce matriarch was the first contestant on the show to ever compete as a Traitor without the other Traitors ever knowing her identity. At one point, she aptly quoted Swift’s Midnights track “Vigilante Shit,” saying, “Don’t get mad, get even.”
She now has her youngest son’s wedding to look forward to, something she touched on when TMZ approached her recently and asked whether she’d signed an NDA ahead of the under-wraps ceremony.
“No, no, no,” she told the outlet. “[Taylor and Travis] know I can keep a secret.”
Entertainment
Kylie Minogue’s ‘Padam Padam’ Look Comes to Life With This New Mattel Doll
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Kylie Minogue’s track “Padam Padam” became a hit when it was released 2023, reaching No. 7 on Billboard‘s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and No. 1 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay.
The anthem-esque single and its funky dance-pop beat offered the Australian singer’s career a major boost, reinvigorating love for the artist all across the globe. Minogue has always held a major spot in the dance genre since her start in the 1980s with hits such as “The Loco-Motion” (1988), “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” (2002) and “I Believe in You” (2004).
“Padam Padam” also won Minogue a Grammy for best pop dance recording in 2024, solidifying her icon status. Speaking of icon status, Minogue was just given a signature Barbie doll inspired by the aforementioned track and her career. The Mattel creation is currently available for pre-order for $59.40 on Amazon and $54.97 at Walmart, and will officially launch on March 27.
Barbie Signature Doll Kylie Minogue
This is a posable doll from Mattel inspired by Minogue’s hit 2023 track “Padam Padam.” The single reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart and No. 7 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
The doll is dressed in a bright red look, down to her dolly shoes, inspired by the star’s outfit in the music video. The look in question is a sleek Mugler bodysuit and lace-up Maison Ernest boots. The bodysuit is affixed with a billowing cape. The doll also features a coordinating bright lip and scarlet streaks in her hair to match the fiery red ensemble. This doll makes an amazing present and keepsake for fans of Minogue. It’s a unique offering that can be displayed beside her records to tie the collections together.
This isn’t the first time Mattel has crafted a doll for a musician. In the brand’s Signature Music Series, it released dolls modeled after Stevie Nicks, Mariah Carey, Elton John, David Bowie, Tina Turner, Cher, Aaliyah, Gloria Estefan and Elvis Presley. Every doll is created based on a certain era of the singer’s life, usually an important or historic moment in their careers. The gothic and witchy Nicks dolls that Mattel has released have done exceedingly well, selling out within hours of launching.
Watch the music video for “Padam Padam” below:
Entertainment
A Major Fast-Food Chain Is Teasing a Collaboration With Drake’s OVO
At times, owls love them some beef. McDonald’s Canada teased a collaboration on the way with Drake’s OVO, which is set to launch at Golden Arches locations north of the border on Feb. 17.
Posters began popping up around Toronto earlier this week, hinting at a partnership between OVO and McDonald’s. The famed OVO owl meshed with the McDonald’s logo, along with the phrase “Where the Night Owls Lands” beneath it, which got fans’ minds churning.
McDonald’s Canada appeared to confirm that a collaboration is in the works when posting a teaser clip to social media on Wednesday (Feb. 11), while setting a launch date of Feb. 17 for the partnership.
It’s unclear exactly what the collab would entail, but the Golden Arches have teamed up with plenty of celebrities in the past to give them their own customized limited-edition meal. The list includes Travis Scott, Shania Twain, Mariah Carey, BTS, Cardi B, Offset, Saweetie and J Balvin.
Billboard has reached out to reps for McDonald’s and Drake for comment.
Drake has been spotted by fans picking up some McDonald’s at times during his career. According to TMZ, he even served up some McDonald’s meals following a concert with Migos at a West Hollywood afterparty in 2018.
On the music side, Drake has continued to tease his forthcoming Iceman album, but the project remains without a release date.
Drizzy’s pockets are also a tad lighter after losing a $1 million bet on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, who were throttled by the Seattle Seahawks 29-13.
Find the McDonald’s Canada x OVO teaser below.
Entertainment
Is the ‘Marshals’ Trailer Hinting That Riley Green Is Headed to the ‘Yellowstone’ Spin-Off?
It looks like Riley Green may be adding actor to his resume. In the trailer for the new Taylor Sheridan-created series, “Marshals,” a man who appears to be Green is very briefly singing and playing guitar around a campfire at the 1:39 mark.
The show, which premieres March 1 on CBS and Paramount+, is a spinoff from Yellowstone and follows Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton as he moves into the next chapter of his life following his father’s death. Though his wife, Monica, was alive at the end of Yellowstone, it looks like she may also be dead in the Marshals premiere, and Kayce makes a comment that “Yellowstone’s gone along with most of my family.” He also remarks, “The only thing I ever wanted was taken from me,” as a sheet is pulled over an unidentified body.
Kayce is now a full-time U.S. marshal and is quickly taking on the bad guys — both the two- and four-legged kind — in the trailer.
Green’s representative had no comment on whether he is appearing on the show.
Last May, Scott Borchetta, founder and head of Green’s record company, Big Machine Label Group, told Billboard that acting was definitely on Green’s mind.
“Riley called me about a year ago and asked about Tim McGraw and how did Tim [get into acting],” Borchetta said at the time. “That’s something that he is going to spend some energy on, and I think we could see another gear with him in that space.” McGraw is also part of the Sheridan universe, having starred in Yellowstone prequel 1883 with his wife, Faith Hill.
In a Q&A at the Grammy Museum in August in Los Angeles, avowed movie lover Green talked about his interested in making the leap to the big (or little) stage after showing off his acting chops in such videos as “Worst Way.” Then in December, he confirmed to Country Now that he had already shot a guest spot. “I’ll just guess I’m allowed to say that I have done some acting, and it’s a show, and it’s going to be airing sometime fairly soon,” he cryptically said, adding that he had felt very comfortable on set during the quick taping.
“It just happened so fast that I didn’t really have time to get nervous and so I was just kind of, the scene was done, and I was like, ‘OK, well I guess it was all right,’” he shared. “They didn’t yell at me or yell ‘cut’ or anything, but it was a lot of fun.”
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