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ONE of Britain’s biggest rappers has cancelled all upcoming gigs and any public events for the rest of the year to focus on his mental health.

Bru-C, whose given name is Josh Bruce, made the announcement on Instagram in an emotional post where he said it was “difficult for him to post.”

Instagram

Rapper Bru-C has cancelled all of his gigs for 2025[/caption]

Instagram

The rapper shared in an emotional post that he was struggling with his mental health[/caption]

The hip hop star said, “I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to” announce his need to cancel all live shows, including his Glastonbury set, for the rest of 2025.

“I’m really sorry to announce I’m going to have to cancel all my upcoming show commitments for 2025/the foreseeable future,” he wrote.

“Many of you know I’ve been struggling with mental health issues for some time now and I’ve tried my best to bury things and keep my life and career moving forward.”

Bru-C explained that what he’d been going through “has got gradually worse over the last few years and I need to take another step back to try and get back to kind of stable place in my life.”

He added that it was that “last thing” he wanted to do to let down fans but he needed to take the time to take get his life “back on track.”

“I know a lot of people will have spent hard earned money to come out to the shows I’m booked at, and I really am sorry for the impact of this decision will have on you all,” the rapper continued.

“I hope you understand I have to prioritise my own mental and physical health.”

Bru-C continued: “I want you to know I’m seeking the right help and support, and I take none of this for granted. I just want to be better, when that will be I don’t know.”

He concluded by “sending love to anyone… who’s struggling right now, don’t give up.”

Other hip hop stars reacted to Bru-C’s message with their own words of support.

“Brother the tunes you have are timeless. The main stage will always be ready for you! Go well king!” wrote rapper Gardna in the comments section.

DJ and musician, Example added: “Take your time man. Focus on yourself. Mad respect for this post. Hopefully it helps others. Love ya x”

Toddla T, a producer and singer commented: “we love you bro. a show is a show. they aint going anywhere .. you can enter the stage again in the future if u choose.. heal up and come back match fit just like when a baller mash up his ankle… take as long as you need.”

Bru-C, 33,  has been recording and releasing music since 2014, notching up street anthems and boasting huge collaborations with Skepsis on ‘Most High’ and ‘Take It Slow’, ‘Hide The Ting’ with Darkzy & Window Kid, ‘What’s Going On’ with Darkzy, ‘Don’t Wanna Know’ (feat. Hadean), ‘Weekend Boys’ with Window Kid, Jamie Duggan & Booda, and popular drum & bass single ‘Wagwarn’ featuring Bassboy.

The rapper released his debut album, Original Sounds, in 2019 and two years later signed with Jay-Z’s record label, Def Jam.

“It began in Nottingham, where I’m from around 2010, after a few years writing grime and trying to get noticed in rap battles, street battles etc,” he told The Sun in 2019.

“Then when my son was born in 2012, I stepped back from the game to earn money working in a clothes shop as well as being a plasterer to help support him, before ending up even deeper into it with a career as a MC and vocalist on the rave scene and doing some events with Flex Records featuring dubstep and bassline.”

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Bru-C was due to play the Arcadia stage at Glastonbury this year[/caption]

JEFF STELLING has appeared to question Hartlepool United’s appointment of new manager Simon Grayson.

The former Soccer Saturday host, 70, is a lifelong fan of the National League club.

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Simon Grayson has landed the managerial role at Hartlepool United[/caption]

Alamy

Superfan Jeff Stelling doesn’t appear convinced the 55-year-old is a good fit[/caption]

Hartlepool announced the capture of Grayson on Thursday evening.

The 55-year-old has achieved EFL promotions with Preston North End, Huddersfield Town, Leeds United and Blackpool.

Grayson most recently took charge of Lalitpur City in Nepal, with his last job in England a short spell at Fleetwood Town in 2021.

Stelling, responding through his X account, appeared to be underwhelmed with the appointment.

The Sky legend wrote: “He is a lovely man but not managed in England for four years and never at this level.

“All you can do is wish him well and hope that he realises what he is stepping into.”

Hartlepool were relegated to the National League in 2023.

They have failed to challenge for promotion in either of the last two seasons.

Stelling fears a mass exodus of the playing staff over the summer – with no cash in the kitty to replace them.

Responding to a more optimistic fan, he continued: “Hope you are right but I am not hopeful as I don’t see key players staying.

“I don’t see the money being available for adequate replacements.”

Stelling added in a separate message: “The problems at Hartlepool would test anyone.”

Grayson replaces Australian Anthony Limbrick, who was sacked on Thursday after four months in the role.

Chairman Raj Singh said: “I’m delighted that Simon has accepted the role.”

“Simon is someone who has been on our radar for a while and he’s been my preferred candidate in the past when we’ve looked for managers, but for one reason or the other it didn’t come off.”

Grayson told the club’s official website: “I really happy to join Hartlepool United.

“The club has gone through some tough times recently but by working hard together as a staff and fanbase we can bring back the good times which this football club deserves.

“Hartlepool is a club with real potential and I’m excited by the prospect of what we can achieve here. I can’t wait to get started.”

Unlike men’s wrestling, the women’s wrestling division has been on a never-ending process of revolution, where the performers constantly battle to make themselves a part of the main event. Their situation started to change for the better during the mid-2010s, when the Divas Revolution began. However, the situation for the women’s locker room was quite […]

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APPLE created an eerily-realistic virtual clone of me using AI in a matter of seconds.

I took a trip to the Apple Park HQ in California where I was able to make a brand new “Persona” – a lifelike simulation of my head and hands that I can use online.

Sean Keach

Sean Keach

It’s meant to be used for making FaceTime calls or hanging out online while donning the Apple Vision Pro headset.

After all, people I’m calling can’t see my actual face because it’s covered in a great big pair of goggles – so a Persona can mimic my movements instead.

Personas have been around since the headset launched back in February 2024, but Apple has just given them a major upgrade to add way more detail in the new visionOS 26 update.

And when I met with Apple to try it out, it captured every part of my noggin in excruciating detail. But one part is totally faked – can you tell from the clip above?

MAKING A PERSONA

Right now, the only way to create a Persona is with an Apple Vision Pro.

That’s an expensive “spatial computer” – effectively a mixed-reality headset for playing with apps that float in front of your eyes – that costs about £3,500/$3,500.

You start the process, remove the headset, spin it around, and let it scan your face.

It’ll make you blink, smile, and turn your head from side to side.

And in a matter of seconds, you’ve got a virtual 3D rendering of your face created using AI tech that can mimic your movements while wearing the headset.

It means if someone calls me up on video, they don’t have to stare at a lifeless avatar – and can enjoy my lifelike Persona instead.

The new Persona is infinitely more realistic than the old one. When the new look was announced on stage during Apple’s WWDC 2025 event earlier this week, it got a big reaction from the crowd.

“Taking advantage of industry-leading volumetric rendering and machine learning technology, the all-new Personas now have striking expressivity and sharpness,” Apple said.

“Offering a full side profile view, and remarkable accurate hair, lashes, and complexion.”

Apple

Personas are built for the Apple Vision Pro headset[/caption]

Apple

The headset lets you see floating apps in front of you – offering a “spatial computing” experience[/caption]

It’s genuinely very impressive, and I think it captures my face pretty well.

My colleague Jamie Harris reckons it’s made me look a bit old – but I was pretty jet-lagged, so maybe my Persona was reflecting my tiredness.

In any case, it’s pretty much bang on.

But if you look closely, there are two parts of me that are totally faked.

The first is my glasses, which isn’t a part of my body – so it doesn’t really count.

Instead, you get to pick from a selection of 1,000 different glasses variants.

The second part of me that was faked was…my tongue.

Yes, the tongue you see my sticking out in the video was not mine.

Sean Keach

Sean Keach

Sean Keach

I was curious to try it, as the headset didn’t scan my tongue, so I wondered what would happen if I unleashed it in the name of journalism.

And it turns out that the Apple Vision Pro fills in a vaguely appropriate human tongue.

It knows you’re sticking out your tongue (and the other facial movements you’re making) thanks to internal cameras on the headset.

So you can grin with teeth or without, raise both eyebrows or just one, and shake your head from side to side. I’m totally in control of my Persona – the only “AI” involved is in creating the fake face, but the movements are my own.

FACE THE FUTURE

It’s extremely impressive, but there’s an obvious downside: very few people can make Personas right now.

They’re totally tied to the Apple Vision Pro, which is financially out of reach for most people.

But this is a sign of things to come.

Eventually, these types of headsets won’t cost so much – and won’t be as massive on your face.

Apple

Apple

Apple

Just look at Meta‘s Orion prototype glasses, which I tested out a few weeks ago in London.

They don’t have the same visual quality as an Apple Vision Pro, and they’ll be wildly expensive, but they’re basically only a little larger than a regular pair of glasses.

You can imagine in the not-too-distant-future, these types of lifelike avatars will only become more important.

Think of a future where smartphones are increasingly less common as people switch to “spatial computers” on their faces.

They’ll be able to scan what you see, take pictures wherever you go, and let you make video calls beamed directly to your eyes.

When we get to that point, tech like Personas will become an essential part of video calling.

And if they look this good now, imagine how realistic they’ll be in 10 years.