Rita Ora to replace Kelly Rowland as a guest host of Today with Hoda and Jenna on Friday, February 16, with only a short notice.

“Well, this happened! We had two minutes to prepare ahhh, thank you @hodaandjenna for asking to co-host the show,” Ora, 33, wrote via Instagram later on Friday. “Everyone was so sweet and kind, I had SO much fun doing it!! I love everyone who tuned in, maybe we should do more??!!!”

Ora was originally booked as a guest on Friday's broadcast, where her upcoming stint as a judge was to be discussed The Masked Singer and her next album. She was said to have been interviewed by Hoda Kotb and Rowland, who fills in as anchor Jenna Bush Hager.

Multiple media outlets reported earlier on Friday that Rowland, 43, had an issue in the dressing room and abruptly left the set in New York City. She was interviewed on an earlier hour of the NBC morning program and was announced to host the third hour with Kotb. The Destiny's Child alum has not addressed the incident. We weekly reached out for comment.

Today also made no mention of the scandal on air and remained focused on Ora's appearance and reporting the news. The last-minute hosting switcheroo wasn't the only change of the day for the British pop star.

“Can I just talk about this? I cut my hair at 7am this morning,” Ora joked. “I just had something real. Me and my hairdresser were like, 'Let's just cut my hair off,' and now here I am co-hosting the show with you. What is my morning? I think for this!”

She continued, “Honestly, I didn't even know this was happening. Everyone watches: this was so much fun and they asked for it [me] backstage and I was like, 'I love Hoda. Can I do this?' And here we are, now we've been with you for a whole hour.

Ora cited 'jet lag' as her last-minute reason for cutting her long locks into a short bob.

“Well, I woke up this morning thinking I was just going to have an interview with you… and I just wanted a fresh start in 2024,” she explained. “Dimitris [Giannetos]who does my hair [for] to me, was like, 'Let's just chop it off,' and then we put some color in and now we're here… in two hours.”

Ora lives mainly in New Zealand with her husband, Taika Waititi. They married in August 2022 and publicly confirmed their marriage a year later, on their first anniversary. They also split time in Los Angeles and London.

By Carolina Piras for Mailonline

Published: 06:57 EST, February 10, 2024 | Updated: 06:57 EST, February 10, 2024

By Chikamso Chukwuenyem for Mailonline

Published: 2:12 PM EST, February 7, 2024 | Updated: 03:20 EST, February 8, 2024

Rita Ora has given fans a rare insight into her childhood as she adjusted to a new life in Britain, after recording a series of childhood home videos in a new video to mark the release of the brand new version of Shape Of Me to celebrate.

The song, which features her The Voice Australia co-star and country music icon Keith Urban, is a tribute to Rita's mother Vera in celebration of her 60th birthday.

The accompanying music video, created from a montage of home videos, features the 33-year-old singer in a series of throwback clips throughout her childhood.

Rita's mother Vera, her father Besnik, older sister Elena, 35, and younger brother Don, 25, can also be seen attending various family outings and special occasions.

Among the clips is a lovely montage showing Rita and her family adjusting to their new life in London after fleeing Kosovo for political reasons in 1991, when the singer was just a baby.

The family has a close relationship, with Elena also serving as the singer's manager and Vera often attending events.

Ahead of the release, Keith said: “When I did The Voice with Rita we hit it off straight away. She has a lot of energy and she is a bad singer.

'So when she sent me this song and asked if I wanted to sing with her on it, I said, “Can I play guitar too?” I love how it turned out!'

Rita revealed she had collaborated with Keith and shared a sneak peak of her latest single last week.

She shared a snippet of the new hit, a version of Shape Of Me, and revealed that the lyrics were inspired by her feelings for Vera.

Coinciding with the announcement of her mother's 60th birthday, Rita explained that she had wanted to write a song about Vera “for the longest time” and now feels like she could “finally share so much.”

Rita shared the teaser with her 16.1 million Instagram followers and revealed that the full version will be released on January 26.

She captioned the clip: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM! We have been through everything together, you have always been such a beautiful inspiration in my life and in my music.

'I've wanted to write a song about you for a long time, so when Shape Of Me was written and released by me and the You & I writing team for my album, I was finally able to share so much of what I've been thinking about. You.'

Rita continued, “It really hit home how much love you have shown me and how much you have taught me over the years!!

“So, what better way to say HBD than by sharing a new version of it with the AMAZING @keithurban…

'He helped me make it even more special, because this song also shows appreciation for all the women in your life! So surprise mom, this one is for you! Happy 60th!

“Yes, my mother has that heart, she said don't let go of the parts that keep you younger…”

Rita previously talked about her family history in an interview with Louis Theroux.

She explained that her mother Vera was a psychiatrist, while her father, Besnik, was an economist in Kosovo, but he had to flee to avoid the risk of persecution.

During the decade-long war in the country, thousands of people were killed and more than a million people – including the Oras – were forced to flee to safety.

Once in Britain, Rita's father opened a pub, while Rita flourished in the arts.

Rita has also previously described what it was like growing up as a refugee in Britain, admitting that she often felt like an 'outsider' growing up.

Starring in a striking cover shoot for ELLE SpainRita reflected on her upbringing and the challenges she faced due to her background and how she used music to cope with growing up without a 'place of belonging'.

'I think the real challenge was that I felt like an outsider and that I didn't have a fixed place.

'Yes, that was the hardest thing for me, but as I have emphasized before, music has helped me enormously to deal with those feelings.

'Whether it was listening or acting, it was my way of being connected to the world. That is the ultimate power of music: it allows us to make connections with people we wouldn't otherwise have, it gives us a sense of community and that we are not alone on this planet.”

Rita also previously told Vogue Arabia that although there were a lot of “prejudices and judgments” during her upbringing, after connecting she made a lot of friends because they were “different.”

Recalling the event, she said: 'They left their whole lives behind and had to start all over again when they arrived in London as refugees. But keeping us safe was their number one priority and I count my blessings every day that they did what they did.”

Explaining her parents' choice of the city, Rita said: 'They chose London because Dad loved the music and the culture, but still, as you can imagine, starting a new life was extremely difficult.'

Rita went on to explain what life was like growing up in London, claiming she found it 'tough' because of the amount of prejudice surrounding refugees.

She revealed: 'I was often called a refugee in a derogatory way, but I had a lot of foreign friends and we all had a great time connecting by being different.'

Rita visits Kosovo – formally Yugoslavia – whenever she can with her family and is proud of the traditional dress and knows their dances.

By Laura Parkin for Mailonline

Published: 07:45 EST, January 20, 2024 | Updated: 07:49 EST, January 20, 2024

Kate Moss, her daughter Lila and Rita Ora led the stars at the Dior Menswear fashion show in Paris on Friday.

Supermodel Kate, who recently celebrated her 50th birthday, cut a stylish figure for the event in a blue sleeveless top with beading embellishment.

The star also wore black trousers, while she accentuated her figure with a pair of knee-high leather boots.

Kate let her blonde locks fall loose over her shoulders and complemented her outfit with a navy blue glittering handbag.

The model completed her look for the event with a pair of silver hoop earrings and a pearl bracelet.

Kate's daughter Lila, 21, who she shares with ex Jefferson Hack, looked elegant in a gray blazer and black fitted trousers.

The budding model also wore a pair of black boots while wearing her blonde locks in a poker style.

Hitmaker Rita, 33, turned heads in a white turtleneck top with a matching jumper tied around her chest.

The singer also wore gray pants and black shoes as she wrapped herself in a navy blue jacket on her way to the show.

Rita styled her locks in an updo and completed her look with sunglasses and white earrings.

Also in attendance was Lewis Hamilton, who showed off his trendy sense of style in a brown blazer and matching trousers.

The F1 racer, 39, also wore a low-cut V-neck top and red-tinted sunglasses for the show.

Meanwhile, Pharrel Williams turned heads in a white wool jacket worn over a striped shirt and dark jeans.

The Happy singer also wore an off-white cowboy hat and tinted sunglasses.

It comes after Kate flew to the French capital to celebrate her milestone birthday with her loved ones.

The supermodel celebrated her birthday in the opulent, pastel-hued surroundings of the exclusive Laurent Restaurant in the heart of Paris's Marigny Square district – alongside boyfriend Nikolai Von Bismarck, 37, daughter Lila and the fashion world's elite.

Despite her newfound spirituality and alcohol-free lifestyle, it was far from a sedate affair. The group took over the entire Michelin-starred venue and transformed it into their personal nightclub, complete with a dance floor and makeshift catwalk.

Stella McCartney, 52, Venus Williams, 43, Edward Enninful, 51, and Charlotte Tilbury, 50, were among the 30-strong group of Kate's closest friends who were so loud in the restaurant's smoking area that passers-by stopped dead in their tracks. to look inside and see what was going on.

Kate arrived at the venue at 9.10pm with Nikolai, as well as Lila and her boyfriend Yoni Helbitz, 23, after traveling from their base at The Ritz.

Kate started her evening catching up with friends and was heard shouting 'I haven't seen you in ages' in the venue's candlelit smoking area – where she then shared anecdotes about Mick Jagger.

The group then dined in the opulent restaurant, renowned for its mousseline brioche with golden caviar, blue lobster salad and candied cod in sauce vierge, prepared by chef Mathieu Pacaud, and washed down with the house's much-loved champagne cocktail – the £23 Laurent Spritz.

When a Neil Young song started playing, the party really started, as his 1992 song Harvest Moon was turned up to full volume at 10:30 p.m.

The speakers were not turned down for an hour, while songs such as Baby Love by The Supremes, Sympathy For the Devil by The Rolling Stones and Rebel Rebel by David Bowie blasted out of the restaurant.

By Becca Longmire for Mailonline

Published: 10:26 EST, January 19, 2024 | Updated: 10:26 EST, January 19, 2024

By Sarah Packer, chief showbiz reporter

Published: 09:53 EST, January 16, 2024 | Updated: 09:58 EST, January 16, 2024

Rita Ora firmly put aside rumors of a long-term feud with Dua Lipa as she revealed she wants to team up with her and two other British female chart-toppers.

The 33-year-old singer is hopeful that she, Dua, Bebe Rexha and Ava Max – who are all of Southeastern European descent – can collaborate on a new song and addressed the rivalry speculation on Amanda Hirsch’s Not Skinny But Not Fat in return for. .

Host Amanda noted that there are many Albanians in the music industry, and Rita replied, “Yes, it’s great to see. When I started in 2012, this was not yet the case.

“So now we have Dua Lipa and Bebe Rexha, and…” She was interrupted by Amanda asking if she was ever compared to them.

Rita replied, “I think it’s quite normal when people are compared to each other, especially since there aren’t many of us in that part of the world.”

Amanda then asked if they had ever been together, and Rita said, “Yes.” I did that with Ava Max and Bebe.’

She continued, “Not so much with Dua yet, but it would be great if we all did something great together. Just to represent a little bit.’

Rita and Dua are both from Kosovo and both have Albanian heritage, but their bond runs deeper because their grandfathers were friends.

However, there have been reports of a feud between the two over the years, culminating in 34-year-old Bebe, who tried to play the role of peacemaker.

Bebe told The sun in 2021: ‘I really tried. I don’t know what’s really going on there or what the drama is. I’ve always tried to be the peacekeeper and bring the girls together.

“For me, I would love to do something together, but I’m not sure if that will ever happen. And I won’t say anything else about that.’

The Americans Bebe and Ava, 29, have Albanian parents. Bebe was the first of all four women to start making music, starting in 2010. Dua and Ava both debuted in 2013.

Bebe had her biggest success in 2023 with the big hit I’m Good (Blue), while Ava had a number one in 2018 with Sweet But Psycho.

It was recently revealed that Dua will soon be Britain’s richest singer and is on track to become a billionaire by the age of 40.

Later in the episode, Rita revealed who her favorite celebrity was — and it wasn’t her director husband Taika Waititi.

She said, “You know who I’m fangirling over? Coleen Rooney. She’s a Wag, she’s married to Wayne Rooney and she’s like my idol.

“She made this incredible documentary on Disney+ and I just love her. ‘I like people who just do what they want.’

The Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast releases episodes weekly and is available to watch on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube

By Ashleigh Gray for Dailymail.Com

Published: 11:29 PM EST, December 31, 2023 | Updated: 03:26 EST, January 1, 2024