January 2, 2026
KUALA LUMPUR – As we usher in the new year, it’s worth pausing to revisit the stories that made 2025 such a year.
From a fictional K-pop group and the engagement of “your English teacher and gym teacher” to Blue Origin’s tone-deaf space stunt and the shocking death of Barbie Hsu, these were the headlines that made our jaws drop, and, sometimes, had us shaking our heads in disbelief.
Kiss cam gone wrong
No couple went as viral in the history of viral than Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot in July 2025.
What was supposed to be a routine show for Coldplay in Massachusetts, the United States, turned into one of the biggest pop culture scandals of the year.
Midway through the British band’s set, the kiss cam zoomed in on a couple who, at first, was locked in an embrace, enjoying the show.
True to Rockwell’s 1983 hit, somebody’s always watching. PHOTO: TIKTOK SCREENGRAB/THE STAR
But once they spotted themselves on the Jumbotron, the couple immediately recoiled and ducked, prompting Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin to, jokingly, quip: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
The fallout was swift.
Within weeks, both had stepped down from their high- flying jobs – a reminder that in the age of viral clips, you better behave accordingly in public.
TNT engagement
Now here’s another couple that the Internet couldn’t get enough of in 2025… but in a good way.
After dating for two years, Taylor Swift announced her highly anticipated engagement to football superstar Travis Kelce.
And the announcement couldn’t be cuter.
Travis Kelce took Beyonce’s advice and put a ring on Taylor Swift. PHOTO: TAYLOR SWIFT’S INSTAGRAM/THE STAR
The couple shared the big news in a joint Instagram post on Aug 26, cheekily captioned: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”
The post was accompanied with a carousel of photos which included Kelce on one knee in a lush garden setting and a close-up of Swift’s knocker of a ring.
The couple is said to marry in summer this year.
Body by Ozempic?
2025 was the year Hollywood went from embracing every body type to being thin-obsessed all over again.
Almost overnight, red carpets were filled with visibly slimmer stars, their transformations sparking the question: “Could it be Ozempic?”
It is not about the bass anymore with Meghan Trainor. PHOTO: MEGHAN TRAINOR’S INSTAGRAM/THE STAR
Ozempic, a prescription drug designed to treat type 2 diabetes, gained fame especially in Tinseltown for its side effect: weight loss.
While some celebrities – including Oprah Winfrey – openly spoke about their use of weight-loss medication, many others credited clean eating, discipline and, erm, “lifestyle changes” for their dramatic makeovers.
Even stars such as Lizzo and Meghan Trainor, who once built their public personas around celebrating curves, appeared to pivot, now sporting slimmer figures.
Namewee arrested
The Malaysian entertainment scene was rocked in November when controversial rapper Namewee was arrested.
The 42-year-old found himself at the centre of a high-profile police investigation after Taiwanese social media influencer Iris Hsieh, better known as Nurse Goddess, was found dead in a Kuala Lumpur hotel on Oct 22, and Namewee was said to be the last person seen with her.
He was then arrested over alleged drug possession and use but was released after pleading not guilty to the charges at the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court on Oct 24.
Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, was detained by police in connection with Hsieh’s death on Nov 5.
On Nov 12, Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar stated that there was no evidence linking Namewee to Hsieh’s death, and he would be released on police bail.
On Dec 22, he was acquitted of drug usage.
The unwanted spotlight has taken a toll on the rapper.
In a social media post, he said that all of his work through the end of 2026 have been axed.
Space oddity
As the gap between the ultra-rich and the rest of us widens, pushback against celebrity multi-millionaires become more apparent.
But what’s worse is how tone-deaf they can be. Case in point: the all-female crew to the edge of space.
Katy Perry kissed the ground and she liked it. PHOTO: BLUE ORIGIN/INSTAGRAM/THE STAR
In April 2025, pop star Katy Perry joined journalist Gayle King, entrepreneur Lauren Sanchez, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, activist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin NS‑31 flight – a 10-minute suborbital ride that made headlines as much for its star power as for its disconnect from reality.
Perry sang What A Wonderful World in zero gravity and kissed the ground upon landing – a sight that made much of the world collectively groan.
Lots of Labubu
No inanimate object has divided the world so much in 2025 than Pop Mart’s Labubu. While the craze started in 2024, it was in 2025 that Labubu went into overdrive.
Digest these figures: Labubu‑ related products helped drive the company to the tune of US$1.9bil (RM7.68bil) in revenue in the first half of 2025, up more than 200% year‑on‑year!
Detractors couldn’t fathom the long queues outside Pop Mart outlets for the blind boxes, or the amount of money fans splurge on these dolls, the brainchild of Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung.
Just like Michelle Yeoh, Labubu is also everywhere all at once. PHOTO: PLAY/GROUND/INSTAGRAM/THE STAR
Meanwhile, celebrity fans couldn’t get enough of Labubu, too, with stars such as Dua Lipa, Rihanna, Lisa, Cher and even David Beckham spotted with them.
But no one loves Labubu as much as Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh.
The Oscar winner claimed she owns more than 100 of the dolls, celebrated her 63rd birthday with a Labubu-themed cake and now she’s an ambassador for a Labubu‑themed luxury collection with French brand Moynat.
It’s been reported that a Labubu film is in the works.
Goodbye Barbie Hsu
At the start of the year, the Chinese entertainment scene was shaken by the death of the beloved Barbie Hsu.
At the start of the year, the Chinese entertainment scene was shaken by the death of the beloved Barbie Hsu. PHOTO: COLLECTED/THE STAR
Fondly known as Big S among fans, the Taiwanese star died unexpectedly on Feb 2 at the age of 48 after contracting influenza‑ related pneumonia while on a family holiday in Japan.
Her untimely death left fans and co-stars such as Meteor Garden’s Ken Chu and Vanness Wu, in shock, prompting an outpouring of grief from across Asia.
Hsu is survived by husband South Korean DJ Koo Jun‑yup, and two children from a previous marriage.
KPop Demon Hunters craze
Who would have thought that the K‑pop act making the biggest impact in 2025 would be a fictional one?
That’s saying something, especially in a year when Blackpink reunited for a world tour and all the BTS members completed their military service.
Your K-pop idol of 2025 – Huntr/X. PHOTO: HANDOUT/THE STAR
Yet it was Rumi, Mira and Zoey – the members who make up Huntr/X, the fictional girl group in Netflix’s hit animated series KPop Demon Hunters – who commanded our undivided attention.
KPop Demon Hunters became the most‑watched film in Netflix history, while the earworm Golden, performed by Huntr/X’s voices Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, dominated charts and playlists worldwide.
Talk about blurring the lines between real and imaginary idols!
Brotherly love
In February last year, the highly anticipated third season of The White Lotus descended upon us, and promptly gave us plenty to talk about.
Where do we even begin?
There was Blackpink’s Lisa making her TV acting debut as a staff member at the luxury resort.
There was the lush setting, with the series shot entirely in Thailand – from the beaches of Phuket to the rivers of Bangkok.
Then there was Parker Posey, playing a perpetually drugged-out Southern mum and delivering a steady stream of scene- stealing one-liners.
Brotherly bonding has a different meaning in ‘The White Lotus’. PHOTO: HANDOUT/THE STAR
But nothing topped the incestuous storyline involving brothers Saxon and Lochlan, played by breakout stars Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sam Nivola. The plotline left viewers appalled and uncomfortable.
The White Lotus once again proved its knack for pushing buttons and keeping the Internet buzzing.
Wicked memes
Just like its press tour for the first Wicked movie in 2024, the junkets for Wicked: For Good delivered a meme feast that had netizens tickled pink.
And it was all thanks to the now-celebrated sisterhood between Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The co-stars, again, showed their affection for one another – getting touchy-feely, tearing up at the drop of a (witch’s) hat and serving up quotable moments during interviews and red-carpet appearances.
But it was Erivo’s expressive facial reactions and animated body language that truly launched meme after meme, giving the Internet plenty to work with.
Cynthia Erivo auditions for ‘The Bodyguard’ reboot. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB/THE STAR
However, the Wicked press tour took a dark turn when the cast stopped over in Singapore on Nov 13.
Johnson Wen, a 26-year-old Australian, jumped the barricade at Universal Studios and rushed towards Grande, flinging his arm roughly around her.
Erivo, ever the fiercely protective co-star, reacted instantly and shoved him away – a moment that was quickly turned into yet another meme.