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'Adolescence' star Owen Cooper set to make Soccer Aid history at just 16

Cooper has already collected major acting honours and secured high-profile film roles

'Adolescence' star Owen Cooper set to make Soccer Aid history at just 16

Owen Cooper will become the youngest player ever to feature in Soccer Aid

Getty Images

Highlights

  • Owen Cooper will become the youngest player ever to feature in Soccer Aid
  • The 16-year-old actor shot to fame through Netflix hit Adolescence
  • Cooper has already collected major acting honours and secured high-profile film roles

From award-winning actor to Soccer Aid trailblazer

Owen Cooper is preparing to add another milestone to his rapidly growing list of achievements after being named in England’s squad for Soccer Aid.

The 16-year-old actor, who gained international recognition for his performance in Netflix drama Adolescence, is set to become the youngest participant in the charity football match’s history.


The occasion is particularly notable given that Cooper was not yet born when the inaugural Soccer Aid event took place in 2006.

Representing England, he will share the pitch with football legends including Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe and Theo Walcott, as well as celebrities such as Robbie Williams, Tom Hiddleston, Jack Whitehall and Paddy McGuinness.

Record-breaking success after Adolescence

Cooper's rise has been remarkable since filming Adolescence at the age of 14.

His performance earned widespread acclaim and helped him make history at several major awards ceremonies. He became the youngest-ever winner of the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actor and also set records as the youngest male supporting actor recognised at both the Golden Globes and the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Industry observers have tipped the Warrington-born actor for a long career in film and television, with comparisons already being drawn to the career paths of actors such as Timothée Chalamet and Tom Holland.

He added that the match raises vital funds for children around the world Getty Images

Major film projects already lined up

The young star's career shows no signs of slowing down.

Following Adolescence, Cooper secured a role in Wuthering Heights alongside Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. He is also set to appear in psychological thriller Foxfinder, starring Tessa Thompson and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

Speaking after his Soccer Aid selection was announced, Cooper said he was proud to take part in the event's 20th anniversary edition and described becoming its youngest-ever player as a "real honour".

He added that the match raises vital funds for children around the world and said he was grateful to be involved in a cause that helps young people grow up safe, healthy and able to play.

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selena gomez  and demi lovato reunite after years

Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato reunite for Rare Beauty’s campaign

Getty, Instagram/selenagomez

Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato turn back time with a surprise Disney reunion

  • Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato reunite for Rare Beauty’s Still Making Each Other Blush campaign.
  • The pair recreate moments from Princess Protection Program and revisit their early YouTube videos.
  • Their collaboration brings back memories of a friendship that began before either star found global fame.

Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato revisit their Disney days in a new Rare Beauty campaign. The former child stars recreate moments from Princess Protection Program and their old YouTube videos. Their reunion brings back memories of a friendship that began long before fame. The pair have reunited for Rare Beauty’s Still Making Each Other Blush campaign, bringing back moments from their 2009 film Princess Protection Program and recreating the informal videos they made together as teenagers. The campaign has taken fans back to their Disney Channel days.

The interesting part of their reunion is how much of their shared history it brings back. Before Gomez became a global music star and actress, and Lovato established herself as a singer, the two were children who met while working on Barney & Friends.
Now, years later, they are revisiting those early memories as adults with separate careers and experiences behind them.
The campaign also promotes a limited-edition blush bundle from Gomez’s beauty brand, Rare Beauty, but it is the connection between the two stars that gives the collaboration its wider appeal.

One of the campaign’s central moments sees Gomez and Lovato recreate the poster of Princess Protection Program, bringing back the characters that fans remember from the Disney Channel film.

They revisit their early YouTube videos, looking through old photographs, playing with makeup and lip-syncing to One and the Same, their duet from the movie. For fans who followed them during those years, the references are instantly recognisable. Their lives have moved far beyond Disney, with Gomez building Rare Beauty alongside her work in music and acting, while Lovato has continued pursuing music and other creative projects.

They knew each other before the fame

Gomez and Lovato first met as children while auditioning for Barney & Friends. Both appeared in the television series before moving on to other projects and eventually becoming familiar faces on Disney Channel. Their friendship continued through Princess Protection Program, but, as they grew older, their lives and careers took different directions.

This reunion brings together two people whose connection began at a time when their futures were still taking shape.
Lovato described the campaign as a full-circle moment, recalling how being on set with Gomez reminded her of their early days making videos and playing with makeup. Their shared memories have now become part of a campaign that connects their past with the lives they have built since then.

Gomez and Lovato are bringing back memories that belong to their audience as well. For those who watched Princess Protection Program, followed their early careers or listened to One and the Same, the campaign recalls a period when Disney Channel was part of their everyday lives.

The stars may be revisiting their own childhood, but fans are also remembering theirs. Old songs, familiar scenes and references to their early videos can bring back memories of school days, favorite television programmes and the people with whom they shared them. The reunion also follows Gomez’s appearance at the opening night of Lovato’s tour in April, when she showed her support for her former co-star.

For Rare Beauty, the campaign promotes a new product. For Gomez and Lovato, it offers an opportunity to revisit a friendship that began before their careers reached their current stages. But the interesting part is what the reunion says about the passage of time. The two stars are no longer the children audiences first encountered on television, and their lives have changed. Yet they still return to the same photographs, songs and stories that once connected them.