RITA Ora has finally been confirmed to host next month’s MTV EMAs in Manchester – three weeks after I revealed she had landed the job.
It will be a tough gig for the Brit pop star, as it comes weeks after the death of her close pal Liam Payne.
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I revealed she’ll honour her former collaborator at the ceremony when it takes place at Co-Op live Arena, on Sunday November 10.
Rita broke down on stage in Osaka last week, as she performed 2018 single For You featuring Liam during her Japanese tour.
A source told The Sun: “Bosses have all agreed that they want to host a tribute to Liam during next month’s MTV EMAs.
“She and Liam have been close for years and grew in the industry together. Obviously she is devastated by his passing.”
Rita has done the honours twice before so will be a seasoned pro by the time she takes to the stage at the Co-op Arena on November 10, when it will air live on MTV UK and Channel 5.
Rita said: “We’ve got an amazing line up of music performances and plenty of surprises in store.
“We’re all ‘mad fer it!’.”
The Sun exclusively revealed the Hot Right Now singer was in talks to host the ceremony earlier this month.
A source told us: “Rita couldn’t be more excited. She is spinning a lot of plates at the moment but her first love will always be music, which is why when she was asked to present the ceremony, she jumped at the chance.
“Talks between MTV and Rita’s new management are ongoing and they’re just ironing out the finer details.
“The ceremony is taking place on November 10 so there isn’t much time to spare, but Rita is up for it.”
It will be familiar ground for her, given she hosted the bash when it was last held in the UK, for the 2017 ceremony at Wembley Arena.
This year has been a whirlwind for Rita, who has been filming The Masked Singer in the US as well as working on a new film, He Bled Neon, with Jack O’Connell.
We have been told music is in the pipeline, although if Rita ever gets time to actually make her fourth album, we’ll be impressed.
The record is a follow-up to 2023’s You & I, which reached No6 in the charts.
Rita said last month: “My upcoming album — everything’s a bit awkward, a bit off, a little less perfect. Not super-polished.
That’s the challenge, I like to evolve.
Her last single, Ask And You Shall Receive, was a tie-in with Raye, who co- wrote the track.
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