Dua Lipas Party: Awkward Encounter with Taylors Ex

and Callum Turner's pre-wedding cocktail party in Sicily saw the stars gather on Friday. 

The couple hosted a pre-wedding cocktail bash at Palazzo Valguarnera Gangi, with guests including Charli XCX and in attendance, before they tie the knot. 

However, things got off to an awkward start as Charli, 33, was spotted just a metre away from her nemesis 's ex .

Charli and Taylor's rivalry stems from their time touring together in 2018 as well as Taylor's former relationship with The 1975's . 

For the outdoor party, Charli was joined by her The 1975 drummer husband George Daniel, 36, while Joe, 35, stood behind them. 

The actor and Taylor dated for six and a half years. They began their relationship in the autumn of 2016 and officially separated in early April 2023. She has since moved on with Travis Kelce. 

Speculation of a feud between Taylor and Charli grew after fans picked up on some cryptic lyrics in Taylor's new album, The Life Of A Showgirl. 

'I heard you call me "Boring Barbie" when the coke's got you brave,' Swift sang on her track Actually Romantic, in a lyric that many listeners interpreted as a pointed jab at Charli, who has openly referenced drug use in her own music. However, neither party has yet confirmed who the song is really about. 

She followed it up with: 'High-fived my ex and then you said you're glad he ghosted me / Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face' - seemingly a reference to Charli's friendship with The 1975 frontman , whom Taylor briefly dated in 2023. 

She also hinted the singer in question is seemingly obsessed with her, as she sang: 'But it's actually sweet / All the time you've spent on me / It's honestly wild.'

The pair have known each other for years - with Taylor bringing Charli out as a support act on her 2018 reputation tour - but, more recently, many have speculated there is growing bad blood between the pair. 

Charli, whose real name is Charlotte Emma Aitchison, is married to George from the 1975, meaning she has grown closer with his bandmate Matty in recent years. 

During Taylor's 2018 Reputation stadium tour, Charli opened for the 14-time Grammy Award winner on more than 50 nights.

But the first hint of trouble seemed to brew the following year in 2019, as while speaking to Pitchfork, Charli said: 'As an artist, it kind of felt like I was getting up onstage and waving to 5-year-olds.'

She went on to say following the tour, it made her decide to never open for anyone again.

Charli added: 'I've done so much of it, and it really cemented my status as this underdog character, I need to just own my own f***ing s**t finally.'

However, Charli appeared to address the rumoured rift in an article with New York magazine.  

She said: 'People are gonna think what they want to think. That song is about me and my feelings and my anxiety and the way my brain creates narratives and stories in my head when I feel insecure and how I don’t want to be in those situations physically when I feel self-doubt.'

Taylor also contributed to the article and gushed she is 'blown away' by the Brat singer's music.

The Fearless songstress said: 'I've been blown away by Charli's melodic sensibilities since I first heard "Stay Away" in 2011. Her writing is surreal and inventive, always. She just takes a song to places you wouldn't expect it to go, and she's been doing it consistently for over a decade. I love to see hard work like that pay off.'

Meanwhile, Dua and Callum touched down in Sicily on Thursday ahead of their big day, with the couple unwinding at the £6,000-a-night Villa Igiea Hotel. 

The hotel is on the outskirts of Palermo and is the base for the couple's celebrations which kick off Thursday and the couple's suite is described as 'the crowning jewel'.

No expense has been spared, with the pair said to have booked an entire floor of suites at the hotel overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. 

But some local businesses are angry that they have had to close up early on a Friday evening – one of the most popular nights for going out in Palermo which has also become a magnet for British tourists in recent years. 

Mark and his wife  arrived in Palermo for the wedding on Friday, as locals expressed their fury at the city's shut-down for the event.

The Italian hotspot has been surrounded by a so-called 'ring of steel,' with security and police closely guarding streets surrounding the venue where a cocktail reception will take place.