Celebrity & Style Mag

Wednesday 26 March 2014

England's cricket team (and Piers Morgan's ribs) take a pasting Down Under

One day,' I promised my sons Spencer, Stanley and Bertie, years ago, 'we will go and watch the Ashes in Australia.' After England's rampant 3-0 victory in last summer's contest, the perfect time appeared to have arrived.

'We're going to the 4th and 5th Test matches in Melbourne and Sydney,' I declared in September.

'What if it's already over by then?' asked Stanley, 16.

'It won't be.' I chuckled. 'Not even this Aussie team could lose the first three games at home.'

It's a family affair: Piers with sons Stanley, Bertie and Spencer at the Sydney Opera House

Thus emboldened, I splashed out a sum of money approaching the national debt of Estonia to book us all flights from various parts of the world (me direct on Qantas from Los Angeles, my sons and youngest brother Rupert from London via Singapore Airlines) and well-recommended hotels in both cities.

Ben Fogle on working up an appetite for the Azores... and sampling volcanic hot pot

I have been obsessed with islands since I was a child. My young imagination was sparked by books such as Treasure Island, Lord Of The Flies and other works of fiction whose plots are inextricably linked with exotic blobs of land surrounded by oceans. This obsession has continued into adulthood. Indeed, I have an island to thank for my career as a broadcaster.
My experience in the BBC reality show Castaway 2000 - when I was marooned with 35 others on the isle of Taransay in the Outer Hebrides - led to the television presenting roles that catapulted me to fame. Since then I have visited islands as remote as St Helena in the South Atlantic and the Pitcairns in the South Pacific.

Spring time: Ben relaxes in the warm water at Terra Nostra Park

So after marrying into a family who love holidaying in Portugal, it was only a matter of time before I visited the Azores. I've always been intrigued by this chain of

Australia's hippest hop spot: Cuisine, calm and the chicest retreat on Kangaroo Island

There's nothing like running on a beach. And if that beach is on South Australia's Kangaroo Island, with its pristine sands and turquoise waters, then it's a truly wonderful sensation.
I must admit I've never really been much of a runner. But after a glorious month-long tour of Australia and having piled on the inevitable pounds, I found myself on one of the most beautiful stretches of sand on Earth being put through my paces by a former chef at famous London restaurant The Ivy.

Jump to it: Sian meets one of the locals (sort of) at the Southern Ocean Lodge

Sue Pearson is something of a legend on Kangaroo Island.
She arrived in this wilderness more than ten years ago and now runs 'the best fish and chip shop in the world', according to one local newspaper. She also runs a

Beach BBQs, ocean sunsets and a trip to Stingray City: Antigua and Peter Island make a big impression on Rory Bremner

Even with the plethora of medium and long-haul destinations available to today’s discerning travellers, there’s still something special about the Caribbean - that collection of islands cast like a string of pearls into the sea between the Americas.
The islands offer many contrasts: from the exclusive, super-rich haunts of St Barth’s and Mustique to those playboy tax-havens and cruise-ship magnets St Thomas and St Maarten; from the smoky, sultry, Latin American passion of Cuba and Puerto Rico to the yacht-friendly breezes of the Grenadines or the steel-drum, calypso exuberance of the cricketing West Indies.
Palm-fringed beaches? Ocean sunsets? Rum punch and Pina Coladas? Get in.

Jewel in the Caribbean's crown: Rory Bremner takes in the view of the beach at Peter Island

Our mission: to compare and contrast two holiday experiences, Antigua and Peter Island. One, a popular and much-loved destination with cricket-lovers and

After his brush with death, George Michael's finally grown up

GEORGE MICHAEL: Symphonica (Virgin EMI)

Rating:
Verdict: Poignant and polished
Having often made the news for all the wrong reasons, George Michael was hoping to put the focus back on his music when he began a tour of Europe’s finest opera houses three years ago.
He was conquering his demons through drug counselling, and had enlisted a symphony orchestra to breathe fresh life into his weighty back catalogue and some well-chosen covers.
But things didn’t work out as planned. On the opening night in Prague, he was almost in tears onstage as he announced a split from his long-term partner Kenny Goss.

George Michael's in-concert album Symphonica, which was recorded after his recovered from pneumonia, reiterates his resilience as a consummate live entertainer

Three months later, he lay close to death in a Vienna hospital as he battled acute pneumonia. Despite fears that one of the best voices of his generation might never perform again, Michael made a slow recovery and eventually resumed his tour.
This in-concert album, recorded after his recuperation, reiterates his resilience as a consummate live entertainer.

Frights and delights on Liverpool's big night: QUENTIN LETTS reviews Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night (Liverpool Everyman)

Rating:
Verdict: A welcome return
Liverpool's Everyman theatre has reopened after a refit costing £27 million and it looks terrific. North-West England’s greatest city again has a major, high-minded stage.
Artistic director Gemma Bodinetz’s Twelfth Night, which gets off to an innovative start, lasts almost three and a half hours. Thank goodness the new seats are comfortable. Several passages, not least the goofing between Sir Toby Belch (Matthew Kelly) and the lighter people, need to be slashed.
The staging is broad and light, the theatre’s old brickwork, pine floor and high ceiling calling to mind a grand barn for the scenes in Orsino’s and later Olivia’s houses. Potted orchids descend to add a bucolic touch.

Singing on the stage: Matthew Kelly as Sir Toby Belch, Paul Duckworth as jester Feste and Adam Keast as Sir Toby's drinking friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek

When we first see Viola (Jodie McNee) her teeth are chattering from the shipwreck. Good touch.

Suki Waterhouse wears bizarre mismatched ensemble as she attends Fatal Attraction press night with her suitcase in tow

The dust has long settled since Suki Waterhouse attended the Academy Awards on the arm of current beau Bradley Cooper – and the wait for another romantic joint display appeared to continue on Tuesday evening as the willowy model stepped out in London’s West End with a group of pals.
Suki was making an appearance at the city's Theatre Royal Haymarket for the press night of Fatal Attraction – a theatrical rendering of the hit 1987 movie starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close.
The 22-year-old was in high spirits as she made her way out of the venue with her suitcase in tow – but it was her mismatched ensemble, not the bizarre decision to enter a top London theatre with her luggage – that caught the eye.

Don't mind me: Suki Waterhouse has her luggage in tow as she leaves the Theatre Royal in Haymarket on Tuesday evening

Suki had opted for a black crop top that showed off a very slender torso, and she matched the revealing garment with a pair of maroon trousers.

Angelina Jolie glows in ivory pantsuit to promote her film Unbroken at Las Vegas event

Angelina Jolie attracted the light the moment she walked on stage during this event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old actress - who recently disclosed that she plans to undergo more cancer-prevention surgery - was a regal figure in a flowing ivory trouser and jacket set.
The material shrouded her willowy and somewhat fragile frame expertly and the ensemble was complimented by buff-coloured pumps that peeked from the folds of her flaring trousers.

Glowing: Angelina Jolie made a rare and gorgeous outing to attend the Universal Studios presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Tuesday

She addressed the audience during The State of the Industry: Past, Present and Future and Universal Studios Presentation, which is part of CinemaCon.

You don’t have to be a Bond villain to be a billionaire, but it helps . . .CHRISTOPHER STEVENS on last night's TV

Wise heads say that money is important only when you haven’t got any — there are other kinds of wealth that matter so much more.

The wise heads are talking twaddle, as a simple experiment proves: accost the first person you see today who looks moderately solvent, and ask them to lend you 50 quid till Thursday. The money, since they appear to possess an elegant sufficiency of the stuff, shouldn’t be a problem.

But there will be problems, intractable ones. You’d have more luck finding someone in the street willing to donate you a kidney than lend you ‘half a ton’. And if anybody does say yes, run: you’ve been sized up by a payday shark who will arrange the loan at 4,500 per cent and come calling for ten grand or your kneecaps at the end of the month.

If I was a rich man: How to Be A Billionaire's Naveen Jain, the Indian entrepreneur

Even the ultra-rich can never feel relaxed about money. In fact, as How To Be A Billionaire (Channel 4) revealed, they are obsessed with spending it in ways that emphasise its importance. Money matters, and therefore vast sums must matter vastly.

Louise Thompson shows off her glowing orange skin tone at Vision Express product launch

She had a certain zest about her as she arrived at the Oxford Street branch of Vision Express on Tuesday evening – and it had nothing to do with the Heston Blumenthal product launch she was attending.
Indeed, Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson appeared to be a rather vibrant shade of orange as she posed for photos, a pair of spectacles from Heston’s new Spring/Summer range balanced on the bridge of her nose.
The 24-year-old reality star’s skin tone had certainly darkened since her last public outing just six days previously, at the Ottoline store launch on London’s Portobello Road.

Steady on: Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson shows off her darker skin town at the Vision Express launch on Oxford Street on Tuesday evening

Her orange hue was offset by a minty leather jacket, while a pair of skinny black trousers and strappy heels rounded off a distinctly casual ensemble.

Single lady Nigella Lawson enjoys a rare night out as she attends opening night of Fatal Attraction

She's been a notable absence from the London social scene over the past year following her high-profile split from ex-husband Charles Saatchi.
However, Nigella Lawson made a return to the red carpet on Tuesday night as she attended the opening night of the new theatre production of Fatal Attraction.
The TV cook, 54, wore her signature black as she joined a host of stars at the Theatre Royal Haymarket for the stage adaptation of the classic '80s thriller.

Back to black: Nigella Lawson arrives at the opening night of the Fatal Attraction play at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Emma Watson looks svelte in fitted trouser suit as she fulfills promotional commitment for controversial new movie Noah

Her new blockbuster movie has already generated criticism, some two weeks before its official release – but actress Emma Watson won only praise as she fulfilled another promotional commitment for forthcoming biblical epic Noah on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old star was making an appearance at New York’s iconic Ed Sullivan Theatre, home of The Late Show With David Letterman – where she was interviewed by the genial host about her latest role.
Emma looked vaguely androgynous in a smart black trouser suit and crisp white shirt as she posed for photos outside the studio doors, and the fitted ensemble – in particular the skinny ‘cigarette pant’ trousers – complimented her slender frame.
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Looking good: Emma Watson arrives at then Ed Sullivan Theatre in new York City for an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman

The British actress’s look was completed with stylish aplomb courtesy of

Cindy Crawford, 48, slips into plunging black swimsuit for new Omega campaign

She's the face of Omega watches.
But Cindy Crawford easily distracted from the the time-telling accessories in the Swiss brand's latest campaign.
To promote the company's Spring/Summer 2014 collection, the 48-year-old model is clad in a plunging swimsuit and leaves little to the imagination.

What's the focus? Cindy Crawford showed off her sizzling figure in the latest campaign for Omega watches

Kim Kardashian shows off her black bra and Bridget Jones-style underwear in a sheer lace dress

She is known to often show off her bra in sheer tops.
But Kim Kardashian went the whole box and dice when she flashed both her brassiere and underpants in a grey lace shift dress in New York on Tuesday.
However, the 33-year-old reality star's lingerie was not as sexy as one might think she would wear, as she proudly flaunted a pair of high-waisted Bridget Jones-style underpants.

Sheer daring: Kim Kardashian showed off her black bra and high-waisted underpants in a lace grey dress as she stepped out in New York on Tuesday

Kim let her daring dress do all of the talking by teaming the attire with just once accessory, a pair of glamorous gold strappy heels.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin: 'We've consciously uncoupled' Actress takes to her Goop website to announce separation from Coldplay rocker husband of ten years

Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow and husband Chris Martin are separating after 10 years of marriage, they have announced today.
The actress broke the news on her Goop lifestyle website, writing: 'It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate.'
Gwyneth, 41, and Coldplay frontman Chris, 37, have two children, and in their emotional, somewhat bizarrely entitled, statement called 'Conscious Uncoupling', they admitted they had spent more than a year battling to save their marriage.
They wrote: 'We have been working hard for well over a year, some of it together, some of it separated, to see what might have been possible between us, and we have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much we will remain separate.

Split: Rarely photographed couple Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin - seen here at Sean Penn & Friends HELP HAITI HOME event on January 11th this year - have announced their 10-year-marriage has come to an end

What happened when a blonde woman in a sexy pink top walks through a Cairo university campus? Viral video captures crowds of baying men swarming around female

Cairo University students reportedly tried to rip the clothes off a blonde woman as she walked across the campus, sparking outrage across the nation.

The unnamed woman, who was wearing a long-sleeved pink top and fitted black jeans, was recently filmed being abused by a large group of male students as she made her way through the university, one of Egypt’s largest.

The men, some of whom were reportedly law students, went wild, wolf-whistling and jeering as she hurried to get away from them.

Caught on camera: Male students were filmed jeering and wolf-whistling as a blonde woman walked across Cairo University campus - with a campaigner claiming they went on to try and undress her

The men behind Facebook, Tesla and PayPal (and Ashton Kutcher) unite to help create a computer that works like a HUMAN BRAIN

Some of the most entrepreneurial minds in the world are joining forces to help a small tech startup create a digital brain.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla owner Elon Musk join the likes of PayPal billionaire Peter Thiel, actor Ashton Kutcher and Facebook’s co-founder Dustin Moskovitz by investing in San Francisco-based Vicarious.
The startup wants to create software that ‘thinks and learns like a human’, and to do that, the firm is attempting to build a program that mimics the brain’s neocortex.
According to reports in the Wall Street Journal, Zuckerberg, Musk and Kutcher have invested a total of $40million (£24million) in the company.
Thiel reportedly invested $1.2 million (£727,000) in 2010, while Moskovitz was said to have added $15million (£9million) to the fund.
The neocortex is the top layer of the cerebral hemispheres in the brain of mammals. It is approximately 3mm thick and has six layers, each involved with various functions.

Sean Combs ditches P.Diddy moniker to return to stage name which made him famous

He has already changed his stage name twice in his career, confusingly ditching 'Puff Daddy' for the more simple moniker 'P.Diddy' back in 2001.
But now, after streamlining yet again to the simpler 'Diddy' nine years ago, Sean Combs is returning to the name which made him famous.
What's more, the 44-year-old rapper rather confusingly claimed on Tuesday that he never changed his name, and has was always in fact, Puff Daddy.

Daddy or Diddy? Sean Combs says he has always been known as Puff Daddy, a name featured in the opening credits for his new video for song Big Homie

'For the record, I did not change my name,' he wrote on Tuesday. 'I always have been and always will be PUFF DADDY! :) Be cool Man lol #MMM #BigHomie RT!!!!'
The 44-year-old rapper and businessman initially announced the name change in the opening credits to the trailer for new music video Big Homie.
As if to see the funny side, he later tweeted: 'Diddy or Daddy?'

Naomi Campbell bursts out laughing when asked about Kim and Kanye's Vogue cover

Naomi Campbell has graced countless Vogue covers during her 28-year modelling career.
And the 43-year-old beauty seemed less than impressed by US Vogue's decision to put Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on the cover when she appeared on Australia's The Morning Show on Tuesday.
When TV host Kylie Gillies asked Naomi what she thought about the cover, the supermodel burst into a fit of laughter.

'I'm a fashion model': Naomi Campbell hinted that she was unimpressed by US Vogue's decision to put Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on the cover

‘I do not want to comment,’ Naomi said.

Kourtney Kardashian on designing for babies - and why she lets Mason dress himself

It's no secret the Kardashian family loves fashion. They have a women's clothing line called Kardashian Kollection at Sears, Dash boutiques in Los Angeles, Miami and New York, and have now launched a clothing line at Babies R Us stores called Kardashian Kids.
If you have a baby boy, though, you're out of luck. The line is just for baby girls up to 24 months.
'I think girls' (clothing) was easier for me to wrap my head around,' said Kourtney Kardashian while promoting the venture in New York Monday. She said she's 'obsessed with boys' clothes' but found 'it was easier to just start with girls.'

For girls and boys: While Kourtney Kardashian's Babies R Us line is currently only available for girls, she hopes to expand its offerings to boys