Stilettos at dawn

Victoria's secret?

2009-06-17T15:44:56Z

Judging by the pictures of Victoria Beckham on her recent trip to London, I personally couldn't tell you if she's had a boob reduction or not. Cleavage size fluctuates so much anyway depending on the time of the month, general body weight and what type of bra you're wearing, it's so difficult to tell. What do you guys think?

With Posh's spokesperson declining to comment on the stories, it's got me thinking - if it is true, wouldn't people commend her if she did come out and publicly talk about it?

I thought, 'good on you girl' when Kym Marsh said how pleased she was after her surgery, and after reading the stories about Ulrika Jonsson's breast reduction a few months ago I certainly respected her honesty.

I wouldn't undergo cosmetic surgery myself, but I have nothing against it. I think that if more celebrities spoke about their experiences it would help people make informed decisions about whether or not to go ahead with it.

Good for Guy!

2009-06-02T15:11:03Z

I was so pleased to see the pics of Guy Ritchie strolling along the beach today with a pretty girl at his side. Even if the mystery woman is just a pal, it's nice to see him out enjoying himself. Looks like Madonna isn't the only one moving on.

All the girls in my circle go completely gaga over the Material girl's new "companion" Jesus Luz. And while I can appreciate his model good looks, personally he's far too 'pretty boy' for me.

Give me Guy any day. Great sense of humour and that same 'diamond in the rough' quality that dishy 007 Daniel Craig has. Mark my words, Guy won't be enjoying the single life for long - he'll be snapped up in no time!

Thank god for Danny Boyle and his conscience

2009-05-28T14:19:02Z

Am I just hopelessly jaded or totally cynical? I know it's easy to say with hindsight, but when I saw those Slumdog Millionaire children from the Mumbai slums being feted at the Oscars, posing with famous names and generally being introduced to what must seem a fairytale world to them, the alarm bells that went off were positively deafening.

Oh yes, there were the promises, the establishing of trust funds, the commitments to schooling and promises to keep an eye on them. But essentially, after the lights and cameras had been turned off and all the famous faces had headed back to their luxy pads in the Hollywood Hills, Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail had no option but to return to the abject poverty, grime and struggle which helped bring the film its many trophies.

Slumdog Millionaire was touted as heartwarming - an assessment I never shared. Heartwarming is when the problem's solved, and children like Rubina and Azharuddin are guaranteed the same basic 'comforts' enjoyed by other children. Like a safe home, a warm bed and hope for the future - not 15 minutes in the spotlight which serve only to highlight the dreadful disparity between what they have and what could have been theirs in another life.

So thank god for Danny Boyle and his conscience. The purchase of one flat won't change the world, but it sure as heck is a step in the right direction...

Dusty snufflings

2009-05-28T13:55:34Z

Hmm, it's all very heartening to know that after positively decades of marriage Dustin Hoffman is still enarmoured of his wife Lisa. But I'm not sure about all that red carpet snuffling he was doing at the perfume awards bash.

He seems to have been haming it up at these sort of events more and more recently. Or was he always like that?

Come to think of it, I seem to remember him being snapped playing 'can you spot me' from behind a pencil-thick palm while on holiday in Europe last summer.

Perhaps it's not so much that he's showing another side of himself, more that I've never really noticed how uninhibited he can be on some occasions!

Jordan and Peter truly split?

2009-05-12T12:48:06Z

This whole thing about Katie Price and Peter Andre breaking up sounds really weird. If you read what they both say, it's hard to understand how they got to this point. She doesn't want to break up - he's the love of her life - and Andre seems equally stunned by the turn of events.

It seems like just five minutes ago that they were facing the world hand-in-hand. What on Earth's gone wrong? I have to 'fess up to a niggle of doubt about the veracity of the whole scenario. Could this possibly be a ratings boosting endeavor for their flagging reality show? Or am I just being way too cynical.

Any thoughts?

Zara and Mike - my idea of a great couple

2009-05-04T15:25:52Z

I've always liked Zara Phillips - she just seems so down-to-earth and, well - just normal. The kind of girl I can imagine having a giggle over a cocktail with. And after hearing about the Mr & Mrs-style quiz she and Mike Tindall took part in, I like her even more.

How funny they both selected the "big tackle" option when asked what attracted Zara to Mike in the first place. They say the couple who laughs together, stays together, and if so, these two definitely have a great future ahead of them.

Everyone seems to be itching for an engagement announcement from them, but I'm not sure if it'll be coming sometime soon. They just seem to be happy the way they are, and not at all worried about conforming to old fashioned ideals of what a relationship should be. If it 'aint broke, don't fix it I reckon!

Desperately shaping Susan?

2009-04-21T16:34:11Z

Who'd have thought that a rather frumpy, middle aged lady who lives alone with only her cat for company could become a global sensation in just over a week? Britain's Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle's late mum wanted her daughter to make a go of it with her singing. What a shame she didn't live to see her daughter conquer the world.

It's interesting though that it's precisely because she looks like the last person you'd ever expect to hear delivering those fabulous renditions that she's become such a phenomenon. It just goes to prove that old adage you can't judge a book by its cover.

And perhaps it also reflects something about ourselves. Because there's something heart-warming and magical about seeing someone who appears to have the odds stacked against them, triumphing in this way. Perhaps our ability to revel in that fact means, despite the spiteful, cruel and greedy things which seem to hog the headlines these days, there's hope for us after all.

There's been lots of speculation about how much her sudden fame will affect Susan. Will the showbiz types change her images? How will she cope with the new life that lies ahead? I only hope that, whatever they or she decide to do, this opportunity will bring the happiness and satisfaction her mum so clearly desired for her...

Mel Gibson divorce - I hope Robyn gets a fair settlement

2009-04-14T13:57:04Z

So Mel Gibson and his wife are getting divorced? Well I didn't see that one coming. I know they've apparently had their ups and downs over the past few years, but they just seemed so solid.

What really surprised me about the whole thing is that according to Mel's lawyers, they've been living separate lives since August 2006, especially since they've been spotted out together since then. They've obviously worked really hard to keep things friendly between them.

The girls in the office are all debating how much they think Robyn will get in the settlement and what's actually fair. As far as the first point goes, I really don't know. But as for the second - and correct me if you think I'm wrong - I think Robyn deserves every penny she gets.

After all, she's brought up seven of Mel's kids and supported him through 28 years of marriage - that's longer than I've been alive! Plus she knew him from before he was a star, so it's not like she was just with him for fame or fortune.

Ekaterina and Ronnie - happy ever after?

2009-04-06T14:48:05Z

Despite being modern women who've had our fair share of 'bad boy' romances in the past, my friends and I were firmly in the 'Jo Wood camp' from the moment news broke of her husband's relationship with Ekaterina Ivanova.

So when I saw that the relationship between the young former cocktail waitress and the Rolling Stone guitarist seems to be going from strength-to strength I had mixed feelings.

I mean, it's nice that the two of them seem genuinely happy together, but it's hard to shake off the scepticism that seems to rear its ugly head whenever spring/autumn romances are in the frame.

Last summer it was tempting to assume the 20-year-old's interest in the musician - some 40 years her senior - was related to money or fame. But the couple have steered clear of the spotlight, and seem content to get on with their lives together quietly.

As a bright young woman Ekaterina is, I'm sure, aware of the controversy her relationship with Ronnie has caused and conscious that public feeling lies with his wife Jo. So, as far as I'm concerned, she has made the best of what is inevitably a difficult situation.

Who knows if they'll go the distance? Twelve months ago I was convinced it was a summer fling. Now I'm not so sure...

The return of an Eighties classic

2009-04-01T14:29:28Z

I can't believe ripped jeans are back in fashion! I remember my mum having a fit after my big brother took a pair of scissors to his after seeing Bros wearing them on Top Of The Pops. If only he'd kept them. I could nick them and combine two trends in one go - boyfriend jeans, a la Katie Holmes, and the ripped look!

Although I confess to loving the sounds of the Eighties I've always confined the fashion element of my birth decade to fancy dress parties. After seeing how great Cameron looked in hers, though, I might have to reassess. With a pair of edgy stilettos and a funky top I could well be working this look very soon.

Robbie's ready? Yes yes yes!

2009-03-27T13:45:50Z

It's the news I've been waiting for - Robbie's ready to rejoin Take That! At last some celeb news to make me smile. Hoorah!

I remember getting into so many arguments at school over who was the most gorgeous band member. Some girls went for pretty boy Mark (too cutesy for me) and most were in love with Gary Barlow (too predictable!), but Rob was always my fave.

That's why - to me anyway - Take That without Robbie is like a Louboutin without a red sole. Looks fine at first glance, but take a closer look and it's clear an important feature is missing.

So come on Gary, what are you waiting for? Pick up that phone and make that call. You owe it to your fans!

Farewell brave Jade

2009-03-24T14:13:27Z

I know there's been a lot of doom and gloom in celeb land lately, but I couldn't not write about Jade. The fact that we were all expecting the news of her death didn't make it any less shocking or sad. And when I saw the press conference of her mum Jackiey announcing her daughter had lost her battle against cancer I felt a huge lump in my throat.

It's just so sad to think of those boys growing up without their mother. At least when they're old enough to understand they'll know how much she loved them. While she didn't always get things right, and could irritate and offend almost as easily as she charmed and amused, there's no denying that her heart was in the right place when it came to her sons.

As much as she loved to be the centre of attention, that attraction must have palled slightly towards the end. But she'd entered into an agreement with the press in order to guarantee her beloved boys' start to life was very different from hers. And, a brave trouper, she kept her end of the deal. Among all the cards and flowers left outside Jade's home, this poem struck an especial chord:

Mothers never really die,
They just keep house up in the sky.
They polish the sun by day
And light the stars that shine by night
Keep the moonbeams silvery bright
And in the heavenly home above
They wait to welcome those they love.

A lovely thought that hopefully will bring comfort to Bobby and Freddie, the sons she promised she'd be watching from heaven.

A desperately sad loss

2009-03-20T17:01:47Z

I still can't believe that Natasha Richardson is dead - and as the result of such an innocuous incident. It wasn't even like she was on a black slope or anything. She was just trying to get the hang of things on the ski resort's nursery slopes. It's just too sad for words.

I know it's said so often it's become a cliche, but my heart really does go out to her family and young sons. Her husband Liam Neeson looked absolutely devastated as he bravely tried to raise a smile for photographers waiting outside the couple's New York apartment as he returned from the hospital after the family had said their goodbyes. I can't even begin to imagine their heartbreak.

Celebrities so often seem to lead charmed lives. An incident like this just goes to show that they're vulnerable to exactly the same unexpected twists of fate as the rest of us, though. Sometimes you wish they weren't. It's bad enough to lose someone you love, but having to put a brave face on things as the world watches how you cope must be incredibly hard.

What with Jade Goody and now Natasha there seems to have been an awful lot of sadness around in the world of celebrity of late. I guess these things go in cycles, but at the moment I'm finding my personal celebrity radar dominated by Jade's brave struggle, and the heartbreak of Natasha's family.

Vivienne gets on her bike

2009-03-17T17:36:16Z

Somehow I always imagined Vivienne Westwood and her husband swanning round London in a limousine or a statement-making set of wheels. I never really pictured them pedalling along, though.

I almost choked on my frappachino today when I read Andreas Kronthaler's comment about them biking from Camden to Wandsworth. Apart from the fact that the idea of the doyenne of fashion on a push bike was strange to say the least, it's miles!

And as there's no way either of them will be wearing a tracksuit, I'll be keeping my eyes peeled next time I'm in Wandsworth to see what the grand dame of fashion considers suitable 'biking' attire!

Essex stint for King of Pop

2009-03-11T17:21:16Z

Somehow, even though it's long sold, whenever I think of Michael Jackson I still envisage him amid the surroundings of Neverland, his California ranch come theme park. Which makes the news that he's going to be hanging out in Rod Stewart's place in Essex while in the UK for his July concerts even more interesting.

Despite his jet-set lifestyle, with his football and fondness for all things Scottish Rod gives the impression of remaining essentially grounded. The same cannot be said for his new American tenant.

Admittedly it's unlikely Michael will be pottering along to the pub, or dropping by to catch a local soccer match. But it's an intriguing thought!

It's not unknown for high-profile property owners to make their accommodation available to famous pals. George Clooney does it regularly with his Lake Como mansion, as does Elton John. How great to be a fly on the wall as the newcomers arrive and begin to explore. There's just something so intrinsically thrilling about being let loose in someone else's home!