Sarah Ferguson furiously silenced an audience at Cannes Film Festival as she thanked an artist for a portrait of the late Queen and lectured the crowd on the environment.
The Duchess of York, 64, lost her cool as the crowd continued to speak over her while she stood on stage at the 77th Cannes Film Festival gala auction last night and ordered them to be ‘quiet’ as she thanked Simon de Pury, who had created a portrait of the late monarch which was auctioned off for €475,000 in aid of charity.
The ex-wife of Prince Andrew, who donned a custom-made £13,202 Lilith Cocktail Dress, slammed the chatty audience for looking for ‘the next party’ rather than listening to her – before going on to apologise to young people about the state of the planet.
The clip, in which a frustrated Fergie orders the audience to ‘stop, stop, stop’ was posted on Instagram by German-American model Heidi Klum, who attended the event in aid of amFAR, a non-profit which promotes AIDS treatment and HIV prevention around the world.
Sarah – mother to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie – can be heard saying: ‘Quiet! because the incredible person Simon de Pury has done an amazing job tonight, this is exceptional, and all I want to say to everyone in this room is stop, stop, stop.
Sarah Ferguson silenced the audience as she thanked Simon de Pury for ‘exceptional’ auctioned piece of late Queen at amFAR gala in Cannes on Thursday night
She continued: ‘Did you see I removed the microphone, because all of you are saying “I want to go, because where is the next party? What are we meant to be doing next?”
‘But what I want to say is why are we here? What is the future and why are we not making our planet better for the youth of tomorrow?
She added: ‘I am so sorry that we have completely destroyed your planet, but thanks to amFAR and these people with scientific brilliance…’ before the clip ended.
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is a non-profit which works to improve treatment of AIDS and HIV prevention around the world.
Elsewhere in the evening, she revealed she has ‘put cancer in a corner’ as she continues to recover after her diagnosis earlier this year.
Fergie, who is now ‘all-clear’ from the illness, according to her daughter Beatrice, told People magazine: ‘This evening I am doing very well. I think that we’ve managed to get cancer in the right place rather than cancer ruling me.’
She continued: ‘I think you always have to be aware. I think it’s great to get checked for breast cancer [and] melanoma. I think you just have to be very candid about it. I think a lot of people get very frightened to talk about these things. I’m very happy with my mastectomy and my breasts and just to talk about it.’
Sarah joined the likes of Bella Thorne and Kelly Rowland, Heidi Klum and her daughter Leni at the star-studded gathering.
And she seemingly wasn’t the only star to tell the audience off; Demi Moore scolded spectators while introducing Cher during the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS gala.
Earlier this week, the 64-year-old said she is now an ‘ambassador’ for Generation Z, a term generally referring to those aged 13 to 26, as she attended the Knights Of Charity gala dinner in Cannes.
‘I am the generational bridge between Gen Z and the outside world,’ she declared. ‘I’m saying, “No, Gen Z, I’m very sorry for hurting your planet and I’m listening”.’
Explaining why she is taking up the cause of those less than half her age, she told The Daily Mail’s Richard Eden: ‘I can relate to the pressure they face because Fergie’s always been judged.’
‘Gen Z are very strong people,’ she said. ‘No one should be judged on anything, not race, creed, colour, or any other denomination — and I’m a great supporter of LGBTQ. Everybody just needs to be themselves — why is that not good enough?’
The Duchess of York , 64, appeared frustrated as the crowd chatted over her passionate speech at the 77th Cannes Film Festival gala auction
The royal, who donned a custom-made £13,202 Lilith Cocktail Dress, also apologised to the ‘youth of tomorrow’ for not ‘making the planet better’
Simon de Pury and Sarah spoke on stage during the amfAR Cannes Gala 30th edition presented by Chopard And Red Sea International Film
The mother-of-two looked incredible in a Cocktail Dress embellished with striking wispy sleeves and jewels made to look like raindrops
The Duchess couldn’t keep still for a moment as the cameras clicked on the red carpet
The Duchess of York, 64, pulled a series of very animated poses for her big night out
Sarah appeared in great spirits on the red carpet as she attended the amFAR gala at the 77th Cannes Film Festival
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, poses during a photocall for guest arrivals at the amfAR Gala Cannes 2024
Fergie laughed and joked with the cameramen as she attended the star-studded gala
The intricate floral design made for an elegant look, as she matched her pearl earrings to the stunning fabric
Last night, Sarah looked incredible in a cocktail dress embellished with striking wispy sleeves and jewels made to look like raindrops.
The intricate floral design made for an elegant look, as she matched her pearl earrings to the stunning fabric.
She swept her signature red hair back from her face, and sported a gold bracelet emblazoned with the names of her daughter, Beatrice and Eugenie.
Wearing jewellery engraved with children’s names is a favourite look of Meghan Markle, while Kate Middleton has also worn jewellery with her children’s initials.
The Duchess completed her look with a white clutch bag and sparkling silver heels, adding to the radiant effect of the outfit.
The appearance comes just a day after Princess Beatrice gushed about her ‘incredible’ mother as she visited school children in south London.
The royal, 35, read to children in Reception and Year One during a surprise trip to West Thornton Primary School in Croydon, where she praised the Duchess of York and spoke about her extensive collection of children’s’ books.
‘I grew up with an incredible mum as a children’s author, so stories really created that sense of imagination,’ the mother-of-one said.
Sarah was enjoying visiting the South of France after being diagnosed with two types of cancer in the span of eight months.
Fergie looked dazzling in a white pearl dress embellished with jewels and striking wispy sleeves
She posed for snaps for Giorgio Veroni – an events manager married to Tamara Beckwith
Friendly Fergie even shook hands with the photographers, standing out from the crowd
The Duchess Of York beamed as she arrived for the evening in a pretty pale pink beaded gown with matching caped detailing
The intricate floral design made for an elegant look, as she matched her pearl earrings to the stunning fabric
Elsewhere at the event, the Duchess of York met with Tiziana Rocca (left) and Jumana Al-Rashed (right)
Fergie donned a custom made dress costing more than £13,000 and embellished with sequins and beads to attend the event
The star-studded event was full of celebrity attendees – but the mother-of-two was less than impressed with her audience
The Duchess revealed that she was diagnosed with skin cancer in January, just months after having a mastectomy for breast cancer.
The mother-of-two had a number of moles removed while undergoing breast reconstruction surgery last year, one of which was found to be malignant.
The Duchess was described as being in ‘good spirits’ after the ‘distressing’ news, which was broken to her just days after Christmas.
A melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can spread to other areas of the body, mainly caused by exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun or sunbeds.
People with paler skin, a large number of moles and family history of skin cancer tend to be more at risk of developing this.
Friends at the time said Fergie is the ‘most resilient’ person they know and was already planning to pick up her television career again soon to encourage others to get themselves checked out.
One friend told the Mail that the duchess had been informed she would need ‘further investigations’ to make sure it has been caught at the early stages.
‘Everyone is hoping this is the case and the doctors are hopeful they have got it early, but melanoma is aggressive and they need to double check everything,’ they said.
Heidi Klum put on an extravagant display in a dusky pink tulle gown as she posed for snaps with her daughter Leni, 18, before planting a sweet kiss on her cheek
Showing off her incredible figure, Heidi posed up a storm in a beautiful pink gown which boasted a voluminous tulle skirt and a matching train
As she arrived at the event, Demi Moore was joined by Cher and the singer’s partner Alexander Edwards
Demi showed off her ageless physique as she arrived on the red carpet in a Grecian-inspired white thigh-split gown
Football star Alex Scott (left), and her girlfriend, singer Jess Glynne finally made their first red carpet appearance at the gala after posing separately at events for months
Kelly Rowland brushed off her recent red carpet drama as she attended the glitzy gala, showing off her impressive abs in a sparkly green bralette and a matching skirt
The former America’s Next Top Model star Winnie Harlow was joined by her boyfriend Kyle Kuzma
Robin Thicke and April Love Geary were every inch the picture-perfect duo as they attended the launch together
Diane Kruger bought an edgy twist to the red carpet in the form of her bright green illusion gown with a flowing train, while her brunette tresses were styled into a funky curled look
The legendary model showed off her incredible figure in the glamorous ensemble, which she teamed with white pointed-toe stiletto heels
Michelle Yeoh cut a glamorous figure in a vamped-up black long-sleeved gown with metallic silver heels
Toni Garrn flaunted her famous model figure in a sparkly midnight blue dress adorned with sequins, with the look boasting a strapless top and a sheer skirt
Lady Victoria Hervey amped up the glamour in a revealing black velvet gown, with a matching fishtail skirt and train
Emma Weymouth, Marchioness of Bath, slipped into a plunging silver sequinned gown as she dazzled on the red carpet for Cannes’ annual amfAR gala
They added of Sarah: ‘She’s very resilient and she does bounce back from things quite quickly but two diagnoses of cancer in six months, particularly when she thought she had just got over the breast cancer, is a lot for anyone to deal with and process.
‘You hope you’ve beaten it and then get something like this.
‘That’s why she wanted to take herself off to Austria for a couple of weeks, to get her head around everything. She’s back home now and the family have been very supportive.’
They also praised ‘her girls’ – Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie – who they said have been ‘fantastic over the last six months’.
‘They really have been brilliant over her breast cancer diagnosis. And they are already rallying around her,’ they said.
But in recent weeks, she’s been increasing her public appearances, even travelling as far as Samoa to visit women’s leadership groups last month.
Each year, the gala held in Cannes brings a slew of A-listers to the south of France in order to bring awareness and raise funds for the nonprofit.
Cannes is the world’s biggest film festival, first conceived in 1939 as an alternative to the then-fascist-influenced Venice Film Festival.
It has been held annually since 1946 except in 1948 and 1950, when it was cancelled due to lack of funds.
The festival is known for its carefully selected programme of films that have gone on to Oscar glory or launched the careers of directors like Quentin Tarantino.
The Cannes Film Festival officially kicked off on Tuesday night as celebrities walked the red carpet into the plush Grand Theatre Lumiere to honour Hollywood actor Meryl Streep before settling in to watch this year’s opening film, The Second Act.
‘Are you an Emmy winner? I f*****g don’t think so’: Demi Moore scolds audience as she introduces Cher at star-studded amfAR Gala
Demi Moore scolded the audience while introducing Cher during the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala, in Cap d’Antibes, France, on Thursday.
The Ghost star, 61, was on stage giving the entertainment icon, 78, a glowing tribute, when an audience member in the back seemed to spark her ire.
The video, posted by Ramin Setoodeh on Twitter, starts out with Demi saying, ‘I’m going to see if this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for.’
The actress went on, ‘I’m just making sure that you’re really, really with me. Because this incredible woman that I’m about to introduce – she’s a Grammy winner, an Oscar winner, an Emmy winner.’
At this point Demi paused, seemingly agitated by someone in the audience, before saying, ‘Are you an Emmy winner over there in the back of the room? I f*****g don’t think so.’
Demi Moore scolded the audience while introducing Cher during the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala, in Cap d’Antibes, France, on Thursday
The Ghost star, 61, was on stage giving Cher, 78, a glowing tribute, when an audience member in the back seemed to spark her ire; The duo seen on the red carpet at the event
The audience erupted in a mix of surprised reactions, with some cheers, before Demi resumed.
‘She’s a style icon and my personal hair inspiration. And she was was honoured by amfAR for their award of inspiration in 2015.
‘The bottom line is she is just one of the most talented, successful, and best-loved performers of all time,’ Demi went on.
‘So please,’ she said, before taking another notably long pause, as she stared out over the crowd, before continuing, ‘please give a warm welcome to the incredible, one and only, Cher.’
It’s unclear if someone in the audience had said something, or if she was reacting to the noise coming from the crowd during her introduction, or simply being playful.
Earlier on the red carpet Demi and Cher posed together, as they enjoyed a reunion nearly 30 years after starring in the 1996 HBO series ‘If These Walls Could Talk.’
Demi, Cher, and her younger boyfriend Alexander ‘AE’ Edwards, 38, joined other stars during the evening to help raise funds for HIV/AIDS research at the annual gala, which was first instituted in 1993 by Elizabeth Taylor.
Cher was also pictured performing during the evening in a clip posted by model Heidi Klum to her Instagram. She sizzled up a storm in a black sparkling bodysuit and black leather jacket.
While inside the event the Indecent Proposal star looked simply stunning in a plunging sparkling silver gown that clung to her enviable figure.
The video, posted by Ramin Setoodeh on Twitter, starts out with Demi saying, ‘I’m going to see if this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for’
She went on, ‘I’m just making sure that you’re really, really with me. Because this incredible woman that I’m about to introduce – she’s a Grammy winner, an Oscar winner, an Emmy winner’
At this point Demi paused, seemingly agitated by someone in the audience, before saying, ‘Are you an Emmy winner over there in the back of the room? I f*****g don’t think so’
The audience erupted in a mix of surprised reactions, with some cheers, before Demi resumed
It’s unclear if someone in the audience had said something, or if she was reacting to the noise coming from the crowd during her introduction, or simply being playful
The Indecent Proposal star looked simply stunning in a plunging sparkling silver gown that clung to her enviable figure
Cher was also pictured performing during the evening in a clip posted by model Heidi Klum to her Instagram
She sizzled up a storm in a black sparkling bodysuit and black leather jacket
The sensational outfit featuring nude panels running along the front and highlighted her ample cleavage.
She accessorised the gown with a large statement diamond necklace. Her long raven tresses cascaded down in a sleek style, reminiscent of Cher’s hair in the 70’s.
Earlier on the red carpet she had donned a cowl-neck white dress with a high side split and a long train.
The dress featured a silver rope-like border and she matched the dress with beautiful silver jewellery.
Demi wore her hair pinned up and finished her look with a pair of plain silver heeled sandals.
Earlier on the red carpet Demi and Cher posed together in contrasting gowns, with Demi wearing white and Cher opting for a black outfit
Demi, Cher, and her younger boyfriend Alexander ‘AE’ Edwards, 38, joined other stars during the evening to help raise funds for HIV/AIDS research at the annual gala
Demi and Cher enjoyed a reunion nearly 30 years after starring in the 1996 HBO series, If These Walls Could Talk; the duo seen in a still
Demi and Cher showed off their long-time friendship with sweet snaps on the red carpet, as they wrapped their arms around each other, with Demi leaning in for a kiss and Cher leaning in to meet her.
Cher’s Def Jam music executive boyfriend Alexander, who shares a child with American model Amber Rose, joined at the end.
Ready to move to the next photo-taking spot, Demi’s train was held by a man dressed in a snazzy silver suit so she could move quickly.
Outside, Demi bumped into Michael Jackson’s eldest daughter Paris who wore all-black and accessorised with leafy jewellery.
Demi shares daughters Rumer, 35, Scout, 32, and Tallulah, 30, with ex-husband Bruce Willis, 69, who is battling frontotemporal dementia. Demi and Bruce married in 1987 and split in 2000.
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