Rita Ora flouts Covid rules AGAIN

Humiliated pop star Rita Ora was last night forced into another grovelling apology for breaching strict coronavirus rules – after The Mail on Sunday exposed how she received a six-figure sum to appear at an event in Egypt.

The 30-year-old singer flew by private jet to Cairo on November 21 to perform at the five-star W Hotel. She returned the next day and under Government quarantine rules should have self-isolated for 14 days.

Instead, she threw a birthday party on November 28 at the exclusive Casa Cruz restaurant in Notting Hill, West London.

Instead, she threw a birthday party on November 28 at the exclusive Casa Cruz restaurant in Notting Hill, West London, pictured 

Ms Ora was forced to apologise last week after she and around 30 guests, including model Cara Delevingne, were photographed at the event before the end of the second national lockdown on Wednesday.

While the singer said she was ‘deeply sorry’ for her actions and offered to pay a £10,000 fine for hosting the party, she did not mention her trip to Egypt or breaking a second set of strict rules.

According to a source, Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi was among those at the party at the W Hotel, possibly to celebrate his 66th birthday which was two days earlier. A spokesman for the singer said she had been hired by the W Hotel and had neither met nor been aware of the presence of Mr Sisi. The Egyptian Government did not respond to a request for comment.

Photographs of her performance at the W Hotel show Ms Ora belting out hits dressed in a black dress, stockings and suspenders. The singer, who is openly bisexual, also wore rainbow hair extensions, possibly as a sign of support for the LGBT community.

Gay rights have been curtailed in Egypt since Mr Sisi came to power in 2014. His regime has arrested dozens of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people over allegations of sexual deviance and insulting public morals. Ms Ora’s fee, paid by the W Hotel, included her ‘business expenses’ and the £40-£50,000 cost of the 7,000-mile round trip flight. The hotel recently launched their new venue in Cairo.

In addition to her apology, Ms Ora last night said she would donate any profit from the engagement to charity. In a statement, she told the MoS: ‘I recently flew to Egypt to perform at a corporate event for a private company, where my travel party followed protocol and presented negative Covid tests upon entry, as required by Egyptian authorities. Upon my return to Britain, I should have followed Government advice and isolated myself for the required period. As you know, I didn’t follow Government advice and… I apologise again, unreservedly.

‘While I realise the apologetic words of a pop star might not carry much weight, especially one who has broken the rules like I have, I do realise some might seek to follow my example. My message to them is simple: please don’t. The guilt and shame I’ve carried this week for my mistake aren’t worth it. Instead, continue to listen to the Government advice and the voices of the heroes of the NHS and take the required precautions.’

She added: ‘I hope to one day make it up to the public who have given me so much support over the years and, in particular, make it up to the heroes of the NHS…In the meantime, I will be donating my fee from Egypt to charity. Be better than I have been and learn from my mistakes so you don’t have to learn the hard way yourselves.’

A spokesman for the star, estimated to be worth £10 million, said she and her team had all subsequently tested negative for coronavirus.