Aeroplanes are hotbeds for germs, and supermodel Naomi Campbell is taking no chances when it comes to hygiene.
The 49-year-old reveals that every time she gets on a plane she brings a surgical mask, disposable gloves and anti-bacterial wipes.
She then cleanses the entire area around her seat — everything from the table and TV screen to the headrest, seatbelt, and the back of the seat in front.
The 49-year-old reveals that every time she gets on a plane she brings a surgical mask, disposable gloves and anti-bacterial wipes (pictured)
She then cleanses the entire area around her seat — everything from the table and TV screen to the headrest, seatbelt, and the back of the seat in front. Pictured: Campbell at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in May
‘This is what I do on every plane I get on,’ she explains. ‘I do not care what people think of me. It’s my health and it makes me feel better.’
She also brings her own seat cover, which she gets hand-washed at her hotel, and masks up to ‘protect’ herself. ‘No matter what plane you take, private or commercial, people start coughing and sneezing and it makes me . . . I just can’t.’
Why Jeffrey Archer’s son is hoping for a generous slice of Pi
Already hailed as the most compelling stage production since Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse, Life Of Pi is the cause of particularly ecstatic celebration for bestselling author Jeffrey Archer’s elder son, William.
For I can reveal that William is the key ‘angel’ backing the production, to the tune of £150,000.
‘This is William’s baby,’ one of his friends tells me.
‘It’s been a great critical success already and is certain to win a West End transfer.’
Contractual obligations prevent Archer, 47, from commenting on financial details, but he’s understandably delighted. ‘I’m one of the two commercial producers in the title,’ he tells me. ‘Frankly, it’s been amazing.’
Already hailed as the most compelling stage production since Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse, Life Of Pi is the cause of particularly ecstatic celebration for bestselling author Jeffrey Archer’s (left with wife Dame Mary Archer) elder son, William (right)
Currently transfixing audiences at the Sheffield Crucible, Life Of Pi uses the same puppeteers as War Horse, which was performed in front of a staggering seven million people in 11 countries.
If Life Of Pi, based on Yann Martel’s Booker Prize-winning novel, attracts just a fraction of its box office, it will make William a fortune. His father, Lord Archer, is a successful ‘angel’ — investor in theatrical productions.
At one stage Lord Archer had a stake in about 15 London shows, including £400,000 in a blockbuster production of The King And I. ‘Everyone who walks into that theatre is giving me £1.15,’ he said at the time.
Like his father, who was deputy chairman of the Tory Party, William has a history of political involvement. In 1999 he moved to the U.S. to work on Democrat Bill Bradley’s presidential campaign.
William has spoken of growing up in the shadow of his father: ‘I’ve met a lot of powerful people, but I’ve not seen many with the same intensity, concentration and ambition as Dad,’ he said.
Hopefully he’ll soon see the fruits of his labour pouring in. Not a penny more, not a penny less . . .
Dress-down Sunday in London for Mark Carney
Incognito Bank boss pops out to Sheeran gig
We’re not used to seeing the Governor of the Bank of England wandering around in mufti.
But it was dress-down Sunday in London for Mark Carney who went to see Ed Sheeran perform at a one-off show at the Theatre Royal in Haymarket in aid of the education charity Masterclass.
The man some regard as Canada’s answer to George Clooney was among an exclusive gathering including Lord Lloyd-Webber and his wife Madeleine and economist Noreena Hertz and her husband, TV executive Daniel Cohen.
Carney’s fondness for music-festival chic is well known — he memorably donned glitter at the Wilderness festival in 2016, reinforcing what his colleagues term his ‘star quality’.
One small step for man, one giant leap for Duran-kind!
As a young boy, he was captivated by the first lunar landing.
Today, Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran will perform with Princess Diana’s favourite band at Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre, where Apollo 11 was launched.
‘In July 1969 an entire generation was moonstruck,’ says Rhodes, 57.
Today, Nick Rhodes (right with Nick Rhodes) of Duran Duran will perform with Princess Diana’s favourite band at Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre, where Apollo 11 was launched
‘I was one of those kids watching in complete amazement on TV as the lunar module touched down, and Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon.’
A decade later Rhodes formed Duran Duran with Simon Le Bon. ‘The indelible impact of the moon landing was still one of our main sources of inspiration. We formed the band and released our first single, Planet Earth,’ Rhodes says.
Anyone hoping our greatest all-round cricketer Sir Ian Botham won’t steer questions about cricket onto his favourite subject — wine — is going to be on a sticky wicket, despite England’s vintage showing in the World Cup.
‘He’ll always answer the questions,’ reports a friend of oenophile Beefy, who has hung up his bat in favour of making wine. ‘But I know he gets a bit frustrated. He just wants to talk about wine these days. It’s his passion. He’ll talk about the cricket. But he always wants to bring it back to wine.’
Even stars get star-struck. Oscar-winner Dame Judi Dench, who plays medium Madame Arcati in a new film adaptation of Noel Coward’s play Blithe Spirit, recalls her first encounter with the flamboyant playwright.
‘I was introduced to him once,’ she says, ‘and I didn’t wash my hand for absolutely ages. He had the most wonderful aftershave.’
The success of Emily Maitlis’s book Airhead has not convinced her Newsnight presenting colleague Kirsty Wark of the merits of publishing her own memoir, but it’s primarily due to her own powers of recollection.
‘I’ve forgotten most of it,’ says Wark when asked if she’ll ever write a tome about her life.
‘It would be fictionalised in some ways, I think.’ Fake news!
Burlesque queen Dita Von Teese is irked that women are not encouraged to show their sensuality as they mature.
‘When I was 20 I wouldn’t have thought about this issue, but I’m always looking up to women who are a bit older than me,’ the 46-year-old says.
‘Whenever I see Sharon Stone [61] it’s usually in a room with a whole lot of supermodels, but all eyes are on Sharon. Men, in particular, just cannot take their eyes off her.’
The older woman, claims Dita, possesses ‘some very potent erotic weaponry’. Phew!