Features

Subterms

    More stories

    • 263 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      Megastar duo who flog cars to teen heartthrob who works on a building site…the Noughties pop stars who took normal jobs

      by

      Paloma Faith might be changing her tune when it comes to her career.The 42-year-old singer admitted her latest album could be her last before she pivots to teaching in order to spend more time with her kids.Paloma might put her Faith in the teaching professionCredit: GettyThe Cheeky girls both work in the car trade and Monica is pictured on the forecourt in LincolnshireShe told Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast her Mum is always pushing her to ditch the microphone and pick up the books instead.”She’s like, ‘You’ve had kids, you’ve done the pop star thing. Go and do PGCE [teacher training] because then you can have the same holidays as your kids’. I’m considering it. I just might put one more record out.”Paloma wouldn’t be the only superstar to trade her life of luxury for something a little more run of the mill.From running gourmet food trucks to setting up construction companies, we look at the noughties stars who have swapped pop stardom for yearly salaries.Read more in featuresCheeky car dealersAfter skyrocketing to fame with a bizarre appearance on the reality TV show Popstars: The Rivals, the Cheeky Girls were topping the charts with tunes such as “Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)’. But for the Romanian twins Monica Taylor and Gabriela Irimia, a need for stability drove the pair to the car yards. Both twins are now working as car saleswomen with Monica in Lincolnshire and Gabriela in York.Monica told the Sun in 2021 that cars were a stable career path after Covid destroyed the music industry.“Me and Gaby need a solid business for our future and cars will always be good business.Most read in Celebrity‘She never ages!’ say noughties pop fans as hit singer as she dances with reality star husband and daughter for TikTok“Being an entertainer is fantastic, but like it was with Covid, if you don’t have a solid job or business how do you survive?”They do occasionally slip back into the limelight – and last week teamed up with Irn Bru to surprise shoppers in Glasgow. Kitten turned to cateringJenny (right) with bandmates Liz McClarnon and Natasha Hamilton and outside her eateryJenny Frost, the former star of iconic noughties girl band Atomic Kitten, made the switch from fame to food when she opened a restaurant in Ibiza.The stunning 46-year-old joined the band in 2001 and stayed through until they split in 2008. She now owns the affordable luxury restaurant Sundara on Ibiza’s San Antonio Bay which opened last year.Atomic changesNatasha is now a mum of five and a therapistAnother Atomic Kitten star, Natasha Hamilton, has tried her hand at a couple of different careers – most recently, therapy.The 41-year-old mum-of-five announced in 2021 she was retraining as an “unconscious mind therapist” to try and help people through their trauma.A source told the Sun “Natasha has been completely blown away by this different way of working with the mind and now wants to help others thrive, helping them break free of their self-limiting beliefs.”It’s not the first time the former Kitten has tried her hand at a new career path. The flame haired beauty also retrained as a beauty therapist in 2019 and opened The Beauty Studio in Farndon, Chester the same year.Boy band departure to Kent-loving farmerJB (right) is now rearing lambs and pigs in KentJB Gill is best known for his chart-topping boy band JLS which shot to fame in 2006 – but when the band split in 2013 he gave up the microphone and picked up the keys for the tractor.The 37-year-old put his hand to farming after buying a Kent property with 13 acres of land in 2012. He now lives on the farm with his wife Chloe, 34, and their two children, Ace, 8, and Chiara, 5.He said he loves all parts of the farming life – even the gross parts.”I love some of the more mundane tasks – mucking out is like mindfulness meditation to me. Most people turn their nose up at it, but it gives me time to think,” he told OK.While he will continue to revel in his rural life the band recently announced a reunion tour.Stepping up to teachLisa is teaching in DubaiAfter a glitzy career in showbiz which included 14 top-five singles, Steps star Lisa Scott-Lee has stepped away from the stage and into school.The 48-year-old now runs her own performing arts academy in Dubai where upwards of 600 students come to learn the ropes of the art world.She set up the school in 2014 with her husband Johnny Shentall and regularly posts snaps of the children performing on her Instagram.The family moved to Dubai with their children in 2011 and haven’t looked back.Lisa said in 2021 that Steps was ‘her life” but the academy was her day job.”I can never switch off. Even when I’m with Steps, rehearsing or shooting a video, I’ll be working on my laptop. It’s become a bit of a running joke. I have to flip between my Steps hat and principal hat, which can be really hard and stressful at times.”Jonas Brother turned builderKevin Jonas (left) now runs a building companyOnce upon a time Kevin Jonas spent his days touring with his brothers, playing top ten hits to stadiums packed with thousands of screaming fans. Now, the 36-year-old has left the Jonas Brothers behind and focuses more on building a life for his family.In 2013 he launched Jonas Werner Homes – a luxury construction company for “discerning clients” according to its website. Alongside running the construction firm the eldest Jonas Brother is also the chief executive of The Blu Market – a communications firm which has launched several apps including a food search app called Yood.In between all these jobs, Kevin still finds time to tour with his brothers – most recently last year when the brothers announced they intend to do another tour in 2025 to celebrate 25 years of the Jonas Brothers.X-Factor to contractor Ray Quinn is a carpet fitterCredit: ITV/InstagramX Factor runner up Ray Quinn now lives a life completely different to the fame he experienced in the early 2000s.The singer finished up second in the 2006 series, coming in behind Leona Lewis and made history as the youngest ever male ­artist to enter the UK album chart at number 1 without having released a single.After a dizzying rise to fame he appeared on Dancing on Ice, which he won twice – once in 2009 and then again in the allstars competition in 2014. He also was cast in the iconic soap Hollyoakes where he played right wing nutter Jonny Baxter, and starred in a play at Liverpool’s Royal court. But after a “nightmare year” in 2020, the entertainment work dried up entirely and the 35-year-old went back to manual labour to keep food on the table.When he lost his beloved father to cancer in 2020, he decided to go back to the family business of carpet laying. Up until this he had been delivering mail for Hermes.“It’s good to have another trade under your belt, especially ­during these times. It’s good to have a back-up plan.“You shouldn’t pigeon-hole yourself – I’ve never done that.Boy band star to coffee connoisseur Mark (top right) with his bandmate and serving coffee at a festivalWestlife was at the top of the entertainment world in the noughties. The group had dozens of top ten hits, and were raking in millions in album sales – but now one member has given up the music to serve coffee and crepes.Mark Feehily launched his catering van in 2015, while still balancing a solo music career on the side.He said at the time the business was going “really well” and had been booked for several events. “We’ve got loads of interest and we’ve booked it in with a lot of the music festivals and we’re talking about doing some Irish ones as well.”READ MORE SUN STORIESHe said it worked well for him, because he loved festivals so “why not?” More

    • 313 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      I spoke to Amy Winehouse on night she died… she only needed to take one more step to be happy, says close pal Dale Davis

      by

      ONLY a handful of people knew the real Amy Jade Winehouse. One of them was Dale Davis.Seventeen years her senior, he became Amy’s band leader and confidante during her years in the bright glare of fame.Amy Winehouse’s musical director and friend Dale Davis speaks about how the troubled star was just ‘one step away from happiness’ – but it was too difficultCredit: Camera PressDale, with Amy, reveals how he spoke on the phone with the tragic star just before she went to bed for the final timeCredit: suppliedAmy, with Dale on bass, performing at the 2007 Brit AwardsCredit: GettyDale witnessed euphoric highs as the feisty, vivacious singer from a North London Jewish family took her stellar talent from local jazz clubs to the world stage.He saw crashing lows as her fateful relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil descended into drink and drug-fuelled calamity.He spoke to her hours before she died in 2011, aged just 27, telling her she was “the best”.And today Dale serves as keeper of the flame by running The Amy Winehouse Band, which tours the world to preserve her “important legacy”.READ MORE ON AMY WINEHOUSEWith the Amy biopic, Back To Black, starring Marisa Abela and Jack O’Connell, in cinemas this week, I’m catching up with the amiable bassist.As the film fiercely divides critics, perhaps it takes someone like Dale Davis to take us to the heart of Amy Winehouse.“For a long time I was her favourite person to go anywhere with and then I was second after Blake,” he affirms.“After they split up, I was back to being her favourite person.”Most read in ShowbizHe was the friend she liked to have a laugh with and spin a few records. He also provided her with a shoulder to cry on.They met in 2003 when Amy — still only 19 and a couple months off releasing debut album Frank — auditioned him for her live band.Amy Winehouse’s husband Blake Fielder-Civil admits responsibility for introducing her to heroin “I didn’t get the job at first because she fancied the bass player who went in before me,” says Dale.“But he was too expensive and only did one show so they called me. I’ve always dubbed myself the uglier, cheaper version.”‘She loved you hard’He continues: “I started working with Amy in August 2003, and it was fairly intense for the first 18 months, especially because we were promoting Frank.”So, what were Dale’s impressions of the budding star?“When we first met, she didn’t say much because she was quite an awkward character,” he replies.“But when I started working with her, you could see the love in her.“If she liked you, she really liked you. If she loved you, she loved you hard. She was a warm, beautiful, generous person who made me feel special right from the off.”A year after joining the live band, Dale took on extra responsibility as musical director and remained a steadying presence “until the end”.“Me and Amy got on so well — my role was a natural progression,” he says. “We looked out for each other. I always made sure I had her back and I knew she had mine.“While being in the public eye appeared very stressful, I enjoyed being with her.“Obviously, it all ended sadly but it was an honour to be a part of Amy’s world and I would never change it.”Dale estimates that they played around 170 shows together, the last being a desperate performance by the clearly troubled singer at an outdoor venue in Serbia’s capital Belgrade in June 2011. “That final one was my most difficult night on stage,” he says. “It was all a bit of a shock.I talked to her at 11.30pm, three hours before she went to bed for the last time, and she was on good formAmy’s pal Dale Davis“To this day, I can’t believe we played for an hour and 20 minutes.“I think we knew by then that it was the end in terms of Amy singing those songs. She’d got bored with them after five or six years.”Dale says that prior to Belgrade, there were “lots of cancellations even though we were always ready”.“It was a funny thing with Amy because I thought she only needed to take one step to be happy — but that step was too difficult.“She was never far from being OK in my opinion.” Amy and Dale’s final conversation took place by phone six weeks after that disastrous show, on the night before she died at her Camden townhouse.Clearly finding the memory painful, he recalls: “I talked to her at 11.30pm, three hours before she went to bed for the last time, and she was on good form.“Amy said, ‘Dale, I’ve just been watching myself on YouTube and I can sing, can’t I?’.“I replied, ‘Of course you can sing! You’re the best . . . you know’.“I’m glad she went to bed with that thought. She needed to appreciate she could sing because she was very humble.“Even at her level, a person can never see it in themselves. “They probably think, ‘Is the adulation real or not?’.“But to me, Amy is the first star of the millennium.” When the devastating news of her death broke that summer evening of July 23, sending shockwaves around the world, it was hard for Dale to comprehend.“I was out with her two nights beforehand,” he says. “And she used to ring my house regularly around that time to speak to my wife (now ex-wife) and son.“However, she did tell my ex that she didn’t think she’d see 28.”Dale likens Amy to another iconic singer who died at 27: “There’s an element of Kurt Cobain in her.“They both had very short careers but were massively impactful. My idol is actually Jimi Hendrix — he had a four-year career and that was it.“There’s a certain mystery when they don’t get a chance to grow old. When they’re young, they chuck this massive spirit in the air and you don’t see flaws so much.”Dale first became aware of Amy’s extraordinary talent when he was sent a tape of the singer in advance of his 2003 audition.“It included Stronger Than Me, Take The Box and I Heard Love Is Blind,” he says, referring to the Ivor Novello award-winning opening track and two further songs from Frank.“The lyrics to Stronger Than Me made me think, ‘OK, there’s a lot of humour in there but it’s also a bit cringe because it’s so powerful’.“I remember meeting the guy the song is about, Chris (Taylor, an ex of Amy’s), years later and he was so nice.“As you can imagine, she was very creative with her thoughts and could express herself in a way that touched everyone.”Dale also recalls that her team “had issues” with their uncompromising singer in July 2004. “They sat down with me at breakfast and said, ‘We’re having problems with Amy’.“I said, ‘Look, don’t worry about her, she’s fine. She’s a punk. She’s rebellious’.“For a tiny person, that spirit came out in waves. Her courage and her heart made her so big.”So what was it like touring with such a mercurial artist?Dale says: “She always created a great atmosphere. There would be a lot of jokes and laughter backstage.“On stage, I’d stand behind her and hear incredible performances.“She would improvise night after night, trying out new things and pushing her own boundaries. She was one of those rare people who could hear something and instinctively turn it into music.”Dale is also full of admiration for Amy’s other attributes.“People didn’t always see it but she was very bright and her observational humour was incredible.“She’d see something funny long before anyone else. She was also a very spiritual person and had more insight than most people are blessed with.”You could see there were problems with Amy but she didn’t want to talk about them. She just wanted to know how you wereDale DavisOf course, Dale also began to witness Amy’s struggles.We know drink and hard drugs severely compromised her but he has further explanation of her physical fragility.“This is the sad part of Amy’s story,” he says. “I think the bulimia and lack of sleep killed her.“When you get tired, which happens when you’re on the road, the nerves and demons start to come out.”Dale remembers people starting to question Amy’s confidence but he maintains: “She still showed her passion and courage and made everything look easy.”He accepts that her “private life went off track” and that “when she needed to be on it, as she was getting bigger and bigger, the distractions were there”.That said, Dale insists: “When someone gives that much, they never get back as much.“You could see there were problems with Amy but she didn’t want to talk about them. She just wanted to know how you were.”Though Frank was well-received, her second and final studio album, the all-conquering Back To Black, cemented her legendary status.Songs such as Rehab, Tears Dry On Their Own and Love Is A Losing Game charted with searing honesty her battles with alcohol and her rollercoaster relationship with Blake.‘Genuine nerves’Dale agrees that its success piled pressure on Amy and says: “I never got a chance to tell Amy this and I wish I had . . . “I wanted to let her know that she didn’t have to write another Back To Black. She didn’t need to.”One of the last things Amy ever did was sing a duet with her hero, Tony Bennett, on the jazz standard Body And Soul.Dale says: “I spoke to her five days before she went to do the session and she said, ‘Dale, I’m nervous’, and I said, ‘You’ll be fine’.“She needed that little push to get it done.“It was genuine nerves because she was singing with her idol and little did we know she was coming to the end of her career.“When you listen to the performance, it’s stunning and so natural.“There was no real obvious technique behind Amy. She was naturally gifted.”I ask Dale what he believes would have happened had she lived.READ MORE SUN STORIES“Amy would have been singing her whole life,” he answers. “She told me she wouldn’t mind being an actress and she would have been amazing at that, too.”And what about her legacy? “In a hundred years, people will still be playing Rehab,” he decides.Dale saw crashing lows as Amy’s fateful relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil descended into drink and drug-fuelled calamityCredit: AP:Associated PressAmy and Blake, as they are portrayed in the new biopicCredit: PA More

    • 300 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      From Kate & Lila Moss to the Klums, the celeb mum & daughter rich list as they cash in with deals, adverts & photoshoots

      by

      THEY say “keep it in the family” – and Kate Moss and her daughter are certainly doing that. The supermodel has joined forces with Lila Grace, 21, to front a campaign for Fendi’s £4,000 Peekaboo bag.Kate Moss has joined forces with Lila Grace to front a campaign for Fendi’s £4,000 Peekaboo bagCredit: FendiDespite Kate turning 50 in January, the pair could pass for sisters in the snaps. Lila has been following in her mum’s footsteps by carving out a career on the catwalk, and they are now estimated to be worth around £49million.Yet Kate and Lila are not the only mother-daughter duo cashing in on their connection.Emma Pietras takes a look at the stars making money with their mini-me.read more on kate mossKate and Lila MossWorth: £49mKATE’S daughter with ex-boyfriend and Dazed magazine founder Jefferson Hack first graced the cover of a magazine at just 13.The supermodel, who is worth £45million, told Vogue Italia in 2016: “Lila thinks it’s funny that we’re working together, and she really shows me up in front of everyone.”She signed Lila to her Kate Moss Agency at 15, leading her to become the face of Marc Jacobs Beauty in 2018. Most read in CelebrityLila, 21, joined her mum on the catwalk at Milan Fashion Week in 2021 and is now worth £4.2million. They are partnering in a Fendi handbag campaign.Kate Moss’ lookalike daughter Lila mimics mum in see-through dress at Fashion AwardsCatherine Zeta Jones and Carys Zeta DouglasWorth: £118mCatherine Zeta Jones and daughter CarysCredit: Getty – ContributorWITH Hollywood actors Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas, 79, as parents, Carys was destined for the spotlight.In her early teens the model and fledgling actress joined her mum, who is worth £118million, on the front row at New York Fashion Week and on the cover of Town & Country. Carys told the magazine in 2018: “I feel I need to constantly prove myself, that I am not just my parents’ daughter.”Now 20, she is worth around £400,000, having also posed with Catherine, 54, for Vanity Fair Spain in 2019 and Fendi in 2022.Mel B and Phoenix ChiWorth: £4.7mMel B’s daugther Phoenix Chi is forging a career in musicWITH a pop star mum and dancer dad, it is perhaps unsurprising that Phoenix Chi, 25, is forging a career in music. The DJ daughter of Spice Girl Mel B and first husband Jimmy Gulzar is also a model.In 2021 Phoenix was the face of George at Asda and, last year, Mel joined her daughter in a campaign for lingerie brand Pour Moi.Mel, 48, estimated to be worth £4.7million, has said: “I’m incredibly proud of her.”If Phoenix keeps landing big-name deals and gigs, she could become a millionaire herself.Heidi and Leni KlumWorth: £129mHedi Klum models for underwear brand Intimissimi with daughter LeniCredit: IntimissimiTHE daughter of supermodel Heidi was 16 when she joined her mum on the cover of Vogue Germany.Leni, 19, worth £3.2million – who is the daughter of Italian businessman Flavio Briatore, but was adopted by Heidi’s then-partner, singer Seal – said: “That’s insane that I did that as my first job, and Mum was with me.”They have since posed together for Vogue and fronted campaigns for underwear brand Intimissimi. Heidi, 50, who hosts Germany’s Next Top Model and is worth around £126million, has said: “I’m very proud of my daughter.”Christie Brinkley and Sailor Brinkley CookWorth: £80mChristie Brinkley and daughter Sailor Brinkley CookCredit: GettySUPERMODEL Christie and her lookalike daughter first posed together for Bella NYC magazine in 2013, when Sailor was 15. That same year the mother-daughter duo were signed by modelling agency IMG.Sailor, 25 – the daughter of Christie’s fourth husband, architect Peter Cook – also posed with her mum for Sports Illustrated mag in 2017, describing the experience as “liberating”.Christie, 70, who has a £78.8million fortune, and Sailor, estimated to be worth £1.5million, high-fived when they walked the runway for Elie Tahari at New York Fashion Week in 2019.Rachel Hunter and Renee StewartWorth: £54mRachel Hunter and daughter Renee Stewart, whose dad is rocker Rod StewartCredit: 2014 Franziska KrugRACHEL was just 16 when she started modelling and she later moved into acting, which boosted her wealth to around £53million.Trained dancer Renee – Rachel’s daughter with her rockstar ex-husband Rod Stewart – first modelled with her mum in 2010, for a Pantene Shampoo ad. Rachel, 54, said at the time: “It took some time talking Renee into it.”Once Pantene incorporated her dance and stuff it worked so well.”Renee, 31, has since modelled for Fendi and Dolce & Gabbana and runs meditation and yoga retreats, making her a millionaire.Cindy Crawford and Kaia GerberWorth: £180mCindy Crawford and daughter Kaia, who made her modelling debut aged ten for Young VersaceCredit: GettyKAIA won the genetic lottery with models Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber for parents. She made her modelling debut aged ten for Young Versace and, in 2018, the mother-daughter duo shared the runway at Milan Fashion Week. Kaia, 22, also joined Cindy as an ambassador for Swiss watchmaker Omega.Cindy, 58, who is worth £177.3million, has said of her working relationship with Kaia: “It feels like I get to work with a really good friend.”READ MORE SUN STORIESKaia, worth £2.3million, has been the face of Chanel and campaigns including Miu Miu, Karl Lagerfeld and Alexander Wang. More

    • 225 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      P Diddy’s spoiled sons wore gold crowns for star-studded sweet 16s before ‘sex assault’ & shooting ‘cover-up’ scandals 

      by

      THEY live in a £30m mansion, enjoy exotic holidays, drive high-end sports cars, and dream of being Hip hop stars like their famous dad..Rapper P Diddy’s sons Christian and Justin Combs are so privileged they wear gold diamond-encrusted crowns and are treated to lavish 16th birthday parties attended by celebrities like singers Nicki Minaj and Lil’ Kim.Justin Combs enjoyed a lavish 16th birthday with ‘date’ Nicki MinajCredit: GettyBut the family’s kingdom could come crashing down as all three men find themselves in legal trouble.Son Christian, 26, – known as King – faces claims of sexual assault while partying on a yacht chartered by his dad in December 2022, just days before Diddy held a star-studded New Year’s Eve party aboard the vessel, attended by the likes of rappers Joe Budden and Travis Scott.His half-brother Justin, 30,  faces allegations he and his dad covered up the shooting of a pal  in a Los Angeles recording studio in September 2022.The brothers were also briefly handcuffed and detained as part of a raid by Homeland Security agents on 54-year-old P Diddy’s Los Angeles estate in March, amid a slew of sexual assault allegations against the star, including trafficking young women.Read more P DiddyThe family have hired ex mobster John Gotti Junior’s former lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman to investigate the ‘excessive use of force’ in the raids.Lichtman has previously represented Gotti, acting boss of the Gambino crime family in the 90s, as well as drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, who led the international crime syndicate, the Sinaloa cartel.P Diddy’s ex, R&B singer Cassie Ventura accused him of rape and a decade-long campaign of abuse after she signed to his label, Bad Boy Records, in 2006.  Diddy, whose real name is Sean John Combs, settled the case out of court the day after Cassie filed her lawsuit.Most read in CelebrityUsher recalls seeing ‘very curious things’ at Diddy’s house when he was 14 after feds raid rapper’s propertyThe claim against Christian comes from yacht hand Grace O’Marcaigh, 27, who was hired for “a wholesome family excursion” that, she says,  turned “hedonistic”.She claims to have witnessed the Combs family party with a “constant rotation of suspected sex workers” who were taking drugs.In a lawsuit, Grace claims drinks, including hers, may have been spiked and that Christian pressured her to do tequila shots before groping her legs, breasts, bottom and private parts.There is allegedly audio recorded by music producer Rodney Jones – known as Lil Rod – in which Grace tells Christian to stop touching her legs.P Diddy with son Christian at the Met Gala in 2018Credit: GettyJustin Combs and his brother enjoy enviable lifestylesCredit: Instagram/princejdcChristian Combs, with a pal, flies on a private jetCredit: Instagram/kingcombsThe legal action was filed by attorney Tyrone Blackburn, who represents Lil Rod.Jones claims the music mogul repeatedly sexually assaulted and groomed him for sex  from September 2022 to November 2023.He also accuses Diddy, once known as Puff Daddy, and son Justin of a “massive” cover up of their involvement in a shooting.Lil Rod claims that the rapper or his son shot Justin’s friend, identified only as a 30-year-old named ‘G’, in a recording studio bathroom after a row.  It’s said G has since vanished.Jones claims he heard multiple gunshots after a “heated conversation” in the toilet before Combs and Justin walked out of the bathroom.He says he found G lying on the floor curled up, holding his stomach and bleeding out of his leg or hip area.Jones alleges that P Diddy  instructed him to tell police the rapper had nothing to do with the incident – and that G was hit by a drive-by assailant outside the building.P Diddy’s legal team have denied all the allegations against him and his sons.My dad is my best friend – he pushes me to be greaterJustin CombsLawyer Aaron Dyer said the claims against Christian were “lewd and meritless” adding: “This complaint is filled with the same kind of manufactured lies and irrelevant facts we’ve come to expect.”Lil Rod’s lawyer Tyrone Blackburn was recently criticised by a New York judge for improperly filing lawsuits in federal court in an attempt to garner “sensational headlines.”Prince Harry was horribly dragged into the case when Lil Rod claimed Diddy’s “affiliation” to the royal and other stars gave him and his associates ‘legitimacy’. There was no suggestion Prince Harry did anything wrong – or had any knowledge of wrongdoing by others.Justin’s mum, acclaimed stylist Misa Hylton, was left furious after her son was handcuffed during last month’s raid on P Diddy’s home.She shared footage on Instagram saying: “Enough is Enough!! Did Justin need several laser beams from firearms pointed at his chest?? Did Christian need a gun pointed at the back of his head while he was handcuffed?? How many times have we seen young UNARMED BLACK MEN not make it out of these types of situations alive??”Christian’s mum, model Kim Porter, died of lobar pneumonia, aged 47, in 2018, and the family faced cruel fake speculation that P Diddy was somehow behind her death – even after a coroner ruled she died of natural causes.Crown princesP Diddy’s children have led a luxury life mere mortals can only dream of.They spent their childhood’s bouncing between P Diddy’s  £30 million Beverly Hills mansion, £10.7m home in Alpine, New Jersey, and  £2.9m place in East Hampton.They drive top-end cars and fly around the world in private jets.Christian, who goes by the name King, signed up to Diddy’s record label when he turned 18.Bad Boy Records, founded by P Diddy in 1993, is one of the most successful hip-hop and R&B labels in the world, with multiple platinum and gold releases by the likes of the Notorious B.I.G, Faith Evans and Janelle Monae.Christian is also a model, securing a deal with IMG last year, and in 2018 walked for Dolce and Gabbana.He is fond of wearing crowns – as is brother Justin – and in 2018 paired a gold headpiece with a jewel-encrusted suit for the Met Gala.In 2014, Diddy threw Christian a ‘Swervin’ 16’ party at an exclusive Los Angeles nightclub where performers included Kendrick Lamar and French Montana.  The guest list included stars like Khloe Kardashian and singer Faith Evans.Justin Combs, who once co-hosted TV show The Catfish,  had an even bigger sweet 16 celebration at a New York club in 2010 where his dad arranged for Nicki Minaj to be his ‘date’.He was introduced to the crowd when red drapes lifted to reveal him sitting on a throne wearing a gold crown while dressed in a Dolce and Gabbana tux with Adidas shelltoes.The lavish affair was featured in season 9 of MTV series My Super Sweet 16 with rappers Lil’ Kim and Trey Songz in attendance.What is P Diddy accused of?P Diddy has faced a slew of claims which include:

      Cassie, Diddy’s longtime girlfriend, sued him in November 2023, claiming she endured “a cycle of abuse, violence, and sex trafficking” until their relationship ended in 2018. Diddy and Cassie settled the suit the day after it was filed.
      Diddy was hit with two more lawsuits a week later. Joi Dickerson accused Diddy of drugging and raping her and filming the attack when she was a 19-year-old college student in January 1991.
      A second accuser in a separate lawsuit claimed that Diddy and another man sexually assaulted her and a friend in 1990 or 1991 then showed up at her apartment and beat her several days later.
      Diddy was sued again in December by a woman who claimed he and two men gang-raped her in 2003 when she was 17 years old.
      In February 2024, Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones, who helped produce Diddy’s most recent album, claimed that the mogul sexually harassed, drugged, and threatened him from September 2022 to November 2023 as they worked together.

      Supercars at 16P Diddy bought him a £240,000 Mercedes Benz Maybach motor, despite the fact he hadn’t passed his driving test.Last year Justin avoided jail time after being found driving under the influence in Beverly Hills.He was given three years probation after running a red light.Brother Christian drives a red Ferrari and was involved in a crash with a Tesla in 2020 but luckily escaped unharmed. Both boys have gushed about their dad.Christian credits P Diddy with his sense of style and work ethic.He said: “We’re alike in a lot of ways, especially our work ethic.  Every day you gotta keep progressing. If you get nothing done, then you’re backtracking. My dad actually helped me with waking up early, he gets on at me about that.”Justin said his dad is “always motivating me and pushing me to be greater”, adding: “It’s crazy because it’s like my dad but also my best friend at the same time. So it’s very unique and I really appreciate it.”Christian and Julian own luxury carsCredit: Instagram/kingcombsP Diddy with kids Justin, Christian, Quincy, D’Lila, Jessi and ChanceCredit: GettyJustin and Christian Combs were briefly handcuffed during the raid on P Diddy’s mansionCredit: KTTVP Diddy has seven kids with four women.He and Misa Hylton had Justin in the early 90s before he went on to have a relationship with Kim Porter.He adopted Kim’s son Quincy, 31, before they went on to have Christian and twins D’Lila Star and Jessie James in 2006.READ MORE SUN STORIESJust before the twins were born, Diddy cheated on Kim with Sarah Chapman who gave birth to Chance Combs the same year.In 2022, Diddy announced the arrival of a baby girl Love Sean Combs, who he is thought to share with a cyber security expert called Dana Tran. More

    • 288 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      I don’t care who it offends – blondes DO have more fun. Stars from Sydney Sweeney to Beyonce prove we’re back on top

      by

      THE following words come with a trigger warning. Fasten your seatbelts, my woke friends, because I’m here to remind you that it is in fact true: Blondes have more fun.Stupendous Sydney Sweeney shows that the classic blonde look is back – and it’s here to stayCredit: GettyThe White Lotus star Sydney poses in a pic uploaded to InstagramCredit: Instagram / Sydney SweeneyI know, it does rather fly in the face of all this modern-day jiggery wokery to even suggest such a thing.How very dare I? I’m sure it’s highly unfashionable. It’s positively archaic. And probably even offensive to some.Because in these politically correct times in which we live, it’s been great to see that we have finally come to accept that women come in all different shapes, shades, colours and sizes, so to suggest that only the fair-haired variety are capable of having a great time is insulting.It’s a slogan that’s been nigh-on banned and one that, I suspect, might only be whispered in hushed breaths in quiet corners of secret blonde members’ clubs.READ MORE ULRIKA JONSSONPlucky courageBut after The White Lotus actress Sydney Sweeney practically blew up the internet with her performance on US TV chat show Saturday Night Live, proving she has zero qualms about hypnotising the world with her ample assets, paired with her platinum tresses and enviable sexiness, it could just be that the tide is turning on Generation Woke.She showed there was no shame in being blonde. Beyonce has long been a fan of the blonde lookCredit: Cécred / PAAnd Kim Kardashian has also been trying it outCredit: Instagram / Kim Kardashian / @alaninutritionPop star Sabrina Carpenter is also fully embracing the retro blonde lookCredit: Jack Bridgland Studio / SkimsAnd she was utterly unapologetic about using what God gave her — and the world loves her for it.Even her family know the value of her incredible look. Most read in CelebrityIn a recent interview, she told how her grandparents had complimented her curves after seeing her on the big screen.Or as Sydney, 26, put it: “They said I have the best t*ts in Hollywood.”Sydney Sweeney looks incredible in plunging pink gown as she joins an unrecognisable Emma Corrin in VeniceCoupled with the recent Barbie movie — which turned what used to be an idealised, sexualised and objectified version of what we were told a woman should look like into a whole new feminist movement — Sydney might just be making being blonde into something we can once again be proud of.Pop star Sabrina Carpenter is fully embracing the sexy, retro blonde look, where being platinum and wearing tight clothing is no longer a crime against fashion or taste. It’s a sign of pride and plucky courage.Let’s face it, even Beyonce and Kim Kardashian have adopted the blonde bombshell look — clear proof that there really is only so much fun you can have being brunette without at least giving blonde a go.I speak as a blonde, of course. I wasn’t around when the slogan was created in the 1950s to advertise a certain hair dye brand with the question, “Is it true that blondes have more fun?”, creating tension between blondes and brunettes and establishing a hair colour hierarchy.The suggestion was definitely that blondes did have more fun and were more desirable. And the most famous blonde of all time, Marilyn Monroe, embodied everything you could imagine that would be fun and ample and flirtatious and alluring.She has never been replicated. We all want to have that Marilyn factor, and if it means dyeing our hair blonde, then that’s what we’ll do.Marilyn Monroe was one of the most famous blondes of all timeCredit: GettyFrench ‘sex kitten’ Brigitte Bardot also helped set the standard for the lookCredit: Kobal / Rex FeaturesLove Islander Molly Smith has been flying the flag for peroxide pride in more recent timesCredit: Instagram / mollysmith19Soon after Marilyn set the standard for blonde perfection, into the spotlight stepped French “sex kitten” Brigitte Bardot — another brunette who saw the light in terms of hair colour, changing her shade for a 1956 Italian film and sticking with it. She was followed in the Eighties and Nineties by blonde Hollywood sex symbol Heather Graham — Austin Powers’s love interest Felicity Shagwell — and Baywatch swimsuit icon Pamela Anderson.In more recent times, Love Islander Molly Smith has been flying the flag for peroxide pride.I have to confess, I didn’t at all get why it should be true that blondes have more fun. I came from Sweden, where (without exaggeration), virtually every single woman is blonde.And some of them looked quite miserable at times. As a blonde you were nothing special. You weren’t the exception. You were the rule.Until I came to the UK, that is. That’s when I stood out like a Belisha beacon. I definitely got a lot of attention. And by the time I found fame as a weather presenter at 21, I’d grown a decent pair of knockers, too. So I really was the whole package.Sun writer Ulrika back in 1993Credit: Scope FeaturesUlrika explains that she’s no bimbo – but that blondes really do have more funCredit: Olivia West – The SunAnd it turns out there is even scientific fact to back it all up. In 2008, research at Nottingham Trent Uni found that blonde women feel more attractive, are more daring, have higher levels of self-confidence and are even likely to be more adventurous in the bedroom.We also know that gentlemen prefer blondes. So all this points towards 1,000 reasons why being blonde is something to be proud of.However, over the past decade or so, it hasn’t entirely been the case.Of course, it’s quite right that we should have diversity and inclusivity in our vision and images of women.Not all females are Barbie dolls with tiny waists, big bazookas and long, blonde hair.I always felt like a reluctant blonde, because I always felt the proximity of the words blonde and stupid was a bit too close for comfortUlrika JonssonI love that we see older women on billboards and those with wide waists and thighs that could crush a walnut.But it may just have been at the exclusion of the good old-fashioned blonde.She’s been sidelined a bit, I fear, and people have delighted in reminding us that blondes are often dumb, too.Maybe that’s why I always felt like a reluctant blonde, because I always felt the proximity of the words blonde and stupid was a bit too close for comfort.The assumption was that you couldn’t possibly be blonde and clever. In short, we were bimbos.Thanks in part to Sydney Sweeney, who is Making Blonde Great Again — and others on whose shoulders and highlights she stands — it’s OK to be loud and proud about being blonde. Think what you like, but there is no way you could accuse Beyonce of being dumb just ’cos she’s blonde.And for me, the greatest of them all — greater even than Monroe — who has blown everyone else out of the water over the years with her songwriting, comedic and acting talent and business acumen is the wondrous Dolly Parton.Despite being a pocket rocket at only 4ft 11in, she has ensured she has never been overlooked because she is so unequivocally unashamed of being blonde and colourful. The wondrous Dolly Parton has kept her image going for decades, and it’s become part of her identityCredit: Rex FeaturesAnd while her feet may never have seen daylight due to her huge breasts, she has never changed her image, as being blonde is her identity.And Dolly has the ultimate answer to the snide comments: “I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb . . . and I also know that I’m not blonde.”READ MORE SUN STORIESShe is my hero. She has always paved her own road and never deviated from her blonde persona.So I’ll hold my blonde head up damn high and recall Dolly’s words loudly and proudly: “You’d be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap.”Pamela Anderson was one of the most famous blondes of the NinetiesCredit: Rex Features More

    • 238 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      Angelina Jolie’s daughter Shiloh ‘wants to move in with Brad Pitt’ as insiders wonder: will toxic battle ever end?

      by

      ANGELINA JOLIE was all smiles when she stepped out with her mini-me daughter Vivienne this week but, behind the scenes, her grip on the Jolie-Pitt brood is beginning to wane.The six children have been living with Angelina, 48, in her £20million Los Angeles mansion following her bitter break up from ex-husband Brad Pitt, 60.Angelina Jolie is all smiles as she steps out with daughter VivienneCredit: TheImageDirect.comBut daughter Shiloh reportedly wants to move in with dad Brad PittCredit: BackGridIt is the latest incident in a very toxic Brangelina breakupCredit: GettyBut insiders now claim Shiloh wants to move into her dad’s £6million mansion in Los Feliz, California, when she turns 18 next month.The revelation will be a huge blow to Angelina, in the drawn-out toxic battle between the exes since their split in 2016, which is one of the worst celebrity break-ups Hollywood has ever seen.It has left showbiz observers wondering if it will ever end.Especially after Brad recently branded her a ‘hypocrite’ during a bitter legal battle over their French vineyard The Chateau Miraval estate, which produces an award-winning sparkling rosé, following Ange’s sale of her $64million (£50 million) share to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler in 2021.READ MORE ON BRANGELINA SPLIT‘Unconscionable NDA’Brad previously slammed her decision to sell her half, saying she was forcing him to partner up with “a stranger”.Despite its commercial value, Miraval holds sentimental value for the Bullet Train actor.One major legal battle involves French vineyard The Chateau MiravalCredit: XposureAnge sold it to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, far left, back in 2021Credit: Rex FeaturesBrad Pitt claims he was ‘bullied & threatened’ by Russian tycoon in $350 million vineyard battle against Angelina Jolie“Pitt and Jolie purchased the château as a home to share with their children and the vineyard as a family business,” his lawyer said.“They agreed they would never sell their respective interests in Miraval without the other’s consent.”Most read in CelebrityJust days ago, the bitter row hit the head-lines again after sources close to Brad blasted Angelina for filing explosive court documents.Angelina’s lawyers said: “While Pitt’s history of physical abuse of Jolie started well before the family’s September 2016 plane trip from France to Los Angeles, this flight marked the first time he turned his physical abuse on the children as well.“Jolie then immediately left him.”During that notorious flight, Angelina sensationally claimed Brad grabbed her by the head and shook her before striking two of their children when they tried to intervene. Brad was even accused of pouring beer and red wine over them.Now Angelina is claiming that she walked out of earlier talks to sell her stake of the winery to Brad for $54million (£43million) because he had tried to coerce her into signing an “unconscionable” non-disclosure agreement in an attempt to “control her”.But Brad’s camp hit back, alleging that she routinely enforced similar confidentiality agreements on her own staff.His legal team filed a motion at LA Superior Court on Friday asking Angelina to disclose other NDAs she entered into with third parties, which could undermine her defence. The NDA Jolie was asked to sign is a standard business contract designed to protect the asset being sold, in this case her stake in Chateau MiravalInsider close to Brad PittThey argued that Angelina’s objection to the NDA was merely a smokescreen to “rationalise” her betrayal of him.“This case isn’t about what took place on a plane in 2016,” an insider close to Brad said.“It’s about whether they had an agreement not to sell their interests in the winery and family home without the other’s consent.“That’s what Brad and his team are focused on, and so far the legal momentum has been on their side.“The NDA Jolie was asked to sign is a standard business contract designed to protect the asset being sold, in this case her stake in Chateau Miraval.“It’s unclear why she finds this so unconscionable when her own lawyers suggested a mutually binding gagging clause as part of their divorce just a few months later.”But Angelina’s legal team claim they possess evidence regarding “Pitt’s pattern of physical abuse within the family and his exertion of control over Jolie,” alleging that the kids are still suffering “significant and ongoing post-traumatic stress”.Lawyers representing the Tomb Raider actress cite a “pattern of abuse, manipulation, and concealment” and claim she has damning “testimony, emails, photographs, and other evidence” that, they argue, will unravel Brad’s argument if the case proceeds.The court documents characterise the actor’s denials of physical abuse as “gaslighting” and claim he exercised “coercive” financial control over her throughout their winery dispute.Brad has consistently refuted all allegations of physical abuse and faced no charges following an FBI investigation into the incident aboard the flight.The pair met in 2004 on the set of Mr And Mrs Smith, while Brad was still married to Friends star Jennifer Aniston.When Brad and Jen filed for divorce, he quickly moved on to a romance with Jolie, fanning the flames he’d cheated on Jen.While Brad emerged from the scandal relatively unscathed, Angelina was seen as temptress who stole Brad.They dated for ten years before they tied the knot at the Miraval estate in 2014 — six years after purchasing it.Angelina wore an Atelier Versace dress embroidered with dozens of designs from her children’s drawings for her wedding to Brad.Brad and Angelina as Hollywood’s golden couple back in 2009Credit: GettyAngelina with kids Maddox, Vivienne, Knox, Shiloh and ZaharaCredit: GettyBut, less than two years later, Hollywood’s once golden couple filed for divorce.In April 2019, a judge awarded Brad 50/50 custody of their six children Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 17, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 15, during their acrimonious divorce. A decision that reportedly enraged the actress.“She will never forgive him,” a source close to Angelina said at the time. “She maintains it’s far from over and still believes that justice will prevail.”Angelina has told of how her children ‘saved’ her.“I was 26 when I became a mother,” she said. “My entire life changed. Having children saved me — and taught me to be in this world differently. “I think, recently, I would’ve gone under in a much darker way had I not wanted to live for them.”During the aftermath of the divorce, Angelina reportedly sold her share of the winery to Shefler – a Russian business empire owns the Stolichnaya vodka brand.According to Brad’s lawyers, this decision violated an agreement between the former spouses that Angelina would give Brad the opportunity of first refusal.Having children saved me — and taught me to be in this world differentlyAngelina JolieBrad’s lawyer, John Berlinski, argued in recently filed legal documents, seen by The U.S. Sun, that any non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) Angelina had imposed on other parties would provide insight into the validity of her reasons for withdrawing from negotiations to sell her stake in Chateau Miraval to Brad.“The scope, terms, and subject matter covered by the NDAs that Jolie has signed or asked a third party to sign are probative of whether Jolie truly withdrew from the negotiations with Pitt because of the NDA he requested, as she asserts,” Berlinski wrote.“By way of example only, if Jolie has required others to sign NDAs that were at least as broad as the one she claims was so ‘unconscionable’ here, it would severely undermine her claimed excuse for terminating negotiations with Pitt and covertly negotiating with Stoli.“Nor is the existence of these documents speculative.READ MORE SUN STORIES“Jolie adamantly refuses to produce the many other NDAs that she signed or requested from others during the relevant time period, along with related documents, presumably because she knows they will severely undermine her defenses.”While we don’t know the outcome of the court case yet, the Brangelina bullet train doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. More

    • 250 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      I was a ‘Bond Girl’ with £1k glamour model gigs – but secretly I was battling crippling £250-a-day heroin addiction

      by

      TO the outside world Vicki Rebecca lived a glamorous £1,000-a-day life and had even appeared in a James Bond film.But away from the cameras, the Abderdeen-born glamour model battled a crippling, decade-long heroin addiction that nearly cost her life. Glamour model Vicki Rebecca would land gigs as a Marilyn Monroe lookalike that paid up to £1,000 per dayCredit: FacebookAt the same time, she was using heroin and over the years her addiction grew increasingly worseCredit: SuppliedNow 67, Vicki shares her inspiring recovery story in her memoir Naked TruthCredit: FacebookBetween high-paying jobs throughout her twenties, Vicki would lock herself away in her flat to scoff McDonald’s burgers and watch films while shooting up multiple times a day.The addiction also left her needing to sneak away to the toilets while on photoshoots and movie sets to take drugs – including while appearing as a nude model for the opening sequence of the 1979 Bond film Moonraker, which starred the late Sir Roger Moore. Vicki’s turning point came after a spiritual experience at 29, which led to her leaving London to get clean and eventually retraining as a psychotherapist. Now In her brave memoir, Naked Truth: Diary of a Glamour Model, the 67-year-old recounts her journey from seedy photobooths in Soho to high-paying gigs before quitting fame to overcome her addiction.READ MORE ON SHOWBIZShe tells The Sun: “I was a ‘functional’ heroin addict, I was managing my life until the habit got worse and worse and all I wanted to do was sit in my joggers and eat McDonald’s. “I would wake up in the morning looking awful with bags under my eyes and track marks, and not a great complexion, then on went the make-up so I could go to a shoot. “I was living two different lives: Marilyn Monroe and a junkie, my life was crazy and a paradox.“I’d appeared in a James Bond film and was impersonating Marilyn Monroe, the most beautiful and gorgeous Hollywood star the world had ever seen.Most read in Celebrity“But at the same time I was an addict and during shoots, I would be racing to toilets to jack up.”Vick was introduced to heroin by a friend one year before filming Moonraker – and recalls being one of two naked models, whose silhouettes featured in the film. Sick racist fans threaten to boycott next James Bond movie if Aaron Taylor Johnson becomes 007Then 22, she was required to jump around on a trampoline to create the acrobatic poses needed by the film’s director.She recalls: “I was jumping up and down on a trampoline so that it looked like I was tumbling through the air. “I was completely naked apart from a g-string with a bit of make-up. There was minimal staff on set so it wasn’t like the crew was standing around gawping.  “In another scene, which wasn’t used in the film, I had to jump off 18ft scaffolding into the arms of the actor who played Jaws, Richard Kiel. “He was a giant of a man with hands that were literally the size of a bunch of bananas and he had to catch me. I tried that shot a few times, too many for my liking.”Vicki’s silhouette was used for the opening sequence of the James Bond film MoonrakerCredit: MGMThe late Sir Roger Moore starred as 007 in the 1979 hitCredit: RexWatch our exclusive chat with Vicki Rebecca at the top of the articleVicki shot one scene with Richard Kiel, who played Jaws (right), but it didn’t make it into the final filmCredit: Kobal Collection – ShutterstockVicki believes she would have used drugs during the 10-day shoot at Pinewood Studios for Bond, which paid around £1,800, and between takes recalls “a lot of waiting around, drinking tea and eating bacon rolls”. She adds: “I felt really proud to appear in the James Bond film, even if my part was a blink and you’ll miss it kind of moment. It really impresses people even now.” Vicki’s other big moments included appearing on The Sun’s Page 3 and in the 1979 film The B***, which starred Joan Collins. She also had numerous high-paid jobs as a Marilyn Monroe lookalike – after being convinced to go for a test shoot when a photographer noticed her similarities to the Hollywood icon.GETTING HELP:
      If you think that you have a drug addiction then please contact your GP.
      You can also visit FRANK for honest information about drugs and to find local treatment services.
      If you are having trouble finding the right help, call the FRANK drugs helpline on 03001236600
      Or click here to visit the NHS website for more advice and support

      It would help her to land jobs that paid up to £1,000 per day and fly overseas to open nightclubs – as well as to feature in a sketch in The Two Ronnies TV show.She says: “It was incredible really. I recreated a lot of the Marilyn shots you might imagine, like the one where her skirt pops up while standing above a Subway grate. “We did that for Philips Lady Shaver and another similar one for Kodak. Then I was lying on a bed for a furniture company and did about everything else you could imagine.“I ended up jetting off all over the world and sometimes was met off the planes with bunches of flowers. I opened supermarkets and nightclubs including one in Reykjavik, Iceland. It was really crazy.” But the jobs weren’t always so elegant – when Vicki moved to London in her late teens, she stumbled across an advert for ‘Glamour models’ but the job turned out to be “pretty sleazy”.Vicki was a glamour model and even appeared on The Sun’s Page 3Credit: SuppliedShe gained lucrative modelling gigs including ones that allowed her to travel to Germany and IcelandCredit: FacebookShe recalls: “I remember thinking, ‘Oh, I’ll be posing in lingerie adverts or underwear cataologues’.”But it ended up being this pretty sleazy ‘come up and photograph us’ booth.”As a junkie, there were just two types of day – the ones when I had heroin and would be lying in bed shooting up and the ones when I didn’t and was hunting for moreYears later, while portraying Marilyn, her heroin addiction was worsening with her spending up to £250 a day on the drug as it took over her life.She says: “People became aware of my addiction, I used to be late to shoots and would disappear to the toilets for far too long. “In one shoot, I remember lying on a big heart-shaped bed for a calendar and the first assistant yelled ‘cut’. He could see my track marks from using and I was sent to make-up.“No one would say anything to me, they wanted me to finish the shoot because a lot of money had been invested in that day or half a day of work.” Vicki’s highest paying work was as a Marilyn Monroe lookalikeCredit: FacebookShe posed as the Hollywood icon while hiding her addiction to heroinCredit: SuppliedIn her personal life, Vicki became increasingly reclusive and she details the struggles of her addiction.“As a junkie, there were just two types of day,” she says. “The ones when I had heroin and would be lying in bed shooting up and the ones when I didn’t and was hunting for more.“I’m definitely not blaming my modeling career for my addiction, it was a path. I was a bit of a rebel in the Seventies and I experimented with drugs.”During this time, Vicki says her family were “suspicious” but she “lied to them, like all addicts do” and was able to “put on a good show” while visiting them in Scotland. I don’t look back at my life and feel sad. There was a lot of love and laughter, but there was also darkness, sexual violence, addiction and other disturbing thingsVickiShe attempted to wean herself off the drug multiple times using Methadone and had attempted going cold turkey but it “was absolutely insufferable”.During one fateful moment in 1985, she recalls walking around a building site while battling suicidal thoughts when she heard a voice in her head say: “You can be reborn.”She recalled: “It felt like an external voice, it was so strong and felt like a body, mind and soul feeling. It was extraordinary and wouldn’t be the first time I would hear it. “I didn’t stop using in that minute but it helped to lead me to a point where I could stop using. It was almost like a lifeline. It saved my life.”In 1987, Vicki left London and returned to Aberdeen to get clean after asking for help from her family. She says: “I got to a place where I felt I had no more choice but to move back home, I knew I couldn’t do it in London because it was too easy to access drugs and it was high quality. Vicki used Methadone for the last time in 1990Credit: FacebookShe now works as a psychotherapist helping othersCredit: Facebook“I knew going back to Aberdeen I’d have a better chance of making it.” Vicki discovered meditation and alternative therapies that helped her to battle the addiction and within three years, she used methadone for the last time. She initially studied to be a lawyer and later became a psychotherapist, specialising in neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and hypnotherapy. Now 33 years in recovery and 25 years as a therapist, she uses her lived experience and training to help others. Vicki hopes her brutally honest book Naked Truth – which became an international bestseller on Amazon on the day it launched – will help others and insists: “If I can do it, anyone can.”She says: “I don’t look back at my life and feel sad. There was a lot of love and laughter, but there was also darkness, sexual violence, addiction and other disturbing things. “Writing the book was a real eye-opener, it made me realised I have really lived a life between all of that and I’ve changed so much over the years.READ MORE SUN STORIES“I don’t pull any punches and that’s the kind of honest society needs. It’s authentic and raw, that’s what I think is inspirational.”Find out more about Vicki Rebecca’s work and her book here. Timeline of James Bond actorsOver the years there have been seven actors who have played 007.
      The first ever James Bond film was in 1962, and this is who has played the lead role over the years:

      Sean Connery – The late star was the first ever actor to play Bond, and reprised the role for seven movies.
      George Lazenby – The star only played Bond once, but was the youngest actor to ever play the spy.
      Roger Moore – The late movie star spent 12 years making seven films in the famous franchise.
      Timothy Dalton – The smooth actor took over from Roger Moore and appeared in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill.
      Pierce Brosnan – The handsome star played Bond for four movies from 1995 to 2002.
      Daniel Craig – The British star was the first blonde James Bond and the sixth actor to win the role in 2005. More

    • 275 Shares

      in entertainment and celebrities

      Where Lock, Stock cast are now…‘sham marriage’ row & Only Fools role to child star who quit fame to become estate agent

      by

      GUY Ritchie’s series The Gentlemen is proving a huge hit with viewers, and some have dubbed it the best thing Netflix has ever shown.The writer and director – who was married to Madonna for eight years, until 2008, and is now wed to Jacqui Ainsley – has been heaped with praise for the comedy-drama, a spin-off of his hit 2019 film.The film kickstarted Vinnie’s film careerVinnie has found love with Emma FordCredit: Discovery +Set in the same world of drugs, crime and deceit, the Netflix series stars Theo James, Kaya Scodelario and Ray Winstone as well as Vinnie Jones, who appeared in Ritchie’s first two hit films, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.This week, it was revealed the 59-year-old has found love again – five years after the tragic death of his beloved wife Tanya.The former football hardman has fallen for personal assistant Emma Ford, while filming his new TV show Vinnie Jones in the Country. Lock, Stock – released in 1998 – centres on a cocky young card sharp who ends up owing a gangster £500,000 after a rigged game of three card brag.Read more in FeaturesMade for just £1million it grossed £20 million in the box office, launching the career of Guy Ritchie, as well as sending Vinnie and co-star Jason Statham to Hollywood,So what happened to the rest of the cast of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels?Vinnie Jones – Big ChrisFormer football player Vinnie shot to fame after signing for Wimbledon, but quickly became infamous for his aggressive behaviour both on and off the pitch.The 59-year-old was convicted of assault and criminal damage after drunkenly beating up a neighbour in 1997, the following year he bit a journalist’s nose down to the bone and was given community service in 2003 after assaulting a passenger on a plane.Most read in CelebrityIn 1998 Guy Ritchie cast him as Big Chris, a role which would cement his place as a favourite to play Hollywood hardmen.The star was wed to his childhood sweetheart Tanya, having met her at the age of 12 growing up in Watford.Vinnie Jones explains his upcoming role on Netflix drama The GentlemenBut after 25 years of marriage, Vinnie was left heartbroken when Tanya, 53, died in 2019 after a six-year battle with cancer. The couple shared two children, Kaley, 37, and Aaron, 33.Today Vinnie is 11 years sober after battling alcohol demons and has starred in almost 100 movies.This week The Sun reported how he has been offered a lucrative deal to play gangster Danny Driscoll in Only Fools and Horses on the West End.When he’s not working, Vinnie is busy renovating his farm as seen on Amazon series Vinnie Jones in the Country, and has found love again with his PA Emma Ford.Jason Statham – BaconJason is now our biggest Hollywood exportJason is engaged to model Rosie Huntington-WhiteleyCredit: GettyDerbyshire-born Jason, 56, practiced martial arts and was a talented footballer and diver, even representing Britain in the Commonwealth Games in 1990.Shortly afterwards he was signed as a sportwear model, and went on to front campaigns for Levi, French Connection and Tommy Hilfiger. But he still worked on a market stall with his dad to make ends meet.He was introduced to Guy Ritchie, who happened to be looking for a market-seller type to star in Lock, Stock as a street-wise con artist, sealing his own career as a gritty, toughguy in a string of big budget movies.Jason had starring roles in dozens of box-office hits, from the Italian Job in 2003 to the Fast and Furious franchise and its spin-off Hobbs and Shaw as well playing the lead in The Beekeeper this year.Now Hollywood’s highest earning Brit, Jason pulled in a whopping £32million last year.The 56-year-old movie hardman came seventh in a rich list of acting stars recently published by Forbes, tying with Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio and beating Ben Affleck and Denzel Washington.Jason was engaged to model Kelly Brook, who he dated from 1998-2004.In 2010 he met Victoria’s Secrets model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, six years later they got engaged, and the couple now have two children.Peter McNicholl – Little ChrisPeter McNicholl was a child actorPeter played Vinnie’s character Big Chris’s nine-year-old son, and while his dad constantly warned his mates to ‘mind your language’, his gobby suited kid dropped a few swear words himself.Although the film triumphed at the box office, Peter was not allowed to attend the premiere because of its 18 certificate.Peter, now 34, went on to land a few more roles, including the role of a friend to the child in About A Boy alongside Hugh Grant.His experience led to him attending the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School but he quit acting to become an estate agent.Producers of the film offered him £6,000 or a cut of sales, and he followed his agent’s advice and took the £6k. He later admitted if he’d taken the cut, it could have been £50,000, but he said: “It was never about the money.”Nick Moran – EddieNick went on to a prolific screen careerAnother of Lock, Stock’s breakout acts was Nick, who grew up on an east London Council estate with three younger brothers, a hairdresser mum and mechanic dad.He has since starred in countless films and TV shows, including playing the part of Scabior in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows parts one and two, a role in CSI: Miami and Mr Selfridge.Despite reportedly earning fees of £2,250 a day, at the peak of his career, he was left penniless after bad investments and running up huge bar bills and had to borrow money against his home to pay tax bills.  In 2017, he admitted he was “living hand to mouth” in his London home.Most recently Nick, 54, was reunited with Jason Flemyng in a movie called Firecracker, the story of how a heist goes wrong and a trio find themselves fighting for their lives.Nick was married to Helen of Troy actress Sienna Guillory for three years until 1997, he went on to date Denise Van Outen, before marrying Harley Street dentist Jasmine Duran in 2015.In 2015, in the run up to his wedding to Jasmine, who is half- Iranian, he was summoned before local council officers for a personal grilling amid suggestions that he was entering into in a sham marriage.He later said the which he said “was a shock, like something out of the film Green Card” and added: “‘We thought we might have to show them photographs of us in the social pages of Tatler to prove that it was a genuine relationship.”When he’s not acting or directing Nick’s fronting his own Frank Sinatra tribute band or working towards raising awareness of Alzheima’s.Jason Flemyng – TomJason Flemyng starred in Lock, Stock and SnatchJason starred in Snatch, alongside Brad Pitt, and went on to appear in Vaughn’s flicks Layer Cake, alongside Brad Pitt, Kick Ass and X-Men: First Class.He later appeared in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, again with Pitt, and dozens of other high-profile movies and TV series, including Deep Rising and From Hell, with Johnny Depp.Born in Putney and raised by a single mum, he grew up with a love of acting and later in his career joined the Royal Shakespeare Society.He’s an advocate of speaking about mental health and a patron of The Samaritans, sharing in one interview that he’d had friends who died from suicide.Jason dated Game of Thrones star Lena Heady for nine years, until 2003, after meeting on the set of The Jungle Book.The 57-year-old is now married to Elly Fairman and the couple have 12-year-old twins Noah and Cassius.Dexter Fletcher – SoapDexter ended up as a successful directorNow 58, Dexter was a child actor who starred in children’s comedy drama Press Gang and played the role of Baby Face in classic movie Bugsy Malone in 1976, which also starred Jodie Foster.After Lock Stock he also appeared in Murder Most Horrid with Dawn French and Vaughn’s Layer Cake.Not to be typecast, Dexter also appeared in a Midsummer Night’s Dream and in opera, including a production at Sadler’s Wells.Steven Spielberg’s Band of Brother’s bought more success to the English actor, before he began directing movies, including the Elton John biopic Rocketman.North Londoner Dexter married Lithuanian film and theatre director Dalia Ibelhautait in 1997 with Alan Rickman his best man.Steven Mackintosh – WinstonStephen is a familiar face on our TV screensUnlike most of his Lock Stock co-stars, Steven was bought up in the countryside, near Cambridge.Like many of them, Steven was also propelled into the realms of Hollywood and theatrical stardom after appearing in Lock, Stock.The 56-year-old is perhaps now best known for his portrayal of Andreas Tanis in the horror movies Underworld: Revolution and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.Acting and narrating, his other work includes a villain role in ITVX’s flagship programme The Confessions of Frannie Langton, the male lead in Toni Collette’s Wanderlust, and playing a conniving adoptive father in Kiri.He was most recently seen in ITV crime thriller Payback.Steven met his wife Lisa Jacobs in 1989 when they appeared on stage together, and the couple have two grown up children, Martha and Blythe.Suzy Ratner – GloriaSuzy in the movie and posing with Joan Collins as a showbiz bashAs one of few women in the movie, Suzy played the perpetually stoned Gloria, as well as starring in a short film called The Booth, but went on to become a big name in production in both Los Angeles and the UK.As well as producing Selling Sunset she also made a name for herself producing The Only Way Is Essex and Selling Orange County.The 53-year old’s producing credits also include Gok’s Fashion Fix, Am I Normal? and Very British Problems.Suzy’s is the daughter of the jewellery magnate Gerald Ratner, who gained notoriety after making a speech which labelled his products ‘cr**’ and caused his own company’s downfall. He is now 73 and making business speeches for up to £3,000.Vas Blackwood – Rory BreakerVas is the cousin of EastEnders star Richard BlackwoodVasta Roy Blackwood, 61, is the cousin of former EastEnder Richard Blackwood, and has enjoyed a varied career in acting, writing, and even advertising Toffee Crisp chocolate bars.He shot to fame as Lenny Henry’s sidekick Winston Churchill in The Lenny Henry Show in 1987 and as David Sinclair in Casualty.Vas remained a regular on the small screen, but often in smaller roles than his counterparts, as well as fronting a TV advert for Tesco.His most recent work is an indie film alongside Tamsin Outhwaite, playing a criminal who steals cars to order and whose enemies kidnap his daughter.Vas became the step-cousin of supermodel Naomi Campbell in the 1980s when his uncle Cliff, Richard’s dad, married her mother, Valerie, before later divorcing.Jake Abraham – DeanJake Abraham, with co-star Victor McGuire in the movieCredit: AlamyJake played Dean, one of two bungling Scousers who try to get rich dealing in guns, which became one of the most memorable roles of the film.The actor was already experienced when he appeared in Lock Stock, having appeared in Red Dwarf, and in extra parts in other smaller movies and treading the boards in theatre.After the success of playing Dean, he also landed work on The 51st State starring Samuel L Jackson and in The Parole Officer with Steve Coogan.But last July he revealed he had prostate cancer and had only months to live.He said: “I found out really late down the line and there’s nothing they can do for me. I’ve just got to wait for the day.”READ MORE SUN STORIESTheatre director Bill Elms paid tribute to Jake who died in October last year, at the age of 56.He said: “He was a wonderful actor, a great company member and was much loved by so many in the industry. He will be sadly missed. I have many fond memories of Jake, he was always so upbeat and fun to be around.” More