When King Charles visited the youth centre that Cheryl Cole established in her native Newcastle in 2021, the pop star declared that it was an ‘incredibly special’ day.
Her fans may be shocked to learn that her name has, however, now been dramatically stripped from the Cheryl’s Trust Centre.
The Girls Aloud singer raised £1 million towards the cost of the unit, which she officially opened in 2018, in collaboration with royal charity the Prince’s Trust, which became the King’s Trust after he ascended the throne.
During his visit, the King thanked her for her ‘energy and enthusiasm’ in helping to establish the centre and raise funds via the Cheryl Cole Foundation to support disadvantaged young people.
But, earlier this year, the sign that read ‘The Prince’s Trust Cheryl’s Trust Centre’ was taken down. It was replaced with a sign that said simply ‘King’s Trust’. A fan of the Geordie star tells me: ‘It’s very sad. She was the driving force behind it.’
At the height of the X-Factor judge’s fame, the King was said to see Cheryl, who grew up on a tough council estate, as a useful ally to boost his popularity. He even appointed her long-term mentor, Kristina Kyriacou, as PR supremo for his sprawling charity empire.
When King Charles visited the youth centre that Cheryl Cole established in her native Newcastle in 2021, the pop star declared that it was an ‘incredibly special’ day
Cheryl first met the King at a Prince’s Trust gala dinner in 2012. She later had tea with him at Clarence House.
After a hugely successful pop and television career which netted her a multi-million-pound fortune, Cheryl has kept a low profile since giving birth to Bear, eight, with her then boyfriend, Liam Payne. Last year, One Direction singer Liam fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Argentina aged 31. He left a £28.6 million fortune and Cheryl was named as an administrator after he died without making a will.
Cheryl is legally responsible for managing the estate for their son Bear, who is the rightful heir.
A royal source insists that ‘the naming of the centre was granted to Cheryl’s Trust on a temporary basis’. They add: ‘When the charity formally changed its name this year from the Prince’s Trust to the King’s Trust, it was a natural moment to also change the centre name and signage.’
A spokesman says: ‘Cheryl remains a very valued Ambassador of the King’s Trust.’
The smart set’s talking about… Daredevil relights old flame after parting from polo star
Alexander Fiske-Harrison has ended his engagement to top Austrian polo player Klarina Pichler. He is now going out with a girlfriend from his university days, the French film actress Camille Natta
Once hailed as ‘the most bad-ass Old Etonian ever’, daredevil author Alexander Fiske-Harrison has taken fright at matrimony.
I hear that the Chelsea-born former bullfighter, 49, has ended his engagement to top Austrian polo player Klarina Pichler, 44, and rekindled a romance that began in the quads of Oxford University.
‘I can confirm that Klarina and I parted ways at the beginning of this year, with great sadness and mutual respect,’ Xander tells me. ‘I have finally washed the blood from my hands and pivoted back to my original role, from my time at Oxford.’
He is now going out with a girlfriend from his university days, the French film actress Camille Natta, 48.
‘Next week, we set off, reunited like Odysseus and Penelope,’ says Xander, who’s writing a book with Camille.
He previously went out with Lord Brocket’s model daughter, Antalya Nall-Cain, 13 years his junior.
(Very) modern manners
Artificial intelligence is expected to kill thousands of jobs in white-collar professions, including law and accountancy. Therapists might also be under threat, if Boy George’s experience is anything to go by.
The Culture Club singer, 64, tells me: ‘I love ChatGPT, [I use it for] therapy.’ Speaking at a touring production of The Talented Mr. Ripley, he says: ‘It’s like your best friend. I’ve asked ChatGPT stuff about myself, and it’s really been helpful, saying, “This is the truth, this is what’s a lie”.’
Queen of the jungle Toff ’s next challenge is starting a family
Georgia Toffolo says: ‘Once you’ve won the jungle, where do you go from there? It’s maybe time for me to hang up my TV boots’
As contestants on I’m A Celebrity have to eat such delicacies as bull’s penis and stick their heads in cages full of creepy-crawlies, one former winner hopes to have put such trials behind her.
Georgia Toffolo tells me: ‘Once you’ve won the jungle, where do you go from there? It’s maybe time for me to hang up my TV boots. Maybe everyone’s been bored of me on the telly.’
Georgia, 31, married BrewDog pub chain founder James Watt, 43, who has an estimated fortune of £400 million, in March and now has other priorities.
‘The next thing on the agenda, though, would be a baby,’ she tells me at the Boisdale Life Editor’s Lunch and Awards.
Dynasty legend Emma and husband battle over baubles
Christmas, it seems, is not a time of peace on earth for Emma Samms, who played fiery Fallon Carrington Colby in Dynasty, and her husband, Simon McCoy, the former BBC newsreader.
‘Simon’s idea of Christmas looks and sounds like a funfair,’ she wails saying they find themselves ‘at war every December’ over the Christmas decorations. She tells Cotswold Life: ‘I like natural, subtle, traditional and old-fashioned decor. In other words: classy. He likes his decorations to be bright, flashing, shiny, noisy. In other words: hideous. And he wants them all over the house and garden.’
The Tesla has been described in the Guardian as ‘the Nazimobile’ – the politics of brand owner Elon Musk so enraged the newspaper’s holier-than-thou writers that they ran a piece encouraging a boycott of the cars. Not for the first time, the Left-wing paper is not exactly leading from the front on this issue. Who has bought a spanking new Tesla? Step forward Charles Gurassa, multi-millionaire former easyJet director and chair of the Guardian’s board. Parp, parp.
Pupils told: Be nice to Giovanni, or else!
Giovanni Pernice has made clear that he won’t tolerate any nonsense from pupils at the dance classes he gives
He left Strictly Come Dancing after an investigation into his behaviour following claims by his celebrity partner, Amanda Abbington.
And Giovanni Pernice has made clear that he won’t tolerate any nonsense from pupils at the dance classes he gives.
‘Please remember to be respectful towards Giovanni, staff/organisers, and other attendees so that everyone feels safe and welcome in the class,’ participants in GP Ballando are warned.
‘Any unkind or disrespectful behaviour will not be tolerated. If you see or experience anything of this nature, please alert us to it.’
Sherlock star Amanda, 51, accused Italian dance pro Giovanni, 35, of bullying behaviour, which he denied.
A BBC investigation upheld six of 17 complaints against him.
Giovanni was cleared of being physically abusive, but the probe found he used swear words, ‘belittling’ language and gave negative feedback.
How loos drove Alan Cumming round the bend
Stage and screen star Alan Cumming has discovered that running a Scottish theatre is not what he expected it would be when he took up the role last year.
The Cabaret actor, 60, has revealed he’s given up his £75,000 salary as artistic director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre because he faced ‘kickback’ and a mountain of baffling form-filling.
‘Mostly, it was the bureaucracy,’ he says. ‘Someone joked that it will be all about the loos. I was, like, “Come on!” Well, it was. The loos were being renovated so we couldn’t use the main house. For the first five months it was all about when are these f***ing toilets going to be ready?’
Alan, who lives between New York and Scotland, where he’s from, adds: ‘There are certain systems that have existed for generations, and people are shocked when someone comes in and says, “Oh, I’m not doing that.” I found there was some kickback and some sort of obstruction. I don’t deal well with negativity.
‘I’ve worked out a way to do it now – I’m a volunteer from now on so that I can do everything I’m doing now… but not have to deal with all the boring stuff.’
