Category: Petrol

Exploring Noel Fielding’s impressive array of unique shirts and bold sweaters featured on the Bake Off, some worth a hefty £1,000!

For years Noel Fielding has been known for his quirky collection of shirts and jumpers, always catching the attention of viewers in the Great British Bake Off tent.

And while the TV presenter’s bold fashion choices make him easy pick out of a crowd, his wardrobe is certainly not for the penny-pinchers among us.

Many of his quirky shirts and unique tops have set the Great British Bake Off (GBBO) star back hundreds of pounds – with one worth an eye-watering £1,050.

He’s also no stranger to a designer label or two, with pieces from top names including Balmain and Alexander McQueen

MailOnline takes a look-back at some Noel’s most iconic pieces and how much he has splashed out over the years…

Nahmias Butterfly Beach shirt: £1,067

Among the pieces in Noel’s collection are a Nahmias Butterfly Beach shirt, worth £1,067, which he wore in November 2023 for the seventh episode of Bake Off

They say you get what you pay for in life.

And Noel has an expensive and extensive wardrobe of creative tops which range from elegant pieces of art to your typical ‘dad-and-lad on holiday’ shirts.

But the Nahmias Butterfly Beach shirt is seemingly worth the fuss of spending £1,067.

This long-sleeved garment will catch any fashionista’s eye as this fabulous shirt is made from 99 per cent silk and five per cent spandex.

It features a classic collar, concealed front fastening, buttoned cuffs and a straight hem, and made its first TV appearance with Noel in November 2023 for the seventh episode of Bake Off.

After circulating fashion markets for over a year, the shirt, which was originally priced at £1,067, can now be found at a discounted price of £427 on Farfetch.

Alexander McQueen Skull Print Cotton Shirt: £750

In October 2021, he sported an edgy black and white Alexander McQueen Skull Print Cotton Shirt, after splashing out £750 on the designer piece

If his clothes aren’t interesting in colour, they are definitely engaging in pattern.

Noel made a bold fashion statement, wearing an edgy black and white Alexander McQueen Skull Print Cotton Shirt for a GBBO episode in October 2021.

After coughing an eye-watering £750 for the designer shirt, Noel looked handsome as ever in the classic-collared garment.

He paired the expensive piece with his usual pair of black skinny jeans and a set of chunky boots.

The buttoned shirt, a rare find, is currently unavailable for purchase as it first hit the catwalks in October 2020.

When Noel debuted his gothic McQueen ensemble on the show, his co-presenter Matt Lucas wore a short-sleeved shirt in a completely opposite design.

Balmain fire-print long-sleeve shirt: £950

For the first episode of Never Mind The Buzzcocks revival in 2023, Noel also showcased his kook clothing collection in a £950 Balmain fire-printed shirt

No(ooohhhh)el, your shirt is on fire…

Noel, the enigmatic figure with his signature black hair, has always embraced the unconventional when it comes to his wardrobe.

Unsurprisingly, the first episode of the Never Mind The Buzzcocks revival in 2023 was no exception.

Noel made a grand entrance, radiating his usual fiery and fierce aura, in a captivating Balmain fire-print long-sleeve shirt.

This piece of clothing is one of the star’s more expensive pieces worn on the show, as he paid a whopping £950 for the top.

It is cut from polyester fabric and offers subtle branding with a tonal logo featured at the chest.

The garment, from Balmain’s SS23 collection, is made from at least 50 per cent recycled or upcycled materials.

While very few are still in circulation, this shirt can be found on Farfetch for a discounted price of £570.

Bella Freud Women’s 1970 Mohair Jumper: £350

At the Bake Off quarter-finals in 2021, Noel opted for a Bella Freud Women’s 1970 Mohair Jumpe, worth £350

It is no secret that Noel loves a woolly jumper.

But his preferences for colours, fabrics, and styles change drastically depending on how he feels.

Noel, in his unique style, effortlessly showed that fashion has no boundaries.

He confidently rocked the Bella Freud Women’s 1970 Mohair Jumper, proving that a jumper’s appeal is not limited by its gender label.

The vibrant ocean-blue garment, which features a white band across the chest stating 1970, is crafted from a sumptuous mohair blend.

Adding a retro element to his ensemble, Noel’s long-sleeved top featured a rubbed neck and a slouchy cut.

But to make this bold statement, it set Noel back by a whopping £350 and is still available to buy from the likes of Coggles.

He wore this casual jumper during the GBBO quarter-finals in 2021.

MARNI Men’s Fuzzy Mohair Striped Sweater: £625

During an appearance on Never Mind The Buzzcocks in 2021, Noel wore a MARNI Men’s Fuzzy Mohair Striped Sweater, worth £625

Noel is often found grinning like a Cheshire cat as he gets up to the usual bout of mischief on tele.

So, it was somewhat fitting that he resembled the fun-loving fictional character during an episode of Never Mind The Buzzcocks in October 2021.

He stepped out to present his usual gig on the show in a MARNI Men’s Fuzzy Mohair Striped Sweater in purple.

The pullover was originally made in Italy in November 202 and featured a crew neckline, long sleeves and ribbed cuffs.

Noel looked absolutely stunning in the garment, a testament to his quirky style, as he appeared on TV in the sold-out piece.

To step out in such a fabulous ensemble, Noel forked out a whopping £625 for the jumper.

Acne Studios Karen Kilimnik Printed Shirt: £450

He sported an Acne Studios Karen Kilimnik Print Button-Up Shirt, which is worth £450, in an episode of Bake Off in October 2021

While the style icon has been spotted in an array of colours over the years, gold is a colour that rarely appears.

Noel wore a fabulous Acne Studios Karen Kilimnik Print button-up shirt in gold, pink and blue.

The fabulous shirt featured a watercolour pattern, which resembled a similar shape to a butterfly – a design choice he has become quite familiar with over the year.

His unique long-sleeve viscose shirt, which was originally made in China, set him back £450.

He wore the metallic-look top to present episode six of GBBO in October 2021.

Unlike many of Noel’s legendary shirts and jumpers, this one is still available at a discounted price from online stores such as Cettire.

DSQUARED2 Patterned shirt: £488

To host episode three of Never Mind the Buzzcocks in 2023, Noel wore a DSQUARED2 Patterned shirt, worth £488

At some point, most fashion fanatics have owned at least one piece of clothing featuring a tie-dye design.

But not everyone forks out a jaw-dropping £488.

Noel parted ways with this large sum of money to get his hands on a DSQUARED2 patterned shirt.

He stepped out looking eccentric as ever to host episode three of Never Mind the Buzzcocks in 2023 in pink, blue and green.

The Italian full cotton top was designed with a twist as it featured a classic collar but had no pockets stitched in.

It is available to purchase in very few places online as sites such as YOOX are offering variations at a discounted price of £371.

KAPITAL Kamehameha Camp-Collar Printed Woven Shirt: £450

For the third episode of Bake Off’s Stand Up 2 Cancer special in 20221, Noel wore a £450 KAPITAL Kamehameha Camp-Collar Printed Woven Shirt

Even with a typically standard Hawaiian shirt, Noel still goes the extra mile.

For the third episode of 2022s Stand Up 2 Cancer Bake Off, the TV presenter commanded attention in a KAPITAL Kamehameha Camp-Collar Printed Woven Shirt.

Splashing out £450 on the Japanese top, he opted for a laid-back feel for the show with the garment’s notched camp collar and lightweight woven fabric.

The shirt featured a unique designed of printed surfers on an island landscape with a splashy skeletal ribcage overlaid at the front and back.

He opted to wear the brightly-coloured shirt for one of the show’s brighter days as he looked like a ray of sunshine in the Bake Off garden.

Originally released in 2020, the unique top is still heavily circulated among stores.

Marc Jacobs Heaven Blue Buggy Bear Jumper: £300

For episode five of Bake Off in 2022, Noel showcased his inner child with a Marc Jacobs Heaven Blue Buggy Bear Jumper, worth £300

For episode five of 2022s GBBO, Noel showcased his inner child through fashion.

He stepped out in a Marc Jacobs Heaven Blue Buggy Bear Jumper.

The blue jumper, featuring a purple bear driving a blue car along a stone road, certainly shone a light on the star’s youthful fashion sense.

But the child-like design does not mean child clothing prices, as Noel coughed up £300 for the crew neck jumper.

The top was first seen on the catwalk in July 2022 and is currently out of stock.

424 Four Horsemen Shirt: £376

Noel wore a 424 Four Horsemen shirt, worth £376, in Bake Off’s 2022 series

Keeping in touch with his spooky side, Noel stepped out once again in a skeleton-design shirt.

For an appearance on Bake Off’s 2022 series, Noel made another daring and bold fashion choice, opting for a 424 Four Horsemen shirt, complete with a classic neckline and long sleeves.

For the eyewatering price of £376, the presenting sensation looked stunning in the pattern shirt.

It detailed four riding characters, each holding up a skeleton mask as unicorns danced in the sky above.

The shirt is scarcely available across stores but is available at a discounted price of £278 at YOOX.

April 14, 2024
The truth behind what Jack Dunkley revealed during the explosive Final Vows on Married At First Sight

Married At First Sight couple Jack Dunkley and Tori Adams had their controversial Final Vows aired on Monday night, but it seems not everything made the cut.

Comedian Hi Josh shared a video to Facebook on Tuesday, revealing what the couple ‘really’ told each other when they shared their vows – but there’s a twist.

The content creator dubbed over the clips of Jack, 34, and Tori’s finale with his own interpretive lip reading which added a comedic tone to their heartfelt moment.

‘You are the biggest troll of my heart. I wanted someone with a warm moustache and a gentle soul,’ Tori’s dubbed audio began.

‘Instead, I was smooshed together with a racist pickle. You wrote the most revolting sentence in my scrapbook.’

Married At First Sight couple Jack Dunkley, 34, (left) and Tori Adams, 27, (right) had their controversial Final Vows aired on Monday night, but it seems not everything made the cut

The business development manager, 27, ended her ‘vows’ with: ‘I have found the most evil person to be bonded with, and you smell like petrol.’

Jack’s hilarious lip read vows began with: ‘Look at me! You’re noisy. I’m attracted to big swimming pools and Chewbacca. We’re not in love.

‘You made a bad choice with me and I’m sorry. How would you like one last snuggle?’ he finished, to which Tori replied: ‘Okay let’s do it. Then I’ll regret it.’

Comedian Hi Josh shared a video to Facebook on Tuesday which saw him dub over Jack and Tori’s vows with a ‘lip reading’ of what they ‘really’ said in their heartfelt moment

The parody clip finished with Jack and Tori sharing a kiss with cringeworthy sound effects, before Jack asked producers if they ‘have any butt cream’.

It was a far cry from the real vows Jack and Tori shared with each other during Monday night’s episode of the Channel Nine experiment.

The couple professed their love to each other and agreed to give their relationship a shot, though their journey on the show has been anything but a romantic fairytale.

It was a far cry from the real vows Jack and Tori shared with each other during Monday night’s episode of the Channel Nine experiment

Tori initiated the emotional exchange by acknowledging how they grew through the challenges they faced and developed a deep bond.

Jack reciprocated Tori’s sentiments in his own vows, but his speech took an unexpected turn as he expressed concerns about their connection.

‘Our loyal personalities bonded over having each other’s back and picking each other up where need be. Like teammates. Not lovers. We are not in love,’ he said.

Yet, in a dramatic twist, he affirmed his commitment to their relationship, adding: ‘Moving forward with you is a massive risk… a risk I’m 100 per cent ready to take.’

Share or comment on this article:
What Married At First Sight villain Jack Dunkley really said during those bombshell Final Vows is revealed

April 3, 2024
Radio 4 Host Interrupts Katie Price’s Rant About Her Driving Ban

Katie Price was swiftly cut off by Radio 4 host Clare McDonnell live on air as she ranted about her driving ban on Women’s Hour.

The former glamour model, 45, made an appearance on Friday’s show where she was quizzed about two-year driving ban and court appearance earlier this month, where she was slapped with an £880 fine for driving without insurance and without a valid driver’s licence.

Katie was banned for two years after flipping her BMW in a drink-driving crash in September 2021.

Clare, 57, asked her: ‘I need to ask you about personal responsibilities. You say you are taking it.

‘You have had two bankruptcies and recently lost your license again – you were caught driving when you shouldn’t have been allowed to.

Katie Price was swiftly cut off by Radio 4 host Clare McDonnell as she ranted about her driving ban on Women’s Hour

The former glamour model, 45, made an appearance on Friday’s show where she was quizzed about two-year driving ban

‘How much of that do you say, “Ok, I can criticise the press when they’ve been intrusive but a certain amount of this I have to take on the chin?”‘

Katie replied: ‘The driving thing is a different story because I have my licence, I got it back in April.

‘But unfortunately, if there is anyone listening from the DVLA, please contact me because the reason why I haven’t got my license is my doctors have filled out [the fit to drive forms], I did my blood tests last summer that showed no alcohol, but there’s somebody that keeps emailing the DVLA saying I’m not fit to drive.’

Clare tried to cut her off, but Katie continued: ‘I can’t contact anyone from the DVLA. It takes four to six weeks to process that but you’ve had my doctors four times to say I can drive.’

Before the outspoken TV star could carry on, Clare swiftly ended the conversation. She said: ‘We will have to leave that there. Obviously they’re not here to put over their side of the argument.’

MailOnline has contacted the DVLA for comment.

Earlier this month, Katie was handed a £880 fine after being found guilty of yet another driving offence, prompting campaigners to call for her to be finally put behind bars.

The television personality drove a Range Rover on August 2 last year on the A14 bypass in Kettering, Northamptonshire, without insurance and without a valid driver’s licence but was recognised by a police officer at a petrol station.

Katie made an appearance on Clare’s Woman’s Hour show on Friday (pictured show host Clare)

Earlier this month, Katie was handed a £880 fine after being found guilty of yet another driving offence for driving without insurance or a valid licence in August last year (pictured)

Magistrates sitting in Northampton tried Katie in her absence after she failed to show up to court and found her guilty after being shown CCTV footage of the model, wearing black slippers, stepping out of the driver’s side of her bronze-coloured car.

The I’m A Celebrity star was banned from driving for two years after she crashed her BMW on the B2135 in West Sussex on September 28, 2021, and was also handed a 16-week suspended jail sentence for drink-driving while disqualified and without insurance.

During that court appearance, the prosecutor said Katie had five previous driving bans.

Elsewhere in the interview, Katie called for an ‘age limit’ to stop young women from using dermal fillers, despite her own extensive history with plastic surgery.

The TV personality has been campaigning on plastic surgery following her experiences with numerous cosmetic procedures, including 17 breast augmentations.

Katie said she is not ‘a hypocrite’ but is aware of the disastrous effects of surgery.

‘I’ve been around the world and seen different surgeries… and the thing is, I know about filler, you might have filler, but eventually… it drops… it’s still chemicals you’re putting in your face,’ she said.

‘But I just think… there should be an age limit on it, and (we should) educate girls, why do you need to have all this filler and everything pumped in your face? Just look at when you are my age, it’s different when you’re older than that, but you know, they’re babies still.’

Elsewhere in the interview, Katie called for an ‘age limit’ to stop young women from using dermal fillers, despite her own extensive history with plastic surgery

The glamour model (pictured in 1995) that she is not ‘a hypocrite’ but is aware of the disastrous effects of surgery, insisting that thanks to fillers ‘all 21-year-old women look the same’

Katie also said that before and after pictures of plastic surgery on social media failed to take into account the recovery period, which can involve bruising and stitching.

She added: ‘My advice is, don’t just go abroad and stuff because it’s cheaper, why don’t you contact some of the people on there who’ve done the before and after, and message them and say, ”Look, I’m thinking of having this done? What was it really like?”

Last year, the Government launched a consultation to gather insights and opinions on how to make Botox procedures and other non-surgical cosmetic treatments including face fillers safer.

Katie also urged young women to ’embrace what they’ve got’ and said she is worried that they could become addicted as ‘in 20 years’ time there’ll be a new procedure or something’.

She did not rule out new surgeries due to her struggling with her perception of her own body.

‘I don’t have surgery to look younger,’ Price said. ‘I don’t know what it is, but I definitely have a relationship with the surgery, I think about not feeling probably good enough or needy or not very pretty.’

Katie Price’s long history of driving offences that has seen her banned from the road SIX times

2003 – Price escaped a speeding charge after police failed to arrest her within 12 weeks of allegedly clocking 70mph in a 40mph zone in her Range Rover.

2008 – After talking on the mobile phone while driving on April 18, Price landed three penalty points.

2009 – She failed to provide the identity of the driver after her car was allegedly caught speeding in a 30mph zone and was later handed four penalty points after being clocked at 99mph and was handed four points on her licence.

2010 – The model was convicted for failing to be in proper control of her horsebox after veering into another lane in February and was given three points on her licence, bringing her total to 10. Then in December she was banned from driving for six months after doing 83mph in a 70mph zone in her home county of West Sussex.

2012 – Two years later, Price was disqualified for 12 months for failing to respond to two speeding tickets in September.

2018 – Price landed a six-month ban in February 2018 for speeding after totting up 12 penalty points for speeding. In July, photos emerged of her driving while still banned. Then in October she was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and spent 13 hours in custody after crashing into a VW Golf and a hedge on a gated estate at 2am.

2019 – She was given a three-month ban for driving while disqualified in January of that year. And then in October, Price was banned from driving for a further 18 months for failing to inform police who was behind the wheel of her pink Range Rover during a crash in Bexley, South East London.

2021 – Katie crashes her BMW car on a country road near her West Sussex home in the early hours of the morning in September after drinking and taking drugs. She pleaded guilty at Crawley Magistrates of drink driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

2022 – She was back in court charged with speeding and failing to provide information to the police.

2023 – Price is fined almost £400 for speeding as well as driving with an ‘expired’ licence, just weeks after getting back behind the wheel following her drink driving ban.

March 30, 2024
Anya Taylor-Joy and husband Malcom McRae show their love while attending Cara Delevingne’s Cabaret performance at the Kit Kat Club

Anya Taylor-Joy put on a loved-up display with her musician husband Malcom McRae as the pair headed to see Cara Delevingne in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club.

The Queens Gambit actress, 27, was spotted supporting Cara on Thursday after the model stepped into the role of Sally Bowles in the West End show.

Cara took over the character after Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self Esteem, finished her run with the Kander and Ebb musical – which centres around Berlin’s underground club scene between the Jazz Age and the rise of Nazi Germany.

Anya sported an all-black ensemble for the theatre outing, pairing a high-beck sweater with a full maxi skirt and slimline coat.

Her platinum blonde hair was down in a natural style and she contrasted the dark look with a dark pink lip.

Anya Taylor-Joy put on a loved-up display with her musician husband Malcom McRae as the pair headed to see Cara Delevingne in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club on Thursday

The Queens Gambit actress, 27, was spotted supporting Cara on Thursday after the model stepped into the role of Sally Bowles in the West End show

Meanwhile, Malcolm opted for a 70s-style outfit consisting of a cream trench coat, striped shirt and a burnt orange patterned tie.

Later, the pair were seen running, possibly to escape the rain, after the show had come to an end.

Anya and Malcolm tied the knot with in a lavish ceremony held in Venice in October, with a host of all-star guests attending the stunning day.

The actress, who has also starred in dramas Peaky Blinders and Last Night In Soho, married in front of just over 150 guests including Cara and Julia Garner while sporting a beige gown.

At the start of the day, the blonde beauty was seen on the balcony in preparation mode, as she sported a white silk robe and sipped coffee while going make-up free, ahead of her swan-like transformation.

Her unconventional dress comprised a princess shape in a beige shade with embroidery and embellishments – including images of birds and flowers across the bodice, while she wore a bright white veil.

It was revealed before the big day that the couple were spotted looking at wedding venues in Venice earlier this year, including Palazzo Pisani-Moretta, a 15th century palace, and Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista di Venezia, a 14th century church before the big day arrived over the weekend.

The couple – who have been dating since May 2021 – instructed firm The Wedding Boutique Italy to organise their nuptials which looked sensational.

Cara took over the character after Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self Esteem, finished her run with the Kander and Ebb musical

Later, the pair were seen running, possibly to escape the rain, after the show had come to an end

Her platinum blonde hair was down in a natural style and she contrasted the dark look with a dark pink lip

Anya sported an all-black ensemble for the theatre outing, pairing a high-beck sweater with a full maxi skirt and slimline coat

Meanwhile, Malcolm opted for a 70s-style outfit consisting of a cream trench coat, striped shirt and a burnt orange patterned tie

Anya looked in good spirits as she posed for a snap alongside Cara Delevingne

The luxury event planners host weddings located across Italy, also including Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Sicily and Lake Como, set in idyllic destinations including romantic castles and rustic farmhouses. The wedding firm budgets for weddings costing over £250,000 and not only plan the nuptials but also design the entire experience.

Anya has rarely spoken about her relationship with Malcolm, 28, since they began dating, having been first spotted together in New York.

They have managed to maintain a healthy relationship despite living on opposite sides of the Atlantic, with Anya largely based in London, while Malcolm, who also acts as well as being in a band, lives in the US.

Their busy work schedules also make it difficult, as Anya spends weeks on end in filming locations, while Malcolm regularly tours for his music.

Speaking about their relationship to British Vogue in March 2022, Anya said: ‘I said to my partner the other day that he was my hobby. I see reading as something that I have to do. He loved it because he’s the same.

‘I’ve finally found someone who will happily sit in silence with me reading. We’re basically 80 years old and seven at the same time and it works really well.’

The couple are pictured in April just months before their glamorous wedding (Pictured in April 2023)

Anya and Malcolm tied the knot with in a lavish ceremony held in Venice in October, with a host of all-star guests attending the stunning day (Pictured in January 2023)

Speaking about the distance, she added: ‘Yes, it is [hard], but it’s also kind of great because when you’re together you’re really valuing the time that you have.

‘Everyday mundane activities are so full of joy. I love going to the petrol station with him and filling up.’

Anya was born in Miami, Florida and moved to Buenos Aires as a toddler before relocating to London at the age of six ‘for political reasons’ with her parents, banker father Dennis – a Scot born in South America – and Spanish-English mother Jennifer who hails from Zambia.

Her role as orphaned chess prodigy Beth Harmon in the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit elevated her into one of the most in demand actresses in Hollywood, having bagged a Golden Globe for Best Actress and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie.

She received another Golden Globe nomination for her role in black comedy movie The Menu, starring alongside Nicholas Hoult and Ralph Fiennes, and is playing the lead in blockbuster action movie Furiosa, the prequel to 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road.

March 29, 2024
Katie Price Skips Court Hearing Due to Exhaustion, Fined £880 for Driving Offences

Katie Price has said she was unable to go to court this week because she is ‘so drained’ due to not having her ADHD medication.

The former glamour model, 45, was due at Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, charged with driving without insurance and was given a £880 fine.

Katie drove a Range Rover on August 2 last year on the A14 bypass in Kettering, Northamptonshire, without insurance and without a valid driver’s licence but was recognised by a police officer at a petrol station.

Magistrates sitting in Northampton tried Price in her absence after she failed to show up to court and found her guilty after being shown CCTV footage of the model, wearing black slippers, stepping out of the driver’s side of her bronze-coloured car.

Speaking on her podcast The Katie Price Show, she said: ‘I’m so drained at the minute. Behind the scenes there’s been court cases that I’m supposed to have gone to and I haven’t been able to mentally.

Katie Price has said she was unable to go to court this week because she is ‘so drained’ due to not having her ADHD medication

The former glamour model, 45, was due at Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, charged with driving without insurance and was given a £880 fine

‘There’s a shortage of ADHD meds so I can’t get hold of any. They reckon they’ll come back in March.’

‘So where I have a lot going on in, my poor head is is like … the only thing that keeps me focused is the kids, podcast and the work that I do.

‘It’s not that I don’t have routine, it’s all the other pressures behind the scenes. Soon as that comes in, I will probably be a different person.’

Katie revealed in July of last year that she had been diagnosed with ADHD and was receiving therapy to manage it.

The symptoms of ADHD include restlessness and difficulty concentrating, as well as excessive physical moving, talking and acting without thinking.

Katie was banned from driving for two years after she crashed her BMW on the B2135 in West Sussex on September 28, 2021, and was also handed a 16-week suspended jail sentence for drink-driving while disqualified and without insurance.

During that court appearance, the prosecutor said she had five previous driving bans.

Three magistrates found Katie guilty in her absence after a brief trial on Tuesday, imposing an £880 fine and ordering her to pay £620 in costs and a £352 victim surcharge.

Katie said: ‘I’m so drained at the minute. Behind the scenes there’s been court cases that I’m supposed to have gone to and I haven’t been able to mentally’

The model has a long history of run-ins with the legal system over her driving. She has committed 11 driving offences in the previous fifteen years

Katie was banned from driving for two years after she crashed her BMW on the B2135 near Partridge Green on September 28, 2021

The 45-year-old model, of Dial Post, near Horsham, West Sussex, was given 28 days to pay the total amount of £1,852, imposed in relation to the offences committed on the A14 at Kettering on August 2 last year.

Finding Katie guilty and imposing the fine, chair of the bench Neil Sheppard said: ‘From the evidence we have been shown, the case is proven against Miss Price.’

Magistrates were told Katie has numerous previous convictions for motoring offences, including driving while disqualified in 2019 and 2021.

Following the latest offence, Katie was handed eight penalty points on her licence, which was said in court to be ‘expired’ after a ‘medical stop’ was placed on it in April last year.

It was far from the first time Katie has had issues with the law related to her time on the road. The reality TV star has already committed 11 driving offences in the previous fifteen years.

She was fined almost £400 for speeding and driving with an ‘expired’ licence last month.

Katie had been going over 70mph in Gloucestershire, near to the National Star College in Cheltenham, where her son Harvey studies.

She was also given points on her licence due to the incident. Her Range Rover was seized eight days after that incident, which took place in July 2023.

She had only been back on the road for a short time following a driving ban that was the result of a drunken crash on a country road near her West Sussex home.

Katie was declared bankrupt in 2019 with debts of £3.2m from her failed company Jordan Trading Ltd, which was set up to oversee her perfume and cosmetics line

Katie avoided jail time due to a little known legal mechanism.

She was slapped with a two-year driving ban and a suspended sentence after she admitted to driving while disqualified, without insurance and drink driving.

She had agreed to take a drink-drive rehabilitation course, which reduced the ban by 24 weeks.

Katie has been on the end of repeated driving bans over the years.

In 2018, she landed a six-month ban for speeding after totting up 12 penalty points on her licence.

Five years earlier, she was disqualified from driving for a year for failing to respond to two speeding tickets.

In 2010, she was banned from driving for six months after running 83mph in a 70mph zone in West Sussex.

Katie Price’s long history of driving offences that has seen her banned from the road SIX times

2003 – Price escaped a speeding charge after police failed to arrest her within 12 weeks of allegedly clocking 70mph in a 40mph zone in her Range Rover.

2008 – After talking on the mobile phone while driving on April 18, Price landed three penalty points.

2009 – She failed to provide the identity of the driver after her car was allegedly caught speeding in a 30mph zone and was later handed four penalty points after being clocked at 99mph and was handed four points on her licence.

2010 – The model was convicted for failing to be in proper control of her horsebox after veering into another lane in February and was given three points on her licence, bringing her total to 10. Then in December she was banned from driving for six months after doing 83mph in a 70mph zone in her home county of West Sussex.

2012 – Two years later, Price was disqualified for 12 months for failing to respond to two speeding tickets in September.

2018 – Price landed a six-month ban in February 2018 for speeding after totting up 12 penalty points for speeding. In July, photos emerged of her driving while still banned. Then in October she was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and spent 13 hours in custody after crashing into a VW Golf and a hedge on a gated estate at 2am.

2019 – She was given a three-month ban for driving while disqualified in January of that year. And then in October, Price was banned from driving for a further 18 months for failing to inform police who was behind the wheel of her pink Range Rover during a crash in Bexley, South East London.

2021 – Katie crashes her BMW car on a country road near her West Sussex home in the early hours of the morning in September after drinking and taking drugs. She pleaded guilty at Crawley Magistrates of drink driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

2022 – She was back in court charged with speeding and failing to provide information to the police.

2023 – Price is fined almost £400 for speeding as well as driving with an ‘expired’ licence, just weeks after getting back behind the wheel following her drink driving ban.

March 14, 2024
On the set of his film Good Fortune in Los Angeles, Keanu Reeves enjoys his favorite power bar while dressed in a shirt and tie.

Keanu Reeves was seen on the set of Good Fortune in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The actor had on a white shirt and a black tie with a long black diving parka jacket, dark slacks and brown shoes.

The John Wick star was munching on a Clif bar during his time between scenes.

There have been jokes made in the past about Keanu enjoying Clif bars.

Two years ago, the actor was photographed walking down another street carrying an entire bag of Clif bars. Reactions on Reddit, where the photo was posted, were hilarious.

‘Tick tock, Mr. Wick,’ one said.

‘I once saw him kill 3 men in a petrol station using a CLIF Bar…. a f***ing CLIF BAR. ‘ Imagine what he could do with a full bag?’ another quipped.

Keanu Reeves proves he’s still addicted to CLIF Bars. He was seen walking down the street as he left the set of Good Fortune in Los Angeles munching on one of the popular energy bars on February 29.

‘Tick tock, Mr. Wick,’ one fan commented two years ago when the actor was spotted carrying an entire bag of CLIF bars down the street.

Good Fortune is an upcoming American comedy film written and directed by Aziz Ansari in his directorial debut.

Ansari also acts alongside Keanu. Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer.

The movie plot is being kept under wraps, according to Variety, but Production List describes it as a high concept comedy about the gig economy in Los Angeles.

The shooting of the film had been delayed due to last year’s writers’ strike, but finally started in January 2024 in the Koreatown neighborhood of LA.

On January 25, Reeves was spotted on set with crutches and an ice pack on his left knee.

At the time, it was unclear if the medical aids were part of his role or actual treatment for an on-set injury.

The images of Reeves posted online caused worried reactions from fans, with #GetWellSoonKeanu trending on X (formerly known as Twitter). Days later, Reeves was seen standing on set without assistance.

The star is best known for his John Wick movies; seen in Chapter 4

Reeves poses for a portrait at the 51th Annual Saturn Awards held at The Marriott Burbank Convention Center in Burbank on February 4

Reeves, who has been acting in films for almost 40 years, has a legion of fans from his highly successful ‘John Wick’ action/thriller film franchise, playing the role of a hitman that comes out of retirement.

The series began with John Wick in 2014, followed by three sequels in 2017, 2019 and 2023. John Wick 5 is in development, with a probable release in 2026.

Keanu’s first successful franchise in film was the role of Neo in all four Matrix movies: 1999, 2003, 2002 and 2021.

As a bit of trivia, there’s one line that Reeves said once in Matrix and once in John Wick: when asked what he needed, he said, ‘Guns, lots of guns.’

Share or comment on this article:
Keanu Reeves munches on his favorite power bar as he wears a shirt and tie on the set of his film Good Fortune in Los Angeles

March 1, 2024
George and Amal Clooney sport matching denim outfits while fueling up their £69k Mercedes in the South of France, following their move to a £7m countryside estate.

George and Amal Clooney looked every inch the superstar couple as they stepped out in his and hers denim in France on Wednesday.

The Ocean’s Eleven star, 62, looked dashing in jeans and a padded coat paired with a cap and sunglasses while the Lebanese–British barrister, 46, made a statement in flared jeans with a slash extending up the leg.

The couple were enjoying a stroll and a drive through an idyllic area in the Cote d’Azur, having reportedly relocated.

After walking hand-in-hand down the road, the couple, who share twins Ella and Alexander, six, hopped into George’s £69k Mercedes-Benz AMG E53 Coupe to fill up on petrol before zipping off in style.

Amal looked typically chic in her jeans, which she paired with flats, a tight black tee and a leather jacket alongside stylish sunglasses.

George and Amal Clooney looked every inch the superstar couple as they stepped out in his and hers denim in France on Wednesday

The Ocean’s Eleven star, 62, looked dashing in jeans and a padded coat paired with a cap and sunglasses while the Lebanese–British barrister, 46, made a statement in flared jeans with a slash extending up the leg

George meanwhile was rocking off-duty star style, complete with a dark polo shirt, padded jacket, light wash jeans and suede Chelsea boots.

He kept a low-profile with his sunglasses and baseball cap.

Their jaunt around the area comes amid the speculation that the Clooneys have now moved permanently to the Cote d’Azur and are no longer spending time at their £10million Thameside mansion in Sonning, Berkshire.

The couple are said to have been living at the 18th century Domaine du Canadel for several months.

And they have not been seen at the Grade II-listed property in the UK – which they bought in 2014 and spent millions renovating – for two years, according to locals.

Their idyllic French estate includes a 25-acre vineyard, a pool, tennis court, boules pitch, olive grove and ornamental lake.

It is also just a 25-minute drive from Chateau Miraval, the winery which George’s friend and fellow actor Brad Pitt bought with Angelina Jolie while they were married.

George meanwhile was rocking off-duty star style, complete with a dark polo shirt, padded jacket, light wash jeans and suede Chelsea boots

She has since secretly sold her share to a Russian vodka oligarch, prompting an ongoing and bitter legal battle as to who has the controlling interest.

The Clooneys, who married in Venice six years ago, also have a luxurious home on the banks of Lake Como in Italy.

George bought Villa Oleandra from the Heinz family in 2002 and spends most summers at the property, which boasts a basketball court, movie theatre and a garage full of vintage motorbikes.

It has hosted a string of stars, including Jennifer Aniston and Matt Damon, as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Parts of Clooney’s film Ocean’s Twelve were also shot there. There had been reports Clooney was set to sell it, which he has insisted are not true.

Aside from their real estate, George recently surprised his wife Amal on her 46th birthday with a Saint Bernard puppy called Nelson

Nelson is not the first St Bernard the family have owned. Four years ago, George brought puppy, Rosie, named after his late aunt, actress and singer Rosemary Clooney.

He is also known for rescuing animals, who end up travelling the world with him. He previously owned cocker spaniel Einstein, who died in 2017, and the couple have since rescued basset hound Millie and Louie, another spaniel.

George surprised his wife Amal on her 46th birthday with a Saint Bernard puppy called Nelson

February 22, 2024
Erling Haaland changes up his look as he’s seen with girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen, swapping his ponytail for a new style

Erling Haaland was almost unrecognisable as he opted to leave his blonde tresses loose for a trip to a Cheshire petrol station with his girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen on Wednesday.

The Norwegian Manchester City striker, 23, looked dashing with his shoulder-length mop which he brushed out of her face.

Haaland wore a cream, zip-up, £3000 Brunelli Cucinelli tracksuit and white trainers and smiled as he kept a hand in his pocket.

He was accompanied by Isabel, 19, who did the honours of filling up his £300,000 Rolls Royce.

She also kept it casual in blue jeans and a thin, black V-neck long-sleeved jumper and white trainers.

Erling Haaland, 23, was unrecognisable as he opted to leave his blonde tresses loose for a trip to a Cheshire petrol station with his girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen, 19, on Wednesday

The Norwegian Manchester City striker, 23, looked dashing with his shoulder-length mop which he brushed out of her face

At the shop, Haaland picked up a packet of batteries, while Norwegian Isabel grabbed a canned drink.

Isabel, also a footballer, and Haaland joked around as she filled the Premier League top scorer’s 90-litre tank.

The two have been together since at least 2022, when they were spotted on holiday in Marbella, but keep their relationship private.

The average cost of petrol in Cheshire is £1.34 per litre – meaning the sweet couple would paid close to £120 for a full tank of fuel.

It comes just two days after Haaland formed the starting 11 for the first time following his long injury leave at a Brentford home match.

Haaland missed a whopping ten matches from mid-December until the end of January due to a stress reaction in one of the bones in his feet.

He made a cameo, lasting 19 minutes, in the victory over Burnley at the end of January, around three weeks later than he had anticipated returning.

Man City won 3-1 with Phil Foden scoring a hattrick though Brentford scored the first goal of the match.

Haaland wore a cream, zip-up, £3000 Brunello Cucinelli tracksuit and white trainers and smiled as he kept a hand in his pocket

He was accompanied by Isabel, 19, who confidently did the honours of filling up his £300,000 Rolls Royce

She also kept it casual in blue jeans and a thin, black V-neck long-sleeved jumper and white trainers

Haaland laughed as Isabel continued filling, it would have taken her while as the car has a massive 90-litre tank

At the shop, Haaland picked up a packet of batteries, while Isabel grabbed just a small canned drink

February 7, 2024
Jesy Nelson Treats Herself to a £150,000 Mercedes G Wagon After Passing her Driving Test

Jesy Nelson has splashed out £150,000 on a Mercedes G Wagon G63 after passing her test.

The Little Mix singer, 32, was seen filling up her luxury motor at a petrol station in Essex on Wednesday before heading out on the road.

Jesy cut a casual figure in a lilac tracksuit with smiley faces on and went make-up free for the outing.

The songstress emerged from the petrol station with a couple of sweet treats in her hand.

Jesy only passed her driving test recently. In November, she was seen taking driving lessons in a £22,000 Toyota Yaris.

Jesy Nelson showed off her new luxury motor after splashing out £150,000 on a Mercedes G Wagon G63 after passing her test

The Little Mix singer, 32, was seen filling up her car at a petrol station in Essex on Wednesday before heading out on the road

And while many first time drivers usually start off in a much smaller car, Jesy showed off her multimillionaire status in the cross-country vehicle.

Jesy has been taking a break from the limelight in recent months. She wrote in an Instagram post last year: ‘Hey guys! So for a long time I’ve really wanted to go travelling but never had the time to do it.

‘I’ve got some really exciting things coming up with work and my music, but until then I’m gonna take the summer off to travel the world,’ she wrote adding a heart eyes emoji.

‘I’m going to be off my social media for a while, I love you all so much and I’ll see you when I’m back,’ she added.

But the reality star returned to Instagram late last month to share a collection of snaps from her travels with boyfirend Zion Foster.

The couple reunited after they previously split back in August after a whirlwind nine month romance.

After their split during the summer an insider told MailOnline: ‘Jesy is in a different head space from Zion these days.

‘She is after all a few years older than Zion and has a different way of looking at things these days.

Jesy cut a casual figure in a lilac tracksuit with smiley faces on and went make-up free for the outing

While many first time drivers usually start off in a much smaller car, Jesy showed off her multimillionaire status in the cross-country vehicle

The songstress emerged from the petrol station with a couple of sweet treats in her hand before heading back out onto the road

Jesy showed off her natural beauty as she went make-up free for the outing and donned a pair of oversized sunglasses

The singer has spared no expense on the luxury motor

Jesy looked confident as she was seen for the first time since passing her driving test

Jesy has been taking a break from the limelight in recent months. She wrote in an Instagram post last year: ‘Hey guys! So for a long time I’ve really wanted to go travelling’

It comes amid reports Jesy is planning a documentary to give fans her side of her Little Mix exit

A source has now said her time out of the spotlight since she left has given her the space to want to tell fans about her motivation for splitting from the band

‘They had a great trip abroad but since they got back, Jesy has realised it’s time to move on.’

It comes amid reports Jesy is planning a documentary to give fans her side of her Little Mix exit.

The singer abruptly quit the hit group in December 2020 amid mental health struggles.

A source has now said her time out of the spotlight since she left has given her the space to want to tell fans about her motivation for splitting from the band.

An insider told The Sun’s Bizarre column: ‘Jesy has had a really rough ride since leaving Little Mix.

‘So much has been said about her and she wants to go on the record and speak directly to her fans about everything that has happened. Jesy’s solo career has been a difficult road to navigate.

Jesy is back with her boyfriend Zion Foster, with the couple appearing in a few Instagram posts last month

‘Last year she had to put the brakes on her album and now she is preparing to forge a fresh path. This documentary could help her set the record straight and allow people to see what it has been like for her.

Jesy released a documentary titled ‘Odd One Out’ in 2019, which earned her a National Television Award, and in which she spoke about the pressure of being in Little Mix and how she had been targeted by Internet trolls.

Before Jesy’s exit, Little Mix were inseparable for almost a decade and became the biggest girl group since Spice Girls, selling millions of records and achieving five UK No1s.

At the time she quit, Jesy said: ‘The truth is recently being in the band has really taken a toll on my mental health.

‘I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard.

‘There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focusing on making other people happy.’

January 24, 2024
Fox FM’s Nick Cody reveals little-known law that could result in a six-month jail sentence for many Melbournians

He’s known for his controversial opinions.

And comedian and radio host Nick Cody did not hold back during The Fox 101.9 Fifi, Fev and Nick breakfast show on Wednesday.

The Melbourne based father lashed out after discovering that Victoria is the only state that has a law against leaving kids in the car while paying for petrol.

Cody, who has two children aged two and five, also admitted he was ‘guilty’ of the offence.

‘I don’t know how long I’m going to be on the show guys,’ he joked on-air.

The Fox 101.9 FM’s Nick Cody has uncovered an ‘obscure’ law most Melbournians don’t know about… and he says it could land him in jail for six months

He continued: ‘Unfortunately because I’m facing fines and six months of jail time for a crime I’ve unknowingly been committing.

‘But now I know that, I’m still going to do it,’ he added.

Cody went on to explain that he kept his children safe by locking them in the car and always watched over them, even after leaving the vehicle while paying for his petrol.

Meanwhile, co-hosts Brendan Fevola and Fifi Box took a very different view over the obscure Victoria state law.

Cody, a Melbourne based father lashed out after discovering that Victoria is the only state that has a law against leaving kids in the car while paying for petrol – some thing the comedian says he does ‘all the time’ Pictured: Cody during Wednesday’s Fifi, Fev and Nick breakfast show

‘You are defending it [locking the the kids in the car] and you are saying its vey normal behaviour, yet apparently the police view this differently,’ Box said.

‘Only in this nanny state,’ Cody replied.

The comedian shares two children, Charlie, five and Max, two with actress Lucia Smyrk.

It comes after the outspoken comedian made an appearance on Channel 10’s The Project last month when he made a wild claim that he drank breast milk.

The comedian joked he was ‘back on the breast milk’ after reports suggested there may be traces of monosodium glutamate (MSG) found in it.

Cody’s ‘confession’ shocked breakfast show co-host Fifi Box (pictured)

Stunning his co-hosts, he made the astounding confession during a segment on the false beliefs surrounding MSG.

Cody’s shocking breast milk confession comes after he was accused of going too far in a rant against the Royal Family, in which he called King Charles and Queen Camilla ‘privileged inbreds’.

The media personality launched into the tirade during an episode of The Project in response to the royal couple’s Christmas card.

READ MORE: Nick Cody: Project host comes under fire for ‘revolting’ royal rant calling King Charles and Queen Camilla ‘inbreds’: ‘Have some respect’

January 17, 2024
TikTok Sensation Sopha Dopha Discloses Unconventional Money-Saving Tactics During Her Time at a Pizza Shop, Earning $100 Weekly

She’s often seen flaunting her lavish outfits and lifestyle on her popular social media accounts.

But Sopha Dopha revealed in a fan Q&A on Instagram that only a few years ago she struggled financially, and also disclosed the bizarre ways she used to save money.

One follower asked if she was ‘good at saving money’, to which the blonde beauty, real name Sophia Begg, revealed she is.

She then admitted that she was once so frugal she ‘wouldn’t let anyone put the windows down in my car’.

The influencer believed doing so would ‘make the car go slower’ and add to her fuel costs.

Sopha Dopha, 19, (pictured) may have made headlines for her social faux pas the last few months, but the influencer proved on Tuesday she’s not just a pretty face

‘I was making like $100 a week working at a pizza shop [in 2020],’ Sophia began her lengthy response to the fan’s question.

‘I remember I’d save like $80 and put $20 toward petrol and spending and stuff and I was such a good saver.’

She continued: ‘Like I wouldn’t buy myself anything cause I wanted an investment property before 20 years old.’

Sopha went on to say she became so frugal, she ‘wouldn’t let anyone put the windows down in my car’.

‘I thought it would make the car go slower because of the wind and then that meant wasting money on more petrol,’ she explained.

Some studies have shown that if a car is driven at around 80 kilometres per hour with the windows down, fuel efficiency can be decreased by over 20 percent.

The influencer revealed in a series of Instagram Stories that she’s actually very financially savvy, as she explained the bizarre ways she used to save money

Sopha went on to say she became so frugal, she ‘wouldn’t let anyone put the windows down in my car’

The popular influencer said she rarely bought clothes for herself before she shot to well over 1million followers online and began earning thousands for fashion posts.

Instead she would ‘try on like 20 things’ at the clothing store Glassons and wait two weeks before buying something she liked.

Sopha now boasts 537,000 followers on Instagram and 1.2million followers on TikTok, where she is known for sharing fashion and lifestyle content.

Sopha now boasts 537,000 followers on Instagram and 1.2million followers on TikTok, where she is known for sharing fashion and lifestyle content

After penny-pinching as a teenager to work towards her dream life, the influencer has now fallen into all the trappings of fame and fortune.

Last month, she made headlines for all the wrong reasons thanks to her antics at the 2023 TikTok Awards.

And just a few weeks later, she raised eyebrows again when she suffered an unfortunate fake tan fail on the red carpet of a film premiere in Sydney.

Stepping out with a fresh fake tan in a gorgeous white halter dress, it was blaringly obvious she had chosen not to apply fake tan around two tattoos on her arm.

READ MORE: TikTok Awards 2023: Influencer Sopha Dopha claps back at speculation she was rude to a DJ at event after THAT awkward encounter with host Tony Armstrong

January 16, 2024
Kerry Katona Flaunts Impressive 4st Weight Loss in Stylish Double Denim Outfit During Outing in Cheshire

Kerry Katona cut a casual figure in a double denim ensemble as she headed out for a some petrol in Cheshire on Saturday.

The OnlyFans star, 43, looked comfy in an oversized distressed hoodie and matching jeans.

Making sure to stay warm from the bitter cold, the mother-of-five donned a fitted, floor length coat that she wore undone.

She teamed the stylish getup with a pair of white heeled ankle boots as she left the station shop, carrying some essentials in her hand.

Kerry wore her bobbed blonde tresses in soft curls and appeared to be makeup free for the outing.

Kerry Katona, 43, cut a casual figure in a double denim ensemble as she headed out for a some petrol in Cheshire on Saturday.

The OnlyFans star, 43, looked comfy in an oversized distressed hoodie and matching jeans as she left the shop carrying a bag full of essentials

The TV personality looked deep in thought, with her head down as she made her way to the parked car.

Earlier this year, Kerry proudly displayed her incredible weight-loss with an impressive snap that showed off her trimmed down waist and peachy bottom in an Instagram post.

The former Atomic Kitten singer has dropped a whopping four stone in the past 12 months, going from a size 16 to a svelte size eight.

Over the past year, she has kept her fans updated with her impressive weight loss, keeping them informed about her journey and confidently showing off pictures.

She puts her results down to ‘genius’ Francis Diet and fitness regime which has seen her shed the pounds in recent months.

The Francis Diet created by Scott Francis involves meticulous food preparation as clients receive a personalised eating plan and exercise regime.

At the start of her journey, she wrote in her new! magazine column: ‘As you all know, I’ve been doing the Francis Diet for a while now and I’m so happy to say that I’m back in a size 10.’

‘I can’t thank this diet enough, it’s really working for me,’ she added.

Despite the star’s significant weight-loss, it hasn’t been an easy journey for Kerry, who confessed she felt like ‘a swollen beached whale’ while on holiday in Mallorca with her family in August 2022.

She teamed the stylish getup with a pair of white heeled ankle boots with an oversized white coat and appeared to be makeup free for the outing

Kerry has proudly displayed her incredible weight-loss over the past few months showcasing her impressive four stone weight loss

Lifting up her shirt and lowering her joggers Kerry flaunted her physique after going from a size 16 to a svelte size eight in just 12 months (R, pictured in 2023)

The former singer has been very open about her weight loss journey admitting that she felt like ‘a beached whale’ while on holiday with her family in August 2022 and wanted to do something (Pictured in 2023)

She admitted at the time that she was struggling with her weight gain and revealed she felt as though she was in somebody else’s body.

She said she felt swollen rather than fat and planned to try lymphatic drainage and water retention tablets to try and resolve it.

Kerry explained: ‘I have put on a s**t load of weight while on this holiday, but that’s just normal and I’m just embracing it.

‘All I did on holiday was eat s**t and drink. We were there for two weeks and ate out every night. Some nights we stayed in and got takeaways, like pizza and chips.’

January 13, 2024
Emma Stone’s Captivatingly Eccentric Performance in ‘Poor Things’ Deserves an Oscar – A Five-Star Review by Brian Viner
Poor Things (18, 141 mins)

Verdict: Rollicking, rolling Stone

Rating:

The Boys In The Boat (12A, 123 mins)

Verdict: Sinks like stone

Rating:

Emma Stone won a Golden Globe last Sunday for her performance in Poor Things, and if she doesn’t follow it with an Academy Award then I’ll eat Mark Ruffalo’s hat. Which, as the film is set in Victorian times, would be a mouthful.

It’s a wildly imaginative, irrepressibly mischievous, exhilarating roller-coaster of a movie, in which Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe excel in supporting roles.

They too were nominated for Globes, as were director Yorgos Lanthimos, screenwriter Tony McNamara and composer Jerskin Fendrix, whose suspiciously anagram-like name is unsurprisingly a pseudonym.

He’s actually Joscelin Dent-Pooley, from Shropshire, and this potty film score — its oboes, bagpipes and accordions in perfect tune with the outlandish narrative but not necessarily with each other — is his first. Dent-Pooley is not yet 30. Think of a footballer making a debut in the Champions League final, then scoring from the halfway line with an overhead kick. It’s that crazy.

Stone plays Bella, an adult but simple-minded woman living in the care of a distinguished Scottish surgeon, Godwin Baxter (Dafoe), whose facial disfigurements evoke Dr Frankenstein’s monster. In this tale, however, best if not very succinctly described as a feminist voyage of discovery in the form of a Gothic horror-comedy, he is Dr Frankenstein and the lovely but apparently addled Bella is his monster.

If you’re familiar with the film’s inspiration, the 1992 novel of the same name by the late Alasdair Grey, then you’ll know the truth of the matter. If not, you should read on with circumspection.

Emma Stone (pictured) plays Bella, an adult but simple-minded woman living in the care of a distinguished Scottish surgeon

Emma Stone (left) alongside Mark Ruffalo (right) in ‘Poor Things’ (2023)

I first saw Poor Things at last year’s Venice Film Festival (where it won the main prize, the Golden Lion) with no idea what to expect, except, on the evidence of Lanthimos’s 2018 hit The Favourite (in which Stone also shone), a big dollop of weirdness. But part of the reason I loved it so much was the sheer surprise of it. Which, for you, might be undermined by the rest of this review. You have been warned.

I should add that, rather like The Favourite (which I also loved), it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

Bella calls Godwin Baxter by a short-form of his name: ‘God.’ That, it turns out, is significantly ambiguous. He found Bella when she was clinically dead, after leaping into the Thames while pregnant, and re-animated her by replacing her brain with that of her unborn baby, which was still alive. ‘Her mental age and her body are not quite synchronised,’ he explains, but in due course they will be, as her mind and intellect mature.

That sets out the film’s beguilingly bonkers trajectory. Baxter’s assistant Max (Ramy Youssef) falls hopelessly in love with Bella, who makes exciting discoveries about her own body in some of the film’s more, let’s say arresting scenes.

Stone plays all this in the only way possible for an actress of her talent: with absolute abandon. It’s an extraordinarily committed performance. Then Ruffalo enters the picture, hamming gloriously as a solicitor called Duncan Wedderburn, a bounder and cad all but swirling a black cloak, like a caricature of a Victorian villain.

He too takes a fancy to Bella but unlike Max, his intentions are purely dishonourable.

He whisks her off on a Continental odyssey, telling her that ‘no other man would bring you to the raptures I have’. Certainly, Bella finds she enjoys sex, enormously, but realises she doesn’t need Duncan as sole provider.

She asserts herself more and more, spending time as a prostitute in Paris to fund her social conscience. Feminists might object to the amount of female nudity on show, scarcely matched by the chaps, but it’s nevertheless a story about a woman cauterising the controlling behaviour of men.

Really, it’s a universal tale that could be placed in any age, but the Victorian setting allows Lanthimos and cinematographer Robbie Ryan to let rip with the zaniness even more than they did on The Favourite.

At times it gets downright surreal, like a Magritte painting in 3D, all of which might make Poor Things sound challenging, insufferable even, but from where I was sitting it’s a proper tour de force, already certain to be the most singular film of the year.

Bruce Herbelin-Earle, Callum Turner and Jack Mulhern feature in ‘The Boys in the Boat’ (2023)

‘A unique vision to turn an inspirational story about rowing into a load of old rowlocks,’ says Brian Viner

George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney pose for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the film The Boys In The Boat, on December 3, 2023 in London

George Clooney’s film The Boys In The Boat is singular only in the sense that it takes a unique vision to turn an inspirational story about rowing into a load of old rowlocks.

Clooney isn’t a bad director but he made a hash of another true story, The Monuments Men (2014), and now he’s done the same with this adaptation of a 2013 book about the University of Washington junior rowing eight who in 1936 won gold at the Berlin Olympics in front of, at least as the film tells it, a gurning Adolf Hitler.

The racing scenes are very nicely done but, apart from the boats coursing swiftly through the water, and compared with Chariots Of Fire (1981) which it none too subtly tries to echo, the film is dramatically inert.

Callum Turner plays heroic rower Joe Rantz, with Joel Edgerton as taciturn coach Al Ulbrickson. Both are engaging actors but, confronted with Mark L. Smith’s anodyne screenplay and Clooney’s lumpen direction, they flounder.
- Poor Things and The Boys In The Boat are in cinemas now.
The Beekeeper (15, 105 mins)

Rating:

There’s unlikely to be any awards buzz about The Beekeeper, a monumentally silly action thriller starring Jason Statham as Adam Clay, the apiarist of the title. Confusingly, he lovingly tends his hives having retired from a shadowy special ops team known as… the Beekeepers. It’s almost as if he’s too dim to realise that he’s allowed another hobby.

Anyway, Clay gets sucked back into crime-fighting when a kindly neighbour takes her own life after being scammed by a ruthless cyber-gang.

He duly bombs their office but gradually finds, to mix invertebrate metaphors, that he has opened up a can of worms. Yes, there’s a nasty conspiracy going on that leads all the way to Jeremy Irons and Jemma Redgrave, respectively playing the former director of the CIA and the President of the United States.

There’s unlikely to be any awards buzz about The Beekeeper, a monumentally silly action thriller starring Jason Statham

What all this means, of course, is a thunderously violent one-man killing spree in which Clay deploys guns, knives, fists, bombs and even petrol pumps to see off a battalion of baddies, none of whom ever work out that it makes sense to tackle a virtuoso exterminator as a swarm, not one by one.

The director is David Ayer, who has made some good films (Fury, Suicide Squad), but this one is summed up by the most hilariously bad line of the year so far: ‘Who the f*** are you, Winnie-the-Pooh!?’
- The Beekeeper is in cinemas now and on Sky Cinema later this year. Lift is on Netflix.
January 11, 2024
Christine McGuinness Rocks Black Leather Jacket and Shades After Luxurious Salon Visit

Christine McGuinness looked positively radiant as headed home after a trip to the hairdressers in Wilmslow on Thursday afternoon.

The model, 35, embraced her inner rock chic look in an all black ensemble featuring a stylish leather jacket.

The star accentuated her slim physique in a body con black top and figure hugging black trousers.

Christine appeared in great spirits as she emerged from the hairdressers after four hours of pampering.

The blonde bombshell’s curls looked bouncier than ever as she popped by the petrol station at the nearest ASDA after the appointment.

Christine McGuinness, 35, cut a stylish figure in black leather jacket after treating herself to a new hairdo in Wilmslow, Cheshire on Thursday afternoon

The blonde bombshell’s curls looked bouncier than ever as she popped by the petrol station at the nearest ASDA after her appointment at the hairdressers

She completed the look with some wide black shades and knee high black leather boots as she beamed in snaps.

Christine looked to be enjoying some time to herself while her three children- twins Leo and Penelope, 10, and seven-year-old Felicity – were at school.

The star shares her children with her estranged husband, comedian Paddy McGuinness, 50.

Despite announcing their split in July 2022 after 11 years of marriage, Christine revealed in December that the pair still live together in the family home.

Speaking about spending Christmas together, she told Closer: ‘Of course me and Paddy will be spending Christmas together because we still live in the same house.

‘I think we’ve got to move on, but for now it works for the children. We both go in and out and we’ve got a schedule we try to stick to and a routine for the kids.

‘The one thing we agree on more than anything is that we just want what’s best for our children, and that’s to be a good mum and dad.’

She added: ‘So, around Christmas time, I always make sure that I’m at home more than ever – I love it.’

Christine still lives with comedian Paddy, 50 – with whom she shares twins Leo and Penelope, 10, and seven-year-old Felicity – despite announcing their split last July after 11 years of marriage (pictured before their split in 2021)

It comes after the star’s rumoured girlfriend Chelcee Grimes (pictured) broke her silence on her ‘new relationship, ‘ five months after sharing a kiss with Christine

It comes after the star’s rumoured girlfriend Chelcee Grimes broke her silence on her ‘new relationship,’ five months after sharing a kiss with Christine.

The songwriter, who previously dated Love Island star Megan Barton Hanson, was a shoulder of support for Christine when she split from Paddy.

In August last year, the pair were pictured kissing during a trip to Ibiza, but have remained tight-lipped about their bond.

However, Chelcee has now discussed her ‘new relationship’ while speaking on the Boots presents Taboo Talk podcast.

She said: ‘It’s the job I’m in and the industry I’m in, it’s where I’m going to meet people, but it is weird.

‘In a bar, would you go over to a couple and start slating them? You just wouldn’t do it. The whole thing is off.

‘I’m a very low key person. I’m kind of on the outskirts of everything. I love my life and the job I do, I’m very grateful and blessed, but the industry… I’m not ”in it, in it”.

‘I’ve dated people who are more ”in it” than me and it’s a whole new world for me. It’s very odd.

‘If someone wants to take a picture of you then fair enough, but I don’t know why. I’m really not that interesting.’

Christine and Chelcee were thought to have cooled their friendship off after it appeared that they both unfollowed one another online.

January 11, 2024