Tag: Elton John

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Lapland UK creators reveal Harper Beckham’s favourite elves

David and Victoria Beckham’s daughter Harper Beckham is obsessed with Lapland UK’s Elves Okey and Dokey, the attraction’s co-creator Alison Battle has revealed.

Alison and her husband Mike decided to create the amazing interactive Christmas experience which lets kids meet Father Christmas after being left disappointed by the countless meetings with Santa Claus they’d had with their four sons, Michael, Matthew, Joseph and Christian, when they were younger.

Lapland UK is visited by a host of celebrities and their children each year with The Beckhams coming with their kids the past two Yule Tides, Sir Paul McCartney visiting with his daughter Beatrice, now 14, in the past and Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish coming with their two sons, Zachary, six, and Elijah, four, for the last five years.

When children visit they get to interact with Santa’s Elves, including Conker, Wish and Dough among many more, but six-year-old Harper is in love with Okey and Dokey who are played by Alison and Mike’s identical twin sons.

Speaking to Lisa Snowdon at the launch of their new book ‘The Untold Story of Father Christmas’ and to celebrate Lapland UK’s 10th anniversary, Alison spilled: "Our boys are our inspiration for the whole thing, three of them are currently at university and as soon as they can they come back and get into costume.

"Our twins are identical and when they were younger they were in the West End so they’re quite theatrical and they dress up and call themselves Okey Dokey and they’re quite fun for the visitors because they try and spot which one is which. Harper Beckham is absolutely in love with them. When she’s come the last couple of years she just wants to see Okey Dokey."

Although they have many famous visitors, Mike and Alison say that the VIPs are always the kids and insists David and Victoria, despite their global fame, are just like any other parents who want to see their family – which also includes, Brooklyn, 18, Romeo, 15, and Cruz, 12 – have a magical time with Father Christmas when they come.

Alison said: "The celebrities go round with the other parents and families and no one bothers them because it’s all about the child and the belief. We’ve never done a private tour for anybody, and the celebrities are very warm and want to spend time with their families and the public respect that."

Mike added: "It’s the best of British, there’s all these wonderful families there with the best ambitions and the best values just trying to make memories with their families and have a great time. The children are always the VIPs at the end of the day."

Lapland UK opens its magical pathway on 18 November and is open on selected dates until Christmas Eve (12.24.18) and some tickets are still available from Laplanduk.co.uk.

‘About Lapland: The Untold Story of Father Christmas’, written by Alison and Mike and published by Bloomsbury, is available in book stores from October 2017.

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Elton John’s guilt over first marriage

Sir Elton John feels "huge guilt and regret" over his first marriage.

The ‘Candle in the Wind’ singer tied the knot with German sound engineer Renate Blauel in Sydney, Australia, in 1984, but he admits the fact he had "denied who [he] really was" by going through with the ceremony caused so much "sadness" to a "wonderful woman".

Elton – who came out as bisexual in 1976 but clarified he was gay in 1988 after divorcing Renate – said: "Many years ago, I chose Australia for my wedding to a wonderful woman for whom I have so much love and admiration. I wanted more than anything to be a good husband, but I denied who I really was, which caused my wife sadness, and caused me huge guilt and regret.

"To be worthy of someone’s love, you have to be brave enough and clear eyed enough to be honest with yourself and your partner."

The 70-year-old singer has spoken out to back marriage equality in Australia ahead of his tour Down Under and spoke of how proud he is that he and long-term partner David Furnish – who he wed in December 2014, nine years after their civil partnership ceremony – have been able to marry and have their relationship "accepted by the world".

In a post on Instagram, he continued: "Almost 24 years ago, I met the person with whom I could be fully myself.

"When we married in 2014, it felt like that fact was accepted by the world.

"For David and I, being able to openly love and commit to one another, and for that to be recognised and celebrated is what makes life truly worth living.

"That acceptance and support makes us want to be as kind, responsible and productive members of society, as well as the best parents, that we can be."

And the ‘Rocket Man’ hitmaker – who has sons Zachary, six, and Elijah, with David – went on to urge Australia to legalise same-sex marriage.

He concluded: "I love Australia. I love its spirit, it’s lack of pretence, it’s passion. I hope it can embrace the honesty and courage that seeks gay marriage as an expression not of desire but of love. #loveislove #marriageequality (sic)"

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Geri Horner looked like a ‘drag queen’ in Spice Girls

Geri Horner says she "looked like a drag queen" when she was in the Spice Girls.

The ‘Wannabe’ hitmaker says she always tried to "outdo" herself with her fashion when she was a part of the 90s girl group and by the end, she felt she went over the top.

She said: "Oh my God, towards the end of the Spice Girls, the time I got Billboard Awards, I was looking like a drag queen.

"Do you know what it is? It’s the Elton John effect. You look at Elton John’s career and he always tried to get bigger and bigger and bigger. His glasses were getting bigger – you try to outdo yourself, and I think that’s what happens. You try and up the ante all the time.

"By the time I got the American, I can’t remember when exactly, but I was in some sort of American flag outfit. I looked like a man in drag."

The 44-year-old singer really loved filming the band’s movie ‘Spice World’ but admits it wasn’t good for her waistline.

She added to Billboard: "When it came to ‘Spice World’, however many years later, it came to casting and we were going through pictures and I was like, ‘Let’s pick him, I saw him in Hamlet.’ It was brilliant to have that caliber of actors to be in our funny movie.

"When you have an idea in your head and then you see it come to life – that was just amazing. But I have to say, I think filming movies are fattening because you have craft services. You’re about to go on camera and you want to look your best, but then there’s a tower of donuts or something. I just remember putting on so much weight filming Spice World. I was so bloated by the end."

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Matt Lucas admits starring in Doctor Who was ’emotional’ for him

Matt Lucas admits starring in ‘Doctor Who’ was an "emotional" experience for him because he and his late former partner were both huge fans of the show.

The 43-year-old comic actor is returning to the BBC sci-fi series as alien companion Nardole after making his first appearance in the 2015 Christmas special ‘The Husbands of River Song’.

Matt always wanted a role in the program but was reluctant to pursue a part for many years because the memories of him and Kevin McGee – who tragically took his own life in 2009 – watching the program together were in his thoughts.

Speaking at a screening of the upcoming first episode of the new series ‘The Pilot’ in London on Tuesday night (04.04.17), he said: "After the Christmas episode I was quite pushy and I kept ringing Steven Moffat and would say, ‘I’m very happy to come back.’ It had taken me a while to be in it. I wanted to be in the show for a while but had been a bit nervous about being in the show, partly because I’m a fan and partly because my late partner was a huge fan of it, so it was a bit of an emotional thing for me and I needed to be ready and enough time had passed for me to say, ‘OK, I’m ready to do this.’ Then once I was ready then I wanted to be in it more because I’d had such fun in ‘The Husbands of River Song’. I hope I haven’t spoiled it for too many people."

Matt and Kevin made a commitment to one another in a civil partnership in December 2006 at a ceremony which was celebrated by a host of celebrity guests including Dame Barbara Windsor, Sir Elton John, ‘EastEnders’ actor Steve McFadden and Matt’s ‘Little Britain’ co-star David Walliams.

Their civil partnership was eventually dissolved through the High Court in 2008 bringing an end to their six-year relationship.

Matt’s decision to wait to try for a role in ‘Doctor Who’ did mean that he got to work with one of his favorite actors, Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi.

The ‘Alice in Wonderland’ star said: "It’s just great to be in it and it’s just great to work with Peter. It sounds like a bit of a love-in but I have long been a fan of Peter’s work, we were in ‘Paddington’ together and we were in the same scene but we didn’t have any interaction with each other but I was very excited just to be in the same space as him."

Matt and Peter are joined in the TARDIS for Series 10 by Pearl Mackie, who plays new companion Bill Potts, and their adventures kick off on Saturday April 15.

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David Furnish gets British citizenship

David Furnish has been granted British citizenship.

The 54-year-old filmmaker – who married 69-year-old musician Sir Elton John in 2014 after over 20 years together – relocated from Canada to Britain almost 30 years ago and feels "very blessed" and "extremely proud" to now be able to hold two passports as a dual national.

On Tuesday (31.01.17), David revealed the news by posting a picture of him standing beside his and Elton’s two children, Zachary, six, and four-year-old Elijah – who were both born via a surrogate – on his Instagram account.

He captioned the image: "A very emotional morning for me. This morning, I was sworn in as a British citizen. As an immigrant, I moved to the UK more than 27 years years ago. I was welcomed with open arms. This spirit of acceptance, tolerance and diversity has allowed me to achieve a life beyond my wildest dreams. I am a very blessed man, and I am extremely proud to now carry both British and Canadian passports. @eltonjohn#ShareTheLove (sic)."

However, David’s husband Elton – whom he was in a civil partnership with for nine years before they tied the knot when gay marriage was legalised – previously admitted although the UK is a "pretty civilised place" he has recently fallen out of love with his home country.

Speaking previously, he said: "People have been OK about gay marriage and things like that and suddenly they’re not. I have never, ever thought this of this country until now.

"I was always proud to come from here and to live here, because there are different opposing views about everything but it’s a pretty civilised place. At the moment, though, it’s not, and I don’t like it. It’s horrible."

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Claire Foy keeps awards in the toilet

Claire Foy keeps her awards in her "downstairs toilet".

The 32-year-old actress doesn’t want her friends and family think she is "showing off" by openly displaying the prizes she’s won for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in ‘The Crown’ so has opted for somewhere more discreet where her visitors can be surprised to catch a glimpse of the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award statuettes.

Asked where she keeps her awards, Claire said: "In my toilet, not actually in my toilet but in my downstairs toilet.

"You can’t put it anywhere noticeable, because everyone would be like, ‘Oh yeah, showing off” "

Her co-star Matt Smith said: "I think it’s quite a good spot for it actually. It would be crass [to have it out on display]."

However, the 34-year-old actor – who plays Prince Philip in the Netflix drama series – admitted Claire is putting the awards at risk by having them in her second bathroom.

Speaking on the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday (01.29.17) ahead of her Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series win, Claire said: "Everyone can go in the toilet and be like, ‘Oooooooooh.’ "

But Matt pointed out: "Or try and steal it – it would be a good place to steal it."

And the British actress also suggested she could find another use for her Golden Globe.

She said: "It’s so heavy. It’s a real weapon."

The two stars were thrilled to learn ‘Candle in the Wind’ singer Sir Elton John has been a big fan of the series.

Asked by E! News’ Giuliana Rancic who they’ve heard is the most surprising fan of the show, Claire said: "Lots of really cool young directors and writers have watched it and liked it, which is surprising, you wouldn’t expect them to watch a programme about the royal family."

Matt added: "Elton John watched it, I heard, we like Elton."

Claire agreed: "We love Elton."

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David and Victoria Beckham spent dates in pub car parks

David and Victoria Beckham used to spend their dates together in pub car parks.

The 41-year-old former soccer star and the 42-year-old fashion designer tried to keep their relationship quiet during their first few months of dating in the 90s, and David has admitted they even resorted to sneaking off to pub car parks in order to spend time together.

David shared: "We used to sit in a Harvester car park and we just used to … we just used to kiss, of course, and spend time together."

David and Victoria tied the knot in 1999 and were due to have Sir Elton John appear at their lavish wedding, but the legendary singer was forced to pull out at the last minute due to healthy problems.

Despite this, Sir Elton did later perform at the christening of their children.

David – who shares children Brooklyn, 17, Romeo, 14, Cruz, 11, and Harper, five, with his wife – admitted he is particularly fond of Sir Elton’s hit ‘Something About The Way You Look Tonight’ and said he considers the 69-year-old star to be a good friend.

He told BBC Radio 4’s ‘Desert Island Discs’: "We became friends with Elton, and he was coming to the wedding to perform this song.

"We had a phone call that morning to say unfortunately Elton was on the plane and had a heart attack.

"Obviously we were more worried about his health and how he was but we christened the kids a couple of years after that, and he came and performed this song in our house, and it’s a very special song for us."

Meanwhile, it was recently reported that David and Victoria raked in a £22 million bonus from their business empire.

The duo earned the staggering amount from profits at their business firm Beckham Brand Holdings after accounts showed annual profits for the company have quadrupled from £10 million to just under £40 million.

Beckham Brand Holdings oversees the fashion firm run by the former Spice Girl as well as DB Ventures, which brings in money from "licensing and other forms of commercialisation of the David Beckham brand".

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Marie Osmond would perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration

Marie Osmond is prepared to sing at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration concert – because America needs to "unite".

The 57-year-old singer-and-actress has put herself forward as a potential performer at the ceremony which will be held on January 20 in Washington to welcome Trump to the White House.

A number of high-profile artists have snubbed invitations to lend their talents to the event, including Sir Elton John, Celina Dion, Moby, Andrea Bocelli and most recently Rebecca Ferguson.

Marie has not been asked but she is publicly putting herself forward as she wants the country to get behind their new republican leader, despite the divisions that arose during Trump’s successful election camp against Democrat candidate Hilary Clinton and in the wake of his victory.

The ‘Paper Roses’ singer – who has performed at several previous inaugurations, including Ronald Reagan’s in 1981 – told Yahoo! Finance: "I think when it comes to our country we need to unite. I think we should all support our president whether we’re happy or sad. This is America."

Iterating how the inauguration concert could signal an end to the bitterness that some Clinton voters feel over Trump’s win, Marie – who found fame as a country artist as her brothers Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny and Jimmy conquered the globe as singing troupe The Osmonds – added: "We should come together and I think an Inauguration should be a time to unite, it really should."

Although Marie has not yet had an offer made to her, one act that has and are still considering whether or not to participate are The Beach Boys.

A spokesperson for the ‘Surfin’ U.S.A.’ hitmakers said: "The Beach Boys have been asked to perform as part of the inauguration festivities. But no decision has been made at this point as to how or whether they will participate. We will let you know as soon as a decision is final."

Rebecca announced on Tuesday (01.10.17) that she had declined an invitation to sing for Trump hinting she would not be allowed to perform the song of her choice.

The 30-year-old British singer had agreed to take part on the condition she could sing the track ‘Strange Fruit’, a song recorded and made famous by Billie Holiday in 1939 which deals with racism in America in the 1930s that is based on a poem by Abel Meeropol.

But in a statement she revealed: "There are many grey areas about the offer for me to perform that I’m unable to share right now, but I will not be singing."

So far the only confirmed name is 2010 ‘America’s Got Talent’ runner-up Jackie Evancho, who is going to sing the America National Anthem ‘Star-Spangled Banner’.

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George Michael ‘wanted to adopt in 2017’

George Michael reportedly wanted to adopt a child in 2017.

The pop icon, who died on Christmas Day at the age of 53, had made fatherhood his major goal for the year, having previously put the idea off because of his hectic work life.

A source shared: "George’s dream was to be a father. He wanted to adopt or use a surrogate."

The former Wham! star was keen to follow in the footsteps of his good friend Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish, who have sons Elijah and Zachary through a surrogate.

The insider told the Daily Star newspaper: "It was his big aim, supported by Elton and David all the way.

"When Elton took the step he (George) knew he too had at last moved into that part of his life."

George and his partner Fadi Fawaz were both eager to start a family over the next 12 months.

The source explained: "To not have his own family, he felt incomplete.

"It was a missing link he craved. George always wanted to be a father, he wished his mother were alive to see the day.

"To start a family was on his to-do list for 2017."

However, George – was passed away at his home in Goring-on-Thames, England – had no intention of being a so-called chequebook dad like some of his celebrity friends.

The insider added: "He felt his career made him too selfish to be committed to being a parent.

"He had seen other ‘showbiz’ kids becoming chequebook babies and wouldn’t have exposed his children to that world."

Meanwhile, George’s publicist recently thanked his fans for their love and support following the singer’s death.

A statement read: "The family and close friends of George have been touched beyond words by the incredible outpouring of love for him in the hours and days since his death.

"Contrary to some reports, there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, and from the bottom of our hearts we thank those who, rightly, have chosen to celebrate his life and legacy at this most distressing of times."

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Bette Midler: Adele is hilariously funny

Bette Midler has cooked lunch for Adele.

The 70-year-old screen-and-stage legend was introduced to the ‘Hello’ hitmaker by their mutual friend Sir Elton John, and she was "touched" that Adele wanted to meet her so she invited her over to her home for a meal.

In an interview on Magic Radio, Bette said: "I think [Adele] is one of the greatest vocalists of our time. I love her song writing skills. She’s a wonderful communicator, she’s hilariously funny. I’ve met her and spent time with her in LA. Elton John introduced us. He had a luncheon for her when she came to town a couple of years ago and she wanted to meet me. I was so touched because people don’t often ask to meet me! They’ll ask to meet Paul McCartney or Bruce Springsteen but not me. I didn’t expect at my late stage that someone like that would be a fan of mine. I love her, she came to the house, yes she did, we cooked for Adele."

And Adele isn’t the only modern chart-topper the ‘Hocus Pocus’ actress can call a friend.

Bette and Katy Perry have bonded over the recent Presidential election debates between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump.

She revealed: "I tweeted ‘I need a drink’ [during one of the election debates] and she said I’m coming over with a bottle. I thought that was so adorable. She’s a nice girl. I like her a lot."

On the topic of the upcoming election, the ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ singer is most definitely backing Democratic candidate Hillary, and thinks her rival, Republican Trump, should be jailed for some of the controversial comments he has made.

Bette said: "I mean the things [Donald Trump] has said, I’m surprised that they didn’t jail him. He threatened Hillary Clinton with death. You know he threatened her with jail. I mean I’ve never in my life seen or heard of any such thing like that. We’re very dismayed."