Butlin’s Big Weekenders: Legendary line-ups, big name headliners and three full days and nights of entertainment, throughout the year. Whether it’s Fatboy Slim in Minehead, Blue in Bognor Regis, or the Vengaboys in Skegness (yes, really) there’s a weekender for everyone. And best of all: no need to call a cab at the end of the night.
[Find your weekend now] |
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| “I know what I did was unwise, but is it enough to absolutely destroy someone?” – Phillip Schofield |
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Email stories to us hello@popbitch.com
* The P Diddy clear-up
* Katy Perry keeps on flopping
* PLUS: A new dead cat strategy? |
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| >> Low standards << |
| Keir’s brat autumn |
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The newly relaunched weekly London Standard hits the streets today – and if the front cover is anything to go by, things are off to an ominous start.
The maiden cover has been given over to a bizarre AI image of Keir Starmer. A very weird thing to base a big relaunch around – but it turns out it wasn’t their first choice.
They’d been banking on getting Charli XCX. But had to settle for Robo-Starmer instead. |
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| “I always defended Michael Gove. Then I met him.” A 2014 headline from The Spectator, now edited by… Michael Gove. |
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| >> Burberry checks << |
| Don’t you know who I am? |
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Burberry’s party last week was supposed to be the triumphant finale to LFW’s 40th year.
It might have been too, if anyone could actually get through the door. Among those who struggled to get in? Naomi Campbell. Edward Enninful. And Nara and Lucky Blue Smith.
Perhaps their names weren’t on the list… |
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| Phillip Schofield’s one luxury item while spending 10 days on a ‘deserted island’ for his Channel 5 comeback? Lip balm. |
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| >> Big Questions << |
| Who’s asking what this week? |
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Which TV presenter went to such great lengths to hide his drinking from his on-screen off-screen partner that he took to polishing off a bottle of wine a night in their kitchen, then refilling them from the tap – leaving her with a wine rack full of water? |
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Ever wanted to fly your own starship? Gather your crew for an interactive galactic adventure in Vauxhall.
[Bridge Command] |
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| >> Cole as ice << |
| A clever put down |
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By now, you’ll be familiar with the term “Dead Cat”: the political-PR word for a media distraction, used to deflect from a big, serious story.
For the most part, it’s a figure of speech. But not always.
Mohamed Fayed’s former spin doctor Michael Cole has been warding off journalists turning up at his farmhouse in Suffolk this week. He’s been asking them politely to come back another day – as he has to visit the vet to have his cat put down. |
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| The sign from outside Fabric has just been donated to the London Museum. |
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| >> Owen goal << |
| Partygate-keeping |
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It wouldn’t be conference season without some petty blow-up between politicians and the press. An interesting one happened at the Labour conference in Liverpool this week.
The Mail On Sunday’s political editor Glen Owen was spotted trying to get into the Mirror’s party but was rejected at the door.
Clearly someone had taken objection to Glen’s big exclusive last Sunday – “Sir Shameless Is At It AGAIN!” – detailing how Keir Starmer and Sue Gray enjoyed a freebie at White Hart Lane in the company of a powerful lobbyist.
Because not only did Glen not get in, we hear he was given a personal “Fuck off” by Katie Perrior. The lobbyist in question… |
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| RuPaul’s Desert Island Disc is Take Me To Your Heart by Rick Astley. |
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| >> Roar deal << |
| The flops keep coming |
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Katy Perry is looking to revive her faltering pop year with a headline slot at the AFL Grand Final (the Aussie SuperBowl) this weekend – but it’s not going smoothly.
Her critically mauled album limped out this week, and she was hoping to use the show to give it a shot in the arm. However, as all her recent singles have bombed in Australia, the AFL is insisting she stick to the hits – allowing her to sing just one new track. (She’s currently fighting to get one and a half.)
But even playing the hits isn’t so simple. Her big stadium anthem Roar has become closely associated with the Brisbane Lions – one of the teams playing in the final. So she might have to snip that from the setlist too, in case she enrages half the crowd.
It remains to be seen if media coverage will be kind, but she’s started off badly on her promotional round of interviews. Ahead of any media spots, Katy’s been insisting she’ll take no questions on two subjects: Dr Luke and the woeful reviews of her latest album.
Which are the only things anyone wants to ask about. |
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| Poor 911. After Mark Goodier called them “Nine-Eleven” on Radio 2 last week, Ken Bruce went and did it this week on Popmaster too. |
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| >> Puffed out << |
| The freak-off freak-out |
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Entertainment PR company The Outside Organisation may need to call in its own crisis management specialists if the raging P Diddy storm begins to engulf even more big showbiz figures.
There’s little that founder Alan Edwards likes to do more than name-drop and he would frequently boast of his close connections to his pal, Diddy.
But it’s not just his proximity to Diddy that’s making things awkward. Edwards’ other clients include Diddy’s extremely close friends, Justin Bieber and Usher. They also represent Janet Jackson, who Diddy cosied up to at a London birthday party last year, along with Outside’s other big star client, Naomi Campbell.
Janet and Naomi both shared photos celebrating with Diddy, which have now been wiped from Instagram. Can’t think why. |
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Lifelong is on a mission to turn the daily task of deodorising into a feel-good, luxury morning ritual. And with their hyper-stylish applicator, coupled with an all-natural, plant based deodorant – it’ll be good for you and the planet. Popbitches who sign up for a subscription get their first three refills FREE. Use code POPBITCH at checkout.
[Enjoy Lifelong luxury here] |
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| >> Holly hunted << |
| The lap of luxury |
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Mohamed Al Fayed took the Harrods’ summer sale very seriously. His tradition was to always have a big female celeb officially open the sale, who he would then leer over for the duration of the day.
One year he managed to get Holly Hunter, who he took on a tour of Harrods. He whispered in her ear the entire time that she could have anything she wanted in the shop.
All the while gripping her arse-cheek to the point of bruising. |
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| After reporting on Neutrino’s rugby career for the past two weeks, his team got in touch to tell us that he and Oxide have a new single out next week. |
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| >> Come again? << |
| Fun for all the family |
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The big news in panto world this last week was that Katie Price and Kerry Katona will play the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella in Northwich this Xmas.
Kerry was rolling the pitch at the ticket launch, warning families that they might need to put fingers in their ears if they don’t like “crudeness”.
They might get a smidge more than just crudeness though. During her first panto season in 2015/16, Pricey gave an impromptu little speech at the end of the show on opening night.
Addressing her castmates, she said: “Sorry I’ve been such a cunt in rehearsals. To make it up to you all, I’m having a party and you’re all invited to come… in my mouth!” |
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| Bobby Hebb, who wrote “Sunny”, died this week. He wrote the song in 1963 to cheer himself up after John F Kennedy and Hebb’s brother, Harold, were murdered on consecutive days. |
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| >> Hot data << |
| Trading places |
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“Data-driven” has been the watchword in football of recent months. With the success of Brighton and Brentford overachieving in the Premier League thanks to the clubs’ clever analytics and transfer policies, a lot of their rivals have started to revamp their own internal processes to copy them.
The brains behind Brighton’s success (betting impresario Tony Bloom) realised two things. 1/ There was a limit to the amount of additional uplift his traders could give the team; and 2/ there weren’t enough good analytics teams out there to go round. So the club quietly put the word out that their trading nouse was for hire. To trial, they agreed to start working with Ipswich Town.
Ipswich’s rise to the top division has been meteoric. But now they’re in the same division as Brighton, football insiders are starting to wonder who gets the best analytics when the two clubs play each other. |
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| Thanks to: RL, NWLondonHammer, RC, AJ, JK, CW, A, M, P, ML, intheissynoho, SL, spudbunny |
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Old Jokes Home
I bought the world’s worst thesaurus yesterday.
Not only is it terrible, it’s terrible.Still Bored?
Ginger Johnson – reigning queen of Drag Race UK – is at the Soho Theatre until October 12th with her new show Ginger Johnson Blows Off. Popbitches can get £15 tickets Mon-Thu with code GINGERPOP.
[Book now at Soho Theatre] |
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