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Grand National – Saturday
Need some help choosing a horse or placing a bet? Follow our Grand National guide below. But here are six simple ways to make the right selection: http://bit.ly/1gsR1fs
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“I cried at my son’s sports day, for God’s sake. I’m a huge baby” – Jamie Redknapp
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|_| |_| 03.04.14 ISSUE 684
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go to https://www.popbitch.com
To send stories email: hello@popbitch.com
* Grand National special
* Nepotism’s not dead
* Charts: Aloe Blacc is number 1
>> Katy Purry <<
Getting through kittens
Katy Perry’s diva demand of being given a kitten to play with at a recent LA photoshoot wasn’t an isolated incident. She also did the same on set in the UK while filming a clip for a TV promo.
When she was finished with the single kitten that the rider had managed to find, she announced that it was going spare and asked if anyone on set wanted it. One of the dancers offered to give it a home, but Perry said she could only take it on one condition: she had to name it after her new album.
And so the cat was named Prism. (At least until it got home.)
One of the firms who arranged insurance for Gareth Bale’s Real Madrid transfer made so much cash they took a year off.
>> Big Questions <<
Who wants to know what?
Which members of the Wales squad, in the Hong Kong Rugby 7s last weekend managed to pull in a bar but then when they got back to her house was so drunk that “his performance was brief”? After which he went to the bathroom, shat all over the floor and then fell asleep in it.
Robin Thicke’s dad composed the theme tune to Diff’rent Strokes.
>> How media works pt 247 <<
Nepotism is alive and well
Jack and Finn Harries are the poster boys of YouTube success. Their video channel, JacksGap, has millions of subscribers. They’ve done so well that they’ve just hired Freud communications to represent them.
Jack and Finn’s entry into the blogging/media business can’t have been hurt by being the sons of top TV executive Andy Harries, and the grandchildren of playwright Michael Frayn. It’s lucky for them they’ve found a highly suitable PR who’ll no doubt understand their pathway to success in Jack Freud, nephew of Freuds boss, Matthew, and great-great grandson of Sigmund.
Rickmansworth celebrated this week when Mel C chose one of its tattoo parlours to get a large feather incorporated into the Celtic band tattoo on her right bicep.
>> Superinjustice <<
What might have been…
Back in 2011 we were excited to join up with the horse racing authority’s Racing For Change project, and get a Popbitch racehorse. We chose a two-year old filly to run on the flat, and called her Superinjunction. Another group taking part was TV’s Soccer AM. They got a promising hurdler.
Within a few months we discovered a tiny flaw in our plans for Superinjunction. She didn’t like racing. Certainly not racing as fast as the other horses around her. So she retired and went back to her breeders. Soccer AM’s lease finished, but the hurdler was turned into a chaser. His name? Teaforthree. And tomorrow he starts favourite for the Grand National.
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****** Grand National Section **********
The Grand National is on C4, 4.15 Saturday.
>> How to Pick Your horse <<
(if you want to pick a horse)
1. WITH THE RACING POST EXPERTS
Bet with your head this Grand National – get the FREE, simple to use Racing Post app for expert tips and easy-peasy betting.
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2. BY FOLLOWING TRENDS
We’ve gone through all the stats and trends you can think of to try and work out who will win.
* The race is most likely to be won by a brown horse aged 9-11, carrying less than 11st 7lb. It’ll have raced at least 10 times, won at least one good race over 3m, raced over hurdles this season, shown good form on a left-handed course and probably finished in the top 5 in its last race..
We’ve gone through the horses and the two that best fit this profile: Burton Port and Monbeg Dude.
Place your bet today – sites will be super-busy near race time. It’s a good time for each-way (finish in the top 5) betting:
http://bit.ly/1gsR1fs
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3. BY WHIZZY COMPUTER WIDGET
We played all six of the Coral horse generators. We got one name three times. Which must be an omen: Across The Bay.
4. PICK A NICE NAME
One thing worth remembering is that horse names beginning with M win proportionally much more than they should. This year – Mr Moonshine, Monbeg Dude, Mountainous
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>> Bad news <<
How not to do an interview
Channel 4 had to apologise for running a news item a few weeks back when it was revealed that three of the four ‘members of the public’ they interviewed for some on-the-street voxpops were actually all employees of the same PR agency, Livity. Which, coincidentally is where the interviewer himself had previously worked.
Bad practice, sure, but it’s not a patch on ITV.
During the teachers’ strike last week, ITV interviewed a ‘random’ working mum, Fiona Jull, and poor Fiona told them all about how she had had to arrange emergency child care. That wouldn’t be the same Fiona Jull whose PR company represents Emergency Childcare, would it? Why, yes it would! Not that ITV bothered to tell viewers.
Matt Berry spotted in Soho wearing bright red cowboy boots. Matt, Lisa Stansfield and Suggs all seen at French House’s annual pints-serving day.
>> Baboon v Badger <<
The monkey gets the vote
Scott Adkins – star of The Legend of Hercules – says: baboon!
“Because if you’ve got a bum that looks like that you’ve gotta be hard, haven’t you? With a bum like that, you’ve gotta be tough…”
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Geoff Dyer spent two weeks on an aircraft carrier. He’ll tell Alain de Botton all about it on May 28th, for 5×15. Popbitch subscribers get 5GBP off tickets using booking code: TOPGUN https://tinyurl.com/l686u9c
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>> Hmms <<
Feltz, cats, gifts
One of the nicest reviews of Frankie Knuckles’ life was by Alexis Petridis:
http://bit.ly/1ikOk23
Want to intern for Beyonce? She’s willing to pay you in unlimited Pepsi and three selfies!
http://bit.ly/1hbmc56
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Eurofest Eurovision Preview at Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Friday 11 April. Limited tickets available on door to see the lovely Conchita Wurst:
http://on.fb.me/1pZ2uJ6
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Thanks to: theabominablehoman, MC, SW, G SG, deep-stoat, bad horsey, JE, IC, P
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Old Jokes Home:
Have you heard about the dyslexic with Tourette syndrome?
He goes around shouting, “This! This! This!”
Still Bored:
How to avoid Piers Morgan in movies:
http://bit.ly/1dSAeYt
