CRUZ BECKHAM TALKS KING TUTS GLASGOW

Pic copyright: Beverley Lyons 

Cruz Beckham didn’t let the drizzle spoil his big entrance as he arrived in rainy Glasgow this afternoon with his girlfriend Jackie Apostel ahead of his gig at King Tut’s tomorrow. 
The 21 year old touched down in the city and headed straight to a swish hotel in the city centre, stepping out of his grey van just after 5.30 pm looking fresh-faced, relaxed and clearly in high spirits.
Despite the cold, Cruz appeared unfazed by the Scottish weather as he made his way into the hotel with the rest of his band The Breakers. 
Dressed casually but stylishly in his long beige coat , black hooded top and blue tracksuit bottoms, he cut a confident figure, showing the same laidback cool that has made him one of the most talked about next generation celebrity kids.
He told the onlooking fans ‘It’s great to be in Glasgow’ as Jackie who kept her shades on asked if they were going to the gig. 
With his music career gathering pace, his arrival in Glasgow marks another milestone moment as he prepares to take to the famous King Tut’s stage made famous by Oasis.
By his side was his girlfriend Jackie, who kept close under her hooded top as the pair headed in from the rain.

The couple looked happy and comfortable together, despite the recent drama concerning his brother Beckham and his parents. 
Their arrival created a quiet buzz around the hotel entrance, with onlookers clocking the young Beckham as he swept past, looking every inch the emerging pop star.
Cruz, the youngest son of David and Victoria Beckham, kicked off his UK tour last Wednesday has been steadily stepping into the spotlight in his own right, swapping the family’s high-fashion front rows and football for intimate venues and live music crowds

JENNI FALCONER NO FEAR AT FIFTY

Picture: Jenni Falconer/ Smooth 

Scots radio and TV presenter Jenni Falconer says turning fifty has made her feel more powerful than ever despite showbiz being a different world from the big budget days of old.
The Glasgow born presenter, who celebrated her fiftieth with her brother jetting in from South Africa and parents arriving from Glasgow for a get together in London this weekend, says she’s more excited than ever that life and her career are far from slowing down.
Jenni explained: “Because you spend all your years dreading 30 and 40, and now turning 50. I'm not fearful of that kind of new chapter In fact, it's almost like I feel more empowered now.”
“Previously, you'd go and work out, and you'd really look after yourself, and everyone would see it as vanity, I feel like it's all longevity now, and everything's changed.”
She added: “I'm enjoying the age I am. I'm more confident than ever, and along the way, you can have zones and times of life where you feel confident, and then when you lack it massively, and now I think I'm very relaxed, I feel confident, I'm pleased with what I've achieved, and I just kind of want to keep going, and so yeah, it's a good age to be.”
Jenni, who got her big break on Blind Date and hosted shows like The Big Country on BBC Scotland before carving out a career in radio, says the biggest lesson she’s learned in 50 years is to stop comparing herself to others.
She said: “Years ago, when you start out, you are looking at everyone else, and that phrase ‘comparison is the thief of joy’, which is absolutely true. 
“There is space for everyone everywhere. You've just got to find what suits you.”
It’s a message she’s trying to pass on to her own daughter Ella, who’s just chosen her GCSE subjects and, has no idea what she wants to do.
Jenni, who is normally notoriously private about her family life with actor husband James Midgley revealed: “We're just discussing, my daughter has just chosen her GCSE subjects, and she doesn't know what she wants to do in life, and I'm like, ‘Well, lots of people don't know what they want to do in life’.”
“I didn't even discover that I loved radio until I was in my 30’s, and now that's pretty much the main thing that I do for work on a day to day basis, and I absolutely love it, but until my 30’s, I'd never ever done anything in radio.
“So yeah, you can learn and you can find out more about yourself all the time, and turning 50, I feel that there's still probably a lot of things that I've yet to try and yet to learn, and I'm quite excited about it.”
Jenni admits presenting was never her first career choice. 
She said: “I had no intentions of being in television. I actually always wanted to be an architect. 
And there was a bit of a recession going on, and everyone had said, you won't get much work if you're an architect. So all the subjects I'd chosen, which would have geared me towards being an architect, I kind of had to reassess. 
“And I thought, okay, I'll study languages and see where it takes me. And I was all set to go to university. Just done my A-levels.”
A chance phone call changed everything.
She explained: “I'd gone through all the auditions, and I got the call to say, ‘We're going to film Blind Date’. So I'd literally just finished my A-levels, been on a two week p*** up to Tenerife with my friends, and off I went to film Blind Date. And I just suddenly went, ‘Wow, this is amazing’.”
Jenni admits she got a very glamorous first impression of the industry.
She laughed: “I got a really kind of warped sense of what television is like, because I am there on a show with Cilla Black. I was a picker, so I was guaranteed to go on the whole experience. We went on a trip to France. We filmed sports and activities, which is absolutely what I love doing. We were filming with an amazing crew who actually, in the last thirty odd years since I filmed Blind Date, I have run into many of them several times. They still work in the industry and I just loved it.
“They sold me a really good idea of television.”
Back then, the scale of Saturday night TV was enormous.
She recalls: “There were like 20 million viewers on Saturday night. It was an incredible experience. So I turned around and I said, ‘I'd really like to do this for a living’. And how they laughed.”
But she was determined and that Blind Date appearance led directly to a break in broadcasting.
She told Gaby Roslin’s podcast: “I got offered an opportunity to go into work experience at BBC Leeds, where I was at uni. And so I said, ‘Okay, I'll do it if you can give me kind of a little interview on air and let me try things out on air.’ And they went, ‘Okay, you can do this.’ And then I did an interview on air and a producer from Scotland heard me. And then I got an audition.”
The rest as they say is history, but Jenni admits that the industry is almost unrecognisable now.
She said: “It was quite exciting, wasn't it? Even going on set was huge. Sets were in huge studios. Now everything feels like they have to kind of cut costs and really do everything on a tight budget.”
“I remember when we were filming, we'd have someone doing lighting, and a lighting assistant, we'd have sound recordist and a sound recordist’s assistant. I mean, it was just nuts.
“Nowadays, you have literally the bare minimum that you need to do a shoot, but it was all fantastic. I think everything evolves, and you have to learn new skills along the way and you have to move with it.”
“I mean, I'm still trying to learn to be better at social media. This is where I'm falling short now, because if you want to do well now, you have to be a whiz on Instagram and TikTok. This is why everything changes. And if you don't keep evolving and keep learning, then you're going to be left behind.
Anyone now who is going out to kind of get a career, it's like, ‘Well, make sure you understand AI because you're going to need to exploit that because that's the key to success probably moving forward. If you want to work kind of especially in computers and online and in media’.”
Technology aside, Jenni remains optimistic about the opportunities for people with a bit of life experience under their belt.
She said: “I do love the fact that there is so much more opportunity now for people who are, I mean, it's not even that they're older, that it's just maybe more experienced, maybe got a few creases, but apart from that, we know we've been through a lot and I feel like, ‘Look, there is opportunities for everyone and there are lots of new talent coming through in all these new fields, but there's still space for us as well.’
“We've been doing this for a while and I feel that there's still lots for us to do.”

JAMES MCAVOY AT GLASGOW FILM FEST

Pic James McAvoy Instagram 

Actor James McAvoy will attend Glasgow Film Festival’s closing gala for the UK premiere of his directorial debut, California Schemin'

Theshowbizlion.com enjoys popping along to the red carpet every year for the film fest and this year will be no different. 

James will be joined by cast members Samuel Bottomley (How to Have Sex), Scottish star of Outlander: Blood of My Blood, Séamus McLean Ross and Paisley-born BAFTA Scotland Award-winning Lucy Halliday (Blue Jean). Watch the new trailer here.

Scotland-based Chilean-Belgian film director Felipe Bustos Sierra (Nae Pasaran), will return to GFF for the UK premiere of Everybody to Kenmure Street, the festival’s opening gala film on 25 February. This comes after the title was awarded the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Civil Resistance at the Sundance Film Festival. Also attending the premiere will be Glasgow-based political activist and human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar and Glasgow Councillor Roza Salih, who co-founded the Glasgow Girls in 2005 at the age of 15.

A selection of hot new talent and ground-breaking filmmakers will also appear on the red carpet at the 22nd edition of GFF, taking place between 25 February and 8 March.

Scottish talent to tread the red carpet includes 22-year-old identical twins from Bothwell, Ben McQuaid and Nathan McQuaid, who will attend the world premiere of their directorial debut, Welcome to G-Town (28 February). The micro-budget horror film, shot on location in Glasgow and poised to be an audience favourite at the festival, has had a third screening added to the GFF26 programme, after the first two screenings quickly sold out. Edinburgh filmmaker Sean Dunn will also attend the UK premiere of his Edinburgh-filmed black comedy The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford (4 March).

Glasgow-based Jack Archer, director of Gaelic-language documentary Sailm nan Daoine (Psalms of the People), will attend, as well as the film’s subject, precentor Rob MacNeacail (1 March). The UK premiere of Midwinter Break, based on Glasgow-based novelist Bernard MacLaverty’s book of the same name, will see the writer grace the red carpet, as well as the film’s director, Olivier Award-winner Polly Findlay (26 February).

Other British filmmakers attending include Ed Sayers, director of environmental feature Super Nature (28 February), BAFTA-winning Mark Jenkin (Bait), who will return to GFF for the Scottish premiere of his hotly anticipated science fiction drama Rose of Nevada (26 February), BAFTA-winning Stroma Cairns (Mood) for the Scottish premiere of The Son and the Sea (7 March), and BIFA-winning directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, who will return to GFF for the Scottish premiere of Broken English, about British pop icon Marianne Faithfull (26 February). 

Filmmakers from across the world will attend, including French screenwriter and director Alice Winocour (Proxima) for the UK premiere of Angelina Jolie-led drama Couture, which will also be attended by co-writer, Swiss filmmaker Jean-Stéphane Bron (28 February). NME Award-winning Irish filmmaker Gavin FitzGerald will attend the UK premiere of Lomu, his new documentary about rugby icon Jonah Lomu and Italian director Francesco Sossai will attend the UK premiere of GFF26 Audience Award shortlisted film The Last One for the Road (5 March), as well as the directors of Leonora in the Morning Light, Swiss/Czech filmmaker Lena Vurma and German filmmaker Thor Klein (28 February). 

Gavin FitzGerald, Irish director of Lomu about legendary rugby player Jonah Lomu, will attend (27 February), as well as Mexico City-based Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig, directors of Jaripeo, about the queer side of Mexican rodeo (1 March). Japanese filmmaker Yukinori Makabe will also return to the festival for the world premiere of his romance drama Sinsin and the Mouse, adapted from celebrated author Banana Yoshimoto’s short story of the same name (6 March). 

Acting talent who will grace the GFF red carpet include Call the Midwife star Natalie Quarry and Eastenders actor Ronni Ancona for the UK premiere of Think of England (6 March), 16-year-old BAFTA-nominated rising star Woody Norman (C'mon C'mon) for the UK premiere of My Father’s Island (2 March), and up-and-coming actor Leisa Gwenllian, lead of Effi o Blaenau, a Welsh drama having its world premiere at the festival, as well as a return to GFF by the film’s director, BAFTA Cymru-winning Marc Evans (3 March).

FrightFest, the horror festival known as the UK’s “Woodstock of gore”, taking place within GFF, will also see a selection of stars gracing Glasgow Film Theatre, with the UK premiere of The Restoration at Grayson Manor being attended by previously announced stars Chris Colfer (Glee) and Alice Krige (Star Trek) (6 March), and Red Riding being attended by acclaimed horror director and producer Neil Marshall (The Descent) (7 March).

GFF26 will host 126 films across 12 days, including 16 World, European and International premieres, 68 UK premieres, and 18 Scottish premieres, with titles from 44 countries and six continents.  

GFF is Scotland’s flagship film festival and is run by Glasgow Film, a charity which also runs Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT). The festival is made possible by support from Screen Scotland and the BFI Audience Projects Fund, both awarding National Lottery funding, and Glasgow Life, the charity which delivers culture, events and active living in Glasgow. 

LOUIS TOMLINSON GLASGOW BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

Louis Tomlinson was said to be ‘feeling broody’ as he met his youngest fan and signed a birthday card for her first birthday during a visit to Glasgow. 

Louis who has just released his album How Did I Get Here met several hundred fans at the city’s HMV for a signing. 
And the One Direction star admitted he was loving Glasgow and his beloved fans as hundreds queued in the freezing cold to meet him. 
Louis who wore a brown Ice Cream Services jacket and jeans smiled from ear to ear as he met some of his original boyband followers as well as new fans. 
Amongst them was his youngest fan Melody Shaw who dances to his songs in her buggy. 
Her mum Kayleigh,31, who took her to the signing alongside dad Kyle said: “She loves Louis Tomlinson and actually dances to his songs. I put the albums on and she just has a boogie. Right now, her favourites are probably Jump The Gun or Sunflowers.”

Louis signed her birthday card, because it’s her first birthday in two days, so... he said ‘I love your name because it’s music related and your jumper’ because I got a personalised jumper done for her, which says Louis Tomlinson on the front and back. Even when we were leaving, he was like, I didn't even notice the jumper. 
He may have been feeling broody. He’s got Freddie but maybe he wants another baby.”
Other fans included Rachel Haggerty, 21, from Glasgow and her friends Sophia Salmoni, 14, from Barrhead and Nikki Murray, 31, from Glasgow. 
Rachel said: “I asked Louis to sign the record for my mum who couldn’t make it and the CD for me. I love his music and was shaking so badly I couldn’t put it back in the sleeve.”
Sophie added: “I got him to sign CDs but ae weren’t allowed selfies though my mum took a video of me meeting him while she was standing in the back of the queue. He asked me about my favourite songs but I told him I don’t have one.”

And Nicky said: “I’m an OG Directioner so Ive met Louis a few times before. I told him about my favourite songs including Jump the Gun which he said will be really good live. I’ve got Louis’ song tattooed Faith In The Future on my arm too so showed him that.”

DRIVING TO HIGHLANDS WITHOUT A REAR WINDOW

Bev Lyons

I have driven the future and I’m not looking back, quite literally. 

Let me explain… I drove from Glasgow to the Highlands in the first electric car without a rear window and it was an experience I won’t forget. 

In fact, as I go back to drive my current petrol fuelled vehicle, I can’t help but notice how clunky and heavy it feels compared to the smooth slender handling of The Polestar 4. 

The Polestar 4, an SUV cross, is a Swedish EV whose parents are from the Volvo family which reassured me it is a safe bet of a car, despite the lack of a rear window. 

Volvo was always known for its safety rating, and you can of course still see what is behind you via a screen which replaces the mirror. 

It just means you can’t apply any lippy in it bit apart from that it does the same thing. 

The Polestar 4 is of course what is referred to as a luxury vehicle and with sleek lines and a Scandi style lounge like quality interior it’s easy to see why. It even comes with a responsive light strip along the back and front of the bodywork which would give veteran fans of  Knightrider a run for their money. 

The strip welcomes you as you approach the car and as it reverses from your parking spot it also emits an orchestral hum - vibrationally purring in a very space age fashion as if to energise you for the road ahead. 

I navigated the tight bends of my car parking space with the help from the warning sounds of front, rear and side cameras and took the car wide on corners as advised. 

The Polestar theme is continued inside the car with an onscreen planetary system allowing you to choose whatever ambient lights you’d like to accompany you on your journey.

 It is galactical - and if you like that sky, day or night, a vast panoramic roof allows you to gaze upon it as you relax in your reclining seats, both front and back - a lack of rear windows means more space for those in the back seat and a wide, movable arm rest gives it a relaxing feel. It’s the perfect place to chill as you charge the car for twenty minutes at an EV stop. It’s the first time I’ve driven an EV and it took me a couple of days to get used to the idea that I might have to recharge it from time to time. 

I live in a flat and have no charger. It also took a couple of failed attempts to attach public electrical chargers to the fast charge system - some still don’t work so it can be frustrating as you attempt to load up your card details to get yourself on one of the online systems that will accept payment. Ironically I used a Tesla app in the end as they have a helpful map on their app which alerts you to the nearest EV chargers. 

I found to my pleasure that the car also has this ability through its Google maps feature which also gives it access to lot of extra details. It’s also voice controlled. 

I charged up from an initial 50 per cent to eighty per cent on my journey spending £20 and spent another £20 on the road up, when it reached fifty per cent again,  arriving at my final destination with thirteen percent left. The official range is 367 miles but I found it nearer the 235 mark in the windy, rainy Scottish weather we experienced that day. Heated seats and electric heaters don’t help to conserve the power. 

The only thing I might suggest is that EV charge points should have coffee stops nearby as it’s nice to go for a little stroll while you charge up, unless it’s raining heavily. 

The drive itself is so quiet you need to remind yourself the engine is running, and the power will take you from zero to sixty in a matter of seconds - 3.6 I believe. In rain and in rougher terrain as I reached the windy roads to the Highlands it held the road beautifully, and at speed, and although it’s a longer car, it felt easy to drive. 

It is understated elegance and just feels so good. A two litre engine gave it extra power. 

We drove to the Torridon hotel, at one of the further most points north of Scotland, and the scenery was like a living car advert, with landscapes changing from green to desert like plains overlooked by mountainous regions. 

It was Gods natural racetrack. 

The five star Torridon which is located on one of the clearest locations on Earth even charged our car overnight as we gazed at the stars with help from their resident astronomer Stephen Mackintosh and indulged in a five course tasting menu. 

The Polestar 4 is an exciting car to drive and like its namesake it is pretty magical. It’s something you look forward to, and you really feel that you are embracing the future whilst also giving back in some way to the environment. Eco friendliness is at the heart of the cars messaging -  and with a lesser carbon footprint than most, it’s nice to see a large company taking social responsibilities seriously. 

The Polestar 4 is available starting at £58,000 from Silverburn in Glasgow who also will deliver it your door for a test drive. 

GLASGOW’S ILI WRITES FOR EUROVISION

Beverley Lyons 

Scots singer Ili is heading to Basel for the Eurovision Song Contest after co-writing the entry song for Switzerland. 

Glasgow born Ili, 26, whose real name is Emily Middlemas has been performing since the tender age of nine and admitted it was a dream come true as she revealed she is behind the Swiss entry Voyage, sung by Zoë Me. 

And she admitted she also sings backing vocals on the catchy anthem which was co-written while vocalist Zoe was on a trip to Scotland.

Emily who was on the 11th and 13th series of X Factor in 2014 and 2016 and has written platinum selling songs for other artists since, was recently a finalist for BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year. 

She exclusively told the Scottish Sun: “I co-wrote the Eurovision song for Switzerland and it’s a real pinch me moment. It has been one of my biggest dreams for years. Imagine it in an arena.”

 Emily also revealed the irony that she and fellow writer Tom Oehler were in Switzerland at the SUISA Songwriting Camp while they made video calls to Zoe who was visiting Scotland on a similar writing trip.

She laughed: “It was July 2022. It was the best time ever, and everyone there was so lovely. Zoe who was in Scotland while we were in Switzerland brought in a gorgeous, gorgeous kind of piano instrumental with a couple of ideas. We had a long chat about the song and what it meant, and she made sure that she translated every line in English for me so that I could kind of check over and make sure that it was okay and of course it was perfect, every single time. She blows my mind.

She is an amazing artist, an amazing singer, an amazing songwriter, just overall an amazing person, and I am so excited to watch her conquer that stage and live her dreams.

In a video online, Emily was also filmed as she was told by Zoe and Tom that her song had been chosen to represent Switzerland. 

Visibly shocked, she told her cowriters: “ Oh my god, no, stop! I'm gonna cry. Are you serious?”

Switzerland’s representative, Zoë Më, also said of her time with Emily: “I am Swiss and I was in Scotland. I started to write the song in Scotland. I created a first verse, a pre-chorus and a refrain and then I sent all my ideas to Tom, the producer. He said: ‘I love it, Zoë! That is exactly what we should do.’ And the other co-composer Ili, who is Scottish, was in Switzerland. So, its a rather witty story.”

GRADO AND JACK JESTER TRASH GLASGOW CITY CHAMBERS



Scots wrestlers Grado and Jack Jester shocked audience members as they slagged Glasgow’s Lord Provost and ran amok through the City Chambers, throwing and toppling bins over one another before being turfed out. 
And Scots TV host Laura Boyd also got swung about the ring after she ran in to defend her wrestling friend Jack.
Blockbuster and ICW Pros Grado and Jester were celebrating Glasgows 850th anniversary at the Birthday Bonanza charity bash for the Lord Provost’s Children’s Fund when the chaos ensued. 
Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren had welcomed local families to enjoy watching the sport which also featured wrestlers Jack Ripley, Colton Davis, Lewis Girvan, for the first  time at the prestigious council building when she was confronted by wrestler Jack Jester. 
After she took the credit for organising the match, he told her angrily: “Well well well, look what the cat brought in. I’m not talking about you. I’m talking about you. Who do you think you are swaggering about my show with your big fancy chain on?”
The Lord Provost pointed her finger and replied: “This is my show.”before proceeding to call him ‘’Dafty” and urging the crowd to chant it with her. 


During the title match, the Provost who had expected some ‘over the top high flying’ wrestling action on the night, admitted to being shocked when a seething Jester ran out of the ring and picked up one of the full rubbish bins  before throwing it and hitting Grado with it. Grado retaliated by dumping the contents over Jesters head. He then did it with a second one leaving the audience lost for words. 
Jack, who then smacked a chair over Grado’s back, said: “They are booing me the star of the show. Grado, I don’t care how much they love you or how much the Lord Provost loves you, you are going to get done in right here, right now and it’s going to be quick.”
STV Telly host Laura Boyd also got lifted in the air and swung around by Grado after marching into the ring to defend her pal Jester. Laura, who is a wrestling fan, jeered at the children watching the show before she was shown the door alongside Jester by the Lord Provost. 
Provost Jacqueline MacLaren said afterwards: “It was absolutely amazing and a great night in the City Chambers but I did get fed up with Jester smashing up my house so I just had to throw him out. He got what he deserved. I got him sorted. I was fed up with Laura too. She was giving it big time so I threw her out as well.”

Jack Jester admitted his £700 outfit was ‘ruined with bin juice’  following the bin fiasco, but said he was thrilled to do his bit for the charity.
And Grado added: “Fair play to the Lord Provost for letting a ring in there. Mind you, she did say afterwards she didn’t know we were going to throw bins about, but the weans loved it and the parents did too. We’re doing well. That’s twenty odd years we’ve been doing this so hopefully they’ll still be churning us out in years to come.”

SABRINA CARPENTER AND GRACIE ABRAMS HIT GLASGOW

TWO US superstars missed one another by seconds as they arrived and exited the same hotel in Glasgow at the same time. 

Sabrina Carpenter who played the Ovo Hydro on Tuesday has been staying in the Penthouse of Glasgow’s Blythswood hotel alongside her entourage. 

The singer admitted to her fans today that she is ill ‘sick like dog’ but still can’t wait to play Glasgow despite being holed up in her room since yesterday. 

And Gracie Abrams, the daughter of director JJ Abrams who recently toured with Taylor Swift, who plays the Hydro on Wednesday, arrived at the hotel shortly after lunchtime. 

As she went in the side door emerging from her tour bus, Sabrina made an escape from the back of the stylish five star hotel by black people carrier. 

 Gracie was keen to hide under a mask but you could still see her smile under the black cloth as fans called out her name. 

Gracie visited Glasgow just a week after her father JJ Abrams was also spotted in the city during Glasgow Film Festival. 

The singer was also impressed by the Scots scenery on offer as she viewed it from her tour bus as she told fans: “The most beautiful drive ever.”

She is recovering after being forced to cancel two tour dates on the Secret Of Us tour after she was struck down with an illness at the start of the month. 

Pulling out of her show in Nottingham just hours before she was due on stage, the 25-year-old singer, who is rumoured to have split from actor Paul Mescal, left fans devastated by the news.Not only did she cancel her Nottingham gig, but she also cancelled her concert that was due to take place in Leeds on Tuesday March 4. 

Taking to social media to pen a handwritten note, Gracie - who is often referred to as a nepo-baby, told fans in the statement: "Nottingham + Leeds... I hate that I have to write this again so soon. Unfortunately, I am really still struggling with this illness and have been advised that I cannot perform these next two nights.

"I can’t tell you how much this breaks my heart.”

During Sabrina’s visit she was sent Caribbean ‘Short n Sweet’ tour cakes from Tropical Cafe in Glasgow’s Merchant City. 

KIRSTY YOUNG’S GLASGOW HOTEL STAY

Kirsty Young looked the picture of health as she visited Glasgow following the green light of her and her husbands new island project. 

The reclusive Scots radio presenter, who has suffered from ill health in recent years as a result of a fibromyalgia diagnosis, checked into her Glasgow hotel around 4pm this afternoon alongside a friend.

Kirsty who looks perfectly coiffed and wore a camel coloured coat even carried her own suitcase up the stairs of her Scot’s’ hotel as she and her friend arrived for her overnight stay. 

Kirsty has spoken before about the chronic pain she was left in after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis in 2018. 

She stepped down from presenting Desert Island Discs to receive treatment but has said over the last year that she is now "pretty good" but has little flares. 

She has said that she takes some medication to manage her arthritis and that keeping in routine has greatly helped her too and that a good sleep, lower stress levels, and walking every day all impact positively. 

Kirsty and her husband Nick Jones, recently won her years-long battle to build a holiday lodge on her £1.6 million 'Wallaby Island' in Loch Lomond. 

The 56 year old had faced objections from environmentalists since she and her Nick  first submitted plans in 2021 for the sprawling 103-acre site. 

The couple snapped up Inchconnachan Island in Scotland when it was put on the market for offers over £500,000.

Their blueprints to demolish a bungalow and replace it with a timber holiday rental and boathouse triggered campaigners to launch a petition to 'Save the Wallabies'.

The island is one of the few places outside of Australia to a wild population of the marsupials. 

It attracted more than 100,000 signatories but Young insisted she had no plans to 'eradicate' them.   The colony of the wild wallabies were released by the recordbreaking speedboater and local aristocrat Fiona Gore, the late countess of Arran. 

The Woodland Trust added to the increasing voices of discontent by raising concerns the development in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park would destroy native trees.

Now, nearly four years since the proposals were unveiled, the park authority has finally given the go ahead for the three-bed lodge despite admitting it will 'result in a small loss of habitat'.

OOMPA LOOMPA KIRSTY PATERSON’S ONLY FANS REQUEST

SCOTS viral sad Oompa Loompa Kirsty Paterson has been inundated by requests to join Only Fans - wearing her now famous Wonka outfit. 

Kirsty, who became a global star after Glasgow’s disastrous Willy’s Chocolate Experience hit the headlines a year ago, revealed she’s become a fantasy figure amongst anime fans. 

She admitted: “I’ve been sent so many hand drawn pictures of me as an erotic anime figure and I’ve had loads of requests to join Only Fans.  People like the idea of me being naked apart from my green wig and I’ve had offers from some who want me to draw me live, as well as play with chocolate online. Others have foot fetishes and want me to march around like an Oompa Loompa.  It’s so funny but it’s not something I’m keen to pursue.”

The Bearsden talent admitted she’s had ‘the worst and best year of her life’ on the twelve month anniversary of the event. 

Billed as a “celebration of chocolate in all its delightful forms”, it left children in tears and was abruptly cancelled as police were called due to its ‘rip off’ prices, lack of props and dire AI script. 

Kirsty became ‘a viral meme’ in an unflattering green wig and brown outfit as she prepared jelly beans in what was described online as a ‘meth lab’. 

She was hunted down by Hollywood producers to star in her own sell out show at The Edinburgh Fringe, as well as events across LA and New York. 

Her meme also inspired celebrities including Chrissy Teigen, appearances on The Last Leg, Good Morning Britain, Studio 54 in New York, billboards in Times Square and a portrait in GOMA. 

As she celebrated her first anniversary with friends and special Oompa Calipso cocktails at Glasgow’s Tropical Cafe, the yoga instructor and fire eater turned actress admitted: “This has been a rollercoaster. The worst time of my life has also turned into the best time. I’ve achieved more in the last year than I could ever imagine in a lifetime but I’ve only just started processing it now.”

She added: “There has been a lot of self growth and I’ve got even bigger stuff coming out.”

She says she went through the full gamut of emotions as the story unwound. 

She said: “Initially it was really not great for everyone involved. People paid a lot of money and we never got fully paid. 

But I had opportunities and worked really hard to make it into something better.”

Event organiser William Coull was exposed as a sex pest, and Kirsty admitted: “I found it difficult when people put me in the same line as the organiser because my story is completely different. I met him once and feel a lot of empathy for anyone involved but I don’t really want anything to do with someone like that.”

As she returned from filming Stateside, a fire also devastated her family home.

She added: “The house fire tore my world apart. Everything I invested in, like cameras, was wrecked. I had no clothes and lived in a hotel for two months. It was very hard getting my life back on track. Luckily enough, the insurance paid out although we are still not back home.”

 She said: “The one thing that kept me going is making something of myself. I’m so proud I turned something so bad into something life changing. I can’t wait to show people my documentary of the real Kirsty Paterson and just make people smile again.”

Kirsty is currently wrapping documentary Pure Imagination from Emmy winning director Todd Bieber and his company Goodfire Productions. 

She said: “The documentary is positive but there’s also a lot of ups and downs. I think it will relate to people who have been through things. It is emotional and impactful. It’s going to go big places so we are very lucky.”

JAMES BLUNT MEETS GLASGOW BUSKER FRANCIS BONDD

Singer Francis Bondd couldn’t believe it when he met James Blunt on a walk near Glasgow’s OVO Hydro - and began serenading him on the squinty bridge. 
Francis, who also performs at the new Tropical Café in Merchant City, is a huge fan of James and a year ago in March  even wrote on his social media  ‘See you in Glasgow’. “ 
Francis, who is from Lagos in Nigeria, said he’s sometimes been compared to James vocally and couldn’t believe it when he just saw the star walking beside him as he was shooting some content for his new single.
He reckons their meeting was down to Divine Intervention. 

He said: “I’ve always loved James Blunt and my voice has been compared to his in the past. He has inspired me when I’ve been songwriting. When I saw him, I had to go and speak to him immediately and ran up to him and told him about my new single LOML which is out today. We walked the whole of the bridge together and I even played a bit for him. I then asked him if I could sing You’re Beautiful to him and he said yes so I did. He was so warm and the nicest guy on the planet. My video has now gone viral online.“
James says in the video: ‘Sweet man, it’s so lovely to meet you’ as he listens intently to Francis singing the famous chorus of his hit song.

For Francis, his meeting with James is proof that the universe brings people together and he says he now has his eyes set on bigger stages with an aim to play the Hydro himself one day.
He added: “Meeting him today, definitely, it made me know that the universe is aware of my hustle and that it's gonna happen. What you see is what you become. I saw myself meeting him, and I've seen myself selling out venues, selling out the OVO Hydro.”

NICOLA STURGEON AND VAL MCDERMID PARTYING AT COMEDY LAUNCH

NICOLA Sturgeon looked happy and full of high spirits as she went out partying just days before announcing her divorce from husband Peter Morell. 

The First Minister announced on her Instagram this morning that she and Peter had called time on their marriage saying in a post titled Personal: “With a heavy heart I am confirming that Peter and I have decided to end our marriage. To all intents and purposes we have been separated for some time now and feel it is time to bring others up to speed with where we are. It goes without saying that we still care deeply for each other, and always will.We will be making no further comment.” 

However just on Friday Nicola and her pal Scots crime writer Val McDermid were full of high spirits as they enjoyed a night out at the launch of Glasgow International Comedy festival. 

Nicola who said she was not drinking on account of driving through from Edinburgh even revealed ‘plans’ to follow in the footsteps of fellow Scot and comedian Richard Gadd with an award appearance at the Golden Globes in two years time.

The former First Minister revealed her unexpected future ambitions and more as she announced her appearance at this year’s Comedy Festival. 

The former MSP, who will be cohosting a show with Val McDermid explained that she was chuffed to be ‘doing a gig’ at the fest in March.

And as she and Val got drinks from the free bar she said: “We are appearing at this year’s comedy festival which is as much as a joke to us as it is to anybody else. 

“We don’t have a double act name but watch this space - it might happen. 

We did a gig together, haha, ‘a gig’ together, before Christmas about books and it went well and we thought ‘why not’?” 

Asked to look at comedian Richard Gadd who won a double award for his own production of Baby Reindeer at this years Golden Globes she added: “Absolutely - Do you think we’ll be at the Golden Globes next year? Maybe the year after…”

Nicola, who drove to the launch party after passing her driving test at the age of 53 in October last year, ensured she was sticking to soft drinks on the night whilst Val went for something more spirited. 

Nicola said: “I’m driving so I’m going to have an Irn Bru.

Val then referred to Nicola’s newfound driving skills as she quipped: “I’m going to have a drink because it makes it easier to be driven by Nicola when I’ve had a drink.”

Nicola added: “She just slagged off my driving by the way. This duo might not make it to the comedy festival if she keeps insulting my driving.”

Nicola who will join fellow former Nat MP Mhairi Black and Scots comedians including Susie McCabe, Ashlie Storrie, Connor Burns and Rosco McLelland at the festival in March added: “We’re not going with the intention of telling jokes but there will undoubtedly be a couple that just come to us. We think we’re funny, but probably our nearest and dearest don’t think we’re funny.” 

“It’s books and banter. Val will be talking about books but will I be talking about politics? Not if I can help it.”

“There’s definitely a lot of comparisons between politics and comedy but I’m a great believer in life that everything is political to some extent so 

I’m sure there will be the odd political reference. It joins up perfectly. We will have one liners but we’ve only got a limited number of them so if we tell you them now we won’t have more on the night. 

“I find lots of comedians funny. We’d better not name names but anyone that wants to work with us, they just need to come and enquire.”

Val said of their double act: “It’s funny sometimes, not intentionally, but sometimes. We’re quite funny when we get going. She takes the piss out of me and I take the piss out of her.”

There’s lot of laughs in politics not many of them intentional. I think everything is funny.”

LOVE ISLAND’S EKIN SCARED OF SCOTS TAP WATER

 

Love Island’s Ekin Su Cülcüloğlu was worried sick she might have caught something contagious from the ghost of King Henry VIII after drinking tap water at an ancient hotel during a trip to Scotland.

And she admitted she even ended up texting friends to see if she was OK.  

 The brunette beauty, who also starred in Traitors US, recently hit the headlines after denying she is dating Married At First Sight star Georges Berthonneau after the two were spotted together at a gym. 

Just this month she spent three days with pals visiting Scotland, exploring local sights and enjoying a sumptuous dinner at Glasgow’s AC Marriott hotel for their first birthday celebrations.

After being given a crystal bracelet to bring her ‘abundance, hope and money’ by Scot’s jewellery company Space to Create, and Dancing On Ice star Alex Murphy, Ekin told the Sunday Mail about her fears over the local tap water. 

Ekin, 30, who revealed she had been staying in a vast suite at Mar Hall hotel in Bishopton  had even written a text message about it which she later shared online:

It said:  “Hi guys I've brushed my teeth with this tap Water here.Is it safe? X”

Her Scots friend Victoria Halliday replied: “Hello Yes the water in Scotland is safe/great to drink xx.”

Ekin Su who also thought her hotel room was haunted by the ghost of Henry 8th, then responded: “Okay thank you I thought it was Henry V111 water. Just thinking it might have something contagious plague?”

Victoria later added: “Normal chat when you're staying in a haunted castle.”

During her time in Scotland, Ekin and a group of influencers including Saffron Barker, visited Sexy Coffee in Glasgow and also listened to a mix of traditional and modern songs by a harpist while enjoying a meal including fresh salmon blinis, duck, halibut and a chocolate dessert, at the Glasgow AC Marriott as part of their birthday dinner.

Ekin told her friends: “I’m single and ready to mingle. I’ve got this really nice bracelet and it means abundance and hope and money. I’m hoping that my life is going to be more successful.”

She was also seen at dinner in Harvey Nicks Edinburgh before heading back to London ahead of work commitments.

The star says she has some new telly projects lined up next year in both the States and UK. 

And she added that she is on the dating site Raya for any potential suitors now that she has turned thirty.

JAMES MCAVOY FILMING GLASGOW

Pics bev lyons 

James McAvoy has been spotted filming behind the scenes for the first day of his new film in Glasgow as he makes his directorial debut. 

Glasgow born James disguised himself with a small beard, wore a black cap and several layers in the cold air as actors Seamus Mclean Ross, the son of Deacon Blue stars Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh,  and Bafta-nominated Samuel Bottomley talked and rapped for the scene in the East end of the city. 

California Schemin’ is a true life story about Silibil N’ Brains, the Scots born rap duo who duped the music industry in their hopes to become global superstars.

After pretending they were from the States, Dundee born Gavin Bain and Arbroath’s Billy Boyd were signed by Jonathan Shalit and rubbed shoulders wirh Madonna and Eminem before their elaborate hoax came crashing down. 

Seamus, who plays Bain is a graduate of London’s Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

His debut was in Payback, alongside Peter Mullan and he has been in three episodes of Rebus. He also portrays Colum MacKenzie in Outlander spin-off Blood of My Blood.

Yorkshire born Samuel who plays Boyd in the film first appeared in Paddy Considine’s film Tyrannosaur alongside Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman.

He has also been in Ghost Stories with Martin Freeman and the film version of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.

He received a Bafta nomination for his role as Aaron in Channel 4 drama Somewhere Boy.

Pics bev lyons 

In an interview with Deadline, McAvoy, who was recently spotted in Dundee mapping out scenes, said: “With California Schemin’ I’ll be telling a story about friendship, rap and glorious failure that has the potential to move, shock and entertain.”

The BBC documented the rise and fall of Silibil N’ Brains on its Storyville series in 2013.

MARK WRIGHT’S TOUR OF GLASGOW

MARK Wright has spoken about his love of Glasgow as he spent time in a plush Scots country club and after filming his latest series. 
The former Towie star who is married to actress Michelle Keegan, has just completed filming on his new BBC series Clean It, Fix it, which sees him going to people’s homes and transforming rooms in their house as well as cleaning and fixing what they got. 
Mark who was a guest DJ at Ingliston Estate and Country Club in Bishopton Renfrewshire over the weekend was thrilled to return to Scotland and reminisced about his time in Glasgow over the years. 
Relaxing at the venue, which is just twenty minutes from Glasgow city centre, he said: “Glasgow and Scotland is my second home. My wife Michelle is always up in Glasgow and one of my best mates Arfan is from here too. I used to go shopping in the city centre and me and Arfan used to go partying together in the city when I was younger. I remember we went to Sugarcube club in Queen Street for a birthday party and it was brilliant. We went to the place opposite it too.” 
“The first time I was ever here we went to Jumping Jaks too. Actually that was for my first paid personal appearance here. Obviously Michelle’s family is from here so it’s a great chance to come up and just relax.”
Mark enjoyed a beer, chicken tenders and truffle fries at Palominos Italian restaurant in Ingliston before playing his latest set, ahead of Marvin Humes daytime DJ set with food at Ingliston on November 10.
He said:  “I’m staying overnight, so I’ll wake up for a bit of breakfast then I’m on my way. We’re in a Lodge. I love staying here and we brought all the family up last time. Michelle loved it and so did her grandpa who came last time. He is good. It’s such an amazing place and it’s becoming a second home.”
And Mark whose DJ set follows on from an appearance by Take That’s Howard Donald couldn’t resist a cheeky swipe at his fellow DJs. 

He laughed: “I’m DJing in between Howard Donald and Marvin Humes. What’s the best thing about a sandwich? It is the filling. Howard can be the granary bread,  Marvin can be the gluten free bread and I’m the cheese, ham, coleslaw and everything else.”
Tickets for Marvin Humes DJ appearance from 2pm-9pm November 10 are available here https://ingliston.com/events/marvin-humes-jls-day-club

BIG BROTHER STAR SAVED FROM TRAIN DISASTER

Bev Lyons 
A Scottish Big Brother star has reached out to thank the two passersby who saved his life after he fell onto a railway track just minutes before a train was due to pull in at a Glasgow station. 
Mikey Hughes, who is blind, was a hit on the telly reality show sixteen years ago and has subsequently started a career in stand up comedy as well as becoming an author of books about nazi swastikas. 
He was making his way to Partick on Monday morning to pick up his winnings from the new Big Brother housemates first eviction night but mistakingly took the train to Hyndland station where he ended up stepping off the platform and falling onto the track. 
Mikey, 48, who had been commuting independently by public transport for thirty years and  knows his way around the streets said he became confused after mishearing a tannoy on the train as a result of wearing his ear defenders. 
He explained: “I was on my way to Partick to cash in a bet after the first Big Brother eviction. I’d staked fifty on Ryan to go and was due to pick up £75 so was feeling pretty good. 
“The tannoy said something about approaching the station and I thought we had arrived at Partick and got off. There’s normally a wall beside the track at the station and when I put my cane in the air to touch it I couldn’t find it. I thought the wall had maybe given way and walked across the concourse and fell directly onto the tracks. It was a five foot drop and I couldn’t hear anyone screaming at me to warn me.

I didn’t even realise I was lying on the tracks at Hyndland because I was a bit dazed when I fell. Luckily two passenger's rushed over and helped me to get myself up before the next train came. It was around 7:28am and there  was one due just a few minutes later. It was a miracle I was not killed and pretty horrific thinking about it now.”
Mikey continued: “An ambulance came to check me over and I’ve  got a few cuts and bruises, and a sore leg but they told me my blood pressure was normal. 
It was so strange, but I did not really know what had happened, so did not feel scared at the time. Everything seemed to be in slow motion and it took me a while to understand what had happened. It’s very frightening looking at it now. I would have probably sat on the track longer or even moved about the track and onto trains had the two passenger's not helped me and come to my rescue. It was one male and one female and I did not even get their names, but they deserve a medal. They very probably saved my life.”

Mikey’s ear defenders and famous beret were left on the track but rail staff managed to reunite him with the items yesterday.  
Mikey, who is currently rehearsing for his next comedy gig at the Stand club on November 12, said: “I have been hobbling like a baddie in a James Bond movie but I’m keen to not let it put me off travelling on my own again and I plan to go a lot slower, and let people help me in future. It was so sweet that station staff came out with my ear defenders that fell onto the track and my white beret in a bag. I’ll make sure I keep my cane on the ground next time rather than waving it about like a Harry Potter wand and I won’t always keep my ear defenders on now. It sure was a near death experience.”