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.”

SHAKIRA’S SCOTS GRAMMY WINNER

The writer and producer son of Scots panto star Allan Stewart is celebrating after his music with singing superstar Shakira won a Grammy.  
David Stewart, 34, produced and co wrote the song Punteria with Cardi B and Shakira, which was named the stand out track of her new award winning Latin Pop album  Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. 
His latest accolade comes after his massive track Dynamite for Korean boyband BTS,  which he co-wrote and produced in his bedroom at his dad’s London home. It also follows up on previous collabs with Shania Twain and the Jonas Brothers.
And David says the project with Shakira, was three years in the making. 
He exclusively told theshowbizlion.com: “Shakira flew me out to Barcelona two or three times to work on the song. It was the lead single off the album. We worked on it for three years on and off in a big studio in her house there, which was amazing. She's sensational. She's a pro. She knows everything about production, writing, the recording process and was very pernickety about every detail, every breath, which is what all the greats do. It was an amazing experience to work with someone of that caliber.” 

David was unable to make the awards , but says he is catching up with ‘Shak’ this week in LA, once the dust settles.” 
He laughed: “I mean, there's no point in texting someone who has 150 text messages coming through.”
David, who now lives between LA and London wrote his first song Bo’de’da aged five.
Glasgow born dad Allan, who also started writing songs at twelve before releasing his first single aged 16 with George Martin, recalled: “David came up with Bo’de’da and started playing drums on the couch. We recorded it and gave it to his gran and grandpa for Christmas. Then I got him a Gibson guitar, as my dad bought me one when I was 16. He then started writing songs at school on piano and learned how to produce there.” 
Having been a session drummer on the Simply Red Tour, David played guitar for Example in his twenties. 

Allan continued: “I thought that he was at the peak then, but little did we know that he was going to get to the levels that he's at now. I’m also incredibly proud of my daughter, a wonderful artist and singer and stunning looking girl. I've got two of the most unbelievably talented children.”
David initially tried to be an artist in his own right. Signed by Ludacris’s manager, he moved to Atlanta for three years and said: “It was amazing but I definitely stuck out like a sore thumb. And I was sleeping on sofas.” 
He said: “I'm still so grateful for it, because I did it for so long with no success and no one caring. I still close the door on my studio house in LA and think, Wow, I can't believe that that's mine.”
He recalled: “Before that I went on the road with Example for about five years, and saw him playing from 30 people to headlining arenas.”
“I put out a mixtape which featured me with Ed Sheeran, Example, Wretch 32 on it. Ed was nobody at the time but we became close friends because he lived on our tour bus for two years.”
Deciding he needed ‘more of a reliable living’ he started writing and producing for other artists. 
“My biggest weakness was that I didn't really kind of have one genre I stuck to. Now my biggest strength as a producer and songwriter is that I can lend my hands to different genres.”
Following a publishing deal with Sony London  and management in America, David got a Billboard hit with The Jonas Brothers song What A Man Gotta Do. Then he wrote BTS mega hit Dynamite during the pandemic. He smiled: “That was the one that really took me to the moon, I guess. That really swung the door open.”
Despite now bagging a Grammy, he insists : “I don't do this for money or accolades. I do it because I love doing it. Things like this are just a bonus. It looks lovely on my CV to say the word Grammy  though and, I'm sure there's a place on mantelpiece for it.”

TRAITOR ALAN CUMMING’S BIRTHDAY PLANS

Beverley Lyons 
ALAN Cumming says he still feels like he’s thirty three despite turning sixty this Monday as he revealed plans to celebrate with a weekend of clubbing. 
And the Scots actor  who is currently hosting The Traitors US which won two Emmy’s in America also claimed he’d never received his awards because they were deemed too dangerous to take to Scotland. 
Aberfeldy born Alan said of his big birthday: “It’s sort of weird because everybody mentions it, but I'm actually feeling pretty great about it because I like my life. I feel like nothing has collapsed or everything's still working. I feel like pretty much I'm still the same as I was a long time ago.
But also, being 60, you've been around the block a few times, and I think you see that cyclical nature of life that you sort of have wisdom, I suppose.”
He added: “ “I feel that my life hasn't really changed since I was 33. When I moved to New York, I was 33 years old, and basically, my life hasn't changed that much. I still travel a lot.
I still go out a lot. I feel that's when my life settled into a groove. So 33, sadly, the year of our Lord's death, but I managed to push through to 60.”
Of his plans on Sunday Alan, who visited Scotland this week added: “It involves dancing a lot. I'm going to be in London and I'm coming back and I'm going straight from the airport to a club, to this sort of tea dance. It's this thing called Mother Disco. And it's a really fun thing.
And it starts at like four in the afternoon.
“You're home with your cocoa by like 11 o'clock.
That's very unusual for me. It's just convenient with my plans this weekend because I'm normally like a late person.”
Alan also revealed his husband Grant had a not so secret surprise for him. 
He explained: “And then the next night, Grant's organized a secret dinner for me, but I found out about it. I saw it on my office emails, because on my iPad, I get some of the office emails. I can press a button and I see the emails that go to my office. And I saw this thing from the restaurant. I have told him now. I told him when I was drunk the other night. I said to him, you need to be more sneaky. He's taken it pretty well.”
And then after that, the secret dinner, then we're going to Club Cumming and having a dancey night. And I will take in my birthday, you know, I'll become 60 at midnight that night.”
Of his love of partying he added: “It can be very late. I mean, on a normal night. There's nothing I enjoy more. Like, when you think, still got it, that thing when you're going home and other people are going to work.”
Alan also revealed that he never got to take his recent Emmy’s  for the Traitors home to Scotland with him because they were banned on his flight. 
He explained: “I have not got my Emmys. I've just realised that. 
I won in September. And they said they were going to send them. Because I had to leave early, because I had to go back on the plane to Scotland. I was making this film with Brian Cox.
And they said to me, I wouldn't be able to take them on the plane because they're pointy, they’re sharp. They'd be like a weapon.
And then they said they were going to get the little things engraved. 
So I don't have my Emmys. I didn't get my Emmys.”

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.”

KAREN GILLAN SHOWS OFF BABY CLEMENTINE

SCOTS actress Karen Gillan has shown off pictures of her new baby girl for the first time as she revealed her daughter’s name is Clementine and talked about her pregnancy fatigue and C section.
Jumanji and Doctor Who actress Karen, 36, who married Nick Kocher in May 2022 at Castle Toward near Dunoon in Argyll, announced she was pregnant in September but had not disclosed the gender of her baby. 
She was seen on December 11 taking her newborn for a stroll as she wheeled a grey pushchair in Los Angeles in a figure hugging dress but until now had kept quiet about any further detail. 
Now Inverness born Karen, who moved to LA to work and live with her comedy writer and actor husband Nick, has told her fans online of her joy at becoming a mother. 
She also revealed she had given birth by C Section and explained that she sang a Shakira song to get over her fatigue and nausea while filming during her first Trimester. 
Karen showed off a picture of herself smiling as she cosied up to her daughter Clementine who she held close over her shoulder as she also describe husband Nick as “a hot dad” in another picture as he held his daughter in his hands. She wrote: “Hot Dad Alert.”
In another picture on her Instagram she gave a thumbs up as she lay on a hospital bed wearing her hospital issue paper  gown and hat and wrote: “C section fun timez.”
Karen, who is thought to have given birth at the end of November, also shared a video of her looking at a pregnant belly as she knelt on the floor and peered through legs and explained: “Filming 'Let's Have Kids' having just found out I was pregnant in real life and hiding first trimester fatigue and nausea by singing Shakira.”
Karen also showed off drinking mugs that she and Nick had been given saying “Best Mom Ever, Best Dad Ever.”
She also wrote: “2024 thank you for giving us Clementine. Also as per the last slide - I shot a film called 'Let's Have Kids' right as I got preggo in real life so take that Daniel Day Lewis.”