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'.

HUGH JACKMAN SPENDS THOUSANDS ON PRE-PARTY IN GLASGOW

Beverley Lyons 
Hollywood star Hugh Jackman spent tens of thousands on a pre tour party before ending up  in a Glasgow chippy yesterday .
The Aussie film star treated his 70-strong entourage to the bash, ahead of the tour on May 7, which began with a party at a 5-star hotel on Saturday night and included a private boat tour along the Clyde the following day.
The Wolverine star who was being driven around in a chauffeur driven Audi popped into the suburbs of Clydebank with his party posse who were on a coach to local chippy Bennies Fast Food for some deep fried Mars Bars and Deep Fried Pizza after spending thousands of pounds chartering his own boat on the water with his entourage just days ahead of the first night of his opening solo tour. 


Hugh, had spent the day sailing with his party on the waters of Loch Lomond with Sweeney’s Cruise crew aboard flagship vessel the Silver Dolphin. 
The vessel which claims to be the most luxurious passenger boat operating in Scotland boasts warm teak panelling, thick-pile carpeting, and nautical brass fittings akin to a bespoke private members club. The dining area on the lower deck offers panoramic views of the Loch and flexible seating while the upper deck with has its own teak dance floor, retractable sun roof, bar and entrance to the forward viewing deck. 
Described as ‘the perfect party venue’ prices start around £2,000 for hire of the boat which used to sail on the Thames. 
Hugh, who arrived in Glasgow on Saturday wanted to treat his cast and crew of the show after an intensive six weeks of rehearsals and also held a lavish party costing tens of thousands of pounds at his Scots hotel the night before to welcome them to the first leg of the tour. 
Hugh, who had been rehearsing in New York and London ahead of the show, is due to appear at Glasgow’s Hydro on May 7,8 and 9. 
Around seven pm on Saturday night staff at Glasgow’s prestigious Blythswood hotel opened the doors of their new Bo and Birdy restaurant venue for the first time. 
The lavish bar and brasserie restaurant which has just had a million pound makeover is due to open to the public later this week after an official party but Hugh and his fifty plus entourage got exclusive use of the facilities before anyone. 


Hugh who is believed to have been staying in the £2,500 penthouse of the hotel since he arrived on Saturday morning treated each of his crew to free drink and canapés all night as well as  gifting them each with a hoodie from Hugh himself. The black and white hoodie promoted his own ethical coffee brand Laughing Man.  
One of the guests commented: “Hugh has been really generous and put on a free bar for everyone all night. Preparations have been intense over the last six weeks so this is a chance for everyone to get a bit of chill before the tour begins.
Guests who were merry after knocking back the booze and partying till midnight were treated to songs from musicals as well as the latest charts while Hugh did a tour of the room. 
At midday on Sunday, a relaxed looking Hugh treated around twenty of his more senior entourage to a private boat trip round the Loch. 
He took in the surrounding islands on the route to Balloch. 


He was met by fans including Ailie, 17, and Lewis Carroll, 9, along the way. 
Lewis said: “Hugh signed my Greatest Showman CD and I told him I couldn’t get tickets to his show because it was sold out.  My dad asked if he could put us on the guest but he told us he couldn’t even get his own mother  on the guest list.”
Back at the hotel Hugh who says he will be featuring his own dogs Dali and Allegra in his musical extravaganza petted our very own basset hound Bertie on his way into the hotel and told a couple of fans outside that he’d absolutely ‘loved’ the boat trip. 
He said he couldn’t wait to hit the stage in Glasgow. 

We’ve been following Hugh’s every move this week- read more on theshowbizlion.com 

Excerpts of this article have since appeared in The Sun and Daily Mail online. 

From Scotland with Love

GARY BARLOW PROVES TO BE A BALLER WITH SCOTS BINGO SESSION

THEY might have been staying on the Bonnie Banks but Gary Barlow and the cast and crew of the Take That tour got lucky with a game of bingo in Scotland.
And it was a full house as Gary shunned an evening walk round the waters of Loch Lomond to take on the role of host with the most at the fun party for the band and their roadies.


And he even donned a pair of specs so he could see exactly what numbers he was calling out during the Barlow's Bingo competition.
The Take That singer and songwriter used to be a bingo caller and even brought out the balls and cards during a wedding anniversary to his wife.
Posing by his very own ball machine in one of the lounges at the plush hotel


Gary told fans: "Its a bit of a Take That tradition that one night during the tour all the cast and band get together for a game of bingo. So last night was bingo night. And guess who the MC was. All the contestants made it a special night."


Gary has talked previously about his love of the fame saying: "I used to be a bingo caller when I was first starting out. I used to love reading out the numbers. We have bingo nights backstage on the Take That tour to help everyone relax. We call it Barlow's Bingo."
During the band's stay they also got to mingle with the drivers of luxury racing cars at the luxury Cameron House hotel.

Excerpts of this article have since appeared in The Sunday Post, Sun and Sunday Mail.



- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com