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I’ve partied at the BAFTAs with Ben Affleck – what it’s really like, from Kate & Wills’ whispers to what stars eat
THE BAFTAs is one of the glitziest nights in the showbiz calendar, when Hollywood comes to London.
As a showbiz journalist, I’ve been lucky enough to attend several times, rubbing shoulders with stars from George Clooney to Renée Zellweger and Tom Holland.
The last time I went, in 2023, as a guest of EE, which sponsors the awards, I was put up at the five-star Corinthia Hotel in Whitehall, which was perfect for pretending I was an A-lister myself.
Many of the celeb guests were also staying there, so I had my eyes peeled when I hit the drinks reception at 1.30pm. There, I was given the chance to take a pic with a real BAFTA, which I can confirm weighs a tonne.
It’s not the first time I’ve had a snap with the coveted award – Ben Affleck let me hold his Best Director gong at the 2013 awards dinner.
We chatted about how similar my Belfast accent and his Bostonian one were, while his then-wife Jennifer Garner tucked into his dessert.
Back at the Corinthia, I reluctantly gave the award back, then headed into the reception where I drank Taittinger champagne with stars including Sex Education’s Emma Mackey and Aimee Lou Wood. We were also treated to a performance by singer Tom Grennan.
At 3pm, it was time to take to the red carpet at the Royal Festival Hall, where the ceremony was taking place.
Over the years I’ve waited in cold, rain and even snow to grab the nominees for a chat, so it was lovely to stroll down the carpet alongside big names like Jamie Lee Curtis, Barry Keoghan and Carey Mulligan.
Inside, the building was packed with celebs wherever you looked, even spilling out on to the balcony, where I spotted Derry Girls pals Nicola Coughlan and Dylan Llewellyn deep in chat.
By 5.30pm, it was time to be seated inside the auditorium. My seat was on the balcony, which was the perfect spot to spy stars, including Paul Mescal, who was constantly making sure his parents were OK.
I also had a bird’s-eye view as BAFTA’s president, Prince William, and Kate Middleton took their seats at the front.
Kate stunned in a white gown with black gloves while William was in a deep chat with fellow Etonian Eddie Redmayne.
It was cute to watch the royal couple whispering to each other during the show.
The ceremony flew by and once it was over, everyone left their seats to mingle before dinner at 9pm.
Unlike in previous years, there was no alcohol served during the show, so everyone was keen for a glass of fizz and some food.
We had the choice of vegan butternut arancini with sage or confit chicken terrine with truffle and onion chutney, followed by chocolate mousse for dessert.
Event chef Tim Brennan had to build the kitchens from scratch to feed the 2,000 VIP guests as the venue didn’t have adequate facilities.
The dining room was an impressive mass of tables, with decorations inspired by the five Best Film nominees.
Unsurprisingly, most of the celebs don’t eat the meals and barely sit at their tables, instead preferring to catch up with other actors.
At the end of the night, I spotted several people taking home cardboard cutouts of Colin Farrell’s donkey, Jenny, from The Banshees Of Inisherin.
Most celebrities headed to various after-parties, with Netflix holding a bash at Chiltern Firehouse and Vogue, in partnership with Tiffany & Co, taking over members’ club Annabel’s.
Once my feet could take no more, I headed back to my plush hotel room and tucked myself into the biggest bed I’ve ever seen.
If there was an award for partying, I’d have certainly taken home the prize.
I was so fat I couldn’t even get out of bed and my little girl always asked why I was so sad – now I’ve shed 12st
A MUM lost an incredible 12st after feeling like her life had fallen apart with postnatal depression.
Katy George reached rock bottom after her weight hit 23st and she was unable to face getting out of bed.
But her mum, Diana, urged her to join a slimming club, and together they have lost over 15st.
The pair have opened their own beauty salon to celebrate the major turnaround.
Katy says she can now be the mum she dreamed of being to Holly, aged five.
The 29-year-old, from Blackpool, says: “I was so unhappy, stuck in bed all day. I was virtually immobile.
“My little girl was always asking why I was sad.
“Now, 12st lighter, she’s always asking me why I’m dancing around the house! My life has completely turned around.
“My mum is my big inspiration. Without her, I’d never have done it.
“I can’t thank her enough.”
Katy was chubby as a child but slimmed down in her teenage years.
However, when she became trapped in an unhappy relationship, she began comfort eating and gaining weight.
In December 2019, she gave birth to her daughter, Holly, and her weight spiralled.
At 5ft 4in, and 23st, she became too depressed to get out of bed.
“I had a difficult birth,” she says. “I contracted sepsis after a C-section and I was very ill.
“I developed postnatal depression, then it was lockdown.
“I was very isolated, and I was in an unhappy relationship.
“I felt so lonely, and food was my only escape.”
Katy adds: “I’d eat meat and potato pie and mash, takeaways, and pizzas.
“I could polish off a whole tube of Pringles. I was trying to fill the void inside me.
“At the start of 2024, I split with my partner, which was the right thing to do, but then I faced the challenge of being a single mum.
“I felt absolutely desperate.”
I used to spend my days in bed. Now I can be the mum I’ve always dreamed of being
Katy George
Doctors warned Katy her health was at risk, and she was referred to a diabetes specialist.
Seeing her daughter’s unhappiness, Diana persuaded her to attend a Slimming World meeting.
Diana, 56, says: “Katy just wasn’t the same girl anymore.
“She had no energy, she rarely went out. I was so worried about her.
“I felt I was losing my daughter. I was less bothered about her physical appearance and more worried about the way it affected her mentally.
“I persuaded her to come to Slimming World with me.
“I’d fallen off a ladder while I was cleaning a few years earlier and broken my back, which stopped me doing exercise. I’d put on a few stone, so I saw it as a chance for both of us.
“I told her I’d pay each week if she lost, and she’d have to pay if she gained!”
DIET SWAPS
Spurring each other on, the pair both went on to achieve incredible success.
Katy says: “My mum was brilliant, she really pushed me.
“I managed to lose 5st before joining Slimming World in January 2024 and we joined the group together; I’d never have had the confidence to do it on my own.”
In her first week, Katy lost an amazing 11.5lbs, which gave her the motivation to continue.
As time went on, she grew to love her new lifestyle, swapping carbs and fatty foods for grilled chicken, salads and sweet potato fries.
One year on, she has lost a further 7st, giving her a total 12st weight loss.
She now weighs 10st 11lbs and has dropped from a dress size 22/24 to an 8/10.
Diana has lost 3.5st, dropping from almost 14st to 10st 3lbs.
The 5 best exercises to lose weight
By Lucy Gornall, personal trainer and health journalist
EXERCISE can be intimidating and hard to devote yourself to, particularly at this time of year, when the rain is as relentless as your craving for carbs.
So how do you find the right workout for you?
As a PT and fitness journalist, I’ve tried everything.
I’ve taken part in endless fitness competitions, marathons and I maintain a regime of runs, strength training and Pilates.
Fitness is so entrenched in my life, I stick to it even at Christmas!
The key is finding an activity you love that can become a habit.
My top five forms of exercise, especially if you’re trying to lose weight, are:
- Walking
- Running
- Pilates
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
- Strength training
Katy says: “I feel so much better. I have lots of energy and I’m always on the go.
“I owe mum a big thank you. She and I opened our own beauty salon, Natural Hair and Beauty, last year to mark our new start.
“I can finally be the mum I’ve always dreamed of being.
“I used to spend my days in bed, now I’m always out with Holly at play centres or the zoo or LEGOLAND®.
“My daughter used to ask me why I was sad, now she asks why I’m always dancing!
“I’m proud of myself and I know she’s proud of me too.”
Diana adds: “I am so proud of Katy – I feel like I’ve got my girl back and that is worth the world to me.”
Linda Robson reveals Birds of a Feather stars went ‘on strike’ in furious pay row with Only Fools and Horses cast
ACTRESS Linda Robson reveals she and her Birds of a Feather co-stars went ‘on strike’ after learning they were being paid a “pittance” in comparison to their male sitcom counterparts.
The 66-year-old admitted that she and her fellow acting stars, Lesley Joseph and Pauline Quirke, were left less than impressed to discover how little they were being paid during their first few years on the sitcom.
Whilst Linda has since managed to amass a small fortune thanks to the longevity of the programme as well as her regular role on Loose Women and various reality shows, things weren’t always so rosy for the Islington native.
Linda has confessed that she, Pauline and Lesley were left in-shock when they discovered that the stars of Only Fools and Horses, which included Sir David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst, were making a mint in comparison to them.
Speaking at the TV Choice Awards, Linda revealed the pay row even put a halt on filming until their salaries matched those of the Only Fools stars.
The Loose Women panellist said: “We found out how much [money] Only Fools and Horses were getting and in comparison we were getting a pittance.
“Then, we said, ‘we aren’t doing any more [episodes] unless you give us the same money as the boys’.”
Linda later admitted they were successful in getting the payrise with the three Birds of a Feather stars all managing to secure top contracts to be on the same wages as the Only Fools stars.
Only Fools and Horses started in 1981 with Birds of a Feather coming along eight years later.
Both shows were screened by the BBC during their crossover years amid the pay row.
Elsewhere, Linda spoke about managing to land her first major acting role since wrapping up the comedy for good in 2020.
She will be playing a role in the next series of Channel 5‘s The Good Ship Murder.
Led by Shayne Ward and Catherine Tyldesley, Linda will be filming on the show for eight days next month.
Spilling all on her role, she said: “I’ve just won a part in Murder on the Ship or whatever it is called that Shayne Ward does.
“So yeah, I’m going to be doing eight days of filming for that in Malta.”
Offering up a hint as to her character, she also cheekily implied she would not die on the show as a result of being out there for eight days.
Linda continued: “Hopefully I don’t die!
“My character’s name is Elsa and I think I play a cabin steward and I’m filming that in March.
“I’ve met Shayne quite a few times too – he’s been a guest at Loose Women but apparently he sings in every episode doesn’t he?”
Linda then laughed: “He won’t get me to sing!”
European theme park to get £66million revamp with new waterpark, rollercoaster and two rides
ONE of Germany’s most popular theme parks is set to open two new rides later this year as part of a multi-million-pound investment.
Despite not being well-known among Brits, Holiday Park in Haßloch, Germany, welcomes 660,000 visitors every year.
Part of a five-year masterplan, the theme park is pumping €80m (£66.6m) into new rides and attractions.
This multi-million-pound cash injection includes two new coasters, both of which are slated to open this year.
New ride 100% Wolf will be a family-friendly thrill coaster that will be the main attraction inside a new themed land.
Running along a 760m-long track, the new ride will feature a vertical spike.
It aims to bridge the gap between the park’s indoor rides and its thrill coasters, offering something for the whole family.
When it opens later this year, 100% Wolf will become the theme park‘s fourth rollercoaster.
Meanwhile, Holiday Park’s Burg Falkenstein ride has been given a new look for 2025, with a new Smurf theme.
Slated to open later this year, the reimagined ride will feature over 45 animatronic figures based on the comic book characters.
In total, there will be 42 Smurf figures, each standing at 60cm tall and capable of intricate movements.
A new Mack Extreme Spinning Coaster is set to open at the theme park next year.
But by far its biggest investment is a new €40m (£33m) waterpark.
While it’s slated to be a standalone waterpark, not much is known about the huge multi-million investment.
There are plenty of other rides and attractions to keep families entertained until the park’s new offerings open in the spring.
Holiday Park is home to more than 40 rides and attractions, including bigFM Expedition GeForce, which is routinely named the best rollercoaster in the world.
Other rides at the theme park include The Big Wave, the Free Fall Tower, the Balloon Race and the Lighthouse Tower.
There are several water rides at the theme park, including Dino Splash, Donnie Slide, Dizzy Slide and Jerome Race.
Indoor rides for younger park-goers include the Ball Pool and the Farm Carousel.
Entry tickets for the winter season start from as little as €12 (£10) per person.
Holiday Park is just under a 90-minute drive from Frankfurt where direct flights operate to the UK.
Direct flights operate from London to Frankfurt, with return fares from £27 per person.
Use these tips on your next theme park trip
Next time you visit a theme park, you may want to use our top tips to make the most of your adrenaline-inducing day out.
- Go to the back of the theme park first. Rides at the front will have the longest queues as soon as it opens.
- Go on water rides in the middle of the day in the summer – this will cool you off when the sun is at its hottest.
- Download the park’s app to track which rides have the shortest queues.
- Visit on your birthday, as some parks give out “birthday badges” that can get you freebies.
- If it rains, contact the park. Depending on how much it rained, you may get a free ticket to return.
And here’s everything we know about the UK’s new Universal theme park as government prepares to approve planning.
Alton Towers has a pirate takeover week during February half term and there’s Nickelodeon Land at Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort.
Hitler’s chilling top-secret plans for ‘Silver Bird’ warplane that could obliterate New York from SPACE with dirty bomb
AT THE end of 1941, the German Luftwaffe were on the back foot.
The Americans had joined WW2 after the attack on Pearl Harbour and the English had won the fight for aerial dominance in the Battle of Britain.
As Hitler’s squabbling inner circle devised elaborate schemes to impress the Fuhrer, German Air Force chief Hermann Goering set about plans that would appeal to his deep hatred of the US.
Hitler was sad to be obsessed with the idea of New York burning in flames but the German Airforce lacked the long-range capabilities to reach America’s shores.
MAP SHOWING DISTANCE – 3,892 miles
Herman Goring pictured here speaking to crowds in Berlin, once said:
I completely lack the bombers capable of round-trip flights to New York with a 4.5tone bomb load.
I would be extremely happy to possess such a bomber, which would at last stuff the mouth of arrogance across the sea.
Pictured below, Nazi minister Albert Speer recalled Hitler’s dark fascination with watching the American city burn to the ground.
Speer wrote in his prison diary:
It was almost as if he was in a delirium when he described to us how New York would go up in flames.
He imagined how the skyscrapers would turn into huge burning torches. How they would crumble while the reflection of the flames would light the skyline against the dark sky.
Hitler became increasingly desperate towards the end of the war tasking his engineers with creating “Wunderwaffen” – wonder weapons.
Plans were put forward by other designers as part of the “Amerika Bomber” project, based on aircraft the Luftwaffe had in use but one design was particularly adventurous.
Nazi henchman Goering devised a scheme to develop a space-age warplane that was later dubbed the “Silbervogel” or Sliver Bird.
The concept was originally designed by Austrian aeronautical engineer Eugen Sanger, pictured here, who would become part of the project to unleash hell on New York.
The orbital spacecraft would drop a 4-ton bomb on Manhatten obliterating buildings, streets and homes.
But the top-secret plan would only later come to light under bizarre circumstances and lead to a chilling kidnap plot orchestrated by Starlin.
Read on to find out more…
In 1944 Sanger submitted his audacious plans for the Sliver Bird space rocket to the Reich’s Air Ministry.
A member of the Nazi party and the SS, Sanger knew the design could spark the interest of officials looking for a weapon that could target the US.
He collaborated with German engineer and mathematician Irene Bredt to create the space plane that would be used for one mission – to fly thousands of miles above the Earth’s surface and obliterate New York City.
Irene, pictured below, would later become Sanger’s wife.
The suborbital craft, with just one pilot, would be powered up along a two-mile sled helping it to reach speeds of 1,200mph, plans showed.
Once airborne, its rocket engines would help it to climb to 450,000ft and reach an earth-shattering speed of 13,5000mph.
Once in space, the bomber would be able to “bounce” through the Earth’s atmosphere allowing it to travel further and eventually reach its target, a computerised image shows.
It would then drop a 4.5-ton “radioactive dirty bomb” on New York before continuing to skip through space and land in Japanese-controlled China where it could be picked up and used again.
It would weigh 100 tons, nearly 90 tons of that being fuel, with five tons for life support and four tons for the bomb itself, shown in the middle of the spacecraft.
Each bomb would be controlled by remote television coming within 400 miles of its intended target, shown in the map below in the top-secret plans.
The four-ton bomb would have the ability to wipe out buildings and entire streets in a radius of five miles.
The radioactive explosion would reach beyond the blast zone with toxic particulars becoming airborne causing radiation sickness, burns, vomiting and long-term increasing the risk of cancer.
The plane would be equipped with cooling tubes and a periscope system for the pilot as a window would not withstand the pressure and heat on re-entry.
A graphic shows how the bomber would “skip” in and out of the earth’s atmosphere helping it to travel further in its round-the-world trip.
But the Silver Bird was way ahead of its time for the Nazis and most of the technology needed for it to take flight didn’t even exist yet.
Luckily for the US, with the war coming to an end and no way of building the space weapon in time the project never became a reality.
The picture below shows thousands of German soldiers surrendering to the Red Army as the war faltered in 1944.
Rumours of the Sliver Bird space-plane had spread to the allied forces and both the Russians and Americans were seeking copies of the plans.
As the Soviets raided the abandoned German Rocket Centre, seen below, on the Baltic Sea coast they made an incredible discovery.
When an official went to relieve himself behind a woodpile – a file-stamped “top-secret” on the ground with Sanger’s designs inside.
They were amazed by the level of detail and when word eventually got back to Joseph Stalin he orchestrated a kidnap plot to bring Sanger to Russia and bring his project to life.
However, the plan to bring Sanger to the Soviet Union failed.
Some of Stalin’s scientists and engineers did attempt to build the engine for the Sliver Bird but it was eventually abandoned around 1950.
Sanger’s personal copy of the plans resides in The Huntingdon rare book collection, where space historian Asif Siddiqi, pictured below, has been able to analyse its content:
He describes Sanger’s designs as “advanced” due to the combination of two engine types and its ability to fly across the ocean.
He said: “Let’s presume that the Nazis had been able to do it[build the Sliver Bird]….they would have certainly changed the outcome of the war.”
He adds that it is only in the modern age that it is starting to become possible for these types of planes to be produced.
He says: “It’s time is arrive.”
You can watch the full interview with historian Asif at the top of this article.
After the war ended, Sanger refused to work for the British or Americans and the scientist, along with Irene, moved to France.
There they worked for the French government, as part of their missile programme until the 1950s.
In 1954, Sanger returned to Germany to continue aerospace research and become director of their new Institute for the Physics of Jet Propulsion in Stuttgart.
He was later implicated in a secret Egyptian plan to develop ballistic missiles and was forced to resign.
He died in February 1964, while Irene lived on for another 19 years.
His suborbital craft concept has never been brought to life but the US has plans for a “HyperSoar” aircraft that would use this technique.