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Netflix’s Baftas afterparty in turmoil after fire rampages through celeb hotspot
Netflix has been forced to change the location of its glamourous post-Bafta party after a fire ripped through the original venue.
It will no longer be held at celebrity hotspot Chiltern Firehouse after a blaze on Valentine’s Day resulted in the evacuation of around 100 people.
Instead, Netflix has moved its afterparty to luxury hotel The Twenty Two in Mayfair’s Grosvenor Square.
The London Fire Brigade said that 20 fire engines and about 125 firefighters were involved in tackling the fire on Chiltern Street in Marylebone on Friday.
A firefighter at the scene told the PA news agency the five-star hotel and restaurant will likely need a ‘large refurbishment.’
This afternoon, A-listers including the likes of Demi Moore and Cynthia Erivo will grace the Bafta red carpet.
Demi, 62, is nominated in the leading actress category and has already picked up gongs at the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes for her role in body horror film The Substance.
Cynthia, 38, who played Elphaba in movie musical Wicked, is also a nominee in the leading actress category.
She will be joined by her co-star Ariana Grande, who has received a supporting actress nod for her role playing Glinda in the reimagining of L Frank Baum’s stories.
Cynthia and Demi will go head-to-head with Mikey Madison, who plays a sex worker in Anora, Karla Sofia Gascon for Spanish language musical Emilia Perez, and Saoirse Ronan for The Outrun – a film exploring mental health and addiction.
Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez, stars of Emilia Perez and Bafta nominees, are to present prizes at the awards, with actress Gascon unconfirmed among those attending, amid criticism over a number of tweets.
The 52-year-old has stepped back from promoting the film after the X posts, made between 2019 and 2024, about Islam, the death of George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars resurfaced following the musical’s release.
The main event will be presented by Doctor Who and Rivals villain David Tennant for the second year running.
However, he previously told Metro he was worried about ‘breaking’ the whole thing.
‘I definitely have the advantage of this not being my day job,’ David elaborated further.
‘It’s a lovely thing to be asked to do. It’s a huge privilege and it’s very giddy-making.
‘But I’ve sort of got a bit of a free pass because nobody expects me to be any good at it.’
Other attendees at this year’s ceremony include leading actor nominees Ralph Fiennes, Sebastian Stan, Hugh Grant, Adrien Brody, Colman Domingo and Timothee Chalamet – as well as Kate Winslet, who stars in Bafta-nominated film Lee, and Jesse Eisenberg, whose film A Real Pain is nominated.
British pop group Take That will perform their chart-topping hit Greatest Day, which features in the film Anora, and Wicked star Jeff Goldblum is set to play the piano during the In Memoriam segment.
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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!”
