Ariana Grande hires six hotel suites at £5,000 a night for UK stay ahead of £100,000 Wicked after-party
HOLLYWOOD royalty Ariana Grande has arrived in the UK on a whirlwind stay fit for a princess.
The singer and actress flew in from Paris yesterday by private jet ready for the Wicked: For Good premiere in Leicester Square tomorrow.
The pint-sized pop queen touched down at Farnborough airport in Hampshire and was whisked away with her entourage to the five-star Raffles London at the OWO hotel.
I’m told the star, who plays Glinda, has hired six suites at £5,000 each a night for her trip — and chose the stunning building in Whitehall because she can easily enter and exit via the underground car park.
A source said: “Ariana’s team and the production crew from Wicked put their heads together to ensure Ariana is in luxury and comfort and has plenty of privacy.
“She will need plenty of time and space to prepare for her big red-carpet moment with her glamour squad.”
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Ariana is believed to be attending the movie premiere with her boyfriend and Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, having ignored rumours that they have split.
But she will be mostly joined at the hip with British actress Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba.
Production company Universal has splashed out £100,000 on hiring art deco French restaurant Brasserie Zedel in Piccadilly for the after-party, where Ari will let her hair down.
On Friday night, Ariana showed off her hand tattoos at the film’s Paris premiere, and many fans believe the inkings are linked to the movie and her friendship with Cynthia.
She was joined by another co-star, Michelle Yeoh, as she greeted the crowds.
In just over a week’s time, Ariana is due back in America for the film’s premiere in New York.
Ariana was last week forced to miss the Wicked premiere in Brazil due to flight issues.
She had been expecting to walk the red carpet at the Sao Paulo event on Tuesday evening but was forced to get off the plane because of safety issues.
Taking to Instagram to share her disappointment, Ariana said that her team failed to find an alternative arrangement to get her to Sao Paolo in time.
Hopefully her stay in Blighty will be much smoother.
LILY TO CLEAN UP WITH GIRL BRAND
LILY ALLEN is certainly soaking up the success of her latest album, West End Girl.
She released the 14-track record last month following her split from husband David Harbour, who appears in supernatural TV series Stranger Things.
I can reveal Lily, pictured here in her bra enjoying a bubble bath and pulling a funny face for a magazine shoot, has now applied to trademark the name West End Girl ahead of a tour that kicks off in March.
The trademark covers beauty items including cosmetics, fragrances, perfumery, sun cream and shampoo.
It also includes sunglasses, jewellery, bags, clothing, footwear and headgear.
Her album jumped to No2 in the Official Albums Chart this week.
Lily was left devastated when her four-year marriage to American actor David broke down last December.
The couple met on celebrity dating app Raya and moved to New York after tying the knot in 2020.
However, she has since moved back to London with her two daughters from her first marriage.
It comes as the Not Fair singer is gearing up for her 14-date tour in March, which starts at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall.
Fans are begging for more dates after the tour sold out in minutes this week.
If I can’t pin down a ticket, at least I’ll be able to get my hands on some Lily Allen bubble bath instead.
AFRICA A WINTER WONDER LAND
FORMER Love Islander Faye Winter is swapping her beach bag for a backpack to do community and conservation work in Africa.
The reality star, left, who found fame on the ITV2 dating show in 2021, is running a volunteer trip to Zimbabwe this month.
She has already given up the party lifestyle in London to return to her roots in Devon, where she lives with her golden retriever Bonnie and two rescue ponies, Keith and Kevin.
Faye told me: “I was out of my comfort zone living away from the countryside.
“The only thing that kept me going was my guide dog volunteer work. I find it so fulfilling, I’m not a party girl at all.”
Looking back on her life after the show, Faye admits that she wasn’t happy.
She said: “I struggled with the fact it was all about where you were seen.
“It felt materialistic. Giving back is so much more meaningful.”
HOLLY’S HAPPY MEALS
HOLLY WILLOUGHBY is a woman after my own heart when it comes to hangover cures.
The TV presenter said only a McDonald’s can soothe her after too many drinks the night before.
Asked what her go-to recovery meal is, Holly told a magazine: “I want a McDonald’s quarter pounder with cheese and if it hasn’t got a pickle on it, I’m gonna throw it back at you.
“I order extra pickles every time. Then I want skinny fries that are as salty as possible.
“I know some people think McDonald’s makes you feel rotten, but I just love it.
“You can tell how often I go because there are so many selfies of me sat in my car, taken by the drive-thru staff.”
Sounds like Holly is lovin’ it.
SLIMLINE JEN KIDS AROUND
HOLLYOAKS’ Jennifer Metcalfe has revealed the secret to her trim figure – she orders child portions.
The actress, who plays Mercedes McQueen in the Channel 4 soap, said smaller helpings mean she can have more of what she fancies.
During the show’s 30th anniversary celebrations at St George’s Hall in Liverpool, she said: “I eat what I want, when I want – small portions.
“Yesterday, me and my friend were out for five hours.
“We wanted a roast dinner, so I got a child’s portion, then we went to our local Indian and had poppadoms and all of the chutney.
“I have been eating loads recently, but my motto is ‘eat small amounts of everything you want’.”
Jennifer said she has just signed a year’s contract with Hollyoaks, adding: “We are making this 30th year count.”
PARTY OF THE WEEK
Tangle Teezer Festive pop-up, Vinyl Studios, Soho, Tuesday
WHAT WE ATE: Mini burgers, pigs in blankets and pick ’n’ mix sweets.
WHAT WE DRANK: Aperol spritz, Moscow mule and appletini cocktails.
WHO WAS THERE: Molly-Mae Hague’s hairdresser Jack Luckhurst, model Amanda Chrishell, influencer Tyra Baylis and our Emily, pictured with a handsome Santa.
TAYLOR & SABRINA’S HEIGHT ON THE TOWN
IT was the little and large show as chart superstars Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift went on a night out in New York.
Sabrina, who is 5ft, looked glamorous in a white roll-neck jumper and trench coat for the evening in SoHo restaurant.
Meanwhile, 5ft 9in Taylor showed off her long legs in a pleated mini-skirt and polo shirt.
It comes after Sabrina recently collaborated with Taylor on The Life Of A Showgirl track from her album of the same name.
CORKING HAT, LIAM
LIAM GALLAGHER gets into the Aussie spirit as he struts his stuff in a cork hat on tour Down Under.
The Oasis singer, who is normally known for wearing a bucket hat, was on stage in Melbourne, complete with maracas, as part of the Live ’25 tour with brother Noel.
The band played in Sydney last night and will head to Buenos Aires in Argentina for a show next Saturday.