World records

This beach is a marvel of engineering that is totally free to cross.

The world’s widest bridge is a Guinness World Record holder that cost billions of pounds to build. The Rod El Farag Axis Bridge, also known as the Tahya Misr Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that spans the Nile River through Cairo, Egypt.

The bridge has a whopping width of 67.3 metres, making it the widest bridge in the world. It has six lanes in each direction and is also a big tourist attraction. Pedestrian visitors to the bridge can cross it using the walkway which offers panoramic views out over the Nile.

This walkway is interspersed with glass panels so that it feels as if you are hovering above the rushing river below.

As it is a public road, you can cross it free of charge and enjoy the spectacular views out over Cairo.

The construction of the bridge was implemented by the Armed Forces Engineering Authority (AFEA) in cooperation with a number of national companies.

It took four years, finishing in 2019.

According to Ihab Alphar, the chairman of the AFEA, the basic cost of the project reached an eye-watering £7.43billion.

The bridge is 540 metres long, with 92 metre high suspension towers and has seven different entry and exit ramps.

In order to build the bridge, 4,000 workers, including engineers, technicians and labourers, worked tirelessly to finish the project.

Chief executive officer and chairman of Arab Contractors Company, Mohsen Salah, said: “The engineering crews responsible for the implementation of the bridge faced many difficulties that were overcome with Egyptian engineering innovations.”

He said one of the major issues faced in building the bridge was moving 226.8 tonnes of metal beams to the assembly area.

During the peak of construction, there were 200 cranes deployed at the site to get the bridge up and running.

Builders also had to construct two custom ferry boats that were strong enough to move 544.3 tonnes of equipment to assembly zones

PITBULL proved to the world what a smooth operator he is by getting together the biggest crowd of baldies.

He set a Guinness World Record at his Hyde Park gig when 22,141 fans put on  bald caps — and then described the moment as “priceless”.

The London audience also turned out in white shirts and aviator sunglasses to emulate Mr Worldwide’s trademark look — and our Emily was one of them.

With the phenomenal demand for tickets, Pitbull also broke the record for the highest- recorded attendance for a BST Hyde Park show, with 69,999 fans.

Walking out on to the Great Oak Stage on Friday, he said: “It is hard for me to say I am speechless, but all I can think of right now is knowing what my family went through in order to be someone free.

“As an immigrant family out of Cuba, to be able to pursue my dream and be on a stage like this and represent with all the baldies around the world, this is priceless.

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“There is no way I could say thank you, there are no words to say what I feel right now.”

Pitbull, real name Armando Christian Perez, was handed his certificate by Radio 1’s Greg James and presenter Jack Remmington backstage before the show.

He said: “To all the baldies — like I said before, without you all, there is no Pitbull, no movement, no revolution.”

Of setting the records, he said: “It is not a surprise because hard work pays off and the harder I work, the luckier I get. What a blessing it is to be here in Hyde Park.”

In true style, Pitbull swigged from a bottle of his $24 Voli 305 vodka made in his home city Miami, to get into the party mood.

He was joined on stage by Kesha who rose to fame after featuring on Pitbull’s 2013 track Timber.

She said: “This record changed both of our lives, Pit.”

Meanwhile, Pitbull got into the spirit of the World Cup as he played Oasis track Wonderwall to the thousands of baldies, after the track was adopted by Three Lions fans.

He said: “I thought, ‘What was the best way to represent you all?’. A good friend of mine said, ‘I think you should do this record’.”

During a two- hour set, Pitbull was also joined on stage by rapper Lil Jon for tracks Gasolina and Damn I Love Miami.

He ended the show with Time Of Our Lives featuring Ne-Yo, in which he raps: “Every day above ground is a great day.”

For his legion of fans, Friday July 10 in Hyde Park will be a night to remember.

JAMES’ RETURN TO UK

AMERICAN great James Taylor is returning to the UK for the first time in four years.

The You’ve Got a Friend singer, who has sold more than 100million records worldwide, will play London’s O2 with his All-Star band on Thursday, July 23.

James told last week that he was invited to Taylor and Travis Kelce’s wedding at Madison Square Garden in New York last week.

However, James was unable to attend because of his annual tradition of performing at Tanglewood Music Festival in Massachusetts.

LIL JOHN: FAN LOVE LIKE MJ

US rapper Lil Jon has likened Pitbull’s fan following to that of Michael Jackson.

The bald caps reminded him of MJ devotees wearing the famous single glove.

Chatting to Biz on Sunday’s Emily backstage in Hyde Park, he said: “This is Michael Jackson-style stuff.

“I remember in the Eighties when people wanted the glove or the jacket.

“That is when you have transcended normal music and you have gone into pop culture, when people want to dress up like you.”

The rapper, real name Jonathan H. Smith, suffered a tragedy in February when his son Nathan, 27, was found dead in a pond.

Lil Jon revealed that he now wears a smoky quartz stone, said to provide emotional stability, around his neck as a tribute to his boy.

PETER’S KO’D BY TYSON

FATHER-of-the bride Tyson Fury proved a real knockout for Peter Andre.

The former world boxing champ went out of his way to put Pete at ease before he performed at daughter Venezuala’s recent wedding.

The Mysterious Girl singer said: “I chatted to Tyson for about an hour and he made me feel very welcome. I wasn’t just the performer.”

However, Peter enjoyed the gig so much that he is open to singing at more weddings.

He added: “It was such a happy occasion, I love weddings.”

Meanwhile, Peter is needed back on stage as he performs at Mamma Mia! The Party at The O2 in London. He will be playing Nikos until later this month.

Pete said: “It’s been amazing to vibe off the audience every night, and the set is incredible. It really feels like I’m in Greece. My kids have come to see me. I’m hoping they are getting more into Abba.”

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DECEMBER 10 have the backing of Take That.

Cruz, Hendrik, Sean, John, Josh, Danny and Nicolas performed at Capital’s Summertime Ball last month and had a letter from the boyband legends. John said: “We opened it together.”

Hendrik added: “They kept it short and sweet saying, ‘Good luck boys, enjoy it’.”

Niall Horan also offered support to the boys, who released their debut EP On Your Side on Friday.

Sean said: “He said he still gets nervous. To know someone like Niall is also bricking it is a good thing.”

IT is said Victoria Beckham lives off a diet of grilled fish and steamed vegetables, but the Spice Girl-turned-businesswoman has now trademarked a range of cookware in the States.

Could the fashionista be out to give Jamie Oliver a run for his money?

Posh has filed paperwork for a name against a range of food and drink items including shot glasses, cake tins, cookie jars and sandwich boxes.

I have heard she likes a tequila.

But don’t go binning your Le Creuset pans just yet, as a source close to her tells me: “Victoria is protecting her categories. Nothing imminent is in the works.”

The beauty of Zen

ODYSSEY goddess Zendaya is heading on an exciting journey of her own by going into the beauty business.

The actress –  who plays Athena in Christopher Nolan’s new epic fantasy film – might even rival Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness brand Goop one day.

She has filed Zendaya trademarks in the UK and the States for beauty and hair products, as well as social media and website services. A source said:

“Zendaya is an incredible actress and now she is set to make waves in the beauty industry.”

The new venture comes as her husband, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, has launched premium booze-free beer brand Bero.

Zendaya was ruffling feathers when she stepped out in this revealing Louis Vuitton frilly gown for the Odyssey movie premiere held in Paris this week.

And as power couples go, it certainly looks like Tom and Zendaya are the ones to watch. 

OLIVIA ATTWOOD has her perfectly manicured fingers in so many pies, I’m struggling to keep up.

As well as her TV shows, podcast and various brand deals, the former Love Islander is now launching her own cocktail in a tin.

She hinted at the project earlier this year when she had the name of the drink tattooed on to her arm. Savano comes in three mixes – Hot Honey Margarita, Caipirinha and Moscow Mule – and is distributed by drinks firm Babco.

Olivia said the tipple is “a really exciting new chapter”, adding: “I’ve been teasing it for a little while so I can’t wait for everyone to finally try it.”

During a trip to the beautiful desert city of Palm Springs in California, home to Golden Age Hollywood stars, I found myself with a Guinness World Record after a jolly great time

If someone told me earlier this year I’d have a Guinness World Record to my name, I would have thought they were joking. But here I am, with the notorious title following a trip to the United States.

You’re probably wondering what on earth I did to secure a Guinness World Record, and no, it wasn’t some ludicrous challenge. Instead, all I needed was a blond wig, red lipstick, and a white dress.

I was in the beautiful desert resort city of Greater Palm Springs, known for its Hollywood glamour, mid-century modern architecture and natural hot springs, when this all took place. The Southern California oasis, nestled in the Coachella Valley, was once home to Golden Age Hollywood stars, including Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, but I was there for Marilyn Monroe.

The iconic American actress and model became a global sensation during the 1950s and early 1960s, and was often known for her persona as the ‘blonde bombshell’. She tragically died at the tender age of 36 in 1962, but spent much of her adult life in Palm Springs and is known to have spent time in a trendy bungalow known as the Marilyn Monroe Doll House, which I passed by during my trip, still with its signature pink letter box on the front yard.

This year, on 1 June, marked what would have been Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday, and to mark the occasion, Greater Palm Springs hosted a celebration and mega event to secure a new Guinness World Record. And I was lucky enough to be there and take part.

The idea was to gather as many Marilyn Monroe lookalikes as possible in one place for a Guinness World Record attempt. The previous record was 254 in 2020, so there were high hopes that Palm Springs, the home of Hollywood, would surpass it.

I had no idea what to expect, but after signing up for the event and securing my iconic Marilyn Monroe outfit of a styled blond wig, white dress and red lipstick, I was ready to take part. So on Saturday, 30 May, the day before her birthday, I dressed up as the glamorous star and joined my fellow doppelgangers around the Forever Marilyn statue in Downtown Palm Springs, to secure a Guinness World Record.

Remarkably, there were a whopping 1,037 Marilyn Monroe lookalikes in attendance, and it was incredible to be around so many people celebrating the icon. Everyone went all out with their outfits, accessorising with pearls, diamonds, sparkly heels, fans and feather boas.

To secure the Guinness World Record, all attendees had to be dressed in the same iconic white halter dress, platinum wig and red lipstick, and everyone absolutely was. So after gathering in our hundreds, singing happy birthday to Marilyn Monroe, and being thoroughly counted, we successfully obtained a new Guinness World Record.

“People are on a high that they get to participate in this”, Palm Springs mayor Ron deHarte told me. “It’s not unusual to have something flashy going on in Palm Springs, but this is something different.”

The Pride organisation was connected to the event, as Ron noted, “Marilyn Monroe had a voice, and she used it.” And I could feel the celebrations, the love, kindness, acceptance, and overall pride of this city as I put on my best Marilyn Monroe impersonation and joined the joyful, spirited community of Palm Springs for a Guinness World Record.

It was certainly an honour to take part in such an event, and one I won’t forget in a hurry. After all, there are only 1,037 of us across the globe who can say we broke a record by dressing up as Marilyn Monroe in the desert.

For more information on the beloved Hollywood destination, or to plan your trip, go to the Visit Greater Palm Springs website.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com