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The eighth annual BritWeek festival launched in style with a gala party at the British Consul-General’s residence in Hancock Park on Tuesday night. The business, arts and entertainment celebration runs until May 4 in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.
BritWeek is a non-profit organisation, co-founded in 2007 by former Pop Idol judge Nigel Lythgoe to highlight the creative fusion between the UK, California, and Miami.
Stars including Seal, Jason Isaacs, Chesney Hawkes, Dani Behr, film director Amanda Eliasch, actress Justine Glenton, Jenna Elfman, Catt Sadler and others gathered under the stars for a spectacular Midsummer Night’s Dream party sponsored by BBC Worldwide, Boots, Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows and The Times of London.
TV presenter Cat Deeley put the all-white fashion trend to work, arriving on the red carpet with her husband Patrick Kielty looking jam hot in a white capped-sleeve dress with matching stilettos. The hand held? Kate Spade’s ‘Paris and the Single Girl’ clutch, the bag that every Parisian-chic gal needs in her life.
Of course I turned up dressed looking the part a la-Brit-boy, kitted out in designer Paul Smith finished off with a Union Jack tie. My bestie, actor Craig Robert Young had very the clever idea of pinning HIS Blue Peter badge on the lapel of my jacket just before leaving for the do. What a great idea! I received SO much attention, who would have thought I’d be upstaged by Craig’s Blue Peter badge! Even singer Seal, who, incidentally I have known for years, couldn’t resist making his comments about the cute little symbol of the well-known British kids’ TV show. I felt like such a fraud actually, because you have to do something special to receive one. Many of my admirers had asked me what had I done to receive such an honor.
Er… Hmm… Craig!!!
Simon Cowell‘s former girlfriend Terri Seymour stuck to an all-white outfit, in the form of a silky white negligee dress. She covered up with a white blazer and topped off with silver glittering clutch bag and matching strappy sandals. According to Terri, who arrived on the arm of her toyboy beau, model Clark Mallon; Simon is enjoying every bit of being a first-time dad to his two-month-old son Eric. She told partygoers,“He’s very good. He’d never even held a baby before, so he was like, ‘How do you hold a baby?’ You have to remind him every now and then about the head… But he’s really good and he loves it.” Aww, that was nice to hear.
Record producer Paul Oakenfold looked rather swish in his suit and stood confidently on the red carpet with his hands in his pockets and actress Britt Ekland wowed in white. Dani Behr, who recently revealed her nine-year marriage to Carl Harwin is over in a Hello! magazine interview, looked super-sexy in a figure-hugging purple dress by Tom Ford.
There was a surprise appearance from Supernanny, also known as Jo Frost, and Amanda Eliasch was spotted chatting away to Charles Saatchi’s ex-wife, the lovely Kay. The artist and film director wore her trademark “Peggy Guggenheim” dark glasses. (I’m amazed she found her way around the party wearing those all night). Actress Justine Glenton, who stars in Eliasch’s directorial debut The Gun the Cake and the Butterfly looked as gorgeous as ever wearing a sexy, long, flowy number.
I had fun catching up with people I hadn’t seen in a very long time, in particular singer Chesney Hawkes, who still looks as young as he did the day I met him wayyyyyyy back in 1990… Ches’ and I were starving and we set out to find the Fish ‘n’ Chips stall on the other side of the party. As we fought our way through the crowds, we finally made it only to find they had run out… Darn. Thankfully though, super-PR girl Jane Owen had the wonderful idea of inviting us to the Sunset Towers after the do for Champagne and mini-sliders… Fabulous. Thanks Jane!
BritWeek will continue its ode to the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare with a one-night-only performance, BritWeek’s Evening of Shakespeare, Music, and Love, presented by Beverly Hills Wealth Management, on April 25, featuring 20 acclaimed actors (including Ioan Gruffudd, Jane Seymour,Malcolm McDowell, Michael York, Sophie Winkleman, and others) performing the Bard’s best work. And on April 28, Amanda Eliasch will screen her incredible “art house” film “The gun the cake and the butterfly” at the Arclight cinema in Hollywood. Save the date!
All-in-all a super night had by everyone… Roll-on Britweek 2015!
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