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| (c) Simon Ackerman |
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Joan attended a special Gala Performance of the hit musical Kinky Boots at London's Coliseum in aid of Wateraid.. Also in attendence were Graham Norton, La Voix, Claire Sweeney and Christopher Biggins..
GALA PERFORMANCE
Sunday 29 March at 3pm
100% of profits from ticket sales, once costs have been taken out, will go towards WaterAid
“I’m DJ to the grandkids,” she tells hello! in this exclusive interview. “I love to be with them and I pay them a lot of attention.”
It’s this love of children that drew Joan, to her role as vice-president of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, which helps babies, children and young people living with life-limiting conditions, as well as their families.
Joan has backed the charity since 2003 and is the first guest on its new podcast, featuring chats with the charity’s famous supporters. Each guest has donated a personal item to help to raise vital funds; Joan has given a Valentino clutch bag.
“It’s the number one charity close to my heart,” she says. “I love the fact that we’re doing so much for the children and the families. They are in the most unimaginable circumstances [when] they come to Shooting Star.”
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| Joan with Karen Sugarman Exec Vice President Shooting Star at the annual ball |
Celebrity nutritionist Gabriela Peacock is known for her expert dietary advice, and in HELLO!’s Don't Judge Me video series the former model has peeked into the fridges of famous friends including the chef Lorraine Pascale, fashion designer Amanda Wakeley and writer Celia Walden.
This week Gabriela, founder of founder of GP Nutrition, joins the actress Dame Joan Collins at her favourite London spot, the luxury Mayfair hotel and restaurant Claridge’s, to discuss her culinary pleasures and favourite dining hotspots.
Joan, 92, who boasts a career spanning more than 70 years and is perhaps best known for playing Alexis Colby in the TV series Dynasty, is also a bestselling author, an international style icon and a mother of three.
"I’ve spent so much time in Claridge’s," Joan tells Gabriela when they meet for lunch. "It has so many memories. It’s where we had our wedding [to Percy Gibson, 24 years ago]… I had my Damehood party here, so it’s almost like a second home to me."
Joan reminisces about her 2002 nuptials with her producer and actor husband Percy: "It was fantastically wonderful. There were so many friends. Sir Roger Moore. Dame Shirley Bassey sang and everybody got drunk."
Guests dined on French green beans topped with foie gras, which "so many people do not approve of", followed by English lamb and peas. "I think we had mashed potatoes. I like very simple food."
Joan’s drink of choice is a martini, "very dry, nothing in it, or a very good white wine, like Pouilly-Fuissé or a Sauvignon Blanc".
Joan doesn't usually eat breakfast and the Land of the Pharaohs actress is not one for a late-night snack, either.
"Never, not before I go to bed. I believe our body is a factory, it needs to be fed the right things. If you have a great car, you don’t put inferior petrol into it. I’m very fussy about what I eat."
Her weakness is milk chocolate, "the cheaper, the better. I treat myself. Why not?"
She believes that "if you feel good, you look good" and exercises up to four times a week. "I think it’s important, but it’s not terribly strenuous any more. You don’t get legs like this if you don’t!"
Of cosmetic surgery, Joan says: "I don’t believe in needles and things. I’ve never had Botox or anything in my face."
And Ozempic? "I’d never dream of doing something like that. I have seen too many disastrous faces. I think if you’re going to lose weight, you have to cut down. You want to enjoy your life. You don’t want to live on a celery stick."
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| Joan with William Boyd and Peter Webster |
The film hit the big screen last night for it's Los Angeles premiere at AMC Century City and drew a starry guest list on the red carpet.
Appearing on the carpet were good friends of Joan including Dyan Cannon, Donna Mills, Ann Turkel, Juliet Mills and husband Maxwell Caulfield..
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| Joan with co-star Jacob Young |
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| Joan with longtime friend Dyan Cannon |
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| (C) ReMIND Magazine |
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| (c) Gilbert Flores |
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| Joan with Golden Globe President Helen Hoene (c) Gilbert Flores |
Joan will appear at the show this Saturday January10th..
More info and a chance to prebook a photo opportunity can be found here!
Synopsis: When six friends vacation at the country estate of a legendary true crime TV star (Collins), the last thing they expect is to find one of their own murdered. Everyone is a suspect as they try to determine who among them would have the means, motive, and opportunity. As tensions grow, they enlist the aid of their celebrity sleuth hostess to uncover the truth before the killer can strike again.
The film stars Golden Globe® winner Joan Collins (Dynasty), Nadia Bjorlin (Days of our Lives), Daytime Emmy® Award winner Jacob Young (The Bold and The Beautiful, All My Children), Trent Garrett (Army of Thieves), BAFTA nominee Toby-Alexander Smith (EastEnders, Hallmark franchise films), Simon Cotton (Emmerdale), India Thain, (Sharknado 5: Global Swarming), Czech actress Hana Vagnerová (Netflix's Borders of Love), Broadway's Jim Borstelmann (The Producers, Chicago), and featuring internet sensation Espen Hatleskog, also known as IG's @pilotviking.
Lise Romanoff, CEO and Managing Director of Vision Films shares, "Just when you think you have it figured out, this clever murder mystery throws you for a loop – over and over again. The iconic Joan Collins elevates this whodunnit with authenticity and humor for a suspense-filled ride."
Screenwriter Mark Rozzano says, "As a lifelong fan of Agatha Christie and TV detectives like Columbo, I wrote the character of sleuth "Francesca Carlyle" specifically for my longtime friend and favorite actress Joan Collins, as a glamorous version of "Miss Marple." I was so fortunate to assemble an all-star cast of friends, who also happen to be the best from Hollywood, London, and Broadway."
Co-Director Jacob Young adds, "I couldn't be more excited for audiences to finally experience this film. This project has been incredibly meaningful to me, not only as a producer and director, but also stepping in front of the camera after a long hiatus as an actor. Working side by side with executive producer and my dear friend Mark Rozzano was a true labor of love from start to finish. Working alongside my talented co-star and longtime friend Nadia Bjorlin of 25 years made the journey even more special..
A Murder Between Friends be available on most major streaming and cable platforms across the US and Canada on January 13, 2026. Pre-order A Murder Between Friends now at iTunes/Apple TV (US, CA) and Vudu/Fandango at Home (US).
About Vision Films
Vision Films is a leading independent sales and VOD aggregator specializing in the licensing, marketing, and distribution of over 800 feature films, documentaries, and series from some of the most prolific independent film producers in the world. Led by Lise Romanoff, Managing Director/CEO Worldwide Distribution, Vision Films releases 2-4 films a month across Theatrical, VOD, DVD, and television platforms. visionfilms.net
Media Contact:
Andrea McKinnon
8184159442
SOURCE Vision Films, Inc.
Joan Collins is back on your screens as the newest crime sleuth, Francesca Carlyle, in co-directors Trent Garrett and Jacob Young’s murder mystery, A Murder Between Friends, from a screenplay by Mark Rozzano. Three couples and longtime friends go on a European mansion getaway. The mansion is owned by Francesca, a family investigative journalist known worldwide for her murder-investigation show. This doesn’t sound good.
The group includes the longtime married couple Josh (Jacob Young) and Kat (Nadia Bjorlin), the newlyweds Devin and Sonia (India Thain), and the newest couple — and soon-to-be engaged — Sydney (Toby-Alexander Smith) and Louisa (Hana Vagnerová). As the weekend starts, the friends are cordial, but by night, the niceties wane ever so slightly, especially after a quick glance between Devin and Sydney. Just before the tension can truly build, the three couples turn in for the night. In the morning, Sydney and Louisa are missing. When Sydney returns from a walk, a search begins for Louisa with the help of Francesca, and it’s soon discovered that Louisa has been murdered by being drowned in the hot tub. Which one of the remaining five did it? The motives and alibis for everyone are unclear, yet as they say, no one can leave the mansion or the city until the murder is solved.
A Murder Between Friends marks the return of Joan Collins as the heir apparent to Angela Lansbury’s Murder, She Wrote. Collins serves more as the host of the murder-mystery weekend, tasked with dispensing game-changing revelations throughout the film, such as that Louisa was worth $3 million and left it all to Sydney without his knowledge. There’s also the love affair between Sydney and Devin that Josh stumbles upon. Things are not looking good for Sydney.
I find that murder mysteries go in one of two directions. The first is making it an actual murder mystery, where the killer is revealed at the end, and it’s up to you to find the clues along the way as you see what only Francesca sees. The story takes a different path; the story unfolds with all the characters, whether or not Francesca is there. One huge revelation is dropped after another, followed by massive plot twists, including Kat (Josh’s wife) being murdered in a car accident. Then there’s the even juicier twist.
A Murder Between Friends also reminds me of The Love Boat or Fantasy Island. Actors from soap operas and indie films comprise most of the cast, and they give solid performances for a caper made specifically for television. This is a mystery, rather than the horror or thriller that Hollywood likes to throw our way. Collins may be a bit older since her Dynasty days, but she’s still got spunk, and if this series continues, it really needs her to be much nosier about the affairs of her suspects. Her role is to push characters into a corner by poking holes in their motives and alibis.
A Murder Between Friends makes for a fun night of low-stakes sleuthing, and it’s great to have Joan Collins back. It is a simple mystery playing on our greed and our appetite for spicy relationships at the same time.
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| (c) Mike Marsland |
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| (c) Simon Ackerman |
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| (c) Dave Bennet Joan with Stephen Fry |
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| (C) Simon Ackerman |
