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| Joan with a bottle of the exclusive scent at the Fenwick launch.. |
Let's talk about Nature’s beauty and the fragrance that it brings, a bevy of New Yorkers arrived in London for the season and — in between Ascot, Wimbledon, Henley and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition — they found time to support their friends philanthropist Shining Sung and designer Marc Rosen.
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| Marc Rosen with Shining Sung ar Bergdorf Goodman launch |
Celia Hammond gathers celebrity friends for charity Teddy Bear's Picnic..
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| Joan with Celia Hammond |
When a select group of celebrity and high-profile animal-lovers came together at London’s Rosewood Hotel last week to raise money for charity, they brought with them a few furry friends. In the spirit of the fundraiser for the Celia Hammond Animal Trust (CHAT) stars including Dame Joanna Lumley, Sir Rod Stewart, Dame Zandra Rhodes, Ruth Langsford and Dame Joan Collins came along with a teddy bear – from childhood, gifted or borrowed – for a very special afternoon picnic.
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| Celia Hammond with Rod Stewart and Joanna Lumley |
Taking place in the grand, mirrored room, which had been dressed with teddy bears handmade by traditional soft-toy maker Merry thought, it was a chance for people to catch up – including two of Celia’s long-standing friends, Dame Joanna and Sir Rod. The pair also happened to be old flames, having dated briefly in 1973.“She was my posh girlfriend,” said Rod. “We got on well, didn’t we, Joanna?” he asked the actress and campaigner, who nodded in agreement. “It was lovely.”
Joanna, who is a patron of the charity, was a fellow model. “But Celia was way above my pay grade,” she said. “There was not a magazine that didn’t have her beautiful face on it. She was huge, like Kate Moss, and a really fabulous model. “But when she’d go on shoots to places like Rome or Greece, she’d drive people mad because she’d feed all the cats and tuck the strays – the ones who were a bit wonky or angry – under her coat. She’s been animal mad since time began.”
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Today, M&S Food is proud to announce legendary actress, author, and philanthropist
Dame Joan Collins as its newest celebrity ambassador. The partnership with Dame Joan will see M&S showcase some of Dame Joan’s iconic British and star-quality Food favourites and explore her lifelong love of Food in a five-part social media series, launching later this month.
To celebrate the partnership, last night Dame Joan and M&S Food hosted an intimate celebration dinner for some of Dame Joan’s closest friends alongside M&S guests and Tom Allen, existing M&S celebrity ambassador and M&S Food fan.
Guests dined on a menu of the very best in season M&S products, inspired by some of Dame Joan’s favourite dishes, including her guilty pleasure; baked jersey royals, sour cream, caviar and chives, a main of poached Scottish Salmon with lashings of mustard and dill sauce to meet her love of sauce, and her favourite seasonal vegetable, asparagus. To finish, Eton Mess with meringue clouds, red diamond strawberries™, sapphire raspberries and British cream was served.
Dame Joan Collins said: ‘I am delighted to partner with M&S Food, a brand with star-quality where I shop most weeks when I am at home in the UK. Food has come to symbolise some of the most significant moments in my life, from my first banana after the war, to dinner parties at home with the best of friends.
My absolute M&S Food favourite is the British Coronation Chicken, it’s the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten, and it’s on my weekly essentials list alongside seedless white grapes! Summer is my favourite season and I’m always a sweet person, so starting to work with M&S Food in time to share my love of their seasonal British red diamond strawberries™ is a total joy.’
Dame Joan becomes the 12th member of M&S Food’s celebrity ambassador programme. Handpicked for their LOVE of M&S Food, she joins popular faces including Emma and Matt Willis, Tom Daly, Zoe Sugg, Tommy Fury and Andi Peters, who every month share their favourite products from the M&S Foodhall on social media with their millions of fans.
Sharry Cramond, M&S Food Marketing Director said: ‘Dame Joan is an icon and star and has such a passion for the brand as a life-long M&S shopper. We know our customers will love to hear about her favourite M&S products on her social media series which we will launch later this month. Who wouldn’t want to eat like a Dame!’
Vicky Eribo, executive publisher of Seven Dials, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Dame Joan Collins’ follow-up to her bestselling diaries.
Behind the Shoulder Pads: Tales I Tell My Friends will be published on 28th September in hardback, export trade paperback, e-book and audio. Rights were acquired from Alan Nevins of Renaissance Literary & Talent. Collins will also be embarking on a 13-date UK tour where books will be on sale.
Eribo said: “I am thrilled to be publishing Dame Joan Collins’ 19th book. The response to our 2021 publication is testament to just how beloved Dame Joan is. Working with Joan on this book has been an absolute delight and I cannot wait to share her captivating and hilarious new collection of stories with her huge audience this autumn.”
Collins said: “I thoroughly enjoyed writing my last memoir, My Unapologetic Diaries, and I was delighted that it was received so well that it became a bestseller. That spurred me to write this follow-up with more anecdotes, memories and what I hope are amusing tales of my life.”
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| Joan greets the press at her dressing room.. |
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| Joan on stage with Decca Aitkenhead |
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| Joan arriving on stage with Percy.. |
Order DIVINING THE HUMAN Here!
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| Joan with Derek Jacobi |
