EVENT ALERT : KINKY BOOTS GALA IN AID OF WATERAID .. LONDON COLISEUM .. MARCH 29TH 2026 ..

                                    

(c) Simon Ackerman

 

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

PRESS UPDATE : HELLO! .. MARCH 24TH 2026 ..

 

Grande dame

Dame Joan Collins  – DJ to her four beloved grand­chil­dren – tells us why sup­port­ing a chil­dren’s hos­pice is one of her most import­ant roles..

HELLO! (UK)

INTERVIEW: SOPHIE HAMILTON

24 Mar 2026

Hav­ing found world­wide fame in the Eighties soap opera Dyn­asty, Dame Joan Collins now has another role she’s pas­sion­ate about: being a grand­mother. The act­ress is mother to son Alex­an­der New­ley and daugh­ters Tara New­ley and Katyana Kass, and she reveals that her four grand­chil­dren – Miel, Weston, Ava and Deia – have an affec­tion­ate name for her.

“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.”

Joan with Karen Sugarman Exec Vice President Shooting Star at the annual ball

SURVIVING TOUGH TIMES

Joan recalls a dif­fi­cult period in her own life when her daugh­ter Katyana was hit by a car aged eight in 1980. “I was with her in the hos­pital while she was in a coma,” she says. “It took seven to eight weeks for her to be able to walk and talk slightly. But then the hos­pital said, ‘All right, it’s up to you now’. With the help of physio­ther­ap­ists, doc­tors, nurses and teach­ers, Katy recovered.”

Joan treas­ures the time she spends at the organ­isa­tion’s hos­pices in Lon­don and Sur­rey, which cater for more than 700 chil­dren. “I visit at least once a year and have tea with the fam­il­ies. We take pic­tures, we talk and the chil­dren always give me beau­ti­ful hand­made cards. They’re inspir­a­tional,” she says.

Joan who is mar­ried to her fifth hus­band – the film pro­du­cer Percy Gib­son, who is 32 years her junior – says she has a lust for life that she believes is genetic. “My father was pretty full of life, and he lived to be 86,” she says.

She is best known for her role as Alexis Colby in Dyn­asty: is there any truth in the rumours that there was a feud between Joan and her co-star Linda Evans, who por­trayed her on-screen rival Krystle Car­ring­ton? “No; it was our char­ac­ters – and just because we didn’t social­ise,” she says.

Of the many act­ors she has worked with Joan is friends with “maybe ten to 20”. This includes Isa­bella Ros­sellini, her co-star in the forth­com­ing film The Duch­ess & I, in which Joan plays Wal­lis Simpson, the Duch­ess of Wind­sor.

A col­lector of cos­tume jew­ellery Joan often donates pieces to Shoot­ing Star’s auc­tions. “The char­ity needs to raise at least £12m a year and it relies on dona­tions,” she says.

SHOOTING STAR CHILDRENS CHARITY FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK!

PRESS UPDATE : HELLO! MAGAZINE .. 'DONT JUDGE ME' VIDEO SERIES... MARCH 2ND 2025...

 

'I don't believe in needles': Dame Joan Collins, 92, reveals her honest thoughts on Botox, Ozempic and weight loss

Hollywood star Dame Joan Collins shares her wellbeing secrets with celebrity nutritionist and friend Gabriela Peacock in HELLO!'s video series Don't Judge Me..

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.

Wedding memories

"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's culinary favourites

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?"

Joan on cosmetic surgery

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."