Archive for the ‘Celebrity News’ Category
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011
Gerard Depardieu, who was recently removed from a flight for reportedly urinating in the aisle prior to take off, has sent up the incident in a video which has been posted onto the internet. The incident took place on a flight bound for Ireland where the French actor is filming the latest in the Asterix and Obelix film series. He was being accompanied by Edouard Baer, who plays Asterix.
The pair decided to remake the incident dressed as the comic heroes. The short film features Asterix and Obelix settling back on a flight reading newspapers. As the plane makes ready for take off Obelix suddenly shouts out that he is in need of a wild boar.
Although Asterix and one of the flight attendants do their best to calm him down, Obelix is not prepared to be placated and insists that he is given one. A fellow passenger sitting near Obelix is then heard complaining about the Gaul’s behaviour before Obelix leaps out of his seat and disappears from view.
In the actual incident, a fellow passenger claimed that Depardieu demanded to use the aircraft’s toilet facilities just as the plane was preparing to taxi to the runway. The cabin crew denied his request and asked him to remain in his seat until after the plane was in the air.
The Gallic actor refused to comply and reportedly stood in the aisle and urinated into a drinks bottle. The captain decided to taxi back to the terminal where Depardieu was asked to leave the plane.
Tags: Asterix, Edouard Baer, Gerard Depardieu, Obelix, wild boar
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Friday, August 19th, 2011
Cyrano de Bergerac star Gerard Depardieu was not allowed to continue on his journey from Paris to Dublin on board a CityJet flight after he reportedly urinated in the plane’s aisle. The Green Card actor apparently failed to comply with a request by cabin crew that he remain in his seat until after the flight had completed take off.
According to one of the other passengers, who described the situation on French radio, Mr Depardieu declared to other travellers ‘Je veux pisser’, before standing up and attempting to urinate into a drinks bottle. He is also said to have urinated on the aisle.
His offer to help clean up was declined and the aircraft returned to the Charles de Gaulle terminal where he disembarked. According to Mr Depardieu the incident had nothing to do with alcohol. He said that he had been eager to use the aircraft facilities because, before boarding, he had drunk a large amount of water.
The Air France subsidiary has confirmed that flight AF5010 did not take off as scheduled because one of the people on board had not remained in his seat as the pilot was making final preparations for take off. Having offloaded Mr Depardieu the plane continued its journey to Dublin.
Mr Depardieu was due to fly into Ireland to join other actors and crew currently working on the latest Asterix film. Shooting will take place in a number of locations including Wicklow, County Louth and County Clare. The actor’s agent said Mr Depardieu was declining to make a statement.
Tags: air france, Asterix, CityJet, Gerard Depardieu
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Thursday, July 21st, 2011
Royal newlyweds William and Kate have been told that they will be compensated by British Airways after the TVs in their first class seats failed to work. The pair were returning with BA after an extremely successful visit to Canada and parts of the US when the malfunction occurred. According to a source, the royal couple were good humoured about the situation.
A fellow passenger said that the happy couple changed into comfortable attire for the flight and were also chatty with fellow passengers. A spokesman for BA said the glitch was regrettable and offered an apology on behalf of the airline to all those who were affected. Passengers on the flight from Los Angeles to Heathrow will receive a voucher for duty free worth £200.
Tickets to fly in the front of the Boeing 747 cost around £5,000 per seat, but the royal pair saved many more thousands by deciding to travel with the flag-carrier rather than take a private jet. William and Kate began their royal tour as guests of the Canadian Air Force.
A source said that flying for 10 hours without access to the in-flight channels is always a pain, but that passengers seemed to be placated by BA’s offer of compensation. Unfortunately, the couple and fellow passengers did not get to see films which included Gnomeo and Juliet, The Tourist and The Fighter, which stars Christian Bale.
The duke and duchess are expected to announce the itinerary of their visit to Scotland in September shortly.
Tags: airline, BA, boeing, British Airways, Christian Bale, Gnomeo and Juliet, Kate, royal, The Fighter, The Tourist, voucher, William
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Monday, July 11th, 2011
The rapper known as Dizzee Rascal has been thrown off a British Airways flight for reportedly making abusive remarks to a stewardess. An investigation is under way and could result in the singer never flying with BA again. The incident took place as flight 506, which was due to take off for Portugal, remained on the tarmac because of technical problems.
Rascal was due to perform at the Optimus Alive! festival, but was prevented from doing so after he was told by BA that he would not be making the journey on any of its aircraft. A source the airport confirmed that Rascal had been abusive to cabin staff and that such behaviour is not tolerated.
An eyewitness of the incident said the rapper threw a tantrum because he was getting frustrated that the flight was being held up. After being escorted from the plane the band members with which he was sharing first class became agitated because they would no longer be able to perform at Optimus Alive!
According to a representative of Rascal, the incident was the fault of one of the female crew who had behaved in an unprofessional manner. Apparently the decision to disembark was made by mutual consent. Rascal is said to be disappointed that he could not perform at the festival and has issued an apology to those who were expecting to see him.
Police said that they attended the scene but had not made any arrests. A spokesperson for British Airways said two passengers had been taken off the Airbus A320 because of disruptive behaviour.
Tags: airbus, BA, British Airways, Dizzee Rascal, festival, Optimus Alive!, rapper
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Monday, May 16th, 2011
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, one of the most recognisable cars on the planet, is expected to fetch more than £1 million when it goes under the hammer at auction. The eponymous vehicle has been shipped from Stratford-upon-Avon to Los Angeles where it is being sold by Profiles in History, a firm specialising in memorabilia.
Although a number of vehicles were produced to be used in the Ian Fleming penned classic, the Chitty in California is the only one which actually ran. It was designed by Ken Adam and put together by the Ford racing team. Under its polished aluminium bonnet is a three litre V6 Ford engine. The dashboard comes from a fighter plane and many of the other fittings have been taken from Edwardian vehicles.
Joe Maddalena, owner of Profiles in History, said he expected the sale of such a recognisable car to generate a great deal of interest. He added that it was a one off opportunity for a car enthusiast or a museum.
After Chitty was put together in 1967 it was given the number plate GEN 11 which represents the word genii in recognition of the cars magical powers. In the film, Dick Van Dyke stars as the eccentric inventor who whisks his children off for an adventure.
Although Chitty has appeared in numerous car shows and charity events, it has never before been sold. Until now, the car with the magical powers has been looked after by Pierre Picton, the man responsible for taking care of Chitty on set.
Tags: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Dick Van Dyke, Ford, Ian Fleming, Profiles in History
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Monday, March 28th, 2011
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown was the focus of unwanted attention recently after he boarded a British Airways flight en route to London from Oman when it made a stopover in Abu Dhabi. Prior to Mr Brown and his entourage getting on to the plane a number of passengers were told that due to an issue with overbooking they would have to move out of business class to a cheaper seat.
Although Mr Brown’s office and the airline have denied that this was anything to do with the former PM, his appearance in premium class angered a number of those who had been told to give up their seats. One woman who was pregnant tried to take a picture of Mr Brown so that she could send it to BA along with a complaint.
As she did so she allegedly incurred the wrath of one of Mr Brown’s aides, Kirsty McNeill. Talking about the incident, the woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said she blamed the airline more than Mr Brown for the confusion but described Ms McNeill as seriously unpleasant.
A spokeswoman for the British flag-carrier said the overbooking issue had absolutely nothing to do with Mr Brown and confirmed that he and his companions had booked their seats well in advance. She added that it was extremely rare to have to ask passengers to move out of the cabin they had booked a seat in and that apologies had been offered.
Mr Brown’s office confirmed that at no point did he receive any special treatment from BA.
Tags: airline, BA, British Airways, business class, gordon brown, Kirsty McNeill, passengers
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Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Following a loss of consciousness on a flight to London from Geneva, Sir Jackie Stewart, Britain’s most successful F1 racing driver, has been admitted to hospital for medical check-ups. The incident occurred on a British Airways flight after Sir Jackie had left his seat to go to the toilet. After he was taken ill he reportedly received medical aid from a stewardess.
The crew of BA727 radioed for an emergency landing because one of the passengers’ required immediate medical attention and the plane landed at 12.40. Sir Jackie was then admitted to Hillingdon Hospital in London. According to Oliver Anderson, Sir Jackie’s private secretary, the former racing champion suffered a setback but was now conscious and undergoing an examination. He added that Sir Jackie was expected to be fine.
During the 1960s Sir Jackie was part of a group of British racers who were at the forefront of the sport including John Surtees, Graham Hill, Jim Clarke and Stirling Moss. He went on to win 27 races during his career, a record that would not be broken until 1987 when Alain Prost took the crown.
Sir Jackie won the world championships on three occasions; the last was in 1973, the year in which he also retired. Since giving up the driver’s seat, Sir Jackie has campaigned tirelessly to make the sport safer and has also made a great contribution as one of motor sport’s best loved commentators.
Sir Jackie’s son Paul said he had spoken with his father and everything seemed to be fine.
Tags: Alain Prost, British Airways, F1, Jackie Stewart, motor sport, Stirling Moss
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Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
A Portuguese model has been arrested in New York on suspicion that he murdered the celebrity television journalist he was travelling with. Renato Seabra, a 21-year-old from Cantanhede, has been held in a hospital following his arrest and has reportedly undergone a psychiatric evaluation.
On Friday night, Carlos Castro, 65, was found dead in the room he was sharing with Seabra at the New York Times Square InterContinental hotel. According to subsequent reports from the medical examiner he had died after being bludgeoned on the head as well as strangled. The broadcaster had also been castrated.
According to a friend, editor of the Luso-Americano Luis Pires, he was aware that there may have been some tension between the two as their holiday was coming to an end. He added that the pair had visited New York with the intension of seeing a number of Broadway musicals and to see in the New Year in Times Square. He went on to say that nothing had indicated that something so terrible was going to happen.
Seabra had recently appeared on the show Pursuit of a Dream back in Portugal where contestants compete to become models. He did not manage to win, but was given a contract with the agency founded by Fatima Lopes, a fashion designer and judge on the show.
Although a number of friends in New York have confirmed that Seabra and Castro were an item, the accusation has been refuted by Seabra’s mother who claims they were not lovers and that her boy is heterosexual.
Tags: broadway, Carlos Castro, Fatima Lopes, hotel, intercontinental, New Year, New York, Times Square
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Thursday, September 9th, 2010
Giving what he described as an exclusive interview at an auction he was attending recently, Jeremy Clarkson, presenter of the BBC’s popular motoring programme Top Gear, announced that The Stig has been sacked. Fighting an injunction by the BBC at the High Court recently, Ben Collins, a 33-year-old former racing driver, revealed that he was the man behind the darkened visor and white racing-suit.
Mr Collins has apparently been given a-quarter-of- a-million-pounds as an advance for a book about his seven years on the show. The BBC claimed that he was contractually bound not to reveal his identity, but the High Court rejected this on the grounds of freedom of speech.
Mr Clarkson admitted during his interview in Oxfordshire that he had been hurt by Mr Collins’ actions. He admitted that he had got on well with the man who tested some of the world’s fastest cars for the programme, and that it was painful to realise that all the time Mr Collins had been assembling his memoirs.
After declaring that Mr Collins was history as far as he was concerned, Mr Clarkson confirmed that the show would go on without him. He said he had been thinking hard over the last three weeks about how to replace The Stig, admitting that he would like to see Prime Minister David Cameron fill the role.
In a recent BBC interview, Top Gear presenter James May said he had no idea who Mr Collins was as he himself was the man behind The Stig.
Tags: BBC, Ben Collins, David Cameron, High Court, James May, Jeremy Clarkson, The Stig, Top Gear
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