HELLO! magazine 1688

‘My dad has a favourite word, “try”, and he instilled it in me. So I don’t sit around waiting for projects to come to me. I go out looking for them’ Every year after the Academy Awards, Hollywood chatter turns to the so-called “Oscar curse”. Perhaps it’s an effort to console those who haven’t won because, as legend has it, if you win the coveted statuette, it might be many years before you work again. “Curse? What curse? I haven’t stopped working for 35 years!” says US actress, author and deaf activist Marlee Matlin, who made film history when she took home the Best Actress Academy Award for her stellar turn in Children of a Lesser God in 1987. At 21 years and 218 days old, she was the youngest person ever to…

‘Mark would be truly delighted to know his beloved elephants are going to be the talk of the town’ Against the dramatic backdrop of Buckingham Palace, a majestic parade of 100 Asian elephants makes its way down The Mall at sunrise to begin a 13,000-mile migration around the globe. Turning out in force to mark the first step of the journey for these life-sized sculptures are Joanna Lumley, Donna Air and Amy Jackson, star patrons and ambassadors of Elephant Family, the conservation charity created in 2002 by the Duchess of Cornwall’s brother, Mark Shand. “When you look at these giants you just think: This is astonishing,’” Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna tells HELLO!. “I’ve seen a herd like this in the wild, crossing through a tea plantation in the Nilgiri Hills in southern India,…

‘I very nearly might not have been turning 50. Life is such a gift’ Turning 50 can be a daunting prospect for some women, but Katy Hill couldn’t be happier to have reached the milestone. The broadcaster and former Blue Peter presenter, who found fame on the children’s TV show performing daredevil stunts, including flying with the Red Arrows and joining Cirque du Soleil, is looking forward to life being every bit as thrilling as she enters her sixth decade – and plans to celebrate by climbing Mount Snowdon and riding the world’s fastest zip line. “This is the threshold of a whole new adventure,” Katy says as she marks her big day by joining HELLO! for an exclusive interview and photoshoot. “I think a lot of people hit 50 and it’s…

‘The Queen has been informed and both families are delighted’ They married in a surprise ceremony ten months ago and now Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are expecting their first child together. An official statement released by Buckingham Palace announced the happy news last Wednesday, saying: “Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are very pleased to announce that they are expecting a baby in autumn of this year. “The Queen has been informed and both families are delighted with the news.” In a difficult year for the royal family, with the death of the Duke of Edinburgh still so deeply felt, the news will have brought some welcome joy. It certainly made Beatrice’s sister Princess Eugenie happy. Together with a previously unseen photo from the couple’s wedding day,…

‘There are no words to describe the bond I now share with you, my angel’ As one of the world’s most famous supermodels, Naomi Campbell often hits the headlines. But last week, the London-born star surprised everyone with the news she had become a mother. Using social media to make her unexpected announcement, Naomi posted a picture on Instagram and Twitter showing her hand cradling a pair of tiny feet. “A beautiful little blessing has chosen me to be her mother,” she wrote. “So honoured to have this gentle soul in my life there are no words to describe the lifelong bond that I now share with you, my angel. There is no greater love.” No other details, such as a name or the date of the birth, were given, but a friend of…

RITA ORA HIT BY A LIGHTNING BOLT OF LOVE With her new EP Bang proving an explosive hit, Rita Ora has been having a blast Down Under as evidence grows that she is no longer a solo artist. Last week, the Hot Right Now star was spotted heading to a restaurant in Sydney with Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi (right), joining friends including the superhero film’s leading man Chris Hemsworth. Rita, 30, is believed to have been dating the Oscar winner since March, with the couple jetting off for a weekend trip to the Gold Coast with Chris and other Hollywood A-listers including Matt Damon the following month. Since then, they’ve been seen together on several occasions, including sitting side by side at the Sydney Opera House premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race…