As a master baker, Paul Hollywood knows that cakes are not always perfect the first time you take them out of the oven. So The Great British Bake Off star has refused to be cowed by councillors who threw out his plans last year to build a walled kitchen garden for filming at his grade II-listed home.
Ashford Borough Council said the proposals to demolish the property's conservatory to make way for an open-plan kitchen garden with room for 'ad-hoc filming' would not be a 'sympathetic or appropriate addition' to the historic farmhouse. A document said the 'scale, bulk, design and massing' of the proposal would 'detract' from the current 'special interest' of the property in Ashford, Kent.
Now, I can disclose that Hollywood, 60, and his wife, Melissa, 42, have submitted fresh plans for a new extension and kitchen garden at the house, which they bought for £810,000 in 2019. Planning documents describe the development as: 'Demolition of existing conservatory for the construction of a side extension to the dwelling. Re-ordering of windows on the rear elevation of the existing dwelling alongside the replacement of existing with timber framed windows. Construction of walled garden and ancillary landscape works.'
They add: 'In addition, the existing kitchen will be removed and the room repurposed as a study that will help restore and make good the historic fabric of the space that the current kitchen sits within.' There appears to be no mention of the filming plans in the new application. The documents add: 'Since the refusal of the original application, the applicant has engaged a new design team including new architects and a heritage consultant who have advised on revised proposals ahead of submission.'
Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton doesn't like people using her first name. 'Vic or VP is what I go as these days,' says the 45-year-old. 'Victoria sounds like I'm in trouble.' Referring to the Little Britain character played by Matt Lucas, she adds: 'And Vicky sounds a bit like Vicky Pollard, which I feel like I've outgrown.'
Is Pete Townshend making plans for his band The Who's afterlife? The My Generation guitarist, 81, has signed a deal with music rights company Primary Wave to allow his 'name, image and likeness' to be used in 'content opportunities' including an Abba-style avatar show. 'Moving forward with my creative work at this time of my life when most creatives might be slowing down is a joy for me,' says Townshend, who wants his songs to pop-up on social channels such as TikTok. Perhaps guitar-smashing videos will become the next viral meme? The rocker doesn't rule out one final Who project with singer Roger Daltrey. 'We are always trying to come up with something special and God willing will continue to do that, hoping one day we can astound you the way we used to.'
Having achieved success as both a pop star and a television presenter, Rochelle Humes can afford the finer things in life. She is, however, unable to enjoy them because of the street crime in Labour mayor Sadiq Khan's increasingly lawless London. 'You can't wear a Rolex watch in London any more,' she declares. 'It's too scary to have anything nice these days.' The Saturdays singer, 37, shared a photo of herself on holiday in Miami with her husband, Marvin Humes, wearing nearly £400,000 of jewellery on one arm alone. Her Serpenti Tubogas watch sells at £49,900, a diamond encrusted Cartier love bracelet is worth £26,000, as well as the yellow gold and diamond Juste Un Clou Cartier bangle, which is priced at £6,300. And that doesn't include her large oval diamond engagement ring, which jewellery experts have said is worth close to £300,000.
Samantha Niblett, the Labour MP who called for a 'summer of sex', claims to be transforming the love lives of grateful voters. 'It's amazing how many older people who've been together for 50 years have said, 'Thank you, we've got a much better sex life thanks to having our eyes opened to what is normal via your website.' ' The website, Make Love Not Porn, offers guidance from expert Cindy Gallop and a wide selection of educators on intimate matters.
While many people spend a fortune on beauty and 'wellness' treatments, It-girl Isabella Charlotta Poppius says a cuddle a day keeps the doctor away. 'I immediately notice a huge shift in my mood and nervous system after some cuddles,' says the ex-girlfriend of Princess Alexandra's grandson Alex Ogilvy. 'In this hyper-digital world we sometimes underestimate how regulating and healing simple human closeness can be.' Speaking to cult French beauty chain Oh My Cream, the London-based model, 29, adds: 'My skin behaves best when my life behaves best – which usually means plenty of sleep.' After a few cuddles, presumably?
She suffered a first-round defeat in Strasbourg this week as she returned to action after more than two months away from the WTA Tour, but Emma Raducanu is still a winner when it comes to making money. I can disclose that Britain's tennis No 1 has amassed earnings of £14.2 million. Newly filed accounts for her private company, Harbour 6, report that it made a £1.2million profit in the year to last May. It retained £13.3 million after bills, with cash reserves of £13.4 million. Emma, 23, set up the company in 2020, the year before she won the US Open as a teenager, becoming the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977.
