Queen of shops Mary’s blistering broadside for gay fashion gurus

She’s always lived life on her own terms, refusing to follow traditional expectations, especially when it comes to her relationships. She’s been married and divorced twice – once to Graham Portas, who worked at Unilever, and again to fashion journalist Melanie Rickey.

However, that probably didn’t fully prepare the fashion world for the harsh criticism it received from the show ‘Mary Queen of Shops’.

At a recent talk hosted by Smart Works at the Mayfair Hotel in west London, Mary Portas strongly criticized the fashion industry. She believes it’s currently dominated by gay men who, in her opinion, don’t understand the needs and preferences of most women.

Mary Portas points out that many fashion designers are gay men, and she believes they often design with a specific, idealized image of women in mind. She feels this has been a long-standing trend that’s hard to change. It’s worth noting that Portas herself is in a relationship with Melanie Rickey, and they have a child together, with Portas’s brother Lawrence as the biological father, making accusations of homophobia unlikely.

Since then, Portas has found new love with a woman whose identity she has not disclosed.

Perhaps Portas’s most striking point is her description of Anna Wintour as ‘one of the most influential women in fashion’.

‘She’s tiny. She’s absolutely tiny,’ says Portas.

According to 65-year-old Portas, Anna Wintour is a major trendsetter in fashion, and her influence has shaped everything seen on runways.

She observed that the people going to these places are very young, both women and men. She also explained that some people believe being thin is seen as a sign of being capable and healthy, and that it’s a way of showing they aren’t lazy or preoccupied with their appearance.

After making such critical comments, it’s unlikely Portas will be a prominent figure at fashion shows next season, but she’s fine with that. She states she has no desire to return to the fashion industry.

Megan’s steamy sideline

Megan Prescott, who played the character Katie Fitch on the show Skins when she was only 16, admits she wasn’t ready for the show’s explicit scenes. The drama, which aired on E4, was known for its controversial content.

Prescott, 34, says she earns a better living and is treated better on OnlyFans than she was during her time on the TV show Skins. She began working on the adult subscription platform to improve her financial situation.

After sharing her personal story in her one-woman show, ‘Really Good Exposure,’ she was thrilled to receive a Creation award at the OffWestEnd Awards this week, held at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster.

Many creative freelancers are supplementing their income with sex work, but they often have to keep it secret. This is because the creative industries aren’t well-funded, forcing people to find alternative ways to make a living.

Is a friendly relationship between the Royal Family and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle possible again? The King is now selling Highgrove Harmony Royal Garden Honey – a special honey flavored with linden blossom – for £20 a jar, with all the money going to charity. This might not sit well with the Sussexes, who sell their own honey, ‘As Ever’ Sage Honey with Honeycomb, for £24 a jar – a price that likely benefits them financially, and which Meghan has said is particularly meaningful to her.

(Very) modern manners

Hofit Golan, a fan of biohacking and a user of red light therapy for her thyroid, is now using the same treatment on her dog, Yuki.

‘Yes, I give Yuki red light therapy for his skin and fur,’ she admits to her followers online.

The small pomsky, a mix of Pomeranian and Siberian Husky, looks confused as he’s covered in red sauce – a substance generally considered safe for dogs.

Earlier this year, 40-year-old Hofit shared that she was using a popular wellness approach to manage Hashimoto’s disease, a condition where the body’s immune system attacks the thyroid gland in the neck.

Brand calls time on pub and sells up for £100k profit

Russell Brand’s trial, where he faces seven serious accusations including rape and indecent assault – all of which he strongly denies – has been postponed until October. He’s now resolved one part of the legal process.

He bought The Crown Inn in Pishill, Oxfordshire, for £870,000 in 2021, with a commitment to keep it running as a pub. However, he has since announced plans to convert it into a recording studio and office space.

Honestly, it was infuriating! After all his schemes kept getting shot down, Brand tried to claim he’d turn the pub into some fancy mixed-use space – offices, a studio, a function room, the whole nine yards. But then Lord Camoys, who lives right nearby at Stonor Park, totally called him out on it! He said Brand hadn’t even tried to reopen The Crown after lockdown – it was just left to fall apart, completely covered in weeds and ivy. It’s like he never cared about the pub at all, just saw it as another project to mess with! I was fuming!

Good news! The historic pub, The Crown, has been purchased for £975,000 by John Bloomer, a 45-year-old businessman. Interestingly, he also has a degree in psychometric assessment – which might come in useful when dealing with Russell Brand, the pub’s previous owner.

Why ‘free spirit’ Christine still lives with comic ex McGuinness

For TV personality Paddy McGuinness and his ex-wife Christine, Easter will be a normal, everyday affair, despite their recent separation.

I’ve been following Christine for a while now, and she’s always been someone who lives life on her own terms – she calls herself a ‘free spirit’ and doesn’t really label her attractions. She recently started seeing someone new, a woman, and it’s definitely a romantic thing, though she calls it a ‘situationship’. But honestly, she’s made it clear that this isn’t going to change things at home – everything’s staying as it is, and she wants everyone to know that.

I still can’t believe it, even after the divorce was finalized in 2024! They were married for thirteen years, thirteen! But the craziest part? They’re still living together! In that incredible Cheshire mansion – it’s worth £6.5 million, can you imagine?! – with their three beautiful kids. It’s… complicated, I guess, but honestly, I’m glued to any news I can find about them. How can they do that? It’s fascinating and heartbreaking all at once!

At a party in London, Christine shared that she and her family are still living together in the same house, and she doesn’t feel any pressure to move. She wants to provide her children with a stable sense of home.

Sir Richard Branson and his family were deeply saddened by the loss of his wife, Joan, who passed away last year at the age of 80. They’ve found some comfort in a new addition to the family: a puppy named Lucky. Sir Richard’s son, Sam, adopted the puppy in the British Virgin Islands, where he lives with his wife, Isabella Calthorpe, and their two children. Sam shared online that he found the puppy while driving, noticing how sick it looked. He felt he had to stop and check, and quickly discovered the puppy was sweet, intelligent, and affectionate.

Kimono is a no-no for tea-lover Leah

Years ago, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood famously posed in a kimono for a photo shoot taken by Pattie Boyd. However, his daughter, Leah Wood, didn’t want to do the same, as she was concerned it would be cultural appropriation.

As someone who loves creating beautiful experiences, I recently hosted a private viewing of my Cherry Blossoms artwork in Notting Hill. It was a truly special occasion, and I wanted to honor the Japanese inspiration behind the pieces, so I planned a traditional tea ceremony with the wonderful tea master, Keiko Uchida. I was actually thinking of wearing a kimono for the event, but my husband, Jack MacDonald, gently suggested something a little different – he always has the best instincts when it comes to styling!

My mum has this amazing collection of kimonos, and she let me try a few on. I was planning to wear this really beautiful short purple one, but then my husband stepped in and said…

That wouldn’t work, the kimono has a lot of history and meaning. It would be similar to me walking into the store dressed as a samurai.

Lady Jean Campbell, the 28-year-old daughter of the 7th Earl Cawdor, is currently dating artist Orfeo Tagiuri. However, she also fondly remembers a previous connection – her physiotherapist, Jeremy. Lady Jean has dealt with chronic pain since a skiing accident at age 12, and she credits Jeremy with helping her believe recovery was achievable. She also admits he was very attractive.

Singer Lily Allen is making extra money by selling photos of her feet. Fans can subscribe for just £8 a month to get exclusive close-up pictures.

Laura Hamilton, known for her role in ‘A Place In The Sun,’ has repeatedly declined requests to join WikiFeet, a website featuring photos of celebrities’ feet. She shared at a recent awards show that she finds the comments about her feet online unsettling. She often posts pictures of her home barefoot, and receives comments like, ‘You know you’d be great on WikiFeet!’

The 43-year-old TV host firmly stated she would never sell photos of her feet, adding that it’s already challenging enough to come up with content for social media.

Ore’s smart phone advice for kids

Portia Jett, the estranged wife of television personality Ore Oduba, has been publicly sharing details about their difficult separation online. She recently revealed that the sale of the family home has deeply upset their two young children.

Okay, so I was chatting with Ore Oduba – honestly, he’s amazing! – and he’s running the London Marathon for this incredible cause, Smartphone Free Childhood. But what really got to me is that he’s actively trying to protect his own kids from getting too caught up in phones and tablets. He told me it’s all about making them understand it’s not just a harmless gadget; there are real dangers, and that just… really resonated with me. It’s so good to see someone with his platform talking about this!

As someone who’s been very open about my own struggles with porn addiction, I really focus on being a good role model for my kids. Honestly, parenting has shown me that life throws curveballs, and even as adults, we’re often caught off guard and unprepared for what comes our way. I try to demonstrate the behaviors I hope to see in them, knowing that navigating life’s challenges is something we all learn as we go.

I’m sure Portia will have plenty to say about that – online, of course.

Edited by Stephanie Takyi

2026-04-04 03:52