Things I’ve LOVED This Week

There’s doom and gloom all around us - so I want to lighten the load, lift the spirits and cheer everybody up. Here are some goodies for you all...

Willkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome!

Here’s some things to lift the spirits. Things I love. Things I adore. Things that might make you smile too.

ENJOY!

A SIMPLE STATEMENT

Jane Fonda summing up what woke means at the SAG Awards this week.

“Make no mistake, empathy is not weak or woke,” said Fonda, 87. “And by the way, woke just means you give a damn about other people.”

Damn straight, Jane.

FKA TWIGS NEW ALBUM

Eusexua is a revelation. It’s the first album since Renaissance by Beyonce that has truly gripped my soul. It’s giving Bedtime Story Madonna vibes. It’s an old-school album that needs to be listened to from start to finish. It’s a way of life. Twigs will be top of my Spotify listening chart this year. And she deserves all the success coming her way.

RUGBY ISN’T TERRIBLE

I’ve been working with IHG Hotels & Resorts recently. At the end of December they said they were involved as a sponsor of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations tournament. I flippantly mentioned I knew a lot of rugby folks and those that enjoy the sport. Within the days after this we masterminded a plan to host two boxes at the Six Nations and highlight the fact IHG have 6500 hotels around the globe. I hit the phones, got a great gang of “faces” together and this weekend just gone we hosted the second of the boxes at the England Vs Scotland game. And wow, what a game it was at Twickenham. I mean, I’m not sure I’m butch enough to become a true fan BUT I can host a party. It was a lot of fun.

And I was united with another Piper. God, I love that Billie.

SOLANGE DELIVERS

This cover of Harper’s Bazaar Italia really flipped my switch. YES Solange. And yes, to a magazine cover that hits a home run. It doesn’t happen often these days.

OI OI, BIG BOYS

This series on Channel Four, written by Jack Rooke, is everything. Sharply written, heartbreaking and touching and this final series of what I call a beloved TV show is pretty much perfection. I feel like it’s still a bit niche and hasn’t gone hugely mainstream. It’s a laugh a minute. Do check it out.

FIVE GUYS FOR MA TWO GUYS

I swear, I’m so sick of people eating shit burgers in this country. Terrible ‘meat’ has become a part of our lives. You know, crappy burgers that aren’t cooked on site. Just heated through. Probably were cooked weeks, if not months, before. The fast-food industry is dreadful. The animals probably never saw daylight.

If I’m going to have a burger then Five Guys is my number one option. I don’t feel the need for chips there too (the portion sizes are WILD). It just feels like a great burger joint to me. I was so happy chowing down on my cheeseburger. As were my nephews. We went to the cinema in the am btw and saw Dog Man. They loved it. I snoozed a couple of times.

PFEIFFER DELIVERS

Michelle Pfeiffer has just shot an androgynous fashion campaign for Saint Laurent. It’s everything. End of. Zinnoni forever.

LEVINE TALKS THE QUEEN

I could listen to light artist Chris Levine talk all day about his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. I saw Chris in conversation with Soho House global art curator Kate Bryan at the new(ish) Mayfair Mews House in Central London this week. Every time Chris discusses working on that infamous portrait of the Queen I learn a different fact. This time he talked about how the Queen settled into a sort of meditation when she was on set with him. He even followed her breathing for when to take his images of the Monarch. To ensure she was calm and at her most serene. Fascinating.

THE PENGUIN

This show didn’t get a lot of attention, or did I miss it? It’s properly dark and twisted. Amazing storyline, great acting and feels like so much more than just a Batman spin off. I really recommend this. And props to Cristin Milioti who plays Sofia Falcone. There’s an episode set in Arkham Asylum that was a hard watch – but in a good way. And Colin Farrell is incred.

AND FINALLY

My TINY friend Emily who runs Sober & Social recently stood next to Jodie Kidd. I took a snap. It will never not be funny. Proper Little n’ Large.

Interestingly, that night I also tested my own confidence as the host of an In Conversation with Jodie for 70-odd people at Upstairs at Langan’s. It went well. We discussed Jodie’s modelling career mostly and I managed to navigate the conversation to present day. It felt good to be putting myself out there. Great feedback was had. In fact, I’ve agreed to do a couple more. Next up is Bryony Gordon on March 11. Wanna come? Drop me a message in my DMs and I’ll add you to the list. It kicks off at 7pm once again at Upstairs at Langan’s in Mayfair.

OH WAIT, NOW ‘AND FINALLY’

Seeing your friends achieve great career milestones is a great thing. Last weekend my friend sold out the O2 for the Back to Bedlam 20^th Anniversary Tour. How cool is that? Bloomin’ marvellous. We were invited on a boat to travel back down the Thames after the gig. It was a VERY hungover Monday morning for all of us. But worth every drop of tequila. Go on, Jimmy!