Victoria Beckham ditches Spice Girls manager for the super agency behind Adele in a bid to boost her career
MUSIC mogul Simon Fuller has masterminded Victoria Beckham’s career for 25 years – seeing her grow from Spice Girl to fashion supremo in the process.
But in a dramatic move behind the scenes, Posh last night confirmed she has signed with the world’s biggest talent agency William Morris Endeavour, which also represents superstars including singer Adele, DJ Calvin Harris and rockers Foo Fighters.
The defection comes after months of rumoured disputes and rows with Fuller — who was cut out of husband David and Victoria’s main business, Beckham Brand Holdings, in May when the couple bought out his 33 per cent stake for around £40million.
The company manages partnerships and brands, and includes stakes in Seven Global, David Beckham Ventures and Inter Miami FC, a football club set to start playing in America’s major league next year.
Victoria’s decision to take on new reps raises questions over whether Fuller will have any significant involvement in her career going forward — as their relationship appears to be increasingly strained.
A showbiz source explained: “Simon Fuller has been instrumental in Victoria’s career since the day he formed the Spice Girls, but more recently their relationship has not been as strong.
“She and David bought back his stake in their biggest business and they have become increasingly hands on with their own business affairs, which has frozen Simon out.
“David initiated the split between them and Simon, but it’s clear from Victoria’s latest move that she doesn’t feel she needs him to push her career forward.
“And now she’s taken on the biggest agency in the world to find new opportunities.”
Later this year she plans to launch Victoria Beckham Beauty, while continuing to focus on her fashion business after snubbing the opportunity to rejoin her bandmates for their hugely successful reunion tour earlier this summer.
Sources close to Fuller last night insisted he remains a shareholder in Victoria’s firm and wished her all the best with her latest ventures.
William Morris Endeavour has also agreed to represent Victoria’s fashion company, which has needed propping up with cash injections from David.
Let’s hope it’s good . . .
Read on for more from Simon Boyle’s Bizarre column
King of the air waves
I’M not surprised Mollie King has a smile on her face after bagging a new Radio 1 show.
The former The Saturdays singer wore this leather mini skirt to a French Connection party in London following the news she would be taking over a new slot.
She currently hosts Weekend Breakfast with Matt Edmondson from Friday to Sunday, but will have her own show from September, too.
Best New Pop will air from 6am to 6.30am on Fridays to introduce exciting new artists.
She said: “I love pop music, it’s a huge passion of mine and I love discovering new talent. So I can’t wait to bring you all the best new pop tunes first every week on Radio 1.”
With 13 Top Tens under her belt, she is certainly qualified for it.
Bizmeter
- JIM Carrey superfan Ariana Grande has a cameo in his US TV show Kidding. The singer, whose tune Boyfriend with Social House is out today, said: “Nothing is crazier than getting to spend time with someone whom you’ve idolised and adored.”
- The cast of hit Netflix show Queer Eye have proudly claimed they introduced Harry Styles to gay dating app Grindr. Karamo Brown said: “He had never seen Grindr. It was cute that this straight guy was like, ‘There’s an app where you can just find a date?’”
- Matt Smith and Anya Taylor-Joy shut down part of central London on Wednesday to shoot upcoming thriller Last Night in Soho. Streets were transformed to how they looked in the Sixties, with modern shops becoming strip clubs and grocery stores.
- Swedish duo Icona Pop have returned with an even bigger summer anthem than their chart topper I Love It six years ago. They performed Next Mistake at Stockholm Pride this week where they got the seal of approval from Melanie C, who joined them on stage.
Elba blocking bullets bare-handed is barmy
(Spoiler alert)
THE Fast & Furious films have always been packed with bonkers stunts, but they look tame compared to spin-off movie Hobbs & Shaw.
The ridiculous opening scene sees Vanessa Kirby’s character Hattie Shaw stab someone to death with a brick.
And there’s a mind-boggling moment when Idris Elba, as villain Brixton Lore, stops three bullets with a gloved hand at point-blank range.
The whole two hours and 16 minutes is a melting pot of absurdity.
By far the most unbelievable moment comes when leading man Dwayne Johnson (playing Luke Hobbs) holds down a six-ton helicopter after lassoing it with a chain – as co-star Jason Statham’s character Deckard Shaw drives around a cliff top at 60mph.
Oh, and that’s not even considering the 40-plus explosions.
Jason’s character also manages to stick a pin back into a grenade a second before it goes off. And if that wasn’t enough, the glaring continuity errors throughout the film will give you nightmares.
One bottle of beer miraculously turns into two in the blink of an eye, then Dwayne suddenly changes out of a traditional Samoan skirt and into a shirt and trousers in the middle of an intense fight scene.
Fans of the long-running franchise will be pleased to know the leading stars manage to survive a 500ft drop and one enormous explosion right at the end though.
Was there ever any doubt they wouldn’t make it? Sadly not.
Bizbit
TV’S Peaky Blinders is getting its own festival curated by creator Steven Knight.
The Legitimate Peaky Blinders Festival, in Birmingham on September 14 and 15, will have music, including Primal Scream, theatre and fashion.
Nice to PVC you, Sophie
SOPHIE Turner dressed up in knee-high PVC heels and matching miniskirt for a theatre date night.
But while her look would have been perfect for Kinky Boots, Sophie and her husband Joe Jonas decided to catch hit Broadway smash Waitress instead.
Their night out would no doubt of helped the couple take their minds off the death of their pooch Waldo last week.
Since Game Of Thrones finished in May, Sophie has worked on two upcoming films, Heavy and Broken Soldier, and is looking for her next project.
If she enjoyed Waitress, maybe a stint treading the boards could be her next big move.
Bizbit
JUSTIN Bieber started speculation he was collaborating with Kanye West after sharing an arty photo on Instagram of the pair in Japan.
They are actually believed to have bumped into each other and have no plans to work together.
Eyre’s more fish in the sea
ELLA Eyre wore an ocean-themed shirt to launch of her new single, all about her ex-boyfriends.
The Just Got Paid singer says Mama, out next Friday, is about telling her former flames’ mums how badly their sons treated her.
She told a crowd at Hoxton Arches, East London: “Mama is about when you date somebody and you get really close with their family and then, when they do you wrong and break-up, the family never quite know what they did or what happened or why it broke up.
“So Mama is about exposing the guy to their mum.”
Asked if she was speaking from experience, Ella, who has dated John Newman and Lewi Morgan from boyband Rixton, said: “100 per cent.”
After signing a new deal with Island Records, she has been hard at work on her first album in four years.
She said there are “more collaborations” and added: “I find writing for other people a lot easier than writing for myself.
“But I’ve taken a long time out to write this next project. I think, dare I say it, I care less. I’m less precious about lyrics that I’m writing that someone else is gonna sing.”
But asked if there was a song she had written but wished she hadn’t given away, she namechecked Sigma and Paloma Faith’s 2014 tune Changing.
She said: “That one, for sure. It was No1.”
Bizbit
NEW musical The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole is going great guns.
The show, based on the classic Sue Townsend novel, opened in June in the West End and has received rave reviews.
I would definitely recommend a visit to the Ambassador Theatre to check it out.
New signing Rufus Kampa recently took on the lead role and also performed on his 13th birthday.
He more than deserved his celebratory can of Tizer.
Moss empire slimmer
SHE’S famous for saying nothing tastes as good as skinny feels and now Kate Moss seems to be slimming down her business empire too.
The supermodel had a collection of TEN companies including talent, interior design and modelling agencies which were worth more than £20million.
Now new records show Kate, who last year made £5million from modelling alone, has closed four of them: Kate Moss Models, Kate Moss Management, Kate Moss Inc and Kate Moss Global.
It’s not clear exactly why the catwalk queen is streamlining her firms, but it could all be a bid to concentrate on her most recent projects, mainly the Kate Moss Agency, which nurtures young talent in the fashion industry.
Two of the remaining six companies, the La Moss fashion line and Kate Moss interiors, did report a loss in 2018, but overall her portfolio of businesses still have a healthy £9million in the bank.
So Kate doesn’t have to complain, or explain.
Bizticker
- NIKKI Sixx has fifth child, Ruby, at 60
- Lana Del Rey UK tour in February
- Kylie Minogue and Jax Jones feature on Tove Lo’s new album Sunshine Kitty
- Mabel reschedules summer tour dates after falling ill
- Towie reality couple Kady McDermott and Myles Barnett split after a huge bust-up
Lewis’ heart-felt plea
LEWIS Capaldi is taking drastic measures to find a girlfriend – issuing a come-and-get-me plea to Strictly.
The BBC show has become infamous for dancers and celebs hooking up.
MOST READ IN TV & SHOWBIZ
Lewis, who has joked he’s struggling to get a girlfriend because he lives with his mum, told Capital Breakfast: “Erm, I can shake my hips for sure, I would do Strictly. I would relish the opportunity.”
One thing could help him get a girl, though. He added: “I have not washed my hair in seven months.”
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