Simon Cowell is boycotting Harrods after bust-up over the department store snubbing his charity
AS one of Britain’s richest men, Simon Cowell should be a shoo-in as a top customer at posh department store Harrods.
But after a bust-up over the shop’s refusal to support his charitable endeavours, the music mogul has said he is boycotting the place from now on.
Fortunately there are plenty of other stores which sell his favourite jeans and white shirts — but the music mogul is determined to take a stand. At a gala dinner in support of Together For Short Lives, a charity for seriously ill children which Simon has been patron of for many years, he spoke of his disappointment that some firms he had personally contacted had been unwilling to back the incredible cause.
Simon said: “In life we all make choices, and supporting this charity has been one of the most important choices I have made.
“I know how important the money raised is.
“So this year I decided to reach out to other businesses and people who I thought could help and many were very quick to help — but sadly, some weren’t.
“A big London department store, let’s just say it’s the one beginning with H, was one of those who didn’t want to help — they made a choice.
“So I’ve made a choice, that we won’t be shopping there again.”
He went on to thank firms including Marks & Spencer and Disney, which had dug deep to support Together For Short Lives’ annual dinner in London. Simon was joined there by his partner Lauren Silverman, Britain’s Got Talent co-judge Alesha Dixon, TV host Mel Sykes and super-rich phone tycoon John Caudwell.
Singer Louise Redknapp hosted, while talented Brit award winner Tom Walker sang for guests.
The music was clearly right on the money — because Simon himself forked out £46,000 to buy a sportscar and the night raised another £400,000 for the cause.
READ ON FOR MORE OF SIMON BOYLE’S BIZARRE COLUMN
They’re McFlying back to the heights
McFLY will be soaring to new heights if tonight’s return is anything to go by.
After three years away the band wowed 20,000 diehard fans at a sold-out London’s O2 and are now looking forward to their UK tour next year.
In an exclusive chat – just before they took to the stage – they told me they are stronger than ever having had therapy to resolve their issues.
Danny Jones said: “There’s a fresh energy. It’s rejuvenated everything and I feel like there’s a new excitement around it.
“It’s not stale. It’s like we started again. Once you lose that energy you can never get it back.”
He and fellow band member Dougie Poynter admitted they had been nervous about whether they would be able to fill the venue following their break.
But the overwhelming demand for tickets – which sold out in minutes when the gig was announced in September – has spurred them on to make their sixth album. The band, including Tom Fletcher and Harry Judd, have booked a studio for the whole of January.
Danny added: “We all wanted to be in the band. It’s not that we didn’t care about anything else, it’s just we weren’t thinking like that. We weren’t thinking, ‘Oh we’ve got to get back together before fans don’t care about us’. We knew we were happy, the four of us playing music together.
“The reaction and the hysteria it has caused again is just an added bonus.
“It’s blown us away. It’s made us more hungry to give you (the fans) the best album we can in January.”
I kept my fingers crossed for Dougie after he said his biggest fear was falling off stage.
He explained: “We know that certain things work and certain things don’t, or certain things could go terribly wrong. Like falling off things and dying.
“The thing I’m most worried about is falling off stage.
“I’ll recognise someone in the audience and just be like, ‘Hey mum, how are you doing?’.”
It’s good to have them back.
bizbit
JORJA Smith will headline charity Shelter’s Christmas gig at North London’s Union Chapel. The ticket ballot for the Monday December 9 show opened yesterday. It aims to raise cash to help Britain’s 320,000 homeless.
Grammy nominations
BRITS including Lewis Capaldi, Ed Sheeran, Ella Mai and The 1975 have all been nominated for Grammy Awards.
But US singer-songwriter Lizzo, who released third album Cuz I Love You in April, leads the pack with eight nods for the ceremony in LA on January 27.
They include the top four categories – Record, Album and Song Of The Year and Best New Artist.
Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish have six nominations each.
Brit Ella is up for Best R&B Album, The 1975 are up for Best Rock Song and Ed’s No.6 Collaborations Project is in the running for Best Pop Vocal Album.
Lewis is at No1 for a third week in the US with Someone You Loved, which is up for Song Of he Year.
And the Scot is set to be a front runner at February’s Brit Awards too.
Champers all round.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
- Bon Iver – Hey, Ma
- Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
- Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
- H.E.R. – Hard Place
- Khalid – Talk
- Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road
- Lizzo – Truth Hurts
- Post Malone & Swae Lee – Sunflower
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
- Bon Iver – I, I
- Lana Del Rey – Norman F***ing Rockwell
- Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
- Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next
- H.E.R. – I Used To Know Her
- Lil Nas X – 7
- Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
- Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride
SONG OF THE YEAR
- Lady Gaga – Always Remember Us This Way
- Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
- Tanya Tucker – Bring My Flowers Now
- H.E.R. – Hard Place
- Taylor Swift – Lover
- Lana Del Rey – Norman F***ing Rockwell
- Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
- Lizzo – Truth Hurts
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