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NO END OF THE LINE

Strictly booker Stefania Aleksander will keep her job until the end of the series despite cocaine post

STRICTLY celebs have to battle it out to keep on the dancefloor.

But the show’s talent booker Stefania Aleksander — who I exposed had joked on Instagram about taking cocaine — has had a much easier ride when it comes to keeping her role.

 Strictly scout Stefania Aleksander joked online about talking cocaine
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Strictly scout Stefania Aleksander joked online about talking cocaine

The image of the BBC’s family-friendly show was tarnished again when I revealed on Monday that bosses were looking into Stefania’s actions on social media.

But now I have been told she is being allowed to stay for the upcoming series.

A TV insider said: “Strictly is in the crucial final stages of negotiations with contestants for the next series, so to send Stef packing would have been a nightmare. She is right in the centre of the talks and when bosses looked around for a replacement there wasn’t anyone with her skills or experience.

“Stef has been read the riot act and warned she can’t put a foot out of line.”

 Stef also got into hot water over her close friendship with love-rat contestant Seann Walsh
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Stef also got into hot water over her close friendship with love-rat contestant Seann WalshCredit: Social Media - Refer to Source
 The Strictly booker has been warned to stop personal posts and keep relationships professional
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The Strictly booker has been warned to stop personal posts and keep relationships professional

Alongside her drugs post, Stef got into hot water last month over her close friendship with love-rat contestant Seann Walsh, who snogged his pro partner Katya Jones on the most recent series. Strictly bosses have now put rules in place to prevent further embarrassment for the show.

The source added: “Stef is good at her job but her personal decisions have not been great at times. She’s been warned to stop posting on social media about her life and has been told in no uncertain terms that her relationship with this year’s stars must be professional.

 The dance show's star scout is at the centre of negotiations with contestants for the next series
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The dance show's star scout is at the centre of negotiations with contestants for the next seriesCredit: Social Media - Refer to Source

“She became mates with Seann but her job is get top talent on the dancefloor, not bring unwanted attention to the show. “Everyone thinks she’ll quietly be leaving once the next series ends in December.

“She knows she made a mistake and is keeping her head down.”

There’s been enough scandal in the past six months to last a lifetime, so I hope for Strictly’s sake she does.

Strictly Come Dancing in chaos AGAIN after star scout posts about taking cocaine on holiday on Instagram


READ ON FOR MORE OF SIMON BOYLE'S BIZARRE COLUMN


Cannes you do dishes, Rita?

RITA Ora isn’t short of incredible outfits ahead of the first night of her UK tour in Cardiff next Tuesday.

The Let Me Love You singer looked sensational today in this plunging white gown, fluffy court shoes and an expensive-looking diamond necklace at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival.

 Rita Ora today posing at Cannes Film Festival in a revealing white gown, fluffy court shoes and a diamond necklace
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Rita Ora today posing at Cannes Film Festival in a revealing white gown, fluffy court shoes and a diamond necklaceCredit: Getty - Contributor

She had hopped on a private jet in the afternoon to party at Magnum ice cream’s VIP bash in the French Riviera.

But while it may have been all glamour on the night, it appears Rita may have left home in a hurry. Her mum Vera took to Instagram to tell her off for forgetting to do the washing up.

Under a picture of the singer about to board the jet to Nice, Vera commented: “Rit, you forgot to clean the dishes this morning!”

A pair of Marigolds wouldn’t quite have worked with this look.


bizbit

JAMIE Foxx’s eldest daughter Corinne has spoken about his “wonderful” relationship with Katie Holmes for the first time. They have dated for six years and Corinne said: “They are so great and Katie is always so chic.”


Katherine calls it quits on more kids

KATHERINE Jenkins has enough children for them to do a duet – but there’s no chance of a kids’ trio.

The Welsh opera singer has Aaliyah and Xander with her husband, film producer Andrew Levitas.

 Katherine Jenkins says she will stop at two kids with husband Andrew Levitas
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Katherine Jenkins says she will stop at two kids with husband Andrew LevitasCredit: PA

She said: “A whole rugby team for Andrew and I isn’t going to happen.

“We feel very settled and secure, we feel like the family is complete.

“We’ve got one of each, so we’re very thankful.

“It’s officially the end of having more babies.” She is currently juggling parenting with touring her latest show around the country.

 The opera singer also admitted her husband enjoys her 'voice rest' days
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The opera singer also admitted her husband enjoys her 'voice rest' daysCredit: Getty - Contributor

And Katherine admits Andrew enjoys the days she is on “voice rest” and banned from uttering a word.

She said: “When we first got together, Andrew used to hate that.

“He used to get really sad when I had to go on vocal rest. Now he says I’m his dream woman because I can’t answer back.

“I think he waits for me to go on voice rest to tell me things that I might have a reaction to.

 Katherine will sing at London Palladium on Saturday backed by charity Grief Encounter children’s choir
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Katherine will sing at London Palladium on Saturday backed by charity Grief Encounter children’s choirCredit: Getty - Contributor

“I’m going to have to start walking around with a chalk-board to scribble things at him.”

After losing her father, Selwyn, to lung cancer when she was 15, the mezzo-soprano has worked to raise awareness of bereaved children.

On Saturday she will perform a rendition of Jealous Of The Angels, backed by the charity Grief Encounter children’s choir, at the London Palladium.

She said: “It’s a tragedy when a future is taken away from someone so young.

“My dad missed so much of our lives. Grief Encounter does such vital work.”


bizbit

THE Stone Roses are having a fashion revival 30 years after their debut album. Sales of their Reni bucket hats have shot up through online retailer 80sCasualClassics. Owner Neil Primett said: “It’s our best seller.”


Madison's Insta-slam

MADISON Beer has opened up about the toll social media has taken on her life.

The US singer’s admission comes a day after Selena Gomez said she thought that social media is “terrible”.

 US singer Madison Beer opens up on the pressures of social media on women
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US singer Madison Beer opens up on the pressures of social media on women

In an exclusive, emotional, interview, Madison said the pressures she felt from Instagram to look and act a certain way drove her to depression – and she now limits her time on the app.

The singer, who has 12.7million followers, said: “I was just really depressed and I felt really desensitised and emotionally detached from myself.

“Any time I had a long time with myself, it would just be spent on Instagram, and I don’t get a lot of alone time with myself. So I was just like, ‘Why am I spending this time comparing myself to other people?’

“It drove me into more of a depression. Reading comments is obviously something I’m used to, but whenever you feel s***ty about yourself, and then you go and read that other people think you’re s***ty too, it doesn’t feel very good.

 Madison admitted to being addicted to Instagram and said the app drove her to depression
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Madison admitted to being addicted to Instagram and said the app drove her to depression

“It’s like, ‘Look at this girl who has 12million followers, who’s hot, who can sing, who’s famous, who’s friends with all these celebrities – she has such a cool life’.

“But it’s like, ‘the selfie that I posted, that you think is this beautiful girl who is perfect, it was being posted by a girl sick in bed, not having any make-up on and with pimple cream on my face’.

“People don’t realise that we’re all normal and I only show you what I want you to see.”

It’s a theme echoed in her single Dear Society, out today. These pictures are from the video and her as-yet untitled debut album is due this summer.

She said of the song: “It’s my letter to society saying, ‘social media is bad for me and how I’m addicted to the internet, and that life and what it does to a teenager in 2019, It’s hard.”


bizbit

ONEREPUBLIC have released single Rescue Me, their first new music for three years. Frontman Ryan Tedder wanted a break. He has been writing songs for Jonas Brothers, Pink and Sam Smith.


Amy's real reality star

SHE was part of the original Towie cast and Amy Childs is staying loyal to those who appeared with her in the early shows.

The reality star says the latest series is too “scripted” and the Z-list participants just desperate for fame.

 Amy Childs says the latest TOWIE series is too 'scripted' and the Z-list participants are desperate for fame
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Amy Childs says the latest TOWIE series is too 'scripted' and the Z-list participants are desperate for fameCredit: Rex Features

In an exclusive chat, Amy said: “I was on the show from day one, and it’s totally changed. I feel like a lot of it is scripted now.

“We were the first to do Towie, it was one of the first ever reality TV shows, then came Geordie Shore and Made In Chelsea.

“We were real and we were ourselves. These days people know what they are getting themselves into.

“They’ve got management before they go on the show. We were all planning to go back to work.”

Amy helped make the show a huge success as she appeared alongside Sam Faiers, Mark Wright and Lauren Goodger.

Since quitting in 2011, the mum of two has made a fortune thanks to her baby range with nursery furniture brand Obaby.

She will be promoting the range at The Baby Show at the NEC this weekend.

If you ask me, it’s not just the conversations that are fake on Towie – take a look at their lips.

Roll on Stones!

THE Rolling Stones will be back on stage on June 21, just six weeks after Mick Jagger had heart surgery.

They called off the North American leg of their No Filter tour when Mick needed a valve in his heart replaced.

 Mick Jagger, 75, dancing again at Rolling Stones rehearsals just six weeks after his heart surgery
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Mick Jagger, 75, dancing again at Rolling Stones rehearsals just six weeks after his heart surgery

But after proving he is fighting fit in an Instagram video, Jagger and the Stones are ready to roll.

The tour restarts in Chicago – the first of 17 shows – and the band said they “can’t wait to get back out on the road again”.

When they finish in August, hopefully they will head to the studio. They have spent years on their upcoming record – the first containing original material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang.

Releasing that would be the perfect way to celebrate Mick’s recovery.

Mick Jagger shows off his dance moves six weeks after emergency heart surgery

bizmeter

LEWIS Capaldi’s parents have asked for him to pay up . The Someone You Loved singer said: “They’ve started asking for rent. I will move out soon. But for now I’m always on tour, so there’s no point.”

CARA Delevingne has been tapped up to star in a high-octane heist movie being produced by Sly Stallone. She would appear with rappers Vince Staples, in the lead, and Machine Gun Kelly.

KELLY Osbourne, two years sober, said on ITV’s Lorraine: “I didn’t think I could do anything if I wasn’t drunk or high, because I was scared of everything . . . Now I see that I don’t need that my life is better.”

ELLIE Goulding is one of the star names to host shows on Classic FM to help students through exam stress. She will present Revision Hour on June 1 and June 15. Bastille’s Dan Smith will front programmes too.

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