AMANDA PLATELL: What did Geri count on marrying a person like F1’s Horner?

When ex-Spice lady Geri Halliwell first received along with the multi-millionaire Formula 1 boss Christian Horner almost a decade in the past, she described him as ‘her prince, her knight in shining armour’.

With his £41million fortune and an £8million-a-year wage, he catapulted the washed-up, single mum-of-one pop star right into a world of unimaginable riches.

Two sprawling nation estates, one other lavish North London residence and flights the world over so she may all the time be at his aspect within the billionaire playground of the F1 circuit.

Her fairy-tale life-style as Mrs Geri Horner was pure gold; it got here to personify the Spice Girls’ hit Viva Forever — ‘Forever I’ll be ready, eternal, just like the solar.’

Well, the solar might now be setting on their romance.

Because simply 24 hours after Horner was cleared this week of ‘coercive behaviour’ at work, WhatsApp messages of a sexual nature, allegedly between him and an unknown colleague, have been leaked anonymously to his F1 bosses.

Should Geri actually be shocked? Let’s not neglect, in spite of everything, that when she launched into her relationship with Christian, he had simply dumped one other poor girl regardless that she had given start to their youngster simply six months earlier.

His dad and mom have been so disgusted by their son’s betrayal that they refused to attend his lavish wedding ceremony to Geri.

Geri, in the meantime, created a gilded picture of their life — sharing their mansions with their kids — in shiny movie star journal Hello!. It seemed to be probably the most comfortable household.

These WhatsApp ‘sexts’ appear to inform a special story.

Surely Geri ought to have been sensible sufficient to grasp that Christian was all the time going to be a somebody who may tire of her and search for different points of interest. If a person leaves his accomplice six months after she’s given start to their youngster, why would you think about he’d stay loyal to you? Maybe she thought, in her conceitedness, it may by no means occur to her.

But a leopard by no means adjustments his spots. Now her husband seems to have cheated on Geri.

And the golden life she thought he’d given her might be tarnished past restore.

Fashion pundits declare ‘the end of the bra’ after Saint Laurent’s assortment showcases skeletal fashions in diaphanous clothes. Rubbish. Size zero fashions usually are not burdened with actual mum bosoms in want of a supportive bra.

You can take it as crimson. . . Monica’s again

Twenty-six years after Monica Lewinsky was shamed over her lurid liaisons with President Bill Clinton within the Oval Office and retreated into purdah, she has re-emerged, aged 50, as a feminist icon, resplendent in Reformation’s new workwear ‘power’ marketing campaign, defiantly carrying power-red. Am guessing a blue gown was out of the query.

The final image of Hairy Biker Dave Myers earlier than his loss of life from most cancers was of him and greatest buddy Si King on the couch watching TV. Their loopy cooking and biking adventures captured the hearts of thousands and thousands for many years, however in the long run what we cherished most was their friendship. Which led to the right epitaph from Si: ‘My best friend is on a journey that, for now, I can’t comply with.’

BBC should ask for forgiveness to us

The household of the then 17- year-old paid £35,000 by Huw Edwards for sexual images say they’ve been ‘ripped apart’ and the Beeb has apologised. We’re informed Huw’s too unwell to answer a BBC probe and he’s stated to have been suspended on full pay of £435,000 since July. Auntie also needs to apologise to licence payment payers for nonetheless filling his pockets.

Oprah Winfrey admitted she’s been taking slimming medication. Coincidentally, she’s leaving the board of WeightWatchers which promotes pure weight reduction by way of calorie-counting. 

Not an excellent search for Oprah to have cheated, although some justice that her £34million stake within the agency may have been hit by an 18 per cent fall in share value.

Westminster Wars

Angela Rayner is accused of being lower than clear as as to whether she really lived in a council home she offered, for a revenue of £48,500. All very sophisticated, however giving false data on the electoral register is an offence. Keir Starmer stated he had ‘absolute confidence in answers her team had given’. Hardly a ringing endorsement.

What does it say about British politics when George Galloway wins the Rochdale by-election? He’s a revolting man whose profession ‘peaked’ when he wore a crotch-clutching Lycra bodysuit on Celebrity Big Brother and meowing as he pretended to be a cat.

Policing a prince

Having misplaced his authorized battle over taxpayer-funded police safety, Prince Harry vows to enchantment the choice. Perplexing, as his mum’s ex-bodyguard Ken Wharfe says he’ll all the time be protected right here, as he’s nonetheless a prince of the realm. 

But, given his trashing of the Royal Family, perhaps Harry does want additional safety, from these of us who can’t bear what he’s doing to King and Country.

Holly’s present skates on skinny ice

Is Holly Willoughby regretting her swift exit from presenting ITV’s This Morning on a £1million deal, after the Phillip Schofield debacle and an alleged menace to her life?

Her solely TV presenting position now’s Dancing On Ice, which has hit the skids with simply 2.9million watching the prime Saturday night time slot— down from 12million in its heyday. No marvel Holly’s smile appears to be like as frozen as that ice rink.

After Charlotte Church led a choir singing ‘From the river to the sea’, carrying a pro-Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, she insisted she just isn’t anti-Semitic, simply pro-peace. Maybe the £450-a-night visitors at her wellness retreat The Dreaming will quickly get a free scarf or Hamas paraglider badge.

Producers of the West End’s Slave Play have banned white folks — declaring that on two particular nights, solely an ‘all-Black-identifying audience’ can attend.

Jolly good. But what’s to cease any whitie from rocking up ‘identifying’ as a black individual?

Why I’m proud to pay UK tax

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is contemplating scrapping ‘non-dom’ tax standing to lift £3.6 billion for tax cuts.

When I used to be a newly arrived Australian citizen with a six-figure wage within the Eighties, my accountant urged I register as a non-dom, since I had a house in Oz and will keep away from paying UK tax.

I stated if Britain is ready to present me a brand new life, why wouldn’t I pay tax right here?

After a decade within the pop wilderness, Girls Aloud introduced their comeback — thrilled to disclose their first return gig just isn’t Glastonbury or any of the opposite nice music festivals corresponding to Reading or the Isle of Wight, however this yr’s LGBT+ pageant, Brighton Pride. Wear it with delight girls, out and loud.

Disappointing for followers that Adele, 35, has — at brief discover — postponed a string of her Las Vegas residency dates as a result of well being points, particularly because it means they don’t get their a refund (if she’d cancelled the dates they’d have) and a few have paid £6,000 a ticket.

To my thoughts, she’s now Rolling In The Deep Doo-doo.