Current category: UK

Ben Fogle is undergoing chemotheraphy after the flesh-eating disease (leishmaniasis) he contracted while filming Extreme Dreams in Peru last year returned after taking part in a 500-mile trek to the South Pole.

Speaking to the Telegraph at the Royal Parks Half Marathon in Hyde Park, the 35-year-old travel presenter said:

"I am facing six weeks of chemotherapy and going to hospital for several hours a day to be put on drips to treat the condition,"

"I am really frustrated as I am normally so active."

Below: Ben Fogle with Zac Goldsmith and The Saturdays at the launch of the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon, Hyde Park, London

Get well soon, Ben!

Pity poor celebs chum Lisa Pikington...

All set for a lovely weekend away at the Lacemarket Hotel in Nottingham, Lisa and her partner turned up early to check in only to be told they couldn't until considerably later that afternoon .

Understandably Lisa questioned this.  The reply was not very helpful:

"The people in your room have requested a late check out so are not leaving until 3pm"

Now at this point, the fed-up couple made the (quite valid) point that if a room is already booked, a late check-out is ordinarily refused.   It's an unwritten hotel law.

The receptionist leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially: "Between me and you, there's a lot of them and they've taken over the top floor"

This buttered no parsnips with Lisa, who was only at the Lacemarket Hotel for a complimentary stay after a not-so-great experience at its sister hotel in Derby and told the receptionist as much...

Receptionist, reluctantly: "Ahem... but it's a band"

Slightly stunned Lisa: "Anyone we know?"

Receptionist, whispering: "Metallica"

Very stunned Lisa:  "Aaaaaah, ok"

Metallica: The Metal Militia show No Remorse
L-R: Robert Trujillo, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield  

By all accounts, the band were quiet and very well behaved.  No nude ladies running round reception at 3am. no televisions out of windows and no room-trashing. Indeed, after Lisa and her partner checked in later that afternoon, the room bore no signs of the legendary heavy metal band's stay apart from a slightly cracked bidet.  Boo!

P.S.  Lisa and her partner confirmed that - after a shaky start - they had a wonderful stay. The Lacemarket Hotel was gorgeous and the staff and manager went out of their way to look after them.   So all's well that ends well.

Cheryl Cole arrived back in London today after spending the weekend in LA. 

The 25-year-old Girls Aloud singer and X-Factor judge is rumoured to be in talks with LA executives with regard to developing a career in the US.  She's also set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with nine other celebs at the end of this month in aid of Comic Relief.

It's not entirely clear though why Cole was unable to push her own luggage out of Heathrow....

Cheryl Cole arrived back in London today after spending the weekend in LA. 

The 25-year-old Girls Aloud singer and X-Factor judge is rumoured to be in talks with LA excutives with regard to developing a career in the US.  She's also set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with nine other celebs at the end of this month in aid of Comic Relief.

It's not entirely clear though why Mrs Cole was unable to push her own luggage out of Heathrow....

Yeah, where the hell *is* Matt?  Celebsonholiday just came across this rather lovely and heartwarming video in which Matt Harding dances his way around the world (42 countries to be precise) and encourages people to join in.

Aaah, doesn't it warm the cockles of your heart!?. You can also read how it all started at the Where The Hell Is Matt website

Britney Spears has been caught wearing a decidedly strange (and grubby) looking outfit at LAX airport (see below)

The 26-year-old singer is headed to Germany for the annual Bambi Entertainment Awards where she is due to receive an award for Best International Pop Star. 

Britney will then will be heading to London for this weekend's X-Factor.  So exciting!!!!

 

Lindsay Lohan, 22, and girlfriend Samantha Ronson, 31, are rumoured to be getting engaged in Paris this weekend.

Though if the photos are anything to go by, I wonder if the pair had a falling out?  Ronson looks extremely grumpy and given the allegedly romantic nature of their Parisian break, you'd think they'd be a bit more, well, together?!...

Daniel Craig, hearthrob and current James Bond was photographed outside the Charlotte Street Hotel in London last night with his lovely producer girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell.

 

Unfortunately as you can see from the following picture, Craig, 40, seems to be a bit of a brolly hog...

Beyonce was at the Mandarin Oriental hotel yesterday for the launch of her new album, 'I Am ... Sasha Fierce'... she wasn't getting ready to leave. Sorry about that!

Though the album launch nearly didn't happen after severe turbulence struck her private jet as the former Destiny's Child singer headed back from the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo. 

Kelly Rowland and Beyonce Knowles have been spotted leaving London's Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

While the pair of them are both smiling as they exit the hotel, Beyonce looks plastic and posed in comparison to the very natural looking Rowland.

Mariah Carey, husband Nick Cannon and her entourage have taken over several suites at London's Dorchester Hotel in advance of the diva's appearance on the X Factor this weekend. 

She was also sporting a pair of rather bizarre peep-toe boots...

Jessica Biel has been a very busy girl these last six weeks.

 

What with promoting her new film Easy Virtue in at film festivals in London and Rome, co-hosting the 'Last Chance for Change' Rally and Canvass Kickoff in support of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama in Last Vegas with boyfriend Justin Timberlake (see picture above) AND taking a romantic Roman holiday with her aforementioned boyfriend, the poor girl has hardly had chance to pause for breath.

Below: Stephan Elliott, Jessica Biel and Ben Barnes at the 'Easy Virtue' film premiere at the 3rd Rome International Film Festival, Rome

Biel is still in London after attending the premiere of Easy Virtue at the 52nd BFI London Film Festival and was spotted yesterday surrounded by photographers as she tried to leave fancy London eatery Nobu Berkeley

 

Celebs were out in force for last night's Africa Rising! Festival, held at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Yeah, we know it's not a celebrity holiday, but it's an event worth mentioning, what with Christina Aguilera's eye-popping top and vertiginous shoes and Colin Powell's impromptu dance with Nigerian hip hop artist Olu Maintain

Pictures below:

 

Above: Ballet and flamenco dancer Joaquin Cortes

 

Above: Fashion designer Ozwald Boateng and wife Gyunel with children 

 

Above: Model Hofit Golan model (and face of Elizabeth Grant skincare)
with choreographer Brian Friedman 

 

Above: Singer Christina Aguilera sports an eye-popping top...

 

Above: .... and some vertiginous shoes

 

Above: Christina Aguilera headlines in her first UK performance since giving birth

 

 

Above: Seal on stage

 

Above: Youssou N'Dour

 

Above: Models Tyson Beckford and Alek Wek with celebrity jeweller Chris Aire 

 

Above: Colin Powell "gets down" with Olu Maintain

 

The Africa Rising! festival aims to promote positive images of Africa and on find "sustainable solutions" rather than the "problems" facing Africa

The London show marked the end of Africa Rising's four-date international tour, which began in Nigeria.

One of the highlights of the evening was former US Secretary of State Colin Powell performing an impromptu hip hop dance when he climbed onstage with Nigerian group Olu Maintain.

Speaking to the audience, Powell told the audience that Africa, with hard work and foreign investment, could prosper like Asia and Eastern Europe.

He said: "I stand before you as an African American. Many people have said to me you became Secretary of State of the USA, is it still necessary to say that you are an African American or that you are black, and I say yes, so that we can remind our children.

"It took a lot of people struggling to bring me to this point in history. I didn't just drop out of the sky, people came from my continent in chains."

All images: Brian Rasic/Rex Features

The Dorchester is proving to be pretty popular with celebs at the moment. 

Yesterday saw Mel B and husband Stephen Belafonte checking in to the famous London hotel and today saw the arrival of Christina Aguilera and husband Jordan Bratman.

Looking like a cross between a Bay City Roller and Russ Abbott's 'CU Jimmy', Christina is to headline the Africa Rising music event at the Royal Albert Hall in London tonight.

It will be the 27-year-old pop star's first British appearance since becoming a mother.

Former Spice Girl Mel B arrived at The Dorchester with husband Stephen Belafonte after a very eventful welcome at Heathrow airport.

The couple had been confronted at Terminal 3 by a man shouting abuse;  when Stephen, 33, stepped in to defend his wife an argument involving some pushing and shoving broke out.

According to some reports the man was heard to threaten "'I'll get a knife and stab you". 

Officers have since confirmed that a 22-year-old man was arrested for threatening behaviour over the Terminal 3 incident.

Mel is in the UK to co-present Wednesday's Mobo awards at Wembley Arena.

Gordon Brown will be spending his summer holiday at Shadingfield Hall in Suffolk if reports are to be believed. 

 

Recently refurbished, Shadingfield Hall sleeps 22 people and costs £4500 per week during the summer holidays.  It has a games room, swimming pool, butlers pantry, seven bedrooms, two bathrooms and a Lodge (which "is just behind the big house across the herb garden").

The Grade II listed Regency building is owned by celebrity photograher Dave Hogan and his wife, Janice. 

Below; Gordon Brown meets surviving members of the Women's Land Army

 

Fresh from winning Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal attended the Champions Dinner at the InterContinental Hotel on Park Lane, London on Sunday, along with former World No 1, Martina Navratilova and new junior champion and Wimbledon darling, Laura Robson.

 

• Nelson Mandela in London to celebrate his 90th birthday
• Timbaland marries Monique Idlett in Oranjestad, Aruba
• Russell Brand on holiday in Mexico with actress girlfriend, Teresa Palmer
• Jennifer Aniston jets in to London to see boyfriend John Mayer
• Naomi Campbell sentenced for T5 assault; apologises to police but not to British Airways

Where do Ant and Dec, David Tennant and Richard Dunwoody like to stay when visiting West Sussex?  Why, it's the Felbridge Hotel & Spa in East Grinstead.

According to the press release:

... it is easy to see why this hotel is becoming popular with discerning chaps as the place to take their ladies. The fact that it is also the place visited by Miss West Sussex, Roxanne Hotchkiss, may be just a coincidence, but obviously having beautiful women lounging around by the pool could be an added attraction!

 
 After a recent refurbishment, the Felbridge Hotel & Spa is now 4* deluxe status, plus, it's only 10 minutes away from Gatwick airport so I can see why this would be a preferred place to stay. 

Rooms aren't that expensive either - compared to some of the celebrity hotels we've featured on here  - with prices starting at around £130 per night for a standard room up to around £260 for a junior luxury suite. 

And for the non-celebrity amongst us, the hotel has a £79 special offer on its website (though it would appear you can't book this in advance).

Today's Sun reports that the Jackson 5 love Devon so much, they're planning to set up a holiday home in Barnstaple as a retreat from the stresses and strains of mega stardom.

That's the second UK mention this week; you may remember Bruce Willis was spotted in London a few days ago; looks like a good week for British Tourism .