When a name as big as Chanel comes to Manchester, you can surely expect at least a few celebrity guests to come with it.
And sure enough, on the even of the Metiers D’Art fashion show, we’ve clocked our first A-lister in our hometown.
Actor Kristen Stewart has been spotted leaving The Stock Exchange Hotel, Gary Neville’s five-star establishment that also hosted Post Malone earlier this year.
The city’s luxury hotels have reportedly all been booked out for Chanel’s prestigious, invite-only fashion show, which will be taking over the Northern Quarter on Thursday 7 December.
So exactly who else is rumoured to be touching down in the city for the show?
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The biggest name drop so far is Margot Robbie, Australian actress and star of this summer’s runaway box office hit Barbie.
Margot has famously been one of Chanel’s most recognisable ambassadors.
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The brand’s other famous faces include fellow actor Timothee Chalamet, who is the ambassador for Bleu De Chanel, and also tipped to be visiting Manchester this week.
There are currently huge billboards plastered with his face all over the city centre.
Margot Robbie is a big name rumoured to attend the Manchester Chanel show. Credit: Wikiedia CommondsDavid and Victoria Beckham are rumoured to attend the Manchester Chanel show. Credit: InstagramKylie Jenner may make an appearance with her boyfriend, Chanel ambassador and actor Timothee ChalametNorthern lad Harry Styles is also hotly tipped to join the Chanel front row
These types of events usually attract some sort of Kardashian/Jenner member, and with Kylie Jenner currently dating Timothee, the young couple may make an appearance – though most will be holding their breath for big sister Kim.
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Kendall Jenner is also on the rumoured celebrity guest list, as the supermodel has previously walked for Chanel.
Lily-Rose Depp seems a likely name to appear – the model, actor, and daughter of Johnny Depp was personally chosen by the late Karl Lagerfeld to be a Chanel ambassador.
Some of the most famous celebrities in the entire world have been in the UK for various events in the last week, including Beyonce and Jay-Z, and Taylor Swift. Will any of them extend their stay to come up north?
And then there are those with a local connection, like for Manchester United legend David Beckham, with high-fashion wife and Spice Girl Victoria Beckham.
Harry Styles could crop up too, with his roots just down the road in Holmes Chapel.
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Vogue editor Anna Wintour seems the most likely of all to be sitting front row on Thomas Street tomorrow night.
Sacha Lord has already confirmed that he has received an invite, and Andy Burnham may well be given a seat too.
Benson Boone has announced a headline gig in Manchester – and it’s a big one
Danny Jones
American pop sensation and unrivalled king of unnecessary front flips, Benson Boone, has just announced his first-ever headline Manchester arena gig as part of a new arena tour.
The solo artist and acrobatic chart-topper has seen a meteoric rise in the US and, as is usually the case across the Atlantic, he’s become increasingly popular over here too.
Benson may have performed here in Manchester before as part of the 2024 MTV EMAs and for a small show at The Deaf Institute, but now big fans have the added Boone of getting to watch a standalone show at one of Europe’s leading indoor entertainment venues.
Announced on Friday, 30 May, the 22-year-old will be making his way across the pond from Washington for a limited run of UK concerts, with a date at Co-op Live arena being one of just five dates.
Extending his ‘American Heart Tour’ ahead of the release of his eponymous sophomore record, with this autumn leg, Co-op Live will mark his individual visit to 0161.
The Grammy-nominated artist has earned several nods of recognition already for his first album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, which was released just last spring.
He has been described as among the current trend of male singers who fit into the American Idol and ‘Voice audition pop’ genre (a term recently coined online), along with the likes of Teddy Swims, Shawn Mendes, Alex Warren and others.
Regardless of the slightly tongue-in-cheek term, he’s become a huge hit around the world and landing him is still a big coup for the venue that has already welcomed similarly massive pop contemporaries like Swims, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and more.
In case you’re wondering just how big a deal he is over in the States, even this early in his career, his domestic headline dates sold out in seconds, quite literally…
The last time he visited Co-op Live was to perform at the most recent MTV EMAs
Benson Boone is coming to Manchester on Monday, 27 October and will be playing just two other British venues: The O2 in London (two nights) and the Utilita Arena in Birmingham.
Safe to say you don’t want to miss this one if you like soaring vocals and lots of flipping.
General admission tickets go live at 10am on Thursday, 5 June, but Co-op Members can gain access via the arena’s official pre-sale window from the same time on Tuesday (3 Jun).
More adult virgins needed for next series of Channel 4’s hit reality show Virgin Island
Emily Sergeant
Channel 4 is back looking for more adult virgins to take part in the potential next series of its hit reality show Virgin Island.
You may remember that early last year, we brought you the breaking highly-important news that Channel 4 was currently in the process of producing a new reality TV series that, at the time, had the working title of ‘The Intimacy Retreat’ and was looking for a group of adult virgins to apply to take part, if they were brave enough.
But now, well over a year on, we all know that show turned out to be the hit show Virgin Island – which has just finished airing its first series this week.
Channel 4 needs more adult virgins for the potential next series of its hit reality TV show Virgin Island / Credit: Channel 4
If you’re unfamiliar with Virgin Island, it’s unlike anything ever seen on TV before, as it follows the journey of a group of adult virgins who are whisked off to a Mediterranean island retreat to learn life-changing skills in the art of intimacy.
Working with leading international therapists, the aim is to help the young people overcome their fears and insecurities when it comes to intimacy and sex.
Channel 4 said it chose to commission the show after a recent study into intimacy found out that one in eight British 26-year-olds is, apparently, still a virgin.
Virgin Island aims to help young people overcome their insecurities around intimacy and sex / Credit: Channel 4
A casting call for the new series on the Channel 4 website reads: “Are you a virgin and do you need help and guidance with your fears and insecurities around intimacy and sex? Double Act Productions is casting adults for a potential second series of Virgin Island.”
You just need to be over 21 years of age to take part in the show.
Fancy it then? Or know someone who may be up for the ride? Applications for the potential next series of Virgin Island are now open, and there’s still plenty of time left to put your name down.
Daisy Jackson -
6th December 2023 
