MARCH NEWSLETTER FROM LIZ MATTHEWS PR
KATE HALFPENNY
Kate Halfpenny is a designer and celebrity fashion stylist famed for her bespoke creations. Her knowledge and love of the history of fashion and her incredible ability to make someone’s vision come true meant that by early 2000 she had become permanently in demand as a costume designer on adverts for brand giants such as Swarovski, Moschino and Hugo Boss amongst others. She has also styled the likes of Twiggy, Laura Bailey and Elizabeth Jagger for M&S as well as Erin O’Connor and Kate Moss.
Kate offers timeless elegance with her wedding dress-making service, and has also now ventured into jewellery design. Her jewellery line has really taken off, and she has recently made a bespoke creation for Daisy Lowe that she wore at her big 21st birthday party in January. Her gorgeous statement necklaces have also been seen on the likes of Emilia Fox, Fearne Cotton, Holly Willoughby, Dannii Minogue, Erin O'Connor and Myleene Klass. For more information visit www.halfpennylondon.com.
STEVE JONES
TV presenter Steve Jones is the new face of primetime light entertainment and will be on the radar of a whole new audience with his upcoming shows for the BBC.
So confident in Steve are the BBC following on his hosting debut on AS SEEN ON TV, that they have given him another new show called DROPZONE which aired January 9th. This BBC1 big-budget adventure series sees contestants travel all over the world and compete against each other to win "the prize of a lifetime."
He is also returning to present 'LETS DANCE...FOR COMIC RELIEF' alongside Claudia Winkleman. Last year's series saw celebrities pay homage to iconic dance routines in a bid to wow audiences with their moves. The series will run for 4 weeks from 20 February on BBC1.
He continues to present T4 every weekend alongside Rick Edwards and Miquita Oliver. He joined them at Earl's Court to host the T4 STARS OF 2009 event on 29th November. This show saw the best talent of the year take the stage - with acts including Alexandra Burke, JLS, Sugababes, La Roux and Calvin Harris.
MARTINE McCUTCHEON
Martine McCutcheon is a Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress, television star, singer and one of Britain’s best-loved personalities.
Her first novel, The Mistress, published by Pan Macmillan, was just released to fantastic reviews and entered the charts in the top 5. Warm, sexy and heart-wrenchingly moving, the book offers a refreshingly modern take on what it is that women want.
2010 will see Martine release her new Matalan Homeware Collection, 'INDULGENCE', which launched in January. This sophisticated collection is available online and in stores across the country. She will also star alongside Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Pirates Of The Caribbean) in a BBC Radio 4 Play entitled "CHARLES PARIS MYSTERY: CAST IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE". Since its debut on 29th January, it airs every Friday for 4 weeks.
Martine McCutcheon is also the new face of Activia®. Activia have enlisted Martine’s help for its mission to encourage us all to make a fresh start to the New Year by eating Activia every day to help with our digestive health.
DAVID HAREWOOD
David Harewood is a talented and versatile actor who has received huge recognition across theatre, television and cinema. He could recently be seen on stage wowing audiences as Martin Luther King in the premiere of Katori Hall's THE MOUNTAINTOP at the Trafalgar Studios. The production opened to rave reviews at Theatre 503, Dominic Cavendish from the Telegraph described it as "nothing short of a triumph" (*****). The West End transfer of the play opened on 16th July and ran until September.
In January he was seen starring as another giant of the 20th century, Nelson Mandela, in brand-new drama MRS MANDELA for the BBC. Shot on location in South Africa, the film focuses on the development of the relationship between Winnie (played by Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo) and her husband from their brief courtship in the Fifties to the aftermath of Nelson's release from prison in 1990. It is a subtle exploration of a remarkable relationship set against the backdrop of one of the greatest political struggles of the 20th century. The drama also stars David Morrissey who plays the role of notorious police interrogator Theunis Swanepoel.
David was also seen starring as Joshua Naismith in the BBC1 Christmas special episode "Dr.Who: The End Of Time". David starred alongside David Tennant in what was his final appearance as The Doctor in this hit BBC series.
DAN CLARK
Dan Clark is an actor, writer and stand up comedian best known for writing and starring in his own BBC series, HOW NOT TO LIVE YOUR LIFE. The series was nominated for 'Best Comedy Programme' at the 2009 Broadcast Awards and Dan himself received a 'Best Male Comedy Newcomer' nomination at last year’s Comedy Awards. A third series was recently commissioned by the BBC3, and it was announced that filming will take place early this year for a September tx. Talks are also currently taking place for a US version of the show to be made. The DVD box-set of both series are available to buy now.
As a stand up, Dan has written and performed in three successful Edinburgh shows and has toured the UK with the highly acclaimed 'THE DAY iLOST MY iPOD'. He made his London West End debut in a full-length solo stand-up show at the legendary Apollo Theatre on 11th January. For more information and event tickets please visit www.danclarkcomedy.co.uk.
RICK EDWARDS
Whist continuing to host T4 every weekend, Rick is also fronted a brand new music show for Channel 4 called 'THE HOLLYOAKS MUSIC SHOW'. This promised to find the next big thing in British music, as each week new bands entered the competition with the winner appearing in an episode of Hollyoaks. The show also featured top music acts performing in variety of locations on the Hollyoaks set - including The Saturdays, N-Dubz, Chipmunk, Mr. Hudson and Alphabeat to date.
Rick joined fellow presenters Miquita Oliver and Steve Jones to host T4 STARS OF 2009. The sold-out show, which took place at Earl's Court on 29th November, saw performances from Alexandra Burke, JLS, Sugababes, Calvin Harris, Florence & The Machine, La Roux and many more.
DAISY LOWE
Rock’n’roll heiress Daisy Lowe has already been named "the new style icon of her generation" by Vivienne Westwood, who says of her " she's beautiful, sexy and one of those girls who doesn’t have to try to be anything except herself". She started modelling with legendary agent Sarah Leon aged 15 and is now represented by Sarah at Next Model Management, a hugely successful global agency home of Malgosia, Karlie Kloss and Catherine McNeill. Her SS09 campaigns included: Pringle by Steven Meisel, Marc by Marc Jacobs by Juergen Teller, and DKNY Jeans by Scott Schumann. She has appeared in Italian Vogue and W magazine shot by Steven Meisel and the cover of i-D magazines ‘Most Iconic British Models’ issue shot by Solve Sundsbo. Daisy currently appears in Italian Vogue shot by Miles Aldridge and the AW09 Anna Sui campaign. She has recently walked the SS10 catwalk for Vivienne Westwood, Pam Hogg, Jeremy Scott, and Costume National in Milan.
She is also part of the highly-coveted Pirelli 2010 Calendar, shot by Terry Richardson earlier last year in Brazil. The images were unveiled at an exclusive event in London in November, and the calendar is now on sale.
ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY
Rosie is a top British model who, at the tender age of 22, already boasts a very impressive portfolio of work. She has shot campaigns for Burberry, DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Karen Millen and Miss Sixty. She also shot a very successful short film with top lingerie label Agent Provocateur and graced the cover of British Vogue in November 2008.
Rosie is the only British Victoria's Secrets Angel (other top models who have a prestigious contract with America's best selling lingerie brand include Miranda Kerr and Giselle Bundchen). She modeled in their annual show, which took place in New York on 19th November and is the second most watched show on US television behind the Superbowl.
Rosie is also part of the highly-coveted Pirelli 2010 Calendar, shot by Terry Richardson earlier this year in Brazil.
ELLE Magazine voted Rosie their model of the year for 2009.
MAXINE PEAKE
Following her spell-binding role as the lead in the latest series of BBC drama CRIMINAL JUSTICE, gifted RADA-trained actress Maxine Peake is truly becoming one of the most respected actresses working in the UK today. The Peter Moffat-penned script provided a brilliantly original and bold story that could see this series repeat the success of the original, which scooped this years BAFTA for 'Best Serial Drama'.
She will next be seen starring in THE SECRET DIARIES OF MISS ANNE LISTER, a bold and passionate new drama for BBC Two, written by Jane English and directed by James Kent, due to tx in March.
Anne Lister was a Yorkshire landowner, industrialist, traveller and diarist. She was also a lesbian who, despite needing to keep her orientation secret from society at large, defied the conventions of her times by living with her female lover. The drama will provide an astonishing insight into the life of the woman who has been called Britain’s first modern lesbian.
