'Nothing would have stopped me': Fearless Cheryl Cole says she was ready for anything in Afghanistan, even being held at gunpoint

By MARCUS BARNES

In the thick of it: Cheryl Cole takes part in a demonstration by 42 Commando Royal Marines in Helmand Province conducting a compound clearance followed by a casualty evacuation via a Chinook helicopter

Cheryl Cole has admitted that she was frightened by the training she received before her trip to Afghanistan but she revealed that nothing would have stopped her traveling to the middle east to boost the morale of British troops.

The 28-year-old singer went on the visit to British troops last month and says she was prepared for the worst - including having a gun held to her head.

She braved the dangers of war to spend time with troops in the treacherous Helmand Province.


Up close and personal: The singer witnessed dramatic demonstrations during her time with British troops in Afghanistan


Trigger happy: Cheryl waits to be handed a rifle by one of the troops during her morale-boosting visit

Cheryl, who was followed by the Daily Mirror as part of their Pride Of Britain awards, revealed to the newspaper: 'Before I went out I was given war training which was pretty full-on and quite scary.

'They warn you about coping with all kinds of scary scenarios - things like having a gun put to your head.

'I was warned before I went out there that it could be dangerous. But nothing was going to stop me from going. And I'm just so glad I did.'


Left, right, left, right!: The former X Factor judge is put though her paces in a training session


Taking it in her stride: Cheryl said she'd been scared during pre-Afghanistan training but she ready for anything - even a gun to the head

The former X Factor judge took part in a demonstration by 42 Commando Royal Marines conducting a compound clearance followed by a casualty evacuation via a Chinook helicopter.

She said that she had never experienced so much dust in her life after the helicopter came in to extract the casualty.

Cheryl also spent time with members of the Afghan national army, as well as our own British troops


No messing around: She was placed in real-life situations during the demonstration - here a 'casualty' is tended to while they await help

She added: 'Afghanistan was an unbelievable experience. The whole trip was incredible. The men and women I met out there were inspirational, and so amazingly brave and dedicated.

'I've stayed in touch with some of the troops through Twitter and they've been sending nice messages. It was a privilege to see what goes on out there.'

Cheryl also revealed she had exchanged numbers with one soldier and was planning to call him.


What a carry on: Cheryl joins in as troops carry a 'casualty' to their pick up point

She said: 'Not only are the soldiers incredibly brave, a few were also incredibly cute. I came back with a phone number.

'He started chatting to me - I think it was for a dare - after I'd been 'shot' during a training exercise. It wasn't real ammunition but it was still terrifying.

'I think I'll call him this week and we'll see what happens. I'm sure he's not expecting me to ring but that's why it'll be funny - and that's why I'm going to do it.'


In the driving seat: Cheryl also took charge of a Jackal vehicle during the visit to Camp Bastion


Keeping watch: Cheryl crouches beside a soldier from 1 RIFLES during an exercise at Camp Bastion in which soldiers carried out a patrol, held a shura and dealt with a casualty


Safety first: The singer makes sure her helmet is securely attached to her head as she prepare to get involved in a demonstration with the troops


Fighting spirit: Cheryl met troops from 3 Commando Brigade who are serving as Task Force Helmand and personnel from Joint Force Support in Afghanistan who are currently deployed on Operation Herrick


Lifting spirits: Troops were buoyed by Cheryl's appearance - here she poses with members of the Afghan National Army

Cheryl added: 'I always had admiration for what the guys do out here, but seeing them here at work is awe inspiring.

'I'm delighted to be here to recognise all the hard work they do. Every one of them is a hero in my book.'

One solider said of Cheryl's trip: 'She's a stunner and having her out here has lifted morale.

She's probably the biggest star to visit. Fair play to her, it's a dangerous place to come.'


Happy to be here: The Girls Aloud star poses with members of 3 Commando Brigade's Brigade Reconnaissance Force, an elite unit of soldiers and Marines who are part of 30 Commando Royal Marines


CHERYL COLE: Footage of the star in Afghanistan



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Red alert: Did Pippa Middleton go too far with her plunging halterneck dress?

By Daily Mail Reporter


Pippa Middleton wore a red satin gown by Temperley and clutch by Wilbur & Gussie for the Boodles Boxing Ball charity event on Saturday night


Pippa Middleton quite clearly stole the show at a charity boxing match on Saturday night.

Despite being surrounded by Royals and celebrities, no one could argue that the Duchess of Cambridge's sister was the centre of attention.

While her plunging red halterneck dress by Temperley was on trend - both Geri Halliwell and Prince William's ex girlfriend Jecca Craig wore similar versions to the event - Pippa's gown was slightly more revealing.

The Duchess of Cambridge's sister is used to causing a stir wherever she goes

Not subject to the same protocol as Kate, the pretty brunette can wear whatever she wants and get away with it.

But did Pippa need to make such a bold wardrobe statement?

At the Royal Wedding, her fitted but demure Alexander McQueen dress was enough to propel her to instant stardom.


Geri Halliwell, left and Jecca Craig, both wore similar dresses to the event

And up until now, she has always presented herself as elegant and ladylike with her style choices - a refreshing alternative that has no doubt contributed to her popularity.

She was however subject to an embarrassing moment at London Fashion Week earlier this month.

Pippa almost - but not quite - suffered a wardrobe malfunction when her dress pulled up after she sat down.

Pippa experienced an uncomfortable moment at London Fashion Week last month when she almost suffered a wardrobe malfunction

She spent the duration of the show holding her hands tightly clasped together.

But on Saturday night, Pippa confidently carried off the Begonia Dress from the Autumn / Winter 2011 collection.

However, Daily Mail's Style Director Liz Jones called the outfit 'inappropriate'.


Pippa's Royal Wedding outfits propelled her to stardom

She said: 'The dress is completely inappropriate, with no support.

'I hate cleavage at the best of times, and Pippa cannot now really object to any comments about her shape or hounding by the press as this dress says, Look at me!

'You see the problem is this dress looked great on the catwalk, but the model was flat chested.

'The look doesn't translate as yet again a designer hasn't made a dress with a real woman (no matter she has connections) or real social occasions.'

Either way, Pippa continues to be a constant source of fascination.

And regardless of her wardrobe choices, that is unlikely to change anytime soon.


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Sweet pie of mine! Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose is unrecognisable after piling on the pounds

By Sarah Bull


He was once a pin-up for millions of rock and roll fans throughout the world.

But it seems Axl Rose's poster boy days are over, judging by photographs of the 49-year-old singer performing with the band in Brazil last night.

The Guns N' Roses frontman was unrecognisable as he took to the stage at the Rock In Rio music festival, with his attempts to cover up his larger frame in a coat failing miserably.

What happened? A significantly larger Axl Rose was unrecongisable as he performed with Guns N' Roses in Rio, Brazil, last night

Changing figure: Axl's new look is a far cry from his slimline figure at the height of his fame


Rose appeared to have gained a significant amount of weight in recent months, with his slimline frame at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards a distant memory.

The rocker teamed his yellow coat with a black hat and sunglasses, with the whole ensemble contributing to his bizarre appearance.

It's not the first time Rose's weight has sparked concern, as he previously shocked fans with his overweight look in January 2010.

Belting it out: The group performed songs including Sweet Child of Mine and Welcome To The Jungle at the Rock In Rio festival

His size also led to him being labelled a 'fat Botox-faced wig wearer' by rival rocker Scott Weiland.

But his weight gain appears to have continued over the past year and a half, with Rose looking entirely different as he performed in Brazil.

Gearing up for the performance, Rose told eager fans he was concerned that the pouring rain would make the stage treacherous for the concert.

He said: 'Good evening… good morning! Please bear with us and give us a little second here to figure out what to do about not falling on our asses.


Back in the day: Axl (centre) with Izzy Stradlin, Steven Adler, Duff McKagan and Slash

'I'm going to try to focus on singing rather than running around like an idiot. I'm better at being an idiot. We want everybody to be careful.'

The group then delighted fans with tracks including Sweet Child of Mine, Live and Let Die and Welcome to the Jungle.

The band's performance was their first since last December, and came ahead of the Guns N' Roses' US tour which begins later this month.

The tour will start in Orlando on October 28th and finishes on December 1st in Auburn Hills.




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Beach babe: Courtney Stodden flaunts her curves in a sun-soaked photo shoot snapped by husband Doug Hutchison

By Georgina Littlejohn


If she wasn't already the envy of all his friends and peers, then these pictures of actor Doug Hutchison's wife are bound to make their eyes even greener.

The Green Mile actor, 51, took to the beach with his teenage bride in a sexy photo shoot on the beach that showed off her enviable figure in a white bikini.

She pulled her most seductive pose for his camera as she strutted around the sand in the two-piece that showed off her assets to perfection.

All woman: Courtney Stodden poses on the beach for her actor husband Doug Hutchison in a sexy white bikini

Assets which she has been forced to defend are real and not boosted by cosmetic surgery, which she hoped to prove through this photo shoot.

The 17-year-old has been at the centre of lots of rumours about her body, especially her breasts, which she is quick to point out are all real, especially considering her young age.

And according to TMZ, Courtney is fed up with the speculation surrounding her body that she took part in the photo shoot to try and prove her doubters wrong.

The snapper and his muse: Doug, who took the pictures of Courtney, gets amorous with his young bride on the sand

Inseparable: Doug and Courtney seem oblivious to the rest of the world as they kiss and canoodle with each other

In the pictures, she is snapped running along the beach and getting amorous with her actor husband.

In another set, she is in a swimming pool, still in the white bikini, as her other half looks proudly on.

Courtney also hope to dispel the cosmetic surgery rumours through a reality TV show that she and Doug and developing and are planning to pitch to television networks later in the year.

I get a kick out of you: Courtney flings her leg in the air as she snuggles up to her husband

They will be working with producer Roy Bank and Merv Griffin Entertainment on the project, and according to Courtney's mother Krista, who also manages the couple, the series will mainly be about the effects of their marriage on their families, and the issues the come up against.

She told E!: 'It's going to show people what they can teach each other from different generations.

'They're going to touch on family issues. There was a lot of judgment about their marriage from Doug's side of the family, so it will touch on bringing families back together and why it's important to support family members even if you don't agree.'

Sun worshipper: Courtney moves from the beach to the pool and flaunts her enviable figure for the camera

The show will also explore claims made by Courtney that she is the victim of cyber bullying, while clearing up the plastic surgery rumours.

She said: 'Courtney having to prove to people she was real, that she's never been under a plastic surgeon's knife.'

Courtney and Doug were married in Las Vegas in June, when Courtney was still 16, raising many an eyebrow and sparking a lot of controversy over the union and the huge age gap.


Very much in love: Doug and Courtney show that the 34 year age gap between them is not an issue

But even though according to the Clark County Nevada Marriage Bureau, both marriage license applicants must be at least 18 years of age, Courtney's parents signed a consent form permitting the marriage.

Speaking to RadarOnline at the time, Krista said: 'We are totally supportive of this marriage. Doug is a wonderful man and we love him.

'They are very much in love and we are so supportive of this. Courtney was a virgin when she married Doug. She is a good Christian girl.'


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Shouldn't that be a T-shirt? Helen Flanagan appears to have fashioned her dress out of a top

By Marcus Barnes


Caught short: Helen Flanagan wears an ultra short dress or possibly a T-shirt during a visit to the coffee shop in Wilmslow, Lancashire

She's inconsistent with her wardrobe choices, often picking unflattering jeans or short dresses that do nothing for her figure.

Case in point is the outfit Helen Flanagan wore today for a jaunt around Cheshire.

The Coronation Street actress, 21, was either wearing a very short dress or attempting to use a T-shirt as a dress while out and about in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

More coffee: The actress was spotted with another cup later in the day from a rival company

Helen tottered along in her black heels, wearing the ultra-short number which
featured a silhouette of a horse with a pink background, fading into black.

She matched the dress with a pair of black tights and a large lilac bag. Finally, she had a pair of sensible, geek-style glasses on to finish off the rather odd ensemble.

Combined with her short cropped dark hair, the whole look was a little off kilter though there's no denying she has a great figure.

Short changed: Helen picks up her car park ticket

Helen recently revealed she thinks boyfriend Scott Sinclair is 'the one'.

The actress, who plays Rosie Webster in Corrie, looked smitten as she and Scott strolled along arm-in-arm last week.

And, in a recent interview, Helen said she can't imagine being without Scott.

Geek chic: Helen wore a pair of nerdy glasses and appeared to have grey hairs

She told the Daily Mirror: 'This is my longest-ever relationship and he’s the one – of course he is!

'Scott is an amazing person. He’s really down-to-earth, he’s dedicated to his job and he’s just so funny. We have great banter together.

'He’s quiet and modest and a really lovely person. He’s just Scott – there’s no one quite like him.'

'The One': The 21-year-old actress says her footballer boyfriend Scott Sinclair is her perfect man

However, Helen, who is based in Manchester where she filmed ITV soap Coronation Street, admitted that maintaining a long-distance relationship is difficult.

She added: 'It’s obviously hard sometimes, with it being a long-distance relationship. But I’m used to it now and being at Coronation Street puts things into perspective.

'There are people here who are working away from their kids and that makes me realise that when you’re working you just have to get on with it.

'There will come a point when Scott and I live together and it will be amazing.'



source:dailymail

Looking Posh! Cheryl Cole dazzles in a pink Victoria Beckham dress as she makes her red carpet return at Pride Of Britain Awards

By Emily Sheridan


Pretty in pink: Cheryl Cole glows in a floor-length dusky pink Victoria Beckham gown and blonde curls as she arrives at the Pride Of Britain Awards at London's Grosvenor House Hotel


She's been a notable absence from the London celebrity social scene since her unceremonious firing from X Factor USA five months ago.

But tonight, Cheryl Cole made a dazzling comeback to the red carpet as she arrived at the Pride Of Britain Awards in a stunning dusky pink gown... by her old friend Victoria Beckham.

With her blonde curly long bob and floor-length gown, the 28-year-old singer looked a world away from her previous Girls Aloud image of brunette hair and mini skirts.


Her decision to wear a Beckham dress comes as a surprise given her comments about Posh's fashion range two years ago.

In a 2009 interview with The Guardian, Cole dismissed Beckham's dress collection as for 'older women' and 'not something Girls Aloud would wear'.

But perhaps now at the age of 28, Cole considers herself 'old' enough to wear Beckham's critically-acclaimed gowns.

Showing every curve: The Beckham cadillac pink double crepe panelled number clung to Cole's figure in all the right places

Did I make the right choice? Cole shows off her earrings after earlier asking her Twitter followers to help her choose ones to wear

Ahead of the star-studded ceremony, Cole admitted she was feeling anxious about posing on the red carpet.

She tweeted: 'How can I still be nervous about red carpets after 10 (sic) years.. Eeek!

Before arriving at the Grosvenor House Hotel ceremony, Cole asked her Twitter followers to help her choose what earrings to wear.

Girls... more like Women Aloud: Cole was joined at the ceremony by Girls Aloud bandmates Nicola Roberts (left in a Luisa Beccaria dress) and Kimberley Walsh in a plunging Blugirl by Blumarine gown

Cole was attending to present a special award after flying to Afghanistan last month.

Speaking about her trip, she said: 'I was warned before I went out there that it could be dangerous. But nothing was going to stop me from going. And I'm just so glad I did.

'Afghanistan was an unbelievable experience. The whole trip was incredible. The men and women I met out there were inspirational, and so amazingly brave and dedicated.'

Golden girls: Daybreak presenter Christine Bleakley glowed in a gold bandage dress, while X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos wore a Renaissance-print number

She shoots, she scores: England WAGS Abbey Crouch (left in Philip Armstrong) and Coleen Rooney (right in
Limited Edition Littlewoods) both opted for little black dresses with an edge

Supporting Cheryl at the awards were her Girls Aloud bandmates Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts.

Like Cole, Roberts went for a girlie pink Luisa Beccaria number, while Walsh had the sex factor in a plunging black Blugirl by Blumarine maxi dress.

Aside from the worthy award winners, the night played host to another meeting between Cole and her X Factor replacement Tulisa Contostavlos.

Welcome to life on the red carpet: Supermodel Elle Macpherson, in DSquared 2, introduced Britain's Next Top Model winner Jade Thompson to her new life as a celebrity

Where's Frankie? (L-R) The Saturdays Rochelle Wiseman, Una Healy, Vanessa White and Mollie King posed in pairs on the red carpet without bandmate Frankie Sandford

The N-Dubz singer, who has fought off constant comparisons to Cole since being appointed the panel's youngest judge, went for a daring look in a Renaissance-print mini dress.

No doubt reminiscing about meeting her now-fiancé Frank Lampard at the same event two years ago, was Daybreak presenter Christine Bleakley in a gold bandage dress and her signature mahogany tan.

Representing the WAG contingent was Abbey Crouch and Coleen Rooney, who both attended solo without their respective footballer husbands Peter and Wayne.

Going West: The Only Way Is Essex stars Sam Faiers and Jessica Wright both opted for slinky black gowns, while their former co-star Amy Childs wore an Ultimo Couture dress

Strictly stylish: Australian singer/actress Holly Valance looked stunning in a flowing pink gown, while Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly wore a black and blue sparkly mini

Mrs Crouch showed off her tiny figure in a black asymmetrical dress with spiked detail on the shoulder.

Mrs Rooney proved to be a good ambassador for her employer Littlewoods as she wore one of the catalogue's customised little black dresses with a bejewelled neckline and belt.

Also representing her own clothing range was lingerie entrepreneur Michelle Mone, who wore an eye-catching multi-coloured maxi dress from her new Ultimo Couture range.

Spice up your life: Heart FM DJ Emma Bunton had earlier tweeted her excitement at seeing her 'gorgeous' ex-Spice Girl bandmate Melanie Chisholm

Going grey: TV presenter Myleene Klass (left) wore a grey Jacques Azagury mermaid gown, while Pride Of Britain Awards host Carol Vorderman wore an Amanda Wakeley number

The blonde Scot admitted she was running out of dresses for the amount of red carpet events she was attending and plumped for the same gown she wore to the Cash For Kids Ball on Saturday.

She tweeted: 'Sorry same dress as Sat but been cleaned, who cares.'

Model/TV presenter Nell McAndrew was also going for a multi-coloured look in a pretty floral shift dress.

Aside from the three Girls Aloud members, their successors The Saturdays were also in attendance.

Any dress as long as its black: Tara Palmer-Tomkinson - in Alaia -, EastEnder Shona McGarty and Dragon's Den star Hilary Devey all wore very different black dresses

Good advert: Lingerie entrepreneur Michelle Mone (left) wore one of her own Ultimo Couture gowns, while TV presenter Nell McAndrew wore an equally colourful dress

Pregnant Una Healy wore a black asymmetrical dress as she posed with bandmate Rochelle Wiseman, while a polka-dot clad Mollie King cosied up to Vanessa White, who looked glam in a burgundy number.

It was a mini Spice Girl reunion for Emma Bunton and Melanie Chisholm, who had been earlier tweeting about their excitement at seeing each other at the awards.

TV presenters Myleene Klass and Carol Vorderman both went for similar looks in dramatic grey gowns.

Back to black: Holly Willoughby wore a dress from her Very.co.uk range, Xtra Factor host Caroline Flack looked cute in a lacy number, while EastEnders actress Jo Joyner wore a black tiered number

Night away from the dance studio: Strictly contestant Harry Judd and partner Aliona Vilani, Robbie Savage and his wife Sarah and Jason Donovan and his daughter Jemma

Girls night out: Loose Women panellists Andrea McLean, Denise Welch and Lisa Maxwell (left) arrived together, while their former colleague Coleen Nolan brought husband Ray Fensome

Loose Woman Vorderman - who was hosting the ceremony - showed off her famous curves in a grey Amanda Wakeley gown, while Klass went for a fishtail number.

With the new series of Strictly Come Dancing having just started, it was no surprise to see a host of the show's contestants in attendance.

Australian singer/actress Holly Valance looked stunning in a floor-length pink patterned gown, while Strictly host Tess Daly kept it short and sweet in a blue and black zig-zag Alice + Olivia jersey mini dress.

Sporting pair: Retired footballer Jamie Redknapp and his stylish wife Louise (left) and cricketer Andrew Flintoff and his wife Rachael

McFly's Harry Judd arrived with his professional partner Aliona Vilani, while Jason Donovan made it a family affair and brought his 11-year-old daughter Jemma.

While many stars turned up solo, there were also a host of celebrity couples at the event.

Cycling champion Mark Cavendish arrived with his glamour model girlfriend Peta Todd, who towered over him in black platforms.

Height difference: (L-R) Glamour model Peta Todd towers over her cycling champion boyfriend Mark Cavendish, comedian Ronnie Corbett arrives with wife Anne while Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen brought wife Jackie

They all filed in two by two: (L-R) Skating partners Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Sky Sports presenter Ben Shephard and his wife Annie, while Corrie star Helen Worth arrived with partner Trevor Dawson






source:dailymail