The hair cut that hits all tabloid front pages

So Cheryl Cole's new barnet shocked the world.
How funny.
What next....
BREAKING NEWS: Kate Moss ate a prawn sandwich...

Here's the picture for anyone who cares....

BREAKING NEWS: Cheryl get's a hair cut

It's been a weird old day in the showbiz world.
The Daily Star newsroom, me included, actually flew into a mild frenzy earlier when pictures of Cheryl Cole landed on our picture desk.
Chezza's been AWOL since getting the boot from the US X FACTOR - 37 days ago.
Not only has Princess Chez now finally been spotted alive and kicking (at the American Embassy in London getting a new work visa) - she's gone and got herself a brand new hair cut.
And this, my friends, has caused serious pandemonium. And no doubt by tomorrow morning, world-wide pandemonium.
Twitter was going mental 10 mins after news of the pictures leaked. Everyone wanted to see her new look - with people wanting to know.... how blonde has she gone? How much has she chopped off? Does she look happy/ pretty etc etc.
The paparazzo who snapped the money shot was charging £10,000 per publication to print the photo.
Not a bad day's work, hey?
So Cheryl's celebrating her 28th birthday tomorrow and has a brand new honey-blonde, long bob to mark the occasion.
Well that's one way to 'wash the man right outta your hair'. See you later Simon Cowell.

The way Cheryl looked before she
went blonde and cut her locks off

So finally after weeks in hiding Cheryl has spoken and is apparently sending out a clear message that she’s reinventing herself and is ready to move on with the next chapter. Will it include ex husband Ashley Cole?

Only time will tell. But if I had a spare few quid, I'd bet it will..

No doubt by the time I wake up tomorrow morning this news will be world-wide. And everyone from here to New Zealand and back will be talking about Cheryl Cole's new shorter, blonder hair-do.

It's a funny old world we live in. Not really sure why we all care. But we do.

In other news Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancy are getting married tomorrow in a low key wedding - they've decided not to sell the pictures to a glossy mag,
And Kate Moss is finally going to tie the knot on Friday - rumours are she's going to sell the photos to Vogue. As you do.

The Killers in torrential rain... Hard Rock Calling

I love the rain. I love drinking beer and dancing in the rain.
So Friday night at Hard Rock Calling was the perfect moment to kick start the summer for me.
Watching one of my favourite bands The Killers perform in a torrential rain storm in London's Hyde Park.
Yes, everyone was absolutely soaked, and niether me or my friend Sam had an umberella, but dancing to Mr Brightside with a pint of Mojito wearing a beanie hat in the rain is my idea of heaven.

After watching the Kaiser Chiefs warm up for The Killers and then seeing Brandon Flowers do his thing we headed into Hard Rock's VIP hospitality area. 


Hard Rock were giving out straw hats to stop you getting wet...

We ordered a tray of cocktails, a platter of nachos and went to find a table.
Sitting right next to us was Prince Harry with Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice. As you can imagine with in minutes everyone was crowding round them, getting overly excited. People go loopy for the royals.
Prince Harry had been moshing side of stage during The Killers' set, jammy sod. He was now knocking back Tequilla slammers with a group of about 20 mates.

We headed into the backstage smoking area and a couple of minutes later Prince Harry came out. Obviously everyone, including me, went over to say 'hi'. Well, you've got it. It's PRINCE HARRY.
He was a lot cockier than I expected. This pleased me. Maybe he was just drunk, but he was flirting with the girls, loving the attention but refusing to have any pics saying "it's just not my style".
His wide-boy manner amused me.
He royally snubbed Sam Faiers from The Only Way Is Essex telling her he, "had no idea who she was."
While she stood in front of him giggling like a child on acid he told her "he'd never watched The Only Way Is Essex" and he never really "gets time to watch TV".
Oh well, she didn't care. The next day it was all over the Sunday papers that they were "getting it on".
Funny how things get twisted, hey?

I think the most exciting part of this was a.) finding out Prince Harry smokes, who knew?
and b.) finding out he has the fittest bodyguard.
Seriously, his bodyguard is the spitting image of Guy Ritchie.
Obviously, as I'd had a few cheeky bevvies I told him. As you do.
He smiled and said everyone tells him that.
Uhhh, talk about make a girl feel special, pah.

Me with my friends Jonathan and Sam getting wet watching The Killers


I was told by organisers of Hard Rock Calling that The Killers had an impress backstage rider.
It consisted of bottles of whiskey, vodka, gin, 96 cans of beer, cider and red wine.
Not bad.

Another thing I learnt from my mate Jonathan is a bottle of Corona mixed with a shot of Bacardi Limon is amazing.
Oooh also... apparently I am in the background of the Prince Harry photos they are using in the Sunday papers. I'm going to track that down and post it one here. One for the grandchildren me thinks.

On route to Hard Rock Calling

I was sitting on the tube (Piccadilly line if you care) on the way to Hard Rock Calling and a woman standing next to be started heckling the tube conductor.
She didn't look particularly insane, although she was hanging onto the over-head rail like her life depended on it. And she had really hairy armpits. Sorry, I couldn't help notice. She was standing literally inches away from me, in rush hour.
Anyway, as the train driver made announcements over the intercom, she started shouting at him.
Well not at him. As she couldn't see him. But shouting, out loud.
She was barking:  "We are moving down". "We are keeping away from the doors." "For God's sake we're trying our best". "Typical man bossing everyone around".
I hate awkward tube moments like this, when everyone who's 'normal' is looking at each other not knowing what to do, or think, or even possibly say.
Moments later, the same woman announced to the carriage that despite the fact she was carrying a huge, black, over-night bag she didn't have a bomb in it. Good to know.
There were two blonde, American teenage girls standing next to me. They looked like they were going to cry.
The nutty woman got off at Leicester Square, and I carry on my journey to Hyde Park Corner to see the Kaiser Chiefs and The Killers in peace.

Dog stalking

Me and my boyfriend Jimmy are dog stalkers. We're both as bad as each other.
Every time either of us walk near someone with a dog we always ask if we can stroke them.
The dog that is.
OK, I'm worse than my fella, but he eggs me on, so he can get a cheeky stroke too without looking like a weirdo.
We even cross over the road and/or make a detour to pat someone else's dog.
FREAKS.

So, yep, I'm that annoying dog stalker person, who deliberately and knowingly, puts dog owners in an awkward three minute conversation.
The chat is aways the same... "Ahhh he's so well behaved, how old is he? he's so soft, has he just had a bath? I love his colour, he's beautiful etc etc."
In reality all I want to do is slam dunk the doggie in a full-on, rolling round the pavement bear hug...
You might have guessed I'm dog mad.
In fact pretty crazy about animals. As long as they have fur... I'm in.
Many years ago I decided I couldn't eat anything that I wanted to hug . So cows are 100% out. Pigs and chickens...in.

One of my oldest friends Boe, I've known him since I was 6 months old (his mum's best friends with my mum, we were born in the same hospital) has been calling me Miss Fluff for years. For obvious reasons.
I realise a burly man would probably never openly admit he loves the feel of fur. But I think I'd judge someone who said they hate fluffy things.
Seriously, surely everyone loves gettng under a fur blanket to watch films? Or likes the feel of stroking a cat/ dog?
I challenge any meat-head to sit on his sofa with a DVD, pizza, pack of beer under a fur throw and not enjoy it.

I'd like to point out I'm not into pink fur or naff girlie stuff like that. Just animals with cool hair.

Talking about cool animals here's a few I've stalked recently...
 



Woodstock the Cockerpoo...
I met him at the opening on a Doggy Restaurant in Chelsea




I met this little beaut Clinton at Brentwood train station
on the way to a The Only Way Is Essex party



Jimmy emailed me a pic of Rosie while he was doing a quote in Highgate (yep we are that sad)





I took this photo of my friend Amy's dog Killer when I was LA for The Oscars
He's a Hollywood doggie



A dog I kinda stole from our neighbours during the Cannes Film Festival
He was called Elliot (sounds very funny in a French accent).

I won't bore you with the rest.
I was thinking I might create a section on my blog called Dog Stalking and randomly post pictures of my conquests over the next months.
It'll give me something to do on rainy days.

Doggy Vision...

I have something really weird going on at the moment.

I can't stop thinking about adopting a dog.

It’s constantly on my mind and I can't stop daydreaming about how perfect life would be if I had a dog.

I know it's not possible because...

a.) I work as a gossip girl, so I'm out at showbiz events most nights and away at festivals for most weekends over the summer

b.) I can't even afford to look after myself without constantly over-spending on my credit card, and then panicking when the bill arrives

c.) I often do really stupid, spontaneous things, without worrying about any commitments
d.) My mum would freak out and give me an earful of grief for being "immature, irresponsible and stupid"

However, despite all the above, I'm pinning, badly, for a four legged friend.

You know when you first meet a guy you really like and he’s constantly on your mind.

You’re trying to get on with work and suddenly before you realize you’ve wasted half an hour daydreaming about him.

One minute you're concentrating writing a story about Kate Moss' latest booze blow out, the next you're aimlessly smiling from ear to ear thinking about how sexy his fore arms are.
Well that’s exactly what’s happening at the moment with my dog urges.

Yep, they smell, and moult, and mess your house up. Yep, they're needy and take up all your time.

But they're amazing. And everyone who has a dog seems so happy.

I wanna get me some of that action.

Jazz after dark

It was my mate Jenny's 30th birthday last night. She lives in Australia now, but flew in especially to get drunk and celebrate.
We went to Ruby Blue in Leicester Square.
I'm not a fan of Leicester Sq in the day, let alone in the night. It's so chavvy, I felt like we were in a 18-30s club in Ayia Napa.
Really loud, cheesy music...mixed with some classic Whitney Houston and old school dance rave tunes.
Anyway we got the Tequilla slammers in, and Jagerbombs, Gin n Tonics, Rum and cokes... etc.
And at 12.30am the birthday girl went home.
Which is what I should have done.

But me and my boyfriend Jimmy and two mates Alex and Tom decided to carry on drinking.
So we went to Jazz After Dark in Soho - famously known for being Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty's favourite Jazz bar.


  

Pictures on the wall of Amy Winehouse
















The manager gave us the VIP area, which was cool. Red walls, red sofas, red tables all roped off with, er, red velvet rope. We ordered a stack of Jack and cokes, and a huge platter of food. Awesome.

I finally rolled in about 3am, after me and Jimmy both fell asleep in the cab which was alwasy miles past our house.

Alex, Jimmy and me in Jazz After Dark - er, hammered.

Oh well, it's 5pm now and I'm still in my dressing gown, really hungover, and I've just ordered a takeaway Curry.
I don't think I'll bothered gettng out my Pj's today, or eat anything that's less than a 1000 calories.
In my hungover stupor, I even did the horrifying thing of looking through last night’s receipts. Painful.
I'm such a fool, for the disgusting about of cash I spunked on booze last night I could have gone on holiday.
It's so expensive to go out in central London.

Pre-Wimbledon party

My mum is forever telling me "You don't need alcohol to have a good time".
Yeah OK, so as I've got older I've come to realise in some situations this could possibly be true.
But it definitely makes things a lot more fun. Until the morning after.

However, on a flip side it seems you do need sunshine to have a good time. When it's raining no-one wants to do anything or go anywhere. It puts a complete dampener on life. Quite literally.

This time last year it was really hot 'n sunny and everyone was loving life. Including me.
I was invited to attend Ascot in box and ended up hanging out with Declan Donnelly on Ladies Day, drinking champagne, losing money on horses (I didn't win one race) and generally getting inebriated in the blazing sunshine.
Oh and I met The Queen. Well, I stood about 20 inches away from her. Same difference?
After spending two afternoons lording it around Ascot, big hat, posh dress, jugs of Pimms and quaffing champagne... I went to a pre-Wimbledon party at the Roof Gardens in Kensington and met, for the first time, Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross.


Arriving at Ascot for the first day for lunch in Ladbrokes' private box



Sonja, Declan, and me on second afternoon... Ladies Day



With Russel and Jonathan at pre-Wimbledon party


Fast forward a year and exactly the same thing was suppose to happen. Minus meeting Russell Brand (he's, like, totally living in LA now, and, like, married to a popstar, and, like, sooooo American and stuff).

But it was chucking it down. It's rained in London continually for five days.

Which means I didn't go to Ascot, not just because it was pissing it down, but because, well, my colleague Sonja and I just decided we didn't want to.

See, no sunshine. No fun.

We did both however go to the pre-Wimbledon party. We were really excited about going. It was a right laugh last year. He got to hang out with Gavin Henson as well and although, he wears more fake tan than we'd ever and is preened into a inch of death, he's still a really nice guy.

Elen and moi

This year is was belting it down, and we only stayed for an hour after having a quick chat to Elen Rivas. We briefly saw Sir Alan Sugar, but he was complaining about the crappy weather and some of the celebs expected including Sarah Harding, Mathew Horne, Gethin Jones and Emily Blunt also cried off because of the endless rain.

Elen was getting hassled by everyone to talk about her ex fiance Frank Lampard. Seeing as he's just proposed to new girlfriend Christine Bleakley.

People were asking her if she'd allow her daughters (with Frank) to be bridesmaids etc.

Felt really sorry for her, she basically told most people to piss off.

However, her pal Lizzie Clundy told us they both "need more sex and more fun".

Couldn't agree more.



Showbiz news round up

It's been a busy day for celebsville.

Frank Lampard asked his girlfriend Christine Bleakley to married him last night, while the pair were on their jollies in LA.

Christine's a top girl, so really chuffed for her.

Nothing quite like bagging a footballer, hey?

Despite being engaged once before (to Elen Rivas, the mother of his two children) Frank obviously thought only dating Christine for a year was long enough to seal the deal.

They're a great couple and both seem to have a lot of fun.

To celebrate I'm re-posting my snaps of me with them.

No reason, just cos.

Breaking news today was that two men were planning to murder Joss Stone.

Seriously, why? She's the nicest hippy\ stoner\ songwriter\ earth-child on the celeb scene. The two mentalist men were arrested with swords, rope, a body bag and detailed maps of Joss's home. A lush farmhouse in Devon, in case you care.

Er, Essex playboy Mark Wright made the column today after making his fiancee Lauren Goodger cry. Again.

Following pics of him naked on a balcony with his ex Lucy in Marbella...Marks now trying to bat away rumours they shagged.

Everyone knows you did Mark. I mean EVERYONE. Just put your hands up and deal with the punishment.

We all know Lauren won't dump him, but it'll cost a diamond necklace or two to wriggle out of that one.

In other news Nicole Scherzinger totally took the micky by wearing this outfit at the US X Factor auditions.

Surely it can't be a co-incidence?

Really? Are we suppose to believe that?

I think it's pretty pathetic what people do, or are told to do by their 'people' for publicity.

In other news I miss Russell Brand. His erotic, randy bed-hair and skinny jeans use to excite me at events.

We're not pals or anything. Not even acquaintances. But I used to enjoy going to showbiz parties thinking there was a possibility he'd swagger up in his pixie boots up and gothic-esque getup.

Who's fun on the showbiz scene these days? Seriously, who?

Can't think of anyone.

Wino's all spaced out, Harding's getting married and chilling out.

Even Kate Moss has had enough.

We need some new rock n rollers, who aren't 12.

Seriously fuck off Justin Beiber and The Wanted.

Isle Of Wight festival

  

My bezzie mate Sam and me on the ferry over to Isle of Wight

The summer officially kicked off this weekend.
Isle of Wight is the first festival of the year and in true festival fashion is rained for all three days. Highlights included...
- Our faulty towers hotel (yep, I stayed in a hotel, at a festival. My inner hippy hates myself too)
- A very drunk Mat Horne
- Trying to turn paparazzi when I spotted Kate Moss
- Dancing wildly to Pulp
- Drinking Kir Royale in the Hip Shaker tent
- 12 inch hot dog
- Knocking back Tequila shots in VIP to Kaiser Chiefs (which resulted in two of our party (Sonja and Stef) being sick!)

Hotel\ Dog Kennel

We had big hopes for the hotel. It had an indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi. That's usually an indicator that it's OK. Yeah?
Well the hotel was beyond comedy.
The corridors got thinner the higher up you went.
We were on the top floor.
You couldn't pass another person in the corridor, they were that thin. It was like a prison.
Green floral carpet, garish yellow curtains, a TV small enough to fit in your bag and pillow's so hard you could probably knock someone out with them.
The hotel bar didn't look like it'd been open for 10 years.
And despite the promise of WiFi in every room the manager told us: "if you sit in the far corner of the lobby, near the coat stand you can probably get coverage."
We were greeted by a Imperial Leather soap cut in two in our bathroom. That pretty much sums up the glamour of the place.
Also we turned on the cold water tap and it fell off in our hands.
We spent three days with no cold water.
Despite all the above we still had fun at our faulty towers style hotel.

Mat Horne

Sonja, Mat Horne and me in the VIP bar

Gavin and Stacy star Mat was wasted. Totally and utterly spoonfaced.
OK, we were pretty drunk too (we started drinking on the ferry at noon) but he was the one to beat.
First he stumbled straight into the VIP bar and then he knocked an entire bucket of straws off the bar onto the floor.
Despite being a celeb he was made to scrap around on the floor on his hand and knees to pick them up. In front of everyone.
Then in a drunken stupor Mat picked up a paper plate and cut a massive hole in the centre so he could put it on his wrist. He told us his unusual "wrist band" was a VVIP, access all areas pass. OK.
Despite in inability to walk straight to talk anything other than nonsense he managed to pull a really pretty brunette. Good skills Horne.

Kate Moss

So Kate Moss was having her hen do at the IOW festival. She arrived on site with 30 of her cronies in two huge pink stretch hummers. Classy.
They were all wearing different coloured Juicy Couture tracksuits, Kate's was white.
Each with Kate Moss's hen do written on the back and their name on the front.
There isn't much to report about her hen party.
She went on a few of the monster rides, which was quite impressive as some were really scary.
She had two golf buggies to carry her and her possee around site.
She went AWOL on the second day of the festival and wasn't seen anywhere - leaving her hens to party without her.

Us posing next to Mossy's hummer

All in all IOW festival was fantastic, despite the never ending rain.

Just about to go and watch the Kaiser Chiefs

Me, Sam, Sonja and Stef watching the Kaiser Chiefs in the rain

Sonja and me crashing some super hero's party

No one's too posh for a freebie

The Glamour Women of the Year awards is always a awesome event.
The annual bash is famous for it's bulging goodie bag, even the rich and famous love tottering off home with a heavy draw-string bag, stuffed full of freebies
Celebs, journos and media guests are all aware you need to be sober enough to leave before 1am.
Otherwise you'll miss out as there's never enough bags to go around.
I made that mistake last year at the GQ Men of the Year awards...had a great night, got wasted, danced too much and forgot to leave before the dreaded GB shortage. Rookie error.
It was my fella's birthday as well that night, it was bad enough I'd sacked him off to go to 'work' (pah, to shmooze with male celebs more like...hello Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie) but then - forgot the goodie bag full of stuff for lads. Wounder.
It didn't go down too well with the boyfriend, proving men love a freebie too.
Even if it had Davidoff Cool Water aftershave in it.
Which reminds me, the Glamour's goodie bag had a bottle of Joop in it. I gave it to my brother, I think he thought I was taking the piss.
I wasn't.
I thought it was kitsch and well, kinda cool.
He said it smelt rank.
He was right.

The bulging bag full of perfume, books, makeup, nail varnish, Godiva chocolates, St Tropez tan etc...

The Glamour Women of the Year Awards

The Glamour bash is always rammed full of good celebrities.
This year didn't disappoint.
Davina McCall, Michael McIntyre, Dermot O'Leary, Louis Walsh, Dizzie Rascal, Kristen Stewart, Kim Kardashian, The Kings of Leon, JLS, Sugababes, The Saturdays etc...
Highlights of the night included...
* Host James Corden starting off a continual joke that he'd slept with Davina McCall's husband Matthew (so has Dermot, Dawn French and Micheal McIntyre apparently).
* JLS's Marvin having such a low cut top on you could practically see his nipples.
* Ryan Giggs being the brunt of most jokes on stage
* Jessie J - she's great. So normal and sexy and well...my new girl crush
* Kristen Stewart dying on stage - she's so necessarily awkward and stuttery. It's annoying.
* Dizzie Rascal saying he "thought my dress was banging". Nice.
* Davina McCall stoking and kissing my face while telling me how "amazing" her hubby is in bed
* Been given a Pandora Charm bracelet during dinner (they were the sponsors)
* Eating quails eggs for the first time, and enjoying them
* Seeing how excited Ellie Goulding was when American legend Stevie Nicks came on stage
* Knowing that Dragons Den's Peter Jones coordinated his sparkly purple tie with purple stripey socks.

 

Swanky new eyebrows

Thought I would quickly post a picture of my posh new HD eyebrows.
I would like to point out I am not very good at all this girlie-girl business.
I've never successfully applied a pair of false eyelashes myself, I have never worn false nails and I much prefer my freckles to having flawless foundation.

However, I thought I'd give the HD brows a go... and I can't deny I absolutely love them.
Seriously, I am a total convert and would recommend to anyone wanting to feel a bit more preened.
I definitely need all the help I can get to look glamourous.
And before you panic, like I did, you won't look anything like Jordan!
For all the info check out http://www.hd-brows.co.uk/ or follow www.twitter.com/EyebrowQueen

new brows... not too shabby

HD Eybrows and Isle Of White festival

OK, quick blog before I head out to watch Water For Elephants.
I am getting HD Eyebrows tomorrow and yep, I'm pretty freaked out about it.
To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what HD eyebrows will look like?
I was offered them free for a press day and thought 'why not?!'
I'm just keeping my fingers crossed I'll not look like a drag queen version of Katie Price.

I currently have a weird tattoo of two black hexagons on my arm... a patch test to check I'm not allergic.
I'm not.

Tomorrow will see the end of my fair, fluffy eyebrows.
I will post some pics of the end result. Unless I look like a transvestite dressed as Janice Dickinson.
In which case, I'll hide.

Hopefully I'll look like this... haha, yeah right!

In other news it's the first festival of 2011 this weekend.
The Isle Of White festival! Can't flipping wait.
The rain has been belting down in London for the last 24 hours so dreams of demin shorts and suede ankle boots are a thing of the past.
Looks like my new Havaianas wellie boots might get an airing.

Rain or sunshine it's set to be an awesome weekend.
Kate Moss is having her hen do there, and Kings of Leon, Kaiser Chiefs, Foo Fighters, Pulp, Kasabian and Beady Eye are all playing.
Need I say more?

Stacey Solomon edits GOSS

Forgot to say last week Stacey Solomon guest edited the GOSS column.
Most celebrities who do guest edits come into the office for an hour or so chatting about the day's news.
We flick through the paparazzi pictures, do a quick interview and have a few photos sitting on the Goss reporter desks.
However Stacey Solomon isn't like most celebrities.
She didn't come into GOSS HQ on the Thames, or even get a sniff of the GOSS desk.
No.
Instead she requested we meet her at a hairdressing salon just off Regents Street to conduct the guest edit, as she wanted to have her hair dyed and put in some new extensions.

We (myself and Sonja) arrived at 12pm, Stacey had already been there for 1 1/2 hours.
We're told she'll be at least seven hours. SEVEN HOURS.
Is she attaching the extensions strand by strand?
We had a quick chat with her, while she was wearing a plastic shower cap covered in cotton wool.
She also had brown hair dye all over her ears and even smothered over her eyebrows!
Hilarious.
Not many, infact probably no other celeb would let you seem them with dye all over their hair, let alone a naff plastic hat and eyebrows caked in brown goo, brushed the wrong way across your face.
God bless the Essex-ness of Stacey.

Anyway, we did the interview and went off to a coffee shop to type it up ready for print that evening.
We arrived back at the salon at 6pm - that's 7 1/2 hours after she arrived - and Stacey's hair was still as short, only three extensions have been added.
To cut a long and boring story short, she eventually walked out the salon at 10pm...
Her hair dying and extension took a whopping 11 1/2 hours.

Luckily for us Miss Solomon agreed to pose for a column shot with just three extensions in her barnet.
She just tied it all up in a bun.
There was no chance I was hanging around until 10pm.

Sonja, Stacey Solomon and moi

Stacey with her half done hair, fair play to her for not acting like a diva

She revealed to us that ...
She'd love to go cave out a Hollywood career.
Her debut album will be out this December and will be a mix of Eva Cassidy and Adele.
She would pose naked for PETA but not for Playboy
She would never date Olly Murs and never has
Dannii Minogue is the nicest person in showbiz and still calls her all the time
She loves getting drunk and silly at festivals, camping in the mud
She plays golf
She's doing a Triatholon
She's nothing like the rich kids on The Only Way Is Essex
She's never go back into the jungle as it was 'too much like hard work'