Sarah Harding in Rehab. Sad times

Sarah and me in Cannes for the
annual film festival

I love Sarah Harding. We've always supported her in our showbiz column, even back in the day, years ago when I had only just started at the Daily Star.
Hardcore Harding, as we nick-named her, always put us to shame with her canning ability often calling it a night hours past sunrise.
I've spent many a boozy night with Sarah in London, at Alton Towers, in Cannes and she could seriously drink most men under the table.
However, there's obviously a fine line between swigging out of a bottle of Jack Daniels while flicking the paparrazi your middle finger, to not realising your life's spiralling out of control.
So it was a sad day when we got the call to say she'd checked into an American rehab centre for alcohol addiction and depression.
Get well soon fellow party pal.
 

Sarah and me at the BAFTA awards earlier this year



Without poking my nose in too much, I'm really glad she's sorting everything out.
I was worried she was heading for a Lindsay Lohan/ Britney Spears style meltdown.
There's been a lot of gossip/ whispers about Sarah on the showbiz scene for months.
Ever since she seemed totally out of in at the BAFTA awards back in Feb.

Then she split up with her fiance Tom Crane amid speculation of someone being unfaithful. I won't say who.
A lot of people have been worrying about her, and not just her friends and family.

Good luck Harding, I hope to see you with a smile on your pretty mug again soon.



Fellow Goss girl Sonja, Sarah and me at V Festival in Essex

Baftas: The Aftermath. Drunk and disorderly. Not me (this time).

So I chatted to Girls Aloud's Sarah Harding, who got heroically stuck into the free plonk, unlike her relatively sober band mate Kimberley Walsh.
After getting engaged, on NYE, in the Maldives, to her fella of three years Tom, Sarah was quick to put an end to the Girls Aloud rift rumours.
(Just to get you up to speed... the band are on a 'break', rumours and evidence suggest Nadine and Cheryl hate each other, Nadine never attends girlie Girls Aloud bonding session, or her bandmate’s birthdays, or anything similar. The others stick together like orphan lambs. Smells a bit fishy, hey?)


Anyway Sarah told me, insistently, Nadine Coyle will definitely be at her wedding. Along with Chezza, Nicola and Kimberley. Hmmm.

Sarah also claimed she was dying her hair brown the morning after the Baftas saying, "I'll be the same colour as you tomorrow, dark brown."
Haven't seen any pictures of her yet.

However, Sarah was completely blotto'ed and probably would've believed Jimmy Hendrix had risen from death if I’d put on a convincing enough face.
I like Harding. A lot. But she was more wasted at the Baftas than I’ve seen her for ages.

I don't think she'd appreciate the Amy Winehouse references which were being mutter around the room,.

Meanwhile Kimberley had been presenting live on the red carpet for the E! channel, greeting A-list stars as they arrived. She admitted she'd never been so nervous.

Apparently half way through one of the interviews she asked to edit the interview and start again, forgetting it was live. Eeek.

BAFTA Film Awards

I arrived at the pre-Baftas champagne reception at 4.30pm - candles, canapes, tuxedos, fur coats and fizz everywhere.
After an hour of hobnobbing I walked down the red carpet (in the rain, with an umbrella) at London's Royal Opera House with the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter.
A great experience.

While fans screamed wildly and limos and paparazzi dashed everywhere the A Lists greats just milled around as if they were browsing in a quaint pottery shop in Devon.


After the ceremony, which spun no surprises - The Kings Speech reigned supreme, I spent the night on Orange's private table at the awards dinner in Grosvenor House. Sweet.
The night was a mix of showbiz perfectness.
I… ate Venison for the first time and quite liked it.
Told Colin his hair looked really soft (he must use serum and/or conditioner). Chatted to a very drunk Sarah Harding. Drank too many glasses of super posh white wine. Resulting in me accidentally, on purpose, stealing four Black Swan designed dinner place mates from various tables.
It would’ve been rude not too, and besides, everyone was doing it. Even the celebs.

My new dinner place mats courtesy of Bafta

The Kings Speech stole the night grasping 7 of the 14 awards it was nominated for including Best Film and Outstanding British Film.  Colin Firth won Best Actor, with Helena scooping Best Supporting Actor.


Mr Firth told me:  “It feels amazing to win awards, but tomorrow I’ll be back down to earth with a bang, on the school run and taking the bins out. I might as well make the most of it tonight.”
And that he did, I kept seeing him clutching his award upside down while staggering around.
He celebrated in style partying until 5am before leaving his award on a bar somewhere (he had to send this flunkies back in to try and reclaim it. 

My favourite win of the night was Noomi Rapace who scooped Best Actress for her kick ass part in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo flicks. 
She brought some drama to the red carpet in a gold metallic Givenchy Couture dress.
She told me: “I love the dress, but I can’t sit down properly as there are spikes on my belt. I’ve been having a few problems walking around as it’s really heavy. I have to walk in small circles