A Russian model and actress came to prominence in a controversial way when her mother was accused of “sexualizing” her daughter through social media posts.
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As a child star, Kristina worked with Armani, Burberry and Dolce & Gabbana(Image: Daily Record)
Kristina Pimenova was dubbed the ‘most beautiful girl in the world’ when she was just nine years old.
The young girl’s blue eyes and long blonde hair had catapulted her to worldwide fame but the photos of the schoolgirl were branded ‘disturbing’ by some.
The Russian youngster had been a model since she was just three years old when she went viral thanks to pictures posted on social media by her mother Glikeriya Pimenova.
However, Glikeriya was criticized for “sexualizing” her child through the images, but she maintained that her daughter’s “poses” were genuine, even in those taken at the beach.
READ MORE: ‘Most beautiful girl in the world’ looks unrecognisable at 24 after going viral
She told Mail Online in 2004: “I am certain in my mind all her photographs are absolutely innocent. I have never asked her to take this or that pose, and in fact I must say she does not especially like it when I am photographing her, so I do it quickly and when she doesn’t notice.”
Kristina continued to collaborate with fashion juggernauts like Dolce & Gabbana, Armani, Burberry, and Vogue.
The 19-year-old, who was born in Moscow, is currently a student at a drama school and has appeared in movies like The Russian Bride, Secret Neighbour, and Creators: The Past.
The child star speaks positively about finding fame so young and is quoted in the Daily Mail as saying: “Modeling happened naturally for me when I was younger, I was just like: ‘Let’s try this’, I didn’t even know what it was.
It felt like a game because I was just playing. It was a significant period of my early life for me. It eventually led to friends traveling, so it was only natural.
Kristina continues to model but acting is her main focus. Her Instagram biography reads: “Remember, beauty is inside”.
Thylane Blondeau, the most beautiful young woman in the world, was crowned the “most beautiful young girl in the world” at the age of six when she modelled for Jean Paul Gaultier. She began working for Versace, Ralph Lauren, L’Oreal, Chanel, and Dolce and Gabbana.
Thylane’s Vogue Enfant feature received criticism for having “a lot of sexualized styling and positioning,” which attracted widespread condemnation. However, her mother, Veronica Loubry, defended the provocative shoot, saying, “The necklace that she’s wearing is the only thing that shocks me about the picture.”
Claire Sweeney, an actress and singer from Coronation Street and Brookside, reflects on the groundbreaking soap’s heyday and tells her tales on screen and on the air.
Tabish Ali and Mitya Underwood
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Claire has been a familiar face on television since in the early ’90s, when she played Lindsey Corkhill on Brookside(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Claire Sweeney is one of Britain’s most multi-talented stars — actress, singer and TV personality — whose rise from Liverpudlian butcher’s daughter to West End leading lady and soap favourite has made her a household name. She first appeared in Brookside as Lindsey Corkhill before conquering reality TV (Celebrity Big Brother, Dancing on Ice ) and musical theatre (including Chicago).
Today, Claire – who recently paid moving tribute to boxer Ricky Hatton following his death, after the pair briefly dated following their stint on Dancing On Ice, brings her wit, drama and charm to new audiences — and in this exclusive interview with OK!, reveals the defining moments behind her journey to fame – and the sliding doors moment that changed everything….
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Claire, growing up in Liverpool, balancing theatre school with working in your father’s butcher shop, what initially drew you to a career in entertainment?
I was obsessed with Fame, the TV show, like most 1980s kids at the time, but that’s just me. My mother was a barmaid, and my father was a butcher, and I started dancing before enrolling in stage school in Liverpool. There’s a teacher there — if you watch Benidorm, she was Johnny Vegas’s mum – who singled me out and said, “You can sing” and said, “Now, you need a thing called an equity card. You visit social clubs, sing in old people’s homes, or whatever else, gain knowledge and a credit card. And my father responded, “I can sort that out.”
Your dad was instrumental, wasn’t he?
Yes, he had a van and he’d go around all the pubs, open the back doors, flog meat out the back, right? So he decided to bribe the concert secretary of the Montro Social Club with a leg of lamb to let me sing. So that was my very first gig. He gave him a leg of lamb, let me sing, and I carried on from there. It was quite funny because every Christmas I got very, very busy, but there were lots of turkeys going in the back of clubs! God bless me dad. The only way he knew how to give me a step up was to give us meat.
How did Brookside and Coronation Street compare to reality television programs like Dancing on Ice and Big Brother?
Starting out — I started on cruise ships first as a singer, on summer seasons, pantos… And then got into Brookside, which was great for me. It’s so inconvenient in our business. Our travels are constant. You’re never in one place. I literally learned the art of acting on the job in order for me to be able to compete in my favorite TV show and to master the art of acting, which I had never done before. Then, to be working in one place every day and working alongside my idols, Barry Grant and Jimmy Corkill, was beyond joyous.
How did it come to be that you lived with your partner on the first season of Celebrity Big Brother in 2001?
I can recall being invited to the BAFTA Awards along with Brookside, and there was a Big Brother-style television program at the time. I never watched it. Reality TV didn’t exist at the time. There was nothing like that in the jungle or Strictly.
I was chatting to a guy at the next table and at the end of the night, a spotlight came on him. Everyone stood up and gave him a standing ovation and I thought it was me – it turned out it was director, Richard Curtis. He was in charge of Comic Relief and they were doing a Celebrity Big Brother for Comic Relief – Mel B had just dropped out. He phoned Brookside and said, “I met Claire at the BAFTAs. Would you like to do it?”
You did, and that chance meeting did, didn’t it open many doors? !
I did, and it changed everything. Given that it was all very kind at the time, I decided to leave Brookside and go to a house for two weeks. There was no one trying to stitch you up or get a headline. So I did that, then I left, and then my dream jobs arrived.
I thought, “This is simple,” after years of schlepping around clubs, summer months, and pantos, to suddenly spend two weeks in a house, drink tea, and then obtain all your dream jobs. It was such a great chance encounter.
You’ve starred in Britain’s most beloved TV dramas. What role stands out?
I grew up watching Coronation Street. So to be part of an iconic show — even this morning, I was filming a scene with Dame Maureen Lipman and walking on the cobbles – I still pinch myself every day.
Brookside, however, was revolutionary. Only four channels were present. Millions of people watched the soaps at the time. Additionally, producer Phil Redmond was cautious with his actions. With edgy plots, he was always ahead of the pack. So, the joy of both is very different. I count my blessings every day.
You also have well-known musical theater credits and are a well-known singer. What does music and the stage mean to you?
I enjoy performing musical theater. I’ll never get over my disappointment with Southport Youth Theatre, having to audition for the Hair, and not getting the part at all! I think Martha, whose mother made the teas, got the part. It’s been let go by me. But that was always my dream. Even when I was in Brookside, every year we’d do a Christmas concert and I’d get up and do all my Lloyd Webber stuff, all my show songs.
You left Brookside because of it, isn’t it?
Yes . I’d just turned 30 and I went to Phil Redmond and said, “Phil, I’m 30. I recently ended a six-year relationship. I need to go see a musical to fulfill my dream. And I auditioned for Chicago. I auditioned for Chicago for the role in Celebrity Big Brother shortly after leaving Brookside, and my career just exploded.
It was nice to go into Chicago and leave. When I do my cabaret, I talk all about that. I discuss my experiences with Patrick Swayze in Guys and Dolls and all the other shows over the years. Isn’t it nice, is it not? I feel very lucky.
You’ve always made a charitable contribution from your platform. Can you tell us about some of the charities you support?
Since I was a teenager, I’ve been a Claire House employee. I contributed to their teenage ward’s million-dollar fundraising effort. And recently, I’ve got involved with another charity which I hold very dear to my heart actually — Brinsworth House for the Royal Variety. I went there and sang there while contemplating, “I’m getting my name down here,” for all the old-timers performing. I’ll be staying here. This looks lovely”. singing Ladies Who Lunch while leaning on the piano.
I’ve lost a lot of my friends to AIDS, so I’ve always been a part of causes like the Terrence Higgins Trust. And I’ve been to Africa several times for Save the Children and Comic Relief. And that was a fantastic opportunity to see the real impact of the home-based money raised.
What is a memory from those African trips that you find most moving?
I remember going to Sierra Leone and it was all the kids who were affected — the gun soldiers. It’s amazing to be able to actually see the money that you can make when you’re at home and making a phone call to Comic Relief, which I’ve done myself many, many times over the years, and to actually go to Africa and see where the money is going.
Brinsworth means a lot to me, but I’m also a firm believer that charity can start at home as well. And I think there’s sometimes that disconnect between the money that we give and actually seeing the benefit of it to people.
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Tabish Ali from the Champions Speakers organization conducted this exclusive interview with Claire Sweeney. For more information, visit champions-speakers. . uk
Prince Harry has made some important choices both during his royal life and in the decades that have followed, but one of them riled a significant royal into disbelief.
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Prince Harry returned to the UK for his grandfather’s funeral(Image: Amy Katz/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
It’s been over half a decade since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the nation by announcing their intention to step back from their roles as full-time working royals. The couple felt that their situation within the monarchy had become unbearable and change was necessary. However, their public declaration of wanting a ‘half-in, half-out’ approach to royal duties posed significant challenges for the rest of the Royal Family.
The Sussexes had been living in Canada prior to their shocking announcement, which led Meghan to move there with Archie. The details of their departure were clarified at the now-infamous Sandringham Summit, where Harry was able to attend alone.
Megxit: Inside the Sandringham Summit, a Channel Five documentary, explored the events that took place behind closed doors at this crucial meeting and its implications for the monarchy over the long term.
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One expert disclosed that a senior member of the House of Windsor was reportedly “horrified” by Harry’s decision to step back: his grandfather, Prince Philip. In the documentary, royal author Andrew Morton stated, “Prince Philip is someone who doesn’t take fools gladly, and he was horrified that they had come to a situation where the Royal Family were deciding whether to split up or not.”
The late Duke of Edinburgh chose to leave Sandringham rather than confront him because of how deeply he felt about his grandson Harry. According to journalist Emily Andrews, “Philip was so enraged that he wouldn’t even go there.” He claimed to have been unable to bring himself to see his grandson because he thought it was a grave dereliction of duty.
Prince Philip was allegedly “very much the head of the family” when it came to private affairs, despite always relying on his wife, the late Queen Elizabeth II, for decisions regarding matters of the crown.
Prince Philip shared a close bond with both Prince Harry and his elder brother Prince William, as well as his six other grandchildren. He was praised as being “brilliantly effective” in supporting the two brothers following the tragic loss of their mother in 1997.
The boys were on the Balmoral staff when they learned Diana had passed away, according to author Tina Brown, who noted that Prince Philip, who had effectively lost his own mother at the age of 10 when she was imprisoned for three years in Switzerland, was brilliantly effective with his grandsons, offering them gruff tenderness and outdoor activities like stalking and hiking.
The Independent has reported that during the planning of Princess Diana’s funeral, Prince Philip reminded those involved in organising the day that “It’s about the boys, they’ve lost their mother.”
On the day of the funeral, he also pledged his support, telling William and Harry, “I’ll walk if you walk.”
Prince Philip passed away in the year following the Sandringham Summit and Harry’s decision to step down from his royal duties, just one month after the Sussexes’ explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they explained their reasons for leaving.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Prince Harry was able to attend his grandfather’s funeral in the UK again.
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He wrote of his grandfather in a moving tribute, “He will be remembered as the longest reigning consort to the Monarch, a decorated serviceman, a Prince and a Duke.” But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent due to the agony of the past year, he was my grandpa: the master of barbecue, the legend of banter, and the cheeky “right ’til the end””.
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Pop duo Jedward spent the evening at Britain’s most spooky inn after a poll revealed that the majority of young Brits couldn’t handle horror movies.
Gen Z’s ability to make horror movies is apparent. A staggering 70% of adults can only endure a terrifying movie by hiding behind another viewer or peeking through their fingers in a survey of 2, 000 adults. For the more mature Gen X generation, this figure falls by half.
Young viewers use cracking jokes to make the movie more bearable, with only 13% of them actually enjoying themselves and claiming to be “rarely” scared by what they’re seeing on screen.
In response, the study conducted by M&, M’S to support the brand’s most recent campaign It’s More Fun Together discovered that more people prefer to watch family-friendly Halloween movies than those that are intended to irritate viewers.
Pop twins Jedward and Jedward braved the world to visit Gloucestershire’s The Ancient Ram Inn for a spooky film night, despite their fear.
The duo admitted that while we enjoy Halloween, there were many jump scares and creaky floors.
“Watching together and having plenty of snacks in between screams was the only thing that got us through,” they continued.
Almost half of Brits are organizing cosy Halloween movie nights at home, but a study found that 19% of adults believe they’ve had a ghostly or paranormal experience while watching a horror movie.
Gen Zers account for 42% of their total, with one-quarter of them claiming to have felt an invisible presence in the room with them. Another third reported hearing “sequel sounds” like creaking, scratching, or other strange sounds, while another third reported feeling an unexplained chill in the air.
In order to relax, a quarter of adults surveyed will switch to a comedy or lighthearted show after a horror movie. Other ways to deal with watching horror movies include turning off the lights or distracting yourself with snacks.
In addition, 10% of people keep a pet nearby for comfort while 1% casually check their phones during particularly terrifying scenes.
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Three quarters of people enjoy playing a prank on a mate or loved one during a horror movie, such as sneaking up on them after a loo break or slyly turning off the lights, to make people laugh.
The suggestion that Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, will reinvent herself by pursuing success in the beauty and fashion sectors has skepticism among both her and the public.
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(Image: Mirrorpix)
Today, Meghan Markle’s resemblance to the artist has been criticized as “thoughtless and directionless.”
The Duchess of Sussex appears determined to pursue a venture in the fashion world following her appearance at Paris Fashion Week. Since the trip, the 44-year-old star was praised for her “first positive PR” in several years and some experts expressed confidence Meghan will succeed in the industry.
But now other PR experts have hit out to blast the duchess, who met all-powerful global Vogue boss Anna Wintour and with American Vogue’s new editor, Chloe Malle, at the Balenciaga show in Paris. It is today argued Meghan’s sudden burst of activity hasn’t been well thought through and could be counterproductive to both her and Prince Harry.
“This has no strategy,” he said. She has nothing to announce, nothing to say, and nothing to launch. It is thoughtless and directionless. It’s a mess indeed. The Sussexes appear to be spiraling. The source claimed that they are aiming spaghetti at the wall and observing what sticks.
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But as Harry and Meghan’s Netflix contract ended in the summer, it is thought they are looking – both together and separately – at new opportunities, with some chatter lingering Harry, 41, could return to royal duties.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the well-placed source said, of Meghan: “It is evident that either she isn’t being advised properly or else she isn’t listening. Honestly, whoever is in charge shouldn’t even be putting this stuff in front of her, to protect her from herself.”
Put alongside Meghan’s glittering praise on which The Mirror reported this week, the latest assessment cuts a harsh stance. However, it comes amid reports the former actress has made the front cover of a global fashion magazine – said to be Harper’s Bazaar – despite the duchess having “nothing new” to plug.
Her PR team simply doesn’t have a plan for her, just putting her out there. She is not being selective and keeping herself safe. They appear to believe that every media opportunity is worthwhile, the insider continued.
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Meghan’s trip to Paris, during which she was snapped modelling numbers by Balenciaga, led to criticism earlier this month. She was pictured using the same route Diana, Princess of Wales was driven moments before her tragic crash in August 1997.
The Duchess of Sussex was seen in footage with her feet up on the chair in the car, just moments from the infamous Pont d’Alma tunnel. This led to claims – rejected by the duchess – she flouted a “blanket ban” Harry had imposed on Paris due to the association with his mum.
One of the biggest issues the Duchess had with her wardrobe during her time as a royal was revealed by the Duchess, who went so far as to claim that it made her feel “inauthentic.”
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Meghan has some issues with her royal wardrobe(Image: Emma Grede/Youtube)
Meghan Markle has spoken on a number of occasions about her troubles within the royal family. But one of her complaints raised eyebrows as she spoke about her wardrobe requirements as a member of The Firm.
Speaking to mark the launch of the second season of her Netflix show, Meghan said the rule regarding her clothing actually made her feel “a little bit inauthentic”.
Meghan was questioned about trying to be relatable while also being a duchess in an interview with Bloomberg’s The Circuit With Emily Chang.
Meghan responded, “No, I’m just being myself,” with a small smile. So I believe it was probably different a few years ago when I had to wear naked pantyhose constantly and couldn’t be as vocal.
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Let’s face it, that wasn’t very me. Since the 1980s when they first appeared in the little egg, I hadn’t seen pantyhose. That smelt a little unauthentic.
Although that’s a silly example, it does serve as an example of how to dress the way you want to and speak the truthfully and authentically in the space.
Meghan had previously discussed wardrobe issues she had during her brief time as a working royal. She previously claimed that she had purposefully avoided bright colors because she wanted to “blend in.”
The Duchess claimed that her customary royal color scheme of “camel, beige, and white” had been a deliberate choice when she spoke on Harry and Meghan’s Netflix show in December 2022.
“That was thought,” it said. You can’t always wear the same color as Her Majesty at a group event, she said, from what I understand. You should never be wearing the same color as a member of the family who is older, though.
What color is a color they’ll probably never wear, I thought? a mel ? ? Beige White ? I wore a lot of muted tones as a result, but also so I could just blend in. I’m not attempting to be distinctive here. There is no way I could fit in and join this family.
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She later stated, “Up until that last week in the UK, I rarely wore color and I never wanted to upstage or ruffle any feathers, so I just tried to blend in.” However, I was very color-conscious that week. Let’s just look like a rainbow, I thought. “
However, members of the royal family appeared to turn that theory on its head when they attended Princess Kate’s Christmas service a short time later.
It was speculated that they were sending a subtle message with their matching sartorial choices with Kate leading the way in a festive deep burgundy coat with a matching clutch bag and shoes.
William and Harry’s cousin Zara Tindall pointedly wore a coat in the very same shade, as did Kate’s daughter Princess Charlotte. The Princess’s sister, Pippa Matthews, also joined in on the theme, sporting a coat in the same deep red.
When it came to the men, Prince William opted for a burgundy tie, as did Zara’s husband Mike Tindall.
READ MORE: Heartbreaking moment Kate went into ‘self preservation mode’ in Harry and Meghan feud
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While the late Queen was well-known for always sporting bright outfits to keep people afloat,
Sophie Wessex, who appeared on ITV’s The Queen at 90, backed up Her Majesty’s logic, saying that “she needs to stand out for people to be able to say, “I saw the queen.”
