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Sandra Omo on how being a contestant for Miss Nigeria isn’t all easy

When I arrived at the Nigerian international airport, I was excited. My journey had been a long one because the flight was delayed for over an hour and when we finally left Gatwick, it felt like a whole day’s flight, due to my anxiety. As if the delay in London was not enough, I met another delay in Lagos – my baggage took forever to come out. When it finally did, I could not find the number of the driver assigned to pick me up. It then took me a couple of hours to get hold of the driver, who was at the car park waiting for me to call. I arrived in Lagos at exactly six and by the time I arrived at the hotel, where all the contestants were staying, it was half past ten.

I was impressed when I arrived at the hotel. It is huge and beautiful – well it is a five star hotel. I was not through absorbing the beauty of the hotel when the organisers presented me with a basket of fruit and flowers and a portable DVD player. I guess they thought we could do with some movies while in camp but believe me, it was so hectic I barely had five hours’ sleep each night and couldn’t even think about bringing the DVD player out of its box. Because I arrived late I couldn’t meet the other contestants, as they were already in bed. By the time I met everyone the next morning, it dawned on me I had come here for a competition and what a huge competition. But my ability to always stand out from the crowd pulled me through.

“As I write, my feet are swollen and my face is crying for freedom from make-up”

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Katie is not a fan of life in cartoon motion, and stumbles across Mika’s dark secret

I am not a fan of Mika. I hope he takes this personally. He should. Because the reason I don’t like him is not that his sell-out sugar drenched pop makes me want to reach for a bottle of gin, a packet of painkillers and a sharp razor. It is because he is a twat.

Anytime I have met Mika he’s been a moron. (Never was alliteration so satisfactory). Reserving his multicoloured charisma for the likes of music videos and daytime TV he manages the feat of consistently behaving like a spoilt diva and a nobody at the same time.

This off-message muppetry comes across in various forms, but most significantly so in his miserable antisocialness.

The first time I meet Mika it was at a hugely public event – 200 plus people had been invited, Read the rest of this article »

Dani takes an alternative look at love through Bridget Jones’ underpants

I have decided to write a column in the style of Bridget Jones, for no particular reason really, mainly just to mix things up a bit as I’m bored of writing as myself.

Number of cigarettes so far today: 6
Number of slices of cake: 3
Number of times I have wanted to put my head through my computer screen: 9
Number of times I have been caught daydreaming about Jonathan Rhys Myers: 127

Wow, just reading that little bit back is bizarre, I really could be a tubby middle aged woman. In actual fact, inside I am. Now 21, single and armed with the knowledge that nothing will ever be exactly how I want it. I am setting out into the world a new person, (apparently).

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Andrew Kay slips into Lewes under the cover of night for dinner at Pelham House

Lovely Lewes, county town, historic high spot, home of Harveys fabulous ales and Mecca for morris men. Okay, forget the morris men and focus on the high spots. I love Lewes and visit often, I’m not sure I could live there yet but who knows?

Last week I pootled over with Mr L for a spot of dinner in Pelham House. There has been a change of direction there that needed to be checked out and I was more than happy, as ever, to do that checking.

Pelham house is a remarkable building, part ancient and part municipal, it still houses what was the council chamber. It has fabulous changing art on the walls, that is Art with a capital A, and a garden full of sculptures.

‘‘I sometimes peak too soon at dinner and fall at the dessert but this was just right’’

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