Celebcity: Steve Coogan returns to our screens

Steve Coogan returns to our screens, Wayne & Frankie get engaged, plus Loveable Rogues &
stars get turned upside down in a new exhibition

Steve Coogan (Paul Raymond) and Tamsin Egerton (Fiona Richmond) in The Look Of Love Image: PicSelect

Back of the net
Ovingdean’s resident comedian Steve Coogan is set to return to the big screen this month, playing the inimitable ‘porn-king’ of Soho: Paul Raymond (or as Coogan describes him: ‘a more low-rent, parochial version of Hugh Hefner’). The new Winterbottom directed film – The Look of Love – sees Coogan step into the shoes of the pimped-out, drug-snorting, Soho-based lothario – we imagine it will be quite a test! Also starring Chris Addison and David Walliams, the film promises to be full of laughs, with a healthy dose of sex and partying.

It seems Coogan is a busy man at the moment, whilst fighting the UK press at large, he has also been signed up by House creator David Shore to star in new US series Doubt. Sticking to the British leading-man formula that Shore successfully pulled of with Hugh Laurie in House, Doubt will see Coogan play the “handsome, charming, quick-witted and extremely smart” former policeman-turned-lawyer, Vincent. It’ll be great to see the Alan Partridge creator back on screens, big and small, this year.

Sonny’s aspirations
Now Magazine’s Dan Wooton recently caught up with ex-X Factor contestants Lovaeble Rogues (remember them – well no, me neither, but stay with us…) to chat X Factor tour goss: naturally our gal Katie Price came up. According to the hip-hop group, which consists of Eddie Brett, Sonny Jay Muharrem and Té Qhairo Eugene, on the Brighton leg of the tour Sonny had a bit of attention from the now re-married one- time-glamour star. Being a reality-TV hopeful and a musician – something Katie has often billed herself as – Sonny does appear to be Ms Price’s type, however he seems to have his eye on somebody else: The Only Way Is Essex’s Gemma Collins. The shy member of the group explained: “I love that she’s from Essex and voluptuous. She’s got a great personality too, which is what counts in a woman,” he gushed. “She’d look after me and that’s what counts. But I think I also like it because my mum would hate it if I brought an older woman back. Gemma is more like my mum’s age.” Um, better luck next time, Katie?

Wayne’s Saturday bride
Our favourite local WAG has made it official – Wayne Bridge’s girlfriend Frankie Sandford has announced her engagement to the Brighton & Hove Albion player. The Saturdays singer, who previously dated McFly bassist Dougie Poynter and has dated Bridge since 2010, made the announcement via Twitter by posting a pic of her, her fiancée, and the all important diamond ring, with the caption: “Guess what?!!!”. Hopefully this will go a little better than the football-player’s last romance, which ended following allegations that Vanessa Perroncel (Bridge’s now-ex) had cheated on him with former teammate John Terry. Congratulations Wayne and Frankie! Please celebrate the big day down here!

Master Of Reality
We’re used to seeing celebrities made up to within an inch of their lives, so it was refreshing to work on an exhibition last week where famous faces were decidedly wrong. Darren Coffield’s ‘Masters Of Reality’, running at Pertwee Anderson and Gold gallery Soho until 30 April, features upside-down images of iconic faces. With Harry Styles, Simon Cowell, Taylor Swift and Marilyn Monroe all getting the ‘topsy-turvy’ treatment the show has already been a hit with the press – tell us what you think!
Harry Styles!