Celebs get into the festive spirit - Nov 30 2007
A host of celebrities turned out for the launch of Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland.

Stars including Edith Bowman, Donna Air, Lil' Chris, Catalina Guirado and Nikki Grahame joined in the festive celebration to mark the opening of the outdoor festival.

With the largest outdoor ice rink in the capital - which was opened by Penny Lancaster - Winter Wonderland also features an authentic Christmas market, a toboggan slide, fun fair rides and a Santa's Grotto for the kids.

Model and presenter Donna Air said: "We love Hyde Park, we love rides, we love ice skating and we love sweets and there's a lot of that going on here. So we're very excited as this is our local.

"It's very festive and kids love it, it's very exciting and we're getting to stay up late so my daughter is very excited about that."

Catalina added: "I am here because I love Christmas and I was really excited to hear about Winter Wonderland.

"I've been living in LA for the last four years so I've really really missed Christmas in England and London so it's a great thing."

Penny ’bullied’ at school - Nov 13 2007
Penny Lancaster Stewart may have thrown some light on her obvious upset at getting the boot on Strictly Come Dancing, after she revealed she is still affected by bullying she suffered at school.

The 36-year-old model wife of Rod Stewart, who was kicked off the BBC One show at the weekend, said the ordeal she went through as a child has made it harder to handle criticism, reports the Daily Express.

She is quoted as saying: "I was badly bullied at school so I’m more sensitive to criticism. My mum taught me to smile, rather than cry in the face of ignorance and I still use this reverse psychology today."

Mother-of-one Penny burst into tears when she learnt she had lost out to EastEnder Matt Di Angelo after a dance-off in the Strictly results show on Sunday and apparently shunned the aftershow party, preferring to return home to hubby Rod.

Meanwhile, Alesha Dixon remains the favourite to win the show, with odds of 10/11, ahead of Matt on 9/2.

Penny snubs Strictly bash? - Nov 13 2007
Penny Lancaster apparently shunned the Strictly Come Dancing aftershow bash after being booted from the programme.

The 36-year-old blonde was left in floods of tears after she and her partner Ian Waite were axed from the series, when judges picked Matt Di Angelo to stay in the contest.

Instead of having drinks in the BBC bar with the other show contestants and their professional dancing partners, she was driven home to husband Rod Stewart, reports The Sun.

Earlier the model has been criticised for her salsa - Arlene Phillips had said her salsa was "like a canary and crow flying in from Stansted not Cuba" while Bruno Tonioli labelled it "hysterical".

But Len Goodman commented that, although it was "a bit hectic", it was "entertaining - it was good fun".

"Penny was really crying backstage," a source told the paper. "She didn’t say goodbye, she just wanted to go home. Ian went to the bar to be consoled but Penny just shunned the party."



Penny’s last dance - Nov 12 2007
Penny Lancaster Stewart has become the sixth celebrity to be voted off Strictly Come Dancing.

The model and wife of rocker Rod and her partner Ian Waite failed to impress the judges or the public with their salsa in this weekend’s show.