Thom Evans pursued Nicole Scherzinger for six years before winning her over on X Factor: Celebrity
NICOLE Scherzinger's new flame is used to a try or two – and it’s really paid off.
For ex-rugby ace Thom Evans pursued the Pussycat Doll for more than six years before he finally won her over on last year’s X Factor: Celebrity when he was competing and she was a judge.
He first made a bid for her affections at the 2014 Global Gift Gala fundraiser in London but was rebuffed. Nicole was going through a bad patch with her then partner Lewis Hamilton and only wanted to talk about her relationship, giving Thom the cold shoulder.
Undeterred, he continued lusting over her on social media before finally bagging the girl of his dreams during his X Factor stint with fellow rugby stars Ben Foden and Levi Davis in their band Try Star.
A source said: “Thom knew he’d have a lot of fun on the show and not just because of the singing.
“He’s been after Nicole for some time and was confident that spending so much time in her company would give him the opportunity to woo her.
“In the end, she couldn’t resist Thom’s charms, despite the fact that she was meant to be judging him.”
Nicole was so infatuated with Thom she ended up sending his band home in a bid to prolong the romance, conceding it would be harder to maintain the pretence the longer he was on the show.
The couple went public at an exclusive Golden Globes after-party in Beverly Hills, posing for snappers on the red carpet. And on Tuesday they were seen dining at Hollywood restaurant Craig’s.
Before they put their romance in the spotlight, back in November they confirmed the relationship with close friends by attending Simon Cowell's Thanksgiving bash in London.
Now Thom is planning to introduce Nicole to his family, as he believes he may have finally found The One.
His hard work certainly seems to have paid off.
Spliffy clyro for Simon
TOURS can be tough, as Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil knows – he can only get through them with cannabis.
The Scottish singer said: “If I couldn’t smoke a couple of joints after a show then I’d either still be partying as hard as I was for my sins, or I’d be falling out with people, or I’d have lost my mind ages ago.”
Speaking on the Two Shot podcast, Simon, who has given up class-A drugs, added: “Touring is one of the most fun/damaging things you can do to your psyche.”
Lucky for him, they’re not on the road until August.
bizbit
DIANA Ross, Luis Fonsi, Marshmello and TLC will all play at Universal Orlando Resort’s 25th Mardi Gras. The annual event takes place between February 1 and April 2 at the US theme park.
Minaj was won't work
IT has been six years since Nicki Minaj posed like this in her music video for Anaconda.
But it was clearly still fresh in the mind at Madame Tussauds when it created this waxwork of her.
The latest figure, which went on display at the attraction in Berlin this week, took more than 20 craftspeople six months to make – although quite frankly I think I could have done a better job.
The face looks absolutely nothing like Nicki and I doubt she will have any kind words for it when she gets a look.
If you squint, I’d argue, it looks far more like a cross between EastEnder Jessie Wallac and Kourtney Kardashian, or perhaps Eva Longoria and Katie Price.
Heck, I think the face bears more of a striking resemblance to Nicolas Cage than Nicki.
They’d be better off melting this one down and starting again.
Bieber's Lyme disease fight
JUSTIN Bieber reportedly contracted Lyme disease towards the end of 2019 – but many thought he was suffering depression.
He will discuss it in a documentary released at the end of the month, according to reports on US website TMZ last night.
The Sorry singer, who released his comeback single Yummy last Friday, recently announced the ten-episode YouTube Originals show and said that on it he would be discussing why he scrapped a run of 2017 tour dates to focus on his personal welfare.
In November he was snapped with an intravenous drip in his arm while leaving a medical centre in California, which can now be explained.
In the YouTube series, Justin will say he has since managed to get a hold on the condition with the right medication, so he can release new music and go on tour.
Phoebe gong was a goner
IN Fleabag, her character stole her step-mum’s prized gold statuette, but that storyline came back on itself for Phoebe Waller-Bridge at the Golden Globes.
The British actress had one of her two prized awards swiped from under her nose at Amazon’s after-party in Los Angeles.
Phoebe, who won Best Actress in a TV series and Best TV series for Fleabag on Sunday, was letting people have pictures taken at her table when a stranger walked off with one of the awards.
A witness explained: “Everyone started looking around for it and it caused a commotion. Eventually it was found on a nearby table.”
Remember Phoebe, keep your friends close but your gongs closer.
Joe & Taylor
FASHION guru Tom Ford was open about why he made Joe Alwyn the face of his new fragrance Beau de Jour – and even more revealing about his desire to collaborate with the actor and his girlfriend Taylor Swift.
Speaking at his London launch at Mark’s Club on Tuesday night, the US designer said: “Last year Joe was in three Oscar-nominated films, he’s handsome and beautiful and he is the man of the moment – the Beau de Jour.
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“I’d like to do a lot of things with him and Taylor, but I don’t know if they’re for print.”
Meanwhile, Joe was jaded after jetting over from LA following the round of Golden Globes after-parties and said: “I’m jetlagged.”
There are worse reasons to be tired . . .
bizmeter
- ROMAN Kemp has put his I’m A Celebrity cash to good use, buying a new pad in London for himself and his girlfriend Anne-Sophie Flury. The DJ wrote on Instagram: “Moved into our dream place today and I can’t quite believe it.”
- STAR Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker has topped the UK box office for a third week, making a huge £4.4million at the weekend – with its total at £51.3million. Jumanji: The Next Level netted £3.1million and Taylor Swift's Cats took just £1million.
- SIX unreleased David Bowie songs are on a new EP titled Is It Any Wonder?. The collection, announced yesterday on the late singer’s birthday, will be released for Record Store Day on April 18. A new version of The Man Who Sold The World is out now.
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