Stacey Solomon

X Factor winner Alexandra Burke pulls out of Israel 65 concert

Marcus Dysch — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:46:45 +0100

X Factor winner Alexandra Burke has pulled out of this week's Zionist Federation concert to celebrate Israel’s 65th birthday.

The singer, who performed at Jewish weddings with the Gilev Showband before her rise to fame in 2008, was due to perform at the Yom Ha’atzmaut event at Wembley Arena on Tuesday evening.

But the ZF emailed supporters on Monday morning to say she would not appear.

The organisation said: "We would like to inform you that unfortunately Alexandra Burke will no longer be able to join us on the night."

No reason has been given for Ms Burke's withdrawal. She will be replaced at the concert by former X Factor contestant Stacey Solomon.

Other acts on the bill include Israeli pop star Ivri Lider, Britain's Got Talent winning dance troup Spellbound, Chico from the Gipsy Kings and comedian Mark Maier.

Tickets for the gala concert range from £25 to £125.

Stacey Solomon: I'm getting married

Jennifer Lipman — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:41:06 +0000

Stacey Solomon is set to tie the knot.

The reality television star, a former pupil of King Solomon High School, is to marry her boyfriend of three years, Aaron Barnham.

In October she announced that she was expecting a child with him. She already has a son, Zachary, three, from a prior relationship.

Ms Solomon, 22, revealed the news on Twitter, writing: "I can't believe he's finally asked me."

The proposal took place during a romantic horse and carriage ride through Manhattan's Central Park.

Ms Solomon, who appeared on X Factor in 2009 and then triumphed in the jungles of I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here the following year, is hoping for chart success this winter with a cover version of the song Driving Home for Christmas.

She recorded the song for an advert for Iceland supermarket, for which she is the celebrity face.

Stacey, supermarket queen

Simon Rocker — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:10:40 +0100

When it comes to food, Stacey Solomon is game for anything, as she showed when she consumed all sorts of critters to win I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here last year.

Now she is back on TV, this time championing more conventional fare as the face of Iceland Foods' advertising campaign. Not that some of its products are any more kosher than those she downed in the Australian jungle: pork loin or paella with prawns and chorizo.

What will it take to turn Stacey into a Beth Din pin-up?

The wisdom of Solomon

Simon Rocker — Thu, 12 May 2011 11:29:48 +0100

It's good to see Stacey Solomon carving out a TV career, now as co-host of ITV1 Saturday night show Sing If You Can.

She has also published her autobiography this week - at the tender age of 21. But its title, My Story So Far, is no great shakes. After her I'm A Celebrity exploits, why not something a bit more literary like Confessions of a Kangaroo Shmekel-Eater?

Stacey Solomon named celeb mum of the year

Jennifer Lipman — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 09:58:22 +0100

Stacey Solomon has been voted Celebrity Mum of the Year.

The I'm as Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here winner, mother of toddler Zachary, was chosen by voters over fellow Jewish singer Rachel Stevens.

Queen Elizabeth II, Samantha Cameron and Miriam Clegg were also in the running in the Foxy Bingo contest.

The 21-year-old from Dagenham shot to fame as a finalist in the 2009 series of X Factor.

Interview: Stacey Solomon

Jessica Elgot — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:29:15 +0000

What's eating Stacey Solomon? In the past few weeks, the Dagenham diva emerged triumphant from the Australian jungle as winner of I'm a Celebrity… and made an emotional return to the X Factor. She is widely feted for her bubbly girl-next-door naturalness and generally regarded as the nation's sweetheart. Everything in the garden should be rosy. So what's the problem?

First of all she has had enough of reality TV. Then she is anxious about her employment prospects and craves a steady job. And to cap it all, she has got a bone to pick with Simon Cowell.

The 21-year-old singer, who found a place in the nation's hearts when she came third in last year's
X Factor contest, was hoping 2010 would bring a record deal and high-profile concerts, even the start of a proper TV career. Instead, she ended up eating distinctly unkosher bits of a kangeroo and sharing a camp with Gillian McKeith. It was not exactly what she had in mind.

"I don't want to be Miss Reality TV," she protests, reflecting on events of the past 12 months. "That's definitely over for me now. Who can say what might happen in 10 years' time, but that's me done for the moment."

Solomon, an ex-pupil of King Solomon High School in Essex, is setting her sights on nothing less than her own show. "I would just love to be able to say: 'That's the programme I present', and just go to work every day," she says. "Everyone wants security but I'll just have to wait and see what comes."

There is a hint of frustration that promises may have been made to her and not honoured. "Please, please God, everything works out fine. There's always disappointment. One minute someone will say you'll definitely get this and the next minute you hear it's gone to someone else," she complains.

And she seems uneasy with Simon Cowell's comments about her appearance on I'm a Celebrity… "Put your money on her to win - she makes brilliant television," he told the JC after watching her arrival in the jungle last month.

Says Solomon now: "I don't know if being 'good on television' is a compliment - thanks Simon!"

And she adds: "I have no idea why people want to watch me. I never expected to win in a million years."

Simply being regarded as pleasant by the tabloids and the viewing public is not enough, as far as she is concerned. "I don't think I should get extra praise for being a nice person. I don't know why it's such a special thing to be."

While she has reason to remain grateful to Cowell for her big break, Solomon is clear that the time has come to escape his influence.

"I would love, just love to make an album," she says. "I've got lots of my own ideas about how it should be. I don't want it to be the same as the X Factor. I want something sweet but funky, something modern. And I want to sing in my own accent. But who knows, we'll see what happens. I want to try everything - TV presenting, singing, even musicals and stage acting. I love all of it. I feel like I was born to do it."

One of the problems with exploring new career opportunities is finding the time. Solomon's schedule over the past year, she says, has been hectic.

"I haven't stopped since X Factor. I was on the tour with the show for 57 nights and I played so many different venues, so it doesn't feel like I ever stopped. I didn't have time to worry about anything, or what was next."

And of course, there was I'm a Celebrity… Solomon was offered Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing on Ice, but the jungle appealed most.

"I didn't want to have to train for three months for something like Strictly. With the jungle, it's in and out again - boom, done. And it's my favourite programme - everybody watches it."

She was rumoured to be releasing a version of the song, Fairytale of New York, in time for Christmas with fellow I'm a Celebrity… finalist, the singer Shaun Ryder, but the record somehow never materialised.

Solomon seems able to keep the highs and lows of showbusiness firmly in perspective, however. Whatever success or otherwise being famous may bring, for her, family - particularly her two-year-old son, Zach - will always come first.

"I know that if everything collapses and the whole world hates me, then I'll still have my baby. That's what matters. And that's what I mean if it goes well too, even if I'm back to see my mum and dad every few weeks or every day, they'll still be there for me."

Solomon's father, David, is a well-known photographer on the strictly Orthodox simchah circuit. He was less than unimpressed with comments in the JC about her diet in the I'm a Celebrity… jungle. Being asked about it now gives her a chance to display a previously unsuspected knowledge of Judaism.

"My dad said you wrote something about eating the kangaroo - he said the JC was cross about it. Ha!

"But I know it was OK. It says in the Torah that you can break some rules if you absolutely have to, out of necessity. And it was necessary. I had to do it - we had to do the task to win the food or we would have been starving.

"I'm so proud of being Jewish," she continues, "and just because I don't keep kosher and don't cover up to my ankles doesn't change that. For me, religion starts with being a good person and that's what I'm trying to be."

For a moment it is as if Solomon is channelling Rabbi Hillel. So, can her philosophy be summed up by the Talmudic sage's view that you should "not do unto others what you would not have done to you" and that all the rest is merely commentary.

"Something like that, yeah!"

Stacey Solomon's dad: My girl's a star

Jessica Elgot — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:31:54 +0000

"Jungle Queen" Stacey Solomon's father has said her refusal to attack any of her camp mates is one of the reasons she won I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.

David Solomon, a wedding photographer, said he was "ecstatic" that Stacey, a former X Factor finalist, had won the ITV show.

He said: "She never got involved in any bitching. We were talking about [controversial fellow contestant and diet coach] Gillian McKeith on the way back from the airport in the car and she stuck up for her, she said she was a lovely person. That is really important, to be able to hold your head up high. She made me very proud.

"I always expected her to win, but then, I expected her to win X Factor. I'd be a loser dad if I didn't."

Mr Solomon said Stacey's personality had won her fans in Australia too. "She met a lady in the bush who said: 'Stacey, I will light my Chanucah candle for you as well.'"

The 21-year-old former King Solomon High School student from Dagenham, spent three weeks in the Australian jungle where she undertook tasks including sitting in a bath of mealworms and crickets.

Mr Solomon said: "If you could have seen how arachnophobic she was before she went in the jungle, you'd have laughed your head off. We thought it was hilarious.

"She's not too bad with other animals but if she saw even a little spider she'd go mental. She overcame that fear and she didn't make a fool of herself. I was impressed."

After coming third in the X Factor, Stacey did not win a record contract but Mr Solomon said she was looking at different options.

"Maybe she'll go down the TV route first, then if she does bring out an album, it'll be a classic. That way she'll be a star for life, and not just for Chanucah."

Stacey Solomon wins I'm a Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here!

Jennifer Lipman — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 09:23:37 +0000

Stacey Solomon has been crowned Queen of the jungle after winning this year's I'm a Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here!

The former King Solomon pupil from Dagenham won the contest after audiences watched her brave tasks including eating kangaroo penis.

Ms Solomon, 21, beat former MP Lembit Opik and onetime Bond girl actress Britt Eckland to take the title on the ITV show.

After her win the star said: "Never in a million years did I think anything like this could happen. I'm a wreck."

Her win comes just a year after she gained third place on the X Factor.

A British-born woman who now lives in Australia bumped into the star as she recovered from the jungle in Queensland's Versace Hotel.

Jo Fletcher said: "I wished her, 'Mazaltov' and she hugged me and said I smelt lovely.

"I was very impressed with how lovely she seemed and extremely down to earth. I am thrilled she has won."

Stacey Solomon didn't sing for kangaroo supper

Jessica Elgot — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:31:49 +0000

Stacey Solomon may have bitten off more than she could chew in the current series of I'm a Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here!

The former King Solomon pupil, 21, munched on a distinctly un-kosher kangaroo penis for her first task in the Australian jungle. She later had green goo sprayed in her face.

But she's still favourite to win the ITV show at 3/1. And the X Factor finalist has the backing of Simon Cowell who told me this week: "Put your money on her. She's a fantastic girl and she makes brilliant TV."

Before entering the jungle, she said: "Oh my god. I'd love to be Queen of the Jungle - I'll try really, really hard to make it happen!"

Stacey Solomon 'scared' for I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here

Jennifer Lipman — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:54:50 +0000

Stacey Solomon has been confirmed as one of the 12 stars heading to the Australian jungle for this year’s I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

The Jewish singer from Dagenham, who reached the final three in the 2009 series of X Factor, is a strong favourite to win the reality show.

Paddy Power has odds of 4 to 1 that she will take the top spot, although they have also offered 6 to 1 odds that she will be the first to walk.

The former King Solomon High School pupil will be joined by actress Britt Ekland and former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik, who lost his seat at the general election in May.

Ms Solomon follows other Jewish celebrities to brave the jungle, including Esther Rantzen, Dani Behr and Uri Geller.

She said she expected to be voted to take part in every trial.

"I am the type of person to squeal and I can see that happening."

Ms Solomon added: "But I want to see if I can do it and I am definitely going to give it a good go.

"It is an endurance test and I am sure I will make a fool of myself. But nobody is perfect."

The series starts on ITV this Sunday.