I write this week to a crescendo of crashing thunder and lightning – a welcome respite to the scorching heatwave that hit London last week. Heat though is very much on my mind as next week we are off to Ibiza.
Since Boris gave us the greenlight to resume something of a normal life, mine has become a whirlwind of invitations galore.
Katrina and I spent two wonderful days in Simon Cowell’s box at Royal Ascot, where he told me with great excitement about his latest TV show Walk the Line being broadcast on ITV later this year. Contestants have to make life-changing decisions in a ground-breaking brand new high octane musical game show format. Simon’s Got Talent has put him in the Guinness Book of World Records, as creator of the most successful reality TV format ever. Walk the Line will again I am sure see him make TV history.
In between these two Ascot days I was at Soho Farmhouse for the brilliant serial entrepreneur Brent Hoberman CBE’s Founders Forum gathering. This was the first major UK tech event in over a year, attended by corporate titans celebrating creativity, entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial. Rishi Sunak opened proceedings at Kensington Palace over breakfast. With Demetra Pinsent, CEO of the $1.5 billion brand Charlotte Tilbury, I talked about the realities of leading through a pandemic. I enjoyed chatting with Ocado founder Tim Steiner, and the BBC’s first director of creative diversity, June Sarpong.
I was fascinated at lunch with AI entrepreneur WilliamTunstall-Pedoe who founded voice assistant start up Evi, which was acquired by Amazon in 2012, and became known to the world as Alexa. I chatted to the always warm former PM David Cameron and his chancellor George Osbourne. That day also saw the start of a new adventure for me, when I reconnected with one of the world’s leading documentary film maker multi BAFTA and Emmy Award winning Anthony Geffen. I will not tempt fate by sharing what we are in discussions about, but it is enormously exciting.
Three weeks ago I had dinner at the home of one of my oldest friends, Emily Cohen, co-founder of children’s fashion brand Sunuva. Back in 2007 Emily sold her ground breaking make-up line ‘Pout’ to Victoria’s Secret for what would have been $35 million today. I was the first she approached for initial seed funding, which I would have got back a multiple of five. Instead I chose to invest in a slick snake oil salesman. A mistake Emily teases me about to this day.
Last week we dined in The Arts Club garden with Wendy and David Meller. As a trustee of ChickenShed and chair of the MOBO Charitable Trust, furthering educational opportunities has always been one of my key focuses. David’s work in improving secondary education by founding academies in deprived areas has been inspiring. He was awarded a CBE in 2018. Many feel he should be ‘Sir’ David Meller.
Lockdown coincided with the 150th birthday celebrations for the Royal Albert Hall. I was immensely thrilled to be invited as an ambassador to lead in the creation of a special programme of events to commemorate this momentous occasion, alongside Alfie Boe, Cameron Mackintosh, Harvey Goldsmith, Jools Holland, Nile Rodgers and Shirley Bassey. Eventually we got to have our 150th birthday party last week joined by Melanie C, Michael Sheen, Nicola Adams and Claudia Winkleman. James Bond composer, David Arnold, created a music snapshot of the Hall’s unique history, taking the audience on a sonic journey through our first 150 years.
It was followed by a momentous after party as 300 people also celebrated ‘Freedom Day’. As we were leaving, Lord Michael Grade and I talked boats as he told me he was preparing to compete in Cowes week, one of the oldest and most respected sailing regattas in the world.
My charity shout this month is The Ben Kinsella Trust which tackles knife crime through education and campaigning. This is a charity particularly close to home as it was founded by my InterTalent co-director Brooke Kinsella MBE, whose teenage brother Ben was senselessly stabbed to death in 2008. Please do support this worthy cause at www.benkinsella.org.uk.
Professor Jonathan Shalit OBE is chairman of InterTalent
