Ibiza, with its well-earned reputation as a world-famous party island, may sound a curious destination for total relaxation. But the truth is the party scene is only one aspect of this otherwise wonderfully laid-back island. Most of Ibiza provides a calm and relaxing retreat from my hectic day to day life in London or travelling the world.
I doubt I have ever been more relaxed than I am sitting writing this, gazing across the Mediterranean from the balcony of my Personality Suite at the ME Hotel Ibiza in Santa Eulalia del Rio. It is one of the few places in the world where I feel able to totally wind down. A true haven of calm. (The hospitality and comfort of the experience is helped even further by having two hotel legends a WhatsApp away - award-winning hotelier and Melia Hotels Executive Board Member, Adam Munday, and the dynamic ME hotel manager Marcel Wollstein.)
Ibiza has something to do for everyone. Top class beaches, natural landscapes, delicious gastronomy, heritage sites and whitewashed traditional villages. It is also an island full of great restaurants for all culinary tastes, with range and quality of dining that is dazzling.
A favourite is the idyllic and spectacular Amante anchored on a cliff overlooking the Sol d’en Serra cove. The food is healthy and stylish delicious Mediterranean cuisine based on the freshest local produce.
Although I love the relaxation, I never holiday without working. Now InterTalent and Chosen Music is buzzing on full adrenaline. For us excitement and opportunity are always just around the corner — as you would expect from company that this year won ‘Best Agency for New Talent’ at the Edinburgh International TV Festival Young Voice Awards.
Our client and Bolton’s rising star DJ Vicky Hawkesworth is a name to watch as she replaces Scott Mills to co-host Radio 1’s prime top afternoon show in the coming weeks.
Today we release 20-year-old Caity Baser’s debut single with EMI records. Caity was a student working at her local Co-Op before she started posting on TikTok of her singing incredible lyrical pop melodies which resulted in 10 million likes and over 15 million streams on Spotify alone.
Now handpicked by BBC Introducing and BBC Radio 1, Caity is tipped by many on the media as one to watch . She sold out her first show ever in four minutes and has just been added to the Reading & Leeds Festival line-up.
Britain’s Got Talent alumni chanteuse Molly Rainford known to CBBC viewers as intergalactic pop superstar Nova Jones, is announced for Strictly Come Dancing this year. I do hope another client of ours, Strictly’s head judge Shirley Ballas is kind to her.
National treasure Ross Kemp returning to BBC One for a celebrity series of his hit quiz show Bridge of Lies to air in primetime, while another of our clients, Britain’s foremost political interviewer Andrew Neil, will host a second series of his discussion show on Channel 4. This follows his interview with Conservative leadership candidate Rishi Sunak and the success of his first series for C4 earlier this year.
I loved being at Andrew’s Spectator gathering last month, undoubtedly the most talked about party of the summer, with Rishi Sunak, Nadhim Zahawi, and Tom Tugendhat courting guests with their leadership pitches. Josh Grimstone, former special adviser to Michael Gove vehemently argued to me that Gove had been completely loyal to Boris Johnson. Believe what you want.
Planning for the Variety Club Showbusiness Awards is now well underway with famed Olivier Awards producer Julian Bird newly partnered with theatre titan Nica Burns taking the reins. With ticket requests close to sell out, I refrain from naming the international television star who will be awarded the Variety Club Silver Heart Award for Exceptional Generosity in Philanthropy or the icons who will thrill those fortunate enough to be in the grand ballroom of the Hilton Park Lane on November 21st.
My charity shout-out this month is Rays of Sunshine who grant wishes to children living with serious or life-limiting illnesses. Stephen and Hayley Allan who founded the charity make dreams come true. Please support at raysofsunshine.org.uk.
Professor Jonathan Shalit OBE is chairman of Intertalent Rights Group
