Pop singer James Blunt in fresh career boost after his Amazon series was brutally axed
HE loves beer so much that he owns his own boozer and has hosted a TV show about the world’s best brews.
Now James Blunt is preparing to launch his own range of alcoholic drinks.
My insiders tell me the You’re Beautiful singer has gone into business with music executive Nick Gatfield and telly tipple expert Neil Ridley, investing in their firm Ten Four Drinks.
A source said: “James has gone into business with Ten Four, who create and market bespoke booze.
“He has a real passion for the drinks trade and runs his businesses alongside making music and touring. James has put money into the brand and is looking forward to expanding the business with his partners.
“He has designs on his own booze too and his pub, The Fox & Pheasant in Chelsea, would stock it.
“James has a huge following and the celebrity drinks market is massive, so he wouldn’t struggle to sell it.”
Ten Four Drinks’ website is due to launch soon and the blurb says that it “specialises in creating and managing beverage brands for the world’s greatest talent”.
James bought The Fox & Pheasant in 2017, and he tried to get behind the bar when he’s back from his home in Ibiza.
He said at the time: “I used to sit in this small London pub with my friends wondering what I would do if the place was ever put up for sale.
“When it went on the market most bidders wanted to turn it into luxury flats.
“But the brewery sold it to me because I wanted to keep it as a pub, even though I wasn’t the highest bidder. I’m a very hands-on landlord.”
James is now enjoying a break after the sell-out European leg of his Back To Bedlam 20th Anniversary tour and will head over the Pond in the summer.
He kicks off his mammoth run of shows in Canada on June 12 before performing in New York and Los Angeles and then South America.
The ex-Army man will be needing a stiff drink to get his head around that schedule.
ALEX, A BRIT OF ALRIGHT
HE is riding high at the top of the charts and Alex Warren looked on good form as he celebrated during his headline set in London on Tuesday.
The US singer, whose song Ordinary went to No1 last week, played the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire ahead of another show tonight at the Eventim Apollo in the capital.
Speaking to the crowd about us Brits, he joked: “I genuinely love the accent.
“I used to go to [US chain store] Dick’s Sporting Goods and pretend I had a British accent and they’d be like, ‘Where are you from?’. And I’d say Bristol and they didn’t believe it – but they let my ego feel it.”
MEG’S STILL SPARKLING
IT’S been 11 years since Meghan Trainor dropped her body positivity banger All About That Bass – and she’s still got it.
The singer posed for Billboard mag in a sparkly top as she opened up about working on a new record after the success of Criminals, which raced into the charts last year when it was used as the soundtrack for The Perfect Couple on Netflix.
She said: “My goal on this album is to find as many writers I love that I can collaborate with.
“I love Daniel Nigro. I want to work with him so bad. If you’re reading this, that’s my dream.
“And Andrew Watt. Andrew, pick me, choose me, love me. We would do something magical.
“Going into a session with new people is scary. It’s like blind dating.
“And then you have to go, ‘Let’s try to create magic together’.”
ONE TO REMEMBER, ZAYN
ZAYN Malik marked a decade since quitting One Direction by singing one of the group’s songs live for the first time since his dramatic exit.
The Pillowtalk singer, was on stage in Mexico City on Tuesday night – ten years to the day that he left the group – and got emotional singing their 2014 single Night Changes.
He told the crowd: “It’s the first time I’ve sung that song in ten years. Thank you. That was f***ing amazing.
“I almost cried at one point. This is insane.”
ROAN’S SECRET LOVER
CHAPPELL Roan has revealed she has a secret girlfriend, after rekindling a romance from before she hit the big time.
The Pink Pony Club singer, who shot to global fame in the past year, said they have been together for six months, adding: “It’s serious. I’m very in love.”
She revealed the pair met through friends and that she is relieved they knew each other before she became famous, because she is now too scared to trust new people.
She explained: “I haven’t dated someone since this really blew up. I’m dating the same person that I was dating before it blew up.
“So I’m not sure how I’d date now. I think it would actually be a nightmare
“ I think I would be so f***ing single right now because I don’t trust anyone.”
But it doesn’t sound like there are fireworks in the bedroom, with Chappell admitting the stresses of her celebrity status have taken their toll. She told the Call Her Daddy podcast: “Something fed up my sexuality.
“I think my nervous system is so fried that I can’t even feel flirtatious. It’s too intense to even be sexual at all. I’m too sensitive.
“I want to be, because that was a part of myself that was fun. I feel like that part of me exists on stage.
“When there’s so much of you in the world that is exposed, then being sexual with someone is so vulnerable because the rest of your life is so vulnerable.
“It’s almost like I want to save something.”
After her double Brit Award win earlier this month, I can’t see things slowing down any time soon.
JUST CEE WHAT HE EARNED
RAP sensation Central Cee is hitting all the right notes as he earned £16million last year.
I can reveal that the Brit, who made the Top Five with Band4Band, netted £12million from record sales and brand deals through his firm CC4L – up from £7.9million the previous year.
On top of that, Cee, who has racked up more than 2billion streams on Spotify, earned £4million touring.
It means he earned more than £1.3million a month last year, thanks in part to launching a range of G-Shock watches and starring in a campaign for Bose headphones.
And his earnings are to rise further – he topped the charts last month with debut album Can’t Rush Greatness.
Next week he kicks off a world tour, with dates in Birmingham, Manchester, London and Glasgow, plus shows across Europe, America and Down Under.
He has also set up a clothing brand called DRP Yours, so I can see more cash rolling in.
SELENA SUITS AND SCORES
SELENA Gomez is a star in stripes as she promotes new album I Said I Love You First.
She nailed power- dressing in a smart two-piece as she appeared on Drew Barrymoore’s chat show in New York.
Selena teamed up with husband-to-be Benny Blanco for the new record, which tells the story of their romance.
On her promo tour, Selena spoke about the constant scrutiny of her body from anonymous weirdos on social media.
“My weight’s a big one,” she said.
“Everyone just has something to say and it’s really making me sad and – not even sad ’cause I’m not a victim.
“I just think it’s made me a tad bitter and I feel really guilty for saying that but it’s true.”
I’d just turn off the comments and tell them to sling it, Selena.