Category: Interviews/Articles

2011 Aug 25

Kate Winslet reunites with Richard Branson’s mom at fire site

A heroine’s return!

Today Kate Winslet toured the charred-out remains of Sir Richard Branson’s once-grand, $70 million estate on Necker Island in the Caribbean. Amid the devastation, the Oscar-winner, 35, posed for photos with the British billionaire, 61, and his mother, Eve. (Branson posed with “Brutus,” the family tortoise.)

Winslet, along with kids Mia, 10, and Joe, 7, and her model beau Louis Dowler, was staying at Branson’s home when it caught fire Monday morning after being struck by lightning. And the Mildred Pierce actress didn’t just ensure the safety of her kids and her man — she carried Eve Branson, 90, out of the inferno.

“Many thanks to Kate Winslet for helping to carry my 90-year mum out of the main house to safety,” Branson blogged earlier this week. (Branson himself was staying with his wife and son at another property 100 yards away when the fire struck.)

Although Branson’s home was completely destroyed, everyone staying at the house — around 20, he said v thankfully escaped unharmed.

“We will rebuild the house as soon as we can,” the Virgin Group CEO wrote. “Currently just huddled up with family and friends in the continuing tropical storm realizing what really matters in life.”

Added 14 HQ pics of Kate posing with Sir Richard Branson and his mother Eve:


GALLERY LINKS:
• Miscellaneous: At Sir Richard Branson’s burnt house

2011 Aug 22

Kate Winslet rescues Richard Branson’s 90-year-old mom in fire

Kate Winslet to the rescue!

Sir Richard Branson’s multi-million dollar Caribbean estate was destroyed by a fire early Monday but his Oscar winning guest saved the billionaire’s mother’s life!

“Many thanks to Kate Winslet for helping to carry my 90 year mum out of the main house to safety wondering when a Director was going to shout CUT!” Branson profusely thanked his houseguest on his blog today.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Winslet, her boyfriend and her family were staying in the lavish eight-bedroom Great House, along with Branson’s daughter Holly and her friends when disaster struck.

Thankfully, all 20 people escaped unharmed from the fire though.

Sharing shocking photos of his retreat burning, Branson said the fire brokeout before dawn when lighting from a tropical storm hit the home on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.

“The main house is destroyed and the fire is not yet completely out. My office was based in the house and I have lost thousands of photographs and my note books which is very sad. But all family and friends are well — which in the end is all that really matters,” The Virgin boss said on his blog.

“It’s very much the Dunkirk spirit here. We will rebuild the house as soon as we can. We have a wonderful staff here and we want them to stay in work. We’ll all stay here. There’s a lot of damage but we’ll create something even more special out of the ruins with the help of experts from water damage restoration san diego as they can repair all forms of damage.Thanks again for all the kind messages you have sent — they mean a lot. Currently just huddled up with family and friends in the continuing tropical storm realizing what really matters in life.”

Source: Radar Online

2011 Aug 22

Kate Winslet escapes house fire on vacation

Kate Winslet’s tropical vacation turned terrifying early Monday morning when a fire broke out at Richard Branson’s Caribbean home where she and her family were staying.

The actress, 35, her boyfriend, Louis Dowler, and her children Mia, 10, and Joe, 7, escaped, along with 16 other guests from the eight-bedroom Great House on Necker, Branson’s private island in the British Virgin Islands.

Branson told the AP that the fire broke out around 4 a.m. during a tropical storm. His son Sam, 25, helped guests evacuate, and the house was “completely destroyed” by the fire.

The cause of the inferno is still under investigation, but lightning is likely to blame.

Winslet’s rep confirmed that the actress was unharmed.

Source: People.com

2011 Aug 18

Kate Winslet launches makeup range with Lancôme

Following her modeling gigs for the beauty brand’s L’Absolu Rouge lipstick and Trésor fragrance, the Hollywood actress is putting her relationship with Lancôme to a charitable use.

In aid of her charity, the Golden Hat Foundation, which helps improve the lives of autistic children, Winslet is readying a small collection — including L’Absolu Rouge, Mini Le Vernis Nail Polish, and a makeup palette — for a holiday season launch.

Lancôme has said it will be donating at least 150,000 euros from the collection’s sales to The Golden Hat Foundation, whose logo will be embossed in gold onto the products and packaging.

In related news, Winslet announced this week that she had set up the British Anti-Cosmetic Surgery League along with personal friends and fellow actresses Emma Thompson and Rachel Weisz to support natural beauty in Hollywood.

Source: The Independent

2011 Aug 16

Branagh and Winslet are keen on making Potato Pie movie

Filming for a multi-million dollar film could begin in Guernsey next April — if the States is able to offer filming incentives.

That is the view of Paula Mazur, producer of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society film.

She visited the island this spring and is keen to make at least some of the film here.

Actor and director Kenneth Branagh is in the final stages of talks to become the project’s director.

Casting will begin when the director is signed on, but Ms. Mazur confirmed rumors that Kate Winslet was being considered to play central character Juliet Ashton.

Source: This Is Guernsey

2011 Aug 14

Kate Winslet joins forces in cosmetic surgery battle

Kate Winslet, the Hollywood star, says cosmetic surgery goes against her “morals”.

Proud of her natural curves, Kate Winslet has declared that she is joining forces with her fellow British actresses to fight against Hollywood pressure to undergo cosmetic surgery.

The 35-year-old star of Titanic says she has formed what she describes as the “British Anti-Cosmetic Surgery League” with her Oscar-winning friends Emma Thompson and Rachel Weisz.

“I will never give in,” vows Winslet. “It goes against my morals, the way that my parents brought me up and what I consider to be natural beauty.”

Winslet, who is the daughter of “jobbing actors” from Berkshire, adds: “I am an actress, I don’t want to freeze the expression of my face.”

Her comments echo those by Thompson, to whom she has been close since they appeared together in Sense And Sensibility in 1995. “I’m not fiddling about with myself,” said Thompson, 52. “We’re in this awful youth-driven thing now where everybody needs to look 30 at 60.”

Weisz, 41, for her part, has said her natural beauty is an asset. “People who look too perfect don’t look sexy or particularly beautiful,” said the Oscar-winning star of The Constant Gardener, who married Daniel Craig this year.

However, Gwyneth Paltrow, the American actress, who lives in London with her husband, the Coldplay singer Chris Martin, says she would consider surgery on her breasts.

“I still refuse to use silicone, Botox or any other of those gimmicks of pure vanity, but a breast correction after breast feeding — why not?” she says. “There’s actually nothing else to restore the original condition, is there?”

Source: Telegraph

2011 Jul 22

Kate Winslet and Louis Dowler are officially an item once again

In what I’d call a Titanic u-turn, Kate Winslet has secretly rekindled her relationship with model Louis Dowler.

The couple, both 35, dated for four months last year but split when Kate reportedly decided that she wanted to be alone.

Now relatives of the easy-on-the-eye model have confirmed the pair are back together, after they spent a romantic holiday meeting his family in Cornwall this week.

Speaking from his home in the seaside village of Lelant, near St Ives, Louis’ grandfather Jack Pearce said: “They are on holiday down here.

“He brought Kate round yesterday and it is the first time I have met her.

“We went for a pub lunch. She is a very attractive girl. She was polite and very friendly. They didn’t talk to me much about their personal life but they seemed very much together.”

Louis grew up in Penzance before becoming a professional stud model and moving to London, where he has worked for Burberry and Louis Vuitton.

He was spotted on Wednesday taking Kate along the town’s historic Chapel street. They later visited Marks & Spencer and then the local fish market. Which would have been very romantic.

His sister Natasha, who works in Specsavers in the port town, said yesterday: “They were only on holiday down here for a short while. He brought her down to meet me for lunch last Wednesday and she was lovely.”

Kate and Louis have been spotted together in New York and Edinburgh in the past two months, fueling rumors they’d rekindled their relationship.

Attempting to woo Kate back, he took her on date nights to places like London club Mahiki. No mention of a fish market though. He clearly saved the best ’til last…

Source: mirror.co.uk