‘It was a long glorious party!’ Denise Van Outen recalls flashing Prince Charles, sleeping with Sophie Dahl, and rowing with Naomi and Kate during hedonistic 90s heyday
Denise Van Outen has admitted the ninties are a ‘blur’ as she recalled sleeping with Sophie Dahl, rowing with Naomi and Kate and flashing Prince Charles.
The TV personality, 47, described the decade as ‘one long, glorious party’, as she detailed her hedonistic exploits in her new memoir, A Bit Of Me: From Basildon To Broadway And Back.
Denise, who was dating Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay at the time, told how she caught the eye of Matthew Perry during the height of his Friends fame and received a voicemail from the star asking her out.
Wild child! Denise Van Outen has admitted the ninties are a ‘blur’ as she recalled sleeping with Sophie Dahl, rowing with Naomi and Kate and flashing Prince Charles
The Celebrity Gogglebox star described her romance with Jay as a whirlwind of ‘Concordses, private jets and arriving at Glastonbury in a helicopter’.
The former couple met when she was hired to interview him at Silverstone race track in 1998, they were so flirty they ended back at Jay’s mansion at the end of the day.
Detailing her wild partying days, she said: ‘Of her time on the celeb party scene, Denise writes: ‘I have such good memories of those days. Things felt a lot more open and freer in many ways. It’s undoubtedly true that, good or bad, people got away with a lot more as far as partying went.’
Jay, who has been candid about his cocaine use at the time, later went on to release a break-up song titled Little L about Denise – while they were still together.
Love life: Denise, who was dating Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay at the time, told how she caught the eye of Matthew Perry during the height of his Friends fame and received a voicemail from the star asking her out
Denise’s go-to party spot was celebrity bar The Met – which was in the Metropolitan Hotel in Mayfair – where she would join famous singers actors and sports stars for a night of frivolity, often booking a hotel room so she could stay longer.
She recalled receiving an unexpected guest one night – supermodel Sophie Dahl – who knocked on the door and told her she had nowhere to stay.
Denise said: ‘We ended up topping and tailing, and I remember her feet hanging over the end of the bed because she was so tall.’
What a time! The TV personality, 47, described the decade as ‘one long, glorious party’, as she detailed her hedonistic exploits in her new memoir, A Bit Of Me: From Basildon To Broadway And Back
Another hangout for the star was Supernova Heights, famed for being the Primerose Hill home of Noel Gallagher and wife Meg Matthews, where they would party with Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Sadie Frost, Johnny Depp and Ronnie Wood.
Denise described their partying as ‘on another level’, however it wasn’t all smooth sailing with that group, as she recalled a bust up with Kate during one of their meetings in 2010.
They were introduced by mutual pal David Walliams, however Kate was already well aware of Denise, and replied: ‘I know who you are . . . you’re the bitch in pigtails.’
Denise assumed that Kate had got her mixed up with someone else, however a friend later informed her they had previously met in Ibiza but the The Big Breakfast star couldn’t remember what she had done to offend her.
Party time! Another high-profile run in was with model Naomi Campbell (pictured right in 1998), who she took a disliking to when she spotted her sat on Jay’s knee at a party.
Another high-profile run in was with model Naomi Campbell, who she took a disliking to when she spotted her sat on Jay’s knee at a party.
After spotting them flirting, Denise recalled: ‘Suddenly, the feisty Essex girl in me rose up, and I walked over to where Jay was sitting. “Would you mind getting off my fella’s lap?”, I said. But Naomi took no notice. I jabbed her in the ribs. Jay was mortified but I think Naomi got the message: Don’t mess with an Essex bird!’
Another of Denise’s iconic anecdotes includes being invited to Buckingham Palace in 1998 with TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss, as part of a group of ‘young achievers’ in media and entertainment.
Party pal: Another of Denise’s iconic anecdotes includes being invited to Buckingham Palace in 1998 with TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss, as part of a group of ‘young achievers’ in media and entertainment (pictured on the day)
During her visit to the palace she knicked a toilet roll cover and an ashtray – which caused a scandal when she admitted it on live TV – to prove to her co-host Jonny Vaughan that she had been.
However due to her antics she was deemed ‘unpredictable’ by Prince Charles, when he was meeting performers at Party In The Park, which Denise was hosting.
Denise was hauled out of the tent, but refused to go quietly, recalling: ‘I marched over to the window of the marquee, and while the Prince was shaking hands with the members of Steps, I called out to him, then pulled up my top and flashed my bra.
Oh no! Due to her antics, Denise was deemed ‘unpredictable’ by Prince Charles, when he was meeting performers at Party In The Park, which Denise was hosting (pictured on the day)
‘I’m not sure what came over me, and it certainly wasn’t pre-meditated. If it had been, I’d have worn one of my posh bras rather than the Marks & Spencer nude one my mum had got me.’
Elsewehere in the book, Denise detailed how doctors removed her voice box in a bid to access her spine during surgery following her horror fall on Strictly Come Dancing.
Speaking on Thursday’s Lorraine about her life amid the release of autobiography, she went on to detail the gruesome procedure as surgeons worked on her spine.
The star competed in the 2012 series of Strictly and was partnered with professional dancer James Jordan, 43, with Denise stating she was accidentally dropped on her head during a rehearsal.
Gruesome: Denise detailed how doctors removed her voice box in a bid to access her spine during surgery following her horror fall on Strictly Come Dancing
Host Lorraine Kelly, 62, was left wincing as she revealed she didn’t realise Denise’s injury was so ‘horrific’, adding that it must’ve been ‘awful’.
She said: ‘The operation they had to do on your back – they had to go in through your throat in order to get to your spine. It was awful.’
Denise then explained: ‘I did have a fall and I was dropped on my head and my neck went.
‘I slipped three discs in my spinal cord and I did the final of Strictly Come Dancing with steroid injections. I don’t know how I got through it.’
Injury: The star competed in the 2012 series of Strictly and was partnered with professional dancer James Jordan, 43, (pictured together) with Denise stating she was accidentally dropped on her head during a rehearsal
Speaking further about the operation, she continued: ‘I had major surgery and they had to take my voice box out. They were worried I would never be able to sing again, because you can get hoarse voice after an operation like that.’
The TOWIE natator when on to share her reasons for not previously speaking publicly about the operation.
She said: ‘The rehabilitation was quite a long time, but I kept it very private just because as much as I’m out there and I talk about things, there are some things in my life that I do like to keep private.
Chat: Speaking on Thursday’s Lorraine about her life amid the release of autobiography A Bit Of Me, the presenter, 47, went on to detail the gruesome procedure as surgeons worked on her spine
‘I wasn’t looking for public sympathy, I just wanted to heal on my own.’
She went on to add: ‘I’m fine now. I’ve got a small scar on my neck, so I get asked quite a lot on TV what the scar is from.’
Despite her injury at the time, Denise went on to compete in the finals of Strictly, with her and James finishing as runners up alongside Kimberley Walsh and Pasha Kovalev, with Louis Smith and Flavia Cacace going on to win the 2012 series.
Shock: Host Lorraine Kelly, 62, was left wincing as she revealed she didn’t realise Denise’s injury was so ‘horrific’, adding that it must’ve been ‘awful’
Surgery: I had major surgery and they had to take my voice box out. They were worried I would never be able to sing again, because you can get hoarse voice after an operation like that’
This isn’t the only competition show Denise obtained an injury as last year she was forced to quit Dancing On Ice early after fracturing her shoulder during training.
At the time, the entertainer shared an Instagram statement telling fans she’d withdrawn the show after being told by doctors the injury would leave her severely limited in training.
In the post, Denise explained that doctors discovered she had three bone fractures in her shoulder which meant she’d be unable to perform any lifts or solo skating.
Reasons: ‘I kept it very private just because as much as I’m out there and I talk about things, there are some things in my life that I do like to keep private’
Good job: Despite her injury at the time, Denise went on to compete in the finals of Strictly, with her and James finishing as runners up alongside Kimberley Walsh and Pasha Kovalev
Meanwhile, in the same Lorraine interview, Denise admitted she ‘wasn’t in a great place’ after discovering her long-term partner Eddie Boxshall cheated on her for three years.
The actress split from Eddie, 48, in January after seven years together, and admitted to the host that she struggled to ‘accept’ that this would be her new future.
Despite her heartache, Denise insisted there are ‘no hard feelings’ and that’s she managed to move forward.
Can’t carry on! This isn’t the only competition show Denise obtained an injury as last year she was forced to quit Dancing On Ice early after fracturing her shoulder during training
‘These things happen. I’m not the first person it’s happened to and I won’t be the last, sadly. But it’s life, isn’t it, Lorraine?
‘You just have to get on with it and there are no hard feelings on my side. It’s happened and you just accept it. I can’t change what’s happened.’
Denise recently revealed she caught Eddie flirting sexually with three women and described his behaviour as ‘disrespectful and devastatingly hurtful’.
Heartbroken: In the same Lorraine interview, Denise admitted she ‘wasn’t in a great place’ after discovering her long-term partner Eddie Boxshall cheated on her for three years
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