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Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Jo Malone: ‘I can't stand Aperol spritz'
My favourite drink as a child was homemade ginger lemonade. My father, Andy, was a dab hand in the kitchen, and he'd often make shortbread and lemonade for my sister Tracey and me. He used fresh lemons, ginger and probably a bit too much sugar, but it was divine. I remember excitedly coming home from school on a Friday afternoon and there would be a big jug of fresh lemonade in the fridge with loads of ice cubes. I start every day with homemade juice. I'm pre-diabetic so I often feel light-headed when I wake up and need some sugar to rebalance me. My recipe is banana, lemon, raspberries or strawberries, some ginger and a teaspoon of turmeric. It's absolutely delicious. I don't drink coffee, but I love a strong cup of builder's tea and I try to drink a litre of water every morning, too. My first taste of alcohol was at a house party when I was 12. It was in Bexleyheath [South-east London ], where I grew up, and someone sneaked in some Woodpecker cider. We played Postman's Knock [a party game that includes lots of kissing] and swigged cider from the bottle. I didn't like the taste of it at all. I was much more interested in the kissing. On my first date with my husband Gary [Willcox, a former surveyor], we drank hot chocolate. It was 43 years ago and he was a competitive swimmer back then, so alcohol wasn't involved. We went for a walk around Wimbledon Common and it was a cold day, so we stopped at a tiny café and had hot chocolate. I still remember every detail, even the grey tracksuit Gary wore. It took me about five seconds to fall in love with him. The most memorable drink I've ever had was the night we decided to relocate to Dubai in 2023. Gary and I felt we'd never had the 'gap year' experience of moving abroad, so why not do it now? We sat in our London garden watching the sun set, me with a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc and Gary with a 0% beer, and decided the next morning we'd skydive together to symbolically seal the deal. And that's exactly what we did. My favourite cocktail has to be a vodka gimlet. I've always been into citrussy drinks and had a penchant for lemon barley water as a child. I love a coupe glass but I don't like the taste of champagne, so I always serve my vodka gimlets in them to feel stylish. I'm also a big fan of a kir, made with crème de cassis and dry white wine, on a warm evening when I'm on holiday in France. The worst drink I've ever tasted is Aperol spritz. I can't stand it. When I was young my parents would make me drink Lucozade when I was sick and I hated it. Whenever I see Aperol, it brings back that memory. The song I'll always sing on a night out is Dancing Queen by Abba. I recently took my son, Josh, and some of his friends to the Mamma Mia! Party at the O2 arena, where you sit in a replica Greek town square and everyone sings the hits and gets merry. Of course, after two glasses of white wine I was dancing on the table. At my funeral I'd like them to serve my new liquor, Jo Vodka. That feels like a fashionable way to sign off, serving a drink with my name on it! I've always loved the cleanness of vodka, and when it's fused with anything citrussy, the whole thing takes on a new life. Everyone could have a coupe and come together over my drink. I'd want it to feel celebratory, not sad. I've left a legacy with my signature scents and now my signature drinks, and that's something to remember me by.
Telegraph
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Jo Malone accused of ‘whitewashing' Dubai's human rights abuses
Jo Malone has been accused of 'whitewashing' Dubai's human rights abuses after she appeared to defend the UAE's record. Amnesty International said the fragrance entrepreneur 's stance was 'deeply troubling' after she appeared to say there was little difference between living in the Middle Eastern city and in the UK or US. Malone, 61, moved to Dubai in 2021 with her husband, Gary Willcox, after becoming 'disillusioned' with Britain. Since then, she has lived in the suite of a five-star hotel in the Middle Eastern city and described Sheikh Mohammed, its ruler, as ' the most wonderful leader '. Amnesty International has condemned her comments, saying public figures have 'a responsibility to speak truthfully about human rights'. The charity told The Telegraph: 'While individuals are free to relocate as they see fit, defending the United Arab Emirates' human rights record is deeply troubling. 'The UAE has an appalling track record of silencing dissent, arbitrarily detaining critics, and violating migrant workers' rights. 'Glossing over these realities not only ignores the suffering of countless people but risks legitimising repression. 'Public figures have a responsibility to speak truthfully about human rights - not to help whitewash abuses.' In an interview with The Sunday Times, Malone appeared to dismiss the abuses that have taken place and said you have to respect the fact 'you are in someone else's country'. 'I believe every person has the right to be whoever they want to be, but you think the UK has got everything right, and the US has got everything right?' she said. 'Honestly, you tell me a place you can go and live where you can tick every box 100 per cent.' Malone – who is estimated to be worth £15 million – and her husband are enjoying a 10-year golden visa, which allows them to stay in the UAE, where there is no personal income or inheritance tax. 'It is probably the happiest I've ever been in my life,' she said, adding that she couldn't see herself returning to Britain. She said she had become 'disillusioned' with the tax system in the UK, with little to show for it when 'you take [family] to hospital and you're waiting three days on a trolley'. However, Dubai has been at the centre of several high profile human rights abuses. In one of them, property developer Ryan Cornelius was arrested over an alleged £370 million fraud in 2008, held in solitary confinement and subsequently found guilty. The 71-year-old, who denies wrongdoing over a loan secured with the Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), has languished behind bars for 16 years. The father of three's original 10-year sentence was extended by 20 years in 2011, with the UAE insisting he had a fair trial and that he had not repaid money to the bank. The United Nations has said the charges of fraud are false and called for his immediate release.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I love living in Dubai, reveals Jo Malone - as she admits she was 'disillusioned' by UK taxes and healthcare and praises 'most wonderful leader' Sheikh Mohammed
Jo Malone has revealed she why moved to Dubai after becoming 'disillusioned' with the UK. The British perfumer, 61, has lived in a suite of five-star hotel in Dubai since 2021, with her husband Gary Willcox. The couple, who are worth £15 million, enjoy the country's 'Golden Visa' scheme meaning they can live in the Emirate without paying any tax. Speaking to the Sunday Times, Jo said living in the Middle East has made her 'the happiest she's ever been in her life'. Her day-to-day now includes working from the hotel's lounges, as well as lunch and Pilates at the hotel pool as well as evening sessions of Rummikub, a tile-based board game. She sometimes is even allowed into the kitchen to cook with the hotel's chef. Jo, who grew up on a council estate in South East London and thinks that 'people should pay taxes' added that she 'doesn't miss Britain's tax rates and healthcare systems'. 'What happens is, you start to become disillusioned.' she said. 'When you're working hard, you're paying your taxes, and then your child gets sick or your mother gets sick, and you take them to the hospital and you're waiting three days on a trolley'. Jo, who received a CBE from the King in 2018, the emirate appeals to her due to 'year-round heat' and 'fragrant spices and smells' as well as the Middle East being a good place to 'expand the business into India and China'. She also defended the country's human right's record and called the country's controversial billionaire ruler Sheikh Mohammed as 'just the most wonderful leader'. 'I believe every person has the right to be whoever they want to be, but you think the UK has got everything right, and the US has got everything right?' 'Well, honestly, you tell me a place you can go and live where you can tick every box 100 per cent.' Jo - who created her brand in 1994 - has attributed her perfume success to her extremely good sense of smell - which she said has even said allowed her to predict the weather. She has synesthesia, which causes senses to overlap. Some people, for example, can hear, taste or smell colours. 'Smell is like a tune in my head, with a melody and a harmony, base notes and high notes, which I then translate into fragrance and bottle,' she previously told the Mail. This rare gift — which has won a loyal following for her bottles of perfume, such as lime, basil and mandarin, and white rose and lemon leaves — has served Jo very well. It has been the driving force behind not one but two businesses and, in 2008, earned her an MBE. Her original empire, Jo Malone — which started life with a small shop in Knightsbridge, — was bought in 1999 by cosmetics giant Estee Lauder for 'undisclosed millions'. Jo stayed at the helm as creative director until 2006, when a gruelling battle with aggressive breast cancer forced her to re-evaluate her life, quit and walk away to enjoy a simpler life as a wife and mum to her then young son Josh. For someone whose sense of smell is so acute, Jo was distressed to temporarily lose it while undergoing a gruelling course of chemotherapy in New York, after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2003. 'I was 37 when I was diagnosed. I had the world in my hand and, suddenly, I was given this terrible news. During chemotherapy, I completely lost my sense of smell,' she previously told the Mail. 'When I returned to Jo Malone, I remember standing in the new store in New York, thinking: 'I don't belong here any more.' No one at Estee Lauder made me feel unwelcome, but I just felt: 'It's time for me to go.' My little boy was only two and I wanted to be around for him. 'I think whenever you go through something life-changing, you go through a period of re-evaluation. If I'd given myself six months to a year, I probably would have felt different. But the first morning I woke up, I realised I'd made the right decision for the business, but the wrong decision for me. 'Every single day, I'd think: 'What am I going to do with myself?' I didn't know where to put all this creative energy. 'Gary is a very easy-going guy and he kept saying to me: 'Jo, let's just enjoy this moment', but I was like a caged tiger.' Jo's golden handcuffs deal with Jo Malone prevented her from starting a new cosmetics business for five years after quitting. Once that time was up, returning as Jo Loves was far tougher than she thought. 'One day, I thought: 'I want to try again.' No one knew I'd left Jo Malone and my name was so synonymous with [that] brand, but I was a living person with the same dreams. Those first 18 months were the toughest of my life. 'Creating fragrances didn't come back to me naturally. I'd ask myself: 'Did I have one lucky break in life?' It took me six months, but I had to work at it again. 'It so resonated with me when I heard [pop star] Adele talking about her musical comeback after taking a break to have a baby and that fear of not being able to create again.' Unable to use her full name, which now belonged to Estee Lauder for marketing, Jo struggled to come up with an alternative. It was her son who suggested 'Jo Loves'. 'We were sitting round the kitchen table and Josh just said: 'Mum, why don't you call it Jo Loves? You love fragrance and fragrance loves you,' ' says Jo, who launched in 2011 and opened her shop in 2013. 'I was still very proud of what I'd achieved with Jo Malone, but felt I'd lost my self-identity. I am not someone who gets depressed at all, but I felt very anxious I had lost my connection with creativity. 'I can create a fragrance, even if you blindfold me and tie my hands behind my back, but it's those really magical moments I am trying to create and it's frustrating when that inspiration is not around you.' Jo now says says she plans to announce a new business venture that has nothing to do with fragrance. She is also planning on selling Jo Loves, but she'll stay on to work with the business afterwards. 'I'm never going to leave her, because she's the last child I'm going to have, starting from scratch, in that genre.'
Telegraph
11-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Jo Malone defends Dubai's human rights record after relocating
Jo Malone has defended Dubai's human rights record after she became 'disillusioned' with Britain and relocated to the Middle East. The fragrance entrepreneur has lived in the suite of a five-star hotel in Dubai since 2021. Malone, 61, described Sheikh Mohammed, the city's ruler, as 'the most wonderful leader' and said the UK and United States weren't perfect either. She and her husband Gary Willcox are part of the now 240,000 or so who call the emirate their home. Speaking to The Sunday Times about the human rights record and attitudes towards homosexuality, the perfumer said: 'I believe every person has the right to be whoever they want to be, but you think the UK has got everything right, and the US has got everything right?. 'Honestly, you tell me a place you can go and live where you can tick every box 100 per cent.' She added that you had to respect the fact 'you are in someone else's country' before describing Sheikh Mohammed as 'just the most wonderful leader'. Malone, whose visa entitles her to live for up to 10 years in the city where there is no personal income or inheritance tax, hopes she can continue 'beyond' that period. On the tax systems back in Britain, the businesswoman who was raised on a council estate said: 'What happens is, you start to become disillusioned. 'And when you're working hard, you're paying your taxes, and then your child gets sick or your mother gets sick, and you take them to the hospital and you're waiting three days on a trolley.' 'I moved for opportunity' She added that other Britons were also making the move 'like there's no tomorrow' because of the amount of infrastructure being built. Malone said: 'I was ahead of the curve. 'I didn't move for all the obvious reasons. It was for me as a person. I moved for opportunity.' Malone is now estimated to be worth £15 million after setting up her luxury perfume, candle and lotion business in 1990. In 1999, she sold the company to Estée Lauder for millions before going on to launch Jo Loves in 2011 when her highly tuned sense of smell returned after overcoming cancer.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jo Malone defends Dubai's human rights record after relocating
Jo Malone has defended Dubai's human rights record after she became 'disillusioned' with Britain and relocated to the Middle East. The fragrance entrepreneur has lived in the suite of a five-star hotel in Dubai since 2021. Malone, 61, described Sheikh Mohammed, the city's ruler, as 'the most wonderful leader' and said the UK and United States weren't perfect either. She and her husband Gary Willcox are part of the now 240,000 or so who call the emirate their home. Speaking to The Sunday Times about the human rights record and attitudes towards homosexuality, the perfumer said: 'I believe every person has the right to be whoever they want to be, but you think the UK has got everything right, and the US has got everything right?. 'Honestly, you tell me a place you can go and live where you can tick every box 100 per cent.' She added that you had to respect the fact 'you are in someone else's country' before describing Sheikh Mohammed as 'just the most wonderful leader'. Malone, whose visa entitles her to live for up to 10 years in the city where there is no personal income or inheritance tax, hopes she can continue 'beyond' that period. On the tax systems back in Britain, the businesswoman who was raised on a council estate said: 'What happens is, you start to become disillusioned. 'And when you're working hard, you're paying your taxes, and then your child gets sick or your mother gets sick, and you take them to the hospital and you're waiting three days on a trolley.' She added that other Britons were also making the move 'like there's no tomorrow' because of the amount of infrastructure being built. Malone said: 'I was ahead of the curve. 'I didn't move for all the obvious reasons. It was for me as a person. I moved for opportunity.' Malone is now estimated to be worth £15 million after setting up her luxury perfume, candle and lotion business in 1990. In 1999, she sold the company to Estée Lauder for millions before going on to launch Jo Loves in 2011 when her highly tuned sense of smell returned after overcoming cancer. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
