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The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Number Sixteen, London hotel review
Location With its discreet, column-framed entrance squeezed between private residences on Sumner Place, Number Sixteen enjoys the serenity of SW7, while being just steps from some of London 's most celebrated museums. From this terrace of white mid-Victorian stucco in South Kensington, it's a short stroll to the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and the V&A, as well as high-end shopping in Harrods and the big brands of Brompton Road. South Kensington Underground Station is just a three-minute walk away for the Piccadilly, Circle and District lines linking into the city. After check-out, it's less than a 20-minute taxi to Victoria and Paddington stations for connections further afield. The vibe It can be hard to find unpretentious class in the capital, but this flamboyantly feminine hotel does well to bring the grandeur and warmth of a country estate to west London. The boutique bolthole is part of Firmdale Hotels' townhouse collection and is emblazoned with signature interiors by co-founder Kit Kemp. Décor is a war of textures, styles and colours with cosy corners in clashing prints and random animal motifs; an eclectic masterclass in all things mismatched. Still, a sense of homely tranquillity prevails. Naturally lit, characterful and intimate, this is the sort of stay that would make travellers want to move to London. The service You can expect a warm welcome once you've found this hotel's subtle front door. Staff are on hand around the clock, attentive, armed with recommendations and willing to show guests the ropes of the honesty bar. Service at dinner was personable and prompt, with honest à la carte suggestions, and the coffees kept coming while I worked from the garden before check-out. Bed and bath All 41 rooms at Number Sixteen are individually dressed and feature washed linens, vintage fabrics and flirty florals. Room categories range from single to superior, some summer or winter themed, others with a small balcony. Wallpaper is more modern English than garish, but it's the bespoke headboards that take centre stage beneath the high ceilings with dressmakers' mannequins to match. King-sized beds are unfathomably comfortable beside antique wooden wardrobes, whilst upholstery in shades of pistachio, hot pink and periwinkle feels calming rather than chaotic. Some rooms are without terrace or courtyard views, but all have an in-room mini bar, televisions, radios, best-in-class robes and a pillow mist to aid shut-eye. Bathrooms – a mix of walk-in showers or tubs – are done out in grey granite and oak and come with RikRak products. Food and drink An airy conservatory with vases of flowers and French doors out to a small garden – a meal at the Orangery feels more like a homemade dinner at a friend's than an SW7 restaurant. Prosciutto-wrapped melon, decadent cheddar croquettes and fish and chips are served on forest-themed fine china. If you've room for pudding, order a classic Eton mess or the cheeseboard featuring British styles. Breakfast showcases the best of British fare, with Old English sausages and Stornoway black pudding. A table of toast and preserves, fresh fruit and pastries accompanies every 'egg on English muffin' combination, best taken outside to enjoy under a mulberry tree. For leisurely lunches, afternoon tea is served daily with tried-and-tested finger sandwich combinations and a selection of tea infusions. As for tipples in the small hours, there's a stocked honesty bar of beers, wine and spirits in the library alongside a 24-hour room service menu. Facilities The ground floor is home to a string of stylish public spaces – the Drawing Room, Library and Orangery – each with playful art installations, along with the hotel's whimsical private garden. In the garden, there is a water lily-planted Koi carp pond, a pagoda and a collection of sage green tables for dining outdoors. You won't find a gym or spa at the hotel, but there is a menu of in-room massage treatments to lean into from Soholistic. Some rooms in this listed townhouse are wheelchair accessible. Although there is a small lift, many rooms are only accessible via the stairs. Pet policy Dogs and other furry friends are not permitted at Number Sixteen. Check in/check out Check in from 3pm; check out by 12pm. Family-friendly? Yes. Room categories can accommodate a cot or extra bed, with interconnecting options and children's amenities including mini bathrobes, kids' menus and milk and cookies served at bedtime. At a glance Best thing: The lofty, Princess and the Pea-style beds. Perfect for: Couples after a colourful home from home. Instagram from: The pretty courtyard garden.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend, whom he assured was 'the one', had concerns about his 'roving eye' after he had 'endless supply of gorgeous women,' according to royal expert
Before settling down with Meghan Markle, Prince Harry was known as a bit of a party animal. His royal status meant he had many late nights at the exclusive Boujis nightclub in South Kensington with free drinks and the company of an 'endless supply of gorgeous young women'.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
The 'immaculate' West London restaurant offering an escape for a 'downright steal' of £30 per head
Oh dear, I thought, as we stepped into the discreetly minimalist dining room of The Lavery. Here we go again. Because with its polished parquet floor and soaring South Kensington ceiling, its Georgian stucco detail, modernist light fittings, artfully aged mirrors and white – lots and lots of white – I expected fussy, fastidiously plated food served on strange and delicate porcelain, accompanied by pompous paeans about 'Chef's obsession' with sustainability, hyperseasonality and Somerset hand-crafted charcoal. I was, thank the lord, quite stupendously wrong. Because this is a place that gets everything right: the service, which purrs and glides, warm but well drilled. And the light, which today floods through the vast picture windows, holding the whole room in a mid-spring embrace. And the food, from head chef Yohei Furuhashi, who's done time at Toklas, Petersham Nurseries and, of course, The River Cafe. There's a charred slab of golden, buttery polenta with a great blob of mellow salt-cod brandade. Crisp winter tomatoes add sharpness and bite. Asparagus, pert and thrusting, sit atop a puddle of gently pongy fonduta. Roasted artichokes come with silken slices of excellent prosciutto. The dishes may be simple, but are immaculately done. Nettle tortelli are stuffed with ricotta and pine nuts, the pasta, a lushly verdant green, exquisitely delicate. It's like biting into something ephemeral, almost otherworldly: a breathy whisper of barely carbohydrate delight. Then a tranche of sea trout, a fraction overcooked – I crave a little translucence in the centre of my fish, but nobody else complains. With it, a tangle of spinach, the first of the season's peas and a dollop of wild garlic mayonnaise. For something a touch more robust, there's leg of rabbit, stuffed with Tuscan sausage, wrapped in pancetta and served with lentils studded with baby broad beans. A few sorrel leaves add acidic aplomb. You might expect the prices to be suitably stratospheric but while not exactly cheap, they offer serious value. You could come in for pasta and a glass of wine, and escape for under £30. For cooking this accomplished (and in this particularly gilded part of South Kensington) that's not so much a deal as a downright steal.
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
‘We're missionaries, in a weird way': The Mormon wives scandalising the church
Mormonism is having a moment. On TikTok and Instagram; in hit stage and TV shows; amongst the believers forming snaking queues outside churches from Salt Lake City to South Kensington. In the era of Trump's America, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with all its conservative rules and regulations, is riding a wave of increasing popularity. Social media is dominated by Mormon 'trad wife' influencers such as Nara Smith and Ballerina Farm, who present an idyllic, old-fashioned daily existence filled with Bible study, baking and breastfeeding their never ending supply of children to their millions of followers. Sales of The Book of Mormon, the LDS's holy scripture, have doubled since the start of the millennium, with the church – which has around 16 million active members worldwide – reporting that more than 200 million copies had been distributed by 2023 (up from 100m in 2000). But there's another factor at play in the church's resurgence. Last year, reality TV gained a new megahit in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, a soapy, scandalous series about a group of female Mormon influencers (known as MomTokkers) living in the state of Utah. Disney reports that season two, which launched last week, has already been watched by five million people (a marked increase from the first season premiere, according to the studio, although the increase has not been publicly declared). It includes all of your regular reality TV ingredients: ex-best friends turned enemies, villainous backstabbers, outlandish gossip (illicit sex! Adultery! Gambling!) and carefully controlled social events that, 99 per cent of the time, end in screaming matches. Set against the backdrop of a swinging scandal that almost tore apart the lives of some of the show's cast back in 2022, it's a recipe for TV gold. That scandal centred mostly on Taylor Frankie Paul, the show's main catalyst for entertainment: she swears, gets arrested, cries over her volatile relationships, screams in other women's faces. She was also the one to reveal three years ago that she, her ex-husband and several other Mormon couples – all with large social media followings – were engaging in 'soft swinging'. Divorce followed for both Paul and season two's new cast member Miranda McWhorter; pariah status seemed set in stone. Until it wasn't, and fears that they would be shunned by the church instead resulted in a hit TV show about their personal lives. Season one set Paul up as a star capable of rivalling reality TV's most famous agents of chaos (The Real Housewives of Atlanta's NeNe Leakes, Love Island's Maura Higgins, Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner) with her messy family and relationship dramas and love of confrontation. But there was always a niggling feeling amongst viewers that we wouldn't understand the full story until McWhorter – Paul's one-time best friend, fellow leading MomTok influencer and, vitally, swinger – shared her side. And finally, in season two, we get just that. McWhorter, 27, appears on screen insisting that her sole motivation for joining the cast was financial: she was freshly divorced from teenage sweetheart Chase (who reportedly expressed his feelings for Paul, after the swinging scandal) with two young children to provide for. The other women are immediately furious, and accuse her of 'clout chasing' – meaning she wants in on the lucrative brand deals they've all come to expect as a result of the show's popularity. But it's evident that, without McWhorter and Paul – the original MomTokkers, along with Camille Munday – none of them would have a show to begin with. Much of McWhorter's screen time is spent cleaning up the messy details of what the other cast members had heard about the scandal: was there sex involved? (No). So it was just kissing? (Apparently). The breakdown of her marriage to Chase is addressed during a fiery episode when he confronts Dakota, the father of Paul's youngest child, but it's mostly told through the prism of her relationship with Paul. Over a hilariously classic reality TV-setup of a serene lunch date gone wrong (any Made in Chelsea fans will know the sort), McWhorter and Paul duke it out, eventually declaring that they've resolved their differences. Speaking to me over Zoom, McWhorter says she knew the other cast members would be unsure of her motivations for joining the show. 'Obviously none of us are doing this for charity,' she says. 'But that's just an added benefit, because I've been able to formulate real friendships'. To keep things separate, she says she and co-star Whitney Leavitt work under a different management to the other women, meaning they're not competing for the same deals. It wasn't just the other women who took a while to get on board with her joining the cast, however. Her family had their own concerns. 'It's definitely been a difficult challenge for them,' McWhorter says. 'Even them accepting my different perspectives on the church itself, and where I'm at with it, has been hard.' @maycineeley 😭💔🫶🏼 #momtok ♬ original sound - kardashianshulu Her main reason for joining the show late, she says, was to navigate her divorce off-camera – and to let the heat from the swinging scandal die down. 'There was a lot of judgement during the swinging scandal, and now that the show has come out of it, it's more acceptable. [Other Mormons] don't look at me the way they used to, which is unfortunate, but also kind of the name of the game sometimes'. Being around Paul, too, had felt difficult and triggering – 'I wasn't sure if I was ready to put myself in that position' – but having resolved their differences on screen, it appears to have worked out. However, the success of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has caused some consternation in the church itself, with other LDS members concerned it offers a negative window to their everyday lives. Prior to the release of the first season, the church issued a statement on its official website decrying the 'stereotypes' and 'gross misrepresentations' made about their members via the show. Though some of the cast members are devout followers (Jennifer Affleck, Mikayla Matthews, Mayci Neeley, Leavitt), the others are largely women who grew up in the church but have since distanced themselves from it: Paul, Layla Taylor, Demi Engemann, Jessi Ngatikaura. Affleck was publicly called out on social media by her extended family for choosing to take part and broadcast her marriage troubles. A prominent Mormon fashion influencer, who also lives in Utah, tells me that some of the girls in the show have become laughing stocks, viewed by their communities as fame-hungry and ungodly. The LDS's famously strict rules – no coffee or alcohol, definitely no sex before marriage – are bent to the women's will rather than followed: coffee gives way to litres and litres of fizzy soda; beers are sneakily sipped at pool parties; the women attend a Chippendales strip show on a trip to Las Vegas. Many Mormons choose to wear holy 'temple garments', made up of cotton shorts and vest, differing via gender, under their modest clothing. But in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, crop tops and mini skirts reign supreme; it's immediately noticeable just how many of these women have had Botox and facial filler. They're also all addicted to TikTok – or the #MomTok corner of it, anyway, where they have been luring in followers with dance and lifestyle videos since the pandemic. Leavitt, the show's resident villain (her arguments with Paul dominated much of the first season, and in the second, she regularly fights with Engemann and Matthews, who accuse her of being vindictive and drama-hungry), boasts one of the biggest follower counts, with almost three million fans across various platforms. She felt the sting of her large following for the first time four years ago, when a video of her dancing in front of her son's hospital incubator while he was being treated in intensive care (he is now healthy) went viral and the internet branded her a monster en masse. Then came the show, in which Leavitt's love for confrontation put her at the epicentre of seemingly every drama or argument. The villain role was one she took on by accident, she tells me. 'I can't help but be myself, and unfortunately, that gets me in trouble sometimes,' she laughs. New viewers may be surprised, given she looks like the vision of wholesomeness with her prim dresses, simple blonde bob and apparent love of being pregnant (the 32-year-old welcomes her third child in season two). The outfits aren't the only thing masking her tough edge – when I speak to her, her soft voice and girly giggles make you think more of a teenage cheerleader than a reality TV antagonist. In the show, Leavitt is unafraid to remove herself from toxic situations or skip events populated by cast members she doesn't like entirely, a decision she says she made to make her 'mental health a priority' and protect her family. As for criticism from the public, who argue the show makes a mockery of the church, she responds: 'I think it's a lot louder online than it is in person. People send me comments and I'm like 'Are you even Mormon?' I still go to church, and it's very welcoming. Obviously people love to talk about the show and they want the behind-the-scenes, inside scoop, and of course I zip my lips'. If anything, she suggests, the show has been a way of spreading the word of the church: 'Maybe we're actually missionaries, in a weird way'. @taylorfrankiepaul Don't ask me how I know all the trendy trends though. #momtok #coparenting ♬ original sound - 🧍🏾♀️🧍🏾♀️ For all the controversy, though, the success of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives seems only likely to keep growing. Its stars appear on US talk shows and other reality programmes (including Vanderpump Villa), it has millions of viewers, and a quick search of the title on TikTok not only pulls up clips from the show but countless videos advising how fans can channel the style, lifestyle choices or beauty treatments of the cast. For those worried about the rise of 'trad wife' dynamics, especially in the US, as reproductive and civil rights come increasingly under threat, the show's popularity hints at a darker trend: where beautiful women, meant to serve as perfect housewives who bend to their husband's every whim, monetise their submission – in turn making said husbands very, very rich. These women exist on a corner of the internet not that far removed from Andrew Tate's legions of twisted followers, who decry any woman who isn't conventionally attractive or willing to conform to traditional values. One only has to look at Affleck, who spends the majority of her time on screen denying to the other women that her husband is abusive. The misogynistic insults he throws at her, and his expectations that she be a full-time stay at home wife while also providing financially through her work on social media, make them believe otherwise. Fans of the show – and its cast – would argue that the women's decision to monetise their social media content is an easy way to earn big bucks; the best of both worlds where they can simultaneously rear children, churn out countless loaves of homemade sourdough and become financially secure. McWhorter and Leavitt are adamant that the best part of being a cast member is the ready-made friendships with other women – but scanning their plethora of brand deals online, one imagines it's more likely to be the thousands of dollars sitting in the bank.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Prince Harry's pregnant ex Cressida Bonas shows off her growing baby bump as she attends London event with half-sister Isabella Branson
Cressida Bonas showed off her growing baby bump this morning as she joined her half-sister Isabella Branson at an event in London. Prince Harry 's ex-girlfriend, 36, who recently launched the podcast Lessons From Our Mothers, was glowing in a silk jumpsuit and cropped jumper. The daughter of Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon and Jeffrey Bonas, Cressida looked typically stylish at Thursday morning's event championing 'poetry, presence and purposeful conversation' to mark mental health awareness week, which was hosted by Scottish poet Donna Ashworth. She arrived at South Kensington's private members' club NEXUS - regularly frequented by stars like Liz Hurley and Ronnie Wood - in a green and white silk jumpsuit, featuring a polka dot design, and a bright yellow cropped jumper. With her blonde hair styled in loose waves and wearing only natural make-up, Cressida's natural beauty shone through. She accessorised her striking outfit with a raffia tote bag and chunky trainers. The actress, who dated Prince Harry for two years until 2014, married property investor Harry Wentworth-Stanley in 2020 and is currently pregnant with their second child. The actress, who shares two-year-old Wilbur with husband Harry, also 36, has previously spoken candidly about her struggle to conceive the first time around and her experience of IVF. At the beginning of 2025, she revealed that she had been 'fortunate to have another embryo stored away in a freezer' - which the couple used to conceive baby number two. Model and actress Isabella, 45, who is married to Richard Branson's son Sam, chose an equally summery ensemble, which included blue and white striped trousers and an oversized white shirt worn open at the neck. The half-sisters were joined by several other women, including fellow actress Tamzin Outhwaite and TV presenter Julia Bradbury, at this morning's event. Former EastEnders actress Tamzin looked elegant in wide-leg jeans and a striped blazer while Julia, who has fronted programmes on BBC, ITV and Channel 5, paired her jeans with colourful trainers and a white smock top. Many of the other guests, all of whom enjoyed breakfast and took part in a number of workshops, appeared to have been inspired by the recent summery weather when choosing their outfits. The women who attended Donna Ashworth's event posed for photographs with the poet while Cressida and Isabella, 45, were pictured sharing a sisterly embrace. Earlier this year, Cressida told of her heartbreaking struggles to conceive in a candid personal essay. She equally opened up about her fears of losing her 78-year-old mother, Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon, and gave readers an insight into how she coped with her sister Pandora Cooper-Key's death from cancer. In an article written for The Telegraph, Cressida admitted that being a mother 'is unpredictable and frightening' and said she has 'elements of her childhood she would like to leave in the past'. The actress added that her late sister Pandora, who died in July aged 51, always 'played a maternal role' and was 'protecting her even in her final days'. In a further candid confession, she revealed that she and her siblings feared they were going to 'lose their mother' when she was rushed into intensive care last year. 'My husband and I struggled to conceive, and our son is a product of IVF. Fortunately, after the successful transfer of another of our embryos, I am pregnant with our second child. 'Even though I remind myself how fortunate we are to have been able to have children, being a mum is the most challenging thing I've ever done. It is unpredictable, frightening and it tests me every day,' she wrote. The socialite, who dated Prince Harry from 2012 to 2014 and still remains close to the royal family, revealed that she was pregnant with her second child in January of this year. 'I am now well into my second pregnancy,' she wrote in The Spectator magazine. 'Having conceived through IVF the first time, we were fortunate to have another embryo stored away in a freezer.' Cressida added that it has been difficult pregnancy. 'I've been battling morning sickness,' she said. 'I've never had it before, and now feel like I've been swaying on a boat for months.' Pandora (left) said her sister Georgiana (right) was left worrying about whether she was dead or alive after having a seizure. Above: The pair pictured with Cressida Bonas (middle) Cressida dated Prince Harry from 2012 to 2014 after being set up by Princess Eugenie. Pictured in March 2014 Cressida's close friend Princess Eugenie, who was the brains behind her match with Harry, will speak as a guest on her new podcast, Lessons From Our Mothers. A sneak preview posted on the podcast's new Instagram account saw Eugenie, 34, speak touchingly about her own mother, Sarah Ferguson. 'What is the most valuable thing you have learned from your mum?' Cressida asks in an episode. Eugenie said: 'I think for me, it's the fire inside, you know, the strength inside of you, and how to bring that out, and to pull it in when you most need it.' Cressida announced the podcast on her Instagram account, writing: 'We are excited to share something that we've been working on for a while…our new podcast, Lessons From Our Mothers, launching on Mothering Sunday 2025! 'Have you ever stopped to think about the maternal figures in your life and how they have shaped who you are today? Have you ever asked them about their own experiences, or thought about the lessons that you have learned from them?' She continued: 'Lessons From Our Mothers is a series of conversations that celebrate motherhood and mothering in all its forms. 'When our own mum fell ill last year, we set out to ask her all the questions that we had never thought to ask - and now, we're on a sisterly mission to find out the stories of some special guests (and their mothers) through this podcast.
