Budding Bond Idris turns DJ for £366million chum’s big day
ACTOR Idris Elba may or may not have agreed to be the next James Bond, but I can reveal that the star was persuaded to DJ at the wedding of Superdry’s craggy co-founder Julian Dunkerton at the weekend.
Elba, 45, who is known for roles in crime dramas The Wire and Luther, was behind the decks as Dunkerton celebrated his marriage to Jade Holland Cooper, a designer 22 years his junior.
Dunkerton, 53, is said to have amassed a fortune of £366 million since setting up fashion brand Superdry and he spared no expense for his wedding, believed to have been held in the Cotswolds where he owns a string of hotels and restaurants.
In addition to Elba, who previously spun tunes at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding reception at Frogmore House, Windsor, Dunkerton hired R&B chart-topper Craig David to serenade his bride. Suffolk farmer’s daughter Jade was educated at £14,322-per-year Ipswich School for Girls before making her demure public debut on Country Life’s ‘Girl In Pearls’ page.
She joined David on stage in her spectacular, figure-hugging white lace bridal gown by Galia Lahav, having removed its extravagant train, right.
Jade described it as ‘the dress of my dreams’.
Dunkerton enjoys a close relationship with Elba, having made him a Superdry ‘ambassador’ in 2015 and then hiring him to design clothing for the brand.
Two years ago, the tycoon sold £52 million of shares in the company to fund a divorce settlement with his first wife, Charlotte Abbot.
The bride is a successful designer in her own right, having built a loyal following for her label, Holland Cooper, which sells trendy rural gear and is worn by the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips and David Beckham.
The next day the couple flew off to the South of France for their honeymoon — in a private jet, of course.
HOW do you keep a boyband together for 25 years? Ronan Keating, who waves goodbye to Boyzone after their current tour, says: ‘The arguments we’ve had over hotel rooms are the worst thing. If you know you’ve got the best room, never let the other band members see it.’ The Irish singer doesn’t seem to be doing too badly. He posted online pictures of the luxury tropical jungle cabin he is sharing with wife, Storm, in Sri Lanka, ahead of the band’s Colombo show.