A diva demand too far, Mariah Carey: Call for 20 white kittens blocked by elf 'n' safety
By
Sara Nathan and Ben Todd
Last updated at 1:42 AM on 19th November 2009
As one of the world's biggest stars, Mariah Carey doesn't know the meaning of the word No.
But it appears Britain's health and safety officials are about to teach her.
They have flatly turned down her demands to be surrounded by 20 white kittens and 100 white doves as she turns on a shopping centre's Christmas lights.
Miss Carey, 39, wants confetti shaped like butterflies, her favourite insect, to shower over her at the end of her appearance at the Westfield complex in West London
The American singer had issued a string of extravagant requirements in return for her appearance at the Westfield complex in West London.
The list - known in showbusiness
circles as a 'rider' - included being driven by Rolls Royce along a
pink carpet right to the pink podium where she is to wave a wand to
turn on the lights.
A source revealed the model of car had to be changed six times before she was finally happy.
Miss Carey, 39, wants
confetti shaped like butterflies, her favourite insect, to shower over
her at the end. She has also requested an entourage of 15 along with
about 80 security guards.
However, it appears her demands for white kittens and doves - which were already proving difficult to track down - were just too much for her hosts.
A source said: 'We did manage to source
the doves that we were going to release into the sky, but the kittens
proved terribly difficult.
Phillip Schofield was left fuming after Mariah Carey was an hour late for a recorded interview on ITV's This Morning show
'In the end, it was made clear that due to health and safety, there was no way we could have the animals at Westfield.
'We do not allow pets into Westfield - that rule would apply for everyone.
'We have worked extremely hard to
make sure that Mariah's event is fantastic. Even the model of car had
to be changed six times to one that her people liked.'
Before health and safety stepped in, finding 20 pure white kittens was giving Miss Carey's hosts a headache.
The simplest way would be to hire them
from one of Britain's animal acting agencies. But it was thought
impossible to provide so many at short notice.
Pet shops have the same problem. One
worker at a shop in South-West London said last night: 'We could get
you one but not 20. For starters, all-white kittens are not all that
common in Britain.'
Mariah has been staying at the Dorchester Hotel during her visit to the UK.
She snubbed fans who'd been waiting outside the London hotel for hours en route to an appearance on Alan Carr's Chatty Man show.
The singer left the hotel via a side exit and ignored autograph requests as she got into her car.
Earlier this month, Miss
Carey told of her passion for animals and how far she will go to keep
them in the luxury that she is accustomed to.
She told Hello! magazine that she had hired extra minders and security for a recent commercial that she starred in with her dogs. She said: 'I had my team with me but the pups had a mini-entourage of their own, of course! And why wouldn't they?
'It was a big shoot and even my entourage had an entourage - my stylist had an assistant, my security had extra security.
'The shoot was based on the fact that some people think I'm a demanding diva. I have no idea why people have that impression!'
Miss Carey will make her Westfield appearance days after presenter Phillip Schofield was left fuming after she was an hour late for a recorded interview on ITV's This Morning show.
While waiting on Monday, he posted a series of irate messages on his Twitter page, which has 300,000 followers.
At 1.15pm, he wrote: 'Sitting here twiddling our thumbs waiting for Mariah Carey.. la la la laaa.'
Mariah Carey snubbed fans as she left the Dorchester hotel via a side exit snubbing autograph requests as she got into her car
Half an hour later he sarcastically wrote: 'Her people have arrived!' Although there was still no sign of Miss Carey.
He added: 'Think I will give her until two o'clock.'
But
he was further angered when, after finally arriving at the studios she
delayed proceedings further by changing her mind over what outfit to
wear.
A clearly frustrated Schofield then wrote: 'She's changing her mind about what she's wearing!!!!!'
When the interview was over, the presenter then said that she had apologised for her behaviour.
He messaged fans saying: 'She was subtly apologetic for being an hour late and yes, an entourage the size of Denmark'.
The interview will be shown next Thursday.
I NEVER thought that I would ever write:
"Thank goodness for elf n safety!!!!"
It is about time someone stood up to this demanding woman
- Amanda, Yorkshire, 19/11/2009 01:43
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