10 Things Every Man Should Know About Irish Women!

Ah us women – we truly are a complicated bunch! Being a member of the fairer sex I feel the need to dispel the preconception that women are from Venus and men are from Mars. You know what? We are all in fact from a small blue and green sphere called Earth! Now it is true that us women possess deep and complex minds with thoughts and ideas so profound that no man can even begin to comprehend them, but here is a simple guide for you men to enable you to understand your missus :- 10 Things Every Man Should Know About Irish Women. Consider this your new Bible!

1. Do not interrupt episodes of Made in Chelsea. The daily lives and goings-on of our favourite well-heeled Knightsbridge pals is compulsive viewing and requires our full attention. Under no circumstances do you interrupt or indeed breath throughout this glamour-fest (unless one of the eligible bachelors from the show is knocking on our frontdoor!) 

2. We like to be complimented. All girls like to be told they look nice from time to time. Tell us we look beautiful when we do and notice when we get out hair done! We have spent a small fortune on having our hair styled afterall – the least you can do it make one small teeny weeny comment about it. It will make us feel special and in return you can reap the benefits of our good spirits.

3. When we say; “We just want a cuddle” – we mean exactly that! – We just want a cuddle! Sometimes all we want is to get into the most fleecy pjs we own and curl up on the couch with our mans arms around us. No sneaky attempts to ‘cop a feel’ wanted! If we want more action – don’t worry we will let you know!

4. We like our men rugged and masculine! Now I’m not saying we want bulging muscles and guns of steel but we want our men to look after themselves! A little maniscaping is good but don’t go OTT on it – a little hair on the chest is a good thing and under no circumstances do you pluck your eyebrows (unless it’s to get rid of a uni-brow – then that’s acceptable). We like our men to look good but not to have taken longer to get ready for a night out than we do! We need the bathroom mirror more than you do!

5. On a first date – we expect you to pay. We may offer but we don’t expect you to take us up on it! This is a very important factor and can determine whether a second date is on the cards.

6. Shaving legs is a complete pain! The lengths that we women go to for the opposite sex is grueling and ridiculous. In the early stages of a relationship our legs will be silky smooth one hundred percent of the time.

But be warned – once we have reeled you in the occasional bit of stubble may appear on our legs! Oopsies! But you know what? Sometimes we just cannot be bloody bothered! We are normal natural ladies and surprise surprise we do have hair on our legs (and other places too!) Even Victoria Secrets models cultivate forests on their pins. Check out stunning Alessandra Ambrosio caught shaving her money makers in the back of a car last week! Oh and it gives us an   extra layer of warmth in the winter too!

 

7. When we say; “Oh I can’t have that. I’m on a diet”…the correct response is for you to re-assure us that there is no need for us to diet and that we look amazing the way we are. Do not remain silent, shrug and continue to scoff through the rest of the Ben & Jerry’s tub infront of us!

8. Sometimes it’s just lovely to be offered a cuppa tea and your favourite chocolate bar as a surprise – no strings attached! 

9. Girls like a bit of old-fashioned chivalry. All that’s required is that men open the door for their lady and allow her to walk through first. Easy peasy! Oh and standing up when she arrives into a restaurant is a must. I had the very awkward experience where my blind-date was already seated at the table surveying the menu when I arrived (I recognised him  from facebook.)

As I approached the table he just sat there, ass glued to the seat, simply glanced up at me and said; “Hi”. Nothing more and nothing less. He didn’t even introduce himself! Stand up and give your date a kiss on the cheek for god’s sake! Chivalrous without going overboard! First impressions count and needless to say no second date followed.

 10.Don’t diss our friends. They have been around longer than you and more than likely are going to stand the test of time and be around long after you have gone too! It’s OK for us to have a little rant about our closest girlfriends every now and then but you do not have the right to wade in on this. Just remain tight-lipped and nod politely – it’s far safer for you! Next week that friend could be back as flavour of the month!

So there you have it boys – not too difficult to decipher at all. Now just adopt the above as a mantra and recite it each morning to your reflection in the mirror (not creepy at all!)

It’s a Girl – ‘Bramy’ Welcome Baby Sadie!

She joked on twitter that she may give birth on the IFTA’s red carpet, but little did we know how true the funny-ladys words almost were.

Amy Huberman, AKA Mrs Brian O’Driscoll, attended the prestigious Irish Film and Television Awards  (Ireland’s answer to the Oscars) at Dublin’s Convention Centre only hours before welcoming her daughter, her new little bundle of joy into the world. The actress, author and mum-to-be flew solo at the glamorous ceremony on Saturday as her rugger bugger hubbie was preparing to play England in the Six Nations.

Amy went into labour early on Saturday morning and rumour has it that Daddy Brian was present at the birth before returning to the team hotel (the Shelbourne don’t you know!) to catch the bus to the Aviva Stadium.  Indeed after Ireland lost to their English rivals (6-12) Brian dashed back to his wife and daughters side at the National Maternity Hospital on Dublin’s Holles Street. I’m sure Saturday the 10^th of February 2013 will be a date he remembers for all the right reasons – every cloud and all that!

‘Bramy’ as they have been fondly nicknamed by the press were married in 2010 at Lough Rynn Castle in Co. Leitrim and are Ireland’s golden couple – our Wills and Kate if you will. [(You’re not really a mega celeb power couple until you have a combined name – Brangelina (Brad and Angelina), Kimye (Kim Kardashian and Kanye West) and even our very own Wesanna (Rosanna Davison and Wesley Quirke)!]

The uber-talented couple announced last October that they were expecting their first baby and the little bambino arrived on Saturday morning –  a few days earlier an expected!

So the new member of the O’Driscoll family has been named Sadie. So what do we know about the name Sadie ? Well it is a Hebrew name meaning ‘Princess’ and that’s about it!

Other famous Sadies include the English actress Sadie Frost (ex-wife of Jude Law) and indeed Christina Applegates daughter is named Sadie.

So who will baby O’Driscoll be friends with? Ireland AM’s Anna Daly is expecting her second child in March. With both families residing in Dublin play-dates should not prove too difficult to arrange!

Also the super-gorgeous Pippa O’Connor is preparing to welcome a baby into the family. The beautiful model is due her first child in April.

So looks like Sadie will have plenty of Irish A-list friends to hang out with.

And when she travels to the UK she can hang out with the best – royalty! Amy attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton back in April 2011. The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting her first child in July. Kate Middleton’s ‘middie’ has been under constant media scrutiny since the early announcement of her pregnancy with paps scrambling to get photos of her teeny weeny baby bump. That royal baby will be one spoiled cutie! Wonder will the Queen offer to babysit for them all!?

So there you have it –  a quick round-up of Amy and Brians new bundle of joy. A massive congratulations to you both. If you ever need a babysitter – give me a call!

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN….IT’S THE LATE LATE SHOW…

So what did you all think of The Late Late Shows 50^th Birthday celebrations last night? I was pleasantly surprised I have to admit. The show is somewhat of an institution in this country and despite having only had three presenters during its half century lifetime, the shows format remains basically the same – if it ain’t broke why fix it!? (Remember this is the programme that coined the famous phrases: “There’s one for Everyone in the Audience” and “Roll it there Collette”. And what about that annoying ad for the Stira folding attic stairs!!…”You’ll be delira with your Stira. As seen on the Late Late Show!”)

In typical RTE fashion I expected the usual whos-who of Donnybrook to descend on the RTE studios ready to clap eachothers backs, brown nosing and praising their successes at managing to conquer the Irish entertainment industry – but to my relief the stars were actually very humble.

Good old Uncle Gaybo and Pat Kenny enjoyed a trip down memory lane while Ryan Tubridy looked relaxed in his anchor position. The poor guy must have been quaking in his boots (and I’m guessing they are pretty big boots) but he didn’t falter, even though the eyes of the nation were on him, never mind having his two presenting predecessors sitting across from him.

I just knew the researchers would be down in the RTE archives digging out old footage – one stand-out moment for me during Kennys tenure was definitely that competition winner who didn’t want to accept the holy grail of prizes in this country – LATE LATE TOY SHOW TICKETS!!! Sacrilege! Kennys reaction at the time was unforgettable. Ripping up the tickets…LOL! I can still visualise the steam coming out of his nostrils!!

Anyway, all was going really well until showbiz prom queen Twink (Adele King) took to the stage!!! To outshine fellow co-stars, funny-men Patrick Kielty and Pat Shortt, took some doing, but Twink surely managed to take centre stage!! I don’t know whether the bubbly was flowing backstage or what was going on in her bouffantesque head but somebody should have put some masking tape over her trap! OMG I was cringing watching her ramble on and on and on…and then came the clanger in the works when she shouted across the studio to her ex-hubbie David Agnew referring to him as “a bo**ox of a husband”…. cringe!! And then to bring up the infamous “mickey” phrase…oh god! She certainly knows how to lower the tone!!  Patrick Kielty didn’t know how to react! Oh the joys of live television!!

   

After that piece of car-crash live TV we were treated to Sinead O’Connor (potential for more car-crash TV) dressed in her usual random garb…this time as a priest!!! As the camera panned over to her for the first time I actually laughed out loud at her outfit! But you know what? Sinead gets away with it. (I just want to add that her eyes are truly the most beautiful, sparkly eyes I have ever seen.) 

She sang her hit sing ‘Nothing Compares 2 You’ and everyone in the audience was mesmerised. There must have been a few utterances made off-camera about alcohol being consumed backstage because Sinead made a point of stating that she hadn’t been drinking!! Some of the guests were acting a little odd to say the least! Anyway, Sinead chatted about being a bit crazy and how the music industry was made for people like her – not mad enough to be put into an institution but not crazy enough to be put in jail! She maintains she is highly intelligent…well now that explains everything Sinead…

Next up we had true Hollywood star Liam Neeson. But Neeson was a disappointment to me – was he drunk or tired or what was going on there? I was extremely excited to see the tall man coming on stage (seriously how tall is he!?). I expected him to capture my full attention and enthrall me with that sexy accent of his, but instead he delayed with his responses and kind of bored me. I was hoping for a Michael Collins-type aura and charisma…maybe even to melt my heart a little bit (because lets face it, he is a piece of alright!) but instead the interview just came and went…Had he been drinking? I don’t know, but he definitely wasn’t fully with it. Wonder did he get a rap on the knuckles for disclosing that God himself, Bono, was backstage…

Controversial comedian Tommy Tiernan was fantastic as always – I love that man! Out he came with four glasses of whiskey and perched himself beside Tubs, Kenny and Gaybo- “The Holy Trinity!”. He has managed to get himself into a lot of trouble over the years after his Late Late appearances but you just gotta love him!

A fitting tribute was made to the late broadcaster Gerry Ryan who famously presented the show for one night only. His absence has been felt throughout the RTE studios since his passing.

Moving on, the star-studded audience was fun too…everytime the camera panned to the crowd I’d spot another Irish celeb…Keith Duffy, Claudine Keane, Jackie Lavin and Bill Cullen (I still shiver when I see him), Fr Brian D’arcy, Nell McCafferty (did you spot the picture of her naked….), Marty Whelan, Eddie Hobbs, Sharon Corr, John Waters, Amanda Brunker, Dave Fanning, Frank Kelly aka Father Jack, Brian Kennedy, Brenda Fricker, Dustin the Turkey, Stephen Roche, Crystal Swing, Joe Duffy, Marty Morrissey, Shane McGowan, Mary Kennedy, Daniel O’Donnell, Charlene McKenna, June Rogers and Barry McGuigan just to mention a few.

              

And then the highlight of the show….. (I say this in jest!) but just in case he didn’t already have an ‘I AM GOD’ complex…in came Bono…like he was the reason we were all there in the first place! I am NOT going to elaborate on this…

But all-in-all I have to admit that it was a fantastic show and I commend RTE on their work.  Initially I had planned on avoiding RTE last night altogether as I honestly believed it was going to be a ‘back-clapping’ display among RTE’s stars, both past and present, but I really truly enjoyed it. The alcohol was certainly flowing backstage though…Definitely a few sore heads today in Dublin 4!! But you know what, we’re Irish and we’re allowed to have a few glasses of champers to celebrate the iconic show that we all grew up watching (or wishing we weren’t watching as kids) celebrate 50 years of broadcasting. Tubs has another few years to go before he equals Gays milestone record of 37 years at the helm but I can envision the show still maintaining its staple prime-time viewing slot in another 50!

FHM’s SEXIEST WOMEN IN THE WORLD 2012 – THE RESULTS

So the World has spoken. After weeks of voting and oogling over sexy photos of the hottest women on the planet, the FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2012 list has finally been revealed.

In my opinion I think there has been some sort of a mistake and I demand a re-count… I just do not get the appeal with who you all voted at the number one spot!! But hey, who am I to contest the minds of thousands of voters?? Oh and another thing, you are a fickle bunch, last year’s winner Rosie Huntington-Whitely slipped a hell of a lot… to number 18! WHAT!!???

So FHM’s Sexiest Woman in the World 2012 is…..

DRUM ROLL PLEASE….       

#1           Tulisa Contostavlos

The Londoner replaced Cheryl Cole on the X-Factor judging panel and mentored the first ever band to win the show, ‘Little Mix’. The chav was a member of hip-hop band ‘N-Dubz’ and recently hit headlines for all the wrong reasons when a sex tape featuring the star hit the internet. Anyway Tulisa is now officially the sexiest woman on the planet – Wowsers! She is probably on her knees right now thanking everyone who voted for her… In my opinion (and I know sexy when I see it) Tulisa should not be ranking in the top 50! Let alone at number 1… Croydon facelift, trackies, hoop earrings….hhhmmm…pass the bucket….

Anyway, to continue on I’ll fill you in on the sizzling sex-pots who came in the top 10….

#10         Emily Atack

I had to Google this lady to see who she was. It’s quite a funny one really. The actress played Charlotte Hinchcliffe in ‘The Inbetweeners’ (she was the school slag who lured Will to bed at that party!!) She probably has a certain teenage fanbase voting for her (I’m picturing those Simon-types)  

#9           Mila Kunis

A worthy lady to be in the top 10. Stunningly beautiful, she hit the big time in ‘That 70’s Show’ but then really showed the world what she was capable of when she played Lily in ‘Black Swan’. Did you know that her left eye is brown and her right eye is brown…

Mila was spotted out for dinner last weekend with former co-star Aston Kutcher (former squeeze of Demi Moore). However Mila denies anything is going on between the two. They’re both young and single and hot so why not…?

#8           Keeley Hazell

Page 3 model… need I say more… But this glamour model caught the eye of David Cameron (yes the Conservative leader guy)  when he called her an “environmental hero” for her campaign work in ‘The Sun’ newspaper when she gave tips on turning off lights etc. She probably saves loads of money on washing too since all she appears to wear is barely-there underwear!

 #7           Megan Fox

Foxy Megan deserves her spot in the top 10. The American actress is known to most for her role in the ‘Transformers’ movie…She did look pretty smoking hot leaning over the hood of that car amid the rising steam…She was at the number 4 spot in last years list. She married Brian Austin Green (remember him from ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ & more recently ‘Desperate Housewives’) and last month announced she is pregnant with their first bambino. That baby is going to be one amazingly gorgeous child.

 

#6           Katy Perry

Eat your heart out Russell Brand -look at what you’re missing! The ‘California Girl’ is a regular feature on this list and was last year’s second sexiest woman. Yep, defo deserves to still be ranked among the sexiest. With a body like that it’s no wonder Katy wasn’t single for long. She just announced she’s dating ‘Florence &the Machine’ guitarist Rob Ackroyd.  

#5           Georgia Salpa

Woohoo! Finally an Irish sex-pot lands a top 10 spot. Our Georgia is the highest new entry at number 5 and the only Irish beauty to make the top 50. This girl deserves a higher place on the list if you ask me…come on…she is WAY hotter than Tulisa…..seriously….back to that re-count….Anyway she is known on our shores for years as a model and tv star (Republic of Telly and Celebrity Salon to name a few) but was catapulted to fame in the UK when she appeared on Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother. It’s onwards and upwards for Ms Salpa…

  

#4           Rosie Jones

Another page 3 glamour model….I’ve never heard of her or seen her before in my life but then again I suppose I’m not the target audience for page 3 spreads… Funny fact I found out about her though…In 2009 she set the Guinness World Record for the most bras taken off and put back on again in one minute…the number you ask…..she set the record at 7…Now theres something for you to try and beat!

#3           Rihanna

I am sure that her racy music videos have done no harm in helping her to maintain her position at number 3. She placed at this position last year too. Her frolicking in the fields in Northern Ireland last year went down a treat with the Irish media when an Irish farmer complained about her exploits! Sex is always on Rihannas mind and only last month she courted with rumours that she may be a lesbian and only recently tweeted a photo of herself getting close and personal with a female lap-dancer at a strip club. The ‘S&M’ singer is never far from controversy with many feeling that her lyrics are too raunchy and her music videos too graphic… I say keep ’em coming…

#2           Cheryl Cole

A firm favourite among the FHM readers is Cheryl Cole. The former ‘Girls Aloud’ singer always manages to be in or around the top of the pack. She topped the poll in 2010 but last year only managed a place at number 12. This was probably due to the fact that she abandoned the UK to try and crack America. But proving that she is a fighter, Cheryl, as she now likes to be called, is back! After been absent from the stage for a significant period of time, Cheryl has now released her brand new music video ‘Call My Name’ and in the sneak peek that I saw of the video…she bares a lot of flesh and flashes a ‘cheeky’ new tattoo on her bum!!

  

And now we are back to Number 1….

#1           Tulisa

It’s interesting to note a few other entries….

Last years winner Rosie Huntington-Whitely, as I mentioned earlier slipped to number 18. The Middleton sisters made the list with Pippas pert bum securing her a place at number 11 while her sister Kate rocked in at 32.

  

Goddess Georgia wasn’t the only Irish beauty to make the grade. Other Irish hotties on the list include Una Healy at 66 and Laura Whitmore at 87. Woohoo go on the Irish babes…. Interestingly the UK managed to claim a significant number of the top 20 slots…might be an indication of the demographic voting.

  

So there you have it…the top ten Sexiest Women in the World as voted by FHM readers. As things stand I think most of the top 10 are deserved winners but Tulisa????? Really?????

You can read back on the blog I wrote when the voting lines opened to see who I mentioned….Tulisa was absent from that blog…oops…

HATS, FLAGS OR HEADBANDS? – But should it be the players who are flogging them?

What is it about the GAA that we love so much? Is it the sense of community spirit it creates that you can only share with fellow County comrades? Is it the fun and banter that you experience with rival County supporters in the stands? Is it the spray-painting of the sheep, the flags, the bunting, the headbands, the hats, the tea and sandwiches or just the feeling of being at home surrounded and proud to be out representing your County?

Maybe it’s the fact that I grew up near Pairc Dubhghlas de hIde in Roscommon that instilled in me, from a very young age, the joys of cheering on the local lads from the stand. I have so many fond memories of being in Hyde Park and at various other GAA pitches across the country. The best summers were filled with these Sunday outings. Without doubt, one of the best feelings in the world has to be standing in Croke Park belting out our National Anthem on All-Ireland  Final day. Nothing makes me feel more patrotic. I love it!

The dedication that players, both club and County, give to their sport is admirable and painstaking. These guys train no fewer than three times a week with matches at weekends. For many of them, they have to commute long distances to train, sacrificing their personal time and social lives. And on top of all this, unlike the professional rugby and soccer players, our GAA lads hold down full-time jobs, many as teachers, Gardai, bankers etc.

It would be easy to see why many would not be so committed to the game, as I often wonder what thanks they get in return. But the Irish blood running through our veins means that we are traditionalists at heart and want to keep our culture alive. The foundation of the GAA in 1884 changed the face of Irish sport forever and it is only improving and modernising with each blow of the final whistle. We are a proud nation and the proof of our strength is evident in Croke Park – a true testament to our country and to the amateur status of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Ni neart go cur le cheile! (There is no strength without unity)

    

But one thing that troubles me is when I question the younger generations, the primary and secondary students, about their idols, the response is always the same:- Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi, Mario Balotteli and David Beckham.

     

It is very rarely someone like Sean Cavanagh, Alan Dillon, Karl Lacey, Colm Cooper or Stephen Cluxton and these are the very men that they should be aspiring to be like – hard working decent lads who work full-time jobs yet manage to balance their sporting lives with their personal ones. There are no illicit newspaper spreads detailing the latest fling with a cheap lady-of-the-night (and I can bet they are not that cheap!) there are no seedy kiss ‘n tells, there are no flash cars and grand displays of riches favoured by many of the professional Premiership footballers.

       

What is it about the professional soccer and rugby players that the youth find so appealing? Easy peesy– the glamorous lifestyles and the wealth that is associated with them.

  

These guys lead the lives that most of us can only dream of with limitless funds to buy multi-million-Euro mansions. Fancy driving a Bentley or Aston Martin?  Done! Want to wear D&G, Gucci, Tom Ford, DVF or whatever designer is hot at the moment? Done! Oh and always with an attractive girl on your arm. We are inundated with pictures of Mario Balotelli splashing out on new cars, Cristiano Ronaldo decked out in designer gear and stunning WAGS (Alex Curran and Coleen Rooney do love Cricket in Liverpool y’know!)splurging in all the chicest stores.

Just to set the record straight, I am not advocating the transition of the amateur status of the GAA to a professional one. No siree! But I do think that the GAA sector needs a boost, an injection of glamour in order to continue to entice our youths into it. Without having to pay salaries or bonuses, the use of product endorsements could be utilised more. This is an extremely lucrative business for both the individual player and the brand in question.

Seeing David Beckham advertising everything from Armani underwear (Swoon! Yes please…)to Pepsi (with global Goddesses Beyonce and J-Lo) does absolute wonders for the brand, the individual and ultimately, the sport. (Maybe it’s just me but Ronan O’Gara fronting a Newbridge Jewellery campaign did him no harm!)

Now I’m not saying we need to stick Colm Cooper in an advert with Katy Perry but getting these GAA players more heavily involved in the advertising/endorsement game cannot be detrimental and will make them recognisable in each and every home cross the 32 counties. We know the name so lets get to know the face! If we recognise a face we are more likely to take note of them and look out for them in subsequent games. Let the public know the players personality a little.

GAA stars appearing in advertising campaigns is not a completely foreign concept; Colm ‘The Gooch’ Cooper appeared in Lucozade adverts as did Westmeaths Dessie Dolan; Adidas have Corks Sean Og O’Hailpin, Tipperarys Eoin Kelly and Kilkennys Henry Shefflin on their books;  Dublin’s Bernard Brogans face was emblazoned on a double-decker bus promoting o2. It’s an industry waiting to be exploited. Conor Ridge, a partner in Horizon Sports management which looks after athletes Derval O’Rourke and David Gillick, feels the landscape between the GAA player and the commercial world is changing and says “the day when a GAA player can earn €100,000 through commercial activity is not that far away at all”.

    

One player who has done wonders for the glamorisation of the sport (even if he is renowned for some dirty trickery on the pitch) is Paul Galvin. As a player I detested Galvin because any of my dealings with the man resulted in me leaving a stadium in floods of tears as Kerry, yet again, stormed forward to reclaim Sam (Maguire that is!) However in recent months I have softened towards the sportsman and now find myself religiously reading his style-bible in the Irish Independent Weekend supplement and following him on Twitter. His fashion column is witty and informative and if you haven’t read it its worth a look – it’s rather funny.

The Kerry style-guru was also voted third in February 2012, to find Ireland’s most desirable Valentines. He has made GAA fashionable and recently announced that he was dating Today FM presenter Louise Duffy.

So what do the GAA need to do in order to increase their popularity and to raise their revenue…glamorise the sport. One way of doing this is to exploit the good looks of some of their main men and to cash in on their high-profile marketability. Get some product endorsements in place.

If these faces become household faces and not only associated with on-pitch playing but also with a more diverse, fun and glam lifestyle, younger kids might start to turn from the Wayne Rooneys of this world to the Sean Og O’Hailpin and Stephen Cluxtons for inspiration. These guys work hard and play hard. Great role models for the younger generations.  (Plus some of them are handsome devils whom I wouldn’t mind seeing a little more of on my telly-box!)

       

   

 

Baby Bump: The New Must-Have Accessory?

THINGS THAT GO ‘BUMP’ IN THE NIGHT

There was a time when a pint-sized Chihuahua in a cute tote bag was the must-have accessory of the Hollywood elite. Now it would seem that these little pets were merely a training tool for our fav celebs to practice their ‘mammying’ skills on; the ultimate quest being to become a Mum.

I never thought I’d see the day when a baby bump was the ‘In’ thing. However 2011/2012 appears to be the “baby boom” years. Gone are the catfights for front row seats at New York and Milan fashion weeks and instead celebs are vying for invites to the latest baby shower or Baby Dior clothes launch.

This baby boom is rampant right now. You can’t open a magazine without being bombarded with photographs of the most recent celebrity to announce their pregnancy or the speculative ‘are they or aren’t they’ pics or most commonly, the images of stars proudly parading on the beach in a teeny bikini with new sprog by their side months after giving birth.

So it seems that in order to grab the column inches these days and be ‘fashionable’ you better get that maternity pants in order and get loosening that belt!

    

Firstly we have Jessica Simpson. She is EVERYWHERE these days (and I don’t mean just because she is sporting a MASSIVE baby bump!) Jessica (31) announced in October 2011 that she was expecting her first child, a little girl, with her fiancée and former NFL player Eric Johnson. She is due to give birth any day now and is (I’m not being mean about this, just honest and anyway she is pregnant so it’s not like she is fat) but she is HUGE! Jessica laughed off rumours that she was pregnant with twins on the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show and said “Apparently I have a lot of amniotic fluid, so whenever my water breaks it will be like a fire hydrant”…(Nice mental  image there!) She later revealed to Hello! Magazine that she has put on 40 pounds during her pregnancy! (Try squeezing back into those daisy dukes again Jess!)  

Anyway, much to my disgust Jess did a ‘Demi’ on it and posed nude on the cover of Elle magazines April edition. What’s even more bonkers is that she approached the mag with the concept! Whether you are Demi Moore or Jessica Simpson, posing nude with baby bump out like that, in my opinion, is not attractive and is cheap and tasteless.

Anyway, I do like Jessica and she seems to have turned her life around and has found happiness with Eric. Watch this space for news of the birth because it could happen any day now (judging by the size of her that baby is going to be born ready for her first day at school!)

     

And now to my most favourite family… the Kardashaians. The eldest Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian (32), is expecting her second child with boyfriend Scott Disick. The pair are already parents to the adorable Mason (2) and they announced last November that Kourtney was pregnant and…wait for it…she is expecting a girl! WOOHOO a girl! I can’t wait to see the new little addition who is due in the late spring. If Mason is anything to go by, this bambino will be sooo cute.  Mason has become somewhat of a style-icon in his own right, favouring his Dads sleek sophisticated style wearing mostly suits. Mason was recently spotted out with a pair of Ray Bans and Venettini loafers. Uber trendy!

However, never one to get it wrong in the fashion stakes and not to be outdone by hersisters Kim and Khloe, glamourous Kourtney is absolutely working the “blooming” look and knows exactly how to make the most of her pregnancy curves.  I am already jealous of the wardrobe that her new little daughter is going to have!  If a Kardashian is fashionably rocking the baby bump, it must be a pretty hot accessory!  Will it catch on and will we see an uptrend in numbers Keeping Up With The Kardashians?

     

Renowned for her wild partying ways, and ahem, nooki, in the Jersey Shore house, Snooki, real name Nicole Polizzi (22), shocked the world (including herself apparently) when news that she was pregnant hit the headlines. The reality TV star is expecting a baby with boyfriend and ‘babydaddy,’ Jionni LaValle. It comes as no surprise that this was not planned for the star but she is engaged to Jionni and is now trying to control her crazy lifestyle. Snooki is finding it tough to mend her ways and according to the Hollywood Gossip, her friends have said that “She’s vowed not to drink, but Snooki is definitely tempted. Her friends are a little worried about her because it’s such a big change. It’s not something she was really ready for. She’s having a hard time adjusting to being sober 24/7. She’s freaking out about that and the weight gain.”

Perhaps in a bid to show that she is in fact preparing for the new arrival, Snooki was spotted filming series 6 of the hit show pushing a baby doll in a pram! (Yep, I said baby doll! ) Weird? Not in the World of Snooki-mania! I hope she manages to calm down and adjust to her new Mommy status. Who knows, this could be the making of her – anyone predict an MTV spin-off show from this – ‘Snooki Plus One’?

           

Many of you probably remember Laguna Beach – the reality show that documented the glamorously wealthy lives of California’s privileged teenagers as they manoeuvred their way through high school? Well, just proving that in order to stay hip in Orange County a baby bump is a must, Kristin Cavallari (25) is also sporting the glowing look. Kristin shot to fame in Laguna Beach and featured again in its spin-off, The Hills.  Famous for her bitchy on-screen relationship with Lauren Conrad, her man-eating ways and her on-off romance with hottie Stephen Colletti, Kristin announced that she was to become a mum in January 2012.

The stunning blonde is expecting the bambino with Jay Cutler, a Chicago Bears quarterback. Despite Cutler calling of their engagement in July 2011, after just three months, Cavallari confirmed suspicions that the couple had reunited a few months later, tweeting, “This time it’s official…Jay and I are engaged again”.

Personally I like Kristin. She has an ambition and drive about her that is admirable. She has managed to stay in the public eye despite many of her former co-stars fading from the limelight and can hold her head up proudly after her stint in Dancing WithThe Stars (plus her arrival at the wedding of Heidi and Spencer in The Hills was truly epic!!) The fact that her soon-to-be hubbie is a sports professional may rule out any future reality TV shows for the family (unlike the case of Snooki and Jionn, even though I do take note of Khloe and Lamar Odom) but no doubt the shrewd pair will make a bit of dosh from magazine deals!

Baby bumps, baby bumps everywhere eh!?

Other mega stars jumping on the baby bandwagon, either recently making the big announcement or very close to becoming mothers include Sienna Miller, Chantelle Houghton, Tori Spelling, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Stacey Solomon and Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming.

             

However not to be outdone by the Hollywood brigade, it seems the stork has been busy delivering his goods this side of the Atlantic too. The recession, coupled with the long cold nights in Ireland, mean cosying up by a log fire is the new ‘going out’. And this can often lead to one thing!  Yep the baby boom has hit our very own Irish celebs!

“Wouldn’t believe it, if you seen it, Oh Mayhem, doo doo doop” sings Imelda May, but you better believe it because the Dublin singer is five months pregnant. Lets hope the wee one comes out with a funky quiff just like her Ma!

Imelda (37) is currently on tour with her husband Darrell Higham and the rocking songstress is showing no signs of slowing down. This will be the first baby for the quirky singer and she’s already admitted to having a rather healthy craving for oranges…(not very rock chick)

      

Joining the Dubliner in this’ bump’ trend is TV3’s Sybil Mulcahy. TV3 are going though their own sort of baby burst recently (Anna Daly, Colette Fitzpatrick, and Aisling O’Loughlin all having given birth recently – must be something in the water in Ballymount!)

   

It’s baby number three for TV3’s Morning Show presenter Sybil Mulcahy who just last week broadcast her final episode of her show before going on maternity leave ahead of the birth of her baby in two weeks time (don’t worry daytime TV fanatics she will be back in October). The busty blonde already has a boy and a girl with husband John Prendeville and even admitted that this latest pregnancy was an unplanned thing. The sex of the baby is unknown but with only two weeks to go we don’t have long to wait! No doubt there has been a lot of baby talk around the Ballymount studios of late and I’m sure Sybil can look to her colleagues for assistance (not that she will needs it, afterall it is her third time!)

 P.S I’m Pregnant! No doubt the most recent pregnancy announcement can act as a much-needed distraction for the family in question. Although her father has been hitting the headines for all of the wrong reasons this week, Cecelia Ahern (31),  daughter of Bertie, broke the news that she was adding to her family. The Author, who has sold 10 million books, has a daughter Robin aged two with husband David Keoghan. The couple were nominated for a VIP Style Award but failed to attend the spectacular event held at Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel. (In any event they didn’t win so who cares that they weren’t there! Even though I imagine their absence had something to do with a thing called the Mahon Report!!??) I bet Cecelias cutie-pie twin nephews Jay and Rocco are hoping that it’s a bouncing baby boy for them to torment, I mean love.

So it seems that the baby bump craze has caught on and that anyone who ‘s anyone is either in the motherly way or will be very soon! I think I’d rather that the trend du jour reverted back to Louboutins or Hermes Birkin bags! They may be expensive but WAY cheaper than a baby and anyway I’m just not feeling this baby craze right now!

Oh and congrats to new Mum Una Healy of The Saturdays – best of luck doll.

 

(Disclaimier:- just to note that I do not advocate going out and getting yourself a baby bump or frivolous sexual behaviour. Be safe people!)