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The Power Couples (Section 7)(Evening Standard Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) THE LITERARY LIONS HAROLD PINTER, PLAYWRIGHT AND POET, 76, & LADY ANTONIA FRASER, BIOGRAPHER, 74 How they met At a dinner in 1975, when Antonia's brother-in-law, Kevin Billington, was directing Pinter's play The Birthday Party. Lady Antonia was married to Tory MP Sir Hugh Fraser and Harold to actress Vivien Merchant. Their affair caused a great scandal: after divorces, they married in 1980. Influence Pinter and Fraser reign over London's older literary set and are friends with Tom Stoppard, David Hare and Edna O'Brien. Pinter is Britain's greatest living playwright, and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2005. Lady Antonia has been publishing historical biographies since her thirties; her Marie Antoinette book inspired Sofia Coppola's film. Family Lady Antonia has six children from her first marriage, and Harold has one son from his. The couple live in Holland Park. What they say 'Happy couples grow together, in exactly the same way that people end up looking like their cats,' says Lady Antonia. THE FIRST COUPLE TONY BLAIR, PRIME MINISTER, 53,& CHERIE BOOTH, BARRISTER, 52 How they met At King's Bench Walk, the Irvine chambers, in the late Seventies. They married in 1980. Influence He is the Prime Minister, she a prominent barrister. At the age of 43, Tony Blair became the youngest prime minister since Lord Liverpool in 1812. The Labour party won the 1997 General Election by a landslide, after 18 years in opposition. Blair was re-elected in the 2001 and 2005 elections and announced in September 2006 that he would step down the following year. Cherie (daughter of actor Tony Booth) was at the top of her class in her Bar exams, the first (and still the only) person to get an LSE law degree with Firsts in all subjects. In 1995 she became a QC. She is a founding member of Matrix Chambers which specialises in human rights laws and fights the government in the European courts. Family They have four children and live in a flat above Numbers 11 and 12 Downing Street. What they say 'You only require two things in life: your sanity and your wife,' says Tony. THE DRAMATISTS JOE WRIGHT, DIRECTOR, 34,& ROSAMUND PIKE, ACTRESS, 28 How they met Joe Wright is Rosamund Pike's very own Mr Bingley. They met on the set of Pride & Prejudicewhile he was directing and she was playing Jane Bennet. She says, 'We fell in love filming. It was one of those magic stories.' InfluenceHe's one of Britain's fastest-rising directors; Rosamund is his muse and a formidable talent in her own right. Joe's childhood friends include Alex Kingston, Kathy Burke and Ralph Fiennes (who did voiceovers for his parents' puppet theatre). Pride & Prejudice, his first film, earned four Oscar nominations and won him a BAFTA for Most Promising Newcomer. The actress, who read English Literature at Oxford, where she befriended Chelsea Clinton, won Best Supporting Actress at the British Independent Film Awards for her role in The Libertine (2004). Family They live near Wimbledon Common. What they say 'She's so intellectually rigorous that she helps my thinking a lot,' says Joe. THE IMAGE MAKERS BAY GARNETT, STYLIST, 34, & TOM CRAIG, PHOTOGRAPHER, 33 How they met They were driving in convoy to Alice Temperley's party in Somerset three years ago. He rang her door buzzer, she looked down from the balcony, thought he was good-looking, then raced him to Devon where they flirted all night. Influence The future of fashion designers can be determined by Garnett who is a top stylist and the co-founding co-editor of Cheap Date magazine (for those who prefer jumble sales to Bond Street). While she, a muse to Matthew Williamson, controls the images of models and pop stars (by styling them in second-hand pieces), her boyfriend is a photographer, best known for his work with Unicef, for whom he takes photographs in Zambia and Iran. Craig has won more than half a dozen awards, including British Magazine Photographer of the Year. Family Since their son Billy Bean was born 14 months ago, Bay dresses differently. 'Having a child really changes your style. I get so much stuff on my skirt that I keep it as a blank canvas.' What they say 'He's a cowboy who takes photographs in the most dangerous places in the world but he has got great dress taste,' says Bay. THE HOSTS KIRSTYYOUNG, PRESENTER, 38, & NICK JONES, HOTELIER, 43 How they met When Kirsty went for a weekend to Babington House, Nick carried her bags in, and she thought he was the porter. But then came the coup de foudre. 'He sat down at her table, and by the time she stood up, three hours later, she knew that this was the man she was going to marry,' says a friend. At the time he was still married to his first wife, Tania. Influence Forward-thinking Kirsty transformed the way the news was read on Five News - no desks please. She's also only the fourth anchor in the 64-year history of BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. He owns media magnet Soho House and sister clubs in New York, Notting Hill, Chiswick and soon Shoreditch - and determines who's hot and who's not with his club membership policy. They have been guests of the Blairs at Chequers and are friends of Alastair Campbell. Family They have two daughters; he has two children with his first wife. They have a house in Notting Hill, a country retreat in Somerset and a villa in the Algarve. What they say 'Boy, did I luck out when I met Nick,' Kirsty says. THE JOKERS DAISY DONOVAN, PRESENTER AND ACTRESS, 32,& DAN MAZER, PRODUCER AND WRITER, 35 How they met On The Eleven O'Clock Show eight years ago. He was producing the Ali G segment and she was the Angel of Delight. Influence Both Dan and Daisy succeed by causing controversy. He co-created Ali G with his childhood friend Sacha Baron Cohen, and brought a whole nation to our attention, and America to a standstill, when he produced Borat. Daisy, talentspotted as a receptionist, shocked with her spoof interviewer role, asking politicians filthy questions. Her own series Daisy, Daisy chronicled more cringe-making exploits, as did Daisy Does America. She has also starred in the West End, in films and TV dramas. He was nominated for an Oscar for co-writing Borat. Family Daisy, the daughter of the late celebrity photographer Terence Donovan, and Dan were married in 2005. She has just had their first child. What they say 'Working together was a bit of a disaster. I'd tell him I thought his ideas were crap and then he'd say the same about mine,' says Daisy. THE LUVVIES IMOGEN STUBBS, ACTRESS, 46, & SIRTREVOR NUNN, DIRECTOR, 67 How they met When Trevor directed Imogen as Desdemona in the RSC's production of Othello. Nunn was married to actress Sharon Lee Hill at the time. After his divorce, they married in September 1994. InfluenceHe is the man the London theatre luvvies most look up to. She is his leading lady. Previously director of the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, his London productions included Les Miserables, My Fair Lady, The Woman In White, Starlight Express, Sunset Boulevard and Rock 'N' Roll. Nunn has won every major theatre award going - at least once. Stubbs has a First from Oxford and starred on screen in Sense & Sensibility and in Nunn's Twelfth Night. The pair have close relationships with other theatre giants such as Kevin Spacey - Nunn directed Spacey's Richard II - Tom Stoppard and Richard Eyre. Family They have two children. Nunn also has two daughters from his second marriage (to Sharon) and a son from his first (to Janet Suzman). What they say 'I don't think we give off any sense of a couple dominating,' says Imogen. THE MONEY SPINNERS SIR RONALD COHEN, VENTURE CAPITALIST, 61, & SHARON HARELCOHEN-FILM PRODUCER, 49 How they met After Ronnie's two failed marriages, the couple met in the Eighties and they married in 1987. Influence This is a pair best known for producing - he money, she films. Knighted in 2001 for services to finance and worth GBP250 million, Ronnie has now become future prime minister Gordon Brown's sidekick and major fundraiser. Furthermore, he recently retired from his venture capital company Apax to foster peace in the Middle East by investing in Palestinian companies. Sharon, meanwhile, set up Capitol Films, a successful production company that was behind Gosford Park. A year ago she left and set up Notting Hill Productions. Together they are formidably social, and are friends with the Rothschilds, the Rausings and the Clintons. Family They have two teenage children, a GBP15 million mansion in Notting Hill (made from three houses knocked through), a villa in Mougins and a Manhattan apartment. What they say 'My greatest achievement is making a success of my third marriage,' says Sir Ronald. THE SISTERHOOD SAFFRON BURROWS, ACTRESS, 34, & FIONA SHAW, ACTRESS, 48 How they met Fiction became fact for the sapphic duo who met while performing Jeanette Winterson's sexually charged story of lesbian love, The PowerBook. Influence They are used to being with powerful partners - Burrows was with Mike Figgis and Shaw with Deborah Warner when they met. Fiona is one of the most acclaimed stage actresses of her generation, with roles such as Medea and Hedda Gabler (and, lucratively, Aunt Petunia in Harry Potter). Saffron, also an actress (Deep Blue Sea and Troy), uses her influence to campaign for human rights as vice president of the National Civil Rights movement. Family They share Burrows' penthouse in Clerkenwell. What they say 'Loving is what is crucial to me. Loving is the reason to live,' says Saffron. THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS KATE MOSS, MODEL, 33, & PETE DOHERTY, SINGER, 28 How they met London's most iconic couple met at her 31st birthday party in January 2005. InfluenceHe's an indie god, despite being a hopeless junkie; she is fashion's queen bee. Whatever Kate wears - Ugg boots, skinny jeans, waistcoats - sells like hot cakes, and whatever the cult couple do makes headlines. Last year, despite her cocaine scandal, she won the Model of the Year prize and maintains contracts with Louis Vuitton, Rimmel, Agent Provocateur, Burberry, Stella McCartney, Versace, Calvin Klein and Roberto Cavalli. She has sung vocals on some of rocker Pete's songs. He was a child genius and is now the lead singer and songwriter for the band Babyshambles, having formerly been the frontman for The Libertines. Now she's turning her hand to designing, with a Topshop collection. Family She has a daughter Lila Grace with Jefferson Hack; Doherty has a daughter Estile with singer Lisa Moorish. What they say 'Kate and I are in love. I worship her; I love the bones on her,' declares Pete. THE GILDED YOUTH EMILY BLUNT, ACTRESS, 24, & MICHAEL BUBLE, SINGER, 31 How they met Backstage at one of Michael's US concerts two years ago. Influence Blunt and Buble top the popular culture stakes. Grammy-nominated Canadian singer Buble is hailed as the new Frank Sinatra, and has sold more than ten million albums worldwide. Emily, who was spotted at the Edinburgh Festival, starred in My Summer of Love and won a Golden Globe for her role in The Devil Wears Prada. Family They have no children and split their time between Richmond and Vancouver. What they say When Emily is nervous, Michael comes to the rescue. 'I remember at the New York premiere of The Devil Wears Prada, the limo pulled up and I was sweating and panicking. And Michael gave me great advice,' says Blunt. 'He said, "Calm down, and become someone else, someone who is good at doing the red carpet. Now get out of the limo."' Buble says, 'My job is to be the best singer I can be. I believe that I'm opening up young people's ears to good songs. The kids are hungry for it.' THE NEXT IN LINE DAVID CAMERON, POLITICIAN, 40, & SAMANTHA CAMERON, COMPANY DIRECTOR, 36 How they met His younger sister Clare introduced them in 1987. Influence Choosing the trendy trainers and snappy ties of the image conscious Conservative party leader is his fashionable wife Samantha, the eldest daughter of Sir Reginald Sheffield and Viscountess Astor. As creative director of Smythson of Bond Street, Samantha has turned the fuddy brand into a high-fashion stationery label. Before David became Leader of the Opposition, his positions included deputy chairman of the Conservative party (2003), front bench spokesman on local government finance (2004) and head of policy coordination up until May 2005. After the General Election in 2005, David held the position of Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills. Family They married in 1996 and divide their time between homes in North Kensington and Oxfordshire. They have three children. What they say 'Sam thought, "Who's this crashing bore who is my friend's older brother?"' says David on his first encounter with his future wife. THE STYLE SUPREMOS PHOEBE PHILO, FASHION DESIGNER, 33,& MAX WIGRAM, ART CURATOR, 41 How they met In The Cow in Notting Hill. Influence The art and fashion worlds hang on their every word. Philo has been British Designer of the Year (2004), and when creative designer of Chloe she brought in a fourfold increase in profits. Max, a nephew of Tory MP Lord Bethell, was curator of the Royal Academy before opening his eponymous art gallery on New Bond Street. The fashion world awaits Philo's first solo collection. Family They married in 2004. She gave birth to their daughter Maya last year, and is pregnant again. What they say They won't work together. 'Art has to have a message and fashion just doesn't,' says Max. THE HOLLYWOOD HARD-HITTERS PAUL BETTANY, ACTOR, 35,& JENNIFER CONNELLY, ACTRESS, 36 How they met On the set of A Beautiful Mind. They were both in relationships but soon got together. Influence These red-carpet regulars are a discerning pair. Jennifer, a former child star, won an Oscar and a BAFTA for A Beautiful Mind, and Bettany was BAFTA-nominated for Master and Commander. He created controversy as killer monk Silas in The Da Vinci Code. They rotate their films: recently she appeared in Blood Diamondwhen he was her 'set bitch'. Family They married in 2003 and have a son Stellan, four. Her son Kai, ten, is from a previous relationship. What they say 'He's an amazing, beautiful human being,' says Jennifer. THE PUBLISHING PHENOMENONS GEORGINA CAPEL, LITERARY AGENT, 43, & ANTHONY CHEETHAM, PUBLISHER, 64 When they met In 1995. Influence Their union bore a publishing dynasty. Millionaire publisher Cheetham, the former CEO of Random Century and Orion, married literary agent Capel in 1997. In 2000, Georgina, who was once engaged to MP Charles Kennedy, left Simpson Fox to set up Capel & Land, with Anita Land, taking all their clients with them - including Jeremy Paxman and Julie Burchill. The couple's relationship caused a stir: it was her job to get as much cash from Anthony as possible, while his was to haggle for the lowest fees. Family Cheetham has five children. What they say 'Ah yes, rather a conflict of interests,' commented Andrew Roberts about the couple. THE NETWORKERS STING, MUSICIAN, 55,& TRUDIE STYLER, ACTRESS AND FILM PRODUCER, 52 How they met In 1980 she was playing a witch in Macbeth alongside Sting's then wife, Frances Tomelty. Influence This social duo use their powerful connections with Bob Geldof, Jemima Khan and Madonna to help charities, including Unicef and Save the Rainforest. Golden Globe-winning Sting was lead singer of The Police, who had five chart-topping albums and won six Grammy awards. He went solo in 1985, was awarded a CBE, and has dabbled in acting. More than 20 years after they broke up, The Police are now embarking on a world tour. Trudie won a scholarship to the Old Vic Theatre School, is a film producer, arch-networker and also sells organic honey and olive oil. Family They have homes in Wiltshire and London. Sting has two children with Tomelty and four with Trudie. What they say 'She pencils me in for a "meeting" occasionally,' says Sting. Copyright 2007 Evening Standard. Source: Financial Times Information Limited - Europe Intelligence Wire. |