Dua Lipa finally starts renovation at £7m London mansion after four-year battle – but builders already face major issue
DUA LIPA can finally get the builders in after a four-year battle over red tape.
But her workmen might not feel very chipper when they see the task that lies ahead.
The superstar singer is to transform her £7million home with a mega basement — but I can reveal the builders have been told they must keep noise to a minimum and can only use machinery that is no louder than a whisper.
Let’s hope Black & Decker does silencers.
A source said: “Dua’s plans for her house are epic and after four years she has finally started looking for builders to start work on her music studio, pool, gym, cinema and chillout area.
“She has to adhere to some pretty strict agreements because of how much objection there was to her plans over the loss of green space.
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“Her building team will have to keep the sounds of power tools to a whisper and all the equipment must be mounted with anti-vibration insulators.
“No one should be aware any work is taking place and Dua’s neighbours could kick up a stink if they are. Dua doesn’t want to cause any annoyance and she is looking forward to making her house a home.”
The Levitating pop star picked up the North London pad in 2019 then submitted her plans for the upgrade.
She also wants to demolish an extension for a brand new space with a state-of-the-art kitchen.
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The scheme has been going backwards and forwards with her local council ever since.
Dua has been busy working on new music in recent months, as well as securing guests for the third series of her At Your Service podcast, which is available now.
Topping off her insanely busy work schedule with major house renovations sounds like a huge headache to me.
The only DIY I’ve been doing lately has been fiddling with my kitchen lights, and that was bad enough.
Sam and Calvin smashin' new tune
SAM Smith is back working with Calvin Harris – and the video for their new song is a proper banger.
My exclusive pictures show the Unholy singer sporting a fake eye injury after filming an epic car crash on location in Stanford-Le-Hope, Essex.
The Scottish DJ was dressed in a Lacoste tracksuit for the video shoot on Monday.
Sam dressed down in a trackie top and bottoms too but made sure they stayed on brand by rocking a sparkly, phallus- shaped earring.
It is five years after they last teamed up on their smash hit Promises, and this was a smash too.
An onlooker said: “The video is shaping up to be pretty epic and will show Sam involved in a high-speed crash.
“As well as singing together they dance in front of the cars with a group of extras who were dressed up in sports gear just like them.
“Sam and Calvin are clearly close friends as they had a real laugh on set and took selfies together during breaks in filming.”
After Sam’s last S&M-style music video for I’m Not Here To Make Friends caused a stir among OAPs visiting a country house in Hertfordshire, I’m pleased to report that absolutely no friendly old dears were harmed in the making of this one.
I'd bar Drake's nails
I THOUGHT Drake was supposed to be the epitome of cool, but if that means painting your nails pink, then there is no way that I will ever be considered hip.
The rapper will kick off his It’s All A Blur tour with 21 Savage in Chicago, in the US, tonight and got his hair and nails done to look his best.
He posted a picture of him with his nail technician, then a video of himself dancing in the mirror and another showing off his colourful fingers.
I’m not sure if this is to become the latest trend for blokes, but even if it is I’ll be staying au naturel.
Luke Black's megafans
LUKE Black may not have topped the Eurovision leaderboard in Liverpool but he made plenty of fans.
During a sold-out headline show at London’s Amazing Grace he said: “This is like the best f***ing night of my life. It’s better than Eurovision.”
The singer, who competed with his video game-themed track Samo Mi Se Spava for Serbia, got emotional at Monday’s show as he thanked the audience and joked: “It’s not like I’ve won an award, I was just 24th on Eurovision. But there’s a lot of things to be grateful for. Mostly meeting you.”
Megan booty cool
MEGAN Thee Stallion showed off her gold sequinned outfit – and booty – at a very racy performance.
The singer twerked and grabbed her boobs during her fast-paced set in Caesars Superdome in New Orleans for the Essence Festival of Culture show while wearing this gold gem-encrusted bodysuit with sheer panelling and sleeves.
She tore through a number of hits, including Her, before playing Freak Nasty and Cash St.
Megan told the crowd: “I’m ready to eat! I’m ready to shake my ass. “I’m ready to turn up at the mother-f*ing Essence Festival!”
And turn up she did.
Harry's help for refugees
HE has become known for draping himself in the Ukrainian flag while singing 2017 hit Sign Of The Times.
And now Harry Styles has shown his support for the war-torn country by inviting a mum and her three children who fled the conflict for Poland to his show in Warsaw.
The former One Direction star was helped by the International Rescue Committee.
The mum, known only as Maryna, said: “I’m so grateful to Harry and the IRC for giving us the chance to forget our worries for a night and sing and dance at the concert.”
He’s a proper gent.
Danny rocks it out like Axl
DANNY Jones pretends to be Axl Rose during McFLY rehearsals because he is such a fan of his style.
Backstage before their show at American Express Presents BST Hyde Park, where the rockers were headlining, Danny said: “I’m a huge fan of Guns 'N’ Roses.
Slash was one of three reasons I started in music, alongside Gary Moore and Noel Gallagher.
“I do a very good Axl Rose impression. It’s a dance move that I do in rehearsals a lot. I’m not doing it here in front of a load of Guns N’ Roses fans though.”
Wham! surprise
GEORGE Michael's estate has green lit an official remix of one of his biggest hits.
The reworking of Wham!’s 1983 classic Club Tropicana, by Sigala and Manovski, was surprise-dropped this morning.
The release of Club Tropicana: The Balearic Breeze remix comes as Netflix releases a special programme about the duo’s rise to the top.
Documentary Wham! includes never-before-seen interviews with George and bandmate Andrew Ridgeley.
I usually believe that iconic tracks should be left well alone, but Sigala and Manovski have done a great job here.
Paris is A-ok-i for DJ Steve
SHE was once mocked as just a fame-hungry airhead.
But original Barbie girl Paris Hilton has slowly been turning the tide as a DJ and is ready to make moves as a featured artist.
I can reveal she has landed a massive collaboration with superstar DJ Steve Aoki on his upcoming album.
The track, Lighter, is set for release in October.
Paris last month released a remixed version of her 2006 hit Stars Are Blind, featuring Kim Petras.
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She also made a cameo alongside SIA at Miley Cyrus’ New Year’s Eve concert.
I still have my doubts, but if Steve thinks Paris is good enough, then I’ll withhold my judgment.