Riad All About It

“HOW do you deal with having a relationship in the limelight.”

This question to you, former Atomic Kitten singer Natasha Hamilton. And to your new lover, Riad. That’s R.I.A.D. Yes, like the North African term for a walled garden.

“Do you avoiding reading the papers?

“Natasha: “I just ignore them and we keep ourselves to ourselves.”

Natasha and Riad are in conversation with OK!, which is not a newspaper but a celebrity magazine.

But Riad is perhaps unsure. Though owned by Richard Desmond, the proprietor of the Daily Express and Daily Star newspapers, OK! is certainly not a paper.

For one thing it is in full colour. For another there are next to no shots of bared nipples (see the Star), although Riad’s pink shirt is open at the chest.

For another the front page is not warning of a gypsy invasion from Eastern Europe and bringing breaking news from Princess Diana’s grave (Express).

Nonetheless, it would easy to be confused. And Riad seems unwilling to open up to OK!. Indeed, during the course of the interview he seems determined to remain true to himself and his lover. He is quiet.

Perhaps sensing Riad’s reticence, OK! addresses some questions to him and him alone.

We learn that Riad “asked her [Natasha] out on a date”. He was “not really” nervous about asking. It was always “on the cards”.

He is “not up for a TV show that has cameras everywhere”. He’s a “huge family person”. He’s “quite house proud”.

Meanwhile Natasha talks at length about her dieting, her gym, her children and her labour (“painful”).

But she’s not talking to the papers about any of it. Just to OK!…

Posted: 19th, September 2006 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink