Video

Newsletters

Competitions

Quizzes

Offers

Social Network

Message Boards

Christmas party pulling
How to nab a man this season

Cracking Christmas getaways
Get in the festive spirit

Christmas parties
How to survive the office bash

News & Entertainment

Topics

Celebrities

Celebrity features
Celebrity interviews

Hot stuff

Get the Christmas party started

Visit Grotto Fabulous!

Xmas music quiz

Fab festive films

Usher in the stars game

Jason Donovan interview

The poker princess

Peter and Jordan

Celebrity matcher game

Photo galleries

Newsletters

Promotions

Party central
From party frocks to invites and Christmas cocktails, we've got everything you need to throw a fabulous party

Win and shop!
Win £500 of Selfridges vouchers

Riding high: the stars' demands

Imagine starting a new job and being told you can ask for anything you want and it will be yours in minutes…

That's the enviable life of a celebrity on tour or a film star making a movie - they ask for it, they get it. In the business, the star's list of requests or conditions is called a 'rider'. But does such power corrupt? Here the stars' cooks, cleaners, hotel staff, behind-the-scenes personnel and backstage helpers spill the dirt on their bosses' sometimes outlandish requests…

The girls

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has allegedly demanded control of camera angles for the filming of Popstars: The Rivals to ensure she is always shown in the best light. If rumours can be believed, the star, who is a judge on the show, is also apparently considering banning contestants from doing covers of her songs - lest they overshadow her. Geri is known for her demands - she once cleared an entire floor of the $250-a-night Hilton Hotel so she could avoid bumping into the pop group Steps. And when performing for British troops in the Middle East last year, the pop star demanded air-conditioned tents, a fridge in her makeshift dressing room in the desert - full of soya milk and fruit juice - irons, ironing boards, clothes racks and a computer with full Internet access.

Material girl Madonna insists on total darkness. During a recent stay at an Italian villa, she wanted every garden light to be turned off so she could see the stars. There were also recent reports that she had demanded a sunken bath for her dressing room when appearing in Up for Grabs at London's Wyndham's Theatre.

On tour, pop princess Britney Spears demands one box of mints, one bag of Doritos and seven clean and secured dressing rooms for her entourage at each show.

Jennifer Lopez, known as the ultimate diva, demands a lot more. Before public appearances her path must allegedly be prepared in advance with the scent of gardenia and her hotel sheets must be Egyptian cotton with a thread count of at least 250. Recently at a Royal Variety Show in London she allegedly demanded even greater security than the Queen. Not surprisingly, she received short shrift from the police.

The Destiny's Child girls refuse to drink from plastic or Styrofoam - and always demand fresh ginger root and a jar of honey on tour.

Pop diva Mariah Carey has a special attendant in her dressing room - just to hand her towels. And at publicity appearances, Mariah demands that all posters of her pop rivals be taken down - especially those of Christina Aguilera.

Speaking of Ms Aguilera, she insists on a police escort because she refuses to waste her time sitting in traffic.

Country crooner Shania Twain, meanwhile, likes to be warned in advance if there are any dogs at her singing venues. That's because she brings her own sniffer dog in case of bomb threats.

When touring, Macy Gray likes to bring a chimpanzee on the road with her to keep her company.

Pretty Woman Julia Roberts always insists on a constant supply of organic milk in her trailer when filming.