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CRUISE CONTROL

Tom Cruise made 11-hour flight to UK to escape 14-day quarantine rules and resume Mission Impossible filming

HE’S spent much of the Mission Impossible movie franchise evading being captured and banged up – and I can reveal Tom Cruise has done it again.

After a raft of delays and challenges caused by the coronavirus lockdown, the actor touched down in the UK on Sunday night before filming restarts.

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 Tom Cruise made an 11-hour flight to the UK to avoid new quarantine rules
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Tom Cruise made an 11-hour flight to the UK to avoid new quarantine rulesCredit: AP:Associated Press

 

But in a manoeuvre Ethan Hunt would be proud of, I’m told he managed to touch down at Biggin Hill airport outside London just hours before the Government’s new quarantine rules took effect yesterday.

The sharp move, alongside his entourage, means he can head back to the blockbuster’s new set at an abandoned RAF base in rural Oxfordshire.

A source tells me: “It’s no accident Tom arrived on Sunday night — they didn’t want their leading man locked away on his own for 14 days.

“There have already been so many delays to the film and everyone is keen to get it up and running at the first possible second — so slipping in before the quarantine rules came in on Monday made sense.

 He landed in the UK on Sunday night just hours before the Government’s new quarantine rules took effect
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He landed in the UK on Sunday night just hours before the Government’s new quarantine rules took effectCredit: PA:Press Association

“Hopefully it will mean the film can get back on track and finished without any more delays.”

After touching down, I’m told Tom raced straight off by car following the 11-hour flight from Clearwater, Florida, to a stunning rented pad in the capital — and will use a helicopter to dart back and forth to the set during filming breaks.

The seventh instalment in the hugely successful franchise was one of the first to be hit by delays caused by Covid-19, when its Venice film set was shut by the Italian government.

Last week I told how bosses had created a makeshift village to keep cast and crew safe, with the team living and working together in quarantine while shooting.

 The move means he can head back to the blockbuster’s new set at an abandoned RAF base in rural Oxfordshire
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The move means he can head back to the blockbuster’s new set at an abandoned RAF base in rural OxfordshireCredit: Getty Images - Getty

And I’m told the team has taken over the abandoned RAF site in Oxfordshire to build the short-term film location, which is being kitted out with VIP Winnebago trailers fit for the A-list cast that also includes Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson.

The arrangement will allow them to rattle through a host of scenes while living in the bizarre bubble — to make sure none of the stars or crew pick up coronavirus.

Tom is a fan of filming in London, having also spent time there last year while working on the follow-up to classic action flick Top Gun.

He regularly visits Scientology’s UK headquarters in East Grinstead, West Sussex, where he has been known to stay at a house on the complex.

 Tom is a fan of filming in London, visiting the city last year to film the follow-up to Top Gun
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Tom is a fan of filming in London, visiting the city last year to film the follow-up to Top GunCredit: AP:Associated Press

A source added: “If Tom has to stay in Britain a bit longer, that won’t bother him at all.
“He knows it well and has plenty of friends here. His priority at the moment is getting this film made.”

The latest Mission Impossible film is the first of two planned further sequels, with director Christopher McQuarrie overseeing them.
After all this effort, it had better be good . . .


READ ON FOR MORE OF SIMON BOYLE'S BIZARRE COLUMN


Grad you could make it

A-LISTERS joined forces to send heart-warming messages to teenagers.

They  took part in  a  high school’s  virtual graduation ceremony on YouTube  after students had to miss  celebrations due to lockdown.

 Top artists sent heart-warming messages to teenagers missing their graduation ceremonies this year
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Top artists sent heart-warming messages to teenagers missing their graduation ceremonies this yearCredit: BackGrid

The event on Sunday night had performances from Lizzo and Katy Perry, as well as speeches from superstars including Taylor Swift, who revealed she missed her own graduation in 2008.

She said: “I relate to that in a lot of ways.

"When I was younger, I used to fantasise about high school graduation, being with all your friends, cap and gown, the whole thing.

“Then, when I got to that point in my life where graduation was coming up, I found myself on a radio tour with my mom, in rental cars, sitting on the floors of airports, and I ended up getting mailed my diploma.”

 Taylor Swift was among the A-listers that took part in the high school's virtual graduation
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Taylor Swift was among the A-listers that took part in the high school's virtual graduationCredit: BackGrid
 Speaking on the YouTube video, Lady Gaga told students 'there is much to be celebrated'
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Speaking on the YouTube video, Lady Gaga told students 'there is much to be celebrated'Credit: BackGrid

In another  message, Lady Gaga told the youngsters: “Although there is much to be sad about, there is also much to be celebrated.”

Beyonce also gave a speech and said: “You are achieving things your parents and grandparents never could imagine  for themselves.”

 Beyonce reminded the youngsters they are achieving what their older relatives couldn't imagine for themselves
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Beyonce reminded the youngsters they are achieving what their older relatives couldn't imagine for themselvesCredit: BackGrid

bizbit

KYLIE Jenner failed to maintain social distancing at a private party at LA hotspot Bootsy Bellows, which she’s thought to have hired for a bash despite lockdown.

The reality star was seen leaving the club in the early hours of yesterday.

A write turn-off for Noel

YOU’LL be waiting a long time if you want Noel Gallagher to spill the beans on his life.

The ex-Oasis rocker has ruled out ever releasing a tell-all book about his colourful life – because he’s too lazy to work on it.

 Noel Gallagher says he can't be bothered to write a book about his life - and won't work with a writer either
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Noel Gallagher says he can't be bothered to write a book about his life - and won't work with a writer eitherCredit: Rex Features

Noel said: “I don’t know if I could be a***d and I could not do it with a writer.

"I would have to write it. The way I am, I would have to write every word of it.”

The High Flying Birds frontman was speaking on a podcast with comedian Matt Morgan, who he said would have been a good choice to ghost-write it.

Noel added: “You could write it, like the Alan Partridge book. It will be funny. It can only be as ridiculous as the f***ing Bible, can’t it?”

But while it seems Noel has a case of writer’s block, brother Liam is working on a new release of his own - and it’s related to Oasis.

In a series of tweets, Liam said the band had “unfinished business” and teased a previously unheard song, called Bin Bag, which Noel had rejected.

Probably because it was rubbish, but there you go.

bizbit

NORMAL People actor Paul Mescal raised more than £60,000 by selling off the chain his character Connell wore in the BBC drama.

More than 4,000 entered the draw to win the jewellery to help mental health charity Pieta House.

Mark burger joint goes belly up...

HOLLYWOOD’S Mark Wahlberg has just had his birthday – but I doubt he felt like celebrating.

The Ted actor’s Wahlburgers restaurant in Covent Garden, London, has shut down for good a little over a year after opening.

 Mark Wahlberg's restaurant in Covent Garden has been forced to close due to the pandemic
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Mark Wahlberg's restaurant in Covent Garden has been forced to close due to the pandemicCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Despite a glitzy launch last May and Mark appearing on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway this year to promote it, it struggled to turn a profit and has been forced to close as a result of the pandemic.

The chain, run by chef Paul Wahlberg with his brothers Mark and Donnie, had hoped to open venues across the UK after making it a success in the US, where it now has 25 sites.

Mark made trips to the UK to publicise the restaurant.

Last month the Patriots Day star, who is worth more than £240million, used the taxpayers’ furlough scheme for 30 staff members in the hope of avoiding a permanent closure.

 The actor travelled to the UK multiple times to publicise his restaurant Wahlburgers in Covent Garden
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The actor travelled to the UK multiple times to publicise his restaurant Wahlburgers in Covent Garden

But a spokeswoman for Wahlburgers confirmed: “Our franchisee had to make the difficult decision to close this location due to the financial impacts of the pandemic on the restaurant industry.”

At least Mark has his own big Hollywood bucks to fall back on.

Instaglam

 Love Island's Lucie Donlan wows fans in shimmering swimsuit
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Love Island's Lucie Donlan wows fans in shimmering swimsuit

LUCIE Donlan looks as good as gold while posing in a shimmering swimsuit for this snap.

Sam's man gets fame

RISING singing star Samantha Harvey says her boyfriend is revelling in his new-found fame, after she wrote a song about him.

Her track Hard To Get is about how the couple met.

 Samantha Harvey says her boyfriend is revelling in his new-found fame
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Samantha Harvey says her boyfriend is revelling in his new-found fameCredit: Dan Jones - The Sun

In an exclusive chat, she said: “He was happy because it’s a positive song and wasn’t negative about men.

"His family find it funny that he is having songs written about him now.”

Suffolk-born Samantha added: “I’ve been doing writing sessions on Zoom.

“I have a microphone at home so can lay down the rough vocals then hopefully this year I can go into the studio and record them properly.”

bizmeter

  • After first switching his Hypersonic Missiles Tour to later this summer, Sam Fender has now put it off until April. He tweeted: “We’re pushing all shows back. It sucks, but by the time these shows come around, there will be loads of new music to play you.”
  • Lady Gaga is the fastest female artist in history to have six US No1 albums, after Chromatica topped the charts there nine years and two days after her debut The Fame. But she could lose the UK top spot as British rockers Sports Team are currently outselling her.
  • Scarlett Moffatt is unsure how to mark her 30th in October after celebrations for her boyfriend’s birthday last year. She treated Scott Dobinson to tickets to a show but said: “They had this big Christmas tree with flames shooting out of it, then I realised it was on fire.”
  • Topshop heiress Chloe Green is dating an Italian yacht broker called Manuele Thiella. She was pictured snogging the businessman, who counts Madonna among his clients, in France at the weekend after splitting from model Jeremy Meeks.
Jack P. Shepherd dances in his pants as he recreates Tom Cruise's Risky Business dance at home



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