CALIFORNIA girl Katy Perry pledged her allegiance to a string of Manc music maestros as she brought her flamboyant new show to the city.

Katy, married to movie star and renowned Smiths fan Russell Brand, told fans at her Manchester Apollo gig on Monday night that her favourite bands hailed from the city.

She said: “Some of my favourite bands come from here – number one, Morrissey, number two, Stone Roses, and how can I forget, Oasis, long live the Gallagher!’

Chart-topper Perry treated fans to all of her biggest hits, including California Gurls, Firework and I Kissed A Girl at the first of her two Apollo shows this week in a riot of sequins, colour and cupcakes.

Alas, there was no sign of her comedian hubbie at the gig, part of her ongoing California Dreams tour, but Brand was quick to post his support of his pop star missus on his Twitter site today.

He wrote: “I hear Katy Perry rocked Manchester – she’s the new Noel Gallagher.  I’ll have to watch her eyebrows don’t join up.”

Ah, so romantic!

EVER likely Liverpool player Joe Cole was trying to keep a low profile as he headed straight over to Manchester on Sunday after his team’s 3-1 victory over United at Anfield.

But our snapper still managed to spy Joe and his stunning wife Carly as they lurked in the wings of the Manchester Apollo to watch Beady Eye, fronted by his pal Liam Gallagher.

Joe has long been a fan of all things Oasis and Liam – and is a keen support of the Burnage lad’s fashion range Pretty Green too.

So it was no surprise to see him supporting Liam’s latest rock ‘n’ roll venture, Beady Eye. Needless to say after the day’s football action though, he was probably hoping not to be noticed by the beady eyes of any Reds in the Manchester audience.

Ah well, his presence, and that result, will no doubt have brought great happiness to lifelong Manchester City fan Liam!

SHE’S known for her flamboyant sense of style, and now T4 presenter and fashion queen Jameela Jamil reckons fellas should be following in her colourful footsteps.
Uber-glam Jameela, in Manchester to host a GQ menswear fashion bash over at Selfridges, reckons that fellas shouldn’t be afraid of more bold looks in their wardrobe.
She tells The Diary: “I really love the bursts of colour coming into men’s fashion now, it’s such an important way to bring life into fashion.
“Men always complain about women getting all the options, but now they can show a bit more of their personality in their outfits and shouldn’t be scared of a splash of orange or yellow. Women love men who make a bit of an effort.”
Jameela, 25, looking stunning in a floor length floral Hussein Chalayan gown and Alexander McQueen skyscraper gladiator heels, describes her own style as ‘comfortable glamour’, although The Diary’s not sure those five inch heels would fall into that category!
She says: “I like to look like I’ve made an effort, there isn’t any shame in it but I don’t actually want to make an effort!
“If you put too much thought into your outfit you can really tell.”
And her one big fashion tip for men? It’s not so much something to wear as something to not wear.
“Avoid Spandex. That should be left to the ballet dancers. I don’t want to tell a man’s religion from his outfit.”
Ahem, quite!

IT wasn’t just the spirits of Antony Cotton being lifted as he headed to experience 

projects benefiting from Comic Relief funds in Manchester. 

For the Coronation Street favourite found himself hoisted in the air, right, as he 

took part in a drama rehearsal with  Contact Theatre that has been assisted by the 

charity appeal.
The project has been working with young people and local partners to develop a 

theatre piece raising awareness about exploitation and abuse, with the aim of taking the 

drama to Manchester schools. 
Antony also learned an energetic dance routine as he headed to the Zion Arts Centre 

in Hulme to join Company Fierce, a group of youngsters who meet for dance lessons.
Now he is urging other community organisations to apply for a Red Nose Day Community 

Cash Grant. 

He says: “I’ve been very lucky to have opportunities growing up that other kids 

don’t always have, but thanks to projects like these there are opportunites out there.”

» To apply for a grant, go to communityfoundation. co.uk/news

THE Diary had to do a double take to make sure this really was Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding – with a newly brunette hairdo.

Sarah, from Stockport, chose London Fashion Week to show off her startling new look – swapping her famous platinum blonde tresses for brunette curls.

She was on the front row at the Vivienne Westwood catwalk show, giving the Glossop-born fashion designer a bit of starry support at the fashion extravaganza.

Only last weekend Sarah was still a blonde bombshell when she headed to the BAFTA Awards, heading on the red carpet in a fire engine red gown.

Rumour has it her new look could have something to do with her upcoming wedding to long-term love, DJ Tom Crane. For Sarah is said to want to have a wedding themed around her fave new movie Black Swan, starring brunette actress Natalie Portman as a troubled ballerina.

IT looks like Coleen Rooney's giant Overfinch car is causing her to
rather overstretch.
The Super-WAG and fashionista was probably regretting wearing her ballet
pumps rather than her favourite towering Christian Louboutin heels as
she struggled to pull down the boot on her super-expensive Range Rover
motor after a shopping trip to Wilmslow.  For petite Coleen is just 5'
3" without those extra stilleto inches.
Coleen had been picking up her essentials in the town with baby son Kai
wearing a casual ensemble of skinny jeans and bright pink pumps, and
every WAG's ultimate accessory, the designer handbag.
But she probably could have done with a little help from her strapping
footballer hubby Wayne in pulling down the boot of that humoungous
automobile.  Ah, where's your Baby Bentley when you need it?

IT takes quite something to out-bouffant a bevy of Premier League WAGs – but X Factor star Jamie “Afro” Archer certainly managed it here.
Jamie, famed for his glorious mane of hair, was joined by this glamorous quartet of footballers’ wives and girlfriends as he made a surprise appearance at the third annual RSP Valentine’s Ball at Salford’s Lowry Hotel.
Pictured here with Jamie are Carla Kompany, wife of Man City defender Vincent, Chantelle Tagoe, fiancee of England and Aston Villa star Emile Heskey, Jessica Lawlor, girlfriend of Aston Villa’s Stephen Ireland and Winonah de Jong, wife of Blues star Nigel.  He belted out a host of the songs that made him a hit on the ITV talent show, including his version of Sex On Fire.
Jamie was among a host of celebs at the Valentines-themed ball, including comedian John Thomson and wife Sam, Coronation Street star Antony Cotton and former Shameless and now Eastenders star Jody Latham.
The Red Sea Pedestrians ball is organised with a different charity benefitting each year.  This year the huge £100,000 raised at the bash will go to Ward 84, the Young Oncology and Haematology Unit at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Antony Wagman, a member of the RSP charitable committee, said: “Everyone did us proud, from the volunteer committee who have spent months organising the event to the guests, sponsors and celebrities who attended.  We’d love to hear from anyone who wants to get involved with RSP or if anyone has a charity they would like us to consider for our shortlist next year should email rsp@gpcglobal.com.”

DESIGN guru Peter Saville is aiming to encourage England football fans to embrace a colourful new fashion range based on his “Modern England” concept for the national strip.

And first to try the new look, modelling a bright pink hoodie from the range at a glitzy launch bash at Harvey Nichols last week, was Man City and England goalie Joe Hart.

Peter, Manchester’s creative director, was commissioned by sportswear giant Umbro last year to create a new take on the England shirt – coming up with a pattern of tiny coloured St George’s crosses to represent the diversity of modern day England. The idea has now been expanded into the new boldly-coloured sportswear range of t-shirts, sweaters and jackets.

Peter says: “It’s really exciting to see more product from the idea, and it is a big idea.

“So I’m pleased to see it have a further reach now.

“The Modern England idea was to have the St George cross in many different colours to represent a broader understanding of England and Englishness.”

Saville, famed for his iconic album covers for Factory Records, admits he could “never have imagined” designing a football kit, but has been pleased with the results.

He says: “I never thought I’d do a sports kit, let alone a national one. To do the England football kit is an quite an extraordinary invitation – to be able to put a socio-cultural idea that then goes out to so many people was very energising and exciting, that the shirt could be this new way to understand the flag of England.

“It’s a piece of work for a society and not just a niche market which I really liked.”

The range is now on sale at Harvey Nichols, priced from £40 for a shirt to £115 for a jacket like Joe’s here.

Not sure quite how it will catch on among the England footy faithful, but let me know your thoughts…

MEET Manchester City’s newest signing – homegrown Burnage boy Jack Johnson.

But it’s not Jack’s silky skills on the pitch that have impressed Blues top brass, rather his model looks.

For Jack, 21, has won a competition to model in the campaign for City’s new fashion range created by kitmaker Umbro.

It’s a dream come true for lifelong Blue Jack – particularly as he’s had no previous modelling experience.

His friends urged him to enter the competition after it was advertised on City’s website, as part of the prize included modelling alongside a host of the Blues’ star players.

The Diary headed over to meet Jack at Umbro HQ where he still couldn’t quite believe his luck.

He said: “I’m a huge City fan so one of the main reasons I entered was the chance to meet the players, but I couldn’t believe it when I actually won.

“I’ll try and play it cool when I meet the players, I’ll want to congratulate them on what a fantastic season they’ve been having this year.”

Jack has been modelling the stylish new range at shoots in trendy locations around Manchester’s Northern Quarter and will also join Blues stars Joe Hart, Micah Richards, Yaya Toure and Pablo Zabaleta for the fashion campaign. The new range, set to launch in shops later this month, is a retro-inspired collection of sportswear.

Jack recently completed a BSC Honours degree in P.E. At Sheffield Hallum University, with plans to become a P.E. Teacher, but in the mean-time he’s been working part-time in his local Tesco supermarket.

But since his modelling success he’s now considering pursuing a long-held passion for acting too.

He said: “I’m keeping an open mind as to the future, I just want to see where this takes me. I’ve always enjoyed acting, so this might open up some avenues in both modelling and acting in future.”

IT might not be beer she’s advertising these days but former Boddingtons girl Melanie Sykes is proving she’s still the Cream of Manchester in this eye-catching new ad campaign.

Wearing nothing but a slick of chocolate, Mossley-born Melanie, now a mum-of-two, proves she’s still got the curves that shot her to fame in the famous Boddies TV adverts in the 90s.

Mel, 40, looked good enough to eat as she posed up in an attempt to encourage women to reveal their secret diet confessions as part of website Shape.Smart’s new campaign to get us all in trim.

From the image, I’m guessing that Mel’s secret vice is chocolate.

Mind you, we’d all be as slim as her if we smeared it all over our bodies rather than troughing giants bars of the sweet stuff!