Looking for Kiwis but found Lily Allen pashing in Soho

Rachel Glucina encounters Lily Allen while on the hunt for celebs in London. Photo / AP

I've come to London in search of celebrities. Basically, I've taken my gig on the road. I arrived on Saturday afternoon, flying into Heathrow aboard the shiny new A380 superjumbo. I flew business class, which frankly, totally appeals to my inner snob. This is what it feels like to be Gilda, I thought, sans the septgenarian.

I saw diminutive yet debonair publisher Barry Colman on the Sydney leg of the flight, presumably heading to the Bledisloe Cup. Actually, I saw his wife first. Mrs Barry Colman breezed into the Emirates lounge at Auckland Airport on Friday afternoon wearing a crisp navy suit, manicured nails, and coiffed blonde locks that had been set curled in heated rollers. She screamed wife of a millionaire.

Bazza was in hot pursuit trying to keep up. He is Jamie Cullum to her Sophie Dahl (like Mike and Kate, who ironically, features the British stars as her Twitter home page pic). There are several inches between them. The sound of her Italian heels click-clicked across the linoleum.

Her days of Katie Silvey in loud leopard print coats (better suited on the likes of Candy Lane) are long gone now since she bagged a millionaire. What hasn't appeared to have changed is her zest for life. The Ms Silvey I met years ago at a fancy schmancy car launch oozed fun-loving exuberance, which, no doubt was part of her appeal to the publishing scion.

Mrs Colman oozed the same fun-loving spirit on Friday. She lead her pint-sized media mogul hubby from their first-class seats down past the hoi polloi in business class where they spent much of their flight ensconced at the in-flight bar.

Meanwhile, last night, I was having drinks with friends at a little corner bar in London's trendy Soho district when I spotted Lily Allen doing what celebrities do best: trying to look nonchalant and incognito all the while desperately hoping people will notice there is a celebrity in their midst.

We noticed.

Only minutes earlier, in a blast from the past, Stephanie Powers sailed past us, long auburn hair flowing in the manner of Josephine Grierson, wearing a starched white '80s power suit. Her look has not changed since her heydey in Hart to Hart alongside Robert Wagner. Of course, that look is very on-trend today, though I'm guessing she is completely clueless to her fashion forward status.

Allen, on the other hand, is not. Wearing tight black jeans tucked into long suede grey boots and her signature black Chanel bag, the British singer is very aware of her fashion status, especially since shedding the pounds on what the press call here: a fashion diet of champagne and vodka with her bestie Kate Moss.

Judging by last night's passionate antics, Lily has another bestie she's happy to show off: her new man Sam, who has been referred to in the UK press as a painter and decorator. Lily has pointed out he's a builder, actually. With his own company. Not that she's embarrassed or anything.

Clearly she wasn't last night. When she wasn't perched on his lap, arms thrown round his neck, the pair were sneaking kisses and holding hands.

The paparazzi were nowhere to be seen, though presumably Allen wouldn't have minded if they were. She is a celebrity of the new school: the ones who understand the value of media profile.

The day before her scheduled appearance at the V Festival on Sunday, Lily made a carefully constructed public appearance at The Ashes sitting in the stands wearing a cardboard pint as a hat. Then she hit Twitter with her ramblings about the cricket. This, from someone ,who admits to knowing very little about the game.

Needless to say, it made the Sunday papers, thereby catapulting her coverage at the V Festival later that day (where she wore a see-through top) above the other musos with more talent and giving her the much-desired headlines. Job done.

Watch and learn, Kiwi schlebs.

Rachel Glucina

Rachel flew to London courtesy of Emirates Airlines. Emirates flies three times daily from Auckland to Dubai and beyond, via Australia, including onwards to 22 places in Europe. It is the only airline that operates an A380 superjumbo service from Auckland through to London.

Pictured: Lily Allen. Photo / AP