JOHN BILLINGHAM turned heads as he strolled through the arrivals lounge at Shannon Airport yesterday. But the Richard Branson lookalike is used to the public attention he gets. English-born John, 53, who has a home in Killaloe, Co Clare, said: “People are all the time coming up to me and stopping me on the street.”

Richard Branson’s Virgin empire could go public as part of a new strategy that will see the group act as a consumer-focused private equity investment firm, a report revealed today.

Virgin empire boss Richard Branson is in negotiations with British television networks to launch a talent show for aspiring astronauts.

Richard Branson has offered to miss out on a £42m (€61m) windfall to secure a takeover of Virgin Mobile by cable giant NTL, it emerged tonight.

Speculation was growing today that Virgin boss Richard Branson will stump up his own money to secure a deal with cable company NTL over the sale of Virgin Mobile.