De Burgh guts competition to buy Alien original

HE used to sing songs about spacemen who came travelling, but now he’s gone the whole extra-terrestrial hog and paid a small fortune for his own alien.

Chris de Burgh has paid €45,037 at an auction for the original Alien creature from the 1979 sci-fi film.

The hideous creature burst violently from John Hurt’s chest in Ridley Scott’s film.

The singer fended off international bidding to buy the “chest burster”.

“I bought it because I believed it was a defining moment in cinema history for its sheer horror.

“I know John Hurt very well, and of course I will give him natural visiting orders being the mother of this creature,” Mr de Burgh said.

Auctioneers Bonhams had estimated the piece, sold by designer and operator Roger Dicken, would sell for up to €18,000.

But frantic bidding for the lot, described by Bonhams as “an iconic piece of science fiction film history”, more than doubled the price.

Other items in yesterday’s sale of Rock and Roll and Film Memorabilia at the Knightsbridge, London, saleroom included items from The Beatles and a selection of notes from Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor expressing his feelings for her.