Best sparks anger over €5,500 fee for fashion event

CALUM BEST has angered organisers of a fashion event by demanding a colossal €5,500 fee — three times more than girlfriend Georgia Salpa’s.

Models Salpa and former Miss World Rosanna Davison, 27, have been booked to host a glitzy party later this month to launch Cork Fashion Week at just a third of the price.

But organisers had also hoped to lure the son of late Northern Ireland and Manchester United soccer legend George Best, by flying him over from his home in London and putting him up in a luxury hotel for two nights in fashionable Kinsale.

They even offered to wine and dine the 30-year-old all weekend and send a top-of-the-range Bentley to pick him up from Cork airport — despite him not having any official function to perform at the event, which will be filmed by leading satellite channel Fashion TV.

But stunned organisers of the “Fashion Rocks” party, which takes place at the flagship Blue Haven Hotel in Kinsale on September 23, changed their minds when the reformed ladies’ man demanded £5,000 (the equivalent of €5,600) — on top of his generous expenses.

The management of Kinsale’s upmarket Blue Haven, which is hosting the event at the start of Cork Fashion Week, declined to comment yesterday.

But a well-placed source said: “It’s probably going to be the top event in Kinsale this year.

“Fashion TV is sending a crew over for the whole week to film Cork Fashion Week and Georgia and Rosanna have agreed to host the party at the Blue Haven hotel.

“The management also thought it would be good to invite Calum and made him a very generous offer, which anyone else would have jumped at.

“He was told he’d be put up in the hotel for two nights, picked up in a Bentley and wined and dined all weekend.

“Basically, he wouldn’t have had to lift a finger. All he’d have had to do was to turn up. But he asked for £5,000 on top of all that, which is completely unrealistic, particularly in this day and age.”

It’s not the first time that Calum has made demands for extravagant appearance fees.

Last month, it was reported that his agent was willing to set up shots pretending the former playboy was shopping for an engagement ring with 26-year-old Georgia — providing a Sunday paper forked out €8,000.

But despite accusations that their relationship is little more than a money-spinning public relations stunt, Calum, who recently starred on TV3 reality show Celebrity Salon, insists he is serious about the Irish model.

In another newspaper report earlier this week, he attacked rumours that their relationship was on the rocks, stressing: “I think she is ‘the one’.”

He added: “Yes, I’m in love and it’s the first time.”