Boo, hiss as Salpa quits panto

NEVER has the change from fairy princess to pantomime villain been so dramatic.

One of the country’s best-known models, Georgia Salpa, yesterday became the beauty who did a beastly act after it was announced she had pulled out of her starring role in Sleeping Beauty at the Tivoli Theatre in Dublin — less than a week before the show was due to open.

The show’s producers — TV3 presenter Alan Hughes and his partner, Karl Broderick — expressed anger and disappointment yesterday at Salpa’s sudden withdrawal from the pantomime.

Hughes suggested the model’s unexpected departure might have arisen as a result of her being intimidated by “the strong performance of all the other members of the cast”.

The Ireland AM star, who plays Sammy Sausages in the panto, said the producers had been “very accommodating” to Georgia in arranging rehearsal times to fit around her busy modelling schedule.

He said the role of Queen Kardashian had been particularly written for the 26-year-old, Greek-born beauty.

The part will now be taken over by another model and one of Georgia’s friends, Michelle McGrath, when Sleeping Beauty opens next Wednesday.

Hughes said he was particularly upset that Salpa had only notified him via e-mail that she would be unable to commit to the pantomime without offering any explanation for her sudden change of heart.

Salpa’s agent, former Miss Ireland, Andrea Roche, also phoned the producers yesterday to confirm Georgia felt unable to fulfil her commitment to the twice-daily show, which is scheduled to run for 30 days.

Calls to both Salpa and Roche yesterday were not returned. However, Salpa posted comments on her Twitter site confirming she was no longer taking part in Sleeping Beauty and claiming her friend, Michelle, would be “amazing” in the same role.

Hughes failed to rule out the possibility of taking legal action against Salpa for breach of an agreement.

Salpa’s withdrawal is the latest controversy to surround the model, who also upset some of her supporters when she pulled out of a charity Kilimanjaro climb recently.