LIFE begins at phwoarty, just ask these celebrities.
As they hit the big 4-0, the successful stars not only look fabulous but are rolling in dosh.
Gemma Collins, Paris Hilton, Holly Willoughby, Kim Kardashian and Meghan Markle have already turned 40. And later this year Britney Spears, Fearne Cotton and Beyonce will join them.
Katy Docherty reveals what they think about the milestone birthday – and how even a pandemic couldn’t stop them from celebrating in style.
GEMMA COLLINS
BIRTHDAY: January 31
BEAUTY: Gemma marked her 40th by swearing off fillers.
She said: “Last year, I got a bit paranoid and started thinking, ‘I’m turning 40, I’ve got to get this and that done. I had a little bit put in my lips, I had my cheeks done, I had Botox, filler. I done the lot . . . But then I started to get carried away, as you do.”
LOVE: This year the Towie star got back with former fiance Rami Hawash who she split with in 2014.
SUCCESS: Gemma’s estimated to be worth around £2.89million, due to a nine-year stint on Towie, her Diva Forever show as well as clothing line.
ON TURNING 40: Gemma said: “The older I get honey, the better I become. I like the thought of turning 40 because I’m more mentally aware now, I’ve got life experience.”
PARIS HILTON
BIRTHDAY: February 17
BEAUTY: Heiress Paris swears she’s never had Botox or fillers and credits her youthful looks to her own brand of skincare (funny that).
LOVE: Paris has been engaged four times including to her latest beau venture capitalist Carter Reum, who popped the question on a private island in February.
SUCCESS: As heiress to the Hilton fortune, money is no issue for Paris but she’s created her own £230m fortune through DJ work, retail lines and TV appearances.
ON TURNING 40: Paris has been uncharacteristically coy about the landmark birthday. She said: “I don’t want to be remembered as that dumb-blonde airhead from The Simple Life. That’s not who I am. I’m very proud of what I’ve created.”
BRITNEY SPEARS
BIRTHDAY: December 2
BEAUTY: Britney last year swore off make-up, saying: “After all this time in my life I’m just now learning that no make-up is the way to go.”
In July, she complained to a court that she had not been able to get her hair or nails done for a year because of the conservatorship, which was initially granted in 2008 over concerns for the singer’s mental health.
LOVE: The mum-of-two has told how she wants to get married to her toyboy boyfriend Sam Asghari, 27, and have a baby together.
SUCCESS: Britney is currently in a legal battle with her father over her £43million fortune.
ON TURNING 40: She told fans this week: “I’m going to be 40 this year and as Debbie says in This Is 40, ‘I’m not ready to shop at old lady stores’.”
HOLLY WILLOUGHBY
BIRTHDAY: February 10
BEAUTY: Holly has hinted one day she may get plastic surgery, saying: “I don’t think you could ever rule it out.”
LOVE: She lives with TV producer husband Dan Baldwin and their kids Harry, Chester and Belle in a £3million house in Barnes, London.
SUCCESS: Holly is paid £730,000 for her This Morning gig which she supplements with brand deals.
She is the face of Garnier and a brand ambassador for M&S.
ON TURNING 40: She said: “My 30s have been all about the kids – bringing them up, keeping all these balls afloat – but now they’re getting older, there’s a bit more space where I can start focusing on things that are happening for me.
“I see my 40s as a chance to find myself again and figure out who I am.”
FEARNE COTTON
BIRTHDAY: September 3
BEAUTY: As a busy mum, Fearne says she doesn’t have much me time. She said: “Occasionally, I might have five minutes to put a quick face mask on while the kids are killing each other in the bath.”
LOVE: Fearne married Jesse Wood – son of Rolling Stones’ Ronnie – in 2014 and they have son Rex and daughter Honey.
SUCCESS: With a kids TV and radio DJ career behind her, Fearne is now an author, self-help guru and has a podcast Happy Place.
ON TURNING 40: Fearne told Instagram: “As I rocket towards my 40th, I’ve been thinking . . . perhaps we spend the first 40 years hoping others like us. Then maybe we spend the next 40 or so attempting to like ourselves.”
KIM KARDASHIAN
BIRTHDAY: October 21
BEAUTY: She is no stranger to cosmetic procedures, having posted about vampire facials, skin tightening and hair removal as well as rumours she has gone under the knife.
LOVE: Kim lives with her four kids in Calabasas, California, having split from husband Kanye West last year.
SUCCESS: She featured on this year’s Forbes rich list and is said to be worth a billion dollars thanks to her Skims brand and KKW skincare range.
ON TURNING 40: Kim realised she wanted a divorce on her milestone birthday. She said: “I never thought I was lonely . . . then after turning 40, I realised I don’t want a husband that lives in a completely different state. I thought, ‘That’s when we’re getting along the best’, but then that is sad, and that’s not what I want.”
MEGHAN MARKLE
BIRTHDAY: August 4
BEAUTY: The Duchess says the key to staying youthful is moisturiser.
LOVE: She bagged herself Prince Harry in 2016 and they married two years later. But the pair quit the Royal Family in January 2020 in a bid for privacy, and moved to California. They have son Archie and daughter Lilibet.
SUCCESS: Her joint wealth with Prince Harry is estimated to be around the £7million mark.
But their recent deals with Harper Collins and Netflix will up this figure.
ON TURNING 40: Meghan told how she was once warned about revealing her true age. She said: “I’m always told, ‘Don’t say your age’. If anyone has a problem then it’s their problem, not mine. In TV, you are seeing a shift of women who are not in their twenties playing strong women.”
BEYONCE KNOWLES
BIRTHDAY: September 4
BEAUTY: Beyonce is tight-lipped about whether she’s had work done but says she puts “a little gold eye shadow in the inner corners” of her eyes to look more awake.
LOVE: Beyonce married rapper Jay-Z in April 2008. They have daughter Blue Ivy and twins Rumi and Sir. Her 2016 album Lemonade heavily hinted her husband had cheated on her.
SUCCESS: Beyonce is thought to be worth £255million thanks to her stint in girl group Destiny’s Child, a successful solo career and her Ivy Park fashion line.
ON TURNING 40: When she was 30, Beyonce said she hoped the next decade would bring children. She added: “I just hope I’m happy, into my children and well-adjusted and still making music.”
