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As summer draws to a close, Venice prepares to open the doors to its prestigious film festival welcoming a host of a-listers, designers, a diverse catalogue of new releases and film critics to the red carpet. Each year, the Venice Lido – a short 15-minute boat ride from the famed St Mark's Square – plays host to the Venice Film Festival. While 2023's event may experience some subtle changes due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, the show seemingly must go on from 30 August to 9 September. The festival's artistic director Alberto Barbera previously described the strike's impact as "modest," with the planned lineup – including Bradley Cooper's Maestro and Sofia Coppola's Priscilla – still in competition for the Golden Lion prize. Meanwhile, the original opener, Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers featuring Zendaya, has been pushed back to an unconfirmed premiere date next year. A-listers at the 2023 Venice Film Festival have remained tight-lipped about their attendance or absence after Barbera stated "a few stars will not be with us." However, some are still expected to attend the hotly anticipated event of the year. I managed to sneak a peek at the majestic palace-style hotel where celebrities lay their heads during the decadent affair – and it certainly was something. Nestled on the Lido resides the opulent Hotel Excelsior, which has been the protagonist and host of the festival since 1932. Excelsior has welcomed the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, George Clooney and Sandra Bullock to name a few. One of the rooms, renowned as the Stucchi room, even had its own starring role in Robert De Niro's Once Upon A Time In America. Excelsior epitomises the golden age of film, with its alluring cocktail of history, culture, laidback glamour and charm. The moment I stepped foot into the hotel lobby and strolled through the halls adorned with candid shots of classic Hollywood stars and complete with designer boutiques, I was transcended into a world of luxury beyond measure. A far cry from the dismal UK summer. Excelsior owes its success to entrepreneur Nicolò Spada, who commissioned the famed Venetian architect Giovanni Sardi to make the dream "only on paper" come to fruition. They have since welcomed over 110 years' worth of guests, with 30,000 Venetians and over 3,000 guests flocking to the grand opening for a single evening in July 1908. The unmatched hospitality and Venetian charm continue to this day, with depths of space, pools, a fitness studio and the only resort with its very own private beach complete with cabanas that provide a peaceful paradise for guests. A live piano performance of Audrey Hepburn's 'Moon River', hand-in-hand with an idyllic backdrop of the skyline, certainly set the tone for dinner at the Adriatico Terrace, where I was served a heavenly three-course meal. This included what can possibly only be described as the most exquisite dessert I've ever encountered. Interestingly, the terrace is where the official 1932 Venice Film Festival launch took place with a view of films that are considered classics to this day. These include Frank Capra's Forbidden, Grand Hotel by Edmund Goulding and the original Frankenstein by James Whale. Now, with a hotel so grand and weather we Brits have been deprived of all summer, it was rather tempting to stay on the grounds and do absolutely nothing but be a voyeur to how the other half live. As dreamy as that sounds, the push of encouragement came from a complimentary boat taxi service that runs throughout the day between Venice and Lido. A short 15 minutes across the water, I became a full-fledged tourist with gelato and a gondola ride rounded off with a Bellini at the famous Harry's Bar, the birthplace of the iconic cocktail renowned across the world. When the day was done, I headed back to my newfound comforts back at Excelsior. After 48 hours of experiencing unmatched laidback luxury, I (reluctantly) headed back to a rainy UK. As for whether I'd recommend Excelsior? Absolutely. Even if it's to stop by on your Venice travels to try out the evening menu, open to non-guests with prior booking. For more information on stays and events at Hotel Excelsior, click here. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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Viewers of Sunday evening’s Oscars ceremony were astonished to watch Will Smith strike comedian Chris Rock after he made a joke at the expense of his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock was presenting the award for Best Documentary when he made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s appearance. “Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see you,” he quipped in an apparent reference to the actor’s shaved head. The Red Table Talk host, who has spoken candidly about her hair loss from alopecia in the past, was seen rolling her eyes at the comment. Will then walked onstage and struck the comedian, yelling “keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth”. The 50-year-old actor first revealed that she had alopecia in 2018, describing the sudden hair loss she experienced as “terrifying”. Speaking to her mother Adrienne and daughter Willow on an episode of Red Table Talk, the actress recalled losing “handfuls of hair” in the shower one day. She then explained how her condition prompted her to cut all her hair off. “I’ve been getting lots of questions about why I’ve been wearing this turban,” she said. “Well, I’ve been having issues with hair loss. “And I’ll tell you it was terrifying when it first started. I was in the shower one day and then just handfuls of hair, just in my hands, and I was like ‘oh my God am I going bald?’ “It was one of those times in my life when I was literally shaking with fear.” The Girls Trip star added that maintaining a sense of perspective has helped her cope. “People are out here with cancer, with sick children… I watch the higher power take things every day and if the higher power wants to take my hair? That’s it? God, you want my hair? “When I looked at it from that perspective it did settle me.” She went on to credit turbans for helping her feel empowered as a result of her hair loss. “When my hair is wrapped, I feel like a queen,” she said. In July 2021, fans praised Pinkett Smith after she debuted a new buzz cut, saying it was “time to let go” after her struggle with hair loss. The actor posted about the new style on her own Instagram, where she uploaded a short video of herself posing against a backdrop of flowers and revealed that her daughter had been the one to encourage her to cut off her hair. “Willow made me do it because it was time to let go BUT … my 50s are bout to be Divinely lit with this shed,” the 49-year-old captioned the video. And in December, the Matrix Resurrections actor shared a video to Instagram during which she pointed out a line on her scalp that had developed as a consequence of the condition. “Now at this point, I can only laugh,” she said at the start of the video. “Y’all know I’ve been struggling with alopecia and just all of a sudden one day, look at this line right here. Look at that,” she said. “So it just showed up like that and this is going to be a little bit more difficult for me to hide.” “So I thought I’d just share it so y’all are not asking any questions,” Pinkett Smith added. She joked: “But you know mama’s going to put some rhinestones in there. I’m going to make me a little crown,” she said. “That’s what mama’s going to do.” Pinkett Smith previously revealed that the cause of her own alopecia had not been identified by doctors, but that she believed it may be stress-related. According to the NHS, hair loss, known medically as alopecia, is fairly common. It's estimated that around 40 per cent of women aged 70 years or over experience female-pattern baldness – the most common type of hair loss, which is thought to be inherited. Hair loss can be genetic, or as a result of extreme stress, a medical condition or treatment. It's also common for women to lose more hair than usual up to three months after they've given birth. Read More ‘It was terrifying’: All the things Jada Smith Pinkett has said about her alopecia Will Smith issues ‘official statement’ on Jada Pinkett Smith marriage Will Smith releases bizarre ‘official statement’ video after marriage revelation Will Smith speaks to crowd about relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith Jada Pinkett Smith built ‘love nest’ for her and Will Smith to spend alone time Jada Pinkett Smith reveals why she and Will Smith never signed a prenup