Exclusive gossip, pics and video as we recreate Alice In Wonderland for our British issue with a little help from Vernon Kay, Skins, Peaches Geldof, Michelle Ryan, Rick Edwards, Sheridan Smith, Matthew Horne and Rick Edwards...
Music by Steve Smith, video edited by Amir Adhamy
Tracy Ramsden, commissioning editor
'Pulling together 11 big-name celebrities is no mean feat. Getting them to dress up as their favourite characters from the classic story Alice in Wonderland was surprisingly easy. Rick Edwards didn't want to take his crown off all day (Rick: "I feel like a REAL king!") and was a total pro, despite us demanding crazy things of him, like balancing on a bike and jumping across ponds. Similarly, Mat Horne slipped into his role as a rocked-up White Rabbit seamlessly. All smudgy black eyes and rugged tie, it was his ingenius idea to be photographed with the giant pocket watch. We started with a trumpet but after a few takes it was obvious he felt more at home with the watch as his main prop.
Sheridan Smith, what can we say? Quite possibly the sexiest Dormouse we've ever seen. Working that 60s, lace look she admitted was nervous (Sheridan: "I never wear skirts this short!") but chuffed with the outcome. And despite her telling us she's never really done fashion shoots before, she worked the poses like a total pro. What a star.
Once the Skins' girls had decided who was Team White and who was Team Black, we couldn't see our wardrobe room for bodies and outfits strewn everywhere. And what a transformation they made from the scruffy teens they play on-screen. Gorgeous ladies! Talking of gorgeous, Michelle Ryan was thrilled to be asked to play Company's Queen of Hearts (Michelle: "She's such a strong, powerful, dramatic character, and I just loved stepping into her shoes.") and what high shoes they were as Michelle, ever the pro, tottered around at risk of twisting an ankle on those sky-scrapers (cobbles + heels = potential disaster) but she made it through and looked absolutely stunning.'
Ann Ho, designer
'The annual British issue is always a bit of a prop extravaganza. This year we sourced a fully furnished Georgian dolls house, flamingos, giant toadstools and a giant chess set on the smallest budget. We had a last minute dash around London to find a croquet set - did you know no one in the West End has any in stock that cost under £2500!! Thankfully, Harrods came through for us in the end and lent us a gorgeous set that had to be whizzed over and made it into the shot at the very last second.
All our celebs were lovely as usual. The Skins' girls were transformed from fresh-faced beauties into glamourous black and white chess pieces with feather head pieces, body con dresses and killer heels. The heels were so killer infact that they had to guided out hand in hand onto the lawn by the Company team. The looked like precious dolls being paraded along the grass.'
We borrowed an amazing modern fully functioning penny farthing that all the boys had a good riding around the lawn. Our make up artist Herman however was a tad too short and ended up falling over himself when he tried to get off!
Rik Edwards was a pure gentleman and even remember where we met months before. Abi got him to climb onto an island in the middle of the pond and our house minder was very pleasantly surprised when she recieved a farewell kiss from the 'very handsome young man' as she constantly refered to him!'
Abi Dillon, picture editor
'Matthew Horne was the best ever - a total pro, had been researching his character and loved being the rocky rabbit. We were worried about asking him to do the whole rock eyeliner look - but he requested more black smudges!
Vernon was so happy about being the mad hatter he got us to take pics on his iphone to send to his children.
Rick Edwards was a true pro - we had him climbing up trees/ balancing on bikes he never complained once!
The cast of skins were great, although there were arguments over who got to be the black chess pieces. The girls shoes were so high we each had to litterally carry a skin each to the set!
The owners of the house told us ghost stories, so everyone got very spooked out. Everyone wanted a guided tour.'
Victoria Rolison, senior features writer
'Vernon was on his way to do Scott Mills The Musical in Edinburgh, he was talking lots about his two little girls and showing us videos of the super cute Phoebe on his phone - a very proud dad!
Peaches was talking about flying in from New York the day before and going out with her mates - we read in Metro that she debuted her new hair colour at Bungalow 8 in Covent Garden the night before until 2.30am...no wonder she admitted to us she was exhausted... '
And you can see the finished article, as well as all the stars of the shoot letting us know what they think makes Britain great in this month's British issue, out now!
