Washed-up Western stars find their salvation on Dubai's shores
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Much like their Hollywood counterparts, raking in the big bucks with ever-so-slightly embarrassing advertizing deals in the far east, desperation is leading many a former celebrity to jet off to warmer, more inviting and less judgmental climates.
Still riding high on the waves of their one hit wonders from the 90s, or even earlier, these Western has-beens are prepared to do just about anything keep their slimy grip on the edges of fame.
They might be the slightly less famous sibling or the once loved now universally mocked former pop star. But whether they've just beaten up their girlfriend or are coming off the back of a very messy divorce, the shores of Dubai are the perfect place to conceal their desperation and get back in the news once again.
Here are some of our favorite former-stars who have washed up on Dubai’s shores in recent times. Continue reading below »
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Image 1 of 11: 1 / 11The time when stars would gracefully disappear from the face of the earth when their 15-minutes were up is long gone. Now, a shiny new city has sprung up in the Middle East to save these has-beens from an eternity as nobodys.
Image 2 of 11: 2 / 11 Rewind...What?! For the western world Craig David might be a guilty relic of the past but he’s still very much present in the clubs and recording studios of Dubai. As well as giving him chance to refresh his sound, the years out of the spotlight bizarrely seem to have inflated this has-been’s ego.
Image 3 of 11: 3 / 11Chris Brown fell out of favor in the west when his physically abusive behavior toward superstar girlfriend Rihanna came to light. Refusing to let his fame fizzle out, the singer has been turning up the music with Dubai’s party people.
Image 4 of 11: 4 / 11While his G-Unit homie 50 Cent is raking in the big bucks with sell-out arena tours, Lloyd Banks has gone in search of dollar in Dubai. Banking on support from the UAE’s hardcore hip hop fans, Lloyd put on a show at Mo*vida nightclub this January.
Image 5 of 11: 5 / 11THE band of the early noughties, Nickleback found their plummet down the alphabet from A-listers to D-listers hard to swallow. But for their often-ignored bassist, Mike Kroeger, earning a nickle or two in the Middle East means he finally gets to bask in the spotlight with solo interviews.
Image 6 of 11: 6 / 11Back in 2004, R&B lovers across the world were desperate for Ciara to bring her ‘goodies’ their way. With her musical heyday behind her, the starlet ‘1, 2 stepped’ her way to Dubai last October to enjoy the limelight once again with her headline spot at Atelier/Festival.
Image 7 of 11: 7 / 11With the UK fed up of the cheesy tunes of 90s pop and hopes of a solo career flushed spectacularly down the toilet, Steps member Lisa Scott-Lee decided the only sensible idea was to make for sunnier shores, setting up home in the glitzy emirate.
Image 8 of 11: 8 / 11British crooner Bryan Ferry can’t get enough of Dubai. While his appearances at western events stand the risk of going unnoticed, the star still managed to send waves through the emirate when he showed his face at Dubai film fest last year.
Image 9 of 11: 9 / 11After attempts to revive her floundering career with an appearance on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ fell short of success, British TV personality Denise Van Outen tried to drum up some support elsewhere. Unsurprisingly, Dubai welcomed Denise and her barely-there-bikini with open arms.
Image 10 of 11: 10 / 11Having been around for more than 35 years, Air Supply might have thought that support for their soft-rock ballads had all but dried up. But the ageing stars needn’t have worried as, more than happy to keep the sound of the 70s alive, Dubai offered the duo a gig this February.
Image 11 of 11: 11 / 11 In the past he was one half of a celebrity power couple, now while ex-wife J.Lo continues to enjoy worldwide success, Marc Anthony has been reduced to taking a gig wherever they will have him. Sadly for the star, even Dubai fans were unenthused and he was reduced to a “guest appearance” with the more famous, Pitbull this July.
Image 1 of 11The time when stars would gracefully disappear from the face of the earth when their 15-minutes were up is long gone. Now, a shiny new city has sprung up in the Middle East to save these has-beens from an eternity as nobodys.
Image 2 of 11 Rewind...What?! For the western world Craig David might be a guilty relic of the past but he’s still very much present in the clubs and recording studios of Dubai. As well as giving him chance to refresh his sound, the years out of the spotlight bizarrely seem to have inflated this has-been’s ego.
Image 3 of 11Chris Brown fell out of favor in the west when his physically abusive behavior toward superstar girlfriend Rihanna came to light. Refusing to let his fame fizzle out, the singer has been turning up the music with Dubai’s party people.
Image 4 of 11While his G-Unit homie 50 Cent is raking in the big bucks with sell-out arena tours, Lloyd Banks has gone in search of dollar in Dubai. Banking on support from the UAE’s hardcore hip hop fans, Lloyd put on a show at Mo*vida nightclub this January.
Image 5 of 11THE band of the early noughties, Nickleback found their plummet down the alphabet from A-listers to D-listers hard to swallow. But for their often-ignored bassist, Mike Kroeger, earning a nickle or two in the Middle East means he finally gets to bask in the spotlight with solo interviews.
Image 6 of 11Back in 2004, R&B lovers across the world were desperate for Ciara to bring her ‘goodies’ their way. With her musical heyday behind her, the starlet ‘1, 2 stepped’ her way to Dubai last October to enjoy the limelight once again with her headline spot at Atelier/Festival.
Image 7 of 11With the UK fed up of the cheesy tunes of 90s pop and hopes of a solo career flushed spectacularly down the toilet, Steps member Lisa Scott-Lee decided the only sensible idea was to make for sunnier shores, setting up home in the glitzy emirate.
Image 8 of 11British crooner Bryan Ferry can’t get enough of Dubai. While his appearances at western events stand the risk of going unnoticed, the star still managed to send waves through the emirate when he showed his face at Dubai film fest last year.
Image 9 of 11After attempts to revive her floundering career with an appearance on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ fell short of success, British TV personality Denise Van Outen tried to drum up some support elsewhere. Unsurprisingly, Dubai welcomed Denise and her barely-there-bikini with open arms.
Image 10 of 11Having been around for more than 35 years, Air Supply might have thought that support for their soft-rock ballads had all but dried up. But the ageing stars needn’t have worried as, more than happy to keep the sound of the 70s alive, Dubai offered the duo a gig this February.
Image 11 of 11 In the past he was one half of a celebrity power couple, now while ex-wife J.Lo continues to enjoy worldwide success, Marc Anthony has been reduced to taking a gig wherever they will have him. Sadly for the star, even Dubai fans were unenthused and he was reduced to a “guest appearance” with the more famous, Pitbull this July.
Should these has-beens give up and go away? Or are you pleased that Dubai has offered them salvation? Is there anyone you can think of that we've missed out? Share your comments with us below!
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