Michelle Heaton and Hugh Hanley after they finished the NYC marathon last weekend

Michelle's running battle


Michelle Heaton has revealed the agony she endured running the New York City marathon last weekend.


The former pop singer completed the course in a time of five hours, 12 minutes.


Impossible, says Michelle (30) without the help of her boyfriend Hugh Hanley.


"If Hugh had been doing it by himself his time would have been much better. He was slowed down by me. I need him by my side when I'm running because I get anxiety attacks and feel like I'm going to get ill. Running the New York Marathon was definitely the best and worst experience of my life," said the one-time Liberty X singer.


Michelle says what pulled her and Hugh through, as they slogged from Manhattan to Queens and then Central Park, was the encouragement of New Yorkers. "It feels like the whole city is behind you. Because we had our names and country on our shirts, people watching the race going by would shout 'Come on Michelle. You can do it for Ireland' and they'd be handing out free energy drinks to the runners going by."


The couple ran the marathon to raise money for Keith Duffy's Autism Action Charity, with the help of sponsors Fitzpatrick Hotels and Virgin Atlantic Cargo. They say their next race will be the London Marathon in April next year which they hope to complete with Michelle's pal, Katie Price.


In the meantime Michelle will be keeping busy with the personal shopping and styling service she offers to the public through website www.browncowireland.com.


"I have to thank the press for getting that off the ground. When we launched there were all these negative stories about 'would you take fashion advice from this woman?' It didn't hurt us because the week after we were snowed in with bookings."


One gift Michelle says she would like to get for Christmas is an engagement ring from boyfriend Hugh.


"He hasn't proposed yet but I have told Hugh, he'd better not do it without a decent ring. I want a massive rock and no excuses."


OUT AND ABOUT


* Yet another chapter in accolades for Chapter One's Ross Lewis


Congratulations to Ross Lewis of Dublin's Michelin-starred Chapter One restaurant for winning the Santa Rita Chef Award 2010 at Dubliner magazine's Top 100 Best Restaurants in The Westin Hotel last Wednesday night.


When asked to name the Dublin chef they most admired, representatives of the 100 restaurants taking part chose Lewis, owner and chef of the famous Parnell Square restaurant.


Unable to attend Wednesday night's function, the modest chef was already talking about Christmas when we tracked him down.


"For us it's our hardest month. We will be working all day and all night with only three days closed."


One respite for the chef is Chapter One's annual Christmas Eve lunch.


"It's the most wonderful conglomeration of our regular customers who are more like family at this stage. About 90 people, who have been dining with us from the very start and whose children now have children."


Among the diners in Chapter One last weekend were playwright Sebastian Barry, actors Alan Rickman and Stephen Rea and Fiach MacConghail, the artistic director of The Abbey where Barry's new play Tales of Ballycumber ended its run last night.


TV3 honeymooners at last alone


TV3's Colette Fitzpatrick jetted off on honeymoon to South Africa yesterday, nearly six months after her wedding to colleague Niall McDermott.


"Because I'm presenting a couple of shows and Niall directs The Champions League, the best time for us to take off was November," she explained.


Back in May the delayed honeymoon resulted in Colette returning to work the weekend after she wed in her hometown of Holycross, Co Tipperary. "I was shattered. You can't realise how emotional the whole thing is going to be but it was exactly how I wanted it."


Jedward kiss-off a big mistake


Publisher Michael O'Doherty has revealed VIP magazine may have some difficulty securing an interview with the X Factor's Grimes twins after an encounter he had with the Lucan duo earlier this year.


"Kiss magazine had a stand at a debs fair in the RDS back in March. I remember these twins coming up to me to ask if they could be in the magazine.


"They said they were singers and started singing to prove it. It really wasn't what I wanted to be listening to on a Sunday afternoon. So I told them I wasn't interested.


"It definitely wasn't my best decision. Not only would I put John and Edward in Kiss magazine now, they could have the cover of VIP. Terrible singers though."


Scene and heard


* Singer Chris De Burgh was joined on stage by his daughter Rosanna Davison for an impromptu sing-song when he took part in last Sunday's RCSI/AIB Race Against Breast Cancer at Leopardstown Pavilion.


Now in its fourth year, well-known faces attending included Pure Mule actress Charlene McKenna, style guru Brendan Courtney, Clinic star Leigh Arnold and the event's official MC: RTE's Mary Kennedy.


The function raised over €290,000 for breast cancer research.


* Irish Times journalist Shane Hegarty launched his book, The Irish and Other Foreigners, in The Stag's Head pub in Dublin on Friday night.


Earlier in the week, another hack, the Sunday World's Jim Gallagher, held a launch party for his tome, Immaculate Deception in Doheny & Nesbitt's pub on Baggot Street on Tuesday evening.


Attendees included Sunday World editor Colm McGinty and Sunday Mirror editor Christian McCashin.


* Designer Lulu Guinness was in Brown Thomas on Grafton Street in Dublin on Wednesday to launch her latest range of handbags.


Among the eye-catching clutches Lulu was showing off was one bag which resembled a birdcage.


A member of the famous stout-brewing family, Lulu's fans include Jerry Hall and English actress and model Rachel Weisz.


* Dressing up for Hallowe'en at a huge 31 October bash in VIP club Lillie's Bordello last weekend were Tudors stars Henry Cavill and Dave O'Hara, LA-based Irish singer Kellie Blaise, and Boyzone's Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch.


Donning similar disguises in rival Krystle nightclub were Big Brother star Noirin Kelly, Rosanna Davison and boyfriend Wesley Quirke.