Heat magazine article (April 2002)

Dermot strips off at celeb-packed heat bash

The stars turn out - and strip off - at the heat charity auction. And their generous bids help raise loads for charity!

Awards ceremony hosts are usually just there for the fee, the attention and the free drinks. But at the heat/Crusaid Auction 2002 Dermot O'Leary went far beyond the call of duty. First he stripped to his boxers in front of 500 people, then he spent £15,000 of his own dosh on one of the lots.

Simon Cowell had donated his trousers to be auctioned with Gareth Gates' white suit, and on the night he successfully outbid the others for the lot. But he generously gave the white suit straight back so it could be auctioned again. Dermot started off he bidding himself("even though I voted for Will"), and soon he was involved in a wonga war with a glamorous brunette.

To help hike up the price, Dermot persuaded the model wearing the suit to take it off and - to heckles of "Off! Off! Off!" - promptly removed his trousers and donned the suit. He the sashayed down the catwalk crooning Unchained Melody to screams of delight from the floor. To cut a long story short, Dermot ended up paying £15,000 for a suit that doesn't fit him. But hey, it's all in a good cause.

The music was provided by Darius, who was meant to sing It's Not Unusual but changed his mind at the last minute. "I'd like to dedicate this to Simon Cowell," he said before launching in to George Michael's Faith. Touché.

As the booze flowed, the celebs got into the spirit of the evening, bidding enthusiastically. Sara Cox paid £1,700 for dinner for four at Soho house and a short break at Babington House; Gary Lucy got Madonna's rugs for £6,100; Angela Griffin pledged £3,500 for a Matthew Williamson capsule wardrobe; Claire Goose snapped up Kylie's favourite top and tickets to her London show for £750; and Virgin DJ Harriet Scott got tickets to the opening night of Madonna's new play and a night in a loft at the Sanderson Hotel. We wonder what hurt most the next morning: the celebs' heads or their wallets...

Article taken from heat magazine 20-26th April 2002