• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at
• austrianindependent.com

Today

• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna - Cats
• Vienna - Andy Warhol
• Vienna - Laser Tag
• Vienna - Circus Art

© MGM

02. 02. 12. - 18:30

• more Panorama news
• RSS Feed Panorama

02. 02. 12. - 18:30

Lugner bags Bond

Danish model Brigitte Nielsen and "James Bond" star Sir Roger Moore will accompany an Austrian entrepreneur at this year’s Vienna Opera Ball.

Richard Lugner announced yesterday (Weds) that Nielsen – who won the latest edition of Germany’s version of "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" (Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!) – and Moore agreed to join him, his girlfriend and daughter at the bash set to take place on 16 February.

The announcement comes on the heels of rumours that Lugner may attend the event without a celebrity by his side for the first time in 20 years due to complications in sorting out a contract with an Oscar laureate. The boss of Vienna’s Lugner City – one of the most popular shopping centres of the Austrian capital – previously attended the ball with actress Sophia Loren, singer Grace Jones and model Carmen Electra.

Lugner, 79, was accompanied last year by Ruby Rubacuori who allegedly had an affair with former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The businessman invited the erotic dancer after American actress Bo Derek cancelled her attendance. Lugner contacted Derek after being offered to get "Ocean’s Eleven" star George Clooney to attend the Opera Ball with him. Lugner angered Austrian movie fans by denying the deal. He said: "There will be already two other men in my box with me and my girlfriend. I need a female star guest."

The Lugner City manager’s night at the opera 2010 was stricken by difficulties too. Lugner initially agreed with Lindsay Lohan about coming to Vienna. He was forced to rearrange things at the last minute when the Hollywood starlet missed her flight. Lugner eventually persuaded infamously foul-mouthed TV casting show juror Dieter Bohlen to accompany him. The Viennese entrepreneur found it hard to hide his disappointment about not having a female celebrity by his side.

Moore – who travels the world to promote the activities of UNICEF – came to Austria many times, most recently in 2010. Nielsen was married to "Rocky" star Sylvester Stallone between 1985 and 1987. Her links to Austria are affairs with both the country’s most famous actor and its most successful singer. Nielsen, 48, had a fling with Arnold Schwarzenegger while shooting "Red Sonja" in 1984 before dating Falco three years later. Their collaboration "Body Next to Body" topped the Japanese charts but the late Austrian rapper ("Rock Me Amadeus") said in retrospect: "I never wanted to hit the charts with her. I only wanted to bed her."

Lugner, whose girlfriend is 57 years his junior, started inviting international showbiz stars to the Viennese Opera Ball 20 years ago. The outspoken businessman never revealed how much he paid his personal guests but reports have it that some celebs raked in nearly 100,000 Euros for a few days in Vienna which usually included signing autographs at the Lugner City.

Austrian Times

Related articles: Vienna focus

1. Knoflacher emphasises pedestrian zones' economic effects

   » General News 2012-05-24

   A renowned traffic planner has stressed that shop owners are generally appreciating the introduction of pedestrian zones.

2. FW turnover takes off

   » Business 2012-05-24

   Austria’s biggest airport has managed to increase its profit.

3. Vienna road toll on the agenda again

   » General News 2012-05-22

   The Vienna Greens are risking a coalition-internal conflict by calling for a city toll.

more related articles tagged "Vienna focus"

Related articles: star news

1. Man Utd chase Austrian ace

   » Sports 2012-05-23

   Manchester United have signalised interest in David Alaba.

2. Best of the bookshelf in May

   » Panorama 2012-05-22

   The Austrian Times has once again searched the book publishing market of German-speaking Europe to list some of the most interesting releases of the past weeks and months.

3. Supancic sets sails

   » Panorama 2012-05-18

   Mike Supancic is touring Austria.

more related articles tagged "star news"

Related articles: quirky Austria

1. Anti-truancy official for Vienna

   » General News 2012-03-23

   Horst Tschaikner has been named head of Vienna’s new anti-truancy office.

2. Dog days for clumsy Arnautovic

   » Sports 2012-03-09

   Werder Bremen star Marko Arnautovic will be sidelined for more than a month after injuring his knee while playing with his dog.

3. Unanimous praise for State Opera Ball

   » Panorama 2012-02-17

   Political leaders and showbiz stars had only kind words about last night’s (Thurs) Opera Ball.

more related articles tagged "quirky Austria"

Related articles: Austria & America

1. Brodbeck criticises credit rating 'hysteria'

   » Business 2012-05-01

   A German economist has warned from "dangerous monopoly circumstances" in the global rating business.

2. S&P concerned about banks' stability in serious crisis

   » Business 2012-04-20

   Standard & Poor's (S&P) analyst Alois Strasser has warned that a crisis worse than the most recent one could “totally demolish” Austrian finance institutes’ capital.

3. Fitch approves Austria's financial trustworthiness

   » Business 2012-04-18

   One of the world’s leading credit rating agencies has confirmed the Austrian AAA.

more related articles tagged "Austria & America"

Turks flattened by lone asylum seeker
A furious Nigerian went on the rampage at a refuge for asylum seekers in Leibnitz, attacking several people and damaging property.

Woman bites toddler
A woman who bit a two-year-old tot during a road rage row with her mother is being quizzed by police in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.

New Dany Boon comedy to be filmed in Austria
The French film star Dany Boon, one of the highest paid actors in Europe after his hit film "Welcome to the Sticks", is filming in Salzburg.

China meets Hallstatt
After a long time of speculation and anticipation the exact copy of Austrian world heritage village of Hallstatt-Dachstein in China will be unveiled, and there will be real-life Austrians present for the ceremony.

Skier in court after accident
A man from Graz is in court today accused of having inflicted negligent injury upon a five-year-old when skiing in Carinthia last year.

Two fires in Ottakring claim one life
Two fires started on Thursday evening in the Vienna district of Ottakring, one of which claimed a man’s life. Several people were evacuated as a result of the two blazes.

Cows zapped to death by lightning
Four cows were zapped to death after a lightning strike hit the barbed wire fence they were leaning on in Reith im Alpbachtal, Austria.

Wolf babies born in Schönbrunn
These cuddly Artic wolf cubs have got every right to look a bit frosty - after they emerged into the world for the first time in the middle of a 27 degree heatwave.

Cleaned Out
A Hungarian cleaning woman who stole tens of thousands of pounds worth of antique jewellery from an Austrian Countess and then sold it for "pocket money" unaware of its real value has been jailed by a court in Austria.

Great expectations for summer tourism season in Vorarlberg
The Vorarlberg tourism industry is currently riding high after a record breaking winter season, and the summer season is expected to follow that same trend.

Jobs in Austria