Titled Night Mare (above), the gouache on paper piece from 2015, signed by the great artist herself, starts at £15,000 and is now available to bid for on the auction site dreamt up and brought to fruition by Griff Rhys Jones, in support of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
It is not the only bit of original artwork on offer, with Professor Sir Roger Penrose creating the ‘Impossible Drawing’ especially for the auction. The one of a kind piece is signed by the mathematician, philosopher of science and Nobel laureate in physics. Celebrity Bottom Drawer also offers the chance to win a bespoke portrait by celebrity portrait artist Mark Gatiss.
Bidding on the 230-plus lots from over 70 celebs reached over £66,000 this morning (Friday), a week after the auction got underway.
The timing of the auction could not be better for EACH as, due to the effects of the pandemic, the charity has just forecast a loss of £2.2m in funding over the next 12 months - a third of the total it needs to support families across East Anglia.
As of Friday morning, the best-performing lots were:
- Headcollar worn by Enable, signed by John Gosden and EACH Ambassador Frankie Dettori - £10,000
- Dawn French’s Datejust Rolex - £4,200
- Bronze bust of Mel Smith, from the estate of Mel Smith - £4,000
- Cate Blanchett’s deluxe box of ‘Carol’ film goodies - £2,000
- Signed guitar from Coldplay - £1,600
Anyone looking for a Christmas present is encouraged to have a look and see what they can find, with items to suit all budgets.
Other celebrities selling items include EACH Ambassador Ed Sheeran (guitar strap, shoes and jeans), David Walliams (one of three copies of Baby Eric, a story written for Simon Cowell when his son was born, and other exclusive books), Tom Hollander (red jockey shorts from one of his films, a Tiffany travel clock received from Tom Cruise whilst filming Valkyrie and more), Delia Smith (pink Armani coat worn when receiving her CBE at Buckingham Palace), Judi Dench (bespoke wig worn in BBC’s Cranford), Paul McCartney (rare 50th anniversary Shure microphone produced in collaboration with Sir Paul and custom painted with an image of the man himself), Rowan Atkinson (leather tour jacket), Davina McCall (canary yellow dress worn when hosting BBC’s Big Night In), Ricky Gervais (shoes worn when hosting this year’s Golden Globes) and Daniel Laurie (PlayStation 5).
The auction also includes items from Ipswich Town and Norwich City, plus a visit to Holkham Hall and a week’s stay at a Welsh cottage restored by Griff, among other such lots.
EACH has never been in more need of fundraising support. The charity has experienced a hugely significant drop in voluntary income as a result of shops being closed and fundraising events being cancelled this year.
Griff said: “What we’ll give is a tiny thing for a huge and vital service. I’ve met parents and children at the Treehouse (EACH’s hospice in Ipswich). I’ve never been so overwhelmed. It’s a place that buys precious time for people who really need it. Don’t be afraid. A hospice is not about death. It is about making the very most out of life and joy. If we can all get behind this auction, we can really help.”
This is the fourth Christmas running Griff has raised money for EACH, with a star-studded show at Ipswich’s Regent Theatre last year having followed two solo performances in 2017 and 2018.
The Celebrity Bottom Drawer auction is sponsored by software company Citrix and being hosted by online auction experts Bid In, kindly donating its services free of charge, with Go Group giving a free platinum delivery service straight to doors. Lots can be viewed now on www.celebritybottomdrawer.auction. Anyone who feels they already have enough items around the house can ‘bid for nothing’ and make a donation straight to EACH.