Action star Jean-Claude Van Damme, violinist Vanessa Mae and singer Seal also attended the celebrations, which was to mark the leader's 35th birthday on 5 October.

BBC: Hilary Swank 'sacks manager' after Chechen appearance

Ricky, by the actor Ricky Tomlinson, is currently selling in the tens of thousands, while former US President Bill Clinton, the violinist Vanessa Mae and model Emma Noble have all been talking about their forthcoming books.

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Mae, whose full name is Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson was born in Singapore to a Chinese mother and a Thai father but was brought up in the UK when her mother remarried a Briton.

BBC: Vanessa-Mae puts music aside for a year in Olympic bid

Then again, Vanessa-Mae may be able to apply her slalom skills to negotiating her way around that.

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Some of her more rock- and techno-inspired pieces show how much violinist Vanessa-Mae enjoys setting a breathtaking pace.

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Violinist Vanessa-Mae has put her musical career on ice for a year in a bid to ski for Thailand at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

BBC: Vanessa-Mae puts music aside for a year in Olympic bid

"Skiing is a passion for me, " says Vanessa-Mae.

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No slave-girl role for Vanessa-Mae, though.

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