On the arm of the former Prime Minister of Canada at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, California Gurl Katy Perry was a world away from the cupcake bra and electric blue wig that was once her trademark look. 

The singer, 41, who rose to fame with the provocatively-titled I Kissed a Girl, has recently ditched her playful image for a conservative wardrobe befitting a politician’s partner.

Perry, with her hair slicked back in a bun, opted for a scoop-neck cardigan with balloon sleeves and a matching pencil skirt from luxury Paris brand Jacquemus – in stealth wealth beige, of course. 

Her accessories, including drop earrings from The Care, were similarly pared back.

Perhaps it’s no surprise to see Perry so hastily drop the pop siren image that made her famous for a new man. 

She’s the latest in a long line of stars who have undergone a complete makeover after ascending into an upper tier of high society after coupling up with a politician, an aristocrat or even royalty. 

Take Geri Halliwell-Horner, who has come a long way from her days of singing ‘zig-a-zig-ah’ in an underwear-flashing Union Jack dress.

The girl from Watford is almost unrecognisable from the wild 90s icon and has adopted a wardrobe of exclusively white clothing and a lady of the manor persona since moving into the country pile of her husband Christian Horner. 

Princess Sofia of Sweden, meanwhile, was a topless model and reality TV star before transforming into the perfect royal wife with a wardrobe of chic midi dresses to match. 

Elsewhere, Geordie child star Donna Air made sure to leave her Northern accent behind and is living comfortably as a millionaire Chelsea girl, sharing a daughter with millionaire conservationist Damian Aspinall, and having dated the future Queen’s brother, James Middleton.

Read on to discover the stars who have created posh personas throughout their careers…

She made a name for herself with her provocative music, but Katy Perry has since undergone a rebrand (pictured in 2008) 

The singer traded in her racy clothes for conservative attire when attending the World Economic Forum with Justin Trudeau in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday

Katy Perry 

Katy Perry, raised in Southern California as the middle child of two Christian ministers, grew up singing church hymns and gospel songs.

Knowing she wanted to become a pop sensation, the singer left her religious roots behind and rebranded herself as a provocative singer with her first hit song dedicated to sexual curiosity, I Kissed a Girl, in 2008.

With her playful persona and seductive outfits, Perry quickly rose to become one of the biggest pop stars in the world by the 2010s, with California Gurls and Teenage Dream soundtracking the era.

She went on to sell over 151 million records worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling artists of all time, and claiming five American Music Awards, 14 People’s Choice Awards, and a Brit.

Despite her successes, a string of Perry’s more recent gaffes caused toes to curl around the world.

In June 2024, for instance, Perry had her ‘break the internet’ moment when she stripped down to a tiny white bikini to promote her big musical comeback.

After shocking fans with her sexy ensemble, Katy wasted no time modelling an array of striking new looks as she headed out on the promotional trail for her new single.

Then, last year, an X-rated podcast appearance in which she boasted about performing a sex act on her fiancé, Orlando Bloom, to reward him for completing household chores caused shockwaves for all the wrong reasons.

The singer rose to become one of the biggest pop stars in the world by the 2010s, with California Girls and Teenage Dream soundtracking the era

Pictured: Katy Perry looks on as former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers a speech during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday

At the same time, her recent comeback fell flat on all fronts with her latest music failing to revive her formerly chart-topping career.

Then in April, she made headlines for all the wrong reasons after she dramatically kissed the ground following her return from space, with one PR expert even suggesting the star could face ‘career extinction’.

Come 2026, however, Perry has undergone a rebrand that perhaps nobody could’ve predicted – the First Lady makeover.

The singer, who is now dating Canadian politician Justin Trudeau, appears to have done a 180 on her formerly racy days, trading her skimpy outfits for attire fit for a royal.

On Tuesday, Katy and Justin were among the celebrities and politicians seen arriving at Davos.

The pop star, 41, and former Canadian PM, 54, were seen walking hand-in-hand at the annual World Economic Forum in Switzerland – an event which is set to be dominated by the presence of the US President.

And her ensemble? There were no wigs or cupcake bras, but a conservative look from Jacquemus, featuring a scoop-neck cardigan and matching pencil skirt.

Geri Halliwell

She will forever go down in British history for her iconic Union Jack dress. However Geri’s hedonistic popstar days are firmly behind her as she is now very settled in her countryside life (pictured L in 1997 and R last month) 

With the help of Instagram, Geri has managed to completely recreate her look and is almost unrecognisable from the wild 90s icon who rose to fame in The Spice Girls  

She will forever go down in British history for her Union Jack dress.

However, Geri’s hedonistic popstar days are firmly behind her as she is now very settled in her countryside life.

A source told the Daily Mail that Geri, 53, has been ‘ultra cautious with her image, trying so hard to shake off her brassy Ginger Spice past and transform herself into a wholesome Oxfordshire housewife’. 

In stark contrast to her Spice Girl days, she has been turning her hand to baking, writing children’s books, and attending all manner of royal events.

She’s worked her way into the very upper echelons of society by bonding with the Royal Family, thanks to her role as an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, now officially The King’s Trust.

Though she once raised eyebrows by telling the then-Prince Charles he was ‘very sexy’ and seemingly pinching his bottom, she’s now a regular at Commonwealth Day Celebrations and turns up in a suitably regal shift dress and headpiece – while keeping her hands and cheeky comments to herself.

Back in 2022, Louis Walsh claimed Geri had ‘gone all posh’ as he asked podcast host Kate Thornton ‘Have you seen her? She’s always very posh.’

The former X Factor judge joked: ‘Hello? You’re from Watford, Geri!’

She accompanied her husband Christian to Buckingham Palace when he was made a Commander of the British Empire by King Charles last December

In keeping with the smart country set, Geri now indulges her love of horses and is regularly seen out riding and attending racing festivals 

And he isn’t the only one to notice her status shift after Mel B insisted the pair had a one-night stand during their time in the band.

Appearing on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories in 2019 she said: ‘She is going to hate me for this because she is all posh with her country house and her husband, but it’s a fact. But it wasn’t a thing, it just happened and we just giggled at it and that was it.’

Geri has previously spoken about how she’s happily swapped her wild ways for a more traditional housewife role.

She told the Daily Mail in 2015: ‘I do cook for him, I do like to see that he’s happy.

‘When I go to the Formula 1 races, I’m not about all the glamour. I’ve been there and done that. I never thought I’d meet the man who I knew I would be with always. I can be myself with him, I can breathe out. I don’t ever want to get divorced.

‘I believe in equality but I’m proud to be a wife and this is me saying I believe in the union of marriage and everything that goes with it.’

But her lifestyle transformation hasn’t always gone unnoticed as Geri raised eyebrows in 2016 when she appeared on and won Sport Relief Bake Off.

She got plenty of flack as some viewers on social media accused her of ‘faking an upper-class accent’ despite her north London roots.

Princess Sofia of Sweden 

Pictured: Princess Sofia of Sweden, who is married to Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, during a photoshoot in 2010

Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden at the dinner for the Nobel Laureates at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. They married on June 13, 2015

It’s increasingly normal for commoners to have had a career before marrying into one of Europe’s royal families.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands was a Wall Street banker. Queen Letizia of Spain was a broadcast journalist at ABC and CNN.

None of these, however, quite match the colourful past of Princess Sofia of Sweden, Duchess of Värmland, who once modelled topless with only a snake wrapped around her torso to preserve her modesty.

Princess Sofia, now 41, then went on to star on a Love Island-style reality television show before moving to New York where she became a yoga teacher and studied accountancy.

When she joined the Swedish royal family in 2015, there was, as you might expect, something of a backlash.

Since then, however, she has become one of the best-loved members of the Swedish royal family, praised for working in hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sofia Hellqvist was born on December 6 1984, in the affluent enclave of Danderyd north of Stockholm to a Swedish mother, who worked in marketing, and a Danish-Swedish father who worked at the Swedish employment agency. She was the middle child of three girls.

After finishing school, she went on to complete an arts programme at Vansbro Education Centre, modelling to earn money while she was a student in Stockholm.

Princess Sofia and Prince Carl at the Christening of Princess Adrienne, daughter of his younger sister Princess Madeleine

Known for her piercing blue eyes and brunette hair, Sofia took part in her first modelling shoot when she was 20.

It saw her posing topless wearing a pair of camouflage print bikini bottoms, holding a live boa constrictor to preserve her modesty.

The racy photos were published in Slitz – a now discontinued men’s magazine in Sweden.

The photos were so popular it led to Sofia being crowned Miss Slitz 2004 by the readers.

She continued modelling, including somewhat less raunchy shoots for the French style magazine, La Redoute.

Following on from her modelling, Sofia was offered the opportunity to go on the Swedish reality show Paradise Hotel – a mix between Love Island and Survivor.

The show documents a group of single people living at a luxury hotel. Sofia ended up making it through to the series’ final, where she was filmed kissing American porn star Jenna Jameson.

After the show, however, she decided to leave the showbiz industry for a life in the Big Apple.

During the pandemic Princess Sofia undertook a three-day medical course at Sophiahemmet University College in Stockholm. This allowed her to work on the wards

Sofia arrived in New York in 2005 to study accounting and business development at the New York Institute of English and Business.

While attending the institution in the city, she also studied yoga, where she became a qualified yoga instructor.

When she returned to Sweden, she continued her studies taking up courses at Stockholm University on global ethics, child and youth studies, and the UN Convention on the rights of the child in theory and Swedish practice. She also studied gender and international relations.

In July 2010, her relationship with Prince Carl Philip was announced by the palace.

It is not entirely known how the pair met, but it is understood Sofia crossed paths with the Prince, whose oldest sister Crown Princess Victoria is heir to the throne, in a nightclub in Stockholm.

Nine months after their relationship was made public, the couple moved into the Djurgården of Stockholm, where they still live in the Villa Solbacken.

Following their wedding, the newly wed royal couple set up the Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia’s Foundation.

The Princess devotes much of her time to the foundation, which focuses on issues relating to safer everyday online life for young people and greater respect for and understanding of people with dyslexia.

During the pandemic, Sofia undertook a three-day medical course at Sophiahemmet University College in Stockholm, where she is an honorary chair member.

Donna Air

Over the years Donna Air has made sure all traces of her Newcastle lilt have been completely eradicated, despite rising to fame as a Geordie child star (pictured L in 1999 and R in 2015) 

Over the years Donna Air has made sure all traces of her Newcastle lilt have been completely eradicated, despite rising to fame as a Geordie child star. 

The actress, 46, was born in Wallsend, Newcastle Upon Tyne, the eldest of three children of bus mechanic Trevor and BT receptionist Marie.

She grew up in a small, two-bedroom terraced house in the working-class community of Gosforth and described herself as ‘practically uneducated’ as she left her comprehensive to attend local drama school at First Act Theatre. 

Aged ten, she starred in the popular Newcastle-based TV children’s series Byker Grove, where she was noted for her heavy Geordie accent. 

Yet since catching her big break as the child star, Donna has made sure to leave her working-class image behind after she started mixing with A-listers. 

Following the Byker Grove years, Donna became a linchpin of London’s trendy Primrose Hill set in the early 2000s, mixing with actress Sadie Frost, model Kate Moss and Oasis rockers Noel and Liam Gallagher. 

These were Donna’s anarchic years, during which she posed regularly in her underwear for lads’ magazines.

However, all that changed when Donna was introduced to Damian Aspinall at a dinner in Knightsbridge restaurant San Lorenzo. 

Following the Byker Grove years, Donna became a linchpin of London’s trendy Primrose Hill set in the early 2000s

Through Aspinall, a casino heir, 20 years her senior, whose late father John had been a friend of Lord Lucan, Donna met various members of the Goldsmith clan and became friends with the Australian media heir James Packer.

Soon Donna was on the guest list for every high society event and was often seen mingling with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

Her two-bedroom terrace is also distant memory as the star now lives in Kensington in West London. 

During the nineties she lived in Primrose Hill and had: ‘Noel and Liam Gallagher on my right and Zoe Ball on my left.’

By her early 20s, in 2001, after meeting Aspinall, she quickly moved into his magnificent house in Knightsbridge (its walls are lined with Warhols, Hockneys, Bacons and Hirsts) and in 2003 their daughter Freya was born.

At weekends, they would retire to the fully-staffed Howletts, near Canterbury, a gracious neo-Palladian mansion with its own 90-acre wildlife park (now complete with gorillas) that Damian’s father had bought in 1957.

When Donna split from Damian in 2007, she moved to West London, and now lives in a very smart townhouse in Chelsea with her daughter. 

Not one for cheap tastes, Donna admitted to liking a ‘high thread count’ on her bedsheets and owns several of her own Warhols now — one of which hangs above her bed.

Through Aspinall — a casino heir, 20 years her senior, whose late father John had been a friend of Lord Lucan — Donna met various members of the Goldsmith clan (pictured 2006) 

She spends weekends with friends in the country or at hotels such as Babington House (owned by Soho House group, in Somerset) or Cliveden in Buckinghamshire.

Speaking in 2020 she said: ‘After lockdown, I want to head straight to country house hotel Cliveden, in Berkshire, and possibly rent its Spring Cottage, an attractive summer house set in woods on the estate.

‘When I’ve stayed in the past, I’ve had some wonderful garden parties and drinks on a river boat’

She also said of her home: ‘I now live in Kensington in west London. I love it there – it’s very villagey and green.

‘Hyde Park is in close proximity, and I go there a lot. I now know every square metre of it, and it feels like my park. It was such a blessing to have it so close during lockdown, and I’ve enjoyed endless walks there.

‘Newcastle will always have a special place in my heart, but my favourite UK city is London, which is why I choose to live there. There’s really nowhere like it in the world, and it’s now as much my home as Newcastle.’

Ellie Goulding 

Since her hits have soared in the charts, she has earned a plethora of awards and completely changed the social circles she mixes in (pictured at the Brit Awards in 2010) 

She also had a rumoured romance with Prince Harry after they were spotted cosying up at the Audi Polo Challenge in May 2016 and reportedly exchanged flirty texts (pictured in 2014)

For a girl who grew up in a council house in a rural village a stone’s throw from the Welsh borders, with barely two pennies to rub together, Ellie Goulding has come a long way.

Since leaving the village of Lyonshall, just outside Hereford, dropping out of university in her final year, and being signed by record label Polydor, she has carved out the kind of stratospheric success most young singers can only dream of.

Now mixing with the stars and royal princesses Ellie’s life couldn’t be further from her upbringing. 

Born on a council estate in Hereford, Herefordshire, to her mum Tracey and her funeral director father Arthur, the singer’s parents split when Ellie was just five.

The star, who has a brother, Alex, and two sisters, Isabel and Jordan, described her upbringing as ‘super poor’ and branded her relationship with her mum ‘difficult’.

She said: ‘I didn’t have the best childhood. We grew up in the smallest house. Moth-eaten, flea-ridden furniture with holes in it was handed down from my nana.’

In a heartbreaking memory, Ellie recalled visits from bailiffs, who took away the family television one afternoon over unpaid bills.

Speaking to Elle Magazine in 2015, Ellie said: ‘I wasn’t a happy child. I felt different to everyone else. I’d separate everything…

‘I’d have friends from my council estate and then these middle-class friends from school who I’d never let come back to my house…

After being linked to Prince Harry, she then met Eton and Oxford-educated art dealer husband Caspar, who she started dating in 2017 and tied the knot two years later (pictured in 2023)

‘I was a classic angsty teenager. I was unhappy. I didn’t like my stepfather because he just wasn’t very nice to any of us. He wasn’t horrible, he just wasn’t interested.’

She’s even admitted to training her voice to sound posher by listening to BBC newsreader Nicholas Witchell and watching period dramas.

‘I became fixated on speaking well. I felt like people just knew I was from a council house, and that I was poor, because of the way I spoke,’ she said.

Speaking to Grazia in 2014, she said she was ‘obsessed’ with posh accents, saying: ‘I was obsessed with well-spoken people, period dramas and the news.

‘I got clued into how I could change my singing voice from Destiny’s Child to opera, so I learned I could change my speaking voice, too.’

Ellie, who described her original accent as ‘quite Bristolian’, said she now regrets perfecting her sophisticated accent.

In a 2013 interview she said: ‘I feel silly because I’m not ashamed of the Hereford accent now and it’s too late to get it back.’

She is also pals with ‘former flame’ Harry’s cousins Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie (pictured in 2016), through her charity work helping the homeless

Ellie’s love of music flourished when she started writing songs at 15, having been learning the clarinet since nine and guitar since 14.

Her big break then came at an open mic talent show where she met her manager, Jamie Lillywhite, the son of producer Steve Lillywhite and the late singer Kirsty MacColl. She signed a record deal with Polydor and quit university in her final year.

And since her hits have soared in the charts, earned her a plethora of awards, and allowed her to completely change the social circles she mixes in. 

In an astounding accolade for the star, Prince William and Kate asked her to perform her version of Your Song for the first dance at their 2011 wedding reception where she also met Prince Harry, leading to a reported romance. 

They were spotted cosying up at the Audi Polo Challenge in May 2016 and reportedly exchanged flirty texts. A source told The Sun at the time: ‘He has told friends how much he likes Ellie and she is clearly taken by him.’ 

Elsewhere, she is also pals with ‘former flame’ Harry’s cousins Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, through her charity work helping the homeless.

The star has also had her fair share of high-profile relationships including Radio 1’s Greg James, DJ Skrillex, Jeremy Irvine, Niall Horan and McFly’s Dougie Poynter. 

After being linked to Prince Harry, she then met Eton and Oxford-educated art dealer husband Caspar, who she started dating in 2017 and tied the knot two years later in a romantic ceremony at York Minster.

The reception for the swanky wedding was at Yorkshire’s Castle Howard attended by guests including royal pals, and stars including Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom.

They welcomed son Arthur in 2021 before confirming their split in February 2024. 

It was reported in the build up to their split that Ellie had a found an unexpected ally in millionaire Tory peer Zac Goldsmith – with sources saying the pair are ‘friendly’.

The two have maintained an unlikely bond over their shared love of green issues, despite their wildly different upbringings.

Zac is the Eton-educated son of late billionaire financier Sir James Goldsmith in stark contrast to her council estate upbringing.