Rumble in the Jumble!

If you thought jumble sales were just for old ladies hunting out a bargain, think again! Because jumble sales have just had a fab new makeover thanks to Dawn Porter and friends. Raising money for Oxfam’s International Women’s Day, the presenter and journalist hosted  ‘Rumble in the Jumble’ alongside some celebrity friends yesterday evening, and I decided to pop along to see what the fuss was about. After being rescued from the unbelievably long queue and ushered inside, a large table groaning under the weight of cakes and brownies made a welcoming sight. What was more welcoming however was the warm greeting by BBC Radio 1extra host Gemma Cairney, who had a huge smile on her face as she talked about the event. Gemma, who co-hosted on the night, told me the idea initially came about after  she and her fellow celebs attended a launch for the Oxfam Get Together initiative and decided (after a few wines) to join forces  and host a massive sale to help raise as much money as they can. And that’s exactly what they did. 

Paying just £2 on the door, guests were asked to bring at least 1 bag of jumble to donate, which was then divided up and sold by the host of celebrities who attended (alongside their own stuff). Anything left over was donated to Oxfam. Celebrities putting in the graft  on the stalls included singer Kate Nash, Harry Potter actress Jessie Cave, fashion stylist Grace Woodward, singer Brigitte Aphrodite, presenter Cherry Healey, food writer Gizzi Erksine and Bridesmaids star (and Dawn Porter’s hubby-to-be) Chris O’Dowd. Stars who couldn’t attend but donated clothes included Lauren Laverne, Claudia Winkleman and Jimmy Carr. 

Sara Cox selling me her wares

Working  particularly hard was Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox, who was busy selling by the bucket load. She told me ‘I had a clean-out not that long ago and I managed to get some stuff together’. After insisting that I try on her straw hat, she added ‘Fearne Cotton left me a big bag of stuff as well which is really brilliant!’ This probably explained the hum of people buzzing around her stall. She later tweeted her appreciation to fellow radio DJ Fearne:  ‘Love to @Fearnecotton for the #RUMBLEintheJUMBLE gear. T'was like fashion bugs descending to munch up her cast offs.’ Indeed it was. 

Host with the most: Dawn Porter

Meanwhile, busy bee Dawn Porter was running around playing host, selling and conducting the much anticipated raffle. Prizes included Tom Ford sunglasses, luxury beauty products and a fantastic spa break worth £275! However, not to forget the importance of the night, Dawn further emphasized the reason everyone was there stating ‘every minute a women dies during childbirth; £46 would train a midwife and save hundreds of lives.’ She pledged everyone to dig deep in their pockets and give as much as they can to Oxfam’s campaign, which coincides with International Women’s Day on March 8. 

She's xtra lovely: me and Caroline Flack

Also joining in the fun was Xtra Factor host Caroline Flack, who despite rushing over from hosting Vodaphone’s London Fashion Weekend, still managed to look fabulous. She  stuck straight in, sorting through her bags of clothes she brought along before excitedly informing me  ‘I’ve got lots of X Factor stuff!’ This fact obviously excited a lot of shoppers as she later tweeted ‘Nearly all the clothes I've donated have gone.... 2 dresses left... A child bought my shoes.’

What a spectacle! With Georgie Okell

After discarding my 3 bags of jumble and picking up some bargains of my own (including a beautiful butterfly necklace formerly owned by Dawn Porter), I bumped into T4 host Georgie Okell, who despite arriving late wasted no time in getting stuck into the delicious chocolate brownies. After checking between her teeth before posing for a picture, she said ‘I raided my wardrobe for stuff to bring here!’ adding ‘it’s wild! Like a boxing day sale!’ She wasn’t far off as swarms of people had descended upon St Pancras Old Church, causing the queue outside to go snaking down the street! 

Before leaving, I couldn’t help but be lured to the cake table where delicious treats including red velvet cupcakes and chocolate and raspberry brownies awaited me. Provided by ‘Drink, Shop and Do’, the fabulous cakes were the perfect fuel to keep you going whilst you rummage, or in my case to suppress my hunger after some hardcore bargain hunting. 

All in all, it was an amazing evening which no doubt raised a huge amount of money for such a good cause. Well done to all the celebs and attendees who helped make this event special. Bring on next year!

Chris O'Dowd and fiancee Dawn sharing a laugh

Dawn and Gemma Cairney conducting the raffle

Gemma with the raffle box

Kate Nash making a sale

It's all getting a bit much for Chris O'Dowd!

All smiles with radio producer and Sink the Pink creative director Amy Redmond

Shoes!!!

Yummy cakes!