A diva demand too far, Mariah Carey: Call for 20 white kittens blocked by elf 'n' safety

As one of the world’s biggest stars, Mariah Carey doesn’t know the meaning of the word No.

But it appears Britain’s health and safety officials are about to teach her.

They have flatly turned down her demands to be surrounded by 20 white kittens and 100 white doves as she turns on a shopping centre’s Christmas lights.

The American singer had issued a string of extravagant requirements in return for her appearance at the Westfield complex in West London.

The list – known in showbusiness circles as a ‘rider’ – included being driven by Rolls Royce along a pink carpet right to the pink podium where she is to wave a wand to turn on the lights.

A source revealed the model of car had to be changed six times before she was finally happy.

Miss Carey, 39, wants confetti shaped like butterflies, her favourite insect, to shower over her at the end. She has also requested an entourage of 15 along with about 80 security guards.

However, it appears her demands for white kittens and doves – which were already proving difficult to track down – were just too much for her hosts.

A source said: ‘We did manage to source the doves that we were going to release into the sky, but the kittens proved terribly difficult.

‘In the end, it was made clear that due to health and safety, there was no way we could have the animals at Westfield.

‘We do not allow pets into Westfield – that rule would apply for everyone.

‘We have worked extremely hard to make sure that Mariah’s event is fantastic. Even the model of car had to be changed six times to one that her people liked.’

Before health and safety stepped in, finding 20 pure white kittens was giving Miss Carey’s hosts a headache.

The simplest way would be to hire them from one of Britain’s animal acting agencies. But it was thought impossible to provide so many at short notice.

Pet shops have the same problem. One worker at a shop in South-West London said last night: ‘We could get you one but not 20. For starters, all-white kittens are not all that common in Britain.’

Mariah has been staying at the Dorchester Hotel during her visit to the UK.

She snubbed fans who’d been waiting outside the London hotel for hours en route to an appearance on Alan Carr’s Chatty Man show.

The singer left the hotel via a side exit and ignored autograph requests as she got into her car.

Earlier this month, Miss Carey told of her passion for animals and how far she will go to keep them in the luxury that she is accustomed to.

She told Hello! magazine that she had hired extra minders and security for a recent commercial that she starred in with her dogs. She said: ‘I had my team with me but the pups had a mini-entourage of their own, of course! And why wouldn’t they?

‘It was a big shoot and even my entourage had an entourage – my stylist had an assistant, my security had extra security.

‘The shoot was based on the fact that some people think I’m a demanding diva. I have no idea why people have that impression!’

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk