Sir Richard Branson to shave his legs – for charity

Just when we thought Sir Richard Branson, chief executive of Virgin Group, couldn’t get anymore outrageous, he does. As a result of losing a Formula 1 bet with Dato’ Sri Tony Fernandes, chief executive of AirAsia, the colourful mogul has agreed to act as an AirAsia flight attendant on a charity flight and let the highest bidder shave his legs. The flight will fly from London to Kuala Lumpur on May 1. “As an AirAsia flight attendant, Richard would have to comply to our grooming standards, and that includes shaving his legs. Richard and I thought we could have a bit of fun, engage with our guests and raise more money for charity,” explains Fernandes. Bidders must have a confirmed ticket on the charity flight or for the Charity Evening. Bidding will take place at the star-studded pre-departure event in Stansted. Tickets are on sale now until April 24. Rates start from GBP4,500 (US$7,449) round trip. Tickets for the Charity Evening on May 2 in Kuala Lumpur are also available, starting from GBP350 (US$579). All proceeds will go towards Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of Virgin Group. For more information or to purchase charity tickets, visit www.airasiago.com Alisha Haridasani