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    1. Culture

    You could win a candlelit Valentine’s date with Idris Elba. Seriously

    This is not a drill. We repeat. This is not a drill

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 12 January 2017 In Features

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    Idris Elba date
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    This is not a drill. We repeat. This is not a drill

    As part of a new fundraising campaign by Omaze, Idris Elba is offering to take one lucky donor on a first class Valentine’s date.

    The greater the donation, the more times you will be entered, therefore the greater the chances of you winning the date of a lifetime (a £10 donation gets you 100 entries, a £25 donation gets you 250 entries etc).

    The winner will be flown out to the destination 'of choice', and put up in a luxury hotel, before having a one-to-one candlelit dinner date with Idris Elba at one of his favourite restaurants.

    ‘Hi there, Idris Elba here and I’d like you to be my Valentine’ he announced in the campaign’s promo video, dressed in a suit and bearing a heart-shaped box of chocolates. ‘That’s right love, just you and me. No one else around. Just us.’

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    Encouraging viewers to donate at omaze.com/idris, the Luther star praised the charity he was raising money for, explaining how every entry to join him on the romantic evening will support W.E. Can Lead: a fantastic cause working to empower and educate girls throughout Africa.

    ‘But back to you and me’ Idris says to the camera. ‘See that chair? That’s for you. And we’ll get things started off with cocktails, or perhaps… champagne.’

    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    ‘And once we’re feeling comfortable we can order whatever your heart desires. Maybe some truffles, perhaps some steak…pepper soup and fufu - that’s an African dish, and you pound the yams. And you know what? I’ll let you pound my yams.’

    Yes, you heard that right. You might actually get to pound Idris Elba’s yams – we don’t really know what it means but it sounds exciting.

    ‘And for dessert you can have whatever you want…and I mean whatever you want’ Idris continued. ‘Candy hearts is just the beginning. So, will you be my Valentine? Enter now. And join me for a night you will not forget.’

    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
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    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

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