Hay Festival: Dua Lipa fan travels 3,000 miles to meet idol

A Dua Lipa fan has travelled more than 3,000 miles to meet her idol.

Adi Azarzar Ben Shimol, 38, flew from Israel to Hay-on-Wye, Powys, in a desperate bid to get the singer's autograph so it could be turned into a tattoo.

She left her husband and two children at home to embark on the trip, and finally saw her dream become reality at the Hay Festival on Sunday.

"I'll follow her anywhere," the super fan told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

On the way, she had to cope with her luggage being lost after her flight and also a train strike - but it did not deter her.

"I'm shaking just by being in the same place that she is," she said.

"I love everything she represents."

In anticipation of meeting the three-time Grammy winner, the mum-of-two created a backgammon board with the hope of giving it to her.

After a gruelling journey and spending thousands of pounds on the trip, Adi's wish came true when Dua Lipa signed a piece of paper and rainbow flag at a bookshop on the final day of the 11-day festival.

The 38-year-old fan already has two Dua Lipa tattoos, one is the word Angel, similar to one the singer has, and the second is an image of the musician performing in concert.

She said she hoped to have the third done in the UK before she left.

"She saw my tattoo and she told me she loved it," the pop music enthusiast gushed.

"Everything was worth it, I will do it all over again, this was the end of a six-year journey."

The cultural event attracts about 300,000 people to Hay-on-Wye, Powys, to celebrate literature each year.

Others stars at the festival include Oscar nominees Helena Bonham Carter and Richard E Grant, astronaut Tim Peak, adventurer Bear Grylls and author Julia Donaldson.

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