SIR Richard Branson has made good on a bet he lost, preparing to wear an air-hostess uniform on a charity fundraising flight from Perth to Kuala Lumpur.
The billionaire entrepreneur dropped his trousers at a bar in the Perth CBD last night, allowing AirAsia stewardesses to shave his legs.
Today - wearing make-up, high heels, stockings and a slightly agonised smile - he is waiting on passengers in his skarlet outfit as part of a Grand Prix bet with AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandez from two years ago.
There are many reasons why it has taken so long.
Sir Richard Branson blows a kiss before boarding his flight to Kuala Lumpur at Perth International Airport. Sir Richard Branson lost a friendly bet to AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandez after wagering on which of their Formula One racing teams would finish ahead of each other in their debut season of the 2010 Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi and that the loser would serve as a female flight attendant on board the winner's airline. Picture: Paul Kane
But now it's payback time, and Sir Richard put on a brave face as he straddled bare-legged into a barber's chair, knowing funds from the flight will go to Starlight Foundation for ill children.
"Yeah, it's true. We both had Grand Prix teams and I was absolutely certain that I was going to win," Sir Richard said.
Picture from Sir Richard Branson's Instagram account.
"Something went wrong. Of course the drivers of that race are no longer with us (laughs).
"I went to extreme lengths to avoid being here, but knew that one day I had to get it over with."
But no sooner had Sir Richard made good with his pledge than Mr Fernandez was dared into his own promise, announcing he would become one of Virgin Galactic's first commercial space tourists, taking a usually very expensive flight for a few moments of weightlessness before plunging back through the atmosphere to earth.
Richard Branson in drag as a flight attendant before the AirAsia flight. Picture: Fleur Bainger
"It's something I never, ever dreamed of doing," Mr Fernandez said.
"What he doesn't realise is once I go to space, there'll be a low-cost version - AirAsia Galactica, about 10 per cent of the price he's charging."
As to how far Sir Richard would go for charity, he said he'd keep his famous beard, of course.
Richard Branson having his legs shaved ahead of his drag turn as an AirAsia flight attendant. Picture: Stewart Allen
"Have you not seen a stewardess with a beard before?," he asked.
"Only on Qantas," a cheeky cameraman replied.
Picture from Sir Richard Branson's Instagram account.
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