Lewis Hamilton buys private jet to keep his long-distance love alive

Lewis Hamilton buys private jet to keep his long-distance love alive PA

Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has splashed out £20million on a private jet to make it easier to spend time with his girlfriend, Nicole Scherzinger.

The Daily Mail reports that the couple spend a great deal of time apart as Hamilton lives in Monaco, while Nicole is based in Los Angeles. Both of them travel all over the world for work.

The couple briefly split in 2011, reportedly as a result of spending so much time apart. So to make sure that doesn't happen again, Lewis has treated himself to a red Bombardier CL-600, which cruises at 500mph and should make those transatlantic flights a little easier to schedule.

The Daily Mail reports that the plane is equipped with every possible luxury to make sure that passengers can travel in comfort and style. There's a pull-out bed, several plasma TV screens and a bar. It even has a personalised 'number plate' as Hamilton has changed the official registration to G-LCDH, which stands for Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton.

Lewis took delivery of the jet at Isle of Man Airport last month - saving himself a hefty VAT bill as the island's authorities charge less tax than on the mainland. He then took his first flight to Stuttgart in Germany, to visit his new Formula 1 team.

When not in use, the jet can be chartered for a whopping £10,000 an hour.

However, last year Nicole spent a reported £750,000 on flights to see her boyfriend - so we imagine that they'll be using it fairly frequently.

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Click on the image below to discover which celebrities have private islands...

Celebrities with private islands

Johnny Depp, Little Halls, Pond Cay, Bahamas
 While filming Pirates of the Caribbean, A-list actor Johnny Depp fell in love with the lost-at-sea lifestyle, and snapped up his own piece of paradise in the Exumas area of the Bahamas. Little Halls Pond Cay - also comically dubbed 'F*** Off Island' by Johnny himself - runs exclusively on eco-friendly solar power, and Johnny snapped it up for £2.2 million back in 2004.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blackadore Cay, Belize
 Environmental crusader Leonardo DiCaprio added the 104-acre Blackadore Cay to his property portfolio in 2005. The Titanic actor bought the island - located between mainland Belize and Ambergris Caye - for around £1 million, and plans to to turn it into a resort offering eco tours. Let's hope he doesn't charter his own yacht trips - Leo and boats don't have a great history…
Faith Hill and Tim McGraw
 Any time country-singing star Faith Hill and her actor husband Tim McGraw fancy escaping the ranch, they just jet off to their own slice of paradise in the Exumas area of the Bahamas, where they own a fully developed private island complete with crystalline sandy beaches and trails.
Celine Dion, Ile Gagnon, Quebec
 Singing sensation Celine Dion warbled herself all the way to owning a luxury French chateau-style retreat on her very own island in Quebec. Il Gagnon is located on the Mille Iles River, where tourists can get a little peak of the property on a local boat tour.
David Copperfield, Musha Cay, Bahamas
 Magician - and former flame of Claudia Schiffer - David Copperfield owns a 150-acre island not too far from neighbours Johnny Depp and Nicholas Cage. Famous guests at the exclusive getaway include John Travolta and Oprah Winfrey. Got £200,000 to spare? You too could stay at this haven for a week… No? Us neither. Perhaps we could ask David to make it magically appear in our bank account. After all, he does claim to have an insect-resurrecting stream on his island, so surely making money appear from nowhere is child's play...
Mel Gibson, Mago Island, Fiji
 At 5,400 acres, Mel Gibson's Fijian heaven is one of the largest privately-owned islands in the South Pacific. Mel purchased it for £5.7m back in 2005. Aside from a relatively modest private residence, the island remains untouched - and Mel plans on keeping it that way.
Nicholas Cage, Leaf Cay, Bahamas
 Long-time Bahamian resident Nicholas Cage already owns a house on the luxurious Paradise Island, but snapped up an undeveloped island in the Exumas chain, close to Johnny Depp's oasis, back in 2006. The savvy actor reportedly bought the hideaway for £2m, and has now put it up for sale for a princely sum of £4.5 million.
Eddie Murphy, Rooster Cay, Bahamas
 Rooster Cay seems the perfect name for funnyman Eddie Murphy's Bahamian island bolthole. The isle is situated just 5 minutes away from the mainland town of Nassau, and sits on its own 15 acres of land. It hasn't been confirmed whether Eddie is keeping it solely for personal use, or whether he'll turn it into a resort, but if he chooses the latter, we're sure he'll be laughing all the way to the bank...
Ricky Martin, Angra dos Reis, Brazil
 Livin' la Vida Loca singer Ricky Martin is certainly livin' the high life after bagging a private island in the ultra-exclusive resort area of Angra dos Reis, where South America's gorgeous and glamorous flock in their droves.
Michael Schumacher, 'Atlantic' in the World, Dubai
 Formula 1 star Michael Schumacher parked up on a private island in Dubai's World Project - for free. Yes, you read that right. Development company Nakeel created the World Project with 300 man-made isles brought up from the sea floor, which were then made to resemble continents and countries. While Richard Branson bought 'Great Britain' (of course), Dubai's crown prince very kindly gave Michael 'Antarcica' as a retirement present. And the island, worth around £4.5 million, came complete with a home fit for a king, a beach, and landscaped gardens.
Sir Richard Branson, Necker and Mosquito Islands (BVI), Makepeace Island (Australia), World Project's Great Britain (Dubai)
 Serial private island-purchaser Sir Richard Branson surely kickstarted the trend single-handedly. The billionaire Virgin boss's most famous spot is his Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, which he uses with his family, as well as hosting reams of famous guests, from Kate Winslet to Steven Spielberg. Along with his other haven in the BVI, Mosquito Islands, he also owns Makepeace Island in Australia, which he reportedly plans to turn into a resort for Virgin staff, and the World Project's Great Britain in Dubai.