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LONDON — A former X Factor finalist-turned-influencer stood in the dock of one of Britain's most storied criminal courts Monday and, according to reporters inside the chamber, flashed a small heart sign toward the gallery — an image already ricocheting around social media hours later. The defendant, 29-year-old Gabrielle Carrington, known to her 365,000 Instagram followers as RIELLEUK, now faces charges of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm with intent, dangerous driving and drink-driving after a Mercedes she was driving ploughed into rival influencer Klaudia Zakrzewska outside a Soho nightclub.

The victim, 26-year-old Zakrzewska — better known online as Klaudia Glam to her 260,000 Instagram followers — remained in critical condition at a London hospital as of Tuesday, with investigators describing injuries so severe that she was dragged beneath the vehicle and came to rest wedged against a metal bike rack on Argyll Street.

A Dispute That Spilled Out Of The Club

Witnesses told the Metropolitan Police that Carrington and Zakrzewska had been engaged in a verbal confrontation inside and then outside the Inca nightclub shortly before closing time early Sunday. Phone footage later posted by bystanders appears to show the two women shouting at each other in the street, with passersby repeatedly stepping between them to prevent the argument from escalating into a physical fight. Within minutes, prosecutors allege, Carrington walked to her parked Mercedes, started the engine, and accelerated directly into the crowd.

The vehicle struck Zakrzewska first, dragged her forward, and continued a short distance before coming to a stop. A man in his 50s and another woman in her 30s — both previously unknown to either influencer — were also injured. Emergency services were on scene within minutes, and Zakrzewska was rushed to a major trauma centre where she underwent multiple surgeries.

From X Factor Live Finals To The Old Bailey

Carrington first entered public consciousness in 2013 as one-third of Miss Dynamix, a girl group that reached the live shows of Britain's X Factor that year under the mentorship of Nicole Scherzinger. After the group disbanded, she pivoted — as many reality-television alumni do — into the influencer economy, building a following around luxury fashion, nightlife and personal-branding content. By 2024, she had crossed a quarter of a million followers and secured brand partnerships with cosmetics, lingerie and supplement lines.

The Old Bailey magistrate who remanded her in custody Monday set the next hearing for May 19. Britain's Crown Prosecution Service confirmed in a statement that the attempted-murder charge reflects their initial assessment that the driving was "deliberate and targeted," not a tragic accident at the end of a rowdy night out.