Troubled Amy Winehouse jets off to the Caribbean for New Year break - leaving husband Blake in jail

Life for Amy Winehouse, however, is looking decidedly brighter.

Because the 24-year-old singer has jetted off to the Caribbean for an impromptu holiday to see in the new year.

Accompanied by friends, the Camden-born star paid nearly £6,000 for First Class flights from London to Barbados, where she landed last night.

According to sources close to the musician, she booked the trip only after being informed that her 25-year-old-husband, who is in custody on remand for alleged assault and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, stood no chance of being let out before his next hearing on January 18.

"Amy has been desperate to escape England and forget about her troubles for the past couple of months," said a friend.

"But she didn't want Blake to feel any more alone or abandoned than he already does so she's waited as long as possible before booking anywhere.

"Blake has given her his full blessing as he knows how stressed and out of sorts she has been of late.

"The plan is for Amy to have a sunshine break, enjoy a few cocktails - and stay away from drugs.

"She has already made a few new year's resolutions and hopes the trip will become a turning point in her life.

"Amy wants 2008 to be a year of consolidation and, more than anything, for it to be trauma-free.

"She's convinced that Blake will be cleared of all charges and is desperate for the couple to enjoy some regular marital stability."

Quite what the singer plans to do once she hits Barbados is not known although earlier this year, joined by Fielder-Civil, she enjoyed an all-expenses paid beach holiday in St Lucia.

Of course, Miss Winehouse's West Indian jaunt also means she will be in close proximity to some other high profile names.

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Simon Cowell, Gary Lineker, Michael Winner and Sir Philip Green are all holidaying on the exclusive west coast of the island - but it remains to be seen whether any of them plan to meet up with the troubled singer.

In stark contrast to his wife, Fielder Civil, a self-confessed drug addict, is facing a rather less exotic new year.

He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if found guilty of assaulting a pub landlord and plotting to pervert the course of justice by offering him a significant amount of money to withdraw his allegation and leave the country.

Last week the music video assistant reportedly failed a random drugs test, and was forced to move into the prison's most feared wing.

Miss Winehouse, meanwhile, has also had a fairly unpleasant past few weeks, culminating in her recent arrest in connection with the case against her husband.

In October, shortly before Fielder-Civil's arrest, the couple were arrested by Norwegian police after being found with a stash of cannabis.

And yesterday, it emerged that the jazz star has been ordered by the country's legal system to appear in court to challenge the conviction.

Last month, following a string of erratic concerts, she cancelled the rest of her UK tour, prompting many of her fans to publicly turn against her.