Ephraim Hardcastle
WITH feminist attacks on ill-behaved men reaching a crescendo, surely it’s time for the BBC to air again the brilliant Two Ronnies 1980 mini-series The Worm That Turned, starring Diana Dors. It is set in a future Britain run by women, where men’s clubs are closed down, Big Ben is renamed Big Brenda, the Tower of London is renamed Barbara Castle and the Union Jack has become the Union Jill. But would the BBC’s strict-sounding Woman’s Hour presenter Jane Garvey allow it?
EMBATTLED Tory politician Nadhim Zahawi, 50, facing criticism for attending the Presidents Club charity bash, is considered an attention-seeker. He once wore a garish musical tie during a Commons debate and managed to set it off, earning a rebuke from Deputy Speaker Dawn Primarolo: ‘Perhaps next time the honourable gentleman will be more selective in the ties he wears in the chamber.’ And more selective about the all-men charity grope-fests he goes to as well.
KATHLEEN Turner, 63, recalls appearing naked on the West End stage as Mrs Robinson in The Graduate in 2000, pictured. ‘I got letters from all these women saying, “I have not undressed in front of my husband for years, and I’m going to tonight”,’ she says.
WITH the Royal Academy’s Charles I exhibition prompting art aficionados to hail the 17th century monarch as the greatest royal collector, how does the Queen fare as a custodian of the Royal Collection? Says a royal source: ‘She likes the great Old Masters. You won’t find any modern art on her walls, but there is some in the collection. She relies on Prince Charles and the trustees for acquisitions these days.’
APPEARING on a Media Masters podcast Sky’s political presenter Adam Boulton, 58, boasts: ‘One of my bosses said, “The thing about Adam is you don’t even notice the knife going in”.’ Boulton adds: ‘An MP said to me recently, “You’re the Graham Norton of politics.” In other words, “You understand what’s going on and can make it interesting”.’ Fancy that!
RECALLING his first meeting with retiring three-Oscars-winning Sir Daniel DayLewis, 60, Stephen Frears, who directed Danny’s 1985 breakthrough My Beautiful Laundrette, says: ‘He came in to see me, and he had a south London accent. I said, “You’re the son of a Poet Laureate [Cecil Day-Lewis] – why are you speaking like that?” He said, “I went to a comprehensive, so I learned to conceal myself”.’ Part of Sir Daniel’s education was at Bedales School, where fees are £35,000 a year.
NOW announcing a prolonged ‘farewell’ tour – ending in 2021 – portly warbler Sir Elton John, 70, has long had to endure unflattering comments about his modern-day singing voice. No longer able to hit the high notes, Sir Elton says a 1987 operation affected his vocal cords, once remarking: ‘I get live reviews now that say, “He’s lost his falsetto”.’ But not his unquenchable desire to pile up money.