Ephraim Hardcastle
Australian Nicole Kidman sidesteps her country’s draconian Covid-19 quarantine restrictions by setting up a luxury selfisolating complex in New South Wales, where she is making the TV series Nine Perfect Strangers. Husband Keith urban, children Sunday and Faith, as well as cast and crew members, are quarantining with government permission after the waiving of the strict arrival protocol. Contrast with British-born star Jane Seymour, also making a movie, but forced to quarantine in a Sydney hotel. She says: ‘i’m getting the “we don’t care who you are, you’re just a number” treatment.’ Shouldn’t HM’s governor-general make a formal protest?
JUSTIN Welby’s closure of Parliament’s St Margaret’s, Westminster, upsets worshippers conscious of its place as a shrine to slavery abolitionists. Composer and former slave Ignatius Sancho is buried there and fervent abolitionist Olaudah Equiano was baptized in the church in 1759. Coupled with the retirement last month of Archbishop of York John Sentamu, the Cofe’s only black diocesan bishop, Justin has his work cut out to calm equality jitters.
MADE in Chelsea stalwart Georgia Toffolo, pictured, says her first Mills & Boon title will be chick lit, adding: ‘i think it’ll be a bit of an easy read. it’s based in Chelsea, which is obviously very me. There’s a department store that i kind of modelled on Peter Jones, sneakily.’ Action stations, Booker Prize judges!
JEREMY Paxman moans about the pandemic, saying the only upside is that Jeremy Corbyn didn’t win the election, adding: ‘Imagine Diane Abbott getting her head around the R number.’
Eighty in August, publicity-hungry Stanley Johnson reveals he is considering rationing his media appearances to, as he muses: ‘Spend more time thinking about other people.’ How can the nation demonstrate it’s gratitude, Stan?
SYLVIA Sims tells Empire that she was paid just £30 a week for her role in 1958’s Ice Cold In Alex, which featured John Mills drooling over a cold glass of lager, adding: ‘I made a lot more when they turned it into an advert for Carlsberg.’
Former Home Secretary Amber rudd is asked by daughter Flora: ‘Would you ever go on Love island?’ Her reply? ‘Definitely not tempted.’ ungallantly, Flora responds: ‘i don’t think they’re tempted to have you.’
FIREBRAND Protestant evangelist Ian Paisley’s MP son, Ian Jnr, admits to liking Catholics, saying he admires their loyalty and determination. He tells the Catholic Herald: ‘Sometimes it’s good to shatter stereotypes.’ Has he been at the hooch, famously described by his late father as the devil’s buttermilk?