Ephraim Hardcastle
HAS William inadvertently widened the rift with Harry by revealing that his ‘floss’ dance from the video game Fortnite is ‘really horrible’? He adds that Kate’s a natural and Charlotte, five, ‘can already floss’. What does mega-woke Harry think? ‘That game shouldn’t be allowed,’ he declared. ‘Where is the benefit of having it in your household? It’s created to addict – an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. Lots to talk about when the boys eventually bury the hatchet.
WILLIAM and Kate’s glad-handing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena at Buckingham Palace – rather than at their Kensington Palace home – confirms the former’s status as the official royal residence. But why didn’t the VIP visitors travel the 23 miles to meet HM at Windsor? The Queen continues to be protected in an anti-virus bubble, with her only diversions the daily red box (thoroughly sanitised on arrival) and occasional rides on her fell ponies. With the pandemic refusing to go away, the monarch declines all visitors – including Boris.
BBC North America editor Jon Sopel – no fan of Donald Trump – confirms in documentary The Trump Show that the feeling was mutual. Recalling his first White House press conference with the President, he says: ‘I’d barely got the first syllables out and it’s: (Trump) “Where are you from?”. (Sopel) “BBC.” (Trump) “Here’s another beauty!”’
PROMOTING on Zoom her new livestream theatre show Sex & Consequences (about the love lives of animals), Isabella Rossellini, pictured, shows off the new male in her life – a blow-up man kept under a duvet in her bed. ‘I have a husband!’ declares the ex-Mrs Martin Scorcese. ‘I treat him as a husband. In the show, I talk to him. At one point, I say to him “Oh, stop it dummy” instead of “Stop it stupid”.’ Non è grande la vita!
ARSENE Wenger tells BBC Radio 4 that Arsenal fans nicknamed him The Professor because he wore spectacles. Didn’t the Gooners know his favourite film director is the Italian neo-realist Luchino Visconti while Sapiens, a very serious book about humankind, was his last nonfootball read. On me ’ead, Arsene!
SIR David Attenborough, picking up his second knighthood – the Knight Grand Cross in the Order of St Michael and St George – could be in line for an upgrading to Knight Commander of his Royal Victorian Order. After his continued assistance to Prince Charles and now Prince William, the unprecedented treble is within Atty’s grasp.
MAGGIE Nolan, the Bond actress painted in gold for the Goldfinger credits, has died failing in her ambition. She fought to get royalties for Carry On actors for the endless TV repeats. Appearing in Carry On Cowboy and five others, she fruitlessly asked Equity to intervene, complaining: ‘They were not interested in even listening. They were such b******s, the Carry On people.’