Ephraim Hardcastle
WITH the 25th anniversary of Princess diana’s Panorama interview looming next month, the BBC retains more than 20 minutes of unused footage from what some view as the greatest royal scoop of the century. only 60 minutes of diana’s chat with Martin Bashir was used. Left out were diana’s ‘slightly derogatory’ remarks about the Queen Mother’s lack of support, as well as undiplomatic observations on life with the Royal Family. Unlike Channel 4, Channel 5 and other broadcasters, the BBC will ignore the anniversary, confirming: ‘You can take as read we have no plans to broadcast any unedited version of the interview.’
DIGITS crossed that the Queen hasn’t taken offence at Sir Tom Moore receiving the first Veterans Railcard rather than her. It’s traditional that ‘firsts’ of anything of national import are presented to the monarch rather than a subject. Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor received the War Medal and the Defence Medal for her service with the Women’s ATS in the Second World War, becoming the only female member of the Royal Family to enter the armed forces and the only living head of state to have served in the war. And as she takes the train between London and Sandringham, she might like the discount.
WHAT is it about old Etonians and eggs? after Eddie Redmayne’s admission that he ‘loathes eggs’, Tom Bower’s Boris biography reveals that he often slept in a drawer in his mother’s oxford college room at Lady Margaret Hall, adding: ‘occasionally, he was fed boiled eggs, creating a lifetime aversion.’
WHY did Spitting Image creative director Roger Law jettison the original puppet of Adele, pictured? Her silicone model was ready to join the lineup including Boris, Trump and Meghan Markle when Roger discovered the heavyweight Tottenham-born warbler was a shadow of her former bulk, having shed seven stone. ‘Oh no!’ remarked Roger. ‘Her diet has just cost us £10,000.’
LYRICIST Herbert kretzmer, who has died, wrote the Peter Sellers/Sophia Loren 60s hit goodness gracious Me at the height of the actor’s curious insistence that he’d enjoyed an affair with the italian firecracker. asked for details on Parkinson’s chat show, he burst into song: ‘Boom boody-boom boody-boom boody-boom...’ So that’s a no, then?
NOVELIST Julian Barnes recalls being served expensive Burgundy at Tom Stoppard’s Chelsea penthouse, with the playwright boasting that it was a Christmas present from Mick Jagger. ‘Would anyone like some claret?’ asked the host. Barnes replied: ‘Only if it comes from Paul McCartney.’
MEANWHILE, Mick Jagger’s global fame made Stoppard jealous, according to biographer Hermione Lee. Tom mused that, unlike him, there was nowhere from Mongolia to the Mexican desert where people didn’t know the Rolling Stone. notes Lee: ‘Stoppard considered this with awe, interest and some envy.’