A Rev, movie stars ...and lovely gossip
NOT THAT I’m one to gossip but there’s been a dearth of good tittle-tattle in recent months. So few opportunities when nobody can go anywhere or see anyone. Just as with the economy, here’s hoping for a modest uptick in the coming weeks.
The best scandal on offer last week turned out to be one from decades ago involving the Archbishop of Canterbury, his wife and the Dean. I fell upon this morsel greedily even though two of the parties are now long dead. Hot priests! Men in cassocks!
For reasons best known to himor self the Reverend Victor de Waal, the former Dean, now aged 91 and separated from his wife, decided to go public about his relationship with Rosalind Runcie, wife of the former Archbishop Robert Runcie. Rosalind was a bit of a free spirit, a concert pianist who once said that “too much religion makes me go pop”.
Though rumours about the Runcies’ marriage were rife at the time, this particular titbit was covered up and the married de Waal was relocated to Gwent.
“I was treated very well. It was all every amicable”, he explained breezily. “You know how it is in a marriage sometimes. There comes a point when something, one or the other, husband
■ wife, has a friendship which isn’t really appropriate...”.
Yes, we know what you’re getting at Rev. But could you be a bit more specific? Did you or didn’t you? Where? When? And how often?
Mind you there’s been altogether too much information about the horrible marriage of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, played out in the High Court day after day. As someone who is useless at screaming matches, I’m impressed with Amber’s alleged skills at coming up with the killer line (“You’re washed up and fat”). But when a couple is reduced to arguing about which of them pooed in the bed then it’s time to make your excuses and leave. It’s all pretty depressing stuff, to tell the truth.
For A-list glamour there was Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith – married for 23 years – discussing her “entanglement” with someone called August Alsina. They chose to talk “candidly” about their “journey” on the TV show Red Table Talk, viewed by 27 million people. Will Smith wore that get-meout-of-here baby-face smile with which he greeted squelchy giant aliens in Men In Black and Jada clattered her enviable manicure on the red table.
It made for awkward viewing and any relationship councillor would conclude that they have “work” to do. They’ve now gone on holiday to the Bahamas, described by Good Morning America as a “reconciliation vacation”.
Meanwhile, a big thank you to the Smiths, the old Rev and the Depps. It was public spirited of you to put it all out there at a time when the only thing we have to tut-tut over is who isn’t wearing “face coverings” to Sainsbury’s.