Pick of the week’s Gossip

The droid characters in the original Star Wars films enjoyed a friendly rivalry. But in real life, the two British actors who played R2-D2 and C-3PO couldn’t stand each other. Kenny Baker, who died last week, was just 3ft 8in tall, and played the diminutive droid R2-D2, who communicated only in bleeps. Anthony Daniels, who played the gold humanoid C-3PO, was dismissive about Baker’s role, saying: “I mean, R2-D2 doesn’t even speak. He might as well be a bucket.” Asked in 2008 whether he would be attending a Star Wars reunion, Baker replied: “It depends if you invite his lordship, the one with the golden balls. If he comes, I won’t be there.”

In the lull after the referendum campaign, leading Brexiters have been growing their facial hair. Michael Gove has been seen around the Palace of Westminster sporting a beard, and Nigel Farage last week unveiled a bushy moustache. The MEP brushed aside claims that his crumb catcher makes him look like Manuel from Fawlty Towers. “I don’t know whether it is a reflection of the trivialisation of our political discourse,” he said, “or whether it is just a symptom of the fact it is mid-august and nobody has anything else to talk about.”

Ed Vaizey is doing his best to adjust to life in the political wilderness. The former culture minister – who was sacked by Theresa May last month – told the Oxford Mail he had turned in vain to his family for comfort. “My daughter said: ‘What are you going to do now you’re not important?’”