Ephraim Hardcastle

FAMILY-controlled carmaker Porsche is accused of cheating millions of US drivers and is described as ‘the company behind VW’ – responsible for the so-called Dieselgate emissions scandal – in a full-page New York times advertisement that demands: ‘It’s time to clean up VW.’ Porsche is controlled by Ferdinand Piëch, 81, grandson of founder Ferdinand Porsche and father of 12 children by four different women (three of them wives). He is not short of a bob or two, reportedly being worth £47billion. RADIO 4 Today presenter Nick Robinson complains on-air to colleague Mishal Hussain that Theresa May, while ‘perfectly proper’, didn’t take him into her confidence about Brexit off-camera when he made his TV documentary about the Prime Minister, saying: ‘She didn’t have a single word in private with me off-camera about the merits of her deal.’ Doesn’t Mrs May realise how (self) important Today hosts are now?! HELLO Dolly star Carol Channing, pictured, dies aged 97. the Daily telegraph’s obituary contained this piquant observation: ‘In 1998, she filed for divorce from her third husband of more than 40 years, and former business manager, Charles Lowe, 86, claiming she had not had sex with him since Dwight Eisenhower was president in 1957.’ Fancy! SPEAKING outside Parliament, Stefanie Bolzen of Germany’s Die Welt newspaper cheerfully tells the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire: ‘John Bercow is now very famous in Germany.’ Derbyshire’s wry response: ‘His job is done!’ ‘They’re welcome to him,’ would have been rude, I suppose. A MEMBER of the Women’s Institute since 1943, the Queen will visit her local branch at Sandringham before leaving Norfolk next month. She has helped out at jumble sales there and last year listened to the guest speaker while drinking tea and eating cake in the dark because of a power cut. CRICKET’S world cup tournament returns to these shores this summer. But there’s a problem. In 1999, the Queen and cricketmad Prince Philip attended the final. However, Philip has retired and the Queen isn’t keen on the sport. Although William and Kate received honorary MCC life membership in 2014 – by-passing the 27-year waiting list – neither has been to a match. So might cricket fan Theresa May attend the final? ‘Maybe not, but I hear she has undertaken to twist a royal arm or two,’ says a blazer-clad source. JEREMY Corbyn prepared for last night’s no-confidence vote by breakfasting alone in Westminster’s Adjournment restaurant and reading his newspaper – the communist Morning Star, which launched a special Sunday edition in 2015 to celebrate his election as the Labour leader. He was spotted by times writer Patrick Kidd, who observes on twitter: ‘Normally he picks up five takeaway coffees for his office.’