Diamonds are forever – fame is not!

BEFORE the pandemic I would often give talks in schools. I was shocked by how, when I asked teenagers what they wanted to be, they would often reply ‘famous’. Younger generations really believe that being a celebrity is a career, and aspiring to fame for the sake of it will be fulfilling. I find this deeply disheartening. It might sometimes be a gateway to wealth, but fame certainly has its downsides. Daniel Craig (left) was candid on this subject last week. Talking about his sudden fame with James Bond, he said: ‘I used to lock myself in and close the curtains, I was in cloud cuckoo land. I was physically and mentally under siege.’ Of course, there are worse things than landing one of the highest-paid acting jobs. But I have some sympathy. I was sitting next to him in a restaurant a few years ago and noticed everyone was looking at him. A few were filming, and when he got up to go, a number stood to try to speak to him. How utterly exhausting to be on show the whole time. Your life isn’t your own. Perhaps he’s the one who should be giving school talks, telling kids not to aspire to fame but to a far happier state of obscurity.