Ephraim Hardcastle
WILLIAM AND Kate’s charming TV encounter with Mary Berry comes after discussions about a royal version of Bake Off came to nought. The one-off show for charity was to involve Camilla, Sophie and Edward Wessex, and Lady Gabriella Windsor. It was eventually postponed in case it deflected attention from Meghan Markle’s Grenfell Tower cookbook to help victims and survivors of the fire.
TOUCHED by the sight of Prince William being helped by former Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain while rolling up a roulade during his and Kate’s TV appearance, his mother’s former personal chef, Darren McGrady, tweets: ‘I used to make this for him at Kensington Palace… only with a lemon and cheese filling. He wasn’t so helpful then… just wanted to sit in the window eating ice cream.’
FORMER Squeaker John Bercow, denied a peerage, isn’t the only senior constitutional figure not to be honoured. David Leakey, who retired as Black Rod nearly two years ago, is the only holder of the office since 1661 not to have a knighthood. All nine previous Black Rods during the Queen’s reign had Ks before they were appointed. David famously banned crime writer Baroness (Ruth) Rendell from hosting a harpsichord concert in the Palace of Westminster. She hasn’t objected to his elevation. She died in 2015.
CHRISTMAS chez Emma Thompson, pictured, is not for the faint hearted. Husband Greg Wise recalls one recent festive gathering when guests were obliged to dress in cartoon onesies. ‘I was Goofy,’ he remembers. ‘My sister was Winnie the Pooh, Emma was the Pink Panther, Tindy [Emma and Greg’s adopted son] and his now wife were Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Sir Derek Jacobi and his husband were the two chipmunks, Chip and Pin.’ More oh than ho ho ho!
BLACK Rod Sarah Clarke did not miss Dennis ‘Beast of Bolsover’ Skinner yesterday when she summoned MPs from the Commons. At each State Opening of Parliament, Skinner, who has lost his seat to the Tories after 49 years, greeted Black Rod with unfunny quips as he declined the invitation to join the procession to the Lords. Poignantly his last interjection in October, on Sarah’s inaugural outing, was, ‘No, I’ll not be going.’ Now he never will.
LICKING her wounds after losing her Darlington seat to the Tories, former Labour MP Jenny Chapman – who is now mocking Corbynite calls for a northern woman to be elected leader – is asked on BBC2’s Politics Live when she knew the election was lost. ‘The day it was called,’ she replies bluntly.
OASIS oaf Liam Gallagher tells Mojo magazine that he was asked to take part in Strictly Come Dancing, adding sweetly: ‘You reckon I’m just blagging it and a f ****** proper little flamenco dude is trying to get out?’ Perish the thought!