Sunday People

Joanna travels in Ab Fab style

-

THE Killing Of PC Harper: A Widow’s Fight For Justice, on ITV on Tuesday, brought a personal, emotive perspectiv­e to an appalling crime.

Just four weeks after his wedding in 2019, PC Andrew Harper, 28, was killed in the line of duty.

After getting caught in the tow rope of a getaway car, he was dragged for more than a mile at speeds of over 40mph. He died at the scene.

Sir Trevor Mcdonald recapped the terrible crime and interviewe­d PC Harper’s widow Lissie, who spoke of that shocking day. She told how she was crushed when his killers were convicted of manslaught­er, not murder.

Driven by grief, Lissie has battled to change the law for those convicted of killing an emergency worker. Harper’s Law will be his legacy.

JOANNA Lumley is in Paris, popping open bottles of champagne in a hot air balloon.

This is about as fabulous as it gets. With a cigarette or three, it could easily be Patsy up there.

“This is incroyable!” she gushes in that famous drawl. “I want to drink a toast to this amazing place.”

She speaks perfect French by the way (of course she does).

Joanna Lumley’s Great Cities Of The World, on ITV on Thursday, starts in Paris, but the actress is off to Berlin and Rome next, exploring lesser-known gems.

Every travel show promises this, but Dame Joanna, oh so glamorous at 75, actually delivers. This is no straight-forward swing past the Eiffel Tower – she speaks to everyone from a refugee beekeeper to a high-kicking Can Can girl.

Joanna used to visit Paris as a model in the 1960s, finding the city and its people “intoxicati­ng” and always hoping that one day she’d be mistaken for a French woman. She starts with advice from a local on how to grab a waiter’s attention.

“You need to be rude,” says stand-up comic Olivier. “If you’re nice, you’re going to wait half-an-hour for a coffee.”

And how should she attract a man? “Pout your lips,” he says. “Wear only black, don’t smile… they’ll think you’re weird.”

Icon

Joanna has funny bones and knows how to bring comedy to proceeding­s.

In a fashion temple, where Didier Ludot sells vintage treasures to A-listers such as Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoo­n, Joanna puts on a Chanel jacket.

Then Patsy’s voice makes an ever-so brief, but absolutely fabulous appearance. “This is divine!” she says.

As Joanna discusses haute couture with heiress and fashion icon Daphne Guinness, sipping five-star broth in a Parisien restaurant, it’s like a scene from an old Hollywood movie.

But she confronts modern life too, joining The Rosies – a band of feisty women’s rights campaigner­s in their uniform of blue overall, red headscarf and rubber gloves.

“I must say dancing in rubber gloves is pretty lovely,” she says. “I’m with the sisterhood.”

Joanna’s journey also takes in the Notre Dame cathedral, the Montmartre breakdanci­ng club, and she has a chat with a woman raving about the joy of extramarit­al affairs.

Joanna politely declines, ever classy. At one point she even clambers out of a window on to a roof to meet Ibrahim, a Syrian refugee turned beekeeper.

Finally she heads backstage at the Moulin Rouge, where the girls’ jump splits make her wince. But there’s nothing like a bit of “ooh la la”, darling.

A fun, funny tour de force from an absolute pro.

 ?? ??
 ?? ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom