“Between you and me …”

come across on the television. This American-based Netflix offering, heading for Broadway at the time of writing, endured one-star reviews from sections of the London press, who among other things accused it of “plumbing new depths” and being “so bad you’ll hyperventilate”. Yet, from what I can personally recall, the show was a perfectly pleasing accompaniment to Tuesday night cocktail hour.

Snobbery from the British critical establishment is commonplace whenever sensitive national issues are given a light-hearted flourish. Despite finding a charming girl for the role, one’s own attempts to find a theatrical home for my magnum opus, have been endlessly thwarted by similarly small-minded types.

While Joan Collins has again been highlighting the antics of fellow stars dead and alive — this time via her serialised

— how dare that ancient oaf from the BBC, Mr Cockerell, think he can do likewise about Joan!

Just as our beloved Dame was hitting her stride with more charmingly indiscreet tales from yesteryear, “Westminster insider” Cockerell saw fit to flog his own (doubtless less lucrative) memoir with the headline-grabbing claim that Joan once had a knee-trembler with notorious late Tory swordsman Alan Clark.

This was angrily denied by the lady herself, who didn’t appreciate such tittle-tattle — not least when she’s busy selling her own. Proof, were it still needed, that unglamorous political hacks have no place in show business.