Lily’s determination to quit the habit surprised some as she had said she was ‘delighted’ to win a lucrative contract to advertise Vype e-cigarettes in 2019.
I hope Lily hasn’t signed a money-spinning deal to promote these fashionable matcha vapes!
He’s one of pop music’s greatest composers, but Sir Elton John, 79, is struggling with his failing sight. ‘He can’t sit down at a piano with a sheet of lyrics and write a song,’ reveals his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. ‘He has to be kind of fed lyrics, which is difficult for him. Elton’s whole way of recording now is completely different, because of his eyesight. He keeps fighting.’
Miranda’s Faithful to muse
Miranda Hart posed beside the gravestone of detective novelist Agatha Christie near Oxford
Celebrity Traitors star Miranda Hart is taking her sleuthing skills as a Faithful to the next level.
The comedienne, 53, has revealed that, after ‘Miss Marple-ing’ her way through the BBC series in a bid to unmask the Traitors, she decided to visit Agatha Christie’s grave near Oxford.
She posed beside the gravestone of the detective novelist, writing online: ‘Sometimes when it’s not happening you just have to step away from the desk and go on an adventure to reset.’
Did she take The 4.50 From Paddington?
AI stole my work: One Day author
One Day writer David Nicholls has revealed that he’s among the authors suing artificial intelligence giant Anthropic over allegations that it used their work to train its technology without permission.
‘All of my work has been stolen by A.I,’ he tells me at the Cliveden Literary Festival in Berkshire. Nicholls, 59, whose best-selling book was turned into a Hollywood film and a hit Netflix series, says all six of his novels ended up in Anthropic’s database.
‘It’s like someone stealing your bike, and then you have to go around to their house and buy your bike back. I find it degrading.’
Anthropic has agreed to settle the case for £1.11 billion, with authors and publishers receiving less than £2,000 per title.
Stowe head sells rare Bowie art
David Bowie’s ‘striking and richly coloured self-portrait’ is due to be auctioned at Sotheby’s with an estimated value of £35,000 to £55,000
David Bowie’s ‘striking and richly coloured self-portrait’ is due to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s this morning with an estimated value of £35,000 to £55,000.
The expressionist-style painting is being sold by Stowe’s headmaster, Dr Anthony Wallersteiner, who bought it in 1997 from a gallery in Cornwall after the pop star gave his permission.
‘I passed the Bowie test,’ Wallersteiner tells me. The singer agreed to sell it to him because they both admired the St Ives artist Peter Lanyon. So why’s the teacher selling?
‘I’ve run out of wall space,’ he tells me. ‘It’s someone else’s turn to have those eyes follow you around the room.’
Jack Whitehall sees the funny side of having a three-year-old daughter, Elsie, with model Roxy Horner.
‘Becoming a parent has been a great new source of material,’ admits the comedian, 38.
‘I’m not worrying about that. I guess that’s something they’ll have to bring up with a therapist in years to come.
‘Nothing is sacred in my life. Now I’m talking about night feeds, travelling with a toddler and nursery drop-offs. Hopefully the audience have come along with me – they’re all boring and old too.’
