William Hickey

Earl Spencer’s forthcoming biography of his sister Princess Diana is expected to revive his bitter dispute with her former butler Paul Burrell, who previously accused Spencer of mishandling the Royal Standard at Diana’s funeral; Spencer rejected those allegations as hurtful lies. The column also speculates that Tom Bradby could interview Prince Harry and Meghan on their return to the UK, notes Michael Fabricant’s decision not to seek another parliamentary candidacy, and offers humorous comments from Kathy Lette, Engelbert Humperdinck and Gillian Anderson.

Eric Idle paid tribute to the late Bill Oddie but recalled with sadness that their relationship had deteriorated and that Oddie had been cross with him for years. Goodies colleague Graeme Garden shared a humorous memory of birdwatching with Oddie. The column also offers brief celebrity and entertainment items, including jokes involving Michael Fabricant and drought policy, a troublesome dog named after Nigel Havers, Holly Willoughby’s daughter teasing her YouTube presentation, Alan Carr’s gloating over Stephen Fry on The Celebrity Traitors, and Michael Palin’s continued omission of Barrow-in-Furness from his UK tour.

Andy Burnham’s casual clothing style is portrayed as a potential obstacle in building rapport with Donald Trump despite US praise for his North Sea drilling plans, while additional anecdotes highlight Michael Gove’s reaction to Shabana Mahmood retaining her post and various celebrity stories involving Brenda Fricker, Gyles Brandreth, John Cleese, Ruthie Henshall and the legacy of footballer Kevin Keegan.

Mick Jagger’s presence at England’s World Cup defeat in Atlanta renews light‑hearted claims that he brings bad luck to football teams. Additional celebrity stories include remarks by Miriam Clegg about team selection, Kirstie Allsopp’s dispute over match tickets, Sam Neill’s humorous animal‑naming habit, Clare Grogan’s decision to reject a McDonald’s licensing offer, and Sasha Swire’s tense encounter with Hugh Grant at a social event.

Penelope Keith’s final years were marked by a dispute with the Actors’ Benevolent Fund, where she was removed from the board in a conflict she considered unlawful. She later received an apology from the Charity Commission acknowledging mishandling of the case. Additional celebrity and political commentary includes Rupert Everett addressing criticism of his stint as a volunteer barman, Tina Brown’s remarks on Prince Harry’s temperament, Andrew Neil’s scepticism toward Andy Burnham’s proposed Manchester-based PM operations, and humorous exchanges involving Nigel Havers, Michael Whitehall, and Anthea Turner.