Criticism of the Mrs Doubtfire-like sculpture of the late Queen at Antrim Castle focuses attention on Rolf Harris’s 80th birthday painting of the monarch in 2005. Where is the BBC-commissioned Harris canvas?
Initially hung in the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace for six months, it was later displayed at Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery in 2012. After Rolf’s 2013 arrest, it vanished.
It’s not in the Royal Collection and the Beeb insist they don’t have it.
The portrait has been acknowledged as mediocre and described by art critic Richard Dorment as uninspired and lacklustre… who would want to admit possession of disgraced Harris’s daubs?
Rolf Harris poses with his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace in 2006
A statue installed in Antrim Castle Gardens to commemorate the late Queen has been described as Mrs Doubtfire-esque
Walsh in a huff at the NTAs
Sour grapes from The Chase’s Bradley Walsh at Ant and Dec’s 23rd annual triumph as best TV presenters at Wednesday night’s National Television Awards.
Bradley, nominated in the same category, couldn’t disguise his fury. He and the victorious gurning duo declined to take post show questions from journalists.
Bradley Walsh watches on at the NTAs at the O2 Arena on September 11, 2024
ITV executives were equally annoyed that none of their stars was chosen to present an award on the show, despite it being transmitted by ITV. Where was the long-time anchor of the awards ceremony, Sir Trevor?
Winslet’s Grammy-winning favour for Thompson
Kate Winslet did a favour for mate Emma Thompson by standing in when she lost her voice and couldn’t narrate a short story in children’s audiobook Listen To The Storyteller.
The Titanic star won a Grammy for it.
‘It’s totally bonkers,’ wails Kate, pictured. ‘One thousand per cent I shouldn’t have this Grammy at all.’
That’s showbiz, Kate!
Emma Thompson and Kate Wimslet pose together at the BAFTA awards
Starmer’s pet Prince
Writer Julie Burchill will be tickled to learn that Sir Keir Starmer intended to install a German Shepherd dog seemingly called Prince for his two children in No 10.
In the event, he has been persuaded to make do with a cat of the same name.
Julie’s 1991 BBC film Prince featured Sean Bean playing her communist father who is besotted with his German Shepherd by the name of Prince.
What does this tell us about our new Prime Minister?
Larry the cat sits outside 10 Downing Street in March this year. The Chief Mouser has now been joined by a cat called Prince
Woe for Wilcox at her first BBC job
Dame Esther Rantzen’s TV presenter daughter Rebecca Wilcox reveals resentment at the BBC when she started her first job there as a researcher. ‘One of the editors was so nasty to me and I couldn’t quite work it out,’ she recalls.
‘It’s because you used to f*** up my edits,’ he told me.
‘You used to come in as a child and you used to get white pencils – because it was all film – and you used to rub them over everything. You’d chop all the film. And your mum thought it was great.’
That’s life, Rebecca!
Rebecca Wilcox (left) is joined by her mother Dame Esther Rantzen (right) on the Good Morning Britain couch in 2018
Lord Kirkhope looks back in anger
Conservative peer Lord Kirkhope, 79, complains in the House of Lords that he was ‘very disappointed’ at failing to secure a ticket to see Oasis.
Surely the old booby should be queuing for the Proms?
