Billionaire Bernie Ecclestone’s pampered daughter Tamara once declared: ‘I hope I will be taken more seriously, perhaps as a businesswoman rather than just a socialite, or whatever they call me.’
It would, however, seem that she hasn’t inherited the ex-Formula 1 boss’s head for business.
I can reveal that she has now racked up an astonishing £26 million deficit at her company.
Newly filed accounts disclose that her ‘artistic creation’ firm, SBD International, increased its deficit in capital and reserves by £1.7 million in just the last year.
Weeks after she was burgled in 2019, Tamara, 37, shut down two of her companies: Fifi & Friends, her natural baby and toddler care collection, and her Show Beauty salons and spin-off products.
Tamara Ecclestone (pictured, left, with Bernie Ecclestone and, right, with her husband and daughter) has racked up an astonishing £26 million deficit at her company SBD International
A spokesman for Tamara said at the time: ‘Sadly, the Show Beauty and Fifi & Friends businesses have closed, following the end of the arrangement with the agency which managed and operated them.’
Previously called Tamara Ecclestone Brands when she started the business in 2010, she was already making up the shortfall in 2014 by ploughing £15 million into the loss-making venture to put it back in the black, before it started to make losses again.
According to estimates, the businesses employ around 40 employees in their different locations. Almost £26 million worth of jewellery was stolen from the family home in Kensington while Tamara, her husband, Jay Rutland, were on holiday in Lapland.
The raid resulted in three members of the gang being jailed. The ringleader, Alfredo Lindley, 40 — dubbed Lupin after the Netflix TV show jewel thief — is still at large.
Radiohead’s left-wing group has a royalist. ‘Getting rid of the monarchy would just be a cosmetic change, and I don’t see France is any freer than we are,’ says guitarist Jonny Greenwood, who composed the score to the new Princess Diana biopic, Spencer.
‘The most liberal European countries, like the Scandinavians and Holland, all have monarchies. I’d rather have that than a “people’s president” in a palace.’
Greenwood might be called upon to play the gong during the New Year honors.
Obama was told to “buzz off” the day I…
Getting rid of dinner guests is a challenge for any host, but it’s even harder when your guest is leader of the free world.
George Osborne, former Chancellor of the United Kingdom has disclosed that Queen Elizabeth once requested him to inform Barack Obama about leaving a Buckingham Palace state banquet.
‘The Queen came up to me and said: “Will you tell the President it’s late and I want to go to bed,” ’ Osborne recalled to fellow alumni of St Paul’s school.
George Osborne was the former chancellor and recalled the time when the Queen demanded that he inform Barack Obama of his plans to go home. This came after a Buckingham Palace event. Pictured in 2011: Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama at Buckingham Palace
‘Barack Obama was having a great time, kind of knocking back vodka martinis with his mates, and I was, like: “Oh, my God, I’m going to be the person that has to go and tell him to go home.” ’
Obama may have got his revenge two years later, when at a G8 summit he repeatedly called Osborne ‘Jeffrey’.
Andy Serkis was a Middle-Earth gorilla in The Lord Of The Rings. He is determined to rediscover his Middle Eastern roots in real life.
‘My Dad was Iraqi, so I grew up in Baghdad, and holidayed there all the time,’ says Serkis, 57, who’s married to actress Lorraine Ashbourne.
At the launch of Christmas at Kenwood in North London, he tells me: ‘I’d love to go back to get in touch with my roots, but God knows when that will happen.’
We hope Caprice is still at home.
Caprice Bourret (over-sharing model) suggested this year that women have at least five minutes of sexual activity per day with their husbands in order to preserve their marriages.
But it’s not known what pearls of wisdom she offered fellow party-goers at the 20th anniversary bash for charity mothers2mothers at Outernet London.
Pictured are Jacqui Ainsley-Ritchie, Caprice Bourret, and Andrea Rajacic at the mothers2mothers Gala at Outernet London on 12/12/2021.
Here, Caprice, 50, is pictured, centre, with film director Guy Ritchie’s wife, Jacqui, 40, left, and Bosnian model Andrea Rajacic, 35, who’s married to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.
As Laura Kuenssberg resigned from her position as BBC political editor in April, many ambitious journalists pulled out their CVs.
One favourite is Sky’s Beth Rigby, famed for her glossy black bob and bright red lipstick.
She signed with Kuenssberg’s agent Mary Greenham who represents Nick Robinson and Andrew Marr.
Tom’s peak cash
Tom Hardy plays Alfie Solomons, a mercurial boss of the mob in Peaky Blinders. He knows how to make it big.
I can reveal the Hollywood star, 44, made a staggering £5.8 million profit last year at the business through which he channels his earnings, 33 1/3rd.
Newly released figures disclose that his company now has a net worth of £7.7 million.
Hardy — who lives in South-West London with his wife, fellow Peaky Blinders actress Charlotte Riley, most recently starred in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which has taken more than £300 million since its release in September.
British food menus continue to include foie gras
When celebrated chef Richard Corrigan was summoned for urgent talks with Government officials, he thought it could be for advice on what to serve at a state banquet, seeing as he’s cooked for the Queen.
Instead, the owner of Mayfair restaurants Bentley’s and Corrigan’s said the Defra civil servants demanded that he take foie gras off his menus, even though the delicacy is completely legal.
The Government is consulting on a ban on its import and sale, after a campaign by prominent figures including Boris Johnson’s wife, Carrie, and minister Lord (Zac) Goldsmith.
Chef Richard Corrigan (pictured) has refused to remove foie gras from his menus despite being summoned for urgent talks with Government officials who are considering banning it
‘I’m going into hiding with my foie gras,’ Corrigan tells me over cocktails at Soma bar in Soho. ‘I’m just going to tell the food police it’s a premium ingredient people want and I’m not taking it off my menu.’
Although production in France was outlawed in 2006, shops and high-end restaurants import it from France.
Mandarins would like to find out why Corrigan sells this delicacy. It is made from forcing poultry to be fed until they become fatty and rich.
The BBC Great British Menu judge says: ‘It’s absolutely ridiculous. People will bring it back in suitcases if it’s banned anyway. There’ll be a black market.’
Amanda asks God for forgiveness from her husband
Known for having ‘the longest legs in Belgravia’, Amanda Cronin wants to be famed for her grace instead.
She credits her faith in helping her forgive Mark Daeche energy tycoon, which she separated from in 2019.
Pictured is Amanda Cronin (former model) at an exclusive Nobu dinner party to unveil her new Amanda Caroline Beauty skin care line. It was held in London, December 1, 2021.
‘I go to church now,’ she tells me at her skincare range launch party at Nobu Portman Square. ‘I pray for him. Divorce wasn’t my choice.’
Amanda, 53, admits at her party: ‘There are a lot of people I’ve been on dates with in this room — they all showed up.’
Awkward.