With Hollywood stars flown in by the dozen, and footage screened around the world, the Bafta awards are the highlight of the British film industry’s calendar.
The BBC screens it annually as one of its most distinguished events. I hear, however, that the Corporation’s deal to televise the prime-time ceremony could be in jeopardy because of Bafta president Prince William’s deep disillusionment with the BBC.
He is said to have been horrified by BBC2 documentary The Princes And The Press, presented by Amol Rajan, a self-declared republican who had called the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ‘total frauds’ and joked about how he wanted to hurl bricks at them.
I hear the Corporation’s deal to televise the prime-time ceremony could be in jeopardy because of Bafta president Prince William’s deep disillusionment with the BBC
William was accused of telling the media that Prince Harry had been killed. The Royal Family was also angered by the BBC’s refusal to let the Royal Households view the series in advance. By contrast, Harry and Meghan’s lawyer was invited to appear extensively.
‘All of His Royal Highness’s collaborations with the BBC are now being questioned,’ a courtier tells me. ‘He doesn’t see why he should help the BBC when it treats him and his family with contempt.’
William already prohibited the broadcaster to show a Christmas concert that Catherine hosted at Westminster Abbey. A delighted ITV will broadcast it.
The documentary shocked some top BBC officials. ‘It should never have been made,’ a source tells me. ‘Rajan is an inexperienced broadcaster who has been given far too much power too quickly.’
He is said to have been horrified by BBC2 documentary The Princes And The Press, presented by Amol Rajan, a self-declared republican who had called the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ‘total frauds’ and joked about how he wanted to hurl bricks at them
William was accused of telling the media that Prince Harry had been killed. The Royal Family was also angered by the BBC’s refusal to let the Royal Households view the series in advance. By contrast, Harry and Meghan’s lawyer was invited to appear extensively
Rajan, 38, was editor of the Left-leaning Independent until the newspaper’s print edition was axed in 2016.
That year, he was taken on by the BBC as media editor and is now paid up to £250,000 per year, with his many roles including co-presenter of Radio 4’s flagship Today programme.
Bafta spokesperson confirms the broadcast of the ceremony on BBC1 on March 1, but declined to say whether it will continue to partner with the Corporation.
The Kensington Palace spokesperson declined to comment. However, a royal source insists: ‘Bafta’s broadcast partner doesn’t have any bearing on the Duke’s schedule.’
TV’S Kirstie Allsopp, who presides over endless Christmas crafting shows filmed at her lavishly decorated homes, reveals in real life she hasn’t spent the festive season in this country in ages, instead decamping to sunnier climes.
‘I haven’t had Christmas in the UK for years, as it just gets too much,’ she admits. ‘I have done Christmas already — in the show.’
‘It’s karma’: Albert ex’s verdict on ill Charlene
Poor Princess Charlene of Monaco has withdrawn from public life as she recovers from ‘exhaustion, both emotional and physical’, but her stepson’s mother, Nicole Coste, has precious little sympathy.
‘I don’t care what’s going on with her,’ Nicole tells me at a party in Marylebone. ‘Why should I?’
Former Air France stewardess Nicole, 49, has an 18-year-old son, Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste, with Charlene’s husband, Prince Albert, 63. ‘Everything that is happening to her is karma,’ claims Nicole, who has not forgiven ex-Olympic swimmer Charlene, 43, for allegedly putting Alexandre in the palace’s staff wing before her £53 million wedding in 2011.
This summer, Nicole and her son were invited to one of the highlights of Monaco’s social scene, the Red Cross Ball, while Charlene was being treated for a mysterious illness 5,000 miles away in her native South Africa.
‘The people in Monaco love me more than they do Charlene,’ she claims. ‘They really love and respect me.’ Nicole adds that she remains ‘close’ to Albert, with whom she had a six-year clandestine relationship. ‘I have known this man for 25 years,’ she says.
Emily dares to gong in 70s Sci-Fi gear
She’s out of this world! Newsnight star Emily Maitlis looked like she’d dressed as a Star Trek extra when she turned up at the Sky Women in Film and TV Awards in Mayfair yesterday.
As she won an award for her famous interview with Prince Andrew (which led to him withdrawing from public life in 2019), the 51-year old broadcaster was dressed in a shiny silver gown and white go-go shoes.
‘The outfit’s recycled from a 1970s themed birthday bash of my best friend,’ she confides to me. Sam McAlister, Maitlis’ producer, was jointly awarded the BBC News/Factual prize.
‘I am so thrilled to be given this award that recognises the contribution producers make,’ McAlister tells me.
The ceremony took place at Park Lane’s Hilton Hotel, from which you can view Buckingham Palace gardens.
It makes me wonder if McAlister and Maitlis sneaked up on the scene later with some Martinis and binoculars to get their next scoop.
Georgia Homesick May Return to Britain
Sir Mick Jagger’s daughter can’t get no satisfaction in America.
Georgia May Jagger was a model who left Britain to live in New York with Louis Levy, an American restaurateur.
But now the 29-year-old reveals she’s returned to Blighty for good, after her romance with Levy, 31, fizzled out.
‘I’ve moved back here and have been back a couple of months,’ Georgia tells me at a fashion bash in Kensington, West London.
‘I missed my friends and the British sense of humour, which is very different from the American sense of humour.’
Georgia had been dating 21-year-old Texan skateboarder Cambryan Sedlick since splitting up with Levy, but it’s not clear if he’s joining her here. His sense of humor is probably the most important thing.
Where? Stanley Baxter, who was 90 years old at the time, lamented his loneliness as his friends had passed him by. The comedian now lives in North London and has found his constant companion, Miss Marple’s Julia McKenzie, five years later. According to my sources, she often travels from Mayfair to deliver fresh crab, his favorite meal.
A friend tells me: ‘Julia used to take Stanley to The Wolseley restaurant but now she comes to him.’
The confession of the Week
Marco Pierre White, who became a household name as head chef on ITV show Hell’s Kitchen, has made a surprising admission: he hates television.
Indeed, he has so little interest in the gogglebox he won’t have one in his home. ‘I don’t watch TV,’ the former Michelin-starred cook tells me. ‘I don’t have a television in the house at all. No. I like radios.’
White clearly follows the example of Noel Coward, who once remarked: ‘Television is for appearing on — not for looking at.’
Supernova suggests taking a walk.
Fancy a stroll with a top model?
Natalia Vodianova, known as ‘Supernova’, is sick of people being obsessed with their phones so she’s organised a scheme to get strangers to meet up in person.
She’s created an app called Locals.Org to connect people who can then meet up in the real world.
‘Every single product and every single business of the future is trying to get us on to our phones,’ she tells me at the launch party at Joshua’s Tavern in London. ‘
I love hiking, so I invited 50 people to go on a hike together on Hampstead Heath.’
London’s venerable gentlemen’s clubs appear to be struggling to attract younger members. The Royal Automobile Club, in Pall Mall, which charges an initial £4,500 plus annual fees up to £1,958, has caused an outcry by slashing its discount for over-70s from 40 to 25 per cent.
‘They’re scaling back the benefits for the elderly because people are living longer,’ one member fumes. Can’t they get club president Prince Michael of Kent, 79, to raise some money from his Russian chums instead?
A crown star shows naked ambition
Dashing Tobias Menzies made hearts flutter as Prince Philip in Netflix hit The Crown.
Fans may now get to see even more of his work.
The actor, 47, tells me that he’s been inspired to strip off by Helena Bonham Carter’s toyboy.
Helena (55), was his sister-in law, Princess Margaret.
‘We are all friends,’ he tells me at a private gallery showing in London’s Soho. Helena’s boyfriend, Rye Dag Holmboe, 33, bared all recently for a show at the Victoria and Albert museum, involving a troupe of nude artists, writhing around.
This piqued the interest of Menzies, who reveals: ‘He showed me some materials from a very interesting piece of art he did in the V&A, he was naked with about 100 other people. I’d quite like to get involved with the naked art.’
Strictly star Neil Jones has a back-up plan for the day he’s forced to waltz away from the dancefloor.
‘I’m just about to start an apprenticeship as a tattoo artist,’ he tells me at a party in London’s Fitzrovia.
But don’t bother visiting him if you’re a sportsman or reality TV star wanting a vacuous inking.
‘It’s not just footballers, but people on Love Island and programmes like that who get tattoos with no meaning,’ he says. ‘If you’re going to get a tattoo, it’s going to be for life.’
Neil’s own life was thrown into disarray three years ago when his then wife, fellow Strictly pro Katya, was snapped kissing comedian Seann Walsh.