Honoured with a limited edition teddy to mark the 100th anniversary of her birth this week, the late Queen of course remains most famously associated with Paddington Bear, courtesy of their memorable sketch during the 2022 Platinum Jubilee.
Royal insiders however remind me that the monarch’s personal favourites were, in fact, Winnie-the-Pooh and the Daily Express’s very own Rupert Bear. On learning of Her Majesty’s affection for Rupert, teddy bear obsessive Gyles Brandreth once piped up: “Your Majesty, you know there are some people who think Rupert Bear isn't actually a bear at all...people think Rupert's actually a boy with a bear's head.”
The Queen sharply replied: “There are some things in life I think it's better not to know.”
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While the King’s theatrical favourites Kenneth Branagh and Mark Rylance are both knighted, fellow acting great Ralph Fiennes remains curiously overlooked.
When the matter is again brought up, Fiennes awkwardly chuckles: “I don’t know...I’m just happy being what I am.”
Surely high time?
Having first portrayed Peter Mandelson in 2015 TV drama Coalition, award-winning actor and writer Mark Gatiss acknowledges calls for him to play the disgraced politician once again.
Asked if he’ll accept, in-demand Gatiss cheekily responded this week: ”Depends if I'm free, love!”
With his silver wedding anniversary approaching, Succession star Brian Cox reflects: “It's not something that I ever expected...I've always been a sort of singular animal.”
Brian and German-born third wife Nicole, over 20 years his junior, adapt accordingly: as well as separate bedrooms in their two US homes, they live in different properties in London's Primrose Hill.
Returning to alter ego Basil’s hometown of Torquay for the first time in over 50 years, where he watched the touring production of Fawlty Towers (Danny Bayne now plays the unhinged hotelier), John Cleese strikes a patriotic note.
“I rather hope, if all the airfares go up, that people will stay in old British seaside resorts again,” Cleese enthuses.
Who better than Basil Fawlty to promote Torquay?
Weeks after pushy star Miriam Margolyes's excruciating encounter with Queen Camilla - she urged Camilla to let Charles know “we love him and to take no notice of anyone criticising him” - the actress declares: “By political conviction, I'm a socialist and a republican, but my life has, in some way, thrown the Royal Family at me - or maybe I've thrown myself at them.”
Methinks the latter, Miriam!
Fifty years since Sid James suffered a fatal heart attack on stage at the Sunderland Empire, locals maintain the Carry On star continues to haunt the venue.
Fellow comedy legend Les Dawson claimed to have been visited by Sid’s ghost in his Empire dressing room back in 1989, remarking: “Nothing would tempt me to return to that theatre...what I experienced in that dressing room will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
