SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Tragedy as Old Etonian star of hip-hop dies aged just 35 

By the time he was in his mid-20s, he’d blazed a trail through Glastonbury and other festivals as half of aristocratic electronica duo The Correspondents, as they earned the accolade ‘the kings of hip-hop swing’.

But today, family, friends and fans are in mourning for Tim Cole — or ‘DJ Chuckles’, as he was known in his on-stage persona — after his tragically sudden death on Sunday at the age of just 35.

Cole, who formed The Correspondents with fellow Old Etonian Ian Bruce — ‘Mr Bruce’ — and had performed with Lily Allen, among others, was at his parents’ South London home when he apparently suffered a heart attack.

‘The family are terribly distressed,’ a friend tells me.

So will be all those who witnessed Cole and Bruce in action — including perhaps their most improbable fan, Michael Gove, who declared himself ‘strangely addicted’ to their ‘eccentric’ music which took old swing tracks from the 1920s and 1930s in a divertingly new direction, threading them with electro and drum ‘n’ bass.

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Family, friends and fans are in mourning for Tim Cole — or ‘DJ Chuckles’, as he was known in his on-stage persona — after his tragically sudden death on Sunday at the age of just 35

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Cole, who formed The Correspondents with fellow Old Etonian Ian Bruce — ‘Mr Bruce’ — and had performed with Lily Allen, among others, was at his parents’ South London home when he apparently suffered a heart attack

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Cole, who formed The Correspondents with fellow Old Etonian Ian Bruce — ‘Mr Bruce’ — and had performed with Lily Allen, among others, was at his parents’ South London home when he apparently suffered a heart attack

Cole’s death will sadden David Cameron, who shared family connections with the musician. Cole’s great uncle, wartime hero and sporting baronet Sir William ‘Bill’ Dugdale, was also the former prime minister’s uncle.

But the stylish Cole had no interest in straitjacketed convention nor in harping on about his landed connections. 

Instead, he developed his talents as a DJ and musician at Leeds University while ‘tinkering’ with hip-hop, jazz and dance, before teaming up with old school friend Ian Bruce to form The Correspondents.

Together, they created music which, as one critic put it, was ‘great to dance to’ and which earned them the accolade from another of being one of the Top Ten Highlights of Glastonbury.

Who pipped Piper to top TV roles? 

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: She's one of Britain’s most familiar faces, but Billie Piper claims she’s been forced to move into directing because the same five actresses win all the best television parts instead of her

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: She’s one of Britain’s most familiar faces, but Billie Piper claims she’s been forced to move into directing because the same five actresses win all the best television parts instead of her

She’s one of Britain’s most familiar faces, but Billie Piper claims she’s been forced to move into directing because the same five actresses win all the best television parts instead of her.

Secret Diary Of A Call Girl star Billie, 38, declines to name the busy quintet but says: ‘I’ve found it hard to be an actress for hire, who wasn’t considered for certain parts because I wasn’t in the group of the five actresses that gets cast for absolutely everything in this country. That p***ed me off.’

Her frustration led to her making her directorial debut with the well-received ‘anti romcom’ film Rare Beasts, in which she also starred. 

She now plans to be in the director’s chair for the long haul. ‘I hope I can continue to create my own stuff, but I just don’t know how it’s going to work with bloody Covid.’

Come on, Billie, name the famous five! 

Tiggy’s brother aims for post-Covid bounce

Few people are more infuriated by the Welsh lockdown than Princes William and Harry’s old friend Harry Legge-Bourke.

The brother of the princes’ former nanny, Tiggy, who runs Glanusk Park, near Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons, claims it will wreak havoc on business.

‘It will have a devastating effect,’ he tells me between contacting disappointed clients to tell them they cannot currently stay at his 16,000-acre estate with its holiday cottages and caravan park. 

‘It’s unfortunate timing towards half-term, but the [Welsh] government has to take these measures for the greater good of the population, the NHS, and Wales. We’ll have to tighten the belt and try to be clever going forward. We’ll come back bouncing.’ 

Claudia’s all dolled up to be a Barbie 

Claudia Schiffer

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Often described as a ‘real-life Barbie’ thanks to her long legs and blonde hair, now Claudia Schiffer actually is one

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Often described as a ‘real-life Barbie’ thanks to her long legs and blonde hair, now Claudia Schiffer actually is one

Often described as a ‘real-life Barbie’ thanks to her long legs and blonde hair, now Claudia Schiffer actually is one.

The toy doll company has created two versions of the German supermodel to mark her 50th birthday, including one that recreates a Balmain dress Claudia wore in 2016. 

‘You’re never too old to play with Barbie, especially when you have amazing outfits like Balmain,’ says Claudia, who is married to British film director Matthew Vaughn. 

‘So cool.’ 

Portraitist Howard Morgan, who has died of a heart attack aged 71, was generous to a fault. 

On being paid for a painting of Waterloo, for the current Duke of Wellington, he took 30 friends to Green’s, run by the Duchess of Cornwall’s ex brother-in-law, Simon Parker Bowles.

A pal tells me: ‘He spent almost his entire cheque on dinner.’ 

Gaiman plots a way home

Best-selling author Neil Gaiman, who hit the headlines after breaching lockdown rules to travel 11,000 miles to his home in the Hebrides, is desperate to return to his family in New Zealand now the temperature’s dropping. But will New Zealand want him back?

‘Nights are getting longer, here on Skye, and the sun sets noticeably earlier, week to week,’ wails Gaiman, who wrote Good Omens with the late Terry Pratchett.

Gaiman, 59, left his wife and son in Auckland in May and flew back to his home on the Isle of Skye via Los Angeles and London. ‘I wasn’t able to get back to them, as only New Zealanders are allowed in. That’s loosening up, and the New Zealand immigration authorities are starting to permit families to reunite.’ 

Caroline Quentin has a secret weapon as she tries to win the Strictly Glitterball — Liz Hurley. 

‘Before Strictly came along, I was filming with Elizabeth and discovered she’s a huge fan of the show,’ says Quentin. 

‘She gave some advice: ‘Darling, what you mustn’t do is blow everything in one go. Try really hard but don’t give too much away at the start. Keep your powder dry.’ If we’re allowed guests, I’d love her to be one of mine.’