SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Harry Potter film whizz will work his magic on Nobel Prize winner 

Having made millions after he secured the rights to J. K. Rowling‘s books about a child wizard, Harry Potter film producer David Heyman is now pinning his hopes on an artificial being who longs to find a human owner. I can disclose that Heyman has snapped up the rights to Sir Kazuo Ishiguro’s most recent novel … Read more

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Letters by Sir Sean Connery that reveal his very first love 

Sir Sean Connery‘s heart never really left his native Scotland — and, in particular, Edinburgh, the city of his birth and of his life before Bond and stardom. And now a hitherto unseen collection of private letters is being auctioned which will leave his admirers shaken, if not stirred, as they reveal how much Auld … Read more

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Gary Lineker’s little brother calls time on bar firm over £100k debt

Having trousered millions from licence fee payers over the years, couldn’t BBC star Gary Lineker lend his younger brother a few quid to settle his bills? I hear Wayne Lineker has put one of his bar businesses into administration £100,000 in debt. Duane International Ltd owes employees £9,530 in unpaid wages, with the rest owed … Read more

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Gym was a real tonic for Princess Diana, says her personal trainer

Princess Diana’s personal trainer, Jenni Rivett, had always vowed she would never speak publicly about her most famous client. But now she’s broken her silence, revealing the princess’s body battles, her workout routine and how she taught her to rollerblade. ‘We had a really great bond,’ Jenni says. ‘She liked the fact that I was … Read more

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Why is the Queen’s cousin cashing in?

The Queen has remained entirely above the fray sparked by the most recent series of The Crown — dismissed by the Prince of Wales’s old friend, Sir Nicholas Soames, as ‘lies and meanness, clearly intended to be a vile misrepresentation of the Royal Family’. But even HM’s legendary sang-froid may be tested by the forthcoming … Read more

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Poet Pam Ayres’ big scare after raid by armed gang

With her distinctive Berkshire accent, rosy cheeks and humorous verse, Pam Ayres conjures up a cheerful image for her many fans. In real life, however, the poet has revealed that she’s haunted by a terrifying incident that she witnessed outside her home. Asked what keeps her awake at night, Ayres, who was dubbed the People’s … Read more

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Caroline Stanbury kicks off a prenup with her football star fiancé 

Who says romance is dead? Having got engaged to a footballer 18 years her junior, Prince Andrew’s pal, Ladies Of London star Caroline Stanbury, is taking no chances second time around. I can reveal that the 44-year-old, who recently accepted a proposal from the former Real Madrid player, Sergio Carrallo, 26, has asked him for … Read more

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Financier Rich Ricci can only get richer if he wins High Court case

He has amassed a £100 million fortune and owns a country house with its own vineyard, not to mention a string of star racehorses. But that doesn’t mean that the aptly named financier Rich Ricci is prepared to turn a blind eye to a late payment — even if it’s only a few days overdue. … Read more

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Kenya believe it? Dominic West is off to the sun

Just days after being snapped canoodling in Rome with the lissom Lily James last autumn, Dominic West put on a very public display of marital harmony, parading with his wife Catherine outside their home. But the swashbuckling Old Etonian actor is not a man to be pinned down for long. He has, I can disclose, … Read more

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Joan Collins calls in the police as maskless men swarm her flat 

Even the great and good are struggling during lockdown. I hear that Dame Joan Collins contacted the police yesterday after being confronted by the sight of scaffolders with no face coverings climbing all over her flat in London‘s Belgravia. ‘Woke up to find two workmen on my balcony not wearing masks and several of them … Read more