Troubled waters

All the same, to offer an interview to this ringmaster of sensationalism was surprising and ill thought through. She did not come across sympathetically at all and one has to wonder what on earth her lawyers, family and PR people were thinking about in setting up the interview.

The Kyle interview was puzzling enough but Maxwell’s brother, Ian, then staged the most extraordinary photographic scenario which he offered to the Saturday Telegraph. It was a rather comical image of two unknown people wearing face masks of Prince Andrew and his alleged American victim, Virginia Giuffre, lying together in a bath.

The bath was supposed to be the exact same one that had been used for one of their sexual encounters between the then 17-year-old Guthrie and Prince Andrew and the image was taken supposedly to prove that it was too small for hanky-panky.

Unfortunately, it proved nothing other than to show Ian to be either a fruitcake or utterly deluded. Evidently, he is so desperate to help his sister’s cause that he is prepared to become a media laughing stock. It’s a pitiful situation for Maxwell’s family, but I do wish these wealthy souls took sound advice from rational external parties before devising such bizarre japes. His actions have neither helped the case of Prince Andrew nor Ghislaine Maxwell. If anything, he’s made things a whole lot worse.

Funny bones

Many moons ago, when I ran my PR company in London’s Mayfair, the diarists on the national newspapers were vital to many of my clients. Most diary sections were fairly pithy and tongue in cheek and yet they served a useful purpose in helping to promote causes, events, people and products. I knew all the main diarists of my time and was often slipping them stories which benefited my clients.

The most celebrated were on the Telegraph, Times, Daily Mail, Express and Evening Standard but glossies also carried them. How those days have changed. Diarists are scarce these days, if they exist at all. So, what is the cause of their demise? I can only guess that it’s because we’ve all become so serious and politically correct that nothing would be allowed in print anymore.

I wouldn’t say the diaries were offensive, but they did knock egoists off their perches and weren’t afraid to poke fun at wealthy and star-studded buffoons. They could be mischievous too and loved to break news before its time. I miss the diaries and that sense of fun. I wonder if the media will ever recapture its funny bone?

Pay attention

A new trend has emerged among celebrated folk and it is a condition known as ADHD, which signifies attention deficit disorder. When my mother taught in special schools (as they were then known) in the state sector in London, she had many children with this condition, which was often unrecognised and left undiagnosed. ADHD in its more aggressive form can be very detrimental to children - and their families - meaning that they literally cannot sit still, concentrate and are often given to hyperactivity in the classroom and at home.

Now, a whole cast list of celebrities are claiming the condition from Heston Blumenthal to Ant McPartlin, Sue Perkins, Nadia Sawalha and Johnny Vegas. Really? And the symptoms? Apparently, these days they vary but often include being easily distracted, not answering text messages, turning up late for appointments, inappropriate behaviour – take the case of Brewdog boss, James Watt – and finding concentration difficult during the day. Sound familiar? Surely, these supposed symptoms could apply to many of us!

Doctors treat these vaguely diagnosed adults or celebs for this ‘neurobiological condition’ with amphetamine type drugs. The drugs are supposed to sharpen the senses and make one feel pretty good. No wonder everyone is jumping on the ADHD bandwagon. A great cop out for lazy or inappropriate behaviour and free drugs to boot. It makes me a bit cross because for many children it is a serious condition. I fear the weight of celebrity may well give it a dirty name.

Rust

The tragedy that happened on the film set of the Western, Rust, underlines the real danger of gun culture in the United States. Cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot dead accidentally by actor, Alec Baldwin, when he pulled the trigger of a prop gun loaded with real bullets. He is being charged with involuntary manslaughter in Santa Fe County, along with his armorer on the set.

How could this have happened? Why were there real bullets on the set? And why was the set so unsafe? There appear to be few answers. My heart goes out to Hutchins’ partner and child. She should never have died in this way and heads must roll.