Having survived a brave battle with cancer herself, Sarah Beeny has a message of hope for the Princess of Wales.
‘I feel really sorry for Kate, but treatment now is so much better than it used to be,’ the Property Ladder presenter tells me.
‘A lot of our fears are based on having lost someone we love ten or 20 years ago, but medicine has moved on so much since — it’s a completely different picture.’
Catherine, 42, revealed in a moving video message in March that she was in the early stages of treatment after a cancer diagnosis. She said it was a ‘huge shock’ after an ‘incredibly tough couple of months’. Details of the cancer have not been disclosed.
Sarah, 52, who shares the same birthday as Catherine, January 9, revealed her breast cancer diagnosis in 2022 and, after gruelling chemotherapy treatment and a double mastectomy, was given the all-clear by doctors last April.
She memorably posed for the cover of the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine with a shaved head, saying cancer patients were often ‘ashamed’ to go bald.
Cancer survivor Sarah Beevy has a message of hope for the Princess of Wales
Catherine, 42, revealed in a moving video message in March that she was in the early stages of treatment after a cancer diagnosis
She tells me that deciding to ‘walk around with a bald head made it easier’. Speaking at a London event for Dettol’s GermWare range of copper antibacterial items, she says: ‘Losing your hair as a woman, if you look back through history, is often a punishment, so it feels disempowering.’
The presenter, who left London for Somerset in 2019 with her husband, artist Graham Swift, and their sons, praises Catherine for speaking out.
‘I’m really impressed because she will raise a huge amount of awareness for people who maybe are a bit worried but won’t go to the doctor.’
She adds: ‘The future is really bright; it’s not something to be remotely scared of later on. Early diagnosis is the key.’
Rare sighting of snapper Bailey
Rarely seen these days, Swinging Sixties icon David Bailey visited Arlington, Jeremy King’s new restaurant in St James’s, London, this week.
Although increasingly frail, the celebrated photographer, 86, who was accompanied by his wife, Catherine Dyer, could be seen admiring the art deco interiors of the building, which used to house Le Caprice.
He seemed particularly captivated by the walls, which are decorated with black-and-white portraits of famous faces such as Mick Jagger, Michael Caine and Twiggy.
The photographer who took them? David Bailey, of course.
Not sure this will make Feltz warm to ex’s lover…
Vanessa Feltz is said to have made a swift exit when finding herself at the same events as her ex-fiance, Ben Ofoedu and his new girlfriend, Precious Muir.
Now, Precious, 33, has words of comfort for the former Radio 2 star, 62.
Model Precious Muir, who is now the girlfriend of Vanessa Feltz’s ex-fiance Ben Ofoedu remarked that ‘love is unfair’ and she was happy to be at the same events as her
‘Love is unfair,’ the model declares of Feltz. ‘She may have seen us and left. We’re happy to be at events with her — hopefully, we can speak to each other at least.’
Speaking at the launch of Nativo Show at Inca London restaurant, she says of Ofoedu, 52, who was with Feltz for 17 years: ‘I can imagine what it must feel like to see someone you’ve been with for years now dating someone else — it’s not easy.’
Precious adds: ‘There’s the age difference. I’m much younger than her, maybe that’s a factor as well. I hope she finds somebody that she could fall in love with as well — it’s sad what happened.’
No doubt Vanessa will be touched.
Mick: We won’t bore fans with new songs
Sir Mick Jagger promises that the Rolling Stones won’t try the patience of fans by playing too many songs from their new album, Hackney Diamonds, on their latest tour.
‘It’s easier in a smaller place to play new songs,’ says the 80-year-old singer
‘It’s more difficult with a stadium crowd because they want to hear, you know, ‘Oh, I’ve come here to hear Paint It, Black’ ‘When are they gonna play Honky Tonk Women?’ We’re doing three [new songs].
‘I’d love to put some others in, but there’s only so much you can do in a stadium. It’s about all the audience can really take.’
Sir Michael Palin (right) joined John Cleese and Terry Gilliam to celebrate Palin’s ‘181st birthday and 195th travel book’
He has, in his time, forced down cat-and-snake soup, not to mention maggots, beetles and a Peruvian wine fermented in saliva.
So Sir Michael Palin got off lightly this week when he joined John Cleese and Terry Gilliam for a special occasion.
‘An 18ft Python celebrates Palin’s 181st Birthday and 195th Travel Book,’ Cleese cheekily captioned this snap, taken by Gilliam’s daughter, Holly, of the London reunion which marked Palin turning 81.