Amidst England’s heart-wrenching World Cup loss, Sir Mick Jagger could be seen in his executive box in Atlanta, looking less than thrilled. The Rolling Stones legend is once more at the center of whispers that he’s a “football curse.” This notion, fueled by superstition, has haunted the avid football fan for years. Even former band member Bill Wyman has chimed in on this theory. Back in the 2014 tournament, Jagger switched his support to Brazil, only to face blame when the team suffered an astonishing 7-1 defeat to Germany. The episode compelled his Brazilian ex, Luciana Giminez, and mother of his son Lucas, to passionately come to his defense.
In the realm of sports and politics, Miriam Clegg, wife of former Deputy PM Sir Nick Clegg, saw her football enthusiasm reach new heights. As Spain advanced to the World Cup final against Argentina, Miriam cheekily remarked, “In football and in politics, the recipe is the same: when you put the best ones in, it works, and when you don’t, well, it doesn’t.” Was that a sly jab at her husband, Sir Nick?
Forget the footie, Kirstie’s kicking off
Kirstie Allsopp, the outspoken television presenter, joined England’s supporters in the US for the World Cup semi-final. Her journey to the stadium, however, wasn’t without drama. A heated dispute with the ticket company marred her day after her tickets failed to arrive hours before kickoff. Expressing her fury, Kirstie declared she would pursue a refund for the poor service: “I will be looking for a refund on the ‘fee’ you took for your terrible service!”
Hollywood name calling
In a whimsical turn of events, Jurassic Park’s beloved actor Sam Neill, who recently passed away at the age of 78, left a charming legacy on his New Zealand farm. Known for naming his animals after Hollywood stars, he humorously recalled the tale of Michael Fassbender, who was less than amused upon discovering his namesake was a farm cockerel.
Happy birthday to… Happy Birthday
Nearly half a century after the iconic 1980s hit “Happy Birthday” with her band Altered Images, Clare Grogan from Gregory’s Girl reminisces about resisting a financial windfall. She shared, “McDonald’s wanted to use it, but one of the co-writers is a very strict vegetarian,” revealing her commitment to principles over profits. “I’m never going to be rich, but I don’t care about that. I never got into it for the money.” Seems like Clare’s joy isn’t fueled by wealth after all!
Author Sasha Swire, who caused a stir in 2020 with controversial page-turner Diary of an MP’s Wife, recounts a recent run-in with Hugh Grant during a Notting Hill drinks bash. The writer says matters turned heated between the pair after she provocatively reminded Grant of his unsuccessful campaign to unseat East Devon’s Tory MP in 2019 (husband Lord Swire’s successor). Sasha writes in The Spectator that Hugh’s wife Anna eventually asked her to leave the conversation, but adds: “An hour later, as we were heading out of the party, Grant was standing by the exit. I couldn’t resist. ‘Bye-bye,’ I smiled. ‘And thanks for the diary entry.’” Rebuked by her own spouse when he later learnt of the rumpus, Sasha huffs: “Had my husband been a real man himself, he would have challenged him to pistols at dawn.”