You might imagine Sarah Ferguson would be untouchable, commercially, given the stream of revelations about her friendship with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Yet I hear Ferguson has been entertaining offers for big–money speaking engagements – or was, at least until Thursday's news of the arrest of her ex–husband, the former Prince Andrew.
Exchanges between her and an agent this month show she was hoping to net a fee of £150,000 plus all expenses (including two first–class flights) for a talk later this year.
I understand there's no official deal between Ferguson and the agency Yrds, founded by her friend, the sports presenter Natalie Pinkham. The agency says it has not represented her since last summer. But after initially denying all knowledge of a deal, Yrds did concede yesterday it had 'passed on' an offer to her.
It can also be revealed that while her ex, Andrew Mountbatten–Windsor, is no longer styled a prince, and she stopped using her 'Duchess of York' title on official documents in October, Fergie is still using her old email – which includes 'D of Y' standing for the title.
A spokesman for Ferguson did not respond to a request for comment.
Andrew went into exile on the King's Sandringham Estate two weeks ago, having vacated Royal Lodge at Windsor – his home since 2004. It was from the Sandringham Estate that he was taken into custody yesterday – his 66th birthday – by police probing misconduct in public office, with allegations about his conduct while a UK trade envoy.
It is not known where Ferguson is living at the moment, with some friends saying she is in the UK, others that she is in Portugal (where daughter Eugenie has a home) and still others saying she is in the UAE.
Ferguson has not been seen since the last tranche of Epstein files were released, including exchanges between her and Epstein dated after June 2008, when he was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a child.
In the wake of the revelations, six companies linked to her are being wound down. According to Companies House, an application to strike off each firm was filed after the extent of her relationship with Epstein came to light.
Ferguson, 66, was sole director of the six companies: S. Phoenix Events, Fergie's Farm, La Luna Investments, Solamoon Ltd, Philanthrepreneur Ltd and Planet Partners Productions Limited.
Earlier this month, her charity Sarah's Trust announced it would close 'for the foreseeable future'.
Was making The Roses a thorny experience? Olivia Colman says she wanted to give up acting because of the film she made before her new release Jimpa.
She told Variety: 'I had just done a job where I really didn't see eye to eye with the director … It made me go: 'I don't want to do this.' '
The film before would appear to be The Roses, directed by Jay Roach. Interestingly, Colman doesn't seem to have mentioned him by name once on its press tour.
Making the BAFTAs bearable
You can keep your Leos and your Timothées – a real icon will be on stage at the EE BAFTA Film Awards this Sunday, in the furry form of Paddington Bear.
Paddington, recently immortalised in three films, will present the Children's and Family Film category at the ceremony. Contenders include Arco, Boong, Lilo & Stitch and Zootropolis 2.
Sadly the smash hit KPop Demon Hunters is not in the running as Netflix didn't give it a qualifying run in movie theatres in the UK before it went on the streaming service.
Sunday night's event is one of the biggest in the British showbusiness calendar, and seen as a useful barometer for the Oscars in March. Timothée Chalamet is favoured to beat Leonardo DiCaprio to best actor, for his role in Marty Supreme – but Leo's movie One Battle After Another is fancied for best film and best director. We'll see what there is for much–nominated Sinners, which was not nearly as big a hit in Europe as it was in the US.
Meanwhile Sandra Hüller –of Zone Of Interest and Anatomy Of A Fall – looks set for a stellar 2026. Her film Rose premiered at Berlin to raves; and the German actress also stars in Digger with Tom Cruise, set for Cannes in May; and in Ryan Gosling's Project Hail Mary, on course to be a summer blockbuster.
Hey teacher, leave that kid alone
Industry star Marisa Abela was disconcerted to be contacted by an old school teacher who wanted to praise her performance in the sexually charged BBC series.
She said: 'For me, it's mostly old teachers that I find very difficult. My old history teacher actually messaged me on Facebook and was like: "I saw Industry... Bravo!" 'And I was like: "That's so weird. That is so weird."'
She added that she is 'incredibly proud' of the show. Its fourth season started streaming in January.
Just call me Priyanka (insists Mrs Jonas)
She's proudly been Priyanka Chopra Jonas since marrying pop star Nick Jonas in 2018, but the Indian actress is ringing the changes.
I hear that she has officially requested that she be called simply 'Priyanka' in future — something that happened for the first time on Tuesday, at the LA launch of the Amazon film The Bluff.
Priyanka, 43, joins other mononymous stars like Madonna and Beyonce in the one–and–done club.
With the second series of her mega–budget Amazon series Citadel out later this spring, she's riding high as an action star – gracing the cover of showbiz bible Variety this week.
And there is even a hint from her that she hopes to be part of the reboot of the James Bond franchise, which has passed out of the control of the Broccoli family and into the hands of Priyanka's long–term friends and supporters at Amazon.
Asked about Bond she tells Variety: 'It could be truly global now, yeah … I'd be really curious to see what lane they pick.'
That's as heavy a hint as you are likely to get from anyone close to the process.
Once crowned Miss World, Priyanka was the highest–paid actress in India before moving to the US aged 30 and starting again.
She is now hugely successful in Hollywood, too, appearing in last year's action thriller Heads Of State alongside John Cena and Idris Elba.
In The Bluff, which launches on Amazon on Wednesday next week, she plays a sword–wielding mother fending off pirates in the Caribbean.
It is not lost on any executives that India is the fastest growing market for streaming in the world.
Priyanka lives in New York with Jonas and their four–year–old daughter, Malti.
The BBC is keeping schtum, but a number of sources tell me that actress Emily Atack has unexpectedly entered the frame to replace Tess Daly or Claudia Winkleman as one of the presenters of Strictly Come Dancing this year.
An announcement is expected fairly soon.
Sadness for the Phillips family as a film about The Mamas & The Papas has been green–lit – but it's based on a book from the family of Mama Cass Elliot; and not by singer Michelle Phillips.
The film, starring Baby Reindeer's Jessica Gunning as Mama Cass, is adapted from Owen Elliot–Kugell's memoir about her mother: My Mama, Cass. Michelle, who co–wrote the hit California Dreamin' with her husband John Phillips and is the last surviving member of the band, has been trying to get her own film project off the ground for about four years.
The Mamas & The Papas was formed by John and Michelle, who became his second wife at 18, along with Mama Cass and Denny Doherty. Relations were famously appalling, with Cass in love with Doherty, and Doherty having an affair with Michelle – who was then fired from the band (briefly) by John.
In interviews, Michelle has spoken about John's long history of drug abuse and domestic violence. His daughter Mackenzie said after his death that they had been in a decade–long incestuous relationship.
Train Dreams on track for an Oscar surprise
Is Train Dreams puffing into Oscars Central? The beautiful, meditative picture, made for just $10million, won best film at the Independent Spirit Awards this week – which is what Anora did last year, before going on to take the Best Picture Oscar.
While it's unlikely to topple front–runners One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme, Sinners or Hamnet in that category next month, many think it could snatch cinematography honours from other, bigger movies.
The film stars Aussie actor Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker living in the forests of the Pacific Northwest who suffers a family tragedy. It's based on a novella by Denis Johnson.
Edgerton, who lives in Hampstead, north–west London with his wife and twins, aged nearly five, says he has been deeply moved by the film's depiction of grief.
He calls it a 'small movie that speaks loudly'. He says: 'When [director] Clint [Bentley] and I had our first meeting, my kids, who are fussing around downstairs right now, were one–and–a–half–year–old twins.
'And, of course, I was so much more emotionally affected by the second read of the novella and then his adaptation, because of what happens to my character … dealing with loss.
'My brother said to me the other day: 'I was watching Train Dreams, and I felt like I was just watching you.'
'And I said: 'Well, that was the point.' My greatest fear now is all wrapped up in my kids; and so the challenge was going to work to put my brain in that headspace, because it didn't take much imagination to deal with those darker aspects of it – because they're always swirling around in the back of any parent's mind.'
Unlike Grainier, who spends months far from home felling trees, Edgerton says he has a rule that he comes back every two weeks to spend time with his children, whom he shares with magazine journalist wife Christine Centenera.
He says he loves to ride on the Heath with them; and will 'occasionally' take a dip in one of Hampstead's famous bathing ponds. 'I wouldn't say it's enjoyable, but I get something from it.'
