Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce in The Crown season five
(Picture: PA)There’s been a slew of bad headlines about the upcoming season of The Crown, but its star, Imelda Staunton, right, is unfazed. “All the hullaballoo around at the moment”, she says, “is directly as a result of the Queen’s death.”
Staunton will play the Queen in season five, out next Wednesday, which is expected to cover the death of Princess Diana and the Windsor Castle fire.
It has already been criticised for its portrayal of Queen Elizabeth and the then Prince of Wales, with detractors including Dame Judi Dench and former PM Sir John Major.
“I think people are still very sensitive towards the royal family,” says Staunton. “And understandably so. There’s not a lot we can do about that.”
Staunton is the third actor to play the Queen in the Netflix series, after Olivia Colman and Claire Foy.
Save the hedgehogs, pleas Fogle
Nature-loving broadcaster Ben Fogle has made a surprising alliance with Sonic the Hedgehog. With the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, they’re on a mission to save the humble hog at this perilous time of year — they tend to nest in bonfires. “If there was one animal that represented Britain, it would be the hedgehog,” Ben tells us. “If you are going to build a bonfire, make sure you check it for hedgehogs!”
Rishi gets a ticking off from his old boss
Rishi Sunak has received a stark warning from his former boss. Not Boris Johnson but Kuti Miah, owner of Kuti’s Brasserie, the restaurant in Southampton where the PM worked as a teenager. “Times are tough at his old workplace,” says Mr Miah. “Rising prices have made it difficult for this place to break even. In 42 years this is the hardest time I’ve gone through.”
I’m too old for Bond, says Dominic West
As speculation about the next James Bond rolls on, Dominic West has ruled himself out. “I’m too long in the tooth for Bond,” says the 53-year-old. Might he face off against 007? “I’d love to play a villain,” he tells The Oldie. Despite the brush- off, West is still an international man of mystery. When asked for his travel tips, he said: “If the Government advises against it, it’s probably a good idea.”
Last night in town
Anthony Joshua launched JD Sports’ Christmas ad last night while train geek Francis Bourgeois celebrated his book in the Transport Museum (he says there’s a karaoke machine in one of the trains). Models Mary Charteris and Emma Weymouth toasted Kurt Geiger and Grayson Perry dined at the British Museum. Joely Richardson supported refugee group Choose Love.
