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They were a golden couple for more than two decades, during which he won an Oscar for his portrayal of George VI in The King’s Speech and she led a passionate ecological crusade to stop companies from wasting scarce resources.
But now it looks like it’s all over for Colin and Livia Firth, some nine years after she embarked on an intense 11-month affair with fellow Italian Marco Brancaccia.
Although the Firths reconciled in 2016, they separated in 2019 and have now decided that even their professional relationship has come to an end, closing the company they co-founded in 1998, a year after their marriage.
But that poses an ethical dilemma for Livia, 55. She and Colin, 64, each owned a 50 per cent stake in the company Nana Ltd, which after paying all debts has just under £500,000 in its coffers. This will be shared between them.
While that amount of money may be a small thing to the actor, it’s far more important to Livia, not least because of the fate of her other company, Eco-Age, which hosted the annual Green Carpet Fashion Awards and was championed by the likes of Stella McCartney and Cate Blanchett.
Although the Firths reconciled in 2016, they split in 2019 and have now decided that even their professional relationship has come to an end.
Livia’s company, Eco-Age, hosted the annual Green Carpet Fashion Awards and was championed by the likes of Stella McCartney and Cate Blanchett.
“Tragically the company was attacked by criminals,” a heartbroken Livia explained on social media in August after the company went bust, owing creditors £1.2m and with assets of just £27,000.
“Although we tried, we have not been able to recover financially from the impact,” he added, explaining that with a police investigation underway he could not comment further but “hoped that justice would be served in due time.”
But that is little consolation to creditors in the US, Italy and New Zealand – or to those at home, including the British taxpayer: Eco-Age owed £351,000 to HM Revenue & Customs. Royal bankers Coutts are owed £337,000.
Livia has no legal obligation to refund any of them, as Eco-Age was a limited company. But as someone who has bravely fought against consumer greed, could you perhaps now save some of your windfall from the closure of your other business?
Alan as godfather? he is hired
The businessman, pictured, and his partner, Enas Daeki, an author and refugee advocate, are expecting their first child together.
Alan Sugar is known for firing candidates on his TV show The Apprentice, but now he could be presented with a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity: being godfather to former contender Tre Lowe’s offspring.
The businessman and his partner, Enas Daeki, an author and refugee advocate, are expecting their first child together and he tells me: “Lord Sugar would be a great godfather.”
The smart ones talk about… The royal solution to Harry and Meghan’s media mess
It turns out that Sheikha Abrar Khaled Al Sabah is also a member of the Kuwaiti royal family.
With their £80million deal with Netflix branded a ticking time bomb, Harry and Meghan may be looking for new opportunities in the entertainment industry.
And an exciting collaboration could well be on the cards, as the pair have piqued the interest of film producer Sheikha Abrar Khaled Al Sabah, who is also a member of the Kuwaiti royal family.
Abrar, who founded his own production company, Abbey’s Productions, in 2019, tells me at the El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt: “It would be a very nice union between European royalty and Arab royalty.” The mother of four adds: “It’s very exciting for us to be among a new generation of royals around the world where we can be normal and present our interests without forgetting our family tree.”
The businesswoman, who is passionate about enhancing the perception of the Arabian Gulf on screen, continues: “Everyone portrays us in a way that is not true, in reality we are different.
“So I’m trying to spread that message and change the ideas that people have (about) the Gulf.”
Bad reviews still hurt, says Isaacs
Jason Isaacs, 61, is still struggling to deal with harsh comments about his performances on social media.
His acting career spans nearly 40 years, including roles in the Harry Potter films and The Patriot.
But Jason Isaacs, 61, is still struggling to deal with harsh comments about his performances on social media.
“I read all my reviews and, tragically, now you can read the opinions of ten million people,” Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in JK Rowling’s Wizarding World, tells me. “I can read 9,999,999 brilliants, and some idiot can hurt me for months by telling me that my nose looks fake or that my accent stinks.”
Raising a glass to Churchill’s drink
In the mornings he sustained himself with whiskey, although he preferred Pol Roger when it came to champagne.
But it was over glasses of cognac that Winston Churchill sealed a peace agreement with Stalin at Potsdam in 1945.
Now one of his relatives, Robert Spencer Churchill, will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Potsdam Conference with ‘Maze Churchill’ cognac at £100 a bottle. The cognac comes from the vineyard owned by Robert’s wife, Jeanne Maze, granddaughter of Churchill’s French friend, Paul Maze.
The Countess says “see you later” to Althorp
Can anyone else match the poise of the current Countess Spencer?
I ask because Karen Villeneuve, born in Canada, as the countess was before becoming Earl Spencer’s third wife in 2011, revealed that this week “she had the pleasure of hosting a lunch at Althorp”, the magnificent ancestral seat of her husband. “It will probably be one of the last events I will organize here,” adds the countess.
In fact: She’s being sued for alleged misuse of private information by Cat Jarman, the blonde Scandinavian archaeologist who is now Earl Spencer’s mistress.
Fury over Bella boycott backsliding
Cher performs as model Bella Hadid walks the runway during the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show at Duggal Greenhouse.
Bella Hadid once defiantly said she was “not afraid of losing modeling jobs” because of her opposition to the Israeli occupation of Gaza.
As a result, the 28-year-old is facing a wave of scrutiny for participating in a Victoria’s Secret fashion show in New York last month.
One of the main suppliers of the lingerie giant’s stock was acquired by Israeli textile giant Delta Galil in 2019. Bella’s Palestinian-American father, real estate developer Mohamed Hadid, 75, defended her, telling me: ” “The criticism he has received has been unfair.” received,
as there is no doubt where their support lies.
Hadid, who is also the father of model Gigi, adds: “For me and my children it has not been a choice but an obligation to keep our voice about what is happening in Palestine.”
Lumley is feeling fabulously festive
Dame Joanna Lumley hopes to reunite with her Absolutely Fabulous bandmates on the airwaves in a Radio 4 special on Kirsty Wark’s The Reunion, which will air over Christmas.
‘I can’t wait to be in the same room with Julia Sawalha, Jane (Horrocks) and Jennifer (Saunders) again. We’ve all gone different paths, but the moment we get back together you can see this strange electricity,” Lumley says. “We know how Bubble would react and how Saffy would disapprove or what Edina or Patsy would say.”
(Very) modern manners
The model, 37, was seen carrying Buster, whose father is skateboarder Charlie Birch, 25, in a sling at a tot rave.
Most mothers still feel exhausted a month after having a baby, but heiress Alice Dellal, whose grandfather ‘Black Jack’ Dellal once blew £1.7 million in a Monte Carlo casino in a single night, is already back on the club scene with his newborn son. in tow.
The model, 37, could be seen carrying Buster, whose father is skateboarder Charlie Birch, 25, in a sling at a ‘tot rave’ at London’s Ministry of Sound nightclub, right.
Organizers say the music is “kept at safe levels, but still loud enough to dance to.”