A New Chapter for John Standing
During a career spanning more than 60 years, John Standing has shared the screen with legends such as Laurence Olivier and Peter O’Toole. More recently, he has become familiar to a younger generation as Captain Imbert-Terry in Netflix’s The Crown. However, the 91-year-old actor is now stepping into what he calls the most significant role of his life: caring for his wife, Sarah.
Sarah, who is 25 years younger than John, is currently battling cancer for the third time. Despite her illness, she remains positive and grateful for the support she receives from her husband. “John has been amazing,” she says. “It’s a lot for him – he’s 91. I should be the one taking care of him. But life has a funny way of spinning on a sixpence. He’s been making me laugh and doing endless jigsaws with me and going on short walks.”
Standing was relieved when Sarah was given the all-clear in 2023, but her recent diagnosis of aggressive large B-cell lymphoma has brought back painful memories. This variant of non-Hodgkin lymphoma previously affected her, and she has written about her first battle with cancer in her memoir, Dancing With The Red Devil, during lockdown.
Despite the challenges, Sarah remains upbeat, emphasizing that her illness is treatable. She also finds strength in her friendship with TV presenter Trisha Goddard, who is battling stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. “She’s my great cancer buddy,” Sarah says. “When you’re on steroids, the nights are long. So we speak to each other at least twice a week.”
In addition to Trisha, Sarah has the unwavering support of her younger daughter, Tilly. “She’s come to every appointment with me,” she adds. “I feel very fortunate.”
Strictly Needs Female Hosts, Says Ex-Judge
Strictly is facing a major shake-up following the departure of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. The show’s producers are reportedly considering adding a male co-host to refresh the format. Names like Rylan Clark, Bradley Walsh, and pro dancer Johannes Radebe have been mentioned as potential candidates.
However, former judge Bruno Tonioli has voiced his concerns. At a West End charity gala, he said, “I think it will be better for them to find two women to replace Tess and Claudia because what I liked is that you had these two women holding the show. It was empowering to watch and that’s what Strictly should be. Having Tess and Claudia together on the show made it quite special.”
Yasmin Le Bon’s Scary Midnight Encounter
Model Yasmin Le Bon admits that being married to Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon for over 40 years hasn’t always been glamorous or safe. She recalls one terrifying encounter with a fan in New York. “There was one time in a 24-hour deli late at night, there was a particular character, and I did think: ‘Oh no, this is it, this is going to be the end – in a Korean deli at midnight. I’m going to get macheted. She’s going to realise I’m the person that stands between her and her true love.'”
Mike Amesbury’s Downfall and Rebuilding
Mike Amesbury lost the Labour whip and resigned as an MP after punching a man during a heated row in his Cheshire constituency. He was later convicted of common assault and briefly imprisoned. The incident also led to the end of his marriage to social worker Amanda Perraton, with whom he shares a son.
“I lost everything, my career, my good reputation, our family home. And just before Christmas, the end of an 18-year marriage,” he reveals in his blog. Now, at 56, Amesbury is attempting to rebuild his life. “I’m trying to slowly gain more work. Trying to make sense of a world that doesn’t easily forgive.”
Alice Naylor-Leyland’s 40th Birthday Celebration
Mayfair fire wardens might have had their work cut out for Alice Naylor-Leyland at her 40th birthday party at Harry’s private member’s club in London. The socialite blew out a triple-tiered cake with a cluster of wildly blazing candles.
“This is 40,” wrote Alice alongside a photo she posted online. Attendees included film director Emerald Fennell, model Poppy Delevingne, and DJ Lady Mary Charteris, who said she was honoured to be in her “birthday gang.” Also present was Alice’s husband, Tom Naylor-Leyland, heir to the £176 million Fitzwilliam land-owning fortune.
Nicola Coughlan’s Unwise Move
Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan might be a vision in corsets on screen, but her dance moves on the set of The Magic Faraway Tree left her co-star Simon Farnaby less than enchanted. She tells me at a screening of the film at BFI Southbank in London: “Simon said: ‘Feel free to improvise.’” However, the routine then fell flat with Farnaby, 53, who also wrote the screenplay. She admits: “He was like: ‘You know that dancing you’re doing… it’s really annoying. Don’t do that.'”
Charles Dance’s Thoughts on Acting Advice
Despite having a career spanning over 50 years, Charles Dance shuns the idea of dishing out acting advice to his younger counterparts. The Game Of Thrones star, 79, said on the stage at Advertising Week Europe: “It’s a bit arrogant to think you know it all just because you’re ‘a senior’. But if they asked [for acting tips], then yes.”
