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“Zoom’s a satanic invention to confound, baffle and torture us” – Debbie Harry |
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#1218 free newsletter every Thursday subscribe
09.01.25 email stories to hello@popbitch.com
* Colin Firth’s Grand Designs
* HNY Anna Delvey
* PLUS: XL Bullies on the Loose |
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>> Happy Huw Year << |
No More Careers Day |
New year, same old beeb, where the fallout from the Huw Edwards debacle continues.
There was much dismay among staff at New Broadcasting House this Christmas when they found out they were banned from bringing their kids to the office, even for a five minute visit, even with approval from their manager.
Cue tears at reception, where security were aggressively enforcing the no children rule.
Guess staff had missed this 10 December 2024 email:
“There is updated guidance on bringing Under 18s into BBC premises. In order to meet BBC Safety, Security and Safeguarding requirements, children (under 18 years) are not allowed on BBC sites unless they meet an official exemption.”
Oh well, any upset staff can always consult the ‘Support For You This Christmas Season’ page on BBC Gateway. Apparently, “Your wellbeing matters!” |
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Robert De Niro was so pale at school his nickname was Bobby Milk. |
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>> Romancing Anna << |
Call me by his name |
While the eyes of the world are on Kylie and Timothée, the rest of the Chalamets are finding love too.
Infamous scammer heiress Anna Delvey spent New Year’s Eve partying with Timothée’s cousin, the admittedly less sexily named… Haskell Flender. |
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Notices have gone up in Ealing regarding an application to build on a listed building in a conservation area (AC and
rooflights). Best of luck to Colin Firth. |
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>> Big Questions << |
Who’s showing off this week? |
Which prickly celebrity TV chef – yes, we still have celebrity TV chef gossip – used to give production staff on his show demonstrations of his nunchuck skills?It was supposedly meant to lift morale. Unfortunately he didn’t let anyone else touch the nunchucks. So it didn’t. |
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Australia’s answer to The Archers is rather brilliant
[Have a listen] |
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>> A Better Man << |
Doing it for the kids |
Robbie Williams’ chimp-fronted biopic is giving him some of the best reviews of his career.It’s fair to say we’ve never been the biggest Robbie fans, but we have to give our own good review when it’s due.
Back when Robbie first left London – partly to escape paparazzi hounding at the height of his fame – he lived in an unassuming little village, where he was a football coach for kids.
These coaching sessions were free, and Robbie refused any offer of payment.
The only thing he asked of the villagers was that none of them would disclose his whereabouts to the press. A bargain they held up until now. |
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Kemi Badenoch drinks her tea with evaporated milk and four sugars, and also loves Haribo Tangfastics. |
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>> (Probably) True << |
The gold standard |
Gary Kemp’s recent interviews don’t exactly paint him as down to earth (he recently gushed to the Sunday Times about his love of William Morris chairs, classical music and antique Tudor cabinets).But his brother Martin would much rather be seen as a man of the people.
In a pub over the holiday season Martin wandered up to the busy bar to get a drink, where he was immediately recognised by the bartender. Despite a lengthy queue, the barman decided to serve the pop star first.
That didn’t go well. Martin found himself being screamed at in front of everyone, for the perceived audacity of pushing in, by a man demanding a Diet Coke. With everyone around the bar staring, all Martin could do was bury his face in his hands and hide his embarrassment. |
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Nominative Determinism of the Week: Bird Flu researcher – Tom Peacock! |
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>> In The Doghouse << |
Good week to bury bad news |
Rather embarrassing times for the anti-corruption minister, Tulip Siddiq, who has had to refer herself to the ministerial standards watchdog over allegations swirling around her properties and family finances. She will, no doubt, be looking around the Labour benches for as many friendly faces as she can find.
She does have one colleague who definitely owes her big time. The Labour MP who has so far managed to get away without any publicity over having to self-report to the party whips for an indiscretion.
It turns out they’d accidentally bought an XL Bully. |
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Out of the ashes of the now defunct Blacks members club comes… Greys. A pop-up which launches in Mayfair next week. |
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>> Groucho 2.0 << |
The Britflop Era |
After shuttering for six weeks following rape allegations, The Groucho Club is finally preparing to reopen this Friday. But not as we know it.
Elli Jafari, the club’s first female chief exec, is out, with Simon Cooke, the old MD at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, in her place.
And much stricter rules for guests are in.
Members are still allowed to sign in four extra people, but far from a drunken scribble in the guestbook at 3am, now Groucho is demanding pre-registration for all guests, with a contact number and email address provided.
Guests are then sent a QR code, which they’ll have to present at the front desk when they arrive, with their member in tow.
The glamour! |
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>> Reformed << |
No plans for Nigel |
Dry January is never easy for any of us. But imagine how much harder it would feel if you had Elon Musk on your back, constantly saying how shit you are on Twitter.So spare a thought for poor old Nigel Farage, who was overheard telling a Tory MP in Strangers Bar this week that the whole sobriety business was “harder than it looks!” |
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Most actors despair at the thought of a heavy-smoker character. Not June Brown, who loved her fags so much she smoked real ones on the set of Eastenders in her Dot Cotton days. |
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>> A Good Bet << |
Silver lining for blue Manchester |
It would take a hard heart not to laugh at the current travails of Man City.
A league collapse, uncertain Champions League campaign and many insider voices predicting guilty verdicts and a relegation coming up.
But there’s one bit of good news. They are no longer sponsored by 8XBet. Until recently the Man City website proclaimed that “8Xbet is the official betting partner of Manchester City in Asia and provides a truly authentic online gaming experience to users globally.”
But with ties cut City can’t really be linked with the scandal exploding around 8XBet. The brand suddenly disappeared from view, almost over night. Websites shuttered, social media channels inactive. Staff and customers at a loss. Literally as well as figuratively. |
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Remember baseball-capped 777 who were given the green light to buy Everton? Their empire crashed and burned so badly that last week they sold Genoa FC to the man who founded Romania’s biggest furniture brand. (Their other club Standard Liege, in Belgium, is still up for sale.) |
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>> Bah, Humbug << |
The final festive goss |
Longest Boi writes:
“Spotted at a Christmas carol service in Kennington – Comedian Greg Davies. He was lifting his thumbelina-sized girlfriend in a Heimlich manoeuvre so she could see over the crowd.
“Terrible falsetto, though”. |
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What was the thing in the cakebox that appalled Colin so much? And who sent it to him? All will be revealed in The Gift. The dark and irreverent comedy starring Nicholas Burns and Laura Haddock at the Park Theatre, 22 Jan – 1 March.
[Tickets and Info] |
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Thanks to: JMK, BC, Longest Boi, NS, The Impish Scribe, AA, Olly, Streep_Throat, Bobbi_Fleckmann, MJ, A, PC |
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Old Jokes Home
Q: What happens when the Pope dies?
A: Another popes up.
Still Bored?
Here’s an impromptu 36 minute long performance of Down By The River, performed by Neil Young. (That is longer than an episode of EastEnders; in fact you could travel from Liverpool Street and beyond E20 to Brentwood in less time than that single song)
[Can’t wait for his Glastonbury set] |
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