Friday 18 November 2022 01:35 AM ALISON BOSHOFF: Raymond Blanc says his good friend the King will be a great ... trends now

Friday 18 November 2022 01:35 AM ALISON BOSHOFF: Raymond Blanc says his good friend the King will be a great ... trends now
Friday 18 November 2022 01:35 AM ALISON BOSHOFF: Raymond Blanc says his good friend the King will be a great ... trends now

Friday 18 November 2022 01:35 AM ALISON BOSHOFF: Raymond Blanc says his good friend the King will be a great ... trends now

Celebrity chef Raymond Blanc believes King Charles has all the right ingredients to be a great monarch — and has spilled the beans on a long-standing friendship which first blossomed over a shared passion for gardening.

Blanc, who is preparing to make a TV show about royal gardens this spring, even hopes the monarch might appear in it, as they will be filming at Highgrove.

The 72-year-old said: 'I am a French republican — not a royalist. I can't be! It's not in my DNA. But Charles will be a good King, 100 per cent.'

He said the King's long wait to ascend the throne meant he had become very knowledgeable about the environment, agriculture and food sustainability.

'I was so saddened that he couldn't go to Cop27,' he said. 'He would have been among the best speakers because his knowledge is so deep, and he believes in it.'

Prince Charles at The National Heritage Garden, where he was given a tour by Raymond Blanc at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons

Prince Charles at The National Heritage Garden, where he was given a tour by Raymond Blanc at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons

'When he visited, it was a horrible day ¿ it was as you say in England, raining cats and dogs,' Blanc recalled

'When he visited, it was a horrible day — it was as you say in England, raining cats and dogs,' Blanc recalled

He adds: 'When he speaks about food, he knows so much. My God, he is a natural! He is completely in love with that seed that you plant in that soil to grow a healthy plant. He knows his stuff.' The pair first met back in 2014, when Blanc was invited to speak at Highgrove and (rather daringly) told Charles that his gardens lacked personality.

Three months later, Charles asked to come and see Blanc's gardens at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, which include an orchard filled with rare varieties of British apple trees.

'When he visited, it was a horrible day — it was as you say in England, raining cats and dogs,' Blanc recalled. 'He loved my gardens. But I realised to my horror that he was holding his own umbrella and me, I had a gardener holding mine! Anyway, we had a laugh about it. He has great humour.

'And then we planted an apple tree together. His was better than mine. But I have learnt how to lose in England, so I said: 'OK Sir, well done.' '

When Blanc's mother died two years ago, he received a letter from Charles. 'It was really lovely. The fact he could take a bit of time. It was very thoughtful of him.

'He is a good man. There is a lot of wisdom now. We all do our own mistakes growing up, but he is going to be a good King.'

Gina's quit her charity role, so will Matt leave political jungle? 

Gina Coladangelo, Matt Hancock's girlfriend, has just stepped into the spotlight in Australia.

She will be on hand to greet him whenever he is evicted from I'm A Celebrity — joining Zara Phillips and Chris Moyles's partner Tiffany Austin at the Marriott hotel in Surfers Paradise, on Queensland's Gold Coast.

However it can be revealed that Coladangelo, 45, didn't need to take leave from work to be there, because she has quit her job in marketing and communications for a charity, after spending less than two months in the role.

Records at Companies House show that she joined UK Youth as a director on September 22 and quit on November 2, shortly after Hancock's controversial TV appearance was announced.

The news is sure to lead to speculation that the couple are planning a media career outside of politics, and that Hancock may leave his role as an MP.

Coladangelo, 45, didn't need to take leave from work to be there, because she has quit her job in marketing and communications for a charity, after spending less than two months in the role

Coladangelo, 45, didn't need to take leave from work to be there, because she has quit her job in marketing and communications for a charity, after spending less than two months in the role

The affair ended Hancock's 15-year marriage to wife Martha. They have three children. He said in the jungle: 'It was really tough. I messed up, and I 'fessed up'

The affair ended Hancock's 15-year marriage to wife Martha. They have three children. He said in the jungle: 'It was really tough. I messed up, and I 'fessed up'

Some suggest they are hoping to launch themselves as a high-profile media pair and pick up work in television and radio. The disgraced former Health Secretary is being paid a reported £400,000 to appear in I'm A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here, dwarfing his £84,000 a year salary from Westminster.

He resigned from his ministerial post in June last year after he was caught breaching social distancing rules by kissing Coladangelo, an old friend from university, in his ministerial office.

At the time, she was employed as the communications director for Oliver Bonas, the firm founded by her husband, but also working part-time with Hancock at the Department of Health. She left both jobs after news of the affair emerged.

The daughter of a millionaire businessman, she had a successful career in PR and lobbying after completing a degree in PPE (philosophy, politics and economics) at Oxford University.

The affair ended Hancock's 15-year marriage to wife Martha. They have three children. He said in the jungle: 'It was really tough. I messed up, and I 'fessed up. I resigned and it's no excuse, but I fell in love, right? That also had a lot of other consequences, obviously.'

His fellow campmate Babatunde Aleshe, 34, replied: 'You didn't just 'fall in love'. You were grabbing booty, bruv!'

Hancock added that the best thing about being kicked out would be 'seeing her on the bridge'.

The charity declined to say why Coladangelo left, or whose decision it was for her to leave the unpaid post.

Critics are furious that Hancock has turned his back on his work just as an inquiry into the handling of the pandemic by the Government gets underway. He has been stripped of the government whip as a result.

Hold me closer, tiny dance shoes 

Viewers were divided. One wrote: 'Has Shirley been killing elves under her desk and stealing their shoes? I'm so confused'

Viewers were divided. One wrote: 'Has Shirley been killing elves under her desk and stealing their shoes? I'm so confused'

Shirley Ballas astonished viewers of Strictly Come Dancing a couple of weeks ago when she whipped out a miniature pair of shoes to demonstrate proper footwork to contestant Will Mellor.

Later in that show she produced a tiny pair of women's shoes to

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