Villain
Damian Lewis, who illustrates an annoying tendency among posh people to disparage their own class, says Gareth Roberts in The Spectator. Lewis, star of the ITV drama A Spy Among Friends about the Philby-era security services, has praised scriptwriter Alex Cary – “that’s Lucius Alexander Plantagenet Cary, hereditary viscount of Falkland, by the way” – for inventing a female, working-class character to see through what Lewis calls the “white, upper-class dinosaurs” of MI6. “That’s Damian Lewis, of Eton, talking about a time when the population of the UK was 99% white.” Here are some working-class words of advice to these perpetual grovellers: “Stop apologising, lecturing and cringing for status points.”
Hero
Rachel Reeves, who sets a ludicrously high bar for writing Christmas cards. The shadow chancellor sends out 3,200 every year, dedicating and signing them in a mammoth operation that begins in the summer. During a recent interview, she whipped out a card and signed it to the magazine’s staff without even breaking the flow of conversation.
Hero
Queen Consort Camilla, at least according to Gen Z, says Tatler. Fans have taken up her cause on TikTok: videos tagged #camillaparkerbowles have racked up nearly a billion views. A lot of it is down to The Crown. While the Netflix series depicts Diana as petulant, floundering from one paramour to another, Charles and Camilla’s relationship is simpler – they just want each other. For many Gen Zs, the pair epitomise lifelong dedication.
Villain
The BBC, whose 2022 list of “inspiring and influential women” has some “glaring” omissions, says Judith Woods in The Daily Telegraph. Where’s Elizabeth II, who died barely months ago after a lifetime of service? Where are the “triumphant Lionesses”, whose footballing exploits have inspired girls across the UK? Instead, we get the likes of EU bigwig Ursula von der Leyen, who once threatened the supply of Covid vaccines to Northern Ireland, and Bolivian politician Eva Copa (“shame on you for not knowing”). Pop star Billie Eilish made the list for speaking extensively about her body image and depression. “Which celebrity hasn’t?”