Famed for his catchphrase ‘Who lives in a house like this?’ — Loyd Grossman will no doubt be waking up to a feeling of pure marital bliss in his own home today.
As I am delighted to disclose that the former Through The Keyhole presenter has this week married Melissa Knatchbull; seven years after they went public with their relationship.
Melissa, 63, the ex-wife of Earl Mountbatten of Burma’s grandson Michael, had long remained quiet on their union — once telling me: ‘I make it a policy not to talk about my private life.’
Yet the Four Weddings And A Funeral star is clearly a fan of Grossman’s nasal mid-Atlantic drawl and perhaps also his pasta sauces which have made him a £50 million fortune.
‘We are both extremely happy,’ Grossman, 73, tells me. ‘We got engaged in Paris in November and tied the knot at the Chelsea Register Office.’
Loyd Grossman marries Melissa Knatchbull seven years after they went public with their relationship
Melissa, 63, the ex-wife of Earl Mountbatten of Burma’s grandson Michael, had long remained quiet on their union
He was for 19 years married to Deborah Puttnam with whom he has two daughters
After exchanging their vows, the newlyweds could be seen on the steps outside the old town hall sharing an embrace — with Melissa wearing a white trouser suit.
Does this mean she’ll be wearing the trousers in this union? Possibly, as Grossman, who also used to ‘deliberate, cogitate and digest’ the performances of amateur cooks on BBC’s Masterchef between 1990 and 2000, has long had a weakness for attractive women with social connections.
He was for 19 years married to Deborah Puttnam with whom he has two daughters. Deborah is the daughter of Chariots Of Fire producer Lord Puttnam.
Then in 2012, he fell for Lady Jane Wellesley, the eighth Duke of Wellington’s daughter, who once turned down a proposal from Prince Charles.
However, the Boston-born social mountaineer has also amassed a considerable collection of awards and titles himself.
He is a Liveryman of several Worshipful companies, a fellow of a number of learned societies and the holder of four academic degrees.
He also has an OBE and a CBE and a few honorary doctorates. And his rock band The New Forbidden has played at Glastonbury eight times.
Hobbit star cut up by sword theft
Having played a dwarf in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, Richard Armitage was gifted a sword from Middle Earth.
Yet the prop didn’t take pride of place in his home as Armitage, 52, reveals: ‘I had it in a lock-up, and it got stolen — and someone was trying to sell it.
‘Peter [Jackson] pulled me aside and said: “Are you hard up for money?” I was like: “What are you talking about?” He said: “Your sword’s for sale online.”‘
Having played a dwarf in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, Richard Armitage was gifted a sword from Middle Earth
The Spooks star explains: ‘I had to go through this whole thing of getting the police involved but we got the sword back.
‘Now it’s on a shelf in a very prominent place.’
Dubbed ‘the Mick Jagger of auctions’, Simon de Pury once sold Picasso’s The Absinthe Drinker for £20.5 million — double the estimate — at Sotheby’s where he was then chairman.
But will colleagues be sold on the Swiss auctioneer’s enthusiasm for Artificial Intelligence?
‘I think AI could be great for the art world,’ he tells me. ‘We can organise auctions with avatars, doing it all by themselves.’ Any takers?
Esteemed actor Joseph Fiennes temporarily foregoes the greasepaint to explore the dangerous Athabasca Glacier in remote Canada.
Yet at a cocktail party at the Ham Yard Hotel in London to launch his National Geographic film Return To The Wilds Fiennes admitted of his travelogue series: ‘It’s scary being exposed. I much prefer props, moustaches and scripts.’
Lady Victoria: Why not have children after 50?
Lady Victoria Hervey is in no hurry to use the eggs she froze eight years ago.
‘They’re still there,’ she tells me aboard the RH Three Yacht in the French Riviera.
‘I’m 47 and Naomi Campbell did it at 50 and 53, so there’s still time. I actually did get a reminder from them saying, “What are you doing with them?”‘
Lady Victoria Hervey is in no hurry to use the eggs she froze eight years ago
The socialite says the possibility of becoming a mother later in life is a wise choice for parent and child.
‘I know some people that had kids really young and they’re like, “I had a child young and I wasn’t really present for them.”‘
The Marquess of Bristol’s sister adds: ‘If you become an older mother, you’re a lot more grounded, a lot more settled and can be there for them more.’
Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden never minces her words with aspiring entrepreneurs on the hit BBC One show — but admits she was left tongue-tied when she came face-to-face with wildlife presenter Sir David Attenborough.
‘I started speaking in tongues,’ says Meaden, who has an estimated £50 million fortune.
Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden never minces her words with aspiring entrepreneurs on the hit BBC One show — but admits she was left tongue-tied when she came face-to-face with wildlife presenter Sir David Attenborough
‘He must have looked at me and thought: ‘How on Earth did she make her money? I’ve got no idea.’
She adds: ‘I have met him since so hopefully he’s reconsidered who I am.’ Let’s hope so.
Charles and Camilla say a fond farewell to their dear friend Chips
The King and Queen were on hand yesterday to support one of her ‘Companions’ Lady Sarah Keswick, whose husband Sir Chippendale ‘Chips’ died last month aged 84.
His Majesty and Queen Camilla attended Chips’ memorial service at St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge in London.
They arrived separately from her first husband Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles who made a solo appearance.
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive at St Paul’s Church in Knightsbridge for the memorial service of Sir Chips
Dignitaries from the banking, sporting and political worlds filled the pews to pay homage to Chips.
They included former Arsenal and England football captain Tony Adams and Sir Winston Churchill’s grandson Lord Nicholas Soames, who gave the address.
‘While Chips was a racing, shooting and fishing enthusiast he was not a tolerant Bridge player. When the chips were down so was Chips,’ he reminisced.
Meanwhile, their Majesties were treated to a sedate arrangement of the Match of the Day theme tune at the end of the touching service.
No couple have mattered more to Camilla down the decades than the Keswicks. Indeed, it was at Sarah’s 50th birthday party — held at the Ritz in 1995 — that Prince Charles first appeared in public with Camilla.