Yahoo Movies Londoner’s Diary: LBC’s Iain Dale aims a jab at colleague Maajid Nawaz over Covid boosters jabs
UNHAPPY times at LBC, where coronavirus is causing public dissension between its presenters. Iain Dale began a war of words with his radio colleague Maajid Nawaz last night, accusing Nawaz of spreading “deranged rubbish” about the pandemic. Nawaz had questioned the use of the Covid booster.
Dale, who presents an evening show during the week, wrote online: “Enough… it’s dangerously irresponsible to tweet this kind of deranged rubbish.” He accused Nawaz of aiming to “sow seeds of doubt in people’s minds” and said: “What is more dangerous is not to have the jabs. Given you’ve had them, why do you tweet this garbage?”
Nawaz, who presents a weekend show, didn’t directly respond to the substance of Dale’s words. However, he did mock Dale for calling him dangerous, saying “Thuglife”. He also said that those denouncing him were “unable to respond to any of the substance or points raised”.
Nawaz has previously been criticised for sharing conspiracy theories over the pandemic and US election fraud. He is vaccinated but says he won’t get the booster. The Londoner contacted LBC for comment.
It’s a tough job, but Jessie’ll do it
JESSIE BUCKLEY’s experience of working on her new film The Lost Daughter is enough to tempt anyone into a career in acting. The actor would go for swims before and after filming and in the evenings she would stay up until 2am having singalongs and drinking rosé with Olivia Colman. Speaking to fellow actor Claire Foy for Interview magazine, Buckley concludes: “Everybody should try and do at least one film on a Greek island per year.” One of those that’s slightly easier said than done.
Carey refuses her Christmas crown
MARIAH CAREY’s inescapable festive hit All I Want for Christmas is You has made her the queen of the season for some. But the US diva says tradition is more important than her. “Mary is the Queen of Christmas, the Mother of Christ!” Carey tells gal-dem. “I always felt that it was a little bit disrespectful.” Carey reveals she has a “Christmas room” in her house, but until she feels fully absorbed in the Yuletide spirit she averts her gaze as she walks past it. Surely it’s time now?
Health chief plays his Trump card
HOW deep does the World Health Organisation’s beef with Donald Trump go? The former US president tried to pull out of the WHO last year after claiming it was under the sway of China. Last night, The Londoner glimpsed the other side of the story. David Nabarro, the WHO’s special envoy on Covid-19, was giving a How To Academy talk on the virus. But when describing a monoclonal antibody taken by Trump to fight Covid, Nabarro would only say: “One of them is quite famous, [it] was used by a North American world leader when that leader got Covid last year.” He who shall not be named.
Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to the panto we go
DRAG STAR Ava Cardo looked the part alongside her cast members AJ Bunker and Simon Gross at last night’s press night for panto Snow White and The Seven Merry Men at The Rialto Backstage Bar in Covent Garden. At Southwark’s Menier Chocolate Factory theatre, actors Tom Hollander, Andy Nyman and Amy Morgan were at the press night of Alan Bennett’s farce, Habeas Corpus. These days Habeas Covid feels more accurate.
SW1A
BIM AFOLAMI advises aspiring politicians to ensuring one’s spouse is on board with one’s political campaigning. The Tory MP should know: his wife Henrietta was “less than amused” to be included in 40,000 leaflets without being asked, he writes on ConHome. “Much grovelling was required,” he adds. Whoops…
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JEREMY CORBYN has offered his reflections on what went wrong in the general election two years ago. But don’t expect much soul-searching. He says, via his Peace and Justice Project: “We…failed to present an effective policy of Brexit, which became the issue that defined the election”, before calling for a “world transformed”.
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