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LORRAINE KELLY
Take a bow, Kate Middleton… flawless Superwoman and saviour of the royals
CAN we all just take a minute to pay tribute to Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.
Only some sort of superwoman can emerge from a long-haul flight looking as fresh as a newly picked daisy on an early May morning.
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From the first moment her dainty toes touched the ground in Pakistan, Kate hasn’t put a foot wrong.
She has been utterly flawless and completely at ease in her own skin at all times.
She’s managed to be regal and elegant, as well as warm and approachable. That’s not an easy tightrope to negotiate, and this wasn’t a simple tour for Kate or William for so many reasons.
Obviously, security has had to be incredibly tight, far more so than even they are used to, and both of them will have had a full, and possibly rather alarming, briefing from British security services.
Then there’s the bittersweet emotional impact on William, who has been retracing his mother’s footsteps during this trip.
Diana visited Pakistan several times as a guest of the now Prime Minister Imran Khan and his then wife Jemima Goldsmith. She also fell deeply in love with Pakistani-born surgeon Hasnat Khan, and the country and its people always held a special place in her heart.
William would have felt very close to his mum as he reconnected with Imran Khan and then went to the same cancer hospital in Lahore that Diana visited just a year before her death.
Kate paid her own tribute with a series of stunning outfits subtly taking inspiration from Diana. It’s at times like these that William must miss his mum, and all credit to him for being able to remember her with love and affection, rather than sorrow and trauma.
Kate has quietly and effectively emerged as the Queen’s top asset in the Royal Family
The show-stopping moment for me was when the royal couple emerged from a highly decorated tuk tuk for a glittering reception in Islamabad.
Kate was wearing the most stunning emerald gown I think I have ever seen.
It was Oscar red carpet-worthy, and if there aren’t copies on the high street for our Christmas parties very soon I will not be best pleased.
She looked equally gorgeous a couple of days later playing cricket while wearing a cream shalwar kameez and white trainers.
Kate has quietly and effectively emerged as the Queen’s top asset in the Royal Family.
Camilla will obviously never have anything like the same respect and affection as Her Majesty, but skipping a generation, Kate has all the attributes to be a very effective Monarch one day at William’s side. She’s bright, beautiful and has a big big heart.
Since becoming a mum of three, Kate is a much more confident charity ambassador and public speaker, and she’s developed a real connection with all of the children she meets, putting them at ease and making them smile.
If the Royal Family is to survive it will all be down to this quiet but determined woman. It’s a heavy burden to place on such slim shoulders, but Kate is more than up to it.
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Sad for rebel Leah
THE late Leah Bracknell might have had terminal cancer, but she lived life to the full.
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The Emmerdale star, who played Zoe Tate for 16 years and whose death was announced this week, laughed, loved and seized the day.
She didn’t do many interviews, but came in to talk to me on my show a couple of years ago after her diagnosis.
Leah was funny, brave and determined not to be defined by her illness. She described herself as a “cancer rebel” and we were overwhelmed with messages of support and respect for this remarkable woman.
She lived and died on her own terms and will be sadly missed.
How Leah Bracknell made soap history on Emmerdale with trailblazing portrayal of Zoe Tate
TRIP REALLY HITS THE 'SPOCK'
THIS weekend I am in the US of A, undergoing astronaut training as part of my celebrations for turning 60 next month.
It will be incredible to have the teeniest, tiniest idea of what incredible people such as Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and our own Helen Sharman and Tim Peake experienced.
For a lifelong space geek like me, who watched the moon landings and wanted to be part of the crew of Star Trek (as Mr Spock’s love interest) this is the trip of a lifetime.
Will tell you all about it when I’m back.
It's just not eco-logical
WHAT the hell do these clowns calling themselves environmental “warriors” hope to achieve by targeting hard-working people trying to get to work in the morning?
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Scenes on the London Tube this week were deeply disturbing and frightening, and if Extinction Rebellion don’t get a grip, someone is going to get seriously hurt – or even killed.
At least they have admitted it was a spectacular own goal to pick on the eco-friendly electric underground, especially during rush hour.
They know full well such stupidity has alienated many potential sympathisers.
Violence can never be condoned, but I completely understand the sheer frustration of men and women who just wanted to get to their jobs on time, and who took action by pulling a demonstrator off the roof of a train as he kicked out.
At one point it was like a chilling scene from a horror film.
Most of us agree we need to take action to reverse the effects of climate change before it’s too late, but these sorts of daft demos are not the way to win hearts and minds.
As well as being disruptive for the sake of it, such inflammatory actions are potentially extremely dangerous.
Believe me, there IS such a thing as bad publicity and although we might be talking about Extinction Rebellion, we aren’t discussing the importance and far bigger picture of global warming.
I just don’t expect to see such toxic scenes in the UK, and far from being “warriors”, these idiots are best described as another word beginning with W. And I think we all know which one that is.
ARNIE'S BACK - AND SO IS BADASS LINDA
I WAS lucky enough to get a preview of Terminator Dark Fate and, at the risk of sounding like a 14-year-old sci-fi nerd, OMFG it’s totally awesome.
Linda Hamilton reprises her role as Sarah Connor and this time she’s totally badass. And how refreshing to see a female action star who happens to be in her sixties.
There are many twists and turns, but suffice to say Arnie is back with some hilariously deadpan zingers, the special effects are in a league of their own, and if you don’t shed a tear at the end you are an unfeeling terminator machine.
Scott is selfless for Babs
SCOTT MITCHELL is one of the loveliest men in all of the world. He is having to watch his beloved wife Barbara Windsor slowly dissolve in front of his eyes due to the s****y disease that is Alzheimer’s.
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He has been by her side every step of the way and is now full-time carer for a woman who was once the epitome of independence and the life and soul of the party. This week Scott confessed that he feels “racked with guilt” if he leaves his beloved Barbara alone even for a few hours.
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He was speaking while at the Best Heroes, a charity event that Barbara would have relished in her heyday. She was a tireless supporter of so many good causes.
Scott is fiercely protective of the woman he adores and so patient when the illness has her confused and endlessly repeating herself. He and Barbara have raised thousands of pounds for Alzheimer’s charities as well as vital awareness of the disease.
I really just want to give Scott a massive hug, tell him he’s doing a brilliant job and he has absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. Obviously It’s desperately sad that our Barbara is going through such a hellish time, but she struck gold when she met and married her Scott.
CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE DANCING
CAN we all just calm down please and remember that Strictly is just an entertainment show to make all of us who stay in of a Saturday night feel a little bit better about ourselves?
Vile trolls sending death threats to head judge Shirley Ballas after Radio 1 DJ Dev was booted off the show last weekend really need to take a long, hard look at themselves.
You might have vehemently disagreed with their decision and thrown your popcorn, crisps and prosecco at the TV – or was that just me? – when Dianne and Dev danced their last, but can we just hold on and try to put it all into perspective? It’s a wonderful, warm, fuzzy show that is supposed to be pure entertainment.
What in the name of Len Goodman is going on when a couple being voted off a TV show ends up causing such pain and distress to a lovely woman like Shirley?
Strictly stupid, silly and sad.
Duchess of Cambridge wears a headscarf while visiting an ancient mosque on Royal tour in Pakistan
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