James Walton

2 months ago | thespectator.com | Julie Burchill |James Walton |Ben Domenech |Teresa Mull

Back in the 20th century, there was a trend for beautiful female film stars to compare themselves to comical or unattractive animals. Michelle Pfeiffer insisted that she looked like a duck; Uma Thurman claimed to resemble a hammer-head shark. Not just actresses; there was a song by Pink, in which the then 23-year-old, size-six blonde babe with the snub nose and big eyes beat herself up for not being conventionally pretty like Britney Spears.

2 months ago | thespectator.com | Julie Burchill |James Walton |Teresa Mull |Ben Domenech

Back in the 20th century, there was a trend for beautiful female film stars to compare themselves to comical or unattractive animals. Michelle Pfeiffer insisted that she looked like a duck; Uma Thurman claimed to resemble a hammer-head shark. Not just actresses; there was a song by Pink, in which the then 23-year-old, size-six blonde babe with the snub nose and big eyes beat herself up for not being conventionally pretty like Britney Spears.

Mar 13, 2025 | thespectator.com | Nancy Alsop |James Walton |cocaineBy James Delingpole |Matt Purple

We remain fascinated, even obsessed, by the Mitfords. Collectively, their existence is the stuff of legend: the affairs, the imprisonment, the polarized politics, the wit, the beauty, and the brutality, all in one glamorous package. In uncertain times, the sisters offer a flush of eccentric characters: Nancy the Novelist, Pamela the horsewoman, Diana the Fascist, Unity the Hitler-lover, Jessica the Communist and Debo the Duchess.

Mar 4, 2025 | thespectator.com | Alexander Larman |Byron’s Women |James Walton |cocaineBy James Delingpole

So here it is, the undistinguished thing, at last. I had hopes that, after its postponement because of the Californian fires, Meghan Markle’s new reality show With Love, Meghan, would quietly disappear from the schedules. These hopes were, as usual, disappointed. Not only has the program arrived on Netflix as a simultaneous worldwide premiere, but there has been a blitzkrieg of hype that reminds the unwary that the Duchess of Sussex — or “Meghan Sussex”— is a very big, very famous deal indeed.

Mar 4, 2025 | thespectator.com | Alexander Larman |Byron’s Women |James Walton |cocaineBy James Delingpole

So here it is, the undistinguished thing, at last. I had hopes that, after its postponement because of the Californian fires, Meghan Markle’s new reality show With Love, Meghan, would quietly disappear from the schedules. These hopes were, as usual, dashed. Not only has the program arrived on Netflix as a simultaneous worldwide premiere, but there has been a blitzkrieg of hype that reminds the unwary that the Duchess of Sussex — or “Meghan Sussex”— is a very big, very famous deal indeed.