Ever since her romance with Prince Andrew ended after it was revealed that she had appeared in an ‘art-house’ film, Koo Stark has refused to talk about the ‘scandal’.
Now, however, she has finally decided to tell her story — and her memoirs should be a sensational read.
American-born Koo is said to have rejected a then huge £500,000 to write her memoirs in the 1980s. Now, however, she has severe financial problems after losing a legal case brought by ex-boyfriend Warren Walker.
She was a 24-year-old actress when she agreed to go on a blind date with the Queen’s second son, then a dashing naval officer aged 21.
‘We almost instantly became inseparable,’ she says, explaining that he took her to all the royal palaces. ‘Etiquette around the Royal Family is fraught with mishaps — some slapstick, some not so funny.’
American-born Koo Stark (pictured with the Duke of York in 1999) is said to have rejected a then huge £500,000 to write her memoirs in the 1980s. Now, however, she has severe financial problems after losing a legal case brought by ex-boyfriend Warren Walker
He was at her Belgravia flat in 1982 when she took a phone call, informing him that he must report for duty to serve in the Falklands War.
He carried out daring missions as a helicopter co-pilot and, when he came back, Koo — born Kathleen — was ‘waiting in his rooms at Buckingham Palace…the returning hero with a red rose between his teeth’.
Their relationship hit a crisis when it was revealed that she had starred in the film Emily, in which she appeared topless. She tells Tatler magazine that she’d been encouraged to accept the part by her ‘mentor’ Graham Greene, the celebrated novelist.
She was supported by Princess Diana during the crisis and was invited to a picnic by the Queen, so they could be photographed by the paparazzi.
She was a 24-year-old actress when she agreed to go on a blind date with the Queen’s second son, then a dashing naval officer aged 21
‘Her Majesty made a point of snapping open the News of the World (front page headline “Queen bans Koo”),’ she says. ‘Her actions spoke volumes as she poured tea. Her only verbal comment was, “Oh, I do wish they would call you Kathleen and Andrew”.’
However, ‘notoriety took its toll’ and the couple eventually split up. Now 65, she plans to tell the whole story, encouraged by the Dalai Lama, of all people.
‘He suggested that I write a book,’ she says of the Tibetan spiritual leader. ‘I told him I was too scared. He roared with laughter and said, “You should never be frightened of the truth”.’
Hollywood stars often employ body doubles for bedroom scenes.
Now, I’m A Celebrity winner Georgia Toffolo has used a ghost-writer to write the racy passages in her book for romance publisher Mills & Boon.
‘I find it hard writing the sex scenes because, obviously, they had to be spicy,’ whispers the former Made In Chelsea star.
‘I really needed support with it and all I kept on thinking is, “My mum and my granny are going to read this”.’
Dapper little Jagger and his jumping jack rabbit
At the tender age of four, Deveraux Jagger is already setting trends.
On the red carpet at a children’s film screening this week, the son of Rolling Stones singer Sir Mick Jagger wore a natty Moroccan velvet jacket by Debonnaire while clutching his cuddly toy rabbit.
That’s the label owned by Debonnaire von Bismarck, mother of Kate Moss’s photographer boyfriend, Nikolai.
Hand-embroidered, the jacket cost £195. ‘It’s unique and special and he looked adorable,’ one of Debbie’s friends tells me.
On the red carpet at a children’s film screening this week, the son of Rolling Stones singer Sir Mick Jagger wore a natty Moroccan velvet jacket by Debonnaire while clutching his cuddly toy rabbit. Pictured, Dev Jagger
Meanwhile, this week there was a new addition to the Stones clan: guitarist Keith Richards’s model daughter Alexandra gave birth to her first child.
The girl — called Arlowe — is the first grandchild for Keef’s wife, American model Patti Hansen. She declares: ‘I’m officially a grandma!’
Boris Johnson is not often seen down his local boozer, but here’s a pub that might suit the elevated tastes of his fiancee, Carrie Symonds.
I hear Daylesford organic food boss Carole Bamford has just bought The Fox at Lower Oddington in the Cotswolds.
‘The inn will serve a hearty menu with classic pub dishes, made with local organic ingredients,’ says a spokesman for Carole, wife of JCB digger tycoon Lord Bamford.
She already owns The Wild Rabbit pub three miles away in Chipping Norton. This newspaper recently revealed that Boris and Carrie had £27,000 of Daylesford organic takeaways brought into 10 Downing Street over eight months.
Smashing news for Jo and her beau…
It’s love-all, and Wimbledon is still weeks away…
I hear that Britain’s No 1, Johanna Konta, has got engaged to photographer Jackson Wade. ‘Yes, it’s true,’ he confirms.
Wade has been going out with the tennis ace since 2017 and the couple live together in South-West London.
‘Jackson has been so supportive of her career and she is delighted they’ll be making this commitment to one another,’ a friend tells me. ‘They have spent much of the past year doing up their place out in Ashdown Forest in East Sussex.’
I hear that Britain’s No 1, Johanna Konta, has got engaged to photographer Jackson Wade. ‘Yes, it’s true,’ he confirms. Pictured together in 2018
Wade has been going out with the tennis ace (pictured) since 2017 and the couple live together in South-West London
Off court, Konta, 30, has gone into business with Wade, 28, setting up a dog-walking service called The Sniff Club in South-West London.
Sounds like she’s got him on a tight leash!
Amal Clooney, who’s campaigned for the Elgin Marbles to be returned to Greece, has won over Jonathan Dimbleby.
He claims the sculptures were stolen by Britain in the 19th century, and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden is using bogus arguments for keeping them.
‘Our Government has again rebuffed Athens on grounds that seem entirely spurious,’ thunders the broadcaster.
‘Shorn of the phoney legalisms, the truth is that these sculptures were nicked by Lord Elgin and should be returned to the rightful owner and to the Parthenon.’
Despite a £157,372 salary and two free homes, the PM is said to plead poverty. So he will be pleased he’s managed to find tenants for his Oxfordshire pad.
The four-bedroom home, which has a swimming pool and a tennis court, was advertised at £981 per week, or £51,000 per year.
That should buy Carrie a few more rolls of Lulu Lytle wallpaper.
Hirst girl’s in a bit of a pickle
Known for pickling sharks and sheep in formaldehyde, Damien Hirst apparently also does strange things to his girlfriend, Sophie Cannell.
Here the former ballerina, 27, is pictured packed up in a designer shopping bag.
Cannell shared this photograph of her in the Celine carrier, looking rather serious at their £36 million, 14-bedroom home in London’s Regent’s Park.
Known for pickling sharks and sheep in formaldehyde, Damien Hirst apparently also does strange things to his girlfriend, Sophie Cannell (pictured)
Cannell shared a photograph of his girlfriend (pictured) in the Celine carrier, looking rather serious at their £36 million, 14-bedroom home in London’s Regent’s Park
With Hirst, 55, being the world’s richest artist, surely Sophie should be having bags of fun?
The smart set’s talking about… How eligible Reuben is keeping up with Kim Kardashian
As one of Britain’s most eligible bachelors, Jamie Reuben has the pick of London’s beau monde, but has he found love with an American reality TV star?
This week, Kim Kardashian, 40, was pictured arriving at Reuben’s 35th birthday party in Beverly Hills.
She’s newly single, after separating from her third husband, rapper Kanye West, while Reuben’s long-running, on-off romance with lingerie entrepreneur Marissa Montgomery is definitely off, I’m told.
As one of Britain’s most eligible bachelors, Jamie Reuben (pictured) has the pick of London’s beau monde, but has he found love with an American reality TV star?
This week, Kim Kardashian, 40, was pictured arriving at Reuben’s 35th birthday party in Beverly Hills
‘Kim is looking for a partner who values privacy,’ a source tells me. Reuben fits that bill perfectly, plus his family is the second richest in Britain with a fortune of £18 billion.
‘He was an original investor in fashionable club 5 Hertford Street, while his property developer father, David, owns chunks of Mayfair.
He and Kim are believed to have been introduced by one of their mutual chums, who include hotel heiress Paris Hilton and pop star Justin Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun.
Uh Oh… Sussex Sausage Snub
Let’s hope the Duke and Duchess of Sussex don’t take offence, but I hear of a sizzling new snub from Balmoral.
The Queen’s butcher, who has created a celebratory sausage to mark every major royal birth, won’t do so for the baby girl Meghan’s expecting this summer. Butcher John Sinclair, of H. M. Sheridan at Ballater, blames the pandemic. ‘It’s simply that we have been very busy through Covid and we have reorganised the shop, so we’ve been too busy to do one this time round,’ he tells me.
‘It is the first time we haven’t [marked a recent major royal birth] but we will for the next one — whoever that is.’ He should stand by for a grilling.