Vanessa Feltz has urged Marie-France van Heel, the wife of likely future Prime Minister Andy Burnham, to step into the public spotlight and support her husband in the national interest, drawing comparisons to former US First Lady Michelle Obama.
A Call to Action for Mrs Burnham
Writing in a column published on July 21, 2026, Feltz addressed van Heel directly, acknowledging her successful career as a marketing executive and her desire for privacy. However, Feltz argued that with Burnham poised to become Prime Minister, van Heel should reconsider her reluctance to take on a more traditional consort role.
"I know you are a private person, not simply a plus one to be trotted out as an addendum to your husband," Feltz wrote. "It's just that your lifelong sweetheart is about to be Prime Minister and this green and hitherto pleasant land needs all the help it can muster."
Channel Michelle Obama, Not Norma Major
Feltz suggested that van Heel could emulate Michelle Obama, who became a philanthropist, campaigner, podcaster and public speaker, rather than former Prime Minister John Major's wife Norma, who was known for tending her garden in Huntingdon. "Please don't do a Norma Major on us," Feltz cautioned.
She also advised against following Hillary Clinton's path, saying that would be "too much for any of us." Instead, Feltz called for a "level-headed, business-minded, intuitive, sensitive, insightful and above all, gentle" presence to provide counsel and warmth.
Sacrifice for the Greater Good
Feltz drew on her own mother's example, who abandoned academia to work in a wool shop after her father lost the family business. "She abhorred every second but sacrificed herself for the greater good," Feltz wrote. She argued that van Heel could make the role her own without it being "stultifying."
The columnist concluded by encouraging van Heel to reconsider, noting her past poise on shows like Blind Date. "Marie-France, you've got this," Feltz wrote.
