Sir Mick Jagger once again contends with uncharitable claims that he is a footballing curse after England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup. The Rolling Stones frontman was spotted looking glum in his executive box in Atlanta as the national team suffered defeat.
Superstition surrounds Jagger's match attendance
Superstitious types have long suggested that Jagger, a keen follower of the England team, should be regarded as a jinx. Even ex-bandmate Bill Wyman has supported the theory. The singer briefly switched allegiance to Brazil when they hosted the tournament in 2014, but was bizarrely blamed for their 7-1 drubbing by Germany. This prompted former Brazilian lover Luciana Giminez, mother of Jagger's son Lucas, to emotionally speak out in the rock legend's defence.
Other celebrity reactions to the match
Former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Nick Clegg's Spanish wife Miriam celebrated her team's place in Sunday's World Cup final against Argentina, gloating: "In football and in politics, the recipe is the same: when you put the best ones in, it works, and when you don't, well, it doesn't." The remark was widely seen as a dig at Sir Nick.
Short-fused presenter Kirstie Allsopp supported England in the US but arrived at the stadium for the semi-final only after a bust-up with the company selling her tickets. Outraged that tickets had not appeared hours before kick-off, she raged: "I will be looking for a refund on the 'fee' you took for your terrible service!"
Hollywood name calling and birthday reflections
Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill, who has died aged 78, once insisted on naming animals on his New Zealand farm after Hollywood colleagues. He mischievously revealed that former co-star Michael Fassbender failed to see the funny side after learning he shared a name with the resident cockerel.
Clare Grogan, star of Altered Images and Gregory's Girl, reflected on turning down a fortune for the use of the 1980s pop classic Happy Birthday. "McDonald's wanted to use it, but one of the co-writers is a very strict vegetarian," the Glaswegian star explained, adding: "I'm never going to be rich, but I don't care about that. I never got into it for the money."
Author Sasha Swire's run-in with Hugh Grant
Author Sasha Swire, who caused a stir in 2020 with Diary of an MP's Wife, recounted a recent run-in with Hugh Grant during a Notting Hill drinks bash. Matters turned heated after she reminded Grant of his unsuccessful campaign to unseat East Devon's Tory MP in 2019. Sasha writes in The Spectator that Grant's wife Anna eventually asked her to leave the conversation, but adds: "An hour later, as we were heading out of the party, Grant was standing by the exit. I couldn't resist. 'Bye-bye,' I smiled. 'And thanks for the diary entry.'" Rebuked by her own spouse, she huffed: "Had my husband been a real man himself, he would have challenged him to pistols at dawn."
