EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Doctor Who celebrates its 60th anniversary without one of its biggest fans – Queen Elizabeth II

Doctor Who is celebrating its 60th anniversary without one of its biggest fans, the late Queen. She was an avid viewer in pre-streaming days with the BBC providing DVDs for her holiday viewing at Balmoral. 

Her favourite Doctor was apparently Christopher Eccleston, in charge of the Tardis when the series relaunched in 2005. 

Prince Edward declined an invitation to appear in the show but the 50th anniversary saw Charles and Camilla visit the Doctor Who studios in Cardiff, where he impersonated a Dalek. ‘Exterminate One?’

Doctor Who is celebrating its 60th anniversary without one of its biggest fans, the late Queen Elizabeth II

Her late Majesty was provided with DVDs of the series for holiday viewing at Balmoral (Pictured: David Tennant in the new series of Doctor Who)

Despite HM’s enthusiasm none of the Time Lords from William Hartnell, who created the Doctor in 1963, to Jodie Whittaker, who laid down her sonic screwdriver in 2022, has received a gong. 

Matt Smith may have blotted his copybook by playing Prince Philip in The Crown but the late Jon Pertwee missed out and other distinguished actors such as Tom Baker, Peter Davison and David Tennant remain bare-breasted. 

Only the late Sir John Hurt, who portrayed the one-off ‘War Doctor’ bucked the trend. Clearly no Whovians in the honours unit.

Joan, Baroness Bakewell raised a cheer when Angela Rippon, receiving the Oldie of the Year award, recalled how she saw off BBC DG John Birt when he threatened to sack her from reading the news in 1996. 

‘Birt sacked me as arts editor in 1987,’ says Joan, 90. 

‘I sit opposite him as a Labour peer. He is a crossbencher. I often stare at him but we don’t speak. I am having the time of my life in the Lords.’

Baroness Joan Bakewell, 90, raised a cheer when she recalled that she was sacked as arts editor in 1987 by BBC DG John Birt

Eighteen years after Chrissie Watts, alias Tracy-Ann Oberman killed errant husband Dirty Den in EastEnders she is taking on the role of Mae West in a BBC Radio 4 play about Mae’s 1926 prison stint for ‘corrupting the morals of youth’ in her Broadway play Sex. 

‘She sold herself on hard living, drink and sex, but she didn’t actually partake herself,’ Oberman tells Radio Times. But didn’t Mae inquire: ‘Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one home, I’m tired.’

When Terry Venables declined to pay Piers Pottinger £11,000 for services rendered, the PR guru threatened to send in the bailiffs. 

Tel wailed: ‘You can’t sue me! I’m the England manager.’ 

Recalls Piers: ‘As the deadline loomed, I received a cheque for £11,000 signed by Top Shop’s Philip Green.’

PR guru Piers Pottinger threatened to send in bailiffs when Terry Venables declined to pay him £11,000 for his services

Venables protested that Piers couldn’t sue him as he was the England manager

When Paul Gascoigne played for Terry at Tottenham, he ‘borrowed’ an ostrich, dressed it in a Spurs shirt for training and yelled at the manager: ‘Gaffer – got a new player for you!’ 

Gazza adds: ‘This f*****g ostrich was copying the players running side to side. We finished training at 1pm and I finally caught the ostrich at 5pm.’

Terry’s entrepreneurial talent left a lot to be desired.  He once launched the Thingamywig, a hat fringed by artificial hair for women when they had their curlers in. 

It would be a collector’s item had anyone bought it in the first place.

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