His personal odyssey (from porn comedian to messianic 'thought leader' and born-again Christian) earned him a generous hug from none other than a survivor at his baptism in the Thames earlier this year. Grylls Bear.
But I fear that Russell Brand did not defeat William Stoner, 8th Lord Camois, a contemporary of Grylls' Eden College, at Stoner Park, an Oxfordshire family seat occupied by successive generations of Stoners since before the Norman Conquest.
Brandt, 49, on the other hand, is the newest member of the county group, having spent £3.3 million on a six-bedroom house overlooking the Thames in 2016.
Camoys, 50, may have wanted to stay away from the newcomer. But in 2020, Brandt, now under investigation by the Metropolitan Police following allegations of historic sexual misconduct, which he vehemently denies, added a former pub, in the village of Fikill, a mile from Cretemstoner, to his property portfolio.
He then managed to anger locals by demanding permission to convert the 800-year-old pub into a recording studio and office. The objections continued to pile up. The proposals were dismissed, prompting the brand to try again, this time seeking to “combine the use” of The Crown as a pub, multimedia studio, offices and function room.
As he preaches as a born-again Christian, one of those distrustful of Russell Brand is a local colleague who has criticized the controversial celebrity in an Oxfordshire pub.
William Stoner, 8th Lord Camois, noted in a letter to the town council that when Brand bought The Crown he “promised to keep the pub open”.
Brand purchased the building in 2020 and attempted to convert it into a recording studio shortly after.
But Lord Camois did not agree. A magistrate's review of Brand's second attempt noted in a letter to the council that when Brand bought The Crown, “he did so with a promise to keep the pub open”.
Since then, “there has been no attempt to reopen,” the colleague says. The revised plans therefore call for the pub to be “marketable and facilitate its long-term use as a public house”, before any part of it is used for offices or “other uses”. Otherwise, 'reject the request'.
Surely the Lord has said…
Give us a ride, Lady Forsyth
Sir Bruce Forsyth, whose widow Wilnelia has ruled out competing, would definitely come to the ball when she was alive: “I don't think my husband would have taken the judges' criticism very well.
Seven years after her death in 2017 at the age of 89, Wilnelia is proving that she can be a strong contender for the Glitterball trophy.
In a video recorded at her 67th birthday celebration in her hometown of Puerto Rico this week, the former Miss World can be seen showing off her best moves.
Lady Forsyth, who inherited Sir Bruce's £11.5million fortune, is clearly determined to keep dancing!
Sir Bruce Forsyth's widow Wilnelia has revealed what a worthy contestant on her late husband's show Strictly Come Dancing would have been like.
In a video recorded at her 67th birthday celebration in her hometown of Puerto Rico this week, the former Miss World can be seen showing off her best moves.
Lady Antonia's family is terrified
Lady Antonia Fraser's family feared for her life when she fell and had to spend Christmas in hospital two years ago. Now the historian is about to publish a new book, at the age of 92.
Entitled Patchwork Pieces, it is a colorful memoir of her life, which began as the daughter of the 7th Earl of Langford. It was originally called Diary of a Merry Old Lady. She tells me: 'I liked the title of jockey but I got rid of it.'
Tamsin says dating is the parts
Tamsin Outwaite has announced that she has put men aside and is seeking solitude since her split from her toyboy lover Tom Child, which I revealed last month.
The New Tricks star, 53, insists even Brad Pitt would be ignored if he was looking for a date.
“I had six and a half wonderful years with Tom,” the actress, left, says of her boyfriend, 20 years her junior.
'It was a very mature, respectful and human breakup. The thought of a date fills me with dread, the awkwardness of it all, and even if someone like Brad Pitt wanted to come and take me out, I'd be like, “No.”
Tamsin Outwaite has announced she has distanced herself from men and is seeking solitude since splitting from her toyboy lover Tom Child.
Osmond is clean
Jay Osmond, from sassy US band The Osmonds, has spoken out about “bad language” in a new production of Now That's What I Call a Musical, directed by Strictly's Craig Revel Harwood.
Like his family, drummer and singer Osmond, 69, is a devout Mormon and says of the play in which he guest starred this week: “As my parents taught me: 'You have to be in the world, But you have nothing to be of the world. This is a perfect example.”
Back to TV historian Lucy?
Lucy Worsley, known for her historical costumes in TV documentaries, is leaving the “royal” role she has played for the past two decades.
Worsley, 50, says: “I've had the best colleagues ever [as chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces]But I want to spend more time with friends on our Lady Killers podcast.”
Lucy Worsley will leave the 'royal' role she has held for the past two decades
King's Budget Preview
As Chancellor Rachel Reeves puts the finishing touches on her first budget, one person has received an advance.
I heard that he met Reeves at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. I wonder if you mentioned cuts to government funding.
How far can the Labor Party go with hereditary monarchs when hereditary peers are to be abolished?
