A husband’s pain

THE widower of cancer victim Dame Deborah James has spoken movingly of her final hours, saying there were ‘moments of joy’, even as the darkness set in. People always talk about the courage of those who suffer with terminal illness, and rightly so, but let us not forget the pain of those left behind. I know of two families where young children have lost their mothers to cancer, and the pressure on their fathers to fill that gap can feel overwhelming. I hope Deborah’s husband Sebastien, left, with his late wife, realises it’s not weakness or an act of betrayal to feel this way – and that he has all the love and support he needs.

• HOW bitterly ironic that Sir Salman Rushdie was stabbed in the same week that several British universities said that they’ll remove ‘challenging’ books from their reading lists. It’s precisely the kind of intellectual bigotry these supposed centres of learning are condoning that encourages such acts of abominable violence – and they should be ashamed.

• NINE of the 15 contestants on the new series of Strictly are already on the BBC’s payroll. Is there such a dearth of talent beyond the revolving doors of Broadcasting House? Or is the show now little more than a glorified works outing for BBC employees?

• MANY may be envious of Cara Delevingne’s glamorous 30th birthday party on a yacht in Formentera alongside A-listers such as Margot Robbie and Sienna Miller. But it’s my idea of hell.

Beneath the smiles, you can be sure it’s a cut-throat competition to see who’s the skinniest, prettiest, coolest of them all. No thank you.

• WHILE in France recently, I was reluctantly persuaded by my teenagers to stop at a McDonald’s. Imagine my surprise to find that it offered macarons (Emmanuel Macarons, even?).

Say what you like about the French, but it takes class to turn a revolting American fast-food franchise into a culinary triumph.