Time for those in public eye to become role models like Princess Anne… or influencers will brainwash next generation
SOME people might have been annoyed not to get the King or his son handing over their MBE.
But Davina McCall was “thrilled” the Princess Royal presented hers this week — because Anne was her royal role model growing up.
Davina, who was awarded the gong for her services to broadcasting, says she found Princess Anne “inspiring” and shared her ethos in life to be “a very positive, no-nonsense woman”.
I agree. Anne is a great role model. Last year she clocked up an astonishing 457 engagements at the age of 73 to retain her long-held title as Britain’s hardest-working royal.
And when the rest of the Royal Family are fighting fit, their work for charity and good causes will go on cheering the nation.
You don’t have to be a royalist to know that The Queen led by example.
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She was hard-working, dedicated, strong, kind and caring.
When the chips were down we knew we had a leader who we trusted and admired to guide us.
And that is why 24million of us tuned in to her TV message in April 2020, during the panic-stricken early days of the Covid lockdown.
In the speech, she firmly, calmly and reassuringly told us: “We will meet again.”
It was like the hug we weren’t allowed in real life.
But now, without more like her, finding a role model in life isn’t an easy task.
Politicians give us little in the way of moral leadership and we struggle to even see the GPs we once respected so much face to face.
Trust in the police is at an all-time low.
And although our sports stars may show exceptional dedication and attitude in their day jobs, we can’t always say the same about their personal lives.
Even our church leaders aren’t always concentrating on the job in hand and are often spouting off about politics instead.
Perhaps we have become a nation so terrified of causing offence that people in authority are afraid of offering an opinion.
Financial gains
Even mentioning moral advice seems to be taboo.
But without real, respectable role models, I fear the younger generation will turn to something much worse.
Research this week shows that a fifth of men aged 16 to 29 now look favourably on Andrew Tate.
If you are lucky enough not to have come across him, he is a vile social media influencer who is facing charges of human trafficking and rape.
He denies those allegations but he has already been banned from various platforms for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech.
He is the last person anyone should look up to.
It is terrifying to think that social media influencers, who are usually out for their own financial gains, are becoming modern-day heroes for some people.
It is time more of those people in the public eye and in positions of authority showed they are worthy of our respect.
Because if all we have is selfish influencers brainwashing the next generation, the consequences don’t bear thinking about.
FARYAL A BIG DRAW
I CAN’T wait for Amir Khan’s wife Faryal Makhdoom to go on Celebrity Big Brother.
She has signed up to the ITV reboot in a bid to change the public’s perception of her.
Faryal has forgiven her love-rat boxer husband for cheating on her . . . apparently more than NINE times.
The series will be fascinating viewing and give a unique insight into why the women of philandering sports stars stay with their cheating other halves.
I’m not the only one who thinks money plays a large part. But surely it can’t just be that?
However, the toughest challenge for Faryal while away on the show will be wondering what her philandering other half is up to on the outside.
VIC’S ON A ROLLS
I IMAGINE I’m not the only one who fancies getting a new T-shirt after seeing David and Victoria Beckham’s advert for Uber Eats.
In the ad, which is to be shown at next Sunday’s Super Bowl, Victoria is wearing one of her own T-shirts that says “My dad had a Rolls-Royce”.
She started manufacturing them after a clip from David’s Netflix documentary went viral.
It showed him poking fun at the car her dad drove her to school in.
The only problem for most of us who want to follow in her fashionable footsteps is that our dads probably didn’t drive a Rolls-Royce.
My T-shirt would say, “My dad had a Cortina”.
Not quite as posh as Posh.
AFTER five days on the run from a Highlands wildlife park in Kingussie, an escaped monkey has been caught.
A local resident used leftover Yorkshire pudding in her garden to tempt the Japanese macaque, who was affectionately dubbed Kingussie Kong by fans.
Stephanie Banyan revealed the monkey couldn’t resist her treat.
If the marketing bods from Aunt Bessie’s have any sense, they will be hot-footing it to Scotland to sign him up.
No wonder Joe’s keen to muscle in on cash
WHEN you have mouths to feed, you have money to make.
Fitness expert Joe Wicks announced on Tuesday he and wife Rosie are expecting their fourth child.
The next day he posted this “thirst-trap” selfie – a sexy picture – on social media telling fans to sign up to his Body Coach app by midnight for a £30 discount.
Presumably to get a body like his.
I am sure his plan worked.
Joe became a household name during the pandemic after posting daily YouTube videos of PE lessons for families to take part in.
Now he’s showing off a more grown-up side. Thank god the towel didn’t slip!
THE rate of shoplifting in England and Wales has hit its highest level in more than 20 years and I became a victim of it this week.
I rushed into a Sainsbury’s at my local station with a throbbing headache and bought some pills.
But when I settled into my seat on the train I realised the packet was empty.
When I went back, the friendly shop assistant refunded me without question.
She told me pills and booze were nicked every day but staff just don’t know how to stop the thieves.
Police need to get tougher on shoplifters, with bigger penalties for thieving – because it’s a horrible headache for us all.
GAME TO SIR ANDY
I DON’T blame Andy Murray for hitting back at a suggestions it was time for him to quit tennis because he was “tarnishing his legacy” by continuing.
The three-time Grand Slam champion, who on Monday suffered his seventh defeat in eight matches, admitted he is “in a terrible moment”.
But he said: “Most people would quit and give up in my situation right now.
“I’m not most people and my mind works differently.
“I won’t quit. I will keep fighting and working to produce the performances I know I’m capable of.”
Good for him. Surely Sir Andy deserves a bit more respect after all he has done for tennis in this country.
He should only hang up his tennis racket when he actually chooses to.
LISTEN, RADIO 1
THE latest listening figures for Radio 1 are hideous, with listeners turning out in droves.
I remember back in the day when the station was firmly part of my life.
I loved nothing more than waiting for the Top 40 with Mark Goodier or Bruno Brookes.
Obviously the way we get our music has changed but it’s clear that we are not tuning in to Radio 1.
I bet many of us would struggle to even name many of their current DJs.
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Meanwhile, commercial radio stations are roaring ahead thanks to fun-loving presenters such as Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston.
Auntie must realise that we are becoming bored of bland and woke presenters.