EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: I'm appalled at the state of the BBC, says Sir Richard Eyre

During Sir Richard Eyre's illustrious career he has worked with the BBC on various critically acclaimed productions.

Yet the celebrated director, who served on the Corporation's board, has now voiced his anger at what the organisation has become.

Sir Richard, 81, is particularly critical of its attitude to the arts. 'I find the lack of pride, the lack of understanding of the BBC of what they have as cultural capital, disappointing,' he says.

He directed the 1988 drama Tumbledown, which was set during the Falklands War and starred Colin Firth, but says it couldn't be made today without the BBC influencing the casting.

'I was on the board of governors for nine years, and I'm appalled by how much it has changed,' he said during a talk at the BFI Southbank cinema in London.

'In those days, you had a responsibility, there was no channel controller saying when we were doing Tumbledown: 'You've got to cast X and Y' – we were just trusted to get on with it because they trusted the chain of command. 

Now they sit there with people with absolutely no experience of producing making decisions that have huge consequences.'

Sir Richard admits he has been at odds with the BBC since it delayed broadcasting The Hollow Crown, his 2012 adaptations of Shakespeare's history plays.

The production, which starred Ben Whishaw and Tom Hiddleston, was commissioned to coincide with the 2012 London Olympics. But it almost didn't make it on air due to a tennis match at Wimbledon overrunning.

'I had absolutely no idea why they did that, nobody got in touch with me,' he says. 'I love those plays and it did feel like a slap in the face. 

'Whoever made those decisions should be ashamed of themselves.'

Rare sighting of Aaron and his family  

They have an age difference of 23 years but that hasn't stopped Fifty Shades Of Grey director Sam Taylor-Wood, 57, and James Bond contender Aaron Johnson, 34, from creating a harmonious blended family.

The couple, who have used the surname Taylor-Johnson since their wedding in 2012, were joined by Sam's daughters Angelica, 27, left, and Jessie, 18, from her first marriage to art mogul Jay Jopling, at the New York premiere of Aaron's action film Kraven The Hunter.

Aaron was 18 when Sam, then 42, cast him as John Lennon in her film Nowhere Boy. Angelica also appeared in the film.

She has two younger half-sisters Wylda, 12, and Romy, ten – but they did not attend their father's big night.

Aaron has previously said he prefers to keep his daughters out of the limelight. 'We live behind walls. Literally, figuratively and deliberately. You'll never see our children … on social media or in the press.'

Chefs are too nice now, says TV's Marcus

A protege of fiery Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing appears to be struggling to adjust to the radical change in atmosphere behind the scenes in restaurants.

'You go into a kitchen now, and there are people laughing and joking, having a nice time,' says the chef, 54 who is a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals.

'That's not for me. When I worked at Petrus and restaurants after it, there were some other great up-and-coming chefs and it was very much a rock 'n' roll time. 

'We worked hard, had big personalities and we were pushing boundaries. We ran our kitchens like we were in the Army.'

Apple boss pops in for a pint with Slow Horses star Jack 

Millions seem to live on their smartphones these days, but American tech tycoon Tim Cook has discovered the joy of real-life socialising in a London boozer.

The boss of Apple shared online a photo of himself enjoying a pint with actor Jack Lowden at The Salisbury in the West End, where Cook had just visited one of his shops. Lowden, 34, stars opposite Gary Oldman in Slow Horses – the spy series produced by Apple TV+.

Cook, 64, took over Apple in 2011 after the death of iPhone pioneer Steve Jobs.

Cook comments: 'There's nothing like London during the holidays.'

Kate Moss split up will have come as little surprise

Reports yesterday that Kate Moss had split up with long-term boyfriend Count Nikolai von Bismarck will have come as little surprise to readers of this column. 

Last year, I reported that the aristocratic snapper, 37, who had been with Moss, 50, since 2015, was seen returning to a Paris hotel with model Camille Rowe, 34. 

Von Bismarck and Moss declined to say at the time if they were still together.

Former 'It-girl' struggles to satisfy with festive gifts

Former 'It-girl' Tamara Beckwith struggles to satisfy her Italian businessman husband Giorgio Veroni when it comes to festive gifts. 

'I always give a lovely present to my husband and he always gives it back – or trades it – every year,' she tells me at a carol concert in west London in aid of the Lady Garden Foundation. 

'It's very rude.' Impersonating his accent, Tamara, 54, explains: 'He says: 'Don't waste your money.'