EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Labour peer Ann Limb faces mutiny over new role

She falsely claimed she had a PhD, provoking outrage at the Athenaeum, the St James's club of which she was until recently chairman – but where, as I disclosed, her membership has since ended.

That, however, may be almost incidental compared with the backlash which Labour donor Dame Ann Limb – nominated for a peerage by Sir Keir Starmer – now faces in Buckinghamshire, of which she's been a Deputy Lieutenant since 2011 and was High Sheriff in 2023-24.

Indeed, the furore now threatens to also engulf Countess Howe, who, as well as being Buckinghamshire's Lord Lieutenant – the monarch's most senior representative in the county – is president of a charitable body which, to the disgust of critics, has just appointed Limb as her successor.

Leading the charge is local councillor Shery Delfani.

'I hold a PhD myself, and I cannot adequately describe how offensive and demoralising it is to see someone falsely claim this qualification and face no real consequences,' she tells me.

'A doctorate is not a vanity title. It's earned through years – often a decade or more – of relentless work, financial sacrifice, personal strain, and intellectual discipline. Many researchers damage their health, delay their lives and give up stability to contribute genuine knowledge to society.

'To falsely claim a PhD is not a misunderstanding or a minor error. It is a deliberate deception that confers unearned authority, credibility and professional advantage. It is academic fraud, plain and simple.'

Her revulsion is echoed by Alderman Paul Bartlett. 'This is disgraceful,' he tells me, referring to Limb's appointment as President of Milton Keynes Community Foundation.

'Countess Howe and all its trustees know, or should know, about the Nolan Principles,' adds Bartlett, referring to The Seven Principles of Public Life, known as the Nolan Principles, which include honesty, integrity and openness.

Limb, 72, who's donated £50,000 to the Labour Party, declines to comment – a reaction which Delfani summarises as 'truly heartbreaking and unacceptable'.

'Dame Ann Limb has neither issued a clear, unequivocal apology nor resigned. Instead, she's been rewarded with a prestigious leadership role.

'This sends a devastating message: that honesty does not matter, integrity is optional and that those who play by the rules are fools for doing so.'

Why has he revived his hit comedy, The Harry Hill Show, in a video podcast? Hill, 61, points to the career choices of his three artistic daughters. 'One's a painter, one's a ceramicist, the other's doing textiles – which is why I have to keep working,' he says, adding: 'Get a nine-to-five. What's wrong with that? Get a Travelcard.' 

Richard E. Grant's 'toxic' betrayal

Saltburn star Richard E. Grant is still reeling after being 'betrayed' by a friend of nearly three decades.

'I thought [she] was one of the five best friends of my life,' admits the actor, 68.

The chum accidentally copied Grant into an email she sent to a mutual friend in which she was extremely rude about his work.

'There was a paragraph of such toxicity... it was [an annihilation] of my script that I'd written that was entirely autobiographical,' he says.

'I was absolutely devastated, so I copied and pasted that and sent it back and said: 'Twenty-nine years of friendship?'

'My daughter [Olivia] said to me: 'In your heart of hearts, haven't you always known this about this person?' Then she said, 'You've taken too long to answer, I think you've always known.'

I've not seen that person since.'

Anais Gallagher: Where's the next One Direction?

Oasis star Noel Gallagher's daughter Anais is worried about the future of music, claiming there aren't enough promising new pop idols to inspire the nextgeneration of fans.

'My boyfriend's got a 12-year-old niece, and I'm like: 'Where's her One Direction?' declares Anais, 26, who's going out with It's a Sin star Callum Scott Howells. 'Dare I say: 'Where's her Justin Bieber?' Did you know that right now, a 12-year-old's Harry Styles is Harry Styles?'

All drama, no fun for Ruth

It has produced stars including Sir Anthony Hopkins, Rob Brydon and Dougray Scott, but the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama was a less than 'tidy' experience for Gavin and Stacey's Ruth Jones.

'For me, acting was always just fun and I found drama school sometimes a bit serious,' the actress and writer says. 'I just wanted to have a laugh really and that was a problem.'

World rugby champ Megan gets engaged 

What a start it's been to 2026 for England rugby star Megan Jones.

Shortly after receiving her MBE in the New Year's Honours list and then meeting the Princess of Wales at Windsor Castle to celebrate England's 2025 Rugby World Cup triumph, Megan proposed to fellow rugby player Celia Quansah, 30. Megan, who was born in Cardiff, shared photos online from the Peak District, where she popped the question.

'Still can't believe my best friend has to deal with me for the rest of her life,' Megan, 29, says. 'Been through it all and you've stuck around, so there must be something in the air.'

Megan's parents died within four months of each other in 2024.