2 days ago
TALK OF THE TOWN: Gardening guru who helped David Beckham grow his friendship with King Charles
After the announcement that David Beckham will be awarded a knighthood in King Charles 's Birthday Honours, I can reveal one unsung hero in helping the former footballer secure his title: a glamorous blonde gardener who Becks calls 'my lovely Carly'.
It's no secret that Beckham, 50, has bonded with King Charles over a shared love of gardening.
Indeed, at the Chelsea Flower Show last month, the King was overheard asking the former England captain if he liked his 50th birthday present he had sent him – a new rose bush.
Beckham was also recently invited by Charles to Highgrove, his Gloucestershire country pile, where the pair talked about another common gardening interest, beehives.
All of which cannot fail to have helped Beckham in the months leading up to the announcement of his upcoming knighthood.
But today I can disclose that his stunning Costwolds garden has a secret weapon behind the scenes: Carly Holmes, the former gardener at Soho Farmhouse, the celeb haunt beloved by the Beckhams and a stone's throw from the family's front door.
Carly was head gardener there for four-and-a-half years from January 2019 to May 2023. A few months later she popped up as head gardener for DVB – David and Victoria Beckham's company – tending the gardens at their 40-acre estate.
Carly's work is seldom mentioned on Beckham's Instagram feed, which documents his vegetable garden in forensic detail.
Posh and Becks taking on Soho Farmhouse's head gardener comes after their triple-barn conversion was also decorated to match the decor of the members' club when it was built eight years ago.
'Their house in just like a mini-Soho Farmhouse – even the gardens now match,' said an insider.
It's tardy Tina
She's the mother of pop icon Beyonce, so maybe we can forgive Tina Knowles some diva habits of her own. I hear the businesswoman arrived an hour late to an event with Stella McCartney at London's Southbank Centre last week, with fans teased with Beyonce songs on the speakers until she arrived! When the talk finally began, Tina asked Sir Paul McCartney's daughter about the 'nepo baby' tag. 'I got that for the majority of my career,' Stella says. 'When I first started, the headlines were, 'She got by with a little help from her friends' – but not any more.'
Isla's life's a joke
Her ex-husband is supposed to be the comedian, but actress Isla Fisher, has been making jokes about her split from Sacha Baron Cohen after 14 years of marriage. The 49-year-old Australian shared a study on her Instagram account that revealed 'marriage may significantly increase your risk of dementia' and wrote in the caption: 'Every cloud...' Let's hope her 53-year-old ex – who found fame through his characters Ali G and Borat – sees the funny side as they battle over their shared £120 million fortune.
It's Sophie, queen of the curtsies
Everyone knows the King and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh are great friends – so His Majesty saw the funny side when she almost forgot to curtsy to him at Royal Windsor Flower Show.
Chuckling in front of the cameras, our exclusive pictures show the Duchess kissing her brother-in-law the King on the cheek, followed by a quick curtsy which made her almost lose her balance.
Thank goodness the laughing monarch was there to steady the Duchess!
No big pants for Romy!
Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding has some vv good news
– her daughter Romy is a supermodel in the making, with the willowy 18-year-old, right, having been signed up by the New York agency DNA Models. Romy, whose father was Helen's late partner, Kevin Curran, has been sharing sneak peeks of recent shoots – including one in Central Park. More Carrie Bradshaw than Bridget Jones!
Take two for Toff wedding party
Georgia Toffolo left many friends high and dry when she gave just 24-hours' notice of her wedding to BrewDog tycoon James Watts, 43, in March.
Few could make the last-minute trip to Aberdeenshire for the low-key nuptials, which were followed by the couple, above, posing for photos on a fishing boat. But now I can reveal that the 30-year-old Made In Chelsea star is planning a major celebration for all her nearest and dearest who missed the big day.
I trust this time, it'll all be on dry land!
