SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Lorraine Pascale cooks up a flaws-and-all selfie 

TV cook Lorraine Pascale was once a top model, appearing in Elle and Sports Illustrated.

But the 42-year-old has no qualms about showing fans her natural visage, even comparing it to an airbrushed version.

‘Don’t be fooled,’ she writes. ‘Easy to think someone looks flawless when they are Photoshopped... just wanted to show how easy it is to give the illusion of flawlessness.’

Before: TV cook Lorraine Pascale shows fans her natural visage
After: The 42-year-old compares it to an airbrushed version

Before and after: TV cook Lorraine Pascale shows fans her natural visage (left) and the touched-up version

Comrades' weekly the New Statesman claims ‘Red Ed’ Miliband is set to take over No 10. Under the headline ‘The polls are calling it for Ed’, the article says ‘it is likely that Ed Miliband will be Prime Minister this summer’ and ‘the numbers clearly favour’ the Labour leader. 

Sadly, the excitable author of the piece, Harry Lambert, cannot find space to declare an interest: Miliband just happens to be his godfather.

Physicist Stephen Hawking dazzles with his intellect, but his daughter Lucy says her existence is what surprises most people.

‘A lot of people don’t realise that my father had any children at all,’ says Lucy, 45, who has two brothers, Tim and Robert, from the scientist’s first marriage, to author Jane Hawking.

Their romance was vividly portrayed in the Oscar-winning film The Theory Of Everything.

‘Some people were just so astonished that a person with a disability could have children that they couldn’t get past that,’ says Lucy.

Former Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd, who has been writing the Queen’s biography, concedes it hasn’t been easy. ‘I’ve just finished it and my only rider from the literary agent was: “Don’t be boring!” ’

Perish the thought 

The BBC has found a new sideline, flogging instruments of torture on eBay. A vicious-looking medieval ‘choke pear’ has been sold for £304 after being used as a prop on the comedy series Inside No. 9. It was put on eBay by snookauctions2015, which stated: ‘We are selling these (items) on behalf of the BBC.’

The small-print added that the pear was a prop which ‘must not be used for torture’.

Writer Byatt breaks back in home fall

Dame Margaret Drabble has had to come to terms with the news that her husband Sir Michael Holroyd is in a relationship with the theatre critic Sus-annah Clapp.

Now spare a thought for her estranged elder sister, A. S. Byatt (right), who is going through the wars too.

‘I broke my back after I fell down six steps at home in Putney,’ novelist Dame Antonia, 78, tells me at the Hatchards Authors Party in Piccadilly. ‘It’s been very frightening.

‘I just lost my footing on the stairs late at night and ended up in hospital. It has affected my life a lot.

‘I had to have an operation but I chose not to think I could end up in a wheelchair. Of course, at the time there was the risk and fear of paralysis but I took that on the chin and didn’t dwell on it.

‘I’m still on a crutch and getting around is becoming more problematic, and there is pain.’ 

Lady of London star gives two Mercedes to her twins, 5

Ladies Of London reality TV star Caroline Stanbury still has 12 years until her twin sons Zack and Aaron are legally allowed to drive.

But that hasn’t stopped her from indulging the boys, who turn five today, by buying them a Mercedes jeep each — fully equipped with seatbelts and a sound system. 

Fortunately, the vehicles aren’t roadworthy — they are simply replicas for racing around the garden of her and Turkish financier husband Cem Habib’s £8 million home in stockbroker-belt Surrey.

Stanbury’s business, the Gift Library, went into administration two months ago after burning through investors’ cash. 

Reality TV star: Ladies of London's Caroline Stanbury, who bought her sons a Mercedes jeep each
Stanbury’s business, the Gift Library, went into administration two months ago after burning through investors’ cash

Reality TV star: Ladies of London's Caroline Stanbury, who bought her sons a Mercedes jeep each

Indulged: The vehicles (pictured) aren’t roadworthy — they are simply replicas for racing around the garden of her and Turkish financier husband Cem Habib’s £8 million home in stockbroker-belt Surrey

Indulged: The vehicles (pictured) aren’t roadworthy — they are simply replicas for racing around the garden of her and Turkish financier husband Cem Habib’s £8 million home in stockbroker-belt Surrey

There might be myriad parties contesting power at the election, but Jeremy Paxman isn’t satisfied. ‘I think I know how I’m going to vote,’ says Paxo. ‘The only thing that I really wish we had was a box on the ballot paper that said: “None of the above”. If we had that, maybe we’d start seeing different kinds of candidates.’

So who will Paxman vote for? ‘You can whistle for it if you’re expecting me to tell you.’

Trolls bully Roman's birthday girl

For her 18th birthday, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s daughter Sofia posed proudly next to her bespoke five-tier macaron-encrusted birthday cake created by Belgravia baker Peggy Porschen, whose designs start at £2,500.

But less than a month later and the teenager, who is currently studying for her exams, has embarked on a diet-and-exercise regime after being bullied about her appearance on social media.

‘I’ve been scrutinised and some people say some really horrible things that I’ve had to delete or block,’ she writes online. ‘This made me feel even more self-conscious about myself and my body. 

‘I know I will never be a stick skinny model girl and I’m accepting that fact.

‘However, I know my body isn’t as healthy as it could be so I’m going to change that.’ 

Birthday girl: Sofia Abramovich with her macaron-encrusted cake created by baker Peggy Porschen

Birthday girl: Sofia Abramovich with her macaron-encrusted cake created by baker Peggy Porschen

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