Fergie's toe-sucking former lover John Bryan faces £750,000 legal bill after losing £1.5m fight with his reality star ex-wife

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He has de-stabilised the Royal Family, presided over a company which collapsed with £10million debts and has been declared bankrupt in the High Court.

Yet the Duchess of York's erstwhile 'financial adviser' John Bryan — photographed sucking her toes while she reclined topless by a pool in the South of France in 1992 — has continued to live a life of style and comfort, untroubled by the disasters he has left in his wake.

But now, I can disclose, justice has finally caught up with the smooth-talking, 62-year-old, Los Angeles-based Texan, who, for the past two years, has been locked in a vicious courtroom battle to try to extract up to £1.5million from his ex-wife, beautiful Belgian reality TV star Astrid Coppens, alleging that she withheld critical information about her wealth and income when they divorced in 2013.

The Duchess of York's erstwhile 'financial adviser' John Bryan's will be forced to pay £750,000 after losing a two-year court battle with his ex-wife, Astrid Coppens. He's pictured above left, with Coppens, and right with Fergie

Bryan was photographed sucking Fergie's toes while she reclined topless by a pool in the South of France in 1992

Astrid, 34, a classically trained violinist, singer and model, posted on Instagram and Twitter an image of herself pounding a punch-bag

Judge Michael J Convey has ruled that Bryan's claim 'should be denied in its entirety', and witheringly questioned Bryan's testimony about his own financial status.

Astrid was just 22 when she married Bryan and lives barely a mile from her ex-husband. They're pictured together above in 2012

'It is simply not credible that [Bryan] had no assets and no money,' concludes Convey, adding that, at the time of their divorce in 2013, Bryan was earning more than Astrid was, and noting that Bryan was receiving £13,500-a-month via his company, the Watley Group, to fund 'his manner of living'. 

Astrid, 34, a classically trained violinist, singer and model, who was just 22 when she married Bryan and lives barely a mile from her ex-husband, is understandably elated.

She has posted on Instagram an image of herself pounding a punch-bag, with the caption: 'No matter what, keep fighting because the truth is something to fight for! Justice is served.'

Bryan, who was made bankrupt in 1996 after failing to pay debts of £60,000 to creditors — including Fergie's sister, Jane, the photos of whose second wedding he had sold to Hello! — now faces a legal bill which Astrid's lawyer, Olaf Muller, estimates at more than £750,000.

He will find it difficult to evade paying. 'We will chase him down to the ends of the earth,' Muller assures me.

Mamma Mia 2 star Jeremy Irvine, who plays the young version of Pierce Brosnan's character, has narrowly avoided a run-in with the police after making calls on his new £1,000 iPhone to emergency services — by mistake.

'I've bought a phone which has new Face ID. I was really excited but it keeps calling the police,' Jeremy, 27, tells me.

'It happened twice while I was at the gym. I had my headphones in and suddenly the music stopped and I heard: "Hello, emergency services? Ambulance, police or fire?" I was like: "No! No thanks!"

'When it's in your pocket there's something you press three times and it sets it off. Design flaw, I think.'

Businesswoman Dame Helena Morrissey has become a grandmother. Her oldest daughter, musician Flo, has given birth to a son by Mercury Prize-winning artist Benjamin Clementine, 28

Flo, who turned 23 on Christmas Day, posted this snap of the new arrival on social media and described it as 'surely the best birthday I will ever have'

Businesswoman Dame Helena Morrissey, who earned the nickname 'City Supermum' owing to her ability to juggle a high-flying career with raising nine children, has now been promoted to Supergran.

Her oldest daughter, musician Flo, has given birth to a son by Mercury Prize-winning artist Benjamin Clementine, 28.

Flo, who turned 23 on Christmas Day, posted this snap of the new arrival on social media and described it as 'surely the best birthday I will ever have'.

For parenting tips she need look no further than her own mother. 

Dame Helena, 51, who is also dubbed the 'billion-dollar babe' as she has £51 billion of assets under her management, still gets home at 6pm every day to do the ironing despite her busy work schedule.

Meghan Markle's curious family history continues to unfold in surprising ways.

Not only is Prince Harry's fiancee distantly related to William Shakespeare, Sir Winston Churchill and Hollywood star James Dean, but I can also reveal she shares a common ancestor with T.S. Eliot. 

The 36-year-old American actress and the Wasteland poet — who was born in America but became a British citizen after moving here at the age of 25 — both descend from 16th century clergyman Stephen Bachiler, who was well known for his obstinate and tenacious opinions.

Harry, beware!

Ex-Dragons' Den star Duncan Bannatyne proudly poses with his wife of six months, Nigora Whitehorn, by the pool of their five-star hotel in Dubai

Modesty is not a chief concern for ex-Dragons' Den star Duncan Bannatyne, it seems.

The twice-married entrepreneur, 68, had no qualms about flaunting his luxury holiday in Dubai this week in front of his 845,000 followers on social media, where he proudly poses with his wife of six months, Nigora Whitehorn, by the pool of their five-star hotel. 

Showing off her long slender legs in a white bathing suit, the Uzbekistani brunette, 37, comments online: 'Life is a great adventure or nothing!'

Nigora, who has a 15-year-old daughter, Gabrielle, from a previous marriage, met father-of-six Duncan in 2015 when she was a receptionist at his Harley Street dentist.

Amber Rudd might have a lot on her plate at work, but she's already thinking about life after politics. 

At the end of a tumultuous year in the Cabinet, she reveals she's setting her sights on writing a novel. 

'I've just read a really good thriller, The Knives, about a Home Secretary by Richard Kelly, so maybe I could write something like that,' she tells me at a party in Piccadilly. 

She might want to work on her self-confidence first. 'I haven't written a book before,' she adds. 'Sometimes, I think I should leave that up to the clever people.'

Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon (right) shared s photo of her and her 18-year-old lookalike daughter, Ava (left), on social media this week

Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon is used to captivating an audience and this week did so in a very different way by sharing a photo of her and her 18-year-old lookalike daughter, Ava, on social media.

Despite their 23-year age gap, the blonde duo could have passed for sisters as they posed for a festive snap in red dresses and matching ruby lipstick.

Looking every inch the Hollywood star in her £245 Draper James lace frock, Legally Blonde star Reese had Ava with her ex-husband, actor Ryan Phillippe. 

She is now married to talent agent Jim Toth with whom she has a five-year-old son called Tennessee.