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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Claudia Cockerell

Footballers 'deserve every penny' says Jilly Cooper after writing football romp

Jilly Cooper Football Caitlin Moran Nicky Haslam

It appears Jilly Cooper’s muses take their role seriously. At the launch of her latest book Tackle! last night, Andrew Parker Bowles arrived in impeccable black tie. It’s an open secret that the Queen’s ex-husband is the inspiration for Rupert Campbell-Black, the licentious antihero of Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles. In the latest he takes over a failing local football club, and naturally piques the curiosity of a gaggle of WAGs. 

But fans of Campbell-Black’s rutting and romping may be disappointed. 86-year-old Jilly told the crowd at Hatchards in Piccadilly that Tackle! is “not quite as raunchy as some of the other books”. Luckily she placated everyone with some locker room jokes which are not fit for print.

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