Catherine Mayer and Andy Gill
(Picture: Alan Davidson)CATHERINE MAYER, the widow of Gang of Four singer Andy Gill, has called on Spotify to do more than the “bare minimum” over pandemic misinformation.
“As a grieving widow I don’t want to see anyone else die,” Mayer told us. “It’s about them recognising that they have a responsibility. They pretend that they are just a platform, but if you are putting out something that is potentially dangerous then you figure out how to protect the public.”
Gill died of suspected coronavirus two years ago today. Mayer is not calling for his music to be removed from Spotify. US singers Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have withdrawn their music from the platform. Young accused Spotify of being a “damaging force”, particularly for hosting podcaster Joe Rogan, who featured a Covid conspiracy theorist on his show. In response, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek made a statement promising to do more, including putting “content advisory” warnings on shows that reference Covid-19.
Mayer, who is co-founder and president of the Women’s Equality Party, and has written a memoir, Good Grief, about Gill’s death.
Bono, could you lose your edge?
WHEN Garth Jennings cast Bono in his new animated film sequel Sing 2, the director nearly didn’t find what he was looking for. “When I had to get him to sing his own song… there was a problem,” Jennings says of the U2 frontman. But it was not what you might expect. “His singing voice is perfect… the fact is he still sounds fantastic. And I have a character who supposedly hasn’t sung for 30 years,” he tells Edith Bowman’s podcast, adding: “So I have to say to him, ‘That is a great take. Umm, do you mind singing it a little bit less good? Could you crap it up a bit?’”
Author thrilled that Saoirse’s on board
SAOIRSE RONAN is to star in the film of best-selling memoir The Outrun, it was announced last night. Author Amy Liptrot said it was “thrilling” to have the Mary Queen of Scots star join the project. The Outrun is a memoir about Liptrot’s descent into substance abuse in east London — and then her redemption on her home islands of Orkney. Liptrot said she had been working with “brilliant director-writer” Nora Fingscheidt on the adaptation and added pithily of the news “I can’t even”. Quite.
Bacon’s way of all flesh isn’t for chef
THE FLESHY new Francis Bacon: Man and Beast exhibition at the Royal Academy has had rave reviews, but not from chef Fergus Henderson. “I’m afraid his pictures rather put me off meat. They are meaty, but itchy,” Henderson tells The New York Times. Henderson is the founder of nose-to-tail restaurant St John, so knows the subject. “I think he probably did like meat himself — he was a famous eater-out — so it is strange to paint your lunch in such a way before sitting down to enjoy it.”
Stars earn their stripes at gala for the tigers
IT WAS the roaring Twenties last night as actress Jaime Winstone, partner James Suckling and GQ Style editor Luke Day attended The Year Of The Tiger Gala Dinner in aid of Save Wild Tigers at Danesfield House Hotel And Spa. Over in Leicester Square former Pussycat Dolls Kimberley Wyatt and Ashley Roberts joined model Neelam Gill at the Odeon Luxe West End for a screening of the new Disney+ series Pam & Tommy, starring Lily James.
SW1A
GRANT SHAPPS may own an electric car, but don’t call him an eco-warrior. “I didn’t buy my own electric car because I was Transport Secretary and thought I needed to be driving one,” Shapps tells think tank Bright Blue’s magazine. “I bought it because I thought it’d be a terrific way to get around.” Accidental Partridge?
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BORIS JOHNSON reportedly likened himself to Shakespeare’s Othello when persuading Tory MPs to back him last night, painting Dominic Cummings as Iago. Did he mean that? The PM, who is writing a book about Shakespeare, should know: self-absorbed and jealous Othello offs his wife then kills himself, while Iago lives.
