EVENT UPDATE : MICHAEL BRANDON / THAT'S ALL I'M SAYIN BOOK SIGNING .. WATERSTONES THE KINGS ROAD... JUNE 17TH 2025 ..

 

Joan dropped into Waterstones on The Kings Road to help friend Michael Brandon celebrate the release of his autobiography ' That's All I'm Sayin '. Along with Michael's wife Glynis Barber, other guests included Bill Wyman and Cherie Lunghi.

You can order Michael's book at the following link!

THAT'S ALL I'M SAYIN by Michael Brandon

COMING SOON : THE BITTER END .... EMBANKMENT FILMS / JOHN GORE STUDIOS ..

 

Synopsis

“You have no idea how hard it is to live out a great romance…”

American socialite Wallis Simpson's life took a dramatic turn when she met King Edward VIII. Their love affair and the King's priority to marry "the woman I love" led to his abdication, causing one of the biggest crises in British monarchy and Simpson becoming the most talked-about woman in the world.

Simpson's influence upon fashion and style was globally significant. 

Known for her elegant and daring fashion choices, she captivated a generation and was often imitated by women throughout the world. 

Indeed, in finding her own purpose, she reflected “I’m not a beautiful woman. I’m nothing to look at, so the only thing I can do is dress better than anyone else”.

After the Duke of Windsor’s death in 1972 the press withdrew from their vitriolic attacks with “Hands off OUR King!” - assuming Simpson’s (Joan Collins) ‘quiet’ life in a Parisian Chateau under the ‘protection’ of three trusted people.

But this generous, gregarious, and inquisitive woman is in deepest loneliness - susceptible to those she cherishes.

Enter: Jean-Claude, Baron de Montalbon (Laurent Lafitte), her devoted friend and colourful chaperone; and Louis, her handsome and fiercely loyal Bahamian butler (Buom Tihngang) - two crucial allies.

Enter: Maître Suzanne Blum (Isabella Rossellini), Paris’s most celebrated lawyer – Simpson’s confidante. 

Hired as protector, Blum turns predator. Her professional mask hides an obsession. 

Staff are dismissed. Friends are ostracized. Treasures disappear to auction. 

This is a game of entrapment and Blum plays the hunter, deploying her devious devotion to gaslighting and control.

Simpson and her allies fight back to outwit Blum in an increasingly menacing game of high-stakes chess. 

Can they wrestle back control?

Freedom from those, that hunt and harm, is what matters.

Director

Mike Newell

Starring

Joan Collins    Isabella Rossellini 

PRESS UPDATE ... SCREEN DAILY ... MAY 15TH 2025 ..

 

John Gore Studios, Embankment unveil first look at Joan Collins and Isabella Rossellini in ‘The Bitter End’

By Mona Tabbara15 May 2025

EXCLUSIVE: John Gore Studios and Embankment Films have unveiled a first look at Joan Collins and Isabella Rossellini in Mike Newell’s The Bitter End.  

Miranda Richardson, star of The Last Anniversary and Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, Game Of Thrones and Frankenstein actor Charles Dance, and Elle star Laurent Lafitte have joined the cast, as production gets underway in the UK. It is the first production to shoot at the historic Ealing Studios following its recent expansion and renovation.

The film charts the untold story of the final years of Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor after marrying King Edward VIII, the British king who chose love over duty.   

Collins stars as Simpson alongside Rossellini as Suzanne Blum, the formidable French lawyer and confidante of Simpson who at the hands of Blum found herself ensnared in a menacing grip of obsession and coercive control.

Four Weddings And A Funeral filmmaker Newell directs, with John Gore of John Gore Studios, Richard Holmes and Francis Hopkinson producing. Louise Fennell writes the script. 

Richardson is an Oscar and Bafta nominee and Golden Globe winner for her role in Enchanted April. Dance is Emmy-nominated for his role in The Crown. 

Further cast includes Buom Tihngang, Yves Heck, Roxane Duran, Jill Baker, Lambert Wilson, Philippe Spall, Richard Meek, David Langham and David Bamber. 

Key creatives are Oscar and Bafta-winning Shakespeare In Love costume designer Sandy Powell, Oscar and Bafta-winning Poor Things hair and make-up designer Nadia Stacey, Emmy-winning Game Of Thrones production designer Gemma Jackson and the Bafta-winning director of photography Mike Eley, whose credits include The Dig.

“We are thrilled to announce the exceptional cast and creative team joining Joan Collins and Isabella Rossellini in The Bitter End,” said Gore. “Assembling a team of this calibre – under Mike Newell’s direction, from Louise Fennell’s sharp script to the extraordinary talents of Sandy Powell, Nadia Stacey, Gemma Jackson and Mike Eley – speaks to the strength of the project. It’s an exciting project for John Gore Studios as we commit to producing distinctive British stories for global audiences.”

Embankment handles world sales on the film

PRESS UPDATE : THE TELEGRAPH... APRIL 20TH 2025 ..

Dame Joan Collins is still the pinnacle of glamour..

Stepping out in silver at a recent V&A exhibition, “The Dame” looked ever the diamond – and continues to sparkle in a buzzy new acting role..

By Rebecca Cope

The Dame dazzled earlier this month in a silver sequinned top and matching silk trousers by Karen Millen, a Ralph Lauren grey tweed coat and Chanel jewellery Credit: Getty

Last week saw the V&A fêting its latest fashion exhibition, a showcase that celebrates the glittering history of jewellery house Cartier. Amongst its attendees was one of life’s true diamonds, the eternally stylish and seemingly ageless Dame Joan Collins. The actress arrived at the event arm-in-arm with her friend (and occasional stylist) René Horsch, wearing a silver sequinned top and matching silk trousers by Karen Millen, a Ralph Lauren grey tweed coat and Chanel jewellery – in other words, absolutely nailing the cocktail attire dress code.

“Collins’s decorum and belief in old-school polish never falter,” shares the journalist Emma Elwick. “When I interviewed her for her Tatler cover in 2019, she told me she loves a festoon of feathers and was taken with a pink bouclé Marc Jacobs coat in the shoot, but she (hilariously) draws the line at ‘looking like Gaga.’ The Princess of Wales is someone whose style she mentioned she admired. In her seven decades in the public gaze, what I am most in awe of is the strength and consistency of her coiffed (and glamorous) looks that are her look, not something fabricated by a designer.”

 According to Dame Joan’s longtime PA, ‘shoes, bags and hats are her biggest spends’ (as seen here in Knightsbridge the day before her 2002 wedding) Credit: Getty

 Indeed, with her life-long devotion to glamour above everything else, “The Dame” or “JC” – as she’s known to her friends – puts Gen Z to shame. In case you need any further convincing, just see her latest Instagram post: a video in which she is promoting M&S’s Foodhalls wearing a white trouser suit and
panama hat. It certainly raises the game as you peruse the pasta salads (why hasn’t she been made an ambassador for the brand yet, one wonders?)
 One thing’s for certain; you certainly wouldn’t catch her perusing the fruit and veg aisle in athleisure, crop tops or ripped denim. She told Glamour as much back in 2009 – the same year she hosted a reality show for ITV dubbed Joan Does Glamour, which promised to get the public out of their tracksuit bottoms– that “she likes to go out ‘fully dressed.” “She has been vocal in the past about the general decline in dressing up and a collective slobbishness,” says Penny McCormick, Joan’s PA for two decades. “Shoes, bags and hats are her biggest spends.”
 Not that she’s averse to high street. In fact, mixing high and low is something she does with aplomb (case in point, the aforementioned V&A launch look). And she’s certainly known for “keeping it real”, despite her diva-tastic reputation (likely a hangover from her most famous role as Alexis Carrington in Dynasty) – she’s been quoted in the past as championing the Princess of Wales’ “recessionista chic”. For us mere mortals, that means being papped wearing the same item twice or more. McCormick describes her former employer as a “self-confessed shopaholic and fashion lover”. “She is aware of trends but doesn’t follow them slavishly,” she shares. “She loves popping into Zara and I recall visits to Topshop on Oxford Street and M&S – she particularly loves their cashmere edit. She loves every aspect of fashion, from attending and walking in catwalk shows to perusing magazines and gossiping about the royals and their outfits.”

 Dame Joan in yet another brilliant hat, pictured here with Shakira Caine at a fashion show in 1991 Credit: Getty


 Throughout her life, she’s also focused on what suits her, rather than following trends, and she came of age in a climate where a sense of old school Hollywood glamour could help you go far; see her late sister Jackie’s fondness for that same full frontal approach in terms of vampish OTT. The two of them veritably ruled the Beverly Hills roosts back in the 1980s, and that sense of power dressing finessed during the Dynasty years parlays into how Dame Joan dresses to this day. As she told Harper’s Bazaar in 2021: “I think style is knowing your body, knowing your physicality, your hair, your legs, your eyes and picking the two or three things – and everybody has those! – that are the best you can find and making yourself look as good as you can… you have to f ind your look and your style… rather than slavishly copying things.”

For Dame Joan, this has meant focusing on emphasising her legs and her bosom, favouring square necklines, loose-fitting tailored trousers (often suits), f loaty sleeves, cropped jackets and of course, fabulous jewels (you can take the girl out of the 1980s…). “Joan knows what suits her fabulous figure,” explains McCormick. “She also knows the benefits of having a trusty dressmaker, who can alter or whip up pieces – often from tear sheets or her own design. I’ve often accompanied Joan to Joel & Son Fabric, a real treasure trove for design inspiration.” Her other secret? Aside from winning the genetic lottery (which she undoubtedly has – after all, she was often compared to Elizabeth Taylor in her youth) she’s on the record as saying her phobia of needles means she’s never had any “work” done. Instead, her relatively wrinkle-free appearance is down to a strict skincare regimen and a life-long dedication to staying out of the sun, something that is evident in her sheer dedication to headwear, if nothing else.

                      Posing in her brand-new flat on London’s Park Street, 1968 Credit: Getty

 “Joan always looks absolutely incredible, she’s the ultimate example of someone who truly looks after herself from within, prioritising health and wellbeing as the foundation for timeless beauty,” shares nutritionist and friend Gabriela Peacock, whose youngest child Joan is the godmother of. “She also exudes elegance and style in everything she does, with that classic glamour and confidence that never fades. It’s the kind of presence that makes a lasting impression before she even says a word!” Of course, the fact that Dame Joan is still working today undoubtedly keeps her feeling and looking young, too. We’re particularly excited that she’s taken on a role she was seemingly born to play – that of fellow style icon the Duchess of Windsor, in a new biopic about the royal’s dying days, The Bitter End. She’ll star alongside Isabella Rossellini as Wallis Simpson in her latter years, another woman devoted to glamour and putting on a brave, fully made-up face no matter the personal strife. Although you get the sense that Dame Joan’s is done with a sense of joy, rather than Simpson’s armory. As she has said in the past: “Age is just a number. It’s totally irrelevant unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine.” Cheers, Dame Joan, to that.

 Ageless glamour: Dame Joan brought the sparkle to Anna Wintour’s Met Gala in 2019 Credit: Getty

PRESS UPDATE : CHAP ... SPRING 2025 ... OUT NOW!

Check out the latest issue of  Chap magazine which features a lovely shot of Joan on the cover and a feature inside looking back over her career... 
 

HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE!

 

EVENT UPDATE : THE V&A CARTIER EXHIBITION VIP PREVIEW ... THE V&A LONDON... APRIL 10TH 2025..

 

Dave Benett/Getty Images

Joan took time out from her busy schedule preparing for her starring role as The Duchess of Windsor in the upcoming film 'The Bitter End'  to attend the exclusive VIP Preview of the V&A's new Cartier Exhibition.

Joan with Costume Designer Sandy Powell

PRESS UPDATE : THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER .. FEBRUARY 26TH 2025 ..

 

Isabella Rossellini Joins Joan Collins in Mike Newell’s Wallis Simpson Biopic....

'The Bitter End' follows the American divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor when King Edward VIII opted for love over duty.

Isabella Rossellini has joined Joan Collins in The Bitter End (w/t), a movie about the untold story of Wallis Simpson, John Gore Studios has confirmed.

Directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and penned by Louise Fennell, the film charts the last years of Simpson, the American divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor when King Edward VIII opted for love over duty.

Rossellini, an Oscar nominee for her role in the award-winning Conclave, will star as Suzanne Blum, the French lawyer and confidante of Simpson (played by Collins) who at the hands of Blum found herself ensnared in a menacing grip of obsession and coercive control.

“I am absolutely thrilled to join the incomparable Joan Collins and the brilliant Mike Newell in bringing this extraordinary story back to life,” said Rossellini.

“Louise Fennell’s script allows us to delve into the complex and devastating relationship between these two iconic women, the profound impact they had on one another and their lasting mark on history.”

Rossellini will star as Suzanne Blum, the formidable French lawyer and confidante of Wallis Simpson (played by Collins) who at the hands of Blum found herself ensnared in a menacing grip of obsession and coercive control.

Fennell’s screenplay explores the chilling true story of the deeply complex and sinister relationship between Blum and Simpson and how as a result Wallis’s once-glamorous life spiralled into terror and desperation in the last years of her life.

Gore added: “I am truly thrilled and honoured that Isabella Rossellini will be joining Joan Collins in this remarkable story of the last days of The Duchess of Windsor. Isabella Rossellini possesses an immense and captivating talent, her ability to embody complex characters with depth and authenticity inspires audiences and elevates every story she tells.”

The film will be produced by Gore, Richard Holmes and Francis Hopkinson and executive produced by Hilary Strong, Michael Foster and Percy Gibson. Filming will take place in the U.K. and is set to begin May. Worldwide Sales will be handled by Embankment Films.

PRESS UPDATE : THE DAILY MAIL .. FEBRUARY 3RD 2025 ..

With a new supersonic jet on the horizon, JOAN COLLINS remembers Concorde’s heyday....

WHEN I heard that there was going to be a new version of Concorde, I was absolutely delighted. A company called Boom Supersonic has demonstrated that its prototype can surge past Mach 1.1 (850mph) in three high-speed runs conducted in California’s Mojave desert, no doubt giving its most famous denizen – the Road Runner – a run for its money.

I’m willing to bet Wile E Coyote wished he had been on board.

This is great news for those of us who like to get to places fast – and remember a time when it was truly possible.

I was petrified on my first supersonic flight from New York to London, white-knuckling it all the way, while in awe of the BA Concorde’s glamorous flight attendants manoeuvring the trolleys along the narrow aisle groaning with caviar, pate de foie gras and good old English roast beef.

Before boarding in New York, I had flown from Los Angeles on a dreary old subsonic flight, slogging and lurching through the rain for an unusually long eight hours.

And when I boarded Concorde, the cramped conditions did nothing to mollify my already frazzled nerves.

The sight of a sleep-masked supermodel snoozing contentedly in her seat opposite me made me envious of whatever medication I supposed she was taking (she told me later that she had made the trip dozens of times and was completely relaxed about it).

As we climbed into the stratosphere, I plugged my ears waiting for the loud blast I fully expected when we broke the sound barrier. I had remembered hearing the ear-shattering sound from Earth when I’d watched Concorde overhead and was amazed when only the most imperceptible lurch meant we had gone supersonic.

A couple of hours later, the captain invited me into the cockpit to view the magnificent sight of London as we circled. I realised I had been whisked there in a mere three hours, less than half the time it had taken me to get to New York from LA.

THIS was the smoothest ride, and I was hooked – on Concorde. Why would anyone want to travel any other way?

So what if Aunt Maisie’s windows get blown in just because she lives under the flight path? (Actually, that wouldn’t have happened: Concorde, even at its top speed of 13,500mph, wouldn’t stress fine crystal even three times closer to the ground.)

It was never cheap: that New York to London trip cost $7,500 by the mid-1990s, equivalent to $16,000 or £13,000 today. But it was magnificent.

Concorde revolutionised business – breakfast in London, lunch in New York and back in Blighty in time for dinner – perfect!

But it was not to be. The beautiful gas-guzzler just took up too much precious fuel, and the beating it took on those supersonic flights required far too much work to maintain.

And then, in July 2000, came that disastrous Paris crash, killing all 109 people on board. It was the only fatal accident in her 27-year history. But it was the beginning of the end for Concorde – and, in November 2003, the last remnant of the glorious age of supersonic commercial flights was laid to rest. What a tragedy, I always think every time I go past the magnificent homage to the beautiful plane on the way to Heathrow Airport. I still miss her.

I had such memorable moments. On one trip from New York to London, I was seated next to Dodi Fayed, son of Harrods owner, the late Mohammed Fayed. When I asked him what he was going to do in London, he smiled and said: ‘I’m looking for a new girlfriend.’ Shortly after, rumours abounded about his relationship with Princess Diana!

Boarding another Concorde flight shortly after 9/11, the security measures were tightened to remarkable levels. Lynx-eyed men and women, who wouldn’t look out of place behind the barrel of a Kalashnikov, manned the passenger lines. It did make us feel more secure, but for one young rock star it caused some embarrassment. After beeping when going through the security scanner, a female officer keenly probed him with her fairy wand. His belt kept on making it go off, but instead of asking him to remove it, she ran her machine over the front of his skin-tight trousers many times until, lo and behold, to the amusement of fellow passengers, we noticed it wasn’t a gun in his pocket at all.

I was humbled to be invited on Concorde’s last flight from New York to London. I’ve always regarded her as one of Britain’s greatest ambassadors, and being part of that final journey was too important a historic event to miss. My husband, Percy, and I arrived to a darkened and seemingly deserted JFK Airport at 6am for a 7am flight.

‘Are we the first?’ I enquired of the charming special services representative. ‘No, you’re the last,’ was the reply. ‘The party’s been going on for hours.’

We checked in without luggage, but I still managed to pocket a couple of Concorde luggage tags, which I understand are now sold on eBay, along with other mementos from the iconic aircraft, including a toilet seat. God only knows how they took that off.

Going through security I beeped – too much bling – and was subjected to a rather undignified search, which would have been OK except for the mass of New York photographers on the other side of the barrier. They gallantly declined to capture the humiliating experience, but that did not prevent them from giggling.

In the departure lounge there was a party atmosphere as luminaries and celebrities quaffed champagne and happily gave interviews to journalists. I said how tragic I thought it was that this magnificent piece of cutting edge technology was going to be phased out, and that I hoped another company, perhaps Virgin Atlantic, could keep it going, as had been reported.

JUST before embarking, I popped into the loo and while combing my hair was asked by a nervous BA press officer if I would do her a big favour. ‘But of course!’ I replied graciously: ‘Do you have a pen?’

‘Oh, I, I don’t want your autograph,’ she said. ‘But would you mind not mentioning Richard Branson any more?’

Shortly after my return the flight was called and the entire New York BA staff lined up to say their goodbyes to everyone, many of them with tears in their eyes. It was still dark outside, but it seemed as though the entire airport ground staff had stopped what they were doing and stood on the Tarmac to wave and cheer.

On board, the champagne was passed around generously as we privileged few buckled up and prepared for the last ride.

I clutched Percy’s hand as the brakes were released and the power of a sudden 250mph acceleration lurched us against the back of our seats, like some insanely powerful hot-rod competition, and then soared into the air like a graceful prehistoric bird.

It was an eclectic group on board: there was a couple who’d paid £40,000 for the privilege; several businessmen who crossed the Atlantic at least twice a week for many years; and a few prizewinners. Back in steerage (I jest – all seats are considered equal), were Jeremy Clarkson and Piers Morgan, then in their prime.

In a snit, Jeremy threw a glass of water over Piers, whereupon Piers sent me a message asking if I could come back and bitch-slap Jeremy. I demurely declined.

Ballet dancer Darcey Bussell helped start the autograph collecting frenzy as the staff did a game job with trolleys and trays while battling revellers, TV cameras and photographers.

But as we approached Heathrow,

the announcement brought a sense of solemnity through the cabin. Everyone fixed their gaze intently out of the windows, seeing London pass beneath, the Millennium Dome and the London Eye impassive. Cars pulled up on the M4 and people waved at us from fields.

The flight attendants walked down the aisle, bidding godspeed to the faces they had become so accustomed to seeing once or twice a week on that NY-LON run, thanking them for the memories shared.

Everyone felt slightly choked up when we landed on the runway, and as we noticed the hundreds of thousands of people who had turned out to say goodbye to this icon of technological achievement.

It still fills me with pride that this Anglo French collaboration – built with British knowhow and driven by those powerful Rolls-Royce engines – broke the sound barrier for commercial flights in an analogue world.

Fax machines and VCRs were hardly known, and smartphones and personal computers the stuff of sci-fi at a time when our clever engineers figured out how to whisk us from London and Paris to New York in less time than it takes to cross at that damn traffic lights from The Mall into Trafalgar Square.

And the achievements were not only speed. The research involved in creating Concorde helped with a host of technological developments as well as side benefits that we enjoy in so many other ways today: from how we use super-strong titanium to advancements in mobile communications.

So, the next time you take that titanium driver out of your golf bag, or use your smartphone, give a nod to Concorde for making it happen. Although it still vexes me that, with all this technological development, they still can’t build a decent touchscreen player to fit into the back of seats on planes.

No doubt our London mayor is, as I write, contemplating how to impose a 20mph speed zone on the Atlantic corridor... and whack a ULEZ on top of it.

PRESS UPDATE : THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER .. JANUARY 29TH 2025 ..

 

John Gore Studios Launches With Hilary Strong as CEO and Joan Collins Project..

British-born Gore, a two-time Emmy and Olivier award winner, will serve as executive chairman of John Gore studios and Strong, previously CEO of Agatha Christie Ltd, will run the company out of London.

By Lily Ford

Joan as Wallis Simpson for Life Magazine 1985

John Gore Studios, a new film and TV production studio headquartered in London, has on Wednesday officially launched and appointed industry veteran Hilary Strong as CEO.

British-born Gore, a two-time Emmy and Olivier award winner, will serve as executive chairman of John Gore Studios. He has tapped Strong as CEO, an exec in the literary and entertainment sectors whose previous endeavors include chief at Agatha Christie Ltd and commercial director at Hat Trick productions.

John Gore Studios, with additional offices in New York, will adopt a “strategic approach to film and TV that mirrors the highly successful methods used for theater” by the John Gore Organization, a comprehensive family of media companies, which includes Broadway Across America, Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, and Group Sales Box Office. Gore is a 22-time Tony award winner.

John Gore Studios is already set for production on two new features: The Bitter End (working title) will be directed by multi-award-winning director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and penned by screenwriter and novelist Louise Fennell. The film stars Joan Collins as Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor after marrying King Edward VIII, the British King who chose love over duty, in the shocking untold story of her final years.

The film will be produced by Gore, Richard Holmes and Francis Hopkinson and executive produced by Strong and Michael Foster. Filming is set to begin May 2025.

Collins added: “I am thrilled about the challenge of playing this iconic woman in a previously untold story and to be in John Gore Studios’ initial roster of what I’m sure will be a very successful endeavour.”

The Bitter End (working title) will be directed by multi-award-winning director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and penned by screenwriter and novelist Louise Fennell. The film stars Golden Globe winner Joan Collins as Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor after marrying King Edward VIII, the British King who chose love over duty, in the shocking untold story of her final years.

Joan Collins says, “I am thrilled about the challenge of playing this iconic woman in a previously untold story and to be in John Gore Studios’ initial roster of what I’m sure will be a very successful endeavour.”

The film will be produced by John Gore, Richard Holmes and Francis Hopkinson and executive produced by Hilary Strong and Michael Foster. Filming is set to begin May 2025.

PRESS UPDATE : THE SPECTATOR : JANUARY 18TH 2025 ..

 Diary

Am I a MAGA icon?

Joan Collins

‘Traitor!’ the woman yelled at me the instant I entered the beautifully decorated living room of a famous actress. It was a Twelfth Night celebration, and the room was full of glamorous friends and acquaintances. ‘What?’ I replied, bemused. ‘That photo!’ she screamed, ‘How could you take that picture with all those Republicans?’

Over Christmas I had been to a dinner hosted by some good friends who happen to be Republicans. This, it turned out, was a great crime. I am a Tory but have many socialist friends and we get along just fine and have hearty and amusing conversations. Here in America, though, it seems Democrats and the Republicans cannot even mingle. ‘Are you kidding me?’ I asked her. ‘No, I’m not,’ she snapped. ‘I don’t come to your country and get involved in your politics.’ The trouble was that she had read about the dinner on Mail Online, in an article declaring: ‘Hollywood icon is named MAGA Patriot.’ Next day there was another headline: ‘Why MAGA Patriot Joan will always be in Trump’s corner.’ I am almost certain that the ‘source’ of this tidbit is an LA wannabe who makes money by feeding trash to the media. ‘Dailymail.com has contacted reps for Collins for comment,’ it added ungrammatically. As The Donald would say: ‘Fake news.’

A week later, an ominous report on TV said there was a fire in Pacific Palisades. Within an hour, the Pacific Coast highway was shut down and the airwaves were full of news of major destruction. The TV showed palm trees ignited by embers blown by the 90-mile-an-hour wind. I kept a keen eye on the palm trees that surround our high-rise apartment. My son, his wife and toddler daughter were preparing to fly back to Europe but, with the sky now black with smoke, we were concerned their plane might not be able to take off. The winds howled so loudly that the windows shook and when the request came in to evacuate Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Santa Monica, I confess I went to find my passport in case we were next.

We spent the entire day watching the devastation on TV and the trees bending at 90-degree angles from the windows, while texting friends who had been told to evacuate. ‘Let’s watch something to take our minds off all this tragedy,’ I said at some point, and for some baffling reason blurted out: ‘Towering Inferno!’ ‘I doubt that will take our minds off it,’ said my husband. Nevertheless, we settled down in bed to watch that excellent disaster film, and the last thing I remembered was Steve McQueen as the fire chief saying: ‘It’s outta control and it’s coming your way!’

We woke the next morning to the horrifying news that the whole of Pacific Palisades had been destroyed. Thousands of people, including dozens of close friends, had lost their homes, and the fire still raged on, aided by the high winds. Schools and businesses were closed, and more fires were spreading in other areas, surrounding urban Los Angeles. Yet doddering old Prez Biden gave an unintelligible speech to the nation to announce the birth of his new great-grandchild. I mean, who cares?

We ventured out to buy some essentials, and when we were stopped at the lights a homeless man approached us, asking for money. As we always use cards we didn’t have much cash, but Percy managed to scrabble up a handful of loose change. The man dismissed this offering. ‘You ain’t got no notes?’ As we headed home, Percy received an emergency alert on his phone stating that we were in an ‘evacuation warning’ area and should start gathering together our important belongings. Naturally, we panicked and started frantically packing, when he received a second alert telling us to disregard the notification, as it was for another area. Our nerves were frazzled.

The absolute tragedy is that the enormity of the fires was preventable if some basic maintenance steps had been taken, according to media reports. Fire department budgets had been slashed in favour of other programmes; no programmes were in place to remove underlying brush, which is something they enforce rigorously around my property in the south of France; the reservoirs which feed the fire hydrants (standpipes) were allowed to run dry apparently in an effort to preserve an ‘essentially worthless fish called the smelt’. This all smelt fishy. The next day, with the fires still raging and the smell of smoke overwhelming, we decided to take Steve’s advice and ‘get outta town’.