Julie Burchill Julie Burchill

The enduring ghastliness of Sarah Ferguson

(Photo: Getty)

When I was a kid in the music business, I became aware of a funny phenomenon whereby visiting American bands would suss out which British punk groups were good and which were bad – and then hire a bad one as their support band, with the ignoble purpose of making the headline act look better in comparison. Seeing Sarah Ferguson in the news once again, I can’t help wondering whether the wily old Firm are after a bit of the same.

Long before Harry and Meghan decided to let the Firm down big-time with their grasping and lazy behaviour, Fergie was the template

Surveying her achievements online, you notice that in 2007 she dropped out of public view after winning Mother of the Year award from the American Cancer Society. Taking into consideration her track record and air miles, one presumes she was on holiday for an exceedingly long time. But then in 2019 she took the Inspiration of the Year Award from Hello! for her charity work and the gongs just kept on coming; in 2022 the Global Humanitarian award at the 25th Magna Grecia Awards and in 2023 the Red Cross International Award in recognition of her philanthropic activities.

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