Ostentatious shows of wealth didn’t detract from the late Sir Jimmy Savile’s generosity.
Is there anybody more tasteless than Tamara Ecclestone? With her haut-chav dress sense, cupboards stuffed with once-worn Louboutins, garages full of Ferraris and, on Friday, a TV programme dedicated to her absurd life, Ecclestone is surely the airbrushed face — actually, the entire embodiment — of unacceptable capitalism.
Like Peter Mandelson, I can do filthy rich, and I have no problem with people like Ecclestone having huge piles of inherited dough. What gets me is the ostentatious consumption and the showing-off. If I were as rich as Ecclestone, I’d keep quiet about my gewgaws, and certainly wouldn’t parade them on TV or in some Desmond glossy.
It’s not only vulgar, but deeply insensitive to those who are paid badly, if at all. Besides, someone should tell Tamara that stealth wealth is far more attractive than her über-garagiste bling, but then maybe she’s not trying to impress the likes of me. Her type of man probably wears those heinous blue suede slipper-shoes with crests on them, and wears £1,000-jeans and an untucked white shirt and smokes the type of fags you can only buy in Monaco.
In his way, the late Sir Jimmy Savile was just as tasteless, with his chunky gold jewellery, massive cigars, heinous tracksuits and insistence on the latest Roller or Bentley. On the surface, Sir Jimmy was certainly Tamara’s kind of guy. But that’s the point – it was just the surface. Sir Jimmy’s appearance was purely an act, all for show, part of the brand.
The point about Sir Jimmy was not the bling, but the giving. According to his obituary in the Times, Sir Jimmy was said to have given away 90 per cent of his earnings to charity. Thanks to the £12m he raised, the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital was established. For many years, Sir Jimmy worked one day a week as a hospital porter at Leeds Infirmary. He was a regular visitor to Broadmoor, and even headed a group that helped to run the hospital.
“But what about all my charity work?” I can hear Tamara screaming. “I’m an ambassador to PETA! I was creative director of the 2010 Great Ormond Street F1 party! I’m active with the Dogs Trust!” Chief among Tamara’s charitable achievements is her campaign against — wait for it — foie gras.
According to her website, and this is hard to read without laughing, Tamara has “personally contacted all the teams and sponsors involved in Formula 1 motor racing to advise them about this cruel food and to ask them to pledge never to serve it at events”. Wow, way to go Tamara! Well done! And such a pressing and important issue for you to throw your wealth behind!
If Tamara really wants to live her life well, she should take a look at Sir Jimmy. You’re allowed your bling and your cash if you really give to charity, and I don’t mean accepting twinkly ambassadorships and going to fundraisers.
What Tamara should do is to take off the Manolos and the slap, tie her hair back, and quietly and anonymously work in a local hospital or hospice.
Maybe she already does that, in which case, I apologise and I shall give up foie gras. But somehow I doubt it.
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