EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: It’s A wonderful life for Paul McCartney but musical halted over ‘creative differences’

A wonderful Christmas time should be in store for Sir Paul McCartney, who has just completed his Got Back world tour – reuniting him with his former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr.

While Sir Paul, 82, shows no signs of slowing down and plans to complete a new album next year, mystery shrouds the It’s A Wonderful Life musical he announced he was working on in 2019.

It promised to be a beautiful climbcollaboration between him and the late theater impresario Bill Kenwright, who had acquired the rights to Frank Capra’s classic 1946 Christmas film.

The Oscar-nominated drama starred James Stewart as George Bailey, a suicidal man who was saved by a guardian angel on Christmas Eve.

Yet I hear that plans for the musical adaptation have been halted after the two lifelong friends from Liverpool apparently had creative differences over the production before Kenwright’s death last October, aged 78.

A source tells me: ‘Bill was incredibly upset about the outcome of a business meeting between him and Paul, as they couldn’t agree on how the stage version of It’s A Wonderful Life would go.

‘Paul wanted the production to focus on music, while Bill wanted more action and speaking on stage. It’s a shame that two great legends couldn’t agree on the outcome of the show they both decided to invest in.

“The project will not see the light of day.”

Kenwright praised working with McCartney on the project, saying it was “a dream come true.” Meanwhile, Sir Paul admitted of the production: ‘Musicals are difficult things to put together.’

But a source close to Macca says the proposed play could still become a reality. Representatives for Paul McCartney and Bill Kenwright declined to comment.

Richard E Grant has some comforting advice for those grieving a loved one.

The Withnail And I star, whose wife of 35 years, Joan Washington, died of cancer in 2021, tells me: ‘Surround yourself with as many friends as possible.

‘It helps ease the pain of missing someone at Christmas.’

Bridgerton star Sabrina is in love with Lachie

She played Lord Bridgerton’s secret lover in the racy Netflix costume drama Bridgerton, but in real life Sabrina Bartlett has found a man willing to commit to her.

The 33-year-old London-born star is set to marry Australian strategist Lachie Stewart. She revealed their engagement during a visit to Perth in Western Australia.

“Lach’d In,” she wrote alongside a photo she shared online of her impressive sparkler.

Epicurean Stephen Fry takes it easy on the drink. “I don’t drink champagne because it gives me asthma,” he tells me during the Oldie Christmas lunch at the National Liberal Club in London. “And I don’t drink whiskey because it gives me acid reflux.”

Fry, 67 – married to Elliott Spencer, a teetotaler 30 years his junior – says he will have a slimming vodka and soda.

Office party suits TV star Idris

He’s certainly not a nine-to-five type, but Idris Elba still thought it would be good to organize an office Christmas party this weekend

The Luther actor, 52, was joined by his Canadian model wife Sabrina, 35, at their faux company ‘Elba Corp’ festive celebration, which was held at Porte Noire King’s Cross in London.

Idris was seen wearing thick-rimmed glasses and a blue shirt, while Sabrina, a UN goodwill ambassador, was dressed in a dark skirt suit.

I hear the couple’s workers must have been aware of their dance moves because as he played music on the decks, Idris jokingly warned the partygoers, “If you don’t know this dance, you’re fired.”

Paris gets a costume party from a designer

The wealth and popularity of irrepressible party girl Paris Hilton have little appeal for Italian-Lebanese fashion designer Tony Ward. I can reveal that he blacklisted the hotel heiress from wearing his designs.

“If Paris Hilton wanted to wear my dress today, I would say no.” She wouldn’t even go near it,” he tells me.

‘When we started twenty years ago, we dressed her, but she doesn’t have the right image for us. I’m not everyone’s designer and I don’t destroy my image.

It’s the fashionable private members club where Prince Harry courted Meghan Markle, and now I hear Soho Farmhouse is expanding to the Spanish party island of Ibiza next spring.

“It will bring all the things members love about Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire to members living and visiting White Island,” a source said. The new Balearic Islands spin-off will include an outdoor pool, a holistic wellness experience with a gym, a yoga terrace and an organic vegetable garden restaurant. Are there any takers?

Give it a rest Jess

Minister Jess Phillips angered many when she bragged about receiving preferential treatment from a Palestinian doctor at an NHS hospital because of her position on the Israel-Gaza war.

And she has also launched a surprise attack on middle-class leftists, criticizing them for behaving “as if their shit doesn’t stink.” “They think they are completely tolerant and hate intolerance,” she said.

“Yet we are completely intolerant of people who think differently than us, and I hate that, especially at the class level.”

She made the comments during her show at London’s Kiln Theatre.