EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Emma Stone is passionate about intimacy coordinators, saying working with one ‘changed the entire energy of the set’

EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Emma Stone is passionate about intimacy coordinators and says working with someone ‘changed the whole energy of the set’

How did Hollywood actors ever handle love scenes in the dark days before “intimacy coordinators”?

La La Land star Emma Stone, 34, says Elle McAlpine, who played the role in her upcoming movie Poor Things, was “amazing.”

The actress adds: ‘I felt really comfortable. I was like, “I think I’ll be fine. I don’t need to talk to the intimacy coordinator so much”.

‘I couldn’t have been more mistaken. She was so gentle and passionate.

‘She was so helpful. It changed the whole energy of the set, and the sense of security.”

La La Land star Emma Stone, 34, says Elle McAlpine, who played the role of intimacy coordinator in her upcoming movie Poor Things, was ‘amazing’

Emma Stone said: 'She was so helpful.  It changed the whole energy of the set, and the sense of security'

Emma Stone said: ‘She was so helpful. It changed the whole energy of the set, and the sense of security’

She’s the 1980s television star known for presenting children’s programs such as Blue Peter and Saturday Superstore, but Sarah Greene, 65, has a sordid sense of humour, reveals Roman Kemp, who co-hosts new BBC quiz show The Finish Line presents.

“Sarah likes innuendo,” says Roman, 30, the son of Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp. And there’s no limit to how dirty those innuendos are.

“I don’t know if it’s intentional or unintentional, but my word.

“People thought I’d be the one for that.”

Standing space for Proms pianist only

Sir Andras Schiff (pictured) was able to stay to listen to the orchestra's performance of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony to hide behind the double basses at the BBC Proms

Sir Andras Schiff (pictured) was able to stay to listen to the orchestra’s performance of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony to hide behind the double basses at the BBC Proms

The only downside to playing to a sold-out crowd at the BBC Proms is that there won’t be a seat for you if you want to stay for the second half.

Such was the fate of the great virtuoso pianist Sir Andras Schiff after he performed Bartok’s Piano Concerto with the Budapest Festival Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. The only way Sir Andras could continue to listen to the orchestra performing Beethoven’s Eroica symphony was to hide behind the double basses.

A steward told me, “He loved being among the players – and was small enough not to be noticed.” Except at the end when he took another bow…

Author Thomas Pakenham, 8th Earl of Longford, celebrated his 90th birthday this week with a party at Cambridge Cottage, a former royal residence in London’s Kew Gardens. Lord (Michael) Heseltine gave a speech and recalled telling the guests at his own 90th birthday party in March to make a note of his 100th bash in their diaries.

The same would apply to Thomas, he predicted. Longevity runs in the Longford family: Thomas’s mother, Elizabeth, died at the age of 96 and his father, the wonderfully muscular Frank, at the age of 95.

He helped bring Les Miserables, Cats and The Phantom Of The Opera to the West End, but theater producer Nick Allott, right-hand man of Sir Cameron Mackintosh, dreamed of becoming an actor. That was until he was turned away by a candid teacher at Charterhouse School in Surrey.

“I did a lot of acting in school,” says Allott, 69, who was stopped one day after class by a “very inspiring teacher” named David Summerscale, who “loved theater and directed plays.”

Allott tells Ruthie’s Table 4 podcast, “He said to me, ‘You want to act, don’t you?’ I said yes.” He said, “Forgive me, you’re not good enough. You’re pretty smart, you get along with people – there are a lot of jobs in the theater you could do quite well.” It was probably the best advice I’ve ever had.”