EMILY PRESCOTT: Real-life Countess of Downton Abbey films herself sliding down a bannister

Whatever would Downton Abbey’s imperious Dowager Countess of Grantham say about this! 

The real chatelaine of Highclere Castle, where the hit period drama was filmed, has posted a hilarious video of herself descending the stairs at her Hampshire stately home in various unstately ways, including sliding backwards down the banister and bouncing down in a sleeping bag – to the tune of Abba’s Dancing Queen. 

Fiona, 8th Countess of Carnarvon, wrote on Instagram: ‘There are many ways to go down stairs – do you have a favourite?’ 

The 59-year-old’s labradors, who had a close-up view of the spectacle, must have thought she was barking. 

The Countess’ dogs looked bemused at their mistresses antics on the stairs

The real chatelaine of Highclere Castle, where the hit period drama was filmed, has posted a hilarious video of herself descending the stairs at her Hampshire stately home in various unstately ways, including sliding backwards down the banister and bouncing down in a sleeping bag – to the tune of Abba’s Dancing Queen

Glastonbury is facing a backlash after revealing Cat Stevens will perform at the coveted Legends slot this June.

Stevens, also known as Yusuf Islam, is said to have supported a fatwa against author Salman Rushdie for writing The Satanic Verses. He will perform less than a year after an assassination attempt on Rushdie in New York.

Author Margaret Drabble, who gave Rushdie refuge after the 1989 fatwa, tells me: ‘Cat should be ashamed, and should say so.’ Stevens denies backing the fatwa.