The Crown bosses cast Freddie Fox as Margaret Thatcher’s controversial son in Netflix series
IT’S looking like a busy 2020 for Freddie Fox, the latest member of the acting dynasty to hit the big time.
As well as playing killer Jeremy Bamber in ITV drama White House Farm next month, he is to star as Margaret Thatcher's son in Netflix show, The Crown, later in the year.
Sir Mark Thatcher was the troublesome offspring of the former Prime Minister, played in the next series of the royal drama by Gillian Anderson.
A TV insider said: “This is a sought-after role for Freddie as Mark’s story is a juicy one, which played during the years that Thatcher was in Downing Street.
“In 1982 Mark went missing in the Sahara Desert while driving in the Paris-Dakar Rally, after making no preparations.
He was eventually found after deploying six military aircraft and Algerian ground troops, which caused huge embarrassment for the PM.”
The next series of The Crown, which sees Olivia Colman play The Queen, covers the period from 1976 to 1990 and charts Thatcher’s rise and fall from power.
Mark is the twin brother of 2005 I’m A Celeb champ Carol Thatcher, who was dropped as a presenter of The One Show in 2009 after making a racist remark. Like Mark, Freddie knows all about being part of a famous family.
He is the brother of Silent Witness star Emilia Fox, the son of The Day Of The Jackal actor Edward Fox and the cousin of Lewis leading man, Laurence Fox.
Sounds like he really was born to play the part.
Bizbit
CORRIE’S Kym Marsh has a vision for 2020, as her final scenes on the soap air this Christmas.
Kym said: “Next year is going to be the start of a brand new chapter for me post-Coronation Street. I can’t wait to see what it holds.”
Shirl and Maura so glassy
SHIRLEY Ballas is letting her hair down now her duties as a Strictly judge are over for this year – and she seems to have found her perfect drinking buddy, Love Island’s Maura Higgins.
They both feature in tomorrow’s I’ll Get This Christmas Special, on BBC2 at 10pm, which sees a group of celebs chat and play games over dinner – with the loser picking up the bill.
The pair will be joined by comedian and presenter Joel Dommett, MasterChef host Gregg Wallace and funnyman Les Dennis. Unusual company, but I’m sure Maura and Shirley will be too tipsy to care.
Bizbit
ROMAN Kemp, who finished third on I’m A Celeb, is hosting Craig David Rocks Big Ben Live on BBC1 on New Year’s Eve.
He said: “I’m so excited to be hosting NYE again. I truly can’t wait to see everyone there and bring in 2020.”
Jamie's chipper
HE might have seen most of his restaurants close this year, but Jamie Oliver has hopes to open more.
The TV chef – whose Italian chain collapsed, leaving 1,000 out of work – is optimistic about the future.
Jamie said: “I will start new restaurants at some point. Whatever I do next has to have purpose. I’m going to see what happens to Brexit.”
Speaking on singer Jessie Ware's podcast, he added: “My restaurants in Europe are all doing really well.”
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Katie's getting mucky
KATIE Price could save her £2million “mucky mansion” by having a roll in the hay.
The reality TV regular is in talks to appear in Channel 5’s Celebs On The Farm next year.
The show features eight celebs getting to grips with country life, including cleaning out pigsties and milking cows.
It comes after Katie – formerly known as glamour model Jordan — was declared bankrupt at the High Court last month after failing to settle debts estimated at £800,000.
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A telly source said: “Katie really wants to kick off 2020 with a bang and is desperate to start earning big money again. She has lived on a farm so she could surprise people with how hands-on she is.”
This year Katie was forced to pull out of SAS: Who Dares Wins because the conditions were too tough. Hopefully she won’t be left with mud on her face again.
Must watch
- WHAT? Sticks and Stones, ITV, 9pm.
- WHY? Drama, with Ben Miller, Susannah Fielding and Ken Nwosu, sees Thomas finally open up to his boss Chris Carter about the bullying. Final episode.
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