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I’m a rising Premier League star and been tipped for England – but I’m training to be an AIRLINE PILOT when I retire
THE SKY’S the limit for Leif Davis, who has propelled Ipswich from League One to the Prem.
Attacking left-back Davis has even been tipped as an England international after his stunning rise with the Tractor Boys.
And he will still be aiming high once he hangs up his boots — in a new career as an airline pilot.
Aviation-mad Davis, 24, spends his down-time on the controls of a flight simulator.
He said: “A private pilot licence would be the start and I can decide what I want to do after what is hopefully a successful career.
“I taught myself to do it. The software is called FlightSim, which is where other people in the world are also on it.
“There will be someone, say, on a computer in London and he will be doing air traffic control.
“So if I’m flying I have got to speak to him while doing that as well. It is like real life but on the computer.
“It’s a thing I’ve always done. You don’t have to look at your phone, you don’t have to think about football, it just switches you off from everything.”
Ipswich travel to Brentford on Saturday — just five miles from Heathrow Airport — still searching for that elusive first Premier League win in over 24 years.
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Kieran McKenna’s side, who jumped from League One to the top flight in successive seasons, have drawn four games and lost four so far.
It has been a steep learning curve for the Town players, few of whom have played at the top level before.
But Davis insists his hobby of coaxing virtual Boeings and Airbuses into the air has helped him improve on the pitch.
He said: “You have got to focus on that one thing — or your plane is going down!
“You have to focus on it all the time but that focus helps me take it into training.
“You know what you have got to do when you are focused — how good you can be.
“It’s when you switch off for a second that’s when disasters can happen.”
Former Leeds man Davis revealed he has spent time in the wide blue yonder in the cockpit of a light aircraft.
Impressing experienced pilots
And he surprised an airline pilot with his knowledge of how to land a jet.
He said: “I have been up there a few times in a little Cessna but not flying a big plane.
“I actually got the chance when we went to Austria for pre-season to go in the cockpit and do the landing with the pilot, which was my highlight of the year.
“It was the best thing I have ever done in my life, just seeing in person how they do it.
“The captain was talking us through it and I’d say, ‘Oh, you are not doing that’ and he would say, ‘I’m just about to!’
“I actually knew a lot of what he was doing and he was shocked.
Surprise Prem pilot ace
“He kept looking at me as though, ‘How do you know this?’ but I just kept my mouth shut.
“It was mad how I knew what he was doing.”
Davis, who has just penned a new four-year deal at Town, would not be the first celebrity pilot should he get his wings eventually.
Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has flown Liverpool and Rangers to European matches in the past.
And Davis revealed that he is not the only current Prem star who likes to get airborne.
He said: “I think Chris Wood at Nottingham Forest has got his pilot licence as well.
‘Welcome back to the Prem’
“I don’t think it’s just me that would love to do it, there are other players who have their licence already.
“It’s a different hobby to everyone else. Look at Ben White, he doesn’t even watch football.
“When I was at Leeds with him he hated watching it. Well, probably not hated it but his hobby was something else.”
Davis is the only Portman Road promotion hero to play every minute of league action so far, starting with a narrow 2-1 defeat at home to Liverpool on the opening day.
The defender, who made two top-flight appearances off the bench at Leeds, said: “It was welcome back to the Prem!
“When we got promoted it didn’t sink in properly until that first day when we were in the tunnel. You look to your left and there is Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk.
“I’ve loved every minute of it even though we have not yet got the win we wanted.”
I’ve got a raunchy secret game plan to win over Strictly viewers – and it might work at home too, says JB Gill
AS part of boyband JLS, he is used to having girls screaming for him at arenas around the country – and now JB Gill has a superfan lusting after him at home.
That’s because the punishing Strictly training schedule has taken him from farmer’s bod to sex god.
But wife Chloe isn’t keeping the singer-turned-smallholder to herself and is urging him to flash his newly toned flesh to win votes.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s Halloween special, JB — who runs a farm in Kent with his wife of ten years — couldn’t hide his smile as he revealed the effect dancing has had on his now-toned body.
The 37-year-old said: “The six-pack is incoming! I’ve definitely lost a lot of weight, and we’ve not even done half of the up-tempo numbers yet.
“So if I’m in here for the long haul, then, you know, the weight will definitely be chipping off me. Do you know what? I’m here for it!
“I think Chloe’s loving it, too. The other day she said to me, ‘Can you speak to Costume and get your arms out because your arms are looking good!’ I’m not used to these compliments flying about.
“I think people underestimate just how physically good dancing is for our bodies.
“I think my wife is very jealous. She’s already said to me she’s so upset because I’ve been doing this and she’s not been able to do it too and reap the physical benefits!”
But Chloe is certainly finding JB’s new-found stamina a boon.
Asked whether the regime had helped spice things up in the bedroom, JB grinned: “You know, I’m here for it. Now I’ll have to listen to my wife and get the guns out — I need to keep her happy as well.
“Hopefully it’ll keep the viewers at home happy, too.”
It’s a card JB, who was 21 when JLS found fame on The X Factor, might have to play sooner rather than later because last weekend he ended in the bottom two.
Despite achieving a solid judges’ score, JB and his pro partner Amy Dowden failed to impress the Strictly fans at home.
They were unanimously saved by the judges over Paul Merson in the dance-off, but have been left gutted by how close they came to getting the boot.
JB said: “We got a score of 30, so it was hardly shabby, but of course it’s always disappointing.
“When you put so much work into training and work hard throughout the week, to not have the result you want and find yourself in the dance-off is disheartening.
“It’s not what you’re looking for, but the level of the competition this year is very high. You can see the standard is right up there, so it’s just one of those things.
“I felt like I’d done everything I could and then to know I was going up against Paul was heartbreaking.”
Now JB and Amy are preparing to put their best feet forward with a foxtrot to Dancing In The Moonlight by Toploader, for the Halloween special.
‘Takes over your life’
In an amusing nod to his background as a farmer, he will take to the dance floor dressed as a menacing scarecrow while Sunday’s results show will open with an epic routine by the pro dancers, with Carlos Gu taking the lead as Beetlejuice and the others, including Katya Jones, dressed in ghoulish gear.
JB has been working overtime to try to avoid another dance-off but after two months’ hard graft it is starting to take its toll. “I was counting in bed the other night and didn’t even realise,” he explained.
“Chloe was like, ‘Is everything OK? Are you nervous?’ I was like, ‘No, I don’t think so’. This was on a Tuesday or a Wednesday as well.
“And she’s like, ‘You were literally counting out loud in your sleep’.
“It does take over your life — you take it home, you take it to work, you take it everywhere.
JB added: “I’m a perfectionist. I do like to get it right and I just want to learn and develop.
“The best way I learn is just by going over stuff, repeating it and repeating it.
“Any chance I get, you want to try the steps to make sure it’s in the body and mind.
I’m coming home for a few days and then I’m back out again.
JB Gill
“Then you’re not thinking about it too much when you go on stage because that’s when the nerves can get the better of you.” Strictly is famous for its romantic curse but JB and Chloe won’t become its latest victim.
In fact, JB says it has made him love his wife even more as she has been keeping their home, kids and farm running since he signed up for the show.
The father-of-two said: “I mean, obviously, Strictly is one thing, but I have to be appreciative of Chloe forever as she’s always doing that.
“Last year I did a TV show called Holiday Homes In The Sun and I was away for three weeks at a time.
“And then I’m coming home for a few days and then I’m back out again. I go through cycles within the year where I spend a lot of time at home, but then when I’m away, I’m away.
“It’s hard when you come back into that family bubble.
‘Wishing us well’
“She’s got a new routine she’s set up so that the kids are happy and obviously she can get everything done. I am always appreciative of her because she’s always holding us down. She helps our family work by being super-organised.
“We have a group chat with Amy and she puts all the logistics in and everything that’s going on.
“She just helps in every way. She’s amazing, honestly.”
As well as being on tour with JLS, which still includes fellow founding band members Marvin Humes, Aston Merrygold and Oritse Williams, JB has a successful TV career which has seen him appear on Countryfile as well as his own holiday show.
Some fans have been with the boys ever since they finished second to Alexandra Burke on the ITV talent show 16 years ago.
He explained: “Nowadays the girls who are coming are women who have got their own kids now.
“It was their mums who were taking them for the first time back in the day, if you want to call it that.
I feel like there was a lot more pressure back then
JB Gill
“So actually, there’s a few grans floating about who are into JLS.
“But you know what? I love it.”
Now he’s added a whole new army of admirers thanks to the BBC dance contest.
He said: “Strictly is a different audience, I guess. And it’s funny because in rehearsals we had a training space and they were doing an over-sixties tap lesson next door.
“All the ladies came in and were like, ‘Oh, we’re huge fans of the show’.
“We did the routine for them. It was nice to have their support and to know they are fans of the show — and they’re watching along and wishing us well. I’m embracing it. I don’t mind it at all!”
As well as bringing a ready-made fan base, the X Factor experience means JB is used to being judged.
He added: “I feel like there was a lot more pressure back then because when I went on stage with the boys we were fighting for our lives because we didn’t have a career then, you know?
“And that’s slightly different to this.
“Regardless of whether I’m a good dancer or not, whether I do well on Strictly or not, I’m still gonna have a career afterwards.
“I’m quite lucky and blessed to be able to say that.”
- Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One tonight at 6.25pm.
Top TV presenter set to sign for Celebrity Traitors after leaving BBC for rival broadcaster
JOURNALIST Robert Peston is set to need all his political nous as part of BBC One’s Celebrity Traitors line-up.
The 64-year-old is seen as a perfect fit after defecting from the Beeb.
Robert spent a decade as part of the channel’s news team — notably exposing the Northern Rock crisis in 2008 — before being lured to ITV in 2015.
He now leads their politics coverage and hosts weekly discussion show Peston.
A TV source said: “Poaching Peston for Traitors shows real ingenuity on the BBC’s part.
“And it’s a huge insight into the kind of show Celebrity Traitors will be.
“Casting is still under way, but this won’t be reality stars and the usual faces.
“It will be genuinely interesting names, doing the kind of TV they’re unlikely to enrol in again.
“Peston will be relying on his knowledge of Westminster back-stabbing to bring his A-game to Celebrity Traitors.”
Robert is expected to join Clare Balding, Tom Daley and Stephen Fry on the hit-show spin-off — which sees “Faithfuls” try to work out who is a traitor. And he should fare well under scrutiny at each “round table” discussion, having been grilled by the Serious Fraud Office over a banking scoop in 2008.
Filming is expected to begin early next year.
A Traitors spokesperson said: “This is a game of lies and deception, so it would be foolhardy for any Faithful to speculate before it begins.”
Karren Brady: Football isn’t broken and Keir Starmer’s plan to fix it will create many more problems than it solves
TO change, and to change for the better, are two different things.
And the Government’s plan to change football is more likely to create many more problems than it solves.
I remain wholly unconvinced about the role of regulators, both in and out of football.
Just look at some of our leading industries and the way regulators have worked. Or not.
Water is the obvious one as our beaches and rivers have been transformed into a toxic dumping ground while the companies rake in millions in wages, bonuses and shareholder dividends — almost always of little or no benefit to the UK.
And don’t get me started on the trains. We have the most expensive railway network in the Western world, and best-paid train drivers, yet actually getting trains to run on time has been well-nigh impossible.
So, please, when politicians preach about how the Football Governance Bill introduced in the House of Lords this week will make everything rosy in football’s garden, don’t believe the hype.
There is no need for another layer of administration and regulation. And I’ll tell you why…
The Premier League has been one of this country’s major success stories of the past three decades.
It has taken a game which was crumbling and collapsing around our feet to the best and most-watched football league in the world. It is the global Big One.
There are critics who say the Premier League just looks after the hotshots, the Manchester Uniteds and Arsenals. Rubbish.
In the last three years the Premier League has given a world-leading £1.6billion to the EFL, National Leagues, grass-roots football and the women’s game. Nowhere else in the world can even get close to matching that.
The PL give nearly £8m on average to every EFL Championship club, £1.4m to each League One club and £900,000 to each League Two club.
Politicians tell you the regulator will make clubs more fan-friendly but it is already being done.
The Premier League instigated a Fan Engagement Standard, meaning there has to be a Fan Advisory Board at every single club.
An away ticket price cap was introduced years ago, which ensures supporters pay a maximum of £30 when they travel.
At the rate we’re going you’ll get about half a bathtub for that from our regulated water companies.
What happened to Bury and others like them was terribly sad but you cannot blame the Premier League for their financial mess.
Karren Brady
I’ll give you some other numbers. The Premier League annually hands over £4.2bn in tax to the Treasury and directly employs 90,000 people, a third of whom are in the North West, an area which sadly has pockets of high deprivation.
A total of 51 clubs have reached the Premier League, which surely underlines the fact that the financial distributions do broadly work.
And while going into administration is a worrying time for fans, the likes of Crystal Palace, Luton, Bournemouth, Southampton and Leeds all reset and got to the Premier League — with three of them still in it.
What happened to Bury and others like them was terribly sad but you cannot blame the Premier League for their financial mess.
I’ve heard it said, mainly by ill-informed politicians, that parachute payments are fundamentally wrong. Not so. They allow clubs to remain financially sustainable should they suffer relegation from the top flight.
The regulator will have to consider INCREASING parachute payments as that is the only way established relegated clubs can be more sustainable.
There are critics who say the Premier League just looks after the hotshots, the Manchester Uniteds and Arsenals. Rubbish.
Karren Brady
They give clubs the security to be able to invest in competitive squads, sign players and coaches on multi-year contracts and invest in world-class stadia and fan experience, with the knowledge that there will be some financial protection in the event of relegation.
When you are relegated you still have to pay all the staff, including the players, and have all the same overheads, so if you don’t have the parachute payment you are effectively bust.
The numbers are what makes the Premier League the world’s leading domestic club competition.
Over 15million fans go to games every year and internationally OUR Premier League is watched annually by 1.5bn supporters from 189 countries.
In every sense of the word it is a success, with not a regulator in sight.
The Bill will change the way football operates, impacting supporters and clubs.
A regulator that delivers stronger oversight of fan engagement and club heritage — and prevents breakaway leagues — is welcome.
But one that significantly impacts the competitive balance of the league is not.
Every driver in Britain warned ahead of huge change THIS WEEKEND – check your cars or risk £100 fine
DRIVERS across Britain have been issued with an urgent warning to check their cars ahead of a particular event this weekend.
With the clocks going back this Sunday, October 27, motorists will be facing darker conditions much earlier in the day.
Drivers are urged to check their vehicles are prepared for this change – particularly the headlights – both for these own safety and to avoid hefty penalties.
They should be particularly mindful of any bulbs that may need replacing.
Failure to do so could result in a hefty £100 fine or three driving licence points.
Tim Rodie, who works for car company Motorpoint, said: “Driving with only one working headlight not only reduces your visibility but will also make it harder for other motorists to see you.
“It’s easy to check, all you need to do is walk around your car with the headlights on to make sure that all the bulbs are working as they should.”
It comes as drivers were also warned of potential fines ahead of another event in this year’s calendar – Halloween.
Spooky decorations installed in preparation for October 31 could result in a £200 fine or three licence points – if they obstruct the driver’s view or could be distracting to others.
These fines could stretch into the thousands if decorations obstruct a vehicle’s registration plate, Tim warned.
He added: “It really is best to keep the Halloween celebrations at home.”
A spokesperson for Swansway Motor Group echoed: “It’s great to see people getting into the Halloween spirit, but drivers need to be aware that certain decorations can pose serious risks on the road.
“Even something as simple as spider web decorations on the dashboard or stickers on the rear windscreen could obstruct your view, leading to fines of up to £1,000.”
The UK law defines “careless driving” as “when your driving falls below the minimum standard expected of a competent and careful driver” and includes “driving without reasonable consideration for other road users.”
Inside Joe Lycett’s very private love life as he welcomes his first child
JOE Lycett has surprised fans by revealing he has become a father for the first time.
It’s thought the comedian, 36, welcomed his son with his secret girlfriend, who he calls Denise.
Secret girlfriend
The TV star has famously kept his romances underwraps over the years, but just recently shed a little light on the mystery woman in his life.
Speaking on Bimini Bon-Boulash’s podcast The Pieces, Joe revealed: “So I’ve got Winston the cat, and my partner Denise. And, um, she’s not called Denise, but I don’t talk about her, because she has a job that she can’t be in the public eye.
“I call her Denise because she hates the name Denise, so, uh, I live with Denise.”
Joe first revealed he had found love when his popular TV show Late Night Lycett return to telly in April for a new series.
Opening the show, he said: “A lot has changed since the last series, I’ve got some news which is that I have a girlfriend.
“I’ve talked about being bisexual for years but people presume I’m homosexual based on my entire personality…yes I’ve got a girlfriend and people have been very nice about it.”
Being pansexual
On the podcast, he revealed that people are often surprised he is with a woman, as he opened up about being pansexual.
He explained: “Well, it’s interesting now being in a long-term relationship with a woman because loads of people are like, sorry what? There was a brief period when I was at school when I thought because I was attracted to men, I was gay, and then I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on.’
“Then I use the term bisexual when anyone asks and I just want to give a quick answer because people understand that.
“But I think the most accurate way of describing myself is pansexual, in that I’m not attracted to people, just because of their gender.
He continued : “Yeah, it doesn’t matter what the gender or whatever. And I don’t know why that is, but that is how it is. It’s a strange one because to me that suggests that sexuality is not just man, woman.’
“So the intellectual side of me goes it’s pansexual, which means all. So, that’s how I feel about myself.”
He added: “And I don’t really care what anyone else thinks about it these days, because I just think it’s nothing to do with you.”
The star went on to reveal how he feels about people assuming he’s gay, explaining: “But I do think it’s interesting. A few years into a relationship with a woman and going like, I am a straight man now, that dresses like this.
“I am still struggling with it in different ways of course. And particularly because lots of people just presume I’m gay because I’m camp on telly.”
What is pansexuality?
The word comes from the Greek prefix “pan”, which means “all”.
Its first use has been traced back to neurologist Sigmund Freud, who defined it as: “the pervasion of all conduct and experience with sexual emotions”.
In simpler terms, pansexuality is a person’s attraction to people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Pansexuals are “gender blind”, meaning they don’t let gender or sex affect their attraction to others.
Just like bisexuality, pansexuals are sexually attracted to men and women.
But the key difference is that pansexual people tend to consider themselves as more “gender fluid”.
They may also be drawn to those who identify as intersex, third-gender, androgynous or transgender.
TV legend set for new chat show podcast from beyond the grave as AI will recreate his distinctive voice
SIR Michael Parkinson will continue as the chat show king from beyond the grave — thanks to Artificial Intelligence.
The technology will be used to recreate Parky’s distinctive voice as he quizzes famous names for a podcast.
His son Michael has given his backing to the project for which a string of potential interview subjects have been identified.
An insider told The Sun: “The fact that a bizarre project like this is being pursued is a measure of just how adored Parky was and how missed he now is.
“Although it sounds strange, using AI like this will keep the memory of the grand inquisitor alive and remember him for doing what he did best — grilling famous people.”
Proud Yorkshireman Sir Michael died after a brief illness last August aged 88.
He found fame presenting his TV talk show Parkinson from 1971 to 1982, and 1998 to 2007.
He hosted other chat shows and programmes in the UK and abroad.
In his early years he interviewed some of the world’s biggest stars including Bing Crosby, Bette Davis, Muhammad Ali, Helen Mirren and Billy Connolly.
His many other memorable telly moments include his clash with Rod Hull and his aggressive puppet Emu in 1976 and his infamously frosty interview with actress Meg Ryan in 2003.
Amy Childs shares the £2 secret to her sparkling windows & says you’d never know she had 4 kids as her home’s so clean
KEEPING windows and glass doors sparkling clean is a near-impossible task, especially if you’ve got kids who like to touch everything with their fingers.
But according to the former TOWIE star Amy Childs, there’s no need to fork out a fortune on posh products to remove the dirt and grime.
Chatting with the fellow celeb Charlotte Dawson, the busy mum-of-four revealed that she swears by a simple and foolproof routine to keep her home pristine at all times.
”I just get a window cleaner and a cloth,” she said, adding there was no special way of doing it.
”Just spray it on,” she chuckled, emphasising it was really that easy.
”I’ve got a lot of windows in my house. I do have a window cleaner every five weeks,” said the 34-year-old beauty who described herself as ”very OCD”.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, commonly referred to as OCD, is a severe anxiety disorder that affects 12 in every 1000 people.
The disorder doesn’t discriminate between age, race or gender and according to the charity OCD-UK, it can be so debilitating that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has ranked OCD among the top ten when it comes to the most disabling illnesses of any kind – in terms of lost earnings and lessened quality of life.
There are two aspects to OCD – obsessions and the compulsions.
Obsessions are thoughts, ideas and urges which feel impossible to ignore by sufferers – and they can be very persistent.
On the other hand, compulsions are the ritual sufferers perform to rid themselves of the anxiety felt from the obsessive thoughts.
”No one knows this about me but I’m very OCD – me and Billy row cause about the cleaning.
”You’d never know kids live in my house – of course, I’ve the toys out upstairs, whatever, but I’m very OCD.”
Spilling the beans on the secret product she uses to tackle the mess on the glass surfaces, Amy revealed it’s Mr Muscle Platinum Window & Glass Spray.
The spray, which you can find at Wilko for £1.79, contains a popular cleaning ingredient – vinegar – and promises ”to give surfaces a streak-free shine”.
This easy-to-use spray defeats tough dirt, helping to make window cleaning a breeze – simply spray and wipe with a clean cloth or a newspaper.
Cleaning hacks and tips
Here are some tips to help you clean your home like a pro:
- How to clean your washing machine in a few easy steps
- Keep on top of cleaning your oven regularly
- Clean your shower to ensure it’s always sparkling
- How to clean your microwave using cheap household items
- Here’s how to get rid of that nasty limescale in your kettle
- You’re cleaning your carpet all wrong – here’s how to get it spotless again in no time
- Unblock a toilet without a plunger
- Clean your fabric or leather sofa in a few easy steps
- If you haven’t cleaned your mattress in ages, here’s how
- Steps to cleaning your dishwasher to leave it looking brand new
- This is how to clean mirrors and windows without streaking
- Keep your toilet clean in four easy steps
- Give your TV screen a once-over
- Did you know your Venetian, Roman, vertical, or roller blinds also need cleaning?
- Deep-clean your fridge in five simple steps
Charlotte chimed in: ”Get yourself down to Home Bargains or B&M.
”Get Mr Muscle – you might even end up with a Mr Muscle,” the mum-of-three chuckled on the Charlotte Dawson’s Naughty Corner podcast.
As explained by Bedword Window Cleaning, this cupboard essential is not only safe and environmentally friendly, but it also provides a high standard of cleaning for your windows.
This is due to vinegar’s acidic nature that helps dissolve grime, stains, and dirt present on glass surfaces.
Moreover, vinegar leaves a streak-free shine that makes windows look crystal clear – it’s really a win-win that also doesn’t cost a fortune.
Rivals filming locations: Is Rutshire fictional and can I visit the countryside set in real life?
RIVALS has been a smash hit on Disney plus and fans are clamouring to visit the Cotswolds town that the show’s characters call home.
Jilly Cooper’s series is set in the town of Rutshire, which is said to be somewhere in the South West, but fans may run into trouble if they try to visit.
Country living
Rutshire is a fictional town that doesn’t actually exist, so fans of the series won’t be able to visit.
However, the show was filmed across Gloucestershire and Wiltshire so fans can visit the stunning countryside settings that were the backdrop of some of the show’s raciest moments.
The show’s team wanted Rutshire to be quite different to the typical idea of an English village.
Their vision was of a town that was “as full of ravishing countryside as it is workaholics and their bored spouses, where Barbour jackets do battle with fast cars and buckets of champagne”.
Home of scandal
Rivals is based on a book of the same name which was first released in 1988 and written by the “Queen of the bonkbuster” Dame Jilly Cooper.
The book and TV series follow a group of aristocratic characters whose petty rivalries and illicit affairs become an interwoven tapestry of deceit.
Lord Tony Baddingham (played by David Tennant) becomes locked in a bitter battle for control of a TV with an Olympic showjumper named Rupert Campbell-Black (played by Alex Hassel).
Their feud draws in characters played by Danny Dyer, Emily Atack, Katherine Parkinson, Aiden Turner and Nafessa Williams.
Soon the calm of their Cotwolds town is rocked by the characters’ self-destructive habits and decadent lifestyles.
The show engages with contemporary issues too, referencing homophobia and sexual assault in the workplace and presenting the inequalities of life in the 1980s.
Dame Jilly Cooper
Dame Jilly Cooper is the author of the Rutshire chronicles which follow Rupert Campbell-Black’s scandalous lifestyle in the Cotswolds.
She was born in Hornchurch, Essex, on February 21, 1937, and had several careers before getting her big break as the writer of Riders and Rivals.
Jilly worked as a journalist, a publisher’s assistant and a non-fiction author.
Her books were so successful that she was made a Dame in 2004.
She even appears in the TV adaptation of Rivals in episode 5 when Katherine Parkinson’s character, Lizzie Vereker, goes to meet her book editor (played by Felicity Kendall).
The camera pans to Dame Jilly Cooper’s shocked face when Felicity’s character reads aloud from Lizzie’s saucy book.