Jade the saint

Michael Parkinson has committed something like heresy by suggesting that Jade was no saint but "ignorant and puerile". According to the Mail:

His words are bound to come under fire from Goody’s legions of fans, who dubbed her the 'Essex princess'.

Max Clifford, Goody’s publicist, said he was 'surprised and disappointed' by Sir Michael’s comments.

'What Michael forgets to mention is that Jade already has saved, and will save in the future, countless lives of young women through her public battle with cervical cancer,' he said.

Saved lives already? Blimey!

Winning the PR war

It's good thing that Robert Murat has been awarded about £600,000 from eleven newspapers for libelling him over the Madeleine case. Roy Greenslade has argued that approximately £50,000 each is a tiny amount for the papers concerned.

But I don't think Murat has been vindicated, as he claims. Libel is saying something that can't be proved so winning a case doesn't necessarily prove anything. The BBC One O' Clock News ran an "exclusive" interview with Murat today. Like the McCann's, he has his own high-profile media advisor, Max Clifford. In the interview Murat spoke so much like Clifford it was obvious he has been coached by him. At one point, I wondered if Clifford had dressed up as Murat.

Note to lawyers: only joking.