By Editor,Richard Eden

Copyright dailymail

Billed as the biggest event of its kind, Saudi Arabia’s inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival boasts Jimmy Carr and Jack Whitehall in its line-up, as well as US funnymen Dave Chappelle and Bill Burr.

But for one of this country’s best-known comics, the festival in the Saudi capital is no laughing matter.

When I ask Paul Merton if he would consider performing at Riyadh, if invited, he tells me bluntly: ‘No, I wouldn’t.’

Speaking at the gala night for Ghost Stories at the Peacock Theatre in London’, Merton, 68, explains: ‘It’s because of human rights – that’s it.’

Notorious for its brutal repression of political dissidents and religious minorities, Saudi Arabia has become synonymous with human rights abuses.

US intelligence agencies concluded in 2021 that the kingdom’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, approved the 2018 violent murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Riyadh’s General Entertainment Authority, which co-produces the festival, is chaired by royal adviser Turki al-Sheikh, who’s accused of detaining those who criticise him on social media.

Of comedians performing at the festival despite all this, Merton scoffs: ‘Well, people obviously need the money, don’t they?’

Jimmy Carr was condemned by David Cameron in 2012 for his ‘morally wrong’ use of a tax avoidance scheme.

It would be tricky for Merton to take to the stage in Riyadh, given his previous positions on another Gulf state with a questionable human rights record.

On a Have I Got News for You episode guest-hosted by Gary Neville, Merton teased the ex-footballer for accepting a pundit gig at a Qatari broadcaster during the 2022 World Cup, sneering: ‘Murderous nations put up sporting events to clean up their image – like the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. If that hadn’t happened, we might have had a Second World War.’

Prince Harry and Meghan, who set up a TV production company, will be interested to learn King Charles is dabbling in the industry. He has launched a costume-making programme at Dumfries House, with some big players on board. ‘The course will include hands-on experience working on productions with Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video, ’ the blurb promises.

Eugenie’s cosy nights in PJs with Grandma

We remember Queen Elizabeth with her brightly coloured outfits. Her granddaughter Princess Eugenie recalls a very different image.

Make-up artist Bobbi Brown writes in her memoirs, Still Bobbi: ‘I had tea with Princess Eugenie. She said, “When Grandma is in the palace, it’s more formal, and I schedule an appointment and always dress up, but when we’re in our country house, we just wear our pyjamas and watch the telly.

‘She might be Queen Elizabeth, but when you’re across from her at the breakfast table in the country house, she’s just Grandma.”’

Piers Adam, who was best man when his pal Guy Ritchie married Madonna, relaunched 151 nightclub as The Rex Rooms earlier this year to bring some glamour back to an increasingly corporate Chelsea. And he has no doubts about the secret to the success of his former club Mahiki, which was a popular haunt of Princes William and Harry. ‘Tatler meets The Sun,’ he says. ‘Every posh boy wants to snog an Essex girl, and every Essex girl wants to snog a posh boy.’ Speaking to Tatler magazine, he adds: ‘It’s like a Venn diagram: the coming together of two worlds.’

Topless Emily’s tears at a pointed comment

Currently playing Edith opposite her old friend James Norton in the BBC1 historical drama King & Conquerer, Emily Beecham says not all co-stars are as kind as him in bedroom scenes.

‘He’s so easy to do those scenes with because he’s really good at connecting with people,’ the actress says of Norton, 40. ‘Sometimes people are not as mature. I did have a naked sex scene with somebody and I was topless,’ Emily, 41, adds. They were going “Rolling!” and he went, “Ugh, your nose is so pointy.” And then “Action!”

‘In my head, I was, like, “I can’t believe he just said that to me.” It was such an odd thing to say when I was topless in a room full of men. Afterwards I had to go and have a little cry just to kind of let it out.’

Heidi Klum reveals her fall season look

The world is a catwalk for Heidi Klum, but her dedication to the cameras can be dangerous.

The German-born model and television personality waved to photographers as she left the From Paris With Love party hosted by the Karl Lagerfeld label in the French capital.

However, as the 52-year-old hit the kerb in her £242 Debutante 4in strap-heeled sandals by Lagerfeld, she tripped up, almost falling over.

Heidi, who was wearing a black strapless jumpsuit, has, however, suffered worse knocks in the past, once admitting that ‘falling down the stairs and hitting my head is my earliest memory’. She added: ‘I’ve been incredibly clumsy ever since.’

Inverdale on the ugly realities of rugby

SPORTS presenter John Inverdale fears that England’s triumph at the women’s Rugby World Cup won’t encourage enough girls to take up the game.

‘The reality is that if young girls are turning up at their local rugby club over the next few weeks, the facilities probably aren’t very good,’ he tells me at the launch of grassroots sport financial app Cluberly at The Oval.

‘I was at Twickenham on Saturday. I would imagine there were 5,000 to 10,000 young girls, aged between ten and 14, most of them had never been to Twickenham before.

‘It was a lovely day and it all looked great. But that’s not what rugby really is.

‘Rugby is going to your local club on a Sunday when it’s raining and the facilities aren’t so great, and they’ll be thinking, “You know, I’m not sure about this”,’ he adds. ‘People expect better than what they are going to see in a lot of places.

‘That’s where I think the issue is.’