Former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks always walked the narrow path between writing the news and being herself the subject of press headlines.
Her complicity in the wrongdoing of reporters at the now defunked News of the World newspaper, who routinely intercepted the mobile phone messages of celebrities, politicians and victims of crime, is established in the minds of many and her guilt may yet be proved by a future criminal prosecution.
A waitress at Scoffers restaurant in Battersea Rise, south London, told celebrity website Pop Bitch she served ex-Eastenders soap star Ross Kemp and Rebekah at least once a week for more than a year while they were married. He, we're told, was very sweet. She, in all that time, never once left a tip. Apparently, Ross and Rebekah used to speak French to each other in restaurants so other diners couldn't follow their conversations.
"Wade in the waters"
Rumours about the domestic disturbance incident at the Kemp and Wade household in November 2005 have been swirling ever since it happened. How true any of them are is anyone's guess but what we can tell you is that the couple had a swimming pool in their basement and one of the arresting police officers nearly fell in it trying to apprehend Rebekah.
Staff at News International claim Rebekah had a private investigator keep tabs on Ross Kemp when they were married because she thought he might been having an affair.
"Ticket trout"
Rebekah apparently decided at the last minute that she wanted to go to Glastonbury so asked a reporter to arrange it for her and ten friends. Somewhat shaken by the request, he tried to tell her that it might not be possible to get so many tickets. At which Brooks, used to having Prime Ministers at her beck and call, looked at him absolutely mystified and said... "Tickets? Why would I need tickets?". Rumours that she helicoptered out as soon as she saw that the "luxury accommodation" site was not up to her usual standard in order to go to Cliveden are at this point unconfirmed.
* Cartoon: Gary Barker.
Thomas L. Blair is a sociologist and political blogger on the Chronicleworld 'for creative renewal in Black Britain and Afro-Europe'. His work is honoured in the British Library's archive of "social, historic and culturally significant web-based material from the UK domain". He won top prize in the blogging competition on The-Latest.
Sumantra Maitra is a freelance journalist from Mumbai, India. He is a correspondent for All Sports magazine, and a foreign affairs blogger for the Washington Examiner. He has written articles for news website Merinews.com and other regional publications. Sumantra runs a blog at DailyWorldWatch.wordpress.com. He provided exclusive eyewitness reports for The-Latest on the Mumbai bombings of 2008.
Brian Usher is photography consultant for The-Latest.Com. He is a highly experienced editorial and commercial photographer whose work has been published throughout the world, appearing in many well known magazines and newspapers. Brian has featured in several books and has been a writer for the Royal Photographic Society magazine.
Heidi Kingstone has spent time in Afghanistan reporting for a number of publications. Her work has appeared in the Financial Times, The Spectator, The Sunday Times and other international journals. She has also reported from places like Iraq, Rwanda, Lebanon, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya. Heidi is The-Latest's Editor at large.
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