Victoria Coren on John Diamond and Nigella Lawson

Declaration of interest.

I've never met them but I like Victoria Coren and her brother Giles.

I liked their father Alan too. And I love Nigella Lawson.

Alan Coren, a brilliant humourist and former editor of Punch (which I enjoyed reading when I was a teenager), was a supporter of Forest for many years until he developed lung cancer.

After he was diagnosed he asked us to stop writing to him. I may have sent him one final note, expressing sincere sadness for his illness, but we removed him from our list, as requested.

A couple of years ago I invited Victoria – a professional gambler – to speak at a Forest/Free Society debate entitled 'Risk and the Pursuit of Happiness – Is smoking, drinking, gambling good for you?'.

She declined.

I wanted to invite Giles as well but I lacked the courage to ask. Given his powerfully expressed anti-smoking opinions it seemed like a red rag to a bull.

Also, I didn't want him to think we were taking the piss or being insensitive to the nature of his father's death.

Anyway, this is a roundabout way of drawing your attention to one of the best articles I have read in a long, long time.

If, like me, you have been following Nigella's recent travails, and if you read her first husband's extraordinary column in The Times when he was dying of throat cancer, it's a must read, full of empathy, insight and friendship:

A most treasured Diamond ... Nigella Lawson's first husband was a brilliant man who adored her and who led me astray (Observer)

It's a far cry from the comment said to have been made by an Irish broadcaster and reported here: Viewers' fury at Alan for Nigella 'bitch' quip (Irish Independent).

Having recently seen Philomena (lovely film, warmly recommended), I imagine there are some people in Ireland and elsewhere who think Philomena Lee was a "stupid bitch" as well.

Times change but some people remain exceedingly quick to judge others' behaviour.

Comments

[Joyce]

"Anyway, this is a roundabout way of drawing your attention to one of the best articles I have read in a long, long time.

If, like me, you have been following Nigella's recent travails, and if you read her first husband's extraordinary column in The Times when he was dying of throat cancer, it's a must read, full of empathy, insight and friendship:"

Well, actually,I haven't. I don't know Nigella Lawson and am not really interested in her life. My only interest in Nigella Lawson is whether she can offer me some cooking ideas - and I suspect there's a world of a difference between her and the saintly Nigel Slater who sounds as if he knows something about food and who has the virtue of not having the right friends.

I live in an area which has been abandoned by politicians and which has been described by some of them as a wasteland. There is inter-generational poverty, lack of education and aspiration because there is lack of hope. I have no doubt that many have lost family and friendship to cancer of whateever type and that they, if they had the language - and medium, would articulate empathy, language and friendship.