Tag: tea

Fergie’s Teabag Debts

As it looks like Sarah, Duchess of York won’t be able to help Carrie Johnson with wallpaper, her teabag operation plunges £262,000 into debt and leaves her in further hot water

After having been exposed for having taken £232,000 ($314,100, €274,300 or درهم1.2 million) in “loans” from “Chinese investors” in January 2020 and repeatedly failing to declare whether she ever repaid the £15,000 ($20,300, €17,700 or درهم74,600) “loan” and “further assistance” she took from the since croaked paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Sarah, Duchess of York yet again finds herself in boiling hot water regarding her teabag flogging company.

Highlighted in The Mail on Sunday this morning, Ginger & Moss, a company that the chaotic car crash that is the live-in ex-wife of Prince Andrew is one of five active directors of has recently filed accounts showing it to be £262,063 ($354,782, €309,868 or درهم1.3 million) in debt.

Sarah, Duchess of York controlled “75% or more” of the shares in the company between April 2016 and April 2018, but since April 2018, the only active party listed as having “significant control” is a firm named Solamoon Limited – a firm that has just one director, Sarah, Duchess of York.

The Mail on Sunday’s showbusiness editor Katie Hind reported that Ginger & Moss has “cut its range to four products, including a box of 80 teabags for a staggering £20 ($27, €24 or درهم99)” and stopped selling other items including “earrings, bed linen and high-end toiletries.”

Whilst clearly 62-year-old ‘Fergie’ – a cringeworthy creature forced also to “pause” the Fergie & Friends YouTube channel where she bizarrely read about farting and monsters – thinks the nation still needs her extremely expensive tea, she’s also given up on selling “luxury textiles, homeware and wallpaper.” Lulu Lytle is one person who will be relieved; Carrie Johnson will still have to stick with her for the £840 a roll stuff.

Pictured top – Sarah, Duchess of York poses in an odd costume prior to reading from a book about farting (left) and right on the London Underground with a bag featuring the faces of her daughters.

Sarah, Duchess of York has been listed as a director of Ginger & Moss since 13th March 2015. The other active directors of the company are Amanda Jane Lockley and Ian Wallace Tyson listed at 17 Old Park Lane, London, W1, Nicholas John Redwood Robinson of Frogmary Green Farm, South Petherton, Somerset and Mary Kate Waddington of Beacon Farmhouse, Oxenwood, Wiltshire. An additional director, Geoffrey Stanton Morrow, also listed at the 17 Old Park Lane address, tellingly resigned in December 2021. Over the years, the somewhat intellectually challenged ex-wife of the Queen’s second son has repeatedly tried to sell tea and tea related ephemera without thus far any notable success.

When not off her skull or on a bender (left and right), ‘Fergie’ has been known to attempt domesticity and in April 2020 posed mopping floors (centre) at Royal Lodge, Windsor in photos shared on her assistant Antonia Marshall’s Instagram account. ‘The Sun’ labelled said images – which were captioned: “It’s chore time” – “bizarre.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNYktvml-d8

In January 1999, Sarah, Duchess of York and Oprah Winfrey teamed up to drink tea and make scones on the ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’ She guffawed as Winfrey mixed up the ingredients for the scones and poured tea in what was termed “Duchess-like” fashion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFThVZ4HzUM

In 2019, Sarah, Duchess of York planned to launch a range of hampers containing scents and teas. Unsurprisingly given pathetic past performance being a guide to her feckless future, the right royal embarrassment’s intentions resulted in yet another disaster. Whatever became of the items produced remains unknown, but most likely lonely and isolated Prince Andrew has enjoyed keeping himself entertained with the leftovers.

February 6, 2022
Arcuri Attacks App

Boris Johnson’s alleged ex-mistress Jennifer Arcuri slams NHS coronavirus tracking app and suggests: “There is no way I would download that!” … but she is set to go on Channel 4’s ‘Hunted’

Just when Boris Johnson believed the Dominic Cummings travel scandal had (quite literally) been put to bed the press talking about his own nocturnal antics with his American “technology teacher,” the meddling minx Jennifer Arcuri has started to get her own back.

In a very short ‘exclusive’ interview buried deep in the Mirror, Arcuri – whom promotes herself on social media as someone “with more brains and drive than two or three British politicians put together” – told the paper:

“There is no way I would download [the NHS coronavirus tracking app] app. The government can say they’re doing the best to keep it secure, there’s just no guarantee it’s 100 per cent secure or the data is going to be kept secure, encrypted and used only for this. I don’t think people should give away their freedoms.”

“Anything like your personal health data in a government database being used in some obscure app just raises all kind of flags for me. It became very apparent that the NHS was ill-equipped for a cyber attack. I don’t think tracking Covid-19 is an effective way of using tech money or trying to cure one’s health. I do not believe it is an acceptable use of government time, energy or money.”

Elsewhere, on her Twitter account, Arcuri recently retweeted a December 2019 feature about herself by Techcrunch editor-at-large Mike Butcher for the New Statesman. In it, the author referenced how the far-right “Trumpsexual” paedophile apologist Milo Yiannopoulos used to attend the Hacker House co-founder’s parties [Note: We’re not sure why anyone would be proud of having that lunatic on their premises] and beneath that she retweeted a post by The Sunday People. It linked to a feature announcing she’ll supposedly be “starring” in a “special celebrity version of hit Channel 4 show Hunted.”

With his alleged lover no doubt set to be plied with booze on a tacky reality television show, ‘Bosie The Clown’ must be delighted; it’s time for ‘Deviant Dom’ to “Fire Up the Quattro” and head off on another road trip. This time though, Dom, just don’t go via Barnard Castle.

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Boobs out – Jennifer Arcuri pictured out campaigning with Boris Johnson.

How twee – Boris Johnson snapped having a cup of tea with Boris Johnson.

She’s having a laugh – Jennifer Arcuri’s Twitter account handle. She describes herself as: an “entrepreneur” and “fearless” and claims to have “more brains and drive than two or three British politicians put together.” She directs the media to contact her at [email protected]

May 31, 2020
Ask Charlie – Lockdown Afternoon Tea

Charlie Gray of ‘Ask Charlie’ shares her thoughts how to perfect a lockdown afternoon tea and her recipe for lavender scones

During these extraordinary times, I have gone back to one of my favourite pleasures in life – afternoon tea.

Now, I know there has been a shortage of flour with the world and his wife taking up baking, but it does give me great delight each afternoon to sit down and enjoy a delicious treat.

Charlie Gray.

Anna, the 7^th Duchess of Bedford introduced afternoon tea in 1840 taken at 4 o’clock in the afternoon as she simply believed the wait between lunch and dinner was just too long. I, for one, am with her there. It was far from ideal to be getting hungry back in the 1840s and it’s just the same when you’re in lockdown also.

I am married to a proper foodie and if something gets the thumbs up from him, I know I’m onto a goodie so I wanted to share this with you: I’ve got him onto lavender scones. He was a little sceptical at first and not so keen to try, but now there is no stopping him.

Lavender scones are so easy to make and you don’t even need to wait for them to cool before you can enjoy them. Happy baking.

Sussex based mother of three and lifestyle blogger Charlie Gray shares ‘homegrown skills’ and practical advice on her website Ask Charlie. Watch her videos on YouTube by clicking here.

My recipe for lavender scones follows:

Ingredients

85g butter cold and cut into small cubes.

3 tablespoons caster sugar infused with lavender.

350g self-raising flour.

1 teaspoon baking powder.

½ teaspoon of table salt.

175ml room temperature milk.

A squeeze of lemon juice

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.

1 teaspoon of dried lavender.

1 egg beaten to glaze.

Method

Please dried lavender and some fresh lavender (can just be the leaves) into the caster sugar and leave for 48 hours.

Sieve the sugar before using and discard the lavender.

Heat the oven to 210°C or use the roasting oven of an Aga.

Place 175ml in a jug and add in the squeeze of lemon and vanilla extract, set aside until it is room temperature or gently heat a little.

Place the flour, salt, baking powder in a large bowl and in the cold cubed butter.

Using your fingertips gently rub the mixture until you have fine breadcrumbs.

Add in the lavender infused caster sugar and teaspoon of dried lavender, mixture it through.

Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk.

Using and knife stir until it comes together in a ball it will be quite wet.

Generously flour the work surface and fold the dough over a few times until its smooth but be careful not to over work the dough.

Shape into a round approximately 4cm deep and using a fluted cookie cutter cut out as many rounds as you can and place on a lined baking tray, reshape the dough and cut out more. I make twelve at a time.

Brush the top with the egg wash, leave to rest for 10 minutes before baking for 10 minutes until golden.

Serve warm with jam and clotted cream and remember that these freeze well also.

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May 2, 2020
A Corona Getaway in London

For those looking to self-isolate in luxury in London, taking a ‘residence’ at The Milestone Hotel in Kensington could be the perfect option (if you’ve got £7,700 per week to spare)

If you’re rich, want to self-isolate during the coronavirus outbreak in London and don’t even want to go out to do shopping, you could do worse than move into a ‘residence’ within The Milestone Hotel overlooking Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace in W8.

Though the Red Carnation Collection hotel, on its own website, is described as “temporarily closed due to current travel restrictions,” serviced apartments within the property are still being advertised online as available.

Listed on OnTheMarket.com for £7,700 per week ($9,600, €8,600 or درهم35,200 per week) or the equivalent of £550 per room per night ($685, €615 or درهم2,515 per room per night), a 743 square foot single-level, third floor apartment includes a reception room, two bedroom suites and a kitchen.

It is described by Harrods Estates as “beautiful” and “sumptuous” and having the “warm sense of being in your own private home.” Featuring a “vibrant and sophisticated” decoration scheme designed by Bea Tollman, the hotel’s founder, the agents laud the “contemporary polish that so cleverly blends with balancing the traditional features.”

‘Characteristics’ available to those taking the space include full 24-hour hotel service, access to the hotel’s health club, daily housekeeping services, 24-hour butler and room service and a full grocery shopping service.

The neo-Gothic former private home in which this ‘residence’ is situated became a hotel in 1922 and has been known as The Milestone since 1986. It has 43 guest bedrooms, 13 suites and 6 long-stay apartments and in 2019 unveiled a leopard print carpeted suite in honour of the Duchess of Sussex named the ‘Meghan Suite.’ A blessing or a bonus, depending on your view of the wayward on-off royal, is that the likelihood of the former Miss Markle popping in for tea at this time of lockdown is as likely as the Queen riding by on Shergar the racehorse.

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The exterior of The Milestone Hotel, 1 Kensington Court, Kensington, London, W8 5DL, United Kingdom.

The main bedroom.

The second of the bedrooms.

The kitchen of the apartment has a look of something from the 1990s, but is perfectly functional.

A floor plan of Apartment 6, the ‘residence’ offered.

March 28, 2020
Falling Down Flass

Grade II* listed Cumbrian mansion built by opium dealer and once marketed for £1.5 million for sale for just £460,000; it was also the scene of the UK’s biggest ever cannabis raid in 2012

A 23,000 square foot, 52 room, mid-19^th century Palladian mansion in the Westmorland Dales National Park is to be sold at auction – by order of the mortgagees not in possession – for £1 million less than it was marketed for in 2014. It is sadly now described as being in an utterly wrecked, vandalised condition.

The entrance elevation of the mansion then and now

The strikingly grand interiors of Flass (prior to visits from the ‘Urban Explorers’)

The completely trashed interiors of the mansion (after visits from the ‘Urban Explorers’)

Built in 1851 for wealthy merchant brothers and tea and opium magnets Lancelot and Wilkinson Dent, 8-bedroomed Flass at Maulds Meaburn, near Penrith in Cumbria was designed by architects Grey and Mair and includes furnishings by the renowned firm Gillows of Lancaster and London.

Opulent to its core and said to have featured marble fireplaces, ivory door handles and friezes with pearls, Flass remained in the Dent family until 1973. Just prior to being sold for £17,000 (the equivalent of £202,000 today) that year to a historian named Frank Walsh, the then owner Sir Robert Dent opened up an attic of the house and discovered items from the Mughal Empire that he then auctioned for the astounding sum of £220,000 (the equivalent of £2.6 million today).

Subsequently this vast stucco finished, limestone built house – complete with a Doric porte-cochère and a three-storey tower – became a care home and was then after sold in 2000 to a singer-songwriter best known for co-writing the creepy Christian crooner Sir Cliff Richard’s Devil Woman named Christine Holmes (also known as Kristine Sparkle) and her husband Paul Davies. The pair turned the property into a performing arts school.

After the couple divorced, Davies took control of the mansion but due to spiraling maintenance costs, he eventually got himself involved with a gang of drug dealers in 2011. Due to what rental agents at the time described as the house being “totally private and hidden away, with an unmatched seclusion and charm,” Davies and his five cohorts were able to grow cannabis with a street value of £5.26 million undetected until a neighbour became suspicious. He was jailed for his role in the crime for three years and eight months in September 2015.

Singer-songwriter Christine Holmes outside Flass in September 2017 (after visits from the ‘Urban Explorers’ and their having trashed her home)

Paul Davies turned Flass into Britain’s biggest cannabis farm (and got himself three years and eight months in jail for his efforts; on his conviction his representative said: “He blames nobody but himself for getting involved in this criminal business”)

The “massive scale” £5 million cannabis farm operated at Flass was described in court as “a professional setup” and having the “real hallmarks of organised crime”

Christine Holmes subsequently took back control of Flass and after trying and failing to sell the house for £1.5 million spent £200,000 on renovations to put right the damage done by the drug operation. Her bad luck, however, was not to end there. In September 2017, the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald reported that a gang of ‘Urban Explorers’ had raided the somewhat derelict building and filmed their exploits. In the weeks that followed, trespassers returned at least twelve further times and “ransacked and trashed” the once glorious residence. She told the paper:

“I was absolutely horrified when I saw [videos of the house] online. I couldn’t believe how anyone could come into my home and believe it was an abandoned building.”

“I think since then people have been staying in the building and have even been there hiding while I’ve been there. I’m petrified. These are evil people who are breaking into my home. I think it’s becoming a game to them. They are breaking in every day.”

Auctioneers Harman Healy will now offer Grade II* listed Flass along with 17.5 acres of overgrown grounds with a guide price of just £460,000+ on 30^th January. Christine Holmes no doubt will be glad if she finally gets shot of what she likely ended up considering to be the worst kind of white elephant.

Flass – The Numbers

January 2019 – To be offered at auction with a guide price of just £460,000 ($596,000, €525,000 or درهم2.2 million).

July 2014 – Offered for sale for £1.5 million ($1.9 million, €1.7 million or درهم7.1 million).

2000 – Sold for £490,000 ($635,000, €559,000 or درهم2.3 million) to the currently jailed drug dealer Paul Davies and his then wife songwriter Christine Holmes.

1998 – Reduced to £650,000 ($842,000, €741,000 or درهم3.1 million).

1997 – For sale for £750,000 ($972,000, €855,000 or درهم3.6 million).

1982 – Sold for £115,000 ($149,000, €131,000 or درهم547,000) to a retired solicitor named Malcolm Whiteside. He turned Flass into a care home which he ran with his wife Mary.

1973 – Sold by Sir Robert Dent, a descendant of the family who built the house, for £17,000 ($22,000, €19,000 or درهم81,000) to a historian named Frank Welsh.

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The garden elevation of the mansion then and now

The no doubt once glorious gardens of Flass have now gone to wrack and ruin

The entrance gates to the estate (in better days)

A plan of Flass and its surrounding land

January 23, 2019
Moron of the Moment – Prince Harry

With his marriage to the woman formerly known as Meghan Markle, Prince Harry has morphed into an utter bore

Prince Harry used to be a fun loving sort. He boozed, partied and enjoyed playing pranks. Now, having married ‘Murky Mucky Mendacious Meg,’ it seems those days are over.

Supposedly, according to “royal insiders” who spoke with the Sunday Express, the meddling newbie royal has banned her husband drinking not only alcohol but also tea. In addition to “quietly weeding out” many of the “party-loving Prince’s drinking pals,” the Duchess of Sussex has also tried to stop him going shooting and forced him to take up yoga.

What will this nuisance of a woman do next? Force Prince Charles to take up Tai Chi?

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January 2, 2019
Davide Giardino – What’s on your mantelpiece?

A 20-question interview with economist turned real estate investor Davide Giardino

The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?

“The happiness and success of those closest to my heart.”

“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

“If you keep your destiny in mind, every moment in life becomes an opportunity to move closer to it.”

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2018?

Technocrats – as at least populists are lying most of the time.

Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

A simpler life. I miss the routine of going to an office every morning. Am I crazy?

What might you swap all your wealth for?

Assets? Well, in all seriousness, good health for me, my family and my friends.

Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank.” What’s your view on the state of the financial system?

Who is richer and who is poorer from the latest financial crisis? You’ve got my answer…

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

“I am saying it for your sake.”

In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

Charity often substitutes for the lack of adequate government or international policy which is disappointing. I support a variety of causes including helping children born with congenital diseases and homeless children.

The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

Shut them off at night.

If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

My twin brother, a bunch of friends, Isabelle Huppert, Glenn Close and probably Angelina Jolie.

If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

Bucatini with lobster (I always liked bucatini more than spaghetti), gâteau de pommes de terre (cooked the Neapolitan way), a large portion of figs and a torta caprese chocolate cake. I woiuld probably eat it at the Villa San Michele in Capri, Hotel Bel Air or Cliveden House – all places close to my heart for different reasons.

What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

11am, though not every day.

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

A Negroni.

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

A dear friend of mine throws the most memorable dinner parties. I love how he always selects a group of diverse people who do not know each other, but will create an incredible energy together by the end of the night. It always helps that I’m always the guest of honour!

Who is the most positive person you know?

Maybe me.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

Buying French pâtisserie and flowers for myself many times each week.

If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

“I want it all.”

If you were a car, what marque would you be?

A vintage Fiat 500 with a new engine. They are so cute and practical and I don’t need a Maserati to compensate for a lack of personality or something else.

Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

I am still trying to figure myself out.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

Fresh flowers.

Davide Giardino is the founder of DGC-Luxury Homes and a licensed realtor at Rodeo Realty – Beverly Hills and Greater LA. He has extensive experience in the real estate advisory and investment business and previously was an economist at several global finance institutions. He describes himself as “a multi-lingual globetrotter” and holds a double degree from Bocconi and USC, an MSc in European political economy from the London School of Economics and a masters in finance from LBS.

Follow Davide Giardino on Facebook at @dgcluxuryhomes and on Instagram at @dgc_la

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September 4, 2018
Oliver Ouboter – What’s on your mantelpiece?

A 20-question interview with Oliver Ouboter; the co-founder of the imminently launching innovative Swiss ‘bubble car’ – the Microlino

The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?

Passion.

“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

Just do it! (Thanks Nike).

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2018?

SUVs.

Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

Having the curiosity of a child.

What might you swap all your wealth for?

My family’s health.

Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank.” What’s your view on the state of the financial system?

It’s as fucked up as the Donald himself.

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

‘Trivial’ as in German nobody uses it and most people don’t understand it. I loathe ‘trivial’ for being a ‘non-trivial’ word to describe something ‘trivial.’

In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

I support mainly environmental causes. It is not that I think that humans deserve it less, I just think sending money to developing countries won’t solve the problem and is just an easy fix for many people to feel good about themselves.

The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

Try to use it less, fail miserably in doing so and then tell yourself you’re gonna do better next year.

If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

My family and Barack Obama and Steve Jobs and Nelson Mandela if they were still alive.

Oliver Ouboter pictured with a Microlino (as featured in ‘The Steeple Times’ earlier this month) and his brother Merlin and father Wim.

If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

A special home-made roast.

What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

It depends on the situation.

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

A Negroni of course.

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

Parties of friends that I don’t spend too much time with. There are always new people to get to know.

Who is the most positive person you know?

My dad.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

Chocolate of course. I’m Swiss.

If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

It would be a Kickscooter, of course.

If you were a car, what marque would you be?

What a question: I’d be a Microlino!

Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

I cannot operate a washing machine but that’s not surprising though.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

Big companies and governments. They are slow and inefficient in dealing with global warming.

Oliver Ouboter is the co-founder of a start-up alongside his father and brother that has developed a small electric city-car named Microlino. He is considered one of the best guinea pigs as his dad invented the world-famous Kickscooter in 1999.

Follow Microlino on Twitter at @microlinoworld, on Facebook at @Microlino.car and on Instagram at @microlino_official

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August 27, 2018
Haaz Sleiman – What’s on your mantelpiece?

A 20-question interview with Lebanese-American actor Haaz Sleiman; he has starred in ‘24’, ‘ER’, ‘Killing Jesus’, ‘NCIS’, ‘Nurse Jackie’ and ‘Person of Interest’

The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

Love.

“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

“If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you going to love somebody else?”

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2018?

Who is she?

Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

Definitely not him. I hate politics. I’d say: My future husband. Where is he?

What might you swap all your wealth for?

To be adopted by Madonna.

Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the state of the financial system?

It is terrible. We have a vanishing middle class.

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

‘Retard’.

In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

I support anything to do with homeless LGBTQ youth and animals.

The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

I’m sorry but I don’t understand the question.

If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

My parents and all my siblings with their families.

Haaz Sleiman as Jesus in the 2015 television film ‘Killing Jesus’

If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

In the most lush and exotic natural habitat with tonnes of trees and waterfalls or by the ocean. I’d have the best steak and fries with the most expensive bottle of red wine possible.

What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

I don’t drink much really.

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

Tea.

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

I enjoy concerts because I love seeing how music makes the people come together. Thank you Madonna.

Who is the most positive person you know?

E-Jay Randolph, my mentor.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

RuPual’s Drag Race.

If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

A cross with a naked Jesus hanging on it wearing a Star of David pendant around his neck. Jesus would have a tattoo in Arabic on his left pec of the most important line in the Quran, the line that you would need to say to become Muslim. I am interested in inclusion.

If you were a car, what marque would you be?

A Tesla.

Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

I’m a baby in a grown ass man’s body. It’s a good thing.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

A framed picture of my beautiful mother.

Haaz Sleiman is a Lebanese-American television and film actor. He starred as Jesus in the TV series ‘Killing Jesus’ and has also appeared in series such as ‘24’, ‘CSI: Miami’, ‘ER’, ‘NCIS’, ‘Nurse Jackie’ and ‘Person of Interest’. He describes himself as: “A lost soul finding its way back home.”

Follow Haaz Sleiman on Twitter at @haazsleiman, on Facebook at @haazsleiman and on Instagram at @haazsleiman

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August 24, 2018
Zach Tinker – What’s on your mantelpiece?

A 20-question interview with American actor and star of NBC’s ‘Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders’ Zach Tinker

The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

My gut and my heart.

“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

“Kill ‘em with kindness.”

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2017?

To be frank, I had no idea who Kerry Katona is so I looked her up. I also searched “Kerry Katona 2007,” but couldn’t find anything besides some stuff about her being on drugs and held up at knifepoint: I feel like I’m getting off track here.

I would say bigotry is unacceptable in 2017. It’s a distraction. There is so much going on right now that could end really badly and that’s where our focus should be, not on looking for someone else to blame because of their colour or gender or religion.

Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

Only at certain times, but I miss being a little kid: Ignorance is bliss.

What might you swap all your wealth for?

More wealth. I’m kidding: Probably the ability to fly.

Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the state of the financial system?

I am probably not the one to ask: I’m 23 and just starting to deal with the state of my own economy. But it seems logical that the world is a better place if more people can participate, when we all feel like we have a stake in the outcome.

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

“The proof is in the pudding” – I’ve never understood what the hell that means. On a more positive and sort of related note,my favourite word is “goop.”

In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

I think: “Charity begins at need” – That seems more relevant, especially with the horrible string of natural disasters that have occurred around the world recently.

From elementary school through college, charity and volunteering was built in to the education curriculum, so that made it easy and I was very involved in with Camp Harmony. It is a well-run programme to support under privileged children from inner cities, the homeless and troubled families. They host summer camps, winter camps, holiday events, do food drives, back to school drives, support mentorships… I volunteered there for five or six years and it’s one of the most incredible and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. Sadly, I haven’t been very active in that community for the past few years because of my schedule, but to anyone living in Los Angeles, I couldn’t recommend the programme enough.

The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

If the question is: “What is my view on the appropriate use of cell phones that explode?” I would probably say, never. They are crazy dangerous, plus I heard their network coverage is terrible.

When it comes to regular old mobile phones, I think in general, just don’t be a dick. I know that sounds flip, but most of us know when phone use is not okay: Don’t text and drive; don’t talk on the phone in a movie theatre and don’t FaceTime at a funeral.

If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

Michael Jordan, Lincoln, Marlon Brando, Will Smith, Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra, Eminem, MLK, Louis CK, Dave Chappelle and my mother’s father. He passed away when my mom was seven and I’d like to meet him and say thank you.

If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

A bucket of Ben & Jerry’s half-baked half-twisted ice cream, my grandma’s Italian chicken cutlets, a jar of Skippy Peanut Butter, a box of Captain Crunch Berries with 2% milk, a PB&J sandwich on whole wheat, and a slice of Susie Cakes’ red velvet cake for dessert. Oh, and a big bottle of lemon-lime Gatorade to wash it down. I would eat it in prison, presumably, since I’m on death row.

What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

I don’t drink regularly, but that’s mostly about fitness. I’m not judging, but first thing after you wake up is probably not the best idea. Otherwise, sometimes a drink is just what the doctor ordered; I get it.

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

Tea, but I’ll need two packs of Stevia in there first.

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

Small ones: I like when gatherings are intimate, where I can have conversations with people and get to know them.

Who is the most positive person you know?

Probably my step-dad, Ken Karman.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

The TV show My Strange Addiction. That show is insane. All those kinds of shows: Intervention, Cops, etc. They’re trash TV, I know, but God are they entertaining to watch.

If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

Hmmm… A piece of chocolate candy, maybe: Sweet with a slightly hard exterior and a soft and gooey inside.

If you were a car, what marque would you be?

I’d like to say a Ferrari or Lambo, but I’m probably more like a 2005 Mazda Miata or something.

Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

I almost bit my own tongue off as a child and had to have it sewn back on while conscious and awake.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

There is no actual mantelpiece in my tiny studio apartment, but I do have out on display an award my grandfather received from the NBC television network, a book about Marlon Brando, the graphic novel, Watchmen and a bottle of acne medication (left that out, unintentionally).

Actor Zach Tinker was born in New York in 1994 into a family of directors, writers and producers. He is the first of his family to work in front of the camera and currently appears in the NBC series ‘Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders’ as Craig Cignarelli, a classmate of Erik Menéndez .

Follow Zach Tinker on Twitter at @ZachTinker and on Instagram at @zach_atticus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVcw6H2MA8E

October 15, 2017