Londoner’s Diary: Tamara Rojo - Brexit rules would have stopped me coming to Britain

Welcome to today’s Londoner’s Diary. First, Ballet star Tamara Rojo says she would never have been able to come to the UK after Brexit. New Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries tells us she rented her dress for a fashion show yesterday. Piers Morgan shares more about his long Covid, saying he can’t taste champagne. Edward Enninful tells us about his dog Ru’s Norfolk holiday. And Annabel Croft says Emma Raducanu may be 18 but is an “old soul” already.

Key Points

10:51 , Robbie Smith

English National Ballet chief Tamara Rojo says Brexit rules mean she could “never have come” to the UK today. “I didn’t have a higher degree. A ballet salary is lower than the minimum requisite,” said Rojo, who is Spanish and moved to the UK at 22. “I didn’t study English so I couldn’t pass the visa qualifications”.

Rojo, who is artistic director and a lead dancer with the ENB, told The Stage the pandemic had “somewhat camouflaged” the effect on the arts, but that restrictions on freedom of movement would soon have a “terrible impact” on touring and performing once the disruption caused by Covid had eased.

Union Equity told us: “Performers and creatives… need the ability to easily work and travel across the EU and internationally in order to earn a sustainable living.” Let’s hope it’s not farewell to the Rojos of the future.

Dorries is in the pink with rental

10:59 , Robbie Smith

NADINE DORRIES is a fan of hiring dresses after renting a Roksanda dress for her first front row at the designer’s London Fashion Week show at the Serpentine yesterday.

“More people should hire, especially for special occasions,” the new Culture Secretary tells us. “It’s a win-win,” she added as she praised the sustainable impact of renting. It follows thrifty Carrie Johnson hiring her wedding dress for £45 from a rental website. Tory borrowing — it’s all the rage right now.

Emma ‘has calm beyond her years’

12:54 , Robbie Smith

Former British tennis star Annabel Croft says Emma Raducanu may only be 18 years old but she is an “old soul”. “I first met her when she was 12 and she was this bundle of joy. But she literally has everything,” the now presenter told the audience at last night’s Telegraph Sports Book Awards in Oval.

Croft, who also competed at the US Open, said as well as “Andy Murray gritty competitiveness”, Raducanu has a “serenity of the face and calmness of spirit”. Faultless.

Piers gets no kick from champagne

14:54 , Robbie Smith

Piers Morgan tells us he’s “not really” enjoying going out because “long Covid” means he can’t taste or smell. The Londoner bumped into the presenter and his wife Celia Walden at the launch of Burlington Arcade’s James Bond installation ahead of next week’s much-delayed release of 007 movie No Time To Die. “I’ve had two sips of champagne and it tastes like rusty water,” Morgan sighed.

He perked up when we asked if he’d have liked to have played Bond. “It’s not a long leap from Pierce Brosnan to Piers Morgan.” Maybe.