Celia Walden
Celia Walden | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 December 1975 Paris, France |
| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Celia Morgan |
| Education | Westminster School Cambridge University |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, novelist, critic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent | George Walden |
Celia Morgan (née Walden; born 30 December 1975) is a British journalist, novelist and critic.
Early life
Walden is the daughter of former Conservative Party Member of Parliament George Walden. She was educated at Westminster School and Cambridge University.
Career
Walden is a feature writer and former gossip columnist. She was the last editor of The Daily Telegraph's now defunct diary "Spy". She previously wrote for the Daily Mail. Her first novel Harm's Way was published in 2008.
On 24 March 2011 Walden wrote a column in The Daily Telegraph expressing her hatred of cyclists - fair weather cyclists in particular. The end of her article read "[…] and of course this lot are so confident on the roads that they will all be plugged into their iPods, calmly humming 'lalalalala' along to Sasha Distel as that articulated lorry indicates left".[1] The article was published in the same week that a cyclist in central London had been killed by a heavy goods vehicle (HGV).[2]
Walden’s 2011 memoir of her time spent with footballer George Best, Babysitting George, was criticised by his widow Alex Best, who threatened legal action against the book’s publisher Bloomsbury Publishing. UK Sunday newspaper The Observer quoted Best’s former mistress, Gina Devivo, describing the work as being by someone "with a very good imagination". She added: "I am most angry for George, because he is not here to defend himself. It just didn't happen that way. George would be absolutely livid. He only ever spent a few days with Celia and had no rapport with her at all. I did tell Celia it was wrong before publication and she told me she would put something in the front of the book saying it had all happened 'to the best of her memory'. In the end, though, she thanks me for my 'continuing friendship' in the first pages even though she hadn't seen me for eight years”.[3]
Personal life
In 2006, she began a relationship with Piers Morgan, the former editor of the Daily Mirror. She was previously in a relationship with chef Jean-Christophe Novelli. On 24 June 2010 she married Morgan in a private ceremony in the Oxfordshire village of Swinbrook.[4][5][6] Morgan announced in mid 2011 that the couple were expecting a child[7] and on 25 November 2011 Walden gave birth to Elise Morgan, her first child and Morgan's fourth.[8]
References
- ^ "Driven crazy by a fluttering Fair Weather Cyclist". http://www.telegraph.co.uk. 2011-03-24. Retrieved 2011-08-20.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ "A reply to Celia Walden". http://cycling-intelligence.com. 2011-03-25. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ Thorpe, Vanessa (29 May 2011). "George Best's widow and his lover unite against 'totally unfair' memoir". The Observer. London. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/7853270/Piers-Morgan-marries-the-Telegraphs-Celia-Walden.html
- ^ "Piers Morgan 'ties knot with girlfriend'". Digitalspy.co.uk. 2010-06-24. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
- ^ "Piers Morgan 'beams throughout wedding'". Digitalspy.co.uk. 2010-06-25. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
- ^ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20500210,00.html
- ^ http://www.celebritybabyscoop.com/2012/11/27/first-glimpse-of-piers-morgans-daughter-elise
My Mentor: Celia Walden on George Walden, The Independent, 4 August 2008
The Observer, 9 July 2006: Life as a gossip girl, by Polly Vernon
Interview: Celia Walden, Stylist Magazine