Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has revealed that he never met former U.S. President Donald Trump, breaking a personal streak of meeting every American president since Jimmy Carter. Brown shared the detail while promoting his new book, *The Future Starts With Us*, during an event at The Forum in Bath. He attributed the missed encounter to never attending Jeffrey Epstein’s parties, where Trump was known to have appeared.

Brown’s comments drew attention to his history of high-profile connections. He once spoke at a school event, recounting encounters with prominent figures including Bill and Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and Nelson Mandela. During that talk, Brown referred to Mandela by his clan name, Madiba, before correcting himself to clarify its personal nature.

In parliamentary developments, Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner experienced a verbal stumble during debates over the suspension of local government reorganization plans. Struggling initially with the pronunciation of “Worcestershire,” she eventually corrected herself. Tory MP Nigel Huddleston seized the moment to jest about the difficulty of saying the name, referencing a popular online joke that ranks “I’m sorry,” “I love you,” and “Worcestershire” as among the hardest phrases to say. Rayner, Huddleston noted, had successfully managed two of these but had yet to express the third.

Meanwhile, there is growing speculation about Alastair Campbell’s spiritual journey. The former Downing Street communications director has been attending Bible study sessions at Lambeth Palace in the final months of Archbishop Justin Welby’s tenure, describing the meetings as “very, very interesting.” Though Campbell has hinted at a newfound affinity for Anglicanism, reports suggest he has no plans to convert to Catholicism, the faith of his former boss, Tony Blair.

Elsewhere in British cultural news, reflections on the BBC’s recent ban on champagne in the workplace prompted former employee Mark Mason to recall a different era. Upon joining the broadcaster in 1995, Mason learned that the morning radio program *Start the Week* had, not long before, occasionally offered guests champagne—a practice he described as a notably indulgent way to begin a Monday.

Theatre enthusiasts will be interested in actor Freddie Fox’s latest documentary, *Into the Breach*, which explores the evolution of British theatre and its key personalities, from acclaimed actors to legendary directors. The film includes anecdotes from Sir Anthony Hopkins, who recounted his experience working alongside Sir John Gielgud on the film *The Elephant Man*, directed by David Lynch. Hopkins relayed how Lynch’s insistence on multiple takes led to Gielgud’s wry remark about his own mortality and readiness to conclude the filming.

These accounts offer nuanced insights into the intersecting worlds of politics, religion, and culture in contemporary Britain.