Happy Friday one and all. How much would you pay to have dinner with an esteemed, illustrious, and as fans have often penned, gorgeous columnist?
Diary asks as fellow celebrities are auctioning off experiences with them for charity. There are 50 listings on eBay for the Union Solidarity Coalition.
It could set you back $3,050 for Lena Dunham to paint a mural in your home, over $1,950 to ask Sarah Silverman 20 questions and more than $4,000 for a Zoom call with the cast of New Girl.
Proceeds will go towards crew members whose healthcare benefits are currently at risk during Hollywood strikes.
Obviously, this led to Diary wondering how much they could charge for their own company.
Editor said spending any extended period with Diary should be considered an act of charity in itself, which means this would be a truly philanthropic endeavour that could be yours for the low price of a gin and tonic.
John Terry charges £500 for fans to eat with him
Another celeb jumping on the fee-for-company bandwagon this week was ex-England captain John Terry.
The Mail reported that Terry has defended charging his supporters £500 each for the chance to eat a meal with him and charging £100 for autographs.
For that fee, is the fan paying for the meal too, or is it on the house? Are they drinking champagne and eating caviar? Many questions arise.
Terry said all of the money will go to his charity, John Terry 26 Foundation, which was set up eight months ago, according to the article.
It is not registered on the Charity Commission website yet, but the former footballer said all funds raised will go to his foundation, which will then pay grants to other charities.
Puffin party
In other news, a puffin parade has raised £98,400 for charity in an auction of 60 puffin sculptures. All proceeds went to GSPCA and Autism Guernsey.
People from the island of Guernsey bid from between £700 - £3,500 for one of the ginormous birds.
The bird sculptures were constructed in the Philippines and then painted by local artists, schoolchildren and charities.
Diary's favourite was tuxedo puffin, but rainbow puffin was a close second. The image of the 60 bird sculptures circling a green space, whilst spectacular, also comes across as an ominous bird seance.
Baby elephant gets well-deserved blankie
Would it be a Diary column without a sweet baby animal to look at? Yes, but not a very good one.
Luckily for you, this week a charity in Kenya called the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust shared an image educating us on how they comfort baby elephants.
In the wild, baby elephants (or calves) sleep surrounded by their herd for warmth. To replicate this experience, the charity has given their baby elephants a blanket with an elephant stitched on it, and the results are adorable.
Diary will be looking like this for the majority of the weekend with Netflix playing in the background.
In the wild, baby elephants sleep surrounded by their herd. We replicate that comforting experience at the Nursery by having a Keeper offer company & care throughout the night. A cozy blanket for the youngest orphans give them an added layer of warmth as they sleep. pic.twitter.com/FdYsDb0JI2
— Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (@SheldrickTrust) September 10, 2023
