Nicky Haslam is a sort of British twentieth-century cultural icon. Haslam’s heyday was the 1970s through the 1990s, and he was definitely on the London scene and extremely well-connected. He was an interior designer and friends with many of the QEII-generation royals. Currently, he’s in his 80s and British people still have enormous affection for him as a cultural figure. Haslam does an annual list of what’s “common” and the list sometimes makes news. Well, Hello Magazine recently interviewed Haslam and he ended up paying the necessary Sussex Tax. Every British press outlet does this – everyone they interview is asked about Prince Harry and Meghan.
[Nowadays, Haslam] has discovered a more restful way of maintaining his cultural presence: his annual tea towel listing “things that Nicky Haslam finds common”. His selection for 2025 included clapping the chef after a meal, Dan Snow, Stephen Fry, nduja sausages and – thanks to a suggestion from his friend Rupert Everett – death threats. He is currently working on the eighth edition of his tea towel, sometimes sending texts to his assistant, Flora, at midnight if inspiration strikes while he is in bed.
“Stand-up comedians,” he exclaims when asked what’s in contention for the next towel. “I put it in yesterday. I think comedy’s rather common. They think anybody can be a stand-up comedian. There’s no innuendo, no subtlety in humour any more.”
What else? “Smoothies.” The fruity drinks or men in cravats and blazers? “Either.”
His distastes are hard to predict. Unlike some from his generation, he loves the Duchess of Sussex, albeit “for all the wrong reasons”.
“There’s something oddly touching about her. These programmes where she puts flowers on top of cakes: Kirstie Allsopp used to do that and nobody criticised her.”
“I rather like the fact that it’s all manufactured. I’ve got a sneaking love of fakes. They’re amusing. Non-fakes – serious people – are frightfully boring.”
He thinks that Meghan is “foolish” and “wayward” for kicking against the press, but admires her “guts”. She is making Prince Harry happy, he says.
“Wouldn’t I rather be living in a lovely house in Montecito with film stars and going to premieres? I would.”
Do I think that Meghan is “fake”? No, I don’t. I actually find her too earnest at times. I’ve talked about the “fake” accusations before, because it’s a consistent British talking point, that there’s something false or fake about Meghan. They’re telling on themselves – they can’t believe that a woman would be that nice, that intelligent, that charity-oriented without it being performative, or some kind of “royal persona.” That’s what they’re used to. But the other stuff Haslam says here is fine. It’s funny that they act like Meghan is still suing the British press – she hasn’t sued anyone in years. Harry is the one suing all of the tabloids.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Netflix.
