For over six decades, he remained James Bond’s ultimate foe, commanding an array of villains against the spy and even having a hand in the murder of Bond’s wife, all while petting his iconic white cat.
But just when 007 believed he had finally eliminated Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the 2021 hit No Time To Die, the head of Spectre intriguingly surfaced once more… through the middle name of a son belonging to quarreling Notting Hill parents.
William and Annabel Woodhams became internet sensations when their newborn, Basil Groove Blofeld, caught the attention of film enthusiasts who noticed the homage to the notorious antagonist from Ian Fleming’s tales.
The eyebrow-raising moniker marked the latest instalment of a Bond-themed family tradition which all began over a naming clash four years ago.
The couple initially planned to name their firstborn Stanley Beats Woodhams, with the middle name honoring Annabel’s career as a DJ and their beloved character from the BBC series People Just Do Nothing.
However, as he headed to the register office at Chelsea Old Town Hall in somewhat of a haze, William, now 47, opted for a spontaneous act of ‘revenge’ by making a last-minute change.
He told The Times: ‘I was annoyed about it because I thought it was pretentious.’
The director of a publishing company decided to include the name of Bond villain Scaramanga, from the 1974 movie The Man With The Golden Gun, thus altering his son’s name to Stanley Beats Scaramanga Woodhams.
William and Annabel Woodhams’ newborn Basil Groove Blofeld went viral after film fans realised he was named after the recurring antagonist in the James Bond series
Basil (pictured with his mum) joins a family of eccentrically named members, including a horse called Disco Dinosaur Wonky Donkey and three dogs, named Pablo Escobark, Disco Rita and Gloria Estefan
‘I regard Ian Fleming as a literary hero,’ William said. ‘All the best actors play the villains.’
Hitman Francisco Scaramanga is played by legendary British actor Christopher Lee in the movie.
Now his brother has followed the trend, named after Blofeld who led terrorist organisation Spectre in attempting to thwart Bond throughout the much-loved films.
William is not worried about his children being teased, adding: ‘My middle name is Rodney and I grew up when Only Fools And Horses was popular. I got called a “plonker” for 10 years.’
He suggested that most of those looking down on his boys’ names were simply jealous, and that an unusual second name was more acceptable than a bizarre first name.
Despite some criticism, he insisted that the majority backed the quirky monikers, although his wife Annabel, a popular house music DJ known as ABEL, was not one of them.
The mother, now 37, had left it all up to her husband as he headed to the register office, because only one person was allowed into the room due to Covid restrictions at the time.
Although she had been warned about the possibility of a Bond-themed middle name, Annabel assumed it had been a joke – and she said her father still thinks it is a prank to this day.
Spectre leader Blofeld, pictured in 1967 film You Only Live Twice, was James Bond’s archnemesis for more than 60 years, often pictured with his signature white cat
The unusually named boy is the latest to take the moniker of a Bond villain – his brother is named after Scaramanga, pictured, the antagonist in 1974’s The Man With The Golden Gun
Blofeld joins a family of eccentrically named members, including a horse called Disco Dinosaur Wonky Donkey and three dogs, named Pablo Escobark, Disco Rita and Gloria Estefan.
Two children in, and the Woodhams’ naming formula has now been perfected. The first name will always be a tribute to an elderly relative, the second related to music, and the third a tribute to a Bond villain.
While William reckons two children is enough, he suspects his wife might like to try for a girl and accepts that if another great name is suggested, he will be open to the idea.
The frontrunners for Bond child number three? ‘Goldfinger or Pussy Galore [Bond’s love interest in the film Goldfinger],’ according to Annabel.
