He has always indulged in a lavish lifestyle, whether as part of the Bullingdon Club during his exuberant days at Oxford or later at White’s – the most exclusive of London’s gentlemen’s clubs – from which he deemed it wise to step down before taking office as PM.

However, for David Cameron, enjoying fine dining has contributed to a well-cushioned physique, refined in recent years at places like Scott’s.

This is the Mayfair dining spot where enthusiasts can begin a meal with sautéed foie gras, fig “tarte,” and toasted pistachios, move on to a whole grilled lobster, and conclude with a triple chocolate fondant.

I am therefore intrigued to learn that friends are praising Lord Cameron for what may be the most significant weight loss since the late, esteemed Chancellor of the Exchequer Lord [Nigel] Lawson shed five stone in just a few months.

‘Dave’s lost four stone,’ a chum tells me.

It’s reported that Lord Cameron, 58, seen in 2019 photos, opted to aid himself with weight-loss treatments. Whether these were supplements or injections is left to speculation. “We are not going to comment on this as it is clearly a personal matter,” says Lord Cameron’s spokesperson.

It’s not the first time that Cameron’s done battle with the bathroom scales. Before the 2015 election, he renounced bread and ran every other day.

Another pal tells me: ‘He has lost weight, but more like a stone and a half – not four.’

Who knows, perhaps Dave is tucking into Scott’s Truffle Gift Box on the drive back to the Cotswolds and a slap–up feast with the Chipping Norton set?

American life is such a scream! 

Joss Stone discussed relocating with her old friend Prince Harry during his recent visit.

‘Maybe he’ll move back, too,’ she said. ‘That would be nice.’

Pop singer Joss, 38, has moved back to Devon from Nashville with her American husband Cody DaLuz, so their eldest child can attend school here. There is one aspect of life in the US she certainly won’t miss.

‘There are these bugs called cicadas – when you touch them, they scream,’ she tells me at the 13th annual Boisdale Music Awards in Canary Wharf, London. ‘One of them was in my car – I brushed him out and he screamed. It’s horrific.’

Ross is King of sequins 

Gordon Ramsay’s alleged former mistress Sarah Symonds says she is unable to enjoy the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.

‘I won’t be able to watch this year as one of my exes is on it – Ross King, or ‘Mr Sequins’, as I call him,’ she tells me, referring to the Scottish television presenter, 63. ‘He will fit right in. I always remember how he kept his blue mint mouthwash in a massive crystal decanter in his bathroom, along with a couple of pairs of straightening tongs.

‘It was fun staying over at his Hollywood Hills home, as I never had to take much.’

Looks like it was a heavy night, Cara

Hard–partying Cara Delevingne turned over a new leaf by quitting drugs and booze when she reached 30, but she still appears to be burning the candle at both ends.

The model, 33, looked unrecognisable in a picture she shared of herself online wearing a humidifier face–mask in bed. The device is designed to assist breathing by delivering oxygen therapy.

She could also be seen sporting a head therapy wrap, which can be used for headaches, migraines or relaxation.

‘Music, music, sleep, repeat,’ she wrote alongside the picture.

Cara has previously spoken of her new ‘wellness journey’, saying: ‘I’m a lot more gentle with myself and nice to myself.’

It’s hard keeping up with Anne

Staff appear to struggle to keep up with the hardest–working royal, Princess Anne.

Two years after she advertised for a ‘programme manager’ to help organise her busy workload, she’s seeking a new one. The pay has gone up in that time, from £32,500 a year to £38,000.

King Charles’s sister, 75, carried out 474 engagements last year, ahead of His Majesty with 372, although he was undergoing cancer treatment.

‘As a programme manager, you’ll ensure every engagement runs seamlessly, reflecting the dignity and purpose of the Princess Royal’s patronages and military affiliations,’ explains the advertisement on the royal website.

The outgoing, halo–polishing editor of Prospect magazine, Alan Rusbridger, has been attacked by one of his predecessors at the Left–wing monthly. David Goodhart has a go at 72–year–old Rusbridger for being past it.

Writing in The Critic magazine, Goodhart denounces the current Prospect as ‘flat and predictable’ and having too narrow an outlook with boring writers. It’s like seeing Queen Mary headbutted by the Duchess of Gloucester! 

He’s the party host to Hollywood stars who organised celebrations for Leonardo DiCaprio after he won an Oscar. But British fashion photographer Steve Shaw admits it’s not always easy keeping the riffraff out of his rarefied revelries. 

‘I did have one event when these people – I don’t know who they were – managed to get in,’ he tells me. ‘They tried to take a selfie with Ryan Seacrest [the host of US talent contest American Idol]. He got p***** [off] and I had them kicked out.’