Pandora: Boris's former aide in religious row

Barely months after he was forced out of his job for making comments about Caribbean immigrants, Boris Johnson's former aide James McGrath is facing fresh controversy.

The Australian spin doctor, who quit in June after saying that black Londoners "could go if they don't like it here", has been working in the Maldives as a volunteer for the opposition Maldivian Democrat Party in the run-up to today's general election.

He is currently the subject of an inflammatory row, after the ruling Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party published what it claimed was a confidential email from McGrath, outlining plans to turn the Muslim nation into a "multi-religious" society within the year. On top of that, the DRP has accused the MDP of employing him without a proper work visa and has called for him to be deported.

McGrath's political colleagues dismiss the claims, saying the original text of the email was tampered with and, since he is out there on a voluntary basis, he does not need a work permit.

"It's all got a bit hairy," says a friend. "Since this forged email was leaked, James has had to have his own personal security. He'll be pleased to see the back of 2008."

A pin-up fit for Judge Judy

Giggling teenagers are flocking to the West End production of Rain Man to catch a peek of Josh Hartnett in his undies, but his co-star Adam Godley is not without his fans.

Godley, who plays Hartnett's autistic brother Raymond, was paid a backstage visit on Monday night by Judith Sheindlin, also known as television's Judge Judy.

"My character mentions her lot in the play as Judge Judy is his favourite programme, but she had no idea – she was just in town and wanted to see a play," Godley tells me.

"I had never seen an episode before we started rehearsing, but decided I had better watch a few episodes and ended up hooked.

"I was thrilled to meet her. She very kindly signed her latest book for me."

Catherwood comes home

There is to be a long overdue return to our screens for Andrea Catherwood, last seen fronting ITV's Sunday Edition with The Observer's Andrew Rawnsley.

The Belfast-born beauty has recently finished making a documentary on her native Northern Ireland for ITV. "It's all about growing up during the Troubles," she tells me. "I've been speaking to other people who, like me, had to live with it during childhood. I'm hoping it will go out later this month."

Speaking at the launch of the new Irish human rights group, Hope, for which she is an ambassador, Catherwood is no stranger to getting her knees dirty. She was hit by shrapnel in Afghanistan back in 2001. With casual stoicism, she says a small piece is still embedded in her leg, which often sends airport X-ray machines potty.

Ecclestone tries to calm QPR fans' fears

Supporters of Queen's Park Rangers football club say they see a lot of Flavio Briatore around the club's West London home, but very little of his co-owners, Lakshmi Mittal and Bernie Ecclestone.

Maybe so, but that doesn't mean the Formula One tycoon isn't tetchy about reports which claim that he and his business partners are planning to change the side's name to Queen's Park City.

"No, No. Don't believe everything you read in the papers," he told me at the recent launch of Form menswear at Harrods. "Who's saying that anyway? It can't be true."

His comments might keep his club's patrons happy for now, but he'll need to reach into his famously deep pockets to keep the wolves from the door. They're also moaning about the recent hike in season ticket prices.

Warne waves away security

Security certainly was tight at yesterday's launch of Shane Warne's Century: My Top 100 Cricketers, at Australia House. All guests were thoroughly frisked upon entry to the embassy, except the book's author, who walked in behind Pandora and was waved through with a matey "in you go Warney" by the security detail. Clearly it's one rule for cricketing geniuses with more than 700 Test wickets to their name, but quite another for the rest of us.

Life's hard at the Brody homestead

Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody's girlfriend, Elsa Pataky, offers us an insight into their lifestyle. "[Adrien] is not at all ostentatious. He doesn't like that kind of life, and neither do I," she says. Her comments appear in this week's Hello! magazine – in a 34-page shoot at Brody's castle in upstate New York. The glamorous couple enlisted the designer Giorgio Armani to help out with the interiors. You know, as you kind of do.

Madgestic

Madonna has banned the US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin from attending her gigs. "Sarah Palin can't come to my party," she says. With 26 days until polling day, does Madge really think she's got the time?

pandora@independent.co.uk