Lizzie sparks a tizzie at awards night

* Mick Jagger's model daughter Lizzie sent the rumour-mill into overdrive when she failed to attend Lancôme's annual Colour Design Awards on Wednesday.

* Mick Jagger's model daughter Lizzie sent the rumour-mill into overdrive when she failed to attend Lancôme's annual Colour Design Awards on Wednesday.

As both the "face" of Lancôme and the chairman of their judging panel, the slender beauty was obliged to attend the bash, but pulled-out at the last minute, citing illness.

Her absence comes on the back of reports that Lancôme have threatened to replace Jagger unless she puts on weight. She recently made headlines when paparazzi photos showed her looking "alarmingly" thin.

Organisers yesterday insisted there were no hard feelings, though. "She phoned us on the afternoon, and said she has gastric flu," I'm told. "It's not a very nice illness, so of course she couldn't come."

"She is very much still the face of Lancôme and we are looking forward to having her back as a judge next year."

* PETE DOHERTY, the troubled musician who was kicked-out of the Libertines, is experiencing cash-flow problems.

On Wednesday, Doherty walked into a shop called Rockit on Brick Lane, and attempted to buy some curtains for his tour bus. He didn't have enough cash, so left his passport as a temporary deposit.

"At the end of the day, the till was still short," says the store, when I call. "So Anna, who works here, put in £20 of her own money and took the passport."

A photo of the "liberated" document was yesterday broadcast on the Virgin BITES network, prior to being flogged on eBay.

* THE HISTORIAN Susan Ronald is to publish The Sancy Blood Diamond , a book about the famous gem that resides at the Louvre.

Her publishers met with the Diamond Trading Company - the rough diamond sales arm of De Beers - to ask if they'd like to be involved with its launch.

"De Beers liked the book, but told us they wouldn't touch it because the words "blood" and "diamond" were in the title," I'm told. "This freaked them out. They were totally paranoid."

With all the charm of a minor Bond villian, a DTC representative later let it be known that Mrs Ronald "could be in for a surprise when the press get going" about the book.

* Proof, if it were needed, that Sir Alex Ferguson has lost the magic touch that gilded his early forays into horse racing.

The Man U boss - whose ownership of champion nag Rock of Gibraltar caused much trouble last year - has had his judgement questioned by the artist Jack Vettriano.

"He bought a painting off me. I wasn't bothered about how much I could get for it: my main objective was to secure a good tipper for the horses," reports Vettriano. "But let me tell you, that man is crap. I don't mind you printing that, because I've now lost a lot of money thanks to Fergie."

The artist, speaking at a fundraiser for Mencap, adds: "I don't have much luck with the horses. I used to own one called The Singing Butler, but it collapsed and died on the flat."

pandora@independent.co.uk