Tara Palmer-Tomkinson

Tara Claire Palmer-Tomkinson (23 December 1971 – 8 February 2017)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> was an English socialite and television personality.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She appeared in several television shows, including the reality programme I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She died from a perforated ulcer on 8 February 2017.<ref name="BBC_cod" />

Early life

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire on 23 December 1971, the daughter of Patricia (née Dawson) and Charles Palmer-Tomkinson. Her father represented Great Britain as a skier at the 1964 Winter Olympics.<ref name=bbc>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was the younger sister of author Santa Montefiore.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her mother was of Argentine descent. Palmer-Tomkinson was educated at Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After she left school, she worked briefly in the City of London for Rothschild bank.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Writing career

In the mid- to late 1990s, a weekly column for The Sunday Times appeared under her name. However, this was actually ghostwritten by author Wendy Holden based on Palmer-Tomkinson's "phoned in description of her activities during the preceding week."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She subsequently similarly contributed to The Spectator, The Mail on Sunday, GQ, Eve, Harpers and Queen, Tatler, InStyle and The Observer sporadically.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In September 2007, her book The Naughty Girl's Guide to Life, co-authored with Sharon Marshall, was published by Sphere.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was serialised in The Sunday Times Style magazine.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In October 2010, her first novel, Inheritance, was published by Pan Books.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> This was also ghostwritten.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2012, her second novel, Infidelity, was published by Pan Books.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Television appearances

In 1999, Palmer-Tomkinson made an appearance on The Frank Skinner Show,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and shown on an episode of 100 Greatest (TV series).<ref name="myepisodes/1999-04-22">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="myepisodes/18671">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2000, Palmer-Tomkinson made an appearance on The 11 O'Clock Show S4E1.<ref name="filmbooster/744205">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="myepisodes/10303">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="filmbooster/189774">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="kinorium/494539">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2002, Palmer-Tomkinson made an appearance on the first series of the British television series I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, finishing as runner up.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She was a contestant on a celebrity Christmas edition of Blind Date later that year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She appeared as a Star in a Reasonably Priced Car in Top Gear's sixth episode of series one. In November 2005, she presented her third behind the scenes series on ITV2 for I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW!.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She was also a guest on the first and second series of Would I Lie to You? in 2007 and 2008.<ref>Series 1, Episode 6, broadcast 28 July 2007.</ref>

Palmer-Tomkinson's presenting credits included Animals Do the Funniest Things with Tony Blackburn, the UK selection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2003, The British Comedy Awards...Party On, What Kids Really Think, Popworld, Top of the Pops, SMTV Live, Company Magazine Bachelor of the Year, Dumb Britain, Extreme, a role as a team captain on Bognor or Bust which was hosted by Angus Deayton and work for GMTV, Five, LBC radio, the music channel The Hits and the Living TV programme Dirty Cows.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2007, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson was a contestant on Comic Relief Does Fame Academy for the BBC.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She gave away tickets to see her compete in the show to "ordinary people" who had helped her out (the other contestants generally giving their free tickets to other celebrities). She invited the policeman who found her stolen car, the locksmith who helped when she was locked out of her house and her parents' local shopkeepers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other work

Palmer-Tomkinson played the piano, as was demonstrated at events at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with the National Symphony Orchestra,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> at the Royal Albert Hall, and at The Coliseum during a Leonard Bernstein Tribute.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She hosted the Classic FM Gramophone Awards in 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She wrote a pop song called "5 Seconds" which she performed on Loose Women.<ref name=BBCpics/>

From 2013 to 2014, Palmer-Tomkinson, herself autistic,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was patron of Scottish charity Speur Ghlan, which delivers early intervention for young children diagnosed with autism or developmental delays. The appointment garnered media attention for having been facilitated through social media.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

File:Paul Harvey, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson.jpg

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson by Paul Harvey, 2008

Palmer-Tomkinson's family have a close relationship with the British royal family. She attended the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles as well as the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.<ref name=BBCpics>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2004, Paul Harvey's painting of Palmer-Tomkinson was exhibited in The Stuckists Punk Victorian show at the Walker Art Gallery for the Liverpool Biennial.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Drug addiction

Palmer-Tomkinson was addicted to cocaine in her early career. In 1999, she appeared on The Frank Skinner Show, slurring her words and forgetting the host's name.<ref name=bbc/> In 2006, she received extensive publicity after her nasal septum collapsed due to her cocaine addiction. Pictures were printed in several British tabloids. She underwent cosmetic surgery to have it rebuilt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Arrest

On 22 December 2014, Palmer-Tomkinson was arrested at Heathrow Airport.<ref name=SkyTPHeathrow>Template:Cite news</ref> This followed her reaction to being refused access to a first-class lounge. Following her arrest, she said that a panic attack triggered her behaviour. She stated: "I wasn't drunk, there was no disorderly. I was cautioned, I saw a doctor, they were nice to me", before flying to Switzerland to celebrate her 43rd birthday.<ref name="SkyTPHeathrow"/>

Illness and death

In January 2016, Palmer-Tomkinson was diagnosed with a prolactinoma, a benign tumour (adenoma) of the pituitary gland, and announced her illness publicly in November of that year.<ref name="RevealsTumour">Template:Cite news</ref> Prolactinomas are not malignant, and the treatment was successful.<ref name="RevealsTumour"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She also had ANCA Associated Vasculitis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 8 February 2017, Palmer-Tomkinson was found dead at her home in London.<ref name="Guardian">Template:Cite news</ref> The death was treated as unexplained but not suspicious.<ref name="Guardian"/> Her sister later told the media that the cause of death was a perforated ulcer and peritonitis.<ref name="BBC_cod">Template:Cite news</ref>

Bibliography

Novels

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Other books

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External links

• Speur Ghlan charity
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