Court dismisses Dell’Olio’s ‘man eater’ libel claim

THE High Court in Britain yesterday dismissed Nancy Dell’Olio’s libel action over her claim of being portrayed as a “serial gold digger”.

The Strictly Come Dancing star’s counsel, William Bennett, had said the key message of April’s Daily Mail story about her relationship with 71-year-old theatre director Trevor Nunn was set out in the headline: “Return of the man eater”.

He told Mr Justice Tug-endhat in London: “A man eater is an animal which hunts and kills human prey. In the context of the words complained of, it means a woman who hunts men but, rather than kill and eat them, uses them for her own selfish ends.