DIARY: Mr Celebrity sets sights on The Groucho Club

Groucho Marx may have not cared to be a member of a club that would

accept him. But it looks as if Matthew Freud is all too willing not only

to be accepted but to own the damn thing as well.

As Diary was being sent to bed, Freud

(of reports-of-his-demise-have-been-greatly-exaggerated fame) is to take

over top London swiggery The Groucho Club.

Surely it is every media type's dream to own his/her own Soho boozer, to

sway between the nose-wiping, gin-guzzling journos, artists and actors.

Now that dream may be coming true for Mr Celebrity.

A bid of pounds 11.8m is being mulled over exclusively by the Groucho's

board after being put forward by Newco, a company which includes Freud

as a non-executive director alongside Rupert Hambro and Joel

Cadbury.

Freud Communications director Kris Thykier said: 'We are incredibly

excited to have got the agreement from the board at Grouchos. We are

going through a due diligence period at the moment.'

Freud, famous for his use of celebrities, is also rumoured to be buying

back his own agency from AMV. Could there be a link? Will Groucho

members such as Janet Street-Porter now help to promote Freud clients

like Pepsi or Pizza Hut?

Diary awaits developments.