Pippa Middleton,29, has thrown down the gauntlet to London Mayor Boris Johnson, challenging him to a ping-pong tournament to prove who comes from the most competitive family. The politician has accepted Pippa's offer which was extended through a diary piece she wrote for The Spectator magazine. In it, the Duchess of Cambridge's younger sister says she has more free time to take up "less demanding hobbies … such as ping pong", after recently completing the 26-mile cross country Engadin Ski Marathon.
"I'm informed that Boris Johnson, former editor of this magazine, wants to be 'whiff-whaff' (ping-pong) world king even more than he wants to be prime minister," she writes. "I'm also told the Johnsons are almost as competitive as the Middletons. So I'd like to lay down a challenge to the mayor … Bring it on, Boris." Boris accepted the dare on Twitter, writing: "I'm game if she is. Happy for Pippa to join me on a visit and see the benefits of our £22m Sports Legacy Fund in action." Pippa's publishing career is going from strength to strength. She graced the cover of Waitrose Kitchen for the April edition of the upmarket supermarket's food magazine. Inside, readers got a first glimpse of Pippa's Friday Night Feasts column. The former events planner gave an insight into her social life and proved that she lives up to her party princess reputation. "Regardless of how tired I might be, the moment Friday lunchtime arrives I get that contagious pre-weekend excitement," she wrote.
"Even if I'm feeling exhausted and don't feel like doing anything but watching telly, I can put off being tired till Saturday." Pippa's column replaces that of cooking queen Delia Smith. The decision undeniably raised a few eyebrows but the £1.20 monthly magazine’s editor William Sitwell defended his hiring of Pippa and praised her talents. The vote of confidence will be a boost for the professional party planner, who recently parted ways with her literary agent, David Godwin. "I am very sorry it has happened," he said. "But yes, it is true: I no longer represent Pippa and I wish her good luck."
Pippa's entertaining guide Celebrate: A Year of British Festivities For Families and Friends was released amid great expectations in October last year, with the debutante reportedly receiving a £400,000 advance from publisher Michael Joseph.Parting from agent David will give Pippa time to focus on other projects such as her various magazine columns and her online party magazine, The Party Times. Pippa's love life is also going well. She and financier beau Nico Jackson, 35, are going from strength to strength and were recently spotted enjoying a romantic stroll in the Swiss Alps.
