James Middleton gave another interview to the Daily Mail last weekend. At this point, I sort of feel sorry for him. He’s not a businessman but that’s the only thing he’s “allowed” to do. He’s not a schemer like his sisters and his mother, and I just get the feeling from this piece that he would be so happy if he could just live on a farm and fix random machines and play with dogs and goats for the rest of his life. I think the point of the interview was three-fold: to mention Pippa’s upcoming wedding to the Terribly Rich James Matthews; to do some damage-control on the consistent reports that James’ Boomf business is losing tons of money; and to confirm that James is back with Donna Air. I also learned some new stuff, like James is on such a short leash that Boomf is run out of a building that his parents lease. Yeah. Such a self-made man. You can read the full interview here, and here are some highlights:

Being the baby of the family: “It’s always been, whether at school or now, that I am Pippa and Catherine’s little brother. It’s probably going to be the story of my life. [But] I am James Middleton. I am very proud to be ‘the little brother of…’ but, equally, they are proud that I am who I am.”

On the reports that Boomf lost £930,010 last year: James hates these kinds of news stories, he tells me, because they give a false picture of the actual position of the company and unsettle his 14 staff. ‘When [the stories] affect my staff, it upsets me because these guys have put their trust in me. It’s misguided stuff. A social editor or journalist writes a business review based on accounts they have seen. Unless you know how to read the accounts properly, you can make anything look bad if you want it to.’

He’s been back on with Donna Air for months: ‘Yes, it is. I can’t say everything that is happening with us. We are thinking about where we are going next. I love Donna very much and Freya [Donna’s 13-year-old daughter] is very much part of Donna, and I love them both equally. It’s not “Donna” and “Oh, she has a child”. That’s not how I’ve ever seen it… Marriage is absolutely not something I’m scared of [but it] isn’t necessarily the be all and end all…. We are quite purposeful, forward-thinking people, so we needed wind in our sails in order to progress. She makes me very happy [and] I think I make her very happy. I want children. I’ve said that before. I will have children, but you’ll have to wait.’

His big beard: ‘My mother looks at it and says, “When are you going to get rid of it?” but then that’s because she wants me to be her little boy.’

His dyslexia: “…But I have other skills such as building bonfires and bleeding radiators and fixing boilers, slightly fun stuff.’

He’s constantly being mothered: ‘I have always joked that I have three mothers. I couldn’t get away with anything as a kid. Whether I got a bad mark at prep school or was told off by somebody, it would always end up getting back to my parents.’

His girlfriend’s 13-year-old daughter is more mature than James: ‘I think Freya is more mature than me when it comes to general stuff. Although I’m 29, I’m still perceived as the little one. But my family also have respect for me and the things that I do.’

He’s fame because of his name: ‘Quite frankly, you are only really interested in talking to me because of my name, but I have to respect that I’d much rather the stuff that comes out about me be in my voice instead of speculation. There will be plenty of people who will criticise me for doing this but I don’t think I am abusing a situation. Boomf is growing not because of [the press]. We had a £2.5 million turnover last year and it’s up by just shy of 400 per cent on the previous year. That happens because of hard work and a great team. We are now concentrating on stability. I love working hard. I think about myself now, and the position I am in and the stuff that I do, and I am very pleased and confident in how I’ve turned out.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I do think that James is “the family eccentric” in that he’s not like Carole, Kate or Pippa. He lacks that drive and single-minded focus and, yes, maturity. He does come across like the baby of the family, always f—king up and having to be bailed out by friends, family and people who never invest in Boomf if it wasn’t for his name (sorry, James). Mostly I just think that when Boomf folds, he should just give up on this idea that he’s a businessman. He should just buy himself a little house in the country and raise ducks or whatever. Know your own strengths.

There’s also a quickie little Q&A where James lists his “guilty pleasure” as “vintage tractor magazines” which is an amazing answer. He also think Leo DiCaprio would play him in a movie, which… no. No.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.