WHEN is a celebrity endorsement more of a hindrance than a help? When the celeb supports the wrong team!Norwich City owner and celebrity chef Delia Smith attracted the headlines last week when she publicly endorsed Labour in the general election.

WHEN is a celebrity endorsement more of a hindrance than a help? When the celeb supports the wrong team!

Norwich City owner and celebrity chef Delia Smith attracted the headlines last week when she publicly endorsed Labour in the general election.

She praised the Labour government's investment in grassroots sport and urged Norwich residents to vote for Home Secretary Charles Clarke and Labour maverick Dr Ian Gibson.

She said “They have both worked terrifically hard in their constituencies and I, for one, look forward to seeing them tackle these pressing sporting issues in the next parliament.”

However Delia herself lives in Suffolk near Stowmarket - and will have to vote there on May 5.

And while her Labour candidate Dave Monaghan will be delighted to have her vote, he doesn't want her endorsement!

He told me: “I think that would go down like a lead balloon with all the Ipswich Town fans around here!

“I've had some messages of support from people like Tony Robinson and Stephen Fry, but I'll leave Delia to do her politics in Norwich!”

Of course it wasn't so long ago that there were rumours that Ipswich Town chairman David Sheepshanks was looking at a political career.

One punter even placed a bet on him becoming Prime Minister one day.

But if Mr Sheepshanks did enter the political fray, it would be unlikely to be under the Labour banner.

His father is a former Conservative chairman of Suffolk County Council - and the rumour was that Mr Sheepshanks was keen to follow John Gummer as Tory MP for Suffolk Coastal.

However while he has admitted he is interested in politics, he has always insisted that he has more than enough on his plate with his role at Ipswich Town and other business interests!

WHO are they trying to kid?

Every Labour candidate/party worker I've talked to so far has told me that Michael Howard is THE big issue of the campaign - apparently no one likes the look of him and he's costing Conservatives thousands of votes.

Every Conservative candidate/party worker I've met has told me that THE big issue of this election is the character of Tony Blair. Apparently no one trusts him any more and he's costing Labour thousands of votes.

On that basis it looks like a shoe-in for Charles Kennedy. Neither of the other parties have told me how much voters hate him!