Even the "near-immortal" 77-year-old media baron Rupert Murdoch hasn't learnt that executives should never allow interviewers near their mums and daughters.

In the latest Vanity Fair , author Michael Wolff writes about interviewing Rupert's family for his book, with cutting remarks from both mother Dame Elisabeth and feisty eldest daughter Prudence MacLeod , from a first marriage to the late Patricia Booker . The latter discusses his mortality and hair dye: "I've said to him, 'Dad, I understand about dyeing the hair and the age thing' - he never wants to die - 'but just go somewhere proper.' But he insists on doing it over the sink because he doesn't want anybody to know. Well, hello! Look in the mirror."