Warning: rant coming.
In the news recently, speculation that Christine Bleakley is on the verge of signing a new 2-year deal with the BBC worth £1million. An increase of £100,000 a year over her current pay. Shortly after that, news that Bleakley had issued a statement denying this rumour, and stating that she had received offers from both BBC and ITV and was "torn."
Until a couple of weeks ago, my impression of Bleakley was based entirely on her 2008 appearance on Strictly Come Dancing. Personable enough. Made an effort to learn the dances. Usual media speculation about romantic entanglements with her partner. I never watched her on The One Show because I couldn't (still can't) stand her sidekick Adrian Chiles. A talentless buffoon hiding behind faux blokey "charm" who could get right up my nose within milliseconds of being subjected to his pudgy face spouting inanities in a Brummie accent.
Since Chiles left, we've risked the odd half-hour with The One Show. Bland pap for the early evening, when the schedulers must think everyone's rushing to cook and scarf their evening meals in between the regional news and the soaps, and anyone left watching will be easily entertained with a few talking heads and content-free general interest stories.
So has my impression of Christine changed since I've watched her in her natural habitat? Not really. To be honest I can't see what all the fuss is about. She looks relatively pretty, sits on a sofa, smiles and reads an autocue. In a Northern Irish accent, which for some reason virtually guarantees that media luvvies will be falling over themselves to give her air time. Can't understand the attraction myself, but each to his own.
So nurses are worth something like 20 grand a year, police and firemen a bit more. But if you're a vacuous bimbo who can smile and read at the same time, you can get a job with the Beeb and be paid half a MILLION pounds a year. Of our money.
Oh no, sorry. To be entirely accurate you can WRING YOUR HANDS and be publicly "TORN" about whether you want to accept the offer of half a million pounds, or whether you'd rather run off to the competition for probably a bit MORE dosh, and the chance to once again share the same sofa with an old mate.
I must be missing something, but what is it she actually does that is so difficult? I'm experiencing that stress that one gets when the perceived value of something doesn't match the actual money involved. Let's just hope that the BBC aren't sucked into a bidding war for this non-entity. If she decides to go, let her. If ITV think she's worth more than half a million a year, and their advertising revenues can stand it - with people deserting the channel in their millions and those still watching fast-forwarding through the ads with their PVRs - let them have her. It's June, and university finals are finishing all over the country. Within a few weeks there'll be hundreds of media studies, journalism, drama, and similar graduates tipping out onto the job market. I'd wager there's at least a dozen in that bunch who are (a) as attractive as Bleakley; (b) can read; and (c) would jump at the chance to take her place for one-tenth of the wedge she's on.
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2 comments:
Like Footballers too. I have a problem with how much they get paid. Yes they have to be quite talented at the sport to really get paid for it but all in all the amount they get paid is ridiculous when you've just told me that police and nurses get paid that much. That's average wage or something. Ridiculous. We don't NEED Footballers. Something about the entertainment industry means that all the "entertainers" get paid overinflated salaries.
I understand it with movie stars, and to be fair they have like tight filming schedules which are stressful, they have to get up early in the morning, they actually HAVE talent and they do not actually get paid that much (Nick Cage - A List actor, I think on his IMDb it has his salary for some of his recent movies on his information section). And films have large budgets.
So I don't get it with Footballers. And I certainly don't get it with TV presenters. Maybe they pay them because it takes a certain degree of confidence to be in front of a camera a lot of the time on a show. But anyone can have confidence and, like you said, a pretty face and a smile to boot.
I can't look at her and think she is overly attractive though after you pointed out she has an overbite :B
She's gone to GMTV 'cos the Beeb dropped her... Hurrahhh!
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