I went to an awards ceremony yesterday. It was the Television and Radio Industries Club Awards at the Grosvenor House. It was a huge do, about 1800 people. It's very old school, and I think must be something to do with the Water Rats, as old stagers like Chas McDevitt (of Freight Train fame) and Tom O'Connor werre there. I had a moment with Tom O'Connor. Queueing for the loo he tapped me on the shoulder and said 'eh, there's an overspill round the corner!', and lo and behold there was. Thanks Tom! Look at this pic of Bob. Shame I wasn't there five years ago.
It was full of old faces: Tony Blackburn, June Whitfield, Janet Ellis, Bert Weedon, Dennis Waterman, Gloria Hunniford, as well as new: Chris Moyles (what a fat pig), various newsreaders, weatherpeople, lots of soap stars and familiar faces from TV. Not that exciting when you've been in the biz for more than 10 years. These things can be a chore rather than a pleasure, but it was a jolly afternoon, and I had nice long chats with the likes of Kym Ryder, Todd Carty and Derek Martin.
The event was hosted by Dermot Murnaghan, presdent of TRIC this year, who really shouldn't be allowed to present anything. He does his best but he's got zero personality. Everyone just talked through the ceremony and tanked through the free booze.
Quite a poor turnout on the acceptance front: no Ant and Dec, Noel, anyone from Spooks, etc. People can be most ungracious when it comes to awards these days, and some will only come if they've won, otherwise it's 'humiliating'. Whatever happened to healthy competition? You can't win everything. It's not entering into the spirit of things at all.
The worst part about the whole ceremony was it was completely mobbed by sponsors and their drunken guests. You couldn't talk to anyone for longer than five seconds without some drunken suit coming up and asking for a photo on their phone or an autograph. Who'd be famous? Constant pestering was very wearing - and I was just standing there. People even asked me 'if I was anyone'. If I'd have said yes, no doubt they would have taken my picture just because.
There are some much better awards ceremonies around, and all the better for keeping out the hoi polloi.
4 comments:
Janet Ellis you say.......?
She was with Suzanne Dando!
I've been to this one - you know how John Simm feels in Life On Mars, it's such a timewarp. If Roger De Courcey was there, with or without Nookie Bear, you know it's a Water Rats affair.
The stars never turn out for anything unless:
a) They've won
b) It's televised, and they're seen to have won it. It's like the old philosophical conundrum about if a tree falling in a forest - if a star wins an award but it's not on telly, have they won it at all?
I was at the TV Moments of the Year party with my friend Judith, stalking Jonathan Ross. Judith and I had our pictures taken by the OK! photographer, simply because I knew her, and an outbreak of 'they must be famous, let's have our pic taken with them'. The most surprising of all that that came from was rugby player Mike Tindall. I'd like to see him explain that one away to Zara Phillips.
Janet Ellis AND Suzanne Dando!? Oh God.........
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