The thing that gets me about the salaries paid to BBC “personalities” is not the exorbitant amounts, nor the gender pay gap, but the fact that these giant egos are paid at all. Many of them should be fired on the spot because most of them are USELESS with a capital U S E L E S S.
Take Fiona Bruce for example. Please take her. Away. Anywhere. As long as I don’t have to see or hear her on the telly. Her diction is appalling. If she’s not rushing words, she’s slurring or swallowing them. She says “Tharsands” not “Thousands” and her intense, brow-furrowing, chin-thrusting delivery makes me wanna not shout but puke. She’s false. She’s unprofessional. She’s trying to refocus the issue away from the news or the question or the Ming vase on to her.
As for Zoe Ball … sorry remind me again how she adds value to society? An irritating, self-promoting, loud, uninspiring, daughter-of-someone-famous. That’s all she is.
Gary Lineker – well, I admit, he’s quite good on Match of the Day. But deserving of that eye-watering salary? Footie fans would tune in regardless of who’s fronting the programme. They want goals, not gab. I can hear his sycophants, or even him, say oh he’s a saint he’s offered his home to migrants. Go on, Gary, be a real hero and give shelter to a homeless British veteran.
Now what can I say about those two over-styled, over-dyed,
over-smiled, over-egged hosts on Strictly Come Dancing … what exactly do they add
to the show? Bruce Forsyth was quick-witted, nimble, natural, talented – the
two whoever-they-ares are anything but. An embalmed Brucey would do a better
job.
And don’t start me on Countryfile. Living in the country, I hate that programme. It used to be good, informative, interesting, stimulating. Now, apart from John Craven and Farmer Adam, we are bombarded with too-oft squeaky, contrived enthusiasm, awe, wows, and Oh My Gods at increasing decibels as if the countryside needs that. Quiet wonderment, reverence for its beauty, and respect for its worth are what’s needed: not screeching banshees and teeth-whitened townies pretending they get on well with each other.
Sue Barker was excellent on Question Time – but still not worthy of her salary, because it’s not as if she was saving lives or employing “tharsands”. However, that’s not the point of this paragraph … Sue got the sack despite being brill. It’s rumoured that she will be replaced by diversity-point-scoring Alex Scott, which has unfortunately attracted unsavoury comments from no one of any consequence so she should just ignore them. If it was the other way round and Alex had been sacked to be replaced by Sue, can you imagine the furore by the likes of Lineker and others who think they are of some consequence, just because they 1) earn sorry get paid a lot of money, funded by people on a fraction of their salaries and 2) have a large Twitter following?
Quick aside – Captain, now Colonel, Tom aspired to walk a large number of laps of his garden for charity. Lineker aspires to a large Twitter following. Guess who is the more worthy of respect.
Back to the matter at hand. I’ve no problem with high salaries in principle, as long as the recipient adds value to society as a whole. So a business leader who employs thousands of people? Check. J K Rowling who, while not a great writer, enticed many kids, if not adults, to read books. Check. David Starkey, because he knows his onions, at least the history of onions. Check. David Attenborough for doing more than anyone to save the planet. Check. The Queen, just because. Check. Senior medics, military and educationalists. Check. Politicians? What do you think! Lawyers and judiciary? Get outta here!
BBC fat cats? I wouldn’t even give them cream in their coffee. Skimmed milk is all they’re worth.
No comments:
Post a Comment