I think I may have watched an early episode in the first series of Big Brother on Channel Four. This would have been around the time that the show was rolled out as being brand new, cutting edge voyeurism. And it worked. Millions watched people doing generally uninteresting things and…er…that’s it. I did watch part of a future episode when Davina McCall appeared in a bikini but that was purely for reasons of lust and pure sexism. Now the show is on Channel 5, owned by porn merchant Richard Desmond, and I still don’t watch it. But I can’t avoid reading about it.
Today’s news is the actor who used to play Reg Holdsworth in Coronation Street has been booted off because he made some Dave Whelan casual racist type comments to the singer Alexander O’Neal, who last had a hit record in another century. Reg, who is actually called Ken Morley, said he was sorry about that but he was pissed and couldn’t remember saying a version of the N word. Well, Reg, that’s even worse because that it was what you really think of those of colour. You were pissed and you said what you really think. No wonder they sacked you. Being pissed is no better than Whelan’s excuse that he was old and, well, old people we’re racist, sort of.
I was about to ask what on earth inspired someone to ditch their remaining credibility and appear on such a piss poor show, but then I remembered: people like Reg probably don’t work much these days, apart from maybe minor roles in pantomime or opening supermarkets, or in Tesco’s case closing them. C5 pay these has beens and never weres a handsome wedge and they then disappear into the ether.
Patsy Kensit is in this series too. Now she does have a modicum of talent and I find it hard to believe she is short of a few bob, but she is there. I’d rather remember her for Absolute Beginners and being married to the lesser talented Gallagher. I don’t know the rest of them, which is not helpful since the word before this series of Big Brother is Celebrity. Most of the names on this are surely not celebrities of any great standing, barely fit to appear on the BBC Radio Bristol Afternoon Show.
I’m going to give Reg Holdsworth getting pissed a miss this series and now that Davina has moved on, I am likely to be denied the sight of her in skimpy swimwear.
It’s rubbish, it’s voyeurism but if you like it, then good luck. I hate it.
