Press Release: Miscellaneous Announcements
Jeremy Vine And The Make-up Ladies Wow Romantic Novelists
Posted at 8:57PM Friday 13 Jun 2008
Take a team of five romantic novelists and pit them against the Eggheads in a BBC studio and you invite mayhem into national television. Bestseller Katie Fforde as the sixth member in reserve was frankly envious as the five contenders sat down to a pampering by the skilled hands of chatty make-up ladies. As Phillipa Ashley put it, "They worked miracles, and the sight of so much Bobbi Brown, YSL, Benefit and Chanel was enough to make a grown woman weep." During the transformation, Judy Astley boned up on the Eggheads' strengths and weaknesses while Katie turned mother hen, "dispensing Aspirin and tissues and keeping us all calm". Which was necessary for the nerves, after going over the rules and expectations in the Green Room, in spite of the "nice squashy sofa, lots of tea, coffee and pastries", said Catherine Jones (aka author Kate Lace). Presenter Jeremy Vine was variously hailed as scrummy, charming, lovely and "a god stepping onto the set - tall, dark, handsome and very witty. A real Alpha male". Jeremy may well find himself nominated on the upcoming RNA sexiest male poll. He beat off strong competition from a dalek in reception, where team captain Melanie Hilton (Louise Allen in print) says she was co-opted to photograph Julie Cohen "getting intimate with its sink plunger" while Catherine herded stragglers into the building. Rounded up, the team were whisked off to have their outfits vetted, sorted and tarted up ready for the cameras. But when it came to miking up, Julie's dress proved a hitch with nowhere to hide the radio pack. Stuffing it down her M&S knickers was a bust, and it ended up in a pouch around her waist. At which point filming finally got under way. While the RNA awaits the airing of the show with bated breath, it is rumoured the BBC production crew are still recovering from the onslaught.
www.rna-uk.org
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