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I spent the whole of Monday in the Patient Investigation / Day Surgery units of the QMC.

The attention and treatment I received was absolutely fabulous, from reception through to the two hours in theatre (wide awake for the whole procedure, while the radiologist and neurosurgeon did their work). Followed by several hours in the recovery ward.


I must have passed through he hands of at least a dozen people during my stay - all of them doing a proper job, a skilled job, a life – enhancing job, and a sometimes difficult job.

But lying in Recovery gave me time to contemplate.


Twelve worthwhile individuals being paid an average of £30,000 per annum (for the sake of argument) equals total annual earnings of £360,000.

If that team works together for the next thirty years they will be paid a total of just under eleven million pounds.

Then we have the likes of Jonathon Ross, who pops into a recording studio for a few hours a week, plays a few CD's, chats to the occasional boy or girl band, babbles on to a string of overpaid and self opinionated "one and only's" (who usually delight in telling us 'how difficult it is being an actor'). No idea what he does for the remaining five days of the week.
Doesn't even sound like a proper job to me, never mind useful etc.


And supposedly being paid £18,000,000 over the next few years?

That's enough to keep 'my team' of twelve useful people going for exactly fifty years!!!

Never mind about sacking him. How about getting rid of the mindless morons who valued his services so highly in the first place??

(Someone check my arithmetic please, I must have got it wrong!)




P.S. And now I read that a certain racing car driver is likely to pocket £100,000,000 over the next few years – but that's another story, and now I do really feel sick! Think I'd better book another appointment. :sickly:

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...And now I read that a certain racing car driver is likely to pocket £100,000,000 over the next few years...

My reading of the reports was that he's likely to earn £100m in the next 12 months...even worse!

Must agree with all your observations on this crazy world of overpaid stardom - but sorry you were mulling it over such circumstances - trust you are on the mend!

Your summary that the real culprits are those that choose to make the payment says it all. In 99% of such cases, it isn't even their own money!

I recall when Alan Shearer transferred to Newcastle from Blackburn there was some amazement at the huge financial package on offer. Shearer, quite rightly, responded with: "If they're daft enough to give it, I'm daft enough to take it..."

Cheers

Robt P.

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My reading of the reports was that he's likely to earn £100m in the next 12 months...even worse!

Must agree with all your observations on this crazy world of overpaid stardom - but sorry you were mulling it over such circumstances - trust you are on the mend

Cheers

Robt P.

Yes Rob, thanks, was well enough next day to type it up and "get it off my chest" - always makes you feel better!

£100m in next twelve months would be obscene - and I also read that he intends to continue to live in Switzerland. Not paying us much tax over here then??

Also wonder whether 'Wossy' pays much more than I contribute from my own small pension - have no doubt that he employs a top firm of accountants to see that it's invested in the right places to ensure that his tax bills are nominal. All legal and above board of course.

(Oh no, my blood pressures just shot up again!)

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Don't blame the celebs, blame the system that pays this money out, where the money comes from to pay them, particularly Wossy, is beyond me, it obviously comes out of the licensing fee, if we all stood up for our rights and refused to pay it, then maybe they would think again. Do these people really need this obscene amount of money, I doubt it, but if they can milk the system and get away with it, so who can blame them for making such demands if we have no say in the issue.

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No they don't need it. Doubt whether most folk on this forum could even spend the interest on £18m. Even at 4%, you'd be getting nearly three quarters of a million a year. Reckon I'd run out of ideas after the first twelve months.

As for standing up for our rights (what rights?), and refusing to pay the BBC licence fee - not sure about that. Soon have the detector van outside your door and be hammered with a £1,000 fine - or 30 days at Her Majesty's pleasure!

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I remember when I lived in Australia, John Laws was the worlds highest paid radio personality. BUT, he worked for private broadcasters and as his show had high ratings, the advertisers were footing his high salary.

From what I pick up, he's now retired, probably to his deer farm in the north of NSW.

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In the current climate, its time we looked carefully at the funding for the BBC, and the way its used.

The bbc should plough the money into some of their excellent nature programs instead of paying

their top executives and the likes of these two oafs!

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How can anyone call these two "comedians" all they do is prey on other folk who happen to be either different to them or in some form or other weaker, in my book thats bullying, apart from that I don't think either if them has ever had an original thought in their head as to what constitutes comedy, sack em and let them live in the real world

Rog

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sack em and let them live in the real world

Rog

Agreed, but don't let the fools who dish out our licence fees in this way off the hook. What were they thinking of? Is it just that they're all part of a cosy club (they're certainly not living in 'the real world') - you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. You come on my show to plug your new album or book, and I'll come on yours to do the same for mine?

OK, they'll say that JR is good for the viewing and listening figures - but does that really matter to the BBC. It's not quite the same as for the Commercial Channels where the higher the audience, the higher the advertising revenue is it?

What difference does it make to the BBC if a show attracts an audience of 2m or 8m? (Apart from massaging the egos of the producers and the Corporation)

Probably all been swept under the carpet now, and things to continue as before.

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How can anyone call these two "comedians" all they do is prey on other folk who happen to be either different to them or in some form or other weaker, in my book thats bullying, apart from that I don't think either if them has ever had an original thought in their head as to what constitutes comedy, sack em and let them live in the real world

Rog

I think that you're being harsh old chap, comedy is seen it many different ways and forms by different people.

I think that we are of a similar age, I recall 'The Goons' and how alien they were to many older people. It was a similar story when Monty Python burst on to the screen, I used to actually cringe if I was forced to watch it with my parents, even though they had a fairly wide ranging sense of humour. Personally I have no time for Russell Brand, but many young people do and identify with him, as we did with Palin et al, he has a niche in current comedy, the powers that be that employ him can't be that stupid, even though we may think that he is.

As for Wossy, he is a very talented man, his swift repartee and wit can be very funny sometimes, the problem is, he gets carried away to often, he can be a nightmare sometimes, but then again I thought that his last friday night show with Tony Curtis, Grace Jones and Daniel Craig was superb, he really can deliver the goods when he puts his mind to it.

Personally I don't understand the amount of TV time given over to Harry Hill, as far as I'm concerned he's a pathetic, unfunny, childish pillock, one rung up the ladder from Timmy Mallett, but he must be popular, so fair enough, I don't have to watch him.

Then we have that appalling comedy show called 'My Family', two fantastic actors trying to be funny, as far as we are concerned it's rubbish, but it's apparently popular, just as 'Terry and June' was, I have a remote, I just don't watch it, if people like that sort of thing, then fair enough.

It's the same with my contretemps with Beefsteak over Peter Kaye, I think that he's got too big for his boots and gone to far, but people seem to like it so there you go.

If you're wondering if there's anything that I actually like, for us, Gordon Ramsey's live cooking session with Johnny Vegas last week was the funniest thing we've seen for a long time, Vegas was amazing, all live and off the cuff too, we were just rolling about crying with laughing, even Mr Ramsey was finding it hard to cope with him, Vegas is one of those characters like Tommy Cooper, that can crack you up with a raised eyebrow and not appear to do much, but then, you may not agree, but thats what comedy is all about.

I saw an interesting interview on GMTV this morning with the media writer from the Sun, hold hands up in horror, but what he had to say about Brand and Ross was quite interesting. He feels the same as me, that Brand has his own niche, whatever we think of him, but he also reckoned that Ross was finished as far as the BBC are concerned, that is an interesting thought considering how much the man rules the airwaves, who will replace him, c'mon Johnny, I'd like to see you do 'Film Night'.

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Agreed, but don't let the fools who dish out our licence fees in this way off the hook. What were they thinking of? Is it just that they're all part of a cosy club (they're certainly not living in 'the real world') - you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. You come on my show to plug your new album or book, and I'll come on yours to do the same for mine

Interesting point, BBC East did an interview with Michael Parkinson last night, the whole scenario was arranged around a table piled up with copies of his new biography, set up correctly so that the books titles appeared constantly on camera, it was a complete disgrace, it was blatant self promotion that should never have been allowed to happen, I bet Parky goes round every local TV station and does the same thing, quite frankly thats as bad as these other disgressions, but will there be an enquiry, I doubt it, Parky is a good old boy after all, isn't he, who was quite happy slagging off Brand and Ross while sitting there smugly with a free advert for his own indiscretions.

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As for Wossy, he is a very talented man, his swift repartee and wit can be very funny sometimes, the problem is, he gets carried away too often, he can be a nightmare sometimes,

Impossible to argue with that - he's one of the best - but certainly not £18m worth.

And he certainly got carried away this time. (Did watch the video of this incident and had to wonder whether the two of them had taken too much caffeinne (or something) that might have affected JR's judgement.

As for the other one - least said the better.

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Totally agree, I reckon it was something they had taken between them, I would be surprised at Ross for doing that, he should have had more sense if he did, Brand has taken everything going and to his credit has admitted it, but so what, it shouldn't be an excuse should it, run a popular radio/TV show and be smacked out isn't really a good idea is it.

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Johnathon Woss - what a joke

Brand....... an even bigger joke

I agree Frank.Jonathan Ross is a TV Personality who thinks he's a comic.Russell Brand is a second-rate comedian in the same mould as Bill Bailey and all the other bores who are on the panel of Never Mind The Buzzcocks,who think they are funny.Effing and blinding on TV is not acceptable no matter what time of day it is but these so called comedians seem to think it is in order to do this.

The person I would like to see get his come-uppance is the arrogant,big-mouthed. car bore Jeremy Clarkson.Earlier this week he made a distasteful comment on telly but appears to have got away with it.Surely it's only a matter of time before he makes another out-of-order comment resulting in him getting suspended or,better still,the sack.

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The person I would like to see get his come-uppance is the arrogant,big-mouthed. car bore Jeremy Clarkson.Earlier this week he made a distasteful comment on telly but appears to have got away with it.

Clarkson uttered: "What matters to lorry drivers? Murdering prostitutes? Fuel economy?" He seemed fairly proud of his contribution as he managed to repeat the sentiment more than once. "It's a hard job - change gear, change gear, change gear, check your mirrors, murder a prostitute, change gear, change gear, murder. That's a lot of effort in a day."

I'm pretty sure he will come to regret those words out on the road one day.

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  • 6 years later...

The person I would like to see get his come-uppance is the arrogant,big-mouthed. car bore Jeremy Clarkson.Earlier this week he made a distasteful comment on telly but appears to have got away with it.Surely it's only a matter of time before he makes another out-of-order comment resulting in him getting suspended or,better still,the sack.

Well that's Russ happy!

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He won't be off the 'Telly' long..................see Jonathon Ross and Russell Brand.

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  • 2 years later...
On 7 November 2008 at 6:43 PM, Russ said:

Russell Brand is a second-rate comedian

 

I'll just quote to the introduction on John Bishop in conversation with Russell Brand "Award winning comedian, Hollywood actor, best seller author, reformed drug addict & political activist, but I'm only talking to one man" Crikey ... I turned it off. 

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