IS
I had no idea that Romana D’annunzio was there for so long. Longer than Richard Bacon who made more of an impact even before the incident that he's more well known for
WH
I have a feeling she took a lot of time off though, so perhaps she wasn't on screen as much. My only real memory of her was when they did a big behind the scenes item at TVC and she got to ride the machine that takes the paint off the floor.
Whataday
Founding member
I had no idea that Romana D’annunzio was there for so long Longer than Richard Bacon who made more of an impact even before the incident that he's more well known for
I have a feeling she took a lot of time off though, so perhaps she wasn't on screen as much. My only real memory of her was when they did a big behind the scenes item at TVC and she got to ride the machine that takes the paint off the floor.
SW
She didn't appear much in her last few months, because she was doing panto. It says in Richard Marson's book that they usually turned down offers of panto for presenters, but because it wasn't really working out they decided that they'd let her do it.
Marson talks quite a bit about Romana in his books, everyone thought Gail Porter was definitely going to get it but Lewis Bronze really liked Romana and so went for her, much to everyone's surprise. Unfortunately for her he then almost immediately left so she had no real champions on the production team so nobody was very supportive of her (in Marson's diaries he says she only did a handful of shows while he was there but the production team didn't stop slagging her off).
Oliver McFarlane, Bronze's replacement, says in the book that he decided the final straw was on Halloween when she completely failed to take part in the apple bobbing, she just made a pathetic attempt to pretend she'd done it, and he decided that if she didn't want to do that, there was no point in her being there. Apparently she'd already annoyed them by getting her hair cut straight after the expedition so all the films instantly looked out of date.
I think she really needed to be produced quite heavily but nobody was willing to do that, so it never worked out for her.
I have a feeling she took a lot of time off though, so perhaps she wasn't on screen as much. My only real memory of her was when they did a big behind the scenes item at TVC and she got to ride the machine that takes the paint off the floor.
She didn't appear much in her last few months, because she was doing panto. It says in Richard Marson's book that they usually turned down offers of panto for presenters, but because it wasn't really working out they decided that they'd let her do it.
Marson talks quite a bit about Romana in his books, everyone thought Gail Porter was definitely going to get it but Lewis Bronze really liked Romana and so went for her, much to everyone's surprise. Unfortunately for her he then almost immediately left so she had no real champions on the production team so nobody was very supportive of her (in Marson's diaries he says she only did a handful of shows while he was there but the production team didn't stop slagging her off).
Oliver McFarlane, Bronze's replacement, says in the book that he decided the final straw was on Halloween when she completely failed to take part in the apple bobbing, she just made a pathetic attempt to pretend she'd done it, and he decided that if she didn't want to do that, there was no point in her being there. Apparently she'd already annoyed them by getting her hair cut straight after the expedition so all the films instantly looked out of date.
I think she really needed to be produced quite heavily but nobody was willing to do that, so it never worked out for her.
NT
Great piece of poetry by Tony Walsh. Nice “ nod “ to those who are no longer with us during it too.
https://youtu.be/Oqm23ajfUNg
https://youtu.be/Oqm23ajfUNg
JO
And on Tuesday, in a day they (and I) said would never come, I’ll be back on Blue Peter. https://t.co/pPc6ADtUDA
— richard bacon (@richardpbacon) October 14, 2018
BU
So who do we reckon the three are that have declined/weren't asked/were unable to take part?
I think John Leslie was one of the presenters invited to the Palace for the 50th as they had a rule that anyone who was there for 5 years or more would be invited. So if they can take him to see the Queen...
I think John Leslie was one of the presenters invited to the Palace for the 50th as they had a rule that anyone who was there for 5 years or more would be invited. So if they can take him to see the Queen...
If the Beeb had more producers/editors like her the programming would be much improved.