So-called “celebrities” on TV

WILTY = Would I Lie to You?

What’s WILTY by the way ?

So many so called ‘celebrities’ are just talentless people who make a lot of noise and are in the right place at the right time or have the right promoters
I ve never watched Michael Portillo or Susan Calman who I ve never heard of before (is she a celebrity? ) and I don’t like seeing the likes of Ed Balls Anne Widdecombe etc make bigger fools of themselves than they already are

And my pet hate is actors or personalities who now get their children involved in banal programmes Bradley Walsh, a talented man in his own right who is now everywhere with his son, and Martin Kemp, Danny Dyer etc etc why can’t ordinary kids without famous fathers get a chance
Surely there are many up and coming people (actors, stage school etc) WITH talent who really need a break

Kate1949

I think of it as a sort of a club - you come on our show and we'll come on yours. It's usually the same celebrities on most things. They are usually promoting a book or something, especially in shows like Graham Norton.

Oh yes, some of the shows, like The One Show are just advertising.

Book, TV show or film?
They should rename it the Charades Show.

CallmeEsme

Well I totally agree with Maw. I avoid this kind of show.
How does being a tennis coach and mother to a tennis star make you a celebrity. In my book it doesn’t. She appears to be as boring and as stiff as a plank of wood.
Makes you wonder what’s happened to the real talent these days.

I can guess who you mean and agree. Her talents are certainly not in dancing but the fee would certainly add to the family's accumulated wealth.
We the public make them celebrities by reading about them in Magazines like O.K. Or buying Newspapers where they are front page.
Even a certain Royals mother and sister tried it for a time but seem to be lying low at the moment all to the good of their relation.

I'm not keen on either Amanda Holden or Alan Carr nor on 'Sleb' programmes so wasn't going to watch their Italian house renovation but it just happened to be on 😁 and it turned out to be much better than I thought.
They have a rapport and in fact Amanda seemed to get really stuck in, demolishing walls etc.

The ones that annoy me are the endless travel programmes presented by Celebs who get to see lovely places courtesy of our money.
I don't mean serious presenters like Simon Reeves and I like Michael Portillo.
Michael Palin was excellent too.
And the Arctic chap

Chris McCausland - he's very funny
Oh, and Bob and Paul going fishing

I must be easy to please 😂

annsixty

What makes a talentless person into a celebrity?
That has baffled me for a long time.
One of my pet “wonder about” is Stacy Solomon, she of the perpetual wide mouthed grin.
I have never seen her apart from in the Manchester Evening News which is obsessed with unknown “celebrities “.

Stacy Solomon was one of the runners up on X Factor, she has her own decluttering programme and is sometimes on Loose Women.

In the heatwave last summer she opened up her garden and pool so that the village children could play and stay cool.

I must admit to enjoying Motorhoming with Paul Merton and Suki Webster, it's not shouty like of the celebrity programmes and they seem to have a very normal relationship gently teasing each other at times.

I wonder if anyone else watched the Alan Carr and Amanda Holden renovation show? I thoroughly enjoyed it. They bought 2 apartments for 1 Euro each in Sicily and did them up with a view to sell and donate the proceeds to a UK charity. The work was done by local people and helped the local economy. It was well done and we learnt a lot about the area too. I am now interested in visiting, it looked wonderful. So don't dismiss it all as simply rubbish.

I think it depends to be fair. I wouldn’t have missed Michael Palin’s travels around the world for anything. Some celebrities from one field go on to have genuine alternative careers and are very good at what they do. (I like Susan Calman’s,, she makes me laugh because she’s quirky and genuinely funny). I more dislike the relentless round of celebrity exposures on poor quality reality shows and quiz programmes, they are just boring.

Presumably it's all about the money. Boy George was (allegedly) paid around £800,000 for appearing on I'm A Celebrity. Other celebs receiving less according to their celeb 'status'. I believe the minimum they get is £75,000 which is why the 'serious' journalists are happy to become less serious.

What makes a talentless person into a celebrity?
That has baffled me for a long time.

What I don’t understand is how a reality TV appearance alllows people to then be described as ‘stars’ of TOWIE/Love Island etc. Even worse are the influencers.
I suppose we live in a changing world. However, I think the old world where actual talent as an actor, musician or as an orator was used when considering whether someone deserved that accolade.
As regards Stacey Solomon - I think she does have many talents but is what we use to call a personality rather than a star. It’s fact that some people work hard and fortune smiles upon them.

Equally puzzling is why the online version of the Daily Mail has so many pictures of these "celebs" showing off their "toned abs" in swimsuits. I have no idea why half of them are "celeb".

I feel Charlene White has gone down in my expectations. She was a serious news reader. Now she’s here, there and everywhere.

Germanshepherdsmum

The programme schedules are full of this sort of inane rubbish. The ‘off’ switch is much used here.

Oh, if you've ever seen WILTY with Bob Mortimer on you'll not think its inane. He is beyond funny. 🤣

Well I totally agree with Maw. I avoid this kind of show.
How does being a tennis coach and mother to a tennis star make you a celebrity. In my book it doesn’t. She appears to be as boring and as stiff as a plank of wood.
Makes you wonder what’s happened to the real talent these days.

The programme schedules are full of this sort of inane rubbish. The ‘off’ switch is much used here.

You don't need to have a talent to be a celebrity, it just means that you are well-known.

Being well-known does not mean it has to be by just one group of people, nobody can watch and listen to everything that is broadcast. Television companies want to attract as many watchers as possible so will celebrities from many different areas.

I do agree with your point about the ubiquitous ‘celebrities’ but I think the exception is the ex politician Michael Portillo and his world- wide train travels.
He’s informative without making the programme all about him, unlike the self-centred celebrities.

I think the problem lies in the difference between entertainers and those whose profession brings them into the public eye. Personally, I think it's inappropriate for newsreaders and politicians to be classed as celebs.

What makes a talentless person into a celebrity?
That has baffled me for a long time.
One of my pet “wonder about” is Stacy Solomon, she of the perpetual wide mouthed grin.
I have never seen her apart from in the Manchester Evening News which is obsessed with unknown “celebrities “.

MawtheMerrier

OK that was my starter for 10.
Now
Why have programmes (just) designed for celebrities to appear on?

I think you are asking a very interesting question Maw.
It probably depends on who you consider a celebrity, age seems to play a part in this and perhaps we get more cynical as we get older and our idea of who is a celebration change.
What would some of these people do if they were not invited onto these shows they obviously do not have other work at the moment. I'm not feeling sorry for them just asking the question. Young people consider people celebrities who the older generation would not. We all turn them into celebrates when we follow what they do
I'm agreeing with you not disagree. Even Question Time falls foul to this at times when the panel is chosen.

Well some people must be watching them or they wouldn’t be on, WILTY, gets over 3m viewers.
I believe it’s called entertainment.

Celebrities? Non-celebrities? I don't ask why any more. I just relax and enjoy the programmes I like and avoid those I don't.

I usually avoid the endless round of celebrity travel programmes (but sometimes make an exception for Susan Calman). However, I don't see the purpose in rolling out actors, chefs and comedians to present quiz shows. They are not all good at it.