Fearne Cotton and nepotism - How did you get here ?

Every week I like to have a look through my statistics and see how people are getting to this blog.

This week I have had a few hits on the subject of "Fearne Cotton" and "nepotism". Could it be that having watched the 2008 Brit awards and the continued fawning and dumbed down presenting skills of the aforementioned Miss Cotton that a few other people have come to the same conclusion as me that Fearne Cotton's regular appearances have a lot less to do with talent than her family tree ?

I hope these people were therefore happy to get linked to THIS story.

The BBC will not save the world after all

The BBC has axed plans to save the world, or at least halted spending millions of pounds of license fee payers money on a special day of programming that was to be called Planet Relief.

Now I am not a climate change sceptic. I firmly believe that man is accelerating the rate of change in the planet's temperature and I also believe that we need to do more to lead the way in this country to reduce our carbon emissions. the excuse "it does not matter because of China and India" does not wash. Bit for the BBC to patronise us for a whole day, spend an absolute fortune, no doubt give Fearne Cotton another presenting jobs and give another chance to groups of comedians to patronise us and then fly around the world filming short films to be shown every 10 minutes would just be too much for me.

So the BBC was right to scrap the idea. They should stick to their remit and should not start lecture us.

Please god, not another ITV show to be presented by Trevor McDonald ?

Am I the only person in the world who is fed up with Trevor McDonald ?

I still remember his dreadful inability to get the joke when he was set up by Noel Edmond's for a "Gotcha" about 12 years ago, and find his whole stuffed shirt persona a turn off on every TV show he is involved with.

The problem, for me, is that he reads everything like a newsreader. I know that is what he is, but he needs to be able to turn that on and off, which he can't.

Newreaders have to be able to read the news neutrally, showing no bias, in a passive almost non feeling way. That is what is expected of newsreaders. But when he is presenting another show, like the National TV awards or Britain's Favourite view, it is again just him reading the words. Their is no empathy, no warmth.

So when I saw that there was going to be a new "National Film Awards" launched by ITV, I fear it is another job for Sit Trevor McDonald. Surely ITV has someone else who can present (Although having now seen Fearne Cotton on The Xtra Factor on ITV2, I fear they may bring her in to do it. She makes Sir Trevor look almost good !)

Diana Concert - Great event, terrible BBC production

What a shame that the BBC seems to have given the job or putting together the Diana Concert at Wembley today over to some work experience students.

For some bizarre reason, the sound kept going dead between acts (with no voice over to explain), highlights of previous acts kept being cut short, video sequences of good deeds and memories of Diana seemed to be edited in to the gaps rather poorly whilst the sound levels of the artists performing was all wrong. And that's not even mentioning the awful Fearne Cotton (don't get me started there !)

Am I the only person who thought that the instruments kept drowning out all the singers voices ? The George Michael concert two weeks ago from Wembley seemed to get the sound levels right, so why couldn't they do that tonight ?

What a shame as the performers were a really good mix of new and old, varying styles and all of them did a good job. It's a shame the BBC were not up to it today.

With all the talent available, why Fearne Cotton ?

I can hardly believe that I am the only person in the UK who felt it inappropriate that Fearne Cotton got to interview Princes William and Harry about the death of their mother Princess Diana ten years ago.

For all those wh do not know, Ms Cotton is in my view a brainless kids TV presenter with all the gravitas of a Cheeky Girl. I was led to believe (perhaps incorretly as it turns out) that she is the granddaughter of the Bill Cotton. this may or may not be true, but she has got to be related to someone of importance in the TV world to get so much work, surely ?

With such an exclusive and with so much talent available, can the BBC actually say that Ms Cotton was really the best choice ?

Whatever next, "Dick and Dom" to interview Gordon Brown in "da bungalow" or Tinky Winky to ask President Ahmedinijad about the thorny issue of the Iranian's Nuclear programme ?

Who told the BBC that Fearne Cotton is a good presenter ?

I enjoy Red Nose Day, and the TV that goes with in in a way that I don't enjoy Children in Need.

Children in Need, although a completely worthy cause in every way tends, for me, to be embarrassing. It involves talented people doing things that they shouldn't be doing. If you are good at reading the news or at being a TV chef, then stick to that, don't do poorly rehearsed songs from South Pacific.

Comic Relief however, is about funny people being funny, which is why I like it. However, this brings me to Fearne Cotton. She is neither funny, obviously talented or indeed for that matter particularly professional, so why do the BBC believe she is the new messiah ?

Any sort of show which requires a co-host suddenly sees chirpy smiling Fearne Cotton burbling through the lines on her autocue like a train through a heard of sheep. No subtlety, no sense of understanding or empathy for what she is reading, just a rush of words and that sickly smile beaming through the screen at you. If tonight isn't enough she will be co-hosting "Making Your Mind Up" tomorrow night with Terry Wogan on BBC1.

Come on BBC, find someone else. It's spoiling my viewing.