Post by Teddy Bear on Jan 29, 2011 18:57:57 GMT
Vanessa Feltz, the BBC Radio 2 and BBC London presenter has been in the news herself quite a few times this week, but not for any good reasons. One story relates how her ratings for a TV show have plummeted from 170.000 viewers in one day to 60,000 after she used her fiancée to co-host with her. Another, where she bumped her Mini quite a few times into a £300,000 Ferrari belonging to Chris Evans.
This story will be fairly evident and it shows a number of things concerning the arrogance and disdain for others inherent in her mindset, and presumably other presenters in that BBC world. Perhaps it is also endemic in the private media world too, where the egotism of those who feel they shape our world has grown to huge proportions.
I can't deny they shape our world, particularly among a large segment of society unable to think for themselves and sucking in the 'celebrity' culture thrust at us by an ever diminishing creative spark within the media world. They really have nothing to feel proud of however. History will show how low we've sunk.
This story will be fairly evident and it shows a number of things concerning the arrogance and disdain for others inherent in her mindset, and presumably other presenters in that BBC world. Perhaps it is also endemic in the private media world too, where the egotism of those who feel they shape our world has grown to huge proportions.
I can't deny they shape our world, particularly among a large segment of society unable to think for themselves and sucking in the 'celebrity' culture thrust at us by an ever diminishing creative spark within the media world. They really have nothing to feel proud of however. History will show how low we've sunk.
Vanessa Feltz 'bullied work experience girl to tears': She was horrible, claims student (who paid £120 for the privilege)
By Neil Sears and Liz Hull
Last updated at 2:07 AM on 29th January 2011
When Vanessa Feltz’s daughter Saskia auctioned off a week’s work experience with her mother, it seemed like the chance of a lifetime for one ambitious teenager.
Beverley Nesbit, 19, was desperate to make contacts for a career in the media and was delighted when her bid of £120 was successful.
But she claims her week on Miss Feltz’s radio show was one of the worst of her life. She accused the broadcaster of making her cry by bizarrely trying to bully her into writing a 2,000-word essay on a poet.
‘I basically paid to be abused by Vanessa Feltz for a week,’ said Miss Nesbit.
As a result of the episode, the BBC has launched an investigation into abuse of work experience opportunities by senior employees and told staff that placements should be given on merit, not sold at auction by broadcasters’ children.
Miss Nesbit, the daughter of a former mayor of Bury, used savings from her part-time job at Next to fund her winning bid at a university charity event in December 2009, after Miss Feltz’s younger daughter Saskia Kurer, 21, auctioned a week’s work experience on her mother’s BBC London show.
In July last year, Miss Nesbit travelled to London from her parents’ home in Whitefield, near Manchester.
The second-year film student at Manchester Metropolitan University said: ‘Vanessa
was really brash, not like the bubbly person you see on television, but in a rude and arrogant way. She barely acknowledged me, and when she did she said everything I had done was rubbish.’
Auction: The position of a week's work experience on the radio show was put up for sale by Saskia Feltz, pictured here with her mother
Auction: The position of a week's work experience on the radio show was put up for sale by Saskia Feltz, pictured here with her mother
When Miss Nesbit was told to ‘cold call’ potential guests for the show and displayed nervousness, she claims Miss Feltz, 48, told her to ‘grow up’.
She says she was then shocked to hear Miss Feltz ‘ranting and raving’ at a BBC journalist following up a Daily Mail story which revealed the broadcaster had been fined £1,500 for a noisy party at her £3.7million London home.
But the worst incident, according to Miss Nesbit, came on the Tuesday when she walked in on a conversation English literature graduate Miss Feltz was having about WB Yeats. Miss Nesbit said: ‘Vanessa turned to me and said: “Beverley, which is your favourite poem by Yeats?”
‘I’m not a stupid person, but I was honest and told her I’d never heard of Yeats and didn’t have a favourite. She was really rude and said something like “That’s ridiculous, write me a 2,000 word essay on Yeats by tomorrow”. I thought she was joking.’
But the next day, Miss Nesbit claims, Miss Feltz asked for the essay.
‘I had to admit I hadn’t done it. I said it was because I hadn’t got access to a computer and thought she had been joking. She told me I “should have gone to a library” and basically ordered me to do it there and then. I couldn’t believe it.
‘In the end I went to the toilet and just cried. I must have been in there for about two hours, texting my mum. I just wanted to go home.
‘I couldn’t believe how rude and horrible she had been. In the end a producer came and asked me if I was okay.’
The student steeled herself to complete the week. Miss Feltz, who has recently taken over from Sarah Kennedy on BBC Radio 2’s early breakfast show, made no apology, but was not so harsh again.
Miss Feltz last night failed to respond to requests for a comment.
But a member of her production team at BBC Radio London confirmed they were aware of Miss Nesbit’s complaints.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘This was a private visit arranged by Vanessa and not part of the BBC work experience scheme.’
By Neil Sears and Liz Hull
Last updated at 2:07 AM on 29th January 2011
When Vanessa Feltz’s daughter Saskia auctioned off a week’s work experience with her mother, it seemed like the chance of a lifetime for one ambitious teenager.
Beverley Nesbit, 19, was desperate to make contacts for a career in the media and was delighted when her bid of £120 was successful.
But she claims her week on Miss Feltz’s radio show was one of the worst of her life. She accused the broadcaster of making her cry by bizarrely trying to bully her into writing a 2,000-word essay on a poet.
‘I basically paid to be abused by Vanessa Feltz for a week,’ said Miss Nesbit.
As a result of the episode, the BBC has launched an investigation into abuse of work experience opportunities by senior employees and told staff that placements should be given on merit, not sold at auction by broadcasters’ children.
Miss Nesbit, the daughter of a former mayor of Bury, used savings from her part-time job at Next to fund her winning bid at a university charity event in December 2009, after Miss Feltz’s younger daughter Saskia Kurer, 21, auctioned a week’s work experience on her mother’s BBC London show.
In July last year, Miss Nesbit travelled to London from her parents’ home in Whitefield, near Manchester.
The second-year film student at Manchester Metropolitan University said: ‘Vanessa
was really brash, not like the bubbly person you see on television, but in a rude and arrogant way. She barely acknowledged me, and when she did she said everything I had done was rubbish.’
Auction: The position of a week's work experience on the radio show was put up for sale by Saskia Feltz, pictured here with her mother
Auction: The position of a week's work experience on the radio show was put up for sale by Saskia Feltz, pictured here with her mother
When Miss Nesbit was told to ‘cold call’ potential guests for the show and displayed nervousness, she claims Miss Feltz, 48, told her to ‘grow up’.
She says she was then shocked to hear Miss Feltz ‘ranting and raving’ at a BBC journalist following up a Daily Mail story which revealed the broadcaster had been fined £1,500 for a noisy party at her £3.7million London home.
But the worst incident, according to Miss Nesbit, came on the Tuesday when she walked in on a conversation English literature graduate Miss Feltz was having about WB Yeats. Miss Nesbit said: ‘Vanessa turned to me and said: “Beverley, which is your favourite poem by Yeats?”
‘I’m not a stupid person, but I was honest and told her I’d never heard of Yeats and didn’t have a favourite. She was really rude and said something like “That’s ridiculous, write me a 2,000 word essay on Yeats by tomorrow”. I thought she was joking.’
But the next day, Miss Nesbit claims, Miss Feltz asked for the essay.
‘I had to admit I hadn’t done it. I said it was because I hadn’t got access to a computer and thought she had been joking. She told me I “should have gone to a library” and basically ordered me to do it there and then. I couldn’t believe it.
‘In the end I went to the toilet and just cried. I must have been in there for about two hours, texting my mum. I just wanted to go home.
‘I couldn’t believe how rude and horrible she had been. In the end a producer came and asked me if I was okay.’
The student steeled herself to complete the week. Miss Feltz, who has recently taken over from Sarah Kennedy on BBC Radio 2’s early breakfast show, made no apology, but was not so harsh again.
Miss Feltz last night failed to respond to requests for a comment.
But a member of her production team at BBC Radio London confirmed they were aware of Miss Nesbit’s complaints.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘This was a private visit arranged by Vanessa and not part of the BBC work experience scheme.’