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Original poster

Am I the only Guardian reader who is fed up with all these no names presented like they are celebrities? Example: "Wouldn’t it be lovely if I could shut up?’ Meet Lola Petticrew, TV’s most fearless actor" - who TF is this person?

111 replies

localnotail · 26/12/2025 15:10

Basically, as my title. Its not the first time I'm reading an article about some one I never heard of who is presented as someone famous. This article really took the bisquit. Who is this person? They? WTF? Why does it matter what THEY think, say or do?

Or am I being unreasonable and this is actually someone who IS famous?

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/25/lola-petticrew-interview-say-nothing-trespasses

‘Wouldn’t it be lovely if I could shut up?’ Meet Lola Petticrew, TV’s most fearless actor

The award-winning star of Say Nothing and Trespasses refuses to play the fame game when they can fight government inaction. They open up on making amazing TV … and why morals matter more than nice handbags

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/25/lola-petticrew-interview-say-nothing-trespasses

OP posts:
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Serpentstooth · 27/12/2025 14:38

It's just PR, they've got to fill the site with something.

Isittimeformynapyet · 27/12/2025 14:29

mumofoneAloneandwell · 27/12/2025 14:21

Is she the woman who randomly hated Jonathan ross in the celebs traitors??

😄😄

No. She was called Ruth something.

DenizenOfAisleOfShame · 27/12/2025 14:23

IreneFromSkibbereen · 27/12/2025 14:12

They need to bite the bullet and have subscriptions. We have digital subscriptions for the Times, Telegraph, Spectator, London Review of Books, and others as well as reading the Guardian for free. Sounds expensive? Not if you get ultra cheap digital deals, then when they are about to run out you ring to cancel- they always renew under the same terms because they hate losing subscribers.

Edited
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I agree that the Guardian has no future without full subscription. But I doubt it could survive on that basis for very long anyway. It’s just not a good enough newspaper of broad enough appeal.

The loyalty of a hardcore who mostly work in higher education or for the public sector unions won’t keep it afloat. And it’s because it has needed to keep these people happy that it’s become a parody of left metropolitan politics and social issues. It would just get worse.

mumofoneAloneandwell · 27/12/2025 14:21

Is she the woman who randomly hated Jonathan ross in the celebs traitors??

😄😄

IreneFromSkibbereen · 27/12/2025 14:19

GeeWhisikers · 26/12/2025 23:07

The Guardian is my newspaper of choice but I agree that bits of it are almost beyond parody at times.

It’s got to the point where I mainly just read Grace Dent’s restaurant reviews.

What makes me laugh about the Guardian is how they are always desperately chasing the youth market (or as they say, ‘Gen Z’.) Then if you read the comments below the articles, they are all written by people in late middle age, retired people, with lots in their 70s and 80s.

Very young people really don’t spend a lot of time reading traditional newspapers as a rule. It’s as if the Guardian staff find their own natural readership embarrassing in some way!

IreneFromSkibbereen · 27/12/2025 14:12

OonaStubbs · 26/12/2025 23:07

The Guardian needs to figure out how to appeal to the masses, and this isn't how you do it. They are losing millions every year and their website is always begging for donations.

They need to bite the bullet and have subscriptions. We have digital subscriptions for the Times, Telegraph, Spectator, London Review of Books, and others as well as reading the Guardian for free. Sounds expensive? Not if you get ultra cheap digital deals, then when they are about to run out you ring to cancel- they always renew under the same terms because they hate losing subscribers.

senua · 27/12/2025 11:16

JHound · 26/12/2025 23:03

Yes Main Character Syndrome.

For being annoyed that a national newspaper has dared to cater to people that are Not Her.

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Um, what? I'm still in a sniffles-induced, sleep-deprived, chocolate-fuelled haze.
Is this parody?

OonaStubbs · 26/12/2025 23:07

The Guardian needs to figure out how to appeal to the masses, and this isn't how you do it. They are losing millions every year and their website is always begging for donations.

GeeWhisikers · 26/12/2025 23:07

The Guardian is my newspaper of choice but I agree that bits of it are almost beyond parody at times.

It’s got to the point where I mainly just read Grace Dent’s restaurant reviews.

JHound · 26/12/2025 23:03

IreneFromSkibbereen · 26/12/2025 17:03

Main Character Syndrome? Because she gets a bit annoyed with having interviews with micro-celebs pushed in her face every time she opens the Guardian?

I’m with the OP on this, I’d rather read about people who’ve actually done something significant - otherwise why pick this person rather than thousands of equally obscure others?

Quite like the girl’s hair though, despite the comment that it is “90s”. Makes a change from centre partings anyway!

Show quote history

Yes Main Character Syndrome.

For being annoyed that a national newspaper has dared to cater to people that are Not Her.

IreneFromSkibbereen · 26/12/2025 20:34

Lovelyview · 26/12/2025 17:32

That's why the actors want to be interviewed but I don't understand why the newspaper want to feature them. On the whole they're not the most interesting group.

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Good actors are rightly highly valued, but they don’t usually make interesting interviewees. They are chameleons - all their personality goes into creating a character.
Also they need to keep getting work, so will be terrified of saying anything controversial and tend to overpraise all their colleagues.

Ponderingwindow · 26/12/2025 19:52

It’s a slow news day and they are filling inches with a PR puff piece.

Northerngirl821 · 26/12/2025 19:52

I think bringing attention to less well known but talented actors, musicians etc. is great.

If you just want endless articles about well known “celebrities” there’s always OK and Hello!

KarminaBurana · 26/12/2025 19:49

JamesClyman · 26/12/2025 19:47

As a long-time Guardian reader I agree that it has declined from what it once was. It hasn't broken a major story in years and if it was behind a paywall, I'm not sure I'd continue with it.

Somewhat ironically for what used to be the MANCHESTER Guardian, it is probably the most London-centric of all the national dailies.

Yes, that's very true.

JamesClyman · 26/12/2025 19:47

As a long-time Guardian reader I agree that it has declined from what it once was. It hasn't broken a major story in years and if it was behind a paywall, I'm not sure I'd continue with it.

Somewhat ironically for what used to be the MANCHESTER Guardian, it is probably the most London-centric of all the national dailies.

whattheysay · 26/12/2025 19:40

I know who she is as I recently watched two shows she was in

TaraRhu · 26/12/2025 19:36

What? She's a successful actress who is clearly doing some promotion. The whole point is upping her profile and isn't it interesting to hear about people you may NOT have heard off?

tobee · 26/12/2025 19:27

The Guardian has been like this for years now, picking a person to promote that perceive to be trendy and edgy and telling readers how big they will be this year. Generally followed by said person disappearing into obscurity.

Bit like Radio 4 these days, desperate to capture the favour of young people who are never going to be interested in the first place. Not interested in their actual demographic who mostly middle aged and older.

Waste of time

Americano75 · 26/12/2025 19:12

KarminaBurana · 26/12/2025 19:09

Honestly, it's such a silly thing to say, isn't it?

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I mean, 30 years ago you'd get away with that sort of shit but now? Idiotic.

KarminaBurana · 26/12/2025 19:09

Americano75 · 26/12/2025 19:06

Going on about 'getting old' when you're only about to turn 30 shows a real lack of self awareness.

Honestly, it's such a silly thing to say, isn't it?

NeverDropYourMooncup · 26/12/2025 19:09

GeorgeClooneyshouldhavemarriedme · 26/12/2025 17:30

Totally.

How tiring must it be to write like that?

"They say, They've been, They are....."

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Should be even easier than usual - set up a template with fields for play/movie/TV show title and the name, whichever news opinion is the main angle of the moment, one for town/country of origin, one for what relative has the sad or funny situation they use as a hook and you're done.

Just like the beauty, fashion and home decor advertorials.

Americano75 · 26/12/2025 19:06

Going on about 'getting old' when you're only about to turn 30 shows a real lack of self awareness.

HappyFace2025 · 26/12/2025 18:57

KarminaBurana · 26/12/2025 18:56

Also, they are fearless because they speak out about Palestine!
Yes, they are the only person doing this.
It's actually quite a funny article. If you were doing a Guardian spoof, this is how it would read.

No wonder the Guardian interviewed her/them.

KarminaBurana · 26/12/2025 18:56

Also, they are fearless because they speak out about Palestine!
Yes, they are the only person doing this.
It's actually quite a funny article. If you were doing a Guardian spoof, this is how it would read.

HornyHornersPinkyWinky · 26/12/2025 18:54

muognob · 26/12/2025 16:00

I mean, I've heard of her, and think she's been decent in the things I've seen, but she's fighting a losing battle if she thinks anyone is going to take her they/them-ness seriously. Maybe she should stop taking roles for women if she feels that strongly she's not one.

But how else is she going to demonstrate how cool and interesting and not like other boring women she is…?

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