Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To quite like Alastair Campbell?

65 replies

WellAlwaysHaveParis · 21/02/2018 22:42

It’s a bit of a guilty pleasure thing.

I think it’s because we seem to share a lot of the same interests (France, French, Jacques Brel, anti-Brexit etc.), and I find him really engaging to listen to as he’s quite passionate about things he finds interesting and is a good public speaker, but.. I find it a bit embarrassing.

I never used to like him, but am now warming to him. I mentioned it to a couple of friends though, and they think I’m bonkers.

So help me, Mumsnet - am I being U?

(Needless to say, this is light-hearted).

OP posts:
boatyardblues · 22/02/2018 08:45

I think his grumpy demeanor lends him an air of normality and authenticity which Tony Blair’s Cheshire cat grin and Gordon Brown’s mantle of dementor gloom never cultivated.

lightoflaluna · 22/02/2018 08:52

I saw him at a book signing where he was also interviewed. He's very impressive and charismatic. I realy like him.

GeorgeHerbert · 22/02/2018 08:59

I met him too and he was absolutely charming. I had to sit in my car for s while to pull mys4lf round after!

squashyhat · 22/02/2018 09:04

He was a speaker at a work event I attended about 6 years ago. Self-satisfied pompous knob.

LakieLady · 22/02/2018 09:05

As an Old Labour leftie I used to despise him for the Blair years sellout, but I've warmed to him since then. He's funnier than I imagined he'd be. (He's often on Sunday Politics, Andrew Marr, programmes like that).

I still think that playing the bagpipes and writing soft porn for Forum magazine's a bit weird though.

bluepears · 22/02/2018 09:07

ybvu this is the guy whose job was to spin the fact the iraq war was good

LakieLady · 22/02/2018 09:07

*When my children were at nursery they learned a song which went, "Alice the camel has TWOOOO humps, TWOOOO humps, TWOOO humps".

Whenever they sang it I would hear "Alastair Campbell" instead of "Alice the camel". Of course I mentioned this to my husband and Mr C quickly became known as "TWOOO humps" in our house. So when I eventually met him, and had such a lovely conversation with him, there was a soundtrack which only I could hear of "TWOOOO humps" which didn't stop until he left the event.*

You should have told him! He'd probably have found it very amusing.

ssd · 22/02/2018 09:10

I didnt realise he had mental health issues?

BigEthel · 22/02/2018 09:11

Certainly would....

Great interview with him here. I wish he was a Labour MP. He'd wipe the floor with the current lot.

www.mediamasters.fm/alastair-campbell/

IHATEPeppaPig · 22/02/2018 09:18

Totally would Grin

Bluelady · 22/02/2018 09:26

Hot as a hot thing. So bright, I love intelligent men.

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 22/02/2018 09:36

He is very intelligent and charming

But he is a very slippery person he is probably the best at political spin we have witnessed

Where is the truth of what he says and where is the spin. I struggle to believe anything he says about himself is true though his diaries are very interesting

Stugzule · 22/02/2018 09:39

SSd yep I believe he’s done some tv shows about it, but I’ve read about it in his books, he had issues with alchohol and had a mental health breakdown prior to working for Blair.

theduchessstill · 22/02/2018 09:53

Yes completely get this. He is very appealing and always comes across so well. The interview he did with Mark Kermode is another where he comes out on top. Kermode tries to accuse him of being responsible for no one trusting politicians anymore and he wipes the floor with him.

If he was still around this Brexit fiasco wouldn't be happening. My favourite (political) fantasy has him and Clegg forming a new party to keep us in the EU! (Would have Blair too but he is too toxic) Well, it could happen...

SilverySurfer · 22/02/2018 10:03

Weird - I can't think of anything positive to say about him at all.

derxa · 22/02/2018 10:09

He's awful but I agree with you OP. He tried to help Charles Kennedy out of his alcoholism as he is a recovered alcoholic himself. He's very Scottish in many ways I can't explain.

ghostyslovesheets · 22/02/2018 10:20

YANBU he's lovely

and yes to the 'Alice The Camel' same here!

HesterShaw · 22/02/2018 10:27

YANBU. And yes, I find him slightly hot as well. I made the mistake of sharing this with my sister and she shunned me for a while as thought I was unclean.

pinkdelight · 22/02/2018 10:44

I've met him and he's neither as smug tosserish as some think nor as hot as others think. He's nice enough and physically in good nick, but obviously quite a 'case' - intense, obsessive, hard work. Even if you've lots in common I can't imagine he'd be great company for a romantic evening unless you were immensely smitten. But as pure fantasy, yanbu.

Original poster
WellAlwaysHaveParis · 22/02/2018 21:13

Even if you've lots in common I can't imagine he'd be great company for a romantic evening unless you were immensely smitten. But as pure fantasy, yanbu.

All good points, pink! Grin

OP posts:
Desperatelyseekingsun · 22/02/2018 21:20

I admire his openness about his depression, too few men are upfront about this.
I agree with his European stance
And I have a long standing crush on him despite never voting labour.
I should probably never meet him in case my dreams are dashed.

Shenanagins · 22/02/2018 21:28

The obituary he wrote on Charles Kennedy was very touching, made me see him in a different light.

Sprinklesinmyelbow · 22/02/2018 21:28

Ooo am enjoying his Owen Jones interview thanks

Notonthestairs · 22/02/2018 21:32

His willingness to discuss his depression coincided with my PND and I think was quite helpful to my DH (who is also Scottish and made of quite stern get-on-with-it stuff).
I like him for that alone but I've seen him on Question Time and remember agreeing with almost everything he said.
Which is completely ridiculous because I loathe pretty much every politician on TV - so much flannel and not enough answering the question asked - and I suspect in his spin-guise he has influenced a lot of them.

lidoshuffle · 22/02/2018 21:38

Oooooooh, yes. I've always had a crush on him, even before he was a spin doctor. Friends were staying in the same hotel in France as he and his family were and said he was very nice (and spoke good French).