I used to work with actors and presenters and they can be bottomless pits of need. Some are real artists, some (esp those who are very successful) are very gracious and not overly competitive in most contexts. But a lot of times they like, want to be liked too much. There’s also for women a huge inability to accept they’re aging. I mean, 50-60 year old women will want to do bare midriff headshots. And even if they look great that’s just not what the marketplace wants. I’d have to try and gently tell people like if casting wants that they’re calling Christie Brinkley or Paulina Porizkova not you. You might be a grandmother on a soap, which is still someone who’s going to be very pretty. But casting just doesn’t want music video hot girl from you anymore.
I had a temp job in LA over a decade ago, one woman there went to the same uni as P Diddy and said she sensed a ‘darkness’ there even though she respected how entrepreneurial he was. Holy sh!t was that a good read. The things coming out about him - setting Cassie’s rebounds car on fire or bombing it or similar - are wild.
In terms of UK presenters, Lineker makes me uncomfortable because he has that vibe that he really needs to be liked. There’s also something weird about the way he talks about women. Or presenting in his underpants that one time - too much and more exhibitionist than funny. He strikes me as like, a kid who decides to be class clown because they’re unhappy or their home life is messed up. Just comes across as ‘off.’
Holly Willoughby seems like she’s probably super competitive. I knew a woman when I lived in LA, if anyone said they were tired she’d be like “Pfft YOU’RE tired!? I taught three dance classes today.” She never ‘made it’ though. HW must be better at networking and like, not so open with that stuff. Because too much and you will never be more than an extra who did maybe one big commercial. You have to be decentish or no one wants to be trapped on set with you. Esp women.
Stephen Fry creeps me out. People think he’s brighter than he is, I think because he presented QI. But he wasn’t the one doing the research. He also has a conviction for credit card theft IIRC, he is actually a literal convicted conman. Something about the way he talks about women is ‘off’ - in his mental illness documentary he called Carrie Fisher ‘poor thing’ or similar. I was like b!tch that’s Princess Leia, she wrote at least one best selling book, and her kid seems well adjusted. In many ways his own life has been sloppier than hers, but he felt empowered to judge her. I feel like something’s weird there.
I think some presenters/media figures who are often hated come across as less creepy. Clarkson is a brat but I believe he’s a brat & not lying about himself. Ian Hislop can be an old fuddy duddy, but he’s not trying to be 20 years younger than he is. He doesn’t adopt Black slang or American slang like some 50+ people trying to be cool. So even when I don’t agree with people like that, I respect that they’re not lying about themselves. If you’re not afraid to be authentic that can be really powerful.
Richard Herring is another weird one I don’t mind - he seems authentically weird. He’s also made a real effort to have more women and POC on his podcasts and actually listens to them and engages with them. And his wife seems sound.