Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Telly addicts

Related: Film discussion forum.

Original poster

Paula - New series

382 replies

WandaOff · 12/03/2023 18:01

Channel 4 this week, documentary about Paula Yates.
She was the same age as me and I followed her career from the beginning. Had a bit of a girl crush on her and was genuinely sad when she died.

OP posts:
Violetparis · 12/03/2023 18:02

Think this will be very interesting. Enjoyed the George Michael one last week.

I8toys · 12/03/2023 18:04

Me too. I was always interested in reading about her and loved her on The Tube with Jools. Such a shame her life ended the way it did.

Original poster
WandaOff · 12/03/2023 18:35

I used to love the Tube. She wrote a column in Cosmopolitan iirc, clever and witty.
She was badly treated by the press , dread to think how bad it would have been now with social media.

OP posts:
sweatervest · 12/03/2023 19:34

i've got this on record for this week. i loved paula yates and it was such a tragic tragic thing.
plus her friend belinda brewin got caught up in some murder thing via new zealand to a family in the UK and it was televised once and it was unbelievable but i can't remember the name of it.

Delatron · 13/03/2023 21:48

The ‘Have I Got News’ episode is awful. Felt very sorry for her and Ian Hisplop has gone down massively in my estimation. Just constantly bring up her breast implants. WTF.

CoolShoeshine · 13/03/2023 22:48

i’m a bit younger than she was so have vague memories of her being Bob Geldof’s wife and then clearer memories of her being with Michael Hitchence who was a teen crush for me and my friends. At the time I thought wtf does he see in her!? But this programme shows how attractive and vivacious she was, and very bright and sparky, She was totally unique. I bet she’d have been cool now with some great opinions on current topics.

Joolsin · 13/03/2023 22:59

She was stylish, bright, so intelligent, flirty - fabulous woman. I hadn't known about the affair with Terence TD. Loved the interview clips with Terry Wogan - he was absolute putty in her hands! The press intrusion was really shocking.

sydneysunset · 14/03/2023 04:57

Terence Trent D looks so much like Pixie, strange coincidence

Lalgarh · 14/03/2023 09:14

That clip of her with Take That on the bed was really awkward.

I really doubt you'd get that now

happystory · 14/03/2023 12:03

No need for that sydneysunset

SolarEcrisp · 14/03/2023 13:22

I just binge watched all of this and it really saddened me, plus as someone who was a teen in the nineties I’m pretty ashamed at my attitude towards her at the time. She was a real ground breaker and I’m really disappointed that as a young woman I just went along with the press narrative that she was basically some silly frothy slaggy woman.

Particularly shocked at the way that her real father was revealed just weeks after Michael hutchences funeral, I hadn’t remembered it was so soon after and there was certainly no comment in the media at the time about how awful it was to heap that on her at that moment. Nor did it occur to me to have any sympathy for her either, just thought it was mildly amusing.

Whylurkwhenicanjoinin · 14/03/2023 13:43

Delatron · 13/03/2023 21:48

The ‘Have I Got News’ episode is awful. Felt very sorry for her and Ian Hisplop has gone down massively in my estimation. Just constantly bring up her breast implants. WTF.

I remember watching that when it was on, and again last night I had to hide my eyes, it was blatant relentless bullying and I've hated IH ever since because he seemed to revel in it. Nobody stuck up for her and the fact that it was recorded and shown on TV says everything about the media.

I watched last night, will record tonight. Thought it was very well made.

WoofWoofBeachLife · 14/03/2023 13:55

I'm just going to watch this now.

Princecharlesfirstwife · 14/03/2023 14:03

It’s a fascinating documentary on many levels. I do wonder why she thought she’d be able to whip the children she had with BG off to live with MH in Australia though without BG putting up a fight.

Whylurkwhenicanjoinin · 14/03/2023 14:12

Princecharlesfirstwife · 14/03/2023 14:03

It’s a fascinating documentary on many levels. I do wonder why she thought she’d be able to whip the children she had with BG off to live with MH in Australia though without BG putting up a fight.

Were they going to live there? It was my understanding from a programme I saw about him a few years ago, that he was touring down there and they wanted to join him for that? It wasn't a permanent arrangement. Correct me if Im wrong.

TaraRhu · 14/03/2023 14:12

Just watched it all. So sad. Such a spiral of tragedy for her and her girls. I'd love to know more about bob. I don't think he was exactly the worlds best husband yet he was painted as the ' good ' one.

TaraRhu · 14/03/2023 14:19

@Whylurkwhenicanjoinin yeah, I think it was temporary.

LakeTiticaca · 14/03/2023 15:03

Such a sad story. I think Paula and Michael just wanted the girls to come over for Christmas to Australia but Geldof blocked it. So tragic that Paula was unable to come to terms with MHs death and went on a downward spiral.
BG was painted as a hero for taking on Tiger Lily but I'm fairly sure I read an interview with the Hutchence family that they got very little interaction with her. Correct me if I'm wrong. I also read an interview a few years back that BG generally allowed the girls to do as they pleased, and exerted very little control over their antics as teenagers.
Then of course poor Peaches followed her mother and left 2 young children motherless.
Looking forward to the 2nd episode tonight, the audio of Paula, previously unheard, is very haunting x
RIP Michael, Paula and Peaches xx

Original poster
WandaOff · 14/03/2023 15:20

There was so much more to her than superificial fluff . I used to read her columns in the 80s I think and her writing was sharp, intelligent and witty.
The horrendous treatment by the press was around the same time as Princess Di and reminded me of it at the time.

OP posts:
nicetoseetgesunsout · 14/03/2023 15:52

She was beautiful and brilliant. She was my friend and my niece was friends with Peaches. I'll watch the doc tonight.

fatherfurlong · 14/03/2023 15:58

SolarEcrisp · 14/03/2023 13:22

I just binge watched all of this and it really saddened me, plus as someone who was a teen in the nineties I’m pretty ashamed at my attitude towards her at the time. She was a real ground breaker and I’m really disappointed that as a young woman I just went along with the press narrative that she was basically some silly frothy slaggy woman.

Particularly shocked at the way that her real father was revealed just weeks after Michael hutchences funeral, I hadn’t remembered it was so soon after and there was certainly no comment in the media at the time about how awful it was to heap that on her at that moment. Nor did it occur to me to have any sympathy for her either, just thought it was mildly amusing.

Feel exactly the same, you put it so well.
Watching last night absolutely saw her brilliant uniqueness but at the time thought the press interest was down to her lifestyle and thought maybe there was an element of wanting to shock so she was partly complicit.

I love HIGNFY and IH in particular but watching last night it did come across as bullying. Women on HIGNFY always have a really tough job even now but some clinch it.
Just a sad story all round.

JenniferBooth · 14/03/2023 16:32

Watched this late last night. Im willing to bet that if she was still alive she would be one of the women campaigning for menopause rights.

Viviennemary · 14/03/2023 18:05

I watched it last night. It was interesting and well done but so sad that the life of such a vibrant talented woman ended in tragedy. I will watch part 2 tonight. And then Peaches such an attractive girl. Unbearably sad.

Nimblesandbimbles · 14/03/2023 18:59

SolarEcrisp · 14/03/2023 13:22

I just binge watched all of this and it really saddened me, plus as someone who was a teen in the nineties I’m pretty ashamed at my attitude towards her at the time. She was a real ground breaker and I’m really disappointed that as a young woman I just went along with the press narrative that she was basically some silly frothy slaggy woman.

Particularly shocked at the way that her real father was revealed just weeks after Michael hutchences funeral, I hadn’t remembered it was so soon after and there was certainly no comment in the media at the time about how awful it was to heap that on her at that moment. Nor did it occur to me to have any sympathy for her either, just thought it was mildly amusing.

I feel very similarly to you. Plus I think i was a bit young for the Tube and I used to find the Big Breakfast a bit irritating. I felt similarly watching this to when I watched the documentary about Amy Winehouse. Another brilliant woman whose downward spiral was documented mercilessly by the press. And I bought in to that narrative a bit.

Restinggoddess · 14/03/2023 19:13

Paula Yates gave those of us of a certain age some ‘goals’ in life - her clothes, her style, her fun. So few women on the tv at the time - can’t think of anyone who holds a candle to her today

The press intrusion was appalling and should not be forgotten- they revel in the downfall of people ( particularly women) and conveniently forget the phone tapping and the climbing into houses to get an interview.

Glad that she has been remembered and that a generation of younger women get to see her - style, strength, wit, intelligence
RIP Paula