Paula - New series

[WandaOff]

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.

I think it mentioned that after Michael died she did live with Bob? Or have I misremembered. I do think he was her stability, I know I said he was possibly controlling, but tbf I imagine he would have to be. I empathise with Paula for some reason, even though I never particularly paid attention at the time. That's life though, fucked up people doing fucked up things.

This probably comes across as catty but when Robbie Williams and Liam Gallagher were getting famous Paula was a bit older than them, like a MILF (I hate that term). She wasn’t the beautiful, flirty, young thing she had been in her hey-day and to be fair she was probably realising that and it hit home hard. I’ve always found the type of person “I’m mad/wild, aren’t I?!” Very tedious which was probably which I didn’t watch The Tube as I didn’t like the way she portrayed herself. I’ve never found the peroxide look on women attractive either, possibly because a bully/friend of mine’s glamourous mother had the same look.

I don’t think Bob was the Saint Bob character he portrayed either, they both had affairs and their relationship was based on sex at the start.

I read that the reason she was rebuffed by Liam Gallagher was because he was afraid of Bob Geldof's influence and ability to really make big trouble for those that crossed him. He wasn't the only one either apparently.

This is from a few weeks after she died in 2000. Mentions the interview with her mother Heller Torren / Helene Thornton a few weeks before that was posted upthread

www.irishtimes.com/culture/picking-through-the-wreckage-of-a-life-1.1123981

To me she just always seemed to be absolutely desperate for attention and seemed to put on this persona around men in the same way that Diana did. Batting eyelids, looking coy, giggling, witty one liners. They both knew how to manipulate people to get what they wanted, both were chameleons, could be whatever someone wanted. I think they both had personality disorders, probably narcissistic. She always seemed really fake and over the top and made me feel quite uncomfortable.

From that:
"Perhaps the one truism highlighted by this entire tragedy is that no, you basically can't do whatever the hell you like. For every action there is a consequence - in this case, one little orphaned girl and three more children left without a mother.

What further grief is being stored for succeeding generations?"

Her daughter Peaches died of a heroin OD after being clean for several months, also with a child unattended in the house. God..

This probably comes across as catty but when Robbie Williams and Liam Gallagher were getting famous Paula was a bit older than them, like a MILF (I hate that term). She wasn’t the beautiful, flirty, young thing she had been in her hey-day and to be fair she was probably realising that and it hit home hard.

Yes, and she also belonged to a completely different era. Even if it there was only a decade or so between Paula's 'Tube' prime and the 'Brit Pop' era, it seemed like another age, and her 'vibe' seemed very dated.

Speaking of which, Noel Gallagher mocked Michael Hutchence as a 'has-been' when he presented him with a Brit Award. Apparently, that hurt Micheal as, despite his 'showman' image, he was supposedly quite a sensitive soul.

We watched both episodes this week... Was so shocked about the journalist saying "Hows the bastard child?" 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 No wonder she punched him!

It all seems like such a long time ago, a different world almost. I was late teens early 20's, a life time ago

No need to bankrupt yourselves for the Gerry Agar book, you can download the epub for free here.

Speaking of which, Noel Gallagher mocked Michael Hutchence as a 'has-been' when he presented him with a Brit Award. Apparently, that hurt Micheal as, despite his 'showman' image, he was supposedly quite a sensitive soul.

The Gallaghers are just vile people, though aren't they? Liam is a serial swaggering cheat, no matter who he's with. He has 4 kids by 4 different mums and Lily Allen said he shagged her on a plane, then phoned her up and tried to force Lily to tell Nicole (his then wife) that nothing happened(!)

Yes, they're both foul.

Hutchence seemed so classy by comparison. No idea what he was 'really' like of course, but next to them he just looked so grown up and sophisticated. Not difficult I guess.

I haven't thought about Paula Yates in years but I remember not liking her much, all that OTT flirting and 'look at meee!!' behaviour was tiresome. I wonder how that would have played out in older age if she'd lived. It was the schtick of a vivacious young woman who sought fame then found it ate her alive. This documentary gave me a rounder impression of her - her spark, wit, style etc. She was more likable and level headed than I thought so I feel more sympathetic to her now.
I'm not sure the relationship with MH would have stood the test of time as many factors worked against it. not least Mr Geldof.

She didn’t know any of her other family. Hutchence’s family had been loudly and vociferously vile about Yates, pretty much accusing her of killing him and making really, really nasty allegations that even people who didn’t like Paula could see were way over the top, so there was no contact there. They were strangers, there were questions about their suitability too. Hutchence’s mother didn’t exactly give her own kids the best childhood and abandoned one of her sons.

Her sisters were the only consistent presence in her life and she did also know Bob. It was decided it was best she stayed with her sisters. Geldof did try and maintain contact with the Geldof’s but I believe they were too difficult for it to be maintained. Tiger has chosen to continue not to have contact with them as an adult too, except her Uncle Rhett who wasn’t involved in the custody battle.

I don’t like the adulation because I think what she did to her kids was awful, they became totally secondary to her relationship with Hutchence. Apparently Peaches was hugely affected because she went from being Paula’s pet to being on the end of her rages and frustrated. Fifi was no contact when Paula died. Both she and Hutchence put their wants above the children’s need for consistency in contact with their Dad, school, friends. And she consistently cheated on Bob with multiple men.

She was a crashing snob who often humiliated interviewees and bitched about other women.

She was a good writer and presenter and treated terribly by the press (though she bought some of that on herself), but, no, not a nice person.

i wonder if other women in her circle and just outside her circle were wary of her

I imagine most would have taken care not to leave her alone with their husbands.

Mind you, unless their husbands were famous, lusted after rock stars, they'll likely have been safe enough with Paula. She definitely had A Type.

MH grown up and sophisticated? Seriously? A drug addict attention seeker who liked to play dangerous and violent sex games and couldn’t stay faithful for two minutes?

That's why I used the words 'by comparison', and 'seemed'. Like I say I have no idea what he was 'really' like. But just for those two minutes, next to the Gallagher ruffians, yes, he did give the impression of being relatively civilised.

I think the most telling part was that none of her fellow colleagues appeared on the programme extolling her virtues

Davina McCall was asked to appear and refused.

Did Vanessa Feltz cross over with Paula Yates on the Big Breakfast? I was never a fan of the Tube or B Breakfast.

I think Vanessa replaced Paula on the bed doing the interviews.

Where was Jools Holland?

I remember Paula and Jools presenting, the Tube probably and she dropped something,bent down and he said " While you're down there love."

Made Ian Hislop look almost gentlemanly!