Did anyone see the documentary on Kirsten O'Brien (SMART) on BBC3 last night?

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I am so cringing for her.

Why would you ask the editor of FHM if you are in the same league as Caroline Flack and the black woman (Angelina??) from Blue Peter?

Why would you learn to pole dance then even when Peter Stringfellow tells you not to bother doing a display for him, you go ahead and do it anyway and he says it's terrible???

This is a bit obscure but hope someone saw it! Need to discuss!!!!!

It was rather cringy.

She genuinely seemed shocked that the FHM guy said that she wasn't really suitable. Although she's quite attractive, she's definitely not FHM league (too old apart from anything).

Not seen her doing stand up, but would like to now. Guess that launching her comedy career, was probably the point of her doing this though.

I saw it. I thought it was quite sad, actually. On several levels.

Firstly that she was so bluntly told she didn't have "it" and was obviously hurt by that, secondly that the whole world is such a superficial place these days, and thirdly that Angelica was so convinced it was the best thing she'd ever done. Really? Your greatest achievement? Wiggling your airbrushed bits for the nations men to drool over? Because, you know, it was her career, and that's what's most important in the world, and if you're contributing to the fucking up of a nation's 12 year old girls then so what?

It didn't leave a nice taste in my mouth.

Choppy, I remember reading a review a good 2 years ago of her stand up and I remember it said something like 'OK OK, we get it, children's TV presenters can swear and talk about sex' - I got the impression she was trying really hard to break away from children's TV and it looks like she still is. When the FHM guy said no-one had mentioned her name in 12 years, she kind of fell back on the sofa smiling saying 'that's really interesting' but I would have done the same, she was obviously dying inside and not wanting to let it show!!!!

I didnt see it, but I think she is lovely on Smart.

Dont you think these TV personalities are just a wee bit trumped up about their own self importance.

Its probably why that sort of person goes into TV ... and other like me ... Don't !

Yes, that bit stuck out - when Kirsten asked Angelica if she felt that she'd let the 12 year olds down and she was like 'look, it's my career we're talking about!'. I know what she means, but I still thought it was a bit off.

Kirsten is obviously quite attractive, but a bit twee and girly and obviously a bit embarrassed by the whole arse and tits thing.

It was also a bit cringeworthy when she went to the agent of Myleene Klass. They are very honest which they do need to be but jeez - all on camera and she has to sit and take it!

dh and I saw this, I thought she came across as a nice, intelligent person. The Stringfellows bit was awful though, I literally couldn't watch.

I was really surprised she was so shocked that fhm didn't want her, I kind of assumed from the beginning that it was a theoretical exercise in a 'let's pretend fhm want me, what would I do' type of way. She did look in bits at the end, I felt sorry for her.

Yes, I thought she came across a lovely normal person.

I missed the first 10 mins, so I thought FHM etc was in the bag and she was just deciding whether to do it or not! Then when she got that call in the taxi and none of them wanted her except the sleazy one who's name I can't even remember - that's when my cringing started!

I thought she came across really well, and since what she ultimately wanted to do is break into adult TV it was a good vehicle for her.

The whole 'should I get my tits out' thing seemed a bit contrived as it was obvious she was never going to do it. I was a bit surprised at her reaction to FHM though, she's way old for them, surely she knew that. Though she did have a great bod, and her 'fat arms' were nothing compared to mine!

I thought that Anthea Turner had it right when she said that you are either one of those kind of girls or you're not. and bizarrely I also agree with Peter Stringfellow - she wasn't sexy cos she wasn't taking it serously.

The FHM bit was very harsh especially when he said that no-one had ever emailed in about her!

I assumed that this was a 'lads mags as a way to boost your career' documentary. IMO she never had any intention of actually doing it (though I missed the first bit so could be wrong)

I actually thought the FHM guy was OK, he knew he had to be honest, but he did it in a reasonably nice way (was very apologetic, acknowledged his own less than gorgeous appearance etc). BUT I thought Anthea Turner was a bit bitchy and harsh and I think she was trying to deflect her lack of 'coolness' onto Kirsten. You know, trying to make herself feel better by making someone else feel worse!!!

Glad she wasn't going to go down the 'let's talk about Mark's death to get you good publicity' route.

I thought she looked lovely in the outfit that was slagged off as 'average' and worn by 3,000 secretaries. That would be me dressed up!!!!!

I also thought it very telling that she asked her dad if she should do the lad's mag thing. As if he was going to say yes please, let's all have a look at your tits!!

Did anyone else think when Angelica said she'd only planned to wear corsets and skirts but then they said she had an amazing body so she whipped it all out? So much for it being an empowering way of intellignet woman earning money and furthering their careers - it just took some flattery from someone who was going to make more cash if she wore less.

Either she's very naive or very shallow or both.

That bit riled me a lot, tbh. And feck knows I'm no feminist!

I saw it and thought it was awful. I was cringing for her the whole way through.

I felt so sorry for her at the end. No way could I have put myself through that and come out with an ounce of self confidence left.

Yes I was the same when Angelica said she wasn't going to bear all but when they said she had an amazing body she said, oh ok then!!!

I turned over after about 10 minutes. I have heard of Kirsten (and even think she is quite a good presenter) but had never heard of Angelica or Caroline Flack.

This programme will probably boost her career more than getting her tits out anyway. A lot of girls have undressed for FHM (and the like) and gone on to do exactly nothing with their careers.

I only saw the later part of it, but I wondered why she was even thinking about doing it. I mean, surely if there was a point in her career where it was going to happen, the offers would have been there at the time? To go looking for this at 36 seems an odd choice, specially when she didn't seem the sort of "confident in her sexual appeal" kind of woman you'd imagine choosing to do it.

And I was sad for her that she translated someones comments about her being "not sexy" into "not good-looking" which seemed to have missed the point - it's not just about how she looked, but the whole personality she puts across that frankly isn't "sexy" in that sort of way. I think she should have been proud of not having the sort of packaged sexiness that these magazines sell.

But there was definitely a "midlife crisis" feel about it - like she's spent her life doing some things, not pursued others, now seen someone important to her die in sad circumstances, etc and is wondering what its all about and whether she's missed out on something along the way.

Yes, totally agree it was a bit midlife crisis-y.

She didn't seem to know what to say or do when she was in the offices of the lads' mag who wanted her. She was really babbling and reminded me of myself or how I would definitely react if it was me surrounded by 23 year old men and 'jugs'.

She's reached a point in her career where she's been doing kids TV for ever and can't see how it will end.

Didn't do Brian Cant any harm.

Who is Caroline Flack anyway?

I know her from a Saturday morning show with Sam and Mark. She co-presents in a Cat Deeley with Ant and Dec kind of way. She's a bit gorg.

Didn't see the programme but from what you're saying it's a shame that the laudable idea of discussing how female presenters seem to feel they have to get their kit off to succeed was hijacked by whether or not Kirsten was pretty/sexy enough to get her kit off. It's a bit like the Page Three debate. If you're a woman and not a "stunner" your view can be categorised as jealousy.

Fairmidden -when you say "you're no feminist" what exactly are you against? Equal pay for equal work? That's one of my definitions of feminism.

It reminded me a bit of the Extras Christmas special when Andy Millman wants credibility, not just ratings success.

I don't think she wanted to bear all, what she wants is to break into the adult presenting market a la Fern Britton etc. She wants people to see her as an adult and for some reason she thinks (or the producers of the documentary think) that for us to see her as an adult, we have to see her tits.

I mean I'm not against women making cash however they want but the fact that she was apparently all conservative and covered-up until some bloke told her she looked good annoyed me. I thought the message was that body-confidence is about feeling good in your own skin, not about feeling good because other people deem you attractive.

Feminism to me has all sorts of bra-burning connotations which don't really interest me, extremelychocolateymi. Equality and feminism are not the same thing, or not how I interpret them anyway.

It's a shame that feminism has come to be seen in that way by many young women. For me feminism is, pure and simply, "the idea that women should have political, social, sexual, intellectual and economic rights equal to those of men. It involves various movements, theories, and philosophies, all concerned with issues of gender difference, that advocate equality for women and the campaign for women's rights and interests." as in Wikipedia.

i actually wrote 'bear all'

bare obviously!