How animals around the world have taken a tip from us to cope with the hot weather | Mail Online

 

Cool of the wild: From sunhats to ice-cream, how animals around the world have taken tips from us to cope with the hot weather

By Nick Enoch

An ice lolly, a dip in the pool, deckchairs… when it comes to cooling off in the hot weather, these animals don’t play by the rules.

As Britain enjoys a heatwave, with the mercury hitting 27c (81f) today, these are just some of the cunning ways our furry friends cope.

And as the pictures below show, it’s not just those here who are feeling the heat – from China to Germany, Indonesia to the U.S., animals are scoffing at what they’ve seen in nature documentaries and trying something a little bit different…

Let sleeping dogs lie: Tara the dog opts for a sunbed and parasol to see her through the blistering heat in Britain

Bird bath with a difference: Jacquille the parrot cools down in a tea cup in Costa Rica

One cool dude: Dudu the walrus beats the summer heat in China, at Qingdao Polar Ocean World; right, a squirrel gets stuck into a frozen treat in Swindon, Wiltshire

I’ve got this licked: An African lion in Brookfield zoo, Chicago refreshes himself with a block of ice

Sealion solution: Keepers at Qingdao Polar Ocean World have come up with innovative ways to keep their animals cool; right, Eski the snowy owl could do with a towel in the New Forest, Hampshire

Flew what a scorcher! A tufted titmouse suns itself in Massachusetts

Spread the whirred: This chilled dog has found himself a new fan; right, Chino the donkey enjoys an ice-cream at Pennywell farm in Buckfastleigh, Devon

Furry nice! A squirrel takes a dip in a swimming pool in San Antonio, Texas

Does it come in banana flavour? A baboon enjoys an ice lolly at Hangzhou wild animal centre, China; right, a meerkat at Marwell Wildlife Conservation Park, Hants

To hell with the diet… An orangutan at Ragunan zoo in Jakarta, Indonesia

Just follow my lead: Harland the poodle on Southsea beach in Hampshire; right, a fur seal relaxes in Stromness, South Georgia Island

White tiger cubs Jeevan and Ashoka cool off in a paddling pool at a safari park in Germany

Trunks, glasses and parasol…this pooch looks good – and he knows it

I’ll be finished in about nine hours… A young gorilla chews on a block of ice containing fruit at Los Angeles Zoo

Do I look like I want to share? A ring-tailed lemur at Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne, Herts

Pass the oinkment, dear: Some pigs tan themselves in Cambridgeshire

It’s bacon hot! A piglet falls asleep in a doll’s house deckchair

How animals around the world have taken a tip from us to cope with the hot weather | Mail Online

She rose from Co-op cashier to become the TV star everyone – including the Queen – adored. So why has English Heritage refused Thora Hird a blue plaque?

Come on English Heritage wake up….She was a Star someone to look up to….pity we do not have more people like her today….she was a star for a long period of time not like people today who think they are famous,have no talent and are paid vast amounts of money which they squander very quickly….where are the true stars of today? we live in a society of the 5 minute star…how sad….let us not forget people like Thora Hird true stars of stage and screen…jboy2244

She rose from Co-op cashier to become the TV star everyone – including the Queen – adored. So why has English Heritage refused Thora Hird a blue plaque?

Thora Hird was more than just a national treasure — she was one of the British crown jewels, a walloping great diamond on a firmly knotted headscarf.

When she died in 2003, aged 91, one obituary summed her up perfectly as a cross between the Queen Mum and a Donald McGill saucy seaside postcard.

But she was also a superb character actress and, for many, as host of Praise Be!, the real face of Sunday worship.

Treasure: Thora Hird’s 90-year career was not enough for English Heritage

So a decision by English Heritage to deny her the honour of a blue plaque isn’t just stuffy and pompous — it’s downright incomprehensible.

When the advisory panel, which includes Stephen Fry, former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion and former Arts Council chairman Sir Christopher Frayling, ruled that Dame Thora’s contribution to theatre might be forgotten in 20 years or less, they betrayed their total ignorance of a career that stretched across an incredible nine decades.

She was eight weeks old when she made her first stage appearance in her mother’s arms. ‘It was the first and only job I ever got through influence,’ she said. (Her father James ran the Royalty Theatre in Morecambe.)

At the other end of her life, she played a centenarian in a Talking Heads play by Alan Bennett, called Waiting For The Telegram. Talk about a lifetime devoted to theatre: Dame Thora packed enough into her career for two whole lifetimes.

It is baffling that English Heritage can’t see this. It’s not, after all, as if accolades weren’t forthcoming during her lifetime. Thora was made a dame in 1993, back when the honour was reserved for theatre heavyweights such as Edith Evans and Sybil Thorndike.

Staying power: Thora Hird and actor Freddie Frinton at the Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia in 1965

It helped, of course, that she played the Queen’s favourite character in the Royal Family’s favourite TV show, Last Of The Summer Wine.

Thora was Edie Pegden, the hectoring, house-proud president of the local ladies’ coffee morning. Thora’s artful performance delighted in Edie’s snobbish side — when there was company, her voice would lose its coarse edge and turn quite snooty.

Hugely amused, writer Roy Clarke was inspired to base a whole sitcom on the trait — and Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances was born.

Edie’s character was inspired by the socially anxious, lower-middle-class women whom Thora had observed during her early years working behind the till at the  Co-op in Morecambe.

She spent ten years as a cashier, working by day, acting in the evening and learning lines deep into the night.

Potential: This publicity picture of ‘actress Miss Thora Hird’ was issued in November 1953

She never lost her sense of those humble roots. ‘I scrubbed my mother’s doorstep when I was a young woman,’ she liked to tell reporters. ‘Now go and fetch me mink!’

She married James Scott, a drummer in the theatre orchestra, in 1937, after a four-year courtship, and their only child, a daughter called Janette, was born a year later.

Thora always claimed that, because there were no forceps handy, the midwife used a pair of fish knives.

In later life, her son-in-law was the crooner Mel Torme, and she visited her daughter’s family in Beverly Hills at least two dozen times. She was never tempted to make a home in California, though.

‘There’s no corner shop, love,’ she would say.

Surely the English Heritage committee cannot be prejudiced against her Lancashire accent and working-class humour?

Legends: Thora Hird in June 1970 with comedian Tommy Cooper who collapsed on stage during a live televised show in 1984 and soon after died

It’s true that Thora was salt-of-the-earth, while recent blue plaques have been awarded to the sprinkling-of-chopped-tarragon- and-a grated-truffle type: Sir Terence Rattigan, playwright of the drawing room, for example, or the aristocratic Indian poet Rabindrinath Tagore.

Her rejection has provoked outrage among fans. Maureen Lipman, herself a sitcom actress with strong claims for national treasuredom, called the decision ‘imbecilic snobbery’. Tory MP David Morris immediately announced he would table an Early Day Motion in the Commons to force the committee to reconsider.

But it seems unlikely to succeed: there’s a rule applications cannot be reviewed for at least ten years.

The most puzzling aspect is that Dame Thora’s case met the criteria of English Hidebound (sorry, Heritage). The rules state that to be considered blue-plaque-worthy, a person has to have been dead for 20 years or the centenary of their birth has been passed.

The centenary of her birth was reached last year, on May 28: she would be 101 this month.

She had lived and worked in London, moving there when the musical hall star George Formby asked her to audition for a film with him at Ealing Studios, during the Blitz in 1941.

She didn’t get the part, but the test led to a 1942 film called The Black Sheep Of Whitehall, opposite comedian Will Hay. Incidentally, Hay has got a blue plaque, so has the film’s producer, Michael Balcon. And she died at Brinsworth House, a retirement home for actors in South-West London.

Hird is so much a part of her adopted city that she is one of the few actors to have inspired a piece of Cockney rhyming slang.

Popular: Thora Hird pictured in 1987 when she was starring in long running British sitcome Last of the Summer Wine which went for 31 series

University students who scrape through their exams are said to get a Thora Hird — or third, as in third-class degree.

If that seems disrespectful, you should hear the stories Thora liked to tell about herself.

Alan Bennett noted one of her favourites in his diary — she claimed that when she was a girl growing up next-door to the theatre in Morecambe, an alley ran along the back where the seaside town’s only lady of the night, Miss Nellie Hodge, would take her clients.

One night, Thora heard a man’s complaining voice: ‘Ee Nellie, I wish you’d stop nodding your head.’

‘I can’t help it,’ Nellie replied. ‘You’ve gone and got tangled in me scarf.’

It’s not the sort of tale Thora would have told on Praise Be! — the Sunday evening collection of viewers’ favourite hymns she hosted, which ran for 17 years on BBC1 in the teatime ‘God slot’. Like former Goon Show entertainer Harry Secombe who presented Songs Of Praise, she became an unofficial symbol of the Church of England.

Varied: Thora Hird also appeared in the TV show In Loving Memory, set in an undertakers business, which ran from 1979 until 1986

It was no stretch to imagine Thora reading her Bible at home and being comforted by familiar verses, or being moved to tears by the plain poetry of well-loved hymns.

Each week, five million people tuned in. She had a wisdom in her voice that was rooted in common sense, something that audiences could recognise and cherish.

It was that quality which Bennett captured in his 1988 short play, A Cream Cracker Under The Settee,  written for Thora.

She played an elderly widow who had suffered a fall. Gradually, in a monologue that becomes mumbled as her life slips away, Thora revealed her fall was the consequence of climbing up on to the furniture, trying to do the dusting.

It was a portrait of abandonment and loss, depicted with such heart-rending pathos that Thora’s postbag was bulging for days after the broadcast with letters from people begging her to come and live with them.

How can English Heritage fail to see how beloved this woman was? And why would they think she might be less warmly remembered in a couple of decades?

A look at recently approved names on plaques provides a clue: they are largely male. So, too, is the committee: seven of the ten, including the chairman, historian Professor Sir David Cannadine, are men.

Glamour: This picture taken in 1966 shows Thora Hird enjoying a night at the fashionable Dorchester Hotel in London’s Park Lane

Plenty of plaques have been granted to actors in the past few years. Alastair Sim, a star of Ealing comedies, was honoured with a blue plate at his Hampstead home.

Sim was a lovely, lugubrious comic, but he is hardly a household name — never the star of TV’s longest-running sitcom, for instance.

To test the theory that there’s a sexist bias at English Heritage, I suggested a couple of candidates — both actresses. One was Hattie Jacques, the matron of the Carry On movies. The other was Diana Dors, the only bona fide sex-bomb of British cinema’s golden era.

Both were younger than Thora. Both have been dead for more than 20 years. Both lived and worked in London. In other words, they meet  the criteria.

A spokeswoman for English Heritage admitted last night that neither Hattie nor Diana had ever been considered.

That’s a disgrace. But for a committee that is incompetent enough to deny an honour to the Queen’s favourite actress, it’s probably not surprising.

Or as Dame Thora might have said: ‘Them’s too numb to know they are numb!’

CHRISTOPHER STEVENS compiled The Masters Of Sitcom: From Hancock To Steptoe (Michael O’Mara Books).

Friends: Thora Hird arriving at the memorial service for entertainer Sir Harry Secombe at Westminster Catherdral in October, 2001

She rose from Co-op cashier to become the TV star everyone – including the Queen – adored. So why has English Heritage refused Thora Hird a blue plaque? | Mail Online

By Christopher Stevens

Carpenter builds incredible egg-shaped tree house hidden from view on Crown land just yards from multi-million homes

 

‘Squatter’ secretly builds incredible (but thoroughly illegal)  tree house hidden in Canada’s Whistler forest just yards from multi-million homes

By Leon Watson

It took months to find the right tree to build on, and when he did the spot was on public land looking down on a row of multi-million dollar homes.

But that didn’t stop Joel Allen – he just built this incredible egg-shaped tree house in Canada anyway, without telling anyone.

The computer technician-turned-carpenter started off by creating a scale model of his design to test its strength and durability, before beginning the months-long quest to find the perfect tree.

Joel Allen stepping into the amazing treehouse he built on public land in Canada at night

Joel Allen has built this incredible treehouse in Hemlocks, Whistler, western Canada

Joel took years to construct the tree house. At this point he was working on the base

Without the money to buy property, he decided to do it on Crown land in the forests of Whistler.

‘Finding that perfect spot on Crown land wasn’t so easy,’ he said. ‘I had an informal checklist of requirements, the most important ones being that it within a reasonable distance to a road, yet out of sight and out of earshot of human traffic.

‘The other requirement was hard to qualify, but was of prime importance: the shape of the egg would need to suit the environment and be proportionate to the tree. I couldn’t explain exactly what that was but I figured I would know it when I saw it.’

Mr Allen found it in a patch of old growth near a development of multi-million dollar homes, then began secretly constructing it. The process took years, thousands of dollars, and many free items found on Craigslist.

Finally, he created the HemLoft.

Without the money to buy property, Joel decided to do it on Crown land in the forests of Whistler

Mr Allen found the perfect spot in a patch of old growth near a development of multi-million dollar home

Hidden: The treehouse in Hemlocks was built in a forest away from view of nearby homes

Admiring the view: Joel Allen in the treehouse he built using items from Craigslist

Asked by a friend why he did it, Mr Allen said: ‘I found myself grasping for some sort of rationalisation that would make me seem less crazy.

‘She said "no, why did you really build it?" For the first time in my life, I was forced to face the truth about it. I said "I guess… I just wanted to build something cool".’

‘Since the treehouse was built on crown land, I don’t technically own it, and so its fate is uncertain.

Joel said: ‘The shape of the egg would need to suit the environment and be proportionate to the tree. I couldn’t explain exactly what that was but I figured I would know it when I saw it.’

The computer technician-turned-carpenter started off by creating a scale model of his design

It took Joel months to find the right tree to build on before he settled on the spot

The perfect egg-shaped treehouse was built on a tree over a slope on the mountain

For three years I kept the HemLoft secret, but now that I’m finished, I’ve found myself wanting to share it…Coming out of the bush about the HemLoft is fun, however it poses a few problems; if people know about it, they might try to find it. And if the wrong people find it, they may make me take it down.

‘It took a lot of work to build it, and I’d rather not take it down, just yet. So I’ve been thinking of ways to expose the HemLoft, while somehow making it legal.

‘To the best of my knowledge, Squatting on Whistler Mountain, beneath some of Western Canada’s most luxurious mega-homes would not be looked favourably upon.’

Joel Allen said: ‘It took a lot of work to build it, and I’d rather not take it down, just yet.’

Joel Allen’s construction was conducted in secret until he finally went public.

Carpenter builds incredible egg-shaped tree house hidden from view on Crown land just yards from multi-million homes | Mail Online

American Reunion Irish premiere: Jedward’s brother Kevin accompanies twins and Tara Reid | Mail Online

 

Meet Kevin… Jedward’s older brother! Rarely-seen sibling accompanies the twins (and Tara Reid) to American Reunion Irish premiere

By Sarah Bull

His brothers are arguably the one of the world’s most famous set of twins – with their wacky behaviour and trademarked quiffs setting them apart from their peers.

And while he doesn’t have the same blonde hair as his siblings, Jedward’s older brother Kevin decided to follow in their dubious style footsteps last night as he joined the pair on the red carpet at the Irish premiere of the latest American Pie offering – American Reunion.

The similarity between Kevin and his brothers was clear to see, with the redhead even sporting the same slicked down hairstyle as his siblings.

Family affair: Jedward’s older brother Kevin accompanied the twins on the red carpet at the Irish premiere of American Reunion in Dublin last night

Heading home: Kevin was seen following along as Edward and Tara left the afterparty

Law student Kevin, 21, also wore the same black suit, skinny maroon tie and black patent shoes as his brothers as the trio posed up with one of the film’s stars Tara Reid on the red carpet.

And while the ensemble may have been slightly different from his usual student attire, Kevin should perhaps be grateful that his younger brothers had decided to leave their usual garish outfits at home for the evening.

Understated: John and Edward ditched their quiffs for the occasion as they posed up with Tara on the red carpet

Here today, gone tomorrow: Jedward sported quiffs at the LA premiere last month

The 20-year-olds are more notorious for their ridiculous styling – which has seen them in red satin suit for their Eurovision performance and trainers with angel wings – even opted for ties this evening.

The brothers were clearly excited about the Tinseltown starts descending on their home turf, tweeting: ‘Everyone we are so excited about coming to the savoy cinema in Dublin with @TaraReid it will be awesOme can’t wait to see everyone =:)’

Centre of attention: Even Jedward’s hair couldn’t detract from Jennifer Coolidge’s bust

The gang: Seann William Scott and Eugene Levy take a trip from Hollywood to the Savoy Cinema in Dublin

Meanwhile, Tara – who struck up a friendship with the duo on Celebrity Big Brother UK – wrote: ‘So excited to see @planetjedward at @AmericanPie #AmericanReunion premiere tonight in dublin!’

Tara, 36, looked striking by opting for a simple yet elegant floor-length gown which oozed glamour.

However, as ever, Jennifer Coolidge – aka Stifler’s mum – threatened to steal the show once again.

My Car? hunk still looked undeniably handsome despite his grey beard.

Say hello to mummy: Seann plays Jennifer’s son in the comedy franchise

The 48-year-old squeezed her voluptuous silhouette into a curve-hugging black cocktail dress with lace detail on the sleeves, with her ample bosom trying to break free.

On-screen son Seann William Scott put in an appearance too, looking a little older than his 35 years.

Demure: Tara looked striking in simply yet elegant Hollywood glamour

Protagonist Jason Biggs was notably absent, enjoying a European leg of promotion with Chris Klein.

The actor, famed for his role of Jim Levenstein in the comedy series, was seen dining alfresco with Chris, co-star Mena Suvari and celebrity stylist David Stanwell while they were sent to Rome.

The castmates have been split up over the last few weeks of world touring to cover more locations.

European break: Jason Biggs and Chris Klein missed the premiere as they were in Rome

When in Rome… Jason can be seen with Chris, Mena Suvari and celebrity stylist David Stanwell

American Reunion Irish premiere: Jedward’s brother Kevin accompanies twins and Tara Reid | Mail Online

Baldness cure secret revealed by mice – Yahoo! Lifestyle UK

 

Baldness cure secret revealed by mice

By Kim Hookem-Smith

A tuft of hair grown on the back of a bald lab mouse may hold the key to curing baldness in humans.

A research team in Japan used stem cell cultivation to create hair follicles from scratch. These follicles were then implanted into the hairless mice where they grew hairs.

The stem cells were taken from a balding man and the next step is to implant the created follicles into a human head in order to win the battle against balding, experienced by more than seven million men in the UK.
The technique may also allow men to re-grow hair in their original colour, even if they’ve already started to go grey.
The researchers from Tokyo University believe a cure for baldness could be engineered within three years. It will be an expensive treatment, however, and they believe it could be more useful in reconstructive situations where traditional hair transplant operations aren’t possible.
And there’s more research to be done, as the team do not yet know if it would be possible to recreate an entire head of hair. In this study, the hairs had to be implanted one at a time, which is fine on a mouse but a rather different proposition on an entire bald head!

Baldness cure secret revealed by mice – Yahoo! Lifestyle UK

Play time for young and old! Polar bears from Canada to Norway caught mucking about in the snow | Mail Online

 

Play time for young and old! Polar bears caught mucking about in the snow after a long hibernation

By Lyle Brennan

Playfully clambering over their doting mother these polar bear cubs spring into action for the most sociable time of the year.

Across the polar regions from Norway to Canada these images show the intimate relationship between polar bear mothers and their young as they emerge from their winter hibernation.

Each winter females dig dens, where they give birth to their cubs – usually two, but sometimes as many as four.

All aboard: A female polar bear and her cubs play in the snow in Canada after a long winter’s rest in the den

Peek-a-boo: A cub takes shelter as it ventures out in Churchill, Canada

Making its own entertainment: Grappling with a birch tree in Canada

The timing of the birth is sometime during early winter, between December and January.

The snow den, the mother’s body heat and her milk, which is high in fat content, enable the cubs to keep warm and grow rapidly before leaving the den in March or April.

Short trips are made to and from the den for several days as the cubs get used to the outside temperatures. Then the family leaves and makes its way to the sea ice, where the mother teaches, hunts for and protects her cubs.

Gone fishing: Meanwhile in Norway a polar bear takes the plunge into icy waters in the hope of finding a bite to eat

After two years together, the family disperses and the cycle begins again.

But not before a bit of light play in the snow.

Photographers have spent hundreds of hours in the Arctic regions, photographing the amazing interactions from lounging around in the snow to diving head first into the icy waters looking for food.

Taking the weight off its paws: A polar bear stretches out on the snow in Churchill, Canada

‘The polar bear’s presence is entirely transitory, with photography dependent on accurate timing, the right weather and exceptional luck,’ said Steve.

‘Imagine a world without polar bears.
‘It seems unthinkable, yet as climate change gathers pace, the Arctic ice floes upon which the polar bear depends are beginning to break up.

Come here, you: Two polar bears nuzzle with each other in Churchill, Canada

‘In the years ahead, this could be catastrophic for this truly charismatic bear which, when it stands up, is taller than the largest elephant.

‘The irony is that the polar bear represents one of conservation’s greatest successes: thanks to an international convention controlling the hunting of the species.’

Little attention-seeker: A bear and her cub in a snow-covered forest in Canada

Bear hug: A show of affection in Churchill, Canada

Play time for young and old! Polar bears from Canada to Norway caught mucking about in the snow | Mail Online

Viewers ‘spot newsreader sleeping’ on BBC Breakfast – Yahoo! TV UK

 

Viewers ‘spot newsreader sleeping’ on BBC Breakfast

By Ben Skipper

 

For years presenters of early morning TV shows have talked about their early starts and yet they never show signs of tiredness… until now anyway.
At around 8:30am on Friday morning ‘BBC Breakfast’ cut to their BBC News Channel counterparts only to see newsreader Simon McCoy seemingly sleeping at his desk.
Viewers spotted him with his head resting on his arms, with many taking to Twitter afterwards to point out the gaffe.
One tweeter called Neil Tam-I’m, said: "LOL at Simon McCoy being caught napping during a live bulletin!”
Sleeping newsreader McCoy took to Twitter himself to laugh off the incident. He joked to one user: “I was not asleep! Had just been told The Queen wanted me to cover her NEXT visit…”
He later said it was “a long desk head-banging that wasn’t meant to be picked up in the BBC1 opt!!”
It’s not the first time Simon McCoy has made the headlines with his strange antics. In 2009 he was caught doing push-ups at his desk and a year later the BBC had to apologise after a weatherman was caught on camera making a rude gesture at McCoy.

Viewers ‘spot newsreader sleeping’ on BBC Breakfast – Yahoo! TV UK

BBC News – Belfast’s book of condolence for Frank Carson

Through all our troubles in Northern Ireland he made us laugh both at ourselves and the World…he will be missed by a lot of people…….jboy2244

Belfast’s book of condolence for Frank Carson

The Belfast-born comic rose to fame in the 1960s after winning talent show Opportunity Knocks three times

Belfast City Council has opened a book of condolence in memory of Frank Carson.

The Belfast-born comic died on Wednesday after battling poor health for some time. He was 85.

Friends, family and the world of show business have been paying tribute to him.

Famous for his sayings "it’s a cracker" and "it’s the way I tell ‘em", Carson came to prominence in the 1960s after winning Opportunity Knocks.

He leaves a wife, Ruth, daughter Majella and sons Tony and Aidan, as well as 10 grandchildren.

Tony told BBC Radio Ulster that he was a father first and a celebrity second.

"He was a pain in the butt, in the nicest way," he said.

"He was non-stop."

"Dad was kind and generous, he had great affection for us all, especially his grandchildren as he got older and had more time on his hands.

"He had such a positive outlook on life, on everything. There was definitely a child within that wanted to have fun and give fun.

"Laughter is the best exercise for the heart and he got plenty of exercise for his."

The Carson family plan to bring Frank back to Belfast for burial on Saturday 3 March.

The first and deputy first ministers, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness said the comedian would be remembered with "special fondness".

"A bit of colour has dropped out of everyone’s life following the death of Frank Carson, but his laughter will echo around his native Belfast, and farther afield, for years to come," they said.

"He was a warm, funny and generous-hearted man who dispensed sunshine to everyone he met and was a great ambassador for his homeland."

The former bishop of Londonderry, Edward Daly, booked the comedian to perform to sell out crowds at St Columb’s Hall in the city nearly a 100 times in the 1960s.

He said he spoke to him by telephone last Sunday.

"Frank was a good man – he certainly made my life a whole lot more enjoyable," he said.

"He helped me and I think I helped him too."

Tributes

As the news of his death broke on Wednesday night many stars took to the social networking site Twitter to share their memories.

BBC News – Belfast’s book of condolence for Frank Carson

Oscar presenting disasters – Yahoo! Movies UK

 

Oscar presenting disasters

When hosting the Academy Awards goes horribly wrong

 

By Steve Charnock

 

After scheduled host Eddie Murphy pulled out of hosting this year’s Academy Awards ceremony at the end of 2011, Oscar bigwigs started to panic. Who were they going to get in to replace the ‘Nutty Professor’ ‘funnyman’? After all, there’s been a severe decline in TV ratings in recent years and plenty of dodgy shows before now.
Luckily for the Academy though, Ol’ Safe Hands himself, Billy Crystal has signed on to host proceedings (this year’s awards will be his ninth in charge – only Bob Hope beats him with a whopping 18!). But not everyone can be trusted behind that podium come Oscars night. Here’s a useful guide for future hosts on how to present the Oscars, using some real-life examples:

James Franco and Anne Hathaway (2011)

Pretty in pink… Hathaway and Franco (Credit: PA)
This duo might go down as the worst Oscar presenters in history. Firstly, Franco. He couldn’t have looked more uncomfortable if he’d had one of the Academy Awards stuffed down the back of his trousers. He said it was ‘cos the material written for him was rubbish (which it was), but dressing up as Marilyn Monroe in a pink dress and blonde wig didn’t help. As for Hathaway… did she really need that many costume changes?

Rude… Letterman (Credit: PA)David Letterman (1995)
Late Show host David Letterman’s dry wit is hugely popular in America, especially with his cynical East Coast audience, but LA luvvies weren’t appreciative of his irreverent hosting style though. His dismissive style of comedy was seen as too disrespectful and a daft joke about Oprah Winfrey caused the Queen of TV to blank him for more than a decade afterwards.
Jerry Lewis (1959)
Professional pratfaller Jerry Lewis had to fill up 20 minutes of air time due to a scheduling error. The comedian could only waffle on for so long before he decided to jump into the orchestra pit to kill time and start playing a trumpet terribly. It was embarrassing. Luckily, the TV network (NBC) pulled the plug and cut to a documentary about pistol shooting instead. We hope someone got fired.
Donald Duck (1958)
1958′s ceremony saw Donald Duck co-host along with Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon and David Niven. And it just looked weird. Unsurprisingly.

 

Acerbic… Rock (Credit: PA)Chris Rock (2005)
You’re not Ricky Gervais and this isn’t the Golden Globes. Chris Rock managed to upset a fair few people with his acerbic barbs back in 2005. Saying that some of the Best Picture nominations ‘sucked’ will do that. Chevy Chase set the precedent in this though – calling the assembled crowd ‘Hollywood phonies’ back in 1987.
Ellen DeGeneres (2007)
The comedian spectacularly fawned over everyone in the most cringingly awful way imaginable in 2007. She posed for photos with people and then even cried about how ‘beautiful’ it all was the next day on her talk show.

No hosts (1989)
The academy has tried to hold the Oscars with no hosts seven times (usually to try and trim the running time). They abandoned the idea in 1989 after the show opened with a now infamous skit featuring Rob Lowe and Snow White (played by Eileen Bowman) singing a version of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Proud Mary’. So embarrassing the Academy has seemingly expunged all traces of it from the internet. Disney considered suing.
Have you got any suggestions for future Oscars’ hosts? Do share ‘em…

ANOTHER GREAT ARTICLE FROM Yahoo! Movies UK:

Oscar presenting disasters – Yahoo! Movies UK

BAFTAs 2012: Meryl Streep loses shoe while collecting award.

 

BAFTAs 2012: Meryl Streep loses shoe while collecting award

By Orlando Parfitt 

An otherwise predictable BAFTAs was livened up when Meryl Streep had a footwear malfunction.

As expected, ‘The Artist’ continued its inevitable march towards Oscar glory by scooping up the big gongs, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor.

2012 BAFTA film awards highlights.

But the sedate ceremony, which was broadcast on BBC1, briefly came to life when Streep made a right mess of collecting her Best Actress gong and needed a helping hand from Colin Firth.

Streep won for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in ‘The Iron Lady’.

‘Where’s my shoe?’… Streep loses footwear

After her name was read out, the actress seemed unsure whether she needed her sparkly clutch bag. She started carrying it towards the stage, only to stop, shake her head and hand it to an audience member.

Then as she walked across the stage her shoe fell off. She paused, pointed at it, then abandoned the rogue item and continued towards the rostrum.

My hero… Colin Firth presents rogue stiletto

Luckily the ever-so-lovely Colin Firth, who had read out the Best Actress nominations beforehand, was her knight in shining armour.

He picked up the shoe, knelt down in front of her and presented it to her foot. The duo then shared a couple of friendly kisses.

Very friendly… Oscar-winners share smooch

"Thank you so much!" blustered Streep. "That couldn’t have gone worse!".

Here’s hoping her footwear is more secure when the Oscars come around in a couple of weeks.

If only the rest of the BAFTAs was so exciting…

BAFTAs 2012: Meryl Streep loses shoe while collecting award

 Movie Editor’s Blog – Yahoo! Movies UK