Missing you missing me possibly

Haven’t blogged for a wee while, so missing you missing me possibly

Got a scary twinge of the dark side of the internet after being a guest on Big Brother’s Bit on the Side on Monday.

Got carried away by the celebration sweeties in the Green Room and aligned myself needlessly for and against various celebrities I had never met before or heard of and I started to ‘Over Connect’ as opposed to EM Forster who ‘Only Connects’ ( Howard’s End before you ask, but you knew that ). Got my knuckles rapped from said celebrities’ loved ones on facebook and twitter and found myself feeling rather sick and vexed. I hate upsets. That’ll learn me.

Mind you Julian Clary spoke out against republicanism which may have been a departure for the CBB viewers.

For those not on a diet , and who haven’t given up drink in order to loose the weight for a job not vanity (I lie) and who therefore are not watching Celebrity Big Bro in their pj’s at 9, 10 and 11 respectively - it may be diverting to learn that I went to Jonathan Harvey’s book launch as well.

I was also invited which made the entrance less stressful. The shabby chic pub (velvet and peeled paint) was positively teeming with talented, good looking literati so had to immediately request vodka being too much of a suburban to ask for an absinth and a quill. Jonathan’s tweet on the night: “It’s my book launch tonight and I’m a bit over excited. I may actually piss myself” will whet your appetite. I can’t wait to get stuck in.

Did a few Sky News reviews since I last saw you. This time no one said my hair was like a dog’s dinner on that forum I accidentally came upon. Bloody right they didn't  - I had it tongued and sea salt sprayed as a precaution. Finally topical news not about me : Jeremy Hunt is a lucky ...

Unusual

this is  unusual  - it's on Channel 5,  Tuesday at 8pm - the programme invited me to take part and so I did -but filming it was quite hard - and then after a time, just as the big brother contestants  will tell  you,  I  really did forget the camera was there - I had a lot of gin in the evenings though - and what's  more I found me a cousin !   anyway I wrote this which explains it

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/9261753/Helen-Lederer-My-cousin-the-survivor.html

normal jocular service of wry veering on bitter sweet observations of the shallow world of showbiz to be resumed I hope...

http://www.channel5.com/shows/live-with/clips/helen-lederer

http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/316906/Our-family-war-heroes

See Helen Lederer in War Hero in my Family,

Channel 5, Tuesday 15th May, 8pm

http://www.channel5.com/shows/war-hero-in-my-family

  

'Helen not only found  her grandfather  to have been a hero she found a cousin who survived  Auschwitz and is reunited with him.' 

War Hero in my Family

There's a new series starting on Channel 5 on Tuesday 1st May - War Hero in my Family - not to be missed. And I'm not saying that because I'm in it - but because it reveals compelling stories that should not be forgotten - but as the programme highlights 'How can we remember - if we were never told'. There are secrets in every family that come out when Channel 5 do the research as I can now testify!

I was cool about being invited to take part in War Hero in my Family as our family have not spoken about the painful memories that WW2 holds for them but there is crying. Soz.

I was able to see first hand the horrors of the concentration camps and with great sensitivity by the director of the programme, Serena Davies, I was steered toward discovering a cousin who is not only still alive but whom I have visited again and who I now have as part of my family. I have just sent him a dvd about liverpool and Bolton football teams. Together we can piece together what happened to my Father and Grandfather when he came to England and more amazingly still over how he played his part in the war by incriminating captured SS officers for trial at Nuremberg.

My programme goes out on 15th May but don't miss the first episode on Tuesday 1st May in which Chris Tarrant and Lisa Faulkner set off on an emotional journey to discover more about the role their family members played in WW2. I don't know their stories yet. I've only seen the trailer: http://www.channel5.com/shows/war-hero-in-my-family/clips/series-trailer but from my own experience of being involved in the series I know it will be a must see. I'm going to find it hard - I know - but I'm going to watch.

For a further taster : http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/316906/Our-family-war-heroes

A Bit on the Side

omiword...The Big Brother Bit on the Side is the best bit

me acting Nan to my glamour grandchildren, Lisa and Jessica Jane

BBBOS boasts the only green room where bowls of chewy sweets are replenished as soon as one bowl disappears. Service! No matter the caramel gums the teeth up – loving the gratis toffee adrenalin kick back.

In danger of getting obsessed with the celebs – luckily all the little details I have noticed on Big Brother watching 24/7 are picked up on BBBOS – e.g Gareth eating with mouth open bless (a small weakness to offset his perfection) also Natalie’s extreme wiping of surfaces behaviour (sadly now departed) brings out the wry laughter in me.

Just as death comes to us all – so too will the inevitable departure of all housemates –this should unify them but it seems to be getting them twitchy.

Maybe they should be carried out in wicker ware humanist baskets to cut down on humiliation and regrets? (I will suggest this)


BOOK SIGNING - Wednesday, 25th Jan, 2-3pm at Waterstones, The Hayes, Cardiff.
Am more than a little concerned re book signing of FINGER FOOD. What if there isn’t a queue of keen fans around Cardiff high street ? My famous welsh actress friend Melanie Walters can’t make it .. so that just leaves er me.. And me books.

Still, I’ll be getting some nice sausage rolls at the Senedd – and maybe a welsh cake at Waterstones if not – I’ll bring me own.

Diolch in advance

Busy, busy

This was me in Dublin with two very nice clever funny presenters of The Daily Show.  I love Claire’s hair style. Someone said Jedwood. I beg to differ. Jedwood's hairs are completely vertical. You will see here the hairs have been contained close to the crown.

Quite a busy week ahead – I can’t be doing with anyone who is de-toxing right now. Please have a sense of decency and those in the ‘no raw after 4 brigade’ keep your healthy distance.

a flat spritzer never hurt anyone

Lucky for me the new rules on drinking from The Dept for Health have drawn me into the lime light as a coveted commentator - huge gratitude and general thankfulness - see my Huffington Post article. But just to be sure here are the basic rules again. Women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day; (one glorious alcopop) and lucky men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day (two cans of cider). Apparently the old rules were deemed unclear so lots of MPs assembled (over a nice glass of wine) to draw up some new rules.

I’m sure I told you all about the last time I was on the BBC sofa (if you missed it The Guardian can enlighten you http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/oct/21/helen-lederer-my-greatest-mistake) so naturally anxious to get it just right.

Was on with a dashing doctor from Kings who sees a lot of liver damage in the young –so together we must strike a balance over liver damage and comfy drinking (lots in my case) then met twinkly MP Chris Bryant in the green room who assures me the glass size in the House of Commons is the same size as normal. I challenge him to give me the opportunity to see for myself. He offers. I accept in a heartbeat . No sooner do I get home I get a call from a gentleman at BBC World at One – he asks me to summarise the facts of the official advice and measurements with an humorous twist if you please. I dash off a piece in twenty mins and before I’ve got time to change out of my leisure pants and whip off my scrunchy I have to enter the tardis - sorry - radio car where I stumble over some statistics which they kept in and some jokes which they kept out. Never mind - drinking is a serious business - that’s why you have to keep at it.

But if I thought that was totally showbiz- how about this on Wednesday http://www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk/support-us/national-wow-events/inspirational-women-of-the-year-awards/?menu=4c  I must boldly venture out in black dress to do an after dinner speech – someone dropped out. I wonder who it was? But hey, I’m rallying the Daily Mail Inspirational Women of the Year Awards. ‘As in previous years we expect this to be a wonderful, fun, glamorous event.’ Yeh - well they hadn’t asked me at that point had they, but will do my best not to wear the laddered penis-proofs – even though they hug the thighs nicely when one is clutching the plinth.

I am recording Pointless on TV - a quiz programme in the day time , where you MUST NOT SCORE.
I'll be on Big Brother’s Bit on the Side Thursday afternoon on  Channel 5. Must swot up On Celeb Big Bro.
THEN I will be doing this on Sunday 22nd Jan: http://funnywomen.com/we-will-be-here.php?e=111
No one dropped out for this - but I will be dropping in – hope they have nice crisps in the dressing rooms – so depressing to race down to the bar for one's own bespoke beverages and sundries – at my age.