How Ant can get the show back on road
PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERTS’ TIPS TV star McPartlin is advised to say sorry then get medical treatment
TODAY, Ant McPartlin’s career looks to be smashed into tiny pieces.
Sunday afternoon’s incident – when he was involved in a collision involving two other cars and was arrested on suspicion of drink driving – has taken him from King of Saturday night to TV untouchable, off our screens for the foreseeable future.
Celebrities can, and do, go off the rails all the time.
But failing a roadside breathalyser test after a collision with a child in one of the cars is a whole different story.
This isn’t falling out of a nightclub in a poor state. This is breaking the law and jeopardising other people’s lives.
Lots of famous faces have struggled with addictions. But when you’ve built your career on being a cheeky chappy with a winning smile and a ready joke, it’s hard for your fans to accept you as a troubled adult who is failing to cope and making irresponsible, dangerous choices. This is not what light entertainment is about.
Yet, others have come back from a dark place and rebuilt their careers.
Comedian Russell Brand is a former alcoholic. Davina McCall’s drug issues have not prevented her presenting blockbusting shows.
McPartlin’s fall has come from a greater height. He is loved by children and their parents, nurtured by ITV to deliver a
mass audience that wants laughs, banter and a warm fuzzy glow. How does that square with the sad figure pictured beside his car? Jack Irvine, of Media House, advises famous clients in Glasgow, London and Dubai. He says that McPartlin’s first step should be to say sorry – and mean it. He said: “Obviously there’s a court case so he can’t say too much but I would advise him to issue an apology to fans.
“An apology is always good. He should open up, admit he has problems and stress, and that he is going to fix them. He should appear contrite. I’m sure he is.”
Stephen McCranor, co-founder of PR company Frame, added: “The first thing I’d advise him is to express genuine regret and remorse for the incident. Then stay off TV until he’s completely ready.
“Acknowledging his demons is the only way to exorcise them. Rehabilitation should not and cannot be tailored to suit the needs of the television studios.”
Irvine added: “He needs to go away for six months, get to a clinic somewhere and get totally sorted. He should go abroad, where nobody knows him.”
Lee Beattie, founder of Wire Media, believes McPartlin can pull it back – but he has to get it right this time.
She said: “Over the years, he’s built up a positive, strong brand that means people will generally root for him to recover and return to work. “If he returns too early only to have another relapse, public sympathy would hugely reduce and it would be much harder for his career to recover.
“When he returned to I’m A Celeb last year, they handled the situation with some genuinely funny jokes on the show. Given that this is much more serious, we’d be advising him to address it more seriously this time.”
McCranor added: “He has a nation in his corner. Ant and Dec have been together for 30 years while the average UK marriage lasts fewer than 12. “Coming back too early will risk not only the confidence of the TV execs and their sponsors but could result in public sympathy running out.”
An apology is always good. He should admit he has problems JACK IRVINE