Barry Norman ‘kept integrity’ by avoiding stars, daughter reveals

The daughter of legendary film critic Barry Norman has told how her late father was so committed to his work that he avoided rubbing shoulders with the stars to keep his “integrity” both as a professional and a father.

Emma Norman, one of the renowned journalist’s two daughters, described him as a devoted family man until his death at the age of 83 last month.

She told the Radio Times magazine: “When we were 0 Barry Norman avoided rubbing shoulders with stars young Dad didn’t bring stars home – in fact he didn’t want to be friends with stars at all.

“Dad had so much integrity I think he felt it might affect his work.”but she admitted that her film buff father – known for his work both with the BBC and Sky TV as well as his earlier career in writing – always had a deep admiration and affection for the industry’s highest flyers.

Even when his television career began to boom in both the UK and in the United States in the 1970s, Ms Norman said: “He would go away every summer to film in LA … But whenever he could, he would be there to collect us at the school gates.”