Vanessa gets her own back with record audiences
EARLIER this week it was revealed her boss thought she ‘lacked personality’.
But Vanessa Feltz has got her own back in the best possible way after pulling in record audiences for her BBC local radio breakfast show.
The Rajar audience figures revealing her show has broken the 300,000-listener mark for the first time came in the same week a critical memo about her was leaked.
In the email accidentally sent to staff, Radio London editor David Robey said Miss Feltz’s presenting style was said to ‘lack personality’ and a performance review claimed it was a ‘constant battle’ to get the broadcaster to achieve the pace of a breakfast show.
The blunder was particularly embarrassing for the BBC as it was revealed last week she is its second-highest paid woman on a salary of up to £399,000.
Not surprisingly, the 55-year-old admitted she was ‘distressed’ by the gaffe, but ‘delighted’ to have been vindicated by boosted ratings.
She added: ‘They’re the best Rajars we’ve had in the history of the station, so obviously I am delighted.
‘Well yes, it’s a bit of a two fingers-up, and I can’t pretend it’s been a nice few days. But I hope this marks the end of a nasty, very distressing period of time of negativity which we now know was ill-founded.
‘This job is my passion, my life, and my pleasure, yet it felt absolutely bizarre to read in the papers in the morning that I’m presenting a failing show.’
Yesterday she revealed a contrite Mr Robey had contacted her to apologise for the leaked email, which Miss Feltz said she had not taken personally.