Strictly savage

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and panto season seems to be in full swing – that is, if you believe the familiar stories and array of villains we are seeing paraded on TV in the nation’s favourite reality shows in the lead up to the day itself. Nothing says ‘Christmas prime time’ quite like celebrities eating kangaroo testicles in the jungle or a fantastic dancing being accused of diva behaviour and being lampooned in the media, does it?

At this time of year, we have become accustomed to the reality show hat trick of The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. One after the other begins, a cast of grinning and gurning presenters and judges appear and an ensemble of famous-ish / soon-to-be-infamous faces flash across our screens to our gasps and boos, all in the name of entertainment.

Max Clifford - the anti role model for PR

While sympathising with his family, few in the world of public relations will shed a tear at the loss of Max Clifford. PR is a much misunderstood industry - ask BCU students who struggle to explain to puzzled parents what it is they actually study! 

For many years, part of the problem was that its most prominent practitioner was better described as a publicist. Clifford's mission was to generate newspaper headlines, to sell stories to the tabloids, and, a source of great pride to him, to keep uncomfortable stories out of the media.