Loosely Carol

Welcome to the Wide Awakers, here is a treat for you, and anyone else who wants to tag along. I have just spent an hour watching this Andrew Gold interview. People may remember Carol McGiffin, a former member of the Loose Women panel. I caught a few of these programmes, but only if I was indoors at lunchtime when it aired, which was very rare.

I didn't like the concept of the programme, didn't like the presenters, and the content was so contrived and silly. However, I did like Carol. She was a breath of fresh air and went against the prescribed narrative, and often put her big foot in it. 

102,572 views Premiered 15 hours ago heretics.

Carol McGiffin joins Heretics for a brutally honest, no-holds-barred conversation about why she really left Loose Women and what was happening behind the scenes at one of daytime TV’s biggest shows. From explosive rows in the dressing room to being repeatedly censored by ITV, Carol explains how the atmosphere shifted as the show – and the wider industry – became more rigid, risk-averse and, in her words, “woke”.

Carol opens up about being “forced out”, the pressure to conform on issues like trans debates and women’s sport, and why she believes presenters are now expected to say one thing on TV while thinking another in private. If you’ve ever suspected that mainstream TV is more scripted, controlled and performative than it looks – this episode will confirm your suspicions.

It's cold and wet outside today, so I am staying in.

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip. ilona