After-dinner speaking testimonials .. .
“It sounded as though one of my favourite celebrities, Eric Morecambe, was also one of yours and a brilliant one to start with… Thanks for entertaining us so well on a very cold winter night.” Sue Hammond , Brackenhurst Country Women’s Club, F eb 2012
“All the ladies loved your talk – they do like a laugh! Can we book you again?” Woodhall Spa Ladies’ Luncheon Club, May 2011
“We had the most wonderful time! The talk went by so fast – we were bewitched!” Janet Gale, Cleveland Ladies’ Luncheon Club. Jan 2011
“I have met a lot of people today who were at the group last night, and they have all said how they enjoyed your talk. Well done! Brenda Page, St. Barnabas Hospice Friendship Group, Lincoln. April 2012
After-dinner speaking testimonials . . .
Or what audience members and bookers have said after Graham’s speech at dinners and other events.
“Absolutely superb!”
Rob Hayes, President, Bingley Airedale Rotary, 2010
“Very entertaining!”
Martin Radford, Total Networking, Grantham
Thank you so much for last night - we really enjoyed your talk. I've never heard some of the women laugh so much and it raised a smile on even the most formidable of the group (and that takes some doing, believe me). I particularly liked the touches of humanity that ran through your talk (you as a boy etc). Don't you think that the best comics all have it ? Peter Kay, Michael McIntyre...
Tonia Evers, Everton WI
“Thank you so much for coming to the conference. You were great! You made a nice start and we had a good weekend with a good variety of speakers.”
Auriol Thornton – Rotary District 1240 Conference Organiser
“Just a quick line of thanks for Tuesday night. My WI ladies thought you were wonderful.”
Gosberton , WI
“Graham entertained us royally.”
Fylde Rotary ( Blackpool)
“Fabulous!”
Dianne Davidson, WI speaker finder
“We all agreed it was a truly riveting talk…” Upton WI
“Very funny. An eye-opener!” Newark Conservative Club Ladies’ Group
“That really was a star performance!”
Newark Rotary Club
“Brilliant! Very entertaining.”Scunthorpe Pentagon Rotary
“We could have listened to you all night.”
Bourne WI
“The feedback has been very good and I have already recommended you to other groups.” Dunham W.I.
And just to show you can’t win ’em all…
“In no way a disaster…” Peter Negus, Swadlincote Rotary
36th Broadcasting Press Guild Awards
I’m forever telling audiences for my after-dinner speeches that the job of a showbiz reporter is rarely glamorous, but I do admit to a few exceptions, and the annual lunch to mark the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards (voted for by BPG members – including me) is one of them.
Due to setting up my new website there’s been a gap between attending and writing about the 36 th annual BPG Awards last Friday at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in Covent Garden, but a marvellous time was had by all and it was a rare chance for showbiz hacks to chat to TV talents because we want to, rather than because we have a job to do.
There were 110 journos and prizewinners at the lunch, generously sponsored by Dave and UKTV – we buy our own lunches but they ply us with free drink, which every showbiz journalist has come to expect as a vital part of any job.
Didn’t get a chance to talk to award-winner Terry Wogan unfortunately – a brief nod from the man himself had to suffice – but apart from enjoying clips from the winning shows and an excellent lunch (as usual at Drury Lane – we’ve been there about 12 years) I enjoyed the company of the wonderful Gareth ‘The Choir’ Malone and his friendly production team, had a great natter with the incomparable star of The Thick Of It, Peter Capaldi, plus brilliant series creator Armando Iannucci, and one or two of the writers.
Armando made the most acerbic joke of the day. Coming on to accept one of three awards for The Thick Of It (Peter Capaldi’s Best Actor Award was a first for him for doing the show), Armando followed a worthy but somewhat interminable series of acceptance speeches by the production talents behind gripping Iraq War drama Occupation.
Armando said : “I think we all know now how it feels to be under Occupation…”
Ouch!” Funny though.
Maxine Peake, looking delicately waif-like, accepted the Best Actress gong for her riveting performance in Criminal Justice. Richly deserved.
The admirable Andrew Marr was the prizewinner at my table (or maybe I was at his…) but we were too far apart to chat. No matter, as I had the excellent company of his producer/director on The Making of Modern Britain, Roger Parsons.
After the event it was To The Pub with old mate Terry Ramsey, former Evening Standard TV Editor, but I was quite abstemious, sticking to fruit juice and fizzy water to remain in good fettle for a seat in the Gods at Jerusalem at the Apollo Theatre. Mark Rylance at his brilliant best in a superb production, soon destined for Broadway.
Home on last train, arriving at the station at 1am, so quite a memorable day. . Details of the nominations, previous BPG Awards and the event sponsor, Dave, “the home of witty banter”, can be found at: http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org/ together with pictures and video of previous awards..
Here’s the full list of BPG winners:
Best Single Drama
Enid
(A Carnival Films and Television production for BBC Four)
Best Drama Series
Occupation
(A Kudos Film & Television production for BBC One)
Best Single Documentary
Man on Wire
(A Wall To Wall production, in association with Red Box Films, for BBC, Discovery Films and the UK Film Council, for BBC Two)
Best Documentary Series
Andrew Marr’s The Making of Modern Britain
(A BBC production for BBC Two)
Best Comedy/Entertainment
The Thick of It
(A BBC production for BBC Two)
Best Factual Entertainment
The Choir: Unsung Town
(A Twenty Twenty Television production for BBC Two)
Best Multichannel Programme
Sky Arts Theatre Live!
(A Sky Arts Theatre Live! production for Sky Arts)
Best Actor
Peter Capaldi
(Malcolm Tucker, in The Thick of It for BBC Two)
Best Actress
Maxine Peake
(Juliet Miller in Criminal Justice and Madeleine in The Street, for BBC One)
Best TV Performer in a Non-acting Role
Gareth Malone for The Choir: Unsung Town
(A Twenty Twenty Television production for BBC Two)
Writer’s Award
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Roger Drew, Will Smith, Sean Gray, Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin, Tony Roche and the cast
(The Thick of It, a BBC production for BBC Two)
Radio Broadcaster of the Year
Eddie Mair
(The PM Programme, BBC News for BBC Radio 4)
Radio Programme of the Year
Desert Island Discs
(A BBC Radio production for BBC Radio 4)
Innovation Award
Sky Arts
Harvey Lee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting
Sir Terry Wogan
After Dinner Speaker
Fresh and funny
Showbiz journalist Graham Keal developed his flair for entertaining audiences early, compering student revues, appearing at folk clubs and auditioning for Opportunity Knocks. He is now an experienced speaker performing at dinners, conferences and club events all over the UK.
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Testimonials
Entertaining and Informative
“My WI ladies thought you were wonderful… You had them all enthralled!” Eileen Johnson, Lincolnshire
“That really was a star performance!”
Newark Rotary Club
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