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Rachel Pegg meets Trinny and Susannah as they take to the road to alter Britain’s perception of body image

So here I am, stripping off for Trinny and Susannah. Having pledged to myself not to take off my clothes when covering the Brighton leg of their body image roadshow, it didn’t take long for me to crack.

Within minutes of meeting them I am wearing a lovely shiny-purple full-body leotard and parading in front of a TV camera, two photographers and a roomful of people. It’s not how I usually spend my Sunday mornings, but Trinny, Susannah and their team are very persuasive.

Their latest ITV programme is all about Britain’s body image. The Great British Body roadshow travelled around the country auditing the vital statistics of thousands of people and asking them personal questions about how they feel about their figures. The point is to get an accurate picture of how we Brits see ourselves and what the average shape is really like.

“If you have a squidgy-widgy nose, 3,000 other people have it. If you have massive breasts, you’re not the only one”

Hundreds of people turned up to the Dome to have themselves measured, weighed and photographed. Most, like me, were not exactly supermodels. But all were happy to let strangers scrutinise their lumps and bumps in the name of scientific research – or was it the lure of getting on television?

Some had sad stories to tell. Helen Taylor, 31, from Burgess Hill, attended because she is a huge fan of Trinny and Susannah and wanted their advice on her body problems. Read the rest of this article »

Rachel Pegg reports on the big decision looming before the city council

In a matter of weeks the most powerful local councillor in the history of Brighton and Hove will be elected. But he or she will not be chosen by the people.

Rather, a candidate will be put forward by the ruling Conservative group, who will then have to persuade just one other city councillor – probably independent Jayne Bennett – to support their choice in order for him or her to be elected city leader. That person will preside over a new democratic system that will allow the leader to hand-pick a cabinet to take charge of major functions such as social care, housing, finance and major projects. This is likely to end the days when minority parties can have a significant influence on big decisions or can thwart the wishes of the administration. Instead, a central body of potentially single party councillors will shape the future of Brighton and Hove until the next local elections in 2011.

The new system has been forced on Brighton and Hove by the government, which wants more individually accountable local politicians, quicker decision making and easier lines of communication between the regions and the civil service.

“A central body of potentially single party councillors will shape Brighton and Hove until 2011”

No city councillor wanted it, whatever their political allegiance. The Tories vociferously campaigned against a directly elected mayor in 2001 when they were in opposition. But now, as rulers, it is the Conservatives who are most likely to benefit from a system that gives them more freedom to push through policies with, if they like, less public scrutiny.

Read the rest of this article »

Is this the end of French and Saunders? James Rampton asked the celebrated comedians why they swear this tour will be their last

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are like fish and chips: great on their own, but there’s something special and comforting about them when they’re together.

Now the greatest British female comedy double act of all time are bringing their partnership to a close. After 30 years of making the nation roar with laughter, they are calling a halt to their sketch show. Time to reach for the hankies.

Their gigs this week as part of their Still Alive 2008 tour could well be the last time they perform comedy in Brighton together.

When the curtain finally falls on this widely loved duo, it promises to be a highly charged occasion. “I’m sure I’ll be a blubbering wreck on the last night,” Dawn predicts. “But we felt the time was right to stop. We’ve got lots of other things we want to do together – we jointly run a production company and we will still write and act together. But as a double act, we wanted to quit while we were ahead.”

Jennifer adds: “We’ll never stop working together, but we’re stopping the sketches – otherwise we’d end up just doing sketches about old people. We’ve done decades of stuff about young people, but I don’t think we can still pretend to be Britney Spears!”

Read the rest of this article »

Is this the end of French and Saunders? James Rampton asked the celebrated comedians why they swear this tour will be their last

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are like fish and chips: great on their own, but there’s something special and comforting about them when they’re together.

Now the greatest British female comedy double act of all time are bringing their partnership to a close. After 30 years of making the nation roar with laughter, they are calling a halt to their sketch show. Time to reach for the hankies.

Their gigs this week as part of their Still Alive 2008 tour could well be the last time they perform comedy in Brighton together.

When the curtain finally falls on this widely loved duo, it promises to be a highly charged occasion. “I’m sure I’ll be a blubbering wreck on the last night,” Dawn predicts. “But we felt the time was right to stop. We’ve got lots of other things we want to do together – we jointly run a production company and we will still write and act together. But as a double act, we wanted to quit while we were ahead.”

Jennifer adds: “We’ll never stop working together, but we’re stopping the sketches – otherwise we’d end up just doing sketches about old people. We’ve done decades of stuff about young people, but I don’t think we can still pretend to be Britney Spears!”

Read the rest of this article »