Forsyth loses his Brucie Bonus
|
If you’ve been scrabbling around down the sofa in the vain hope of finding a few coppers to pay the milkman, spare a thought for Strictly Come Dancing presenter and all-round National Treasure Bruce Forsyth.
The twinkle-toed 81-year-old has reportedly agreed to a massive 25% pay cut to present the next series of the hit BBC ballroom dancing show. Brucie’s earnings have been slashed to a paltry £500,000, some £160,000 less than the recession-busting pay-cheque he picked up back in 2008.
“Brucie loves Strictly,” trilled a source close to the star. “We haven’t signed a contract yet, but we hope to have things sorted within the next two weeks. In times like these people are taking cuts. Gone are the days when you’d get a Brucie bonus for being loyal.” Brucie bonus! Yes, yes, very good.
However, another TV star facing a pay cut is proving to be much less accommodating. GMTV glamourpuss Kate Garraway is said to be fuming over the show’s plans to impose a 25% pay cut of their own, and is even prepared to quit the show in protest.
“The deal is a shocker,” growled a source close to the pregnant star. “Kate’s agent is prepared to pull her from GMTV if they continue along these lines as the station is still hugely profitable and they are just using the credit crunch as an excuse.”
But it seems GMTV viewers are less than sympathetic to Kate and her colleagues’ plight. “Oh dear,” tittered one, “you could save 50% by doing away with the two-presenter syndrome.”
Now there’s an idea…
by Stewart Turner, Wednesday 1 July 2009
Source: Daily Mirror, The Sun
