Why BBC is right to stop calling its high-profile staff the 'talent’

People who yearn for fame should beware the reality of life in the public eye

One of the highlights of working in broadcast journalism is meeting the steady stream of young people on work experience. I’ve got a great photograph of a twentysomething Craig Oliver holding a script for me on an outside broadcast, long before he became director of politics and communications at Number 10 and received a knighthood.

Down the years, I’ve met some brilliant young journalists who’ve gone on to build great careers as reporters, editors and producers. I’ve also met a few oddballs. That was apparent from the moment they told me their ambition was to be a presenter.

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That’s an acceptable job once you’ve spent years knocking on doors, finding stories and learning how to talk to people, earn their trust and carefully share their stories. But to want to pass Old Kent Road and go straight to Mayfair reveals something worrying, a yearning for fame.

Downside of fame

Some jobs propel you into the public consciousness by their nature. But to choose a career specifically because it makes you a familiar face rings alarm bells and rarely ends well.

The tragic death of Liam Payne reveals the dark downside of being a public figure. The singer shot to fame aged 16 on the TV show X Factor but struggled to deal with the pressure and what happens when attention shifts elsewhere.

Afterwards, more than 25,000 people signed a petition saying the entertainment industry needs to be held accountable and be responsible for their artists’ welfare. But how do you legislate for that when people enter the industry specifically wanting to become famous?

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Better support is definitely a good start point. Reality TV shows are now much more careful when it comes to looking after contestants and ensuring the experience of being suddenly catapulted into the nation’s front rooms does not send them off the rails.

The BBC's director-general Tim Davie's decision to ban the use of the word 'talent' to refer to high-profile staff is a smart move (Picture: Oli Scarff)The BBC's director-general Tim Davie's decision to ban the use of the word 'talent' to refer to high-profile staff is a smart move (Picture: Oli Scarff)
The BBC's director-general Tim Davie's decision to ban the use of the word 'talent' to refer to high-profile staff is a smart move (Picture: Oli Scarff) | Getty Images

Artificial hierarchy

The decision by BBC director-general Tim Davie to ban the use of the word “talent” when referring to high-profile staff is also a smart move. It suggests an artificial hierarchy which leads to the power imbalances that lie at the heart of some recent controversies.

Television is a team sport and a star striker depends on a brilliant midfield, great defenders and a fabulous goalkeeper.

The same applies to the movies where some of the worst behaviour encouraged by fame is on display. That reaches a zenith on pre-release promotional junkets where hapless journalists are wheeled in to ask soft questions for five minutes to help sell the film. The actors have to take part because it’s in their contract but they don’t have to behave themselves.

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Most entertainment reporters have got their own horror stories to tell from those encounters but maybe times are changing. Anne Hathaway has apologised to a journalist for her rude behaviour after an old interview resurfaced and went viral. If you’re on screen, your past exists to haunt you.

New media has also seen an explosion in the number of people receiving public exposure with a tidal wave of Instagram influencers, YouTubers and TikTok creators watering down what famous means.

So maybe we are past peak fame. Or perhaps Andy Warhol was right and we are heading for a world where everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. Just don’t expect those 15 minutes to be happier than the rest.

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