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The Rest is PR
The Rest Is...The Strictly Come Dancing Scandal, & Risk Assessment Comms
This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss a scandal that has had the UK talking this week, and one that has dominated the build-up to one of the nation's most-watched TV shows - the Strictly Come Dancing scandal. Jacki and Lyle analyse what has allegedly taken place in the rehearsal rooms of one of the UK's most beloved entertainment shows, with allegations levelled at Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice by reality TV star Zara McDermott and actress Amanda Abbington respectively. Di Prima is alleged to have kicked, hit, and spat at McDermott during training sessions for the show, which have been revealed to last up to 10 hours on certain days as pro dancers and their celebrity partners vie for the coveted Strictly trophy. Abbington, meanwhile, has publicly accused Pernice of 'sexual bullying', most recently in an interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy on Channel 4 News. The allegations are now being investigated by the BBC, and Director General Tim Davie revealed recently that the broadcaster had taken steps to ensure situations like this would not happen again, including having Strictly producers present at every training session to observe and ensure the safety of the contestants. Jacki and Lyle discuss how exactly it came to this, as well as the importance of risk assessing projects like this ahead of time. Jacki praises the response of the BBC, and Lyle agrees whilst also insisting that the better situation would have been for the BBC to have acknowledged these concerns sooner and adopted a more proactive risk assessment strategy as opposed to a reactive one. Jacki offers her own opinion on the merit, or lack of, in Abbington's interview with Channel 4, before she puts Lyle on the spot in asking whether he would take up the Strictly invite if offered! Previous Strictly scandals, of an ironically very different kind, are discussed, before Lyle's relative dancing talents are brought to the fore!
Artwork & music by Lyle Fulton
Get in touch via lyle@dimoso.com or info@therestispr.com
More information at www.therestispr.com
Follow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR
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40. The Rest Is...Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, & The 'It Ends With Us' Drama (With Alis Wyn Davies)
44:30||Season 2, Ep. 40This week, Jacki and Lyle are finally joined by a guest they've been waiting to invite for a long, long time. That's right, the one and and only Alis Wyn Davies, also known as Alis Fulton and Lyle's wife, is on the podcast this week! Alis is an actress and writer who has performed on stage and screen across a number of high profile projects, including notably as Ophelia opposite Sir Ian McKellen in the Theatre Royal Windsor production of Hamlet in 2021. She joins Jacki and Lyle to discuss a topic that has been capturing her attention for the last few weeks - the fallout from the release of 'It Ends With Us', an adaptation of the book by Colleen Hoover which contains graphic depictions of domestic violence, directed by Justin Baldoni and starring himself and Blake Lively. Alis analyses the issues that have arisen since the release of the film, with Blake Lively coming under fire for the tone of her PR for the film where she has at times publicised her own haircare and cosmetic products, promoted her husband Ryan Reynolds' film 'Deadpool X Wolverine', and avoided questions pertaining to how she prepared for the issues surrounding domestic violence when she took the role. Alis mentions one particular example where Lively is alleged to have told prospective audience members to bring their daughters, wear floral dresses and drink prosecco at the film, only for audience members to walk out upon seeing the scenes of domestic abuse on screen. Jacki analyses how Baldoni has been able to rise above the drama, writing an open letter to victims of domestic violence, praising Lively and the rest of the cast, and generally getting his comms strategy right, while Lyle discusses the responsibility actors like Lively have as role models and icons in the industry to tell these stories truthfully, authentically and with empathy both on-screen and off it after the film has released. Alis breaks down where we are now with this situation, including the slightly bizarre scenario that has scene Lively and the wider cast seemingly conduct a separate press tour from Baldoni! It was a pleasure to finally have Mrs Fulton on the podcast, and Jacki and Lyle will be sure to ask for Alis' insight should this story continue to run and run!Artwork & music by Lyle FultonGet in touch via lylefulton@hotmail.comMore information at www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR39. The Rest Is...The Jermaine Jenas Scandal & What The BBC Have Done Differently
45:10||Season 2, Ep. 39This week, Jacki and Lyle are discussing a topic that has had the whole country talking once again. No, it's not the Oasis reunion (although Lyle does his level best to mention this at every possible moment!) It is, in fact, the situation surrounding now former BBC presenter and Match Of The Day pundit, Jermaine Jenas, who was sacked last week after it was revealed by The Sun that he had sent inappropriate text messages to two female members of staff. Jenas later admitted to sending this messages in an interview with the same newspaper, something Jacki agrees was planned by Jenas' comms team who have reacted decisively to his sacking and the resulting fallout. Jenas may well be offered a lifeline if newspaper reports are to be believed, with TNT Sports, where he works as a freelance pundit and commentator, refusing to rule out his continued appearances after the upcoming international break. Tim Davie, meanwhile, is said to be 'deeply unhappy' with Jenas, and Jacki and Lyle praise the BBC's response to this scandal in this episode. Jacki outlines that the BBC have in essence behaved like any standard employer should when faced with this allegations about one of their employees, and Lyle agrees that, despite certain perspectives that Jenas has ultimately paid the price for the BBC getting their act together in times of crisis such as these, this is how everyone associated with the broadcaster should now expect to be dealt with should they behave improperly. Jacki analyses the continued fallout from the Strictly Come Dancing Scandal involving Giovanni Pernice and actress Amanda Abbington, with the latter coming under fire from Jacki for the interview she recently conducted with Krishnan Guru-Murthy. Lyle ultimately assesses the three different approaches taken by the people at the centre of the three most recent BBC scandals - Jenas and his immediate apology, Pernice and his coming-out-fighting approach, and Huw Edwards' ultimately futile silent strategy. All three approaches led to different levels of reporting on the repsective stories, although Lyle does admit the Oasis reunion may have helped Jenas' cause in this regard as well (he just couldn't help mentioning it again!)Artwork & music by Lyle FultonGet in touch via lyle@dimoso.comMore information at www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR38. The Rest Is...What Makes A Great Spokesperson
42:21||Season 2, Ep. 38This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss the importance of having a good spokesperson within your organisation, and what it takes to become a great spokesperson in general. Lyle analyses how important it is to be authentic in the delivery and tone of your message as a spokesperson, and Jacki lists the many excellent spokespeople that have appeared on the podcast so far. These include the phenomenal Chloe Davies, who Jacki continues to catch up with regularly, as well as the likes of Impact Guru Esther Stanhope, AgencyWise's Laura West, and the incredible Beatka Wójciak who has had to learn how to be the best possible spokesperson she can be after being thrust into the limelight by the creation of Chaos Cookie and her involvement with Apple through her game, Squarelets. Lyle and Jacki also discuss bad examples of spokespeople, and the importance of ensuring you are as confident and informative as possible even if you don't wholeheartedly believe in the message you are delivering. Lyle draws on his experience as an actor to offer advice to prospective spokespeople, and there is even time for a truly remarkable story from Jacki about how she ended up taking a job after losing a game of backgammon!Artwork & music by Lyle FultonGet in touch via lyle@dimoso.com or info@therestispr.comMore information at www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR37. The Rest Is...Media Bias - Who Do You Trust?
33:26||Season 2, Ep. 37This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss the current media landscape, with a particular focus on the slant taken on certain stories by a cross section of broadcasters and news outlets in the UK over the last few weeks. In an episode that touches on some very tragic subjects and where viewer and listener discretion is advised, Jacki and Lyle discuss the reporting of the recent tragic murders of 3 young girls at a Taylor Swift themed dance class in Southport, and how the immediacy with which the killer's ethnicity and heritage were reported has since contributed to flashpoints and riots up and down the UK. Lyle compares this situation to that of Sarah Everard, and the fact that the information reported about her killer, Wayne Couzens, didn't have anywhere near the same focus on his heritage and ethinicity, instead concentrating on his job as a police officer. Jacki ultimately discusses how the apparent bias being perpetuated by the mainstream media has informed the rise of independent social media news outlets, such as Dylan Page (otherwise known as News Daddy) who her son follows on TikTok. Lyle asks the question as to whether the vacuum that has been created by this increased mainstream bias has in essence been filled by these independent news reporter influencers, before inserting his trademark sporting analogy in his mention of Manchester United fan channel, The United Stand!Artwork & music by Lyle FultonGet in touch via lyle@dimoso.com or info@therestispr.comMore information at www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR36. The Rest Is...The Importance Of Reputation In The Corporate World
37:52||Season 2, Ep. 36This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss the importance of reputation in the corporate and business world, and how companies and individuals can take steps to manage their reputation in order to elevate their business. This follows hot on the heels of the Huw Edwards Scandal episode, where Jacki and Lyle started to discuss the idea of reputation when it comes to public figures and crisis communications. Lyle discusses his own opinion on the term reputation, including how he sees it as more of a vibe around a business or individual than something that businesses should be prioritising. Jacki responds to Lyle's point regarding how the C suite can have the best reputation in the world by agreeing that upholding your reputation throughout an organisation is important. She analyses how it used to be the customer service department of an organisation that fell foul of poor reputation management, but that now maintaining an excellent customer service reputation is seen as a priority by businesses! There is time for Jacki and Lyle to discuss some brilliant examples of customer service, such as the service delivered to Jacki by Apple recently over a subscription she wished to cancel, and the pair also discuss how maintaining an excellent reputation within the industry you operate in can elevate your business and help give you the competitive edge over your fellow organisations!Artwork & music by Lyle FultonGet in touch via lyle@dimoso.com or info@therestispr.comMore information at www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR35. The Rest Is...The Huw Edwards Scandal & The Importance Of Crisis Preparedness
38:04||Season 2, Ep. 35This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss a story that has dominated the UK news agenda in the latter half of this week, alongside the terrible events that took place in Southport. Huw Edwards, former BBC news presenter and, at one time, the third-highest paid BBC television employee, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to three counts of making indecent images of children. The BBC director general, Tim Davie, has since defended the decision not to sack Huw Edwards, despite knowing that the presenter had been arrested in November over what is considered to be the most serious category of indecent images of children. In an episode that contains references to this crime throughout and where listener and viewer discretion is advised, Jacki analyses the BBC's response to Edwards' charges being made public, again praising their swift response whilst also questioning why, once again, it has taken them this long to acknowledge this situation having known about it for several months. Lyle is conscious of treating the story itself with the sensitivity it requires in order to protect the victims in this case, but he does draw some parallels between this situation and the one the BBC found themselves in with the Strictly Come Dancing scandal, in that it has seemingly taken far too long for any wrongdoing to be acknowledged and ultimately dealt with. Jacki and Lyle then discuss the impact this will have had on the reputation of the BBC, with reference to a new Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's concerns over the BBC's handling of the internal investigation into Edwards' behaviour, and the continued evidence that the corporation is not learning lessons from previous cases such as those involving the likes of Jimmy Saville and Rolf Harris. TW - this episode contains references to the crimes committed by Edwards, and mentions the likes of Jimmy Saville and Rolf Harris as other examples of this behaviour. Viewer and listener discretion is advised. If you or anyone you know has been affected by this story, the following charities continue to do amazing work helping people affected by child abuse and exploitation:Barnardo's - https://www.barnardos.org.uk/get-support/support-for-parents-and-carers/child-abuse-and-harm/child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitationMind - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/abuse/Victim Support - https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/Artwork & music by Lyle FultonGet in touch via lyle@dimoso.com or info@therestispr.comMore information at www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR33. The Rest Is...Trump, The Assassination Attempt, & The Power Of The Media
41:54||Season 2, Ep. 33This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss the event that has shocked the world over the last week - the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump. Jacki and Lyle discuss the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt, as well as how the respective teams of Biden and Trump have responded. Jacki analyses the impact the image of Trump standing up after being shot might well have on the upcoming Presidential election, whilst Lyle discusses the contrasts between Joe Biden and Donald Trump when it comes to reacting to significant moments in the campaign. This is all discussed through the lens of the power of the media and, crucially, the power of words, with Biden having spoken of 'putting Trump in the bullseye' merely days before the attempt on his life. Jacki uses the excellent example of the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial as an example of how words and emotions can drive a narrative, before Lyle asks her about her own experience of jury duty here in the UK. There's time for Lyle to demonstrate his accent skills before he embarks on an upcoming touring production, and the episode threatens to derail over a few impromptu gags!Artwork & music by Lyle FultonGet in touch via lyle@dimoso.com or info@therestispr.comMore information at www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR32. The Rest Is...Starmer, Southgate, & Stakeholder Communications
45:38||Season 2, Ep. 32This week, Jacki and Lyle have two very important stories on their minds - the Labour Party's landslide victory in the UK General Election, and Gareth Southgate's England side and their impending trip to the Euro 2024 final after success over The Netherlands in this week's semi-final. However, not content with reliving the excitement of these recent victories, Jacki and Lyle are taking a look at these stories through the lens of stakeholder communications. In an at times very celebratory episode, Jacki and Lyle discuss what incoming Prime Minister Sr Keir Starmer can learn from Gareth Southgate's communications, both over the last 4-5 weeks as England prepared for and ultimately took part in the recent Euros, but also over his last 8 years as England manager. Jacki outlines how Southgate has built trust over those 8 years, and how his messaging has always remained calm and consistent despite receiving near constant criticism about his tactics and England's style of play. Lyle opens up on his own previous concerns about Southgate's managerial abilities, but agrees that Starmer can learn a thing or two from him about reconnecting the key stakeholders - in his case, the electorate - with the nation as a whole. There is time to analyse the complete mess the outgoing Conservative Party still find themselves in, and Lyle also draws comparisons between Southgate, Starmer, and directors he has worked with during his acting career. Finally, Lyle once again extends a podcast invitation to Mr Southgate, before both Jacki and Lyle confidently assert what we all hope will come true - that, finally, Football's Coming Home!Artwork & music by Lyle FultonGet in touch via lyle@dimoso.com or info@therestispr.comMore information at www.therestispr.comFollow us on Twitter - @TheRestIsPR