Since Garden Force, Alan Titchmarch’s every move seems deliberately calculated to play to his target audience of the over 50s. Strange then that he should break the cover of his “ooo I’m a jolly down to earth avuncular” type to bring on One Direction. We similarly though it was strange the band should choose this programme to have their first major interview. Here’s the video:
Having watched this, the reason behind them, or more correctly their management, picking the mid afternoon show is obvious – it’s got the most rounded edges of any programme ever. Titchmarch was bound to treat them with kid gloves. It’s like being a kid explaining what you did at school to your grandparents. You know they are far too removed from how things work these days that they will only ask general questions. Plus Titchmarch would ruin his own carefully studied caricature of himself if he were to even to attempt a question with a bit of punch. The closest it gets to this is “Do you have a girlfriend?”.
Their management don’t seem to think they can gamble anything more than that. They boys are still too much of an unknown quantity and it can’t be risked that Harry’s cheeky grin graduates to being a sexist comment or a tale of drunkenness that will damage their contract with Nintendo – a company whose marketing tactic relies heavily on boring snippets of cross demographic domestic boredom.
No, Titchmarch it must be.
Still even removing the cotton wool, the boys do seem down to earth, and had a couple of humorous bits to throw in. They never really got a chance to show much personality, but they still came across as young gents who are growing a fair affection for each other and have their feet on the ground.
The best bit though was when they announced tomorrow’s guests which included:
- Ex Corrie star Sarah Lancashire
- A former Parisian binman turned singer/songwriter
- Ainsley Harriet
- The Nolan Sisters
Tomorrow then, the world returns to its axis.
