Pick of the Pops (Top Ten Celebrities)

Member Name: skittle

Product:	Top Ten Celebrities
Date:	06/11/07 (105 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: make us proud...

Disadvantages: most of the time

Call me a fool if you like, but I’ve decided in this opinion to limit myself to the top ten British celebrities – those people I admire the most who bring the best of Britain to the rest of the world, so here goes:

JAMIE OLIVER
I remember feeling awfully bemused one day when my mum asked me if I’d seen the ‘Naked Chef’ on TV the night before. I hadn’t, hence the bemusement, I’m sure you can guess the images that were floating through my mind. She assured me that I should, and I’ll be honest, I was pretty keen myself, so the following week I made sure that I caught it. I’ll be honest, I was a bit disappointed to hear ‘no, it’s not me, it’s the food’. But that didn’t last long, mum was right, I was hooked and watched this and the next series with huge enjoyment. Then it all started to get a bit samey and stale. By the time he released Happy Days with the Naked Chef I wasn’t watching with the same enthusiasm, in fact, I only watched when I happened to catch it on TV. I was suffering from severe Naked Chef overload.

Then along came ‘Jamies Kitchen’ and I was hooked all over again.

This, for me, was when I started to see Jamie Oliver the person, instead of the product. Setting up fifteen was an amazing accomplishment, and I watched the series avidly, devouring every little bit. This was when my respect for Mr Oliver began, and it’s just grown bigger every day since then. I think I began to fall in love with him when he launched his crusade against the awful junk being fed to the kids of our nation in Jamies School Dinners. And Jamie’s Chef, where he has basically changed the life of one of his ‘fifteen’ chefs by allowing him the chance to run his own restaurant, well, what can I say. I hope Jamie’s parents are proud, they certainly deserve to be.

CHARLOTTE CHURCH
Some might think her a bit of an odd choice to find on a top ten celebrity list, but for me Ms Church is a living example of all that’s best about Great Britain. She’s not only an amazing singer, but she’s one of the very few child stars I can think of who have actually turned into normal, grounded adults.

Despite being one of the richest people in her native Wales, she’s got a normal family life with a brand new baby. OK, so she might be able to buy her baby designer nappies, but hers still comes across as just an ordinary relationship with a normal bloke. Yup, so he also happens to be a top-class rugby player, but he seems to be just as grounded as she is, without all of the airs and graces that so many other celebrities seem to take on when they hit the headlines. Can you imagine Charlotte going all ‘diva’ and ‘demanding’ if her bottled water wasn’t chilled to exactly the right degree? No, neither can I. She’s far too sorted for that.

EWAN MCGREGOR
Like Jamie and Charlotte, Ewan McGregor is another example of a very rich, talented and successful Briton who hasn’t let it all go to his head. He’s probably the most famous male British export to hit the acting world in recent years, but he still finds time in his hectic work life to film ‘Long Way Round’ and ‘Long Way Down’ with his mate Charley Boorman. I’m sure it’s not entirely altruistic, he does seem to love every minute of it, but it’s still something that you don’t see your average Hollywood actor taking time out of their busy schedule to do.

Of course, he’s also famous for saying he enjoyed the freedom of low-budget Indies too much to go the Hollywood route, but then, would you have turned down Star Wars?

EDDIE IZZARD
Think of British stand-up and you’ll think of Eddie Izzard, or I do, at any rate. I can’t think of one British Comedian who can match him – especially for dress sense. I remember hearing another comedian on some programme or other once stating that most stand-up comedians take years to write a show, and don’t change it for years afterwards. Mr Izzard is different in that his is constantly evolving, changing and improving. If, and he generally does, think that some part of his routine could be improved in some way, he’ll change it for the next show. This means that by the end of a live run he’ll be performing a show that’s only vaguely similar to the one he started out with

But his appeal isn’t just in his constantly evolving humour, oh no. He’s another bloke who isn’t, if you’ll pardon the term, up his own ass, as so many celebrities nowadays seem to be. Unfortunately, he also has a real love for acting. Eddie Izzard is one of the greatest comedians of our time, but as an actor, he should stick to the stand-up. It pains me to say this as I really am a huge fan, but I think that if you’re damn good at something you should stick to it, even when it bores you. Eddie’s move into acting reminds me of all of those little girls and boys from Neighbours and Home & Away who are good at what they do, but try to be singers and don’t make it – anybody else remember any of them apart from Kylie and Natalie Imbruglia? I rest my case. Eddie, come back to Comedy mate, we need you.

JUDI DENCH
What can I say about Dame Judi that hasn’t already been said (probably better)? But likewise how can I complete a list of the top ten British celebrities without including her? I think what I personally love about Judi Dench the most is that she’ll be starring in some Hollywood film one minute, then come back to Britain to make another episode or two of ‘As Time Goes By’.

Of course, she must be at a stage in her career now where she can pick and choose what she wants to do. Still, taking time out of what must be an incredibly busy schedule to have (very gentle) fun poked at herself on ‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue’ was something I never expected. Although, the rumour is that despite the multitude of awards that she’s won, Dame Judi is still insecure about her performances, always hoping to improve at the next opportunity. I like to think that’s true.

JULIE WALTERS
She’s had such an unusual career, mostly TV and TV Comedy in the early days – the work she’s done with Victoria Wood is some of the best she’s ever done, I think. But Julie Walters is, nowadays, better known for playing Mrs Weasley in the Harry Potter films. Whilst this has no doubt done wonders for her appeal overseas, personally I preferred her in Calendar Girls, there was real poignancy in that film.

The real pinnacle of her career though, in my opinion, could only have been her starring role in Educating Rita, with Michael Caine back in the 1980’s. Still, regardless of what your personal favourite is, I’ve never seen Julie Walters in anything where her acting hasn’t been superb. She’s a star.

BILLY CONNOLLY
I get the feeling he’d be hell to live with, but I can’t help but warm to Billy Connolly and his outlandish humour. His history is pretty well known, but for those who haven’t read one of his autobiographies, he grew up in Scotland before going to work in the Shipyards. Later, he joined a skiffle band, but the jokes he told between songs were getting a better reception than the music, so he shifted to comedy, and this Country would’ve been poorer if he hadn’t.

Like Eddie Izzard, Billy is also a contender for the title Britain’s Top Comedian (if it existed). Some would say he far exceeds Mr Izzard, and I would have to agree in one respect at least. Billy Connolly is an excellent actor. My personal favourites of his films are Still Crazy and the Man Who Sued God, although Mrs Brown is the film he’s received most critical acclaim for. Still, as long as he doesn’t leave behind the jobbies completely, the acting career is going from strength to strength.

GORDON RAMSEY
Gordon James Ramsey was originally a professional footballer, and he likes to make sure that everybody notices his toned physique in every programme he’s in – give him a fraction of an opportunity to whip his top off and he’s half naked before you can change the channel. But this aside, this self-trained chef has done more to improve the UK’s perception of good food than anybody else in recent years, along with Jamie Oliver and perhaps Rick Stein.

Of course, those who dislike strong language may not agree – but to me all of the f’ing and blinding is just part of the charm, as the rampant nudity and swearing are with my choice of Mr Connolly above.

Gordon is a man who is boiling over with passion for what he does, you can see that on his ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ programme, where he genuinely gives it his all to save failing restaurants every week.

He is once reported to have said ‘from an early age I understood that cooking was never going to be a job, it's a passion. Poor old Antony Worrall Thompson, poor old Delia Smith, I don't think the penny's dropped yet!’ Sums him up perfectly for me.

JK ROWLING
I’ll be honest, she’s had so much publicity in the last decade or so that I didn’t want to include her, but how could I not? Ms Rowling has done more to get children and adults across the world reading again then anybody else, and she was born in Yate, Near Bristol, doesn’t that make you proud?

BOB GELDOF
Ok, I admit it, this one is blatant cheating as he was actually born in Dublin, but hey, it’s only a little, tiny stretch of the truth, I can get away with that, can’t I?

Sir Bob is, without a doubt, one of the greatest campaigners in this Country right now. He’s gone from being just a pop star to a real crusader for human rights around the globe. Whatever you think of his music, you have to give him respect for fighting for what he believes in to improve the Earth.

So that's my British top ten, what's yours?

Summary: ten Britons (if you count Sir Bob) who've made this country proud