| Woe for Wogan after Eurovision gaffe
 By
Elaine Sheridan
IT IS not unusual for Ireland’s golden boy Terry Wogan to hit the
headlines but recent weeks have seen the Limerick man attract attention
for all the wrong reasons.
Only last week Wogan had to apologise after accidentally announcing the
wrong winner while co-presenting the televised talent show to pick Britain’s
entry for the Eurovision Song Contest.
The Making Your Mind Up show was thrown into confusion for several seconds
when Sir Terry and fellow presenter Fearne Cotton simultaneously announced
different winners.
Cotton correctly named Scooch as winners while Wogan claimed it was Cyndi.
Speaking on his Radio 2 show the next morning Wogan said: “Nobody
died, it wasn’t the General Election, it’s a television programme.
“There’s no doubt Scooch won and my apologies for any embarrassment
that Cyndi may have suffered but it probably won’t do her career
any harm either.”
Meanwhile earlier this month the BBC rushed to Wogan’s defence after
it was revealed that he was the only presenter to accept payment for hosting
the Children In Need fundraising appeal.
Bands, celebrities, presenters and comedians all waive their fees for
the charity campaign.
But the Limerick man defended his position by saying that he didn’t
ask for the £9,500.
Wogan who has been involved with the event for the last 26 years said:
“I’ve never asked for a fee and would happily do it for nothing.”
The long-time presenter is not exactly short of a few bob his fortune
is estimated to be more than £20million.
He gets £30,000 a throw for every one of his Wogan’s Now And
Then shows and picks up £800,000 a year for his Radio 2 breakfast
programme.
A BBC spokesperson was quick to defend their host saying: “It’s
us who pay Terry, not Children In Need. He is not taking any money from
the charity.
“We are not ashamed to pay him it and see no reason why it should
not continue.
“If it wasn’t for him Children In Need would not be what it
is.” |
