It’s every TV presenter’s nightmare – the interviewee who is awkward, monosyllabic or worst – snubs your questions by giving short answers. 
This is what befell presenters Matt Baker and Alex Jones on BBC’s teatime chat programme, The One Show.
Bruce Willis – on to supposedly ‘promote’ his new movie A Good Day to Die Hard – made everything hard work.
Viewers have since described it as ‘torture’ and Bruce Willis – who perhaps thought he was being cool by being so difficult to talk to – has been labelled as ‘ignorant and incoherent.’
So why would any celebrity put themselves forward in this way?
Sister site Featureworld supplies many interviewees to TV. Many of them appear on The One Show or programmes such as ITV’s This Morning or Daybreak.
They are all nervous. For many interviewees – usually ordinary people who have never been the centre of press attention before – appearing on television is out of their comfort zone.
Some initially refuse the offer but we find that all of them enjoy the experience. We cannot think of one person who has ever regretted going on one of these shows.
Why? Well, TV presenters don’t want to ‘catch someone out’. If you’re not a politician who is probably expecting a grilling, they will have given interviewees an idea of the questions to expect.
People do not ‘dry up’ because TV presenters are so professional – they will cleverly step in to help someone find their thoughts if all deserts them mid way through a sentence (which actually despite interviewee’s worries, hardly ever happens.)
And interviewees are treated so incredibly well. TV staff bend over backwards to make them feel welcome. We’ve had people take their mum for morale support – she has sat on the side during the chat. As well as that, TV shows always ensure interviewees are well cared for with drinks and snacks.
Which makes Bruce Willis’ amazing chat even more bizarre. At one point in response to a question, he shrugged his shoulders. He then went on to criticise the title of his own film, saying it didn’t make any sense.
Bruce’s strange interview – which has only served to promote him as one of those people you’d hate to find yourself next to at a dinner party – has been likened to the infamous interview by Michael Parkinson with Meg Ryan. She was a star I did like … until I saw that interview.
I can only think these A-listers have just let all the fame go to their unattractive little heads. Maybe they think it’s clever to be casual and have a couldn’t care less attitude when they are being interviewed (to promote themselves.)
But whoever you are, any agent will tell you to be polite, bright and try to answer those questions as best you can. Also do come over as grateful that you have been invited on in the first place!
In this case it seems as if with his mumbling answers Bruce was trying to be cool and clever – but it just hasn’t come off.
Did you see the interview? If so what did you think of Bruce Willis?
