When the intelligent but vulnerable Oliver Reed ruined After Dark
The inebriated actor made TV history during a fiery late-night debate on masculinity. But what happened behind the scenes?
Oliver Reed showing his affection for feminist Kate Millett on After Dark
It’s 30 years since Oliver Reed’s notorious appearance on the Channel 4 discussion show, After Dark, which became fodder for the next three decades’ worth of clips shows (it was recently included on Channel 4’s Back to the 80s), and part of the rich, booze-soaked tapestry of Reed’s outrageous chat show appearances.
Along with seven other guests, the actor and legendary hellraiser was invited to discuss the weighty issue of “Do men have to be violent?” Both the topic and Reed’s invitation were timely. Broadcast on January 26, 1991, it came at the height of the Gulf War, as the British Army were deploying women to the frontline for the very first time; also, that same week, Oliver Reed had won a libel cas
THANKS to Shona Craven for an informative and analytical article on Unicef’s decision to give £25,000 to a breakfast project designed to feed hungry children in areas of London (Destitution by design should shame Rees-Mogg and co, December 18). Ms Craven captures the current lack of compassion or genuine care for the vulnerable in the current Conservative party’s ideology very adeptly. The recent swingeing cut to the international aid budget demonstrated their insular, self-centred and callous humanitarian priorities and Ms Craven is accurate to find these traits manifested in the Leader of the House of Commons. By attempting to dismiss Unicef’s compassionate aid as a “stunt”, Jacob Rees- Mogg is acting completely within character and within his own warped, morally myopic set of principles. The man who described state-educated people as “thick as potted plants” and who believes that zero-hour contracts provide help to workers due to what he deems as their flexi