Just A Minute

Bonjour Dean,

You know I didn’t say Sue Perkins has a “deep or mannish” voice.  What I said was, “The other thing about La Perkins that I find deeply irritating is that she is always trying to be “one of the lads”.  Lower her voice by an octave or so and you could believe she was a man.”

What’s important isn’t the pitch of the voice, it’s what’s said and the way that it’s said.  Liza Tarbuck may have a deeper voice and could be more laddish in her style, but she still manages to express some femininity.

It’s not that I think SP is a complete waste of space.  Obviously she has considerable musical talent and I enjoy what she does in her roles on Count Arthur Strong’s Radio Show.  Maybe it’s in these straight-woman roles that her future lies, after all, it didn’t do Nicholas any harm.  (Believe me, I only realised what I’d typed in that last sentence when I read it through afterwards!)

OMG!  I’ve just had one of those eureka moments.  That’s it!  When the time comes for the BBC to recruit a replacement chairperson, step forward La Perkins.  This isn’t meant to be a joke.  Her headmistress-like persona will be perfect and, as most people won’t be expecting her to be funny, when she is, it will be a bonus.

Remember Deano, you heard it here first.