Sir David Frost dies
With the death of Sir David Frost, a true great has passed.
Television presenter Esther Rantzen summed up the views of the nation in her tribute to an interviewer best known for his opening line: “Hello, good evening and welcome”:
“I think fellow interviewers have always been awestruck by David Frost’s capacity to illicit memorable, sometimes historically significant quotes from all the movers and shakers or our time – presidents, prime ministers, A list celebrities – but for all of us who had the pleasure of knowing him socially, it is his kindness, generosity, loyalty and humour that we will miss so much”.
“His summer party was always the best party of the year. His fund of anecdotes and his constant wit was a joy. In fact, it was always his greeting: ‘a joy to meet you’ and it was always a joy to meet him”.
Aged just 74, that this titan of journalism died aboard the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship is rather apt. Sir David Frost will be hugely missed.
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Esther…it’s elicit…not illicit!
And she certainly does not speak for me. A thoroughly ghastly, publicity mad woman.
How well I remember the wonderful trick Henry Root played upon her.
He sent two postcards to her. One read…” you are horribly ugly and your show is a disgrace” and the other, “your show is wonderful”. For both cards he received a standardised reply, “Thank you so much for your wonderfully kind words”. Silly woman.
What a horrible remark from Pete Wayde. Esther is a lady and Pete is most definitely not a gentleman.
As you have never met me how do you know? As the great Osbert Sitwell observed…
” A gentleman is only ever intentionally rude”…..
How do you know I haven’t met you?
I know no Ambers apart from one….and it would surely not be her. But if you think you have had the great pleasure of meeting me I am delighted for you.
The greatest of the greats. Never will there be another.
Agree with Pete !
David Frost was a Titan of journalism in the 70s but in his later years, in my opinion, he had lost his penetrating and uncomfortable line of questioning and I hoghit appeared that he got big names to his Sunday programme because he was so lenient and fawning even. I recall switching off the box in fury at a particular interview with Tony Blair.
RIP to a great journalist.
You are right Monima: he became like Parkinson. Now Paxman is a different story….he never lets liars off the hook!