Just a quick note to announce some developments with Access Interviews.com. I am delighted to announce that the website will be sponsoring the 'Interviewer of the Year' category at the prestigious 'British Press Awards'. The event takes place at the Grosvenor House Hotel on 8th April with Channel 4's Jon Snow presenting.
Also - we have just loaded up my interview with Jeffrey Archer to the site.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
PM Questions - and Answers
The "world" exclusive interview with Piers Morgan.
Scene: An exhausted Piers Morgan calls from his suite at The London Hotel, New York. He sounds punchy with fatigue from the glory of his triumph as Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice. Rob McGibbon, in his London office, listens intently as this stunning exclusive unfolds across the Atlantic…
(We exchange gushing showbizzy nothings of mutual appreciation and congratulations, then we begin...)
RM: Piers Morgan, welcome to the first telephone interview for AccessInterviews.com. How does it feel to be the U.S Celebrity Apprentice? Did you think you would win?
PM: Well, I have to admit, it feels pretty good. I actually feel very proud. To be honest, I thought I had blown it. Even though I had won in terms of money raised, there was a real ground swell in the room for this all-American heroic cowboy, while I was being billed as this evil, obnoxious arrogant Brit. I thought Trump would go for the American hero thing because this is what America needs right now - a good guy with great integrity to win, but at the very last moment he swivelled round and fired him. It was amazing.
RM: What was the freeze-frame moment of the night for you?
PM: Erm, the most powerful moment was when the injured American soldiers came into the studio in their wheelchairs. I had raised $750,000 for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and I had met them before. When the audience saw them they spontaneously jumped to their feet to give them a standing ovation. That sent a shiver up my spine. The atmosphere changed in that moment and it kind of brought home what the show was really about. This was not about who is the nicest bloke, but who in the end did the best job for their charity. And that was me. These soldiers were very grateful for what I had done and I think that actually carried a lot of weight with Trump.
I also remember the moment when things were going quite badly for me and I turned to see my mother and sister sitting in the front row looking like it was all over and trying to give me a thumbs up. It is a long way to come to watch your son and brother to lose to a cowboy. I said, quite loudly, It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings.
RM: How seriously did you take winning? Surely this is just a daft game show and just another vain step in your pursuit of fame?
PM: I have taken it very seriously. You know me, I don’t even play tiddlywinks to lose. I have spent my entire life trying to win every competitive thing I have ever taken part in. All the other celebrities who got fired along the way made pompous speeches about only entering it to raise money for charity. I don’t buy that argument. I think it is insincere and misleads the public. I am honest enough to admit that, Yes I wanted to raise money for charity, but I also entered the show to raise my profile and to win. At least I am not a hypocrite about it.
But the charitable aspect really did hit home to me when I went down to meet the wounded soldiers. That is when I realised that raising $750,000 for them is a big deal. Yes, in many ways, the show is a trivial and frivolous game that doesn’t matter, but when you see what a difference that money will make, it makes me feel very proud.
(We talk in length about the public reaction over there. “Streams of people” have been wishing him well. Simon Cowell has texted saying “Congratulations - from Dr Frankenstein”; Gordon Brown’s wife Sarah has been in touch (Gordon is, apparently, working out the appropriate Government response from the fountain nib of the Establishment - "My victory is being discussed at Cabinet level."), as has Alan Sugar and a soufflé of other lesser known names. It is luvviness in extremis. Then we talk about the reaction from back home…)
RM: Hmm, your old friends on certain newspapers have been quite unkind about your win. Does that make you happy or sad? Any old foes come to your mind at happy times like this?
PM: I am delighted they are enjoying my success so whole-heartedly. They are embracing my triumph with the warmth and admiration that I would expect. I hope they are all enjoying themselves in their rather meagre ivory towers in the east of London, as I sit here in my glorious space in New York.
There are a number of people who I think will be particularly irritated by what has happened. My message to Jeremy Clarkson is: if you keep working, there is a chance that one day you will crack America, you just have to keep at it...dreams do come true.
(The conversation drifts to fame and America’s Got Talent. Piers will celebrate his birthday in LA on Sunday over dinner with Simon and friends at Robert de Niro’s restaurant. I will have to save all the other fascinating outtakes of our chat for my book. It is time to close and go to the pub.)
RM: One of the more startling revelations of your time in the Apprentice was that you were outed as being gay...
PM: Ahem. Maybe I can take the opportunity of this interview to point out that I am in fact NOT a homosexual. I simply kissed a cowboy as a joke after various people decided to “out” me. I have nothing against homosexuals, but I just don’t happen to be one...
RM: But, surely, after such an amazing victory you are gay, in the 19th century translation of the word…
PM. Oh, yes, of course. I am extremely gay at this moment. In fact, I have never felt more gay than I do today.
(I always thought as much)
Scene: An exhausted Piers Morgan calls from his suite at The London Hotel, New York. He sounds punchy with fatigue from the glory of his triumph as Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice. Rob McGibbon, in his London office, listens intently as this stunning exclusive unfolds across the Atlantic…
(We exchange gushing showbizzy nothings of mutual appreciation and congratulations, then we begin...)
RM: Piers Morgan, welcome to the first telephone interview for AccessInterviews.com. How does it feel to be the U.S Celebrity Apprentice? Did you think you would win?
PM: Well, I have to admit, it feels pretty good. I actually feel very proud. To be honest, I thought I had blown it. Even though I had won in terms of money raised, there was a real ground swell in the room for this all-American heroic cowboy, while I was being billed as this evil, obnoxious arrogant Brit. I thought Trump would go for the American hero thing because this is what America needs right now - a good guy with great integrity to win, but at the very last moment he swivelled round and fired him. It was amazing.
RM: What was the freeze-frame moment of the night for you?
PM: Erm, the most powerful moment was when the injured American soldiers came into the studio in their wheelchairs. I had raised $750,000 for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and I had met them before. When the audience saw them they spontaneously jumped to their feet to give them a standing ovation. That sent a shiver up my spine. The atmosphere changed in that moment and it kind of brought home what the show was really about. This was not about who is the nicest bloke, but who in the end did the best job for their charity. And that was me. These soldiers were very grateful for what I had done and I think that actually carried a lot of weight with Trump.
I also remember the moment when things were going quite badly for me and I turned to see my mother and sister sitting in the front row looking like it was all over and trying to give me a thumbs up. It is a long way to come to watch your son and brother to lose to a cowboy. I said, quite loudly, It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings.
RM: How seriously did you take winning? Surely this is just a daft game show and just another vain step in your pursuit of fame?
PM: I have taken it very seriously. You know me, I don’t even play tiddlywinks to lose. I have spent my entire life trying to win every competitive thing I have ever taken part in. All the other celebrities who got fired along the way made pompous speeches about only entering it to raise money for charity. I don’t buy that argument. I think it is insincere and misleads the public. I am honest enough to admit that, Yes I wanted to raise money for charity, but I also entered the show to raise my profile and to win. At least I am not a hypocrite about it.
But the charitable aspect really did hit home to me when I went down to meet the wounded soldiers. That is when I realised that raising $750,000 for them is a big deal. Yes, in many ways, the show is a trivial and frivolous game that doesn’t matter, but when you see what a difference that money will make, it makes me feel very proud.
(We talk in length about the public reaction over there. “Streams of people” have been wishing him well. Simon Cowell has texted saying “Congratulations - from Dr Frankenstein”; Gordon Brown’s wife Sarah has been in touch (Gordon is, apparently, working out the appropriate Government response from the fountain nib of the Establishment - "My victory is being discussed at Cabinet level."), as has Alan Sugar and a soufflé of other lesser known names. It is luvviness in extremis. Then we talk about the reaction from back home…)
RM: Hmm, your old friends on certain newspapers have been quite unkind about your win. Does that make you happy or sad? Any old foes come to your mind at happy times like this?
PM: I am delighted they are enjoying my success so whole-heartedly. They are embracing my triumph with the warmth and admiration that I would expect. I hope they are all enjoying themselves in their rather meagre ivory towers in the east of London, as I sit here in my glorious space in New York.
There are a number of people who I think will be particularly irritated by what has happened. My message to Jeremy Clarkson is: if you keep working, there is a chance that one day you will crack America, you just have to keep at it...dreams do come true.
(The conversation drifts to fame and America’s Got Talent. Piers will celebrate his birthday in LA on Sunday over dinner with Simon and friends at Robert de Niro’s restaurant. I will have to save all the other fascinating outtakes of our chat for my book. It is time to close and go to the pub.)
RM: One of the more startling revelations of your time in the Apprentice was that you were outed as being gay...
PM: Ahem. Maybe I can take the opportunity of this interview to point out that I am in fact NOT a homosexual. I simply kissed a cowboy as a joke after various people decided to “out” me. I have nothing against homosexuals, but I just don’t happen to be one...
RM: But, surely, after such an amazing victory you are gay, in the 19th century translation of the word…
PM. Oh, yes, of course. I am extremely gay at this moment. In fact, I have never felt more gay than I do today.
(I always thought as much)
The Apprentice is on his way
Steady yourselves now, folks ... I have just had a call from Piers' people's people and I am reliably informed he will be patched through to me and Access Interviews just as soon as he has had some high-fat hash browns to soak up the acidity of all the Krug champagne...
Piers Morgan . . . World Exclusive Interview!
Er, please steady yourselves as I announce the following:
Media legend Piers Morgan has just called to say that he will give his first interview since winning The Celebrity Apprentice in America here, on this blog for AccessInterviews.com
This will happen, just as soon as he wakes up in New York, in his luxury suite, surrounded by nubile women, even richer and more famous than he was yesterday to begin what will probably be one of the maddest days of his mad life... so far...
Until then, see his big moment here:
I'll keep you posted...
m/f
Piers Morgan wins ...
FLASH: 5am. London. I finally decide to get up after a sleepless night. I have been restless, deeply troubled. It is as if I know all is not well with the world. I am right.
I go downstairs and see a blue light flashing. My mobile. A text. "I won...".
The "I" is Piers Morgan. The "won" is The Celebrity Apprentice in America.
Unbloodybelievable.
I text back and then the call comes . . .
m/f!
I go downstairs and see a blue light flashing. My mobile. A text. "I won...".
The "I" is Piers Morgan. The "won" is The Celebrity Apprentice in America.
Unbloodybelievable.
I text back and then the call comes . . .
m/f!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Anthony Minghella RIP
I do not often gasp out loud in horror when I read a story on a website, but I have done just that after reading about the sudden death of film director Anthony Minghella. I am totally shocked and feel deeply saddened.
I did not know Minghella at all and never interviewed him, but I attended a talk he gave about his work at the London Book Fair in March 2004. I met him fleetingly afterwards as he did a signing session for the screenplay of Cold Mountain. A rare "fan" moment for me, but I had a such respect for his craft and talent.
For fun, I also asked him to sign the synopsis of a book I was trying to get published at the time. He asked me about it and we spoke for a few moments. (Deep, deep down, in a fantastical way, I guess I wanted him to eventually make the film of the book). He chuckled warmly as he signed the synopsis and said, with a big, big smile: "Does this mean I have blessed it?" I wrote about this encounter later.
He struck me as a sincere, gentle, modest and supremely gifted man. What a loss.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Indy focus on A.I
Just a quick note to let you know about a piece in The Independent today about Access Interviews. Check it out!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
When Felix Dennis met Linda Lovelace . . .
It has taken a while, due to the enormity of running my amazing life, but the re-jig of the Access Interviews.com homepage and, more importantly, the Felix Dennis filmed interview finally went live yesterday. Oh the toil of running a major website.
I had anticipated getting a long and detailed interview with Felix. He is fantastic company and our last interview, at his home in the Cotswolds in the summer of 2006, went on for over four hours. I couldn't shut him up, so I was expecting an all-embracing interview on camera this time.
Alas, no amount of preparation can account for the unexpected in this game. Felix was delayed by a long lunch - an hour and a chuffing half - and then needed to leave sharpish for a board meeting. To be honest, when showbiz flakes keep me waiting like that I throw an internal hissy fit. I sit on hands, bite my tongue, that sort of thing, while secretly wanting to tell them to stick it and naff off. But you have to bury a lot of impotent rage in this interviewing game. Well, if something has taken months to set up, you don't want to throw it away in a fit of pique and come away with nothing. Gulp and swallow that pride like it's a lump of MDF with nails in. I say, get your own back by sticking it to them with a few blunt questions instead.
Oddly enough, I didn't get irritated waiting for Felix. He doesn't really give a flying toss about anything, so I didn't take it personally. And I like him a lot. He is a totally fascinating maverick. Besides, I was quite happy thumbing through his wonderful - and highly valuable - collection of first editions. How much is an immaculate first/first of 'To Kill A Mocking Bird' these days?
Anyway, the Felix interview has already been watched by a few early adopters on the media blog circuit. First prize goes to the mischievous Madame Arcati for picking up on the irreverent insert in the Q&A section. Well, wouldn't you have Linda at your fantasy dinner party?
There are some good interviews for the 'Rob McGibbon Meets' section in the pipeline, so do stay tuned.
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A line about me...
- ROB McGIBBON
- Journalist, founder of Access Interviews.com, creator of The Definite Article interview column in Daily Mail's Weekend magazine.