It’s all news to me - Jeremy Vine

It’s all news to me - Jeremy Vine

The old adage is Truth is stranger than fiction and with 25 years of experience under his belt in the BBC, JeremyVine has had a few encounters that are simply more unbelievable than what you would find in “Yes Minister” or “The Thick of It”. For example, local yobs high jacking a double decker bus, driving around Littleborough with the faces of New Labour slapped on side of it, during a by election. Journalistic gold!

Vine, a man of sophisticated charm and wit, displayed immensely throughout his memoir. Jeremy has a successful career (youngest presenter of the Today show, Sony Award winner for exposing Gordon Brown during ‘bigotgate’ and reaching the envious status of foreign correspondent in Africa); this is all down to hard work, stalking the best and a bit of luck!
Snippets of wisdom litter the book. One being, “Truth is often eclipsed but not extinguished”, how apt when Jeremy lays out his run-ins with the power triumvirate of Blair, Mandelson and Campbell. Vine provides evidence throughout, highlighting ill planned publicity stunts as well as downright lies.

While reading “It’s all news to me” I was drawn into the fact that journalism seems to be a game, albeit a serious game, where the story is champion and the correspondent comes second.
Vine delivers a warts and all narrative, centred on the BBC, however he delves into the death cry of Major’s Conservatives, New Labour with all its pomp and spin plus the wild world of reporting.

Jeremy includes everything from interviewing tyrant Robert Mugabe, an embarrassing toilet moment, bullets flying overhead in Eastern Europe and even a hilarious run in with the enigmatic Russell Brand.
An enjoyable read, full of gossip, perfectly written by a reflective and well-grounded man, even at the altitude of his fruitful career 5/5

Reviews from my book review column in Sorted Magazine available online, WHS and Sainsburys.