When journalist Tom Bower’s autobiography was released last
month, he couldn’t have wished for better publicity, with Cowell and his PR
guru, Max Clifford, both announcing their regret at allowing such unguarded
access to all areas of the TV mogul’s private life. It assured potential readers that there must be some real
juice within it’s pages and gossip mongers rushed to buy the 432 page tome, on
the promise that the secrets of his success, his unusually clingy
ex-girlfriends and Dannii-gate would be revealed.
Bower is a wonderful writer, learned historian and
celebrated BBC journalist, his investigative skills cannot be faulted, but they
do not transfer well to the celeb-gossip genre.
Those who are inclined to commit to a book of this length
about a TV talent-show judge will struggle with Bower’s style.
In a bid to flaunt his intimate knowledge of Cowell’s
professional life, a lot of space is given to lengthy business negotiations and
boardroom back-stabbing, which is hardly what the celeb-biography buying public
are after. Huge snippets of gossip, that would dominate the front page
of any gossip-rag worth its salt, are dropped in amongst the industry jargon.
Dannii-gate has been paraded enough in the press following
the book’s release, and nothing more than what has already been revealed is
within Bower’s dry account.
Lesson to be learnt-don’t let a self-respecting, ‘proper’
journalist loose on one of our most interesting, enigmatic personalities, the
opportunity will be wasted.
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