Viewers of Britain's Dancing On Ice 2011 are up in arms over Australian choreographer Jason Gardiner's remarks to contestants. Jason is a judge on the show.They reckon he's far too bitchy and mean. Some have even started face book pages to get Gardiner sacked although few people have joined.
While Jason makes panelists like X Factor's Simon Cowell look tame, he's standard fare for Australian TV where he honed his art.
Visitors from the UK and USA are often shocked at the sheer bitchiness that passes for normal discourse between colonials.
Where this was inherited from we aren't too sure. It's been speculated that it developed in the first hundred years as working class Irish, East End and other British convicts developed a sort of secret language to speak derogatorily about their British jailers without them understanding.
Gardiner trained at the Australian Ballet School and New York's Steps academy and the Actor's Centre in London. He's choreographed West End shows and worked with Kylie Minogue, Elton John and Shirley Bassey as well as appearing on dozens of English TV shows.
He's actually a nice chap off stage without a hint of the bitch about him and his act is pretty deliberate.
Producers must absolutely love him for the ratings.
Jason follows in the footsteps of local performers like the late Bernard King-one of the nicest and kindest people to meet in person but wow-could he dish it out when on the judging panel of a talent quest. Beneath Dame Edna's mega star exterior runs one of the most vicious and bitchy dialogues ever uttered by man.
Below are 3 videos- one is Jason Gardiner ticking of competitors. It's pretty tame stuff compared to local shows.
The following is the wonderful Bernard King who could talk through mud and have an audience collapsing in tears of laughter. He demolishes a hapless contestant on the 80's Pot Luck (fast forward is recommended)
The third is really how the contestants should settle matters - take a leaf out of broadcaster Ron 'Won'Casey page when he got stuck into former pop star Normie Rowe on the Midday Show.
(note the wonderful and very British Diana 'Bubbles' Fisher wife of Sir Humphrey Fisher-in the background saying "no no no!")
