At Home With The Hamiltons

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Did anyone watch it, and what did you make of it/them?

Two Christmases ago I arranged a Xmas party for my staff at King's College Hosp (where I then worked). For various obscure but probably financially-related reasons we ended up having it at Cafe Rouge in Battersea. Whom should we end up sitting next to but Neil and Christine Hamilton at the next table? Both dressed in matching red sweaters, both looking very dejected (this was the Thursday before the final Al-Fayed verdict came out). I thought to myself "really you shouldn't be here because strictly speaking you can't afford to come here to eat" but kept my countenance and had to sternly warn the rest of our party off taking the piss, smirking, pointing, etc. Many others, though, came by doing exactly that, sniggering, yelling. It was very embarrassing, and I ended up in the awkward position of feeling sorry for people who actually stand at the polar opposite from everything in which I believe.

So from my perspective I'm not sure that the tears, fretting, etc. on Theroux's doc were entirely fake or PR-inspired. OK they brought their situation upon themselves, OK they're Tories - but there's nothing to laugh at about bankruptcy or people (even fools) painted into (their own) corner trying to carry on making a living by whatever means.

(If of course they've got 20 million stashed away in Switzerland then that puts another perspective on the whole thing - NOT THAT I'M SUGGESTING THEY DO, DON'T GET ME WRONG LIBEL LAWYERS). But anyway, what you do reckon?

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I can't believe I missed this, has anyone got it on video?

― Ed, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes - they are very strange people according to what I saw on TV - but wasn't it entertaining? I giggled through the whole show -'I hesitate to say get something inside you' deadpans Neil to his drunken wife who has yet to have dinner. 'Shall we invite them up for an orgy?'. Absolutely compelling. Ali likened Neil to the quiet downtrodden friend's dad who says 'I've still got a few marbles up here, don't tell the wife' when she's left the room.

They struggled to justify the final ('flowers') photo shoot. 'We're only co-operating' says Christine. Hmmmmmmmm...

I lived just around the corner to Barkingside Police Station for the first 19 years of my life so I had a great time identifying the local McDonalds, Ye Olde Investigator pub and the many-and-legion 12-year old shits who hung around the gaff.

― Will, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I agree with most of what Will says. Very entertaining (but not in a schadenfreude way). Christine's tears looked genuine to me. My opinion of them hasn't changed - Neil is clearly the money-grubbing publicity-seeking idiot I always suspected, Christine is a fairly- decent type who's stand-by-your-man instincts always get the better of what common sense she has. If only she listened to her mother more (best scene - "Granny" having a go at Louis).

Far more interesting question - what did you make of Louis? I've never watched any of his other programs save the Jimmy Saville one. I'd like to see how he fares going up against someone other than the soft targets he seems to habitually pick to film.

― Jeff W, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i forgot to video it [also forgot about sleepers being on or cath the great-damn] but saw big brekkie this morning and thought mrsH was stwange, mrH - slimy vulnerable

has their press bubble burst - how much more of them will be foisted upon us

more importantly - louis theroux - how did they play him ?

― , Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

From what I can remember of the Savile meet, JS seemed pretty razor- sharp and had Louis on the ropes ("Now, young man, see how much better we get on when you start asking questions?" etc.).

It would have been interesting to line him up with Jonathan King, particularly in view of Jon Ronson's recent Guardian Weekend piece on JK. Maybe they'll keep that one for when he comes out of the nick.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I thought the Hamiltons came out of it pretty well. If much of it was faked, they did it with such aplomb that I'm happy to admit I was fooled. Christine is either genuine or an actress of huge talents.

I felt that the seediest aspect of the whole thing was Louis. He's gone right down in my estmation - he seemed out of his depth (or was he just being disingenuous?), slimy, and kept asking Daily Mail-style non-questions at times of vulnerability and stress. Yuk.

It was strange but addictive viewing.

― Mark C, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

can someone translate ?

― anthony, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Neil and Christine Hamilton = political couple who have been at the centre of various sleaze allegations and who were recently accused of sexually assauting a woman in East London. generally regarded as quite slimy.

Louis Theroux = dandy-looking popular investigative journalist who EVERYONE in our flat fancies.

― katie, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hey, I don't fancy Louis. He gangles a wee bit too much.

― RickyT, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The reason Theroux seemed out of his depth is because he WAS out of his depth. He'd started making a funny little documentary about the Hamiltons trying to make it as Personalities and stumbled into a major scoop. That's why it was so good.

I thought he and the Hamiltons came out of it quite well. Maybe I'm a sucker but I didn't even consider for a second those tears were fake (except maybe the ones during the photoshoot). It made me realise that those lurid stories about people we read about in the tabloids (or those stories in the broadsheets about those lurid stories in the tabloids) are about REAL PEOPLE. I know this seems v.obvious but I'd never really thought about how hurtful those stories must be.

(Still, if THAT is bankruptcy, I want some!)

― jamesmichaelward, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

... who two thirds of our flat occupants fancy.

― katie, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I see Mr. Theroux quite regularly during my little walk down Wood Lane on my way to work. He's always very polite to the newsagent in White City station, so he's OK in my book.

― Will, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Louis Theroux = sex.

I missed all but the last five minutes because New Order + Vib-Ribbon = The Greatest.

― Madchen, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Louis Theroux = sex.
Wah? He's a puppy! You wanna cuddle him, sure, but have sex with him?!?

― helen fordsdale, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

it is pictures of Louis Theroux (unfortunately mugging like a FULE in most of them!)

http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=louis+theroux&hl=en

― katie, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It should be mentioned that one of ILE's more prominent regulars looks EXACTLY LIKE Louis Theroux. On Saturday I kept expecting to hear a voiceover - "I had begun to wonder if these 'online communities' were not for me..."

― Tom, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I found myself a) disapproving of Christine Hamilton, at her age, with her husband and the rest of the country watching her fondly caressing Louis Theroux's cheek and shoulder in my most schoolmarmish tone (She has no shame, no dignity...etc) to recognise thirty seconds later b) I was SO jealous.

― Laetitia, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Actually found myself feeling quite sympathetic to Christine Hamilton who I thought came out of it very well and seemed by far the more clued in and aware (emotionally) of what was was happening.

Neil H was just a prat. It seems like he had no awareness of his (their) plight. It's all a jolly wheeze to him, straight off the pages of Lord Snooty. If you were to ask someone who didn't know them to guess which one was an MP who had worked their way up to cabinet level they would never have said Neil H.

― Billy Dods, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

COR i'd like to caress Louis Theroux's cheeks. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING :)

― katie, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Only Mrs.Hamilton senior came out of that whole farcical debacle with her credibility still intact.

Quote of the documentary [addressed to Louis]: "I don't believe a single word you say."

Canny granny.

― Trevor, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I am truly baffled as to this Louis T = Sex God thing, he looks like any old speccy chap on the street to me. Dud thing about last night's programme = everyone in the office going 'oho Emma there's a programme about your parents on tonight, oho' as if Hamilton is not one of the commonest (i.e. occurring frequently NOT lower class!) names going. Hilarious.

― Emma, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"(i.e. occurring frequently NOT lower class!)"

God forbid.

― Trevor, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Wasn't Horatio Nelson's lover 'Emma Hamilton'?

― Jeff W, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Trevor, you are aware that I'm only kidding, innit? And Jeff, you had better be having a larf too since every time I tell someone my name I hold my breath to see if they will recognise its vague celebrity and say 'oh wasn't she a right old slapper' or something.

― Emma, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lady Emma, your clarification was totally unnecessary. After your comprehensive tutorials on etiquette, it would be virtually impossible for anyone to mistake you for a common plebiscite like what I am.

― Trevor, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lady Hamilton was of the humblest of beginnings, wasn't she? Not a particularly honorable career to the Ladyship, but not `common'.

― Laetitia, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

More upsettingly she was a ginger. Oh dear. Less upsettingly she was a famous beauty. Bling!

Trevor do you mean plebian?

― Emma, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You spotted my intentional error, Emma. Well done! (Common mistake for a non-voting plebian to make, I'm sure you'll agree).

― Trevor, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i've finished in the garden Miss Emma, can i eats me scraps of pig leg now? i'll be sure to be careful and not get soil on the drapes this time. i'm so sorry for that, i am so filthy and disgusting, get me below stairs. beat me Miss Emma, beat me for being so low and dirty, wallowing in filth.

― foul-smelling gnarly handed workman, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

sorry, don't know happened there.

― Alan Trewartha, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Don't let it happen again!

― Emma, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I am truly baffled as to this Louis T = Sex God thing, he looks like any old speccy chap on the street to me.

Emma, it's an indie thing, you wouldn't understand.

― N., Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Come on Emma, even I want nail LT.

NB Not really, I'm not that way inclined. Though I did casually agree with Sara that Brad Pitt was dreamy (though not in Meet Joe Black, surely?).

― Graham, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've never seen a documentary about 'celebrities' (disgraced tory minister celebrities) with that degree of access. I watched it through my fingers and squirmed all the way through. LT is to be commended for not bursting out laughing on camera, but I can't imagine how he can find as high profile and naive a subject again.

― K-reg, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Re bankruptcy and lingering opulence, bear in mind that it's Neil who's bankrupt, not his wife, and so long as she's got cash and doesn't actually try to bail him out, there's nothing they can do to take her money.

I believe she commented about this on the prog.

― ogden, Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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