“Will Today Be The Day?”
In a cyclone the celebrity’s fate is sealed.
Paid teen for photos a tabloid revealed.
The story infusing all kinds of despair.
Cliff Richard’s case guides media’s flaw.
Newsnight report in disingenuous way,
Witheld presenter’s name in clever play.
See through the mask, renegade known,
Even your own staff are wearied and groan.
Saw presenter’s pic and shock ensnared.
Not my words: brief-clad on sofa bare.
Money exchanged fuels destructive vice,
Crack cocaine addiction, a tragic price?
The whiplash stains the client’s name.
Not inappropriate or unlawful proclaimed.
The tabloid report is mere fabrication.
Top London law firm dispels insinuation.
The Money came from? Mother ignites.
BBC spooked and the story rewrites.
Quirky presenter remains unknown,
But half of social media already know.
Six-figure salary soon overthrown.
Panicked calls as evidence unfolds.
Some very angry at the BBC’s role,
Young man at the center who consoles?
Complexities of privacy, defamation law,
BBC’s response is suspiciously overawed.
The public seek clarity, but truth not found.
The big splash from Saturday grinding on.
New accusations and threats anew,
In the depths of lockdown, broke the law?
Second youngster talks and reality ensues.
Defying restrictions. Rendezvous pursued.
Amid pandemic’s grip and death’s call,
The nation grieving and lives transformed.
TV presenter blind to the plight,
COVID-19 flouted way out of sight?
Messages exchanged; license fee aids,
Pursuit of a picture, lines crossed again.
While the media aired pandemic’s grim toll,
Their own star was priming a haystack to roll?
Another tale emerging oh so dire.
Young soul pressured no connection prior.
Linked on dating app, emotions frail,
Celebrity cult apparently overwhelmed.
Threatening messages, disturbing repeat,
Behavior logged on Seedy Street.
BBC witness and the scandal whirrs on,
Isn’t there a war in Sudan going on?
They take heed and review procedure,
Complaints pour in about misdemeanor.
Presenter unquestioned for weeks we’re told,
Sticky allegations start taking hold.
Director-General finally shares concern,
Investigation paused and police to discern.
What the hell goes on in this corporation?
Scotland Yard seek clarification.
Claims of delay and confrontation bold,
Email and phone calls seem quite cold.
Tabloids intervention shines down light.
Will the famed celebrity come out tonight?
The wonderful flounder as the BBC speak,
Admitting delay and dithering for weeks.
Seems some things are best left unspoken,
Scandal unbroken, reputations broken.
New claims triggering whispers of guilt,
Could the presenter’s fate – be spilt?
Suspension lingers, facts to explore.
A public interest we can’t ignore.
A celebrity, vociferously calls for truth,
The presenter’s name holds the proof.
Damage to friends accused must ponder,
We need clarity, a clamor that thunders.
Shaggy wrote mega hit, It Wasn’t Me.
Adopted by paid celebrities:
Rylan Clark defends with steely conviction:
Not me, he claims, Will Smith’s diction –
Filming in Italy for your delight,
So, keep my name out ya effin mouths!
Jeremy Vine, his voice in outrage,
Defamatory accusations he’ll engage.
Screenshots sent to lawyer’s dwelling –
But It wasn’t me; he keeps on telling.
Gary Lineker let down the haters,
He promptly feeds the alligators.
I’m not part of that scandal see!
He can say what he wants, loud and free.
Nicky Campbell named and shamed,
Involved the police, he felt defamed.
Taking a stand on social media strife,
Reporting the crimes, reclaiming his life.
Compelled to make their voices clear,
Rejecting accusations without fear.
But questions linger, shadows cast,
Because a stark sunny tale unfolding fast.
A story told, a presenter’s fall,
Allegations echoed, heard by all.
The sun’s rays fade, uncertainty remains,
A puzzle unsolved in tangled chains.
Cooperation questioned, truth concealed,
In this fiction, the facts will reveal.
Serious issues unaddressed so long,
The media shrouded in a shadowy song.
Scandal hit BBC, a familiar tune,
Lessons go unheeded, a recurring moon.
I can remember Sinn Féin’s plight,
Their voice suppressed, banned despite
Actors speaking out, their voices intact,
The Troubles persisted and that was that.
I can remember the Iraq scandal ensued,
Man named Gilligan and claims he blew –
Dossier on Iraq, sexed up and untrue,
A battle for truth in Parliament’s review.
Expert Dr Kelly the fingered source,
Credibility questioned, took a tragic course,
Caught up in turmoil, his life took force,
A devastating loss and shameful remorse.
I remember Blue Peter’s phone-in affair,
The Blue Peter cat and truth stripped bare.
Brand and Ross in the prank call debacle,
Who can’t remember that public squabble?
The most damning Jimmy Savile scandal.
A dark era which even now is hard to stomach.
Newsnight’s halt, child abuse revelations,
Incredible. Director-General’s resignation.
Cliff Richard’s helicopter inspection,
Coverage questioned amidst reflection,
Legal and ethical concerns’ connection,
His bank account afforded a £2million injection.
Jeremy Clarkson’s Top Gear suspension,
Altercations causing tension’s crux,
The public staggered, petitions amassed,
Contract terminated to quell all the fuss.
The public are struck by you on TV.
The only reason story is breaking news.
But we do have some nasty politicians.
So it does depend on your point of view.
The Pestminster scandal, shadows creep,
Members suspended as secrets seep.
Gross misconduct allegations grow,
Ask the public did they know?
Boasted of prostitutes with fervent pride,
Appalling vulgarity he just couldn’t hide.
Bringing sex workers to Parliament for drinks.
7 days of headline news don’t you think?
The Party whips and the sheep follow.
Evidence brush aside. Institution hollow.
Sexual misconduct in the halls of might,
All Party members dabble in sleight.
A woman barely 25 relinquished silence.
Unwanted advances, an MP’s persistence.
I’m fine, she said, and that was that?
He just didn’t get it, had to sit on his lap.
Letching, touching, boundaries transgressed,
In the grand old Commons innocence suppressed.
Watching porn, cocaine, bullying and more.
A predatory culture is rampant, secure.
A warning to the young seeking their way,
Around these dodgy folk caution display.
Stay safe, navigate the dark murky seas,
A blot on Westminster that fails to ease.
The issue aligned with age old structures,
Outdated institutions bloated with vigor.
Usually racist, sexist, white dominated and
Whistleblowing punished with rigor.
In a cyclone the celebrity’s fate is sealed.
Paid teen for photos a tabloid revealed.
The story infusing all kinds of despair.
The time this is posted his name’s out there.
Another Poem by Skendong: Already Done: Reflections on the Inevitable