Dog Blog 15 The Pressures of Stardom – 29.4.08
A work-life balance is really so important. I’m just finding it incredibly difficult at the moment to fit in my training around photo shoots and personal appearances.
I was down at Coronation Street this afternoon for a joint photo shoot with the two Corrie dogs, Schmeichel the great dane and Ossie the black lab. My word! Schmeichel’s a big lad. No great intellectual but a nice bit of rough trade, if you like that sort of thing. Ossie was nice enough too, if a little ill-disciplined. I didn’t want to appear stand-offish but they were being a bit laddish.
I mentioned – casually - that I’d been on Channel M recently but they both muttered about busy schedules and how they’d just missed it. They said they’d recorded it but just hadn’t got around to seeing it. I had to confess I hadn’t caught much Corrie recently either as evenings were a busy training time for me. They asked which gym I used but I said I had a personal trainer. They went a bit quiet after that.
Of course, you know what these photo shoots are like – knee deep in PR people and all very gushing, dhaarling.
Actually, I could see the lads were pretty impressed that I had not one but two personal PR representatives. They only had one between them! These cutbacks in tele are obviously more serious than I’d imagined.
Actually, they were a pretty decent lot down at The Street. Loads of cast members patted me as I stood hopefully near location catering, though none of them took the hint. But I did get several pieces of cheese from Schmeichel’s mum.
Afterwards, I was invited back by my PR team – AJ and Charlotte – for a personal appearance at their agency, Smith and Smith. Lovely people! Had my own special water bowl. I like that sort of attention to detail. Anyway, I rolled over on my back a lot which they all seemed to appreciate. You have to do these things – it’s good PR.