The first half of Channel 4 documentary Paula – which looks at the life of the late, celebrated TV presenter and journalist Paula Yates – has angered viewers and reminded us of the sexist behaviour she faced on comedy quiz show Have I Got News For You.
The HIGNFY episode in question aired in 1995, when Yates appeared as a guest alongside presenters Ian Hislop, Angus Deayton, and Paul Merton for series 10.
Paula faced unpleasant comments, with repeated jokes being made about whether or not she’d had breast enlargement surgery, as well as cruel statements made at the expense of her autobiography.
Re-airing this footage rings home the unacceptable tolerance of misogynistic comments and attitudes by male TV presenters and influential figures, leaving women like Paula humiliated in the public sphere. It’s a difficult one to revisit.
The documentary shows the uncomfortable conversation: “It’s a big secret, isn’t it, your breast implants? You certainly kept quiet,” Ian said, while Yates wittily replied: “Yes, I was straight on the phone to a man with a greasy shirt in Wapping saying please discuss my breasts with the nation.”
“…And please can you buy the rights of my book,” Ian replied. Yates then responded to Ian, clearly not happy with this treatment. “Don’t be unkind," she said.
The jokes continued throughout the show’s segment, with multiple mentions of “plastic breasts” despite Yates’ request that this line of discussion was stopped.
“So much for sisterhood,” she said, adding that she “despised” Ian Hislop for his comments.
The subject of whether or not Yates had undergone breast enlargement surgery was broached over and over, to the point of both her and the audience’s discomfort. Even though she was clearly not happy about this and she asked her interviewers to stop – suggestions were then made that her autobiography was “rubbish”, along with other undermining comments about her work.
Hislop and co’s point of view seemed to be that a woman’s hard work had to be underpinned by decisions made about her body. And that it's acceptable to ignore a repeated request to stop speculating about said decisions that are no business of yours.
Viewers have called this behaviour out on Twitter, with one posting: “I hate seeing that HIGNFY clip. It’s disgraceful. They bullied her like nasty schoolboys.”
Another posted: “Brilliant Paula Yates documentary on @Channel4. Clip from HIGNFY reminding me of what a misogynistic bully Ian Hislop can be,” while one fan tweeted: “#paula I hope these clowns on #hignfy ian hislop et al. are truly ashamed of how they behaved. Christ, the things we put up with from men in the 70's and even 80's. I wish I'd been as brave as her”.
The true double standard between influential men and women was also pointed out in a tweet: “Paula Yates getting a far rougher ride on #HIGNFY than Boris Johnson ever got. #Paula".
The entire segment is a masterclass in misogyny, and it feels both upsetting – and on some level unbelievable – that this interview was aired and considered entertainment.
Paula looks at her struggle to uphold both career and family responsibilities – a key facet of pervasive societal gender inequality that many talented women like her have had to fight against – before her death by accidental heroin overdose in September 2000 at the age of 41.
The second episode airs tonight on Channel 4 at 9pm.