News Bunny
Encyclopedia
News Bunny was station mascot, and creation of the short-lived UK TV Station L!VE TV
, under its publicity-seeking boss Kelvin MacKenzie
.
The basic premise was that during news bulletins, an extra dressed as a giant rabbit would stand behind the news presenter, and mime actions related to the news. For example, good news would be greeted with an enthusiastic thumbs up, while during bad news the bunny would hang his head and look sad.
It was a very controversial experiment, as up until this point almost all UK TV news was presented in the same serious manner, and the News Bunny helped pave the way for later more relaxed news presentation as demonstrated on Channel 5 and The Big Breakfast. Indeed this impact has been the subject of academic research.
News Bunny was intended to appeal to the station's target audience of young people, particularly young men, and was part of McKenzie's populist stable of programmes (see L!VE TV
entry for details)
News Bunny first appeared in January 1996, and was played by various people, usually the stations news producers and researchers. Depending on who was available at the time, various other L!VE TV
staff were also called upon to don the famous suit in "one off" appearances, including Richard Bacon
, later to become a BBC TV "Blue Peter" presenter, and Nick Ferrari
, a previous editor of The Sun's "Bizarre" column. This was documented in the book "L!VE TV - Tellybrats and Topless Darts".
Despite the channel's poor ratings, News Bunny became a national cult figure, attracting much tabloid and other media interest. For example, he was mentioned in Parliament http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199596/ldhansrd/vo960213/text/60213-13.htm
News Bunny regularly appeared with politicians, pop stars and royalty - many of whom would have preferred to avoid him. This was usually during outside broadcasts and publicity stunts. Amongst other things, he gate-crashed an official visit by Michael Heseltine
to Canary Wharf in 1996, and famously got 8 seconds with Tony Blair
.
News Bunny also stood for Parliament representing the "L!VE TV Party" in the South East Staffordshire by-election, 1996
, polling 85 votes. In order to do this, a Mirror Group employee had to change his name to "News Bunny" for the purposes of the election. According to an apocryphal story circulating among journalists at the time, during the campaign a stunt went wrong and the hapless hack was arrested for obstruction. As there was a police case pending against him, he was unable to change his name back for some time and had to live as "Mr N. Bunny" for weeks longer than he had expected.
News Bunny went off air with L!VE TV in 1999 and is now owned by Vauxhall-based ETV, founded by L!VE's former management team. The character made a brief revival during their 2003 relaunch of the station on Sky Digital.
The men behind the mask (main performers of News Bunny, in order of appearance). News Bunny Role of Honour:
Ashley Hames
, Ashley Revell
, Scott Harman, Darren Lamb, Luke Robbins, Andy Clarke, and Nik Hodges.
(original News Bunny) http://www.vivienneclore.com/articles/Ashley_913963_64.html
L!VE TV
L!VE TV was a British television station that was operated by MGN on cable television from 15 August 1995 - 31 October 1999. It was later revived for Sky Digital from 2003...
, under its publicity-seeking boss Kelvin MacKenzie
Kelvin MacKenzie
Kelvin Calder MacKenzie is an English media executive and former newspaper editor. He is best known for being editor of The Sun newspaper between 1981 and 1994, an era in which the paper was established as Britain's best selling newspaper.- Biography :MacKenzie was educated at Alleyn's School...
.
The basic premise was that during news bulletins, an extra dressed as a giant rabbit would stand behind the news presenter, and mime actions related to the news. For example, good news would be greeted with an enthusiastic thumbs up, while during bad news the bunny would hang his head and look sad.
It was a very controversial experiment, as up until this point almost all UK TV news was presented in the same serious manner, and the News Bunny helped pave the way for later more relaxed news presentation as demonstrated on Channel 5 and The Big Breakfast. Indeed this impact has been the subject of academic research.
News Bunny was intended to appeal to the station's target audience of young people, particularly young men, and was part of McKenzie's populist stable of programmes (see L!VE TV
L!VE TV
L!VE TV was a British television station that was operated by MGN on cable television from 15 August 1995 - 31 October 1999. It was later revived for Sky Digital from 2003...
entry for details)
News Bunny first appeared in January 1996, and was played by various people, usually the stations news producers and researchers. Depending on who was available at the time, various other L!VE TV
L!VE TV
L!VE TV was a British television station that was operated by MGN on cable television from 15 August 1995 - 31 October 1999. It was later revived for Sky Digital from 2003...
staff were also called upon to don the famous suit in "one off" appearances, including Richard Bacon
Richard Bacon (television presenter)
Richard Paul Bacon is an English television and radio presenter.Bacon's first high-profile media role was as a presenter of Blue Peter, from which he was sacked in 1998 following newspaper reports of him taking cocaine...
, later to become a BBC TV "Blue Peter" presenter, and Nick Ferrari
Nick Ferrari
Nick Ferrari is a radio presenter who currently hosts the weekday breakfast show from 0700-1000 UTC on the London-based talk and phone-in radio station LBC 97.3. He also has a regular column in the Sunday Express and is a regular guest on The Alan Titchmarsh Show on ITV1...
, a previous editor of The Sun's "Bizarre" column. This was documented in the book "L!VE TV - Tellybrats and Topless Darts".
Despite the channel's poor ratings, News Bunny became a national cult figure, attracting much tabloid and other media interest. For example, he was mentioned in Parliament http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199596/ldhansrd/vo960213/text/60213-13.htm
News Bunny regularly appeared with politicians, pop stars and royalty - many of whom would have preferred to avoid him. This was usually during outside broadcasts and publicity stunts. Amongst other things, he gate-crashed an official visit by Michael Heseltine
Michael Heseltine
Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC is a British businessman, Conservative politician and patron of the Tory Reform Group. He was a Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001 and was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major...
to Canary Wharf in 1996, and famously got 8 seconds with Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
.
News Bunny also stood for Parliament representing the "L!VE TV Party" in the South East Staffordshire by-election, 1996
South East Staffordshire by-election, 1996
A by-election was held for the British House of Commons constituency of South East Staffordshire on 11 April 1996 following the death of sitting Conservative MP Sir David Lincoln Lightbown.The result was a Labour gain from the Conservatives....
, polling 85 votes. In order to do this, a Mirror Group employee had to change his name to "News Bunny" for the purposes of the election. According to an apocryphal story circulating among journalists at the time, during the campaign a stunt went wrong and the hapless hack was arrested for obstruction. As there was a police case pending against him, he was unable to change his name back for some time and had to live as "Mr N. Bunny" for weeks longer than he had expected.
News Bunny went off air with L!VE TV in 1999 and is now owned by Vauxhall-based ETV, founded by L!VE's former management team. The character made a brief revival during their 2003 relaunch of the station on Sky Digital.
The men behind the mask (main performers of News Bunny, in order of appearance). News Bunny Role of Honour:
Ashley Hames
Ashley Hames
Ashley Martyn Hames is an English television presenter, director and writer.-Presenting & Direction:...
, Ashley Revell
Ashley Revell
Ashley Revell is a British professional gambler, from Kent, who briefly achieved fame for selling all his possessions and gambling US$135,300 on a single spin of a roulette wheel in the Plaza Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada on 11 April 2004...
, Scott Harman, Darren Lamb, Luke Robbins, Andy Clarke, and Nik Hodges.
News Bunny (2)
News Bunny has since become a media term occasionally used to refer to a news presenter, usually female, who has been hired on the basis of entertainment or attractiveness value rather than as a serious reporter.External links
Ashley HamesAshley Hames
Ashley Martyn Hames is an English television presenter, director and writer.-Presenting & Direction:...
(original News Bunny) http://www.vivienneclore.com/articles/Ashley_913963_64.html