My First Boss

Saturday August 2, 2003
The Guardian

Top of the Pops producer Michael Hurll was my first boss when I left school to be a dancer. Dancing on the show was a dream, with the likes of Duran Duran and Eurythmics. We were allowed to be adventurous.
Michael was so scary, he was a demi-god! When he walked onto the studio floor, everybody listened and paid attention - everything went quiet!

Everyone had to be on time for rehearsals; if you were late, you missed your slot. I remember one week Thin Lizzy were on, when they were huge. Phil Lynott went up to rehearse without bothering to sing and down marched Michael from the gallery. Lynott gave him a volley of abuse so Michael took them off TOTP and they never appeared again.

He could be friendly though and occasionally he would walk pass and tell you "you're doing a great job, well done". He had an air of authority that led me for a number of years to be scared of working in telly.

He could also be encouraging as he'd tell me how to perform to camera. What I learned about television in those 18 months is the basis for everything that I know now.

On Fame Academy we've got seven cameras in a shoot, and I know what each of those cameras is doing. Michael had the ability to look at something from the artist's perspective. But he had a bigger vision too, which I think is vital.

When my husband and I do management training with people like the Foreign Office and other groups we talk about the need to be able to focus on the thing in front of you but also see the wider vision. Michael was very good at keeping the balance.

He also celebrated the individual, what was distinctive. Voices were encouraged to be unique, from Boy George to Marc Almond. As creative human beings we are meant to be individual.

If you don't have a passion for what you do, don't do it! That's my advice to anyone starting a career. Know what makes you go to work.