'Carr's no star'

...says the man who gave him an award

He may have won the British Comedy Award for his stand-up – but there’s at least one person who doesn’t rate Jimmy Carr: the producer who masterminds the show.

Veteran TV executive Michael Hurll, who set up the awards 16 years ago, says the comic has no on-screen warmth – and that will stop him being a huge star.

Hurll, 70, compared Carr to an old act who never fulfilled his potential, Roy Castle. Despite his many talents as an entertainer, Castle remained known only as the host of children’s TV show record breakers.

‘He just had no sex appeal,’ Hurll said in an interview with Chortle to mark his 50 years in comedy. ‘It’s the same with Jimmy Carr.’

However, luckily for Jimmy, while Hurll continues produces the show for ITV, he isn’t one of the judges, who are drawn from other corners of the TV industry.

Click here to read the interview in full.

Published: 9 Feb 2007

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