Rough Guides 25 Years

I have always loved the Rough Guides series, not because I am an avid traveller but because of the amazing concept of the brand. Flicking through those cool books which are designed with flair and written with lots of humour is a delightful experience. Rough Guides are predominately known for their travel guides and they have practically covered every country and city on the globe. In 1994 they digressed from travel and began to publish guides to topics such as World Music and then the Internet in 1995. Rough Guides are now producers of CDS, maps, phrasebooks and guides to anything from blogging, history, chick lit etc.. They are one of the most successful travel publishing companies in the country and have sold a staggering 30 million books.

This year everyone's favourite travel publishing company reached the landmark of 25 and decided to celebrate in true style by launching 25 Ultimate Experiences. Ultimate Experiences is a series of inspirational and pocket sized books that focus on popular, fun and exotic countries to visit. The idea of the books is to showcase a mix of ultimate adventures to inspire and excite readers who are either looking for high-octane adventures such as climbing Kilmanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa or something mellow like watching a live performance in a Roman amphitheatre. The books are magazine like so you can dip in and out and are a really fun read. You can check out all the titles here.

25 Ultimate Experiences are in the shops now!

Magazines vrs Blogs

I never thought I would say this but I really think the magazine era is over. Last week was London Fashion Week mania with every fashion blogger in town adding their two pence about their thoughts on the shows. Then later in the week, the latest pictures from the much awaited Sex and the City (S&TC) film dropped and the whole of blogsphere went ballistic. I must have read about 50 blog entries gushing about the new pictures and seen the image of SJP in Carrie Bradshaw mode floating down NYC in her green flimsy summer dress about a zillion times. She looked great as usual and the blog to blog coverage of the taster showed a tiny glimpse as to how BIG the S&TC film will be.

Yesterday, I bought my weekly edition of Grazia magazine which had the usual editorial from Editor, Jane Bruton. Nothing unusual there except that she was raving on about the new trends from London Fashion Week and describing how excited the staff got over the new stills from the S&TC film. I thought to myself, Jesus this is a bit old hat. London Fashion Week effectively ended last Thursday and that seemed yonks ago and as for the S&TC pics all I could think was been there, done that and bought the t-shirt. My point is that Grazia is a weekly magazine and prides itself on being on the cutting edge of news, fashion and celebrity. Their USP is that they can cover stories that the monthly mags such as Marie Claire and Elle cannot do but for this week they seemed a little out of touch.

Talking of cutting edge, lifestyle portal, handbag.com has had a facelift and shed their pink branding. They have also dropped a lot of sections such as property, money and relationships and now concentrate on fashion, beauty, celebrity and entertainment. In other words they are now just like any other online female magazine. To be honest I am not too keen on the new look handbag.com at all as I think they have lost a lot of their personality. On the other hand the Marie Claire website is totally ravishing. Well designed and easy to navigate, the website covers topics such as fashion, health and food. The best bits of the site are the videos where they carry interviews with various fashion personalities. You can watch footage from fashion shows, behind the scenes with celebrities and there are also trailers from new film releases. Blogsphere leads all the way.

Check out the lovely SJP at the launch of her new perfume, Covet. Which is rather nice, I might say.

The Little Black Book of Style

Here we go, another style book that has been getting a lot of hype. The Little Black Book of Style (LBBS) by Nina Garcia, you know the one from Project Runway and Fashion Director of Elle magazine. Well her book makes it debut in November. I am assuming that the release date is to avoid clashing with the hysteria of the style book by a certain Ms Zoe. Now what can I say about the LBBS? Well to be honest, not a lot. It is an ok book and the cover is the most striking feature. Black of course but pocket sized and hardback so it possess an aura of quality. LBBS is best described as "a guide to help you explore your own fashion voice - the piece of you that joyously revels in the glamorous experience of creating your best self." Hmmm very profound or maybe just pure mumbo jumbo. The book is formed of six chapters which are: Be your own muse, The Basics, Inspirations, What to wear when, Insider tips and tricks and Fashion cliff's notes. Interestingly, Nina refers to her Colombian background when describing how she came to create her own style. She also uses iconic imagery from films, music, travel and art when identifying style. The inspirations chapter is probably one of the best bits of the book, I find the section on 'What to wear when' just a tad patronising. It does not take a genius to work out how to dress for a funeral. 'The basics' reads just like a page from Trinny and Susannah's many books and offers no real surprises. However what redeems LBBS is the wonderful artwork which is produced by Ruben Toledo. Brilliant to see that he is credited at the back of the book. He brings the LBBS to life with his fantastic illustrations and his superb typography. From an artistic point of view this book is a work of art but from an editorial one it is a bit of a flop.

The Little Black Book is out in November.

Picture from amazon.co.uk

Gossip Girl premieres - "You Know you Love Me"

The US do things big. Over here we have premieres for block buster films but when a TV show launches it is greeted with some adverts and a few magazine covers. Well that is just not good enough for the Americans, when a new TV series is about to air the TV company puts on a massive launch which is not too different from the one that you see for films. Take the premiere for Gossip Girl, the much awaited teen drama based on the novel by Cecily von Ziegesar of which I blogged about in July. The stars turned out in frocks galore and tuxedos, trotted down the red carpet and smiled till their cheeks hurt to promote their new show in front of snapping lenses. I watched the first episode on youTube which is kindly posted by GossipGirlTV and it did not disappoint. I found the show totally addictive and I loved the glossy and gossipy elements. The characters are great and posses a vulnerability that makes you root for them. The creator of The OC, Josh Schwartz has done it again.

Check out lovelies, Leighton Meester who plays Blair Waldorf (left), Blake Lively (centre) who plays Serena van der Woodsen and Taylor Momsen (right) who plays Jenny Humphreys in the picture above.

Picture from cw.com

The Naughty Girl's Guide to Life

Just like celebrity designs there seems to be a lifestyle guide around every corner. Let me see, there is A Girl for all Seasons by fashionista journo, Camilla Morton, The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia who is the Fashion Director of Elle magazine and a judge on Project Runaway and then there is the much anticipated release from uber stylist made good, Rachel Zoe called Style A to Zoe. So quite a lot to look forward to. Which brings me to Tara Palmer-Tomkinson; in case you don't know she is best described as an IT girl ie a wealthy socialite who did very little apart from shop, party, shop and party some more and lived off a trust fund that Mummy and Daddy set up for her. A very charmed life I might say. Tara aka TPT became a household name a few years ago when she became runner up in the reality show, I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. Her trait of wearing her heart on her sleeve made her endearing to the public who have since had a bit of a soft spot for her. This along with her well documented former drug habit played a great part in her winning Celebrity Fame Academy earlier this year. Nowadays TPT's life is full with writing for newspapers and magazines, presenting TV shows and spreading awareness about drug abuse as well as working on several charities. She has taken time out from her hectic schedule to write a book called The Naughty Girls Guide to Life. The book is co-written with journo, Sharon Marshall and tells women how to have a life full of mischief, sauciness and scandal. There are eight sections; love, style, work, home, money, travelling abroad, dating a celebrity and dieting. A third of the book is devoted to love and dealing with issues being akin to dumped, finding a man, coping with a loved up pal and being part of a smug couple. All amusing stuff but nothing thought provoking although the tips on getting revenge on a guy who has dumped you makes delightful reading. I also like the section on work where they dish out tips on how to handle a job you do not like. The bits on home, style, celebrity dating and being abroad I can do without. The Naughty Girl's Guide to Style is not a fantastic book in terms of it's writing but the design and format is pretty amazing. For a start the cover is bright red and full of funky illustrations of TPT and Sharon Marshall and I also dig the page design with it's fantastic use of colour. This book is eye candy and perfect fodder for the coffee table.

The Naughty Girl's Guide to Style is out now!


Picture from amazon.co.uk

The Insider

Ok, it's Piers Morgan mark II. No I am not obsessed with him, I swear. I am just riveted by tales of sleaze and scandal. The Insider, which is Mr Morgan's memoirs written when he was editing the Daily Mirror provides plenty of sleaze and scandal in akimbo. The auto-bio takes us through momentous occasions in history such as Blair's election victory, 9/11, the war on Iraq and Princess Diana's death. There are also not so momentous ones like his interview with Jordan, his spat with Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson and close shave with the law for purchasing unethical shares. This book is a real page turner what with Pier's dry observations and his witty one liners. He proves that to be the Editor of the nation's 2nd best loved newspaper you need to have talent, verve and a lot of front. Oh boy does Piers have some front as he stands up to Tony Blair, his nemesis, Alistair Campbell and his tyrant of a boss/friend Kelvin McKenzie. This book is brilliantly documented and reflects Pier's relationships with key people like Princess Diana, Sarah Ferguson, The Blairs, Gordon and Sarah Brown, Alistair Campbell and Peter Mandelson so you are presented with a vivid picture of what they are (or were in Diana's case) like. You get to find out how charming but manipulative Diana could be, why Cherie hated Piers so much, how Mandelson shaped the new-Labour dynasty and how Campbell controlled it and ooooh you even get a glimpse of what the Blairs and Browns really think of each other. This book is so juicy that I think it deserves another read and I never read books twice unless I am really really bored. I wonder how this will tally up to Cherie's auto-bio that is due out next year? Something tells me it won't hold a candle to it.

Picture taken from amazon.co.uk

London Fashion Week

Well this weekend it was off to South Kensington for London Fashion Week (LFW) to check out a few shows. The ones I saw were Ben De Lisi, Bora Aksu, Unconditional, Gareth Pugh, Julia Clancey and Eley Kishimoto.

Ben De Lisi: Elegant evening dresses, wearable stuff that would not look out of place on the back of his Oscar lovvies.

Bora Aksu: Little dresses with lots of flavour and with a masculine edge.

Unconditional: A combo of his and hers, in your face with original shapes.

Gareth Pugh: My initial reaction to the first outfit he sent down the runway was "What a load of rubbish." Why? Because the model was wearing a sequined black smock dress with what resembled a box over her head. There were lots of weird and wacky designs. I really wasn't sure what to expect from fashion's golden boy but I left feeling very unimpressed. The fashionistas just lapped it up and Pugh boy got the loudest applause so far. They must know something I don't.

Julia Clancey: This show was totally the opposite, well for a start it was held at the Vauxhall Scout depot which is the venue for the off schedule. Clancey presented a collection of a variety of evening dresses that was so wearable that you felt like you had seen them before. In fact I felt a sense of deja vu when I saw the Grecian themed dresses floating down the runway. Is it just me or where they so last season. Not a bad collection though, very boutique like.

Eley Kishimoto: Talk about leaving the best till last. This collection rocked!! Based on a fairground theme, the Eley Kish joint venture was charming, original with tongue in cheek humour. Their use of colour was a real breath of fresh air. I loved it.

The highlights of LFW were Bora Aksu, Eley Kishimoto, meeting up with fellow Bloggers extraordinaire, Susie Style Bubble, Roller Girl and Michele from myfashionlife, getting a free MAC makeover with lots of free MAC goodies and people watching in the swish press room where journos from Rubbish (official newspaper for LFW) and new webite osoyou.com were hard at work.

The most amusing was seeing the paps fall over themselves to get a shot of socialite and general layabout Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and on/off WAG, Elen Rives who is Frank Lampard's other half at the Ben De Lisi show. The most amusing bordering embarrassing was seeing Big Brother's Ziggy queuing up for the Unconditional show. He looked as terrible in the flesh as he did on the show.

Well that's me all fashioned out so it is back to the day job.

Picture taken from londonfashionweek.co.uk

The Fashionista Diaries - Meet Rachel Jacoby

Well London Fashion Week is up and running and fashion is on the tip of everyone's tongue. All the magazine editors are out in full forces in their Jimmy Choos clutching a skinny latte checking out the latest trends. The whole atmosphere in the British Fashion Council tent is intoxicating. Someone who knows better than most about covering fashion events is 22 year old, Rachel Jacoby. The New York native is one of the stars of The Fashionista Diaries and is now working at CosmoGirl following the demise of Jane magazine. During our interview, she spills all to me about life on CosmoGirl, Jane and what is going down with Andrew.

I was impressed with your knowledge about Jane magazine in your first editorial meeting, would you say you are a real mag hag?
I am most definitely a mag hag. Ever since I was a little girl, I would devour the pages of any magazine that passed my way -- I even would read catalogues. After a short detour of wanting to be a civil rights attorney, I turned back to my original love of magazines and took a six week course at NYU post college graduation called the "Summer Publishing Institute". It was basically a bootcamp for magazine publishing, which confirmed my interest in working in the industry. I even took a position for a year as an advertising assistant at a different magazine in order to break into publishing.

Which magazines do you buy, apart from Jane that is?
The better question would be which magazines don't I buy! I love ELLE, Marie Claire, Vogue, New York Magazine, Glamour, W, Shape, Allure...I could go on forever. I even love to read GQ (and a few other men's magazines) because of its intelligent wit and differing perspective.

How did you find out about The Fashionista Diaries and what made you apply?
I was actually frustrated with my job as an advertising assistant at Fitness Magazine and was perusing Media Bistro for editorial opportunities. I discovered a posting to be a fashion assistant at a magazine as part of a documentary TV show. Although I was quite hesitant to put myself on national television, I persevered and figured this would be my chance to gain experience and exposure as a fledgling fashion/beauty journalist.

How upset were you when Jane folded?
I was incredibly bummed (if you couldn't tell). Although the show only
showed me as upset because I lost my "big chance", I was also quite disappointed as a reader -- Jane was my bible. I most importantly felt for the entire staff of Jane, as I had grown to know and love many of the staffers and knew how much they believed in the magazine and its editorial message.

How are things going at Cosmo Girl?
Cosmo Girl is great! The entire team is passionate about their magazine, which makes it quite an exciting place to work. They have really given me a fabulous opportunity to showcase my skills and raw desire to work in publishing.

Lets talk Andy-licious, you guys make a great team. Any romance there?
I adore Andrew -- he's a great guy. We compliment each other in the work place, but unfortunately there is no romance there. As I stated in an episode, I don't like to mix work with play!

Who are your favourite designers?
I adore a lot of designers, many of which I cannot afford as an
assistant. However, my current favorites include Marni, Catherine
Malandrino and of course the American wunderkind Marc Jacobs. But realistically, I buy a lot of my clothing either at vintage shops or at H&M -- great, affordable style.

How would you describe your dress style?
I like to switch it up, depending on where I am or what I'm doing. I love to mix boyish hippie elements such as funky vintage tees with glizty-girly pieces. In a nutshell, I'd say I'm a glam hippie/tomboy.

The Fashionista Diaries is on SOAPnet.com on Wednesday at 9pm (US time).


Picture supplied by Shepley Winings Public Relations

Always First

Now I am not one for weekly glossies; apart from a weakness for Grazia I do not have a taste for the Now's, Heat and Look's of the world. However the new look First magazine has caused me to change my mind. While all the publishing houses are falling over themselves to produce miniature versions of their magazine, Emap has gone the other way and is now the proud owner of a maxi mag. First promises style and substance every week for women aged between 30 and 40 and instead of concentrating on supplying us with a magazine that fits in your handbag, their remit is to provide readers with a combination of soft and hard news. First's editor, Jane Ennis states that it is magazine for grown up women who know their own minds. Hmm, I think I have heard all this before. Still the mix of mag is refreshing with just the right combo of celebrity news, fashion, beauty and human interest stories. The layout is pretty cool as well and mesh's well with the lovely photography. Cover star, Danni Minogue who seems to be everywhere thanks to her new stint on X Factor looks luminous. The all new First is now the kind of mag you wouldn't mind not stuffing in your handbag. Read it and weep!

The Fashionista Diaries - Meet Janjay Sherman

New York Fashion Week came to a fantastic climax today with stunning shows from the preppie, Tommy Hilfiger and the toast of NYC, Donna Karan. As the fashionistas packs up their designer luggage and head to London for a week of cutting edge shows and endless parties they will have a huge precedent to follow. New York is undeniably the fashion capital of the world and if you can make it there you are home dry. No one will know this better than a group of six twenty-somethings who have just started their careers in fashion. Rachel, Andrew, Janjay, Tina, Bridget and Lauren have practically become household names with their role in the documentary, The Fashionista Diaries. Billed as part Project Runway with a dashing of The Apprentice and The Devil Wears Prada sprinkled on the top, this fly on the wall programme has caught the imagination of fashion lovers. One of the popular characters is 22 year old Janjay Sherman who has landed a gig at the ultra trendy, Flirt Cosmetics and has proved herself to be capable, talented and sassy. So what is it like working on the glamorous show? I set about to quizz her.

How did you hear about The Fashionista Diaries and what made you apply?
I was actually an intern at Zac Posen which was coming to an end and I just wanted to get a job after graduation. I came across a posting on Mediabistro.com which said they were looking for a fashion assistant which ended up being a casting call. I got a few callbacks and from there the whirlwind started.

So when you found out that the ad was for a TV show how did you feel? Were you excited, taken aback or did you think 'Hell no?"
I was actually very excited and it seemed like something that definitely match my personality. I am a very determined person and I saw it as a way of getting my foot in the door of this industry.

You project yourself very well on TV and are very composed which has not gone un-noticed by others. Are you aware of what a great role model you have turned into?
It is a blessing that I can be a role model to people. I just really want people to see what the industry is like and that you don't have to be catty or snotty. You can be yourself and stay focused and have your goal in mind. For me I try to stay true to myself and always be aware that people are watching. This industry is hard to break into and you always want to make the best impression.

Who are your favourite designers?
Oh I have so many, Zac Posen, Karl Largerfield, John Galliano, Betsy Johnson are my main ones.

How would you describe your style?
There is not one way to describe my dress style, I would say I have a very eclectic taste. One day I can be very uptown chic and the next day I will be downtown chic. Everyday is different for me and I dress according to my mood. I definitely think you can be cute on a budget and I do not try to break the bank to look stylish.

Now about your hair - author Tia Williams was raving about your hair on her blog. Is your hair real? Is it a weave or am I being cheeky? Either way it looks great so tell me your secret.
(laughs) No you are not being cheeky. I change my hair an awful lot, I actually just cut it. In the beginning of the show it was my hair and then midway of taping I decided that I didn't want shoulder length hair anymore. I wanted to be a diva, I wanted to be Beyonce, so I got some extensions and wore it very long and dramatic. Then a couple of weeks ago I decided that I wanted to go short and do the Victoria Beckham look so I went and got a bob. I love to change my hair it goes with my personality and I feel like I can be a chameleon.

You almost had a heart attack when your old (ahem) friend, Bobby came down for a photo shoot. I can't blame you he was gorgeous. Has anything happened between the two of you?
I can't give away too much because you have to tune in and watch it but Bobby and I do actually hang out. He is a real looker, a very humble guy and lots of fun to hang out with. You will have to tune and see what does happen or not happen between me and Bobby.

That day we saw another side to you, a cute flirty side. Would you say that is how you are out of work?
Throughout the show you will see different dimensions of Janjay, you will see me at work where I am very straight and focused, you see me with the other assistants when we meet up for drinks after work and you see my goofy side and then you see me the giddy girl who has a crush on this guy. One thing about this show is that it catches the essence of everyone's personality.

You and Tina have a really great relationship and her personality is very different from yours, would you say that this shows that women in fashion can get on as opposed to being at loggerheads?
The cool thing about our friendship is that we are able to find commonalities in our differences. I'm learning from her, she's learning from me, we help each other and I think we definitely want to see each other succeed. We look at each other as the dynamic duo. I really love Tina, I really do.

Where does the name Janjay originate from?
My parents are from West Africa, from Liberia and it's actually a very common name in Liberian culture. So I have met other Janjays before ironically and it means God's Grace.

The Fashionista Diaries is on SOAPnet.com on Wednesday at 9pm (US time).

Picture supplied by Shepley Winings Public Relations

No Reservations

With chefs being the new rage and the numbers of foodie programmes on TV, the release of No Reservations is very fitting. This romantic comedy focuses on Kate Palmer played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, a female version of Gordon Ramsey who rules her kitchen with an iron fist and military operation. Working in 22 Bleecker Restaurant, one of the most prestigious eatries in the Big Apple, Kate holds her cooking in very high regards and puts anyone in their place (staff, customers and boss) who dares to questions her abilities. Needless to say she is very wired and once a week attends a therapist in order to offload her stress. She also cuts a very lonely figure and conversations in the film suggest that this stems from a traumatic event in her childhood that she has never recovered from. Kate's sister is a completely different kettle of fish; open and full of life she is a warm and caring sister and mother to nine year old daughter, Zoe. However, tragedy strikes when she is killed in a car crash. Kate now has to deal with the trauma of losing her sister as well as consoling Zoe who she brings to live with her. To mix things up a bit a new chef starts working at the restaurant and begins to step on Kate's toes. Nick Armstrong played by Aaron Eckhart is handsome, charming, funny and warm and he turns 22 Bleecker into place of fun and frolics. Staff, customers and boss all adore him but not surprisingly Kate detests him and keeps her distance. However Nick's incredible charm draws Kate in and the two become close, well three if you count little Zoe. The trio become a little family playing house, making delicious dishes and going for long walks. However there is trouble in paradise when Nick is offered a full time job at the restaurant which puts Kate's nose well out of joint.<>

This is a cute little film with a lovely ending and Catherine Zeta-Jones really makes her mark here. She is utterly convincing as the control freak and Aaron Eckhart is totally adorable. Apparently No Reservations is a remake of the German film, Mostly Martha but as I have never seen that film I cannot comment on the comparison. My only gripe about the No Reservations is that it offers a lot more than it delivers; as I mentioned before there were hints about a tragedy in Kate's life when she was younger. I was expecting to hear some sort of revelation but none of this comes to fruition. Still it is a totally feel good film and the food looks totally delicious.

What Not to Wear

The BBC's style bible, What Not to Wear (WNTW) made a return last week with it's second generation of presenters, soul diva, Mica Paris and model, Lisa Butcher. With our beloved Trinny and Susannah now defunct to ITV, super mates Mica and Lisa have taken over the mantle of anchoring this very popular series. Over the years WNTW has become a magnet for viewers and it's take on the way women and men see their bodies is compulsive viewing. The award winning series turned hard core fashionistas, Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine into household names. Their no nonsense advice has resulted into a highly lucrative brand with spin off books and videos. When the duo left last year to host a new show, Trinny and Susannah Undress, on rival station ITV many people wondered who would be able to fill their stilettos. Enter Mica and Lisa, best buddies for years yet they are as different as night and day; Mica is voluptuous and exotic while Lisa is thin and blonde(ish). Mica was pretty big in the 80s and 90s and had a platinum album while Lisa won Elle magazine's Face of 87 competition and went on to become the Face of the 90s. The couple's debut last series brought an interesting dynamic to WNTW, what with Lisa practically having grown up around clothes and Mica's knowledge on image and projection. They must have done something right because the show was quickly recommissioned and is now back for another series.

I didn't really catch all of the last series with Lisa and Mica but I do remember watching one of the shows and sniggering at what Mica was wearing. For those of who don't know Mica comes across as a very vibrant character which is reflected in her dress sense. However due to the lack of decent fashion programmes and out of sheer curiosity I decided to tune into the new series. With compliments from the BBC I watched the first three episodes back to back. The first one was about identical twins who were alike in every way, the second one featured teenagers who dressed like they were middle aged and the third one and most interesting was about sports women. All of these women had very little self esteem where their bodies were concerned and in some cases it went deeper than that. For instance a couple of them had been bullied when they were younger and the experience scarred them. This is where Mica and Lisa are in their element, reassuring the women, cajoling them and laughing with them and making them feel good about themselves. This programme really demonstrates how what you wear can affect how you feel and vice versa.

What Not to Wear is on Thursday at 8.00pm on BBC 1

Don't You Know Who I Am?

Autobiographies have always been popular but over the last few years memoirs from ex hacks, editors and royal insiders have swamped the book market. We have had insider books on Princess Diana, The Beckhams and Madonna by Andrew Morton and the hefty bio by Alastair Campbell, the former Labour king of spin. Which brings me to Piers Morgan; the former editor of The Mirror cum TV presenter and shameless showman has penned Don't You Know Who I Am, his diary on fame, power and naked ambition. After 20 years working on national newspapers in Britain, nothing could prepare Piers for the shock of his life - getting the sack from his high profile job on the nation's second best selling paper. Turfed out onto the street with only his P45 to show, Piers pondered on what to do next. For some apparent reason he decides to dive into the world of celebrity - well why not? - if Jordan and co can do it surely so can Piers? Well he finds out pretty quickly as he lands presenting gigs on a couple of TV shows such as Morgan and Platell and You Can't Fire Me, I'm Famous and finds himself rubbing shoulders with the creme of Britain. But Piers is not done there, he has LA in his sights so when he is invited to co-host America's Got Talent along with David Hasselhoff and singer, Brandy he jumps at the chance. During his quest for fame, Piers meets celebrities such as Freddie Flintoff, Stevie Wonder and Donald Trump and spills the beans on all of them. Out of all the newspaper editors, Piers Morgan has always been the most high profile and was always seen on TV shows and giving interviews. He came across as a right smug character and completely up his own backside. His book does nothing to change my perception of him and he even appears to be more obnoxious. However the beauty of Mr Morgan is that he is well aware of his faults and in fact embraces them which I find very endearing. He makes no pretensions about his cravings for fame and adulation and simply says it like it is. Don't You Know Who I Am is funny, witty and and a bit of an eye opener.