Warsame Abdi
What a waste of money.The money should have been given to the hungry communties around the world.
tom
Grouville rule look at moonlight pic 18 its me
Dorian Johntel Richardson
i totally agree that it shouldnt be that much but you got to loo at it they have a huge living expense
Alison
To be honest I hadn't heard of either of the celebrities until they came to visit us at the shed the night before battle. Whilst Andy showed a great amount of enthusiasm and chatted to all the workers Jodie Marsh only stopped to mutter an apology when she stood on someone's hand. Although I believe she was being paid to look interested even if she wasn't in retrospect I have wondered to what degree the decision to come here was hers or her management company's. I don't think she was right for the job because she seemed to lack the personality but nevertheless she was hired and regardless of what she does for a day job the minority who booed her did us a diservice as an Island, as someone who took part in the parade on 3 hours sleep, met some fantastic visitors who took the time to come to watch us at work in the shed and saw the Junior float win their class I am proud to be involved with Battle - John Nettles would be nice for next year though!
James Brown
I think it is a waste of time to have any event in Jersey it is such a boring place it should be turned into a lunatic assylum as it has so many insane people. Bringing celebrities over will be a waste of time since the battle of flowers is a useless event anyways. Cheers
steve hadgkiss Unidos Samba
Unidos Samba from the Isle of Wight came to the Battle invited with a very short time scale, we performed camped out had a great time for very little cost to organisers but over the moon with how we where looked after. would love to come back under same terms we where in the same parades as the special guests, never noticed them! Suggest the battle get someone more local or perhaps a sporting celeb, someone who done something for the Jersey or country.
Matt
Book entertainment next year please not celebritys that just wave! Book 'The Rock' to entertain the people!
Chantelle
*giggles*
ola
Andy i agree, how can anyone like her be a role model to young kids, everyone knows how she got famous and if thats what you call a role model what kind of example is that setting young kids!
andy
Lauren, jodie a real life role model? are you insane? she goes on to red carpet with her breasts out, so yeh, i doubt she is a role model.
Lee M
haha what a waste of money, through the parade jodie did nothing, at least andy got involved and earnt his money. and it was also good to see that she got booed
Haaaazzzzzzzzaaaaaaaa
What a waist of money!
Anonymous
the money was not well spent at all it could have gone towards much better things whther celebrities are there or not does not enhance the atmosphere the floats and fun do! andy was a good investment he was a very genuine guy however i think the states should definatley ask for a refund towards jodie marsh he might as well not have been there at all!
Lauren
This is just another case of vile bullying! I am a schoolteacher and Jodie is a real-life role model to all my girls as she is not plastic like Jordan.
Janet Haley
So-called 'celebrities' are superflous to the occasion - the floats are the reason to be there. £20,000? What a waste of money.
Marie
An inexplicable decision to invite Jodie Marsh to this event. Haven't the organisers read her disgusting internet blog? She's hardly family entertainment.
Soul mate Kyle
You lot are all just haters and jellus of my Jodie just cos she is younger and more fitter than you!!!1!11
Kyle
Wonder if the oh so generous Miss Marsh will donate her fistful of silver to the women's refuge that she is supposedly so passionate about?? Doubt it!! Jersey - you've been had!
Robert
My 5 year old daughter called out to Jodie Marsh and said "Hello, hi Jodie!" she turned her head and just looked straight through her as if she'd been insulted! That little girl's disappointment kind of summed up what we all felt by booking her.
Jodie Mush Fan
Jodie Marsh is the nuts!!!!!But Jodie MUSH is the new Jodie Marsh!Comedy!
Tax paying Mug
It’s a real shame the battle has not moved on with Jersey but stood still without change for decades.
First of why the hell is it done on a Weekday when most of the people who pay Tax that subsidise the Battle have to work and miss it what’s wrong with the Weekend.
Second, You can hardly call it a carnival, why not have it run through town like someone else suggested and make the Battle of Flowers a Public holiday in Jersey. Then maybe they wouldn’t need so many tourists to come just for the Battle cause all the local people would come and spend money.
Third, maybe we should also subsidise or invite more Fair ground ride owners as their numbers are next to none due to rising costs, maybe get a circus over, street performers blah blah and all that. In other words make it a real carnival move the battle of flowers into the 21st century or if not just drop it cause its just pissing tax payers money up against a wall if we are going to have Porn stars and Reality TV losers be the face of the battle.
There is some serious lack of brain cells amongst the people who organise, I’m not discrediting the people who make it what it is like the float builders as a lot of hours, days and months free time is given into it by them but maybe the organisers need to pull their socks up and make it more worth while rather than moaning about how much more money they need from us Tax paying mugs
Rant Over
NEXT
Bobby
i'm sorry John S, but float designers are not celebrities and its the crowds that make the battle what it is. Without them you'd be parading up and down an empty avenue.
The battle committee needs young blood not jobs for the boys. The format is dated and unless it evolves soon it will become even more of a contentious point. We are subject to controversy every year about funding, squabbling and egotistical nonesense. A celebrity should be booked on their ability to add value and appeal. I can only imagine Ms Marsh appealed to the men who had the money to book her, what were they thinking? Own up and tell us who you are and what were your motives? You have offended a lot of people.
Mike Dean
Are there no charities in Jersey that could do with £20,000?
Lindsay
I thought Andy was brilliant in the parade at least he had the deceny to smile and wave to everyone, unlike Jodie she sat there with her face tripping her up she didnt smile or wave to anyone. For a so called celebrity that hasnt even done anything to get paid that much just shows how much jersey throws money away.
James M
John S, how can one of the float organisers/designers be made a celebrity? A celebrity is someone everyones knows so don't think your suggestion makes much sense!
John S
My 45 second glimpse of Andy, as well as the 30 seconds I saw of Jodie Marsh does not warrant the money or the hype around them. If Andy had sung for the crowd, I think people would have enjoyed his participation more than watching his head & shoulders driving slowly down Victoria Avenue. Of course that begs the question of whether Jodie Marsh can sing or actually does anything that warrants the label of celebrity. At the end of the day, this was a sad aspect in an otherwise fantastic day. The floats were great, the crowds clearly loved them and the atmosphere as ever was inspirational. Learn from this episode and do NOT make the same mistake next year. Why not have one of the float organisers or designers, who is voted for by their team, as the celebrity. These are the people that make the Battle what it is...not the insult that we felt from having those 2 dropped on us.
Geri
Perhaps you should have a woman as the one who decides upon the "celebs" - enough said.
Aston
I agree with Kneo & James Monnelly. I have also heard a viscious roumour that Jersey Battle could have baught the God that is 'Bruce Forsyth' for the event for £16,000 instead they speant £20,000 on a bin man and a pair of silacone breasts... (it sounds like a pornografic movie i nearly baught in Prague!)
Kirsten
It's a great idea to bring over a celebrity to raise the profile of battle but whoever chose them needs to get a clue or some taste as Jodi Marsh was a TERRIBLE idea.
Jane
I've bought tickets for the Battle but am now considering not going. Who wants to look at a celebrity with big tits!! Money would have been better spent on a band or more interactive entertainment of some sort. If this is how the money is spent in the future I certainly won't be going to the Battle in future years
Pervy Pete
could be money well spent if she got her breasts out and flashed them up and down the Esplanade - but otherwise a gross waste of taxpayers money
Richard Watkins
We spend £20k+ on tacky second rate 'celebreties' to support an outdated tourist attraction - that only succeeds in disrupting the Island, and costs tax payers a fortune ! - come on guys - admit that the days of the 'Battle' are long gone - letr it die in peace and lets all move on to the new modern Jersey
Nick
Kneo....spot on. Its ridiculus.
James Monnelly
When the office closes at 12.30 you find anyone under 30 ahs no interest in the Battle - its too twee for us younger generation - theres nothing there to interest us sadly. I can see by doing this they are trying to attract a younger audience but they have gone about it the wrong way.
Tom
How about a "home-grown" celebrity like Graham Le Saux? Or John Blashford Snell, one of the greatest explorers of his age...simply put, they don't appeal to the dumped down generation that views the tabloids as the only view on the world. If we are to have celebrities representing our event, lets make sure they are people who represent decent values and not those aspired to by Big Brother
Kneo
So Jersey Live puts us on the world stage and those in power try and 'tax' the event by introducing new policing costs - while Battle of Flowers, fantastic community spirited event that it undoubtedly is, shrinks in popularity and remains hamstrung by awful or misguided management - and yet because it has been running for longer it gets subsidized so it can bring these two over. Anyone get the feeling something is wrong here?
Ian Le S
Who are these people and what are they famous for. For 20k + I hope that they discovered a cure for cancer, helped to solve world poverty or did something flippin significant to warrant this expediture. Actually for a third of the cost I would have done the same job, at least I'm known to more than 3 people in Jersey.
Frank
£22,000 for a topless model who's going to no doubt keep her clothes on and a singer who won't sing. Battle organisers should hang their heads in shame and resign on mass. What an utter waste of money. They've dragged the good name of Jersey's premier tourist event through the gutter.
Ben
I think getting Jodie and Andy over is a good idea, regardless of costs involved. The Battle of Flowers should attract more younger crowd so it continues throughout the years to come. Jodie Marsh maybe famous for her "Assets" but shes a young celebrity who technically has lots more years to come to gain more status. Andy - yes he was a binman, but last year, he came onto our screens and came 2nd in a hit reality show, both stars are current day celebrities. Sorry but Terry Wogan and the other "Older" Celebrities, they wouldn't attract a younger crowd.
Simon
How many more times are we going to thorugh money down the drain until it is realized that the whole battle is a complete waste of time. In the past, the event attracted a large number of senior citizens to the island however; due to the fact that our culture has changed and the cost of getting to and staying in the island has increased, this number has reduced significantly.
Why not try a new approach. make the event the carnival it is supposed to be. Forget about having it along the avune, lets run it through the streets of St. Helier more on the lines of a proper street carnival. Bring back the flowers for spectators to throw around which gets them all involved. Come on, it's really not that difficult. Pay me the substantial salary and I will sort it out for you.....
Frank
You've got to be joking!
£22k for third division has beens - come off it - no wonder the battle looses money every year and is supported by tax payers.
ringo
Im a little intrigued as to the amount being spent. I DO NOT BELIEVE that these two are costing £20K. Their appearance fees are not that high. (Check with their agents). Something smells fishy and its not just Miss Marsh and the ex bin man.
Richard
I have no problem spending the money on a celebrity - but for that MUCH money you should have been able to get someone that doesn't make Jersey look tacky.
Tommy
For £22,000 I expect a lot more than a bit of waving on a float.
Chrysoprase
I tend to agree, I have not been to the battle for quite a few years and have no intention of going again. It is very old-fashioned, someone described it as twee.
A good move would be to change the day it is held to Saturday or Sunday, when people are off work
comte-de-meulan
About time an environmental assessment was made of the Battle, all those flowers going to waste, all those noxious fumes from the planes flying the people in.
20 thousand on a couple of so called stars is just a tip of the ice berg regarding the money being wasted on this event.
Scrap the battle
Dave
What a waste of money
Andy
residents in the island moan about the young clubbers and drinkers in the island,then the battle of flowers committie bring one over to be the centre of attention
Ryan
I'm shocked that a soft porn actress and a singing competition loser are deemed to be the face of Battle 2006. It says so much about how out of touch certain elements of Jersey really are. You could have got Pete Burns and Darius for £50.
Cyfrin
Scraping the bottom of the barrel springs to mind.
Ian
How about instead of spending the money on a 'celebrity' who will do nothing but just stand there - we get a well known band to come over and play.
You could get a well known band (like the ones at Jersey Live) for less than the amount that was reported to have been spent on those two.
That way you really will get young people into the festival and different music from a new band - maybe they could play a special gig after the Battle for free as well.
Alyson
I feel that it is morally unacceptable to pay that amount of money to 2 celebrities, who may not even be considered to be real celebrities by a large number of the population of Jersey. I wouldnt have minded maybe if John Nettles and another appropriate lady had been invited. I bet they would have done it for less! Why dont the Battle organisers have a look around our island and think of better ways to spend their cash?
