November 17, 2008
If there is one thing that keeps Guru getting up and going to the office every morning - the office being a well insulated and fully kitted out basement of his ex-directory secret residence - it is that no matter how much he dislikes work, he dislikes being at home more.
Being at home these days is pretty much like watching an endless stream of brain-numbing, spirit-crushing reality TV shows. That's largely because it consists entirely of watching an endless stream of brain-numbing, spirit-crushing reality TV shows.
If Mrs Guru isn't watching X Factor, she's watching I'm a Celebrity Get Me out of Here. If it isn't Come Dine With Me, it's X Factor again, on ITV2, when the results are already known and it is even more pointless than when it was on originally, and she watched every minute of it then anyway so, honestly, what on Earth is the point?
Anyway, Guru is relieved to lower the trapdoor to his bunker every morning, pour a cup of tea and read the newspapers in peace.
This morning, however, Yours Truly almost suffocated himself with the business section of the Telegraph when he heard that the UK's business secretary wished to use his time not to tackle the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, but to prance about on Strictly Come Dancing.
Yep Peter Mandelson told the BBC this morning that he would be delighted to go on its news programme - that's 'news'not 'celebrity twaddle'- and demonstrate his ballroom dancing.
Mandelson - who has threatened to cancel a planned extension of the right to request flexible working because times are so tough - told BBC Breakfast: "I was cheering for John Sergeant on Saturday with, I have to say, a degree of... envy."
Asked if he would star on the BBC show he joked: "It would be nice to be asked."
Offered the chance to show off his moves, Mandelson astonishingly quipped: "Not this morning, because it's too serious, but another day invite me back and I will show you what I can do."
Guru wonders if maybe prime minister Gordon Brown should just launch Celebrity We're In A Recession, Get Us Out Of Here and be done with it.
Guru's Tweets