Wicked Whispers is the new book by Jessica Callan who, if you don't know the name, was one third of the original 3am girls from The Mirror's much-copied gossip column. 3am was set up to be something completely new in the world of journalism: instead of begging PRs for the right to cover stars and being discreet about what they said, 3am laid it all bare. The 3 3am girls - or rather, women - tricked and cajoled stars into giving them photographs and quotes, hid in odd places (quite often public toilets) to get stories and mingled with the stars, placing themselves firmly in the story in a style that drew many imitators. Callan stayed at the column for 5 years, becoming 'head girl' before stepping down in 2005 to catch her breath (and presumably detox her liver...)
This memoir is her recollections of five fun-filled years of gossip. But does it make wicked reading?
Of course it does! It's not a book that dishes huge amounts of dirt on major celebrities, but there's enough goss here to surprise all but the most hardened celeb-spotter (even if she keeps some things to herself!) and I loved the insight into this style of journalism and the lifestyle (and the dilemmas) involved.
Callan shows that gathering gossip at glitzy parties isn't always as much fun as it sounds and lifts the lid on how the celeb PR game works, as well as telling a few tales on some celebrities who frankly, deserve it.
The one little thing that annoyed me was that there was at times a bit too much exposition through dialogue (and we don't like that) - for example, one conversation runs something like:
"You know that bloke John Hurt?"
"Yes, he was in --- and now he's starring in --- ... what about him?"
The author should trust her audience to either know who she's talking about or know how to look it up!
Still, I didn't have many complaints about this book: I found this a light and addictive read and raced through it, longing for more!
Rating: 4/5
Like this? Try Tabloid Love by Bridget Harrison.
