Sitcom star loses newspaper complaint

Fawlty Towers star Connie Booth has lost a complaint against the Camden New Journal over an article promoting her single mothers’ support group.

She claimed the paper had broken promises not to include photographs of her, or make too much of her showbusiness past.

The paper even drew readers’ attention for her demands that the piece be about her group rather than the classic sitcomwith the headline: Don’t mention the classic comedy series

But Press Complaints Commission watchdogs rejected her complaint because she had been willing to give the interview.

The row started after Booth, who co-wrote the Fawlty Towers with John Cleese and played chambermaid Polly, called the paper to place an advert.

They suggested a feature article would provide better publicity, to which she agreed, with the express condition that a photograph of her was not to be used.

However, when the piece appeared in October last year, it was illustrated with four publicity shots from the Seventies sitcom.

Booth, who is now a psychotherapist, was surprised when the piece focused on her life and acting career because she recalled no discussion about her previous career during the interview. So she claimed article had been obtained through misrepresentation.

Through her solicitors she also complained that a line in the story “like many an actor before her, she has found solace in therapy”  was inaccurate, even though the piece went on to say  “– but as a practitioner not a patient”

The newspaper successfully argued that Booth agreed that her former career could help in attracting publicity for the group.

It also said that the issue of photography was not mentioned until the actual interview was taking place, when they asked Booth if they could take a new picture, which she declined.

Published: 26 Jun 2004