01x04 - Episode 4

[bunniefuu]

MADELINE: What's he done now?

Told a sexist joke,
it's all over Twitter.

What was the joke?
I don't know.

You don't know?

Whatever it was, it
really wasn't that bad.

Promise? Promise.

There's a bigger problem...
The Hay Festival.

ON PHONE: 'We've got one week.'


there's the slightest chance

they didn't find that wedding
story before I even saw it?

I need you to concentrate on
jokes about Twitter for Douglas.

No wonder they called it
Twitter, it's full of twits.

Who are you?

I hear talks are going
on, is that right?

Plans are in progress.

You do want this job, don't
you? I mean, you want it enough.

I want it far too much.
Wait, where you going?

I just heard you undo your
belt, and I'm leaving.

You don't wanna get stuck
here with Fossil Man.

HE CHUCKLES Why don't you...

The Hay Festival, Douglas's
interview. It's gonna be a woman.

The Newsnight one. Oh, fu...

SHEILA: You need
to prep. I know.

You need an interview rehearsal,
but you keep Madeline out of this.

Anyone but Madeline.
I'll do it.

No, can I just... I don't
think... You win. I'll do it.

Hi, Madeline.

Or should I call you
Kirsty? She's Scottish.

Yeah. Kirsty.

Understand I'm
helping you, yeah? No.

Yeah.

Oh, hello, Sheila, come to watch?
This is gonna be fun, yeah?

BENTLY: Any word?

They're not gonna change
the interviewer now.

No. No, probably
not. Definitely not.

Yeah, definitely not,
you're probably right.

I'm definitely
right. Yeah. Yeah.

There is not a single possibility,
listen to me, not one,

of them changing
interviewer at this stage.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly
what I think. Good.

We'll just have to wait and see.

Excuse me.

But do you think they'll
use the clip, the video?

Yeah. You think they will?

Oh, I know they
will. All of it?

All of it.

MORGAN: Twitter? More like
Twatter. BENTLY: I'm sorry?

Twitter? More like Twatter.

That's the joke, yeah? Joke?

Well, that's what
I'm working on.

Are you gonna make it funny now?

Er, it's funny already. Is it?

Well, she laughed.

No, I didn't. You
smiled. Trust me.

I think it was a polite smile.

You were aiming for
polite, weren't you?

It's hard to tell
with young people,

faces are very different now
with all the new attitudes.

It was. It was polite.
Well, that's good then

I do a ton of stand-up, and
let me tell you something,

babes, a polite smile is every
bit as good as a laugh. Really?

Yeah. Yeah. It's what
everyone says on the circuit.

Soon as you come off stage.

Don't call me babes.

LAUGHING: Excuse me?
You called me babes.

Don't call me babes.
I'm not a baby. Right?

Of course you're not a baby.
I don't flirt with babies.

As in, I really don't do that.
That's totally out for me.

I'm like, "Babies"... HE GAGS

no, like, deal-breaker.

So, if I can just remind you
of the brief here, we need a...

Thank you [!] Sorry.

..we need a joke that Douglas
can claim he told at the wedding.

It needs to be a bit misogynist

or no-one will believe
it came from Douglas,

but not so misogynist that
Douglas'll get cancelled.

So nuanced misogyny. Misogyny
that women can really get behind.

Family friendly misogyny
from a happier time.

Misogyny you can take home to
your mum and hit her with it.

No. No, don't do that,
no, don't hit your mum.

Don't hit mums.

We good to go? Any time.

SHEILA: How can you
trust that woman?

How can you trust Madeline?

Same way I trust everyone else.

Incompletely.

Right. Let's get started.
OK. We're good to go.

Melvin, I'm gonna need
that chair. MORGAN: Morgan.

Hm? Morgan.

There's a stool over
there somewhere. Oh, yes.

Hey.

Yep, that's good. I'll
just keep it going.

Hey.

God, this is ridiculous, isn't
it? I mean, you interviewing me.

HE CHUCKLES I mean...
rehearsing me.

Helping me. Obviously.

THROUGH SPEAKER: 'But it's
all so ridiculous, isn't it?'

'How can there be all this
fuss about a stupid joke?'

'It wasn't a joke,
though, was it?'

MUFFLED: 'It was a story.'

'And they all laughed.'

'All those men laughed.'

And the story you told
them was about me.

Toby...

OK, studio, here we go.
Three... BELL SOUNDS

..two... one... Cue Madeline.

Stop! And I know
exactly what you said.

OK. Douglas Bellowes.
National treasure.

Madeline... We're not...


voice of sanity for the nation,

but we're going to start

with something recent,
which the voice of sanity...

Could we cut a moment, please?
..has been heard saying.

I'm sure you know, there's
been some discussion online

about a joke you
made. Toby, can we...

I'm sure you'd like a chance to
clear things up. Can we stop?

According to the original tweet,
which I know you've seen...

Just stop, please. You
told a joke that...

We've stopped, Madeline.
..was described as sexist.

Toby, can you come in here? So can
I just ask you, what was the joke?

Yeah, I'm here.
Douglas, to be clear,

are you declining to
answer the question?

Will you repeat what you said?
I asked you about the joke,

then I asked if you were
declining to answer me.

No, before that. When
you covered your mic.

I don't recall.

You just told me, a moment
ago, a few seconds ago,

that you thought the joke at
the wedding was about you.

You said that I told a story about
you, and all the men laughed.

You said that. You
accused me. No, I didn't.

For Christ's sake!

You were audible on the
studio mics, I heard you.

I knew I was audible, Sheila,
because I know how a studio works,

but I didn't say that.

Kirsty said it.

DOUGLAS GROANS I was being her.

That's the whole
point of this, yeah?

Oh, for God's sake!

This is a simulation,
this is a rehearsal.

I'm Kirsty, this is
the Hay Festival,

and that's the condemned man,

and what Kirsty just
did, not me, Kirsty,

was to try and throw
you off balance

a second before the
interview started.

Good, isn't she? Kirsty
wouldn't... For God's sake.

She's not gonna think the
joke was about her, is she?

Why not? You tell funny
stories about everyone.

Kirsty, Gavin,
Toby, me. Your wife.

It's your party piece, funny
stories about people you know.

Conceivably, she might think
the joke was about her,

or she might pretend
to, to throw you off.

That's not likely.
She's not like that.

We're not in the business
of what's likely,

we are in the business
of what's possible.

Or should we rehearse for
the best case scenario? Hm?

I have been up all night,
I literally have not slept,

trying to think of every
way she can come at you.

Because that's what
you wanted me to do.

Every dirty trick I know. Every
dirty trick I've read about.

I've got pages of this
stuff! Look at it.

Look at it, pages. And you
fell apart on the first line.

Are you starting to understand
how much trouble you're in now?

Douglas, you are not ready.

Either you find that out here,

surrounded by friends, or you
find out in f*cking public.

So what do you want to do now?

Shall we all just go home
and pretend everything's OK?

Or maybe here's a better idea.

Why don't do we get back to work

and you let me save
your stupid arse?

What do you say?

Madeline, listen.
Not Madeline.

I'm not Madeline right now.

I'm an avenging angel
of death off Newsnight,

and you're Prince Andrew.

I'm sitting in this time.
I'm gonna watch from here.

Sure, go ahead.

Ah, not in Douglas's
eye line, please.

I will sit where I like.
No, yes, of course you will.

But not in Douglas's
eye line, please.

Or mine.

I'll stay as well. Fine,
great. Sit where you like.

So, where were we?

You were wondering if
the joke was about you.

Oh, it was about me.
We both know that.

You're saying the joke was
about Kirsty. About me.

Yes, and you're Kirsty.

Toby.

This time, no stopping
for anything, OK?

Keep it flowing.

Whatever happens,
just let it happen.

Every dirty trick.

TOBY: And cue Madeline.

Madeline?

Cue Kirsty.

STUDIO BELL RINGS

Douglas, I have been in
contact with Patrick Harland,

who overheard your
joke at the wedding.

I have a summary of
it in front of me.

Would you like me
to read it aloud,

or would you prefer to
tell it in your own words?

Douglas?

Are you serious? Perfectly.

What would you prefer?
Your words or Patrick's?

No, hang... hang
on, is this real?

Yes. Your words or Patrick's?

Er... well, I don't...

As I've explained
already, I... I...

I don't really remember
saying anything.

Look, sorry, I... I have to know,
is this real, or part of the thing?

Is what for real?

Well, have you
actually got it there?

The... the story I
told at the wedding?

Interesting. I agree.

You agree what?

You just described it as a
story. Not a joke, a story.

Having read Patrick's
account, I'd agree with you.

It's more... It's
more like an anecdote.

Something that really happened.
So that's good news, isn't it?

What... What is?
You do remember.

OK, maybe we should
stop a moment. Flowing.

So, you do remember.
No, I don't.

But you just specified
quite accurately

that it was a story,
rather than...

It was a long day, I spoke to a lot
of people, no, I do not remember.

So, what are you telling us?

You remember what kind
of thing you said without

remembering what you actually
said? I know I wasn't offensive.

Though you were drinking.
I was not drunk.

Though there are gaps in
your memory. Maybe there were

lapses in your judgment. I
have no reason to think so.

You have Patrick Harland, who
publicly described your story

as sexist, and in his email
to me, as, er, let's see...

Ah, "highly misogynist".

Well, it's his word
against mine, then.

He wasn't drunk.
Neither was I.

He has the advantage of actually
remembering what happened.

Oh, for God's sake!

Are you angry?

I'm being called a misogynist.

Yes, and you're angry,
lashing out, red in the face.

Do you think it's wise to respond to
an accusation of misogyny like that?

Like what?

Like a man.

DOUGLAS CLEARS THROAT

Whatever it says there,

it will be, at best, a gross
distortion of anything I said.

Well, you wouldn't
know, would you?

You don't remember anything.

Well, no, but I do know...
Whereas Mr Harland was sober.

So why is he the one
we should be doubting?

Why's he the one
you're believing?

This is online gossip.
When did that become news?

No offence, Kirsty,
but right now

you do seem to have mistaken
Twitter for research

and an internet
troll for a source.

Have YOU been drinking?

MADELINE CLEARS THROAT

It was about a
colleague of yours.

Sorry, what?

The story.

I'm just trying to
jog your memory.

A close colleague and
how you first met her.

Does that...

Does that mean anything to you?

No.

There are details in the story that
are slightly hard to talk about,

but essentially, you first met
this woman in a hotel room.

Not her hotel room. Or yours.

In fact, the hotel room of
one of your senior colleagues.

The gist of the...

well, humour, but I suppose
we'd have to call it...

At any rate, the
element of the story

that caused all the
men around you to laugh

was your theory that this was
how she'd got her current job.

Given the laughter, one assumes
the implication was sexual.

Ring any bells?

No.

I don't mean as a
story, as an incident.

Did anything like this happen
which might have been, you know,

maliciously exaggerated
into this kind of story?

Something you might
have joked about?

For the entertainment
of your friends?

For all those laughing men?

Like I said, not
ringing any bells.

TOBY: Cut. Don't cut.

Cut. Do not cut!

Madeline, look, I'm sorry,

but if you're gonna mention
specific people by name,

even in a rehearsal context, we
cannot run the risk of slandering...

No individuals will be
named in this rehearsal.

Good.

Thank you. Well.

No individuals who aren't
in this room anyway.

One more time.

Please search your memory.

Do the details of the
anecdote I have summarised

from Patrick Harland's account

resemble any incident
you can recall,

however exaggerated
or distorted?

No. How many times do
I have to tell you?

No.

Two years ago in
the Radio Times.


Desert Island Discs,

four months ago in a
Guardian profile piece

and just two months
ago in The Telegraph.

On all those occasions,
you alluded, in passing,

to your first meeting with
your current co-presenter,

in the hotel suite of
a senior colleague.

You never hinted at any
impropriety, not then, anyway, but

clearly this incident resembles the
one in Patrick Harland's account.

So, please, explain this.

You have remembered the
details of this meeting

perfectly clearly for
nearly three years.

You've talked about it as recently
as a couple of months ago,

so why did you say that
you couldn't remember it?

What's changed?

OK. Maybe you can answer this.

When you implied,
at the wedding,

that maybe your co-presenter
owes her current position

to sleeping with a senior
colleague, were you joking?

Or is that what
you really think?

And either way, what can we
conclude about your opinion

of your current
co-presenter, Madeline Crow?

Cut! Well, then. Who
needs a comfort break?

I... I think we've drifted into
an area probably best left...

Madeline, what's
this about? Me.

I just... Can we just talk a moment?
Back before you know it, Toby.

Fast at weeing,
remember? Madeline.

What's wrong? Having a
problem with your flow speed?

What's she doing? What was
any of that even about?

Is Madeline right? Is that what
you said at the wedding? No.

No? No. No, it wasn't.

What do you mean,
"No, it wasn't"?

You don't remember what
you said at the wedding,

so how can you know
what it wasn't?

Because... I wouldn't...

Not remembering is
the best strategy.

For God's sake, stick with it.

This isn't a choice, I mean,
there isn't... I'm not lying.

It doesn't matter
if you're lying.

It matters if you look
as though you're lying.

Can I just say, if you believe,

just because Madeline
was in my hotel room...

If you have told some kind of
disgusting lie, even as a joke...

Right, OK, not what
we're talking about.

No, I need to know, I have a right
to know if either of you believe

that any inappropriate... Not
what we're talking about...

Jesus.

Claudia? What's
Claudia doing here?

Claudia? Who is that guy?

What guy? He says
he's a comedy writer.

What do you need a
comedy writer for?

It's nothing, I just thought
we might need a little...

A little what? Creativity.

Why? Claudia, Dad's
working on something,

and it's a bit complicated...

I know what he's working on.

He's doing a rehearsal
interview with Madeline.

How do you know that?

He says he's writing a joke.
Why do you need a joke?

Claudia, how do you know
about the rehearsal?

Madeline told me.

Madeline? Yeah, Madeline.

Madeline invited me
here. Where is she?

Seriously?

My daughter? Oh.

Has Claudia arrived?
You invited her.

I slipped into her DMs,
yeah. She's a smart girl.

She shouldn't be here.

She'll be at the Hay
Festival, won't she?

At the very least, she'll
watch the interview online.

You had no business
bringing her into this.

You're right, I didn't. It's
completely out of order.

In fact, you know what it is?

It's a dirty trick.

And that's the
bloody point, yeah?

Every dirty trick,
like I promised.

Sheila, listen to me.

That national disgrace you
edit you call a newspaper.

Think of everything you
ever did for a front page

that just ruined someone's life.

Every lie, every promise,
every shitty little thing,

because all of that,
every little bit of it,

is what's coming
for your husband.

I love Douglas.

He's a clever man, but
he's not ready for this.

So for all our sakes, I'm
going to make him ready.

You love him?

He's my friend.

Are you f*cking him?!

Are you f*cking my husband?

No.

Are you?

You act like you're f*cking him.

You don't.

That's not even a
joke. It's word play.

TOBY: It's not
funny. No, it is.

"Twitter... more like
Twatter." You see?

I find it offensive.
That's where you're wrong.

You're basically
trashing a media platform

by comparing it to female
genitalia. No! No, no, no.

It's demeaning to women.

That's where women are wrong.
JENN: I think it's demeaning.

Oh, and here's another of them,
because twat doesn't have to mean...

one of those. One of those!

It only means lady parts
when you're being obscene.

Jesus, obscene? When
you're plumbing the depths.

The depths? The question
is, do we have a joke

at the exact level of misogyny
that people associate with Douglas?

I think we're in the right
b*ll s*ck. Excuse me?

Er, that's like saying ball
park but kind of humorous.

Do you have any jokes
away from the groin area?

Not those ba*ls!

The kind of ba*ls
you play with...

..in a park.
DOUGLAS: Oh, Christ.

Morgan, I think it's
time you stepped out.

And twat doesn't have
to mean lady parts.

It can mean lady parts, or
it can mean someone so stupid

that you're comparing
them to lady parts.

How is that demeaning?
Almost completely, I'd say.

Morgan. Anyway, I didn't even
say twat. I said Twatter.

That's like me saying
vaginer. Yes, it is.

No, I said vagin-er.

We all heard what you said.
Could you please stop saying it?

No, listen, I said vagin-er.

Vagin-er.

Vagin-er! Jesus, Toby.

You should know how it's pronounced,
you've probably got one. Probably?

What are you doing?

It's an inappropriate
workplace conversation,

and I'm documenting it.

Douglas, out of
here! Out. You too.

Dad, why was that guy
in there? The idiot?

He's not an idiot.
He's a comedy writer.

Why do you need
help with the joke?

Is he making up a joke for you?
Why can't you just tell the truth?

Because I work in television.

Because this is a
television news studio,

and the truth needs a
little help now and then.

Because between you and me,

our audience wouldn't
understand the truth

even if we had the guts to
tell it or knew what it was

in the first place.

I've had a word with that
b*tch who was videoing.

She's back in her l*sbian
box. She'll be no trouble.

Her "what" box?

It's an expression.
It really isn't.

Let me know if you need your career
saving again. I'm here for you.

Why do you need a rehearsal
anyway? It's just an interview.

It's practise in case
anyone wants to ask Dad

about the joke at the wedding.

Have you told them you
can't remember it? Yes. Yes!

Well, how much practise
do you need saying that?

Maybe you should go home.

I'd rather watch. I
can watch, can't I?

Madeline invited
me. Fine by me.

TOBY: This is not a
suitable place for...

What I mean to say is, your
father has to concentrate.

Best not, Claudia.
I'm staying.

I can stay, right? Sure.
Just not in my eyeline, OK?

Or your father's.
No, it's fine.

You sit where I can
see you. No problem.

My daughter?

Every dirty trick. OK.

OK.

No cuts. We go straight
through, whatever happens.

I agree. I didn't ask.

So, can I just reiterate?

Naming actual names,
even in this context,

would be, I think, unwise.

As I said, no-one's
going to get named.

Good. No-one
outside this room.

So, are you ready? I'm ready.

Douglas?

Ready.

Right

MAN: OK. Jenn, turn over.

BELL RINGS

TOBY COUGHS Cue.

Cue Madeline.

Cue... Kirsty.

Douglas, how could you
so conveniently forget

the details of your first
meeting with Madeline Crow?

I didn't forget. I was lying.

Oh, you're happy to admit
that. Of course I admit it.

I elected not to lend credence
to a malicious piece of gossip

about Madeline Crow
sleeping with my producer,

and I'm surprised
you expect me to.

But you told that exact
story at the wedding.

No, I didn't. Patrick
Harland says I did.

Or at any rate, you
say he said I did.

Maybe he's lying. Maybe
you're lying. I'm not.

Read it out.

Read what out?

The email. Patrick's.

Because, you see,

I'm starting to think there's
nothing actually in it.

Read it out, please.

The relevant passage is this...

"I can confirm that Douglas Bellowes
told a highly misogynist story

"at the wedding about
a colleague of his,"

"but I don't feel comfortable
relating the details."

And there he goes, backing
away, caught out in a lie.

Well, thanks for the chance
to clear that up, Kirsty.

Can we talk about
my charity work now?

I don't actually do
any charity work,

but seeing as we're just
making sh*t up anyway...

CLAUDIA LAUGHS

Jenn, now, please.

DOUGLAS ON VIDEO:
'Come on, Mike.'

Everyone's a camera crew now.

There's a whole Facebook page of
video footage from that wedding.

You're in about
two thirds of it,

seeing as you were the
only celebrity there.

Before you completely
deny telling that story,

shouldn't you check
if there's a video?

There isn't a video
because it never happened,

because drunk or sober, I
would never tell that story

because, Kirsty, it isn't true.

You don't remember, though.

And you don't have a recording,
or you'd have played it already.

Now, what about my charity work?

Can we move on to my campaign
to save the blue gibbon?

Is there such a thing as a blue
gibbon, or am I already too late?

CLAUDIA LAUGHS

There's bound to be more footage
than has been posted so far.

It could show up any time.

Well, let me know if
there's more of my dancing.

I'm sure Claudia would
be happy... Yeah.

..because that's all
you're gonna find.

You sound very confident. That's
because I am very confident.

Do you mind if I put your
confidence to the test,

because I have a tweet
ready to go here?

SHE CLEARS THROAT

"Please post any footage you
have of Douglas Bellowes"

"and his sexist joke
at recent wedding."

Are you happy for
me to post that?

Is that real? No
cutting. Keep it flowing.

Yeah, I think maybe we should
stop. Jenn, do not cut!

It's all about flow speed,
Toby. It's OK, Toby. It's fine.

This is just a
rehearsal. No, cut.

Cut now. Are you actually
gonna tweet that?

No, it's just a rehearsal.

Can I ask, is this how you
normally conduct interviews?

Asking questions?
Posting on Twitter.

Does that mean you're not
happy for me to post this?

Appealing to a Twitter
mob is not journalism.

You think of your audience as a mob?
No. I said Twitter, not my audience.

Who follows you on Twitter
except your audience?

Oh, for Christ's sake!

OK. I think maybe we
should stop for a while.

No! She's winding you up.

Oh, she's trying to.
She's succeeding.

You're getting angry.

You need to stop
and calm down. No.

Do it.

Well, what are you
waiting for? Do it.

Press send.

CLEARS THROAT

It's, er...

It's a popular
thread on Twitter.

We might get an answer quite
fast. Hm, will you, though?

Because, you see, you've
already done the research.

You've already asked
all those questions.

So what difference is asking
them again gonna make?

I suppose we'll have to see.

Well?

Well, what? On you go.

You now. Me?

Most people at that wedding
were your friends and family.

They might be reticent about
posting a video of you drunk.

You know that, of course,

that's probably why
you're so confident.

But if you give your blessing,
that will probably encourage them.

Unless you don't want to?

OK, I think we should
definitely stop now.

Do you want to stop, Douglas?

Do you have a reason
to stop? Mum, it's OK.

Claudia, you don't
understand, please...

Mum, don't interfere! Dad
and I had a conversation.

This is all fine. Isn't it, Dad?

What am I supposed to say?
Anything you want to say.

Douglas. I'm fine.
It's just a rehearsal.

How about this?

"Please post... any
video evidence..."

"of my unprofessional conduct."

Enough? "With my blessing."

"With my... blessing."

Hashtag
"totalconfidence". Fine.

Actually, that was a
joke. No, I don't mind.

You know what your trouble is?
You're forgetting something.

I've been at this over 30
years. I know what I'm doing.

I know when my mic is live. I
know when there's a camera on me.

And you can take it
from me, Madeline,

total confidence,
cast-iron guarantee,

no-one was recording me
when I told that story.

What story? The specific one
you can't remember telling?

So... getting my
head round this.

You didn't tell THAT story.

You don't remember
telling any story...

..but you remember
checking for cameras first?

I-I misspoke.
Oh, you misspoke.

Didn't you just.

Let's just summarise
what we've established.

You did tell a sexist
story about your colleague.

You remember doing
so perfectly well,

and you've been lying
about it to everyone,

including your own
family out of...

..out of shame at
your own conduct.

Cut.

We're done.

BELL RINGS Can I just
clarify something?

Nobody actually tweeted
anything, correct?

Christ, is that what
you're worrying about?

If we start stirring
up this situation,

it becomes very difficult to put
the genie back in the bottle.

It's a rehearsal.

My phone doesn't even
get a signal down here.

Ask Douglas. I always
have to borrow his.

Christ... you didn't.

You didn't. You
didn't. You didn't.

Douglas!

f*ck!

MAN: Thanks, Jenn, we
won't be needing you now.

f*ck. f*ck. f*ck. f*ck. f*ck!

What were you thinking?
It was a rehearsal!

f*ck. f*ck!

For f*ck's sake, just delete it!
Why? What for? What does it matter?

He doesn't need
to, Mum. It's OK.

Claudia, enough! Delete
it. For Christ's sake.

There is no footage.
There can't be.

No footage of the
joke you didn't tell?

Of any joke! Of any
joke I might have told.

I always check if I'm on camera.

Claudia, I don't remember
what joke I told,

but whatever it was,
it was harmless,

and it was not on camera. OK.

Do you believe me?

Yes. I do, yes. It's
already being retweeted.

Really, do you? I believe you.

Bloody retweeted
everywhere. Claudia?

Dad. I believe you,
hashtag "totalconfidence".

You know what? I'm
retweeting it too.

No. Claudia, no, no, no.
Stop! He's not lying.

He doesn't lie to me.
Was this on purpose?

Did you know what you were doing?
I knew exactly what I was doing.

I was rehearsing.

It was your husband
who got confused.

OK, what we need to do, we
need to close this down.

Shut up. Just shut up.
Everybody, just shut up!

Let me explain what's
going to happen now,

in case anyone is stupid
enough not to understand.

The story changes from "did
Douglas tell a dodgy joke"

to "who has the footage?"

If no-one shows up, it
becomes, "Who heard the joke?"

The only question left is which
of your friends you spoke to

at the wedding will throw
you under the bus first?

If you told that story...

it's coming out, Douglas.

It's coming out. Listen.
Just listen to me.

Don't speak. Don't speak.
Don't say anything.

We're going home now.

Tell me what you said about me.

Tell me how you made them laugh.
He doesn't remember what he said.

And anyway, it wouldn't
have been that bad.

Claudia. He doesn't lie to me!

Everybody lies...
including your dad.

Not to me. Why
would he lie to me?

Because he's ashamed.

Why are you doing this? What
good does this do anyone?

Tell me what you said at
the wedding. Go on. Tell me.

Because you know what?

Despite what Toby thinks,
despite what your wife thinks,

it doesn't matter.

If you told a story pissed
at a wedding among friends,

no-one's going to
tweet about that.

They haven't so far, and
they very probably won't.

Was that the only time you told
that story? I mean, I know you.

You and your stories, you
like to repeat them, yeah?

But, hey, if it was only a
couple of times among friends,

that's still fine.

No-one will say anything,
I'm pretty sure.

Of course, if it was
more than that...

I dunno, ten, 20 times...

then that could be a problem.

If it was part of your
regular repertoire.

If it was, like, 30 times.

When you were drinking

and you didn't always
check who was listening,

well, then there's a good chance

that story's going to
turn up on Twitter.

If that is the case, Douglas,

I'd really appreciate hearing
what you said, right now...

..from your own lips.

Douglas, do you need
to tell me anything?

He doesn't remember.

Claudia, we're going home. He
doesn't remember what he said.

Douglas, do you need
to tell me anything?

Oh, for God's sake, it's
nothing. It's no big deal.

OK. It's just...

It's not even a story.

It's just a line.
What was the line?

Well, sometimes... OK, it's
just sometimes, people ask me

when did I first know you
were gonna be such a big star?

And what do you say?

I suppose, what
I say, usually...

..I reply, "When I found you
in my boss's hotel room."

It's just a joke. Just a line.

I see. Thank you for clarifying.

What is being implied
here, whatever it is,

I would absolutely like
to make... f*ck off!

Seriously, just f*cking shut up!

Claudia, you OK?

Look, this... this is just
one of those things...

I have a question. Do I
get to ask questions too?

By all means. Oh.

You just made me
self-destruct on Twitter.

No. No?

The thing about
self-destruction,

it's not something you
can blame on someone else.

The clue's in the
wording. Why me?

Why am I the one being
punished for this?

He was the one who
did it. I did nothing.

You're the one who did it
with him. Nothing happened.

None of this has
anything to do with me.

Now, look, absolutely untrue
allegations are being made here.

Before this thing
gets out of control...

I'm not making any allegations.

I'll deny any allegations
anyone else makes.

He's just some drunk
telling stories,

getting cross about his
co-star being more popular.

You're fine. Don't
worry about it.

You're protecting him?
I'm protecting myself.

I don't want that story
out. Why would I want that?

You do understand, somewhere inside
that twisted little head of yours,

that none of this was my fault.

Whatever he did to you,
HE did it! Not me. Him.

I'm not him. I'm not
remotely like him.

Oh, sure. I know
that. Of course I do.

He's an arsehole.
He's a monster.

Madeline, there's no
call for any kind of...

Oi, Toby! Newspaper, remember?

Anything you say will be taken
down and may be used in evidence

to destroy your entire
f*cking existence, so shut it.

Of course you're not like Toby,
but that's nothing special.

You don't get an award
for not being shitty.

The world is full of men not
like Toby. I truly believe that.

There are whole armies out
there of men not like Toby.

But here's the thing.
Here's the question.

If there are so many of you...

..where are you?

Where the hell are
you all the time?

In your case, turning
around and walking away

and thinking of jokes
you can tell your mates.

If you were r*ped,
phone the police.

If you slept with
someone to get a job,

and now you're feeling bad about it,
phone your mum or your best friend

or someone who can give a
sh*t long enough to listen.

But first, explain to me
why this was my fault.

Who said I slept with him?
Oh, stop it. I know you did.

How, because I got the
job? You were in his room.

And, so? What did that tell you?
You walked away. You left us alone.

How do you know what happened
next? I knew what was gonna happen.

I saw it in your face.
Saw what in my face?

Anyone would have
known it. How?

You looked terrified.

Yeah. Terrified.

I was.

I was terrified.

And you saw that
I was terrified,

and you just turned your
back and you walked away.

I knew.

The moment I heard you were
telling stories at a wedding,

I just... I knew it
was a story about me.

You were making
them all laugh...

..at me.

Him I can take.

I hate him, but he's
hardly worth the effort.

But you...

You...

You were supposed
to be my friend.

I know. I do. But trust
me, you'll be fine.

No. Friend is wrong.

Let's be precise.

You know how there's always someone
in your life you want to impress?

Someone who lives
in your head...

..and you just want
to be more like them.

Everyone does that. Everyone's got
someone they want to live up to.

You were mine.

Since I was seven years old...

..you were mine.

I'm so... No, don't.

Don't.

Why did you come back? No
reason. I'll leave you to it.

See you soon, I hope.

I mean, good luck with it all.

Really, best of
luck. It's worth it.

Whatever sh*t you have to wade
through, it really is worth it.

Madeline, what the f*ck? What
the f*ck are you doing? Jesus.

What the hell are you
doing? To be clear...

f*ck! God! ..I'd
love the job...

They're f*cking ruined!

..but I'd never sleep
with anyone I work with.

Also, I'm out of your league,
so stop being ridiculous.

And to clarify... No. No.
No. No. Put that away.

I don't believe
in women's rights

because I don't believe
there's such a thing.

I believe there
are human rights.

Denying someone's human rights
isn't a reason to join a movement,

or go on a march, write
a book, carry a placard

or blog about the sisterhood.

It's an act of w*r.

It's a reason to retaliate.

So, in every possible sense...

..don't f*ck with me.

There you go, Toby, robust.

INTERVIEWER: We are
here at the Hay Festival

talking to Madeline Crow,

who's just taken over as
lead presenter on Live At Six

from her former colleague
Douglas Bellowes

whom, I'm sure most
of us know by now,

resigned when a mobile phone
video went viral on social media.

I don't suppose you'd care
to comment on any of that.

No, I really wouldn't.

Ah, but it must have been
very difficult for you

to hear those words coming out
of the mouth of a colleague

who you worked with for years.

People say things. It happens.

Yes, but there have been
rumours for a very long time now

about Douglas Bellowes'
problematic attitudes.

Your appointment is seen as a
victory for women everywhere.

I thought it was a victory
for me. Well, it is.

Thank you. And for all women.

Now let's see that video that
ended Douglas Bellowes' career.

Some of you may
find this offensive.

'What are you doing?

'This is an inappropriate
conversation for the workplace,

'and I'm documenting it.

BEALE: 'Douglas,
out of here! Out.

'Yeah, you too.

'OK, love, you can switch
that off right now.

'That's my client out
there, and trust me,

'no-one gets a sneaky video
of him while I'm around.

CLAUDIA: 'Why do you
need help with the joke?

'Is he making up a joke for you?
Why can't you just tell the truth?

'Because I work in television.

'Because this is a
television news studio,

'and the truth needs a
little help now and then.

'Because between you and me,

'our audience wouldn't
understand the truth

'even if we had
the guts to tell it

'or knew what it was
in the first place.

'I've had a word with that
b*tch who was videoing.

'She's back in her l*sbian
box. She'll be no trouble.

'Her what box?
It's an expression.

'It really isn't.

'Let me know if you need your career
saving again. I'm here for you.'

You OK? No.

Yeah. I'm fine.

Erm, do you mind if
I do some work? No.

Idea for sex comedy
set in TV newsroom.

Possible title...

..Doug...