Hoffman, Kunis and Walsh star in Celebrity Savers
TV executives looking for the next big strand – a dog named Pudsey has just won Britain’s Got Talent, a sign that Simon Cowell’s dumb animal circuses have reached their goal – could consider Celebrity Savers, a TV show in which stars rescue ‘ordinary’ members of the public from a disaster. (Celebrity charity gigs and quiz shows are old hat. Direct action is required, and stopping short of getting Olly Murs to conduct open heart surgery on a child, heroism is the way to go.)
The ‘process’ in already well advanced. This week we’ve seen ‘Marathon Man’ Dustin Hoffman save the life of a jogger named Sam Dempster, who suffered a cardiac arrest while out jogging in London’s Hyde Park. Hoffman was billed as a hero in the press for dialling 999.
Paramedic Martin Macarthur and Luke Sullivan raced to the scene. They used a defibrillator on Mr Dempster. It could be argued that it was these trained medic who saved the jogger’s life. But the joy of spotting a star cannot be understated, and Mr Sullivan seems keen to appear on Celebrity Savers, telling media:
“He was the calmest person I have ever seen in that situation. He had witnessed someone collapse and crash into the tarmac, he witnessed us doing CPR and defibrillating, and witnessed him waking up. He said to us ‘good job guys’ and calmly walked away.”
Not long after, Hollywood actress Mila Kunis saved the life of a 50-year-old man working at her home by dialling the emergency services. The man had collapsed, having been “choking, coughing up blood and vomiting”.
TMZ reported that Kunis had “grabbed the man’s head … turned it to the side so he wouldn’t choke”, another person (unnamed) “stuffed a wallet in his mouth so he wouldn’t swallow his tongue”.
Paramedic arrived and took the man to hospital.
The third story involved X Factor judge Louis Walsh, who rescued Diego Bivero-Volpe, a set of teeth on TV’s Made In Chelsea, who had been mugged in Mayfair, outside The Dover Street Arts Club. The Daily Mail noted that members include “Prince Philip and actress Gwyneth Paltrow – and the club is also a haunt of Prince Harry and David Beckham.” None of whom are believed to be the muggers.
Walsh appeared, offering the beguiling and vaugely sinister phrase (think Bond villain):
“Are you OK? I saw the whole thing. This is the name, make and model of the car. I am so sorry you had to go through that.”
Walsh then called taxi for Mr Bivero-Volpe “when he came round and accompanied him and a group of friends home to West London, paying the £15 fare and giving the driver a £5 tip”.
Bivero-Volpe recalls the cab ride:
“In the taxi he was saying, ‘I can’t believe it, they are animals. It’s the worst I’ve ever seen. Are you sure you’re OK?’ ‘Then he asked me if I recognised him from TV.'”
Recognising Walsh being the sign that the patient is compos mentis. Bivero-Volpe then replied:
“I don’t watch The X Factor so I said, ‘No, I’m sorry, no I don’t.'”
How Bivero-Volpe knew Walsh is on the X Factor is not investigated. Bivero-Volpe noted:
“Louis got out first and gave the driver a £20 note, even though the whole journey only cost £15, which was very generous of him.”
Walsh then tells the press:
“I did what any other person would have done and helped someone out who was in distress.”
Others may do it, but would they do it in a newsworthy way? TV awaits…
Posted: 13th, May 2012 | In: Celebrities, Key Posts Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
