Rear of the Year
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| Rear of the Year | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Description | Celebrities considered to have a notable posterior |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Presented by | Rear of the Year Ltd. |
| First awarded | 1981 (One off presentation in 1976) |
| Currently held by | Amanda Holden and Andy Murray |
| Website | Official website |
Rear of the Year is a light-hearted British award for celebrities who are considered to have a notable posterior. It was created by publicity consultant Anthony Edwards[1] and is organised by Rear of the Year Limited. It was for several years awarded to women only; now it is usually awarded to one woman and one man.
History
Barbara Windsor won the first award in 1976, presented as a one-off accolade.[citation needed] Five years later it became an annual event with Felicity Kendal receiving the honours.[citation needed] On winning the award in 1985, Lynsey de Paul quipped "I would like to thank the organisers from the heart of my bottom".[2] In 1986, the award was presented to a man for the first time (Michael Barrymore)[citation needed] and 1991 saw Marina Ogilvy, the daughter of Princess Alexandra, became the first royal recipient.[citation needed] From 1997 the awards have been presented annually to both sexes.[3] The 2002 award to Charlotte Church attracted controversy due to the winner having only just recently turned 16.[4][5][6]
2010 winner Fiona Bruce accepted the award and participated in a photoshoot, happily posing for pictures in tight jeans. However, she subsequently described the award as 'the most hypocritical, ridiculous, ludicrous thing I’ve ever done'[7]
The event, staged for some years at London's Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane, attracts national and international press publicity.[citation needed] In 2012, organiser Tony Edwards declared that female rears were starting to slim down as more women took to the gym, jogging, and keeping trim in this Olympic year.[citation needed]
In 2014, Carol Vorderman became the first person to receive the award for a second time.[citation needed]
Winners
- 1976 — Barbara Windsor
- 1981 — Felicity Kendal
- 1982 — Suzi Quatro
- 1983 — Lulu
- 1984 — Elaine Paige
- 1985 — Lynsey de Paul
- 1986 — Anneka Rice and Michael Barrymore
- 1987 — Anita Dobson
- 1988 — Su Pollard
- 1989 — No Competition
- 1990 — No Competition
- 1991 — Marina Ogilvy
- 1992 — Ulrika Jonsson
- 1993 — Sarah Lancashire
- 1994 — Mandy Smith and Richard Fairbrass
- 1995 — No Competition
- 1996 — Tracy Shaw
- 1997 — Melinda Messenger and Gary Barlow
- 1998 — Carol Smillie and Frank Skinner
- 1999 — Denise van Outen and Robbie Williams
- 2000 — Jane Danson and Graham Norton
- 2001 — Claire Sweeney and John Altman
- 2002 — Charlotte Church and Scott Wright
- 2003 — Natasha Hamilton and Ronan Keating
- 2004 — Alex Best and Aled Haydn Jones
- 2005 — Nell McAndrew and Will Young
- 2006 — Javine Hylton and Ian Wright
- 2007 — Siân Lloyd and Lee Mead
- 2008 — Jennifer Ellison and Ryan Thomas
- 2009 — Rachel Stevens and Russell Watson
- 2010 — Fiona Bruce and Ricky Whittle
- 2011 — Carol Vorderman and Anton du Beke
- 2012 — Shobna Gulati and John Barrowman
- 2013 — Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone
- 2014 — Carol Vorderman and Olly Murs
- 2015 — Kym Marsh and Daniel Radcliffe
- 2016 — Jennifer Metcalfe and Tom Hiddleston
- 2017 — Rachel Riley and Idris Elba
- 2018 — Michelle Keegan and Aidan Turner
- 2019 — Amanda Holden and Andy Murray
References
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Lynsey de Paul - obituary". Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
- ^ Kale, Sirin (20 August 2019). "Behind the times? The strange, sad story of rear of the year". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ "Rear of the Year Award for Charlotte Church, 16, Is Flattering but Distasteful; TEENAGERS: `When a Child Is Celebrated as Sexy Something Doesn't Smell Quite Right'". Highbeam.com. 2 May 2002. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ^ "BBC News - WALES - Church 'sexually exploited', AM claims". News.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ^ "I do like my bum ..but if I had won Rear of the Year three months ago it would have been seen as sick; AWARD FOR CHARLOTTE, 16. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ^ "Fiona Bruce says Rear of the Year award was 'hypocritical and demeaning'". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ^ "Past Winners of Rear Of The Year Competition". Rear Of The Year Limited. Retrieved 25 March 2017.