Rear of the Year
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.
Rear of the Year | |
---|---|
Awarded for | 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 |
History
Barbara Windsor won the first award in 1976, presented as a one-off accolade. Five years later it became an annual event with Felicity Kendal receiving the honours. 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) and 1991 saw Marina Ogilvy, the daughter of Princess Alexandra, became the first royal recipient. 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. 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.
In 2014, Carol Vorderman became the first person to receive the award for a second time.
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.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.