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'What a lovely audience!' - or how Brucie felt when he met the Pope
Updated 00:14am on 13 Sep 2008
For years, his catchphrase 'What a lovely audience... so much better than last week' was a favourite with game-show fans.
But let's hope Bruce Forsyth refrained from using it during an audience with the Pope.
The veteran TV host met Benedict XVI at the Vatican this week on a trip he organised as an early 49th birthday present for his wife, who is a devout Roman Catholic.
'Nice to see you...': Brucie plays his cards right when he meets Pope Benedict XVI
It is unclear whether 80-year-old Forsyth mentioned to His Holiness that Wilnelia Merced, who won Miss World in 1975, is actually his third wife after two divorces.
Brucie's Generation Game was just one of many TV shows that helped make Bruce a household name
Forsyth, who is back on screen tonight with a preview show for series six of Strictly Come Dancing, was in Rome with Wilnelia for a six-day day trip and returned on Thursday night.
'He normally does the audience in the open air but because of the heat in Rome, where it has been 94 degrees, they decided to do it inside at the Vatican in a theatre,' he said.
'There were 12,000 people all on one level.
It was the most amazing atmosphere and there were people from all over the world. It was almost like a football crowd and whenever one part of the world was mentioned in the address, a huge cheer would go up.
'I did manage to talk to the Pope but I wouldn't like to say what I said. It was a wonderful day, but sadly the heat in Rome really took it out of me. Now I'm totally exhausted.'
Reader views (1)
It's sad that celebrity status can buy you anything these days. Most devout Catholics would not be able to 'buy' an audience ... howEVER devout they were.
- Marianne, SW France, 13/09/2008 13:12
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