It’s the occupational hazard of sports journalists, being as much fans as reporters, to risk trading access for silence. The problem can be worse when presenters cross the line to become celebs like our Christine, in situations posed by culture critic Mark Lawson when she takes over the GMTV sofa. Lawson also throws a brickbat at Gabby Logan for pulling her punches badly in that interview with Capello. Pulling punches has never been a problem for our other media star the 
lovely Alan Green. He’s been a cheekie chappie since he was a news trainee and he’s been brilliant in South Africa.
Mark Lawson on Christine and that flight.
..agonisingly for her present and future bosses, that journey, though very public, is part of her private life. Were she to reveal the secrets of the flight of shame, it would be good for the first part of the work-life balance but not the second.
.. difficulties can be anticipated for ITV when she arrives at GMTV in the autumn. English football is going to be a hot topic for months and Bleakley will have to be very clear with her producers about what she will and won’t say. The reviews of the morning papers could get quite tense….
Former BBC journalist and manager in Belfast, Manchester and London, Editor Spolight; Political Editor BBC NI; Current Affairs Commissioning editor BBC Radio 4; Editor Political and Parliamentary Programmes, BBC Westminster; former London Editor Belfast Telegraph. Hon Senior Research Fellow, The Constitution Unit, Univ Coll. London
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