In Which Riona's Journal Becomes Heat Magazine.

[rionaleonhart]

So it turns out that Charlie Brooker and Konnie Huq are engaged! I am a bit sad that the media found out, because I suspect that the plan was to get married secretly and then go 'LOL WE'RE MARRIED AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE WERE DATING', which would have been hilarious. Alas, it was not to be.

I won't pretend my reaction to the news wasn't mixed, given how unexpected it was and the part of my little fannish heart that massively 'ships Brooker with David Mitchell/Victoria Coren/me. But the two of them are charmingly mismatched, and Huq seemed adorable during Konnie's Great British Wee (parts one, two): 'I'm Konnie Huq. I'm thirty-three years old, but I look about nine, and for as long as I can remember I've been fascinated by the world of urination.'

(I really hope that Konnie's Great British Wee was how Huq and Brooker first met. I can't imagine a better answer to the question 'So, how did you two meet?' than 'Well, we were making a documentary about weeing in public...')

Also, Brooker has seemed happier and calmer in recent months than he used to be, and perhaps that's due to Huq's influence. If so, that's a good thing. Brooker's misanthropy and rage may be entertaining, but I disagree with comments I've seen on the Internet criticising him for becoming more mellow; it's absurd to wish unhappiness upon someone we admire for the sake of our amusement (and, in any case, I think he's still hilarious even in his mellowed state). I wish them the very best of luck.

(My only real selfish concern about this is how it will affect the Brooker fandom. I love this fandom, but this revelation has made me feel a bit guilty about writing for it. I hope I'll be able to get past this, because Brooker and Mitchell are such a joy to write (and read) for. I'm not ready to switch fandoms yet.

I suppose I can always write gen.)

Comments

[chocolatepeach.livejournal.com]

Definitely not alone. I mean, obviously I'm fine with it happening, but have zero desire to write her - for many reasons, but including the fact that I was an avid Blue Peter fan and that it was a huge part of my childhood and that Huq was one of 'my' presenters. And now she's engaged to someone I've only started admiring recently, and have written fic about. CHILDHOOD AND ADULTHOOD COLLDING.

[zeitheist.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly! Konnie Huq is somebody who was extremely relevant in my childhood and then sort of faded into the background, occasionally popping up in my periphery and making me go aww, I used to watch her make Mother's Day "gifts" out of bottles and eggboxes. Then she suddenly becomes relevant again by becoming engaged to somebody who is very much a staple of my twenties. Who I look at now and again and go aww, I've watched you be misanthropic and swear a lot. It is quite literally like my childhood and adulthood deciding to meet up and get engaged.

Next up: Pingu gets engaged to Misha Collins from Supernatural. Probably.

[rionaleonhart]

Pfft, everyone knows Misha/Sooty is where it's at.

[zeitheist.livejournal.com]

[rionaleonhart]

This is absolutely beautiful.

[zeitheist.livejournal.com]

I don't know, it sort of looks like they're setting up to make a sex tape...

[suthnoli.livejournal.com]

Innit. I totally shipped Konnie/Matt Baker at the time, though.

[anewcitylife.livejournal.com]

SO DID I.

[inappropriately.livejournal.com]

SHOW ME SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T.

[suthnoli.livejournal.com]

GREAT MINDS ARE AGREED! Oh, Matt Baker... *dreamy sigh*

[chocolatepeach.livejournal.com]

Flippin' love Matt Baker.