Those requiring conclusive proof that people do not always learn from their mistakes need look no further than breakfast television – which ‘celebrates’ its 30th anniversary this year.
It started off on ITV with a celebrity-studded line-up, failed miserably, was rescued by a rat puppet, degenerated into a pastel hell of bickering, lightweight presenters – and now relies on a former choirboy and the most irritating woman on television.
Aled Jones is the presenting equivalent of cornflower paste, while Lorraine Kelly qualifies as a linguistic freak due to the fact that her Scottish accent has become more pronounced the longer she has worked in England.
Is it any wonder that early-morning programmes on a variety of radio stations continue to prosper?