Blowing a Raspberry at the Oscars

In a world of sophisticated, not a foot-wrong, perfectly presented glamour and glitz, our home-grown talent and newly crowned Oscar winner - Olivia Coleman - stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry. Classy, eh?

In some quarters, she has been criticised for being self-deprecating rather than confident and self-congratulatory, unprepared rather than ‘winning-speech-ready’. Others recognise that had she been confident, we’d be accusing her of being arrogant, and had she delivered a prepared speech we’d probably tut at her presumption!!

Personally, I applaud Olivia’s authenticity. There can be a strong desire to fit it ... to deliver a ‘Meryl-worthy’ speech, or to wonder what ‘Glenn would have said’ had she won. But Olivia always seems to be herself (although as she is an Oscar winning actress, I guess we can’t be sure!). Her speech was amusing, warm, shared an loving moment between herself and loved ones, and alongside the raspberry were tears, laughter and shock!

What this tells me is that even when you reach the giddy heights of success, you really don’t have to change, to adapt and conform to the environment you are in or the people who surround you. Regardless of how you approach your own version of an Oscar winning speech, you will be critiqued by some and applauded by many. But staying true to yourself, to your own values and especially to your own wit and humour – well that to me is the ultimate in self-confidence – and award worthy!