It’s not been a great week for national treasures. First, France’s most precious jewellery, worth £76m, is stolen from the Louvre, and then Claudia Winkleman announces she’s leaving Strictly. Tess Daley is heading off with her, but in looted crown jewel terms she’s the single Sapphire earring to Claudia’s royal tiara. So no one’s quite as bothered.
I’m less worried about what will become of the French Crown jewels than I am about the state of our own country’s TV gems. Because frankly, who can possibly fill Claudia’s shoes? She belongs to the UK’s last generation of National Treasures and we should all be worried.
Because after the Gen-Xs retire, there are very few Millennials set to follow in their footsteps. And then, well, let the mourners come because not only does Gen Z have a dearth of possible contenders, this generation also apparently has very little respect for, or knowledge of, our existing card-carrying treasures. I’m thinking of Cat Burns on Wednesday’s Celebrity Traitors asking, “who’s Helen Mirren?”
... “Who’s Helen Mirren?!” That’s like asking who’s… who’s… Helen Mirren! You can’t get more iconic or more British than the actor who won an Oscar for playing the queen.
The Traitors castle is packed full of national treasures. From ‘Big Dogs’ Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross, two of the most highly valued entertainment giants in the land, to everyone’s favourite lesbian aunt - sports-mad Claire Balding. And of course, Celia Imre, up there with Judi Dench (who Cat also hadn’t heard of) and Ian McKellan as an actor with unimpeachable pedigree who has been around forever, while never appearing too frequently so as to become - well - common. This of course, is a key national treasure criteria – acquiring exceptional fame, without ever having tried too hard.
So why do 25-year-olds have such a blind spot when it comes to the total veneration of Britain’s untouchable glitterati? It’s something I’ve noticed more widely. Young people get how to “stan” someone, to “ship” them, to think they’re hot or a hun or a mother. But can they love an entertainer for very long without getting bored and ditching them for someone new? No.
Gen Z does not know how to unironically appreciate someone who excels in their field and does so with a cheeky wink, a genuine commitment to the entertainment of the Great British public and the odd light-hearted scandal.
What this means is that we are running out of national treasures. It is the sort of national crisis, like an ageing population or an avocado shortage, that happens gradually, and then suddenly.
Let’s prep for these end times by assessing the very few Gen Z contenders for national treasure. Amelia Dimoldenberg? Maybe – we shall see how the next 20 years pan out for the Chicken Shop queen. Someone like Emma Watson has the gravitas, but does she have the talent? I’ll let you answer that. Honestly, I just don’t think there are any currently famous people of that age-range who have the winning mix of personality, playfulness, and ability to help you survive an Armageddon, then make you a nice cuppa afterwards.
At 31, Tom Daley is the last of the younger Millennial/Gen Z applicants for national treasure. He has the genuine talent, cheeky humour and cozy-core appeal (thanks to the knitting), to make it if he can stay out of trouble for the next decade -- which is getting harder and harder in our hyper vigilant culture. But after Tom, that’ll be it. It’s the end of an era. The factory that has been making British national treasures for the last 50 years – otherwise known as dear old terrestrial television - is, according to media pundits, not much longer for this earth.
So, let’s enjoy the last of this dying breed of old school, TV grandees, before the Gen Z Youtubers inherit the entertainment kingdom, and we’ve no one left to worship.
