1987: COLLINS V CARTLAND Romantic Fiction Titans CLASH | Wogan | Classic Interviews | BBC Archive

Barbara Cartland - the most prolific and successful author of romantic fiction of all time - comes face to face with comparative upstart Jackie Collins, whose work she brands "evil".
What follows is a clash for the ages between the two writing heavyweights, with barbed comments, outright insults and back-handed compliments galore.
Poor Ed Asner doesn't know what to do with himself.
This clip is from Wogan, originally broadcast 13 July 1987.
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[@docjoe86]

Contrapoints brought me here.

[@emmabennett7699]

same

[@MsClaireEverett]

Same

[@izzy4reel]

same

[@antonyslack1]

Who's here from Contrapoints

[@Ty-wf6mg]

Me!

[@kellesalle9878]

I’ve watched this a few times and I’m back again. I love how Jackie respectfully dragged Barbara

[@TheGhostTherapists]

Who's here from Drag Race UK?

[@patrickward2671]

Lol yup 😂

Barbara Cartland, by the looks of it?

[@Dierdre_Barlow]

Who's here because of Ginger Johnson?

[@ae-tr9zr]

the contra has pointed us here

[@j.c7719]

Her being 86 years old and talking about old people as if she isn’t one 😂 also she greatly overestimated the impact of romance and erotic novels on society.

[@ReasonsToComment-ic2cc]

You can tell that Cartland thinks herself socially superior to Jackie. Just the accent and demeanor.

[@gmaureen]

I don't think I ever read anything these ladies wrote but I do remember their popularity. Their names and writings were prominent in US bookstores.

[@nintendy]

They don't make entertaining chat shows like this anymore - because there's no entertaining celebs anymore!

[@Patrick3183]

Barbara is like someone out of the 18th century

[@NoIdea68]

Is that supposed to be an insult?

[@johnnaylor823]

Jackie was great. Cheeky little laugh too

[@koko1974ify]

I really laughed when she talked about The Stud being disgusting, keeping her awake all night! Jackie' was very gracious I feel, and defended herself well. I'd love to ask Barbara what positive influences her books have had on society?

[@meganlewis2064]

I have read Jackie Collins book for years since i was 13, many of them helped me through dark times, Barbra books are old fashioned love innocent and 'proper' Jackie's book allow people to explore having love romantically but also with one self. She writes strong characters like Lucky Santangelo whos not only strong but also finds love. Team Jackie all the way.

[@matthewbenge7112]

Ive read them both... Collins keeps you turning those pages. Collins had more class in this situation.

[@hanselmansell7555]

Jackie wins hands down🏆

[@-xirx-]

She's off her trolly, but you've got to love Dame Barbara Cartland.

[@barbaracartlandmuseum8096]

Barbara was a force of nature! Read up about her...what a life!

[@WertyQ543]

Barbara Cartland the Karen of romance novels

[@beakfordclakington1337]

you have a one dimensional view of what a karen is.. and even that is eroneous. you'll want to come back to me with some single trite progressive insulting soundbite maybe.

[@DeepScreenAnalysis]

@@beakfordclakington1337what is a Karen? I keep seeing this name all over the place

[@hanselmansell7555]

@@beakfordclakington1337 oh come on, that was hilarious!! 🤣

[@hanselmansell7555]

@@DeepScreenAnalysis A Karen is a mostly American term for a certain type of often middle aged, conservative woman, usually bigoted, self entitled and one that always wants to complain to the manager. I'd say Christopher's original comment was pretty spot on 👍

[@lovethefields]

Don’t you dare!

[@Nana-vt8qp]

❤️ Dame Barbara Cartland grew up reading her novels.

[@brianpimblett657]

Jackie was brilliant

[@ronaldverschoor1828]

Jackie for the win.

[@jasonstimson3359]

Cartlands makeup and dress sense is offensive

[@frasierfreak92]

Barbara was a character, but Jackie was a much better author. Barbara Cartland’s books were florid, badly written romances that were repetitive and where sex happened to the female characters, with them basically being inanimate objects. Jackie Collins created sexually dominant and sex craving women, who didn’t let men push them around and where women held the power. Many women were rescued from horrible relationships thanks to the strength they found from her novels, where they realised how badly they had been treated by men.

[@j.c7719]

Exactly and everyone says Barbra was preserving “the morals and standards of her time” well society moved on for a reason.

[@Yet_Another_Steve]

How many pages?

[@DIETRICHCICCONE]

Publish!

[@MbartM96]

Chapter One! - THE END!

[@beakfordclakington1337]

little britain?

[@j.c7719]

“Do you know the bible?” said Lord Harper 😂😂

[@nintendy]

Out of all those there - you wouldn't have thought that the guy on the left would have been around the longest! (until only a couple of years ago!)

[@Garsons-oq4lh]

Age wise, Barbara was around longer, living to 98. Ed Asner, the one on the left, lived to 91.

[@dianapalmerbrooks]

When the book is only about sex it’s not about romance after the sexual encounter. Lust isn’t romantic. Lust doesn’t bring tears to your eyes and it isn’t memorable.

[@waytoobiased]

“The British aren’t coming! The British aren’t coming!”

[@latucaquepegaa]

mother brought me here, and i hate it lol

[@urgumskurgum7570]

Barbara Cartland is hurting my eyes !

[@beakfordclakington1337]

thats not an argument at least

[@hanselmansell7555]

🤣🤣🤣

[@cassyburton6813]

Ginger Johnson!

[@carolinemacrae6227]

Babera is right about something nasty being seen can't be unseen. But I wouldn't say Jacky write anything horrendous. Ther w m7h wire happening in my primary school. That can't be unseen. That's why I have the worst ocd. It's not m6 fault but I'm bullied for having a tortured soul.

[@prettypurple7175]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@joehobo2189]

Noble blood podcast sent me. I do kind of see the 🤡 in the outfit.

[@fCLEF007]

Love Barbara Cartland! Barbara rules! So iconic.

[@renan27023]

What did she dress like a 90 yo drag queen?

[@nothankyounextbye]

Oh, Barbara. I can only imagine what side of history this clown makeup would on today...

[@voulafisentzidis8830]

I've not read either but know that Jackie's books have nothing to do with love. Barbara writes about love but in the most innocent of ways.

[@pillar26]

Both women were right.

[@prettypurple7175]

SUCH A COW/////

[@tubermind]

I read Barbara Cartland's novels as a teenager and they were very romantic in the Cinderella sense; very proper in the Victorian way, which, given her age, was very understandable. Formulaic though: rich, handsome, titled gentleman with a commanding presence who can have any woman instead falls for the sweet, virginal, and intelligent girl who is well below his social station, but is his superior in virtue. They inspired young women to be good, and wise, and - furthermore, what woman doesn't admire a man who has some of those qualities of confidence, ability, positive masculinity. If he loves such a woman, he has some wisdom, taste, and character, too. And you know she'd be the best influence on that character. Well, what's wrong with that? Cartland could rest at night, knowing she was doing her part, as an influencer, on the morals of youth. Well, in that time period, people acted eager to be naughty, they winked at impropriety, they revelled in shocking behavior, and it's only increased. It's gotten so dark and twisted. It WAS "evil" and she called it out. People love to put her down, but I salute her, she was a real lady.

[@AnnabellaRedwood]

There was wisdom in her words.

[@Patrick3183]

The permissive society has gone further than she ever would’ve thought possible

[@nothankyounextbye]

LOL you need to get out more.

[@MiroBG359]

Cartland was ahead of her time wondering how what people consume affects their brain, very unfashionable at the time

[@silentautisticdragon-kp9sw]

Barbara ate her up and left no crumbs 😎

[@user-gv6kp6pu1t]

Old people? Ain't she old herself?...she kinda forgotten that she was 86 at the time born in 1901... ain't she close to Prehistoric era? Jackie Collins read her to Filth... respectfully!

[@nintendy]

She was speaking about the person who gives in to old age instead of fighting to go on as she did! Lived it up till the end! What a lovely and wonderful lady!