I think he (Alex) is in a very difficult position. Unless he demonstrates bedding as a philanthropic love, he needs the money. Many of us have worked in places we have been uncomfortable with both the culture and the protocols. When I was 18 and fresh out of Police training school, I was TOLD in no uncertain terms by two experienced officers to say I’d seen two skinheads throw a bicycle frame at a Pakistani youth during the Brixton Riots period. I hadn’t seen anything of the sort, by the way…You could well say I was unhappy with that culture of work, but I wanted and needed the money, so I stayed another six and a half years.
People like Knowles are no different. He has to put food on the table. And his work often involves appearing on shopping channels like Ideal World. In his great favour, he comes on here in his own name and positively engages with us. Not one other does this nowadays. If the Channel is being run along questionable selling techniques lines, then I cannot see how he can easily refuse to go along with any unsourced priced comparisons they want him to participate with. That said - HE SHOULD DO…I have only seen one presenter (Rob Lamaar) actively and disparagingly refuse to engage with several. And where is he these days? To be grudgingly fair, being positive/negative depending on the type of product (corded/cordless vacuums, for example) is very difficult to avoid. That so-called bastion of shopping television moral selling, QVC, does exactly same thing. They ALL do it. They probably would do it in the likes of John Lewis, too - depending on what you were looking at.
We all know they make-up text senders names and with that accepted- their content also. Can we prove it? Depends on how they log them in if called to account. Is the ASA ever going to leave the comfort of the tea trolley queue and ‘DAWN RAID BUST THEM’?? Don’t hold your breath. I don’t see what he can do about that other than refuse to appear any further.
As said earlier, what I would definitely like to see him NOT involve himself with, is just sitting there as the presenter/Gallery show some ludicrously high, unsourced price comparison massively weighted in the seller’s favour to buy from them. ALL price comparisons should be A) DIRECT (you don’t compare a Skoda with a Roller because they both have four wheels), B) Sourced - WHERE did they find them?? And C) In number - i.e. show at least three or four sourced examples at varying prices to give us an INFORMED CHOICE. Not just the most expensive they can allegedly find from God knows where. Those three KEY things were EXACTLY what previous versions of Ideal World did when using the price comparisons technique. If he has any influence whatsoever there - however difficult…do try and get them to do the price comparisons thing both morally and properly- LIKE WITH LIKE, SOURCED, and MORE THAN ONE…