Yes, you are right. A good looking man of mature years. Fairly witty and charming. All he needed was a box of Milk Tray (ah..he's already done that) and some flowers from the roadside seller and he would be the dream date for most Age UK Women in Sheds bus clientele.
The trouble with him was, he appeared to be playing a role within a role in whatever expert area of retail was thrown at him. Furniture expert? Technology expert? Painting things on roofs expert? Fans expert? For me, if truth be known, he was expert in none of those things- least, not to justify being given such a title on a shopping television channel. But he talked a fantastic game, which is probably something to do with where he's from and his background in acting. All I can do now is picture him sat on that rattan furniture, without an apparent care in the world, show after show after show after show during the very final days of the channel. He was either milking what was owed to him while the shopping udders were still there to be pulled, or blissfully unaware there was even a problem. What do you think? Would you suspect there might be a longevity of operation problem if the entire schedule for the entire week was 90% rattan being shipped (or not shipped) by somebody else? Draw your own conclusions?
Were he (or others) actually ever introduced as an 'expert' for the furniture, chairs, rattan, fans, ceramic heaters? Or for anything?
More just as a product demonstrator and as someone who has familiarised themselves with the product's operation more than the generic slot presenter they're alongside. BAs aren't touted as experts either?
As for the ethics of selling whilst suspecting the business is closing.... Well he's a contracted agent, asked to do a job, commissioned via multiple layers of management for a business that needs cash to have a chance of surviving.
You might argue they were trying to make cash sales for a future restructured IW. Suspect the management would have assured them that the business was operating and selling normally until close.
And remember, they also would have suspected their own 'back pay' for the final month, whenever the hammer fell, would also be in doubt, so no doubt trusted management/finance dept assurances.
Business is about money. Duh. Also, in many businesses there are times when staff are contracted or requested to do legal but questionably ethical actions.
Bailiffs, digger drivers taking protesters down or demolishing contentious buildings over objections,
You are contracted or already employed to do a legal job, you do it.
Yes, ethically you can argue all the presenters should have argued the honest way would be to announce fire-sale/closing down sale a d get management to guarantee in writing/on screen to honour all orders. As they indeed have subsequently attempted to fulfil according to the administrators.
So I have some sympathy with the presenters and am not quite as critical as many other final weeks actions. Somebody has to do it while the business is still operating. You can only control
Far more critical of the subsequent behaviour and thoughtless out of tune behaviour of particular presenters after the IW closure. Afaik, PV, MM, even PS, are not in that category.
Do we know yet if this time any of the presenters are out of pocket, like last time? I don't follow their/any postings or remember if this has been mentioned already?