"GMTV broadcast the first ever wedding live from the "London Eye on Thursday10th May 2001.Charlie Ottley provided the icing on the cake with a specially commissioned poem for the occasion. The bride and groom loved it, the presenters loved it, and the viewers loved it. We think he's a star, and will be delighted to work with him again!" Siobhan O'Gorman, Series Producer, LK Today.
"That's a brilliant poem...You must insist they let you do the whole thing. It's really important. If they're short of time, then by all means lose some from my interview..." Actor Richard Dreyfuss prior to Charlie performing a slim down version of one of his poems for BBC2's live show Politics Today.
"That was marvellous, that was really good. And it'll be a lovely souvenir as well. Have that framed." Lorraine Kelly, GMTV.
"Many thanks for your excellent verses." Boris Johnson, Editor, The Spectator.
"Very, very, very good!" Nicky Campbell, Radio Five.
"Wonderful! Thank you very much." Richard Bacon, The Big Breakfast.
"What a great poem, congratulations!" Lloyd Grossman, at the launch of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) National Poetry Competition.
"Very droll!...Compares well with the cost of a plumber," Quentin Letts, The Evening Standard.
"Thank you once again for the brilliant entertainment you provided at our Industry Leaders Dinner on 19th September 2001. You captured the ambience of the evening perfectly and I know so many of our guests were truly impressed with your performance." Paul Turney President of ISES (International Special Events Society).
"We loved your poem, thank you so much. We're going to put it on our mantelpiece." The former Lord and Lady Mayor of London.
"A natural born performer from whom artistic energy flows in noisy waves….went down like cold beer in a desert." Ali Kefford, Southern Daily Echo.
"World Online recruited Charlie Ottley in January
2000 as the result of his work as City bard for Carlton TV. His brief was to
write a weekly column summarising the "News in Verse" for our expanding website.
Using his previous experience as a journalist Charlie combined satirical analysis
and outrageous observation. The results were unique. The column quickly became
one of the single most popular features on the site. Whether it was the Dome,
Tory policy or the sordid misdeeds of some high-profile celebrity, the News
in Verse was our mainstay of creative input. It lead the way for the news channel
putting us head and shoulders above our competitors; and it remained consistently
funny. There were some weeks when we all wondered what he was going to write,
but whatever the headlines Charlie found some amusing angle that brought them
to life.
Although we're sad to lose him, I would like to recommend Charlie as a brilliant
and original writer and we all wish him the best for his future career. He was
great to work with and kept us all entertained with his anarchic sense of humour.
In total he stayed with us for a year and a half before moving on to give what
I hear was an excellent performance at the Edinburgh Fringe. I have no doubt
he will make a success of whatever he chooses to do next." Richard Ayers, Portal
Director, Tiscali Uk ltd.
"A great flair for language, a love of performing and an obvious on-stage chemistry" Chortle.
"It is an unusual way of presenting the latest events from around the world but it has it's charms….for those news services losing their viewing figures, offering both rhyme and reason could be the way forward." Uk Press Gazette.
"A very fast learner with a keen eye for detail and natural interview skills….Charlie helped build up the business, establishing vital news contacts, breaking stories and providing audio interviews with a large cross-section of Hollywood and music personalities. He proved himself a dedicated team player and willingly gave up his own time to take on extra duties and responsibilities." Jonathan Ashby, Editor, World Entertainment News Network.