Anorak

Madeleine McCann

Madeleine McCann Category

News digests and reviews of the missing child in the news. Madeleine McCann vanished on Thursday, 3 May 2007 from a rented holiday flat in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Madeleine, on holiday with her twin siblings and parents Kate and Gerry McCann,became the biggest news story of the past decade. We’ve followed it closely ever since the story broke.

Madeleine McCann: Brian Kennedy Is Talking Balls With Mark Souster

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

THE TIMES: “Brian Kennedy’s quest to find Madeleine”

Madeleine has turned up in the rugby pages. Mark Souster investigates…

There is no doubt that Brian Kennedy is a driven man. He has built a business empire with a turnover of more than £400million, as owner he has transformed Sale Sharks into one of the leading rugby clubs in Britain, who face Munster tomorrow in the second round of the Heineken Cup, and fathered five children.

But what’s he really famous for?

He is ultra-competitive. Only last weekend he raced Kingsley Jones, the club’s coach and former Wales captain, uphill and beat him even though there is more than ten years between them.

Eat yer heart out, Sisyphus. But what is Brian Kennedy all about..?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 18th, October 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Reviews | Comments (110)


Madeleine McCann: Tapas Tales In Praia da Rocha

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

A CHILD is missing, still missing. And through the mainstream media we have watched the expats, watched the parents, watched the Portuguese police and watched the celebs.

This week, we are watching the media. The Daily Express, Sunday Express and Daily Star have been brought to book for shoddy reporting, libelling the so-called Tapas 7.

GLASGOW DAILY RECORD: “£375k Win For Maddie Case Pals”

Kate and Gerry McCann’s holiday friends – known as the Tapas Seven – have accepted £375,000 libel damages from a newspaper group.

They were all known as the Tapas Nine, but then became the 7 when we began to gawp at the McCanns. But let’s stick to the facts:

The friends were having dinner in a tapas restaurant in Praia da Rocha in the Algarve with Madeleine’s parents on the night she went missing.

So not in Praia da Luz. Is this a scoop? Is this Mirror’s investigation making progress?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 17th, October 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Reviews | Comments (505)


Madeleine McCann: An Apology For Journalism, Desmond’s Reputation And Greenslade Scores

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

DAILY STAR: “’THE TAPAS SEVEN‘” – AN APOLOGY

The Sangria Seven, surely. Or the Tapas 9 (what happened to them?). But what of this latest apology? Ahem..:

In articles published in September and November last year we suggested that the holiday companions of Kate and Gerry McCann might have covered up the true facts concerning Madeleine McCann’s disappearance and/or misled the authorities investigating her disappearance.

Yes…

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 16th, October 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann, Reviews, Tabloids | Comments (359)


Madeleine McCann Opens For Australia

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

THE AGE (Aus): “If the cap fits, journeyman Rogers will wear it”

An interview with cricketer Chris Rogers.

Away from cricket, Rogers likes sudoku, music, writing and reading. Currently, it is Vanished, exploring the Madeleine McCann case, which was topical in England when he was there mid-year.

More on how that affects his cricket next season…

Posted: 15th, October 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Reviews | Comments (157)


The BNP Guardian Wants British Coffee For British Coffee Drinkers

EXCUSE me. Yes, you with the “our” watery Starbucks coffee, the fair trade sugar and look of understanding.

The Guardian would like to garner your thoughts on the BNP.

“Does the BNP speak for you?”

You put down your white (guilt) coffee and look at the canvasser’s laptop. You click through to politic-poll.com. and see a picture of BNP leader Nick Griffin.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 14th, October 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann, Reviews | Comments (148)


Madeleine McCann Gives Lives Meaning And Worth

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

INTERNATIONAL HERLAD TRIUBIUNE (France): “Billionaire retailer Green shops for a bargain”

Mark Pootter says Philip Green is on the hunt for a knock-down-once-in-a-lifetime- I’m-cuttin’-me-own-throat-guv’nor-honest-to-goodness bargain.

And who is Philip Green? Why…:

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 13th, October 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann, Reviews | Comments (253)


Madeleine McCann: Investigators Wanted, Benchmarks Of Pain And McFly

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

DAILY MAIL: “£50,000 monthly expenses bill for McCann’s private eyes”

A scoop. It’s months old. But it’s still a scoop, right? Metodo 3 are on the job…

The private investigators hired to find Madeleine McCann were embroiled in fresh controversy last night as it was revealed they claimed nearly £50,000 in expenses for one month’s work.

… expensive

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 12th, October 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Reviews, Tabloids | Comments (92)


Madeleine McCann And The Dawn Of Creationism

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

In the beginning was the word. And the word was “Maddie”…

THE INDEPENDENT: “Religion vs science: can the divide between God and rationality be reconciled?”

And on the eighth day the media was created and Our Maddie did come to the fore…

‘A clergyman in charge of education for the country’s leading scientific organisation – it’s a Monty Python sketch,” pronounced Britain’s top atheist, Richard Dawkins, recently. The problem was that Reiss, as well as being an evolutionary biologist and population geneticist, is a non-stipendiary priest in the Church of England.

Still dunno.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 11th, October 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann, Reviews | Comments (55)


Madeleine McCann For Hire: Games, Books And Art

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

PR with Madeleine McCann. Recently Madeleine has been selling video games…

EUROGAMER: “Bungie has said a character called Maddie could “potentially” feature in the new Halo 3 expansion pack – but confirmed there’s no connection with missing five year-old Madeleine McCann.”

Controversy kicked off last month after a trailer for what’s now known to be Halo 3 Recon featured the message, “Maddie, where are you?”

Complete coincidence. A new series of Car 54 Where Are You? is to be called Maddie’s Car 54 Where Are You? Really…

Speaking to Eurogamer at the Tokyo Game Show, Bungie writer Luke Smith described the incident as an “unfortunate coincidence”, adding, “Because of that coincidence, we’ve pulled that slide.”

PRESS RELEASE: “Writer raises concern about motherhood of modern women”

Recently Madeleine has been selling books…

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 10th, October 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids | Comments (171)


Madeleine McCann: Labour And The Nazis

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

TRIBUNE (Magazine) “an independent weekly labour movement voice”

A new book is out: “BOOKS: Why Charles Lindbergh went to meet with Hermann Goering” – The Immortalists: Charles Lindbergh, Dr Alexis Carrel and Their Daring Quest to Live Forever, by David M Friedman

Goering and Madeleine McCann… There is a link. Knew it…

MOST people know two things about Charles Lindbergh. One: in 1927 he became the first person to fly non-stop from New York to Paris. And two: five years later his baby son was kidnapped and murdered.

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Oh, and he invented the electric guitar, suffered from bi-polarism and once ate 17 pickled eggs in a minute. Go on..:

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 8th, October 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Reviews | Comments (424)


Press Coverage: Madeleine, Kate and Gerry McCann

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

THE PORTUGAL NEWS ONLINE: “Business as usual in Praia da Luz”

Tourism is booming at the Ocean Club…

Robin Crosland has been in the Algarve for more than twenty six years. During that time, he has seen Praia da Luz grow exponentially.

He can remember way back when it was media as far as the eye could see…

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 7th, October 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann | Comments (177)


Madeleine McCann: Paedos From Lamp-Posts, Hating Fiona Philips And JonBenet Ramsey

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

QUEENSFERRY GAZETTE (Scotland): “We’ve been ad”

A CONCERNED mum has spoken out about the potential hazards posed by new outdoor advertising boards. Janette Sheppard is also worried that other parents may think the boards are simply lamp-posts.

Lamp-posts, for paedos to hide behind… Like those (G)litter bins

She said: “These have just sprung up – one is outside my son’s primary school. At first glance it would be easy to mistake them for lamp-posts, but they are actually advertising boards.”

The wonders of modern technology. Who would have thunk it. Go on…

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 4th, October 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann, Tabloids | Comments (293)


Madeleine McCann, Rosemary West And The Fear Of Esther Rantzen

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

THE TELEGRAPH: “Esther Rantzen: Fear of paedophiles is harming children”

Esther Rantzen has admitted she blames herself for raising fears of paedophiles to such a degree that adults are now scared to help crying children.

Rantzen! Last week the Telegraph brought us: “Baroness Neuberger: Children will grow up not trusting anyone in Britain’s risk-averse society”

Very soon everyone will be agreeing with this new premise, it being the way opinion is formed: one celebrity says something; another agrees; the media reports it as fact; all hacks agree; a woman in the Daily Mail says she disagrees; a reader says it’s “common sense gone mad”; a celebrity agrees; and so on and on…

The veteran broadcaster, who founded the counselling service ChildLine, warned that young people are now being harmed by the widespread suspicion that anyone who has contact with children could be a child abuser.

Well, they could be…

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 3rd, October 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann | Comments (162)


Arguido And Halo: Learning To Speak Madeleine McCann

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

DAILY MAIL: “Nomophobic, stagflation, funt… and even cripes: Some of the 100 or so ‘Words of the Year’”

This is the year of the credit crunch, the nonebrity and glamping. 2008 has given the English language more than 100 new words and phrases which capture modern life, according to experts.

Or Nodding Heads, as Anorak calls them. Go on:

The list compiled by dictionary expert Susie Dent … the nonebrity form TV’s Countdown

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 2nd, October 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids | Comments (206)


Madeleine McCann And The Polish Connection

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

The New (Poland): “Polish link in missing Madeleine McCann case”

Poland should not miss out…

Police in Poland have investigated whether a Polish couple from Warsaw were involved in the kidnapping of the four-year old British girl Madeleine McCann in May 2007.

Poland…

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 1st, October 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann | Comments (110)


New York Times Links Madeleine McCann To Murder Of Meredith Kercher

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

NEW YORK TIMES: “Details Only Add to Puzzle in Umbrian Murder Case”

In the coming weeks, a judge will decide whether to indict Amanda Knox, of Seattle, and her onetime Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, in the killing of Ms. Knox’s 21-year-old housemate, Meredith Kercher, last November.

It’s the law at work. It’s Tabloid Bingo!

A third suspect, Rudy Hermann Guede, who was born in Ivory Coast and grew up in Italy, is undergoing a separate fast-track, closed-door trial for murder and sexual assault; a verdict in his case is expected by the end of October.

It’s Italian law at work.

And Madeleine McCann… How does she feature in this story?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 30th, September 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann | Comments (63)


Madeleine McCann: Our Danny Baldwin And Using Maddie For PR

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

NEW ZEALAND HERALD: “TV Review: Out of the treacle comes trouble for everyone”

If anyone has wondered whatever happened to Coro’s cheeky cockney Danny Baldwin (Bradley Walsh), who went missing from the soap not long ago, here he is…

Where’s Our Danny?

“…playing a cheeky cockney in the missing-child drama Torn, which started on TV One last night.”

Any good?

When Torn screened in Britain a year ago, there was some debate over its merits because of the Madeleine McCann case.

With or without Our Maddie, it was dire… “it was like wading through treacle… Or like running up and down a beach in thick sand.”

PC WORLD (online): “Bungie accused of using Madeleine McCann case to promote Halo – ‘Maddie, where are you?’”

PC World… Isn’t that where Gary Glitter took his hard drive to?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 29th, September 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids | Comments (112)


Madeleine McCann: In Majorca Like What She Not Oughta

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

DAILY MAIL: “Police search for Madeleine McCann in Majorca after British couple report ‘sighting’ on beach”

Not in Malta? Not in Morocco. Sticking with the “Ms”, we journey to Majorca…

Police in Spain were tonight searching the holiday island of Majorca for Madeleine McCann after a British couple claimed to have seen her on a beach.

But they said nothing?

Detectives were scouring hotels and holiday apartments for two dark-haired women seen with a young blonde girl matching Madeleine’s description.

Darkies? Darkies! Curses!

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 26th, September 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids | Comments (245)


Eye-Eye: Madeleine McCann, Robert Murat And Gordon Brown In The Frames

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

INVERNESS COURIER: “Media is write stuff for latest Burn tale”

Caroline Flynn is at the Inverness Book Festival. And “Gordon Burn has assembled a cast of familiar faces for his latest — and perhaps final — novel.”

His last novel. Well, it will be hard to top…

Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Madeline McCann [sic] and John Smeaton all feature in a book set in the busy summer of 2007. But it is not the characters or the plot which form the core of “Born Yesterday”.

Sounds great. God. Politics. Maddie. Terror. Go on:

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 26th, September 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids | Comments (45)


Madeleine McCann’s Halo 3: Selling Video Games And Making Jokes

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

DAILY TELEGRAPH: “The News Quiz”

As The News Quiz returns, host Sandi Toksvig tells James Walton why it’s lasted so long – despite the ‘galling’ low pay she and her guests receive

Is Our Maddie fair game for comedy?

Needless to say, some news stories are funnier than others. (The show, for example, steered well clear of Madeleine McCann.) Fortunately, even in the darkest times, “politicians have the most staggering skill at producing material for us”. With that 66th series about to begin, Toksvig now finds herself “terribly grateful to Sarah Palin. For comedy writers, she’s just heaven.”

EUROGAMER: “Maddie reference spotted in Bungie trailer”

Speculation is mounting that the new trailer for Bungie’s next Halo project features a reference to missing five year-old Madeleine McCann.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 26th, September 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann | Comments (83)


Madeleine McCann Not A Victim Of The Credit Crunch

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

STOCKPORT EXPRESS: “WHAT Credit crunch”

Can the credit crunch be linked to Madeleine McCann? It’s been tried before.

DESPITE the credit crunch, one or two businessmen and woman are doing well enough to make it onto Stockport’s rich list, according to a recent publication.

Stockport’s rich list is required reading in the area’s golf clubs and jails…

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 25th, September 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids | Comments (242)


How Madeleine McCann And Pricness Diana Made Us Fear

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

DAILY TELEGRAPH: “Baroness Neuberger: Children will grow up not trusting anyone in Britain’s risk-averse society”

Paedo!

Recent figures show there are no men under 25 working in England’s state-run nurseries, such is the fear of being branded a paedophile…

But no figures are given. How many men used to work in state-run nurseries? The Telegraph does not say; but it does find time to tell readers that:

“Her comments come amid increasing concerns that Government policies are poisoning relationships between people.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 24th, September 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann | Comments (190)


The Madeleine McCann Christian Prayer Circle Says God Took Her

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

CHRISTIANITY TODAY: “Christians pray for missing Madeleine”

Christians around the world joined in prayer on Friday for the safe return of missing Madeleine McCann and the release of all children held by criminal networks.

Do the Christians know what happened to Madeleine, then?

The worldwide day of prayer was organised by the Madeleine Prayer Circle.

Join hands…

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 23rd, September 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann, Tabloids | Comments (225)


Madeleine McCann: The News Of The World’s Sorry Apology For Tabloid Reporting

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

HAVING read “the heartbreaking TRUTH that destroys the lies of Portuguese police”, the oh-so-caring News of The World tells its readers:

“We today offer Kate our immediate and sincere apologies.”

No need, surely..?

The News of the World only published extracts from Kate McCann’s private diary because it cares. It wants to help. It has investigated the case of her daughter’s vanishing and found that the Portuguese police are bungling and to blame.

Yeah, those sicko coppers like Goncalo Amaral who seek to profit from the McCanns agony by publishing books. Not sure how much Amaral’s book costs, but the NOTW is under a pound.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 22nd, September 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids | Comments (353)


Madeleine McCann: More Kate Fury, Juliet Stevenson Feels And Ben Affleck Returns

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann

DAILY MIRROR: “Kate’s fury at leaked diary story”

Such is Kate McCann’s weekly tabloid fury, it’s a wonder she has any time to do anything other then be furious.

Kate McCann was last night said to be devastated by the unauthorised publication of her diary. You mean those extracts that appeared in the News of the World, sister paper to the Sun, the Mirror’s main rival..?

Lawyers for the McCanns are thought to be demanding an apology and payout for the Find Madeleine fund. The McCanns did not comment.

A payout? Well, if her words sell newspapers, it seems fair.. Unless they are in the public interest?

DAILY MAIL: “Truly, madly, deeply disturbing: A missing child leads Juliet Stevenson to some grisly secrets in a dark new drama”

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 19th, September 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids | Comments (573)