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Dandy Forsdyke

Peel appeal from Fiona Bruce as she dons Avenger catsuit on Antiques Roadshow

By Paul Revoir
Last updated at 10:37 PM on 23rd July 2010

'Fit like a glove': Miss Bruce warms to her new sex symbol role in the outfit

When Fiona Bruce was named Rear of the Year, she greeted the award with as much embarrassment as pride.

However the BBC newsreader appears to be warming to her role as a sex symbol, judging by her readiness to slip into a figure-hugging catsuit for Antiques Roadshow.

Miss Bruce, 46, put on the outfit, first worn by Diana Rigg in The Avengers, after a member of the public brought it in to be valued.
A show insider said: 'Just as a little fun thing Fiona tried it on and it fitted like a glove.'

Miss Bruce posed for TV cameras with a picture of Miss Rigg wearing the outfit in her role as Emma Peel in the cult sixties drama which also starred Patrick Macnee as John Steed.

Mrs Peel was introduced to The Avengers as a replacement for the character Cathy Gale, played by Honor Blackman.

She was viewed as a feminist icon as she regularly held her own in fights with men and also boasted a formidable intellect in areas like chemistry and other sciences.

But for all that the character is probably best remembered for her outfits including the leather catsuit she wore in her first series.

Once the show was broadcast in colour designer Alun Hughes created the Emmapeeler catsuit, made a of stretch jersey or crimpelene.

These and other of her outfits from the programme were even licensed and sold in the shops.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1297242/Peel-appeal-Fiona-Bruce-dons-Avenger-catsuit--Antiques-Roadshow.html#ixzz0uY2mlmHF

Dandy Forsdyke · Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 10:10 pm Post subject:

It's funny what turns up!

Just when it was decided all the Emmapeelers were missing/lost/destroyed/sold off this turns up - the most iconic of all Emma Peel's fighting suits.
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Frankymole · Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 10:45 pm Post subject:

Major camel-toe alert! "Fits like a glove" because it is stretchy jersey material. I guess Ms Bruce is somewhat taller than Diana Rigg but luckily with a similarly waif-like torso. If it was worn for a few fights etc, it'd soon stretch - and start looking like a baggy baby-gro (as many of the Emmapeelers did).

Imagine Linda Thorson trying to wear that - it'd split up the back!
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darren · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 3:06 am Post subject:

The white strip around along the zip isn't as thick as it appeared in the show, maybe the fabric came off.

Frankymole · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 3:47 am Post subject:

It looks to me like it's a replacement zip, with black material instead of white, which makes the "stripe" appear less prominent. In the episode's photo in the article, Emma is show wearing the suit (with white zip) and the strip is the same width as the ones on the arms. This still seems to be the case in the modern Fiona Bruce picture.

How does that belt do up??
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Last watched: Love All, on ITV4.

Timeless A-Peel · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:37 am Post subject:

Mark A · White Dwarf Joined: 09 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

Well at least we can finally see what colour it's supposed to be, what with it changing from blue to purple depending on shot (the latter when back projection is used), IIRC!

Frankymole · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:55 pm Post subject:

Timeless A-Peel · Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 6:41 am Post subject:

dissolute · Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 2:55 pm Post subject:

Dandy Forsdyke · Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 11:52 pm Post subject:

Do we know what stores sold Emmapeelers? Were they ever seen in a picture or featured in newspaper adverts or in old Grattan catlogues? Anyone ever remember seeing them back in the day?

There are lots of examples of Corgi/Denys Fisher toys and merchandise of the Avengers on eBay and such but no clobber that I can see.

Didn't Diana once raise the roof when Cyd Child had to tell her she'd be wearing her leather suit for the fight in You Have Just Been Murdered?
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Timeless A-Peel · Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 6:16 am Post subject:

Dandy Forsdyke · Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 8:09 am Post subject:

Yes, sounds about right. Diana asked her what she was wearing and she said something like, "I hate to tell you, but what you've got on!" and Diana said "We'll see about that!" Again from memory.

It was a cracking interview with Cyd. Cool

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Dandy Forsdyke · Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 2:50 pm Post subject:

Dunno what this is I just came across - is there a programme called 'Fake or Fortune'?

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NickP · Little Wonder Joined: 03 Oct 2011 Posts: 140

iPlayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01mxxzg/Fake_or_Fortune_Series_2_Degas_and_the_Little_Dancer/

ARTS: Fake or Fortune?
On: BBC 1 HD (108)
Date: Sunday 16th September 2012 (Already shown)
Time: 18:30 to 19:30 (1 hour long)

Degas and the Little Dancer. Series 1, episode 3.
Journalist Fiona Bruce teams up with art expert Philip Mould to investigate mysteries behind paintings.

Inheriting a work of art by one of the great Impressionist masters should be a joy, but for Patrick Rice it was a mixed blessing. His small oil painting depicting a ballet dancer on stage has always been thought to be a work by Edgar Hilaire Degas.

Unfortunately, since the 1970s, experts have not agreed. The painting, which could be worth around half a million pounds if it is a Degas, is currently worth £200. In a last ditch attempt to discover the truth, Patrick and his son Jonathan ask Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould to handle the case.

Although bought as a Degas from a reputable London dealer in 1945 by Patrick's father, the painting, titled Danseuse Bleue et Contrebasses, failed to make the official record of Degas, the catalogue raisonne.

(Stereo, New Episode, Widescreen, High Definition, Subtitles, 2011, 3 Star)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=254351

Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.

Borgus Weems · Have Fingers... Will Type! Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Posts: 400

Just saw this episode on an edited replay of the British Antiques Roadshow on American PBS, and now I know why the lead british detective on "Death in Paradise" was so keen to catch a glimpse of Antiques Roadshow!

But in all seriousness... in the American version of Antiques Roadshow, experts usually show why an item is believed to be authentic or forgeries before they show the price. In the USA edit of this show, the Emmapeeler is only shown at the end, with no indication that they checked it for authenticity other than showing a photo of Diana Rigg in the same (or similar costume).

Is there a longer edit of the Roadshow that shows an expert authenticating the outfit?

TheCountess · Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 2:08 pm Post subject:

why bother · Thingumajig Joined: 09 Jan 2012 Posts: 65 Location: Sussex

If this is the same one that was brought along to the Avengers 50th anniversary celebrations, It's possible it's genuine, as I was able to compare it to one of the mass produced one's that were sold through fashion houses in the 60's. (I have several in different colours). This has stirrups as the one in the series did, the mass market ones didn't, the fabric had the right feel of age to it, but I seem to recall the provenance was a little sketchy to say the least. Cyd Child didn't seem overly convinced it was an original either, though she did say it might have been, when she looked at it.
The mass market ones appear to be near identical apart from the lack of label and addition of stirrups to this alleged genuine one.
The belts do indeed fastion by popers on the inside.

http://mirage-ents.co.uk/museum/?p=4511

This link should take you to a couple of photos of the mass market catsuit.
Though strickly speaking the site these are on has not yet gone live as it were.

anti-clockwise · Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:11 pm Post subject:

why bother · Thingumajig Joined: 09 Jan 2012 Posts: 65 Location: Sussex

These haven't been availible new since the 60's. I do know a dealer who has a couple of these original 1960's mass market ones for sale, but they are in the region of £900.
They are very rare. People used them and when they wore out through them.
You may be able to pick up one of the Miss Selfridge catsuits produced when the film came out in 1998, for around the £30 to £40 price range, they came in black or red, but these too are very difficult to locate nowadays.