Paula Yates, the ground-breaking tv presenter, author and journalist, was one of the most famous British women of the 1980s and '90s. Appearing on the most iconic TV shows of the era, presenting both The Tube and The Big Breakfast on Channel 4, Paula redefined what it was to be a woman onscreen. Fiercely intelligent, outrageously flirtatious and effortlessly cool, Paula was also one of the first high-profile women in Britain to have her personal life played out daily in the tabloid press, and would experience the full impact of what it means to be a woman in the public eye.
Often defined by her rockstar partners, married first to Bob Geldof and then in a relationship with Michael Hutchence, the lead singer of Australian rock band INXS, this two-part series aims to re-examine Paula on her own terms, exploring the huge influence she had, and the difficulties she faced as a result of her fame. After the tragic death of Michael Hutchence in 1997, Paula recorded a series of interviews with one journalist that have never been broadcast before. Using these audio tapes, as well as contributions from many of those who were close to Paula throughout her life, this series explores the pressures she faced, celebrates Paula, and gives her a voice in the telling of her own story.