Former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis held her head up high after being nominated for a Bad Sex in Fiction award.
The former children’s TV host is in the running for the prize, awarded to an ”outstandingly bad scene of sexual description in an otherwise good novel”, for her first novel, The Butcher’s Hook.
Janet, who is also mum of singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, joked about the nomination on Twitter:
No penguins were involved. https://t.co/EgpP7PKKaF
— janetellis (@missjanetellis) November 17, 2016
Be proud, my fellow Blue Pater Badgerians. I'm taking this for the team. https://t.co/boORUAlW35
— janetellis (@missjanetellis) November 17, 2016
One line in the novel reportedly reads: “‘Little beast’, he says to me, his hands on my thighs. ‘Here are your flanks, all plump and sweet’.
“And then, sliding his hand over my hips to my waist: ‘Your rump, your loins. But you need flaying’.”
Last year singer Morrissey won the title, awarded by the Literary Review.
The aim of the prize, awarded since 1993, is to draw attention to poorly written, perfunctory or redundant passages of sexual description in modern fiction.
Other nominees include A Doubter’s Almanac by Ethan Canin, Men Like Air by Tom Connolly, The Day Before Happiness by Erri De Luca, Leave Me by Gayle Forman and The Tobacconist by Robert Seethaler.
The winner will be announced on November 30.
