Talking To Mimi

Talking to Mimi was a short-lived Euro Republican chat show on TV3, hosted by Euro Republican popstar and one of the winners of the first series of Popstars, Mimi Sparks, as part of the group GlamTops.

Controversy
The show was controversial from the start, due to airing at 10pm, an hour which TV3 formerly used for Super Saturday, the weekly kids block. This move was also unpopular with children, many of which logged on the c3.eroom.er and launched a petition called “Give 10pm back to Super Saturday!”

The show was also controversial because of it's use of sexism, with only females allowed in the audience. Sparks defended this by saying “The show is made for girls, by girls, it's fair!”.

Cancellation
TV3 cancelled Talking To Mimi on 15th February, 2004, and fired Mimi Sparks soon after that. This was due to the fax controversy (see below). Family films took the remaining spot, ready for when Super Saturday took back the 10pm hour in September 2004.

Reviews
Tom Bixton of The Euro Independent wrote that Talking To Mimi "seems a solid piece of workmanship on advertising, yet is actually a stubborn and unfunny off-putting show," largely blaming "weak humour" & "Mimi's utter contempt to the audience & guests."

Faxes sent to critics
Soon after the show's premiere, Mimi Sparks received widespread attention when she faxed vitriolic, threating, profanity-laced messages to three television critics who had reviewed Talking To Mimi: Bixton of The Euro Independent, Matt Fischer of Eurostar; and Stephen Rose of the ER Times. Sparks told the media that the messages were sent in "self-defense", though Mimi had a long history of not handling criticism well. Following this, TV3 cancelled the show.