Monica Lien is the PA for the broadcaster Pat Sharp. Under her married name of Monica Sharp, sheโs also his wife. PA Life speaks to her about the peculiarities of working for a man within the media industry โ who is also her spouseโฆ
How did you meet Pat?
It was at a nightclub in Norway, I was visiting a friend who worked there and Pat had been doing a guest DJ set. I didnโt know who he was because I didnโt watch TV. He was hosting music videos on Sky Channel across Europe. I was just 18 and in those days there were obviously no mobile phones or email, so he started writing letters to me. That was in 1984 and we married in โ86. When I moved over here his career was starting to take off โ he signed to Capital FM in โ87 and then there was Funhouse, which started in โ89. He was really busy โ and has been ever since. Weโve now been married for 33 years.ย
In the early days, did you work with Pat at all?
No, I was very lucky that I was able to be a full-time mum. I had three children in five years, so I was very busy myself, particularly having one at school, one at nursery and one at home. I loved being a mum and to be honest, it was good training for being a PA โ managing three small peopleโs diaries; being organised. Youโre always busy as a mum!
How did you get involved in the business with Pat?
I had obviously always been around the business, although I didnโt really go along to Patโs gigs, as it wasnโt really my thing and I didnโt think it was right for Pat to have his wife hanging around! Thatโs not me.
Pat had a manager for 30 years, but technology โ particularly his website โ means thatโs not as necessary for him nowadays. People find us via our website and contact us regarding events, festivals, after-dinner speaking, tv appearances and so on. I now manage all those bookings for Pat. I speak to people about what they want from him and sometimes get involved in how theyโre organising their events because weโre very experienced in that world. We can offer advice because we know what works and what doesnโt.
Whatโs the biggest part of your job?
Without a doubt, itโs negotiating his personal appearances. I have always worked with people in my career, but negotiating is not something Iโd done previously. It was a challenge at first, because it can appear a little intimidating. But then I thought โyou know, theyโre just ordinary people at the end of the phoneโ. They want something, I want something. Iโm very lucky because most people are really nice to deal with. I find out what people want, what their budget is, get a feel for the event, etc. And we have people coming back to us to book Pat time and again, so I guess that shows heโs doing a good job. And heโs started doing more โcorporateโ events recently too, so thatโs an interesting new element of the business.
Describe a typical day for you.
There isnโt one. Every day is different for us. Itโs all about contracts, diary management, negotiating and more. You never know whatโs coming up. But we work from home, which is great and means we can be flexible with our time. But one thing Iโm really strict on is getting up, getting showered, dressing for โworkโ and putting on make-up. I may be working from home, but it helps me get into the right frame of mind.
What are the pros and cons of working with your husband?
I think Pat and I work really well together. He is very organised and on-the-ball, so he doesnโt need much โmanagingโ. And generally, weโre pretty well co-ordinated on things.
The downside is that youโre together pretty much all of the time. But we make sure we go out of the house and do fun things together too.ย
How do you stop being Patโs PA at the end of the day?
I donโt! [laughs]. I can be speaking to clients at 10pm at night and if Pat is working, I could still be organising the final details.
But we can still be husband and wife, absolutely. Weโre a pretty solid team.ย
What are the peculiarities of working within the media world, as opposed to working in the commercial world?
To be honest, Iโve never known anything else; Iโve always been around celebrities because of Pat โ since I was 18. So Iโm not fazed by it; I never really think about it. Itโs just what we do.
So, who are the most famous people you have in your contacts book?
I guess Chris Tarrant would be high on the list, with Pat having worked alongside him at Capital for many years. Chris Moyles remains a good friend too. I guess you need to be called Chris, right?! And then, of course, there are the acts we work with at all the Letโs Rock festivals, such as Tony Hadley and Jason Donovan. Theyโre lovely people who we still enjoy working with to this day.
You were pushed into the spotlight a little when Pat was in the jungle โ how did that feel, and how did you cope with it?
Well, when he went into the jungle, we knew there would be some controversies that the media would try and create โ as thatโs the game! When I landed in Australia the press was waiting for me at the airport to ask me what I thought about Pat flirting. I just thought โareย you for real?โ. They were trying to make something out of nothing, but I guess thatโs their job! You just have to take things in your stride.
But it was great in Australia! We got to know some great people and made some lifelong friends who we still see regularly. Patโs thing was being in the jungle, but for me it was a fantastic experience of being amongst new friends.
Weโre talking about relieving stress, and wellness elsewhere in the magazine. How do you relax at the end of a busy day?
Oh, a glass of red wine or two, definitely. If you canโt have wine, whatโs the point? [laughs]
STAYING SHARP
Pat Sharp began his radio career in 1982 at Radio 1 and he also hosted Top of the Pops, before kicking off a decade-long stint at Capital FM followed by Heart & Smooth. On TV he also gained cult status as the host of ITVโs Funhouse.
In 2011, Pat headed into the jungle for Iโm A Celebrity, along with Stefanie Powers, Mark Wright, Willie Carson and Fatima Whitbread.
Today, he remains behind the mic, presenting shows for the Bauer Media national station Greatest Hits Radio. He comperes the โLetโs Rockโ โ80s summer festivals and is in demand as an event host and after-dinner speaker.
โMonica is brilliant at what she does, because she knows me so well. Thatโs a big advantage of her working with me โ she knows what I will and wonโt do for an event. And she manages everything for me โ where Iโm going, what Iโm doing, even my outfits!
I guess the downside is that we donโt come home from work and ask each other about our day, because weโve often been together all day. But I think that probably shows what a good team we are. Many couples wouldnโt be able to do that without driving each other crazy.โ
Photography: Dave Willis
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