THE BUSINESS
Celebrity Masterchef Contestant In A Pickle Over Gangster Sequel
There’s no business like show business and no people quite like show people, many of whom could be found on 23 June at Soho’s Karma Sanctum Hotel.
Here, Tamer Hassan, the actor, was in full geezer mode with trademark dark shades at an after party for potential investors.
On offer was an opportunity to be part of not one but two sequels to The Business, the British gangster film that made his name twenty years ago alongside Danny Dyer.
Tam is looking to raise £12m for the two sequels Back in Business and Business as Usual plus another £6m for a third no doubt quality film about London gangsterism with the now 56-year-old also in a lead role.
The carefully curated Tamer Hassan brand has a backstory for media types covering the celebrity beat. It goes something like this:
Turkish Cypriot Tam comes from the mean streets of New Cross in southeast London. The bullied chubster became a champion boxer at seventeen, winning not one but two British amateur titles. Regrettably, though, he had a spell in ‘the shovel’ (prison) for a bit of violence outside the ring.
Acting was “a mug’s game”, he had told the agent who initially offered to make him a star. But once persuaded that he oozed charisma and authenticity for playing a ‘face’, Tam has never looked back.
Millwall’s top boys and underworld figures from that side of the water took pride in the local fighter turned celebrity - their own Raging Bull.
Tam’s no gangster, but knows how to play one so well that in real life idiots on a night out want to have a go at the champ, who still knows how to hold his hands up.
Tonight, the BBC broadcasts Tam’s attempt to win the 2024 Celebrity Masterchef title which if the decision goes his way will no doubt take mantlepiece pride alongside his two Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) titles.
The prime time show presents a great opportunity to raise awareness about his sequel plans for The Business during one of those mid-dish chats with Masterchef judge Greg Wallace, another southeast Londoner.
Tam’s fans will no doubt be thrilled at the plan to reprise his role of ‘the Playboy’ - a Costa del Crime club owner who loves the gear, the gash and moving Moroccan hash but gets in too deep with the Colombians.
The Upsetter has received a leak, not in the cooking sense, of the recent pitch made to the money men assembled at Soho’s Karma Sanctum Hotel in June.
Tam is not happy the document, or ‘deck’ as show people call it, has been leaked and was even less thrilled to be asked simple questions, such as, do you have the rights to The Business? Has Danny Dyer agreed to work with you? And when exactly did you win those ABA titles?
The champ came out fighting with his lawyer as cornerman and warned of consequences if the Tamer Hassan brand was kebabbed as his attempt to win Celebrity Masterchef is televised.
Seconds out. Let’s get ready to rumble.
