PR boss sees stars at gala football evening

Jan 22 2008 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

A TEESSIDE businesswoman found herself rubbing shoulders with the stars at a top celebrity event.

PR agency owner Samantha Lee was in London to see David Beckham honoured at a star-studded gala evening and even got to meet the man himself.

Samantha, a director at Publicity Seekers based at Hartlepool Enterprise Centre in Brougham Terrace, is the only female to sit on the National Football Writers' Association Committee, who organised the event at the Royal Lancaster Hotel.

The exclusive dinner was attended by Beckham's parents, Ted and Sandra, as well as wife Victoria's mother and father, Jackie and Tony Adams. Victoria was across London performing with the Spice Girls at the O2 Arena.

Samantha said: “It was a fantastic evening, David was delighted to be honoured.

“He’s very articulate and came across as a genuine and down-to-earth guy. He thanked his parents and friends, including best mate Gary Neville, who was there and even said he'd trust him with his wife naked, which had everyone laughing.”

Samantha, 31, is the North-east representative on the National Football Committee, having taken over from Daily Mail sports writer Colin Young last year. She is responsible for overseeing the annual North East Player of the Year Awards, held at Ramside Hall, and liaising with the region's clubs over various footballing matters.

She set up Publicity Seekers with former news journalist colleague Jonathan Ward in 2006 and has enjoyed the freedom of running her own business ever since.

She added: “It was a big decision to move on but after 12 years of dealing with PR people as a journalist, I felt I could offer a really powerful media service.

“Next on the footballing calendar is the National Player of the Year Awards in London at the end of the season. Unfortunately, with the way things are at the moment, it doesn't look like it is going to be one of the North-east teams who pick up a trophy.”