Sharp loses sense of humour as profits slump 86 per cent

But are the two related?

Sharp has not done well. Firstly, its interim net profit has fallen by 86 per cent for its half year. And, secondly, it has made itself look a laughing stock in the UK by paying chat-show host Clive Anderson £11,000 for speaking for 12 minutes to its salesmen at a gig in Gloucestershire. The Sharp Group said that its drop in profits was due to a fall in the price of LCDs and semiconductors. Prices dropped by 30 per cent during its half year, a company representative said. But it must still have some money around if it can afford to get Clive Anderson to tell jokes for 11 grand. Apparently, the results were flat because Sharp felt Anderson did not tell enough jokes. ®