'huge, queer and tawdry' but 'much admired by the public'

I don't think they were taunting him per se; they were ringing him up in the manner of naughty schoolboys, because he had after all stood them up when he was meant to be doing the radio show. And what they said was naughty, but really pretty mild. Especially when you consider what she appears to have been up to with one of Max Mosley's chums (http://www.popbitch.com/tshirts/) (totally NSFW). If they'd started describing that film, I would feel they'd gone too far - but I'd still consider these resignations and hysterics grossly excessive.