Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2024-11-30T13:32:34.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: “She'd kiss the TV when Hugh Grant was on”: Craig Cash shares memories of Royle Family co-star Caroline Aherne
items: World Cup 2018 TV pundit predictions: who are favourites, who are the dark horses – and do England have a chance?
items: 'It's important for women to make it clear they're not putting up with this rubbish': Anne Robinson on workplace sexism
items: Miles Jupp on guest-starring in The Durrells and why the news depresses him
items: Ricky Gervais on hair loss, Celebrity Big Brother and Donald Trump
items: Lee Mack on Not Going Out, his fantasy hot-tub partner and what he gets up to in his shed
items: Class of 92: Phil Neville sees Salford City v Manchester United in the Premier League
items: "I'm going to go berserk" – Robbie Savage and Alan Shearer face off ahead of England v Wales
items: 11 players to watch in Euro 2016
items: James Corden on Carpool Karaoke, Donald Trump and dinner dates with Tom Hanks
items: Nasser Hussain: Ben Stokes will return stronger than ever after England's Twenty20 heartbreak
items: How Gordon Buchanan stole a lion's dinner in Tribes, Predators and Me
items: Who is going to win the World Cup?
items: A look at the quite remarkable David Coleman
items: Steve Pemberton on swapping Benidorm's beaches for Sally Wainwright's Happy Valley
items: The Grand National 2014: Ryan Mania on how to ride a winner
items: 20 things you need to know about World Twenty20 Cricket
items: Winter Olympics 2014: Five British champions recall winning the ultimate prize
items: Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott is Team GB’s comeback queen
items: Soccer Saturday host Jeff Stelling on keeping up his stamina and his hidden ballroom talents
items: David Haye: I want to knock Tyson Fury out in explosive fashion
items: Alistair Brownlee’s key to triathlon triumph – baby oil
items: Premier League new season: the pundits make their predictions
items: How to win the Epsom Derby
items: Six reasons why the Champions League final will have German fireworks
items: Champions League pundits Adrian Chiles and Lee Dixon on their budding bromance
items: Danny Devito confirms Eddie Murphy for Twins sequel
items: Who's tickled Harry Hill's funny bone in 2012?

“She'd kiss the TV when Hugh Grant was on”: Craig Cash shares memories of Royle Family co-star Caroline Aherne
type: item
date: 2018-07-23T16:05:57.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Comedy
subject: News
subject: TV
description: The Gogglebox narrator talks the shows he enjoyed with his much-missed friend
encoded: What’s the view like from your sofa? It’s beautiful. There’s a telly in the corner, a lovely cosy log fire and I can see into my back garden. And as with Jim Royle, the remote control’s always close by. Do you shout at the telly like Jim Royle does? I do find myself hurling abuse at the TV when I’m on my own. Daft, isn’t it? Jim Royle was based on my dad because he’d constantly have a go at people on the telly. Steve Coogan made a touching tribute to Caroline Aherne on Stand Up to Cancer Royle Family star Caroline Aherne dies, aged 52 Stay up to date with the RadioTimes.com newsletter View oEmbed on the source website You provide the voiceover for Gogglebox – but would you ever appear on it? Ooh no, I prefer to be on the other side of the camera. I love the show because it’s done in such a deft manner, but I genuinely don’t get to see it before it goes out. I just say the bits in between. So when my mates try to get me out on a Friday night and I say I’m staying in to watch Gogglebox, they’re like, “Get over yourself.” Did you get a free sofa for voicing the Sofaworks ads? No – you’re going to think I’m a right tosser because I’m really into contemporary design, so my sofa’s a lovely firm Conran Shop one. What shows have you enjoyed from the firmness of your contemporary sofa? I loved The Bridge. But I had to keep pausing it to ask my wife what the hell was going on, then pretending that’s what I thought too. Do you binge on box sets? I prefer to take things one episode at a time. I bought the box set of Borgen for Caroline Aherne because I knew she’d love it. She binged on the whole thing and I eventually had to stop her talking about it. After she died, each episode broke my heart because I just wanted to get her on the phone to discuss it. You shared great moments with Caroline on the Royle Family sofa. Where is that sofa now? After she passed away, I had to go through all the props. It was heartbreaking. I had no room for the sofa so someone who works with me ha…

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World Cup 2018 TV pundit predictions: who are favourites, who are the dark horses – and do England have a chance?
type: item
date: 2018-06-18T17:32:05.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: The BBC and ITV World Cup pundits pick the players and teams to watch in Russia as the World Cup prepares to take over TV
encoded: As the 2018 World Cup gets underway and BBC and ITV set up shop in Russia, England's top TV pundits nail their colours to the mast. Find out more about their World Cup 2018 predictions below. World Cup 2018 Group G: Date, time, venue and TV channel for every match The best women’s sport on TV in 2018 Stay up to date with the RadioTimes.com newsletter View oEmbed on the source website How to watch the 2018 World Cup – full TV guide Gary Lineker Who will win the World Cup? Spain. They’re not as strong as they were when they won three tournaments on the bounce – the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and the 2010 World Cup – but they’ve still got a lot of very good footballers who are effortlessly comfortable with the ball. [Update: after Spain sacked their manager just two days before their first World Cup match against Portugal, Lineker tweeted that he was "no longer backing Spain" unless they brought in a very special replacement...] View oEmbed on the source website World Cup dark horses? France will have a chance if they can settle on a system that suits them. They need to play N’Golo Kanté, though. And don’t forget Belgium. I don’t think they’ll win, but they’ll have a decent run. England's chances? Reaching the quarter-finals would be a good effort. We just need a break and something to go our way. But at this stage we haven’t got enough world-class players. In two years’ time we’ll be competitive and in four years’ time we’ll have a real chance. I think Gareth Southgate should sell this to the public as a learning curve. It’s always the hope that kills you when it comes to a World Cup. The expectation rises, then we all get disappointed. That’s what generally happens, but we live in hope that one day it will turn out differently. Player to watch? Kylian Mbappé of France could tear the whole place up. He’ll be a strong contender for the Golden Boot, as will his team-mate Antoine Griezmann. Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), too. And …

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'It's important for women to make it clear they're not putting up with this rubbish': Anne Robinson on workplace sexism
type: item
date: 2018-06-14T10:13:03.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Documentaries
subject: News
subject: TV
description: "I’m starting to feel like it’s going to take another 100 years to get true equality"
encoded: Anne Robinson peers over the top of her glasses and fixes me with an icy glare: “Come on, Graham, give me the answer. You can’t, can you? Call yourself a journalist!” We’re both trying to remember the name of a recently sacked politician. Fortunately, the feisty 73-year-old presenter is merely teasing me. Curled up on a huge striped sofa in her elegant Kensington townhouse, she is in fact surprisingly warm, playful and engaging company. RadioTimes.com newsletter: get the latest TV and entertainment news direct to your inbox Sharon Horgan has a new TV series about three career-driven women “We owe Emmeline Pankhurst so much” – Fiona Bruce and Antiques Roadshow celebrate 100 years since women got the vote We’re here to discuss her BBC documentary The Trouble with Women, in which she explores provocative issues around equality including the recent sexual harassment controversies. “I’m still not sure that younger women have worked out what they want,” she sighs. “I thought my generation had broken the glass ceiling on the journey to equality. But having passed on the warrior baton that enabled women to become prime ministers and heads of city institutions, it transpires they we’re still having to put up with inappropriate behaviour from men while not doing anything about it. I’m starting to feel like it’s going to take another 100 years to get true equality. “It angers me why this behaviour has been allowed to go on for so long,” she continues. “I was also really shocked that women further up the pole weren’t doing more to curtail it. But workplaces are politically and sexually treacherous and I’m afraid women do have to accept that. You have a choice. Do I get off the train and spend my life complaining and making a fuss or do I stay on the train and make sure it never happens to me again? I always chose the latter but maybe I’m just a different sort of warrior.” View oEmbed on the source website Robinson began her career in journalism as the only female trainee report…

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Miles Jupp on guest-starring in The Durrells and why the news depresses him
type: item
date: 2018-04-29T09:00:54.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Comedy
subject: News
subject: Radio
subject: TV
subject: audio
description: The News Quiz host knows it's his job to find the headlines funny – but it's not always easy
encoded: Miles Jupp, the host of Radio 4's The News Quiz and new guest-star in ITV's The Durrells, discusses mistaken identity and his plummy accent... What do we know about the real-life Durrells and their adventures in Corfu? Historian Michael Haag reveals the women written out of The Durrells’ family history Sign up for the free RadioTimes.com newsletter View oEmbed on the source website What is the view from your sofa? We don’t have a TV in our sitting room so the view from my sofa is just pictures on the wall. It’s pretty conventional – no hot tub or leopard-skin cocktail bar, which will surprise people. The kids [he has five] watch the TV in the loft. What, in the dark, alongside the Christmas decorations? No, I thought it prudent to have it converted first, so they can lie up there on beanbags watching telly. My wife and I try to watch a bit with them, like Scooby-Doo and The Pink Panther, but we tell the children TV is a treat not a right. And I’m going to have to give up watching at home altogether if I have to sit on a beanbag again… What TV do you watch without the kids? Things like The Wire, which was so good I’m watching it again. It’s the best thing I’ve seen on telly. Apart from The Durrells, obviously, with which there’s very little crossover. You’re in the new series and filmed in Corfu. Sounds hellish… Indeed. It was my first time in Greece and Corfu is one of the nicest places I’ve visited. Danilia, where we filmed, was glorious. Were you OK working with the animals on set? I’m good with animals, unless it’s something of an unknown quantity. Like the vulture we filmed with – I was fine until someone said, “It can tear the skin from your hand in two seconds.” When you’re away, do you watch TV on an iPad? Huge amounts. The fact you can download Netflix shows onto your iPad is one of the great technological feats. Being able to walk around with hours and hours of telly in your bag is astonishing. Any favourites? I’m watching Manhunt, which is the story of the…

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Ricky Gervais on hair loss, Celebrity Big Brother and Donald Trump
type: item
date: 2018-03-16T14:18:20.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Comedy
subject: News
subject: TV
subject: Netflix
subject: On demand
description: The comedian has a new stand-up show available on Netflix – but says there will always be a place for linear TV
encoded: What’s the view from your sofa? Can you see the screen through all your awards? Obviously they’re a nuisance but a bigger problem is the cat. We’ve got a huge L-shaped sofa with Jane [Fallon, his partner] at one end and me at the other. It’s a nightly battle to see who can entice the cat away from the screen and onto their lap. Because then you can’t move, meaning the other one has to get up and make the drinks all night. No cinema room chez Gervais? Oh God, no! What an absolute folly that is. That’s what everyone does as soon as they get rich and famous – build a cinema and a subtle bowling alley. Then never set foot in either. No, our place is just your average, liveable house. Only much bigger. Do you spend more time living in the UK or America? I’ve got a house in the Upper East Side of New York and one in Hampstead, so I live between the two, but I’m in London more. View oEmbed on the source website Which TV shows do you enjoy? I virtually only watch box sets. I love a bit of Scandi noir or European crime drama. I’ve just finished a riveting Swedish thriller called Before We Die. Gomorrah was brilliant and now I’m bingeing on Nobel, a compelling Norwegian political thriller. Any guilty pleasures for a bit of light relief? We watch Celebrity Big Brother… ironically. I’ve no desire to be in it. I’d do it if I could go in, wind them all up, steal their fags and drinks and then leave before bedtime. That would be so much fun. With everything that’s gone on in Hollywood, do you wish you’d presented this year’s Golden Globes? Oh yeah. It’s nice being the most feared man in America for three hours but this year I’d probably still have to be in hiding now. With risky stuff, it’s all too tantalising – I love joking about the elephant in the room. Although the elephant wasn’t there this year, was he? Why have you put your stand-up show Humanity out on Netflix? It makes perfect sense for me because Netflix were happy to give me final edit, which other channels just won’t …

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Lee Mack on Not Going Out, his fantasy hot-tub partner and what he gets up to in his shed
type: item
date: 2017-01-13T09:00:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Comedy
subject: News
subject: TV
description: Clue: it’s nothing to do with gardening
encoded: Lee Mack confesses he’s reached the age where he can usually be found beavering away in his garden shed. But you won’t find him, like a lot of men approaching 50, repotting the begonias or pretending to tinker with the lawn mower. Mack’s shed is where he spends hours writing the BBC1 sitcom Not Going Out, which returns on Friday for its eighth series in ten years. “I’ve tried everywhere, but my garden shed is the most effective place to write,” laughs the 48-year-old writer, actor and stand-up comedian. “I like to get up early and wander out there in my pyjamas to do a full day. Nothing else seems to work for me. I once even tried a canal boat, but there were too many ducks to feed. And ooh, that wood-burning stove proved too much of a temptation. I love my shed because it’s so boring – there’s nothing in there to distract me when I’m plotting the show.” The last appearance of the gag-rich sitcom was the 2015 Christmas special, which ended with Mack’s fictional version of himself having his first child with new wife Lucy. However, fans are in for a shock. The new series makes a seven-year leap, with their eldest, Charlie, now joined by five-year-old twins Benji and Molly. So why the sudden fast-forward? “The truth is I just wanted to write a sitcom about what I am in real life, which is a husband and dad of three kids [Arlo, 12, Louie, 10, and Millie, 5],” says Mack. “It allows me to tap into stories that have an element of truth. It also means that when stuff happens to me in real life, I don’t get angry about it, I just write it down and use it. Lee Mack and his wife Tara McKillop “For instance, for one of my kids’ birthdays, we all went to the cinema before going for lunch. My wife Tara was letting the kids fill up huge cups of pick ’n’ mix sweets. I said, ‘Do you think they should be having this much sugar before lunch? Let’s leave the cups half-full.’ She said, ‘Fine, but you do know they’re priced by the cup, not by the weight?’ And these cups are ridiculously…

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Class of 92: Phil Neville sees Salford City v Manchester United in the Premier League
type: item
date: 2016-08-25T08:10:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Documentaries
subject: Football
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: The Salford co-owner talks Big Sam, promotion chances – and that Euro 2016 defeat
encoded: Although it’s now more than seven weeks since Iceland dumped England out of Euro 2016, former England and Manchester United defender Phil Neville is still in shock. “I have no words to explain that night,” he says with a heavy sigh. “Up until that game, I was impressed with England. Here was a young team playing attractive, attacking football. Yet, on the big occasion, they simply froze. All of them. It was a truly shocking performance.” Neville, whose older brother Gary was England assistant manager on that humiliating evening in Nice, claims not to have spoken to him about it. “We both know that sometimes there are just no answers. Often you can blame the pitch or the referee, but the truth is we scored early and then, to a man, failed to perform.” However, Neville is more upbeat about the national team’s future under new manager Sam Allardyce. “I’m delighted that Big Sam’s got the job. He’s highly experienced and a great man manager, so I’m really confident he’ll do well.” View oEmbed on the source website Neville is also keen to follow his brother and become part of England’s coaching set-up. “It would be fantastic to work with the best players in the country, but it’s the sort of position you have to wait to be asked. “You can’t go chasing it or applying for it. But, I’m a proud Englishman, so if asked, the answer would be yes. “England don’t lack great coaches. The problem is foreign club owners think foreign coaches are superior. Well, I’ve worked abroad [as assistant coach at Valencia] and I can tell you they don’t do things better. Our own coaches just need the opportunity to prove themselves.” One foreign managerial appointment he welcomes is Jose Mourinho at his beloved United. “With Jose in charge, I’m confident United will win the title this year. Unlike the other high-profile foreign managers, Jose has a proven track record in the Premier League and a history of achieving instant success.” Neville himself has had some of that. Since buying non-league c…

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"I'm going to go berserk" – Robbie Savage and Alan Shearer face off ahead of England v Wales
type: item
date: 2016-06-16T08:00:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Football
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: It's the most anticipated match of Euro 2016 so far – and Savage will be in the BBC commentary box. Bet England fans are delighted about that...
encoded: So this is it, the game of Euro 2016 so far (probably). England play Wales today in Lens, and two very interested parties will be watching on live for BBC1. Alan Shearer and Robbie Savage are both on duty this afternoon, the Welshman in the co-commentary position with the former England striker up in the studio. Before the tournament, both of them sat down with Radio Times to talk about what it would be like to watch their two nations face each other for the first time in a major tournament. Savage is already warning people that he's "going to go berserk", and expects English fans to get riled up. "Social media will go into meltdown," he laughs. Game on... Even though you’re on duty, is it difficult to hide your emotions in a game like this? Robbie Savage I can guarantee I won’t be hiding anything. If Wales score, of course I’m going to go berserk. In a game of this magnitude, it’d be impossible not to. Alan Shearer And I desperately want England to win, so you can’t help but show that passion. This is the sort of game you want to be involved in, and if you can’t play in it, the next best thing is to be watching and talking about it. RS When England beat Wales 2–0 in 2004 [in a World Cup qualifying match], I was suspended for that match and they had me on the panel as a punching bag. AS No change there, then! RS I was just the fall guy because Wales had no chance that day. But I tell you what – this game is different because Wales have got a great chance of beating England. I’m so pleased I’m going to be in the commentary box to witness it. Will you be watching together? AS They’ve tactfully kept us apart, so I’ll be in the studio while Robbie’s in the commentary box. RS The BBC is trying something different this year because I’m going to be in the box with Martin Keown, while commentator Guy Mowbray attempts to keep the peace. Neither of us will pull any punches, so social media will probably go into meltdown. Not that I’ll upset Twitter any more than I normally do…

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11 players to watch in Euro 2016
type: item
date: 2016-06-10T10:24:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Football
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: Kevin Keegan, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Savage, Emmanuel Petit and more pick their stars to watch ahead of this year's tournament
encoded: Euro 2016 finally kicks off this friday with France v Romania, live on TV. For weeks BBC and ITV pundits have been trying to predict who the stand-out players will be over the next month. Check out their Euro XI right here. Kevin Keegan on England's Dele Alli Kevin Keegan has known all the greats of English football in nearly half a century in the game. He played against Bobby Charlton, Geoff Hurst, Glenn Hoddle and Gary Lineker. Paul Gascoigne cleaned his boots and Alan Shearer was his star signing when he played for and managed Newcastle. As England manager, he gave debuts to Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. In all those years, and among all those names, he has never seen anyone make such a sensational start to his England career as Dele Alli. Alli was man of the match in two of the games he has started for England, friendly wins against France at Wembley and, famously, from 2-0 down away to Germany. Now England expects more of the same at the Euros. “It may have happened, but I can’t think of any other player who has made that sort of impact so quickly for England,” Keegan tells RT. “I’ve never seen anyone look so comfy straight away. If you’d have said he’s already played 40 games [for England] you’d say yes, it looks like it.” Attacking midfielder Alli, 20, has not even played 40 games in the Premier League. He was still playing for Milton Keynes Dons in the third tier of English football little more than a year ago. In a stellar first season at Spurs, Alli helped them into the Champions League, won the young player of the year award from the Professional Footballers’ Association, and scored Match of the Day’s goal of the season, a volley on the turn against Crystal Palace. Roy Hodgson, the England manager, said Alli was “amazing” after his first full match, against France, in which he scored. Karl Robinson, his manager at Milton Keynes, has long been saying the same thing. “He tries things that fear would stop you trying,” said Robinson. “He would do things i…

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James Corden on Carpool Karaoke, Donald Trump and dinner dates with Tom Hanks
type: item
date: 2016-05-24T15:05:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Entertainment
subject: News
subject: TV
description: What does Corden think about Trump as a guest on The Late Late Show? Or, for that matter, a possible US President?
encoded: I’m picturing you reclining in your LA mansion watching EastEnders. Am I close? Almost. Except I’m more likely to be watching Match of the Day. Here in LA we have this thing called UKTV, which enables you to watch British television as it’s being broadcast in the UK. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is watching MotD at 3.30pm with West Ham playing in the pouring rain while it’s blazing sunshine outside. It’s so comforting. Presumably you were glued to your beloved team’s final match at the Boleyn Ground against Manchester United recently? Of course! It was a such a brilliant game – and occasion – I actually watched it live and then got into bed and watched it all over again. Which pleased my wife no end. Would Ben Shephard’s role as host of the post-match farewell ceremony be your dream gig? I honestly couldn’t think of anything worse – 35,000 people screaming: “Who ate all the pies?” at me for an hour? No thanks. Never mind football, we hear that you’re not too shabby at American football? It’s true, I did kick a field goal in front of 70,000 Oakland Raiders fans. It was for A League of Their Own US Road Trip, where Freddie Flintoff, Jack Whitehall, Jamie Redknapp and I undertook a series of challenges. Your celebratory dance afterwards was impressive – you’re clearly made for Strictly. Thanks, although they’ve never asked me to appear. But I’m really into dancing at the moment. I was up at 7am today to do a fitness dance class. It was just me and 20 women doing something called PlyoJam, which is basically a huge amount of jumping and dancing around. I absolutely love it because it’s the first exercise I’ve done that doesn’t feel like a chore. I started doing it because I’m hosting the Tony awards and I need to get used to dancing and singing at the same time. So if not Strictly, what would lure you back to the UK? I’m happily under contract in the US, but I’d feel disappointed if I didn’t get to do another play at some point. I’d love that. The Carpool Karaoke se…

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Nasser Hussain: Ben Stokes will return stronger than ever after England's Twenty20 heartbreak
type: item
date: 2016-05-19T04:00:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Cricket
subject: News
subject: Radio
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: audio
description: Former England cricket captain and Sky Sports commentator Nasser Hussain takes a look at England's chances this summer against Sri Lanka and beyond
encoded: The last time we saw England’s cricketers, in last month’s world Twenty20 final, they were literally and metaphorically on the floor. In front of a global audience of billions, the trophy had just been ripped from their grasp by West Indian batsman Carlos Brathwaite, who smashed four successive sixes off Ben Stokes’s final over, leaving the England team shell-shocked and the 24-year-old Durham all-rounder on his knees and in tears. So, with a summer of cricket dawning, how do you recover from the nightmare of an agonising defeat like that? “This England team, and Ben Stokes in particular, are a resilient bunch,” assures former England cricket captain and Sky Sports commentator Nasser Hussain. “Ben is better equipped than most to deal with what happened to him. He’s mentally tough and thrives on being at the heart of the action. Knowing the sort of guy he is, he’ll have already moved on and will be a better player for having experienced something like that.” Stokes (below) may even believe that – he’s not a player short of self-belief. And his aggressive style defines his teammates’ new approach in all forms of the game, including the Tests, which start this week. Hussain believes England’s swashbuckling approach to limited-overs cricket – which began with last year’s one-day series against New Zealand – has had a positive effect. “England’s Test side are very exciting to watch now. They play a much more attacking brand of cricket, as Stokes showed against South Africa in Cape Town at the start of the year, scoring the fastest-ever 250 in a Test match. The days of just blocking defensively and being 250–4 at the end of a day’s play have gone, so we can expect more fireworks this summer.” That said, it’s not quite as straightforward as expecting England’s Twenty20 cricketers simply to reproduce their big-hitting style in the Test side. “In Test match cricket, the new ball moves about a lot more, so you have to learn to keep the ball out,” explains Hussain. “There’s no…

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How Gordon Buchanan stole a lion's dinner in Tribes, Predators and Me
type: item
date: 2016-03-27T08:00:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Documentaries
subject: News
subject: TV
description: The filmmaker talks about his new special and the fear he faced when going head to head with a lion
encoded: Adventurer and wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan is travelling the world, exploring the cultures of different tribes in BBC2 series Tribes, Predators and Me. In episode two, he meets Kalahari Bushmen to steal lions' prey on the Botswana plains. It was a sobering experience. Trying to steal a lion’s dinner sounds dangerous, so the first question is – why? It comes down to necessity. We went out hunting for prey, but were unsuccessful so the tribe was hungry. The Bushmen see the lion as a provider because it gives them an opportunity to share in the lion’s kill. So by scaring the lion off, we took a share of the kudu antelope it was eating before it returned to finish off the remainder. The tribe have enormous respect for lions and, around the campfire that night, they thanked it for providing dinner. Scaring off a lion? Surely you were the one who was afraid! It’s completely counter-intuitive to walk towards a huge predator with blood dripping from its mouth in the hope it’s going to run away, so I can’t deny I was fearful. But the secret is to stand tall, walk purposefully and with utter confidence and not show any sign of weakness. If you did it without total conviction, the lion would detect your fear and you’d be in serious trouble. Did you secretly wish you’d packed your running spikes? The old adage is you don’t have to outrun the lion, you just need to be faster than the slowest man. But eyeing up the Bushmen, I realised all of them could leave me eating their dust. Actually running is the worst thing you can do because it triggers the chase response. The Bushmen said they’ve seen a lion run past a man standing to chase a man running away. Running indicates fear and marks you out as prey, so it’s the last thing you should do, despite every cell in your body screaming at you to flee. So while you were sauntering towards the ravenous lion, where was the film crew? The cameraman was a couple of hundred metres back, filming with one of the longest lenses I’ve eve…

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Who is going to win the World Cup?
type: item
date: 2014-06-12T11:04:00.000Z
subject: Football
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: TV pundits including Gary Lineker, Gabby Logan, John Motson and Roy Keane predict which team will lift the golden trophy...
encoded: Gary Lineker So, who’s going to win? Argentina. I just think it’s Lionel Messi’s time. He seems to have eclipsed everything Maradona ever did – all that remains for him is to win a World Cup. This is his moment. And England’s chances? Six months ago I’d have said I’d be surprised if they got through the group stage. But more recently I’ve been encouraged by the emergence of our young talent. Adam Lallana, Daniel Sturridge, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling have all done brilliantly, and that’s given me hope. And when it goes to penalties? When I was playing for England, I had a system – before a game I would decide what sort of penalty I was going to take and then practise it over and over. I used to hit 30 or 40 penalties a day throughout a World Cup – hitting the same one. It’s like in golf when you practise a putt – it increases your confidence that you’re going to succeed. =Danny Murphy Who’ll lift the trophy? Argentina. There’s not a lot of difference in terms of quality between the Brazil and Argentinian squads, but Brazil haven’t got Messi. How do you rate England’s chances? They’ll get out of the group and then it all depends on who they get drawn against. I’ve spoken to people within the England camp and the word is they’re going to have a go. Daniel Sturridge could become one of England’s best-ever strikers. He’s a match winner, a personality – if he’s fit and healthy, he could be the star of this World Cup. And the manager’s role? I heard a lot from players about the restraints [former England manager] Fabio Capello put on them – time constraints, what to wear, who to talk to etc. I’ve played for Roy Hodgson and he’s very mature. He treats men like men. Gabby Logan Who’s going to win? Brazil. In terms of ability, Argentina will run them close, but I just think Brazil’s home advantage has got to give them the edge. What about England’s chances? For a lot of the players, this will be their first taste of big-tournament football, so that cou…

A look at the quite remarkable David Coleman
type: item
date: 2014-05-21T14:58:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: He was famous for his prodigious memory, but didn't enjoy jokes at his expense
encoded: David Coleman was the face of BBC Sport for more than four decades. But it’s his voice we all remember – a taut and knowing commentary style that became the soundtrack to many of our greatest sporting moments, from Olympic golds to World Cup goals. Delivered in that famous garrulous gurgle, the passion and simple brevity of it were never better illustrated than when announcing a goal with a short, sharp “One–nil!” Or, if he got really carried away, the more emphatic “One–nothing!” “I’d get ‘One–nil’ shouted at me in the playground a lot,” says Mike Coleman, recalling his famous father’s most famous words. “Or on the football field, if I scored a goal, the shout would always be ‘One–nil!’ even if it was three. When he was watching us play sport, people would always ask him to do a bit of commentary, or ‘Give us a one–nil’ but he’d always smile and politely decline.” Such was his dedication to his craft and his reluctance to be interviewed or chase the limelight, little was known about the man behind the mic, although we know more now following the tributes that flowed in after he died in December, aged 87. “He was very much a private family man,” confirms Mike, 51, who is the second youngest of Coleman’s six children. “He seemed to be on the telly all the time but he never made a big thing about it, so to us he was just Dad. On a Saturday he’d go into Grandstand, come back for something to eat and then go out again to do a live broadcast of Match of the Day as if he was just popping to the office. “The only clue as to what he did for a living was that whenever we watched a sports show at home, he’d be directing and producing the programme from his armchair. If he didn’t like something he’d seen, he’d ring up the production team and tell them. That was a constant of our childhood – Dad on the phone to directors and producers.” Coleman’s meticulously high professional standards – he’d trained as a journalist of the old school, working his way up from local papers in St…

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Steve Pemberton on swapping Benidorm's beaches for Sally Wainwright's Happy Valley
type: item
date: 2014-05-13T14:30:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Drama
subject: News
subject: TV
description: "I do love those shifts of gear you get as an actor, weaving a haunting dark drama with a bit of daft sunbed acting"
encoded: Happy Valley is a world away from Benidorm’s holiday larks. Was that why it appealed to you? It was Sally Wainwright’s script that hooked me. It’s very rare that you get sent all six episodes of something and read it in one sitting. I do love those shifts of gear you get as an actor, weaving a haunting dark drama with a bit of daft sunbed acting. Do you prefer comedy to straight drama? I honestly don’t have a preference. I like to find drama in the comedy I do and a bit of humour in the drama. You can always find comedy in the darkest places – something that Sally does really well. Who or what do you wake up to? I don’t have anything on in the morning. Because I’m usually writing [he co-wrote BBC2 comedy drama Inside No 9 with League of Gentlemen co-star Reece Shearsmith] I wake up with a head full of different voices and ideas so I fear that listening to others jabbering away will erase my thought processes. What programme do you never miss? I love Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s The Trip. It’s a beautiful travelogue that makes you want to go to those places. But it’s also a very different way of making a comedy programme – with the two of them playing loose versions of themselves. It’s funny and it makes me want to hang out with them. What’s your guilty pleasure? I’m ashamed to say I really enjoyed watching the musical drama Smash. It was absolutely dreadful pap but I devoured two series of it. What was the last programme that made you cry? Weirdly, it’s sporting events that get me. With high definition TV you can really see the emotion on people’s faces and what it means to them. The London Olympics Opening Ceremony when the old athletes handed their torches to the youngsters had me welling up. Who or what do you turn over? I’m not big on anything to do with cooking, sewing or DIY. I find those soft reality shows a turn-off. Who was your first TV crush? Julie Christie in Don’t Look Now. There was a sex scene that intercut between her and Donald Sutherland going to …

The Grand National 2014: Ryan Mania on how to ride a winner
type: item
date: 2014-04-05T05:01:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Horse racing
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: Ryan Mania won the Grand National at his first attempt last year – and almost broke his neck in his very next race
encoded: HOW TO WIN THE GRAND NATIONAL 1. Have a dummy run We built replicas of the Grand National fences and schooled Auroras Encore on them. He enjoyed jumping them in training, so when he jumped the first one in the race it wasn’t a surprise. 2. Follow the leader Last year I remember lining up behind Ruby Walsh and thinking that was a very good place to be! He’s won it twice, so I stuck behind him until he jumped a fence slowly and I managed to overtake him and push on. That was my plan and it worked perfectly. 3. Stay in touch As the race was unfolding [around three fences from home], I was perfectly placed, three or four back. The horse was in his comfort zone and had something to chase, and I could see the race unfolding in front of me. 4. Take a breather Jockey Sam Twiston-Davies once said he beat me on this course by giving his horse a breather between Becher’s Brook and the canal turn on the second lap. This time I remembered what he’d said and when I got to Becher’s the second time around, I backed off, which meant the horse had a bit left in the tank for the run-in. 5. Don’t rein him in Sometimes your horse will go roaring out in front too soon. But you’re worse off trying to rein him in as you’ll use up more of his energy if he’s fighting you. Best to let him go until he gets into his stride. 6. Be lucky! You can run into trouble anywhere on the Grand National course. You could be having the perfect trip and yet be taken out by another horse falling. I was lucky last year, in that nothing was going on around me and I had a virtually clear round. OR BACK THE WINNER... - The luckiest racing silks are blue or green. over the past century, 44 per cent of winning jockeys wore blue or green silks (including Ryan Mania last year — and he’ll be wearing predominantly blue again on Mr Moonshine). - All of the past ten winners had run in at least ten steeplechase races before going on to win. - Thirteen of the past 20 horses to win the race have been aged either nine or ten…

20 things you need to know about World Twenty20 Cricket
type: item
date: 2014-03-22T06:31:00.000Z
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: Get ready for World Twenty20 Cricket in a flash...
encoded: 1. World T20 host Bangladesh has appeared in all four ICC World Twenty20 tournaments, winning its first match against the West Indies in 2007. They have lost all ten game since. 2. After qualifying, teams play in two Super 10 groups for a place in the semi-finals. 3. England are in the same group as Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand and the winner of qualifying group B (possibly Ireland). 4. You can leave the champagne on ice. “Success for England is getting out of the group,” says former England batsman Nick Knight. “The best I can offer is that England could be on of the dark horses.” 5. England’s chances hinge on the precarious state of captain Stuart Broad’s right knee. He has patellar tendonitis and will require injections to play. “If he’s not fit, expect England to struggle,” says Knight. 6. England will be without leading run scorer Kevin Pietersen (1,176 runs). “Pietersen should be playing,” says Knight. “With the 50-over World Cup coming up in 2015, his experience and talent would have given England a massive boost. He’s a huge loss.” 7. Sri Lanka are favourites to win their first World Twenty20 title. They have yet to lose a limited-over match in 2014. 8. Of the 20 overs a side, a bowler can bowl a maximum of four overs in a game. 9. If the bowler bowls a no-ball as a result of overstepping, the next ball is a “free hit” and the batsman can’t be given out (apart from if it’s a run-out). 10. The conditions in Bangladesh will help the teams from the subcontinent. “The pitches are slower, which favours spinners and power hitters,” says Knight. “England have spin options, but the others have more power hitters.” 11. No England player has ever made a century in a T20 international. Luke Wright and Alex Hales have both scored 99. 12. England won the Twenty20 tournament in 2010 – even though they lost their first two group matches. 13. Australia’s Aaron Finch made the highest-ever score in a T20 international, spanking 156 off 63 balls against England. 14. Wi…

Winter Olympics 2014: Five British champions recall winning the ultimate prize
type: item
date: 2014-02-15T07:00:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: Olympics
description: Christopher Dean, Amy Williams, Wilf O'Reilly, Rhona Martin and Robin Cousins remember the day they won gold
encoded: ROBIN COUSINS Figure Skating, Lake Placid 1980 By the final day of the competition a lot of the American crowd had realised that their guy wasn't the favourite, so they got behind me rather than the East German or the Russian. So I felt an incredible warmth from people. As for the routine, I have to be honest, I couldn’t even imagine qualifying for a junior men’s event today, let alone a senior event, with the material that I did back then. Although I don’t remember much of the day itself, I must have felt pretty relaxed. I know there’s footage of me sitting on a rolled-up red carpet, reading a magazine while others are pacing around backstage. I skated first, and then left the building. So I had no idea — I still don’t to this day — how everybody else performed. It was my brother who came to find me to say that they needed me for the medal ceremony, and he was the one who told me I’d won the gold. WILF O'REILLY Speed Skating Short Track Demo Sport, Calgary 1988 On the first day of the Olympics, I fell in the 1500m. I was devastated and didn’t feel like competing in the 500m the next day. That night I was washing my gear, contemplating whether to call it a day. I was sat staring into the washing machine when I saw a gold medal right in the middle. I know it sounds crazy but I saw it as clear as day! I thought, “Right, no one’s going to take that medal away from me”. When I crossed the line a wave of elation came over me. I had flashbacks of skating as a child and the realisation that all my dreams had just come true. RHONA MARTIN Curling, Salt Lake City 2002 I’ll never forget the yellow number four stone that won us gold. Even if I do keep the medal in the toilet roll cupboard! The final came down to the last stone that, as I was skip, was always going to be mine. I wasn’t nervous. At that moment, it was just another game that I wanted to win. When the stone landed, it was just pure relief because we were all so mentally drained. Later Steve Redgrave, who was my her…

Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott is Team GB’s comeback queen
type: item
date: 2014-01-19T05:02:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: “If it was easy there’d be no satisfaction in achievement,” says Britain’s leading downhill skier
encoded: If the Olympic spirit is all about the taking part rather than the winning, no one deserves one last shot at glory more than Britain’s leading downhill skier. At the ripe old age of 31, Chemmy Alcott is heading to the Winter Olympics in Sochi next month, against the odds. It will be her fourth and final Winter Olympics and in many ways she deserves a medal just for getting there. First, she broke her neck skiing at the age of 12, then three years ago she suffered a horrific broken tibia and fibula of her right leg while training in Canada. Worse was to come. During a BBC interview she was asked how she felt about UK Sport withdrawing her funding. “That was worse than the crash because it was the first I’d heard of it,” she says without bitterness. “I was eighth in the world so I was angry at the time. But I quickly realised negativity would get me nowhere, so I set about finding sponsors and raising funding.” Alcott remortgaged her home and hit the phones, cold-calling businesses to seek sponsorship. “I’ve also had to do after-dinner speaking and I’ve held fundraising ‘Question of Sport’ evenings,” she laughs. “People judged me for going to red-carpet events when I was injured, but that’s where I could meet people who were able to support me.” Did the pin-up girl of British skiing ever consider bringing out her own calendar? “No,” she laughs, “I want people to take me seriously.” One bunch who certainly take her seriously are the Norweigans, who have allowed her to train with them, for £50,000 per year. “It sounds a lot, but it covers the cost of my coach, technician, hotels, travel, food and lift passes. If I did it alone it would cost £250,000. Besides, the Norwegian girls are great to be around. There’s so much camaraderie between us that I’ve been helping out with their coaching.” Despite another leg fracture last August, Alcott has made a remarkable recovery. “I’ll always have pain,” she admits. “But it’s not surprising seeing as I’ve got a metal nail all the w…

Soccer Saturday host Jeff Stelling on keeping up his stamina and his hidden ballroom talents
type: item
date: 2013-11-23T06:01:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Football
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: Jeff keeps his sandwiches handy for the mammoth task of Soccer Saturday and says he's actually got some ballroom dancing experience...not that that means he's signing up for Strictly Come Dancing
encoded: Soccer Saturday is on for hours. How do you maintain your stamina? By eating very quickly! I cram in sandwiches during the ad breaks. Matt Le Tissier always has a supply of chips, while Charlie Nicholas has his customary two yoghurts on the go. Do you still do your research for the show at Winchester services on the M3? Not any more. Now the kids are all at school, I can do my preparation in my office at home, overlooking the Hampshire countryside. I then chat through the week’s football with our regular pundits [Matt, Charlie, Paul Merson and Phil Thompson] in the hotel bar the night before. For large parts of the show we’re watching you watching them watching television. Who is the hardest to keep in order? You have to be careful of Phil Thompson. On Friday in the bar he’ll have really strident views about the topic of the day, then on live TV he’ll tell you the opposite. So you have to be a bit canny about what you take into the programme. The show has a cult following. Where’s the oddest place you’ve been collared by a fan? Halfway up Kilimanjaro. I was doing a charity climb and one of the porters introduced himself and said he watched Soccer Saturday every week in Tanzania. He was called Filbert and was a big Liverpool fan. He said if I started to flag, he’d carry me up. Thankfully, he didn’t have to. Who would be your fantasy guest pundit? Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger. In his press conferences, journalists fire questions at him about football, world affairs, the economy – and he always has an answer. He’d be fantastic. Who was your own commentary hero? I always loved the great radio football commentators, Bryan Butler and Peter Jones. But my big hero was Des Lynam. Although my frenetic style is a million miles from his laconic delivery, he was nevertheless an absolute inspiration to me. Is there anything you hate about football? The game’s version of Strictly, where players wrap their arms around each other in the penalty area. At dead-ball situations, moveme…

David Haye: I want to knock Tyson Fury out in explosive fashion
type: item
date: 2013-09-27T22:01:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Boxing
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: The boxer has his sights set towards the Klitschkos, and then Hollywood...
encoded: Since we interviewed David Haye, his fight with Tyson Fury has been postponed until 8 February The last time he was on our screens, in November 2012, heavyweight boxer David Haye was going toe-to-toe with nothing more threatening than assorted insects, snakes and TV chef Rosemary Shrager, finishing third in ITV reality show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Haye, 32, now finds himself facing an altogether more intimidating prospect – in the shape of 6ft 9in boxing giant Tyson Fury. The two clash in Manchester on Saturday in a showdown that’s being hailed as the biggest British heavyweight fight since Lennox Lewis v Frank Bruno. “I was out of my comfort zone in the jungle, so I’m much happier to be back in the boxing ring,” laughs the 6ft 3in Haye, still perspiring after a gruelling training session. “On I’m a Celebrity... I didn’t know whether I’d suddenly be expected to sing and dance or dress up like an idiot. It was also hard living among people I didn’t know. No doubt about it, Rosemary Shrager was a more intimidating opponent than Tyson Fury. I never knew what she was going to do next, so she was definitely tougher to line up against.” But Fury won’t be a pushover. Unbeaten in 21 career fights and just 25 years old, he’s in his prime. Despite that, Haye already has his sights set higher. “In an ideal world, the plan is to dispose of Fury to land a shot at one of the Klitschkos,” he says of Vitali and Wladimir, the Ukrainian brothers who have ruled the heavy- weight class for a decade. Haye lost to Wladimir in 2011. “But in boxing you can’t look too far into the future. I want to make sure this fight goes as smoothly as possible and that means knocking Fury out in explosive fashion.” No stranger to slaying giants, in 2009 Haye defeated the biggest, heaviest world champion of all time, 7ft, 23-stone goliath Nikolay Valuev. So what’s the secret to beating a big man? “Don’t get hit,” says Haye swiftly. “If you’re not taking big shots from a big guy and you’re ma…

Alistair Brownlee’s key to triathlon triumph – baby oil
type: item
date: 2013-09-14T22:01:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: The Olympic champ talks training, his brother and meeting the Queen
encoded: Alistair Brownlee won a gold medal in the triathlon at the 2012 Olympics. But that doesn't mean he's used to hearing the crowd scream quite so loud... What’s a typical day’s training? I train seven days a week generally: usually an hour-and-a-half swim in the morning, then a 70-minute run and a four-hour bike ride, with another 40-minute run in the evening. Even on Christmas Day? Oh yeah, but I have three weeks off at the end of the season in September. If I train in the morning it means I can eat more Yorkshire puddings and trifle! What’s the unhealthiest thing you do? During the season, the races are so close together that it’s all about recovery and preparing for the next one. But I sometimes reward myself with a pint and a kebab or pizza. What’s your least favourite discipline? The swimming is tough. I’m in the pool in an enclosed environment, which I don’t like, and it’s just a relentless slog up and down. After the swim you have to get straight on a bike. How do you prevent chafing? Wearing a wetsuit can really cause painful chafing. The best way to avoid it is to cover yourself in baby oil and Vaseline. Baby oil is best because it also really helps in getting the wetsuit off as quickly as possible. You compete against your brother Jonny. Is there anything he’s better at than you? I’m a lot more scientific than Jonny, but he’s much better at art and languages. I’ve always been useless at ball sports, so he’s also much better than me at cricket and football. This world series grand final is being run in Hyde Park where you won Olympic gold. What’s your abiding memory of that day? I’ll never forget going out for a warm-up and seeing thousands of people lining the course. And then the noise was deafening. I’ve never experienced that before or since. After the Olympics, did you notice a change in the way people reacted to you? It was a massive change. Overnight I went from not being recognised to not being able to walk down the street without being asked for an au…

Premier League new season: the pundits make their predictions
type: item
date: 2013-08-17T05:31:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: Robbie Savage, Ian Wright, Jeff Stelling and Clive Tyldesley share their thoughts on what could be the most open Premier League for years...
encoded: The Premier League kicks off this weekend. But who's got what it takes to scoop the title and who dares guess? Famous faces take the leap... The Pundit: Robbie Savage Now that Cardiff have been promoted, I can’t wait for the first derby game against Swansea City. It promises to add some real spice to the Premier League because there’s no love lost between those two sides. I’ve played in a few derbies, but nothing matches that one for passion. I actually think both clubs will do well and Cardiff will easily survive. I’ve been impressed by the signings they’ve made, and in Malky Mackay they’ve got a very shrewd manager. I’m also looking forward to watching Spurs’ new striker Roberto Soldado and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard. Hazard is such a talent and with one season in the Premier League already under his belt, I can really see him blossoming this year. He thrives on confidence so he could be the player who benefits most from Jose Mourinho’s man management. I’m hoping that referees will allow the art of tackling to come back into our game. Last season I saw so many fantastic tackles given as fouls that it was really frustrating. Refs were too finicky and every coming together seemed to result in a free kick or booking. Obviously malicious or dangerous tackles have to be punished, but tackling’s a real art. And there’s nothing like a meaty, strong tackle to get the fans excited. Predictions: *Winner: Manchester City — but if Chelsea sign Rooney I’ll go with them. *Relegation: Crystal Place, Hull and one from Sunderland, Fulham or norwich. (Robbie Savage is a member of the BBC’s punditry team) The Commentator: Clive Tyldesley While everyone’s been talking about Gareth Bale’s seemingly imminent transfer, Spurs have quietly made two very astute signings that have gone largely under the radar. Roberto Soldado and Paulinho could really light up the Premier League. Soldado is a sharp goalscorer with a hint of Jermaine Defoe about him, in that his specialist subject is finishing. A…

How to win the Epsom Derby
type: item
date: 2013-06-01T05:31:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Horse racing
subject: News
subject: Radio
subject: Sport
subject: TV
subject: audio
description: Three-time winner Johnny Murtagh has the secrets
encoded: With a prize fund of £1.325 million, it’s Britain’s richest and most prestigious flat race. So picking the winner of the Epsom Derby remains horse racing’s most lucrative quest. One man better qualified than most to do so is three-time Irish champion jockey Johnny Murtagh, who has recently also become a trainer at his own Irish stables. The 43-year-old’s three wins from 15 Derbys – in 2000, 2002 and 2005 – make him the most successful current Derby jockey. So Johnny, what makes a winner? Get a ride – fast At the moment, I haven’t got a ride, so I might have to hop on anything spare. That’s the way it works. A jockey might get suspended or a stable might have two horses running, so you might get offered the one the stable jockey doesn’t want – the retained rider to a stable gets first pick. If an owner wants to hire a specific jockey to ride his horse, he just rings up and books him. There’ll be plenty like me, waiting for the call! Horses for courses It’s such a demanding race that the horse needs a combination of speed, stamina, perfect balance and temperament. If it lacks slightly in just one of those factors, then it’s never going to win the Derby. The course is the hardest in the world because of its uneven, undulating surface – it’s up and down all the way round and is a tight left-hand track. To be able to cope with that and not be thrown out of its stride, the horse has to have tremendous stamina, calmness and balance. The first time I sit on a horse, I can tell if it’s got what it takes to win the Derby. It’s like getting behind the wheel of a high-performance car – the acceleration, the handling, you instantly know if it’s something special. Also, the horses won’t ever have experienced a noise and buzz like the Derby. They can sense the excitement of the crowd. Some thrive on it, others simply can’t handle it. If the horse isn’t comfortable with the pre-race parade and noise, sometimes the race is lost before it’s even started. If the horse is getting twitc…

Six reasons why the Champions League final will have German fireworks
type: item
date: 2013-05-24T22:01:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Football
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: Bayern have got height, power and pace and a winning mentality, which is a lethal combination. But in Robert Lewandowski, Dortmund have a striker who just needs half a chance to turn the game,”
encoded: 1. “Both sides love to attack,” says former England international and Cologne striker Tony Woodcock. “Dortmund are young and energetic, while Bayern Munich have got some big international stars like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry in their ranks – this is going to be an attacking showcase for the German Bundesliga.” 2. “Bayern have got height, power and pace and a winning mentality, which is a lethal combination. But in Robert Lewandowski, Dortmund have a striker who just needs half a chance to turn the game,” says Woodcock, who once won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest in 1979, and who remains one of the few Englishmen to have forged a successful career in the Bundesliga. 3. “German football is on a real high at the moment,” says Woodcock. “But the key is to sustain it. The Spanish are technically brilliant, while the Germans have always been organised and robust. But now the Germans have also developed that technical excellence allied to a high-tempo pressing game so it’s an irresistible type of football.” He wasn’t surprised that Bayern thumped Barcelona 7–0 over two legs in the semi-final and Dortmund beat Real Madrid 4–3. “That class is reflected in the German national team, too." 4. Home-grown talent flourishes in the Bundesliga. Clubs must pick 12 German players in their matchday squads, whereas the Premier League conforms to Uefa’s rule of only eight (including foreign nationals who have spent three years at a Premier League club academy). Little wonder that the Dortmund team that took on Manchester City in the first leg of the group stages in the Champions League contained seven Germans, while the City team started with only one Englishman, Joe Hart. “We don’t have to buy so many ageing foreigners any more,” explains Bayern’s Thomas Müller, 23. 5. Germany’s “50+1” principle requires that non profit-making supporters’ groups have to retain a majority stake in each Bundesliga club. Meaning ultimate control lies with the fans. As a result, ticket prices …

Champions League pundits Adrian Chiles and Lee Dixon on their budding bromance
type: item
date: 2013-03-05T16:58:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Football
subject: News
subject: Sport
subject: TV
description: Chiles calls Dixon "the best pundit out there" while Dixon says Chiles was "a major factor" in him moving to ITV. But when it comes to Scrabble, things get nasty...
encoded: Words may be their stock in trade, but it’s still surreal to witness a TV football presenter and a pundit engaged in the cerebral battle of one-upmanship that is Scrabble. Yet in a west London photo studio, ITV’s big football guns, presenter Adrian Chiles and pundit and former professional footballer Lee Dixon, are indeed immersed in a less predictable afternoon on the tiles. “I’ve genuinely always enjoyed Scrabble,” explains Chiles, breaking off from the game. “And because we do so much travelling, I thought it would be a good idea to entice Lee into playing. Particularly given that, as a semi-literate footballer, it would be something I’d be sure to beat him at.” Dixon, like the combative full-back he was, fires back: “It’s worth noting I’d never won a game of Scrabble in my life until I played Adrian. So him having a go at thick footballers is ironic.” The good-natured banter underlines the close friendship the pair share away from the ITV studio; chuckling at in-jokes and finishing each other’s sentences like an old married couple. “We instantly hit it off when we first worked together at the BBC, on Match of the Day 2,” confirms Chiles, 45. “Lee was the first ex-pro who I never felt was judging me for not having played the game. He respected me as a broadcaster and it just felt right between us. There’s a shortage of good pundits, so for me, ITV had to get Lee. He’s the best there is.” The feeling’s evidently mutual. “Adrian made me feel welcome immediately,” says 48-year-old former Arsenal and England defender Dixon. “As a person and as a presenter, he’s got this knack of making you feel comfortable. So we’d be cooped up in a studio or the back of a car, but we’d just chat and it all felt very natural.” Dixon is open about his reasons for quitting the BBC for ITV, and Chiles’s own departure was key. “It was a massive factor because Match of the Day 2 changed when Adrian left. I also missed covering live games and I wasn’t looking forward to going into work any…

Danny Devito confirms Eddie Murphy for Twins sequel
type: item
date: 2013-03-05T08:25:04.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Comedy
subject: News
subject: TV
description: Devito will join original co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger and Murphy for a follow-up to the hit 1988 comedy
encoded: While rumours have long been circulating that a Twins sequel is set to reunite original stars Danny Devito and Arnold Schwarzenegger and add a third unlikely triplet in the form of Eddie Murphy, until now Murphy's involvement has been just that - a rumour. But after a chat with Devito himself, Radio Times can confirm that "Triplets" is on, and that Murphy will star alongside Devito and Schwarzenegger, who will reprise their roles as the long lost brothers of the original 1988 smash comedy. “Arnold and I had a great time doing the original movie and we really dig each other, apart from our difference in politics,” said Devito. “So we’ve had positive meetings about doing the sequel and encouragingly we found we still really have a good time together.” Asked about Hollywood rumours of Murphy’s involvement, Devito confirmed, “Arnold and I recently had dinner with Eddie Murphy and we all got along great so I think it will definitely happen with the three of us. Universal have taken the reins so it’s their movie. Whether it’s called Twins 2 or Triplets hasn’t been decided yet but I’d be up for doing it in a heartbeat. But I’m just so busy right now, I can’t say when.” Danny Devito is in Taxi on CBS Drama Sundays 4:30pm and Mon-Fri 6:30pm Read a Q&A with Danny Devito in the new Comic Relief issue of Radio Times magazine, on sale now

Who's tickled Harry Hill's funny bone in 2012?
type: item
date: 2012-12-12T14:25:00.000Z
creator: Graham Wray
subject: Comedy
subject: News
subject: TV
description: Ahead of the British Comedy Awards, Stewart Lee, Miranda Hart and Boris Johnson all receive acknowledgment for their contributions to humour
encoded: King of Stand up For me, it’s undoubtedly Stewart Lee. He’s a risk taker and his content is always unusual and exciting. Often stand-up doesn’t work very well on TV, but his BBC2 show, Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle, was proof that it can. Queen of Sitcom Miranda Hart. Her BBC1 sitcom, Miranda, is genuinely very funny. Sitcoms have been written off as old-fashioned but she’s proved that they can still work well. Funniest soap EastEnders. A show written in a hurry that takes itself very seriously - it was always perfect TV Burp fodder. Funniest sporting moment The Diamond Jubilee Pageant. It’s odd that they never announced the winner of the Flotilla. There were a lot of boats involved and the Queen had a head start, but I’m still waiting to find out who won. Best comedy newcomer There’s this bunch called the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society who I bumped into in the clubs and I think they’re heading for great things. Keep an eye out for Karl Schultz and Holly Burns. Funniest reality TV moment The funniest moment of this year’s X Factor was in the auditions when there was a homeless man who didn’t get through and they said, “You’re going home”. You can’t write that stuff. Best comedy writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong (Peep Show, Fresh Meat) have got the comedy sitcom world sewn up. They can’t put a foot wrong. They work really hard at what they do and are also very nice people. Best chat show host You can’t fit a cigarette paper between Graham Norton, Alan Carr and Jonathan Ross. But if I was going to go on one, I’d have to say Ross. Funniest radio show Danny Baker’s BBC London show. I was a big fan, up until the BBC axed it. That’s how they work now - if something’s too good, it needs to be culled. Favourite TV Burp The three-minute song tribute to property show presenter Amanda Lamb. It still tickles me. What’s more, Amanda also loved it and has actually put it on her phone as a ringtone. Favourite film The Bond film Skyfall was good, if a little short on laughs.…