“She'd kiss the TV when Hugh Grant was on”: Craig Cash shares memories of Royle Family co-star Caroline Aherne
The Gogglebox narrator talks the shows he enjoyed with his much-missed friend
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 has it in their garage. One day we’ll sell it for charity. But I kept a Charles and Diana plate and a felt wall hanging with Blackpool Tower on it! Why are shows like The Royle Family and Early Doors still so popular? It’s about characters. Early Doors might be 15 years old, but it’s gentle and warm – and laughter has never gone out of fashion. I got a letter from Jimmy McGovern saying how much he enjoyed the show, which blew me away. I’ve still got the letter – it’s one of my most treasured possessions. If you popped into the Grapes, what would you order at the bar? It’s not good for my gout, but I do like a Guinness. These days I find there’s too much choice in pubs. It used to be just bitter, mild or lager. I don’t want to make a decision. Just give me a pint! You’re taking Early Doors on a live tour – any superstitions before you go on stage? Thankfully, I’m not superstitious. Caroline used to make us kiss the Royle Family script three times before we sent it to the BBC. Mind you, she kissed a lot of things. She was so in love with Hugh Grant that she kissed the TV screen when he was on it. When her TV broke, the repair man wondered why there was lipstick all over it! Early Doors is on Mon 9.30pm, 10.10pm, Gold Early Doors Live tours the UK, 29 August to 7 October. For tickets and venues visit ticketmaster.co.uk Sign up for the free RadioTimes.com newsletter
World Cup 2018 TV pundit predictions: who are favourites, who are the dark horses – and do England have a chance?
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
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 don’t rule out Germany’s Thomas Müller. There aren’t many individual things you can win in football, but top scorer at a World Cup is the next best thing to winning the tournament. Rising stars? For England, I hope 19-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold will get a chance to shine. He’s going to be an absolutely sensational player, as is Ruben Loftus Cheek (22). Gabriel Jesus of Brazil is still only 21, but he’s playing ahead of Roberto Firmino, which tells you all you need to know about his talent. View oEmbed on the source website Rio Ferdinand Who will win the World Cup? The holders Germany are the stand-out side. They’ve got the perfect blend of youth and experience. They’ve got players who know how to win tournaments. Dark horses? I really hope we see an entertaining French side. In terms of strength in depth, only Belgium can match the French. But the problem with this French side, and we’ve seen it over the past couple of tournaments, is their mentality. They don’t seem to be able to gel. England's chances? If we get to the quarter-finals, that will be a really good result. But the first match, against Tunisia, is key. Having been there, I can tell you the pressure on that opening game is huge. On paper, yes we should win it, but these games can prove tricky. Our younger teams are winning tournaments now, so we’re going to be a force in four years’ time. But this World Cup has come a bit too early. Player to watch? I can see Kylian Mbappé doing what Michael Owen did when he announced himself to the world in 1998 with that goal against Argentina. What don't you want to see? VAR [the Video Assistant Referee system]. I always loved the fact that the naked eye gives you an immediate decision and causes a debate. But now we’ve got technology causing the debate. What have we gained? View oEmbed on the source website Alan Shearer Player to watch? Brazil’s Jesus could be the star of this World Cup. He’ll go into the tournament reasonably fresh as he’s not had that many games for Manchester City, after being out injured for a lengthy period earlier this year with the knee ligament damage he suffered on New Year’s Eve. Who will be England's star? This is a huge tournament for Harry Kane. He’s known around Europe, but to put himself on the global stage he has to go out and score goals. View oEmbed on the source website Alex Scott Who will win the World Cup? I’d love to say England, but I’ve got to go for Germany. They know exactly what it takes to win and have got an irresistible blend of youth and experience. Dark horses? Belgium. Every tournament we think they might show their true quality. When you look at the season Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne have had and the experience in their back line with Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, this surely has to be the best chance for Belgium to go all the way. How do you rate England's chances? I’m actually excited about the prospect of watching England. We’ll get out of the group stage, but further on it looks like we’ll face a quarter-final against Brazil, so that’s probably as far as we’ll get. Beating them would be a huge ask for this group of players. Player to watch? Mbappé has been really lighting things up this year for Paris Saint-Germain, so if he hits form, France could hit new heights. What don't you want to see? My pet hate is watching an England side sitting back and not going for it. I want to see my England go out and express themselves, much like Wales did at Euro 2016, and produce some real gung-ho performances. Jermaine Jenas Who'll win the World Cup? Germany – they’re always so solid that you’d never bet against them. They’re just a tournament-winning machine. Dark horses? England. They’ve certainly got the talent, and if they hit form in the first couple of games against Tunisia and Panama and gain a lot of confidence and momentum, they’re capable of upsetting anyone. Dion Dublin Who will win the World Cup? Germany. Dark horses? If I was me, I wouldn’t want to play against Uruguay because they make it so difficult. They’re very physical, aggressive and they’re masters at making things ugly. England's chances? I’m very confident England will reach the quarter-finals. What don't you want to see? I hate to see players diving and blatantly turning on the theatricals when they haven’t been touched. Like most fans, that makes my blood boil. What about VAR? I’m a massive rugby fan and in that sport there’s no messing about, they do it exactly right. It’s simple: the referee just has to ask, “Is there any reason why I can’t award this try?” Football referees have to change their mindset – asking for help isn’t a weakness. Let’s get it right. Gabby Logan Who will win the World Cup? Germany. They’ve performed brilliantly across five major tournaments and have got the same coach, Joachim Löw, who has brought them so much success. They’re going to be determined to win back-to-back World Cups, too, having been champions in Brazil in 2014. It’s hard to find a reason not to fancy the Germans. Dark horses? France might surprise us. I know they have an incredible array of talent but they haven’t really produced it at a big tournament lately [they won in 1998 and were runners-up in 2006]. This could be the year they change that. How do you rate England's chances? I think a quarter-final should be very doable for England. And once they get there, the pressure is really off. With knockout football, anything is then possible. But let’s not get carried away just yet! What don't you want to see? I don’t want to see rioting and people being tear-gassed, as we saw in Marseille at the Euros. And I don’t want to see VAR becoming a story. Let’s hope it helps make some good decisions and doesn’t dominate post-match discussions. You're based at the England camp. How do they stop the players from getting bored? So long as Gareth Southgate treats them like grown-ups, which he’s said he will, they’ll be fine. They’ll probably relish a bit of peace and quiet. As long as the wi-fi’s working, that’s probably the most important thing! Jermain Defoe said he was so bored in 2010 that he sat and watched Wayne Rooney’s entire wedding DVD. So maybe they should pack a box set of that just in case... Rising star? I’d really love Kane to take England by the scruff of the neck. I’ve seen him have that drive and desire for Spurs, so I’d love to see him do that in an England shirt and push himself into the same stratosphere as Mohamed Salah, Messi and Ronaldo. Frank Lampard Who will win the World Cup? As usual, Germany. I can’t see beyond them. Dark horses? As we’re on European soil, I think we could see Belgium’s individual superstars finally pulling together as a team. How do you rate England's chances? I seem to be on my own with this, but I’m really confident about England’s chances. I’m tipping us to get to the semi-finals. With Kane, Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling, we’re a really potent attacking threat and I think a lot of sides are going to be very wary of us. What don't you want to see? Long delays in games due to VAR. To me, VAR doesn’t bode well because it doesn’t feel ready. Referees all over the world have a slightly different interpretation of it and what it should be used for. I get that it’s intended to rule out huge errors – and, having been on the end of one [his goal against Germany at the 2010 World Cup was wrongly ruled not to have crossed the line], I agree with that. But it’s whether they’re going to use it to look at every decision. It’ll be terrible if we end up talking about VAR instead of some of the world’s greatest players. Chris Sutton Who will win the World Cup? I’m tipping France. I really fancy them to click this time. They’ve got so many talented players all over the park, but this time they’ve also got strength in depth. Dark horses? Uruguay. Or England, if we get very lucky. How do you rate England's chances? If the group games go to plan, I think England will get through to the quarter-finals. What don't you want to see? I don’t want to see or hear endless debates about VAR. Let’s give it a proper chance and it might just give us a World Cup free from refereeing controversies. Lee Dixon Who will win? I can’t see past Germany. What we saw last year at the Confederations Cup was very scary. They were playing what was virtually their third team and they still walked it. Dark horses? I like the look of Colombia. In Juan Cuadrado and James Rodríguez they’ve got some exciting attacking talent that can hurt teams. You won’t see them sitting back. England's chances? Reaching the quarter-finals would be about right for this squad. But I like the way Gareth Southgate has developed a couple of different systems so we’re more adaptable now. Player to watch? Germany’s Mesut Ozil is always a delight to watch at tournaments. You’ll never see him down tools in a German shirt in the way he sometimes does for Arsenal. Sign up for the free RadioTimes.com newsletter
'It's important for women to make it clear they're not putting up with this rubbish': Anne Robinson on workplace sexism
"I’m starting to feel like it’s going to take another 100 years to get true equality"
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 reporter in the Daily Mail newsroom in the late 60s and later joined The Sunday Times. “I never actually clouted a man if he tried to pat my bum because I never attached that much importance to it,” she laughs. “I just used to sigh and curtly say, ‘Look, I’m very busy, please don’t waste my time.’ I certainly didn’t run crying to the loo. I just thought the quicker I got to the top, the sooner I wouldn’t have to put up with this nonsense.” Having learnt to fight her corner in a male-dominated environment, she became assistant editor of the Daily Mirror in the 80s, the first woman regularly to edit a national newspaper. “I was the only one who was never scared of [notorious Daily Mirror owner] Robert Maxwell. Bullies understand the word ‘no’ quicker than most. They go for weakness and that’s why it’s important for women to show their strength and make it clear they’re not going to put up with this rubbish.” Robinson attributes her no-nonsense steeliness to her mother who inherited a market stall selling poultry and turned it into a lucrative business. “She was an outspoken and serious breadwinner, so I had no experience other than a woman telling men where to get off. I don’t mean this in a sarcastic way but I simply didn’t have any experience of men being important. Ours was a feisty Irish/Liverpudlian household where you achieved things by being quick-witted. It didn’t occur to me you couldn’t cope with sexual harassment in the same way.” As a young reporter, Robinson found sexual harassment to be rife at political conferences. “I’d have trade union leaders chasing me up the stairs of Brighton’s Grand Hotel,” she laughs. “It sounds ghastly but I just thought it terribly funny. The same powerful guys who could call the country to a halt were the ones pathetically trying to get into my hotel bedroom. Tory and Labour conferences were exactly the same. MPs would drink too much at parties and lose all their inhibitions. Fortunately, I was far too quick for any of them!” Fifty years later she’s still as quick on her feet and displays the same verbal dexterity. But she’s also full of surprises. “When it comes to music, I’ve always loved Dolly Parton. She’s got so much energy and sass. Smart, funny, super-talented and successful – who needs Kim Kardashian when young women have got a fabulous role model like Dolly.” Or indeed, like Anne. The Trouble with Women with Anne Robinson is on Thursday 14th June at 9pm on BBC1 Sign up for the free RadioTimes.com newsletter
Miles Jupp on guest-starring in The Durrells and why the news depresses him
The News Quiz host knows it's his job to find the headlines funny – but it's not always easy
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 FBI’s hunt for the Unabomber. You know who did it from the outset, and that he gets caught, but it’s fascinating how they unravel it, working from the outside to the middle. As one does with cutlery. You host The News Quiz on Radio 4 – do you find it tough to laugh at the news? Well it’s our job to, but I must admit the news is very depressing in terms of its content but also in its ever-presence. Which newsreaders make it more bearable for you? I’m loyal to the Radio 4 newsreaders who’ve been on our quiz, huge swathes of whom I’ve had the pleasure of getting drunk with. Does your distinctive plummy accent get you recognised often? Yes. I once called the police at 1am after spotting burglars in our street. Soon a squad car arrived and the officer jumped out, and as soon as I opened my mouth, he said, “Heyyy, it’s Archie the inventor!” [Jupp’s character in children’s show Balamory]. Do you get mistaken for anyone? No, but increasingly people refer to me as Giles Mupp. I’m starting to worry that Giles Mupp is an actual comedian who’s far more popular than me. Miles Jupp guest-stars in The Durrells, on Sunday at 8pm on ITV
Ricky Gervais on hair loss, Celebrity Big Brother and Donald Trump
The comedian has a new stand-up show available on Netflix – but says there will always be a place for linear TV
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 offer, and they’ve got 110 million subscribers. So creatively and commercially, I’ve really fallen on my feet. View oEmbed on the source website Is linear TV dead? No, there’ll always be a place for it. It’s like when people thought the internet would kill record companies. It didn’t, because they just got into bed with iTunes. So linear TV will still be embraced. In your show, you mention the threat of hair loss. Would you shave it off or have a transplant? You can shoot me if I ever have a hair transplant. I’d rather shave it off than go through that phase where men desperately hold on to their last tragic bit of fluff and end up looking like a baby owl. Speaking of men with laughable hair… I usually play this faux-arrogant, out-of-touch right-winger who says terrible things for comic effect. Now I think, “Hang on, there’s an actual person who’s in charge already doing that!” But I think this period is just a blip and, like scar tissue, society will heal. Ricky Gervais: Humanity is now available on Netflix
Lee Mack on Not Going Out, his fantasy hot-tub partner and what he gets up to in his shed
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 expensive at £5.99 each. So I suddenly heard myself say, ‘Right, get it to the top,’ and I began frantically pressing the sweets down into each cup, cramming as many in there as physically possible. I was thinking, ‘I refuse to be ripped off by these people!’ And as we walked away, I thought, ‘Brilliant. I’ll use that. We can do an episode about how much sugar kids eat.’” This foot-in-reality approach also explains why the new series sees Lee sharing a hot tub with former Spice Girl Emma Bunton. “My wife and I have always thought it odd that, on social occasions, couples play the ‘hot tub fantasy’ game where you’re allowed to pick a celebrity you’d like to share a hot tub with. It’s basically saying, ‘Who do you want to sleep with?’, but by packaging it in a fluffy little pretend game, it suddenly makes it acceptable. So I put it in an episode. In the fictional world, my hot-tub partner was Emma Bunton and she was kind enough to agree to do it.” And in the real world? “Ah, OK, you’ve got me,” smirks Mack. “Yes, if I wasn’t a happily married man with three children, Emma Bunton would definitely be my hot-tub fantasy date.” Just for the record, who was his wife keen to leap into a hot tub with? “I genuinely can’t remember,” he laughs. “But I’ve got a feeling it wasn’t David Mitchell.” Are his family fans of the show? “They’re really not bothered whether it’s on or not,” he deadpans. “My wife doesn’t really watch it and although my eldest has just started to, it’s not his favourite show by a long way – and why would it be? The only feedback I get from him is the occasional slightly arched eyebrow if he likes one of my character’s jokes. That’s high praise in my house. He did actually appear in the 2013 Christmas special, playing a ghost, but he was very casual even about that. He enjoys his weekly drama class and if he drifts into performing as a career, then fine, but I’d never dream of pushing him.” Lee Mack and his fictional family in Not Going Out However, it becomes apparent that Mack’s children have inherited the comic gene. “My kids love to embarrass me. They know that I’m not bothered when people recognise me, but occasionally there are days I just don’t want to be acknowledged by a single person, so then I’ll put my hat and glasses on. I even wear them in the car, which is when my kids think it highly amusing to lean out as we’re crawling through town and shout at bemused shoppers, ‘It’s Lee Mack in the car!’ That’s when stern dad commands they wind the window up sharpish.” As funny and affable off stage as he is on, it’s hard to imagine Mack being a particularly authoritarian father. “My kids would say I’m strict, but I don’t think I am,” he admits. “Although I’m very strict on the amount of time they go online. So much so, I worry that I’m slightly Victorian about it. Because of course in the Victorian age they were only allowed an hour of YouTube a day.” Ironically, the only time Mack does get serious is when talking about comedy. He admits that Not Going Out’sseven-year jump will require a leap of faith from its fans. “I’m under no illusion that it’s a risk because people don’t like change. But we’ve already showed the couple getting married and having a baby in consecutive episodes, so we’ve jumped ahead of time in the past without a problem.” He’s equally dismissive of the suggestion that the show’s new family-based set-up will appeal to a different audience: “I honestly never think about the audience. I wouldn’t know who’s watching it, and frankly I don’t care, so long as enough people are. I just think, ‘Do I like the final product?’ and then hope that enough people have got the same sense of humour.” He needn’t worry on that score. Evidently there are plenty who share Mack’s love of reality-based plotlines peppered with a machine-gun delivery of finely crafted gags. Only hours after our chat, the BBC announced that they’ve commissioned two further series of the show. It seems safe to say, Lee Mack’s shed will be occupied for the foreseeable future. Not Going Out returns tonight at 9pm on BBC1
Class of 92: Phil Neville sees Salford City v Manchester United in the Premier League
The Salford co-owner talks Big Sam, promotion chances – and that Euro 2016 defeat
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 club Salford City in 2014, along with his brother Gary and other former “Class of 92” United legends Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, he has overseen successive promotions, resulting in the club reaching the National League North, just two levels below the Football League. “When we won the play-off final last season, it was the same feeling of elation that I had after winning the league title, FA Cup and Champions League for the first time,” he says. “Whatever the level, that feeling of winning doesn’t change.” So have any of the United legends been tempted to put on their boots again? “We used to join in the occasional training session, but we quickly found our fitness had gone. The legs, the body – it’s all packed in!” Running things off the field is a big enough job, given all five of them have other interests. “It’s difficult to synchronise our diaries. Face-to-face meetings are more enjoyable – we get the business done over a bite to eat and a few drinks. But they’re few and far between, so there are a lot of 7.30am conference calls as that’s the only time all of us can be available.” Who has the final say? “We throw ideas around and between us come to a decision. We’ve known each other for solong, it just seems to work.” And will the Class of 92 use their Old Trafford connections to tempt a few Manchester United youngsters to join Salford City on loan? “Our market is a little below that level,” he chuckles. “We’ve had a 17-year-old on loan from Blackburn’s academy, which was terrific. But we plan on having our own academy. “We want to be a league side and that means producing our own young players. It’s all part of our 20- or 30-year plan. We’ve all got other interests that come and go, but Salford is the one constant thing in our lives. “The dream is in ten years’ time to be in the directors’ box at Old Trafford, watching Salford play Manchester United in the Premier League.” Stranger things have happened in football. As Iceland have already proved. Class of 92: Still out of their League is on BBC1 tonight, 9pm
"I'm going to go berserk" – Robbie Savage and Alan Shearer face off ahead of England v Wales
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...
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! Depending whether England or Wales win, will one of you be avoiding the other after the game? RS No. We’ve been through so much together over the years that while we’ve been winding each other up beforehand, it never gets that serious. AS We can’t affect what goes on during the game, so we’ll enjoy the match and then have a pint afterwards – when England have won. We’re used to the rugby rivalry between the two nations – will the atmosphere be different for a football clash? AS I think, if anything, it’s fiercer. RS It’s definitely more tribal than the rugby. I was at the England v Wales rugby game, watching it in a box with Gareth Bale’s mum and dad, and there were English and Welsh fans in there having a pint together and enjoying it. You won’t get that at this football match. This is more intense and more passionate. Do England have weaknesses that Wales can exploit? AS Yes, England’s defence worries me. Our back four is our Achilles heel, particularly the centre backs, who look anything but solid. RS Everyone in Wales knows it, too. So you can bet our centre forward Sam Vokes will unsettle them, allowing Gareth Bale the room to do his stuff. My only worry is that if you stop Bale, you stop Wales. That’s how important he is to us. Without him, Wales simply can’t win. Can Wales take heart from what Leicester achieved last season? RS Definitely. Man for man, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City were better than Leicester, but they proved that with togetherness and team spirit, anything’s possible. And like Leicester, who had the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez in their line-up, Wales have got their own superstar in Bale. AS It serves as a warning to England, because although we’ve got the better individual players, that doesn’t guarantee you winning the game. But I still think as long as England play as a team and don’t get caught up in the occasion, they’ll be OK. Who should play up front for England? AS Roy Hodgson will start with one up front, and that has to be Harry Kane. He’s earned the right to start the tournament as England’s number-one striker. I’d go with Wayne Rooney, Dele Alli and one other behind him, with Jamie Vardy to come off the bench when the Welsh tire. RS I’d be happy to see Vardy on the bench because his pace really troubled Ashley Williams when Swansea played Leicester last season. Any other worries? AS Dele Alli got suspended for the last three Premier League games after throwing a punch, so I’m hoping he’s learnt his lesson. He’d be a mug to do it again. RS Dele Alli does worry me because he’s such a talent; I’ve got a feeling he could really set the tournament alight. How far can both sides make it in the Euro 2016 tournament? RS I think Wales will get to the quarter-finals, but if they aren’t going to win it, I’d like to see England or the Republic of Ireland do it. AS I’m tipping England to reach the semi-finals, because we’ve got some great young players. But to win it you need a good defence and we haven’t got one, so the semis are the most we can hope for. So what are you predicting on the day? RS The Premier League season we’ve just had proves anything can happen, so I really think Wales will cause a shock with a narrow win. AS It’ll be very close, but England have got too many match winners in their side, so I can’t see anything but an England win. Alan, if it guaranteed that England would win the Euros, would you follow Robbie’s lead and sign up for Strictly? AS No! Did you see the state of him on Strictly? I wouldn’t even put his normal day-to-day gear on. RS It’s irrelevant, because you’ve got to be a big name to be invited on Strictly. AS True, there are more letters in your name than mine! But it’s not really the clothes that put me off; it’s the dancing I’d be scared of. I’m sorry, England are going to have to do it without me making a fool of myself. England v Wales is live on BBC1 from 1.30pm (kick-off 2pm) Euro 2016 TV coverage guide and fixture list
Kevin Keegan, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Savage, Emmanuel Petit and more pick their stars to watch ahead of this year's tournament
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 in training that you just had to stand and applaud. His energy is ridiculous.” Alli had been a star in local football since playing in the under-tens league. He survived a potentially difficult childhood and thrived on the football pitch. His Nigerian father Kenny, to whom he is still close, moved to the States soon after his birth. His mother, Denise, struggled with an alcohol problem, and Alli was brought up from the age of 13 by the parents of his best friend. Alli was suspended for the last three games of Spurs’ season for hitting out at a West Bromwich player but has said top players “need an aggressive streak to survive” and, “I don’t mind when players try to kick me.” Neither does Keegan: “People say Alli has a bit of an issue with his temperament, but a little bit of attitude like that is not a bad thing. It shows you care.” When he was 18 Alli was first hailed in the national media as “the next Steven Gerrard” — a comparison Keegan agrees with, although he thinks Alli could be better. “Steven was still growing into himself at Alli’s age; Alli is much more the finished article,” says Keegan. “He’s stepped up into the Premier League as if he’s always been there.” 2. Rio Ferdinand on England’s John Stones "I would start John Stones. When you’ve got someone who has the personality who wants to bring the ball out and play football, you have to embrace that. He has to do it at the right time though. Up until now it doesn’t seem like Stones has been told that; he’s still trying the intricate passes through the lines. They’re risky balls and you need your confidence to do that. "Yes, Stones needs to work on when to play and when not to play. But I see traits in his game where he can defend. If he was in a strong unit, he would look a million dollars." 3. Robbie Savage on Wales's Gareth Bale “Wales are like Leicester. If half the squad walked down the street you wouldn’t know who they were. But if Jamie Vardy walks down the street... Wow! It’s the same for Gareth Bale. “However, they have a togetherness, a desire to achieve great things. If Bale is fit, this is a great opportunity for Wales to get to the quarter-finals. They’re not a one-man team, but if you stop Gareth Bale, you stop Wales. “England will be favourites when the two sides play each other, because they have the better individuals overall. But Wales have already faced that [in the qualifiers against Belgium] and came away with two clean sheets. “Bale is the best player in the group. Harry Kane has been great for Spurs, but Bale is the guy who can win a game on his own. Who else in England and Wales’s group can say that?” 4. Norman Whiteside on Northern Ireland’s Kyle Lafferty “Kyle Lafferty scored seven goals in qualifying, he’s second on the all-time top scorer list for Northern Ireland and leads the line well. Certainly the way Northern Ireland play, they need a big strong man up front, and he was that in qualifying. "It depends how manager Michael O’Neill wants to play, however. He’ll want a point from the first game [against Poland] and that’s going to be the priority. We’re not kidding ourselves. Against the big boys, it’s a different ball game. Anything we pick up is an added bonus.” 5. Kevin Kilbane on the Republic of Ireland’s Shane Long “We’ve not got any players from the top six Premier League clubs so now we’re resting our hopes on Shane Long. He’ll relish that and has had a great season for Southampton. "Martin O’Neill is a great man manager and has a knack of getting that little bit extra out of individuals. There’ll be more attention on Martin and assistant Roy Keane than there will be on the players and in some ways that’s a good thing. It takes all the pressure and focus off players like Long.” 6. Eniola Aluko on Spain’s Cesc Fabregas “As a Chelsea player,” says Eniola Aluko, “I’ll obviously be watching the guys closely to see how they get on, Cesc Fabregas for Spain in particular. By his standards he didn’t have a great year, so it will be interesting to see how he does. Spain have made a statement by not picking Diego Costa and Juan Mata. They’re not carrying any players who aren’t performing.” 7. Gary Lineker on Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo “He’s just helped take Real Madrid to another Champions League final. Now, Ronaldo is getting ready to be the main man for Portugal." 8. Emmanuel Petit on France’s Antoine Griezmann "For me the first name in France’s team sheet is Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid. He has improved so much in the past three years; technically he is very strong, and he is going to be our main target this year. We’ve got a lot of talented players in the team, but this guy can do anything he wants. He can play on the left, right or centre, it doesn’t matter. He lives football." 9. Chris Waddle on Germany’s Toni Kroos “Kroos is a fantastic player, I love watching him. He is one of the best passers in Europe, and if he can get it to striker Thomas Muller, you know what you're in for.” 10 & 11. Danny Murphy on Belgium’s Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen “It’s time for Belgium to stand up,” says Danny Murphy. “The injury to Vincent Kompany means that Jan Vertonghen will now partner Spurs team-mate Toby Alderweireld at centreback – the best partnership in the Premier League. Plus they have Dembele, Lukaku, Hazard… They have enough to win.” Euro 2016 TV coverage guide and fixture list
James Corden on Carpool Karaoke, Donald Trump and dinner dates with Tom Hanks
What does Corden think about Trump as a guest on The Late Late Show? Or, for that matter, a possible US President?
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 segment of your US show is proving hugely popular. Any dream guest in mind? It would be fantastic to get Beyoncé, Bruno Mars or Kanye West to appear, but they’re busy people. But there are plans to make a Carpool Karaoke spin-off. How about getting Donald Trump in the car? I don’t believe he sings, but we’ve asked him to be a guest on the main show without success several times. It’s a difficult show for politicians because we bring all the guests out at the same time – so for them it’s a much less controllable atmosphere. Do you find the title President Donald Trump mildly disconcerting? Er, I still think there’s a long way to go, so let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. Who was the last A-lister you texted? I honestly don’t have a very showbiz lifestyle, but Tom Hanks did text me a few weeks ago. That was a big thrill because he was my first-ever guest on The Late Late Show so I was really touched that he asked me to go out to dinner. The last programme in the series of A League of Their Own US Road Trip is tonight at 9pm on Sky1
Nasser Hussain: Ben Stokes will return stronger than ever after England's Twenty20 heartbreak
Former England cricket captain and Sky Sports commentator Nasser Hussain takes a look at England's chances this summer against Sri Lanka and beyond
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 point in having all the shots if you keep getting out in the first half-hour.” One England player whose style is equally at home in the long and short formats of the game is Yorkshire’s Joe Root (below). “I rate him as the most complete England batsman of all time,” says Hussain. “He really is that good. Whether it’s Twenty20, 50 overs or a Test match, his consistency is breathtaking. He’s not an explosive big hitter but a run machine, who does it with touch, wrists and nouse. And with a smile on his face.” While England’s Test line-up virtually picks itself, Hussain predicts the emergence of a new star in 25-year-old Nottinghamshire fast bowler Jake Ball. “He’s an exciting prospect who’s made a great start to the season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him named in the squad because he’s got all the attributes to become a terrific seam bowler.” Hussain makes England clear favourites to win both series this summer. “Sri Lanka and Pakistan are similar, in that they both have a decent fast-bowling attack, but a flimsy batting line-up that looks vulnerable to the sideways movement and extra bounce that English conditions offer the bowler. Sri Lanka are also going through a transitional period, having lost the greats of Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Malinga. “That said, they still have Suranga Lakmal, who’s a very potent and dangerous fast bowler. Both Sri Lanka and Pakistan are feisty sides and their bowlers could give us some problems, but I can’t see any other outcome than England winning both series.” And if it comes to another do-or-die final over? “Oh you can expect Stokes to put his hand up again,” laughs Hussain. “And this time, I’d back him to nail it.” The First Test: England v Sri Lanka begins today (Thursday 19th May) at 10am on Sky Sports 2
How Gordon Buchanan stole a lion's dinner in Tribes, Predators and Me
The filmmaker talks about his new special and the fear he faced when going head to head with a lion
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 ever seen. No doubt with a trained marksman to hand... They didn’t have one – the most efficient health and safety officers are the Bushmen themselves. They possess skills and knowledge that have been honed over thousands of years, so it makes more sense just to trust them. I spent time getting to know these men and so when it came to putting my life in their hands, I had complete confidence in them. That said, I can’t deny I was terrified at times. So if readers are confronted by a hungry lion, what’s the best way for them to escape with their life? On no account run, and always stay in a group of three or four people. There’s more safety in numbers, so the Bushmen never venture out alone. I had an upset stomach when we were out hunting and had to briefly break away to go to the toilet. Squatting down in the bush, I’ve never felt so vulnerable in my entire life. Lions are three times the weight of a man and will kill you with a single bite to the skull or back of the neck, so if it decides to attack you, your only real hope is to climb a tree. Lions can climb trees, but if it’s one that has spindly branches that won’t support the lion’s weight, that’s the best course of action. Tribes, Predators and Me continues Sunday 27th March at 9pm on BBC2
TV pundits including Gary Lineker, Gabby Logan, John Motson and Roy Keane predict which team will lift the golden trophy...
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 could be a blessing. I think we’ll reach the knockout stages and go out on penalties. Reaching the quarter-finals would be a big achievement. Potential star? Brazil’s Neymar. It all seems set up for him to emerge as a true superstar. Mark Chapman What are England’s chances? I can’t see England getting out of the group. Italy and Uruguay are better teams and they’re both better suited to the hot conditions. Players to watch? If he’s fit, Spain’s Diego Costa. He played for Brazil before being granted Spanish citizenship. He’s a fantastic striker, but it’ll be fascinating to see how the Brazilian crowd react to him and how he copes with that. Who will win? Brazil. As long as Neymar isn’t overawed by the occasion. You can’t overestimate the power of having that crowd behind you. John Motson How will England do? I think they’re capable of getting out of the group and winning the first knockout game, because it’ll probably be against Colombia. But if they hit a real heavyweight in the quarter-finals – it could be Brazil – that will probably be as far as they go. Can a European team win it? If any of the Europeans can upset the South Americans on their own continent, which they’ve never done before, I’d say it will be Germany. I don’t think Spain are quite what they were. It’s between Brazil and Argentina – I’d back Brazil because of the home support. Who could be the dark horses? Chile. We saw their attacking threat when they beat England at Wembley. They’re technically very accomplished and the heat and conditions won’t be a problem for them. Brad Friedel Who will win? Brazil. They’re used to the climate – you’ll have to be able to retain the ball to win in Brazil. Players to watch? Belgium’s Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku could both emerge as world superstars. As a keeper, you’ve faced a few penalties in your time – what’s the secret to pulling off a save? Watch the angle of the run-up, and then the player’s foot as it plants by the side of the ball. Whichever way the standing foot is pointing is the direction the penalty will go. The problem is that the best players plant their foot straight. Roy Keane How will England fare? England won’t get to the quarter- finals. I think they’ll find it hard in the heat. They don’t keep the ball well enough, so they get tired quicker. I played in Brazil with Manchester United and they were the worst conditions I have ever played in. The England players are in for a massive shock. Who will win? Brazil. You always want the host nation to do well because that creates something magical. The key to winning a penalty shoot-out? This time, England have got players who take penalties for their clubs, whereas before it’s been all about who fancies one. But the best advice is: don’t let the game go to penalties. Gus Poyet Who will win? The South Americans will be doing everything to complicate things for the European teams. So the pitches, climate and atmosphere are all geared towards giving themselves an advantage. The grass on the pitches is often so long you can’t see your boots. There’s always something designed to make the Europeans suffer! So I think it will be Brazil. How about England’s chances? I think England and Uruguay will qualify from the group. England have a fresh young squad. People back home in Uruguay know playing England is tough. They know all about Rooney and Gerrard, but I think they’re going to be talking about Lallana after this World Cup. Gordon Strachan Players to watch? Messi and Aguero in the same Argentinian team will be a treat for anyone. They’re the biggest danger to Brazil winning it. Italy’s Lorenzo Insigne is another very good player who could be one of the greats. So who will lift the trophy? Brazil. But a huge threat will be their own indiscipline. The fact that they’ve got to win it means that the pressure might result in losing their discipline. That could be their undoing. Who are the dark horses? England. They’ve got players that can eliminate the opposition in midfield. Barkley and Lallana can beat players, and create and score goals from midfield – and that’s something England haven’t had for a while. So you’ll be be supporting the Three Lions? I rate England as underdogs, but as a Scotsman I can’t really support them because I wouldn’t be allowed back into the country! Patrick Vieira Biggest threat to Brazil? They have to deal with the pressure and stress. At France 98 we weren’t allowed to watch television, so we had no idea what the public and media were saying. We were shielded very well from the outside world and that will be important to Brazil in a home World Cup. So who will win? Germany. They have great young players who have experience of big tournaments. Attacking midfielder Toni Kroos is definitely one to look out for. Dark horse? France. They will do better this time around. Under Didier Deschamps they look more organised. The key players will be Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema. France will certainly do better than England! Adrian Chiles How will England do? England will get out of the group and then they’ll cock it up in the supposedly easier knockout stage when they get to the round of 16. Who’ll win? Argentina, Brazil or Germany. What are you looking forward to most? I love the early games of the World Cup because the latter stages get a bit corporate and a lot of fans have left by then. The madness of the early stages is unbeatable.
A look at the quite remarkable David Coleman
He was famous for his prodigious memory, but didn't enjoy jokes at his expense
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 Stockport to become the BBC’s face of Grandstand for a decade and the corporation’s senior commentator – were mirrored at home. “His whole ethos was, ‘There’s no point doing anything unless you do it properly,’” laughs Mike. “So whether it was helping us with our schoolwork or watching us play sport he was always urging, ‘You’re better than that, try doing it this way.’ Doing things to the best of your ability was what drove him. But at the same time he was always kind, compassionate and supportive.” Fellow BBC commentator, and Coleman’s protégé, John Motson, confirms that Coleman was a demanding taskmaster. “He set standards very high and was extremely impatient and irritable with people who didn’t reach them. But that made us all better commentators and reporters, because he simply wouldn’t stand for anything second-best.” Motson readily admits to learning his craft from the master. “When I first joined BBC TV, I was sent out to shadow him. I was shoulder to shoulder with him on Saturdays and his meticulous approach rubbed off on me. He was brilliant under pressure. The greater the demands, the better he responded.” It’s ironic, then, that Coleman became known for commentary gaffes, thanks to Private Eye’s Colemanballs – a collection that included the quintessential Coleman blooper, “That’s the fastest time ever run – but it’s not as fast as the world record.” But Coleman never saw the joke, not least because the mistakes weren’t always his. “What irritated David was that he used to get blamed for things he’d never said,” says Motson. “Colemanballs attributed other commentator’s gaffes to him.” Hi son, Mike, agrees. “He didn’t find Colemanballs funny. He didn’t like people getting credit for taking the mickey and running people down. It was the same with Mike Yarwood doing impressions of him. He didn’t really get the humour of it, but I think deep down he took it as an honour that he was being mimicked.” Coleman was equally dismissive of Spitting Image, which created a manic puppet of him that was usually seen sticking a finger in its earpiece while chortling, “Err, quite remarkable” – another oft-repeated Colemanism. “He was never offended by it, but it wasn’t his sense of humour,” says Mike. Coleman played for Stockport County reserves as a no-nonsense defender in his early 20s. “I can vouch for his athletic prowess,” chuckles Motson. “When we covered the 1978 World Cup in Argentina I remember going out for runs with him well ahead, looking back to urge me to improve my feeble performance.” But Coleman was most famous for his prodigious memory that enabled him to read the football results as they came in via Grandstand’s famous teleprinter while casually rattling off subsequent changes to league positions. “I used to help Dad prepare,” recalls Mike. “He’d have shorthand notes for every league fixture and he’d get me to test him. So I’d call out, say, Port Vale v Tranmere Rovers, and he’d fire back, ‘If Tranmere win today that’ll be their fifth win in a row and they’ll move up two places.’ He had the statistics for all four divisions in his head so he could effortlessly reel them off as each result came in.” Quite remarkable, indeed. See The Quite Remarkable David Colman tonight at 10:35pm on BBC1 Follow @RadioTimes
Steve Pemberton on swapping Benidorm's beaches for Sally Wainwright's Happy Valley
"I do love those shifts of gear you get as an actor, weaving a haunting dark drama with a bit of daft sunbed acting"
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 bed and getting dressed afterwards. As a 13-year-old boy that just blew my mind and stirred all kinds of feelings. Do you ever Google yourself? I have done occasionally, to show my kids pictures of the characters I’ve played. I don’t do Facebook or Twitter because that’s like putting a big funnel into your head that people can pour whatever they want into. I don’t want to give anyone that sort of access. Happy Valley is on Tuesdays at 9:00pm on BBC1. Follow @RadioTimes
The Grand National 2014: Ryan Mania on how to ride a winner
Ryan Mania won the Grand National at his first attempt last year – and almost broke his neck in his very next race
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. - No horse has managed to carry more than 11st 6lb to victory since red rum won his third National in 1977, carrying 11st 8lb — and aged 12! This is not a joke: never have the ups and downs of life as a jump jockey been more dramatic. One day Ryan Mania was crossing the finishing line at Aintree aboard the winner of last year’s Grand National, the next he thought he’d broken his neck. “I went from the incredible high and euphoria of a completely unexpected win in my first Grand National ride to watching replays of my big moment from a hospital bed, not knowing if I’d ever be able to ride again,” recalls Mania. He had romped to Aintree glory on 66–1 rank outsider Auroras Encore before coming crashing back to reality the very next day at Hexham racecourse in a horrific fall. On the day of last year’s National, everything had gone to plan for the 23-year-old jockey from Galashiels. “The horse was in great shape and I was very relaxed because we weren’t expecting to win,” he says. “The idea was just to get him round. The sun had come out that week and I’d noticed a change in the horse because he loves a bit of sunshine on his back. It was sunny on the day of the race and I could tell he was alert, with a real spring in his stride. But I still didn’t expect to win, so I was in complete shock after he flew the last part of the course and we crossed the line first.” After such a stunning victory in the world’s most prestigious steeplechase, most jockeys would have given themselves the weekend off. But Mania was back riding the next day. “I was given the option not to ride, but I thought, ‘No, this is my job, I’ll go and ride another winner at Hexham’.” Less than 24 hours after clasping his winner’s trophy at Aintree, Mania was well placed on Stagecoach Jasper in the 3.10pm at Hexham. Suddenly, after clearing a hurdle, the horse stumbled and fell, throwing him to the turf – where he was kicked on the back of the neck by a following horse. “The first few seconds were really scary,” says Mania softly. “I knew I’d taken a pretty big whack. Initially I didn’t have any feeling in my legs, which was very frightening. But the weirdest thing was that I felt like I was floating. It was like an out-of-body experience. I could see my body lying there, but I felt like I was hovering above it.” Mania was attended to on the course for half an hour by doctors and paramedics before being airlifted to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary. “I was lying there injured, yet all the doctors were still congratulating me as they were examining me,” he says. After an anxious 24 hours he was diagnosed with a fracture in his vertebra – not nearly as serious an injury as had been feared. So, was his fall caused by excessive Grand National celebrations the night before? “No, I hadn’t even had one drink,” he laughs. “It was only a week later when I managed to get a drink in. It was just a freak accident where my horse cleared the jump but unfortunately stumbled. I couldn’t blame the horse, as it was the one behind that stood on me!” Mania was detained in hospital for two nights, during which he became the centre of a media storm. “It was surreal because I was lying in my bed watching a live report on the news that showed hordes of press camped outside the hospital. Reporters and photographers were trying to sneak into my room so the staff changed my name on the door to ‘John Smith’. Then when I left hospital, the paparazzi were waiting and followed me all the way back in the car. It just shows you how sick this country is, because they wouldn’t have shown any interest in me if I hadn’t got injured. “That was my first taste of celebrity life. And to be honest, I hope it’s the last.” That hope may prove forlorn if Mania wins on Saturday on another outsider, Mr Moonshine, which was pulled up last year. No jockey has won back-to-back Nationals since Brian Fletcher on Red Rum in 1973 and 74. If he does confound the odds, we trust he’ll take a day off to celebrate this time. Auroras Encore retired this year. Stagecoach Jasper was fine after its fall and is still racing Follow @RadioTimes
20 things you need to know about World Twenty20 Cricket
Get ready for World Twenty20 Cricket in a flash...
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. Wicketkepper/batsman Jos Buttler is England’s secret weapon. “There could be fireworks when he’s at the crease,” says Knight. 15. The first six overs of an innings are called the “Power Play” when a maximum of two fielders can be outside the 30-yard circle from the wicket. For the remaining 14 overs, not more than five players can be outside the circle. 16. Australian wrist spinner Brad Hogg, at 43, could become the oldest player in international T20. 17. New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum holds the record for the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup, a blistering 123 off 58 balls against Bangladesh in 2012. 18. The official tournament song is Char Chokka Hoi Hoi – which roughly translates as “Fours, Sixes, Fun and Games”. 19. If a match ends with the scores tied, the result will be decided by a “Super Over”. Each team nominates three batsmen and one bowler to play a one-over per side “mini-match”. 20. West Indies are the current T20 champions. They beat Sri Lanka in the 2012 final – despite taking 17 balls to score their first run off the bat. World Twenty20 Cricket from Saturday 9:00am SS2/ 9:15am 5 Live Sports Extra Nick Knight is a commentator for Sky Sports. England play New Zealand on Sat 1pm SS2/1.15pm 5L Sp Extra
Winter Olympics 2014: Five British champions recall winning the ultimate prize
Christopher Dean, Amy Williams, Wilf O'Reilly, Rhona Martin and Robin Cousins remember the day they won gold
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 hero, came up to me and said “Congratulations Rhona”. I couldn’t believe he actually knew my name. AMY WILLIAMS Skeleton, Vancouver 2010 Before the Olympics I’d never won a race, but I always knew a win was in my grasp. The track was hard and fast and everyone was very worried about it. But I’d won silver on it in a World Cup race in 2009 so I knew it suited me. And in training I was getting the fastest times, which gave me even more confidence. The competition was held over two days and I went to bed after the first day knowing that I was in the lead. But I didn’t want to heap any more pressure on myself so I avoided studying the other athletes’ times, thinking of anything but the prize. In skeleton, you never know if you’ve won until you’re off the sled because it’s impossible to see a clock. So I didn’t know I’d won until I asked my coach. When he confirmed it my legs turned to jelly. But the overriding emotion was relief that I’d proved myself on the biggest stage of all. It all seemed like a bit of a weird dream until I saw Clare Balding arriving to interview me. When you see a beaming Clare coming towards you, you know it’s all good.” CHRISTOPHER DEAN Ice Dancing, Sarajevo 1984 It was 14 February and a very early start. Our practice was at six in the morning. There were cleaners there, and they all downed tools to watch us — they applauded at the end, which was a nice little bonus! When I arrived at the arena again in the evening, I wanted to sit in the same spot in the communal changing room that I’d sat in every day for the previous ten days. I didn’t want change. As I was putting on my skates, I got this really tired feeling — your body feels heavy, you feel a bit sluggish. I’ve come to realise since that it’s all part of the process. The adrenaline plateaus, but then it spikes again when you go out onto the rink. I remember, stood there on the ice, that moment — we’re hand in hand, and it’s all connected. It’s all alive. We just do a final glance and squeeze of the hand. There’s no turning back — this is the time, this is the moment. We knew what we had to do — we just skated out into position, we were very centred and calm. But when I think about it now, it takes my breath away. As we were doing the routine it was like we were in an altered state of consciousness. At the very end, there was so much excitement — but also huge relief. And then to see the full row of 6.0s — oh wow! When we stepped on to the podium and the medals were placed around our necks, with the national anthem playing — that is one of my proudest moments, ever. Everything came together: the boy and the girl, the dancing, the romance, all wrapped up in this competitive sporting environment. It all came together on that perfect day. Watch the Winter Olympics on BBC2 and BBC red button 301 and 302. Follow @RadioTimes
Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott is Team GB’s comeback queen
“If it was easy there’d be no satisfaction in achievement,” says Britain’s leading downhill skier
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 way down my bone marrow from my knee to my ankle, with four screws holding it in place. But so long as I can ski fast, I can put up with it.” The irony of having to pay to put her body on the line for her country isn’t lost on Alcott: “It does seem mad, but the support I’ve received from sponsors has given me renewed faith. The fact that people from all walks of life believe in me is really humbling and that’s what gives me the drive to push myself harder. “I vowed four years ago when I finished 11th at the Olympics in Vancouver that I would be faster and that’s still the aim. It’s a massive challenge, but if it was easy there’d be no satisfaction in achievement.” Spoken like a true Olympian. Ski Sunday: Sunday 5:15pm, BBC2 Caxton FX sponsors Chemmy Alcott Follow @RadioTimes
Soccer Saturday host Jeff Stelling on keeping up his stamina and his hidden ballroom talents
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
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, movement and intelligent runs are key, but forwards are unable to make them because big hairy defenders have their arms around them. It should be an instant penalty. I wish refs would clamp down on it. Would you be any good on Strictly? Funnily enough, it has been suggested to me. When I was 18 I learnt to ballroom dance as a pretty unsubtle way of meeting girls. I’ve forgotten everything. But sadly, Strictly takes place in the winter during the football season. As a former Countdown presenter, what’s the quickest you’ve ever done the conundrum? I could always do the maths and the word games but I had a real blind spot when it came to the conundrum. In three years I solved three of them. See Soccer Saturday 3:00pm Sky Sports 1 Follow @RadioTimes
David Haye: I want to knock Tyson Fury out in explosive fashion
The boxer has his sights set towards the Klitschkos, and then Hollywood...
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 making him miss, he’s going to tire quickly. So as long as I land my shots crisp and hard, he’s going to be slower. “The art of boxing is to hit without being hit. I’ve been careful to take very few big punches in my career. Other fighters have taken a lot of punishment. I can assure you, I take every single punch in the face personally.” Mr Calm out of the ring – he spent much of his jungle sojourn sharing the joy of massage – how does he switch to Mr Nasty inside the ropes? “It’s my fight-or-flight instinct. My adrenaline starts to pump and I have to switch on. I’ve got no choice. It’s like walking down a dark alleyway and thinking you might be in danger. Either you can run fast or you can fight hard. I like to control that feeling so that when I’m up against it I can switch it on and put together aggressive punch combinations.” With his unblemished good looks, a career on the big screen is a realistic ambition when he hangs up his gloves. “I definitely want to get into the movie industry and learn to be the best actor I can be,” he says. “I don’t want to dabble in it. I believe you have to immerse yourself. I’ve done that with boxing and I’ll do it with acting. I’ve had to train so hard for so many years that it’ll be interesting having to learn something again.” But first, there’s the 18-stone Fury to deal with. Will Haye’s jungle pals be ringside to support him? “Yeah, most of them will be there, so it’s going to be a great front row. We’ll have some fun at the after-party, too. Cockroaches are strictly off the menu though.” Follow @RadioTimes
Alistair Brownlee’s key to triathlon triumph – baby oil
The Olympic champ talks training, his brother and meeting the Queen
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 autograph or photo. It got a bit tiring, but it’s never a problem as people are so positive. When you received your MBE from the Queen, did you compliment her on her parachute jump at the Opening Ceremony? No, I never got round to that! I was nervous because we’d been briefed on how to approach the Queen and not to turn our back on her. She was very knowledgeable, though, and asked me how long I was going to continue racing. But I didn’t have the nerve to ask her if she’d actually watched my race. Alistair and Jonny Brownlee are in Keeping Up with the Brownlees, Tues 8pm BT Sport 1 plus see Triathlon: World Series Grand Final, Sunday 1pm BBC2, Radio 5 Live Follow @RadioTimes
Premier League new season: the pundits make their predictions
Robbie Savage, Ian Wright, Jeff Stelling and Clive Tyldesley share their thoughts on what could be the most open Premier League for years...
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. And Paulinho looks like a strong, rugged and very energetic Brazilian midfielder who won’t have any problems adapting to the Premier League. So Tottenham fans can look forward to having two more idols should Bale leave. Personally, I don’t think Bale’s stock will ever be higher, so if he really does want to leave, it’s probably in Tottenham’s best interests to sell him now. The biggest change for the game this season is the introduction of goal-line technology in the shape of Hawk-Eye. As a commentator, I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to have definitive evidence of a key mistake during a game and for it not to be applied. But the knot that cricket has tied itself in this summer with technology and umpire reviews should serve as a warning that the technology has to be 100 per cent correct. The problem is that things can often look different when viewed from three different camera angles. That said, I feel that if we can use it to prove whether the ball has crossed the goal-line, that’s a welcome addition. But I wouldn’t want to see it introduced anywhere else in the game. Cricket has provided a very timely reminder that it can sometimes create more problems than it solves. Predictions *Winner: It’s between Man United, Man City and Chelsea. But who comes out on top will be determined during the transfer window. *Relegation: With new managers and a new style of play, things are never quite going to be the same at Stoke and Sunderland. And norwich will have to watch out for second-season syndrome. (Clive Tyldesley commentates for ITV Sport) The Presenter: Jeff Stelling I’m looking forward to a much more closely contested title race this season. Last year Manchester United ran away with it, but I don’t anticipate that happening again. The big three clubs have all got new managers – which is a bit like revisiting your favourite restaurant to find there’s a completely new menu. We don’t quite know what to expect, do we? But Pellegrini’s past record suggests Manchester City will be playing a more attacking brand of football and Chelsea have still got some fabulous players. So add to that Jose Mourinho returning and I can’t see how it will be anything other than a really close-run thing. I will miss Sir Alex because he was always wonderful company whenever I met him. But I’m a big fan of David Moyes, who’s proved he can handle big names, and of course the charisma of Jose will be a great addition. I wasn’t overly impressed with Real Madrid when he was in charge so I feel this year he has to prove that he really is the Special One. I’m also looking forward to having Ian Holloway back. The manager of Crystal Palace is a fantastic character. I’ve never forgotten when he got promotion with QPR and said, “Every dog has its day and today is woof day!” Priceless. Predictions *Winner: Man United. All their young players will be better for having won the league last year, which will make them very hard to beat. *Relegation: As new boys, Hull and Crystal Palace are going to find it very tough. And I think Stoke, Sunderland and Fulham could also be scrapping it out near the bottom. (Jeff Stelling presents Soccer Saturday, 3pm Sky Sports 1) The phone-in hosts: Ian Wright I’m expecting to get Arsenal supporters ringing the show. These days I get more stick from Arsenal fans than Spurs fans. It’s because I’m always honest, and Arsenal fans can’t seem to handle that. It’s been eight years since they last won a trophy and yet the club are still talking about a new deal for Arsène Wenger, so I don’t think he’s under the same pressure as other managers. I can see Arsenal coming fourth again, but if Suarez was to join I might revise that. It amazes me where fans want to chat. I’m usually at the urinal in the pub when the bloke next to me will say, “What about Arsenal, eh?” I’m always happy to talk football, but there’s a time and a place! I also wish fans would stop taking photos during a game. I mean, why does anyone want to see a photo of Gareth Bale about to take a corner? Predictions *Winner: Man City. *Relegation: Cardiff, Hull and Crystal Palace. Kelly Cates I’m so glad Jose Mourinho’s back. I always want to hear from people who are brilliant at what they do and Jose’s got more to say than most. So I’m expecting Chelsea to be even stronger this season. As for Liverpool [Kelly is the daughter of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish], I think they’re going to have to settle for a Europa League place – particularly if they lose Suarez. But I’d love them to really go for a trophy – as a supporter, you’d much rather have silverware and a day out at Wembley than a top ten finish. If I could wish for two things this season, it would be for players to stop arguing with the referee. It feels like it’s an automatic reaction now and I’m sick of seeing players arguing about stuff that isn’t even up for debate. And I wish clubs would stop playing music after a goal is scored. It feels like orchestrated excitement – and fans don’t need to be told how to celebrate. Predictions *Winner: manchester City. *Relegation: Cardiff, Hull and Crystal Palace. (Ian Wright and Kelly Cates host 5 Live’s 6-0-6 phone-in on Sundays) Premier League Football: from Saturday SS1/SS2/ Pick TV; BT Sport; BBC1 (highlights); 5 Live; Talksport
Three-time winner Johnny Murtagh has the secrets
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 twitchy, over-excited and sweating, it’ll use up all its energy before the race. So no matter what its physical attributes, if it hasn’t got a calm temperament, it hasn’t got a chance. Keep your cool A jockey’s temperament is important. You need a cool head. If you’ve been drawn out wide, you have to do some serious manoeuvring in the early part of the race to get close to the favourable inside rail. So you need to be calm, keep your wits about you as the race unfolds and have confidence in your ability to handle any situation. I look at it like this: I’ve worked hard to be here. I deserve to be here. There’s no way it’s going to be my fault that this horse doesn’t win the Derby. Johnny’s top tip If he runs, Dawn Approach looks like a Derby winner to me. He was the best two-year-old last year and his form has been far superior. He’s trained by Jim Bolger, who has his own jockey, so sadly I’ve no chance! The Derby takes place Saturday 1pm (race 4pm, highlights 12.15am) C4/ 4pm Radio 5 Live
Six reasons why the Champions League final will have German fireworks
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,”
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 are low (Bayern season tickets start at €120), which in turn means crowds average above 42,000 – the best in Europe. 6. “The stadiums that were built for the 2006 World Cup are fantastic,” says Woodcock. “The football played by young, homegrown players is technically excellent and exciting to watch and fans pack the grounds out, creating an incredible atmosphere. I know fans who even travel from London to watch Borussia Dortmund because at £9 a ticket it still works out cheaper than watching Premier League football in London.” Champions League Final Sat 7pm (k/o 7.45pm) ITV/6pm Sky Sports 1/7.45pm Radio 5 Live
Champions League pundits Adrian Chiles and Lee Dixon on their budding bromance
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...
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 more. At the BBC you’re never commenting on live games. It’s all studio work, going to Manchester and sitting in a box for two days. My contract at the BBC was up and I decided I wanted to do something else. It was the best decision I’ve ever made and I love it.” Sensing a distinct air of man-love filling the room, Dixon is quick to puncture it, as only an ex-footballer can. “That said, I still believe he talks s***e most of the time.” So who normally wins at Scrabble? Adrian Chiles: It’s an eternal source of frustration for me because Lee only knows about 30 words and they’re all either football- or cycling-related. But unfortunately it turns out he’s better at it than me. Lee won 13–6 last year, although I’m currently 3–1 up this year. Lee Dixon: Adrian’s hit a lucky streak. So I’m going to take him on at chess next because he hasn’t a clue how to play that. Do your games involve cagey European tactics or do you have a more gung-ho, Premier League style? AC: Lee plays like he used to defend – ruthless, cynical, with a little bit of off-the-ball stuff. It’s the old “1–0 to the Arsenal” and then stifle-the-game routine. Seriously, the whole thing usually becomes totally defensive, with all the letters clumped together in the middle of the pitch. LD: Adrian’s tactic is to bung anything down and hope it’s an actual word. How long do these games last? AC: We’ve had games that last all the way from London to Moldova and they can get really tense. I remember one game carried on from the flight into the back of the car that was taking us home. I had two letters left to try and finish the game before we dropped Lee off and as we pulled up outside his house, I got rid of the O and the I to make oil. Oh, what a moment that was. I was yelling, “Yes! Get in there!” like West Brom [the team Chiles supports] had won the FA Cup. What do the other ITV pundits think of your Scrabble obsession? AC: Roy Keane just won’t have anything to do with it. But Gareth Southgate is a decent if somewhat naive player. LD: I missed an away game for ITV and I saw it as a bit of infidelity that Adrian decided to play with Gareth while I was away. Surely when you’re away in Europe, there must be more exciting things to do? AC: People always wonder what goes on when we’re on tour. Well, I can exclusively reveal to Radio Times readers that when we were last in Sweden, the hotel bar was closing so myself, Lee, Gareth and Matt Smith went up to my hotel room to finish off a game of four-way Scrabble. Those crazy Swedish nights! LD: I remember walking back to my hotel in the early hours, after the Scrabble game had finished, muttering to myself, “Where did it all go wrong?” What’s been your favourite night “on tour”? AC: These guys are hardened sportsmen so they don’t like to lose at anything. I managed to beat Roy in a game of pool at an Irish bar in Madrid and he shook hands, but you could see in his eyes he hated losing. The vein at the side of his head started pulsing, and that’s never a good sign. LD: Gareth won the tournament and I’ll never forget him sinking the winning shot and then moonwalking while holding his cue aloft. What’s been your strangest pre-match preparation? AC: I remember one occasion in Berne when we were covering an England game. It was an evening kick-off so that morning when Lee and I were out for a stroll, we spotted these people floating down this fast-flowing river. We thought we’d have some of that, so later that afternoon we walked down to the river in just our swimming trunks. Which in itself must have looked very odd. LD: By the time we arrived, there were hundreds of people throwing themselves in. Some were holding onto dogs, it was madness! AC: So we jumped in and were swept off down the river. I can recall going past these beery England fans in a riverside café who did a classic comedy double-take at the sight of us two bobbing past. And then it suddenly dawned on us that we were going to struggle to get out of this torrent. LD: Fortunately we both managed to grab an overhanging branch and pull ourselves out. But we very nearly had to do that game by live satellite link from the Black Sea or wherever the river would have spat us out. [Quick geography lesson, Lee. It’s the River Aare and it both rises and ends in Switzerland.] Apart from body surfing and Scrabble, do you share any other hobbies? AC: We occasionally play golf, but he’s miles better than me so I’m going off it. LD: I’ve tried to get him out cycling a bit more. But we go for dinner a lot and we’re both into our cooking. Have you ever cooked for each other? AC: At a charity auction, a lady paid a lot of money for a dinner cooked by Heston Blumenthal, assisted by the two of us. Heston’s a mutual friend of ours so we all flew out to Austria to cook for nine dinner guests at the lady’s chalet. LD: It was the most stressed I’ve ever been. Forget playing in FA Cup finals, this was extreme. AC: The three of us planned the meal, went shopping and then me and Lee followed Heston’s orders. It was fascinating stuff watching the master at close quarters. If you’re into cooking, it was like having a kickaround with Zidane. We had such a caper trying to get this tarte tatin to set. I have never laughed so much. Honestly, it was the closest I’ve ever come to wetting myself since I was eight and the neighbours tied me to a tree and tickled me. Thankfully, the meal was worth the four-hour wait. You clearly get on famously. Is there anything that annoys you about each other? AC: Lee is an extremely cultured and civilised individual, but the other half of him was brought up in the harsh dressing-room environment in which goading and mickey-taking is a way of life. That can be quite hurtful. LD: The fact that Adrian is an eternal pessimist and has an inability to ever find anything enjoyable. I mean anything. And can you believe he took me aside and very seriously said, “Just leave the West Brom stuff out”. To me, that’s a red rag to a bull. I’ve let it go for a while, but over the next few weeks he’s seriously going to get it. Manchester United face Real Madrid at Old Trafford tonight with the score from the first leg of their last-16 tie standing at 1-1. Kick-off is at 7:45pm with coverage on ITV1 from 7:30pm
Danny Devito confirms Eddie Murphy for Twins sequel
Devito will join original co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger and Murphy for a follow-up to the hit 1988 comedy
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?
Ahead of the British Comedy Awards, Stewart Lee, Miranda Hart and Boris Johnson all receive acknowledgment for their contributions to humour
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. But my favourite film of the year was a documentary, Searching for Sugar Man. It’s a true story and really compelling. Funniest politician Boris Johnson tries too hard so I’m ruling him out. Ed Miliband is funny without really trying - and he looks like a cartoon character, so he gets my vote. Sports personality of the year It’s time they gave it to one of the horses. They work really hard and win all the races and yet every year they’re excluded from Sports Personality of the Year. It’s not like they haven’t got a personality. Funniest advert It’s not fashionable to say, but I really like what they’ve done with the Go Compare adverts. I think it’s actually quite funny how they’ve subverted it and turned the annoying singer into a hate figure. I’m not sure I’m ready to make a cameo appearance in it, though. I’ve actually got my eye on a Churchill ad now that Martin Clunes has been dropped. Is TV Burp really finished? Yes, I’m afraid it’s all over. I still look out for burps while I’m watching television, it’s just that I don’t write them down any more. Now I just turn to my wife and children and say, “Look! That looks just like an elephant carrying a briefcase”. And they laugh and that’s enough for me these days. British Comedy Awards 2012 are on tonight at 9:00pm on Channel 4