Steven Moffat: how Conan Doyle inspired me
The Sherlock co-creator on why he enjoyed adapting Arthur Conan Doyle's classic detective stories for television.
This is an edited version of an article that originally ran in Radio Times magazine in December 2011, presented here to mark the 10th anniversary of Sherlock on 25th July, 2020 My grandparents gave me A Study in Scarlet to read when I was nine or ten and right from the off, I was hooked. It’s brilliant on so many levels – not least the fact that the hero wasn’t nice. In fact, he could be downright horrible. There was something incredibly appealing about that – after all, we don’t rank our friends in order of niceness, and while we approve of nice people, there’s something much more interesting about a b*****d. And that’s what Holmes is. Arthur Conan Doyle was an amazing storyteller and a very modern author. The books are actually funny but often the adaptations aren’t, which I find odd. Sherlock Holmes often bursts out laughing or is having a laugh with Watson, but you rarely see it. He’s always stern and I think he’s quite impish. When I read The Speckled Band, I thought that the rest of fiction could go hang. Nothing can top it – a great murder weapon, a great climax, real proper thrills. Conan Doyle’s stories are rich – the way he makes reference to other stories to send you off looking for them and to untold stories to whet your appetite for more. In a way, he also invented the TV series as, trying to work out the way to sell serialised stories in the likes of The Strand magazine, he came up with the idea of having short stories with the same protagonist. It was genius. After the success – the genuinely surprising success – of the first series, Mark Gatiss and I decided to tackle the iconic stories in this series. It’s also why we’ve brought in Irene Adler – because she gave birth to the trope in the films of Sherlock battling femmes fatales. Why wait, we thought. Give the audience what they want. So that’s what we’ve done. As for Holmes’s death, I don’t believe that Conan Doyle ever really planned to kill him off. That’s faithfully reported, but I don’t believe it. The way he’s killed off in The Final Problem… well, there’s no body, is there? So Sherlock is obviously not dead. Conan Doyle was a mystery writer, for goodness’ sake! I’m sure the plan all along was to "resurrect" him. For me, I also really like the portrait of a male friendship between Holmes and Watson. Because they are men, they don’t discuss such things but it’s there – and it’s one of the deepest and most enduring friendships in literature. Check out what else is on with our TV Guide.This is an edited version of an article that originally ran in Radio Times magazine in December 2011, presented here to mark the 10th anniversary of Sherlock on 25th July, 2020 My grandparents gave me A Study in Scarlet to read when I was nine or ten and right from the off, I was hooked. It’s brilliant on so many levels – not least the fact that the hero wasn’t nice. In fact, he could be downright horrible. There was something incredibly appealing about that – after all, we don’t rank our friends in order of niceness, and while we approve of nice people, there’s something much more interesting about a b*****d. And that’s what Holmes is. Arthur Conan Doyle was an amazing storyteller and a very modern author. The books are actually funny but often the adaptations aren’t, which I find odd. Sherlock Holmes often bursts out laughing or is having a laugh with Watson, but you rarely see it. He’s always stern and I think he’s quite impish. When I read The Speckled Band, I thought that the rest of fiction could go hang. Nothing can top it – a great murder weapon, a great climax, real proper thrills. Conan Doyle’s stories are rich – the way he makes reference to other stories to send you off looking for them and to untold stories to whet your appetite for more. In a way, he also invented the TV series as, trying to work out the way to sell serialised stories in the likes of The Strand magazine, he came up with the idea of having short stories with the same protagonist. It was genius. After the success – the genuinely surprising success – of the first series, Mark Gatiss and I decided to tackle the iconic stories in this series. It’s also why we’ve brought in Irene Adler – because she gave birth to the trope in the films of Sherlock battling femmes fatales. Why wait, we thought. Give the audience what they want. So that’s what we’ve done. As for Holmes’s death, I don’t believe that Conan Doyle ever really planned to kill him off. That’s faithfully reported, but I don’t believe it. The way he’s killed off in The Final Problem… well, there’s no body, is there? So Sherlock is obviously not dead. Conan Doyle was a mystery writer, for goodness’ sake! I’m sure the plan all along was to "resurrect" him. For me, I also really like the portrait of a male friendship between Holmes and Watson. Because they are men, they don’t discuss such things but it’s there – and it’s one of the deepest and most enduring friendships in literature. Check out what else is on with our TV Guide.
New faces and familiar friends – Aidan Turner leads a stellar cast for the new series of the hit period drama on PBS Masterpiece
Poldark is back, and with the Byronic Aidan Turner and the tempestuous Eleanor Tomlinson swaggering, fighting and loving in their natural home as they rebuild their marriage, everything is just as it should be. Is it sexist to lust after Aidan Turner in Poldark? Where is BBC drama Poldark filmed? Poldark commissioned for a fifth – and probably final – series Or is it? The third season, based on books five and six of Winston Graham’s epic saga, kicks off in 1794 with Elizabeth about to give birth to Ross’s child (probably), Demelza’s brothers turning up, the French Revolution in full swing and a veritable Paris Mob of new characters traipsing into Truro. Inevitably most of them mean trouble. Meet the entire cast of the BBC1 drama below... THE NEW CAST Morwenna Chynoweth - Elise Chappell Elizabeth’s innocent cousin is hired to be governess for Elizabeth’s son Geoffrey, and there’s soon a tug-of-love tension between the three. Then there’s sexual tension with newcomer Drake Carne and outright tension with the sex-crazed Reverend Osborne Whitworth. Ellise Chappell is barely out of university, with just two TV credits to her name: The Last Dragonslayer and New Blood. “I was actually on my way to ask for my barista job back when I got the call to say I’d got the job,” she says. “I turned around and walked home again!” Sam Carne - Tom York Sam is a charismatic Methodist preacher who turns up to save his sister Demelza’s soul. The older brother of Drake, Sam soon captures a significant congregation and falls out with the local church and with George Warleggan. Ross, understandably, is convicted. York, whose CV includes Olympus and Death in Paradise, also has a smoulder to rival Aidan Turner. “It’s daunting coming into such an iconic, established drama,” he admits. “But Sam is a gift — it’s rare as a young actor to get to play a character with such principle and conviction.” Drake Carne - Harry Richardson Drake is the brother of Demelza and Sam. He leans closer to his free-spirited sister than his man-of-God brother but he’s a stabilising force in everyone’s lives. He’s a born romantic, and tumbles into a turbulent romance with Morwenna. Aussie Richardson, who was in Doctor Thorne last year, says, “I was terrified at my audition, as I’d never even met someone from Cornwall. I spent a lot of time focusing on getting the accent right.” Lieutenant Hugh Armitage - Josh Whitehouse Lord Falmouth’s artistic, aristocratic nephew arrives back in Cornwall and promptly falls in love with Demelza, whom he woos assiduously — setting him up as a boo-hiss villain for Ross’s devoted fans. Whitehouse appeared in the films Northern Soul and Alleycats, in the latter as the brother of Eleanor Tomlinson’s character. “It was Eleanor who suggested I audition,” he says. View oEmbed on the source website Rev Osborne Whitworth - Christian Brassington The lascivious reverend is a part made famous by Christopher Biggins, whose foot-fetish sex scene with his wife’s sister was cut from the 1970s Poldark for lewdness. “The character was voted the most hated man on TV last time round,” says Brassington. “It’s a lot to live up to, which is what Winston Graham’s family told me when they visited the set. They were really good friends with Biggins, so no pressure there!” Brassington, who played the PM in Tony Blair: Rock Star and Boris Johnson in When Boris Met Dave, had to bulk up for his role: “I ate mostly ice cream and drank beer.” Tholly Tregirls - Sean Gilder Tholly is a friend of Ross’s father. He’s a reckless womaniser but loyal to Ross — and helps him on a high-drama French escapade. Gilder, who played Paddy Maguire in Shameless and Styles in Hornblower, says, “From the books and Debbie’s scripts it’s clear Tholly is the comedy element.” See next page for returning cast THE RETURNING CAST Ross Poldark – Aidan Turner Our Cornish hero is on a more level footing as we catch up with him in series three. Last year saw his illicit night with Elizabeth result in a schism in his relationship with wife Demelza. But fast-forward nine-ish months and the couple are back on track. How long that lasts remains to be seen as Ross eyes up adventure across the channel... BBC3 drama Being Human was the springboard to great things for actor Aidan Turner, with The Hobbit director Peter Jackson casting him as dwarf Kili in The Hobbit trilogy. "I got a call out of the blue asking if I wanted to spend a year and a half in Middle-earth? There was a fair bit of screaming on my balcony at half-eight in the morning in Cardiff: 'Yes! Yes! Oh yes!'" he told RT back in 2012. However, playing Poldark on BBC1 has made Turner a household name – even if show bosses originally didn't think he was "attractive" enough for the role. Really? Demelza Poldark – Eleanor Tomlinson Demelza has faced immense tests in her marriage to Ross. First the couple lost their baby, Julia, and then Ross's eye wandered back to his former love Elizabeth. But – after threatening to leave her errant husband – Demelza forgave him and enjoys a degree of domestic bliss as we rejoin the series. Although her two brothers, Sam and Drake, soon arrive on her doorstep to stir things up... Even before Poldark, Eleanor Tomlinson was a BBC1 regular, with key roles in period drama The White Queen and literary adaptation Death Comes to Pemberley. But don't forget her early star turn as Jas in teen adaptation Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. Elizabeth Poldark – Heida Reed Whereas last year saw Elizabeth grow closer to first love Ross, resulting in that night together, the new series sees the pair ostracised after she made the decision to wed George Warleggan, Ross's arch rival. As we begin the third run, Elizabeth is heavily pregnant – but who is the father? Her new husband or the man she really loves? Iceland-born actress Heida Reed featured in David Nicholls book adaptation One Day in 2013, and recently appeared in a Silent Witness two-parter and as a guest star in BBC1's Death in Paradise. Apparently her starring role in Poldark has turned the series into a breakout success in her home country of Iceland: "It’s almost too much!" she says. "They’re such a small country and so they’re very proud of their people and they sort of blow everything up when someone is doing well outside of Iceland. It’s a bit crazy but it’s so nice." George Warleggan – Jack Farthing Ambitious banker George and his uncle Cary are at the head of his family's prestigious financial empire – and avowed nemeses of Ross Poldark. Over two series George has made every attempt to ruin his rival culminating in his successful wooing of Elizabeth whom he eventually married – much to Ross's chagrin. Actor Jack Farthing takes particular pleasure in playing the villain of the BBC1 piece. "I love playing people who are cleverer than I am. He’s really good at his job, he’s so meticulous and ambitious, driven and motivated," he says. Farthing also played the dim-witted Freddie Threepwood in the BBC1 adaptation of PG Wodehouse's Blandings, as well as George Balfour in feature film The Riot Club. Poldark season three airs on Sundays from 8/7c, PBS Masterpiece View oEmbed on the source website Caroline Penvenen – Gabrielle Wilde The wealthy and beautiful Caroline caused an immediate stir when she arrived in Cornwall from London, catching the eye of young doctor Dwight Enys. Her uncle, Ray Penvenen, had designs on her marrying into gentry but Caroline's love was for Dwight and the pair got engaged at the end of series two. Gabrielle Wilde starred in 2014 rom-com Endless Love and landed a major role in feature film adaptation of The Three Musketeers, after originally being signed up by Naomi Campbell's modelling agency aged just 14. Find out more about her here. Dwight Enys – Luke Norris Ross's loyal friend Dr Dwight Enys is a fierce ally, always ready to defend his brother in arms. Last year saw him largely occupied by his on-off love affair with Caroline, culminating in his decision to enlist and fight in France. A last-minute visit from Caroline in the series finale saw the pair betrothed with a string of leather acting in place of a ring. Actor Luke Norris is also an accomplished writer, with his latest play Growth staged at the Edinburgh Festival before touring the UK – including Cornwall. He's also a proud dad, with his wife and fellow actor Joanna Norton giving birth last year. Ray Penvenen – John Nettles Ray Penvenen is one of the country's wealthiest landowners and the uncle of orphan Caroline. As we begin series three, we find him gravely ill. Proud Cornishman John Nettles has returned home for Poldark, after a television career including starring roles in 1980s classic Bergerac and then Midsomer Murders as Inspector Tom Barnaby. He looks on Aidan Turner with admiration at how he has dealt with 'heartthrob' status, saying, “Actors have become much more savvy about the nature of television celebrity these days. We were not. The kind of celebrity culture that exists now didn’t exist in the 1980s. It was a degree towards it, but it wasn’t quite there in the sense that it is now. And you learn about that your agent tells you about the pitfalls and the dangers of it and so on and I think they’re all pretty much clued in, particularly someone who’s intelligent and as talented as our man Aidan is." Aunt Agatha – Caroline Blakiston Arguably the fiercest character in Poldark, Aunt Agatha is, in the words of Caroline Blakiston, "frightened of no one and a lot of people are frightened of her". The matriarch of the Poldark family is as sharp as ever and quick to defend Elizabeth and her son Geoffrey Charles from their controlling new patriarch George Warleggan. Actress Caroline Blakiston has had a storied history on stage and screen. She was at the centre of the Star Wars universe when she played Mon Mothma in Return of the Jedi, starred in 1980s British comedy drama Brassed and featured in classic British drama The Forstye Saga. She also, incidentally, was the first English actress to act in Russian in a Chekhov play in Moscow, having visited the country regularly since the 1980s. Geoffrey Charles Poldark – Harry Marcus In the months since Poldark was on screen, Geoffrey Charles has grown up. Gone is the mothered toddler and in his place a sassy boy unafraid to tell his stepfather exactly what he thinks of him. But he'd better mind his tongue – George has designs to send him away to boarding school at the first opportunity. Actor Harry Marcus may be young but he's got plenty of credits under his belt. He's already filmed a role in Beauty and the Beast, appeared on stage in Les Miserables, Made in Dagenham and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and has shot feature film Breathe alongside Hugh Bonneville, Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy. Prudie Paynter – Beatie Edney Ross's servants Jud and Prudie Paynter were mainstays of the first two series of Poldark but as we revisit the Cornish cliffs we find Prudie – but no Jud? There's not much explanation for his whereabouts but we understand he won't be back anytime soon. Still, Prudie remains in the employ of the Poldark household and claims she misses her husband "like a ruptured spleen". That's not very much, then. Beatie Edney has had a long and varied career on film and TV, including a starring role opposite Colin Firth in 1986 drama Lost Empires, Rosemary and Thyme, Prime Suspect and many more. View oEmbed on the source website Verity Blamey – Ruby Bentall Shy Verity broke ties with her brother Francis when she married the dark and dangerous Captain Andrew Blamey. The pair reconciled before Francis's death and Verity has started a young family of her own. Ruby Bentall has plenty of experience with period dramas, having appeared in Lark Rise to Candleford and The Paradise, as well as Jane Austen remix Lost in Austen. She also featured in ITV's ill-fated 2015 adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde. Captain Henshawe – John Hollingworth An old and valued friend of Ross, mine captain Henshawe worked for Ross's father at Wheal Leisure. John Hollingworth had a recurring role in US historical fantasy Da Vinci's Demons, before guest starring this year in Midsomer Murders. He also appeared in Josh Widdicombe's BBC3 comedy Josh, and featured in the final series of BBC2 drama The Hour. Tankard – Sebastian Armesto In series two, man of the law Tankard was tasked by George Warleggan with ensuring that Ross Poldark was sent to the gallows. He failed but remains by the banker's side in pursuit of his evil ends. British actor Sebastian Armesto has a history of playing people in power. He appeared in The Tudors as Roman Emperor Charles V, in ITV's The Palace as the king's brother Prince George and as Spanish King Ferdinand VI in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. You may also recognise him as Edmund in the BBC's 2008 version of Little Dorrit and any Broadchurch viewers will recognise him as taxi driver Clive Lucas in series three Mark Daniel - Matthew Wilson Miner Mark fell head over heels and married wife Karin, only for her to have an affair with local doctor Dwight in series one. He was so furious about her indiscretion that he killed her in a fit of rage and then went on the run – but not before noting that there was copper somewhere down the mine. Ross went as far as seeking him out in series two, all in a quest to uncover the precious metal. You may have spotted Matthew Wilson in The Inbetweeners Movie, or playing a security man in Sherlock episode His Last Vow. He's popped up in another Holmes related drama too - ITV's Arthur & George – as well as appearing in Endeavour, Mr Selfridge, Doctors and The Bill. Reverend Halse – Robin Ellis The malicious magistrate clashed with Ross Poldark in court during last series' trial over the shipwreck. The man of the law has it in for Captain Poldark – will we see him crop up again in series three? The original Ross Poldark, Robin Ellis played the proud Cornishman in the BBC's 1975 version. He returned to the drama for series one, and reprises his role as Halse again in 2016. Beyond acting, Ellis is also a keen cook, and has published three cookbooks. His third, Mediterranean Cooking for Diabetics, has just been released: "I doubt Ross Poldark or Rev Halse ever got into the kitchen much, though Doctor Enys certainly treated people with diabetes," he says.
Netflix UK has got all the episodes of Friends, and we have 26 reasons to watch it all again...
A is for… Apple - the Big one, where the show was set. B is for… Brad. Before Brangelina, there was Brannifer (Braniston…?) and the episode starring Jen’s then husband, Brad. He played Will, a formerly overweight high-school “friend” who, we discovered, co-founded the I Hate Rachel Green Club with Ross. "Look at her standing there with those yams. My two greatest enemies, Ross. Rachel Green and complex carbohydrates…" C is for… Central Perk, the only coffee house in town. D is for… Dr Drake Remore. Joey’s greatest ever role, the brilliant surgeon on daytime soap Days of Our Lives, master of the “smell-the-fart” school of acting. View oEmbed on the source website E is for… Emily, or is it Rachel? Yes, that's not a mistake Ross will make again. F is for… Fussball. Joey and Chandler’s table football game took up a large chunk of their free time and was responsible for much male bonding. They were finally forced to destroy it in order to free their pet duckling, which had become trapped inside - but not before saying personal goodbyes to each of the plastic players. “Good game. Good game.” G is for… guest star. Among the many famous faces keen to grab a piece of the action down the years have been Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Brad Pitt, Danny DeVito, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Ben Stiller, Freddie Prinze Jr and our very own Sarah Ferguson. H is for… How you doin’? Joey’s failsafe chat-up line, always to be pronounced with a stress on the “you”, in finest Italian-American style. View oEmbed on the source website I is for… I’ll Be There for You. The theme tune, performed by The Rembrandts. View oEmbed on the source website J is for… Jellyfish. And there's only one way to treat a jellyfish sting... enough said. K is for… Kiss - that kiss... View oEmbed on the source website L is for… London, baby! The obligatory, but misguided, two-part holiday episode featured a wedding, a big slip-up and appearances from Richard Branson and Sarah Ferguson. M is for… Marcel. Everyone loves a monkey, right? Well, Ross certainly did. The little fella became his best friend after his (Ross's) first divorce but eventually the primate's overactive libido saw him consigned to San Diego Zoo... oh, and then he became a film star. N is for… No foreskin. When aspiring actor Joey found himself up for a role that required him to be nude and “uncut”, it called for desperate measures. Enter Monica, who fashioned a range of fake foreskins from materials ranging from fur to luncheon meat. The silly putty prototype won out - but promptly fell off when Joey dropped his trousers at the audition. O is for… “Oh. My. God.” The words that cause Chandler’s testicles to retract into his body when uttered by a certain special lady. Yes, it’s Janice! View oEmbed on the source website P is for… Pop song. Remember when Smelly Cat got commercial? View oEmbed on the source website Q is for… Quiz. It started with an innocent question - “Who knows more about the others, the girls or the boys?” – and ended up with the boys winning the girls’ apartment. Ross’s trivia quiz featured such questions as… How many categories of towels does Monica have? (11) To whom is the TV Guide delivered to Joey and Chandler’s apartment addressed? (Miss Chanandler Bong) Name Joey's childhood imaginary friend (Maurice, a "space cowboy") R is for… Regina Phalange. Phoebe’s mysterious alter ego... S is for… Sandwich - My sandwich! View oEmbed on the source website T is for… Turkey. The one Joey gets stuck on his head at Thanksgiving. And the one he eats all to himself, leading to a serious case of the "meat sweats". U is for… Ugly Naked Guy, the anonymous naturist from the building opposite. Always unclothed, he was variously glimpsed (by the Friends but, thankfully, rarely by the viewers) using a Thighmaster, playing the cello and dancing with Ugly Naked Girl. V is for… Viva las Vegas. You know, the place where Monica and Chandler intended to get married – but were put off by the fact that Ross and Rachel actually (and drunkenly) got married before them. Factoid: the whole episode was shot in a studio in LA – not in Sin City. W is for… White teeth. Ross overdoes it with a teeth bleaching product and spends the whole of a first date murmuring from behind his hand. When he finally gets the girl home and turns off the lights, his ultraviolet smile nearly gives her a heart attack. X is for… X-rated. It’s one of the few episodes of Friends that you might not have seen – that’s because TV execs have often shied away from pre-watershed screenings of the rather racy theme of season four’s The One with the Free Porn. Y is for… Yemen. The place where Chandler tells Janice he's moving when he's trying to get away from her. 35, Yemen Road, Yemen. Z is for… Zip. Zero. Zilch. We got nothing.
Jennifer Worth's daughters remember the real women who inspired the hit Sunday-night drama
On Sunday night, sisters Suzannah Hart and Juliette Walton will gather their family to watch the fifth of the series of six episodes of BBC1’s hit series Call the Midwife. Nothing unusual in that - the true-to-life drama captured 9.8 million viewers for its first episode, BBC1’s highest launch figure to date - and a further eight episodes have already been commissioned. For Suzannah and Juliette, however, Call the Midwife has a special resonance. The drama is adapted from the bestselling memoirs of their mother, Jennifer Worth, who died, aged 75, just before the series was filmed last summer. Watching the progress of Jenny Lee (played by Jessica Raine) as she learns about life in the slums of postwar Poplar has, say the sisters, been a uniquely moving experience. Not only have they had the chance to watch their mother’s footsteps, but memories of the other real characters - Sister Julienne, fellow midwife Cynthia and boilerman Fred - have come flooding back. Jennifer Worth “Mother was fading fast in the summer, just as the series was starting to be brought to life, and that was a very unusual, but quite magical and positive dovetail of events,” explains Juliette. “Even so, I watched the first episode with trepidation. I didn’t know if I would enjoy it, but I just loved it and am growing to love it more.” Suzannah, 47, agrees: “There are hundreds of thousands of women who lose their mothers, but how many of those will live through the experience that we’ve just been through – seeing our mother portrayed as a young girl, in a time before we knew her? It feels like a very special privilege, and in a way it has helped us cope with her loss. “Jessica Raine was terribly anxious that we should be happy with her performance and I think she’s got it just right. Her Jenny is very dignified, there’s a slight reserve to her. She holds herself well and speaks nicely. All that fits very well with Mother’s personality.” “Of course,” says Juliette, 45, “none of us knew Mother at that stage in her life, but for me, the character of Jenny is very true to the person she became. It’s the little things, like when she’s all dressed up in her beautiful clothes to go to a concert. Mother took a lot of pride in her appearance – she always had her clothes hand-made, even when she was very young. “At the same time, she was a very individual character. When Jenny kicks off her high heels and trips down the street in her stockinged feet – that’s exactly what Mother was like. “You also get the sense from the programme that Jenny is quite quiet, an observer. And that’s how Mother was. She wasn’t a great one for chit-chat. Often in social situations she would take a back seat and just absorb what was going on around her. And yet she never conformed. She was quite determined to do things her own way.” Although the publication of Worth’s bestselling East End trilogy - Call the Midwife, Shadows of the Workhouse and Farewell to the East End, all written when the author was in her 60s - was a revelation to her daughters, some of the characters were already familiar. Sister Julienne “Mother was a very forward-looking person,” explains Juliette. “She only let drop the odd snippet from her time with the nuns. She used to tell us little stories about Fred the boilerman at ‘Nonnatus House’ and we’d all have a jolly laugh about his accidentally flicking ash onto somebody’s meringue. Sister Julienne [played by Jenny Agutter] and Cynthia [Bryony Hannah], on the other hand, were part of our childhood.” “I have lovely memories of Sister Julienne,” says Suzannah. “When the community [in real life, the Sisters of St John the Divine] left the East End, they moved to Hastings in East Sussex. My mother used to take me and my sister there on holiday – this would have been the early 70s – and we stayed in a small caravan in the convent grounds. I remember having tea with the nuns – we had cinnamon toast, which was a very new experience for me – and it was all very genteel and sweet. “There’s a photo taken of me at the time with Sister Julienne. I would have been about seven and I remember being very pleased that I was wearing a blue dress with a white collar – just like a little mini-nun! Sister Julienne was a tiny little lady – very serene and calming, but at the same time an incredibly cheery, smiley person with a real twinkle in her eye. I think Jenny Agutter has ‘got’ that very well indeed. “When we returned home, Sister Julienne would write letters to me and Juliette, with little stories and beautiful illustrations down the side in felt pen or watercolour. She’d come and visit us too, and towards the end of her life, by which time the community had moved to Birmingham, my mother would visit her every week.” “My mother’s time with the nuns was clearly very inspiring,” adds Juliette. “I think, like all teenagers, she’d had a difficult time and she needed some kind of spiritual fulfilment to focus her. She never made a big deal of religion. Her belief was a quiet thing, but it was important to her all through her life. Cynthia, too, was quite a spiritual person – she married a vicar – and she remained a lifelong friend.” Cynthia “I have very clear memories of Cynthia,” says Suzannah, “because she was my godmother and my mother made a point of keeping in close contact with her. She had no children of her own, although when she married she became a stepmother, so I think my sister and I were special for her. I still have the teddy bear she knitted for my christening. She was a very sympathetic person, incredibly sweet-natured. “When she married we used to go to the West Country to stay with her at the vicarage. I have a clear memory of her taking us up the church tower and letting my sister and me have a go on the bell ropes. We must have worried that every- one would think it was the wrong time, and I remember Cynthia’s lovely, soft voice saying, ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter. No one will mind.’ Sadly, she died of cancer and, again, my mother was with her towards the end.” Chummy Cynthia, on account of her close connection with Worth, is the only midwife who keeps her real name. Suzannah and Juliette never knew “Chummy”, the enormously popular character played by Miranda Hart, but Suzannah recognises the pen portrait from an old photograph of her mother’s colleagues – a picture she no longer has. “She was definitely a real person. Sadly I never met her, but I’ve seen her picture, and there she was, towering head and shoulders above the others. The casting for the drama is perfect. You read about Chummy in the book and you immediately think ‘Miranda’.” Illness While Worth is now firmly associated in the public mind with the hopeful beginnings of life, her subsequent medical career as a Marie Curie nurse caring for cancer patients (before she quit nursing altogether to concentrate on music) made no less impact on her personal philosophy. Her 2010 book, In the Midst of Life, is a reflection on death and the need to respect the wishes of the dying. When she herself was struck by cancer of the oesophagus, she determined to die on her own terms. “When Mother was diagnosed, she quickly decided she didn’t want surgery; she just wanted to let nature take its course,” says Suzannah. “She had no fear of death – she felt it was a natural part of life, as natural as birth, and she simply didn’t want to put herself through the pain. “So her decision was to be cared for at home, by me and my sister and my dad and my two daughters. And because she had no fear herself, it gave us the strength to cope with her decision. “I remember one afternoon I was feeling quite choked up and she said, ‘Darling, I have tried not to give you any cause for grief in my lifetime. I really don’t want you to be grieving for me now.’ She lived and died by her own strong views and, when her end came, it was entirely as she would have wished.” Legacy Worth’s ambition in writing Call the Midwife - one now realised - was “to do for midwifery what James Herriot did for vets”. It is a source of particular pride for Suzannah, who followed her mother into a musical career, that her own daughter, Eleanor, 18, has been inspired to train as a midwife. “It’s very special,” she says, “that Eleanor wants to follow her Grandma’s path.” For Juliette, who works as an adviser to young people who have been in care, her mother’s legacy is the desire to make a difference. “Mother used to tell us about the East End tenements and the docks – she used to say it was incredible, the hardship people had to deal with. I think she felt very privileged to have been a contributing part of that community. She was someone who, whatever the problem, wanted to be involved.” It is a fine legacy, now shared by millions, and Juliette and Suzannah will be raising a glass of champagne to their inspirational mother as the credits roll on Sunday. “I’m so grateful to all the production team for taking Mother’s vision on,” says Juliette. “It is so very positive. It’s what she would have wanted.” This is an edited version of an article from the issue of Radio Times magazine that went on sale 7 February 2012.
Who is Coleen Nolan? Celebrity Big Brother 2017 profile
Everything you need to know about the singer, reality star and Loose Women presenter rumoured to be heading for CBB
Celebrity Big Brother 2017 housemates: Coleen Nolan Age: 51 Famous for: Singing; reality & daytime TV Biography: Having initially found fame in the late '70s as one of the Nolan Sisters, a group who've been in the mood for dancing for more than 30 years, Coleen has latterly become a favourite on reality and daytime TV. She made her first appearance on Loose Women in 2000, joined the This Morning's roster of presenters in 2001 and appeared on the first series of Celebrity Fit Club in 2003. Since then, she's taken part in Dancing on Ice, All-Star Family Fortunes and even been regressed though her past lives on 2006's Have I Been Here Before (it turns out that she was "nervous 16-year-old debutante" in a former incarnation), a TV appearance you can enjoy all over again below. View oEmbed on the source website She appeared on the 10th series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2012 and finished as runner-up behind comedian Julian Clary.
A look back at a 2011 interview with the acclaimed actor, who died this week
Following the tragic death of Philip Seymour, a chance to read an interview with the Oscar-winning actor from October 2011 When he was in high school, Philip Seymour Hoffman suffered an injury that was to change his life. Until that point, sport had been his passion and whenever his mother urged him to try acting, he’d scoffed and returned to American football, baseball or wrestling. “I was like ‘Mom, I love sports, why would I want to do that?’ All the guys I hung out with were jocks. Sport was everything for me. I couldn’t even think about doing anything else.” Then he picked up a neck injury during wrestling practice and the doctors told him that, for the foreseeable future, contact sports were out of the question. “How did I feel? Pretty fed up,” he smiles. “But you have to do something else to fill your time. And it’s funny how things turn out.” It certainly is. He signed up to his school’s acting class and gradually it replaced sport as his favourite pastime. “It was a slow burn but I think the lightning bolt moment came when I saw my first adult play, All My Sons (by Arthur Miller). I came away completely bewitched.” After studying drama at New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, he started out in the theatre and when there wasn’t any acting work, he took odd jobs to pay the rent. Then he auditioned for a film, Scent of a Woman. When he won the part he was stocking shelves in a grocery store. “I’d had spells when I was unemployed and times when I was doing odd jobs, whatever came along, like most actors. And then I got Scent of a Woman and it changed everything and after that it was a different ball game. “I’d never thought about a film career until then. I thought that if I was lucky I’d get work in the theatre. But suddenly I was a viable film actor and it all followed from that.” What followed includes an Oscar, a Bafta and a Golden Globe for Capote in 2006, two further Academy Award nominations (for Doubt and Charlie Wilson’s War) and recognition that he is one of the best American actors of his generation, thanks to films such as Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski and Magnolia. Hoffman, 44, is burly – you can see why he would have been a formidable wrestler in his youth – and has a shock of blond hair that he pushes back, away from his glasses, and a fuzz of blond stubble tinged with red. He’s polite but tired after a round of interviews to publicise his latest movie, The Ides of March (in cinemas from Friday 28 October), a political thriller directed by George Clooney. In it, Hoffman plays a hard-bitten spin doctor doing whatever he can to protect the image of Clooney’s Democratic presidential hopeful. It’s an utterly believable – some might say cynical – exposé of the brutal world of US politics, and Hoffman admits he is disenchanted with the way that contemporary campaigning is obsessed with spin rather than substance. “I’m interested in politics but I’ve certainly no desire to be a politician,” he says. “What’s going on in the States right now is that a minority of people are controlling the argument and that’s really maddening. “It’s hard not to be disenchanted because every day we read about how nothing can get done and there’s a lot of stonewalling going on. I think this story will strike a chord with people because they will recognise that there’s a truth to it.” Politicians are expected to be whiter than white and have every minute detail of their lives scrutinised by the media. A bit like high profile actors, perhaps? “The less you know about me the more interesting it will be to watch me do what I do,” he says. “So I think that’s a big difference between actors and politicians. Politicians can’t go anywhere without the public having access to where they are, and we should know because they work for us. But you don’t need to know those things about me – you don’t need to know what I make or where I am or who I’m with.” What we do know is that he lives in New York with his partner, costume designer Mimi O’Donnell, and their three children: son Cooper, eight, and daughters, Tallulah, four, and three-year-old Willa. The second youngest of four children born in upstate New York, Hoffman hasn’t strayed too far from his roots. “I went to school and college in New York, my family is there, my creative family is there, and it’s home for me. A great day for me is when you don’t have much to do, drop the kids off at school and go and get some coffee with friends.” But days off must be rare. After The Ides of March and Jack Goes Boating (a quirky story of love and friendship that Hoffman directs and stars in, in cinemas on Friday 4 November), we’ll see him in Moneyball (in cinemas Friday 25 November) playing a baseball manager opposite Brad Pitt. “Well, I love baseball so that was a no-brainer.” When he received his Oscar, Hoffman made a heartfelt speech and thanked his mother for encouraging his love of the arts – and sport. It’s the closest you’ll see to a public display of emotion from him: he saves all that for his performances. This interview was frist published in Radio Times magazine in October 2011 Philip Seymour Hoffman dies aged 46 Follow @RadioTimes
Dancing on Ice: things get hairy as Samia Ghadie is knocked out
In "prop week", the Corrie star and her partner Sylvain Longchambon just miss out on a semi-final spot after the judges' skate-off votes go to Luke Campbell
The Samia Ghadie and Sylvain Longchambon love show on ice has come to an end, after the duo lost the skate-off to boxing champ Luke Campbell and partner Jenna Smith. Joking that Samia's “picked up a few things” along the way, giving a nod to the pair's rumoured romance, presenter Phillip Schofield teased the Corrie actress into admitting that they will continue to be “friends” and “stay in touch” now their time on the show has finished. In a desperate bid to ramp up the drama, Phillip fussed over Samia's initial disappearance from the results show, as she was being treated for a groin injury, although we should probably count ourselves lucky there were no crude joke attempts there from ol' cheeky Phillip. After getting through the skate-off with some almost visible teeth-gritting, all four judges, Karen Barber, Ashley Roberts, Robin Cousins and Jason Gardiner, voted to save Luke, although they said Samia could leave with her head held high after two solid performances. Props week proved to be a good challenge for all of the celeb skaters, who cleverly weaved their given items into their performances without any dropping incidents. Keith Chegwin, who was voted out last week, joked on Twitter that he was gutted he wasn't there to show off his moves with his pogo stick (oo-er!), but instead it was left to Beth Tweddle with a hula hoop, Matt Lapinskas with three hats, Luke with a skipping rope, Samia with a hairdresser's chair and Gareth Thomas with a rugby ball, all giving a little nod to their usual day jobs. Skating legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean took to the ice again this week, with their very own prop in the form of Jools Holland and Rumer, who performed from the safety of dry land – Jools in spandex would probably have been a bit much for a Sunday evening. It seems Jayne thinks she's at the Oscars, with a whopping three dress changes throughout the show – each of course more sparkly than the last. The judging panel was all a bit sweetness and light again this week, after last Sunday's show which saw Jason lose his cool with Luke, telling him he had an attitude problem (although this could have had something to do with Luke wearing boxing gloves a mere few meters away from Jason). Jason even gave some 9s, with former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts getting the claws out again to bring some of the overall scores down. Jason also taught us a new word this week – hairography. Flinging your hair around while dancing actually has a purpose and you're really supposed to work at it, who knew? This of course provided Phillip with ample opportunity to poke fun at Jason for having the most expensive head of hair in the whole building. Props week also gave Phillip, and up-and-coming cheeseball Christopher Dean, lots of chances to whip out the clichéd jokes. While Luke was apparently hoping to 'hop, skip and jump' his way into the final, there was no 'sitting around' for Samia and Gareth proved he was 'good with balls'. We bet those guys simply had a riot flexing their creative muscles when coming up with those gems. While they were busy worrying about their next one liner, surprisingly some of the pro-skaters were nervous this week, particularly in Gareth and Robin's case, as Robin had never actually held a rugby ball, let alone flung it around while on ice. Even Jason joked he was more concerned each time Robin had the prop, rather than Gareth – although, as we all know, Gareth sure knows where to put a ball, eh?! Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, Phillip. Perhaps Sylvain's dexterity with a hairdresser's chair in his performance with Samia gives an indication as to why his hair is so long and lustrous this series. He could do some good hairography with that mane (ten points to us for managing to get that into a sentence!) and maybe even line up a role alongside Samia in Corrie's hairdresser's. Oh, just imagine how many times Gail would blink if she was getting her rollers put in by him! Matt continued his climb back up in confidence after his fall a few weeks ago, earning the highest score of the series with all four judges giving him a 9. We just need a few 10s now guys. Samia's departure leaves last-woman-standing Beth Tweddle – along with Matt Lapinskas, Gareth Thomas and Luke Campbell – in the semi-final next weekend.
A killer script, great cast and cinematic production values make this Anglo-American comedy unmissable TV, says Bart Harris
In a world where everyone is harping on about Game of Thrones or Embarrassing Bodies, the TV gems are often overlooked. Episodes, the Anglo-American comedy drama starring Stephen Mangan, Tamsin Grieg and Matt LeBlanc, is one of those gems. Now halfway through its second series, Episodes is the second most undervalued sitcom of the 21st century. The first is Green Wing. From that remarkable show Mangan and Grieg have been plucked for this low-key tragicomic triumph. Joining them, and long since the commercial flop that was Joey (which I have to admit I sort of quite liked), is Matt LeBlanc. The premise is not dissimilar to Ricky Gervais’s Extras. A husband and wife writing team with a hit show in England are invited to rewrite it for an American audience. It then gets systematically ruined by the studio system. What was a warm-hearted public school romp called Lyman’s Boys becomes a hideous high-school ice hockey farce called Pucks! To add insult to injury the studio boss, Merc Lapidus (played by John Pankow who looks and acts uncannily like a cartoon character studio boss), fires Richard Griffiths as the star and replaces him with LeBlanc (playing a hyper-arrogant version of himself). Grieg and Mangan’s Beverly and Sean Lincoln are currently separated due to some terrible misunderstandings involving Matt LeBlanc in the first series. Now in full production, Pucks! faces tough competition from a ‘talking dog show’ on a rival network. And surrounded by off-set romances and stereotypically, hilariously vacuous Americans, Sean and Beverly attempt to stay calm in an ever more baffling Hollywood storm. There are three things I can pinpoint that make this show special: Most important is the script, co-written by Jeffrey Klarik and Friends creator David Crane. Unlike more mainstream dramas and sitcoms, Beverly and Sean react to the ridiculous situations around them like you or I would. They speak how real people speak which makes the writing seem effortless – the highest praise possible. Next is the cast. There is phenomenal talent here. Everyone from the leads to the walk-ons are pitch perfect. The script is ripe for milking but to their credit the actors play it completely dry. Think Leslie Nielsen in Airplane! or Police Squad. That is the way to do comedy. Finally, the photography. It is filmed almost cinematically; every shot tells a story. The first time I realised was in a miniscule focus pull between Sean standing behind Beverly in her office chair when he spoke, to her when she replied. It is this attention to detail that highlights the passion the makers clearly have for the show. There are only four episodes left of this series. Even if you haven’t been following it, I urge you to take a look tonight. I showed one random episode to a Canadian friend recently. She loved it. It opened with Merc defecating in a toilet, angry about ratings, while his PA and lover tried to comfort him. If that’s not funny, I don’t know what is. Episodes is on BBC2 and BBC HD tonight at 10pm You can catch-up with all of series two so far on BBC iPlayer Follow @radiotimes Follow @bartharris
Seb Cardinal and Dustin Demri-Burns, stars of the E4 sketch comedy, joined us for a live web chat to answer your questions...
The first season of E4's hit sketch show Cardinal Burns came to an end this week. But RadioTimes.com's readers were able to catch up with Seb "Cardinal" Cardinal and Dustin "Burns" Demri-Burns, to pick their comedy brains. In case you missed it, re-live the conversation here... James: Those horror sketches last week were brilliant - especially the final Don't Look Behind You sketch. Reminded me of the heady heights of League of Gentlemen and Psychoville. Are you fans of their work? DUSTIN: We're huge fans of theirs. They've always been an inspiration. Funnily enough we received an email from Steve Pemberton saying how much he enjoyed the show, which meant the world to us. Will: Cardinal Burns was brilliant. But if you got a second series, what, if anything, would you do differently? SEB: We loved lots of the running sketches: Office Flirt, Young Dreams, etc. But, if we get a second series, we'd love to do more one-off sketches to add a bit more variety. James: Don't take this the wrong way guys, but you both look a bit older than a lot of new comedy duos making their first show on TV — which I think actually might be a good thing. Your material isn't needlessly shock factor, throwaway, etc. Is this because you guys met later than the average comedy partnerships, or have you just been plugging away for years on the comedy circuit? SEB: We're actually in our early twenties. We've just had very tough lives. Shaun Watson: Hi guys, Cardinal Burns is the best sketch show ever — love it. Would you both consider touring the UK? I live in Newcastle and would definitely pay to see you guys live. And, I know others would too! SEB: Thanks, Shaun. Yes, we're actually talking about doing a tour of the UK at some point next year. However we will be at the Edinburgh Festival this year from 20 to 25 August. TVEye: Hello, Seb and Dustin. Your show is very funny, but the overriding message looks to be that men are self-deluding idiots. Would you agree? DUSTIN: Yep, absolutely! Charlotte S: Who have been your favourite characters to play and why? DUSTIN: My favourite characters would be Charlie the office flirt and also Jonesy the banter boy from Episode 4. They felt like characters I could slip in and out of the most easily. Oh, and of course Yumi. SEB: I love playing Rachel. I suppose I love playing a real 'batch'. Banksy is also a favourite of mine. Rupert: How did you guys get into comedy? SEB: We started off at film school, but our short films were too silly to be taken seriously. So, we started performing comedy, which felt like the right fit. Tracey: Also, do you think you guys will do a UK tour? DUSTIN: We are hoping to sometime in the near future, as we love doing the live shows. We are, however, performing at the Latitude Festival, Udderbelly and then heading up for the last week of the Edinburgh Festival this summer. Daryl: Will we see more Jonesy and Metcalfe capers? A film spin-off perhaps? SEB: If we were to do a spin off it would probably be of Young Dreams. It's a format that allows for lots of comedy moments, and we love using the music to punctuate the drama. But, mostly, we want to dress up as girls. Adam: I loved the series. I was wondering what other TV comedy do you rate highly? I'm particularly interested in what you think of other sketch shows. Which do you admire, and are there any you're particularly influenced by? DUSTIN: At the moment we like a lot of comedies that are coming over from America, Eastbound & Down, Community and Human Giant. In terms of British sketch shows, Big Train and The League of Gents have been massive influences. Graeme: How do you deal with all the critics and daft haters on twitter, etc? DUSTIN: You to have to expect criticism, especially of the constructive kind. People do seem to get incredibly angry over comedy though, and twitter can be cruel at times. When people criticise your teeth, though, you know not to take it too seriously. Jane: I'd like to take a show to Edinburgh, how did you guys go about it? SEB: We started performing short sets on the comedy circuit and invited the programmer from the Pleasance, which is one of the biggest venues, to come and see us. He liked our stuff, booked us into a small venue and gave us loads of advice along the way. Robin: How much did you feel the shadow of previous male double acts hanging over you when you were doing the sketch show? You have your own voice that shines out in sketches like the stunt fly, Banksy and the French potato shop, but you can definitely see influences of Armstrong and Miller and Mitchell and Webb in there. And, the cabbies feel like a lovely homage to both Pete and Dud and Enfield and Whitehouse. Is this unconscious, or did you want to pay tributes to your favourite acts? SEB: We always strived to make something as original as possible. There were a few occasions where we'd abandon an idea because it felt too similar to things we'd seen before. With Phil and Terry we were very aware of the similarities with Pete and Dud. So, if any of them, that was more of a homage. James: There's also an element of the show — I don't know which, maybe Young Dreams — that vaguely reminds me of Chris Lilley's stuff. Are you a fan of his? Angry Boys and Psychoville were the best things on TV last year, I thought! DUSTIN: Yes, we are huge fans of Summer Heights High. The way Chris Lilley plays women is so accurate and natural. Similar to his work, we are more interested in the comedy of the character rather than the fact that we are two men dressing as women. Krystal: Any news on a second series? SEB: No word yet on a second series. Fingers crossed. Splange: Okay, not a question, but I would just like to say thanks. I have laughed so much watching your show. It has been an utter joy to tune in for the last few weeks. The genius and originality of the sketches, the acting — wow, you both got the skills — and Yumi, who breaks my heart with those eyes every week. James: Is there any extra material on the series DVD? SEB: Yes a good few sketches that didn't make it into the series and a drunken DVD commentary with writers Nat Saunders and Chris Hayward, who worked on the show. Kim: So, how tall is Target Blonde? Krystal: How tall are you? DUSTIN: Eight foot in heels. Ben Todd: Hi guys. Loved the show, and it was great to see sketch comedy being done so well. Why do you think sketch comedy often fails on TV? SEB: Thanks, Ben. Having made the series, we realised how hard it is to make a sketch show. It can be very tricky coming up with so many characters and situations that can stand up on their own. Each sketch has to have a start, middle, an end and justify its place in the show. Robin: How do you approach writing, together and individually, and how much of the series came from you and how much from other sketch show writers? Do you feel that if you create a character, you want to play them or do you write for each other? DUSTIN: We reckon 80 per cent or so comes from us. We'd often come up with the characters and situations together, and then we would work with a small team of writers who help us develop the ideas further. Laura: Hi, guys. Just want to say love, love, love the show you've kept me laughing for weeks. Keep it up so I can continue to laugh. Vicki: Is Hollywood beckoning? SEB: We did get an email from the directors of Blades of Glory recently who said they were fans of our sketches. If we ever got the opportunity we'd love to work in Hollywood one day. Caroline: How do your different strengths and weaknesses complement one another when working as a team? SEB: We often overlap with the way we work. We'll improvise around characters and situations and then transcribe and edit. I'm often too critical at too early a stage, and Dustin is usually very positive which is a good balance I think. Hendry: Great series, do you ever watch Burnistoun or Limmy's Show from Scotland? DUSTIN: Yes, really like both of those shows — they have a real voice to them. Love the Adventure Call sketch in Limmy's Show. James: You guys worked with, and near, Steve Coogan. What was that like? Is he like his portrayal in The Trip? Have you been badgering him for roles in the Partridge movie? DUSTIN: We're both huge fans of Steve Coogan. We were lucky enough to play alongside him in Saxondale as a Queen Tribute Band. I was Brian May. Seb, of course, was Freddie. Andy: If you guys could do one of those trendy movie reboots, which film/films would you like to be in and as what characters? For example, think how much better the Lethal Weapon series would be with New Guy replacing Mel Gibson and Charlie in the Danny Glover role. SEB: Haha. I like your Lethal Weapon reboot. How about Yumi and Rachel re-boot Thelma and Louise? James: A lot more comedians are going online to get stuff out quickly, like on Funny or Die, and the last Alan Partridge material showed it can be a different way of playing with formats, eg 10-minute shows. Is that something that interests you guys? DUSTIN: We are hoping, of course, for a second series and we are developing longer form narrative ideas. Online is a great platform. It allows you to be more experimental and less precious with your ideas. Check out Wainy Days on YouTube as great example of a very funny web series. SEB: Thank you all for joining in and of course watching the series! Bye, bye. DUSTIN: Thanks guys! James: Cheers! Tracey: Love you! Can't get enough Cardinal Burns? A DVD of the show's first season is released on 18 June, and they perform on 3 July at the Udderbelly Festival in London.
All the Queen's horses - Clare Balding reveals some common ground with Her Majesty
Her grandfather, father and brother have all trained racehorses for the Queen, gaining a special insight into a Royal obsession
The official celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee will begin on Derby Day at Epsom, so putting the royal seal of approval firmly on the sport of horse racing. What has for so long been called the sport of kings should probably be re-named. The Queen’s love of horses dates back to a Shetland pony called Peggy. A scruffy, shaggy, stocky little mare who was a gift to Princess Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, from their grandfather, King George V. The Queen learnt to ride on Peggy and Her Majesty has the touch of a true horsewoman in everything she does with racing. She recognises her horses by sight, is fascinated by their mental and physical development and always talks in detail to the groom who looks after each one. One tiny example of the attention to detail: the Queen never wears perfume when she visits the yard to see her horses as it can excite testosterone-fuelled young colts. My grandfather, father and brother have all trained racehorses for the Queen, and I have witnessed up close Her Majesty’s deep knowledge of the horses she has bred and raced. I have also seen how relaxed the Queen is around horses and how much she enjoys the company of racing people. She loves the stories and the humour, as well as the concentration on a subject she enjoys. The Queen is a keen follower of the horse whisperer Monty Roberts and adopts many of his techniques on her foals and yearlings – for instance, leading them over a blue plastic sheet so they are not afraid of walking through water. The result is that they are more responsive and better behaved when they arrive at their various racing yards. As for the Derby, the Queen came very close to winning the race in her Coronation year of 1953 with a horse called Aureole. He finished second to Pinza, who gave the champion jockey Gordon Richards his first win in the race at the 28th attempt. The Queen later said, “One shouldn’t really be sad not to win because Sir Gordon, at last, had won the Derby.” It took another 58 years for the Queen to look through her binoculars and see a horse in her colours challenging in the closing stages of the Derby. Last year, Carlton House started as favourite and looked for a stride or two as if he might finally produce a royal victory. He was beaten by only a length into third by the late swoop of Pour Moi and the doggedness of Treasure Beach. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry were among those in the royal box, and the Queen was sanguine in defeat. Carlton House is still in training and may yet appear at Royal Ascot. But the Queen has known plenty of success. She won the 1974 1000 Guineas and French Oaks with Highclere, causing chaos at Chantilly as the French crowd celebrated the British monarch’s success. Another filly, Dunfermline, lit up the Queen’s Silver Jubilee year by winning the Oaks at Epsom and the St Leger at Doncaster, ridden in both by my BBC Derby Day cohort Willie Carson. Dunfermline was, according to former Royal Studs manager Sir Michael Oswald, “probably the best horse the Queen has ever owned”. Added to Pall Mall’s success in the 1958 2000 Guineas and a previous Oaks win in 1957 with Carrozza, the Queen has won all the British Classics apart from the Derby. Carlton House was a gift from Sheikh Mohammed and the horse will one day stand at Sandringham Stud in Norfolk where the Queen will make use of his genes to try to do what she has spent a lifetime working towards: produce the winner of the Blue Riband of the racing world. “I enjoy going racing,” she told Sir Peter O’Sullevan in a BBC documentary in 1974, “but basically I love horses. A thoroughbred epitomises a really good horse to me, and my particular hope for the future, like all breeders of horses, is to breed the winner of the Derby.” That dream is still alive but there will be no royal runner this year. Only three-year-olds can run in the Derby and none of Her Majesty’s current crop are quite good enough. However, she is hugely interested in other people’s horses and will no doubt be cheering if Bonfire wins the Investec Derby. He is trained by my brother, Andrew, and owned by Highclere Thoroughbred Racing – a syndicate managed by Harry Herbert and John Warren. John is the Queen’s bloodstock and racing advisor, and Harry is the son of Lord Carnarvon, who was for many years the Queen’s racing manager and close friend. Bonfire is a “home team” horse. But the Queen could have a personal interest at Epsom on Saturday, as there is a chance that her four-year-old filly Set To Music will run. She has an outside chance in a race run over the Derby course and distance in the Diamond Jubilee Coronation Cup, renamed in her honour. Win and the Queen will be faced with a royal dilemma – how to present the trophy to herself. Clare Balding’s Derby tips 1. Bonfire - I can't pretend I will be altogether controlled if he wins because he's trained by my brother, Andrew. He won the Dante in good style. 2. Camelot - He has been hot favourite since he won the Racing Post Trophy last year. He's since won the 2000 Guineas and looks outstanding. 3. Main Sequence - He won the Lingfield Derby Trial and could run well. Racing from Epsom: Derby Day is on BBC1, Saturday at 12.50pm This article was first published in the Radio Times (2-8 June)
Stuart Baggs, you have been evicted from the Big Brother house
Our "ace" entertainment man checks out Channel 5's 2012 pad - and attempts a task for himself - how do you think that went?
Mahiki, Oxfam, Germany: the list of places I’m banned from is as depressing as it is diverse. Why, you might ask? Well according to my girlfriend, I’m a liability and cannot be taken anywhere without causing large scale offence. Imagine a Frankenstein’s-entertainment-monster of Frankie Boyle’s sense of humour with the tact of the Duke of Edinburgh – hello, my name is Stuart Baggs The Brand™. Unfortunately my unique charms seem to result in a great number of invitations to glitzy press launches and celebrity parties being lost in the post. Imagine then my surprise at being invited to the launch of Big Brother 2012. An epic 3-month BB Bonanza starting on 5 June. Now in the interests of full disclosure, I already have a good relationship with the team up at Big Brother (although it still took RadioTimes.com to get me in the house). I’ve appeared (in various guises) on Bit on the Side over the past few series, made a few VTs and even prompted Ofcom complaints for my cutting sense of humour and opinions on American foreign affairs policy. This however should have served as a warning to the Big Brother team that I simply cannot be trusted to behave myself. Seemingly, they hadn’t got the message. Upon arrival at Elstree Studios (the home to the Big Brother House and also the BBC’s big money all-singing – and some dancing - entertainment format The Voice), I decided to park in Jessie J’s space as an act of revenge for all that whining every weekend. Security clearance issued (there’s a first time for everything), I was allowed into the “house” for a tour of what is essentially the most luxurious prison in the world. And double dip recession or not, this year the producers have gone all out. (I hope you appreciated my business-related reference there. Never forget your roots). Themed like a Las Vegas show bar, the house is complete with 1960’s style wallpaper, backstage area (known to normal folk like us as a bedroom) and from what I could tell… only a single toilet. Is Big Brother planning on new ways of torturing this years housemates? Standing at the back of the toilet queue at 9am sounds as appealing as sharing the last ration pack on a desert island with Vanessa Feltz. Canapés and nibbles completed, I was expecting to leave the Big Brother house riding a wave of Big Brother-induced euphoria, but also with my clothes and dignity (well, what’s left of it) intact. Alas, Big Brother had different plans. Cue then a call to the iconic Diary Room where Big Brother had set me and a fellow media type a task - to locate a small token in a pile of white powder… BB really knows how to throw a party! Succeed and a bottle of champagne was ours for the group to share, fail and I’d prove Lord Sugar (and my editor at RadioTimes.com) right; I am indeed entirely useless. What followed was an un-broadcastable flour fight, during which I lost track of the actual task and any hopes of the chilled fizz on offer. I’d often wondered if Big Brother is capable of expressing any emotions, after all BB always seems so calm and collected with the housemates. After ensuring they’ll be hoovering flour from the diary room for many weeks to come, Big Brother got very annoyed with me and asked me to leave the Diary Room immediately. Worried I might get sent to Room 101, for once I did what I was told. This brings me back to my original point (finally). Banned from nightclubs, fired from The Apprentice and now evicted from the Big Brother house before I even had a chance to be a housemate, perhaps I should stick to my day job. Alas, if only I had one. Until next time, Stuart Baggs 'The Banned'
Colin Murray on his race to meet British Olympic heroes
The Radio 5 Live presenter has embarked on a gold run to meet as many British Olympic medallists as possible
It occurred to me recently that I have almost certainly met more British Olympic gold medallists than the Queen. If that is the case, then I’m truly sorry, ma’am. I could work it out and clear this up definitively, but that would involve spoiling a story that has been two long years in the making. My tale begins at a table, sat opposite my friend and colleague Nick Etherton. The fact that the table was in a bar might have had something to do with our making a pledge to try to track down every single living British Olympic champion. At the time, we could only guess how many there were, where they all lived, who was the oldest, and, more importantly, whether they would talk to us. But why? Well, the word “legacy” is used a lot in connection with the 2012 games – a legacy for the athletes, a legacy for London – but what about a broadcasting legacy? What about something to mark the arrival of the Games on these shores for the first time since 1948? That was the basis of our slurred conversation, and it was then we decided to chronicle Britain’s modern-day Olympic glory. Before long we had a list, and the magic number was 114. I had hoped for fewer. First to confirm was a rosy-cheeked knight of the realm, Sir Matthew Pinsent, who just happened to work in the office next door. That’s about as easy as it got. The hardest to pin down were those still active and chasing more gold in London, given their hectic training schedules. The gap in financial support, remuneration and recognition between our current generation and those from yesteryear is obvious, but what unites almost all is dedication, supreme ability and, I’m delighted to say, a level of humility that I suspect comes after, rather than before, winning an Olympic title. The biggest team we feature is the 1988 hockey side from Seoul, who made sure everyone got a medal by making a wave of substitutions in the closing minutes of the final. They’re closely followed by the rowing eight from Sydney, who made it nine thanks to the cox, Rowley Douglas. Meeting Sir Steve Redgrave, gold medallist with the coxless four in Sydney, only reduced my list by one, not five, more’s the pity. Redgrave is a colossus – but for every Redgrave there is a Ken Matthews, who collapsed at the 1960 Rome Olympics during the 20k walk and was taken to hospital by three Italian nuns. Happily, he won gold four years later in Tokyo. The list embraces the comeback queen of Athens 2004, 800m and 1500m champion Kelly Holmes; swimmer Judy Grinham, who took the 100m backstroke gold at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and went on to appear in a caper movie with Donald Sinden; decathlete Daley Thompson, who took consecutive golds in 1980 and 1984; and Bob Braithwaite, who cared little for winning, receiving merely a pass to his local cinema for his heroic efforts at clay-pigeon shooting in Mexico almost 45 years ago. So... did I manage to meet them all? Well, not yet. Even this article is being written just minutes before RT’s deadline, after I had to rush to Ireland to meet Leslie Law, a three-day-eventer who won in 2004. Law had travelled from his home in the USA to go horse shopping, and a ferry to Dublin was more within budget! I’ve been asked if I’ll do a follow-up, interviewing our new golden generation from this summer. To be honest, I’m already the most boring man at the dinner table, happy to spew on about my new obsession for as long as people manage to stay awake, so I may just leave it to the next unstable broadcaster to round up the new gold medallists – if they have six months of their life to spare. Colin Murray's Gold Run is on Radio 5 Live, Sundays at 11:00am This article was first published in the Radio Times, edition 19-25 May
Radio Times magazine: Nick Hewer and Karren Brady on how to pick an Apprentice winner
Lord Sugar's aides reveal what their boss looks for in a candidate - plus Jenni Murray meets Tim Samuels, Joe Swift's Chelsea Flower Show diary and more...
“Honesty is the key virtue we are all looking for,” says Nick Hewer in this week's Radio Times, explaining what Lord Sugar seeks in potential business partners. “Sugar can accept people make mistakes but he cannot bear when people don’t take responsibility. That is unforgiveable in his book.” As we reach the half-way point of the current series of The Apprentice, Lord Sugar's aides Nick Hewer and Karren Brady reveal the qualities their boss looks for in the show's candidates and give their verdicts on the remaining eight contestants. Also this week: Gardener’s World presenter Joe Swift shares his Chelsea Flower Show diary with us, American actress Chloë Sevigny discusses playing a transgender assassin in Hit & Miss, and Colin Murray meets Britain’s 114 surviving Olympic gold medal winners. Simon Schama, Jeremy Paxman, Imogen Stubbs and Samuel West all insist that the best way to read Shakespeare is to do it out loud, Lucy Worsley explains why she loves proto-feminist Nell Gwyn, and Gok Wan opens up about his new mission to change the nation’s diet. Plus, we’re giving you the chance to win tickets to this year’s RHS Hampton Court flower show, Woman's Hour presenter Jenni Murray meets Men's Hour host Tim Samuels, and newsreader Sophie Raworth reveals her secret party trick… It’s all in this week’s Radio Times, out on Tuesday 15 May, priced £1.40.
Michael Vaughan on life beyond the boundary
Mihir Bose talks to the former England cricket captain about retiring from the game, and his documentary, Sporting Heroes: After the Final Whistle
A few hours after Michael Vaughan had shed tears as he announced he was giving up the England captaincy, he was celebrating at a family barbecue. So which was the real Michael Vaughan? We are in a room at the basement of BBC Television Centre talking about his documentary, Sporting Heroes: After the Final Whistle, for which he has interviewed famous athletes coping with retirement. For Vaughan the tears that fell during his August 2008 press conference did not represent fear of life after his sporting career was over. They were an unplanned reaction to a very different feeling. "As I walked in, I screwed up my script. I thought, 'I'm going to speak from the heart and see what comes out.' I didn't expect to cry, but the tears came. The room was full of guys I'd been talking to for six years as captain. I knew then that, as much as I was trying to put this spin on it that I was going to come back as a batsman, I wouldn't play for England again. That hurt me most because that's what I played cricket for." While Vaughan played another year for Yorkshire before his final retirement in 2009, he never did play again for his country. But however wonderful an experience the captaincy was - "like no other in sport," he says - Vaughan confesses it imposed a heavy burden on him. "You have to put on a show, be this diplomat. When I was driven away from that press conference, the tears dried and I had a family barbecue and celebrated. Much as I was emotional, I realised I could start being me again. I could say pretty much what I wanted. I was very fortunate to be a successful England captain and I had many opportunities. I was one of the lucky ones who'd called time on their career. I wasn't shoved." This wasn't quite the impression Vaughan gave when the BBC's Jonathan Agnew asked him about his poor form just before that press conference. When I remind Vaughan of his testy response to Agnew's question he laughs and says, "That got blown out. It may have come across that I was having a dig at him, but I was just having a bit of fun. My game wasn't in great order and the team needed new direction." Vaughan had carried on playing after a major knee operation in 2006, even though his surgeon had warned him he would struggle. "I had this inner fight to prove him wrong," says Vaughan. "But one thing I never wanted to do was stay on too long. Then you end up getting remembered for your last year. Duncan Fletcher as a coach kept on a little bit too long, unfortunately, and he got remembered for some bad times when he'd done six or seven years of great stuff. But even if you get the timing right, retirement does produce a sense of loss, as Vaughan found when he spoke to his chosen sportsmen and women. "Everyone who is retired goes through a mourning stage. It is like a bereavement. It takes time to understand what you've given up. "The majority of the people I interviewed were successful and retired on their own terms. If you've got the best out of yourself, even if like myself you retired through injury, you go through that mourning, but you don't have the bitterness." You still need to prepare. Even the great Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, says Vaughan, must be thinking, "'What am I going to do?' He probably has £100 million in the bank, but he's still got to fill his days." The trick, Vaughan says, is not to try to replicate the sporting experience. "You're never going to get the buzz of playing. Going out in front of 30,000 people and scoring a hundred, that's never going to be replaced. People who try to get that feeling struggle. Take yourself out of your comfort zone. To become a businessperson, a charity worker, a broadcaster, you're challenging yourself and it should be more rewarding." If the retired athlete can do that, adds Vaughan, "You won't get the buzz of the applause, but you'll get home at night and you've made a programme or done a business deal or helped some charity to build a project. You'll get a nice feel-good factor." For Vaughan, this feel-good factor has come from going into business: "It requires communications and leadership, as in cricket," he says of his new career sifting through spreadsheets on the boards of sports-related companies and a tailoring business. It has also come from his broadcasting work, though he's had moments he'd rather forget. This was painfully illustrated when Vaughan interviewed Tiger Woods at the Augusta Masters and referred to Woods having won three green jackets. "Four," Woods corrected him. Vaughan brushes aside that embarrassment, saying, "I was misinformed. It was blown out of all proportion. I have not found broadcasting difficult. You need to be relaxed and get your subject relaxed." Vaughan is building a reputation as a straight-talking pundit in the Radio 4 Test Match Special commentary box, alongside that other straight-talking son of Yorkshire, Geoffrey Boycott. And he has found more people now recognise him in the street. "When you're England captain you have a cap on or a grille in front of your face. When you're a broadcaster, you become more recognisable. It's actually nicer now. When you have conversations about the game, you can say what you want, which is quite refreshing." Of all those he interviewed for the film he was most intrigued to meet Tony Adams. "I'm a big football fan, a big admirer of the way he led Arsenal and England." But the person Vaughan was most anxious about meeting was John McEnroe: "I love McEnroe and was nervous when he walked into the room. But he was great, and a great example of what you can do in retirement. And he knew a bit about cricket. He had heard about me being captain of England and that I'd cried when I left. That surprised me." Mihir Bose's book The Spirit of the Game: How Sport Made the Modern World is published by Constable & Robinson Sporting Heroes: After the Final Whistle is on tonight at 10.45pm on BBC1 (11.15pm Wales, 11.45pm N Ireland) AFTER THE GLORY TONY ADAMS Former Arsenal and England captain, founder of the Sporting Chance clinic: "Do I miss the game? No, I don't miss it. Maybe because I don't feel unfulfilled. If I thought I was just Tony Adams the footballer, then it's over." JOSH LEWSEY World Cup-winning rugby player, now a City trader: "Sport is the best job in the world… but then again, it is a bit of a false world. If you need that drug, where else do you get it from alcohol, drugs, pulling girls? How do you get that adrenaline fix elsewhere? JAMES CRACKNELL Double Olympic gold medallist, now TV presenter and adventurer: "I learnt a lot of things from Steve Redgrave - one of which was not to say, 'If you ever see me in a boat again, shoot me', straight after you've raced! A sports psychologist told me it takes two years to retire. HEROL "BOMBER" GRAHAM Former British middleweight champion, now boxing coach and author: "I was terrified [of retirement]. There's a numbness: what do I do? What can I do? Who am I? And it was as if I couldn't do anything. I felt isolated. I was on my own… I just wanted to give in. I'd come to the finale. I cut my wrists. I saw the blood spurt out… I was relieved. It was as if I was a kettle, a pressure cooker, and all the steam was flowing out." GEORGE FOREMAN Former world heavyweight champion, now entrepreneur and ordained minister: "You need someone to tell you: enough is enough. Most boxers can't find that person. There's always that one punch you think you can land. I think I'll be sitting there at 70 thinking: 'I got one more fight'."
A colourful new logo for the reality show, which will offer both a 'public' and celebrity edition this summer
The new logo for the upcoming series of Big Brother has been revealed and, as you can see above, it's a rather retro looking multi-coloured affair. A new Channel 5 series is set to kick off in July, followed by a celebrity version directly afterwards, with reports suggesting the BB house will get an upgrade for the arrival of the D-listers. Channel 5 began showing Big Brother in August 2011, a year after Channel 4 ended its decade-long relationship with the format. It has so far screened two series of Celebrity Big Brother, won by Paddy Doherty and Denise Welch, and one series of Big Brother, which saw Aaron Allard-Morgan triumph in November 2011. The broadcaster announced last month that it had extended the original contract with creators Endemol to take the show for another two years, until 2014, with former BB winner Brian Dowling continuing as presenter.
Kylie Minogue to headline 2012 BBC Proms in the Park
The pop superstar will join Alfie Boe, Il Divo and the London Community Gospel Choir for the London event in September
Kylie Minogue will headline the BBC Proms in the Park event in London this autumn, the BBC has announced. The pop superstar will perform in Hyde Park on Saturday 8 September at the top of a bill that includes tenor Alfie Boe, classical quartet Il Divo and The London Community Gospel Choir. Proms in the Park, which features a mixture of popular and classical performances at the end of the Proms season, will be hosted by Sir Terry Wogan and feature music from the BBC Concert Orchestra. Earlier in the evening, Tony Blackburn will introduce a range of performers including Björn Again, Gypsy Queens, the cast of Let It Be and the BBC Big Band. Simultaneous events will take place in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, all of which will culminate in a Royal Albert Hall sing-along as the Last Night of the Proms reaches its climax. Tickets can be obtained from the official BBC Proms website.
Test your movie trivia knowledge with our truly amazing quote quiz and win...the respect of your peers
Great film quotes are golden: they live on in the memory long after you've walked out of the cinema. Or at least, that's the idea. And what better idea for a round in your latest home pub quiz than some classic movie loglines. For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides. Hollywood has some of the best lines in the business, so why not test your quoting prowess with our fabulous film quotes quiz? Read each line, and then check out the answers at the bottom of the page... Good luck! Questions "Round up the usual suspects." "Love means never having to say you're sorry." "One morning, I shot an elephant in my pyjamas. How he got in my pyjamas, I don't know." "A boy's best friend is his mother." "Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." "I'll have what she's having." "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!" "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." "Well, nobody's perfect." "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!" "You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow." "Rosebud." "Say 'hello' to my little friend!" "You can't handle the truth!" "Go ahead, make my day." "Hasta la vista, baby." "You had me at 'hello'." "You talkin' to me?" Answers Casablanca Love Story Animal Cracker Psycho Dead Poet Society When Harry Met Sally Gone With The Wind The Wizard of Oz Wall Street Some Like it Hot The Godfather Part II Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb To Have and Have Not Citizen Kane Scarface A Few Good Men Sudden Impact Terminator 2 Jerry Maguire Taxi Driver How did you score? 15-20: Show me the money! You're a quote quiz master. Your cheque is (sadly) not in the post. 10-14: Really good effort: a little more practice and you, too, could be extraordinary. 5-9: A fair attempt; nobody's perfect, as Osgood would say. 0-4: You can't handle the quiz! Are you sure you weren't watching with the sound down? Now try our 20 question music pub quiz or try our TV pub quiz
The X Factor 2012: auditions open on Facebook
For the first time, hopefuls can upload their audition via the social network
Singers who sound great in their bedrooms don't even need to leave home to apply for this year's X Factor: for the first time, wannabes can audition via Facebook. Hopefuls visiting this page and clicking the Audition tab can upload a video of themselves performing at any time between now and midday on Tuesday 8 May. The chosen few will not, however, have snuck into the boot camp stage without facing Gary Barlow and co: if they succeed they'll be asked to audition in person for the show's producers. The 2012 show's open auditions tour of six major British cities has already been completed, with applicants who passed them progressing, like successful Facebook contestants, to the familiar stage shows in front of the judges, which are still to come. The judging panel is thought to be as it was last year - Gary Barlow, Tulisa Contostavlos, Kelly Rowland and Louis Walsh - although this has not yet been confirmed. Applicants via Facebook must be aged 16 or over and must have the right to live and work in the UK. They are eligible whether they are an amateur artist, have had a management deal in the past or have one now. The innovation follows the use of online auditions by this year's Britain's Got Talent. They were conducted via YouTube and a shortlist of 24 was drawn up, which YouTube users then voted on - although the winning act, harmony singing group the TestostaTones, did not reach the televised stages. View oEmbed on the source website
Ian Hislop on comedy, politics and Have I Got News for You
"Sometimes the ones who are really useless are incredibly funny..."
You’ve been taking the mickey out of our politicians on Have I Got News for You since it began in 1990 – when last year The Guardian decided that you were the most influential voice in British politics, did you worry people were taking you too seriously? Yes, it’s nonsense. Their point, I think, was that undermining politics means you will get worse people involved in it, no one who is any good at it will go into it again, and everyone will think politics is a waste of time, which again is what the politicians have said for almost 300 years. I say what we do is take politics seriously. We are engaging with politics – and if we’re being funny about it, it’s because we want it to be done better. And if we are exposing things about it, it’s because we think it would be better if it was not done like that. I still maintain that is positive. So laughing at our politicians is good for us? Yes, but the fashionability goes in waves. I remember talking to the old lot at Private Eye about how amazing it was to be there during the satire boom in the 60s, and now young people are saying to me, “How amazing, you were on Spitting Image in the 80s. It must have been amazing!” And I thought, “I remember being there, but I’m not quite sure that it was amazing.” And are you friends with Paul Merton? Yes. We don’t spend a lot of time in each other’s kitchen borrowing sugar, you know, we’re not Morecambe and Wise... but yes, we are friends. Do you see him between series? No. But we always go out and have a drink after each show, and have done always. Have any of the guest panellists tagged along who you’d rather hadn’t? Oh, yes. A number have made me think, “Surely you don’t want to have a drink after that?” But some people are very thick-skinned... Who is the most thick-skinned guest? There is no one thicker skinned than Sir Brucie. When he did Play Your Iraqi Cards Right – which is a low-point in taste for British television, where he had various Iraqi generals and mass murderers and he was literally asking the audience whether the booty on their heads should be higher or lower – I thought, “We can’t do anything after this! There’s nowhere for the show to go!” It was incredibly funny. Who is the worst guest? Sometimes the ones who are really useless are incredibly funny. Last year Bob Ainsworth, the former defence secretary, was just so bad it was hysterical. And Bob Crow of the RMT union picked a fight as soon as we started. I think he said I had never been down the Tube and I said, “That’s right, and I eat oysters all day and swill champagne.” That was aggro quite early on. Is there anyone who surprised you with their sense of humour? I wasn’t sure if Alan Johnson, the former Home Secretary, had a sense of humour, but he was very funny about how out of depth he was when he was put in charge of the Treasury brief. He thought, “God, economics, I didn’t think about this...” He surprised me. The Tory minister Alan Duncan is always funny, he surprised me with his indiscretion. Pre-expenses scandal he was happily boasting about his various homes, which he wouldn’t be doing now! And Boris Johnson was a revelation. Is it an act with him? Er, no. People always ask me the same thing about Boris. They say, “Is he an incredibly clever bloke pretending to be an idiot?” My view is no. And who have you most enjoyed taking on? I think it’s the people that mattered the most who are the most fun. John Prescott was great. He wanted to come on and do his pantomime act. I wanted to say, “Well, you sat on cabinet, matey, and voted for all this stuff! Don’t say, ‘I had no idea what was happening.’ Why don’t you explain it?” Is there anyone who won’t talk to you since they appeared on the show? Erm... I’m not sure Prescott would. What about original host Angus Deayton? You fell out with him – does he talk to you? Angus doesn’t, no. I’m afraid not. Some people would say that you are very old-fashioned, that you went from school uniform to wearing a suit and missed out the adolescent bit in the middle. Is that true? I didn’t miss out, I had an adolescence. I remember being identified as a “young fogey” early on in the 1980s and I suppose, yes, there are old-fashioned bits to my character, which I’m not embarrassed about, they’re just things I like. I’m not really embarrassed by them. What do you watch and listen to? Give us a snapshot of your media habits and then we can judge whether you are old-fashioned or not. The thing is, if you have children [he has a son and daughter] you are just not allowed to be that out of touch. I mean, I was watching Raw Meat – er, Fresh Meat – with Jack Whitehall. He is very funny in it but I think, “Is student life really like that now?” I mean, it’s terrifying, isn’t it? It’s one of those comedies that is both sort of deeply worrying and, of course, very funny. I’ve been watching some very odd things. I watched Made in Chelsea, which is terrifically funny and slightly gobsmacking. When I first came to London it was The Sloane Rangers’ Handbook and Peter York. Nothing’s happened! They’re still there! Except they’re on reality telly now! What’s your guilty pleasure? At the moment it definitely is Homeland, which I know lots of people say is terrible hokum but it’s awfully good, and I think Damian Lewis [who appears as a guest host in the new series of HIGNFY] is great. Ever since I sat through the Band of Brothers, I’ve found him irresistible. If you were channel controller for the day… I’d buy the Greek television serialisation of my wife’s book, The Island, which is 26 hours of brilliant TV. I have a cameo role as the father of the heroine, so I’d have thought it’s desirable. Do you speak Greek? I do in that clip. Could it be the start of an acting career? Yeah, I think it’s probably the start of something very big. The Island: don’t miss it. So you wouldn’t use your powers to bring back Spitting Image? The trouble is you can never go back. Everyone always says: oh, let’s resurrect that and things are often... They did actually try a while back but you’d be competing or I’d be competing with something that’s already worked once. I think it’s usually a very bad idea to go and revisit things. I’m trying to think of anything much that I think benefited from coming back again. So on the whole no, it’s happier in the past. There’s loads of people coming up with good stuff now. We should let them get on with it. Do you still have your puppet? I never had it. I once tried to bid for it and it was so expensive – some lunatic in America bought it. So sadly, I haven’t got it. It was terribly flattering. It was thousands and thousands of dollars, I think. They must have been mad. What do you wake up to? I wake up to the Today programme and after I’ve finished shouting at whoever is on for about half an hour, I go to work. Who lulls you to sleep? I find the best thing is Professor Brian Cox. I find him very soothing when he’s talking about the death of the stars and how everything is heading towards a cold, sterile, miserable end, the end of time. That’s very restful. Are you a star-gazer yourself? No, not at all. What’s your radio tuned to? Radio 4. I quite often listen to Radio 3. I listen to Steve Wright in the afternoon on Radio 2 and sometimes not in the afternoon. So no, I do move around. They’re doing the life of Danny Kaye on Radio 2 tonight – unmissable. So yeah, default setting is Radio 4, but I sort of move it around. I like radio. What about music? Pfft! I’m not much good on popular music, this is true. So if someone says Mumford and Sons? Yes, I know who they are. They’re not a removals company... they’re a folky band. What’s one of them called – Jason Mumford? Yes, and I know who Tinchy Stryder is and I know what dubstep is... I’m not ignorant but I haven’t warmly embraced any of those particular genres. What do you curl up with on a wet Sunday afternoon? A book. When I was less employed, I used to be quite a fan of those black-and-white films they always used to show, like A Night to Remember – the really good Titanic film with Kenneth More – or In Which We Serve. Who was your first crush? The blonde dancer in Pan’s People. I believe her name was Babs. We were allowed to watch Top of the Pops in prep school. I think they were trying to encourage us to be heterosexuals. Who makes you turn off the TV? Ricky Gervais. Who would you rather be stranded on a desert island with – Jeremy Clarkson or Piers Morgan? Clarkson, definitely – well, he once hit Piers. What has been the most embarrassing moment in your TV career? There’s a clip they show occasionally on HIGNFY where I was trying to make a point about Sarah Palin, saying she was the first attractive politician there’d been, and I forgot that I was on a panel with three other politicians who were all hugely offended, especially Alan Duncan. So I might try and re-word that one. Who would you choose to play you in a film of your life? It’s got to be Damian Lewis, hasn’t it? Although I’m sure it will end up being Toby Stephens. But one can only hope. Which HIGNFY guest would you like to have round for dinner? Gosh, given my record, anyone who’d accept.
Breakfast of champions: what our sporting heroes eat
As Great British Menu goes Olympic, Duncan Goodhew, Dai Greene, Geraint Thomas and more talk fuel vs fancy food...
Duncan Goodhew - Olympic gold-medallist swimmer What do you have for breakfast? My favourite indulgence is cooked breakfast. It’s the best meal, with a swim behind you and the rest of the day in front of you. I have porridge cooked with skimmed milk and served with crushed walnuts and a dusting of demerara sugar followed by kippers – lightly grilled, served with a mustard butter and lemon. Or else smoked haddock with poached eggs. At one time all I did was swim, eat and sleep. When I was at university in America I’d have the full breakfast — eggs then pancakes. I’d have two long sessions in the pool every day and a session in the gym. I’d be swimming anywhere from 10 to 20 kilometres a day. Then I needed fuel and I ate enormous meals. I’d finish with a late supper - a 22-inch pizza and a beer before bedtime. Has your attitude changed? If you want to get your best performance in anything you have to fuel yourself and you have to exercise. I’m no monk; I love food. But as you get older you have to make adjustments. For me, that means moving away from sugars towards more complex carbohydrates, so fewer desserts and more porridge. What sort of food did you grow up with? My family owned and ran hotels as well as nightclubs and restaurants. It was all silver service when I was growing up in the 1970s. The perfect menu featured prawn cocktail with melba toast, steak and chips and Black Forest gateau. Where would you go for a celebration meal? Koffmann’s at the Berkeley Hotel. My brother trained with Michel Roux at the Waterside and then fronted La Tante Claire for Pierre Koffmann. Pierre has the most exquisite twist on a spaghetti bolognese — instead of spaghetti he cuts squid to look like spaghetti and his bolognese is like no other. He is the master! His signature pig’s trotter is absolutely superb. Another dish is curried mussels with mashed potato and I’ve yet to wheedle out of him the secret ingredient. There’s something in there that gives you little explosions of flavour. I just can’t work out what they are. What have you cut out of your diet? I love cheese, but I limit how much I eat since it’s very high in fat. Yes, I exercise but I would like to live to 100 and still be able to do up my own shoelaces. To have any chance of doing that, I have to make better decisions. One of my favourite dishes is Sussex pond pudding. It’s a whole lemon cooked in a suet pudding so it marmalades and then the pudding is thumped on the top to make a little pond that is filled with cream. You cannot imagine the combination of flavours. Just thinking about it furs up my heart. I haven’t had it for years. What would you choose for your final meal? I’d start with mussels and Beluga caviar. It’s a major extravagance, but if this is my last meal, I’ll allow myself. I’d move on to beef wellington, with the finest, aged beef. I love Sunday lunch but beef wellington takes Sunday lunch on to the next level. All this nostalgia makes me think I’d have a proper sherry trifle for dessert. I’m also very partial to the classic violet and rose creams. Dai Green - world champion at 400m hurdles What do you have for breakfast? I have a healthy breakfast because my big training session is in the morning. So, I’ll have toast with peanut butter or muesli with fruit and a cup of tea. I then head to the track or the gym for a 9:30am start. I do four days of running two days of weights, snacking throughout the session on fruit and carb gels to keep me going. As soon as my session’s over, at about 1:30pm, I’ll have a protein shake, then I’m ready for a big lunch. How many meals do you have on an average day? Breakfast, pasta for lunch, then I’ll have another meal about four hours later, and probably half a meal and a snack in the evening. But that’s in the winter months when I’m doing a higher amount of training and I need a lot of calories to keep going. I run at about 77.5kg, sometimes a little below or above, but not over 78kg. And my skin cell readings — which check how much body fat you are carrying — well, at my best I do 6 per cent and at worst 7 per cent. What’s your favourite food? I love food so it is hard to choose, but I do like a carbonara. I’ll often have it for lunch and dinner. I normally have some in the fridge — I eat so much it’s nice to have it on demand. How do you treat yourself after a race? I might have a dessert with my evening meal. I prefer a chocolate cake. I can’t have too many of them though as I have diabetes. What would you choose for your final meal? My mum’s chilli con carne with rice and chips, which she then puts into a Yorkshire pudding! It’s amazing but Yorkshire pud isn’t the best for you, so I try to stay away from them apart from special occasions. Geraint Thomas - track cycling world champion What do you have for breakfast? Some fruit or yoghurt. If it’s a big day some slow-release energy like porridge or muesli. But generally it’s quite light as you don’t want to feel heavy in the saddle. We normally go out at 9:30am and don’t get back till 3:30pm, when again I’ll have something light - a salad, tuna. Dinner is my biggest meal and I snack quite a bit on the bike. What do you snack on? Energy bars and gels for immediate energy. We also have little sandwiches or cakes in our jerseys that are specially designed to store food. I like a jam, or ham and Philadelphia sandwich and they make us these rice cakes that are a bit like rice pudding but solid. Who prepares these? We have carers who give us a massage at the end of the day and a chef who bakes his own bread in the morning and makes us porridge and omelettes. Do you have an indulgent treat? Tesco’s Finest Cookies — the chocolate chip ones, not the double chocolate chip ones. What’s your perfect riding weight? I rode the Tour de France at 69kg but on the track you can be three kilos heavier as you do a lot of standing and starting. Your perfect last meal? No contest. My mum’s roast lamb with loads of mint sauce. Steve Backley - triple Olympic medallist, javelin How has your diet changed since you retired? Pretty drastically. When I started competing I was 100kg and when I retired I was 102kg. I stopped competing but my body didn’t seem to realise, so my appetite remained the same. I was eating about five times a day — a big bowl of porridge or muesli with a protein drink for breakfast, nuts, shakes and sandwiches during the day, a hefty lunch and a big dinner — more than twice as much as I eat now! How many meals do you have now? Sometimes one, normally two, rarely three, but I do crave food a lot. I’ve tried to cut the carbohydrates out — I have totally bought into the Atkins principle. Back then my diet was very carb heavy because I needed the energy. I reckon I would have been a leaner, better athlete if I had discovered that sooner. How important was diet when you competed? I never bought into nutrition being important in my preparation for competitions. As a student at Loughborough University, I lived in halls of residence in my first year and ate hall food. It was mass produced — lots of fried stuff — and yet I went from being ranked 50th in the world to number one. I never cared about my diet. But looking back, I was always tired as an athlete and that is possibly why. Do you have an indulgent treat? You can’t beat a bar of Dairy Milk. Dan Greaves - Paralympic gold medallist at discus How many meals do you eat on an average day? Three solid meals a day, plus protein shakes and energy drinks. Breakfast is porridge with one per cent fat milk with 50mg of Maximuscle Cyclone, whey protein powder with a coffee and fruit. Lunch is a high-protein spinach salad, mainly chicken or turkey, with sweet potato. On hard training days, I’ll have pasta to give me additional energy. Dinner is a Sunday dinner-ish meal. Plenty of meat and veg. Do you see food as fuel or as an indulgence? Definitely as fuel. I think of my body as a sports car. If it needs high-octane premium fuel, I can’t be eating fast food and takeaways all the time. What food can’t you resist? I’m a massive fan of Mexican food, so I love fajitas and nachos. And my grandparents used to make Stilton on a farm, so I’ve definitely been brought up with a love of strong cheese. What’s your favourite meal? Sunday roast with all the trimmings. My dad was a chef for more than 30 years and it reminds me of his Christmas dinner. Do you weigh yourself? Every day. I monitor my weight and food input and my resting heart rate and blood oxygen level. I need to maintain weight but also my scales work out my body fat percentage. It’s vital for performance. Is there any food that you miss? Chocolate. I’ve given it up for Lent and it’s killing me! The new series of Great British Menu starts on Monday 9 April at 7:30pm on BBC2
Rihanna: "I never do anything to get banned"
The controversial pop star talks about her debut film, Battleship, and her path to stardom in the music business
For all her undoubted singing talent, pop princess Rihanna isn’t always that well prepared. When the 24-year-old singer was invited to make her movie debut onboard Battleship, she went into the meeting “and really didn’t know what film it was”. She smiles. “I just knew that I had a meeting, and this guy just started talking and showing me lots of pictures of aliens. It was not until the end that I realised he was the actual director of the film!” That director was Peter Berg (Hancock) and the fact that he chose Rihanna to play “a real bad-ass” in his $100 million-plus sci-fi action film is no great surprise when you ask what she brings to the movie. “What do I bring to the movie? My bad ass-ness, and my buns. That’s what I bring.” And that is probably enough, considering she has Liam Neeson appearing alongside her. Firearms She also brought her own knowledge of weapons. “I was in the cadets when I was about 11,” she says. “I really didn’t know what it was, but the minute they said we got to shoot, I said, ‘Yeah, I’m in!’ The weapons were nothing like on Battleship, though,” she adds. “There’s a gun I fire in the movie that was so powerful, I would come back with gunpowder everywhere.” As well as requiring the firing of large guns, Battleship – inspired by the board game and in cinemas from Wednesday 11 April – also taught the outwardly tough young woman to look at herself more closely. “I always act so tough,” she says, “and I never want to show people my vulnerable side. But as tough as this chick looks,” she points to a poster with a picture of her character carrying an enormous assault rifle, “I had to let my guard down. “My acting coach would say ‘I can tell that your dad was an alcoholic and I feel like you are so used to hiding yourself, now you have to let it out,’ and that taught me a lot. Every woman is vulnerable and I’m no different.” Family With her sexy stage antics and the questionable image she portrays to her young fans, Rihanna may be a mum’s worst nightmare, yet she says her own mother’s guidance was vital. “My mum’s really good at giving me my wings and letting me fly,” she says. “She can only warn me about certain things, but a kid will never know their heart until they touch it. I learned the hard way that my mum knows best.” She was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in the parish of St Michael, Barbados, though as in many fairy stories Rihanna’s childhood unfolded against an unhappy backdrop, her early years marred by her father’s addiction to crack cocaine. Her parents’ turbulent marriage came to an end when she was 14 years old. Path to stardom While her childhood memories “are not great”, she says that she found a release through singing. “It was extreme how vast my taste was – reggae, grimy dub, and then I would listen to Celine Dion and Mariah Carey. When I developed a passion for music, I knew that that was what I really wanted to do.” After forming a girl group with two classmates, she auditioned at 15 for producer Evan Rogers, who invited her to Connecticut to live with him and his wife while cutting a four-song demo. Rogers’s eye for talent was well rewarded; Rihanna has won six Grammys and has sold over 15 million albums in the UK alone, shifting five million copies of Loud and Talk That Talk in the last 12 months. Controversy It’s been a busy and sometimes controversial year for the young star. Among other things, she’s been criticised for including ex-boyfriend Chris Brown on a remix of her track Birthday Cake. Brown is on probation after pleading guilty to assaulting Rihanna in 2009. And those headlines keep on coming. When the farmer who owned the field in Northern Ireland in which she was shooting a music video objected to her “inappropriate state of undress” (she was wearing a red bikini), he called a halt to proceedings. On 2010’s X-Factor, her raunchy moves drew thousands of complaints, leading to a toned-down performance on the pre-watershed show in 2011. But on closer inspection, viewers realised she was singing We Found Love in shoes with the f-word emblazoned along the side. Her explicit We Found Love video, meanwhile, sparked controversy all over the world, with the French authorities banning it from being aired before 10pm. Does this or the farmer’s reaction make her angry? “No, I respect it, because everybody has their own standards,” she says, “but when I make a music video, it’s a piece of art. It’s four minutes to make a visual, for people to understand the message in the song. I never do anything to get banned, never do it for controversy. It’s always just honest and at times I just go a little too far for some.” This is an edited version of an article from the issue of Radio Times magazine that went on sale 3 April 2012.
BBC to offer 24 live Olympics video streams
Satellite viewers can follow their choice of sport uninterrupted, with extra feeds also available via Freeview and cable
The BBC has agreed deals with Sky and Freesat to provide 24 separate Olympics video streams to the satellite broadcaster, allowing viewers to watch whichever events they choose uninterrupted. "You'll be able to watch sport from every venue from first thing in the morning to last thing at night," said Roger Mosey, BBC director of London 2012. "Hockey fans can watch live uninterrupted hockey, and table tennis fans can stick all day with their sport, too. These are the first truly digital Olympics, where we'll offer more choice than ever before." Some of the extra streams, accessed through the BBC Red Button service, will also be available to cable and Freeview viewers, dependent on the platforms' technical capacity. Cable providers have yet to announce their plans but bandwidth limitations inevitably mean the Freeview service will not be able to offer the whole range. "Not every platform will be able to accommodate such a huge technical offer," said Mosey, "which amounts to 48 channels in total if you count 24 standard definition plus 24 HD. For Freeview users at peak [times] there will be two extra channels available via the Red Button. That will double the choice on offer from BBC1 and BBC3, meaning that from 7pm you'll have at least four television services plus the full 24-stream service via our website." These live streams are in addition to the coverage that all viewers will see across BBC1 and BBC3. Mosey added: "BBC1 and BBC3 will remain the flagship channels for the Olympics. But as the London 2012 Olympic Games will be the first truly 'Digital Games', we wanted to offer an unprecedented amount of live sporting action to the widest possible audience through these live streams." Olympic coverage will also be on BBC Radio 5 Live and all 24 extra streams will be online. Between all of the services, some 2,500 hours of Olympic sport will be televised. The BBC's Phil Fearnley, general manager, News and Knowledge, BBC Future Media, writes about the technical challenges on his blog and adds: "Broadcast television's first big moment was the coronation in 1953, which brought the nation together around the TV screen for the first time. Our aspiration is that 2012 will do for digital and [internet] connected televisions what the coronation did for TV."
Evan Davis: open up Thought for the Day to non-believers
Presenter and atheist Davis argues it's time to stop restricting the slot to people of faith
Today co-host Evan Davis says the programme should open up its regular Thought for the Day feature to speakers who are "spiritually minded secularists" rather than always people of faith. Thought for the Day is the controversial 7:45am spot that many have argued shouldn't have a place at all on the BBC Radio 4 flagship news programme. Davis said: "I think there's a very serious debate about whether the spot - which I would keep - might give space to what one might call 'serious and spiritually minded secularists'." "I don't think Thought for the Day has to be only people of the cloth," he told The Independent. A religious segment has been a consistent part of Today for all of its 55 years on air and, in fact, similar items have run between 7:30 and 8:00am as far back as 1939. Ten years ago a campaign to get the slot changed resulted in the Today programme commissioning Professor Richard Dawkins to provide an alternative and secular Thought for the Day on 14 August 2002, although ultimately it was aired outside the usual slot. BBC Radio 4's audio of that broadcast is not currently available but you can see a transcript and also read Dawkins's later response to listeners. BBC Radio 4 is unlikely to drop Thought for the Day entirely but if you could decide, would you keep it to "people of the cloth" or change it to include secularists?
Sherlock and Twenty Twelve up for South Bank Awards
Melvyn Bragg announces "world class" British nominees for The South Bank Sky Arts Awards in May
The nominations for this year's South Bank Sky Arts Awards include Sherlock in the drama category, plus Twenty Twelve in comedy and Kate Bush for music. There are ten main categories, each with three nominees. In drama, BBC1's Sherlock will compete against This Is England '88 and Top Boy, both from Channel 4. Twenty Twelve from BBC4 is nominated in comedy alongside Channel 4's Fresh Meat and BBC2's Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle. Kate Bush's album, 50 Words for Snow, is in the music category opposite Adele's 21 and PJ Harvey's Let England Shake. "Although this is a celebration of British arts by British artists, we have a world class list of nominees," said Melvyn Bragg. "The South Bank Sky Arts Awards are the only one of their kind in the world, and we very much look forward to a great day where we'll recognise and honour the best talent in this country." Perhaps surprisingly, there's no nomination for Doctor Who or this year's big TV drama hit, Call the Midwife - though the latter's Jessica Raine is a contender in the separate Times Breakthrough Award. This honour will be presented alongside the South Bank Awards by Melvyn Bragg in a ceremony at the Dorchester hotel in London on 1 May. It will be televised on Sky Arts 1. This is the second year of the South Bank Sky Arts Awards: it was previously known as The South Bank Show Awards and was linked to ITV1's arts series of that name. Sky Arts is to revive The South Bank Show with a new series from 27 May. Full list of nominees TV Drama Sherlock, BBC1 This Is England '88, Channel 4 Top Boy, Channel 4 Comedy Fresh Meat, Channel 4 Twenty Twelve, BBC4 Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, BBC2 Pop Music Adele, 21 PJ Harvey, Let England Shake Kate Bush, 50 Words for Snow Film Attack the Block Senna We Need to Talk about Kevin Classical Music Llyr Williams: Beethoven's Piano Sonata Cycle at Edinburgh Festival Harrison Birtwistle with Boston Symphony Orchestra: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra at Boston Symphony Hall Sir Colin Davis and the LSO: Nielsen's Symphony Cycle at the Barbican Dance Zoo Nation, Some Like It Hip Hop, Sadlers Wells Akram Khan, Desh, The Curve Arthur Pita, The Metamorphosis, Linbury Studio Literature Pure, Andrew Miller Charles Dickens: A Life, Claire Tomalin Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?, Jeanette Winterson Opera The Damnation of Faust, ENO Mignon, Buxton Festival Heart of Darkness, Linbury, Royal Opera Theatre Matilda, RSC One Man Two Guvnors, National Theatre Constellations, Royal Court Visual Art Grayson Perry: The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman, British Museum David Chipperfield: The Hepworth Wakefield David Hockney: A Bigger Picture, Royal Academy The Times Breakthrough Award: nominees Comedy: Adam Riches Classical music: David Bates Dance: Yonah Acosta Film: Felicity Jones Literature: Stephen Kelman Opera: Sophie Bevan Pop music: Michael Kiwanuka Theatre: Joseph Drake TV Drama: Jessica Raine Visual Art: Haroon Mirza
Big Brother winner sues ITV over The Only Way Is Essex
Brian Belo says he developed the structured reality show Totally Essex before TOWIE first aired
The 2007 Big Brother winner Brian Belo is suing the makers of The Only Way Is Essex, claiming he previously developed a show called Totally Essex that featured a similar format and included many of the same cast. Belo, along with Massive TV and Sassy Films, filed a High Court claim against ITV and Lime Pictures on 16 March. It alleges both copyright infringement and breach of confidence. While it is not known whether a demo video of his original format is included in the claim, Belo did post a copy to YouTube in December 2010, two months after TOWIE debuted on ITV2. View oEmbed on the source website Lime Pictures and ITV have issued a statement saying: "The Only Way Is Essex is an original concept created and developed by an award-winning team at Lime Pictures. Brian Belo's claim against Lime and ITV is totally without foundation and will be vigorously defended. "The creative team at Lime Pictures is very proud of TOWIE and the notion that it was not entirely their own work is a serious allegation which is completely refuted." Belo, 24, claims to have text messages and emails documenting his approach to Lime Pictures with the idea for Totally Essex. Lime Pictures was founded under the name Mersey Television by Phil Redmond, who formed the company specifically to produce Brookside for Channel 4. It's since become known for Hollyoaks and, most recently, Geordie Shore. TOWIE has been an award winner for the company and ITV2, where it recently completed a fourth series. Several of its cast are now seen in shows such as I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
Sport Relief 2012 raises over £50 million for good causes
Charity telethon beats 2010 on-the-night total by over £20 million
Sport Relief 2012 has so far raised more than £50 million for good causes. Although fund raising will continue over the next few days, the on-the-night total was announced at the end of last night's BBC telethon as standing at £50,447,197 - more than £20 million more than in 2010, when the last event was held. As the total was revealed at 1:30am this morning, show host Fearne Cotton said: "What an amazing, stunning total. We always hope to beat the previous amount, but to do it so spectacularly is just incredible. "Huge thanks to the British public who, once again, have shown enormous generosity to help those in need." The telethon, which commanded BBC1's airwaves for the majority of Friday evening, was the culmination of months of fund raising activities by the general public and celebrities. An average audience of 5.8 million people tuned in to BBC1 between 7pm and 10pm to watch the prime time section of Sport Relief, with viewing figures peaking at 7.6 million. Highlights of Sport Relief 2012 can be viewed on BBC iPlayer. You can still donate to Sport Relief with a credit or debit card by phone via 03457 910910 or online at sportrelief.com.
Chariots of Fire to be remastered and reissued
Oscar-winning film is being restored in time for this summer's Olympic Games
The Oscar-winning 1981 film Chariots of Fire is heading back to the big screen in time for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Twentieth Century Fox and the BFI are currently working together to digitally remaster Hugh Hudson’s highly regarded motion picture. Chariots of Fire tells the tale of two runners, one a devout Christian and the other a Jew, who compete in the 1924 Paris Olympics. Starring Ben Cross, Ian Charleson and Nigel Havers, Chariots of Fire won four Oscars, including best picture. The film will be screened at more than 100 cinemas around the country from Friday 13 July as part of the build-up to the Games. Lord Puttnam, who produced the film, believes that the themes of Chariots of Fire are still relevant. He said in a statement: "Chariots of Fire is about guts, determination and belief. At the heart of the film is the quest for Olympic glory, and I find it hard to imagine anything more likely to resonate throughout the country this summer." The BFI is funnelling £150,000 of its lottery funding into the film’s release to enable it to be screened outside London. View oEmbed on the source website
Sport Relief 2012: tonight’s TV line-up in full
From Strictly Come Dancing’s underwater challenge to an Ab Fab special, our exhaustive guide to the charity extravaganza
It's time to sit back and enjoy some of your favourite celebrities working their socks off for charity... BBC1 3:05pm The Big Sport Relief Warm-Up CBBC offers bite-size reminders of challenges past, including David Walliams’s Big Swim (3:10pm), Helen’s Polar Challenge for Sport Relief (3:45pm) and Million Pound Bike Ride (4:20pm). 5:15 Sport Relief Does Glee Club The three remaining acts vie for the viewers’ vote in the grand final of the competition. 7:00 Sport Relief 2012 Celebrities including John Bishop, James Corden, Gary Lineker and Claudia Winkleman take it in turns to host the evening, which kicks off with Chelsea footballer Frank Lampard and fiancée Christine Bleakley guest-starring in a special episode of Outnumbered. Strictly Come Dancing finalists Harry Judd and Chelsee Healey leave the dancefloor behind for an incredible underwater challenge. 7:30 Boxer Amir Khan and footballer Jermain Defoe boost their knowledge with a little help from Stephen Fry and the Horrible Histories cast, and the Strictly Come Dancing challenge continues. 8:00 Comic Frank Skinner faces his fear and attempts to swim a length of the pool at Langley Swimming Centre, while Miranda Hart ropes in some sports stars for a sketch at the Royal Albert Hall. Plus David Walliams, who undertook an epic swim down the Thames, is in the studio. 9:00 What horrors await Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Ant and Dec as Benidorm meets Britain’s Got Talent? Snow Patrol perform in the studio. 9:30 Members of the England football team don aprons and join chef James Martin in the kitchen. JLS perform the Sport Relief single, Proud. BBC2 10pm The cast of Twenty Twelve welcome some VIPs in the shape of Zara Phillips and Sir Steve Redgrave. There’s a special instalment of QI and Jake Humphrey hosts Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Plus Helen Skelton, who made a record-breaking expedition to the Antarctic, is in the studio. BBC1 10:35pm Fashionistas Kate Moss and Stella McCartney, along with sportsmen Colin Jackson and Linford Christie, join Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley for what promises to be a fun-packed Ab Fab sketch. Plus a chance to see A Question of Sport host Sue Barker as you’ve never seen her before! 11:00 Freddie Flintoff continues his attempt to break multiple world records live in the studio, Emeli Sande performs live, and there are special editions of Celebrity Juice and Eight out of Ten Cats. 12 midnight JLS invite a chorus of rugby internationals to join them for a singsong. Misery Bear and Mo Farah race against each other and there’s a special Mock the Week. All timings from 7:30pm are approximate Make donations to Sport Relief with a credit or debit card by phone via 03457 910910 or online at sportrelief.com
Miranda Hart visits an African slum to raise awareness for Sport Relief
Comedian reports on project to bring clean water to a slum in Uganda
I know Comic Relief, the people behind Sport Relief, of old. It took me many years to get a break into the world of comedy, and I would combine my efforts to do so with working as a PA in the charity sector. The last charity I worked for was Comic Relief. During my time there, my eyes were opened to the scale of poverty and social injustice in the UK and Africa and I saw how vital the charity was. It really changed people’s lives. But I never thought I would one day be standing outside a Ugandan slum making a film about the people they help. Ten years on I was on a flight from London to the Ugandan capital, Kampala, to do just that. Eight hours later we landed and there I was, not knowing what I was about to see, or who I was about to meet. I was more than apprehensive. Life in an open sewer I was led through an area of Kampala that had clearly been seriously and repeatedly flooded. Once pretty little houses were now derelict and abandoned, and all to some extent inundated with filthy-looking water. I was in the Bwaise slum in Kampala, where three times a year the lack of drainage, coupled with the development of surrounding areas, means that the people who live there find their homes overtaken by water, which brings with it disease and death. Open sewers cascade through this once prosperous and desirable area and the whole place has the feel of a forgotten ghost town. I had read people lived like this, but seeing it first hand is terribly upsetting. A genuine shock. The phrase “open sewers” says it all and the stench was hard to bear. I was shown into a sodden courtyard and introduced to Aisha, 28, mother to 12-year-old Derek and eight-year-old Marjorie – but her smile belies the fact that she once had a third child, Christine. Losing a child to the water Just over two years ago, as Aisha again attempted to bail out the disease-ridden liquid from her home, her six-month-old Christine rolled off the bed in their flooded shack and momentarily found herself in the water below. Despite Aisha scooping her up in a split second, the little girl must have taken a mouthful. Soon the baby became sick and diarrhoea set in – it was Aisha’s worst nightmare and what she lived in fear of day in and day out. She rushed Christine to the hospital but despite their efforts she died just two days later. The toxic filth that these people were forced to share their homes with had claimed another life. It was an unbearable story to hear. And Aisha’s sense of guilt dominates her every moment. The word “tragic” is perhaps overused these days but Aisha’s pain is as raw now as it was the day her daughter died, but as a single mother to two children after her husband was killed in a robbery, life must go on. As she prepared a basic meal of rice and beans for Derek and Marjorie, she told me of the worry she lives with that she will lose them too, that every time the water comes, a sense of panic rises within her that it will strike again and take another of her children. I could see the fear in her eyes. Aisha is trapped in a nightmare, reminded of the worst moment any mother could imagine every time she sees the dark menacing water seeping into her dark one-room home. But change is coming – thanks to the charity Water Aid and funded by Sport Relief. Dreaming of escape As well as building much-needed toilet blocks and standpipes to help eradicate the spread of deadly but utterly preventable diseases like cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea, Water Aidis aiming to introduce drainage systems that can help restore areas like Bwaise back to their former glory and put an end to the needless deaths of children like Christine. A clean water standpipe has already been introduced to an area nearby and, with Derek and Marjorie, I went to fill jerry cans for the family to wash in and cook with. Although it’s a good half-hour walk there and back lugging a heavy weight on the return, there were no complaints from my young companions. They remember vividly the day their sister died and know just how vital this daily journey is. Their hope in these circumstances is extraordinary. Derek told me he wants to be an engineer, Marjorie a nurse. Despite such a harrowing existence they are still dreaming. In many ways, it makes it all the more heartbreaking. Every penny is vital So much that we take for granted back home is far from a certainty in a place like this – but perhaps nothing encapsulates that more than water. To be able to turn on a tap and trust what comes out of it is only the beginning. Imagine living in a place that isn’t just flooded constantly, but flooded with water so dangerous that just one mouthful can be fatal. Even though I thought I knew what this trip would be like, even though I’ve seen the films from places like this over the years, even though I’ve even worked for the charity myself – the sense of anger and injustice I felt as I said goodbye to this family overwhelmed me and made me even more convinced that every penny that Sport Relief can raise is vital. If you could see it with your own eyes and sit face to face with a woman like Aisha too, you’d feel exactly the same. I know you would. However difficult the trip, I’m so glad I had the opportunity to meet Aisha and her family. Their hope and faith, despite their situation, were incredibly humbling and they taught me to learn the art of being grateful, to see the joy that surrounds even the most horrific of circumstances. And they’re right to have hope. Because, through Sport Relief, we can help. This is an edited version of an article from the issue of Radio Times magazine that went on sale 13 March 2012. Sport Relief airs tonight from 7pm on BBC1/BBC1 HD
Frank Skinner faces his greatest fear for Sport Relief
Comedian terrified of the water aims to swim a length for charity
I had swimming lessons when I was at school. Well, I say “lessons”. What actually happened was I stood with five other kids in the shallow end and we messed about with battered polystyrene floats. Meanwhile, the rest of the class swam confidently up and down, smiling and having fun. Sometimes they’d be awarded various coloured stripes which their mums stitched to their trunks. They’d get a white one for swimming a length or a red for picking up a rubber brick from the bottom of the pool whilst wearing pyjamas. My trunks remained unadorned. We non-swimmers were left alone as long as we agreed to not shout or drown. Even my shallow-end dabblings frightened me. Note from mum When I walked through the main doors at Langley Baths, the smell of chlorine and that echoey sound in the distance made my heart pound. How did the other kids do it? Why wasn’t the floor of the pool littered with their waterlogged corpses? I brought a note from my mum whenever possible, saying I had a cold or earache. Then I’d just sit on the poolside wooden benches and marvel at the swimmers’ courage and expertise. After I left school, I would still shudder whenever I passed Langley Baths. It was a monument to my inadequacy and cowardice. However, I discovered, to my relief, that it’s much easier to avoid swimming as an adult. I didn’t even need a note from my mum. On holidays I’d stay on the beach, watching my friends’ belongings, while they rode the waves. I’d given up on the idea of ever swimming but it remained my great taboo, the fear I’d never had the courage to face. Facing my fear Then, as I reached my 40s, I decided to have another go. By this time, I was doing pretty well as a comedian so I could afford one-to-one sessions. I thought that amount of personal attention might just get me through my barriers. I found a really good teacher and began to make some progress. I was floating and kicking and almost having fun. But, every now and then, I’d take in a bit of water and panic and the memory of it would keep me awake at night. I started cancelling lessons, having breaks and eventually I took the coward’s way out again. Towards the end of last year, I was speaking to a friend who works for Sport Relief about their celebrity challenges, like Eddie Izzard’s endless round of marathons and David Walliams’s epic swims. “They’re truly amazing,” I said, “but no one’s likely to emulate them. You should get someone to take on their own personal little mountain, the sort of mountain lots of people might climb if they could be inspired to do so.” Personal challenge As soon as I said it, my own personal mountain loomed into view. I knew what I’d let myself in for. I’d have to have one last crack at my greatest fear. I had my first lesson on 1 February 2012. By Sport Relief Day, 23 March, I have to be able to swim a length. In that first lesson, with my teacher, David, and my mentor, former British superstar swimmer, Karen Pickering, I was splashing around on three floats in a pool that was 1.2 metres deep all over. As I’ve slowly progressed we’ve moved to a pool that is one metre deep at one end and a harrowing three metres at the other. I haven’t visited the scary end yet. I’ll have to face a deep end on 23 March but I’m trying not to think about it. At this stage, it’s all about baby steps, little victories and little defeats. I rarely use the floats now but the panic attacks still come upon me, often when I least expect it. I’ve only really thought about quitting once. Well, maybe twice. I swim from 10.00 till 11.30 every weekday morning. I have a lane reserved for my lesson and swimmers go by in the adjoining lanes. Sometimes I’ll stop and watch them. Swimmers still seem heroic figures to me. Support Since news of my challenge got out, lots of people have stopped me in the street, grabbed my arm and whispered things like “I understand. I’m frightened of water too. Good luck.” Then they hurry off. There is a whole secret society of non-swimmers out there. As many as one in five British adults can’t swim. They tend not to talk about it. They’ve given up just like I did. As I write, being able to swim a length still seems a very long way away but that’s my challenge. And I’ll be facing that challenge at the now rather swish Langley Swimming Centre – formerly Langley Baths! If I do manage it, they’d better give me that white stripe! This is an edited version of an article from the issue of Radio Times magazine that went on sale 13 March 2012. See Frank Skinner’s challenge on Sport Relief, tonight from 7pm on BBC1/BBC1 HD