THERE should be red faces at the BBC today after a blunder on last night’s Have I Got News For You.
I almost dropped my tea when the comedy quiz turned its attention to last Sunday’s Michael Ball Show on Radio Two.
And in particular an email question sent in for his guest, Ashes To Ashes star Philip Glenister, about his new ITV1 drama Demons.
Michael said: “Someone has written in. This is from Helvetica Bold. What a great name.”
Phil joked: “I think she’s in Demons, isn’t she? Sounds like it.”
But the clue was in Helvetica’s question:
“Phil, there’s a bunch of us sitting in The Railway Arms, waving at our radios to say hi.”
Mr G then realised the context.
Author: ianwylie
ALBERT Nugent lies buried in a foreign field.
He was just 23 when he died – the same age as new Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Matthew Kelly tells the story of his great uncle Albert in My Family At War on BBC1 at 10.35pm tonight.
The First World War was supposed to be the war to end all wars.
You can read about Matthew’s emotional journey in the MEN TV feature here.
“He was 23. That’s terrible,” reflects the Manchester-born actor.
WELL, it’s been a while.
Filming for the second series of Ashes To Ashes is approaching the half way mark.
I’ll be on set to talk to the cast later this month.
And, hopefully, also talking to Philip Glenister at the launch of his ITV1 drama Demons the following week.
Phil gave an update on the new series of Ashes when he was interviewed on BBC Radio Five Live this afternoon.
As we know. It’s set a year on in 1982 – the year of the Falklands War.
He told the always excellent Simon Mayo that he hoped it would be screened on BBC1 from next March.
Update: My hunch had been that this may be the last series of Ashes To Ashes.
And that Phil was possibly getting ready to say farewell to Gene Hunt.
IS there a stronger female character on British TV today than Ros Myers?
Or a better boss than Harry Pearce?
Spooks continues to thrill and surprise in episodes to be screened tomorrow and the week after.
Highlights include:
A jaw-dropping moment for Harry (Peter Firth).
Ros (Hermione Norris) goes above and beyond the call of duty.
The look on Jo’s (Miranda Raison) face as she deals with an escalating crisis.
Connie’s (Gemma Jones) tacky souvenir.
The Spooks Microwave Cook Book.
AN astonishingly frank interview on BBC Radio Five Live today shedding new light on the Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross saga.
Radio Two presenter Paul Gambacinni revealed the inside story behind the resignation of network controller Lesley Douglas.
He told how Brand had sacked several producers and was a time bomb waiting to go off.
The veteran broadcaster also predicted that the official inquiry would find “about a dozen items that will make their hair curl on end”.
Like many people, I’m greatly saddened that Manchester University graduate Lesley felt she had to resign from the job she loved.
It appears she wasn’t directly involved but did the honourable thing to protect members of her Radio Two team.
A slightly strange evening at this year’s National Television Awards.
I arrived at the Royal Albert Hall in London last night just as news broke of Russell Brand’s resignation from his BBC show.
Swiftly followed by the announcement that David Tennant was quitting his role as Doctor Who after four specials next year.
That came at 7.27pm – half an hour before the awards began.
But details of his decision to leave, and an interview with David, were embargoed until after he spoke at the awards.
So most of the audience were hearing the news for the first time when he announced it via a live video link during the ceremony.
Normally the awards are screened “as live” on ITV1, with a time lag of around half an hour to actual events at the Albert Hall.
STRICTLY Come Dancing star Andrew Castle has denied reports that he may have to quit the BBC1 show.
It was claimed he was “petrified” that a knee injury suffered during rehearsals would spell the end of his dancefloor partnership with Ola Jordan.
But Andrew, 44, told GMTV viewers this morning: “What’s all this about me pulling out?
“I’m not pulling out of Strictly Come Dancing.
“I was sliding in on my knees on Monday during practice and my knee went click.
“So the BBC said, ‘You’ve got to go and get that scanned,’ because the physio said there was a possible injury there.
“And I’m getting the results of that scan a little bit later on.
“But, look, the worst thing that’s going to happen is I’m not going to do my patented knee slide into the beginning of my Samba.
SPOOKS star Miranda Raison had to keep plenty of secrets about the new series which began on BBC1 last night.
Not least the fact that her character Jo Portman survived last year’s cliffhanger.
She told me: “Quite a few people have been asking, ‘Are you alive?’
“And, obviously, I’m back…”
There’s an interview with Miranda in today’s MEN – the online version is here.
I’m off to the National TV Awards at the Albert Hall in London tomorrow night.
Shamefully, Spooks doesn’t have a single nomination.
But can I suggest that someone, somewhere, gives Peter Firth a huge award at some point in the future?
After seven series, he’s still simply brilliant as Harry Pearce.
THE pouring rain seemed to mirror Scott Bruton’s screen tears when I met him earlier today in central London.
Happily – less than 12 hours after his X Factor elimination – young Scott had a smile on his face.
He chatted at a relaxed mid-morning press conference – and also thanked MEN readers for their support.
You can read the news story here.
And check out the audio files at the bottom of this blog.
I know fans of Manchester-raised Scott will want to know more.
So here are some edited extracts of what he said today:
First question…how was he feeling?
“I’m feeling good. Obviously I was a bit devastated yesterday. But after it’s sunk in, you’ve just got to realise that things like this happen and I’m hoping to work off the back of The X Factor now.
“I’m really feeling good about my future. It’s the start of the rest of my life. Congratulations to Danny, he pulled out an amazing performance.”
VERY sad news to report in today’s MEN.
Actor John Axon has died from a suspected heart attack.
Known to millions as hospital administrator Mr Harper in ITV1’s The Royal, he collapsed near his Stockport home earlier this week.
John, 48, had begun rehearsals for a guest role in Shameless when he died and had appeared in many TV series from Phonenix Nights to Life On Mars.
His agent Tim Scott told me that his death had come as a huge shock to everyone who knew John and worked with him.
“Aside from being really talented, he was a really funny, jovial man who always had a smile on his face.
“No-one ever had a bad word to say about him.”
Life of Wylie 