NOW, where was I…
Some of you may have been wondering where I’ve been since last week.
Much of the time has been spent at The National Archives in Kew working on a special news project for the MEN.
There was quite a lot of preparation to do ahead of the release of Myra Hindley’s secret prison files a week ago today.
Some 600 previously confidential records relating to the Moors Murderer were “opened” for the first time at the Archives.
I’d already made two visits to the complex by the Thames in Surrey, obtaining a Reader’s Ticket and learning how the place worked.
Once the files were released, the pace was relentless – hence a blank blog.
Author: ianwylie
IT’S almost 21 years ago now.
But I can still remember interviewing an excited teenager called Yvette Fielding when she landed a job as a Blue Peter presenter.
Today she and husband Karl Beattie launch The Paranormal Channel, having invested £1.1m of their own cash in the venture.
I spoke to Yvette about the new channel last week.
You can read more here.
The Most Haunted presenter also told me about the edition of Ghost Hunting With she filmed with Paul O’Grady in Sicily.
Due to be screened as an ITV2 Christmas special in December, they investigated the Capuchin Catacombs under Palermo.
It is home to the mummified remains of some 8,000 people.
“Paul and myself went down to the catacombs,” explained Yvette.
REGULAR readers will know how impressed I was by the acting of Vicky Binns in scenes immediately following the death of Vera Duckworth.
I recently got the chance to chat to Vicky – Coronation Street’s Molly Compton – about those emotional scenes, screened in January.
“I just wanted it to be genuine, to be exactly how it is when someone dies,” she told me.
“Usually women are easier with their emotions, aren’t they?
“It’s certainly easier to cry. I think Molly took all that on straight away, whereas men react differently.
“It’s just the way that I’d read it. And the scripts were brilliant because there were very little words for all of us.
“So it gave us lots of time and lots of nice pauses and spaces to be upset.”
Vicky spoke about working with Corrie legend Liz Dawn.
JODIE Prenger was still in shock when she rang me yesterday afternoon just hours after her I’d Do Anything final win.
“It really hasn’t sunk in yet,” she said.
“I just woke up and I’ve been bawling on the phone to my mum and my dad this morning. You just can’t take it all in.”
There’s a news story on Jodie in today’s MEN – but I thought fans might like to read a fuller version of our chat.
Over seven million viewers saw her triumph in the public vote ahead of runner-up Jessie Buckley, 18, from Ireland.
Earlier Samantha Barks, 17, from the Isle of Man had finished in third place.
After congratulating The People’s Nancy, I asked Jodie what time she had got to bed after Saturday’s live final
“They put a big party on for everyone afterwards and then me and Jess came back to the Nancy house and we actually watched the show again,” she explained.
IT’S the end of months of hard work with plenty of tears along the way.
But for one winner, tomorrow night will be just the start of another amazing journey.
Jodie Prenger is still the bookmakers’ favourite to win the role of Nancy in the final of I’d Do Anything.
Not that she wanted to know anything about the betting when I spoke to her this week.
Jodie, 28, and fellow finalists Jessie Buckley and Samantha Barks, both 17, had just returned from a day trip to Paris (pictured).
You can see the film report as part of tomorrow’s two BBC1 shows at 6pm and 8.45pm.
Jodie told me she was still coming to terms with being in the final three.
FORMER deputy prime minister John Prescott wasn’t best pleased by the TV drama about his affair.
I spent an hour talking to John this week in his office at the House of Commons.
In a wide-ranging interview, I asked him about that affair with his diary secretary Tracey Temple.
There’s a full feature on Pg 9 of today’s MEN – the online version is here.
John’s autobiography – Prezza. My Story: Pulling No Punches – is published today, ahead of a visit to Manchester next Monday.
It includes a chapter on the aftermath of his affair, and his reaction to last year’s ITV1 comedy drama Confessions Of A Diary Secretary.
Manchester-born Early Doors star John Henshaw played Prescott and former Shameless actress Maxine Peake took on the role of Tracey.
SHAMELESS stars were out in force at the weekend.
Boxer Ricky Hatton is a big fan of the show – and the cast are big fans of Ricky.
Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed that Ricky’s picture takes pride of place in the Maguire’s living room (see below).
So several Maguires – and at least one Gallagher – were at “The Homecoming” fight at the City of Manchester Stadium on Saturday night.
They included actress Tina Malone, who plays Mimi Maguire.
She was joined by Ciaran Griffiths (Mickey Maguire), Nicky Evans (Shane Maguire), Rebecca Atkinson (Karen Maguire) and Gerard Kearns (Ian Gallagher).
IT’S always dangerous to forecast the result of TV talent searches.
But Jodie Prenger is the current joint favourite to claim the role of Nancy in next Saturday’s I’d Do Anything final.
The winner of the BBC1 series will be decided in a straight public phone vote.
And all the signs are that Jodie, 28, can expect strong support from viewers.
At the time of writing, the bookmakers have her in pole position, alongside Jessie Buckley, 17.
Third finalist Samantha Barks, also 17, is now the outsider.
Rachel Tucker, 26, can count herself unlucky to have been eliminated in this week’s results show – recorded on Saturday night and screened this evening.
Andrew Lloyd Webber said the sing-off between Rachel and Samantha left him with “an impossible choice”.
But despite Rachel’s strong performance this week, he was always going to save Samantha.
ANTHONY Head was a good sport on last week’s Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.
I also chatted to him recently about a wide range of topics – including Merlin.
Jonathan pretended not to know anything about his character in the 13-part BBC1 drama.
Due on screen this autumn in the Doctor Who and Robin Hood Saturday night slot, Anthony plays Uther Pendragon.
Uther is the King of Britain and father of King Arthur.
“It looks good on paper and the locations are stunning. I think it’ll be fun,” Anthony told me.
Filmed in Wales, England and France, Merlin is also due to be screened by NBC in America.
As for the latest of the long-mooted Buffy spin-off…
THERE are many things that keep me awake at night.
The heat, the cold, taxis dropping people off at 4am after a night out, taxis picking people up at 4.05am for the airport.
Last night – or was that this morning? – it was this trailer (below) for the American version of Life On Mars.
(Click on pause if you want to read this first)
Hour after hour I awoke with a start, wondering what I could say about it.
It seems a long time ago that I was on the set of Life On Mars in Manchester being told about a possible US version.
The talk then was of Ally McBeal creator David E Kelley coming to visit The Railway Arms as part of his preparation.
I’m not sure he ever made it.
But he did go on to create and produce the American pilot.
Life of Wylie 