It has been an extremely busy couple of weeks at A1 VOX with more showbiz than you can shake a sequined stick at!
Gyles Brandreth has been in for an amazing three weeks on the trot - so we must be doing something right. Aled Jones came in for an early morning fixture and I can vouch for the lad when I say he ain't all treble and no substance.
We have also had the legend that is Russ ‘I love a Party’ Abbott in, which caused Chris to be ever so star struck.
My dad was extremely jealous to hear that we had actual royalty in the form of Rula Lenska at the studio, and for those who like a bit of the old two step, Arlene Philips of Strictly fame dropped by, and Carrie Grant of Fame Academy launched her way up the stairs with her flame red hair.
There is almost too much to cover in this weeks blog as we also had the charming Mr Anthony Head of Buffy fame in, as well as the amazing Mr Nigel Short who became a Grandmaster (chess player) at age 19.
Life, as they say, is never dull at VOX Towers!!!!!
On first visit to us he managed to cram in a total of ‘four’ clients. He sure don’t hang about!
Gyles is a writer, broadcaster, former MP and Government Whip - and one of Britain's most sought-after award ceremony hosts and after-dinner speakers. Currently a reporter on The One Show and a regular on Radio 4's Just a Minute, his acclaimed Victorian detective stories - The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries - are now being published in twenty-one countries around the world.
Gyles Brandreth’s forebears include George R Sims (the highest-paid journalist of his day, who wrote the ballad Christmas Day in the Workhouse) and Jeremiah Brandreth (the last man in England to be beheaded for treason - YIKES!). His great-great-grandfather, Benjamin Brandreth, promoted ‘Brandreth’s Pills’ (a medicine that cured everything!) and was a pioneer of modern advertising and a New York state senator.
Today, Gyles Brandreth has family living in New York, Maryland, South Carolina and California. He has been London correspondent for Up to the Minute on CBS News and his books published in the United States include the New York Times best-seller, The Joy of Lex as well as Philip & Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage and the aforementioned Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries.
He has appeared on countless TV programmes including Countdown and TV-am and was renowned for his seemingly endless collection of jumpers. Many of the more outrageous examples were sold in a charity auction in 1993 and he has since displayed somewhat more restraint in his dress sense. Such a shame as I was looking forward to a lewd yellow knit with royal navy piping!
When asked why he loves, in some people's opinion, particularly awful people such as Fanny Cradock, Jeffrey Archer and Prince Philip, he replies: “They’re larger than life.” He met Philip through the National Playing Fields Association and often goes to Buckingham Palace. In fact, he went fairly recently and flips open his diary to prove it: “Buckingham Palace,” he reads. “All friendly in the state dining room but a little strange ... the food was excellent, the fresh pineapple best, the camp footmen so playful as ever.” Certainly no wall flower, this silver tongued celeb certainly mixes in the right circles - What!
Aled Jones became famous for the cover version of "Walking in the Air", the song from Channel 4's 1982 animated film The Snowman. The record reached No. 5 in the UK charts in 1985, however, the version used in the film was not performed by Jones, but by Peter Auty, a St. Paul's Cathedral choirboy! Hmmmmm - quite a well kept secret that.
In June 1985, Jones was also the subject of the Emmy award winning BBC Omnibus documentary "The Treble".
His recording career was temporarily halted when his voice broke at sixteen. By this time he had recorded sixteen albums, sold more than six million albums, and sung for Pope John Paul II, the Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales in a private recital, as well as presenting numerous children's television programmes. He sang at the wedding of music celebrities Bob Geldof and Paula Yates in 1986, the same year that his first biography was published, "Walking on Air".
Jones's appearance as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 brought him to the attention of a wider audience, leading to further tours and albums. It also led to increasing demands on him as a broadcaster.
On 11 October 2010 it was announced that Jones would be taking over as stand-in presenter of the early morning breakfast slot on Radio 2 following the departure of Sarah Kennedy, a role which he occasionally covered in the years leading up to Kennedy's departure. It is not known yet if Jones will be permanently assuming the role but if you tuned in to our very own Mr Nove last week then you would have heard him have a little banter with the Welsh lad. Charles tells me that Aled is a very funny chap and having landed a prestigious spot at Radio 2 it seems the voice from Bangor is definitely still walking on air!.
Rula Lenska was born in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, the eldest daughter of Major Count Ludwik Maria Lubienski and Countess Elzbieta Tyszkiewicz. Rula's parents came to the UK from Poland as refugees in 1946. Although Rula was christened Roza-Marie Leopoldyna Lubienska, she has always been known as Rula - rolls off the tongue a lot easier I find.
Rula studied at Ursuline College in Westgate-on-Sea before training at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts and by the time she had started her acting career, she had renounced her title as a Polish countess, saying "In England it doesn't count - if you'll excuse the pun."
Rula has been married twice, to actors Brian Deacon (1977-1987) and Dennis Waterman (1987-1998).
Her big break was as Little Ladies' band member, "Q," in the British TV series Rock Follies (1976) and its sequel Rock Follies of '77 the following year.
Rock Follies was not widely seen in North America, but in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Lenska became famous in the United States and Canada for her Alberto V05 hair products commercials. The commercial began with a closeup of her stating, "I'm Rula Lenska." People assumed this was a product endorsement by a celebrity whose name the advertisers expected them to know.
In a Tonight Show monologue that aired after the commercials started running, Johnny Carson asked "Who the hell is Rula Lenska?" and began using Lenska's name as a running joke on his show. Around the same time, Jane Curtin played Lenska in a sketch on Saturday Night Live. Soon (at least to US audiences) Lenska became famous for merely pretending to be famous. Most people in the U.S. were unaware that she had an acting career in the United Kingdom, and believed she was a model.
She has appeared in television series such as Special Branch, Minder, Boon, The Detectives, Footballers' Wives, To the Manor Born, One Foot in the Grave, Casualty, Space: 1999,Return of the Saint, Robin of Sherwood, Doctors and EastEnders, in which she played Frank Butcher's girlfriend, Krystal, in a Costa del Sol special (2002)
As of 2009, Lenska starred in Coronation Street as new character Claudia Colby, an old friend of Audrey Roberts.
However, Rula is probably now best remembered for her stint in Celebrity Big Brother. On 13th January 2006, with fellow housemate, renegade British MP George Galloway, she attracted the attention of the media by indulging in a role-play task, in which Galloway, as a cat, pretended to lick milk from her cupped hands, and Lenska stroked his ears and moustache. No other word for it but Odd!
This incident has actually benefited Rula as after her departure from the Big Brother house she was offered a five figure deal to promote a famous cat food brand. It just goes to show that no publicity is bad publicity when it comes to this red haired countess!
Random Rula Fact:
Rula is a practicing Buddhist of the Nishiren Daishonin way and describes herself as "passionate, romantic and slightly eccentric".
We think she is just purrrrrrfect.
Nigel David Short MBE (born 1 June 1965 in Leigh, Lancashire) is often regarded as the strongest English chess player of the 20th century. He challenged for the World Chess Championship against Garry Kasparov at London 1993. Still active, Short continues to enjoy international success. He is also a chess columnist, coach and commentator.
A chess prodigy, Short first attracted significant media attention, as a 10-year-old, by defeating Viktor Korchnoi in a simultaneous exhibition. In 1977 he became the youngest ever participant in the British Chess Championship by qualifying three days before his twelfth birthday. He was awarded the grandmaster title in 1984, aged nineteen - becoming the youngest grandmaster in the world at that time.
In 1992, the Englishman overcame the legendary Russian Anatoly Karpov in a match that was described as "the end of an era." In the final, in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Short defeated Dutchman Jan Timman to earn the right to meet defending World Champion Garry Kasparov.
Kasparov won convincingly - the largest margin of victory in a world title contest since Botvinnik defeated Tal in 1961. Short's play came in for heavy criticism from BBC commentators Bill Harston and Tony Miles. Oh give him a break - we all have our 'off days' – even international prodigies.
Nigel now lives in Athens and I had a very interesting conversation with him about the Greek deficit. I think I managed to hold my own – Checkmate!
So to the last guest this week – the one and only Russ Abbott – WHAT A LOVELY MAN
You know when you meet someone for the first time and they just exude warmth and generosity, well that is this gent all over.
Our in house 'voice in the know', Trevor Nichols, told me of a story that once, after filming had wrapped, Russ invited the cast and crew back to his house for an impromptu visit and personally cooked a meal for them all. They don’t make em like they used to eh!
Russ Abbot is an English musician, comedian and actor who first came to public notice during the 1970s as the singer and drummer with British comedic showband the Black Abbots.
From 1980 onwards, Abbot released some albums as a solo artist, and appeared in several TV series. The most successful of his music singles was called "Atmosphere", which did well in the UK top 10, peaking at No 7. I once danced at a holiday camp to this track and came first in the talent competition – my prize......a big box of Maltesers!!!! – Weird the things you remember.........maybe that’s one to try and forget.
The Russ Abbot Show showcased his talents as an all-round entertainer, attracting millions of viewers. This show was especially popular among younger viewers, prompting two annuals to be published in 1982 and 1983. These annuals featured comic strips based on popular characters, plus some publicity photos of Abbot in a variety of guises, including his well-known James Bond satire featuring characters named Basildon Bond and Miss Funnyfanny. Chris and I both reminisced about watching this show religiously as young tots – it was blooming top banana.
From 2000, Abbot played the lead role in the British National Tour of Doctor Dolittle. Taking a break over the Christmas period, Russ stepped down for Phillip Schofield to take the plate, but returned to the tour subsequently.
Abbot's theatre roles include Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady (starring Amy Nuttall) at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and on tour; The Narrator in The Rocky Horror Show; Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium and Fagin in Oliver! both in 1998 and 2009. From July 2007, he took over the role of Roger De Bris in the UK tour of Mel Brooks' The Producers.
In 2008, the BBC announced that Abbot would be joining the cast of Last of the Summer Wine for the show's 30th series playing Luther 'Hobbo' Hobdyke and in 2009, when Rowan Atkinson fell ill during the original run of Cameron Mackintosh's West End revival of Oliver!, Abbot stepped into the role of Fagin for the second time.
He is currently playing the role again, having taken over from the previous Fagin Griff Rhys Jones who left the show on 12 June 2010. You gotta pick a pocket or two, but pick Russ for anything and you will be a winner.
Just like Russ everyone at A1 ‘loves a party’ and can you imagine letting your hair down with Russ Abbott, Gyles Brandreth, Rula Lenska and Nigel Short – something for everyone I think you’ll agree.
But it would be Arlene Philipps and Carrie Grant getting everyone going on the dance floor, as long as Arlene has her make up. The lithe ex dancer refused us a piccie as she didn’t have her slap on and who can really blame her.
Carrie Grant however was slap-tastic and had all the girls in the Green Room cooing over her outfit, hair and accessories.
So I hope that is enough to keep you all going for another couple of weeks. Firework night is looming and so as is the mantra of many a celeb – Be Safe, but more importantly - Be Seen!
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