In the late 90’s, I appeared as a team captain on a Channel 5 panel show called, BRING ME THE HEAD OF LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT. Mostly a torturous affair of lame set ups and highly pre-scripted ad libs by a bunch of comics. I completed two series and was then replaced for it to limp on a while longer before its ultimate death.
And no real surprise to any of us involved that the only thing to emerge from the show with any glory was the host – who went on to deserved stardom and riches.
His name is Graham Norton and last night – it was with great pride, pleasure and odd nostalgia that I sat in the studio audience for the recording of his own show. In the very same studio at the BBC where I have worked many times both on-screen and off, as a studio warm-up man.
We were there as a whole family – albeit without Sam – and Tom didn’t sit with us either because he had a sofa to sit on, which he shared with other stars of stage and screen.
It was a great show to watch and for so many reasons. Afterwards, in the green room, Graham and I caught up on our exploits. It was fun and didn’t take too long. After all, he knows what I’ve been doing and vice versa.
As I recall, when we made Bring me the head… Tom was a toddler and the twins were about due with Paddy still pending.
We recorded the shows in Norwich and budgets couldn’t stretch to hotels and so we had a long van journey home each week.
During one of these journey’s, had anyone predicted to Graham and I – that in some 20 years time – the country’s premiere chat show would be called THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW – and the first guest on the new series in 2018 would be my little boy…
Strange thing life, eh?
