The Daily Tonic: Chicken Dancing With Derbyshire

As Hugh Grant is celebrating his 60th birthday today, we thought we’d join in with a little memory of him.

One of the first directors to take a chance on Hugh in the late 80s was Ken Russell, who cast him in Lair of the White Worm. Ken didn’t seem to be overly bothered about nurturing this burgeoning new talent though. In fact, on his first day on set, Ken was trying to direct a scene when Hugh came up to him and said, “I’ve been thinking about my character and I thought I should play the scene sitting down.”

Ken looked at him and replied, “Who gives a fuck what you think, you cunt?”

And that was the end of their discussion.

It’s 35 years ago today since CBBC was first broadcast, so we want to hear your best stories about children’s TV presenters. We know for a fact they aren’t all as wholesome and clean-cut as they appear on camera – but who would really surprise us?

Today’s Question: What’s the best dirt you can dish on a kids’ TV host?

Send your stories to hello@popbitch.com and we’ll repay the favour by sending our favourites a little digital goody bundle as a thank you.

D writes:
“Hugh Jackman was a couple of years above me at school in Australia. He was also school captain. At the school, sixth formers had their own area which was fiercely guarded. One day I was late for class and so decided to shortcut through it hoping no one would notice. Someone did. Hugh.

“He and two prefects caught me and bundled me into one of the empty cage lockers and locked me in there, then walked away laughing. I didn’t get released until someone found me during the next break.”

NB: We’re assured that Jackman was otherwise “a good bloke and universally liked”.

Back when Gazza was a young apprentice at Newcastle, he was so keen to impress Jack Charlton that he spent a week’s wages on fishing gear and asked the legendary angler to give him a lesson.

Charlton gladly obliged but, at the riverbank, he tossed all of Gazza’s equipment away except for the fishing rod. Instead, the tip Charlton gave him was to open a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale and pour it into the water. The fish started biting and he apparently reeled in a whopper within minutes.

N writes:
“Reading E’s comments about Gwendoline Christie – I worked at that college at the time and knew Gwen quite well. She was lovely. I remember her telling me about the Head of English imploring her not to go into modelling as her A Level grades were really good and it would be ‘such a waste’ not to pursue an academic career, as modelling wouldn’t last. I guess Gwen had the last laugh there.

“Bobak Kianoush from Another Level was also at college around the same time. He dropped out midway in order to get into modelling. No-one implored him to stay. (He was a fairly nice lad though.)”

Today’s audio round is made up of ten songs that were UK number ones in September at some point over the last 50 years. All you need to do is recall what each song is called (one point) and who did it (a second point).

Ten songs; twenty points in total.

[Play #134 here]

A profile of the American courtroom sketch artist who’s captured everyone from Mark David Chapman, to Martha Stewart, to Harvey Weinstein and more…
[Read on Inside Hook]

Bohemain WAPsody
[Queen x Cardi]

The legendary studio Sawmills is up for sale
[£2.25m anyone?]