The Daily Tonic: Steve Davis Eyes

Sit back, relax and enjoy a delicious cup of coffee during lockdown with 50% off your first month when you subscribe to JavaHub. Coffees for all tastes, conveniently delivered directly to your door once a month. Choose preferred brewing method, coffee blend and syrup flavour and receive a free V60 Filter Kit or Re-Usable Pod Kit with your first order. Use code POPBITCH50.

[Order from JavaHub]

A quick dose of gossip, smut and silliness Subscribe

* Writing to Rik!

* Drummer’s dad rumours!

* PLUS: A new audio round

>> Celebrity filth <<

Question of the day

Thanks for all your stories of celebrity correspondence and stars helping out on various projects. It’s all been very wholesome and heartwarming – but the time has come to get scuzzy again.
Today’s Question: Who’s the sweariest celebrity you’ve ever met?
Frequency, intensity, volume, variety, imagination – we’ll take any and all of it. Send us your tales of foul-mouthed famous people to hello@popbitch.com and we’ll send some digital goody bags to our favourites.

LS writes: “Aged about 15, I wrote to three celebs asking about their fashion choices for a textile class project: Princess Diana, Liz Hurley and Zoe Ball. Diana sent a standard letter back (“Can’t reply, wish you luck…”), never heard from Liz, but Zoe Ball sent back a handwritten, 10-page letter answering every single question.”

>> Titanic Rik <<

Wedding night re-runs

JB writes:

“When I got married in 2011, my other half and I thought it’d be funny to write to celebs for good wishes on our big day and get the best man to read them out. Loads of people responded. Peter Andre even responded within 2 days of posting! However, the best one came from someone who forgot to respond in time.
“In March 2012, we got a letter from Rik Mayall. He had written over the top of the original letter: ‘OH SHIT! Alan, I just found this letter on my desk and realized I forgot the bloody wedding. Hope you had a great day, and please give Julie a TITANIC shag from me.’
“It is my most prized possession.”

KM writes: “My friend recounted that back in the day she was involved in setting up a demo against Clause 28 and they were told they needed portaloos or it couldn’t go ahead. She said that Boy George funded them.”

>> Sky’s the limit <<

Charity begins with Kamara

anon writes:

“I used to work for Sky and on the staff email database was all the Sky News and Sky Sports presenters. We were doing a charity raffle so I decided to try my luck and email them all to see if they would donate anything. Kirsty Gallacher, Jeff Stelling, Kay Burley etc. No-one replied.
“Couple of weeks later, a package was delivered for me. It was Chris Kamara’s signed autobiography and a handwritten note from him for the raffle.”

One reader emailed the drummer from the Pixies in 2003 to ask about a rumoured reunion. David Lovering’s reply: “Honestly, I first heard the rumours from my dad, believe it or not. So, I’ll believe it’s true when I’m sitting down behind my kit.”

>> Snooker loopy <<

Strange celebrity crush

TM writes:

“My sister bizarrely had a crush on snooker player Steve Davis when she was about 7. She insisted she wanted to invite him to her birthday party, so mum helped her write the letter and sent it off, not expecting a response.
“To my mum’s surprise, Steve replied with a handwritten letter. He apologised that he wasn’t able to attend my sister’s birthday party, but hoped the enclosed signed photo would make up for it. My sister was ecstatic.”
Had a more unusual celebrity crush as a kid? hello@popbitch.com

TR writes: “Being a Clash fan, I did a sixth form project on the Sandinistas. I sent a letter to the (then) ITN reporter who’d covered the revolution in depth, packed with questions. He replied to every single one in epic detail within a week. I’ve adored Jon Snow ever since.”

>> Quarantunes <<

Today’s ten tracks

According to the playlist we’ve kept of these rounds as we’ve been making them, today’s round is the one that pushes us fully over the three hour mark. Three full hours of guessing songs from fifteen second snippets.
So what’s another 2’12 between friends?
[Ten songs; twenty points]

POPBITCH POPQUIZZES: If you haven’t yet played our range of downloadable digital pub quizzes, then this weekend is the perfect chance to try it out. Each pack contains everything you need to host your own version of our live quiz night in your own home. [Take a look here]

>> Hmmms <<

A few things for Friday

Toto’s Africa played on Tesla coils

[Watch on YouTube]
Finnegan the giggling fox

[Watch on TikTok]

Thanks to: KM, JB, RB, wienerbalcony, anon, LA, YS, BN, TM, LS, CW – and everyone who has sent something this week.

Old Jokes Home

What is a pirate’s favourite letter?

He likes an R, but his first love will always be the C

Fancy Another?