I’m on the train returning from my first appearance on The One Show, the new 7pm BBC1 programme running for five weeks (actually it’s a pilot, and if it’s popular it’ll be commissioned to run all year). It was my mobile phone recycling film that I made in Cardiff today (read my blog on it). Tonight was the first time I’d seen the completed film and the BBC Wales production team had done a superb job to make it fun and cool.
My real surprise came in the studio chat. The presenters are Adrian Chiles (Working Lunch & Match of the Day fame) and Nadia Sawalha (multi-programme presenter and ex-Eastenders star). I’ve not properly met Adrian before, and we didn’t have the chance to chat before the programme, though Nadia and I had a nice gossip. This spilled out after the film when at the end of the chat Adrian commented, on air, “now I see how you save cash – scruffy shoes”. Now it’s true, my shoes aren’t polished, it’s been a busy week and frankly no one sees your feet on TV so I wasn’t bothered, not expecting it to be mentioned on prime time telly – I won’t make that mistake again. Then Nadia revealed I’d told her during our chat how Lara (the MSG) picks all my clothes for me – laying the blame there!
In fact I did something very rare for me, I blushed bright red – luckily it was just after the camera turned off me! Thankfully I’ve spoken to the MSG and she thought it was fun. Actually the MSG doesn’t pick my clothes, she just helps me choose what to combine to wear on telly, as I’m no good at it, hence why I stick to my safe stripey shirts.
Even more bizarre was the other green room chat, with Lynne Faulds Wood and Esther Rantzen, both Queens of consumer telly. Lynne and I have worked together before, and get on very well (some of you may remember it prompted me to plug her Bowel Cancer Awareness Campaign in my weekly e-mail). However, it was my first time meeting Esther.
She’s a woman with serious presence, and very forthright. That’s Life was one of the programmes that I watched growing up, that helped build my awareness of consumer issues. The strangest moment was after Lynne had very kindly said how great she thought this site was; Esther then started asking me questions about her own money behaviour – and I found myself answering. Then it dawned on me, that I was giving info and suggesting tactics to Esther Rantzen on how to spend! Frankly I almost bottled it there and then. However, she seemed genuinely interested and started firing questions at me, until I was called into the studio. Quite a day!
