Tag Archives: Strictly Come Dancing

That’s Entertainment

November 28, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. Mine have been busy and very entertaining. A fortnight ago I went along to the last ever Laughing Badger Comedy Night at the Rose and Crown in Hemel Hempstead. It was the final event run by Lee Bryant after three years of putting on shows in the Hertfordshire area.

As I said previously I actually performed at the very first one. Which was headlined by James Redmond at the Hemel Stags Rugby Club. So basically I was the third ever act to appear as part of the brand. It was a fun night and a lot of the audience had stayed loyal with them from the start right to the end. So it was a nice celebration of lots of good fun times.

The final Laughing Badger Comedy Night was hosted by Matt Hake. Who has been performing that role for the last couple of years. Like me he is also from the Tringe Festival Roving Comedy Night production line. Having been taught by the comedy guru that is Logan Murray as well. The line up for the evening included the pretty unique President Obonjo, local comedian Tom Mayhew, the Rev Henry King, the brilliantly funny Filthy Phil and the man of the moment Lee Bryant.

It was then headlined by Stu Turner, who combines comedy with some brilliant magic to very good effect. All the acts I have to say were totally brilliant. The place was packed with happy people up for a good time. It was a fun night. And a very fitting send off to an old friend, I thought.

In the bar next door afterwards there was some Karaoke going on. Now Filthy Phil sings his own very rude parody versions of some pretty well known songs. Which are both hilarious and in parts disgusting. One of the best bits of the night for me was after the gig when Filthy Phil took over the main pub karaoke. To sing one of his versions of a song. The looks on people’s faces were priceless. As you could see them thinking I am sure these are not the right words for this but not properly registering what he was actually singing. Making it a very very different song. Congratulations to Lee Bryant for putting on such a good night. And all the best with your future projects.

A few Sunday’s ago I was at the wonderful BBC Radio Theatre at New Broadcasting House in London to see two episodes of a brand new comedy show called Live at the BBC being filmed for BBC Three. It focuses on mainly upcoming acts who have done well and been spotted at the Edinburgh Festival mixed in with a few more well known comedians. On the afternoon I was there.

I got to see a cracking five minute set from Adam Hess. The whole of Felicity Ward’s last Edinburgh Show. A totally madcap five minutes from Spencer Jones. And finally the whole of James Acaster’s current show. It was a lovely way to spend a weekend afternoon. Inside a great venue and having a good old fashioned laugh at some great new comedy. It will be shown on TV, some time early next year. So do keep an eye out for it.

I attended the England versus France Friendly Football International match at Wembley Stadium. I had my ticket before the tragic events that took place in Paris on the Friday before the game. Once the game was given the go head. I was always going to be there to show my support and respect.

It was I have to admit quite a surreal and at times eerie atmosphere outside the ground and even inside before kick off. But after the two teams walked out of the tunnel. And once the important, poignant reflection and unity was shown. The game kicked off and everything felt right and more normal again.

It was a decent game I thought with England playing some very good football at times. You could of course forgive the visitors, if their minds were not completely on it. But they did well and it made for an entertaining spectacle. The occasion and reflections were of course much more important than the sport being played.

It was nice however as a Spurs fan to see Deli Alli score his first goal for his country. Although it was a bit weird seeing it fly past Hugo Lloris. Good to see Wayne Rooney add to his tally to. A nice night spent watching the game with my Dad. Thinking about family and friends and how important they are in our lives.

I had an excellent afternoon last Friday at the Elgiva Theatre in Chesham seeing Neil Sand’s Christmas Memories. It is a brilliant two and an half hour show. That features so many classic Christmas Songs and carols. That if you do not leave at the end of it feeling very festive you have no soul or festive spirit at all.

It features a very talented cast including the sensational singers Gemma Turner and Chelsea Turnbull plus of course the man himself the great singer and all round entertainer that is Neil Sands. It is a really fast moving show. With something for everyone including a fair bit of comedy as Christmas Memories are shared with an audience very happy to reminisce about this most wonderful time of the year.

It was great to catch up with the legend that is Neil Sands after the performance. He is one of the nicest people you could meet in show business. And he really does put his heart and soul in to his productions. They always do have great singers, great songs and great costumes to. He does tour several different shows around the country every year. So do keep a look out for them at your local theatre. If one is on trust me go and see it. You will have a great time.

It was also lovely to see Gemma Turner again. I met her previously several years ago when she was on tour with Neil in Yeovil. She has an absolutely beautiful voice and is such a top performer. And it was nice to meet Chelsea Turnbull, albeit very very briefly. She is another class vocalist. Who can certainly belt out a tune. I left the venue with a nice warm glow after seeing the show and chatting to the cast.

So this is quite big. Last Wednesday I got to fulfil one of my childhood dreams and play football on the pitch at Wembley Stadium. I was invited to be part of a Football Association Charity Day raising money for Breast Cancer Care. There were several matches running through out the day. Each game lasted twenty-two minutes. I was lucky enough to play in game eight. So wearing my Tottenham Hotspur 1991 FA Cup Final replica shirt. I got to play at the biggest and best sporting ground in the country, if not the world.

It was such an amazing feeling to run out there and then get to perform or at least play a bit at the home of the England National Football Team. I was secretly hoping Roy Hodgson might be there on a scouting mission looking for new players for next summers European Championships but he wasn’t. To think of all the truly great footballers, who have appeared there over the years. And to have now done so myself it is mind blowing. It was a brilliant day and an unforgettable experience.

I do not think I have stopped smiling since. We raised over two-thousand pounds for the the charity. Which is of course the important thing. Although the team I was playing in won three-nil. Which does mean I have an one hundred percent win rate at Wembley Stadium. Which is better than a lot of professional footballers. It was a fantastic honour to do it and I am so thankful for the opportunity to take part. I still have not cleaned my boots yet so they still have some Wembley turf on them.

I have of course still been watching and enjoying the excellent Strictly Come Dancing. It is such a good entertainment programme with a generally positive feel to it. Filled with people trying hard to learn a brand new skill with varying degrees of success. And with extremely close relationships and bonds being formed between the dancers and their celebrity partners. Then there is the genius of those professional dancers. In the way they teach the contestants each different dance so well. And create the choreography and overall spectacle for each performance.

Neil Quigley TV Radio & Live — Neil Quigley TV, Radio & Live

Last weekend the couple I was supporting Jamelia and Tristan left the competition. I have always really liked her and think she is very interesting and entertaining. If I am honest I chose her before the series started. And being a pop star I thought she might already be quite a natural mover. However this did not necessarily prove to be the case. But you can’t fault her for effort and commitment to the whole thing. I do not want this to sound like sour grapes because my girl has gone. But personally in the dance off last Sunday. I thought her and Tristan’s one off dance was better than Peter Andre’s and Janette’s.

Don’t get me wrong. I really like him. He is a top bloke. A better all round dancer than Jamelia and the two of them do make a great couple. But just looking solely at both dance off performances only. I really did think Jamelia and Tristan should have stayed. The only slight consolation was that the head judge Len Goodman did at least agree with me. I will still be watching the show. It is brilliant fun and all the celebrity’s still in, are fantastic. The competition is so tough this year. I am not going to pick a new favourite pairing. I am just going to support them all equally, that way I can’t lose. Keep Dancing.

I am again loving I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of here. It is my favourite television show. Ant and Dec are as ever on top form conducting the madness and having a good laugh at everyone’s expense including their own. I have met two of this year’s camp mates. Firstly Susannah Constantine who I met at a radio station in Somerset. While she and her fashion colleague Trinny Woodall were being interviewed by a colleague of mine.

The other person is the brilliant Tony Hadley. I first met him when he was promoting his autobiography and he came on my radio show in Yeovil. I have since bumped in to him at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury and at my local fish and chip shop. The last two meetings occurred because he now lives near to where I do. He is such a nice fun, friendly and positive man.Which I personally think is coming across in the jungle in quite trying circumstances on occasions.

It is a really good and interesting cast this year. Full of very interesting characters. I am still very much supporting Tony Hadley and I hope that he can win it. I have to confess that I have never watched Geordie Shore. So I had no idea who Vicky Pattison was when she went in with the other reality TV stars. But I have to confess I really like her. She is smart, funny and a little bit feisty. Plus I can’t explain it but I have always found the accent in a lady shall we say intriguing . So I wouldn’t mind her staying till right at the end. She is not a drama queen and seems to have a great sense of humour.

So I guess what I am saying is that I want Tony and Vicky to be the final two left in there. The other thing I really love about this show is being on Twitter, while it is on. So I get to interact with people all over the country about the show. Which really adds to my enjoyment of it. Specially as hardly any of my friends seem to see it.

Next Sunday I am heading along to the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane to see Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show being filmed. I am pretty sure the guest list for this will be good. So I am looking forward to a great evening spent in the West End in the company of a top comedian. I will let you know what it was like, next time we speak.

My Birthday is approaching so I am making plans and looking forward to celebrating that. It is on Thursday 10th December this year. Just in case you want to send me any cards or presents. I am not sure what I am doing just yet but I will say now that next year’s plans will definitely be much bigger as it is a landmark age then.

I have had some wonderful birthdays over the years. I try not to work on them but occasionally this can not be helped. One year I found myself working with the Drifters on the night of my special day. They were singing as the cabaret and I was djing at a Christmas Dinner and Dance. Which was absolutely the right way round of doing things. Happily I love them and their songs. So it was a great evening.

Have fun and we will catch up again in a couple of weeks. Cheers Neil.

Back to The Future

October 31, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. Mine have been good and very entertaining. So on Wednesday 21st October it was “Back to The Future Day”. The actual date Marty and the Doc headed to when they went into the future in the 1989 film Back To The Future II. If I am honest the biggest issue for me with this was that as someone who remembers 1989 and who is now living in the actual 2015.

I have not really noticed much of a difference. Except we do have a bit more technology at our disposal. And I have got a little bit older. Well at least physically so, if not mentally so. That and of course the film makers were wrong about us having flying cars and hover boards now. Which with the amount of air traffic controller strikes in Europe, is probably a good thing.

So what does all this really tell us? Well surely do not take fun family films set in the future too seriously. Or expect them to predict the future. That said it would still be pretty cool to own a DeLorean.

While we are talking about blasts from the past. TFI Friday has returned to Channel Four for a one off series. After the success of the one off birthday special earlier in the year. I used to love the show when it was on first time around in the ninety’s. It was at the time when Brit Pop was possibly at its peak and Chris Evans was flying on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show. As well as presenting the official start to everyone’s weekend. Live from the River Side Studios at 6pm every single Friday night.

It was listening to him during those Radio 1 days. That made me decide that I wanted to work in radio. It sounded like he was having the time of his life every morning and then you could see the pictures proving that he was on the television every Friday. First time around the show did seem to get crazier and weirder the longer it went on.

But then we have learnt since, thanks to his books. That it was only really echoing his personal life. And the direction that was heading in at the time as well. It did however make for must watch television. As you really did not know what was going to happen next. And a lot of the time, I am not totally convinced he did either.

I have really enjoyed the revival series so far. The guests have been amazing, U2, Take That, Steve Coogan, Dawn French, and actor Nicholas Hoult to mention just a few. The latter having the honour of being the first person to swear on this new incarnation. Even though it is now on at 8pm instead of 6pm. It was still very inappropriate for that time of the evening. But with plenty more shows still to come, you would not bet against him being the last person to do that.

I think may be because it is such a mad atmosphere, that kind of feels like you are just out in a pub with a few mates. It sees people so relaxed they almost forget where they are. And that they are on television sometimes. It is my dream to be in that bar having a few drinks on one of the current shows. That would be amazing!

It is still brilliantly odd and unpredictable. They will get people in to be guests and then just give them thirty seconds on the show and make them do ridiculous things. Chris is a bit older. And we all know he has calmed down a little bit. So it is slightly harder to conjure up exactly the same magic as before. But he looks like he is enjoying it. And even all these years on. There is absolutely nothing like it anywhere else. It is positively unique.

And he is using it to get all his family and even some of his ex wives some air time to. Good luck to him, if you are in that position of course you would do that. I am still hoping I might just get the chance to see one of them live in the studio before this series ends.

I was at the lovely Tabernacle Arts Theatre in London the other week. To celebrate another television programme enjoying an anniversary. Would you believe that the Fast Show is Twenty-One this year. To mark this occasion I was there for a recording of a special show featuring its two creators Paul Whitehouse and the excellent and very personable Charlie Higson in conversation with Danny Wallace.

They talked about the show, how it came about, what it was like making it and much more. Then played a few classic clips and sketches from it. I am not sure exactly when this will be shown on television but it is certainly worth keeping an eye out for it. I had a very enjoyable time there. And credit where it is due. I have to say the fish and chips I had there before the show were very nice. So compliments to the Chef. Who judging by the amount of other people who were dining was having a very busy night.

A member of the Wembley Stadium management team is leaving this week. So the other day we held a surprise social gathering and presentation for him. It was in one of the brilliant pitch view restaurants there. We got there first and then he was lead in to the room to applause and cheers. Then a few people gave some short speeches, talking about his time working there and also including what he did before he joined the place around thirty-five years ago.

Here is what he used to do. And how cool is this? He is a hugely accomplished Bass Guitar player. Who used to be in a big rock band called Taste. They played in front of around two hundred thousand people at the Isle Of Wight Festival in 1970. On the same bill as Jimi Hendrix and The Who. I have seen the footage on DVD and it looks amazing. He went on to play with several other bands including The Spencer Davis Group for a few years in the seventies. A really top bloke. And such a talented fella. I would very much like to wish Charlie McCracken all the best for the future.

Last Sunday I was again working behind the scenes for the latest NFL game at Wembley Stadium. It was a big clash between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills. It is always such a fun event to be involved in. During the course of the day I ended up escorting the Jaguars Video teams to their positions for the game, showing coaches and owners to their boxes, plus helping the VIP guests get to and from pitch side to watch the players warm up. And finally directing the Bills to their team buses at the end of the contest. Always an interesting day. You get to help and meet such interesting and lovely people.

Congratulations to the Jacksonville Jaguars who won their first ever game in London beating the Buffalo Bills by 34 points to 31. Their owner Shahid Khan also owns Fulham Football Club. So the whole of the American Football Team squad went and saw their English football counterparts play at Craven Cottage the day before. Seeing them come from behind to win clearly also inspired the American team.

A win in London is good news as they have signed to play one game a season at Wembley for the next five years. I asked one of the coaches from the Jaguars just before kick off. If he had enjoyed his latest trip to London? His answer was “I will let you know in about four hours”. With a win under their belts as they flew home on their plane that evening. I am guessing that he did.

Having worked in the radio industry for more than a decade I know lots of different people from all over the country. Due to the nature of the beast you just have to up sticks some times and go where the work is. One of these people is my mate Robbie Lane. He now lives in Lincolnshire. But I met him when we were both working at Ivel fm in Yeovil. He happened to be in London the other Monday and organised a get together with me and a few of his other friends, in a nice restaurant in Covent Garden. We went to the exquisite Tuttons.

As it happened I had actually eaten there once before. A while ago now, as part of my twenty-fifth birthday celebrations. It is in a great location and if you can get a window seat. You can see all the goings on at one of the capitals most popular tourist attractions. Which if you like people watching as much as I do is fantastic. The menu was impressive and varied. The staff and the atmosphere in there were also both great. Just in case you wanted to know. I had the Lamb Cutlets, which were delicious. It was really nice to catch up with everybody. I do like eating and talking, two of my favourite pastimes. So it was another fun night looking back at the past and forward to the future at the same time.

I am still enjoying Strictly Come Dancing. Even though my favourite couple of Jamelia and Tristan continue to struggle and ended up in the dance off last weekend. Thankfully they in my opinion deservedly survived leading to Ainsley Harriott and Natalie Lowe leaving the contest. Don’t get me wrong I do like them both to, but I did think my girl did perform slightly better on the night.

The competition is very fierce this year and a lot of them could be in with a chance of walking away with the glitter ball. Statistically it is looking like it will be a women who wins. Mainly because all the celebrity’s who have gone so far this time around have all been male. I think Jay McGuinness and Peter Andre are the only two men, who can possibly trouble the ladies for the series title. As ever good luck to all the couples ready for this weekends Halloween Special.

Neil Quigley talking to Victoria Pendleton

The countdown is on to my absolute favourite television show of the year. I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. Ant & Dec are hilarious on it. They are just so good at poking fun at all the camp mates. ITV have not confirmed the exact date it will start yet. But have said that it will be around the middle of November. Already the rumours have started about who will be doing it this year. I hope they are fun and up for a laugh. As well as the challenges.

I am hoping there will at least be a couple of people that I have met in the past in there. I have met four of the previous Kings or Queens of the Jungle in the programmes, now thirteen year history. Do not expect me to do much during the three weeks it is on, watching it will play a large part in most of my evenings during that time. It is the best thing on television in my humble opinion.

In the next week or so I am very much looking forward to seeing the excellent comedian Sean Lock perform live for the first time and seeing the latest show from Derren Brown in London. I have been to one of his stage shows before. I love what he does and think it is so clever.

I would like to have his skills. When it comes to pretending that he can mind read. That would be great fun if you could do that. If it was used in a responsible and fun manner like he does, of course. I will tell you about both of these things, when we speak next.

Have fun and we will catch up again in a couple of weeks. Cheers Neil.

Under My Skin

October 17, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a really good couple of weeks. Mine have been busy with lots going on. I do spend a lot of time in and around London. Which with my tea drinking addiction means I visit a lot of Coffee Shops. To keep myself topped up or sometimes just to kill some time before meetings. I went in to one of these establishments at Waterloo Station recently.

It was the chain where they ask you your name and then write it on the cup, supposedly to make it easier to collect your drink when it is ready. It always seems a bit of a waste of time though when you order tea. As they generally do this straight away and then hand it directly to you anyway. I was pretty sure when he asked my name I said Neil but I can only presume he did not believe this and actually thought I was a character from The Matrix. As when I received my cardboard container of tea it said “Neo” on the side.

I was back at the Elstree Studios the other Friday to see another edition of Celebrity Juice being recorded. It has since been shown on television. It was the one that featured Ben Hanlin, Sara Cox, Rylan and Judge Rinder. It was totally hilarious. And if you thought some of the stuff that went out on air was too rude. You should have seen some of things that did not make the final edit. It was a bit of a crazy evening and it is fair to say that a couple of the regulars really got in to the spirit of things. At one point Holly was threatening to try something that she believed she could definitely do. But was actually so dangerous the stage manager had to step in and stop her.

Judge Rinder looked pretty confused through pretty much all of it. If you saw it on TV you will know. He read out two of Lemon’s Law’s on the show. There was a third one that they got him to read out in the studio, which almost caused me to hurt myself laughing but which can very much not be repeated.

It was as ever a good fun evening. I was sitting right at the very front in the middle. I was that close I could have almost reached out and touched Keith Lemon. It was brilliant to see Sara Cox in person. I have liked her on the radio for years now and I think she sounds excellent on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show. When she stands in for Chris Evans. Rylan seems like a very nice bloke, who is up for a laugh and doesn’t take himself to seriously. And I will never tire of seeing Holly Willoughby in action in a TV studio.

Last time we spoke I said it would be good to see Andy Collins again. Well I did not have long to wait, as he was doing the warm up duties for the evening. He was on top form. And kept the whole audience pretty much on the edge of over excitement all night. If you saw it, you might have noticed a lot of the crowd were standing up and cheering. They were so hyped up. It is such a wild and crazy show but so entertaining. And such a good laugh.

I was working behind the scenes at the NFL American Football Game between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets at Wembley Stadium a few Sunday’s ago. It is always a huge spectacle, when they come to town. From the pre game gatherings in Regents Street in London the day before to the big fan park that appears outside the ground on match day. The whole thing just builds and builds right up to kick off.

My role was to assist VIP guests to get to where they needed to be. This included showing one of the Miami Dolphin’s Vice Presidents to their Box. Taking the coaching teams to and from the vantage points that they were watching the game from. And directing the New York Jets players back to their team bus. I also got to witness Laura White sing the National Anthem before the start. She has an amazing voice and always does a splendid job. I did also manage to spot the force of nature that is David Hasselhof pitch side, enjoying the game.

I quite like watching American Football but I can’t claim to completely understand how it works. But it does seem very tactical. I did not have a team that I supported. But this may now have changed as I discovered that I have a namesake playing for the New York Jets. Ryan Quigley wears number four and is the Punter. So therefore I am now adopting them as my NFL team. Well at least until he either leaves the club or retires from the sport. So as I said I had to help show the players back to the team bus after the match. They were all so polite, nice and a pleasure to work with.

To put this in English Football terms that would have been like me talking to all the Tottenham Hotspur squad. Which would have been amazing and highlights how cool this was, to be that close to these superstars. If you think our footballers get paid a lot of money have a look at what some of the big NFL stars get paid. As ever it was a terrific experience working at this event. I am hoping I may also be involved in some way in the other two matches that will be taking place at Wembley Stadium in the next month or so.

It has been another brilliant series of the Radio 4 Extra topical news show Newsjack. The last episode of the current run was on Thursday night. I have really enjoyed writing jokes for it once again. Several of my jokes have made it in to the scripts and been performed in front of the live audience during its recording. But unfortunately none of them have quite made the edit and made it on to the show this time round.

It will next return to our radio’s for a new series in the new year. Congratulations to all the writers who had their material included. Having experienced it in the past it is a nice feeling and gives you a nice warm glow. When you get something on it. The cast and producers have done a wonderful job and I have really enjoyed listening to each programme.

It is no secret that I am a massive comedy fan. A couple of years ago now I got to see the Geordie Chris Ramsey perform at the Queen’s Park Art Centre in Aylesbury. As part of the Tringe Festival. It was just at the time when he had filmed the sitcom Hebburn. But it had not been on television. So I guess you could say it was just before his career really took off. It was basically a warm up gig for his Edinburgh Festival Show about rolling the dice and the concept of chance. It was proper laugh out loud funny.

There is actually some video footage of me reviewing this show somewhere. In it I am pretty sure I said something along the lines of “with his slight Geordie lilt, it is just like having a lovely chat with a mate” it all felt very warm and inclusive. He is returning to the Queen’s Park Art Centre next year on Friday 4th March. With his latest show “All Growed Up”. I would recommend going to see it if you can. You will not be disappointed.

I had a brilliant evening at the London Palladium seeing Sinatra recently. Firstly I have to say it is just such a great and iconic theatre to be inside. Just being there gives me a buzz. The show features a twenty-four piece orchestra and a massive troop of dancers plus video footage of Frank Sinatra himself. Who appears singing all the songs and telling you little snippets about his life. So you get a brief behind the scenes history of his career in his own words. And a great selection of his best known songs. In effect performed on stage by him. It is all very cleverly done and nicely put together.

During the interval I got talking to the man sitting next to me. It turned out that he was a huge Sinatra fan. And that he had actually been at the Palladium watching when “Ol Blue Eyes” made his first appearance on stage there in 1950. It was a brilliant show, which has now sadly finished in London.

I saw one of the last West End performances of it. To make the evening a bit more authentic the person I was with suggested we should drink Whiskey during it. I am not even really a fan of the drink at all, but I went with it and oddly it did feel right and add to the occasion a little.

I was very sad to hear of the death of Jim Diamond. A lovely man and amazing singer. I had the pleasure of interviewing him once when he came in to my radio show at Ivel fm in Somerset. A total professional and very easy person to talk to. I do remember having a slight argument with him about his best song. I was saying it was “I should Have Known Better” and he was adamant it was “I won’t Let You Down” which he released when he was the lead singer with the band PHD. On reflection he was the best man to judge it, so I am happy to accept his suggestion as the correct one.

Then on the day things got even better. When he got out his guitar and was joined on the saxophone by the legendary Snake Davis. He performed a couple of live acoustic songs. His voice was out of this world and it honestly made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was an big honour to see him and Snake play in that small room with just me sat in there with them, listening intently. RIP Jim.

It was also the first time I met the brilliant Snake Davis, a sublimely talented musician and also one of the nicest blokes you could wish to meet. He was in the M-People. He has toured with Simply Red, played at several Prince’s Trust concerts and with the Eurythmics. And my favourite Snake fact is….. it was him that recorded the famous Sax solo on Take That’s “A Million Love Songs”

My chosen couple on Strictly Come Dancing this year nearly fell at the first hurdle as Jamelia and Tristan found themselves in the bottom two on the first vote off moment. Happily they survived and Iwan Thomas with his partner Ola Jordan became the first couple to leave. I am still sticking with them as my favourites. Even though I have to say other partnerships are looking much better notably Jay McGuinness and Aliona Villani. Their Pulp Fiction inspired Jive was ridiculous for week three of the competition.

Anthony Ogogo and his partner Oti were the next two to go. I always get drawn in to this show. I love it and know absolutely nothing about dancing. I only lasted just one session when I tried Salsa lessons, many years ago now. Once again Zoe Ball and the team are doing an amazing job on It Takes Two. The nightly spin off show. Where you get all the behind the scenes gossip and can just enjoy the wonderful relationships developing between the celebrities and their professional dance partners. I am still hoping to find time to go and see one of the live Saturday shows his series. Fingers crossed.

Have fun and we will catch up again in a couple of weeks. Cheers Neil.

Relatively Interesting

September 19, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a really good couple of weeks. Mine have been busy with lots going on. Including quite a few special occasions. The first of which was my cousin’s Wedding Reception in the Dairy at Waddesdon Manor. I have to confess that it was the first time I had been there. It is a beautiful venue. And I had a lovely evening catching up with the family, while just having a few social drinks and a bit of a dance. I can confirm that I can still bust some moves on the floor. There was a band there. The fantastically named “Carte Blanche”, who were truly excellent. Congratulations to Sarah and Stuart. Who are now off enjoying their honeymoon in Italy.

Before they jetted off. The day after the reception we continued the celebrations with an afternoon party at my Uncle and Aunty’s. I do love doing this. As you can talk about what happened at the Wedding and relive all the fun you had the night before. Or check on anything that you are may be slightly unclear about, if you need to. There was lots of delicious food on offer. The happy couple made an appearance of course. As this event was being held in their honour. It was great to be able to have a nice chat with them and wish them well. While also having a look at some of the photos. One thing I learnt from that weekend is that my family still know how to party. It was all good fun.

Then the day after it was Mum’s birthday. So I went and spent the afternoon with her. It was a nice day, so we sat out in the garden for a while. And a couple of her sister’s came round. It was really good to catch up with them. We are all very busy with our own lives but it is good to take a little bit of time out when you can and catch up with your relatives. We finished off the day with a Chinese Takeaway. Which is always a winner in my eyes.

The present she wanted from me was a day out in London. She says that she has not really been to the Capital and seen all the big tourist attractions since she took me there as a child. Which it is fair to say was quite a long time ago now. So I will be repaying the favour at the end of this month. And taking her to see all the sights. Which I must admit I am really looking forward to. I have already started planning my route for the day and organising a few surprises for her along the way.

I have once again been spending some time at Wembley Stadium during the last fortnight. One day I took my friend and his son for a look around the home of football. I am not sure who was more excited my mate or his kid. The boy is only four years old but already in his short life he has changed his football allegiance from Chelsea to Manchester City. Either he just likes the colour blue or is choosing to support the team most likely to win the title each season.

From the visit they have got a nice picture of them, sitting up on the stage in the Press Conference room. Looking like they are talking to the media after a game. The stadium is getting ready this weekend to welcome the first of two big Rugby Union World Cup matches. New Zealand play Argentina tomorrow and then next Sunday Ireland take on Romania.

I was also at Wembley on Tuesday 8th September for the Euro Qualifier between England and Switzerland. That date saw a little piece of history being made. I was really glad I was there to see it in person. We have got game day for international’s perfectly sorted. We arrive early, so we can have a nice meal in one of the restaurants near by. Then we go to a bar I know near the ground. Which is never too busy. So you can always get in there and get a drink really quickly. Then we head in to the stadium in time to see the players warm up. I am not going to lie to you the first half of the match was not exactly amazing. And I was querying my decision to go at that point.

But things then did pick up a bit in the second half. When a certain Harry Kane came on. I have never watched him live and not seen him score. And luckily this record continued. As he got the first goal. May be he should hire me to go to every game. England seemed to relax a bit at this point plus Switzerland actually had to try and attack now. To get something from the game. Which gave the home team more space. Then something happened that gave us the moment we had all been waiting for. Wayne Rooney going in to this game had scored 49 goals for his country. He was joint top scorer with the legend that is Bobby Charlton.

So when the Manchester City player Raheem Sterling was tripped in the penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot. We all knew who would be stepping up to take it. The chants of “Rooney Rooney” echoed around the ground. Then after quite a lengthy delay he took it and smashed it into the top corner of the goal. So therefore breaking the all time scoring record for the England National Team with his 50th goal.

I was sitting right behind that goal to witness that historical moment. The shear delight and in many ways relief in his face was really great to see. Big congratulations to Wayne Rooney. That is a truly amazing achievement. There is a great video of him accepting a special shirt from the Manager Roy Hodgson. And then giving a very gracious speech in the dressing room after the game. It was fantastic to be there, to see it all unfold.

Do you remember what seems like ages ago now I said that I did a little bit of filming for the latest series of the Sky One show Duck Quacks Don’t Echo with Lee Mack. I took part in one of the experiments they do, to prove or disprove theories the guests bring on to the programme. Well the other week the episode I was in was shown. I just happened to be in and able to watch it for myself. As it has been on TV. I guess I can say a little bit about what it was.

I was hooked up to an electric shock machine. While sitting in a completely empty and totally white room. Basically when I got a bit bored I could press a button, which would give me a little shock. Now I do have a really low attention span. So yes I did actually give it a try to see what receiving the shock was like. The results of which you can very clearly see on the television. It was a fun morning spent shooting it. And it was equally as much fun to watch the finished product on screen.

I had a great time once again seeing an episode of Celebrity Juice being recorded at the Elstree Studios. That show is just total madness but lots of fun to watch and be involved with. I can’t wait to see how much of the really funny stuff. They will actually be able to show on the television. When it goes out. My initial guess is a lot of the most hilarious bits will be a bit to hot for TV shall we say. For this series the two team captains are Holly Willoughby and Gino D’Acampo both of who were great. I said previously that I had hoped Kelly Brook might be replacing Fearne Cotton, as I quite fancied seeing her. Well imagine my delight when she was one of the guests on the night I was there.

The other panellists were Louis Walsh, Hayley Tamaddon and the brilliant Jimmy Carr. Everyone was top quality. That is the first time I have seen Jimmy Carr in person. And he did not disappoint. He was hilarious. Everybody joined in and took the jokes about them in their stride. I have to say Hayley Tammadon really threw herself in to it all and was thoroughly entertaining.

And finally not forgetting the main man, Keith Lemon. Who was fantastic. The perfect ringmaster, creating the magic and the madness and to be fair also marshalling things brilliantly. You may have seen the show on Thursday night. If so you may have spotted me clapping in the audience. I did tweet the main man to tell him how much I enjoyed it. And he did send me back a nice reply. I have already organised to go and see another one filmed in a few weeks time. It is a great way to spend an evening. If you enjoy laughing a lot at crazy and surreal situations, that is.

Staying with the television theme last Saturday evening I went along to the filming of the latest It’ll Be Alright On The Night. At the ITV Studios on the South Bank. Most television shows have a warm up person. Who comes out first, explains what is going to happen and gets the audience laughing and ready for when the stars walk on. Now last time I watched this particular show Ted Robbins was doing that role.

Since then he quite publicly suffered a heart attack. While on stage performing in the Comic Relief stage version of Phoenix Nights. Happily he has made a full recovery and was once again back at the studio for this recording. And I must say on top form. It was good to see him again. It is presented by the excellent Griff Rhys Jones. Who is so slick, professional and funny. While he is linking all the sections of bloopers together. It featured all new never seen before out takes from all over the world.

Lots of them were proper laugh out loud funny. A few of them featured some of my favourite and the best known presenters in the county. Once again proving that no matter how good you are, things can still go wrong. And it is how you react to them. That shows your true value and class. It is actually a pretty quick show to record.

As there are no real set changes or breaks. Plus it is just Griff talking to camera between the videos. They do get played to the audience in the studio. So the reaction to them can be recorded and of course used on the programme. When it is then shown on the television. Which for this show will be sometime during the Christmas period on ITV 1.

I really enjoy spending time in TV studios and always feel quite at home there. We were all done by about eight O’clock. So I treated myself to a few weekend drinks in London. The city was vibrant and great fun as ever. With lots of people in fancy dress for the opening of the latest production of the Rocky Horror Show. I have only seen that once at the theatre, so far. And in that version Jonathan Wilkes was Frank N Furter. Fair play though I have to admit there were some brilliant and brave costumes on show in the pubs, I was in.

Also last weekend on the Sunday I went to the christening of my friend’s two sons. It took place at the church were my friend and his wife got married. It was the first time I had been back there since. It is a lovely little village church. Which is actually over nine hundred years old. The ceremony itself was fun. As there were quite a few children around the parents seemed busy keeping them all interested and in some cases under control. Which as someone who has no kids I found mildly amusing.

The two stars of the show were great. Well after the older one had two failed attempts to run out of the building that is. Afterwards there was a lovely reception at their house. With a Bouncy Castle for the children and nice food with great company for the adults. It was lovely to meet up with and talk to lots of people that I had not seen for ages, many years in some cases. So another fun time was had by all. And predictably, as with all social occasions I attend. I was again one of the last to leave.

So we now know who is paired with who on Strictly Come Dancing, ready for the start of the new series. Firstly it is great to see Anton Du Beke paired up with Katie Derham. Normally he seems to get difficult ladies to teach. But this year I think he might have a chance of doing very well with this one. And hopefully going a long way in the competition.

My favourite dancer is still Aliona Vilani and she is with Jay McGuinness from The Wanted so I do want them to do well. Both Peter Andre with Janette Manrara and Kirsty Gallacher with Brendan Cole could do well in the competition. But the duo I am supporting are Jamelia and Tristan MacManus. I have always liked her and I thought he was great last year. So they are my tip to win the Glitter Ball trophy this year. I am looking forward to it starting again.

This Tuesday I am going to the ITV London Studios to help out with a game show run through for a brand new format idea in front of some executives from ITV. It will be lots of fun and I hope they pick it up and make it. As I think it is a great concept and genius idea for a quiz. I have to be there quite early in the morning. So I am hoping I might spot some of the Good Morning Britain presenter’s, when I am there. Or may be even Philip or Holly from This Morning. I will let you know how it goes the next time that we speak.

Have fun and we will catch up again in a couple of weeks. Cheers Neil.

Last Days of Summer

September 5, 2015 Neil

Hi there, how are you doing? I hope you have had a good couple of weeks. Mine have been great with lots of fun things going on. I hope you enjoyed the final Bank Holiday Weekend of the Summer. After what was quite a busy period of work. I had a nice relaxing one, catching up with some friends and family. On the Saturday I met up with a couple of my good mates in a pub over in Beaconsfield. The plan was to have lunch, then find somewhere to watch the football later. The game was Tottenham against Everton. I support Spurs and my mate supports the Toffee’s. So we figured it made sense to see it together, just so that the winner could make fun of the loser in person.

The food part went well. I really enjoyed mine. Which was the duck’s leg with roasted sweet potato, honey glazed pineapple and orange sauce. Yes you are perfectly correct, it was quite a fancy establishment we were in. After the meal. We then set about finding somewhere to see the game. We quickly discovered that football watching is not a very popular past time in this town at all though. And that none of the pubs there actually have Sky TV.

We were told by at least two different people that they knew of one pub that would be showing it. In a village just outside Beaconsfield. So we phoned a taxi to take us there. It dropped us outside and left. We then walked in to the empty venue to find that they were not showing the football after all. So we then had a very quick drink there. While we called the taxi company back to come and get us. Predictably they sent exactly the same car and driver. Which was a little bit embarrassing. But we styled it out.

We then ended up going to High Wycombe. As we were sure a pub we knew there would have it on. We got there in time to see the whole of the second half. Then after all that drama, just getting in front of a television screen to see it. It ended in a goalless draw. It was a top afternoon larking about with friends though. While also enjoying a couple of nice car journeys around the beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside.Winning!

Then on the Bank Holiday Sunday I went along to a party to celebrate the Fortieth Wedding Anniversary of my Auntie Shelia and Uncle Mick. At their house. It was not the greatest afternoon weather wise but they are seasoned party holders, so had put a couple of marquees up in the garden to keep us all dry. It was really nice to catch up with the family and enjoy some finger food and cakes. Always a highlight of any gathering for me. When I arrived my Uncle just happened to be setting up the sound system. So I ended up helping him out with that. Well it is kind of my department that, I guess.

It was all very well organised. And nicely topped off with a lovely speech from my cousins’ congratulating their parents on their fantastic achievement. With some music and even a bit of comedy thrown in. This was swiftly followed by a champagne toast for the happy couple. We know how to do things properly in my family. By that I mean we are aware of the importance of having alcohol at key moments during these sort of occasions.

Family do’s are like buses it would seem. I do not have any for ages then a few come along at once. This weekend it’s been my cousin’s Wedding Celebrations. I will tell you about them, next time we speak. I do love a good excuse to dig out a nice suit and dress up a bit.

I have had another couple of busy and very enjoyable weeks at Wembley Stadium. Showing lots of different groups of people around. Including a boys football team on behalf of the England Team’s main sponsors Vauxhall. I got to give them an hour tour around the home of football with a very special surprise for them half way round. Waiting for them in the changing room was the Arsenal and England defender Kieran Gibbs.

It was great to see their faces and the excitement. When they walked in and saw him there. He was brilliant with them all, chatting to them, signing autographs and posing for photos. The media is always quick to point out the negative things sports stars do and rarely report the good and positive stuff. Good to see him in the latest squad for the next two European Qualifying games against San Marino and Switzerland. I am going along to the Swiss game. And I am really looking forward to it. I am of course hoping that I get to see Harry Kane in action once again in that one to.

Also at Wembley I bumped in to the former professional footballer and TV presenter Jeff Brazier. Who was there with his children. He is such a lovely man, very friendly polite and generous. Plus I like his positivity and outlook on life. He looked like he was enjoying looking around as much as his kids were. I also randomly run in to Ben Moorhouse. He is the man behind the brilliant Tringe Festival. Which is a massive annual comedy event in Tring. It just keeps getting bigger and better every single year. Some of the people that he has given a platform to are now starting to make small waves in the world of comedy themselves.

He puts on a great line up of top quality comedians not only just during the month the festival itself is on. But at various points throughout the year at the wonderful Pendley Court Theatre in the town. He also was the person who organised the Roving Comedy Night where I made my stand up comedy debut. So it was great to see him and have a nice catch up. His latest acquisition is a vintage mobile cinema. Which is a fantastic vehicle. Which can be hired to arrive pretty much anywhere in the UK. Then set up ready to show whatever film you have managed to get your hands on. A cool addition to any small gathering. Or a reason for a get together all on its own.

I will not be making an appearance on 1000 Heartbeats with Vernon Kay this series. I met up with the producers a few weeks ago to talk about being a contestant but this will now not be happening this year. I was also in discussions with the BBC about some possible production work on a few of their radio stations. It now looks like this will not be happening, well certainly not within the next six months at least. But this situation may alter then. So we will just have to wait and see what develops there.

However the brilliant Radio 4 Extra topical comedy show Newsjack returns this week. And I can once again confirm that I will be writing some jokes for this series. It will again be presented by the excellent Nish Kumar. Whose Edinburgh show was nominated for the top award at this year’s festival. I have had my material used on the programme before, so I am hoping to hear some more of my stuff on there this time round. It will be broadcast on Radio 4 Extra Thursday night’s at 10.30pm for the next six weeks. It is a good place to catch, up and coming comedians and comedy performers. With many people having used it as a good stepping stone to move up the comedy ladder.

About a month a go I was involved in a run through of a brand new game show idea with a production company who are trying to get it commissioned by one of the major television channels. They have now presented it to some television executives. Who have come back to them with a few requests of changes they would like made to it.

So I have now been called back in to help them with the further development of the project. Yesterday I went along to the production companies office to rehearse the show and the amendments to it. I have been paired with a partner called Rob and we get to play the game. As if we are a couple of contestants, trying to win the money.

Rob is also an actor. And one of the things he does is appear in a “Dinner with The Trotters” style live experience. He plays Rodney in that show. He is very tall and does look a bit like him. So when we play the game together, as I am quite a bit shorter than him. I feel like I should throw on a cap and a camel hair jacket and pretend to be Del Boy. At the very least I find it a struggle not to say lovely jubbly when I am standing next to him.

We are going back to the ITV London Studios in a couple of weeks to once again show case the quiz to some television executives. I hope they run with it. As I think it is a great idea and will make a really fun and entertaining show. That people will really enjoy playing along with at home. Plus if it does make it on to ours screens. I will be very proud to have been involved in it. And I will at that point finally be able to reveal the format to you.

The brand new series of Strictly Comes Dancing launches tonight. I am not the best dancer in the world but I am always keen to have a go on a night out. However there is something about this show that I do love. I just get totally drawn in to the whole drama and excitement of it all. All we discover tonight is which celebrity is paired with which dancer. I have seen the full line up of Celebrity’s for this year and I think it will be a good competition this time round.

There is a nice selection of different abilities. At least this is what I am guessing from the names on the list. I have always been a fan of Jamelia. So I am really looking forward to seeing her on the show. I also think Peter Andre, Ainsley Harriott and Kirsty Gallagher will be good value for money. I also like all of the professional dancers to. As they are very much the stars of the show now. As we know them all so well. So I will wait to see who is paired up with who before I decide on who to support this year.

It is a bit of a shame they have announced that Joanne Clifton will not be dancing with a celebrity this year. But it is great news that she will play a big part in the spin off show It Takes Two. They do always get fabulous musical acts on to perform as well. It is just great all round entertainment for the whole family. I went and saw the launch show a couple of years ago now. And this year I am hoping to get some tickets to see one of the live Saturday night shows. Which if it comes off, that would be brilliant.

Strictly comes from the Elstree Studios. And I am off there on Wednesday to see an episode of Celebrity Juice being filmed. While Fearne Cotton is off this series Gino D’Acampo is stepping in and will be the other captain alongside Holly Willoughby. I am really looking forward to the recording. It will once again I am sure be total madness but at the same time a lot of fun to witness in person. I still have not managed to find out who the other guests are on the show as yet. But let us just hope that they are familiar with the show and are happy to get involved and just go with the flow as that always makes for a funnier show. I will report back when we speak again. By which point you will have probably seen the evidence for yourself on television.

Have fun and we will catch up again in a couple of weeks. Cheers Neil.

Neil Quigley Presenter