Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh Season 7 Episode 33

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Transcript

00:00:00Threw up the sash, the moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

00:00:04Gave a lustre of midday to objects below

00:00:07When what to my wandering eyes did appear

00:00:11But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer

00:00:15A visit from St Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore

00:00:18The perfect Christmas poem

00:00:20Isn't that right, Satu?

00:00:23Too busy eating

00:00:23Well, we're on to you found time to come anyway, even if you're starving

00:00:27Do you find us okay?

00:00:28Yes, and it's a pretty straightforward journey, isn't it?

00:00:31From the North Pole to Hampshire

00:00:32It's not?

00:00:34Oh well, you know best

00:00:36You're also very hungry

00:00:37It's time for Love Your Weekend

00:00:58The first Sunday of December

00:01:16Time for the Christmas lights

00:01:18There we are

00:01:20The month that signals the start of winter

00:01:23Snow falls, sometimes

00:01:25Wildfowl fill the waterways

00:01:27And the light sits low

00:01:29Creating those multi-hued sunsets

00:01:31Over frosty hills, farmland and mountains

00:01:34It's a festive month too

00:01:36When twinkling Christmas lights like ours

00:01:39Fill Britain's villages and towns

00:01:41And we're feeling festive on the show today

00:01:43Coming up, a woman who really is a sport

00:01:46From saddling up to galloping over the airwaves

00:01:48To taking on those traitors

00:01:50She's done it all

00:01:51Claire Balding

00:01:52Currently making waves in literary circles

00:01:55Here with her latest page turner

00:01:58Just in time for Christmas

00:01:59And from Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof

00:02:02To Horace van der Gelder

00:02:04In the London revival of Hello Dolly

00:02:06Andy Nyman's back on the West End stage

00:02:08This time in the revival of Mel Brooks' The Producers

00:02:12Leslie Joseph channels her inner Meryl Streep

00:02:15As she goes out of Africa on a safari

00:02:18With a difference

00:02:19And wreath making made simple

00:02:21With his seasonal seven

00:02:23Florist Simon Lysert with the key ingredients

00:02:26To make your own piece of festive magic

00:02:28For the front door

00:02:29And looking back on a busy year

00:02:31Capturing the royal family at home and abroad

00:02:34Photographer Chris Jackson escapes the press pack

00:02:37To share his personal favourite images of royalty

00:02:40We have the tree, the tinsel

00:02:47And we have the tipples

00:02:49Let's get the party started

00:02:51Welcome Claire Balding

00:02:52And Mr Producer himself

00:02:54Star of The Producers

00:02:56Fresh from the West End stage

00:02:59Andy Nyman, welcome to you both

00:03:01Hi, good morning

00:03:02You can tell now

00:03:04We've gone into Christmas mode

00:03:05Not too early for you

00:03:07I mean, do you indulge yourself at Christmas, Andy?

00:03:11Can you do that?

00:03:11I love it

00:03:12I love it

00:03:12I get the double whammy

00:03:13I've got Chanukah as well

00:03:14Yeah

00:03:15So I do a bit of Chanukah

00:03:16A bit of Christmas

00:03:17Didn't have a tree when we were growing up

00:03:19So could not wait

00:03:21When I'd moved away

00:03:22To have a tree

00:03:23So yeah, I love it all

00:03:24We do the Chanukah candles

00:03:25Christmas

00:03:26Christmas lunch

00:03:26It's great

00:03:27Claire, are you the same

00:03:28Or is there a bit of humbug attached?

00:03:30Not at all

00:03:30No, I love it

00:03:31Oh, I love it

00:03:31I ordered this thing the other day

00:03:33Right, it's so tacky

00:03:34It's a Santa Claus

00:03:36That climbs up

00:03:36Like a metal rope

00:03:38Thrilled with it

00:03:39And in the garden

00:03:41I put a big blow-up penguin

00:03:43Because obviously that's very Christmassy

00:03:45Is the Santa climbing an indoor thing

00:03:48Or an outdoor?

00:03:48It's an indoor thing

00:03:49Right

00:03:49Oh my God

00:03:50It was £15

00:03:51Best £15.99 ever spent

00:03:53It's fabulous

00:03:54And it plays

00:03:54Almost like a cowboy music

00:03:57Is it the one that does it

00:03:59When you're speaking

00:04:00When it hears a noise?

00:04:01No, no, no

00:04:02You've got to turn it on

00:04:03No, is there one

00:04:04When you speak?

00:04:05I think so

00:04:05I don't think I'm

00:04:06Yeah, you'd be pulling the batteries

00:04:08Out of that 35 seconds

00:04:09I might add

00:04:10The only trouble is

00:04:11The cats are very

00:04:12Well, one of them is very scared

00:04:13Of the Father Christmas

00:04:14Oh

00:04:15Yes

00:04:15With my grandchildren

00:04:17It's the elf on the shelf

00:04:18That moves around

00:04:20There's an elf

00:04:21And overnight

00:04:22He or she

00:04:23Not gender specific

00:04:24They come down in the morning

00:04:26And the elf has moved

00:04:27It's quite amazing

00:04:29Wow

00:04:29We're all looking

00:04:30Where's the elf gone?

00:04:31Oh, it's up there

00:04:32You know

00:04:33Oh, it's quite fun

00:04:34It's lovely

00:04:35And I quite like the

00:04:36Norad Santa tracker

00:04:37Oh, it's fantastic

00:04:39Love that

00:04:40Love that

00:04:40Yeah, fantastic

00:04:42And accurate

00:04:43Very

00:04:43When they first brought it out

00:04:45Now it's full sign

00:04:46So it's very good for world

00:04:48Geography

00:04:48Yes

00:04:49There you go

00:04:49And time zones

00:04:51Yeah

00:04:51Super important

00:04:52Love all that

00:04:53Love the food too

00:04:54Particularly Brussels sprouts

00:04:56I'm a big fan of Brussels sprouts

00:04:57Oh, yes

00:04:57The thing about Brussels sprouts

00:04:59You love them or loathe them

00:05:00Yes

00:05:00I love them

00:05:01My daughter loves them

00:05:02My granddaughter loves them

00:05:03And we sort of fight the rest of the family

00:05:04Yes, we are having sprouts

00:05:05See, this is probably the programme

00:05:07To embarrass myself on

00:05:08By declaring

00:05:10It was only about ten years ago

00:05:12I first saw how Brussels sprouts grew

00:05:14I had no idea

00:05:17That's what it was like

00:05:18When I first saw it

00:05:19I thought it was something from space

00:05:21I could not believe it

00:05:23There have been gardening programmes on television

00:05:25For many years now

00:05:26You have no excuse

00:05:27My name was so

00:05:29Alan

00:05:29Mayor Culper

00:05:30I am so sorry

00:05:32You know that carrots and potatoes

00:05:33Both come out the ground

00:05:34No, they don't

00:05:35They don't

00:05:36Yes, I've seen them

00:05:37What's about parsnips

00:05:39That'll blow your mind

00:05:40Look, two masters of their craft here

00:05:43You, Claire

00:05:44And Andy as well

00:05:46Inspirations

00:05:47People

00:05:48Your heroes

00:05:49When you were

00:05:49Not when you were growing up

00:05:51But when you've been doing your job

00:05:52Who do you regard as your hero?

00:05:53Well, Terry Wogan

00:05:54Watching him

00:05:56And the way he was

00:05:57Off camera

00:05:58Off mic

00:05:59As well

00:06:00I think there is a lot

00:06:01And we've talked about this

00:06:02And I

00:06:02You know

00:06:03I hold Alan in huge regard

00:06:05Not just

00:06:05Because of what you are on screen

00:06:08But I think there's a code of behaviour

00:06:09A standard of behaviour

00:06:10And I do think that's important

00:06:11So if studio managers

00:06:13Floor managers like you

00:06:14You're in

00:06:15And so I will always ask the floor manager

00:06:17Is someone so good to work with

00:06:19And then you get your proper answer

00:06:20Yeah

00:06:21Yeah

00:06:21So Terry

00:06:22What about you Andy?

00:06:23Heroes in theatre

00:06:24Well

00:06:25The big thing for me

00:06:27When I was

00:06:27When I was a boy

00:06:29I sort of knew I wanted to act

00:06:31And then I went to see Jaws

00:06:32At the pictures

00:06:33And saw Richard Dreyfuss

00:06:34On screen

00:06:35And that was

00:06:36That really brought home for me

00:06:38How important representation is

00:06:39Because there I was

00:06:40Little curly haired

00:06:41Jewish kid wearing glasses

00:06:42And there he came onto the screen

00:06:44Little curly haired

00:06:45Jewish guy with glasses

00:06:46And I thought

00:06:47You don't have to look like

00:06:48Steve McQueen

00:06:49Or Robert Redford

00:06:51You don't have to be a god

00:06:52To do that

00:06:53You can look kind of normal

00:06:54And so that was an epiphany for me

00:06:57And that really stayed with me

00:06:58Actually

00:06:59And always has

00:07:00So

00:07:00Then I've had many

00:07:01People that

00:07:02I sort of look at their careers

00:07:04And think oh my goodness

00:07:05You know you'd love to be like that

00:07:06But that's always been a thing for me

00:07:09Have you ever met any of your heroes

00:07:10I've met quite a lot of them

00:07:12Yeah

00:07:13And none have ever disappointed

00:07:14Including yourself

00:07:15Including yourself

00:07:15Oh stop it

00:07:16No that's

00:07:17I mean it's such a relief

00:07:18Because that thing about when you do

00:07:19Always

00:07:20You've always admired somebody

00:07:21And you know

00:07:22We're lucky enough

00:07:23We get to meet a lot of people

00:07:24Very very few of them

00:07:25To be fair

00:07:26Let you down

00:07:26But when they do

00:07:27Oh

00:07:28The disappointment

00:07:29But when they're great

00:07:30And when they're even better

00:07:32Than you expect them to be

00:07:33Helen Mirren

00:07:33Right

00:07:33Is somebody I have had the pleasure of meeting

00:07:35My god she's knock out

00:07:37And so much fun

00:07:38And so naughty

00:07:39Yeah

00:07:39And I love that

00:07:40You get like Celia Imry

00:07:41Who I was doing traces with

00:07:43Celia's someone

00:07:44Who probably shouldn't eat

00:07:45Brussels sprouts

00:07:45She doesn't eat them

00:07:47She's terrific fun

00:07:49And again has got that naughty side to her

00:07:51That is

00:07:51It makes it so much more enjoyable

00:07:53Now you I know

00:07:55Claire have acting aspirations

00:07:58The reason I know you have acting aspirations

00:08:00Is from this particular clip

00:08:02I'm going to show you now

00:08:03This is Claire Balding

00:08:05Acting

00:08:06Joe Calzani

00:08:11Joe Calzani

00:08:12Hello Joe

00:08:14Hey how you doing

00:08:15What say you and I engage in some sexual sparring

00:08:19Ding ding

00:08:20Round one

00:08:22Bash

00:08:23Bash

00:08:23Boom

00:08:24Bash

00:08:25Bang

00:08:26Bang

00:08:26Boom

00:08:27Oh my

00:08:28So sorry

00:08:29Miss Balding

00:08:30So sorry

00:08:31Sorry

00:08:32Sorry

00:08:32What an I'm weird

00:08:34Is he forced to be casual

00:08:36Famous people

00:08:37I know

00:08:38I just put my bum in Claire Balding's face

00:08:40Could we keep that quiet

00:08:41I was expecting rather more than that

00:08:44I was hoping for something sort of Stanislavski-esque

00:08:49Sorry yeah

00:08:50It was just a bum

00:08:50I didn't have any dialogue there

00:08:52It's harder with that dialogue

00:08:53I would agree

00:08:54Here's the truth

00:08:56Here's the truth

00:08:56That was a very truthful

00:08:57Cold stare

00:08:59Yes that's what I worked on

00:09:01And a good fringe bounce as well

00:09:03Well there's always the good fringe bounce

00:09:05I can provide that any time

00:09:07Any time it's needed

00:09:08I have a few times appeared as versions of myself

00:09:13Because it's never quite you is it

00:09:14It's oh I remember working with Victoria Wood once

00:09:17And doing a bit in one of her sketches

00:09:18And she wrote me a very sweet note afterwards

00:09:21And said thank you for coming on

00:09:22Because it's like playing you but not

00:09:25And it is there

00:09:27It's just that little bit

00:09:28Yes

00:09:29Extra I suppose

00:09:30But you've done quite a bit of it

00:09:31I remember you in W1A

00:09:32I enjoyed

00:09:33Coming up and down an escalator

00:09:35And my father said to me

00:09:37You were so horrid to that boy in reception

00:09:39And I said dad I was acting

00:09:40No but you were really not very nice to me

00:09:42Dad seriously I was acting

00:09:45I had dialogue and everything in that

00:09:47That's quite a compliment though

00:09:48I got name checked in it

00:09:50But that was it

00:09:51Yes were you put up for Brisbane's tastiest village

00:09:54Brisbane's tastiest village

00:09:55But haven't we both been offered that show actually

00:09:57In real life

00:09:58No you were were you

00:10:00No I wasn't

00:10:01Fine okay

00:10:03Well much more from Claire and Andy

00:10:06Coming up a little bit later on

00:10:07Regulars to the show will know

00:10:09This is the moment

00:10:10We invite our guests to partake

00:10:11Of a cornucopia of delicacies

00:10:14We have cucumber sandwiches

00:10:16We have you know

00:10:17Probably the first mince pies you're going to see

00:10:18And some Christmas cake

00:10:19And all sorts that do tuck in

00:10:21Fondant fancies a go-go here

00:10:23Still ahead

00:10:24Impressing your guests

00:10:25With the newest wines on the market

00:10:27Wine expert Tony Oshoba

00:10:29Has her festive hit list

00:10:31Of the latest releases

00:10:32To try this Christmas

00:10:33Which will clearly go down well

00:10:35With these mince pies

00:10:35There's even a new fizz

00:10:37Would you believe

00:10:38And bringing their reindeer farm

00:10:40To Manor Farm

00:10:41I'll be meeting the Cotsworts couple

00:10:43Who've created a winter wonderland

00:10:45Where it's Christmas

00:10:46All year round

00:10:47Wrap up warm gang

00:10:48We're journeying north

00:10:49Well not quite north

00:10:51Just over there actually

00:10:53In Paddock too

00:10:54But it's north

00:10:55It's going to be brilliant

00:10:57Fondant fancy anybody

00:10:59Or a grape

00:10:59A grape

00:11:01A grape

00:11:01Have a grape

00:11:02Cheese and grapes

00:11:03Cheese and grapes

00:11:04Lovely

00:11:04Let's sophisticated this show

00:11:05I'm grabbing a grape

00:11:06Can I eat the fig?

00:11:07Of course you can eat the fig

00:11:08From idyllic woodlands

00:11:23To coastal villages

00:11:25To chocolate box cottages

00:11:27Nestled deep in hillsides

00:11:29And secret hideaways

00:11:31Oh the romance

00:11:32Of the British countryside

00:11:34Coming up

00:11:34With a career

00:11:35That spanned a slew

00:11:37Of shrewdly inhabited parts

00:11:39In Hollywood films

00:11:40Wicked

00:11:40Peaky blinders

00:11:42On the box

00:11:42And on stage

00:11:43Too numerous to mention

00:11:45Andy Nyman

00:11:46Back on the boards

00:11:47This time

00:11:48In the revival

00:11:49Of Mel Brooks

00:11:50Outrageously funny

00:11:51The producers

00:11:52Now surely

00:11:54There is no better way

00:11:55To signal the arrival

00:11:57Of Christmas in our homes

00:11:59Than by hanging a wreath

00:12:00On the front door

00:12:01The tradition began

00:12:02In northern Europe

00:12:04In the 16th century

00:12:05Would you believe

00:12:06When locals would

00:12:06Prune their evergreen trees

00:12:08To create early incarnations

00:12:10Of the Christmas tree

00:12:11They then

00:12:12Weave the offcuts

00:12:13Into wreaths

00:12:14An early form

00:12:16Of German recycling

00:12:17Well keen to embrace

00:12:19That no waste philosophy

00:12:20Today

00:12:20Here to show us

00:12:21How to create a Christmas wreath

00:12:22Using just seven

00:12:24Seasonal pieces

00:12:25Of winter foliage

00:12:26Welcome back

00:12:27Florist extraordinaire

00:12:29Simon Lysett

00:12:30Weaving away

00:12:31I am

00:12:32I'm

00:12:33Struggling and wrestling

00:12:35With the dogwood

00:12:36As you do

00:12:37It's a gorgeous colour

00:12:38Isn't it

00:12:39Yeah it's a lovely colour

00:12:39Because it's quite flexible

00:12:40At this time

00:12:41Because it's still

00:12:41It's what you need

00:12:43Is something

00:12:43If you go

00:12:43I mean to make a Christmas wreath

00:12:45You need a base

00:12:46Of some sort

00:12:47Yeah

00:12:47It can sometimes be a wire

00:12:48Coat hanger

00:12:49From the dry cleaners

00:12:50What works really well

00:12:52And is super sustainable

00:12:53Is something like this

00:12:54Which is

00:12:54Just to use some

00:12:56Twigs that you've pruned

00:12:57That have got nice sap

00:12:58Supplety to them

00:12:59And then just create yourself

00:13:01A wreath like this

00:13:02You see just like

00:13:03He does that

00:13:04And says

00:13:04And there you are

00:13:05Ladies and gentlemen

00:13:05It's done

00:13:06The base of a wreath

00:13:07Oh wait

00:13:08You're blooming

00:13:08Actually it wouldn't

00:13:09With you

00:13:09It'd be half an hour

00:13:10And you're done

00:13:10The rest of us

00:13:11It'll be a couple of hours

00:13:12But it does look good

00:13:13Doesn't it

00:13:13It's a gorgeous thing

00:13:15I mean even if you don't want to put many more decorations on it

00:13:18You've started off with a really pretty base

00:13:20Yeah

00:13:20The secret for this one though

00:13:22Is to make sure you use nice supple branches

00:13:24With some sap still in them

00:13:27So that they're lovely and bendy

00:13:28Otherwise they'll crack and break when you're bending them

00:13:30Exactly

00:13:30And if you want to just anchor it occasionally

00:13:33With a bit of twine

00:13:34That's also fine

00:13:35Right you've got another one here then

00:13:36This is more

00:13:37This is your luxe high end wreath

00:13:40This is how we make all our wreaths at Lysart Towers

00:13:43And it gives you a gorgeous base

00:13:45Because it's a wire frame that you can buy

00:13:47From your local florists

00:13:49And then it's using some sphagnum moss

00:13:53Which I know is a bit controversial

00:13:54It is isn't it

00:13:56It's always difficult this one

00:13:58Because you know sphagnum moss is from moorland

00:14:00And you know we're trying to conserve our moorland

00:14:02It's sold a lot of garden centres

00:14:05Sell it in bags to line

00:14:07Hanging baskets and things

00:14:08If your lawn's like mine you can probably rake

00:14:10Your lawn won't be anything like mine

00:14:12No it is

00:14:13You see I'm organic so I have lots of moss in my lawn

00:14:15So if you get your wire tooth rake out

00:14:17And pull the moss out of your lawn

00:14:18Just as easy to use that isn't it really

00:14:20Yes it is

00:14:21And it's really

00:14:21You're doing the lawn a favour as well

00:14:23Yes

00:14:23So we're going to bind it all over

00:14:26And then we end up with one like this

00:14:29Right

00:14:29Well you can reuse this year after year

00:14:31Because you can soak it again

00:14:32Exactly

00:14:32Yes

00:14:33So once you've done it

00:14:34You are being sustainable

00:14:35By just making sure you're using the same stuff

00:14:37You're being sustainable for a good two or three years

00:14:40Before it becomes a bit brittle

00:14:41Yeah

00:14:41And then it can be composted again

00:14:43So it's a good complete circle

00:14:46To create a gorgeous circle

00:14:48So if you've got one that you did last year

00:14:49Soak it well

00:14:50Yes

00:14:50Before you put it together

00:14:51Exactly

00:14:52And this becomes our lovely base

00:14:53For adding all our gorgeous foliage

00:14:55Right

00:14:56Well you'll be back a little bit later

00:14:57Now that we've done the bottom half

00:14:59You'll be back later with the top

00:15:00Shows the full-blown Christmas reef

00:15:03Now the Cotswolds may not be the first place

00:15:10You'd expect to find a herd of reindeer

00:15:12But thanks to one couple's love of the festive season

00:15:15That's exactly what you'll discover

00:15:17On their farm in Sirencester

00:15:19Building on their already successful Christmas tree business

00:15:22They've been rearing reindeer for over 15 years

00:15:26And now have one of the largest permanent herds in the UK

00:15:29With the worldwide reindeer population at risk due to global warming

00:15:33Farms like theirs go some way to protecting and preserving the species

00:15:37Well taking a break from their busiest time of year

00:15:40Welcome Andrew Woodward and Clare Ward

00:15:43Ably assisted by Anne

00:15:45Holding on to one or two

00:15:47And just a few of their herd of reindeer

00:15:49Lovely to see you again

00:15:51You were on the programme a few years ago

00:15:52And it's nice to see the herd is still going strong

00:15:55How old is your oldest reindeer now then Andrew?

00:15:58You'll remember Satu came to see you a few years ago

00:16:02And she is now 22 and a half years old

00:16:04Which is a ripe old age for a reindeer

00:16:06So how long can they live?

00:16:09We don't know

00:16:10We're off the chart now

00:16:13Well let me know

00:16:14Have you said 22 and a half?

00:16:15Now I notice the antlers here

00:16:17Satu's antlers are quite felty

00:16:19Whereas the other reindeer's antlers

00:16:21They're quite naked and quite sharp

00:16:22And I'm rather worried about you dodging out the way

00:16:25Yeah well having reindeer and particularly feeding them

00:16:29Is always a bit of a contact sport

00:16:32It's just something that you have to accept as part of the job

00:16:34You learn to duck quite readily

00:16:36Yeah yeah or get your face out of the way

00:16:38Now when it comes to antlers

00:16:39Male and female Clare

00:16:41They both have antlers

00:16:42They both have antlers

00:16:44The males will lose

00:16:45Both lose them every year

00:16:47Yeah

00:16:47So the males will lose them around Christmas time

00:16:50Yeah

00:16:50The females if they're not pregnant

00:16:52Is January

00:16:53And if they are pregnant

00:16:55They hang on till May

00:16:56Because they always

00:16:57Carve in May

00:16:59The first week of May

00:17:00Now this is rather upsetting

00:17:01Because Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

00:17:02Is out at Christmas then

00:17:04It's probably Rudolfina

00:17:05So the females will have them at Christmas

00:17:07Which is why these are females here

00:17:09But the males lose them that quickly

00:17:11Yes

00:17:12Because as soon as they're after the rut

00:17:14Which is the mating season

00:17:15In autumn

00:17:15Their testosterone drops

00:17:18And that is the trigger to lose their antlers

00:17:20Right

00:17:21Oh dear

00:17:21The ignominy of it all

00:17:23Now we've talked about the grown-up mums here

00:17:25What about these two here?

00:17:27Right

00:17:28This is Chunky

00:17:29Now she's eight years old

00:17:30Chunky

00:17:31And she's only got one antler

00:17:32Yeah well she's just lost it

00:17:34So because she's had a calf

00:17:37She now doesn't need them

00:17:38So she's lost it

00:17:40It's already starting to grow

00:17:41Because it's like a cartoon bump

00:17:43So they grow quite quickly

00:17:44Yeah up to an inch a day

00:17:45Wow

00:17:46I know it's incredible

00:17:47And this is little May

00:17:49Who was born on 1st of May

00:17:50Goodness me

00:17:51And she's

00:17:52Now look at her

00:17:52She's just got two single ones

00:17:54I know

00:17:54They've become more elaborate

00:17:55As they age then

00:17:56Yes

00:17:56Yeah

00:17:57I mean that's a glorious set there

00:17:59Yeah

00:17:59Isn't it

00:18:00Our males antlers are as big as me

00:18:02So I can stand in the middle of them

00:18:04So

00:18:04So how do you go about acquiring reindeer

00:18:08They're not in the shops

00:18:09No no no

00:18:10Well we bought our first reindeer in this country

00:18:14Yeah

00:18:15But when we wanted to get some more

00:18:18We actually investigated and went up to the reindeer farm up north

00:18:23Which is right at the top of Finland

00:18:25And we actually bought ten calves from Nassami

00:18:28Because they love their animals

00:18:30Getting them home must have been quite interesting

00:18:32Yeah

00:18:32Yes it was

00:18:33Getting them home was fun

00:18:34Yeah

00:18:34How did you do it?

00:18:353,000 miles door to door

00:18:37We jumped in our Land Rover and trailer and drove

00:18:40Are you serious?

00:18:41Obviously

00:18:41Yeah

00:18:41We cleared it with Defra

00:18:43And they said yeah go do it

00:18:46And so we drove 400 miles north of the Arctic Circle

00:18:50Graciously

00:18:51In December

00:18:51Yeah

00:18:52One of the dumbest things I have ever done

00:18:54But you know

00:18:55It was quite spectacular

00:18:57The care of the animals made it a real serious journey

00:19:03The last 1,000 miles was on ice

00:19:05But you know if you're kitted out for it

00:19:11You've still got the ice tyres

00:19:12And we brought back 12 lovely reindeer calves

00:19:18Of which Chunky was one of them

00:19:20And the rest we bred at home

00:19:22It must be wonderful for kids to come and actually see reindeer

00:19:25Yes

00:19:25Yeah

00:19:26It's lovely to see their faces

00:19:28It's lovely to see the wonder of people

00:19:33Seeing something that they wouldn't normally see

00:19:35And let's not overlook the fact that the reindeer love it

00:19:38Yeah

00:19:38They do

00:19:39Are they so sure?

00:19:39Turning up with treats

00:19:40Oh yeah

00:19:41Reindeer are like the most shallow humans you could ever wish to meet

00:19:45While ever you've got something that they want

00:19:48Then you're number one priority

00:19:51I'm afraid as soon as you don't have that

00:19:53You're not even worth looking at

00:19:55It's been lovely to meet you again chaps

00:19:57Sorry ladies

00:19:58Thank you both very much indeed

00:20:01I mean it's just

00:20:02It really wouldn't be Christmas without seeing reindeer

00:20:04And they're such noble beasts

00:20:06Aren't they when they stand there with their heads up like that

00:20:08I do think they're special

00:20:09They're wonderful animals yeah

00:20:10Bless you

00:20:11Andrew, Claire

00:20:12And thank you very much indeed for holding on to that one over there

00:20:15Mischief, Chunky, Satu and May

00:20:18Thank you very much and a very Merry Christmas to you

00:20:20Merry Christmas to you too

00:20:22Still to come

00:20:24Opening up his archives to celebrate life with the royal family

00:20:27Photographer Chris Jackson shares the stories behind his most newsworthy images from the royal beat

00:20:33And it's the Laugh Out Loud musical

00:20:35With the original Broadway production winning a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards

00:20:40And this revival proves why

00:20:42Andy Nyman taking on the role of the beleaguered anti-hero Max Bialystok in Mel Brooks' hoot of a production The Producers

00:20:51I'll be back with Andy for a hoot of a chat right after this

00:20:55Welcome back to Love Your Weekend

00:21:10Tis the season to be jolly

00:21:12And he always is

00:21:13Twelve months of the year in fact Simon likes it here with the decorations that really do embody the spirit of Christmas

00:21:19Leslie Joseph hanging out with the big boys and not for the first time

00:21:23And getting the party started in style wine expert Tony Asoba has you covered with the finest new British wines to try this festive season

00:21:32Now as the late great James Stewart said

00:21:35The great thing about the movies is you're giving people little tiny pieces of time that they never forget

00:21:40Which brings me on to this Mel Brooks classic

00:21:44A scheming producer and his mousy accountant in a cinematic triumph

00:21:48Which has now been turned into a West End masterpiece

00:21:52And if you go and see this

00:21:53You'll be in for a moment

00:21:55You will never forget

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00:24:58can we laugh at that?

00:25:01And then within about 15 minutes,

00:25:04you realise, for the audience,

00:25:06all bets are off,

00:25:07and it's just gales of laughter

00:25:10and joy.

00:25:12It is a very, very joyous show.

00:25:15The music is so fun.

00:25:16And it's humanity poking fun at itself, really.

00:25:18It really, really is.

00:25:20Yeah, yeah.

00:25:22How on earth do you stay fresh?

00:25:25I mean, you're doing...

00:25:26How many performances a week?

00:25:27Eight shows a week.

00:25:28Eight shows a week.

00:25:29And you are never off.

00:25:31It's energetic.

00:25:32This is what I'm surprised that you can sit here

00:25:34without being asleep.

00:25:35I really am.

00:25:36What's your secret?

00:25:37How do you do it?

00:25:38I take care of myself, is the first thing.

00:25:41And I eat well, and I exercise.

00:25:43But the biggest thing is,

00:25:45and it sounds schmaltzy to say it,

00:25:47I just adore what I do.

00:25:49I've always loved it.

00:25:50I love the lifestyle of it.

00:25:52I love every aspect,

00:25:56both the highs and the lows,

00:25:58of being an actor,

00:26:00and because I do lots of other things,

00:26:01I write and direct and stuff as well,

00:26:03just being in show business.

00:26:04I really love it.

00:26:05I've never taken it for granted.

00:26:07It started its life at the Monea Chocolate Factory,

00:26:09as did a completely different musical,

00:26:13whereas The Producers' is all about humour and hilarity.

00:26:17Poignancy, heart and love

00:26:19are at the core of Fiddler on the Roof.

00:26:21To live from Fiddler on the Roof.

00:26:41That was a production.

00:26:42You did that performance in Covent Garden.

00:26:43It wasn't the one...

00:26:44Yeah, that was at West End Line,

00:26:46so you were in front of 25,000 people there.

00:26:49Again, heavily based on the Jewish tradition,

00:26:52that one there.

00:26:52I have to tell you,

00:26:53and I haven't told you before,

00:26:55Alice and I came and saw Fiddler at...

00:26:58I'd been in it as an amateur years and years ago

00:27:00and seen one or two other productions.

00:27:01We came and saw it at the Monea Chocolate Factory

00:27:03and decided that we would see no other production.

00:27:05We're never going to it again

00:27:06because it was just the definitive.

00:27:10Quite a small theatre.

00:27:12You felt included.

00:27:12You were within the village of Anatevka

00:27:14and your performance as the father,

00:27:16because we were so close,

00:27:18which is not always comfortable in theatre,

00:27:20but in Fiddler on the Roof,

00:27:22oh, my goodness me, you felt drawn in.

00:27:24Terribly, terribly moving.

00:27:26I mean, I can't hear Sunrise, Sunset without weeping.

00:27:28Yeah, of course.

00:27:29That's very kind of view.

00:27:29And from your point of view, being Jewish...

00:27:31I mean, the humour of Jewishness in the producers,

00:27:34but there, the poignancy and tragedy

00:27:37of the Jewish faith and those pogroms

00:27:40that were going on in Russia then,

00:27:41I mean, a completely different part of you to draw on us.

00:27:45It really was, and it was...

00:27:47Look, it's an honour to have done it.

00:27:49It's the first time in my career

00:27:51where I was cast in a role

00:27:53before a director or anyone else was on board.

00:27:56And so when they said,

00:27:58oh, I think Sir Trevor Nunn is going to direct it,

00:28:00I mean, like, ooh, gosh, OK.

00:28:04So Trevor and I got together and he said to me,

00:28:07you know, what do you think this show is?

00:28:11And it was very important to me,

00:28:13firstly, that I felt that I could honour my grandparents,

00:28:17my great-grandparents,

00:28:18because this is fundamentally their story.

00:28:20But the play that was then written around that,

00:28:26you know, is so honest about marriage,

00:28:29about parenthood,

00:28:31about people, immigrant families living under stress,

00:28:37with threat of having to leave.

00:28:39And it was very important to me that...

00:28:41I think one of the things which is so lovely to hear

00:28:43that made it so truthful for you and so resonant

00:28:46is that you just tell the truth of those people

00:28:50and then the Jewishness, that's just...

00:28:52It's in the fabric of what it is.

00:28:54You don't have to make it about that.

00:28:56Well, it worked, I can tell you why.

00:28:58What intriguing, which I didn't know about you,

00:29:00was this fascination with ghost stories

00:29:02and the paranormal.

00:29:04And you've written this, like, ghost stories,

00:29:06which have been in...

00:29:07Shall I have a peep?

00:29:08Let's have a look.

00:29:08Oh, yes.

00:29:09Here's a bit of ghost stories.

00:29:10You OK?

00:29:16Yeah.

00:29:21OK.

00:29:24So...

00:29:25Who else is up here with us in the upstairs room?

00:29:31No one, this is us.

00:29:32No, sorry, in the top bedroom.

00:29:34My brother's old room.

00:29:35Right, your brother, so is he still living at home?

00:29:37What, Mr Perfect?

00:29:37No, he's 25 and married, he's got a flat.

00:29:42There's no-one here, it's just us.

00:29:47Sorry, I was just up there.

00:29:47There's nobody here, I'm telling you, there's nobody here.

00:29:49Do you want to go and look?

00:30:04No.

00:30:05Fine, then.

00:30:07The Stillness Day, see, adding to the horror of it all.

00:30:12What is it about the horror genre that attracts you so much?

00:30:15I mean, it's all about, you know, suggestion, really, isn't it?

00:30:20Jeremy Dyson and I wrote the play and directed the play

00:30:24and I starred as Goodman in it and then we did the same on film.

00:30:27We met when we were 15 at a Jewish summer camp

00:30:30and decided, because generally you get sent to those things

00:30:33to try and find a wife.

00:30:35That's what your parent's hoping for.

00:30:37I found Jeremy.

00:30:39But it was also at the same time as the video Nasty Boom happened in the 80s,

00:30:46which I was obsessed with.

00:30:47Still am.

00:30:48So Jeremy and I, in later years, decided we wanted to write together.

00:30:54And there's something so fascinating about ghost stories

00:30:59and particularly within the history of Britain and how it sits.

00:31:03And here we are in this lovely, cosy, you know, cottage out in the countryside

00:31:08and there is something unquestionably unnerving about the silence, the emptiness.

00:31:19And there's a city boy.

00:31:22It's lovely.

00:31:23It is lovely.

00:31:24But it is also the world of M.R. James and Christmas ghost stories.

00:31:32Well, diversity is clearly the key in your life, the variety of things you do,

00:31:36including Wicked.

00:31:39Elphaba.

00:31:41Elphaba Throp.

00:31:44This is my younger sister, Nessa Rose.

00:31:46As you can see, she's a perfectly acceptable colour.

00:31:51Stop making a spectacle of yourself.

00:31:55I was trying to be nice.

00:31:56You're so nice and good.

00:31:57Did I do something bad?

00:31:58No.

00:31:59How did that come across?

00:32:00I don't see colours.

00:32:02My precious little girl.

00:32:04Father.

00:32:06A parting gift.

00:32:15Mother's jeweled shoes.

00:32:17So they can all see how beautiful you are right down to your toes.

00:32:25Thank you so much.

00:32:26I love them.

00:32:28Let me put them with your boxes.

00:32:30Of course.

00:32:30Suitably suited and booted, they're incredible costumes and sets.

00:32:37I mean, like being in your own fairy tale.

00:32:39In all my years, I have never been involved with anything of that scale.

00:32:43I've done big things, but that is like nothing else.

00:32:46That set was extraordinary.

00:32:50Is that intimidating rather than helpful to an actor?

00:32:52I don't find it intimidating because I just sort of roll with it and think, wow.

00:32:55I mean, when you first walk on, you realise, holy cow, this is something.

00:33:01But ultimately, it's just the same thing.

00:33:02You've just got to do the work.

00:33:03But honestly, Alan, it was mind-blowing, let alone the talent of the cast, who were just fabulous.

00:33:11But then it also boils down to the truth of the script, that is a father who loves one daughter and not the other.

00:33:16It's heartbreaking.

00:33:18You know, and to see that play, I think that's one of the reasons it touched so many people.

00:33:22You know, the songs are brilliant.

00:33:24The truth of the story is brilliant.

00:33:26And to have done it as two films just means it opens out and can breathe.

00:33:29Thank you for so much pleasure over the years.

00:33:32Nice of me to get the chance to say.

00:33:33It's so lovely.

00:33:34Thank you so much.

00:33:35We'll see you again in whatever you do.

00:33:37Thank you, Andy.

00:33:38Now, the natural world in close at night may unnerve Andy, but we tend to love it.

00:33:43We're turning our attention to the wonderful vistas that you've been capturing.

00:33:47It's time for Walk on the Wild Side.

00:33:51Your dose of nature, sorted.

00:33:54Walk on the Wild Side on Love Your Weekend.

00:33:57Sponsored by WWF.

00:33:59Sponsored by WWF.

00:34:29Sponsored by WWF.

00:34:31SPonsored by WWF.

00:34:31Sponsored by WWF.

00:34:32Sponsored by WWF.

00:34:33Sponsored by WWF.

00:34:34Sponsored by WWF.

00:34:35Sponsored by WWF.

00:34:35April Righteous Re�� chocolate with AAA

00:34:36hace reputation.

00:34:38Sponsored by WWF.

00:34:40Sponsored byEEEE Q.

00:34:46hon.

00:34:49ORGAN PLAYS

00:35:19Oh, thank you for those wonderfully diverse pictures

00:35:32that reflect the very best of the British countryside.

00:35:36Please do keep sending them in, we do love them.

00:35:38Coming up, it was the exclusive They All Wanted, but which we got.

00:35:43And for a mission of such importance, we needed a special reporter,

00:35:46someone with a natural affinity for wildlife,

00:35:49fearless in the field and donning the flak jacket once again.

00:35:53Leslie Joseph heads off on safari

00:35:55to celebrate Christmas with some of her wilder friends.

00:35:59What? No, begins.

00:36:01And speaking of flamboyant characters,

00:36:03he's making an impact before we've even made it through the front door.

00:36:07Florist Simon Lighthouse getting creative with Christmas wreaths.

00:36:10The bigger, the better, it seems.

00:36:12And I'll see you with Simon and his seasonal blooms right after this.

00:36:17Welcome back to Love Your Weekend

00:36:31on this rather damp Sunday morning.

00:36:34Coming up, with Christmas just weeks away,

00:36:37she's bringing out the good stuff early.

00:36:39Tony Osoba, back in the barn

00:36:41with her pick of the best new British wines to try on the big day.

00:36:45Leslie Joseph's donning her binoculars

00:36:47as we let her loose on safari.

00:36:50And it's the ultimate game of deceit and betrayal.

00:36:53Yes, the fingerless gloves are on.

00:36:56And let the mind games begin.

00:36:58Celebrity traitor star Claire Balding

00:37:00talks traitors and faithfuls

00:37:02and being banished by her fellow players.

00:37:05As she says,

00:37:05She was glad not to be murdered.

00:37:08Every cloud, eh?

00:37:09Before that, it's time for your voice of nature.

00:37:12Here's Amanda Redman

00:37:13and The Snow Fairy by Claude Mackay.

00:37:24Throughout the afternoon, I watch them there.

00:37:28Snow fairies falling.

00:37:30Falling from the sky.

00:37:32Whirling fantastic in the misty air.

00:37:35Contending fierce for space supremacy.

00:37:39And they flew down a mightier force at night.

00:37:42As though in heaven there was revolt and riot.

00:37:45And they, frail things,

00:37:47had taken panic flight down to the calm earth.

00:37:51Seeking peace and quiet.

00:37:54I went to bed.

00:37:55And rose early dawn.

00:37:57To see them huddled together in a heap.

00:37:59Each merged into the other upon the lawn.

00:38:04Worn out by the sharp struggle.

00:38:06Fast asleep.

00:38:07The sun shone brightly on them half the day.

00:38:11By night,

00:38:12they stealthily

00:38:13had stolen away.

00:38:15Ah, thank you, Amanda.

00:38:25The fairy in our Christmassy programme.

00:38:27Time now to pick up where we left off

00:38:29in our wreath-making masterclass

00:38:31from our festive florist,

00:38:33Simon Lycett.

00:38:34So we've tackled the bases

00:38:35and now onto the exciting part of the decoration.

00:38:38So we're doing two.

00:38:38We're doing a rustic wreath.

00:38:40We are.

00:38:40Using all the goodies you get from the garden.

00:38:42Yeah.

00:38:42Just nip out there.

00:38:43Snip everything off.

00:38:45And then you...

00:38:46So you've got on there,

00:38:47you've got ivy.

00:38:47So that's my base.

00:38:48There's our dogwood base.

00:38:49And then I'm just taking little handfuls

00:38:52of whatever's around and about.

00:38:54Yeah.

00:38:54I love all the different conifers,

00:38:56the evergreens.

00:38:57You really want to choose something

00:38:59that's not going to wilt

00:39:00if you're hanging it inside.

00:39:01Outside, you've got a bit more leeway

00:39:03because the moisture in the air

00:39:04will sustain things.

00:39:05It's cooler.

00:39:06Yeah.

00:39:06So we continue on around

00:39:08and then we end up with one

00:39:10that looks like that.

00:39:11This fabric is largely beautiful.

00:39:13It's gorgeous, isn't it?

00:39:14Isn't that gorgeous?

00:39:14And smells wonderful.

00:39:15Yeah.

00:39:16So now we've got our base.

00:39:18I've again raided the garden for things.

00:39:20You know, I'm lucky in London

00:39:21the hydrangeas really aren't affected

00:39:23by the cold, wet weather.

00:39:25And so I've got these lovely stems

00:39:26which I've just mounted onto a stub wire.

00:39:28Yeah.

00:39:29That's neat.

00:39:29So it's much more pliable

00:39:31and you stick it in with that.

00:39:32It just means that you can secure anything

00:39:34and you push the wire in at the front,

00:39:37it comes back on the base

00:39:38and then you just push it back in on itself

00:39:41which stops it being a nasty scratchy thing

00:39:44on your door.

00:39:44On your paintwork.

00:39:45Yes, exactly.

00:39:46It anchors it as well.

00:39:47Exactly.

00:39:47I love when you get this bi-coloured effect

00:39:50on these hydrangeas.

00:39:51I mean, it's wonderful, isn't it?

00:39:52The sort of, the pink and the green,

00:39:54the sort of colder weather

00:39:55seems to burnish them, doesn't it?

00:39:56And it doesn't matter how hard you wish it

00:39:58or try it, you can't influence it.

00:40:01It's purely nature doing its thing.

00:40:04You get what you give us.

00:40:04Yes.

00:40:05Rose hips.

00:40:06And lovely to put things like rose hips in

00:40:08because they add some colour,

00:40:10they're totally organic and sustainable.

00:40:12I mean, they also feed the birds.

00:40:14Yes.

00:40:14Which is wonderful.

00:40:15And you can find all sorts of berries,

00:40:17whatever is in the garden,

00:40:18do some foraging and find some lovely things,

00:40:21a bit of bartering with neighbours

00:40:22as to what they've got.

00:40:23So you're doing that all the way around?

00:40:25You can either go all the way around

00:40:26or you can choose to just do smaller areas of it.

00:40:30It really depends.

00:40:31You'll be amazed how many materials it uses.

00:40:33It eats stuff.

00:40:34Yeah.

00:40:35So it's really a case of pacing your design.

00:40:38We're talking about seven though,

00:40:39and you have only got seven of your...

00:40:40And then, oh, is this the pièce de résistance?

00:40:42And then my little finish...

00:40:43I've never seen a bow as big as that.

00:40:45I made a bow out of some trails of ivy.

00:40:47Yeah.

00:40:47And I thought I would just whack that

00:40:49in at the bottom there, you see.

00:40:52Yeah.

00:40:52And again, I'm just securing it

00:40:55using my stub wire.

00:40:59And the stub wires you can get

00:41:01from your local flask.

00:41:02That's these, isn't it?

00:41:03The things here.

00:41:04The joy of them is that it does mean

00:41:06you can secure things relatively easily.

00:41:10Just attach your bow in at the base.

00:41:13Just give it a good, secure wire.

00:41:19You know, you can take your time at home.

00:41:21You just set yourself an evening

00:41:23or an afternoon to do this.

00:41:24It's a really lovely thing to do.

00:41:25Perhaps with a friend.

00:41:27Yeah.

00:41:27A couple of you having a little go at it.

00:41:29And then, at the very end,

00:41:32you've got your hook.

00:41:33I know this is where my duty comes in now.

00:41:35Hang it on.

00:41:36I'm nervous now.

00:41:37It doesn't fall apart.

00:41:38Right, there's my hook.

00:41:39Go around the front.

00:41:40And you can see it in all its glory.

00:41:41If that goes in there.

00:41:45There we are.

00:41:47Isn't that amazing?

00:41:48Beautiful.

00:41:50Lovely.

00:41:50A rustic wreath.

00:41:51Yes.

00:41:51Now, you're talking about a look.

00:41:52As you said, it's falling over a hay bale.

00:41:54You're talking about a looks version as well.

00:41:58So, when you left me with my mossy base,

00:42:01I then bound some of this lovely blue pine on.

00:42:04Now, if you're buying one of these non-drop trees,

00:42:07you often need to trim a few branches from the bottom.

00:42:09These are perfect to use.

00:42:11And you can see how there was my base.

00:42:13Yeah.

00:42:13And I've bound it all over with the lovely blue pine,

00:42:16which is non-drop and smells yummy.

00:42:19And then I end up with one like this.

00:42:22And I've just been adding in.

00:42:23Oh, you've got twigs with lichen on it.

00:42:25Aren't they just joyous?

00:42:25It's a blue spruce, this, isn't it, actually?

00:42:27Yes.

00:42:28Yeah.

00:42:28And look at this lichen twig.

00:42:30So, this comes down from Scotland for me from suppliers.

00:42:33Yeah.

00:42:33And it is just, it's the biggest treat for us to get hold of.

00:42:37I love it.

00:42:38On these long pine cones.

00:42:39And then pine cones again mounted on the stub wire.

00:42:42And it's a bit hard on the hands mounting the cones initially.

00:42:46But each year when you've finished with your wreath,

00:42:48you can undo them, remove them, store them with them on their wires.

00:42:53Dry.

00:42:54Somewhere dry.

00:42:55And preferably vermin-free.

00:42:57So that when you go back to the box next year,

00:42:59they're still intact and already wired and good to go.

00:43:03The mice haven't been in there.

00:43:04And I thread them in so I go in from the front,

00:43:07just sort of lifting up some of the pine

00:43:10so that they don't sit on top, they sort of nestle inside.

00:43:13Yeah, and they're sticking out a bit.

00:43:14And then on the reverse, my wire gets pushed in again

00:43:18so I'm not scratchy on the paintwork.

00:43:20You've then got walnuts.

00:43:22Yes, these I love.

00:43:24They're a bit fiddly and we do use the glue gun just to anchor them.

00:43:27But again, they'll last for years if you keep them somewhere free from vermin.

00:43:32Yeah, yeah.

00:43:32And these I thread in at the front and the back.

00:43:37I mean, you can use chestnuts, baubles.

00:43:39There's all sorts of things.

00:43:40You can just do a little cluster of them, join together, twisty, twisty,

00:43:47snip them off, bend it on itself so that you're adding in a big handful of them on one wire.

00:43:56And then you've got succulents.

00:43:57You've got echeverias.

00:43:59Aren't they a lovely, gorgeous, glaucus grey with the pine colour?

00:44:03You see, so this is just a rosette whipped off, as you can see.

00:44:07And when you do that to an echeveria, it will then, often from the stalk that's left,

00:44:12it'll sprout and give you more of these rosettes.

00:44:14It's wonderfully succulent.

00:44:16And then some little sticks of cinnamon which smell divine.

00:44:19They're gorgeous, don't they?

00:44:20And you can buy decorative cinnamon that isn't for eating, so just be aware.

00:44:25Oh, right.

00:44:26Yes, it's normally less expensive, longer sticks, but you shouldn't use it in your mulled wine.

00:44:31Right.

00:44:31And then there's a finale.

00:44:33Yeah.

00:44:33A beautiful bow.

00:44:35Now this, don't you love it, your son's going to a store at Christmas, don't you?

00:44:38And the assistants have been doing this since September.

00:44:41And you watch the deafness of which they turn it around, tie it over, and you think,

00:44:44I wish I could do that.

00:44:45And you know when they get home, they're never going to bother to do it on the Christmas present

00:44:47because they've been doing it all day in the shop.

00:44:49They just don't want to do it at home.

00:44:52But I'm sure you do, Simon.

00:44:54I generally do have a door wreath, and I normally, because I'm a bit of a control freak,

00:44:59I normally give door wreaths to all my neighbours so that I know they've got a nice one.

00:45:04Don't lower the tone of the area with something nasty.

00:45:07I'm very good.

00:45:08Right.

00:45:09Give that a little trim off.

00:45:11Yeah.

00:45:12And then just anchor it.

00:45:15With your walnut.

00:45:16With a wire.

00:45:17Yeah.

00:45:20And then pop that in.

00:45:24Just as a little finale.

00:45:26And there we are.

00:45:27Look at that.

00:45:27Go on, then.

00:45:28Got to be done, hasn't it?

00:45:30Isn't that wonderful?

00:45:32Would you look at that?

00:45:33Created, before your very eyes, a luxurious, along with the rustic, door wreath.

00:45:40Pay your money.

00:45:40Take your choice.

00:45:41Simon, you're a star as ever.

00:45:43Thank you very much indeed.

00:45:44Merry Christmas.

00:45:45And you.

00:45:45Now, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas here at Love You Weekend without a visit to one of

00:45:55the UK's wildlife parks and zoos to see how the animals in their care get to celebrate

00:46:01the season like the rest of us.

00:46:02This year, the honour goes to Woburn Safari Park in Bedfordshire, home to more than 75 species

00:46:08of exotic and endangered animals.

00:46:11Our resident natural history guru willingly took up the challenge.

00:46:16Well, she still had all the gear and the gap in her panto schedule, so it was a no-brainer,

00:46:21really.

00:46:21Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the world premiere of Leslie Joseph in A Very Safari Christmas.

00:46:28Where is he?

00:46:44I've been walking for miles, and there he is, Bob, the ranger.

00:46:51Hello, Bob.

00:46:52Hi.

00:46:53Safari time.

00:46:54Let's go.

00:46:54Let's go for it.

00:46:58Bob and I are taking Christmas presents for the lions, and I've got meat and partridge

00:47:08in here, and I'm going to not stay and see them eat it.

00:47:12I'm going to get back in the Land Rover.

00:47:18Are we actually going to be this close?

00:47:20So it might be worth actually putting the window up?

00:47:23Oh, it's terrifying.

00:47:28Oh, my God, it's huge.

00:47:30It's really weird.

00:47:30If part of you wants to open the door, almost to stroke them, it's a weird sort of primeval

00:47:36feeling that...

00:47:38So you want to do it, but you don't really want to do it, do you?

00:47:42One just went over to another one, and they have a really loud growl.

00:47:46It's just a warning growl, you know, it's just siblings having a bit of a rivalry.

00:47:51I've never been this close to something so dangerous.

00:47:55Any closer?

00:47:57No, no closer.

00:47:59No closer, but you're always safe with the ranger, Bob.

00:48:01Oh, my God.

00:48:03So how many in the Pride, and how many acres do they have here?

00:48:06So there's eight in the Pride here, and they're roaming 34 acres, which is huge.

00:48:13So the lion's ripped the Christmas presents.

00:48:16It's just a little bit of mental stimulation.

00:48:18Kojo, he's weighing it at 350 kilos.

00:48:23It really is the most peculiar feeling.

00:48:26It's scary and wonderful and awesome.

00:48:29Right, I'm going to open my eyes.

00:48:41Where are we?

00:48:42Okay, well, you can pan around here.

00:48:44Goodness, giraffes, they're beautiful.

00:48:47So what you're going to do is grab a bit of button that's question.

00:48:50They'll love that.

00:48:53I've never seen such a long tongue in my life.

00:48:55I tell you, I'll...

00:48:56There you go.

00:49:00And then Freya's coming across.

00:49:03Come on, Freya.

00:49:04Freya?

00:49:05Right, Kimmy, you've had enough.

00:49:07Bob, they're eating our wreath.

00:49:09Oh, no, they've turned it over.

00:49:12So we're obviously quite high up to feed them.

00:49:14How tall do they actually get?

00:49:16So probably around 14 plus feet.

00:49:18It's interesting, the barrels are there.

00:49:20But they can't just get their food.

00:49:22They've got to find food.

00:49:23So it's a bit like living in the wild.

00:49:25It's not just presented on a plate.

00:49:28They're all surrounding me now, fighting over the wreath.

00:49:31It's my Christmas present.

00:49:32So I'm sitting here in the meerkat enclosure, stuffing this straw with live crickets and mealworm.

00:49:47And this is going to be their Christmas present.

00:49:49So shall we put them down and go now?

00:49:50OK, go and open the door.

00:49:52Don't call up my arm.

00:49:53Do not.

00:49:55Come on.

00:49:57Come on.

00:49:57What's this?

00:49:58Oh, they're adorable.

00:49:59Come on.

00:49:59Up you come.

00:50:00Up you come.

00:50:01Up you come.

00:50:01Yeah, yeah.

00:50:02Come on.

00:50:03Oh, look.

00:50:04No, no.

00:50:05Don't put the live ones on me.

00:50:07They're absolutely adorable.

00:50:09This one's trying to dig into my coat.

00:50:13Oh, I'm surrounded by meerkats.

00:50:16Oh, they're so...

00:50:17I thought they were much bigger than this.

00:50:19So where are meerkats from?

00:50:20So these are generally originally from Southern Africa.

00:50:23And do they like it over here in the cold?

00:50:25Oh, yeah, they're fine because we have heated compartments.

00:50:28So they all look now, they're sunbathing, look.

00:50:33They're on sentry duty.

00:50:34I'm now in the monkey enclosure,

00:50:42so I'm going to put this carrot nose on one of these mashed potato snowmen

00:50:46and then we're going to feed them.

00:50:47What sort of monkeys are these?

00:50:49So these are barbary apes, the barbary macaques.

00:50:51And do they exist in a family?

00:50:53Yeah, there is.

00:50:54So we've got five family groups here

00:50:55and obviously the boss, his name is Balinga, he's 22.

00:50:59It was his family came down first

00:51:01and then if there's anything left,

00:51:03the next family in the rankings comes down

00:51:06and that's how it works.

00:51:07He's eating everything, he's not leaving anything.

00:51:10Oh my God, they've taken the whole snowmen.

00:51:12They really must think Christmas is here.

00:51:15I have had the best Christmas present ever.

00:51:19Happy Christmas to all of you.

00:51:22Thanks, Leslie,

00:51:23and everyone at Woburn Safari Park

00:51:25for putting up with her.

00:51:27No, she's no bother really.

00:51:28Coming up, keen to branch out

00:51:30from the Blue Nun this Christmas.

00:51:32Look no further.

00:51:33Tony Osober's here

00:51:34with a wine list packed with new whites,

00:51:37reds and rosés

00:51:38to uncork on the big day.

00:51:40And he's the man

00:51:41with the access all areas past

00:51:43to the royal family.

00:51:44We go behind the lens

00:51:45with the royal photographer, Chris Jackson,

00:51:48to discover the stories

00:51:49behind the most iconic images of 2025.

00:51:53Join with Chris

00:51:54and his remarkable royal archive

00:51:56right after this.

00:51:57Welcome back to Love Your Weekend

00:52:11this chilly Sunday morning.

00:52:13Coming up,

00:52:13she's the first lady of Wimbledon

00:52:15and former flat jockey

00:52:16with an impressive pedigree.

00:52:18Claire Balding

00:52:19on why she enjoys the sporting life.

00:52:21Oh, she's got a new book too.

00:52:23But first,

00:52:24my next guest is someone

00:52:25who's truly witnessed history up close,

00:52:28documenting unforgettable moments

00:52:30and intimate scenes

00:52:32featuring the royal family

00:52:33that have appeared in news outlets worldwide.

00:52:36A trusted royal photographer,

00:52:38he offers a unique perspective

00:52:40on what's been another eventful year

00:52:42for the family,

00:52:43both at home and abroad.

00:52:45Here with his personal standout images

00:52:47of recent years

00:52:48and to share special memories

00:52:50of Christmas's past

00:52:51with the Windsors.

00:52:52Welcome, Chris Jackson.

00:52:54Chris, lovely to see you

00:52:54and what a display of your work.

00:52:57Well, I'm very lucky

00:52:58to be surrounded by my pictures.

00:53:01How long have you been

00:53:02a trusted royal photographer?

00:53:03Well, I've been doing the job,

00:53:05I suppose,

00:53:05for over 20 years now.

00:53:07Coming up to 23 years

00:53:08with Getty Images.

00:53:09So I'm knocking you on a little bit

00:53:11but it's fantastic.

00:53:12I'm so lucky to do this job.

00:53:14It's a huge privilege, really,

00:53:15to kind of have a front row seat

00:53:16to some of these incredible

00:53:17historic moments.

00:53:19What was it like

00:53:19when you were first introduced

00:53:21to this circle?

00:53:22I mean, they would have to get to know you.

00:53:23You know, you would have to get to know them.

00:53:25It must have been quite daunting

00:53:26at the very beginning.

00:53:27I think it really is an organic process.

00:53:30These things take a lot of time.

00:53:31Over the years,

00:53:32you get to know everyone

00:53:33within that kind of circle

00:53:34and you build up those relationships

00:53:36over time.

00:53:37And I think, you know,

00:53:38I've been lucky enough

00:53:39to travel all around the world

00:53:40with the royal family,

00:53:41with the king and the queen.

00:53:42And it's time, really,

00:53:44that kind of helps you in this role

00:53:46and helps you sort of build up

00:53:48a knowledge of the nuances

00:53:49and the way that things work.

00:53:50And for them to build up trust in you

00:53:52because they're going to be very guarded

00:53:54if they think,

00:53:54what's he going to show?

00:53:55So there's obviously

00:53:56an understanding

00:53:58between the photographer

00:53:59and the subject

00:54:00as to when you can take a photograph

00:54:02and when you didn't there,

00:54:06you know.

00:54:06And you get to know those, presumably.

00:54:07Yeah, I think that's really important.

00:54:09Of course, taking a photo

00:54:10is an important part of the job.

00:54:11But like you say,

00:54:12not taking a photo.

00:54:13It can be, you know,

00:54:14you have to be sensitive

00:54:15to these moments.

00:54:16We're surrounded

00:54:17by some special photographs here.

00:54:20The one behind me is,

00:54:21I mean, now,

00:54:22if that isn't an inside photograph,

00:54:23there is no such thing as it.

00:54:25Or behind the newly crowned

00:54:28king and queen

00:54:29on the day they came

00:54:30onto the balcony

00:54:31at Buckingham Palace.

00:54:32I mean,

00:54:33that was an incredible moment.

00:54:34I've been lucky enough

00:54:35to photograph the king

00:54:35and the queen

00:54:36for the last 20 years

00:54:37and to be there

00:54:38for that moment.

00:54:38And I will never forget

00:54:40the kind of the cheers

00:54:41of the crowd.

00:54:42And I was really conscious

00:54:43of not getting in the picture

00:54:45of some of my colleagues

00:54:45on the Queen Victoria Memorial.

00:54:48Yes, I was on the other side.

00:54:49I was ducking down

00:54:49and like trying to get the picture

00:54:50but not appear.

00:54:51Yeah, there's a danger

00:54:52of you photobombing

00:54:53their pictures.

00:54:54Exactly, exactly.

00:54:55But, you know,

00:54:55and there's another great moment

00:54:57actually when the red arrows

00:54:58kind of whizz overhead.

00:54:59So that was a slightly

00:55:00lower perspective.

00:55:01But, you know,

00:55:02it was a huge privilege

00:55:03to be there.

00:55:04And I suppose

00:55:04that's the epitome

00:55:05of front row seats.

00:55:07There are obvious

00:55:07posed moments here.

00:55:09You know,

00:55:09the balcony at Buckingham Palace

00:55:10here we aren't looking

00:55:11the other way,

00:55:12looking back into it.

00:55:13The photograph there

00:55:14of the king and queen

00:55:15which looks glorious.

00:55:17But then the candid ones

00:55:18where they're doing something

00:55:19and totally in the moment

00:55:21and in the zone

00:55:21and you're snapping them.

00:55:23And that's lovely.

00:55:24I mean,

00:55:24Prince William down here.

00:55:26I think that's one

00:55:27of the most wonderful things

00:55:28about photographing

00:55:28the royal family

00:55:29is you can't necessarily

00:55:30control what's going on

00:55:31in front of you.

00:55:32And for me,

00:55:33I love that

00:55:34because of course

00:55:35controlling a portrait

00:55:36is one thing

00:55:36and that's lovely.

00:55:38But that anticipation

00:55:39of not knowing

00:55:40what you're going to get next,

00:55:41this picture of Prince Louis

00:55:43and George,

00:55:43of course,

00:55:44and Charlotte

00:55:44on the balcony.

00:55:45I just love

00:55:46not knowing

00:55:47that that moment's

00:55:47going to happen

00:55:48and then capturing it

00:55:49and seeing it

00:55:49on the back of the camera.

00:55:50Do you work on a very fast

00:55:52one of those

00:55:53so you've got lots

00:55:55going on within the space

00:55:56of a second?

00:55:56There's several shots in there.

00:55:58Yeah,

00:55:58we work with the benefits

00:55:59of digital cameras

00:56:00that we have these days

00:56:01but it's almost like

00:56:02sketching out a picture.

00:56:03So you have the benefit

00:56:04of taking lots of pictures

00:56:05if you need to

00:56:06but it's very much

00:56:07choosing that moment

00:56:08and kind of sketching

00:56:10that particular moment out

00:56:11and this is a particularly

00:56:13lovely moment

00:56:13where Louis is waving

00:56:15to the crowd,

00:56:15the crowd is cheering,

00:56:17he's waving,

00:56:17they're cheering

00:56:18and just capturing

00:56:19all the expressions

00:56:20of the royals

00:56:20around the family

00:56:21around him

00:56:22was lovely.

00:56:23So yeah,

00:56:23it does benefit you

00:56:24having that ability

00:56:25to take a good few photos

00:56:27quickly.

00:56:28There's one here

00:56:28which is particularly lovely

00:56:29and that is the king

00:56:30looking up

00:56:31and laughing at the rain.

00:56:32Now,

00:56:33I've been with him

00:56:34when it started to rain

00:56:35and everybody else

00:56:36says,

00:56:36oh dear,

00:56:37it's raining

00:56:37and he just looks up

00:56:38and says,

00:56:38it's a blessing.

00:56:39You know,

00:56:39and that for me

00:56:40sums up the king

00:56:42he's a good gardener

00:56:43you see

00:56:43and he knows

00:56:44that we need rain

00:56:45or things won't grow.

00:56:46Yeah,

00:56:46that was in Jersey

00:56:47and,

00:56:48you know,

00:56:49rain can be an absolute curse

00:56:50for a photographer

00:56:51with all your equipment

00:56:51but at the same time

00:56:52you know

00:56:53that if a storm's coming

00:56:55and I saw that one

00:56:56coming across the bay,

00:56:57big black clouds

00:56:58and it was,

00:57:00I mean,

00:57:00the raindrops were huge.

00:57:02But it was a lovely moment

00:57:04because that moment

00:57:04it started tipping it down

00:57:06all the kind of

00:57:06cub scouts

00:57:07and beavers,

00:57:08poor kids

00:57:08were kind of

00:57:09traipsing past

00:57:10absolutely safe

00:57:12but that moment

00:57:12it started

00:57:13the king looked up

00:57:14to the heavens

00:57:15and it was

00:57:16that exact moment then

00:57:17so,

00:57:18you know,

00:57:18you've got to be ready

00:57:19for those.

00:57:19You also have

00:57:21a very close

00:57:22understanding

00:57:23and knowledge

00:57:24of what

00:57:24Robert Aardman

00:57:25famously calls

00:57:26what lots of people

00:57:27call soft power.

00:57:28You see the effect

00:57:30that the arrival

00:57:31of the king,

00:57:31the queen,

00:57:32the prince and princess

00:57:32of Wales,

00:57:33princess royal

00:57:34and Sir Tim Lawrence,

00:57:36you see the reaction

00:57:37of people

00:57:37when they go

00:57:38into a room

00:57:39or they go

00:57:39to an occasion.

00:57:41Spreading stardust

00:57:43in a way

00:57:43lifts people's lives

00:57:44and I think sometimes

00:57:45it's really underestimated

00:57:46what good they can do

00:57:49just by making people

00:57:50feel special.

00:57:52I think that's spot on

00:57:53and seeing the reaction

00:57:54that the royal family

00:57:55have around the world,

00:57:56seeing the crowds

00:57:57on a walkabout,

00:57:58seeing the excitement

00:57:59that people have.

00:58:00I remember the king's

00:58:01first visit as king

00:58:03to Germany

00:58:04and seeing the crowds

00:58:05gathered in the square

00:58:06in Hamburg,

00:58:07you know,

00:58:07everyone wanted to meet him.

00:58:09When you're following

00:58:09through the generations,

00:58:11I mean,

00:58:11over your shoulder there,

00:58:12the late queen

00:58:12with her soldiers

00:58:14trooping past,

00:58:15intriguing to,

00:58:17from your point of view,

00:58:18to be really on site

00:58:19at the moment of transition

00:58:20where everybody

00:58:21was rather nervous

00:58:22wondering how it would happen

00:58:24and it seemed to happen

00:58:25almost completely seamlessly.

00:58:27It just moved

00:58:28from Elizabeth II

00:58:29to King Charles III.

00:58:31I think everybody

00:58:32was relieved

00:58:33that that was the case

00:58:34but to be there

00:58:35at that moment,

00:58:36I think also

00:58:37must have been special.

00:58:39Yeah,

00:58:39I mean,

00:58:40to a photograph

00:58:41Queen Elizabeth

00:58:41was a huge privilege

00:58:42and I'll never forget,

00:58:43I mean,

00:58:43it's a cliche

00:58:44but the presence she had

00:58:46was absolutely iconic

00:58:48and I'm so lucky

00:58:49that I had the opportunity

00:58:51but the moment

00:58:52of her passing,

00:58:53I was in Windsor

00:58:54and I will never forget,

00:58:55you know,

00:58:56the announcement being made

00:58:57and everyone looking

00:58:58at their phones

00:58:58and looking up

00:59:00at the Round Tower,

00:59:01that iconic part

00:59:02of the place

00:59:02that she lived

00:59:02for so many years,

00:59:04an incredible rainbow

00:59:05developing

00:59:05at that exact moment

00:59:07and it did,

00:59:08it just felt like

00:59:09an incredibly powerful moment

00:59:10and I'll never forget

00:59:12the week following

00:59:13and the journey

00:59:15that her body made

00:59:16as it came down

00:59:16from Scotland

00:59:17and all the ceremony

00:59:18and the emotion

00:59:19and even,

00:59:20you know,

00:59:20feeling a little bit

00:59:21of it myself

00:59:22having photographed her

00:59:23for so long.

00:59:23Yes,

00:59:24you see,

00:59:24that must happen

00:59:25to you as well

00:59:26when you're in work mode,

00:59:27when you're doing

00:59:28all of these

00:59:29but at the same time,

00:59:30there must be moments

00:59:32where they really do

00:59:33catch you unawares

00:59:35and raise your emotions.

00:59:37Does that happen as well?

00:59:38I know you've got

00:59:38to control it

00:59:39but you must nevertheless

00:59:40find that there are.

00:59:41Yeah,

00:59:42I mean,

00:59:42a mix of emotions.

00:59:44You know,

00:59:44the great thing

00:59:45about photographing

00:59:45the royal family

00:59:46is the happy moments

00:59:47that you get to capture

00:59:48and that's,

00:59:49that's again,

00:59:49I've used it a lot

00:59:50but a huge privilege,

00:59:51you know,

00:59:52photographing

00:59:53the Princess of Wales

00:59:54with her children,

00:59:55babies at the Lindo Wing,

00:59:57a day of celebration

00:59:58for the whole country

01:00:00and the whole world

01:00:00and to be right

01:00:01at the forefront of that,

01:00:03you know,

01:00:03I'll never take that

01:00:04for granted

01:00:04and then obviously

01:00:05more poignant moments,

01:00:07more sombre moments,

01:00:08funerals,

01:00:09the Duke of Edmund's funeral

01:00:10for example,

01:00:11during COVID

01:00:12with that kind of

01:00:14pared down ceremony

01:00:15and I was right,

01:00:16so powerful

01:00:17and I was right next

01:00:19to the door

01:00:20as the coffin came out

01:00:21and I just never forget

01:00:23being aware

01:00:23that I was,

01:00:24I was there

01:00:26and it felt like,

01:00:27because there was

01:00:28so few people,

01:00:29it just felt

01:00:30so powerful

01:00:31there are so many,

01:00:33do we get a chance

01:00:34to see them in a book?

01:00:35Are they all only

01:00:35going to be in one place?

01:00:36Well,

01:00:36thanks for asking,

01:00:38I do have a book

01:00:38coming out in March

01:00:40in 2026

01:00:41called Modern Majesty

01:00:42and it's,

01:00:43you know,

01:00:44I absolutely,

01:00:44it's my fourth book

01:00:45and I love doing books

01:00:46because it's an opportunity

01:00:47to talk about

01:00:48some of the stories

01:00:49behind the pictures.

01:00:50With the transition

01:00:51from Elizabeth II

01:00:52to King Charles III,

01:00:53have you felt

01:00:54a change in mood,

01:00:55a different kind of mood?

01:00:56Does it feel different

01:00:57to you now

01:00:58as a royal photographer

01:00:58than the way

01:00:59it felt

01:01:00with the late queen?

01:01:01Well,

01:01:01of course,

01:01:02you know,

01:01:02there's been challenges

01:01:03in recent years,

01:01:05wellness challenges

01:01:07and I think

01:01:08that sort of transition

01:01:09was a challenging period

01:01:10but seeing how

01:01:11the king

01:01:13and Princess Catherine

01:01:13have bounced back

01:01:15from those incredibly

01:01:16difficult times

01:01:17has been incredible

01:01:18and I mean,

01:01:19even keeping up

01:01:20with the king today

01:01:21is very hard work.

01:01:23He's working left,

01:01:25right and centre

01:01:25with so many

01:01:26different engagements

01:01:26and I don't know

01:01:28he keeps it all in his head.

01:01:29No, I don't know.

01:01:29I don't know.

01:01:30And Christmas,

01:01:31a special time

01:01:32for the royals.

01:01:33It means you've got

01:01:33to be there

01:01:34and give your Christmas

01:01:35up a bit,

01:01:35doesn't it really?

01:01:37Exactly, exactly.

01:01:37You know,

01:01:38it's a very special time

01:01:39for the royal family

01:01:39and there's a number

01:01:41of different events

01:01:41around Christmas

01:01:42which, you know,

01:01:43I remember from past years

01:01:44and it, you know,

01:01:45it's all about coming together,

01:01:46all about giving back

01:01:47and I suppose,

01:01:48you know,

01:01:49the Queen's event

01:01:51at Clarence House

01:01:52with Helen Douglas

01:01:53and Roald Dahl

01:01:54Marvellous Children's

01:01:55charity is always

01:01:56a fantastic one

01:01:57to photograph

01:01:58and very poignant

01:01:59but, you know,

01:02:00it's amazing

01:02:01what happens around

01:02:02this period

01:02:02for the royal family.

01:02:03Thanks very much indeed,

01:02:04Chris.

01:02:04I look forward to the book.

01:02:06I appreciate it.

01:02:08Now, the thing I like

01:02:09about Leslie Joseph

01:02:10is her joie de vie,

01:02:12her raison d'être,

01:02:13her ooh la la

01:02:14and any other French

01:02:15expressions you'd like

01:02:16to pin on her.

01:02:17Today,

01:02:17she's out doing

01:02:18even herself.

01:02:19First,

01:02:20we saw her on safari

01:02:21with a whole host

01:02:22of animals.

01:02:23Now,

01:02:23she's returned

01:02:24to her horticultural roots

01:02:25showing off her knowledge

01:02:26of mistletoe.

01:02:28A wonderful

01:02:29and whimsical

01:02:30good morning

01:02:31to you,

01:02:31Alan.

01:02:32Today,

01:02:33we go down

01:02:33the garden path

01:02:34to meet an evergreen

01:02:36so popular

01:02:37Sir Cliff even

01:02:38sang a song about it.

01:02:42Christmas time,

01:02:44mistletoe and wine.

01:02:46Now,

01:02:47that's what I call

01:02:48an evergreen.

01:02:49Step forward,

01:02:50the magnificent mistletoe.

01:02:54The humble mistletoe

01:02:55or viscum album

01:02:56to its scientific friends

01:02:57is a semi-parasitic

01:02:59evergreen

01:03:00smothered in

01:03:01translucent white berries

01:03:03that decorates

01:03:04our landscape

01:03:04from winter to spring.

01:03:06Oh, mistletoe,

01:03:08if you weren't

01:03:09highly poisonous,

01:03:10I could just kiss you.

01:03:13Mistletoe is dioecious,

01:03:15meaning male

01:03:16and female flowers

01:03:17are produced

01:03:18on separate plants.

01:03:19Oh,

01:03:20how fancy.

01:03:23Berries are naturally

01:03:24spread from one tree

01:03:25to another by birds,

01:03:27especially thrushes

01:03:28and blackcaps,

01:03:29who just can't

01:03:30help themselves.

01:03:31When a bird

01:03:32discards the seed,

01:03:33the gluey pulp

01:03:34around the seed

01:03:35hardens

01:03:36and firmly attaches

01:03:38the seed

01:03:39to a tree branch.

01:03:40As the new

01:03:41mistletoe plant grows,

01:03:43the roots

01:03:44penetrate the bark

01:03:45and start to take

01:03:46water and nutrients

01:03:48from the tree.

01:03:50In Greek mythology,

01:03:51local heroes

01:03:52were granted passage

01:03:53to the underworld

01:03:54with mistletoe

01:03:55and during the Middle Ages,

01:03:57mistletoe was associated

01:03:59with fertility

01:03:59and vitality.

01:04:02Nowadays,

01:04:03it's known for puckering up

01:04:04after a couple

01:04:05of mulled wines.

01:04:06Oh,

01:04:07I adore the evolution

01:04:09of seasonal sophistication.

01:04:12That's it for this week,

01:04:13darling viewers.

01:04:15And we'll be down

01:04:15the garden path

01:04:16again soon.

01:04:18Until then,

01:04:19may you have

01:04:20a sensational Sunday.

01:04:23Over to you,

01:04:24Alan.

01:04:25Well,

01:04:25we like to keep her busy.

01:04:26Thank you,

01:04:27Leslie.

01:04:27A fun fact,

01:04:28the name mistletoe

01:04:29actually comes from

01:04:30the Anglo-Saxon words

01:04:32for dung twig.

01:04:34Because birds

01:04:35spread the seeds,

01:04:36having eaten the berries,

01:04:37in their droppings.

01:04:38I just dropped that one in,

01:04:40rather like a bird.

01:04:41Coming up,

01:04:42she's first out the paddock

01:04:43and always finishing first

01:04:45with a stellar career

01:04:46in broadcasting.

01:04:47And when she isn't

01:04:47plotting in the

01:04:48traitor's castle,

01:04:49Claire Balding is busy

01:04:50pending her very first

01:04:52adult novel,

01:04:53which she says

01:04:53she owes all

01:04:55to the late-famed

01:04:56Julie Cooper.

01:04:57I'll see you

01:04:57with the ever-faithful

01:04:58Claire Balding

01:04:59right after this.

01:05:02There'll be no

01:05:03traitors here,

01:05:04Claire.

01:05:05Welcome back

01:05:19to Love Your Weekend.

01:05:20Still ahead,

01:05:21a Pinot Noir

01:05:22with notes of cola

01:05:23and a cheeky

01:05:24new Chardonnay.

01:05:25Isaac Wine's

01:05:26always known as

01:05:26cheeky.

01:05:28Wine connoisseur

01:05:29Tony Osoba

01:05:29brings new life

01:05:30into your Christmas

01:05:31wine list

01:05:32in today's

01:05:32Best of British.

01:05:33Now, it's the series

01:05:35that's had the nation

01:05:36hooked and it's never

01:05:37been more dramatic

01:05:38thanks to its first

01:05:40ever spin-off series

01:05:42packed with the

01:05:43celebrity cast

01:05:43who haven't held

01:05:44back in delivering

01:05:46jaw-dropping twists,

01:05:47furious wars of words

01:05:49and ruthless gameplay.

01:05:51And with suspicions

01:05:52rising,

01:05:53strategies starting

01:05:53to unravel

01:05:54and meltdowns

01:05:56becoming more frequent.

01:05:57I'm surprised

01:05:57my next guest

01:05:58is still smiling.

01:06:00Cue the evidence.

01:06:01You have received

01:06:02the most votes

01:06:03you are banished

01:06:03from the castle.

01:06:06Before you leave us,

01:06:07please reveal

01:06:08are you a faithful

01:06:09or are you a traitor?

01:06:11I came in with

01:06:14only one strategy

01:06:15which was to be nice

01:06:16to absolutely everyone

01:06:17and I have had

01:06:18the best time

01:06:19and I love

01:06:20all of you.

01:06:20I am and I have been

01:06:31from the start

01:06:32a faithful.

01:06:36What did that

01:06:41moment feel like

01:06:43when you start

01:06:43the lovely pauses

01:06:44there where

01:06:45everybody's wondering

01:06:46is she, isn't she

01:06:47is she a traitor

01:06:47is she faithful

01:06:48I mean you must have

01:06:50thought am I going

01:06:51to shock them

01:06:51or will they know?

01:06:53I was quite emotional

01:06:54to be honest

01:06:55because it came

01:06:56as such a shock.

01:06:57I hadn't seen

01:06:58that coming at all.

01:06:59What they'd think

01:07:00you were a traitor.

01:07:01Yeah and it sort of

01:07:02came out of nowhere

01:07:02and I regret not

01:07:03I regret being a bit polite

01:07:05I was a bit polite

01:07:06at the round table

01:07:07and I shouldn't have been

01:07:08I should have defended

01:07:09myself more robustly.

01:07:12But it's such a hard

01:07:14like you want to be

01:07:15forward enough

01:07:16not too forward

01:07:18loud enough

01:07:18not too loud.

01:07:20I think pitching

01:07:21how you play yourself

01:07:23as it were

01:07:24for everybody there

01:07:25was the hardest

01:07:26thing to do.

01:07:27Must have been.

01:07:28Yeah but I think

01:07:29I wasn't ruthless enough.

01:07:32Funnily enough

01:07:33my nickname for Ruth

01:07:34was Ruthless

01:07:35because she was

01:07:36I mean she was much

01:07:37and if she could have

01:07:39if we could have

01:07:39stuck together for longer

01:07:41she'd have really

01:07:42gone for it

01:07:42and I'd have been

01:07:43right there with her

01:07:44but I wasn't

01:07:45I suddenly was on my own

01:07:46I was like

01:07:46oh

01:07:47and everyone's

01:07:49suspicious of you

01:07:49which isn't a nice

01:07:50feeling Alan

01:07:51but hey

01:07:52look I'm still here

01:07:53it's all alright

01:07:54I'm friends with a lot

01:07:55of them

01:07:56it's fine

01:07:56I've survived

01:07:58it had the nation

01:08:00dripped

01:08:01I mean 11 million

01:08:02watching the last show

01:08:03but it struck me

01:08:04that all of you on there

01:08:05I've seen some comments

01:08:06since from

01:08:07from people who came out

01:08:08whether they were traitors

01:08:09or whether they were

01:08:09faithfuls

01:08:10I don't know

01:08:11that I should have

01:08:12done that

01:08:13it was very exposing

01:08:14it was very revealing

01:08:15it was very intense

01:08:16did you know

01:08:17it would be that intense

01:08:18and that revealing

01:08:19when you went in

01:08:19no I thought

01:08:20we'd have a jolly

01:08:21week away

01:08:22or a couple of weeks

01:08:23away Alan

01:08:23I thought it'd be

01:08:24really fun

01:08:24I thought we'd get

01:08:25to hang out

01:08:25with each other

01:08:26and make friends

01:08:27no I didn't realise

01:08:29but I love the game

01:08:30and I love the show

01:08:30and that's why

01:08:31I wanted to do it

01:08:32and there were

01:08:33some terrific people

01:08:35with whom I made

01:08:35proper friendships

01:08:36and had really good

01:08:38chats with people

01:08:39and it's just that

01:08:40feeling when something

01:08:41suddenly is turned

01:08:42against you

01:08:42I think there are

01:08:43lots of layers to it

01:08:44and I genuinely think

01:08:45there's quite a lot

01:08:46going on

01:08:47that is reflected

01:08:48in real life

01:08:49like it's not just

01:08:51a game on the telly

01:08:52so I think it's

01:08:54interesting that

01:08:54you know

01:08:56the levels with which

01:08:57people approach it

01:08:58but also what you

01:09:00reflect on

01:09:01and how you

01:09:02come out of it

01:09:03and what's important

01:09:05like I think it's

01:09:06really important

01:09:07to stick up for people

01:09:08if they're not

01:09:09if something's being said

01:09:10that isn't fair

01:09:11or isn't

01:09:12and I understand

01:09:13I do understand

01:09:14the concept of the game

01:09:14and I do understand

01:09:15that you know

01:09:16I'm not an idiot

01:09:17I'm not completely naive

01:09:18but I'm really

01:09:19pleased that

01:09:20Ruth and I

01:09:21particularly bonded

01:09:23and I felt very

01:09:24you know

01:09:26we were a team

01:09:27together

01:09:27and if that team

01:09:29had been able

01:09:29to get bigger

01:09:30I think we'd have

01:09:30had more of an impact

01:09:31but we've stayed in touch

01:09:33Charlotte I adore

01:09:33Celia Imri

01:09:34obviously is just terrific

01:09:36it's just such a shame

01:09:37about her flatulence

01:09:38I know

01:09:38but there we are

01:09:39you just

01:09:40I think Celia

01:09:41Celia you're such a fine

01:09:42actress and you know

01:09:43darn well that in your

01:09:44times obituary

01:09:45they're going to mention

01:09:46you breaking wind

01:09:47on traces

01:09:48but the lovely thing

01:09:49about Celia

01:09:50and I think

01:09:50she probably doesn't care

01:09:52do you know

01:09:52exactly

01:09:52and I think

01:09:53what we've all learned

01:09:54and maybe

01:09:54you know

01:09:55something I did need

01:09:56to learn

01:09:56is you can't

01:09:58take yourself

01:09:58too seriously

01:09:59honestly you can't

01:10:00Alan

01:10:00would you advise

01:10:01other presenters

01:10:02to do it

01:10:03oh god

01:10:03it's an amazing

01:10:04experience

01:10:04and you know

01:10:05I'm a great believer

01:10:06in finding things

01:10:07to be able to talk

01:10:08to every generation

01:10:09about

01:10:09and sport is really

01:10:10good for that

01:10:10animals are really

01:10:11good for that

01:10:12I watch Love Island

01:10:13so that I can talk

01:10:14to teenagers

01:10:15now I don't have to

01:10:16watch Love Island

01:10:16anymore

01:10:16because I've done

01:10:17Celebrity Traitors

01:10:18and I can talk

01:10:19to them about that

01:10:20and they have

01:10:21strong views

01:10:22and that's really

01:10:23interesting

01:10:23so no I mean

01:10:25gosh it's a lovely

01:10:26experience

01:10:26it's an amazing

01:10:27thing to be in that

01:10:29castle

01:10:29you know it's pretty

01:10:30iconic

01:10:30did you guess

01:10:32any of the traitors

01:10:32yes

01:10:33did you

01:10:34who did you guess

01:10:34well Alan

01:10:35really early on

01:10:36because I just thought

01:10:37opportunity

01:10:38he was with Paloma

01:10:40therefore

01:10:40not that he would

01:10:42but just that

01:10:43just from a

01:10:44so why did he get

01:10:45away with it

01:10:45because if

01:10:46listen the greatest

01:10:47shield of all Alan

01:10:48humour

01:10:49it is the greatest

01:10:50shield of all

01:10:51he could

01:10:52I mean he's

01:10:52great company

01:10:53and I thought

01:10:53he and Cat

01:10:55I thought played

01:10:55that role so well

01:10:56whatever else it was

01:10:58it was a hugely

01:10:59social and sociable

01:11:01experience

01:11:01you've since gone

01:11:02from that

01:11:03well you'd done it

01:11:03before but

01:11:04the thing

01:11:04you're talking about

01:11:05now is solitude

01:11:07because writing

01:11:08is a solitary

01:11:09occupation

01:11:09first novel

01:11:10passages new

01:11:11we've read your

01:11:12memoirs

01:11:12great fun

01:11:13very enjoyable

01:11:14about growing up

01:11:15with all kinds

01:11:16of animals

01:11:16horses particularly

01:11:17but here

01:11:18I always

01:11:19I don't know

01:11:20when I look at my office

01:11:20you look at it

01:11:21you think

01:11:21but there's nothing there

01:11:22except my imagination

01:11:23in that inch of paper

01:11:25did you enjoy the fiction

01:11:27the fact that it was made up

01:11:29doing that

01:11:29I did

01:11:30and you and I

01:11:31have talked about

01:11:32writing

01:11:33because obviously

01:11:33you write fictions as well

01:11:35when you create those characters

01:11:37you really get to like them

01:11:39I wanted to write characters

01:11:40that were

01:11:41warm and friendly

01:11:43and full of love

01:11:44and I wanted to write

01:11:46about kindness

01:11:46and actually even more

01:11:48I guess

01:11:48in having done

01:11:49celebrity traces

01:11:50and as you say

01:11:51so much of that

01:11:52your trust in people

01:11:53is undermined

01:11:54because you're forced

01:11:54to be suspicious

01:11:55in this book

01:11:57I wanted the heart of it

01:11:58to be about trust

01:11:59and love

01:12:00and particularly reflecting

01:12:02rural friendship

01:12:03and how much

01:12:04people go out of their way

01:12:06to help each other

01:12:07in a practical sense

01:12:08I wanted to write about farming

01:12:10and the difficulty of farming

01:12:11the reality of farming

01:12:12this is about a woman

01:12:13who has gifted a farm in Wales

01:12:15and she doesn't know

01:12:15who to buy or anything

01:12:16she goes out there

01:12:17total life changing experience

01:12:19and it's about her

01:12:20getting to know

01:12:20who she is really

01:12:21and taking on responsibility

01:12:24which is something

01:12:24she has always avoided

01:12:26and eschewed

01:12:26and thought that success

01:12:29was a life without responsibility

01:12:31but if you make that decision

01:12:32there's quite a lot else

01:12:34that you can't do

01:12:34if you don't take responsibility

01:12:35so it's about Alex

01:12:37and how she changes

01:12:38but it's about

01:12:39that friendship network

01:12:40and it's also about

01:12:42who she falls in love with

01:12:44One of the hardest things

01:12:46it seems to me

01:12:46certainly I find it hard

01:12:47is writing evil

01:12:49and badness authentically

01:12:51is I think quite difficult

01:12:52because it can very easily

01:12:53become pantomimic

01:12:54did you find

01:12:56because it's not within

01:12:57your character

01:12:57that doing the nasty bits

01:12:59of work

01:13:00was actually harder to write

01:13:01than the nice ones

01:13:03or was it rather fun

01:13:04being nasty

01:13:05It was quite fun

01:13:06creating Leighton

01:13:07who's a really nasty character

01:13:09and there's something

01:13:10that he does

01:13:11with his physical presence

01:13:12that is very overpowering

01:13:15and I know that to be true

01:13:17and my editor said

01:13:20when I first wrote it

01:13:22said oh do you think

01:13:23you've overdone this a bit

01:13:24and then actually

01:13:25various things happened

01:13:26with various men

01:13:28in the public eye

01:13:31and she went

01:13:31oh no you haven't overdone it

01:13:32you're kind of ahead of the curve

01:13:34it's like yeah

01:13:35so that wasn't difficult

01:13:38to create him

01:13:39and I needed someone

01:13:41upon whom

01:13:43you know

01:13:44who creates a threat

01:13:45actually

01:13:45and you want

01:13:46you want your readers

01:13:47to be surprising

01:13:48and you want to surprise yourself

01:13:49I think when you're writing

01:13:50and if it's all going too

01:13:51it's a lob of

01:13:52spanner in the works

01:13:53it's going fast

01:13:54but there's great humour

01:13:55in some of the

01:13:56I mean you know

01:13:56I love sending up

01:13:58a character

01:13:59who's based

01:14:00you know loosely

01:14:01on maybe a few people

01:14:02I know

01:14:02so there's elements

01:14:03of maybe three or four

01:14:04different people

01:14:04and then put it in the mix

01:14:06exaggerate it a bit

01:14:07and this cake rises

01:14:08of a character

01:14:09who's completely

01:14:10their own person

01:14:11so that's been

01:14:13really joyful

01:14:14so the first of many

01:14:15then now

01:14:16presumably this is it

01:14:17it's definitely

01:14:17it definitely needs a sequel

01:14:19and encouraged by Julie Cooper

01:14:20yes

01:14:21to write fiction

01:14:22as you were as well

01:14:23absolutely

01:14:23what an amazing

01:14:24positive force she was

01:14:26I mean what a brilliant person

01:14:27you know

01:14:28really encouraging

01:14:30and such an energetic

01:14:31life force as well

01:14:32you know whenever

01:14:33she loved to go to the races

01:14:34and whenever I saw her

01:14:35at the races

01:14:35she was just so full of

01:14:37you know energy

01:14:39I loved her

01:14:39but you see

01:14:40when you talk about your career

01:14:41it is astonishing isn't it

01:14:42you know you

01:14:42you're a great rider

01:14:44and you managed to make

01:14:46that transition from

01:14:47from sport

01:14:48into commentary

01:14:49which you're adept at

01:14:51you know

01:14:512012 Olympics

01:14:52particularly

01:14:53the sort of

01:14:54a high spot

01:14:55and there's clearly

01:14:56a chance to continue

01:14:57the enjoyment

01:14:58not just from a

01:14:59spectatorial point of view

01:15:01but from helping other people

01:15:02to understand it

01:15:02and clearly that is a life force

01:15:04for you

01:15:04whether it's horse racing

01:15:05or tennis

01:15:06because Wimbledon was not easy

01:15:08to take over

01:15:08from lovely Sue Barker

01:15:09oh gosh but Sue was so supportive

01:15:11and that really mattered

01:15:12that really helped

01:15:13and I think

01:15:14using that example

01:15:16I have made sure

01:15:17I've tried

01:15:18to be really supportive

01:15:20to anyone coming up

01:15:22into the industry

01:15:24and there's so many women

01:15:26now working within

01:15:27sports commentary

01:15:28and reporting

01:15:28and presenting

01:15:29from when I started

01:15:30when I was literally

01:15:31about five

01:15:32and it's really

01:15:33really encouraging

01:15:34to see that

01:15:35and I love

01:15:35that obviously

01:15:36the coverage of women's sport

01:15:38has improved so much

01:15:39and there's so much more of it

01:15:40what a year

01:15:40for women's team sport

01:15:42with obviously

01:15:43both the Red Roses

01:15:45winning the Rugby Union World Cup

01:15:46and the Lionesses

01:15:47winning the Euros again

01:15:48and all of that

01:15:48and to go as an experience

01:15:50live

01:15:50it's such a lovely atmosphere

01:15:52oh and the sound

01:15:52of the crowds

01:15:53as well as much

01:15:54which is wonderful

01:15:55I love the variety

01:15:56of what I do

01:15:56I really enjoy

01:15:58being able to do

01:15:59different things

01:16:00for different broadcasters

01:16:01with different production companies

01:16:02on subjects

01:16:04that stimulate me

01:16:05that I want to know about

01:16:06so whether it's

01:16:07you know

01:16:08rivers

01:16:08or presenting crafts

01:16:09and dogs

01:16:10or whether it's

01:16:10or doing ramblings

01:16:11which I've done with you

01:16:12for the radio program

01:16:13which is a wonderful walk

01:16:14we walked together

01:16:14on Tennyson Down

01:16:15on the Isle of Wight

01:16:16we did

01:16:16it was lovely

01:16:17and Winter Olympics

01:16:18I've got next year

01:16:19so that'll be fun

01:16:19in Italy

01:16:20you get all the plum jobs

01:16:21you also become

01:16:23a national treasure

01:16:24and if you want proof

01:16:25of the fact

01:16:25that you've become

01:16:25a national treasure

01:16:26no no don't deny it

01:16:27look at this

01:16:28this is what happens

01:16:28in Bake Off

01:16:29when you become

01:16:30a national treasure

01:16:31so Greg

01:16:38tell us all about

01:16:40Claire Balding

01:16:41so this is

01:16:43my doppelganger

01:16:44she's been made out

01:16:45of two different biscuits

01:16:45I think you should

01:16:46send it to her

01:16:47I think she might

01:16:47call the police

01:16:48it's a very nice biscuit

01:16:52I think you've done

01:16:52a great job

01:16:53with the flavour

01:16:53more importantly

01:16:54it's baked well

01:16:55thanks

01:16:55thank you very much

01:16:56Greg

01:16:57thank you

01:16:57thanks a lot

01:16:58if Claire Balding

01:16:59is watching

01:16:59I'm sorry about that

01:17:01well you may deny

01:17:04being a national treasure

01:17:04but you're certainly

01:17:05a national biscuit

01:17:06I'm a national biscuit

01:17:07I am a biscuit

01:17:08I'm thrilled

01:17:08I love Greg

01:17:11and we've always

01:17:12had this joke

01:17:13that we look like

01:17:13it could be brother

01:17:14and sister

01:17:14which I find

01:17:15quite flattering

01:17:15I'm thrilled

01:17:16with that

01:17:16he's such a lovely

01:17:18guy and he's

01:17:19yeah

01:17:20I think he's

01:17:21I'm very thrilled

01:17:22that he thought

01:17:23I was worthy

01:17:23of a biscuit

01:17:24you'll stay for a

01:17:25tipple or two

01:17:25I'd love to

01:17:26you don't have to

01:17:26mix anything

01:17:27we do it all for you

01:17:28thank you

01:17:28and before the tipples

01:17:30time to de-stress

01:17:31your Sunday

01:17:32even more

01:17:32in today's

01:17:33Ode to Joy

01:17:34Ode to Joy

01:18:04Ode to Joy

01:18:34Ode to Joy

01:19:04that was Waverley Abbey

01:19:28just outside Farnham

01:19:29in Surrey

01:19:30courtesy of John Parsons

01:19:31and set to a violin

01:19:32sonata by Beethoven

01:19:34lovely images

01:19:35coming up

01:19:36standing by

01:19:37to uncork

01:19:37the British wine

01:19:38classics of the future

01:19:39wine expert

01:19:40Tony Osoba

01:19:41with the latest

01:19:42new wines

01:19:43to hit the market

01:19:44and my guests

01:19:46seem keen

01:19:46to give them

01:19:47a try already

01:19:48I'll be back

01:19:48with Tony

01:19:49Andy and Claire

01:19:50and Ian Clare

01:19:50right after this

01:19:51welcome back

01:20:05to Love Your Weekend

01:20:06Christmas is a time

01:20:07for celebrating

01:20:08cherished customs

01:20:09particularly

01:20:10when it comes to

01:20:12the festive food

01:20:12and drink

01:20:13we enjoy

01:20:13but maybe this is

01:20:14the year

01:20:14to branch out

01:20:15a little

01:20:16as the reputation

01:20:17of British wines

01:20:18continues to improve

01:20:19there's an emerging

01:20:20array of options

01:20:21to explore

01:20:22some of which

01:20:23may well become

01:20:24established Christmas

01:20:25favourites

01:20:25in the years to come

01:20:26here to reveal

01:20:27her pick

01:20:27of the newest

01:20:28wines on the market

01:20:29worthy of a place

01:20:30on the festive table

01:20:32welcome back

01:20:33wine expert

01:20:34Tony Osoba

01:20:35so worthy of a place

01:20:36in the pantheon

01:20:37of our favourite

01:20:38Christmas winestone

01:20:39yes that's right

01:20:40and thank you so much

01:20:41for having me

01:20:41we've got an array

01:20:42of festive drinks

01:20:43today

01:20:43perfect for the

01:20:44Christmas season

01:20:45so first up

01:20:46we've got a sparkling

01:20:47jasmine tea

01:20:48from Sight Show

01:20:49to have a taste

01:20:50jasmine tea

01:20:51yes this is an

01:20:52alcohol free option

01:20:53as well

01:20:54so it's really

01:20:55lovely

01:20:55smells like tea

01:20:57that smells like

01:20:57a jasmine candle

01:20:59yeah it does

01:20:59that is really nice

01:21:00it's nice isn't it

01:21:01so it's really fragrant

01:21:02you'll definitely

01:21:03get notes of jasmine

01:21:04because it's a jasmine tea

01:21:05but you'll also get

01:21:06notes of apple

01:21:06lychee

01:21:07and a bit of vanilla

01:21:08as well

01:21:09oh I like

01:21:09so when you have

01:21:10your fizz on

01:21:11Christmas morning

01:21:12you know

01:21:12and that means

01:21:13I'm tipsy by 12

01:21:14this drink to my head

01:21:16I can have this instead

01:21:17yeah it's guilt free

01:21:18and it's great

01:21:19for the tea lovers

01:21:19and the bubbly lovers

01:21:20both of those drinks

01:21:21in one delicious drink

01:21:22here

01:21:23so where's it from

01:21:24this one

01:21:24so this one

01:21:25is from Shropshire

01:21:26so Chinese tea leaves

01:21:27but made with Shropshire

01:21:28spring water

01:21:29in Shropshire

01:21:29so they carbonate it

01:21:30and add a little bit

01:21:31of grape juice

01:21:32for a bit of sweetness

01:21:33it's really lovely

01:21:34Andy you approve

01:21:35I think that's absolutely lovely

01:21:37I'm not really much

01:21:38of a drinker

01:21:39and that is delicious

01:21:40yeah and I think

01:21:41it stands up really well

01:21:42alongside like a champagne

01:21:44in its own right

01:21:44because it's so complex

01:21:45and refreshing as well

01:21:47it's lovely

01:21:47so next up

01:21:49we have a Chardonnay

01:21:50so this is the Roman Road

01:21:52Chardonnay

01:21:53by Simpsons

01:21:54and I know a lot of people

01:21:55say that they don't like

01:21:56Chardonnays

01:21:57but I feel as though

01:21:58this one really challenges

01:21:59that idea

01:21:59so have a taste

01:22:01and see what you think

01:22:01do you think it's Chardonnay

01:22:02they don't like Tony

01:22:03or over-oaked Chardonnay

01:22:05that's such a difference

01:22:06I don't mind it

01:22:06it's not over-oaked

01:22:07yeah

01:22:08exactly

01:22:08so this is really

01:22:09slightly oaked

01:22:10and it's more similar

01:22:11to a Chablis

01:22:12in Star Wars

01:22:13than like a Californian

01:22:14heavily oaked Chardonnay

01:22:15oh that is nice

01:22:16so it's really nice isn't it

01:22:17you'll get notes of

01:22:18orange peel

01:22:19and honeysuckle

01:22:20fruity

01:22:20yeah a little bit of

01:22:21butterscotch as well perhaps

01:22:22I can't lie

01:22:24I'm getting butterscotch

01:22:25but it's rather nice

01:22:26if you dig deeper

01:22:27you might find it

01:22:28I'm definitely thinking

01:22:28butterscotch now

01:22:29I like the idea

01:22:30of thinking about scotch

01:22:32but this one's great

01:22:33for a roast dinner

01:22:34so this will go really

01:22:35nicely with your roast

01:22:35potatoes and your

01:22:37Yorkshire pudding as well

01:22:38because it will really

01:22:38balance out the flavours

01:22:39in a really lovely way

01:22:41so I love this one

01:22:42great for your Christmas

01:22:43dinner

01:22:43so from where?

01:22:44this one is from

01:22:45Canterbury

01:22:45so it's from Kent

01:22:46and it's actually made

01:22:48with soils that are

01:22:49similar to the Champagne

01:22:50region

01:22:50so really similar to a

01:22:52Chablis in style

01:22:53or a white burgundy

01:22:54we do seem to be able

01:22:55to make the French cross

01:22:56don't we?

01:22:57if I'm able to make

01:22:58really good

01:22:59in blind tastings

01:23:01they win prizes

01:23:02that's got a delicacy

01:23:04to it

01:23:05I like it

01:23:06I think that

01:23:06this often happens

01:23:07with wine

01:23:08the more sips you have

01:23:09the better it gets

01:23:10oh I really like that

01:23:12two out of two so far

01:23:14lovely

01:23:14so next up

01:23:16we have a sparkling

01:23:17rosé

01:23:18from Greyfriars

01:23:20oh great

01:23:21so it is quite a pale

01:23:22rosé

01:23:23but it still gives you

01:23:24all the notes

01:23:25that you'd get

01:23:25from a nice crisp

01:23:26and dry rosé

01:23:27looks lovely

01:23:28doesn't it

01:23:28it does

01:23:29in a coupe

01:23:29it's glorious

01:23:30isn't it

01:23:30the old champagne glass

01:23:31which is the way

01:23:33you're meant to

01:23:33serve champagne

01:23:34isn't it

01:23:35so you can get

01:23:36plenty of bubbles

01:23:37up your nose

01:23:38exactly

01:23:38oh that's interesting

01:23:39it really is

01:23:40so you'll get notes

01:23:41of strawberry

01:23:41here

01:23:42raspberry

01:23:43a little bit

01:23:43of cranberry as well

01:23:44which is why

01:23:45I say it pairs

01:23:46really nicely

01:23:47with your turkey

01:23:47and your cranberry sauce

01:23:48works really well

01:23:49I like that

01:23:50a lot

01:23:51and a hint

01:23:51of butterscotch

01:23:53I'm kidding

01:23:53you're kidding

01:23:54you're kidding

01:23:55I really like this one

01:23:58because I feel as though

01:23:59people think that rosé

01:24:00is just for the summer months

01:24:01but this just shows

01:24:02you can have it

01:24:03in the winter months

01:24:03as it'll go really well

01:24:04with your Christmas dinner

01:24:05so a challenger there for you

01:24:07and did you like that one

01:24:07I do like that

01:24:09more or less than

01:24:10the previous one

01:24:11the chardonnay

01:24:12if I'm honest

01:24:13my favourite so far

01:24:14is the tea

01:24:15I thought that was really lovely

01:24:16I thought that was lovely too

01:24:17so now we're actually moving over

01:24:20to Essex

01:24:21slash Cambridge

01:24:22so this one

01:24:23this is our Pinot Noir

01:24:24it's made from

01:24:26grapes grown in Essex

01:24:27but the wine itself

01:24:28is made in a winery

01:24:30in a windmill

01:24:31in Cambridge

01:24:31which is really interesting

01:24:33wow

01:24:33romantic

01:24:33so this is our

01:24:34Gutter and Stars

01:24:35Pinot Noir

01:24:36Gutter and Stars

01:24:37Gutter and Stars

01:24:38so yeah

01:24:39it's a little nod

01:24:40to an Oscar Wilde quote

01:24:41which is something

01:24:42along the lines of

01:24:43we're all in the gutter

01:24:44but some of us

01:24:44are looking to the stars

01:24:45so looking beyond hardship

01:24:47is what this one's all about

01:24:49I like that

01:24:49but this one has a really

01:24:50unique note

01:24:51that I've never come across

01:24:52in a wine before

01:24:53and that is

01:24:54a cola soft drink

01:24:55so cola

01:24:56and I think it works really well

01:24:58see if you can pick that up

01:24:59I do actually

01:25:02I honestly can get a bit of that

01:25:04yeah

01:25:04yeah definitely

01:25:05I agree

01:25:06I can too

01:25:06yeah

01:25:07and it works really well

01:25:08and it's nicely balanced

01:25:09with like cherry

01:25:10with a bit of raspberry as well

01:25:12with your darker fruits

01:25:13but it's still really nice

01:25:14and light and juicy

01:25:15sometimes I've found

01:25:15pinot noirs are too strong

01:25:17on the top

01:25:17this isn't

01:25:18it's quite gentle

01:25:18isn't it

01:25:19so delicate

01:25:19it's delicious

01:25:20yeah

01:25:20and what's great about this one

01:25:21is you can actually have it chilled

01:25:23so if your fridge space

01:25:24is at a premium

01:25:25in the Christmas

01:25:26in the build up to Christmas

01:25:27which it likely is

01:25:28you just pop it outside

01:25:29on your doorstep

01:25:30for 10 to 15 minutes

01:25:31and that will chill it down

01:25:32really nicely

01:25:33so you can have it

01:25:33at the perfect temperature

01:25:34it's really warming

01:25:35it is

01:25:36it's lovely

01:25:36I think this is one of those drinks

01:25:38that I'd sit there

01:25:39have a glass of it

01:25:39and suddenly come up

01:25:40with all my best ideas

01:25:41and I'd be really fascinating

01:25:43and funny

01:25:44yeah

01:25:44see three sips of that

01:25:46I'd be asleep

01:25:47oh

01:25:47in the gutter

01:25:49yeah

01:25:49exactly

01:25:50looking at a star

01:25:51yeah

01:25:52because I'd be

01:25:54fooling myself

01:25:54that I was a star

01:25:55do you think

01:25:58the following morning

01:25:59it would be one of those

01:26:00it seemed such a good idea

01:26:01yesterday

01:26:02yesterday

01:26:03the cold lighter date

01:26:04they should put that

01:26:05on the label

01:26:06shouldn't they

01:26:06like an index

01:26:08that the hangover

01:26:09it may give you

01:26:10but it is quite a nice

01:26:14and light one

01:26:15nice to have on a special

01:26:16occasion

01:26:16that's what I love

01:26:17last one

01:26:18so finally

01:26:19we have this fortified wine

01:26:21so this is from Langhams

01:26:22and they're based in Dorset

01:26:24and this is actually

01:26:24a limited edition wine

01:26:26so sweeter wines

01:26:27are a bit rarer

01:26:28in England

01:26:29but this is a collaboration

01:26:30between Langhams Wine Estate

01:26:32and Capriolus Gin Distillery

01:26:34and it is so delicious

01:26:35this is sweeter

01:26:36it's fortified

01:26:37so it's nice and strong

01:26:38you might get ginger notes

01:26:40you'll also get orchard fruit notes

01:26:41as well

01:26:42I was expecting something floral

01:26:44like a soternal

01:26:46like a dessert wine

01:26:46yeah exactly

01:26:47but it's not

01:26:48it's really nice

01:26:49it's quite thick as well

01:26:51isn't it

01:26:51it's quite full bodied

01:26:52exactly

01:26:53you're right

01:26:53and this is great

01:26:54for the sweet wine lovers

01:26:55but I think it's also great

01:26:56if you don't like sweet wine

01:26:58because it's really well

01:26:58balanced with acidity

01:27:00I wouldn't call that a sweet wine

01:27:01it's nice isn't it

01:27:02say that again

01:27:02it's cleared up

01:27:06yeah

01:27:07I've not tasted

01:27:11anything like that before

01:27:12it's an amazing mixture

01:27:13of citrus and alcohol

01:27:15yeah

01:27:16there's a hint of sherry

01:27:17in there

01:27:18you might get those notes

01:27:19because it's fortified

01:27:20yeah so it is quite strong

01:27:21but it's delicious

01:27:22this would be great

01:27:22with your cheeses

01:27:23or great with your dessert

01:27:24as well

01:27:25so well deserved

01:27:26and it's a very nice box

01:27:28yes it is

01:27:29and the bottle's beautiful

01:27:29as well

01:27:30yes

01:27:30that's right

01:27:31five useful Christmas presents

01:27:33the funny thing is

01:27:34I think all three of us

01:27:36were really taken with the tea

01:27:37yeah

01:27:38the jasmine tea

01:27:39yeah

01:27:39there's definitely something

01:27:40for everyone

01:27:41so yeah

01:27:42but that is very lovely

01:27:43although

01:27:43probably because I am such a lightweight

01:27:45I cannot imagine drinking

01:27:47that whole glass of that

01:27:48just sip it slowly

01:27:49yeah

01:27:50over the course of ten minutes

01:27:53yes

01:27:53very good

01:27:54yeah

01:27:54I'm going to go back to the rosé

01:27:56because I really liked that

01:27:57and I don't want that sat there

01:27:59I don't want it to go to waste

01:28:01I don't want it to go to waste

01:28:02I'm going to have them all

01:28:03Christmassy and kind of celebratory

01:28:06and we can toast your success Alan

01:28:08bless you

01:28:09and your good heart

01:28:11thank you so much

01:28:12cheers for that

01:28:1315 quid it said

01:28:14thanks

01:28:14yeah about that

01:28:15just pony and wine

01:28:16that's it for today's show

01:28:19thanks to all my guests

01:28:20to Claire

01:28:20Andy

01:28:21and of course to Tony

01:28:22providing us with such delightful refreshment

01:28:25joining me next week

01:28:26the rock star

01:28:26turned farmer

01:28:27Alex James

01:28:28Corrie's Reverend Billy

01:28:30actor Daniel Brockelbank

01:28:31Leslie Joseph will be here

01:28:33and with donkeys and pygmy goats

01:28:35of course we do

01:28:36what's not to love

01:28:37up next

01:28:38Fletcher's Farm

01:28:39but I'll leave you now

01:28:39with some profound words

01:28:41from Cary Grant

01:28:42simplicity

01:28:43to me

01:28:44has always been the essence

01:28:45of good taste

01:28:47oh Cary

01:28:48if only it were that simple

01:28:49till the next time

01:28:50cheers

01:28:51cheers

01:28:52cheers

01:28:52thank you

01:28:53oh

01:28:53a

01:28:55a

01:28:58me

01:28:59oh

01:29:05oh

01:29:12oh

01:29:16oh

01:29:17oh

01:29:18oh

01:29:19oh

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