Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh - Season 8 Episode 17 - video Dailymotion

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Transcript

00:00:00Morning. Meet Poppy, a two-year-old pedigree Sussex heifer.

00:00:05But Poppy is no ordinary heifer. Don't be fooled by her calm and easy-going nature.

00:00:12She made headlines recently after bagging an invite to join King Charles at Clarence House,

00:00:17only to put a foot wrong and trample his box hedging.

00:00:21It can happen to the best of us, Poppy. It really can. I know. Yeah.

00:00:25Luckily, the king saw the funny side, upstaged by a cow.

00:00:30It's time to love your weekend. Come on, Poppy. Off we go. Come on.

00:00:55MUSIC

00:01:11Crowded places, I shunned them as noises too rude, and fled to the silence of sweet solitude.

00:01:19So wrote poet and one of the great voices of the English countryside, John Clare.

00:01:25And standing here at Manor Farm this morning, with the birds chirping, the flowers blooming,

00:01:31the cocks crowing and the breeze whispering, how could you not want to escape to the calm of the countryside?

00:01:37Coming up, he's worked as a political editor, royal correspondent and news at Ten Anchor.

00:01:42And he's still found the time to write eleven books, no less.

00:01:45Tom Bradby on swapping Julie Etchingham for Gemma Arterton, as he prepares to debut his brand-new TV drama.

00:01:53From young impressionist to Corrie favourite to game show host, our survey says he's done it all.

00:01:59Les Dennis, on why variety really is the spice of his life.

00:02:03And Heather and Myrtle, just two of her late majesty's favourite flowers.

00:02:09Simon Lysert's honouring the late queen on order of being her 100th birthday.

00:02:14Strictly's Jeanette and Aliash bring the cha-cha-cha to our chat-chat-chat,

00:02:18all in the strictest confidence, of course.

00:02:21And we'll have no gripe with today's grape.

00:02:24Whether you prefer your Pinot Blanc or Noir, Meunier or Gris,

00:02:30wine expert Tony Ashoba has given us a crush course in today's tour of Grape Britain.

00:02:41Our leisurely morning begins right now.

00:02:44Joining me, a man for whom the bells toll regularly at ten every evening, Tom Bradby.

00:02:49They've twirled, dipped and dazzled their way into our hearts on Strictly.

00:02:53Jeanette and Aliash.

00:02:55And then there's Les Dennis.

00:02:58Welcome to you all.

00:02:59Wow.

00:03:02Well, I couldn't resist.

00:03:03It's your microphone.

00:03:04It's your microphone.

00:03:05It's ever since Rick is your face, he's the butt of everybody's journey.

00:03:09Well, we're lucky to have you here sitting down,

00:03:11because you're on tour with Let's Face the Music and Dance.

00:03:13I actually think it's quite a good time to rest, isn't it, Jeanette?

00:03:15Yeah, it's nice to have a nice little easy Sunday morning, isn't it?

00:03:17Thank you so much for having us sitting down.

00:03:19Come on, this is lovely.

00:03:19I know a good dancer needs a good feast, so we can just tuck in, really.

00:03:23And with Strictly, I mean, of course, you two, we know, do it brilliantly.

00:03:27And at the risk of sounding as though this is going to be an entire two hours of getting it,

00:03:31let's do it.

00:03:33Are you going to show my Strictly clip?

00:03:35Well, it wasn't the moment you shone brightest.

00:03:38No, it wasn't the moment I shone brightest.

00:03:41But I enjoyed my short time there.

00:03:43Well, we're glad you enjoyed it.

00:03:44I mean, that's very important.

00:03:46Oh, my goodness.

00:03:47It's, listen, you were fabulous, because you went out there and you did it.

00:03:51To allow yourself to be, it is very, I always take my hat off to all the celebrities that do

00:03:55Strictly,

00:03:55because you have to be, it's quite vulnerable.

00:03:58You're doing something you've never done before, most of them, at least, anyway.

00:04:01And you're being judged not just by the four judges, but by the fifth judge, which is the audience at

00:04:06home.

00:04:06And you did it, and you did it well.

00:04:08Well, Alan had seen me dance before in Me and My Girl, but that's a different kind of bit of

00:04:13tap.

00:04:13I suggest you did your Lambeth walk on Strictly.

00:04:17This is what Les offered us, if you remember, on Saturday night, Strictly.

00:04:22I said I'd like to know it.

00:04:24You got the old shot.

00:04:27Don't run the boat, baby.

00:04:30Don't tip the boat over.

00:04:32Don't run the boat, baby.

00:04:34Don't tip the boat over.

00:04:37Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo.

00:04:39Walk on with your bad self.

00:04:41Walk on with your bad self.

00:04:43Walk on with your bad self.

00:04:45Walk on with your bad self.

00:04:47CHEERING

00:04:47At the time, it didn't occur to me.

00:04:49I've realised now what you reminded me of doing that.

00:04:52And it was Benny Hill.

00:04:53Oh.

00:04:54You know what it is?

00:04:55You know what it is?

00:04:56I don't have a point.

00:04:57Come on.

00:04:57No, no.

00:04:59I'm not.

00:04:59Come on, Benny Hill.

00:05:01Okay, let's let the two expert judges critique that performance.

00:05:06It was a samba.

00:05:07It was a samba.

00:05:08It was a samba.

00:05:09It was a samba.

00:05:10There was a very good shimmy.

00:05:11There was.

00:05:12Good.

00:05:12He was not off time.

00:05:14Bang on the music, on the rhythm.

00:05:16I do love the use of the arms.

00:05:18Oh, the arms?

00:05:19Very good then.

00:05:20I would give this a very strong nine.

00:05:24Yes!

00:05:24What out of a hundred?

00:05:26Oh!

00:05:27No.

00:05:28No, brilliant.

00:05:28And you looked like you were having the best time.

00:05:30That's what matters the most.

00:05:31I really did.

00:05:32And I think Craig gave me a two.

00:05:34And...

00:05:34Oh, goodness.

00:05:36And I nearly got a ten.

00:05:38Did you realise this was going to be a good cops, bad cops show?

00:05:42It's always been the other way round, Benny.

00:05:44Would you do it?

00:05:44Tom, would you do it?

00:05:45Come on.

00:05:46Are you joking?

00:05:48I got a letter once to do some ITV show called, I think, A Night at the Palladium.

00:05:52And I opened it at breakfast with all my kids who are now in their late twenties.

00:05:55And they said, what is it?

00:05:56And I explained.

00:05:57And I said, well, it's a show where you have to go and sing a song and get judged.

00:06:01And there's this stony silence.

00:06:02And they said, I just want you to know that if you say yes, we'll kill you.

00:06:06I don't mean metaphorically kill you.

00:06:09We mean actually kill you.

00:06:11Oh, good.

00:06:12The other side of the country, not too far away from you, was another man opening a letter

00:06:16which said exactly that.

00:06:17And he said yes.

00:06:19Oh, did you do it?

00:06:19I did it.

00:06:20Did you?

00:06:21You guessed an absolute treat.

00:06:23It was nerve wracking.

00:06:23But it was as nerve wracking as that one.

00:06:25Do you sing?

00:06:25Robert Peston did it, I have to say.

00:06:27He's, er, no.

00:06:29But how's your dancing?

00:06:32No.

00:06:32Well, I'm not going to say it's any good in front of you two, am I?

00:06:35Talking of embarrassing moments, I mean, you must all have had them, Tom.

00:06:38Embarrassing moments for you on reading the news live.

00:06:42You know, you've all done live TV.

00:06:44Well, I think possibly the most embarrassing moment was when there was a fire alarm.

00:06:48And someone said in my ear, leave the building.

00:06:52I'm like, what do you mean?

00:06:53I'm reading the news.

00:06:53I'll leave the building.

00:06:55Anyway, we did.

00:06:55I'm glad you said that.

00:06:56You got the moment.

00:06:57Oh, no, you're joking.

00:06:59You're joking.

00:07:01OK.

00:07:01Well, as you can probably tell, we have a fire alarm.

00:07:04You could probably tell that before we went into that report.

00:07:06But we still have a fire alarm here, and we're not quite sure what to do about it.

00:07:09So I'm really, really sorry about this.

00:07:11But I'm afraid we have to evacuate the building.

00:07:13These things happen.

00:07:14And, unfortunately, it's happened tonight.

00:07:16And we have very little choice.

00:07:17So I really apologise.

00:07:18We'll get back to you with the rest of the programme, if we possibly can.

00:07:22But for now, it's goodnight.

00:07:24Wow.

00:07:25Wow.

00:07:26You could have been burnt by then.

00:07:28I'm not quite sure why I turned it into a company.

00:07:31That was a long link to somebody.

00:07:32Well, the thing is, we then left the building, and senior people at ITV were phoning me like,

00:07:37what the hell am I?

00:07:38I don't know.

00:07:39What am I supposed to do?

00:07:40We were just holding it back.

00:07:40And then we put up the test card, and we were off air for 23 minutes.

00:07:45I think I went home, and the local news was on by the time we came back on.

00:07:48And I checked the viewing figures the next day, and 800,000 people were still watching at the end of

00:07:5423 minutes.

00:07:55And I thought, well, they must have been waiting to see if I burn today.

00:08:00I thought, they're weird, really.

00:08:01Wow.

00:08:02Wow.

00:08:03Wow.

00:08:05Embarrassing moments, aren't they?

00:08:06Constant.

00:08:07I think I remember very well the night that we were at the Live From My Majesty's,

00:08:14the night that Tommy Cooper collapsed on stage.

00:08:16I was stood in the wings with Dustin Gee.

00:08:19We were supposed to go on after him, and he collapsed and was pulled back behind the curtain.

00:08:26And then David Bell and Jimmy Tarber got together and said,

00:08:29are you lads ready to go on?

00:08:31I thought, like you, we would go to Blackout and test...

00:08:36Test card.

00:08:36Test card, yeah.

00:08:37But we didn't.

00:08:38We went on.

00:08:39We went on around.

00:08:40And you didn't know till afterwards, presumably.

00:08:42No, we didn't know.

00:08:43No, no.

00:08:44The show must go on.

00:08:46Yes.

00:08:46So was this one after a story like that.

00:08:48It wasn't terrible, isn't it?

00:08:50But you, you know, I mean, from your point of view, Strictly is live, which is what I

00:08:55think would terrify any of us as contestants.

00:08:57It certainly did less.

00:08:58You only got that one chance to get it right.

00:09:00It's as intricate as your work.

00:09:02It's scary.

00:09:03And it goes right 90% of the time, but then those 10% always kind of stick in your

00:09:09mind.

00:09:09My favourite one is when you hear the voice of God going, dancing the walls.

00:09:14And then the next thing I hear is, what's the first step?

00:09:17That's my favourite combo of conversation I have in my work, Les.

00:09:21What your partner said.

00:09:22Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:09:22What's the first step?

00:09:23It happens a lot, Les.

00:09:24It happens a lot.

00:09:25How does that one go again?

00:09:27There we go.

00:09:27Oh, yes.

00:09:29Just close your eyes and enjoy it.

00:09:30I'm feeling that now.

00:09:31Yes.

00:09:32One thing which is always interesting is working out, particularly with you, Les, I know interest

00:09:37completely different, well not different, part of film posters.

00:09:40You're a vintage poster collector.

00:09:42I am.

00:09:42And we all have little things that we collect.

00:09:45And we all have little things that we collect.

00:09:45I've got Rear Window, which is a fantastic film.

00:09:49What did you got?

00:09:50Yeah.

00:09:50James Stewart.

00:09:51It sat kind of with the binoculars.

00:09:56Tom, what about you?

00:09:56Do you collect stuff?

00:09:58Well, yeah.

00:09:59My wife thinks I'm demented.

00:10:01Yeah.

00:10:01My whole study is just, like, full of, I mean, the latest thing, I've kept the clapper

00:10:05board from the TV drama Secret Service.

00:10:08I just, sometimes I just go over the corner and I just clap.

00:10:12I just come across as the saddest person ever to appear on the show.

00:10:17It's a great thing to have.

00:10:18So there's that.

00:10:19And I keep, like, old press passes from a million kind of events.

00:10:23I've covered US elections.

00:10:24I keep the screenwriter pass from my first film, Shadow Dancer.

00:10:27And then I've got all kinds of things.

00:10:29My grandfather played rugby for England, so I've got his picture.

00:10:31My great uncle very sadly died in the First World War, so I've got some of his memorabilia.

00:10:36It's just a really...

00:10:37Wow.

00:10:37My whole study is absolutely crammed.

00:10:39And then you get to my desk, which is sort of books, papers, and everyone who comes in

00:10:44thinks it's very strange.

00:10:46And I probably think it's very strange, but somehow that's just how it is.

00:10:49It's an entertaining room.

00:10:50You find something in every corner.

00:10:52Yeah.

00:10:52Maybe it's my way of distracting myself every time I'm supposed to be in their work.

00:10:57Don't you two have scrapbooks that people have seen?

00:10:59Yes.

00:11:00So we're very, very fortunate.

00:11:03We have some amazing people that love Strictly and love watching us on Strictly.

00:11:06And through the years, they've actually done scrapbooks of us.

00:11:10They did one for our wedding.

00:11:11They did one for when Lyra was born.

00:11:13They've done one for every tour that we've done through the years.

00:11:17And it just fascinates me that people take the time to sit and do that and write messages

00:11:22and put stickers and print photos.

00:11:24And it's lovely.

00:11:25I have every single one of them at home.

00:11:26It's a beautiful thing.

00:11:27But when you open it, it does sort of hit you with the, you know, getting older.

00:11:32Yes.

00:11:33Can I just say you need to hold back on the getting older thing?

00:11:37I look in the mirror every morning and think, who is that old guy looking back at me?

00:11:41I don't know him.

00:11:42I'm going to make you a scrapbook.

00:11:43I'm going to make you a scrapbook from this today.

00:11:45I'm playing old Joe.

00:11:47There you go.

00:11:47It's actually come to me professionally.

00:11:50You've been watching the Love Your Weekend therapy session.

00:11:53Yes, it's been nice.

00:11:53Come here every Sunday morning and you hear people make their, yeah, conventions, you know.

00:11:57Graham Norton was going anywhere.

00:11:59No.

00:11:59It's all on the show here.

00:12:01Well, we've got more coming up from all my guests, all four of them later on.

00:12:04Still ahead, Cow Chaos at Clarence House.

00:12:07Yes, it's the story they all wanted.

00:12:10Tom Bradbury didn't get it, but we did.

00:12:12Poppy the Pedigree Sussex, who left the King in stitches after she ran amok at a charity reception.

00:12:18Today, Poppy joins us here at Manor Farm in a TV First to share her side of the story.

00:12:23And this week would have been the 100th birthday of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

00:12:28We'll be marking the moment with a simple posy of Lily of the Valley, a flower she loved,

00:12:33with floral designer Simon Lycett.

00:12:36A posy and my one-on-one with Poppy the Sussex cow.

00:12:40It's all here.

00:12:41Right after this.

00:12:42Tuck in all.

00:12:42It's all fresh.

00:12:58April has always been a month of action in the countryside since medieval times.

00:13:02Farmers are sowing, tending young livestock and making the most of days that now stretch to more than 13 hours

00:13:09of daylight.

00:13:09And plenty of action coming up on today's show.

00:13:13There may be trouble ahead.

00:13:16But while there's music and moonlight and love and romance.

00:13:24Well, let's face the music and dance.

00:13:29Irving Berlin's Follow the Fleet featuring that incredible dance duet with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

00:13:36Well, I can't give you Fred and Ginge, but I can give you these two.

00:13:39Preparing to face the music and dance, Jeanette and Aliash hitting the road for a brand new tour.

00:13:46But first to one of Britain's native beef breeds.

00:13:50Did you see that seamless junction between Strictly Come Dancing and beef?

00:13:54The Sussex cow.

00:13:56Thought to be descended directly from the Red Cattle of the Weald all the way back at the time of

00:14:02the Norman Conquest.

00:14:03Easily recognised by their rich red to dark mahogany coat.

00:14:07And despite their size and muscle, they often boast a calm and docile temperament.

00:14:13Well, most of them.

00:14:14Here to showcase a breed steeped in heritage and history,

00:14:17with a rather boisterous bovine who caused carnage at Clarence House recently,

00:14:22is young farmer Leighton Snellgrove with pedigree Sussex heifer Poppy,

00:14:27who's expecting their first calf this summer.

00:14:30Welcome.

00:14:31What an experience, Leighton, at Clarence House.

00:14:33What did she do wrong?

00:14:35Well, supposedly she trampled his box hedge.

00:14:38No.

00:14:39What, in front of the king?

00:14:40Yes.

00:14:41Oh, heaven's above.

00:14:41The king came over to greet us and I think what it was was the cameras and the press that

00:14:46spooked her a little bit,

00:14:47pushed her back and a couple of feet on the hedge.

00:14:50Oh, glory.

00:14:51But on the plus side she did urinate down a drain and didn't dung at all while she was up

00:14:56there.

00:14:56So that's a bonus.

00:14:58So in the toilet habit she was perfect.

00:15:00Yeah, exactly.

00:15:00Tell me a bit about the history then.

00:15:02So, the breed is fantastic for regenerative farming, really good for the land as well.

00:15:08Now explain to us what regenerative farming is, it's a term used a lot now.

00:15:11Yeah, so regenerative farming is basically how farming used to be done.

00:15:16It's working with the soil, with nature in harmony together.

00:15:20Yeah.

00:15:20And that is farming with nature and nature working with farming as well.

00:15:25So it's both parts of it.

00:15:26So it's organic then basically as well.

00:15:28It is.

00:15:28Not just planting chemicals on.

00:15:29It's organic, but it's kind of I would say maybe that next step on and really focusing on the health

00:15:35of the soil,

00:15:36which then also is the health of the plant.

00:15:39And then in the long run it's the health of the animal as well.

00:15:41And it reduces the cost for the farmer as well.

00:15:44Yeah, yeah.

00:15:45So how big is the herd?

00:15:46So the herd sits around about 70 total head of cattle.

00:15:51When we moved to regenerative farming we had to de-stock to be able to allow the land to recover

00:15:56and to basically focus more on its own health.

00:15:59Yeah.

00:16:00So we had to de-stock, but now it's slowly in a case to basically increase the herd again.

00:16:05So how old is Poppy?

00:16:06So Poppy is just over two years old now.

00:16:09And yet, like you say, she's going to be having her first calf this year, which is very exciting.

00:16:14And hopefully, depending whether it's a bull calf or a heifer calf, it'll enter into the herd and hopefully produce

00:16:19more for us.

00:16:21Wonderful.

00:16:22So from your point of view, it's always good and we love to encourage young farmers.

00:16:27I mean, you're an accomplished young farmer.

00:16:29You're part of the Sussex Catalyst Society.

00:16:31You're part of the young farmers as well.

00:16:33What's the difficulties of getting young people to come into the farming?

00:16:37Is it still difficult?

00:16:38It is very difficult to get into farming.

00:16:41But my point of view on it is you've just got to have the passion for it at the beginning.

00:16:47Because if you haven't got the passion, then you haven't got the willpower to keep going and the drive to

00:16:50succeed in farming.

00:16:53Because you weren't from a farming family?

00:16:54No, not at all.

00:16:55No.

00:16:55So thankfully, I had family friends.

00:16:58When I was about five years old, I used to go up to the farm and that's where it grew,

00:17:01giving the cows a bit of haylage from my hand to the mouth.

00:17:05And I just loved animals and being outside in the countryside and knowing that I'm doing great for the country

00:17:10and to produce a product for consumers and knowing that it's the highest welfare and the highest quality.

00:17:16Yeah.

00:17:17I want to ask about temperament, but I can kind of see.

00:17:19I mean, Poppy has stood still.

00:17:20We've got no box edging for her to tread on, so it's okay.

00:17:23But temperament, are they all as docile as Poppy is?

00:17:26I would say yes.

00:17:28Sussex cows are very docile animals.

00:17:31It also depends on how often you handle them.

00:17:35I mean, we're in with them every day.

00:17:36We walk through them.

00:17:38They have no choice of what they can do.

00:17:41We give them what they can do.

00:17:43We give them the space, the feed, the water that they need.

00:17:46And we just give them a natural life and the best husbandry from us.

00:17:50Yeah, the kind of farmer that all of us would hope they were more of.

00:17:54Thank you, Leighton.

00:17:54The best of luck.

00:17:55Thank you, Poppy.

00:17:56Very well behaved.

00:17:57Very impressed.

00:17:58Just watch the flower beds on your way out because I've heard your reputation.

00:18:02I might not be as kind as the king.

00:18:04Thanks, Leighton.

00:18:05Thank you, Alan.

00:18:11Queen Elizabeth II once said,

00:18:14I'm not any sort of expert in gardening, but plants, trees and flowers have been a source of pleasure throughout

00:18:20my life.

00:18:21And there was one flower in particular that captured the monarch's imagination.

00:18:26Lily of the Valley.

00:18:27Cherished for its delicate white bells and sweet fragrance.

00:18:31How to create a posy with that flower in honour of what would have been the Queen's 100th birthday is

00:18:38floral designer Simon Lyons.

00:18:40Ooh, met her.

00:18:41Yes.

00:18:41You did?

00:18:42Didn't we both?

00:18:42We did.

00:18:43We did.

00:18:44And you met her with Lily of the Valley.

00:18:45I did.

00:18:46And look at it.

00:18:47Isn't it heaven?

00:18:47Gorgeous.

00:18:48And it reflects the late Queen's taste, doesn't it?

00:18:52Yes.

00:18:52In that simple but elegant and beautiful.

00:18:55Understated.

00:18:56And slightly yardly.

00:18:58Yes, absolutely right.

00:19:00A bit old school.

00:19:01The soap.

00:19:01Yes.

00:19:02And it's virtually one of the first fragrances that I remember being ubiquitous.

00:19:07It was sort of your granny's smell.

00:19:09It was either Rose or Lily of the Valley.

00:19:11Yeah.

00:19:11And look at them.

00:19:12Aren't they just a joy.

00:19:14Now these come from where?

00:19:15Where do we think these are grown?

00:19:16So these are actually grown in Holland.

00:19:18Yeah.

00:19:19And they are grown throughout the year because they're such a popular flower for bridal bouquets,

00:19:23buttonholes.

00:19:24I mean, they really are a total classic.

00:19:26And I think one of the chicest flowers you could ever have.

00:19:29They have a subtle understatement to them because they're very, very simple.

00:19:34Yeah.

00:19:35They couldn't be simpler.

00:19:36Well, here you've got these little shoots with leaves on.

00:19:40These little things.

00:19:41And they're the perfect accompaniment.

00:19:42The thing they're actually growing out of.

00:19:44Yes.

00:19:44Aren't they?

00:19:44To put with them.

00:19:45There's nothing.

00:19:46You don't seem to have to strip anything off this so it looks better, do you?

00:19:49No, you don't.

00:19:50And actually, one of the joys of it is that you don't need a lot of it.

00:19:54Two stems, three stems work beautifully.

00:19:57And if you can get it to grow in your garden, which I struggle with.

00:20:00It's picky if it likes where you are.

00:20:02When we first got married, it was growing under a privet hedge in really dry, impoverished soil.

00:20:08And it shot out from under this hedge and a little narrow, dusty border alongside the house.

00:20:13And it liked it there.

00:20:14I think it's a case of being patient with it, keeping moving it around until you find somewhere where it

00:20:19does go.

00:20:20And then it romps away in spite of you rather than because of you, really.

00:20:23So when it was her platinum jubilee, I was very lucky because I was asked by the Royal Horticultural Society

00:20:30if I would design their tribute to Her Majesty at Chelsea Flair Show.

00:20:35And I think it was only two years earlier, perhaps in lockdown, that she'd revealed that her favourite flower, because

00:20:40she'd been asked all her life and was quite cagey.

00:20:42I loved her privacy on that.

00:20:44And she revealed that it was Lily of the Valley.

00:20:47So for that installation, I created a...

00:20:50We used her silhouette, which was the cipher that had been on all our money and our stamps.

00:20:54And I put on it 70 pots of Lily of the Valley.

00:20:57So it was spectacular.

00:20:58And what have you done there with that little terracotta pot?

00:21:00So here, so this is very similar.

00:21:02So they were in...

00:21:03We had English terracotta pots all on the stand and each one of them was planted with Lily of the

00:21:08Valley growing.

00:21:08So it did look absolutely gorgeous.

00:21:11And they grow from...

00:21:12You can buy roots of them, can't you, actually?

00:21:14And they always call them pips.

00:21:16Yes.

00:21:16And they're a little collection of roots, almost like a spider, with these little buds sitting up on them.

00:21:21They're always done as Lily of the Valley pips.

00:21:23It doesn't take long, it doesn't take a lot of skill, but it is just a joy.

00:21:27There's also a lovely variegated one, which has creamy yellow streaks down the leaf, and I've got that as well.

00:21:33I'm not mad on the variegated one.

00:21:35There's a pink flowering one that I'm not mad on either.

00:21:37Oh, no, that's a bit wishy-washy.

00:21:38Yes.

00:21:38But the leaves are quite sweet.

00:21:40You'd like the leaves in small flower arrangements, actually, even without the flowers.

00:21:42Yes, probably.

00:21:43Something you would like.

00:21:44I'll try and convince him.

00:21:45Thank you, Sam.

00:21:46Now, you'll be back later to talk more.

00:21:48Oh, look at that.

00:21:49Oh, settle for this, really.

00:21:51Thanks very much.

00:21:52It's worth doing, isn't it?

00:21:53Still ahead, we visit a fox rescue charity that ensures our red and white friends are bright-eyed and bushy

00:21:59-tailed all year round.

00:22:01And between them, they've passo'd with Peter Andre, tango'd with Helen George, and waltzed off with La Voix.

00:22:08Hot-footing it to the barn, Jeanette and Aliash bringing more than a bit of strictly sparkle to your Sunday

00:22:14morning enjoyment.

00:22:15But not before I've said this.

00:22:18Dancing their Manor Farm showdowns will Jeanette Manrara and Aliash Skorianik please take to the barn floor.

00:22:26Always wanted to do that.

00:22:27I'll see you with Jeanette and Aliash right after this.

00:22:44Welcome back to Love You Weekend.

00:22:46And, still ahead, from touring with royals to interviewing prime ministers.

00:22:50This man's done it all in his 30-plus years in journalism.

00:22:53Tom Bradby, swapping the drama of the newsroom for the drama of the small screen.

00:22:58And supported by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, how one wildlife ambulance service is helping with the rescue,

00:23:06rehabilitation and release of sick and injured foxes.

00:23:09But first, when the rhythm kicks in, you just have to dance.

00:23:13I've been known to partake in the odd chassé turn on a Saturday night.

00:23:18But when it comes to natural rhythm, you'd be hard pushed to beat my next guest.

00:23:22It's about to embark on a brand new tour, celebrating the work of Cole Porter, Hans Zimmer, Quincy Jones and

00:23:28many more.

00:23:29It's time to face the music and dance with Jeanette Manrara and Aliash Skorianik.

00:23:34This is a little less conversation, a little more action, please.

00:23:39All this sacravation ain't satisfaction in me.

00:23:43Oh, this life is...

00:23:45Oh, this life I can't deny.

00:23:49Oh, I thought of cutting out from my heart.

00:23:52Just hold back.

00:23:55Beautiful things that I've got.

00:23:58Please stay.

00:24:01I want you and need you.

00:24:04Oh, God, don't stay.

00:24:09These beautiful things that I've got.

00:24:12Wow.

00:24:13Wow.

00:24:13At least when you two are dancing together, you know that your partner knows how to do it.

00:24:19Must be such a...

00:24:21Or not.

00:24:23Yes, we have a funny dynamic.

00:24:25Do you?

00:24:26We both lead and follow at different times.

00:24:29Yeah.

00:24:29I always like to say, Jeanette and I, I'm six foot tall, Jeanette is five foot tall.

00:24:34Which normally doesn't really work in dancing, but we made it work for us.

00:24:38And I love ballroom, Jeanette loves Latin.

00:24:40So we made a compromise.

00:24:41We only do Latin.

00:24:44You learned very early on the wisdom of saying yes, dear.

00:24:47Correct.

00:24:49And let's work...

00:24:50How did you meet?

00:24:51Did you first meet on Strictly?

00:24:53Oh, gosh.

00:24:53We met at Dance Attic.

00:24:55It's an old, old...

00:24:57God, it's been there for years and years and years.

00:24:58It's a dance studio in London.

00:25:00Yeah.

00:25:00I was rehearsing for a show called Burn the Floor, which we both took part in for many, many years.

00:25:04And Aliash came in to audition.

00:25:06And I remember everyone in the room was a bit like, oh, who is this guy stepping in?

00:25:12I was not interested.

00:25:14Really?

00:25:15Did you have to work?

00:25:15We were friends for a year before we actually started dating.

00:25:19And he tried for a year.

00:25:20I was begging, Alan.

00:25:21I was pretty much begging by the end.

00:25:24But we met dancing, which is beautiful.

00:25:26But when you're dancing, Aliash, does it help if you're in love with someone or can it get in the

00:25:30way?

00:25:31Oh, that's a great question.

00:25:33I feel that it can only help.

00:25:35I think that dancing in itself is sort of expression of whatever feeling is going through your head.

00:25:42It's very intimate.

00:25:42It is.

00:25:43It is.

00:25:44It is.

00:25:44It can be.

00:25:44But I feel like, you know, I've been lucky and blessed to dance with some incredible dancers over the years.

00:25:53But it never feels as special with anybody as it does with Jeanette.

00:25:58I think we ought to stop there, shouldn't we?

00:26:00Aw.

00:26:01No, we won't.

00:26:02What a lovely thing to know.

00:26:04Yeah.

00:26:04I mean, I think that's really rather lovely.

00:26:06And it must come as a relief after doing Strictly to be dancing together in the night space.

00:26:11As I say, knowing that you can both do it.

00:26:13Because it is challenging.

00:26:15You don't know who you're going to get, Jeanette.

00:26:17You don't know you.

00:26:17I mean, dancing with Lavoie, it was astonishingly entertaining.

00:26:21I completely agree with you.

00:26:23You did so well.

00:26:24It was brilliant.

00:26:24It was a triumph every single Saturday.

00:26:27It was...

00:26:28In more ways than one, I would say.

00:26:30Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:26:31Let's have a look at you and Lavoie, not raining on her parade.

00:26:34But whether I'm the rose of sheer perfection, I'm freckled on the nose of life's confection,

00:26:42the cinder of the shiny apple of his eye.

00:26:47But why did you seem to see me?

00:26:50You see, I gotta have my back, sir.

00:26:54Get ready for me, love, as I'm a-cumber.

00:26:57I simply gotta march my heart to the drummer.

00:27:00Don't bring around a good train of love.

00:27:09Oh!

00:27:15Yeah!

00:27:16Showing off Lavoie's flamboyance and theatrical flow.

00:27:19And I suspect no lightweight when it came to doing that.

00:27:24It's all about the momentum.

00:27:26Yes, it is.

00:27:26Nothing to do with the muscles.

00:27:27She was not lightweight.

00:27:29Now, an astonishing way in which she carried herself.

00:27:33If it were up to me, she'd be one of the next presenters of Strictly.

00:27:36She was so funny.

00:27:37Yes, it was funny.

00:27:38The one-liners.

00:27:39I would go a step further.

00:27:40One of the new professionals.

00:27:42Really?

00:27:43That's what I would say.

00:27:44Now, were you that impressed?

00:27:45Was she that good?

00:27:46You know what?

00:27:46I feel like dancing is one of those things that you can sell anything.

00:27:51You don't really need to know much about it.

00:27:53But if you sell anything with confidence, people will buy it.

00:27:58And I have never ever before met or worked with anyone as incredible at selling something like Lavoie.

00:28:05You know, just a born entertainer.

00:28:07Yes.

00:28:07In decor.

00:28:08And I probably learned just as much as she did on the series.

00:28:11It was absolutely brilliant.

00:28:13What about the early years?

00:28:14You sang, Arias.

00:28:15You were ballroom and you're Latin.

00:28:17How did you start?

00:28:18I started with musical theatre when I was 12.

00:28:21And I started working on a TV show that allowed kids to come in and do performances on the Saturday

00:28:26night.

00:28:27The show was called Sabado Gigante, which meant giant Saturday.

00:28:31It was just a variety.

00:28:31Easy for you to say.

00:28:32Not so easy for you to say.

00:28:34And then I did So You Think You Can Dance, which is a dance competition that happened in the USA.

00:28:39They actually had a UK version.

00:28:40And that was where then my dance career really kind of exploded.

00:28:44But in the midst of that, I got a degree in finance at university.

00:28:47Just in case.

00:28:48Just in case.

00:28:49It didn't work out.

00:28:50I had a plan B.

00:28:51So if you need help with anything, let me know.

00:28:52Because I'm really good with numbers.

00:28:53Does she do the family accounts then?

00:28:54Yes.

00:28:55I've never even seen them.

00:28:58What about you?

00:28:59I was five years old when I started.

00:29:01It was in preschool in Slovenia.

00:29:03And in a nutshell, it was all the boys went to play football, basketball, volleyball and the rest.

00:29:11All the girls went into dancing.

00:29:13And I was going, well, why would I want to hang out with all my friends?

00:29:17You were the Billy Elliot of Slovenia.

00:29:19Correct.

00:29:20So I did it to be surrounded with the ladies.

00:29:23And there we go.

00:29:25I'm not going to ask who were your favorite contestants that you danced in, but who are the most memorable

00:29:31contestants?

00:29:32I mean, apart from La Voie for you, Ali Ash, the ones that you really remember either fondly or just

00:29:37because it was very hard work.

00:29:39Because you are allowed to say that.

00:29:40Those, well, I would be allowed, but I can't remember.

00:29:43Oh, yes.

00:29:44Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:29:45You know, I mean, how lucky and blessed that I got to start Strictly.

00:29:49I was 23 when I started it two years ago.

00:29:54And I got to win it on my first ever year as a professional with Abby Clancy.

00:29:59So that was very memorable.

00:30:01Wonderful.

00:30:01And there is a rivalry because you've not lifted the glitter ball yet.

00:30:05No, no, I did not lift the glitter ball in my time.

00:30:08I made one final with Harvey and it was my last year as a professional dancer on the show in

00:30:122020.

00:30:13But I did win two Christmas specials with Aston and with Melvin.

00:30:17Oh, two Christmas specials equals one series.

00:30:19Exactly.

00:30:19Absolutely right.

00:30:20I say that to him all the time.

00:30:22You're an accountant, so he's not going to argue with you.

00:30:24At home, there's two of mine and only one of his.

00:30:26I know that one of your high spots is this, because being able to dance at the proms is something

00:30:31special.

00:30:58You know, you're so good, you two, you could do it for a living.

00:31:01I mean, it is so beautiful.

00:31:03Elegance, precision.

00:31:04And there, your bit, the ballroom bit coming in.

00:31:07And does it make a difference performing to live music like that?

00:31:10An orchestra behind you, I mean, must give you a lift.

00:31:12Yes, I think as dancers, obviously, when you play, when you dance to a track, it feels nice because you

00:31:17hear the music.

00:31:18But when you feel the music being played live behind you, it's just a completely different experience.

00:31:26And to have it with, it was a 75 piece orchestra.

00:31:29It was honestly, and it was live, so we couldn't make any mistakes because it was then and there.

00:31:35And just to dance it with you, it was honestly one of our most special moments.

00:31:39But also, when you're dancing with, when the guest artist comes on Strictly, I always think it must be very,

00:31:46very, very good of them.

00:31:48Because they must be told when they come, yes, you can, whether it's Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran or whatever,

00:31:52you're coming on and you're going to sing your song.

00:31:54But I have to tell you, the camera's going to be on the dancers a lot, not on you.

00:31:58And I have to say, it's lovely seeing them, but it's watching what you do to their music.

00:32:02And I know this particular artist was one that you were particularly keen on.

00:32:06Here's Ed Sheeran on Strictly.

00:32:07I have a seat to late at night, sitting alone.

00:32:12Conversations with a stranger, I barely know.

00:32:15Swimming this will be the last, but it probably won't.

00:32:19I got nothing left to lose, or use, or do my bad habits need to.

00:32:24I see I stare in space, and I know I lose control over the things that I say.

00:32:30I was looking for a way out, now I can't escape.

00:32:34Nothing happens after two, it's true, it's true my bad habits need to.

00:32:41Precision, finesse, quite good music, amazing kicks and spins.

00:32:47You loved Ed Sheeran, I know both of you, and special music.

00:32:50Did that make it better, or did that make it harder in a way, because it was so special?

00:32:54That was one of the most nerve-wracking moments ever, because when we were soundchecking it,

00:33:00right towards the end of the rehearsal, someone from production came to us and went,

00:33:05Right, we only have time for one take.

00:33:08And the choreography that we kind of put together for that performance was difficult

00:33:13sort of to get it right, all the moves at the same time.

00:33:18And it never really happened in rehearsals, there was always something that went wrong.

00:33:21And I was thinking, goodness me, if this is now the one take, and this is the best we ever

00:33:27did it.

00:33:27It was the best time we ever did it. It was the one.

00:33:29We have never done it since, and we never will do it since.

00:33:31But the thing is, Ariash, we wouldn't know if it went wrong.

00:33:34Everyone knows now, what did I say?

00:33:36We were literally holding hands, sweaty palms.

00:33:39Also, it was the last time that we ever danced together on Strictly.

00:33:43And we knew in our hearts it was going to be the last one.

00:33:46And I remember Ed Sheeran, he's such a beautiful, beautiful person.

00:33:49He came up to us right before we filmed, and he said,

00:33:52I hear this might be the last time the two of you are dancing together.

00:33:55Thank you for letting me be a part of it.

00:33:56We were like, you're Ed Sheeran! Thank you for letting us dance!

00:34:00It was amazing, yeah.

00:34:02And now family, Lyra.

00:34:04Yes!

00:34:04She's in our lives now, she's taking over.

00:34:07They do!

00:34:08Yeah, she's two and a half now, and I cannot believe how fast she's grown in the last couple of

00:34:13years.

00:34:14They really, you blink and they really do grow up, don't they?

00:34:17So you're now juggling, presenting, you've parked the dancing for a bit,

00:34:20you're juggling, presenting, bookkeeping and being a mum and bringing up Lyra.

00:34:23Yes, a woman of many traits.

00:34:27But I love it. I think motherhood has become my favourite job in the world.

00:34:30And I'm so grateful that we were fortunate enough to have her.

00:34:34It was a tricky road to get to her.

00:34:36And when she came to us, it was just the biggest dream come true to become parents.

00:34:41And if you get to meet her one day, you will know she's our child.

00:34:44She is chatty, she loves putting on a show, she loves to dance and sing,

00:34:48and just curious about everything. She's just the best.

00:34:52Do you know, somehow I think she'll be all right.

00:34:54Yeah.

00:34:55Lovely time you both here.

00:34:56We hope so.

00:34:56Thank you so much for having us.

00:34:57Thank you for your company.

00:34:58Bless your hearts.

00:34:59Now it's time for our weekly audience participation.

00:35:02No dancing needed, you're okay.

00:35:05I like to call it Walk on the Wild Side.

00:35:18Picture the

00:35:18Episode 4

00:35:18Next Time

00:35:18Come out of hospice

00:37:15And on what would have been Queen Elizabeth's 100th birthday, Simon Lye sits back with

00:37:21yet more innovative floral arrangements, a bouquet featuring her favourite blooms.

00:37:26Prepare for Simon's spectacular bouquet right after this.

00:37:29Well, you wouldn't expect anything less from him, wouldn't you?

00:37:46Spring is here, and with it arrive the sights and smells we've come to associate with this

00:37:52glorious season.

00:37:53But before you head out to soak up this Super Spring Sunday with a Super Spring show to

00:37:59keep you entertained, including a man who oozes pure entertainment, from young impressionists

00:38:04to game show hosts to Corey Favourites to even playing himself in extras, Les Dennis on his

00:38:10latest musical foray.

00:38:12But first, it's time for your poetic interlude.

00:38:15Here's Tessa Peake-Jones and a green cornfield by Christina Rossetti.

00:38:28The earth was green, the sky was blue, I saw and heard one sunny morn.

00:38:34A sky-lark hang between the two, a singing speck above the corn.

00:38:41A stage below in gay accord, white butterflies danced on the wing, and still the singing sky-lark

00:38:49soared, and silent sank, and soared to sing.

00:38:54The cornfield stretched a tender green to right and left beside my walks.

00:39:00I knew he had a nest unseen, somewhere among the million stalks.

00:39:07And as I paused to hear his song, while swift the sunny moment slid, perhaps his mate sat

00:39:16listening long, and listened longer than I did.

00:39:28Thank you, Tessa.

00:39:29A lyrical word celebrating the beauty of nature.

00:39:33Now, at this time of year, flowers provide colour and joy, from wildflowers that pop up

00:39:39in unexpected places, to carefully tended blooms in our gardens.

00:39:43But flowers can also mark special moments, and at times, help us remember those who meant

00:39:49a great deal to us.

00:39:50And I'm back with floral designer Simon Lycett, who's creating another very special arrangement,

00:39:56inspired by some of the late Queen's favourite flowers, in honour of what would have been

00:40:00a 100th birthday this week.

00:40:03She'd have been pleased with these, wouldn't she?

00:40:05I think she would.

00:40:05I think she'd have loved them.

00:40:06Yes.

00:40:07All her colours.

00:40:08And the specialness about these in relation to her?

00:40:11I think, well, we have some things that are very significant, so rosemary for remembrance,

00:40:16which it symbolises.

00:40:17Things like forget-me-not are gorgeous.

00:40:19And then, apart from Lillia of the Valley, she didn't really, she was never very demonstrative

00:40:24about the flowers she particularly loved or loathed.

00:40:27But whenever I used to work with her, it would always be soft, an English palette, a slightly

00:40:32Queen Mother palette.

00:40:33Right, right.

00:40:34Very much Cecil Beaton.

00:40:35Yes, very gentle.

00:40:36All the soft colours and everything that looked as if it had just come from outside in.

00:40:41Yeah.

00:40:41So what are you going to do?

00:40:42So I thought I'd create a tied bunch for us today, which is a really lovely way you

00:40:46use your hand as a vase.

00:40:48And one of the most important things is to pre-prepare all your stems, because once you

00:40:52start a stembling, you can't keep putting it down.

00:40:54You haven't got a hand free.

00:40:55No, you need three hands for this.

00:40:56So the first thing is to strip off all the lower stems, so we have a nice clean stem,

00:41:01which when it's in the water doesn't go soupy.

00:41:03So I just gather up a few stems of something like some rosemary, first of all, which is

00:41:08a nice meaty stem.

00:41:09Hold it loosely in my hand, and then I'm just going to assemble different flowers.

00:41:14Things like this lovely lilac is good, a little bit lumpy.

00:41:16Gorgeous lilac.

00:41:17Again, you've taken almost all the leaves off the lilac.

00:41:19All the lilac always, because nearly always they go floppy and the flower goes floppy too,

00:41:23so I strip them off.

00:41:24And have you done what you always tell me to do, which I now always do, and I'm amazed

00:41:27at the difference it makes.

00:41:28A sloping cut at the bottom and split the stem.

00:41:30On the angle and split the stem, it makes such a difference, especially because they're

00:41:33a really woody stem.

00:41:34And then this is a foliage that's quite significant because it's myrtle.

00:41:39And since Queen Victoria's times, every single royal bride has carried a sprig of myrtle

00:41:44in their wedding bouquet, allegedly grown from a bush that was grown from the cutting in

00:41:50her bouquet at Osborne House.

00:41:50And there's still a plant at Osborne House which is from that cutting.

00:41:54I wrote several poems, and Debbie Wiseman wrote some music for poems about garden plants

00:41:59and flowers.

00:41:59And I wrote a poem about myrtle, just because my name is myrtle, don't imagine that a flirtle

00:42:08conquer me with Cupid's dart, because history shows I've played my part in regal matters

00:42:14of the heart.

00:42:16That's the first verse.

00:42:17It goes on.

00:42:18Brilliant.

00:42:19There's other verses.

00:42:19Well, it's great fun writing about things you love, and I love plants and flowers.

00:42:23Yes.

00:42:23And writing about myrtles.

00:42:24And I love the smell of myrtle.

00:42:26It has a really, sort of, slightly medicinal quality.

00:42:28Yes, it does.

00:42:29It feels like it'll do you good.

00:42:30So the construction involves doing some foliage, some flowers, some foliage, some flowers,

00:42:34mixing the whole lot.

00:42:35And I like to hold my hand quite loosely and just thread the flowers through.

00:42:39What I don't create are those very, the sort of European spiral-stemmed tide bouquets.

00:42:46I prefer something that feels much more organic and lets each of the flowers do their talking

00:42:51as they are.

00:42:52Can I look at the, this is gorgeous.

00:42:55This is, um, Dicentral, and it's got these flowers which dangle.

00:43:01Can you see that?

00:43:02The common name is Bleeding Heart.

00:43:04You can see why.

00:43:05But if you take one of these little flowers off, out of that, and then you turn it upside

00:43:11down, it's called Lady in the Bath.

00:43:18There she is.

00:43:19You see?

00:43:20Oh, gosh!

00:43:21She's sitting in her bath.

00:43:22That's fabulous.

00:43:24Lovely one to do for kids.

00:43:25But look at that.

00:43:26I love the colour scheme.

00:43:27You see, you're talking about slightly pastel shades.

00:43:29Not that it's at all wishy-washy.

00:43:31That just gives it a little pop.

00:43:33And the smell of it.

00:43:34Isn't it gorgeous?

00:43:35So often, cup roses don't have any smell at all.

00:43:39Do you know what variety this is?

00:43:40It's Yves Piaget.

00:43:42Pardon?

00:43:42Yves Piaget.

00:43:44Oh, after the watches?

00:43:45Yes.

00:43:46Other watch brands are available.

00:43:48Wow, that's a real...

00:43:50Yves Piaget.

00:43:50Yves Piaget, remember that if you're buying cup flowers out of season and you want fragrance.

00:43:55It's a gorgeous one.

00:43:56And what's a really good fragrant rose for the garden?

00:44:00It's a good repeat flower.

00:44:02Well, one of the best ones is Margaret Merrill, which is a white.

00:44:06Yes, my favourite.

00:44:07Well, it is.

00:44:08And it's a lovely white flower and it's got a really heady fragrance.

00:44:11It's rather like hyacinths this time of the year.

00:44:13One or two of them are lovely, but a lot of them, it's just so overpowering.

00:44:17You see, I'm a bit the same with things like stock and lilac, I have to say.

00:44:20It can sometimes just get a little bit too heady for me.

00:44:23And you're poking that.

00:44:24Now, you've got a...

00:44:25Is that...

00:44:26It's a little spray rose.

00:44:27Oh, right.

00:44:28Gosh.

00:44:28Sweet, isn't it?

00:44:29Yeah, gorgeous.

00:44:30I really imagine you just went round and round and round.

00:44:32You don't.

00:44:32You just poke down the...

00:44:33Yeah, I like to do it because then you really are treating it as a vase rather than just edging

00:44:37it around.

00:44:38Yeah.

00:44:38So it means that you can create it in your hand and then just tie it off with a bit

00:44:43of lovely soft ribbon or paper-covered wire is a good thing to start it off.

00:44:47So that's paper-covered wire.

00:44:48A good thing to have in stock.

00:44:49And then you've got...

00:44:52You're shortening those.

00:44:53Yeah.

00:44:53Snip them off.

00:44:54And because some of these are the woody stems, you need to be a bit forensic as you go through

00:45:00them all and just make sure once you know what length you want them to be, all these woody

00:45:05stems cut and then just split up them.

00:45:07And it will make such a difference.

00:45:10I've had some rhododendrons stem because I can grow rhododendrons now, acid salt for

00:45:14the first time in 50 years.

00:45:16I've never mentioned it.

00:45:18They last...

00:45:19Sorry.

00:45:20Sorry.

00:45:21But they last for weeks.

00:45:22And I mean weeks when they can't.

00:45:24Yes.

00:45:25Camellias, similarly.

00:45:26Camellias drop quicker.

00:45:27But camellias are great because the bud that isn't open will open and will flower.

00:45:33So I feel that they last for months anyway.

00:45:35Well, thank you for listening to two old gardeners wittering on while you just watch us, really.

00:45:41But you've got other things to do.

00:45:42You've probably gone and made a cup of coffee and come back.

00:45:44But look at the end of all that chat.

00:45:46Look what he's done.

00:45:47Gorgeous.

00:45:47You're a talented man.

00:45:49A bouquet fit for the late queen.

00:45:51A bouquet the late queen would have absolutely loved because it's beautiful to look at and deliciously

00:45:56fragrant.

00:45:57Simon, thank you.

00:45:58Pleasure.

00:46:04Now, it was established over 30 years ago as a specialist wildlife information bureau

00:46:10and fox deterrence consultancy.

00:46:13Since then, the fox project has expanded, gaining a large team of volunteers, some ambulances,

00:46:20and a wildlife hospital, which today admits and treats over 1,400 foxes every year, including

00:46:28over 450 cubs.

00:46:41It's a little over 35 years now that my wife Sue and I have this dream of creating an organisation

00:46:47that specialised in foxes.

00:46:49I thought we could absorb it into our lives, and instead we've been absorbed into it.

00:46:55The fox project is a wildlife hospital.

00:46:57So our job is bringing in casualties, hopefully giving them a second chance.

00:47:02Yeah, we kind of give up our house, we give up our garden, we give up our lives.

00:47:05It can be hard, particularly during the cubs season when we are feeding around the clock.

00:47:10Even with the staff and the volunteers we've got, it's still a 24-hour commitment.

00:47:15Here, we receive anything up to 400 cubs a year.

00:47:19We bring them up, we treat them, we group them into artificial litters because they're

00:47:23coming in singly a lot of the time, sick, injured, and orphaned.

00:47:26And the whole point is to get them back to the wild, which can take anything up to about

00:47:30four months because they won't be going back to a natural dispersal season at the end of

00:47:35summer.

00:47:36Cubs of this age and older, if we find a litter of cubs, if they've been disturbed, and they're

00:47:43healthy, and mum is still around, we have a very good success rate of being able to reunite

00:47:49the litter to the mother.

00:47:51I've got a rescue in Big Bar.

00:47:53So in the charity, it's my job to be on the road, very much responding to the emergency

00:48:00calls that come in, rescuing the animals that need our help within our catchment area.

00:48:06A fortnight ago, we had a really unusual reunite that I had to stage.

00:48:10The cubs were actually found in the engine compartment of a car whilst it was being serviced at the

00:48:16mechanics.

00:48:17They had the car hoisted six foot up in the air, removed the engine compartment, and the

00:48:24cubs dropped down six foot.

00:48:25We got our vet to assess them, make sure that six foot four hadn't damaged them.

00:48:30We then got in touch with the car owner so that we could retrace where the car had been

00:48:35when the vixen had given birth in there, and the vixen, within 10 minutes, had collected

00:48:39all four cubs.

00:48:39It was back reunited with mum, all neatly within 12 hours.

00:48:45So we're at the adult unit of the fox project.

00:48:49We have two sides, the adult unit, we call it the den, and the cub unit, which is 10 minutes

00:48:54down the road.

00:48:55So when a fox is rescued, they're brought to this adult unit.

00:48:58They're assessed by our vet team, and the treatment plans are put in place.

00:49:03Wounds, wound cleans, antibiotics, mange treatment, whatever that particular fox requires.

00:49:09Everyone gets a fantastic meal, full of calories, protein, build them back up before they're

00:49:14released back to the wild.

00:49:16So this is Mercury.

00:49:18He was reported to us by a householder who'd noticed he was on three legs.

00:49:22He's been assessed by the team.

00:49:24He was found to have a broken toe to his front left leg, which is obviously why he was choosing

00:49:28not to use it, and so an amputation was necessary.

00:49:30Also, an assessment, we found out he had quite a wound to his eye, likely from some sort of

00:49:36territorial fight.

00:49:37He was in a lot of pain.

00:49:38He would have deteriorated.

00:49:40It's a front leg.

00:49:41They're necessary for power, for speed, for climbing, for digging, for hunting.

00:49:46Mercury would have really struggled out there in the wild.

00:49:49The foxes are beautiful wild animals.

00:49:53They are one of the most iconic creatures that we have in the UK.

00:49:57They're misunderstood.

00:49:59People fear them.

00:50:00The make-up is similar to a dog.

00:50:02They have those sharp teeth.

00:50:04And people fear they might get bitten.

00:50:06But it's not in a fox's nature to ever attack.

00:50:10They will flee any situation they can.

00:50:12I think the main problems that foxes suffer is simply that we share their habitat.

00:50:18And we are not a deliberate danger to them, but simply because we are untidy.

00:50:25We leave a lot of rubbish lying around.

00:50:27We are dangerous in terms of our traffic.

00:50:29Again, it comes back to, I suppose, giving something back.

00:51:02We need to learn to co-exist with them.

00:51:03We're expecting him to go.

00:51:04He chatted her home.

00:51:12Thank you, everyone.

00:51:13Such important work you do.

00:51:15Coming up, from a fruity pet gnat to a vibrant Bacchus with a heady aroma.

00:51:22Tony Oshoba is back with an array of exciting British wines set to intrigue and delight our

00:51:27palates in today's tour of Great Britain and proving a runaway success with everything

00:51:33he does.

00:51:34He's been in showbiz for over 50 years.

00:51:36In fact, he simply is showbiz.

00:51:39Les Dennis talks comedy partners, a life in TV and the extra special role that gave him

00:51:45a whole new fan base.

00:51:46I'll see you with Les and more right after this.

00:52:03Welcome back.

00:52:04Still ahead, why, it's never been easier to love our British vino.

00:52:09Yeah, France may be famed for its wine, but Britain's a whole host of dreamy vineyards

00:52:13that are proving quite the plucky rival.

00:52:16Bordeaux who?

00:52:17Wine expert Tony Oshoba celebrating the best of our great British grape, including a sparkling

00:52:22wine and a beautifully bright blush.

00:52:25And he's one of TV's hottest properties, with a career that's seen him become a political

00:52:30editor, royal correspondent and news at Ten Anchor.

00:52:33Tom Bradby on how he's still found time to pen a brand new espionage drama, featuring spies

00:52:40and political upheaval.

00:52:42Just like his day job, really.

00:52:44But first, a low-key hilarious spoof of the universe, as seen through the eyes of a failed

00:52:50actor.

00:52:51Extras was the hit series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

00:52:56It was also the series that put my next guest back firmly on the showbiz map.

00:53:01Why don't people want to come out and see Les Dennis?

00:53:04They do.

00:53:05Why don't twice as many?

00:53:06Oh, because you're competing with a lot these days, aren't you?

00:53:09Internet, DVDs.

00:53:10Where did it all go wrong?

00:53:11No.

00:53:15Can I ask you something?

00:53:16Yeah.

00:53:18You're a comedian, right?

00:53:19Yeah.

00:53:21I haven't seen you make a joke for five years.

00:53:24What do you mean?

00:53:25When you're on telly and stuff.

00:53:26When you're on chat shows.

00:53:27Or in Big Brother.

00:53:28You're talking to the chickens, but you're moaning about stuff.

00:53:30That's the way they cut it.

00:53:31There you go.

00:53:32Moaning about stuff.

00:53:33Make a joke about it.

00:53:34Make a joke.

00:53:36I mean, what was that impression you used to do?

00:53:39Impressions I did loads.

00:53:40What was it?

00:53:41Mavis Riley, Coronation Street.

00:53:42Do that.

00:53:43No, I'm not doing that.

00:53:44Do it.

00:53:45No.

00:53:46Go on.

00:53:47I don't really do.

00:53:49That's great.

00:53:50Yeah, I know.

00:53:51It is good, yeah.

00:53:52You need another one.

00:53:52She hasn't been on telly for 15 years, but...

00:53:54Yeah.

00:53:55Good.

00:53:56You see, your ability to poke fun of yourself, it really turns out.

00:54:02It was a joy.

00:54:03When I got the script, I mean, I got a call from Ricky, and I thought it was John Culshaw.

00:54:09I thought it's not him.

00:54:10But then he said, do you want to come and play a twisted, demented version of yourself?

00:54:14That's how he pitched it.

00:54:16So I went to meet him and Stephen, and they said, how far can we go?

00:54:20I said, go as far as you want, and if I don't like it, I'll say.

00:54:24And I got the script on Christmas Eve.

00:54:26It came through my letterbox, and I sat with a cup of tea and read it and thought, this is

00:54:31brilliant.

00:54:31Wow.

00:54:32And it was a big turning point for you.

00:54:33It was, absolutely.

00:54:34You know, I mean, it was not long after the Big Brother, time I was in the Big Brother house,

00:54:40and that wasn't my finest moment.

00:54:43I had psychiatrists apparently saying that he's in trouble.

00:54:46I wasn't in trouble.

00:54:47I just decided to talk to the chickens, and I thought it was a bit of comedy shtick, but

00:54:53there was someone in the psychiatrists.

00:54:55So, you know, when they called with this, it was a massive turning point, really was for

00:55:01me.

00:55:01It's such a far cry from those early days of working the clubs.

00:55:07I mean, the really hard stuff, the dying, presumably.

00:55:10Oh, gosh, absolutely.

00:55:11You know, going around the country.

00:55:13The Northeast was always the hardest place to go as a comic, because they got entertainment

00:55:19every night of the week, you know.

00:55:21And you'd go up there, and I remember being, I think it was a Darts presentation do, and

00:55:27I emptied the room in five minutes, but I wouldn't come off.

00:55:31All the other comics used to give me the nickname Bronco, because I'd stay on.

00:55:35So, I would stay on, and I remember a bloke, you know, the little flat cap guy sitting

00:55:42in the corner on his mic, and he went, come off, bonnie lad, don't punish yourself.

00:55:47Oh, glory.

00:55:48Coming full circle now, you are now the master of the musical.

00:55:52I mean...

00:55:52It's lovely to be doing so many musicals.

00:55:54Yeah.

00:55:54I was chucked out the choir when I was 11, and here I am, and, you know, I've done some

00:55:59opera, I've done a lot of musicals, and I'm now doing what I think is a beautiful

00:56:04show called Waitress.

00:56:06Now, tell us about it.

00:56:07It's a lovely show.

00:56:09I think of it, it is a musical, but it isn't the kind of big, you know, 11 o'clock

00:56:14number

00:56:15kind of musical.

00:56:16It's a kind of play.

00:56:18It's based on the film Waitress, and it's about female empowerment.

00:56:24Jenna, played by Carrie Hope Fletcher, and her two friends, Becky and Dawn, they become

00:56:32a real team, and Jenna's going through a really difficult marriage, and she works in this

00:56:39pie shop, Joe's Pie Diner, Old Joe's Pie Diner.

00:56:44Who's playing Old Joe?

00:56:45Old Joe, yeah, there you go.

00:56:47From Bill Snibson, you know, the young Bill Snibson and Me and My Girl, to now Old Joe.

00:56:52But that's how, I'm happy to do it.

00:56:54I remember coming and seeing you in Me and My Girl, and there was a bit where you came

00:57:00down the aisle.

00:57:01We came to the audience, yeah, singing.

00:57:02I was at Lambeth Walk.

00:57:04Lambeth Walk, of course, yeah.

00:57:05And I was at the end of the row, and you were doing, da, da, da, da, da.

00:57:08Da, da, da, da, da.

00:57:10Absolutely.

00:57:11Oh, I was just sitting there quietly.

00:57:12When was that?

00:57:14A long time ago.

00:57:1591, I think, 1991.

00:57:17Is it the line?

00:57:18Yeah, it is.

00:57:19Where's the time going?

00:57:19But there's a joy in musical fiction.

00:57:21There is, absolutely.

00:57:23You know, I mean, they say that singing is good for the soul, and you love it, you know.

00:57:28You've got a musical ear, clearly, because in terms of accents and impressions, and the

00:57:34two are closely linked, aren't they?

00:57:35There's musicality in accents.

00:57:36There is a musicality, I think, yeah.

00:57:39I think it's kind of, being an impressionist is similar to being a caricaturist, you know,

00:57:45because I used to draw, and I used to draw caricatures, so I think there's something

00:57:49in that, picking up idiosyncrasies that are bigger, and lodging them.

00:57:54So magnifying them, and doing, I don't really know.

00:57:56I don't really know, yeah.

00:57:58I've got to get you to do that every time you come on here.

00:58:00It's just, I mean, you used to be used to it, really, aren't you?

00:58:02Well, she loved it.

00:58:03I think last time I came on, you played Thelma talking about my impression of it.

00:58:08Yeah, yeah.

00:58:08Yeah, she used to get scripts, she said, and she said, I can't say that.

00:58:12That's not me.

00:58:12That's Les Dennis.

00:58:15You worked for those lovely years, alas, too short, with Dustin G.

00:58:20Dustin G.

00:58:21And they sort of grew out of that, didn't they?

00:58:23Yeah, they came out of the Russ Abbott Madhouse we worked together on, and it was Vera and

00:58:30Mavis was the, suddenly the producers put us together as Vera and Mavis in little sketches

00:58:34of our own, and then we got our own show.

00:58:36We were at Double Act for four years, from 82 to 86, and then he died in 86.

00:58:43Age 73.

00:58:44Yeah.

00:58:4440 years ago.

00:58:46Let's look at you in your prime.

00:58:47Oh.

00:58:48Oh.

00:58:49Oh.

00:58:54Surprise, surprise, the unexpected hits you between the eyes.

00:59:00Later, later, later.

00:59:02Later, later.

00:59:14Hey, silly, I must say, you're looking really lovely.

00:59:17Tell me, how do you manage to keep so young?

00:59:19I lie about me age, Jimmy.

00:59:22Oh, that was such fun to do.

00:59:25And Scylla, I did the panto in Liverpool, 2008, the big capital of culture panto, Cinderella.

00:59:32And Scylla said to me, she said, I never said Laura Laura until I saw Dustin do it.

00:59:38So Laura Laura laughs.

00:59:39Laura Laura laughs.

00:59:40She got from Dustin, yeah.

00:59:41Which is amazing.

00:59:43You've gone pretty legit too as well.

00:59:45I mean, Malvolio.

00:59:46Yes.

00:59:46In Twelfth Night.

00:59:48Yeah, well, I loved that.

00:59:49That was such a joy to play Malvolio.

00:59:52I had always wanted to play Feste because when I was 17, I went with the school to Stratford.

00:59:59And so when I was doing Malvolio, I thought, I'll Google and see who was in that.

01:00:03And it was Judi Dench and Donald Sinden.

01:00:06And it's a renowned, it's still to this day, one of the renowned productions.

01:00:11The definitive production.

01:00:13When you're not in the first Flush of Youth, touring, as you are now.

01:00:16Or that you're touring with Waitress until October.

01:00:19Yeah, we've just finished in Woking and we're off to, where are we going next week?

01:00:23We're off to Sunderland next week.

01:00:25And we're Edinburgh.

01:00:26I mean, literally, touring can be all over.

01:00:30Do you not get exhausted?

01:00:31I do at times, but, you know, I've got the day to myself when I'm away, you know.

01:00:38And I love it.

01:00:39I love the show.

01:00:40I love being part of a company.

01:00:42At the other end of the spectrum, though, you've got the game show host,

01:00:45where you're doing umpteen shows in a sort of three-week period.

01:00:49Was it 26 shows of Family Fortunes?

01:00:5026 shows of Family Fortunes we did in three weeks.

01:00:53Don't you get them a bit robotic when you're doing that, really?

01:00:56It's Groundhog Day.

01:00:57Yeah.

01:00:57And, you know, and then years later, a family will say, do you remember us?

01:01:01Of course, yes.

01:01:02And they all merge into one, yeah.

01:01:06But I loved that.

01:01:07That was a great show to do.

01:01:08It seems that...

01:01:09I still think it's one of the best game show formats.

01:01:12Yeah.

01:01:12But the balance, from your point of view, presumably, is theatre, musicals, telly...

01:01:17And a bit of time off.

01:01:18A bit of time off.

01:01:19It sounds like much time off, really.

01:01:21If you're doing this way just in October...

01:01:23You're the same.

01:01:24Yeah, but I garden in between.

01:01:26Sorry to get some fresh air.

01:01:28Well, you're still getting away with it.

01:01:29I'm still getting away with it.

01:01:30Yeah, absolutely.

01:01:31Still going.

01:01:32Well, someone you know very well, Leslie Joseph.

01:01:34Yes.

01:01:34About to do her little bit.

01:01:35Oh, lovely.

01:01:36I haven't seen her for a bit, but we hear a lot of her.

01:01:39Yeah, she's our Love Your Weekend diarist.

01:01:42Okay.

01:01:42She's my landlady.

01:01:43Is she?

01:01:44When I stay in London, I stay with Leslie.

01:01:47She just come from Leslie's house today.

01:01:49Does she do good rates?

01:01:50She does.

01:01:51Mates rates.

01:01:53Well, anyway, move over, Jane Austen.

01:01:55Here's Leslie Joseph's spring diary in a flower that says April like no other.

01:01:59The bluebell.

01:02:04Hampshire, Sunday, the 26th of April, 2026.

01:02:08Dear diary, this week I've entered a little further afield and found myself quite undone.

01:02:15Not by a gentleman, alas, though I remain hopeful, but by a woodland.

01:02:21Oh, my, what a woodland it was.

01:02:23A sea of bluebells.

01:02:25The sight of them.

01:02:27A great shimmering carpet of violet blue,

01:02:30stretching as far as the eye can see,

01:02:32as though the earth itself had dressed for the most romantic of occasions.

01:02:38I felt at once as though I had wandered into a most clandestine rendezvous.

01:02:44The light filtered softly through the trees.

01:02:46The air was laced with their delicate perfume.

01:02:49And everywhere those elegant, nodding bells swayed as if whispering secrets to one another.

01:02:56The flowers bloom early in spring, taking advantage of the sunlight before the trees above are fully in leaf,

01:03:02making them perfectly timed enchantresses of the woodland stage.

01:03:07And the scent, soft, sweet, and ever so slightly intoxicating.

01:03:14One breathes it in and feels quite transported,

01:03:17possibly into the path of a tall, handsome stranger who has, until this moment,

01:03:22been waiting patiently behind an oak tree.

01:03:25One can only hope.

01:03:27Still, dear diary, as I stood there watching bees move lazily from bell to bell,

01:03:33sipping sweet nectar as I sipped Madeira,

01:03:36I was reminded of hazy evenings with a certain L. Dennis, Duke of Palladium.

01:03:42He is such merry fun.

01:03:45Oh, I am so jealous I was not invited to tea at Mr. Titchmarsh's Sunday soiree.

01:03:50It was ever thus.

01:03:52Yes, I shall write to him at once to express my distress.

01:03:58Yours affectionately, L. Joseph.

01:04:03Thank you, Leslie.

01:04:05And almost half the world's bluebells, you know, they're found right here in the UK,

01:04:08carpeting our woods in a blue haze in April.

01:04:12Just wonderful.

01:04:13Bluebell bulbs contain starch, you know, that in Elizabethan times was used to stiffen ruffs.

01:04:18All sorts of advice on this show, you know.

01:04:21So next time you're wearing a ruff, dig up a bluebell bulb and...

01:04:24No, never mind.

01:04:25Coming up, Tom Bradby on the televised adaptation of his high-octane political thriller, Secret Service.

01:04:32I'll see you with Tom for some espionage chit-chat right after this.

01:04:49Welcome back to Love Your Weekend.

01:04:51Coming up, sunshine, soil and the love of wine.

01:04:55Well, the UK has two of those, at least.

01:04:58I'll leave you to guess which two.

01:04:59We're celebrating the UK's love for vino in the best of British this week.

01:05:04Tony Ashoba takes us on a tasting tour of Great Britain at the end of the show.

01:05:09We're off to Pembrokeshire, Staffordshire and more.

01:05:12But first, described as a fresh-from-the-headlines spy story,

01:05:16based on today's political landscape from the pen of Tom Bradby,

01:05:20Secret Service follows MI6 officer Kate Henderson

01:05:24as she uncovers a shocking secret and races against time to uncover the truth.

01:05:29Somebody in the system is feeding Moscow intelligence.

01:05:33Emergency statement from the PM.

01:05:35I offer my resignation.

01:05:36If a minister running for leadership has been bribed, we'd be catastrophically exposed.

01:05:41I think it's misinformation.

01:05:42In a few days, we might have a Russian asset running the country.

01:05:48Supposedly walk into a trap.

01:05:50There's a chance I'll have to take.

01:05:54Seeing your novel turned into a series on ITV, goodness me, Tom, what a thrill.

01:06:01With a cast like Gemma Arterton, Roger Allum, astonishing cast.

01:06:06It was kind of magical.

01:06:08The truth about the journey from novel to TV, drama or film

01:06:14is that it is a bit of a mystery tour,

01:06:16and you hope it's going to be a magical mystery tour.

01:06:19You can go into it with the best of intentions,

01:06:21and obviously I did the scripts.

01:06:24I had a co-writer as well, but I did the scripts.

01:06:27So you feel like you've done everything you can,

01:06:29but fundamentally you don't know until everyone turns up

01:06:32and you see it forming in front of you.

01:06:34And Gemma was so good in this.

01:06:36In fact, the whole cast was so good,

01:06:38and the lead director, James Marsh,

01:06:40who I'd worked with years ago on Shadow Dancer,

01:06:42was also brilliant.

01:06:43So it's just one of those experiences

01:06:45that from almost the first minute,

01:06:47you felt everything was going right,

01:06:48and I ended up so thrilled with the end result.

01:06:51So it was just honestly one of the best experiences

01:06:53I've ever had in my working life.

01:06:55And, you know, I hope people love it, because I really do.

01:06:57You were involved with writing the script, which is interesting,

01:06:59because not all novelists can take to screenwriting,

01:07:02and you obviously did.

01:07:03Lots of people just don't want to...

01:07:06I'm quite good friends with Robert Harris.

01:07:07He's a very good screenwriter,

01:07:08but he just doesn't want to do his own stuff.

01:07:10I really love doing my own stuff,

01:07:12because it's kind of a different journey.

01:07:14I felt like the novel was just the idea I had in my head.

01:07:18I wrote it very fast.

01:07:19It was kind of based around this idea

01:07:21of what would it actually be like

01:07:23to have the bombshell intelligence

01:07:25that one of our leading politicians might be a Russian spy.

01:07:28I mean, what would that really mean?

01:07:29How would your bosses react?

01:07:30You know, Kate, the lead character,

01:07:32is juggling kind of complicated family life, teenage children.

01:07:35So you forge all that in the novel,

01:07:37and then you then go on a different journey for a TV drama,

01:07:42because you've got producers, a co-writer, you've got directors.

01:07:45But I really love that,

01:07:46because it's very collaborative and it's kind of fun,

01:07:48and you end up with something that's recognisably the same,

01:07:51but a bit different,

01:07:52and the whole journey is the joy of it for me.

01:07:55And when it works out well, it's obviously thrilling.

01:07:58There's also a chance for you to mix your two worlds,

01:08:01because Robert Peston appears as himself,

01:08:05Ed Balls appears, Susanna Reid appears.

01:08:08So do you want to part in my new novel as who you are?

01:08:12Getting Robert Peston to learn a script...

01:08:15To stick to a script?

01:08:16Challenging.

01:08:17Well, I said to James, I said to James,

01:08:20obviously one of the things, you know,

01:08:22I was worried about was I've covered politics for a lot of my career.

01:08:25So, you know, in the end,

01:08:26what we're trying to do is tell a beltingly gripping,

01:08:29entertaining, thrilling story.

01:08:31But there is some politics,

01:08:32and I wanted the politics to be real, obviously.

01:08:35And Mark Stanley, who plays one of the politicians,

01:08:37is just so brilliant and so convincing.

01:08:39He's a great actor.

01:08:40But he has to be interviewed by Robert Peston.

01:08:42And I said to him and James, right, you do understand there is...

01:08:45You know, Robert, I should say, is a close personal friend of mine.

01:08:47But there's no possibility whatsoever of him sticking to a script.

01:08:49I mean, you know, he doesn't stick to time on user 10.

01:08:52Why would he stick to a script?

01:08:53And they were like, yeah, yeah, no, no.

01:08:55Well, yeah, but I'm sure he will.

01:08:56Anyway, like, Robert, we get on set.

01:08:58And of course he doesn't, and every take is different.

01:09:00And he's grilling Mark Stanley,

01:09:02and Mark's starting to really sweat.

01:09:05And he's like, wow, okay, this is a serious interview.

01:09:07And so, you know, I said to Mark afterwards,

01:09:10you see, if you ever want to become a politician,

01:09:11you've had a great start, because you came out of that fine.

01:09:14You can survive that.

01:09:15You can survive that.

01:09:16You can survive anything.

01:09:17And Ed and Susanna were brilliant as well.

01:09:19They were absolutely just really good sports.

01:09:21It was fun.

01:09:21And I did worry, you know, and I'd put bits of me in.

01:09:24I said to the producers,

01:09:26God, is it a bit rubbish putting yourself in it?

01:09:29And they were like, no, no, it adds authenticity.

01:09:31And that, I think, was part of what we were trying to do.

01:09:33We wanted to make something that was completely gripping and entertaining.

01:09:37But I kind of want people to think, wow, this feels real.

01:09:39I wonder if it's really happening.

01:09:40And I'd love it if it stimulated some thoughtful conversation afterwards

01:09:44about what's going on in our country.

01:09:45And the one career fuels the other.

01:09:48I mean, you know, your whole news career.

01:09:49You've been at ITN now since 1990.

01:09:53So I saw the new trainees the other day,

01:09:55and I said, oh, yeah, when I walked in the door 36 years ago,

01:09:58for a moment, they looked at me like that.

01:10:00Mad.

01:10:01But you've always had this different style.

01:10:03And I remember, recall you saying about doing news at ITV

01:10:07just gives you that bit more elastic, that bit more freedom

01:10:09than if you were doing it at the BBC.

01:10:11I mean, do you still relish that kind of approach?

01:10:15I really do, because when I...

01:10:17I mean, I've been doing news at 10, 11 years,

01:10:18and when I took it over, I guess my main thought was,

01:10:23I really need to talk to the audience like I can see them,

01:10:26you know, like I'm talking to you now.

01:10:28And there's an informality in that.

01:10:29And that's really what I've tried to bring to...

01:10:31I mean, there are various other things,

01:10:32and we changed quite a lot about news at 10 when I started.

01:10:36And there's, you know, a whole very boring book

01:10:38to be written about that, which I probably won't write

01:10:40and I definitely won't talk about now.

01:10:42But there was lots of stuff.

01:10:43But I guess, in a way, that was the most noticeable thing.

01:10:46And it does give me a bit more elbow room.

01:10:48And I really love that.

01:10:49The corollary to that, though, of course, is, isn't it,

01:10:50that, no, I want to see it told straight,

01:10:53like the BBC is, in theory, meant to do.

01:10:56Straight, impartial, no personality involved.

01:11:00If you start involving personality,

01:11:02hmm, is it as true as it is when it's told straight?

01:11:05I mean, that's one way of looking at it,

01:11:07an opposite way of looking at it, if you like.

01:11:08I mean, I would argue that I'm as rigorous about impartiality

01:11:11as the BBC is, and obviously we're sort of steeped.

01:11:14I've worked in broadcasting and in ITV News for 36 years,

01:11:17so impartiality, it's difficult to explain to people sometimes.

01:11:20It's kind of, you take it in with your mother's milk

01:11:22when you're a trainee and it never leaves you.

01:11:24So I would say that allowing yourself a bit of personality

01:11:28or your personality to show every now and then

01:11:31is not the same as not, you know, is not being impartial,

01:11:34and I think you can do both,

01:11:36and hopefully I've showed that in the last 11 years.

01:11:40Well, you've shown a bit of humour, too.

01:11:41We've got a little clip from...

01:11:43Oh, Lord, this sounds dangerous.

01:11:44You'll enjoy this.

01:11:47And finally, love it or hate it,

01:11:49it seems all that publicity about the Marmite shortage in Tesco

01:11:52has been rather good for sales.

01:11:54The latest figures show a jump of 61% in the week after the row

01:11:58between the supermarket and the maker Unilever.

01:12:01That is the equivalent of an extra, believe it or not, 130,000 jars.

01:12:06You might say the popularity of Marmite has spread.

01:12:11That has to be the best worst joke ever.

01:12:15Yeah, I completely don't remember that.

01:12:19My best night on the news was when I made another joke

01:12:21about Tunnock's tea cake,

01:12:23and Tunnock's, if you're listening to this,

01:12:25feel free to do it again, sent me a whole box...

01:12:26I made some joke about how much I like Tunnock's tea cakes,

01:12:29and they sent me a whole box,

01:12:30but did I get a box of Marmite? No.

01:12:32No.

01:12:32Well, they always used to have,

01:12:34and finally, it was always known as and finally,

01:12:36on the news, it's something to lift it up.

01:12:39And goodness me, we need it, particularly nowadays.

01:12:42Do you, as a...

01:12:42And I've spoken to other newsreaders who, one or two, have stopped.

01:12:46Now, I know you struggled a few years ago,

01:12:48who actually had to stop their job

01:12:49because they just found it too depressing.

01:12:52There's one newsreader in particular I'm really respectful of

01:12:55who went home and was weeping at night,

01:12:57and his wife said to him,

01:12:58this is enough, stop.

01:12:59You need a break from this.

01:13:01It's just too much.

01:13:02We feel overburdened by bad news anyway.

01:13:05I think we're told far too much 24-7.

01:13:07And that's just my...

01:13:08Well, not just my opinion, it's been a lot of viewers.

01:13:11The impact it must have on you.

01:13:13It definitely does.

01:13:14And I think there are times

01:13:15when you haven't had a break for a while

01:13:16where you suddenly become aware

01:13:18that it is getting a bit on top of you.

01:13:20And I think particularly because,

01:13:22not to get too much into heavy politics,

01:13:24but if I were to make a very brief overview of my career,

01:13:30I think the first 15 years,

01:13:31I felt the world was going pretty much in the right direction

01:13:34with, you know, bad things happening,

01:13:36but generally in the right direction.

01:13:38You know, Iron Curtain falling,

01:13:41communism coming to an end, all that,

01:13:43Antella being released.

01:13:44And I feel like the last 15 years,

01:13:45things have become much more challenging in the West.

01:13:48And so the problem is we never switch off, all of us.

01:13:50You know, I think you can take the news once a day.

01:13:53It's 20 times a day that's problematic,

01:13:55and we just never switch off our phones,

01:13:57and that's what's doing us in.

01:13:58You're in a position where you've also,

01:14:00because by virtue of the people you've got close to in your job,

01:14:04become part of the news as well.

01:14:06I'm thinking particularly of Princes William and Harry

01:14:08and the documentary you made with them.

01:14:11And apparently the water has changed a bit now.

01:14:13So, I mean, your relationship with them now,

01:14:15has that been compromised in a way?

01:14:17Is that really rather tricky now,

01:14:19bearing in mind what's happened

01:14:20since those earlier days of Harry and Meghan?

01:14:22I think the last time I came on your show,

01:14:24I said something and ended up on the front page of the Daily Mail.

01:14:28So I feel free.

01:14:32So what I'm trying to do is sort of,

01:14:35if you'll forgive me, and I know it's really...

01:14:37You always feel as a journalist sort of burning need

01:14:40to answer everyone's questions when they're asked,

01:14:42but what I've discovered is that,

01:14:44what I've decided really is that I just kind of try

01:14:46and keep out of the royal commentary business

01:14:48for preferably the rest of my life,

01:14:50but for the foreseeable,

01:14:51just because I don't think it does me any good.

01:14:53Has it taught you anything about relationships

01:14:56with the people that you work with in news,

01:14:59not just your newsreader colleagues,

01:15:01but when you are working with people like that,

01:15:03I mean, does it then begin to compromise you as a person?

01:15:06I don't think it necessarily does,

01:15:08but it's a complicating factor generally.

01:15:09I think that's true whether you're covering politicians

01:15:13or the royal family or police officers.

01:15:15Every... You know, I started out my career

01:15:17as Ireland correspondent,

01:15:19and I went... You know, I've been through

01:15:20almost every speciality

01:15:21before I ended up doing news at 10.

01:15:24And obviously what you're trying to do

01:15:25is you're trying to get people to trust you,

01:15:27you're trying to get people to talk to you,

01:15:29you're trying to get people to tell you things,

01:15:32and you're trying to verify those things.

01:15:34So you're obviously...

01:15:35It's not totally unlike spying, actually.

01:15:37You're trying to, you know, recruit agents

01:15:39and get agents to tell you

01:15:40and try and verify their information.

01:15:42But the complicating factor is

01:15:43you're a human being,

01:15:44they're a human being,

01:15:45and you're forming a relationship.

01:15:46And of course that, you know,

01:15:47if you're covering a leading politician

01:15:49and you say something disobliging about them on the news,

01:15:51maybe they don't like it that much.

01:15:52You know, they're human beings too.

01:15:54So I guess that's something

01:15:56you learn to ride over the years.

01:15:57I don't think it necessarily gets any easier.

01:15:59Do you manage to stay optimistic

01:16:02about the future?

01:16:03Because it seems to be quite hard at the moment.

01:16:06That's a really good question.

01:16:07I think I do, broadly.

01:16:09I think... I'm pretty optimistic about Britain.

01:16:11I'm not sure about America.

01:16:12I think that's a pretty scary place at the moment.

01:16:16You know, is American democracy going to survive

01:16:19the next four or five years entirely intact?

01:16:21Not sure. Maybe. Hope so.

01:16:23You know, you'd like to think so,

01:16:25but some quite strange things are going on.

01:16:26I'm pretty optimistic about Britain.

01:16:28I think we're in relatively good shape.

01:16:30We're... there's some...

01:16:31our sense of humour or, you know,

01:16:34our practical nature.

01:16:35There's something kind of quite lovely

01:16:38about Britain and living in Britain still.

01:16:40When it comes to American politics,

01:16:40our sense of the ridiculous, I suppose, as well.

01:16:43Well, I mean, there is...

01:16:45I mean, it's a...

01:16:46Donald Trump likes to...

01:16:48You know, his roots are as an entertainment TV star

01:16:51and you can't say you're not compelled to watch every night,

01:16:54which I guess is what he wants.

01:16:56Whether it's good for the governance of the world,

01:16:57I think, is perhaps a slightly different question.

01:17:00Time will tell.

01:17:01Well, keep entertaining us, if not nightly on the news,

01:17:03then certainly with your thrillers and with Secret Service.

01:17:06Very kind of. It's lovely to be back, Alan.

01:17:07Well, you've got another Red Scorpions out in April as well,

01:17:10the next thriller.

01:17:11Yes, I've got a thriller about a young doctor

01:17:13who is in terrible financial trouble

01:17:16and takes a job working for a South American businessman

01:17:18looking after his son.

01:17:20What could possibly go wrong?

01:17:22And I'm doing a film version of that as well,

01:17:23which I'll hopefully talk about in a year or two

01:17:25when it comes to it.

01:17:26Try and get some sleep.

01:17:27I will. I will.

01:17:29I sleep well these days, I'm pleased to say.

01:17:31Pleasure. Thank you, Tom. Always a pleasure.

01:17:33It is a pleasure.

01:17:34Now, it's that part of the show where we whisk you off

01:17:37somewhere gorgeous to enjoy,

01:17:39the wealth of beauty this country has to offer.

01:17:41We never tell you where it is until afterwards.

01:17:43See if you can guess.

01:17:44It's today's Ode to Joy.

01:17:46We never tell you where it is until after the future.

01:17:55This is a great story.

01:17:56It's today's Ode to Joy.

01:17:57It's today's Ode to Joy.

01:20:15A relatively recent phenomenon.

01:20:17The history of British wine goes all the way back to the Romans.

01:20:20They studied our climate and soil and ultimately decided it would be suitable for grape growing in 1 AD.

01:20:28It's got better since then as well.

01:20:30Our guide for this tour of Great Britain, wine whiz Tony Oshoba.

01:20:34Welcome back, Tony.

01:20:35Thank you very much.

01:20:36Thanks for having me.

01:20:36A varied group of people and wine.

01:20:40Yeah, that's right.

01:20:41We're going on quite a tour of the UK today.

01:20:43So we're going to start off in Buckinghamshire.

01:20:45So we've got our alcohol-free option, which is by a company called The Real.

01:20:49And this is their blush sparkling tea.

01:20:51So they do something a little bit different here.

01:20:53You start with white peony and darjeeling tea and they slow ferment it to bring out lots of different flavours.

01:20:59So have a taste and see what you get from it.

01:21:01It's rather nice.

01:21:02Really sweet.

01:21:04You should get a bit of strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, even a bit of vanilla as well.

01:21:09Yeah.

01:21:09It's really complex.

01:21:10Wow, that's lovely.

01:21:11Exactly.

01:21:12It's lovely, isn't it?

01:21:13There's a lot of fruit in there.

01:21:14If I say to you, are you a drinker, I don't wish it to sound good.

01:21:18I would say absolutely yes.

01:21:20All right.

01:21:23As a result of that, I have a rule.

01:21:27I only drink in company or on my own.

01:21:30Oh, nice.

01:21:34Do we like this?

01:21:35I didn't realise this was a confessional show.

01:21:38Well, you did quite well at the top of the show, Tom.

01:21:42Yeah, it was lovely.

01:21:43That doesn't sound good.

01:21:45But as a non-alcoholic, I mean, sometimes, Tony, they're not the best, but this is delicious.

01:21:50It's lovely.

01:21:50And it's so versatile, it goes with almost anything.

01:21:53So it's actually in a lot of Michelin-star restaurants as well.

01:21:56So it goes with your starters, your mains, your dessert.

01:21:59If I was to have this at home, I'd have it with maybe a roast meat.

01:22:02You can even have it with like a fruit tart as well.

01:22:04So yeah, it's really versatile and nice and complex.

01:22:06It feels like a summer drink.

01:22:07Yeah.

01:22:08Perfect for the spring summer, absolutely.

01:22:09And it's not pretending to be a wine.

01:22:11It's not saying we're an alcohol wine.

01:22:14Tom, do you like it?

01:22:16Would you think it was a wine or a tea?

01:22:17Right, we like that one, Tony.

01:22:19Love that one.

01:22:19Good.

01:22:20So we're moving along to Wales now, to Pembrokeshire.

01:22:23So this is a family farm.

01:22:24So this family actually had no intention of growing grape vines, but they found that their

01:22:29land is absolutely perfect for growing grapes.

01:22:31So they did just that.

01:22:32They're a company called Velfry, and they brought us this lovely non-vintage sparkling wine.

01:22:36So have a taste and see what you think of this one.

01:22:39Oh, that's interesting.

01:22:41It's a nice alternative to a champagne.

01:22:43There's a bit of cider about that.

01:22:44Yeah, definitely notes of apple, yeah.

01:22:47So you get some citrus and apple, maybe even apple tart with this one as well, because

01:22:51of the technique.

01:22:52So you get a bit of like brioche, toastiness, and apple tart.

01:22:55Is anyone getting that on the nose or on the palate?

01:22:57I'm getting apple tart, yeah, definitely.

01:22:58I don't know what I'm getting, but it's nice.

01:23:01It's sommelier.

01:23:03That's when you know I'm doing the news after this.

01:23:07We've got a show to do, so it's going to be a great show.

01:23:11I haven't got anything to do.

01:23:14Yeah, it's more cidery than I expect.

01:23:17I like a cider.

01:23:18If you'd given that to me and said it was a cider, I don't think there's an insult to it.

01:23:22I wouldn't say it was a wine.

01:23:24No.

01:23:24It doesn't taste like a wine.

01:23:26Tony, is that fair?

01:23:27I think that's fair.

01:23:28It might be because of the grapes.

01:23:29You might not be as familiar with the grapes.

01:23:31So it's a grape called C'est Val Blanc, and then also Pinot Noir as well.

01:23:34So yeah, it might just have a bit of a different expression, but definitely apple notes in that.

01:23:38Absolutely.

01:23:39I think it's, I'd urge people to try it because it's really different.

01:23:41It is different.

01:23:42I haven't had a sparkling wine like that before.

01:23:43No.

01:23:44It's kind of, I like it.

01:23:46It's more refined than the cider, but it's got that appley flavour, I think.

01:23:50Nice.

01:23:50I like that a lot.

01:23:52Right, okay, number three.

01:23:53So yes, we're now moving over to Essex, the Crouch Valley.

01:23:56So this is the Newhall Bacchus wine, and this is an absolutely lovely wine.

01:23:59So usually with the Bacchus, it's quite dry and green and grassy, but because the Crouch Valley

01:24:05is actually quite warm, and it's one of the driest and warmest places in the UK, I think

01:24:09somewhere I need to visit, and they've got lots of vineyards there as well, you get a

01:24:13nice tropical expression.

01:24:14So a bit of pineapple, passion fruit, and then even like elderflower and peach as well.

01:24:19You can smell the elderflower.

01:24:20Yeah.

01:24:21It feels like a Cuban version of a wine.

01:24:25No, tropical.

01:24:26Yeah, very tropical.

01:24:27So usually that's not the case, but because it is quite warm, the grapes get to really ripen

01:24:32and you get all these lovely tropical notes.

01:24:34Where is this place?

01:24:35Yeah.

01:24:35I know.

01:24:36Essex, you've got to go.

01:24:37It's the only place where it's warm.

01:24:40It's one little window.

01:24:41It's the only place in the UK.

01:24:44Is that your favourite?

01:24:45That's my favourite so far.

01:24:46You're like, oh, right.

01:24:47I actually think that's really delicious.

01:24:49It's very, it's not at all, it's very rounded, isn't it?

01:24:52Yeah, very fruity and rounded, exactly.

01:24:55Really, really nice.

01:24:56Really, really nice.

01:24:56You're doing well today, Tane.

01:24:57I'm so glad.

01:24:58Three out of three.

01:24:59Lovely.

01:24:59Let's make that four out of four.

01:25:01Okay.

01:25:01So we've got this Frolic Pet Nat.

01:25:04So that's like a natural sparkling wine by a company called Lost in the Field.

01:25:08So the founder did get lost in a few fields.

01:25:14He decided he wanted to make this style of wine.

01:25:16So it works backwards.

01:25:17He said, I want to choose these specific grapes.

01:25:20Then he went up and down the country to find where those grapes are grown.

01:25:23And he found some vineyards in Herefordshire, Devon, Kent and Wiltshire.

01:25:27And he's made this wine.

01:25:28It's designed to be really fun.

01:25:30So have a taste.

01:25:30And we're going to do something a little bit special with it as well.

01:25:32What are the grapes?

01:25:33What grapes?

01:25:34So Madeleine Angevin, Schoenberger and Reichensteiner.

01:25:37So some German grapes.

01:25:38Oh, some German grapes.

01:25:39You know, you'd think Tony and you were stuffed, wouldn't you, once you talked to him.

01:25:43Your knowledge is astonishing.

01:25:47So this one is actually designed to be fun.

01:25:50You're not meant to overthink it.

01:25:52You're not meant to talk too much about the tasting notes.

01:25:54And the founder himself says that you can actually drink this wine out of a paper or plastic cup.

01:25:59So I've got some plastic cups for you to decant your wine into if you'd like to.

01:26:05But it's meant to be enjoyed, you know, a picnic, at a festival, very casually.

01:26:09Let me practice.

01:26:10Let me see.

01:26:14It does taste different.

01:26:16It does.

01:26:16I feel like I'm cheating.

01:26:18I don't know.

01:26:19I just love the glass.

01:26:21Jeanette loves the glass.

01:26:22If you prefer that, you can absolutely have it out of a glass.

01:26:24No, but this is kind of, it is fun, though.

01:26:26Because you don't normally get to do that.

01:26:27I quite like it in the cup.

01:26:29Do you?

01:26:29Yeah.

01:26:30It's nice and relaxed.

01:26:31It's better, isn't it?

01:26:32Because people can't tell what you're drinking.

01:26:34Exactly.

01:26:34Absolutely.

01:26:35There we go.

01:26:36What do you think, Alan?

01:26:36Yeah, I do.

01:26:37I like it.

01:26:38It's a bit different.

01:26:39I'm trying to, well, it's interesting you were saying, just drink it, don't overthink it.

01:26:44Well, the funny thing is, it's quite difficult to think of anything when you're drinking it.

01:26:48But it's not sort of nailing its colours to any one mast, is it?

01:26:52I think you just gave them a motto.

01:26:53Drink it, don't overthink it.

01:26:55That sounds nice.

01:26:57You don't feel you have to have food with it.

01:26:59No, exactly.

01:27:00About four out of four.

01:27:01Four out of four.

01:27:02Very good.

01:27:03It does taste different in a place.

01:27:04It does.

01:27:05Okay.

01:27:06And then on to number five.

01:27:07We're heading to South Staffordshire.

01:27:09This is the half penny green late harvest.

01:27:12And it's a great example of the fact that we can make such a range of different styles of wine

01:27:16here in the UK.

01:27:18So late harvest just means the grapes have been left on the vine for extra long and been harvested late.

01:27:22And we get real intensity of flavours.

01:27:24So that intensifies the sugars and we get really nice honeyed and apricot notes from this one.

01:27:29Now you're talking to me.

01:27:30This is nectar.

01:27:31Yes.

01:27:32What's the difference to the glass?

01:27:33Why is it?

01:27:34So you're meant to have these wines in smaller portions because they're sweeter.

01:27:38You can't really drink too much of it.

01:27:40Dessert wine is gorgeous.

01:27:42Dessert wine.

01:27:42Isn't that really delicious?

01:27:45I see I have a sweet tooth and I love honey.

01:27:47It is honeyed but it's not over-sickly.

01:27:50Sometimes dessert wines are just too...

01:27:53This is fun.

01:27:54It's wonderful isn't it?

01:27:55You can have a glass of it.

01:27:56I love dessert wines but I often find them a little too sweet.

01:27:59That's absolutely spot on.

01:28:01So balanced.

01:28:02It is.

01:28:02It's very gentle honey isn't it?

01:28:04Yeah.

01:28:04And maybe the bees went to that special field in Essex.

01:28:07Maybe they did.

01:28:08Before they moved on to...

01:28:10Oh they flew.

01:28:10No way.

01:28:11It's a small.

01:28:11It's a small point.

01:28:14Wow that's lovely.

01:28:15He's from Slovenia.

01:28:17No one knows.

01:28:19British geography is getting better.

01:28:21No he's got that Essex is not war.

01:28:25I think he's nailing it.

01:28:28That's what I tell people.

01:28:29He's from Slovenia.

01:28:32He's from Barcelona.

01:28:34Yeah he's from Barcelona.

01:28:36That's it for today.

01:28:37What a lovely time we've had.

01:28:39Thanks to all my guests.

01:28:40Thanks to Les, Tom, Jeanette, Aliash and of course to Tony who's provided this with the bottomless pit of knowledge

01:28:46which is astonishing.

01:28:47Join me next week for more barnside banter.

01:28:50Until then I leave you with this popular quote.

01:28:53Wine improves with age.

01:28:55The older I get the better I like it.

01:28:58Let's see if this one improves until Australia.

01:29:01Cheers all.

01:29:02Cheers.

01:29:04Love it have you.

01:29:04Oh.

01:29:05Oh.

01:29:07Oh.

01:29:22Oh.

01:29:23Oh.

01:29:24Oh.

01:29:25Oh.

01:29:26Oh.

01:29:27Oh.

01:29:29Oh.

01:29:30Oh.

Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh - Season 8 Episode 17

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