And the nicest interviewee of 2018 so far is....
I've interviewed some lovely folk this year - and hardly any divas (ahem). But the loveliest of 2018 so far is unquestionably Sandi Toksvig. She's passionate about gender equality and this interview caused some ripples when she revealed funny women are edited out of certain panel shows. She's also super smart and funny. Is it just me or - should Sandi run for Prime Minister?
Nothing plastic fantastic about the cast of Age Before Beauty
The latest drama from Cutting It writer Debbie Horsfield swaps hair salons for the anti-ageing industry which is bliss for a journalist – it meant I got to grill the cast about plastic surgery and botox! None of them have had any work done but did allude to friends and colleagues who have. Annoyingly they were tight-lipped (as opposed to pillow-lipped, ha!) about the names. But it makes for an intriguing read... I also hosted the Q&A at Soho Hotel which was an absolute riot.
Hung Up On This Comedy
Stephen Mangan has long been one of my favourite comedians – since his days on Green Wing, in fact. So it was my absolute honour to host the Q&A last night for his new comedy, Hang Ups, at the prestigious BAFTA HQ, no less.
sometimes, just sometimes, it *is* okay to meet your heroes
I LOVE Dawn French. Like, serious love. I'd probably leave my husband for her. And the dogs. When I was little, my friend Jo Cherry and I would sing 'Cox and Cherry' to the French and Saunders theme tune, and pretend to be them. So if you'd have told me then that I'd have ended up interviewing the great woman herself so often that she now greets me with a big hug, I would have DIED.
David Walliams: How I Found A Different Side To The Class Clown
It was a total pleasure to sit down with David Walliams recently and chat to him about comedy, talent, being a dad, writing, and the pressure of living life under the spotlight. It was quite a serious conversation - apart from the odd laugh, of course - and it was really lovely to see a different side to him than the comedian we normally see gooning around on telly. I was really pleased with the way this one turned out.
Lesley manville: Oscar nominee and star of little-known BBC comedy 'Mum'
I'll let you into a sort-of secret that only a million or so people know: the best show on TV is Mum. This gentle, heart warming, beautifully written comedy will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. Its star Lesley Manville must be the only Oscar nominee who also stars in a low-budget TV comedy. I interviewed her for the Radio Times.
a rare bit of hollywood glamour for me
Much as I love telly - and I am PASSIONATE about British TV in particular - it's always a bit of a thrill to interview a proper, bona fide Hollywood star. Last year I got to chat to Renee Zellweger for the new Bridget Jones film. She was *very* Hollywood but that's not a bad thing. I also talked to her British co-stars, Sally Phillips and Sarah Solemani, who were smart, funny, and opinionated - I had a big girl crush on both.
WORTHY WINNERS
It was my absolute pleasure to attend the Broadcasting Press Guild awards this week - and meet some serious TV heroes.
JACK THE LAD
Recognise this cheeky little up-and-coming comedian? I stumbled across this screen grab in my picture library the other day and it made me laugh out loud. Click here to find out who it is!
What I learned about Noel Fielding from watching Taskmaster
Chances are, Bake Off fans, you don't know all that much about the new presenter Noel Fielding. Even for Mighty Boosh fans, he's always been fairly elusive when it comes to interviews. But fear not - because Noel was recently on Dave's brilliant show Taskmaster, and it gave us a brilliant glimpse into his character.
Click here to find out more about the God-like genius that is Noel