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Celebrities set to unleash their inner property expert as they celebrate 20 years of Homes Under the Hammer

For the first time ever each special episode will contain a celebrity host, a new property, and a memorable moment from the archive with a double-bill due to air on the anniversary

Homes Under the Hammer first aired on BBC One on 17 November 2003 and is set to celebrate in style with celebrity guest presenters on its 20th Anniversary. For the first time ever each special episode will contain a celebrity host, a new property, and a memorable moment from the archive with a double-bill due to air on the anniversary.

The celebrity guests are fans of the programme and will enjoy the opportunity to offer their own individual insight as they share ideas to transform the properties. Martin Roberts will kick off the anniversary celebrations with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen in Bristol, followed by Martel Maxwell and Alex Jones in London. Laurence rivals Martin in the fashion stakes before offering advice on recycling a retro avocado bathroom suite and Alex expresses her love for original features. The celebrities will also present the iconic phrase ‘Let’s find out what happened when it went under the hammer’ before meeting with the new owners who were successful at auction.

Later in the year, Dion Dublin will be joined by Toyah Wilcox in Birmingham, Jacqui Joseph will co-present with Owain Wyn Evans in Wales and Tommy Walsh will get a helping hand from The Traitors favourite, Amanda Lovett, in Buckinghamshire.

• Continue reading at BBC Media Centre. See photos of Toyah and Dion at Twitter/X, and a short preview video clip at Facebook. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

I’m just catching up with this week’s Richard Osman’s House Of Games, with Toyah guesting.

Highlights, so far: House Of Games host, Richard Osman revealed (on Monday) his first ever gig was seeing Toyah on The Changeling Tour in 1982 at The Brighton Centre.

Toyah was Tuesday’s champion – choosing a decanter as her prize. Richard said: “If you’d said to me at The Brighton Centre, at 11 years old, one day you’ll be presenting Toyah with a decanter with my face on it as a prize in a three-way tie-break, I’d have been like huh? I’d have liked it though. Toyah, well done!”

• Click below to watch Richard Osman’s House Of Games at BBC iPlayer. (Screenshot/Image © BBC)

The Janice Long Review Show “The Changeling” (2013)

This programme excerpt from 2013 sees Toyah discuss the album The Changeling, and its then recent celebration Resurrection Tour, with the late Janice Long for her Album Review Show. Also discussing are Paul Sexton and Trevor Horn.

• Pre-order The Changeling, on 2CD+DVD, neon pink 12″ vinyl LP,  Super Deluxe Limited box set, at Cherry Red.

Toyah’s legendary Live At Drury Lane concert, which aired on Christmas Eve 1981 as The Old Grey Whistle Test‘s annual concert, is now available to watch at BBC iPlayer – after being repeated for the first time by BBC Four last Friday.

Sky Arts aired a new career-spanning feature documentary, Call Me Kate, on legendary Hollywood great Katharine Hepburn last month. Toyah was included, and talks about meeting Katharine, and working with her – on The Corn Is Green (Thanks to Minna)

Gold Wala and Motion Content Group have been commissioned to make a 1×60’ feature celebrating the music of the 1980s for Channel 4’s digital channel, More4.

Legendary presenter Ken Bruce voices Sounds Like The 80s, which brings together icons from the British music scene to select their favourite tracks from the decade to create their ultimate mixtape of the era.

With song selections from a variety of famous faces synonymous with the 80s including Midge Ure, Jazzie B, Toyah Willcox, Pete Waterman and Michaela Strachan, we hear the stories behind the tracks that defined a generation, told by those who truly lived it.

• Read the full press release at channel4.com.

Toyah will be guesting on an upcoming five-episode run of Richard Osman’s House Of Games. Date and time tbc but Toyah will reveal further info on this morning’s Toyah At Home. (Photo © BBC)

During last year’s series of The Masked Singer, there were some, including the national press, who thought the character/masked singer Panda was Toyah. It was eventually revealed that Panda was in fact Natalie Imbruglia.

The new series of The Masked Singer for 2023 started on New Year’s Day and almost immediately fans of the show were speculating the character Otter could be Toyah – though some are also saying it may possibly be Kate Bush, Dawn French or Emma Thompson. Great company to be in!

Time will tell! In the meantime, here’s a photo of Otter. Read press reports mentioning Toyah as Otter: Mirror, Daily Star, and Cornwall Live. (Photo © ITV)

Christmas 1983, and a little, albeit unconventional, festive retail therapy at one of London’s most legendary department stores – Liberty on Regent Street – made the fourth festive season of the 1980s a very memorable one for Toyah fans and viewers of Good Morning Britain on TVAM.

Toyah sporting her late 1983 – most associated with the promotion of The Vow – look, and her Brave New World video co-star Messenger (the beautiful horse), went early Christmas shopping in November…

Pop singer and actress Toyah Willcox has always wanted to do her Christmas shopping on horseback! With a little help from TV-am’s ‘Fantasy Time’, and Liberty London in Regent Street, Toyah rode a white horse called Messenger through the store.

• Watch the full TVAM clip at Toyah’s Official You Tube channel and click below to see larger versions of the screen captures of Toyah and Messenger.

Christmas 1984, The Ebony Tower, written by John Fowles and originally published in 1974, premiered on ITV on the 9th December.

Toyah filmed the 90-minute television drama, which was produced by Granada TV, in the Dordogne region of France during the Summer of 1983.

She starred alongside Sir Laurence Olivier, Greta Scacchi and Roger Rees. In a 1984 interview, Toyah said of the character she plays: “The girl I play in The Ebony Tower may be called ‘The Freak’, and she may even look like a freak, but deep down she is the sanest person in the story“.

View promo shots from the drama here and here. Read an interview with Toyah, published when The Ebony Tower aired, by Outlook magazine, and another from around the same time, by Cosmopolitan magazine. Read Dreamscape’s 2011 DVD review, and view a couple of our fan adverts. (Thanks to andy for the screen cap below)

A reminder the Second City Firsts episode “Glitter” airs tonight on BBC Four. Starring Toyah in the lead and in her first professional screen role. It is being repeated, for the first time since originally airing in November 1976, alongside two other Second City Firsts‘ episodes.

Second City Firsts: BBC Four: Wednesday 20th July: 10.35pm
Glitter. Series 1, episode 2. Drama from 1976 about Sue, a teenage singer whose dream is to perform on Top of the Pops. Toyah Willcox stars in her first professional role, with Phil Daniels and Noel Edmonds. Director: Tony Bicat. Also features: Doremy Vernon and Bilbo Baggins.

Happy 40th to Blue Marigold! The episode of Tales Of The Unexpected, starring Toyah in the lead role, aired on ITV 40 years ago this month (25th April to be precise). Here’s the original promotional magazine advert… (Thanks to Paul)

Further press for Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted (Photos © Discovery).

• Classic Rock/Louder: Ghost hunter ‘strangled’ in Toyah Willcox’s haunted home: On a recent episode of Celebrity Help! My House is Haunted, ghost hunters investigated Toyah Willcox’s home with unexpected consequences – Usually featuring self-proclaimed psychics and supernatural investigators shrieking hysterically into night vision lenses every time their camera crew bump into furniture, ghost hunting shows on TV have largely been disappointing. This was not the case last month, however, when paranormal experts visited Toyah Willcox’s home in Pershore, Worcestershire, for Celebrity Help! My House is Haunted, to find out whether the pop star’s abode was supernaturally troubled, as she suggests – Continue reading…

• Birmingham Mail: My House is Haunted cleaner ‘had a bad feeling in the en suite’ of eerie home: Toyah’s Pershore haunted house has further ghostly revelations from its former cleaner – Further spooky revelations have surfaced about the Worcestershire haunted house where TV ghost hunter Barri Ghai was filmed being ‘strangled’ by an evil spirit in the loft. Now the former cleaner of the historic Pershore property has come forward revealing there were public hangings in the attic. The Georgian house is owned by 1980s pop icon Toyah Willcox, who got the TV Help! My House is Haunted team in to help her after experiencing “persistent paranormal activity” since she moved in 20 years ago. Former cleaner Chrissi Rock, from Evesham, said: “I used to clean Toyah’s house in 1997 before she bought it – Continue reading…

• Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted: Browse Dreamscape’s news/press archive – Continue reading…

Ghost hunter strangled by spirit in Toyah Willcox’s Pershore home

A ghost hunter was left gasping for air by an evil spirit in the Worcestershire home of 80s icon Toyah Willcox.

In scenes filmed for a new series, Celebrity Help! My House is Haunted, paranormal expert Barri Ghai was seemingly strangled whilst carrying out an investigation in the attic of Willcox’s Pershore home. Ghai was joined by colleagues Ian Shaw and Jayne Harris, who had set up a special ‘REM’ recording device in the attic.

The team were trying to speak with a ghost named George, which they believed to be a soldier who fought during the English civil war in the 1600s.

• Continue reading at Worcester News. Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted is streaming now on Discovery +

80s pop legend Toyah Willcox terrorised by violent ghost who strangles people

Toyah Willcox says she was left was petrified after witnessing plenty of paranormal activity from a number of spirits at her Worcestershire home as part of a new TV show

Toyah Willcox has been terrorised by a violent ghost.

The pop legend, 63 was petrified after witnessing plenty of paranormal activity from a number of spirits in her Worcestershire home.

And when she staged an exorcism in a bid to scare them off, things turned nasty when one of them strangled someone.

evealing her torment, Toyah said: “I’ve always experienced haunted properties because I’ve constantly lived in very old places. This house is absolutely extraordinary. It is a very active house.”

“There are two obvious ghosts that are sisters and they’ve always been around. The evidence is mainly a whiff of cigarette smoke and perfume.”

• Continue reading at the Daily Star. Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted is streaming now on Discovery +

More press – from the major UK newspapers – on the spooky events that took place in Toyah’s home in Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted. (Photos © Discovery)

• Daily Mail: Moment terrified ghost hunter is ‘strangled by an evil spirit’ inside the ‘haunted’ home of ’80s pop icon Toyah Willcox in paranormal reality show: Toyah Willcox appeared on discovery’s Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted – The 63-year-old was convinced her Worcestershire home is haunted by ghosts. Paranormal expert Barri Ghai was seen choking and gasping for air in her attic Barri and his fellow ghost hunters confirmed that Toyah’s home is in fact haunted – Continue reading…

• The Sun: Fright Night – I was choked by a violent ghost in Toyah Wilcox’s attic – I was sure I’d collapse and die on camera: A ghost hunter was left gasping for air after being violently attacked “by a ghost” in pop icon’s Toyah Wilcox’s home – Paranormal expert Barri Ghai claimed he was choked as he confronted an aggressive ghost called George in an upcoming scene on Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted – Continue reading…

• Daily Star: Moment ghost hunter is ‘strangled by spirit’ inside haunted home of Toyah Willcox: A ghost hunter says he was throttled by an “evil spirit” in the home of 1980s pop star Toyah Willcox in a terrifying episode of Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted. A spine-tingling video shows a paranormal expert being “throttled by an evil spirit” as ghost hunters investigate paranormal activity inside the home of 1980’s pop icon Toyah Willcox – Continue reading…

Terrifying Moment Ghost Hunter Is Throttled By Aggressive Spirit Living Attic

Sinister footage shows the moment a paranormal investigator was throttled by a suspected ghost while exploring the home of singer Toyah Willcox – spooking him so much that he thought he would ‘die’.

Expert Barri Ghai was looking into paranormal activity in Willcox’s house for the series Celebrity Help! My House is Haunted when the spooky incident allegedly took place.

Ghai was joined by colleagues Ian Shaw and Jayne Harris, having set up a special ‘REM’ recording device.

In the clip, Ghai says: “The REM is going off, I don’t know why.”

• Continue reading at Lad Bible. Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted is streaming from today on Discovery +

Terrifying moment ghost hunter is throttled by aggressive spirit living inside Toyah Willcox’s attic: ‘Get away from him!’

A ghost hunter is throttled by a malevolent spirit while investigating paranormal activity inside the home of singer, actress, and ‘80s pop icon Toyah Willcox. Yes, really.

In a Metro.co.uk exclusive clip from upcoming scenes filmed for Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted, paranormal expert Barri Ghai is left coughing and gasping for air as he’s confronted by an aggressive ghost called George.

It all kicks off when Toyah leaves Barri and his colleagues Ian and Jayne for the night as their investigation starts shaping up to be one of the team’s most active cases yet.

Rigging the house with fixed cameras, the group attempted to reach out to George, who swears at them. After an unnerving start, they go upstairs to the attic when they hear a violent growl on Barri’s recording device. Suddenly, the audio begins picking up snippets of the spirit mentioning Barri by name and telling the trio to ‘get down.’

• Continue reading at the Metro. Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted is streaming from tomorrow on Discovery +

The final of the third series of The Masked Singer airs this Saturday on ITV. Following press stories a few weeks ago about the possibility of Toyah being, one of the three finalists, Panda, The Sun and Birmingham Mail both published stories yesterday repeating this. (Photos © ITV)

• The Sun: Unmasked? Masked Singer fans convinced Panda is 80s pop legend after spotting ‘clues’ in her voice

Masked Singer fans are convinced the celebrity identity behind Panda is none other than 80s pop legend Toyah Willcox. The ITV show’s grand finale is set to air this Saturday with Panda, Robobunny and Mushroom all battling out to be crowned the winner of The Masked Singer 2022.

And while several names such as Natalia Imbruglia and Alesha Dixon have been bounced around, fans of the series now believe the person behind the costume is none other than Toyah, 63, after hearing her distinctive lisp.

Taking to Twitter to share their guess, one fan penned: “Sorry people, Panda is Toyah Willcox. Panda has a lisp. “Toyah also has done theatre, has been in bands as well as solo and is tiny.”

“Watching masked singer for first time. Panda is def Toyah Willcox,” another remarked. “No idea who most of the suggestions even are but Toyah featured heavily in youth tv watching and convinced!!!”

Continue reading at The Sun…

• Birmingham Mail: Panda’s identity rumbled after viewers spot ‘lisp’ on ITV The Masked Singer

The ITV show is set to return for its grand finale this Saturday with three celebrities left in the competition. The Masked Singer viewers think they’ve worked out who Panda is – after they are convinced they have spotted the star lisping.

The ITV show is set to return for its grand finale this Saturday with three celebrities left in the competition. Panda, Robobunny and Mushroom are still battling out to be crowned the winner of The Masked Singer 2022.

Several names have been put forward over the competition for who could be behind the Panda costume. Popular guesses include Natalie Imbruglia, Cheryl Cole and Alesha Dixon, but another name has emerged after viewers heard a distinctive lisp.

They now think it is 80s pop legend Toyah Willcox behind the mask. Taking to Twitter to share their guess, one fan said: “Sorry people, Panda is Toyah Willcox. Panda has a lisp. Toyah also has done theatre, has been in bands as well as solo and is tiny.”

Continue reading at the Birmingham Mail… See previous “Toyah is Panda” press by The Mirror.

Masked Singer fans ‘rumble’ celebrity on show – but for more than one character

The Masked Singer UK fans say they’ve got clues and proof that one star is under the mask, but she’s been named as playing multiple characters

The Masked Singer UK viewers have shared their thoughts on Twitter over the latest batch of characters. One name in particular has been shared constantly with fans believing they have proof she is on the show. However, the particular celebrity has in fact been suggested for multiple characters, while one in particular.

Musician, actress, and TV presenter Toyah Willcox is tipped to be unmasked as Panda on the hit ITV series, with fans convinced it is her. That said, she’s also been thrown into the mix for Rockhopper and Mushroom, as well as Firework.

Basically, fans are convinced the vocals and clues match her for all of the characters, but she can’t possibly be playing all of them can she? While we wouldn’t put it past the double-bluffing bosses on the show, the characters have all appeared on stage at the same time at one point, or at least most of them have. It is also very unlikely they have one celebrity performing as more than one character, meaning someone else has to be the other characters.

It’s Panda that has had the most guesses as being Toyah by viewers, with many convinced the vocals gave the game away.

• Continue reading at The Mirror. NB. The Sun, Express, Independent and others have a similar story but they have Cyndi Lauper as Panda. The Masked Singer continues this Saturday evening on ITV at 7pm. Have a listen…. Definitely not Toyah but it does sound sort of like Cyndi!

From Punk Princess To Cabaret Queen, Toyah Willcox On Joining Proud Embankment | This Morning

She first burst onto the music scene in the 80s. But forty years on, Toyah Willcox is going from punk princess to cabaret queen as she joins the impressive line-up at Proud Embankment. Following in the footsteps of Julian Clary, Bill Bailey and Denise Van Outen, Toyah will be treating fans to a spectacular evening of music, burlesque artists, and award-winning acrobatics. Toyah also discusses becoming a viral lockdown sensation.