Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

• Saturday Song: Roses In Chains (Toyah & Robert Live at Isle Of Wight Festival 2024) – Watch… • Toyah & Robert: UpBeat Moments – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – 12 Days – Watch… (Image © Toyah Willcox)

Secret Diary Of A Call Girl: That’s TV 2: Wednesday 18th December: 3.4 5am
Series 1. Episode 1. Adult drama based on the journals of Belle de Jour, starring Billie Piper as a high-class escort who enjoys what she does but has to keep it a secret from everyone in her personal life. Belle entertains two new clients – one of whom gets too close for comfort. With Toyah Willcox and Cherie Lunghi.

Secret Diary Of A Call Girl: That’s TV 2: Thursday 19th December: 3.45am
Series 1. Episode 2. Belle is invited to a prestigious adult party, but her client doesn’t want to join the action. Starring: Billie Piper, Toyah Willcox, Aleksandar Mikic, Jamie Sives, Aislinn Sands and Scarlette O’Harlette.

Christmas 2023, and The Changeling placed fifth Best Reissue Of The Year in RetroPop‘s year end round-up poll.

The Changeling was reissued on deluxe formats, including 2CD+DVD, colour vinyl and an incredible Box Set, in September 2003. See our news archive for related news, reviews, videos, trailers, Toyah specials and much, much more.

RetroPop: If there’s one thing we love more than new material from our favourite artists, it’s diving into the vaults and unearthing forgotten gems from their classic eras – the hallmark of a strong reissue. This year, there have been plenty and in addition to revisiting iconic releases and sharing unreleased cuts, an increasing number of acts have taken to reworking and remixing their best-loved recordings for a new avenue of bonus material that bridges the gap between ‘then’ and ‘now’.

Looking back on highlights from the year, here are Retropop’s Top 10 Reissues Of 2023.

5. Toyah – The Changeling (Cherry Red)
The seminal 1982 album from Toyah was expanded across two audio discs – including 20 previously unreleased tracks – and a further three previously unavailable on any CD, for its latest reissue, which contains outtakes, B-sides, an alternate album sequence of ‘work in progress’ variations, and home demo recordings. Meanwhile, the accompanying DVD features a wealth of classic content, plus up-to-date commentary from the lady herself!

• See the full Top 10, plus more year end Best Of 2023 charts, at Retropop. The Changeling is available to buy from Cherry Red Records – a great Christmas gift for the music fan in your life.

BBC Strictly 2024 star Toyah Willcox makes ‘very shy’ admission

Toyah Willcox has revealed that she had to confront her “vulnerability” by showing off her legs on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. The 66 year old ‘I Want to Be Free’ singer, who is no stranger to performing in front of a global audience, admitted to having some reservations about stepping onto the BBC show’s dance floor with professional partner Neil Jones.

Speaking to Metro, she confessed: “I am very shy about my legs. My legs have never been great, but they are strong, brilliant, and work for me. I had to expose that vulnerability. ”

She also mentioned her discomfort with the footwear, saying: “The shoes didn’t suit me greatly. I don’t tend to wear strappy shoes. I was having to do things that I would never normally do, and this is why I went into ‘Strictly.'”

• Continue reading this Metro article at www.msn.com.

Christmas 1984, The Ebony Tower – written by John Fowles and originally published in 1974 – aired 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.

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)

It seems to be a tradition over the past few years for BBC Two to air Quadrophenia at Christmas, and 2024 is no different…

Quadrophenia: BBC Two: Sunday 22nd December: 11.45pm
The Who wrote and produced this energetic story of a young man disillusioned with his life in 1960s London. Phil Daniels excels as the alienated anti-hero Jimmy Cooper. Director: Franc Roddam. Starring: Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Toyah Willcox, Philip Davis, Mark Wingett, Sting, and Ray Winstone.

Christmas 1984. Exactly 40 years ago this month, Toyah guested on the Pop Quiz Christmas Special on BBC1. The programme aired at 4.15pm on Christmas Eve.

This was the penultimate edition of the original Pop Quiz. There were four series, plus five specials, 48 episodes in total, with Toyah guesting four times. The final Pop Quiz Special aired a few days later on 28th December 1984. Though there have been a number of revivals since.

Pop Quiz was a British television quiz programme that originally aired on BBC1 from 4th July 1981 to 28th December 1984 with a Top of the Pops special on 4th January 1994 hosted by Mike Read. It was then revived from 21st May to 9th July 1994 on the same channel but this time hosted by Chris Tarrant (Toyah also guested on this series, alongside Pete Burns). It was revived again on Red TV from 14th June to 30th August 2008 with Mike Read returning as host. He also hosted two specials on BBC Four in December 2016 and January 2017 – Please click on the caps below for larger versions.

Lots of Toyah related Strictly news over the past day or so again, reporting that Toyah was offered to be paired with two other dancers for the series before being paired with Neil Jones.

Christmas 2011, and every Christmas until 2017, Toyah was omnipresent on, the music channel, Vintage TV.

Her first festive extravaganza was Toyah’s Vintage Christmas in 2011, but during those years there was also A Very Vintage Christmas, which Toyah presented with Roy Wood and Leee John, and also Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo.

As well as those shows, Toyah featured a lot over the six years Vintage TV aired, with live shows, acoustic performances and other appearances!

Below is our airdates promo for December 2013. Great Christmas memories. We miss Vintage TV.

A great Christmas (video) Blog from Toyah – Rounding off 2024 with lots of joyful and special memories of this year, and positive news for 2025!

Toyah’s December Blog for this month takes the form of a special video message rather than putting pen to paper due to time and schedules. Enjoy a video direct from Toyah…

Toyah guested on Toni McDonald’s show on BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester earlier today.

While Toyah is at home in Worcestershire, she embraces technology with her own YouTube channel with 215,000 subscribers and counting. We first saw her as an actress in the late 70s on stage, TV and in the films Quadrophenia and Jubilee, before her music career took off. Toyah has achieved 8 top 40 singles – including 3 top 10 entries – with her self-titled band and as a solo artist, has had 9 top 40 albums so far, and tours regularly.

• Listen to an excerpt here and the full show at BBC Sounds.

Christmas 2011, ITV’s This Morning got into the festive spirit with their Big Fat Panto Quiz, with a bunch of celebs who were starring in pantos around the country that Christmastime!

Paul Ross was Quizmaster, with Bonnie Langford, The Krankies, Timmy Mallet, Lynda Bellingham, Kevin Cruise and Toyah (playing the Wicked Queen), all in full panto dress/character, answering the questions.

Panto is a huge Christmas tradition here in the UK. Oh yes it is! A short clip from The Big Fat Panto Quiz is still available online here. Please click on the caps to view larger versions.

Toyah returns to the Strictly ballroom one last time for the, almost three-hour, series finale on Saturday.

Strictly Come Dancing: BBC One: Saturday 14th December: 6pm
The Final, Series 22. Tess and Claud welcome you to the biggest night in the ballroom, the Strictly Come Dancing grand final. After months of dancing and many hours of training, it all comes down to this. Our finalists will each perform three times, including a spectacular showdance, in a bid to be your champions.

Our professionals join RAYE for an incredible performance, and the cast of 2024 return to the dance floor for one last routine.

The judges’ scores are purely for guidance, as the decision as to who wins lies entirely with you at home. Who will lift the Glitterball Trophy and be crowned the winners of Strictly Come Dancing 2024? (Photo © BBC)

Christmas 2016, and Toyah was the cover star of Birmingham Living magazine – issue dated January 2017 but published in December 2016 – with a three-page interview feature accompanied by some great shots of Toyah.

Toyah Willcox’s colourful career has taken her from Punk Princess to Splash, Teletubbies and I’m a Celebrity. She never ceases to surprise…

There is something very endearing about Toyah Willcox. She is one in a long tradition of creative, sometimes downright cussed, free spirits who mellow into a kind of national treasure with the passing years. Say what you like about Toyah, you could never pigeon-hole her.

The original wild-child punk princess is credited with starting the Goth movement, has voiced the Teletubbies, champions the National Trust and survived the Celebrity Jungle. And this multi-talented ball of energy has now been officially honoured by her home city with a star on Birmingham’s Walk of Stars.

Being Toyah, she challenges the word mellow. “I don’t think I’m mellowing,” she says, “though I do find things that freaked me out in the past don’t bother me anymore. And I’m working harder than ever.” No kidding! This is a one-woman phenomenon with a record company, six movies on the go and a touring band. A typical day starts at 6am, involves driving across the country, gigging, presenting and writing before final getting into bed at 4. Not that she’d change a thing.

• The magazine is still available online. Continue to Birmingham Living at Issuu.com to read the full interview.

Tales Of The Unexpected: Sky Arts: Friday 20th December: 9.20am
Blue Marigold. Series 5, Episode 1. Dropped by her agency for her diva-like behaviour, supermodel Marigold’s mental health deteriorates. Years later, she plots a comeback. Director: Giles Foster. Starring: Toyah Willcox, Ralph Bates, Sharon Duce, Helen Fraser, Billy Hamon, Edward Jewesbury.

Christmas 2024, and today Toyah’s version of, the Greg Lake festive classic, I Believe In Father Christmas is released as a standalone single for the very first time.

This is the third in an ongoing series of Toyah 10″ vinyl single/EP releases, following Brave New World in 2023 and Rebel Run in September of this year.

Originally recorded in 1982 for inclusion on the ITV special Pop Goes Christmas, the track features Toyah Willcox (vocals), Joel Bogen (acoustic guitar) and Keith Hale (keyboards).

The new 10″ single is pressed on snow white vinyl and is accompanied with a colour Toyah Christmas Card in a throwback to the annual Christmas cards posted out to members of The Intergalactic Ranchhouse, the official Toyah fan club ran by Safari Records.

Toyah has announced she is playing a trio of South Valley Festival dates next year: South (May 2025); Midlands (June 2025); North (August 2025). Further info and tickets available at Stone Valley Festivals.

Carol Decker’s 30 Rock Chicks!: NOW 80s: Sunday 8th December: 7am
T’Pau’s Carol Decker brings a bit of Heart and Soul to a countdown of ’80s ladies who like to rock! With Joan Jett, Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks and Pat Benatar. (as well as Toyah via the Thunder In The Mountains video).

Christmas 1990 saw Toyah play Miss Scarlet in a special festive edition, “Christmas Past, Christmas Present”, of ITV’s Cluedo.

You are invited to a murder: Arlington Grange – home of wealthy widow Elizabeth Peacock; society hostess and patron of the arts. A woman with a reputation she would rather forget.

Colonel Mustard: Secret lover of Mrs. Peacock. A dashing military hero who’s glittering career hides a tarnished past. The Reverend Green: Pastor of the parish who’s means of raising money are not heaven sent. Though a man of the cloth, he has feet of clay. Professor Plum: Nuclear physicist and government advisor. But would his research methods stand the scrutiny of a microscope. Miss Scarlett: vivacious step-daughter of Mrs. Peacock; who’s lust for the high life will let nothing or no-one stand in her way. And Mrs White: for the past 15 years, friend and housekeeper to Mrs. Peacock. But what what dark secret did she bring to Arlington Grange? Six people, all with murder on their minds.

• Toyah At Home: December 2024 – Watch… • Toyah & Robert: UpBeat Moments – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – Ding Dong – Watch… (Image © Toyah Willcox)

Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted: Really: Thursday 19th December: 0.00am
Toyah Willcox. Series 1, episode 5. The team undergoes one of the most terrifying investigations yet when visiting Toyah Willcox, who has experienced strange activity in her home ever since she moved in. (Photo © Discovery)