Strictly – arguably the UK’s biggest TV show of every year in the ratings – yesterday began announcing the confirmed celebrities participating in their 2024 series, which is also the 20th anniversary year for the show, with Toyah announced as the second competitor taking part. As of today there have been six celebrities confirmed so far.
Over the past 24 hours I’ve spotted dozens of online press reports on the Toyah announcement – Stay tuned for more Strictly Come Dancing 2024 updates over the coming days & weeks. See toyahwillcox.com’s Toyah Confirmed For Strictly…
This news hasn’t been officially confirmed, by Toyah or any source related to Strictly or even the BBC, but it’s being reported by numerous tabloids…
• The Sun: Super Signing – Huge 80s star signs up for Strictly – Read on to find out which other stars are in the frame for next season – Continue…
• Daily Mail: 80’s icon Toyah Willcox ‘signs up for Strictly Come Dancing’ after being inspired by pal Angela Rippon – Continue…
• Daily Express: 80s legend ‘signs up for Strictly Come Dancing’ after being inspired by Angela Rippon – Continue…
• Female First: Toyah Willcox set for Strictly Come Dancing – Toyah Willcox, 66, is reportedly set to take part in the next series of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ – Continue…
• Yahoo!: Toyah Willcox set for Strictly Come Dancing – Continue…
• Mirror: Toyah Willcox looks set for Strictly Come Dancing 2024 thanks to famous pal – Continue…
• Time will tell, as these rumours have circulated in previous years, but not quite as widespread as the current reports. Keep an eye on Toyah’s official website and social media, as well as the BBC and Strictly Come Dancing cast announcements!
Homes Under The Hammer, 20th Anniversary special, with Toyah and Dion Dublin aired this morning on BBC1, and will be repeated this Friday on BBC2. It’s also available to watch for the next year at BBC iPlayer.
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.
Something I’d thought about doing for years, and had a spare weekend so I went ahead with “The Toyah In Glasgow Gig History Tour Of Toyah Tours”. A snappy title. See the full set at Instagram. Coincidentally, one of the venues I forgot to include: The Pavilion Theatre is mentioned in this radio clip from BBC Stereo Underground.
It’s the day of the summer fete and Oliver’s been minding Will’s artwork stall. He hasn’t sold any pieces, and Will reckons they’ll have to change their strategy. Their tactics of moving the stall and reducing prices have no effect, until they’re approached by one interested party who engages Will in conversation about his style and method. Halfway through their conversation Will’s stunned to realise he’s talking to Toyah Willcox. Will’s a big fan. Toyah takes a shine to one of his works. Will offers it free, but Toyah insists on paying. When she’s gone star struck Will can’t believe it – who cares what anyone else thinks of his work when Toyah loves it!
Lilian reassures nervous Adil in the fortune telling tent; he’s doing really well and his last client was very famous. Adil’s oblivious, and later is keen to quit while he’s ahead having given Jean Harvey a reading she was happy with. Lilian reckons he’s found his calling. She encourages him to go and look round the rest of the fete, but when Denise turns up Lilian can’t help offering Adil’s services for one last reading. With no knowledge of Denise, terrified Adil does his best. He hits on the idea that she has a secret admirer at work. Denise is amazed, and confides to Lilian that this knowledge has helped her with a dilemma she has. Lilian chides Adil for begin irresponsible, but he insists he was hinting that the admirer was in fact an animal. Well that wasn’t obvious to Denise, observes Lilian grimly.
• Listen to the episode at BBC Sounds for the next month.
Toyah is heading to Ambridge. She will guest on a future episode of legendary, and very long running, BBC Radio 4’s The Archers. Click below to watch Toyah talk The Archers.
The Old Grey Whistle Test Live: BBC Four
Friday 17th September : 9.40pm For One Night Only. Hosted by Bob Harris, this live studio show features music, special guests and rare archive footage to mark the 30 years since the legendary series was last broadcast. Featuring performances from Peter Frampton, Richard Thompson, Albert Lee and more. Bob also chats to Whistle Test alumni, including Dave Stewart, Joan Armatrading, Ian Anderson, Chris Difford and Kiki Dee, as well as fans Danny Baker and Al Murray.
“It’s going to be a huge reunion”: Bob Harris reveals live line-up for Old Grey Whistle Test
BBC Music is reviving The Old Grey Whistle Test for a one-off live special on BBC Four. The revival marks 30 years since the legendary music TV show ended – it ran from 1971 to 1988 – and former host Bob Harris will be back at the helm.
Harris presented the show with that famous “whispering” delivery from 1972-78 and his spell included UK TV firsts including the performance from Bob Marley & The Wailers. Forty-six years since he first hosted, Harris will be back for the live three-hour special, which has generated huge excitement among music fans of a certain age.
“I know, it feels very exciting at this end too – the interest has been absolutely incredible,” the Radio 2 presenter told Music Week.
BBC’s warning is a bit of a Brum do for pop star Toyah
Singer Toyah Willcox, who had a hit in the Eighties with It’s A Mystery, is baffled as to why the BBC slapped a warning on episodes of Brum, the harmless BBC children’s show she narrated.
A notice on iPlayer repeats told viewers the series may reflect out-of-date ‘language and attitudes of the Nineties’.
The flame-haired singer tells me: ‘I can’t think why they did that. Was it because of the Birmingham accent? Is it sexist in some way? I’m sure we never impersonated a black person.’ Toyah adds: ‘I always refused to do anything if it was offensive. Brum was written by Anne Wood who made Teletubbies and she was on top of all that sort of thing.’
The BBC says the notice was added in ‘error’ and has been removed from Brum episodes. Perhaps it is the BBC, with its determination to censor TV classics, that is out of touch with today’s audiences?
Toot Toot! Brum is now on BBC iPlayer. There are hours to watch of old school Birmingham. Toyah narrates the first two series which originally aired in 1991 and ’94. Take a look by clicking below to visit iPlayer. See Brum‘s Wikipedia page here.
On This Day, via the Official Twitter presence of the BBC Archive – 1980: Toyah Willcox introduced Steve Strange, Vivian Stanshall, Derek Jarman and Christopher Biggins to Space Invaders. Nothing about this clip makes any sense…
As well as interviewing a handful of guests she herself chose on the above programme – Saturday Night, Sunday Morning (Series Three, Episode 10) – Toyah, Joel and band also performed two songs. Incredible live versions of Mummies and this…
• Friday Night, Saturday Morning was a television chat show with a revolving guest host. It ran on BBC2 from 28 September 1979 to 2 April 1982, broadcast live from the Greenwood Theatre. The programme was the idea of Iain Johnstone and Will Wyatt, who insisted on a changing presenter every fortnight. Another innovation was that the presenters chose the guests they were to interview. (Info Source: Wikipedia)
BBC Media Centre released details of the BBC’s Christmas 2018 TV schedule today – A bumper box of festive treats to enthrall and enchant audiences across the BBC this Christmas season.
Fleetwood Mac: A Musical History
Fellow musicians, journalists and fans celebrate Fleetwood Mac with a selection of their best loved songs.
Fleetwood Mac are the great survivors of British and American rock music. For more than fifty years they’ve overcome break-ups and breakdowns to become one of the most successful bands of all time. They have sold over 100 million records worldwide, with their 1977 smash Rumours accounting for nearly half of those sales.
They have endured, like all great bands, because of the complimentary talents of their members. From Peter Green to Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, the band has contained some extraordinary songwriters. With brilliant musicians on all instruments, they have been able to turn the songs into commercial gold. Above all, the tough determination of the two men who gave the band their name has seen Fleetwood Mac through thick and thin.
Celebrity fans paying tribute to the band in this hit-filled hour include KT Tunstall, Travis frontman Fran Healy, Edith Bowman, Toyah Willcox, Alan McGee, Sian Pattenden and Emma Dabiri.
Over the sound of ripping wax-strips, nail drills, clippers and trimmers, Toyah Willcox invites us to eavesdrop on usually private conversations taking place in hair and beauty salons across the UK.
We drop in on appointments at Totally Polished in Blackpool, The Topiary Salon in Basingstoke, Smith Hair Studio in Edmonton and Not Another Salon in London’s East End.
From holidays and bingo wins, to hospital appointments and bereavements – customers relish the opportunity to swap stories, gossip and enjoy an hour’s escape from the stresses of daily life. Beauticians and hairdressers are trusted confidantes, privy to shocking secrets, but they also provide an independent ear and a comforting shoulder to cry on.
For Toyah’s friend and hairdresser to the stars, Keith Wainwright MBE, a trip to the salon is also an important source of physical and social contact in an increasingly online world.
According to industry reports, women and men of all ages and means are spending increasing amounts of time, and money, at hair and beauty salons in the UK. British consumers spent an estimated 1.89 billion pounds on salon services in the last quarter of 2017. We find out why. A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4
First seen in 1981, Pop Quiz was the BBC’s Saturday night smash hit music quiz show.
Over 30 years later it’s back, with the original presenter Mike Read hosting two special celebration editions where the biggest pop stars from the 1980s will go head-to-head in a test of their Eighties music knowledge – this is Pop Quiz The Comeback!
Tickets will be allocated by random draw. You can register at any time until 10pm on Wednesday 7 December. You can apply for a maximum of two tickets per recording and should you be successful in the random draw you will only receive tickets for one recording. Good luck!
Thursday 15 December, 3.30pm: Guests include Nick Heyward (Haircut 100), Carol Decker (T’Pau), David Grant (Linx), Cheryl Baker and Jay Aston (Bucks Fizz) and Ranking Roger (The Beat).
Thursday 15 December, 6.00pm: Guests include Toyah Willcox, Tom Bailey (Thompson Twins), Andy McCluskey (OMD), Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet), Mari Wilson and Leee John (Imagination).
Yesterday’s Holiday of My Lifetime, with Toyah revisiting a holiday she had in 1968, is now available to watch online at BBC iPlayer. Click below to go there.
Toyah, and a selection of some of the recent Top Of The Pops re-broadcasts from BBC Four, are featured at the BBC’s Back To The 80s page – Programmes showcasing and celebrating music from the decade. Click below to pay a visit.
Toyah’s interview on the Doctors set is online at the BBC website. Now you’ve seen the episode, watch this behind-the-scenes exclusive with the legendary Toyah Willcox. Click below to watch.
• Ever wondered what it takes to be a zombie? This DoctorsEXCLUSIVE shows you the fabulous work our make up artists do. Browse all of Dreamscape’s “Toyah on Doctors” news here.
BBC asks viewers to share their musical memorabilia to tell ‘The People’s History of Pop’
Do you treasure a ticket stub from David Bowie at Aylesbury Friars? Is there a glow-stick from an illegal rave in your attic? Does your teenage diary list every band you ever saw in painstaking detail?
Now the BBC is asking viewers to share their most cherished musical possessions to help tell The People’s History of Pop through a unique crowdsourcing appeal. An online archive is being created for a new BBC4 series which will tell the story of British rock & pop music from the 1950s to the noughties – but without the traditional narrative from chin-stroking “experts”.
Craig Astley uploaded a picture of himself, then aged 4, with his first pop idol, the punk singer Toyah after a concert in Newcastle. “Sixteen years later and I received a phone call from Toyah herself if I would be interested in running her website,” writes Astley, who now manages the singer’s archive. “Pop dreams can come true.”
As tweeted by Toyah this week – the programme she filmed is the BBC’s daytime drama Doctors.
We have had the pleasure of being joined on set by the incredible Toyah Willcox. Toyah has returned to her midlands roots to film scenes for a fanatastic episode that will be aired in November. Keep your eyes on the website for an interview with the lady herself.
NB: Toyah has previously had a role in Doctors. She played “Marcy Preston” in an episode in April 2000.
Classic Casualty: Drama
Originally aired in 2018 to celebrate The Old Grey Whistle Test‘s 30th anniversary. this mammoth 3hr+ programme is repeated in full this Friday on BBC Four. (Photo © BBC)
