Toyah shares her memories of growing up as the “only punk in the village” and finally finding her people at a Sex Pistols gig. In this candid interview with Johnnie, Toyah reflects on the challenges she faced as a young teenager: born with a twisted spine, one leg longer than the other, a club foot and no hip sockets, she spent many years undergoing painful operations and countless physical therapies. This never dimmed her spirit however, and she recalls a host of almost-careers including time spent as a department store hair model and a missed chance to be an ice skating superstar. After defeating the bullies at school, she carved out a niche for herself as a punk – before the term had even been invented.
Listen to Toyah guesting, and talking to host Johnnie Walker, on BBC Radio 2’s Sounds Of The 70s at BBC iPlayer by clicking below.
Toyah will be a guest of Johnnie Walker on BBC Radio 2’s Sounds of the 70s on Sunday 11 February. Toyah will discuss the beginnings of her career in the 1970s and revisiting the Derek Jarman film Jubilee which has been adapted for the stage and plays London’s Lyric Hammersmith this Spring.
Sounds Of The 70s: BBC Radio 2: Sunday 11th February: 3pm
Sounds Of The 70s: BBC Radio 2: Tuesday 13th February: 0.00am
Toyah shares her memories of growing up as the ‘only punk in the village’ and finally finding her people at a Sex Pistols gig.
See further information on The Reunion at toyahwillcox.com. (Photo © BBC)
Toyah, Paul Young and Martika are guesting on Steve Wright in the Afternoon on BBC Radio 2 today. The show begins at 2pm and airs for three hours.
Sharon Horgan & Rob Delaney, Toyah, Paul Young & Martika, Morven Christie: It’s a Big Show with Morven Christie discussing The Replacement, Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney talking about series 3 of Catastrophe, plus Toyah, Paul Young and Martika are in ahead of their ’80s Invasion Tour. And there’s a load of Factoids, the Non-Stop Oldies and the latest entertainment and lifestyle news.
• Listen online live at the BBC Radio 2 website or post-airing at BBC iPlayer.
Sounds Of The 80s: BBC Radio 2:
Friday 16th Sep: 10pm/Wed 21st Sep: 3am
Sara plays the hits of the 80s and Toyah chooses one of her 80s b-sides. Plus we take a look at the top five singles from this week in 1987.
• Visit the BBC Radio 2/Sounds Of The 80s website.
Toyah guested on Dermot O’Leary’s BBC Radio Two show yesterday.
Toyah can be heard from approximately 47m 30s into the show, chatting about Aaaaaaaah!, being on tour, and recalling 1983 and featuring in Smash Hits etc – comparing/remembering her responses to a retro interview then and now. The interview lasts for around nine minutes, which includes a play of I Want To Be Free.
• Listen at BBC iPlayer for the next month.
There’s a busy weekend ahead – Tonight there is the Aaaaaaaah! screening + Cast Q&A at Picture House Central in Piccadilly, London. Tomorrow afternoon Toyah guests on Dermot O’Leary’s BBC Radio Two show, and on Sunday plays an Acoustic, Up Close & Personal gig at Cottingham Folk Festival (scheduled to be onstage at 3pm at The Civic Hall)
Toyah will be guesting on Dermot O’Leary’s Saturday afternoon show on BBC Radio Two in a couple of weeks.
Dermot O’Leary: BBC Radio Two
Saturday 5th September: 3pm
Dermot hosts Saturday Sessions from Richard Hawley and Editors and chats to Nigel Kennedy and Toyah Willcox.
Last week Toyah guested on Tracks Of My Years on Ken Bruce’s BBC Radio Two show – Here’s a catch-up of some extra related newsy bits…
• Official Toyah: Toyah Selects The ‘Tracks Of My Years’: Toyah has selected the Tracks of My Years for BBC Radio 2’s Ken Bruce Show which airs all of this week – Visit toyahwillcox.com…
• The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive: Read a full transcript of Toyah’s Tracks Of My Years week – including all her song choices and chat – at Lärwi’s site…
• Ken Bruce @ Twitter: Ken tweeted: “toyahofficial is choosing the #Tracksofmyyears all week with @realkenbruce starting with T Rex and Kate Bush…“.
• Tasmin Archer @ Twitter: Tasmin tweeted: “Toyah Willcox picks the Tracks of My Years,with songs from David Bowie & Tasmin Archer“.
• BBC Radio 2 Facebook: A listener posted: “Glad I listened to Toyah Willcox yesterday explain the meaning of Nights in White Satin. For the past 30 odd years I’ve been clueless as to its meaning…!”
• Shadow.com: Want to see what people say about Lana Del Rey? – Not sure if this is a Lana Del Rey website but they mentioned Toyah choosing Videogames on Ken’s show.
• Listen Again: The full week of programmes are available at BBC iPlayer until the end of July.
• Tracks Of My Years @ Dreamscape: Browse all of our news here…
It’s the final day of Toyah’s week-long Tracks Of My Years residency with Ken Bruce at BBC Radio Two. The full week of programmes are available at BBC iPlayer until the end of July.
Ken Bruce: BBC Radio Two: Friday 3rd July: 9.30am
Toyah Willcox picks the Tracks of My Years, with songs from Peter Gabriel and U2. Plus PopMaster, the daily Love Song and the Album and Record of the Week. Email ken.bruce@bbc.co.uk.
It’s Day Four (already!) of Toyah’s Tracks Of My Years on BBC Radio Two with Ken Bruce.
Ken Bruce: BBC Radio Two: Thu 2nd July: 9.30am
Toyah Willcox picks the Tracks of My Years, with songs from Lana Del Rey and Simon and Garfunkel. Plus PopMaster, daily Love Song and the Album & Record of the Week. Email ken.bruce@bbc.co.uk.
• BBC iPlayer: Listen to Monday’s show here, Tuesday’s here, yesterday’s here, and today’s, live at the BBC Radio Two website from 9.30am, here.
Ken Bruce: BBC Radio Two: Wednesday 1st July: 9.30am
Toyah Willcox picks the Tracks of My Years, with songs from David Bowie and Tasmin Archer. Plus PopMaster, daily Love Song and the Album & Record of the Week. Email ken.bruce@bbc.co.uk.
Ken Bruce: BBC Radio Two: Tuesday 30th June: 9.30am
Toyah Willcox picks the Tracks of My Years, with songs from Adele and the Moody Blues. Plus PopMaster, daily Love Song and the Album & Record of the Week. Email ken.bruce@bbc.co.uk.
Toyah’s week of choosing her “Tracks Of My Years”, on Ken Bruce’s BBC Radio Two show, begins this morning. The programme can be listened to online at the BBCR2 website and will be available, post-airing, at BBC iPlayer. Toyah will choose two songs each day until Friday.
Ken Bruce: BBC Radio Two: Monday 29th June: 9.30am
Toyah Willcox picks the Tracks of My Years, with songs from T.Rex and Kate Bush. Plus PopMaster, the daily Love Song and the Album and Record of the Week. Email ken.bruce@bbc.co.uk.
A selection of screen caps from last night’s Sounds Of The 80s, which aired on BBC Radio Two and, visually, on the BBC Red Button, with Toyah guesting. Toyah chatted about her music career and imagery and there was a short montage (Brave New World, Echo Beach, Soul Passing Through Soul, It’s A Mystery from Top Of The Pops) and a full play of the I Want To Be Free video, with Toyah recalling how good it was to make. The programme is now available at BBC iPlayer. Click below to view larger versions of the screen caps.
Toyah guests on BBC Radio Two’s Sounds Of The 80s tonight. A specially filmed segment will also be available on BBC Red Button (as well as BBC Interactive 601 on Freeview) at 10.30pm – see here for repeat air days/times – Toyah talks about her career in the 80s and the Anthem album. Sounds Of The 80s will be online, for the next month, at BBC iPlayer post-airing tonight.
An interesting extra piece of info about tonight’s Red Button feature – The Toyah video clips being used have been given a new audio track, greatly improving the sound quality. This painstaking process was carried out by longtime Toyah fan David Anning.
The week of Toyah’s “Tracks Of My Years” airing on the Ken Bruce Show on BBC Radio Two has been confirmed. Toyah will guest each weekday morning between Monday 29th June and Friday 3rd July, choosing two songs each day that have meant the most to her.
Ken Bruce: BBC Radio Two
W/C Monday 29th June: 9.30am
Toyah Willcox picks the Tracks of My Years, with songs from T.Rex and Kate Bush. Plus PopMaster, the daily Love Song and the Album and Record of the Week. Email ken.bruce@bbc.co.UK.
As well as guesting on the radio show – on Saturday 20th June – Toyah has also recorded a filmed portion for BBC Radio 2’s Sounds Of The Eighties, with Sara Cox. (Photo © BBC)
This will be available on the BBC Red Button (as well as BBC Interactive 601 on Freeview), and also BBC iPlayer. The Red Button air time slots are as follows:
Saturday 20th June: 10.30pm
Sunday 21st June: 3am & 8.30pm
Monday 22nd June: Midnight & 7pm
Sara Cox plays a plethora of ’80s videos and chats to punk pop icon Toyah about her hectic times during the early 1980s and the creation of her album Anthem, which included tracks such as It’s a Mystery, I Wanna Be Free and Obsolete. Toyah also reveals her own favourite video from the decade. 80s videos in the show include classics from Human League, Whitney Houston, the Jam, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Thompson Twins, Adam and the Ants, Pet Shop Boys, the Pretenders and ABC. Plus a look back at what the top five singles were this week in 1989.
Following last Thursday’s announcement by BBC Who’s in Today?, the date of Toyah’s guest appearance on BBC Radio Two’s Sounds Of The 80s, presented by Sara Cox, has been revealed.
This is Toyah’s second time on the show, she previously guested back in February 2014. That is available to listen to here.
Sounds Of The 80s: BBC Radio Two: Saturday 20th June: 10pm
Sounds Of The 80s: BBC Radio Two: Saturday 24th June: 3am
Singer and actor Toyah Willcox joins Sara Cox to look back on the decade, with hits, album tracks, 12-inch singles and the top 5 from the week in the 1980s.
• Visit the BBCR2/Sounds Of The 80s website.
Pick Of The Pops: BBC Radio Two: Saturday 6th June: 1pm
Pick Of The Pops: BBC Radio Two: Thursday 11th June: 3am
Tony Blackburn presents a selection of classic chart hits from 1960 and 1981, including tracks from George Harrison, Toyah, Anthony Newley, Kim Wilde and Vangelis.
As previously mentioned in March, Toyah will be guesting on “Tracks Of My Years” on The Ken Bruce Show on BBC Radio 2. It’s been confirmed this will air in June,
Ken Bruce presents Tracks Of My Years: Each week a different artist joins Ken Bruce to pick 10 of the songs that have meant the most to them (two songs per day, Monday to Friday).
• Browse previous participants at the BBC Radio 2 website.
