Every couple of months Toyah had a new look, though in 1981 it seemed like every week. Her 'Ieya'/The Blue Meaning' image in 1980 was way ahead of its time, and 1982's 'Brave New World'/'The Changeling' and 'Be Proud' looks are as vivid today as they were two-and-a-half decades ago!

Photo from Dolls @ Flickr.

Imagen Music (Sony/Polydor/B-Unique etc) [Promo Sampler]

01. Kaiser Chiefs - Never Miss A Beat
02. Eagles Of Death Metal - Wannabe In L.A.
03. Portico Quartet - Cittagazza
04. Boyzone - Love You Anyway
05. The Script - Break Even
06. Laura Izibor - From My Heart To Yours
07. Nitin Sawhney Feat. Roxanne Tataei - Distant Dreams
08. General Fiasco - Rebel Get By
09. SugaRush Beat Company - Love Breed
10. Wiley - Summertime
11. Toyah - Sensational
12. Kaiser Chiefs - Never Miss A Beat (Instrumental)
13. SugaRush Beat Company - Love Breed (Instrumental)
14. General Fiasco - Rebel Get By (Instrumental)
15. The Script - Breakeven (Instrumental)

Screen captures from this, and yesterday's Richard & Judy, to follow soon.

A reminder that Toyah is scheduled to guest on another well-known talk show today. 

She will appear on Richard & Judy on Watch at 6.00pm (repeated on Watch Plus 1 at 7.00pm - see News update below for full Richard & Judy air schedule).

A video clip of Toyah's appearance is still available to view at the GMTV website. The clip has a running time of 2:52.

80's icon Toyah Willcox shows us around her beautiful Georgian home.

Toyah's last live appearance/interview on the show (again when it was called LK Today) was almost four years ago, back in March 2005, when she talked about her recent facelift.

Click here to view a small feature on that appearance. And click here to read a transcript of the full 2005 interview.

'100 Hits - More 80s', another 5CD set, will be released on 16th February and includes 'I Want To Be Free' on disc four of the collection.

100 Hits More 80s showcases the best classic tracks from the decade, including tracks from Tears For Fears, Dexys Midnight Runners, The Cure, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Toyah, Haircut 100, Soft Cell, and Adam & The Ants.

Launched in October 2007, 100 Hits has sold over 1.2 million units so far. Nine new titles were released in October 2008 and four more are to be released in February 2009.

Saturday 11th April 2009: INEC Arena, Killarney, Co Kerry 
Box Office: 064 71555
www.inec.ie / www.ticketmaster.ie

Sunday 12th April 2009: Royal Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland 
Box Office: 0818 300 000
www.royaltheatre.ie / www.ticketmaster.ie

Tales Of The Unexpected: Series 5 (3 Discs) has previously been released on Region 2 DVD, along with all the other individual series, in November 2007.

Sinister and with a touch of the macabre Tales Of The Unexpected holds, at its heart, a core of black humour that makes each story both compelling and surprising, with a twist in each tale that delighted audiences throughout the country.

Although Roald Dahl is best known for his children's books, his most famous and sinister adult creation was Tales of the Unexpected. Adapting works from Dahl himself, Patricia Highsmith, Ruth Rendell and a host of other celebrated writers, this highly acclaimed series ran for an impressive nine years from its first transmission on ITV in 1979. Its iconic title sequence and haunting theme tune (from prolific TV composer Ron Grainer) ensured that Tales of the Unexpected was memorable viewing.

The series attracted an astonishing array of guest stars: Oscar winners Sir John Gielgud and José Ferrer, Ian Holm, Joan Collins, Sir John Mills, Peter Bowles, Derek Jacobi, Sian Phillips, Denholm Elliott, Zoe Wanamaker, Joss Ackland and Brian Blessed are just a few of the names to feature in its illustrious cast. Sometimes gory, but always surprising, the stories all have a twist to entertain and, more often than not, shock the viewer. This set contains every episode of Tales of the Unexpected, originally transmitted between 1979 and 1988.

The next show will be at Perth Concert Hall on Friday 27th February, immediately followed by two dates at The Shaw Theatre, London: Saturday 28th February and Sunday 1st March. The full dates for the Autumn 2009 tour are now available at The Official Vampires Rock website.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Ms Willcox explained that she had a face lift in the past and may have a tummy tuck in the future, adding that she believes anti-ageing procedures will become “inevitable” as she ages.

The star told the newspaper: “The reason I have cosmetic surgery is because I love my career. Having work done on your face and body goes hand in hand with showbusiness.”

She revealed that last month she underwent a buttock enhancement procedure, which took less than an hour to perform and left her feeling “hardly sore at all”.

In addition, she said that the incisions from the procedure completely healed after little over two weeks and she was “ecstatically happy” with the look of her new bottom, which she claims is more shapely and leaner.

Recently, I”m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here contestant Nicola McClean told the Daily Star that she decided to have a breast enhancement after seeing her chest swell due to a wasp sting.

Quadrophenia : Sky Screen 2  - Friday 20th February : 00.55am
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. (NB: This is showing on Sky Screen 2 and Sky Screen 2 HD simultaneously)

Richard & Judy : Watch - Friday 13th February : 6.00pm
Richard & Judy : Watch Plus 1 - Friday 13th February : 7.00pm
Richard & Judy : Watch - Monday 16th February : 2.00pm
Richard & Judy : Watch Plus 1 - Monday 16th February : 3.00pm
Topical conversation with celebrity guests. Today, actors Lee Mack and Stephen Mangan discuss their current sitcoms and pop icon Toyah Willcox talks about life as a Vampire!

Richard & Judy : Watch - Monday 16th February : 6.00pm
Richard & Judy : Watch Plus 1 - Monday 16th February : 7.00pm
Richard & Judy : Watch - Tuesday 17th February : 2.00pm
Richard & Judy : Watch Plus 1 - Tuesday 17th February : 3.00pm
A compilation of the best moments from last week's shows. Guests include Lee Mack, Toyah Willcox, Harry Shearer, Stirling Moss, Tamsin Greig, Peter Egan and Dexter Fletcher.

[ Watch: Sky Channel 109 / Virgin TV 124 - www.uktv.co.uk/watch ]

We join former SAS operative Mason and his wayward son, on a relentless crusade to track down the international drug dealers responsible for his wife and daughter’s death. Set against Bristol’s dark subterranean waterways from its slave-trade legacy, Mason discovers that there are other victims the law has failed that need his services… 

• GMTV with Lorraine : GMTV/ITV1 - Thursday 12th February : 8.30am
• Richard & Judy : Watch - Friday 13th February : 6.00pm
• Saturday Night Takeaway : ITV1 - Saturday 21st February : 7.45pm
• Natural Beauty : ITV1 - Thursday 2nd April : Time tbc 

The Official site also advises that Toyah will appear in a one-hour special on Psychic Therapy for the Biography Channel and an episode of Celebrity Bargain Hunt for BBC (no broadcast dates as yet). Also confirmed is that Toyah will be filming the movie Power Of Three and Secret Diary Of A Call Girl Series 3 between April and June.

Life certainly begins at 50 for former punk princess Toyah Willcox. A bundle of energy, the singer and actress is having the time of her life starring in hit musical Vampires Rock, which comes to the Waterfront Hall in Belfast this Friday. 

Now a multi-millionaire thanks to shrewd (and safe) property and stock market investments, the Birmingham-born performer who enjoyed 13 Top 40 singles and a No 1 album in her 1980s heyday is actually a Belfast regular. 

“I've been to Belfast many, many times,” she reveals. “My first visit was to the King's Hall in 1981 and I've been back often over the years to perform in plays at the Grand Opera House. 

“As I was only ever there for short intense bursts of time, I didn't see any of the problems. Most of my day was spent rehearsing or performing so I rarely left the city, but I do remember going to the Bushmills Distillery a few years ago, though I don't drink so I didn't sample the whiskey.” 

Read the full article at the Belfast Telegraph website, or here.

• There are "plans in the pipeline" for a "solo headlining venture"
• Toyah will take part in another "Eighties" tour this year (possibly just a few selected dates?)
• She mentions a "tour in September" - Most probably with Vampires Rock.
• Toyah is filming four documentaries for ITV.
• She, again, confirms she will be in Series 3 of Secret Diary Of A Call Girl.
• She also got a plug in for The Humans - That album will possibly be released in 2009.

Surely it's every woman's dream - to regain the pert bottom of her youth. That was the goal for pop star Toyah Willcox who, at 50, has become the first person in Britain to have an injectable bottom lift - cosmetic surgery that claims to give definition to the buttocks. Toyah lives with musician husband Robert Fripp, 62. Here, SADIE NICHOLAS asks her if the £6,000 procedure was money well spent - or a bum deal ...

To say that I am pro-cosmetic surgery is perhaps too strong. Yes, I had a facelift five years ago and I've been quite open about my desire to have a tummy tuck - at my age my skin's losing its elasticity, so I believe more nips and tucks are inevitable. 

But the reason I have cosmetic surgery is because I love my career. Having work done on your face and body goes hand in hand with showbusiness, because you have to ensure you look good for your age.

I accept that fact and don't resent it, it's just part of the job. In this business, most people have had something done, even though many don't like to admit to it.

Despite being the same weight and size, a ten, that I was in my 20s, my shape's changed as I've reached my 50s.

During the past two years I've noticed that my bottom has begun to sag, developing a telltale crease and losing definition where it meets the tops of my legs.

Of course, it can be disguised with clever support knickers, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm not happy with the shape. I don't go to the gym, but I do lots of hill-walking in the Worcestershire countryside and I'm fit and active.

But, no matter what, time and gravity still have an effect on even the slimmest, fittest of women. So, when I heard a new laser treatment was being launched in the UK, which claims to tighten and tone the skin and is described as the surgical equivalent to doing hours and hours of exercises in the gym, I began researching it on the internet in earnest.

Read the full article at the Daily Mail website, or here.

The singer, who made her name in the early Eighties with her hits It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free, is due to make her long-overdue Fair City bow at the Concert Hall next month in a new run of Steve Steinman’s spectacular musical, Vampires Rock.

Speaking to Music Scene, Toyah says fans attending the outrageous show, in which she plays the central character, the fearsome Devil Queen, can expect more than a few eye-popping moments.

“It is going very, very well,” she tells me. "The show is basically a rock show with a lot of visuals and a funny storyline about a team of vampires who run a nightclub.

“It is quite eccentric and can be loosely compared to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and it has a wonderful cult following who are extremely dedicated. I like it because it is visually striking and very tongue-in-cheek. It’s really up, and definitely not your normal theatre.

“It’s loud, brash and there are lots of pyrotechnics, which suits me because I’ve always been a slightly bombastic visual performer.”

Read the full article at the Perthshire Advertiser website, or here.

It doesn't look like this will be repeated and, unfortunately, it wasn't available on the ITV Player when I last checked.

Most Fertile Man In Ireland : Sky Movies - Thu 12th February : 8.05am 
Most Fertile Man In Ireland : Sky Movies - Thu 19th February : 1.00am
Starring: Kris Marshall, Kathy-Kiera Clarke, Bronagh Gallagher, James Nesbitt, Kenneth Cranham, Toyah Willcox and Olivia Nash. (NB: This is showing on Sky Movies Comedy and Sky Movies Comedy HD simultaneously)

• Another Guardian article, another Toyah namecheck! The other end of the spectrum though, this is about the resurgence of holiday camps: Hi-de-Hire! Pontin's to take on 2,000 workers as recession Britain holidays at home.

• Toyah classics 'It's A Mystery' and 'I Want To Be Free' have recently been murde, erm covered at iTunes. Log onto iTunes and do a search (if you dare!) [Thanks to Michael]

• Britain's Best Dish - Celebrity Special, which Toyah recorded last year, is Coming Soon to ITV! - Keep an eye on your TV guides.

Star of the 1980s punk scene TOYAH WILLCOX is busier than ever. She tells Amy Carroll how she fell in love with Menton and why her apartment there is the perfect place to be creative... 

What is it about the French way of life that makes you feel you’re escaping to somewhere really special?

My first experience of how the French do things was in 1984 when I was filming The Ebony Tower with Laurence Olivier. We stayed in a château in the Dordogne and it was all shabby gentry style. Even the countess, our host, had no pretensions. It was all about family, evenings eating home-made fish soup and chatting around the table. It’s the same in Menton. It’s sleepy and most visitors are retirees. There’s very little interest in strangers and the locals leave you to your own business. It’s so laid back and quality of life always comes before work. 

You’ve recently appeared on Masterchef and enjoy cooking at home. Do you take inspiration from the cuisine on the Riviera? 

I like trying out new recipes but out here, I’m not equipped for cooking. The culture is for eating out so, like most people, I have a tiny kitchen. I usually make a daily trip to the fabulous glasscovered market in the square. I buy fresh fruit and wonderful salad produce – most of which I don’t even know the name for in English because we don’t have it back home. Then, I usually eat on my balcony, enjoying the fabulous view over the harbour. 

You come out here to write. Apart from the obvious beauty of the place, what is it that brings out your creativity? 

Well, sleep isn’t something I aspire to and I love solitude. So, when I’m out here, sitting on my balcony until the early hours of the morning, I find it a great place to contemplate. The light in this town is incredible and the place just lends itself to being creative. I think I always have a sense of urgency when I’m here too. Even though the pace is relaxing and slower, and I can switch off my mobile phone and not worry about being interrupted. I know I’m only here for short periods of time so I click into super-creative gear to make the most of it. 

Is it true that Menton is popular with arty types? 

Menton definitely attracts artists. I found out about it because my percussionist has a place here. But it also has a strong French community and there are plenty of local sculpture artists, jewellery-makers and painters. The place seems to hold an interest for surrealists. I like that type of art because it takes you beyond real life; it’s not just a photocopy of what we see. 

When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time? 

I’ve never been comfortable on the beach but I love the outdoors, so I go for really long walks. You can walk into Italy from here. I also love buying antiques. I’ve found a shop that specialises in antique fairground pieces. The treasures you’ll find in there are absolutely astonishing – I’ve just bought a wonderful church mirror. I’ve discovered that if I go every so often, over the course of two or three months, I can barter a bit and eventually get a good price. 

How easy was it for you to buy your apartment?

The first time I came to look at property here I couldn’t afford anything and so I bought an off-plan apartment close to Nice, in Èze. Once I had made some money from renting that out, I looked again at Menton and fell in love with this apartment as soon as I stepped inside and saw the sea view through the French windows. I paid 345,000 Euros for it and only needed to do basic updating inside – painting, new flooring and the central heating. 

With the time you’ve spent in France, have any French songwriters made a lasting impression on you?

Not really. A lot of my work comes out of silence. I rarely even listen to music. I require non-interference and up here, 67 steps up from the old harbour, and three flights of stairs up from the front door, I’m incredibly high up and I can only really hear the church bells. It’s ideal for me. I love the place to bits. 

View the original article here.