She was on the programme primarily to comment on Pop Goes Christmas, originally broadcast on ITV way back on Boxing Day 1982, but also briefly talked about The Osbournes too.

Toyah said: "Pop Goes Christmas was a Christmas special with all the favourite, current, pop artists. And they are such homely pop artists. You've got Shakin' Stevens. There's David Essex...

"Why they had me I really do not know. I come out like a little gremlin, who just suddenly appears, looks like no one else... Black contact lenses, that are larger than my pupils, so I look like I'm on speed!

"Everyone on the show got to do two songs. Everyone got to perform their current hit and then chose a Christmas song to do."

A short clip from Toyah's 'I Believe In Father Christmas' performance from Pop Goes Christmas was shown.

NB. Toyah only performed one song on Pop Goes Christmas :o)

Please check back soon for a page of screen caps from this programme.

"What I admire about Ann is that she can come to our country, and she can tell us off for the way we've been happily living for the last hundred(s) of years!"

"If I walk in someone's house and I can smell a dog I feel like I don't wanna stay there!"

"She (Ann) sees all that dirt. We never see it because we live with it. It's like we live with the enemy. And then she comes in and goes; 'Oh my God, you are disgusting!'"

"The word "de-clutter", the way she says it. She's turned it into two words, and brought it into the English dictionary."

"I rather admire Ann saying; 'Get rid of all collections. If you want something you can have three of them, but you do not have hundreds.' She makes people get rid of things like that. I know people who are obsessive about their coillections. They live for their collections!"

"When she made the person get rid of their collection of teapots, I was cheering."

"I try to see my home from a stranger's point of view, and I get a nasty shock everytime."

"Houses. They're not only our homes, they're probably the things that will keep us through our old age. She is helping people see homes that way. And value them that way."

Please check back soon for a page of screen caps from this programme.

Ultimate Sci-Fi Top 10: Moments : Sky One - Tuesday 28th December : 10.25pm
Ultimate Sci-Fi Top 10: Moments : Sky One - Thursday 30th December : 1.50am
Ultimate Sci-Fi Top 10: Moments : Sky One Mix - Saturday 1st January : 1.30am
Ultimate Sci-Fi Top 10: Moments : Sky One Mix - Saturday 1st January : 7.00pm
Clips from some classic science fiction movies as critics, special effects experts and actors select their ten best moments from the genre.

Ultimate Sci Fi Top 10: Robots : Sky One - Wednesday 29th December : 2.10am
Ultimate Sci Fi Top 10: Robots : Sky One Mix - Thursday 30th December : 8.00pm
Ultimate Sci Fi Top 10: Robots : Sky One Mix - Sunday 2nd January : 7.00pm
Counting down science fiction's best loves creations, from The Terminator to C3PO.

I'm A Celeb... Viewer's Top 20 : ITV2 : Wednesday 29th December : 8.00pm
Former King of the Jungle Phil Tufnell counts down the top 20 moments from all four series, as voted for by viewers.

The Radio 4 Appeal : BBC Radio 4 - Sunday 2nd January : 7.55am
The Radio 4 Appeal : BBC Radio 4 - Sunday 2nd January : 9.26pm
The Radio 4 Appeal : BBC Radio 4 - Thursday 6th January : 3.27pm
Toyah Willcox appeals on behalf of Inspire.

50 Worst Decisions of All Time : Sky One Mix - Sunday 2nd January : 00.00am
Countdown of high profile blunders by the great and good which have gone down in history as some of the most calamitous decisions of all time. Toyah gives her opinion on George Michael's infamous "restroom incident" in this two hour disaster-fest!

Maigret & The Hotel Majestic : ITV3 - Tuesday 4th January : 8.00pm
Maigret & The Hotel Majestic : ITV3 - Wednesday 5th January : 00.00am
Maigret investigates when a beautiful woman is found dead in the basement of a hotel. Starring Michael Gambon, Geoffrey Hutchings and Toyah Willcox.

There was also Boxing Day repeat showings for The 50 Worst Decisions and The Ultimate Sci-Fi Top 10 - Robots, both of which Toyah contributed to in recent months.

The good news for anyone who missed either of these is that they are repeated on Sky One/Sky One Mix over the next few days. Along with The Ultimate Sci-Fi Top 10 - Moments.

Confirmation should be made on Toyah's Official website in early 2005.

The Radio 4 Appeal : BBC Radio 4 - Sunday 2nd January 2005 : 7.55am
The Radio 4 Appeal : BBC Radio 4 - Sunday 2nd January 2005 : 9.26pm

INSPIRE is a UK national charity which was formed in 1985 by people who were themselves spinal cord injured and who wanted to raise funds for the then embryonic Medical Physics Department. In 1995, the Foundation funded the first Freehand operation outside the USA and since then has been able to fund a number of projects in pursuit of its objective. In February 2000, INSPIRE became a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC).

Toyah is one of the patrons of the INSPIRE charity.

http://www.inspire-foundation.org.uk/

It is true that pantomime needs to move with the times and this year the Marlowe has gone out of its way to be contemporary. Songs by The Darkness and Busted, wedged into the fairytale, are not obvious combinations and do not always sit comfortably.

Toyah Willcox as the evil Carabosse carries off her numbers with professionalism and maintains the energetic baddie throughout. Credit too to Lucy Sinclair as Beauty, producing strong vocals. However, her first scene, recreating Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time, dispels any allusions that she is sweet and demure.

Jack Ryder - Jamie from Eastenders - as Prince Charming and making his debut in pantomime, seems uncomfortable with the idea and needs to relax into the role. Dave Lee returns, this time as Nurse Dollop and pairs well with Paul Ferguson’s sprightly Pickles. Good to see Aimee Holden too, making a delightful flying Lilac Fairy. 

Members of the young chorus, under the choreography of Sarah Dean, show polish in their dancing and interact well together. Jenna Blease’s ice-skating scene was an accomplished addition.

Kevin Wood’s alternative slant on some of the traditional conventions is to be congratulated but there needs to be a balance in order for it to work and at times the magic of pantomime is lost in the quest to be different.

Review by Lisa Whitbread

Production Information
Management: Marlowe Theatre in association with Kevin Wood Pantomimes Limited 
Cast: Jack Ryder, Toyah Willcox, Dave Lee 
Director: Kevin Wood 
Lighting: Dee Ashworth 
Costumes: Helga Wood, also design 
Choreography: Sarah Dean 
Musical Direction: Chris Wong 

• For the first month of the year Toyah will be continuing in Sleeping Beauty at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, Kent. Playing, of course, the evil Carabosse (boo, hiss, etc.)

• In May Toyah will play two sets at the WASTED punk festival. Toyah will be playing a set on the Main Stage and is also listed as appearing on the Acoustic Stage with a SPOKEN WORD performance. The four-day festival takes place from 19th through to the 22nd May 2005 with a huge number of bands and singers playing.

• The postponed filming of the movie, French Leave, in which Toyah has a role, should take place. 

• Toyah has two book scheduled for publication in 2005. Few details are available on either at present. Plus the autobiographgy 'Living Out Loud' is to be revised and reprinted

• Toyah has mentioned that she will be making a documentary. Subject matter etc unknown.

• Hopefully there will be some more live dates in 05. Toyah has enthused about her PA's and 'Best of the 80s' tour this year so the possibility of more gigs isn't too remote.

• The one-woman-show, with the working title Chain Reaction, will continue to be developed.

• Expect lots of TV appearances. Toyah is always popping up in on various TV shows. Heck she may even be involved with the second series of The X Factor ;o)

>>> Dreamscape will be five years old in March. Virtual botox injections gratefully received.

There were live PA's in Birmingham, Stoke, and Belfast... The Tempest, Brum, Maigret & the Hotel Majestic, and The Most Fertile Man In Ireland were all released on DVD... lots of interviews including 'The Sunday Times' (cover feature), 'Kindred Spirit' magazine, 'Edinburgh Evening News', and the "Ask Toyah" @ BBC Essex... the outdoor HERE & NOW concert at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton... penning an I'm A Celebrity column for the 'Daily Record'... the Family Of Noise CD single 'Killing Made Easy'... BEST OF THE 80s UK tour...great new photo sessions... Sleeping Beauty.... and more.

On TV this year Toyah has been all over the box: The 100 Greatest Musicals, BBC Breakfast, Everything Must Go, Goodbye Pebble Mill, TV Scrabble, Personal Passions, This Morning, The Wright Stuff, ITV News, Hell's Kitchen, 80s Mania, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, TV Years, Sport Relief, Hampton Court Flower Show, UK Music Hall Of Fame, Simply The Best, Awash With Colur, I'm A Celebrity - Top Ten Trials, Barmy Aunt Boomerang, It Shouldn't Happen To A Pop Star, The 50 Worst Decisions, Top 10 Sci-Fi Moments, Britain's Favourite Comedian, Blue Peter, The 100 Greatest Christmas Moments, and House Doctor: We love You... Phew!!

Andi Westhorpe, John Wain, Alec Kelly, Paul Lomas, Andrew York, Paul Cable, Dave Corona, Merx, Brian Green, Ashleigh Sinclair, Steve Taylor, Marcus Reddemann, Michael Cooney, Stephen Bennett, Owen Keenan, Chris Limb, Kev McNamara, Steve Buckley, Michael O'Brien, Giddy Gavin, Gareth, Colin Dew-Parry, Ton-E, Wardrobe, Craig Renwick, Anya, Mategra, Mark Donaldson, Claire Ormrod, John Shepherd, and last but not least, www.toyahwillcox.com.

A rare happening this Christmas Eve - A festive clash of Toyah appearances on UK TV!

The 100 Greatest Christmas Moments : Ch 4 - Christmas Eve : 9.00pm
Comedian Jimmy Carr counts down the British public's top 100 yuletide moments of all time. Who are the people and what are the events that come to Briton's minds in connection with Christmas? Classic clips illustrate the nation's choices, while the people responsible for these memorable moments chat about their involvement. 

House Doctor: We Love You : Ch5 - Christmas Eve : 9.00pm
A celebration of indomitable interior designer Ann Maurice and her efforts to champion uncluttered rooms and the pursuit of maximum reslae prices, including memorable moments past. This show looks back over seven years of programmes.

Can we please get back to using it to discuss, debate, dissect (virtually of course), and CELEBRATE Toyah. 

Glitter was made 30, yes 30!!, years ago... 

We have three decades of music, theatre, TV, film, books, videos, articles, appearances, and, even, haircuts to TAWK about ;o)

• Apologies to anyone who has emailed me over the past few months, via david@toyah.net, and not had a reply. This address hasn't been working and I haven't received any of the emails sent to it. Sorry about that, I wasn't ignoring you - honest!

If anyone wants to get in touch (even just to say "go away") please use: toyahdreamscape@yahoo.com or daviefleming@yahoo.co.uk - Thanks!

House Doctor: We Love You : Ch5 - Christmas Eve : 9.00pm
A celebration of indomitable interior designer Ann Maurice and her efforts to champion uncluttered rooms and the pursuit of maximum reslae prices, including memorable moments past. This show looks back over seven years of programmes.

A huge festive thanks to Alec Kelly and Paul Lomas.

The Official Toyah website has been updated with the Wicked Fairy's (aka Toyah) Christmas webletter.

Leap on over to read all about Shirley Bassey, Simon Cowell, Sheila Ferguson, REM, Jack Ryder, and panto panto panto in a festive filled missive!

Toyah was persuaded to grab a microphone for a blast of karaoke, singing 'It's A Mystery'. Not only that, but Shirley, and John (aka Ruby), joined her on backing vocals. Toyah also provided backing vocals for John when he sang 'Let Me Entertain You'. Sounds like fun!

NB. Speaking of the party.... Toyah and John are pictured in this week's edition of OK! magazine.

Toyah is now a firm panto favourite in the UK, and though some regard these type of shows as naff Toyah seems to really enjoy her annual "it's behind you! oh yes it is, oh no it's not!" appearances (as do the thousands of kids and adults who attend the shows in search of some festive entertainment and laughs). 

It's Christmas, everybody needs some escapist fun, particularly this year, and pantomimes do this brilliantly. 

Toyah's very first panto appearance was way back in December 1993/January 1994 in Peter Pan which visited the Yvonne Armaud Theatre in Guilford, the Hackney Empire and the Wimbledon Theatre as part of a mini Christmas tour. The following year Toyah again starred in Peter Pan, this time at the Chichester Festival Theatre. 

In 1995, between February and April, Toyah toured the UK in the same production of Peter Pan taking in Bristol, Reading, Canterbury, Cardiff, Leeds, Belfast, Aberdeen, Woking and Oxford, though as this wasn't at Christmas it isn't, technically, considered a panto. 

Likewise The Wizard Of Oz, in which Toyah played the Wicked Witch at the Grand Opera House in Belfast in July & August of 1997. 

Christmas 1996 and Toyah played the title role in Jack & The Beanstalk at the Theatre Royal in Norwich, a role she reprised in 1997 at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley and in 1998 at the Richmond Theatre in Surrey. 

In 1999 Toyah was back playing Peter in Peter Pan at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. The new Millenium saw Toyah become the Wicked Queen at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage in Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs. 

The following year, 2001, Toyah played Aladdin at the Stockport Plaza, as she did in 2002, this time at The Anvil in Basingstoke.

Last Christmas Toyah returned to the role of the Wicked Queen in Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. A venue she has returned to this festive season, playing the Wicked Fairy Queen in Sleeping Beauty.

Who knows what next year will bring!!

And, according to visitors to the Forum, the ultimate favourite song is 'Blue Meanings', with 'Pop Star' the proud runner-up.

Thanks to Merx for all his time and effort on Toyah's Big Brother.

Pop Goes Christmas is voted as the 80th most memorable Christmas moment in this rundown. The Ch 4 website says: "Eighties pop hell as David Essex, Mari Wilson, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Shakin' Stevens, The Nolans, Toto Coelo, Musical Youth and Toyah perform their personal choice of Christmas classic, adapted to his or her individual style with accompanying realistic blizzard effects." 

[ Toyah mentioned a couple of months ago that she had contributed to a show called "Best Of Christmas", which would include a clip of her 'I Believe In Father Christmas' performance from 1982's Pop Goes Christmas, this is the, retitled, programme. ]

I'm A Celeb... Tiffs, Tears & Tantrums : ITV2 - Boxing Day : 11.30pm
I'm A Celeb... Top Ten Trials : ITV2 - Tuesday 28th December : 00.40am
Includes Toyah's notorious swamp Bush Tucker Trial at number seven.

I'm A Celeb... Top Ten Funny Moments : ITV2 - Tuesday 28th December : 11.40pm
I'm A Celeb... Viewer's Top 20 : ITV2 : Wednesday 29th December : 8.00pm
Former King of the Jungle Phil Tufnell counts down the top 20 moments from all four series, as voted for by viewers.

NB: Look out for Toyah on other TV shows over the festive season, particularly any of those "talking head" countdown/clips programmes ;o)

And somewhere on another star...

Some of us ;o) consider 'The Vow' to be Toyah's one and only (albeit completely unofficially) Christmas single. Taken from 1983's LOVE IS THE LAW album, it was released in November of that year and though it never actually made it into the Top 40 the song was everywhere over that November and December.

So much so that it is now synonomous with the festive season of 1983. Personally whenever I think of Toyah AND Christmas it's not 'I Believe in Father Christmas' from 1982, or any of the dozen or so pantos she has starred in over the years, but 'The Vow' in 1983!!

Bizarrely the song doesn't mention anything remotely Yuletide, features no sleighbells, and nope Toyah isn't even wearing any tinsel on the single sleeve. In fact this was the first single since 'Victims of the Riddle', four years previously,  not to feature a picture of Toyah on the cover!

Toyah appeared on Harty, Razzamatazz (surrounded by hundreds of lit candles - very Christmassy), Crackerjack and Saturday Superstore to promote the single. The Saturday Show even filmed an unofficial video for the song, but most memorable was Toyah's appearance on TVAM. She went shopping to a "dressed for Christmas" Liberty's in London, on Messenger the horse, with 'The Vow' playing as she, and Messenger, browsed the various departments of the store looking for Christmas goodies.

Thanks to Andi Westhorpe for the screen capture.

This, taken from the Blue Peter website: 

"Panto horse race - Konnie, Simon and Matt battled it out in the Blue Peter panto race hosted by 'Widow Twankey' – Christopher Biggins. Simon was cheered on by Anna Kumble and Chris Rankin; Matt's support came in the form of Toyah Willcox and Bubble and Konnie had Jez Edwards and Sue Holderness on her side."

Thanks to Andrew York.

Toyah performs the Greg Lake classic 'I Believe in Father Christmas'.

In 1982, when ITV still bothered making half decent "entertainment" programmes, Pop Goes Christmas brightened up the network's Christmas schedules.

A whole plethora of pop stars; Culture Club, Musical Youth, The Nolans, Mari Wilson, Shakin Stevens, Toto Coelo, David Essex, Dexys Midnight Runners and many more performed their favourite Christmas hits.

Toyah, accompanied by Joel Bogen and Keith Hale (both looking slightly festive) performed 'I Believe in Father Christmas'. She looked gorgeous, with bright blue eyeshadow, black contacts, cool black (partial) see-through outfit, huge ankh, and carrot orangey hair with red bits.

The performance is all the more memorable because of the spookesome Egyptian shapes Toyah threw throughout the song!

"I wish you a hopeful christmas, I wish you a brave new year
All anguish pain and sadness, Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there’ll be snow at christmas, They said there’ll be peace on earth
Hallelujah noel be it heaven or hell, The christmas you get you deserve."

Thanks to Andi Westhorpe for the screen captures.

She was interviewed on the ITV2 show The X-Tra Factor by host Ben Shepherd.

Toyah mentioned that she thought Steve was "technically brilliant", and that she liked G4 because of "the arrangements, the choreography.... fantastic!"

Ben asked Toyah which of the judges she would have liked as a manager when she "was a singer" (doh!!), Toyah replied: "Sharon (Osbourne), she's great, even my mum likes her!"

Ultimately Toyah said she is a Steve supporter: "I'm 46, I want to keep working till I'm 70, I want Steve to win. He's got my older vote."

What was the best Christmas you ever had?

The best Christmases ever was when I was a kid because I had the security of my family and all the traditions were kept. I used to get tons and tons of pressies. Up until the age of ten I was having really good christmases. 

I spent one Christmas in complete euphoria after doing the Drury Lane Whistle Test which was two years ago. It was such a wonderful night. After we'd done it Tom and I drove down to his parent's estate and people were running out of their houses to tell us how much they'd enjoyed it. I can remember driving home to Birmingham that night and it was snowing. Everything was just wonderful and I remained on a high after doing that show for about ten days. 

What's the worst Christmas you've ever had? 

The second year of living in London. I was living in a mouldy old bedsit with no money. I couldn't get back to Birmingham. I couldn't afford the train fare. So I went busking on christmas day in Trafalgar Square and I got arrested. I got enough money to phone dad up and say 'Happy Christmas', put the phone down and start crying. Someone gave me the train fare to Birmingham and I went up on Boxing Day. I swore I would never spend another Christmas away from my family again. 

What's your ideal Christmas? 

I'd love to spend Christmas in Sweden in a vast snow covered forest in a beautiful wooden chalet by a lake frozen over so that you can ice skate on it. I'd have a horse drawn sleigh for transport and no one except, really it should be Tom, but in my mind it's Bowie, though I'd run a mile if it ever happened. 

How many Christmas cards do you send? 

Would you believe five thousand? I have my own printed up and it takes me a month to sign them. I send them to all the fans, DJs, record companies, even journalists.

The Christmas dinner party at Papageno, London saw a host of well-known faces enjoying an early start to 2004's festivities.

Please click on this great picture of Toyah for a larger version. Plus another candid picture from the evening.

Mnay thanks to John.

Gloria: It seems odd that someone who was always very different...panto seems to be almost tame. 

Toyah: You think it's tame to dress like a boy twice a day, go onstage and pretend to be male, and marry a woman at the end of the show? I think it's the best thing anyone could ever do! I know what you're saying. I don't think I would ever have dreamt 20 years ago that I would have done panto. Now that I've done it for 10 years I'm passionately in love with it. 

Gloria: You've done it consecutively for 10 years? 

Toyah: I think I have. I started off as Peter Pan, and after I got flown into every wall of every theatre in the country by disreputable flymen... Once in Wimbledon, there's a scene where all four children have to fly and we all got wrapped around each other's wires, and we were just dangling there. The curtain had to come down, the show stopped, and the ladders out to get us down. 

Gloria: Do you have lots of songs in this? 

Toyah: Yes I've got enough songs. I've got about five. I wanted to open with (sings) "I feel good...da da da...I knew that I would now". We open with that. My leading lady sings 'Fields Of Gold' - absolutely beautiful. I get to sing (sings) "Once in a lifetime, every man has a moment". 'We're In The Money', some good, traditional songs. The one thing that transfixes children is the story between good and evil. I think any child, up to the age of 75, is transfixed by this story, and pantomime is so fantastic for good overcoming evil. It is when you can hear a pin drop, especially with Aladdin, when he goes into the cave and thinks he's lost. They know the genie is going to appear but Aladdin doesn't. There's this icy hush and I think that's gorgeous, it's very exciting to experience that. 

Toyah's panto for 2004 festive season, Sleeping Beauty, opens this Thursday.

Toyah, opposite co-star Jack Ryder, plays the Wicked Queen, at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury for over seven weeks.

The panto runs from Thursday 9th December 2004 to Sunday 30th January 2005. 

Marlowe Theatre, The Friars, Canterbury, CT1 2AS 
Telephone 01227 787787 Fax 01227 479662

Tickets: £8.50, £12.50, £15.00, £16.50, £18.50

Friends of the Marlowe - £3.00 off top four prices. For concessions, parties and family tickets, please call the Box Office for further information.

Further information and to book tickets, please visit www.themarlowetheatre.com

"My wish is that every calorie consumed is calorie-free and that we all have at least three wishes come true - as long as we all have the sense to wish our lives to be lived to our full abilities, and to be kind and honourable to all our fellow men." 

Toyah Willcox, actress

Kevin plays Bobby Darin and also directed the film described as "A swooning study of "Mack the Knife" singer Bobby Darin (Kevin Spacey) specifically, and his relationship with his wife Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth).

Beyond the Sea also stars Kate Bosworth, John Goodman, Brenda Blethyn, and one of Toyah's former co-stars (way back in 1983's The Ebony Tower) Greta Scaachi.