Greg returns to the wet chair
Chris remained away, so Greg James was recruited for his second Innuendo Bingo in a week. He accepted immediately when he learned that chef Tom Kerridge would be sitting opposite him.
Tom had supplied the game with accidental clips for years. His programmes repeatedly involved generous fillings, fruit, meat and tight-fisted pies, making his appearance feel less like a first visit than a confrontation with his own archive.
The studio had been covered in plastic so thoroughly that Tom compared it with a murder scene. Scott joked about using gravy rather than water, but the ordinary format already looked threatening enough.
Food-only Bingo
Tom’s first clip instructed viewers to coat nuts, spread them across a tray and give them a quick stir so they did not burn. Later extracts brought Janet Street-Porter, BBC Asian Network, Dale Winton and several cookery programmes into a food-heavy special.
Tom heard himself visiting butcher Andy for “top picks” and trying unusual rolls, fillings and preparation methods. He disliked the sound of his own recorded voice but laughed before explanations could rescue the wording.
Greg’s familiar clips remained just as effective, especially Dale Winton asking for a firmly chosen head. Both men repeatedly sprayed one another and exhausted the studio’s water supply. Tom left for Marlow on the train with wet trousers and later sent an appreciative message, making an early rematch likely.
The student-video flood
After Monday’s request, Scott received an enormous number of student campaign videos. “Uptown Funk” had become the year’s dominant choice, with candidates replacing Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’s lines with promises about welfare, activities and student-union policy.
The videos varied from polished productions to performances whose confidence greatly exceeded their musical quality. Scott enjoyed the worst examples most, while recognising that the show’s attention could help them gather views and possibly votes.
Tom’s game nevertheless dominated the response. Viewers who had rearranged university schedules to watch live immediately requested the finished video and began campaigning for other familiar faces from food television to take part.
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