An unavoidable call from Sir Terry
Scott returned from a week away and learned that Children in Need had arranged a major challenge. Sir Terry Wogan called personally, praised Scott’s Strictly dancing and said his failure to reach Blackpool could finally be corrected.
The proposal was to abseil all 400 feet down Blackpool Tower on Friday 13 November. Royal Marines would assist, but there was no realistic option to refuse once Sir Terry presented the stunt as a duty to Radio 1, the BBC and disadvantaged children.
Scott accepted while still trying to understand what he had agreed to. Chris explained that he would have to walk backwards off the tower, immediately making the image worse. Scott had never abseiled, had once rejected Go Ape and could already imagine the November wind pushing him against the building. Listeners then sent photographs of the tower, including one being struck by lightning, until he asked them to stop.
Can every costume be sexy?
Halloween shops appeared to sell sexy versions of almost anything, including hedgehogs, ghosts and Ghostbusters. Scott and Chris turned the observation into a phone game: each would ring a fancy-dress shop and discover the costume request only when the other passed over a written prompt.
The first call went wrong before the game began. Sir Terry’s number was still loaded into the studio system, so Scott greeted him with “Happy Halloween” and immediately hung up when he recognised the voice. Having just accepted the tower challenge, he had now confused one of broadcasting’s most recognisable presenters with a costume shop.
The genuine calls established that a dinner-lady outfit could be made sexier with fishnets and alterations. A fishmonger required an apron, underwear and perhaps real fish, while a sexy granny needed a wig, a charity-shop dress and strategic cuts. A “chugger” could be constructed from ordinary charity clothing, although the staff were less certain why anybody wanted one. The general solution to every request was fishnet stockings and torn fabric.
Bingo on bikes approaches
Chris was delighted that Innuendo Bingo would return the following day with cyclist Geraint Thomas. The Olympic champion and MBE would bring his professional bike, while Scott promised a bicycle for Chris without explaining what kind.
Greg James joined Real or No Real. The Apprentice candidates really did wear consistent clothing around boardroom scenes because some of the taxi departures were filmed separately. Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull also genuinely used a standing desk. Scott finished the show distracted by the tower and unaware that his next problem would be making Chris ride something designed for a child.
—
COMMENTS