Dawn French, Jack Black, Nick Jonas, Robbie Williams and Paloma Faith
Actress and comedian Dawn French, pop superstar Robbie Williams and Hollywood actors Jack Black and Nick Jonas. Plus live music from the fabulous Paloma Faith.
Actress and comedian Dawn French chats about her new book: Me. You. A Diary and how Richard Curtis had to convince her to play the Vicar of Dibley. Pop superstar Robbie Williams tells us about recording the last 13 years of his life for his new biography Reveal and Hollywood actors Jack Black and Nick Jonas join us to talk about starring in Jumanji: Welcome To the Jungle. Plus live music from Paloma Faith including songs from her new album The Architect and a cover of Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas is You starring Jack Black!
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Clips
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How did Jack Black prepare for his new role as a teenage girl?
Duration: 03:52
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Paloma Faith auditions for Bond!
Duration: 00:45
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Why Dawn French needed convincing to play The Vicar of Dibley
Duration: 00:46
Music Played
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John Lennon & Yoko Ono
(Just Like) Starting Over
- Parlophone.
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Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott
He Wants To
- (CD Single).
- EMI.
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James Taylor
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
- James Taylor At Christmas.
- Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd.
- 7.
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Clarence Clemons
You're A Friend Of Mine (feat. Jackson Browne)
- Rescue/Hero.
- Collectables.
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Modern Romance
Best Years Of Our Lives
- The Platinum Collection.
- Rhino.
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The Trammps
Disco Inferno
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Pete Tong & Heritage Orchestra
Sing It Back (feat. Becky Hill)
- Ibiza Classics.
- UMG.
- 5.
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Spice Girls
Say You'll Be There
- (CD Single).
- Virgin.
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Kool & the Gang
Get Down On It
- Classic Kool & The Gang.
- Mercury.
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Nat King Cole
Buon Natale (Means Merry Christmas To You)
- Christmas With Nat & Dean.
- EMI.
- 4.
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The Doobie Brothers
Listen To The Music
- The Very Best Of The Doobie Brothers.
- Warner Bros.
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Eminem
Lose Yourself
- Curtain Call: The Hits.
- Interscope.
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Paloma Faith
I'll Be Gentle (feat. John Legend)
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Pratt & McClain
Happy Days
- Television's Greatest Hits Volume 3 70s & 80s.
- Silva Screen Records Ltd.
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Sia
Santa's Coming For Us
- Everyday Is Christmas.
- Atlantic.
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Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman
Somethin' Stupid
- (CD Single).
- Chrysalis.
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U2
Get Out Of Your Own Way
- Songs Of Experience.
- Island.
Pause for Thought
From Comedian & writer Paul Kerensa
What a roomful of proper superstars, front-and-centre 鈥榣et-me-entertain-ya鈥檚. I鈥檓 a bit more behind-the-scenesy: a writer in the wings 鈥� most recently for this year鈥檚 Royal Variety Performance, with host Miranda Hart. I write her pratfalls 鈥� it鈥檚 a very demanding job.
You toil over the words, but it鈥檚 the visuals people take away: Not what you say, but what you do. Like Miranda, in her sitcom, wishing the ground could swallow her up鈥� then falling into an open grave. She followed in Dawn鈥檚 footsteps as Dibley鈥檚 vicar, trying to impress a dashing hunk by splashing into a puddle, but landing neck-deep in a hole.
Comedy loves a fall: from Only Fools like Delboy leaning on the bar, to鈥� well, the Jumanji trailer with four people falling into a jungle, two off a cliff, and one, Jonah-like, into a hippo鈥檚 mouth鈥�
However extreme life gets 鈥� and it rarely gets 鈥榟ippo鈥�-extreme 鈥� comedy鈥檚 great at reminding us, that those secret holes in the road surprise us 鈥� but we鈥檒l get out. In my life, I鈥檝e been in pits, that turned out to be craters 鈥� and I emerged with a better view than I thought.
While I鈥檓 sounding cheesy, let鈥檚 go full Christmas cheese. My favourite writer is Dickens, nicknamed 鈥渢hat great Christian writer鈥�. Few know that he retold the gospels, writing a book called 鈥楾he Life of Our Lord鈥�. It鈥檚 his masterwork 鈥楢 Christmas Carol鈥� that shone a spotlight 鈥� or a candle (Edison was busy working on the spotlights) 鈥� on family, charity and poverty. Scrooge fell into a grave too, yet found hope and generosity could pull him out.
I鈥檓 in no way like Dickens (I don鈥檛 think he wrote a single pratfall) 鈥� except that like him, I look to the life of Jesus: the holy family, a birth into poverty, and a man who lived generously, who knew, again, it鈥檚 not just what you say, but what you do.
If Scrooge can get a second chance, if soggy vicars can get out of mega-puddles, if life鈥檚 jungle is more like a game than we thought, if the world seems upside down, and if we can let love be our energy鈥� then there鈥檚 hope for all of us. Because as Tiny Tim observed: God bless us, every one.
Broadcast
- Fri 8 Dec 2017 06:30麻豆社 Radio 2
Farewell Chris Evans: The best bits from his last shows at Radio 2
After eight years of hosting the Breakfast Show, Chris Evans leaves Radio 2.
500 Words
麻豆社 Radio 2's story-writing competition for kids.