Eight weeks later, and Let it Shine, the hit BBC One series looking to find a new boyband to star in a new stage show called 'The Band', based on the songs of Take That, has found its winners. But more than that, in Five to Five, as they are now called, Gary Barlow has … Continue reading After winning BBC’s Let it Shine, why pop music needs Five to Five
Now. A small thing we need to address. The eagle eyed amongst you may notice that this is now the penultimate week of our little New Year happiness initiative, #ProjectHappyJanuary. And that last week, by and large, should have been week 3. But, for several reasons, week 3 went otherwise awol, which I shall explain … Continue reading #ProjectHappyJanuary: Week 3/4 (and an apology)…
New Year's Day, 2017. Just shy of two weeks ago, the world had just waved goodbye to a year of political unrest, the deaths of numerous icons like David Bowie and Prince, and Ed Balls doing "Gangnam Style" on Strictly. And as it woke up recovering from the all night hangovers, the social media accounts … Continue reading He’s on his way back: the mighty return of Ed Sheeran
So we're now on week two of a new year, and thus on the second week of this here blog's new initiative, #ProjectHappyJanuary. If you missed it last week, this is our one man/blogger mission to make the first month of a new year suitably awesome. Last week was all about bringing a bit of … Continue reading #ProjectHappyJanuary: Week 2
With "The X Factor" now run aground into a pitiful former shadow of itself (Honey G. Let's just leave it there, shall we?) and "The Voice" now having flown the nest to ITV where it's become a harsher, duller version of what it did before (also dispersing of Marvin Humes and Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky … Continue reading #CrazyStupidTV: Let it Shine (BBC One, 7th January)
I have a very strong feeling it may have been Bridget Jones, the comic creation of Helen Fielding who once said January was awful, just by virtue of the fact everyone is expected to snap back into a normal harsh existence like lean greyhounds after a season of warmth and merriment. Not to mention the … Continue reading #ProjectHappyJanuary: Week 1
Illustrator and author Raymond Briggs' best known works have forever been associated with December - those of course, being 'The Snowman' and 'Father Christmas', the animated film adaptations of which have been shown every festive season on Channel 4 since 1982 and 1991 respectively. Now though, one of his more recent creations has made the … Continue reading #CrazyStupidTV: Ethel and Ernest (BBC One, 29th December)
Happy Boxing Day one and all! Hope you are having a lovely Christmas so far, whatever you may be up to (cue festive emojis 🎅🎅🎅 🎁🎁🎁 🎄🎄🎄). Today's blog sees the third annual giving out of my End of Year Prizes. 2016 has, it's safe to say, been an odd mistress of a year, but … Continue reading Alex’s End of Year Prizes 2016
This weekend's final of BBC One's ever entertaining pro celebrity ballroom contest Strictly Come Dancing will be topping off a series to remember. Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton's spectacular Jive. Louise Redknapp and Kevin Clifton's seriously hot Argentine Tango. And Ed Balls doing a Salsa to Gangnam Style. I'll say no more. But it's also … Continue reading Strictly the Best: My Top 5 Routines as head judge Len Goodman bows out on top
It's fair to say I had some pretty spiffing Christmases growing up. Being in a family of seven as well, always meant that our living room on Christmas morning was a Technicolor haze of wild wrapping paper strewn abandon, like some sort of elf convention on steroids. But we also had our traditions as well … Continue reading My Ultimate Christmas Toys of Childhood
The Niche Reference 