The Who Game gets everything out of their system
Scott and Chris had developed an irritating habit of responding to old names and cultural references with an incredulous “Who?” Rather than let it continue contaminating every conversation, they turned it into a game.
They rang unsuspecting people, offered clues to deliberately dated or obscure answers and waited to see whether the caller could identify what the pair had been “whoing”. The premise was barely a game at all, which was precisely why it suited them.
Who has dated somebody from Jeremy Kyle?
Scott had also fallen back into watching The Jeremy Kyle Show. Its endless repeats left him wondering where the programme found such an extraordinary supply of guests.
Then he realised the size of Radio 1’s audience meant some listeners must have personal connections to them. He asked whether anybody listening had dated somebody who had appeared on Jeremy Kyle.
The responses came immediately. One listener claimed two ex-girlfriends had been on, another knew somebody involved in a DNA-test episode, and somebody else said they only discovered an ex’s appearance afterwards. Scott was delighted that basic probability had produced exactly the callers he hoped existed.
One Direction fans wait around the world
The main event was “Story of My Life”. Fans in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Israel, the United States, Spain, Malaysia, the Philippines and elsewhere were listening for the new One Direction track, with some staying awake into the early hours.
Scott had been trusted with only a short preview until close to transmission, joking that the band clearly did not want him playing the song early. The pressure was familiar: he had previously given “What Makes You Beautiful” its world first play and premiered “Best Song Ever” on Radio 1.
Liam calls from Australia
Liam Payne joined from Australia, where the band were dealing with intense crowds around their hotel. He joked about recent coverage of his physique, having seen himself compared in one article with Daniel Craig and David Beckham.
Scott asked about Christmas and what anybody could buy somebody in One Direction. Liam suggested pants might be useful after fans had occasionally managed to take his.
Then came the music. Scott told Liam that the 16-second preview reminded him of The Lion King. To his delight, Liam said he had made essentially the same observation when he first heard it. There was also a hint of JLS in the song’s tone.
Liam introduced “Story of My Life” himself and Scott played it in full for the first time on Radio 1. The interview would also provide Monday’s new obsession: just how often Liam had called them “mate”.
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