Christmas fashion and crossed wires
Chris arrived in an oversized Christmas jumper carrying the words “Happy Hangover”. He argued that fashionable people could wear almost anything if they did it confidently, while Scott thought the jumper remained fairly hideous regardless of the attitude behind it.
A conversation about Radio 1’s Christmas Day show then left Chris believing he might be spending Christmas morning at Scott’s house. Scott had meant travelling together because public transport would not be running, not inviting Chris into the family celebrations. He nevertheless assured him that he would not leave him stranded at the door during the season of goodwill.
Sam Bailey visits from the X Factor house
Sam Bailey arrived directly from the X Factor house, where only six contestants remained. She described how eliminated acts completed their television commitments before returning to collect their things, and said Tamera Foster had handled her departure gracefully.
The approaching semi-final required two songs, with an Elton John versus Beyoncé theme. Sam would not disclose her choices or her individual winner’s single, but admitted the pressure increased as the final came closer. She had listened to Scott for years and singled out the show’s malfunctioning Hawaii Chair experiment as one of her favourite memories.
A powerful Innuendo Bingo debut
Sam had actively wanted to play Innuendo Bingo and approached it with very little restraint. Chris worried about spraying water towards the voice that could win X Factor, but she assured him she was not on vocal rest and changed into clothes suitable for the soaking.
The clips included Gok Wan explaining that something had to go down a top and into the hair, Gemma Cairney enjoying “a good old flick”, Talksport discussing tiers at Manchester City’s ground and Michael Portillo clutching his Bradshaw’s. Rick Stein wanted to suck the head of a crayfish, while Rachel Riley and Ainsley Harriott discussed moist meat.
Sam’s projection impressed Scott almost immediately. Further clips about blue-veined cheese, a snake and trousers, and Vanessa Feltz’s seductive front-garden entrance kept the water moving. By the end, Sam was soaked and delighted, having played with the confidence of somebody far more experienced.
Jess Wright joins the newsroom
The transfer deadline reporting team gained another member. TOWIE’s Jess Wright would sit in the studio “hub”, monitor texts and tweets and provide the voice of the public. She agreed that festive break-ups were particularly cruel and promised to arrive in a power suit and non-prescription “geek glasses”.
One caller demonstrated why Scott believed the deadline was necessary. His former girlfriend had asked to meet on Christmas Day, exchanged presents with him and then revealed she was leaving him for somebody else. He reclaimed the gift in his shock and wished the Radio 1 rule had existed a year earlier.
Real or No Real changes presenter
Alan Dedicoat was unavailable, so Greg James stepped into Real or No Real. A Canadian ice-hockey crowd throwing 26,000 teddy bears onto the rink after a goal was real, complete with footage of a player making snow angels in them. Australian MPs being warned away from a toilet because of a snake skin was not.
The Victorian claim that trousers could be called “inexplicables” was real. It followed neatly from Michael Portillo’s repeated references to his Bradshaw’s during Bingo, giving the programme another elaborate substitute for an ordinary item of clothing.
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