Barrowman changes with the job
Old clips of Tonight’s the Night reminded Scott and Chris of John Barrowman walking down the staircase while singing his own theme tune. His enthusiastic American delivery was perfectly suited to shiny Saturday-night television.
A search for Innuendo Bingo material then produced Channel 4’s Small Animal Hospital. When Barrowman spoke to owners and animals, his Scottish accent returned so completely that he appeared to be a different presenter.
The comparison moved between American John promising dreams, legends and plane jumps and Scottish John comforting dogs. Scott recognised the habit in himself: he picked up local sounds while living in Manchester and Bristol and sometimes adopted an American tone in celebrity interviews.
Wendy’s work voice is tested
Listener Francesca said her mother Wendy had the same ability. At home in Swansea she sounded Welsh, but at the Egypt Centre where she worked as an assistant curator, she answered calls in a much more formal voice.
Chris rang pretending to be a prospective volunteer interested in Egyptian pots and food. Wendy patiently explained the application process and invited him to visit, even after he complimented the museum’s classiness.
Francesca then joined the call. Wendy immediately returned to an affectionate Welsh conversation about school groups and dinner. When Scott revealed the setup, she accepted that her voice changed but continued to welcome Chris as a genuine volunteer if he ever wanted to help.
Alan Carr is tweeting
In Who’s That Tweeting?, the celebrity described unrecognised French diners joining a queue for selfies, four root-canal procedures, unloading the dishwasher to “Eye of the Tiger”, a dog misbehaving on a zebra crossing and a photograph with Leigh Francis.
Scott and Chris considered Paloma Faith, Peter Andre, Jo O’Meara and Davina McCall before correctly settling on Alan Carr.
The Aniston secret receives a date
Scott finally revealed that the global superstar involved in the secret incident was Jennifer Aniston. Whatever had happened left Chris shaking, required apologetic messages and phone calls, and inspired a revenge plan lasting ten or twenty years.
The full film would be played the following Tuesday. Scott warned that listeners needed to watch as well as listen because the awkward body language mattered. The pair disclosed no more, although Chris clearly had no desire to relive it.
Danny Howard played Real or No Real. Kevin McCloud had deliberately overloaded an episode of Grand Designs with catchphrases after learning about the viewers’ drinking game, while a Louisiana wedding tradition really did make unmarried siblings dance with brooms.
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