Friday Extra Show: the aftermath programme
Extra podcast edition
Chris returned with another Friday behind-the-scenes podcast, using the extra edition to pick up stories which had not quite finished during the week.
He opened by replaying Scott’s increasingly intense vocal coaching of Freya Ridings.
What had begun as a silly idea had developed into Scott genuinely describing himself as a vocal coach of the stars and demanding that singers act out the emotional meaning of their lyrics.
Chris thought Scott was taking the role far more seriously than originally intended.
Scott disagreed.
If he was going to do it, he wanted the artist to commit.
Scott was trying to escape Radio 1 before the chart
Chris called Scott while he was travelling back from seeing his mum Sandra and her friend Sue from Fareham.
Scott was trying to get back to London in time to present the Official Chart.
He admitted that he sometimes treated getting away from London on a Thursday night like a personal challenge, seeing how far he could travel while still making it back for Friday afternoon.
This particular attempt was less glamorous than an international escape.
He was outside Botley station, sheltering from the wind beside Sue’s Hyundai Getz.
The call also introduced Sue from Fareham as another unexpectedly specific character from Scott’s life.
Adam’s tattoo had opened the floodgates
The week’s Funny Business caller Adam had permanently tattooed the entry stamp for his local nightclub, Shabar, onto his hand after a Magaluf holiday.
Chris used the Friday show to ask for more listeners with tattoos they now regretted.
The attraction was not necessarily offensive tattoos.
It was the decisions which had made perfect sense for about ten minutes and then remained permanently attached to somebody’s body.
Adam’s supposed financial logic, free entry to Shabar forever, remained difficult to beat.
Good News Jamie did his homework
Good News Jamie returned.
Chris had previously asked him to keep looking for businesses with ridiculous names which could be used in Funny Business.
Jamie had taken the task literally while travelling around for work.
His finds included Bona International, which he thought was strong enough to deserve an actual call on the weekday programme, and another hairdresser using the familiar name Curl Up and Dye.
Chris loved the fact Jamie had spent his working journeys scanning signs purely because Radio 1 had set him homework.
Dylan was still living with Grandma Joyce
Chris then rang Dylan, whose Where Do You Think They Were? had produced one of the most brutal family revelations in the feature’s history.
Dylan’s mum Paula had explained that she and Dylan’s dad had become passionate in the hallway after spaghetti bolognese.
They did not reach the stairs.
Then Dylan’s grandmother Joyce walked in.
On Friday, Dylan confirmed the story had not quietly disappeared after broadcast.
Friends had heard it.
Family had heard it.
He was still trying to process the fact his grandmother had accidentally witnessed the moment which probably led to his conception.
Chris floated the idea of helping Dylan take revenge on his mum in a future feature.
Dylan was interested.
The extra podcast kept becoming listener-led
The rest of the edition returned to the purpose the Friday show had gradually discovered for itself.
Listeners sent questions about Radio 1, the weekday programme and things which had happened after the microphones went off.
The format remained much looser than the normal afternoon show.
A week which had included nightclub tattoos, private-investigator stories and Grandma Joyce could therefore finish with Chris checking what everybody involved thought once the attention had moved on.
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