Lockdown had created a new way to dump somebody
The show opened with a phrase that could only really have belonged to 2020: zumping.
Months of lockdown had pushed office meetings, pub catch-ups and family quizzes onto Zoom, and apparently relationships were being ended there too. Scott wanted to know whether anybody had actually been dumped face-to-face on a video call rather than simply disappearing by text.
One listener had been dumped after spending most of lockdown with her boyfriend, although that had happened by message rather than Zoom. Another admitted she had been avoiding her boyfriend’s calls and was preparing to end the relationship remotely if they failed to meet in person.
There was also discussion of the slightly friendlier cousin of ghosting, in which somebody disappears but at least offers an explanation first.
Scott’s conclusion was that a video break-up was awkward but arguably still more respectful than a single WhatsApp message because both people had to sit through the conversation.
Don’t Look It Up tested phobias and forgotten Live Lounges
The lockdown quiz continued with listener Abby in Cardiff.
One round was built around phobias. Coulrophobia meant fear of clowns, while nomophobia turned out to be the very modern fear of being without a mobile phone or usable signal.
Scott and Abby were also surprised to learn that fear of a mother-in-law genuinely has its own term.
Other rounds dug back into Live Lounge performances people had forgotten and asked players to identify missing members of pop groups.
The whole point remained the same: no phones, no Google and no pretending the answer had been obvious after Grace revealed it.
Joel Corry recreated the holiday that was not happening
The week’s guest mixes were designed to replace some of the summer holidays and club nights coronavirus had wiped out.
Joel Corry was therefore an obvious booking.
He talked about missing Ibiza and the Greek islands, where years of DJing had helped build his career. He was already looking towards 2021 and imagined the first proper parties back being huge because people would be so desperate for them.
Joel played his own material and remixes, including his take on Stormzy, Ed Sheeran and Burna Boy’s *Own It*.
Scott remembered just how physical a summer DJ residency could be. Clubs with little air conditioning, several-hour sets and constant movement meant both he and Joel had effectively treated DJing as cardio.
Joel said the resort years had left him noticeably leaner by the end of summer.
Sorry remained the record that changed everything
The conversation returned to *Sorry*, the 2019 hit which had properly broken Joel through.
Scott remembered seeing him play it live when the audience already knew every word, and Joel described those early crowd reactions as moments that would stay with him.
By August 2020, *Head & Heart* with MNEK had taken him to another level.
Scott started dreaming up future collaborations and wanted Joel to work with artists whose voices might sound completely different over one of his productions.
Joel was happy enough to entertain the ideas.
Tap End finally found a win
The day’s *24 Years at the Tap End* returned to Chris playing football for his local Pinner team.
Things were not going well.
They had failed to win in 11 consecutive matches and pressure was building around the manager.
Eventually an incentive was introduced: if the boys finally won, there would be McDonald’s.
On game 12, Chris scored the winner against Rayners Lane.
The season barely improved after that, but Chris remembered sitting with the resulting Happy Meal as though he had just lifted a major trophy.
Childhood birthday parties were a serious business
That football memory led into the ritual of childhood birthday parties.
Pizza restaurants and fast-food venues were prime destinations, with the ice-cream machine a major attraction.
The birthday child could sometimes choose one friend for a tour of the kitchen, making the selection of that plus-one an unexpectedly political issue among classmates.
Chris remembered being disappointed that the tour did not actually let him operate the fryers or make burgers.
Sports-hall parties were another favourite, with dads becoming far too involved in football and children losing all sense of self-preservation on the bouncy castle.
Chris recalled diving head-first onto one and colliding heavily with a younger girl.
Years later he spotted her again and wondered whether she still remembered being wiped out at a birthday party.
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