Scott returns
Scott returned for his first regular afternoon show of 2023 after spending New Year away with Sam.
Lou from Southend started the programme from Disneyland Paris, where she had just come off the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
The first text came from Gary in London, who celebrated Scott being back and Five being played at the beginning of the show.
Scott said he was trying to keep the mood upbeat as people returned to work after Christmas.
Who is still out of office?
Scott wanted to hear from listeners who had managed to extend their Christmas break and still had their out-of-office reply switched on.
He was surprised by how many people remained on holiday while their colleagues had returned.
One listener was enjoying a quiet day working as a beauty therapist because nobody appeared to be booking appointments immediately after Christmas.
Another had already consumed three litres of water as part of a New Year health drive.
Scott admitted he had received one of the enormous motivational water bottles marked with instructions such as “keep drinking”, but had not brought it to work because he could not face constantly going to the toilet.
He also questioned whether Claudia Winkleman would approve, given her well-established dislike of drinking water.
When should the Christmas decorations come down?
Scott had returned home to find the house still looking heavily decorated for Christmas.
He asked when Twelfth Night fell and how quickly everything needed to be removed.
The Radio 2 studio was also still decorated because Claire Runacres, who Scott jokingly described as Wogan House’s head of Christmas decorations, had been unable to clear that particular room.
Scott said he would take the remaining decorations down himself.
What should you do with the Christmas tree?
Listeners suggested alternatives to throwing real Christmas trees away.
Becky said goats could eat them, provided the trees had been organically grown.
Vicky, a vet in Derby, added that alpacas and llamas also enjoyed eating Christmas trees and suggested donating them to a local alpaca centre.
Jilly’s Yorkshire puddings work
Alison from Hayling Island contacted the programme after trying Jilly’s pre-Christmas Yorkshire-pudding advice.
Jilly had recommended adding an extra egg to the mixture.
Alison said she had not initially paid much attention because she already considered herself good at cooking Christmas dinner. She nevertheless followed the suggestion and produced what she called her best Yorkshire puddings ever.
Jilly sent a characteristically grand response: “You are very welcome.”
The first Birthday Game of 2023
Scott from Greenwich turned 40.
He had postponed his main party until February because many of his friends claimed to be doing Dry January.
Scott Mills was sceptical and recalled discovering former Radio 1 colleagues drinking in an unfamiliar pub after claiming they were giving up alcohol.
The birthday contestant planned to spend the day with his French bulldog Dexter, go out for dinner and have coffee with a slice of Colin the Caterpillar cake.
He shared his birthday with Craig Revel Horwood, chef Rick Stein, musician Labrinth and Sex Education actor Emma Mackey. He also correctly named Isaac Newton, who would have been 380.
His first Birthday Game spin was the Spice Girls’ 2 Become 1, which had remained number one after Christmas 1996. He rejected it.
The second was John Lennon’s Imagine. Scott immediately decided to keep it.
He also asked for a birthday mention for his university friend Sarah Armstrong, who was turning 40 on the same day.
Had he rejected John Lennon, his compulsory final song would have been Chaka Demus and Pliers’ Twist and Shout.
“I made the right choice,” he concluded.
Rolling Stone’s greatest singers
Scott discussed the reaction to Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 200 greatest singers.
Listeners were particularly unhappy that Céline Dion had been omitted.
Scott was also surprised by some of the rankings, including Usher appearing above Elton John and Michael Jackson being placed at number 86.
Aretha Franklin topped the list, followed by Whitney Houston, Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday and Mariah Carey.
Scott said lists of that kind were impossible to take seriously, joking that this was probably also why he had been excluded from the sexiest men in Hertfordshire rankings.
Scott’s Robbie Williams interview
Scott promoted his two-hour New Year’s Day conversation with Robbie Williams.
He said Robbie had discussed subjects he had never spoken about publicly before and described it as an unusually revealing interview.
The programme was available on BBC Sounds for listeners who had missed it during New Year’s Day.
Ant and Dec prepare for Speedmates
Scott announced that Ant and Dec would join him the following afternoon for the first Speedmates of 2023.
After more than 20 years working together, Scott expected them to know almost everything about one another.
He questioned whether television’s best-known presenting partnership would achieve a perfect score or discover gaps in their friendship.
Handover
OJ Borg was sitting in for Sara Cox.
Scott handed over after saying it felt good to return to a normal routine and promising Ant and Dec’s Speedmates the following day.
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