Remembering Steve Wright
The programme marked one year since the death of Steve Wright. Scott reflected on the shock of the news, the affection felt across Radio 2 and the difficulty of accepting that Steve was no longer moving through the building with another idea for a programme.
Rather than treating the anniversary only as a formal tribute, Scott returned to the details colleagues remembered: Steve’s curiosity, his instinct for radio and his enthusiasm for the smallest piece of show business information.
Graham Norton
Graham Norton joined Scott to remember Steve as both a broadcaster and colleague. He described the distinctiveness of Steve’s programmes and the seriousness with which he approached making entertainment sound effortless.
Graham discussed Steve’s ability to create an entire world around a radio show, from the familiar voices to recurring phrases and carefully chosen music. He said listeners felt that they knew the structure even when every edition contained something unexpected.
The conversation included Graham’s own memories of seeing Steve around Radio 2 and understanding how much preparation sat behind the apparent looseness of the finished programme. Scott and Graham both recognised that his influence remained audible across the station.
Graham also discussed his new television format, in which families moved into the same street without previously knowing one another. The programme observed how relationships formed when strangers were placed in unusually close proximity.
Scott asked whether the participants forgot about the cameras and how quickly neighbours began judging one another. Graham said the appeal lay in watching ordinary social rules emerge under intensified circumstances.
The Birthday Game: Lindsay holds out for ABBA
Lindsay turned 55 and said the milestone qualified her to complain about mornings, secretly enjoy her children’s music and regard a garden centre as a full day out. She shared her birthday with Gethin Jones, Jennie McAlpine, Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin.
She hoped for 1980s music, particularly Pet Shop Boys, Elton John or David Bowie. Her first spin was LMC versus U2’s Take Me to the Clouds Above, number one in 2004. Lindsay remembered the record but chose to continue.
The second was Ellie Goulding’s Love Me Like You Do, written for Fifty Shades of Grey. Despite its worldwide success, Lindsay said it was not for her and risked the final spin.
The compulsory third choice was ABBA’s Take a Chance on Me, number one in 1978. Lindsay was delighted and said she had definitely made the right decision before heading out for dinner with her partner Matt.
The Good Morning Minute and Easiest Quiz also continued during the Steve Wright tribute edition.
12 February 2025: Vernon Kay
The handover remained centred on Steve Wright and Radio 2’s shared memories of him, before Vernon continued the day’s Piano Room coverage.
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