The mystery card
Ellie received a “good luck in your new job” card containing a gift voucher from somebody signing themselves “Kathy MP”. The problem was that she could not remember working with anyone by that name.
Scott turned the card into an investigation, asking whether Kathy, John, Pat or anyone connected with the message was listening. Suggestions ranged from an old colleague to a prank by people Ellie already knew.
The Easiest Quiz: Lara scores 13 and tells a joke
Lara took the call from her car while builders fitted new windows and doors at home. She described a pink-and-purple hallway that looked like “a Turkish Delight bar” and said she had previously appeared on The Weakest Link, Perfection and 1 vs. 100.
Simon’s eight points from Monday were the target. Lara answered questions about hens, Earth, Pick of the Pops, libraries, yellow objects, trains, senses, alarm clocks, cereal, rhyming words, months and hammers.
Her run ended when Scott asked which character’s nose grew whenever he lied. Lara answered Geppetto rather than Pinocchio, then protested that she had at least named Pinocchio’s father.
She finished with 13 points and became the new Streak of the Week leader. Before leaving, Lara introduced an unexpected new element by asking: “What do you call a belt made out of watches?” The answer was “a waist of time”. Listener demand led Scott to invite her back with another joke the following morning.
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen
Scott knew only that a glitter curtain had been erected outside the studio. When the mystery guest revealed himself, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen stepped through and immediately recognised Scott’s panic.
The interview discussed Laurence’s long association with interiors, decoration and unapologetically bold design. Scott asked whether British homes had become too cautious and neutral.
Laurence argued for personality over resale value, saying that a home should reflect the people living in it rather than an imagined future buyer.
The conversation also covered the legacy of Changing Rooms and the extent to which viewers still approached him with memories of the show’s most dramatic transformations.
Scott used the lack of preparation as part of the interview, discovering Laurence’s current work in real time rather than pretending he had known who was coming.
The Birthday Game: Hilda turns 105
Hilda from Belper in Derbyshire celebrated her 105th birthday and became the oldest person to play the feature.
Her family helped bring her onto the programme, where Scott asked her to choose between three former number-one songs.
Hilda’s final choice was 2 Unlimited’s No Limit, which Scott described afterwards as her favourite rave tune. The unexpected pairing of a 105th birthday and an early-1990s dance record became one of the programme’s most joyful Birthday Game moments.
25 February 2025: Vernon Kay
The handover reviewed the glitter-curtain reveal and looked ahead to the final days of Piano Room Month.
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