Scott opened the show with immediate Monday energy, joking about Jason Mohamed accidentally building a whole feature around “Brown Dog Day” instead of Groundhog Day: “Oh no, it’s Jason Mohamed got it completely wrong and it’s actually Groundhog Day and not Brown Dog Day… I know you made that whole feature.” Ellie Brennan was welcomed back after DJing at the weekend, proudly declaring, “The best thing was I had control of a smoke machine,” while Tina Daheley returned feeling “about 85% there” after illness, blaming January and February for wiping her out “like clockwork every year.” Knitwear was admired across the studio, and Scott shared his own busy weekend seeing Jo Whiley DJ — “She did play Britney for me” — and Harry Hill live, including a “massive inflatable sausage” thrown into the crowd.
Manners, machines and the AI uprising
The morning’s first big talking point came from the mailbag, sparked by a letter from Zoe in Nottingham asking whether she should say please and thank you to her smart speaker. Scott read her question aloud — “Do you have to say please? Because I always do… and then when it comes on, I do say thank you to her” — which quickly spiralled into a full debate. Tina worried aloud, “If we start not saying please and thank you to machines, eventually are we going to lose our manners?” Ellie raised the fear that machines might remember, while Scott joked, “When the time finally does come, AI will remember me that I was one of the polite ones.” Listeners piled in with voice notes confessing to thanking dishwashers, cash machines and “Chachubity,” cementing the theme that politeness now extends well beyond humans.
Pause for Thought: Rabbi Miriam Laurie
Rabbi Miriam Laurie joined for Pause for Thought, marking the Jewish festival Tu B’Shvat — the birthday of the trees. She spoke about her father-in-law Hilton, describing how he mourns trees being removed, asking, “Who are we to take away this life that has been here for longer than us?” Miriam reflected on how artists like David Hockney changed the way she looks at trees, noting that even in winter, “you’ll see buds hiding there, getting ready for the promise of spring.” She described trees as “free therapists” that lower stress and help people think clearly, adding that they “talk to each other, sharing warnings of disease and danger through their root network.” Scott thanked her warmly, telling listeners to “give a tree a nod later,” closing the slot with its usual calm before the morning picked back up.
Supermarket tourism goes global
Another big thread returned from Friday: grocery store tourism. Scott admitted, “One of the best bits of going away is going to the supermarket abroad,” picturing “Serrano ham-flavoured crisps, rosé on the terrace and that lemon sparkly drink.” Nadia in Frimley recalled visiting America in the 70s and being overwhelmed by fizzy drinks: “There was this aisle with every flavour under the sun… I picked up a can of each flavour.” Jill then took things further, championing French stationery aisles as “a treasure trove of paper,” revealing family holidays were planned around repeated supermarket visits. Scott happily accepted tips for Le Clerc, Turkish olive aisles and Swiss Coop, declaring himself “never happier than when I’m in a foreign supermarket.”
Take That, Robbie Williams and Gemma
The biggest moment of the morning came from the Take That documentary. Scott replayed the clip of a teenage fan shouting her phone number at Robbie Williams — “6-7-8-9-7-0-8. Call me any time!” — before revealing Robbie had tried calling it on Instagram. Scott then revealed he’d tracked her down properly and introduced Gemma live on air. She explained it was filmed in 1992 at an HMV signing in Chester: “My dad wouldn’t take me, so I had to catch the bus… we waited round the back till they came out.” Gemma confirmed it was her home phone number and laughed that her dad “would have gone mad if everyone had started ringing.” Now a teacher, she said the attention had been overwhelming, adding, “One of my mates said, you just epitomise the 90s with your Benetton jumper and your inset hairspray hair.” Scott played Robbie’s “She’s the One” for her, with listeners texting in disbelief that the moment had come full circle.
Letters, jumpsuits and the midlife poll
The mailbag returned later with questions about Ellie’s Christmas tin whistle (“Have I played it since? Not really”) and Tina’s new ambition to learn calligraphy. Another letter revisited Scott’s jumpsuit, prompting him to admit, “I got the orange T-shirt wrong… it was giving my first time in prison vibe.” He revealed the jumpsuit had already been donated to Oxfam and spotted in the shop window, joking they should “take a zero off” the £30 price tag. Results of the Instagram poll were finally revealed: “With over 53% of the vote, the midlifes have it,” narrowly beating “you look great.”
The handover to Vernon Kay
The show closed by setting up Piano Room Month. Scott handed over cleanly to Vernon Kay, who joined live from Maida Vale and joked about the technical delay: “Through the joys of modern technology, we are coming to you live from Maida Vale via Birmingham, then back to London.” Vernon described seeing Jarvis Cocker rehearsing, saying, “I can see Jarvis holding his microphone like only Jarvis does,” with the BBC Concert Orchestra ready. Scott wrapped it by reminding listeners, “Nobody knows what the cover’s going to be until they start playing it,” before wishing Vernon luck and stepping aside as Piano Room Month officially began.
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