“If I’m the First Voice You’re Hearing Today, Hi”
Scott opened Tuesday gently, welcoming anyone drifting in after Owain, setting up a packed morning and casually dropping in that “depending on what generation you are, you will know today’s guest,” before listing almost every possible Michaela Strachan reference point in one breath. He also noted, slightly surprised, that radio DJs “don’t get letters anymore,” before immediately contradicting himself by announcing “hundreds — not in the post, but virtually by email,” ready for the mailbag later.
The Owl Thing (No One Knows Why)
The show quickly latched onto what became the uncontested theme of the morning: owl impressions. Scott admitted he didn’t understand where it had come from, saying it was “either the Beckhams or owls” on social media, but that didn’t stop him going all in. Voice notes poured in from everywhere, with Scott inviting “owls all over the land — Manchester, Cardiff, Belfast, Norwich, Edinburgh, Aberdeen,” and opening the door to celebrity owls too.
Tina and Ellie were swiftly dragged in. Tina delivered a composed “twit-two,” while Ellie went rogue with “ee-bye-hoo.” Scott was delighted and faintly alarmed, noting he’d “never seen so many voice notes come in this early in the morning,” before declaring the UK “a nation of owls” and accepting that “we just need a bit of a laugh, don’t we?”
Wedgie-Gate and Newsreader Trauma
Somehow, the word “wedgie” became a talking point, after Scott revealed he hadn’t expected to hear it said repeatedly in a news bulletin. He admitted, incredulous, that he’d never said it “on the radio. Full stop,” before imagining the internal struggle of having to read it aloud on air. Tina confirmed she’d never said it either, and Scott gleefully replayed the moment, admitting he could hear the panic in the delivery.
It was one of those moments that existed purely to make Scott laugh — and therefore stayed alive far longer than necessary.
Pause for Thought That Properly Landed
The mood shifted with Pause for Thought from Krish Kandiah, who spoke about mornings shared with his son reading How to Train Your Dragon, and how a Shared Lives placement had quietly changed their family dynamic. Scott listened closely, later reflecting that it wasn’t too late — “here we are on the 20th of January, nearly February” — to finally start reading properly himself.
The chat rolled naturally into Tina’s goal of reading 52 books in a year, which Scott described as “an impressive amount of books,” before admitting he hoped they were “all short ones.”
Michaela Strachan: Five Paragraphs, No Notes
Michaela Strachan joined just after eight, with Scott admitting he felt like he already knew her because he’d been watching her for years. Michaela returned the love, saying she listens to Radio 2 “all the time when I’m in my car,” instantly establishing mutual fandom.
They talked Winterwatch returning that night, Michaela explaining the aim was to help people “feel relaxed, feel comfortable, really embrace the outdoors,” while learning about British wildlife. Broadcasting from Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland, she revealed they’d adjusted their start time to avoid clashing with The Traitors, joking that “you don’t want to mess with that.”
Michaela ran through the wildlife lineup — badgers, pine martens, red squirrels, otters — calling it “an absolute mammal fest,” while Scott helpfully clarified she meant mammals, not “middle-aged men in Lycra.” The pair also teased a Traitors-inspired feature called “nature’s traitors,” with Michaela proudly explaining her assigned angler fish, complete with prop, because “regulars of the Watches love our props.”
She gamely reacted to the owl impressions too, praising a Cilla Black owl as “inspired,” before Scott promised to play her the new Bruno Mars track and ominously hinted they’d be revisiting “something from the past” after.
Take That Trauma, Reopened
Later, Scott unveiled the trailer for the new Take That documentary, admitting he’d already watched it and found it “incredible,” packed with unseen footage and drama. He described watching it with his son, who wasn’t around for the original era but was now fully obsessed, wanting to “watch another one” immediately.
Scott reminded listeners of the emotional impact of the original split, vividly recalling the press conference and the now-legendary Take That helpline, which he confirmed “was real and is featured in the show.” He asked, gently but pointedly, whether anyone listening had actually called it at the time, fully aware of what he was about to unleash.
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