Konnie Huq joins Scott to discuss Greg James’s relentless early-morning phone calls, a Blue Peter appeal for Barnardo’s, and the revelation that a former Blue Peter presenter has become a drag queen named Stella.
Konnie arrives wearing her Blue Peter badge and immediately gets quizzed by Scott about how she lost a previous one — leading to a discussion about the difficulty of earning replacement badges. The conversation quickly turns to Greg James, the early-morning Radio 1 presenter who has apparently developed an unhealthy obsession with Konnie. She explains how Greg obtained her phone number through Laura (Scott’s producer) at a party, then called her at 5:14 AM claiming he thought she’d given him a wrong number. Scott plays the recorded call, where a groggy Konnie tells him “You’ve been asked to go,” which has since become a popular ringtone among Greg’s listeners — much to her embarrassment.
The main purpose of Konnie’s visit is to promote a Blue Peter appeal for Barnardo’s, asking listeners to donate unwanted CDs, DVDs, and computer games. These can be dropped off at local Barnardo’s branches, Lloyd’s TSB branches, or BBC Radio stations. Scott has gathered donations from the office, including a Sex and the City box set from Edith and a DVD from James King. They’ve also found various CDs to sell, including music from a 1990s boy band.
In a competitive twist, Scott reveals that Mary — Laura’s sister, who famously used to read out Laura’s diary on the show — has launched a rival radio show at Aberystwyth University, broadcasting at exactly the same time as Scott’s show (4–6 PM). They play a clip from Mary’s debut episode on Bay Radio, featuring co-hosts Marcus and Nathan with decidedly amateur production values, which makes Scott’s show sound comparatively professional.
Before signing off, Scott asks Konnie about a news story claiming a former Blue Peter presenter is now a drag queen. Konnie confirms she’s heard the same rumor and helps Scott Google the performer, who goes by the stage name Stella Ratner.
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