Radio 2 for pets
Listeners described leaving Radio 2 on for their dogs while they were out.
Four basset hounds reportedly woke whenever Sara Cox’s five o’clock pips played.
A cockapoo called Bertie became agitated whenever Vernon Kay used his cash-register sound effect.
The Birthday Game: Nick
Nick from Huddersfield turned 34.
His brother Adam had nominated him after failing to secure a place the previous year.
Nick owned a Staffordshire bull terrier called Kevin and planned to attend a pub quiz.
He liked music ranging from Bob Marley and 1960s records to 1990s rock, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana.
His first spin was Geri Halliwell’s version of It’s Raining Men. Nick rejected it.
The second was Wizzard’s See My Baby Jive, whose sound later influenced ABBA’s Waterloo. He rejected that too.
His compulsory final song was Tammy Wynette’s Stand by Your Man.
Nick accepted it as the best of the three and hoped the chart facts would help at the pub quiz.
The Wurzels for Eurovision?
Andy Bennett reported that the Wurzels had responded after he suggested they should represent the UK in 2025.
The group claimed already to have a potential song.
Scott stressed that an entry would need to be newly released but invited listeners to imagine hay bales and a combine harvester on the Eurovision stage.
Dr Ranj
Dr Ranj joined Scott after attending the BAFTAs and seeing Joe Lycett’s enormous Elizabeth I costume.
He had been cast as Lance in the UK tour of & Juliet.
Ranj said musical theatre had been a dream since childhood and promised to work intensely despite not coming from a traditional drama-school background.
Becoming Lance
Lance is French, meaning Dr Ranj had to develop an accent as well as sing and dance through several substantial numbers.
He had received an A-star in GCSE French but admitted that did not automatically provide a convincing French voice.
Rehearsals were due to begin before the tour opened in Manchester on 8 July, followed by dates around Britain.
Mental Health Awareness Week
Dr Ranj discussed the value of music, sleep, movement and self-compassion.
He explained that music and humming could stimulate the vagus nerve and help calm the body.
His practical advice included reducing screen use before bed, moving in whatever way was accessible and deliberately making time for rest.
Scott concluded that Radio 2 was clinically good for listeners.
Handover
Scott handed over after Dr Ranj’s theatre and wellbeing conversation.
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