American television analyses Chris
The Mila Kunis interview continued to grow, approaching three million views and reaching television programmes across the United States. NBC’s Today introduced Chris as part of a comedy team and suggested that he was hitting on Mila by inviting her to football and for a drink. E! News called him a rookie reporter and focused on the unconventional banter rather than the film.
Good Morning America replayed the Blue Moon exchange and praised Chris for using his one opportunity to ask the questions which mattered. Scott found it surreal that national American presenters were discussing the improvised conversation as if it were a carefully designed romantic comedy. Listeners in the United States explained that its awkward British manner had encouraged comparisons with Hugh Grant.
The publicity produced further interview requests for Chris, including E! News and potentially Access Hollywood. He had also been contacted from Australia, Chile and the Middle East. Scott compared his sudden rise with Susan Boyle, sending an ordinary person from a small home town into worldwide attention almost overnight.
Watford prepares a shirt for Mila
Watford FC supplied a personalised Kunis shirt in case Chris ever met Mila again. Radio 1 photographed it beside the rapidly growing wall of international press cuttings. Chris admitted that failing to bring a shirt to the original interview had been a missed opportunity.
A behind-the-scenes clip showed him fielding calls from overseas journalists. Even amid the extraordinary coverage, his chief concern was that reports were spelling Chango the Beast with a “Dj”. Chango himself had noticed and complained. The name mattered more to the pair than Chris being misidentified as a BBC journalist or professional comedian.
More party-piece rappers
The search for listeners who could memorise complete raps continued. Henry performed Jay-Z’s verses from “Numb/Encore” while sitting in his car and explained that a fresh audience made the party trick especially effective. Laura demonstrated Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass”, which she used in clubs even when nobody could hear every word.
Chris admitted that he had once learned Blazin’ Squad’s version of “Crossroads”. Scott remained envious of anybody able to keep an entire performance ready for the exact moment it would surprise a group of friends.
Fright Night at the Tap End
Chris returned to his 17th year for a 24 Years at the Tap End story about the group’s visit to a theme park’s Halloween Fright Night. Chinese Dave’s converted garage was their base at the time, complete with darts, a pool table, drinks and walls covered with holiday-shirt designs and photographs. Chris’s own favourite was Holly Valance, the subject of his first calendar.
Chinese Dave had found an evening event which satisfied both his interest in organised activities and the group’s desire to meet girls. Chris, Dugsie and Chazza joined him, then noticed a promising group while queuing for Tidal Wave. Dugsie broke the ice by asking for the time, allowing everybody else to join the conversation before they shared the ride.
The boys escaped the main drop less wet than expected and continued talking to the girls in a wooden viewing hut. The girls gradually moved away without explanation. Moments later, the next boat struck the lake and sent an enormous wave directly into the hut, soaking the boys on a cold night while the girls laughed from safety. Chris concluded that it was the first time he learned that girls could not be trusted, although he had finally forgiven them years later.
Calendars and unfortunate gifts
Chris explained that his grandmother had unknowingly bought his brother a Hollyoaks Babes calendar every year. His mother selected the gift using the money provided, while his grandmother received an annual telephone call thanking her for something she did not realise she had given.
Another listener had the same arrangement and repeatedly received a Hooters calendar. Scott remembered the Radio 1 office leaving a One Direction calendar open on a favoured December image well into the following year, although keeping Holly Valance on the wall for more than a decade seemed excessive.
Real or No Real
The original Cluedo really had included a bomb, poison and a hypodermic syringe among its weapons. Paul McCartney had also staged an unofficial backstage knighting of Jay-Z with a sword, after which Jay-Z jokingly called himself Sir Hova of Brooklyn. Scott and Chris found both stories difficult to accept but were wrong.
The European Union had not accidentally renamed Belgium “Brian” for two days, and Gary Lineker did not employ five people to display his moods as weather symbols on a whiteboard. Scott finished with 30 points after a round in which the strangest claims repeatedly proved true.
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