The final shift before Christmas
The Breakfast Show heard from shop workers, delivery drivers and people travelling home on Christmas Eve. Scott enjoyed spotting newsreaders and weather presenters whose sign-offs made it obvious that their holidays had begun.
He and Chris still had to buy every present after the programme. Chris liked the pressure and the sense that everybody left in the shops belonged to the same last-minute club.
Listener Matt requested Tim Minchin’s “White Wine in the Sun”. Radio 1 replayed Minchin’s earlier live performance and received messages from listeners whose make-up and composure had been ruined before work.
Olly brings a very late advent calendar
Olly Murs arrived with a chocolate advent calendar for Scott, despite there being no realistic time left to open it one day at a time. Scott had bought Olly’s album and asked him to sign it, causing both to argue that the other’s present required less effort.
The festive edition of Normo or Not tested whether fame had separated Olly from an ordinary family Christmas. There were no household staff on Christmas Day, he did not put his own face at the top of the tree and he left the cooking to his parents.
He bought thoughtful presents for close relatives but accepted that gift cards solved the more difficult cases. The fact that his mother made everybody watch his television appearances was judged normal rather than celebrity behaviour.
Christmas Eve becomes Bamboleo Wednesday
Although the normal weekly feature had little meaning during the holidays, Scott declared Christmas Eve a festive Bamboleo Wednesday. Listeners wrapped presents, completed deliveries and travelled through airports while joining the Gipsy Kings ritual.
The combination of bells, Christmas records and “Bamboleo” pushed Scott into a level of excitement that Chris blamed equally on the holiday and the early starts.
Dial-a-Carol learns Tom Odell
Chris asked the Dial-a-Carol volunteers for Tom Odell’s “Real Love”. They initially confused it with “Another Love” and admitted they had never heard the requested song.
With lyrics and audio found during the call, two students attempted the melody. Chris asked for a higher version, divided the lines between them and eventually joined a three-way a cappella performance. The volunteers still did not fully know the tune, but their commitment made the request work.
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