The service-station king returned in his crown
Rich had become one of the programme’s most unexpectedly successful recurring characters.
He travelled around motorway service stations for fun.
He had helped get the missing Scott Mills Bridge plaque restored.
He knew details about sites around Britain which nobody else on the show had ever thought to learn.
Now he returned wearing a Burger King-style paper crown and calling himself:
the Service Station King.
He again clarified that his enthusiasm for service stations was not sexual.
Scott thanked him for making that distinction.
Where Is Rich? became a full game
Rich was at another service station somewhere in Britain.
Listeners had to identify it from clues.
The first was deliberately cryptic.
A food outlet was available.
There was no hotel where drivers could lay their heads.
Later clues narrowed the geography and connected the site with a landmark and touring routes.
Messages flooded in with guesses.
Gordano.
Gloucester.
Keele.
Maidstone.
Beaconsfield.
Severn View.
Scott and Chris were amazed by how seriously listeners were now approaching motorway infrastructure.
The answer was Pont Abraham
Rich eventually performed the ceremonial reveal.
He was at:
Pont Abraham Services, at the western end of the M4 in South Wales.
Rich explained that it was the last motorway service area on the M4.
It had opened in 1983 and had even been the subject of a Welsh radio documentary.
He was travelling around South Wales visiting service areas during his days off from his ordinary job at Tesco.
Scott found this magnificent.
Rich worked weekends and then used his midweek freedom to tour motorway services for pleasure.
The hobby was not a character.
It was genuinely his life.
The South Wales tour was continuing
Rich planned to visit sites around Cardiff and Swansea before moving towards the Brecon Beacons and smaller A-road stops.
He was particularly excited to revisit St Clears, which had changed since his previous visit.
Scott and Chris treated the itinerary as though Rich were announcing tour dates.
By now listeners had begun to care where he went next.
Bake Off produced an Innuendo Bingo classic
Scott and Chris had been hosting an event the previous night and missed *The Great British Bake Off*.
Listeners sent them a clip almost immediately.
The baking discussion contained lines about getting filling all the way around, needing two holes and squeezing a bag until resistance was felt.
Scott instantly thought of Innuendo Bingo.
The retired feature would have used the clip within seconds.
Even without water in anybody’s mouth, the show could still recognise perfect material.
Rapper or Accountant returned
The quiz also brought back Rapper or Accountant.
Oakley Neil H. T. Caesar-Su was recognised as Central Cee.
Rhys Herbert was Digga D.
Bramall Nixon was the genuine accountancy firm.
The game remained a bizarrely effective way of giving accountants unexpected Radio 1 publicity.
And because it was Wednesday, Bamboleo arrived exactly on schedule.
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