Radio 1 Anthems Scheduling

[Jono]

<b><P>During November 2006 Scott appeared on Celebrity Scissorhands, a hair and beauty show raising money for Children In Need. Jono was one of the 'lucky' ones to have his hair cut by Scott.</b>

So following my journey to Brighton for Radio 1's Chart Show Live on Sunday, I was slightly hesitant about going to London again on Wednesday for Celebrity Scissorhands. Thankfully two weeks of worry hadn't put me off too much, and with a photo shoot for a local newspaper on the Monday things appeared to be getting sorted.

Joining me on my journey from Norwich was forum member callumringer, who as he put it, was coming along with me for "moral support". He'd not travelled to London before on train, bless him, and so it was a whole new world for him.

After a quick snack at McDonalds, it was straight on the tube. Myself (someone who had never fathomed out the tube before, only with a group of friends once) and Callum (someone who'd not been to London in seven years). Luckily the forum members had helped me out a bit with telling me how to get to Sheperd's Bush.

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<I>Jono looks on ready for his haircut with Scott</I></center>

<P>Within 30 minutes we'd arrived at Sheperd's Bush. Hurrah I thought! Before realising that the BBC TV centre didn't stand out as much as I'd hoped. After walking around in all four directions for a good hour, we finally came across Wood Lane. A quick ten minutes walk, and we'd found BBC TV Centre. We spent the time outside the building with a bunch of protestors from BBC News. They seemed jolly friendly, but I couldn't help thinking it'd be more funny seeing BBC News fall apart than supporting them.

After a twenty minute wait we decided to venture in, and sit around on the BBC sofas. Eventually a Celebrity Scissorhands representative came down and collected some of us up. This included a male musical artist, and Emma Samms' niece. By now we'd been asked if Callum wanted to join me in having my haircut, and he quickly said yes. By the time we'd arrived on the Celebrity Scissorhands floor it'd been changed to a manicure. He said yes again, still not sure what he was letting himself in for.

The Celebrity Scissorhands production team were all jolly and friendly, and after they took everything I owned (they put it in a locker I must add) we filled in a few forms and were given some drinks. I was then whisked away with a guy who was performing 'cupping' on somebody and the artist. We were taken up some stairs, and joined by Stuart who was waiting outside the academy - a converted canteen. I was one of the first to go in, and the nerves were on. Not because I was worried about meeting Scott, but probably because there were cameras everywhere and Callum had made me more nervous as he worried about it all. Infact typing this all out now has brought back the nerves!

I was sent in on the command of the gallery on the radio microphone, and I was told to go to reception. Presuming the studio would be bigger in real life, I said hello to Scott and was completely put off what I was doing. Unsure whether I should ask Scott in front of me or go back and ask the production team, I took the latter option. They didn't seem too impressed I'd walked out again! When I went back in, Leah the receptionist still wasn't around, but Lee was there. He shook my hand and I went and sat in the waiting area.

I couldn't help noticing the client that Scott was with looked rather familliar. It wasn't until she started talking I realised it was Natalie from Newsbeat having a manicure. My nerves were starting to go when Azim the cupping expert, and the artist walked in. As soon as new people arrived I didn't feel so bothered. I asked for a lemonade, and soon got rid of it!

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<I>Natalie in the background regretting having her nails done, as I get ready to have a hair wash</I></center>

<P>Scott came in over and told me he'd been looking at the your views topic the day before, and wanted to know if I had any thing in mind for a haircut. We went with the idea of a trim, and I was moved over to have my hair washed. We joked about how camp Scott had looked on the television, and some comments Chris Moyles had made that morning. Asking what he'd said, he then began to pull my hair harder to get an answer! We discussed the show from the night before where Scott and the others played a prank on Nikki from Big Brother, and I wiped away any water that was trickiling down my face.

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<I>Waiting for the before shot with Ortis in the background and expert Elaine... heads of previous victims scattered around the room...</I></center>

<P>Compared to an overly hot academy, the training room seemed to have locked the air coniditioning on the coldest temperature. Something Nikki would have hated. Sarah Cawood was in the room at the time, as was Elaine the expert and her friend. Scott told me I had to sit around for a 'before shot' for a few minutes. All I could think of was the people at home watching me and laughing as I looked stupidly into a mirror. This then made me chuckle, which apparently made things worse, as everyone had pointed out the amount of facial expressions I made. Well it did feel like flipping ages sitting there!

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<I>Scott: "Tell any one on the forum about me messing up your hair and I'll hunt you down!"</I></center>

<P>Steve Strange had then come in for some extra treatment on his hair. He wanted a red 'S' in the back of his head. We were then discussing Janet who had just threw up after having to work with the worst smelling feet ever, and Scott's colonic disaster where the machine exploded. He didn't seem happy that everyone had been discussing it behind the scenes! I joked that it looked like Janet had been sick in Steve's hair, and we were discussing the guy from the night before who claimed they were all a bunch of Z Listers. Michelle came in (who I did take quite a liking to!) and was explaining how badly edited the show was, as she'd not been annoyed by it, but the show had made it seem like that. I joined in the conversation about the Z Lister comments by saying that it was the nudist guy. Steve obviously had been listening, and told me that was the guy.

By now Natalie had come in to the room to say good bye, and to interview Steve for a report of Friday afternoon's newsbeat.

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<I>Lee kicks off Scott's haircut by explaining what he needs to do</I></center>

<P>Elaine and Lee kick started my haircut - a Mia hairstyle - aimed for girls! Throughout the haircut many people had assisted Scott, who was concerned it was all going to go wrong. Steve joking that it wasn't right hadn't helped the situation. The future Mrs Mills as I called her - Michelle - made sure Scott was on the right track by telling Scott how to do things. I asked if there was any Hello magazine deals lined up for their wedding, but Michelle said she'd rather have a Bella deal and have the £250 they give.

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<I>Steve explains to Scott he's doing it all wrong. Scott thinks he's doing it fine. But which one to believe?</I></center>

<P>Most of the time the emphasis appeared to be on Steve and his red 'S' as Elaine tried to rush that before he had to return to his client. He didn't seem too concerned that he'd left the poor woman in the other room alone.

Sarah was in the room talking to me about the website, asking me why I liked Scott's show. She was talking about other deals that she'd been offered for reality shows, and how much money the producers were throwing around. Scott was explaining why he chose to do the show, apparently after much pressure from the boss at Radio 1.

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<I>Steve having the "S" done in the back of his hair...</I></center>

<P>Ortis also brought his client in to the room, who had turned up from Bristol. Scott went off to call Sara Cox who was covering Scott's show, and I went off to the toilet. By the time I'd returned my hair had flopped all over the place, and Ortis said it was nice to see I'd kept still whilst I'd been gone.

When Scott returned we spoke about the fansite, and how apparently quite a lot of those involved on the Scissorhands show visited the site. One client had googled Scott's name before coming on Celebrity Scissorhands and was shocked that such a site as Unofficial Mills existed. Lee also popped in and wanted to know if I worked with Scott. He explained that I ran Unofficial Mills, and Lee was surprised that the site attracted 8 million hits a month - he didn't realise Scott had fans.

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<I>Me looking afraid as Scott explains female hair isnt his sort of thing</I></center>

<P>We also spoke about the photo shoot for the local newspaper, he asked if I was still working at Budgens and the travel down from London. Scott reassured me it was worth it, as I'd leave with a very good haircut. It certainly seemed to be panning out that way. Throughout all this the cameras kept moving around in a Big Brother style, switching between Scott and I, and Ortis and his client.

All of the celebrities on the show were very friendly, especially people like Ortis, Sarah and Michelle who knew my name and seemed to know about my work on the website.

After three hours my haircut was now starting to take shape. Although I was concerned at the time the "trim" wasn't really a trim at all, and being worried it was too short I realised that if I was to return to Norfolk saying Scott had cut my hair I needed a proper haircut. The only criticism I had of the haircut was perhaps that there was too much hair product in my hair at the end which made it look like I had curtains. Something that Chappers picked up on the day after.

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<I>That's right Jono... it's all gone... relisation sinks in...</I></center>

<P>I spoke to Lee and told him I was rather impressed with the haircut, and joined Callum and two other women in the waiting area. Callum obviously spent the time insulting my haircut, but then again he was having a manicure. So pot kettle came to mind. One of the women went off to have her haircut by Steve, who later went on to get rather upset about it all.

Scott explained he was about to cut the boss of the BBC's beard after Callum's manicure, which I said was the end of his career. Callum on the other hand took another approach to it all by saying it either meant he was one of the best celebrities or one of the worst.

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<I>Callum and his manicure from Scott on the live stream</I></center>

<P>Either way I was sent on my way and I said goodbye to Scott. The researchers took me back to the locker to collect my stuff, and I was taken to the debrief area to fill in a few more forms. I remained there until for another hour as Callum had his manicure which was visible on the TV in the room. Meanwhile official BBC people were walking around preparing things for the big boss to arrive.

My phone was now buzzing with lots of text messages of all my friends and family who'd caught me on the interactive stream. Even one of my teachers had left her computer on in an actual lesson incase I appeared on there. I did, and the lesson soon abruptly ended when I turned up.

Again the production team were still very helpful buying teas from the canteen and making sure I was alright. An hour afterwards Callum arrived, and knew we had to get out of there as soon as possible to get the tube as we were running massively late. We ran to the tube, and arrived at the station to get to Norwich to find we'd missed our train by two minutes. Luckily a pleasant guy at the station let us get on the next one half an hour later.

Callum spent most of the journey showing off his newly manicured nails, to many strange looks on the train. We exchanged stories, before arriving in Norwich to check out Unofficial Mills. Seven pages of forum topics and a lot of screen captures proved it had paid off! Another hour later and we were back home. It seemed most of Norfolk had been watching the live stream, although a little disappointed they'd not shown me on the main show I wasn't expecting much anyway. Even my name appeared to have been edited out! The day out, for me, was about experiencing it all and seeing how it was done, rather than a blatant quest to get on the box.

At least I had enjoyed myself, and been able to have a proper chat with the real Scott Mills. Much like his radio persona, but a little bit more open with what he had to say. The haircut even turned out quite well, and no one laughed. Much to my delight!

<b>Many thanks goes to Jembie and DC on the forum for the screen captures. Plus those at Endemol and the BBC for their help over the month in the run up to the day.</b>