Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - BONUS: Gavin Grey Our UK Correspondent On The Latest From The King's Coronation

Episode Date: May 3, 2023

We catch up with Gavin Grey Our UK Correspondent On The Latest From The King's Coronation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hits, the Jono and Ben podcast. We're heading off to London today to the King's Coronation, Ben. What a journey, what a journey. From Mr Chris Hipkins, he's already there. The big players, Richie McCaw, Hipkins, who else? Mike Hosking. Hosking, who else? Boyce, Boyce, Ben Boyce.

Katy Perry. Katy Perry's there and we're looking forward to it, but we're joined right now from London by our UK correspondent, Gavin Gray. You must be, this is like your Coachella. This is going to be fantastic, boys. Yep, it's London looking very spryly. Even the sun's come out, but I'm afraid to say it looks like the weekend might be a bit on the chilly and wet side. I can hear it in your voice, Gavin.

You're frothing. You're frothing for this coronation. Yeah, it's all go. I have to say, London looking spring-like. A rehearsal earlier today at which the King and Queen attended. Yeah, it's full steam ahead. I mean, it's not long now.

The police have even managed to rush through. The government's managed to rush through a piece of legislation to clamp down on potential protesters. They're saying people have been told they can protest, but anybody disrupting anything is going to be dealt with severely. 2,000 in the congregation. This is going to be some big show.

Two-thirds. I'm glad we shut the riffraff up. Lock them away. Keep them at a distance from Charles. We're going over. We're very excited. We're heading off today. We're going over. We're very excited. We're heading off today. We're going to be there.

Where should we go? Where is the best place to go and see as much as we can? You have done ever so well getting flights, ever so well getting accommodation, because there are reports that accommodation has gone up a third or something in the last 48 hours. Perhaps some of the best views will be along the Mall, but it will be absolutely rammed.

There are people already in tents marking out their space so they get the best view on a sort of first-come, first-served basis. And they're traveling in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach built in Australia just 11 years ago. That was built to mark the Queen's 60th uh it's air-conditioned no discomfort there for king charles of course hydraulic suspension six horses pulling that you'll be able to see and plenty of other places afterwards because of course then the focus switches back to buckingham palace and inevitably who is going to be on the balcony and who won't be for the big wave. Let's talk about old Toreg Herring. What's going to happen? Is he on the balcony? Is he there?

I think he's going to be rarer than spotting a three-legged goose. I mean, there's a rumor that within two hours of the end of the service, he's gone. He's on a flight back out of there. Oh, really? I don't think there's going to be much of a family celebration. Big question marks about where he will sit. The more important you are, the nearer the front you sit. I've seen some evidence to suggest he might be seated as far back as the 10th row.

I don't well behind many other VIPs who are there. No Joe Biden. The U.S. president is staying at home, but Jill Biden is attending. Oh, I forgot Meghan. How could I forget Meghan, Harry's wife? She isn't coming, staying in California to celebrate the birthday of their eldest son, Archie. What about all the artists that we know are performing? We hear Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Take That, even Winnie the Pooh, I think, is popping up somewhere.

Where's that happening and how can people see that? Yeah, so that's going to be in the days following the ceremony itself. I think a lot of people have been speculating that perhaps it's not quite the star-studded line-up they were hoping for. I think Adele had been asked and couldn't do it. I think Elton John had been asked and couldn't do it. Not to speculate, but I'm going to speculate there, Gavin Gray. Elton John, would he have said no due to his allegiances with Princess Diana and Harry? You see, that's a very good question. I think, to be fair to Elton John, that has been a lot of people speculating.

But I don't think that is the answer. Other engagements is the answer. And I do think there was a hint of some disappointment from the organisers that perhaps they weren't going to get quite the list of people that they thought they were going to get for the concert. Well, Gavin, we are heading over. We're hopping on a plane very shortly, and we had a huge ulterior motive for this phone call.

Can we stay on your couch? I knew there was some couch. You are, of of course very welcome but you must wear no Australian emblems or flags and you must wear the Union Jack trousers that will be provided. Safe to say we'll wear nothing

Australian and it'll be all Union Jack. Gavin Gray, you're an absolute hero. Appreciate your time and have a wonderful weekend. Take it easy guys. Looking forward to it. See you soon.