Off The Telly - I hung out with the Spice Girls for Comic Relief

Episode Date: March 19, 2025

Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page chat about all things on and off the telly. Nat and Jo reflect on the highs and lows of the nineties after watching Boyzone: No Matter What, a gripping documentary about the rise and fall of the Irish boy band. Nat also gives her take on Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show and they discuss the heartbreaking true story in Toxic Town. They also look ahead to Red Nose Day this Friday and reminisce about some of their own Comic Relief moments with the Spice Girls and Tom Jones - no biggie!What they can’t stop watching, what they definitely aren’t going to bother with, new releases and comforting classics – TV is timeless and no telly is out of bounds. As well as having a natter about what’s on TV, they share backstage goss from the world of telly, whilst also cracking up about the more humbling moments in their lives. Self-confessed TV addicts and stars of two of the biggest shows on our screens, EastEnders and Gavin and Stacey, Natalie and Joanna are the perfect companions to see what’s occurring on and off the telly.Timecodes for shows discussed today are:5:40 - With Love, Meghan (Netflix) 25:45 - Boyzone: No Matter What (Sky and NOW) 36:08 - Toxic Town (Netflix)Get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to 03306 784704.Hosts: Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Richard Morris Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Production Co-ordinator: Becky Carewe-Jeffries Sounds Editor: Arlie Adlington Music by MCassoOff The Telly is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the galaxy. How would you react if I said that I'm not from Guildford after all but from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Beetlejuice? I don't know. Why do you think it's the sort of thing you're likely to say? Drink up, the world's about to end. Start listening to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, primary phase, available to purchase wherever you get your audiobooks. BBC Sounds music radio podcasts. Please don't forget to subscribe to the pod on BBC Sounds and make sure push notifications turn on in your phone settings so you're always up to date with the pod. Remember Joe's mum Sue did it, so if Sue can do it, anyone can. Hello!

And welcome to Off the Ten. Virtual recording. I feel like I want to start singing, virtual insanity. You could do that. Because that's what I'm feeling right now. I love the Jermaracwai. Jermaracwai, I can never get it right. I'm not an old person. What did you call him? Jermaracwai. Jomeroquai. I can never get it right. I'm not an old person. Jorammaquai. I can't even say it. Jorammaquai. You call him Jorammaquai. Just get my words mixed up sometimes. Jorammaquai.

I went to see them in Wembley. Oh God. Years ago. They were absolutely fantastic. Oh I'd have loved to have seen them. I really fancied him. I thought he was brilliant and I loved their music. They were brilliant. Joramaquai.

I'll pop it on in the car now. Well we are recording. We're recording virtually tonight because I am still ill. It started last week when we were in the studio and I still have it now. It's been a week, a week of hell, a week of sweat, a week of shakes, trembles, cold nose, ice cold bones, flu, aching all over, stinking because I haven't had a shower in about a week. I've showered today for you.

Oh, can I just say one thing? Yeah. Has the onesie been out this week? No, I couldn't. Well, I tell you what, not the normal onesie, right, but the thermal onesie. Oh, thank God, because it doesn't get washed and with an illness, I just can't deal with it. James got me a thermal onesie at Christmas time, which I can't wear because it's too

damn hot. I put it on and then after I've been downstairs and I'm doing the dishes, I get all really hot and flustered. I end up shouting at him. I'm just like, Oh my God, what is it? What is it? And then I realized it's the onesie. I've been through that about three times and I've gone right now and I was going to throw it out the other day. Well, I needed it this week because I've had the shakes, I've had the trembles, I've been ice cold and I genuinely put that onesie on and I appreciated it. But I've been freezing cold but sweating like mad, which I'm kind of thinking, kind of has to be quite good. I mean, I'm sweating it all out, but I must be sweating out a load of other stuff as well. But I'm not aching so much, but I'm coughing

all the way through this, I warn you now, even though I haven't coughed yet I'll do one now. If you've not coughed yet you've done well. Don't think about it sometimes it's mind over matter Doctor's notice. And I have to say listen you haven't lost your conversation. I haven't. So it's good. I mean I'm still free flowing I was thinking that I was gonna be quite quiet tonight, but it's just your wonderful face You look really gorgeous tonight. You look glam. What's been happening? Thank you. You look gorgeous. I did my photo shoot today for my book cover, Jo.

Oh my god, what was it like? Can you say what you wore, what happened, where you were? You can't? Yeah, you don't want to reveal it. No, I want to keep it a secret for now, but there was some really, it was just fun, you know me, a bit of eye rolling, a few funny faces, a little bit of glam, but it was nice to go out and get glammed up. It's lovely, isn't it, getting your hair done. Whenever I do a shoot, do you always think, what a waste, I wish I was going out tonight? Yes, but I did go out once after a shoot, but the shoot, they had styled my hair up and they had slicked the sides of my hair back so tight. Sorry, sorry, you're saying the side of your hair but you're

pulling your face in? I don't want to disrupt my ears in case it cocks up the whole recording. They pulled it back right so much when my eyes were kind of pulled back as well, so damn tight on the side and it was to go to the theatre afterwards and I remember seeing the photos afterwards and thinking God, this really didn't look good. It looked like I'd intentionally gone there but yeah I think well looking like you and how your hair looks all lovely and feminine and soft and curly and gorgeous and the make up looks really lovely. Do you know what's happened though Jo? What?

Do you know what's happened? No. You know it was red? Yes. The red sort of washed out. I was warned about this. Yeah. It washes out. So now it's quite blonde. Oh nice! Because it's still light. I think it suits you. Do you? Yeah, definitely. Definitely. I might keep it like this for a bit now. I mean, I've had two hairstyles in the past three weeks. Can't quite believe it. It'll be nice for the summer.

Yeah. But yeah, red always fades, always. I dyed my hair red once. It was kind of like a peachy sort of color and it just lights and red does just fade. But it's really nice because it's sort of, your hair does look lighter and it looks quite beachy and stuff.

I just keep going with it and even get a few more like highlights put in the front in the summer. Would you? All right, I might just keep going. I might leave the red. We'll see. We'll see what happens. Yeah. Well, I think you're looking lovely. Was it nice being in the studio? Did you have some nice food and was it fun? It was really fun. I had a nice chicken wrap and yeah, it was just good. You know me, I just want to get home early. So we did, we did, we smashed it out by about three o'clock, which I was very pleased about

because the traffic home was fantastic. So I was, I was super pleased. Then I could do school run bed, get every, everyone sorted before I started this. So you asked me something, Jo, that I need to talk to you about. Oh yes. You have made me sit through Meghan Markle's documentary. How many episodes? How many episodes? Just one, but we need to discuss it. I knew that. When I was watching it, I thought I just wanted to sit here and watch this with me. Did you get to the bit where Daniel, God love him

Daniel, Daniel's coming round and they are now... No listen to me....melting beeswax together to make candles. I'll tell you what I want to say. Firstly, you don't cook pasta with a cream linen suit on number one. Tomatoes as well! No, that's the first thing. Do you know what? And I like Meghan and I mean it. They get a lot of bad press, all of that rubbish. I'm not here to talk about that. I'm not here to have a go at Meghan or have a go at Harry. That's really boring and people do it all the time.

Do you know what? They're living their life, good luck to them. But as a lifestyle show, I am sorry. She was chopping up some vegetables, her crudite plate. And I thought, you don't chop a lot. Don't pretend. Her chopping was a, and I'm left- handed, but her chopping was quite beginnerish. Yeah.

And when he came in, old Danielle, lovely, when he walked in and he was like, oh my God, every time I come round, I'm just going to put weight on. It's like you're eating peas from a pod, mate. What are you talking about? What are you actually talking about? And the pasta she made was very healthy. And I genuinely was bamboozled. I mean, she was showing us how to put some vegetables on a plate and added a few flowers to it. I mean, who can't do that? He was so over the top. Wow, this is amazing. I mean, brilliant. What a brilliant guy to have around. Because I mean, I could serve up dog shit and he'd be happy, wouldn't he? He was thrilled. But I was like, this is a bit of cucumber, a courgette, a daisy from

the garden and a pea pod, mate. What are you doing? What I'll say about, sorry, I thought someone was coming in. Is someone there? Oh my God, what if it's a ghost? No, it will just be a child or Mark. What if it is a ghost, right? Or what if this is like one of the scream films or something? And this is like... That's really a horrible thing to say to me because you know I don't like scary stuff. Why would you do that?

Because I feel like I'm in a Miss Marple or something now. And what if it's like I'm witness to it all on the camera? Going off, Megan, as I said... One thing I'll say about it. It's really glossy. It's really easy. I could put another one on. Well I have put through about three because I was like I've just got to watch this.

The flour sprinkles are a lot. The bags with the salt and the lavender. But didn't you think, how many baths is Danielle going to have? She makes some Epsom salts in a jar about this big. I pissed myself. They are big. Maybe he runs a lot. I don't know but Daniel's gonna have about five blinking baths when he stays overnight

isn't he? How about the cake? Three tears. When she did the three tears. Oh yeah. I thought there were certain things she said and I thought good on you. I think she was trying to get her message across about you can be what you want and whatever. Listen, it is what it is. It's just easy, isn't it? I mean, I just couldn't get over, I'm going to put loads of weight on

by having a peapod. I just can't get over it. I know. Mark said to me, I had it all in the lounge. I was ironing. Mark genuinely, he was on his iPad. He was writing whatever and he looked up really inquisitively at the screen and he genuinely, he wasn't rude, he just went, what on earth are you watching? I said, Jo's made me watch it for the pod. Oh my God. But yeah, it was quite funny. Have you ever melted beeswax together?

Imagine if I invited you round and I went, come on, come round, we're going to melt beeswax together and make candles. No, I'd say, get us a fucking snowball. And get me a packet of Maltesers and I want to sit on the sofa and have a Chinese. What are you talking about? Yeah. I'd get in bed with you and have a Chinese. I know, yeah, we can have it on trays on our laps.

Yeah, I'm all for it. But the outfits, everything is just like so perfect. Christine, cream, a cream two piece to cook. Oh my god. Oh, come off it. We've been watching a couple of shows this week, haven't we Jo? Yep. Toxic Town on Netflix and Boys Zone No Matter What on Now.

And before we get into any of the rest of our shows, shall we have a listen to what some of our listeners at home have been saying and if they've got any recommendations and stuff? Oh yeah, brilliant, let's do that. Okay. Oh my god, you two. I've just listened to the pod and you were talking about big boys. Honestly you have to finish it. I know you're not in the habit of finishing things now but

please, please, please watch to the very end. I watched the last episode yesterday and I am still processing. I'll be interested to know what you thought about the series as a whole. It was just so beautiful. And I am sad that it's finished. I think that's gonna be my long continuing one because it was just so moving, wasn't it? That I wanna get to the end of three series, isn't it?

It was moving and it was so heartfelt and as I said to you, I just felt it was a perfect thing for me and Eliza to watch and it's really difficult to get stuff when you've got a teenager. It's really hard for them to sit down, concentrate and be with you and watch something that you can discuss and I really want to watch it with Eliza. Yeah. And brilliant that she watched all of it. Amazing. And you are right. I'm sorry. I know I don't finish a lot. Sorry. Should we have another one?

Hi, nice to meet you. It's Yeshan here. I just want to say how much I really love your podcast. I do a second job on an evening a couple of times a week and it's just a cleaning job, brings in the extra cash. And I'm like Mrs Doubtfire around this site. And I put a bit of music on and then I get my notifications that your podcast is on. I absolutely love listening to you. You are comedy gold, the pair of you. And I just think, you know, you just take my mind off a busy day.

And I just love what you do. I'm big fans of you always have been. I've watched East Enders for years. And I agree with Joe on your hair Natalie. It looks absolutely amazing. I'm quite jealous. I want your hairdresser. And Jo, I love the stories about your guinea pigs because, yeah, amazing. I mean, I'm a sausage dog if I had one. I'd call it Frank and Ferta if I had two. Frank and Ferta, anyway. But thank you so much. Keep up the good work. Oh, thank you so much. Lovely. Do you know the guinea pigs? Oh, yeah.

They're burrowing now so we've got fleece blankets down for them and they're like sprinting round and I bought them this tube thing where they can go like four different ways and then we looked in one day and we were like oh my god where's avocado? Oh my god one of them is missing and we saw this mound underneath and avocado just keeps burrowing under and then sticking out his nose or you pull the thing back and because he comes right out now and right up to you and he lets you smooth him and everything and then you might put the fleece back or you might flatten it all down again and whatever and then straight away boom he's straight under. He loves it,

loves it. That is brilliant. Are they siblings by the way? I do know I'm not sure why. No but do you know what I really love about that voice note, thank you so much, is that people, I just like hearing people enjoy the pod. Yes. I know that's really cliche and what have you, but it really, I promise you, makes my day that us sitting here chatting away just keeps people company, gives people a laugh,

gives people a smile, and it is very, very important. It is. It feels like we've got friends that we've got, that it's not just you and me chatting, but that we've got our mates as well. And that I like it, that they all feel included in our conversation. It's nice. Yeah, it's really lovely. Shall we have another one? Yes.

I just can't stop laughing. Wow. Can you get a better podcast than Off the Telly? Hell to the no! Thank you so much to both of you and the crew for such an excellent show. I just love it every week. I'm just actually listening to favourite comedies episode and I had to stop and search YouTube when Natalie said she'd been on Catherine Tate. I found a sketch and I couldn't stop laughing out loud.

Oh, I love you. You are brilliant. Um, come and have a cocktail? Where are you, Mr Fun? You are right up my strasa. I think I'm going to have to go on YouTube and search for you on Catherine Tate because I want to see the sketch. Oh, it is funny. Eliza watches it all the time, you know.

So funny. Yeah, she loves it. Yeah, it's so funny. We've got one more voice note. Should we have a listen? Yeah. Hello ladies. This is Simon from Sworesby and Wiltshire. I just want to say I love listening to your pod when I'm out cycling or working, walking to work. I want to say I'm in the same boat as you, Nats. I'm leaving my job after 25 and a half years to start a new role. You're never too old

to grab all life's challenges and see where the journey takes you. You two are bloody funny. Always makes me smile. Oh, that's nice. Oh, thank you, Simon. Thank you. You're all right, Simon. You've got to grab it with both hands, you're never too old. I love that he was having a walk. Yes.

Trundling up the road talking to us like it was a normal voice note to a mate. Yeah. Brilliant. Thank you Simon and you're right, it is, you've got to be brave and do whatever you want to do. It's just great. Great. You've only got one life haven't you?

You've just got to get out there and do it and have fun. I could drop dead, I could die in the night, I could go to sleep tonight, you could not talk to me again. Oh my God, can you imagine? You can't do that. No, I know, I'm just saying you'd have to crack on on your own. If I did die in the night, who would you get to fill in for me, to replace me? Do you know, I might ask Eva too, because she said said to me she was asking if she could come in here tonight and listen to the podcast and I said no no you can't now you've got to

you know go in go inside and everything and so um so I wouldn't let her come in but I might get Eva to come and sit and chat with me about TV. I was thinking more of a celebrity I thought you were going to come in straight really quick and say I'd have someone and I could say, oh, that was quick. You've obviously fought with me before. Yeah. No, no. So if I drop dead of this awful illness that I've got, who would you get to replace me? Rickety Face. No, I'm joking. Oh, for fuck's sake.

He's my go-to answer, I promise I haven't't thought that. I don't think it would go on Jo, if you weren't here anymore I think off the telly it's yours and ours so I just don't think it would work. It is, it's ours isn't it? It's our little thing. Awwww. Oh I love you Jo. I love you too.

Before I start crying do you know it's Comic Relief soon? Oh my god it is isn't it? And it's not only that, it's the 40th anniversary isn't it? I know, the same as Easties! Yeah, can you believe that? Wow! My god! 40 years, amazing isn't it? Have you done anything for Comic Relief, Jo? Yeah, do you know what I did one year? For Comic Relief, I went up in, for starters, before I did what I did, I dressed in a skin tight, all in one, zip up red, like all in one leotard thing. Oh, I'd like to see the photo please.

That in itself was just like, oh my god, I'll tell you what, I'll find the photo and I will put it on because you'll just be like, oh my god, because I was about 20 years younger. And then I went up in a plane and it was a small plane and it was me and the fella sitting next to me who was driving, flying, and we free-fell, that's what it's called, a pilot. And then we went up really, really high. And then, my God, he did loads of loop-the-loops. And then he flew with us upside down. So it was upside down, I could just see the earth, the ground, the land underneath me.

When you said I could see earth, I was about to say, fucking hell, you went into space with this guy. This is amazing for comic relief. What sort of plane was this? All the way straight up in the sky and then he turned the engine off and he pointed us down and then we were just free-fall like that and so we get quite far down and then he turned the engine on and it would just then just go and then go back up again and we did that over and over and over and then he kept saying are you all right and there was one point when my stomach started

turning and I thought god I'm going to throw. But I kept it together and I didn't. I felt so dizzy afterwards. Yeah. Have you ever done anything with comic relief? Yeah, I've got a couple of funny stories about comic relief. What have you done? This is mad. So myself and Paul O'Grady, God rest his beautiful soul,

we learned to drive. We did driving school with Comet Relief. I was about 17 obviously and the car was a red nose. And we had a crash course to try and learn to drive for Comet Relief. Obviously I failed abysmally. Did you fail your test? Yeah, of course. Can you imagine going round in a fucking red nose trying to learn to drive at 17? Oh my god. And I bet it was manual and everything then. It was all manual. Alright. But I think it was myself, poor little Grady, but that's all I, I think there might have been

other people doing it, but I can't remember. So I did that for Comet Reef. And the other thing I did for Comet Relief was the Spice Girls. Oh yeah. Did, Who Do You Think You Are? Comet Relief video. Yes. And I was in the music video. Oh, that's so cool. That's brilliant. What did you have to do? That's good, isn't it? That's good. Just walked down the music video. Oh, that's so cool. That's brilliant. What did you have to do? That's good, isn't it?

Just walked down the catwalk. Oh, I love it. Oh my God. That's fun. So, it was fun. I tell you another thing which I'd forgotten about was I did backing dancing for You Know Islands in the Stream with Ruth and Rob. I'd forgotten about that. So they did Islands in the Stream as Nessa and Bryn.

And then, so on Comic Relief on the night, it was me, it was I think Rob Wilf who played Jason. Oh my god, it was Maggie. And then it was I think Stefan Rod, Ree Dave Coaches as well and Mel. And we were all dressed up in country and western stuff. I was like in a little mini skirt, I think dressed up, it in country and western stuff. I was like in a little mini skirt I think dressed up as all like western stuff. Brilliant. And then we were on the stage. Oh my god it was for Top of the Pops on it because I remember Davina McCall.

Oh for goodness sake. Davina McCall was on the floor. We were on the stage. There was Davina I remember and she was like singing and dancing and then I just remember being on the stage and being really nervous and then Tom Jones coming on and standing in between us and then he's like a powerhouse and he started singing with Ruth and Rob and then we were just like behind, you know, doing backing vocals and clicking our fingers and I've got to be honest, it's one of the best things and most fun I've ever had. Yeah, come at relief. Oh so good, I remember going to the BBC and meeting Tom Jones and him going, all right

love, how you doing? And I was like, oh my god, it's Tom Jones! I am a bit obsessed with Tom Jones, that's the only reason I watch The Voice. Yeah, he's just brilliant, he's just like, he's just... He's just fantastic. So strong and just like powerful and like... I just think him and Rod, him and Rod have gone through so many generations, so many decades and I just think they've still got it and I just think good for you Tom and Rod. Yeah, I think they've still got it as well, definitely.

Fantastic. But my God, there's been so many famous sketches and all French and Saunders stuff. Oh, incredible. I think of everything over the years. Just incredible. And this year it just looks absolutely brilliant. They've got a thing between James Buckley and Joe Thomas from The Inbetweeners and they're doing a sketch for the reunion of Oasis, Liam and Noel. That looks really good. And the hosts, I actually,

before we were doing this, I looked on Instagram and it showed me all the hosts that were on the night. Oh yes. And you know, sometimes I can look at the list and be a bit... Yes, you know what hours and stuff you want to watch, yeah. Exactly, not being rude but you know you just know don't you, but this year you've got Rylan, Alison Hammam, Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross, Tom Allen, like banging, all through is brilliant, I just can't wait.

That is, that's a really good line up. It's going to be a good one. Friday the 21st of March, I think it's definitely a takeaway, pyjamas on and you know when you just sit with the kids and watch all of it. Yes, oh god that's so good. There's also going to be a special programme on straight after Red Nose Day called Comic Relief 40 Years of Funny at 10.40pm this Friday and is hosted by Emma Willis and Aseem Chowkin. Again, cracking. Yes, where they look back on some of the nostalgic Red Nose Day sketches and stuff, which is

just brilliant. Oh, it'll be brilliant. We cannot wait to watch this on Friday. BBC One and iPlayer, make sure you donate if you're able to. Even if's a pound it is worth it for any charitable event I always say that because you see the donations and it's a five or a ten or twenty quid some people can't bloody buy their food at the moment but even if it's a pound or whatever you can do it's just something and they always do so amazingly well I just find it incredible how much people give, even in tough times. And all of the details for that

are on the Comic Relief website. Amazing. You doing anything this year? No, I'm not doing anything this year, are you? I might have been asked to do a very tiny something. Oh, can you tell me? Which I can't mention. Okay. But you might, if you watch

all of it, you could see a flash of Nat Kass. Oh, very interesting. Not flashing. Yeah, are you, what, you're gonna get tits out or something? No. Not yet. Let's see how the work comes in. Let's see how much money they put forward. Let's just see. Spoiler, there'll be something in the Daily Mail in the bar of shame next week, Natalie, after this pod, Natalie Cassidy vows to get her tits out of Comet Relief, donate a lot of money. Oh my god! for full cast cereal, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. How would you react if I said that I'm not from Guildford after all, but from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Beetlejuice? I don't know. Why? Do you think it's the sort of thing you're likely to say? Drink up, the world's about to end.

Start listening to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, primary phase, available to purchase wherever you get your audiobooks. Right, let's move on to our shows. Boyzone, no matter what. Oh my god. Documentary on now. What did you think of it? I'm really quite flabbergasted. I'm completely and utterly gripped. I've heard from loads of people who were saying, watch it, watch it, it's fascinating. It's really good. It's just like, wow. And so I started watching it. I was gripped right

from the very beginning because it starts, oh my God, obviously they're all so young. They're like 16 years old. So young. It's got the audition tapes, have they first started. Louis Walsh has got dark brown hair and he's really young. And they literally go in from the very beginning and start talking about the audition process, why Louis wanted to put them all together. I'm flabbergasted at how completely and utterly honest Louis is. There was one thing that he said, he said, I prefer normal people, they work harder and do what you want them to do at the start. Which I was like, oh my god, wow. But I mean,

he's just quite openly just wow. Is it really bad that I sort of get that comment? No, I get it as well. And I get it. Because what he was saying was it's not kind of stage school. Yeah. What's wrong with stage school? But the fact that he's like, they do what they want you to do at the start.

Yeah, no, that's not very nice actually if you get that. But then he also said about, that he fired two of the boys who were in the original line-up because they just didn't look right and then brought in, you know, Mikey Graham and because he wanted them... And Shane was it? No, Shane was already in it. Oh, he was in it? Yeah, and because he wanted them to know that he was in charge, that their places were like just

on the line, that he was the one in control. And he quite openly comes out and says it. And he's openly coming out and saying, he just used to feed the newspapers stories, he'd make them up. He made up about Stephen Gately and Baby Sparrow. It is eye opening. Mikey Graham is talking about he sang the original lead vocals on the first, first ever song they did and then quite early on was dropped for

Ronan Keating. But Ronan in the beginning was, when he went into Try Out For Vocals, they said, forget the blonde boy, he's not good enough. And he was only like 16. So then Mikey Graham was brought on. But then then Ronan because he was sort of more up for it and ambitious and I think the way he looked and everything. Then got lead vocals so there's this rivalry going on there and you think my god they're all so young. It's utterly fascinating. It is fascinating. Because I was never into Boyzone. I was obsessed with Take That, right? Was never into Boyzone

and I knew that Stephen Gaetly was gay but I, because I wasn't into them and whatever, I wasn't even sort of really into the whole and didn't even think about how that must have been for him to cope with and they've now got to the bit where Louis knew that he was gay and some people in the business kind of knew he was gay, all of the boys knew that he was. He was very full of anxiety all the time, incredibly stressed. He's hiding it. Everybody's questioning him all the time, like, what are you going to get a girlfriend? What are you going to get? Well, he was a heartthrob. The heartthrob of the band.

And now we've got to the point where Stephen Gateley was pressured into coming out by this fella who's written this, it's Flabbergaston. It's Flabbergaston. What do you think? Well, I think anything from that time, I remember that time really, really well. And obviously I was young, but I was in EastEnders and in that, I was in the public eye. So I remember seeing Boyzone smash it towards. I remember take that. I remember every now and again, we'd cross, we'd mix in the same circle, weirdly. Just be it kind of magazine, just on top of the pops or you'd mix. And Boyzone, I just remember being so

fantastic. Westlife, Boyzone, Take That, all of those boys, so lovely. just such nice, normal people, always. Robbie Williams and Stephen especially, I remember seeing him at the Ivy years ago. You'd go to the Ivy in West Street, you know, like, I don't know, I think now it's not like it was, but it was sort of the place to go and have dinner. And I remember being with someone and him coming over and saying, hello, and how are you? He was such a lovely, lovely man. And I think, I found it quite, I, it angered me to watch it. And it just saddened me because I just think those, those years of the nineties, it was just so wrong that what went on and the pressure those boys had for money, for monetary, to sell records and to make record companies money. And at the same time, like you say, Louis, you have the honesty of Louis or what have

you, that just as human beings and being that young and being told what to do and that it is such a roller coaster. See what I did? Yes. But I think life is such a roller coaster at that age and obviously they just got, it's a frenzy isn't it? Do you want to be in a band? Yeah, all right, you're just a normal bloke. And suddenly you're being told what to do, dress, styled, sort of preened into what they need to sell the records, which obviously Louis and his team are very, very good at, but how damaging it could end up to be. Yeah.

So I just find it all a little bit melancholy. It is. I mean, it could be really, yes. I loved Westlife, Take That, Boyzone, as much as I was indie as well, so Pult, Blur, I just love music. But I loved all of those bands. And I just remember going out and seeing those people and them just being so lovely. So for me when I watch those things I don't, of course they were a pop band but I think

because I've met them and had normal conversations you just go oh bloody hell that must have been really odd. Well it must have been. Because I don't see them as stars you know it's just a job isn't it that they're in. Yeah well they're all normal and they're like 16 years old and you think poor Stephen Gately, he must have been, his stomach must have just been a pit of anxiety just every single day being that age and then as the band's going on and you've got to like the

age of like 17, 18 and he's having to keep this, you know, his identity just, oh it's heartbreaking. But what was fabulous, what was fabulous is when he did come out, they didn't know what was going to happen, which is actually ludicrous, you know, ludicrous. But the support he had was there, of course it was, that people were absolutely still adored and loved him, of course they did. But do you know what I mean? There was always that sort of balance of hanging in the balance of, oh is he not going to be popular anymore? But even that annoys me on the documentary. It's like what you're fucking talking about. Of course he is. But you're thinking about, I mean it was the 90s and things were completely different.

I mean he was absolutely terrified that it was just going to ruin his career. Well I think because of the amount of girls, the girls that fancied him, he was the poster boy on girls' walls. He thought that maybe those girls obviously would turn against the band and hate that because they knew that they weren't going to marry him in their fantasy life or whatever. But actually, most people were fully behind him and still loved him and, you know, brilliant really. But I'm finding it fascinating. Definitely recommend it and I think for a lot of people, especially in my age, in their 40s, whatever like you, we can remember all those times. So also it's quite nostalgic

to watch and just look back at all the music videos and everything looks a bit old, doesn't it? And grainy, you think Jesus Christ. Well it does because what is it now that they say that we are like, because yeah, because I mean the 90s to everybody now is like what the 70s were to us. I know, but the 90s for me is a week ago. I know, but it actually was ages ago and I can't believe that because it does seem like it was just the other day. And even though the 90s were, I mean my God, so completely different to now and the way that the papers were, and it was like, Jesus, quite brutal. I've got to be

honest, I really loved the 90s because there weren't loads of flipping phones everywhere all the time. I mean, you could just go out and dance and have fun, and it wasn't all recorded and it just felt raw. Yeah, I completely agree. I'm finding it fascinating because I wasn't a huge fan of Boyzone. So actually listening to each one of them talk separately now and give their own story is really interesting. No, it's brilliant.

Should we see what a listener had to say about it? Hello, Joana. Hope you're okay. It's Sarah from Peter Ray here Just wondering you guys have not mentioned the documentary of the month, which was the boys own documentary Well, I said what an eye opener I'd like, you know how they were created to Just everything and on the back of that. Have you guys watched boy bands forever on the iPlayer? It's three episodes and you've got people like Take That, E17, 9-1-1, 5, Blue

and it's all like talking about how they got started and just like their life in the spotlight really. It's such a good watch. Very good if you're a 19-teens like myself and it brought back a lot of memories, a lot of downing. But also it's very sad just to see what they went through and how they were treated. Oh, thank you so much. Oh, thank you so much. Yes. Yeah, we could have a look at that, couldn't we? Yeah, it brings back a lot of memories. Lovely. Very, very good.

Because it's fascinating because you look at the boys and they're all just so incredibly young and so you know the drive and the ambition and how much they at the boys and they're all just so incredibly young and so you know the drive and the ambition and how much they want it and that they're prepared to just go for it and do anything to get their dream. But then how much just like all of the press and all of that, you know, it's just really quite damaging. And at the age of 16 just being told, oh, he just doesn't got it or he's not good enough or I mean, my God, it's hard, isn't it? I know. But you look back at Popeye doing stuff like that and the thing Simon Cowell said

to people I mean it was absurd it was outrageous. We're all beginning to thank goodness talk about things and not be so rude to people which is yeah how it should be. You can catch it on now or you can catch it on Sky. So have a little look at it. It's really, really good. So our other one was Toxic Town, wasn't it? Which you can catch on Netflix. Yes. Now I haven't watched that because I was feeling so rough this week.

So you're going to have to tell me about it. This is an actual true story, which I could not believe, right? It's set in Corbyn, little town, and they have a form of steelworks there. So what you see at the beginning, it's quite fast paced actually, it's sort of slow in some ways and then there's quite a lot of music to it and fast paced. So you see all these massive pick up trucks and just this dirt, kind of dirt tracks and blokes tipping like poison basically into these massive holes in the ground. And then you see all these men in suits and they're like, we're going to rejuvenate in the town and we're a labor town and it's going to be amazing. And so that's kind of the basis of the town. So you

see kind of infrastructure that's going town. So you see kind of infrastructure that's going on, people making money out of it, the big companies, the big corps, the business sort of side of it. And then you turn to these girls in particular. You've got Jodie Whittaker who's brilliant, she plays Susan McIntyre and Claudia Jessie is in it playing Maggie and then Amy Lou Wood plays Tracy. So you have Susan and Tracy, both on their journeys in their relationships, and you see the story and journey of their pregnancy, along with everything going on in the town. You're watching all this stuff being poured in. There are blokes coming home, and you're thinking, really,

is this true? Blokes are coming home from work, stripping off before they get inside. And there's a conversation happening between a husband and wife where she's hanging out clothes on a washing line and bashing all the stuff off. Yeah. So it's like the town, no, it's really grimy, really dirty. There's a real toxic feel to it, but they're carrying on daily life. So these two girls, Susan and Tracy, they're pregnant. They give birth to their babies. Tracy's baby is really poorly and unfortunately she loses baby Shelby, her little girl, after

four days, three, four days. So she passes away. Susan's baby, she has a little boy, had a birth defect. So the character of Susan starts to sort of clock something's wrong. Like she meets a stranger in the street and their little boy has the same problem with his hand. So she's like, what is going on here? So you're beginning to see that it's like that Erin Brockovich type thing. You're beginning, she's beginning to clock. Is this a, it's not just me then, something's going on. And then it ends up a little bit, it reminds me a bit of the post office stuff. Yeah. You know, with Toby Jones, Mr Bates versus the post office. She puts out a call and suddenly this pub's filled up with women about their children.

Yeah. So it is quite... So when it really happened, how long ago was it? It was, yeah, mid 9090s to 2009, this was going on. But I would say that acting is superb. I love the relationships between all the women. It's just one of those very, it feels really, you know, coming together, like that post office story that we watched with Toby Jones.

It feels a bit like that and it's telling a story of something that happened and these people want justice. You've got the men in suits wanting to ignore it. In episode two, a little bit of a spoiler, but it's only episode two guys, but you see a burning building. The women are all getting together to talk about, shall we do something about it? Suddenly you see lots of papers being burnt. It looks like people are trying to cover stuff up. So it's really, really interesting and I would like to come in and watch it. Although it's one of those shows that I think Mark would really like.

And I sort of looked at the first two and now I'm like, I'm so annoyed. I might go back and start it again because I think he'll really enjoy it. Because we love the post office one. Yes. How many episodes is there? There's four episodes on Netflix, so it's not too long either. So I'm about halfway through. But it's really good, really well acted. There's some humour in it as well. I know it all sounds doom and gloom, but there's lots of humour in it, good music, it's well shot. No, I think it's really good.

Really good. Oh, God. Well, I'll start watching that then. Have a little look because again, it's obviously so, you know, because it's happened. Yeah. You just think how on earth do you cope with that? How do you cope with the fact that the town you live in is so poisonous it can affect your unborn child.

That's quite mad. That's awful. Yeah, it almost feels, it feels a bit like a computer game. Do you know what I mean? It feels, what was that show we watched that was the computer? Do you remember we watched a show that won the awards? It was a computer game. You do.

Oh yes. The Last of Us. So it feels almost like a really slow version of that, but you're like, oh my God, this isn't a computer game, this actually happened. Yeah. Oh God, that's terrifying. Yeah, it's terrifying. But again, I'm hoping to get to the end and they get what they want.

I don't know how it's gonna end, I don't know. They could still be fighting it for all I know, because I don't know the story. But no, very, very good. Highly recommend. Isn't that mad? Because I've never ever heard of that happening and stuff. And you think that is something so huge and it happened in the 90s in this country. And you would think that that would be just like everywhere, wouldn't you? Because it's such a horrific thing to happen. And the fact that- Do you know why we don't know about it, Jo? Why?

We were watching Top of the Pops, watching Take That and Boyzone. Yeah, we were. We were. I mean, actually, we would have been, wouldn't we? We would have been. I'm not being rude. No, we would. But we would have been, wouldn't we? Because we weren't in our 40s, we weren't looking at the news and we weren't having blinking children ourselves. Oh, there you go. Yeah. Well, that's another really interesting one to check out then this week isn't it? Everybody is going mad about adolescence that I have to mention.

Oh my god yes! Everyone's going berserk. It's crazy. Stephen Graham, adolescence, my niece watched it, she said it was amazing. Yes. So I do think maybe we need to touch on that if people haven't watched it, although I think everyone's watched it, maybe said it was amazing. So I do think maybe we need to touch on that if people haven't watched it, although I think everyone's watched it, maybe we'll leave it. But everybody is raving about it and seeing how incredible it is and the performances are great and yeah, everybody's saying about it. He's brilliant though, isn't he?

Yes, he's so good. He's brilliant. And I saw an interview where he said, we picked a young boy to play the part we didn't want him to be from theatre school. So it's a young boy, not trained and apparently he's incredible as well. Am I right in saying I think a lot of it, well not a lot of it, must be all of it, but isn't it filmed in one shot as well? Gosh I don't know. Which was I think the same as what Steve and Graham did with Boiling Point. Oh, I wonder if it was, because I was reading an interview with the young boy and he said

they only did two takes a day. Well, there you go. Yeah, so they must have just continuously just like filmed and stuff then. Yeah, quite incredible. I might have a peek at that this week. Yeah, I think I will. And have you heard about Michael Sheen's documentary where he's going around and sort of clearing people's debt?

I haven't seen it. I haven't seen it either, but he's incredible, isn't he? Isn't he amazing? I would love to watch that. I think that's right up my alley. Yeah. I'd love to do that with you, Jo. I'd love to just secretly just clear things for people

and then not know about it. But he worked on that for like years, didn't he? And I saw an interview with him and he was saying that at certain points he was like, oh my God, I just don't think I can do this much longer. But he continued with it and it's supposed to be just incredible. Yeah, I think that's one to watch as well. Well we've had so many voice notes from our listeners, all about adolescence. I mean, our listeners just think it's just incredible. We've just had loads of them. So should we listen to one of them?

I think that may be one of the highest recommended shows we've had. Yeah. So we're going to have to watch it, Jo. We are. Because that's all I've heard in my ears at home, family and our listeners. Should we play this voice note though? Yeah. Hi ladies, it's Fiona from Truro in Cornwall here. I just wanted to say, oh my god, Adolescence on Netflix. You have to watch it, you have to talk about it. Just amazing.

amazing. Every single actor was brilliant. The lad who plays Owen, wow. Just incredible in the words of Joe. Sorry Joe. Yes, so Loving the Pod, thanks for it. My daughter who lives in Sydney introduced it to me, so thank you. But adolescence, gotta watch it. Well I think that we've got to watch it and we've got to talk about it next week definitely. I think I might put it on tonight with Mark. Yeah. I think it's a must Jo, we've got to watch it, we've got to because it's a special piece of television from what I'm being told so let's not miss out. Thank you so much for all your messages and

voice notes. Our next call out is for your favourite dramas. We want to know what dramas you absolutely love and stick out as your favourites. I know there's loads but we can have a good old chat about dramas soon. Send us your voice notes about your favourite dramas as well as your recommendations, thoughts on the telly or anything else we've discussed on the pod. The number is 033 06 784 704. Jo, I hope you feel better. Oh my god, me too, this can't carry on for another freaking week. I really do, no, you're gonna be, you're gonna have a good couple of nights' kip and be on top of the world. Yeah, I'm gonna be flying next week. You'll be perfect.

Well, you've cheered me up. And it's been lovely seeing you. And you. And have a good week. And I shall see you next week. I shall see you next week. See you darling. Bye.

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