Off The Telly - What Shall We Watch? Live TV Bloopers

Episode Date: April 25, 2025

For this bonus episode, Nat and Jo hear from listeners about their favourite bloopers from live telly. What are your favourite 'when things go wrong' or 'don't go to plan' moments? We're talking classics like Alison Hammond pushing someone into water, actors making mistakes in EastEnders live episodes and unforgettable BBC News moments.Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page chat about all things on and off the telly. 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.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: James Robinson 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.

BBC Sounds music radio podcasts. You can subscribe to Off the Telly on BBC Sounds and make sure push notifications are turned on in your phone settings. That way you'll never miss an episode of our pod. Welcome to Off the Telly. What shall we watch when things go wrong? Brilliant! I love it when things go wrong on live TV. So do I. I love it. This bonus episode is going to be hilarious. Oh it's gonna be good. Because who doesn't love watching the panic in someone's face when they fucked it up.

Oh my god, yes. And it's my worst nightmare. It is, it is mine as well. I mean, and also, say you're on live TV anyway, that is really scary. Petrifies me. Oh my god, it's just like, you're on live TV. And then if your mind goes blank, or if something goes wrong, well then I remember being on live TV, I can't remember if I told you this when I was small. And I went, me and Paul Reese, I had just done this

show with this other girl. We were chatting about, oh, she was absolutely marvelous in it. We thought that she was brilliant. She's such a brilliant young actress. And then Richard Maydly said, oh yes, what's her name again? And me and Paul looked at each other and we went, oh, I don't know. I'm sorry. we don't know her name. We can't remember it. Has anything ever gone wrong on live TV for you? Yes, I told you. What? When? The awful experience this morning.

Oh my God. When I did the news hub. Oh my God. Will you tell us about it on here? Oh, it was just the worst experience ever. What happened? What happened? Well, I was sort of thrown into the lion's den, if you like. Oh my god, yeah. And I did this bit of presenting in the newsroom that they used to have and I just was totally blank. There was an autocue, I had an earpiece, people were talking to me. I'd had hardly any rehearsal for it.

Oh my god. And I was awful. They threw to me once, I did nothing and they never threw to me again and it never got spoken about again. Oh my god, did you say nothing? Which has completely scarred me mentally to do live television. But I am getting better. Yes, because you'd be brilliant at it. No, I'm getting better. I'm getting more confident with things. Yeah.

And it was a very long time ago. Yeah. But yeah, I mean, horrendous. I always love the ones on I'm a Celeb when they do the live task. Because I always think, oh God, if that was me in that situation, you'd think, oh, I've got to do it, I've got to do it.

I know, but also that is different because there's no structure. For me, live telly is the funniest when a newsreader goes wrong. Where the person's laughing. I never forget the one with the orika laughing. It's those things that are hilarious. Do you think that there are any on here for EastEnders? Oh I bet there's loads.

I bet you. We've had so... What with the lay-ups and stuff. Honestly, we've had so many voice notes about it. I think we should just get straight into it. Let's get going. Hi Nat. Hi Joes. Jonathan from Caterham. I'm just on my way home from doing a night shift at work. So I'm pretty tired, pretty tired when things go wrong on TV. As soon as you've said that, I'm sure a lot of listeners will remember this, but the the famous How's Adam faux pas that Joe Joyner who played Tanya at Branning in East Enders made who played Tanya Branning in EastEnders Made a decade ago during the 30th anniversary episodes.

I still remember it 10 years on, when she was asking Jane, oh, how's Adam? And then I don't think Paul Laurie who who played Jane, knew what to say. But yeah, that definitely has to be up there. Oh my God, tell me all about that. Honestly, I remember it happening. Yeah. I was on another bit of the set or whatever, and there was just something that went rippled around like, it was just gasps from everybody. But this is why it's so petrifying, like I've totally, but it was so nonchalant and natural. That's what I think it was because everything was perfect. And then she just went, how's Adam? And Laurie was, her face, her shock, I mean they picked it up and it was perfect. But that's why I've, for me, Jo Joyner's such an amazing actress.

Like she is brilliant in everything she does. But that will never leave her. But I think that's really quite nice though. I think now it's become iconic. Well it has. But I think as an actress at the time that's got to be quite hard. Well yeah, how did Jo feel afterwards? What was she like after?

I don't really remember talking to her about it but but I think it would be hard to say, oh my god, oh my god. I would just say, oh my god, you know, and it's not like theatre. If you get something wrong, it's done with. This is on, you know, you can see it wherever now is. Yeah, I imagine at the time you would be mortified. You'd be like, oh my god, I can't believe I've just done that. But now, I think there's just something just so wonderful. It's iconic. It's a moment. A moment that she is,

you know, that she's done, which is brilliant. It's so good. But yeah, it's a cracking moment. Oh my god, can you imagine? And it's Blinkin' EastEnders, the live act. I know. Oh, it's so brilliant though. So brilliant. Oh my god. Right. Let's hear another one. Let's have another. Hi ladies. My name's Natalie and I am from West Moorling in Kent. One thing that springs to mind of something that didn't go quite to plan was the last live episode of EastEnders. I'm a huge fan. I've been watching it for years. It was when Max Branning was running, I can't remember what was happening, but he obviously had to be sick in the episode and you cut to him and he's shoving his fingers down his throat to try and make himself sick. And sick

he was, but it just made me laugh so much that he was actually, you could see him sticking his fingers down his throat. And absolutely brilliant and brilliant episode. Didn't affect it at all, but it's just one thing that I'll always remember even now. Love you ladies. I don't remember that time. What happened? Yeah, it's just where they cut too early.

Yes? They cut too early to him and he was fingers down the throat. It should have cut a couple of seconds later. And so why was he being sick? I don't know, it was part of the story. Oh my god, and so was he then actually sick? Blink it in, that's committed. Jake is very committed, he's quite method Jake. Wow! Oh my god. Well that's what you were saying about, you know, with you giving birth in the last live

episode that you, you know, were like getting it going quite a bit beforehand. Yeah. And start, you know, pushing and stuff. That is one of the reasons I did that. Wow. Because you think about them cutting and you're like... Ah! Yes.

Ah! Yes. So yeah, get into it early guys, get into it early. Right, let's have another one. Yeah, these are brilliant guys. Hi ladies, my name's Julie, I'm from Essex. I love you both, love the pod. I'm just sending a voice note in regards to when things go wrong on the telly.

And one thing that always comes to my mind, because it was so, so funny, it was Anne and Deq's Saturday Night Takeaway. And you remember the bit where they would go live to people in their living rooms? Yeah. I think when they'd won a ticket on the plane, and they cut live to this family, and the old lady was so excited, she ripped the wig off her head and was spinning her wig round and round so happy and excited and it was hilarious. I think Depp had actual tears in his eyes and it was just brilliant. So yeah, that is something that always sticks in my mind. Just fantastic. Oh, just absolutely brilliant. I remember that one But I've always thought, can you imagine having a laughing fit?

Because once I get going and once I've got the giggles. I know, but I think people love watching the laughing. I mean, it's the joy. You're watching someone win that money and the joy on her face, that ripping the wig off and spinning it round, you couldn't write that. No, you couldn't.

You can only get that with live telly. I really miss Saturday Night Takeaway. Me too. Are they never going to do it again? I hope so. I hope they're having a rest. Because oh my god, the kids used to love that. Love it. Oh, I love it so much. Feel good telly. So good. I won't bang on about it. I've banged on about it all the time on here.

But that was a hilarious moment. They've had some funny moments just in telly in general. Yeah. Oh my God. I always remember it was Ant and I think it was Britain's Got Talent, the final. And when they did like the routine for the beginning of it and then he runs around to like finish in the front with Dex at the beginning of the show. And he just completely, he slipped and it was a thing. It was a pretty bad fall. And so he goes to, and he just just went and goes smack down on the floor. Really? Yeah. And I think he recovered slipped and it was a thing, it was a pretty bad fall. And so he goes to go and he just went and goes smack down on the floor. Really? Yeah. And I think he recovered, but it was absolutely hilarious.

Hilarious. We were around it and just watched it so many times. It's quite funny, isn't it? Watching people trip up and fall over and that. That's why, you know, You've Been Framed did so well back in the day and all of those shows. Yeah. Terrible. Crawled as humans, aren't we? Crawled. Let's have another one. Hi Jo, hi Nat. Louisa here from Stockport. Live telly, something that sticks out in my mind. It was a BBC news, the guy on the zoom on the news where his

kids are coming in and the old bash through the door and then the mum's trying to get them out and then one comes in and another one comes in and a baby walker and she's dragging them out. I need to be carrying on it, it's just really really funny. Anyway, I love the pod, always listening. Do you remember that one? Was it during COVID? Yeah, I think it was. And the fella's being interviewed. It's pandemonium at home.

Yeah, because suddenly it's just like bang and then speed of it, the door opens and then there's the little baby in the walker and then the other one's like marching in. And then the mum sort of you see her head come in. Yeah, and she's crawling, she just grab them to get them out. Brilliant. There's been a couple of real Mike hunts hasn't there? Yes, yes, They have, haven't they? Yeah, quite a few. Yeah. That always make me laugh. Oh my god, can you imagine? Yeah.

It's got to be a hard name to say, isn't it? Mike Hunt on the news. And there's Jeremy Hunt and that's got a few of them as well, isn't it? On the radio, I've heard a few of those. I mean, can you just imagine? A fraudulent slip. Yeah. I would just be just in fits of giggles. Yes. In fits of giggles. Oh, it really panics me about swearing, you know, on live telly.

Does it? Or anything live. I've got to like just try and put myself in the zone. No, you're right. You have to just chuck it at the door. You don't swear at all. Yeah. Not even when you're just like you say, when you're in the building. Yeah. It's great advice. Great advice from you.

Yeah. Anyway, let's have advice, great advice from you. Yeah. Anyway, let's have another one. Let's have another. What would Sir David say? Talking about swearing. Oh, he would say that it's just awful, wouldn't he? He'd be furious.

He would be furious. Furious. Hi girls, it's Naomi from Liverpool. I've just listened to your bonus ep about the plot twists. And oh my goodness, when you guys were laughing at the start of the ep, when you couldn't get your teeth in, you actually had me crease. That was the funniest thing to listen to.

There's nothing funnier than listening to other people uncontrollably laughing. So thanks for that. You just put out a shout out for when things go wrong on live television. And I remember the one that sticks out in my mind is I remember watching live when Alison Hammond pushed that young lad in into the water

off that floaty thing. And I know that's been replayed in various clips and it's come up in different sort of things since then and it's blown up on YouTube. I remember watching it live, sitting there with my jaw on the floor in absolute hysterical laughter. I mean, Alison Hammond is hysterical in everything that she does, but that

particular moment sticks out in my mind as one of the funniest things ever. Oh God, yeah. It was brilliant. It was. Alison's done some right funny ones. What was brilliant is on the Midnight Game Show when she was on that. Which, have you watched that yet? No! I've watched the Midnight Game Show. I told you, you've got a YouTube it. It's Michael McIntyre's big show. Yes. But you've got to watch Alison. Yes. On there. Yeah. With Rusty Lee. In the bed. I've seen all of it. Yeah. But they get four men and she goes into her garden. There's a little paddling pool. I haven't seen that bit. I can't have seen it till the end then. There's a little paddling pool and she has to pick out the right one and push them in. and she has to pick out the right one and push them in. It's brilliant. It is brilliant. I've seen so many funny ones of Alison when she's doing cooking things and she's either let stuff slip or she's leaned on things. I used to love it when she used to do the

entertainment interviews on this morning. So did I. She'd have Tom Cruise or someone wouldn't she? Yeah. There was one with Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, and she just had them in stitches, just hilarious. She's brilliant. She is. And when she actually started on Big Brother, she was just so flipping funny, wasn't she? And jumping on the table and then making it great. She's just never changed.

I think she's brilliant. She's done great. You think about the careers people have had from Big Brother. Yes. It's quite amazing. It is. It is, mind, isn't it? I mean, yeah, because I mean, look at Alyson when she started on Big Brother. Or X Factor, Rylan. Yes. And now look at them. I mean, it is incredible, isn't it?

It is really, really incredible because they're very, you know, as human beings, you know, there's talent everywhere. So yeah. And you look at Alyson and you look at Rylan, such incredible presenters, just so, so good at what they do. But they've earned their spurs. They have. They started right, you know, right from the beginning.

Yeah. And then have worked their way up and up and up. I just think it's brilliant to see. Brilliant. Yeah. So it's enough. Should we have another one of these? Yes. The first thing that popped into my head, and I literally can't think of anything else is that famous award show Richard Madeley, Judy Flanagan, the reveal of her bra. Poor lady. I remember seeing that happening. I was sitting home. I think I was there. I was watching it. Were you there? I think I was

there, yeah. Oh my god. Do you remember it? I remember the clip but I'm sure I was there that year. I remember sitting at home watching it on the telly and then Judy and Richard went up and she was chatting away and then you see it sort of slowly start to go and then she's just got this bright white bra and then Richard's laughing away because everybody's starting to sort of you know be like oh my god Richard's like laughing away and then it was John Leslie ran up and goes and like covers her and then she's like, I mean, can you imagine giving up on the stage to accept an award or something? It's so, imagine being like, Oh, you're there loving me.

Yeah. She was so bold and lovely. She's lovely anyway. They are both lovely, but they're both up there. They're so enthusiastic. They've won the award and you look down, oh my God, my tips are out. Bless her heart. That is a cracking moment. I mean, that is another iconic moment. Really, really good moment. And the way that they reacted to it and everyone afterwards.

I think she did it afterwards, didn't she? She did. She sort of goes, oh, oh, like that. And then Richard sort of goes home and laughs and goes to cover. And then, you know, and then they like cover her back I mean oh my god. Very very good. I was at a TV Awards. Yeah. I think you were there as well. Yeah. I don't know if we've ever spoken about this. The fall! Now if that would have been on telly wouldn't that have been TV Gold? Oh god right. We were both at an awards ceremony. TV Choice? Yes, and we were on set. Ridiculous! And there's a show...

The Chase one, the Chase one. Oh my God, the Chase one. Tom Allen was presenting, the Chase one, and they're all really excited, and they all got up. There was about 400 people. You know where everyone gets up? The team gets up. Everyone's up, yeah.

And obviously this person may have had a few too many. But there was... but the stage, few too many. But the stage right, the stage was quite narrow from front to back. It was quite narrow. And then there was a drop and there was a big gap behind. But there was a curtain. Yes, but there was sort of a drop bit before the curtain. And I think it was like one of, it was somebody from the big group that got up and they sort of moved backwards. It wasn't a chaser, it was kind of part of the team. Because one of the chasers was in the middle of doing a speech and saying thank you and

whatever and then this one woman was sort of walking around and sort of moved back a bit, went to step backwards and there was no stage left, right? But there was sort of like a guttering type trough at the back and she stepped backwards and just went boom straight down. But the thing... Now you see it. What is it? Now you see it, now you don't. It was like oh my goodness. But the thing was it went on for so long because nobody could get it right. No you couldn't get her out because she was sort of wedged wasn't she in between the oh bless her heart. And then I think that she'd either hurt herself or was in shock. No she did because I went in the toilet after. Yeah. And I said oh I think I was talking,

I said oh dear what a moment or whatever. Yeah. And someone went yes she was with us, she's in an ambulance, she's really hurt herself. Oh my god. I think she'd sprained or broken somewhere. Yeah. It wasn't you know but to watch it. But one of the chasers, it was all going on right and then everybody, there were people coming up in the back trying to pull her out and stuff and the chaser was carrying on giving his speech and saying thank you very much for everything and he didn't know that all of this was going on behind him. I mean it was a flipping nightmare wasn't it? I wish it would have been on the telly.

And we'd only just started doing this podcast. We'd never actually spoken about it. That's right. It was comedy gold, although I'm very sorry that she hurt herself. Oh, well they were absolutely amazing. They were good. I knew it would be a good one. We need to do another rep on this because there's just so many more. I think so. But yeah, that's it for another bonus episode of Off the Telly. What shall we watch? Thank you, thank you, thank you for sending all your voice notes in, it's just lovely. It is amazing, keep sending them in and anything we've been chatting about on the pod and your TV recommendations, they mean a lot to us don't they?

They do. You can voice note or message us on WhatsApp, the number is 033 06 784 704. Oh wow, that was lovely, I think I'm just going to go and try and watch a load of clips of stuff now. Well I love it when we have a double bubble week. Yes. And that's what we've had. Yeah. It's nice isn't it?

Always a treat. Yeah. I'll see you next week. See you next week. Bye love. Off the telly is hosted by Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page. The producer is Georgia Keating. The commissioning editor is Rhian Roberts.

And it's a BBC Studios audio production for BBC Sounds. They were both very mature as filmmakers. This was a film that spoke to a red state, blue state divide. I'm Mark Kermode. And I'm Eleni Jones and we'll direct you through the intertwined worlds of film, television and streaming. In the new series we'll look at Studio Ghibli and summer blockbusters and start with cinema's fascination with doppelgangers. Helped by the one and only Richard Ayoade. I'd quite like to meet more Norwegian Nigerians. In fact, if there's a meeting, I'll happily attend.