Off The Telly - What Shall We Watch? TV Crushes

Episode Date: July 5, 2024

In this bonus episode they hear from listeners about their favourite TV Crushes! Who has got them all hot and bothered and who was their first TV crush? They hear about crushes like Poldark, Nigella Lawson and Jamie Mitchell from EastEnders. Plus Natalie and Joanna reveal how they met their own partners off the telly and on set.In Off the Telly, Natalie and Joanna talk about what they can’t stop watching, what they definitely aren’t going to bother with, and what you’re all watching at home. From new shows to comfort telly to guilty pleasures, there’s no judgement here. What’s kept us all glued to our screens this week?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 your weekly viewing habits.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 Unit Manager: Lucy Bannister Sounds Editor: Arlie Adlington Music by MCassoOff The Telly is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. Hello and welcome to Off The Telly, what shall we watch from BBC Sounds. We're back with another bonus episode where we get to hear more from you people at home and this is the absolute best, this is such a treat for us. A couple of weeks ago we heard about your best tearjerker telly and I actually welled up a bit when someone mentioned Afterlife. It was an emotional ep. This is such a treat for us. A couple of weeks ago, we heard about your best tearjerker telly. And I actually welled up a bit when someone mentioned Afterlife. It was an emotional episode.

It really was. So this week, we have got a bit of a gear shift as we're talking about your TV crushes. We asked you to send in voice notes about your TV heartthrobs. And as always, there is absolutely no judgement here. We all know that mine is Danny Dyer and that yours is Gary Lineker. Absolutely. Do you have any others?

Can I just say something about the Gary Lineker thing? Yes. And this is not... I'm not going to go at you, Gary. Mm-hm. But it's not really now. I still think he's a dishy old man but nothing beats Gary Lineker

in the early 90s I'm going back to the 90s when I was a young girl yeah and you know he was my first TV crush and he's also he is amazingly

he's so good at his job now and back then yes there's something very attractive about when someone is very good at their job

yes that is how you know I really fancied my mark. Oh. So when I was first, I was in the Vic or whatever, you know. Yes. And he was behind a camera. Oh, that's sexy. Very sexy.

Yeah. He had some equipment and he clearly knew how to use it. Absolutely. So did your eyes lock over the camera? Yeah, we had the odd glance here and there, you know. Yes. And then he was quite shy. Well, he isn't shy.

He's just quiet until you get to know him. He's one of those characters. But obviously I'm not shy and quiet, thank God. And I just went straight in. Did you? Did you approach him? What did you say? Belt and braces. straight in did you? did you approach him? what did you say? belt and braces

straight in did you tell him to drop them? no but I started chatting and then I found out all his name and I had to spell it and what have you and then I

no because I wanted to get onto Facebook you know 10 years ago it was like on Facebook message or whatever. And his name's Mark, but it's Mark with a C.

Oh. So I was looking at M-A-R-K. I was wondering. M-A-R-K. And I thought, I can't find him. I didn't see his name without dispelling. I was like, he's fucking called Mark. I was thinking, has he got, like, some really long surname or something?

I was popping in M-A-R-K because, you know, Mark is... I was thinking, this bloke's lying to me. He's lying to me. He's putting me off the scent. I remember saying to someone, can you go and find out how to spell it? Because it's not right and it's Mark with a C. Right.

So, yeah. And then did you go through all his photos? I know, I just messaged him and that was it. Oh. But yes. There you go. That's lovely. That's romantic.

My TV crush was Scott Bradley from Playing the Field. Oh. Otherwise known, well, played by the actor James Thornton, who went on to become my husband. Oh, that was a piece of... So before I even met James or knew about him, anything at all, right, I'd never met him. And I'd been in David Copperfield with him,

but we didn't have any scenes together. I'd never met him, nothing at all, right. And I think before David Copperfield, my mum had said to me, oh, I'm watching this great show, Playing the Field on the telly. It's about a women's football team. You'll absolutely love it. And it was written by Kay Mellor really really good show I started watching it and there

was this football coach called Scott Bradley and I had such a massive crush on him I really fancied him and then it was must have been the same time then that I did David Copperfield and then I found out that he was in it and it came on the telly and I saw him and was like oh my god I really fancy him and I said to my mum when I saw him in David Copperfield I want that man to be the father of my children because he picked up little David Copperfield right he played Han Peggity and he picked up David and he put him on his shoulders and he walked along and he was rugged and he was handsome but he had a child on his shoulders and he was all protective and manly and I was like oh oh my God, he's gorgeous. And he's Scott Bradley.

So I basically write, they had this fella that I really fancied and I just liked watching him on the telly. Well, one night, my mate, Maxine Peake, phoned me and said, Jo, she was in a play at the National Theatre, she went, Jo, I'm in a play here with a fella who says he's in love with you.

Shut up. And down the phone, this fella starts shouting, tell her it's Ham Peggity. And I was like, oh, my God, this is my TV crush. This is Scott bloody Bradley. And when I told my mother that I was going out with Scott Bradley, she basically went hysterical. That is brilliant.

So I married my TV crush. You're very lucky. Yeah, very lucky. Yeah. Very lucky. Before we get into the voice notes, I just had to read out this message. Hi, Nat and Jo. I absolutely love your podcast. I've just finally caught up with all episodes whilst training for my 10K charity run in July. Listening to you both with back-to-back episodes has kept me going and laughing

all the way. I was struggling training to music and since listening to you both with back-to-back episodes has kept me going and laughing all the way. I was struggling training to music and since listening to you guys, I've got a personal best and managed my first 10k, so thank you so much. Isn't that brilliant? That's fab. Anyway, my first crush was Christine Cagney from Cagney and Lacey from the hit American Cop series in the 80s. As a 13 year old girl I thought she was amazing. She was gorgeous, confident, strong and smarter than any of her male counterparts. I hadn't seen anything like

this show before on TV and I couldn't wait for it to come on each week. She was played by the wonderful Sharon Gless and I used to cut out pictures of her from magazines and hide them under my bed whilst displaying posters of Paul Young on my bedroom wall to cover up my crush from my family. She is now 80 and still looking fantastic.

You never forget your first crush, do you? Keep up the amazing work. I will have to wait a few weeks so that I will have enough episodes for my next long run. Lots of love, Jo from Salford. That's so lovely. What a flipping lovely message. It is absolutely lovely.

But do you know what I hope? I hope all her family know about her first crush and that she doesn't have to hide it anymore. Yeah, I hope so too. Really hope so. But thank you, Jo, so much for that. Right, let's hear some of these voice notes about your TV crushes. Hi, ladies.

This is Alicia from Sheffield. Sorry about the husky voice a little bit at the moment. I've got what is the summer cold that is going around. Just in relation to your call out for TV crushes. I think I speak for a large, large amount of people that mine was

a certain person that you knew Nat, from the extenders Jack Ryder, Jamie Mitchell I was 8 I believe when he first came into the square. And until the moment he left, which broke my heart,

I absolutely loved him. Loved him, loved him, loved him. Oh, thank you, Alicia. Let me tell you something about Jack Ryder. Yeah. So Jamie Mitchell, he was heartthrob. Oh, yes. Real heartthrob. Smash H heartthrob smash hits magazine you

know it was all of that stuff yeah and we were extremely close we were like brother and sister i used to look after him we'd stay at each other's houses honestly we'd be together all the time we'd watch our films we'd play our music. We were like soulmates. Yeah. But he never understood, you know, I think he came into it, he was so massive that I can't even explain it to you. Oh my God, yeah. Because this was when EastEnders was getting 20 million viewers. Yeah. Right. When Jamie Mitchell died on Christmas Day, we got 24 million viewers.

That is wow. You're going back to this sort of time. You forget about what telly was. Yeah. Telly's brilliant now, don't get me wrong, but that kind of viewing and that sort of fame when you step out the door certainly isn't there now. Yeah.

And I remember going to Bluewater with him, just on a Saturday or whatever, and we just decided we were going to go to Bluewater. Yeah. And he remember going to Bluewater with him, just on a Saturday or whatever, and we just decided we were going to go to Bluewater. Yeah. And he was swarmed. I'm not joking. He was swarmed. I can imagine.

Oh, my God. And we had to go with security out the back of Bluewater. It was mad. Can you just imagine that? It was quite mad. When I think back, it was mad and I had very lot to take in. Because when it was those days, and, like, do you remember Paul Nichols? Paul.

I mean, that was like when there was like, you know, a heartthrob. Yes. And I suppose because there wasn't streaming and so much American stuff, there's like, when you had a heartthrob. You had, that was it. It was, imagine being that heartthrob. Your posters were on the wall. And everybody fancying you.

I always remember sitting in my house, you know, in Islington with my mum and dad and whatever. Me and Jack used to sit in bed together or whatever. Genuine. We were like brother and sister.

We were just like a sleepover. And I remember thinking, God, sometimes thinking he's like massive star, but we're just normal people. Yeah. Very, very strange time.

Could you ever appreciate how, you know, gorgeous he was? Or did you just because he's like a brother? You can tell how handsome, because at the time, Romeo and Juliet, Leo DiCaprio. And his hair. And he had those curtains and what have you. You, of course, appreciated it. But yeah, we knew each other so well yeah i just wanted to look

after him and i really did i looked after him what did he think of it all yeah i just think it was a lot you know he was great guy he was brilliant brilliant brilliant but as alicia said at that time there were a lot of people in this country i'm sure Jack was their first crush. Yes. Imagine that. I mean, that is mad, isn't it? Crazy, crazy. And I still keep in touch with him. And he's an author. He writes some children's books, which are amazing.

Honestly, one's called Jack's Secret Summer. He's really well and he's got a little girl now. And yeah, it's lovely and we keep in touch. So it's really nice. It's mad though though isn't it i mean god do you remember that when when he died and it was just huge it was huge it was awful to do as well because i was heartbroken that he was leaving i mean yeah how did you feel what did you think when he was leaving it was just awful because we were so close and always together

and what it was awful it was real crying when I did that. Oh. Real crying. Oh, God. Let's hear the next voice note. Hello, girls. Avid listener of the pod. Listened from day one. Continuing to listen and will carry on listening as long as you keep doing it. Love listening to you both every Wednesday

and having a good old giggle to myself while I'm supposed to be working. You wanted some voicemails on TV crushes? Oh, I've got a long list. And the very first one that comes to my mind, and I will watch her doing anything. I will watch her painting a wall. I'd watch her watching grass grow it's um it's claudia winkelman i mean she's got everything she's stunningly attractive she's funny yeah she has got charisma she's got charm she's got oodles of talent and um she's just hilarious she brings

warmth humor and friendship to everything she does. So, yeah, my biggest TV crush, Claudia Winkerman. That's it. I'm not afraid to say it. J-Lo from Cheltenham. I'm with you there. I love her. I love seeing what she's wearing on Strictly because it's always a pantsuit or a flare or she just looks cool.

I read her book, Quite. It's called Quite. And I read her book quite it's called quite and i read a book and i fell in love with her did you everything i read i was like oh yeah we should be friends it's one of those you go i agree with everything you've said in this book yeah she's lovely it's like she's a girl's girl isn't it because you could imagine being her friend and that she'd just be kind to you and she'd be lovely and she's just she's intelligent also she's very dry and quite naughty with it yeah she loves napping does she which i like doing i like a nap i think she's great i love every bone of her yeah right let's

have another one yeah ladies this is lindsey tv crushes it has to be Aidan Turner Poldock I've watched that series five times I think it's mostly for him but I have gone to the beach that they film their TV show on in Newquay it's just stunning but oh my god Aidan Turner not just because

he takes his top off probably once every series which is not a lot but oh my god oh my god anyway let me know what you think as he takes his top off probably once every series, which is not a lot. But, oh, my God. Oh, my God. Anyway, let me know what you think. Bye. Do you know I never saw him as Poledark? Never seen it.

Yeah. We're a real disappointment to you. I'm really sorry. You're really going on at it, but I love that. I love your passion for it. No, but I never saw him as Poledark, right, because I never watched it. But I did watch an Agatha Christie Christmas specialmas special it was my favorite one it was and then

there were none and aiden turner is in that right and i think that she probably will have watched the saga the christie because she will know that aiden turner is in it right but he is i i know what she means yeah about that well done thank you oh let's have another one loving the podcast my crush um is the most lovely gorgeous delicious nigella lawson i absolutely love watching her cooking shows and i swear that woman could turn any straight woman the other side. I don't know how you guys feel about that. But there you go. I understand, because I like watching Nigella. She's great, Nigella.

Just something about, you know, when she sneaks down at night at the end of the show and she sneaks down and then... Actually, whenever she's cooking, because she'll always do something where she's, like, whisking something or doing something with a pork loin. She's doing something, isn't she? Yes, that it looks like she's, like, doing something with a pork loin. She's just tasting something, isn't she? Yes, that it looks like she's like smoothing the pork loin. Yeah.

Did you watch the episode where she called the microwave the microwave? Microwave. Yes. Not many people can make a microwave sound sexy. True. She can. She can. She so can.

The old microwave. Me and my family call it the microwave because of that. Do you? Oh, but she is, she's so sexy, isn't she? Very glamorous, very, very sexy woman. Yeah. We'll have another one. Hello, ladies.

My name's Laura. I'm calling from Hertfordshire. On to my TV crush, Klaes Bang. I think that's how you pronounce his name. Anyway, he's a Danish actor and he's just brilliant in everything he's in. He's been in Bad Sisters. He played J.P williams who was aka the prick um horrible character but that's a great tv show i really fancy him in dracula

bbc's adaptation they brought out a couple years ago he's just tall dark handsome completely my type although he's a bit psycho obviously playing dracula he's just very very good looking and um my favorite scene in that is when he emerges naked from a werewolf and he confronts the nuns but you've got to watch that great recommendation of tv show for halloween time maybe ladies um anyway that's it for me keep up the good work and carry on doing what you're doing lots of love i am there with you 100 i've've already talked about Klaus Bang. Well, I love, I love Bad Sisters.

He is so unattractive to me. Is he? Now, I've not seen Bad Sisters. Oh, he's brilliant. He's fantastic. It's brilliant. Bad Sisters is brilliant. We should do Bad Sisters. We should do Bad Sisters.

Because I've not seen it. I'd love to do that. It's absolutely brilliant. I think a new series is coming out soon because my friend worked on it. But, I just... Because he's such a dickhead. Well, he was Dracula.

I can see him now confronting those nuns. So you fancied Dracula? I did. I did fancy Dracula. Let's have another one. Hi, girls. Stacey here from South Wales. Just cheered about your bonus bonus ar TV Crushes. Felly, roeddwn i'n meddwl y byddaf i'n

popio'r neges i chi. Felly, i mi, dim ond Patrick Dempsey'r cwreig yn Grey's Anatomy. Oh, dydw i ddim yn gwybod beth mae, ond mae'n llneud llwyr o'r sex appeal yn y rhaglen honno. Mae'n cael i mi fod yn eithaf hollol fawr ac yn hyderus, mae'n rhaid i mi ystyried. Ac un o'r rhai hyn sydd wir yn amlwg, oherwydd rwy'n ddyn ddwyll, ond rwyf bob amser wedi cael on um saran jones in anything really um but when she did gentleman jack um that really the the character um just her i don't know what it is the way she walks in it she just sort of like oozes Xenus. And, yeah, really unexpected TV crush. Loving the podcast. Keep up the good work, guys. Bye.

Oh, thank you so much. I really, really wanted to see Gentleman Jack, and I've not seen it yet, but I love Serene Jones in whatever she's in. I think she's amazing. Do you think it's that she's just, she's strong, isn't she? And she's, like, confident and she's powerful, isn't she? She is, you know, she's amazing. Do you think it's that she's strong, isn't she? And she's confident and she's powerful, isn't she? She's very attractive.

I've not seen Gentleman Jack either. Really would like to. And the other person, I'm really sorry, I've never, ever seen Grey's Anatomy. Oh, my God. Oh, Jesus, I watched about 14 seasons of that. Never seen it. And Patrick Dempsey, I did like him in it,

but he's quite pretty boyish and he is a he is nice he is nice in it but I think I fancied other ones in it more fair enough next voice note please hi girls loving the pod this is Heather from Derby um just needed to um send you a voice note my long-term crush is Larry Lamb always I've loved him sinceavin and stacy um can't tell you why but it's just absolutely adorable bless him and uh lovely silver fox larry lamb i think is such a gentleman and he's so handsome yeah and he's like so caring and kind but there's a real like um twinkle in his eye he's a very handsome man my mum had and still has a crush on larry lamb and when we did the last special of gavin and stacy at the screening um my mum came to watch

it with me and uh afterwards when we're all having a drink together i was chatting to larry and my mum was literally she looked like she was gonna burst beside herself yeah and then i introduced him and he went oh hello sue hello, Sue, lovely to meet you. And he leaned across and he kissed her on the lips. Honest to God, she nearly passed out. I think it was a moment which will stay with her for the rest of her life. Oh, bless her. She was buzzing, buzzing.

Brilliant. He's such a lovely man. Is he? Is he lovely? Yeah, and such an incredibly charismatic man. And was he really lovely to work with? Oh, God, so lovely. Yeah. And he's, like, very kind of old school and kind and caring.

I can imagine him being very old school. He'll make sure that you're protected and you're looked after and he's polite and he's a gentleman and he's caring and very handsome. Oh, how lovely. Yeah. Well presented as well. Yes. Always looks good.

Immaculate. Yeah, yes. Fresh out of a band box. Out of a presented as well. Yes. Always looks good. Immaculate. Yeah. Yes. Fresh out of a band box. Out of a what box? Band box. A band box? Yeah.

I want to say that's the right. What, like an elastic band? No. Or a band as in it's a guitar box and you're in a band. No, I think I've got the same wrong. I do this a lot. Fresh out of a band box? It's a gnatism.

I can't remember. It's like being ready for a brass band. Fresh. I've never heard that saying before. Fresh out of a band box. Well, you know what? Next time I see him, I'm going to say, you know what? Nat says that you are fresh out of a band box.

Perfect. Okay, that's it for another bonus episode of Off the Tele. What shall We Watch? It's such a pleasure hearing from you guys, honestly. So thank you so much for sending us so many voice notes and messages. You are the reason we love doing this pod. So for our next bonus ep, we want to hear from you about your favourite TV detectives. We're talking all of the murder mysteries and crime shows

from Midsomer Murders to Scott and Bailey. Who is your favourite detective? Is it someone with more unconventional methods like Sherlock? Or are you a sucker for good old-fashioned police work from AC-12 in Line of Duty? We want to hear about all of your favourite super sleuths. Send us a voice note on WhatsApp and we might play it in our next bonus ep.

The number is 03306 784 704. Thank you for listening and we'll be back next Wednesday with more Off The Telly on BBC Sounds. Thank you. Bye. Bye. 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. How would a world heavyweight boxing champion cope if they were left alone on a desert island? When you're preparing for a fight, a big part of it is isolation, this preparation to get ready for battle and to be victorious. Hello, I'm Lauren Laverne, presenter of Desert Island Discs from BBC Radio 4, and I'm here to tell you about a very special castaway,

the world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua. When you look at a lion and they're showing affection, you think, oh, they're so amazing, I'd love to give one of those a cuddle. Then you put a gazelle in front of a lion and you see his pupils widen. I feel we all have that nature, right? When it's time to eat, I love to hunt.

That's just in my nature. Anthony Joshua on Desert Island Discs. Listen on BBC Sounds.