Author Archives: Paul

The great Gene Wilder died yesterday. One of the world’s finest comic actors, he will always be remembered as the eponymous Willy in the great children’s classic. Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory was not a huge hit when it came out, but later releases on video and DVD have ensured that it continues to […]

I finally find myself in the capital of Germany. I’ve wanted to come here since before the wall came down. In fact, I’ve been fascinated by Berlin since Bowie came here in the late 70s to jump start his creative batteries and record three great albums. So I’m going to hang out at clubs like […]

The last BHS stores closed today and it’s very sad, largely because of the rebarbative behaviour of Philip Green. This grotesque greedbucket made a superyacht-sized fortune from pillaging the company before flogging it off for a penny. 11,000 people have lost their jobs and their pensions. But Green acted entirely within the law so those […]

Happy Birthday to Steve Wright – 62 yesterday. Steve Wright in the Afternoon is a national institution. First on Radio 1 in the 80s and early 90s, and on Radio 2 for the last fifteen years. For such a friendly, inventive and garrulous presenter, Steve Wright remains a strangely elusive figure. Never on TV, seldom […]

Since my daughter received her stunning A level results – three A*s and and A – which have earned her a Choral Scholarship to read English at Trinity College, Cambridge. Still on a huge high of parental pride. The first line of this song asks the question, “When are you going to come down?” And […]

In the early hours of this morning, Mo Farah won the Olympic Gold in the 5,000 metres, having already triumphed in the 10,000 metres, repeating the astonishing double he achieved at London 2012. This “double double” makes Farah arguably the greatest British athlete of all time. The only other athlete to achieve the “double double” […]

John Bishop’s agent is a great friend of mine and asked me if I’d help produce a new voice reel for the great Liverpudlian favourite. This involves providing scripts for him to record and directing him in the studio while he does so. I instantly agreed simply because of this record. John Bishop chose it […]

In the early hours of this morning, Usain Bolt claimed his third consecutive 100m gold medal. A couple of days ago, Sir Bradley took his fifth Olympic gold. What can you possibly say about them except that they’re two of the greatest Olympians any of us will ever see. And this is a tune that […]

Celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the epic Oasis gig at Knebworth on 11th August 1996. The BBC are all over it. Of course they are. 6 Music will no doubt be broadcasting the entire concert with Jo Whiley retrospectively enthusing. I didn’t go to Oasis. I was already settled down with an 18 […]

Seriously, this is a trip we’d been planning for a while. Last time I saw Biggins, we discussed our desire for a deeper understanding of the Holocaust. So he suggested that my wife, his partner, he and I visit Auschwitz. So ironic, given his ejection from Celebrity Big Brother for an ill-judged remark about a […]