Holly Bell - Great British Bake Off finalist

In early 2011 a mum of two from Leicester was knee deep in nappies and night feeds for her second son when she decided to do something for herself. Ten months later, Holly Bell is standing on the edge of victory in the BBC’s Great British Bake Off, she is being talked about by Lily Allen on twitter and is being referred to in the same breath as such eminent bakers as Lorraine Pascal.

Holly Bell, taking on all comers in the Great British Bake Off

Holly’s ambition after entering the competition reflects the modest and sincere woman that the nation has enjoyed watching cook for the last few months, “My main aim pre filming was just not to be kicked out in the first episode. I didn't want to hide my face in the local supermarket! After that I set my sights on the half-way point and after that I took it week by week. I'm still in shock now that I got to the final. Who'd have thought it?”

The good humour of the contestants and close relationships that have been built throughout the series seem to differentiate the Great British Bake Off from other reality television shows. “I think the pressure built throughout the filming. In the first week the odds of you being asked to leave were at their lowest so I guess you could say people were very relaxed compared to say the semi-final which was stressful.

Holly continues, “Surprisingly the final had a fabulous atmosphere. I think we were all so chuffed to be there we didn't care who won.”

It may have something to do with skilful editing by the BBC but throughout the series there did not appear to be that one contestant that the country dislikes or the one that they rally around. Each episode appealed because of what the contestants were baking and this meant that in some episodes certain contestants were the stars and some were the supporting cast.

Holly is probably most remembered for her macaroons and her half savoury and sweet loaf. She set the twittersphere alight with talk of them but while delighting the British public on the side, there have only been two mouths that Holly has aimed to please, those of judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.

Holly's ill-fated pesto quiche

Despite Holly’s macaroon success, she suffered at the hands of the judges when she produced her very green pesto quiche, “I'm not as experienced as Mary and Paul and certainly don't have the training and technical understanding of a Master Baker. So, all in all, I think we just had to take it on the chin each week that the decisions made were the right ones.”

Holly’s enthusiasm for cooking is contagious and talking to her helps you understand how she has become as skilled as she has, “I read a lot of cookbooks, subscribe to some great blogs and try to eat out as much as we can afford - all great ways to widen your knowledge and inspire ideas. I truly believe anyone can cook with a bit of enthusiasm and some trial and error.”

“I am inspired by so many bakers and chefs but I guess if I were to be stranded on a desert island with one male and one female I'd choose Nigella and Michel Roux Jr. Both of these people are talented, successful, creative and easy on the eye.”

Some influences lay closer to home and are set much deeper than experimentation and reading though, “My Mum cooks some great British classics; a good roast, epic fish pie and the best coffee and walnut cake I've ever tasted, but she is by no means a 'foodie' so I have also taught myself a lot.”

Holly runs her own cookery website, ‘recipes from a normal Mum’ and it is full of inspiration but with a difference, you might actually be able to cook some of the recipes. She doesn’t subscribe to the celebrity chef mantra that you must live in an area with a lot of niche shops to be able to cook. “The recipes on the whole mostly use stuff I have in my cupboards, fridge or freezer rather than requiring a one off stressful shopping trip to a specialist market/shop searching for that missing elusive ingredient.

“When I went on maternity leave last year, we were faced with a smaller budget each month, meaning I had to be that little bit more creative with my ingredients. For me there is something wonderful in taking regular, inexpensive ingredients and making them taste great. That's what I try to do every day, with varying degrees of success!”

As the countries disposable income continues to drop, good food seems to be increasingly becoming a victim of this austerity. “I try to cook fresh food as often as possible though, even if it's just pasta, pesto and some vegetables. It makes me feel good knowing my sons have gone to bed on something reasonably nutritious.”

Despite her love of fresh food, Holly knows that life can sometimes get in the way, “I would never berate anyone for not cooking fresh food every day for their kids. We are all busy and so everybody uses the freezer now and again. There's no shame in fish fingers and smiley faces for dinner!”

As anyone who will have read anything written by a chef will know, there will always be a single dish that they remember from their childhood and Holly is no different, “My favourite childhood dish was definitely my Mum's fish pie with boiled eggs and parsley sauce. It is a classic but my Mum cooked it absolutely perfectly. When my children and I cook together, we like to make a pizza. We have fun making the dough and then choosing toppings, it is really involving and actually pretty cheap and healthy.”   

To end, Holly shared a few tips on how families with low disposable incomes can save money, eat healthier and most of all, end up with Holy Grail of dinner times, a clean plate.

“My first tip would be to menu plan and only shop from the list that comes from this. It saves huge amounts of money and avoids waste. My second tip would be to involve the kids, if you have the time, in planning their food for the week and helping to prepare it.

Holly concentrating on her lime meringue

“Get cookbooks out, if they're older use the internet to search for recipes and look at the cupboards together to discuss what you already have. As for preparation, even if they just scrub a potato they'll be more likely to enjoy the meal and ultimately to hoover the lot up. And let's be honest, clean plates are the aim of most parents.”

Whatever happens in the final on Tuesday 4 October at 8pm on BBC2, Holly surely has a bright future ahead of her in cooking. She is a delightful human being and I for one think that it is about time that reality TV actually recognised those who work hard, learn a craft, develop it and then reap the rewards.

You can discover new and exciting recipes on Holly’s website: http://www.recipesfromanormalmum.com

You can also follow Holly on twitter: http://twitter.com/hollybellmummy

Photographs reproduced with the kind permission of Holly Bell

Danielle Ward - 21/07/2011

As many of you across this fair nation will know, Danielle Ward is one third of Sunday morning’s Dave Gorman show on Absolute Radio. She is the one that is a girl.

I first saw Danielle perform live at Comedy Gold at the Old Queen’s Head, Islington. She burst onto the stage and instantly intrigued me with her immensely personal and frank comedy. She is of small statue but of big heart and her lengths to entertain an audience stretch far beyond what many may offer.

Danielle began her comedy career in Crouch End and was soon runner up in the BBC New Comedy Awards and got her first broadcasting break on Radio 1. She has written for a multitude of television and radio programmes and is one of only five women to hold the BBC Writers Bursary.

She is a real voice amongst the crowd of pretenders, someone who when she talks, you want to listen.

Danielle has been involved with the writing and production of two musicals (both available to download from itunes for free-they are AMAZEBALLS – do it!), Psister Psycho and Gutted. Psister Psycho was a cult hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was subsequently nominated for a chortle award.

I talked to her during the interval at Comedy Gold and was inspired enough after a minute of conversation to go out and write a whole joke. It wasn’t very funny.

For all of her achievements, she comes across as a humble and kind person who really enjoys what she does and if people enjoy themselves, audiences tend to too.

Danielle was gracious enough to answer some questions for me and I hope you enjoy her responses as much as I did.

It is hard to put a finger on what you are best at or what you are best known for. You write comedy musical theatre, perform stand up, you’re an acclaimed writer and you appear on television and radio. How would you like people to think of you?

Delightful polymath. 

Do you think your level of diversity adversely affects you or has it helped you become more rounded as an artist?

They say in Hollywood that diversity kills careers, and I guess that is fair up to a point. If I'd just stuck to one thing I might be really successful by now, but where is the fun in that? I'm crippled by the idea of being on my death bed and wishing I'd done it differently. I can't bear the thought of only ever doing one thing with my life. If I just did stand-up I wouldn't have a play in the contemporary theatre section of the British Library. I'm not bothered about being rich or famous - I just want to be fucking excellent. Also if it turns out all my eggs are rotten the scripted work is the nearest I'll get to passing on my genes.

You have written Psister Psycho and Gutted, bringing scorn from the traditional world of musical theatre but plaudits from everyone else...what inspired you to write musicals instead of a more mainstream play where your talents may have been more appreciated by the establishment?

I'm not sure they would have been. If you put too many jokes in a play (as I tend to do) theatre goers think you're not taking the art form seriously. Not enough jokes - like a normal comedy play - isn't that funny. 

I find the fourth wall in theatre a bit hard to get to grips with as a comic. At least with musical theatre you're already well away from any sense of 'realism'. And I love a bit of razzle dazzle. I want spectacle in a theatre. 

You are currently adapting Gutted into a screenplay, what are the challenges of taking musical theatre to the screen? What are the challenges in changing your own work to a different format if you were happy with it in its original guise?

Well I've never written a screenplay until now. The big difference with theatre is you have a few very long scenes but films have a load of tiny short scenes (not that I've stuck to that) so the pace is entirely different. To be honest I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just writing something I think is funny. Film is a director's medium - I'm not a director so I'm leaving a lot of decisions up to whoever that is. Though I have put a dog in the cast. Something I couldn't do onstage. Mr Dylan is now a dog (sorry Thom Tuck). It's right up Tim Burton's street. Maybe I'll send it to him. Or John Landis. Through a series of clerical errors I actually have his personal email address. Total win. 

There is always room for improvement in any piece of work. I've re-written the stage version to how I wanted it, though I'm sure lots of people thought it was OK as it was. But with the film I've been able to do even more. You'll always be limited by budget in any medium but we were so so limited with the stage version. We weren't even allowed a bloody revolve! (that is a joke that needs more context than I'm going to give)  

Is there a current television or radio programme that you would, given the opportunity, love to take part in?

30 Rock, South Park and Masterchef.  And I'd love to do more radio presenting. I don't even wash my hair on a Sunday. That's why the webcam is never on me.

If you had to give a twitter style 140 characters of advice to someone wanting to break into the world of comedy, what would they be?

Gig loads. Find your voice. Don't get hung-up on being on TV after 18 months (unless you're one of "those" comics) - comedy is a meritocracy. Even though it doesn't always feel like it.

Who would win a game of Battleships between Dave Gorman and Martin White?

Gorman. And if he didn't win he'd demand a re-match.

What Danielle has coming up in September

Dilemma - R4 panel show hosted by Sue Perkins. Made up in the head by me.

Absolute Film Podcast - a weekly chat with me, David Reed (from The Penny Dreadfuls) and a comedy guest. It'll be like a half hour version of Ward's Weekly Word. Probably.

Do The Right Thing - Rude knock-about panel show podcast hosted by me with Michael Legge and Margaret Cabourn-Smith as team captains.

Ward and White's Fun Haus - A scratch night where me and Martin will be trying out ideas for a project we start filming in January. Plus the chance to run out scripts and that which might not have been seen by an audience before.

Danielle is also trying to become friends with Grace Woodward - "I love her on Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model. I've not really got anywhere with it so far though."

Danny Wallace @ Null of Old Drury 31/03/2011

He is the man you joined, the man whose country you became a citizen of and seemingly the man many of you exploited for a free pint when he said yes to everything for a year.


“Just after I had written ‘Join Me’, people used to send drinks across to me in bars as their Friday random act of kindness but just after I wrote ‘Yes Man’, people used to come and ask me to buy them drinks and of course, I had to say yes. I think it ended up being pretty even in the end financially.”


Author, radio producer, television presenter and journalist Danny Wallace has inspired people across the globe to good but it all started with him just wanting to have fun.


“My career plan, which isn’t really a plan, has always been to find something that’s fun then do it well and hopefully get asked back to have more fun. The only way to do it is to get on and do it but crucially, follow the fun.”


As the author of six and a half books (he co-wrote ‘Are you Dave Gorman?’ with his then flatmate, Dave Gorman) Danny has inspired people across the globe to put down their preconceptions of life and do good and positive deeds. In fact, after the interview, I bought dinner for the homeless man who sits outside the bank on my street.


“I tell you the stories in the way I’d tell you the story down the pub. I have a fear of people falling asleep while reading the books so I compress stuff and make the incidents into anecdotes and hope that people enjoy them. The books all have separate messages but they are about living your life in quite a positive way, I think. They all take on a little life of their own and the people in them are still out there. You can come to the meet ups, meet the people you’ve read about, they become kind of folk heroes.”


After dragging Danny upstairs to a quiet corner of the upstairs room of the pub because the one man talking to his beer downstairs may disturb us, a group of thirty tourists walk in.


“That’s the kind of thing, talking of anecdotes and the strange things in life, just having a quick chat to them and finding out that they were on a murder mystery pub crawl. I asked them if the murderer was in there and if we weren’t doing this interview, then I would suggest that we go and join them. I like observing people, seeing what happens and following the fun.”


He is a man who has taken risks but he derives as much pleasure as reading about other people’s successes as he takes pleasure from people reading about his own.


“I got a letter last night from a couple who are getting married. They both decided one day to say yes, to go out and do something that scared them. They met and now they’re getting married.”


At this point Danny begins to reel off summaries of letters he has received with a notable one being of a woman in Nova Scotia who bought the car behind her coffee and began a chain at a drive-thru that lasted for twenty-one cars until a grouch broke the cycle. As he talks he becomes animated and a joy emanates making it very obvious that he thrives in knowing that he has done a positive thing for the world.


“It’s been amazing, all the stories I get back from people. I wrote something down, set it free and now I get to read the stories that people send to me. It’s like people have read my stories and sent me stories in return. I enjoy being the reader now.”


Danny has a weekly column in the magazine Shortlist, a magazine aimed at young men who are often struggling to understand what it is to be a man in the 21st century. He has systematically put his life in the public domain but his manner and ethos that “you should be nice to everyone” mean that the consequences aren’t quite as dire as they could be.


“I haven’t had bad experiences so far. I keep things to myself, my wife (Lizzie in the books) and my son (my son in the columns) I mention but not in much detail, they are for when the door is closed at night. I think though, that when you tell a story, you have to let them in. When you write a book about your life and have that connection with people, you’ve got to be open, you’ve got to make friends. You’re going to be with them for the whole book so you should try to get on.”


He speaks like he writes and as he continues to talk, I began to imagine his words being printed on paper in front of my eyes. Far from sounding like a scripted celebrity with their works to sell, he seems natural, energised and makes me feel comfortable in his presence.


The latest book, ‘Awkward Situations for Men’ began as transcripts of his column in Shortlist but has now been made into a pilot for American television. Though he doesn’t know whether it has been commissioned yet, I think he would like it to be a continuation of the fun.


“I acted at being an actor and I think I got away with it. I worked with a guy who’d directed eighty episodes of Seinfeld but they decided that they wanted it to be a multi camera sitcom in front of an audience. That’s where we are, retooling and seeing how we can go forward with it.


“The chances of making a pilot are so small so I consider myself so lucky to have done what I have done so far. We’ll see but it would be fun.”


When I ask whether another adventure is in the pipeline, Danny is hesitant but not evasive.


“These things come along to fill in a gap, to plug a whole but at the moment I’m exhausted. Having a family is the best thing in the world and maybe we’ll all have an adventure one day.”


I was nervous about meeting Danny as through previous email correspondence Danny knows a lot about me that many others don’t know.


He is slightly taller than you’d imagine but to follow his own manner of describing others, “when I talk about my mate Wag, I don’t say he’s a strong six foot with rippling muscles, I say that he is a brilliant guy”.


Danny Wallace is a gentleman, he cares about others in a way you’d not expect and he shows a real interest in you. No hyperbole could encompass the experience that he gave me during our interview and when he wished me all the best, I knew he meant it.

Ceri May @ Y Tuesday, Three Kings, 22/03/11

This interview was conducted by myself on behalf of the organisation, Little Episodes

“I see your breakfast

Nervously, I kiss my lips

Now, I cannot eat.”

A haiku about egg and soldiers.

“What I think Little Episodes has created is a very dynamic community, where creative spirit can really thrive in a safe and supportive space. In terms of me as a poet with a slightly turbulent past, the opportunity to be part of an organisation like this is both uplifting and inspiring.”

Ceri May is the Doc Martens wearing, soup making, zine writing philanthropist who will talk to you about feltographs until she goes blue in the face under her bouncing red hair.

Well known throughout London for her invigorating poetic performances delivered with a Durham twang, Ceri started her literary career at a young age, “I wrote my first story aged 3, it goes as follows: "Pop little girl pop. I don't care if you pop or not". I illustrated it too. I think it's really quite profound, a sense of Henry Miller-esque excess but also a kind of joyful nihilism, no?”

A small note of interest, if it wasn’t for Ceri, I wouldn’t have discovered Little Episodes. It was at one of Ceri’s gigs at The Camden School of Enlightenment, where I was first told about Little Episodes.

Ceri carries her passion for mental health and creativity throughout both her professional and personal life, “I do a lot of work around raising awareness of mental health issues and trying to diminish stigma associated with these issues; throughout this work I've come across so many positive examples of people using creative expression as a way of understanding and nurturing themselves.”

Ceri added, “Also, I really feel very strongly that creativity is salient to life, that the process of making things keeps us well.”

Ceri has worked on many established poetry nights throughout Greater London such as ‘Y Tuesday’ in Clerkenwell and ‘Catweazel’ in Kilburn, whilst also performing at many more. Her dynamic performances and ability to wax lyrical about most subjects under the sun mean that she is sought after. The process of creating and performing has helped her battle her own demons.

“Creative life has been a vital part of maintaining/fixing/mixing up my own mental health. I have a lot of respect for Little Episodes. Both creativity and mental health are real passions of mine.”

She cried the first time she saw the painting, Around Her, by Chagall. Her favourite poem is April Fool Birthday Poem for Grandpa by Diane di Prima, which ends with the line: "we do it for the stars over the Bronx/that they might look on earth and not be ashamed".

She writes, she inspires other people to act positively and she works with children. All round good girl, maybe, intelligent, thoughtful and a writer of great skill, definitely but in her own words…

“Mostly I like to make a mess.”

Ian Taylor @ Black Ice PR 10/03/11

If someone paid a million pounds for a midfielder nowadays, you’d probably expect them to be a fourteen year old Portuguese midfielder who has only seen a football once. A few years ago, a million pounds (plus Guy Whittingham) bought you a lifelong club supporter and servant who would play hundreds of games over a nine year period, score a goal in a cup final and become a club legend.

Ian Taylor, ex-footballer, philanthropist and businessman, began his career at non-league side Moor Green and moved to league side Port Vale in 1992 before going on to play for Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa, Derby County and Northampton Town.

As a boyhood Aston Villa supporter, Ian did what many dream of and played week in, week out in front of the famous Holte End at Villa Park.

“It was something that was so special to me and never about money. You ask any supporter, it would be a dream to pull on the shirt of the team you support and I managed to do that.”

Supporters from all of the clubs Ian played still comment on what he gave to their club. This is what made him stand out and it is the reason why in his final professional game, Northampton Town v Huddesfield Town, Aston Villa fans turned up and chanted his name from the stands.

“I made sure that every time I played I gave 100% even if I didn't play that well at times, to fans watching, all they wanted was commitment, hard work and just to do your best.”

This was one of the many aspects of Ian’s game that separated him from the modern professional. Ian began his playing career in the time of perms and short shorts, he ended his career playing the same game but in a very different atmosphere. Many suggest that now, in the time of £100,000 a week salaries, football is no longer the great working class escape that it once was.

“I do think that footballers are detached from the man in the street. I think that these days, players have been made into pop stars and are in a position now where they are kept away from the public, but on the other hand I think players, when they can, should interact with fans a lot more. I also think there is a desperate lack of characters in the game now, mainly because you can get in trouble for picking your nose these days!”

Ian practices what he preaches and is a regular in the stands at Villa Park, where he still holds cult status amongst their fiercely passionate supporters.


I first saw Ian play for Sheffield Wednesday in 1994. He was a hard working player, full of enthusiasm and someone who struck up an instant rapport with the fans, so much that he was the first person that I contacted to interview. It seems an impossible thought that he only wore the blue and white stripes of the Owls only fourteen times before being sold for a million pounds (plus Guy Whittingham) in December 1994.

During his career Ian won promotion with Port Vale and Northampton Town but his two cup final appearances for Aston Villa stand out in his mind. After all, how many kids have stood on a terrace and then ended up lifting a cup for the club they love at Wembley?

“Winning the League Cup was special. The walk up those famous steps was something I will never forget. In the whole scheme of things, there are only a handful of players that win something and I am amongst those so I'm happy. I also got to an F.A Cup final with Villa but unfortunately we lost.”

Despite playing for five mainstays of English football, Ian would have taken his chances on the continent if the opportunity had arisen.

“If I could have played for any club in the world, I would have to say, at that time, it would have been AC Milan. They were the kings back then. The Milan derbies were always unbelievable games with a fantastic atmosphere. Obviously, Italian football isn't what it used to be right now, so right now, Barcelona are a team I drool over!”

After a career like his and as a man who will never have to buy his own beer in  the claret and blue hald of Birmingham, Ian could have rested on his heels but he didn't, turning his hands to several businesses and charity work that spans continents.  Ian started working with the Aspire Football Academy when a former team mate from Moor Green asked him to get involved.

“I had no hesitation in getting involved and now I'm an ambassador for them. I love working with children and plan to get involved with a number of charities in the future.  Aspire go into schools with different programs encouraging kids to be healthy and active, they’re a great bunch that do a fantastic job for the community.”

The community commitments aren’t limited to the Midlands. Ian recently ran a half marathon to raise money for a school in Tanzania.

“These projects aim to give kids in places like Tanzania things that we take for granted, especially schooling. Just being able to kit these schools out and help the children there is an amazing feeling. Like I said, I plan to get involved with various charities, some of which are run by footballers.”

An example on the pitch, now Ian is leading the way off the pitch,

“Well Right now, I have a number of things I’m involved in. I'm a Director in a business working with Premier League rights in China, working with clubs and their profiles in that part of Asia. I also have directorships in Black Ice PR and Media Group and a company called Taylormade Events Management & Sponsorship and along with my ambassadorial role at Aspire there is plenty for me to do!"

On a final teasing note, Ian adds,

“There is something else in the pipeline which you'll hear about soon, it’s all exciting stuff!”

Having followed his football career and seen the results of his entrepreneurial spirit take hold, there is little doubt that his next move will be an exciting one.

_________________________________________________

Ian Taylor’s select XI (plus manager) from the players that he has played alongside during his career:

Chris Woods (Goalkeeper-Sheff. Wed) Dan Petrescu(Right back-Sheff. Wed) Alan Wright (Left back-Aston Villa) Paul McGrath (Centre Back-Aston Villa) Gareth Southgate (Centre back-Aston Villa) George Boateng (Centre Mid-Aston Villa) Paul Merson (Attacking mid-Aston Villa) Andy Townsend (Centre mid-Aston Villa) Dwight Yorke (Striker-Aston Villa) David Hirst (Striker-Sheff. Wed) Juan Pablo Angel (Striker-Aston Villa)

Manager would be Pep Guardiola

Iain Lee @ Absolute Radio HQ 24/02/11

“The Mighty Duck trilogy?
 

“What is it?
 

“Oh yeah, Emilio Estevez? I’ve never seen an Emilio Estevez film.”
 

Can anyone talk their way out of this one? Is the person sat opposite me, a staple of popular culture in the many guises of television, radio, journalism and the Big Brother radio show, really suggesting that they have never seen any of the Mighty Ducks series?
 

For the last thirteen years Iain Lee has been at our side using his sharp tongue and gentle nature to guide our generation through adolescence. His first major television role was co-hosting the satirical Channel 4 show, ‘The Eleven O’clock show’ in 1998 and now in 2011, Iain can be found four nights a week talking to you over your wireless on Absolute Radio.
 

“I remember going to see my careers advisor at school. He sat me down and asked me what I wanted to do with my life.”
 

Iain said actor, the careers advisor said Prison Officer.
 

Iain won.
 

The ever humble Iain has worked alongside some of the elite of British comedy. Sasha Baron Cohen, Ricky Gervais and Mackenzie Crook, just to name a few but while his own career may not have gone the same way as his peers, he still thinks fondly of them.
 

“I used to listen to Ricky Gervais on Xfm on a Sunday, laying in bed and laughing. He auditioned as co-presenter on The Eleven O’clock show and lost out to Daisy Donovan but thankfully ended up doing short sketches on the show. I don’t really get in awe of people but Ricky is a genius, he is out of this world. I’m sad I don’t see him anymore but I am delighted that his career has taken off how it has, I miss hanging out with him.”
 

Everybody started somewhere and Iain started his working life at 15 at Bejam, a predecessor of frozen food giants Iceland, “I used to have to count the crinkle cut chips in the walk in freezer every Saturday afternoon. I’d be in their crying it was that cold, after that I worked at Safeway or Asda, I can’t remember and then went on to cleaning test tubes in a laboratory, which I hated because one of the cleaners really used to bully me.
 

“There is a period in your life, between being sixteen and twenty-one, twenty-two where you’re stuck doing these shit jobs and you think, what is the point? People do these jobs forever and I am so lucky I haven’t ended up doing that for the rest of my life. Turning up at 5am to clean test tubes and being bullied by a cleaner, it was horrible, just horrible.
 

“It’s rare that I have ended up doing what I wanted to do. You need determination but more than anything, it is luck. I’ve seen people with no talent get far and people with a lot of talent get nowhere.”
 

When Iain left college he had no money but he managed to stay in London beyond his studies due to the then generous, housing benefit scheme. He used to do stand up but he couldn’t make the money to get himself out of debt. “After stand up, I did local radio but I found it very depressing and then I had the audition for what was to become The Eleven O’clock show. I was living between several houses, I was in a lot of debt. I owed my Mum a lot of money so I decided that if I didn’t get it, then I would go out, get a proper job and get myself back on a plateaux of being all right, financially at least.”
 

He got it.
 

Iain clearly is someone who enjoys his work, “My best job? That has to be RI:SE (the short lived Channel 4 morning show that replaced The Big Breakfast).” The show was critically acclaimed despite not being as popular with the public as its predecessor. Two of Iain’s heroes, Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer once wrote a review saying that RI:SE was a great show and that Iain was hilarious. “Having that vindication from two of my heroes made it worthwhile. It upset me that people thought it was shit because I still think that it was a really funny show.”
 

“It was just so much fun, I did it for a year but it took me three months to get into it. I’d never done a live two hour show with no autocue before but after three months, it just clicked. In TV, everyone takes themselves so seriously but I figured out, I realised that it wasn’t important, it just didn’t matter. It was me showing off to my mates, interviewing pop stars and having fun. I learnt to relax.”
 

“They had two beautiful girls (Kate Lawler, Iain’s co-presenter and Zora Suleman presenting the news) and a big lanky twat (Iain, in his own words) jumping around and winding up pop stars. There are worse ways to make a living.”
 

When ‘Have I got news for you’ were having rotating presenters, Iain was approached to host the show. “I said no and my excuse was that I would be up at 3am to rehearse for RI:SE and would be too tired. It wasn’t true, I was just scared. I thought i’d be found out as a fraud.
 

“I kept expecting someone to tap me on the shoulder and just say, we’ve found you out. You got here under false pretences and now we want you out. That’s why I said no, I thought if I put myself up on that stage, i’d be found out. That is my biggest regret.”
 

This interview was arranged after I emailed Iain via his website (http://www.iainlee.co.uk) and with a strong following on both facebook and twitter, Iain appears to have embraced social media as a way of interacting with his fans and followers but it is not always a positive experience.
 

“People can be angry, they can be negative but they don’t always know where to focus that. I am one of, if not the only show on the radio that allows people to come on and say that they think the show is crap.”
 

“Some people don’t realise that it’s all an act. When I am at home with my wife and kids, I sing my little boy songs on the ukulele. I used to be cocky, particularly when I was on television, but I was a lot younger then. I’ve got a family now, I am a lot more settled and comfortable with my own life.”
 

Talking to celebrities on twitter or facebook can provide, to the fan, a valuable insight into their lives. This is a double edged sword as for every compliment or kind comment, Iain receives something that can be tantamount to abuse, “Last night someone messaged me and called me a c*nt. This is why I occasionally retweet the nasty comments I get so that people can see what I can face by giving this instant access to my life. People can come, metaphorically, to my front door, kick it open and call me shit. If you’re having a bad day then you just don’t want it. Twitter can be a dangerous place, most of the time you brush it all off but sometimes it can affect you.”
 

Away from the spotlight, Iain recently made efforts to become a primary school teacher. He applied, had an induction evening, he went and spent a day in a school meeting parents and teachers but then he got offered his current four nights a week show on Absolute Radio.
 

His ideal job though is somewhat surprising if you have only seen him on the television, but after meeting the man and listening to his radio show, it just seems to fit, “I would love to be a programme controller for a speech based radio station. I could responsible for the output of the station, responsible for who is on there. I’d get people like Danny Baker, Tommy Boyd and Clive Bull, that would be my ideal attainable job in the future.”
 

“To people on the outside, it must look like I have had it pretty good and at times, I have. I’ve done things that appeal to my interests, the Lost podcasts, my retro gamer articles and other things but for a long time I suffered from a lot of depression related to my career. The people I used to work with have seen their careers take off in different directions and for a while, I was lost.”
 

Iain appears to be grateful for where his life has taken him, the ups have been great and the downs have been awful and sitting with him for an hour was a journey from glory to doom and back again. He is often portrayed in interviews as grumpy but I think this is because people insist on portraying him as the one that didn’t make it.
 

If I make it to thirty-seven years of age with a four nightly national radio show, columns in magazines writing about my favourite things and a family that I love, then I sincerely hope I don’t make it, in the same way that Iain has before been portrayed as not having made it.