DID YOU KNOW? Noel Edmonds

One of the stars of Eight Go Rallying (9pm, BBC2), Noel, 69, has been a household name for 50 years. Here are some things you might not know about him…

He used to present the original Top Gear: A regular host of Top Of The Pops in the 1970s, Noel’s status as one of UK television’s most popular presenters was confirmed by Saturdaymorning kids’ show Multi-Coloured Swap

Shop (1976-82). In 1980, he replaced Top Gear host Angela Rippon – yes, Angela Rippon. He opened three Crinkley Bottom theme parks, in Lowestoft, Morecambe and

Somerset: Inspired by his enormously popular Saturday-night show Noel’s House Party (1991-99) – which was set in the fictional village of Crinkley Bottom – the parks relied heavily on the show’s bafflingly popular mascot, Mr Blobby (left). Surprisingly, none survives. He used to carry a life-sized mannequin called Candice Cannes in the back of his car: Candice started out as a ‘passenger’ in the black cab Noel used to drive to work, to stop people from hailing him as he whizzed along the bus lanes to bypass the Bristol traffic jams. Candice eventually ended up with thousands of Twitter followers, and even released a single, Are You Ready?, in 2013. He believes in spiritualism, and claims to be visited by his dead parents: ‘I have two orbs that visit me. They’re the size of a melon, and one sits on my arm and the other is over my shoulder.’ I like to think they’re my parents.’