THE QUEEN WATCHES WHENEVER SHE CAN

There’s naturally a bit of good- spirited competition between the Songs Of Praise presenters – not least longest-serving host Pam Rhodes, who joined in 1987, and Aled. ‘I’m around 50 shows behind Pam and want to catch her up,’ jokes Aled, who’s hosted 338 to Pam’s 386.

‘I came on board when Sally Magnusson was pregnant,’ recalls Pam (right), whose most memorable moments include time spent with Dolly Parton and Harry Secombe. ‘Dolly said, “My mum said I should never go to church in a skirt that’s too short, so I haven’t been inside one since.” But she’s a great Christian lady.

‘I did a show with Harry weeks before he died. He was a Songs Of Praise presenter himself and was very dapper. He always had two pairs of identical trousers – one for standing up in and one for sitting down.’

Her most worrying time was filming at Windsor Castle for a Christmas episode. ‘I remember the fire there in 1992,’ says Pam. ‘I thought it was us – we had a team lighting St George’s Chapel on the Friday. But the fire was elsewhere. We still recorded on the Monday. One of the staff took us to film the damage. He said, “I don’t know why you’ve been allowed here, no one comes through here.” I said, “Why are we allowed?” and he said, “Because it’s the Queen Mother’s favourite programme and the Queen watches it whenever she can.”’ And so it seems. The Queen has recorded a message for the anniversary, saying it ‘has shown Christianity as a living faith not only through worship songs, but by featuring the many people who have put their faith at the centre of their lives.’

Amanda Abbington worried about the welfare of maggots used in Sky Max drama Wolfe. ‘I felt the same as I would about any animal on a film set,’ says Amanda, who plays forensic examiner Dot (pictured). ‘I think the guy looking after them thought I was a bit mad.’

In jazz music, what term is used to mean a sequence of chords that leads back to the opening part of a song? a) About face b) Walkabout c) Turnaround Eggheads, weekdays,

6.30pm, Channel 5

Which classic author had one of his characters describe another character, the villain Moriarty, as the ‘Napoleon of crime’? Winning Combination, weekdays, 3pm, ITV ANSWERS ON PAGE 18