MY TV LIFE
Londoner Steve, 70, is best known as the singer with 1960s pop band Love Affair whose hits include Everlasting Love and Rainbow Valley
What was your first TV memory?
Bill and Ben,the Flowerpot Men. I’ve still got a pair of them in the toilet sitting on a bench with Littleweed in the middle.that’s how old I am! I didn’t like Andy Pandy, there was something not right about him.
What was your first TV appearance?
Top Of The Pops in December 1967, singing Everlasting Love which went to Number One. I was 17 then – talk about in at the deep end!
Who was your first TV crush?
Muriel Young – no, I’m only mucking about. It was Twiggy. She was one of us, a Mod, wasn’t she? I call my dog Twiggy now, but I don’t think she’d be happy about that if she saw the dog.
What is your favourite current show?
Match Of The Day. My boy is 38 and he sits scrolling through 500 channels full of rubbish like Dr Pimple Popper. My 600lb Life?
Is this for real? Telly has gone through the floor! I’d rather watch Arsenal. It’s football for me, followed by Blue Planet and American Pickers.
Which TV show would you take to a desert island?
I used to love The Sweeney and Minder. I think on balance I’d take Minder. George Cole was a wonderful actor and Arthur Daley was a great character. George made him very funny.
What TV show would you like to put out of its misery?
So-called “celebrity” TV full of people I’ve never heard of in my life. I don’t watch reality shows.when we started out we had to work for fame. Now talentless people go on a TV show and suddenly they’re all over the shop. It’s like Twitter, how can you be a “Twitter star”? I don’t get it.
Guiltiest TV pleasure?
Anything to do with Japanese Samurai.when Seven Samurai came out, me and my pals spent a whole week going to see it. I got into the directorakira Kurosawa.all the spaghetti westerns were inspired by his work.
What are you up to at the moment?
I’ve got a new vinyl compilation out. I wrote the sleeve notes and found all the pictures for it. I’ve been recording with Dream Foundry and Cow, and me and Paul Weller have a cracker of a song to record. And I’m hoping to tour in
November.
The Best Of Love Affair and Steve Ellis is out now