Our Big Night In shining armour
APART from showboating with his cupboard packed full of impossible-to-come-by chopped tomatoes, I loved Jamie Oliver’s C4 corona survival series, Keep Cooking and Carry On. But Kirstie Allsopp is elbowing him out with Keep Crafting and Carry On.
As a fan of buying rather than making, I scoffed when she promised I could create things out of “the stuff you’ve already got at home”.
To be fair, it turns out I was able to cobble together enough for a hot air balloon garland and 3D flowers.
Now I just need to work out why I want to own those in the first place.
LET’S face it, telethons usually over-promise and under-deliver.
An entire evening of depressing appeal videos and a quick musical medley from the cast of Eastenders can leave you screaming: “Take all my money, just make it stop.”
Thursday night’s three-hour collaboration between Children in Need and Comic Relief was meant to be different: all killer, no filler.
That wasn’t quite the case, but The Big Night In had more highlights than we’re used to. Like Prince William turning up for a Zoom call with Stephen Fry, who confusingly was playing his Blackadder character Lord Melchett.
Unlike his brother, Wills proved he doesn’t take himself too seriously.
Stephen asked if he’d watched Tiger King and he quipped back: “I tend to avoid shows about royalty.” Then admitted he wasn’t wearing any trousers.
Catherine Tate was on top form as stroppy schoolgirl Lauren, getting some video tuition from her teacher, played by David Tennant.
“Are you Chris Whitty, though?” she grilled, before putting on a face mask. “Droplets, innit?”
Dawn French was back as everyone’s favourite vicar, Geraldine Granger. It’s the closest we’ll get to another episode of The Vicar of Dibley after the sad death of Emma Chambers, but it was a joy to have the choccy-loving vic back in our lives.
Potato
I’m a bit over Joe Wicks’s workouts now, so I particularly loved her sofa-based exercise regime.
Props to Matt Lucas for another rendition of his baked potato anthem, this time with the backing of the BBC Concert Orchestra. Matt’s our best chance of ever winning Eurovision again, especially if he can get Captain Tom Moore to duet.
Matt also teamed up with old friend
David Walliams to resurrect Little Britain. “Computer says no” still resonates, but the other sketches felt awkwardly outdated – as Matt even admitted midway through, while announcing “I’m a laydee.”
Lenny Henry led the presenting team from the One Show studio, helping raise £27million. Without a live audience, it was left to Davina Mccall to fill the laughter vacuum by finding everything Sir Lenny and Matt Baker said hilarious. It’s for charity so I’ll say no more on that.
The best bit was obviously Peter Kay. After a relentless couple of hours of celebs pleading for cash, he told people not to bother donating if they couldn’t afford it, “You’ve got enough going on.”
Then he introduced a heart-warming re-edit of Is This The Way to Amarillo.
The new video was just as joyous as his first version, but with firemen, bus drivers, nurses, paramedics and families joining in the famous walk. And they all deserved the loudest clap of the night.
CELEBRITY
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