Happy New Year!

So 2012 draws to a close and we say goodbye to a truly momentous year here in Great Britain.  Whether you enjoyed the Olympics more than the Jubilee or vice versa, there was plenty going on to celebrate.

What will 2013 bring ?  Well, all being well a royal birth for William and Kate, the 50th anniversary of luxury brand Lamborghini, 50th birthdays for Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Quentin Tarantino and of course, lots of top telly including yours truly.

The shiny new series of The Alan Titchmarsh Show will be back on your screens on January 21st – if you listen carefully you can hear the sound of the carpets being beaten on the line in the garden and lightbulbs being polished right now.

So join us to kick off 2013 with some great guests, topical talk and English eccentrics – looking forward to it!

Best,

 

Alan.

 

The last week… sob!

Well it’s here already folks – the last week of the current series, and what a series it’s been.

Certainly the most controversial that I can remember, that’s for sure. The furore which blew up over my interview with dog-trainer Cesar Milan continues to rage on in some quarters, as do the debates about field sports. Any topic which features animals is always a highly emotive one and strong feelings on the subject are only to be expected, but I hope you feel we handle all subjects fairly.

Controversy aside, we’ve had some fabulous guests on the show, spectacular performances and great tips for transforming your home and garden. You can keep up with many of experts on Twitter and Facebook, such as David Domoney (@daviddomoney), Mark Thompson (@peoplesastro), Dale Pinnock (@dale_pinnock) and many more.

So enjoy the last week – be safe tonight on Bonfire night and keep your pets safe and comfortable and don’t forget your daily fix at 3pm, ITV1.

Best,

 

Alan

The Magic of Television..

If you’ve been lucky enough to get tickets and see a recording of The Alan Titchmarsh Show, you may have realised that not everything is always quite as it seems on telly.

We have 3 live shows a week and 3 recorded shows, which means that if you’re in the audience you usually get to sit through 2 shows, the live and the pre-record.

A lady commented on Facebook the other day about why I was wearing a different shirt for the gardening feature, which was in part 3 of the show. Our  part 3 features, which can be gardening, DIY, photography, hobbies etc, require a bit of set change which can’t be accomplished in the commercial break, so these too are pre-recorded and then slotted into the live show.

The production team are fantastic and keep everything running really smoothly, I just trot out, say a few lines and try not to forget all the important facts and figures which have been given to me.

Apologies if my shirts don’t match in future, but at least now you know why!

Keep watching,

All the best

Alan.

Happy October!

I hope you’ve all been enjoying the series so far – we’ve had a fabulous array of guests and interesting items featured on the show, and many of them have got you talking.

Our feature on dyeing your dogs on Friday raised tempers on our Facebook page and a polite but heartfelt debate ensued with comments such as :

“People need to stop humanising their pets. Its ridiculous. I don’t disagree they appear to be uplifted after a haircut / shampoo but full dyeing is too much”

and

“.. (I)  know my pet inside out. She likes being groomed & Stuart is a true Pro. I personally don’t like full dyeing but that’s just my opinion… each to their own whether it be when peeps raise children OR pets! As long as not harming the animal in any way then live & let live!”

If you’ve got an opinion on anything you’ve seen on the show, make sure you head on over to our Facebook pageand share it with everyone. Do remember to be polite, and bear in mind that the internet is a public forum so your comments can be seen by anyone and everyone. Also, we may from time to time use comments from Facebook and Twitter on our show.

So onwards with a 5th week in the studio – what I love most is that I never know what is going to be on the show until I get my notes, usually just the day before the show. It certainly keeps me on my toes and stops the grey cells from going stale – well I hope so anyway.

Best,

Alan

Friday 21st September 2012

Strictly 2012 Line Up

We’re talking Strictly today on the show – what do you think of the new line-up ?

Colin Salmon:  The 49-year-old actor has starred in a number of TV shows including Prime Suspect, Soldier, Soldier and Doctor Who. Movie lovers might also recognise him from the Bond films Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day in which he played the character Charles Robinson.

Dani Harmer 23, is best known for bringing the character Tracy Beaker to life on the big and small screen – a role which has won her a BAFTA nomination. Dani also appeared as an extra in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and has recently turned her hand to singing, recording the theme song to CBBC’s Dani’s House.

Denise Van Outen burst onto screens on The Big Breakfast alongside Johnny Vaughan in 1997, a role which catapulted on her TV fame. Since then, the 38-year-old actress has enjoyed the stage role of Roxie Hart in the hit musical Chicago and, acted as a judge on Any Dream Will Do. The mum-of-one also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief in 2009 with fellow contestant Kimberley Walsh.

Fern Britton 55, is one of Britain’s favourite faces on TV, having worked on the likes of This Morning for 10 years, and Ready Steady Cook. Fern is also a novelist, having published her second novel Hidden Treasures in 2012. No stranger to Strictly, Fern has some previous dancing experience, having competed the 2010 Christmas special of Strictly Come Dancing.

Johnny Ball is a veteran TV presenter and the father of former Strictly contestant Zoe Ball, so he’ll likely be getting a few pointers from her in preparation for his assault on the dance floor. As well as presenting shows including Play School, the 77-year-old has also written a number of children’s books on fun ways to learn which sell in over 30 countries, as well as producing educational stage musicals. He is also a prominent guest speaker.

Jerry Hall is an International supermodel. She has also acted in Tim Burton’s Batman movie and on stage, including a West End production of The Graduate. Jerry will likely know how to work her body to its maximum potential; so definitely one to watch out for!

Kimberley Walsh is a former Girls Aloud singer who may be hoping her time with the chart-topping band will help her with her moves on the dance floor. Sure to inject some glamour into this year’s series, Kimberley is no stranger to being on TV, having fronted her own music talk show Suck My Pop and acted as a judge on entertainment show Born to Shine. The 30-year-old has also appeared in Horrid Henry: The Movie and played Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical, taking over from Amanda Holden.

Lisa Riley found fame playing feisty barmaid Mandy Dingle in popular soap Emmerdale. She also took over from Jeremy Beadle as the presenter of You’ve Been Framed in 1997 until 2002 and has had a number of stage and screen roles, including her part in the play The Naked Truth in 2009.

Louis Smith is an Olympic gymnast so will have no problem with flexibility issues or the tough training schedule a show like Strictly demands, having won two medals at this year’s 2012 Games.

Michael Vaughan is a retired cricketer. The 38-year-old has racked up 18 test centuries and championships at national and county level and will no doubt be hoping for as much success on the dance floor as he had on the pitch. Michael retired in 2009 and now works as a pundit and interview as well as a newspaper columnist.

Nicky Byrne was a member of Irish boy band Westlife before they spilt in 2011 to pursue their own projects. Having sold over 45 million records worldwide and accumulated 14 number-one UK alongside his band mates, he is no stranger to winning.

Richard Arnold is known as the ‘showbiz king’ so is more experienced at interviewing A-listers than doing the cha-cha. As well as acting as showbiz editor of Daybreak, Richard has also fronted shows including Soap Challenge, Loose Lips and The Planet’s Funniest Animals, as well as writing columns for Hello! magazine, Woman’s Own.

Sid Owen played hen pecked mechanic, Ricky Butcher for nearly 25 years until his exit from EastEnders in 2012, making him one of the most recognisable faces on TV. He’s also appeared in a number of other television dramas, including prison drama Bad Girls.

Victoria Pendleton is London 2012’s Olympic gold cyclist. Victoria might have retired from the sport recently, but she’s determined to put those powerful legs and honed muscles to use on the Strictly

One Man and His Guests..

The International Sheepdog trials are took place on 6^th – 8^th September in Wales.  More than 20,000 visitors from around the world flocked to the Vale of Glamorgan to watch man’s best friend crowned the new supreme sheepdog trials champion.

Alan was joined on Wednesday 8th September by sheepdog trial competitor Emma Gray, trial judge Jonny Robinson and Ellie Harrison, Sheepdog trial presenter. Emma is the youngest shepherdess in the UK and has five years experience. ‘I needed a dog to do my work!’ Emma did compete in the National’s this year but did not make it to the International competition.

Ellie Harrison – Sheepdog Trial Presenter

Ellie is a presenter on Countryfile. Last year in Cumbria, Ellie attended the World Sheepdog trials and presented alongside Guy Martin. 240 handlers and their dogs from 26 nations attended the trials. 

The lovely Noah Stewart

Singing live on The Alan Titchmarsh Show, Wednesday 12th September 2012

From humble beginnings on the streets of Harlem where he studied classical music at The Harlem School of the Arts, Noah has come a long way. At age 12, his choir teacher encouraged him to pursue a music career; he began doing voice-overs for Sesame Street and television school specials, and won first place in the New England Music Competition in Boston.

Stewart attended Fiorello LaGuardia High School, where he performed his first opera (La Costanza in amor vince l’inganno). He also sang back-up vocals for pop artists such as Hootie and the Blowfish, Mariah Carey, and Coolio. During this time, Stewart developed a passion for opera, languages, art song, oratorio, and concert repertoire, and committed himself to pursuing an operatic career. He was recommended by his mentor, the great soprano Leontyne Price, to attend The Juilliard School, where he was awarded a full scholarship.

Upcoming performances include his role debut of Don Jose in Carmen with Opera Africa, The Prince in John Adams’ A Flowering Tree with Cincinnati Opera and creating the role of Hassan in Judith Weir’s Achterbahn which will mark his forth world premiere by a modern composer at The Bregenzer Festspiel, A role he will further perform in his upcoming Covent Garden debut in 2012.

For more info on Noah, please visit his website at www.noahofficial.com or follow him on Twitter @noahsofficial 

Sneak peek behind the scenes

It really is an intimate atmosphere when you come to watch a recording of the show – the small select audience are never far from Alan and his guests.

Week 3 already ??

Not that we’re counting or anything, but we’re already into the third week of the new series.  Time flies by so fast when you’re in the studio – we do two shows a day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and by the time you’ve caught your breath you find a new week has started.

The weather is keeping a smile on all our faces though and most of the team have managed to top up their tans this weekend at some point or other.

Don’t miss Ross Kemp on today’s show, along with the lovely Simon Lycett talking royal flowers and lots of other fantastic gardening top tips. Later on in the week we’ve got Darcy Bussell, Olympians, Paralympians, John Craven and the first of our AT Team GB awards – for more info of how to nominate someone head on over to our Facebook page.

We spoil you, we really do!

All the best,

Alan

Join Myleene and Russell..

Monday 10th September

Join Myleene Klass and Russell Watson as they talk about the Classical Brit awards, which Myleene is presenting and in which Russell is nominated for an award.

For your chance to vote in the awards, visit the Classical Brit Awards website now – you can listen to excerpts from all the nominees and then cast your vote.

One lucky voter will also win two tickets to the awards, being held at The Royal Albert Hall in London on 2 October 2012.

The event will also be broadcast on ITV in October 2012.