They Arrived At An Inconvenient Time, I Was Hiding In A Room In My Mind

The lack of culture minister the vile and odious rascal Vaizey has suggested that the BBC's charter renewal need not be 'as protracted as the last renegotiation' nearly a decade ago and ruled out any changes to the BBC Trust. Vaizey said that he wanted the process of charter review – the BBC's royal charter is due to be renewed at the beginning of 2017 – to be 'a public process engaging as many people as possible.' But, he added: 'The last government conducted a three-year process of charter review. Whether that is necessary, again, is a matter for some contemplation and debate.' The BBC Trust and its chairman, Lord Patten, have come under fire over their handling of the Jimmy Savile fiasco and the corporation's response to the crisis, as well as the big pay-off awarded to former director general George Entwistle and the manner of the appointment of his successor, Tony Hall. Speaking at a Westminster Hall debate on the governance of the BBC on Wednesday afternoon, the vile and odious rascal Vaizey said: 'We are content with the model [of the BBC Trust] at the moment, but there is no doubt at all that people will have views as we undertake charter review. We don't want to change the BBC Trust model, but we do want to have an open debate about the future and issues to do with the BBC.' Patten is due to give evidence, alongside Hall, to members of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee on Thursday. It will be Hall's first appearance before MPs since he was appointed director general. The vile and odious rascal Vaizey said he had 'full confidence in the chairman of the trust and in the current trustees' but said it was 'quite clear the trust must rebuild trust in the BBC and in the BBC Trust itself.'

The best line of Wednesday night's episode of Scott & Bailey was a reminder of what an extraordinary comedy talent Amelia Bullmore is when delivering straight-faced dialogue like: 'We've found human remains in the cellar and, unless we've found somebody with three hands, we're looking at more than one body!'

The episode was also a reminder - if any were, actually, needed - of what a perfectly outstanding actress yer actual Nicola Walker her very self is.

Meanwhile, Suranne Jones has joked that she's trying to recapture her youth with a 'street' new nickname. The Scott & Bailey actress has revealed that she's been given an urban moniker by one of her co-stars. ‘My nickname is Jonesy, but Amelia Bullmore gave me a new one: Sura-Jo,' says Suranne, looking far less like the TARDIS than usual, it must be said. ‘She's Ami-Bu. Maybe we're trying to claw back our youth with street names.' Despite joshing about her age, the former Coronation Street star says that she enjoys learning new things as she gets older. ‘The bravest thing I've ever done is ask for help,' the actress told S Magazine. ‘I didn't do it so much when I was younger. Now, I'm happy to. It's an important life skill. Keeping problems to yourself is a terrible trait.'

Wee Shughie McFee, the sour-faced Scottish chef off Crossroads' latest exercise in bringing shit to the masses, the much-touted but, ultimately, risibly awful Food Glorious Food ended its nine-episode run with but two million viewers on Wednesday evening according to overnight data. Wee Shughie McFee, the sour-faced Scottish chef off Crossroads' culinary vanity project fronted by Carol Vorderman rose, marginally, from the previous week's overnight audience to 2.15m on ITV at 8pm. Opposite it, BBC1's MasterChef - which Wee Shughie McFee, the sour-faced Scottish chef off Crossroads had confidently predicted Food Glorious Food would 'crush' just a few short weeks ago, entered the semi-final stages, entertaining 4.76m at 8pm - or, over double the audience for Food Glorious Food. Back to the drawing board then, Wee Shughie, it would seem. Grizzly bear documentary Great Bear Stakeout attracted 3.59m to BBC1 at 9pm. That was more than Food Glorious Food got as well. Scott & Bailey was the most-watched show of the night outside of soaps, climbing from its last episode to 4.89m at 9pm. On BBC2, Coast brought in 2.09m at 8pm, while South Africa documentary This World achieved five hundred and sixty four thousand punters at 9pm. Channel Four's Phil Spencer: Secret Agent was seen by 1.32m at 8pm. Twenty Four Hours in A&E grabbed 2.28m at 9pm. Also more than what Food Glorious Food could manage. Satire show Ten O'Clock Live returned for a new series, with seven hundred and fifty six thousand tuning in at 10pm.

Eve Myles has admitted that she still hopes for a Torchwood comeback even though it's probably not going to. The actress - soon to be seen in a new BBC1 drama Frankie - told the CultBox website that the Doctor Who spin-off 'may' return to television 'now or, in twenty years time.' Or, not at all, which seems far more likely. 'We didn't come back for the fifth series,' she acknowledged. '[But] it's still there - it's still bubbling away. If it has ended in Hollywood, then we came from BBC3 to BBC2 to BBC1 to Hollywood - that's a drama in itself. Wonderful experience, wonderful memories.' Myles confirmed that she has 'heard nothing' about a potential fifth series, but added that she is 'eager' to reprise her role of Gwen Cooper. 'When [Russell Davies is] ready, if he is ever ready, then he's got people who love and adore it just as much as he does,' she said. Torchwood writer Chris Chibnall - who recently wrote the hit ITV crime drama Broadchurch - previously cast doubt on the likelihood of a fifth run. 'It's entirely down to Russell - I would expect he will have other things he'll want to write, to be honest,' he said.

Iain Banks has said that the messages of support he has received from fans since announcing he has terminal cancer have been astounding. On 3 April, the popular writer announced he was suffering from gall bladder cancer, saying it was 'extremely unlikely I'll live beyond a year.' Writing on Banksophilia, a website set up by a friend, he said: 'Good grief! What an outpouring of love, affection and respect. I honestly had no idea. I feel treasured.' He added: 'I am deeply flattered and touched, and I can't deny I've been made to feel very special indeed.' Iain's first novel The Wasp Factory was published in 1984 and was ranked as one of the best one hundred books of the Twentieth Century in a 1997 poll conducted by book chain Waterstone's and Channel Four. 'It's only the fact that I've been able to pre-announce my own demise that has allowed me to realise my portion of that love in full while I'm still around to appreciate it,' he wrote. 'Which has got me thinking; I need to tell other writers how much their work has meant to me while they are (and I am) still alive. I think I'll start with the amazing Mister Alasdair Gray.' The fifty nine-year-old wrote that he had recently returned to the UK following a short honeymoon in Venice and Paris with his wife Adele. His proposal, he revealed with trademark black humour, ended with the words: 'Will you do me the honour of becoming my widow?' Banks cancelled public engagements following his diagnosis and asked his publishers to bring forward the release of his new book The Quarry. The writer also writes acclaimed SF titles under the name Iain M Banks. His latest book The Hydrogen Sonata was released last year. In his latest post, he praised his fans as 'bright, clever, highly informed and sometimes worryingly more intelligent than me.' Why, thank you Iain. He added that he was, 'of course, deeply happy that I have attracted the attentions of a few of our - how can I put this politely? - more rationality-challenged friends.' The author had said there was little chance of surgeons being able to remove the tumours in his liver because of how far they had spread, but had since been offered health advice and links to medical trials that 'will be looked at seriously.' He signed off the message by saying he would continue to write updates 'for as long as I'm able.'

Soft-core pornographer Richard Desmond is understood to have 'quietly' made soundings about whether there is any appetite to potentially sell Channel Five to rivals including ITV, just three years after he acquired it from pan-European broadcaster RTL. This is according to the Gruniad Morning Star so, as usual with just about anything those hippy Communists write, take it with a pinch of salt. Alleged ITV 'sources' have, allegedly, confirmed that 'a very informal approach' has been made through intermediaries, although - the newspaper notes - 'it is notoriously difficult to divine Desmond's true intentions in testing the value of Channel Five in the market.' The approach is understood to have taken place several months ago. Desmond is believed to be keen on concentrating on his publishing empire – which includes the Daily Scum Express, the Sunday Scum Express, the Daily Lies and the Daily Lies Sunday as well as magazines including OK! – and has in the past expressed an ambition to buy the Sun from Rupert Murdoch's News International. In 2011 a thin information memorandum circulated which implied that Desmond was 'looking to offload a range of print assets', although nothing came of what associates of Desmond referred to as 'a fishing expedition' to test the market value of his portfolio. In a comment to Gruniad relating to that 2011 process, Desmond said: 'As a private shareholder from time to time it is nice to value your assets.' Something that most of the women who appear on his, if you will, 'adult' channels Television X and Red Hot TV certainly do. A spokeswoman for Desmond's media company, Northern & Shell, denied that Channel Five might be formally put up for sale. 'This is absolute nonsense, Channel Five is not for sale and we have not had any discussions to that effect,' she claimed. Members of ITV's senior management team are understood to have 'informally discussed' the idea of a Channel Five bid, concluding that it was 'an unlikely prospect' at the current time. An ITV spokesman said: 'We do not comment on speculation.' Unlike the Gruniad who did little else but. ITV's portfolio of channels command close to fifty per cent of the total TV advertising spend in the UK annually, making any bid for Channel Five a near certainty for close scrutiny by the Competition Commission. Nevertheless in 2010, ITV expressed an interest in buying Virgin Media's fifty per cent stake in UKTV, owner of channels including Dave and Gold, which was eventually acquired by the American company Scripps. Separately, Desmond could potentially find scope for further cost savings by hiving off Channel Five's TV advertising sales under contract to Channel Four, which already handles airtime sales for UKTV. Channel Four controls about twenty eight per cent of the total UK television advertising market and increasing much beyond this through a potential deal with Channel Five is also likely to raise competition concerns. ITV and Channel Five's terrestrial licences are currently in the final stage of renegotiation with Ofcom for a ten-year renewal, from the beginning of 2015 to 2024. Channel Five has said it was 'happy' to renew without changes to its public service broadcasting commitments, and if Desmond were to sell after the licence renewal is finalised then any new owner would be bound by the terms, including a new commitment to broadcast at least six hundred hours hours of UK-originated children's programmes a year as part of Milkshake, its children's strand. The vile and odious rascal Miller, the lack of culture secretary, indicated in late 2012 that ITV and Channel Five would get their licences renewed.

The Great British Sewing Bee has been given a second series. The BBC confirmed this week that the show will return in 2014 for a six episode run. Controller of BBC2 Janice Hadlow said: 'I'm delighted that BBC2 viewers have taken this series to their hearts. It has proved that an ill-fitting zip or badly placed dart can make for compelling television in much the same way as a soggy bottom on The Great British Bake-Off and I can't wait for the next series.' Tuesday night's series finale was watched by 2.7 million viewers. The Great British Sewing Bee was hosted by Claudia Whatsherface and featured eight competitors, the winner being eighty one-year-old Ann. The series is commissioned for BBC Features by Hadlow, alongside commissioning editor Alison Kirkham and commissioning executive Emma Willis. It will be executive produced by Anna Beattie for Love Productions.

Posters promoting an energy drink which featured the word 'pussy' in large letters have been banned by the advertising watchdog for being 'likely to cause serious and widespread offence.' To dogs, presumably? The advertising campaign, which used the strapline 'The drink's pure, it's your mind that's the problem' alongside the word 'pussy' in large type, attracted almost one hundred and sixty complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority. From people without anything better to do with their time, it would appear. Complainants said that the advert was 'offensive' as the word 'pussy' is 'sexually explicit' and that it is derogatory, sexist and degrading to women. Which, in some contexts it might be but, in others, it clearly isn't. Are You Being Served? for one. Others complained it was 'unsuitable' to run where children could see the posters. Pussy Drinks claimed it was 'ironic' that people were complaining given that its strapline pointed out that the drink was pure and it was viewers' minds which were tainted. It also, rather disingenuously, pointed out that the Oxford English Dictionary definition of pussy is 'a cat, particularly a kitten.' Which is true. Although ,to be fair, the same entry also gives an alternative definition as 'The female pudendum.' Once again, context is king. Or, in this case, queen. Like a small cat their drink symbolically had the traits of being cool, beautiful, feline and natural – with some attitude. The ASA said that the adverts did not directly link the word 'pussy' with women and so was not derogatory or sexist to women. However, it said: 'We nonetheless concluded that because the ad made express reference to the dual meaning of the word "pussy", it would be understood to be intended as a sexually explicit reference which, in the context in which it appeared was likely to cause serious and widespread offence.' The ASA said that the advert could be seen by children of all ages. 'We considered that because the ad made express reference to the dual meaning of the word "pussy", it would be understood by some older children to be intended as an offensive or sexually explicit reference, and concluded that the ad was unsuitable to appear where it could be seen by children.' The ASA banned the advert saying it must not appear again in its current form.

Former England forward yer actual Matt Le Tissier made his Guernsey FC début in their 4-2 defeat by Colliers Wood United. The forty four-year-old came off the bench for the last ten minutes as Guernsey played the eleventh of sixteen games scheduled for April as they battle through a fixture pile-up. 'In all honesty, while it might be exciting for the fans, it's not a good sign for us,' Guernsey assistant boss Colin Fallaize told BBC Guernsey. 'It means we were struggling to get a squad together.' Le Tissier is an honorary president of the club and made five hundred and forty one appearances for Southampton, winning eight caps for England. He was registered by Guernsey earlier this season, despite not having played a professional game since 2002. Fallaize added: 'Matt's as good as gold and travelled down to help us out with squad numbers, but as Matt would also say himself, it's not a good sign that he's there as it means we're in trouble numbers-wise.' Guernsey face three games in as many days between Friday 26 and Sunday 28 April as they try and get through a backlog of games caused by the combination of the club's run to the semi-final of the FA Vase and wet weather which meant their Footes Lane ground was unplayable for much of December, January and February. Matt Loaring hit the crossbar early on for Guernsey before Alex Le Prevost gave them a nineteenth-minute lead. Colliers Wood equalised after thirty seven minutes before Loaring put the Green Lions back in front sixty seconds later. But the home side levelled two minutes before half-time and went ahead eleven minutes after the break. They completed their win with a seventy second-minute goal which means second-placed Guernsey remain eighteen points off Combined Counties Premier Division leaders Egham Town with five games in hand. 'At the moment we're a little bit below par and mentally and physically weary and other teams are up for it,' Fallaize said. 'It was the first time in a long time that we've lost back-to-back games and we've got to find a way to pull ourselves out of it.' But Fallaize says something must be done to prevent fixture pile-ups. Guernsey will play twenty league games between the start of April and 6 May, including four in a row over the Bank Holiday weekend. 'It's ridiculous, but that's the nature of the beast. That's the way it's fallen on our plate and we have to deal with it,' he added. 'I think it's a ridiculous situation and any organisation that runs football should have a look at it.'

Liverpool Alabama Yee-Haws striker Luis Suarez has been banned for ten games by the Football Association for biting Moscow Chelski's Branislav Ivanovic. The incident happened during Sunday's 2-2 draw between the sides. The twenty six-year-old later apologised, extremely insincerely, for biting the Moscow Chelski FC defender and was fined by Liverpool Alabama Yee-Haws on Monday. Meanwhile, when the Torygraph filmed fan reaction outside Liverpool's ground, Anfield, one specimen of humanity noted that there was 'hardly a mark' on Ivanovic's arm and, therefore, Suarez should not be banned at all and it was all part of some massive southern-based conspiracy to deprive Liverpool Alabama Yee_haws of their rightful place as the greatest football team the world has ever seen. Or something. The club, who have until Friday to appeal, said they were 'shocked and disappointed' at the length of the suspension. The Uruguay international Suarez had accepted the FA charge of violent conduct - not that there was much else he could have done, frankly - but, he claimed that his ban should be three games, the standard punishment for violent conduct. The FA, seemingly, disagreed. The ban covers Liverpool's final four games of this season and the first six games of 2013-14 - which could mean Suarez not playing again until October. An FA statement read: 'A three-person independent regulatory commission today upheld the FA's claim that a suspension of three matches was clearly insufficient and the player will serve a further seven first-team matches in addition to the standard three. The suspension begins with immediate effect. The Liverpool forward had accepted a charge of violent conduct but had denied the FA's claim that the standard three-match sanction was insufficient for the offence. The incident was not seen by the match officials and has therefore been retrospectively reviewed.' Suarez has until midday on Friday to appeal [against] the additional suspension, above the standard three matches.' Reds managing director, odious greed bucket Ian Ayre said: 'Both the club and player are shocked and disappointed at the severity of today's independent regulatory commission decision. We await the written reasons tomorrow before making any further comment.' Sadly, no one had the gumption to inform odious greed bucket Ian Ayre that the entire football world was 'shocked and disappointed' at one player biting another player on the pitch in the belief that such an action was an acceptable form of behaviour and that, frankly, Liverpool Alabama Yee-Haws and Suarez himself ought to consider themselves damned lucky the player wasn't banned for life for such a disgusting occurrence. One wonders if Suarez had done such a thing on Penny Lane and been seen by an officer of the law exactly how long in stir he'd be doing. This is not, let us never forget, the first time that Suarez has been charged with such an offence. He was banned for seven games when he was at Ajax after biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal's shoulder during a match in November 2010. During his time at Liverpool, he has also received an eight-match ban and forty grand fine by the FA for racially abusing Patrice Evra in December 2011. BBC football pundit Mark Lawrenson, a former Liverpool defender, told BBC Radio 5Live: 'I think they will appeal and might get it to eight. He's now becoming a constant offender. There's probably a sheet of A4 paper with all his offences over his career. He needs to learn quickly. It's distracting for everyone. Even if it gets reduced to eight, that's twenty per cent of the season. Liverpool are going to have to make a decision on his future. He and Ivanovic had a few niggles before the incident but nothing really seriously untoward. Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard said maybe he needs some help - he obviously does. At the moment it's to the detriment of the football club. You wonder what he will do next. [Suarez leaving Liverpool] is a possibility. But any business where you have an asset worth thirty or forty million pounds, nobody is going to sack him.' Suarez is on the six-man shortlist for the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year award and PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor earlier said: 'It would be embarrassing if he is named player of the year. But we have got to deal with it and make sure he is player of the year not just in a footballing sense but as a human being as well and we will be trying to do that.' Liverpool Supporters Club chairman Richard Pedder said: 'I don't think it's a shock, I think he deserves everything he gets. It's down to the club to tell him "this is your last chance." He won't leave [this summer]. They shouldn't have said anything and just accepted the ban. With them releasing a statement, it's going to go on and on again and we want it closed. We haven't had enough but we're concerned. Nobody is bigger than the club.' Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge said: 'It's a massive hit for both the player and the club. But he has to control it, for the sake of himself and Liverpool Football Club, he can not let anything go wrong on the pitch again.' Former FA chief executive Mark Pallios said: 'They do have the latitude in their regulations to do this. Tomorrow we will see in the written reasons the weighting they have given to the image of the game and his previous record. It's a strong statement from the FA. Biting has no part of the game but tackling does. You expect to get tackled and that's more subjective.' Former FA compliance officer Graham Bean thinks Suarez's claim that a three-game ban would be the right punishment could have been behind the length of the suspension: 'I expected it to be seven or eight. He challenged the FA with a ridiculous assumption that three games was sufficient and that may have backfired on him. There is a degree of window dressing, the FA trying to send a message out as a PR exercise.' Remember, dear blog reader, biting is just like kissing, only there's a winner.

Lancashire batsman Jordan Clark has hit six sixes in one over in a second XI game against Yorkshire at Scarborough, off left-arm spinner Gurham Randhawa. Clark, twenty two, is only the fifth player to achieve this feat in professional cricket and the first Englishman. West Indies legend Sir Garfield Sobers was the first to hit six sixes in an over for Nottinghamshire in 1968 against Glamorgan. India's Ravi Shastri matched him in 1984, then Herschelle Gibbs and Yuvraj Singh both repeated the feat in 2007 in one day matches. Clark joined Lancashire's academy in 2008 and after making his one-day debut for the first team in 2010, he was part of the Second XI Trophy-winning side last season. The Whitehaven-born youngster is yet to make his County Championship début for the Red Rose county, but has featured in five one-day and nine Twenty20 matches. He told BBC Sport: 'I was batting against spin, the wicket wasn't a massive turner. I thought I needed to step it up a little bit. I hit the first few pretty well, had a chat to my team-mate, and I just carried on really.' He added: 'I put them all the same way, over leg. I thought he was going to try to mix it up, especially the last two balls but they just landed in the same spot. I just remember feeling a bit of pressure on the last ball and thinking "I have got to have a crack." I can't really remember [if the bowler said anything]. I just remember a lot of the lads were cheering and there was a lot of noise in the dressing room.' Clark hopes his feat can help him to cement a first XI place. He said: 'Hopefully, six sixes is a massive bonus, trying to produce a big score was my main aim, hopefully it will turn a few heads.' Sobers and Shastri's accomplishments both came in domestic first-class cricket, the latter for Bombay. South Africa opener Gibbs's feat at the 2007 World Cup was the first time it had been achieved in international cricket, while India all-rounder Yuvraj joined the select group at the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 later that year against England.

This very evening, dear blog reader, yer actual Keith Telly Topping his very self will be attending Uncle Scunthorpe's latest Record Player event at the Tyneside. Tonight, as it happens, we're out on the wild and windy moors with Katie's The Kick Inside. Not a record yer actual Keith Telly Topping is a huge fan of, let it be noted, but, I've sat through two LPs of Rush before so this should be a doddle. Plus, I've always rather liked this one, which is today's Keith Telly Topping's 45 of the Day.

Actually, come to think of it, I've always rather liked this one as well.

Random

Oskar McNamara, who played the eleven-year-old murder victim in ITV's Broadchurch, is keen to emulate his co-star David Tennant and land a role in Doctor Who. On paper, Oskar's introduction to acting sounds like a pretty cushy gig – lie around on the beach for a few hours, shoot a couple of brief flashback scenes and then, go home. But as Danny Latimer, the murdered schoolboy at the centre of the ITV crime drama, the scenes in which McNamara did get to perform were challenging to say the least. Just twelve years old when he began filming the series, McNamara was impressive in a sensitive two-hander which revealed Danny was meeting for 'cuddles' with his eventual killer Joe Miller. Short as it was, it suggests that he is a talented young actor with a bright future ahead of him. Turns out that he’s an ambitious little chap too, and would love to emulate his Broadchurch co-stars David Tennant and Arthur Darvill by one day appearing in his favourite show, Doctor Who. 'I am a big Doctor Who fan. I really love it and have all the DVD's and figures,' he admitted to Radio Times. Now approaching his fourteenth birthday, Oskar has exams at school this summer and – aware that acting is not always the easiest way to make a living – is keen to continue into higher education. But, acting lessons are also on the cards too – and if he gets his way, Tennant and Darvill will not be the only Broadchurch stars to spend some time in the TARDIS.

As Rory Williams, The Doctor's companion, Arthur Darvill is used to travelling quickly through time and space. However, as of this week he'll be falling slowly in love, nightly, starring in the TONY award-winning musical Once. Arty, who played the vicar Paul Coates in ITV's hit murder mystery Broadchurch, will take over as Guy at the Bernard B Jacobs theatre in New York, while British actor Joanna Christie, who starred alongside Daniel Radcliffe in Equus, will step into the role of Girl. The pair will replace temporary leads Ben Hope and Laura Dreyfuss, both of whom will return to understudying. Both actors will be making their Broadway débuts in John Tiffany's production, which picked up eight TONY awards last year, including best musical and best leading actor in a musical, which went to original star Steve Kazee. Cristin Milioti, who played the role of Girl, was nominated in the equivalent category. Christie has said she that was considering leaving the profession before getting the part. 'I've nearly given up acting twice now,' she told the Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 'About six years ago, just before I landed the role in Equus in the West End, and again just before getting this job, when I was literally about to apply to Cambridge for a master's in anthropology.' Meanwhile Arthur, though best known for his screen roles, has built up a considerable theatrical CV, having starred in Our Boys and Swimming with Sharks in the West End and played Mephistopheles in Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus at Shakespeare's Globe. A talented lad, he has also written songs for several musically-inclined plays, including Been So Long – nominated for best new musical at the 2009 Evening Standard theatre awards – and The Lightning Child, which will premiere this summer, also at the Globe. Based on the independent Irish film of the same name, Once opened in the West End earlier this month, garnering a string of favourable reviews.

Meanwhile, here's yet another shot of former national heartthrob Wavey-Davy Tennant on location with Smugder his very self for the Doctor Who anniversary special. Quality.

The latest in the Sherlock crew's 'beautiful morning' series of tweets from the set of series three was 'Beautiful morning for a crane shot', from director of photography Steve Lawes, together with a sunny canalside snap from The Sign of Three location shoot. Will Sherlock and John be messing about on boats in this adventure in a big gay-boy sytle(e)? Or, perhaps, the happy couple from 'the wedding' are off honeymooning on a barge? Time, as usual, will tell.

For more than a year, fans of the hit BBC drama Sherlock have been scratching their heads, trying to work out how the title character cheated death. Except for the clever ones who think they've already worked it out, of course. At the end of the last series, viewers were - according to the Sun's usual crass hyperbole, anyway - 'left open-mouthed' as Benedict Cumberbatch's character apparently plunged from a hospital roof to his death – before turning up at his own graveside at the episode's climax. Well, pictures published in the odious tabloid (which currently has many of its journalists waiting trial for, allegedly, doing naughty deals with The Law - charges which they all deny, of course) last week showed one way that Sherlock could have pulled it off - and tricked his friend John Watson – with the help of illusionist Derren Brown. The master of mesmerism and prestidigitation was spotted on the set of the third series recently and, the Sun claims, alleged 'insiders' have allegedly suggested that Dazzling Dezza's 'alter-ego' (whoever that is) could be responsible for hypnotising Martin Freeman's character. Well, John was certainly seen bumping into someone on a bike just before Sherlock apparently went pavement diving in The Reichenbach Fall. Most of us assumed it was either a Baker Street irregular distracting him for that vital moment whilst Molly performed a body-swap, or one of Mycroft's Diogenes Club spooks administering a dose of brain-altering Baskerville gas to poor old John. But, was what we all thought we saw, quite, what we think we thought we saw? Err ... hang on, I had it there for a second but it's gone now. Is it the truth, or are we just seeing a red herring in this tangled mystery? New scenes apparently show John Watson screaming and running to where Sherlock had fallen to his death. But before he can get to his friend, he collapses to the ground, only to be met by a mysterious man. Following the encounter, which lasts mere seconds, Watson once again falls to the floor, while Derren is seen running off hidden under an anorak hood. While Derren looked menacing with a shaven head, there was an even scarier presence in the shape of Andrew Scott's Jim Moriarty, Sherlock's nemesis, the Sun allege - although no pictures have yet emerged of Andrew on-set. But, they conclude, 'it is unclear whether he will be seen in more than the flashback to Sherlock's "death."' No shit?

Jeremy Clarkson and his Top Gear colleagues have previously got into trouble for 'executing outlandish stunts', reports the Independent. Mostly trouble wholly caused by a variety of journalistic lice at the Gruniad Morning Star and the Daily Scum Mail and cared about not a jot by anyone that actually matters. However, despite being blamed by disgruntled motorists for shutting down a Dutch motorway earlier this month, the programme-makers it would seem, had nothing to do with the ensuing drama. Dutch police have now issue a wholly grovelling apology for the actions of 'a single colleague' after an April Fool's day message appeared on a national police website declaring that a twenty mile section of the ten-lane A2 motorway between Amsterdam and Utrecht would be closed while the BBC's Top Gear (very popular in the Netherlands) filmed a sequence. It claimed the major stretch of motorway would be used by the programme-makers to attempt to set a new world-speed record on a public road. The message, which was uploaded on Easter Sunday and remained for over an hour before being removed, is thought to have caused major disruption for those wishing to travel during the Bank Holiday. A Dutch police spokesman said: 'It was an action of a single colleague who did not think about the possible consequences.' The fake message stated that Jezza, Richard Hammond and James May would try to break a world record speed of two hundred and eighty six miles per hour. Sounds like a rather good idea, actually. What about next Bank Holiday?

This week sees the worldwide release of The Lonely Dodo, a four-minute Aardman short created for international conservation charity, Durrell, to highlight the worldwide plight of endangered species. To raise awareness of its vital work Durrell secured input from long-term supporters and friends of the charity Stephen Fry and Alistair McGowan, who share the organisation's passion for its vision of saving species from extinction. Durrell collaborated with Academy award-winning animation studio Aardman and brand agency Frameworks to produce an endearing film around an incredibly powerful concept. It uses the dodo's extinction, imagined from the perspective of the very last dodo on earth, to communicate the plight of other species around the world that are now in danger of extinction. We watch The Lonely Dodo travel across the globe in search of another of his kind, and cannot help but be moved by the flightless bird's fruitless quest to find a mate. Stephen's dry narration is superb, conveying the serious message in an amusing and memorable fashion. The short film was specifically scripted and produced to engage with potential supporters on an emotional level; telling the story of the lonesome dodo, who has been entertainingly brought to life by McGowan, as he realises he, is in, fact the very last of his kind. Commenting on his involvement, Stephen said: 'We know that currently there are more species either in the process of becoming extinct or in grave danger of doing so, than ever before in the history of man. Stemming this otherwise inevitable flow towards the loss of nature and all that it provides requires engaging the next generation, I wholeheartedly support the work of Durrell as they aim to inspire young hearts and minds to empathise with, and thus care, for the plight of endangered species.'

Steve November, ITV head of continuing drama, has been confirmed as Laura Mackie's replacement as the broadcaster's director of drama. November has been acting director of drama since Mackie and ITV controller of drama commissioning Sally Haynes announced in January that they were leaving to set up their own independent production company. As head of continuing drama since 2008 he has overseen shows including Law and Order, DCI Banks, Whitechapel, Scott & Bailey, Foyle's War and Life of Crime. November has been with ITV for thirteen years, starting out as an Emmerdale story editor and going on to work as a producer on the Yorkshire-set soap and Coronation Street. Mackie and Haynes are due to leave ITV at the end of June.

Crystal Palace fans have the chance to get hold of VIP tickets to see yer actual Eddie Izzard his very self next month. Action transvestite and marathon man Eddie, a Palace fan (which, I must admit, I never knew) and Associate Director at the club, has donated VIP tickets for a couple of his shows this summer to help raise funds for the CPFC Youth Academy. The tickets are now on sale to Palace fans, their family and friends including backstage passes to meet Eddie after the performance. I presume, you have to prove you're a Palace fan to qualify. There'll be some sort of pop quiz involved like, naming Mel Blyth's boot size or recalling how many defenders Don Rogers dribbled past to score that goal in the 5-0 drubbing of The Scum in 1972. Ah, Don Rogers. Where are you now with your snake-hips and your Village People-style 'tache? A club spokesman said: 'As one of the world's best loved stand-ups it is no wonder that tickets for Eddie's shows are always amongst the most highly sought after. So this offer to our own supporters will be a truly memorable experience and would make a perfect gift for any fan of the award winning comedian.' There are a limited number of pairs of tickets available for the 7 and 8 May at the Brighton Centre and 11 and 12 May 11 at Wembley Arena. Obligatory Malcolm Allison-style fedora must be worn.

The BBC has commissioned a new drama charting the final days of Dylan Thomas. A Poet in New York - written by Andrew Davies - will mark the centenary of the Welsh poet's birth. Set in New York and Laugharne, the drama will explore how the thirty nine-year-old Thomas died in a smog-ridden New York in November 1953. Griff Rhys Jones will act as executive producer via his company Modern Television, while Room at the Top's Aisling Walsh will direct. Rhys Jones said: 'Andrew Davies has written a moving, exciting and sensitive script about the tragic end of a huge figure. It does full justice to Dylan and his legacy.' Only he said it in that sort of staccato, machine-gun Griff Rhys Jones type way. Until he realises that he's talking a bit too fast and deliberately. Slows. Right. Down. Davies added: 'It's been such a privilege and a pleasure to work on this film; Dylan Thomas was a huge inspiration to me as I was growing up in a very similar environment to his in South Wales. Although the script centres on his last days in New York, and the circumstances of his tragically early death, I want above all to celebrate his extraordinary, charismatic personality, his unforgettable poetry, and his passionate and stormy relationship with his wife Caitlin.' Casting on A Poet in New York is yet to be confirmed, with filming set to commence in late summer in Cardiff and Laugharne. A Poet in New York will be broadcast on BBC2 and BBC1 Wales in 2014. There's lovely, isn't it?

BBC3's army comedy Bluestone Forty Two has been picked up for a second series, it has been confirmed. The Richard Hurst and James Cary sitcom about a bomb disposal unit in Afghanistan has pulled in strong ratings for the broadcaster and, broadly, very positive critique. BBC3's head-honcho Zai Bennett (the rank tosser that once cancelled Ideal, remember) has ordered a new run of episodes. 'I'm incredibly proud of this bold, brave and hugely funny comedy drama series which has been enjoying big audiences on BBC3,' said Bennett. 'The cast, crew and writers have played an absolute blinder in this important series which completes and complements BBC3's already extensive coverage of the war in Afghanistan.' Mark Freeland, head of BBC comedy, said: 'In-house comedy is at its best when we try extraordinary and slightly scary things. I believe Bluestone Forty Two is both. We tried to excite audiences, as well as respect the subject matter and those in conflict. The team cannot wait to pick up this challenge again.'

Broadchurch actor Matthew Gravelle has revealed that he struggled to keep his role as the murderer in the final episode a secret. Gravelle's character Joe Miller was revealed to be Danny Latimer's killer in Monday's episode of the ITV drama. The actor explained that he had to lie to fans who asked him for information about the finale, after Joe became the bookmakers' favourite to be the killer over the last couple of weeks. Gravelle told the Sun: 'I don't think anyone expected this kind of response from the audience, because this kind of drama happens so rarely on TV. The worst of the questioning had been in the school yard. When I was dropping the kids off, the parents of their friends were coming up from the start. Initially, they were joking that they didn't think the killer was me. But by the end they were all slightly suspiciously asking: "Is it actually you?" I'm looking forward to being able to relax around people now. It will be nice not being so cloak-and-dagger and having to tell lies about what happens. I had grown a massive beard while the show was on, but I was made to shave it off last week. So I might need to wear dark glasses now!' Matthew also revealed that he was not told about his character's involvement in the killing until writer Chris Chibnall informed him ahead of filming the finale. He said: 'During filming I didn't think it was me until Chris phoned to tell me. Watching it live with the nation, it seems more obvious that I should have suspected it was me all along. I never had a solid theory about who the killer was, but I did take a punt that it might be Pauline Quirke's character or the vicar played by Arthur Darvill. Not knowing really helped because everyone in the cast wanted it to be them, so there was an element of ambiguity to the way things played out - an edge. There was an uncertainty to it which seeped into performances and could be read as guilt. And not knowing who the killer was made it fun to point the finger.' Speaking about his character, Gravelle added: 'I had thought of Joe as a good guy, so when I found out about the immense duplicity I had to unpick what I knew to make him plausible as a killer. It was an interesting challenge, but Chris had written the character so well that it wasn't so hard. What is great about Joe is that even at the end, he isn't sinister. He genuinely doesn't know how or why this happened.'

It was, said Danny Baker, 'the contest the world wanted to see.' Radio 4's John Humphrys coming in to do The Sausage Sandwich Game on Danny's cult Saturday morning 5Live show. The idea of the game is that two callers must try to predict the guests' answers to three questions, the last always being which sauce they would take on a sausage sandwich - red sauce, brown sauce or no sauce at all. So, was this to be a contest between Danny and John, or John and the two listeners predicting his answers to the questions, or John and the ultimate sausage sandwich challenge? It was all three, as it turned out. 'I'll knock you into a cocked hat,' John began but when Danny explained the rules, John tried pathos, 'What if I forget?' he whined. When Danny attempted the metaphor of a human pyramid to show how the game works, John turned severe. 'Define human,' snapped the man who often has politicians a quivering wreck on the Today show. 'Define pyramid!' It got even hotter in the game itself. Had John ever set off a fire alarm? He went one better. He had, he claimed, once burned his own house down. Had he ever won anything at a funfair? John grew suddenly mock tearful, and said that he was in a state of trauma at never having had that kind of success. 'Why do you think I go on that Radio 4 programme and try to prove I can win at something?' he added, something the Prime Minister might care to remember next time he does Today. What he would like to win, John added, is a dukedom and fifty thousand acres. On the big sausage sandwich question, John said that he'd go for Dijon mustard. As the choice is between red sauce, brown sauce or no sauce at all, this was hardly in the spirit of the game, although funnily enough it was exactly what one of the listeners had suggested he might say! That made the contest between the two listeners predicting his answers into a draw. The tie-breaker was: is John (or has he ever been) a member of a video club? So, dear blog reader, what do you think? A psychologist would have found this encounter between two broadcasting legends of radio most instructive.

On a broadly related subject, dear blog reader, Danny's oppo lovely Lynsey Hipgrave was something of the talk of Twitter after a highyl impressive Europa League début for ITV4 a couple of weeks ago. The thirty three-year-old Newcastle United fan was promoted to the hot seat - after fronting Europa League and Premier League matches for the Arabic sports channel Al Jazeera - for ITV's coverage of her (and yer actual Keith Telly Topping's, for that matter) beloved Toon facing crack Portuguese side Benfica in the quarter final. One Jerry Pembleton (no, me neither) tweeted: 'Someone called Lynsey Hipgrave doing the ITV coverage on Newcastle. Already like her more than Adrian Chiles.' Not saying much though, is it, Jezza? I mean, this blogger likes Sunderland more than he likes odious sour-faced greed-bucket Adrian Chiles. Unfortunately for Lynsey she will not be able to present any more Newcastle matches in Europe this season as Alan Pardew's side lost 4-2 on aggregate after a brave (but, ultimately futile) 1-1 draw at St James' Park. Lynsey is married to Toploader guitarist and Dan Hipgrave (who is a fan of The Scum, apparently. Which, given the fact he was born in Brighton makes him a local boy compared to most of the suport at Old Trafford). Men traditionally get the main presenting slots in football, there's Chiles, of course whilst the BBC use former England captain Gary Lineker to front their coverage. However, with Gaby Logan and Clare Balding highly respected for their broadcasting skills, Lynsey may soon be destined to join them on the road to more mainstream broadcasting opportunities. After helping Danny Baker to a second Sony award in 2012, she said: 'You couldn't really call it work to be honest because you just go in and have fun for two hours.'

A 'close personal friend' of Prince William and Prince Harry is suing News International over alleged bad and naughty phone-hacking by the Scum of the World. Harry Meade has filed a civil claim against News Group Newspapers, the News International subsidiary which used to publish the disgraced and disgraceful shit-stirring and muck-raking Sunday tabloid, at the high court in London. Meade has been close to the princes for over a decade, on occasion appearing in tabloid articles about 'the antics' of Prince Harry. He hosted the now-infamous fancy dress party in 2005 where Prince Harry wore a swastika armband, prompting something of an international furore and a swift apology from Clarence House. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended Meade's wedding in October 2010 in an appearance that prompted speculation, later confirmed, that they were engaged. Meade is one of eight fresh phone-hacking claims filed against News International in the past month. Another claiming damages for breach of privacy is Doctor Hasnat Khan, a former acquaintance of Princess Diana. An eminent heart and lung surgeon, Khan had a two-year relationship with the princess which ended months before her death in 1997. He told the Scum Mail on Sunday last year after discovering that his voicemails may have been intercepted: 'To know that someone has been listening to your private messages is awful. It is absolutely terrible. It feels as if you have been robbed. We live in the UK. We are supposed to have civil liberties. I feel really, really violated. I am very angry.' Others to have filed claims against News International in the past four weeks are Susan Katona, the mother of waste-of-space reality TV hasbeen Kerry and former Atomic Kitten performer Jenny Frost. Others named in court documents are Dionne Lazette Webber, Ronald George Gray and Jonathan M W Sedgwick. On Friday, the high court heard that eight others – including Matthew Doyle, former deputy director of communications for Tony Blair when he was prime minister, and ex-Blue Peter presenter John Leslie – have accepted undisclosed (but, hopefully, massive) damages from News International over phone-hacking by the Scum of the World. They are among a total of one hundred and forty nine to have settled civil cases against the newspaper group since the height of the hacking saga in 2011. A spokeswoman for News International said: 'We are looking at the details of all these claims.'

Surrey Police were 'aware' of allegations that murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone had been hacked by the Scum of the World as early as 2002 but they failed to investigate, a police watchdog has said. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said there was knowledge of the allegations 'at all levels' of the 2002 investigation into Milly's murder. The IPCC said senior officers had 'collective amnesia' in their inquiry. Surrey Police said it should have revisited the phone-hacking allegations after the murder investigation. The findings follow an investigation into the conduct of two senior officers, Deputy Chief Constable Craig Denholm and temporary Detective Superintendent Maria Woodall. The IPCC concluded that neither were guilty of misconduct. Surrey Police said it had taken 'management action and issued words of advice' to both. IPCC deputy chair Deborah Glass said: 'Phone-hacking was a crime and this should have been acted upon, if not in 2002, then later, once the News of the World's widespread use of phone-hacking became a matter of public knowledge and concern. Our investigation has heard from officers and former officers from Surrey Police who have expressed surprise and dismay that it wasn't investigated. We have not been able to uncover any evidence, in documentation or witness statements, of why and by whom that decision was made: former senior officers, in particular, appear to have been afflicted by a form of collective amnesia in relation to the events of 2002. This is perhaps not surprising, given the events of 2011 and the public outcry that the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone produced."' Thirteen-year-old Milly disappeared in March 2002, as she walked home in Walton-on-Thames. Levi Bellfield was given a whole-life jail term last year after being found guilty of abducting and killing her. The now defunct Scum of the World admitted hacking the thirteen-year-old's mobile phone although it remains unknown whether two missing messages were deleted deliberately, as was suggested, or were removed from her message box automatically. The revelation that Milly Dowler's voicemail had been hacked led to public outrage over British media ethics, and led to News International closing the Sunday tabloid in shame and ignominy in 2011. Prime Minister David Cameron announced the setting up of Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into press standards and practices as a consequence of the phone-hacking scandal.

The Sun's royal editor, an ex-Sandhurst Army officer, his wife and a former pharmacy assistant at the military academy, are to be charged as part of Operation Elveden. Sun journalist Duncan Larcombe will be charged with a conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, along with John and Claire Hardy, the CPS said. Tracey Bell will be charged with misconduct in public office. They will appear before the beak at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 8 May. In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service said that John Hardy had served as a Colour Sergeant at the Royal Military training academy. 'It is alleged that from 10 February 2006 to 15 October 2008, thirty four payments were made to either John Hardy or Claire Hardy totalling over twenty three thousand quid for stories relating mainly to the Royal Family or matters at Sandhurst,' it said. 'In addition we have concluded that Tracy Bell should be charged with one count of misconduct in public office. Tracy Bell was employed by the Ministry of Defence as a pharmacy assistant at Sandhurst Medical Centre. It is alleged that Tracy Bell received one thousand two hundred and fifty pounds between 17 October 2005 and 7 July 2006 relating to five articles published in the Sun regarding matters at Sandhurst.' It added that there was 'insufficient evidence' to charge a second member of the public with any criminal offence. The charges come on the same day that a former police officer has been arrested as part of the investigation into alleged illegal payments by journalists to public officials. The forty one-year-old, who used to be in the Surrey Police force, was arrested at his home in Sussex at 06:00 as part of Operation Elveden. He is currently being interviewed at a Sussex police station on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He becomes the sixty second person to be arrested during the investigation. Of those arrested, so far thirteen have or will face court action. They include four former police officers and seven journalists. Operation Elveden is running alongside Operation Weeting, the investigation into allegations of phone-hacking and Operation Tuleta, which is looking at computer hacking and other nefarious skulduggery, malarkey, shenanigans and naughty wrongness.

The defamation bill has been passed in the House of Lords. The law was passed by a majority of seventy eight in the second house after a three-year battle by campaigners. As part of a late amendment to the legislation, companies will have to demonstrate 'serious financial harm' before suing for libel. 'This amendment makes clear that bodies trading for profit must have suffered or be likely to suffer serious financial loss in order to satisfy the serious harm test for bringing a defamation claim,' a Ministry of Justice spokesman said. 'The aim of the bill is to reform the law of defamation to ensure that a fair balance is struck between the right to freedom of expression and the protection of reputation,' its official summary reads. 'The bill makes a number of substantive changes to the law of defamation, but is not designed to codify the law into a single statute.' The bill will now proceed to Royal Assent.

Carol Vorderman has claimed that 'a top BBC executive' once told her she would never make it in TV because her breasts 'aren't big enough.' To which, presumably, she replied, 'I bet you'd like two from the top and the rest from anywhere you chose.' Allegedly. The Loose Women host claims that she contacted several broadcasts in 1985 to progress her presenting career following her début on Countdown three years earlier. Describing her experience at the BBC, Vorderman told the Scum Mail on Sunday: 'It wasn't an interview for a particular job - it was just a meeting with one of the very big bosses on the sixth floor at Television Centre. He arrived an hour late. Eventually he came in. He'd been drinking. He sat in his chair and he put his feet on the desk. He looked at me and said, "So what do you want to do?" I replied, "If there are any jobs, I'd be very interested to hear about anything and I'm just really coming to meet you so that you could take my name and consider me for things in the future." He said, "Nah love, your tits aren't big enough'. I mean, can you imagine?"' Vorderman - whom this blogger has always thought had a perfectly serviceable pair of fulsome funbags (and, a brain too) - didn't report the incident, but later went on to present the BBC science programme Tomorrow's World in the 1990s. She added: 'I don't hold resentments. Life and times have moved on. Now a lot of the bosses are women so you just wouldn't get that. But that was the time we lived in.' The BBC called the executive's alleged comments as 'completely unacceptable' and said that it would 'look into' the claims. It might've helped if she'd actually revealed whom the individual in question actually was. If, indeed, he ever existed and this whole story hasn't been invented for publicity purposes and to give the Scum Mail something else to whinge at the BBC for.

David Attenborough will return for a second series of Natural Curiosities on UKTV channel Eden. The much-loved naturalist's second series will comprise ten thirty-minute episodes. The first series, which was broadcast earlier this year, had the highest ratings ever for a show on Eden. Attenborough uses the programme to examine unusual creatures that are linked together with a common theme, such as the Emperor Penguin and the wood frog or the rhino and the hedgehog. UKTV's Catherine Catton said: 'It is such a privilege to work with Sir David and Humble Bee Films again; Sir David's captivating storytelling and the fascinating content made series one of David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities a massive hit with viewers. There are many more natural curiosities to explore and therefore we are thrilled the second series will be double the length of the first, providing more exclusive content for Eden.' Executive producer Stephen Dunleavy added: 'I'm delighted that the first series of David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities performed so well on Eden. There are of course many more curious creatures in the natural world and I look forward to working with Sir David and Eden on this bumper new series.'

Sir Alex Ferguson has made few rather interesting comments about his former captain and now, Sky Sports presenter Gary Neville's looks. The Scum's manager - hardly a candidate for 'Miss Glasgow' his very self, let it be noted - suggested that Neville didn't have 'a face for TV' when speaking to fans at a Q&A session. Ferguson was commenting on Neville turning down a coaching job at United to get into broadcasting and joked: 'He has chosen to go on to the TV which isn't wise as he's not photogenic. I mean look at him - that's not a face for TV, is it?' Neville played over four hundred times for The Scum and was club captain for five years before retiring in 2011 to take up a role as a pundit.

NASA's Mars rovers have, seemingly, drawn a massive stiffy on the Red Planet. By accident, of course. Because, if they had drawn a huge erect throbbing dong on the surface of Mars on purpose, well that would've been news<. Launched nine years ago at a cost of eight hundred million dollars, two Mars Exploration Rovers - named Spirit and Opportunity - were sent to Mars in the hope of finding signs of water erosion and, even, life. But not, generally speaking, to scratch the outline of a staggeringly girthed rude phallus in the dust of the Martian plains. Unless, of course, someone at NASA programmed them to do just that. For a laugh. The twin exploration vehicles have so far travelled more than ten kilometres across the planet. But, just to repeat, to date they only drawn one big broad massive and hard knob. Which is probably something we should all be grateful for. It is believed that the gigantic hairy cock was mistakenly created by the rovers spinning in circles to get a feel for the terrain. At least, that's their excuse and they're both sticking to it. The image of the huge willy, which was shared on the Reddit website on Wednesday morning, proved to be so popular - with teenage boys, probably - that it caused the NASA website to crash. But, thankfully, not to flop.

A woman has expressed her 'shock' after going to the bathroom at a circus only to discover a tiger lying in wait. Although, to be fair, if she'd shat herself at such a sight she would, at least, have been in the right place for it. Jenna Krehbiel reportedly went to the Lavatory with her three-year-old daughter on Saturday during a circus performance at the Isis Shrine Circus in Kansas. However, when she entered the toilet (to have a dump, we presume), she was confronted by a tiger which had escaped from its enclosure. According to the Salina Journal, Krehbiel said that the tiger was only two feet away from her when she saw it. 'I turned around calmly and walked back toward the door. Someone opened the door and said, "Get out." It was the closest I have ever been to a tiger not in its cage. You don't expect to go in a bathroom door, have it shut behind you and see a tiger walking toward you.' Krehbiel added that her daughter simply 'wanted to know if it had washed its hands. That was her only concern,' she recalled. 'I think that shows the thoughts of children, and that they wouldn't have known there was danger.' The tiger had been performing in the circus show, but had subsequently escaped and walked into the women's toilets. The tiger was recaptured shortly after the incident and returned to its pen. Meanwhile Chris Bird, manager at the centre, said he was 'glad' that no-one was hurt or injured in the incident. Particularly as the cleaning bill would have been enormous.


For today's Keith Telly Topping's 45 of the Day, what with summer fast approaching here's a bit of nostalgia for people of 'a certain age.'

Sometime I Feel Like A Motherless Child

Attention Doctor Who fans - or, as The Master says in The Mark of The Rani, 'Hold hard!' which this blogger has always thought was a really dirty bit of dialogue to go out at six o'clock on a Saturday night. Anyway ... prepare yourselves for 'a fan-fuelled rip-roaring telecaster of a ride' this Saturday night. Apparently. Yer actual Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS provides many a thrill and more than a few spills as The Doctor (Matt Smith, as if you didn't know) and Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) delve deep into the depths of the space/time machine that looks a bit like Suranne Jones. On a good day. What terrors lurk in the bowels of the TARDIS? Who will survive the odyssey into the heart of the ship? And what unspeakable truth is The Doctor keeping from Clara? You'll have to watch to find out. Unless you prefer Britain's Got Toilets on the other side. Many people do, they reckon. Their loss, frankly.

Skill. Jimmy Hill, in fact.

Meanwhile, Doctor Who director Nick Hurran is to be the chap behind the camera on the Sherlock third series finale. Hurran's online CV with the talent agency Curtis Brown has revealed that he will direct the third and final ninety minute episode in Sherlock's next series, which is due to be shot in about two month's time. The film and television director is probably best known to dear blog readers for his Doctor Who episodes - 2011's The Girl Who Waited and The God Complex and 2012's Asylum of the Daleks and The Angels Take Manhattan. Nick recently returned to Doctor Who for a fifth time and is currently shooting the long-running popular BBC family SF drama's fiftieth anniversary special. The third series of Sherlock will again be comprised of three ninety-minute TV-movies; the opening instalment The Empty Hearse has been penned by yer actual Mark Gatiss, while filming on the second episode, The Sign of Three, commenced this week. Few details have yet been released regarding the finale, which will be written by the show's co-creator Th Lord Thy God Steven Moffat.

The third series of Sherlock, starring, you know, 'him out of Star Trek' and, 'him out of The Hobbit' will be broadcast during the winter of 2013-14 (probably January, although that's still to be confirmed).

So, the acclaimed murder mystery Broadchurch finished on a series high of nearly nine million overnight viewers as ITV confirmed the series would return for a second run. 'When I first talked to Peter Fincham and Laura Mackie, ITV's Director of Drama about Broadchurch, I mentioned that if people liked it, there was another very different story we could tell afterwards,' said the series creator and writer Chris Chibnall. 'I'm really thrilled we're going to tell that story too.' Starring a superb ensemble cast lead by David Tennant and Olivia Colman, Broadchurch follows a police investigation into the murder of an eleven year old boy, Danny Latimer, in a small picturesque Dorset town. From its launch on 4 March, the eight-part Monday night series, which also featured Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan, Vicky McClure, Arthur Darvill, Pauline Quirke and David Bradley among others has fair gripped a portions of the nation and attracted consolidated audiences over nine million per episode. The drama ended its run with 8.7 million overnight viewers, a thirty three per cent share of the audience, between 9pm and 10pm. Aided by a creative series of short 'Closure' trailers broadcast throughout ITV's weekend schedules, it was its highest overnight audience for the show to date, eclipsing the 7.6 million who tuned into episode three. The finale's consolidated figure is likely to top ten million (the previous highest consolidated audience was also episode three, with 9.6 million). Written and created by Chris Chibnall, a second series will go into production next year, although it remains to be seen whether its biggest names will return. With the identity of Danny's killer revealed, both Tennant and Colman's characters appeared to be leaving the town of Broadchurch at the end of the series, and both to very uncertain futures. ITV said that details on the casting and story for series two would be "kept tightly under wraps". Production will start in 2014. Chibnall said: 'The whole Broadchurch team has been delighted and properly gobsmacked by the response from ITV viewers. ' Broadchurch, produced by Kudos Film and Television and Imaginary Friends Productions, launched with an overnight audience of 6.8 million on 4 March and averaged 7.1 million overnight viewers across the course of its eight-week run. Last night, it predictably had the better of BBC1 documentary The Prisoners, watched by 2.8 million punters. With a double helping of Coronation Street watched by 8.7 million and 8.4 million at 7.30pm and 8.30pm respectively, ITV had a 27.7 per cent share of the peaktime audience between 6pm and 10.30pm, comfortably ahead of BBC1's 19.1 per cent. Paul Hollywood's Bread came to the end of its six-part run on BBC2 with two million viewers. Oh, and just in case you didn't watch Broadchurch live but have got it recorded to watch later, Ellie's husband Joe did it.

When Broadchurch came to an end on Monday night, it confirmed its status as the channel's biggest new drama since Downton Abbey and the most popular midweek drama hit for nearly a decade. The hunt for the killer of Danny Latimer, engaged viewers in a style redolent of 'Who shot JR?' The TV landscape has, of course, changed massively since more than twenty million viewers tuned in to discover the identity of JR Ewing's assailant in Dallas, but with an average consolidated weekly audience of nearly ten million, Broadchurch catapulted itself into ITV's top tier next to Coronation Street and Britain's Got Talent. Such was the secrecy around its denouement that only twenty nine people – the cast and crew, plus a handful of ITV executives – knew the identity of the culprit before Monday's eighth and final episode. Peter Fincham, ITV's director of television, said: 'In a world of box sets where we can watch three or four episodes of our favourite programme in one night, Broadchurch reminded us of the pleasure of deferred pleasures. We don't have previews at the end of each episode giving away half of the next week's plot. We commission a lot of very good drama at ITV but sometimes something comes along which is a little bit out of the ordinary. You could point to the first series of Downton Abbey as another example of something where everything comes together.' Critics have heaped praise on Broadchurch. Although, somewhat typically, the Radio Times reviewer still found something to whinge about in a piece entitled Five reasons why the finale was an anti-climax. This blogger disagrees with at least four of those. The final episode, certainly, made some brave dramatic choices - in what was, essentially, a 'whodunnit?' revealing the identity of the killer at the first advert break and then having the entire second act as a 'fifty nine days earlier' flashback, being two of the bravest. There were a few minor niggles, of course - do police officers routinely allow the father of a murdered child to rage at his killer through a cell door before he's even been charged, for one? But some of the circular dramatic devices used (the wonderful scene in which Beth demands of Ellie 'how could you not know?' exactly the same question that Ellie herself ask Pauline Quirke's character about her paedophile husband in a previous episode, for instance) ere touched with magnificence. Sure to feature prominently at awards time, Broadchurch has also been profitable: it is estimated to have generated around fifteen million quid for ITV in advertising revenue alone. Suspicion immediately alighted on the dead boy's father, played by Andrew Buchan, in the early episodes but then encompassed virtually every character in the town, including the husband of one of the investigating detectives (Matthew Gravelle), an allegedly 'psychic' telephone engineer (Will Mellor) and a recovering alcoholic vicar (one of the best performances in a drama full of outstanding turns, by Arthur Darvill). Its focus on the community and the grief of a bereaved family brought comparisons with the acclaimed Scandinavian drama The Killing. Chris Chibnall, whose previous scripts include Life on Mars, Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood, said that his influences stretch back to the 1990s US dramas like Murder One and David Lynch's Twin Peaks. Chibnall first pitched the idea for the show ten years ago, but ended up writing episodes of Life on Mars for the BBC instead. He returned to Broadchurch after an unhappy period in the US working on the drama Camelot. His idea was for a project which would be 'very cinematic, very image driven, in which it wouldn't just be about the dialogue.' Chibnall also wanted to make the landscape of his home county, Dorset, integral to the drama. 'I wanted to make the landscape a real character which is frankly just nicked from Thomas Hardy,' said Chibnall. Tennant's character is called Alex Hardy. Another character, the tragic newsagent Jack (played by David Bradley) was seen reading Jude the Obscure. Gub Neal, former Channel Four director of drama and now creative director of producer and distributor Artists Studio, said: 'It's refreshing to see something so intelligent and so layered on a mainstream network. It doesn't conform to the traditional expectation that crime is a Rubik's cube, plot-driven thing in which the purpose of watching the drama is to see who did it. Although solving the case remains an engine, it becomes about more than that.' With broadcasters increasingly turning to drama to define their channels, the importance of a hit such as Broadchurch cannot be overestimated. It is the most popular new drama since Downton Abbey in 2010 and the biggest midweek hit since Doc Martin, the Cornish medical series starring Martin Clunes, in 2004.

The final twist in the Broadchurch finale was the confirmation that the ITV drama will have a second series. Broadchurch producer Richard Stokes hinted to fans of the show that there would be 'a major twist' at the end of the episode - and his comments referred to the written text 'Broadchurch will return', which appeared on screen after the end credits. The murder case in the eight-part drama, which centred on the murder of schoolboy Danny Latimer, was all resolved by the end of the episode. The detectives in the case Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) and Alex Hardy (David Tennant) both appeared to be preparing to retire from policework and move away from Broadchurch, so it's not clear which actors will be involved in the second run. Chris Chibnall said on Twitter after the finale had concluded: 'I'll shut up in a second, but final thanks to the amazing cast, crew, production company & network who all kept our secrets. Now it's time for a big drink. Just, thank you.'

ITV have also released an extra scene from the final episode online, which is well worth a watch.

The success of Broadchurch has had the knock-on effect of helping generate a tourism boom in Dorset. Chris Chibnall's murder mystery series featured numerous sweeping shots of the region and the writer has described the show as a 'love letter to the scenery of the Jurassic Coast' in interviews. The location shots have inspired TV viewers to visit the area, and the visit-dorset website has had three times the amount of traffic it had this time last year. West Dorset District Council leisure and tourism manager Nick Thornley told the Bournemouth Echo: 'Broadchurch has firmly put West Dorset on the map and it's just the boost that tourism businesses need at this time. The series has showcased the fabulous Jurassic Coast, and West Bay in particular, to millions of potential visitors and the district council's tourism team have been working hard to make the most of the benefits that a major TV series such as this can bring to the area.' So, if you want to go an see where a little boy got murdered by his best friend's dad, West Dorset's the very place for you, clearly!

On to other subjects now. John and Gregg appear on the cover of the latest issue of Radio Times (in the shops now) promoting the final of the latest series of MasterChef. This blogger's money is on Larkin, personally. Or, possibly Saira.

And, speaking of cooking double-acts the Hairy Bikers - yer actual Wor Si King and Davie Myers his very self - have reportedly filmed a new documentary series for BBC2 about industrial Britain. Three-part series The Hairy Bikers: Rebuilding Industrial Britain will cover the themes of agriculture, transport and industry. King and Myers will tour the UK and meet people with a passion for keeping the skills of their ancestors alive and restoring machines that kept industrial Britain moving. Si King said: 'The British Isles was and is the home of engineering pioneers who have designed and built amazing machines that change people's lives. Uncovering their stories will be an unforgettable adventure and it means a lot to us as both our families have strong ties to industry.' Myers added: 'Si's grandfather worked in the pits as a winchman and my family were ship workers in Barrow-in-Furness, or the "Chicago of the North" as it was known. My mum kept links to the shipyards working as a crane driver and rediscovering more about my family's past will be an emotional journey as I'll get a glimpse of what their lives were really like.' The new series is produced by Arrow Media and will be broadcast in the autumn of 2013.

John Barrowman his very self has revealed that he is 'really upset' about not being included in the Doctor Who anniversary special. Quite why Barrowman feels he has a sense of entitlement over taking part in an episode of a series in which he had previously appeared in only nine episodes is another matter entirely. '[The producers] don't want to put Jack in it. And I know fans are really upset about it, as was I,' he whinged. And, as with Sylvester McCoy's whinge a couple of weeks back on the same subject, the question has to be asked, you've asked them all, have you John? Because this 'fan' certainly didn't get that memo allowing you to speak on my behalf.

The next season of Homeland will focus on a bombing plot, it has been announced. Showtime's entertainment president David Nevins confirmed the details of the terrorist drama's third season to Deadline with a timing that might almost have been described as 'explosive'. If that wasn't, you know, really tasteless this week of all weeks. The new episodes 'will deal with the aftermath of a major bombing event and will touch on many things you watch on CNN and Twitter,' Nevins said. Homeland actors Diego Klattenhoff and David Marciano will not return to the show next season as series regulars. Damien Lewis has also revealed to the Digital Spy website that he does not expect his character Brody and Claire Danes's Carrie to reunite as lovers.

Stephen Tompkinson is to star in new BB1 drama Truckers. The actor will play the lead Malachi Davies in the five-part series from Made In Dagenham writer William Ivory. Each episode of the show will follow a different worker at a haulage company who undergoes a life-changing journey. 'Occasionally in my career, I've been able to say an immediate yes to a project without seeing a script, simply because of the writer's name,' said Tompkinson. 'Truckers is certainly up there with William Ivory's other celebrated works and it is indeed an honour to be a part of it and a genuine thrill to be bringing it to BBC1.'

Ben Elton's latest sitcom has been savaged by critics before it has even started. The Wright Way, the comic's first (alleged) sitcom since 2005, starts on BBC1 this week – but early reviews have not been kind. Or, indeed, anything even remotely like it. Radio Times writer David Butcher describes the show as 'creaky and laboured' and 'irrelevant' and asks: 'Who would believe this is [by] the same comic whose stand-up routines sandblasted away the pebbledash of 1970s tit-gags and racism?' In the Gruniad Morning Star - whose hippy Communist readership makes up the vast majority of Elt's fanbase - Stuart Heritage wrote the series off, saying: 'The whole thing is irredeemably dreadful. The characters shout all of their lines in exactly the same way, regardless of the situation.' The Independent suggested that the comedy is 'occasionally so groan-inducing that you want to gather a mob with torches and pitchforks.' Meanwhile, the Daily Torygraph commented: 'If, on a progressive scriptwriting course somewhere, a tutor were to set an exercise demanding that students produce a sitcom script devoid of any trace of originality - or indeed any trace of genuine comedy - this would pass with flying colours.' And, believe it or not, those were some of the nicer comments. The Scotsman's Andrea Mullaney called it 'a stinker' with jokes 'left over from a Seventies sitcom.' Before adding 'Hoots mon, it's oor oil, y'ken?' Or something. The show stars David Haig as a health and safety officer called Gerald Wright enforcing petty diktats in a local council. oh, the hilarity. When the show was commissioned Elton claimed: 'I'm as excited today as I was when The Young Ones was commissioned thirty years ago.' However Elton, who was last even remotely funny in 1989 when Blackadder Goes Forth ended, has little recent form when it comes to writing things that make people laugh. Well, except for the Queen musical, of course. That's thigh-slapping. His last sitcom was also panned. Blessed ran for just one series on BBC1 in 2005 and starred Ardal O'Hanlon and Mel Giedroyc as new parents. it was then cancelled. because it was shit and no one was watching it. He tried to make a comeback on Australian TV in 2011 but that simply ended in humiliation. His much-hyped live sketch show Live From Planet Earth was axed just three episodes amid plummeting ratings and a critical mauling, when it was dubbed 'a screaming, embarrassing failure.' The BBC will be desperately hoping that The Wright Way repeats the success of Mrs Brown's Boys, which has become a huge hit despite facing constant, similar criticisms. I wouldn't put money on it, however.

Bad news everyone, Futurama has been cancelled for a second time. The animated comedy will not be renewed by Comedy Central when it reaches the end of its current seventh season, Entertainment Weekly reports. Devised by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, SF comedy Futurama was originally broadcast on FOX for four series between 1999 and 2003. Following a number of successful direct-to-DVD episodes, Comedy Central brought the show back to television, ordering two twenty six-episode seasons. Futurama will now conclude with the second half of season seven - the new run will begin on 19 June in the US. Comedy Central executive Dave Bernath claimed that the series has reached 'its natural end' following 'a helluva run.' Matt Groening added: 'I'm thankful and feel a sense of gratitude toward the whole process - and that we found a way to keep going for fifty two more episodes - than I really am even thinking about the ending. It's a blessing that it came back and lasted so long. Groening said that he will continue to look for a third home for Futurama, noting: 'We would love to continue. We have many more stories to tell.' The show's last episode - which will focus on the wedding of on/off lovers Fry and Leela - will be shown on 4 September. 'It's a really satisfying ending,' said Groening. 'It's an epic ending, if indeed it's the ending.' Asked for a comment, bender merely added; 'You can bite my shiny metal ass!'

BBC1 controller Danny Cohen is to be promoted to the new director of television, BBC director general Tony Hall has said. The appointment completes Hall's senior team which recently saw James Harding become director of news. Dan The Man, whose commissions have included massive hit Call The Midwife and lesser hit The Voice, will take over from the acting director of BBC TV Roger Mosey. Lord Hall praised Cohen's 'ability to provide viewers with a mixture of high quality programmes.' Danny, who became controller of BBC1 in 2010, said he was 'honoured' to take up the role. 'I've had a wonderful time at BBC1 and am grateful for the work of all the talented people who have made the channel the most popular in the UK in recent years,' he said. The channel had record viewing figures in 2012, led by the success of the Olympic closing ceremony with an average of 24.5 million viewers. According Broadcasters' Audience Research Board, BBC1 broadcast nine out of the top ten most watched programmes of the year. It will mark a rapid rise to the top for Cohen, still yet to turn forty. His BBC3 commissions included the cult drama Being Human and acclaimed Afghanistan documentary series Our War. He previously worked at Channel Four, where he was head of factual entertainment and in charge of E4, commissioning Skins, The Inbetweeners and Supernanny. He began his career in TV production, working at independent programme maker, Diverse. His future commissions for BBC1 include an adaptation of JK Rowling's book A Casual Vacancy, a sitcom written by David Walliams, a comedy series starring Matt Lucas plus new dramas The White Queen, Atlantis and an adaptation of the book Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

Yer actual Jeremy Clarkson has taken to three wheels at the Tedworth House recovery centre in Wiltshire. The Top Gear presenter tried out a handbike to launch Hero Ride, a new fundraising campaign from Help for Heroes in aid of wounded service personnel. He met triple amputee Corporal Josh Boggi and double amputee Staff Sgereant Steve Arnold, who are taking part in the charity event on 2 June. Organisers hope the mass bike ride will raise more than two million quid. Jezza, who is patron of Help for Heroes, said: 'It has been a very moving day today, visiting our heroes who have suffered life-changing injuries.' And, because this was all in a good cause, much to their distress some lice on no importance at the Gruniad Morning Star and the Daily Scum Mail didn't have anything to whinge about. What a shame. How will they cope? Boggi, of Nine Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers, lost both his legs and his right arm stepping on an improvised explosive device on New Year's Eve 2010 in Afghanistan. '[Help for Heroes] first supported me with significant funding for my housing adaptations and now, through their Band of Brothers support network, I have taken up handcycling,' he said. 'Help for Heroes have supported me once again with a fully fitted and adapted handbike which I will be using to tackle three hundred and fifty miles through France as part of Hero Ride. I cannot express how much this support means to me and my family. I know that no matter what, Help for Heroes will always be there for me.' Arnold, of the Royal Engineers, lost both his legs when an IED exploded in Afghanistan in 2011. A year later he completed the three thousand mile Race Across America with seven other wounded servicemen.

A news anchor has got the old tin-tack after he was heard swearing live on-air during his first shift. AJ Clemente was co-hosting his first ever news programme with NBC North Dakota News colleague Van Tieu on Sunday at 5pm when the gaffe happened at the beginning of Evening Report Sunday. Unaware that his microphone was on, the news anchor from Bismarck, was seemingly overheard by viewers saying: 'Gay fucking shit.' Realising that he was on-air, Clemente, who studied at West Virginia University before joining the weekend team, struggled to regain composure as he read out the headlines. Viewers were reported to have 'reacted angrily' to the comments. Presumably, because they've got nothing more important to feel angry about. You know, the state of the economy, perhaps. The hapless Clemente subsequently confirmed that he had been dismissed on Twitter, posting: 'Unfortunately, KFYR-TV has decided to let me go. Thank you to them and everyone in ND for the opportunity and everyone for the support.' Poor chap. He had earlier tweeted: 'I just want to say that I did not say the word "gay". I was trying to pronounce the London Marathon winner's name Tsegaye Kebede.'

Billy Connolly his very self has told an audience that he is suffering 'terrifying' memory losses while on stage. Performing at Waterfront Hall in Belfast the week, the well known Scottish comedian acknowledged losing his train of thought between routines, reportedly declaring: 'This is fucking terrifying. I feel like I'm going out of my mind.' According to the Daily Record, 'each time his memory failed him, he either started a new story or said: 'This is fucking awful. I can't remember what I was saying. I get wee gaps and just stop.' Bill, who was openly referring to a set list, twice asked the audience to remind him what he was talking about, as he has often done in recent years. He also seemed to know when the memory losses were about to happen, saying: 'Here comes another one now.' Bill made light of the situation by sharing an anecdote about former US president Ronald Reagan's Alzheimer's, recalling how the pair had been at a charity function and the latter had paused mid-sentence for several seconds before resuming. 'He just carried on as if nothing had happened.' An audience member at the Belfast show, Peter Sullivan, was quoted as saying: 'He's a comedy hero and it was obvious from the audience on Saturday night that they’d forgive him just about anything and that includes his memory loss. It didn't do anything to affect the show. People seemed very sympathetic when he had those attacks on stage and the audience just wanted him to keep going. They sort of carried him to the next joke and punchline. It was brilliant.' In 2012, Connolly wrote on his blog: 'I always saw myself working till I was old. I thought that's what comedians did and I still feel they should. When people ask me why I'm still doing it, I say because it's my job; they don't say to painters, you must have a few bob now, why are you still doing it? The trouble is that you spend the money. I spend an awful lot of money living this funny lifestyle because it makes me very happy and it makes my family all jolly and happy. So I'll keep doing it until I die, or until people get fed up with me or something.' Bill's problems with memory loss have been attributed to his heavy drinking at the start of his career by his wife, Pamela Stephenson.

A former top figure in international football, the odious and risible Jack Warner, has resigned as Trinidad and Tobago's minister of security amid an inquiry into fraud. Investigators at the Caribbean, North and Central American international football body, CONCACAF, accuse Warner of naughty embezzlement. He stepped down as CONCACAF's president in 2011. Warner, a former vice-president of the international football federation FIFA, who once wielded huge power in the game and didn't let anyone forget it, denies any wrongdoing. As, indeed, he would. But he has been under pressure at home since the investigation's findings were revealed on Friday. Trinidad's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said in a short statement on Sunday that Warner had 'offered to resign' from her cabinet and that she had accepted his decision. 'I wish to thank Mr Warner for his service to the government and people of Trinidad and Tobago,' she said. A CONCACAF ethics panel accused Warner and former secretary general Chuck Blazer of 'enriching themselves' through fraud during their time with the football body. They are accused of failing to disclose that a $25.9m centre of excellence was built on Warner's land and that Blazer received twenty million dollars from CONCACAF. Neither Warner nor Blazer co-operated with the investigation, which was based on documents and thirty eight interviews and Blazer has also denied any wrongdoing. Warner stood down from his role with FIFAa in 2011 after being accused of paying bribes to Caribbean associations. He had already been suspended by FIFA but his decision to resign meant that all investigations into him were closed.

Richie Havens, the folk singer who opened the 1969 Woodstock festival, has died of a heart attack at seventy two. He died at his home in Jersey City his agent, Roots Agency, told Reuters. Born in Brooklyn, the musician was famous for his distinctive guitar and singing style. Recalling Woodstock, Havens once said: 'Everything in my life, and so many others, is attached to that train.' Having played a lengthy set with his trio, his encore - an improvised version of the gospel song 'Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child' which evolved into his own composition, 'Freedom' - became an anthem of the 1960s hippie generation. The Woodstock concert film captured his performance for posterity. More recently, the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's award-winning slavery-era film Django Unchained featured Havens singing a new version of 'Freedom'. Tributes to the singer have come in, with his contemporary and fellow singer Stephen Stills saying Havens 'could never be replicated.' Richie underwent kidney surgery in 2010 and he never recovered enough to perform concerts. A superb interpreter of other people's songs, Havens released more than twenty five LPs during his lifetime. In 1993, Richie performed at US President Bill Clinton's inauguration. His family said that a public memorial would be announced later and asked for privacy in the meantime. 'Beyond his music, those who have met Havens will remember his gentle and compassionate nature, his light humour and his powerful presence,' it said in a statement. Roots Agency said Havens had been 'gifted with one of the most recognisable voices in popular music. His fiery, poignant, soulful singing style has remained unique and ageless,' it added. Havens moved to New York City's Greenwich Village at the age of twenty to perform poetry, imbibe folk music and learn how to play the guitar. Stills said he remembered hanging out with him in the Village. 'Richie Havens was one of the nicest, most generous and pure individuals I have ever met,' he said in a statement. 'When I was a young sprite in Greenwich Village, we used to have breakfast together at the diner on Sixth Avenue next to The Waverly Theatre. He was very wise in the ways of our calling. He always caught fire every time he played.' Havens' reputation as a solo performer soon spread beyond the Village folk circles. After cutting two records for Douglas Records in the mid 1960s, he signed on with Bob Dylan's manager, Albert Grossman and landed a record deal with Verve. Mixed Bag, his first major release in 1967, featured songs such as 'Handsome Johnny' (co-written by Havens and future Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr), 'Follow' and covers of Bob Dylan's 'Just Like a Woman' and The Beatles' 'Eleanor Rigby'. In 1969 Havens released Something Else Again which became his first to make the Billboard chart and led to his booking for Woodstock. A particular favourite of this blogger in 1970's laid-back Stonehenge, again featuring Richie's eclectic, but often brilliant, taste in covers (The Bee Gees 'I Started A Joke' and Dylan's 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' being two stunning examples). Alarm Clock (also 1970) is also a fine work and included his first bona fide hit, a cover of George Harrison's 'Here Comes the Sun'. Woodstock proved the turning point in Havens' career, thanks in part to scheduling chaos at the festival. (The fact that there were five hundred thousand lice-ridden stinking hippies in a field at one time and nobody thought to launch a thermo-nuclear device in their general direction, notwithstanding.) Originally scheduled to go on fifth on the opening day, Richie got bumped up to the opening act because of travel delays (and, allegedly, the reluctance of several other performers to go out first in front of a crowd approaching half-a-million people). His performance continued for three hours because the next act had not shown up during which, as he later said, 'I played every song I knew and some I didn't!' After a series of encores, the made-up-on-the-spot 'Freedom' became one of the most memorable moments of the event. Havens branched out into acting during the 1970s. He was featured in the original 1972 stage presentation of The Who's Tommy and appeared as Othello in the 1974 film Catch My Soul. He also appeared in Greased Lightning alongside Richard Pryor in 1977. In 1987, he landed a role in the Bob Dylan vehicle Hearts of Fire. In 2000, Richie teamed with the electronic music duo Groove Armada for the retro 1970s-style song, 'Hands of Time'.

And so, for today's Keith Telly Topping's 45 of the Day, here's Richie one more time.