Claim To Fame
How have you contributed to Kids TV?
Were you ever in the Tiswas audience?
Did you call Mrs Thatcher to ask where she'd be during World War III?
Were you christened Tucker Jenkins (before or after Grange Hill)?
Are you the star of some long forgotten (or remebered) programme who's now doing something completely different?
Well, we want to hear from you. Use the "Send Your Info" page and tell us all about it.
Currently Claiming Fame:
Antonio Ramirez
Was in the audience on a Tiswas show featuring Iron Maiden. Years later, Antonio would meet Bruce Dickenson and Adrian Smith and they remember appearing on the show. (Well you would wouldn't you)
Trudi McIntyre
My sister Becky was in hospital when she was 5 with some nasty contagious disease and she had a visit from Brian Cant who gave her a Penguin biscuit
Kit
On Saturday Superstore, I asked the guy who played Captain Zep (Paul Greenstreet?) where they got the audience for the show :-) Allegedly my old form teacher went out with Fred Harris at university.....
Also I've met Derek Griffiths at an RSC workshop whilst he was playing Feste in Twelfth Night. He was darn good :)
Christopher Knowles
Derek Griffiths is my father-in-law's best mate! (apparently the farting competitions they have are hilarious!), also Floella Benjamin is the Godmother of my other half! But she never sends xmas cards or anything like that, so the contact is a bit distant.
Maggie Mairura
Way back in 1973 I was in the audience on Top of the Pops. Pans People (you remember them?) danced to Smarty Pants, Peters & Lee sang Welcome Home, 10cc sang Rubber Bullets, Barry Blue sang Dancin on a Saturday Night, Medicine Head sang whatever they sang, Mud sang Tiger Feet (I think). Jimmy Saville hosted - or was it Kenny Everitt. It was a long time ago!!!
Julia
Brian Cant came to my Dad's stall on the portobello road c. 1978 after being told what a fan I was of playschool (I was 6) he signed a green pound note "to Julia with love brian cant xx" - I was well pleased what a lovely bloke, I've still got it somewhere.
Mark Carter
Last year when walking through town me and some friends saw Terry Nutkins (half a finger, clown hairdo) i went bounding over "Hello mr nutkins how are you?" my mates scarperd in embarassment but we had a nice chat a top bloke.
Johnnie Boy
I once acted in 'Oliver' at the Bristol Hippodrome (obnoxious stage school wannabe, was I!) when I was 12 and one of the other boys used to boast that he was in Why Don't You. We were supposed to be Jealous. I think his name was Tim. One of the other boys calimed to have been the Milky Bar Kid. Yeah well, the Milky Bars may have been on him, but he was a precocious little brat!
Kate Broome
I thought this might be of interest to you. I have in my posession the original Humpty-Dumpty and Jemima, my mother worked on Play School in the 1970's. Funnily enough it never ceases to excite people of all ages when they see them.
Further investigations have revealed a different story. Click here for the story
Geoff Smith
In the late 70's (can't remember if it was before or after star wars came out), David Prowse (aka Darth Vader) came to my school in Carlisle, where I believe he then lived, dressed as the Green Cross Code man, and lectured us all during assembly. While he was striding up and down between us, he stood on my foot which was sticking (innocently) in his path, and nearly tripped over.
Luke Skywalker? Big deal - In one swift move, I nearly defeated the dark side, at age 5.
Laura Cleworth
In 1987 I nearly choked to death on Going Live!! I had a stinking cold and was in the middle of asking Nicholas Whitchell a question about the news when I started hacking. Afterwards Phillip Schofield said he thought he would have to give me mouth to mouth resuscitation! I should be so lucky!!
Kirun Leigh
I was on Jim'll Fix It! I went to Which? and tested loads of stuff.
Chris North
I was a presenter on the BAFTA award winning IPSO FACTO, I presented the one about money. And yes, it was on at the same time as Press Gang and it proceded The Lowdown and now I work in radio Ah - Those were the days.
Sarah Marsh
Hi I met lenny the lion when I was about 7yrs in Wigston Leicester I couldnt believe he was really real.However I sadly grew up and now realise "its a puppet".Photos are available as eveidence.
Paul Murtagh
I was on popular (?) 80's show 'Hey Look That's Me', filmed that particular week at Butser Hill Iron age camp in Dorset. Presenter Chris Harris made sure I looked a right prat with some iron age bellows and a fire!
Also, speccy git Timmy Mallett told me to 'f**k off' on the Palace Pier, Brighton. I only asked him where his mallet was.
But the best, or worst, in my case, was when my TV director mate asked me if I wanted to present his new show, just commissioned by LWT (in 1993 anyway) but for various reasons I couldn't. Plus I didn't think it would last. Anywasys, he just happened to know Tony Hart's sidekick 'Mr' Colin Bennett who agreed to do it. It's still being played on TV, it's called 'Nightshift' and I missed out on TV fame. D'OH!!
Del
My friend paul once went to a party held by one of john cravens children. Whilst he was there he stole a pair of john cravens pants. Shame it wasnt one of those loveley kipper ties
Dog Sam-Ra
I used to share a flat in Hong Kong with a guy who operated George from rainbow!!
Mark Backhouse
I once met Chris Packham who was in the really wild show. He was opening a place called Little Amazon which was like a mini indoor rainforest, and I asked him which bird had the best eyesight.
This year I saw him again at 2 in the morning on a Saturday night in Southampton after I had been out clubbing. he was with his girlfriend/ wife??? and having a kebab!!
Andrea Flood
There was once a Saturday morning show called 'It's Wicked'(I think this was the name-does anyone remember?). One Saturday it was filmed from Blackpool beach and a friend and I went to see the show. The lovely Cheryl Baker (Bucks Fizz fame)bounded on stage in a comedy mask which she promptly pulled over my head, live on T.V.
Simon Jones
I met Tom Baker and he gave me one of his jelly babies when he was signing copies of doctor who books in St Helens.
Dan Larkin
I once met Floella Benjamin at a school fair, she kissed me on the cheek and I started to cry. To make me feel better she gave me Humpty, the HUMPTY to hold!!!
Laura West
When I was 5 I met Peter Firmin and Bagpuss. My mum used to know him and me and my sisters got invited to the work shop and saw were it was all made.
Adam Roper
Hi! I kinda spent 4 years of my teenage life turning into a dog called Rex in the not so long ago CITV childrens drama Woof! I co-starred with such names as Liza Goddard, Lionel Jefferies, Leslie Grantham and Anita Dobson. I had loadsa fun and met lots of great people although I must say it was pretty cold running around Nottingham naked most of the time :o) cheers
Scott
Do you remeber Ghost Train (ITV saturday morning nobby the sheep)
Well it came to Scone Palace near my house when I was 8. There was a BasketBall demonstration by the Harlem Globe Trotters and while one of the was being interviewed by Jenny Powell a ball hit me on the head. Jenny Powell turns around and live on saturday morning tv asks me if i'm alright. I was to young to say "yeah wanna go out tonight?" but even so....
Mark.R.Jones
I was interviewed by Keith Chegwin for 'Chegwin Checks It Out' in 1988. He was interviewing kids with well paid jobs and I was working as a computer graphic designer at Ocean Software, which wasn't well paid at all. I was shown working on the Spectrum version of 'The Vindicator' then interviewed. I still have it on video, its awful. I also have a good making of with some funny stuff on it like Keith playing the keyboards, fluffing his questions and laughing and a classy clip of the fat soundman getting stuck in a chair! It was hilarious. It lasts about 1 hour. I have the only copy of that as far as I know! Also, I went on a school trip to Alton Towers and they were filming the Bob Carolgees kids game show (with the huge Snakes and Ladders). Can't remember the name of it. I caught the filming of a Madness song and Nick Kershaw song for the show and I could see myself in the background when it was broadcast. Don't have it any more though.
Oh yeah, one more thing. I had a letter read out on 'Swap Shop' once. I wrote in because I went to a zoo with the cubs and the gorillas had a TV in their enclosure and they were sitting there watching 'Swap Shop'. Have no idea why I needed to inform Noel but I did and he read it out!! Oh no, another thing! The first 'Saturday Superstore' outside thing was in Northampton where the McDonalds is now with Cheggars again. Me and my sisters went to that. Also, we went to the 'Swap Shop' SWAPARAMA when it came here, again with Chegs! I swapped a Jack In The Box for a 'SPIN A MAGIC TUNE' record! Wahey
Ollie Powell
I have a claim to fame for you. On Christmas Eve 1988 i appeared on Wacaday. And i didn't do the normal thing and play Mallett's Mallett, oh no, i played a new game called Mallett's Mess. It involved pulling things out of a large chest and making what Aunty Boney Kneecaps told us to make. I won of course and got a wac sac full of goodies, though i was not allowed to keep the hats and things handed to me during filming, i was asked if Timmy said i could have them, i being very honest said i didn't know and they were taken. I got to meet Tommy Boyd as well and i got his autograph and i saw the fitness woman Lizzie (remember her?). I'm very ashamed of this video on the surface, but deep down i'm dead dead proud of it and want everyone to know i was on TV. The other girl that i was on with cried as soon as we got off the set, well wouldn't you if you had Bros on your jeans and a mullet!
Terry Cooper
I was in a band called BEST SHOT, who were featured on the second series of BRILL on ITV. Hosted by John Eccleston, who operated Gilbert and one of the Wolf brothers on What's Up Doc
Lisa Hall
I was in my first year at a primary school in Leicestershire, when the BBC came & filmed some of us painting a big mural of Noah's Ark on one of the outside walls of the school.This was then shown on 'Play School' on one of the visits thru' the 'round window'. I could be clearly seen running around in an anorak with the number 12 pinned to my back (it was a sort of painting by numbers event on a giant scale), completely oblivious to the cameras behind me!!! My mum actually took a photograph of the tv when it was on (no such thing as videos then!)
Claire
Dave Prowse came to my school in York when he was doing his Green Cross Code man bit. I was sat in the front row and he asked me up on stage with him and gave me a kiss - the horror of it all!!
Kirstin McArthur
I met Steve Johnston (Terror Towers) at Heathrow airport and he was a lovely chap.
Janet
When we used to live in Bracknell, My play school had a christmas bazzar. To get the punters rolling in they had, as special guests .....ROD, JANE AND FREDDY!
Then, a few months later, whilst out shopping with my Mum at Sainsburys (or it might have been Waitrose) in Bracknell, I met METAL MICKEY! How cool was that?
Conrad Dybiona
At the bank that I work I recognised this customer who comes in. You will remember her as the actress who played Laura Reagan in Grange Hill. I have since had the opportunity of talking to her a few times and not only does she still look wonderful, she is also a really lovely person too.
Webmaster Note: Conrad, you swine! I've always thought Laura was the most gorgeous girl on TV
Jane
During a 14 year stage management career i have had the fortune (or misfortune.....no i definately mean fortune!!!!!) to have done panto with timmy mallet who i found to be (sorry everybody!) a rather nice guy, bit simple to be honest,not a twat like he acts on t.v ! feel a bit sorry for him, he is quite immature and his wife seemed to do everything for him,(little tit-bit,chris evans came to visit,mallet got him his start in showbiz, and he and 2 women!!-double room...lucky sod ! stayed at the hotel i was living at!) the next year, did panto with the rainbow gang, malcolm lord(bungle) and roy skelton(voice of zippy and george!)and believe me, when i say its a weird thing getting pissed with the "voices"of your childhood idols!!!!roy actually laughs like zippy....bizarre!!! but 2 really lovely fellas, the last i heard malcolm was working in the gift shop at the tower of london,pop in and say "hello"!!!!better still ..start off singing the "alphabet song" and see if he joins in !!!
ian owens
i was once part of the tiswas audience. i think i was around 4 or 5 yrs old. my uncle from birmingham got me and my cousin tickets. i had massive bright ginger curly hair, nice brown (mothercare) jumper and i spent the whole time sucking my thumb standing against the back wall. the camera panned around to me and some friends photographed their tv but the picture has been lost.
i'd love to see me 20 yrs ago...
it's a good ice-breaker, that one!
Ian Dean
As a waiter at the Piersland House Hotel, Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland (opposite the famous golf course) in 1986 I served afternoon tea to Kirsty Wark (before she became really famous for savaging Mrs Thatcher), served drinks to Fulton Mackay (Mr Mackay from Porridge) and dinner to Glen Michael (Scottish Childrens TV presenter).
Cindy
I met (and snogged) the lad who was the dorky kid in Simon and the Witch and then went on to be in Grange Hill. Admittedly it wasn't his charm or looks that led to the drunken encounter but the fact he'd been in Grange Hill. I can't remember his name though, David someone?
Nezza
I had a picture in the window on Children's BBC when Andy Crane was the presenter!!
Lyds
I was in the 'Blockbusters' audience once ... you could just see my hands 'jiving' in the closing credits!!
And I know John Gorman (ex-Tiswas) ... he's a top bloke!!
Kat
I was a contestant on Incredible Games. BBC show made by the same people as Run the Risk. In fact, I wanted to go on RTR instead, but I didnt want to seem ungrateful when they asked. Two series were made, the first was v low tech. 3 kids went up in a lift doing challenges at certain floors, earning points.These included getting past the Dark Knight, fishing letters out of a bowl of soup to make words, and in the second series answering questions set by a ghost Victorian schoolmaster. Bizarre. And we had to connect pipes together to stop a room from flooding. If you got caught by the Dark Knight then you got sent down to the laundry in the basement, and your teammates had to go and find you. I got chosen through my swimming club (you had to be able to swim to do the soup + pipe challenges I think) with a guy Marco Sabba and a girl Chloe Nicholson. Chloe was a stupid bitch and got zapped by the Dark knight. Ha. (I didnt like Chloe). Chloe if you're reading this I'm glad you got zapped. Ha! We won a trip in a hot air ballon shaped like Rupert Bear, but it was raining the day we were meant to go, so instead they gave us 100 worth of Sainsburys vouchers instead. Bonus! I also got: tickets to see Grease in the West End, a gameboy, and a phone. Not bad really.
it was filmed in Shepperton Studios, where they were filming Judge Dredd next door. I was THAT close to Sylvester Stallone.
Nice. Shame it was such a crap gameshow.
Ian the Smegmeister
I had my birthday card read out on CBBC on 12th July 1991, the day before my 5th birthday.
Elaine
Both my "Claim to Fames" are to do with the same programme. When I was about 10 circa 1982 there was a programm on BBC Scotland called "The Un-tied Shoelaces Show. They had this game that you were in control of a little button on screen, and you had to guide it around so it would rub off the colour and reveal a picture of a famous face underneath. Needless to say me and the other girl playing were crap so after o few goes it was decided that they would remove the colour and we would have to shout out the answer into the phone. The picture was revealed and the other girl shouted out the answer!!! but the bloke presenting (who was called Tiger Tim) said..... that was you wasn't it Elaine, and being a normal 10 year old cheat.... I said YES!! hahaha I won a crappy hat and an Ottowa LP. My other CTF with this programme is that I won tickets to go to the live show. When in the Green Room the researchers were asking the kids who would like to ask a Q in the prts corner bit and get to feed a baby lamb. So there I was, ready for stardom with my Q and the bottle of milk in my hand. We were due to go on after the cartoons when there was a bloody bomb scare at the television studios and we all had to leave. I cried all the way home.
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