Transvox - Something sparkly for a cold Saturday evening

[00:00:07] Hello and welcome back to Transvox. And it's been a bit of a week, hasn't it? Trans Day Remembrance is always a tricky weekend. Last week we talked about some heavy subjects, so I thought this week, Jen, we'd talk about something joyful, uplifting and sparkly. How do you feel about that?

[00:00:26] I always like a bit of sparkle and uplifting, other than my bra. I don't mind any conversations being uplifting.

[00:00:35] I didn't know we were going to head straight to bras.

[00:00:38] Always, always. Amazing things. More useful than pockets. The amount of stuff I end up rubbing down my bra because I haven't got pockets.

[00:00:47] Really? Do you have like an F-size cup so you can get out?

[00:00:52] Oh, I shove everything down there because I often haven't got pockets. And like change and stuff.

[00:00:58] And I used to get on a dress and I got back up from work or whatever, take my bra off.

[00:01:03] And it'd be like a cash machine paying out.

[00:01:05] It made me laugh, that did.

[00:01:07] Yeah. I remember someone taking their bra off and telling me that they found an apple gauk in it, which I thought was very funny.

[00:01:15] Definitely use it as a substitute pocket.

[00:01:20] Yeah.

[00:01:20] But yeah, yeah. Yeah. Let's be... Yeah, we need a bit more... Something a bit more fun, I think.

[00:01:27] Yeah. And it's not because we want to trivialize the situation and everything, but I think it's important that we remember the joy in life as well as the difficulty as well.

[00:01:36] And I think that's important.

[00:01:37] So I have been a Strictly fan since the beginning. I have watched it since the very first episode, from the very first show all the way through.

[00:01:46] Never miss it. Even when I'm on holiday, we catch up and I play and I watch It Takes Two virtually all the time as well.

[00:01:51] So I'm a bit of a Strictly fan, I think is the expression. How about you?

[00:01:57] Oh, of course. I've watched it since the first series. Just to clarify, because we know we've got a list in Taiwan.

[00:02:02] Yes, that's right. I think it's called Dancing with the Stars Everywhere or Else in the World.

[00:02:06] That's right.

[00:02:06] But it's... The way it came out with that title is a bit weird, isn't it? It's called Strictly called Dancing.

[00:02:13] It's an amalgam of two things that people have forgotten.

[00:02:17] But yeah, I love Strictly. I remember watching it from the very first series and it's sort of a very different programme.

[00:02:23] We've probably talked about it before, but it's a very different programme now.

[00:02:26] But yes, it's certainly the highlight of TV viewing for me every week.

[00:02:33] And there's always a fuss about it. I mean, you know, I was reading an article earlier saying, you know, Strictly needs a reboot, time to make all sorts of changes.

[00:02:41] But I think Strictly is one of those jewels in the BBC crown.

[00:02:45] There's a lot of people who spend a lot of time moaning and whinging about it.

[00:02:50] And that's fine. Everyone likes constructive debate and such like.

[00:02:54] And there are things about Strictly that do need to improve.

[00:02:55] Oh, it's like just sit back and appreciate it from time to time, because it's very easy to lose the public broadcaster,

[00:03:02] lose the television licence and end up with no shows like Strictly, because this is the sort of thing where it's hard to imagine how it would be as good on commercial telly with thousands of adverts scattered through.

[00:03:15] And I think we undervalue things that we take for granted.

[00:03:23] And we forget what a fantastic industry that Strictly's had.

[00:03:25] There's other problems, but there's things I'd like to see changing myself.

[00:03:29] But I think we've got to appreciate it for what it is as well.

[00:03:32] No, no, it's definitely.

[00:03:34] No, I agree.

[00:03:35] I mean, I think people get right about it and get exercised about it because they care about it.

[00:03:40] You know, so you can if I ever delve into Twitter or something, which, as I say, I don't tend to do these days so much.

[00:03:45] There's always people moaning about the judging and this and the other, but that's because people care about it.

[00:03:50] That's always been the case.

[00:03:52] Yeah.

[00:03:52] Yeah.

[00:03:52] No, but it is, you know, and, you know, it's definitely one of the programmes that our community, you know, the LGBTQ plus community can gravitate to because it's an inclusive programme as well.

[00:04:04] And certainly more so these last few years, it's more and more inclusive, which I think is brilliant.

[00:04:09] And, yeah, and it's a bit of a bit of sort of more.

[00:04:14] There's not much on telly that's appointment telly these days where you go, oh, watch that tonight, you know?

[00:04:19] Yes, you've got to be there.

[00:04:21] You've got to rush in and watch it live and vote.

[00:04:24] I have stopped, which I have done in the past, going on Twitter and finding out the spoiler because there is a couple of accounts where you can find out who's eliminated on that Saturday night.

[00:04:35] And I've tried to stop myself doing that because I don't know why I do it.

[00:04:39] But I like, I like the Sunday show and I think it's, and we all know it's not, you know, we all know it's recorded on the Saturday, but I like the idea it comes on a Sunday.

[00:04:48] It's just another night with Strictly.

[00:04:50] So it's like seven nights a week.

[00:04:50] Yeah, it is.

[00:04:51] It works well.

[00:04:52] And, you know, I don't think they make any real tense that really everybody knows that it's recorded all live one night, which I think must be an absolutely gruelling time for the contestants.

[00:05:02] Yeah.

[00:05:03] You think about how long that show must be to do the record that may be like two hours sometimes or more than that.

[00:05:10] And then they've got to record a Sunday night one, I think, and then do the, repeat the dances.

[00:05:15] I think that must be quite gruelling.

[00:05:17] I'd love to go watch it.

[00:05:18] It must be a great night out to join the audience.

[00:05:22] I think it's quite hard to get tickets, isn't it?

[00:05:24] Oh yeah.

[00:05:24] Yeah.

[00:05:25] I think there's probably massive waiting lists, isn't there?

[00:05:28] So, but yeah, no, I think, I think in, you know, in a world where it felt a bit grim for a while to have a think about Strictly and look at that is great.

[00:05:40] And we've both been fans since the very early days when, I remember that first series Natasha Kaplinski won it, didn't she?

[00:05:49] That's it.

[00:05:50] And a terrible, absolutely terrible dancer got to the final, which I don't think would happen now.

[00:05:55] Yeah.

[00:05:56] I really blessed Christopher Parker is named.

[00:05:58] That's it.

[00:05:59] Yeah.

[00:05:59] I remember this, an actor on EastEnders and it was different then.

[00:06:03] I think it was like a, it was, it was, you know, a vote fondness for him because he wasn't really very good and it was a vote for his personality.

[00:06:12] But now you don't really get bad, more dancers in the final ever, do you now?

[00:06:17] I think they, the public are much more into the actual dancing.

[00:06:23] And yes, there's more of a, there's more of a, I always think that you, you get this thing, don't you?

[00:06:29] You're the comedy dancers, last to the black, black pool.

[00:06:32] Yes, there is.

[00:06:33] So all thrown out.

[00:06:35] Yes.

[00:06:36] But you don't even get that many really bad ones like you used to have, you know, the, the, the, you know, the hideous person, Anne, Anne Widdicom for instance.

[00:06:48] Yes.

[00:06:48] You know, she was on it and it's not so popular, for being so, pretty, pretty terrible at it.

[00:06:54] I mean, she's a terrible person as far as I'm concerned, but with the political views, but you don't really get those people on now.

[00:07:00] I think everybody has a, has a level of ability.

[00:07:04] And this theory is, I just think with Chris McCausland, what he's doing as a blind dancer is extraordinary.

[00:07:10] I think I just, I find that absolutely extraordinary.

[00:07:14] And I think this is the thing you're saying about the inclusion, you know, they, there was a lot of criticism when, yeah.

[00:07:20] Um, uh, Paralympic athletes were coming on and, and they, and they became, they become, um, I want to use the word commonplace.

[00:07:28] I don't mean commonplace, but I mean, they'd be, we, we, we accept them now.

[00:07:31] We don't actually think twice about it.

[00:07:33] And then we had, um, then we had, of course, um, uh, the deaf person who's named Rose Ailing Doodly Wops.

[00:07:41] Ailing Ailis.

[00:07:42] Yes.

[00:07:42] That's the one.

[00:07:43] Yeah.

[00:07:43] Amazing.

[00:07:45] And now we've got Chris doing that.

[00:07:47] And what you've got now is this general sort of inclusion.

[00:07:49] We'd never had a trans person on.

[00:07:51] And, and what was fascinating is that generally people are accepting of outwardly a gay or bi or whatever different sexuality.

[00:07:59] But the moment that Leighton put on a dress and a wig and danced as a girl.

[00:08:03] Yes.

[00:08:04] As a male dancer.

[00:08:05] Yeah.

[00:08:06] I absolutely.

[00:08:06] I mean, I would, yes, I, when you said there was some, some complaints, I would argue that not from sensible people.

[00:08:12] It's just, you know, anti-woke brigade, not liking any change, but, and they did that with the same sex couples, but that's very quickly become.

[00:08:20] Yeah.

[00:08:20] That's just normal.

[00:08:21] You know, you know, cause it's, you know, when the first had a same sex couple, how can they do those?

[00:08:25] Well, they just adapt the dances.

[00:08:27] The whole thing is, you know, you can do whatever you want with it.

[00:08:29] And they've, and the fact that they've really embraced a disability is brilliant, you know?

[00:08:34] And, and it's been, it's one of the most amazing things to see somebody who's deaf, be able to dance and win the whole show.

[00:08:40] I'm a brilliant dancer.

[00:08:42] And then seeing Chris now, who's a really funny comedian.

[00:08:46] What I find staggering, Jill is how, how him and Scott, his professional dancer, how much difficult it is just to learn the dance because instead of just her showing steps and following them, she's got, I presume, got to almost physically guide through that initially.

[00:09:04] That to get, it must take them longer to get to a stage where they're ready, the sort of performance ready.

[00:09:10] Well, I mean, I think that's extraordinary.

[00:09:12] I do wonder how difficult that's going to be when they've got to learn two or three dances later on in the series.

[00:09:17] Cause I think he's, he's up there with the favorites.

[00:09:20] And I think as it stands, he's probably going to, he's certainly probably going to make the final.

[00:09:25] I think the way he's going.

[00:09:27] And I think it's, I think this is the perennial thing, isn't it?

[00:09:29] I think the best dancer very rarely wins strictly because actually, you know, everyone moans about it, but actually it's the judges voted.

[00:09:37] Sorry.

[00:09:37] It's the audience votes that decide, especially the family and finals.

[00:09:40] And if you remember Danny Mac, Louise Redmark, Faye Tozer, Fleur East, you know, Alexandra Burke, all these, Debbie McGee, all these, you know, people get their knickers in a twist, don't they?

[00:09:53] They're like, this person's a professional dancer, blah, blah, blah.

[00:09:56] Or they just, if they're too good, Faye Tozer, I remember being absolutely brilliant.

[00:10:01] That did that amazing Fosse, that sort of West End show.

[00:10:05] I like the theme nights.

[00:10:07] I don't like all of them.

[00:10:08] I don't like quite so many of them.

[00:10:10] And I'm sick of the Charleston, I have to be honest with you.

[00:10:12] That's just a thing that's had its time.

[00:10:14] Not a proper dance.

[00:10:16] Is that what you're at with that?

[00:10:17] Yeah, it's fine.

[00:10:18] I think it's nice to do different things, but, you know, I know a lot of people get excited about it.

[00:10:22] But what's interesting is that it is actually the place where someone like Chris McCausen could come on and win, but he's not necessarily the best dancer.

[00:10:30] But he sort of summarizes the spirit, doesn't he?

[00:10:34] He summarizes the joy of the thing.

[00:10:36] And he's good as well.

[00:10:37] He's not rubbish.

[00:10:38] The best dancers do sometimes win.

[00:10:40] I agree with you.

[00:10:40] But often they don't.

[00:10:42] And I think it's not because I think you miss the whole point of the show, right?

[00:10:47] It's an entertainment show.

[00:10:48] And if you're entertained by the person and it's partly your engagement with that personality, then, and if you're watching it for that person,

[00:10:56] that's the person you want to watch and you're excited about watching.

[00:10:59] Because if you just want to watch the best dancers, don't watch this, watch professional dancing.

[00:11:03] You'll see better dancers, right?

[00:11:04] Yeah.

[00:11:05] None of them are actually as good as the professionals or rarely one or two of them have been comparable.

[00:11:11] But, you know, I've, both of us have seen some of the dancers live.

[00:11:18] And, you know, when they're dancing with their professional part live, you know, none of the routines can match the speed that they have across the floor, for instance.

[00:11:26] And so, no, I think it's always reasonable to say, I don't get out of a problem, really.

[00:11:31] If somebody's got some, a bit of a dance background or say, okay, well, don't vote for them.

[00:11:35] And they don't often win it, do they?

[00:11:38] Sometimes they do.

[00:11:39] And that's absolutely fine.

[00:11:41] That's the whole point of the program, really.

[00:11:43] It's, you know, the judges will keep the best dancers in until the end bit.

[00:11:47] But at the end, the public will say who they have most enjoyed watching.

[00:11:51] And it's often, you know, so people that have progressed or surprised.

[00:11:55] I remember, I remember his name, the wildlife photographer, when a couple of years back, I loved watching him.

[00:12:01] Hamza, yeah.

[00:12:02] I loved watching him and I just didn't, he wasn't necessarily the best dancer, but I enjoyed watching him more than the other dancers.

[00:12:09] Yes.

[00:12:09] You know, he wasn't built like the other dancers and things like that.

[00:12:13] And he, so yeah, no, I think it misses the whole point.

[00:12:17] If you, if you, if you're too wrapped up in that, in my view, you just go with it and enjoy it.

[00:12:23] It's for me, it always, it always shows on social media.

[00:12:26] When you look at the Facebook groups or wherever it is, you're following your social media contract, how bitter and twisted.

[00:12:32] I mean, it is, it shows the best and worst of social media.

[00:12:34] I think when people are in groups talking about these things and they hate, I mean, the hate on people like Tess.

[00:12:42] And it's just, it's just, there are some people who are utterly vile.

[00:12:47] And, you know, it's, I mean, this keyboard warrior thing and it's men, as well as women.

[00:12:52] It's, it's all genders, you know, I don't know about, oh, it's cause it's hard to tell.

[00:12:55] I don't, I don't necessarily notice.

[00:12:57] Well, people are people and some people like to do spread joy.

[00:13:01] And some people like to, I don't know, to get attention through being, you know, some of them being a bit horrid.

[00:13:09] And then, you know, and there's still, you still get misogyny about people's appearance and women who, you know, you know, Tess and Claudia, they were criticized for their, for their dresses and whatever.

[00:13:20] You know, far more than if it was male presenters and their attire.

[00:13:23] So there's always that sort of stuff that that's there.

[00:13:26] I think we can, it's difficult because I hate the fact that you, the clip baity news sites always report what Twitter says.

[00:13:33] And actually it's such a small percentage of people that are actually engaging on Twitter when it actually comes down to it.

[00:13:39] It's not, it isn't a barometer of actually what people are feeling.

[00:13:44] I don't believe what the report is reported as if it is, you know, I have to be honest and say that I've left Twitter or X or whatever it's called.

[00:13:53] Me too.

[00:13:54] I joined Blue Sky and I'm on threads and the podcast is there as well.

[00:13:59] And, you know, I've just had enough of X.

[00:14:02] I just think it's, it's no longer a place of free speech.

[00:14:05] It's only free speech if you agree with the people that run the political scenes behind it.

[00:14:11] So I'm off.

[00:14:13] Well, I, I, I'm not a free speech person anyway.

[00:14:15] I think, you know, the, well, free expression is the better thing than free speech.

[00:14:21] You're free to express, but we're free to criticize for it.

[00:14:23] But yeah, I've still got an account on there and I'll still look at it every so often, but I haven't posted on it.

[00:14:28] So what, do you remember your hand, your handle on Blue Sky?

[00:14:31] If anybody wants to follow you, Jill?

[00:14:33] Well, if only, well, as you know, I have a problem.

[00:14:35] Remember anything which has a name attached to it.

[00:14:37] So I'd have to look up, but it will be, it will be, I don't think we ever had a Twitter Transvox account, but we will have a Twitter.

[00:14:45] So we will have a Blue Sky Transvox account and people can still contact us.

[00:14:49] If anybody wants to, I'm on there as, cause it's, it felt like 2009 signing up to it again.

[00:14:56] Yeah.

[00:14:57] Actually coming up with a name and my name's on there is, is Jens Vox.

[00:15:02] Oh, right.

[00:15:02] G-E-N-S for Jens, V-O-X for Vox.

[00:15:06] So I thought I'd try to, sort of slight link to the podcast cause I couldn't use my old Twitter handle.

[00:15:11] Um, but yeah, but yeah, no, I mean, you know, so we are, we've all sort of gravitated over there, which people are hoping is going to be a nicer discourse and a more positive place to be cause we need some positivity.

[00:15:23] But yeah, no, I'm, I'm, yeah. Love, love, strictly looking forward to it again on, uh, on Saturday.

[00:15:31] Um, I'm trying to find, I'm trying to find this is, this is the other is transvox.bsky.social as well.

[00:15:38] So the podcast is on there.

[00:15:40] Yeah.

[00:15:40] Um, you can obviously contact Jillian at transvox.co.uk and you can actually, I think we've got this new, you can record a question live.

[00:15:48] You can live your own voice now on our website.

[00:15:51] Oh, voice message.

[00:15:51] Yeah.

[00:15:52] Oh yeah, that's all.

[00:15:53] Yeah.

[00:15:54] God, we're really up with the technology.

[00:15:56] Uh, I think I might have to plug it in, but, uh, it's all set up and that you could join us live on the podcast if you really wanted to.

[00:16:02] So there you are.

[00:16:03] That's one of the things you've got.

[00:16:04] There's a, there's a, there's an offer.

[00:16:07] Yeah.

[00:16:07] Actually, one of the things I love about strictly just going back to, um, sudden thought.

[00:16:11] I love the fact that there's this breakout stuff as well.

[00:16:14] I think we're seeing as the rise of, um, the acceptability in men who dance.

[00:16:21] And, you know, and I think that's lovely, isn't it?

[00:16:23] You have, um, do you remember, um, Vincent and, um, somebody, they had their own thing.

[00:16:29] Anton had his thing with Aaron Boog.

[00:16:31] I went to see that years ago.

[00:16:32] No, you didn't, you go and see Anton and Aaron.

[00:16:35] Well, I think lots of the dancers do, um, do other shows and stuff.

[00:16:38] They've all do it.

[00:16:39] I think they all do really.

[00:16:40] Uh, when the series is over.

[00:16:42] I went to see my best friend.

[00:16:45] It's been Christmas time.

[00:16:47] Cause her best friend, Vicky brought us tickets to go and see Anton De Bec and Aaron Boog.

[00:16:51] I think she was still on the program back then.

[00:16:53] Yeah.

[00:16:54] Uh, dancing at a, at a town hall in, uh, Duckingfield town hall outside Manchester.

[00:17:00] It was one of those old sort of Victorian town halls.

[00:17:04] So that, uh, a ballroom in it.

[00:17:07] And, uh, yeah, it was amazing.

[00:17:08] I remember going and feeling really out of place.

[00:17:11] Cause, uh, most of the people that were older than us, me and Vicky.

[00:17:14] I would have been in, uh, probably mid thirties.

[00:17:18] And Vicky, Vicky was a bit younger than me.

[00:17:20] We were best mates who were.

[00:17:21] And we got dressed up and two high heels is what my memory.

[00:17:26] I remember the pain I was in cause I've chose too high heels.

[00:17:28] Oh yeah.

[00:17:29] Cause before, before Aaron and Anton dance, they opened the floor up for people to dance.

[00:17:33] So there was lots of couples who were clearly.

[00:17:34] Yeah.

[00:17:35] They were all dancing around and you know, cause it was, it was open to dance.

[00:17:39] So they put music on it and people were going and dancing.

[00:17:41] You know, I couldn't dance.

[00:17:42] I can't dance.

[00:17:44] Other than the time warp from, uh, um, from what's it's called?

[00:17:49] The musical.

[00:17:50] I can't know what it's called now.

[00:17:51] I could do the time warp, but, um, I can't dance in those, not in those heels.

[00:17:56] Definitely.

[00:17:56] Um, but I loved it when I remember seeing them live and up close about how much faster they

[00:18:02] were across the floor than on the deli.

[00:18:06] It was amazing to watch.

[00:18:07] And then we, um, I think we hadn't queued up and had a photo with them after I've got

[00:18:11] a photo somewhere that me looking with a very startled standing next to a very quite

[00:18:16] startled, uh, Anton.

[00:18:19] Cause I'm definitely a bit taller than him.

[00:18:21] And the friend was standing by Erin.

[00:18:23] It was a great night.

[00:18:24] I really did love it.

[00:18:25] And I was so impressed, uh, with watching it live.

[00:18:28] I always recommend that.

[00:18:30] We were so close.

[00:18:31] How did Anton cope with this?

[00:18:34] Uh, cause I mean, he's, he's, he's made some interesting comments in the past,

[00:18:38] hasn't he about, um, well, he's not, I don't think he's ever larger peeps.

[00:18:42] Yeah.

[00:18:42] I was going to say he hasn't ever, I don't think he's ever been problematic in terms of,

[00:18:46] Oh no.

[00:18:47] Trans.

[00:18:47] He has in terms of, he's made some slightly borderline racist comments in the past,

[00:18:52] I think.

[00:18:52] Yes.

[00:18:53] And he's apologized for it.

[00:18:55] So we'll give him that.

[00:18:56] I think he, he, he's a generation, I think.

[00:18:59] Yeah.

[00:18:59] A little bit.

[00:19:00] Well, I don't know.

[00:19:00] He's not as old.

[00:19:01] I mean, he's younger than me.

[00:19:03] I think he's definitely younger than me.

[00:19:05] Yeah.

[00:19:05] Yeah.

[00:19:08] Almost present company accepted.

[00:19:10] I think he's, I'm 27.

[00:19:12] I don't think he's in his 50s.

[00:19:13] I don't think he's in his mid fifties.

[00:19:14] I don't think he may be wrong.

[00:19:16] Isn't he?

[00:19:16] He's one of those people you're never quite sure that he may have been sort of in his,

[00:19:21] look like he's in his late forties when he was 20 or something.

[00:19:24] I don't know.

[00:19:26] But yeah.

[00:19:27] He's born in 1966.

[00:19:29] Oh, oh, he's two years older than me then.

[00:19:31] Yeah.

[00:19:31] So he's 58.

[00:19:33] He is 58.

[00:19:33] So fair dues.

[00:19:35] Fair dues.

[00:19:36] Yeah.

[00:19:36] Well, that's my generation.

[00:19:38] So I can't, you can't excuse generation for sort of slightly dodgy views.

[00:19:42] I don't think my view anyway.

[00:19:43] But yeah, he, the one thing that I did remember is during the time we bought the tickets and

[00:19:50] went, I think he'd been reporting in the press and making some comments.

[00:19:53] You can probably Google this about fat people or something, or people are overweight or he'd

[00:19:59] made some disparaging comments or whatever, you know, so, and it was important.

[00:20:03] So I remember reading at a time and then thinking, oh great.

[00:20:06] When I went to a photo with him and trust me, I would have been one of the people who had

[00:20:10] been referring to.

[00:20:11] So he was very good about disguising any awkwardness about having a photo with a six foot two overweight

[00:20:20] trans woman.

[00:20:21] He put on a big smile.

[00:20:22] So I give him credit for that on the picture.

[00:20:24] So if he was ever thinking, oh my God, who am I standing next to?

[00:20:27] He didn't show it.

[00:20:29] And he was a great dancer that night.

[00:20:30] And I don't, you've been to see him.

[00:20:32] We were, we were literally sitting around the dance floor, you know, on tables around the

[00:20:37] dance floor.

[00:20:37] And they were, so there were, you know, touching distances in world, world plus.

[00:20:41] It was brilliant to see.

[00:20:43] So I don't know if that's the sort of setting you saw women, because you went to see them,

[00:20:47] didn't you?

[00:20:47] It was like that.

[00:20:49] Um, yeah, no, it was in a concert hall.

[00:20:51] So it was a basic.

[00:20:52] Right.

[00:20:52] Yeah.

[00:20:53] So there's no dancing.

[00:20:55] And this, this was, um, yeah, literally they were dancing around us, you know, it was,

[00:21:00] it was amazing to say in all of them, really.

[00:21:04] And he didn't realize.

[00:21:05] Actually.

[00:21:05] You know what?

[00:21:06] I've just looked at the quote and it's, I've no time for fat people.

[00:21:10] They should all be shot.

[00:21:11] I mean.

[00:21:12] Is that what he actually said?

[00:21:13] Yeah.

[00:21:13] It was pretty small.

[00:21:14] Yeah.

[00:21:15] He said, he'd been misquoted.

[00:21:16] He said, fat dancers should be shot because of some professional, but everywhere has got

[00:21:19] it as that.

[00:21:20] You can imagine me feeling slightly awkward about having a photo anyway, with, um, with

[00:21:26] a celebrity.

[00:21:28] I don't like how I'd come out in photos.

[00:21:30] I was a six foot two trans woman.

[00:21:32] Um, I don't remember.

[00:21:34] And Mickey said, Oh, let's go and have a photo.

[00:21:37] Hardik would come here.

[00:21:37] That was part of the ticket.

[00:21:38] I think.

[00:21:39] Cause then I love photos.

[00:21:40] So I've still got it.

[00:21:42] I think I shared it with you.

[00:21:43] But, um, hey, oh, you know, he said those things.

[00:21:47] Maybe he's misquoted, but I wasn't expecting that.

[00:21:50] Expecting to look at me and think, Oh great.

[00:21:52] There's somebody I'd like to get to know.

[00:21:53] Well, he, either way, he's very good on the show.

[00:21:56] I mean, I'm not going to give many.

[00:21:58] I think he's very good on the show.

[00:21:59] And he's a really good broadcaster like that.

[00:22:02] Yes.

[00:22:03] So who's your tip this year for the top?

[00:22:05] Who's, who do you think is going to be in the final?

[00:22:07] Well, I think, I think it's, I think it's Chris is definitely my favorite.

[00:22:12] I just need to check.

[00:22:13] They got the names.

[00:22:14] See, my favorite Sarah and Vito.

[00:22:17] Yeah.

[00:22:18] Sarah Hadland.

[00:22:19] Yeah.

[00:22:19] Yeah.

[00:22:20] She's great.

[00:22:21] Um, yes.

[00:22:22] Yeah.

[00:22:22] She's a, yeah, she was on Miranda.

[00:22:26] Wasn't she?

[00:22:26] She's a lot of sketch show comedy and comedy.

[00:22:30] Yeah.

[00:22:31] So, um, yeah, no, she was pocket rocket.

[00:22:35] It was absolutely gorgeous.

[00:22:36] Such a lovely person by as well, by the sounds of things.

[00:22:39] Yeah.

[00:22:39] Yeah.

[00:22:40] I think, I think those are the two favorites.

[00:22:42] I think.

[00:22:43] Yeah.

[00:22:43] Um, who's the social media.

[00:22:47] I've got her name.

[00:22:48] Is she, is she one of the best dancers as well?

[00:22:49] What's her name?

[00:22:50] It's Tasha.

[00:22:51] Yeah.

[00:22:51] Tasha and, um, Tasha and Ali Ash.

[00:22:54] Yeah.

[00:22:54] Tasha.

[00:22:54] Yeah.

[00:22:55] Tasha's cochlear implant has almost been, um, that's true.

[00:22:59] Yeah.

[00:22:59] She's touched on side.

[00:23:00] No one's even talking about it.

[00:23:01] It's only when she talks, you realize actually there's a, there must be some sort of hearing

[00:23:05] impediment.

[00:23:06] Yeah.

[00:23:07] But of course, all of, all of the fashions and all of the costumes have to be in hair

[00:23:11] and wigs and such like have to be a, you know, and I love the, what they've done

[00:23:14] is to put sparkles on the cochlear implant.

[00:23:16] And I think again, she's doing a remarkable job for that.

[00:23:20] But of course it's been slightly dwarfed by the whole Chris thing, which is a shame

[00:23:24] in a way, but it's just still good because it's, it's, it's just, it's showing

[00:23:28] in a sense how, in the fact that the BSL has been used on strictly now as a, as a, as

[00:23:35] a regular thing.

[00:23:36] And, um, and there's, um, there's all sorts of extra resources as a result of roads, which

[00:23:41] means that Tasha can do it and feel more comfortable in the whole thing.

[00:23:44] Cause that's, it's quite interesting because the idea that you're, you're walking around

[00:23:48] and people are moving around and jumping around in front of your eyes and you, and you

[00:23:53] can't, you can't hear what they're doing.

[00:23:55] But then the idea of Chris is, has no idea what's going on random.

[00:23:58] He's never seen the show.

[00:24:00] Has, doesn't know what it looks like.

[00:24:01] I love that line when he said to you, when Claudia asked him on the first show or something,

[00:24:05] have you watched it?

[00:24:06] He said, why would I watch it?

[00:24:07] He said, he's listening to music and then people talking to him.

[00:24:12] I have no idea.

[00:24:13] Cause I, you know, he, I think I was, it was interesting to listen to him.

[00:24:16] He was talking about his blindness and he can, what he is aware of, he could sort of, he

[00:24:21] needs to get to know the area cause he can basically see a bit of light and dark if

[00:24:26] somebody's standing in front of him.

[00:24:27] But I think he has very little, it's not, you know, obviously any disability, there's

[00:24:32] a spectrum, isn't there?

[00:24:33] Yes.

[00:24:34] You know, so with Tasha, I don't think, I think Tasha could, um, him or music than, I

[00:24:39] mean, forgive me cause I, I, I, I'm trying to talk about something I don't know enough

[00:24:42] about, but I think she's got a cochlear implant so she can hear more than Rose for

[00:24:47] here, for instance.

[00:24:48] Yeah.

[00:24:49] But, um, but yeah, I think everyone's been finding it remarkable how you can learn a dance

[00:24:54] and, and do that.

[00:24:55] And especially this, the, the, um, Blackpool show where you're doing it with other dancers,

[00:25:01] you know, they have those, all the other professionals that you have to do almost like a group dance

[00:25:05] bit.

[00:25:05] And, um, that must be really difficult to the risk of sort of, of, of that going wrong.

[00:25:11] I think that's amazing.

[00:25:12] I was just looking at the odds cause I always like to look at the odds.

[00:25:14] So I think Chris is favorite at the moment, Sarah's second favorite, and then it's Tasha.

[00:25:19] And I think after that it drops off.

[00:25:22] So I think those three are, uh, uh, now looking pretty much odds on for the final, I think.

[00:25:29] But Chris is, yeah, Chris is a firm favorite.

[00:25:33] And, but I think he deserves it.

[00:25:34] I mean, it's not just, you know, uh, he is a good dancer to watch, you know, he's a

[00:25:40] good performer.

[00:25:41] It's good entertainment.

[00:25:42] And, you know, a very funny man.

[00:25:44] And a very interesting story.

[00:25:46] I think it's, I think it's amazing.

[00:25:48] Yeah.

[00:25:48] Well, it'd be a joy to chat and I think we need to move on.

[00:25:51] Do you know, do you know what?

[00:25:52] I've got my Christmas cake in the oven, so I'm going to have to get it out.

[00:25:54] Oh, Christmas cake.

[00:25:55] Yeah.

[00:25:55] Yeah.

[00:25:55] You cook your own Christmas cake, do you?

[00:25:57] Absolutely.

[00:25:58] I cook it.

[00:25:58] Do you like baking?

[00:25:59] I didn't know this side of you.

[00:26:00] I adore baking.

[00:26:02] Do you?

[00:26:03] Yeah, of course.

[00:26:04] You're talking about Bake Off one year or something.

[00:26:05] I love Bake Off.

[00:26:07] Do you love Bake Off?

[00:26:08] Of course.

[00:26:08] I will do a Bake Off.

[00:26:09] I love Bake Off.

[00:26:10] Yeah.

[00:26:11] Of my, I have a top 10 of reality shows and number one is Bake Off The Professionals.

[00:26:17] Oh, you like the professional ones?

[00:26:18] Yeah, I do like that.

[00:26:20] I do think you should have a strictly The Professionals actually one year.

[00:26:23] I think that would be fascinating.

[00:26:25] It would be interesting.

[00:26:26] Isn't that just professional dances?

[00:26:29] But that's the point.

[00:26:30] But it's the point, isn't it?

[00:26:31] And then you have the public voting them off to do the dances and exactly like Bake Off

[00:26:35] The Professionals.

[00:26:36] They're all professionals.

[00:26:37] So I think it would be awesome to have that one year.

[00:26:40] Yeah, it would be interesting.

[00:26:42] Yeah.

[00:26:42] Because the public are voting on personalities though rather than technique.

[00:26:46] Yeah, that's great.

[00:26:47] I always, you know.

[00:26:47] But yeah, I'm surprised there hasn't been more, because the title comes from the old Strictly Come Dancing,

[00:26:54] which was sort of semi-professional ballroom, wasn't it?

[00:26:58] Yes.

[00:26:58] It wasn't professional, but proper ballroom dancing and things.

[00:27:01] And you used to have those.

[00:27:02] I remembered it for the 70s, you know.

[00:27:04] Yeah.

[00:27:05] And the Harry Wogan presented it.

[00:27:06] Of course.

[00:27:06] And Come Dancing created one of the best ever jokes for people to giggle to.

[00:27:12] What was that?

[00:27:13] Well, I'm not going to say it out loud in the podcast.

[00:27:16] Oh, right.

[00:27:16] But let's just say that the answer is come dancing.

[00:27:19] And on that note, I wish you luck.

[00:27:21] Is it as funny as allegedly Fanny Credic's doughnuts joke in the 70s?

[00:27:26] That's right.

[00:27:27] That was, you can Google that one.

[00:27:28] Something is equally stupid.

[00:27:30] I think next week we should talk Sarah McRide in the US again.

[00:27:34] Oh, yeah.

[00:27:35] Yes.

[00:27:35] Yes.

[00:27:36] We can get.

[00:27:37] Depress ourselves.

[00:27:39] No, it's not depressing.

[00:27:40] We can mix it up.

[00:27:42] But yeah, I'm looking forward to that and looking forward to, yes,

[00:27:46] we'll have to do something on Bake Off at one point, say, then, Jill.

[00:27:48] Definitely.

[00:27:49] Yeah, we've still got Star Trek.

[00:27:50] Don't forget the Star Trek episode.

[00:27:51] Oh, well, that's still in there.

[00:27:52] You know, that's still, that's building up.

[00:27:54] We're doing the research.

[00:27:55] See you next week.

[00:27:55] It's going to be.

[00:27:57] You take care, everybody.

[00:27:58] See you, Jill.

[00:27:59] Take care.

[00:27:59] Bye.

[00:28:00] Okay.

[00:28:04] Thanks for listening to this episode of Transvox.

[00:28:07] It's been a joy to have you with us.

[00:28:09] If you want to make contact with us, you can contact us at Jillian at transvox.co.uk

[00:28:16] and all of our money goes to our nominated charity.

[00:28:19] And Jen, you've chosen the charity for the next number of episodes.

[00:28:23] Which one have you chosen?

[00:28:24] Our charity is called Beyond Reflections, which is a charity that provides support

[00:28:29] and counselling to trans people, non-binary people and their friends and their families across the UK.

[00:28:36] An amazing charity doing some amazing work.

[00:28:38] Really important.

[00:28:39] So, pleased if you can give.

[00:28:41] Great.

[00:28:42] And if you want to go and have a look at Beyond Reflections, it's beyond-reflections.org.uk

[00:28:46] And, but as I say, if you'd like to make a contribution to what we're doing,

[00:28:50] because we love to help the people who help us.

[00:28:52] Again, if you've got ideas for the show, things you'd like to ask us, questions, comments, applause, or brickbats,

[00:29:00] feel free to send it all in to Jillian at transvox.co.uk.

[00:29:05] Until the next time, goodbye.

[00:29:07] Bye-bye.