chrismoyles.net
- Fri Jul 09, 2004 3:00 pm
#241967
So on the eve of tomorrow’s Moyles Mile in Leeds, Chris decided to get some last minute advice from the most important man in Britain. Nope not Charlie from Busted, but the prime minister himself - Mr Tony Blair. Chris visited his official residency at Chequers in suitably posh gear, and linked up live with the Jo Whiley Show after 11 o’clock for the big interview. Tony said he was fine except for the fact he was about to run the big Westminster Mile for Sport Relief. After confirming that he wasn’t Jon Culshaw and can have him beheaded, Tony settled down for the interview...
Chris - Now in most of the interviews you do it’s obviously about your job and politics and the running of the country. However you can be rest assured I won’t be asking you about that cos I don’t really know about things like that
Tony (laughs) - That makes two of us then
Tony admitted that he was feeling a little apprehensive about the mile as he has a bunch of energetic young school kids, Colin Jackson and Steve Redgrave running it with him. Chris said he’d use the excuse that he doesn’t want to pick up an injury for the country’s sake, so would just be running at a steady pace. Tony said there'd be no way he’d be running at any other pace. He added that he does keep fit (despite his recent health scare) and plays a bit of football and tennis, but he freely admitted that he’s never been much of a runner. After Chris explained his sob story about his Dad, Tony said he’d heard that Chris was actually a bit of a runner himself and had done The Great North Run. Chris said yeah he did, in just under 2 hours...
Tony (pauses) - You’re joking
Chris - Now can I just say that Tony’s eyes just slightly dropped down to my waistline and back up again
(collective posse of R1 hangers on laugh - including the recognisable Greyhead)
Chris then proceeded to chat to Tony about Euro 2004 and the possibility of him getting Blair a massive plasma widescreen TV to put in Chequers (with surround sound of course). Chris said he’d have a word with a mate in Leeds and see if he could get it for Tony on the cheap. Next the conversation turned to The Radio One Breakfast Show. Tony said unfortunately he hasn’t been able to catch much of Chris this year (that means none), but he did say that he used to listen to Radio One quite a bit in Simon Mayo’s heyday.
Tony - How’s it going anyway ? You doing well?
Chris - Oh I’m brilliant
Tony - Well obviously. The show too?
Chris - Yeah the show’s alright
Next up was a very uncomfortable few moments where Chris tried to lecture Tony on fresh new music. He didn’t seem particularly interested in hearing about Snow Patrol or the Shapeshifters and I was glad when the conversation got turned in a different direction. Just before Tony set off on his run he tried to rope Moyles into doing it a day early...
Tony - You know I’m sure at even this late stage they could manage some trainers for you
Chris - Well er, you know I believe I am contractually obliged exclusively to run the Leeds one..(Tony laughs)..and it causes a big hoo-ha with Sport Relief
Tony - Is that right?
Tony headed off to do the mile, advising Chris that he might be a little while. Chris wished him the best of luck and reminded him that he could always trip a few up on the start line if he didn’t want to finish last.
Chris then handed back to Jo while Tony did the run, and she played a few records and went to the news. When we returned to this compelling but enjoyable meeting of minds between Blair and Moyles, Tony had just about recovered from his mile run.
Chris - First of all congratulations on your time, 3:59 - you must be very pleased with that
Tony (laughs) - That was the first hundred yards yeah
He actually did it in just under 8 and a half minutes which isn’t too bad. The next part of the interview made slightly more uneasy listening than the first, this as Chris tried to teach him how to text and argued about the existence of a Bruce Springsteen track called “Light My Fire”. Tony rather patronisingly told Chris that was by The Doors, although Chris was probably thinking of “I’m On Fire” which was the double A side (btw I have researched this - I wasn’t even alive at the time, so don’t think I’m some kind of Bruce Springsteen anorak). Tony told Chris that if he played more Bruce Springsteen on The Radio One Breakfast Show he’d put on another 700 000 listeners in no time. Yeah, another 700 000 for Wogan. Other stuff discussed included Reality TV, Love Actually, Sport Relief (a bit) and most importantly the one question on the nations lips: What is Tony Blair’s favourite cheese? His answer - mature English cheddar.
Chris - I think I’ve done a good job today?
Tony - Yeah you’ve...er been, what can I say? It’s been a moving experience...
Chris - knighthood?
(laughter)
(Chris presents Tony with his second Sport Relief sock and asks him for his favourite cheese)
- To hear the Interview Part 1 just click here (Real One needed)
- To hear the Interview Part 2 just click here (Real One needed)
- Or alternatively you can download Dickie's mp3 recordings of the interview by clicking here and visiting the Sound Requests Forum on the messageboard. However, these clips will only be available for download for a limited time...so you have been warned!!
So on the eve of tomorrow’s Moyles Mile in Leeds, Chris decided to get some last minute advice from the most important man in Britain. Nope not Charlie from Busted, but the prime minister himself - Mr Tony Blair. Chris visited his official residency at Chequers in suitably posh gear, and linked up live with the Jo Whiley Show after 11 o’clock for the big interview. Tony said he was fine except for the fact he was about to run the big Westminster Mile for Sport Relief. After confirming that he wasn’t Jon Culshaw and can have him beheaded, Tony settled down for the interview...
Chris - Now in most of the interviews you do it’s obviously about your job and politics and the running of the country. However you can be rest assured I won’t be asking you about that cos I don’t really know about things like that
Tony (laughs) - That makes two of us then
Tony admitted that he was feeling a little apprehensive about the mile as he has a bunch of energetic young school kids, Colin Jackson and Steve Redgrave running it with him. Chris said he’d use the excuse that he doesn’t want to pick up an injury for the country’s sake, so would just be running at a steady pace. Tony said there'd be no way he’d be running at any other pace. He added that he does keep fit (despite his recent health scare) and plays a bit of football and tennis, but he freely admitted that he’s never been much of a runner. After Chris explained his sob story about his Dad, Tony said he’d heard that Chris was actually a bit of a runner himself and had done The Great North Run. Chris said yeah he did, in just under 2 hours...
Tony (pauses) - You’re joking
Chris - Now can I just say that Tony’s eyes just slightly dropped down to my waistline and back up again
(collective posse of R1 hangers on laugh - including the recognisable Greyhead)
Chris then proceeded to chat to Tony about Euro 2004 and the possibility of him getting Blair a massive plasma widescreen TV to put in Chequers (with surround sound of course). Chris said he’d have a word with a mate in Leeds and see if he could get it for Tony on the cheap. Next the conversation turned to The Radio One Breakfast Show. Tony said unfortunately he hasn’t been able to catch much of Chris this year (that means none), but he did say that he used to listen to Radio One quite a bit in Simon Mayo’s heyday.
Tony - How’s it going anyway ? You doing well?
Chris - Oh I’m brilliant
Tony - Well obviously. The show too?
Chris - Yeah the show’s alright
Next up was a very uncomfortable few moments where Chris tried to lecture Tony on fresh new music. He didn’t seem particularly interested in hearing about Snow Patrol or the Shapeshifters and I was glad when the conversation got turned in a different direction. Just before Tony set off on his run he tried to rope Moyles into doing it a day early...
Tony - You know I’m sure at even this late stage they could manage some trainers for you
Chris - Well er, you know I believe I am contractually obliged exclusively to run the Leeds one..(Tony laughs)..and it causes a big hoo-ha with Sport Relief
Tony - Is that right?
Tony headed off to do the mile, advising Chris that he might be a little while. Chris wished him the best of luck and reminded him that he could always trip a few up on the start line if he didn’t want to finish last.
Chris then handed back to Jo while Tony did the run, and she played a few records and went to the news. When we returned to this compelling but enjoyable meeting of minds between Blair and Moyles, Tony had just about recovered from his mile run.
Chris - First of all congratulations on your time, 3:59 - you must be very pleased with that
Tony (laughs) - That was the first hundred yards yeah
He actually did it in just under 8 and a half minutes which isn’t too bad. The next part of the interview made slightly more uneasy listening than the first, this as Chris tried to teach him how to text and argued about the existence of a Bruce Springsteen track called “Light My Fire”. Tony rather patronisingly told Chris that was by The Doors, although Chris was probably thinking of “I’m On Fire” which was the double A side (btw I have researched this - I wasn’t even alive at the time, so don’t think I’m some kind of Bruce Springsteen anorak). Tony told Chris that if he played more Bruce Springsteen on The Radio One Breakfast Show he’d put on another 700 000 listeners in no time. Yeah, another 700 000 for Wogan. Other stuff discussed included Reality TV, Love Actually, Sport Relief (a bit) and most importantly the one question on the nations lips: What is Tony Blair’s favourite cheese? His answer - mature English cheddar.
Chris - I think I’ve done a good job today?
Tony - Yeah you’ve...er been, what can I say? It’s been a moving experience...
Chris - knighthood?
(laughter)
(Chris presents Tony with his second Sport Relief sock and asks him for his favourite cheese)
- To hear the Interview Part 1 just click here (Real One needed)
- To hear the Interview Part 2 just click here (Real One needed)
- Or alternatively you can download Dickie's mp3 recordings of the interview by clicking here and visiting the Sound Requests Forum on the messageboard. However, these clips will only be available for download for a limited time...so you have been warned!!
