Irreverence on Radio 2
Thank the Lord for Paul O’Grady.
I am technically still boycotting Radio 2, in the post-Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand era, with a weary reluctance to return to what Miranda Sawyer has called its old-style golf club and cardigan programming. But some of my radios are still pre-tuned to the station, hence yesterday afternoon in the car I caught Mr O’Grady covering for someone on Radio 2, in his words, “online, on digital and on medication”.
He immediately apologised for his irreverence, insisting he’s not a radio professional and was merely “helping out”, presumably at the last minute. Thing is, when a personality doesn’t need to care about what they’re doing, they are usually at their best. Hence also O’Grady’s adlib after reading out a demurely worded apology for some “language” in a particular musical number. “What language? There was no language. Please God, can we not go back to a world of Songs of Praise and Alan Titchmarsh,” intoned Mr O’Grady in his trademark Scouse.
Hear, hear, Paul. And you were great. I doubt you’ll be invited back. Pity ex-Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas: years of work kicking Parky and the like off air, all undone in the space of two weekends.