Pillow talk from Radio Nicky

A recurrent theme across the tributes to Cilla Black was praise for her being ordinary…the girl next door…a fun aunt.

But we also like our celebrities to be glamorous and mega rich, enjoying a lifestyle we could only dream about. There’s also a bit of a penchant for posh: public schoolboys turned actors with silly names.

When it comes to our news presenters, however, we have just three requirements: intelligence, calmness and a bit of personality/charisma. John Humphreys clearly ticks the first box. Bill Turnbull of BBC Breakfast is the epitome of calmness but – in this viewer’s opinion – badly fails the personality/charisma test. And then there’s Nicky Campbell…

He used to be a disc jockey and we know that because he frequently recites song lyrics related to a subject he, his co-presenter or contributor has just mentioned.

He is also on the television – a lot.

And he doesn’t hesitate to introduce personal experiences for the benefit of listeners…and Nicky Campbell.
There was a classic example of Radio Nicky this morning. Punters were contacting the show about an item on framed photographs and how fewer of us now had them in our homes. Weighty matters.

Somebody, for example, apparently had a picture of Slade in pride of place in their lounge.  Nicky, of course, could do better than that. He’s got a photo of himself playing a guitar in the porch of John Lennon’s house.

The rest of the details are a bit sketchy – was John Lennon there? Did Nicky break in – because I had to cover my head with the pillow.

But, anyway, well done Nicky. You’ve had a much more exciting life than your listeners and I’m sure they really appreciate you rubbing it in.