Open House

~ 24/102001 live on TV ~ Part II ~

Michael and Gloria are back to the cheering of the audience:

G: Thank you very much, thank you. Well, we're back and as you can hear, the Ballettes are in full force this afternoon. And so too is our very special guest, singer Michael Ball, so will you welcome back Michael. ( audience applauding and cheering ). Now I want to go back to the fire.

M. Yeah.

G: That was very traumatic and could have been extremely serious, bad enough as it was. What were the circumstances?

M: ( taking a deep breath ) We came back from, uhm, we - Cathy and I had been out, at a party and doing some work as well. And went to bed about half past one. I couldn't sleep and Cath was out for alike, so I went downstairs to me study. I pulled myself a little single Malt, as you do. ( Gloria laughing ) and was sort of downstairs for about an hour and a half. Went up, she was akip, so I went into the spare room - (looking to the audience with a naughty grin) as you do sometimes. ( audience laughing ) And went to sleep. The next thing I know, well to tell the story from Cathy's point of view: She uh, woke up choking and coughing and felt across ( imitating her from now on the whole time. How she felt for him, how she wanted to turn on the lights, just everything ) and I wasn't there. And tried to put the lights on, from a deeply, tried to put the lights on. The lights had gone in the house. And she realises the smoke there doing up. And she's freaking, cause I am not there. She ran down through the pitch black and black smoke, down to where my study is and open the door and flames came out ( showing how flames came out ).

G: And obviously thought you were still in there.

M. And thought I was in there. So she is then opening the door and chucking - cause she can't get physically in there - chucking things in to try and thinks I'm in there - you know, fallen asleep in the chair. And is getting no response, is then convinced: I am dead ( makes a little pause ) Is I've gone in the fire. she then - ( looking up ) God bless her! She ran out into the street, screaming and she stopped a bus, I think, that was going past. Phoned the Fire Brigade and then thought maybe I am this room, I'm in the spare room, came back in, through the smoke and the flames and literally could not see a thing and came up to the room and was feeling around and felt I was in the bed. I passed out with the fumes and everything.

G: Sure.

M: Just come to....

G: ( interrupting ) But the mere fact that she had gone back in....

M: Oh she came back in...

G: Presumably against, I mean it's against all odds.

M: It's what you shouldn't do ( looking concerned )

G: Yeah, of course.

M: ( looking up again ) Thank god she did! And literally haul ( imitating himself ) .... I'm comatose. and hauling me out of the bed and I came to and realise we're in ser, serious trouble here, ran down. And I thought it was a dream, or or .. it was just .... or she was exaggerating. I came, and well, did  a stupid thing ( showing what he then did ) I, opening the door ..... of the study...

G: ( finishing with him ) of the study...

M: And it it just all came out ( showing how the flames approached him ). I said: Right, get out. ( behaving like now the most stupid thing that night followed ) She then goes and rans back up to grab Yogi ( audience laughing and going aww at the same time )- the dog - who spark out ( imitating Yogi here ) with the fume. And we went. .... the Fire Brigade ( to the audience ) this is two days before Christmas. The Fire Brigade then arrive and - who where fantastic. Just so on the ball! And uhm, put the fire out and where.... ( thinking ) Uff, I can see it now, have ( he is now showing the lines and black streams Cathy had below her nostrils through in and exhaling the smoke and fumes ).... Cath's face, like the black  around her, where she is inhaling it and all over is filthy, really in a state of shock. And finally the Fire Brigade have checked, if everything was out and we then get to go in and look at the damage and it was... We then probably two months before have finished having the house really nicely done.

G: That's right, because you had the builders and everything...

M: We got  the builders forever and..... There were some bits that were so shocking like: In the bed-room, in the bed, seeing the sheets black and just the outlline of the body, of C..., where she was lying.  (showing her profile) you know all that.

G: That's frightening.

M: And just the house erect, as it started in my study all of my memories kind of went. All I discovered.....

G: ( interrupting ) all your posessions, all you...

M: ( talking on) I discovered that my gold discs are not gold! ( Gloria catching her breath, then laughing, together with the audience ). They melt. So they went. And pictures went. Uhm videos, a video archive of outtakes that no one else would have, but myself. You  know all that things.

G: Just things that you just can't replace, really. all those early memories.

M: yeah. All my... and the trouble is, it started,  uhm it was an electrical fault. It started underneath where I keep all my CDs and videos and when that burns and melts the smoke is the most toxic you know.

G: Sure.

M: It's  horrible stuff. And a thick glutonous tar was then covered throughout the whole house.

G: Actually unless you had a fire in your house you don't fully understand just how bad it really is.

M: No, but what was really inter..., because we came.... I kind of, because I did not have the trauma that she had. I mean she: .. in her head for that moment that I was dead

G: Yeah she must have have been screeching. ( showing a photo of Michael and Cathy )

M: OH she was, you know, just inconsolable and then the relief obviously when - I hope the relief - when she found  out ( whole audience laughing together with Michael ).

G: You know, she saved your life.

M: ( nodding sincerely ) there is absolutely no question about. She did!

G: Does she remind you of that from time to time?

M: ( overlapping ) Eeeeeevery day! ( everybody's laughing again )

G: I need you to know when you came over (?).... I safed your life ( Michael killing himself laughing ).

M: I mean she was, she was I mean extraordinary. Just: It's that instinct for survival and what is quite clear, when people say in those polls: If your house is burning down, what do you safe? You safe the people you love,

G: Of course.

M: You safe the living things. Even after... I mean now we go through and we had to ... Most of the stuff got smoke damage, but things we could rescue or could be repaired or whatever they do to ..

G: Clean, all that sort of stuff.

M: Clean and get all those stuff alright. We got loads of things put into storage, because we never set foot in the house again.  Uhm, and even now you pull out things and it's covered in the smuds.. And you just think. Ooooh god.

G: It's just a reminder of all these.... So you sold that house?

M: Yeah.

G: You never moved back into that?

M: We just moved into another one. so we got more builders (laughing)

G: And you got a fire alarm this time?

M: As you bet!

G: Cause you didn't have a fire alarm in the other one?

M: We didn't have a fire alarm!

G: You did not?

M: No!

G: That's the biggest worry then!

M: Stupid is not it?

G: I know.

M: Absolutely stupid!

G: It is!

M: And the other thing they say is, that people who get fire alarms, battery operated and they just leave them, and they don't test! And they don't work!

G: I know. You were talking about, you know, losing your possessions  and I know that one of them was a platinum disc for Les Mis..

M: Yeah ( seeming to get curious )

G: Which is really I guess the first part that you created.

M: Yes, that's right.

G: You know the first role. Well, we have a bit of a surprise for you. and a bit of a surprise with the gentleman to present it! Will you welcome please our mystery guest. Here he is!

Nigel Lythgoe enters the studio carrying a frame. he is welcomed by Gloria and Michael and then take their seats again. Michael and Nigel canot decide who is going to sit closer to Gloria, so they change places again:

N: What a coreography!

G: A bit of coreography!

M: I saw you like that last night on the Awards!

N: It sold a few more copies.

M: Has it?

N: ... since you actually got this. Three times Platinum sales! Nine hundred thousand copies sales!

M: ( Leans back astonished ) Wow! ( the audience is applauding and cheering and Michael is truly amazed and proud )

G: That is fantastic.

M: It's fantastic! First thing I ever recorded ( He looks proud at Nigel! )

G: First thing you ever recorded?

M: ( nodding and then looking again at the frame! ) First thing I ever recorded! Well that's gonna go up in the new study. That's fabulous.

G: That's for your new house.

M: ( adressing Nigel ) That's fabulous!

G: And we have to say that Jacky Gill (?) also had a great hand in getting this made.

M: Oh bless her!

G: It's fantastic and thank you Nigel for bringing it. and now that we have you here we keep you of course. You two (adressing Michael and Nigel) presumably must have been crossed paths in television quite a bit.

N: Yes we did. World wide performances together.

M: yeah.

N: (saying dryly) I didn't realise you are 40 next year!

M: You.... (e veryone in the studio killing themselves laughing ). Disqualifies me for Popstars I suppose!

G: Actually, where are we at the minute with Pop Idol?

N: Pop Idol? We're down to the last 50! On Saturday we'll see the last 50 and the following week the public will then take over.

M: It is such great television!

N: Well, I'mreally pleased, cause people like Simon Callow redeemed me ( audience laughing )

M: You are a pussy

N: I'm like an angel.

M: And they're all going for. I was thinking: How, how .... put in that position, if I had like 15 seconds, 30 seconds to try and convince someone to take me on to the next stage.....

N: Without music.

M: Without music! I don't know, if I can do it!

N: Well you also know and you know, you've auditioned for many shows, some parts you may have lost.

M: Yeah.

N: you don't take that at heart! You just move on....

M: Yeah.

N: ... and go again and audition again!

M: Yeah!

N: Whatever these cruel judges say, you know you gotta shrug your shoulders, you shrug your shoulders off.

G: It's mean to start of you Nigel, I can tell oooooh.

M: You gotta be honest, that some people deserve the cruelty! ( laughing naughtily and getting everyone else started! )

G: It's actually funny that you mention that, cause Nigel was very kind and brought a piece of film  from Pop Idols. It's the good and the bad really. ...And to introduce it.

They show then a clip about Pop Idols (which Michael anticipates eagerly with a grin and rubbing hands!). It shows hwo some people showed off in the hope to become a popstar, some good but some horrible ones!

G: I mean seriously: Were you listening to the ones that were so hard. I mean what are you doing at that time, were you dying inside?

N: On Popstars we used to stand there and used to get backache.  Then we realised we'd get an ear-ache as well. At least the judges now sit down. And you are constantly thinking: This is gonna make good television, even if they are wasting our time, as well Pop Idols is going to make good television. Especially the girl - I don't know, if you saw her, who sang YMCA. (looking away in shame)

M: ( going like STRIKE! Forming fists ) OH YES!!

N: With that lovely Nothern accent it was: (Imitating what this lady obviously did as a stage show!) Yo Man! There's a place you can go! I say Yo man! (singing that bit)

Michael laughing and then when Nigel stops his imitation Michael goes over without break into the YMCA movement, being followed again by Nigel when he stops!

N: It's just like her legs are anywhere: YMCA (again imitating her and MIchael and the audience are laughing their heads off, Michael literally jumping and clapping hands sitting on the sofa!)

G: well I'll tell you what young men of 40 + (laughing)

M: ( laughing enraged, shouting over the audience ) I AM NOT YET!!!!

G: We had to tell you. He is (everyone is just laughing). Anyway, we gotta take a short break! But I just wanna tell you that Michael will be here right till the end of the programme and Nigel, cause we love him, will be staying with us after the break, cause we gotta be discussing last nights National television awards. So see you right after this.....