CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Hello, everyone. Thank you very much.
CHEERING CONTINUES
Thank you so much. Hello, everyone. Good evening.
Hello at home, and good evening. Welcome to The Jonathan Ross Show.
We have got a great programme lined up for you tonight.
Let's have a look at who's in my greenroom.
First up, a hugely talented singer
who won an incredible three BRIT Awards
as part of the fabulous Little Mix.
She's now embarking on a solo career,
and we're delighted to have her here with us tonight.
It is, of course, Perrie Edwards.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Hello, Perrie.
Thank you for being here.
And I'm excited about this, cos alongside her,
one of the best British comedians of all time.
He's a comedy hero of mine.
He's influenced countless other stand-ups.
He's one of the funniest things to come out of West Bromwich
since the accent. LAUGHTER
The fabulous Mr Frank Skinner.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Fighting talk, Frank.
Also on the show... And this will excite you.
..a brilliant choreographer, dancer, all-round showman.
You'll know him as one of the stars of Strictly.
It is the ever-so-lovable Johannes Radebe.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Johannes!
There's the glamour for the evening right there.
Plus, as if that weren't enough,
we're joined by a brilliant BAFTA Award-winning comedian,
writer and actor, who's appeared in shows as varied as The Fall,
This Way Up, Doctor Who and Avoidance.
It's the always-hilarious Aisling Bea.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Fully committed to the wave.
And we've got music tonight from a brilliant rock band
who have racked up six number-one albums.
Of course, it's Kasabian!
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Before we get to that, before I get my guests out,
my absolute favourite moment from the week
came from this exchange on BBC's Look North programme.
Because sometimes, the universe creates the perfect two stories
and puts them side-by-side for us - this was one of those moments.
I've also got some PR for you.
Aren't you on Channel 5 on Sunday night?
Oh, no! Erm, yes, it's just...
Can you tell us the name of the show?
Yeah, When Sex On TV Goes Horribly Wrong.
Have a nice weekend, you.
Have a nice weekend. And you. Bye-bye.
Right, now... Oh, no! Oh, dear. Awkward junction.
Now, the famous Glory Hole walkway in Lincoln has reopened today
after being closed for over a year...
LAUGHTER Oh, dear!
Oh! APPLAUSE
They've closed the Glory Hole walkway.
What a blow to the tourist industry that'll be!
Shall we get on with the show? AUDIENCE: Yes!
OK, let's get my first two guests out,
two home-grown superstars both at the top of their game.
It's Perrie Edwards and Frank Skinner.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Who's helping who down the stairs?
THEY LAUGH
APPLAUSE DROWNS SPEECH
I want to be sat on this chair. OK, yes.
Well, I know Frank was probably being a gentleman,
but when you came out here, I thought you had your carer with you.
No. Here's the exciting thing now.
I didn't realise this until I knew you were on the show together.
Together, these two very talented people have had
nine number-one singles.
AUDIENCE: Ooh!
But in Frank's case, it was four times for the same song.
LAUGHTER
Four times at number one with one song?
Do you know, I had a parcel come from the Guinness Book Of Records,
and it was two framed certificates.
One said, "The first song ever to go to number one four times,"
and the other one said,
"The biggest drop from number one in the history of the charts."
And it dropped an ironic 96 places in a week.
Wow! Wow!
And I thought, "I've got showbiz in a parcel here, the ups and downs."
Cos, of course, that's Three Lions,
which you must know the song Three Lions.
# Three lions on the shirt. #
Is that it? I mean, it's not bad.
Why didn't we get you instead of Dave?
LAUGHTER Here's the exciting thing,
Perrie, last time you were on the show,
you were here with Little Mix. Mm-hm.
You were with Leigh-Anne and Jade. Yes.
And you've been on in the past, as well,
when there were four of you. Yes.
And now you've gone solo. Is it weird coming out on your own?
Is it strange doing things without the rest of the band around you?
Did you see me clinging on Frank for dear life on the way out?
It's really bizarre. It is weird, like, not having them with me.
Yeah. It does feel really different.
But do you like it? Is it freeing in any way?
Is it negative in some ways, but positive, as well?
Yeah, definitely.
I think it was just the right time for us to part ways,
do our own thing. And I just want them to win,
so it is nice seeing them do their own thing, as well.
So, officially, though, you are now a solo artist.
Yes. And that must have been
quite a big jump to make, isn't it?
Were you nervous about it?
Yes, terrified.
It's so different, and it's not what I'm used to.
So, from being 16, I was in Little Mix,
so I don't know any different, so, yeah, it is quite daunting,
but I'm having such a good time so far.
So, your first single is out now? Yes.
It's just about to come out. Called Forget About Us, is that right?
Yes, Forget About Us, out now. And tell me, who wrote this song?
Er, Ed Sheeran.
Ed Sheeran? Mm-hm.
That's pretty good, isn't it? Yeah.
Did you reach out to Ed? Did he reach out to you?
How did that come about?
So, he sent the song, and I just loved it straightaway.
And I think I listened to it, like, once,
and I was singing it again and again and again, thinking,
"What is that song that I keep singing?" And it was that one.
OK, let's have a look. Would you like to see it?
No-one has seen this video, this is an exclusive.
You're seeing it first.
It's a great song. Have a look at this.
# Here's the truth of it
# I don't want you ever To forget about us in the front seat
# Listening to songs That made you think about me
# Bonfire smoke on your hoodie That I stole from your flat
# No, I never gave it back
# But I don't want you ever To forget about us
# I know we were never perfect
# But I think about the life We never had
# Yeah, we both found different love And we're moving on
# Let's leave it buried Where it was but... #
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Well done, Perrie! Good. It's out now.
Congratulations. Thank you, thank you.
Hey, Perrie, since you were last on,
it's exciting news in your personal life.
I hope you don't mind me going there, but you've become engaged.
Yes, I'm engaged. APPLAUSE
Yay!
And so, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the young man,
and he is a professional footballer, isn't he? Yes.
Are you familiar with him? I am.
He was quite an important figure
in our house during the 2018 World Cup,
because he was the one Panini sticker
that my son couldn't get... Wow!
..for England, and then, he missed the World Cup through injury,
and I think we had a sort of an omen of that happening.
Wow. Wow. Oh, wow!
Yeah, I think it was a sticker-led absence.
Wow! So, it's all your fault, then. No, not our fault. Blame Panini.
LAUGHTER
Did you ever get the sticker? No.
You haven't got one, have you? LAUGHTER
Do you think Alex might have his own sticker to spare?
He's got to have some. He might have kept them all.
That's why we couldn't get one.
But I was just saying, Alex plays in Turkey now.
Yeah. So, he's away in Turkey.
And how long is he gonna be playing...?
Cos he was with Liverpool, wasn't he?
Yes. And so he's signed now
to one of the big Turkish teams. Besiktas, yes.
I didn't wanna say that, cos I thought I might mispronounce it.
LAUGHTER That's funny.
Do you speak any Turkish? Have you learnt any Turkish?
I can say "tesekkurler". That's "thank you".
Thank you. That's about it.
So, presumably, you're not spending a lot of time in Turkey.
No! No, no.
Is it tricky, keeping the relationship going?
I mean, obviously, you're committed to each other,
but still, it's difficult. Yeah, I can't lie. It is hard.
I think when he was playing for Liverpool,
and he was based in Manchester,
it was so easy to do the back and forth.
Yeah. But Turkey is a little bit further,
and he doesn't get a lot of time off,
and I'm trying to launch a solo career
whilst having a two-year-old, so it is a lot to juggle,
but we make it work for the ones we love, don't we?
And I'm sure, when you get together, it's probably amazing.
Yes. And we've never lived together, anyway.
So, the whole eight years we've been in a relationship,
we've never actually lived together.
So, in actual fact, when he comes back,
that's when the challenge starts. Yes, yes.
Other than lockdown, we've never been together for that long.
But you've done it then, really, cos lockdown was...
Kind of. ..a very intense version.
It was intense, and I did enjoy his company,
so I was happy about that.
Well, I mean, I would've hoped so. Yeah, cos I was a bit worried.
Frank, you still do quite a lot of material
based on your domestic situation, on your relationship with Cath.
And it's not always... It's not like you're painting
a rosy picture of being married.
Not necessarily. Yeah.
I think it's... We've been together 23 years,
and I think it's good for a comedian
to be in a long-term relationship
because it means awkward silences don't frighten me.
LAUGHTER
But when we do argue, I've always said that,
if you watched us argue, it would be like going to a gig
to see a band, because we start with some new stuff...
Mm. LAUGHTER
..and then, eventually, we roll out our greatest hits.
LAUGHTER
APPLAUSE
Thanks for the chord of recognition there.
It's total recog.... Yeah, so, I'm saying stuff like,
"And here's a grudge of mine you might remember from 2005."
And off we go. But you know the sort of thing.
So, there's a song, though, on the album
about your relationship, isn't there? Mm-hm.
2-2 is one of the tracks on the album.
Yes, one of the songs. I wrote it with Raye.
With Raye? Yes. Wow, amazing!
I know, it was such a good day, and we were just sat chilling.
And to be fair, like, just full disclosure,
my partner and I, we don't argue a lot.
We're very laidback, very chilled. How long have you been together?
Eight years. Eight years?
Eight years. That's pretty good.
But you're not actually together. That's why you're not arguing.
Exactly. We wouldn't argue if I lived in Turkey!
LAUGHTER
No, we're not like...
We argue... We don't argue, but at the same time,
I can be a little bit of a petty bitch, and I can't help it.
I don't know if it's my star sign, I don't know if it's...
What star sign is that that would be a petty bitch?
Cancer. So, I'm very stubborn. Crabby.
Crab-like. I'm crabby.
I thought Cancer would be emotional and open.
Oh, I'm very emotional! Oh, OK.
But not in the best way. OK.
And you don't argue, you say? Not really, no,
but I will hold a grudge for anything that he might say.
What sort of things would you hold a grudge over?
I don't know. I'll just, like, take it
and really just take it for ages, long it out.
Oh, no. But small things?
Yeah. I'd rather have an argument any time.
I don't like arguing, though. I hate it.
I used to play that game with my partner,
that "guess why I'm upset" game. Yeah, that's what I do.
Oh, we've played it for two or three days.
It's like a test match. Yeah.
Yea, it just goes on and on.
Oh, I just can't help the way I am.
I'm just like that, but we just started writing a song about it,
and I just thought the lyrics were super relatable.
And why should you have to change? He loves you for who you are.
Exactly. And if he just said sorry, everything would be fine quickly.
Have you ever considered having a yellow card,
just as a warning?
Just holding it.
I've just heard he's signed to Turkey for another five years.
Yeah, do you know why?
But he'd love the yellow card. My partner said to me...
We had an argument once, and she said,
"I've noticed you don't even watch me when I get undressed any more."
Oh! And so, that night,
I had this big pair of, like, horse-racing binoculars
that I kept under the duvet,
and I waited for ages, and I thought,
"I'm just gonna wait."
And she turned round, and there I was.
But, Frank, you know that isn't what she wanted.
No, but that's what she loves me for, ultimately.
Yeah. Pranking. That's what she loves.
For the bants. OK, what about your son?
You've got a little two-year-old. Yes.
Axel is his name, I believe.
Yeah, Axel. And does he like listening to you sing?
Does he like the album? Does he like what you do?
He loves it. AUDIENCE: Aww.
I know, he's so cute!
Like, I look at him, and I'm like, "I made that."
Like, I made him. Not all by myself, obviously. I had a bit of help.
But he's just, honestly... Yeah, I think Alex gets the assist.
LAUGHTER
Don't you think he's exactly like him?
He is. He does...
Even I got that, Frank, and I don't know football.
LAUGHTER Did you say he's called Axel?
Axel, yeah. After Axl Rose?
Yeah, yes. Fantastic!
I love Axl Rose. This is interesting cos...
My son's called Slash.
LAUGHTER No, he isn't.
Your son, am I right in thinking he's developed
a real interest in that kind of music?
Well, we went and saw Slash, actually, last week, live.
Really?
And, yeah, he's absolutely mad for heavy metal, my son.
He plays guitar.
I went past his bedroom today, and I could just hear...
IMITATES GUITAR ..coming from inside it.
I love that. Yeah, so, we've been to see...
We've been to see, in the last year, Kiss, Slipknot,
Metallica, Def Leppard... Slipknot?!
How old was he when you took him to see Slipknot?
I think 11's all right for Slipknot.
LAUGHTER
Frank, though... And you would love this, I'm sure.
Frank has got a new show on in the West End.
I went to see it already.
It is fantastic, as you would expect.
And it's called, am I right in thinking, 30 Years Of Dirt?
That's correct. OK. Now, the title, obviously,
is a play on words from the four-times number one single.
But at the same time, what does it mean to you?
Why did you choose that?
Well, I... My stand-up career
has been almost an endless stream of filth,
and it's not really been my idea.
I often start off with quite a lot of clean material in it.
You probably found this with Little Mix, as well.
LAUGHTER
And then the audience laugh a lot louder at the dirty stuff,
so I got rid of the clean stuff and stuck with it.
So, they were the opposite of a filter, the audience.
They left all the muck in. And then I thought, it's always been -
at school, in the factory, in the pub - knob jokes,
if I may use that term on ITV.
They were like the language that we spoke in the West Midlands.
I went to visit Hull Minster, you know, the big church in Hull,
and I met this guy who worked there.
And it was a hot day. He was in, like, shorts and a T-shirt
with the Hull Minster badge.
And he said, "Would you like to go to the top of the tower?
"It's not open today, but because you're you, I'll take you up."
I said, "That's lovely." He said, "It's a fantastic view from the top.
"OK, it's of Hull, but..." AUDIENCE MEMBER: Whay!
LAUGHTER
So, anyway, he went up the stairs, and he said,
"When we get halfway up, you'll be able to see the bell mechanism."
I said, "I'm not surprised in those shorts." And...
LAUGHTER
And it gave me...
It gave me such joy, such simple joy.
We've got to go to a break, but I've got more questions
for both of you, so please stay put.
We are gonna take a short break, but don't go away,
because up next, we'll be joined by Johannes Radebe.
We'll see you in a couple of minutes.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Welcome back to the show. Let's get my next guest out now.
And this is gonna be exciting, cos he brings real energy to the couch.
He's one of the break-out stars of Strictly Come Dancing.
It is, of course, the fabulous Johannes Radebe.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
PERRIE: Oh, I love it!
Oh, stop!
I love it! I love it, I love it!
Hello. Oh, man!
Johannes, you look fabulous, of course.
Doesn't he look fabulous?
CHEERING That's so nice.
Of course. Everyone looks fabulous.
I need to rest for a minute, cos that's my energy for the day gone.
Oh!
Johannes is currently on tour with his own show, House Of Jojo.
Yes, sir.
And this is a big tour. You've been doing it for a while,
and it's on until the middle of June, or early June? Yep.
Wow! Where have you performed so far?
Where have been the standout places for you? What have you enjoyed?
What has surprised you in the experience?
You know what? I've been doing it for the past three years now.
Wow! But I absolutely...
We opened in High Wycombe.
I said the hospitality was beautiful.
And then Southampton was rockers. It was a party.
You don't have to go through every date.
Just a couple of the highlights would be lovely.
OK, no, Southampton...
How were the sausage rolls in Bridlington?
Oh, they...! LAUGHTER
I've opened my show there for the past two years.
I absolutely love that gem on the east coast.
Wow! I really do.
I would live out in Bridlington if I could.
Wow! It's quiet.
Well, you'd fit right in, then.
LAUGHTER
True. We all love Strictly, of course.
I know you're a fan, Perrie.
But Frank is a real super fan, aren't you?
Yeah, me and my son went to the live show
at the O2 and stuff, but we love...
I have to say that Jojo is our favourite.
I'm not just saying that cos he's here.
But I was watching you and John dance... Yeah.
..and I said to my son, who was about nine at the time,
"You know, when I was growing up in Birmingham,
"gay men used to get beat up in the street for being gay men.
"And now, we are watching the biggest show on television -
"not only is there two gay men dancing,
"but they are loved by the public."
And I said to him, "You are growing up in wondrous times."
You know, it's amazing. Yep, yep.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Oh! Frank mustn't do that to me.
Frank, if you only knew. I'm a hot mess. I'll start crying.
No, but you know... Aw.
No, that is the absolute truth, you know.
I come from Africa, you know, and I have to say I've spent
the past seven years in this country,
and it has been absolutely wonderful. I feel seen.
And that experience really brought...
a certain confidence to me that I cannot tell you.
I've never had that, you know.
It's restored my faith in humanity, that experience.
And to hear people...
..give feedback as to how beautiful it was, that really humbles me.
Well, it was a very important moment,
as well as a very beautiful moment.
Yeah. Frank, you're gonna make me cry.
I think, if you've got a kid, especially, yeah.
APPLAUSE
That is so cute. Thank you.
Johannes... Yeah.
..I can see Frank's gonna keep going
until you actually cry, you know that, don't you?
No, no.
I've got tears in my eyes.
I've been asked to do Strictly. You've been asked to do Strictly?
A few times.
I didn't mean to sound surprised. Of course you have.
No, but my partner persuaded me
to go on a lads' weekend to Amsterdam instead.
She thought there'd be less temptation.
LAUGHTER
Wow, you should have come and danced with me!
I know. But the curse! What about the curse?
Oh, no! I'm already in love with you.
That would have been impossible.
So, Frank, you have been genuinely asked. And can you dance?
I've never seen you dance, I don't think.
I am so self-conscious. I have turned...
I love, if I may mention a show on another channel,
Michael McIntyre's The Wheel.
I love the show, but there's a bit
where they dance when the wheel spins.
I can't do that. I would rather...
And it's good money, but I would rather turn it down.
LAUGHTER
Perrie... Yes.
..you are a big fan of the show, so they maybe haven't asked you.
If they were to ask you... Mm-hm.
Because people would love to see you on it, I'm sure.
Would you consider doing it? I think I'd be really scared.
You know, in the band, at the very beginning,
we went to rehearsals, and I was like,
"I'm so excited to go to rehearsals, see what it's all about."
They were like, "Here are your dancers,
"and this is your choreography,"
and I remember just crying my eyes out and being like, "What?"
And I went to my manager, and I was like,
"I'm gonna have to leave the band." And they were like, "Why?"
And I was like, "Cos I can't really dance.
"I don't wanna dance." And they were like,
"Well, you have to, cos it's the girl band,
"it's the dancing, it's the choreo. It's what makes the whole thing."
It's part of the appeal. But I was just so terrified
and so uncomfortable dancing that I just didn't wanna do it,
cos I just wanted to stand and sing, do you know?
I get what you're saying. And it was so hard to dance and sing
at the same time, as well. But you mastered it.
I've seen you perform, and you're amazing.
It's a confidence thing, though.
When you don't feel confident in your own body,
it doesn't move right.
But you say that. After all these years, what has happened?
Well, now I love it. Absolutely.
Now I absolutely love dancing.
You'd be great on Strictly. I actually would love it.
Well, would you do it?
Yeah. Wow!
I think I would, I think I would.
Oh, the BBC, it's a big one, that!
If I did it, you know when you get the old guy who does it?
You know what it would be?
They'd have me dressed as a giant grouse
dancing to Shotgun by George Ezra.
LAUGHTER
It would just be excru...
But you should do it. You'd be great on it.
So, Jojo, you don't know in advance
who you're gonna be partnered with, do you?
How long before the show do they tell you
who you're gonna be helping? Partnered with.
Erm, depends, you know, but it's very close to the time.
And I think it's important that they do that,
because I think all us pros are going mad in our heads.
But, yeah, right now, I'm still waiting for the phone call.
Yeah. Fingers crossed...
This is the phone call, not who you're partnered with,
whether you're even on the next series? Yes.
They haven't even told you that yet? No, not yet.
Oh, come on! They're gonna have to have you on.
You must feel quite... quietly confident.
Yeah. No! Jonathan!
LAUGHTER
What?!
Everybody wants this job, do you know what I mean?
So, the reason why it is such a thing
is because it is great to be a part of it, you know,
because there are people that are waiting in the wings
to snatch the job.
JOHANNES LAUGHS Younger people?
Hotter. Jojo!
I don't think that's possible. Come on!
You can't be worried about that!
Oh...
LAUGHTER
Jojo knows he's safe.
There's been a lot of firsts that you've created on Strictly,
cos I believe you were the first male dancer
they had dancing in heels on the show.
Yes, sir. And it was the first time...
And this happened when you were dancing with John.
..where a man lifted another man.
That must have been, I would have thought, quite a moment for you.
It really was, it really was.
He lifted me like I was a piece of feather.
LAUGHTER
And you're obviously a very fit man, but you're quite a big man.
Listen, I'm a horse, am I not?
LAUGHTER
A horse?
"I'm a horse"? I love the way you said that, as well.
"I'm a horse, am I not?"
LAUGHTER
It felt like Dr Seuss.
I must admit, I had heard that.
LAUGHTER
No, no...
But you are a well-built man.
I'm a well-built man, and I think, you know,
I've always lifted women,
and I think I know the level of care that goes into that,
and I know they always land on the floor, and they say,
"Oh, Johannes, thank you for that. I felt like I was flying."
So, for me to experience it for the first time was quite special.
And I have to thank John Whaite for really being del...
you know, caring with me.
He was quite patient, you know, while I was trying to figure it out.
Because we didn't have a template as to how we were gonna do it.
Of course. Were you nervous about being lifted?
Was there a fear that he might actually...?
Drop me? Or he might not even get me up in the air?
I mean, what are we trying?
Two blokes trying to do some ballroom dancing?
I mean, it's mad!
Never in my lifetime did I think that would ever happen.
So, the fact that John was willing to do things
really set us apart from the rest of the competition.
And when you spoke about it beforehand,
did he need to reassure you, or did you have to reassure him
that what you were doing was doable, that he could manage it?
The truth is, for the first time in my life,
I've had somebody say to me, Jonathan, "I've got you."
ALL: Aww!
The police were the first people who said that to me.
LAUGHTER
APPLAUSE
Oh, dear.
You know... I can't take him anywhere.
But we were talking about going on Strictly.
I was told by someone... I don't know if it's true.
..that your favourite TV show, Perrie, is actually...
not Embarrassing Bodies, it's Naked Attraction?
Yeah.
Jojo, have you ever seen Naked Attraction?
Once. Once.
Once was enough for me, as well.
I just find it fascinating. I don't know.
It's like you shouldn't be watching it,
but you can't help but watch it. You know, one of them,
where you're, like, "This is really uncomfortable,
"but I wanna see more," like that. It's so bizarre.
And do you watch it alone or with the girls from the band?
Who do you watch it with? When we lived in Manchester,
our TVs were connected in every room,
so whatever Sky box you were on or whatever TV channel you were on,
it was linked. That's risky!
Yep! And I went to bed, and it was on.
And it's always on really late, when there's not much on.
Mm-hm. So, I was scrolling through,
and I was like, "Bit of Naked Attraction, go on, then."
So, I'm watching it, minding my own business,
thinking, "Tee-hee." And then, I just get, like...
The door just bursts open, and it's my mother-in-law.
And bearing in mind, she's quite a well-to-do lady,
she's very respectful, bit of a prude.
And she went, "What on Earth is on my TV?"
And I was like, "You can see...?" And she was like...
So, it was playing in her room, as well?
It was playing in her room, so she was watching, like,
a nice movie before bed, and I've went in,
I'm like, "Interesting! Yeah!"
And she just ran in, mortified, thinking I'd put it on by accident.
And I was like, "How on Earth has that come on?
"Why would anyone put that on?" I was so embarrassed.
And you do see some sights on that show.
Oh, it's the questions she asks, though, as well.
Yeah. I think it's brilliant.
I saw one, and the guy was talking about the women's private parts.
Yep. And they said, "What do you think?"
And he said, "It's not very welcoming, is it?"
LAUGHTER
It's brilliant!
I thought... It's so good.
.."What do you want? A porch light?"
LAUGHTER
Stop! Oh, my gosh...
Oh, my gosh, I can't.
OK, let's get back to the show.
So, Jojo, the House Of Jojo UK tour has begun.
It's going on until June. What do you see on stage?
When people come to the show...
You mentioned dancing to some of the music that you grew up with.
Yeah.
But what do we actually see? Cos it's a fabulous poster.
I can't wait for my mum to see that.
LAUGHTER
The truth of the matter is,
it was designed to bring joy and laughter,
and it encourages a lot of love.
Is there a storyline to the show?
Yeah, there's a narrative, you know.
A theatre show, like a dance show,
I always think it is nice when people come and have fun,
but we also touch on human qualities,
which is love,
and we reflect on what is happening in the world right now.
But it ends up in a big procession,
where everybody walks out, boogieing out of the theatre.
Big boogie on the way out. Yeah, yeah.
Let's have a look at the show.
This is House Of Jojo, and it's touring until 2nd June,
and it looks spectacular.
MUSIC: 'I Need You' by Ofri Flint
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
That's House Of Jojo.
Treat yourself to a ticket or two.
I'm gonna go and see it with Frank.
We're gonna have a boys' night out,
go and see House Of Jojo when it's playing in London.
Definitely. I'm up for that. Exciting news, as well, though,
because after House Of Jojo finishes,
and hopefully, you'll be doing Strictly...
Yes. But then at the end of the year...
And you're gonna make the announcement now.
..you're going into a big musical.
It's my first musical.
It's my musical debut, honestly. PERRIE GASPS
I know. And I'm a late bloomer.
Erm... LAUGHTER
But I have the opportunity to do...
to play Lola in Kinky Boots.
Kinky Boots. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Oh, my gosh!
Oh! There he is, in those titular boots.
HE LAUGHS Listen, this is...
Everything I've done in my career, I feel like it is led to this moment.
It's been leading to this moment.
Presumably, you've seen the show, and you love the show.
I do, I do. I followed it since its inception.
And you'll be singing, as well. Which is the first for me.
Wow! Yeah. It's been two years now,
I've been taking my singing lessons,
because I've known about the job for two years.
But I just wanted to bring myself,
just to respect people that have come before me, you know.
I wanted to put in the work before I could say yes,
but I'm grateful that my producers waited
until I was ready to audition. Exciting news.
So, that was obviously on what we call a bucket list, I guess,
things you want to achieve in your life. Absolutely.
Oh, Jonathan, you know, I wanna work to a point
where I'm not desperate any more, and this gives me that, yeah.
Well, it gives you... Exactly. Yeah.
Ah, that's so good!
That's exciting news, Jojo. We'll come and see you in that, as well.
We're gonna take a break, but don't go away.
Up next, we'll be joined by the brilliantly funny Aisling Bea.
See you in a couple of minutes. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Welcome back. Welcome back to the show.
Let's get my next guest right out here.
She is an award-winning comedian, actor and writer.
She's always a fabulous guest, as well.
Will you please welcome Aisling Bea!
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Thank you.
Hi, guys!
Hello. Hi, friends.
Aisling, come and sit down here. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Love you!
Oh, thank you, Mother, for coming to the show.
It's great to have you here.
Thank you for coming back on. Thank you.
I know you're... I'm presuming you're a fan of everyone here.
No, not everyone, Jonathan, but it would be unprofessional to say who.
OK. Little Mix, though, you were a big fan of.
Oh, my God, like, obsessed.
I can't believe I'm on the couch with Perrie from Little Mix.
When we were...
Prince Harry and Meghan came to Ireland on a trip,
and the Irish government collected...
Like, "Who do we get from Ireland to just stand around
"to be young and cool?" And for some reason, I was on the list.
And they put us into, like, little piles,
like, four of us standing in each group. Mm.
And Harry or Meghan would come over,
and, God love them, had to shake everyone's hands and talk to us.
And there was myself and Caitriona Balfe,
who's a brilliant Irish actress,
and Amy Huberman, as well, just standing there.
And Harry came along, and I was, like, "We're the Irish Little Mix."
LAUGHTER
And you could see him want to laugh, assuming it was a joke,
but then just in case this higgledy-piggledy bunch
of Irish women in their 30s were the Irish Little Mix,
we were like, "Oh, oh, er, ooh...
"No, we're not, we're not!"
And I was like... SHE GASPS
You've met Prince Harry, as well, though, haven't you?
Yes, yeah, at the Royal Variety.
We performed, and then met him after.
Oh, that's a better story.
LAUGHTER
And you've done the Royal Variety before, haven't you?
And you did it fairly recently?
I did it for Queen Victoria, originally.
LAUGHTER
No, I did it...
Me and David Baddiel and Ian Broudie did the Three Lions at it,
and then, we were introduced to Sophie Wessex,
I believe she's called. Yeah.
And she came over and said to me, "Well, don't give up your day job."
Wow! And I said, "What do you mean?"
She said, "You're obviously not used to being
"in front of an audience."
And I said, "Well, I'm a comedian."
And she said, "Yeah, but you don't do places this big."
It was the Albert Hall. And I slightly pathetically said,
"Well, I was at the London Palladium last summer."
LAUGHTER In a really...
AISLING: You showed her, Frank.
Yeah, I think she was trying to be, erm...
abusive. LAUGHTER
No, actually, she sent me a Christmas card, saying,
"I'm sorry if I offended you."
JOHANNES: Oh, really? Wow!
Yeah, which was very sweet. But I also... Sorry.
..went in front of what's now the King, but was Prince Charles,
the first time I ever did the Royal Variety,
and I completely died on my arse, I went really badly.
And he came up to me after and said...
AS CHARLES: "So, where do you normally work?"
Then, he said, "Is it in the North?"
LAUGHTER
Oh, dear, oh, dear.
Johannes, have you had interactions with the royal family?
Yes, I have. Sophie, actually. Oh, yeah?
She wants to do Strictly Come Dancing.
Wow! She would love the opportunity to, but she can't, obviously.
She has told you this, or you've dreamt it?
Yes... No, no, she has personally told me this.
Are they not...? Is that, like, in the law
of the land of Britain that they're not allowed to do Strictly?
They're not allowed to do something like that. Can you imagine?
Aisling, I'm excited to say, is back on our screens in Avoidance,
a very funny comedy show.
It's Fridays, BBC One, nine-thirty.
Of course, you can catch up on iPlayer, as well.
This is you playing opposite Romesh Ranganathan,
who I guess you've known for a while.
You're friends in real life.
Oh, yeah, we've been friends for about 15 years.
But this is a second series of his show that he wrote,
and it's all about sort of a man
going through a divorce from his partner, Jess Knappett.
And then in comes my character in series two.
And sparks fly. Sparks fly perhaps, sure.
Don't want to give it away.
But, yeah, so, sparks fly between us.
So, you've got your arm in a sling there.
Is that part of the storyline?
Er, no, it wasn't. It was because...
I actually did the whole show on loads of drugs.
Erm... Let me explain.
I was supposed to have keyhole surgery on my shoulder
from an accident two days beforehand,
but when they went in, they found out that my arm was hanging off.
They had to go in and totally reconstruct my shoulder
while I was asleep. How had you done it?
How had you injured yourself? I got knocked down off my bike
during the pandemic, I wasn't paying attention.
Wear a helmet, kids. Always pay attention where you're going to.
Don't listen to podcasts while you're cycling.
Traffic lights are there for a reason.
LAUGHTER
But I actually got knocked down on the way to the hospital,
so I was kind of like, "Well, when in Rome..."
And then...
And then the BAFTAs were over Zoom that day, and I was nominated,
but I won, also on drugs that day, in my garden.
I was like, "I'm lucky to be alive. What a day!
"What a day!" LAUGHTER
Presumably, were you still on painkillers when you were filming?
Oh, like, out of my head on painkillers. I remember...
I think the job was really lovely, but I was like...
# I'm walking in the air. #
So I remember it as just one long day.
I had a great time.
But we had to make my sling as part of the character,
like, the character's got a sling.
But I really couldn't move very much, and I was very high.
Well, you know what? You pull it off magnificently.
This is a little clip for you. As I said,
it's on Friday nights, BBC One, nine-thirty.
It's very funny. This is Avoidance.
This cupboard, which has been stuck,
and I have a tin of spaghetti hoops in there
that I've just been craving for months,
so I just think it needs a...
..strong man like yourself.
Oh, yeah, yeah. Right, yeah. Erm...
Whoa, that is stuck. Yeah, it's stuck, isn't it?
Yes, I can confirm that. Oh, thank you for confirming it.
So, is the, erm...?
Does this whole auction thing mean that I'm basically your slave?
Ooh, I don't love the optics of that, but...
Unless that's what you're into. What? No! God, no!
No! Didn't realise you were kinky.
No, I'm not kinky. I'm absolutely not kinky. No, no, that's not...
We've all got a kink. But I haven't got a kink.
I'm not here to kink shame you. I don't have a kink.
Everyone has a kink.
My kink is that I don't have any kinks.
You could be the lead singer of The Kinks.
What I'm saying is, I'm not kinky.
I've got nothing against kinks. I'm not a kink...
Oh, my God, Jonathan, relax. I was totally yanking your chain.
Oh, right. But you're very funny
when you're flustered.
APPLAUSE
That's Avoidance.
Friday nights, BBC One, nine-thirty, and on iPlayer.
You can see you two have a real relaxed relationship there.
You're performing well together. But you have to do scenes...
Because without giving too much away, the characters' sparks fly,
and the characters kind of get together. Mm.
So, you had to perform scenes with Romesh which were,
like, boyfriend-girlfriend scenes. Yeah.
You've known him a while. Does that make it easier or harder?
Oh, totally harder. Cos you get used to doing lovemaking scenes.
Sorry to get everyone with a giant horn
as soon as I mention that.
LAUGHTER Apologies, Great Britain.
But it's rare that rather being with another actor pal,
you're with a friend-friend, and a stand-up friend. Yeah.
And the two of us had one scene where we had to kiss.
And without giving too much away,
we had to kiss for the first time for as long...
until Jessica Knappett,
who's an amazing actress, came in the back,
and then we'd split our heads apart, and Jess would be there.
But it just took longer for her to open the door than we thought.
And so, I was like, "OK, well, how are you, Romesh?"
And I just...
I knew I was doing bad kissing.
You know when you know, and you're in there.
And I sort of wanted to be like, "This is not normally how I do it."
LAUGHTER
And when they finally called "cut",
I was like, "You're not gonna tell Josh Widdicombe
"and James Acaster and all the lads that I'm bad at kissing, are you?
"Don't tell all the lads!"
But the intimacy in acting, of course, that's expected,
and there is, we mentioned earlier, the Strictly curse,
but there is a lot of intimacy in dancing.
Do you feel the same way,
if you're dancing with someone who you don't like?
LAUGHTER Cos that's still a type of tension.
I love your flicking. You've got no hair to flick!
LAUGHTER
Johannes, you've done that about three times. What are you flicking?
It gives me time to think about what to say.
Erm... No, that's the thing.
I mean... Yes, if you... LAUGHTER
If you're not trained...
Well, for the pros, you can put it on.
You can fake it. You can fake it.
So, it's acting, as well, really, as part of that job.
I've danced with complete strangers, back in the old...
I mean, it was the conga.
LAUGHTER The conga.
Are you familiar with the conga?
When I was growing up in Birmingham...
LAUGHING: "Are you familiar with the conga?"
..the conga was at the centre of our culture.
I once went... This is true, Jojo.
I once went on a conga from a pub.
We had to get a bus back to where we started from.
LAUGHTER
APPLAUSE Oh, my goodness!
That's brilliant.
That's rarely an intimate dance unless someone stops suddenly.
Oh, they... There were pregnancies.
Have you ever done the conga?
No! JOHANNES LAUGHS
We can teach you. Uh-oh!
Well, I might ask you maybe to teach...
Cos Frank was saying he's not a particularly adept dancer,
and I was wondering, maybe I could get you to teach Frank a few steps.
Oh, no, definitely, yes, yes. You won't be able to do it.
This is gonna be bad for your reputation.
No, believe you me, I can get anybody to dance. Come.
OK. Will I have to lift you?
LAUGHTER
Let's see if it's a horse-and-jockey situation.
LAUGHTER
Can I say...? Can I slightly interrupt?
I'm a massive Doctor Who fan,
and I thought you were brilliant in Doctor Who.
Oh, thank you! Aisling was amazing in Doctor Who.
It's really weird when you do it, though,
because they've got a little man...
not a little man, but a man scrunched inside the Dalek,
and so, while your acting has to be, like, "Oh, no!"
you're very aware he's like... SQUEAKING
And I'll move it. And you go... I went to take a selfie,
and they were like, "Don't touch his arm!"
I'm like, "Oh, I'm so sorry,
"I don't want to be 'Me Too-ed' by a Dalek."
But when I told my mother, I was like,
"Oh, Mam, they've offered me Doctor Who,"
and then I rang my sister after that, and she's like,
"Oh, my God, I heard you're doing Call The Midwife."
And I was like, "No, I'm doing Doctor Who."
And I went back to my mother, and she was like,
"Oh, I thought it was a medical drama."
LAUGHTER
OK, we're gonna take a break now, but don't go away
because we'll have more from my guests,
and Kasabian will be performing live at the end of the show.
See you after the break. Wahey!
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Welcome back to the show.
As you can see, all of my delightful guests are still with us.
Perrie, I've got to ask you a question,
which I'm sure a lot of people will be wondering.
So, you're solo now. Yes.
It's been two years, I think,
since you went on a hiatus... Yes.
..but I know you're still close to the girls.
Mm-hm. Do you plan to get back together?
Will there be more gigs? Will there be another Little Mix album?
I would definitely never say never. We just love each other so much.
And we just thought, we'd been together for 12 years,
since we were babies, like, I was 16.
And we just wanted to do our own thing, see what happens,
but we definitely would love to get back together in the future.
So, you're still all in touch, cos I know there wasn't a split.
It was just a decision to take a break from that band.
Yeah. And we'd just had babies.
Leigh-Anne just had twins, I'd just had the baby.
And our last tour, we took the babies with us.
And I think, from then, we just wanted a minute
to just relax and enjoy,
and I just wanted to be a mam, like, for two years,
and just be in that baby bubble for as long as possible,
which I absolutely loved, so...
And also, why share the fame if you can have it all to yourself?
Exactly! Do you know what I mean? Yeah.
But the weird thing is, cos, of course, you can keep going.
But, Johannes, of course, being a professional dancer,
that does have an expiration date.
There's a date when you can't necessarily carry on
doing it professionally. Yes, and let me tell you something.
I said I would do it for as long as my bones will allow,
and then, after that, I'll come for Craig's job.
Ooh! Yes! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
He's coming for you, Craig!
OK, earlier on, we mentioned the fact
that maybe we could ask Johannes if he could teach Frank,
or any of us who are interested, a move or two,
and that moment has arrived, Johannes. Oh, yeah.
I know something like a waltz would be easy,
but let's set our sights a little bit harder. Easy?
Yeah, a waltz is just walking, really.
LAUGHTER So, if you guys would like to go...
Let's head over to the ballroom area.
I'm gonna stay back over here with you.
APPLAUSE DROWNS SPEECH
It's OK.
AISLING: Whatever his bones will allow. Yeah.
Is it the conga?
LAUGHTER
No, it's not the conga, Frank.
It's not the conga, it's the cha-cha-cha.
Oh, lovely. I'm sure you've heard of it.
AISLING: Come on, Frank! I've heard of it, yeah.
Now, listen.
So, we bend one knee, and we straighten the other.
So, it goes bend, bend, bend and bend.
So, there's a rhythm to it. OK.
Bend, bend, bend and bend. That's the rhythm.
Which one goes first? Right? It doesn't matter.
OK.
What matters is that we follow the rhythm.
And it goes boom, boom, boom-boom-boom.
Boom, boom, boom-boom-boom.
Now, Frank, that is the cha-cha-cha.
Can I say, I've already got a rash. LAUGHTER
And we're gonna have music now, Jonathan?
Yes. I warned you. I warned you.
MUSIC: 'Free From Desire' by Gala
AISLING: Oh, tune! Whoo!
This is a tune. It goes... Five, six. It goes...
Bend, cha-cha-cha.
Bend, and cha-cha-cha.
Bend... LAUGHTER
It was fun!
What a teacher! Wow!
JONATHAN GASPS And now, a communal bath.
Johannes and Frank Skinner, ladies and gentlemen. Amazing!
Thank you. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
AISLING: That was brilliant!
Don't do that to me. Thank you.
Oh, my God, the only thing funnier could have been
if both of you had died from a heart attack then.
LAUGHTER
Can I just say, it was such an honour to dance with Jojo.
I loved that!
Really, that was great. I'll remember that.
Join me in saying thank you to all my lovely guests this evening,
ladies and gentlemen. Frank Skinner, Perrie Edwards,
Johannes, of course, and Aisling.
This is the last show in this series,
but we'll be back with our new one before you know it.
But now, to end the show, with Coming Back To Me Good
from their upcoming album Happenings,
it is the fabulous Kasabian.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
# Ready or not
# Don't give up, it's not too late
# Get the feeling That you're in a state
# The shock is coming over you
# But there's nothing left For me to do
# Tell me something I don't know
# It's written everywhere you go
# We can build it piece by piece
# Oh, we can find a sweet release
# And love, it came on strong
# Now it's coming back to me
# Ready or not When you got those shivers
# Ready or not Running down your shoulders
# Ready or not Give me one more time around
# Ready or not Oh, it's coming back to me
# Ready or not
# Coming back to me
# Don't give up, it's not too late
# Get the feeling That you're in a state
# The shock is coming over you
# And there's nothing left For me to do
# Your life goes on Your life goes on
# It don't mean That's just the way it is
# When you got those shivers
# Running down your shoulders
# Give me one more time around
# Oh, it's coming back to me
# Ready or not Now you're feeling better
# Like you've known forever
# Ready or not Give me all you've got to give
# Always coming back to me
# Don't give up, it's not too late When you got those shivers
# Don't give up, it's not too late Running down your shoulders
# Don't give up, it's not too late Give me one more time around
# Don't give up, it's not too late Always coming back to me
# Ready or not
# Ready or not. #
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Subtitles by accessibility@itv.com