11/09/2014 The One Show

Hello and welcome to Thursday's One Show with Matt Baker... And Alex

Jones. To my's guest is somebody who's hair is as versatile as she

is. -- tonight's guest. She can do blonde. Max big yellow she can do

brunette... And now she has a redhead. Who is it tonight? Surprise

the prize! It is Sheridan Smith! You didn't tell me you were going to do

that! He has been practising for hours doing this all day! Oh, dear!

Very good! Hang on. I am bald! It is for a part, isn't it? Yes. I have

shaved my head for a part. Is that yours? No. Have your eyebrows grown

back? They are starting to grow back. It is late in the year. This

is a wig but I prefer blonde. That pink and blue, was that? Right

around the BAFTAs I had... There it is! People thought, she has gone all

Miley Cyrus and lost the plot! And that I was more bonkers than I

already am! But I thought, why not try every colour I can? So I went

blue, pink, purple, crazy colours! We are going to be talking about

your role as Cilla later. Before that, just a week to go till

Scotland votes on independence, and makes a decision which could lead to

the break-up of the UK. People outside of Scotland have absolutely

no say in the matter but the effect of a yes vote will be enormous. Alex

Riley has been looking into what it could mean.

Tonight, viewers in Scotland have their own programmes, so while they

are debating the pros and cons of independence, it is a chance for the

rest of us to find out what the implications are for us if the Scots

vote yes. At the moment, we have free movement

between all the nations of the UK. What will happen if Scotland becomes

independent? If they adopted a much more free borders policy, the

remainder of the UK would undoubtedly say, well, we are going

to have a proper border with customs posts and so on. A massive fence

could be erected between the 2 countries and nobody would be

allowed to pass except through some high security doors. That is not

going to happen. I imagine if this were to happen, it would not make

much difference because the countries would make some

arrangements. EU movements can pass without problems at the moment.

Would Scotland becoming independent have a detrimental effect on the

rest of the economy for the rest of the UK? Would we be poorer? It would

almost certainly mean disruption, instability in the markets, which

would have an economic effect, but the general consensus seems to be

that, yes, we would both be OK but take a hit in the short-term. If

there was a currency union, then the Bank of England would set the

interest rates, and that sort of thing? That is true. They would set

them for the whole of the UK, including Scotland, so whether this

counts as real independence is a moot point.

Up until now, we have all looked out for each other, so how will an

independent Scotland after itself on the world stage? And without them,

will the rest of us still be able to pack a punch?

What would be the locations for the defence of the rest of the UK? The

UK Armed Forces would be eight to 10% smaller than they are today, but

beyond that, if the Trident nuclear deterrent were moved from Scotland,

that would rekindle that debate in the UK, and that in turn would

trigger questions about Britain's seat on the Security Council at the

United Nations. It reduces our resources and it could weaken our

ability to fight another war. But whether it cripples it completely is

highly unlikely. So, if Scotland does go it alone,

what will we call ourselves? That really is the end of Britain, so I

suspect what we would be called is the United Kingdom of England, Wales

and Northern Ireland. We could call ourselves "almost as Great

Britain". And as for the flag, I imagine we will keep it. The Union

Jack is so well-known that they would be a lot of pressure to keep

it as it is and not, for example, require lots of Commonwealth

countries to redesign their flags as well.

I suppose we could end up with a dragon? Possibly. I can't see it

happening, though. Perhaps the unicorn. Yeah! The unicorn Kingdom!

Lovely! Thank you, Alex. The BBC's political

editor Nick Robinson joins us now. There is a lot of uncertainty... We

are almost toying with less than Great Britain as an idea! There is

so much uncertainty around the issue. Why haven't the Government

got a concrete plan in Scotland becomes independent? Quite simply

because the Prime Minister gave orders to the civil servant is not

to have a concrete plan and he said there would be no so-called

contingency planning. He said the reason he did that was because they

did not want to contemplate it. I think in reality it is because he

did not want any of the paperwork or thinking to leak out and affect the

referendum campaign itself. The thing people worry about will be

their finances, went it? The impact on their savings, for example, and

the rate for the pound. Will it affect interest rates? Most of those

decisions are ones for the Governor of the Bank of England, and he says

he has been making plans. And, interestingly, the head of the

Treasury said he made contingency plans to make contingency plans,

which is a posh way of saying that he is thinking about it a lot but

has not written any of it down! Nick, you have been there for the

last few days in Edinburgh thinking what people are -- hearing what

people are thinking. Have people made up their minds yet? There seem

to be lots of people who have made up their minds -- not made up their

mind, and it is not that they don't know what to do but they go, no, and

then they go, yes. I spoke to people in a bar yesterday and both of them

admitted they might swap to the other position. People are studying

and thinking a lot. They are arguing with each other a lot but there is a

real sense that this remains a live debate. Thank you. Just a week to go

for people to decide. Anyway, thanks again. So, Sheridan, we have a

little known fact about you now. Oh, no! You do love canoeing, don't

you? Which is not what you were expecting to hear this afternoon! I

have been in a canoe! When I was little, there was nothing to do

around our area in my village, so we had these two man canoes. I still

can't swim but I would wear a little life jacket and would go in one

canoe and my brother would go in the other. You still can't swim?! It is

embarrassing, isn't it? I have been in a canoe, though. There you go!

Canoeists in England and Wales are at loggerheads with anglers and it

is a row that could end up in court. There is nothing more tranquil than

a spot of relaxing fishing. There is absolutely nothing half as

much worth doing as messing about on boats. Excuse me! What do you think

you are doing?! Just enjoying the river! This is private land! What

makes you think you have the right to be here? The Magna Carta! A row

between anglers and canoeists over access to our rivers is in danger of

bubbling over into all-out war. The Angling Trust is threatening the

British Canoe Union with legal action. The anglers claimed the

British Canoe Union is spreading false information that people in

England and Wales have the right to navigate through waterways

regardless of whose land it passes through. Now they are angling to

have paddlers restricted to just 2000 of our 41,000 miles of rivers

and canals in England and Wales. OK, so I am not actually on any water

but there is a very good reason for that. The row has become so intense

that the Angling Association said they would refuse to take part if I

was seen on the waterway and the British Canoe Union have refused to

take part whilst they consider their legal stance. All right, Jack, you

can quit now. Stop picking up your part!

Market is Chief Executive of the Angling Trust and fish legal. --

Mark. What is the problem with canoeists? If people come down in

canoes when people are fishing it will destroy their sport, and there

are particular places on rivers where fish spawn, and if canoes go

down at the time the fish spawning, it could cause problems for fish

stocks. I thought fishing was chilled out. I thought I was going

to have a good time here! It is a beautifully calm thing to do but if

you have lots of people in lycra on plastic boats destroying the peace,

it ceases to be chilled out. The Angling Trust would like to keep

most of our rivers canoe-free from September. There is a closed season

for fishing or through winter where anglers aren't allowed to go

fishing, and most serious canoeists are allowed on the water. Here, I

meet Doctor Douglas Catherine, who published a these as ten years ago

which sparked this whole row. I have a very ancient photocopy of the

Magna Carta here. What does it have to do with this? It says that all

rivers must be kept clear but it does not say why rivers must be kept

clear. For that you need to look at 1472, and that Act says rivers

should be kept clear for ships, boats and fish. I have been looking

for 12 years for an Act of Parliament which ends that public

right, and I have not found it. As far as I am concerned, you are free

to take a boat on any river without having to ask the local landowner.

It is the same as walking down a footpath. What do you have to say

about this? The Magna Carta which says anyone can use the waterways?

Every legal professional we have ever spoken to says there are legal

judgements throughout the last 200 years which clarified that the law

of the land is that you would need permission to navigate down rivers.

This battle has had anglers and canoeists at loggerheads for two

years, and until someone clarifies that law, it is only going to rage

on. Well, the British Canoe Union has

said they have tried over many years to establish a working relationship

with the Angling Trust so that both sports can be enjoyed and shared by

everyone. Now, then, you're much anticipated

Cilla is about to hit our screens. It comes to ITV on Monday night.

Let's see you in action. Well! Sheridan! It is those early

years, then! It is her early years in the 60s. It must be quite nerve

wracking for you, not only because it is a full on role but obviously

because Cilla is still alive? It was terrifying! But she has been so

supportive. We went out for dinner before shooting and she was very

supportive and gave me her number to call. And have you? No! It is Cilla

Black! And if I rang her saying, how do I say this line? How do I say

that line? I just have to go with it. The director has all the details

as he has spent a lot of time going to and fro with Cilla. I was too

scared to ring her! But I imagine you have been watching her intently,

just trying to pick up little mannerisms? I had singing lessons

and I read her biography and on YouTube there is a lot of footage of

her and I have become so obsessed that I was like, can I just say that

bit where... ? I was like, sorry, sorry. Shut up! But you are saying

you did not want it to be an impersonation of Cilla, which is a

trap it could easily have fallen into, but then how do you go about

creating her singing voice which is so distinctive? Which you

brilliantly showed! And it is hard because when you hit those high

notes, the teeth fall out! Everybody does an impersonation of Cilla and I

would be doing her a deserve this. I am not an impersonator. So me and

the director decided -- decided early on... We decided to take this

mannerisms and do our own version. But singing wise she had a rock 'n'

roll voice when she was with The Beatles, and then when she got to

the recording studio, she realised she had a soft voice when she had

the earphones, which is why she had those two different sounds. We did

our version of Cilla rather than impersonating her. Where do you

normally start with a character? Because we have seen you play so

many different, diverse characters? Is it different for every single

one? Mrs Biggs was the same writer. You

want them to be proud but there is something so exciting about

researching somebody and their mannerisms. Going back to where she

was brought up. We shot the whole thing in Liverpool. Surrounded by

people with the accident. Yes and they were amazing, so friendly,

inviting us in four cups of tea. Have you fallen in love with the

1960s? I love that era. That sound will never happen again, the

Beatles, Gerry and the pacemakers, and Cilla was the only woman and I'm

in awe of her. You have done her great justice. I hope so. And we'll

look forward to seeing it. Next to the family who had to make the

toughest decision of their lives. Should they put their five-year-old

daughter through a bone breaking operation to make her taller?

My name is Jane Fellows, this is my husband Simon. Our daughter was born

with a genetic condition which means she would only ever grow to around

three and a half feet. We made the decision to put her through surgery

to make her taller. Robyn Fellows's condition means she

will never be quite as tall as her friends, but she does not seem to be

bothered, who at one stage thought she wouldn't be able to keep up with

them at all. The first thing I thought was how

perfect she was. It was that instant motherly bond. She looked lovely,

allsorts of wrapped up. It was the nurse who came round first and she

kept pulling at her arms and legs and I was thinking, what are you

doing that for? She said I need to get a doctor to come and look and I

knew then that something wasn't right. Robyn was diagnosed with

achondroplasia which meant that she would always be very small with much

short arms and legs. In your mind you don't want to accept it, that

there was nothing wrong with her, I just wanted to grab her and run.

Sorry... What reaction did you use to get from people in the streets? I

went shopping with Robyn once and a rude lady said what is the matter

with her, she looks different, her arms are not right. I remember

dragging her out of the trolley and driving home in floods of tears and

sat her up and said, Robyn, I'm making a promise to you now that we

will do everything you can -- we can to give you a happy life. When Robyn

was nine years old the family discovered a treatment available

that could in time make her around one foot taller. It was very much

excitement, relief, but then also oh my God, what does it entail? The

surgery involves breaking the child's bones to create a gap and

placing a metal frame around their limbs. For months afterwards the

bones get pulled further apart each day allowing new bone to grow in the

gap. At the end of the day you are putting a healthy child through a

painful procedure. That was my one struggle. I'm taking a healthy child

into hospital and making her ill. It is seen as controversial surgery

because to some extent it is cosmetic, you are dealing with a

child who is physically active and healthy, but short, and then putting

them through extreme surgery to give them greater height. Why not just

accept her for who she was? We live in a society where you are judged

and I didn't want her to think people were looking at her and then

she would get self conscious. If you are not begin to reach things,

cannot even get yourself on the toilet, that is a big issue. And so

the couple make their big issue. Robyn's surgery started when she was

just five years old. I was nervous and I was worried, like hoping the

operation went well. How did mum and dad explained what was going to

happen? They definitely prepared me, but in a nice way, like calm and

gentle. Didi you ever feel guilty? The first time she came out of the

operation I stood there and wondered what have I done, never again. --

did you ever feel guilty. These great big metal things on her. I

didn't cope at all, did I? On the frames attached to Robyn's legs were

eight screws which Jane had to turn slowly each day. It is not something

you think each day as a mother you should be doing, you should be

taking your daughter down to the beach, kicking a football outside,

not sitting in here turning screws. What was the worst thing about

having those on your legs? I couldn't swim and could not go to

the beach. Over the next few years Robyn's legs were operated on a

further three times and last year she had a final operation, this time

to lengthen her arms. Her legs are now nine inches longer than they

would have been and her arms to inches longer. Robyn is now four

foot two and will grow even more during her teens. There is an

argument that society should be more accommodating to show people. But

Robyn illustrates the fact that having been made taller she can now

reach like switches, see over shop counters and do many things she

could not do before. She would come in and say, mum, guess what and I

would say what has happened, and she would say I have just opened the

fridge door. Little things that people take for granted. It is worth

it. If you looked at me then and after it is a complete change. If

she hadn't had surgery she would still have got on with her life, I'm

sure. But we have opened up her opportunities and given her more

independence. I don't regret it for a second. And I would do it all

again. STUDIO: Well, Robyn is here. Jane and dad Simon. Nice of you to

pop in. You have just started secondary school, Robyn, which is

exciting, a big step. Do you think these operations have helped you

settle a bit more? Yes, I fit in like everybody else. How different

is big school to junior school? It is ten times bigger. Yes. And Simon,

the idea was to get all of this done by the time Robyn went to secondary

school, yes? Yes, we started at five. Jane and I pushed Robyn to

keep cracking on with it so she would be completed, so when she

started secondary school she would be completely uninterrupted in her

education. How do your legs feel, and your arms? Do they feel quite

strong? Sturdy? Yes. We know that you have done lots of sport and

different activities and you mentioned swimming but you used to

do a lot of gymnastics, didn't you? Yes. Jedinak and we know that you

love Tumble? Is that right? Yes. Look at these photos. This is my

favourite. My kind of gymnast. It is the final on Saturday and we have a

special person to record a message for you. Hi, Robyn, it is Louis

Smith here. I'm so sad I cannot meet you but we are rehearsing something

special for the final on Saturday and that's why the bosses will not

let me out. But I have got a gift and Aston Matt and Alex if they

would give it to you. I heard you are a big gymnastics fan and enjoy

the show so I would like to invite you to the grand final on Saturday.

Keep enjoying it and I will see you there. -- I have asked Matt and

Alex. Tickets to the grand final for you. And this is what Louis Smith

was twirling. There we are, that is for you. Thank you. APPLAUSE

See you on Saturday. That is on at 6pm on BBC1 on Saturday by the way.

You are going to have a super time. Wonderful. Simon cannot wait for

that! Anyway, we have heard about Cilla's early yesterday. Here's

another incredible character from the 1960s. Sheridan, we think this

could be your next film role. Let's see. On March 25 1992 21 black

Daimler 's lead a funeral possession from Essex to London. Flowers on the

side of the Hertz bore the catchphrase, gone shopping, but this

was no society funeral with criminals like the Kray brothers

sending their respects. She spent her career dressing like a film star

and drinking only the finest champagne. But her lifestyle was

paid for with dirty money and through her prolific shoplifting. In

the gang lands of East London she was known as the Queen of thieves.

Lorraine Gammon made audio recordings of some of their meetings

before writing her biography. She was born in the 1930s into a crime

family. Her father was a burglar. He was not a very successful burglar so

he went to prison a lot. Even as a very small child, between three and

five, she was sort of getting ready to steal. When Shirley was about

seven or eight she had asked her mother for some milk, only to be

told there was none and to go and find some for herself. She did just

that taking her brother along to help. Just five years later Shirley

met Alice Dimond, the original Queen of thieves. Under her tutelage she

would become one of the most prolific shoplifter is the UK has

ever seen. She was about six foot, this woman, the biggest woman you

ever did see. And all diamond rings on her fingers and foxes round her

neck. She says to me will this fit your brother and I said yes. She was

putting loads of stuff down and then filled up the bag.

She was not just involved in shoplifting, her brother was at bank

robber. I found her a difficult person to understand because what

she did is not something we could emulate but she was a really decent

woman. And she did care for people. Eventually she became the new Alice

Diamond, or the new queen of thieves. Queen or not, surely was

sent to prison repeatedly. She decided it was time to employ new

tactics. Surely realised that she had become known to the police as a

professional shoplifter, and started dressing up in weeks and different

outfits in order to avoid being recognised. -- wigs. She once had a

close call, having realised she was spotted, her friend created a

distracted and she got away by standing in the store window,

standing still and posing as a mannequin until the coast was clear.

She may have thought stealing furs and Jules was harmless but she was

rubbing shoulders with murderous and gangsters. -- jewels. Her partner

Chrissie Hawkins was violent at times and when he was it was the

notorious Kray twins who turned up to sort things out. They really beat

me up this week. I had a big black guy. Reggie and Ronnie jumped out

and I thought people could have told them I was being bashed up. They

said, have a cup of tea, and Ronnie was sitting in the kitchen with me

and Reggie went in the bedroom and Chrissie was in bed. After that I

threatened him with the Kray brothers. However, Shirley's

relationship with Chrissie was not the only thing that took a toll on

her. In one of the recordings she hints at the personal cost of what

she saw as her job. I would come in and I would have a bath. Just like

cleansing myself from what I was doing, do you know? Shirley Pitts

may have dressed in diamonds and Chanel suits but her life of crime

came at a cost. She spent her formative years in and out of

prison, and much of her life looking over her shoulder. STUDIO: There you

go. What about the next role as Shirley Pitts. Thank you for popping

in and it's lovely to see you and Cilla starts next Monday on ITV.

Tomorrow, Chris and Alex will be joined by Martin and Gary Kemp from

Spandau Ballet. Goodbye. Have a nice evening.