27/11/2012 The One Show

Welcome to The One Show with Matt Baker. And Alex Jones. It seems

like everybody has a signature pose. There is the Mobot and the

Lightning Bolt. They owe it all to one man who perfected the

personality pose long before they were even born.

Who else could it be but... Has Sir Yes! Lovely to see you. Lovely to

see you. Lovely to see you. Wonderful. Oh, the applause has

stop! Have you see my entourage? What a lovely start. That is an

image, how did that come about? accident, actually. James Moir, Jim

Moir, bless his heart, the producer of the Generation Game, when we

started he said, we will start with you just standing, you know? And

then the light will hit you when you are standing there. He said,

give it a couple of beats and then walk forward. And I said, all right,

fine. And I thought about it and I thought, I don't want to just be

standing there. And just before, just for a joke, I thought, I will

do this pose. And I did it, it got a laugh with all the crew and

everything and Jim came to me and said, would you do that? I said, I

only did it for the crew to give them a bit of a laugh. He said,

well, it looked very funny, why don't you? It has stuck ever since.

And that was in 1971. Was it really?! Don't say I'll! None of

them were born! Oh, dear! They were the days. It was not a live show,

but we did the first 40 minutes of its alive, we'd only to the endgame

where we had a break. -- we did the first 40 minutes of it live. You

never know what would happen, I love to be in a show when you don't

know what will happen. We will talk about your incredible career

throughout the programme, but first the number of flood warnings may be

decreasing but the misery continued today as rivers kept rising. Lucy

has been to one of the first hit areas, St Asaph in North Wales,

where people were evacuated from their homes after the river burst

its banks. I am just standing here watching this West to take place.

The waters have risen so quickly they have been trapped in these

houses here and people are getting into dinghies with one small bag of

possessions, off they go. It is quite dramatic to witness. A mobile

home almost on its side. These bungalows where retired people live

on the banks of the River Elwy have almost submerged. The emergency

services around the corner. The boat is around here. One minute,

they will come round. What are the factors that have made

it quite bad here? What we have seen over the last day or so is

really heavy rain in an area which has been rained on for many days.

The river has had no where to go. The town itself is protected from

flooding by flood banks but eventually they were overturned.

can see people still in these properties, they obviously have not

been evacuated or managed to get out. Not everyone really believes

the flood will happen until they see it. So when you put out a

severe flood warning, you mean it, basically? We mean it is severe, a

risk to life. Many people made themselves safe. We believe the

warnings work as effectively as they could have. High tide is

expected at around 10pm, what will tonight bring? Fortunately we have

seen the worst of the weather for the next few days. Looking further

ahead we will assess what happened in terms of the flood, we will be

looking at defences to see what needs to be done to bring them back

up to standard again fobbing any damage, and then second be to see

whether they can be improved -- up to standard again following any

damage. Just incredible to see some of the

rescues. We heard that the body of an elderly lady has been found in

St asset, so our thoughts go out to her friends and family.

We wish good luck to everybody still being affected by the floods.

This is incredible. Absolutely terrible. In the snow I have been

like that, you will be driving as far as you could and you have 8 ft

snowdrift cyber side of you, and then you would go until you could

go no more and then find a house, not on the door and say, can I come

in? Are a bit of refuge. The speed at this -- at which the water is

hitting. Devastating, I can't believe how these people are

managing, seeing all your possessions for a link around.

Absolutely dreadful. Should an apprenticeship be worth

the same as a degree? That is the recommendation of a review out

today. We know at least one man who would support it. We first met Sir

Willie Haughey in March, since then he has kick-started an

apprenticeship revolution and Declan Lawn has clocked in to see

what Sir Willie has achieved. Youth unemployment here in Scotland

is running at 100,000. Across the hall of the UK it is just short of

a million. Now Sir Willie Haughey wants to make a major dent in those

figures even if it means doing it one job at a time.

We first met Glaswegian entrepreneur Sir Willie on The One

Show in March this year, when he told us about his apprenticeship

scheme. He has so far funded work for 87 unemployed young people on

two and three-year apprenticeships. Young people coming into a business

stops you from being a stale, they bring freshness, new ideas, they

really reinvigorate a business. soberly has set up a scheme called

Youth With Hope, to encourage other businesses to take apprenticeships.

He is speaking to Scottish entrepreneurs to convince them to

sign up. I am trying to take a huge problem and make it into a million

small pieces. There are 4.8 million businesses in the UK, if only 1

million of these businesses making profits could come -- could be

convinced to take on one young person, hopefully we can make

things better for the young people. Thanks very much for listening.

This whole initiative is fantastic. It is a different approach. It

takes it away from a government issue and a social issue to be in

something going back to industry and asking them to take

responsibility for what needs to happen.

One of the many unemployed youths was Liam, who left school at 15.

Until three months ago he was homeless and living in hostels and

his girlfriend was pregnant. Didn't have a job, didn't have any

prospect, didn't have a future. weeks after moving into a council

flat he was given a job as an apprentice gas engineer at one of

Sir Willie's companies. I have got this apprenticeship, I know how to

deal with customers and I am learning lots about boilers and

central-heating systems to get a career for life, basically. It is

four days since his speech to Glasgow's business leaders and Sir

Willie is following up on interest on his scheme. What are you hoping

to get out of the meeting? You want them to accept at least one

apprentice? Yes. I think he already has come I'd like to convince him

to take one more, he is a big enough business. James Mortimer

owns several bars and restaurants in Glasgow city centre. He started

at the bottom and worked his way up, like Sir Willie. I started as a

barman, I moved up the ladder. All these people you get the same

chance. It is an apprentice chef you have, is that right? Yes.

will come in for two or three years and leave as a qualified...?

Qualified, and if he wants to stay, there was a position year. That is

a criticism, having apprentices is fine but what happens after three

years? The jobs here, they can move up a ladder. He was telling me in

the car he would try to persuade you to take two, not one apprentice.

Seeing it is coming up for a busy, busy period, I would agree to take

two. That is fantastic. I think you should Sheikh Ahmad. He is a man of

his word. But that is a lovely Christmas present for two kids.

I think you should Sheikh Ahmad. In two weeks, the scheme has signed

up more than 250 youngsters. Has any of it be more difficult

than you expected? I have had some negative comments but I can't wait

to hear them so I can bat them off, every business, for me, can afford

to take on a young person. There are not enough people like him. He

has changed my attitude towards life, basically.

A viewer has e-mailed a question on this apprenticeship subject. It

says, is the problem that the older ones won't retire and let the

younger ones have a go? LAUGHTER. That is from a Mr Graham Norton!

Graham Norton?! That is terrible! Really bad! I expected it from Matt

Baker, but not from you. They are leading me down the wrong path.

all seriousness, you started your apprenticeship 70 years ago, at 14

years old, Boy Bruce the Mighty Atom -- Boy Bruce the Mighty Atom.

You could leave school. During the war you could leave school at 14

years. I hated school, I really did. I couldn't wait to get into

showbusiness. That was it, Boy Bruce the Mighty Atom. What was the

act, the mighty atom? Really bad. I was a page boy going to the hotel

and I was carrying more the bags from the railway station, you see?

A ukelele, banjo, my accordion, even my tap mat. I would come on

stage and say, I wonder what kind of an act they are? I could play

ukelele, then play the accordion, not very well but enough. Then I

got the tap mats down. It was him trying to be a professional

entertainer. And it was dreadful. LAUGHTER. In old money I got a 13

and fourpence. That would be 65p for a week's work. But it was a

start. I was in show business. is good value for that! You are

back on stage now with Bruce Live. It is three shows, Salford,

Birmingham and the Royal Albert Hall? Funnily enough I announced I

was going to the Royal Albert Hall last year and edited this year in

May, I didn't know what to expect. -- and I did it in May. I thought

maybe it was a venue too far, I thought it could be a disaster but

at my age, who cares? What would it matter if it all goes down the

drain? But it was one of the greatest nights of my life. Was it

really? The audience was wonderful. I did what I love to do - sing,

dance, play the piano, involve the audience, do all the things that I

do when I am having fun on stage. And they were marvellous. It was so

good that I booked to come back next year, June the third instead

of May 3rd, and I cannot wait. It was rejuvenation, I tell you. I

couldn't believe and 84 year-old variety artist, as I am, somebody

who does may be a 10 minute spots, could go one and do two-and-a-half

hours. And they stayed! LAUGHTER. Is the plan to do a

couple of hours, will it be a long show? Not as long as Ken Dodd, but

long. And I have an orchestra. are wonderful. And we had a string

section. 0, it was wonderful. And the top musicians in the country.

They really were a great. Anything I wanted to do, I could do, it was

wonderful. And you are back at the Royal Albert Hall -- you were back

at the Royal Albert Hall last week? Doing your 13th and their 100th

role Friday performances? The show is only 16 years older than me!

That is why I went there. It was a great talk -- atmosphere, I was in

the dressing room with Jimmy Tarbuck, Ronnie Corbett, Alan Carr,

Des O'Connor and Bill Bailey, who was wonderful. You sit there and

you have laughs. But it does go far wrong time. I actually sat in the

dressing room from 5 o'clock until 8 o'clock, three hours to get

nervous. That is a long time. can't get nervous? I do. Before I

go on I am standing there and the other meat turns up and gives me

the courage and then I rush on and I am this brash idiot that we have

I could sit and listen to you all night long. But we haven't got the

time. What a shame! Some things just go out of fashion as tastes

change. Jay Rayner has got himself into a pickle about a particularly

eggy pub snack. There was a time when no self-respecting PUP would

be without a jar of pickled eggs. But these days you are more likely

to find a dish of wasabi peas than a pickle, so what's gone wrong? Why

has the modern drinker fallen out of love with the noble pickled egg?

In Ross-on-Wye, the landlord Chris Burgess has and served pickled eggs

for some time. They were and something that sold. The type of

customers we attract aren't interested. Pickled eggs, if you've

ever have one, you regret it the minute to bite into it. Wasabi peas,

spicy peanut - do they serve well? They do, we serve them in shot

glasses at eight quid a time there. But I'd challenged Chris to give

Pickles a reprieve. He's agreed that for just one day it is pickled

snacks only at the bar. But will the punters still have a taste for

them? In the kitchen, pickling expert Sarah Miller is sure she can

reinvent the pickle. I'm going to do some pickled asparagus, which is

beautiful because most people just have asparagus in the spring, and

this is a way of being able to enjoy it through the winter months.

And we will do pickled chillies, quite a hot one. The pickling

process actually adds heat to be chillies. It adds heat! Looking

forward to this. She is careful to some of the asparagus for just a

minute to retain crunch. This, your pickling spice. Coriander seeds,

dried red chillies. Oregano, black pepper, then maybe some cloves in

there. A little bit of ginger. are ready for the pickling. Malt

vinegar will work just fine, but white wine vinegar, bowled with

water and Amiens, is the basis for the liquor. Carefully pour it in.

Paul in hot, the liquor is a failed to write to the top. This batch

will be good after a couple of days but the flavours will really mature

in the weeks and months to come. The pickled chillies are even

easier. They are simmered in pickling liquor with onions and

garlic for five minutes. Sarah has even brought a pickled desert to

the pub - a pickled pear. That's fantastic. It's sweet, it tastes of

a pair, but you get acidity and a lot of spies. The clove taste,

that's really good. So it's time to see whether the locals can

rediscover a taste for the pickle. Sarah has brought along some

pickles that have been made during for a few weeks and are ready to

eat. Could I interest you in a pickle asparagus? Yes. Dive in.

Delicious. Cronje, lovely. You can taste the asparagus, but all I

could taste is the vinegar. about hot chillies? That is quite

sweet, actually. It is at the moment! I spoke too soon. Pickles

may have gone with a will but surely not with wine! It's official,

pickled asparagus and red wine do go together. And how about the

pickled pear? Lovely. Is that good? Delicious. And there's even a deep

OT of the old fashioned pickled egg. Memories! I don't know why people

don't have them any more. In seems British drinkers can rediscover an

appetite for Pickles. It is the landlord convinced enough to have

them back? I think the pickled asparagus was lovely and crunchy. A

slightly spicy finish to it. Nobody complains about paying �1.50 for a

shot glass full of olives, so there is no reason why it shouldn't sit

in that same price margin. So it has been rescued from 1970s

obscurity, the next thing you know we will all be wearing flares!

Barman, a pint of your finest and a bowl of pickled chillies. Be cold

asparagus? That wasn't a new one, I've had them roasted, grilled, I'm

a man of the world! I've come across it in many forms but never

before had I had it pickled. you a fan of pickled eggs? I like

hard-boiled eggs, is it the same thing? I've never tried it. I will

just sit here and watch. That's not bad. Do you think it's something

that ought to be back? It's like egg mayonnaise. What is the

difference? It's been in a big job of vinegar for about a month. With

all of that dirty water! Anything that is swimming in there is just

extra protein. It's gone all over! Nobles are still as popular, aren't

they? Yes. We spent �55 per year per head on these snacks. But they

have been going up in the world. We used to have pork scratchings, but

now there are places with pork crackling. There's some apple sauce.

What is that? Apple sauce. Pistachios are very popular. You

sit there and eat the popcorn. Popcorn has boomed. Can I have a

doggy bag? Yes. That's curry flavoured popcorn. It has really

gone up in the world. We spend about �50 million a year on popcorn.

The nation spends that. The flavours have really changed.

are you going to put the film on? While we are on the subject of food,

are you a fan of turkey leftovers? We've got something coming up.

love the stuffing. I don't like Turkey very much. It's very

ordinary for me. It doesn't have a meaty taste. But the stuffing, if

it is plain... The Sage and Anyon. Let's see if we can come up with a

solution for you. We are on the hunt for the nation's favourite

turkey leftovers recipe. After you've eaten your fill on Christmas

Day, what do you do with your leftovers? It could be a special

Pike, a curry or perhaps a soup. If you think your dish is delicious

and original, we want to hear from you. How do people enter? Terms and

conditions are on our website. E- mail has now at

You need to sender's details of your recipe and a picture of you

and your dish. Good luck. Try that. Blue cheese, Wal-Mart and celery. -

- warm it. You are going to love this one. Sir Bruce is forever

associated with the legendary Generation Game, which he

originally hosted from 1971-1977. When Bruce moved on, the show was

put into the hands of the flamboyant Larry Grayson. We look

at his journey from unwanted child In this house in Clifton Road,

Nuneaton, live and unwanted, illegitimate child whose camp catch

phrase became the Saturday-night favourite. Shut that door! Not many

doors opened for Larry Grayson His famous in the windows on the

Generation Game were parroted back across the country by Terry

audiences of up to 18 million. -- TV audiences. His journey to the

top would take a long time. He famously said it took him 40 years

to have an overnight success. His journey began as Billy White in

1923. Born out of wedlock, his mother handed him over at Nuneaton

Station to a new foster family at just two week old. From then on,

he'd see his mother only once a month. Michael is his nephew.

far as I know, they didn't have a close relationship. I remember him

saying, I'm really a living, breathing the stake. But his

surrogate mother was the one who looked after him and brought him up.

He looked on her as his mum. Largely raised by the women of the

family, he loved performing for them in the front room. Susan

Bailie made the bill at local working men's clubs, often in drag.

Of homosexuality still a crime in 1950s Britain, his risque routine

raised a few eyebrows. It is larger than life characters came from real

life at home, here in Clifton Terrace. This is where they used to

be a phone. The only phone in the street. The neighbours in the

street were allowed to come in and use it. Little did they know that

Larrieu was there behind the curtain that separated this front

room with a kitchen. He would be listening in to all the gossip. All

the material from his act was gained there. But soon he would be

reinvented. On the advice of his new agent, drop the drag but kept

the camp. He rechristened himself Larry. His new surname he stole

from the singing idol, Kathryn Grayson. Next, the new Larry

Grayson said his eyes on the London Palladium. Media mogul Michael

Grade was a variety talent-spotter back in 1969. After seeing Larry

Grayson do four minutes in a Soho strip club, he persuaded his

impresario father, Leslie, to try him for one night at the Palladium.

There's a horrible moment, though, what have I done? Your career

flashes before your eyes. What if he's not as funny as I thought he

was? Out comes Larry at the London Palladium on that great stage, the

place just cracked up laughing. I looked at my dad and my dad looked

at me and we both know that the star was born that night. He was a

big hit on Saturday night TV by the late 70s. The Generation Game made

him a national treasure. I'm a very gentle man. Shut your mouth!

Attitudes towards homosexuals Olivetti had relaxed after

decriminalisation in 1967. But Larry never actually came out.

can honestly say that I've got no evidence to even suggest that he

was gay. You probably have those sort of inclinations but it never

bothered him. I don't think that side of life ever bothered him. He

was more bothered about friends and family and that sort of thing.

Perhaps he was too far ahead of his time. Prejudices run deep, even in

his home town where a local councillor once said there would be

nothing to honour that sort. But this prowled Warwickshire lad soon

became treasured as the King of Camp. Before I go, for all you

people at home, I must just say it wants. Shut that door! Of course,

you went back to do another run of the Generation Game. I did. But he

was a very funny man. It is all about Strictly now. It has gone so

well this year. Poor Victoria went last weekend. Yes. He has been your

biggest shock? I think Lisa. You know the dress-rehearsal, I was

sitting having a cup of tea. Lisa was standing here. As soon... I

wondered what it was going to be like. Then all the sudden the music

started and she sort of jumped and became a performer. She went into

this routine and I was staggered. And the other shock is Michael

Vaughan, who, after that terrible dance... Get him out of the Latin

and straight into the ballroom. was really shocking. They have been

the big surprises. We've never had a standard as high as this,