0:00:02 > 0:00:04Coming up, three celebs become 12 Again.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06I had the most delightful perm.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08I used to have the curtain haircut.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09I used to think I was David Beckham.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13Orthopaedic shoes, fuzzy hair, bit overweight and a bit shy.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Really popular with the boys!
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Plus we catch up with Question of Sport captain, Matt Dawson.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23Sad as it may seem, I think she did it for a bet.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24Want to know more? I know I do.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Have you ever wondered what it would've been like to be best mates
0:00:28 > 0:00:31with your favourite celebs when they were your age?
0:00:31 > 0:00:35What did they get up to? What were their favourite songs?
0:00:35 > 0:00:37What TV shows did they watch?
0:00:37 > 0:00:41Despite the glamorous lifestyles they now lead,
0:00:41 > 0:00:45once they were a kid with a dream, just like you.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48This show lets you look back in time with your favourite celebs
0:00:48 > 0:00:51as they become 12 Again.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57# So come on spin me around now
0:00:57 > 0:00:59# I don't wanna go home
0:00:59 > 0:01:01# Cos when you hold me like this
0:01:01 > 0:01:04# You know my heart skips, skips a beat. #
0:01:04 > 0:01:07He's a hat-loving singer and presenter
0:01:07 > 0:01:12from the Xtra Factor who may make your heart skip a beat.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Even back in 1996, Olly Murs had an eye for the ladies.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19When I was 12 I was very easily distracted.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23That was the thing they said, "He tends to be distracted by girls."
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Time again for our fairytale series.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28- She's an all-round entertainer. - Thank you, Doctor.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31The pleasure was all mine.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35- Who can act, write and tell the odd joke.- The end.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39But back in 1973, Meera Syal was already living two lives.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42I suppose I was quite schizophrenic because inside the house,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45I was a good Indian girl and I'd tell everybody I wanted to be a doctor.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48"Yes, Aunty, I'm working really hard."
0:01:48 > 0:01:51And then outside the house, I'd become this Midland wench.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53'Right now, Sarah Cox.'
0:01:53 > 0:01:54Mornin'!
0:01:54 > 0:01:58And she's a Radio one DJ who you'll find on a lot of TV shows.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Thank you for having me. I'm so excited.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Blue Peter, I grew up with this show!
0:02:02 > 0:02:07However back in 1986, Sarah Cox felt she was anything but a hit.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09At 12 I had the bad perm,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12the big lips, the huge forehead
0:02:12 > 0:02:14and quite wonky legs.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16So I was delightful.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22All are massive celebs today but it wasn't always that way
0:02:22 > 0:02:25so let's rewind and find out everything about what they were like
0:02:25 > 0:02:27when they were kids.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33When I was 12, I was skinny. I was like a beanpole.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36I was quite, erm, fat.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38I had the most delightful perm.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42The fringe had a kind of shocked look, like...
0:02:42 > 0:02:44A bit like Jedward.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Jedward copied my look.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Everyone was wearing platform shoes
0:02:49 > 0:02:51but Mum said they were bad for your back
0:02:51 > 0:02:55so I wore shoes that looked a bit orthopaedic, frankly.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58When I was born, I was born with a dislocated hip
0:02:58 > 0:03:03which resulted in me having basically what was a wonky walk
0:03:03 > 0:03:07and I also got called Fodder because I had a big forehead.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Actually, a lot of these things helped later on,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15when I was kind of modelling and doing TV work.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19I had the curtain haircut. I used to think I was David Beckham
0:03:19 > 0:03:21and I almost said to my mum and dad once,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23"I think we were separated at birth."
0:03:23 > 0:03:26I was hoping one day they'd realise I was his brother and he would,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29"Olly, come and play for Manchester United with me."
0:03:29 > 0:03:31I never got the call.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33There was this thing called the feather cut
0:03:33 > 0:03:34which was really in at that time
0:03:34 > 0:03:39and it was a bit like Farrah Fawcett in Charlie's Angels.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Unfortunately, my hair's really curly
0:03:41 > 0:03:44so I did look like I had a toilet brush on my head.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49Orthopaedic shoes, fuzzy hair, bit overweight and a bit shy.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Really popular with the boys!
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Apart from loving David Beckham, having bad hair
0:03:55 > 0:03:59and wearing funny shoes, what did our celebs get up to?
0:03:59 > 0:04:02I was a bit of a cheeky chappy. I've a twin brother, Ben.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04He was the one that was kind of the angry twin.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08I was more of a silent, cheeky kind of character.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11I'd do things behind my mum's back and she would never know
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I was doing it but whenever I got told off, I'd blame it on Ben.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19At this point I was sharing a room with my older sister, Yvonne,
0:04:19 > 0:04:24who's four years older than me and we fought like cat and dog.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27I'll be there on the bottom bunk while she's on the top bunk,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30telling me I can't borrow her earrings or whatever.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34It was never like proper punching but there was lots of girl fighting.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37We'd hold each others' arms clumsily and do a lot of this.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43My creativity, which grew out of feeling I didn't fit in anywhere,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46I think found its outlet in writing first
0:04:46 > 0:04:48because I started keeping a diary.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50And from the sort of general,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53"I'm awful, I'm really ugly and nobody likes me.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58"I'll never get a boyfriend," that sort of became something else.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00That became bad poetry, bad short stories,
0:05:00 > 0:05:06and now I look back, the diary was the start of me becoming a writer.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Whilst Meera was channelling her thoughts through her diary,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Olly was turning channels over.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15It was when TV watches first came out.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17It was literally a remote control that did everything.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19It was brilliant.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23Every school lesson, especially science,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26we'd sit and watch the film and Mr Richards would turn round
0:05:26 > 0:05:28and say, "OK, class," pause it,
0:05:28 > 0:05:33"Now, this was basically about, we're talking about precipitation."
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Whilst he was talking, I was rewinding the tape
0:05:36 > 0:05:39and then pausing it and then he'd go back and press play
0:05:39 > 0:05:42and be really confused cos it'd be on a separate thing.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44It was always a good laugh.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Back in 1973 in the Midlands, for Meera and her family,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49life wasn't so easy.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52My mum and dad are Punjabi, from north India.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56When I think how hard it was for them to come over and start a new life,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00it was a difficult time for immigrants in the '70s.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02The National Front was very strong in our area,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04there was a lot of racism about.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06At the age of 12 I think I was beginning to realise the world
0:06:06 > 0:06:08was a little harsh out there.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12In the 1970s, a movement called the National Front held regular marches
0:06:12 > 0:06:15in towns and cities across the country.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19They aggressively opposed black and Asian people living in Britain.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Their demonstrations sometimes turned violent
0:06:22 > 0:06:24and were very unsettling for many people
0:06:24 > 0:06:27who moved to Britain from different countries.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Many immigrants were picked on
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and racism was something Meera often experienced.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35I came across racism quite regularly.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39You'd get stuff shouted at you and people doing the funny head movements
0:06:39 > 0:06:41and the voice and I sort of realised early on
0:06:41 > 0:06:46that either I could be a victim or I could nip it in the bud.
0:06:46 > 0:06:52And I decided that I wasn't going to put up with this.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55People needed to know if they did say anything, they were gonna get it!
0:06:56 > 0:07:00When I was younger I used to collect weird things.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Bags of rotting conkers lying around in my room and under my bed
0:07:04 > 0:07:07and I also used to get, you know water balloons that you fill
0:07:07 > 0:07:11with water and you're supposed to throw at people?
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I used to get water balloons, fill them with water, draw faces on them
0:07:14 > 0:07:18and kind of keep them as pets.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24I got dumped when I was 12 by the girl of my dreams
0:07:24 > 0:07:27but she was about six foot tall and I was only about four foot.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30I was besotted by her and she ended up dumping me
0:07:30 > 0:07:32because I was too small.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35She said it was like walking her brother around.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Like her younger brother. So, ah well.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Inside the home I was well-behaved,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47dutiful, helped Mum in the kitchen, did my homework.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Outside, in the village, when I was let loose,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54I hung around with a gang of sort of feral kids
0:07:54 > 0:07:56and my mum would have to come and find me
0:07:56 > 0:07:58so the easiest thing was to stand
0:07:58 > 0:08:02in the middle of the yard and holler, which is what everybody's mums did.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04It's like calling a pack of dogs, you know,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06"Teatime." SHE BARKS
0:08:06 > 0:08:10We'd all come running from different corners, covered in mud.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16So that's what our three celebs were getting up to when they were kids.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18What was the soundtrack to their childhood?
0:08:18 > 0:08:23I'd watch Top of the Pops, which was a huge part of your life
0:08:23 > 0:08:27as a 12-year-old cos it was the only place you'd get to see music
0:08:27 > 0:08:33because you couldn't go online and there was no YouTube or MTV.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37I loved George Michael when he was in Wham!, I was a huge Wham! fan.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39# Wake me up before you go, go
0:08:39 > 0:08:43# Don't leave me hanging on like a yo-yo. #
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Even though I was a little bit young for the music, I knew I liked him.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48And so did millions of others, Sarah.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51George Michael started his music life in '80s band Wham!
0:08:51 > 0:08:54with fellow bandmate Andrew Ridgeley.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56# Club Tropicana drinks are free. #
0:08:56 > 0:08:58And Wham! they did.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01They were one of the biggest bands of the '80s
0:09:01 > 0:09:04and sold over 25 million records.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08After four years of massive success,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Wham! split up and George went his own way.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15When I was 12, George had started doing his solo stuff
0:09:15 > 0:09:19so he had the album Faith out which was his first...
0:09:19 > 0:09:21OPENING CHORDS TO 'FAITH'
0:09:21 > 0:09:24# Well, I guess it would be nice. #
0:09:24 > 0:09:27And I loved George Michael and for years,
0:09:27 > 0:09:33I used to practice writing Mrs Sarah Michael on my rough book.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39And in the back of my Wham! annuals
0:09:39 > 0:09:42that I'd get at Christmas, I'd be Mrs Sarah Michael.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44It was very cool.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47I loved it and I still now love it when I hear it, I'm like, "Wow!"
0:09:47 > 0:09:50It's a bit of a guilty pleasure now, I suppose, that album.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54# I gotta have faith, faith, faith. #
0:09:54 > 0:09:57So that's what Sarah was listening to in the '80s,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59but what was Olly listening to in the '90s?
0:09:59 > 0:10:02I got a paper round at 12 years old so I was earning some money.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06I was able then to go down and get the bargain bin
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Woolworths cassettes for 99p.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11I think my first single I ever bought,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13probably round about that time
0:10:13 > 0:10:16was 911 - Party People (Hey!) It's Friday Night.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Which was in the bargain bin for very good reason.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Exhibit A.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22I played it and played it to death. Brilliant song.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25It really is a really good pop record.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Just like today, boybands were huge in the '90s.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30There were loads of bands and like 911,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33a lot of them seemed to have numbers in their names.
0:10:33 > 0:10:39There was East 17, Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees, All-4-One and 5ive.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43The big thing about '90s boybands was their terrible fashion sense.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Take a look at Gary Barlow's waistcoat. Shocker.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50But the height of boyband fashion climaxed with the classic look
0:10:50 > 0:10:52of matching white suits.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58I hope you're taking notes, One Direction.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Whilst Olly was getting down with the boybands of the '90s,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Meera was listening to the boybands of the '70s.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Obviously, we all listened to the top ten.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09# Everybody was Kung Fu fighting. #
0:11:09 > 0:11:13I'm still a bit of a nerd when it comes to cheesy '70s pop.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15I'd probably do quite well on Mastermind on that.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20More white suits!
0:11:20 > 0:11:24But where Meera grew up, cheesy pop wasn't the cool music to listen to.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27I was living in the Black Country so it was,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30people in the yard would play a lot of heavy metal.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Heavy metal started in the Black Country.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Reggae, a lot of people played reggae.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41One of the songs in my top 10
0:11:41 > 0:11:44was Young, Gifted and Black by Bob & Marcia
0:11:44 > 0:11:48which I remember a whole row of Midlands white kids dancing to.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50# Young, gifted and black
0:11:50 > 0:11:52# Your soul's intact. #
0:11:52 > 0:11:57It's a really good example of how music really brought people together.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02But no music brought people together like Meera's favourite pop band.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04My favourite group,
0:12:04 > 0:12:06and I'm not saying they're a major musical influence,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08but the person I was a bit in love with,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11very in love with, was Donny Osmond.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14# And they called it puppy love. #
0:12:14 > 0:12:18I remember listening to Puppy Love
0:12:18 > 0:12:21literally with my head inside the speaker
0:12:21 > 0:12:24with tears rolling down my cheeks going, "I really love Donny."
0:12:24 > 0:12:27I was in an all-girls school
0:12:27 > 0:12:29and there were a lot of girls that loved Donny Osmond.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31There was stiff competition.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Girls would fall over and faint. SHE SCREAMS
0:12:34 > 0:12:37And with the Midlands' love of heavy metal
0:12:37 > 0:12:38and Meera's love of the Osmonds,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41what could be better than a heavy metal song by them?
0:12:41 > 0:12:43# Crazy horses.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48# Crazy horses. #
0:12:48 > 0:12:49Raah! Raah!
0:12:49 > 0:12:52That sounded like a cat being strangled, didn't it?
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Interestingly, over the last few years, a lot of people
0:12:56 > 0:12:59have reassessed that song and gone, "It's actually quite cool."
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Despite their efforts to be tough rockers,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06the Osmonds remain the band you wouldn't mind playing to your gran.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Them as a group were so wholesome.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Donny was the boy that wouldn't break your heart
0:13:15 > 0:13:18and the one you could take home to Mum.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Ah, wasn't he lovely?
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Still to come, we catch up with the Question of Sport captain
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Matthew Dawson and find out what he remembers about being 12.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32My mother and father saying,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34"These days are the best of your life."
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- And you're like, "Whatever." - Sarah goes back to school.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40It's a reflection of an ordinary comprehensive school.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- We find out that Olly has a passion for this lot.- Massive fan.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45I used to have all the figures.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48And hopefully Meera explains what's going on here.
0:13:48 > 0:13:49It was like a zoo.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52It was like an anarchic zoo.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54But first let's see what big news stories
0:13:54 > 0:13:58had an impact on our celebrities when they were kids.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02When I was 12, Princess Diana did an incredible thing.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06The Princess of Wales has opened Britain's first purpose-built
0:14:06 > 0:14:08hospital ward for AIDS.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Princess Diana changed opinions
0:14:12 > 0:14:18by shaking hands with somebody who had HIV
0:14:18 > 0:14:23and that photograph was just life-changing.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26The disease AIDS and the virus that causes it, HIV,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28was first identified in the early '80s.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30When Sarah was 12,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33it was something many people were scared of
0:14:33 > 0:14:36because they were confused and worried about how it was caught.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Princess Diana, Prince William and Harry's mum,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42was one of few public figures to begin campaigning
0:14:42 > 0:14:44for public awareness about the condition
0:14:44 > 0:14:47and by shaking the hand of somebody who had AIDS,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50she proved the virus couldn't be caught by touch
0:14:50 > 0:14:54and that people who have the condition are not to be scared of.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58People thought that you could catch HIV or AIDS through
0:14:58 > 0:15:03touching someone's hand or through using the same cutlery as them,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06by any sort of physical contact.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09And that is not true.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Princess Diana coming along and saying, this is something we have to
0:15:13 > 0:15:16deal with and we've got to know the facts, really helped.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Throughout her life Princess Diana continued
0:15:19 > 0:15:22to support HIV and AIDS charities.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Princess Diana did a lot of good in her life,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29but I think that that photo was one of the biggest things she did.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32In 1996, the nation held its breath,
0:15:32 > 0:15:37and so did Olly, as England were playing football again.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40The big impact for me that year was Euro '96.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43The England football team has completed its final training session
0:15:43 > 0:15:45before the opening match of Euro '96,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48the biggest sporting event in England for 40 years.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52It was massive. I don't think I really got how big it was
0:15:52 > 0:15:56because it was the first time since the World Cup in 1966
0:15:56 > 0:16:00that we as a nation held the football in our country.
0:16:00 > 0:16:06Euro '96 was indeed the first major football tournament to be held in
0:16:06 > 0:16:11the UK since the 1966 World Cup when England won. So hopes were high.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14I felt the passion of the country but I didn't...
0:16:14 > 0:16:19If it was now, at 27, I'd go to every game.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23England got through to the semifinals and just like in 1966
0:16:23 > 0:16:27the big match was England versus Germany, but this time England lost.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29The atmosphere at the match was very friendly,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33but there were outbreaks of violence after England lost.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38England was gutted and tensions grew as some people took to fighting
0:16:38 > 0:16:43and causing trouble in city centres around the country.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47The party was over, but luckily for England, there's always next time.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Back in the '70s when Meera was 12,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54times were difficult for the entire nation.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56The big news story when I was 12
0:16:56 > 0:17:00was the civil unrest in the country, really.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Throughout the '70s, Britain was going through hard times.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07The economy was in a bad state and lots of workers went on strike
0:17:07 > 0:17:11to protest against things like the amount of money they were paid.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16They've decided they're going to close down all local council
0:17:16 > 0:17:20services by holding all-out strikes for up to two days at a time.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Here's a special announcement - we're sorry, owing to labour
0:17:24 > 0:17:28difficulties, very few trains will leave from Waterloo tonight.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32The country was in a lot of turmoil.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37It was grim, it was uncertain and it was a bit scary.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39The strikes affected everyone
0:17:39 > 0:17:43which meant a shortage of pretty much everything.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Food stocks were low, rubbish piled up on the streets, and because
0:17:46 > 0:17:50coal miners were on strike, there was a lack of electricity.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54The government would turn off power at certain times in the week.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57While it was hard for most people, in Meera's house it wasn't so bad.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Coming from India, they had power cuts all the time.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05So I remember Mum and Dad feeling almost nostalgic about them.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09We'd be sitting around with the lights off, really well-prepared,
0:18:09 > 0:18:11torches in the battery, candles, matches.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15They'd be going, "These English people, they don't know how to cope.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18"Come on, everybody, let's sing a song!"
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Still to come, we ask the all-important question -
0:18:22 > 0:18:24what would our celebs do if they were 12 again?
0:18:24 > 0:18:27You know when you're on a rollercoaster,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30from 12 onwards that was like the rollercoaster bit.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32I would tell myself at 12 nothing,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35I'd say, "Live life exactly how you've done it."
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Starting to really examine the growing personality you have,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42and it's really quite a turbulent time sometimes.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Before that, it's time to discover what sporting legend Matt Dawson
0:18:46 > 0:18:50was like at 12.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53He was one of England's finest World Cup winning rugby players,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57you'll now find leading his team on BBC's Question Of Sport.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Spen...Spence...Spence!
0:19:00 > 0:19:03But what was Matt Dawson like when he was 12?
0:19:03 > 0:19:06- Number 17.- No!
0:19:06 > 0:19:08I was a proper sport Billy,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11playing football and rugby and cricket.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14It was a lot more exciting than doing homework.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16No-one likes homework, Matt.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20But what about looking good, was that important?
0:19:20 > 0:19:24I had a tremendous head of hair, which is hard to believe now.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27There was a craze of shaving underneath
0:19:27 > 0:19:31and then growing the hair on top.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34It looked like mop, I thought that was quite cool.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I carried that on for a bit until people realised it wasn't.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41The undercut is never a good look, but did the ladies like it?
0:19:41 > 0:19:44My first kiss was a girl called Nina.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49It was just at the bottom of my lane.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53And I think, sad as it may seem, I think she did it for a bet.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55I think I was used.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57I'm sure I was.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01I feel your pain, brother. Let's focus on the positives of being 12.
0:20:01 > 0:20:08One of the parents had a role to play in one of Boy George's videos.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Basically, we were part of this video.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15Lots of children dressed up in skeleton outfits.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17That's pretty cool,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21just a shame you're with hundreds of other kids all with masks on.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24What would you do if you were 12 again?
0:20:24 > 0:20:26I wouldn't change anything.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28As much as it pained me to hear my parents saying,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31"Remember these days, they're the best of your life."
0:20:31 > 0:20:36And you're like "Whatever, shut up, I want to be a teenager."
0:20:36 > 0:20:37Looking back on them they are,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40they're brilliant, brilliant days.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42It may have been brilliant,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45but I bet you would have loved to have got your face in that video.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Right, time to get back to our three celebs and find out what
0:20:49 > 0:20:54Olly, Meera and Sara were watching when they were kids.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58When I was 12, I really loved Grange Hill.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Grange Hill was a gritty drama unlike anything else that had
0:21:01 > 0:21:06- ever been seen on CBBC and the kids loved it.- Ouch, that hurt!- Good!
0:21:06 > 0:21:09But parents hated it and complained it was a bad influence.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13But because the show tackled real life issues like bullying...
0:21:13 > 0:21:15It's little Georgina.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18You don't have to run, I've got plenty of time.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Stop it!
0:21:20 > 0:21:23..the show was a huge hit...
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Less noise, please, first years.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27..and ran for 30 years.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- I'm not a complete fool, where is your diary?- I've just told you.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34- And what about your report card? Did the dog eat that too?- Yes.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38Before then, there's like Famous Fives and people, you know,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42it was always about quite posh schools and well-to-do schools.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46And then Grange Hill came along on telly and it was just
0:21:46 > 0:21:51a really good reflection of an ordinary comprehensive school.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56And like in every school, there's always one teacher you never forget.
0:21:56 > 0:21:57Who left that there?!
0:21:57 > 0:22:00This nonsense has got to end.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03You, boy!
0:22:03 > 0:22:06- Mr Bronson was like the terrifying...- Come back here!
0:22:06 > 0:22:09..arch-nemesis of all that was cool at Grange Hill.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12What is going on here?
0:22:12 > 0:22:15- All the kids were terrified of him. - You...vandal!
0:22:15 > 0:22:19But despite Mr Bronson being the strictest teacher ever,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22the kids still loved it, but what did he think?
0:22:22 > 0:22:26- I think it's absolutely... - marvellous.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Let's fast forward to 1996
0:22:29 > 0:22:33and find out what Olly was watching on the box.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37I remember Rugrats. I watched that in the mornings.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Rocco's Modern Life. Monkey Magic, that's very old, an old school
0:22:41 > 0:22:46programme, but I remember watching that all the time. Heartbreak High.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49But for Olly there was only one show that was his favourite.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54I remember watching a lot of WWF wrestling.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Massive fan, I used to have all the figures.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00I used to love watching that as well.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03The World Wrestling Federation, or the WWF,
0:23:03 > 0:23:05was a huge success in the '90s.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09It was massive, and so were the dudes doing it.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11The Hitman, the Undertaker
0:23:11 > 0:23:15and Britain's very own Bulldog were some of the stars.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18But the toughest fight in WWF was between the lawyers,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20not the wrestlers.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24The World Wrestling Federation has been forced to change its name
0:23:24 > 0:23:29because it has the same initials as the World Wide Fund for Nature.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33So the WWF became the WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment
0:23:33 > 0:23:37and the wrestlers lived happily ever after. Sort of.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38Ouch.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Let's leave Olly wrestling in the '90s and rewind to 1973
0:23:42 > 0:23:45and find out what Meera was watching.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50I loved Tiswas, which was an anarchic Saturday morning show.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01And the best way I can describe it,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04it was like a zoo, it was like an anarchic zoo.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11On ITV in the 1970s, Tiswas was the Dick And Dom In Da Bungalow
0:24:11 > 0:24:15of its day and it entertained kids on Saturday mornings
0:24:15 > 0:24:16for over eight years.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21Great start, this is what they want. Who needs Crossroads with this lot?!
0:24:21 > 0:24:24It was mad as each programme was made up as they went along.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27What you need to do...
0:24:27 > 0:24:31No-one knew what was going to happen next.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34But Saturday morning kids' TV ruled the airways back then
0:24:34 > 0:24:39and whilst Tiswas was ITV's hit show, the BBC had Swap Shop.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Welcome and I hope we find you fit and well and you're going to
0:24:42 > 0:24:45stay with us as long as possible on the Swap Shop.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Both shows were a huge success but very different.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51As far as the top ten board is concerned
0:24:51 > 0:24:55I think there are some really good bargains on offer this week.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59- Hugh, what have you got?- I've got a Wildergorn colour in poster.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04So whether you wanted to swap your Wildergorn, whatever that is, or
0:25:04 > 0:25:09get a custard pie in your face, both shows had something for everyone.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12But Meera had a definite favourite.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Everything stopped for Tiswas - get your breakfast, in your pyjamas
0:25:15 > 0:25:18and watch it, then my day would start after that.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22So those were the TV memories of our three celebs,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25but what do they most remember about being 12?
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Just loved life, I was out playing football,
0:25:29 > 0:25:30I loved being in the fresh air.
0:25:30 > 0:25:3312 was probably the last age I didn't really care what
0:25:33 > 0:25:37people felt about me and I was just able to enjoy being young.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41You start to realise that life's quite precious
0:25:41 > 0:25:46and that these terrible things can happen cos up until that age,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50as it should be, you're in a bit of a happy bubble.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52At home, even though it was very loving,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56I wasn't like any of the other British Indian girls I knew,
0:25:56 > 0:26:00I was considered a bit too Western for the Indian girls.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Obviously too Indian for the Western girls.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I began to realise that you are forced to spend
0:26:05 > 0:26:07a lot of time in your own head
0:26:07 > 0:26:09and your own imagination
0:26:09 > 0:26:13so you begin to think about who you are and what you want.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17And you realise that being different is a bit of a blessing.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20I think that the life that I've chosen
0:26:20 > 0:26:23and the path I've gone and the mistakes I've made,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26I would tell myself at 12, I wouldn't change it for the world.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29He could probably give me some advice.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31If you can get my 12-year-old self,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33he could probably teach me a thing or two.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Being 12 is really hard for everybody,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40they may look like they're having the best time, most of it is a front.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44You spend a lot of time thinking about how you look, how you feel,
0:26:44 > 0:26:48starting to really examine the growing personality you have.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52And it's quite a turbulent time sometimes.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56The best thing about being 12 was that it was all much more relaxed.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00You know when you're on a rollercoaster
0:27:00 > 0:27:04and you're going...I was quite happy, it was quite exciting
0:27:04 > 0:27:08and fun-filled, but it was quite secure and not very scary.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11From 12 onwards, when I turned 13, 14, 15,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14that was like the rollercoaster bit.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16I miss being 12. Any chance you can put me back in there?
0:27:16 > 0:27:18I'd love to go back to '96,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21I could find all the girls that are really hot now,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25and the girls I really fancied that wouldn't go out with me,
0:27:25 > 0:27:26and I could charm them then.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Enjoy all the bits that you don't get again.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35Like being 12 with no responsibility and nothing to do except
0:27:35 > 0:27:41follow the passions that you have and, er...have a body that could
0:27:41 > 0:27:47still run up the stairs without stopping halfway, that's quite good.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49So what have we learnt?
0:27:49 > 0:27:52If your parents say that kids' TV is a load of nonsense these days,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54remind them of Tiswas.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56If you want to join a boyband,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59make sure you've got plenty of stain remover.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01And when you think your teachers might be tough,
0:28:01 > 0:28:03remember it could be a lot worse.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05You...vandal!