0:00:02 > 0:00:05Coming up, stars of the music industry become 12 again.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09When I was 12, I remember being really addicted to Beyonce.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13- I used to love playing dress-up by myself.- My mum would cut my hair.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15I had some pumpkin head, like this.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19- I had blonde highlights in the front, maybe!- Eurgh!
0:00:19 > 0:00:23We're going to discover what life was like for them when they were 12.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25I wanted to be a marine biologist.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29But really I just wanted to swim with dolphins or hang out with whales.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32I always sang when I was washing up.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36I sang in my bedroom, or to my mum, and that was it.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39So, are you ready for some pop-tastic stories?
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Have you wondered what it would have been like to be best mates
0:00:44 > 0:00:48with your favourite celebs when they were your age?
0:00:48 > 0:00:51What did they get up to? What were their favourite songs?
0:00:51 > 0:00:53And what TV shows did they watch?
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Because despite the glamorous lifestyles they now lead,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00once they were a kid with a dream just like you.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04This show lets you look back in time with some of our biggest music stars
0:01:04 > 0:01:07as they become 12 Again.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12# Hello, my name is Bridgit, nice to meet you
0:01:12 > 0:01:14# I think you're famous... #
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Today, Bridgit Mendler is an American pop princess
0:01:17 > 0:01:19and star of hit show Good Luck Charlie.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Yes, that's the one.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23But what was she like back when she was 12?
0:01:23 > 0:01:28I definitely had my shy moments, but if I opened up, I was super sassy.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32# That you could still believe in me... #
0:01:32 > 0:01:35They are the awesome pop foursome called Lawson.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37But back when lead singer Andy was 12,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40he just wanted to be part of the gang.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42In school, I hung around with a mix of people.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45The music crew, the football crew, and everyone in between.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47I liked to be involved.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50# Throw those curtains wide... #
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Today he is the lead singer of Manchester mega-stadium
0:01:53 > 0:01:55rock gods Elbow.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58But back in 1986, Guy Garvey had his head in the clouds.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03I was a sensitive kid, a bit of a dreamer.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07It says in all my school reports, "Guy must pay more attention."
0:02:07 > 0:02:09A*M*E is a teenage singer who was discovered
0:02:09 > 0:02:12by Take That main man Gary Barlow.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14But what was she like as a kid?
0:02:16 > 0:02:19I was loud, which I guess could be a bit annoying.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22But I think I was an all right kid.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24# You are the one I think of... #
0:02:24 > 0:02:29Indie popster Kate Nash's debut album went straight to number one.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32But back in 1999, she wasn't quite so cool.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36I have never been a shy child.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40But I definitely wasn't, like, in the cool going at all.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42# Stay up tonight... #
0:02:43 > 0:02:47She's a hotly tipped Scottish teenager with truckloads of talent.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52But back in 2006, stardom seemed a long way away for Nina Nesbitt.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I was really shy with people I didn't know.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00I sung in my bedroom or to my mum, and that was it.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02# Why did you let it slip... #
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Stooshe are the ultra-cool Brit girl group whose first two singles
0:03:06 > 0:03:08went straight into the top five.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11But back when she was 12, Karis couldn't wait to grow up.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17I always wanted to be older than I was. Couldn't wait till I was 21.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19And what about Alex?
0:03:19 > 0:03:22At that point, I was just quiet, in the corner, looking all innocent.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24And smiling all the time.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Today they're all massive popstars.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30But we're going to rewind and find out what they were like
0:03:30 > 0:03:32back when they were 12.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36When I was 12, there's this thing called the slick we all used to do.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39I went through about ten tubs of gels in two weeks.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42And I used to get all the front part of my hair
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and completely slick it around so it was like a massive side fringe.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And then get these crystal things and stick them on the front,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- and do little, like, pom-poms like this.- Different.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53- Did you grow your hair? - I had short hair.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55I had quite long hair at that point.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57I had blonde highlights in the front, maybe.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Eurgh!
0:03:59 > 0:04:05I always had horrible spots. I never had loads, I just had one big one.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09I still get spots now. So hopefully they'll stop soon.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12I started plucking my eyebrows when I was 12.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Found my mum's tweezers in her make-up bag.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19- She came in an hour later, my mum was like, what have you done?!- Imagine!
0:04:19 > 0:04:23It was a nightmare but they're OK now!
0:04:23 > 0:04:26When I got 12, I was getting into a bit weirder music.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29I dyed my hair black at one point.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32I looked a little bit of a kind of young punk emo.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34I had big curly hair, long.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37"Mum, I want short hair, and I want it to be straight."
0:04:37 > 0:04:41So Mum would cut my hair. I had some pumpkin head, like this.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43I was like, "Mum, what did you do?"
0:04:43 > 0:04:45She was like, "You told me to cut your hair."
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I was like, you should have said no!
0:04:48 > 0:04:52So that's what they looked like as kids. But what did they get up to?
0:04:52 > 0:04:55When I was in school, I got freakishly tall really quickly.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57No-one else had really got that tall yet.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Everyone was like, you should play basketball.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01So I started playing basketball.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03I used to love playing dress-up by myself.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06I remember one day I put together this awful thing.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11It was like this multicoloured skirt that poufed out on the sides,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15and I wore softball socks because I was playing softball at the time.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20And I wore jazz shoes. And to me, I was like, "Oh, this is awesome!"
0:05:20 > 0:05:24So I wore it to school, of course. And people were very confused.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28When I was 12, shiny bomber jackets were the thing.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31And I remember getting a row of safety pins,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35and putting it through the zip on the arm,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38to the zip that went up front of the coat,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41in a kind of like, home-made military braid thing.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44That went with my new National Health spectacles.
0:05:46 > 0:05:52- I was really into Irish dancing when I was 12.- All right, OK, yeah.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54- I was in choir.- Right...
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- I was in chess club.- Anything else?
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- I was in Girl Guides too. - This girl was busy!
0:06:02 > 0:06:05So, Kate was cramming in every hobby under the sun.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09But did our celebs have any ambitions for future pop stardom?
0:06:09 > 0:06:11My dad was quite musical,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14he was in a band with his brothers in Sierra Leone.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17He was a massive inspiration, definitely.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19My teacher used to bring a guitar in every day
0:06:19 > 0:06:23and sing Beatles songs to the class. I was like, I've got to do that.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26That's when I started learning to play guitar and sing a few tunes.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31I wanted to be a gymnast. I always enjoyed doing music as a hobby.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34I never thought I could do it as a career.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37It wasn't till after I started performing
0:06:37 > 0:06:40that I got the encouragement to do it as a career.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43When I was 12, I probably wanted to be a stuntman.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48What else did I want to do when I was 12?
0:06:48 > 0:06:51I think for a while I wanted to be a priest.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54That's a bit different from being a stuntman, Guy!
0:06:54 > 0:06:59I was an altar boy and the priest was the main man.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02You know, you get the outfit, and get to show off.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06When I was 12, I wanted to be an actress and singer. That was it!
0:07:06 > 0:07:08I wanted to be a marine biologist.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12But really I just wanted to swim with dolphins, or hang out with whales.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Kate never got to hang out with whales, but she can carry a TUNA!
0:07:16 > 0:07:19I used to watch my brother, he played guitar when I was like eight or nine.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22I just wanted to outdo him. He played for a year.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24I only started playing because I wanted to outdo him.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- You wanted to outdo him? - I wanted to outdo him, yeah.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29I wanted to outdo him. Yeah, it was great.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Did you outdo him at the end, though?
0:07:31 > 0:07:35At the end of the day, I outdid him. So, Lee, if you're watching...
0:07:35 > 0:07:36I outdid you.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41But it wasn't all fun and games for our popstars to be.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45And for young Guy, there were tough times ahead.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47One of the most significant things that happened to me
0:07:47 > 0:07:50when I was 12 was my mum and dad's divorce.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56The feeling I remember was everybody being worried about everybody else.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59It is the fear of what was changing.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01And then what happened was, we used to go to my dad's,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04my dad was only a mile away, and have tea with him.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07We used to call it Garvey men's night.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11I realise now that before Mum and Dad split up, I would probably
0:08:11 > 0:08:14only see him one night a week, cos he was a nightshift worker.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16So actually, when they split up,
0:08:16 > 0:08:20the time I got with my dad was much better.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23It's a sad time, but it's not a disaster.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25And it was hard to have a laugh for a bit.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27But not for long.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31So, now we know what our popstars were getting up to at 12.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33But what music were they listening to?
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Avril Lavigne was just coming out at the time,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40and I was obsessed at that age with the song Complicated.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44# Why d'you have to go and make things so complicated?
0:08:44 > 0:08:46# I see the way you're...
0:08:46 > 0:08:50# Acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated...
0:08:50 > 0:08:52# Life's like this, you... #
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Avril Lavigne was blazing a trail for Canadian pop
0:08:56 > 0:08:59when Justin Bieber was still wearing short trousers.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01She kind of has a tomboyish vibe.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05She was one of the guys, a little tougher, which I thought was cool.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09# Why d'you have to go and make things so complicated? #
0:09:09 > 0:09:14Complicated was her debut single and became a global smash in 2002.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16That was my favourite.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18I even auditioned for a school play singing that song.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23And from a Canadian pop princess...
0:09:24 > 0:09:27..to homegrown Britpop.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28One of my favourite albums
0:09:28 > 0:09:32when I was a kid was What's The Story Morning Glory by Oasis.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37That was probably, like, the first band I ever remember getting into
0:09:37 > 0:09:39and Wonderwall was one of my favourite songs.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41# Today is gonna be the day
0:09:41 > 0:09:43# That they're gonna throw it back to you... #
0:09:43 > 0:09:48Wonderwall was a massive hit for mouthy Manchester band Oasis,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51reaching the number two spot back in 1995.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54I started writing out lyrics around that age as well and learning them.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58There's something really nostalgic about that song, and melancholy.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02# Because maybe
0:10:02 > 0:10:05# You're gonna be the one that saves me... #
0:10:05 > 0:10:07I don't even really think I knew what it meant,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10I still don't probably know what it means, but...
0:10:10 > 0:10:13it reminds me of a very specific period of time around that age.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16# You're my Wonderwall. #
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Don't worry, Kate. I don't know what a Wonderwall is either.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23And from the Mancunian band of the '90s...
0:10:24 > 0:10:27..to these '80s Scottish legends.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32I loved Deacon Blue. I thought they were great.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Guy's correct, they are great.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38And the band from Glasgow are a must-have at all Scottish weddings.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40# Tear out the pages
0:10:41 > 0:10:43# That I got in these books... #
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Ricky Ross from Deacon Blue had such a thick Scottish accent
0:10:47 > 0:10:50that I used to make up what I thought he was singing. So, I mean...
0:10:50 > 0:10:52# Cos you know we don't care... #
0:10:52 > 0:10:54# You're a real gone kid... #
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Now I know it's "Cos she's a real gone kid."
0:10:57 > 0:10:59And then you go... # Maybe now, baby! #
0:10:59 > 0:11:04- And Lorraine McIntosh would go... - # Living out baby! #
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- You can't do it, can you? - I'm trying my best, mate!
0:11:09 > 0:11:15Anyway, Real Gone kid was their first top-ten smash back in 1988.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20I always sang when I was washing up. In your marigolds and your apron.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Washing-up brush as the microphone.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25You'd be singing along to it at the top of your voice.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28And looking at yourself in the window.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29Well, you've got to start somewhere.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33And whilst Guy was living the dream doing his chores,
0:11:33 > 0:11:37Nina was practising for superstardom in her bedroom.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40I had a little karaoke machine which was my favourite.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43I used to sing Hero by Mariah Carey.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47# There's a hero.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51# If you look inside your heart... #
0:11:51 > 0:11:57Released in 1993, Hero went on to be a global top-ten smash.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02I would just sing until I went to bed, basically.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05And every now and again, she still wails the old tune out.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- # Then a hero comes along... # - Told you.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12# With the strength to carry on
0:12:12 > 0:12:15# And you cast your fears aside... #
0:12:15 > 0:12:18And while Nina loved Mariah...
0:12:21 > 0:12:25..12-year-old A*M*E was besotted with another powerful pop diva.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28# Got me looking so crazy right now... #
0:12:28 > 0:12:33When I was 12, I remember being really addicted to Beyonce.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35I loved just watching her perform.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39My mum would buy me DVDs of her performances,
0:12:39 > 0:12:40and I tried to copy them.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43# I'm a survivor.... #
0:12:43 > 0:12:48Beyonce first found fame as a member of mega girl group Destiny's Child,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52who hit the UK number one spot in 2001 with Survivor.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55# I'm a survivor... #
0:12:55 > 0:13:00But when Beyonce went solo in 2003, it was a laid-back R&B classic
0:13:00 > 0:13:03that grabbed young A*M*E's attention.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05I loved Me, Myself And I.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08# Me, myself and I, that's all I got in the end,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10# That's what I found out... #
0:13:10 > 0:13:13I loved the video to that, I loved the whole rewinding thing.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16I was like, whoa what is this?!
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Me, Myself And I was the third hit from the massive debut album
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Dangerously In Love.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25And for Beyonce, a decade of chart domination had begun.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Yeah, I think that's my number one Beyonce track.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35Still to come. Nina remembers a gunge-tastic gameshow.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40I just remember gunge covering people and found it hilarious.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Kate recalls a legendary pop show.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45It was just like a cool way of discovering music
0:13:45 > 0:13:46and seeing your favourite bands playing.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48And Bridgit says "Eh-oh!"
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Eh-oh!
0:13:50 > 0:13:53It was definitely a younger show, but I had an appreciation for it.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55It was really cool.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58But first, let's find out what news stories made a lasting impression
0:13:58 > 0:14:01on our celebs when they were kids.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Businesses are being urged to have their computers checked
0:14:06 > 0:14:07for the so-called millennium bug.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10It's feared all kinds of equipment from video recorders
0:14:10 > 0:14:12to air traffic control systems could fail
0:14:12 > 0:14:15because they won't recognise the year 2000.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18A big news story when I was 12 was the millennium
0:14:18 > 0:14:19and what was going to happen.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22The computers would shut down and planes would fall out of the sky
0:14:22 > 0:14:24and everyone's going to lose their jobs.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Back in 1999, the millennium bug was a computer problem that
0:14:28 > 0:14:32everyone was talking about as the end of the century approached.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35We rely on computers for almost everything today.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37If they break down, traffic could grind to a halt.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41It's all a bit technical, but to save space,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45computers save dates as two digits rather than four.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48So in 2000, they'd have sort of gone back in 100 years in time
0:14:48 > 0:14:50and all crashed.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51If we don't act...
0:14:52 > 0:14:55..then the result will be loss of money, of power,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59and influence, perhaps on a disastrous scale.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Governments and businesses around the world spent billions trying
0:15:03 > 0:15:05to make sure that disaster didn't strike.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08For professional bug busters, there's plenty of work.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11The process is simple, the scale of the task huge.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14- KATE:- Everyone was worried that the millennium was going to bring
0:15:14 > 0:15:16the end of the world.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Even the microchip inside your video could fail,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21making recording your favourite programmes impossible.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24I actually remember being seriously kind of worried about that.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Me too, Kate!
0:15:26 > 0:15:29I'd be devastated if I couldn't tape an episode of
0:15:29 > 0:15:31the Antiques Roadshow on my video recorder.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35And on the strike of midnight...
0:15:36 > 0:15:39..not much actually happened.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41So far, there've been no records of problems
0:15:41 > 0:15:44caused by the so-called millennium computer bug.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Aeroplanes didn't crash from the sky
0:15:46 > 0:15:50and electricity, transport and financial systems around the world
0:15:50 > 0:15:52continued to work...normally!
0:15:54 > 0:15:57I remember the most dramatic thing that happened that night,
0:15:57 > 0:16:02and it was my friend eating an entire giant bucket of coleslaw.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04So it really wasn't that bad.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07You're right, it could have been a lot worse, actually, yeah.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11And while Kate was fretting over computer bugs...
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Guy's family were at the centre of a crisis
0:16:14 > 0:16:17between the people who made newspapers and their bosses.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20A major demonstration is being held tonight outside Rupert Murdoch's
0:16:20 > 0:16:24new printing plant at Wapping in East London.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28A big news story when I was 12 was the Wapping dispute.
0:16:28 > 0:16:29Several thousand printers
0:16:29 > 0:16:34and their supporters are protesting over the sacking of 5,500 workers
0:16:34 > 0:16:37when Mr Murdoch moved his main titles to Wapping last month.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40The Wapping dispute began in January 1986,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42when newspaper workers went on strike
0:16:42 > 0:16:45because their jobs were being threatened
0:16:45 > 0:16:47by the introduction of new technology.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51The same methods were employed for hundreds of years,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54but the computers could do the jobs they couldn't.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56This morning, readers of the Sunday Times
0:16:56 > 0:16:59and the News Of The World woke up to a newspaper revolution.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Where a few hundred electricians have brought out
0:17:02 > 0:17:04what previously needed several thousand printers.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07So all those men lost their jobs.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09But it wasn't just happening in London.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11A few years before, in Manchester,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15Guy's own family was directly affected by a similar dispute.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19My dad was one of 2,000 men working on printing the Daily Mirror.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24And overnight, 1,800 of them were made redundant.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28But back then, the printers were very strongly unionised.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32A trade union is an organisation of workers in a particular industry
0:17:32 > 0:17:35who have joined together to protect their rights
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and negotiate pay and working conditions with their bosses.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41When so many men get sacked,
0:17:41 > 0:17:45or when so many people's jobs are threatened, the unions go on strike.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49And what a strike is, is everybody refuses to go to work.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51The Wapping dispute was long and bitter
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and the protesters often clashed with police.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57The mood was of anger and frustration.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59There was some pushing and shoving along the line.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02160 police officers were injured.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07Union leaders estimate the number of demonstrators hurt at over 300.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10And for Guy's family, the dispute was particularly tough.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14That was a really difficult period for everybody in my family,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17because my mother was a policewoman before she got married.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Because of his beliefs and because of his union duties,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23my dad was very conflicted over the whole thing.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27After being in the news for over a year,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30the strike eventually collapsed in February 1987.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Thousands of print workers had lost their jobs
0:18:33 > 0:18:36and this was seen as a big blow to the UK trade union movement.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38It was a difficult time for the whole country
0:18:38 > 0:18:40and my dad was right in the middle of it.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46So, when he was 12, Guy was learning how the world of work was changing.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50But when A*M*E was young, her world was turned upside down.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53One of Africa's most vicious civil wars
0:18:53 > 0:18:57is thought to have cost 3,000 lives in the last few weeks.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00I grew up in Sierra Leone, during the war.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03The civil war in Sierra Leone began in the early 1990s
0:19:03 > 0:19:06and lasted for more than a decade.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Sierra Leone is a lovely country, it's beautiful.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12But it wasn't a very nice place to be at that time.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16And A*M*E's family were directly affected by the conflict.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21My mum is a hairdresser and her salon was bombed.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24And so was the house right next to ours.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28My mum, luckily enough, was able to get away to a neighbouring country.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30A*M*E's family managed to flee the country
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and they eventually settled in the UK.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36United Nations troops were brought in in 1999
0:19:36 > 0:19:41and the war was finally declared over in January 2002.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45I don't really remember much about it but it was nice to come here,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48and almost start fresh, and have brand-new friends.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Still to come, we ask the all-important question.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56What would our music stars do if they were 12 again?
0:19:56 > 0:20:00I'd say to 12-year-old Bridgit, hang onto that uniqueness.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03I would say, write more songs.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Cos there was some times when I got a bit distracted.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08The world's your oyster when you're 12. It's brilliant.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10It's definitely a year to enjoy and cherish.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12I always wanted to be older.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Looking back now I should have just enjoyed it for what it is.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17All right, back to business.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Let's find out what top TV shows our music stars tuned into
0:20:21 > 0:20:23when they were kids.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27A great kids' programme I watched when I was 12 was Get Your Own Back.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28Yes!
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Get Your Own Back was a totally bonkers kids' gameshow...
0:20:32 > 0:20:33Blaarrrggh!
0:20:33 > 0:20:37..which ran from 1991 to 2003.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42Welcome to Get Your Own Back, the gungiest gameshow on TV.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45The show gave kids the chance to get revenge on grown-ups
0:20:45 > 0:20:46who were giving them grief.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- Who do you want to get your own back on?- My teacher, Mr Clarkson.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51- Who do you want to get your own back on?- My mum.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55And the poor grown-ups' crimes weren't that bad.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59- You're sarcastic to the children, is this true?- Not very much, no(!)
0:20:59 > 0:21:03And the crazy games were designed to make them look a bit daft
0:21:03 > 0:21:06- and they succeeded.- You all right in there, Denise?- Yes, fine!
0:21:06 > 0:21:11I think I was just like an annoying child that found it funny
0:21:11 > 0:21:13when adults got gunged.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15It is the child with the highest score
0:21:15 > 0:21:18that gets a chance to push the button and get their grown-up into the gunge
0:21:18 > 0:21:22which is bigger and better and slimier than ever before!
0:21:22 > 0:21:26I just remember gunge covering people and found it hilarious.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30Mm! Love a bit of gunge!
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Me and all my friends were always like,
0:21:32 > 0:21:37- "Oh, we should nominate this teacher for it."- Goodness me!
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Unfortunately, we never got to gunge them.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45So, while Nina was giggling over gunge, what was Bridgit watching?
0:21:45 > 0:21:51I remember when we went to visit England when I was younger,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53I saw the Teletubbies.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54Teletubbies!
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Hang on a minute, isn't Teletubbies for two-year-olds?
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I have a younger brother, he was four at the time.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03You wind up watching a lot of the same things.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Ah, the old younger brother routine.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Me and my brother would both watch it.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Time for Teletubbies!
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Teletubbies followed the adventures of four cute and colourful
0:22:12 > 0:22:16characters who waddled around the wacky world of Teletubby land.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18So let's meet the gang.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- # Tinky Winky! - Tinky Winky!
0:22:20 > 0:22:22- # Dipsy! - Dipsy!
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- # Laa-laa! - Laa-laa!
0:22:24 > 0:22:26- # Po! - Po! #
0:22:26 > 0:22:29It was first shown in 1997.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31And was loved by toddlers worldwide.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35It was definitely a younger show but I had an appreciation for it.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37- It was really cool.- Really cool?!
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Teletubbies seem to spend most of their time behind trees...
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- Saying "Eh-oh."- Eh-oh!
0:22:44 > 0:22:48- And just hugging each other. - ALL: Big hug!
0:22:48 > 0:22:51I was very confused but I really enjoyed it.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53You weren't the only one.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57The Fab Four had a cult following amongst students
0:22:57 > 0:23:00and even had a number one single in 1997
0:23:00 > 0:23:03with a revamped version of their theme tune.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05- # Tinky Winky! - Tinky Winky!
0:23:05 > 0:23:07- # Dipsy! - Dipsy! #
0:23:07 > 0:23:10So just how big a fan is our Bridgit?
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Actually, I have a Teletubbies Halloween costume
0:23:12 > 0:23:15that I've worn for the past two years in a row.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17So that shows it had a big impact on my life.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22Don't worry, Bridgit, your secret's safe with us.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26And from a chart-topping hit to a number one pop show.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29I remember actually, like, really loving Top Of The Pops.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Buckle up and please secure all loose valuables
0:23:31 > 0:23:34for the best rollercoaster ride in music.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Of course we're number one, it's Top Of The Pops!
0:23:41 > 0:23:43First broadcast in 1964,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Top Of The Pops was the BBC's chart show.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Me and my friends loved it.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Every week it would feature the biggest hits from the UK top 40.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56ALL: Hi, we're the Spice Girls and we're number one!
0:23:56 > 0:23:59# I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want
0:23:59 > 0:24:01# So tell me what you want... #
0:24:01 > 0:24:03I remember taping the first-ever Spice Girls performance.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06# I wanna really really really wanna zig-a-zig, ah! #
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Also Steps, Tragedy.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10# Tragedy
0:24:10 > 0:24:13# When the feeling's gone and you can't go on, it's tragedy... #
0:24:13 > 0:24:16It was just a cool way of discovering music
0:24:16 > 0:24:18and seeing your favourite bands play.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21But it wasn't always as slick as a Steps dance routine.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26And as with all live shows, things didn't always go to plan.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Sometimes, there were technical problems,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33like with All About Eve in 1988.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Can you tell what went wrong?
0:24:35 > 0:24:39- BACKING TAPE: - # I hide in the water... #
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Don't just sit there, you're on!
0:24:42 > 0:24:44# I need to breathe... #
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Sometimes singers couldn't actually sing,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52like the Euro dance duo Cappella in 1994.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55OFF-KEY: # Baby, dance, give it all that you can
0:24:55 > 0:24:59# Cos it doesn't feel a thing for you... #
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Ouch!
0:25:02 > 0:25:06And sometimes rock stars struggle with even the basics.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Take it away, Rick Parfitt from Status Quo.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Oh dear! But despite some wobbly moments,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19the world's longest-running music show ran for an astonishing
0:25:19 > 0:25:2342 years until the lights finally went out in 2006.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29It was a sparkly fun show that I think was really appealing to kids.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31I think it's a shame that it's not around any more.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Yeah, you're right, Kate.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36So those were the TV memories from our music stars.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40But what were the best things about being 12?
0:25:41 > 0:25:44I think being 12 is quite a weird age.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Your hormones are going crazy and it's all kind of new and exciting.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51The best thing about being 12 in my opinion is probably just
0:25:51 > 0:25:56the lack of worry and stress, you can do what you want. Go out and play.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00For me the best thing about being 12 was going to secondary school
0:26:00 > 0:26:03and meeting good friends, and having fun.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06I think the best things and the worst things about being 12,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08it's kind of the same thing.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11You're trapped in between not being a kid any more
0:26:11 > 0:26:13but definitely not being an adult.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16That can be really frustrating, and it's really hard to fit in.
0:26:16 > 0:26:1912 wasn't brilliant to me.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23But then on the plus side, it's when I started realising that
0:26:23 > 0:26:26I could plough my own furrow, I could work out what I wanted to do
0:26:26 > 0:26:29with my life and I could stick to my own rules if I really wanted to.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34And what advice they give to their 12-year-old selves?
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Advice I would give to my 12-year-old self would be
0:26:37 > 0:26:39to not grow up too fast.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41I always wanted to be older.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Looking back now, I should have just enjoyed it for what it is.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48I'd say to 12-year-old Bridgit, hang on to that uniqueness.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52And I think I'd try not to boss my brother around as much.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54I'd be a little bit nicer.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57I would say, write more songs.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Cos there was some times where I got a bit distracted.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03I wish I didn't let my mum cut my hair. It never grew back the same.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Your friends are so important at that age,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08make sure you get in with the right friends.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10The world's your oyster when you're 12. It's brilliant.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13It's definitely a year to enjoy and to cherish.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17When you hit 13 you're a teenager and that's a whole different ballgame.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20I'd definitely like to experience it again.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21So, what have we learnt?
0:27:24 > 0:27:28If you're appearing on Top Of The Pops, try and stay on your feet.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Times were tough for parents in the '90s.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36She's going to struggle to get that stain out.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40And if you're a budding guitarist, never try to outdo Joel from Lawson.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- Did you do outdo him at the end? - At the end of the day, I outdid him.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46So, Lee, if you're watching. I outdid you.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd