Feel the Burn Blue Peter

It's no good. It won't start. I think we've broken down.

How are we going to fix it for the live show?

-It's OK, I know just the man for the job.

-Really?

-It's Lawrence.

-Wait, who's this?

-He's my friend.

-Radz? Radz?

-Er, what just happened?

CHEERING

Hello and welcome to live Blue Peter.

Now, this is what I'm talking about.

-We're moving!

-Pulling a double-decker bus.

Pulled along by nothing other than the human force

of the world's strongest man, Laurence Shahlaei.

-And we're joined by this lot.

-We're on the party bus. Hello, guys.

CHEERING

-It's a bit wobbly.

-Cheers, thanks very much. We'll also be putting

Laurence's superhuman strength to the test later in the show.

-Stay tuned for that.

-As well as that, I'm going to get sporty

as I take on American football.

Don't forget about this little Shelley. You know what she's like,

you know what she looks like, and the idea for you is quite simple.

Try and spot her on the show. Not this one, that doesn't count.

The first person to get in touch... CHEERING

..wins something very exciting. It's a house in Spain.

-I'm only kidding.

-No, it's not. Stop being naughty.

It's funny that, isn't it?

Now it's time to fire things up a bit - it's the Flambe Circus.

Hello, welcome to Blue Peter, Flambe Circus.

Thank you very much for having us.

Never mind this chat - hand me my fiery whip, please, woman.

You're not going to get to do fire today, I'm afraid.

-We're leaving that to us professionals.

-All right.

We have trained for at least ten years with fire

and much longer before that.

So that is the key to all this - practice makes perfect.

So that's what you guys get to have a go at today.

-Good, what are we doing?

-What on earth...?

Show the lovely audience what you have in your hands.

-What are they?

-What do you call them?

-These are called poi.

They originated in New Zealand and were used by the Maoris

as a way of training for weapons

and they use them in dances and all sorts of stuff.

-Oh, my goodness, they're changing colour.

-Magic.

So, you guys are going to get to go right now. Are you ready?

Before we do, it's worth saying you can join in with this at home.

You certainly can, yes. We actually train with sock poi,

which is actually what it says on the tin - a long pair of socks,

whack a tennis ball in the bottom, tie a knot in the end,

and you can spin in your back garden.

Make sure you've got plenty of space if you're going to do that,

or you'll whack people in the face.

-Look at you already, doing it.

-I'm loving this.

-Look at Barney,

showing off. So, we're going to take it right back to basics.

First move, Barney's demonstrating it perfectly.

Start spinning them forwards. That's it.

Imagine you're a train on a track.

There you go, a bit of knee action as well, loving it.

-You guys are pros.

-We're into this.

-Next, we're going to go backwards.

-That's it, nice and steady.

-Wait, is it arms?

-No, wrists.

-Arms, wrists, whatever. All right, are you ready?

-This one will melt your brain a little bit.

-OK.

We're going to try one forward and one backwards. Sounds super easy,

-but it's really hard.

-You're doing it and speaking.

-I know.

-You're a hero.

-OK, so forwards and backwards.

One forwards and one backwards.

Look at Radzi's concentration face.

Hello, I'm doing it!

-Yeah!

-Wait, am I doing it?

-I think you're doing it.

-I can't tell.

-Just smile, they'll never know.

OK, the last move for you guys to try is called Butterfly.

-It looks like this.

-Yeah, easy, no worries.

It's kind of like aeroplane propellers or butterfly wings.

-I just hit myself in the head.

-So, just in front of you.

It won't go right round your bobble.

-Look at that for a butterfly.

-Barney's going outwards,

-that's even better.

-We're not just doing this cos I'm rubbish,

-there's a point of this, isn't there?

-You guys are actually

going to be involved in our fire show later.

-I've made up my own trick.

-You'll regret saying that later.

If you want to see more performance from the Flambe Circus,

there's a video online. Go check it out on the Blue Peter website.

I'm going to practise more with this.

Oh, Radzi! But now, I'm so bad at this, I'm going to put these down

and instead pick up... Thanks, Gary. ..one of these.

Because this Sunday it's the 51st Super Bowl. It's the biggest night

in American football, so I thought I'd have a go.

-Aaah!

-Agh, Radzi!

This is it.

I'm waiting for the ball to be snapped.

It's my final chance to score a touchdown.

I'm sorry, guys, I'm not actually explaining what's going on.

Let's take it back to the start.

This is American football.

Bright, brash and bold,

American football is a modern sporting spectacle.

Huge in America, it's thought more than 150 million people

around the world watched last year's league final, the Super Bowl.

So. I want to find out why so many people love it,

and who better to tell me

than former pros Osi and Jason from the BBC's NFL Show?

Touchdown, Denver!

So, guys, talk to me. Why is football so great?

Why should we all love it?

It's a beautiful event. I mean, it's for everyone.

It's a sport anybody can play -

whether you're tall, short, big, small, you know, skinny, whatever,

there's a position for you out there on that field.

NFL's getting big out here.

American football is getting big out here,

and we're just continuing to urge people to play.

I feel tiny stood next to you both, but that's not an excuse, right?

-I can still play football.

-Absolutely. You're good to go.

That's lucky because top amateur women's team,

the Leeds Carnegie Chargers,

are letting me join their ranks for the day.

Right, team, bring it in. Let's take a knee.

First things first, I think we need to know the rules of the game.

Take it away, Coach Connor.

An American football pitch is 100 yards long,

and the aim of the game is to take the ball

to the opposite end zone in order to score a touchdown.

Each team has 11 players on the field,

known as the offence and defence.

The offence can move down the field

by running the ball or throwing the ball.

It's the defence's job to stop the other team moving down the field.

And they stop them by tackling, which I am totally not ready for,

but there is a gentler version I can play first.

This is flag football.

No tackling here.

By simply grabbing a player's flag, you stop them.

And for youth teams like Carnegie's,

it's a great way to first play the sport.

Down, set, huh!

It's different to other sports and it's really fun.

It keeps me healthy.

It's about teamwork.

-This is great fun...

-CHEERING

..but if I'm going to get a real taste of American football,

I probably need to play with some guys my own size.

Although they are quite a lot bigger than me.

-Coach, I've got my kit, I'm ready to go.

-Cool. We just need to know

first of all what kind of things you're good at.

-What things are you bringing to the team?

-I'm small, nifty...

-OK.

-Fairly agile.

Fast?

Yeah. I can run quite fast.

Well, not quite as fast as this guy.

But carrying the ball while running is tricky,

so Gaby here shows me how to hold it.

Cover it, fingers either side of the nose of the ball. Tuck it in.

-Make sure your fingers go over again.

-I see.

-So, nice and tight.

-No-one's getting it.

-No!

'The key is not to drop the ball when tackled,

'so my grip needs to be tight.'

Oh, my goodness, this is so intense.

I think... I think the laughter made me let go.

Next, how to receive the ball from another player.

And you want your hands open, like a gate.

It's going to get slammed into your chest.

-You cover it the same way we've just done...

-Oh, wow. Yeah.

..and run forward ready to take the hit.

Oh, missed it.

That's good.

-Yeah.

-Whoo!

I'm picking up loads, but let's be honest,

I'm not wearing all these pads for nothing.

American football is full contact,

and if I'm going to play, I need to learn how to be tackled.

-So, do we just want to have a look at Gaby and see how it's done?

-OK.

-OK. Are you sure?

-Yeah, don't worry, you'll be fine.

Let's do this!

I'm so scared. This is it - first contact. Let's do it.

Ready? Set...hey!

Ohhh!

Oh, my days!

But, hey, I'm still standing.

Oh, my goodness. It's like the most aggressive hug ever,

and it's really loud on your helmet.

You know what? I've had three tackles now,

and I think I'm ready to play.

Now I need to put all my new skills into practice.

I've been set a classic American football challenge.

I'll have three attempts to receive the ball

at the back of the field and, keeping hold of it,

beat the defence down the right,

then run the length of the field and score a touchdown.

Easy.

Oh, maybe not that easy. I dropped it.

I totally took my eyes off the ball.

Take two.

Catch the ball. Beat the defender.

Where did she come from?

What a tackle!

LAUGHTER

-I flew.

-Are you all right?

-Yeah, I'm fine.

Last chance.

I catch it...beat one...

spot an opening....

She's out of the way. I'm going for it now.

I'm still going.

Touchdown!

I'll be honest, I think they were going a little bit easy on me,

but I've had a great day.

American football - give it a go.

Blue Peter! Blue Peter!

CHEERING

Honestly, that was such a good day.

Definitely try American football.

-But that tackle did hurt.

-That was an impact.

Those girls are amazing, such a fun sport.

Make sure you're watching this Sunday.

It's the New England Patriots against the Atlanta Falcons.

It's going to be good. Or maybe you'll watch, like me,

just to see Lady Gaga in half-time. Can't wait.

Unbelievable statement, Lindsey Russell.

-What? I love Lady Gaga.

-You're only human.

Now, your indulge your peepers upon this week's big badge wall.

Once again looking ridonkosaurus.

But I want to talk to you about Jessica. She's earned a silver badge

and that's by simply sending in this fantastic calendar,

each month dedicated to something Blue Peter. Found Shelley!

-No.

-Look at that. Stephen Spielberg, look, and that's me there.

Lots of different stuff.

But I can say, that isn't this week's Spot Shelley.

All I'll say is, we've already had Spot Shelley on the show.

-She's already been on the show!

-Shh! No hints.

Let's move on from tortoise and talk about roosters.

They've been trending on the badge wall this week

after our fantastic lunar New Year make last week.

This is Ruby. She's got an auntie called Lucky - that's a great name.

She's done a rooster lantern here.

So has Eli, he's done a beautiful version with lots of feathers on it.

Zoe's had a go as well. Thanks for getting in touch.

We love to hear from you.

Now, some little legend called Anna from Cambridge has earned herself

a green badge for doing this. Look at these. They're home-made cards

and they're all made out of different bits of recycled material.

Anna, we think you're amazing. Also, make sure you watch next week

because we'll be making a Valentine's Day card.

I won't give it away, but we are using recycled materials.

Anna, that's for you. Keep your post coming in. We love receiving it

-and chatting about it. It's our favourite thing to do.

-Yeah, baby.

I've got my own shot for this. Hello, everyone.

Camera two is mine for a while. This is a form you can

download from the website called Comedy Classroom.

If you think you're a comedy genius and want to get involved,

we want to hear some original jokes. Send them in via this form.

They'll be judged by Miranda Hart and Richard Curtis,

two comedy legends themselves. Who knows? They could have the chance

to be read out on the Red Nose Day special in March. It's awesome.

Fear not because if writing jokes isn't your thing,

let's head over this way, because you can still get involved this year

with Red Nose Day. All you need to do is get one of these forms,

download it from the BP website.

Hopefully it won't blow in the wind quite as much.

Fill it out, tell us what your three favourite jokes ever are.

What makes you LOL? We want to know.

Then tell us what you're doing for Red Nose Day.

And to be clear, you can either send in three original jokes

or three of your favourite jokes.

All the details are on the Blue Peter website,

as is a comedy icon.

A man, a myth, a legend. Look at Barney's gunatrons right there.

-Look at my biceps.

-Wow!

-It's Peter Kay, what a hero.

We call him Blue Peter Kay.

Right, let's talk about our totaliser. We want to have

as many jokes as possible in by 22 March

to try and change this number. You might have noticed last week

there was 1,000 at the top.

We've changed that because this week we've already smashed the total.

-We can't believe it.

-You know the number.

-Shall I announce it?

-Yes, please.

-OK, then.

The winning number, the total amount of jokes that we've had in

since last week, so far is...

-Go on.

-Where's it going to go?

-1,095.

-Whoa!

-That's amazing.

That's already gone over the total we set last week.

It's brilliant. Thank you so much.

That's a lot of LOLing going on as well. Now onto something different,

something that I am so excited about,

potentially the best bit of the show.

Is it when me and Barney get to meet Europe's strongest man?

-No, no, it's me and George in the garden.

-OK.

-Yeah.

-Cool.

I've been looking after the Blue Peter garden for a while now,

so, with winter here, it's time to get back out there,

and this time I'm prepared.

Right, I am so ready.

There is literally nothing I haven't prepared for today.

-Boo!

-Except for that.

I was not ready for that.

As well as being a master of disguise,

George here is an award-winning gardener

and has guided us through every season with his expert knowledge.

So, George, we've gardened together in the spring, the summer,

we've done the autumn, so what can we be getting on with in the winter?

Nothing.

-Sorry? Nothing?

-Nothing.

Right, that's awkward, I thought we were going to garden together today.

No, we need to wait for the spring to plant our crops.

-Oh, right.

-Because of the tricky winter conditions,

the birds need some help - that's why we're here today.

In the freezing temperatures and long, dark nights of winter,

the birds in your garden can do with all the help they can get,

so we're putting away the garden tools until spring,

and today is all about our feathered friends.

Luckily, George knows a thing or two about birds,

but there doesn't seem to be many in the BP garden.

-George, have you seen any birds yet?

-No.

-But I've found James!

-What?

-Hiya.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-That was weird.

Who better to help us attract some beaked buddies than James,

an expert from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds?

What type of birds can we look out for in our gardens?

So, you get your smaller birds that will visit your bird feeders -

bluetits, great tits - your slightly larger birds -

blackbirds, especially if you have an apple tree.

Depending on what you feed, where you are,

different sorts of birds will turn up.

How can we make sure that birds do show up

and they are in our gardens over winter time?

So, birds need food, water and shelter

to consider visiting your garden.

So, if food and shelter is what they need, that's what we're going

to give them, and we begin with somewhere for them to live.

This is really important - shelter.

I know what you mean, George, and I've bought one. Umbrellas.

No?

Birds need a place to keep warm and build their nests.

Got it. You actually mean one of those, don't you?

-Yes.

-See? I am getting it.

Just like us, birds need to stay warm, so it's the perfect time

to build a cosy bird box, just like BP viewer Eva did in her garden.

Log on to our website to find out

how to make your own lolly-stick birdhouse.

But not now - watch the rest of Blue Peter first, OK?

Shelter sorted. Now, what are the birds going to eat and drink?

Just like you and me, birds need food to eat and water to drink.

That's all well and good, but this is my cup of tea, George,

so they can keep their claws off.

Good to know, Lindsey, but I think birds would much prefer

-a bird bath or a pond.

-Yes, I knew that.

Last but not least, food.

How did he do that?

The cold of winter means there's less bird-friendly food around,

so George has the perfect feast we can all create to help them out.

-These are fat balls. Here's one I made earlier.

-Really?

No, I just really wanted to say that. Come on.

Using a type of fat called lard, some seeds, string and a twig,

you can create a tasty treat your garden guests will go gaga for.

It's not my first choice, but hey, whatever floats your boat, birds.

-OK, what do we do first?

-Grab your lard. So you're basically

-trying to roll that...

-Into a ball?

-..into a ball.

Once you've got a lovely, fatty ball,

push the string through the middle so you can hang it.

-Cool.

-So, next, you're going to put it in your bowl,

-you're going to get some seed and sprinkle it over the top.

-Whoo!

You can put loads of different things into your fat balls,

like dried fruit and nuts, but be careful if you've got pets

as some foods are not good for them.

Once you've got your fat ball,

which doesn't look like a fat ball any more,

you get your twig and basically stab it through.

If it's a sharp stick, don't put your hand there.

It's a little perch. Mine's a very little perch for a little bird.

Well, now we've got the garden all prepped for the birds,

-all we've got to do is wait for them to arrive.

-They'll definitely come

-because we're prepared for anything.

-That is true.

-SQUAWKING

-Except for that.

-Run!

-Run!

CHEERING

Thank you, thank you, thank you very much. For my next song...

I'm only kidding. It wasn't cheering for me, was it?

George, what a legend you are, my friend. Now, though, gear change.

I am very, very excited. In fact, anybody who knows me well

knows that I love strength, so imagine how excited I am

to welcome to Blue Peter Europe's strongest man, Laurence Shahlaei!

Thank you.

-So, they call you Big Loz.

-They do indeed.

-I'm just going to

call you today "Sir", if that's all right. So, Big Loz, how big are you?

-Let's talk about the numbers.

-I'm six foot two.

160 kilos, which is 25½ stone.

Right.

-160, so I'm 72, you're...

-About the same.

-Iggy's about ten.

So it's about those three together, so you must be pretty strong.

Well, I'm not too weak. I can lift you up pretty easily.

-It's a good way to demonstrate that, I suppose.

-Look at that.

-Lovely, thank you very much.

-I know, to get big, you have to eat big.

How much do you eat?

Yeah, definitely. If you want to get bigger and stronger,

food is really important.

You're looking at lots of... I eat 6,000-7,000 calories a day.

Three times the recommended daily amount for an adult male.

But it's all clean food.

You can't just sit around eating sweets and chocolate.

From the minute I wake up in the morning, lots of oats, milk,

loads of chicken, beef,

-lots of green, leafy vegetables...

-Yeah, sorry, guys.

You've got to eat your greens if you want to get big,

that's the facts. Of course, you started a long time ago, didn't you?

Yeah, I've been doing this over ten years now.

You don't just jump out of your bed and manage to pull trucks and lift

the weights we do, it takes a lot of training, a lot of dedication.

Do you remember when you first saw someone on telly and thought

-you wanted to be like that?

-Definitely, as a kid,

watching Strong Man on TV, legends like Geoff Capes from England.

Hero. I loved Geoff Capes, he was the man.

You know, superheroes and things like that.

As a kid, these things inspire you

and I was always fascinated by strength

and even now I still want to be like the Hulk.

Do you know what's really cool about this?

You as that little boy, watching that show,

-have now become the hero that other little boys are watching.

-I hope so.

Let's talk about bench pressing, one way to display strength.

-But let's turn it into a challenge to earn that badge.

-OK.

So, how about if you bench press Radzi while he asks a question?

-Amazing.

-OK, let's go for it.

This sounds a lot easier said than done, I'm sure.

-We've got no weights, so we're using you.

-Exactly right, OK.

If you lie on my chest...

I don't think this has been done on TV before. Are you ready?

-Radzi, ask a question.

-Whoa!

Loz, I was actually...

So, Loz, I was there

when you actually won World's Strongest Man last year.

You're defending it on April 1st this year.

What are your chances? How are you feeling?

How do you think I'm going to do?

-I think you'll do really well.

-Yeah, I'm going to win.

A massive round of applause for Big Loz - amazing interview.

Some of the events we'll see in the Strong Man competition,

we've recreated one here today so you can show what you're made of.

-Sound good?

-Oh, no.

-It's the tyre flip. Follow us over here.

We've got two tyres. Hello, guys, thank you for being here.

You'll have one, Big Loz, and we'll have the other one.

Thanks, Linds.

And...star player. MVP.

-I've been warming up over there.

-Secret weapon, that's not fair.

We brought it out last minute, sir. It's a race. Are you ready for this?

-Come on, then.

-In three, two...

-Don't try this at home.

-..one...

Go!

-It's so dusty.

-Come on, guys!

Again, one more, one more.

-One, two, three...

-Go!

Come on!

No, we can't do another one.

One, two, three...go!

Awesome.

-CHEERING

-There he goes.

I wasn't even helping. Sorry.

-Big Loz, thank you so much. That was brilliant.

-Thank you, guys.

This isn't the last you'll hear from Loz cos after the show,

on fan club hour, you can ask as many questions as you'd like.

Now, though, whilst we gather our breath and pick up our pride

from the floor, here's the coolest competition EVER.

The biggest global sporting events of 2017 are coming to London,

and with them, the greatest athletes on the planet,

all competing for gold at the World ParaAthletics

and the IAAF World Championships London 2017,

and one of you is going to play a massive part.

One lucky Blue Peter viewer

will get to design both mascots for the London 2017 Championships,

and your designs will be judged by Olympic and Paralympic superstars

Jessica Ennis-Hill and Richard Whitehead.

Not only will your designs

be turned into the official mascots of London 2017,

you'll also get tickets to the championships,

receive a VIP tour of the London stadium

and come face-to-face with some of the best athletes in the world.

This is off the charts.

To win this amazing prize, you need to come up with

two original mascot designs, one for each championship.

They should be friends

and passionate about athletics.

They must be your own design.

You can't copy any logos

or anything to do with Blue Peter,

including the badge.

And you need to write a paragraph

explaining how you came up with them.

We are so excited to be judging this competition,

and it's a once-in-a-lifetime prize, so give it your best shot.

Make sure you create two designs, one for each competition,

and don't favour any particular country or athlete.

We must receive your entries by noon on 10th February, so get designing.

All the details on how to enter are on the Blue Peter website.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

It's the best competition ever. Just make sure that

all of the postage details you enter are correct. That's very important.

And the deadline is on 10th February, so this

is the last weekend to get applying, so start applying.

Those legends reminded me of Shelley.

We've been playing Spot Shelley,

and the winner this week is Gold Jockey Primrose. Well done to you.

Congratulations, you've won a bunny rabbit.

THEY LAUGH That was a joke.

That is just about all we've got time for on today's show.

Make sure you're watching next week's show,

it is an absolute corkertron of all corkers.

I'll be going face-to-face with Lego Batman himself.

That's all coming next week.

Make sure you head online on Tuesday for a very special Fan Club

about safety on the internet,

but now it is time for Flambe Circus.

Please remember, do not try this at home. We'll see you next week.

-Flambe Circus!

-Bye-bye.

-Sorry!

LAUGHTER

MUSIC: Come With Me Now by Kongos

# Come with me now

# Whoa, come with me now

# I'm gonna take you down

# Whoa, come with me now

# I'm gonna show you how

# Whoa, come with me now

# I'm gonna take you down

# Whoa, come with me now

# I'm gonna show you how

# I think with my heart and I move with my head

# I open my mouth and it's something I've read

# I stood at this door before I'm told

# But a part of me knows that I'm growing too old

# Confused what I thought with something I felt

# Confuse what I feel with something that's real

# I tried to sell my soul last night

# Funny, he wouldn't even take a bite

# Far away

-# I heard him say

-Come with me now

# Don't delay

-# I heard him say

-Come with me now

# Whoa, come with me now

# I'm gonna take you down

# Whoa, come with me now

# I'm gonna show you how... #

CHEERING

CHEERING

# Afraid to lose control And caught up in this world

# I need to move, I need to fight

# I need to lose myself tonight

# Whoa, come with me now

# Whoa, come with me now

# I'm gonna take you down

# Whoa, come with me now. #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

See you next week!

That was the coolest show in the world!

Guys, that was awesome.