6:30:43 > 6:30:44Linz, thank you so much!
6:30:44 > 6:30:47It's not my birthday until November but I'll take the cake.
6:30:47 > 6:30:48No, Barney, that's not for you!
6:30:48 > 6:30:51We're celebrating one whole year of Fan of the Month!
6:30:51 > 6:30:52Oh. Who's FOTM?
6:30:52 > 6:30:53No, it's Fan of the...
6:30:53 > 6:30:55SHE BLOWS PARTY HOOTER
6:31:14 > 6:31:17Hello! And welcome to a very live Blue Peter.
6:31:17 > 6:31:18We are excited to be here today,
6:31:18 > 6:31:21and coming up on today's show, spring has sprung!
6:31:21 > 6:31:26Our lovely resident gardener George is in the garden doing his thing,
6:31:26 > 6:31:28and walking in slow-mo.
6:31:28 > 6:31:30He walks in slow-mo everywhere he goes!
6:31:30 > 6:31:33Also, speaking of spring, I give some mushrooms a spring clean
6:31:33 > 6:31:37in the most famous music venue in the world, the Royal Albert Hall!
6:31:37 > 6:31:38Also, Barns...
6:31:38 > 6:31:40SHE BLOWS PARTY HOOTER
6:31:40 > 6:31:43- What are you doing? - We're celebrating one whole year
6:31:43 > 6:31:45- of Fan of the Month! - That's what that was?
6:31:45 > 6:31:47MUSIC: Celebration by Kool & the Gang
6:31:47 > 6:31:50It's a beautiful thing, everybody up off your sofas!
6:31:50 > 6:31:53- Let's have a dance. - The crew are loving it! No, stop it.
6:31:53 > 6:31:55Dance at home, though. We're celebrating a whole year
6:31:55 > 6:31:57of Fan of the Month, so we'll be looking back
6:31:57 > 6:32:00at past winners and celebrating May's Fan of the Month too!
6:32:00 > 6:32:02Will it be you? As well as that,
6:32:02 > 6:32:05we are going to be playing Spot Shelley!
6:32:05 > 6:32:08- Found her!- No, this doesn't count!
6:32:08 > 6:32:10If you spot her anywhere on today's show,
6:32:10 > 6:32:12do get in touch and let us know!
6:32:12 > 6:32:14The first person to get in touch wins a dance with Lindsey
6:32:14 > 6:32:16- at the party.- Yes, you do!
6:32:16 > 6:32:19So, this weekend is the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest,
6:32:19 > 6:32:21it's definitely something worth celebrating
6:32:21 > 6:32:22with one of them blowy things.
6:32:22 > 6:32:26But instead of doing that, a few weeks ago we got Lucie Jones
6:32:26 > 6:32:28into the studio, who is our Eurovision hopeful, and she told us
6:32:28 > 6:32:31how she feels about representing the UK. But before we see that,
6:32:31 > 6:32:33let's have a look at the moment she won...
6:32:35 > 6:32:40The winner of Eurovision You Decide is...
6:32:40 > 6:32:41Lucie!
6:32:41 > 6:32:44CHEERING
6:32:46 > 6:32:48Lucie, how are you feeling?
6:32:48 > 6:32:52I can't believe you picked me, thank you so much!
6:32:52 > 6:32:53I think she's pleased!
6:32:53 > 6:32:56Yay! Lucie Jones, what's it like watching that back?
6:32:56 > 6:33:00Oh, weird, I don't like watching myself at all! I was so overwhelmed.
6:33:00 > 6:33:03You've done well to pick a job in telly!
6:33:03 > 6:33:06- You've got a Blue Peter badge on... - Yes, I have!- Congratulations!
6:33:06 > 6:33:08It's not your first, though, is it?
6:33:08 > 6:33:10No, I have one from an essay competition...
6:33:10 > 6:33:13Which you actually won when you used to be a viewer when you watched
6:33:13 > 6:33:16- way back when.- Yes.- Which is great news for you, isn't it?- Definitely!
6:33:16 > 6:33:18- Do you know why?- Why?- Because you've done something different
6:33:18 > 6:33:20to be here today, and that means
6:33:20 > 6:33:22you've earned your silver badge as well!
6:33:22 > 6:33:24No way! Oh, my gosh!
6:33:24 > 6:33:26This is genuinely the best thing ever!
6:33:26 > 6:33:28- This is better than Eurovision! - There you go.
6:33:28 > 6:33:29But don't tell anyone...
6:33:29 > 6:33:31It's all right, no-one's watching, you're fine!
6:33:31 > 6:33:33We are talking about Eurovision of course,
6:33:33 > 6:33:35so in just two days' time you will be on stage in Kiev,
6:33:35 > 6:33:38- where they make the chicken with the garlic in it.- Absolutely, tasty.
6:33:38 > 6:33:43And you will be singing representing the UK... It's amazing, isn't it?
6:33:43 > 6:33:45It's kind of terrifying, but really cool!
6:33:45 > 6:33:48Whoever thought I'd be able to do that as a singer?
6:33:48 > 6:33:50We all did, that's why we're excited to have you here.
6:33:50 > 6:33:54- We're going to celebrate your triumph with a game.- Oh, great!
6:33:54 > 6:33:56Before you are some ex-contestants from Eurovision,
6:33:56 > 6:33:58and on the back of these cards is a number.
6:33:58 > 6:34:00That's how many points they scored in the competition.
6:34:00 > 6:34:03All you've got to do is work out whether the next contestants
6:34:03 > 6:34:05- scored higher or lower than the previous.- OK.
6:34:05 > 6:34:07- You up for this? - I will give it a good go!
6:34:07 > 6:34:09We've called this game, Eurovision: Is It Higher Or Lower?
6:34:09 > 6:34:11We haven't. I'm just making that up.
6:34:11 > 6:34:15First up, Joe and Jake, 2016, last year's entry, let's have a listen.
6:34:15 > 6:34:18It's a beautiful song, They scored...
6:34:18 > 6:34:1962 points.
6:34:19 > 6:34:21So, what about Gina G? 1996.
6:34:21 > 6:34:25OK, Gina G definitely scored more points than Joe and Jake.
6:34:25 > 6:34:27- Do you reckon?- Yeah. - Just a little bit more?
6:34:27 > 6:34:30That's the name of the song! OK, good, you think more.
6:34:30 > 6:34:32- Higher.- Higher.- Higher than 62?
6:34:32 > 6:34:3677! Pipe down, you two.
6:34:36 > 6:34:39OK, so Bucks Fizz, 1981, Making Your Mind Up.
6:34:39 > 6:34:41- You need to make yours up. - I am going to go higher again.
6:34:41 > 6:34:44- Higher than 77. Are you sure about that?- No.
6:34:44 > 6:34:45OK, let's have a look.
6:34:45 > 6:34:48136 points!
6:34:48 > 6:34:50- That is huge!- Massive, isn't it? - Yes.
6:34:50 > 6:34:53OK, Lulu with the Boom Bang-a-bang song that she did.
6:34:53 > 6:34:541969, it's a while ago.
6:34:54 > 6:34:57Lower. I will say lower. Sorry, Lulu.
6:34:57 > 6:35:00- Than 136? - Yes, that's a huge score.
6:35:00 > 6:35:03- 18 points.- Oh, no!
6:35:03 > 6:35:06But the points were quite different then.
6:35:06 > 6:35:09And Scooch, 2007.
6:35:09 > 6:35:12Flying the Flag, they were. What do you reckon, higher or lower?
6:35:12 > 6:35:13# Flying the flag! # Higher.
6:35:13 > 6:35:17You should be a singer. Higher than 18...
6:35:17 > 6:35:19- Oh!- Oh, Nelly!
6:35:19 > 6:35:21- Only just!- So close!
6:35:21 > 6:35:24Let's go to Katrina and the Waves? Actually one of my favourite songs.
6:35:24 > 6:35:27Yes, really good song, and they won, so I will say higher.
6:35:27 > 6:35:28- Higher than 19.- Yeah.
6:35:28 > 6:35:31Shall we have a look? It's a great game.
6:35:31 > 6:35:34227 points.
6:35:34 > 6:35:37A round of applause for Lucie Jones, she knows her stuff!
6:35:37 > 6:35:40- Well done!- I'm surprised, actually, I did quite well!
6:35:40 > 6:35:43Did very well. Not quite the 250 points you're going to get
6:35:43 > 6:35:44in two days' time, is it?
6:35:44 > 6:35:47- Fingers crossed!- We're all rooting for you.- Thank you so much.
6:35:47 > 6:35:49- Thank you.- A round of applause for Lucie Jones, everyone.
6:35:49 > 6:35:51What a lej! APPLAUSE
6:35:51 > 6:35:54- Linz!- We love Lucie Jones. Good luck.
6:35:54 > 6:35:57If you want even more Eurovision fun and games, head to the BP website
6:35:57 > 6:36:03where you can challenge yourself and take our Eurovision song lyric quiz.
6:36:03 > 6:36:06Do you know whether your bum has feelings,
6:36:06 > 6:36:08your bum is a part of you?
6:36:08 > 6:36:11It's true! Was that a real Eurovision song lyric?
6:36:11 > 6:36:13The answers are on there.
6:36:13 > 6:36:15As well as that, later in the show... Stop it, Barney,
6:36:15 > 6:36:17- what are you going to do? - Nothing, just watching.
6:36:17 > 6:36:20We are going to be catching up with Mel Giedroyc and Scott Mills
6:36:20 > 6:36:22to find out how it's all going in Kyiv.
6:36:22 > 6:36:24I hate being left out all the time.
6:36:24 > 6:36:27That reminds me, we must take a trip down memory lane and look
6:36:27 > 6:36:30at our brand-new Design a Dragon Competition.
6:36:30 > 6:36:31Have a look at the details...
6:36:36 > 6:36:38This is the Great Pagoda,
6:36:38 > 6:36:42it's one of the most iconic sights at the world-famous
6:36:42 > 6:36:44Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.
6:36:44 > 6:36:47It's a grade-I listed building, which means it's thought to be
6:36:47 > 6:36:50of exceptional interest and national importance,
6:36:50 > 6:36:52so it needs to be protected.
6:36:52 > 6:36:55So, a year-long restoration project is underway
6:36:55 > 6:37:00to return this 255-year-old building to its former glory.
6:37:00 > 6:37:04Once it was covered with 80 beautiful dragons,
6:37:04 > 6:37:06and now the dragons are coming back!
6:37:08 > 6:37:12A team of skilled designers and craftsmen will create 79 sculptures
6:37:12 > 6:37:16that will once again sit on this iconic building.
6:37:16 > 6:37:19But what about the 80th?
6:37:19 > 6:37:22This is the really cool part of the whole project
6:37:22 > 6:37:24because this is where you come in!
6:37:24 > 6:37:27We're giving you the chance to design one of the dragons
6:37:27 > 6:37:31that will sit on the Great Pagoda and be seen by millions of people!
6:37:31 > 6:37:35That's right, your design will be part of an iconic royal building,
6:37:35 > 6:37:37and it doesn't get much cooler than that!
6:37:39 > 6:37:42Your design must be totally original.
6:37:42 > 6:37:45You need to give your dragon a name and a superpower.
6:37:45 > 6:37:48And it has to be a classic dragon shape,
6:37:48 > 6:37:52including wings, a body, a tail and a mouth.
6:37:52 > 6:37:55Judging your creations will be a bestselling author
6:37:55 > 6:37:57and dragon expert...
6:37:57 > 6:38:00Hi, I'm Cressida Cowell, author and illustrator
6:38:00 > 6:38:02of the How To Train Your Dragon books.
6:38:02 > 6:38:06I'm so happy to be a judge for this incredible competition.
6:38:06 > 6:38:09All the details are on the Blue Peter website
6:38:09 > 6:38:13so get designing your dragon now!
6:38:13 > 6:38:16I love this competition!
6:38:16 > 6:38:17It's so much fun.
6:38:17 > 6:38:19If you want to get involved and design a dragon, all you've got do
6:38:19 > 6:38:22is head to the Blue Peter website and download this application form.
6:38:22 > 6:38:24It's got its own shot, it's that special.
6:38:24 > 6:38:27The first bit is all your personal details,
6:38:27 > 6:38:30name, age, address, all that kind of stuff, fairly straightforward.
6:38:30 > 6:38:31The middle bit has six rules here
6:38:31 > 6:38:34for when you are designing your Dragon. It talks you through it,
6:38:34 > 6:38:37then here you write down how you've come up with the design.
6:38:37 > 6:38:39Give us its name, tell us what's special about it, and of course,
6:38:39 > 6:38:41tell us what superpower it has.
6:38:41 > 6:38:44On the back, that's the section where you draw your dragon.
6:38:44 > 6:38:46Make sure you send it to us, please. Thank you.
6:38:46 > 6:38:49Speaking of sending it, your entries need to be with us
6:38:49 > 6:38:52by Thursday 25th of May at 12 noon.
6:38:52 > 6:38:55It's really important you use the correct postage.
6:38:55 > 6:38:59For example, if you are using a large envelope like this one here,
6:38:59 > 6:39:02A4, you will therefore need a large postage stamp.
6:39:02 > 6:39:04Don't get it wrong, people, cos you might be disqualified
6:39:04 > 6:39:06and your entries might not arrive on time.
6:39:06 > 6:39:09Get designing. It's so cool, I want to enter! Good luck!
6:39:09 > 6:39:12OK, now to the BP garden to meet a gardener called George
6:39:12 > 6:39:13who apparently has green fingers!
6:39:13 > 6:39:17- When I looked at his hands, they were perfectly normal.- Stop it.
6:39:17 > 6:39:20Spring has finally sprung here at Blue Peter HQ,
6:39:20 > 6:39:21it's a beautiful, sunny day.
6:39:21 > 6:39:24The bees are buzzing and the birds are singing.
6:39:24 > 6:39:26The gorgeous leaves on the trees.
6:39:26 > 6:39:28We've even got a big pile of mud!
6:39:30 > 6:39:32Well, that's embarrassing...
6:39:33 > 6:39:36Spring is here, so it's time to get out in the BP garden
6:39:36 > 6:39:39and plant this year's fruit and veg, but who am I kidding?
6:39:39 > 6:39:42I'm no expert, I need some help,
6:39:42 > 6:39:45so who better than resident garden expert, George!
6:39:49 > 6:39:51A green-fingered superhero,
6:39:51 > 6:39:55this guy has forgotten more about gardening than I know.
6:39:56 > 6:39:59Wow! Look at George with his super cool slow-mo walk!
6:39:59 > 6:40:00I'm doing that.
6:40:02 > 6:40:05Last year, George took charge of the Blue Peter garden
6:40:05 > 6:40:06and made it awesome!
6:40:06 > 6:40:08This year, it's my turn...
6:40:09 > 6:40:10..sort of...
6:40:10 > 6:40:13We should probably get on with it.
6:40:13 > 6:40:16George, it's spring. I'm guessing they called it spring
6:40:16 > 6:40:19because it's when things spring into action and I'm also guessing
6:40:19 > 6:40:22it's a good time of year for the garden too?
6:40:22 > 6:40:25Yes, when we're in spring time, it's perfect for planting
6:40:25 > 6:40:27as it gets warmer with light showers of rain.
6:40:27 > 6:40:30Our vegetable patch here is looking a little sorry for itself,
6:40:30 > 6:40:33so I'm going to need your help to get some life into the old girl.
6:40:33 > 6:40:35- Yes, I can see you need some help. - You can say that again.
6:40:35 > 6:40:38- Yes, I can see you need some help! - Very good. Funny and clever,
6:40:38 > 6:40:40you can stay. OK, where do we start?
6:40:40 > 6:40:42First, we need a plan.
6:40:42 > 6:40:46You heard the man, we need a plan.
6:40:46 > 6:40:47When planting in the garden,
6:40:47 > 6:40:50you need to have an idea of where you're going to put things.
6:40:50 > 6:40:52This is why I have drawn this plan.
6:40:52 > 6:40:54Whether your garden is big or small,
6:40:54 > 6:40:56a map of where everything goes
6:40:56 > 6:41:00helps make sure they're evenly spaced and in the right place.
6:41:00 > 6:41:03So, the strawberries are going to go at the front of the garden
6:41:03 > 6:41:05to catch the sun.
6:41:05 > 6:41:08The gooseberry bush is going to go at the back of the garden
6:41:08 > 6:41:12- for some shade. - Brilliant, let's get planting!- Whoa!
6:41:12 > 6:41:14We need to check I've done this right.
6:41:14 > 6:41:16Before you start digging any holes,
6:41:16 > 6:41:19George recommends laying out your plants to get a feel
6:41:19 > 6:41:21for how the garden will look once planted.
6:41:21 > 6:41:24- About here?- Left a bit... Right a bit...
6:41:24 > 6:41:27- Whose right, yours or mine? - Yours!- Mine.
6:41:27 > 6:41:29- No, yours!- There.
6:41:29 > 6:41:32- Just leave it at that, it doesn't matter.- I'm good at this, aren't I?
6:41:34 > 6:41:36OK, all sorted.
6:41:36 > 6:41:38Now, can we start planting, please?
6:41:38 > 6:41:40No, not yet, Barney. We've still got some more work to do.
6:41:40 > 6:41:43Does it involve big sticks?
6:41:43 > 6:41:46George's next tip is build a wigwam.
6:41:46 > 6:41:47I have no idea what that is!
6:41:47 > 6:41:53This is a special structure which allows climbing plants to grow up.
6:41:53 > 6:41:56Some plants need to be guided on which way to grow.
6:41:56 > 6:41:58A wigwam is the perfect solution.
6:41:58 > 6:42:00OK, how do we build it?
6:42:00 > 6:42:03We've got to get the sticks,
6:42:03 > 6:42:06and try and wedge them as far in as possible.
6:42:06 > 6:42:08Then if you tie that there.
6:42:08 > 6:42:11- All right, there we go. - What sort of knot is that?
6:42:11 > 6:42:13That is a Barney knot.
6:42:13 > 6:42:15I know what you're thinking - it's totally a thing!
6:42:15 > 6:42:18Let's just go through what we've done here, George.
6:42:18 > 6:42:20We have done a plan, spaced everything out in the garden,
6:42:20 > 6:42:23then built this stick thing for the peas to grow up,
6:42:23 > 6:42:25now can we start planting some stuff, please?
6:42:25 > 6:42:28- What do you say?- Pretty peas.
6:42:28 > 6:42:30Go on then, but, please, no more pea jokes!
6:42:30 > 6:42:33No more pea jokes, I promise. Easy-peasy.
6:42:33 > 6:42:36That was funny. Go on, that was funny.
6:42:36 > 6:42:39Finally, we get to put some stuff in the ground.
6:42:39 > 6:42:40George, my man, take it away.
6:42:40 > 6:42:43You get potatoes, I'll get the strawberries,
6:42:43 > 6:42:45and we'll meet by the peas in ten.
6:42:45 > 6:42:46It's a deal, see you in a bit.
6:42:46 > 6:42:49Now is the time to plant your strawberries and potatoes,
6:42:49 > 6:42:53which will make a lovely, tasty treat later in the year.
6:42:53 > 6:42:55But not together, because that would be gross!
6:42:55 > 6:42:59When planting strawberries, always make the hole bigger than
6:42:59 > 6:43:00the actual plant itself
6:43:00 > 6:43:04because you always fill it up with compost to help the plant grow.
6:43:04 > 6:43:07OK, so I'm digging a trench for the potatoes. I'll draw it out
6:43:07 > 6:43:11just like a big rectangle, then when I've dug all this out,
6:43:11 > 6:43:12we can plant them!
6:43:12 > 6:43:16You're just going to put it in, so that the soil level just goes
6:43:16 > 6:43:17past the plant...
6:43:17 > 6:43:20I'm starting to realise that we've got quite a lot
6:43:20 > 6:43:23- of work to do here and not a lot of time to do it!- Oh, yeah.
6:43:23 > 6:43:24But I have had an idea.
6:43:24 > 6:43:27Blue Peter film crew - cameras down, please, pick up a spade,
6:43:27 > 6:43:28we need all the help we can get!
6:43:30 > 6:43:34The whole team worked together to get the garden looking ship-shape,
6:43:34 > 6:43:36even George's dad is helping out!
6:43:40 > 6:43:43OK, operation potato cover-up...go!
6:43:43 > 6:43:44Now, all that's left to do
6:43:44 > 6:43:47is wait for them to grow so that we can eat them.
6:43:49 > 6:43:52I tell you what, George, that was a good day's work.
6:43:52 > 6:43:53Listen, we've planted everything,
6:43:53 > 6:43:56- now it's kind of a waiting game, isn't it?- It is.
6:43:56 > 6:43:58Can we do anything to make them grow quicker?
6:43:58 > 6:44:02Well, I did hear once that if you sing to your plants,
6:44:02 > 6:44:05- they grow quicker. - If you sing to them?
6:44:05 > 6:44:07# One potato, two potato, three potato, four
6:44:07 > 6:44:10# Five potato, six potato, seven potato more
6:44:10 > 6:44:12# Eight potato, nine potato... #
6:44:12 > 6:44:15I don't know why this song goes... George, it's not working, mate!
6:44:16 > 6:44:18I was there five hours and nothing grew!
6:44:18 > 6:44:20- You need to keep singing!- Really?
6:44:20 > 6:44:23In the meantime, let's have a look at this week's Big Badge Wall,
6:44:23 > 6:44:26covered in all of your colour and creativeness!
6:44:26 > 6:44:28Have a look at this, it's from Olivia.
6:44:28 > 6:44:30She has well and truly earned a silver badge,
6:44:30 > 6:44:32look at this island that she's made!
6:44:32 > 6:44:34It's even in an elephant shape,
6:44:34 > 6:44:37this must have taken so much time.
6:44:37 > 6:44:39There's mermaids, palm trees, there's even a dolphin.
6:44:39 > 6:44:42- It's very cool.- Olivia, we think you're a genius, well done
6:44:42 > 6:44:45- on getting your silver badge.- Well done, you lej. Let's take a look
6:44:45 > 6:44:47at Ruby's... It's a 3D model down here
6:44:47 > 6:44:49of Radzi doing some free running, which you saw on last week's show.
6:44:49 > 6:44:52Look at him there, doing his muscle-ups on the bar.
6:44:52 > 6:44:53He's such a hunky, muscly man!
6:44:53 > 6:44:55Look at his little legs!
6:44:55 > 6:44:57Congratulations, you've got your very own Blue Peter badge!
6:44:57 > 6:44:58Well done.
6:44:58 > 6:45:01Barns, you're going to love this.
6:45:01 > 6:45:03Elsie has made these, she's called them plushies,
6:45:03 > 6:45:05and they're almost like little cushions of us!
6:45:05 > 6:45:08Look, they're all squidgy with hair and everything. Elsie, we love them,
6:45:08 > 6:45:10you've earned a badge! Well done.
6:45:10 > 6:45:12Evie has made a massive thing for us this week. It's BP!
6:45:12 > 6:45:14She's used some masking tape to mask out the letters,
6:45:14 > 6:45:17and then thrown loads of paint at them and it's awesome.
6:45:17 > 6:45:19You've also got a BP badge, congratulations.
6:45:19 > 6:45:21If you want to get in touch and earn your very own Blue Peter badge,
6:45:21 > 6:45:24send us all the stuff you know we love to receive from you
6:45:24 > 6:45:26to the usual address, please. Don't forget that when you've got
6:45:26 > 6:45:29your badge, that can get you into over 200 attractions
6:45:29 > 6:45:32- across the UK... - For free!
6:45:32 > 6:45:34But please check the website first, if that's OK,
6:45:34 > 6:45:36because sometimes the offers can change. Thanks.
6:45:36 > 6:45:38Now, I think it's time to walk this way
6:45:38 > 6:45:41and have a bit of a celebration, because today marks
6:45:41 > 6:45:44the one year anniversary of... Cue the music!
6:45:44 > 6:45:46SWING MUSIC PLAYS
6:45:46 > 6:45:48It's a beautiful moment. Yes, it is...
6:45:48 > 6:45:49You're killing me there! OK, you talk now.
6:45:49 > 6:45:52BP Fan Club of the Month. Or BP Fan of the Month, that is,
6:45:52 > 6:45:54which is what that stands for.
6:45:54 > 6:45:55Fan of The Month.
6:45:55 > 6:45:58It's awarded to people who are online, part of the BP Fan Club,
6:45:58 > 6:46:00who go that extra little bit extra to impress us.
6:46:00 > 6:46:03You can only be FOTM if you've got
6:46:03 > 6:46:07a CBBC account and you're part of the BP Fan Club.
6:46:07 > 6:46:10Do you have a CBBC account? Are you part of the BP Fan Club?
6:46:10 > 6:46:12If you're not, why not? Go and get one. Go on.
6:46:12 > 6:46:14Are you OK, Barns? Are you doing all right today?
6:46:14 > 6:46:16We're excited because on BP Fan of the Month we've had
6:46:16 > 6:46:21nearly 7,000 loves, which is amazing, over 230,000 comments
6:46:21 > 6:46:27and over 21,000 of you out there are official BP Fan Club members.
6:46:27 > 6:46:28So if you are a BP Fan of the Month,
6:46:28 > 6:46:31you'll know how it feels to be a winner. Just take a look at this.
6:46:31 > 6:46:35This is how we've revealed all of those legendary people.
6:46:35 > 6:46:36Reveal it, Radz.
6:46:43 > 6:46:44Yeah!
6:46:44 > 6:46:47Purple Piano Toucan.
6:46:47 > 6:46:49Look, it's Lavender Scaly Unicorn!
6:46:49 > 6:46:51Peridot Dancing Meerkat.
6:46:51 > 6:46:53Yeah!
6:46:53 > 6:46:56Aw! Awesome Arnau.
6:46:56 > 6:46:59Aw, Super Silly Sloth.
6:46:59 > 6:47:01- Pink.- Sparkly.- Football.
6:47:01 > 6:47:04Yay!
6:47:04 > 6:47:05Yay!
6:47:05 > 6:47:08Fan of the Month is inside the pasty.
6:47:08 > 6:47:10- Take it out.- It is...
6:47:10 > 6:47:14Topaz Hyper Echidna!
6:47:14 > 6:47:17Beige Mini Butterfly!
6:47:17 > 6:47:18Well done!
6:47:18 > 6:47:21For being a lovely person, for having lots of great game
6:47:21 > 6:47:23ideas and for making sure that everyone's involved and
6:47:23 > 6:47:26coming up with some lovely questions during the web chats...
6:47:26 > 6:47:28May's Fan of the Month is...
6:47:28 > 6:47:29Cue the lights!
6:47:31 > 6:47:32It's Pink Sparkle Cupcake!
6:47:32 > 6:47:35CHEERING Whoa!
6:47:35 > 6:47:38- Thank you very much.- Well done. - Congratulations.- Wow.
6:47:38 > 6:47:41Barney, how are we going to clean all this confetti up?
6:47:41 > 6:47:43- To be honest, I've done enough cleaning for one week.- Really?
6:47:43 > 6:47:46You'll see why. I actually went to clean some mushrooms
6:47:46 > 6:47:47- at the Royal Albert Hall.- Pardon?
6:47:47 > 6:47:50Sounds weird but this will make it make sense.
6:47:50 > 6:47:53Now, we get to do some pretty weird and wonderful things on Blue Peter.
6:47:53 > 6:47:55So when I was asked to come down to the Royal Albert Hall to
6:47:55 > 6:47:59clean some mushrooms, that didn't really sound out of the ordinary.
6:47:59 > 6:48:02I mean, why wouldn't I be at the Royal Albert Hall
6:48:02 > 6:48:03to clean some mushrooms?
6:48:04 > 6:48:06Royal Albert Hall...
6:48:06 > 6:48:08mushroom.
6:48:08 > 6:48:09And luckily I'm a fun guy!
6:48:10 > 6:48:12I'm up for anything.
6:48:12 > 6:48:15Opened by Queen Victoria way back in 1871,
6:48:15 > 6:48:18the Royal Albert Hall is one of the world's most famous concert venues.
6:48:18 > 6:48:21It hosts around 400 events every year,
6:48:21 > 6:48:24ranging from rock concerts to the BBC Proms with live orchestras.
6:48:24 > 6:48:28But why am I here today and what does it have to do with mushrooms?
6:48:28 > 6:48:31Well, technical performance manager Steph is here to explain.
6:48:31 > 6:48:33Steph, what's happening in here?
6:48:33 > 6:48:36We are doing cleaning and service inspections as part of our
6:48:36 > 6:48:39- annual maintenance weeks. - So you do it every year?
6:48:39 > 6:48:41We do twice a year, usually around April and September.
6:48:41 > 6:48:43OK, and where do the mushrooms come in?
6:48:43 > 6:48:45It's all about the acoustics.
6:48:45 > 6:48:48Ah, acoustics. What are they?
6:48:48 > 6:48:50Well, you may have noticed when you make a noise it can sound
6:48:50 > 6:48:53different in different places. That's acoustics.
6:48:53 > 6:48:56It's the study of how sound travels.
6:48:56 > 6:48:57When a noise is made,
6:48:57 > 6:49:00the sound waves spread out and react with objects around them.
6:49:00 > 6:49:03They might bounce off surfaces and echo or get soaked up and
6:49:03 > 6:49:06fade away. And that affects what you actually hear.
6:49:08 > 6:49:10Let me demonstrate with my trusty trombone.
6:49:12 > 6:49:14So, in a long tunnel like this...
6:49:16 > 6:49:18..it can sound quite echoey.
6:49:18 > 6:49:19But here in this library,
6:49:19 > 6:49:22the books and furniture absorb the sound waves
6:49:22 > 6:49:23rather than reflect them,
6:49:23 > 6:49:26so there's less echo. Even if I use the same instrument.
6:49:29 > 6:49:32The Albert Hall is a big circle with a high roof,
6:49:32 > 6:49:36meaning there's lots of room for sound to start bouncing around,
6:49:36 > 6:49:38which makes it an acoustic nightmare.
6:49:39 > 6:49:41So the sound hasn't always been good here, has it?
6:49:41 > 6:49:45It's been particularly echoey when it first opened because
6:49:45 > 6:49:48of the unusual shape of the building.
6:49:48 > 6:49:52And originally it had a glass roof that was fully exposed,
6:49:52 > 6:49:56so sound would bounce off the roof and reflect all across.
6:49:56 > 6:49:59So when you had a lot of musicians in here who were all performing,
6:49:59 > 6:50:01- the sound was just everywhere, it didn't sound very good.- Yeah.
6:50:01 > 6:50:03Yeah, about five-second echo.
6:50:03 > 6:50:09The solution was these - fibreglass acoustic diffusers or mushrooms.
6:50:09 > 6:50:10Installed in the 1960s,
6:50:10 > 6:50:14there are now 85 keeping the acoustics of the hall in check.
6:50:14 > 6:50:18But how do they work? Well, let me show you...
6:50:18 > 6:50:20with a water pistol and a spoon?
6:50:22 > 6:50:24Now, the spoon here represents the roof of the Royal Albert Hall.
6:50:24 > 6:50:28- And the water pistol represents the sound.- Exactly.
6:50:28 > 6:50:31If we squirt the sound at the roof of the Royal Albert Hall,
6:50:31 > 6:50:33watch what happens.
6:50:33 > 6:50:35Kind of goes everywhere, doesn't it?
6:50:35 > 6:50:38If we turn the spoon over like this, that represents the
6:50:38 > 6:50:40mushrooms in the ceiling, and if we now squirt
6:50:40 > 6:50:42the sound onto them, watch what happens.
6:50:44 > 6:50:47It kind of spreads it over the spoon and then concentrates it down.
6:50:47 > 6:50:50So if we imagine that on a massive scale, everybody would get
6:50:50 > 6:50:51really wet, wouldn't they?
6:50:51 > 6:50:54And that's... We're talking about sound now, not water.
6:50:54 > 6:50:57But with hundreds of events every year, the mushrooms often require
6:50:57 > 6:51:00a good clean out, but how do we get them down?
6:51:00 > 6:51:01I hope you've got a head for heights
6:51:01 > 6:51:03- cos you're going all the way up there!- Ha-ha!
6:51:03 > 6:51:05I thought you'd never ask!
6:51:07 > 6:51:09Now I know what you mean when you said do I have a head for heights?
6:51:09 > 6:51:11This is incredibly high. Where are we?
6:51:11 > 6:51:14We are in the roof, this area is called the corona.
6:51:14 > 6:51:16It's a great place to see the Royal Albert Hall from,
6:51:16 > 6:51:19it's a stunningly huge building.
6:51:19 > 6:51:22- What's this room actually used for?- We sometimes have balloon drops
6:51:22 > 6:51:23and confetti drops.
6:51:23 > 6:51:25- Amazing. Is that what these trap doors are for?- Yes.
6:51:25 > 6:51:28So at the end of a concert, when you see the confetti falling
6:51:28 > 6:51:31and the balloons, you're actually dropping them from this trap door.
6:51:31 > 6:51:34- Yep.- Very cool. And you'll see the mushrooms and you can see why they
6:51:34 > 6:51:36get stuff in them because if you're dropping confetti from up here,
6:51:36 > 6:51:39of course it's going to land in some of the mushrooms.
6:51:39 > 6:51:41I can actually see a balloon there in that mushroom
6:51:41 > 6:51:43so that definitely needs a clean.
6:51:43 > 6:51:45But to clean it, we need to get it down from the roof.
6:51:48 > 6:51:52As the mushroom comes down like a thing from outer space, it was time
6:51:52 > 6:51:56to put on my protective suit and become...
6:51:56 > 6:51:57Cleaning Man.
6:51:58 > 6:52:01Oh, that's not right.
6:52:01 > 6:52:04- OK, let's get started, first job, get this out.- Yeah.- OK.
6:52:04 > 6:52:07It becomes pretty obvious pretty quickly
6:52:07 > 6:52:09why we need to be dressed like this.
6:52:09 > 6:52:11These mushrooms are filthy.
6:52:11 > 6:52:13When we were at the top of the roof before, looking
6:52:13 > 6:52:16down on the mushrooms, we could see balloons and confetti in it,
6:52:16 > 6:52:18but now that we're up close, there's all sorts of things in
6:52:18 > 6:52:20here you that wouldn't expect.
6:52:20 > 6:52:23That's one of those balloons that whizzes round the room.
6:52:23 > 6:52:25Cleaning this is not easy.
6:52:25 > 6:52:27There's not "much room" to manoeuvre!
6:52:27 > 6:52:30- HE CHUCKLES - Missed a bit.
6:52:30 > 6:52:32Yes, all right, Steph, thank you, I've got it.
6:52:32 > 6:52:36I can't believe how dirty this is. A part of me loves that we're
6:52:36 > 6:52:39cleaning a bit of history, they've been here for nearly 60 years and
6:52:39 > 6:52:41still doing a great job so I think
6:52:41 > 6:52:44it's only right we make them look new again.
6:52:44 > 6:52:48There were originally 135 mushrooms but thankfully for me and the
6:52:48 > 6:52:52cleaning team, they took 50 out after thorough acoustic testing.
6:52:52 > 6:52:55- Phew!- Well, I think this is looking much better.
6:52:55 > 6:52:57- That's actually not a bad job, is it?- Yeah.
6:52:57 > 6:53:00- Oh, no.- I think it's ready to go back up.
6:53:00 > 6:53:01Yeah. Brilliant!
6:53:01 > 6:53:05And with that, it was time to send this mushroom back to its friends.
6:53:06 > 6:53:09So now the mushrooms have been cleaned and restored back into the
6:53:09 > 6:53:13roof, the Royal Albert Hall's acoustics have been returned to
6:53:13 > 6:53:16world-class. I'll show you, here we go.
6:53:16 > 6:53:19TROMBONE WHIMPERS
6:53:19 > 6:53:22OK, maybe I, erm... Maybe I missed a bit, I'll...
6:53:22 > 6:53:23I'll just go and...
6:53:27 > 6:53:30He's a funny one! So the Albert Hall is now spotlessly clean, enough to
6:53:30 > 6:53:33host the Eurovision Song Contest. Of course, semifinals tonight.
6:53:33 > 6:53:35Here are Mel and Scott with an update for us
6:53:35 > 6:53:36of what we can look forward to.
6:53:37 > 6:53:39Hello and welcome to Ukraine, we're in Kyiv
6:53:39 > 6:53:43for the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 and we've got our badges on.
6:53:43 > 6:53:46Badges very much on. We're in the arena, everything's hotting up,
6:53:46 > 6:53:48it's going to be such a great competition.
6:53:48 > 6:53:51- We've met some really cool people as well.- Yes.- Who have you met?
6:53:51 > 6:53:54I've met pretty much everyone on the red carpet at the opening
6:53:54 > 6:53:57ceremony, including a man from Montenegro called Slavko.
6:53:57 > 6:54:00Look out for him if you watch the show because he has
6:54:00 > 6:54:02a really long ponytail
6:54:02 > 6:54:05- Like a metre long. He's going to whip it back and forth.- Wow.
6:54:05 > 6:54:09I met the Italian entry Francesco, who has a gorilla with him
6:54:09 > 6:54:11at all times, the gorilla dances,
6:54:11 > 6:54:14and I also met an amazing yodelling girl called Ilinca,
6:54:14 > 6:54:17I think you'll really like her, she's got an amazing voice.
6:54:17 > 6:54:19You can watch it all on BBC FOUR, the second semifinal,
6:54:19 > 6:54:21tonight at eight o'clock or catch up on iPlayer.
6:54:21 > 6:54:23Shall we show them the commentary booth?
6:54:23 > 6:54:24Come and see where we do our thing.
6:54:26 > 6:54:29Oh, welcome to the booth!
6:54:29 > 6:54:32As you can see, we get a perfect view of the stage from here,
6:54:32 > 6:54:34we have so many notes on all the different acts.
6:54:34 > 6:54:36We've got headphones. Those go on.
6:54:36 > 6:54:40Which country and more stuff about the artist and the song.
6:54:40 > 6:54:43- Also, these little on-air buttons we press to speak.- Yeah.
6:54:43 > 6:54:45- Yes.- Got the headphones on.- Oh!
6:54:45 > 6:54:47- Oh! It's about to start! - We're about to go.
6:54:47 > 6:54:51OK, I hope you enjoyed the little tour of the booth and the commentary
6:54:51 > 6:54:52area here in Kyiv, thank you very much.
6:54:52 > 6:54:55- Watch tonight on BBC FOUR, thank you, Blue Peter.- Bye, Blue Peter!
6:54:57 > 6:54:59Thank you, Scott and Mel. See you on Saturday night for the finals.
6:54:59 > 6:55:02That's on BBC ONE and on BBC iPlayer. If you don't get enough
6:55:02 > 6:55:04Eurovision action, then don't worry,
6:55:04 > 6:55:06I'm going behind the scenes on next week's show.
6:55:06 > 6:55:08And on next week's show, Radzi's back! We can't wait.
6:55:08 > 6:55:11And I face my biggest fear and go diving with
6:55:11 > 6:55:13sharks. Truly terrifying, look at it!
6:55:13 > 6:55:16Now, Spot Shelley was the most difficult on Earth today,
6:55:16 > 6:55:19it was literally in those last few seconds of that film.
6:55:19 > 6:55:22Go to BP Fan Club Live to find out who spotted her first
6:55:22 > 6:55:24and, of course, won their very own sports car!
6:55:24 > 6:55:25- That's not true.- Mm-mm.
6:55:25 > 6:55:28Now let's find out how the Eurovision entry will sound
6:55:28 > 6:55:30for this weekend's final. She's lovely, she's beautiful, she's going
6:55:30 > 6:55:33to win it - it's Lucie Jones. We'll see you next week.
6:55:33 > 6:55:35APPLAUSE
6:55:35 > 6:55:36# Tell me your secrets
6:55:36 > 6:55:38# I'll keep 'em safe
6:55:38 > 6:55:42# No sign of weakness It's a sign of a faith
6:55:42 > 6:55:44# We'll stand tall
6:55:44 > 6:55:49# So you don't fall
6:55:49 > 6:55:51# You're not defeated
6:55:51 > 6:55:53# You're in repair
6:55:53 > 6:55:55# Don't have to call me
6:55:55 > 6:55:56# I'll always be there
6:55:56 > 6:56:00# We'll stand tall
6:56:00 > 6:56:04# So you don't fall
6:56:04 > 6:56:08# If you could see how far you've walked
6:56:08 > 6:56:12# You would see that all's not lost
6:56:12 > 6:56:16# I will never give up on you
6:56:16 > 6:56:20# I don't care what I've got to lose
6:56:20 > 6:56:25# Just give me your hand and hold on
6:56:25 > 6:56:28# Together, we'll dance through this storm
6:56:28 > 6:56:32# I will never give up on you
6:56:32 > 6:56:35# You're the one that I'm running to
6:56:35 > 6:56:39# Just give me your hand and hold on
6:56:39 > 6:56:44# Together, we'll dance through this storm
6:56:45 > 6:56:49# Under the surface, I see you glow
6:56:49 > 6:56:51# I'm right beside you
6:56:51 > 6:56:52# You're never alone
6:56:52 > 6:56:56# Don't let go
6:56:56 > 6:56:59# When you're so close
6:56:59 > 6:57:03# If you could see how far you've walked
6:57:03 > 6:57:08# You would see that all's not lost
6:57:08 > 6:57:12# I will never give up on you
6:57:12 > 6:57:16# I don't care what I've got to lose
6:57:16 > 6:57:20# Just give me your hand and hold on
6:57:20 > 6:57:24# Together, we'll dance through this storm
6:57:24 > 6:57:27# I will never give up on you
6:57:27 > 6:57:31# You're the one that I'm running to
6:57:31 > 6:57:35# Just give me your hand and hold on
6:57:35 > 6:57:38# Together, we're dancing through
6:57:38 > 6:57:39# This madness
6:57:39 > 6:57:41# We're running through
6:57:41 > 6:57:43# This magic
6:57:43 > 6:57:45# It's inside of you
6:57:45 > 6:57:47# This madness
6:57:48 > 6:57:51# This madness
6:57:51 > 6:57:55# Now you can see how far you've walked
6:57:55 > 6:57:57# The mountains climbed
6:57:57 > 6:58:04# The oceans crossed
6:58:04 > 6:58:08# I don't care what I've got to lose
6:58:08 > 6:58:12# Just give me your hand and hold on
6:58:12 > 6:58:15# Together, we'll dance through this storm
6:58:15 > 6:58:19# I will never give up on you
6:58:19 > 6:58:23# You're the one that I'm running to
6:58:23 > 6:58:27# Just give me your hand and hold on
6:58:27 > 6:58:33# Together, we'll dance through this storm. #
6:58:33 > 6:58:36CHEERING AND APPLAUSE