Behind the Scenes with Colin Edmonds

In this episode of Behind the Scenes we’re chatting once again with John Foster - radio broadcaster, disc jockey and voice artist who is one of the most experienced in the industry. In a non-stop 30-year career in local and national radio, including BBC Radio 5 Live, he’s interviewed almost every major international actor and entertainer from either side of the Atlantic - a joy for someone with su...

This time on Behind the Scenes we’re back to United States to chat with Andy Walmsley, the busiest and most successful designer in the history of theatre and television. He’s designed more Las Vegas spectaculars than anyone else and was the youngest scenic designer ever to work in the West End, on Broadway and in television. His name, along with his company A1 Sets, has been seen on TV credits the...

This time on Behind the Scenes we are in the company of a former BBC Television Channel Controller. Between 2010 and 2017 Kay Benbow was the top flight commissioning exec at the heart and helm of the pre-school children’s network CBeebies. In those seven years she navigated the channel through dramatic shake-ups within the BBC, changes in viewer habits and into the new highly competitive, digital...

In this gala edition of Behind the Scenes we chat with one of the most successful ever television entertainment Producers, on both sides of the Atlantic. In the U.K, as ITV’s Head of Music Programming, he oversaw international television spectaculars starring most of the biggest global star names including Sir Elton John, Luciano Pavarotti and Cher, while Executive Producing highly rated music spe...

Keith Lascelles returns to captivate us with further fascinating Behind the Scenes revelations, stories and recollections from his 40-year career as one of the most experienced and best-loved Floor Managers and Production Managers in British Television. Royal Variety Performances, Diana Ross, Liberace and more memories of Keith’s life and times in the personal company of TV icon and pioneer Noele...

In this 2-hour Special Edition, former ITV Controller of Entertainment Mark Wells, along with actress, comedy writer and performer Jayne Tunnicliffe share their personal Behind the Scenes memories of one of Britain’s greatest entertainers and biggest personalities – a true Man of the People and comic genius - Paul O’Grady. Mark, the Executive Producer who oversaw Paul’s golden entertainment years...

This time on Behind the Scenes our guest is one of British television’s most experienced Executive Producers who, for the last 3 decades, has overseen the nation’s best-loved and longest-running intellectual quiz programme University Challenge along with, more recently, Channel 4’s perennially popular word challenge hit, Countdown. Peter began his career on glitzy light entertainment at the BBC an...

For decades Paul’s been at the helm of the U.K.’s sharpest, long-running comedy shows “Live at the Apollo” and “Have I Got News For You?”. And if you look at the credits at the end of giant specials with Lee Mack, Dara O'Briain, Jason Manford, John Bishop, Frank Skinner and Russell Brand – you’ll see this gentleman has worked with every major comic of the past 30 years. Prepare to be surprised...

This time we go Behind the Scenes with a television Floor Manager turned Production Manager Keith Lascelles, who shares his recollections of a 40-year non-stop career at ATV, BBC and LWT working on innumerable Royal Variety Performances along with An Audience With…, Tiswas, Bullseye, Spitting Image and The Golden Shot.  He also tells how his close friendship with soap superstar and national f...

In mid-November of 2020 we lost one of the best-loved, most versatile and talented entertainers the U.K. has ever produced – Des O’Connor. Des was one of the biggest names in British show business. With his variety and quiz series and ratings-topping chat shows, he was a permanent face on British television screens for more than 50 years. As a solo artiste, Des gave more than a thousand performanc...

This time we go Behind the Scenes with the fearless, highly talented singer Gilly Hamilton, whose career spanned 3 decades and encompassed the halcyon days of show business and variety. As a key member of the pop-music close-harmony trio The Kaye Sisters she appeared alongside most of the major entertainment stars of the 1970s through to the 1990s. Supporting Max Bygraves, the Kayes appeared in th...

Taking us Behind the Scenes this time is one of the most experienced, versatile and senior international sports executives in television. For the past 13 years he has held various senior roles at IMG Productions the globe’s leading sports and events company and he now is their advisor on special projects. Beginning his career at the BBC, he rose to the role of Senior Producer on Grandstand, Sports...

This time on Behind the Scenes we meet one of the most experienced and versatile Script Supervisors in British television, the legendary Annie McDougall. In a non-stop career at the top that has spanned more than 40 years, she has worked on quiz, entertainment, variety, game and air shows, not to mention TVam. But I just have. Nowadays, Annie’s the go-to Script Supervisor for any major live show,...

Our guest this time is Kathryn Randall (latterly Edmonds) who, for the past 40 years, was one of television’s busiest Vision Mixers, specialising in the U.K.’s most popular music and light entertainment shows. At the BBC she was trained to cover all manner of genres: sport, news programmes, drama, sitcoms and children’s output along with national occasions and world-wide events including the funer...

Our Behind the Scenes guest this time is a composer, pianist and music director who has enjoyed a 40 year award winning career working with the most famous performers and conducting some of the biggest orchestras in the world. Mike Dixon has helped launch many of the great modern productions in the West End and on Broadway. He is the go-to-guy for Dame Shirley Bassey, Lionel Richie, Sir Tom Jones,...

This time we go Behind the Scenes with one of the great voices of BBC radio - an award-winning sports journalist, who The Spectator magazine described as ‘one of the best broadcasters in the country - The Poet Laurate of Sport’. Garry’s remarkable career has spanned half a century, making him the longest serving member on Radio 4’s flagship “Today Programme”. In that time he’s reported on 5 Olympi...

This time we go Behind the Scenes with Adeel Amini who, back in 2015, was named as one of Broadcast magazine’s Under-30 Hotshots. Now, 7 years on, he’s a Senior Studio Entertainment Producer who’s overseen all manner of highly popular ratings winners including the revamped series of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”, “Catchphrase”, “Celebrity Squares”, “Blind Date” and more recently the hit quiz “Li...

Grant Philpott is a British television comedy and light entertainment producer whose very first job was writing Q-cards for Bob Monkhouse on “The Big Breakfast”. 25 years later his career came full circle when he was one of the Edit Producers on “Bob Monkhouse: The Million Joke Man”, the UKtv documentary series which celebrated Bob’s life and career. He’s interviewed Sir Bruce Forsy...

This time we chat with the magnificent Simon Lupton, one of the most experienced comedy producers currently working in television. In an award-winning 25-year career Simon’s headed up series starring Paul Whitehouse & Harry Enfield, Matt Horne and James Corden, along with British sitcoms ‘My Family’ and ‘Red Dwarf’. Plus he’s worked with Hollywood legends Rutger Hauer and Kelsey Grammer; commi...

This time on Behind the Scenes we power on through a few technical difficulties to chat with Ray Turner, a comic who has been entertaining audiences for thirty-five years. He cut his comedy teeth working clubs and theatres before establishing himself as one of the principal and most versatile studio warm up artists working in light entertainment television; ranked alongside legends Bill Martin, Je...

BBC Radio 2 listener favourite and former travel news reporter Lynn Bowles recalls her 18 laughter-filled years working on the radio ratings blockbuster Breakfast Show with the much-missed great man himself Sir Terry Wogan, then with that iconic whirlwind of the wireless Chris Evans. Not forgetting, how could we, her joyous banter with the reigning King of the Airwaves – the magnificent Mr Ken Bru...

How does a lawyer turned top advertising executive become one of the most successful television writers on TV creating award nominated comedy series and dramas. This week’s Behind the Scenes guest has done just that. In addition to creating the long-running BBC tv series “May to December” and “My Hero”, plus the American animated comedy “Neigbours From Hell”, he also penned the critically acclaime...

It’s part 2 of our Behind the Scenes chat with the true National Treasure of British television light entertainment, Royston Mayoh! His pioneering non-stop career has spanned six decades heading up the most popular high-profile L.E shows on our screens. Not forgetting his new career in front of the cameras starring in the hit ITV ratings winner “Off Their Rockers”. Roy’s remarkable life story and...

In the first of a 2-part chat we go Behind the Scenes with the most experienced and pioneering professionals still working in British television. This gentleman started in TV in 1957 sweeping the studio floor. In a 60- year career he went on to become a multi-camera director and producer of comedy and quiz shows, magic specials, lifestyle and awards programs, and TV commercials. And now he’s a pro...

This week we go Behind the Scenes with scriptwriter Brian Leveson, author-broadcaster Louis Barfe and comedy Consultant Alan Nixon, who reflect on the incredible career of Barry Cryer and share their fond, personal memories of the great man who recently died, leaving an unparalleled legacy of entertainment as a performer, writer and raconteur, and a vast unfillable void in British showbusiness. Le...